Don't Blink

I did.  Blink, that is.  Not on purpose, really.  I mean, "THEY" told me not to, too.  But I did.  And the girls grew up.  So fast.  My Twister babies are now twelve year old young ladies with opinions, and dreams, and drama.  And they have been 12 year olds for 2 ENIRE WEEKS! I guess I was blinking again...

I really have been in a bit of denial about this birthday.  As usual, since late April through the end of May is traditionally super busy, it snuck up on us a bit.  You known, someone said to me during the week of their birthday something about how "next year" when they turn 13 is the BIG ONE.  While I didn't say it out loud, my first thought, screaming in my head, was, "Holy Cow, if I am this emotional this year, I am going in to hiding next year!  And to me, this one is HUGE!  I don't even WANT to think about next year.  NEXT YEAR!?!?!  Let me get through this one first!". I cannot believe they are twelve.

They had a hard time deciding what to do for a "party." The last 2 years we have had a sleepover for them.  2 years ago was not a great experience, and last year was plain awful, so we had vetoed that idea.  The girls decided they wanted to take a few friends to see a movie. Disney's "Million Dollar Arm" was coming out the weekend after their birthday, so we decided to get a group together to go see that on Saturday afternoon.  They seemed pretty excited about it.  But, they have the coolest bonus dad EVER!  You know what he did Friday night as a surprise (to us all)? He drove around town to their friends' homes and let them "ambush" them - ring the bell, get parental permission, pack a bag, and get in the car as quickly as possible - for a sleepover!  The "Ambush Sleepover" was born.  Emma and Lara loved it, and so did their friends.  Such a fun way to celebrate!  And the movie on Saturday? SUCH a great story!  They all really enjoyed it - and so did Britt, Jake and I!  (We sat away from the girls and their friends - just watching them from a far...). After the movie, we took all the kids home, and the girls went with their Other Dad for the rest of the weekend.  So, without much planning and the usual fanfare, we had a GREAT birthday weekend with them!

And then, life with 12 year olds was under way.  It is dance recital season around here so we have all that going on with Lara.  She has had studio rehearsal, picture day, junior company clinic and tryouts, and dress rehearsal is today.  Emma ended volleyball season and has found a way to spend as much time as she can with her friends away from this house.  LOL!  School ended.  They both received certificates for being on the Straight A Honor Roll first semester and Lara received an outstanding music student award.  Emma scored highly on her math placement test and was recommended for Pre-AP math next year by her teacher, and she has accepted the challenge.  7th grade, here we come - ready or not! I simply could not be more proud of these two amazing orange haired, spunky girls!

But I blinked.  It all happened so fast.  There was a very real time in my life when I thought they would be the only babies I ever had.  It was not what I had dreamed, but I knew I was so lucky, and so very blessed.  Not long after that there was a time in my life where it was JUST US GIRLS!  The three of us, surviving on our own, trying to conquer the world; they were my world.  Then we ended up here - this large, loud family with an amazing man leading us in Christ and working his tail off to provide for us (tween girls are expensive), two little brothers in Jake and Finn to pester and love, guide and teach.  (Emma and Lara have changed HUNDREDS of diapers and gotten invaluable baby sitting experience - things I had no idea about at 12!). They are smart, happy, God-loving servants of Christ.  They are sweet and compassionate, and they both love to cook.  They each have very distinct differences, but it's in the similarities that my heart smiles.  They are 2 peas in a pod, even when life takes them in different directions.  I am so proud to be their momma.  So lucky to guide them as they grow.  So blessed by their love.

Don't blink. Don't wish away the hard stages of childhood.  Cherish them.  Embrace them. Then love the outcome...

