Friends here to visit!

The last few weeks have been pretty busy! We got visitors from Calgary last weekend! Our friends Bobbi and Jer and their 4 kids came to visit last Thursday and they stayed until Monday afternoon. We did a lot of stuff while they were here, which was at times a bit much for our kids, but all in all it was a great weekend! We went to Snoqualmie Falls Friday afternoon (and underestimated the hike down to the bottom and ended up being late picking Adam up from preschool, oops!). Saturday we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island and hung out at a park for a while, went down to the water. The ferry was a lot of fun for the kids:). We also went out for dinner that night, which proved to be a bit much for Adam in particular. We had to wait for an hour because of our large party (they originally told us it would only be 30-40 minutes, I'm not sure we would have waited if we had known it would be an hour) and it was just too much for him. We did manage to get him calmed down a few minutes after finally sitting down and he was actually fine for the rest of the meal, thank goodness! The service was good after that so it was worthwhile (I think!). Sunday we took a trip to the zoo. It didn't start out the greatest, Adam was again not cooperating very well so I took him to the Zoomazium, which is just an indoor play area. I don't know why we haven't gone there before! It ended up being an outing-saver for not just Adam, but Nathan joined us a little while later, and then the whole Sampson clan because their kids were melting down as well! We played there for a while and then Brian and Jer took the youngest kids home and Bobbi and I stayed with the older ones and had a great time! Yes, it was a very busy weekend and we may have tried to do too much in a short time, but that's just how it goes when people come to visit. They are on vacation so you have to try and give them the best experience you can without burning out your family, it's a delicate balance! We did have a great time and are taking it easy this weekend before another wave of visitors - Brian's parents on Easter weekend, and then Mary and Dave the Tuesday after Easter. Looking forward to having more familiar faces around here!

What else has been going on the last few weeks . . . we continue to flip flop back and forth about whether or not we should buy a house here or just keep renting (but a different house). We have serious misgivings about buying in this crazy market that is so favorable to buyers at the moment, I have heard of people putting in offers on multiple houses and being rejected over and over. Renting seems much simpler and safer and could quite possibly end up being financially more responsible. However, it's also important that we find the right house to rent, and there just aren't that many out there in our area (we have this problem when we look at houses for sale, too). I heard yesterday about a house that could be perfect for us to rent - 4 bedroom, just a few blocks away so Lynsey could stay at the same school, nicely redone and has the ONE thing that I will be insisting on in our next house - an ensuite bathroom. I am very hopeful! I heard about it from a friend from Lynsey's school, so I've asked her to get me in touch with the landlord. I'm just praying that it will work out if it's meant to be, I am so tired of worrying about this. I know, I shouldn't worry about it, but it's hard. Having a crystal ball would sure be nice so we could make the best decision:-/.

Nathan is becoming much more social, and we seem to have reached the point where having a friend over to play is lower maintenance for me than just having him here alone! He really loved Bobbi and Jer's baby, too, which was pretty cute:).

I can't think of much else to report! Life as usual I guess!

Life as usual!

What has happened in the last few weeks . . . I started sewing! I sewed Lynsey a very simple nightgown which turned out okay, and I just finished sewing her a dress that was definitely more difficult. I made some mistakes, as is to be expected, but I think it turned out okay in the end. I'm not sure how I feel about her wearing something I made her in public, it feels really weird . . . like I should be with her explaining to everyone that walks by that yes, the hem isn't great and here's why, and yes the pockets aren't quite at the same height but I just didn't feel like moving them after all the other adjustments, etc. etc. You get the picture! I will have to just let it go and let her wear it even with it's imperfections! I definitely have already learned a lot just with the two projects I've made so far, and I know I still have lots left to learn! I'm enjoying it, it's been fun! I do get frustrated pretty easily, but I will have to learn to let some little things go. This will be a good lesson for me!

Nathan is growing up before our very eyes! Wow, it feels like he is turning into a little man. He didn't want to eat his lunch today, and made quite a fuss about it. We aren't into forcing our kids to eat, so after a while, Brian asked Nathan if he could eat his soup. He agreed that he could, so Brian ate his soup. A little bit later, he was asking for a snack (surprise surprise!) and we said, no, he didn't eat his lunch. Then he looks at Brian and all accusingly says, "But you ate my soup! So can I have some chocolate pretzels now?" We had a pretty good laugh about that one - nice try, Buddy:).

