I know I've posted before about how well Ella and Noah get along. For the most part that's true. But, like all siblings, they have their moments. As this particular video has captured for posterity :)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Halloween, pumpkins, awards, Vala's, and other misc. items
Noah the vampire
Ella the spider princess.The kids had a very fun Halloween. The weather was perfect and they both had fun trick or treating. Ella was a true princess on Halloween night. She got to ride in the wagon and was pulled around the neighborhood by Seth or the neighbor.
I took some pictures of Donnie and Jolene with their grandkids. Seth helped by being entertaining and getting the kiddos to laugh. 
Seth took the kids to Bakers the week-end of Halloween and they were doing free face painting. He said when Ella looked in the mirror she smiled and said "Meow!"
Noah had fun carving his own pumpkin this year. His is the 2nd from the left. He kept adding things to his jack-o-lantern face like extra eyebrows, noses, and "scars".
showing off the pumpkins
Noah won a Citizenship Award for the month of October for the citizenship trait of "responsibility". The school had an "awards ceremony" during lunch so Seth and I and both sets of grandparents surprised him by going up to school for lunch to see him get his award. He didn't know he was getting it, so he was very excited.
Noah was so excited to have his picture taken with "Darth" at Vala's.
Ella LOVED jumping on the giant bouncy things. We totally need one of those in our backyard.
Vala's Pumpkin Patch
I had the great idea of strapping Ella into a seat in the dining room for her time outs. She quickly discovered that if she didn't want to be in the dining room, she could just stand up and move to where she wanted to go. The "time-out seat" didn't last too long. Friday, October 23, 2009
Pretty in Pink.....or is it Silver?
Ella and I had a mini photo shoot the other day while Noah was at school. Poor Ella. Most two year olds get to play with toys, she gets to play "photo shoot" with mommy. Clearly she eats it up, though! She's such a ham.
The school nurse called me on Thursday to tell me that Noah is, in fact, colorblind. She recommended that I take him to an eye doctor to get a formal "diagnosis" so that we could put it in his school file. I promptly made an appointment and was able to get him in that same day. The doctor said that he is red-green colorblind, which is the most common type. There isn't much to do about it, just some little things that may help at school, like being aware that he may not be able to see yellow chalk on green chalkboards and things like that. I told Noah about it and am trying to teach him things he can do to advocate for himself. It isn't an issue this year because his teacher is so on the ball, but I can see it being a problem if teachers didn't know.
When I told his teacher about the diagnosis, I congratulated her for a good "catch". She said that with many Kindergarten students she wouldn't have been able to tell, she just would have thought they didn't know their colors. But, she said that Noah is her top student, so she knew that he would know them if he could. It's always nice to hear that your child is doing well, so I guess that's the good news that came out of it.
Seth found a site online that you can upload pictures and it will show you what a person with colorblindness may see it as. He said that he used a picture of Ella wearing pink (of course, EVERY picture of Ella is in pink) and the pink showed up as silver. Noah has been saying that his favorite color is pink. It really makes me wonder what it looks like for him.
It does make me sad. I don't want Noah to ever struggle with anything, especially with something that he had no control over. Darn X chromosomes. I even feel guilty that I passed on something that could potentially make his life a little more difficult than it would have been otherwise, but, obviously, I had no control over it either. It's just the way it is. Noah has compensated and done well so far in his short little life. I know that he will have just as much success and happiness in the next 95+ years.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Orange? Green?
We had Noah's parent teacher conferences a couple weeks ago. It was interesting to talk to his teacher and hear about how he is doing from her perspective instead of the "fine" that I get every time I ask him a question about school. He is doing well, and we were glad to hear that he is a good listener and comes to school happy and positive and is a good role model for the other students. Noah is going to get an award next week during a school assembly for being the student of the month for the character trait of the month, 'responsibility'. He doesn't know it yet, and Seth and I and his grandparents are all going to see him "accept his award". I hope he remembers to thank God and his supportive parents during his acceptance speech.
