Catching up

    So, a bunch of stuff happened last year. Laura kicked butt in 7/8 girls swim, Adam learned to swim (kinda). Sarah and Emma danced beautifully, Annie started college classes, got her license, bought a car and got her first job. She also got her first college acceptance letter: yay!

     Laura, Emma and Sarah went to camp together while Annie, Howard and I did our first 5k. Then Laura came home from camp with bad headaches. 

     At first, she said her head hurt. Then it progressed to screaming about how bad they were. Ultimately, they sidelined her fall swim season. We had been planning on fall swim meets through the group that does actual ranking and all that jazz. Instead, we spent it worried about more serious issues. The treatment plan she was initially given called for a cup of coffee in the a.m., Excedrin migraine daily, along with ibuprophen, and Dramamine, throughout the day. After a month of this, she got an MRI, which indicated a lesion. Cue more worry, and finally, a trip to the neurologist. 

Neurologist says there is no reason to worry. The irregularity only shows up on one screen of a hundred. If we are worried, retest in 2 months. And stop the crazy cycle of meds, she's only 8! He put her on a daily med, and recommended ibuprophen as needed. 

     Follow up MRI has finally been read. No growth, no change, no concern. Retest in 5 years. See neuro for dosage changes as she gets older. Laura has migraines.

     With that headache (ha) out of the way, I started Laura back on math that's more her speed. She has been doing 2 lessons a day to catch up. She's almost finished with her science, and has been flying through spelling. 

     Annie aced both her college classes. She was accepted into a program with the District Attorney's office. She is still trying to master pre-calc and trig. She's working as many hours as she can, because she is saving up for her senior trip to London next month. She is also having to make serious choices about her future. 

    Emma took a STEM class again this school year. This year they made Rube Goldberg machines. Out of the class, hers got the closest to finishing the final step. The transportation to the event is killer on machines that rely on very soecific calibrations. Emma is taking a history class this year and is doing really well. She's still dancing, tap and ballet. Also, she switched piano teachers. She has to practice an hour a day, and she is finally learning theory. She's also the same height as me. She turned 14, and spent her birthday morning hanging out with this horse.

     Sarah is a self-starter. She no longer needs to be told to do her school work. She works independently, and finishes before 1pm each day. She is doing well with grammar. She complains that her math is too easy, so has started supplementing with Khan Academy. She is working on finishing her violin book, and practices daily. She got a subscription to Raddish and has been trying new recipes each month. She is also taking a history class, and doing well. Later this month, she is going to science camp/outdoor Ed for the first time. 

     Adam has been jamming on his math. I think he is the only one happy with math this year. He also has been soaring through his science, and is one chapter away from finishing it. Lately he has been wanting to learn more about the rock cycle. He became a Cub Scout this school year. He earned his Bobcat and is working on his Tiger. This is my amazing action shot of him crossing to get his 

Bobcat.

He got a Nerf football for Christmas and now he can throw a pretty decent spiral.  He started baseball this week. 

     Howard and I celebrated our 20th anniversary by doing what we do best: going to the movies and sitting through a movie neither of us liked. Then we strolled in the rain to an early dinner. We popped into a little shop to pass the time, and ended up falling in love with a hutch tucked into the back corner. We went on to have a lovely dinner. The next day, Howard surprised me and said he had called the shop, bought the hutch, and even set up delivery. That is love right there. 

Also things that happened:

This kid went camping, to the aquarium and Santa Cruz Boardwalk with her Girl Scout troop. 

This kid also went with her troop. The Mystery Shack was on her itinerary. It kinda made us feel like throwing up, though. 

That same weekend,these 3 kids went to Disneyland, with this guy.

     They also went to my grandpa's 90th birthday party/anniversary party. 

And went to the store at Universal to pick up some Harry Potter stuff. 

 Meanwhile, we saw

A disgusting beach covered in dead crabs. 

When we all returned from our busy weekend, this 

Became this 

And this happened, getting out of the pool.

Two kids got hearing aids,

one got glasses.

Oodles of Girl Scout badges and patches were earned.

Pumpkins were carved.

Costumes worn and candy collected. 

 Gifts were given

Wisdom teeth were pulled ( with no pictures taken) a new year started and rain fell. Which leads to this update in mid February. The craziness of cookie season is upon us, so I don't see this blog being updated until we are rescued from the fortress of 2000+ boxes of cookies that will descend upon us this weekend.