Age 6 and LOVING IT!

Since Connor and Alexander will be seven years old soon I want to reflect back on how I would rate this past year from a parenting stand point.
I know there are all the sayings about the 'terrible two's' which never really hit our home. I found age three to be more challenging then age two but still each year was fun and amazing in how much they learned and grew.
However, age 6 will go down as my favorite age so far. The boys have been amazing all along but this year they surprised me in how loving, attentive and caring their really are. If I had one wish to give to my friends and family that don't have kids then it would be a year for them to experience what I did. Not a day goes by when the boys don't tell me how much they love me. We end up in the age old discussion about who loves who more, with me trying to convince them that Mothers and Fathers love can't be trumped but they still demand they love us more. Not a day goes by when they don't color a picture that says I love Mama and has hearts all over it. Not a day goes by when they don't tell me how beautiful I am (usually the moment they say it is when I don't feel that lovely at all), their timing is incredible. I am told how they want to marry me and how they hope to find a wife that will be just like me. I am told I am the most beautiful Mom in this world, to be corrected I am the MOST beautiful woman in this world.
So you see, my wish is for each of my women friends to feel and experience this unconditional love. Now if you are lucky like me with twin boys you get the double dose of it and I am so so happy about this each day :)
Now the other part about age six which i love is their interest in the world and their ability to voice their questions and opinions. Ron and I have two very sweet minds that will watch the news with us and give us their feedback from a child's view. More Adults should listen to this because they have some wisdom which we strangely loose when we get older. Of course we get more critical when we get older ....
So I am ready to see what age seven holds, but I will try to bottle up the memory of this past year to remind myself when the teenage years hit :)

Hugs,

R A C A

Ticket Rewards Chart :)

So here is one of my postings that is NOT JDM related but I want to share anyway. My precious friend Sonya told me about a Reward program they use with their girls and I loved the sound of it so much that I wanted to try it out myself. Now I started with it right away after our friends left for home but had to kind of make up the rules until Sonya was able to e-mail me the lineup they use.
So, I started by telling Connor and Alexander that they can earn tickets by doing chores and taking care of the things we expect them to do WITHOUT me or Ron having to remind them. So if they brush their teeth and floss they get 1 ticket, if they make their beds they get another ticket. If they do well in school another one, pick up toys on the end of the day one more, etc etc. However they can not earn more then 10 tickets a day. Now I did not have the whole Rewards Chart down so I just used the part about them being able to exchange 5 tickets for Chocolate or Candy or 10 Tickets for a DVD or Netflix Movie. Now since I started this I received Sonya's e-mail and I copied most of her Rewards Chart all the way up to the Grand Prize of 225 Tickets for a Play Station or Wii Game.
Now here comes the fun part. The last two days have been the most calm and organized days in a long time. The boys each brushed their teeth about four times a day and they cleaned up like never before. They even took my washed laundry of towels and folded them. I never had an idea our boys could be this motivated. Now I found out Connor is a bit more motivated then Alexander so he collected more tickets then his brother. They went and then handed me 6 tickets from Connor and 4 from Alexander, requesting a movie and since Connor  had more tickets he got to choose what show to watch. I was not sure how to approach the combining of tickets but went with it :)

So THANK YOU Herndon family for such a genius idea!

Hugs

R A C A

Catching up on a couple of amazing weeks!

The last two weeks have been nothing short of amazing! 


Today I will start with the sad news that are on my heart but want to finish with the happy news as in how wonderful the last two weeks have been for me and my family.


The sad news of course are from around the world. My heart has been so heavy with the devastation in Japan and how they are now trying to control the Nuclear threat. How can one not be amazed and also horrified how there are numerous workers working inside the Reactors, facing certain death, but being committed in trying to save their families and the country they love? Plus of courese there is still the turmoil in the Middle East as well.


On our local front however things are looking much brighter. Connor is still making amazing progress in Hippo Therapy and I made two wonderful Videos of him standing on Blinkers back again and then Connor rotating 360' on Blinkers while he was walking. 
Then we got to experience a different Infusion Center this week. Connor was setup with the Infusion Center in Colorado Springs that is connected with The Children's Hospital in Denver. We had one thing going for us in trying to get Connor to like a new place, we had his Miss 'Jaja' (this is what my boys called her when they first started talking and could not pronounce Sonya) with us. At first Connor was disappointed because he wanted to show to our friend Sonya how wonderful TCH was and how he new the Nurses there but the new place turned out very quaint. It had a very comfortable feel to it and the beds in the rooms aren't even hospital beds but a normal day bed. There is a small kitchen, a reading room and a Video Game Room. Each room has a TV that plays DVD's and VHS movies. There were about three Nurses and one Doctor. I was told there are about five nurses on rotation and three Doctors. So it will not take long to know everyone :)


