I'm baaaack!

Kenny's 45th bd ~ April 2009

Auntie Lolo cooking up some grub for us!

Alex - Mr. "I hate the beach because I think there are sharks that come up to the shore." AKA the Lifeguard.

Pop and Drew

My beach bums - Manhattan Beach, SoCal

Alexander's 3!!

The kids digging for "gold" :

Shelley ~ almost six months with baby boy!

Baby Liv and Daddy

Ok, so six months...is it really that long? Ah, where to start?

Let's start with Alex's birthday...May 31. He's 3 now and suddenly a little man and not a "baby" anymore. He had no interest in potty training until a few months ago and he's pretty good ~ maybe a tinkle accident once a week. Night training will come later - like when he's 14 yrs old or so. ;) He thinks he IS Livvy and literally will take a breath when she does. HA! They get along pretty well, although she doesn't like it when he gets too aggressive with her. She is a girlie-girl though.

Then we go to Livvy's birthday...June 17. 5 yrs old. We've decided to skip special ed Kindergarten this year and hold our breath during the regular ed. school year. She will still have 30 minutes of speech, 30 minutes of OT, and an aide in the classroom an hour a day every day during academic times. Her biggest struggles we think will be her reading, writing, and self-esteem. I hope to volunteer more this year with the possibility of having Alex in a one or two-day preschool morning program so I can get this done. I will for sure need to hold Liv's hand for the first week helping her to adjust and know her place there. Going from special ed. to regular is going to rock her world.

Drewbie - July 28. He's seven now! He's taller and is very conscious of health...eating the right foods and bad ones in moderation, exercising, etc. G'pa had told him to practice push-ups each night to get stronger and he can do 10 perfect form push-ups! He's very proud. He was enrolled in a soccer class through the community center that focused on the beginning skills of the game. He learned a lot and had a BLAST. He's quite coordinated and a fast runner. He'll be going into 1st grade this year. Boo hoo!!

He had his 7yr well check-up today and is doing well. He does have some type of sensitivity to most fruits and veggies that make his mouth red and itchy/burning. At first we thought it was him trying to get out of eating them, but we can see what it does to his mouth. The doc scheduled him for an allergy appt next week because of his mastocytosis.

School starts the 24th of this month! What?? I feel like the summer has flown by and I'm not ready yet! Am I crazy?!

AND....I have a new nephew!!!!!!!!! Levi was born to Shelley and Gary on July 29 (day after Drew's bd!) at a whopping 9 lbs, 14 oz!!!!!!!! HUH? Everyone was shocked at his size, especially since he was due Aug. 9! The kids and I drove down to see them last Friday-Tuesday. The intent was to watch the delivery and Dad would watch the kids at his place. Well, Alex ended up having a fever for a few days and (a) I didn't want to drive with a fevered kid and (b) get anyone else sick. So we had to wait. :( What timing is that? I'm so bummed I missed out on that special invitation, but Shelley and Gary are doing FABULOUS with their new son. I really miss the newborn smell, noises, sleeping baby, but not so much that I want another one. :) Wish we lived closer.....

A little shout-out to my hubby...my hard worker, never complains, works 18 hr days Monday-Friday for us. I feel badly and know he needs a break in a bad way and he will. We're still looking for a weekend to spend together for our anniversary in MAY. If it's not one thing it's another...but, it'll all work out in the end.


Let's see if I can update with a few snapshots.....