Elijah and sugar

Today Elijah had a cap put on his cavity. The last time he did this he slept all day long from the sedative they gave him. Today he also has his first football practice - which he needs to go to. The dr. said he would be fine as long as he eats lots of sugar and doesn't sleep too much so he can get the sedative out of his system. So today I made sugary kool-aid and pancakes. He was at the table and I told him - "You can't leave the table until you drink your kool-aid and eat one pancake with lots and lots of syrup!"


he was having a hard time eating his pancakes so I started him on pudding, then he moved onto his pancake... this is so weird!

Apples and Oranges

When I was tucking the kids into bed, I had something to talk to Quianna about so I stayed in her room for a couple minutes more than Elijah's. When I was leaving, he called me in to ask the "Why do you get a long better with her than me" questions. I tried to explain that I had to talk to Quianna privately so I stayed in her room for a couple minutes longer... he then said, you and I never talk... it gets really frustrating when he gets like this. I told him that it hurts me that he doesn't think about all the time we spend together - especially all the time that we spent last week with each other.

We kept at this for a few minutes and then he asked, "do we have a good relationship?" I told him yes! I told him we were all different and so it was different. I tucked him in again and then headed down stairs. Then I thought, he and I watch tv together while cuddling, Quianna and I don't do that, I should bring that up to him. So I went back upstairs and I talked to him about those things. I had mentioned that Quianna and I don't do that together, but what we do is talk - because we are girls and we talk. I tried explaining that his relationship with Brian is different from his relationship with me because they are both boys. Then it clicked, I asked him if he has ever heard the phrase "comparing apples and oranges". He hadn't so I explained it to him for a bit and we talked about how you can't compare them with each other because they are so different! But that doesn't mean one is better than the other (he then confessed that he likes oranges better than apples) at least in God's eyes. So then I said, "our relationship is like apples, and Quianna's and mine are like oranges! They are so different, but that doesn't mean one is better than the other!" He then tried to figure out what to call me since I am an apple and an orange, he figured it out...

I'm an Ornple!

The McCann Family Routine

The last two nights I have slept through the whole night! It has been a long time since I have been able to do that! For the last couple weeks Elijah has been waking up at least once a night and then can't get back to sleep. Then he'll come down stairs knock on our door until he wakes us up to call him in. He comes to us and says, "I can't get to sleep" only for us to say, "go back up stairs and keep trying."
Last week we started a new schedule. At 7:45pm the tv and video games turn off. Elijah takes a shower, and then its free time. He can do what he wants to entertain himself except for electronic stimulation. We also do family scripture study during that time. Then at 8:30pm he goes into his room and does his scripture reading. At 8:45pm we tuck him in, ask him if there is anything he wants to tell us before we leave, turn on the primary music and nightlight, and shut the door. He is then not allowed to call for us, or he doesn't get his 1/2 hour of free TV the next day.
We started this schedule last week but he still kept coming down to us in the middle of the night - every night. This week we decided to say, if he can go the week without coming down to us, he can get an ice cream cone at the end of the week. We also have been waking him up at 7:15am in the morning to have family prayer before Brian goes to work. That is making him get up at a certain time and not sleep in until he absolutely has to wake up. I think that is helping.
Life is really good. We have been doing Family Council ever Sunday evening and Family Home Evening on Tuesday evenings for the past 4 weeks! Brian said that we wanted to start getting Quianna for an evening at least once a week and so I really thought about it and felt inspired to have a set day so we can have Family Home Evening. I have made a FHE chart and laminated it. It's Noah's Ark. I thought it was fun.

After laminating it, I wrote The McCann's Family Home Evening Chart on the rainbow.

It has been so nice to have a schedule of family activities. It makes the days and weeks easier.

Winter Quarter is done!

Since this quarter was by far the top 2 of the busiest quarters of my 6 years of school I have not had time to write, or even just look at my blog. I figured I would give an update of the last few months. It’s going to be long, so I’ll do a section each day.

