Life is Always changing

It is hard to believe how fast life changes.  I remember all the details of bringing home my first born child 8 years and 1 month ago (to the day actually) and now she is growing into an independent little girl who feels she can accomplish the world.  Makenzi is almost done with her swim season and her heart is just broke over it.  She can't believe that the 6 month season is coming to an end but she has done amazing.  She has participated in 6 meets so far and still has 4 more to go for sure and possibly a 5th.  So I guess if you look at it meet wise the season is only half over.  Makenzi has learned so much and has become such a strong swimmer.  She can swim 150-200 yards at a time and she has been able to fully compete with all the other teams she has come up against.  In the last 5 meets (still waiting on results from the 6th meet) she has brought home 13 ribbons (some meets place to 12th place) and 1 medal.  She is currently 1 second away from qualifying for the state meet in her backstroke.  We will see if she can make it this year. 

Makenzi is also doing an amazing job in school.  She loves to read and has been to be reading at a 2nd grade level (on the high end for where she should be) but she has an extremely high fluency level at 110 words per minute (so basically she is a fast reader and still comprehends everything).  I have listened to her read stories out loud and I can barely keep up with her reading.  She tolerates math and does well in it but it isn't her favorite.  Her favorite subject is actually history...which is so boring to me.  She may have a "little" bit of her father in her after all. 

6 years ago we were anticipating another 2 months of waiting until our son would join our family.  Well we got the surprise of him coming 1 month early and he is still full of surprises.  Braxton struggles in school compared to Makenzi (I know never compare your kids..a lot easier said than done though).  Braxton hates to read, he hates to write, but he loves numbers/math.  I catch him counting to 100 + all the time, skip counting by 10's, 5's, 2's just as much (he also has some of his daddy in him).  Overall he is doing just fine in kindergarten...hopefully the rest of the year continues this way.  Braxton has joined the wrestling team.  I wasn't a 100% sold on this sport but he has 2 cousins who wrestle and it was just bound to happen.  I was worried about injuries, about how successful he would be at it and so on.  Well he started practices in November and they wore him out and he was pretty hateful.  I was quickly losing hope for an easy season.  But finally we realized he was sick with ear infection and pneumonia and he has been 100 times better now.  Braxton has worked extremely hard during practice and every coach has told us he is doing great.  Well we went to Braxton's first tournament on Sunday.  I was a nervous wreck for him.  He had 7 kids on his chart.  He went out and won his first match by points (13-6) and he was feeling pretty good about things.  We got paired for our second match and talking to his parents quickly made me realize Braxton was out of his league in this match.  The kid was a second year kid but I just told Braxton to have fun and do his best.  Well he held on well but got pinned right at the end.  He came off the mat and I told him he did a good job, his response "just not good enough".  Well we had no tears so I was thrilled.  The 3rd match was a super close match and unfortunately against a kid from his own team.  Braxton lost by 1 point in the end.  It was disappointing but still no tears!  Everybody was thrilled at how well Braxton did for his first meet ever.  This weekend we are headed to another tournament.  We will see what he can do.  I am honestly praying for only 3 kids on his chart (automatic medal) just to keep him encouraged, but we will take what comes.  Braxton did get a participant ribbon so he was thrilled).

Arianna is our little girl who is always filled with surprises.  She keeps me on my toes.  She attends a school program one day a week for just a little while.  She loves this program.  She loves to show that she knows all of her shapes and colors.  She also knows all of the letters in her name.  She can spell her name as well.  She is such a miracle and blessing!

Good-bye 2011

Well 2011 is coming to an end and I am looking back at the year again.  Overall it was an amazing year and I am praying 2012 is just as amazing.

The best moments of 2011:

1.  My niece was found to be in REMISSION, just one month after diagnosis of Cancer.  Ms. J that is the way to kick Cancer BUTT!!

2.  Braxton turns 6!

3.  Ahna turns 3!

4.  We went to Michigan Adventure and enjoyed riding all the rides with the oldest 2 kids and their cousins. 

5.  We went camping for a week at Camp Bauman!

6.  Braxton and Makenzi both played baseball during the summer.  They loved it.

7.  Braxton started Kindergarten and Makenzi started 2nd grade. 

8.  Makenzi joined a swim team and has done very well at it.  She has worked extremely hard to progress at it.

9.  Braxton joined a wrestling team.  It is just okay right now...we will see how it goes.  If he likes it great, if not we will try another sport next year.

