3rd 3rd

Ok. Let's do some more catching up from this past summer.

Let's see, there's no better place to start than at the beginning.  The first thing to happen in June was Stella's birthday. She turned 3. I say it three times a year I know, but I don't know where the time went. 

3 years. My little girl. She has been such a blessing to us and has changed out lives in so many ways. It was one things with boys in the house, but throw a little girl in the mix and all bets are off. She has each of us wrapped around her finger in some way or another. She truly believes she runs the show.  Dealing with her allergies has also been an adventure that has taught us so much. We took a difficult challenge, one that could have been a negative impact on the family, and turned it into something positive. We're all eating much healthier now thanks to this little girl and her diary and soy allergies.  

She's feisty. I maintain that she gets it from her mother. She knows what she wants and she definitely has her way of getting what she wants. But as headstrong as she is, and boy is she ever, she's also a delicate little princess. She's all ruffles and bows, pink and purple, Barbies and baby dolls. She's my little girl. And now she's 3. The 3rd Drosche to turn 3, hence the post title. Our baby.  With every milestone she makes, I become increasingly more aware that we are moving forward in life. Entering new stages. Every first for her is a last first for us. Sometimes that's hard to take and some times it's exciting. One thing is for sure though, with this little girl around there is never a dull moment. 

So she's 3 now. She greeted this age as she does with everything, headfirst and ready for action. 

All is well, another 3rd birthday down, in Drosche Land. 

Back

Ok. I know. It's been a few weeks since the last post. The one where I mentioned a summer-long hiatus. But I am back. I've been here. But, as you know, we've been in full-on back to school mode since August began. Today was the 3rd day of the school year for us all since we all started on the same day this year, Tuesday!  Luckily our schedules and calendars are far more aligned so we shouldn't have any issues like last year's Spring Break debacle. But I digress. I'm back. Here I am. Back to school. I'll take a brief pause from the hiatus catchup to talk about back to school.

Braeden. He's in 4th Grade this year. Yes, 4th Grade. I'm not quite sure how it happened. Time warp maybe?  Regardless, he is.  He and Amy are stoked because this is Amy's first full year in 4th Grade so they have a lot in common and have been bonding over mutual 4th Grade stuff. It's cute and I'm so happy for them. He's very excited because, for literally the first time in his school career, he's away from any family members at school. He's moved out of my hallway and upstairs!  Upstairs?!?!  OMG. He's always been just down the hall or in my class. I see him at lunch, briefly. Maybe in the hallway if I'm lucky and the stars align.  But it's good for him. Independence, but at a slow pace that he can be comfortable with. That's right up his alley. Another huge change for him is that our Athletic Director is allowing 4th Graders to play up to JV sports this year. He's now on the JV Soccer team!  OMG!  He is so excited and is having a blast. He's had 2 practiced already and comes home exhausted but joyful.  Sports his definitely a love language for that kid. It does however bring about changes for the entire family as he has practice 4 times a week until 5:00 pm. That means later nights for us all. But they're growing up and we are experimenting with later bedtimes. So far, so good (fingers crossed). Hopefully that'll continue to be an easy adjustment as we head into the school year. 

Jackson. 2nd Grade. I'll be honest, it was fun having him in my classroom last year. I do miss him but I know he is having a blast in 2nd Grade. He was nervous for the first day, but came home ecstatic and eager to tell us all about his teacher and everything she has planned for his class. This is the same teacher Braeden had for 2nd Grade and he also loved her. She brought out a lot of good in Braeden so I am so eager to see how Jackson grows and develops this year.  He is continuing to manage his ADHD well and we are adjusting to getting back into the school to me routine and schedule. He is also excited because he will be playing on the same Soccer league with his classmates as he did last year for Soccer and for Baseball. He also has grand plans to join them for Basketball. His practices begin next week on Fridays from 5:00-6:00. So late nights are the name of the game here in Drosche Land. But at least I'll get some time to work and plan and grade.  He's grown so much over the summer. I see him in the hallway and sometimes I'm amazed at just how mature he can look. 

Stella. She started PreSchool 3 this year. She's down my hallway now. So far it's been good. I've made sure to not linger and avoid if possible. The few times we've run across each other she has been able to hug and say hi without crying. She loved school, always has, and she is having a blast. She adores her teachers and we are working on not just calling them by their last names, but using Mrs. before. She has some weird aversion to using titles when speaking about people, it's quite hilarious. But she's a trip and is having so much fun.  She will be starting dance this year. Dance. Like ballet. I can't even begin to wrap y head around my little princess being old enough for dance. Her practice is in Wednesdays. So there's the other day of the week. Ha!  You thought I'd gotten at least one day that was extra-curricular free didn't you?  Wrong!  As it turns out we have Faculty a Meetings on Wednesdays so it's not really any inconvenience. Just another stage of life we are entering. The busy stage. As if we weren't already busy enough!  

Amy. It's her 2nd year in 4th Grade and her first time to start the year off that way after stepping up mid-year last year. This is the class she taught back in 2nd Grade a few years ago so that's a fun and unique experience. She's loving it and having a blast. I never would have imagined that she would be so happy and content so far away from Early Childhood.  Who knew?  We'd both always thought of her as an Early Childhood teacher. But after leaving administration a few years ago to step back into the classroom, she's been hopping around and experiencing all the grades. First, Second, Fourth. But
she's great at that.  Again, she's excited to be teaching the same grade that Braeden is in and in fact,
she even worked out a field trip for her class to the same place that his class is attending later this war. That'll be tons of fun!

