Life’s Lessons

First off here are some picture from our get together with friends.....

Brock going down on the board!

Kids play and Brock trying to be brave to go down the slide!

Kids enjoying the water while Eric blow up our slide!

Caleb being all PROUD of himself!!

They were trying to get the one part to stand long enough to slide down in the pool area!

Caleb kept wanting to try so I pick him up and help with a little push and he went down and WAS SO PROUD of himself AGAIN!!

It was a day packed with fun and water and no real fights!!  We have to do this again REALLY soon!!

Last week on Wednesday we went to get trained on Brock’s PUMP and to have him wear it with Saline Solution so that he could get use to wearing it and we could practice on him with it and get into a routine of checking him! It was so much easier then I expected it to be that is for sure. We made it a family day since Caleb was having issues with Mommie leaving him! So, since Mark and Josie were off last week he came as well! Which I was so glad to have them with me since my van BROKE…well the transmission died! On our way back it just died…. it was frightening since it was on RT.20 on the four lanes with no area to pull or push the van over! But it happened in front of Wally World and that was a good things since we all had to pee and I could grab snacks for Brock and Caleb. So, Mark called AAA and I called my BESTEST friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD, Alison, and asked if she could come and get us. And she came right away and we are so GREATFUL for her helping us since it was not a fun situation! Then, Mark called the POLICE to help the kids and me across the street to Wally World and get out of the dangerous area we were sitting in. It took them 30 minutes to get there and by then we were all turning YELLOW…LOL…but he helped us cross the street and waited with Mark until the tow truck came to take the van to Pittsfield so we could see what was wrong with it…. at that point we weren’t completely sure what happened to the van!

Thursday, we waited to hear about the van and when Mark called since he hadn’t heard anything and they hadn’t gotten to it…UGH. So, when my dad called to see what was up with the van he told me we were welcome to use his van since he was not using it right now (my father was laid off back in March and has been looking for a job ever since but NOTHING yet!!) so we could have it until our van was fixed OR he got a NEW job. So, since I knew at this point that the van would not be fixed by Sunday since I needed to return back to Springfield for Brock to get the insulin put into the PUMP I asked him how we would get it here and he told me to relax and he would figure it all out!

Friday, my dad called me back and asked me if he came up and got me tomorrow and brought him home I could have his van. I agreed and now had to figure out how I was going to get the car seat since they were still in the van…. GRRR. But once again MY BESTEST FRIEND, Alison came to my rescue… she took Josie for the day to FROG POND day and when she came to let Josie get some clothes for the night she offered to go get my car seats and bring them back to me and she has NO IDEA how much I appreciate everything she has done for me this past week. Without her I would have LOST IT!!! Thanks again Alison!!

Saturday morning my dad came to get us and he was the BESTEST PAPA (Brock’s words) and brought us to CT and on our way we stopped at this CUTE little Café to eat lunch since Brock’s Blood Sugar was starting to drop. We had a YUMMY lunch and headed to my parents home. That afternoon my dad and brother went to my grams and got her since she will be staying there for the week while my aunt is in FL. Brock was so excited since he adores my grandmother so much!! When they got home we ordered Chinese’s and Brock and Grandma shared a dinner! It is so great to see my grandmother playing with my child… it was PRICELESS!!

Monday we were off to Springfield!! We got to the DR’s office at 9:00am and had to wait for the PUMP person since she got stuck in the pouring rain on the highway and we all know that that is NO FUN…. hence the reason I left early!! We finished with her about 11:30am and we went and had our first meal as a PUMPER family. Then went back up to the DR’s office to have Brock checked and to make sure we were okay with the insulin level he is on. Then had to sit in the train room for TWO HOURS…. thank god Caleb had crashed during lunch so he was sleeping and Brock colored and I spoke with one of the nurse about a few things I had questions on and well that took all of thirty minutes so for the next one and half hours we played TIC TAC TOE and I taught Brock how to play HANGMAN…that was fun…especially since he has a limited knowledge on how to spell words. But I made it into a game and he learned how to spell some new words…. and man was he THRILLED and EXCITED that he ran to the nurses he knew and told them…again thank god they adore him!! After leaving there we were on our way home and we got a call from Helena and she was on her way to see BABY JACK and asked if we would like to stick around for her to get there so we could go and see him. So, of course we waited and went to see BABY JACK!! He is so SWEET and SMALL!! He has to have one more surgery and he can come home!! They are hoping this week!! That would be GREAT so that they can finally all be together and not have mommie running between home and Baystate Children’s Hospital!!

Tuesday, we took the day at a slow pace!! We spent the day in our pajama’s and cleaned the house…well at least I did the cleaning and they did the messing…LOL. Brock worked on his writing and sign language. Caleb colored beautiful artwork and then napped for 3 hours!! Brock is more or less done with NAPS so he rests for about 30 minutes either on his bed or on the couch depending on his Blood Sugars and what I am working on!! During rest time/ naptime I cleaned and purged (but I have a TON more to do but need some NO CHILDREN time and by the end of the day I am TOO tired to do any…. hoping to get to it this weekend!). After Josie got home I scrubbed the floors downstairs on my hands and knees…. no idea what got into me but it is done!!

This Wednesday, we started our morning later then normal since we all OVER SLEPT…UGH! We rushed Daddy to work and then came home to eat, get dressed and starting our lessons. Then Lynn and Emily (Speech Therapists) came to work with Caleb. After they left we were off to run a few errands IN THE SNOW…LOL. We went to get my new glasses…UGH… and then to the Post Office to return Brock’s scooter that came with defect…that part was a not something I thought through well since Caleb has never been in the Post Office and he was so excited to see everything…LOL…I had a large box, a five year old who didn’t see why he had to help and a VERY curious two and a half year old…. oh boy that was something I will have to figure out for next time…. LOL!! Then, I surprised the boys with a visit to play with their friends, Declan, Ziah, and T. They had so much fun that Caleb didn’t want to leave and CRIED all the way home. And as soon as we got home he asked for his NIGHT NIGHT (Nuk) and headed for his bed and took a nap. Brock played with his NEW little LEGO’s and did some Artwork too until Caleb got up! I planned my FUN SCHOOL stuff and printed a BUNCH of things to work on! Brock picked what he wanted to do so there will HOPEFULLY be less arguing when it is time to get some work done. I was planning on ending the school year soon but after skipping a few days here and there lately he has so much trouble getting back on track the next day that it isn’t worth taking anytime off. So, what we are planning on doing is just doing FUN SCHOOL like two to three days a week instead of four to five days a week…. hope that works!!

We spent Thursday at home since everyone was off. Especially Mommie….so we took the day to stay in PJ’s.

Friday, we went to the Dairy farm in Lee and had a blast! The boys had so much fun and Brock learned so much and to be honest I didn’t really think he was getting any of the info so I was thrilled what he was telling me on the way home. He even wanted more information about a dairy farm so I came home and we found more info and he was so happy!! Caleb was so in shock over the pooping and peeing of the cows and still is……LOL!! We hope to go back again so Daddy and Josie can come!! Then in the afternoon after Caleb got up from his nap we moved Caleb back into Brock's room and made the area that Caleb was in into a playroom and man that is so much nicer since now there room is clean and all we have to do is help clean up the playroom at the end of the day!!!!

Saturday morning we had friends over to play and so Mommie’s could have coffee. Brock was so siked that he could have Cinnamon Strudel with everyone else….one of his pre-diabetes baking fun things….I just love the PUMP for allowing him to just be a kid again!! After they went home I FINALLY got to get all my school things in to my filing cabinet so now all I have to do it organizes it to subjects and to who will use it. I am so excited because I also got my FUN SCHOOL done and got some other school things I want to school in a binder so I can start cutting it and getting it into folders. I am planning on do this on Sunday. Then the boys other sister, Josie’s older sister, Amanda, came by with her mother and saw them for a short while….so hard for Brock to understand and it is so sad to us that Caleb really has NO IDEA who she is….we explain who she is and show him pictures all the time but he is still so little that well…..in time he will get it! Then my savior Alison came by to drop off a cubby thing and a small slide for Caleb….thanks so much Girl….Caleb is loving it and Mommie has taken over the cubby thing for my school book for now!! Then she stayed and put some Kasey Chambers on my computer so I could have her on my IPOD….I have never heard of her til I was reading her blog and heard her so went to look and see who she was….Thanks so much for her….LOVING HER!!

Today we are staying home and I got to sleep in since my WONDERFUL daughter let me. I was up and down all night with Brock’s blood sugar being high and Caleb crying in his sleep and then crying for Mommie so needless to say VERY LITTLE sleep til after they got up with Josie!!! So, as soon as Caleb gets up from his second nap today they will do the art project that they wanted to do with their sister and then head outside to run and play for a while and I am hoping to get to work on my filing cabinets!!

Off to get Art stuff moving along and I and going to cut out the lesson for tomorrow on CINCO DE MAYO!!

