Tag Archives: Keana

development

Personalities

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One of the most enjoyable parts of being a parent is seeing your kids’ personalities emerge. Even six years after our first, and two more later, witnessing our little people turn into, well, little people is such a surprise. There are some similarities amongst our girls—like their great senses of humor, their musicality, and their love for dancing—but really they are all quite unique and very much individuals.

A week ago, we went to the Intermountain Nursery for their fall festival. We’ve gone every year since we moved to Fresno, and it’s always a lot of fun to see the local arts and crafts, sample some great food, and hear a variety of live music. And this year what I really noticed, and loved watching, was how each of our girls’ personalities shone in different ways in that setting.

I was mostly on Aliya duty last Sunday and she never stopped. She’s been walking for about three months now and is steady enough and confident enough to head out on her own adventures. In fact, she’ll often give a little scream when you pick her up when she wants to be on her own two feet, so I just let her go. I did run a little interference for her in more dense crowds, but for the most part, she chose her own path and made friends along the way. “Shy” is not really a part of this girl’s personality at the moment. She walked straight up to groups of adults who would be talking, looked each one in the eye, smiled, then moseyed on. I watched stranger after stranger just be immediately charmed by her independent, cute-as-hell smile and felt humbled and proud at the same time. She even walked right up to this older man and put her arms out, requesting to be picked up. He asked if it was okay and I said it was fine. I knew Aliya’s sense of who is safe and knows what they’re doing was good enough to trust, and I asked him about his kids. They were grown now and he told me the saddest day of his life with them so far, was the day he couldn’t pick them up any more. I could tell that having a minute with Aliya was pretty special for him and Aliya was right at home, even in this stranger’s arms. When she was ready she leaned over, he set her down, and away we went. We did that for hours, literally.

Now Maia on the other hand, she’s a little more reserved in social settings. She sat in the stroller much of the time, and only ventured out for short periods. She got out to say hi and be with Cousin Olivia at first, then was out for little bit to dance in Grandma Jennie’s arms, but then went back into her little chariot, content with observing things from in there. When one of their friends showed up later, she of course got out and wanted to be in among the little tribe of kids, but in general, it seemed Maia needed some space between her and the crowd and had no problem asking for it, which I thought was great. I want her to be comfortable even if it’s a little anti-social. When she’s ready, she makes her presence known. In fact, it was really interesting watching how much other people were drawn to her, even though she really wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe it’s because she’s stand-offish, or maybe it’s because she’s so petite and cute, I don’t know. But if you think you’re going to make Maia you’re friend, you will be set straight. Maia really likes things on her terms.

That leaves Little Miss Thang, Keana. She and Aliya seem similar personality-wise, because I remember Keana, even as a baby, charming the crowds and being open to just about anyone. Still, they are different. Aliya has a little bit more edge in her outgoingness, whereas Keana is still our little happy-go-lucky. People everywhere have described her simply as “a light”, and that pretty much sums it up. There could not be a more loving little girl. It doesn’t matter how old you are, younger or way older, if you’re ready to play, Keana will be right there with you. She also loves to dance and she didn’t let her slight nervousness stop her last Sunday. There really weren’t many people dancing, and really no other kids, but Keana was right up front, busting out all her moves. It was really cute watching her assimilate some of the moves of the older people around her. She danced as long as music was playing. She admitted to me later, “Papa, I was a little scared to dance. But I just like dancing so much I just did it anyway.” I have much to learn from Keana.

That’s really what it is: noticing, appreciating, supporting, and learning from these kids as they grow into who they’re going to be. Watching Keana, Maia, and Aliya is a constant reminder to me that I’m still growing too and that who I am is exactly who I am supposed to be. When I remember this, it helps me with them. It is such a gift and such a joy to be a part of this.

development, education

One Day Down

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Well, Keana’s first day of school didn’t end in her running to us, excited about coming back tomorrow. Yes she bounded off full of all the enthusiasm in the world at 7:45 a.m. and came back sunken at 3:45 p.m. It was a hard first day. There were good parts, and she did make a few new friends, but the rules were strict and she was hot and thirsty and she missed her family. The day was long and she was tired. Then she had homework.

That’s the way it goes sometimes and I think it’s good to realize that she’s not always going to come home happy, eager for more. We have to get rid of our own expectations as parents so we can see clearly what the actual situation is for her at school, and see the things that are working and the things that aren’t. Then we have to evaluate what we can do and what we can’t, and in all this, we have to give things time. It’s hard to see our baby have a tough first day in first grade. We’ll wake up tomorrow though, and try it again, and then again the next day and the next until we see things clearly.

development, education

Big Time

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So it begins: another school year. It’s kind of weird saying “another” since we’re really only in our third year of “school-age” kids, but wow, tomorrow. We’re a little nervous. Last year was a big step for Keana going into “real” school (kindergarten). And for Maia too, her first year in preschool. We had all our worries about how they would do with the new environment, schedule, teachers, other kids, and the usual things on the list for parents when they send their babies out into the “real world”. Maia did about as we had expected—starting out excited then settling into a roller coaster of resisting getting there, loving it while there, then not wanting to talk about it till later—and we think this year will be a little easier in her Tuesday/Thursday schedule. Keana’s jump to first grade though feels like a big one.

Her school is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program charter, a program we’re still pretty excited about. However, the academic intensity of it is still something we struggle with, especially for these young kids. Keana’s day will be 8 hours long with a 15 minute break in the morning and 30 minutes for lunch, so the breaks seem a little short compared to her academic day. Plus they often have quite a bit of homework. They do get PE every day in the afternoon though, as well as special sections of art, music, specialized PE, and Spanish. Also, what makes this curriculum so cool is that much of the learning is hands-on, interactive, and collaborative, so they’re not just sitting at their desks memorizing stuff. Sounds like I’m talking myself down, doesn’t it? Maybe I am…a little. She is so excited though and she got the teacher she was hoping for, so I think she’ll do great. As a parent I’m constantly reminded of how important it is not to overlay my own experiences, fears, and emotions on whatever our kids are doing. They get to have their own and we’re just here to guide and support them.

Today we had a family meeting too to get our own household rules laid out and agreed upon before starting this new adventure. We all sat down together, with homemade peach muffins, and all contributed to defining what we though respect and communication were, and what logistical rules were reasonable (like chores) and what the consequences were for not following them. It was a little abstract for Maia, but I know she understood what was going on. Even though she pretended to play games and check out, the amount she did chime in was a giveaway as to what she was soaking in. Keana struggled a little too, because I think it was all overwhelming with the big first day of first grade looming, but she warmed up to it, especially when we let her write down the ideas being thrown out. We also made it clear that these were rules that mama and papa had to follow, with the same consequences, and I think that was a little surprising to them (in a positive way). I know Keana is super-excited to bust my ass when I fall out of line, as well she should be. Sarah and I needed these rules as much as the kids did. So we put them up on the fridge and I think it was a great first experience defining some boundaries in our home, together.

Well, I better sign off and get some sleep for the big day, but first I think I’ll draw a little “we love you” note for Keana’s lunch tomorrow. Big Zoob is going Big Time and truly, we are excited.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Keana lost her third tooth 8/17/11 to kick off this sure-to-be exciting school year. Beat that!

development

Six and Sassy

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Keana is six and sassy and not always in that cute, confident way. You ask her to do something and she does the opposite. Examples:

  • Keana’s bothering her sister and I can hear Maia scream “Stop! Stop!” over and over, yet Keana persists. I know she hears us tell her to listen to Maia, and knows herself what “good” choices are, but she continues just a little bit longer.
  • She picks up Aliya and swings her around, and Aliya thinks it’s fun the first time, but of course the second and third time she’s not so sure. We bring Keana’s attention to Aliya’s signs that she doesn’t like it, but she does it again, a minute later.
  • She says she wants to do something like turn on the TV. You say it’s not a good time, that she’s already watched enough, and even as you’re talking, she walks away towards the living room to turn it on. Oh man. That one really gets me.

I get the sense it’s because she needs attention and/or she’s trying out the boundaries of her own power, but we’ve still struggled with how best to handle it. I find myself echoing what I was told growing up: “keep your hands to yourself” and “if you can’t do a good job listening, there will be consequences”. In these moments, my best examples and logic eventually feel like threats, and at the end of the day I worry about what I’m really teaching her. At the same time, of course, we need to keep everyone happy and safe.

Maia is now old enough that we’ve been able to have them work things out between the two of them, with one of us facilitating the discussion. We make sure they both get to talk and tell the other how the conflict made them feel and think of ways to remedy the issue together. It’s definitely going to take patience and discipline to work at this higher level, but I know the payoff will be much greater. The really tough times though, are those moments when Ms. Thang pulls her power play at the end of the day, when everyone’s tired, you’re cooking dinner, holding Aliya, and trying to mentally and emotionally wrastle with her.