We of course we were super excited about the arrival of the Herndon Family. Aaron, Sonya and their beautiful twin girls, Addie and Ren, arrived on Monday the 14th from Oklahoma. We spend a fun afternoon at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and then on Tuesday, my 40th Birthday, Sonya was so kind to spend the day at the Clinic with Connor and I, while Ron, Aaron, Addie, Ren and Alexander had a fun day on our Mountain riding the 4 Wheelers. That night we had a small German Dinner and just relaxed. Pure heaven! So and the last day of the Herndon's stay in Colorado we decided to take a trip to Cripple Creek and tour the Molly Kathleen Gold Mine and have the boys take their girls on a Date to the Cripple Creek Candy Store. Both Connor and Alexander were so excited and each took $10 Dollars with them, surprisingly they each only spend a bit under $5 for their Dates and themselves. Alexander I have to say is so in love with Ren that he did not leave her side for the three days they were here! Precious. I on the other hand I think that age 6 must be the best one of all. I loved how much fun all four kids were!
So we came home from Cripple Creek very tired but for some strange reason my husband said he wanted to eat out that night at my favorite local Restaurant McGinty's. I was trying hard to convince him to just order some Pizza but we do have the tradition of eating out on the last day of our visitors and Ron who had stayed home working all day deserved a break in my opinion. So off we went to Divide and I can honestly say that this must have been the biggest surprise ever when we walked in for me to see 18 of my favorite people there. There were a few of my friends who asked if I really had no clue and all I could think was of course I did not because I would have made a bit more effort in looking nicer - haha. Just kidding! It was the most fun evening and I want to Thank everyone that was there. It meant so much and I am still carrying that smile just thinking about it :):):)


We are back to normal now as our precious friends returned to Oklahoma and Ron headed back to work after being off for the 5 days to be there during our friends stay and my Birthday.


So by ending today's Blog I want to Thank my Husband who shows me love in so many ways. I am so grateful to have him by my side through all our highs and lows. He said it took him numerous txt messages and phone calls for two weeks to plan the surprise and I am truly not sure how he did it. Thank You to all my friends and their children for showing up and making that night so special. Thank You to Aaron, Sonya, Addie and Ren for choosing to spend your Spring Break with us. It was pure happiness for me!


Hugs,


R A C A

Remembering Hope Fuller...

Last Year on March 10, 2010, the sweet little girl we met at TCH, Hope Fuller, passed away from DIPG.
We crossed path with Hope and her Family while we stayed at TCH and I wish I could convey how beautiful the Howison and Fuller Family is inside and out. They dealt with so much pain and still had comfort for others on the Oncology Floor during this heartbreaking time. Time does NOT heal wounds like loosing a child and my heart goes out to them .....

The fight to find a cure for DPIG is one that can not be lost. So much focus at times goes toward Adult Cancers and it is the children that are dying and who need a voice.

So my thoughts are with Hope's Family tonight.

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/432655

Hugs,

R A C A

JDM news all around ...

This week was one more time center stage to JDM. Ron was home for three days and we were able to get some items checked off on our to do list, especially getting our Taxes mailed in.

Connor was due for his Methrotrexate Shot on Wednesday and he did well until I mentioned putting on the EMLA Cream. He then got very anxious and complained about the stomach ache. He always does really well during the shot but I know it still hurts him. He was able to distract himself for the 45 minutes in between the cream and the shot by playing outside.

This is what I really want everyone to understand about Connor, that makes us as his parents so so so proud of him. He NEVER puts up a fight or throws a fit, complains or turns his back on any treatment he needs to do, therapy or medication he has to take! I am in awe of him for never complaining. He has his internal battles for sure, which shows with his anxiousness at times but he always rises to the challenge. I know I am prejudice as he is our son but even if he wasn't I would be blown away by his strength and the fighting spirit he has in him.One of the many times when I told him this he responded: 'Mommy, I am strong because I have Russian, German and American blood running though me, that makes me strong and brave' - YES it does :)

On Thursday we had two Appointments in Denver. One was to fit Connor's new Carbon Fiber Braces and the second was with the Rehabilitation Doctor, Dr. Biffle, to asses his legs and feet. Both appointments went very well. The braces fitted easily and Connor took to them very well. Dr. Biffle was happy with the progress he has made and told us that she fully agrees with just going to Hippo Therapy as of now and that he should wear the braces for long distance walking. We will see her next in 6 months!

Leaving Denver we were headed back to Colorado Springs for Hippo Therapy. This appointment went very well once again. Connor got to ride on his beloved Blinkers again and I have to tell you I have never been around horses much before Connor started Hippo Therapy but I so so so love this Horse. He is sweet and gentle and I credit him along with lovely Amanda, Connor's Therapist, for the progress Connor made. This time's highlight (and I have no picture to prove it) Connor got to stand on Blinkers back. He was not moving and Amanda and a volunteer held on to his feet but he stood straight up with his arms outstretched. Precious!

We got home very tired and exhausted, 10 hours and 250 miles later. It was a successful day overall so no complain in that regard.

I also got an e-mail from Dr. Soep, and the great news from her department is the fact that this month Connor gets to have his infusions for the first time in Colorado Springs. We will go on a schedule of one month in C-Springs and the next in Denver and then back to C-Springs, to help us to cut down on the driving times. I so hope this Infusion Center will work out and will be as positive an experience as TCH has been. ALSO, huge news for us was the part of Dr. Soeps e-mail about the fact of us leaving out the Solumedrol Infusion again. If you recall wlast month we had to skip it because Connor was running a fever due to having Strep? Well, her thoughts are that he had no negative reaction to missing the Steroid Infusion that we should try this again. If he does well a week after the infusion then we can possibly say goodbye to the Steroid Infusions!!!!! This is so big and would be a tremoundous step towards tappering down on his meds.....

Now he still gets the Hydrocordison prior to the IVIG to minimize the chance of a reaction but this might be it babe ;)

So and this morning Ron left again for a trip, this time heading to San Juan and Miami and he will be back Sunday. The boys and I have a trip planned to Manitou Springs tomorrow for the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off and the Mardi Grass Parade. I miss Fasching as we have in Germany and Mardi Grass is the closest thing to bring it back for me and show the boys what this Season is all about :)

Wishing all of you a fun but also relaxing weekend!

Hugs,

R A C A