Johann's Birthday

Happy 36th Birthday Johann. We love you!!

This year he wanted an ice cream cake from Cold Stone. YUM for all of us!!

There's a Boogie in the Jungle

Corrine again participated in the City High Dance Team Fall Dance clinic this year. The registration form was due while she was at camp, and we thought she would like to do it, so we signed her up. When we told her about it, she jumped with excitement!
We dropped her off at the High School around 4:30. They learn the dance, eat pizza and play games until it's half time of the varsity football game, where they perform their dance.



When the girls came out on the field you could see Corrine with a HUGE smile on her face. She smiled and laughed the entire time. You could tell she was loving what she was doing.



Watching Corrine out there made me so happy. Our quiet little girl has come out of her shell so much in the last few years and it's such a joy to watch her as she becomes more confident and social.

1st days of school 2011

Again this year Corrine & Ammon were at camp on the 1st 2 days of school, so the 1st day of school happened on multiple days. During the summer our school went through some remodeling where all the partition doors were taken down and real walls put in their place. Because of the remodeling and larger class sizes in some of the younger grades all the class rooms (except the 2 kindergarten rooms that are not in the library wing) were switched around.


Our 3 Lemme Leopards in 2011




Simeon started on August 18th. He has Mrs. Gordon and is in room 17. He is in a 5th/6th grade combo class, and was excited to be with some friends he made 2 years ago. He has his good friends Nick and Carter in his class. He (like always) was super excited to start school and was up and ready to go long before it was time to go. Being in 5th grade brings more freedom and changes. He now has a locker, which he shares with Nick & Carter, in the library hallway. He can go to the library any day to check out books, and they get to do lunch duty (which earns them a free hot lunch). He is down to only 1 recess a day now.



Corrine Started August 22nd. She has Mrs. Johnson (Simeon had her for the last 2 years and we love Her!!) and is in room 15. She is in a 3rd/4th grade combo class. She has Madilyn and April in her class. She doesn't have her closest friends in her class this year, but our request to have her not with a certain girl (because she was very mean to her all last year) did happen. 3rd grade comes with some extra privileges. She gets to pick anywhere to sit at lunch and they can go anywhere on the playground.




Ammon also started on August 22nd. He has Mrs. Hackbarth (Simeon had her for 1st grade) and is in room 10. She is a stricter teacher, yet also kind. Ammon has his good buddy Grant in his class. This year his grade increased to 59 kids. They had 2 1/2 teachers the 1st day of school. This meant that in the morning each class would have 20 kids, and in the afternoons they would have 30 kids each. Ammon was with Hackbarth all day. Luckily we received the funding to get the 3rd teacher full time, so Ammon's permanently in a room of 19 kids. In 1st grade quiet time is no longer and his teacher doesn't do snack time.


Rebecca gets to stay home with mom again this year. She had her Toy Story lunch box packed with her lunch and was dressed for school, but she was more then happy to come home with mom and play with friends at home. She'll do "mommy school" at home again and hopefully sign up for a gymnastics class.

Ammon losing 2 teeth

When we dropped Ammon off at camp he had 1 bottom adult tooth, and 1 loose tooth on the bottom.
When we picked him up from camp he had 2 bottom adult teeth, he had lost a baby tooth and 1 very loose, barely hanging one baby tooth.


He lost his tooth Monday as he was walking to the pool. He said it just feel out and he felt it in his mouth. Aunt Fifi gave him a quarter for losing his tooth. He put it in a plastic bag to bring home, but it got lost during the week.
Saturday when I picked him he also had a very loose baby tooth. He said it had been loose since Tuesday but just wouldn't fall out. That night we told him it would probably fall out in his sleep because it was so lose, so he worked at it and it feel out.


He was super excited to not only lose 2 teeth in 1 week, but to get rewarded by the tooth fairy for both teeth on the same night.
His bottom teeth are so tight that there is only room for 2 adult teeth to come in, not the 3 that have fallen out. Time will tell what is going to happen with his tight little mouth and big adult teeth. One thing we do know for sure-braces are definitely in his future!!