I really need to get that book, How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen, and How to Listen so Your Kids Will Talk. I’ve been saying that for years to myself, but I think it’s finally at the time where I need some back-up. And of course it’s especially difficult, because most of the time Keana is a brilliant, sweet angel, so the contrast in behavior is striking and therefore harder to handle at times. We’ve come to trust and expect a lot from her and maybe that’s part of the problem too. Then there’s always that part of any situation with all of us, really, that we can chalk it up to development. We are all learning and growing, not just the kids, but Sarah and I too. For me though, labeling it as “normal behavior” sure doesn’t make it any easier to know how to deal with it. Basically, I guess, there are just going to be these challenges as a parent, and I really do need to just keep at it with everything I’ve got to avoid falling into bad habits, complacency, and handling these difficult situations with my own damaging behavior.

[big sigh]

development

Summer Approaches

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Summer is on it’s way. Another school year is coming to a close, and even just saying it like that is funny, because we haven’t been participating in the whole school thing for long. But when I see new parents I realize that the six years we have under our belts at this point is a substantial amount of “street cred”.

The stuff Keana is doing, and has done this year, is amazing. All this year we’ve worried that she’s being pushed too hard, from the longer-than-average school day, to the level of work, to the amount of homework she’s had. But now that we’re at the end, it’s clear this school has been the perfect fit for Keana. Even now, two weeks before the end of the year, she wakes up every day with an excited, eager look and says, “Is there school today papa?!!” She loves her teacher, she loves her friends (which is practically the entire class), she loves the extra social activities (i.e. field trips, carnivals, fund-raisers, etc.), and she loves her new-found powers of knowledge. She tries to read everything around her and it’s really cool seeing her be able to navigate things in this world, through reading, at such an early age. And I have to say, personally, it brings me great joy to see her tear through double-digit addition/subtraction. I realize this accelerated learning isn’t for everyone, and it doesn’t guarantee life-long happiness, but right now, it seems like just the right thing for Keana.

Maia has been changing every day and continues to prove she won’t get lost in the middle child slot. Our little tiny is definitely getting bigger, and her understanding of how the world works and where her place is grows every day too. She does not love school…yet. She wakes up every day and asks, “Do I have school today?” and when we say no, she screams, “Yesssss!” She loves to play at home and I think she loves being the only older sister when Keana’s at school. She also truly misses Keana when she’s at school as they continue to have a really great relationship, being each other’s favorite playmates. Maia will be going back to preschool in the fall, so I think as she gets older she’ll get more into it. In many ways she’s our toughest little baby, and in others she’s our most sensitive. She may not be any more complex emotionally than the other two, but knowing where her thresholds are and what their triggers are definitely takes some deft maneuvering.

Today I decided to go in order. So now, last, but certainly not least, is Aliya. I don’t know if it’s because she’s our last baby or what, but there isn’t a moment that doesn’t go by without one of us thinking how cute or amazing or smart she is. In this past week she’s started standing up on her own, and her fearless exploration has been nerve-racking. She loves to crawl on her hands and feet, not her knees, and while she’s discovered this is a much faster way to get around, it also has caused many-a-face-plant. Of course, she doesn’t let this slow her down. She forges on and can’t be stopped. This is another girl who wants what she wants, and I think that’s good, because being the youngest of two other powerhouse sisters, she definitely will be holding her own. For instance, she doesn’t’ like to just try and stand. She usually is holding onto a couple objects, and as she stands she likes to bang them together or wave her arms wildly with excitement. She’s also started shaking her head “no” when she knows she’s not supposed to do something or if she’s actually saying no. Why is that so damn cute? Oh yeah, and she claps to signal she’s all done eating. There’s a baby sign language move that’s similar, but she just likes clapping. Aliya will be a year old in just three weeks, and as I’ve been remembering what we all went through to get to this point, I can’t help but be thankful and feel blessed.

So what are we doing this summer? Who knows? I do know we need to go camping and get out into the woods. A few trips to the beach will definitely be necessary. Sarah was also researching music festivals that are kid friendly, so that should be fun too. I’m also already anticipating the, “I’m boooored papa, take us somewhere.”; not sure anticipating that will make it any easier, but at least I know it’s coming, which should help, right?

birthdays, development, trips

Reunion

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This last weekend we headed back to the bay, back to the birth place of Keana and Maia, for a special reunion of sorts. Our home birth group, which we met when Sarah was pregnant with Keana, had our sixth birthday. None of us believed our instructor six years ago when she told us that many groups stay in touch long after the class ends, and some even vacation together. Low and behold, here we are, even separated by hundreds of miles now, still connected.