Party of Six

How in the world has an entire month gone by without an update from the Dream Weavers?  Oh… Yeah… Six people make for a VERY busy life under one roof!  Let’s see…  Professional development classes for me, dance for Lara, basketball season came to an apex and (an undefeated) close for Jake, various family members went to the dentist, Britt and Betsey started Stillwater March for Babies committee meetings (mark your calendar for Saturday, September 20), Britt started working a night job at the print shop for Eskimo Joe’s Promotional Products Group, we attended an NBA Thunder game as a family, survived snow storms and snow days (which will have to be made up), Emma and Lara went to a middle school dance, various birthday parties and sleepovers for the big kids, signing Emma up for spring volleyball, Alpha Delta Pi meetings and events for me, Finn is two (and all that entails), and yesterday it was 78 degrees outside and tonight baseball practice starts for Jake.  WHEW!  What’d I miss?  LOTS I am sure.  I am so thankful for my fun, busy, crazy family; but it is kind of overwhelming to look back over a month and see all that has happened!

I feel like we are falling into a routine with the new work schedules.  It is still crazy for me to get out the door and be ta work by 7:30, but I am making it every day.  I sure like getting off at 2:00!  Gives me a minute to breathe!  To run errands, be creative and work on Dream Weaver Prints business, and to be there for my kids when they get home from school.  Even if I’m not armed and ready with gourmet snacks and fresh squeezed lemonade, I am THERE!  We do chores, laundry, watch TV, whatever until it’s time to start dinner.  Which is early!  With Britt working nights, he gets home from his day job about 5:15, and needs to leave for his night job at 5:40.  That’s 30 minutes to eat, change, and love on him!  So, we start dinner about 4:00 these days!  Emma and Lara are ESSENTIAL in this process!  They are either helping me prep food, or helping keep Finn out of the kitchen!  We have tried lots of fun recipes and have generally enjoyed working as a family to make sure Daddy has a good dinner before he takes off to work hard for our family.  It may not be what we ever wanted, but we are making the most of it!

As for Finn and what’s up in his unique little preemie world…  We decided a couple of weeks ago that he was not progressing as we wanted him too.  Yes, SoonerStart (early intervention) comes once a month or so to evaluate him, and they think he’s doing “fine,” but there are just so many things we WASN’T doing!  Like, I don’t know… EATING!  We had been told to encourage him, and to introduce new textures, and the list goes on.  Nothing was working.  And he was just too skinny in our opinions.  Add to that, he isolates himself at school and doesn’t participate, won’t talk to his teachers, and has some other peculiar social traits.  We decided it was time to get a professional opinion.  Off to the pediatrician we went!  We left there knowing he has not gained a single ounce in 4 months, but had grown taller, with a prescription for an appetite stimulant, a referral to an endocrinologist, and a referral to an occupational therapist.  And a smile on our faces 3 miles wide knowing we were getting help for our little man who we were tired of watching struggle.

We started the appetite stimulant last Tuesday morning.  He takes it twice a day with food.  So, we give it to him at 7:00am after his “breakfast” Pedia Sure and at 2:30-ish after his “afternoon snack” Pedia Sure.  The drug fact sheet stated that “you might notice an increased appetite after prolonged use.”  If by prolonged use, you mean one dose, then YES!  Yes, it does increase appetite!  He has been eating more food in the past week than he did in the past 6 months combined!  More volume, more variations, better foods (not just Goldfish crackers and pudding), more frequency!  His cute little belly just sticks out all the time now!  We are so happy it is working so well for him!  And the even bigger bonus, it has COMPLETELY changed his attitude and demeanor!  Finn has always been a sweet boy, but he was often grumpy and inconsolable, and hard to get him to participate in anything.  Now, he is happier, more involved and engaged, and sleeping better.  He’s also a bit more ornery, but we’ll take it!  In one short week, he has become a completely different child.  It makes us wonder if he was just hungry all along but didn’t know how to fix it.  Or his blood sugar levels were all over the place due to lack of nutrition…  Poor guy!  We’re just happy to see him doing SO MUCH better!

Today we start another adventure with him.  He has his first evaluation with an Occupational Therapist here in town.  We are hoping to help him learn the skills and confidence to do things more independently.  With Mommy, Daddy, 3 older siblings, and Nana the Wonder Sitter, it’s no wonder he doesn’t want to be self-sufficient!  We hope to just help him learn what he needs to be more in par with his peers.  And of course, a bit selfishly perhaps, we want him to be less clingy and needy.  We know part of that is being 2, but having raised 3 other 2 year olds, and knowing how incredible smart he is (sometime I’ll tell you about his puzzle skills), I know he is capable of so much more!  I just can’t wait to see him thrive! 

