Erin's New Glasses

A few months ago Erin got glasses. We tried our best to make a big deal about how lucky she was to have glasses, just like Daddy.  Ha!  Let's just say we wasn't buying it....at all.  Goal number one was to get her to wear them for five minutes.  Then 15 minutes.  Then an hour.  Then, an hour, without her little brother pointing out, over and over again, that she did in fact have her glasses on.  Sigh. Finally, after a good long while, she now wear them most of the day.  Now, most of the time, she doesn't even seem to notice she has them on, which of course was our long-term goal!

I think she's pretty adorable in them, if I do say so myself.

Now, here's my plug for Specs 4 Us.
 
Specs 4 Us was started by a mom who had a little four year old girl with Down syndrome.  Often, because kids with Ds have very shallow nasal bridges, and small noses in general, glasses slip down.  We purchased another pair of glasses from a different manufacturer and they were always slipping down.  Specs 4 Us makes a huge difference!  So, my girl with designer genes now has glasses designed just for her.  Amazing, isn't it?  I love how this mom saw a need and did something about it to make life easier for kids with Down syndrome.  It's the small things that can become the big things, and this mom is grateful.

Okay...I Get the Hint

It seems I cannot keep enough food in the house.  I make a couple large trips to the grocery store per week, but still, with as busy as life is, it seems we are always running low.  You know how it is....you get down to the eggs, pancakes and soup.  Hmmm. what can I make with noodles and Italian dressing? Ha ha.  Oh, and there are usually frozen pizzas in the downstairs freezer, so you've got that goin' for you....

Recently, I received this letter from my loving children...

The citizens of the Delaney household hereby have cast lots and are willing to drop to their undernourished knees and beg for the smallest morsels of store bought food.  Your choices are:  Put Eileen in driver's ed so she can learn to drive, drop us off at the cousins, so we can eat, or the last choice, which is most approved by the lot casters, is to go to the grocery store and buy the smallest bit of nourishment.  Know that you have full support over choosing any of these choices, but know, also, that it must be done today!

Signed, Aidan, Bridget, Eileen, Seamus, Teresa, Erin and Molly Grace

Oh, they crack me up!  Yes, I did feed my children that day, I promise!

Our Christmas Card

Well, it certainly is not our best card, but it may have the most character! LOL

An Aidan Update

In early December, Aidan was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, caused by Graves disease.  Graves is an autoimmune disease.  Basically, his body built up antibodies against his own thyroid, attacking it. The result was an increase in thyroid hormones.  And a big increase it was!  His T3 hormone, which should be under 3, was at 19.  His TSH hormone was 0, meaning his pituitary gland had basically shut down.  It is very rare to have Graves disease at the age of ten and even more rare for a boy.  Girls (women) get Graves at a rate of 4:1.  He is seeing a wonderful endocrinologist at Children's Hospital of Milwaukee...the same doctor who treated his uncle Andy years ago! So, while we were surprised at the diagnosis, we were also relieved that we had an answer to his symptoms.

A little history:  Aidan started looking very thin in the summer, but he was also having a big growth increase, and not loosing overall weight, so we just thought he was going through a growth spurt.  In early fall, he started looking even more thin (and he didn't have much body fat to begin with!) and we put him on a high calorie diet.  Even with a ton of calories (think two extra large Haagan Dazs milk shakes a day plus an extra meal!), he was not gaining.  Additionally, by November, we started noticing many other symptoms and his school work was suffering as well. Some symptoms were vague, others a bit scary. So, to make a long story short, we took him the doctor, and there began his journey with Graves disease, and a long treatment plan, most likely for life.  Our hopes are for him to eventually go into remission, which does happen, although rarely for a severe case. 

The good news?!  It's treatable.  The other good news?! On the way home from Children's Hospital of Milwaukee (Seamus and Grandma and Grandpa D were with us that day), we took the boys to Cabela's....a big treat for Aidan!

Photos aren't the greatest because they were from my ipod...

Some Christmas Photos (2011)

I think Bridget someone dropped the ball on the picture taking.  Unless I'm missing a memory card, we have very few Christmas photos this year. So, here is just a sampling...

Homemade Nativity :)

Teresa and Molly  Grace practice some Christmas tunes

Not such a great picture of our neighborhood luminary...it sure is better with lots of snow!

My youngest and my oldest

Yep, he came!

Disney's Tangled horse (Maximus)= $20...Generic horse (Maximus)= $1 :)

The whole gang in Grandma's pjs, minus Moira, who had to work

Grandpa, showing the girls something really interesting

 

Colleen, Bridget and Teresa

Margaret and Molly Grace

Seamus and Teresa

Erin

Happy Day!

 Merry Christmas!!!  

 We spent Christmas day with the McKillens and Delaneys, with the exception of Tim and Suzy, who spent Christmas at their home in Ohio. Our festivities continue...As usual, we'll be filling the blog with lots of pictures.

 I loved having all of my kids home.  Moira arrived home from FUS last week.  She's had to work most every day, including Christmas day (all Packer employees work game days).  She wasn't complaining, as she got paid double pay, and she didn't have to start till 2:30.  And she loves spending game days at the stadium!   

Early Christmas morning we were all up to check out what Santa left under the tree.  Seamus, two, looked around bright-eyed and speechless.  We were all watching his reaction.  Finally, he threw his arms in the air and shouted, "Happy day!!!".  Priceless. 