We drove down Saturday morning and spent the day in downtown Berkeley, checking out the wildlife, shopping, and eating ice cream. We were all pretty beat by dinner time, but we braved a new restaurant (which actually sucked), and headed back to the hotel for the nightly excitement of “how are we going to get the kids to sleep, and once we do, how long do they stay that way”. Surprisingly it wasn’t too difficult getting them to sleep, with the exception of Maia, who didn’t even protest as much as she could have. We splurged for a suite (which was only $30 more than double anyway) and it was definitely worth it. Throughout the night we rotated beds and children, but pretty much woke up refreshed and ready to go.

The home birth picnic-party started at 2 p.m. We had selected three different picnic areas to try in Tilden, and I thought it was going to be a nightmare syncing up with six other families, especially with no cell reception, but everything fell into place. We passed one other family on the road (our former neighbors actually) and followed each other to the nearest spot on our list. It happened to be free, even though it was a gorgeous Sunday in a very popular park. One by one, the other families found us and the festivities began.

The amazing thing about this group is that we’ve been through so much together, that no matter how long in between seeing each other, we just fall back in place. We’ve had first babies together, second, and thirds. We’ve all had our share of hospital scares, sick children, and even one death. Families have moved and grown and changed but our first-time-home-birth-parent bond has kept us together and strong over these last six years. The oldest kids just played and played together all afternoon and I think the socialization of school has really helped them to grow. Whereas some kids wouldn’t always find their place in the past, all six of them seemed to play well together all afternoon; some forming small groups and partnerships for a minute, then coming back together for a rambunctious group game of soccer/tag/fairies/warriors/wizards/whatever else.

The food was amazing as always and there was plenty of time for us all to catch up. The two families that were there first, ours and our former neighbors down the street, were the last to leave. As the sun set, we lingered a while after the cars were packed, the kids especially not wanting to say goodbye. The only thing that pushed us apart was our looming drive back to Fresno, and the warm thought that we would be reunited soon, and when we were, it would be as if no time had passed at all.

development, education

Progress

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It’s not a very glamorous word, but it seems like such an important one. Progress. We can’t really help it, actually. And the kids, man, they are beyond it if that’s possible. I almost feel like my humble writings, even combined with all the photos and video, barely do their amazing lives justice. Not to mention their vast and rapid development. It overwhelms me really, but then I remember that even the most basic of accounts speaks volumes years down the road, and we can already see this at this early stage of the game.

Keana is simply a delight. From the instant she wakes up until she falls quickly asleep, she is essentially a ray of light. She has definitely been trying out her defiance, coupled with sneers and powerful growling expressions, but we know it’s natural and it rarely lasts. She’ll ignore what we say until we force the issue but it’s actually really good to see her healthy questioning and the strength that’s behind it. I think it will serve her well later in life. She’s also excelling in school and gets along with everybody, even the kids in other classes. I’m still surprised when other teachers and parents know her and greet her on the way to school. Keana is definitely our social butterfly.

Tonight was special too. She was chosen by all the kindergarten teachers to present a piece of what she’s learned in school. There were three kindergarteners and three first graders. Here’s what she read from her animal journal:

We’ve worried a little about how much the kids are expected to learn in kindergarten, but Keana has really done well with it and seems to really enjoy the power that comes with reading and writing.

The epitome of progress though is Aliya. She has the unfair advantage of being baby, but she changes every day. After she began sitting up, it wasn’t long until she started to crawl, and she first crawled just a week ago. Sure, it’s still mostly a scoot crawl, but it’s surprising how far she can get in just a short amount of time. We’ve really had to watch out for all those older kid tiny toys, as well as anything else a baby shouldn’t be ingesting.

Aliya is very curious about everything and loves taking the magnet off the fridge and putting them back on, as well as banging things together to make sound. She may be our little percussionist. She’s always been a thump-a-foot, and a game we like playing recently is when I’m changing her diaper, I pretty to defend myself as she kicks wildly at my arms and face; kind of like a faux-karate match. Laughs and squeals and loves it, and so do I. She continues to be quite flirty with everyone really, waving hello and goodbye, and her super-smile is irresistible. I also love how she squeals really high when she’s excited to see someone she knows.

