tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33602083219636644102024-03-13T10:12:24.492-05:00The Brooks ChroniclesJust about our family!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.comBlogger538125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-22209319164379106442020-03-30T16:55:00.000-05:002020-03-30T16:55:40.509-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, here's what's been happening since we last spoke. . . . . . We dove into distance learning. It's going ok. Also doing our own study thru StudySync and doing a book club of our own.</div>
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I painted our old swing black for a major swing makeover<br />
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Liv continues to upgrade her new room. Latest edition, this cool canopy and lights. They both love hanging out in their new room.<br />
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We finally got aunt Melissa and Aunt Teresa on video calls and we discovered when daddy uses this filter he and aunt Melissa could be twins<br />
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We started and finished a new puzzle</div>
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Roger's been gardening and cleaning up our patio so we can use it. I fixed our treadmill (Major accomplishment). The belt needed to be tightened and readjusted and I did it all by myself by watching a youtube video. The other thing I learned this week by watching a youtube video is how to cut men's hair. Not too shabby!</div>
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-64901685072543632152020-03-26T21:00:00.000-05:002020-03-26T21:00:20.420-05:00A New Normal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yep. Our new normal. Just taking a dog walk and bike ride on an average Thursday afternoon. Beautiful weather, weird thing. . . we saw soooo many people out. On a normal day, pre-Covid 19, we could walk the block and see zero to 2 people. Today we saw minimally 12 people of all ages. Out walking, jogging, swinging, yard work, during a time when kids should be at school and parents at work. All out and enjoying a beautiful day.</div>
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-15696863986413764932020-03-25T00:30:00.003-05:002020-03-25T00:30:47.428-05:00First Day of (Distance Learning) School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today started our first day of school in our new distance learning world. Olivia surprised me by getting up by 9am (even after staying up til past midnight watching the Star Wars movies; one more to go!) and logging on to get her work done. She 'zoomed' with a friend to get it all down.</div>
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We couldn't find any assignments for Jules so I got to take out my teacher hat again as I rostered them in my StudySync classroom. We started a new unit on myths, fables and folk tales. Both girls were very interested - I LOVE STUDYSYNC!</div>
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After we finished with school work, Liv decided to try her hand at making masks. Turned out awesome. And since we are on 'shelter in place' we don't have too much use, but I did use it to pull weeds since everything is pretty much yellow and full of pollen. </div>
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Then we headed outdoors for physical education. We were so glad to take our first swim of the season. Beautiful weather after a week of rain and clouds. We heated up the water a bit so it was perfect. <br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-56337696602861009502020-03-23T16:19:00.003-05:002020-03-23T16:19:53.704-05:00Quarantine Fashion Do's and Don'tsAs we enter this second week of quarantine we wanted to share a little bit of fashion do's and don'ts during a pandemic. So basically there aren't any don'ts and only lots of Do's! So for most people this is a very shoe optional time. Heck sometimes it's even a sock optional time. But for those of us over 40, with a little bit of <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">plantar fasciitis</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">,</span></span> we need support. So for a very dad look you should try some nice thick white socks with your Chaco sandals for maximum support. For the moms in the house you can do same kind of sock but only with Birkenstock's. You can choose from the winter variety or the sandal. Either way, you have socks underneath so it doesn't matter.<br />
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Also a must is a nice flannel variety pant with the elastic waist. (Dad's new work uniform)<br />
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For us girls, it means yoga pants or sweat pants (also must have elastic waist), whatever comfy t-shirt, no make up, no hair products or accessories other than a hair rubberband.</div>
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Hair rubberband necessary for the messy bun that your hair will eventually end up in.</div>
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And of course you need a lap dog.<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-56025814474878311162020-03-23T14:10:00.002-05:002020-03-23T14:10:35.956-05:00Brooks Chronicles - Quarantine Edition Welcome back to the Brooks Chronicles. Something I haven't touched in awhile, but these times are calling for us to chronicle our lives as we head into uncharted territory with Corona Virus. So as of today, March 22, 2020 we are under a bit of quarantine. All non essential businesses are closed. Restaurants and bars are closed for dine in and most businesses are work from home only. Our spring break started Friday, March 13 and runs thru Monday, March 23rd. So technically, we have been on 'spring break' even though it has felt like a full blown quarantine. So far this week we have:<br />
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Made homemade blueberry scones<br />
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Lounged around a bit</div>
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completed a 1,000 piece Thomas Kinkade puzzle</div>
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Snacked a bit (don't judge)<br />
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Made some homemade eggplant parmesean<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We started watching the entire Star Wars movies (me and the girls had seen none of them), cleaned the house, started reading a book together, cleaned and organized the playroom and Liv decided to move upstairs to one of the spare rooms. Her and Jules are taking turns, sometimes sleeping upstairs and sometimes sleeping downstairs. So they now have their own room, but take turns sleeping together.</span><br />