Me. Last but not least. Me. I'm in 1st Grade. Always. I love it here. Beginning my 12th year and I'm amazed at that. 12 years. Wow. This is a big year for me because at SML we are in the process of doubling our Elementary grades beginning with Kindergarten last year. That class then moved up and we doubled 1st Grade this year. I've never co-taught with anyone or had a teach member who taught the same grade as I did. Luckily for me the other 1st Grade teacher is a good friend who was a PreSchool 3 teacher for a while and has been waiting to step up. She is awesome and we have already begun to build a great team so far this year. It's going to be a lot of fun. New, but fun. The other PreSchool 3 teacher stepped up to teach one of the sections of Kindergarten this year as one of our teachers left. She is also a good friend of ours. Throw in the other K teacher, who I worked with at Trinity for years and is also a family friend and Stella's Godmother, and we have one amazing K/1 team and it is going to be an epic year!  At SML this year we also have a new principal, who is amazing, and several new teachers. So change is the theme for this school year, that's for sure. But it is going to be awesome. He has so much in store for us and I cannot wait to see His plan play out. 

Well, I guess that sums it up. 4th Grade, 2nd Grade, PreSchool 3. They each love school (for which Amy and I are so thankful for) and we are off to a great start. There are a lot of new changes in our lives for this year so we definitely should have many adventures in the coming months. But I am excited and ready for the ride!  Here goes nothing. 

All is well, another school year underway, in Drosche Land.

Another Year Down

Well, summer has arrived in Drosche Land!  Granted, Amy and I still have meetings this week, but school ended for all of us last week.  The kids and I at St. Mark celebrated our last day on Thursday, Amy celebrated her last day of the year at Epiphany on Friday.

What a year it was too.  Busy and hectic, both professionally and personally.  Of course we started the year off with T & L and being foster parents.  That, in and of itself, brought all kinds of back to school adventures.  Then they moved on and we adjusted to life as the 5 of us again.  Then after Christmas Amy stepped up and began teaching 4th Grade after the sudden death of her coworker earlier that fall.  Did I ever mention that?  I feel like I did, but maybe not.  Long story short - the 4th Grade teacher passed away at the beginning of the year.  It was sudden and sad for Amy, her coworkers, and the students at Epiphany.  They continued the semester with 2 subs who alternated days.  Amy began to feel a calling to step up and help.  We prayed, thought, talked, and prayed some more before Amy finally decided He was calling her to serve in a new way.  She'd had a Student Teacher in the fall so it worked out perfectly that she took over Amy's 2nd Grade classroom full time in January when Amy moved into 4th Grade.  She loved it, but it was hard.  The whole situation was unique and crazy, but she did well and is excited to begin a full year as a 4th Grade teacher in August.  Who'd have ever thought she would be teaching that high up?  Not I!  My year was great.  I had a great class and great parents.  I also has Jackson in my class.  That was fine, but was also an interesting adjustment.  So, that's our year in a nutshell.  On to the kids.

Braeden on the first day of school!

Braeden on the last day of school!

Braeden.  Third Grade.  I found it hard to believe that he was in 3rd Grade this year.  Now I find it even harder to believe he is no longer a 3rd Grader!  Crazy!  Our first born.  The one who teaches us about everything.  This was a big year.  At the start of the year, 3rd Grade was out of our territory.  Amy had only taught up to 2nd Grade and I live in 1st Grade.  So, 3rd Grade was a whole new world for us.  No longer could we assume we knew everything (not that we do that).  We were learning the ropes right along with him.  He loved his teacher.  She is a sports fanatic so he was right at home with that and often we would hear about fun conversations they would have at lunch or in the classroom, discussing sports, athletes, etc.  It was great for him to have that aspect to relate to.  He grew so much this year.  He now has a sense of humor and, luckily for him since he is in our family, understands and uses sarcasm (correctly most of the time).  This was also the year when he stopped being a little kid.  Suddenly he acts like a teenager and is vocal about new things such as his hair and clothing (despite the fact we wear uniforms at SML).  The downside to the growth has been the attitude.  Oh wow!  But he has mellowed a lot lately and I think we are getting him back from the land of the pre-pubescent (for now at least).  All in all, 3rd Grade was great for him.  He loves multiplication and thrived with it, and even learned to love and take pride in projects (namely completing a poetry book and report on Uranus (yes, Uranus, and there were MANY jokes make about that, by myself of course)).

Jackson on the first day of school!

Jackson on the last day of school!

Jackson.  First Grade.  Wow!  Growth, incredible growth, was the name of the game for Jackson's 1st Grade year.  He grew academically so much, going from shy and intimidated, not willing to try to read or anything; to reading above level and loving school and learning anything and everything.  I taught Braeden in 1st Grade and it was fine.  Jackson I was worried about though.  We are very different and can sometimes butt heads, but that was not at all the case (very often).  It was a lot of fun and I think it was good for both of us, bonding us and bringing us together.  He also came out of his shell and made friends this year, buddying up with a friend (ironically named Jack) and having his first, and second, sleepovers and planning more for the summer!  Possibly the funniest thing about having him in my class was his insistence on referring to me as Mr. Drosche whenever school matters were being taken care of.  We'd already told the kids to call us that at school, just our family's preference, but he took it a step further and continued that at home during homework times or during school functions!  But that's Jackson, all or nothing!  We also continued to learn and live with his ADHD, changing medicine as he grew and managing his symptoms via diet.  All in all he had a marvelous year and we are so happy that he is thriving.  It is nice to have all the kids back at one school together.

Stella on the first day of school!

Stella on the last day of school!

Stella.  Toddler 2s.  Wow!  She is no longer a baby, that's for sure, and also no longer a toddler.  She is a full-on kid now.  As sad as that is, to have our baby growing up, it is also fun to see her grow and develop her own personality.  And what a personality she has!  She knows what she wants and is sure to let everyone know that.  She is full of spunk and sass (from her mother?) and keeps us on our toes.  It may be hard to handle sometimes, but honestly we would not have her any other way.  She also has grown so much thanks to her two awesome teachers.  Colors, numbers, shapes, songs, etc.  She is a sponge and has learned so much this year.  She is so excited to be in PreSchool next year and is already talking about it.  She will be down my hallway next year so that should be interesting, especially considering that Braeden will be moving out of my hallway and upstairs for 4th Grade!  Gasp!  We just recently (yesterday) celebrated her upcoming 3rd birthday and I am astonished that she is that old.  She reminds us so much of Jackson so we kind of know what to expect from her, sort of.  All in all, she had an amazing year and we will miss the Toddler program so much as she moves into the "big school" but we are ready (as much as possible) for that adventure.

