Celebrations!

It’s been a time of celebrations, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, National Pig Day and Pa and my birthdays!  (not too mention all the other birthdays that have already happened since the first of the year)

This year for National Eating Disorder Awareness, I made positive notes to post at work.  I didn’t think about the fact that our once women’s bathroom is now unisex.  One of my male co workers got quite a kick out of the notes saying “Look how pretty you are” or “no make up needed you look great”.

March 1 was National Pig Day.  Let’s see a hand of everyone who celebrated.  Just as I thought. The celebration included me providing donuts for work and spreading the word what day it was, serving hamburgers from my pig platter and wearing my pig leggings in the comfort of home.  I thought if I showed up in the pig leggings at work that might push it a bit.  I have discovered that one leg has more pigs than the other leg and I’m embarrassed to say that this bothers me a whole lot.

Birthday gift but perfect for Pig Day as well

March 5 we celebrated my birthday and Pa’s.  It was a fun evening with yummy food (no one can cook like Ma), great company and fun gifts. 

On my actual birthday, we went out to eat at Village Inn.  The hash browns were delightful.

Of course, around the celebrating, we have to go about day to day life.  Tim is counting his weeks until he can be done teaching the high school kids on Wednesday night.  He remembered about week 2 that he much prefers adults!  He is trying something new for Lent and gave up chocolate.  I was going to make Snickerdoodles for him for dessert but then realized they were his favorite and so it wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice. (eating something without chocolate).  No snickerdoodles were baked! He moved his mom here to Brookdale Senior Living the end of January.  She is settling in. It seems to be a pretty nice facility.  His pooches are doing well. They had to help host guests during the fire evacuation.  Sam (from my work), Matt, their two coon dogs and their turtle stayed with us while they were evacuated.  They were fortunate to only lose one chicken in the fires.  I told them I think the turtle was a first for us-don’t remember babysitting any turtles for anyone through the years.

Camp is less than 100 days away.  The best laid plans-which included me not doing another camp season- didn’t happen.  So, here we go.  I’m in charge of scheduling staff this year which is an added duty but we are making a conscience effort to get agendas finished early.  Thankfully, there’s not many gray hairs left to get on my head or I’m sure I’d collect some more.

Everyone take care.  Love Auntie and Tim

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.

A P_____ T_____ puzzle

Hello from Wichita:

Our theme since the last post seems to be health so to make that more interesting our tale has a puzzle for you.  When there are two words together that start with a "P" and a "T" you get to fill in the blanks😊

Vicki has been seeing a p____ t____ for her sciatic nerve.  It seems to be helping already  She's been told that continuing to do the excercises can make the p____ t_____ disappear.  Tim also has gone to a p____ t_____ for his foot.  It wants to "drop" so they are strengthening his muscles in his foot and leg.  Samuel continues to p____.  T___ psychologist is requesting an MRI of his brain and he has sent off for his DNA reading.  He has several shows coming up.  

Since our last post, we have had several birthdays.  Samuel had red velvet cake and likes his p____ t____ out of the middle.  

Erik had a cookie cake made by Aunt Lynne.  We still p____ t__ go out for a dinner with him as soon as schedules fall together.    

Aunt Lynne also had a birthday and the Rivers came to help her celebrate.

In other news we have a new sink in the downstairs p____ t____.

Erik and Samuel have gone to the p_____.  T____ flew Erik's drone up and down the river.  They have also p____ t____ the frisbee golf course here in town.  Samuel found a clam shell the size of a grapefruit.  Would it have p____ t____?

The dffodils are coming up an the quince is budding.  No blooms yet but they will be p____ t____ for spring.  And here's one more just for fun.  If I miss the nail and hit my hand, I might have a p_____ t_____!😉

Love Vicki

answers (just in case)  physical therapist,    pain totally
physical therapist,     progress.  The
portion totally,    plan to
petite toilet
pasture.  They,     played through,    powerful teeth?
pretty treasures,   Puffy Thumb!

Austin Update

James and I are doing well in Austin! We've been waiting to post until we had the house ready to share. Nesting is taking quite a bit longer than we thought so instead of putting off the post any longer we thought we'd write a quick update and save the complete house highlights for another post.

Saturday I attended the Round Rock ISD Harp Festival. There were 39 harpists performing (3 from Hopewell). We're so lucky to have the teachers, instruments, and budget. I only know of a few other districts with programs like it.

Yesterday, I went to a teacher workshop for string teachers, and guess who was the teacher presenting??? Jan Coleman!!! She mentioned she was from Hutchinson, KS and I said that my family lived there. When I said the family name was Kinast, she immediately knew Vicki and Pam. She knew my dad from piano lessons and of course Uncle Randy :). She then asked how Tim Givan fit into the family and I explained he was my uncle and then she remembered Auntie. She said Uncle Tim really helped her family while she was away. She is still living in Seattle (25 years and counting) and is a well respected Suzuki violin teacher! How cool is that!

We put up a bird feeder two weeks ago and the birds finally found it this weekend. We had a pair of cardinals, chickadees, and tufted titmice. Of course, later the morning doves and grackles showed up, too.

The kitties seem to be at home and enjoy all the windows! There is a neighborhood cat to watch as well as lots of squirrels and birds.

There are lots of new places to explore. Rimsky managed to find his way on top of the kitchen cabinets in pursuit of a bug :).

 Lots of love to everyone! Hope to see you soon,

Hannah and James