We were challenged today at our teacher's inservice to put ourselves out there and WRITE.....

and I realized I had just kind of given up on my blog. Life got busy, dare I say boring?  And, I somehow lost my inspiration. With four kids how is that even possible? I think it's probably safer to say, time became a precious commodity, and carving out a few moments to write anything seemed daunting. That said, I am now committing to write. I have publicly committed myself before ( I believe in 2012), and clearly did not follow through. Now, because I ask this of my students, I am committing to write at least a couple of times a week. This blog was originally created to share my journey as a hearing mom to four deaf/HOH children. Somehow it morphed into that, plus a lot of pictures of the kids, and a little bit of the craziness that is just life in general.

I think for now I am not going to commit to a topic or theme. I'd like to just get back in the habit of posting, and see what happens.

I look at the picture at the top of the blog, and barely remember the kids looking like that. I love photographs because they capture a moment in time, and create a lasting memory. But, so do words. Life goes by too quickly, and maybe these small reflections written here will be a collection of memories for the future.

Wish me luck ;)

This is Jake, riding down the "sledding" hill in Sunriver with my 15 year old daughter's friend. I love the fact that this child has such high confidence (at times) that I think he would have actually traveled down the hill with a complete stranger. I am going to spend the next few posts catching you up on each of the kids. I don't have enough time, or enough privacy to really update on Jake at the moment, but let's just say, the earlier posts I re-read with my daughters for fun explain a lot about Jake in present day :) The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Hello Internet

Hello! I have missed being here... Well, actually my cranky, ever-changing 15 year old missed me being here. And then shared my past posts with my cranky, slightly more responsible 12 year old and they told me I "HAD" to post again, because my kids (meaning themselves) were just too funny to not talk about. I'd like to say I made that up, but not so much.

They seem to think that with such highly entertaining, totally funny- "ALL THE TIME" kids, like they seem to think they are, I am depriving the blogging world by not sharing.  I beg to differ but I will say, I had forgotten so many stories. I can't promise to blog every day, but I will promise to share when there is a semi-important reason. Even if it is only important to my kids.

Last vacation of the summer....

We were supposed to travel to California with my daughter's soccer team for the Mustang Stampede, but at the last minute the team decided to withdraw (missing an assortment of players due to all kinds of issues, injury, and one teammate qualifying for the Hershey National track meet).  So, I went into scramble mode to come up with a vacation.  We spent time at our friend's condo near Government Camp, which was nice as they are abandoning us for drier, warmer weather in Florida.  We then traveled to Sunriver, Oregon. It was sunny, with pools readily available, and white water rafting close by.  It was amazing. Explaining to our rafting guide that he needed to explain the safety rules to four kids who can't hear was also entertaining ;) That said, Glen, the guide was amazing with the kids.

Fixing the broken cochlear implant.....

Emily's right implant just quite working out of the blue. This is her favorite implant (which probably makes no sense, but yes, she has greatly preferred her original implant to her "newer" implant). That said, going with the newer implant only for a week has made her adjust to it and she finally admitted that it sounds just like her original one.  If there is a silver lining, that would be it.  That said, I need to figure out if her old implant is fixable.  I have done what troubleshooting I can, and this is beyond me.  It is not the head piece, or the battery, or the ear hook.  Bummer.

Any thoughts? (This is an AB Harmony processor)

Swim Lessons Today

Trey is still not completely safe in the pool yet, so we are starting another round of lessons.  My sister and I basically grew up in the water, of course in Texas pools are on every corner it (or at least it seems like it).  Here where we spend so much of the year wet, you have to work a bit harder to find a pool. That said, we belong to a club that has two pools, and yet, Trey is still not swimming.

It is harder when you have to take off your "ears" to swim.  The teaching process gets a little bit harder, so when we find a good visual teacher, we are thrilled. We are back with the swim teacher from last year, but she just told me she is leaving in three weeks- NO!! Let's hope she can work some magic in the next three weeks ;)

** Like that picture? Doesn't it look safe? I'm sure there is no way he could stand on that, fall back and crack his head open.....Yes, those thoughts went through my mind over and over. Such a boy thing.

Texas pics round 2

Trey's favorite activity

Six Flags: Jake, Delaney, Emily, and Trey

Emily and my niece Ainsley

A bad family picture ;) (missing Rob, he stayed home due to work)

See the love???

Trey

The girls: Addison, Delaney, my sister Laura, Ainsley, my mom, Me, and Em

Delaney and Ainsley

Texas Vacation

Here are some pictures of the week we spent with my family in Texas. 

