Done for another Year

Christmas was a big success again. Unfortunately we didn't make it out to Nana's on Christmas Eve because of the huge snowfall. Dean and I just were not comfortable putting the kids in the car. The roads were horrible. So we spent out first quiet Christmas Eve together as a family. The kids went to bed early and amazingly slept till 6:15am. Then the day began.

Jordan's biggest score was his laptop. Logan's was the Air Hogs Zero Gravity car. Santa also brought them RockBand and the Wii Outdoor Challenge. Needless to say, they haven't been bored since then. We had a quiet day with just Ma and Papa, and Ma cooked a wonderful turkey.

Boxing Day was our annual Open House, but obviously due to the weather, only the neighbors showed up. It was small and nice and lots of time to visit with everyone.

Sat/Sun that followed, Dean and I played in a ball tournament. There was so much snow on the ground that you couldn't help but have a good time. As I tell everyone, it's how us big people play in the snow. We did well, and won our division for the second year in a row.

Holy Snow Fall Batman!

We got dumped on! It started Saturday night and hasn't stopped yet. On Monday morning we have over a foot on the lawn. The kids are loving it! We went toboganning again Sunday and laughed so hard. The boys were flying down the hill. Of course Dean and I had to get in there and try too. By 9pm, the boys were begging to go to bed.

Mondays commute to work was not so fun. The roads were completely compacted and I actually had Dean drive me in. Even with snow tires I don't think that my car would have made it in. Going home was better but not great. Jordan was out the majority of the day yesterday and zonked out on the couch at 6:45pm. I love how the fresh air beats them out!!

I'll get some pictures up soon.

Christmas Vacation!!

I love Christmas vacation. No kids to wake up in the morning, no lunches to make, no homework to nag about and most of all.....no schedule to follow!!!

Jordan had pancake breakfast and pajama day at school today. I got the call last night that the lady co-ordinating it was sick and that I was going to have to do it. Crap! I just wanted to go in and be told what to do, not tell everyone else what they needed to do. Anyways, it was a huge hit, as it always is, and the kids had fun with the crafts as well. It's always fun seeing everyone still in there jammies, and I decided that I was going to stay in mine all day too. So here I am at 4:20 after having gone and taken Logan for a haircut, done some shopping, and taken Jordan to guitar lessons all in my jammies! But it's amazing how many people look at you. Mostly I think that they wish they were brave enough to do it themselves.

I have a little shopping to do, mostly just "fillers". And I haven't taken the kids to see Santa yet, so I think that I will do that tonight.

Let it Snow

Today is a very first real snow fall for the season and it's beautiful. I went to work today and the drive was okay because at 5:30am there isn't too many people on the roads. But the drive home took an hour. I don't get it. The roads were a little slushy, but for the most part they were fine. What's the big deal people? Put it in drive and drive! Just because you see some white flakes following from the sky doesn't mean you have to become stunned when you drive!

The boys are loving the white stuff. Logan spent most of the day outside with Daddy shoveling snow and playing in the backyard. Then once Jordan got home, we spent another hour outside. We came in, had dinner, then headed up to the school to go "boging"...that's what Logan calls toboganning! The boys had a blast. It was wonderful that they were able to walk back up the hill on their own and never asked for help.

I will add a picture later once they are uploaded!

3 or 4...we are losing count!

My sweet little Jordan. What an amazing guy you are. To have already gone through 4 surgeries in your short 9 years and to never have complained...well, I think we could all learn a thing or 2 from you. This latest surgery on November 13, 2008 you had your Pronator tendon transfer. This was probably the biggest surgery of all so far, but like the others you handled it amazingly. Here's how the trip to Portland went:

Thursday 4:30am Mommy, Daddy and you left to drive the 5 and 1/2 hours to the hospital. Of course we stopped for lunch, and then to the book store to get you a new book. We checked into the hospital at 1pm and then it was visits from the nurses, care co-coordinator, doctors, anesthesiologist, and more nurses. They went through everything that was going to happen, took all your stats, weighed you, measured you and made sure there was nothing that you were worried about. It was 5:30pm when we were finally done and allowed to go for dinner. Of course it was your choice and of course you picked The Old Spaghetti Factory. We have a wonderful dinner then headed back to the hospital. That night we were all pretty tired. I think that we just watched some T.V and you played some video games, then we hit the sack.

