The F Bomb

*Sorry if anyone finds that title offensive.  Evidently some people do…

So, I need to record this "milestone"  for posterity, but first I should give you a little back story.  Sam and Michael watch Minecraft videos on You Tube, to get ideas for things to build.  They especially like this series of videos by "Stampy."  Chris has all of our devices set to supposedly weed out questionable videos but evidently it's not 100% effective.

We were at the National Zoo and had just finished looking at the lions.  We go over to a different area to see a different kind of big cat, that Ben was very excited about.  I had no idea what type of cat it was, so I asked Michael and Ben, who were standing there what kind it was.  Sam runs up and says "That's a fucking tiger!"  Wow!  That's something you don't expect your almost 8 year old to say.  I took him aside and told him that it was a very bad word and that he was never to say it again, while this older lady stood with her mouth gaped open over the incident.  He honestly had no idea what he was saying, and Chris and I had a good laugh about it later.  But clearly we need to monitor what they can access on You Tube.  No more videos by Stampy!

Happy New Year!

Well, I suppose I kept up with this blog somewhat over the last year so I guess I'll call that a successful resolution.  I owe several updates that will most likely come after these kiddos get back into school!  It's been a crazy month!  But a quick synopsis:

This guy turned THREE:

We had a whirlwind Christmas:

And these two monkeys turned SIX!

In other news, this year I've got a few different resolutions, one of which, is to take a photo a day.  I would like to say that I will have time to post them here, but I know that I probably wont.  SO.... If you'd like to keep up with the pictures, follow me on Instagram- AMYBOYLE75 (I know, I'm sooooo creative with user names).

Neurology Appointment

Hello All,  I deleted my last blog post about having Arnold Chiari Type 1 Malformation because my wonderful husband said he would prefer having all the facts before sharing it with everyone on the internet.

I had my Neurology appointment today.  I was slightly optimistic when he first read my file because he said Chiari Malformations are over diagnosed these days.  After looking at the MRI results, he did confirm I have it.  It is a condition, where part of the cerebellum (the tonsils) hang farther down than normal, going through the base of the skull.  The further down the hang, the increased chance of it restricting the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid.  He says that mine appears to be a mild case, and that the MRI shows that the cerebral spinal fluid is flowing freely everywhere it needs to be so it's not at all obstructed at this point.  I asked why this didn't show up years ago when I got an MRI.  In most cases of Chiari, you are born with it, but it doesn't manifest itself until later in life.  He says most likely it was just because MRI's have obviously gotten more advanced over the years and pick up more now.

He also said, it may never progress any further, or it might.  We just need to monitor it yearly, or sooner if I notice a worsening of symptoms.  In the mean time I just need to restrict high impact sports (not a problem), running (rarely a problem- unless I'm being chased), roller coasters (bummer), and heavy lifting.  All of those things can potentially cause symptoms to worsen.  The symptoms that I do have are fairly minor other than the ringing in the ears, which I will just need to learn to live with.  And since I've been dealing with migraines for the last 20 years,  we've got a pretty good plan in place for that. Most of my migraines, by the way, are not related to this, as they usually are in the front of my head and Chiari headaches are usually in the back.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'll try to answer them!  Thanks for the support!

"Baby" Ben

The other way on the way home from swim lessons, we were discussing the fact that Ben is becoming such a big boy.   Chris said, "Ben, are you a big boy?"  His response was "NO, I a Baby!"  Chris insisted again and said "No, you are a big boy!" and he said, "No, I'm Baby Ben!"

So fast forward a few days, and I am reading him his stories before bed.  I said "I love you Ben!  Do you love mommy?"  He laid his head down on my  lap and said, I still baby Ben."  "Baby loves you."

And then I dissolved into a puddle of goo and read him like 5 extra books.

Hi, I'm Mommy and I'll be your cruise director...

I don't really feel like we put our children into too many activities.  The ones that they participate in are all areas where their interests lie, and/or it's good for them.  It's just the fact that we have four children participating in different activities, that kind of bogs us down.  It's funny, now that all four kids are in school during the week, Chris was wondering what I will do with all of my free time.  It is nice, i have to admit.  I have 4 hours, three days a week to myself!  My big plans are exercise, cleaning the house and going grocery shopping.  By myself!  But other than that, here's our schedule.

Monday:  School, Michael-OT, Sam- Tae Kwon Do
Tuesday: School/Preschool, Molly- Ballet/Tap
Wednesday: School/Preschool, Molly-Soccer Practice, Sam- Tae Kwon Do
Thursday: School/Preschool, Michael- Gymnastics, Sam, Cub Scouts 2x per month
Friday:  School for the big kids,  but other than that, NOTHING.  Thank goodness!
Saturday:  Sam Tae Kwon Do, Molly Soccer

You may notice that Ben has no extracurriculars.  That's because he's the fourth born, and his extracurricular activity is watching his siblings participate in extracurricular activities.  And he is becoming quite the little tap dancing ninja who likes to kick balls!

Back to school

Well, it's official!  All four kids are in school!  First we have the big second grader who is really enjoying this year so far.  Unfortunately, he's enjoying bossing M&M around on the bus a little too much-  he says he just wants to be sure that they follow the rules.  Most likely a future safety patrol in training!

Next we have Michael-  very eager to start Kindergarten, mostly because he gets to ride the bus.  He likes his teacher and has no complaints so far.  He's definitely tired by the end of the day.  Too much structured activity most likely!

Next, Molly!  She was also super exited to start Kindergarten but a little nervous about being in a different classroom from Michael.  She's loved it so far though, and is very excited that there are a lot of girls in her class this year!  

Here is a photo of all three-  before the bus time battles ensued.  I told them that they all didn't have to sit together,  but they always do,  every time.  

And last, but certainly not least is Ben!  He is going to preschool for three days a week.  He is a little hesitant to go in, but never hesitant to go, so he must like it.  Ironically he isn't talking much in school,  which is interesting because he won't stop talking at home!  He tells me all about his day the whole ride home,  though I only understand about 25% of it.

So far so good!  Though homework hasn't started yet.  Talk to me in a few weeks!

Knee Deep In the Water Somewhere...

So-  another big thing happened this summer!  Thanks to Chris's parents, with help from his sister Stephanie, we were able to leave the kids for a few days to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary! 

This was the first time we were away from our kids (for more than an overnight), in four years!  It was much needed. We went to Secrets Silversands Resort, in Puerta Morelos, Mexico.  Since all we really wanted to do was relax and enjoy each others company, we thought this would be a great choice since it was all inclusive, and we didn't have to worry about anything.  We truly just slept in, relaxed by the pool, ate good food, drank lots of foof drinks, and decompressed.  And it was AWESOME.  Though both of us admit, that after  5 days of doing nothing, we had reached our limit of laziness. And Margaritas.

Here are a few pictures of the trip!