Lynsey had her class production of "Annie" last week. She had only one short line because they had to involve the entire second grade, but she said her line with much expression and enthusiasm:). Our great friends Bobbi and Jer are visiting us next week, and Lynsey has been counting down the days for Gavin and Galen to come visit. It should be a lot of fun!

What is new with Adam . . . not a whole lot. I ordered him a big tricycle off Amazon today, it's the same kind that he likes to ride at preschool. I am hopeful that this might mean that we can FINALLY go to the park without having to push him along, but I guess we will have to wait and see how it goes over! He is so capable of pedaling, I just can't understand why he is so uninterested. It's not surprising, since he doesn't really show interest in anything but stimming and playing in his bean table, but I wish I knew how to make things interesting for him. Imagine the things we could learn about him if he put in a little effort once in a while! I think we might learn that he knows how to do all KINDS of things we didn't know about!

I ran my St. Patricks Day run this morning in Kirkland! It was rainy but warm, so doable. My friend Jeni has done it for a few years now, and she told me that it was a bit hilly, but she didn't really tell me the full extent of it. I've run races with hills before, probably even more hills overall than this one, but this is the first race I've ever done where the first 3km was basically all uphill (there were two very brief downhill portions in there, but virtually no straight sections). I'm glad I didn't know, I think I would have psyched myself out quite badly. So tough! But I stayed with it mentally and reaped my reward with the easiest finish to a race ever! I managed to salvage a pretty good time at 27:50, which I was happy with considering the hill situation. I had originally wanted to hit 27 minutes, but that was not happening on this course. Maybe next year, since I'll be prepared! It was really fun, I'm glad I did it and I felt really great after:). Man those first 18 minutes I kept thinking to myself, this madness has to come to end soon and I'll be home free! Soon! I'm proud of myself for never giving in and walking.

No one under THREE in this house anymore!

It's been a long time since my last post. February has been a bit of a blur! We had our mid-winter break, but we didn't really do much. On Valentine's Day, Brian got a big lobster and some steak and we had a feast after the kids went to bed (Lynsey really wanted to see him put the lobster in the water, but she was really scared of it, too!). The following Friday after school, Lynsey got the stomach flu. Joy! Adam got it on Sunday, which was very unpleasant, and Brian and I got a mild version of it on Monday. Nathan escaped somehow! I had forgotten how a sickness like that can paralyze your life, I feel like that time was a total blur. We haven't had a stomach flu in our house since right before Nathan was born. Anyway, we recovered and life got back to normal:). We met with Steve and Tanya Thursday for lunch in South Lake Union which was fun (driving downtown was not, but it has to get easier with practice, right??).

Yesterday we celebrated our little Nathan! Such a special little three year old he is:). In the morning, we met Steve and Tanya at the Aquarium, and then went to the Crab Pot for lunch. It was a nice outing! After naptime, we had a little mini-party for Nathan at the park with Andy and Kristy and Elisse and Kelly. The sun was so lovely! It did start getting cold close to 5 o clock, but I'd say we lucked out being able to have a February birthday party at the park at all! Nathan loved the presents and his Dusty cake, I continue to marvel at what a typical little boy he is:).

Not much else to report on from the last few weeks. Oh - I got a sewing machine! Very impulsive purchase from Amazon, I suddenly decided that I wanted to learn to sew because seriously - what a useful skill! I have some fabric and a pattern, my first project is going to be a nightgown for Lynsey. Wish me luck! I know I can do this if I set my mind to it and just put a bit of effort in, I just hope I stay interested. I would love to be able to sew Easter dresses and Christmas dresses for Lynsey one day - what great memories of matching with my sisters all through my growing up years! I know she doesn't have to sister to match with, but still:). I'll keep you posted!

