Hip Hip Hooray! Clean teeth today!

Okay…so this was actually last week but my life is a bit crazy all the time at times.

We went for our bi-annual check ups (even though Sammy says he wants to go more often because he’s just sure that I only take him once a year) at Dr. Wood’s Office in Cypress. The boys just love it there! The big event this year was that Danny (who just turned three and refused to let Dr. Wood do anything at the last visit) not only sat in the chair but let them count, polish and even put fluoride on his teeth! And all with a huge smile! :) Hooray for Danny boy!

And on that note…he’s finally starting to potty train willingly and is going on his own to pee in the toilet! Hooray (since he used to cry and scream if I’d even mention it!) I always knew he wouldn’t go to kindergarten in diapers but I’m happy to have some progress!

Guest Post: Facing a Giant Adversity: Mesothelioma and My Village

I’ve not had a guest blogger before but her story really touched me! And just as I like people (who face challenges like we did with Nathan and his sagittal synostosis) to be able to find a place with answers so does she. I hope that someone finds what they’re looking for here.

– Allison

By Heather of www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather

First Day of School 2012

Doesn’t it just seem like we were celebrating the end of the last school year? Well today three of us had our first days of school! I even got permission to go and see them off with Thad!

Sammy started first grade! He has Mrs. Farley who we met a few weeks back at Yogurtland :) she came up and introduced herself when she recognized Sammy! He had a good first day at school!

I started my 11th year at CHS! Wow. Time flies! :)

And Nathan had his first day of Puppy K (now called Transitional Kindergarten with the new CA law). He is with Mrs. MacInnis and he had a smile plastered on his face all day. He has been so excited about school. They have matching shirts because whatever Sammy likes so does Nathan. Two nights ago I heard this conversation:

Sammy: I am going to have a new favorite color, blue, since I used to like orange and then you liked it. And then I liked green and now you like it.
Nathan: Okay. I like blue and green now.

So, matching shark shirts it is! :) All in all it was a great day! Here is to a great school year!

First Day of School 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Danny Boy–Age 3

The late summer and fall get pretty busy with birthdays around the Marcroft house and we just celebrated our first. Danny turned three over the weekend and I still can’t believe it!

We went to the doctor’s office yesterday and he’s still (in true Marcroft fashion) off the charts in height (100 percentile) and almost that in weight (95 percentile) so he is long and dense but his ratio is healthy (phew!) I think that he might even be catching up to Nathan!

Here are some things that I’d like to remember about Danny at this age:

• He loves Balloons – so much so that he’ll fall asleep holding one in his hand (and not let go all night), or carry around a drawing or a picture of one, or even a book that has a balloon somewhere in the story.
• He is very loving and gives lots of hugs and kisses and is very aware of Mommy’s feelings.
• He likes to say “I love you still” when he tells me he loves me.
• He’s a bit feisty with his brothers but I guess that is what happens when you have two big brothers that pick on you.
• He likes to draw and draws tiny circles and other delicate objects very carefully. Hmm…I wonder if he’ll have Thad’s flair for art?!
• He loves riding his big boy bike and scooter! Sometimes he’ll just shout out because he’s so happy and say things like wooo hooo! and Awesome! as he’s riding! And his new bike is a “rocket”!
• He loves Benny (and really all of his brothers) but is always wanting to hold Benny even if Ben is getting too big and too strong for Danny!
• He doesn’t like pickles or tomatoes (so strange to me…the rest of us love them!)
• He loves trains…but I don’t know many three year olds that don’t!
• He loves coins of any shape and size and will play with them, stick them in his pocket and steal them out of my purse if it’s anywhere near him!
• He wants nothing to do with potty training :( but we’re still trying from time to time and at least I know he won’t go to kindergarten in diapers!

Happy Birthday to our little Danny boy!

Here are a few pictures from our mini playdate/party at the park!

Danny’s 3rd B-day at CPE VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Is it the end of summer already?

On Monday Thad goes back to school :( so our summer is kind of almost over. I don’t go back officially until after Labor Day but I do have two days I have to work next week as well :( so this week we did some playing :).

My parents reserved a few rooms in Oceanside and invited all of the grandkids down. The Fongs and our family were both available and we packed up our bags and headed south on Friday. Saturday we played at the beach, swam in the pool, caught sand crabs, enjoyed family time and yummy family dinner together each night. Sunday we attended a nice ward in Oceanside, dyed eggs (since we ran out of time at Easter Nate’s been asking to do them), did an indoor Olympics with paper plane flying, egg bashing, egg-in-a-spoon walking race and other quiet events complete with medals. Monday we got up, had breakfast at Ruby’s on the pier, packed up and then swam until the boys were ready to pass out.

