tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72507562174448257932024-03-19T13:44:38.402-05:00Charlotte's Web(site)Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.comBlogger393125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-53071242553277735752020-06-08T21:29:00.003-05:002020-06-08T21:30:40.443-05:00A decade. <div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="8kjta" data-offset-key="2tq12-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="2tq12-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Ten years ago, right around this time, I started to have an inkling that our baby girl wasn't going to make us wait three more weeks until her due date. I had spent my 30th birthday with my family and good friends at our a favorite restaurant, and had settled in to watch the season finale of "Glee." </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="957pi-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Early the next afternoon Charlotte made her crazy quick and wild appearance in this world, and taught me a lesson that seemed to become the motto of my 30's; despite all good intentions and planning, life is unpredictable, and a lot of times out of my control. This was not an easy lesson for my very type A personality, but it seems to get easier as I age. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bas47-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">As she enters her second decade of life and I start my 40s, I am so grateful for her and her love of life. She has a laugh and spirit that is contagious, a sense of humor like no other, and I can't wait to see what the next ten years bring. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="67mko-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">Katherine loves nothing more than looking through old baby/toddler videos of Charlotte, because, to be honest, they are so flippin' cute. She spent time on Saturday picking the best ones to put together in a video. If you want to smile, check it out </span></span><span class="_3gl1 _5zz4" data-offset-key="67mko-1-0" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t14/2/16/1f618.png"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 16px 16px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><span class="_ncl" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; transform: translatey(-3px); z-index: -1;"><span data-offset-key="67mko-1-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">š</span></span></span></span></div>
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-89397349941890101292016-12-22T19:35:00.000-06:002016-12-22T19:35:01.460-06:00Charlotteās Mermaid<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Watching Katherine & Charlotte's relationship grow and change over the past few years has been incredibly heartwarming. Below is an essay Katherine wrote about Charlotte at school. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 18.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Charlotteās Mermaid</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 18.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">By: Katherine, age 11</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 18.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The greatest happiness is family happiness. On my bookshelf is a piece of pottery I made. It was the word Peace, painted in all different patterns and colors. The cheery pinks and yellows. The unique patterns Aunt Katie had helped me with. I will always remember that piece; not because Iāll always have it, but what happened while I was painting it. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-7cd1ca6f-2949-8df1-c665-1320e2d44f17" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To start, My Aunt Katie had taken me and my little sister, Charlotte, to Soul Fire Art Studio. We were sitting at a brown and blue table by one of the windows. Charlotte was painting a statue of a Mermaid. I thought her mermaid, Ariel, was perfect. She loves Barbies and princesses. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">āOkay Charlotte. Itās time to paint the mermaidās top.ā </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next, Katie opened the blue paint, dried flakes getting all over her hands. She took one of the brushes, and dipped it into the paint. I was painting the last layer of paint over the E in Peace. I stroked it slowly, watching the patterns the brush made on the pottery.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aunt Katie handed the blue paintbrush to Charlotte. She began messily painting Arielās detailed top. They looked like seashells. Suddenly, Charlotte started painting Arielās stomach blue! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">āCharlotte!ā Katie exclaimed. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My jaw dropped in surprise. I put down my paintbrush on the palate. After I took a good look at the mermaidās blue stomach, I picked up my paintbrush. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">āSilly girl!ā </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charlotte began laughing hysterically. I giggled as I painted the A in Peace. The smell of paint lingered in the air as we laughed. I couldnāt exactly explain how the paint smelled, but it made the air feel dry. I did know that Charlotte was happy, very happy.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">āKatherine, Watch your sister. I need to go get a tan color. Ariel canāt have a turquoise belly,ā said Aunt Katie. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She tickled Charlotte once more, and walked toward the shelves that held small jars of paint. I got up from my spot at the table, and gave Charlotte a big hug. She hugged me back. Charlotte was still laughing. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">āYour da best sister in da world,ā said Charlotte. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">āYou are the best sister, too,ā I said to my sister.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To this day, Charlotteās Ariel sits on the brown dresser in her room. Katie couldnāt erase all the turquoise from Arielās stomach, but Charlotte doesnāt care. Thatās who she is: A funny little six year old girl. Who is also my favorite and only sister. I learned that day, that seeing your family happy is the best kind of happiness. āFamily is not who you call your family. Family is who has always been there for you, and loved you for who you are.ā </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wrv9OIuEfLntFGDmC4wz6GxjxkHgLqD3L5l7962Ud8eu4uwVLaUzMuYsYjQutvySewBXBtr0pAG5D7TYDAgPvq_NLRRAXm_Mu4iMDCeWpDX6pV_sFPu4Q-2qX2W4ayE3upIwRmYyY5Iv/s1600/IMG_3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wrv9OIuEfLntFGDmC4wz6GxjxkHgLqD3L5l7962Ud8eu4uwVLaUzMuYsYjQutvySewBXBtr0pAG5D7TYDAgPvq_NLRRAXm_Mu4iMDCeWpDX6pV_sFPu4Q-2qX2W4ayE3upIwRmYyY5Iv/s320/IMG_3242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-33132034845385121742016-01-01T20:51:00.000-06:002016-01-01T20:51:55.418-06:00Hello 2016!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
Have you heard crickets lately from this blog?! Millions of excuses as for the lack of entries, but a smart reader who knows our family, doesn't need an excuse. We are busy, life is crazy and blogging/writing has taken a backseat. </div>
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BUT, I couldn't let 2015 pass by without a recap post. I love looking back on our recaps (<a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2011/12/see-ya-2011-it-has-been-real.html">2011</a>, <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2013/01/hello-2013.html">2012</a>, <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2014/01/well-hello-2014.html">2013</a>, <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2015/01/goodbye-2014-hello-2015.html">2014</a>), and for my own keepsake the tradition must continue. </div>
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This year I couldn't pick just one picture per month because I have shared so little on this space, it was hard to choose. Instead, I didn't limit myself, and hopefully this post helps summarize our year. The kids are getting older, life in some ways feels easier, in other ways not so much, but honestly, all in all, 2015 was a great year. </div>
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<b>January:</b></div>
