Charlotte's First Formal Dance

Our homeschooling group puts on a formal dance each Spring that is similar to Prom. The kids can start going at 13 years old. Char found her dress at S.avers a local thrift store. She used her shoes from her dad's wedding. She borrowed her bracelet and broach from her Grandma Belinda. Her necklace, earrings, and hair pins are all new and thanks to Gramme. She really achieved every single thing she wanted. She was so proud to have found her beautiful dress at a thrift store since she is such a thrift store junky. She feels beautiful. Jess got her ready for the big night and her dad accompanied her to the dance.

Rock Climbing

I don't ever post on here anymore. I need to get better. I am going to try to post pictures once a week of what we've been up to.

Today the girls went to their first rock climbing class. A homeschool dad offered the class at a discounted rate since most kids are in school at this time it's just added income for the gym.

First Homeschool Park Day

Today was such a beautiful day! 75 degrees. Luckily we were able to enjoy it with fellow homeschoolers.

Let's play catch up

Jess is still working...a lot lol.

I am still at home...schooling, cooking, taxi driving the kids around, etc

Charlotte will be 14 soon, GULP! In school Charlotte has completed Earth and Space Science, 8th grade vocabulary, 8th grade grammar, and 8th grade history. She has only missed 1 math problem in the last 14 math assignments in her Algebra 1. She is currently studying African American History, Astronomy, When the cage bird sings, Algebra 1, and piano. She is going to take Japanese through Co-op this term. They are going to learn about the theme of clothes from the kimono to the avant garde styles of today. They will learn to speak Japanese through their lessons on clothes. She also auditioned for the Team Shakespeare and Heartland of American Shakespeare Festival plays. She should find out next week if she got cast in one or both. She feels like she did really well. She said that she's gained so much confidence over the past year that she's "certain she nailed it". If she gets in the HoA play it will give her professional credit. Charlotte is also helping out on Monday afternoons across the street at the elementary school. She is assisting the art teacher during his hour of kindergardeners. She LOVES it and it's inspired her to look more into becoming an elementary art teacher. She is also about to start a saturday class offered by our parks and rec department about American History the 20s & 30s.
Julia turned 9 and boy has she grown up all of a sudden. Such a "big kid" now...not our "little kid" anymore. In school Julia has completed 3rd grade history, 3rd grade vocabulary, 3rd grade Earth and Space Science, and 3rd grade grammar. She is still working hard at her spelling, 3rd grade math, and piano. She is reading The Voice on the Radio. Julia will be taking mythology during Co-op this term. They will learn about all the major figures in mythology and by the end will create their own Trojan Horse. It should be a lot of fun. Julia is going to brush up on some swimming skills this March and is hoping to try out for a local swim team in June. This will be a huge time commitment for her (practice five days a week) but she is super excited about the opportunity. She is very ready for the weather to get warmer so she can spend more time in trees and dirt. She is becoming quite the artist. Honing her skills. She also continues to work on her building skills. I believe she and two friends are starting a book club as well. We will have to make sure the friendship of these three little smarty pants lasts a long long time.
Delaney turned 2. Holy cow my baby is a full fledged toddler. She is a ball of attitude. She is still proving to be quite the medical complexity but she sure keeps life interesting. She is still speaking gibberish but we think we have decoded some of it to mean actual words. She loves loves music. She is newly interested in dancing with one of us while we hold her. She can still sit for a long while and look at books. She is in therapy three to four times a week. She continues to struggle with her immune system which limits where we can go. She loves her tryke that she got for Christmas. It's got a five point harness and foot pegs that she can use because she can't pedal. It also has a steering handle for us to push and steer her. She is trying to potty on the potty but gets very very disappointed in herself when she has an accident. She also gets very upset with herself if she gets her clothes dirty at all. We are working on her trying to accept the dirt lol.

Charlotte's Poem about Maya Angelou

Yesterday we watched Oprah's Allstars about Maya Angelou. The girls joined us and I think we all learned a whole lot. Charlotte has always felt connected to her poetry. Over a year ago she put Phenomenal Woman into a song. Today she shared with us a poem she had written for Ms. Angelou.

Her Words: A Poem About Maya Angelou
by Charlotte

She speaks her words
And the whole world stops
Just to listen
Her words are powerful
All people
Whether black or white
Male or female
Gay or straight
Conservative or libral
Listen to her words
They may not like
The color of her skin
But they love her words
She can sing her words
With the gentle coo
Of a dove
Or speak her words
With the ferocity
And low growl
Of a tiger
She speaks her words
And the world changes
Her words are
Powerful
Her words are
Beautiful
Her words are
Angelou

Team Delaney Shirts

Our very dear friends T and K are going to be the official Team Delaney printers. We are using tshirts as a way to show support during Team D events and as a way to raise money. Please consider purchasing Team Delaney shirts. We are offering toddler sizes through 3x.

You can find info on Team Delaney at "TEAM DELANEY" on facebook or by going to www.carepages.com/carepages/delaneylower

Shirts are $15. XXL and XXXL are $20. We are taking orders now and orders will end at the end of March. Shirts will ship in April.

