May all your dreams and wishes come true Delainey... mommy loves you more than you will ever know. You made all my dreams come true by finally making me a mommy!!! I LOVE YOU PRINCESS!!!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Happy 7th Birthday Delainey
May all your dreams and wishes come true Delainey... mommy loves you more than you will ever know. You made all my dreams come true by finally making me a mommy!!! I LOVE YOU PRINCESS!!!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Amazing song...
Listen to this song... it is amazing and speaks volumes...especially for Special Needs Families
Happy Holidays 2010
*this is our 2010 Holiday card and Holiday Letter, they will be going out in the mail, but wanted to share it heres well*
Happy Holidays 2010
Wow! 2010 is already coming to an end, and honestly I cannot believe that it is almost over. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting at the computer writing last year’s holiday letter. It has been another fun and exciting year at our house.
Chad is currently working at Coventry (has been since 2008) and is really liking it. This past summer he was able to completely rebuild a bike as a project and you could tell that he had a lot of fun taking something was complete junk and turning it back into a really nice motorcycle. It was a fun project for him and a cousin of mine… he was really proud of it.
Delainey is 7 and currently in the 1st grade and loving it. She has been staying really busy with swimming (all year) and she really enjoyed soccer over the summer. We missed the registration dates for fall soccer, but we have it on the calendar for spring. Delainey was able to participate in a special “Demonettes’ dance camp this fall, she really enjoyed it. She is enjoying 1st grade and all the new challenges that have come with it. She does miss the ‘free’ time that was more available in kindergarten but she is doing really well. It is shocking to see what 1st graders are learning… I mean she can read already. It is great and thankfully she is really smart and it comes fairly easy to her.
Shelby is in her second year of preschool and having a really good year so far this fall... She currently receives occupational therapy once a week for her SPD and it continues to help a lot for her sensory issues. She is doing well in school and thankfully she has teacher who understand her current needs/quirks. The school year is going so much better this year because of her amazing teachers. Shelby is also active in swimming lessons and is doing really well.
Avery is also in her second year of preschool. She is doing amazing! She is kind of a little stinker in that she likes to ‘pretend’ that she doesn’t know what is going on a lot and in fact we were really concerned for awhile about her educationally…that is until we went to her conferences this past October and learned that our daughter has almost reached all the milestones for the year…and it is only October. She definitely pulled the wool over our eyes.
Shelby and Avery will turn 5 the day after Christmas.
Brody is well… Brody. He is certainly all boy and doesn’t quit…ever. The kid wakes up every morning and 5am and does not stop until he goes to bed at 7:30pm. He is very talkative and has an amazing vocabulary for a 3 year old. He loves watching football and is obsessed with anything motorcycles or cars. We are currently working on potty training and well, it’s not going well. I am fairly confident that he will go to kindergarten in diapers… but it goes with his personality. He is currently enjoying having two friends who come over to play M-F for a few hours each morning and he really misses them when they are gone. Brody will turn 3 on December 4th.
I am still in the Social Work program at Minot State University, and also a member of my Student Social Work Organization here in Bismarck. I am really enjoying it and the projects that they do. I have cut my class load to ½ times so that I can focus a bit more on the children and their activities and give more to school than simply just getting it done. Plus I don’t want to go back to work full time until Brody is in kindergarten so I want to stay in school to stay ‘up’ on the changes in social work. I am currently the President of MOMS Club of Bismarck and am really enjoying it, but I am fairly certain that this will be my last year involved as a member of the board. It is fun to connect with other moms in the Bismarck/Mandan area but with Brody going to preschool next fall and such it is becoming time to turn the reins over to the ‘next’ group of members. They are going to do awesome! I have also become more active in some Special Education groups in Bismarck. You wouldn’t believe the number of families that struggle to get their children the appropriate education that they deserve simply because someone else isn’t doing their job. It is heart breaking. I have met so many amazing people because of this and it has certainly lead me into a new direction with my forever career.
