Our Fortnight

Due to a technical glitch, I present TWO weeks of our lives:

Brother is learning to locate objects using sound.  We adore this little boy!

Joy loves Christmas!                          Daddy reading to Brother

Playing                                                        Lizzy’s playdoh creations

Now that Brother is one, it’s time to leave the bottle behind.  He just isn’t ready.  So I switched him to toddler formula and OT and I are working on learning to drink from a cup – we’ll start with sips from a spoon and move on.  We are also working on self feeding.  We are starting with puffs.  We made a black mat to go on his tray.  He’s starting to get it.  He’ll rake the food towards him, close his fist around the puffs and bring it to his mouth.  These two weeks he has made tremendous progress rotating his wrist and trying to open his hand to get the food into his mouth.  Way to go Brother!

We are working with Bella on drinking with a straw.  I tried.  OT tried.  Nothing.  Sammi interrupts us with “Bella can drink through a straw.”  Show us I say.  She hands Bella the cup and presto, magic, Bell does it, but only for Sammi!  Sammi you are awesome!           A cute picture of Joy!

Crafts – Sammi and Lizzy’s Christmas Trees and Bella’s wreath her teacher and she made.

Our family went to the Nativity Festival.  We stopped at Sonic afterwards for refreshments.  Becca loved her gluten free ice cream “cone.”

Lizzy’s last soccer game of the season.

Piano Recital - While we waited for everyone to arrive, Joy bolted for the piano.  She put her program on the music stand, then played and sang.  Then she gracefully gave everyone a bow.  Best performance of the night!

Grandma and Grandpa were able to attend!

Gary and Sandi took Jason and I (and Bella and Alex) out to Rico’s.  Jason and I love Rico’s!

Alex in his cute Sunday clothes!  Jessi was visited by her YW leaders to introduce her to Personal Progress!    Joy and Bella singing and playing.

Reading books                                       Loving on Brother

 

Because we are going to be gone, some of the big presents for Christmas get to opened early!  Introducing Joy, Bella, and Alex’s new turtle filled with beans.  So fun!

Signing Christmas cards

Brother working so hard on crawling.  We are also trying some restraint therapy.  His left arm is weaker than his right.  He gets a lot of love!

Dec 5th was Bec’s 17th birthday                      The girls enjoyed their White Elephant Party!

Brother went to Cardiology.  His doctor just wanted him checked out.  His EKG and x-ray looked good.  They will wait to do an ECHO till he is older. 

At Klein HS the Orchestra, Band, and Choir do an Elementary school tour at Christmas time. For lunch they descend upon the mall. Jason met Becca for lunch at Chick-fil-A.

For our ward Back to Bethlehem Christmas party, we had to come dressed in period clothing.  So I cut and designed, and Jason sewed.  This was serious stress for me the non-creative person, but we did it!  Eight costumes done!

Lizzy was one of the angels – a lovely evening!

We are headed to Iowa for Christmas – so we have to buy real coats – Joy loves Old Navy!  She always poses with the mannequins!  :)  After that was a stop in PetSmart.  The little girls loved the animals – why didn’t I think of this sooner – it’s so much cheaper than the zoo!?  :)

Saturday morning Klein HS Orchestra played at Barnes and Noble for a fundraiser.

(She is the one with the white flower in her hair – in the center)

Saturday afternoon Jessi, Sammi, Lizzy, my Mom, Mandy, Kathie, Katie, two friends, and I went out to lunch and then to the Nutcracker.  It was a great production!

For laughs: