Jim and I were very fortunate to be given financial support after Finnegan was born by Spare Key. Spare Key is an organization that helps families in crisis with critically ill or seriously injured children by paying one month of their mortgage. It was a huge relief for us, since my full-time job was being with Finn at the hospital for the 85 days he was there.
Jim and I are supporting this amazing organization by attending their 2018 Groove Gala on Saturday, Feb 24. We would LOVE to have company! If you are interested in attending with us, just click here (or copy/paste: https://one.bidpal.net/2018groovegala/welcome) to sign up and buy your tickets. We know this is a large financial commitment and therefore really appreciate you even considering attending. Alternately, you can make a donation to support this wonderful cause by clicking here.
Counters
Wednesday, January 24
Tuesday, January 23
Twenty Questions - Finn 9
Starting at age three, I've asked Finn 20 questions around the time of his birthday. I chose NOT to direct or influence his initial answers, but have asked follow up questions after he was done. Here are his responses:
20 questions: answered by Finnegan on 1/23/2018
1. What is your favorite color? Blue and black
2. What is your favorite toy? Nerf gun
3. What is your favorite fruit? berries
4. What is your favorite TV show/movie? Ninjago / any Star Wars
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza
6. What is your favorite outfit/thing to wear? Under Armour
7. What is your favorite game? Monopoly Jr
8. What is your favorite snack? Chocolate
9. What is your favorite animal? Dragon and alligator
10. What is your favorite song? Believer by Imagine Dragons
11. What is your favorite book? Ninjago
12. Who is your best friend? Xavier P
13. What is your favorite cereal? I don’t have one, I don’t like cereal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? football
15. What is your favorite drink? rootbeer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, because you get to see your family
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Kiki
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Chocolate mini muffins
19. If you could pick anything, what you would eat for dinner on your birthday? Spicy chicken wings (buffalo)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Basketball or baseball player
Bonus Questions:
21. What is your favorite sport to play? baseball
22. What is your best/least favorite part of school? Best: lunch Least: music
I love how thoughtful he was this year. Some answers were what I would write and some weren't. Here are some follow up comments and my thoughts.
1. His favorite color has been red for a very long time. I guess things change.
4. He really couldn't think of a TV show. I think this was just one he eventually thought of, not necessarily a favorite. I thought he was going to pick a show on You Tube, like Ethan Gamer TV. Mac supplied (through the shut office door) the movie, but Finn agreed they are his favorite.
6. I KNEW that was coming. He is on a bit of an Under Armour kick right now!
9. I asked him why they were his favorite animals and he said just because! Well, there you have it.
10. I knew this was coming, too. Thunder by Imagine Dragons is his very close second favorite right now.
11. I don't remember the last time he read a Ninjago book. I suggested Percy Jackson (which we've been reading together) and he said he didn’t think of it, but it is his favorite.
20. I love this answer. I think he has a long way to go, though!! It's great to have dreams :)
21. I think golf is actually his favorite but given the time of year, he isn't thinking about it. But he does like baseball, too. Basketball has fallen back a bit on the list.
The last picture of my eight year old before turning nine early the next morning:
For his birthday, he chose to spend an extra night at the hotel instead of getting to have a friend come home after school and going out to eat. I think he chose well! Also, nine is tough. He's halfway done with us! Waaaaah! I mean, halfway to 18 at least. So sad to think about that. It truly does go so fast!
If you are curious as to what his responses were last year, click here to link to that post!
20 questions: answered by Finnegan on 1/23/2018
1. What is your favorite color? Blue and black
2. What is your favorite toy? Nerf gun
3. What is your favorite fruit? berries
4. What is your favorite TV show/movie? Ninjago / any Star Wars
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza
6. What is your favorite outfit/thing to wear? Under Armour
7. What is your favorite game? Monopoly Jr
8. What is your favorite snack? Chocolate
9. What is your favorite animal? Dragon and alligator
10. What is your favorite song? Believer by Imagine Dragons
11. What is your favorite book? Ninjago
12. Who is your best friend? Xavier P
13. What is your favorite cereal? I don’t have one, I don’t like cereal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? football
15. What is your favorite drink? rootbeer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, because you get to see your family
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Kiki
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Chocolate mini muffins
19. If you could pick anything, what you would eat for dinner on your birthday? Spicy chicken wings (buffalo)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Basketball or baseball player
Bonus Questions:
21. What is your favorite sport to play? baseball
22. What is your best/least favorite part of school? Best: lunch Least: music
I love how thoughtful he was this year. Some answers were what I would write and some weren't. Here are some follow up comments and my thoughts.