I can not believe that in 3 days my baby will be 5yrs old.....where oh where has the time gone??? He are some pictures of my baby as a baby.....

JUST A MOM?

Does this make grandmothers
'Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations'
And great grandmothers Executive Senior Research Associates?'
I think so!!!
I also think it makes Aunts ' Associate Research Assistants.

Wow….what a week and weekend we have had…..we have been super busy between lessons, friends, and just everyday life! The boys LOVED having there FRIENDS here so much this last week that today they are already asking to have them COME OVER TO PLAY!! I am glad that today we are taking it slow since I am feeling a tad down which sucks but it is that time of the month and I am sure that is why….LOL!

This is our week:

Monday: This morning is quiet time and play so Mom can get things together for the week of lesson plans….I did the next few weeks but for some reason not this week!! UGH!! Then Caleb has Speech with Lynn, which he LOVES! Then Brock and I will sit and do some lessons on US STATES and start our lesson on SPRING. Josie has Karate tonight and Alison will bring and I do pickup!

Tuesday: This is our busy day….Caleb has speech with Tara, again he LOVES and we only have on more week after today because she goes on Maternity Leave!! She will be missed!! Brock has Karate after Lunch, and then come home and Brock and I will start the ABC’s in SIGN LANGUAGE….Caleb is learning some SIGN LANGUAGE with Lynn and Tara and Brock has taken such an interest that we are making it part of his weekly lessons. Then after Josie gets home I am off to the DR’s. Josie has Karate tonight and Alison will bring and I do pickup!

Wednesday: We will start off our morning with continuing our lesson on SPRING and doing some MATH….we are working on a LAPBOOK that I made up from a bunch of sites to continue his counting past 10 and ending at 20 for this one to make sure he has the one to one concept and understand of it all before starting ADDITION and SUBTRACTION….which he so excited to learn….he does it everyday just doesn’t realize it yet! Then after that we will going to the museum since it is back open and Brock has been counting down the days until it reopens…..he is planning on asking a friend if he gets ALL his lessons down!

Thursday: This is a day of lessons and fun! We will finish up anything we haven’t since Monday and work on some SIGHT WORD and READING since Brock wants to read so bad and he has mastered one book and wants MORE!! We are home all day and I am hoping for good weather so we can go for a walk with the camera so Brock can take some picture of the first signs of SPRING since that is our theme for the week! Josie has Karate tonight and Alison will bring and I do pickup!

Friday: This morning Brock will go to Alison’s and if it is nice out he will go to the park for Park Day with HSing group…..which we have been away from for a while and we are so looking forward to getting back to that and seeing all of our friends! Then home to do have lunch, naps and then some writing lessons with Brock. Josie has Karate tonight and Alison will bring and I do pickup!

Saturday: Today we are going to finish our theme SPRING today and have some fun OUTSIDE I hope!!!

Sunday: This morning we will be starting something new with the kids and we will be doing Bible Stories from A to Z. This is something I wanted to do and had NO IDEA how to start it. Brock is excited about it since he loves to go to church when we are at Nana’s and Papa’s……our old church….I miss it so much!! Just hate looking for another one BUT I will this summer go to a few that have been suggest with Brock and when we find the right fit I will take Caleb and Josie…..I need to find the right fit for me more then anything before I take Caleb….does anyone KWIM?? Then we have Hunter’s 7th birthday party to go to at Hold the Anchovies. We will be making our own pizza’s…..this should be fun and both the boys are looking forward to it! Plus, it is my birthday….UGH…..today I will be 34 years old…..where has the last 10 years gone…..LOL!!

UPDATE: We spoke with the PUMP company and the COMPANY that they had to transfer it out too AND…..we now have ALL the paper work and Blood Sugar Report in to them AS WELL AS which color PUMP he wants and the infusion sets we want to use….I had NO IDEA what that were talking about so I had to call Brock’s Dr. in Springfield to find out and when she explain it I remember seeing them at the Class Brock and I had to take and I hate to say it I got a lot of useful information there but wasn’t able to completely able to listen since I had a 4 year old there wanting to touch everything and asking a 100 question during the 2 hour class…..he was amusing to everyone else but ME!!! Fun of Motherhood….LOL!! The COMPANY told us it should take about a week or so to hear back from the INSURANCE then they will ship the PUMP and EVERYTHING we will need to US. Then the PUMP Company will meet with us at the DR’s office in Springfield to go over everything on the pump and how to put it on him. Then they will fill it with SALIN solution for the night….we are making this a night in Springfield….Brock is siked since we are exploring where we will stay and what FUN exciting place we will take them to celebrate….any suggest please let me know…..then the next morning we will head back to the DR’s office and they will watch me put in the insulin and we will have to stay there and they will monitor him and then send us out for LUNCH and come back for another two hours or so to make sure that the insulin dosing is right for him and it is all going alright. I am so excited over this so he can eat when he wants and not eat when he doesn’t want too…..I HATE food being an issue for him!! We are all hoping we can schedule it for next week to go and get Brock HOOKED UP!!!! YAHOOOOOO!!! Will update as we know!!!