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Today I went to Costco. Kind of a big deal. It's weird because we are consumed by all the media and all that's going on and you go out and drive and it looks so normal. The trees are still green and blooming, cars still on the road. Just hard to believe that in this place that looks so normal there is something out there that is endangering so many people. The store is only allowing so many customers at a time, so there was a bit of a line to get in. On a plus note they were wiping down each cart as they handed it to you. Some peculiar things: Limits on things like water, canned chicken etc. Signs reminding you to stay 6 feet away from everyone. Meat completely out well except for some plant based meat (great time to be plant based) Some people wearing masks. Some people wearing masks with their nose hanging out of the mask. News flash - if you want the mask to be effective you have to keep nose and mouth covered. Then on the other hand some families were shopping with the whole family including kids like nothing was happening. The toll road that usually costs about $1.27 - $1.67 was at .24 cents. A dog park I passed on the way home was full. Way more than 10 people. Just crazy. But got us stocked with all of our staples and some treats. Now hoping to buckle down, stay home, stay safe and healthy. Tuesday starts distance learning!!! Let's see how that goes!<br />
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Here's some thoughts from our girls:<br />
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Jules - So far I am feeling good. <br />
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Liv - I'm a little unsure. I mean I love spending time with my fam, but how long is this going to take to blow over. I've been actually hoping we get on lockdown, but now that its happened and why its happened were, well, all for the wrong reasons. I've LOVED all this free time and making my new room and spending time with my family, but its at the cost of people dying. I guess, today, I've realized that we have to slow down sometimes and if we don't, then God will for us. We have to appreciate the little things in life that matter. Like watching a movie as a family at home or even something as simple as eating family together as a family. Because if we don't recognize these things, God will SHOW us how to recognize it. Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-61876664182066526712018-01-17T21:04:00.000-06:002018-01-17T21:19:18.132-06:00Overwhelmed with Life2018 here we are. I told myself this year was the year that I was bringing back he blog. Why?? Because we are living this incredible life with so much going on that we sometimes forget specials moments that seem small at the time but are actually very big! I feel like we’ve missed out on so many huge and tiny adventures the last couple of years that will most likely end up lost on my terrible memory. Last year was our year of travel. Would have been a great one to blog about. We went to Spokane Washington with our dear friends Jenn and Ali, we went to Hot Springs, AK, the girls went to camp for the first time ever and we got to go to Hawaii on Juliana’s Make-A-Wish trip. So I refuse to miss out on another year. 2018 has already been a doozy. We ended last year with the news of my dad’s cancer. It was a tough getting that news but the good news is tray he’s fighting it and going along with all treatments. Then on January 10th, Juliana has spinal fusion surgery. It was a 9 hour procedure and the longest day of my life. As always she pulled through like a champ but it hasn’t been easy. Not on her. The recovery is brutal. She ended up with 24 screws and two rods. An incision going from the back of her neck to her bottom. No. Not an easy recover. It’s been hard on Olivia who has had to take be second in a lot of ways. She has had to be ridiculously patient with us all while also handing her own stress and anxiety about her sisters surgery. So I’ve tried to take some time for her. Just cooking dinner together or putting her to bed. Tonight at bed she asked me “mommy, do you sometimes get overwhelmed with life!” Umm, yeah. Every flipping day of my life. I answer, “sure. Everybody does sometimes. What do you get overwhelmed about?” Her answer.....”Just how fast everything is happening. Like soon Juj will go to middle school, then I will, then we’ll be in high school and college, and then we’ll just be out in the big world and all ‘this’ will be over. “ I want to scream “GET OUT OF MY HEAD KID!” She is such an old soul. I hugged her tight and enjoyed the moment. Don’t grow up too fast my little mouse. Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-89310333299521051742014-12-03T09:44:00.001-06:002014-12-03T09:44:34.045-06:00Letters to Santa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Olivia had her Christmas list ready about a week ago. She's been chomping at the bit to get it out to Santa. Her list included Flipeez (ridiculous winter hats you can only buy at Walgreens), Mooshka doll, doll stroller, shopping cart, a cash register and scanner. </div>
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So I told Juliana that we needed to get busy and write her letter so we could get them in the mail. Without missing a beat, she tells me on her computer, "That is too hard. I need help. How many? That is too hard." I told her we would work on it together but I needed her to start thinking of something she would like. </div>
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So coincidentally, the next day, guess what her school team decided to work on. So they started it off as a shared writing. They asked her, "How do you want to start it out? Have you been good? etc" So they wrote this part together. Then they gave her the sentence starter "I want a _____" and then using her alphabet flip book, she spelled C-A-R. They asked her if she was done, thinking that she couldn't possibly be spelling car, right? Maybe she meant C-A-R-D-S, like goldfish or something. She responded with a nod - yes. So then they asked her if she wanted a small car, a minnie mouse car, a remote control car - to all of which she responded NO. So then Mrs. Broome (OT) asked, "OH! Do you want a power wheels so you and Olivia can go riding around?" to which she smiled and nodded a huge YES!</div>
