Recap of Spring........Moving into Summer!

Good times for the Carrolls......it was a busy spring.  Nothing new for us!  Anna thoroughly enjoyed gymnastics, practicing and practicing her moves at home.  Anna is becoming more and more independent with her Diabetes management and will be heading to Camp Sealth on Vashon Island for four days and three nights at the end of July with two of the "D"iabetes friends. We visited the camp recently to get the girls prepped.  Anna loved it and can't wait.  I, on the other hand, am nervous.  We are thankful for the doctors and nurses from Children's who will be there to help all of the kids manage their insulin needs!  So far this summer, Anna has been spending a lot of time on the trampoline doing flips and other tricks to get ready for another season of gymnastics.  She's also secretly checking out Dora the Explorer videos and watching them on my laptop.  Unlike her siblings and most of her friends, she is NOT too old for Dora!   

Julianne was a "star" soccer player on a team with mostly girls who had never played before.  It was a huge self esteem booster for her!   She's now reading chapter books which is a huge leap for her.  Her favorite books right now are the Ramona series.  She's also our budding scientist as such, the theme for her birthday was science and Joe helped her prep various science experiments that the girls could do at the party.  She is also VERY into the Animal Planet channel and the Earth and Life series.  I can't believe what she knows!  Her current obsession is my sister's pregnancy.  She is trying really hard to wrap her head around how the baby will come out.  She knows the basics but can't figure out how her aunt's bladder won't explode...
 
Jackson played baseball and managed to safe all of his teeth this year.   Unrelated, he did manage to get another slice on his forehead due to a sword fight with one of the neighbor boys.  Thankfully, stitches weren't warranted and superglue was used instead.  Now, just trying to keep his head covered for six months to help with a "finer" scar.  Hmmmm.... not sure that will work.  He is boy through and through with three battle scars on his forehead!   Jackson just finished four days with a fever above 100 degrees.  I've never seen him want to stay in bed that long.  He did manage to go to swimming lessons with my friend Jamie yesterday (who is watching all of the kids while I'm at the hospital with my sister) but as soon as they got home and had a snack, he asked if he could take a nap and crashed out until Joe came to pick him up in the evening.  He's such a little trooper!

Joe has been great.  Of course, he is the best dad and husband ever, constantly stepping up when I don't or can't.  This weekend, he helped me clear out our garage for a garage sale in which we made $250 to go toward the 3 Day Walk for a Cure for my friend Teresa who is living with us with her 8 year old daughter.  Teresa is recovering from Breast Cancer and has taken up residence in our downstairs with her daughter as she does.  It's been great having them there for various reasons; we love having people around, it's a HUGE reminder of how lucky we are to be in good health, Tess, the 8 year old, is a GREAT playmate for the kids, etc, etc....  It's been a win win for all of us.  Teresa and I will be walking on the 3 Day walk together in September!   Joe has been working a lot of hours again on the 787.  It doesn't look like that will change anytime soon.  Unfortunately, he has lost two employees due to change of groups at Boeing for them.  He has been spending nights scouring potential recruits to join his group.  Sounds good but will be more work for him as he hires and then trains them as the "Veteran" leading his group.  Joe's Explorer is almost ready to be replaced.  He's been talking about it and thinking about a new vehicle.  Sad little Explorer has been a really good car for him.  I believe it has over 150,000 miles now and is starting to nickle and dime us.

For me, this past year was a whirlwind with me back at work full-time.  Work-wise, it was great.  Home-wise, it was very stressful.  I like to "be in charge" if you can believe it and really wasn't at home.  Joe, with the help of my mom, took over most of our home and family life.....I'm hoping to make some changes this year so that I can reengage.  I applied for a half time job in Edmonds, very close to our home, but found that I was overqualified.  I'm now keeping my eye open for other positions but part-time is very challenging to find.  Something closer to home would be good though.  Thankfully, I still have a great job at a great school with a great staff, great kids and great parents!  I am especially thankful for this job because we are finding more and more of our friends and neighbors looking for jobs.  Since school ended a little over a week ago, I have read two books, disassembled the girls' room (ready for make over), and gone through a ton of paperwork both at home and the office!  It feels so good to get things done! :)  We have been staying up late as a family having some movie nights and letting the kids sleep in late in the morning.  It's nice.  All three of the kiddos started back to swimming lessons yesterday and love it.



