Category Archives: Patrice

Prepare Yourself…

Posted on May 5, 2013 | 1 Comment

I was going to write another heavy post and then I saw this happening outside of my house.

And yesterday there was this when we were participating in a fundraising walk.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Caitlyn, kidlets, Patrice, Sue

Tagged Caitlyn, Kidlets, Patrice, sue

I May Be Two

Posted on April 19, 2013 | 1 Comment

I was thinking today about Patrice and how attached she is to her speech therapist and Caitlyn’s teacher. It was a quick connection for her. She adores them.

I worry about the day those associations end.

I also make quick connections and get too attached.

Take my midwife. I adore her. She’s been instrumental in bringing our three girls into this world. She helped me when no one would after Patrice was born. But I highly doubt she cares about me as much as I care about her.

It makes me feel desperate and unworthy. I’ve always struggled with friendships.

How do I guide my girls to strong, healthy relationships?

How do you help your kids learn how to build friendships?

→ 1 Comment

Posted in midwife, Patrice, random thoughts

Dreaded Words

Posted on March 19, 2013 | 1 Comment

Wednesday night, or was it Thursday morning, came really, really early when Caitlyn called up the stairs, “mommy, I threw up.”

Sigh.

So begins the clean up. The checking on her. The worrying.

The next day she slept until 11:30 am, even with Patrice up and around. Do you know how impossible it is for a two year old to be quiet? But sleep she did. To the point of mama having a panic attack just sure something was seriously wrong.

She, on the other hand, woke up happy as a clam. And returned to school Friday. With no ill effects. We continued with our plans to have friends come Saturday. Friends I haven’t seen since Patrice was born.

And then came the Saturday morning call, “mommy, I threw up.”

So begins the clean up. The checking on her. The worrying. The canceling of plans. The ripping out of carpet.

What? Go big or go home! We’ve been wanting to get the nasty old carpet out of there for a while. It is the only room with carpet left in it. Well, it was.

It is gorgeous and we love it.

Sunday found us again not well enough to venture out, so daddy did church here.

The new week has not been any kinder. We hoofed it to the doctor yesterday and, yup, it’s a stomach virus. The virus is irritating the stomach lining, so on and so forth. Then last night, Patrice joined the fun.

Both Caitlyn and Patrice are fine during the week, but the middle of the night is a whole different story. We had to cancel additional things yesterday and today. I am just trying to hold out home for Thursday…

What’s your “favorite” parenting adventure?

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Caitlyn, Patrice

A Day of Tears iPPP

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 4 Comments

Yesterday was a day of tears. Happy and Sad. What a mix.

Early in the morning Patrice and I went to Caitlyn’s school to read to her class and hear Caitlyn read to them as well.

She did AMAZING!!! She read Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

(This is from going to the library, but you get the picture, my girl is a reader!)

I was so proud. It took all I had to hold back my tears until I got to the car. I then called daddy and cried to him about how proud I was.

Later in the day, I was putting away laundry (I know, enough to reduce anyone to tears). Patrice’s drawers were full to overflowing, so I started sorting. And taking out the onesies. Now that she is potty trained, they are kind of a moot point, huh?

And later in the day, I cried. I had removed one of the last vestiges of babyhood from her room. My last baby, well, isn’t a baby. And my heart cracked. Into pieces. I cried as I waited to pick my older girls up from school. I cried as I rocked Patrice to sleep. I cry now, as I type, and she grabs at me and says uppy! (and now I type one handed and wonder how this paragraph got in italics and how to get it out)

I love my girls. And I love them as they grow, but I really love the baby years…and now they are gone…

She wanted to wear her packback like her sisters the other day. As she walked away, my heart climbed in that bag and went with her.

Linking up for

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Caitlyn, Patrice, photos

Bribery in all it’s glory

Posted on February 1, 2013 | 1 Comment

So today I was thinking about what an exercise in bribery potty training is.

“You can watch tv if you sit on the potty.”

“You can have an apple with peanut butter if you sit on the potty.”

“I will read you this story if you sit on the potty.”

“You get candy and bubbles if you go potty.”

“You can call grandma if you use the potty.”

Bribery. And I am not above it. Nope.

Tuesday and Wednesday we had a couple successes. Yesterday, no good.

This morning one massive pee pee feet away from the potty. I told her how sad it made mommy that she didn’t make it to the potty. We practiced going to the potty chair from various rooms in the house to make sure she knew where to go when she had to go potty.

Then she had an accident while pulling off her undies. I told her I was proud of her for trying so hard. Next we had a half accident, half success.

But tonight was the spectacular event.

She not only made it to the potty but she pulled down her jeans and her undies and went when no one was paying attention.

A HUGE PARTY ENSUED!!!!

She got candy.

She got bubbles.

She got to call both grandmas.

She got so much praise.

Then this happened.

That’s the dog. That’s the potty chair.

Yeah, the dog drank some of her pee.

Just a normal Friday night at our house :/ How is yours?

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Patrice, potty training

All The Things

Posted on January 30, 2013 | 4 Comments

First, let me just say non-stop sickness since Christmas is not rocking my world. It has been crazy. But I think illness does explain the issues we were having last week getting Sue to go to school. They had Friday off. Guess who woke up with a fever? Yup.

