Blessings....

I almost think I will not be able to explain this fully through a blog...but I am going to do my best....
Those of you who have known us for a long time know all this, but I am going to share a little background for anyone reading who doesn't....
Katie, our 5 year old daughter, has had a developmental delay with her gross motor skills from birth. She didn't crawl until 11-12 months and didn't walk until she was 17 months old. Her pediatrician didn't seem overly concerned (although she is quick to refer to any kind of blood test available-another story) but she did eventually refer us for physical therapy for her. She went for a month or so....was catching up somewhat....but still far behind her age group. She is also very big for her age, so it appeared to be even worse than it was...for a child that looked 2 years old to be barely walking. She is smart, was talking, mentally fine. Just confusing to us all around and frustrating.
It really broke my heart as a mom. Why was our little girl dealing with this? I prayed over it, I worried and cried over it....but we were in such a different season of our lives at that time. I was a full -time student...pregnant again...dealing with all kinds of things.
Eventually Katie caught up to be not that far behind. We figured and accepted that Katie is just Katie. She likes to walk slowly, she very very slowly and cautiously took steps one at a time on the same foot, didn't enjoy playground as much as she should...etc...just heartbreaking.
Side story ....at her 4 yr check up, she was slightly not perfect on one eye during her vision screening. They said follow up with an exam, but with the "over-cautiousness" of my pediatrician always reccomending some test or another I didn't ever get around to taking her. Katie is SO smart..already knowing all her letters and sounds at 3 years old, and in the earliest levels of reading at 4. I talked to her 3 yr pre-k teacher who agreed that Katie was doing GREAT in school and didn't seem to struggle with her sight at all, saw things fine in class, etc....plus we did not have vision insurance.
Fast-foward to Oct 2007. Katie is taking Tumbling classes....not doing so well as we expected. I mean I am proud of her because she has started turning foward rolls (a major feat), attempting the balance beam, being a real trooper. In our first year of homeschooling I had started noticing that Katie was having fine motor skill trouble as well. It was a struggle for her to concentrate on forming letters with a pencil and for putting little pegs in a hole. I just thought, well Katie will be a little behind with fine motor skills also.
Nov: 5 yr check up. Same results with the eye screening. For some reason (GOD!) I decide since it is the second time, we will take her for an exam.
Yesterday: Take Katie to the eye doctor. They spray her eyelids with this stuff that makes them relax the eye muslces so they cannot strain. I quickly notice during the exam as it was confirmed by the dr. Katie's vision is extremely bad. She basically sees in blur. Both eyes are very bad, and one is hardly being able to be used at all because she has overcompensated most likely for FIVE years!!!! She has no depth perception. She has no peripheral vision.
I asked the dr. knowing the answer, "Could this possibly affect her gross motor skills?"
The dr.'s answer brought me straight to tears: "OH ABSOLUTELY YES!"
She continued to say that it will also make them complain of headaches (check) and make them feel sleepy (double check!).
It all makes so much sense now. But I never would have thought that her delay in going up and down stairs, jumping, climbing on playground equipment, etc. was due to her sight, as much as it seems SO OBVIOUS now. And her tiredness....just everything. I might have thought of it had there been ANY other symptom (not learning letters, not recognizing objects, not being able to see things we saw) She was "seeing things" but just the way she had always seen them and was smart enough to adjust to that. Motor skills were the ONLY thing that she showed a delay in, which to anyone would seem to be a strenth/movement/confidence issue. Difficult to have confidence climbing a ladder with blurred vision and no depth perception!
At first I felt SO overwhelmed with guilt. But the dr. assured me that it is wonderful that I brought her in when we did because something can still be done about the one lazy eye and that she is just starting serious school so this is year.
As the day went on I went from guilt to complete and total overwhelming joy!
What a BLESSING! Katie, whom I have cried and worried over...who we had just accepted to be a little behind...is going to have a HEALING of sorts over this thing we weren't even thinking about anymore. And I am compelled and happy to give thanks where thanks is due, because I can't even tell you what a miracle this is for us. I really wasn't planning to take her for an exam. She didn't seem to show ANY symptoms at all with struggling with sight. She has dealt with it for so long that it is just normal for her. She doesn't struggle academically, has started reading by just getting by with her one eye. There was no sign that she would need glasses. I fully expected to get the same result as at the pediatrician: she is a little bad with distance. It was the opposite: Katie has trouble with closer distances. Which even further explains the particular issues she has (handwriting, pegboards, balance beams, steps, etc.)
We weren't worried over it anymore actually, we were past that point. I didn't even know that this was an area that was even "up" for a miracle anymore. But we were just dealt the biggest blessing of our lives!
GOD was in this from the beginning.
WHY didn't I take her last year? Because God's timing is PERFECT!
My husband and I have also been on a spritual journey the past 6 months in a new season of our lives....and if we had been given this miracle last year....we would have said Thank God, but not to the degree we can this year. God is real and in our lives as #1 priority to us now, and he knew that ALL HONOR would be given to him...in THIS year, at THIS TIME, and in THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
I am just so thankful I can't express how much. We are excited to see in a few days when we get her glasses how the world is going to change for her. I am holding on to the faith that was poured out on us yesterday. I will not let it fade.
I know that Katie's first few days with "working eyes" will be an adjustment, but I am ready...SO ready to see how this changes her life. THANK YOU GOD!!!!