Benedict XVI has restored the tradition of proclaiming the birth of Christ with the chanting of the "Kalenda." The chant culminated the prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square on Christmas Eve, which was accompanied by the unveiling of the life-size Nativity Scene.

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST 

Today, the twenty–fifth day of December, unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth and then formed man and woman in his own image. Several thousand years after the flood, when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant.Twenty–one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah; thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.Eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges; one thousand years from the anointing of David as king;in the sixty–fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.In the one hundred and ninety–fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty–second year from the foundation of the city of Rome.The forty–second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; the whole world being at peace,Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit,and nine months having passed since his conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Thanksgiving 2011

Here are some photos from our Thanksgiving weekend.  We had Grandma and Grandpa D, the Green Bay cousins and Pat and Anna all together.  We had a great weekend!  (I realize I have Eileen in there twice....oops!)

Happy Birthday Molly Grace!!!

On November 20th, our sweet Molly Grace turned 8!  She is quickly becoming a "big kid".  In fact, I cannot remember the last time we referred to her as one of the  "little ones".

Molly Grace is such a joy!  She has a sensitive heart.  She is easy to please and easy to offend, all at the same time.  She is in second grade and enjoys her school work.  She loves to play dress-up and perform in plays with her sisters and neighbor friends.  She especially loves to spend time with her cousin, Margaret, at every opportunity!  They are as close as sisters could ever be. She has joined her older sisters in the ranks of Irish dancers and seems to have a natural talent for jigs and reels.

Molly Grace never ever goes to bed without giving her parents each a hug, followed by "Sleep good, I love you, God bless you".  Yep...every single night! 

Molly Grace with cousin and best friend, Margaret

I remember the night before Molly Grace was born. Mike and I went to Margareta's to have some Mexican food (I was desperate to try anything, spicy food included, to induce labor). Just as I went to bed late that night, I felt the first contraction.  Because my labors are marathons, I didn't get to the hospital till late the next afternoon.  She was born shortly after arrival!

Kids' birthdays are as much celebration for the mom, as for the child, aren't they?  Here I go, reminiscing, on our special day...

Molly Grace's birth was a breeze...truly, a piece of cake.  I can honestly say I felt no pain...(thank you epidural!).  Seamus was the only other child who had as easy of a birth (Erin was a close third).  Interestingly, while Molly Grace and Seamus' birth was super easy, they were my most challenging babies. We have often said that Molly Grace stopped crying when she turned two.  LOL  Yes, she was a particularly fussy baby, and most of the time life was not going the way she pleased.  She cried, a lot.

But here she is, eight years later, as sweet as sweet can be!  She is growing up and she loves life!

Molly Grace wanted an old cell phone (that doesn't work) for her birthday.

Thank you Best Buy!  Cost:  FREE

Molly Grace has always had what we call an adorable Boston accent.  She does not say her "r"s.  Someday soon she will, but for now, we enjoy her charming "accent". It adds to her adowable chaaam!


For Molly Grace's party, all the Green Bay cousins came over to celebrate.  Bridget, Teresa and cousin Colleen put together a little treasure hunt, which was a blast!  They wrote the following riddle clue, which Molly Grace had to figure out.  It led everyone all throughout the house.

Clue 1:  

Welcome to the Treasure Hunt Game!  

Find the clues, and seven presents you'll gain!  

The game has begun,

This is clue one!

Now go to the fragile glass,

That jingles when you walk past.

The first present was found in the hutch with jiggly glass doors

Clue 2

Good for you!

This is clue two!

When you're hot from the sun, where do you play?

At the pool of course, so go down there today!

Present two was found hiding inside the pool table

Clue 3

This is clue three,

Way to go!  Yippee!

Since it is dry, 

She can fly!

The walls are torn down

So no water can be found.

This clue led Molly Grace to the upstairs bathroom (it is "dry" and the walls are "torn down" because we are replacing the tile in the bathtub)

Clue 4

Great job!  You score!

This is clue four!

Call it a fridge if you dare

But if you look hard, clue five is in there (and a chair)

This clue led to a chair on our sun-porch (our natural fridge in the wintertime)

Clue 5

You're looking alive!

This is clue five!

Go to the stairs and walk up five, and down two, then down three

Look to your left, who do you see?

This clue led to the pictures we have hanging in our stairway (the 6th clue was hiding behind her own picture hanging and the present was hiding behind a mega pack of toilet paper, sitting in the hallway LOL) 

Clue 6

You're getting through this in a kick!

This is clue six!

What is the fairy who collects the teeth?

Where does she go when you're asleep?

Molly Grace found the final present (the sixth fairy doll) under her own pillow. 

It was a lot of fun!  Thank you, Bridget, Teresa and Colleen for organizing such a fun treasure hunt!  One more special note I want to mention.......as kids of all ages ran though the house finding clues and presents, Erin couldn't keep up, even though she was SO in on the fun.  Cousin Conal, without being told, picked her up and carried her around on his back, making sure she could see all that was happening.  What a great kid!  She is so happy to have such awesome cousins!

After the treasure hunt, we all had cake, which Eileen custom made for Molly Grace. What a great birthday.  We love you Molly Grace!!! (Nice smile, Erin)

1 Corinthians 13 – a Christmas Version

1 Corinthians 13 – a Christmas Version by Catholic Heritage Curricula

IF I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

IF I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

IF I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

IF I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

LOVE stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

LOVE doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

LOVE bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

We miss you Andy!

We had a celebration, on your behalf.  Keep praying for us!  Happy Feast Day! (November 9th)