Train adventure

Thayne's parents are in town for the evening and have made time to visit with the kids. Since I have to work, Thayne is taking them to their hotel to swim and hangout. Thayne and I decided that the kids would ride the train downtown to Thayne's work and he would pick them up and take them to see Grandpa and Grandma. I think Jaedon is the only one who has ridden the train before so this was quite an adventure for the rest of them. It would be the 5 of them...all...by..themselves! I made sure to to tell the girls that Jaedon was in charge and they had to listen to him. I could tell that Josie and Indiya were not thrilled about that but they agreed to rules. Jaed was up for the challenge and ready to be the big brother!

Right before I put them on the train, Kaia was clinging to me. I knew she was nervous and excited at the same time. Josie and Zoey were just plain excited and Indiya was more nervous then any of them. When I looked at her I knew exactly what she was thinking:

"We all need to sit together and be calm. Are we going to make it to Dad's office? What if something happens? Are we going to be ok?"

The same exact thoughts I would have had at her age. I hugged her and tried to make the adventure sound exciting but I don't think she was convinced. She is my little mother hen......even when I'm around :).

Thayne called me when he picked them up at the train station and everything went well. Only a few disagreements among themselves but they worked out before it became a huge scene. I wish I would have gotten a picture of them getting on the train, but didn't think of it until after.

I really want my kids to have a good relationship with the grandparents! When my mom lived with us for a couple of years she had the opportunity to bond with each of them and them to her. I loved seeing them be tender and caring to my mom and know that the bond they have will continue. I worry about their relationship with Thayne's parents. The kids just don't see them very much and when they do it's all together, not individually. They are so unique in their own ways and I'm afraid Thayne's parents are missing out on that awesome uniqueness! Thayne and I have starting talking about what we can do to encourage that relationship so hopefully between them and us, we can figure out a way to develop those relationships.

Starting again.....

I can't believe it's been 5 years since I last made a post. I thought about starting again so many times but.....welll.....my procrastination got the better of me. We are still in Colorado and we love it here. Thayne is still a federal attorney for the Social Security Administration and loves what he does. I've been working as a nighttime nanny for the last 5 years, which has been fun and tiring. I take care of newborns so that their parents can sleep at night and then I sleep train them when they are ready to sleep through the night. I've met some very interesting people and some beautiful babies!

Well, here's a little run down of each of the kids:

Jaedon- He's 15 years old now! I still can't believe I'm a mom of a 15 year old! Jaedon is turning into a wonderful boy. He loves football, video games and board games, teasing his sisters and vegging around the house. He is a freshman at a great high school and played varsity football as a freshman. The last time he went to the Dr. he was 6'2 and weighed 270 lbs.. He is definitely a big boy but has a very soft heart. He's been a great teenager (so far :) ) and I'm excited to see him grow into an awesome young adult!

Josette- She just turned 14 years old! I think she's shocked more then anyone that she's 14!! She loves to do art of any kind and she loves singing, swimming, and talking. Thayne and I often chuckle that there's never a moment of silence when she's around and she can definitely talk your ear off. She struggles with the social part of school which can be heartbreaking, especially when she comes home and tells me about the mean kids at school and what they say to her. She has learned to ignore them but I know that the words hurt her so much. Josie has made some close friends and she is definitely a very loyal friend! She is beautiful, a pleaser and a animal lover!

Indiya- She is 12 (almost 13) years old! Indiya is full of spunk! I don't think she takes a lot of crap from people, which warms my heart! She's not afraid to stand up for what she believes and protect those around her. Unfortunately, she inherited my anxiety and is quite a worrier but we're working on that! She does awesome in school and is constantly pushing herself to do better. Indiya loves music, dancing, softball (actually she loves all sports), socializing and bossing her siblings around. She use to get so hurt when someone would call her a bossy boots but I've since taught her to own the title and be proud! Indiya is a beautiful girl, has a beautiful heart and a beautiful personality!

Kaia- She just turned 10 years old! Kaia is our family comedian. She loves to be funny and make others laugh. She also loves watching t.v., singing, cuddling, and doing things for family members. We have had to institute a "No" day for Kaia because she hardly ever says "No" when someone (mostly her siblings) asks her to do things which can get out of control sometimes. She has a best friend she adores and they have been going strong for over 2 years. I think the best thing about Kaia is that she could care less what people say or think about her! She doesn't try to fit into a certain group or blend in with a crowd. If it happens, great! If not, she is still happy with where she's at! It is definitely a trait I wish I had! Kaia is beautiful, kind, and very loyal!

Zofiya- She is 8 years old! Even though she's the youngest she tries to put her bossy boots on but the only one she successfully bosses around is Thayne. She loves school and does exceptionally well at it. To the outside world she seems very shy but we know the real truth! Zoey loves sports, reading, watching tv and playing with her sisters. She is not a morning person and seems to think she is sick every morning because she has to get up early for school. I think I have finally convinced her that she's not sick, just tired. Zoey knows what she wants and if it goes a different way she let's us know! I think she is as spunky as Indiya or even a little more. She is beautiful, loves to cuddle an can't wait to be as old as her sisters!