Until Next Time……..

 Mark and his cousin were driving down Rt.7 and saw a LARGE owl so they stopped and took a picture with there cell phone so I thought that I would share it.......so looking around while driving down Rt. 7.

The restaurant that Mark works at was in the Berkshire Living so I wanted to show off the article and such!!!

Well, I am not so good at getting to my blog as I would love to be able to and that will help once I get my laptop ANOTHER wireless USB thing! (Caleb is to fast for me!! LOL)

Well, first off just wanted to say HAPPY SPRING and HAPPY EASTER!!! Hope that the Easter Bunny was good to everyone as well as remember why we celebrate the holiday in the first place!!!

OUR WEEK:

Monday: Brock goes back for check up on his ears and we already know the DR is not going to happy since we know one is out and the other one is on it's way out or already out. Then we are coming home and back into the REAL swing of this with our lessons.....I LOVE THE LAPBOOKS!!!! So, we have two we will be working on. Then Josie will head off to Karate with Noah and I will pick them up and bring Noah home!

Tuesday: Caleb has his Speech Friend come and then Brock has Karate...by the way he got his star last week and is SO HAPPY!! (That reminds me I have to figure out how to sew that thing on....it managed to stay on while I washed it....BAD MOMMIE, I forgot all about it...UGH) Then Josie will head off to Karate with Noah and I will pick them up and bring Noah home!

Wednesday: Today will be a FULL DAY OF LESSONS and ART since we have not a thing on the schedule at this point! YAHOOOO!!!!

Thursday: We have a quiet morning doing some fun ART and finish up anything we have not for the week of Brock's Lesson! Then Josie will head off to Karate with Noah and I will pick them up and bring Noah home!

Friday: In the morning we have Caleb's Playgroup and hopefully Daddy can take Brock while we are there since he isn't feeling like going anymore since it is all little guys now.....no fun having an unhappy ALMOST 5 year old!! Then Josie is heading to go to help set up for her Karate Tournament which is Saturday! AND I am going with Alison to a DIVA NIGHT at some pottery place AND I AM SOOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD to being KIDLESS!!!

Saturday/Sunday: Josie has her Tournament on Saturday and I CAN'T GO since it would be ready hard to keep Caleb quiet when he needs to be....no sense in making myself crazy....that reminds me I have to ask Alison to take some picture for me of her!! Josie and Sabina are doing something together and I so proud of them!! They have been practicing as the can.....wish I had more time to let them get together but they have been working at it as well at Karate! And Sunday we have a nice day of cleaning, homework for Josie and most likly the boys will want to do some art or BE OUTSIDE.....SPRING HURRY UP AND SHOW YOURSELF!!!

Oh and an update on Brock's PUMP.....we heard from the company that we are using and they had to send it out since they don't take our insurance and wait for them to do all the leg work and then the REALLY nice lady from Animas and she will be contacting me weekly to update me where our paperwork is at and how much longer we will have to wait....when we talked to her last week she told me anywhere between 2 and 4 weeks.....pray we get it before Brock's Birthday that is truely ALL he wants for when he turns 5!!! Oh by the way he wants to BLUE PUMP and we have gotten him a MONSTER TRUCK pouch for his pump when he does or is doing physical activity or is where something that does not have a belt loop! So, the waiting game is still on but we are closer!!!

I will post pictures later since I need to get the boys to bed!

Wow....I can't believe the week is over and now Josie is on her February break! What a week we have too....we have friends coming to play, Karate, Playgroup, Cousin sleeping over, and the biggest and most exciting thing is that Brock is getting his PUMP!!!

Here are some pictures from this past week:

The boys in their NEW Transformer PJ's.....something they have been BEGGING for!

He is the kids beating down my hubby and they were ALL having a BLAST!

He is the "LITTLE MONSTER" of a 2 year old......who has been getting into EVERYTHING this week and making mommie even more NUTTIER!!!

Here is the most recent picture of the three of them together!  I love it!!  Josie took it while she was playing with the boys the other day!  Man.....gotta love those faces!!!