Fourth Grade

I planned on getting back to posting more regularly, but that hasn't quite happened yet so I'm just getting our first day of school posting on here. The kids started fourth grade this year which is still hard for me to believe! They turned ten right before school started...their first double digit birthday and I about went into depression so fourth grade and changing classes was another big step for me and them both, but so far so good! Here they are on their first day of school. They wore their Mal's Pals shirt that we have been selling as a fundraiser for Mallory. Gracen kept blinking and that makes her so mad! :) I always take a full body pic so I can see later how big they have gotten and this is the only one that turned out okay.

Here they are in their favorite pose..hugged up!

They have two teachers this year, Mrs. Tolleson and Mrs. Cowart. Mrs. T is their homeroom teacher and she has them in the mornings then over to Mrs. C for Science and Math and then back to Mrs. T for the remainder of the day. The first day, Mrs. T told Carson she was going to print him a t-shirt with a "?" on it! LOL! Gracen said he kept talking and I asked who he was talking to and she said, "Mrs. Tolleson!" I said, "What?" She said, "Mom, he is constantly asking her questions and blurting out the answers. Finally he raised his hand because she kept telling him he had to raise his hand but he still blurted out the answer and she said Carson, that is not going to work either!" That's my Carson!

Now we are two and a half weeks into school and so far....no problems for talking...he's following the rules! I guess she got her bluff in on that first day of school! BUT, we have lots of days to come before the last day! :)

Phone Pictures

I haven't taken the time to post much this summer. It has just been crazy around here. I thought I would post some pics that I downloaded to my computer from my phone today. Most were taken the last few weeks.

This is Mal last week when she had just had her hair washed that morning. Gracen took this picture so someone was in the way and she didn't realize it.
This strange looking picture is Sydney and I shaving Mal's legs at the hospital. LOL! She had her hair washed that morning and had been complaining about how her legs must be way past needing to be shaved..so we broke out the razor and some conditioner someone brought in a goodie bag and her legs were smooth in no time! :) She was so excited about having smooth legs and clean hair!

Carson at the Pizza Shack a month or so ago. He got a stick-on mustache in one of those machines for a quarter and it was hilarious looking!

Carson eating ribs at Famous Dave's in Branson when Marty and I took the kids in July. He makes such a mess when he eats anyway, but especially eating ribs!! I just had to snap a picture with my phone.

Gracen and mom at Branson shopping this last weekend. We had a girls' getaway Thurs to Saturday. Gracen had lots of birthday money to spend..and spend it she did!! She bought some new school clothes and several pairs of shoes on sale!

Gracen trying on clothes at Old Navy in Branson.

I guess my next post will be our annual Back to School pics Wednesday! :)

Mal and Kidz Kamp

Well, I'm at home today and it's been a crazy couple of weeks. Spent all but one of the last eleven days at Children's with Mal so today we are going to stay home I think unless we decide to drive up tonight. Mal is making some progress in sensation especially. She is moving her wrists a lot better, moving her shoulders and lifting her arms better. Yesterday her basketball coach, Coach Flowers, came by and she joked with him about the funny way she waves now...a floppy hand wave. It was pretty funny and so refreshing that she can laugh about it. She has such a great attitude. I don't know if as an adult I could hold up so well if I were in her place. This morning she began having sensation in her armpit area which is a lower nerve on the spinal cord so that means more progress! She has some sensation in both legs with more in the right leg but slowly it seems to be coming in her left leg which is awesome! As of yet, she hasn't had any lower body movement but her arms have improved so much and are actually ahead of where she should be in rehab already! She got to get out in her chair the last couple days so she can get out of her room which I think helps keep her spirits up. She really enjoys visitors!! It has been great how many people have taken the time to come see her.

On a different note, due to the accident with Mallory, I did not go to Kidz Kamp this year. I really missed going, but Gracen decided to go on without me and had a great time! I really missed her while she was gone! Sydney was there and she has came home to spend the weekend with us. She is doing well with all of this so far. I think Kidz Kamp was good for her. I will post some pictures of KK when I get them from Judy who went.