The Boy is on Spring Break

Landon, my big Kindergartener, is on Spring Break. While the weather hasn't quite cooperated, we have still made many plans. Today he is playing with his friend Brooklynn. They are headed to Jumpin' Joey's and out to lunch while the rain keeps them from playing outside.

Nate took the morning off yesterday and we enjoyed a few hours with him. My boys are all about their Daddy. He can do no wrong in their eyes. It makes my heart completely happy. We made our fruit smoothies and got ready for the day. We didn't tell the boys where we were going as we told them it would be a surprise. Landon kept guessing where we might be going. It was hilarious. I kept asking him where he thought and he of course was naming all of his favorite places. He did guess it but we didn't confirm until we got there. It was Bass Pro! Landon and Liam both love this place and could spend hours and hours there. We look at everything and learn about everything. I think Landon thinks we are going to purchase one of their boats for him someday. Hopefully he won't be too disappointed.

I did accept the PTA president position. It is going to be a stretch for me but I feel like it is the thing for me to do. To be honest after learning about what PTA is, the responsibilities, etc. it made me want to say "heck no!" Nate quickly reminded me what I had been praying about. I had been praying about helping Landon's school in anyway I could. There didn't seem to be any needs at the time until this. Obedience is the word that I am proclaiming right now. So, if you are like me and used to make fun of PTA Moms, think before you speak. You might be one of them someday too.

Springfield P2G Conference/PTA

This year’s Springfield P2G Conference was held last month and brought together principals, counselors, assistant principals, teachers and community organizations interested in helping the district. Together they discussed strategies used by each of the 52 schools to keep students engaged, motivated and on track to graduate with their classmates.

Nate and Landon were asked to be a part of the closing video for this conference. Here is the link. http://springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/board/VideoArchives/2010-2011/Dr.NateBock-P2GConference.html

We love Springfield Public Schools and will continue to support their principals, teachers, and therapists.

I got to meet with Landon's principal today. She stopped me yesterday as I was picking Landon up for school and asked me if I would be interested in being the president of PTA. My first initial thought was to laugh. I remember making fun of PTA Moms when I worked full-time. I even remember myself saying I will NEVER be one of those. I think it is funny how God directs your life. We are going to pray about it over the weekend and see what we feel like the first part of next week. Until then....

Life

Where to begin?

We have enjoyed some fun times lately as a family. Last weekend, Nate was asked to speak at a student DNOW weekend in St. Louis. We decided to go as a family and stay with my parents. While Nate was slaving away, Gigi spoiled me and the boys. We went to Chesterfield Mall and rode the carousel and ate at The Cheesecake Factory. I always enjoy the Luau salad. So yummy. The boys were very well behaved and thought they were big stuff riding in Gigi's new car. I am so thankful for the wonderful grandparents the boys have. Grandparents were very special to me and still are to this day. It is really neat to see the sweet relationship.

Liam has been under the weather so I finally made him an appointment to see the doctor today. Turns out he has bronchitis. :-( Nothing Amoxicillin won't cure I hope. He has had that lingering cough for two weeks.

Landon has had a great week at school. I am happy to report he has had three sight word spelling tests and has not missed one yet. I am so proud of him. He has come so far and is very eager to learn. My prayer is that it stays that way. We enjoy practicing our words every night after dinner together.

Tonight we hung out with some of our high school students. We have really missed doing this. Since Nate has been asked to lead worship for our modern service, it really takes away a lot of time with our students. The Lord has been pressing upon my heart to start teaching again. I miss my girls. I miss those relationships. I am continuing to pray through this.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Time to get back on Pinterest. Man, that is addicting.

The spelling words in order are and, can, the, me. He doesn't have the best handwriting. Such a boy.

Valentine's Day/Landon's 6th Birthday

Six years and one day ago was Valentine's Day in 2006. I remember I was so uncomfortable being 9 months pregnant and not wanting to do much for Valentine's Day. I remember we went to Brio on the plaza in KC to eat. I had major heartburn the rest of the night. The end. Fast forward to about 2:30 a.m. February 15th. I got up to go to the bathroom and it kept coming and coming. I thought it was never going to end. I got to thinking this wasn't normal. I went back to bed thinking it was just my imagination when all of a sudden more liquid starting coming out. I immediately went back to the bathroom and my water had broken. For some reason I was very calm and wasn't in a rush. Not usually the norm for your first pregnancy. I told Nate I wanted to take a shower and get ready. So, after about an hour we thought we should probably start heading down to St. Luke's on the plaza. I knew I was going to have a c-section because Landon was frank breech and couldn't be turned because of his size.

It didn't take long for the doctors to prep me and check me. I was dilated to a 3 but that really didn't matter. I was actually pretty calm and tried to soak up everything and remember every little detail. He was born and was a beautiful, healthy baby. 8 pounds, 9 ounces and 21 inches long and almost three weeks early. We were very excited to be on the journey of parenthood.

Today we celebrated Landon turning 6! We are sure proud of him. He is talking and learning how to read and spell. He is doing amazing. He had an amazing party with his good friends at Dynamic Gymnastics last weekend. He greeted everyone by name and gave hugs to everyone that came. So hilarious and sweet! As I think back to this day six years ago, I feel the same way today as I did then. #blessed

During School Hours

Liam and I have a lot of fun together while Landon is at school during the day. A typical day is going to the gym, coming home to eat a snack, and watching PBS while I get ready for the day. Some days we have a lunch date with our friends. Other days we just like to stay home and make a mess in the house. He is growing up so fast and I am learning to enjoy our time together. He typically goes down for his afternoon nap between 12:30-1:00 and sleeps until 3:15 or so. I find myself enjoying that quiet time a little too much. If I sit down it hinders my motivation so I try and keep moving with house chores. I am the cleaning lady so my job never ends. Here are some pictures of what our days are like during school hours.

First haircut!

Lunch date with our friends Ellie and Hayley

Playdate with our friend Aiden

Liam playing

Naptime!

Sometimes I Forget

Sometimes I forget our world probably isn't the normal to most families. Do most families know all the details of an event to prepare their child? Do all families do a picture schedule of the days with their kids? Do all families do a sensory diet multiple times a day to help them feel normal inside? Do all families pay a lot of money for extra therapies for their child? I sometimes forget that isn't the normal. For almost six years that is all we have known and will continue to know. Once our second son was born (not a Fragile X Carrier) I finally understood what it meant to NOT have to do those things. What I thought wasn't normal was actually normal. It took me a while to understand that Liam was able to do things that Landon would have never done if he wouldn't have been in extra therapies, been prepared by us, etc.

For me, having a child with special needs is normal and having a child without special needs is normal. We once did a video testimony about our journey through parenthood. I stated that having a child with special needs made me grow in so many ways that are uncomfortable for most people. I will admit, it was uncomfortable for me at first too. I didn't like talking about Landon's needs, I didn't like admitting he was special needs at first, and I didn't want anyone to see that he was different. Until that one day a good friend of mine sent this little story to me.

Welcome To Holland


I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

My Weeks in Photos

To say that I have been a blog slacker would be a correct statement. Time gets away from me and before I know it I haven't updated! I will show you what we have been doing around here.

I went and watched my friend Abi coach her Basketball game. She did a wonderful job!

Liam and his BFF walking one day after lunch.

Toddler fit. Enough said.

Liam and Addison playing so sweet together.

I guess he likes the older girls. :-)

Breakfast at Gailey's with staff wives.

Landon started swim lessons. Loves it and did amazing.

Me and Shallina at Haruno.