Caitlyn was doing quite fine on Friday. So she got to paint her nails while the other two slept.

Patrice got to use some of her skills she learned in speech, physical therapy to make a colored sand necklace in Sunday School. This mama is very sad to report it already got broken, before I could put it in her keepsake box.

Then Monday came and we had our first snow day. I’m glad. Both older girls were feeling a little punky and I wasn’t sure whether or not to send them to school.

Enlist them as maids though? Absolutely yes.

Sue got crumbs on the chair. So Sue got to learn to vacuum.

Tuesday we started potty training Patrice. She had success.

And now today won’t cooperate to get into undies. Do I force her or let today slide because she is sick…hmmm. I’ll let you know what I decide!

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Caitlyn, kidlets, Patrice, Sue

More Therapy Fun

Posted on January 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

Patrice really is doing well in therapy. The other day she told told me she was “carry.” It took a bit of work, but we sorted out that she was was saying “curious.”

Tonight we stood in the pantry, so nicely stocked with the generosity of others, and we named off what was in there. Her pronunciation can be a bit rough and I still often say “I have no idea what you just said.” but we are definitely getting there.

I am so thankful for our speech therapist. I am especially thankful for a Godly woman that truly loves my daughter.

As I mentioned, the other day we went to the school she works out of instead of her coming to us. We played in the sensory room. We are working not only with Patrice’s speech in therapy but also her gross and fine motor skills. We lost some ground while Patrice was sick, but we’ll get it back.

Hard to climb when your foot gets stuck

Playing in the ball pit

This was a toughy

just a swingin’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Patrice, Uncategorized

Having fun, learning and getting stronger

Posted on January 17, 2013 | 1 Comment

Patrice is doing great in speech therapy. Her vocabulary is up to age level. Now we are working pronunciation and physical skills. Yesterday we went to a gross motor skills play time. They invite all the kids in the program to play on climbing structures, stairs (which for some reason Patrice LOVES), the cozy coupe cars, and lots of other activities to work on core strength and balance.

I like to dunk the basketball

Static Fun

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Patrice

No Special Word or Topic–Just Rambling

Posted on January 4, 2013 | 5 Comments

The last couple weeks have not been what I dreamed of. Ever since the Sandy Hook tragedy, I had dreamt of having all my girls home with me and how wonderful our time would be.

It has not turned out that way.

We visited my grandma the first Saturday of break. She was non responsive and died hours after we were there. This was my dad’s mom. It broke my heart that he wasn’t there. That pain never goes away, even after 8 years.

Then we discovered one of the girls had brought lice home from school. The hallmark of our holiday has been combing and shampooing heads and washing everything not tied down. We even ended up having to get a prescription medication. I *think* the little suckers are gone. I hate them. They are a scourge from the pits of hell. I bathed the girls again yesterday with special medicine. We got done and Caitlyn said “so they like clean heads, right?” Yes. “So we just washed our head again so they are clean…” Yes, Caitlyn. I have been wondering the same thing. All the research says they prefer clean heads…so what do you have to do to get rid of them? Make your head cleaner than ever. Anybody else see the problem with this? (update, when I checked this morning there were no little buggers, that is two checks in a row!!!) This is the first time I have admitted our lice problem publicly. I have been so embarrassed and ashamed and angry over it. Please don’t judge.

After Christmas we headed back up north to my family for my grandma’s funeral. I didn’t think I would cry, but lost it when Patrice looked at her in the coffin and said, “hi Grandma!” Just like she had done when we visited her. Patrice has never known grandma any different so she did what made sense, she said hi. When I told the girls Grandma had died and gone to heaven, Sue said, “then we can’t be sad, right?” My dad died before I got married, and my grandpa died 36 hours before Patrice was born, so my girls will never know them. That makes me sad. My heart hurts.

I also saw a new psych this week. My old one does not take our new insurance. I have mourned this extensively. I am still heartbroken over it. But I saw the new one in the nick of time. I have had a lot of anger and frustration since Christmas day. A lot. And it has been getting worse. The new doctor upped my lithium. And in infinite wisdom said the anger could be mania or depression. Way to clear that up, huh? And he wants me to start seeing a therapist (my old doctor did both). He gave me a place to call. I don’t want to. I can’t bear to start over. And our insurance only covers half of it. I’m not sure what to do. Sigh…

How was your Christmas? Were you able to make all the memories you had hoped for?

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Caitlyn, depression, Patrice, Sue

Christmas Fun

Posted on December 21, 2012 | 4 Comments

As part of Patrice’s speech therapy, she is actually enrolled in school at age 2, even though the therapist comes to our home. This odd arrangement has it’s benefits. We find out about all the activities at our neighboring school.

Our speech therapist has been raving about one for weeks, Cookies with Reindeer. They have real reindeer, fresh baked cookies, and story time with Mrs. Claus.

I had been saying I wanted to go, but thanks to a dinner fiasco it did not look like we would make it in time…but I think daddy saw how much I needed to get out of the house and out of my head. So we bundled up and piled in the car.

I’m so glad we did.