The Suisse Family Robinson

Last year I wrote this blog post about the Olympics which I remembered about this year.  Time just flies and it surprised me to remember that Lara was only turning 4 during the Vancouver games.  It has been great fun watching all the events with the girls.  We all picked our sport-of-choice today, meaning which one could we see ourselves performing.

Reed:  No surprise here.  Biathlon.

My talented sister, Jamie, created these for my birthday.  I love looking at them and it's amazing that she captured each of their personalities in the poetry.  It's great to see how my family knows my girls about as well as I do.  I am reminded how I am blessed to live near them.  I never thought that I would stay in Ohio after college.  I had applied to an internship in New York and on the drive there I remember thinking "Whoa, this is a long way from home."  It was a wonderful facility and right up my alley- school setting, a variety of abilities, and the director was awesome.  I got an email from the internship director saying that I was a top 2 candidate and asking if I was still interested.  I wrote back and said that I was impressed with the facility, however I was withdrawing my application.  I have never looked back at that decision and wish I did the opposite.

2013 in Review

January- Rang in the new year with family by playing Cranium

February- Lara turned 6 and got a real recurve bow!  She also cut her hair this month :(

March- Vivi had an allergic reaction to a virus and developed hives all over her body.  Steroids made it all better.

April- Attended the Great Lakes Regional music therapy conference in Columbus, OH.  First trip of the year to Dollywood for Spring Break!

May- Started and completed a 3 week cleanse and felt great!  2nd trip to Dollywood.

June- Celebrated 8 years of marriage together!  Trip to Wicked with all the sisters and 3rd vacation to Dollywood.  Happy 2nd birthday to Mariella!

July- Officially stepped down from a full-time music therapy position at Helping Hands to spend more time at home.  Attended the CONS Young Women's camp for the second year as music leader.  Pregnant.

August- No longer pregnant with a miscarriage at 16 weeks with complications that resulted in a 3 day stay in the hospital, ending with a DNC.  4th trip to Dollywood!  Reed turns 31.

September- New job for Reed with the Columbus Facilities Management Group for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The big 3-0 birthday for me!

October- Celebrated our 100 month anniversary.  Attended the Association of Ohio Music Therapist's state conference at Ohio University, my alma mater.

November- Road trip to Washington D.C. for Auntie Ruth's wedding.  Another miscarriage at 6 weeks that ended in another ER visit and another DNC.

December- Vivi turns 5 and we celebrated Christmas with family.  5th and final 2013 trip to Dollywood will happen on New Year's Eve.

We wish all a Happy start to 2014!

Reed told me the other day that he thought I was doing a great job as a Mom and that he knew it must be hard to be a mind reader all day.  I thought about it for a minute and then said that I didn't think I was so much a mind reader as a body reader.  You know what I mean- the way you have to look for signs to see what your kids are actually trying to tell you?  And, if you have multiple kids, each one is different?   Case in point-

Sleepiness: 
Lara sucks her thumb A LOT when she is tired and gets really whiny.
Vivi just gets crazy.  It is almost like she purposefully picks exactly the opposite of what you want her to do and makes really bad choices.  Like a few days ago when she whipped Mariella in the head with a pair of pants and thought it was funny.  She was exhausted.
Mariella find her pacifier and caresses her stomach with her Snow White Doll.

Hunger:
Lara and Vivi get super whiny but Mariella just goes into the kitchen and finds whatever she wants to eat.  I'm not sure which one is better.

Need for Attention:
Lara is getting to the age where she can actually tell me that she wants to spend time with me.  That's always nice when kids can articulate their needs.  :)
Vivi starts hugging me a lot and telling me that she loves me.
Mariella starts doing things like pulling hair, or destroying a book shelf.

That's just to name a few.  I do like it when they can actually tell me what's going on.  But if that's not the case, I can at least rely on these few signs to help me out!