Josie's Song

Josie wrote a song about her Aspergers:

I'm not a Normal Girl

By: Josie Warner

I'm a girl but not a normal girl. There is something about me that you don't know. Now, here's a hint; it starts with an "a" and ends with an "r". Some people have it and some people don't. I'm an Asperger's Girl and only some people know. It's kind of embarrassing but you need to know. Do you know how it feels? But here's one thing that's cool about me. I can remember all the things that happen in the past. Do you like me?

Aspergers

Over a year ago we had Josie tested for Autism and she was diagnosed with Aspergers. We were very honest with her (and the other kids) about her diagnosis and what it means which she took very well. I was an emotional wreck but kept it under wraps until I we were done talking to her. Here's a simple run down of what Aspergers is:

Josie was diagnosed with Asperger’s and I thought it would be helpful if you all knew what that meant:


What is Asperger syndrome?

Children with Asperger syndrome can think well and learn about lots of things as easily as other children, but they have problems:

• when they try to communicate with others
• with social skills
• with their behavior

Asperger syndrome is sometimes called an 'Autism spectrum disorder' because in some ways it is a bit like autism.

Communicating with others

• Children with Asperger syndrome can hear what others say to them, and they know what the words mean, but they don't pick up the 'non-verbal' part of communication, so they often don't get the full message.

• Kids who have Asperger syndrome may have problems understanding that they have to listen as well as talk.

• They may have problems making friends. They often want to have friends, and they can feel very lonely, but they don't know how to be a friend.

• They may choose to play alone and stay away from other kids, or talk to adults because being with other kids confuses them.

• Some may do the wrong thing to try and make friends and this can get them into trouble.

• They may believe everything they hear

Sickness

We are almost done with winter and I really thought we might squeek by with very little sickness but, oh how wrong I was. It started with Jaed! Sore throat, fever, coughing, and snotty nose. Then it was passed to Kaia and Indi. The sore throat and fever were lasting about 3-4 days but the cough and snotty nose are stickin' around like they're part of the family. Josie and Zoey got it last and, boy, did they get it the worst. After three days, Josie started getting this horrible blister-like rash and she could barely talk because her throat her so bad. Zoey has high fevers and held her ear a lot. After a day of holding her ear it started to bleed. AHHHH!! We just got back from the doctor and Josie has Scarlet Fever and Zoey has a horrible ear infection as well as Strep throat!! These two are the worst sick people ever. They want to be babied, cuddled, and waited on constantly. It's not bad when it's just one of them, but when they are both sick....I feel exhausted!

Here they are at the Dr.'s office:






















After about 10 minutes they just couldn't sit up anymore!

Up goes the tree

We bought a fake tree over 10 years ago for about $20 and we are still using it. The kids are making comments about how small our tree is compared to their friends, etc.. I told Thayne that this is the last year for this tree. It's sad looking and way to small. Thank goodness he agreed! So here's some pictures from our Family Night activity (putting up the tree). None of us are sad that it will be this trees last year with us!

Jaed's adding the last ornament.

















Josie is doing a happy pose!






















Indi loved adding the ornaments to the tree. This is the first year she didn't try to lump them all in one spot.






















Kaia loves her little sister!






















One last pose with the tree!

Forgotten Pictures

We have a great botanical nursery by our house and they were hosting a Halloween Day. We took the kids down there and they had a ton of stuff to do. Here's the pictures from that day. I completely forgot that I didn't post them!

Here's Thayne and the kids "riding" the bus!


















The kids are DYING to go play some more. It was a struggle to get them to sit down and smile for the picture!



















Here's our little family!


















There was a little train for the kids to ride. Unfortunately, Jaed was too tall for it.
































































There were lots of props the kids could climb on. The girls (Josie, Kaia, and Zoey) wanted a picture of them in the tractor.


















They also had fun games for the kids to play. Here's a few the kids chose to play:















































This was a giant Plinko game (like the one on Price is Right).


















Here's a giant Connect Four game that Indi and Thayne are playing!
























While Indi and Thayne were playing Connect Four, the other kids were checking the pumpkins out and trying to decided which one to pick to take home:




























































































I think these boards that you can stick your head through were one of the kids favorite things to do. They liked to look at the picture after I took it and laugh at how they looked.

Halloween in Tennessee

We vacationed to my sister's house for a week and were able to celebrate Halloween with her family. She has four older boys (the youngest is Jaed's age) but my kids have so much fun with them. The older boys are so cute with my girls and seem to keep them entertained. My kids were so excited to go trick or treating with my sister's kids! Here's some pics from Halloween:

Jaed was a star wars person. He borrowed the costume from his cousins!
























Josie was a beautiful fairy! She fluttered around feeling so pretty!
