His teacher e-mailed me a few days later and said that she forgot to ask if I had any concerns with Noah naming his colors. She noticed that he was not able to do a patterning activity that the class was doing using orange and green Applejacks. Considering that the kid can do multiplication and fractions, I kind of just brushed any color mistakes off as him not caring or being careful. If he would name a color wrong (usually orange, green, or brown), I would ask "what is it?" and then he would name it correctly. I remember asking his preschool teacher about it and wondering if maybe he was colorblind, but then kind of forgot about it.
His kindergarten teacher said that she was going to have the school nurse check him for color blindness. I promptly googled all the information out there about color blindness and even found an online test for kids. http://colorvisiontesting.com/online%20test.htm I had him do it and he was not able to see the shapes that they say colorblind kids cannot see. There is a picture of a boat and I asked him to say what picture he saw and he said there was no picture. Ella came toodling in at that point and pointed to the computer and said "boat" and Noah looked at her like she was crazy. I realize that information on the internet isn't always the most accurate, so we'll wait and see what the nurse says and go from there. But it was interesting that he clearly could not see the pictures on the online test and Ella and I both could.
If he is colorblind, it makes Seth and I a little sad. No parent wants there to be anything "wrong" with their children or for their children to struggle in any way, even if it is just seeing the difference between green and orange Applejacks. But then I remind myself of all the illnesses, handicaps, birth defects, diseases, etc. that are out there and that helps to put colorblindness into perspective. So far, it has not impacted his academic learning in any way. And he has learned to compensate by knowing what color to say next if he guessed the color wrong the first time. If this is the worst thing for him to deal with in his life, I think we will be A-Okay!
His teacher e-mailed me a few days later and said that she forgot to ask if I had any concerns with Noah naming his colors. She noticed that he was not able to do a patterning activity that the class was doing using orange and green Applejacks. Considering that the kid can do multiplication and fractions, I kind of just brushed any color mistakes off as him not caring or being careful. If he would name a color wrong (usually orange, green, or brown), I would ask "what is it?" and then he would name it correctly. I remember asking his preschool teacher about it and wondering if maybe he was colorblind, but then kind of forgot about it.
His kindergarten teacher said that she was going to have the school nurse check him for color blindness. I promptly googled all the information out there about color blindness and even found an online test for kids. http://colorvisiontesting.com/online%20test.htm I had him do it and he was not able to see the shapes that they say colorblind kids cannot see. There is a picture of a boat and I asked him to say what picture he saw and he said there was no picture. Ella came toodling in at that point and pointed to the computer and said "boat" and Noah looked at her like she was crazy. I realize that information on the internet isn't always the most accurate, so we'll wait and see what the nurse says and go from there. But it was interesting that he clearly could not see the pictures on the online test and Ella and I both could.
If he is colorblind, it makes Seth and I a little sad. No parent wants there to be anything "wrong" with their children or for their children to struggle in any way, even if it is just seeing the difference between green and orange Applejacks. But then I remind myself of all the illnesses, handicaps, birth defects, diseases, etc. that are out there and that helps to put colorblindness into perspective. So far, it has not impacted his academic learning in any way. And he has learned to compensate by knowing what color to say next if he guessed the color wrong the first time. If this is the worst thing for him to deal with in his life, I think we will be A-Okay!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Loving the Attitude
Again.... neglecting the blog.
Life is CRAZY at the Christensen household. I'm beginning to wonder if/ when we will have a sense of "normalcy" and not feel like we're going, going, going 24/7. Maybe we'll never get there now that Noah's in school.
I have become involved with the PTO and have signed up for 3 committees out of about 20 different ones. I am a Room Parent, which means I get to help organize classroom parties, I am on the Yearbook Committee, which means I get to take, edit, and organize pictures for the school yearbook, and I am on the Publishing Committee, which means that once a month I go up to school, pick up a stack of laminated items, take them home and trim them while I'm watching Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Survivor, or So You Think You Can Dance and then take them back up to school. I also volunteer in Noah's class once or twice a month, which is fun, but kind of hard to have to find daycare for Ella.
The long list of t.v. shows that I have recorded on the DVR is stressing me out. I have about 0 extra minutes each day to watch t.v., so the list keeps getting longer and longer. I may have to give up one or two of my shows, but I love all of them. How to choose.....
I have been really busy with photo shoots lately and the only time I have to work on pictures is after the kids are in bed. Which would also be the only time I would have to watch t.v., and the pictures always win. When I can get paid to watch t.v., then the DVR would absolutely come first.
