Greetings from FL

This week we have been in FL visiting Erin's mom. While we have been soaking in the sun, we have also been busy playing wii, swimming, going to the movies, and spending a day at Disney. We plan on having a quiet New Years' celebration tonight and will start home on the 2nd. Here's hoping everyone has a happy, safe, New Year's Eve!

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. . .

Isaac loves playing with Gramme. Here they are in her room playing Batman and watching Scooby Doo meets Batman on her TV.

Gramme's First Mario Kart Derby!

Christmas Card

Many of you will get your cards late this year, as I just took the picture and had them printed yesterday. Here's how it turned out. . .

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a wonderful new year!

All they want for Christmas is . . .

My kids wrote their letters to Santa yesterday (or Erin typed their letters as they dictated them) Here's what they said . . . .

Sis said this. . .

Dear Santa,

I have been very good. I would like this music box with my name on the front for putting my jewelry inside please. Thank you.


Love,
Kalista (We then cut/pasted a pic of an Ariel music box we found)


Here's what the little man had to say. . .

Dear Santa,

I have been a nice, big boy. Can I have a pirate ship and a cheeseburger please. Thank you.


Isaac


Pirate ship -- check! CHEESEBURGER?!?!?!?! What a crack-up!

Thanks Gramme!

One of the ways we are helping Kalista with her food issues is by getting her to help more in the kitchen. We have told her that she is now the Head Chef for all meals. Now that doesn't mean she gets to pick what we are making, nor does she have to eat what she is preparing, but it is a way of making food more fun for her. So far things are going well. Over the past week she had made about 8 grilled cheese sandwiches for her brother, and then yesterday at school she ate one! Horray!

And now thanks to Gramme (Erin's mom) both her and Sous Chef Isaac can look the part. . .

Kid speak and other happenings

I'll start off with what Kalista said right before dinner tonight. . .

Isaac and Kalista were playing around waiting for dinner to be ready when the little man starting talking about what he was going to have for snack. He told Erin, then he told me, and finally he went up to Kalista and said "Hey, Sissy I am going to have ice cream for snack!" And Kalista's big sister response . . . "Isaac! I know, I know I know!!!! It's not like I don't have ears!" Such love!!!

My other news revolves around Kalista as well. The last several weeks have been very stressful, especially around meal time. If you have read any of my post pertaining to Kalista's eating problems you would understand. It all came to a head early last week when we made a visit to the dr. and got a referral to an occupational therapist. Tuesday afternoon Erin and I took off a 1/2 to go with Kalista to her new "eating" dr. for an evaluation of her sensory and eating issues. Kalista was asked lots of questions and observed eating food she liked and foods she had trouble with. We are still waiting the official results of her eval, but the OT was fairly certain she needs some help of her auditory, visual, and tactile senses. Kalista is also what is called a "resistant" eater. This is different than a picky eater in several ways. Three big things being that one) she won't eventually eat when she gets hungry enough (some resistant eaters have starved themselves into hospitalization) and two) she doesn't have a normal sensation of hunger, so she may not know when she needs to eat, and 3) when she seems to get distracted at meal times, it is more than likely she is just overstimulated, and not just trying to stall the eating process. Her brain just has trouble processing all the smells, sights, sounds, and textures that go along with a big meal.

So that is a big paragraph of what is going on!! Our next step is to see the OT once a month for therapy and keep up the new food campaign at home. This week we are working on carrots, and so far she had swallowed several bites. . . Please keep Kalista and us in your prayers and we work through this.

Happy Halloween from Neverland!

Baby Soccer Pics

Baby soccer ended this week and I'd like to think the "season" was a success. It was the first time either of our kids had played, so everything was brand new. Isaac just learned some basic rules, while Kalista got to play some almost "real" games. Here are some pics from the season. . .

Isaac practicing his "hold position" while balancing.

Isaac and his teammate kicking the ball back and forth, practicing not using hands!

Kicking a goal

Kalista in the hold position

Kalista's favorite position was playing goalie

Kalista chasing after a ball.

