Still just busy, busy, busy, WHEW! Feels like we're barely taking a breath right now... with all three in school, homework, soccer, dance, work, one or more of us feeling sick and rundown, visiting friends, well... life is busy right now...

I leave you with a few soccer pictures...

It's just never ending... good, but busy...

Last weekend was Great America and out of town to a baby shower for my cousin...

... and this weekend we are spending the days with friends of ours up north. :) Can't wait! Love them!

Do you have local "selling" pages on Face.book? Have you heard of these or checked into them? If not I HIGHLY suggest it! Not only have I cleared out TONS of "stuff" to make way for more room and to simplify our lives, but have picked up LOTS of great deals! The kids' Christmas gifts are DONE thanks to our three local sales pages! Some amazing items!

Our newest "find" was delivered tonight and the kids were beyond excited! For a VERY reasonable price, I was able to get a trampoline, and have it delivered and set up! I can't tell you the excitement! This was a FRACTION of the cost of a new one and we were already planning to get one in the spring. It needs one rope to tie on the enclosure net, where you can see it's slipped down the pole a bit, but not too bad! Some good friends of ours recently moved nearby and stopped over tonight to try it out for a bit... good times!

It's that time of year again.

Nope, I don't mean Christmas shopping, though mine is almost DONE! :) I mean school crazy.

The first couple weeks of school are always a bit crazy. Trying to get back into the swing of the routine again. Trying to find that balance between work, and kids, and mom. Trying (the kids) to balance play and school and homework and sleep. We have had a few CRAZY weeks. Just non-stop, no time to even sit still for 2 minutes, crazy.

Starting from having a wedding shower for my cousin out of town the day before school began, school beginning, soccer practices for two, soccer games, visits with friends, etc. Just non-stop. Good, but non-stop.

Braeden is doing great. He is not perfect, nor do I expect that, but he is doing so well. I'm SO very proud of him! With the exception of those couple rough days at the start, he has earned stickers and puzzle pieces every day. I'll take it! And I talk to God all the time about how great I think Braeden's doing and asking Him to continue to help him learn how to balance and cope and process his emotions.

Olivia's struggling. She does every year, usually both at the end of the school year and the beginning. Transitions like that are hard on her and this one has been no exception. She was used to going to bed later and sleeping in. Sleep, if not given enough, affects her so very negatively, and we've felt the brunt somewhat. I pulled her bedtime back and we are making our way through, with a light shining at the end of the tunnel not far ahead. But she's loving fifth grade and already looking forward to middle school and getting involved in track.

And Liam's teacher wants to meet with me. :) I'm pretty sure it's because he is definitely behind in many areas. I wanted so badly to touch bas e and tell her so much prior to school beginning, but know that that wasn't the right time, so we're working on coordinating a time to get together. He's doing well though and seems to enjoy kindergarten tremendously.

For myself, it's been a whirlwind. At work/school we began a new block schedule this year which is great, but also makes it so I rarely sit down, for now anyway. But the class is doing great, our new students are starting to exert some independence which I work hard for, and our former students are just growing more and more.

Since we were all so crazy lately, when I received an email at the end of summer regarding a new Disney on Ice show coming our way, I messaged a friend and we decided to get tickets to take her three and my three, and last night was our night. It was so fun! Very cool too because it showcased "older" Disney shows which are ones we LOVE...

The Lion King (missed pics of the characters)

The Little Mermaid

Lilo and Stitch

And Peter Pan

Liam was mesmerized because he's already requested to be Captain Hook for Halloween!

It was loads of fun and a great distraction from our busy life of late!

The next days will be similar as we are headed to Six Flags with good friends tomorrow, then overnight in a hotel, and then a baby shower out of town for another cousin on Sunday. We most likely won't return home until at least 8 if not later, sleeping and readying to start back to the "grind."

Then Monday Olivia has a Chicago Dr. appt, she begins dance up again that night at 4, Liam has soccer practice at 5, Tuesday is school and Olivia's and my school's back to school night. Wednesday is our first half day/inservice day, Thursday some other women from church and I are beginning a small group, and Friday I take Olivia and Liam both to Chicago for appts. Oh my! You know I'll be praying for patience, direction, and SO much help!