Reality Check

I have recently had the priviledge of running across the blog of a wonderful and sweet family. I have added the link to the blog over on the side. They have an absolutely amazing story. They had planned to adopt a baby from Africa and through a very long process ended up with two beautiful 12 year olds, a boy, and a girl. The boy was born with a rare and serious heart condition that can never be fixed short of healing, but is a miracle walking that he has lived to be 12 in a place with no ability to really help him. Aries is the girl and she is very pretty and sweet. They are added to the family with 2 small children to make a family of four. The boy was called "darling boy" in his family, but now they have named him Emmanuel since he has joined their family.
The reason I am posting this, is that from what the mom has shared, this boy has great insight and feels a calling of God on his life to help his birth family/people who have so little. She wrote of a dream he had that was just heart-wrenching to read. It was about his family being desperate for food....you can click on the link to the right to read the story from today.
How easy it is to take things for granted. I mean, really...not to just be cliche, but how much food did I scrape off my plate last night? How many people in our country myself not excluded, deal with overweight issues? Kids in this country for the most part do not know what hunger really is. I feel "dying of thirst" but I should hesitate to even use those words!
It has become an ever-increasing feeling with my husband and I to want to DO something to help these people. And the people in our own communities as well....
I am enjoying reading this blog. It is a daily reality check for me....
Their story is amazing. If you begin reading in October you can see the journey that has brought them to where they are now. Simply amazing!

Random Questions....

If you are reading this and you have a blog.....have you seen the "random question" option in the "edit profile" menu? These are really and truly random questions....one so random I couldn't even quite understand what they were asking. People can see the question and answer if they click to view your entire profile and it is VERY amusing sometimes!
After a while you can check the box to "give me a new question" and save your profile so you get a new and exciting random question. You can click to view my profile to see the latest random question!
You can post YOUR answer to the random question as a comment here if you like! I love this kind of stuff! Have fun!

Just when I think I've run out of things to blog.....

So I will just get right to the story here. ?!?! The "?!?!?" are here to represent my emotions during the entire fiasco that can be described in no other terms.

Noah comes in to the living room while I am talking on the phone and says "Katie pooped a domino!"
??!?!?!??!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?
What?
"Katie is sitting on the potty and she pooped on a domino!"
?! okay just a little bit more sense in that statement.?!
Going into the bathroom.'
Katie is standing up from the potty and Noah points and says "See?"
Sure enough, there is a Diego domino IN the toilet.
What would be the next logical question of course..."Who put the domino in the potty?!"
They both point to each other. "She did" "He did"
WHO put the domino in the toilet ? I REPEAT.
"We both did."

