Family Firsts

Last summer we purchased 4 acres a little east of town.  Last fall we had a friend and some of his "guys" clear out a portion of the land with their trucks and equipment.  Today my husband and I did some manual labor ourselves to clear it off some more.  In doing so, the family has experienced quite a few firsts.  In no particular order:

**Jeremy used a bush hog. 
      --Last-minute (as is our typical m.o.) we decided to rent a bush hog and spend the day on the land.  Jeremy had accomplished a LOT in the first hour while I was still home prepping the kids in light layers; filling water bottles; making snack cups; packing bug spray, balls, & frisbees; and paying bills (blah!).  I'm not sure how much was cleared by the end of the day, but it is a noticeable difference.  Bonus:  We now have a path that we can use to walk from our parking spot to the land instead of having to walk along the street where the speed limit is rarely followed. 

**I used an axe, hedge clippers, and a pruning saw.
      --I'd like to thank Kevin H. for knowing more than I do about clearing land and not just supplying me with the requested hedge clippers but also letting us borrow the other two.  I ended up using those the most! 

**I cut down trees. 
       --Little ones, but they were definitely trees!  Who needs a Y membership when you have overgrown acreage?!  I will most likely be sore in the morning - and tomorrow afternoon when we're back at it again - but I sure did have some fun.  I do believe I have found my "thing" for when I'm stressed, mad, frustrated, etc. and need to have a positive release of said emotions.  Truly.  Whacking away at shrubs and vines and trees is fun.  We'll see what I have to say about this after day #2. :-)

**The kids spent hours outside...unsupervised for most of it. 
        --Living in our current house we definitely do not just let the kids go out and play.  Neither of us feel comfortable not having an eye on them at all times due to the streets and the neighborhood.  Probably mostly due to irrational fears, but that's the reality of it.  And when we do go outside they have all of about a 35'x25' (ish) area to run around.  I am always envious when we go to my sister's house and her kids are playing outside while she's able to work around the house.  How nice!  One day we'll have that freedom and today was a little taste of it.  I'm also quite certain all 3 will sleep soundly tonight!

**I have my first sunburn of the year.
       --I'm actually excited that I'm getting an early start on my summer tan this year.  It was SO nice to be outside in a tank top...and NOT sweltering b/c the temps were FABULOUS!  But after a couple of hours I knew I was burning, so on our lunch break I made a pit stop to the house to pick up some sunscreen.  It was too little too late, really, but I'm sure it helped some.  Jeremy, of course, is nice and brown already.  The kids also have rosy cheeks and I'm realizing that the recent cutting of Barrett's hair means I need to pay attention to his ears when we'll be spending extended time in the sun. 

All in all, it was a good day.  Here's to hoping we have the energy and strength to do just as much work tomorrow.  Our Saturday rental has allowed us a free day since the place isn't open on Sunday for returns.  Bonus!

Taking a snack break next to the muddy rut Jeremy made when he got stuck a couple of weeks ago

After lunch I set them up in the shade of an evergreen...where they did not stay :-)

Blindsided

I've had plans to blog more about hearing loss over the past month to explain the path we followed that led us to Barrett's hearing aids.  Or maybe to explain how AWESOME he's been with the transition to aids.  Or perhaps my explanation to the popular question, "Have you noticed a difference since he's had them?" 

But those blogs will all have to wait.  We're at 5.5 weeks with the hearing aids, so hopefully they'll come sooner rather than later. 

This blog...well...it's about this little lady. 

A week and a half ago, on a Monday, I was running late to pick up Layla (what's new?).  This time the school's Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) walked her out to the van.  This wasn't normal but I figured she had something to tell me about school (I technically am the library media specialist there, but I have taken the school year off - another blog I still need to write). 

Well, she didn't tell me anything about school.

She told me Layla failed her hearing test on Friday. 

I was stunned. 

