We got Eli's blood results yesterday and they are GREAT!  That's good news.  It still doesn't explain his lethargy, etc so we are going to take him to an endocrinologist because we don't know what else to do.  We don't want something to slip by us that could prove to be more of a problem later!

If you've been a reader for long, you know that when we got home from Ukraine with Micah and Matthew, we had an amazing baby shower and received diapers to last 5 or 6 months. Well, we're into the last package of diapers. It's been 5 months. THAT was a HUGE blessing. We were SO GRATEFUL to not have to buy diapers during this time at all.

Micah had a HORRIBLE day yesterday.  In fact, he was biting and hitting other kids and the school called us and told us we needed to come up and do something (they aren't allowed to discipline kids at all unless it's in the IEP as a specific response to a specific behavior...ugh)--(needless to say we are going to be revamping the IEP next week).  So Mary and I both went up and was he surprised!!  I did the disciplining and we also explained a little more to the teacher about his background.  He was an angel after that.  Surprise surprise. 

Well little Micah had a rough day today.  He was spitting, hitting and biting his teacher when she wanted him to do something he didn't want to do.  Any suggestions? 

I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have found the woman of my dreams 20 years ago. Mary is my best friend. There's no one else I'd rather be with. No one else I think about. No one else I want to grow old with. The years have rolled on. The children have come. There have been easy days. There have been hard days. Together we have faced them all and have grown even more in love.

School started Thursday. It's kind of a crazy schedule to get them all to and from school. I leave with Blake and Hannah at about 7:40. Drop Hannah off at 7:45 at the Junior High, then drop Blake off at 7:50 at the High School, then it's off to work (with a jiggedy jig).

Then, at about 8:40, Mary leaves to take the rest. Bethany & Seth get dropped off at 8:45 at the elementary school.

So from 9:00 until 11:15 (when Mary picks up Matthew & Eli), Micah has the house and the mama all to himself. He enjoyed this on the first day. He does love attention (personal, one on one attention).


Mary picks up Matthew & Eli and it's off to home to make lunch for the three crumb crunchers and then Micah goes to school at 12:45. Of course, the two little guys who are at home at this point are the ones who will NOT take a nap. So they go to their bed for rest time.

Hannah get's picked up around 2:30 and Micah after that. (Off to rest for Micah when he gets home). Blake gets out around 3:00 then the other two at about 3:20.

Deep breath.


Obviously, Micah is VERY PROUD of himself for going to school with his backpack!

The older kids all had good first days of school. They like all their teachers (they always do) and are excited for the new beginning. Blake and Hannah especially are excited to see how God will give them opportunities to bear witness to Christ Jesus this year.

There is always a dark cloud looming over the first day of school, though. You see, the elementary schools put out their supply lists about 6 weeks before schools starts. This allows us to purchase supplies whenever we want and avoid the crowds and the frustration of having things be out of stock. BUT, the upper grades do not. I guess it would be difficult to provide the lists early because of the many variables with schedule, but maybe some day they can fix it. :-)
The DARK CLOUD comes when it's time for me to go to Walmart and buy the supplies for the junior & high school classes. I walked into Walmart last night at 6:00 and instantly felt a tremor in the force. I knew I was in trouble when I heard the rumble coming from the school supplies section as I got close.

Forget about getting the basket down the aisles. I could barely squeeze in myself. And as long as I'm talking about it, WHY does Walmart have SOME supplies in one section at the front of the store and OTHER supplies in a totally different section in the BACK CORNER of the store? What is that about??? So you don't find it one place, go all the way to the other (after surrendering your spot in the aisle in location one) and figure out that it's not there so it MUST be back in the other section. Hrmphhhh. But it's done. Oh, except for the THREE TEACHERS who didn't give out their supplies lists and will give them out within the next few days. WHY??? The supply lists are the same every year for the most part. Why make parents go through the tragic experience of purchasing supplies more than once. Oh...I know why. It creates endurancea and perseverence because I can guarantee you that when I go back to purchase the additional supplies, some if not all will be SOLD OUT and I'll end up going to Office Depot and paying at least twice the price! That's why.

Okay...venting over... :-)

On to the three crumb crunchers. Eli and Matthew did well, as expected. When Mary went to pick up Micah, the teacher (Miss Sam) said "Well, he's not the worst we've ever seen..." Okay. So, at least he's not on the top of the "bad boy" list. :-) He did spit a couple of times and tried to hit her when she was making him do something he didn't want to do. But she was firm with him and he submitted, if a bit unwillingly. On the bright side, she was very shocked at his level of learning. She signs everything she says and he picked right up on the new signs he was seeing. He even signed to her "more music please". He knows "more" and "please" and uses them correctly. But he learned the new sign for music AND integrated into the signs he already knew in a correct manner. His motor skills, according to Miss Sam, are also very good, all things considered. He'll probably be our "mainstream" child if we have one. But Matthew and Eli could definitley surprise us.

