Two Quick Things

Last night Saryn decided that she didn't like her name.  I said, "Okay... um, what would you like your name to be?"  Pause... um, Diana?!?  Okay, sure.   Normally I would react and tell her how I picked her name special for her and she should like it - or else!  But I, for some reason or another, decided to just say, "Okay, you're Diana now".   So, three Diana's later.... "Mom, I just want to be Saryn, OKAY?"  Done!  Simple, effective and done!  Glad that turned out the way it did - it could've been awkward otherwise.

Jaymeson has started to tell the BEST knock knock joke...

Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Jaymeson!

Jaymeson who?

Jaymeson Corbay (supposed to be Lervae, but close enough) Cahoon!

We're so proud of our little comedian.  Seems like we have another "type A" in our family.  Things are as they are, so why mess with it, right?  Jaymeson certainly agrees!

Jaymeson's Tubes

Not too much to tell with this story.  Jaymeson just has a few speech delays and LOTS of ear infections.  He hears just fine, but the pressure in his ears are off... so we got Ear Tubes put in.  In this case, I think a picture truly says a thousand words, so I'll try to not to make it two thousand.  Here goes:

 He was up at 5:30 to get there in time, but he was excited about it all.

 He waited patiently for about an hour in his surgical clothes, playing with the toys provided.

 He thought it was really funny to have the cream on his hands.  It tickled...  Most kids don't get this special treatment, but he had to have an IV instead of just gas to knock him out.  (Malignant Hypothermia in the family).  The nurses were so good with him though.  They'd check his Blood Pressure by "Measuring his Muscles" etc.  You could tell they were trained with kids.

 If it wasn't for this "Magical Light", he would've been far more grumpy.  Especially after.

 You can probably tell that this is an "after" picture.  He was so loopy when they gave him the sedative, and then with the IV, he was so silly (and moody like a roller coaster) when he woke up.  He would cry because he wanted to have the IV off, and then he wanted one in the other hand.  He wanted the light on his finger, then he wanted it off.  It was somewhat infuriating, but he pulled through.

He was also VERY okay with having a Popsicle.  You can see his pink lips here.
 

His mask was no longer hooked up, but he thought it felt funny.  It sure calmed him down during this "post-op" time.  I was actually called into the room where they wake up because he woke up screaming because he was so freaked out.  Usually they wait until they've woken up and calmed down to bring them to a Mom, but they brought me to him to calm him down.  Pretty good sign that he wasn't overly rational.

 At the end though, he thought he was pretty awesome in his wheelchair.  Thank heaven for Tylenol!!

Can't go wrong with a Fish Tank with all the 'Finding Nemo' characters in it either...  Thank you Alberta Children's Hospital!  It was a great stay!  His speech has improved drastically.  People understand him and everything!!

A GIRLS PARTY!

In November, the girls were all itching for a good party (as I'm not a HUGE birthday party mom - at all (this will be well noted in a soon to follow blog about Kaia's birthday party).  So I told them that if they planned it out and they did their own invitations, we could do one in early December.  There has never been such a discussed topic amongst the girls.  They would stay up at night coming up with ideas, all through dinner was games ideas and activities.  They had decorating themes, they had elaborate games and ideas.  We had HUGE lists of activities to do, so we narrowed it down.  We planned, we bought the supplies, we invited the girls and their moms and then waited anxiously for the day to arrive.

December 3rd couldn't have come fast enough for them.  We had so much fun.  A couple of the girls had to cancel last minute, but we had a blast regardless.  (A couple of the husbands had to go to a Priesthood Leadership Training, so we ended up with a few brothers too...)

We gathered a lot of ingredients and made our very own Chocolate Trains.  The girls had so much fun and were so artistic.  I was so proud of them!

We also played a blindfolded game where you make your very own "Knight in Shining Armor" with the guidance of a friend.  The kids had some interesting Knights by the end, but they had fun making them!

We also had some nail painting while the other groups made their knights.

We also took turns trying to turn a frog into a prince.  I guess we'll just have to wait until we're a little older to make it happen, but Kienna got him on the lips, so I guess she's the most likely *gasp*.

Well, that is our Girls Party in a Nut Shell.  We had a lot of fun planning it and getting it going, but we had even more fun letting the girls play and just visiting with the Moms too!

Here it is... my ketchup post

You'd think that writing "ketchup" instead of "catch up" would be because of some great pun: some ridiculous ketchup fiasco or some burger type post.  Well, I guess I can say that you'll at least be surprised.  I guess I'm like my Dad and I can crack myself up over a good pun (or even a not so good pun).  Regardless... *ahem*.  Here are some randoms of things that go around in our house (randoms would exclude things like Christmas, New Years, Surgery and others) so that you can "ketchup" with our lives.

The boys have loved this toy that Aunty Lella gave Benson for Christmas.  Benson has even learned how to make his own towers to knock down after knocking down so many that Jay or the Girls have built for him.