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January started like it always does; a fun long weekend to the waterpark with family and friends. This trip always helps us to get through the long, cold winter, and the kids have really come to enjoy the tradition. </div>
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In mid-January we gathered for a family party to celebrate my dad's 64th birthday. It doubled as a Packer play-off game party, though without the ending we wished for, the Packers season ended that day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaS5KKFoaSJ2fa22QlP6_Ce1EgA24gTqHoMxHMrBvwTa52R1SIGDMdsP1EqxVxbZPTOBh95NsIaFcPx1J3IfHyFn_DAbQX6AXqS_JxwhbgnbN5HCs-0lsJf7DrJRCNPHvWEQbJfIyIW-v/s1600/IMG_7869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaS5KKFoaSJ2fa22QlP6_Ce1EgA24gTqHoMxHMrBvwTa52R1SIGDMdsP1EqxVxbZPTOBh95NsIaFcPx1J3IfHyFn_DAbQX6AXqS_JxwhbgnbN5HCs-0lsJf7DrJRCNPHvWEQbJfIyIW-v/s640/IMG_7869.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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One word described the winter of 2015: cold. We spent a lot of time inside while wind chills reached dangerous levels and outside play and snow fun was nearly impossible. Books, movies, and games overtook a lot of our January weekends. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEdpcuDp5rNofTEWOJjObMhElEIVapxh_YEbNeyqyr_XdGcFG3FRhJ7CkNwWnmJ3lK8XexF7wAVNnPKe3tGiioq7ujlV9sCdshsJx4wyn8xAKVfH5dHT0vNYfp6nhHVVC0usnLvh0bVQm/s1600/IMG_8087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEdpcuDp5rNofTEWOJjObMhElEIVapxh_YEbNeyqyr_XdGcFG3FRhJ7CkNwWnmJ3lK8XexF7wAVNnPKe3tGiioq7ujlV9sCdshsJx4wyn8xAKVfH5dHT0vNYfp6nhHVVC0usnLvh0bVQm/s640/IMG_8087.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>February:</b></div>
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We usually try to schedule most of Charlotte's annual check-ups early in the year. In February she visited the cardiologist, gastroenterologist, and ENT doc. All three gave her a clean bill of health, and we are now able to go two years between visits to the cardiologist and GI doc. Whoo-hoo!</div>
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In mid-February Katherine & Mike attended the father/daughter dance; the last time Mike will attend with only one of his daughters, as in 2016 Charlotte will be able to go as well! It was during this month that Katherine's interest in swimming increased, and she joined the swim team. Swimming has become a big focal point in her life this year, and has really given her a positive team experience to look forward to each week. </div>
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<b>March:</b></div>
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March was a tough month for my extended family, as a a health crisis hit someone close to us. Luckily, treatment would go well, and and despite a rough few months, the outlook is positive. Our family rallied together and tried to help in anyway possible, including going on with life as "normal" (as per the wishes of the individual) and celebrating family birthdays. </div>
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This year it has been fun to watch Charlotte & Jack's relationship grow and change. Jack, our "spirited, wild child" keeps us on our toes, and has become Charlotte's best bud and worst enemy. They can get into some major trouble together, but their relationship challenges them both to grow and explore together. </div>
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We are always anxious for warmer temperatures to arrive after months in the tundra. This year was no different, and the first week of April we enjoyed milder temps during the kid's spring break. We stuck close to home and visited the zoo and a few parks, as well as gathered with family for an Easter celebration. </div>
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Towards the end of the month we started to prepare for Jack's second birthday which falls on the first day of May. Since birth, Jack has tested our ability as parents. Very needy, hard to please, and oh so active. We were/are a bit scared to see what the "terrible twos" hold for Jack, as every other stage we have passed through with him has been so much harder than it was with any of our other three kiddos. </div>
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<b>May:</b></div>
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And though Jack keeps us on our toes, he also brings us so much laughter. Katherine and Jack seem to have the closest bond at this point, as she really cares for him and loves to mother and take care him. We celebrated Jack's second birthday early in May with a family party at our house; luckily the weather was beautiful and we were able to spend a lot of time outside. Our truck-loving newly turned 2-year-old walked away with a fleet of new vehicles, much to his delight. </div>
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In early May, I went with Missy to a two day inclusion conference in Illinois. While I was one of the few parents there (most who attended were teachers), I came home armed with an arsenal of new information and lots of inspiration. Charlotte's 4K year was coming to a close, and I was determined to make 5K a better experience for her. </div>
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While I was gone, we had family helping at home with the kids; Kate sent me the photo below one morning during school drop off, and I couldn't help but wonder when did my baby grow up?! </div>
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May also brought Mother's Day. A day usually not filled with much rest and relaxation for me, but rather a time to reflect on how incredibly blessed to be a mom to these four. </div>
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Charlotte and her good friend Quinn started a dance class in May, which continued throughout the summer. She had a great time, made some good friends, and really enjoyed it. We ended the class when school started this year in hopes to make the transition to full days easier, but it may be something we revisit in the future. </div>
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My eldest son is always excited when baseball season arrives, and the rest of us enjoy an occasional game as well. The Brewers had a pretty awful season this year, but Will is a devoted fan and never seems to mind. </div>
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During the last week in May we experienced THE scariest event I have ever had to go through as a parent. We were eating dinner, (stir fry--something we have almost once a week) and Jack asked to try a cashew off of my plate. He ate it, and within a couple minutes became pretty cranky. Katherine glanced over at him and notice a red rash forming on his face. We quickly realized that he had hives, and they were spreading fast. We determined he needed to go to urgent care, so I quickly got him in the car to leave, and Mike stayed with the other three. Not more than two minutes from home he started to wheeze, vomit, and looking in the rearview mirror I saw him trying to cry but couldn't get the sound out. I pulled over and called 911. The seven minutes I spent on the phone with the 911 operator waiting for the ambulance to arrive were the longest of my life. He never stopped breathing, thankfully, but continued to wheeze and gasp for air. Thankfully, the ambulance arrived and were able to give him a dose of epi. After four hours in the ER, a few more doses of meds, he was feeling much better. </div>
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In the following days we found that he not only has a severe allergy to tree nuts (and mangos...because they are considered a tree nut! who would have thunk?!), but peanuts as well. We now carry an epi pen where ever we go, read labels like crazy and are careful to avoid all nuts and food processed in factories with nuts. Our house is "nut-free" and we have become accustomed to informing others of his allergy in an effort to make any environment he visits safe for him. Unfortunately a 2-year-old doesn't understand that he is allergic to nuts and needs to avoid them, so we have to be incredibly careful of his surroundings.</div>
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Our family is now the crazy allergy family that requires gluten-free, nut-free items whenever we visit...oh, and I am a vegetarian on top of all of it too...makes ya want to invite us for dinner, doesn't it?! </div>