As for food, Aliya is eating much of what we eat with the exception of cheese, cow milk products, bread and that sort of thing. She loves turkey, peas, zucchini, gnawing on chicken bones, and these puff cereal things made for little babies. I like to line little bites up in a row on her tray and she just mows right through it.

We also started Aliya sleeping on her own, in her own room, about two weeks ago. She fusses for 5-10 minutes and then sleeps through the night. It is really amazing having our evenings to ourselves again. Sure she was adorable to hold while she slept peacefully, but it was time. She’s still not used to napping yet, fussing for 5-10 minutes and falling asleep, but not sleeping for more than an hour and is noticeably tired throughout he day. So that’s still being worked out. This is the earliest we’ve started the sleep training though, so we’re in slightly uncharted territory.

Finally The Maij…our fierce little Maia. She is hilarious. She is adorable. She is quick as a whip. And she is mad as hell sometimes. Her will will not bend or brake, and though it’s quite challenging now, I know it will be a strength someday. It seems she’s been having a hard time eating lately. We think she may be too tired at the end of the day to focus on it, or maybe she’s just going through some developmental thing that affects her intake. She’s growing fast and we’re trying not to make issues out of it, but it certainly has been challenging. And of course, bedtime and sleeping has been a challenge too, just as it was with Keana when she was three. We ditched the bunk beds and are having Keana and Maia sleep in the queen together. So far, they are able to go to sleep together most of the time, but Maia often pitches a fit in the middle of the night and Keana comes to sleep with me and Maia falls back asleep with Sarah. We would let her cry it out, but she’s so damn loud and persistent, that she keeps everyone awake. So we’re feeling our way through this one at the moment.

And that’s just a snapshot but I’m operating from the perspective that something, anything, is better than nothing.

birthdays, development

And then she was six

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Today we celebrated Keana’s 6th birthday and I have to say, we did it up (for us at least). I actually got up on time and made her and Maia a pancake breakfast to start things out right. Today happened happened to be the day I volunteer in her class, and even though I go every week, even that seemed special. Sarah and Maia made cupcakes while I was gone, then Sarah, Maia, Aliya, and I brought them to celebrate with the class. It was so sweet and fun and to see Keana in her element and get to share in that celebration with her peers and teacher.

After she got her homework done, we did a video chat with Grandma Linda and Grandpa Sam and they got to see her do a little treasure hunt (complete with map) to find the gift they had mailed. And to top it all of, we had Grandma Jennie, Tia Iana, Uncle Ryan, Cousin Olivia, and their dog Bella all over for barbecued burgers, gifts, and cake. At the end of it all, Keana declared that, “It was the best birthday ever!”

Sure that feels good to hear, and we’re thankful for everyone that contributed to make the day special for her, but in the end of it all, we are just in awe of our first born. We’re growing up together and the fact that she’s the one who’s broken us in is something special. No more or less than Aliya and Maia, just different-special. She burst into the world as the firemen and paramedics burst through our bedroom door and no one who’s ever met her has been the same since. Keana was our “shmoop” then our “zooba” and somehow today she’s magically different and transformed into who-knows-what-next. She’s six. She’s a big girl. She’s meeting her life head on and loving every minute. Put simply, she’s beautiful in every way and we love her.

Happy Birthday Keana.

development

First Dance

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A little over a week ago (2/18) Keana and I attended our first Father-Daughter Dance at her school. The flyer came home a week before that and I have to say, I was a little shocked (for lack of a better word) when I saw it. I don’t know why exactly, but I hadn’t even thought about father-daughter dances and certainly not this early in the game. A hundred emotions and questions came over me and I didn’t even know if this was something I wanted to participate in. Keana was so excited though and couldn’t wait for us to go, so any reservations I had were instantly eliminated.

The dance wound up on the Friday of the week we had all been sick, so we were all still reeling a bit from that experience, but there were no excuses, we were going. On the night of the dance Keana said she had to get her best “rock star” outfit on, and chose a black top with rhinestone accents, stretch pants with hearts on them, and her Keens (her favorite shoes). Sarah pulled her hair back into a ponytail with one side wisp hanging down for a little whimsy I guess. She looked great and more importantly, she loved her outfit and was comfortable. I wore a standard black shirt and jeans and we were set to go.

