State Cup (Soccer) is Approaching.....

This year instead of playing all of the games during the coldest part of the year, the state has shifted the games to the end of March. It will be a huge improvement, but it still means we will be traveling all over the state of Washington throughout the next month. We've done it for several years now, so it really doesn't phase me- but then someone who is NOT involved with the craziness that is competitive youth soccer reminds me that it is just that....Crazy. As the boys continue to play other sports (like baseball, and potentially football), it will be interesting to see if the parents are as nutty as the soccer parents. My gut says, "Absolutely!".

Happy 9th Birthday Emily...

Emily is now 9! Hard to believe....but I'll tell you a little secret. She still looks just like Emily at age 3 when she's sleeping. I know that will eventually vanish. I only have to look at Delaney to realize eventually all traces of the little people they once were fade away. But when I gently (or not so gently) nudge her awake, and her eyes pop open in that distinctive Emily way, it takes me right back to when she was just a wee little thing.

I Knew it Couldn't Last: Jake's NOT an Angel....

He's an "A", as in the Athletics....much more fitting!

He's also quite creative with the Webcam....I discovered this picture the other day. Nice nose Jake.

And most importantly I love him (most of the time), angel or not.

Daylight Savings Time: Not a Fan!

We've all had such a hard time making the adjustment. Trey was 25 minutes late for school yesterday, and getting Delaney up at 6:00 am- next to impossible. We also had just wacky weather all weekend (hail, snow, sleet, sun, you name it). All of this combined to just leave us all a bit out of whack.

But, we're back on track today (kind of). Emily is going to be a bit late- she's the only one still off - kind of figures...she always marches to the beat of her own drum.

My parents left this morning to go back home, to Texas. They have sworn they will never visit during Winter again. Wimps!

It's Official: Jake is an Angel.....

OK, well he's officially ON the Angels t-ball team. Probably the only time in his life he will be viewed as an angel.....practice starts next week. I hope his coach is ready!

I Met a Fellow Mom at Trey's School....

who happens to be deaf/HOH, raising (at least) two deaf children. We were standing near each other at the swingset, and she was asking me questions about Trey and his experience with his CI. Her daughter is going in for bilateral CIs next week. She was amazed at how well he is doing, and we continued talking about my other four. The look of astonishment on her face, when I told her that the other three are in inclusive classrooms, w/ little intervention was priceless:) My typical encounters are with hearing parents of hearing children (who also express some degree of amazement, when they figure out how deaf the children really are), or hearing parents of HOH/deaf children, who have similar experiences. She is the first deaf/HOH parent of deaf/HOH CI children who I've really spoken with. It was such a great conversation, and she truly is appreciative for even small steps. The fact that I have Emily who is completely, 100% deaf (for all intensive purposes....maybe a few dbs here and there), and is mainstreamed successfully is miraculous to her. It was a nice reminder how miraculous this technology really is (for us anyway). It reminded me we should be celebrating the small steps, as well as the huge leaps forward.....

7 Hours on a Bus.....

For a spring league soccer game.

The girls were hungry and digging into their food within one hour of being on the road....
We took lots of fun pictures.

And got to listen to the kids sing there and back. They knew almost every word to High School Musical 3.

Was it worth it? Ask me in a few days....for now, I'm glad to be off the bus!
And for those who are wondering, it was a tie :)