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As with most times in life, the stressful times in May were quickly followed by more relaxed celebratory times in June. We celebrated Charlotte's 5th birthday (and my 35th!) with a "tutu dance party" the first week of June. Homemade tutus for all! It honestly was probably one of my favorite birthday parties we have had; the pure joy on Charlotte's face the entire day was incredible. </div>
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It is hard to believe that is has been five years since Charlotte's arrival; five years of this blog, five years since our world changed into something we never expected. It is amazing the evolution that occurs after you have a child with a disability; it is definitely not static, we are constantly growing, learning, and changing in an effort to discover what works best and provides Charlotte with the best opportunities. We are in a good place; we have surrounded ourselves with good resources, good friends, and good schools & educators. We have no idea what the future holds, but it is definitely not a source of constant worry as it once was. </div>
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We trekked on through June...the kids finished school, and summer camps and classes started. Charlotte was able to attend summer school for the first time with the big kids, and with all of my part-time jobs on break for the summer, I was able to spend my mornings with Jack (and Missy/Bennett) doing fun 2-year-old things. It was *almost* relaxing, and such a change from the past two summers! </div>
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In mid-June Will had the opportunity to be the "play ball kid" for the Brewers. This is what I wrote on FB about this super cool experience: <i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">You know those times in your life when you get to witness your kid(s) experience something so cool, it almost brings tears to your eyes, as you know how exciting it is for them? Tonight was one of those nights. Will was chosen to be the "play ball kid" at tonight's Brewer game. Pretty sure it was the best night of my 7-year-old, baseball loving son's life. This kid knows every player, every stat, and faithfully watches every game and highlight even though the Brewers are in the midst of a not so great season. He will be talking about this one for a long time." </span></i></div>
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The last week in June we spent up north with my family. We rent a big cottage every summer and spend the week skiing, tubing, swimming, fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, and more... we had a great time, despite the 36 hour power outage ;-). We are looking forward to a repeat of the week this coming summer. </div>
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<b>July:</b></div>
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We headed to Mike's parents for the 4th of July weekend. All of his sisters also come for the weekend, and it is a great mid-summer trip. We enjoyed fireworks, cookouts, and hiking at a nearby state park. The kids love spending time with their cousins and always comment they wished they lived closer. </div>
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Summer school continued into July, in addition to little league for Will and long-course season swim for Katherine. Katherine also spent a week at Girl Scout camp; a first for her, and an experience she loved. A week with her best friends spent canoeing, swimming, lacing, and a whole lot more. She can't wait to go again this year. </div>
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With all the summer activities, some of the best days were the ones we didn't have to rush out the door in the morning, and instead could hang around and play in the pool. We spent some lazy summer mornings with friends; the adults drinking coffee on the patio, the kids entertaining each other in the yard. </div>
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Mike and I celebrated our 11th anniversary during the last week of July. We did a kid swap with Missy & Chris and were able to escape for <i>TWO whole nights,</i> something we haven't done since I was pregnant with Katherine. We visited a winery, bummed around Madison, and binge watched the current season of "Orange is the New Black" while enjoying good food and drink.</div>
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(The absence of nuts in our house due to Jack's allergy has been tough for me. I took advantage of our getaway and indulged in some of my favorites... )</div>
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We returned our end of the bargain and had Missy's boys for a couple nights upon returning from our getaway. We ended the month by a visit to a local petting farm, always a favorite for the kids. </div>
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<b>August:</b></div>
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Summer school ended in July, as well as all other activities. We spent the first few weeks of August catching up on fun activities around town while highly anticipating our big vacation which was quickly approaching. </div>
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In mid-August we packed up the mini-van and drove a mere 20 hours to visit the Atlantic Ocean. We traveled caravan style with Missy and her family, and had an amazing 10-day vacation. It is hard to imagine a trip with 7 kids ranging in age from 2 to 9 to be relaxing, however, it truly was. The kids all had a great time, and our only complaint was how quickly the week was over. </div>
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All good things must come to an end though, and another 20 hour drive home awaited us. Thankfully we found out on this trip that all four of our kids are great car travelers (Jack included...which shocked us!), and we are excited to plan our next road trip. </div>
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August ended with a couple low-key weeks with not many planned activities before school started. The last weekend in August was Will's annual Brewer Game birthday party with four of his good buds. </div>
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<b>September:</b></div>
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Ahh! September has arrived, and with that came the beginning of a new school year. 4th grade, 2nd grade, and Kindergarten this year awaited our older three. To say the nerves were high for Mike & I as Charlotte started at the "big school" is a bit of an understatement. However, after a couple tough transition weeks, she has settled into a routine and is having a fantastic first year of elementary school. I don't blog a whole ton about the details for respect of her privacy when she gets older, and that of her school/team & peers, but know that she is learning a ton, growing a ton in all aspects, and has an amazing group of people working with her. I am sure we will hit bumps in the road, but for right now, we are enjoying what has been a relatively smooth ride. </div>
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Fourth grade has treated Katherine well, and the same for Will in second. So far, so good this year. We are thankful the kids love school, and love their teachers. </div>
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With the big kids all in school, my part-time jobs started back up. One of them being watching B a few days a week while Missy works; Jack and B are the same age, and like the Jack/Charlotte dynamic they are also each other's best friends and worst enemies ... they fight like siblings, but entertain each other and have a great time together as well. </div>
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September 12th marked Will's eighth birthday. Our empathetic, sensitive concrete/literal thinker makes us so proud and brings us so much joy; for his big day he choose to have the entire family over for a baseball-themed celebration. I bet you are surprised to find out that someday he wants to be a baseball player?!?</div>