J and L Farms

Saturday was the annual Applefest in Clarksville. Most years, this one included, we just went into town for the parade, then back to the farm for some pumpkin photo opps. . .

preview

Many of you have seen our themed Halloweens in the past (see here and here) Not to give too much away (many of you already know our theme anyway), but some good friends found Isaac's costume today and he just had to try it on right away. . . So of course Kalista did too. Here's a sneak peak. . .

Kalista's forward strides -- updated

Many of you have read, or just know about my oldest and her struggles with food. Since the time she was one she has not been a good eater, picky to the extreme, and just horrible to please.

Knowing that she couldn't bring her lunch to her new pre-school, this summer we started preparing her to try new things (or go hungry). She mostly went hungry. Since school has started she has actually done pretty well. (I don't think her teachers would agree, but they havn't been around for the last five years to see the progress I've seen in the last few months!) She has now tried many new things at school like ding dongs, rice krispie treats, muffins, and even the crust off of a grilled cheese sandwich. (Again, most of you are thinking big deal most of that is junk food, but you gotta understand she won't even eat bread!)

At home we have slowly been getting rid of "Kalista foods". When we ran out of something it wasn't replace. Over this past weekend, it happened. No more dinosaur chicken! Oh the horror! Monday night was the big event. I made talked about our menu for the week and I let her pick what she wanted to start with. Grilled chicken was chosen, and she seemed ready to try. But when it came down to it, she just couldn't. So I put it in the fridge and warmed it up for breakfast. . . And dinner. . . and after threatening to take her to the hospital for shots (I tend to be a bit melodramtic) she ate her required two bites, only gagging once. She admitted that it tasted just like her old chicken and that next time she wouldn't raise such a fuss (Yeah right!) I then bribed her with Oreos to take two more bites. YEAH!

Tonight was trial two with roast, potatoes, carrots, and rolls. Long story short, she ate half a roll. (Again I would like to point out that she does not eat bread. . . of any kind) Tomorrow I let her choose her new food of either fish sticks at school or mini hamburgers at home. We'll see!

So they may be baby steps, but they are steps for her. And if you think about it, say a little prayer for 'Sis to have courage and eat better. That's what she is praying every night and I would say that God is showing Himself to her! (During prayers tonight she asked God to give her courage to try the fish sticks so she doesn't have to eat a hamburger!)

UPDATE -- Kalista had a note in her cubby today that said she ate her fish sticks. YEAH! She also told me and Erin that she liked them. Trying three new things in one week is more than she has done in two years!

Budding Artist and Potty News

Kalista has always loved to draw. Last week I posted about what she wanted to be when she grew up, but maybe artist should be on the list. . .

This was a drawing of Ariel (of course!) that she drew at preschool this week. For a 5 year old, I don't think it is so bad!

Other news from the potty front. . . Isaac had his first successful BM on the toliet yesterday! WOO-HOO! And now I don't have to worry about the fact that he hadn't pooped in 4 days!

dressing up

Not too much new has been going on. We have all pretty much settled into a routine, so I thought I'd just post a few pics of the little man playing dress-up. He is obsessed with Super Hereos and pirates right now. Enjoy!

ARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Check out my cool cape!

Isn't this how you climb the walls?

Potty training update . . . Preschool is moving him up to the big kid class tomorrow. Personally I think it might be a bit premature since he still has not pooped on a toliet. He's got the peeing thing down though! YEAH! I'll keep you all posted. (I know you are all waiting on pins and needles!)

Kalista's Aspirations

Yesterday while driving, Kalista remarked. . . .

"Mom, I have a few new ideas about what I want to be when I grow up."

"Really," I said "What are those?"

"I would like to be a bus driver. Or maybe a gas station worker. Or maybe a resturant worker. Then I could be a hunter. Or a tree-trimmer. And finally I want to be a Down in the City Worker!" (Silver Dollar City, for those not in the know!)

Quite an interesting list, isn't it. Just to give you the full picture, in previous conversations she has wanted to be a zookeeper, astronaunt, teacher, and firefighter. She is going to be one busy girl!

