***Since it’s been forever since I updated, here is a family update that’s kind of like a Christmas Card. And I even forgot to do a paragraph on Gene. Oh well, he deserves a post all of his own.
Elena has started Kindergarten. She loves it. She does hate the bus drive though, and puts me on a guilt trip for not picking her up at school. I got to say I love having a school girl. I love the schedule, the new school books, the learning stuff, and the new friends. I’m hard pressed to find something I don’t like about it. Plus, now she is full of wisdom like: “Mom, I’m learning new things like don’t eat stuff that falls onto the floor.” Oops, I guess I missed that one, Thanks Miss Peterson for picking up the slack.
Brandt does not love Elena’s school days. He has no clue how to entertain himself without his big sister to show him what to do. He follows me around and whines a lot of the day when she is gone.
Also, he is Brandt. That means he is kind of a mystery package that I am trying to unravel. (That sounds creepy, please don’t worry) I did a little self-diagnosis, (don’t write me off) and came up with Sensory Processing Disorder. Basically his sense of touch is very screwy and hypo-sensitive. And his hearing and smell are just. a little. odd. It also means he lives a hard life. So unless I get him evaluated by a professional, the diagnosis stands the same.
For us that means getting him dressed and going away is hard work. He constantly says: “It doesn’t feel good” and “My pants are going to fall down,” even if the elastic is pulled so tight it leaves marks. It usually takes about half an hour to get suitable clothes on him, and then we have to pack back-up clothes so we can give him the option of changing, when we go away. The clothes he likes to wear are basketball shorts and t-shirts.
When we finally have him dressed, he is usually tired and has a little whipped puppy look about him. I usually let Gene get him ready because he does a way better job of it. I get frustrated, and feel like the time is ticking, and we need to leave, and just GOSHDANGDARNIT wear these clothes. (See how clean I cuss?) Gene rolls in the room all fun and games, and basically makes a puppet show out of all the articles of clothing and Ta-da! A boy dressed for church.
Brandt also likes to rough-house with Madelyn. Grabbing her neck, shaking her like a puppy and making her scream. She yells and then whops him back. Such loving offspring I have.
Sometimes I feel like I give so much of my energy to Brandt I don’t have much left over. Sometimes I feel like I’m closer to him because he takes so much of my time. Funny how that works huh? Enter Mady.
She is sweet and spunky. She knows that if she wants any attention she needs to demand it. And demand she does. She is great. She is super-huggable. We all love her a lot. And we spoil her a lot. Do you want to know a secret? She sleeps with us, in our bed. Shh don’t tell. The goal is to get her into her own bed, we’ve tried, but it hasn’t lasted. What can I say? My ideals have dropped significantly the past five years.
Oh yes, and she likes to nibble on puppy biscuits. Give her one and try to wrench it from her fist. It’s much easier to let her snack on it.
There you have it, a little of the Esh happenings. Here are some pictures, I am incapable of interspersing pictures throughout my post like some others can. So I’ll have them all at the end.
Endless Summer playtime has come to an end
Excited for Day 1 of School
Classic: The kids are bathed, squeaky clean with hair washed. I send them outside for a tiny bit so I can finish cleaning up the house. The next time I look outside they are all climbing around on Gene’s dump-trailor of dirt. I need to give them all baths again.
I spent way to long trying to get a good one year picture of her. Still don’t have it.
The other weekend in Ohio I got this picture of Dad with Madi and her cousin Ava. Love it!
My family in all our glory.
Have a good weekend everybody!
Andrea Esh 
Oh my. Your family sounds familiar. the bath, dirt scenerio is so so tiring. Only here it is our back yard.
So good to have a morning laugh since I had to get up way to early for a Sat morning!!! – Lol. (loved the clean cussing) Why is it that Dad’s can just swoop in and do it and it’s all fun and games. If they are so much fun, why don’t the kids ask them everything??? Puppy biscuits there, it’s cat food here. We can’t even let Dakota out the back door and he’ll grab a handful of cat food and shove it in his mouth. He may not know what the word NO means, but he knows what to do when we yell SPIT! 🙂
Thanks for the down to earth – true to life post! Even with all the clean cussing ;). Glad im not the only one out there!!! lol. Sometime those moments just get to ya. I know all about it!
What a fun read. I love your children’s names.Is Brandt just turned 3 like my Andre by any chance?Your daughter’s Day 1 skirt is very pretty. No wonder she likes school.
I get such a kick out of the way you write. Wish you would write more often, but I can tell by reading that you’ve got your hands pretty full.I don’t know what it is like to have a son like Brandt, but I feel for you in all of that. I would get frustrated too. I could about feel it coming on just reading about it.I’m excited too that my two oldest are in school this year. They are enjoying it and so am I.Oh, and I love your “clean swearing.”How about this new one i just learned this past week “Dag nabbit”
i loved this!! so fun reading about your kids… i am very fascinated about what you said about brandt`s condition. i will pry be thinking about that all day… oh and i am here to say- a lot of nights it`s one big shuffle to get both girls back in their beds– they kinda rotate into our bed as much as they can when we are sleeping. which is A LOT. and i have to say– laila often goes to sleep there in our bed in my arms. i am okay with it and so is G. whatever people want to think of it really doesn`t need to worry them. 🙂 🙂 have a good day on the farm! i so missed your updates- so thanks for this one…
@damys – amy it does seem like our lives are a lot alike. Whenever you post it seems just like something that would happen here. or maybe I get the feeling like you are overwhelmed with work just like me. How is the farming thing working out for you? BTW-if you are ever in the Lancaster area let me know, I want to meet you!(and you please stay at our place too!) @baileyandme – I really did like having Madi in bed with us. Except now it is starting to interfer with our quality of sleep and she started kicking us, and Gene gets all annoyed and leavest the bed in a huff. (ok that only happened once) Funny, i used to think “bad parents” if people just let their kids sleep with them. So I’m like kinda super-cautious about what people think of it. I needed to hear what you said. @quiet_hearts – Brandt will turn 4 in December. Also, Elena’s skirt, well, she only wore it twice before she tore a big hole in it when she was riding her bike. I neglected in making her change when she got home from school now I am learning my lesson!
@writersblock02 – we do come to PA occasionally. But with the farm not sure how often it will happen. I’m assuming you know how that is. Oh, but Dana has a sis that would be very very rejected if we wouldn’t stay at her place.The farming is going okay. We are hoping our house sells shortly and that will relieve a LOT of financial stress. However I am stressed to the max about once a month. And you don’t need to guess when. 🙂 Other times I am just overwhelmed. We are talking of hiring a girl to help me once a week or so… now to find one.
Sensory issues… I can so relate, but on a different level. I just started my daughter in therapy for her sensory processing disorder. I know there are all different kinds…. but have you tried weighted vests etc under his shirt? My daughter was given TIGHT under armour shirts to help her. I am making her a weighted blanket to help her sleep. Also we are doing massages/therapy to help her balance out and calm down. She has other disabilities so its much more complicated. I have a friend whose sons will only wear sweatpants… I know its tough!!