At Liam's school, the kindergardeners all must pay $3 to get an off-white canvas bag with red nylon handles to use as their bookbag for the year. You can decorate the bags, but those are the ones they must use...

With Olivia, we tried photo transfers and a patch or two, but they eventually got scratched off and the off white just was DIRTY so quickly.

With Braeden, we tried just patches which worked well, but the color was still horrendous fairly quickly.

So... finally after three kiddos, I think we've got a good idea... I bought some fabric DYE and dyed it blue! :) It looks lighter than what I had hoped but looks very much like denim which is cool. :) And the patches really help too! :)

Loved how dark it was when dying...

Found two motorcycle patches on clearance over the summer for side one...

And got these guys yesterday for side two... (I LOVE them!)

He's one happy boy... of course the HOLE he ALREADY has worn in the bottom is my NEXT fix!

Had a wonderful lunch and visit with a friend I haven't seen in over 12 years, not even sure of the exact amount. We met at an IK.EA halfway between where we live, had lunch, dropped the kids off at the play area, and did some great catching up.

On our way out, we stopped for a picture. Braeden is fairly anti-pictures, but allow him to TAKE the picture and he's ALL about it... and this is what resulted...

He thought he was HILARIOUS to take picture after picture cutting off one or another of us! Mostly me since I am the tallest! :)

Until we FINALLY got a good one...

It was a memory to treasure and hopefully only the start of visiting and reconnecting...

After the rough start to Braeden's second week of school, the rest of the week has evened out in many ways and we are slowly muddling through.

Wednesday he came home on a blue card. I praised him up and down, he received his "rewards" based on our written home plan, and he got to sleep in mom's room (a BIG reward to my kiddos!). :)

Thursday we had a student team meeting. At that time I found out that Braeden should have been on ORANGE Wednesday, but his teacher was busy and didn't tell him to change his card. (His class colors are: all start the day on Blue, then go to green, then yellow, then orange, then red.) When we discussed everything, I shared that I felt like Braeden had unfortunately learned some rough behaviors through all that he/we went through last year. I said that tip toeing around him, not wanting him to explode, wasn't helping and was actually creating more issues. I basically said that even though it would potentially mean HE** for a week or two, that he needed to be held accountable. He needed card changes just like anyone else. He's too smart for a teacher to overlook things, but at the same time I wasn't saying card change him for his activity that is a part of the ADHD, and that I could tell the difference and I thought that they could too. (Braeden has the same teacher he did last year as his school has some "looping" first/second grade classes and his happens to be one of them.) They agreed.

Right now there is a great plan in place. I am VERY hopeful, in a realistic way. He's such a smart smart kid and is watching like a hawk how others are reacting to his behavior, and he's still doing great at home, with "typical" behaviors thrown in the mix. He's been on yellow the last two days. I'll take it! He still earns a sticker and puzzle piece. He does not earn money, but does not have to pay me either. It's very much a typical place to be, and he's ok with it. He's not proud, but he's not angry about it either. IF we have escalations in behavior at school, a plan is in place to get him calmed, regulated, and back to class as quickly as possible. Obviously if restraint is required I would be called to pick him up, but otherwise, the goal is calm down and back to class. And, if it happens that he returns to the office a second time in a day (without needing restraint physically) they want to keep him after school a half an hour. THAT could be interesting! He loves riding the bus from his school to mine at the end of the day. One of his best friends is on with him and he doesn't see him much outside of that bus ride. He also loves that routine part of his day and the fact that no matter what has happened during the day, no matter his card color, he still gets a look of surprise and thrill on his face to see me, runs hell bent to me, and jumps, grinning, into my arms for a bear hug. Every. Single. Day. For over two years now. To keep him after would most likely make quite an impression. I have to say I'm very curious to know how that would go over! :)

All in all, I'm hopeful. I'm praying we're on the right track. And I'm looking forward to our time to come.

...And next week I've been asked to come in to talk to Liam's teacher... hmmmm........