Playing Catch up...

This is a pic that shows our Christmas Elf, she was a lot of fun!

Ryan opening a gift Christmas morning

Samantha thrilled she finally gets Zhu-Zhu pets!

Stacy opening a gift

Look what Santa brought Connor! Tools!

Christmas party in Samantha's class-she got to wear the birthday hat since her birthday is over vacation...

Connor's class party...

Connor's teacher reading a story to the class

Playing "The Name Game" at Connor's school party

Wow, a present for me!

Stacy and cousin Steven at Samantha's birthday party

Samantha and sweet Kate!

Our newest pets! Connor loves his fishies...

Samantha about to perform in her Christmas dance "Toyland" it was beautiful!

The kids with "The Sandman" at Fantasy in Lights


Wow! What can I say?? It has been a wonderful and very busy month for all of us. I hope the pictures tell a little about our holiday fun we had. Connor and Samantha both had school parties and luckily they were timed perfectly so that I was able to go to both. First Samantha came over to Connor's class and then me and Connor went to her party. Exhausting, but very special! The teachers really outdid themselves this year with all the fun activities. Samantha's teacher was especially nice and even let Connor join in with her class the day they made Gingerbread Houses (it was on a Thursday when Connor is off, but I was a helper and I KNEW he would love to make one with Samantha)

Samantha also had her birthday party early in the month, then on the REAL birthday we went to her favorite restaurant to celebrate. Aunt Laurie came to-only fitting since it was all three of our birthdays that day, lol.
We had a ton of fun this Christmas with the little elf Connor got at the hospital! Every day the kids would wake up and start looking for the silly things the elf would do at night...they found her in the tree, hanging from the chandelier, in the dollhouse eating candy, etc...it was GREAT! I even got my twin sister one for her family for Christmas-and some of the money goes to CURE for childhood cancer research, so it is for a good cause.

Connor is sick right now with a very bad cold and cough...it is scary, this is one of the few times he has been sick in a couple years. We usually joke that he is the healthiest sick kid we know, lol...the IVIg is his blessing, it keeps him SO full of healthy antibodies that he usually avoids all the yuckies going around. We had a busy month and he was exposed to a whole lot more than usual, so it could be from that, or just from everyone else having this virus-I just want it to go away! Last week at the doctor he was diagnosed with croup and that is better, now it is just a non-stop cough, but without the croupy sound to it...add in vomiting and low grade fever and you get the picture. No return of OMS symptoms so that is good news! We are watching closely and praying he can get through this without a relapse.

He has been doing awesome behavior-wise! This is a huge breakthrough for him, he has actually been able to entertain himself for a few minutes at a time this past month. I don't know if it is all the new toys or his maturing, but it has been nice to see him playing like a typical kid. He loves his Handy Manny tool bench Santa brought and is "fixing" things for us constantly, lol. Looks like we might be doing a Handy Manny birthday party come April! It is funny because he watches almost no television-so it isn't the show that has him captivated, it is just the tools.

Still going to speech twice a week...I caught myself in a pity party yesterday that I am trying to pull my way out of. This is what happened...I picked Connor up from school and he looked awful (circles under eyes, coughing) and it is such a long day for him from 8:30am-3:00pm, and then we rush to speech therapy and he looks miserable. While there-he is struggling SO hard to make these words come out right, and nothing is coming out right at all...so frustrating for him and for me. I was driving home and just kept thinking "Why?" Why does everything have to be this rough on him? He is only three years old, yet he has a schedule that is pretty tough sometimes for even an adult to keep track of. That lasted about a day and now I am back to my usual, more optimistic self...I know I am lucky he is talking at all. I thank God for that! I just have to keep reminding myself that he is getting better every day and it is progress, even if it is slow.

Ryan and Stacy just started their second semester at high school. The year is flying by! Next month they turn 15 and can get their learners permits and begin driving practice. I can see my stress level going up then, lol! Teaching TWO to drive at the same time :-)

Please keep Connor and all his OMS friends in your prayers and especially all the children fighting cancers. Too many!!!

Love to all-
Debbie