As a family we had an exciting 2010. We were given the honor of being the 2010 North Dakota Ambassador Family for the March of Dimes. We had a lot of fun participating in the walks in Minot, Fargo and Bismarck. We raised over $5000 as a family team at the Bismarck walk and Delainey was given an amazing honor of being one of the top 250 youth walkers in the country! She alone raised $826 for the March of Dimes. She not only received the Top Youth Walker Plaque at the Bismarck event, but she also received a special pin and letter from the March of Dimes office in New York. We are very proud of Delainey.
Here is to an amazing holiday season and a very happy new year! I know that there are certainly changes coming for our family! Merry Christmas!
Love the Krumwiedes
Chad, Kristin, Delainey, Shelby, Avery and Brody
Chad, Kristin, Delainey, Shelby, Avery and Brody
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
In my next life, make me a man *stolen from a friend*
I saw the following blog on a friend's blog the other day and I HAD TO STEAL it... because I could have written it myself, hands down...especially after the past few days. THANK YOU EMILY FOR LETTING ME STEAL YOU POST...well I guess I didn't actually ask to steal it... it just did, you can actually see Emily's whole post and visit her blog by clicking this text.
I decided that I want to be a man in my next life. Not that I don't appreciate all the perks of womanhood. Child birth, breast feeding - just to name a few!
But it seems that men are pre-wired differently than a woman.
* They do not wake when they hear a crying baby - much less their own crying baby.
* They are not awaken by their preschooler whining in the hallway in the dark of night to be tucked back into bed after a midnight potty trip.
* They appear inept at running a washing machine, much less separating clothes and initiating such a task.
* They do not appear to know where their children's clothes go - after they are magically washed and before they are worn.
* They do not know how to decide on dinner when it is merely breakfast time.
* They are not able to buy cards, even for their own family.
* They have lost the ability to sign a card, even if it is for his family.
* Forget about Christmas cards. Someone else will handle the pictures, the format, the letter, etc. It must magically happen like everything else.
* They lose the ability to pick up after oneself. Dirty dishes are left steps from the sink. Underwear are found in the living room - or maybe just the bathroom.
I am sold. In my next life I am putting my request in now to be a man. All I have to do it outdoor maintenance, take the cars in for oil changes and watch sports. ~ maybe even while scratching myself and drinking beer.
I decided that I want to be a man in my next life. Not that I don't appreciate all the perks of womanhood. Child birth, breast feeding - just to name a few!
But it seems that men are pre-wired differently than a woman.
* They do not wake when they hear a crying baby - much less their own crying baby.
* They are not awaken by their preschooler whining in the hallway in the dark of night to be tucked back into bed after a midnight potty trip.
* They appear inept at running a washing machine, much less separating clothes and initiating such a task.
* They do not appear to know where their children's clothes go - after they are magically washed and before they are worn.
* They do not know how to decide on dinner when it is merely breakfast time.
* They are not able to buy cards, even for their own family.
* They have lost the ability to sign a card, even if it is for his family.
* Forget about Christmas cards. Someone else will handle the pictures, the format, the letter, etc. It must magically happen like everything else.
* They lose the ability to pick up after oneself. Dirty dishes are left steps from the sink. Underwear are found in the living room - or maybe just the bathroom.
I am sold. In my next life I am putting my request in now to be a man. All I have to do it outdoor maintenance, take the cars in for oil changes and watch sports. ~ maybe even while scratching myself and drinking beer.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Holidays and Sensory Processing Disorder
The holidays are certainly a time of stress for our family, but specifically for Shelby (and more and more Brody too). The change in routine, the crowds of people -- in our house--, the excitement that her brain just can't grasp a handle on, people touching her things, people wanting her to 'be quiet' or worse "just sit still".
