Valentine's Day Parties

The old class Valentine's Day party.  Nothing instilled as much fear in me during elementary school (except my second grade teacher!) as the Valentine's Day party.  I fretted and worried over each and every valentine I addressed to my classmates.  What would they think of the messages?  Would they read in something more than was intended?  Why did they have to be so mushy?

 

Drew shares my childhood concerns.  He once made a Valentine's Day box that said, "Love stinks."  We added a skunk to the box.  This year he wanted to incorporate his one true love in his valentine cards - football.

Mallory is still little enough that she loves all of her classmates, so she wanted to write a sweet message to her friends.  She had a very specific idea in mind for her valentine cards.

And once again, thank you Pinterest!  Their boxes were quick and easy and funny!  Just what I like!

Crazy Things I've Heard This Week

*Me: Mallory, why is Lucy crying?
Mallory: Because she was climbing up the stairs, and I was dragging her down by one foot, and she forgot it was fun.

*Elizabeth:  No wonder we can't park there. The carts are having a face off!

 

*Elizabeth was babysitting, and the four year-old leaned over and licked her.
Elizabeth:  Why did you lick me?
K:  Because you smell really good, and I wanted to see if you taste as good as you smell.

*Lucy:  Mommy, watch.  (I looked at the top of the stairs to see her climbing into a child sized shopping cart, getting ready to go for a ride.  I promise she has never seen Jackass!)

*Drew:  Is that a new sweater, Mom?
Me:  Yes.
Drew: Did you get it from Grandma?

*Elizabeth:  (looking over my shoulder as I looked at some photography websites): What is that?
Me:  A baby in a basket.
Elizabeth:  I thought it was salad!

9

Happy birthday to our baby boy!

 9 months

 

12 months

San Diego at 15 months

 

 Drew always has been silly (18 months).

 2years

 

Drew and Benny on their 2nd and 17th birthdays  

 Two of Drew's favorites at the age of two:  Cousin Sterling and earlobes

Earlobes were Drew's fetish.  He just couldn't resist rubbing soft earlobes.  Baby earlobes were his favorite.  Sterling was always a good sport to let Drew get a feel of his!

 

And Drew also loved his Crocs!  He wore them everywhere - even to sleep!

 

His obsession was Buzz when he was a little guy!  Oh, how we miss those fun super hero days.

 

 Now his obsession is football.

 

 And he is still silly.

 

 Somethings will always stay the same.

 

Happy birthday to our charming, intelligent, witty, nice little man!



Crazy Things I've Heard Recently

*Mom, isn't it special that you can make sound come out of your nose when you plug it like this?  (Mallory)

*Lucy:  Snot is yummy.
Mallory:  No it isn't. The aftertaste is awful.

*Can I have a hopscotch?  (Mallory - She was wanting a butterscotch candy.)

*Mom, your hair is kind of rowdy today. It's kind of popping off your head everywhere. (Mallory)

What A Difference Six Months Makes

Yesterday we were at a mall playground that we were also at almost six months ago.  As I was watching Lucy run and play, I remembered the anxiety I felt watching her at the same spot last summer.  It was during the time that she developed her strange little peg legged limp, before we had the diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. 

July 2012

 

 

January 2013

 

I have said it so many times regarding Ross' type 1 diabetes - I am so thankful for modern medicine!  In August when we finally got a diagnosis of JIA, she began a drug treatment of naproxen immediately.  After limping every day for the previous two-plus months, her limp was gone within three days of taking the medicine.  It was such a blessing and relief to see her walking normally again!  She started off taking 4 ml of naproxen twice daily, but that was changed to 5 ml when a little swelling in her knee was discovered at a check-up.  She was a champ taking this for about two months, but then she really started to put up a fight about taking it.  After speaking to our rheumatologist in October, she changed her prescription to methotrexate/meloxicam.  She now takes just 2 ml once daily.  Lucy is awesome about taking this.  I don't think she has resisted taking this since we switched prescriptions.  I guess this one tastes a lot better!