It was pouring that night so we ran from the car towards the cafeteria from which we heard the blaring pop music. It was a pretty good turnout, maybe 40 or 50 duos. Keana made a beeline for the cookies and water, and after having finished her first cookie, was ready to dance. There were lots of dads standing around the perimeter as their daughters danced with their friends, and I sort of felt bad for them (even though I think they were all secretly relieved). Keana has some great moves though, often ranging between action-hero-esque punches and kicks, hip shaking, and twirls. It wasn’t long before she wanted some Michael Jackson, so we went up on the stage where the DJ was and made the first request for MJ. Keana has been on a big Thriller kick, so that’s the song we requested (and the crowd went wild).

We danced on and off, taking breaks for cookies and water, and a little later for pictures. Only three other girls from her class showed up, but two of them were up in the front by the speakers and it was way too loud for Keana there. I think my experience loud music and my own hearing damage made the sound level tolerable, but for her sensitive ears, it was too much. So we spent the last 30 minutes or so in the hallway, while she and her friend Nailah played under the awning as the rain poured down around us. I got to know Nailah’s dad better and we had a great conversation about the area and music. Turns out he mixes music for reality TV shows like Project Runway and Desparate Housewives, so it was cool to hear about his experience with that.

We went inside for the last dance and after she said goodbye to her friends, we headed to the grocery store for a late sushi snack. I think we both had a lot of fun, even though the music was too loud. It was just special to go out and do something different, just us, Papa and his first born.

Afterwards I realized that it was one of those experiences where all of your own memories, preconceptions, and emotions are edging your child’s feelings out. This dance triggered my memories of school dances and made me fast-forward to Keana being 12 and going to her first dance and all the wonderful and terrible things that conjures in a dad’s mind. Also I couldn’t help but lament the fact that some day she won’t be excited to have time just the two of us. But once I was able to settle all that down, all I could see was my five-year-old, excited about dancing at school with the other kids, and excited about getting me to herself for two hours.

development

The Devil’s Scourge

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It was last Friday, February 11. Keana and Maia were asleep in their rooms. Sarah and I were watching something from our Netflix queue while Aliya slept soundly on Sarah’s lap. Then I heard it. A cough coming from Keana’s room. At first it sounded normal, then, in an instant, it took on a whole new life. I sprang to my feet and ran to her room, hoping it wasn’t true but being far too familiar with Keana’s every sound that I knew it was. What I saw when I entered the room confirmed it: puke. Though surprisingly contained, it still covered too much to be an easy clean-up. With Aliya asleep in Sarah’s lap I was flying solo on this one.

Turns out this was/is a nasty, nasty virus or bacteria. Keana was up literally all that night with the scourge, and being the designated catcher, so was I. It was really tough going. I laid on the floor next to her bed and every 20 minutes for almost six hours, we both awoke to handle the situation. Before we knew it, the sun was rising.

The following Saturday was Great Grandma Bev’s 80th celebration, but Keana and I had to miss it due to the nastiness. As the day progressed, she did feel better and slept threw the night with no event, and even Sunday was quiet on the sickness front. Then came Sunday night.

The devil’s scourge hit me later that night, and at midnight, it took hold of its third victim: Maia. I moved onto the floor in her room and we traded off being sick. It was one of those moments where your strength is truly tested. It lasted again, until the sun rose. It was now Monday.

Our week continued this way, Sarah being the next victim, where the sickness struck fast and hard and eventually tapered off after several days. But even though the initial symptoms ended mostly after a couple days, it seems to take several more days to fully be over all the discomforts. We thought we were in the clear on Wednesday, but then Maia got sick again, and continues to throw up once every night between 10 p.m. and midnight. Kind of strange but at least she feels and eats normally throughout the day. We’re trying Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) now and will be moving on to the coconut water after that. Sarah’s used both these methods when she got the scourge in Chile and Mexico, so hopefully Maia will see some results soon. Maia’s one tough girl, but something about her diminutive size makes her seem especially vulnerable and every time she throws up, it just breaks your heart.

So now it’s been over a week dealing with this. I’ve slept (barely) on the floor pretty much all week and we’ve had to clean up more disgustingness this week than we have in the last five years. The kids are itching to get back to normality and Sarah and I reached our limits days ago, but pressed on, as all parents have to, and we’re just now starting to get on top of life again. Chalk this one up to one of those experiences in life (and as a parent) that you can never understand until you go through it. You know your kids will get sick, but you just have no idea all that that entails and what kind of love, strength, patience, perseverance, and understanding it takes to get through it.