So, there you have it.  A long-winded (do I offer any other kind) retrospective of the kids and their school year.  It was a great year for us in Drosche Land, despite being full of ups and downs.  But then again, every year is.  We grew a lot and learned a lot.  As great as it was though, we are all very happy that summer is here.  Everyone needs a little down time to recharge!  Thanks 2014/2015 school year!  It was a blast!

All is well, Toddler 2s/1st Grade/3rd Grade down, in Drosche Land.

Let It Go & Livin' On a Prayer

1. Let It Go - Idina Menzel. Yes, I know. But I do have a 2 1/2 year old daughter. She is so intro Frozen it's not even funny. She adores it. We've seen the movie more times than I can remember. She's got dolls. She's got books.  She loved the Frozen Fever short before the movie Cinderella. Whenever the song comes on she sings and spins around "like a princess". So naturally this song brings my little girl to my mind. And I smile. Now, I'll also go one step further and admit that I do love the song. I do. I love the movie. I do.  I've not tired of either of them and I'm not ashamed to admit it. There. I've said it. I love Frozen. I love Let It Go. I love the running gag with John Travolta and his ineptitude and inability to say her name correctly. I love it all. 

2. Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi. Come one. It's Bon Jovi. A total nod to my 80's childhood and love of hair band rock and ballads.  I know more than a few of you out there will belt this sound out at the top of your lungs when it comes on. Maybe you are now, or at least in your head. I know I am. So many awesome Bon Jovi songs, but this one is my favorite. I can't refer to myself or anyone else being halfway anywhere without breaking into the chorus. So good. Timeless really. Another song that I can play and it's sure to put me in a good mood.  I think I'll play it right now in fact. Rock on. 

All is well, L down, in Drosche Land. 

Hormonal

No, not me.  Not Amy either.  I'm talking about the kids here.  2/3 of them.

Who knew they would grow up so fast?  Who knew times had changed so much since I was their age.  But, let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we.  Let's begin slowly.  One child at a time.

Stella.  Maybe you have heard about the term "threenager" or maybe you haven't.  Well, it is basically the term used to describe three-year-olds and their attitudes/hormones/drama and how closely related they are to an actual teenager.  Well, if this is true then Stella, who will be turning 3 in June, is on the cusp of this stage.  A pre-threenager so to speak.  

Maybe it is because of her age.  The "terrible twos" giving way to "threenager".  Maybe it's the fact that she is a girl.  Or maybe, just maybe, it is because I'm just a tad older at this point than I was with the boys.  Gasp!  Note, I said older, not old.  Not old.  Regardless, she has quite the personality and makes life, well, interesting.  She's opinionated.  She's loud (oh my girls are so much louder (and screamier) than boys).  She's my little princess.  Yes, despite all of these things, she has me (and the rest of us here in Drosche Land) wrapped around her little finger.  All she has to do is smile at me or hug me and my Daddy heart melts.

Next up.  Braeden.  Oh my.  The moodiness and drama begins in 3rd Grade now?!  Really?!  Well, it does here, and in talking to others we are not alone.  I guess 8 is the new 10?  He has always been emotional (gets it from me honestly) but this year it is at a whole new level.  Random drama for seemingly no reason.  Pouting.  Sighing.  Eye-rolling.  You name it, we've got it.  But again, deep down he is an amazing child.  Destined to be a big brother, he prides himself in caring for Stella and catering to her every whim, despite how it may inconvenience him.  He's totally addicted to sports of any kind and excels at them with practically no effort.  He makes me proud.

So, at times these two can make life frustrating and maddening, but at the end of the day I am so thankful for them both.  They are a true blessing and I know that this stage (no matter how long it may seem) will pass.  Years from now I know I will look back on these days and laugh at how crazy they seemed.  I'll probably even miss them, somewhat.  HA!

All is well, pre-teen and pre-threen included, in Drosche Land.

iNew

So, you know that my birthday was this month. Well maybe you did and maybe you didn't. But it was. My awesome wife got my family members together and got me an iPhone 6 Plus!  Sadly though it was back ordered for a while and I just received it about a week ago. 

But I love it. Love it. It's huge and I love it. You know I love a good Apple product and my iPhone is very near and dear to me, so this gift was perfect. It does many new and awesome things and I am still enjoying the newness of it all as I learn all about the new features available. 

One is the ability to record video in slow mo. Yes, I know this was technically available on the last new one, but it's new to me now. Who doesn't love a good slow motion sequence in a movie. Often it's a high action point in the plot and has some great music to go along with it. Now, my life is far from an action movie but that doesn't mean that my daily adventures cannot be documented in slow motion. Nope, not anymore. 

A trip to the park the other day (oh how I love Thanksgiving Break) was the perfect opportunity for me to try this out. Again, nothing super action packed. Just my little girl playing. But the video itself it cool and the fact that it is in slow motion makes it more fun. It's go me thinking of what I can have the kids do so I can record them in slow motion. Playing, running, jumping, acting silly. The possibilities are endless. 

What about you?  Apple fan?  Have you recorded something in slow motion?  Below is my first attempt!  Nothing fancy, but fun. 

All is well, slow mo and all, in Drosche Land. 

