Yes, we're still alive!!

So I know it has been a long time since I have blogged, but we are still here and kickin'. I just wanted to let everyone know what has been going on with our family. We are all moved in to our house but like my blog it is still under construction. We have met with several contractors about remodeling the kitchen and are currently waiting to receive their bids. I will be super excited to get it completed because it has been a year and a half since I have had a fully functioning kitchen.

Tyler has been enjoying playing sports with the YMCA and starting pre-school. He started pre-school in January. He goes Tuesday and Thursday all day. This gives Mommy two days a week to work on organizing our new house! And I need it because this move was very unorganized. He likes school and is always smiling from ear to ear when I pick him up. Tyler played soccer in the fall, basketball over the winter months, and will start t-ball this week. I can't wait to see him in his t-ball uniform;-). He has done really well at both soccer and basketball. He would score on average about 4 goals a game in soccer and had control of the ball about 75% of the time he played. I was not timid and went after the ball. He did great. In basketball he would usually score from 2-6 pts. a game. He was a good shot but spent a great deal of the time wrestling with his teammates instead of playing basketball:-). It is fun to watch him play.

Hailey has been working really hard in school, has played some sports, and enjoys girl scouts. Hailey played soccer in the fall and volleyball this winter. She has fun and does a great job when you can get her to focus on the game. She is too busy talking to her friends from school on the other team or looking at Mom and Dad on the sidelines;-). She is not real into the sports right now and has decided to take the spring season off. She LOVES her girl scout troop. They do some really great activities like ice skating, visits to fire stations, gymnastics, rock wall climbing, trash pick-up, and more. It is the most active girl scout troop I have ever seen! She is good friends with the girls in her troop and they have so much fun together. In school Hailey has made great improvements. Her teacher has high expectations for their reading skills. Hailey came in to first grade reading at a level four on her teachers scale and is now at a level 13!! She wants them to be at a level 18 by the time they leave her class, so Hailey still has some work ahead of her. Hailey has made good grades the entire year but has struggled with staying focused in class. After talking with her teacher several times about it I decided to speak to her pediatrician about it. She diagnosed Hailey with ADHD, which is kind of a bummer, but I am glad we know and she will get the help she needs. Because Hailey also has a motor tic treating ADHD is more complicated. Many of the treatments are known to cause motor tics or make existing motor tics more server. With this in mind her pediatrician referred her to a clinic with the Texas Children's Hospital that specializes in children with several neurological disorders. We send in the paper work and she has been accepted:-)!! Now we are trying to get back in touch with them to get her registered and get an appointment. Her pediatrician really stressed that this clinic was the best and that we really want them to accept Hailey. We are really proud of Hailey for making good grades in school, making lots of friends, and being well liked by her teachers even with her conditions that make these things harder for her.

Todd just celebrated a birthday last month. He and I had a great weekend away together for his birthday. We stay on The Riverwalk and just pampered ourselves for the weekend:-). Todd is still enjoying his work and is doing a great job. He also coached Tyler's soccer team and help out a great deal with his basketball team. He was really good with the kids and they all had fun with him. What a GREAT DAD!!

I have just been busy with being a Mom. Taking the kids to and from their activities takes up a lot of time and I actually coached Tyler's basketball team. I wanted to coach Hailey's volleyball but the say the already had a coach for her. A few days later they called and said they need a coach for Tyler's team. I said yes and had lots of fun doing it. The boys were really cute and I miss see them now that the season is over. I have to spend a great deal of time and effort helping Hailey with her school work. I know that these early years are very important so we are going to make sure that she is started off right.

And that is what has been happening here in The Woodlands with our family. I hope all our family and friends are in the loop now. We are looking forward to visits from everyone this spring and summer:-).