End of January

The biggest news for January is that Luke is potty trained! I may be getting ahead of myself in that pronouncement, but he has come a long way. We had noticed the signs that he was ready for a month or so, but for whatever reason I procrastinated the process. Finally, I decided it was time. We made him a chart with 55 spaces and put him to the test. Each time he used the potty, he earned a sticker to put on his chart. One week later, the chart is full and he is wearing underwear at all times except at night. He stays dry during naps, and takes himself to the potty while awake. He was incredibly easy to "train". Thank goodness! See my potty training blog from February 2012 to see why this was so miraculous for me. It is actually a bit hard for me to believe it can be this easy, so I am waiting to see if there are any relapses. Anna was easy, but the other two were a bit more difficult. Hmmm, after rereading that 2012 post, I am thinking they would not be pleased by my oversharing.

After each sticker he counted: 1-12, 14, 17, 20, 45, 11. Every. time.

For the most party, January has been a quiet month. President (?!?!?) Trump has instituted an executive order freezing the hiring for federal employment. I am still waiting to hear what that means for me. I spoke with my future office on Friday and they are hoping that they will still be able to bring me onboard in a timely manner. 

We have had 3 more one-on-one days with the older kids. I took Anna to Waldorf to have lunch at Ghengis Khan and then to the mall. We had a delightful time. She is so cheerful and good-natured during our alone time together. We also browsed Party City and she picked out small treats for her siblings, which I found very thoughtful. For her outing, Kara finally got to see the inside of Texas Roadhouse. Thomas and I go there often on date nights, but because of the peanut presence, we've never brought the kids. So, Kara chose to go there for her day to see what she's been missing. She was not disappointed. After that, we went to Michael's to browse all the fun crafts.  Again, we had an excellent time. Finally, Jack wanted to see the Star Wars movie, Rogue One, again. To make it extra special, Thomas took time off from work and picked Jack up early from school. Thomas gave him the option of going out to lunch or eating snacks at the movie and Jack chose snacks. They enjoyed their time together as well. 

Anna at Ghengis Grille. I didn't get pictures of the other outings.

Jack and Anna both got into the gifted program. Oddly enough, Jack got in for math and Anna for reading. I think it is good that they won't be in the same extra classes together, although frankly we are surprised Jack got in for math and not reading. We weren't expecting them to get into either, but if it was going to be one, we would have thought reading. Of course, as we told them, it is just a piece of paper and shouldn't change a thing. We work hard to stress to all our kids that the deciding factor on success will be the effort they are willing to exert.

In other Jack and Anna news, they got cast as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in their school play! May can't get here fast enough, I am so excited to see them perform. Kara didn't want to do the play, but then there was a shortage of flowers for the chorus, so she decided to participate. She really wanted to be stage crew, but that is only for 4th and 5th graders.

Final news is that Luke had his first dentist appointment! I know we were behind on this, but it turned out fine. He was fantastic. He was so cooperative, they were able to use the older kid tools on him. Best of all, our no cavity streak continues. I am always so fearful when it is dentist time. Thomas and I have told them how uncomfortable it is to have a cavity filled and stress to them that they have to brush, floss, and use their mouthwash every night to avoid the dreaded shot in the gums. It is a fine line to walk. Eventually, I am sure someone will need a filling and we are going to have to backpedal a bit on how awful it is.

2016, A Year in Review

Another year has come and gone. It was fun reading over my thoughts of 2015 and I am thankful for another year with only limited challenges. It was funny to read that Anna was sick with strep throat last New Year's Day, because she is sick again this year. However, this time it is a stomach bug. Luke is also afflicted.

Unlike last year, we (thankfully) didn't lose anyone close to us. There were no separations and none are planned. It was our first full year without any military obligations and while I miss the benefits of being in the military (i.e. extra income and discount tickets to Disney World), I don't miss the time it took away from the family. It was fun to plan weekends without worrying about drill schedules and other potential work obstacles. And, we did have a couple of fun weekends away, one to Philadelphia and another to Williamsburg. Our biggest vacation was our 9 day trip to Florida. Since I have already written about all of these trips, I won't rehash them here. But, it was another good year with lots of family time.

2015 was the Summer of Kings Dominion and 2016 was the Year of Six Flags. We definitely got our money's worth from our season passes, visiting an astonishing 18 times! It is a smaller park than Kings Dominion, so we rarely spent an entire day there, but we often tied it into day trips with other activities planned. For example, we went to Annapolis to see the State Building and then stopped at Six Flags on our way home. We did this with Mount Vernon, Baltimore and a few other outings. We renewed our season passes, because I thought the kids and I could spend a lot of time at the water park this summer. I envisioned, "Water Park Wednesdays," where we would go up, spend a few hours in the water park, have lunch (included thanks to our dining plan) and then get home around the same time Thomas arrived from work. Alas, Water Park Wednesdays are not meant to be, thanks to the other big news of 2016...