Getting Schooled

Well, I've been gone for a few days as things have been super hectic here in Drosche Land as we prepped for another school year. You can imagine how busy we have been with both Amy and    being teachers and having the 5 kids. But all is well and we have survived the beginning of August which was filled with meetings, preparations, classroom setup, meetings for T & L, and just life in general. We survived!  Today was the first day of school for all of us. Amy lucked out with a 1/2 day while the kids and I jumped in fully with a whole day. All in all it went very well. There were no tears this morning when getting ready. No tears when taking pictures, which I love to do. No tears during drop offs. That in and of itself is a success!  Everyone came home excited and exhausted. They are all asleep now but I, for some reason cannot fall asleep. So here I sit, telling you about our day. 

Stella. This year she is in the Toddler 2s class. Little Miss. Look at her. She was so excited to meet her new teacher, she talked about her for the past few days. She is potty trained and ready to go. Full of sass as always but sweet on the inside. Right now she is I so fully into wearing dresses which she proudly proclaims as a "pretty dress" over and over. So we let her wear one for the first day. She also loves her new shoes that light up (thanks Mom!). They are adorable. Right now in life she loves to play with all things girly still. Dolls, stuffed animals, purses, anything pink, bows, etc. Barbies are just around the corner!  Favorite foods are noodles and rice, she's a carb loader. She also loves fruit and French fries (carbs again). Sophia the First and Doc McStuffins are her favorite shows and she is obsessed with any princess movie, The Princess and the Frog and Sleeping Beauty are in full rotation now. She's a firecracker and has us all wrapped around her little finger.  Again, I'll mention her sassiness, oh my!  

Jackson. First Grade this year!  As you know he has come to St. Mark with Braeden, Stella, and I and I am so excited. That means that he is in my class and is the second of our children that I will have taught. He is one of a kind. We have found a good balance of medicine for his ADHD and he is thriving and focused. He loves numbers and anything mathematical. Right now I think he may be heading toward something related to engineering, I could totally see that. He's obsessed with his Kindle and Minecraft. He loves superheroes and collecting feathers (he found a blue jay one on the way to the car this afternoon). He loves being an older brother and dotes on Stella and L. While cartoons of any kind are still loved, he is getting to the age where he loves the Disney tween shows. Jessie, Austin & Ally, and I Didn't Do That to name a few. He had a great first day of school today and is excited to have me in class. With him being at Epiphany last year with Amy I really haven't seen him in an educational setting until today so that was interesting. With as outgoing as people think him to be, he is actually very analytical, sensitive, and quiet. He spent the majority of today just taking in the new surroundings and watching, assessing, and learning. I know he will come out of his shell eventually, he just takes slowly to new situations. But he is a trooper and there isn't anything he can't do if he puts his mind to it. 

Braeden. Third Grade. Seriously?!  Where has the time gone?  Oh he loved today and came home full of talk about his binder, planner, and all the procedures he learned. He loves school and is always excited to start a new year. He proudly proclaimed that today was going to be easy because, "first days are always easy because yet you don't have any homework yet!"  Just wait little man, just wait. He has always been, and still is, our athletic one. There isn't a sport he won't watch or want to play.  He would have the TV tuned to ESPN all day everyday if we would let him. He also is obsessed with video games, sometimes glued to his Playstation 3 and Kindle. He loves to read and is always wanting to start a new book, if only we could get him to finish one!  Like Jackson he is fully into the Disney tween shows. I think he truly believes he is going to turn 16 any minute!  Help us when he does becaus we already are dealing with some of that preteen attitude!  Oh my!  But he is an excellent oldest child, always wiling to pull extra weight and help ell out when needed with the many younger children. He has a huge heart and is a compassionate person, never thinking the worst of anyone.

T & L. Obviously I can't share their photos here. But they started today as well. T in PreK and L in Waddlers. They have adjusted to school very well considering they have never been in a group care setting.  T's teacher said she had a great day and was very excited to be there. Possibly the highlight of her day was her new backpack that she has been dying to carry since we bought it about a week ago. Her teacher is amazing and knows of the situation. She has been nothing but supportive and helpful. No matter how short of a time T is in her class, I know she will do well.  L has the same teachers Stella had last year so that was a smooth transition for us. We know she will be well cared for and loved. Her report today came with a picture of her with a huge grin on her face. She enjoyed it. She also is doing so well and that is exciting. Her teachers also are so thoughtful and caring, which we already knew when dealing with Stella and her allergies last year. 

Amy and I also had great days today. Our classes are awesome and the kiddos great. We are off to a great start. Amy is happy to be teaching the same grade for a second year and the stability and familiarity that comes along with that. I am so blessed to be at St. Mark and am loving it as always. 

So, all in all it was a great first day. Sure there will be days when things are far worse, but maybe I'll come back and read this post during those times to remind me of the good. This year is going to be a great one. It started off a little crazy with the girls' placement and all that has come with that, but we are adjusting and adapting. I know we will have a great time this year, all of us. It's so exciting. Everything is new and fresh. Everyone is excited and eager. I love my job. Well, I think sleep may finally come so I will wrap this up for tonight. One great day down and just a 170ish more to go!  Ha!

All is well, getting educated, in Drosche Land. 

All Aboard

Nope. No train ride here. I'm talking about potty training. 

See with Stella being 2 and the twin puppies in the house, 38% of us here in Drosche Land cannot consistently use the restroom at the right time and in the right place. But we are working on it. 

We began potty training Stella the week we returned from Disney and all has been going well. Very well in fact. She has been ready for a while so Amy and I were pretty confident that it would be an easy task. It's a little different with Stella though than it was with the boys. See, Amy single-handedly potty trained the boys in a few days. I just stayed out of the way and gave verbal encouragement to everyone involved. But with Stella, somehow I became fully invested in the process. At the beginning Stella really only wanted me to take her to use the restroom. This was surprising for both Amy and I, but we went with it. We are about a month in now and she is nearly fully potty trained. In fact, there is only 1 diaper left in the house and she has only been wearing them at nap time and bedtime, keeping them dry during those times. This will be the last diaper in the house for a while. That is of occur ruse, completely depending upon whatever placement we get. We could be totally thrown back into diapers. We will just have to wait and see. For now though, diapers are off the Costco list!

