Wednesday, February 26, 2014

100th Day of School

Today was our 100th day of school!  This is a day where public school children go to class decked out in all types and manner of weird looking items, typically glued to a hat, tshirt, pant, or shoes.  We, however, chose to complete our 100 chart,


break a few boards in tae kwon do,


fill up on yummy Chuy's chips, jalapeno ranch dip, and queso,


and get our art work displayed!


What a fun day!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Blue and Gold

This past Friday, Caleb's Cub Scout pack had their annual Blue and Gold Banquet.  This is a new group for us, so things were a bit different than it was in our last group.  


The pack that we are involved in now has a tradition of a Cake Bake that is done at Blue and Gold every year.  We have never been involved in that process and I was given the opportunity to organize that and every boy participated as required.  There is a theme each year and this year it was an International theme.  Here is Caleb with his creation, an African themed cake.  He enjoyed the process more than anything else, since he wants to be a chef when he grows up!  He did not win anything, but had fun, which is all that matters!


Of course Piper was present and supporting her brother on his big night.


All the boys were brought up on stage in their pack and were presented with their award.  At this particular ceremony (and there are a lot in Scouts), the boys that have completed their achievements to make rank for the next level are presented with their patch and pin by a parent, preferably their father or a father figure.  Here is Caleb and Jes waiting for their turn to be presented.


Caleb got his Bear patch and pin and will spend the next two years as a Webelo before going on to Boy Scouts.


The boys were given the opportunity to make little houses for our round table (the local board for our Scout groups) to recreate a part of the community.  These are the boys who participated and made buildings.  Caleb had a great time doing that and was excited to participate.


The boys also received a participation award for the Cake Bake contest and awards by pack.  Caleb did not win an award for this, but he had such a great time that it didn't even matter!
Scouts have been such a great experience for Caleb and he just really loves the process, so we will continue for as long as he likes.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

TaeKwon-Do

About 6 weeks ago, I went on a ladies retreat with our church and met lots of new women who had kids the age of Caleb and Piper.  In our church, many people homeschool as well, so I had a lot in common with these women and were able to discuss many of the concerns and joys that go along with this lifestyle choice.  While I was talking with one of the ladies, she mentioned that her son was in a TaeKwon-Do class and that is was a homeschool class, obviously filled with homeschooled boys.  
Back in McKinney, Caleb often asked me to sign him up for some sort of martial arts, but I never could because all of the classes for his age group were in the evenings, when I was working.  So, when I heard about this homeschool class that occurred in the middle of the day, my ears perked up.  
After we got home, we decided to let him try it out once and see if he liked it, which he did, so we signed him up.


Here he is on his first official class day in his official uniform.  As you can tell, he was SO excited and I was excited for him!


Here, you can see Caleb with his instructor, Mr. Dillon, breaking a board.  As with any new activity, I was a little apprehensive if he would like it.  Caleb is a type A personality and won't attempt something if he perceives that he won't do well, which always makes me nervous as to whether or not he will participate.  He did have a moment during his first class (the trial) where he broke down and cried, but Mr. Dillon is so good with these boys and their squirrely behavior, so I let him handle it and Caleb bounced right back and continued with the class.
It is a commitment to get Caleb to this class 3 times a week, but I see a real difference in how he acts and reacts to situations, so we will continue this as long as possible!

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Piper's GI Check Up

This past weekend, the kids and I took a trip up to Dallas to see friends, hang out with my parents and take Piper to her GI doctor for a check up.  The last time she saw her doctor was when she was having her biopsies and such done in the hospital, so this visit was long overdue.


There's really no reason for this picture except that she's just so cute and wanted me to photograph her in her new cheetah print sweater.  Silly girl!


And of course, she flies right past all the kids books and wants to look at the doctor's flip charts.

About a week and a half before Piper's appointment, we went and had a bunch of blood drawn so that her doctor could see where all her levels were.  Her thyroid looked perfect (he continues to check this due to her fabulous genetic make up) and her antibody and other levels that indicate the Celiac's were within range.  Basically, what this means is that all the hard work and lifestyle changes we have made are doing what they should.  He and I discussed the fact that her having such significant symptoms was a lifesaver in getting her diagnosed before she got older and had more chronic issues.  She's still a lightweight when it comes to how much she weighs, fluctuating between 40 and 44.5 pounds on any given day, but she's super tall and very muscular and is flourishing!  We are all thrilled!  We go back to see this GI doctor if we have issues, or summer 2015!