Bye-bye diapers

When we picked Isaac up from pre-school on Wednesday, his teacher asked if we would start bringing him in underewear instead of a pull-up. "Really?" I asked. See they have been telling me for weeks that he had been dry all day, but at home he still wets his pull-up constantly. Granted I am not as patient with him as his teachers, nor do I remember to make him go every hour or so. So Thursday we gave it a try. We packed his backpack with several pairs of underwear and several changes of clothes. When we picked him up we were told that he had a few accidents, but please continue to send him in underwear. "Okay!" I exclaimed! Today was day two and he did fight me a little this morning. He wanted to wear a pull-up, but relented when I got out his Diego underwear. And wonder of wonders, he was dry all day! After being home for a few hours I made him go, but nothing happened, and about 10 minutes ago, he had an accident. Oh well! We'll keep trying I guess!

Not much to say. . .

Life has settled down into a nice little routine over the last few weeks. The kids are still settling in to their new pre-school (Isaac is still asking when he gets to go to his "REAL" preschool instead of his "PRETEND" preschool. Kalista is working on getting used to the new foods, though I am happy to report she has now tried ding dongs, rice krispie treats, and has eated two bites of the crust off a grilled cheese sandwhich. (For those that know this is huge -- she eats no bread whatsoever.) School for Erin and me is going well. It is a busy year, but it makes the time go faster till we get to pick up our babies from pre-school. Erin started this semester's grad school class last week, and I am still spinning at the Y. Life is back to our "new" normal.

So I'll leave you with a few Isaac stories . . .

Yesterday he was a bit crabby and wanting dinner. He decided he wanted a cheese sandwich, grapes, and broccoli. Unfortunately I was tired and crabby and didn't want to get the frozen broccoli out and make it just for him. And yes, my 3 year old had a complete fit because I wouldn't make him broccoli. That's just wrong!

Then tonight as we were saying our prayer here's what Isaac had to say, "Dear God, Thank you for today. Please help my sissy to be a big girl and not cry, like the song says Big Girls Don't Cry. And help my daddy to play Halloween with me. In Jesus' name, Amen" My thoughts exactly, son.

Birthdays and Bowling

Most of the Roades' birthday week is finished. Here are some of the highlights. . .



On Wednesday Kalista turned 5! What a big girl she is now! It is hard to believe. At least with a birthday after the kindergarden cut-off date, I have another year of her before I send her off to the big, bad world! She had a pretty good day at preschool on Wednesday and got to share a snack or oreos with all her new friends. Opening presents was a blast and she got several great things that she hasn't been able to put down since! We had her favorite pizza for dinner and then got Fritz's ice cream for dessert after church. It was a good day.

Today Isaac turned 3 (although he keeps insisiting he still wants to be 2) It was another good day, this one filled with lots of family and friends. We had a together birthday party at a bowling alley after church. What a BLAST! It was a bit of a zoo with ten 3, 4, and 5 year olds running around, but I think everyone had fun. Isaac is loving his new bat man and pirate toys, so life is good for him!

Now it is time to get ready for the next week. We had the library grand opening on Thursday, so I'll post pictures later this week.

Check me out on the news

So if you've been following along I have been a part of moving my school's library to a new location for the past few weeks. This has been a huge job. This past weekend we worked 12 and 13 hour days on several ocasions. Well, on Saturday a news channel stopped by to interview the new principal on Central's new security measures. Here's what the report says. . . (Just check on the watch news 4 coverage link.)

First days of preschool

I debated what post to put on here first and figured that some of you (read Angie) would be upset if I didn't talk about the kids first few days of day care/preschool. So here it is. (Disclaimer -- no pics yet. I did take one the first day, but I haven't put it on my computer yet)

Bright and early Monday morning (6:30) Erin and I woke up two very sleepy kids. Having gone to the Cardinal game the night before and not having a nap in the afternoon, they were still beat. We got everyone dressed and out the door on time. Yeah!

We walked into the school and found out (as suspected) Isaac would still be in the toddler class, until he is potty trained. He was allowed to stay with Kalista for a bit while everyone was arriving though. This I think was good news to him, since at this point he was looking at me as if to say "What is this place, and you aren't really aren't leaving me here are you?"

Erin and I got out the door before I started crying, but I was a least strong in front of the kids. We had been told we could call during the day and check on them, but neither of us had time. After school we arrived back at the center and Kalista ran right up to us, excited to tell all about her day. We found Isaac's room and got a report from his teacher. Both kids had slept during nap time (Kalista has not fallen asleep since, but still rests), Isaac pottied many times on the potty, and also ate well.

