Why me? no...why not me?

Why me? no...why not me?

I've heard this in a sermon not to long ago, as well as from a wise lady who recently lost her husband to cancer. Who do we think we are that we would deserve to have the perfect life, perfect children, perfect husband and be perfect on top of that? I truly believe the Lord gives us trials to come closer to him and to depend on him for our strength.

This blog often paints a pretty picture of a perfect life. I keep a blog to enjoy the highlights of our life: milestones, holidays, everyday fun stuff, and Reno's. It may appear like I'm Martha Stewart's sister or a distant relative, like I'm super mom, that my kids are perfect little angels, or that my hair is always done, and that I have it so together, but I don't.

 I yell,
 I stress,
 I lose patience,
I get annoyed with our kids,
I could add to this list all day but it could get rather depressing.

I feel like I need to write it out, capture what I'm going thru right now so I can look back at it and see and remember a journey. A journey that I have a feeling is just beginning. A journey down a path that I would never have chosen for myself if I was in control, but I'm not in control, and I am thankful for that.

I remember a life not that long ago where I tried to be in control and to choose my path, and I really messed it up at every corner, bump and hill. It's only through God's grace that I am where I am today and I am forever thankful that he rescued me.

Okay to get on with the journey that may or may not be beginning...

This has to do with our big eyed, long eye lashed fun loving son Isaac. I would have to admit that I first started noticing that he was behind when I did the comparison game to our niece Shawna, who is 10 weeks older than Isaac, and our neighbor's daughter who is around 10 weeks older as well. Then when I compared Isaac to my good friend Tracy's son who is a good 10 weeks younger than Isaac, I really started thinking... wow Isaac is not very ambitious at all. I admit at times I wanted him to excel in something so I could have bragging rights, and to also reassure myself that he was just fine. As life continued on I convinced myself that it would come... the walking, the talking, the copying of words as I spoke to him.

The walking did come at 19 months and then the running eventually too.  We accepted, yes Isaac is unique and may be a bit slow but we were sure he would catch up on his own time. Maybe this is still the case. We aren't sure yet...

Next up came the talking or lack of. Again the toddlers/friends that we spent time with were pointing  and talking up a storm, and waving at people, and learning to play together. It'll come is what we convinced ourselves. Maybe he will just start talking in complete sentences someday. Andrew was kind of like that and he corrects our speech now.

Another thing we have picked up on over time is his high pain tolerance. If he gets hurt, he seems more mad that it happened than hurting from the pain and he quickly gets over it. He has burnt his fingers numerous times and bangs his head constantly. The head banging is a result of temper tantrums or a reaction to transitions. Example he's playing and we have to leave the house or he's in the tub and it's time to get out, or like on Saturday at the pool, he was going down the kiddy slide and we were heading to the hot tub. He throws himself to the floor (often concrete) and smacks his head. When this is about to happen there is no stopping him, if you get in his way you will get hurt as well. If you pick him up he will hit you over and over even if you give him a pinch to stop him or discipline him in some way. Some might say he just needs a good lick'in or that I/we are too soft but it's not that, trust me.

Yes, there is more. His napping. All of our boys liked to nap so it didn't send us a flag at first but now when his peers are cutting out their naps and he's sleeping 3-4 hours every afternoon it seems kind of strange. He has slept thru the night since he was 10 weeks old so it's not a matter of poor night sleeping. Why is he so exhausted?

His nursery behaviour is off too. I typically drop him off in the church nursery with his blanket and sippy cup and he is fine, but he has sat or stood in the exact same spot the whole hour while we are in church. This happened  only a few times but I have also seen him sprawl out on the floor amidst the chaos just laying there sucking his finger and holding his blanket. A few weeks ago I had to babysit in the nursery and I was reading books to a group of toddlers who were like sponges absorbing every word I read and repeating it back. It was so refreshing. I tried to include Isaac and he just walked away. It truly crushed me. He just doesn't seem to care.

Anyways these are a few odd things we've noticed, but his speech is very delayed and we noticed that back in the Spring already. So like with Sam and Luke I took him in for an assessment and it showed up that he was quite delayed but why? I wasn't even sure how they could assess him with hardly any words. Since his first assessment we have seen a pediatrician, a physiotherapist, an audiologist, a behavioural specialist, and his regular doctor.

In the next month we have more appointments. Weekly speech therapy appointments, another hearing test, an appointment with an Ears, Nose, Throat Specialist and another appointment with the pediatrician. Hopefully we will have a diagnosis at the end of the month.

We have heard everything from he's a lovely boy, he just may be delayed, to speech apraxia, to "I don't think it's autism", to he's just being lazy, to it's his tongue tie and that he may need tubes in his ears.

To say the least it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride the last few months and a real juggling act with all these appointments. I'm so thankful for Ken's family who always seem to drop everything to be there for me/us.

This is a pretty personal post but something I wanted to include in our blog capturing our everyday life. Stay tuned for updates on Isaac and please pray for him and for us as parents that we can be patient with him, and with all these doctors, and that we put our trust in the Lord.

Enjoying the little things November

Celebrated Ken's 36th b'day with friends and family!

