Itty Bitty Witte Family

Christmas Adam

For Christmas Adam (sun):

This year, we tried a new meatball recipe.

We also had the traditional Italian meatballs.

To close this night we watched The Sound of Music. I still know every word. LOL. Those poor kids.

The kids had a blast, and didn't mind my singing too much.

At the beginning of the school year each class had 27 students, then they hired a new first grade teacher and now each class has about 19-20 students. Lucas was very happy he was able to stay in Mrs. H's class.

I was too, she is such a great teacher.

The girl closest to the camera is Hazel. She is the principal's daughter, and she is a sweetie pie.

She always tells Lucas his jokes are funny. This was the first time I was able to help in the class this year.

I have helped at home, but actually being there is so different.

Mrs. H told me that at the beginning of the year, Jusztina was really having a hard time making her face so Lucas helped her. She tried 3x to do just the right face, and used all of the "peach" paper. Lucas didn't mind, he gave Jusztina his piece of peach paper before he realized they were all gone. When he saw that the dark brown was left he just made his without complaint. Now that 8 kids are no longer in the class looking at this bulletin board makes me kind of laugh. All of these cute kids, and my orangutan son, Lucas (at the bottom)

Jusztina "made the cut" and also stayed in the class.

She writes Lucas notes all of the time. Lucas talks about her at home quite a bit.

She is sooooo tiny.

I helped the kids take their Math assessment.

Then it was time for the party. This boy was teaching Lucas how to make a "cool S" can you see it?

Do you remember doing this? I totally do!

Lucas has grown so much and is a smart little cookie. He is past the 25s in reading and plowing through math. He absolutely loves doing greater than and less than and has started to really enjoy multiplying.

First Grade is so much more fun than Kindergarten. :)

I can't wait till next semester, I get to help with 3 science units! YES!

My Pretties

The girls had their Christmas programs yesterday.

Of course they were adorable, and sweet, etc. Bridget and the 4 year old classes went first, and then they asked all of the parents to stay for the one 3 year old class so they would have an audience.

It was very overwhelming for those 10 little kids to have an uproar of applause.

When I picked up Scarlett she said it was like being on X Factor. HAHAHA.

Bridget was in the middle of the 3 classes, and wasn't as expressive as she usually is.

When I picked up Bridget she said, "I wished I was the only one one the stage, and the only one singing."

I told her it was nice to be with everyone, and she was like "yea, but there was no real point because everyone was looking at their kids instead of just me, like last year."

Here are some cute pictures.

always knew where the camera was...what a little model

Scarlett knew EVERY.SINGLE.WORD.

After it was over, we went out the back so Lucas could help me get the kids into the car. Juliet was freaking out "snow! snow!"

The girls gave their teachers a hug and Christmas present, and then we went home.

Their school is awesome.

I am glad their teachers love them so much.

Finally

Week 2 of recovery was so much worse. I could barely move, I couldn't really eat, and to top it off, I had an extremely hard time getting things to "pass" through my system.

Scarlett got a chemical burn/rash on her face, and I was at the hospital for several hours (2 separate days) and was pretty much hating my life. We got a call that the hospital called the park that we were at and they had cleaned the equipment in the AM (instead of PM) and it wasn't completely dry when we were playing on it. Scarlett got the burn from the chemicals that they used. So, so mad.
I was in pain just about every waking minute, from dealing with 5 kids at the doctor/hospital.

Then all the kids got some stomach bug, and then when things started to feel better, I slipped on some ice and was in sheer pain for the next two days. After I could move my left leg, I got the stomach bug.

For. Three. Days.

When you don't have any stomach muscles, and can't bend right, it so really hard to be sick. Poor Nathan, he was there right by my side and got it too.

Sunday we were sick as dogs and the kids pretty much had full reign over the house.

Monday was a little better, but today I woke up and feel FANTASTIC!

Like a new person.

I am tender still, but am able to move so much more.

I can eat, and function almost 100%.

And, it is snowing!

I think baking cookies is the perfect thing to do on a day like today.

YES! Happy Tuesday!

yep, a very happy tuesday, indeed.

December 10th

Should be the stricken from the record. What a horrible horrible day.

It started great!