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I'm really hoping Santa has it in the budget to get this girl a car. She has been a VERY GOOD GIRL!<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-81166137229248598122014-12-02T09:10:00.000-06:002014-12-02T09:10:31.257-06:00Team Juliana Up-Cycled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I have been hoarding a few t-shirts for several years now. Most of them were our original "TEAM JULIANA" Shirts. We had these shirts made shortly after we got Juliana's diagnoses and was really the spearhead that brought us out of depression and into action. We assembled a team of close friends and family that were all feeling helpless with Juliana's diagnoses and TEAM Juliana was born. We wore these shirts at all our fundraisers and they became sort of like our uniform. Well eventually the girls outgrew the shirts and ours became worn out, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. They had TEAM JULIANA on them and it just felt sacrilegious to throw them out or donate them. So they sat for years in the corner of my room in a paper sack, all the while knowing I would find something great to do with them. </div>
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Then, fast forward about 5 years, we meet Claire Oliver, our new assistant principal and basically jack of all trades. The woman is amazing, she does iron man triathlons for crying out loud and in her spare time apparently she sews. So saying all that, Claire created this beautiful blanket out of all of my Girl Power inspired t-shirts. It will keep us warm both on the outside as well as my heart!</div>
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-20069826803812927162014-11-29T10:32:00.000-06:002014-12-02T10:32:23.609-06:00A Visit to the Fort Worth Stockyards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So for our second day of touring the metroplex we went to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Started off with some amazing barbecue - which I am not a huge barbecue fan, but this was good stuff! And although we have lived in the metroplex for about 15 years, this was the first time I have seen the steers parade through town. It was kind of funny because I think secretly in my head I thought it was going to be more of a stampede, or like the running of the bulls in Spain, but it's a really tame stroll through town. </div>
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From there we headed to Southlake for a little shopping and walking. And what you see below is the dental session we had in the middle of Southlake Town Square. So here's the backstory. Juliana had lost a tooth that morning and not to be outdone by her sister Olivia was bound and determined to lose one too. I told her early on that hers wasn't ready, but she insisted. So all day we have been hearing about this tooth and finally Norma convinces Olivia to let her take a look, because she's ready for this, right. Wrong, Norma pushes on the tooth (which wasn't ready, but is now ready) Olivia freaks out and starts crying. So now, 3 days later, the tooth is still in her mouth hanging on by a thread, but she insists she will not force it out. She will let it come out when it's ready. Sage advice.</div>
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-89056845889262315392014-11-28T10:47:00.000-06:002014-12-03T11:24:19.351-06:00Big D<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, since this was Norma's first time to Dallas, we decided to show her around. First stop, Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. We LOVE this park for several reasons, cool dog park, games and books you can check out for free and food trucks! So much fun.</div>
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So after the park and lunch, we stopped by the house for just a second to let everyone potty before the next adventure. I took this picture of me and Juliana because she was having a blast this day. This kid loves to be out on the town. A bad day for her is a day she has to stay home all day. She is definitely my daughter!<br />
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So the next stop was the Texas Christkindl Market in Arlington. We were so ready to get our German on!</div>
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This is someone important in German folklore, which I vaguely remember Tante Monika telling us about, but can't seem to recall the story right now. </div>
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And here is Norma and Eddie.<br />
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Being that we were in a German mood, we decided to try out something new at a restaurant called Everything German. This place is AMAZING!!!! Very authentic German food and complete with the sweetest accordion player. The girls loved him and he continued to play for just the girls for the majority of our time there.<br />
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And I had this tasty beverage. A Leibinger Seeradler, which is basically a beer with grapefruit soda. Delicious! <br />
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And then with full bellies, we made it home for movie night! Tonight's selection - Nanny McPhee!<br />
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Liv had to draw a poster for the movie<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-79523541517933067612014-11-27T10:55:00.000-06:002014-12-02T10:56:08.335-06:00Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So here we are, already at Thanksgiving 2014. And although it was a fantastic Thanksgiving, it was a picture FAIL. Why? Because these are the only 2 pictures we took the entire day. At least I thought to get a picture of my big girls. And no, Juliana is not THAT small. It's just the way we took the picture, another picture FAIL! And who are we missing? Well, for starters, Daddy. He was probably cooking the amazing dinner, that we also failed to photograph. Also missing was Uncle Eddie and Norma, Aunt Teresa and Dylan and Uncle Ray. <br />
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And this was a very cute, last minute Pinterest centerpiece that Olivia and Aunt Teresa threw together. Great idea guys!<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-28851167996473271952014-11-24T11:02:00.000-06:002014-12-02T11:02:20.554-06:00First Sleepover EVER!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So this happened. What started as a movie date, turned into a playdate and eventually turned into a sleepover. What a great time! Faith is the girls best friend whom they have known since birth pretty much. She is a really good friend to both girls and we were so glad to have her over. I'm always a little sensitive and worried that Juliana will feel left out. And then to top it off, Juliana conked out early, so she missed the movie. So I tell the girls, if you want you can sleep in the playroom or on another bed, since Juliana is already asleep. Without skipping a beat, both girls replied, "No! We have to sleep with Juj! How will she feel if she wakes up and we aren't there with her? We have to!" So we piled in the girls with Juliana for a good nights sleep, but the giggles continued! What good memories. I'm so thankful that they include Juliana and let her be a part of things in her own way. </div>
