April: All the Other Pictures

If I take out my phone, at any point, the twins pose for me.  = )  (I don't remember what Juliet did to her nose.)

One afternoon Willow got to come home with us, because her mom had a work thing to attend.

Is it the girl or the outfit? definitely the girl. ; )

During the 25 minutes we were at speech for Grace and Juliet, the school practiced their lockdown procedure.  That meant that I was locked in a room, separate from my girls, for the duration.

Pretending to be robots.

I couldn't find any evidence that my chairs were scraping up the dining room floor, but it sure did sound like it! So, I put felt pads on all the feet, and it sounds so much nicer. = )

I don't know what was going on here:

They dressed alike so that they would look like twins.  No worries girls, it's pretty obvious, even without the matching garb.

Another "take a picture of us" moment.

Our dining table looks like a disaster zone when it's homework/snack time!

Alice brought home a library book with recipes.  It was a pokemon book:

these were supposed to be digletts?

I was leaving notes around for my mom, so that she didn't have to look back at her phone for everything.  Emily was also helping with some reminders. = )

I don't know why the twins wanted the chair upstairs, but it is a fairly substantial chair, certainly on the heavy side for them.

Grace and Juliet always enjoy helping me make muffins:

It is so nice that the big girls are at an age to put things on the grocery list! this particular time it was Emily.  It makes me smile to see their handwriting when I'm doing the shopping.

We have finally had days that not only look like they are above freezing, but feel like it too!  

The twins were "fishing" at the thrift shop.

They had little chirping baby ducks and chicks at the farm store last week.  They were just too cute!

This weekend I organized the shed, and with the help of the twins, collected all of the fallen branches from the yard, and cleaned out some of the brush that's in the far back yard.  We had the fire going almost all day yesterday.  I was also planning on power washing our decks and porch, but the power washer was not compatible with our well pump = (

The big kids went over to help Avia clean up the yard at the house Aunt Rocky is selling.

It's rummage sale season, and we happened upon one last week with lots of good finds!  It was much better than the one that we donated to, because shopping through your own donated stuff isn't much fun.

May is looking far less hectic, but just as fun!

later days

The final new patient appointments, and 3 month and 6 month follow ups

 This is the latest post in the series of William, Grace, and Juliet's journey with hypophosphatasia.

On Monday, the kids went to meet the plastic surgeon.  He collaborates closely with the neurosurgeon.  So, when we met the neurosurgeon (back in October) he wanted us to meet with the plastic surgeon.  Luckily, the plastic surgeon travels to Lansing once a month, and so we were able to get in for his February trip.  A few weeks before the appointment, they called to reschedule it to March, then a few weeks before that they moved it to April, a few weeks before the April appointment, they moved it to a different day of the same week.  Somehow, finally, we were able to meet with him.

Despite the office being earmarked for pediatric patients, they did not have any toys or play area set up, so I took my freshly rested, energetic children into the hallway to play.

He said he thinks they look good, and has them on a yearly follow up (the best kind.)

And, my counter is paperwork free for the first time since we moved in*!!!

**************************************

On Tuesday, we had an all day trip up to Grand Rapids.  The first appointment wasn't until 9:50, but Avia came over to take the big girls to school so that we could get on the road a few minutes earlier.

William was meeting with a neurologist, since he'd had headaches this winter.  I was very concerned when I made the appointment, not as concerned when the appointment actually arrived, since he hasn't had any headaches to speak of lately.  The neurosurgeon had also scheduled an appointment for that day, but was out in surgery (or sick, maybe) so we met with one of his associates.  It was a non-event, which is the best way to be.  We'll meet back with them in 6 months, just in case.

Our next appointment wasn't until 1:30, so we went to play with the interactive projectors, then had a leisurely sack lunch.  We still had plenty of time after lunch, so they played some more.

We headed over to the ophthalmologist's office, but were still an hour early.  We had gotten called back into the neurologists office just as the action began in the Incredibles movie, so when the lion king ended, I requested it for William.

We had just gotten to the same scene when we were called back to the ophthalmologist (of course.)  The night before, I tried to locate everyone's glasses, but could not find Juliet's.  I didn't realize that we were meeting with the ophthalmologist, or I would have done a more thorough search.   They were able to fashion a 'mock glasses' for Grace and Juliet (we were able to find William's.)

Apparently they are all at risk for a condition called amblyopia, and need to be wearing their glasses all day every day, but Juliet is the most at risk.  Naturally I'm given this information when her glasses are misplaced.  We will return to their office in 3 months, to see if consistent glasses wearing helps their weaker eyes.

The final appointment was the 6 month with the endocrinologist.  We were also early for that appointment, and all of us were tired of being there.  They were each given a toy at the ophthalmologist's clinic, the twins picked sticky hands, and William a bouncy ball.  The bouncy ball was promptly confiscated, and the sticky hands had lost their stick, and desirability by the time we were called back.

The endocrinologist is pleased with their treatment still, and we will discuss options** if their weight has not improved by the next visit, since it has only gone up marginally since our previous visit. = (   She did increase William's dosage by .05mL and that will start with the next shipment.

