Spiky Ball Intervention

Posted on by coloradowescotts
Paige has a serious fear. She isn’t afraid of much except spiky balls. No, this isn’t going to be an x-rated post and they are not some medieval torture devise, although the way she screams when she sees one would make you think it might be.

She is afraid of these……

and these really terrify her, extra spiky…..

Okay, so today I rounded up the kids and we headed off to the library to read and check out some books we had on hold. I went in first figuring all my ducklings were trailing behind me but when I looked back, Paige was standing off to the side of the front door, facing the wall, eyes tightly shut and her arms crossed. When I asked her what was wrong, all she could squeak out was “Spiky Ball”. Sure enough, on the counter in the Children’s Library were 5 colorful spiky balls lined up, prizes for those kids who could complete the summer reading program. I tried to get her to walk past, ignore them, anything so that we could spend more than a nanosecond in the library. Everything I suggested just made her scream louder…and we are talking blood curdling here. I was looking for an afternoon event to fill up the time and this was not going to be it. Sam swiftly retrieved our books on hold and we were out of the library in 5 minutes.

@#$% spiky balls. Of course, I would never say anything like that in front of my kids.

I got this brilliant plan to have a spiky ball intervention. Maybe if she could see one and touch one in the comfort of her home, she would overcome her fear. So, I bought one. A pink one with a piggy face, kinda cute. She LOVES anything pink. That is what I am thinking anyway. After Mason, Alice and Sam were tucked into bed, we sat down with Paige and tried to introduce her to our newest toy. Of course, she was already privy to the intervention and we were not going to trick her into touching or even coming close to that ball. After a few minutes (and I won’t lie, a few bribes) we gave up, put away the spiky ball and well, gave up.

I guess we won’t be going back to the library this summer.

@#$% spiky balls.

Running, VBS, Pool Time~ What We Have Been Up To…

Posted on by coloradowescotts
Running~
Friday night I went to Silverthorne with two of my friends for a real mom’s night out. We ran in the 10K race at Run the Rockies on Saturday morning. The race followed the bike path from Copper Mountain to Frisco. The weather and scenery could not have been better! Thanks Kristin and Kim for a really nice couple days away. We even got to eat two meals without cutting food into tiny pieces…and no one spilled their milk. So relaxing…Just like dining along a Paris sidewalk 🙂
Scott ran this morning with his friend Bill. He left the house at 5ish (that would be a.m. folks) and didn’t arrive back until noon. They ran around the Air Force Academy and Rampart Range, 25 miles in all. Well, they are training for a century run after all!
VBS~
Samuel, Alice and Paige attended vacation bible school this past week. They always enjoy their time at VBS and we wouldn’t miss it. This year the theme was Camp E.D.G.E. At the end of the week they performed some songs that they had learned and we enjoyed an awesome picnic afterwards. Today at church, they sang some the their songs for the congregation. Sam really wanted to wear the blazer and tie that his cousin Jacob sent him. He insisted on keeping the tie on the outside of his jacket because it looked so cool.


Pool Time~
We are still hanging out at the pool every morning, what with swim team practice and lessons. Sam had his first official swim meet on Saturday. Super Dad, Scott, took all the kids while I was enjoying my mommy time in Summit County. He swam well and truly there is nothing cuter than Sam in a skin tight suit, swim cap and camo goggles.

Today, we headed to the pool as soon as we saw a break in the clouds. Scott got to swim in the big pool with the three older kiddos while I hung out with Mason in the little pool. That’s right, Mason finally got his day in the pool. He started out sitting in the shallowest part and graduated to walking along the edge checking out bug and places where the water had been splashed from the pool. It was wonderful to see him WALKING in the water and bearing his own weight. So far, he has not liked getting up on his little feet because he isn’t used the sensation and his muscles are not formed fully for walking. I think that the water gave him just enough buoyancy that it didn’t bother him as much as out of the water. He was even a trooper when the brace had to go back on.


Are you tired yet of scrolling through endless shots of my darling cherubs at the pool? Only two and a half more months to go of my babies in bathing wear.