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-46910224874306786982014-11-21T11:21:00.000-06:002014-12-02T11:22:08.955-06:00Chili's Give Back Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A huge, huge thank you to all that came out to support Team Juliana at Chili's! We had so much fun and just appreciate so much everyone who came out. It has become a reunion of sorts and we are so blessed to have so many people that want to help us find a cure!</div>
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Lively Team!</div>
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Abel, one of my favorite former students!<br />
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Brandenburg Team<br />
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Travis Team<br />
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Bazluki - Former Brandenburg Team<br />
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Mrs. Marquez - one of Juliana's amazing teachers.<br />
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And more Team Lively!<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-6152090731371070902014-11-21T09:50:00.000-06:002014-12-03T09:50:57.128-06:00Outstanding Student of the 2nd Six Weeks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I drop Juliana off at school and they inform me there will be an awards ceremony this afternoon and I might want to come because Juliana will be receiving something. <br />
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I am very proud to present my "Outstanding Student of the 2nd Six Weeks"! That is Mr. Flynn, announcing and presenting all the outstanding students with their certificate. This administrative team rocks and are always so good at recognizing our kiddos. <br />
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I guess Juliana and Ms. Bustos were mesmerized.<br />
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Love this picture. These two are a great team. We are very thankful that God sent us Ms. Bustos<br />
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Way to go Juj! Way to work hard!<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-64285448056806327922014-11-16T10:22:00.000-06:002014-12-03T10:23:12.783-06:00Disney Avenger's Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe it's possible, but the Avenger's Half Marathon is now my 4th Half marathon. For those who know me, you understand how remarkable this is. I am not now or ever have been a runner. I don't get that "runner's high", I don't have these long reflective runs that clear my head. I run honestly for three reasons: 1. Because I think of Juliana. She does so much therapy and it's hard. It tires her out and yet day after day, we make her do it. I figure it's the least I can do. 2. It raises money and awareness for Rett Syndrome and it gets us just a little closer to a cure. and 3. It allows me to spend time with some of the most amazing women I know. And we get to laugh, and share stories, give and get advice and recharge our batteries before heading home. So I get all that for the low price of 13.1 miles. I'd say it's a steal of a deal. <br />
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Look who I ran into in Dallas! I'm sure it's 5 o'clock somewhere!<br />
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And then we found this one once we got to Orange County. Double fisted Tina!<br />
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First stop after drinks and lunch was picking up our race bibs!<br />
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And then, like a bunch of old ladies, guess what we did.........we all conked out in our hotel room at about 9pm. I know kind of lame, but you know what, we don't often get to do that, and it was actually 11pm Dallas time.<br />
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The next day we decided to spend some time at California Adventure. Because of course that's what you do the day before a half marathon that you totally haven't trained for. P.S. - gorgeous weather!<br />
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First ride, against Niki's wishes, The Tower of Terror! To bad you can't see Tina's face:(<br />
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Had to take a picture of Doc for Olivia!<br />
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And then of course Mickey for Juliana!<br />
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Checked out Monster's U<br />
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And then it was onto Radiator Springs!<br />
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And then it dawned on me that I had still never tried a Dole Whip. You know that thing I always see on Pinterest where people are trying to recreate this amazing dessert. So I look at Tina (our resident Disney expert) and asks where we can procure this dessert. And she tells me we can't! Why? Because we are in California Adventure and you can only get those in Disneyland. WTF! This is unacceptable. I did not come all the way from Dallas to be denied this tasty treat. So I ask an employee if this is true. She confirms it. I ask her if there is any way she could go in and just buy me one. And guess what she did. . . . . . . Yup, she let us in Disneyland!!!! Just like that she opened the gate and let us right in for the Dole Whip. So we ran over to the Tiki Hut or whatever it's called and stood in line (a long line) for a Dole Whip! Do we look a little excited?<br />
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And here it is friends! It was amazing.<br />
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And as we were on the way out, guess what - Parade. Darn it, I guess we will have to wait till it's over.<br />
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Then from there it was our Team Dinner. I love these ladies.<br />
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My number one reason for being there.<br />
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And this was the scene at home. This was Liv's best attempt at a smile. Apparently her hands were chapped and hurting and she needed her momma. </div>
