Category Archives: Kaylee

Last day with five

Kaylee and Regan had our last Friday with the kids off school. So Jon took the day off and we had one last day of fun as a family of seven.
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Jon had been wanting to bike the kids over to the foot bridge for the last year. We thought it would make for a fun last adventure. Jon had three kids on his bike and I had two. I was SO excited about this bike ride. We used to pop Kaylee and Regan on our bike and zip around often before our placement. It was a bit trickier to load five onto two bike. We had to wait until Monkey girl was big enough, and buy a trailer.DSC00847

The kiddos thought that the foot bridge was pretty awesome. We stayed and watched cars drive under us for quite some time. Mostly because I felt like I was dying and needed to recover. I am SO SO SO out of shape! I haven’t really done any cardio in the last year….. DSC00849

My whole body was shaking by the time we got to the bridge. I’m planing on getting back to being fit. I want to be able to bike my kiddos places and not need hours to recover after. DSC00855

Halfway home I had to just get down and walk. My legs were shaking so bad I couldn’t peddle anymore. The girls hopped off the bikes to walk and Jon got this sweet picture of them. Apparently being walked while sitting on a bike is just not as fun.DSC00857

The boys stayed in the trailer the whole ride home. The three big kids did lots of seat swapping between bikes and places to ride. I did like getting to chat with each of them when they were on my bike. That was nice.DSC00858“Let’s go on a bike ride to the foot bridge. It will be fun.” Lies! Mostly because we didn’t realize just how out of shape I am. Things to work on.

Also we are going to miss these kiddos so freaking much! Saying goodbye was really hard. 🙁

Kayleeism: on reading

Today is kinda big! Today Kaylee read 49 pages solo in under ten minutes!!!!  The past couple of years helping Kaylee learn to read in spite of her extra quirks that make reading more of a challenge have been long and hard.

Kaylee LOVES books and stories. I have read aloud to her since she was born. The library is a happy place.  I REALLY wanted her to LOVE reading too. But she was starting to hate it, because dyslexia and visual perception and tracking issues make it hard. And frustrating. And then she has her brother who can fly though books easily and she gets all down on herself.

Her previous celebrated record was 25 pages in 12 minutes. Last week. I am super grateful for her awesome Speech and Occupation therapists who have helped us get this far in just a year. I’m also grateful for Kaylee being so stubborn. She just doesn’t give up when she wants to learn/do something. Super persistent.

This time last year it was taking her about 20 minutes to get though an 8 page level 1 easy reader. It was painfully frustrating for all. So ya, we are SUPER proud of our little persistent lady.
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When she finished reading today I asked her how she felt. “I feel AWESOME!”

Then I asked her how she felt about reading. “It is amazing! And awesome, and fun!”

This book has always been one of my favorites. But today it’s officially the best book EVER.

 

Down to two

After dropping off the kids to their new family for the weekend, we took these two out to dinner and a movie. You know to soften the emotional blow of missing our peeps.

I gotta say Inside Out was just perfect for all of us tonight. It was just so great at explaining why it’s okay to be sad and that ALL the feelings have a purpose. And tonight we all have some pretty big feelings. Like all of them, all at the same time. Plus it’s 9-11 on top of all that (talked about at school and home). Hello hot mess!
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After the movie we went and got some FroYo. Regan had TWO dairy free options tonight. YEA! Also table games are the best.DSC00815The kiddos had a “sleepover” tonight. Their rooms are just to quite and lonely without their room mates. I have a feeling that we will be having lots of “sleepovers” for the foreseeable future.