June 23, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
Madhouse Wednesday again so I’m jumping in hopefully with a bit more of an even flow than last week. This week’s topic is ‘In the Kitchen.’
I am not a fantastic cook, I prefer to grill, if you can throw it over a flame I am all for it and usually it turns out pretty darn good. The times I cook in the house Derek and Monet love, I MEAN REALLY LOVE, to help in the kitchen. Steve and I really have issues with safety but lately I have started throwing some caution to the wind and have them enjoy small culinary tasks, I figure they will never be comfortable to try new things and more excited to eat unless they help prepare meals. Luckily both kids have pretty adult palates so we have been able to spring some pretty awesome food into their diet, mom is more of a finicky eater than they are.
I have the kids help with everything, from collecting the ingredients and tools needed, measuring and mixing and of course clean-up. I try to monitor the baking and hot stuff but I have on occasion let them stir over a burner (oh don’t tell Steve.) I also REFUSE to let them handle raw meat but I hope to get them to a point to help with that as well ( you know transplants and certain bacteria just don’t mix well at all.) For Monet’s 2nd birthday we bought her a little play kitchen and most days where I am working in our kitchen without her, she comes in to tell me she is cooking in her kitchen. She is usually baking a gum drop cake or something of the alike. I love to see how creative they both can be in our kitchen or with just their imagination in the play kitchen. I believe it has opened their ability to try new foods and avoid many of the “picky-eater syndrome” you here of with kids their age. We have played up pancakes and waffles throwing in fruits and chocolate. We are to top them with a variety of things as well. We stick all kinds of stuff in our grilled cheese sandwiches and also make our own version of “pigs in a blanket.” We play with vegetables and they choose their vegetable for almost every meal. Their favorite is a Normandy Mix with Cauliflower, Carrots and Broccoli. They also LOVE stir fry. They dig through hoping to find water cress and baby corn but they also identify all of the others while they eat them. Another big success and extension to our kitchen is our garden this year. We have shown the kids how to plant a seed care for it and then harvest & enjoy the wonders of fresh produce, though this seems more of a treat for mom. 
Giving kids a front row seat and even a part in meal preparation in the kitchen can create many life long advantages and wonderful memories. If you have kids I say pull a chair or step stool up to the counter and let them at it…you’ll never forget all of the fun and wonderful discoveries you make together.
So are you going to jump into Madhouse Wednesday??? Let’s see who else does….
June 17, 2009
· Filed under Celebrations, Education/School, Family, Fun Times, Health, Normal Stuff, Transplants, children with transplants, special needs children
So i am quickly throwing this together this morning/afternoon but I decided to join the weekly ‘Madhouse’ of Kate and all of her loyal readers/bloggers…
This Wednesday’s topic is ‘Someday.’
For Monet I expect her to be all the girly girl she is and plant flowers in the world be it literally or figuratively. She has the gift of seeing the beauty in the world and sharing it with others which I hope she holds onto forever. She knows her dreams matter and she has the confidence and strength to take her dreams and make them her reality. She can take on difficult challenges and hold her head up high with each choice she makes, regardless of who agrees with her.
I see Derek living a life just as any other person with no medications and a kidney all of his own with no worries of rejection or failure. He is able to hear the world as I do with no hearing aids. He can also excel at anything he puts his beautiful mind to. He can be the deputy, mechanic, doctor, landscaper or traveling guy that he imagines everyday with no restrictions because of medical issues. Finally have the chance to embrace all that life has to offer even maybe a family of his own…SOMEDAY.
Now we have to be patient and wait plus demonstrate all of those qualities at home so they can model them. Geesh who knew a GREAT ‘Someday’ for our children would be so much work for the parents.
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June 14, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
May 28, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
Gee how does this happen so fast? The years are whizzing by and I feel like I am missing it all yet I am right here watching it all happen.
Monet is such a bright girl and a little sponge soaking up every tidbit you throw at her, whether you want her to or not. She has been a wonderful addition to our family and fits us so perfectly. I’m still not sure how I ended up with a SUPER Girlie Girl, but I have to admit it is fun getting her all primped most days.
She likes dance class (her first recital is next week) and helping her brother and cousin Jaycee at anything they have planned. She has one oft he most giving and loving hearts and tough enough to stand up to her ALL BOY brother.
We have blessed with two very beautiful children and I know they will become someone remarkable however I just wish it wouldn’t happen so quickly.
May 25, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
Derek turned 5 years old yesterday. I cannot convey how amazed I am by him. He has lived the life of some one 15 times older and yet his spirit is still young and unbroken like any other child his age, which is what we had hoped for when we decided on a kidney transplant as Derek’s treatment for his renal failure.
Yesterday we hada HUGE birthday party to celebrate both Derek’s & Monet’s birthdays. We had a house full of people and I think the kids had a great time, they slept in this morning which is alwasy a good sign. Today I am slowly picking up and trying to find a new home for thier gifts, I think next year we need to stop the gift exchange though because am completely overwhelmed. (I’ll post pictures in the next day or so once I get our house back together.)
I can’t get my head around Derek being 5, I still see and feel him as the cuddly baby who would snuggle into the crook of my neck and fall soundly asleep. He is still the cuddliest little guy and he has love for life, curious and extremely intelligent. He has overcome so much in these 5 years that I hope the rest of his life is smooth and enjoyable filled with health and NORMAL. Maybe once I start waking up I can write all that is in my heart but I don’t think words can even wrap around 1/2 of the feelings I have for “my baby boy.”
