Ah, here we go with another 6 month break!

Eek! Time flies when you're having fun! I only have a few minutes so here goes....

Drew is in Kindergarten this year at our home school which is nice to finally be able to walk to a school and save some money on gas! He seems to really enjoy it and is learning to read. He enjoys his homework, drawing, and spelling. He has picked up soccer and would love to be on a team. He has many friends and likes having them over to play. He is still our "thinker" and wants to know about EVERYTHING!

Livvy is taking the district bus to/from school this year! She is in the same special-ed preschool just different hours from last year. We decided that by her taking the bus, it would give her an opportunity for change..something she can have a hard time with. She loved it from day one! She still stands by the window with her backpack on 30 minutes early waiting for the bus to come!! She also seems to get the hang of potty training. It has been rough because of her delays in development and making the connection even though she's chronologically ready. She still has a few accidents a week, but realizes she is in charge.

Alex...cracks me up! He still mimics everything his older sibs do/say. He will LITERALLY mumble when they speak standing right next to them just to be a part of the action! He has a speech appt soon to check on his articulation as it seems he mumbles and doesn't use his mouth appropriately in making sounds and words. He loves his Mommy and is the best cuddler!! He would love to sleep in but big bro is a rooster and since they share a room he has no choice. No naps since ~1.5 yrs old.

Kenny and I are busy busy with the music business averaging 60 students each month. He is still working 6am-noon M-F at Dick's as well which makes for LONG days for him. We also joined the YMCA and go in between our students 5 days a week. The kids LOVE it there which makes it nice and easy for us.

That's it for now...have to go to bed.

Our anniversary

Wow! Can't believe it's sneaking up on us so quickly! May 5, 2001 is the day Kenny and I were married. This year marks the 7th year...how time flies! Of course I love him to bits and we've learned to tolerate each others differences and pet peeves but the unconditional love foundation shines through. We are best friends and have so much fun together. Sure, it's a challenge to concentrate on each other with 3 monkeys jumping around but thanks to Cherie (Kenny's mom) she takes the kids for several hours on most Thursdays to give us a break. SHE IS AWESOME AND BRAVE!! :)

This weekend, my dad and sisters have put together a night away for Kenny and I at the Garden Court hotel where we were married for the 2nd year in a row. Last year, we thoroughly enjoyed eating out in peace, enjoying each other in conversation, sleeping in (woohooo!!) and walking around downtown Palo Alto. We are VERY excited!

So...here's to another 7+ years together! Love you, hun!

Yikes! Has it really been 6 months??

I almost forgot about this place! :)

Ok, down to business....
Drew is doing exceptionally well at school. He seems ready for kindergarten (and has no choice, really!) for this coming fall. His current teacher has him pegged at science and art as his fortes and I really knew that. He will do ANY art "creation" every day and comes up with the greatest pictures! As for science, he is really into gardening and has a sunflower, tomato plant, and herbs he's tending. GO GREEN THUMB!

His favorite outdoor activity is bike riding and he can go for up to 3 miles now! We're going to put him in either soccer or baseball at a summer camp this year.

Also, 3 weeks ago he was running into the kitchen with socks on and slipped, causing him to fall on his face and KNOCKED HIS FRONT TOOTH OUT!!! I FREAKED internally and couldn't believe I'd turn into the tooth fairy that soon! ;) The dentist said he was fine and it might take a bit longer for the permanent tooth to come in since it didn't come out the au natural way. Poor baby! He does love his new look and especially "the way the air comes out and the new way I talk." So cute! Can't believe our "baby" is turning 6 in a few months!

He is a great big brother - all in all, they play pretty well together and a day wouldn't be complete without a few sibling tiffs, but that's what I'm for...the ref! He's very helpful around the house and LOVES to go to any store with me. He recently was involved in a grand prix race for his church youth group and Grandpa so kindly shaped his block of wood into a race car and painted it oh-so-Grandpa-ly with TLC and hand delivered it for him just in time. At the race, he came in 3rd place out of 4 but won an award for "best paint job"!!!!!!!

Princess Olivia ~ She is such a feminine girlie girl it's the greatest! Growing taller yet still petite, she is doing very well. Still working on potty training though she volunteers to go at least twice a day. It's a work in progress and we figure she'll "get it" eventually. It's a hard concept with her developmental delays. She loves school and her main issue is auditory processing....you ask a question and she parrots you because it's not processed so she spits it right back out. Sometimes frustrating since things are VERY concrete and present - if she can't see it, it's not applicable. Her speech pathologist at school recommends reading simple books to her and asking hypothetical questions -- where is the elephant hiding? do you see where she went? Anything "outside the box" is where we're headed now. She is SUPER outgoing and will greet anyone with a head with a "Hi guys! How are you?" :) Her new thing is bowing while saying, "My pleasure!" haha Her manners are terrific and she's learning to take turns and share with Alex. Yesterday, she initiated a "picnic" in her room with Alex sipping tea! She is the sweetest!

Alex - AKA I'm not turning 2, I'm turning 5. He is truly not the typical almost 2 yr old. He is doing whatever Livvy and Drew are doing. Period. If they are running a race, so is he. If they are singing and marching so is he. He is generally a happy camper, good eater/sleeper, and loooooooves his Mommy. His vocabulary is through the roof (in my mind at least..we'll see at his 2 yr appt) and his comprehension is astounding. He is into animals and doing puzzles. He does have a lisp which is so cute in my opinion so we're subtly working on curbing that to our best ability with techniques from our dear friend and Livvy's speech pathologist, Lisa. He is a big boy and such a joy to have in our family.

As for our music business, things are steady with students with nothing new yet. Hopefully in the summer, we'll be able to pick up some more. We currently have ~60 between Kenny and I Monday through Saturday. It's a load of fun, a lot of prep work, and rewarding to see them progress all at the same time. Wouldn't change it for the world! Our website will be going live really soon which we're excited about! We'd put some thought into accepting special-needs children seeing as Livvy is one of "those" that isn't mainstream, but not extreme either. That grey area is hard to come by when you want extracurricular activities for children. So far we have 3 of these special children! They are so different, challenging, and enjoyable. I did some heavy research online, read several books, and met with a few therapists for ideas in implementing structure like this. Their parents really seem thankful and can already see progress with their kids...even the smallest challenge of attention is a HUGE leap for these students. They are all so unique and we are proud to be able to help them in understanding and appreciating music in their world.

Well, I think that's about it for now - I've bookmarked this blog so I don't lose focus on my journaling. I'll be posting pictures soon!