This is the kids on the Scream ride.....I would definitely have done just that!

You're never too old for your mom to force you to pose with a life-size stuffed character

Trey with my nephew Connor

Jake relaxing with a book.....this rarely happens at home

This also rarely happens (typically if they are sitting this close they are hurting each other)

Emily and I (not the best pic....)

Delaney and my niece Addison

Trey, my mom, Emily, and I

Emily and Addison

I forgot: I am now officially a teacher

I had a second interview on Monday with a school principal and was offered the job on that day. I am thrilled!!! Now I have to make the most of this summer and get this house whipped into shape.  My new-hire paperwork is in the mail (which once I see it I'm sure I will feel more official.....right now I think I'm still afraid I dreamt it ;)

I am considering this my first full-week of "normal" summer....

meaning non-vacation, "we're bored, what can we do", kind of days.  It has been a bit overcast for the last couple of days, which after the 100 degree heat in Texas should be welcome.  Instead it's a bit of a let down.  It's summer darn it, and here in the Pacific NW we are owed our warm and SUNNY summers. None of this wet stuff.  Emily is partaking in soccer camp at the University of Portland, and despite the rain yesterday is having a fantastic time.

The rest of us are trying to clean, which really means I am cleaning and they are coming up with reasons why they *cannot, possibly* clean anything.

I hope everyone watched the US women play in the semi-finals today....yes, my world now really is run totally by soccer games ;)  It was an amazing second half which I thoroughly enjoyed from the elliptical machine at the gym.  I found during times when I wanted them to move faster, I tended to go faster- I'm sure anyone watching me was cracking up.

Hello Everyone!

I am happy to report I graduated with a Masters in Special Ed (FINALLY), so now I can hopefully catch up on blogging.  The kids are out of school for summer and immersed in soccer tournaments, sunshine, and downtime.  On a bad note, Em woke up this morning and her "favorite" implant is not working!!! No! So, she is wearing her "newer" implant only (four years old, but still the least preferred), and is doing pretty well overall. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise? Who knows.  Delaney hurt her knee in the soccer game last night, so we will be heading to physical therapy early this next week to see how long she is out :( She also managed to break her iPhone. Which do you think shook her world more? Yes, the phone.

Anyway- just a quick note before I have to run out the door for another game.

Week three of school....

And I'm still playing catch-up from summer. I have loads of laundry, and a million house cleaning projects. Sample paint "swatches" painted on three different walls, and three weeks left of my last class before student teaching. In addition, as nice as it is having some time without the kids, I send the last two off on the bus, turn around and it's 2:00.  How??? I haven't quite figured that one out.

Delaney is loving school, but her hearing fluctuations have continued- Bummer. She is still experiencing some ringing, and by the end of the day her hearing is just not as good as it was at the beginning. She has started wearing her implant (yay!), and agrees that it actually *does* help her hear (yes, she's a slow learner ;) 

Everyone is doing well in the hearing department (well, as "well" as Emily ever does). She definitely struggles the most.... It doesn't make sense as she has bilateral implants but she definitely has good hearing days and bad hearing days.  She's always been a bit of an enigma. 

My camera is still broken- I miss it. I've missed eight soccer games, the first day of school, and who knows what else. The rationale side of me knows I have enough soccer pictures to last a lifetime, but who knows when it will be "the" picture. Anyway....I WANT MY CAMERA BACK. Please :)

Back to school (75% of the kids)

Can you tell which child is not THRILLED???
The picture of Delaney is not from the first day of school (although she *did* wear her hair in braids. And, as a plus she is posing with one of my other favorite girls, my niece Addison). My camera died (see previous post) and her battery was not yet charged so she got out of the traditional first day of school pic. Maybe Trey should have gotten out of it as well (????) He really, REALLY, really wants to go to the neighborhood school. Sigh.

Summer is over.....

And my children are all back in school. We had a great summer- lots of soccer, some vacation, several roller coasters, and a couple of water parks. I have tons of pictures, but my computer will not let me load a chunk of them, and my "baby" broke (while on vacation), so I had to use my parents' cameras for pix. My Canon DSLR is not working- Big, big bummer. I have a ton of soccer games in my future (like this weekend) and I might miss the perfect shot ;)

Delaney is now an 8th grader (SCARY, last year before high school)
Emily is a 5th grader (Again, SCARY, last year before middle school)
Jake is a 2nd grader (He's just scary- kidding)
Trey is a 1st grader (Hard to believe my baby is in 1st grade).