We spent Monday resting and packing for our next adventure on Tuesday. We left after lunch and headed to Barton Flats to join the Marcroft Clan. Great Grandma Marcroft has been going there every summer for (I think) more than 60 years. Aunt Addie, Uncle Eric, the Badalamenti family and G&G Marcroft were there as well as Great Grandma Marcroft who is in her nineties. Great Grandma slept in the motorhome (phew) and it was nice to have her there. We brought the boys bikes and they rode almost non-stop. They would only stop to eat or to play in the wheelchair, dirt or fire. The weather was perfect, the boys played all day and enjoyed the campfire and smores as well. Sammy even got to ride bikes with Grandpa Marcroft down a “really fast hill” (direct quote from Sam!) We even made a stop (the boys hiked, I drove with Great Grandma) at Jenks Lake before travelling home. It was nice and quiet until Thursday when we were packing up when the weekend campers were coming and I was okay with leaving (I like it when camp is empty—the boys can roam and be adventurous without bothering anyone!)

We had a lot of fun and hope to recover soon from the adventures (lots of laundry and car cleaning to do still!) Enjoy the pictures!

Oceanside

Beach Day!

Egg bashing…winner – > Nathan!

Sunday afternoon (Easter) Egg Decorating

Airplane launch—Jared’s plane won!

Grandma and her little buddy Danny!

Benjamin loves the water…he’s either splashing or if he gets tired he just goes right to sleep in it!

On our way to breakfast…Sammy took this of us – I guess that this is how he sees us!

Barton Flats

Grandpa and Sammy riding together!

Some of my boys at Jenks Lake

Nathan

Benjamin (now 9 months!)

Grandpa Marcroft, Danny, Great Grandma, Nathan and Sammy

Sam was so excited—we put a hitch on his bike so that he could pull Benny too!

My balloon loving Danny-boy!

C’mon everybody it’s Family Night!

One of our goals this year was to have FHE more often! So far we haven’t been perfect but we’re doing a lot better! The boys look forward to it and I love the site, A Year of FHE, which has great lessons and printables so you can search for a lesson (or just do her weekly lesson) print and go! They come with a scripture, song and everything you need!

Here are two quotes that I found that I like about FHE and why it is so important to us…

"We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility. We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities."  (First Presidency letter, 11 February 1999 - Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and James E. Faust, emphasis added)

"Family home evenings should be scheduled once a week as a time for discussions of gospel principles, recreation, work projects, skits, songs around the piano, games, special refreshments, and family prayers. Like iron links in a chain, this practice will bind a family together, in love, pride, tradition, strength, and loyalty."  (Salvation; A Family Affair, Ensign, July 1992, p. 4 - President Ezra Taft Benson, emphasis added)

Here are a few pictures from our lesson tonight on each of us being a special spirit son/daughter of God. I thought it might help with some of the issues we’ve been having with the boys lately! They definitely loved it. We modified it and cut out the cutting/gluing and had them circle what they liked (to save time, it was late when we started) but it was still fun!

I really loved Nathan’s little person. I think that it is the first time he’s drawn a person. He always has me draw things for him. I told him that he needed to do it and that he could…just draw a circle, and then eyes and then he took it from there. Cute eh? :) Happy Family Night!

p.s. Don’t forget to head to A Year of FHE and find a lesson today! You’ll love it!

Another breath-holder?

Really? Another one?

Today I had a scary thing happen while Thad was gone, thankfully, we know what it is since Nathan did (and does this still if he gets REALLY hurt) so I was a little more calm but I am still not ready for it.

I was in the living room picking up and the boys were in their room playing. The little Legos were up so I thought it was “safe” in their room for the baby to be crawling/playing with them around the corner from me. All of a sudden I hear Benjamin screaming so I run in to see him turning blue. I assume he’s found something and is choking so I try to get something out but there isn’t anything then he passes out and I am screaming (Nathan and Danny who are arguing over something and have no idea what is going on-ugh!) when I realize that he’s still breathing shallowly and that he’s not choking but involuntarily holding his breath. Then I start screaming (I know :( ) at the boys to see who hurt him or took something from him. That is how Nate’s incident originally occurred—I took away a skateboard from him (he was about 14 months old and not big enough to ride a skateboard) and he got really upset. I didn’t call 911 this time since they taught me what to look for when this happens so that I can make sure that they’re still breathing. Soon after I realized what had actually happened (meaning not choking) Benjamin “woke” up and started breathing a little better and just rested in my arms for a few minutes until he felt better...

So life is going to be exciting since now I have TWO that do this. He has been showing signs (similar to how Nate reacts when he gets hurt or really angry) and I was thinking that he might have breath holding spells but I was hoping I was wrong. At least I know what usually triggers them, how to help them (slap their face gently, blow in their face, splash water on their face; anything to try to “break” them out of the cycle) and most importantly I know to run to them and either hold them or sit/lay them down so that if they do pass out they don’t get injured when they fall.

Things like this definitely remind me to hold them a little longer and cherish them a little bit more each moment that I can…

p.s. Here he is on a happier morning in one of his favorite places—water!