1. His favorite color has been red for a very long time. I guess things change.
4. He really couldn't think of a TV show. I think this was just one he eventually thought of, not necessarily a favorite. I thought he was going to pick a show on You Tube, like Ethan Gamer TV. Mac supplied (through the shut office door) the movie, but Finn agreed they are his favorite.
6. I KNEW that was coming. He is on a bit of an Under Armour kick right now!
9. I asked him why they were his favorite animals and he said just because! Well, there you have it.
10. I knew this was coming, too. Thunder by Imagine Dragons is his very close second favorite right now.
11. I don't remember the last time he read a Ninjago book. I suggested Percy Jackson (which we've been reading together) and he said he didn’t think of it, but it is his favorite.
20. I love this answer. I think he has a long way to go, though!! It's great to have dreams :)
21. I think golf is actually his favorite but given the time of year, he isn't thinking about it. But he does like baseball, too. Basketball has fallen back a bit on the list.
The last picture of my eight year old before turning nine early the next morning:
For his birthday, he chose to spend an extra night at the hotel instead of getting to have a friend come home after school and going out to eat. I think he chose well! Also, nine is tough. He's halfway done with us! Waaaaah! I mean, halfway to 18 at least. So sad to think about that. It truly does go so fast!
If you are curious as to what his responses were last year, click here to link to that post!
Monday, January 22
Pool Party!
Finn and Korri decided again this year to have a joint party at the hotel in Delano. But I told them if that's what they wanted to do, only one cake and it would be a swimming theme cake. They both agreed, which kind of surprised me. Doing two cakes last year was super tough.
So I've been SUPER busy the entire month of January but I was EXTRA busy the week of their party. I found a really cute snorkeling cake that they both agreed on for their birthday cake for the party. Great. BUT I only started looking into it the weekend before, which didn't leave me much time to plan and get the things I needed.
Oh, well. Jim would say I was behind the eight ball, but because he thought that I refused to let him be right and remained calm and kept ticking along! LOL I guess it probably helped me because I wasn't very stressed. Anyway, both kiddos picked chocolate cake, which is weird if you know Korri at all, but different fillings. Finn picked chocolate (duh!) and Korri picked strawberry (there's her normal self!!).
Here is the inspiration cake:
So I put Flat Finn on the bottom layer with the chocolate filling and I put Korri on the top layer with the strawberry. There are things I would have done differently (the frosting didn't cover very well and I don't know why!), but it did turn out pretty good and it was fun if nothing else.
And I had fun with the theme for decorating, too:
I used relatively new beach towels for table runners, which was a nice touch (since the tables were a little stained). The Pool Water punch was a big hit (blue Hawaiian punch, pineapple juice and ginger ale!), even though the container leaked. You can see the rest of the clever decorating. I like doing that stuff. Not sure what we'll do next year, but I think I'm going to make their cakes ONE their birthdays (so I can do individual themes that they pick) and then order cupcakes for the party! We'll see!
Oh, and while the water guns were a neat idea for a take home gift, it maybe wasn't the BEST idea to use during the party because EVERY body and thing was drenched. Oh, well. At least we're at a pool.
Thank you to everybody who came and made the Bigs feel so special. The only down side is the party room is super small so we can't include everybody we want do. Bummer. But they had a wonderful time! I mean, swimming in the middle of January is a nice treat, given the frozen tundra we live in!
The only picture I got of the two of them together:
So I've been SUPER busy the entire month of January but I was EXTRA busy the week of their party. I found a really cute snorkeling cake that they both agreed on for their birthday cake for the party. Great. BUT I only started looking into it the weekend before, which didn't leave me much time to plan and get the things I needed.
Oh, well. Jim would say I was behind the eight ball, but because he thought that I refused to let him be right and remained calm and kept ticking along! LOL I guess it probably helped me because I wasn't very stressed. Anyway, both kiddos picked chocolate cake, which is weird if you know Korri at all, but different fillings. Finn picked chocolate (duh!) and Korri picked strawberry (there's her normal self!!).
Here is the inspiration cake:
So I put Flat Finn on the bottom layer with the chocolate filling and I put Korri on the top layer with the strawberry. There are things I would have done differently (the frosting didn't cover very well and I don't know why!), but it did turn out pretty good and it was fun if nothing else.
And I had fun with the theme for decorating, too:
I used relatively new beach towels for table runners, which was a nice touch (since the tables were a little stained). The Pool Water punch was a big hit (blue Hawaiian punch, pineapple juice and ginger ale!), even though the container leaked. You can see the rest of the clever decorating. I like doing that stuff. Not sure what we'll do next year, but I think I'm going to make their cakes ONE their birthdays (so I can do individual themes that they pick) and then order cupcakes for the party! We'll see!
