No More Slacking Off.....

I have been knocked off my blogging game due to these darn Olympics. Don't get me wrong, I love the Olympics. Obviously, or I wouldn't be staying up until 1 o'clock in the morning every, single, solitary night. Extra late because we usually tape them and we don't get started watching till we know there aren't pressing things to attend to. Meaning, all the little ones are fast asleep! It has been so nice to have Jess home the last 2 weeks. She heads back to school tomorrow. I will miss her of course and it blows my mind that she will be a senior in college. Caitlin was here just over night because she and Jess went to a Dave Matthew's concert together. Strange that this house has become the other home. Always home but different. Things have been so crazy around here lately. Trying to make the most of the last fleeting days of summer vacation. Mark and the boys headed to Legoland today. They left this morning and walked bleary eyed through the door at 11pm. Sure sign that a good time was had by one and all. My little Bionicle/Lego fanatic begged to put together his purchases. Exact words, "Maybe if I get lucky I can put together them all." Um, one is 165 pieces. For Jake not a problem but Jake at now 11:20, that's a different story. But as I sit here, there's my little man patiently putting together his lego creations. Jake has dubbed this "The best day ever!" Maybe it's late, maybe he should be in bed but hey, to see the joy in his face, totally worth it. Tomorrow Mark and Taylor are flying up north to San Francisco to visit schools she is interested in applying to. Again, hard to fathom that my youngest of the older set is going to be heading to college next year. Time sure marches on. They will be gone just till Friday night but are planning a little sight seeing along the way. Specifically, high on Taylor's priority list, the "Mrs. Doubtfire" house. My girls have loved that movie for forever. I kid you not, all three can recite the ENTIRE movie, word for word! Should be a really great time for them. Short but hopefully sweet. I will stay back and try and make a dent in some of the last minute school shopping stuff. I am in complete denial that school begins next Wednesday. Complete. As for the littlest princess, slow and steady she goes. We had an evaluation yesterday for her PT and feeding specialist. I really liked them both. Poor Zoey. She had vision therapy in the morning. OT early afternoon and then the evaluation later on. It was about 3 1/2 hours of work for her. But she hung in there and passed out early. We should hear back next week on when those new services will start. I will be anxious to see where she falls as far as development goes. I think MAYBE 6 months on some motor skills and a little older in some other areas. For instance, she can't sit but she waves, kisses, turns pages in books and her latest .... if you ask her where your hair is she grabs it. Pretty cute. I still say that Zoey's strengths right now lie in her social development. She does not miss a trick, interacts with those around her, tries to get peoples attention. She is just is so involved in everything around her.She really cracks us up with all her faces she makes and how animated she is. As we begin to kick up her services ,the key for me will be to find the balance between all the therapies and just living life. We of course will provide Zoey with anything and all she needs to be the very best she can be. However, I know I am still "green" at this thing but as we progress forward I know at some point we will have to find balance. It's not about shooting too low or having lower expectations, it is about deciding, will it be so important if Zoey can keep up with her counterparts with numbers, colors and letters or will her strengths lie where we see her strengths now? Will she be the first to greet people and classmates with a hug and smile? Will she be the first to come to comfort and show compassion to a hurt or sad friend? I know it's kind of early to speculate but with what we have been through, the things we have seen, I know which one I would far more want to see her excel at and evolve into. It is late here, a little after 12 am. Time to wind it down. As for Jake, still at the Legos, almost done. To my friend Kele, sorry for the brief sabbatical. Wish I had some of those profound words of wisdom you were looking for but...this is all I got. I leave you with some Legoland pictures and a short clip of Zoey Grace. Also, I came across this commercial on another blog. We just loved it. Some might not. But it really plays into our types of personalities around here.(Don't forget to pause the blog music at the bottom of this page before you click on the link for the commercial and to watch Zoey's video.You have to HEAR both of these to appreciate them fully!) And Kele my only words of wisdom, breath in, breathe out and in the words of another very wise mom I know,
"If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have shed a tear."