Now the info many of you are waiting for. . . How did Kalista do at lunch. . . As we were walking to the car I asked her what she had for lunch that day. She grabbed my hand, very excited, and said "MOM! Guess what! They let me throw my food away!" She was so happy and excited! I think I have discovered why she was so worried about going to school last week. I think she thought that she would be stuck at a lunch table not able to leave until she ate, or that she would be forced eat a "yucky" food. Once those fears were relieved, preschool became a great place again! So the next question you are all asking. . . What did she eat? On Monday she had applesauce and a few crackers. . . Tuesday she told me (again very excited) that they had had Doritoes for lunch!(and hot dogs, that of course she wouldn't eat), but she did have a banana at snack time. Today applesauce was offered again. So she is not starving, but really hungry when she comes home! She has decided that she has to get used to the smells of the new foods before she can eat them. I asked her how long that would take and she claims she needs to smell it four times. . . I'm not sure what this is all about, but we'll see!

Stay tuned for more stories from our week (My new library is still not ready to be moved into, so the rest of this week will be interesting!).

I'm really, really tired. . .

So last night I left Minneapolis at 8:00 to drive home for work this morning at 7:30. Thankfully I went to Showcase with 3 other really great ladies who let me sleep about 4 hours on the trip home and didn't ask me to drive at all. I arrived home around 5:00am and in time for one more hour of sleep before my new school year officially began.

I will update later on my trip, the kids first day of day care, and Erin's and my first day of school after I have gotten some sleep. . . Till then!

Back to Work

This past week I got a small taste of what the new school year will be like for me. I was up at 7:00 every morning, spent 7 hours in professional development training, back home to spend time with the family, and in bed asleep before Jay finished his monolog. I say a small taste because when school actually starts back on the 11th of Aug, I'll be getting up at 5:30am and I'm guessing I won't even be awake at night to see any part of the 10pm news!

This will be a huge transition for the whole family as my kids are late sleepers too. In fact, this morning I had to get them up at 6:30 (this will be what time we LEAVE during the school year) so we could help a friend move and all Isaac kept saying to me was that he wanted to go back to sleep! It was pitiful! Maybe he'll start napping again though!

This coming week will be the last official one of summer though, since teacher meetings start on the 4th. Of course I have training on Tuesday, a meeting on Wednesday, and I leave for MN on Friday. . . Life is never dull around here. That's for sure!

Kiddie Konversations

Monday, when getting ready to go to my sister's community pool, Isaac was running around her house like a mad man. He had his swim trunks on, and was waiting for the rest of us to be ready. Suddenly he stopped and declared. . .

"I need my scum-scream! I can't go swimmin' without my scum-scream!"

I guess we've taught him well. . .

Kid Stories -- Part 2

Isaac being only two is still just trying to figure out his world. This makes many of his observations hilarious and it makes him very easy to trick. Here are some of his latests. . .



Story One

Isaac LOVES the moon. If we are ever driving at night he has to find it and watch it. He has a "Moon in my room" nightlight in his room that we have to turn on every night. He loves the moon. When we left Target the other night, it was pretty late and the moon was already up. However, we must have just had a new moon, because on this particular night the moon was just a tiny sliver. He had this to say.



I -- "Mom, where's the moon?"



A -- I pointed it out to him



I -- "Oh no, the moon is broked! I think it's not a circle anymore!"



I tried to explain, to no avail, that it wasn't broke. When we got home I did show him that his room moon could look the same (it goes though all the phases).



Story Two
This story involves the latest in trying to kiss Isaac. Click here for a refresher. He still doesn't like them, but I still can't help but kiss him all the time, he's just so darn cute! So the other day I kissed the top of his head and told him "Ha! I stole a kiss!" Instead of sceaming like he usually does, he got rather indignant, grabbed my face between his two hands, kissed me on my lips and said, "There I stole it back!" I'm sure it will just be a matter of time before he realizes that I am getting double the kisses this way, but as long as he still falls for it, I'll take what I can get!