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And then it was GAME ON! Morning of the race. I unfortunately was in the last corral all by myself. No worries I made some friends. Check out all the people behind me!!! I call that my buffer - There are that many people between me and the bus that picks you up! I can do this!<br />
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And I got this little jewel. Apparently a good night's sleep did her good!</div>
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Minutes before starting<br />
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Running through the park<br />
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Okay, I'm not going to lie. This run was not pretty. It was by far the hardest one for me yet. The 55 mph Santa Anna winds didn't help. At one point around mile 2, we passed a Wenchel's Donuts and I seriously thought about bailing and hanging in the donut shop. I could taste the coffee and donuts. But somehow I persevered. Around mile 8 we got to run through Angel's Stadium. That was kind of cool.<br />
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And then somehow I finally managed to finish the longest 13.1 miles of my life!<br />
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And I got my Coast to Coast medal too!<br />
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And then I had a Shock Top!<br />
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And then it was time to say goodbye to my dear friends. What a great weekend. Truly blessed to have found this group!<br />
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Never would I have believed that I had earned all of these medals. Who is this girl?<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-8088333326114875212014-11-11T11:16:00.000-06:002014-12-03T11:19:55.354-06:00A Life Changer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, this week we had the pleasure of having Susan Norwell in Irving ISD. She spent one day training staff from all over the district and one day just with Juliana and her team. I don't really even know how to begin to describe this experience other than to start by telling you that it has changed our life. It changed the way we look at Juliana and her education. And it changed Juliana. It gave her a new found confidence and pride in herself that I had never seen in her before.</div>
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So prior to Susan's visit, we had chatted on the phone and she asked me where I thought she was with reading. What level I felt she was on and we talked at length about this. Then she asked where we were with writing. I mentioned how we do shared writing, or we ask her what she wants to write by asking yes/no questions. And she was like, "That's good, but where is she with independent writing?" And I had no answer. I wanted to say, "Don't you know she can't hold a pencil? She has no hand use. How do you expect her to do 'independent' writing?" I was at a complete loss. And this is why we needed her to come. </div>
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So here are some valuable little gems that we learned while she was here </div>
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1. Her computer is a communication device NOT a testing device.</div>
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We had heard this of course, and I guess I always thought of it as, don't load a test onto it and expect her to take a test on it. That sort of thing. So we never did that. We understood that is should always be available for her to share her thoughts or say what she wants to say. But we were still doing it. All of us, at school, at home at therapy. We didn't load a test on there, but we did get it to a page (for example numbers) and then say find the number 9, or tell me how many in this set? or Tell me what animal you saw in the story? So really it was still a test. No wonder she didn't want to use her computer any more. She was associating her device with having to answer a question that could be wrong. </div>
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2. Low Tech is sometimes a better option.</div>
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I think after we acquired this very expensive device we felt like we had to use it all the time. And don't get me wrong, Susan definitely wants her communicating on her Tobii, but it's not always the best option for what she is doing. Sometimes low tech (white boards, index cards, your hands) are better and more efficient options. It's quicker, you don't have to program and it leaves the Tobii free for communication and opinions, questions, requests etc.</div>
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3. Apraxia is real and Juliana has it pretty severely.</div>
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We have always known about apraxia, but I don't think I ever really really understood it. Nor did I ever think that Juliana has SEVERE apraxia. To wrap your brain around this is like imagining you have sever anxiety to the point that you can no longer control your body. So someone asks you to do something, and your brain wants to respond and your body is frozen and completely unwilling to function. How does that feel? And how do we typically react when someone doesn't do what we ask. We continue to ask, or ask louder or put more pressure. Well guess what......what do you think this does to the apraxia. It certainly doesn't help it.</div>
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So Susan has several low tech flip books. One of them has high frequency words (I, you, want, the etc) and one is a letter flip book. After only 3 days of knowing Juliana, Susan got her to write - INDEPENDENTLY! I almost cried! Ok, who am I kidding, I bawled all day long. This is how it went down:</div>
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Susan - Juliana, look around. Do you see? Everyone is writing right now. We need to get you writing too. Just like everyone else. </div>
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So Susan modeled how the books worked and then they were off. Juliana chose I, on, am - from the high frequency word flip book. Then she indicated that she needed the alphabet book. She chose /G/ then space then /t/ /i/ /r/ /e/ /d/ I was not there, but Susan said she got the first part done quickly and by the time she got to the /r/, she was exhausted. This is all work for her. She is fighting the apraxia constantly. So Susan talked her through and said, "Look. I know this is hard work. Let's just finish this and then we can take a break." And then after that very quickly she went to /e/ and /d/ as if to say "Yes! I want a break!" So Susan proceeds to "Ok, now we need to edit your writing. Let's see. You wrote 'I'. Did you want to keep that? or Did you mean to write I?" Juliana said yes. "What about 'on'. Did you mean to write on?" Juliana said no. So they cross it out. They proceed to do this with every part. And this is what they ended up with.</div>
