Another Update

We have been really busy and it has been hard to find time to sit down and update our blog lately. 

Here are some highlights since the last post:

Rachael's last day at school was Friday, June 3 and she started summer school with David on Tuesday, June 7.  He is progressing slowly, but doesn't usually fight it.  We sit at the table after Michael goes down for his rest time/nap and work on worksheets, activities, games, coloring, cutting/pasting, etc.  We have several different bridge type workbooks (thanks Dad for them!) that we are working through.  We have now 'decorated' our dining room to look like a school room.  David has a pencil box with school supplies that he knows to get when it is time for school.  He still needs lots of work, but we think he will be ready by the time school starts.  Now that we have some cool pencil grips (he got to pick them out), he is getting better at controlling the pencil.  He can identify most of the basic shapes and colors (we are working from a list that the school gave us on what they expect incoming kindergartners to know), can count to ten (sometimes forgets the number 8) and can recognize some of the letters of the alphabet.  We are also working on his freehand stuff and coloring (doesn't seem to get the concept of staying in the lines; usually scribbles when he is supposed to color).

The boys had a follow-up doctor appointment on June 9.  We got the results of all the blood work that was done in April: all labs came back as NORMAL!!  No concerns (except that a thyroid test for Michael came back a bit 'off', but the doctor wasn't concerned; said that it was normal for the situation they came from) for right now.  The doctor wants to rerun some of the tests in October to double check, but expects that things will be normal then as well.  As of the day of the appointment, we didn't have the results of the poop tests, but since they haven't called to say that we need to redo the tests, I guess they got the results back.  We also found out that the immunizations that we were given the records for were valid.  The boys are current and up-to-date on all their immunizations (including the ones they got on the 9th).

Friday, June 10, the boys and I drove to San Antonio for a family birthday party.  My cousin Tara's second son's 3rd birthday party was on the 11th and we went to meet them and help them celebrate.  The boys and I had a great time (Chris stayed home because he had to work on the 11th).  They got to meet their cousins (George, Sammy and Michelle) as well as the parents (Alex & Tara).  Tara is my cousin on my dad's side and I haven't seen them in a while.  The boys got to swim for the first time in a real swimming pool (with the aide of life vests) and had a great time!  David loved the pool and swimming (once he figured out that the vest would keep him afloat) while Michael had more fun playing with his cousins and the toys.  They also got to experience their first pinata!  Once it was broken open, they were more interested in picking up the trash than picking up the candy!  I think it will take a while before they get the concept.....

Here are some pictures:

Taking a break from putting the toys away....

Everyone likes to sit with Daddy in his chair (too bad Mommy won't fit....)

David having fun in the pool

Michael had fun playing around the pool

Michael getting a 'push' from cousin Michelle

David was having too much fun in the pool, so he decided that he needed the floaty thing as well as the vest....

Michael's first swing at the Pinata

David's first swing at the Pinata

Cousins sitting still for about 10 seconds...
(starting on the left: George, Sammy, Michel, David)

First experience with Play-Dough!