The puppies have also been surprisingly easy!  This is great because it's been about 3 years since we had a puppy. Both Lucy and Rex were extremely easy to potty train but the twins are younger than either of them were. Yet, they have proven to be fast learners. When Rex goes out, they go too and they have learned what to do when outside. Nor inside accidents are. Lessening and they are using the training pad somewhat. Plus, like I mentioned before, the accidents of 2 4-pound dogs are basically nothing so that's nice. 

Easy going as it has been though, we have been potty training someone for the bulk of the summer. Hopefully everyone involved will be fully (or nearly fully) trained by the time school starts. Then we will be back to 100% here. For a while at least. 

So, it may not sound like the most exciting thing, but it has been an adventure here this summer. Teaching everyone to go when needed in the correct location. 

All is well, in training, in Drosche Land. 

One Last Shot

Not as in chance.  Literally.  A shot.  Like the kind you get at the doctor.

See today we took all of the kids to the doctor.  Yes, all 3.  If you've never taken 3 children to the doctor, then you're missing out.  Trust me, it's a trip.  But seriously it wasn't all that bad actually; they did quite well.  See, Braeden and Stella were up for their yearly check-up and the boys needed their TB skin test for the adoption.  

Now, given past incidents Amy and I were pretty hesitant and worried about how this was going to play out.  3 kids, all getting shots.  Ugh.  The thought of the impending crying and screaming was definitely a fear.  However, all ended up quite well.  The boys were super brave for their TB skin tests and Stella only cried for a little with her shot.  All in all the trip was a success and we were able to happily cross one more thing off of our adoption to-do list!

So now we continue to wait.  Wait.  We were given a 2-week window from Home Study approval to when we would hear from Matching.  We went past that marker last Friday and we are doing our best to be patient.  Luckily we have the upcoming Disney trip just a few days away to occupy us in the meantime.  Once we return though I hope we are able to maintain our patience.

So, there's the latest adoption update.  Nothing huge or landmark but a victory nonetheless.  So for now we will take that.  And wait of course.

All is well, on the road to Matching, in Drosche Land.     

2

Stella turned 2 today!

2. Years. Old. Where has the time gone?  I feel like I say this three times a year on each of the kids' birthdays but it still shocks me.

2 years. Wow. 

So much has happened in the past 2 years here in Drosche Land and I am sure the same can be said about everyone.  We have been through a lot. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. All in the short life of our little princess.

She has definitively changed us. For the better of course. We've learned what patience is as we've ridden the rollercoaster that is food allergies.  Her allergies have also inspired us all to eat a lot healthier. We've also had to rethink who is in charge here as she seems to be fairly certain that she runs the show, especially when it comes to her brothers who will do anything she asks (nearly always willingly).

As you can see from above, Minnie Mouse is a new favorite. Maybe it's because we are heading to Disney in less than two weeks (yikes!) and thus are always talking about it. Maybe it's because she watches Mickey's Clubhouse.  Either way, she is in love with the large stuffed mouse, clad in all pink. Hello Kitty is another favorite of hers lately. She is also very much in the "why?" stage of life and is constantly asking that about anything. She loves to eat applesauce in the squeezable pouches. She has also taken to saying, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" and pumping her fists up and down when she's excited or happy. It's hilarious. 

I could go on and on about Stella and all that is this wonderful little girl. But I'll leave it at the fact that she, like every child, is a blessing. Throughout whatever we have been through these past 2 years, she has helped us to keep our perspective in life. She's reminded us what is most important and she has shown us that it's ok, and valuable, to roll with the punches and be flexible. She's made us smile when we didn't want to or didn't think we could. She's given us something to look forward to when everything else seemed bleak. She's changed us. For the better. 

All is well, 2 years older, in Drosche Land. 

New

As in a new month.

March. It's finally here. Finally. 

Well, February went out with a bang.  Continuing its "seriously?!" status that we had become familiar with. I can't remember if I've posted about this before or not but a few months ago Stella suffered from a case of Nursemaid's Elbow. You know, where the elbow pops out of socket. Yep. Life. Anywho, it was easily solved with a trip to the ER and we moved on. 

Flash forward to February. It's the 28th. Literally the last day of the month. A month that has not been easy for those here in Drosche Land. Just a few hours to go and we were free. Then Stella's teacher caught me on the way back to my classroom from lunch. They were worried about her left shoulder/arm. Maybe it was out of socket?  She'd been randomly crying off and on all day and randomly not using the arm off and on all day. Crap. Crappity crap crap. She'd had a minor little fall in the hallway that morning. Just the usual. Was that it?  Who knows. Regardless, I found myself leaving work early on Friday and heading to the ER. 

We get there and she seems fine. The brief nap on the way revived her.  Amy met us there and agreed that she seemed fine. Nurses and doctors did as well. So, what was up?  Possibly it was out of socket but popped itself back in when she slept and relaxed. Maybe. Who knows. The good news was that she was fine. The bad news was that February tried one last time to ruin a day. Argh. 

But it's over now. Behind us. It's March!  Time to move forward. Time for a fresh start!  I have a good feeling about March. I think it will be far kinder to us. For starters we hopefully will receive a phone call this week regarding our Home Study. Our file has been sent and we just await the call to set up our first meeting.  Hopefully a post about that is forthcoming this week

So there. Something is positive about March already.  Take that February. Take that. 

All is well, marching forward (pun intended), in Drosche Land. 

Top Photos of 2013: 16

So I tried to take pictures of Stella every month for the first year.  I believe I got about 9 or 10 months.  Not too bad.  Some shoots were easy and I got a boatload of great pictures.  Other times she was difficult and I only walked away with a few decent pictures for my troubles.  

Today's pictures come from her 7th Month photos back in January.  It was one of the times when I had many great pictures to choose from.  She was in a happy mood, smiling and giggling the entire time.  Easy.