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October always seems to be a busy month. Short-course swim season is in full force for Katherine, and Will started basketball. Throw in a few plays, and weekend playdates and it seemed every weekend was full. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">October 13th our eldest turned ten. One decade has passed since I became a mother, which in some ways seems impossible as it is hard to remember life before. Katherine is the textbook definition of a first born; responsible, self-motivated, ambitious, and a little bossy. She aspires to be a writer someday and spends most of her free time typing story after story on an old laptop in the corner of our living room. And though a lot of times she seems so much older than she is, she still possesses that innocence of childhood which I hope sticks around for just a little bit longer...I don't think I ready for what comes next! </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><i class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_7f72ac" style="background-color: white; background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png"); background-position: 0px -442px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; color: #141823; display: inline-block; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; height: 16px; line-height: 19.32px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">wink emoti</u></i></span><br />
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Halloween brought a bunch of fun activities, and the kids all thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlotte talked for weeks about being a witch and turning everyone into a frog, and all the kids had a great time trick-or-treating this year. The biggest bummer was not being able to bring the majority of the Halloween candy into our house due to nut contamination...the bigs were bummed, but we made a deal and replaced their candy with a Costco case of gum (an obsession of theirs). </div>
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It was in November that Will finally lost his first tooth! Our kids are slow with teeth; slow to get them and slow to lose them. So even though he is eight, and most of his peers started losing teeth in Kindergarten, he has been anxiously awaiting this day for a long time. Thankfully the tooth fairy rewarded his patience nicely. A few days ago he lost a second tooth as well, much to his delight. </div>
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In early November we took a weekend trip to Minnesota to visit Mike's family. His sister had a baby 11 weeks early, and we wanted to be able to attend the baby shower and congratulate everyone in person. Mike & I were able to go to the NICU and meet Natalie, who is now home from the hospital and doing well. We anxiously awaiting another visit hopefully sometime soon as Katherine is dying to meet her cousin since she couldn't go into the NICU. Our eldest has a huge soft spot for babies! </div>
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The day we returned from Minnesota, Mike celebrated his 36th birthday. Getting closer to 4-0 ...though I am not far behind. </div>
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Jack's favorite place to go during the day while the kids are in school is Trader Joes. Unfortunately the other customers aren't always exactly happy to see him pushing his own cart down the always busy aisles. We are working on walking not running while shopping. </div>
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In 4th grade, the kids learn about immigration, and in doing so participate in a simulation where the kids come to school dressed as someone coming through Ellis Island, and learn about what one may have experienced during that time. Katherine proclaimed this to be her favorite part of 4th grade so far. </div>
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During the past few months Charlotte has been bitten by the Barbie bug...bad. She loves, loves, loves her Barbies and is building quite the collection (thanks to inheriting Katherine's old collection, as well as a whole ton of new ones for Christmas!).</div>
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Maintaining holiday traditions when you have kids with food allergies, to but it bluntly, sucks. It is such a struggle to find safe treats, baking supplies, and other seasonal food. As illustrated below, sometimes we get lucky and something we thought would be forever banned from our house, we discover in the least likely of places. It is almost like a game now, and Katherine has become quite the label reader. We now shout "jackpot!" when we find the nut-free AND gluten-free label on the same package. </div>
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<b>December: </b></div>
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December is always a blur, as it seems to go so fast. Weekends were packed full of swim meets, basketball games, zoo class, and the usual Christmas traditions. Tree decorating, breakfast with Santa, Christmas concerts, and time with family. In addition to all of that, a few weeks ago, Mike's youngest sister got a job in our area, and stayed with us for a few days while looking for an apartment. We are super excited to have her close by, and loved having her here. </div>
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A few last pictures before I sign off for the night...</div>
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I am a sucker for matching Christmas pajamas. </div>
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This year was the first picture we have ever got with all the kids and Santa...usually at least one is upset and doesn't want to go near him (something we never have forced). Jack didn't want to sit on Santa's lap, but was happy to stand near him. </div>
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Running off energy with these free spirits during weekly open gym. </div>
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They both love fancy, sparkly Christmas dresses. And so do I. </div>
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Best impulse buy of a Christmas present for Charlotte; matching outfits for her and "baby boy" her beloved doll who comes everywhere and is usually naked. We are all happy to see baby boy clothed now, however, the cashier at Costco looked confused when she asked Charlotte her doll's name and she replied, "baby boy." </div>
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Merry Christmas, 2015. </div>
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<b>*****</b></div>
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And there ya have it...another year has come to a close. As usual we look forward to what 2016 will bring, as life here is never boring. Happy New Year everyone! </div>
Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-84974249104183851582015-10-15T21:09:00.000-05:002015-10-15T21:09:26.796-05:00Hola. Our dinner conversation tonight:<br />
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Me: "Charlotte, what are you learning in Spanish class?"<br />
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Charlotte: "Rojo is red."<br />
<i>(surprised looks from all of us, as a lot of time her answers aren't usually as accurate in nature)</i><br />
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Will: "Wow. Good job. How do you say blue?"<br />
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Charlotte: "azul is bluuuueee...." (singing)<br />
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Will: "How about green?"<br />
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Charlotte: "Green is verde!"<br />
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Will: "Yes! How about yellow?"<br />
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Charlotte: <i><silence></i> (and a confused look)<br />
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Will: "Do you know how to say yellow in Spanish?"<br />
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Charlotte (giggling): "Hola?!"<br />
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*****<br />
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-33757517678940823152015-09-30T21:34:00.002-05:002015-09-30T21:34:17.469-05:00Quick Kinder update. Kindergarten is going well.<br />
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Most days Charlotte wakes up, super excited to go to school. She has had good days as well as a handful of not-so-good days.<br />
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She comes home starving and exhausted, but surprisingly in pretty good spirits.<br />
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More to come in the days ahead.<br />