The break between updates will not be as long next time.  I hope the Occupational Therapy takes off like the appetite stimulant did, and we see fast results!  We’re still waiting on the referral for the endocrinologist, too.  My prayer is that in 6 months, we will look back on this and know we did the right thing and will be able to see marked improvement in our awesome preemie!  He has always been the kind that needed an extra push!  Always a fighter, our Finicky Finn!

Who needs sleep?

This week has flown by in a whirlwind of school meetings, work commitments, and personal chores, yet it has crawled by at the same time.  Lack of sleep, new routines, and the "second week of school" slump are to blame.  This week, I had a to-do list a mile long for myself and Dream Weaver Prints, as well as projects at work, and errands that never seemed to end!  It's finally Friday, but I still feel like I need 2 more days of "work week" to get it all done!  And it doesn't stop!  New after school activities start the next couple of weeks for everyone...

This week, we've had something ALMOST every night.  Lots of late night dinners, baths, and bedtimes.  Sure messes us up after JUST getting back on track.  I'm not sure when Jake had a shower last...

Tuesday night was Open House for the 6th grade families at the middle school.  We got to meet their elective class teachers, get a presentation from the administration, and then meet with their team teachers.  It was all very educational to me as a first time middle school parent, but it was also a bit overwhelming!  I learned that I have to sign stuff.  A lot.  I'm bad about --  in the hustle and bustle --  I kinda sign things by rote - not really knowing what I am signing.  I think my middle school lesson is to try harder at paying attention to paperwork.  Other than that, the girls are still liking it (even though a schedule change for Emma threw a small wrench in her week), and I think they are going to do very well there!

Wednesday night, activities started back up at our church.  We have SO missed our LifeGroup over the summer!  THRILLED to be back in the fold.  So, that means it was Emma and Lara's first night in Switch - the Youth ministry program.  I didn't have to check them in.  They didn't need name tags.  They just walked into the lobby, all made-up and perfumed again, and starting hanging out with the "big" kids.  So Weird.  And Jake is in Konnect+.  Again, while I did have to get him a name tag, he just took off for class.  No need for mom.  So glad I still had Finn to check into a room!  But, shockingly, he didn't even cry when I handed him off to one of our AWESOME Little LifeKids volunteers.  They are GROWING UP TO FAST!  All of them!  So thankful for LifeChurch and all they do to minister to and grow my kids in Christ!  And, thankful the kids get that, while I get fellowship with my AWESOME LifeGroup!

Thursday, not wanting to feel left out, had to have something, too.  Curriculum night in Jake's first grade class at the elementary school.  I think I may bee too old (or too cynical?) for these.  I was one of the "older" parents in the room, and I felt a lot of deja vu while there.  Haven't I done first grade before?  Like, 5 years ago?  And, some of the "young" parents questions and comments... Well, annoyed me a bit. LOL!  But, I really REALLY like is teacher and I am glad I went to represent our family.  Jake is going to have a great first grade year!

Have I mentioned Finn doesn't get enough to eat on pre-school days?  Yeah, he doesn't.  That makes for kinda cranky evenings.  And 3am HUNGRY wake-up calls.  I have tried to explain that he needs his milk and he NEEDS to eat (all 20 pounds of him!), but I know they are on a schedule and such.  So, Britt, my AMAZING husband, gets up with him at 3am and feeds him.  While watching Daniel Boone on ME TV.  Thankful he lets me try to sleep.  We will get through this, right?

So, the adjustment period is still in full swing.  Next week, dance for Lara and fall volleyball for Emma start.  Closely followed by Flag Football for Jake.  I had the others in gymnastics at this age, so I am contemplating that for Finn as well.  We'll see...

