Wow, everything looks like so much fun! I don't know how you do it with two!
I'm working for the first time in forever and its quite an adjustment. Luckily, the work is flexible but I still get calls at home and I work from home some too. I hate that it interferes so much with family time. Also, sending Crew off to preschool this summer is killing me and I am always wondering if preschool is the right thing to do. Oh, why does it all have to be so complicated!
How fun for you that you have a good friend to hang with and that your kiddos get along. Enjoy these summer days:)
Fri Jun 15, 02:56:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...
Thanks for post and the wonderful photos! I was hoping for an update before the weekend. Your girls remind me so much of the book _Karen_ by Marie Killilea. I really think you'd like it. It's a memoir by the mother of a daughter with CP-- in 1942 she was where you are now. It's uplifting and funny and courageous and hopeful and triumphant. Worth looking for, truly.
Fri Jun 15, 06:02:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...
Eden and Holland both look like they are having a blast!
Why not hire a high school girl to come and help out when you want to take the girls on outings? I did that for two summers, before I got a real job. lol The twin girls I helped with were physically fine, but one had a lot of behavior issues and needed constant supervision. I spent a lot of days with them, even when I wasn't "working" because they were just so much fun. :)
Fri Jun 15, 06:05:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...
I can't wait to come play with you guys!! Luv Ya Liz
Billie - I want to take Ellie to your house to play! I love all the pools and table set up for play while in a pony walker. Also, what is Eden sitting in in the little pool? I want to get one for Ellie and a little pool too. You are giving me the guts to do it.
I really related too to your comment about not being able to meet up with friends with the girls along and how hard that might be. It's the same with Ellie. I can't have a conversation with another mom when she is wanting to play. I also can't just pop her in the car and go. There are so many meds to pack and last year she would not tolerate story hour at the library. So I relate to that loss. Especially when I see other moms with little daughters hand in hand chatting as they walk down the street.
But, you inspire me to make it fun where we are. Which is home with a yard without a kiddie pool. But not for long!
Your post always conveys the complexity of the emotions so well. The duality of living in a rarefied world in some ways. Happy to be there, in love with your kids 100% and more, but a bit wistful when you are reminded of it's limitations. It's never as simple as anger or joy or run of the mill emotions.
The girls are gorgeous and you are such a great mom. They look really, really happy. It's great to see them having so much fun!
Kathryn
Fri Jun 15, 11:24:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...
Those girls are gorgeous! Billie- I am VERY interested in hearing your thoughts on the pros and cons of integration of special needs children into regular classrooms- might we be entitled to some of your wise insight on this topic this summer?
Kathryn, The chair Eden is using in the pool is the First Years Reclining booster. This has been one of our most used baby items, and I bet it would still work for Ellie.
Eden also uses it for snacks or watching videos in the family room. We recently put a block under it, to raise it up higher so Eden's feet touch the ground instead of stiffening out in front of her.
Thanks Billie. I think it will work for Ellie. I am going to see if I can find it locally. Eden looks great in it and it's sitting right in the pool! I find that the Bumbo is less stable when it's in the tub.
You are the master of getting your girls out in life! I have to get better at that with Ellie.
Looks like Holland and Eden have their own personal waterpark in the yard. How many pools do these girls have? It looks like they're having a lot of fun.
Aren't school jobs the best? You know--if you HAVE to work. I guess it could be better if I only had to work from, like, 10 to 2 or something. :)
We've been out of school since May 18th. I thought I'd have more time to blog then, but we're SO busy just enjoying the outside.
Fri Jun 29, 07:28:00 PM EDT
[Image]I love my job. I can't imagine having to work year round. It's so great every year to have that last day of school to look forward to, and to have the whole summer ahead to spend time with my kids. It's going to be a great summer. The girls are at such a fun age where they are really able to enjoy being outside. They love playing in the water, trips to the zoo, going to the library, and playing at the park. I love it all too.
[Image]I do kind of miss out on a lot of the fun that comes along with having almost-3-year-old twins though. I can't really take them anywhere on my own, unless they stay in the stroller. I can't meet a buddy for a playdate at the park, without an extra set of hands to help me with the girls. Obviously, Eden needs one-on-one attention the entire time, so there is no time for chatting with friends or other moms. Holland also still needs pretty constant supervision. Although she is able to walk and gets around pretty good on her own, she still has a lot of difficulty running and with uneven surfaces. She stills falls A LOT more than other kids her age. With Eden being so much more severe, we tend to forget that Holland has CP too, until we see her playing with other kids her age. Then her delays become pretty obvious too.
[Image]I don't mean to complain too much though. We still have SO much fun. I love Holland and Eden's personalities. They are such funny, interesting, and cool kids. They really love to play, are so interested in learning new things, and are so easily entertained. Eden always wants to be right there in the middle of the action. We get a great workout trying to keep up with her.