Kid stories -- Part One

After reading so many cute kid stories on some of my favorite blogs, I have been trying to write down some of the cuter things my kids have said or done so I could share it with you. Here are some of Kalista's latest instances. . .

Story One
(A little explantaion first -- Kalista has always been our "deep" thinker coming up with comments pertaining to events that happened day or weeks before. This conversation occured while watching the Cardinal game at Busch Staduim last Saturday)

K -- "Mom, remember that mommy-taking show?" (The 60's show in Branson where I was "taken" up on stage.)

"Well, they only take the really pretty mommies, so I think the next time we go there, you should only look kind of pretty."

A -- "Oh, okay. How do I usually look?"

K -- "Really pretty, so next time just be kind of pretty and they won't take you."

Story Two
Same day after the ballgame we were at Target buying some new organization tools (I am always reorganizing something -- it drives Erin crazy, but he humors me!)

We happened to be in the little kid bedroom aisle looking for one of those fabric covered cubes for Isaac. Kalista had of course found all the Ariel bedroom stuff and was oohing and ahhing. As we were turing to leave the aisle this is what happened. . .

A -- "Okay, we're done with this aisle. Let's move on"
K -- "Yeah, you guys start walking and look that way."

So Erin, Isaac, and I turn the corner to leave the aisle. Erin turned to make sure Kalista was following and saw her running to catch up clutching a set of Ariel sheets. She immediately starts gigging hysterically.

K -- "I got you! I tricked you!"

Branson Vacation

We all had a great time in Branson last week. Each day was packed with just the right amount of activities and rest. Here's a breakdown of the week. . .

Saturday -- We arrived and threw our stuff in our condo and took off for The Dixie Stampede. The kids really enjoyed the "horsie show", but not the food (no surprise there) Then we headed back to the resort for unpacking and sleep.

Sunday -- Made a quick run to the grocery store for donuts and staples, then went swimming (as least the kids did, it was cloudy and a bit chilly). Mom and dad arrived in time to go to dinner and walk around Branson Landing. Then back to resort for more rest.

Monday -- Breakfast at Silver Dollar City where the table we sat at didn't fully cooperate. . . Rode all the kiddie rides (Isaac was on his best behavior and didn't get kick-off once). We then all decided it would be warm enough to ride the taboggen ride, thinking it was kind of like the log flume, just a splash at the end. We thought wrong. It was instead like getting thrown in the deep end of the pool. Since we were already drenched we then rode the Lost River, getting even more wet. The rest of the day there was spent seeing the new Veggie Tales show and drying out. One small note. . . While having riden all the rides previously this spring and having no problems, Isaac declared many of them too scary for him and refused to go on them. We forced him on the Swinging Ship (notice me covering his eyes in the pic), and both water rides. Weird.

We left SDC about 3 and went back to the condo for a brief rest. We then went out for dinner and a round of putt-putt. Erin won, of course, beating my dad by just a stroke. The kids a blast also. Kalista actually got 2 hole-in-one, while Isaac would put the ball an inch from the hole, putt it in, and then declare "hole in one!" at the top of this lungs.

Tuesday -- Slept in late, swam with maw-maw and paw-paw at the condo pool, then got cleaned up for the show "#1 Hits of the Sixites". It was your typical Branson music show with one major exception, this one featured the d'ebut of yours truly. Yes, I was pulled up on stage to perform all the major dances of the 60's. I, of course, was fabulous. . . My son, however, thought some guy was stealing his mommy away and cried hysterically until I returned to my seat where he climbed into my lap and wouldn't leave until the show was over.

After the show we went to dinner and then Celebration City for more fun and games. . . .

Wednesday -- This day was spent at White Water were we all had a blast going down the various water slides and splashing in the pools. Afterwards we had a late lunch, a little bit of shopping, and then a long nap (for everyone!)

That evening my parents had given Erin and I the night off, so we went to The Track and rode go-carts and played laser tag.

Thurday -- Shopping Day at the outlet malls. What else can I say about that. . .

Friday -- Mom and Dad leave early in the morning. We went back to White Water for a few hours and then to the movies to see Wall-E. The kids both loved it (even though Isaac fell asleep half way through)

Saturday -- We were going to go back to SDC, but rain changed our plans, so we just headed home to unpack and do laundry!

