Oh the Little Smarty Pants!! Way to Go!!

First and foremost, Madison and Dylan put forth all their efforts in school and it showed. Dylan got 100% in math on his State Assessment testing!! Way to go bud! See what happens when you try! That means 3 days of testing and his didn't miss a beat. He also got 95% on his reading assessment, which according to the state is also exemplary!

Madison's report card for the 3rd nine weeks is awesome! She not only brought home straight A's, she brought home A+'s in math, science, social studies, and spelling! Way to go Maddy. She is taking her state assessments still. I believe they are done with reading and she also brought home a 95%, I think, and I know it was exemplary, whatever it was! Way to go Maddy, you have really put forth all the effort this year and it shows. Keep it up.

And now to mr Xavier. Over the weekend, (for my record March 20) he learned to pull himself to a standing position on the furniture or whatever he can get a hold of. He did reach the milestone of 8 months over the weekend also. His only problem now is once he stands up he can't always figure out how to get down!! It is so cute. I will try to get some video and post it. He is also saying Da Da, Ma Ma, Ba Ba. He sometimes waves bye-bye. He is eating all baby foods. Likes most except green beans, and broccoli and carrots. We are still waiting on his top teeth to come in, they are close. He is crawling all over and into everything. It all just is happening so fast. At this pace, he will definitely be walking before he is a year old:-(

That is about it for now. Dylan and Syd are staring soccer this week with their first game on April 4. It should be an exciting season.

Where Have We Been

SPRING IS NEAR!! WE WELCOME HOLLIS THE FIRST OF THE SEASON, 03/17/09.

Well, I do apologize for the delay in posting. I can't believe it has been almost 3 weeks since my last post. So what do I have to share?

First and foremost I guess, I had been under the weather. I am feeling somewhat better now, still continuing to heal. I finally went to the Dr on the 6th. Only to get the diagnosis of pneumonia (which I suspected). She changed the antibiotic I was on again, this was the 3rd round, and gave my an injection of Rocephin. If I was not feeling better by Monday I was to return for lab and chest xray. So Monday rolled around and I was not feeling much better, still had a lot of pain in my chest and cough. So I waited it out and on Tuesday went for the lab and xray. Not only did I get the pneumonia, I had mono as well. Well that explained alot. Why I seemed so drained all the time. And on top of that the chest xray showed a pleural effusion, which is fluid in the lungs, which is not uncommon with the extended illness I had had. If you remember it started back on Feb 17th. So tomorrow I go back for a repeat chest xray to make sure the fluid is gone. So enough about me.

The kids have been on spring break all week. They were also out of school on last Friday due to the Centralia girls and boys teams going to state basketball. Both teams took 3rd. Way to go Panthers. We do know that spring is very near. We just love this time of year. Yesterday the weather was perfect, 80 degrees out and not a lot of wind, a plus for Kansas.

So how do I know spring is near, other than the weather? Well, let me show you. This is our first little sign that we are getting into spring.

"Hollis" was our first calf to be born this year out on the farm. There are several calves out there that belong to family, but he is our first. Grandpa called and we arrived out at the farm just in time to witness his birth. This takes me back a few years to when Maddy was about 4 or so. She wanted to be a Vet. So the arrival of Spring came and with it calving season. We took her out to help with one of the deliveries, and low and behold, the sac didn't break around the calves mouth when it was born. So to those of you that are city folk, you have to break the sac and pull it back so the calf can breathe or it will drown. So Michael reaches down and breaks the sac, and the fluid comes out, the calf coughs, and Madison said "I don't want to be a Vet anymore." lol Just instantaneously. But is has grown on the kids now, they don't mind. Seeing Michael shoulder deep inside the cow to pull calves is not uncommon, and bothers no one anymore.

I have video to post of Xavier crawling. Once he mastered it, he went from crawling to running on all fours. He is just a little too mobile. He had his first tumble down the steps the other day. I happened to be there so I just let him go down the first 3 to try and teach him he would get hurt if he went near them. I have a baby gate on order, but had to special order one because of the width of our steps. He is also pulling himself up on his knees. He tries to get up to his feet, and has accomplished it, only in his crib. So the other day he pulled himself up to his walker, and slipped and bumped his face on the tray, so he got his first shiner.

Sydnie had decided to become the big girl we all know she is. We have been working with her to stay dry at night, and using the bed alarm. This worked very well for Dylan so we tried it with her. She does not like the alarm. It scares her. But it is working to an extent. I think because she does not want to wear the alarm, she has been dry more often the last week than wet. She is so proud of herself and so are we. Hopefully, we will continue and not have to buy anymore pullups. YEAH!

Other than that, pretty much the same ol stuff here. I will try to be better with keeping you all up to date, but it will be a challenge with the weather turning so nice. To my mom I would like to wish her a Happy Belated birthday. Of course, I told her on time also, but on here it is late.

Prayers for the Neel Family

It is a very sad time for a very close friend of mine. And it hits very close to home. Her mama has been battling cancer courageously for over 2 years now and has been doing extremely well. In the last week, they go bed news that it was spreading and fast. And the Good Lord be with her she passed peacefully today. It will be very tough on the Neel family to be with out Shirley I am sure. She was a mother of eighteen children. And seemed to be able to not only work two jobs to provide for all of them, but have time for all of them and the grandchildren as well. So here is to Whitney and all the Neel family, you are all in our hearts, and we pray that you are all able to find comfort and peace knowing that your mom is in a wonderful peaceful place. Reunited with your brother. And I also pray that you are all able to find a new "normal" without her. It is a tough road ahead and some days it is hard to fight through it as everything will remind you of her in some way, but I know that you all can do it. I pray that you all find peace and comfort in your lives. My Sympathies are with the whole family.