 

She has had one eye exam since diagnosis, and everything checked out great.  She has a risk of developing an eye disease called uveitis (Viewer discretion - icky picture!).  I was REALLY dreading her eye exam since I would be going alone and was envisioning her being strapped down and a speculum being needed for a thorough exam.  I had to laugh because she was still as a statue for the fifteen minutes the doctor was examining her.  Her eyes were dilated, and anyone that has had an eye exam knows the opthomologist gets right in your face to get a good look.  I could not believe how still she was!  When the exam was finished the doctor commented that she was probably in 2% of patients that sat so still.  I am not holding my breath that we will have the same results next month when we return for a check-up.  Until she is an adult she will have a detailed eye exam at least twice a year.

 

In addition to having another eye exam next month, she will have another check-up with her rheumatologist, whom she will see every three/four months.  And these appointments are so exhausting and draining.  The actual check-up isn't so bad, nor does it usually take longer than fifteen minutes to be examined.  The rough part is that our doctor doesn't see patients at Cardinal Glennon until the afternoon (NAP TIME!).  She also orders labs to be drawn to make sure her little body is tolerating the drugs.  One of my main reasons to potty-train Lucy before the age of two is because getting a urine sample from her has been horrendous.  At our last appointment the whole clinic closed down (like lights off and staff went home), and we were the last people by far to still be there.  We waited in a ghost town with the technician whom was obviously ready to get home.  It was nearly dinner time before we had success.  That was a long and stressful day!  I digress.  At the appointment next month I am anticipating being told to try taking her off of the meloxicam.  From what I understand we will take a "wait and see" approach with the goal of being drug free and symptom free.  It is our prayer that the swelling and limping will not return, and she will be considered to be in remission.

 

Other than giving her a dose of medicine each morning, I almost forget that she has this disease.  She can run and play normally without limping, and she doesn't ever seem to be uncomfortable or in pain due to the JIA.  While I don't want her to experience any of this, we count our blessings because our trials could be a lot harder.  When I think about having two kids with auto-immune diseases, I think about the saying that if you were to put every one's problems into a big pile and had to choose some, you would always choose your own.  Prayers will be fervently offered that once she goes off the medicine she will be considered to be in remission, and anyone that wants to join us in offering those prayers is more than welcome!

 



Birthday Girl

12-22-12 was a great day to turn 2, and we stretched the celebrations out over a few days!

 

It's always so fun to find the highly anticipated birthday gift from Cousin Carrie waiting at our front door.

 Lucy loved reading the birthday card to us.

 

 

Birthday cake with a few friends and family

 

Lucy opened her gifts from us on her actual birthday the following morning.  Yes, the girls are in the same clothes from the previous night.  We party hard in the Felker House!

 

Her favorite gift was a swing.  She required her royal servants to swing her by hand before we could get it hung.  They were happy to oblige.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FUNNY GIRL!

13-2

Ross had a stellar eighth grade wrestling season with a record of 13-2!  We were very proud of him. 

These two were especially proud of their Rossie!



Buddy the Elf

This year was the first year we received a fun little visitor.  Buddy was the name that was agreed upon.  We enjoyed his daily escapades.  Usually the first thing Lucy said when she awoke each morning was, "I see Buddy."  Even Edward, who wakes much earlier than the rest of us, searched for Buddy when he got up each morning.  Here are most of his shenanigans.

 

 He used a dry-erase marker on the kids' photos on his very first day.

 

 Getting buff on a pull-up bar

 

 Ready to roast a marshmallow

 

 Aiming a nerf gun at unsuspecting people

 

 Resting (on Ross's insulin) in the refrigerator

 

 Slurping syrup

 

 Wooing Barbie

 

 Sugar angels

 

 TP-ing the tree

 

 Coloring for the little girls

 

 Trying to bust into Mallory's piggy bank

 

 Getting tangled in hair bows

 

 Graffiti in the bathroom

 

 Zip lining

 

 Doing acrobatics on the curtain rod

 

 Daydreaming with the boys' sports medals

 

 Taking self-portraits with my camera
 

 Snoozing on the tissue box
 

 Taking a spin in my filthy vacuum

 

And on his final night, he knelt to honor the Newborn King.

 

Goodbye, Buddy!  See you next year!