Jonas Brothers Groupies

Owen at Ridemakerz with his monster truck.

Logan's monster truck at Ridemakerz.

We decorated the van and were ready to go.

Emma and her friends signed the tour bus - how cool!

The girls waiting to see the Jo Bros!
Emma and her good friend Mary.
What does that say?!? Jonas!

Well...I think we are official groupies! Jonathan pointed out that we have seen the JB in concert four times since January - so I guess we are! We went to the concert at Nissan Pavilion last night with a bunch of 8 and 9 year old girls and had a blast. We had lawn seats, and we knew that the show was sold out, so we weren't sure what to expect. We met friends at 3:00 and arrived at the venue before 4:00 - no problems, no traffic. The girls were able to sign the tour bus and we got in line a little before 5:00. The gates opened at 5:30, so we didn't have to wait too long and we were fairly close to the front. Other friends of ours had been there even earlier and were the first ones through the gate, so they got a good spot close to the front. Once through the gate we ran up the hill (okay, we started out running and ended up stumbling by the time we got to the top!) and found our friends and set up our spot. We grabbed a bite to eat and relaxed until the concert started. Once again, my ears were not ready for the deafening screams from 20,000 girls!!!! Anyways, the concert was good and the girls had a blast! They danced and screamed and waved their glow sticks and screamed some more and laughed and jumped up and down and screamed some more! The concert ended around 10:45 or so and we left the parking lot around midnight. We were home around 1:00. Needless to say, Emma was dragging when I woke her up at 7:30 for soccer camp, but she was a trooper and got up (with me promising iced coffee) and went to camp. The boys had a good day. Daddy took them to Ridemakerz (it's like a Build a Bear, only you build remote control cars) and they had a blast. Luckily I was able to see them and take a few pictures since it was in the morning. Owen made a monster truck and Logan made a monster dump truck. It was a really cool store and they are enjoying their remote control trucks. Joe, Nick, and Kevin - we meet again!

Before I sign out, I would like you guys to pray for a Mom and family at the concert. My friend Amy was sitting a little ways from us and while they were sitting there, somebody fell on her blanket. She thought that somebody had tripped. The lady tried to get up, but then fell and went still. She had two little girls with her - about Emma's age and they were crying Mommy, Mommy. A lady who was a nurse ran over and started CPR. Amy said the lady was non responsive and turning blue. The rescue squad came and took her away, but we don't know if she was okay or not. It was so sad and scary. I can not stop thinking about those poor girls. We weren't in there more than 20 minutes when it happened. So, please say an extra prayer for the family and hope that she was okay.

Another Busy Day

T-shirt Fun!
The Marsden Girls

All Dressed Up

We had another busy day. It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner. We have one week off before I have to go back. Next week, Emma has soccer camp all week, we have the JB concert on Monday, dentist on Wed., another appt. on Friday, and I have to try to squeeze some time in to work in my classroom. Basically, summer vacation is over.



Today, Emma had her friends over to decorate t-shirts for the Jonas Brothers concert (yes, we are going again). She had the idea for them to decorate shirts and write the letters J-O-N-A-S-! on the backs. The girls did a great job. They used iron ons and fabric paint to decorate their shirts. Owen's friend Adam also stayed to play, so they quickly made shirts and then went on to do other things. It was a bit loud and crazy at times, but they were all super good and had a fun time. We ordered pizza for lunch - no way I was cooking for 9 children! Then the kids got into dress up. It was hilarious. The tub of dress up hasn't been out in ages. Most of the clothes are for toddlers and are too small, but the kids used their imaginations and came up with some interesting costumes. After they were all dressed up, they went on to make up a play for me. It was quite humorous.



So now we are waiting on Jonathan to get home from work. Emma's friend Mary is spending the night, so we're going out to dinner. Owen had his first pill today. No noticeable difference - but it was hard to tell with 9 screaming kids in the house! It's a start.

Halleluia!

We have meds!!!!! Owen and Emma had their check ups today and I swore I would not leave that office without a prescription in hand. Dr. Loving, our pediatrician, is such an understanding and caring doctor. She has seen us since Owen was a baby and has listened to our struggles. She was never judgemental and never made us seem like it was our fault (although we blame ourselves for a lot!) that Owen was having difficulties. So when I told her the process we had been through this summer with the EKG and all of the tests, she knew we were ready. I told her that I had been reading about different meds and I knew of some of my former students that had used certain ones - and had success with, so she wrote me that prescription. I skipped out of the office and drove directly to CVS. Tomorrow morning Owen will take his first pill. We've been practicing swallowing tic tacs, so hopefully he will be fine. I know it's not going to be a quick fix and I'm not excpecting a miracle. I just hope that it will help him a bit, and in return our family will be less stressed. We have struggled with this decision and we certainly don't want Owen's personality to change. It just feels like we fight all day long, every day. If he's not standing on the couch, he's standing on a chair. Or he's standing on his head on the couch and falling all over the place. The child can't walk anywhere without falling or tripping. He is an amazing boy...I just want everybody else who meets him to see that.

