Updates on the Kids -- 2004

May 2004

• May 16, 2004

  We went to Sydni's first dance recital with Miss Yolanda's class yesterday. She was absolutely wonderful! There were about seven girls who danced on stage with Sydni and her group. One thing Sydni wanted to make sure of the entire time she was dancing was that we were watching her. When she first went on stage, she turned her neck to see us and kept looking and smiling at us that I thought she was going to fall off the stage. Thank goodness we were in the front row. Sydni and the other girls did a great performance. Now Syndi is looking forward to continuing her dance classes because she gets to incorporate tap in this next session.

  The Mother's Day Out program that the kids are in had their end of school reception on Thursday. The kids class and another class performed three songs. Jacob and Caleb sang their little hearts out -- Jacob also hollered "Auntie D" a few times to make sure she was looking at him. Sydni had a little stage fright and wouldn't sing. Unless she sees us in the audience, she will not perform.

  Jacob is the last of the kids to be potty trained. PoPo bought him "Hulk" underwear and those are the only kind he would agree to wear. Once he put those on, he was a natural. None of them are "completely" potty trained but we are working on it. They all go to the potty during the day, but it is the night that we are still having problems with for Sydni and Caleb. Jacob doesn't get wet during the night but he doesn't like to "sit" on the pot so that also causes a problem at certain times!

  Update from last month: The kids had a good Easter this year. They participated in four Easter egg hunts this year: Mother's Day Out; PoPo's work sponsored hunt; City sponsored hunt; inside the house hunt on Easter Sunday. The weather was awful on Easter -- it was cold and rainy. Cousin Colleen and Counsin Yo-Yo came over with their families and Uncle Johnny and Aunt Janie too. We had a good time with them -- the kids really enjoyed each other's company. We had our hunt in doors and went outside to quickly crack cascarones on each other's heads.

  Granny Gran and Auntie D took the kids to the Botanical Gardens to see the beautiful flowers and the butterfly garden. They were so excited to see the butterflies. Just as we were getting to that part of the gardens, Jacob and Sydni slipped on the pebbles and fell down. It so traumatized Jacob that he still tells people that he fell down at the butterfly garden.

  Cousin Holly got married in Wharton on April 4 so Granny Gran, Mommy and Auntie D packed up the kids and went to the wedding. The kids had so much fun. Sydni was so enamored of the wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses that she told Auntie D that she wanted to marry her and they could both wear white dresses. The next day when we went to church at the same chapel, Sydni got upset because we had forgotten to get our wedding dresses and we couldn't get married. She also remembers this as our "new church" and distinctly remembers that a young girl sitting behind us had on pink lipstick on one lip and red lipstick on the other lip. She refuses to think that is not normal!

  Sydni has a new name: Sydni Denise Granny Gran Katty Mommy Denise Biedo (she can't pronounce our last name) Blomquist.

March 2004

• March 13, 2004

  All the kids seem to be fine now (keep your fingers crossed)! They are on spring break from Mother's Day Out this week so we hope to take them to some fun spots nearby.

  On February 28 the kids Mother's Day Out School had a fundraiser where the kids could take Antique style photos. We had been wanting to do this for a while so we were very excited. Sydni and Caleb were excited once they saw the outfits they would be putting on. Jacob threw a tantrum saying he didn't want to take off his shoes, his shirt, his socks, he didn't want to put on a hat and he didn't want to take pictures. When it was their turn for the photos, he started crying. The photographer was absolutely wonderful with him. He let him play with a baseball, bat and glove and Jacob ended up doing perfectly -- as did all of them. We were so happy with the outcome -- we went overboard because they were so cute. In the photos, they all have their favorites: Caleb loves cameras and talking on the phone; Jacob loves baseball -- any kind of sports really; and Sydni loves playing with teasets.

  On Thursday, March 11, Jacob was coming back into his classroom from recess and he picked up a rock from the playground. He proceeded to stick the rock up his nose. He walked up to his teacher and told her that his nose hurt and he had put a rock in it -- Luckily there was a teacher there who was able to work it out of his nose. They sent the rock home with Granny Gran and it is going in his scrapbook. How did we know Jacob would be the first of all of them to do such a thing!

February 2004

• February 29, 2004

  In late January/early February, two friends of the kids from Mother's Day Out came down with RSV. We were hoping we'd get lucky and they wouldn't get sick but lo and behold Caleb and Sydni came down with bronchitis. About a week later they were still sick and Jacob came down with rotavirus, a stomach virus. Just when we thought they were all getting over everything, Caleb also came down with rotavirus. Caleb was sick for about three weeks altogether. We thought he might have to go into the hospital but he pulled through. They were well for about a week and a half and now Jacob and Caleb are both coming down with what seems to be bronchitis again.

  On Saturday night we took the kids to get their pictures taken in the Antique style -- this was through a fundraiser at their school. We were so excited because the photos they showed us were so cute. Caleb and Sydni liked the clothes they put on them and were excited to take pictures. Jacob threw a fit when he had to take off his shirt (he was supposed to be in overalls and no shirt). He refused to put on any of the clothes, take off his shoes, put on a hat -- he just cried and said I don't want to take a picture. The gentleman who was taking the pictures was absolutely fabulous with him. He got him to sit, put on a hat and smile for the camera. When the photos were finished, Jacob wanted to go back and take some more. He was unbelievable. We can't wait for them to come back so we can share them here.

  Sydni is now writing words. Some of the words she can write are: SYDNI, CAT, STOP, GO, GIRL, BOY. She is doing great learning her words.

  Jacob isn't writing yet but he can spell a few words on his own and he is sounding out all his letters. He'll just all of a sudden say A says ahhhh. U is for up.

  Caleb also isn't writing yet but he can spell quite a few words. He was the first one to spell all three of their names. He is also very good at getting from the beginning to the end in mazes in his activity books.