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Happy Fall!Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-49795948711287817892015-08-31T21:26:00.000-05:002015-08-31T21:26:16.905-05:00Kindergarten EveTomorrow, Charlotte starts Kindergarten. To say I am a bit nervous is an understatement. I remember similar feelings four years ago when Katherine started Kindergarten, and two years ago when Will stepped on that bus. However, this time it is a little different, and the feelings are much more intensified.<br />
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I could list all my worries and concerns, many of which I hope will become completely unfounded, but really, what good will that do?<br />
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What I have tried to remind myself during the past week is the number of times in Charlotte's five short years on this earth I have laid awake worrying about her; whether is be surgeries or her health, meeting milestones, or her first day of preschool...and guess what? Most of my worrying, was completely unnecessary.<br />
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I also remind myself of what I know. She has a team of a spec ed teacher, three therapists, and an aide who are absolutely amazing and know her from 4K. A couple weeks ago, we met her new Kindergarten teacher who is equally awesome and I know is going to be a great fit for Charlotte. And while I worry about her be accepted by and fitting in with her peers, I remind myself how lucky Charlotte is to have older siblings, because we already know so many families in our community, and there will not be a shortage of familiar faces in the halls of her new school.<br />
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And then there is that dang bus. Oh, the bus, the source of most of my anxiety. From the day Charlotte was born, I vowed I would never limit her. I would never say she couldn't do something, until she let us know in some way it wasn't working. Charlotte will get on the regular ed bus tomorrow morning with her siblings. My head is racing with all the crazy things that can happen in her ten minute ride to and from school, but honestly, I need to let her try. Because, oh my goodness is she excited. All day today, and yesterday, and heck, all last week, she would randomly blurt out, "I'm so excited ride the bus!" And frankly, if worse comes to worse, I had a nice talk with Katherine tonight at bedtime about bribery... "if Charlotte refuses to sit in her seat, or lays on the floor and won't get up, just whisper in her ear that if she sits nice, she can have a BIG butter cup when she gets home" ...yep, I'm an awesome mom who not only resorts to bribery, but is teaching my almost 10-year-old my methods.<br />
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This afternoon, I was in the kitchen with the kids' backpacks lined up on the kitchen table, putting in last minute items. Charlotte was sitting in the living room playing her iPad. As I picked up the backpacks to bring them back to the mudroom, Charlotte looked up, did a little hip shimmy in her seat, and yelled "I'm so excited about school!" ...and then looked right back down and continued her game.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School ID makes it official ;-)</td></tr>
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Lately, every time I tell Charlotte to "be careful!" or "watch what you are doing!" she answers with "I'll be fine, mom." ....Maybe I should listen to her...I am sure she is going to be fine...and I will too.Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-67122522575945910232015-07-20T15:03:00.000-05:002015-07-20T15:03:56.455-05:00Rosemary for Remembrance I often write blog entries that I never publish. For varies reasons, but usually just because I know that when I hit that "publish" button, the post is out there for the whole world to read, critique, criticize, assume, etc...so in order for a post to get to that point, it has to be perfect. No spelling or grammatical errors (or at least very few...I am human after all!), no incomplete thoughts, or anything too controversial or assuming.<br />
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Last year, almost to the day, I wrote a post that I never posted. I wrote with tear-filled eyes and a heart so heavy it was hard to breathe at times. When I was done, I reread it, and decided it felt incomplete and unfinished. During the days that followed, I tried to go back to it, but couldn't, and so that post has sat untouched for the past year.<br />
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My grandma died a year ago today. Charlotte's great-grandma, the one she affectionately referred to as "Peg!" has been gone for a year. As the old saying goes, gone but not forgotten. I am reminded of grams often, and many times over the last year have had to stop and remind myself she is no longer here. When the Price and Princess named their new daughter, Charlotte, I immediately thought that I needed to tells Grams. She loved the royal family and would think that it is the perfect name. While reading Katherine's newest piece of writing, I have caught myself thinking that I needed to have Katherine share this with Peg; Peg always loved that Katherine has a large interest in reading and writing. Or man, how I wished she could have been there to see Charlotte singing "Rainbow Connection" at her 5th birthday party.<br />
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Today, we had breakfast to celebrate Grams. Breakfasts with grams became such a big part of her last year on this earth, so it only seemed right to celebrate her that way. Kate made an almond cake for dessert; no meal for Grams was every complete without a good dessert, and she would have loved this cake.<br />
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Here is the post I wrote a year ago; it is untouched, unedited, and incomplete in parts, but encompasses so much of who she was and will always be.<br />
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*****<br />
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<i>This past Sunday, I said goodbye to the smartest lady I know. My grams.</i><br />
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<i>Grandma had been dealt a pretty rough hand these past few years; a laundry list of diseases and conditions that slowly took away her ability to be independent. And despite knowing she is now at peace and no longer in pain, her death has hit my family hard. You see, even when you know it is coming at some point in the near future, when you lose someone like my grams, everyone who knew her suffers.</i><br />
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<i>My grams wasn't your typical grandma. She truly was a brilliant woman; a librarian by trade, and a lover of books and poetry. She could answer any question on Jeopardy, and taught me more over my lifetime then I think she ever knew. A few years back, after being amazed by my "little black phone that could answer anything I asked it to," I convinced her to buy an iPad. We spent time together, practicing how to use it, and me assuring her that she would not break it no matter what she did. We nicknamed the home button the "oh shit" button. With grams, and occasional curse word was okay, as was discussing some of the taboo topics that most would never dream of discussing with their grandmother.</i><br />
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<i>My grams was incredibly generous. We always kidded her that she printed "$20's" at her house. When Katherine was a baby, we would go and visit and take her to lunch every Friday, often stopping at the grocery store on our way home. She would have me pay for her groceries, always insisting I take a $20 for myself. She liked having a bunch of cash on hand just in case she needed it; once she left a few workmen painting while we went for our weekly lunch, and told me to remind her she hid her $20's in Sherlock Holmes in case she forgot.</i><br />
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<i>She was generous in not only what she gave, but praise as well. She told me frequently what a great mom I am, and what a kind man I married.</i><br />
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<i>My grandma's sense of humor is was what I will miss the most. This past week, it seems as every time I sit and think about her, I close my eyes and hear her laugh. Her chuckle as I would read her Katherine's newest piece of writing or share Charlotte's latest antics, or as she would listen to Jack's jibber jabber.</i><br />
