Okay - one more!

Aria got a new knit hat. It was from a friend at church, meant for her daughter but it was too small. It fits Aria perfectly and the color is just right!




I have this travel mug with 3 kids on it. I've been having fun in the studio, now I need to order a new mug!

I had to share...

This was a photo I took of J.C. last week, it was just too cute not to post....

CIT: Week Four!!

P.M.'s cast came OFF this week! You can read all about it on her caringbridge site. She was not a happy camper! There are several therapy videos at YouTube as well.


We went to the corn maze this week. For those of you that have never seen one, it is an entire field devoted to a GPS made maze. You can only see the entire picture from above:

Our church friends went as a group. We had a really fun time, and the weather was wonderful! Only a few of those nice days left, it sounds like....

M.D. in the corn-filled sand box, making corn angels I believe. (P.M. managed to get a corn nugget wedged in the fingers of her cast, I dug it out with a sucker stick)

Evil P.M.?

M.D.

A.M.

In the maze with several kids from church.

P.M. had the best seat in the house.

Their catch phrase is "Get Lost" in the maze. We made sure we did!! Thats what happens when you let the kids navigate. I guess you can use the GPS on your cell phone if you have it. Each of the 15 checkpoints had coordinates! At many spots there were games the kids could play and win small prizes or candy from the workers. It was really fun! We had hoped all the walking would wear out the kids, it mostly just wore out the adults!

CIT: Week 3.5

I posted a bunch of video at YouTube of P.M.'s therapy, before and during CIT. It seems as though the sound is still weird, so it may be my cheapo camera or the crap internet connection I have.
A few things I noticed this week.....



J.C. looks like M.D.:

Us the day before P.M. was born...(I like my hair)

J.C. & Me now..(still like my hair, far different reasons)

CIT: Week Three

Putting coins in a barn..

P.M. makes me laugh so often!! She still has a good sense of humor through all of this.

On to week three!! I've seen a ton of progress this week with P.M.! Take a look at these videos. I've noticed that the audio doesn't seem to match up with the time on other videos I've posted. I don't know if this is just my connection, a blogger thing, or something else. I may start linking to YouTube if this continues. Please let me know if you have the same issues :)

I am SO excited to post this video. Her skills are really improving and this is proof. P.M. wasn't even able to grasp a small cup much less turn it up like this to keep it from spilling. The OT would hold her wrist and assist any time she did this activity. P.M. can now do it herself!!! She does need help to place the cup in her hand, but I wonder if the cast comes off she would now do that herself as well.

This video was so cute, I wanted to include it. It is also good proof that the therapy is doing it's job. Look at the extension of those fingers. This was darn near impossible a few months ago!! We're very proud of P.M. and really happy with all the hard work!

The kids are total goofballs. We've tried to get outside as often as we can as the weather man is threatening snow in the near future!! Everybody still enjoys school...that is once they get there. Getting dressed and in the car every morning is such work. M.D. keeps asking if he can "hang out at home today". P.M. knows everyone is "ah cool" (at school), and in the evening if I ask where A.M. or M.D. are she usually tells me they're at school if she can't find them in the house. A.M. has a new discipline system at school that consists of Green, Yellow, and Red lights, each a level of how good they are. The come home with a calendar and a sticker on the day of how they did. We have to sign it each day. Every day but one A.M. has had a green sticker. A yellow showed up last Friday. She said she was giggling too much with a friend and got a warning. She prides herself in being a good and helpful girl and I LOVE IT! (PS "mom, 3 days 'til my birthday) A.M. also said that they are gaining ANOTHER kid in their class. Does this make 23? I believe that makes them larger than the Kindergarten class that they split into 2 sections. I wonder if her teacher feels overwhelmed. Of course I remember having 25+ in any class I was in. It's nice to be in a small town.

Everyone grit your teeth and say "CHEEESE"!!

CIT: Week Two

I got tired of sponge bathing P.M., so I double bagged the cast & filled up the kitchen sink. She was really good about keeping her arm out of the water and I was able to wash her hair. I think she enjoyed it. Everything seems to be going well. She is doing great at her therapy sessions. We've found she does better in a little chair & tray than when she's loose and can get up any time she wants to play with other things. I meant to video some more of her session on Monday, but I ended up having to do my recertification for CPR during part of her session (have to recertify if I want to work again next month!). They did tape her with their camera, so I will have to get those from them.

NDSU's homecoming was this past weekend. Bison won with a fantastic 2nd half comeback. It was an awesome game, I only wish I could have gone. I watched it on TV. We did go to the homecoming parade. A.M. learned that if you're cute and yell "Go Bison!!" the people handing out candy will give you more! They felt sorry for P.M. and her "broken arm" and would go out of their way to come to the stroller to give her candy. Piper couldn't take it from them most of the time as she insisted on wearing the big foam #1 finger on her free hand. At the Bison Feed we ate bison burgers and lots of sides (yum!) and listened to the "Old Star Band" (ha ha!!) AKA the Alumni Band as well as the current Gold Star Marching Band. It was really cool, and really loud. P.M. got up and danced to all the songs. A.M. took video with the camera, but the sound was so loud its all distorted on the recording. She snapped a few pictures of the band as well. They are the largest they've been in many years, and they have new uniforms. Daddy and I were disappointed to see the last ones go, they were new when we were in the band, and Daddy played a large part in designing them. I guess we don't have to feel so bad about the one we still have in the closet downstairs (shhhh!).

M.D. got his face painted at the pep rally. I was hoping he would take A.M.'s cue and just get little stripes on his cheeks. Oh, no. The entire face. Green and yellow. His mouth was still green for church the next morning.

A.M.'s shot of the band in their new uniforms. A.M. has been super helpful at home. She even changed a diaper this week!! She has been helping out with P.M. and J.C. even when I don't ask. ALSO...she scatters in reminders..."X days until my birthday!" Ah - ha! Today is 8 days until her birthday. I guess I'd better get planning!!

CIT: Week One

Week one has gone well. I am happy to say P.M. has not intentionally clubbed anyone with her cast. Miss Crabby Pants was replaced by regular P.M. and she's fairly cooperative at her therapy sessions. As much as before, anyway.

This is a taste of what we can do on week one. I will put together a larger video at the end of CIT to see her progress. We are excited to see what her final results will be!!