I'm a big fan of black and white pictures, especially when it is for landscapes or portraits.  I am also a fan of high contrast in black and white pictures.  Today's picture is an example of both.

#16

It was one of the final pictures I took that day.  I love everything about this picture I think.  The fact that she is offset.  Her eyes.  The contrast.  The black and white.  The look on her face.  It is one of my favorite pictures of her.  From this shoot at least.  There are so many pictures of her; it is hard to choose which are favorites.  But this one would be up there.

Winding down the count now.  The heat is on.  What can top today's picture for Day 17?  Hmmmmm?  I'd better start hunting.

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Looking Back

So here we go. 

We're one full day into the new year.  So far, so good. But what about 2013?

How was yours?  Good?  Bad?  Memorable?  Forgetful?

I think that if I had to give 2013 here in Drosche Land a theme or key word it would have to be change.  Yes, change. I think I may have said the same thing about 2012 but according to the events of 2013 it bears repeating. Change. It happened here in Drosche Land quite often last year. Some was planned and some was a surprise. But all in all I think it worked out for the best.  His plans often seem to do. 

Stella continued to change our lives. That little girl taught us a lot.  Mostly about food allergies and how much they can bring about change for a whole family. Milk. Soy. Those two ingredients are in a lot more than you'd think. Amy and I were taken aback by her diagnosis. It threw us for a loop. Kept us on our toes. Forced us to think in new ways. Now, don't get me wrong. Stella's allergies are minor in the scheme of life, I am well aware that there are people with much more severe food allergies and much more severe, and frightening, reactions. But it still turned things here upside down. But we learned. Thanks to the tireless research by my wonderful wife, and her money-managing skills, we are all better eaters now. Healthier. Educated in just what goes into food and how much of it we just don't need.  I could go much further into detail about the healthy eating changes we have made and the goals we have for 2014, but that's a topic for another post.

Then there was the job change for myself. Leaving a job is never easy. Neither is the choice to leave the friends one has made while there. But His callings to us change and we must listen. So  I did.   I moved on and I have been joyously happy at my new school.  Which, as you may remember, is the same school where I attended and where Amy and I first met in 7th Grade. So this was a positive change.  It also meant a change in churches since I am a called worker in a Lutheran school. This was also a very positive change in our lives. So see, not all change is bad. 

There was also job change for Amy as she moved up to teach 2nd Grade this year. Yes, this was fearsome and unknown. However, it has also proved to be a positive change. She loves it. Who knew?  The woman who, as a college student, vowed to only ever teach in Early Childhood. The woman who previously taught Pre-Kindergarten and Pre-School before making the jump into Elementary. The woman who was the Director of an Early Childhood Program just a few years ago before deciding to re-enter the classroom.  Yes, this woman has turned out to possess a gift in teaching those 2nd Graders who once seemed so old. Not so much now that we have one in our very own family as Braeden continues to get older, despite our pleading for him to slow down!  :)  More positive change.

Then there was the decision Amy and I made to split the kids up between our two schools; Jackson attending Amy's school and Braeden and Stella joining me at mine. We were very nervous at first. Very hesitant at the thought of imposing division among them. But again, it has turned out to be a blessing as they have ally thrived in their new settings. It took a little while to get used to it all and to work in several schedules, but it has all worked out.

There is also a bit of change concerning Jackson that I have yet to blog about. Something we have been working through these past few months. See, Jackson has always been our active child. The one we refer to as "100% little boy". A blur. A whirlwind of activity and rambunctiousness. Well as he entered Kindergarten this year we began to worry. You can guess the acronym we have been discussing by now. Yes. ADD or ADHD. Something not unfamiliar to us as educators, but something completely foreign to us as parents. Again, my wonderful wife worked tirelessly researching. We opted to forgo any route involving medication. Not at first at least. Instead we have focused on food triggers.  Sugar. Artificial flavors and colors. Preservatives. Man-made sweeteners. These were already on the top of our list to limit and/or eliminate due to our research into food allergies. But now it seemed even more important to look into it all.  So we began to cut it out and limit it. We have noticed change. Some small. Here and there. But change nonetheless. We have also noticed what happens when we slack a bit or he gets ahold of these things in some ways. Wow. It reminds us of what we have learned and what eating habits we are changing an eliminating.  So again, changes that came with positive aspects. Also again though it is a long story and a long journey, one that will have to have its own post(s) now that I have broached the topic with you. 

Lastly there was one final change toward the end of the year. Yes, I'm talking about the adoption. Sure, this  is a change that will not be fully realized until partway through 2014, but the process or change has begun. It is here and the wheels are in motion. Next week Amy and I begin classes every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of January. Part of the process DePelchin requires. Nearly all of the paperwork is in. A homestudy is in the near future. Followed by matching and placing. Of course there has been, and will continue to be, tons of prayer along the way. Extra is always appreciated!

Well, there you have it. My somewhat long-winded recap of 2013.  A little bit of a different format than from years past. But I think I got my point across. Change. It isn't so bad. In fact, looking back nearly all of the change we went through in 2013 was positive or ended up providing us with positive results. I guess that means all in all it was a good year. Yeah, a good year. 2014 is shaping up to be just a great, better in fact. With just as much change of course!  Such is life. 

All is well, changing for the better, in Drosche Land. 

That Bites

No, Stella is not trying out for the role of Quasimodo in an all-baby production of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.  Nope, the above picture is just another adventure in to the world of her many allergies.  This one was an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite.  We were outside for 5, yes 5, short minutes on Sunday afternoon and one of the little insects managed to bite her on the outside corner of her left eye.  Despite Benadryl and Neosporin, she woke up yesterday morning looking quite rough.