I will update soon with lots of pictures, but for now here are a couple of the boys....being boys. BTW- the pictures help explain how the boys 'kind of' got wet on their outing with my mom ;)

All boy, all the time....

that's been our house this week (w/ the exception of me and Maxine, our labrador retriever). When asked if they missed the girls, the boys LOUDLY responded, "Nope...do they have to come home?". Now, that's brotherly love.

We are home from vacation #1- which was centered around (yes, you guessed it) a soccer tournament!

We all had a fantastic time. Both girls' teams did really well, and I spent so much time shrieking, I mean cheering, the girls on, I'm hoarse. Of course that might have been the huge rollercoasters I was forced, I mean asked nicely, to go on. I've become so much less daring as I've gotten older.

Anyway- I have a full recap in the making and tons of pictures. The girls traveled to Southern Cali. to visit Rob's parents after the tournament, hence it is just the boys.  That is my excuse for why I haven't posted pictures or a recap. The girls actually help out a ton.....

They have had a great time getting spoiled by their grandparents, and get to do it all over again in less than two weeks (w/ my parents).

Summer- it's a good thing ;)

The unveiling (although not *on* Trey).....

It is the Phonak Naida (something, something, UP). His is clear so you can see all the inner workings, and it feels more substantial than the Widex p38.  Maybe that is just me trying to justify the investment. He has adapted to it immediately, but he is also just 6.  It is very awesome looking, now I just hope it works even better! I will say, the BRIGHT red ear mold that accompanies it kind of kills the supercool, high-tech look of it, but again....6.

Trey gets his new hearing aid today.....

I am so excited! The kids have had the Widex P38s so long, and they have been a great hearing aid (really powerful, which is great when it comes to fluctuating hearing). Jake has one P38 and one c19, or maybe even a c9.  Anyway, after the "Milo incident" in which the hearing aid(s) became a doggie treat, we needed to replace one, so Trey is the lucky winner. Jake's hearing is better, and he does well with his aids, so I gave him our last spare P38.  The new hearing aid is so much smaller....and a lot less clunky looking then the Widex aid. Now, let's just hope it works better as well!

If it does work better, we'll be replacing Delaney's P38 (that she has had since she was 3....not bad for a hearing aid, right?).  I was told to expect them to last 5-7 years. She's had hers for 10. Which is great as they were not cheap when we purchased them.  $4,000 for the pair.

Quick Post: Seattle Tournament

O.K. I *do* have pictures of the other kids, but Trey is till so natural (maybe not clear from these pictures). He is still quick to grab my hand, quick to give hugs, etc. I realize due to my oldest child that this is fleeting (unless coerced). I hope to win them back, but for now I'll enjoy my "baby's" hand/hugs, etc.

Delaney, my oldest (13+) has moments of great maturity, which give me hope. She will spend days on end being just an amazing child, but then turns on me/us in a second. Those moments of awesomeness (is that even a word) give me such hope. She has hounded me non-stop about working with children in a hospital. Wants to do mission work...anywhere, at any time. She is such a bighearted, caring child, yet she is till a 13 year old girl. I see just glimmers of the wonderful young woman she will eventually be. Yet, it inspires me. EDIT: And then, after writing this post she has turned into the 13 year old alien that is *also* Delaney at times. The one who does not know when to stop talking....sigh. Gotta love it.

FYI- regarding the dog prank (see Delaney's post)-

I cringed for weeks anytime I saw our neighbors. Fortunately that was 4-5 years ago, and it seems to be forgotten (thank goodness). Their boys have become good friends of Jake's.

On a sad note, we've lost two hearing aids due to the carelessness of two boys, and a puppy. Yes, Milo has eaten two hearing aids. Well,they were not completely consumed for those of you worrying about the effect of the batteries on our puppy's tummy, but certainly no longer useable. They are now small twisted piles of plastic and metal. BUMMER! We had been warned, but our older dog never goes near any of the children's hearing equipment.


What else is new. I believe I should be nominated for Mother-of-the-Year after taking Emily, my 10 year old to the Justin Bieber concert the other night. Picture an entire sports arena filled with 8-12 year old girls shrieking. One of Emily's friends mothers had access to a suite, so Em and I, along with about 12 of her friends/acquaintances and their moms all attended. The look on all of their faces made it worth while, but I must admit I am still not a fan. I clearly do not have the Bieber-fever.


I'm off for now. I have to wash soccer clothes for tomorrow's soccer festivities!