Thankfully I came across an amazing mother and blogger, Hartley. Hartley has 3 amazing children...she blogs about her family's sensational life at her blog Hartley's Life with 3 Boys. She can also be found on facebook under the same name...check her out. Today on Facebook she posted "Do you struggle with family visits during the holidays?"... Hartley's mother Helen Nickelson wrote a post on Hartley's blog and I wanted to share pieces of it here with you. You can find the whole piece on Hartley's blog HERE. Here are just the highlights that I wanted to share that REALLY stuck out to me. Please if you know a sensational child... take the time to read the article in full at Hartley's blog. Thank you!!
Believe your child. Firstly and most importantly, believe your daughter or son when they tell you what challenges their child(ren) face and what accommodations they need. Seriously, they KNOW what’s going on. They are not making this stuff up. I realize it’s difficult because you don’t see it. You’re not there every day and most kids can “keep it together” for short periods…like when they are with their grandparents.
Understand that your child and her family may not be able to come to your home for holidays because the trip would be nearly impossible for your grandchild. The change in routine, the lack of structure may be too much. Understand, too, that when you come to visit, you may need to stay in a hotel, because the disruption could be too much. There are many things we need to understand.
Understand when her child has a meltdown, that it is much different than a “fit” and is NOT the result of bad parenting or lack of discipline. And it shouldn’t be embarrassing to anyone other than the judgmental bystander. You know, the one who shakes her head or rolls her eyes. One day, you won’t even notice that person. That will be, as Oprah would say, an “aha moment” for you. I hope it comes quickly for you. It is a wonderful feeling.
Remember, this is not your problem to solve. Your child is fully capable and the best person to know what needs to be done. Your job is to listen, to actually hear what she is saying, to be there for her, both emotionally and physically. Understand when she tells you they cannot do something, or go somewhere, you desperately wanted the whole family to do, that she isn’t trying to punish you; that she is only doing what’s needed to keep her child calm & regulated. Don’t show your disappointment, it only makes her feel worse.
Acceptance. Finally, accept that life is what it is. Just because it’s different than what you imagined or experienced as a child or parent, doesn’t make it less than. If your grandchild is comfortable, calm and regulated, any experience will be enjoyable for him and that will make it enjoyable for his parents -- and THAT should make it enjoyable for you.
All priting in italics is taken directly from the article by Helen Nickelson with is posted on the blog Hartley's Life with 3 Boys. For the Complete article pleas visit HERE.
A special thank you to both Hartley and her mother, Helen for sharing this with us. The two of you are amazing and I wish I personally had more people like the two of you in my life and in the lives of my sensational children. THANK YOU!!!!
Thankfully I came across an amazing mother and blogger, Hartley. Hartley has 3 amazing children...she blogs about her family's sensational life at her blog Hartley's Life with 3 Boys. She can also be found on facebook under the same name...check her out. Today on Facebook she posted "Do you struggle with family visits during the holidays?"... Hartley's mother Helen Nickelson wrote a post on Hartley's blog and I wanted to share pieces of it here with you. You can find the whole piece on Hartley's blog HERE. Here are just the highlights that I wanted to share that REALLY stuck out to me. Please if you know a sensational child... take the time to read the article in full at Hartley's blog. Thank you!!
Believe your child. Firstly and most importantly, believe your daughter or son when they tell you what challenges their child(ren) face and what accommodations they need. Seriously, they KNOW what’s going on. They are not making this stuff up. I realize it’s difficult because you don’t see it. You’re not there every day and most kids can “keep it together” for short periods…like when they are with their grandparents.
Understand that your child and her family may not be able to come to your home for holidays because the trip would be nearly impossible for your grandchild. The change in routine, the lack of structure may be too much. Understand, too, that when you come to visit, you may need to stay in a hotel, because the disruption could be too much. There are many things we need to understand.
Understand when her child has a meltdown, that it is much different than a “fit” and is NOT the result of bad parenting or lack of discipline. And it shouldn’t be embarrassing to anyone other than the judgmental bystander. You know, the one who shakes her head or rolls her eyes. One day, you won’t even notice that person. That will be, as Oprah would say, an “aha moment” for you. I hope it comes quickly for you. It is a wonderful feeling.