In the meantime, we are 29 days from Stillwater March for Babies.   I am happy to announcer that Team Finn's Fans is a little over 1/2 way to their goal!  T-shirt sales CLOSE NEXT FRIDAY! If you want to order a T-shirt or need more info, be sure and check out THIS POST for all the details.  Also, be watching next week as I start "26 Days for March of Dimes" here on the blog.  In honor of Finn's arrival at 26 weeks gestation, I will be posting each day with facts, stories, and other fun things about or from the March of Dimes for the last 26 days leading up to the March!  Hope you tune in!

Friday – in tweets!

It’s been one of THOSE weeks.  So busy, so crazy, so tiring.  I am going to recap our progress, successes, failures, and regressions in 140 characters or less in each statement.  Twitter style.  I hope you like it!

*Went on a field trip to the Oklahoma Aquarium with Jake's kindergarten class.  Wild & crazy as expected! Jake was afraid of the shark tube.

*Lara's 4th & 5th grade choir gave a spring concert. It was in preparation for TriState. The choir sang 3 songs and each solo/duet/trio sang.

*Lara finished up her leaps and turns dance class in preparation for try outs!

*Emma's Greyhound volleyball team is 10-2 for the season.  Tournament play starts this weekend, but she will miss it and is mad.

*My nephew Peter got married to the most AMAZING girl, Nicole.  It was a beautiful outdoor wedding & we were so glad we got to be there!

*We moved. Into a different house. Across town. 6 people. 5 beds. 2 couches, 2 futons, 4 recliners & a ton of CRAP. WE'RE NEVER MOVING AGAIN!

* Jake's Greyhound T-ball team had their season opener. "They" don't keep score.  "We" do.  They did great! Jake is an excellent first baseman

* Finn's crib converted to a toddler bed in the new house. 4 nights ago. He's doing great - only got lost and ended up in Jake's room once.

* Lara's school choir competed at TriState Music Festival in Enid. Her choir got a "II."  HER TRIO GOT A "I" and were THRILLED!  So proud.

* Emma's double dutch (jump rope) squad is touring the local schools today.  She is SO GOOD! Catches a basketball and dribbles while jumping!

* Team Mercy Miracles Marches for Babies in OKC tomorrow.  As of this writing, Finn is $24 short of his goal. Click the banner to donate.

* Finn and his siblings are super excited for the March for Babies tomorrow!  We have our banner ready!

* 8:00 in the morning we will gather at the Myriad Gardens in OKC with Mercy Miracles and the March of Dimes to MARCH FOR BABIES! Come see us!

* Who doesn't love babies?  Help make happy endings for Moms & Babies by donating to March of Dimes - $24 to go! marchforbabies.org/finnweaversays

* So thankful that @FinnWeaverSays is a Mercy Miracle!  We're marching with them tomorrow in OKC! @marchofdimes @MarchForBabies 

*$24 to go for Finn's goal with Team Mercy Miracles. That's 6 people with $4 each! Donate here: marchforbabies.org/finnweaversays & march w/us tomorrow!

SEE YOU TOMORROW!

Tex-Mex Success!

We just want to take another opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of Finn’s Fans who came out and supported our 2013 Stillwater March for Babies Stillwater KICK-OFF fundraising event for our team at Fuzzy's Taco Shop!  We had a great time seeing all of our friends and family in one place, and of course you can’t beat the food!  It was really a lot of fun – until we hit Toddler Melt-Down mode! LOL!  Poor Finn!  He even fell down the brick steps out on the patio.  Got ANOTHER nice bonk mark on his head from that one!  He’s just to brave (or crazy!) for his own good!  We raised $150 to go toward the March of Dimes and their efforts to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.  THANK YOU for being involved in the mission the Weaver family is so PASSIONATE about!

 

On the home front, it is April again!  That means we are super busy with all the year-end wrap up stuff!  The girls just finished up with State testing (blech!), and we are sure glad that is over!  Emma has started spring volleyball, and it getting ready to tour the Stillwater Elementary schools with her Double-Dutch jump-roping troupe.  Lara is hurling towards dance recital, but has to get through a choir concert and Tri-State competition with her Trio next week first!  Jake has his first official T-ball game next week, but they had a BLAST at their scrimmage last weekend!  He is one heck of a T-ball player!  He is also going on his first official school field trip tomorrow to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks!  Britt and I will be along to chaperone as well.  Should be a fun (exhausting) day!  And in Finn news, we got him enrolled in 2 mornings a week of pre-school to start in the Fall!  We are so excited to watch how this changes him!  He is walking (running) all over the place, and his stubborn streak is about a mile wide now!  He is infuriatingly cute, I guess.  Has no fear, climbs everything, and wears us all out!  We love it!

