here comes the pictures!!!

OK, the pictures didn't load in the order I wanted but I'll just have to make it work :)



<------ Here Chase is in the Alpaca Field at the Farm we went to last weekend to purchase our Alpacas. Chase is so excited and wasn't intimidated at all. He just loves all animals

<------ This is The State Of Michigan, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy's training vessel. Drew's on this ship right now (and in the picture). The Ship is just leaving it's dock on West Grand Traverse Bay

<----- Sitting at the dock getting ready to leave for a 2 week tour.

<----- "Reggie" who Kylie has named "Cosmo". He's our 6 mo old Male Haucaya Alpaca and will be Kylie's 4H project next year. He looks brown but is actually Black and VERY soft and sweet.

<---- "Petey" who Chase has named "Anakin" is another 6 mo old male haucaya alpaca that we just purchased. He will be Chase's 4H project next year. Here he is standing with his mom, both boys will be weaned this week.

<----- "Camilla" is our 10 yr old female Haucaya Alpaca and she's pregnant and due in June. We just purchased her also ( she's the one sticking her head up). We will also be getting her Cria (baby). We will be picking all 4 up in August after we have moved and gotten the barn and fencing in order.

<------ Kylie is playing with her toys!!!! Seriously, I HAD to get a picture of this momentous occassion!!! Normally she is following 2 inches behind me saying " I'm bored, I don't know what to do!"

<---- Chase at Track Practice. He HAD to do Hurdles : ) He did make it over a few times :) He tries so hard, I just love him.

<--- First, I live in a real house and I have a real family and Dishes NEVER come first.. so excuse the dirty dishes in the sink :) Here's the story. We had just picked Yoda up a few days before this ( he looks so much healthier now) and all of a sudden I didn't know where he was. We were calling for him and calling for him and we looked under the beds and everything. Finally I caught a puffy little white blob out of the corner of my eye and found him.. He was walked across the back of the couch, on to the breakfast bar, across the stove, down the counter and fell into the kitchen sink and couldnt jump back out! Silly dog.... He thinks he's a cat!

<---- My parents brought this home for Chase, Because apparently we don't have enough animals to feed..... This is when we first got him, he's in a comfy tank and is well taken care of now.. he's a farm raised red ear slider baby and I think Chase named him "Bob"

bras?

Since when did 1st and 2nd graders wear Bras??? While at Target with Kylie the other day she informed me that 2 of her friends wore bras and that she thought that was cool. I at first said, "you mean undershirts?" and she said "No, bras!". Ok these are 7 and 8 yr olds! Kylie is still only 6 and she's of the thin/atheletic build side of things and her 2 friends are a little bigger than her but they are by no means preteens. Kylie acted like she wanted one but I told her she was too young for one and she didnt need one and when she was older she could get one. I dunno, something just feels wrong about letting a 1st grader wear a bra. I let her buy a new pack of camisole undershirts instead and some cool socks :) I'm not ready to let her grow up that fast!

why no updates???

Because my camera broke!!!!!!! And blogs are just boring with out pictures! I just have my camera phone and I'm not sure exactly how to link it up yet. Maybe I'll figure that all this weekend.

Quick boring pictureless update:

Drew left on a 2 week cruise aboard the State Of Michigan this morning.

We have decided to buy a few Alpacas and raise them when we move in a few months.

Chase is doing better at school now, now that the year is almost over! And he's been receiving private OT and PT and loves going to it. He's also running track at school right now and is doing fairly well.

Kylie had her private OT eval but we havent gotten the report back yet. She's socially doing well at school but is seriously struggling with writing... her reading how ever is catching up to grade level and she seems to like reading which is HUGE seeing our biggest battle with chase was that he hated it.

I'm still working and looking forward to summer vacation and being a stay at home mom again. I MISS MY KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We havent given up on adopting but have put it off until late winter, still trying to conceive.. no luck.

I'll never smoke.....

Today out of the blue Kylie informed me " I'll never smoke mom! " I said "Good, Smoking is gross" and she said " yeah, it leaves a white spot on your shirt and on your body and it doesn't wash off! "....hmmm I think someone watchs too many TV commercials ( I dont know if they play that one where you all live but its like a PSA from the heart and lung association saying that you cant see lung cancer). But hey, If that's what she wants to believe and that keeps her from smoking then I'm not telling her otherwise!

Winter Break

Here's Chase's 4H bunny.. it's a Polish Buck and his name is Weasley ( we had a Harry and a Potter but unfortnately the cage wasnt as predator proof as we thought)

Kylie today after I forced them to go outside and play!

Chase, Kylie and our baby puppy Boomer ( a 12mos old male F2b ( which means his mom was a goldendoodle but his dad was a poodle ) goldendoodle that was shaved a few months ago)

Kylie getting ready to go Tubing at Timberlee Resort

Our Christmas tree. Not so spectacular but it has alot of memories on it...

The World's Worst Blogger EVER!!

Ok, I never claimed to be good at this : )

I did end up getting that Toddler Assistant job, I LOVE IT!!! It's really keeping me busy though

Kylie had her IEP and qualified for services based on a Learning Disability Label and now recieves special help in Language Arts daily.

Chase HATES the 4th grade, says it's too hard, too much homework and he doesn't like the other kids in his class. His class is a 4,5,6th grade and I think that there's been some bullying going on and seeing Chase is small and different he's the one who gets picked on. He's NOT use to that AT ALL. He has never had a problem socially before so this is something new to deal with.

Drew FINALLY jumped on board with the adoption plan I have. He said YES!!!! So the search for our child is on... Not sure where we will find out child but I know there is one out there waiting for us to find him/her. We have decided that we are looking for a child 3 or younger, girl or boy (although Drew is pushing for a girl.... I feel like it's going to be a boy), mild/moderate physical special needs... something like Mild CP, Clubbed Foot, Etc....

Here's a few pictures of Kylie at her Holiday Program at school. This year it was "Holidays Around The World"

monday moments

Another busy day! I found out this morning that Kylie will be getting special ed services for language arts and will also be getting some OT. I'm amazed that they actually qualified her because the whole team originally told me that she didn't qualify but after some thought they did additional testing on her and she does now qualify.. her official IEP is friday morning.

The kids were at my ex's this weekend and chase ran another cross country race on saturday, 1 mile in 9:02..... his past races have been 9:09, 8:30 and 8:47. He loves it! He's not the best at it but he's not the worst either. I'm glad that he's finally found something that he enjoys and is good at.

OHHH!!! At cross country practice today that principal came out and talked briefly with me and strongly hinted that I got the toddler assistant job, i'll find out officially later this week when human resources call!

A couple of days ago Kylie decided that she wants to be Pippi Longstocking for halloween...remember her???? The worlds strongest girl who has a suitcase of gold, a monkey, a horse and lives alone because her pirate dad is lost at sea??? I LOVED THAT STORY!!! So I was so excited to make this costume that I finnished it in ONE DAY!! I found a navy jumper at goodwill for $1.79 and i cut the bottom off of it seeing it was a size 10 ( kylie is a 6) which gave it that well worn baggy look that i wanted. I bought a square of bright yellow and a square of bright red for the patches on the front of the dress and stitched them on by hand with white thread.. i literally stitch it on to look like a 9 yr old did it. Then I bought an adult small long sleeve red shirt at walmart and these funky stripey knee high socks and another pair of sort of solid color knee high socks ( remember she worn mismatched socks!) ... i picked up pipe cleaners for her braids to stick out too. Anyways it was so simple and it turned out adorable. I tried to take a picture but the flash wasnt working and the picture was too dark. I'll try again tomorrow. Chase wants to be a Fisherman.. that should be easy!