Starting in December... My computer became useless. It's been that way for a while but we had hope that it would last a year or so when we took it into the shop just before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, they said it would cost about $400 to fix it. Brian and I had lots of talks about saving up each month to eventually get a new computer. I would just keep checking a laptop out from the school's library and lug it back and forth. I was not excited about this plan, but it was a plan. (background, since I am a graphic designer, and an administrative assistant, the computer is my work. It is the way I function, so it was really frustrating to think I would be out of my *own* computer for a long while)

Fast forward to Christmas morning. When I woke up, there was a big box by my stocking. I wondered what it could be as I went through everything else in my stocking. As I picked it up, I noticed it was really heavy. I started to rip off the wrapping paper of one corner to the center. As the middle of the box was revealed I saw the logo "Dell". It didn't register at first. Then it hit me- a new computer! As I opened the box I started crying. I couldn't believe it! What about all those talks about about saving money? Yet, here was a new computer laying in my lap- in my arms! More tears came streaming down. I felt so silly for crying on Christmas - but a new computer! Brian looked so pleased that he had done a good job. All the while, Dan and Barb are taking pictures with the tears on my face. I just had to sit there in awe for a few minutes before all the excitement came.

*side note* When Elijah saw it, he got up and said, "See kimkim, I told you Santa could bring you a computer!" He was right. I didn't thing it was possible when he and I had that conversation, but Santa did bring me a new computer.

For Christmas Elijah got a special blanket from Santa. It came with a letter from Santa. He began reading it but then said it was too sad so I needed to read it. It basically said that this was a new fluffy blanket to replace the old one. This was so the old one would not fall apart and can be kept safe. Needless to say, Santa started quite an uproar. We eventually decided that the rule for the blankets was the old one stays in his room. He can have it when he goes to bed, but if it leaves the bedroom it gets put away in storage. If he wants to cuddle he can bring the other one out, because that's what it is for.

Halloween!

Last night we went to (and organized) the Trunk-or-Treat and Chili Feed. It was our last activity we were in charge of being the Co-Chairs of the Activities Committee. Brian was called a few weeks ago to be the Ward Clerk and so they needed to release him from the calling. They prayerfully decided that I would be released and be called to be a primary worker. I am now teaching Quianna's class, ages 10-12.

For Halloween night I made apple crisp and we watched The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, an old Don Knotts movie that I use to watch when I was a kid. It was a lot of fun. Then we went around the block for Trick-or-Treating. We didn't stay out too long since it was Sunday and Elijah already had a lot of candy from the night before.

Here are the pictures of our costumes!

The McCann Wizard of Oz

 Alex (Quianna's Brother) joined us for the night and he was the gorilla. We said that he was the ground forces for the Flying Monkey army.

Quianna's the "wicked" witch

Brian's the Cowardly Lion... betcha you couldn't guess that!

Elijah's a Flying Monkey

And I was Dorothy. 

 We had a lot of fun having a family theme. At the beginning of October, we watched the Wizard of Oz and then I gave the kids options of what they could be. Thursday night I went shopping and then was creating every chance I had to get all four done before Saturday at 3:30pm. I did it, with a few minutes to spare!
Luckily I had my dress and Quianna's shirt and skirt made from High School so I just had to worry about our accessories. Otherwise I don't think I could have done it in time.

There was another family that had a theme. The Dad was Bowser but you can't see his shell in this shot, but it was really cool!

Next year for us is hopefully Mary Poppins and Bert. Quianna and Elijah have been wanting to do Mario and  Princess Peach but they might do Michael and Jane from Marry Poppins with us. It depends on what they want to do. Quianna wants to do another family theme but she's torn between the Mary Poppins or doing something with Elijah. Maybe next year we'll all do Mary Poppins (I was thinking they could be penguins hehe...) and then in a few years we'll do Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Daisy (since Mario was just done this year by someone else). Next year... no matter what we decide... I am going to start WAY earlier than October.