Indi was a ROCKSTAR! She seriously felt like she was famous!
















































Kaia was a black kitty with a tutu. I made the tutu so she could have something to twirl in!
























Zoey was a kitty as well. She loved her costume!
























Here's Jaed and his cousin, Eric. They had the best time together!














































Here's our little kitties with cousin, Brett!
























Here's my little Warner gang!

Our Hockey Boy

Jaed played his first session of hockey and really enjoyed it. At first he was quite unstable on his skates but as time went on he improved so much. He is so excited to have a game and talks about how great it was when it's done. It's nice to see him so animated about a sport. He even lost a few pounds during the session! He begged Thayne to sign him up again, so I think Jaed and Indi will be our hockey players for now!

The hockey gear that the place provides was a little small for Jaed so we ended up buying him his own gear. I'm so glad he likes the sport so he can keep using it!
























I added his name on the back of his shirt!
!


















Here's Jaed in action!

One more Lake visit....

It has been so warm here that last weekend we took the kids to the lake to swim. They were so excited to go swimming in the "Fall". We took our shade tent and Thayne and I sat in our chairs and read our books and visited while the kids went swimming. There were lots of other people there so we weren't the only ones with such a great idea!!

We took our lunches to have a little picnic there as well. Jaed, Kaia, and Zofiya decided to come in from swimming and eat while Indiya and Josette couldn't stop swimming!




















Here's Josie (on the left) and Kaia (on the right) enjoying the small waves made from the boats.


















Zoey spent a lot of time in the sand playing. When one of her siblings called for her, she would head out in the water but shortly after she would make her way back to the sand!






















Indi is like a little fish. She loves the water and trying to keep up withe Jaed in the deep parts.























I told Jaed and Indi to hug and Jaed was trying not to oblige.























Josie and Indi bringing water to the sand so they can build something.


















Here's Thayne and Kaia having a discussion about sand!



















Our cute little Zoey with her mouth full!

Swearing and Streets

I don't consider myself a potty mouth, but I do say "Damn" and "Hell" a lot which will kill my mother, I'm sure. I pretty sure I picked the habit up from Thayne even though he doesn't say them much anymore. Well, as my kids get older they pick up on the words and the today Kaia had to pick up a bunch of pictures that her and her sisters drew. I heard her say, "Ok, the pictures I don't like I'm going to say 'damn picture' and the ones I like I'll say 'beautiful picture'." So she proceeded to pick up the pictures and this is what she said, "Josie's beautiful picture......Zoey's damn picture......Josie's damn picture.......MY BEAUTIFUL PICTURE.......Indiya's damn beautiful picture.....oh wait.................well I like this part of it but not this part of it, so yeah.....Indiya's damn beautiful picture!".

I totally started to laugh so hard. I really should feel guilty for teaching her the word, because I know my mom is gonna give me the lecture, but oh man.......it was worth the laugh!

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Indiya has a friend in school that his hispanic (well several friends that are) and we passed one walking home from school the other day. She yelled hello out the window at her and I asked Indiya where the girl lived. Indiya's response was, "Um, I pretty sure she lives on Mexico St.". I was impressed that she would know that (since there is a Mexico St. not to far from us). I ask Indiya how she knew that and she said, "Momma, she is from Mexico so she must lives on Mexico St.!". She said in a "DUH" tone like I was the unsmart one. I couldn't even respond because I knew that if I opened my mouth I was going to laugh outloud, so I just said, "Hmmm" and kept quiet. HAHAHAHA!!

Double Digit Birthday

My baby boy is 10 today! I can't hardly believe it. I often wonder if parents that only have one child remember so much more of their child's life than those of us that have multiple children. I wouldn't give up any of my children at all but sometimes I feel a bit robbed of the time that has gone by so fast with so little memory. Where has the 10 years gone?

I was going through some old pictures of Jaed when he was a baby and thought I'd post a couple:


Happy parents to have their first child in their arms! Jaed was such a long waited blessing! The birth was rough on him and me, but it was all worth it!


















Was he really that small?? Wow, he was so dang cute and such a precious baby! I loved holding, hugging and kissing him! I often felt like I was playing house and he was my doll :). It seemed so unreal that I could be a mother to this little guy!























This was Jaedon's first Christmas. We loved being a little family and celebrating Christmas together. He got more gifts than any newborn should have got, I think. But, we waited 4 years to have him and we were ready to spoil him!


















I was truly a proud mama!!


















Our first professional family picture! Jaedon looked like a little man! He smiled and laughed all the time.
























We bought him this little car way to early but we loved sitting him in it and taking pictures. He never cried, he would just sit there and enjoy the attention!



















I know it has to be hard on Jaedon to not have any brothers but we are so happy to have him in our family. He is a great boy who tries so hard to please his parents, especially me. He loves to be praised, loves to be needed, and most of all, he loves to be told that we love him!! His sisters look up to him and I know they feel safe with him as a big brother!