From the second we noticed the bite we were on alert. See, back in October during our ill-fated Columbus Day camping trip in Galveston (I don't think I posted about this now that I think about it, one of the many mental posts lost in my busy absence maybe) she was bitten many times as the campsites were swarmed with mosquitoes.  Her bites eventually swelled up and turned into a staph infection.  Ugh!  After about 3 weeks, many doses of Benadryl, and a special prescription Neosporin-like medicine later they were under control.  So when this newest bite happened we figured it might get ugly.  So we dosed and slathered.  But, again, it didn't help much.

A quick trip to the doctor yesterday afternoon confirmed that it was, in fact, just an allergic reaction and we could do little else for it other than wait.  So that's what we have been doing.  Luckily though she is used to having random mishaps and medical drama follow her and she hasn't slowed down a bit.  So much so that she got hurt at school today.  I guess having compromised vision from the aforementioned swollen eye affected her depth perception and she ran into a wall.  Poor thing!  Now she looks like this.

Luckily the swelling from the allergic reaction has gone down quite a bit today.  But she now sports a nice bruise on her cheek/eye area.  Oh well, such is life.  But my little girl is a trooper.  She has kept her perky spirits about her and has been as into everything as she usually is.  So that is a blessing and we have been enjoying her goofiness despite whatever malady befalls her.  

So, just another little adventure here in Drosche Land.  Another little health/medical issue for us to power through.  We're always kept on our toes here.  Always.

All is well, swollen but unstoppable, in Drosche Land.  

Sunday Snapshot - Not Quite

Picture it.  Galveston Beach.  Columbus Day weekend.  2013.

(On a side note, are your totally channeling Sofia and one of her stories from Golden Girls, or is it just me?  Anywho, back to the post)

We finally found the time to take the camper out again for a trip!  This time with the cousins.  However, as is usually the case with us, the trip had it's share of crazy drama.  It was warm, not horrible, but warm.  We also had to camp on the bay side of Galveston State Park, not the beach side as we would have liked.  As we originally planned.  See, this trip was rescheduled from a summer trip we'd planned.  Back when Jackson broke his arm and could not get it wet, much less sandy and sweaty.  So we lost our beach side site.  But how bad could the bay side be?  Well, think mosquitoes.  Giant ones.  In swarms.  Yeah, it was that bad.  Stella ended up getting bites all over, leading to an infection.  But that's a post for another time.  Back to the picture.

I'm always taking pictures.  I always have my iPhone handy.  Posting to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, texting them.  I'm always taking pictures.  But the busyness of life that has kept the posts here few and far between as of late also made for very infrequent photo sessions.  Hence the lack of a Sunday Snapshot in a very long while.

But we were at the beach and I of course had my iPhone.  I love beach pictures.  Who doesn't?  The scenery.  The lighting.  The water.  The fun.  You're bound to get a few good shots right?  At least one stunner.  See, that's what I thought.

So, there we are on one of our escapes from a swarm of mosquitoes jaunts down to the beach and I am following Stella around.  It's late afternoon and she is having a blast.  I'm in total Dad/iPhone photographer mode and am kneeling in the sand behind her as she runs around.  I'm calling to her and trying to get her to look at me, smile, laugh, anything.  Just waiting for the perfect shot.

Then, the moment comes.  The sunlight is behind her, the wind is blowing, she turns around and looks at me with a beautiful smile.  Snap!  Got it!  Woo hoo!  I'm feeling pretty good.  I quickly check it and it's stunning.  Ok, enough playing, I've got my shot and we can get back to having beach fun.

Fast forward to when the trip is over.  We're back home.  The camper is backed into the garage (quite easily this time!).  Laundry is started and we're getting ready to settle back in to our usual routine.  I get out my Macbook and pull up my Photo Stream.  There it is.  I can't wait to view it larger.  Edit it.  Play with lighting.  Black & White?  Sepia?  High Contrast?  Oh the possibilities are endless.  However, when I open the photo I notice something I hadn't that day on the beach.  See below for yourself.

Yep.  That's right readers.  There it is.  Smack in the middle of my "perfect shot".  A big line of slobbery drool flying out of her mouth and blowing in the wind.  Nice.  I laughed, how could you not?  Sure I may be able to edit it out if I tried.  Make the photo into the one I thought I'd snapped.  But why?  This one is so much better.  It has all of the elements I mentioned before.  Lighting, wind, the perfect pose.  And right there in the middle of it all - life.  Happening all the time, whether you expect it or not.

So there you have it.  No matter how you plan for and try to orchestrate things, sometimes it just doesn't go off as hitched.  Sometimes it's amazing and better than you'd hoped for, and sometimes it's not.  Sometimes it's a big string of slobber coming from your toddler's mouth in the "perfect shot".  Ahhhhhh, life.

Below is another "nearly perfect shot" very similar to the slobber pic.  It was taken just moments before.  The only flaw was that Stella wasn't looking at the camera.  It's the one I posted on social media.  But the true gem is this slobber picture that I have been saving for this post!  HA!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Not What I Expected

So, last week was my birthday.  I turned 30+3.  Nope, still not ready to type the number. Oh well.  

It was a good birthday.  Nice and easy.  But it made me think a lot.  I mean, here I am in my (thankfully still) early 30s.  I guess I am now fully an adult.  No denying that.  Marriage.  Career.  3 kids.  2 dogs.  House in the suburbs.  Doesn't get much more adult than that does it?

But it got me thinking about how much life has changed in just the past few years, much less the last 10.  Is this what I expected 30+3 to be like?  I don't know.  Did I ever really think about being 30+3?  Probably not.  But I can guarantee you it was nothing like this.

Now, don't get all shocked and judgmental.  This post isn't necessarily heading in the direction you may think it is.  It won't be what you're expecting (ha, pun on the post's title).

No, this isn't what I expected my life to be like.  I never thought I'd be a teacher.  But here I am in my 10th year teaching 1st Grade and not a day goes by that I am not thrilled with my job.