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<i>She spent the last days of her life at a hospice facility, surrounded by those who love her most. It was a hard, hard week as we prayed for her to leave us peacefully, and shared some of our fondest memories. We listened to her favorite songs; everything from "Scotland the Brave" to "Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog to Rod Stewart. I took both Jack and Charlotte to visit during her final days; some of her last laughs were at Jack as he sat next to her in bed and babbled away. During the past few years as she slowly lost her ability to live independently, read the newspaper, walk, care for herself, enjoy a good book, and finally after her last stroke her ability to fully communicate with us what she was thinking, we would visit often and she would get a kick out of watching the kids play.</i><br />
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Tonight of my way home from work, I promised the kids I would stop and get 49ers (a.k.a. McDonald's 49 cent ice cream cones) to celebrate great grams. Katherine asked if I thought it would be okay if she had a McFlurry instead. I told her I was positive Peg would approve, the bigger the treat the better, especially if it meant making my kids happy.<br />
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Keep calm and carry on.<br />
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-25976230673665671592015-06-09T22:11:00.000-05:002015-06-09T22:39:14.746-05:00Five.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My dear Charlotte, </div>
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Five. A whole hand. A half a decade. However you say it, I still can't believe it. FIVE years old? It feels as I blinked and time has flown by; like just yesterday you came into our world and changed it for the better. </div>
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It has been a fun couple days. As usual, the combination of your birthday and my birthday, plus a big ol' party means 4 days of straight celebration; and I wouldn't have it any other way. Your birthday party this year was themed "Tutu Dance Party"...we made 20 tutus for our closest friends and relatives, and we put together a grand party for a grand little girl. You had an absolute blast and it was so fun to watch, as the joy that radiated from your little body was infectious. </div>
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This morning you woke up and came downstairs to your birthday present from your daddy & I; a new bike, a 2-wheeler like Katherine and Will's. Daddy was hesitant when we picked this present for you, as we weren't sure if you were ready for a big bike. We were wrong, and once again we underestimated what you are made of...we should really learn, my dear, not to underestimate you. You rode that bike today all over the driveway, and then tonight you decided you needed to ride along with us for part of our nightly walk instead of taking your usual spot in the stroller next to Jack.</div>
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This year you loved when we sang "happy birthday"...and requested it at least four times today. We did candles twice; in your pancakes this morning and then tonight in your birthday cake. You shimmied in your seat with excitement and then blew out those candles. Leading up to today, we tried to prepare you for turning five, by prompting you when someone would ask how old you were to say "five" instead of "four." Every time, you still answered "four" when we asked...until this morning, when sitting on your new bike, I asked you how old you were and without thinking, you said very calmly, "I'm five." There was no tricking you into telling us you were five before you actually were. </div>
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You have spent some time at your new school these past two weeks, in preparation for Kindergarten this fall. I would pick you up after an hour of hanging with your teachers and the other kids, and you wouldn't make eye contact with me, but rather just file into line with the kids and walk down to the cafeteria. I am pretty sure you would have stayed all day if possible. Sometimes it floors me how independent and grown-up you have become this past year. I am so proud of the little lady you have become and excited to see what this next year brings. </div>
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I love you more than you can imagine, my dear Charlotte. </div>
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-90872769546074202462015-03-21T09:36:00.000-05:002015-03-21T09:38:15.766-05:00Celebrate Difference. A few weeks ago, I overheard Katherine talking with one of her friends about Down syndrome. She was explaining the science behind it; I heard her talk about chromosomes, what they are, and how Charlotte has 47 and they have 46. She also explained what Down syndrome means for her little sister, and how Ds is the reason Charlotte is sometimes hard to understand. Her friend was very receptive, nodding her head and asking questions in all the right places; because at age nine, a candid discussion like this is no big deal.<br />
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My heart swelled as I listened to the two girls talk. Katherine, spreading awareness and acceptance for her sister without knowing the magnitude of what she was doing; her friend listening, understanding, and asking questions about something that was unfamiliar to her.<br />
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Today is World Down syndrome Day (March 21st each year ....3/21, which represents the 3 copies of the 21st chromosome). Six million people across the world have Down syndrome, but that is just a fraction of the people who have some sort of disability which makes them different. Something I have come to understand with more clarity since Charlotte's birth; disability is much, much bigger than Down syndrome. And difference is much, much bigger than disability. And though today the focus is on Down syndrome, I urge you to think bigger.<br />
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Acceptance comes from understanding. Understanding comes from being educated. Education comes from asking questions and learning. We all need to take a lesson from 9-year-olds, and know that it is okay to ask questions and learn more about what makes each of us unique.<br />
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No two people in this world are the same; difference is what makes life interesting. Today, don't just celebrate Down syndrome, celebrate difference.<br />
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-33196604792158943032015-02-28T16:41:00.002-06:002015-02-28T16:42:52.891-06:00Missing Charlotte?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-48061000083590568012015-01-01T15:53:00.002-06:002015-01-01T16:04:35.537-06:00Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015! My blog entries may be few and far between this past year, but I couldn't let my annual tradition of our year in review go....so, like <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2011/12/see-ya-2011-it-has-been-real.html">2011</a>, <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2013/01/hello-2013.html">2012</a>, and <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2014/01/well-hello-2014.html">2013</a>, here is our 2014 at a glance.<br />
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January:<br />
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Two words defined January of 2014: Polar Vortex. Which really just meant that it was really, freakin' cold. So cold that during two different times that month, schools were closed and we spent our days stuck in the house, entertaining ourselves with movies, books, crafts, and games. It was during this month that Charlotte started to give up her nap for good; some days not sleeping at all, and other days after destroying her room we would find her sleeping in the most peculiar places.<br />
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February:<br />
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The weather in February proved to be just as cold as January, meaning more time inside. Charlotte's preschool has a policy, where they keep the 3-year-olds inside if it is below 20 degrees...I am pretty sure she went out maybe once during January and February. We spent a lot of time at Kate and Bill's; my grams was now living there, and they all appreciated the visits from the kids. We tried to have Charlotte's tonsillectomy at the end of February but sickness delayed it.<br />
