Big Decisions

Well we have been thinking, touring and thinking about where Owen should go to school. We really liked one but being #175 on the waiting list I took that as a sure sign it was not going to be. WE also liked another and got into that choice school. I always had the neighborhood school which I had heard great things about. Tonight I thought a bit and then realized I really already knew where I wanted to send my future Kindergarten student. I finally chose Lincoln a K-8 choice school here in Rochester. If you had asked me about 6 months ago I would have told you it wasn't a real issue and he would be attending his neighborhood school. AS the decision got closer I thought maybe I should see what the options are out there. In making this decision now I feel extremely good about my choice and am now just excited. The only problem is my baby is going to Kindergarten. Now, he.. is ready to go, a confident and social little boy who will be 5 in a month and a half. He pauses a minute at each new turn and then glides through every change. He is amazing but that is not my concern. My concern is how many people might talk about me as I follow his bus to school for months and months after school begins. Or how it will effect Owen when I cry the first few times he heads off to school. I cannot believe I'm going to have to let him go to school. I sure hope I will adjust over time. It has helped me to know that a few of my friends did follow their kids buses to school as well:)

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a great year!! I know we did.

The kids have grown up so much and really we shouldn't call the trio "the babies" anymore. They have such cute discussions, strategically putting together games and plans. They make a great team.
Ariana has just started letting me do her hair a bit and loving the princess dresses. She is very detail oriented, is the best listener, and loves to perform. She is totally up for being the center of attention. She takes a few moments to get warmed up to a new situation but after that she is unstoppable and doesn't want to leave. When it is just the 6 of us she is totally a Mommy's girl. She understands we are both girls and ever since she understood that she has been glued to me.
Brandon is more of the loner of the group. He loves to play with others of course but he is the first to sit in the corner and study his letters/numbers. He loves studying. He is not the best listener but has absorbed the most information. He likes to know everything he decides to study. You just have to get him excited to refocus a bit because he has his own agenda. He gives the best hugs. He is open to anything with no anxieties. Brandon is happy all the time but when he does have a slight breakdown I think it takes about 2 hours to get him back to his happy state.
Evan is hilarious. He is all about being funny and causing a little trouble. His intentions are not to be naughty but just to get your attention and give his little devilish grin. He is super cuddly and loves his Mommy. He is the most sensitive and cries easily but calms quickly. He loves to dance, have fun and even requested another New Years Eve party right when he woke up this morning. He will be having his next heart surgery in June. I wrote generally about it on his caring bridge website. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/evan
Owen, the best big brother ever, never ceases to amaze me. He is so smart. He understands people well and has a lot of friends. He is a great problem solver and never misses a beat. He is a hilarious kid with a wonderful sense of humor. He loves to make people laugh. In attempts to do it he makes up a million interesting jokes until one gets a laugh:) We have been so blessed to have such a wonderful son who had every right to be difficult when 3 new siblings arrived. He is so nice to his siblings and although he is a typical 4 year old boy still manages to play sweetly with them.

Dave and I are doing great and the kids are definitely keeping us busy.
We will be married 9 years this July and are just waiting to hit 10 years so we can have a great excuse to take a week long trip to somewhere peaceful:)
At that point all Evan's planned surgeries will be completed the kids will be 4 and 6. We also hope in the next year or so after Evan's surgery to go to Disney World and have some fun as a family.
We hope everyone had a great Christmas!!