Superbowl heartbreak, but the sun did come up the next day

That title is kind of wrong, because it was a rainy, depressing day on that Monday after. But you get the picture. Don't worry, I'm not going to write an entire post about how disappointing it was that the Seahawks lost the Superbowl (and the way they lost it, ouch!!). I just thought it was important enough in our life to use it as the title:-P. We did have a fun Superbowl party at Andy and Kristy's house, but I do have to say that it is so funny how such a heartbreaking loss clears a party out in a hurry! People were so bummed, who wants to socialize any further?? It was fun up until the last 30 seconds or so of the game anyway:).

What has been going on the last few weeks . . . nothing too out of the ordinary. I've been trying to figure out our vacations this year, and I think we are going to be in La Crete the last week in June. Our family campout is at the end of July, but that is such a bad time for us to be going up there. Adam will be right in the middle of his summer program at RSA, and as much as they are somewhat flexible with families in the summer, I know this would put them in a bit of a bind. So we'll go up before his summer program starts and just see my family all individually instead of all together - sometimes that is better for visiting anyway:). Another kind of exciting thing is that while I was chatting with Brian's mom about our summer trip, I casually mentioned that we wanted to go to Hawaii in October. I then added, "unless you guys would want to come with us at Christmas time". It was said very casually, not really expecting that anything would come out of it. Well, a few days later, after some discussions and finding a great price for flights out of Bellingham, we are booked to go to Honolulu from December 17th - December 26th! We found a big penthouse condo to stay in that will have lots of room for our family and Brian's parents, and Brian's aunt Stella is considering joining us as well which would be so fun. I know it's really far away, but I love having something to look forward to:).

Adam started swimming lessons again this past Sunday, and he is happy to be back at it:). He has a male instructor for this session, so we'll see if that makes any difference in the amount of progress that he makes.

I really don't have much else to write about! February is almost half over, and when March comes, then it will feel like Spring/Summer is soo close! Lots of changes coming this summer, hopefully all good ones:).

A bit of Spring in the middle of winter!

Wow only three pictures so far in all of January!! I have been seriously slacking! That won't even fill up one page in the year books that I make every year, will have to get at least a few more pictures before the month is over!

What has been happening! Well, Nathan just makes us laugh. We have taught him the correct terms for his private parts, so he is well aware of his "penis". Every time he pulls up his shorts and he gets a little stuck, "Oh my penis!" and tucks it back in. The other day, he was playing with Mr. Potato Head and there was some joking back and forth about who tooted. I asked him if it was Mr. Potato Head, and he says, "No, he doesn't have a penis". Hmm apparently more anatomy teaching is still required! He has taken a bit of an interest in playing dolls right now, I wonder how long that will last. I think it's mostly so that him and Lynsey have something to do together, but it could be more than that. He loves to hear stories about himself where he gets to fly with Dusty Crophopper or go on a train ride with Thomas, and has even started making up some of his own Nathan stories! Mind you they are mostly just repeated bits of stories he's heard me tell, but I can see that expanding very soon. He is just my little sweetie, I can't say it enough:).

Adam had a pretty big change at his school last week. They moved him out of Kimberly and Gordon's classroom (Kimberly is the aide that Adam has connected the most with since getting to RSA, she also babysits for us occasionally). I was really upset about it at first, as it sounded like it didn't necessarily happen because it was in Adam's best interest, but more because they were shuffling classrooms because of new kids and that affected Adam's placement. After some emails back and forth with the Program Manager, both Brian and I feel more comfortable with the change. I guess they always tried to keep Adam and Kimberly together because he wouldn't really work well with anyone else, but apparently he has become a lot more flexible and now works with several different aides very well! He is with Ruth, whom he was with right when he started at RSA, so he already knows her pretty well. He will also see Kimberly and Gordon in the afternoon during some group time, so that's good. He has handled this change like a pro! I am so proud of how he rolled with this change, I did not see that happening. I got to see a bit of video of him doing some programs today which was pretty neat. He definitely had this look on his face like, "let's just get this over with", but Ruth said he's not always like that (he was apparently quite aware of the video camera, so not totally himself). I have this fear that he is learning the programs and doing what they are asking of him (repeating sentences, identifying letters, etc.) but what if he's not internalizing it? I worry that it's not going to roll into every day life, it's my biggest concern about his therapy. I asked his Program Manager if she has noticed him becoming more natural in his socialization, and she said she has noticed he is much quicker to respond when people say hi (we have noticed this, too) and in general responds quicker to peers and teachers in social interactions. I guess this is a marathon, it's unlikely that there will be this giant proverbial "corner" that he turns (although I still pray for it because you never know!).