10.  Makenzi turned 8! 

11.  We spent a weekend at Splash Village celebrating Christmas with my 2 nieces and Makenzi's birthday.

12.  We enjoyed our Christmas as a family and we look forward to celebrating Scott's 30th birthday with friends!

13.  Scott and I went to Texas to celebrate his sister getting married.  That was a very fun trip!

The last few weeks....

Scott has been at his job for over 90 days and that means we have HEALTH Insurance and not just the catastrophic insurance we bought to get us through!!  Well 3 measly days before the new insurance kicked in I got a phone call from the school at 2pm saying Braxton had a severe ear ache and needed to be picked up.  I headed to the school and rushed him into the doctor...he screamed bloody murder the whole 30 minutes to the doctors office.  They drugged him with some Advil and we waited for it to kick in before the doctor checked him out.  An ear infection for sure and as they continued to check him out it was discovered he had pneumonia as well.  Good thing I took him in.  We started antibiotics and hopefully it will be gone when we go back to the doctor.

The next day (2 days away from insurance) we were at my mom's house and Ahna fell into the corner of the wall as she was running from the play room the to kitchen.  We knew by the thud it was not going to be pretty.  She split her forehead up by the hairline wide open.  Between me and my mom we decided we would try to steri-strip it instead of going to the ER for stitches and traumatize her and myself.  I ran to the store for steri-strips because we couldn't find the ones we had...go figure.  Well we ended up steri-stripping the cut about 4 times before we finally got it to seal right and the steri strips to actually stick right.  Nothing a little extra medical tape couldn't take care of! 

Well we have health insurance again and I am just thankfully it was a couple of minor things that happened right before our insurance kicked in.

Makenzi had another swim meet on Friday.  We got her results and ribbons tonight!  She got a 3rd place in Freestyle, 4th in Backstroke and 1st in her relay.  She is doing so great!!  So proud of her.

The past 6 to 8 weeks have been pretty crazy around our house.  I am discovering how much I can handle at one time.  I am currently taking 12 credits at school.  None of the subjects are my favorite (English, Lifelong Wellness, Microbiology, and Psychology) so I am just trying to survive and get through it.  Lifelong wellness will be over in roughly 1 week...thank the Lord..although that only gets rid of 1 measly credit but it is 1 less thing to worry about.  Microbiology is extremely boring, nothing I really care to learn and a ton of material to learn.  *Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming*. 

Arianna is loving spending her 2 days a week with Grandma and her cousin while I am at school.  She is actually doing homework of her own on those two days and has learned her fair share.  She can count to 5 now (this is huge since it was always 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8,9), she knows all of her colors (besides confusing orange and yellow when saying the name of the color) and she recognizes the shapes.  Next is to be able to sing the alphabet. 

Braxton is going to school but not real sure that is what he wants to spend the next 13 years or so doing.  He would rather stay home and explore outside.  He could care less about counting, writing, reading etc.  He wants to dig in the dirt, learn about dogs, birds and other animals.  He does like his teacher and has made a good friend at school so that is all good news. 

Makenzi has a lot going on this year.  I never realized how much homework a 2nd grader brings home.  Holy cow...somedays I think she has as much as me.  She loves school though so it isn't a bad thing.  Makenzi also enjoyes her swimming.  We have found Makenzi's "thing".  I can't wait to see her progress as a swimmer and be a strong confident swimmer.  We run for practice 3 nights a week and it actually takes me longer to drive there then it does for her to practice...30 minutes there, 30 minutes home and she practices for 45 minutes, but it is worth it.  Makenzi is also going through the classes to make her Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Eucharist this year.  Thankfully a lot of that happens when she gets pulled out of class 2 days a week at school, and then just every other Sunday for 45 minutes. 

Scott has been at his new job for 6 weeks roughly and is enjoying it.  This company is a completely different experience than the last place he was at (it is a good thing).  They actually listen to their drivers when they have an issue, he can actually turn a job down if it won't get him home for the weekend, or is out of the area he is supposed to be traveling.  Plus they just seem to care and treat him good!  The health benefits will be amazing once his 90 days are up...that is what I can't wait for! 

Swim Mania

Late last year I discovered there was a swim team in the area.  I never knew one existed and never really gave a swim team much thought.  I had posted pictures and videos on my facebook of the kids swimming, jumping etc.  I was contacted by a coach of the swim team telling me all about it.  Well last year it just wasn't in the cards (so glad I passed it due to other circumstances in life).  I had decided that this year would probably be a good year to give it a try.

Over the summer months we worked with Makenzi on her swimming abilities.  She is a really good swimmer but didn't have a lot of faith or trust in others touching her while she is in the water.  The coach came to my parents pond to work with her on her strokes and her surface diving.  The first day the coach came, Kenzi cried and froze and wasn't able to do any of the stuff the coach wanted her to try.  I quickly lost hope that swim team would be right for her.  The coach didn't give up and came back 1 week later.  Before that day was up she was surface diving (we had practiced all week too) off the diving board, she was doing the freestyle and backstroke (as we taught her...not exactly correct form;))  The coach was really impressed with the change.  Kenzi had one other day that she went to swim at the coach's house.  She swam for 1.5 hours and really enjoyed herself.  We knew at the end of all of this she would be signed up for swim team.  She was so excited.

Well today was the first official practice for the swim team.  We (Kenzi, me, Braxton and Ahna) arrived a few minutes early and got the registration forms filled out.  Kenzi was dressed and ready to go...her excitement was through the roof.  The coach called over her age group to do their dryland stretches.  Kenzi jumped right in and worked hard.  Then they got kick boards and climbed into the pool.  I was nervous for Kenzi because she has some anxiety issues but they never showed up.  She swam around the pool just like the coach wanted her too.  They swam the length of the pool (both ways) with the kick board, just doing the freestyle stroke, with kick boards again with their faces under water, and with freestyle stroke again (she did much better the second time), and then they practiced their streamline position (for surface diving). I am so glad she had a head start and practiced all summer.  It really put her at ease...me too.

Now if I can just figure out a system to make our late nights run smoother.  I also need to figure out a way to avoid taking the 3 year old to the bathroom 3 times, and listening to the 5 year old complain because he isn't old enough to join swim team.  Coloring books, leapsters, snacks are packed again for hopefully a smoother night tomorrow.

Surviving

We are surviving around here.  I am in my 3rd week of college classes and praying that I don't have to miss any class time this week.  See Makenzi and Braxton have been in school 4 days and have managed to bring the stomach bug home.  So far only Makenzi has been affected but I am just waiting for the next one to get hit by it.  Arianna and Braxton seem to be sneezing a lot so hopefully they aren't getting run down already.

Today Makenzi had to stay home from school...which was not very upsetting to her.  She loves school but she doesn't seem to be enjoying it so much this year.  I am not sure what has happened.  Last Thursday (aka 3rd day of school) we got a call saying Kenzi wasn't feeling well.  My mom went to get her (I was in college).  My mom said Kenzi skipped and hopped out of the building and she was drinking and eating upon arrival at home.  She was standing on her head, riding bike etc.  My mom couldn't figure it out because Kenzi hates to miss school.  When I got home and learned what happened I called the school.  "Supposedly" she had a fever...that most of only lasted 10 minutes because when she got home she didn't have one and a belly ache...which obviously left as soon as she left the school building.  We talked about sending her to school on Friday and the school said yes she could return...well Kenzi couldn't believe I was sending her to school.  Do I think she has the stomach bug right now...yes, but I do question what really is happening with Kenzi.

Braxton had a real eye opener last week at school.  He quickly learned school isn't much fun.  He would rather be home.  When he comes home he is so hyper.  He runs through the house screaming, doing somersaults, and just being crazy.  He has to sit still for too long at school.  He longs for the weekend but he doesn't put up too much of a fight thankfully.  As long as I have bagels for breakfast he is happy!  Silly kid.

First day of School

Well it is that time of year again that all the kids are outside waiting for the bus to arrive.  Makenzi is headed into the 2nd grade and Braxton is going into kindergarten.  Both kids got really good teachers this year so hopefully it is a fun and smooth year for both of them. 

Braxton was pretty nervous last week.  I took him up to see his classroom and find his locker.  He enjoyed that.  Today when I woke him up for school he cried until I told him he could have a bagel for breakfast.  He was extremely excited about heading to school but very nervous about missing the school bus. 

Makenzi has been very anxious to start school.  She loves school and being out all summer just about kills her.  She needs the school work to make her brain work well...she longs for homework every day.  It is almost a must for her to succeed in school and not because she needs the repetition of doing the work but just to keep her brain busy and happy.

I am actually in full time college courses as well.  Hopefully this goes smooth.  I am taking psychology, microbiology, english, and life long wellness.  None of these are my favorite classes but I am determined to walk out of each class with a 4.0.  I want it so I will make sure it happens to the best of my ability.