Friday Five

It's the weekend. Yea!

This week, the big boys got a chance to go on a field trip to UCSB. They got to watch a women's basketball game. Fun!

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Today, I went to the big boys' conferences at school. Both of the boys are doing really well. I got to hear such nice compliments about our dynamic duo, too. Can't beat that!

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Jack got into a little trouble at school for burping at people this week. Boys. I am not sure that is something that would have ever entered my mind to do as a kid.

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Jack then turned things around and got a little mini trophy for earning 50 AR points so far this year! (That is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that the books he reads are often worth no more than 0.5 points each!) He is very motivated by taking tests and getting points. He always comes right home and tells me what he's done that day. He is doing great!

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. The boys have decorated the Christmas tree. Daddy put up the Christmas lights. The boys have decorated around the house. Word on the street is that our Elfie makes his appearance tomorrow, too! Woohoo!

Throwback Thursday

Three years ago tomorrow...

They were such cuties!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday - Working Hard!

These two were working on some math this evening. Dad does such a good job helping with Shawn's homework!

Question of the Week

Where would you like to travel? How would you get there?

Jason: I would like to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland. There are a lot of cultural things to see there. I'm going to get a job in the scientific or medical field to pay for it. I would travel by plane.

Shawn: I would go...well...I would go on a new adventure, maybe to the zoo. We would drive there. Come on, mom. (lol!)

Jack: I would go to Universal Studios and go on a lot of rides. I want to ride Flight of the Hippogriffs. I would get there with our car!

Silly Jack

Mom, check out my new clothes!

Tree Trimming 2018

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts! Today, we decorated our tree!

Bring on the holiday season!

Overheard - Conversations With 7 Year Old

This conversation was overheard yesterday, and it still makes me chuckle...

Isaac and Jack were in the kitchen playing games. First up was the game Giggle Wiggle. Then it was the game Pop the Pig.

Jack: I want to play something else.

Isaac: okay, what would you like to play?

Jack: hm...let's play...I know! Let's play chess!

Somehow, I get the feeling Isaac was just hustled! Ha!

Friday Five

The boys' fall break is over, and they'll go back to school on Monday. They're all excited about it. I can not figure out why. lol. I, on the other hand, am not so excited about going back. lol

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Speaking of the end of the fall break, where did all the time go? We had so many plans to do things. Haven't done a darn thing, though. I blame the lice. LOL

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Lice update: All is looking good on this front. No activity since the weekend. We re-shampoo again tomorrow, but we aren't officially cleared until next week. Fingers crossed that we nipped this in the bud before it got out of hand!

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts! Just put up the tree today. Tomorrow, we get to decorate it! Yay!

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Speaking of Christmas, I think the elf makes his appearance on December 1. Oh boy. Can't wait to see what that little guy gets into this year!

Happy Thanksgiving

There is so much to be thankful for in our lives. I'm thankful for these guys right here...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

This kid...melt.

Peanut Butter Picky

Which do you prefer?

A friend of mine asked about favorite peanut butter. I had to laugh. Jack has been our peanut butter connoisseur. He only likes #9 (and he KNOWS the difference somehow), and the kid ate TONS of it. It was totally normal to just have him eat a plain gob of peanut butter straight from the spoon as a snack. He's sort of stepped away from peanut butter for the time being, but I imagine at some point in the not too distant future, he'll be back with his true love. 

Jason is not a peanut butter fan at all. (In fact, he really doesn't care about anything with nuts.) He eats peanut butter when he's having a PB and J sandwich, but the P on that sandwich really is meant to be the very bare minimum (like wave a bit of peanut butter 3" over the sandwich and he'd be good) and gobs of strawberry jelly. Ha!

Shawn is once again the least picky on the peanut butter topic. He'll eat it without much complaint. He doesn't exactly ask for it, but he eats it. 

All Boxed Up

Sometimes, I don't even know what to say. This was one of those times. I walked into Jack's room last night, and I found this...

He made me come over and knock on the "door" (side of the tub) before he'd talk to me. Oooo-kaaay. Whatever floats your boat, kiddo. LOL

Made It to the Top

These two were hanging outside this afternoon. They made it to the top!

World Prematurity Day

This post was first published November 17, 2011...

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Today we are purple.

Purple to honor all of the millions of babies worldwide who were born too soon.

Purple to honor the fight of those babies and their families for survival.

Purple to honor those babies who can fight no more.

Today we are purple to honor those we love who have been touched by prematurity.

Today I was purple to honor our super boys, Shawn and Jason.

I will forever be amazed by the strength and determination our two boys showed in the early days of their lives (and continue to show today). They endured more in those months than many people ever experience in their entire lives. It seemed like every complication possible was thrown their way, but together they conquered the NICU.

They captured the hearts of everyone who worked with them. (I think they still do. :) )

Our guys survived and thrive.

We are the lucky ones.

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Born at 28 weeks and 3 days, our guys were not even 3 pounds and about as long as a Barbie doll. (As tiny as they were, they were huge for their gestation.)

Shortly after the boys were born. This is Isaac's ring.
It would have easily slid all the way up to their armpits.

Isaac's ring on a foot.



A little hand barely able to hold daddy's thumb.

A small round band aid to protect a delicate knee 
(their knees were so delicate that the skin would
get raw when they'd lay on their bellies)

Our guys were tiny but mighty.

Shawn, Baby A:

The first time I was able to see Shawn.
I didn't even get to see him in the delivery room.

Shawn - not even a week old.

Holding Shawn for the first time. I am so grateful to
our respiratory therapist who made this happen.

Shawn in his first clothes.
They were preemie size and still swam on him for weeks.

Mommy and daddy with Shawn.

Shawn in December 2007

Jason, Baby B:

Meeting Jason for the first time. I was given a brief glimpse
of Jason in the operating room, but they held him up for me for literally a second.

Mommy and daddy with Jason

Jason under the Billi lights for jaundice.

 

Holding Jason for the first time.
He was on a ventilator to help him breathe.

Daddy with Jason

Jason in December 2007

Our first picture as a family of 4 (and the first time I'd held both boys together). 
December 2007

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They had a rough start, but our super boys are strong, smart, determined, and funny.

Shawn holding a picture of himself that was taken on the exact
same calendar day - 10 years apart!
2007 and 2017

Jason holding a picture of himself that was taken on the exact
same calendar day - 10 years apart! 
2007 and 2017

We are the lucky ones -- I hold that knowledge in my heart -- because our boys are here with us.

The Plague

Well, tonight didn't go as planned at all because, as one of the boys quipped, "The plague is upon us." It seems 2/3 of the team has contracted the pest that makes mothers everywhere cringe. Oh yes. We got 'em...or at least 2 of them did.

What you ask?

Lice.

OMG, lice.

We spent the night de-lousing all of us (because the family that de-louses together, stays together), washing pretty much everything, and doing all of the other fun that comes along with it. I may also have spent some time rocking myself in the corner, but I got over it. lol.

It seems that the shampoo is doing its thing, which is all we can ask for at this point. Fingers crossed!

Almost Friday

It's been a looooooong week, and we are all feeling it. Bring on Friday!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

Oh, my heart...