Kindergarten Next Year

I am praising God right now and had to let everyone know.  My husband is not reachable to share this joyous news.  So I am sharing with the world.  (no we are not pregnant!!)

For those of you who knew... we were (or more so I was - but Michael was impressed) wanting the girls to get into the California Montessori Project.  It is a charter montessori program that doesn't cost except volunteer time (70 hours in the classroom for me).  Those not familiar with the program  - a quick overview is it is almost like a homeschool setting in a school.  The kids are doing things on their own level, their own pace and not being held back or left behind by sticking to a strict curriculum and time frame.  When we visited, kids were all throughout the room, laying on the floor doing work, sitting at tables doing work, even standing.  I just felt this would be beneficial for both girls so neither would be left behind if they couldn't grasp a concept or for either of them to move into more advance stuff if the concept was easy for them - and they wouldn't be bored.  

Only thing is it is a long day - 8:30 - 2:30 pm but they have past the nap time now so I think that because they are older 5 year olds when Kindergarten starts, is going to be extremely beneficial for them.  Tomorrow, after I drop them off to school, I will be taking Caitlin by to pick up the new student packets - WHOO HOOO!!!  I truly love paperwork when it comes to stuff like that.

We are BACK!! Here's what has been going on....

As the previous blog entry, the girls went in for surgery on March 13th. Delilah came out flailing her arms and yelling "I want food". So she was back to her normal self. Poor Mikayla was another scene. She actually took one plus hour to wake up but when she did, she actually was very sweet and loopy. It was the next day that the poor girl could not hold down food or water and then again on Sunday. She was given some medicine to help her nausea at the ER and she was able to drink again and slowly start eating food. Of course she wanted to eat sooner than she should on things, so it made it harder - and made for many meals of whining. It literally took her two full weeks to recover. Much longer than it did Delilah 2 years ago.

But not that the girls stuff was enough, I went to the doctor's the week following the girls surgery. I was so sick to my stomach - I couldn't eat or drink and had achiness all throughout my body as well as the worst headaches ever. A few days after my initial visit, the doctor called to tell me I had H.Pylori (sp?). Basically it is a bacteria usually in some food or water that eats the inner-lining of my stomach, possibly causing ulcer. (which is probably what I ended up with) But the diagnosis was such as relief as I have had nausea on and off for almost a year. I am now on a treatment regimen that has helped tremendously as well as mess up my taste buds, making things bitter - so coffee (except for a Starbuck's foo-foo drink) is not appealing any longer. I have turned to my daily morning tea and have actually enjoyed the detachment from coffee. I AM FREE!!!

Poor Mikayla - fell asleep crying due to horrible pain in her ear and throat (fell asleep at 6 pm and didn't wake till 7:30 the next morning)

So I am off my addiction - but I am starting Caitlin on it - Vanilla Bean Frappucino! And she loves it and did a little jig. Caitlin playing fetch with Popcorn.

Mikayla and Delilah wrestling... Mikayla won this one.
Caitlin watching them through her legs.

One of my favorite pics... Caitlin walked backwards to the dog bed, sat down, and cheesed.

The girls playing in their tent city ($3 brand new at a garage sale!)

The tent city, consisting of four tunnels, one tent, and one tee-pee, took up the whole playroom.

Mikayla looking through the mesh top of the tent.

Caitlin sitting outside of the tee-pee

Delilah playing the piano in the tee-pee

The girls taking a break for animal cracker snacks.

That is all the excitement that has happened (minus other irritating things at the home - but won't go into that). Michael is off next week for spring break and amongst doctor's appointments, we have some fun planned for the girls.

Tomorrow Is The Day

We just got the call from our doctor's office and they are so awesome! They worked so hard to get the girls in earlier and they did - they go in for surgery tomorrow at noon. Although Delilah doesn't go completely under, I guess she is under the same regimen as Mikayla and neither can have anything to eat after midnight. So my plan is to have them take a nap this afternoon and then let them stay up till around ten or 10:30 pm so they could eat one more huge snack/small meal. Hopefully that will keep them full till surgery time. The hardest part will be the no fluids. Ugh!! When Daddy gets home today, we will take a field trip to the store so Mikayla can pick out jello and pudding and popsicles she will want to eat for the first couple of days.

Our Non-Hearing Children

So you won't see any pics here for a while - I have to mail my camera into the manufacturer to get fixed since the lens is stuck and doesn't go in or out. Ugh! What am I going to do???

Today, we took the girls to the ENT today due to not listening to us (or should I say not hearing us). It was sad, but I was actually very thankful that they had fluid in their ears. I was wondering if something really was wrong with them, especially Delilah. She would be three feet or less in front of me and she wouldn't hear a word I was saying unless I really raised my voice.

So the final outcome is that both have fluid in their ears. Delilah has a LOT!! She will get ear tubes put back in (she had them in when she had her tonsils and adenoids taken out at three years old - but ear tubes fall out within 12 - 18 months). Mikayla is going to get some put in to as well as get her adenoids and tonsils removed. Ugh! Last time she was put under with anesthesia (for an MRI), she had night terrors for a week! That was one of the most sleepless times I had since they were born.

We need prayers for the doctors and for the girls to come out with minimal, if no pain! I just want my babies to hear again and maybe they won't be as loud (yeah right!)

Day at the SF Zoo

We have not been back to the San Francisco Zoo since the girls were two so it was nice to get out there!  They loved seeing the Golden Gate bridge on the way out there (as they have seen it on Little Einsteins and Soaring Over California). They truly enjoyed the children's zoo area but we know that if we ever go back - we will not be eating lunch near the park area as we were constantly being harassed by seagulls. I wished I had gotten Michael on video scaring some away.

Our Smiling Toddler!

She has been a little more crankier than usual lately due to two top teeth coming in and having minimal sleep - but she is still such a ray of sunshine that radiates our house! (of course, Mikayla and Delilah add lots of sunshine too!) Below are some pics of her joyous personality.

Caitlin has been climbing up on EVERYTHING!  There was a toy or something on the ground that she used and got up on the couch.  Of course, by the time she got up there - she was pooped - so here she is posing as she relaxes!

Got some energy - and now is crawling elsewhere on the couch.

Playing with her cars (thank you Grandma)

Playing with her "first purse" (thank you Neitra!)

Checking outside for Popcorn (wearing the girls' dress from when they were 2 - what a difference a full-term baby makes!!)

It is truly amazing how different she is then the girls.  I am so glad that God blessed us with a full term child as it really has been such a different experience.  Even today, we had gotten a drink at Costco and Caitlin saw us all drinking some.  We didn't think she could drink out of a straw (it took the girls a LONG time to do that) but I put it up to her lips and up went the juice.  Now don't worry, we won't make this a habit as we know how much sugar is in those juices but it is so wonderful to know!!  I will be going to the store this week and getting her the sippy cup/bottles that use straws.  Away with "baby" bottles and hello to straw ones.  Oh - and she still doesn't like watching tv too much - but she does like Mickey Mouse still, definitely knows Dora (as she pointed her out at Walmart the other day) and is starting to like Sesame Street and Barney - but for five minutes and then off she runs to play.