May 3, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
Yesterday was a great day at T-Ball for Derek, I am just so proud. Derek and I are connected at the hip when together and yesterday he was able to be at a distance from me. He usually plays infield with me standing behind him and helping coach him and a couple other boys…but yesterday he played short stop as I stood over by 1st base. He got into 2 tangles for the ball, ran around the field chasing the ball and hit it a good distance to run the bases. It was so nice to see him smile, play ball for the pure enjoyment and not hang all over me. I know it may not sound like much but I was proud VERY proud to see him take another big step forward…yes I miss my baby boy but I love to watch him acheive and grow.
April 28, 2009
· Filed under Education/School, Family, Fun Times, Normal Stuff, Outings
So I started a new project this year it took me nearly 2 months to complete, it was “for the children.” But really I think it was for me. 
It is a garden nothing huge like the one I grew up with in Nebraska but good sized by city standards 30′x8′ and 12″ high. After I spent 2 days moving rock out of the way and determining the footprint of the garden. Papa & I trenched sprinkler lines over to the new bed and will be setting up a timer soon. He also helped me move 1.5 tons of castle wall block to build a retaining wall. Steve set 99% of the block initially, which had to be moved around for the next step so it isn’t as perfect as when he started. Then we had just over 1 whole dump truck load of soil brought in to back fill it, and thanks to good neighbors 
we had the dirt moved from the driveway and into the planter in about 7 hours (thanks Tim & Josh we will be sending over some goodies if this thing grows.) Finally I leveled the bed and Steve & I added and mixed in some organic mulched soil for some extra nutrients and water retention. We finally planted on April 21, our 8th Wedding Anniversary (we are so romantic, aren’t we?) Yesterday I saw our seeds coming up; spinach, lettuce, sunflowers & corn. We still are waiting for pumpkin, squash, watermelon, onions, 
carrots, chives and beans to make their initial appearance. I also planted live plants because it is getting so hot here already, so our tomatoes, sweet peppers, jalapeno peppers and strawberries are growing and seem to be getting well established. One plant(s) looks like it is the favorite of an outdoor creature. Our little cucumber plants are being gnawed right down to the ground. My natural pest control methods aren’t working for it thus far but we will keep trying before we bust out the “BIG GUNS.” I hope the kids learn to appreciate the importance 
of farming and gardening as well as a growing love for fruits and vegetables…I am so excited for our winter crop already, but that will be a post for when the tem
ps drop well below 100F.
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Update April 30, 2009 – As of this morning a couple of all the plants have finally broken up through the soil and look to be taking off. We are all so excited about having fresh fruits and veggies this summer and learning all about plant life.
March 18, 2009
· Filed under Friends, Fun Times, Health, Normal Stuff, Outings, Transplants, special needs children
when all we worried about was Derek’s growth and how big he was. Nearly every doctor appointment had a relatively large focus on the Growth Chart. BTW I hate the growth chart and think that to some degree it is a stupid, focusing on a said standard for children. I know it is a tool for physicians but some days I dreaded the blue and white table yet dreamed of a day where he would fit on it just perfectly. Derek was born towards the top of the growth chart 8 pounds 12 ounces and 22 inches long…Great Big Bouncing Baby Boy!!! The chaos hit and he quickly slid down and eventually completely off the growth chart. Now, 18 months post transplant, Derek is at the 70% and it meant nothing to us until recently when we saw him with his T-ball team…he is the BIG KID!!! I still have a serious hate for the Growth Chart but at least both of my kids are on it.
Derek is wearing the red shirt and white pants in the center of the photo
March 15, 2009
· Filed under Education/School, Family, Friends, Fun Times, Normal Stuff, Outings, Uncategorized
Other than the doctor appointments (4 on Wednesday) we have been a pretty normal family. Derek just had his second T-ball practice and I have to admit that he is doing pretty darn good. He is very shy but by the end of this week’s practice he really started to warm up and participate. There are only 7-8 kids on his team ‘The Angels’ (how fitting?) So it should be interesting how they do at their first game on March 28. I’ll post a few pictures soon.
Monet is still in dance classes but has lost some of her excitement for it. We will get her through the show on June 6, take the summer off and see if she wants to start back in the fall. Again more pics to come.
We registered Derek for Kindergarten & spoke with the guidance couselor about coming in seeing the teachers’ classrooms to pick an environment we think will suit him best. That way he can meet the teacher a few times before school starts.
I can’t believe life is normal finally, we don’t rush weekly to doctors, we don’t worry about feeding machines or lack of development due to malnourishment, we mostly worry about all the stuff the rest of you parents worry about and I am happy about that. It is nice to beable to take a big deep breath and not feel TONS of pressure on my shoulders day in and day out.
Derek is very physical and loves to role play his father and papa all day long. Monet however is super verbal with an ability to talk about anything constantly and follows her brother around to do some of his dirty work and tell the story of what happens. I love to listen and watch them, since they don’t invite me to play anymore yet I am involved constantly redirecting them to a new project that does not contain water or soap, it seems Play-Doh has lost much of its luster lately.