Despite being scheduled for an hour an a half, we were able to leave almost an hour earlier than planned.

We headed to McDonald's for dinner, but by the time we arrived, everyone else was asleep.  The drive back was uneventful, and we actually beat Avia and the big girls home from their movie. = )

So, I'm hoping that my children will eat more, and that by wearing their glasses, their eyes will improve.

later days

*the area that I keep all the 'works in progress'
**the easiest fix is to have them all drinking pediasure again.  The drawback to pediasure is that they tend to give up eating all other foods if they have the option of the sweet drink.  Also, having it right before bed has been extra hazardous to their, already fragile, teeth.

<what happened previously
what happened next>

Kindergarten Roundup

Somehow, William will be starting Kindergarten in the fall.   While I've had no trouble reconciling myself to his "pre-kindergarten" status, Kindergarten just seems so official.

He's been showing all the signs that he's ready, pointing out letters and numbers, getting frustrated that he cannot read things and has to seek help from the big girls, shutting the door when he goes to the bathroom.  So I know he's ready, but it still feels like it happened awfully fast.

In the literature from the school, we were separated into 2 groups, A-L & M-Z.  Sadly, that put our start time at 4:45, which is before Billy gets home.  So, my mom came to watch the girls while I took just William.

They had an adorable photo booth in the entrance:

William and one of his friends were racing, and I was counting them off.  Naturally, we acquired other energetic future kindergartners in our race. = )

At the end of the evening, they allowed the kindergartners to check out the bus, and even took us all for a ride.  

We still have a month and a half left in this school year, but I think he is going to be ready for #williamgarten!

later days

Literacy Night

Literacy night was on a Wednesday, just before the kids had spring break number 2.  Since they had a guest speaker, it started at 3:45, which is right after the school day ends. So, I ended up taking all 5 of my little ones, solo. = o 

It's not nearly as difficult as it once was.  The big girls were quite engaged in the event, and William was apparently worn out from the day, and laid quietly in the hallway (in my direct line of sight) so the only two that needed my attention were Grace and Juliet.

After the speaker, we spent some time in the "reading under the stars room," then went to the STEM room and made grabbers out of straws and spoons.  The BINGO room was giving away free books, so it was the most popular, and we missed out = (  By the time we made it all the way down the hall, everyone was acting out, and so we opted for a quick group picture before heading out.

Juliet decided that she did not want to pose, and pouted in the background.

William and Emily found some extra energy somewhere and posed again:

Then decided to walk on "all fours" during the trip back out to the car.

I think the big girls really enjoyed it, and cannot wait until William and the little ones can have as good of a time too!

later days

A care package from Texas

Earlier this year, Erin Elise sent me a care package, all the way from Lubbock!

She included toys for the kids, a movie, as well as some spices for us adults. = )  It was well received and I've already used several of the blends she sent!

yum!

later days

Corporate Art in St. Louis

I feel like it's very rare that we spend enough time walking around a city with an opportunity to capture pictures of their corporate art.  The trip to St. Louis was a nice exception, and I captured several pieces of art from all around the city to include in my post.

This was probably my favorite piece, incorporating both the arch and baseball:

The kids, particularly the twins, love the pictures from Europe where Billy is interacting* with the Art, so we took a new one just for them.

later days

*

11th Anniversary: St. Louis

I can't believe that we've already been back a week from this adventure!  Billy and I marked our 11th anniversary last month (3/10) but scheduled our trip around the Cardinal's baseball schedule. = ) So, on April 18th, we caught an 8:45 train heading for Chicago.

There is no baggage check since this is a "commuter" type train.  We did pick business class seats, which was a little bit of an upgrade from coach, so we got free coffee. = )

On our way, we saw lots of wooded areas, and a few cool places that we might want to check out later.

As we skirted lake Michigan, it was lots and lots of industry out the window.

Union station was under construction, so it took us a trip around the perimeter to find the waiting lounge.  We also bought William's souvenir (a toy train) and a postcard (that actually arrived back before we did!)

This view was the only side of the great hall not under construction:

On the platform:

Our little room!

Make a face, we're on a train!

This was what almost all of Illinois looked like outside of Chicago:

We arrived in St. Louis at dusk, but by the time we started walking it was dark.  We passed by the theater where Willie Nelson was playing, and I had the opportunity to be in the same building as Willie Nelson! Although we did not get to see him perform.

It was cold and windy out, and my ears were numb by the time we made it to our hotel, so we called it an early night.

The next morning, we set out to do all the things in St. Louis we hadn't had time for the last time.  Though not nearby, you could see the arch from our window!  Also, the water pressure in our hotel was phenomenal, and the shower easy to use.

Breakfast was included, and ran for a good long time.

St. Louis has some new construction going on, and a variety of building styles.

Our first stop was the Old Courthouse, where we purchased our steamboat tour tickets.

Our next stop was a the casino.  We thought we'd spend $50 each and call it a day, but after playing some slots and video poker for an hour or so (and enjoying complimentary sodas) we had dropped $9 and decided that we could check it off our list. = )

There were lots of little alleys and paths down by the river, and so we went exploring.