Hugs and love to everyone!  Michelle

Spring Time with the Carrolls

It's been a very busy spring with three kids in three different sports!  Jackson is busy with baseball, two practices and one game a week.  Julianne is equally busy with soccer, one game and one practice a week.  Annalyse is busy with gymnastics!  Fun times for us all.  At home, we've been busily redoing our downstairs which is complete minus the shower that is still to be done........all in due time.  Today, Joe built planter boxes for us to start our garden.  The kids have their seeds all set out in rows and ready to be planted.  Work has stepped up for Joe as the 787 prepares for delivery and I'm busy getting ready to wind down the school year. 

Annalyse is our Sherwood Elementary Idol :)

This week was Sherwood Elementary's talkent show. Anna and her friend Grace decided to tryout and were selected to be in the show. Joe and I were very proud of how brave she was to try and to perform in front of hundreds of people! Where did she get that?

Oh how do I keep up?

It's been such a long time.......how does one keep up?  Well, this is the one place that gets left in the dust when it's busy.  Hmmm, when isn't it busy?  The last time I posted was Dec.  Wow, how time flies.  Life has been good for us.  We had a scare a while back where at our usual 6 month diabetes research with Julianne, she was diagnosed with Diabetes.  What?  Really?  No, not really, she ate a graham cracker before the testing started.  Thank God for graham crackers!  Joe's parents had a quick but great visit with us after their trip to Mexico in January.  It's always so great to have them here with us.  Funny thing though, their "room" at our house is currently under construction getting turned into my craft room.  Hello couch for Jim/Denise. :)  Anyway, while here, we jammed in some good days.  We got to see the Mars movie at the Imax, go to the Science Center (which by the way is cheaper for us to buy a membership than to purchase tickets for the five of us to get in to).  The Mars movie was great.  The kids were on the edge of their seats.  Then, in a flash, the Carrolls were gone and we were back into the crazy groove we live in.  Unfortunately, my iron levels that I've battled keeping in the "normal" range (nothing is normal for us!) plummeted and a nasty cyst growing on my ovary caused me some issues.........so, off to the dr. and into surgery.  Two weeks later, I'm feeling GREAT.  I can't believe how easy the recovery went.  I was up and moving right away.  I guess when you've had your tummy sliced open once, twice and now three times, it just gets used to it.  Any how, the two weeks home were good with the kids.  To celebrate, I picked up the kids and we went out to lunch today at their favorite restaurant, the Beach Cafe.  Fun times!  Good to see them all smiling and laughing with each other.....that part of life has been a bit (to say the least), challenging lately with NOBODY MYOBing (minding their own business).  Joe and I continue to refine our refereeing skills.  We also had the sad experience of telling our kids that our little guinea pig Brownie died.  Sadly, she suffocated in a play tube.  So sad.  We have now started our pet cemetary in our back year.  As Jackson said, R.I.P. Brownie.  Joe and Jules headed out and rescued Violet from the Seattle Animal Shelter.  She fit right in and is a delight to have around.  She definitely squeels a lot more than Fluffy.  We love our pets and are lucky to have her join us!  A quiet night tonight, Joe is off to a Silvertips Hockey game with Jackson (thanks Denise & Jim for the bday gift to Joe) and the girls and I are having a quiet WII SuperMario night at home.  Who says we can't melt our brains as much as the boys.  Actually, we are GOOD!!! 