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My daughter WROTE that! And then shortly after she conked out and took a 15 min power nap. The possibilities that this opens are endless. For Juliana to be able to write what she thinks, without having someone anticipate - it just blows my mind. This is HOPE!</div>
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So after this amazingly incredible day (best day ever!) I only managed to snag a few pics with Juliana and Susan. </div>
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After school I couldn't wait to get my hands on Juliana. I hugged her and screamed with tears in my eyes "Juliana!!!! You are a WRITER!!!!" and you would not believe the huge ear-to-ear smile she gave me! I have NEVER seen her so proud of herself. This visit has changed the trajectory of Juliana's education and therefore her chance at a quality life in the future. The opportunities and quality of life that literacy will offer her. . . . . everyone have that right.<br />
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And on a final note, if you would like more information on Susan or the methods she uses with our amazing Rett Girls you can take her courses at Rett University. Check her out at <a href="http://www.rett-u.org/">www.rett-u.org</a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-79888974071033652802014-11-09T08:36:00.000-06:002014-12-04T08:37:08.743-06:00Paint for a Cure 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks so much to everyone that came out for our 2nd Paint for a Cure at Texas U Can Paint. So much fun for a great cause!</div>
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-34737931590758461512014-11-08T09:05:00.000-06:002014-12-04T09:06:00.926-06:00Fun Run 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Every year we participate in the CDC Fun Run. This is Olivia's old Pre-school and pretty much the best little Montessori pre-k in this area. We love the staff and will continue to come support them any way we can.</div>
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And for the third year in a row, Team Brooks has won first place in the wheels division. This is something special that Juliana and Roger do each year and it's not an easy task. Some of those stroller moms are not messing around, but Team Brooks managed to bring in the win one more year!<br />
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And after the run it was time for some Big State!<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-50210357911045536672014-09-20T22:54:00.002-05:002014-09-20T22:54:57.990-05:00A New GenerationSo I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and didn't know where to share it other than here. So I'm happy to say this is what brought me back to my blog (after a 4 month hiatus). It has to do with this whole new generation of kids we are raising and it's really pretty cool. So I know we have become a generation that is not ok with bullies - and I love that. But in addition to a zero bully tolerance, I really feel like we are raising kids with so much tolerance and acceptance. It's really inspiring. Allow me to elaborate, I have seen several examples of this in Olivia recently and it really makes my heart happy. <br />
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So the first one is really kind of silly. We were watching Freaky Friday - the new one, not the old one. I know the old one is much better but unfortunately not available on Netflix, and the new one has Lindsay Lohan, which I was not thrilled about, but I digress. The point is we were watching it and it's at the part where Lindsay is playing in her hard rock band, but it's actually the mother in daughter Lindsay's body. Does this make sense? So the mom (in a kids body) is dancing across the stage in a very "mom" like way if you know what I mean. So I start laughing and this exchange takes place:<br />
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Me - laughing at the scene<br />
Liv - Why are you laughing?<br />
Me - The way she's dancing, it's funny.<br />
Liv - What's funny?<br />
Me - You know, it's kind of corny.<br />
Liv - What does corny mean?<br />
Me - You know, kind of nerdy?<br />
Liv - What does nerdy mean?<br />
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I was going to say dorky next, but I quickly realized that she wasn't finding this humorous because in her world, the girl was just dancing. And that is how she danced. And she didn't know what corny or nerdy mean, because you just don't call people that anymore. Those words are beginning to not exist anymore. So I quickly shut up and changed the conversation. <br />
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Then next incident happened a few days ago. I announced that Juliana's Miracle League (softball for special needs kids) was starting on Saturday. So this happened:<br />
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Liv - So mommy, I think I want to be on Juliana's team this year.<br />
Me - Well you kind of are. You help when out all the time and you fill in when other kids don't show up.<br />
Liv - I know but I want to BE ON THE TEAM.<br />
Me - I know, but you can't really.<br />
Liv - But why can't I?<br />
Me - (Not wanting to say "Because you aren't disabled in any way) Well because I think you have to be a certain age or something.<br />
Liv - No you don't, there are kids in my grade on the team!<br />
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And I just thought for a second. How do I explain this? "You see honey, it's just that you can walk, talk, run etc. Basically everything is easy for you, and this team if for kids that don't have it that easy." Is it possible that she doesn't get it? That she sees all these beautiful kids and see absolutely nothing wrong with them? Only sees their heart and the fun they have and she wants to be a part of it. How beautiful is that? So I did what any person would do. I took the cowards way out and said, "Well ok. Ask Juliana's coach if you can join. If it's ok with her, it's ok with me:)"<br />