Next question: "WHY did you put a domino in the toilet?"

Noah: "We were playing hide and seek dominoes" *matter of factly spoken*

?!?!?!?!?

Noah's reponse: "I guess we have to flush it now"
NO! We have to get it out!" I say.

Noah: "You have to get your toilet scooper."

?WHAT!?!?! No clue what that means, just move on...

Fishing the domino out of the toilet....to the great cheers of Noah who I suppose thinks it is an awesome day when you get to put your hand in the toilet.
"WOW MOMMY!"

For the record, there was no poop, just a domino.

We Three Kings

Changing things up a bit this Christmas at our house....as far as the gifting goes. I had read an article several years ago in a parenting magazine about the gift tradition that this one particular family did. I really liked it at the time, thought, "that would be a neat thing to do" with absolutely no thought that we would ever consider it.
Now, after several Christmases with small children, we have considered, and adopted it for our tradition this year.
Each of our children, (plus Corey and I) will receive THREE gifts this year. This will be a remembrance of the three gifts presented to Jesus by the Magi.
One gift will be something we want.
One gift will be something we need.
One gift will be something that the family can all enjoy.
This was a tough decision, as it is difficult to not go crazy at the toy store with buying every cool new toy and fun thing you see. But, as a blessed family with many close relatives nearby, our children have the priveledge of getting pretty much whatever they want/need throughout the year...so it doesn't all have to be over the top at christmas. The other reason for this is for there actually to BE a reason for getting gifts for ourselves at all at Christmas! We aren't crazy about the whole Santa thing. When Katie was first born I just felt silly pretending about Santa, lying about it, feeding these ideas in her head...it just seems strange and improbable that a guy, for no reason whatsoever, would travel around the world sneaking into people's homes dropping presents. WEIRDO! Then, my friend, shared with me how her family never "believed in" Santa but just pretended and how it was JUST as magical and special to them. It didn't ruin their lives or the surprise of the holiday and gifts. She has taught her son about the fun of "pretending" that Santa brings gifts (but how he isn't a REAL person) and he has a blast leaving cookies that they will "pretend" that Santa will eat, etc.
So, as I was already on the bandwagon, it didn't take much convincing to throw the Santa story out the window. Not that it isn't fun to pretend, kids love pretending...so why lie to them? They know that there are no such things as unicorns and fairy princesses, but they still have fun pretending.
So...at our house, the tradition changes this year. I am looking forward to actually playing with each and every one of the three things our children get. Taking the time to enjoy each one, to discuss WHY we are getting these presents and what it means. Talk about what we can/did for others for this holiday to make it better for others since we are so richly blessed with "stuff."
I guess between my last two posts I am looking more and more like the eccentric mom here. But...it's not like I am crazy about everything. My kids have chores, are respectful, have healthy imaginations, love to play together, enjoy life...they are having just as much fun as other kids...if not more I think!
anyway...go ahead and post your comments...
Oh...and for my friend who has so many great ideas:
I am really not a stalker trying to be you and copy everything your family does! I just think we are long lost kindred spirits and now you are helping me "out" all the ideas I have had since now I can say "well...she does it so I am not the only crazy mom thinking of this!" thanks!