I got a job! I haven't started yet, and I don't know when I will. But, I have confirmed employment. Well, barring any unforeseen hiring freezes or other circumstances beyond our control. It is the same job I had previously interviewed for, but this time they actually offered me the position. I guess my persistence wore them down! As I have written many times, I have mixed feelings about this. The best thing about staying home is the low-stress home-life it provides. It gives me a chance to volunteer at the kids' school and be there when they get on and off the bus. I keep the house relatively clean and prepare nice dinners almost every night. If someone is sick, there are no concerns about who is going to take time off, which was the hardest thing when we both worked previously. Of course, many families have two working parents. On the positive side, I am looking forward to the intellectual challenges and the adult conversation. I will be happy when the adjustment period ends.

Now, on to the kids report.

Luke has grown so much in the past year. He is incredibly sweet and loves to give hugs. He is very attached to his siblings. One day, Jack and Anna stayed after to school to audition for a play. When they didn't get off the bus, Luke burst into uncontrollable tears. He is also smart. He talks in complete sentences, knows all the letters of the alphabet and can count to 14. He (mostly) enjoys going to preschool. He still loves anything that has to do with throwing, kicking or hitting a ball. He was the biggest fan of Six Flags and frequently asks to go. A couple of weeks ago, he insisted he was not going to school, he was going to the Six Flags Waterpark and didn't understand why he couldn't just take off his winter coat and throw on his bathing suit. He is very into electronics, much more so than any of our other kids were. He constantly asks to play our phone, kindles or to watch t.v. It is a battle for us to keep him away from it. His favorite thing is to watch YouTube videos of people riding roller coasters. His favorite show is probably Team Umizoomi. I just asked him what he wants to be when he grows up and he said, "I throw up in my bowl." He was sick last night and threw up multiple times. We tried giving him a bowl, but he never made it. So, I guess I could add that he sometimes isn't quite on point with his conversation. He also likes to repeat things. You can acknowledge him, but he will continue to ask the same question or make the same statement over and over. My three words for Luke this year are: inquisitive, sweet and chatty. Thomas' are cute, cuddly and athletic.

Kara has had some struggles this year. She has an unpredictable temper and doesn't do well with change. It is hard to figure out the problem, because she is generally amazingly good. She has never had a behavior issue at school, so we know she has some control. We are hoping it is something she will outgrow. Fortunately, she is usually good. She loves to be helpful and always asks to help with dinner or around the house. She is great with Luke. She is the only kid who has changed a diaper and it was completely because she wanted to. She is doing great in school and has become a talented reader. She also loves writing. She regularly writes to her penpal in Kansas and also enjoys writing thank you notes and lists. She is very competitive and likes to be the best at whatever she is doing. We never have to remind her to do homework. And, although she doesn't seem to enjoy school as much as she did last year, she still is an enthusiastic learner who gets excited about learning new things. She enjoys playing with Shopkins and Littlest Pet Shop. Her favorite show is Just Add Magic and she wants to be a lawyer or a doctor when she grows up. My three words for Kara are: helpful, unpredictable and hard-working. Thomas said sweet, helpful and temperamental.

Jack had a good year. His behavior has improved quite a bit. I am no longer fearful to send him out in the neighborhood. He did have a minor issue at school, but now that is more of an anomaly than a norm. He is very bright and brings home a lot of perfect papers. His interest in history has not waned and he has an incredible memory. I am consistently amazed at what he knows. He reads avidly and enjoys all kinds of books, although most still tend to be history or Star Wars related. He is quieter than the other kids, at least in some respects. He can talk for hours about a video game or something he read. But, is much closed off with his feelings and I think he takes things more to heart. He loves roller coasters, especially from the front row. He still enjoys light saber battles and playing war type games with his friends. Although, he is also perfectly happy to play on his own and often seems to prefer solitude. His favorite show is Star Wars Rebels and he wants to be a historian when he grows up. My three words for Jack are smart, kind and sensitive. Thomas said confident, mellow and bibliophile.

Anna has matured a lot in the past year. Her temper has calmed considerably and although she can still be very hyper, she is not nearly as temperamental. She enjoys school and is happy to go each day. She is also smart and does very well, although she lacks some of Jack's confidence. She has found a love of music and has enjoyed violin lessons and being in a children's chorus. She puts a lot of effort into her schoolwork and is enthusiastic about projects and learning new things. We are very proud of the growth she has made in the past year. She still enjoys playing LPS with Kara and also enjoys writing in her journal. She takes pride in keeping her room clean and likes having her things neatly organized. Her biggest wish is for a pet, which Thomas and I have not yet been willing to oblige. Her favorite show is Mutt and Stuff and she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. My three words for Anna are smart, intuitive and loving. Thomas said timid, loquacious and inquisitive.

The kids are definitely growing, sometimes faster than we would like. Luke frequently wears Jacks old clothes and it amazes me that it wasn't too long ago that Jack was wearing them. Some of the changes are fun to see, like the girls taking more time with their clothes and working to put together stylish outfits. Some are less entertaining. I am looking forward to 2017 and hoping that any changes that occur will be small ones. I am enjoying this stage of life and wish time could slow down just a bit. I am hopeful that my starting a new job will not be too disruptive to this wonderful life of mine. And, of course, my biggest hope is for continued good health and a home filled with love.