New Year, New Experiences....and Some Old Ones

Life in the Miller Clan seems ever-changing, but in reality it is just same-old same-old. For example - Anyka is turning five, and it's a new accomplishement every day in reading or counting or life skills. She is leaving preschool to be home schooled by her stepmother, Stephanie. Yet we still struggle with listening and eating, she still wears 2T-3T clothes, and she still has surgery on a regular basis just to keep us on our toes. The next round, on January 24, will involve her teeth, and her eyes may not be far off. But hey - we're making it! Despite normal step-family stress, we are living la vida loca and loving every minute of it.

I have a kid in the DOUBLE DIGITS?

I cannot believe Jessalyn is 10 today. Seems like not that long since she was born! That means she has known Chad half her life, has been a big sister half her life, has had a brother 10% of her life...and that I am officially a DECADE older! Good grief. She got a RipStik (deathtrap) and electronic banking Monopoly and, the piece de resistance - a Wii! I am spectacularly bad at it, but she is pretty good. Let the games begin!

Signing Time! Series Two a Huge Hit!

Anyka and Jessalyn watchd all sever episodes of the Signing Time! Series two - and the results are all positive! Anyka loves the Happy Birthday one and days of the week. They both are working hard to learn all the new signs and are enjoying the increased challenge. The new format took some getting used to, with the Practive Time and other bits in the middle, but they still enjoyed themselves. The rest of Christmas was a hit, with Jessalyn getting som DS games and Heelys (those sneakers with wheels in them) and Anyka getting a High School Musical barbie of Sharpay (against my will) that rapidly became her favorite thing ever.

Waiting for Signing Time!

Anyka doesn't know it yet,but her Christmas Present has already arrived - the first 3 volumes of Series TWO of Signing Time! You have no idea how hard it is for me not to preview them - the last couple of years they have had new DVDs out right at the holidays and I have always peeked. But this year I am resolved. of course, being active on the forum (http://www.signingtime.com/forums/) and the weekly chat (http://www.signingtime.com/chatroom/) has only served to taunt me endlessly about the fun that awaits when she finally gets them and has free reign to play them...but wait I must. Have any of you ever wanted to play with your kids' toys before they get them for a present?

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Technology?!

I figured, OK, it is 2007. I have a 4th grader and a Pre-Kindergartener. I have learned how to text message to save minutes on my cell phone. I have a Digital Video Recorder on my cable service so I can watch shows whenever I want. I make digital srapbooks, have a website and belong to online forums for a variety of topics. It was inevitable - I need to get with the program and start a blog. But I don't have to like it! So hang with me as I share the ups and downs of life using this technologigal marvel called a blog.

Hang on, it is going to be a bumpy ride!

Anyka is doing so well at her new school! Or should I say, her old school? She is more relaxed, better behaved, sleeping better...it is a wonderful thing. She is also thriving under her new "traffic light" behavior system - so simple I can't believe it works! She has a little chart with four colors - green, yellow, orange and red - and the days starts on green, with misbehavior requiring a change to the other colors in progression. A simple "do you want to go to yellow?" can affect change like a time-out never could!

Last night, Anyka was crawling around and slipped, knocking her face on the hard floor. Her two front teeth were loose and bleeding, so I called our ultra-fabulous dentist. He ANSWERED THE PHONE at 7pm on a Friday and asked me to meet him at his office this morning at 9. He looked at her and did x-rays. The good news is, her permanent tooth buds are in there, well formed and look great. The bad news is, she has to have two more teeth extracted. Her two front middle teeth, to be exact. The two on either side are questionable, but we will leave them for now and see how long we can keep them before they have to come out.