Addison turns 8!!

Happy, happy 8th birthday Addison!!! I can hardly believe that you are eight. Wow!

We celebrated Addison's 8th birthday all day long! She woke up bright and early, got herself ready faster than ever and waited for the rest of us to get our acts together. She was especially excited because Dad was home (he usually goes into work before the kids get up) and spent the morning with  her before it was time to leave for school. She opened her presents from us, got birthday waffles with nutella and sprinkles and had a delicious hot chocolate "Dad style." She was super excited about her guitar and hip hop clothes.

My dancer with her new shirt...it has an "open back" so it's only a dance shirt!

I was able to snap a picture of of both kids together...now 8 and 10!

Addie's morning ended up being all to her own because a few minutes into breakfast, Jackson started coughing and threw up. So Addie took off to have some special birthday time with Grandma and Grandpa before they took her to school. At school, they sang to her during Flag time. I brought her a special birthday Frappachino and birthday cake cake pop to go with her lunch. After school, I picked her up and we headed home to make her special birthday dinner complete with "gluten" spaghetti, cesar salad, asparagus and garlic bread. Grandma and Grandpa B didn't come over because they didn't want to get whatever Jackson had. (Sunday night Grandma B made dinner and a cake for Addie as well as Uncle Bob and Aunt Doris, and Uncle Dave and Aunt Carolyn).

Addie changed immediately into her new dress and also changed Grace into her matching dress. The two of them studied spelling words and did homework together. After, they played with Carly quietly until it was time for dinner and cake. 

Addie was super cute when it was time to blow out her candles. I don't know what her wishes are, but she definitely let the candles burn while she took her time to make her wish. This cake was purple and white cake swirled together with purple frosting and sprinkles. 

Happy birthday sweetheart! I hope all your wishes come true this year!!!!!

Soccer season

Soccer season wrap up... we survived! Yes, that's how I feel this year. We saw first hand the challenge for Jackson. Don't get me wrong, he loves it. But making all the practices was hard. Getting the coach to understand what was going on was new. I still don't know if he really got it. Jackson's team ended up finishing first in their division, 3-4th grade. All in all, we did the best we could! Addie made most of her practices (there were a few that just didn't work out). She was a trooper, often going from soccer to dance and then home to bed. She was a star out on the field. Addie is fierce. She definitely goes after the ball, and does not shy away from the other team running towards her. They don't keep "stats" in Addison's division, 1-2nd grade, but I know they did well. 

Each kid had their own "thing" they did as their good luck. I have no idea where they got the ideas to do this. Jackson didn't wash his soccer socks the entire season. GROSS! At one point, I had them in my hand ready to go into the wash and was expressly told to "put those down." He proceeded to tell me he doesn't wash his soccer socks for good luck. Addison never wore matching socks. She swore that was her good luck. Both kids had a great season, and I am so looking forward to sleeping in this Saturday.

Jackson's 10 year old interview

I guess it's only fitting that we did Jackson's 10 year old interview today, after I picked him up from school. He was having a bit of an off morning, and his teacher thought that maybe having a chance to break away from the class would help him pull it together. I headed over to pick him up, and she had most of his class and another class competing in wall push up's (she makes it all normal!). He wasn't quite sure why I was there, but I told him we had an appointment...planning to run home and let him have a few minutes playing with Charlie. Well, in the car, he finally told me he wasn't feeling well. He said his chest hurt and it felt "like he was gasping to breathe." As I drove home, I was quietly trying to figure out the rest of my day since it obviously wasn't going to go as I thought. We got home and I called our doctor to get him in this afternoon. I let his teacher know he wasn't coming back today (he also now 2 hours later has a fever). And here we sit. Laundry going, dishes unloaded, legos everywhere and waiting for the pulmonologist to call back. Grab any minute I can...so we did! 

How old are you?

     Ten

What’s the best thing (so far) about being ten?

      Being able to hang out.     
  

What’s the worst thing (so far) about being nine?

      I have more responsibilities. (This cracks me up. I'm not exactly sure what his "more responsibilities" are, but it's a good thing he thinks it's happening.)   

What makes you happy?
     Hanging out with my friends. (Family didn't make the cut this year. He's getting older!)

What is your favorite color?
     Red. No, I don't have one. 

What is your favorite thing to do at home?

     Play. (As long as it involves friends, legos, the Wonder Wave, Nerf, the xBox or Minecraft he is happy).

What is your favorite thing to do at school?
     Recess. (Soccer, Tag and any other game involving running. I see them most every day at lunch and it's a blast to see his whole class play together at recess).

What is your least favorite thing to do at school?

     Work really hard. (This year has been harder because of his health. He has had to to work even harder to make it through the day. He has also hit the point in Math where you can't solve the whole thing in your head so he's having to slow down and write it out.)