About a million thoughts rushed my mind at once and I can't clearly put them down in words because they were all jumbled together.  I was also working on continuing the conversation with the SLP while these thoughts flooded my mind and focusing on not allowing the tears I knew would inevitably appear to show up (I am a crier). 

She proceeded to tell me that it was her student teacher who conducted the test and that she would re-administer the test later in the week.  That made me feel a little better.  And made a little more sense.  She was a student teacher, so it could have easily been an administrator error, right? 

I drove away and the tears came. 

I don't think tears and the onslaught of thoughts would have occurred if we didn't have hearing loss in the family already.  I am pretty sure I would have brushed it off completely. 

I mean, none of this made sense.  She's never had a speech delay like her brother.  She's never shown any problems with hearing - except her selective hearing.  ;-)  So my mind knew there was nothing to worry about, but that wasn't doing much to help my emotions.

My husband and I talked over the next few days about this.  We thought perhaps she faked it.  Why would a 6-year-old fake a hearing test?  Well, I don't think one would...unless she has a brother who has a hearing loss and maybe she somehow wanted to pretend to have one, too.  For attention, maybe?  We haven't really made a big deal of Barrett's hearing aids, though, so I don't know what attention she would have been seeking.  We tested her with a dog whistle app we have on our phones to see if she could hear the higher frequencies.  She could. 

My mind was starting to take control of my emotions.  Now I was just waiting for the end of the week to come. 

Thursday after school I was late...again...and the SLP came out with Layla.  The news? 

She failed the test. 

There goes the administrator-error theory.  I looked at the test results and they seemed pretty consistent.  Again, I was thinking everything and nothing at once.  The SLP informed me that going to an audiologist for a hearing test was the next step. 

I drove away.  Did I cry?  I honestly can't remember.  But I know we still weren't ruling out kid-faked results.  However, the likelihood of a kid faking a hearing test with consistent results is super unlikely and I knew that.  But, again, none of this made sense. 

The audiologist appointment was made for the following Tuesday after school.  I was quite anxious.  Of course I didn't get to sit in on the test because Barrett didn't feel like sitting quietly in the office.  So I sat outside the door waiting...and waiting...and waiting.

The results?

Layla also has high frequency hearing loss.

*Insert my amazing ability to not cry or even tear up while having a fairly lengthy conversation with the audiologist!  The fact that my kids were HORRIBLY behaved during this time may have attributed to this feat.

It was recommended we meet with an ENT for genetic counseling and I mentioned to the audiologist that I'm now worried about Piper.  She basically confirmed my worries were justified.  So we're meeting with an ENT for both Layla and Piper and at that time Piper's hearing will also be tested.  All of this will happen in a couple of weeks.

We're still confused (not really the right word but it's all I can come up with) because Layla does not have any speech issues like Barrett does. The audiologist said the hearing loss may have just presented itself later than it did with Barrett.  That gets me thinking down the path of it being a progressive loss which I just don't want to think about right now.
 
Layla hasn't had any issues in school, either.  The teacher has seen nothing that has caused her to be concerned.  But the audiologist said we would probably see more issues in 1st grade once spelling tests start, for example.  Although she did say if she's hearing portions of words she may be able to figure out what words are being given during a verbal test simply because she knows the words on her spelling list for the week. 

As of right now we are going to have her retested right before 1st grade to see where she stands.  We will play the rest of this school year by ear...no pun intended. ;-)

Barrett's path was slow & steady.  We had clues (speech delay) and preliminary tests that prepared us for a hearing loss diagnosis.  It was a nearly 6-month ordeal...almost 10 months once you factor in the time it took to finally get the aids. 

But this.  This was a complete and sudden blindside. 

Overnight Oats

A week ago I posted a question here.  Along with this picture:

What was this momma doin'?  This momma was making Overnight Oats.

What are overnight oats, you ask?  That's what I wondered, too, when I first heard about them.  Well, I'll tell you what they are.  They're genius!