I knew I would be married, I mean I am pretty co-dependent so it was a given.  But I could never have expected to have a wife like Amy.  One who supports me in everything I do.  Encourages me to be everything that I am and want to be.  Does the bills.  Cooks amazing foods.  Is an awesome mother.  Nope, I didn't expect any of that.

I wanted kids.  But these 3?  They far exceed anything I could have dreamed about.  Braeden, Jackson, and Stella all daily make me smile.  My heart swells and often I can't imagine loving them any more than I do.  Sure they test my patience (also a daily occurrence) but lying down to sleep at night I thank Him for these 3 blessings that I never could have expected.

Teaching at the same school I attended, and loving every minute of it?  Nope, didn't see that one coming.

To have met and made some of the friendships I have?  Again, I'm codependent, but these people are great.

I could go on, but I think I have made my point.  

Nope, I never expected 30+3 to be this.  To be everything that it is.  To be here where I am.  To have the blessings that I have.  To be as thankful as I am.  Nope, I'm still surprised.  God has given me so much to be thankful for that I am in awe.  Daily.  Sure, getting to 30+3 has been an adventure.  The road as had many twists and turns in it and has often been bumpy.  Hurricanes.  Adoption adventures.  Job changes.  So much more.  But it has led me here and here is good.  It's exciting to continue down this road and to see what comes next.

So, maybe this post is a bit sappy and sentimental, but it was a very contemplative birthday this year.  Guess that's what happens when you turn 30+3.  Didn't see that coming either.

All is well, but that's to be expected, in Drosche Land.

Crowns, Casts, and Vomit

We interrupt the regularly scheduled July catch-up post for this one which details the latest adventure in Drosche Land.

Well, if the title of this post didn't hook you, surely that first line did!  On with the post.

So, yesterday Amy and the boys went to the dentist for their cleanings.  I lucked out couldn't make it for mine because I had a faculty meeting.  Despite the fact that our dentist is a family friend, I am just not a fan of going to the dentist.  Any doctor for that matter.  But that's a topic for a different post.

At the dentist Amy found out that Braeden needed some crowns on a few baby teeth due to cavities.  Ugh!  So she made the appointment for today.  In his defense, Braeden seems to have inherited the problematic teeth that run in Amy's family directly from his mother.  Jack seems to take after me as he had no issues whatsoever.

So the plan was set for today.  Amy would take Jack with her to school and I would take Braeden and Stella with me, as is our routine.  We would meet for lunch, trade boys, and she would take Braeden to the dentist while I took Jack back to my classroom.  All seemed fine.  Until I got a phone call from Amy during my meeting.  I didn't answer and got another, followed by the text you don't want to get - "Emergency.  Call me.".  So I slipped out and made the phone call.  Jack had fallen off of the monkey bars at school and broken his arm.  Yep.  That's right.  They were on their way to the ER.

Change of plans.  While Amy dealt with that issue, I took Braeden to the dentist where he was a trooper and handled it so well.  Afterward I went and picked Stella up where I found out that she had thrown up all over her teacher shortly beforehand.  Not to be outdone by her brothers, she must have wanted in on the day's action.  So I headed home to Amy and Jackson.  

Despite the craziness, stress, and drama of the day's adventures we are so proud of the boys.  Jackson is dealing very well with his arm.  He's in a temporary cast until next week when he will get his hard cast.  He is managing his pain well and getting used to being one-armed.  Braeden is also doing very well with his crowns and swollen face.  He was happy that, at bedtime, the swelling had gone down and the discomfort was lessened by the medicine Amy gave him.  Stella is doing just fine as well.

So, here it is, the end of a wild ride of a day and all has slowed down.  Hopefully everyone will get a much-needed rest and will awaken bright and shiny in the morning.  I have to share with you how grateful I am for my awesome wife.  She handled the day's events very well despite everything that was thrown at her.  I know for a fact that I would not have done so well.  She is an incredible wife and mother and today just proved to me more evidence of that.

So, as with many of the adventures we seem to have here in Drosche Land, today's events were the opposite of planned.  But in the end all has turned out for the best and HE has kept us safe and sound through it all.  

All is well, casted, crowned, and stomachs settled, in Drosche Land.

Jackson waking up after having  his arm set!

Braeden powering through his dental work!

    

Sunday Snapshot - 1

The long-awaited Sunday Snapshot post has returned to Drosche Land.

I know I have eagerly been anticipating its return and am happy it is finally here.  Time is finally on my side again now that summer is here, even though we have been keeping busy and I'm not blogging as much as I'd like.  But its here.

The theme of this post is slightly outdated as it refers to Stella's 1st birthday.  I did, of course, celebrate the occasion with a photo shoot and this post shows off those pictures. She has grown and changed so much, as we all have, over the past year.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them and sharing them!

She's full-on walking now and she gets into everything!  Neither of the boys were ever as busy as she is.  We are constantly chasing her down, taking things away, and telling her no.  Not that the word "no" means much to her; other than a signaling to smile adorably and run in the other direction!

Stella has always been a happy baby, but ever since we have zeroed in on her allergies and altered her diet accordingly she has been happier than ever.  I guess living without constant intestinal issues will keep you in a pleasant disposition!

This past year has been a whirlwind of changes and new experiences for us here in Drosche Land and the addition of Stella into our lives has been a major part of that.  She is, as each of her brothers were, a complete blessing in a time when we needed her.  A time HE orchestrated and knew perfectly.  I am constantly in awe of this little girl and how much she has changed us.  Being a father to a little girl has been very different than being a father to little boys.  It is a continual learning experience, but one that I am always enjoying.

And a final picture.  It's not a perfect shot and I haven't edited it too much.  But it is hilarious.  It shows our girl's little attitude.  This is her mad face.  She makes it a lot.  Most of the time she is playing and being silly, not really mad.  She does this quite often at dinner.  However, sometimes she is mad, and those times she means it.  Trust me.  It is one of our favorite things about her since it shows her feistiness and expressiveness!  Oh this little girl!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.