What’s your favorite activity/sport?

     Soccer. (And Tag.)

What’s your favorite animal?

     Don't have one. (But Charlie sleeps on his bed every night.)

What’s your favorite holiday?

     I don't know. All of them.    

What do you like about "All of them?"

     I don't know.

What's your favorite season?  

     Summer, spring and fall. But winter also cause there's Christmas.     

What’s your favorite food?
     Taco Roll Ups (I need to make these more often!)     
    

What’s your favorite tv show?

     I don't have one.     

What’s your favorite movie?

     Star Wars and the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings      

What’s your favorite song?

     I don't have one.     

What’s your favorite book?
     I like all books. (It's true! Historical ones seem to be a favorite, but he enjoys reading!!)

Who is your best friend?

     Ryan, Nicolas, Shelby and Montana    

What do you want to be when you grow up?
     I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet.     

Any last thoughts to remember when you are older?

     Have fun. Don't get too old, I'm not old yet.

     

Your advice to yourself is spot on love. "Have fun." Find the fun in everything you do. It will always be there, you may just have to change how you see it. And you'll always only be as old as you let yourself. The kid in you will always be there, so don't forget to let him out to play. Sometimes as we grow up, and the responsibilities add up, we forget to play. We forget that we don't have to always be "old." I love you Jackson, and can't wait to see what other fun we have this year!

"Normal"

Who defines what is normal? I mean, really. And yet, this definition of "normal" drives us all, kids to adults. We want to fit in, to blend in just like everyone else. And at some point, we become aware of what makes us not "normal" because really, none of us are "normal." Everyone has "things" some just hide them better.

But normal through a child's eyes is everything. It is what determines how you are perceived by your peers. It determines how many playdates you have. It determines good days and bad. And as they get older, that perception changes because normal when you are younger is so much more forgiving. When you are younger, normal is accepting. When you are younger, normal almost doesn't matter. But then it does. You wake up one morning, and it's in your face. Your child has this drive to be normal, to do what everyone else does just as they do it. Your child has this divide between what is ok at home and what is ok at school. The things that are ok at home, help make days good. They help balance the world for your child, and they used to be accepted at school. They were just no big deal. And yet, overnight, they are. But because they aren't normal, your child all of the sudden won't do them. And days get rough. Kids notice. Teachers talk. All about the differences because they aren't normal.

That's where we are. We are struggling to find the balance between my 10 year old's perceived "normal" and the things he needs to have an otherwise "normal" day. And truly, his perception is his reality. Right now, he just wants to be like everyone else. He doesn't want to use all of the sensory tools to help his body calm down. Why? Because no one else does. He doesn't want to take all the medicine. Why? Because it's not fixing everything. Makes sense. That's how he works, black and white. To him, fixing it right now isn't making it all work, it's making it all go away.

And yet, his "normal" is amazing. He has never been one to blend in. He stands out, and right now we are working so hard on helping him stand out for the right reasons. We want people to notice his enthusiasm, passion and exuberance for life. We want people to hear his ideas; to help him explore the world from his vantage point. We want him to see himself as we do. We want him to continue to be who he is, knowing that who he is is perfect. God made him just the way he is for a reason, and that is "normal." But in a 10 year old's eyes, it's not. In his 10 year old eyes, he is seeing commercials on TV about a particular med and making the statement, "maybe I should take that to help." He's not far off. In his 10 year old eyes, he's asking questions about his pills, and then stopping the conversation because it's too much. He really wants to know, and yet when we continue to talk about it, he doesn't. He just wants to be "normal." 

"Normal" in our house is taking meds day and night. "Normal" in our house is navigating the day with different things to help with sensory input. "Normal" in our house is doing homework standing or laying on the table. "Normal" in our house is wanting to be normal so much that it's frustrating. "Normal" in our house is talking through situations and changes to expectations so anxiety doesn't cause a meltdown. "Normal" in our house is working through that meltdown when it happens. "Normal" in our house is love. It is holding one another accountable for our actions, even when we don't feel good. "Normal" in our house is hard. But it's the only "normal" we know. 

 Normal keeps evolving. I pray that as both kids get older, they embrace who they are. Jackson, with all his quirks. Addison, with all her heart. Her "normal" is affected just as much as his, and some days that's the hardest part. She still doesn't fully understand why meltdowns happen. So as we build his capacity, I pray that hers continues to grow also. I pray that growing up with her "normal" gives her the ability to embrace, love and support those around her who's "normal" may not fit the norm. She has the spunk and fire to be this person. 

So we will keep living our "normal." One day at a time. We will love through it. Embracing the joys, challenges and frustrations that come will it. Sometimes there are tears, sometimes laughter. No matter what the times, it is "normal," and "normal" is good.