Simeon's new toy

Simeon got a new toy this week. He talked Grandma into taking him to the store and buying him a skateboard. He came home so excited and proud to show it off. The neighbor boys both have skateboards and they would skateboard together, but having 3 kids and only 2 boards made it harder. Now they all have one to use.


Simeon & Joe have been spending hours upon hours practicing on their boards. Our neighbor Tucker is a skateboarder turned dad. He is loving having the boys to tutor and teach new tricks to.
One day Tucker came over and said "If I can teach you one thing it's wear pads-especially wrist pads." He showed us his very swollen and sore arm that he landed on a few days earlier. I'm glad he's not the crazy type, but a safer type.
After this exchange the boys started wearing a set of wrist guards. When I say a set, I mean they were sharing the set. Each wore one on their right wrist, because "that's the hand we write with." Boys and their logic!

When I went outside today I spotted this scene: Simeon and Joe had both put their skateboards, helmets and Gatorade's the same way! That is just so Simeon & Joe!



Simeon is LOVING his Maple skateboard. It's really good for teaching balance and is strengthening his leg muscles.

Sibling Camp 2011

We had 3 very excited kids for siblings camp this summer! Rebecca was so excited she tried to pack herself inside of a suitcase to stow away!! She kept asking if she got "to stay at camp", over and over.


On the way there we stopped for lunch at a rest stop that had a fun tree to climb in. I took the opportunity while my monkeys were climbing to take some pictures of them. It amazing how hard it is to get 4 kids to smile and look at the camera all at the same time!



At camp we did our customary picking of the beds out before going to play at the carnival. Getting to be one of the 1st to pick your bed is always exciting and of course gives you more choice. Both Corrine and Ammon choose a top bunk this year which didn't surprise us at all.
Corrine is in North Star this year and Ammon is in Wildwood, and their cabins face each other. This is the last year that they will both be in the 3rd circle, because next year Corrine will be 9 and in the 2nd circle!!



After picking out their beds and meeting their counselors we headed to the carnival. The 3 bigger kids were very into games and winning tickets for prizes. Rebecca tried the bounce house but didn't really like it. When she got out Dad had a cotton candy that she promptly claimed as her own. She LOVED it and was a pink sticky mess before too long!! After all the kids won their prizes, we headed back up to the cabins to drop Corrine & Ammon off. It's always hard to say good bye to them, but each year it does get alittle easier.



This years camp theme was transportation. On Monday the had race cars come to camp, and the kids got to explore those. The Boone Scenic railroad goes right through the middle of camp. On Weds the train made a special stop at camp to pick the kids up for their own private ride.



Each week at camp the staff take pictures and post them on their blog. It's always fun to look at the pictures each day and try to spot the kids. We spotted Corrine this week at her Princess Party. She doesn't look very thrilled in the picture, but when we asked her about the party she said she had a good time, except that she had to wear a dress and she didn't want to!


This year Corrine was very confident heading into camp. Ammon felt more prepared for being away from us. Both of them during the week had 1 or 2 times of homesickness, but they were able to get past them quickly.

Camp Heart Connection holds such a special place in all our hearts. The kids look forward to and talk about camp all year long. It gives them a chance to meet new friends who have gone through similar experiences with a sibling and cancer. They get to have fun and to have a place to share their feelings and to be the center of attention. We love to hear the stories all year long from their week at camp.

WIPE OUT

This afternoon the kids were racing down the hill on Dartmouth on their bikes, scooters or skateboards while a neighbor mom Jenni stood watch for cars. Rebecca wanted to go for a bike ride, so I buckled her in the trailer and was riding around the road watching the kids.
Corrine our speed demon girl got going too fast and when she went to put her foot on the brake of her scooter to slow down she lost her balance and slid across the road. Our neighbor Jenni instantly had her up off the ground to inspect what we thought was going to be blood and major damage, but not Corrine. She had a road rash area on her left hip, that hadn't even broken the skin.