All in all it was a great trip. Now we just have to settle back down for our last few weeks of summer before school starts back up again. . . .

A "New" Week

This week brought about many new things to our family. . .

On Monday Kalista and Isaac got a new swing set. . . They are in heaven and loving every minute of their new "playground" as they call it.

New Swings -- Kalista "pushing" herself

The New Slide

Isaac's Man Cave

Also on Monday was Kalista's tee-ball practice. Boy are these exciting! :) Over the last three weeks she as aquired several new baseball related mannerisms. . .

A New "Hat"

A New Stance

Emma K. (a good friend of Kalista's from church)

Then today I got my new. . .

Pre Camp

I have returned from my adventures as a pre-camp bible school teacher. Sunday started out really hot, but the weather cooled off considerably for Monday and Tuesday. It was a nice break from my own family, but I also missed them terribly! Some of my favorite things from the three days were. . .

• Seeing my kids play in the creek on Sunday when they dropped me off. (Kalista fell in and Isaac sat down in the water getting him "grounded" from further play in the creek!)
• teaching the kids of many of my friends from Neotez days gone by
• listening to all the funny things the campers would say (One told the nurse he had termites in his pants. Upon inspection his pants did contain a lot of wood chips, and he said "well, it felt like termites!" Cause he would know what that felt like!)
• watching Jesus work in the hearts of all the young campers.

It is sad that I have to wait a whole year til my next camp week. It always go by so fast. . .

Y Week

Sometimes I think I need to be hit upside the head. This week was one of those times. The summer I session at the YMCA started on Monday. Kalista couldn't wait for her first t-ball lesson. (It was hilarious, I'll try to get pictures soon.) I, on the other hand, couldn't wait to start some new exercise classes. Last session I took a spinning class and convinced Erin to join a new one with me for this session. I am also going to keep spinning at my regular time, but add another class. I didn't really sit down and map out how this week would go, until about half way through when I could no longer walk, but here is the break-down. . .

• Sunday -- ran a 5K
• Monday -- day off from exercising for recovery, just a little sore
• Tuesday -- Kareoke cyclying class with Erin, a hard 55 minute ride to the sounds of the 80s
• Wednesday -- Guts and Butts workout class, lots of squats and crunches. It was a hard class and I only managed about 60% of the crunches, but it was my first one
• Thursday -- I was going to go to Curves this day, but I woke up not really being able to move. Plus I had one more spinning class before the end of the week to get through so . . . Day off!
• Friday -- Spinning class two. I did better with this one that I thought I would, still really sore, but I made it through the 55 min. ride without having to stop.

Now I get to rest for a few days. . . Oh wait, I go to camp tomorrow, guess not!

One Busy Day!

So Sunday was the big day. I am sure my blog readers (all five of you) have been waiting on pins and needles to hear about my big 5K race, the annual STL Zoo run, that I mentioned back in January. Well it was this Sunday. And the best I can say is that it is over! Actually it wasn't too bad. My time was (a little less than 15 minutes a mile), but considering I really haven't been training like I wanted to for the past 6-8 weeks or so, I was proud that I at least finished it. Both Erin and my dad also ran (considerably faster than me), plus Angie and her kids were there to cheer us all on.

Ready to race!



Erin came in first with a time somewhere around 22 minutes. Angie (our photographer) couldn't get to the finish line in time!

Dad was next to cross the line.

The Cheering section got a little bore waiting for me to finish, but when I finally reappeared they all cheered and ran with me for the last little bit yelling GO MOM, GO MOM, GO Aunt Lissa! That is until Lexi. . .

. . . bit the big one by running off the sidewalk. At least we know why her parents didn't name her Grace!


Like I said, my finish was not fast, but I did finish!

After the race was finished we all went into the zoo to celebrate Lexi and Andy's birthdays (the Bourland came after the race) that are just a few days a part. Once the festivities were over, we headed home for quick naps because we had big surprise for our kids that night. Tickets for Go Diego Go Live! Wow! What a show! While it wasn't Broadway, it was really great seeing the kids faces as they watched their favorite characters come to life. We went with some friends from church, so that's why where are three little jaguars!