I really do want to eat healthier and more real foods.  But, let's be honest, it takes time.  Time to prepare the meals, yes, but also time to learn about new recipes and to change your habits.  And we are busy people.  I also really like my sleep.  So the idea of waking up early to make a breakfast that isn't cereal or a frozen breakfast sandwich or pop-tarts (you get the idea) isn't super appealing to me.

So when I came across this idea of overnight oats, I was intrigued.  You can make your breakfast the night before.  As long as I can remember to do that at least...

Anyway, the simple explanation is that you mix oats, milk, yogurt, fruit, and whatever else you would like to try in a bowl and stick it in the fridge to be ready to consume the next morning.

It is a little weird to eat oatmeal cold.  I haven't really gotten used to it yet.  But it's not bad.  The fact that it's quick, easy AND healthy makes it better.  

Enough of my rambling and on to the recipe!

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt - I used vanilla because I don't like the plain
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener) - I prefer raw, local honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1.) Combine all ingredients in a bowl

2.) Stir thoroughly 

3.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.  (not pictured)

4.) Eat chilled (I might try popping it in the microwave next time to take a bit of the chill off)

High in protein, calcium & fiber - low in fat & sugar.  Now go start your day with a healthy, nutrition-packed punch!

What's This Momma Doin'?

I'm at it again. This time at 11:00pm at night. That's your only clue...for now :-)

**I apologize for never finishing my previous "What's This Momma Doin'?" post. I plan to remedy that tomorrow. 

Stop the Insanity!

I enjoyed Valentine's Day as a child. 

I loved the excitement of going to the store to mindfully pick the PERFECT cards to pass out. 

I loved deciding which card would go to each person. It was a tough decision at times! I certainly could NOT give a boy one that said something that might make him think I liked him! How embarrassing that would be! :-)  

I loved opening up all the cards, reading them, and seeing who they were from.

I'm pretty sure there was some candy involved. But I'm positive candy was the exception, not the rule. 

So when did the this change? And why?

Does my 5-year-old really need this much candy? Especially after a day that already involved 2 cupcakes and other various treats during the party?

I'd like to give a big thanks to the giver of the pencil. And a hearty thanks to the giver of the cheddar cracker things, too. 

But those I would like to thank the most are the select few who only gave a card. 

I'm not sure the reasoning behind the lack of an additional item. Perhaps it was because they didn't want to spend the money. Maybe it was because they like the simplicity of the card. Or was it because they knew the mass amounts of candy that would be passed around? 

It doesn't really matter the reasoning behind the lack of candy. I'm just glad there was one. 

And I hope those kids didn't feel bad passing out *only* cards. 

Maybe I should ask my daughter how she liked passing out only cards*. But I won't. You know why? Because I have a feeling she didn't even notice that her cards were "inferior" with no candy attached. I'm pretty sure she would simply tell me it was fun to pass them out. 

But I'm not going to ask. I don't want to peel away a layer of her naivety. I don't want to draw any more attention to this insanity. 

I'm also going to hope that we have another year or two in us before she realizes that I throw away 90% of this stuff. 

Come on, parents! Do you really enjoy watching your kids bring home a mountain of sugar? Do you not cringe? 

Or am I in the minority here? I'm not one of "those" parents who refuses to let her kids eat refined sugar. If we're at a bank, for instance, and a sucker is offered (or used as bribery for good behavior - because we do that here) then they get a sucker. But candy is an exception, not the rule. So to see a backpack full of candy makes me cringe.

I'm certain I'm not the only parent who feels this way. So why don't we start banding together and do away with the candy? Do away with the feeling that there has to be more to a Valentine card than just the card. 

They're kids! They have fun giving ANYTHING to their friends! So let them have fun with cards and put away those silly, media-induced, candy company-created thoughts that there has to be more.

Of course then we get to the thought that the holiday and cards themselves are media-created. But I digress...

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. 