Jaymeson has fallen in love with Marble Works.  This has been over the past year, really, but he has collected his own now and he will drag anyone into playing them with him so he can have the best tower ever.  This one was my personal favorite as it has two different paths that cross over each other.  I was kinda proud of it, so I took a picture (I'm so vain).

Benson and Macy have been having their personalities develop.  We find this to be good and bad.  This would be on one of those bad times.  They both really wanted those blocks.  They sure loved knocking them over and off of the table though.  They're so much fun to watch.  It's as close as I'll ever have to having twins and it can be mighty fun.  (Plus I don't have to do the night times with twins).

Jaymeson had graduated from diapers for a time (and will return to underwear shortly - PLEASE?!?), so we made a car out of his cardboard box.  It included a key to put in the ignition, a specialized license plate - the works!!  Although his face isn't overly convincing that he has LOVED this car to death, you can get an idea of how well used it was by this one:  (please note the addition of the racing stripes and the duct tape on the steering wheel - which is a total upgrade!)

Kaia played the violin in Sacrament Meeting on Christmas Day.  She played Silent Night and she did a FABULOUS job.  She really practiced hard... as seen by this shot on my birthday!  *Thus the ribbons in the hair*

We also went to see the nativity at Heritage Park.  They do a great job of that every year.  It was especially fun to see an old friend in it!  My kids were really taken with the sheep at the end.

Well, that catches us up for now (minus some big things that deserve their own post).  I hope to catch up with the big stuff soon and stop having to sift through the littler events in our lives... you know, like Hayley getting braces  :)

Music Surrounds Me

Ever since I was young, I've loved music.  I inherited my Dad's passion for moving lyrics.  I got my moms ear for tuning and expression. I have sung in many chorus' ranging from Star Singers and the Sunshine Generation when I was little to the World Recognized Calgary Girls Choir.  I started at the piano when I was four and went down a long road of lessons, practices and exams.  I studied with brilliant teachers, Music Theory, History and Harmony and I've received Honours with Distinction on many of those exams.  I really started to love the performance of music when I started to accompany people (especially my husband)!  I fell in love with his voice the first time I heard it, and after a matter of days, I knew enough of him that I loved him too.  But the truth is, I first noticed his incredible singing voice.  It makes me beyond happy!  Through our dating life, we spent so much time (when we were in the same country) at the piano, singing duets and just goofing around with music (dancing, singing and playing on instruments).  But my biggest dream has always been to be a Mom.  ALWAYS.  But I wanted to be a Mom who passed on my love for music... and secretly, very secretly, I wanted to have my very own string quartet.  And guess what?  My dream has begun.

I swore I wouldn't push my kids upon any one instrument, but they would play an instrument of their choice.  Kaia started it - and once my dream began, I couldn't step back.  She wanted to play the violin!!  It was a slow start because we had to find the teacher that would work - and it was through multiple moves as well, but we're here and settled and she is doing fabulously!

Kienna came next and I showed her a selection of instruments.  Pianos, violins, violas, cellos, harps, trumpets, you name it.  We talked about each of them, and she chose the Cello!  I felt elated.  The Cello?  I'm half way to my quartet!  Kienna has been so excited about having the Cello.  It makes her different and it just looks so good on her!

Saryn always would take Kaia's fake violin (which she received from one of her teachers) and play with it for hours.  Since she was 2, Saryn has been determined to play the violin.  No questions asked.  She has picked it up and ran with it.  This year she has started, and (although she most DEFINITELY has her frustrated moments) she has progressed at a magnificent speed.  She has had her eye on the ball and she is NOT going to drop it.

Jaymeson, too, has watched his big sisters with their instruments and is SO excited to start one for himself.  He is still so torn because he wants to play the violin like Kaia and Saryn, but he also loves the guitar and the piano and essentially anything that makes music.  Today, his pick was the guitar.  I'm kinda secretly hoping to get him onto the viola, so I can have the quartet complete, but it will ultimately be his choice when he starts Kindergarten.

Now Benson (yes, he is only 14 months old) has immediately taken to the piano.  I have no idea how or why, but he calms down immediately if there's a couple piano keys to bang on.  He has learned to reach beyond his height and gently play on the piano keys.  He loves the sound that comes from it and loves to sit on my lap as I play too.  Now, same as the others, if he decides he wants to play something else, he's welcome to, but I have a strong feeling that he will be my little pianist.

So there it is.  My little musical family.  I am so happy with how it is going, and I can't wait for them to progress and get to the point where they can play the gorgeous string music that is out there.  Nothing moves me more than music.  Nothing gets my emotions stirring, my body moving or my brain thinking like music.  When my kids need to get moving we bust out a song about going faster.  When we need to be happy, we sing about being happy!  When we need to calm down, we sing a calming song.  When it's time for bed, we have a lullaby.  Everything in our house is done to music!  I am surrounded my music and I wouldn't change that for anything!

Hmmm.