Life here is always on the crazy side but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Looking forward to a warmer week and playing at the pool. We might even meander down to the library. Here are some fun shots of the kids (and big kids) playing in the yard after dinner.



I hope you all have a fun, safe week!
Jennifer

Scott

Posted on by coloradowescotts

Below is a note written by Scott. He is currently training to run the Leadville 100. He has decided to make his trek through the mountains a charity run. If you want to check out Scott’s running updates and fundraising info go over and check it all out here. We are really proud of him for not only running this amazing amount of miles but making it into something really special and meaningful for so many deserving kids.

A really long way. . . . . . .
A charity run benefiting the LOOK project. My entire life, I have been searching out ways to challenge myself. Whether on a bike, in a pair of running shoes, or a work related project, I have always tried to go one step beyond my comfort zone. This year, I am taking that to a whole new level. Starting August 21, 2009, at 4:00 am, I will start off on the most ambitious physical challenge of my life. I will be embarking on a journey known as the Leadville 100. To those of you unfamiliar with the race, it is a continuous, 100 mile trail run through the mountains outside of Leadville, Colorado. If the distance alone is not scary enough for you, the low point of the course is at 9,200’ above sea level. If everything goes according to plan (what could go wrong??) I will be crossing the finish line in something less than 30 hours, prior to 10:00 am Sunday morning. As I have stepped up my training to ready my body for this challenge, a few things have occurred to me: 1) I am an exceptionally lucky individual to even be in a position to attempt this 2) There are countless people that are not so lucky 3) I need to channel this event into something more than just a run. In February of this year, my wife Jennifer and I traveled to China to meet our fourth child, Mason. This being our first foray into adoption, we did not completely know what to expect. What an absolutely amazing experience. Now that Mason is home and seamlessly transitioning into our family, we still often think of the many, many children still living at the XinXiang Social Welfare Institute in Henan Province, China, where Mason spent the first year and a half of his life. The XinXiang SWI is one of the neediest in all of China, as the Henan province is one of the most populous and poorest provinces in China. When I was researching potential charities to support, I immediately looked to our awesome adoption agency, Chinese Children Adoption International (CCAI) and their charitable branch, Chinese Children’s Charities (CCC). Specifically, I wanted to do something for both the older and special needs children in the SWI’s, as they are the least likely to make their way out through adoption. This is when I found the LOOK project, Love for Older Orphanage Kids. This project was started by parents of adoptive Chinese children who felt the need to do something for the children who were left behind in the SWI’s. They are specifically focusing on the Henan province for 2009 as the needs there are so urgent. There is lots of specific information on their web site, but I can tell you this is not about buying all the kids a new Wii. They are looking for things like underwear and towels, not exactly luxury items. Please take a moment to look at these web sites. If you are not in a position to donate, that is understandable. But if you are, please consider giving a gift to this exceptional group. Please reference “A Really Long Way” on your check or on the project section of the on-line form. All funds will be held until after the race, at which time I will work with LOOK and CCC both in the US and China to ensure the items we purchase are used for maximum effect. I will be made aware of who donated, but not how much. I don’t care. Just do what you can. It is appreciated.
CCAI – Attention: Charity Department
6920 S. Holly CircleCentennial, CO 80112
CCC and CCAI are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and your donations are tax deductible.
** If for any reason I do not finish, we are keeping your money!! The kids need it more than you!! **
THANK YOU

Cast free

Posted on by coloradowescotts

Here is our sweet boy, cast free. He is now the owner of these super cool shoes. I am sure it won’t take him long to get used to them but they are bit more restrictive. Aren’t his little feet so sweet?

Hey Mom, look what I can do!

A huge thanks to Lana and Victoria for transporting my kids to and from swimming, to and from VBS and keeping them for me. I am not sure what I would do without you both. Thanks for being so suppportive!