[Image]Wednesday was my last day of work! I share a job with Roya, and we both brought our kids to work on Thursday to see everybody before their last day. I have been so lucky to job share with Roya. I really like her, and we get along so well. I also like her kids, and enjoy spending time with them. After we stopped by work, we came back to my house for lunch and to play in the pool. The kids all seemed to have so much fun. We'll definitely have to get our kiddos together more this summer. Noah will turn 3 this month, so he is about a month older (or several months depending on how you look at it) than H and E.
[Image]This summer also brings about a whole slew of doctors appointments. Next week the girls will see the pulmonologist for their post-pneumonia follow-up. I suspect that we will do repeat x-rays while they are healthy, so we can see how their lungs look on a good day. Next week also starts baby group through the school district. I am looking forward to it this year, because I think the girls will really enjoy it and will be more engaged in the activities. Should be fun!
"School's Out For SUMMER!"
12 Comments -
Wow, everything looks like so much fun! I don't know how you do it with two!
I'm working for the first time in forever and its quite an adjustment. Luckily, the work is flexible but I still get calls at home and I work from home some too. I hate that it interferes so much with family time. Also, sending Crew off to preschool this summer is killing me and I am always wondering if preschool is the right thing to do. Oh, why does it all have to be so complicated!
How fun for you that you have a good friend to hang with and that your kiddos get along. Enjoy these summer days:)
Fri Jun 15, 02:56:00 PM EDT
Thanks for post and the wonderful photos! I was hoping for an update before the weekend. Your girls remind me so much of the book _Karen_ by Marie Killilea. I really think you'd like it. It's a memoir by the mother of a daughter with CP-- in 1942 she was where you are now. It's uplifting and funny and courageous and hopeful and triumphant. Worth looking for, truly.
Fri Jun 15, 06:02:00 PM EDT
Eden and Holland both look like they are having a blast!
Why not hire a high school girl to come and help out when you want to take the girls on outings? I did that for two summers, before I got a real job. lol The twin girls I helped with were physically fine, but one had a lot of behavior issues and needed constant supervision. I spent a lot of days with them, even when I wasn't "working" because they were just so much fun. :)
Fri Jun 15, 06:05:00 PM EDT
I can't wait to come play with you guys!! Luv Ya Liz
Fri Jun 15, 07:02:00 PM EDT
Looks so fun! I want to come over!
Miss you a ton!
Amy
Fri Jun 15, 08:27:00 PM EDT
Billie - I want to take Ellie to your house to play! I love all the pools and table set up for play while in a pony walker. Also, what is Eden sitting in in the little pool? I want to get one for Ellie and a little pool too. You are giving me the guts to do it.
I really related too to your comment about not being able to meet up with friends with the girls along and how hard that might be. It's the same with Ellie. I can't have a conversation with another mom when she is wanting to play. I also can't just pop her in the car and go. There are so many meds to pack and last year she would not tolerate story hour at the library. So I relate to that loss. Especially when I see other moms with little daughters hand in hand chatting as they walk down the street.
But, you inspire me to make it fun where we are. Which is home with a yard without a kiddie pool. But not for long!
Your post always conveys the complexity of the emotions so well. The duality of living in a rarefied world in some ways. Happy to be there, in love with your kids 100% and more, but a bit wistful when you are reminded of it's limitations. It's never as simple as anger or joy or run of the mill emotions.
The girls are gorgeous and you are such a great mom. They look really, really happy. It's great to see them having so much fun!
Kathryn
Fri Jun 15, 11:24:00 PM EDT
Those girls are gorgeous! Billie- I am VERY interested in hearing your thoughts on the pros and cons of integration of special needs children into regular classrooms- might we be entitled to some of your wise insight on this topic this summer?
Have a good one!:)
-AV
Fri Jun 15, 11:28:00 PM EDT
Kathryn,
The chair Eden is using in the pool is the First Years Reclining booster. This has been one of our most used baby items, and I bet it would still work for Ellie.
Eden also uses it for snacks or watching videos in the family room. We recently put a block under it, to raise it up higher so Eden's feet touch the ground instead of stiffening out in front of her.
Sun Jun 17, 03:08:00 PM EDT
Thanks Billie. I think it will work for Ellie. I am going to see if I can find it locally. Eden looks great in it and it's sitting right in the pool! I find that the Bumbo is less stable when it's in the tub.
You are the master of getting your girls out in life! I have to get better at that with Ellie.
Sun Jun 17, 03:25:00 PM EDT
Looks like Holland and Eden have their own personal waterpark in the yard. How many pools do these girls have? It looks like they're having a lot of fun.
Sun Jun 17, 08:39:00 PM EDT
Looks like fun! The pool in the first pic is really cool!
Hope you and your girls have a great summer:)
Sun Jun 17, 11:06:00 PM EDT
Aren't school jobs the best? You know--if you HAVE to work. I guess it could be better if I only had to work from, like, 10 to 2 or something. :)
We've been out of school since May 18th. I thought I'd have more time to blog then, but we're SO busy just enjoying the outside.
Fri Jun 29, 07:28:00 PM EDT