KiKi's Dr.'s Appointment

Here are a few highlights from KiKi's yearly visit.

Nurse: How are you today?
KiKi: (brightly) Four!


During his eye exam.
KiKi: "This eye isn't as smart as my other eye."

After his hearing test when he spotted the "big kid" eye tester - he looked right into it and read all of the letters according to their sound. (Homeschool mom was very pleased!)

After the visit.
Mommy: "What was your favorite part of your Dr.'s visit?"
KiKi: "The tickles and getting stickers." (Amusing statement given the fact that the Dr. had not meant to tickle him at all, but was really only trying to check his belly. KiKi was curled up with the giggles for most of the process.)

Between Classes

I usually allow the boys to get some crazies out before they get started on seat work. This was the view in my living room after Bible class yesterday. Think this counts for 5 minutes of PE?

Gift for Ka Pa

Months ago, SS started plotting a plan with her mother to make a coat for "ka pa" (daddy). They were both so excited, and her mother began weaving the black fabric and embroidering the traditional Chin designs into it. SS said that if her mother had worked full days, it would have taken her two full months to complete just the fabric. Then her mother hired a tailor to make the jacket with her fabric. When I asked SS if I could give her daddy's measurements, she said, "No way! My mom won't know what to do with them." So, she told her mom to make it "big, big - bigger than you think is big." She then compared ka pa with a man in her village who is very tall and big and said, "Make it bigger." Knowing that these were the specifications, I worried that she would be disappointed when it didn't fit; but I hated to discourage their enthusiasm. Months passed with whispered updates and eventually shipping arrangements (Burma to India to America).

Finally, it arrived. Here he is in his beautiful coat, which was made with love and many hours of hard work; and it is a perfect fit!

KiKi is Four!

It is hard to believe, but here he is four years old!He had a fun day - pancake breakfast, Chuck E. Cheese with brothers and Bubba and Auntie T, a visit from Auntie J, and then a pizza dinner with Oma and Opa and Grandma and Grandpa! He proudly proclaimed to all who would listen that he was four years old today. It was a pleasure to see his face light up with every new activity and every new gift. He literally jumped up and down and danced with delight.

While I feel a little sad that he is growing so quickly, sometimes it helps to look at pictures like these to remember that the more things change...

the more they stay the same!

GONE!

I have had reactions to skin products (lotions, soaps, cleaners, sunscreens...) since I was a young girl. I have endured almost-constant, tiny blisters and rashes on my hands since grade school. Now, almost 30 years later, I decided to see an allergist. My main motivation - not my hands - my need for a lotion to slow down my wrinkles! ;-)
They put these test strips on my back on Monday. I felt as if my back was full of mosquito bites or poison ivy. I gritted my teeth all night. By the next day, it only felt like a burn. By Wed., I thought I was getting them removed, only to be told that I needed to leave them on until Friday. So, I struggled with itching, burning sensations for the rest of the week. Today, I found the results - nothing! I did not have an allergic reaction to any of the test squares, but did have a reaction to the tapes. Something which they have never seen before - great. I already knew I had adhesive issues - been avoiding band aids for years. So, really nothing gained; but I did manage to lose a fair amount of sleep. Luckily, the Dr. gave me a whole bunch of samples for a product line that none of her allergy patients have ever reacted to. I'll give them a try. Hubby's always told me that when it says 99.9% hypoallergenic that I will be the .1%. I just hope this time he's wrong.

Amaryllis

I could get all philosophical about all of the symbolism of an amaryllis and Christmas; but instead I'll share a bit about a family tradition. Every Thanksgiving, my grandmother gives all of the girls in the family an amaryllis bulb. It's always fun to see who's will actually bloom by Christmas, how many blooms everyone will get, or even how many stalks each one will have. By now, the boys have started looking forward to our amaryllis too and are so excited as it grows and starts to bloom. We had a late bloomer this year, and it just opened this week. Initially, I thought that it was a bit disappointing that it wasn't blooming for our Christmas party; but as I stopped to admire it, I realized that for me, the amaryllis is no longer just a pretty Christmas flower. It is a symbol of my grandmother and a beautiful reminder of her love for our families. I pray that we may we have many more beautiful blooms in the years to come.

Laundry

For those of you who have ever ventured into my laundry room, you will understand when I compare it to a dungeon. It was cramped, cobwebby, cluttered...basically a washer, dryer, and cement set tub shoved up against a cement wall with peeling paint from 5o+ years ago. Unfortunately, with a family of 7, I spend entirely too much time in there. So hubby has slowly been improving it. A few months ago, he built the platform for the washer and dryer. Before the holidays, he replaced the gigantic set tub with a smaller one. Last week, he put up drywall - no more looking at cement!

Today, he painted it! I love the fun purple color. It reminds me of lilacs and hyacinths.

When I was feeling guilty that he spent so much time priming and painting on his day off, he promptly replied, "If I build it, YOU will use it!" (Maybe that's why he let me choose purple!)

A's Artistic Invention

Like many artistic souls, A struggles with mess and disorder on his desk, around his desk, and occassionally even "surprise" messes that look mysteriously as if someone shoved them into his closet. So when he had to think of an invention to make for school, he designed this art desk. His model actually works; and I was so pleased with his store logo, that I figured I'd share.

Our Grinch

This is rather belated, but I did want to make sure that I documented this particular Christmas event. For Christmas this year, A decided to perform a little Grinch skit. He prepared a script - almost entirely true to the original, prepared costumes and props, and drilled his brothers for days prior to the actual event. As usual, it was creative and amusing and certainly didn't go off without a hitch! Our poor Grinch got so stuck in the chimney that the whole chimney fell down. Luckily, our Grinch took it all in stride and kept going. Our little Who's (Neil-Te and KiKi) were so excited to have parts that A had to invent an extra Who part and also two dogs for the sled. They had lots of fun performing and we had lots of fun watching!

Our Grinch

The Grinch preparing to put an antler on KiKi dog.

A little Who waiting backstage.

(For those of you who noticed, CoCo was not involved. Aside from being completely uninterested in performing a play, he was sick with a fever over Christmas this year.)

Big Snow

We have been bombarded with snow the last couple of days. The boys are thrilled, of course! Here is KiKi standing in the path that we shoveled for Anni.