Facing Fears, Drowning and Perfect Teachers

I have tortured Emmett and myself in summers past by making him take swimming lessons. He really hated every minute of these and never has gotten use to the idea of going under water. Even though he will play in the water in a hotel or something like that he hates it when you actually try to teach him to swim for fear you will make him dive in or just go under water.

So I knew when I saw the flyer come home from school, about two days at the community pool teaching them water safety, that we were probably going to go to battle about the water again. He did try to get out of it for a long time. But I assured him that they wouldn't make him do anything he REALLY didn't want to do. But I was hoping he would feel a little peer pressure to try new things and join in the fun. I worried that I should go with him and I worried that it would be worse if I were there. I finally opted not to go and sent him on his way hoping he would face his fear and go under water and actually like it.

He came home the first day and said
"Well I had a little bit fun but I am NOT going again," very casually.
I asked him why not and he said he drowned two times. I said
"Wow really two times, did they jump in and save you?"
"Well no, I just drowned a little" he said.
I tried to get the story out of him (knowing it was not nearly as bad as he was saying) but as always with him it's hard to get him to stay on one story line to get all the info. He was pretty calm about it but by bedtime he was still very sure he was not going back.
"I will just stay at the school while my class goes, Mom" he said.
The next morning he was very upset that I was making him go back. He wouldn't even get ready for school.

So I went into school early to talk to his teacher thinking I might have to go with him this time. She was so great, let me just say here how much I LOVE Emmett's teacher, Mrs. Bair. She is the perfect teacher for him. She said right away that he did have a hard time. She said she could see it on his face. She said she stood on the side of the pool right by him and his partner and encouraged him. She said things to him every good mother would say to their kid when they are scared. I was so grateful in that moment that she was there and was able to help him. She has always been able to "read" him and help him in the right way. She laughed when I told her what he said about the day before and put in all into perspective. She told me he had to go swimming again and that I shouldn't go. She also said she would break the news to him herself.

He came home that day and said
"Mom I will tell you what I had, I had a blast!"
"That's great Emmett, what was different?"
He said "Well I didn't drown and I faced my fear."
He even went under the water, bobbing he called it. He said the canoe was the best part and he was so glad he went.

I love when someone else can make such a difference in my kids life for the better. And I am so happy Emmett is finally trying new things

Let's Just Pretend It's Spring

So the sun has been shining for a good 3 days straight now and I LOVE it. If I just feel it's warmth through my bedroom windows (which fully face the afternoon sun this time of year) or stay in my car and pretend it is as toasty outside as it is inside then... well
I am HAPPY!
I love the sun and spring and while I am mentioning things I love let me add that I love dirt (the kind I get to dig in not the stuff that always lives in my house) flowers, water, the smell of grass, heat, exercising outside instead of on the treadmill, hiking, bar-b-ques and standing in my front yard talking to my neighbors! All things that I am desperately needing right NOW!

But for now I think I will just enjoy the sunshine. Because I heard that it has been snowing in Utah for the past 3 days.

Christmas.. come and gone.

The best part of Christmas this year was at 5:20 AM on Christmas Morning. Madey and I had had MANY negotiations on what time she was allowed to get up this year. We began discussions on this back in November. Nobody (or I mean Cory and I) wanted repeats of years past, when she stayed up ALL night. One year, the same year Conner was just a baby, she came into our room every hour all night. Last year she at least stayed in her room. This year I said she was allowed to wake us up at 6:00AM, of course she came back with 5:50, 5:51, 5:52, I finally gave in at 5:59. So on Christmas morning I woke up at 5:15 and lay there for a minute and realized I could hear little voices and squeaking doors. I walked into Madey's room and saw this....



Notice the Christmas lights, Madey has had those up in her room since the first of November. She really is Miss Christmas, she LOVES everything about it and makes it fun for all of us.
Every year I am amazed at how much more fun it is to be a parent at Christmas!! I love watching them.
They tore into their presents of course and and they were all opened by 5:30.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Wow! Can I just say I cannot believe it is the end of November and Thanksgiving is almost here, never mind Christmas! The blanket of snow as we came out of church was a reminder we are all ready in winter up here in Idaho! Yikes, I hate Idaho winters and I have only lived through one ( if we could just convince them to plow and salt the roads I would be a happy woman). But I am determined to enjoy this winter and not hide out in my house. When my kids were younger I constantly wanted an excuse to leave the house, so I would often take them out to just drive around or go get a drink (since I recently stopped drinking soda- that is not as much fun as it used to be). But now all though I still love to get out, I can spend the whole day in and never notice the outside world. Just the regular routine during the school week with all three kids seems to take a lot more time than it used to.

This year homework takes on a whole new meaning. I feel like the kids do almost all their school work at home! We (I include myself because it is WORK) spend a couple of hours a night to get it all done. Most of that time is spent helping Emmett learn to read and I am so grateful for his determination, but he moves at a MUCH slower pace than me and I have to use a lot more patience than I have, to sit next to him and keep at it. But he really is making incredible progress and I am so happy about that. Madey just really learned to read on her own and I don't remember any struggle. It seems everything Emmett learns takes a while to really sink in, but his patience and determination are unmatched by anyone I know. I really think these qualities will eventually serve him well in his education. Madey has been doing a lot of creative writing for her homework and I really feel for her there. (sometimes just putting thoughts to words for this blog can be painful for me). But thankfully she seems to be taking after her dad and writes really well. I do love her history homework though. Sometimes I sneak her history book out of her backpack so I can read it too. Conner is writing his name! YEAH! I love good preschool teachers! He does love school but still tells me every Tuesday and Thursday morning that he is NOT going to school. You have to love the kid for his persistence.

Emmett just finished is physical therapy! YEAH! He met all his goals, but one (the bike). He did really great and I can really see the difference it has made. I think it has helped him with his reading. I know that sounds crazy but its true. He is still in speech and is making great strides in that as well. He still has a while to go in that but I am thinking of pulling him out and trying to do it on my own. Our insurance doesn't cover it as well as we thought and speech therapy is three times the cost that physical therapy is. Crazy. But I think I can do it. He has been taking it for a while and I have a lot of information on it. Emmett has been learning so much this year, its a wonder he gets "free time" at all.

That's my beef with all the homework. Once the kids come home, do all the homework and reading, do there chores, and anything else they have going on like piano and speech (which are the only two things our family has outside of school) how are they supposed to have down time or hang out with friends and family?? Let's just say we have a celebration every Friday!! It's just a faze I know... there's a time for everything.

All that complaining aside, I just have to say I love Thanksgiving. And I love this time of year. I am incredibly grateful for all I have. I have three beautiful kids that I get to help teach. I have a wonderful best friend and husband in Cory. And I have a wonderful family. The example of my mother and sisters these past few weeks has had a life changing effect on me. I hope I can live up to their example. I am grateful for prayer and faith and that those principle were taught and are still being taught to me through example, by many. I am very thankful for Cory's family and so happy that Lily is here to complete it.
And So.. Happy Thanksgiving to All

More Pics

Just more photos of the fam, since I could not get some of these to down load yesterday.

Family Photos

We finally had family pictures taken and they turned out SO Great! I love them. They were taken by Lennie Hanson of LM Photography.