My pretty BFF!

Hanging out with Emma.

This is how Luke gets the mail everyday for me.

Coaldale Parade of Lights

Hanging out with our old neighbors! Sure miss them!

Luke and mom built our family. It sure made Daddy chuckle when he came home from work.

Luke helping me make cinnamon buns.

Promotion supper at the school. The theme was Olympics. Mountain biker babes. Being dressed up for biking reminded me of us ten years ago.

Ang, Pete, Bryan and Denise.Jamaican bobsled team.

Love this guy so much!

and this one too.

Yummy icing beaters.

Babydoll!

Bathtime for Miss Rolls Emma.

Tower building time.

Guess who I found playing on the steps the other day. What a shocker...I wasn't ready for that yet.

Daddy is our Hockey Hero!

 Ken played in the annual church hockey tournament a few weeks ago for the Coaldale Nurseries. The boys made a sign (see left sign) and our nieces made the "blinged up" sign for their Daddy (see right).

 uh, oh Daddy's in the penalty box again...See his fan club!

 Handsome but stinky!

 Simone, and Luke, hugging his brother Sam while they watch the game.

 Emma's first tournament.

I guess she didn't find it that impressive or exciting. Ken's team won second place and lost on a controversial call...

It is so neat to take the kids to watch their Daddy play, although they do get distracted playing with buddies and cousins in the bleachers.

Sam turns Six

Thumbs down seems to be a trend in Sam's pictures lately.

Grandpa and Grandma came for dinner and cake for Sam's b'day. Grandpa took on the task of lighting the candles.

All the brothers celebrating. 

This year Sam got a remote control monster truck, a lego set, money, and a baseball glove and ball. From all his toonies he recieved at his class party he bought a model car, which Isaac has somewhat taken over.

 

SAM AT 6:

• SUPER - he gets super excited over things whether it is candy, or playing hockey, going places or making a snowman. He is so enthusastic.
•  STUDIOUS -he works really hard at school. He is one of the youngest in his class and also deals with a speech delay but this doesn't keep him back from the other students. He is making really good marks and the teacher feels he is confident with his work and his classmates.
• SMILEY - this little boy has quite the smile. His whole face lights up when he is happy.
• SKIING - Sam is really looking forward to trying skiing this year with Big brother Andrew and Daddy. Once the kids hit grade 1 they are allowed to start skiing at Castle Mountain.
• SNUGGLY - Sam is so affectionate. Every Sunday in church he has to sit by Mommy and nuzzles in close to me and I LOVE this. At night when I tuck him in he always wants me to lay with him for a few minutes and then he plays with my hair.
• SWEET - he loves his whole family but lately he really makes an effort to play with Isaac and Emma.
• SOCCER - this past summer was Sam's first year of soccer.
• SCORED - I just got word thru email that Sam scored his first hockey goal this morning and guess what... he is super excited.

CUTE STORY:

Another special thing that happens for our kids at six is Grandma starts taking them out for a lunch date with her only. Sam went to DQ with her the other day and came home with a orange soda. Here's the conversation that occured when he came home with his pop.

Andrew: "Sam, can Luke and I have a sip?"

Sam: " I would let you but I don't want your germs.".

Andrew: " Sam, that makes no sense. We all have the same germs, Mom bore all of us, you know."

Daddy intervenned at that point and made sure everyone got a sip. Germs...genes...same thing right?



Ride of a lifetime!

Denise (SIL) had a brilliant idea to send the birthday boys for a helicopter ride. There is a man we know from Taber who owns his own helicopter business who set up a time to take the guys up in the air. What an experience and we totally surprised the guys!

 

The Dutch Mafia heading out of town. 

Co-pilot Pete.

Coaldale Christian School

Our house is in the middle area. The guys called the kids who our niece was babysitting and they all ran out in the driveway to wave.

Flight controls.

Done with Procrasination.

 Finally after almost a year I finished Andrew and Sam's gallery wall. See the picture in the big frame? I finally got it blown up! I love it even though it was taken three years ago.

 and Emma's closet curtain which has been on my mind since August.

Our little entrepreneurs!

 

Ken organized an annual fundraiser for the kids in Kenya again this year. It's always neat to see what kinds of exciting things the kids in school come up with to raise money. The idea is for the kids to do jobs or sell services and then they can buy baskets for the Kenya kids. The baskets consist of medical supplies, or food, or a recreation basket, and also a school supply basket.

 

We asked Andrew and Sam what they should do and Andrew figured we should sell cinnamon buns. I tried to convince him of something that was less time consuming but he was pretty determined and he likes to use rhetoric like his father. (he argues good)

 

So the family worked together. Mom made a sample batch, Dad designed business cards and the boys went to some of our familiar neighbors to give a sample bun and explain what they were up to.  Before long the calls started coming in with orders and mom went to work. The boys sometimes helped start a batch in the bread machine but were often in school for the rest of the process. I must say, Andrew was a great delivery boy, often going on his own to drop off the orders.

 

It was a great success with the boys raising over $300. I mean...really who can resist these two handsome boys, especailly Sam with icing all over his face?