Remember, this is not your problem to solve. Your child is fully capable and the best person to know what needs to be done. Your job is to listen, to actually hear what she is saying, to be there for her, both emotionally and physically. Understand when she tells you they cannot do something, or go somewhere, you desperately wanted the whole family to do, that she isn’t trying to punish you; that she is only doing what’s needed to keep her child calm & regulated. Don’t show your disappointment, it only makes her feel worse.
Acceptance. Finally, accept that life is what it is. Just because it’s different than what you imagined or experienced as a child or parent, doesn’t make it less than. If your grandchild is comfortable, calm and regulated, any experience will be enjoyable for him and that will make it enjoyable for his parents -- and THAT should make it enjoyable for you.
All priting in italics is taken directly from the article by Helen Nickelson with is posted on the blog Hartley's Life with 3 Boys. For the Complete article pleas visit HERE.
A special thank you to both Hartley and her mother, Helen for sharing this with us. The two of you are amazing and I wish I personally had more people like the two of you in my life and in the lives of my sensational children. THANK YOU!!!!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Brody looks like who??
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Look-alike Meter Fun
Awhile back I did this, and thought I'd do it again just for fun. I often say that my children are a perfect combination of both of their parents and I think this little 'test' shows it... if you'd like to have fun with this yourself you can do so by visiting myheritage.com.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sickness surrounds
About two weeks ago Delainey got sick. She had a raging fever that lasted for 6 days and two trips to the pediatrician to finally be given an antibiotic for a sinus infection. She is still taking the medication, but honestly she doesn't seem any better other than the fact that she no longer has the fever. She is still a dripping nose mess. She of course has that amazing 'look' to her that tells you she has wiped her nose a millions times and constantly needs to be reminder to blow her nose not to sniffle. I finally had to tell her today that when she does that sniffle thing, the snot in her nose goes straight into her lungs and THAT is why she coughs all night long.
Brody seems to be the 'next' victim on the illness train. He came down with a pretty heavy duty fever last (Sunday) night. It gets to as high at 104 without the tylenol/motrin combo on board. I caved and took him into the doctor tonight (Monday) and while told that his tonsils are red and the size of golf balls that he is strep free. They of course sent the swab for culture and we will hear from them in 48 hours or so. He is so lethargic that it is just scary. I mean if you KNOW this kid, you know he NEVER slows down and for all of today, he just sat on my lap and cuddled.... is it wrong for me to kind of enjoy THAT part of it.
Hope this finds you well and healthy...
Brody seems to be the 'next' victim on the illness train. He came down with a pretty heavy duty fever last (Sunday) night. It gets to as high at 104 without the tylenol/motrin combo on board. I caved and took him into the doctor tonight (Monday) and while told that his tonsils are red and the size of golf balls that he is strep free. They of course sent the swab for culture and we will hear from them in 48 hours or so. He is so lethargic that it is just scary. I mean if you KNOW this kid, you know he NEVER slows down and for all of today, he just sat on my lap and cuddled.... is it wrong for me to kind of enjoy THAT part of it.
Hope this finds you well and healthy...
Monday, November 1, 2010
What do you want from me...
I think we all go through times in our lives where we feel like we are drowning or like we are currently floating on the river watching both our oars floating away. We all have those moments (don't pretend like you don't) where nothing makes sense and we feel a little mental... I have secretly been listening to this song alot lately because it makes a lot of sense to me and it helps me more than I realize. And regardless where you are in your life, I think we can all take a small piece of information from this song.
Happy Hallowbirthweenday to me!
On a side note that shocked the shit outta me... my DAD called me ON my birthday to tell me Happy Birthday. This was the FIRST TIME EVER!!! Granted his wife probably told him too... but still I'll take it. And another first, HE ended the call with "I love you kid"... and I actually WANTED to respond with the "Love you too Dad" instead of the "yep bye' I normally give. A page has certainly been turned in that book... for me at least.
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