Lucas had assessments and because I am not really walking, when he was finished he went to the office, they called me and I drove the 145 feet to the school to pick him up. The office manager walked him to the car and everything.

My neighbor suggested that we go to the indoor park together and that she would help me with the kids so I could just sit. So we went.

The kids had a blast! Mason and Juliet especially. Lauryn helped me to the car and then we came home. Lucas helped pick up the babies and bring them in. Again, it was a great day!

Then it was time for lunch. I made a typical lunch. Corn dogs, Tots, and Oranges. Then we load up everyone in the car. Scarlett out of nowhere starts whimpering "my face! my face! It hurts so bad!" So I put a little carmex/vaseline on it because it just looked a little chapped. It was in the 30s outside and Lucas's face used to get chapped all of the time.

I hobble into preschool and she is now SCREAMING, so one of the teachers looks at it and says that it looks like hives or some kind of burn.

She suggests that I take her in. I am not one to go to the doctor right away, so I take her to Becky's to look at it. Becky agrees it is something not right, so I decide, I am going to go in. Well, they were at lunch. So I gave her benadryl and wait it out. I call Lily's mom to pick up Bridget and she does and the doctors office tells us to come in right away. It has spread. I am at the doctors office with 4 kids and I am not feeling well, because of my surgery. They say it looks like a bizarre case of hives, they say its something they have never seen. The allergist comes and he does a blood draw and thinks its toothpaste because its all over her mouth.

I have to go to Children's now because they decide to admit Scarlett, so I pick up Bridget and now I am in serious pain. I hate the Prairie View office SO much. They are useless. I can't really sit anymore and the kids are just done. I am yelling at Nathan to come because I am just so sore and tired, he is trying to get out as fast as he can. They want me to write a timeline of her day because this face is just looking worse and worse. She is crying, she has a fever, and the other 4 are tired of just being in a little room. They weren't "horrible" just done. Her lips were swelling and she couldn't even smile. I was just about done sitting there with no answers.

They tell me to keep her on benadryl all night, they say wash all the jams and jellies off her face and bring her back in the morning after the results are done. She cried that it burned all night.

My visiting teacher came to visit and she just happened to bring dinner. It was GREAT timing.

****

Well, she woke up and...it looks like a rug burn. Slide/Curve shaped. I asked her what happened and she said, maybe I fell? And in my morning texts with Becky she says "who falls like that?" and my response was simple..."a 3 year old"

Seriously people. Seriously.

Jewish Day

We have been talking a lot about Hanukkah. Mostly because, finally in my married life, I am not pregnant, I didn't just have a baby, and we are going to my cousins barmitzvah. The kids have never heard of it before, understandably and it was time to talk about it. I was so excited to talk about Grandpa Horn's jewish background. The best way to do this was through food!

So, we made Latkes.

MY FAVORITE!

The boys were in charge. I sat back with the girls and read books and we watched a few Jewish specials on tv. There are so many resources out there!

Lucas was a mad potato peeler. Then JuJu wanted in. She muscled her way right next to him so she could help too!

Nathan bought the gargantuan sized potatoes. I just love sending him to the store instead of me doing it (NOT!)

Yes, she really licked it!

Juliet was oohing and aahing the whole time. I love how Lucas is protecting her (above)

I made Lucas sing the Latkes song:

"Take a potato, pat pat pat

Roll it and make it flat flat flat

Fry it in a pan with fat fat fat

Hanukkah latkes just like that!"

He did it once, and was done. LOL

Nathan fried them up and we ate them for Lunch.

Everyone loved them.

They were perfectly crisp and soft.

Lucas was so proud of himself, he called Grandpa and GIGI and told them he was learning about the festival of lights, and the oil, and Jewish people. And that HE made latkes! They both liked that.

Later, we watched Grandpa on TV!

Pretty awesome day!

I am so glad my kids get to learn about this stuff from me.

What a Difference

...a year makes.

One of my favorite pictures of all time is this one...

It is from THIS post from Last Year. It isn't a realistic picture because Mason is only gestationally 30 weeks, but it just shows how big and how small their difference really is. I mean, they are 9.5 months apart. In this picture they look worlds apart.

Here they are today.

Both one, and almost the same size!