Since I was on my bike with Rebecca I walked back to the house with Corrine. What an amazingly strong girl she is that after that crash she was able to walk back to our house.
After we got some ice on her hip, we took a look at her elbow that she said also hurt. She had a small 1 layer of skin scrap, but her arm was dirty from elbow to wrist with black from the road.


Later when I was out talking with Jenni, she told me that Corrine had to have had a guardian angel with her right then, because with the speed she was going and how far she slid on the road she should have come up more cut up, or with some missing teeth. What a lucky girl she is to have been so watched over.

Her hip a few hours after the crash. You can see all the swelling under it.



** Soap box moment here. Every family should have a 'helmets should be wore AT ALL TIMES' rule. When our kids hit around 12-18 months we start them wearing helmets. They wear them on bikes, tricycles, scooters, skates, skateboards, and in the bike trailer. Our kids know that if they don't have a helmet on, they don't ride. They remind each other if they forget to put one on, which happens rarely. Yes we've had times when the kids fight the rule and then they lose their wheels for a few days. Then when they get their wheels back, they've learned that the rule is an ALL THE TIME rule. The rule even extends to friends playing at our house. We have extra helmets for them to use, and our kids tell them, "No helmet, No riding'! I know this sounds strong, but I also know that Corrine's face and head were protected when she crashed because she had her helmet on.

Oh it was ugly!

Ammon has a HUGE wort on his left knee. It's ugly. Very ugly.

We took him to the dermatologist to get it taken care of. The first time she put on some stinky acid type liquid and we were to leave it on for 2 hours. We didn't leave it on as long and all it did was make a yucky scab. It was even uglier now. Much uglier. He said kids would touch itat school but he could hardly feel it.


Ammon really likes to go see the dermatologist. She is incredibly nice and always smily, and an added bonus her office is just down the street. She is awesome! They have a giant magnifying light that we always turn on and look at our hands and legs with. She loves that he's so interested and helps him to see his knee through the magnifying light.


Fast forward a few months. We had tried the original acid liquid 2 times, a stronger one for a longer time 2 times and still there was no change. It was time for more drastic measures. Time for liquid nitrogen!

Ammon decided on his own that he was tired of the wort and he wanted it gone. Gone for good. Sooner then later! He asked to have it frozen off. The doctor was very surprised by his calm attitude as she was about the freeze it. I let him bring his DS and he was busy playing it for a few seconds then the pain set it. He grabbed his leg above his knee and made a face. She froze it again a second time and he did the same thing holding perfectly still. He was amazing!!

His next appointment was for more freezing and this time there was no DS. He sat still squeezing his leg again when it hurt, and it hurt worse this time.

Then came today's appointment. (I was nervous about this one because he's leaving for camp in 3 days and I knew the freezing would leave a big scab on his knee at camp.) I told Ammon that she would probably freeze it one more time. Much to all of our surprise-it was gone! He has a scar on his knee that looks like the wort, but no growth. He was excited to walk out of her office without anything being done.

After working all summer with a half dozen appointments-Ammon can go back to school without the ugliness on his knee! YAY for liquid nitrogen and YAY for such a strong kiddo!

A Summer treat

This summer we had lots of new changes with bikes: Ammon mastered his bike, Mom got a new bike and Simeon moved up to a bigger gear bike. The bike Simeon is riding is the same one Johann rode as a youth!
Since Ammon has mastered his bike and I had a bike that could better handle the trailer, we have been able to go on family bike rides.
A few years back the city made paths connecting the different parks to eachother. The paths are wide and fairly flat which make them safe and fun to ride on. We like to go down Court Street, turn right onto Scott Blvd, then catch the beginning of the path there. We go through the "forest area" and go on a few streets to where the path starts back up in Court Hill park. We then take the path behind all the houses to 1st Avenue which is where the Snow Shack is.


Tonight we had a family home evening on following the rules, which led into our activity about learning how to safely ride your bike in the street, and hand signals. We talked about how you ride your bike in the street, how you show others when your turning then we practiced on our street. On our ride we headed out on the bigger roads with the kids getting some in the street practice. Depending on the kids some got to ride on the bigger roads, where others got to ride on the less used streets.
As part of our FHE we stopped to get a treat at the Snow Shack. We don't go there very often so this was a big thing for the kids. Rebecca feel asleep on the ride, so she missed out on the treat.