Please consider purchasing a shirt for our girl!

Perspective

In life we all have a journey to take. We all have a purpose. Lessons to teach and lessons to learn.

From as early as I can remember I dreamed of being a mom. I wanted to be pregnant. I wanted to snuggle a bitty baby. I wanted to lay on the floor with my infant staring at the fan. I wanted to record the first steps. I wanted to witness first words. I wanted to play and listen to my toddler. I hoped to teach my older kids outside the traditional classroom. I wanted to show them the world. I wanted to help my baby get ready for their first day of school and college. Their wedding. Be a grandma.

I married into two beautiful girls. One approaching puberty and one still such a little girl. My heart swelled with love for them. I would give them a kidney. I ache when they ache. I am vested in their future. I am present in their future And I have learned almost every story of the past. I fell in to being a mom and how rewarding the challenge has been.

Then Jess and I started trying to have a child together. I lost our first pregnancy. And then came TWINS! My dreams came true with that one ultrasound. Unfortunately we lost one of the twins early. But Delaney held on. She was strong. My pregnancy was hard and scary at times. Finally Delaney came into the world. Wow was she perfect. Yes she was born via csection. Yes her feet her horribly turned in. Yes she had bad jaundice. Yes she had tongue tie. But this kid was perfect. I got to snuggle my bitty baby. Lots! we returned back to the hospital at 28 days. It was devastating and scary but that experience changed me as a mom. I learned to trust my gut despite what anyone says. Then next 7 months I got to play on the floor with my infant. We had fun trying on clothes, finding interesting things to take her picture in(soup pot, purse, etc), and taking walks. During this time I learned to push for answers and enjoy the little moments.

By months 10 and 11 we learned to pray for guidance with our whole hearts. We learned when to say no and when to ask for better answers. We learned to celebrate milestones in a different way.

By one year we had learn to accept that some milestones might not happen. We did however catch her first steps on video. They were during physical therapy the day she got her first braces. We could not have been more excited if They were in our living room on a Sunday afternoon.

She taught me to celebrate and fight like hell for breastfeeding.

She taught us to re-evaluate our idea of feeding and meal times. She taught us to slow down and rest. Often. She taught us to travel for the truth. She taught that even in silence countless things are said. She taught us how to pray with every cell in our body. She taught Julia how to be a big sister with protective instincts. She taught Charlotte how to find her female instincts she taught us all a whole new medical language. She taught us to smile through pain. To accept challenges as life and move on. She taught us how to cry and scream and laugh and smile. She taught us to look at our own mortality as well as hers. She taught us that there is great strength is weakness. She taught us how to give back even when we are tired or broke or sad or busy.

She taught us how to become an unbreakable family of God. Us 5 females are pretty powerful with our tiny leader.

We are saying goodnight to day 9 in the hospital. We are saying goodnight to a very bad day for Delaney.

The picture at the top is from today. It was a brief 5 minutes today that Delaney giggled and played through the exhausting pain and nausea and energy crisis and breathing struggles. THIS is our girl. She's such a fighter.

Too many of our friends are currently facing what we are. Too many are learning the lessons we are. Too many are losing their kids. Too many watch them struggle daily.

I challenge you to look around and learn the lessons but also try to teach too. Whether you have no financial issues, your child is the picture of perfect health, and your life is all around wonderful; you still have lessons to learn and you still have lessons to teach. I hope that you can learn from our Mito Warrior Princess. I hope that you can learn from good fortune and bad.

Hospital

We have been inpatient for 9 days with no end in clear view. Check out

Www.carepages.com/carepages/delaneylower

Www.starkravingmadmommy.com post about d today

Www.give forward.org/our-angel-delaney

Look up Team Delaney on Facebook next week

Be on the look out for the Dance for Delaney. Details to come.

Fundraiser for Delaney

This is Jess. I'm just going to post really quick about a fundraiser my friend Vicky is doing with her Thirty One business to help Delaney. For the month of January she's donating $5 of every $31 spent to Delaney to help us get to Cleveland in February to see her mito. specialists. So please take a look at the link below and do a little shopping for Delaney!!!

http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E450281&from=DIRECTLINK

Happy Holidays

In this home we celebrate Christmas. It was magical around here the night we opened Christmas Eve gifts and the morning we opened Christmas presents. We spent lots of time with Uncle Chris and Gma and Papa. Delaney really got in to opening gifts this year. It really brought the magic back for her sisters.

Some highlights.

Charlotte played two songs she'd memorized on the keyboard.

Julia's face after reading the Elf on the Shelf book.

Delaney patting the presents.

Charlotte's face after opening the largest sketch book ever.

Julia climbing on my lap to read her portion of the Christmas Story.

Delaney's face upon seeing her new doll and the crib to go with the doll.

Charlotte's ability to help spark the magic of Christmas for her sisters.

Julia having a magical afternoon/evening with her grandma.

Delaney loving on her grandma, grandpa, and Uncle Chris.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this such a magical holiday for our kids.