Friday, November 29, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013

Our long weekend began yesterday since the kids thanksgiving break started yesterday. Since the kids are not allowed to watch TV during the weekday, it slipped their mind that they really could because there is no school. I wasn't going to remind them of the fact especially since they played board games almost the whole day.
We started with pictionary. Even Little M was quite an artist.

The Twister game didn't last very long. The mat on the wood floor was quite tricky.

Then Big M taught K how to play chess.

In the evening, Fedex dropped off surprise goodies from my mother. The kids feasted on pretzel logs, which they gobbled up, and down caramel apples. 

Then we went to see some fireworks and some free donuts and hot cider. Our kids were quite excited about the fireworks.



Then today, Daddy joined the kids in a game of monopoly. His young but adorable accountant ran with his money and left him bankrupt. 

We enjoyed our Thanksgiving feast very much. The kids made the menu with me days ago and Daddy was on grocery duty. I cooked some food last night, to turkey today and will cook more tomorrow. I thought it would make more sense for us to prolong our feasting so that we can eat more of what was served instead of having a ton of left overs all at once. It think it turned out well.

Inspite of the some of the difficult health issues out family is faced with recently, we have much to be thankful for. At the end of the day, my family is what I am thankful for. 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Handy Daddy




In the midst of football season, Daddy started building the loft bed he designed for Big M during those rare weekends we didn't have to take any kid anywhere. He had made great progress but now the cold weather is here. Big M can't wait!

The spirit of giving




We filled 4 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child and everyone had fun doing it. Little M needed some reminders though that we could not play with the toys we or because they are for his friends far away who didn't have toys.

Big M wrote a letter and included our address. Hopefully he gets a letter on return. Due to the devastation of the typhoon in the Phillipines he is hoping out boxes go there. We had tracking on our boxes so we shall find out soon enough where they went.

Friday, November 22, 2013

School turkey trot


Last year I didn't let them participate on the turkey trot and I never heard the end of it. So this is their first year. There were lots of parents cheering everyone on.

The girls ran, walked ran. Big M did the same. You would never know by the way he ran that less than a month ago he was training 10hrs a week for football and currently training 5 hrs a week with 1-2 games for soccer. I think he must be reserving his energy.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, turbinate reduction

J had her surgery in September, a week after school started. She missed 1 week of school and then 1 week of no PE.

After checking in the hospital, she was set up with the TV which meant she was pretty much hypnotized. Since we have instituted no TV during weekdays, the TV had more of a power over them once it is turned on.


The hospital staff gave her toy a name badge as well which made her feel less nervous. She even brought it with her to the OR.

In the recovery room, the nurse was so proud of J for gobbling up her Popsicle. She was upset that her vision was blurry but the nice nurse talked her though it.


J spent over night for observation because of her sleep apnea. She did well during the day and kept eating cold stuff. The tech was so wonderful (more helpful than the nurse). At night once J feel asleep, her oxygen monitor beeped over and over because she stopped breathing. The nurse was not concerned since J seemed to wake herself up every time to correct her breathing. 

The next day I told that to the doctor and she made sure to tell me that he would not give her prescription pain killer because of it because it will only slow her breathing. The nurse wasng concerned and probably didn't even report it to the doctor but it turns out to be very important.

 
Everyone visited late that day. I think they were all a little shocked to see J in this settif even though we told them what she was there for. J was pretty much exhausted at this point and couldn't talk.


J'a class wrote her get well cards which was so touching. Her teacher is just wonderful and thoughtful to get her clas to do it. J loved the cards.


By mid morning the next day, J broken down and asked to go home. She said she was tired of the hospital. It broke my heart to hear her say it, but there is just nothing compared to being with loved ones and being in your own space when you are unsure if things.

She did get discharged by lunch time. Her recovery was quite smooth. I woke her up for her Tylenol and Ibuprofen but 2 days later she was irritated by it. She didn't understand why she had to keep taking it so another day and I finally stopped giving it to her. Three nights after she came home her breathing while asleep was remakable. She had no more snoring.

Before we invest in college education, we need to invest on teeth



Big M's upper jaw is very narrow making his front teeth push out and the teeth next to them grow sideways. He will e wearing a spacer of sort to widen the upper jaw. The dentist asked if he has any snoring or sleep apnea , which he doesn't. But being his sister just had her adenoids and tonsils removed and her turbinate widened for sleep apnea, and Daddy's jaw broken and repositioned also due to sleep apnea, I think a dental appliance is worth it. 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Halloween 2013

This year is a wet Halloween. It's been cold and it warmed up for the evening, but the rain came down. We had to trick or treat in the rain. I hoped the kids would say skip it, but I knew that was just about as likely as pigs flying. It is always pitched black in the neighborhood but there were plenty of kids. The bottoms of the kids costumes were soaked by the time we decided to head back home.





Big M sat outside our door with the bowl of candy in his lap. He stayed really still and then scared the kids that came. It was later at night so the little kids were done making their rounds, so it was high-schoolers that were the victim. It was hilarious!


School Halloween Craziness




 K on the left, J on the right


Our school's Halloween party is always a hit with the kids. How can it not be? Kids in costumes running around, dancing, chasing each other. Good luck looking for your own kids when it's time to go though.

The kids especially love the 5th graders haunted house.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Pumpkin pickin

A couple of weeks ago we somehow managed to find a free time to go to pick up pumpkins. Football practice must have been cancelled.




Not everyone was happy though. The reason why we went, the haunted hayride, was apparently not running on that day. So we made a second trip one evening to enjoy a pitch black, very cold and drizzly haunted hayride.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Falling without grace

We decided to try something new today: ice skating. Daddy and I have not ice skated in more than 15 years, but we can't let that stop us from letting the kids try something new.



After everything is said and done, I found out that I should never step in the Ice ever again, daddy's back hurt from holding on to the kids, Big M leaned after falling many times, K did very well after untold her some things, J was very unsure and kept holding on to Daddy, Little m was fearless.

Soccer has begun


Soccer actually started in October but since football only ended last week, Big M has not made any of the practices. Today was the first game though , 3-3.

As much as he loved football, soccer is his first love. He has been playing since 3 and he has invested a lot of time in it. He also realized that with football he can't so much at the same time. Football is a time commitment that requires sacrifice form all of us, even for Little M. With this, Big M is willing to not come back to football next year.

However, right now we are exchanging football for soccer - with practices 3x/week and a game. Phew. 

What he says, what I say

Daddy said, "They're having fun."
I say, "OMG!"