Jenny's Thoughts: News 'n updates 'n stuff

Well, you can tell that school’s started and that I’m teaching a lot more – crazy busy, people. But this is my Public Service Announcement: I will no longer apologize for how infrequently I update my Blog. It’s silly to start every post like that. I wish I could update more – we always have plenty of adventures to share – but I guess we’re just too busy livin’ ‘em for me to be typin’ about ‘em. Bummer.

Anyway, let’s go chronologically. School and music teaching has been in full swing for over a month now. Our schedule is ca-razy. (Especially with 3 kids in 3 different schools – that definitely doesn’t help!) But it’s going AWESOME. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new teaching gig. It’s 4 mornings a week (plus I do 2 afternoons of traveling to different Montessori schools). I love that I get to see the same kids twice a week. Holy Moly – the stuff I can teach them. My 2 year old class can already tell you the difference between quarter, half and whole notes and can demonstrate playing (on a rhythm instrument) – Largo, Moderato, Vivace, Pianissimo and Forte. That’s music theory, people – with 2-6 year olds! It’s going great.

School’s going well for our 3 kiddos too. Kayliana LOVES her new preschool and never wants to leave – like ever. She pretty much greets me with a scowl ‘cuz it means it’s time to go home. Zachary is SO much happier in 4^th grade (he had a rough end to 3^rd great with the Substitute from HELL. Honestly, she was horribly mean to him. Worst ever). Matthew is starting (slowly) to get a handle on Middle School. It’s been a tough transition. Having to be at the bus stop at 6:40am, having 6 teachers/classes, and WAY more homework (definitely struggling and most nights he’s doing homework for a couple of hours) – all tricky. He’s also had ongoing stomach issues (really, for over a year now). We’ll be meeting with a G.I. specialist at Children’s Hospital in a couple weeks. BUT Matthew’s playing the trumpet in beginning band; he’s going to start private lessons with this really cool, fun guy (named Mat!) in a couple of weeks, and Matthew’s really excited about that. It’s starting to click and I finally feel like (after waiting 10 years – since realizing his natural music ability!), at long last, he’s brave enough to start exploring and using the musical gift God gave him! Super exciting.

Mike’s sister Jamie and her hubby Daniel and their son Tucker came for a visit last weekend. We had a really nice time! We went to Brick-Con (Lego creation exhibition – totally up EVERYONE’s alley), watched Kayli’s soccer game (she scored a goal!), and Matthew got to watch Goonies for the first time. A right of passage.

Just a few days after their visit, we learned that Uncle Harry passed away. Uncle Harry and Aunt Dolores are Mike’s Godparents. They took Mike and Jamie in after their mom died. They raised Mike like a son. They got him through Cancer (the first time ‘round). Uncle Harry made sure Mike had a wish granted by the Wishing Star Foundation. Through that, Mike received his first computer…which led to his career as a software architect/engineer. Who knows where Mike would’ve ended up without them!

Another unexpected event changed my teaching plans for yesterday. I’d received a call from a phone number I didn’t recognize and ignored it. A while later, I got a call from my mom. She was already at Kayli's preschool (after answering HER phone). Kayliana had fallen and hit her head and had a pretty deep gash above her eyebrow. I cancelled my afternoon class, met up with my mom, saw how deep the cut was, called our pediatrician’s office, but they were booked at all their branches. I called our local Urgent Care - they recommended we go to Children's Hospital. Drove to Children's only to find out that Urgent Care wouldn't open until 5pm. Ended up at Overlake Emergency Room - pretty much the last place in the world I wanted to go as the last time I was there was the day dad died. I had a really hard time holding it together since all the memories were flooding in, but I (mostly) managed (until I got home).

Anyway, we had an AWESOME doctor. She said while the cut was deep, it was perfectly straight across and she was able to use glue instead of stitches - THANK GOODNESS. Kayli did pretty well until the end when one of her eyebrow hairs got caught in the glue. Plus, she was terrified she'd have to get a shot. (She definitely remembers the traumatic 2-days-of-stitches from two years ago).

When I called Matthew from the ER to let him know what was going on, he said, “Are you kidding me? Why does this keep happening to Kayli?! She’s too little for this. It should be me next time so she doesn’t have to.”

I said that was very sweet, but how ‘bout we just call it good and be done with urgent care, stitches, emergency room visits, etc.

I decided after all that crappiness that our first Chick-Fil-A meal/experience was in order. (I totally don't understand the hype). Split a chocolate milkshake with Kayli and that was good. Came home for 2 glasses of wine, a big cry and a bubble bath.

Harry at Thanksgiving with 3 month old Matthew