This week has been a crazy one.  Started out with Benson throwing up on our dinner guests.  They were soon excused to go home when Jarett started pacing the floor because he was soon to follow.  Monday, it was Kaia (who was so sweet because she felt so bad that Jarett had to clean it up while I was out on errands, and he was home sick from work).  Tuesday, it was Jaymeson.  Then on Friday, I got a whole other bug that took me out for the weekend. 

We also got back to school this week and started into a schedule again.  It feels heavenly to have set times and places to be.  Just takes a lot of discipline to get it into gear.

I am doing a challenge with Sachie for the month of January, and we're only having 3 normal sized desserts a week - or it's $50 to the other person.  I tell you, it makes you think twice before you put that cookie in your mouth if it's going to cost you $50.  So far, I'm down 4 pounds.  Not the extreme difference I wanted, but it feels good either way.

I had a moment this week which made me proud of myself.  My theory students (my first set) did their exams last month and after 6 weeks of waiting, I found out that they all received Honors with Distinction (93, 94, 97 and 99)!!  I think I was more nervous for their grades than I was for my own back in the day.  It's a lot of responsibility to be a teacher and train people for an exam.  I was so relieved to hear that all their hard work paid off and I didn't lead them astray.

Well, I realize this is NOT a particularly exciting, interesting or creative blog post, but it is here for the week.  I'm living up to the goal (thanks to some coaching and encouragement).  I was hoping to do more than this, but it's something, right?  I'm still not 100%, so I'm going to head to bed.  I'm so grateful for a generous, loving Visiting Teacher who brought me a pot of soup today to feed my family!  I am also grateful for my mom who is just amazing.  She had the girls sleep over last night (after she threw a little birthday party for Kaia) so that I could have a break and sleep better.  It's good women like that that make other women push through their rough patches.

Here's to a good night's sleep and a productive week!

Jaymeson is...

Jaymeson has really been discovering thing like you can be "cute" and "Jaymeson" at the same time.  It's been interesting.  He's now realizing he can have nick names, and hobbies and other things that define him.  For example, the following story happened when my Dad was driving Jaymeson and I around making deliveries on Christmas Eve.

Me:  Hey, Lovebug, you need to sit down so I can buckle you up!
Jaymeson looks at my Dad and says:  My name's Lovebug!  (pause)  I'm a cowboy!

I loved this.  It was so connected in his mind that these were definitions of who he was.  The other day, Jarett and I were playing Scrabble for date night.  Then, in strolls Jaymeson, all sneaky.  Jarett says to him, "Jay, are you being a bad boy?"  Jaymeson's response was "No, not a BAD boy, I'm a BIG boy!"  Jarett said, "Oh, you're a big boy?"  Without hesitations Jaymeson says, "Yep, look at my feet!"  He's so proud of how big he's getting (yet another identity).




 So, we have established that he's a cowboy, named Lovebug who is a big boy...  You still with me? Good.  Because today, however, he announced to me, "Mom, I'm not a cowboy anymore, I'm a SUNBEAM!"

His first day in Sunbeams went well, he sure seemed to love it!  He's been so proud talking all day about how he's now a big boy sunbeam.

He's so cute when he's excited!!

He was also Joseph for our Christmas Eve nativity pageant.  So darling!!

(and of course, Jarett was the... um, "donkey" :)  )

We'll keep you informed with all his other "identities" as they come, but I sure love this sweetheart of a boy.

A New Year, A New Day... and of course some goals.

Over Christmas, many wonderful things happened!  One thing that is on my mind today though, is a book that Sachie (my SIL) gave to us.  She researched the Cahoon family history and got pictures and stories and put it into a book for each child in the family.  Kaia's already set a goal to memorize the family tree and read through the book.  I have been so moved by a few of the stories of Jarett's ancestors that it has brought tears to my eyes.  What a great legacy of faith this family has.

While reading this book, I realized that while I sometimes blog to vent, and I sometimes blog to see what people think, the main reason I started all this was to make a record to look back on and enjoy.  I really hope to make my blog into a book one day and have each of my kids be able to read what I wrote about them as kids.  This is a wonderful way to scan back and see the world from my eyes in years to come.  How nice it will be to have a record, complete with pictures for me, my kids, my grandkids and so on.  I have made a goal this year to blog at least once a week (along with a few others).  Please pester me if I'm lagging behind!!  Please get on my case, because I LOVE looking back, but sometimes life catches up and I forget.

Happy New Year one and all.  May we have good attitudes, believe in ourselves and have the courage to attain our goals this year.  (The ABC's that came from President Monson this year in the Ensign).

As an afterthought - The funny thing is that I don't usually make New Years Resolutions.  I don't really "do" the goal thing.  I just take things a day at a time and try to improve.  Can't say I do it, but I try.  This year, I wrote it all down.  I need to be focused.  This year is going to be a major turning point in my life and I'm going to change who I am for the better.  I NEED this time to push myself and become a better person. I'm so excited for this year and I truly hope and pray that goal making has a lot of follow through for me. 


I'd love to hear from you and find out what some of the goals you're making are!