All in all...a great first day!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

The sounds of the last night of summer are what I hear as I sit here typing this post.  Baths for ALL (usually, we alternate which kids take baths every other night...except the older kids take showers whenever they want, of course).  The little boys are tucked away in bed.  Micah and Matthew go to school for the first time ever tomorrow.  The kids all made their lunches after family devotions.  The supplies have been purchased (oy vay...THAT was expensive) and packed up in new backpacks.

  If you are on dial-up, this post will drive you to the brink!  Here’s some pictures from the summer and from various events in our lives.  We are doing so well and the family is like it’s always been this way (for the most part).  :-)

Snickers, I said, “LOOK THROUGH THAT HOLE!!”

I have no idea…but probably spying on the neighbors.  CREEPY.

What a big boy!

The new swing set has been a God-send this summer!!  THANK you to all our friends at FBC Moore who gave so generously to our family and made it possible to bless our children and our family!!

Micah, peeking through the little window.  :-)

Can this guy communicate without verbal language or what???

Bethany & Seth

Our “little” Seth is no longer little!

Yes, he loves ice cream.  He gets it VERY rarely though.  We don’t give the little guys sugar except on rare occasions.

Yep, Matthew likes it too.

Don’t let Eli’s face fool you.  He LOVES ice cream too!

Micah is a good self-feeder.  He’s a precious little guy.

Part of our young labor program.  Eli’s in charge of folding laundry.  :-)

Couldn’t resist posting this.  What is that face about??

Micah loves the water table.  Matthew tolerates it.  Eli runs at the first sign of splashing.

All I can say is… GROSS!!!

AND NOW…
The FIRST HAIRCUTS I’VE GIVEN.
The much-anticipated pictures are finally here!

Yes, I am reading instructions.  Believe it or not, the kit came with a step by step instruction sheet with pictures.  Supposedly a monkey could do it.  Hey wait a minute!!…

 
No, I’m not squeezing.  Okay…maybe a little bit.


He was so good.  The buzzing tickled him something fierce, but he did great!


This was Micah’s first haircut since coming home.  His hair coming in thicker and the bald spots around his scalp are all gone.  Guess he’s getting enough to eat now!  :-)  He’s up to 36 pounds.  (He was 31 when we first took him to the doctor after getting him home.  I reported 30 previously but was in error)

Eli wasn’t so excited about getting a cut.  I decided to brave the bowl haircut for him.  Let’s just leave it at that.  :-)  But hey, I didn’t have to take him to supercuts to get it fixed!


Finished.  Everyone breathes a sigh of relief!


Matthew was a GIGGLE BOX while I was giving him his cut.


Seth decided he wanted to lose the bowl cut that he has his whole life.  If was VERY DIFFICULT for me to cut those locks off.  Mary was very shocked when she saw the finished product.  Our little boy is turning into a young man.  YES, I know he’s still only seven!  But he’s growing up so fast!

He wanted the spike look like dad has.  He’s a special boy.

Micah likes this helmet.  He wears it backwards, of course, but he likes it just the same.

 
Thanks to a neighbor who works at the Oklahoma Science Museum, we got to spend the day there.  I took the 4 oldest.  We had a wonderful time together.  I was so glad to be able to treat them to the day out.  They have really stepped up to bat since the new guys came home.


Bethany inside the tornado chamber.


Blake…15 already.


Hannah, one of our beautiful girls, turns 14 on August 3.  It seems like yesterday these two were just wee tots.


Yep…I brought a picnic for lunch.  We enjoyed it.  And considering lunch would have cost over $50, I REALLY enjoyed it too!


On a massive swing in the front yard of some friends of ours.


Micah colored for almost 2 minutes this time.  That’s good for him.  Then he played with playdoh (sorry, no pics) for about 30 minutes.  We were surprised and he actually PLAYED with it.


Today (August 3) was haircut day again.  Spike number one.


Spike number two.  Bowl cut gone.


And you guessed it…  Spike number three.


I had to post this.  Matthew makes this face every now and then.  I have to wonder whats going through his head!!


Eli is only 6 months younger than Micah, but he really treats him like a big brother in his own way.  It’s rather cute, really.


This was just before Matthew began pushing to get out of the corner of the couch.  They kept getting closer and closer.


Eli was all smiles tonight.  Had to keep snapping!


Eli and Seth.


Blake was gone to band tonight.  The girls all gone to JCPenney’s for Hannah to use some birthday money to get some clothes.


Seth wanted me to take pictures of him in the backyard.  I let him choose the “poses.”

Well, thanks again for being interested in our lives.  God is good all the time!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!