Ella is definitely in the midst of the terrible twos. I love her dearly, but dear Lord she is too much to handle sometimes. Her favorite word to say is "no", but if she hears the word "no" her world comes to an abrupt end and she has a major meltdown. She has decided that sleeping is not her thing, so we struggle with bedtime and naptime. I went out to Walmart today and bought some childproof doorknob covers so that I could shut her door and she could not get out. Um, yeah, so apparently "childproof" does not apply to Ella. She figured that sucker out in about 1.3 seconds. Noah, bless his innocent, sweet soul, cannot get it open and declared in amazed wonder "I wonder how they know if it is a grownup trying to open it or a kid" after he saw me open it but he was not able.
Noah was telling me today about a 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 5th grade girl (he wasn't sure) who goes to his school and also rides the La Petite van with him. He said that he likes her because she always gives him a hug and talks nicely to him. " She says I'm cute and that puts a smile on my face". He also said he "just loves her attitude".
I don't think he could say that about his sister at this point in time.
Life is CRAZY at the Christensen household. I'm beginning to wonder if/ when we will have a sense of "normalcy" and not feel like we're going, going, going 24/7. Maybe we'll never get there now that Noah's in school.
I have become involved with the PTO and have signed up for 3 committees out of about 20 different ones. I am a Room Parent, which means I get to help organize classroom parties, I am on the Yearbook Committee, which means I get to take, edit, and organize pictures for the school yearbook, and I am on the Publishing Committee, which means that once a month I go up to school, pick up a stack of laminated items, take them home and trim them while I'm watching Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Survivor, or So You Think You Can Dance and then take them back up to school. I also volunteer in Noah's class once or twice a month, which is fun, but kind of hard to have to find daycare for Ella.
The long list of t.v. shows that I have recorded on the DVR is stressing me out. I have about 0 extra minutes each day to watch t.v., so the list keeps getting longer and longer. I may have to give up one or two of my shows, but I love all of them. How to choose.....
I have been really busy with photo shoots lately and the only time I have to work on pictures is after the kids are in bed. Which would also be the only time I would have to watch t.v., and the pictures always win. When I can get paid to watch t.v., then the DVR would absolutely come first.
Ella is definitely in the midst of the terrible twos. I love her dearly, but dear Lord she is too much to handle sometimes. Her favorite word to say is "no", but if she hears the word "no" her world comes to an abrupt end and she has a major meltdown. She has decided that sleeping is not her thing, so we struggle with bedtime and naptime. I went out to Walmart today and bought some childproof doorknob covers so that I could shut her door and she could not get out. Um, yeah, so apparently "childproof" does not apply to Ella. She figured that sucker out in about 1.3 seconds. Noah, bless his innocent, sweet soul, cannot get it open and declared in amazed wonder "I wonder how they know if it is a grownup trying to open it or a kid" after he saw me open it but he was not able.
Noah was telling me today about a 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 5th grade girl (he wasn't sure) who goes to his school and also rides the La Petite van with him. He said that he likes her because she always gives him a hug and talks nicely to him. " She says I'm cute and that puts a smile on my face". He also said he "just loves her attitude".
I don't think he could say that about his sister at this point in time.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
To Love and Protect
I always thought it would be great to have a big brother to look out for me and protect me. Ella is blessed to have a big brother who adores her. Today I was in the computer room working on pictures and Noah and Ella were supposed to be resting in their rooms. Noah came in to say that his "life feels better with Ella than without her". Then he came in to say "Mom, I really like having a little sister. I never really thought if it that way, I was always mad at her, but she's good to have around. Much better than a mischievous little brother". I asked how he knew that a little brother would be mischievous and he said "I just imagined that's how it would be".
He then asked if he could play with Ella in her room instead of resting. She wasn't sleeping anyway, so I said they could play together and they were laughing and sharing and tickling each other and having so much fun that I decided my pictures could wait and went in and played monsters with them. It was so nice just to hear them laugh and play together. When they didn't know I was listening Noah told Ella that he loved her and she said "I wuv you too, Noah!" Talk about melting Mommy's heart!!!
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