Surgery Day, Friday: We had the dreaded wake up call from the nurse at 5:30am. It was off to the big bath tub for the wonderful Chlorhexidine bath. You don't mind having it, except that the soap is so cold and it stinks!! I washed you all up and got you in the very stylish hospital gown!
Then the nurse came in to numb up your hand for the I.V , and gave you some of that disgusting medicine. It's midazolam and it's so that you don't remember anything. Well, you hate it and when you took it, you sort of gagged and spit some right back in the nurses face. Mommy thought it was a little funny and her fault for having her face so close to yours..lol. Dr Thayer then popped up and talked to us more about the surgery while we were in the elevator on the way down to the holding room. There they gave you a beanie toy, and put the I.V in, which you didn't even realize they had done until you looked down and it was already done! Then it was off to the O.R for you. Of course Mommy cried.

Surgeries NEVER get easier. The first one is just as scary as the 4th one. I try not to cry, but I'm emotional on a good day, never mind surgery day.

3 hours later you were in recovery and doing wonderfully. While you were in surgery, Mom and Dad had gone out and bought you a stuffy to have when you woke up. You loved it and had a big smile on your face. Shortly after it was back up to the room. You pretty much slept for the next 2 hours. You woke up and boy were you hungry! We had to start with ice chips, then jello, and so on. I think you finally got a decent dinner around 6pm. By that time, we had all been to the games room and played ping-pong, pool and air hockey. The nurses were amazed at you and couldn't believe it. They had no problems discharging you at 8:30 the next morning.

As soon as we got home Friday night at 6pm we got ready to go the New West Fire Fighters VS Canucks Alumni hockey game. It was there that your arm started to feel sore. Mommy knew that if you were telling me it's sore, then we are beyond the point of Tylenol. So if was off to the ER to get a prescription for Codeine. The pediatrician there was awesome! Gave us some pain killers and sent us home. You only took 1 of the 4 doses he gave us and never talked of pain again.

The cast came off December 12. All I can say is that I'm truly amazed by this surgery. Not only is it easier for us to suppinate your arm, but I think that you have more finger movement. We are going to work very hard with therapy to try and get you to suppinate it yourself!

I love you my little Trooper.
Mommy!

It seems like a Pattern

That I have to keep summarizing the months as they go by. It's funny, I can log into the Garden, I can play pogo game, and I can read everyone else's blogs, but I can't ever update my own. The one that was started for the boys. The one that I was going to be so diligent about updating. Ha!! But really if you know me, you know that I always take on way too much.

That being said I'm wearing a multitude of hats this year. Since September, I've become Co-Chair of the PAC, continued my roll as Hot Lunch Coordinator and taking on the great position as Coach of Jordan's soccer team. The "Nike Swish"boys are great, and I am enjoying it alot more than I expected. I have a great group of parents (but as you know, there is always 1!!) and a fantastic manager who seriously leaves nothing for me to do except coach. It's great. And I'm slowly learning something about this game. Hopefully by March, I'll know atleast 1/2 the rules!

Jordan really enjoyed his cross Canada tour with Ma and Papa. I think the best part for him was getting to visit Nan and Pop in Newfoundland. It was a hard 8 weeks for Dean and I without him, but knowing that it was the best experience in the world for him we sucked it up. I really think that Logan missed him tons.

Jordan's now in grade 4. He's doing really well in school. We just got his report card and I was impressed. He continues to struggle in the language arts area, but with the help of an SEA he's doing great. He started swimming lessons again and in January will be going into level 8. He breezed right through levels 6 and 7, and boy, is he ever a fish! Swimming seems to be one of the areas where he's really excelling. Perhaps in the summer, I will put him in a Swim Club. He wants to also try skating again. But we'll talk more in January about that.

Logan started his second year of preschool in September, but it's not really his thing. He's doesn't get excited about going, and really could care less if he goes. So he won't go back in January. He'll start Kindergarten in September and I want to cherish these last months that he's at home. He's doing really well in swimming and is just finishing Preschool Level 5. He's becoming quite the little fish like his brother. Dean's also got a project on the go with him. He started skating lessons in September and once or twice a week Dean takes him to parent and tot hockey night. The kids get all suited up and go out and pass the puck around with their parents. In January he is going to start Tips for Tots which is a program that teaches them the basics of hockey. I'll post a picture later of Logan all suited up.

The boys are both very excited about Christmas. It's going to be a quiet one because Ma and Papa are going to Seattle to see Clara and Emma....oh yeah...Kevin got married to Stacy in August. Great wedding and we are very happy to have Stacy and Emma in our lives.

That's all for now, and no promises when I'll update again.
Love you all,
Kelli