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March:<br />
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Baby Aria, Erin & Paul's 2nd child, was born in early March. Baby whisperer, aka Katherine, was thrilled, as she can't resist snuggling a newborn. Meanwhile at home, Jack was becoming quite the mobile little one. For the first ten months of his life, he preferred to sit in one place (and scream, usually). But over the period of only a few days he learned how to crawl, pull himself up & cruise around furniture, and climb stairs.<br />
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April:<br />
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Charlotte's tonsils came out in early April, and after 8,000 showings of <i>Frozen</i> and <i>Wreck it Ralph</i>, as well as 40 tons of tater tots (no ice cream and popsicles for this kid!), she was back to her old self. We also took a very impromptu spring break trip to St. Louis with the kids. Mike and I were both surprised at how much fun we had and how easy of a trip it was (anytime you shove 6 people in one small hotel room, especially when one of those people is Jack, you never know what will result).<br />
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May:</div>
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My little man had his golden birthday on the first day of May. We felt it was a milestone, as we it meant we survived probably the hardest year of our lives. Jack decided to celebrate his birthday by learning how to walk and showing off his new skills at his first birthday party. </div>
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A few days after Jack's birthday party, we said goodbye to my grandfather after he lost his fight with cancer. A situation we are becoming all too used to as our grandparents age, though never is easy. </div>
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Charlotte wrapped up her first year of school on a high note; she truly had an amazing first year and grew so much in every area. Her teachers were phenomenal and we couldn't have asked for a better start to her formal education.</div>
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June:</div>
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June = birthdays in our house. Sophie (our 8-year-old black lab), Charlotte, and I all share a birthday week in early June. We celebrated with a party at our house, and Charlotte declared it the "best day ever." The older kids finished school for the year, and our summer routine commenced. Summer school, swim lessons, sports camps, and more, all while enjoying the laid back days and nice weather. </div>
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July:</div>
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In early July, we spent a weekend up north at Mike's parents celebrating the 4th of July. The kids all loved the small "firework stand" fireworks this year, as well as time outdoors with family. </div>
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Towards the end of the month, my grandma fell ill, rather suddenly. She had been fighting a progressive disease for the past three years, and it finally became too much. After an emotionally exhausting week of sitting with Kate and my mom at her bedside in the hospice, my grams left us. There isn't a day that has gone by since that I haven't thought of her. The reminders of her are everywhere, and I have struggled a lot with her passing; as have my kids. She was truly the smartest lady I knew, and we miss her so, so much. </div>
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Mike and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on the last day of July. It is amazing to think about what we have been through in our decade of marriage, and I can't imagine surviving it without him by my side. We were able to get away for a night, with hopes of a longer vacation somewhere in the future when Jack isn't quite so needy and dependent on us. </div>
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August:<br />
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In August, summer school wrapped up and our routine became more relaxed. Mike, Katherine, and Will attended quite a few Brewers baseball games, and we made a few trips to the zoo. We prepared to say goodbye to my grandma in the middle of August with a "Remembering Peg"memorial service. It ended up being a perfect day, and a perfect way to celebrate her life. Our month ended with what I consider probably one of the most laid back days of summer; a trip to a local kiddie theme park with good friends and family.<br />
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September:<br />
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September always marks the beginning of a new school year; this year Katherine is in 3rd grade, Will is in first, and Charlotte in 4K. They all are having good years thus far, and have a group of amazing teachers which I always appreciate more than you can imagine. Charlotte is in a typical preschool class, at the school she attended last year. She has support from an aide and a special ed teacher at times, and all of her therapy is done in the classroom. She is the only kiddo with a disability in her class, and being surrounded by her typical peers has done wonders for her speech, as well as emotional/social growth.<br />
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Will turned seven in early September, the same day we left for a weekend in Minneapolis to celebrate Mike's sister's wedding. Katherine and Charlotte made cute flower girls, and we all had a lot of fun visiting with family. At the end of the month, we had a combined family birthday party for Katherine and Will, as they both choose to have fun friend birthday parties at different times.<br />
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October:<br />
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Katherine turned nine in mid-October, and the cool weather of fall was quickly upon us. We celebrated in the usual ways; a trip to the pumpkin farm, a corn maze, and other fall traditions. Will spent his weekends playing soccer, and Katherine officially made the decision to take a hiatus from piano and give the swim team a try. Halloween marked the end of October, and for once in all the years we have had children, it was actually mild & nice weather for trick-or-treating (as opposed to rainy, cold, and hail!).<br />
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November:<br />
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November seemed to go by quickly; our days are filled with the busyness of life. School, homework, and after school activities fill up the days of the kids, while Mike and I are constantly trying to figure out ways to best juggle our own jobs with the needs of our kids. Right before Thanksgiving, for the first time in 4 years, my mom, Kate, Missy, and I were able to get away for a girl's shopping weekend...exactly what we all needed. Thanksgiving rounded our November with celebrations with both sides of the family, and a trip up north.<br />
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December:<br />
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Oh December, where did you go? I am not sure why, but this year the Christmas season was a blur. For me personally, as well as those closest to me, the Christmas spirit seemed to be missing this year. Maybe because it felt rushed due to Thanksgiving being so late, or because of the craziness of work travel for Mike coupled with lots of activities for kids, and a busy/stressful few weeks of work for me, as well as some illness? Or maybe it is the sadness of spending the first holidays without those we lost this year.<br />
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Whatever the reason, I can honestly say, I was happy to take the tree down today. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed the Christmas celebrations with family, but after our string of 5 days of Christmas events and travel to various houses (none of them childproofed, mind you!), we. were. exhausted. I tried, I really tried, to enjoy the "magic of Christmas" through the eyes of our children, but it was hard to sit back and relax when Jack was pulling glass balls off of trees and whipping them across the room. Maybe next year it will be easier?!<br />