We had some beautiful weather over the weekend and we got to go to the park a few times! The kids have really missed that, this much was obvious. On Monday, Nathan had his push-behind tricycle at the park and he figured out pedaling! Very exciting! He's still a bit slow, but he seems to have made the connection that he needed to make, it will just be a matter of perfecting it now. Wow imagine when both he and Lynsey are independent on bikes! Then I can take the kids on bike rides alone and only have to push Adam along! Maybe THIS will be the summer that he, too, cares enough to actually start pedaling (fingers crossed!). Family bike rides are coming up! Oh wait, I guess that means Brian and I need to get bikes, too!

Niece visits, Adam turns 5, new year begins!

I just had a moment where I realized that a new year started, and I haven't even started the photo book for 2014 yet. I just did the 2013 one, right?? Wow we have been here for almost 18 months, that is insane. I am excited for 2015, it will be a good year, I can feel it:). Everything will go so smoothly with selling our Calgary house in May, the Canadian dollar will JUMP back up to par so we can exchange the house proceeds over to US dollars (wishful thinking!), and we will buy a place of our own out here! My position on whether or not we want to stay here long term keeps flip flopping back in forth in my mind, but one thing that does not change too much is my desire to buy our own place this summer. It is a bit of a risk for us to do so if we don't stay for at least 3 or 4 more years, but I feel like it's a risk I want to take. Renting comes with it's perks, but I cannot see us wanting to do that for 2-4 more years. I guess we'll see how kind 2015 is to us in the housing department:).

Our little Adam turned 5 on New Years Eve (same as every other year;)). We didn't have a big party, it was too much so soon after coming back from Alberta and we know he doesn't want a party, either. We got him a cake and gave him his peanut ball and all was well:). I feel like 5 is a bit of a milestone, but the day came and went without a lot of emotions surrounding it. I would have thought at one time that I would be panicking when he turned 5 - I would see all the things he wasn't doing yet, and that he should be in Kindergarten at this age but there is no way he would be able to function in a Kindergarten class. I didn't have those feelings. I feel at peace about the path he is on and the treatment he is receiving, and I'm not panicking. Yes, as he gets older it gets more obvious that he is not typical and we do get more looks from strangers etc., but I feel surprisingly okay about it all. Maybe the panic comes in September when we actually have to put him in Kindergarten! It's looking likely that he will stay at RSA for his Kindergarten year, but I don't know that for sure yet. We will see how he finishes out this year.

We had some family visitors the second week of Christmas break! My niece Erica came to stay with us for a week. Another niece Shelby had a one night layover in Seattle as well so we got to see her, too. It was nice to hang out with some nieces that I don't get to see too often! We didn't do a whole lot, went to the Aquarium, had a few meals out, nothing too terribly exciting. Erica did take the train to Portland one day and I went up to Bellingham to meet up with my friend Lindsay, who lives in Langley. On Monday, our life got pretty much back to normal. Both kids were off to school and I took Shelby and Erica into downtown Seattle. We took a little walk in Pike Place Market and then I dropped the girls off to do the underground Seattle tour. I took Nathan to a playplace in South Lake Union and Brian even came with us since it was just around the corner from his building! Then I brought them to the airport and THEN our life got back to normal:). It's been really nice to get back to routine. I always love the time off from school and seeing family and doing things out of the ordinary for a while, but it was so nice to get back to the gym and regular grocery shopping etc. We caught up with some friends this past weekend and started our membership at KidsQuest Childrens museum, which is a really fun place for all the kids!

I also want to take a minute to say that we have crossed over - we are football fans. Not just Seahawks fans, although we definitely are that, but we actually recorded a game on Sunday while we were at church that was NOT Seahawks because we were interested in the game! And we were interested to see who the Seahawks will be playing next weekend. I never thought I would care about NFL football but I do! I still care about the Oilers and hope they can make something happen some year soon. I will continue to wait on the edge of my seat along with all other Oilers fans;).