Oh, and while the water guns were a neat idea for a take home gift, it maybe wasn't the BEST idea to use during the party because EVERY body and thing was drenched. Oh, well. At least we're at a pool.
Thank you to everybody who came and made the Bigs feel so special. The only down side is the party room is super small so we can't include everybody we want do. Bummer. But they had a wonderful time! I mean, swimming in the middle of January is a nice treat, given the frozen tundra we live in!
The only picture I got of the two of them together:
Friday, January 19
Well Childs: 9 and 7
On Wed we had Finn (9 year) and Korri's (7 year) well child appointments after school. They changed dismissal from how I remember it...so we were a little late, but only by a few minutes. And Jim and Mac met us there and checked us in. Perfect. I really didn't have any concerns going in but I always like to see how they've grown.
We started with Finn.
Height: 51" 26% (49" or 25% in 2017)
Weight: 70lbs 72% (62lbs or 69% in 2017)
B/P: 102/60
BMI: 19 or 87%
His height percentage went up for the second year on a row!! I really hope that trend continues. I mean, I know it is only by 1% but I'll take it (and it is so far from where we came!). They tested his vision and hearing but I wasn't in the room for it and they didn't say anything, so hopefully they were fine.
Next was Korri. She's my rock star at appointments (I think she likes the accolades that come along with being brave!).
Height: 49.75" 83% (47.5" or 87% in 2017)
Weight: 72.6lbs 97% (60lbs or 95% in 2017)
B/P: 98/58
BMI: 21 or 97%
So, while she's slightly heavier, Finn is still taller by an inch and a quarter! I told him it won't be long until she catches up with him! Both grew TWO INCHES this year. Seems like a lot to me!
Korri remains on her same growth chart for BMI, so the doctor isn't concerned. I wish it would go down but we do what we can and the doctor just thinks that is how her body is (which I can relate to!). We talked about Korri's dry skin, as she's started getting rashes from the dryness. The doctor said to do what we've been doing but to add Aquafor or Vaseline if lotion stings. (Korri told me this week that the rashes have gone away, yay!).
And I think that was it! I mean, easy peasy. I asked about Mac's constant running nose and cough and she does NOT think it is allergies but rather cold after cold. Hmmm... He also has dry, rashy, itchy skin, so I'm not 100% convinced it isn't allergies. She said in the winter it is usually either pets (which we obviously don't have) or dust. I might put him on a low dose of allergy meds to see if it improves. Or I'll wait it out. We'll see.
Dr. Bies said you know we've had a good winter when Mac didn't know her when she came in! LOL No offense, but I hope we don't see her again until July ;)
We started with Finn.
Height: 51" 26% (49" or 25% in 2017)
Weight: 70lbs 72% (62lbs or 69% in 2017)
B/P: 102/60
BMI: 19 or 87%
His height percentage went up for the second year on a row!! I really hope that trend continues. I mean, I know it is only by 1% but I'll take it (and it is so far from where we came!). They tested his vision and hearing but I wasn't in the room for it and they didn't say anything, so hopefully they were fine.
Next was Korri. She's my rock star at appointments (I think she likes the accolades that come along with being brave!).
Height: 49.75" 83% (47.5" or 87% in 2017)
Weight: 72.6lbs 97% (60lbs or 95% in 2017)
B/P: 98/58
BMI: 21 or 97%
So, while she's slightly heavier, Finn is still taller by an inch and a quarter! I told him it won't be long until she catches up with him! Both grew TWO INCHES this year. Seems like a lot to me!
Korri remains on her same growth chart for BMI, so the doctor isn't concerned. I wish it would go down but we do what we can and the doctor just thinks that is how her body is (which I can relate to!). We talked about Korri's dry skin, as she's started getting rashes from the dryness. The doctor said to do what we've been doing but to add Aquafor or Vaseline if lotion stings. (Korri told me this week that the rashes have gone away, yay!).
And I think that was it! I mean, easy peasy. I asked about Mac's constant running nose and cough and she does NOT think it is allergies but rather cold after cold. Hmmm... He also has dry, rashy, itchy skin, so I'm not 100% convinced it isn't allergies. She said in the winter it is usually either pets (which we obviously don't have) or dust. I might put him on a low dose of allergy meds to see if it improves. Or I'll wait it out. We'll see.
Dr. Bies said you know we've had a good winter when Mac didn't know her when she came in! LOL No offense, but I hope we don't see her again until July ;)
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