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And of course she asked, and of course they said no. I tried to smooth it over by getting her an official Miracle League Buddy shirt. Not sure that was enough. Love this girl.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-84522484996945563462014-05-25T20:02:00.000-05:002014-05-25T20:02:08.487-05:00Dinner Conversations with an Emotionally Gifted ChildKids get it. There is no doubt about it. So I have to give a little background before we get to today's dinner conversation. So about a year ago, my brother divorced. And I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the first couple that our family was really close to that divorced. It was odd to me that for months, Olivia never mentioned a thing. Never asked questions, like why is my cousins mom never here, or why don't they live together. Finally, after about 8 months, she asked if her aunt was mad at us, or why she never came around anymore. It caught me completely off guard, so I just told her, unfortunately they both decided they couldn't be married anymore. She asked why her aunt didn't want to see her anymore or why we couldn't visit with her. Umm, well, she's not mad at us, it's just very difficult because it was a very sad decision and everyone needed their time. So it was left at that and she has never brought it back up until tonight. <br />
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So here we are tonight, having dinner at a local restaurant and they are playing some kind of rodeo championship. Liv has never been to a rodeo or seen anything so silly in her opinion. She's watching and asking, "Why do those guys keep getting on the bulls? Don't they know the bull will throw him off?" So I try to explain the rodeo. I try to explain that these people think that it's cool or brave to get on the bull and try and stay on for 8 seconds. And she doesn't get it. "But why is that cool? The bull is trampling him and hitting him with his horns!" It was getting kind of gory so I agreed. It isn't really smart to do that. She looked at Roger and said, "Daddy, promise me you will never do that! I would be really sad if you ever did that." He of course gladly obliged to never do that. So we continued to talk about how it is really kind of "reckless" behavior because you aren't thinking about getting hurt or what can happen. Then they showed a shot of one of the cowboy's family, a lady and baby. So seeing that we talked about how it's really kind of "dangerous" behavior because it can affect your whole family, if the daddy gets hurt and all. <br />
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So she's processing all of this very carefully, we continue to eat, and then minutes later, what would appear to be out of the blue she says, "And promise me that you will never get a divorce like my uncle and my aunt. Promise that will never happen to our family!" After a few seconds of shock we both of course promised and I'm trying to figure out where this came from and suddenly it was clear. It wasn't out of the blue. It completely went with what we were talking about. Divorce can be very reckless and dangerous behavior which can affect all members of the family. It made me sad to think that this has become something she might worry about. How long has she been thinking about that? I am grateful that she can articulate her feelings about it all and I hope God gives me the knowledge to know the right things to say to her, to reassure her and make her know she is safe and loved. Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-86659719947558986582014-04-21T14:47:00.004-05:002014-04-21T14:47:50.332-05:00Easter Egg Hunts and Corneal AbrasionsOkay, so totally not the Easter weekend we were hoping for. The plan was awesome. Aunt Melissa was coming with the kids and Ty (Liv's bff). They haven't been to Dallas in a year. We were going to die eggs, have a confetti egg hunt, have a great big cook out and just enjoy being together. And then Aunt Melissa was going to have to leave early Sunday. <br />
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So we got up early Saturday, anxiously waiting for Aunt Melissa to get there. Of course we had to get the girls dressed because they would be mortified if the company came over and they were still in pajamas. So in a hasty rush to get dressed (and a shirt that is clearly too tight for Juliana) daddy and his extremely dry knuckle apparently scratched the heck out of Juliana's cornea. She didn't cry at first, just wouldn't open up the eye. After over an hour she still wouldn't open and then she started crying. And Juliana is not a cryer by nature. She will whine or complain at times, but never a cryer. This of course is right about the time that Aunt Melissa gets here. So we hugged and welcomed our guests as Juliana and I headed to the emergency room:(<br />
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Luckily while we were there, Olivia and Ty managed to die the eggs for us and get dinner going. We made it home around 5:15 with an official diagnosis: corneal abrasion. And p.s. she still wouldn't open her eyes. Like not at all. Not even for Mickey Mouse. She was like a little blind girl. So needless to say it put quite a damper on our Easter celebration, since a. she was in pain and b. she wouldn't open her eye. So we got through dinner and Juliana went to bed pretty early. <br />
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The good news is Liv and Ty still managed to play their hearts out. They literally played until 1am (I know, terrible parents) until they both literally fell to the ground and fell asleep. The grown ups quickly followed suit. Lights out.<br />
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Fast forward about 7 hours when Olivia hurls into the room devastated because guess what? The Easter Bunny didn't come. Our baskets were empty. Luckily I was quick on my feet and explained that since her and Ty stayed up so late, he probably came, realized there were kids awake and moved to the next house. This of course explained the problem but didn't make her feel better. She was so upset. So while she was eating breakfast, I. . . . I mean the Easter Bunny left some treats out back. Apparently when the kids stay up too late he just leaves surprises outside so no one sees him. Sneaky little bunny.<br />
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We strolled Juliana out to see the glorious treats, but guess what? She still wouldn't open her eyes:( Roger was convinced she was punishing him at this point.<br />
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So we decided to proceed with the egg hunt sans our cousins. And yes, I know this looks ridiculously dangerous considering she has a scratched cornea, but we figured she still has her eyes closed and she wouldn't want to miss out - #parentsoftheyear<br />