Back to Reality

Well, it's been a few days since vacation and I think we have finally recovered. It's always so hard to adjust to reality after a week of relaxing on the beach. Not to mention getting used to not eating ALL the time!
The kids started fighting immediately in the car on the way home and it hasn't stopped. I was amazed at how kind my kids were to Connor and Maisie last week (well, most of the time). I just wish that they could be half as nice to their siblings. Today in the car, Owen hit Logan in the face with a cup and gave him a black eye (not horrible, but bad enough). Emma and Owen are constantly hitting, kicking, spitting, yelling, or annoying each other. I know, I know....they're brothers and sister - that's how it is. I remember my father telling Nathan and I to go outside and fight until one of us couldn't come back! I guess I now understand his frustration. I'm being paid back for my childhood I guess.

We haven't been doing too much. Jonathan took the boys to see Wall-E on Sunday, since he hadn't seen it. Emma and I went to see the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. The movie was great and we had a good time. It's funny - Emma and I can get along so well and have a wonderful time, then ten minutes later, we're ready to hurt one another. Hmmm....who does that remind me of Mom?! Monday, we ran errands and tried to clean up the house. We had a little playdate with some of our friends. The weather has been beautiful, so the kids played outside and the adults just sat and talked. Tuesday I had to take Owen to get his holter from the heart doctor. They hooked him up with a few electrodes and then he carried this little machine pack in his pocket. I was very proud of Owen. He did a great job and took good care of the machine. I was a little nervous. I told the nurse that she was very brave to allow a hyperactive 6 year old to take care of the equipment. I got out of there before I had to sign any waivers or paperwork. Anyways, we wore it and we went back today to get it taken off. They will only call us if they see anything wrong - otherwise, no news is good news. So cross your fingers.
Emma and Owen go for their physicals tomorrow. I am so hoping to walk out of there with a prescription for Owen. I think we have waited long enough. He even said that he hopes medicine will help him calm down. He realizes that things are more difficult for him. He always says that his brain can't help it. He knows that one of his friends from school takes medicine to make him "be good" and when he doesn't take it, he has to flip a card for bad behavior. I really hope that we are doing the right thing and that he will benefit from it. I think the whole family will benefit!

More pictures!

Please forgive all of the pictures. I took over 850 and it was very hard to choose!

Daddy taking Logan swimming.

Mommy and Emma

Owen running from a giant wave!

Beautiful Beach Baby

Logan driving the big rig at Funland. He looks like a natural adjusting his mirror.
Cousins and best of friends.
See...they can actually get along!
My favorite photo - just look at Owen's face!
Another precious moment!

Maisie checking out the beach for the first time.Owen on his boogie board. More proof that they can be civil to one another.
Look out guys!
Daddy's little clone.
Emma getting the hang of boogie boarding.
Connor having fun on the beach.
The cousins - not so cooperative.
My precious baby!
Owen surfing.

We're Back!!!!

My three angels on the lifeguard chair.
The cousins posing for a group picture.
Daddy and his little girl.
My beautiful girl!
Our annual family shot.

Hi everyone! We had a fantastic week at the beach! I think it was our best vacation ever. The kids were great (98 percent of the time), the weather was beautiful, everyone got along, and we just truly enjoyed being with family. We didn't have one drop of rain the entire week. I felt a little out of it because we didn't have the internet. It amazes me how addicted to technology we have become. It was hard to be away from the computer...but maybe that helped us to have a relaxing week. It was quite humorous though...Jonathan needed to get something downloaded for work, so we headed to a Starbucks one night after the kids were in bed. When we got there, they were closed, so we drove up and down the coastal highway looking for a wi-fi signal. I would hit the refresh button every few seconds until we finally got a signal! It was so late and I was exhausted, so I didn't feel like posting a new message in the car, in the parking lot. So...here we are!

We really did have a wonderful week. Emma and Owen got into boogie boarding. They have had the boards the past few years, but they usually just played with them at the edge of the water. This year, they got into the water and rode the waves in. Owen had little fear and no problems doing it. Emma was brave, but whenever she thought a big wave was coming, she would run for the shore! It was quite funny. Logan was content digging holes in the sand. He liked it when Daddy would take him out in the water (and Mommy would stand at the edge telling them to not go out so far!). He would get his second wind after lunch and start running in circles near the edge of the water. He especially had a good time with his cousin Connor. I really hope they grow up to be as close as my cousin Leanne and I were. There were six months between us and we were more like sisters. Connor and Logan have 9 months between them and they have a love-hate relationship. It was neat watching them interact and play together.

It was so nice to spend time with everyone. It was especially nice to watch our niece Maisie. She has such a personality! She is the happiest, most delightful baby I think I have ever met. She is so precious and we enjoyed every second spent with her.

We are so blessed to have three beautiful children and a wonderful supportive family. Thank you Memaw, Pepaw, Brett, Katie, Connor and Maisie for a beautiful vacation. We had a blast!

Not Much Happening

There hasn't been too much going on around here these past few days. We've been cleaning, packing, and shopping for our week at the beach. We always have a wonderful time, relaxing with family. It's a great time to see the cousins playing together and my three generally get along. Not to mention all the good food we eat at the beach!

I am not sure if we'll have internet at the beach house (last year we mooched off of somebody's wireless!!!??!!). If we do, I'm sure I'll post pictures. If not, we'll be back next week! Aloha!