Tonight we met up with Grandma Smith and she rode to the snow shack with us. Grandpa was going to drive, but he never showed up. Grandma tried calling, but he wouldn't answer the phone. Finally she figured it out, he was locked out of the house without keys or a phone, so he also missed out on the treat!

Minnesota Zoo

We couldn't go to Minneapolis and not make a stop at the zoo. The last few weeks have been so hot and humid except the last 2 days while we were indoors, but not today. Today was hot and sticky again.



We came upon the leopard just as it became active. After a few minutes I was able to get a picture of Corrine and it looking right at each other.


We had a great time out at the John Deere Farm. We were there the day before the John Deere Festival, so there were tractors at the farm that the kids could play on. Rebecca was so fun to watch in the petting zoo. She was hugging the goats, petting them, brushing them (complete with her tongue sticking out) and following them around. We went to a cow milking demonstration while we were out at the farm too.








We saw lots of animals including a baby horse and camels in the greenest algae filled pond ever! We went to the dolphin show and 2 of the 3 dolphins decided they weren't going to do any tricks so the show was short. There was a 1 year old dolphin that didn't want to do any tricks and her mom kept by her side and the 3rd dolphin was old and had retired most of his bigger tricks. The kids still enjoyed the show even if it was short and different.





The end of a fun afternoon at the zoo.

Mall of America

Corrine has been wanting to go to an American Girl Store to get her Rebecca doll's hair redone for a year. We got to the mall early, so the stores weren't open yet. She patiently sat by the door waiting for it to open. Rebecca was trying to be patient with her, but waiting wasn't for her this morning.
We were told that there can be a long waiting time to get your doll into the salon, so we wanted to be there when they opened and since we were the 1st ones in the store, Corrine was the 1st one to get her doll into the salon.
Corrine was really sweet watching the whole time her doll was getting it's hair done. After her doll was done, we looked around the store at and at the cafe upstairs.










While Corrine was having a great time in the American Girl Store, the boys and Rebecca headed over to the LEGO store. Oh it was heaven for the boys. OK we all loved the store and found so many things we needed/ wanted (they blended together ALOT in this store). Partially because we are building a lego table and there were lego bags cheaper here. Rebecca saw a Woody made out of Legos that she just feel in love with. When I got to the store Ammon had his lego sets in his arms and wanted them RIGHT THEN! We knew that we were going to walk around and have lunch at the mall and we didn't want to carry around big bags of Legos, so we told him we would come get them later. It was a hard sell, but he finally went along with it.


We headed up to the Disney Store where Rebecca spotted a Woody doll that she needed to get. She also found a Bullseye and some Jessie pj's. They didn't have any Jessie dolls or she would have gotten her too.

We then headed to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Johann has always wanted to eat here. The atmosphere is awesome, the fun was pretty good but very pricey. We sat next to an aquarium with some interesting fish swimming around. We also sat near a waterfall which had a rainbow that lit up every 20 minutes when it stormed. When it storms it sounds like thunder and rain and the lights flicker like lightening. There are also gorillas that move around during the storm. The restaurant was so loud that even if our kids were louder then they should have been nobody would have noticed! The kids had fun looking at the crocodile out front. Corrine was imitating the leopard or cheetah on the sign.




Walking around the mall we found a flight simulator store that caught Ammon's eye. He really wanted to fly one of the simulators, but settled for a picture by the pilot.


On our 2nd time to the LEGO store we bought alot. We wanted to get grid plates, and since we were here we could get them without paying shipping so we bought 12 large gray plate, 8 blue and 8 green plates. Ammon got his sets he had picked out, Simeon got a few things and we got a few random bags of legos. Rebecca was so sweet introducing her Woody and Bullseye toys to lego Woody.









After a couple of hours we were shopped out and headed back to play at the waterpark.