And did I mention the Weaver’s are moving?  Just across town, but we are still trying to pack and we start moving in 2 days!  This all seems a bit Deja-vu from last year at this time…  You think we would learn!  We are downsizing a bit, and moving back to our old neighborhood, so it is a good thing.  Just bad timing. LOL!  And that’s not the most exciting thing happening this weekend!  Our nephew, Peter is getting married to the most wonderful young lady I have ever met!  We love Nicole and can’t wait to celebrate their wedding and welcome her to the family!

So, next time I blog, I will be at a new address, have a new family member, and probably be very close to walking in the Oklahoma City March for Babies.  We are 10 days away from the walk, and Finn still needs to raise $50 more for Team Mercy Miracles!  Click the Link on the Right in the banner section to make a difference for babies!

Hoppy Easter

Despite ½ of the six Dream Weavers being on antibiotics this week (Emma – strep, Finn – another upper respiratory infection, me – Strep), we had a fun Easter as a family.  The week leading up to it was crazy with doctor’s appointments, missed school and work, and the business of kid’s activities.  T-ball practice has started, Emma started a new season of Volleyball this past weekend, and her Odyssey of the Mind team is 2 weeks from their State competition!  I always forget how BUSY Spring is, until it gets here!  We even squeezed in a quick family picture session on a bright Saturday afternoon!  We needed a family picture for our March of Dimes Stillwater March for Babies Ambassador Family paperwork, and we’ve put it off several times due to weather, illness, and being busy.  We were SO glad to get that taken care of!  And I can't wait to share the results!

I really love Easter.  I read through 2 different 1 week reading plans on YouVersion leading up to Easter to help remind me WHY we celebrate this holiday.  I love Good Friday – because we know Sunday’s coming!  A lot can happen in just 3 days!  I love that Christmas is the promise and Easter is the PROOF!  He bled and suffered for us.  He died for us! And he ROSE for US!  I love the newness of Spring, and the fun new clothes everyone breaks out for the occasion!  Britt wore a bow tie!  I had a fun new eyelet dress and a trendy necklace.  The girls were in new dresses and shoes, and the boys in plaid shirts – Jake with bright green skinny pants and Finn in skinny jeans.  We looked good, if I do say so myself!  There are no pictures of just us, but here are a few from our festivities.

getting ready for the egg hunt

Mom and her boys (Finn in his 2nd outfit for the day!)

Aunt Paula with Lara and Emma

 

We started the day off with the kids tearing into their Easter baskets – which were devoid of the “traditional” Weaver gift of swim suits  due to the fact that the EB was clueless on size, style and colors for the big kids, and Finn already has 4 for this season (he got a new outfit instead).  

The kids got certificates to pick out their own when the weather warms up.  Peeps, Reeses, sunglasses, headbands and flip flops rounded out the baskets.  Britt had hidden 100+ plastic candy filled eggs in our yard, so the hunt was ON!  The big kids came inside with 25, 27 and 29 eggs – so they did a pretty good job of being even without even trying!  Finn had 2.  LOL!  And, we found a few more later in the afternoon…  Then, It was off to church at LifeChurch.tv Stillwater!  We experienced and AWESOME worship set, which included this opening:

And this:

Of course, Craig Groschel’s message was amazing, too!  What an awesome experience.  We lunched at Aunt Paula’s house with all the Grandparents.  That was the smallest group we have had over there in while, but it was super fun.  The big kids played a little baseball in the front yard as it was a BEAUTIFUL day, and took a trip down to the pond as well.  It was a very nice afternoon.  That night, we went to my parents house to watch the last installment of “The Bible” on the History channel as a family.  It was truly a great way to spend this glorious holiday.  So thankful for my family, for my savior, and for the amazing blessings we have all around us.