~The Messy Midwestern Mom~

*Confession: Her cards to the boys were just cards. Her cards to the girls, though, did include an extra treat: Jamberry Nails. So I'm a part of the problem. I recognize this. And I will work harder next year to include the girls in this "only cards" mission. 

Goodbye, Normal

Today was our last day of "normal".  Today was the last day Barrett will not having hearing aids.  Confused?  Yeah...I plan on blogging about this journey at some point but not today.

Last night I had painted a beautiful picture of what today would look like.  It's President's Day so the entire family was going to be home.  I thought we could do some fun celebration stuff...perhaps the children's museum.  There was an act from America's Got Talent there today!!  I also decided I wanted to take Barrett somewhere (location had not been determined) and attempt to get some adorable pre-aids pictures of him with our camera and my extremely amateur photography skills. 

It appeared the day was starting out great.  Our little guy, who is always in our room ready to begin the day anytime between 5:45am and 6:15am (fabulous, right?) was not the first in our room.  Today our middle came into the room first and we did not hear the patter of 2-year-old feet right behind her (you have to walk through his room to get to ours).  Was this a dream??  Did Barrett really not wake up when she walked through the room?  Did Piper not go over and wake him up?  Wow!  Now all we had to do was get Piper out of the room (with an iPhone in hand - yep, we do that) without disturbing him. 

It worked!

We slept some more. 

Then Jeremy got up.  And, to my complete satisfaction, there was still not patter of tiny feet!

Around 8:45am I couldn't stay captive in the room any longer.  What a nice thing to get to experience: getting out of bed on my own terms!

I paused on my way through Barrett's room just to check on him.  He was opening and closing his eyes slowly.  Very pleasant and sweet to watch a kid who is not quite ready to wake.  But I lingered.  This was just so unlike him that I kept staring.  Eventually his eyes were open for good but he wasn't making any effort to move.  No sudden jumping up ready for the day and asking me to hold him.  If you don't know Barrett, this is most certainly not true to nature! 

So I walked to his bed.  The poor guy was burning up! 

And my dreams for the day came shattering down.

He spent the day puny and sickly.  Normally I would have been happy that his illness showed up on a non-school day.  But not this day.  I was super bummed about the timing of it all.  And there may have been a tear or two sneak out when no one was looking. 

But it's okay.  We had a nice relaxing day. 

He wouldn't have understood any sort of celebration we would have had anyway.  He's got no clue that his life is about to change.  There is no way we can prepare him.  He's 2. 

There is so much unknown about tomorrow. 

Will he easily adapt to hearing aids or will it be a constant battle to get him to keep them in?

How long will battles last? 

How long do hearing aid batteries last? 

How easily do they fall out?  Do we need to invest in clips that attach to his shirt?

In our MESS of a house, where will we safely keep his hearing aids each night? 

And because I haven't even allowed myself to really sit and think about things, these are all the questions I have.  There are probably questions I should have ready to ask tomorrow, but I don't. 

We are really blindly going into this.  Which is weird for me....a supreme planner.  But it's somewhat freeing.  I'm not feeling any stress.  I'm pretty sure I'll be feeling a lot of it starting tomorrow, so it's good I've not got any right now.  But it is surprising to me and a feeling I'm not used to. 

I think it's because this is COMPLETELY unknown territory for us that I just have no way to plan or stress.  I just have no idea what we're about to face.

That's not to say I haven't mourned.  But that's for another blog. 

So here I sit...the last night on my couch as a mom of 3 kids who appear perfect on the outside.  In 12 hours we leave, in 13.5 hours we will see his hearing aids for the first time, and in 16-17 hours we will be back home and life will be different.

You can expect many blogs on this topic as pave trails into the unknown. 

And you might just see some "pre-aids" pictures that aren't really pre-aids.  I can at least pretend to have accomplished one thing from my beautiful plans. ;-)

Until then, here he is on Valentine's Day enjoying a delicious chocolate chip cookie. 

What's This Momma Doin'?

Time for another round I like to call "What's This Momma Doin'?"

Clue #2