Peace in Homeschooling

Well..I have avoided the topic till now, just because I didn't want to offend anyone...but really I don't have anything offensive to say...and if you are reading this, then you must be my friend and will hopefully realize that I am talking about my belief here, and nothing is meant to criticize anyone for their choices!
So, with that being said, I just want to say that I LOVE homeschooling! And...my children seem to enjoy it as well!
They are learning so much! I want to brag that my daughter is reading end of year kindergarten level books (in case you didn't know they read in kindergarten these days!) and so that puts us at being on track for first grade level by the end of the year! (She just turned 5). She knows even and odd numbers, can add number up to 10 in her head, and her handwriting is looking very good!
Noah is also doing very well! He has learned his address, phone number, birthday, letters A-G and the sound (the important part) and can recognize numbers and count. Besides that, he knows all this colors, shapes, lots of stuff about various "stuff." Oh, and Katie knows what a quadrilateral and parrallel lines are! And...Noah can write his name! (he is 3)
They also both have friends at church, can interact in a group of students at the local playschool where they play while I have moms bible study, and have access to many more, but we have such a full schedule that we just haven't had time to go to park day yet.
I am saying all this to say: homeschooling works, and it works well!
I do not mean at all to sound like I am bragging...but I am a mom, and as the one who was there when her children learned all the above mentioned things: I am PROUD of them! (and their teacher!)
Why should a mom cry because she has to send her child "off to school." I believe our family is growing closer every day, bonding, sharing our lives in a way that is just incomparable. I have to say that homeschooling has equaled "PEACE" in our home. Just like the name we chose for our school: PEACE Academy.
Peace in knowing that Katie and Noah can learn at their own pace (Be it fast or slow). Peace in knowing that they are safe. Peace in knowing that they can stay in out of the stormy, snowy, cold, or hot weather. Peace in knowing that the friends they have are from families we know, that we know will be a positive influence in their lives. Peace in knowing that what they are reading, being read to, learning about science, learning about values, are all things based in a belief system that we believe to be honest and true. Peace from knowing that there is no divided allegience between what is going on at school and what is going on at home. Peace in knowing that their faith will have time to be built strongly, matured, and nourished before it is attacked by outside views. Peace in knowing that that we can say that we did what was right for us, and we have all benefitted from it.
Some may view this as being a sheltering parent. I believe that all the "unsheltering" my child needs can be acheived by walking through the mall or Wal-Mart.
This is just my opinion. Some may not feel called to homeschool their children. That it is a matter that should be prayer over, and I don't disagree. But, how many people pray over sending their children anywhere else? Would they be willing to accept that they weren't called to send their children to public or private school? God doesn't always call us to our comfort zone. I just felt the need to share my views, as it has become something very dear to me. I want everyone to experience the closeness and rewards of being a homeschool family. It is just so much fun, so rewarding, and not to mention the flexibility. All that stuff I mentioned at the beginning? We just started school in September, and we average 2 1/2 hrs 3 days a week of actual "school." It is awesome! And our kids are wierdos because of it. We were all wierdos long before we started homeschooling! :) Oh, and I don't claim to have any advantage by having been a teacher before...I am glued to every word of the script in my math teacher's manual!

The Voice in the Attic!

Isn't it funny how kids view the world? When I was little I remember being so fascinated by the speakers of the stereo. It was so above my level of comprehension the way a stereo worked...I really and truly pictured tiny people playing tiny instruments in there. How else would that music be coming out of there? I guess now that I think about it, that must be one of my earliest memories...I thought I had no memory before like 5th grade, but there are vague remembrances.
We took our daughter to Fuddruckers for a late birthday dinner Sunday night. The idea was to go somewhere they would make a big deal and sing to her and all that. She always gets a thrill when that happens to other people when we are eating. So...we talked to the people and they said they would see what they could do. The manager comes over and says that he doesn't understand, but his people just don't know the birthday song (?!?!?!?!?) and they don't sing there. But he is going to work out something special. (I have to ask: who is the manager here can he not require his workers to sing for birthdays and just what country did these waiters and waitresses grow up in that they don't *know* the birthday song?!?!?!) Anyway...long story short which includes us ordering a brownie blast bc we didn't think we would get anything free, hoping that if we buy, they will sing...the manager brings over a big ice cream sundae with a cookie for Katie. She is thrilled. Then, right after, he announces over the intercom: "We would like to wish a very happy birthday to Katie who is 5 years old today!" and everyone claps etc.
And now to where I bring it back around to the subject of the post. Katie was sharing with her Meme later about the fun and relayed the memory as this: "The voice in the attic said happy birthday Katie!"
The things we just don't think about having to explain. I don't remember when I didn't know that voices "in the attic" were real people talking in a speaker. I do, however, remember when I thought that there was such a thing as people who could fly. Ask my husband when he found out that Epcot wasn't all "in the big ball!" lol.