Show Off Your Kids!

[Happy Evolute]

Daughter on my left, step-daughter on my right.

Paris.

[urs]

I'd give my left arm to be sitting in that little cafe behind you! So envious!

P.S. Good job on those lovely girls! It really says something when individuals in that age group are willing to be seen, and affectionate with, a parental unit in public.

[meAgain]

+1 HE great picture.  I hope to see Paris some day.  You guys look so happy!

[Garja]

[meAgain]

.

[Jezzebelle]

8 kids mean 8 candy bags!  Goodness what do y'all do with all that!

[acctnt_shan]

It's like a candy store exploded!  haha that's an impressive haul...

Love the Flo costume 

[meAgain]

8 kids mean 8 candy bags!  Goodness what do y'all do with all that!

Yeah, and that was probably only from 5 trick or treating.  The high schoolers don't trick or treat or the baby. 

In the past, we have sent candy to the troops and I also freeze a lot of the chocolate stuff.  I have 3 kids who have b-days in November so all that candy is great for goodie bags.  I've also frozen candy and use it for decorating cakes, ice cream toppings, other cooking recipes for special desserts. 

[meAgain]

Love the Flo costume 

Thanks.  She literally came up with the idea Halloween day and put it together herself.  She looked cute. 

[meAgain]

[Jezzebelle]

what a cool moment for her!!!  and great pic!

[intojoy]

Miller Time

[Hemingway]

Nice pic of your bundles of Joy, Joy!   

[intojoy]

Thank you

[Happy Evolute]

I'd give my left arm to be sitting in that little cafe behind you! So envious!

If y'all are ever in Paris send me a PM and we'll know where to meet!

P.S. Good job on those lovely girls!

[urs]

Will do, HE!

The Fam.

[meAgain]

^

+1

All of you are cuties!

[urs]

^

+1

All of you are cuties!

Thanks! I am trying really hard, but it comes pretty easily to the hubs and the kids.

[Assyriankey]

Your son made me lol, thanks, lovely photo.

[Tom]

Ur,

Why is there a gala in the picture in the picture with a smile on its dial?  Does he think he is the luckiest person on the planet or something?

[urs]

Your son made me lol, thanks, lovely photo.

He has that effect on everyone.

Sorry for spam.

[urs]

Just today he's been running around like this:

[Meat]

Will do, HE!

The Fam.

Nice pic. Your man seems to be saying I will crack you in the head! She's mine!

[urs]

Nah. He knows I can hold my own.

[Meat]

Nah. He knows I can hold my own.

Well he's a lucky man I'm sure. Rainbow hair and all! :)

[Mr. Blackwell]

This is my favorite family photo...we have another daughter now but there are no good family photos of all of us together....yet.

[FGOH]

Great additions since I last looked at this thread! +1s all round.

[urs]

Great additions since I last looked at this thread! +1s all round.

Thanks!

I've had so many people ask me when I'm going to start a blog for my son, that I decided to just make my Vine account pretty much all him (although his sister is allowed to contribute when she feels so inclined. Which is rarely.)

[Krisikins]

:) time to contribute i guess :P

Meet Dorian, six weeks today.

[Jezzebelle]

This is more of a bragging post... but I haven't really had anyone to share this with (because, well it is bragging a bit, but really it's mostly relief). 

My daughter is so different than me.  She learns different, she has different interests, she's sweet and compassionate, she takes her time.  We have similarities too, we're both very organized, we both know exactly what we want, we're bossy.  But it's been an adventure with her because she is so different. 

With my son, as I have shared before, he hits on the spectrum of AS so he certainly has his differences... but we learn the same.  He's brilliant.  He's in 4th grade and they've moved him to change classes to 5th grade for several subjects already.  Math is his strong suit, it's mine too.  He wants to go to the same college I went to (which says a lot because he's normally such contrary little guy).  He's competitive.  School and sports have been so EASY with him, we've never had to worry.  Me and my husband were both in gifted classes, and my son was added to them in the second grade.  It was just natural.

I've been worried about my daughter for awhile.  I've posted before that she shows signs of dyslexia.  At first I thought, "well we got through the AS, this can't possibly be worse than that."  But it is more frustrating.  She's almost 6, she's not reading.  She's been "close" to reading for 2 years.  It's just not budging.  She still writes backwards some.  Practice doesn't seem to help much.  She doesn't quite "get" math.  Everyone kept saying, "She's so young still, she'll get it, don't worry."  But how do you not worry?  She's still been "right on track" for school, but that's frustrating for me because I know the public school system's standards are low.  I wanted her to be ahead.  I just want more for her.

We went in for her first parent-teacher conference this year, last week.  In the beginning of school I had told the teacher of my concerns of possible dyslexia just so she could keep an eye out for signs too.  The conference went as expected.  She is great in some areas- art, drawing, etc, and not so great in others- math, reading.  But at the end the teacher said to me, "Well, I know that you know that Zoe loves art.  But she is also the most creative student in my class.  She always has an outside of the box answer for any question I have, and can draw me an amazing picture to go along with it.  I know her scores aren't the best in the class and she can work on her counting and sight words, but as of right now she is the only one I will be recommending for the gifted program next year from our class.  That program is for the creative and she fits the bill perfectly."

I could have cried and kissed that teacher.  I feel such relief.  I know she doesn't "need" to be in the gifted program, and everything would be fine if she was just a "normal" student.  But to have the recognition that others see her amazing, wonderful, talented self even through her struggles is such a great feeling.  She's going to be just fine in her own special way :)

Here's her entry for this year's National Reflections Program (https://www.pta.org/programs/ArtsinEducation.cfm).  They judge at the county level, then state, then national.  She's in the Kindergarten level.