I spoke to Kristi this week, Joe's sister in Fairbanks.  She is shaving her head for the Saint Baldricks's http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/369928 .  Basically, it is a fundraiser for research for children's cancer.  It's not often that I think about children's cancer with all of our work with Julianne and Diabetes research, Anna and Diabetes, learning about Epilepsy for Tristan (for which I am still a novice though now that I'm receiving newsletters and had a bit of time over the past two weeks learned more and more from the follow website http://www.epilepsynw.org/ ).  However, I took time to read some of the stories from Kristi's site and took a walk down memory lane........shortly after Kennedy passed and Jackson and the girls were born, I met a wonderful friend, Lisa Judd.  She too had twin boys just a bit older than Jackson.  She also had a little girl a few years older, Kelsey.  I'll never forget the call........Michelle, this is Lisa.  We are at Children's.  We took Kelsey to her regular dr. for a cold that wasn't getting better....tears.....heavy breathing.....she's been diagnosed with Leukemia.      The boys spent many days with us while she and her husband tried to help Kelsey.......  the next call, Michelle, I don't think she's going to make it.  How will I live without my 8 year old girl?  Why is this happening?   To make a long story short, Kelsey died a few days later.      Why does this happen?  Why should anyone, let alone a child have any disease?  It's just not right.  I am so proud of Kristi.  Shaving her head is a bold statement. 

As for me, this year, I won't be fundraising for Diabetes.  A year and a half ago, I made fast friends with another mom at a Brownie meeting with the girls.  I liked her right off the bat because she was real.  No crap, just a plain person who was going through a divorce at the time and looking for a job.  Meeting after meeting, we laughed and I looked forward to seeing her.  In September of this year, she told me she had breast cancer and over the past several months, I have seen her go through HELL.  Thankfully, a hell that she will likely live through.  I knew that breast cancer exised.  My dad's mom had breast cancer when I was in college and she went through chemo and is now good.  The learning for me is that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.....who knew?  Like everything else, probably everyone but me.  To learn more and to honor my friend Teresa, I have joined TEAM EIGHT and will be participating in the Susan G. Komen's walk for a cure.  You can check out my site to learn more about breast cancer http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2010/SeattleEvent2010?px=4474882&pg=personal&fr_id=1471   I have a lot of walking to do to build my stamina for 20 miles a day!  Here to getting my "hind end" in shape. That and the fun fundraisers......martini night, cooking class, yard sale, etc..

Hugs, Michelle

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Good times, family, and fulfillment watching the last two days through the kids' eyes.  My sister and Brad hosted Christmas eve.  This year, we had my two step brothers, Keith and Andy, and Keith's girlfriend, and Andy's wife Chandra.  In addition to our normal family clan, Brad also invited a new employee from his work that just moved here from California.  He's a data guy from the Seattle School District as well so I got to talk "shop" for just a bit with him.  In our usual gifting, we had our annual $15 gift exchange game.  Julianne was the most excited as she got a night light that attaches to a book when reading.  Annalyse ended up with a Nutracker M&M candy dispenser (just what Diabetes calls for), and Jackson ended up with Yahtzee which he traded for twice.  After getting the kids to bed and finishing up unfinished ends (like Joe starting to wrap) we got a good night's sleep until 8:00 a.m.!!!  Santa had definitely stopped at our house (thanks to many Craigslist finds) and once everyone was done opening their stockings and gifts, we relaxed (even napped) and then had a late and relaxing eve with my dad, step-mom, my two sisters, Brad and G.G.  G.G.'s new house is wonderful for her.  Barb (my step-mom) and Leah, my other sister, had it well decorated and FULL of good food and treats.  The kids opened a few packages and then challenged my dad to a game of Mario Kart on the Wii.  Jules ended up playing for my dad, just like she does for me.  I have very little interest......they have TONS of interest.  Each of the kids read to GG, Jackson made his Aunt Leah's Santa smoothie, and many of us had fun playing a good old game of Yahtzee (though a much abbreviated version!).  Today, was very leisurely.  After changing out of our jammies around noon, my mom and I headed downtown Edmonds to check out the sales.  Not much but it was very enjoyable to spend time just walking around, drinking a latte and chatting with my  mom.  While I was out and about, Joe graciously played with the kids (ok, refereed) while they played, then went on a long walk, ending up at the park at the end of our street for some good old ball kicking.  It's been so beautiful out that it's hard not to be outside even though it is cold.  The day ended with some much needed clearning (still a lot more to do) and packing for our trip to Silver Mountain which we have decided not to leave until Monday very early.   It's always fun to see what each of the kids' wants to pack!  Joe just finished popcorn and he's off to watch some sci-fi movie and I'm off to watch the Hangover.  :)  Good times a bit more for today...... M