Love to all,

Jennifer

3 Months Home and Scavenger Hunts

Posted on by coloradowescotts

Well, we have been so busy I haven’t had a chance to post about Mason. He has been home 3 months. We (especially Mason) are all thrilled that he has his last set of casts removed tomorrow and he will begin wearing the brace and shoes. We do realize that this new adventure probably will come with some if not more challenges than the casts. With that being said, we are so excited to move past this stage, put it behind us, and get moving on the next one. He and I will make that fun trip to Greeley in the morning! Check back tomorrow for pics of our guy sans plaster casting.




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Yesterday, the kids were really in my hair and I was trying to get the house picked up for a visit from our social worker so I decided to send them out on a scavenger hunt. I gave each of them a brown lunch sack and wrote item to be found on the outside. They had to work together and couldn’t come back with their loot until everyone had completed the list. They had a ball and we ended up doing it again inside. We just turned the bag around and wrote a new list on the other side.



I love watching them working together and helping each other. Because Paige can’t read yet, it would not have been a lot of fun for her so Samuel and Alice kept reading her bag and making sure she had what she needed. I didn’t end up getting much done, mainly because I was watching in awe at them getting along and at how precious they were. These simple but fun games are their favorite and sometimes I forget that.

Many blessing,

Jennifer

Fish

Posted on by coloradowescotts
These crazy kids are turning into fish.

If you can’t find us, we are probably at the pool. Here are some cute pictures, from yesterday and today, of the kids having a blast in the water. Samuel swam in his first swim meet this morning and did fantastic. Of course, I was bawling and attempting to take pictures. He swam the 25 freestyle.

Look at my muscles! Aren’t they huge!

Mason did a little dance when we told him that he gets to swim in 5 days!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love, Jennifer

School’s Out, School’s Out, Teacher Let the Fools Adorable Children Out

Posted on by coloradowescotts

Is it bad when I have to go back and look at the downloaded pictures to see what we have been up to? Things are slowly calming down. The kids finished school on Friday, Mason got his last set of casts on Tuesday and Sam started swim team practice every morning rain or shine.

Alice graduated from Kindergarten. Her teacher had a really sweet ceremony with hats and diplomas. She is definitely ready for 1st grade. Sam had an ice cream party to celebrate the last day of school and he is now officially a 2nd grader. We are very proud of both of them, they worked very hard this year.




Scott and I both got a chance to be at school for the kids parties. As we passed each other in the hall of the school, going between classrooms, we nervously commented about the day when we will have 4 kids at one school. Wow, that will be crazy!

Here are some cute pics that I snapped of the kids in the past week.

Mason giving Jesse kisses. He LOVES her. She is not quite sure what to think of him yet.


Sam finally got a haircut. He wanted to keep it long in the back but we are pretty sure that hairstyle went out in the late 80’s. Really sure that it never should have been in. He looks very handsome and will be much cooler in the hot sun. Big bonus to shorter hair~less pulling when the swim cap comes on and off.
Sam swimming laps during swim practice. He is doing awesome and is a trooper in the cold water early in the morning.

Yesterday we went to the Denver Zoo with our friends. The weather could not have been nicer and the animals were out and about. We always appreciate that! Today we spent most of the day at the pool. Alice and Paige were in the small pool for pretty much the entire time, only coming out to eat or potty. Sam spent much of his time in the big pool playing with friends or in the grass playing with water guns. Mason and I hung out under the umbrella and strolling around the pool attempting to avoid the splash from said pools and guns. He did pretty good considering he is stuck on deck with hot heavy casts. Luckily the end of casting is in sight and he will be able to play in the small pool with the girls very soon. June 10th cannot come quick enough!

Pictures from the zoo. What with 4 kids, a stroller, diaper bag, lunch sack, hats, sunscreen, etc. I didn’t get a ton of pictures.



Hopefully I will get back here soon. Blogging would be so much quicker if I just sat down every night and gave a short update. The truth is most nights I want to sit on the couch and watch the back of my eyelids. That happens more often than sitting on the couch blogging.
Have an awesome weekend. We hope to make it back to the pool at some point and get in good runs.
Love to all,
Jennifer