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See - there is an almost smile! I mean who wouldn't smile right before smacking an egg on your sister?<br />
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Yes, even the 15 year old dog got an egg cracked on her.<br />
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So after our hunt and sat on the porch swing and watched The Barbie Mermaid movie, as you do on Easter. And this just made me laugh, these are Liv's yard shoes that she uses to avoid mud or poop on any good shoes. She's a hill billy. <br />
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And this was a pic of an amazing carrot cake that I, Kristy Brooks, made from scratch - even the icing. It was so delicious. <br />
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And this is my little Juj Sunday evening. Barely opening that eye, but at least it's open! Thank you Jesus - It's an Easter Miracle!<br />
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<br /><br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-68362630073998103922014-04-18T12:27:00.000-05:002014-04-21T12:28:01.561-05:00Good Friday Indeed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So Thursday Ms. Bustos informed us that Juliana had a great day, maybe one of her best days this school year! Then Friday, guess what. Juliana made a 100 on her math test!!!! A 100!!!! And guess what, Juliana HATES MATH! She much prefers reading. It just feels so good when the stars align and everything's in sync and you just have a perfect day! Thank you God!</div>
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Then to top it off, Olivia got to purple today on the conduct chart. Trust me this is good. They have about 8 colors or something, but purple is one away from PERFECT! So in order to celebrate Olivia decided we should have a wine party! Her idea, so I had to oblige with our best white wine (JK - it's only water, plus I only drink reds). Where does she come up with this stuff?</div>
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-9783085281368313992014-04-17T12:22:00.000-05:002014-04-21T12:22:28.009-05:00Family Fitness NightToday was Juliana and Olivia's Family Fitness Night at school. Each grade would be presenting a song and dance they have been working on in regards to fitness. Olivia was of course so excited. She had been talking about it for weeks. I wasn't sure how Juliana felt about it. She doesn't typically like the spot light and last years program was a total flop. I forced her to dance while she was asleep literally during the entire performance. So I wasn't sure how this year would go. But as usual we try to go in fresh and see what comes. So glad we did. She was so excited and proud. I wish you could see her face better. She was actually giggling and grinning from ear to ear. Thanks Coach Martinez for a great show!<br />
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<br />Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-69007828739526102662014-04-14T12:01:00.000-05:002014-04-21T12:01:44.424-05:00Inside RecessSo today I got to substitute for Juliana's class. I love getting to see Juliana in her environment at school and how the other kids interact with her. It was really cool to see them during Daily 5 station rotations how all the girls fought over who's turn it was to read with Juliana. Awesome to see her rocking out her word work with her aide. But the thing I found probably most interesting was during inside recess. So the kids go to recess directly following lunch. Most days Juliana misses recess because I'd prefer she get enough time to eat. Kids typically get 30 minutes for lunch, which by the time they sit down and then add in clean up time they really only get 20 minutes which is definitely not enough time for Juliana. So I brought the kids back to class for inside recess while Juliana and her aide finished lunch. Some kids played legos, some played computer games and some played school. The kids that were playing school started announcing who would be the teacher, who would be the principal and then the shocker. They were fighting over who would be Juliana and who would be Ms. Bustos (her aide). Initially I was going to jump to "Defensive Momma Mode" and immediately go over and tell them to stop and how disrespectful that would be. But luckily I forced myself to wait and see how this was going to play out. And guess what, it was pretty cool. The child that "played" Juliana did so in a very respectful way. They did not portray her in any negative manner. They spoke to "Juliana" in the same way they did to all the other "students" expect "Ms. Bustos physically helped "Juliana" with each activity. They managed to represent her completely accurately. Completely competent, completely aware and just in need of physical assistance. It was actually quite beautiful. I was so proud of these kids, their compassion and their understanding of my beautiful daughter. So glad I let the kids play.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3360208321963664410.post-90072050590366307662014-04-13T11:50:00.000-05:002014-04-21T11:50:54.489-05:00Playing PretendOne of the best parts of having kids this age is their ability to pretend. For Juliana, it's something we probably don't do enough with her, but she LOVES doing. It makes perfect sense. Because when you pretend, there are no limits. So today, Roger and the girls were playing pretend. I'm not sure how they got on the topic of Hawaii, but they were pretending to be on a Hawaiian island. They had a boat (pillow) and the beach (blankets). They had to swim ashore and laid out on the beach. They looked up pictures on google and discovered hula girls and hula dances. So they invented their own hula dances and what the dances were about. I listened in and thought - How cool. <div>
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So the next day I asked the girls about their Hawaiian adventure and I asked them if they would like to go there some time. Of course a resounding YES! So we made a list of all the places the they have traveled and all the places we would like to explore together. A sort of family travel bucket list. And it was amazing that they knew of so many places and the excitement they showed in wanting to explore the world. So I'm not sure how far we will get on this list, or it we will ever check each place off the list, but it's a dream of ours now. And it is prominently thumb tacked on their cork board, directly above their bed. So they can dream of all the places we have been together and all the places we have yet to go. And I hope to add to the list.</div>
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606933443081429833noreply@blogger.com0