Ok - A post

It's been almost three months.  I guess my love affair with the great blog has fizzled.  I really feel like I blinked and December was here.  My absolutely favorite time of the year.  I love the lights, the trees, the snow, the different songs and such at mass. I just LOVE the holidays.
 Tommy - He has played in four tournaments since my last post including one in Chicago.  The miles are really piling up on the van. Two of them were AAA invitational tourney's and the team played well though they didn't bring home any hardware.  He'll start basketball next week and continue with the hockey.  I'm especially proud to say that he made the Bishop's Honor Roll which means he got a perfect 4.0.  He was the only student to achieve that in the 1st marking period so to say we are proud is an understatement.

Austin - He's had a momentous few months.  He started altar serving at church in a limited capacity.  It's great to see him go up there but I think everyone is always just a little bit nervous for him.  I know that first mass I think the whole congregation held their collective breaths hoping he would do okay.  He also got to play on his school coed basketball team.  He has one more game tomorrow.  He runs up and down that court and tries really hard.  It's a learning league and I'm thankful he's gotten the chance to play.  This Mama who sometimes thinks winning is everything (though I know that it's not) has learned a lot.  He's actually touched the ball maybe 3 times and only made one significant play, the ball squirted out and rolled to him, he picked it up and being you can't full court press in the league he actually got to throw the ball to his guard off the turnover. He got so much applause.  It was sweet. 

Austin has been having some med issues though with his bladder and bowels.  We're on meds and trying to get him fixed up but it might take a while.  It's been rough at times but thankfully we haven't had any public accidents that we haven't been able to discreetly take care of.  Our new Priest Fr. Tipton surprised the heck out of me today.  Last night I was telling him a bit about Austin's current struggles and today after communion during mass he had called me up and asked me if we could do an "Anointing of the Sick" for Austin.  After mass he called Austin up, Tommy and I also joined him and I don't think the kids in the school have ever been that quiet for so long as Father did his prayers and anointing.  It was very special, I was of course tearing up and Tommy was having a bit of trouble too.  As much as he drives us crazy, it hard to watch him go through so much continually.  And I know overall he is one of the lucky ones. Anyhoo, it was very special today but selfish me when I was up there with was praying that maybe this would do the trick and together with the medicine and the doctors, and the power of prayer maybe he will be fixed up once and for all.

And shame on me and this blog fail.  He had his 8th birthday in October.  My how time certainly flies.

School's been another struggle for Austin. He's a big 3rd grader now, though the youngest in his class.  I'm really regretting not holding him back in kindergarten now.  His comprehension is just so bad.  Joe and I work with him every night and no doubt he would quite possibly be failing in just about everything if we didn't.  We study and study and study and he just doesn't remember.  I don't think he's in danger of not passing 3rd grade but I just wish he was doing better.  I guess I need to be thankful that he likes school and does his homework without too many complaints and hopefully he'll get better. 

Oh and a quickie on hockey.  He's started up again and isn't doing great but isn't doing terrible either.  He hasn't cried as much as last year but he's still not making much progress.  Some of these kids are just flying now.  Of course many of these kids have different issues and not CP.  One Mom said once that if we put all the kids diagnosis' and struggles in a hat and passed it around we'd probably all still choose to deal with what we have been dealt. Good point. 

Ashley - Ashley is still doing well in school.  She also is doing great at Honeybees.  We started her in dance classes on Tuesday's and it seems like she never gets a nap on Tuesday's and will sleep all the way there then flip out when it's time to go.  Some days she does better than the other days but usually it's a lot of crying and clinging "I don't wanna go dance class."  But she'll go with her teachers and always seems happy when she gets done.  We aren't allowed to stay and watch but the ladies always say she does awesome and she will then show off her moves at home throughout the week.  Jazz and ballet are her classes.  I can't for the recital, she'll look beautiful but I doubt she'll perform.  Maybe she'll surprise me. She's definitely a lot of fun that is for sure.  

So there is the recap of life in our home for the past three months; it's a tribute to all three of the Papesh kids but mostly Austin. ;)