Rivers Ripple

So, I wrote this during Valentine's week...and didn't get pictures added until today! Ha-thus is life right now...Happy Valentine's Week!  The girls enjoyed celebrating at home and at school on Tuesday.  We've also been enjoying the unseasonably warm days over the past few weeks with trips to the park and zoo.
Dan has had the most changes to share--he has begun work on his Masters Degree through Friends University.  It takes him out of the house on Tuesday evenings and keeps his down time during work and at a few other times filled with homework.  His Masters Degree will be in Information Systems.  He has been playing on and off with several different bands and was recently asked to join 90 Proof, a cover band that plays weddings, some bars, and casinos.  He is excited to get back into the music scene more seriously.  Work has been going well too--a few of his projects have been recognized at the corporate level and brought to attention.
Sarah continues to drive the Rivers Taxi most mornings a week.  Fun fact--Olivia has to be at school at 8:45am.  The LATEST we can possibly leave our house is 8:32am.  Yes, we make it--no, I don't speed--no, this isn't our every morning.  She's looking forward to planning the final MOPS meetings in the next week and has already given word that she will not return to MOPS leadership next fall.  It is time for focus elsewhere.  Special Needs Support Group has gone well and is continuing to gain new faces.  She aims to make it to the Y for exercise 2x a week, often with her friend, Jenn.  PiYo is her new favorite class (a combo of Pilates and Yoga, with a cardio element).  And Sarah has managed to finish two books since Christmas--The Magnolia Story (Chip and Joanna Gaines) and An Uncompliated Life (Paul Daughtery).
Olivia just had her conference, and the report was a good one.  She's sweet, has a great smile, and happy attitude.  She's working hard in math and on her reading.  Sarah has been volunteering in her class once a month, which has been fun to do and see what they are up to.  Olivia has been doing gymnastics, but is ready for a break.  She plans to play soccer in the spring again and will likely swim in the next month.  She loves to play outside right now--whether it is chilly or not.  She is often the lead on whatever play idea she and Kinley are pursuing.
Kinley switched classrooms and lead teachers in preschool in January and it has thrown her some.  She also started tap in dance and does not appreciate the tap shoes, but works hard for her teacher.  We have been struggling with Kinley's sleep, itchy skin, emotional ups and downs, to name a few things for awhile now.  She definitely has some sensory processing differences (thus the reason she prefers only certain outfits), but after a birthday party in January where she had a cup of orange Kool-aid she was up for 1.5 hours in the middle of the night (yet, again).  For some reason it clicked that the dyes in that drink might be a problem and that the random up in the middle of the nights might be linked.  A little research and parents report: rashs, itchy skin, behaviors, emotional extremes, leg cramps, sleep disturbances.  All of these we have experienced with Kinley.  We have done an elimination of artificial food dyes and artificial flavors from her diet, and seen improvement after 2 weeks of consistency with the elimination.  Turns out artificial food dyes and flavors are in many of our foods. (Just read your labels...).  Kinley has been sleeping better (only up one or two nights after accidental exposures), not complaining of her legs hurting, her skin looks better, and her emotional extremes have become manageable and much more 4 year old typical.  Kinley has been a troooper.  We will happily help provide some alternatives for Kinley to enjoy at parties and gatherings.
Emily turned 1 on February 1st.  So many mixed emotions!  She is getting a little refocusing with her therapies and approaches that are in the works.  We will start some treadmill training next week with the hope this repetiation will help her process and organize walking sooner --research shows by up to 6 months compared to non-treadmill training.  Sarah has also stepped up working on transitional movements in our home therapy and we are noticing some differences in her moving abilities.  Here's to some form of creeping or crawling in her future!  Emily still has a smile that will melt your heart and charms those she is around.  She is taking everything in and learning new things!
Brisco is grateful that the coyotes are on the other side of the fence and spends his days with Dan in the basement soaking up the space heater.  Ahh, to be a retired doggie.  ;)
As always, feel free to ask us any questions you might have!  Our days are full and filled, but these young child/baby days are fleeting.