Heading into Christmas and New Years...

A beautiful sunny day in Edmonds and we're gearing up for a wonderful Christmas Eve at my sister's house.  Annalyse "found" one of her sissy's gifts from Santa so we've been trying to figure out something clever to let her know that sometimes mom and dad have to help Santa.  It feels good having had a several days off prior to today.  It's sure a lot better than the hussle and bussle of last year when Joe and I both worked until the day before Christmas eve.  The kids and I have had time to bake goodies for us and neighbors, wrap together, and even play the Wii together.  Joe ran some last minute errands while we were getting Santa photos last night and except for my HUGE messup of leaving the newly taken Santa photos in a department store, all is good.  Each of the kids has had a sleepover and enjoyed it while Joe and I snuck out to see a movie.  If only life could be this slow all the time!  :)  We do feel so very lucky this year, more than others.  We've been blessed with two good jobs and three healthy kids.  In turn, we have tried to reach out to those around us that have faced great challenges.   Everyday we are thankful for the strides that cousin TDog makes to fight the continual seizures that he had faced and we celebrate the progress the new diet and change in meds are helping him with.   A good friend is facing her second bout with breast cancer which has been a tremendous challenge for she and her daughter.  And we continue to see others face financial challenges that are taking a toll on their families and health.  Still, focus on how we can help and in turn, have tried really hard to slow down our own lives spending time together and celebrating the good things in our life as well.  Joe is thrilled that the 787 launched into the air.  He was and continues to be on cloud nine.  I've gotten a routine (well sort of) down with the full-time work.  I take time off to be with teh kids for their special events at school as well as just the "regular" time in their classroom.  Annalyse is becoming more and more independent with her Diabetes management.  Julianne has become quite the little reader and academic star.  Who would have known.  Things come so easily for her.  Jackson too is quite academic but would rather play video games all day, every day, if he could.  Unfortunately, after 20 minutes, he turns into a child we don't really know.......addiction, it is NOT a good thing!  Joe and I continue to sharpen our referee skills and have even made some "good calls" this year with fewer and fewer tantrums, screaming matches, and the like.  My mom continues to be a huge BLESSING in our life.........watching the kids, dropping the kids, picking the kids up, doing laundry, and many, many other errands and help that we don't even know about.  With her, we can't be thankful enough!!   The buzzer for cookie check........Merry Christmas Eve. M

More of fall........

We had a great time carving pumpkins at my school's pumpkin carving evening.  Each of the kids did their own carving..........very interesting!  They also enjoyed the haunted house that the parents put together.  I was surprised because they had never been in a haunted house before.  Someone jumped out jumped out from a chair and I was scared!  :) 

We also got a chance to see Jack and Amy as they traveled through town.  Of course, we ate way too much pizza that Uncle Toby cooked up on his outdoor wood burning stove.  Yummy!  The kids had a great time seeing their cousins.  The girls always ask me, "which one is Kelsey and which one is Kaleigh".  Jackson always asks Tristan if he brought his "digi" player.......boys and video games.  Ugh!

Another week of soccer with dry weather!  Yeah.  The kids are doing great.  I'm always amazed at how much they can run up and down the field.  One more week and soccer season is all done.  Then we get psyched up for skiing season! 

Anna is facing the photo and Jules is under her coach.....

Jackson is on the left.........his best bud is on the right. :)