We found a brewery where we stopped to sample the beer and have lunch before our boat ride.

The trip back was much shorter, and more protected from the wind, since we went under the train tracks.

There are some record flood markers along the river, showing just how much water the Mississippi clears out from it's northern tributaries!

We headed to our boat for a 1:30 departure.  We were joined by a few other couples/families and two large field trip groups.

We sat on deck through most of the cruise, but it was a bit chilly to be in the wind on the river.

During our cruise, we learned that the casino we had visited earlier in the day was actually a raft floating in a custom built water basin to adhere to the casino laws of Missouri.

Our boat was just a replica, and the paddle wheel was non-operational. = (

After our boat ride, we both went on our first carriage ride!  It was a lot like a hay ride, with less hay and more paved road. = )

Luke was the muscle behind (or rather in front) of our ride.

There were people hanging out in the lawn under the arch, and it always looks so appealing.  Since I was covered in pants, sweaters and jackets, Billy took a picture of me in the impossibly green grass.

We had walked all the way around the arch by the time the day was over, but did not repeat our journey to the top.

We had to bide our time until the tower restaurant we had missed out on during our last trip opened.  We found ourselves in the cardinal's nation center, where the postponed game vs. Chicago from the previous day was now live on the big screen.

Once 4 o'clock came, we took the elevator to the top of the Hilton (where we had stayed before) where we enjoyed impressive rooftop views of St. Louis.

Schlafly was a good choice, and is made right there in St. Louis!  We later saw a truck, and their slogan is "drink MO beer."  #totalwin

We headed back to the hotel to freshen up for our evening at the speakeasy.  We had lots of time before we headed to our evening event, so we stopped in at Jack Patrick's.  They also served Schlafly, and had a jukebox.

We had passed the speakeasy during daylight hours, just to make sure we had the correct alley before dark.

Super authentic.  There were even people outside talking with the bouncer.  They'd messaged Billy the password earlier in the day, and so we got a discount on our cover. = )

The upstairs looks like a museum or gallery of some sort, so the lounge is in the basement.

The environment was well done!

And the jazz music was a little more blues than swing, but the two man show was full of talent!  It was definitely a highlight of the trip!

The next morning was the day of our Cardinal's game, but it didn't start until after 7, so we made use of their metro system.  The nearest entrance was only 3 or so blocks from our hotel, and the days just kept getting warmer, so it was a pleasant walk.

Our destination was the loop at Delmar.  There were all sorts of eclectic businesses and international cuisine. 

We enjoyed lunch at Blue Ocean, a phenomenal Japanese eatery.

My salad dressing was a creamy ginger, which was delightful.  The sushi was bite-sized and the rice was sticky.  It was a good meal.

We walked all the way down to the melting pot, where we were going to enjoy a chocolate fondue dessert, and reminisce about the Houston location we loved. It turned out they are a dinner only place, and it was early afternoon. = (

We checked out a game store on our return trip, that had all types of fun nerdy things in store.  Back at the station I saw some flowers that strongly resembled blue bonnets, but I don't know if blue bonnets actually grow that far north.

We headed back toward the stadium, though we had a while before it opened.

Catching Billy mid hand sign, just proves that he is a red raider, but he was trying to let people know that he was the number 1 fan, at least for the day.

We lined up, with tons of others, 2 hours before the game, 15 minutes before the gates opened.

Once we navigated to the lounge, we were able to enjoy a diverse buffet.

We sat right up against the glass, and never even went to our seats, since the setting sun had left the air uncomfortably chilly.

 It was a good game, made better by the fact that we won!  Since our metro tickets were good all day, we took the metro back, the single stop, to our hotel exit. = )

The next morning, our train left at a reasonable 7:55, but we thought it best to take the metro to the station.  I second guessed myself, so we overshot our stop and ended up walking back to the train station.  It made the morning feel rushed, but we arrived with 15 minutes to spare.

Luckily, our room was on the opposite side of the train for the return trip, so we got new views.

Leaving St. Louis:

We were on early enough to enjoy breakfast and lunch before arriving in Chicago.

This time, we knew where we were going, so we had more time to relax before boarding our final train to Lansing.

We didn't get in until after 8pm, but East Lansing is a small station, so it was easy to get out and home.  It was nice to come home on a Saturday, so that we had a lazy Sunday to unpack and catch up on all the things we'd missed.

It was a great trip, and a wonderful way to start our 12th year!  I would heartily recommend St. Louis to anyone looking for a pedestrian friendly vacation.

You can see some of the art we encountered here.

later days

A review of our previous celebrations:

10th Anniversary - Fish Grille, Waxahachie
9th Anniversary - Ft. Worth
8th Anniversary - Arby's
7th Anniversary - Hookah bar
6th Anniversary - Thai Chili
5th Anniversary - Carino's - Waxahachie
4th Anniversary - Flemming's Steakhouse @ City Centre
3rd Anniversary - Dinner Movie Theater
2nd Anniversary - Le Mistral
1st Anniversary - Paris
Recap of 1st-5th