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Last night, we spent our New Year's Eve as we do every year, with our good friends. Seven kids make things crazy, though, it never feels that crazy. The kids had a great time, as did the adults. I swear I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time, and it felt good. The older three kids made it up to ring in the New Year with us, and even though Jack isn't feeling the best and was up a ton last night, we are enjoying a quiet New Year's day at home...in a childproofed house ;-).<br />
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And that is a wrap. 2014 is now behind us, and the anticipation of 2015 and all it has to bring is strong. A few family trips I am sure will be on the horizon (our annual Dells trip is next week already!), the hope that winter isn't nearly as cruel to us this year so we can get out and enjoy the snow at times, a summer filled with the usually friends and fun, and come September I will put THREE kids on the school bus for full day school, as Charlotte starts Kindergarten. Where does the time go?<br />
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Happy New Year everyone!<br />
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******<br />
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Edited to add a link to more pictures from our <a href="http://flipagram.com/f/OSpAEZKleK">2014 Flipgram. </a><br />
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-24631892977357459542014-12-25T21:13:00.003-06:002014-12-25T21:13:59.766-06:00Merry Christmas!I have a couple posts planned for this week, however, we are in the midst of 5 days of Christmas celebrations and I am beat (thanks to our 1AM bedtime last night due to our Santa duties!).<br />
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So instead, I am stopping by to wish you a Merry Christmas with a promise of more to come.<br />
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-66093006697925275592014-11-30T21:11:00.001-06:002014-11-30T22:10:27.090-06:00Thankful.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97wM9bDw_w6sOmF4xlMHVmvlhDqZPwi5qQiwCjr-OpClgmJAqnDcwUmI4LWwQfBwt8lgQ5F_bC4AFQ4r6M0jLicz-0eugxEHMcp5U7BW06h6uRlH0vbeAiIwf_8_IukLdnZGO_gp8qYqV/s640/blogger-image--433957785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97wM9bDw_w6sOmF4xlMHVmvlhDqZPwi5qQiwCjr-OpClgmJAqnDcwUmI4LWwQfBwt8lgQ5F_bC4AFQ4r6M0jLicz-0eugxEHMcp5U7BW06h6uRlH0vbeAiIwf_8_IukLdnZGO_gp8qYqV/s640/blogger-image--433957785.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYb5bywZrmf3j_0SDrh3HBBqifB4DxDQJ-d-CfMtlEyxJ77qqMbjfKWj5O8_MEU7JfI4Whxyq4Aqu1UtIJB7Qb7W1kOtKWP1Ac70shGVaFD0twFjv3ZLdEXL0wQj9ZQQTZXLFZj7Y8Nxe6/s640/blogger-image-174903253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYb5bywZrmf3j_0SDrh3HBBqifB4DxDQJ-d-CfMtlEyxJ77qqMbjfKWj5O8_MEU7JfI4Whxyq4Aqu1UtIJB7Qb7W1kOtKWP1Ac70shGVaFD0twFjv3ZLdEXL0wQj9ZQQTZXLFZj7Y8Nxe6/s640/blogger-image-174903253.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesQ401hy5E-oOTxIARf5vo0tc2vKMbv4GAJyR7r6uMApfiBsSIePZJ-kc-eEzjXtOk5KJa-lfu76JqrO_GS051o_4iLJcRZoik943TwkKsZCtrqUUUJmWAnXFVanXE14lsy2zE0qCu5qo/s640/blogger-image-1434509935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesQ401hy5E-oOTxIARf5vo0tc2vKMbv4GAJyR7r6uMApfiBsSIePZJ-kc-eEzjXtOk5KJa-lfu76JqrO_GS051o_4iLJcRZoik943TwkKsZCtrqUUUJmWAnXFVanXE14lsy2zE0qCu5qo/s640/blogger-image-1434509935.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh6Gqy_iSgBDj_3GdGvOnuB_23Jdfv20gMt8JTtKP9Yau8kNDjWx0vkXxnyDhhOG-k-_-DFmXpVHyjQ394KiQfsq4tBF7ea2DHj15lhGvFeIA3SZg_YwLT9kaY-QHSpMEbzdUSObbjJX5/s640/blogger-image--8640331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh6Gqy_iSgBDj_3GdGvOnuB_23Jdfv20gMt8JTtKP9Yau8kNDjWx0vkXxnyDhhOG-k-_-DFmXpVHyjQ394KiQfsq4tBF7ea2DHj15lhGvFeIA3SZg_YwLT9kaY-QHSpMEbzdUSObbjJX5/s640/blogger-image--8640331.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-64555186998705289612014-10-30T21:37:00.001-05:002014-10-30T21:37:13.849-05:00Miss me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hellllloooo out there! Anyone still there? My poor, neglected blog...eek, it has been over two months since I have written anything. Last month, on September 30th, I posted a quick picture in order to avoid a month where I posted absolutely <i>nothing.</i> In the 4+ years since Charlotte's birth, a month hasn't gone by in which I didn't post at least once entry...I couldn't start now!</div>
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Whenever I think life couldn't get crazier, it always does. I had a job opportunity kind of fall into my lap; so far, it has worked out well for my family; it has freed up my nights at home (where I used to work outside of the home multiple nights a week), as this new job allows me to work from home, mostly after the kids have gone to bed or in the early morning hours before they get up. However, it also robs me of any time I used to have to myself at night (hence the absence of blog entries)....the sacrifices we make for our children! </div>
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In an effort to catch you up with the happenings of our lives these past two months, here is a visual (with a few captions) of what you missed. My job allows me to have "off" when the kids have off of school, so maybe look for my next blog entry around Thanksgiving?! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will turned 7 in September, and invited a few friends to enjoy his favorite past time to celebrate! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I did it Mommy, I did it!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to meet her new 4K teachers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the waning days of summer with a zoo trip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another job of mine...entertaining "B" while his mom heads back to school this year. Jack likes it :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb4rLTmZKoXoIX2f1vAXbowF_Oztpps6Q1ERWBN3fNhI8AvI3X2lwygwYKsOBUKavR8NZfDWOoR1Kb8qT95dk1sqHn2tHV_r3QIKkYYGja7HwmyqSNYE1m2hoRRsRskucBZR_LE3cEQkT/s1600/IMG_6562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb4rLTmZKoXoIX2f1vAXbowF_Oztpps6Q1ERWBN3fNhI8AvI3X2lwygwYKsOBUKavR8NZfDWOoR1Kb8qT95dk1sqHn2tHV_r3QIKkYYGja7HwmyqSNYE1m2hoRRsRskucBZR_LE3cEQkT/s1600/IMG_6562.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When did these two get so old?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEvu7eMQrcjf1Yel6XDmBBZ_6mwGZBVEYrYFJ_bzk-fGEr1BBMzXm80qKGYiN6RxZP-C8b0woDpuDV2UGlDUJYl88unIVDLDeeEgcgvQI6PVCW5eciTMuAlr7Mcq_xW-zz4TeH_LJ2GDK/s1600/IMG_6569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEvu7eMQrcjf1Yel6XDmBBZ_6mwGZBVEYrYFJ_bzk-fGEr1BBMzXm80qKGYiN6RxZP-C8b0woDpuDV2UGlDUJYl88unIVDLDeeEgcgvQI6PVCW5eciTMuAlr7Mcq_xW-zz4TeH_LJ2GDK/s1600/IMG_6569.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves black beans as much as his big sister. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-s18oKVYoNCNdJjyX-1mmMxwBp2xa0D7UYIe8JmzwA4T7Onntq53msE4xKO1wMzvEV8TXKpjhT-MKABNyEERdwiz8DKOX8VOUoKQzRhldsq3CC-v9KgYAZrf0S8eOoDu_k-gOfuQvtuj/s1600/IMG_6580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-s18oKVYoNCNdJjyX-1mmMxwBp2xa0D7UYIe8JmzwA4T7Onntq53msE4xKO1wMzvEV8TXKpjhT-MKABNyEERdwiz8DKOX8VOUoKQzRhldsq3CC-v9KgYAZrf0S8eOoDu_k-gOfuQvtuj/s1600/IMG_6580.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating "7" with Will and his 1st grade class. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1k4tu8ApYweREmv8A1LjsT2NgapyB6K4rphnFL_orpnvuUcpMch0DW_C792uUYIyfFlbwAMBBDyHki5BHVAdH37UdfOHJk7F0BkJaNQVJL2dHHSEQKZ_GeublX4KRS8wQ_ctAfQ0yFZH/s1600/IMG_6663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1k4tu8ApYweREmv8A1LjsT2NgapyB6K4rphnFL_orpnvuUcpMch0DW_C792uUYIyfFlbwAMBBDyHki5BHVAdH37UdfOHJk7F0BkJaNQVJL2dHHSEQKZ_GeublX4KRS8wQ_ctAfQ0yFZH/s1600/IMG_6663.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower girls. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXEXK6wXKqoKbkILTB58RYR5aHp6H-q5amP1cx04YRgJnQ6G1JZSCjhvJT5-AJDpnUz19V9ERYoOalG8rqjsAE4PMJCH7W_fjThzOE8_q-DQ-6MEkyMM0IYODIZtKOnEpCxrhkIYwmGRP/s1600/IMG_6585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXEXK6wXKqoKbkILTB58RYR5aHp6H-q5amP1cx04YRgJnQ6G1JZSCjhvJT5-AJDpnUz19V9ERYoOalG8rqjsAE4PMJCH7W_fjThzOE8_q-DQ-6MEkyMM0IYODIZtKOnEpCxrhkIYwmGRP/s1600/IMG_6585.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Keri's wedding. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8PB4p6wv-7bRnTjH4UCd_dJjyhLJTNv9QrUNUSIDkKOklWyJoaBjeTZCTMnX0xFIqGXsWoQ9YYZvrns106xjNSJgheGa-d6fBxm-wKDJDfRqXDPrYZ0I_IPTnHw5ow5aoWLCQUPQo98t/s1600/IMG_6593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8PB4p6wv-7bRnTjH4UCd_dJjyhLJTNv9QrUNUSIDkKOklWyJoaBjeTZCTMnX0xFIqGXsWoQ9YYZvrns106xjNSJgheGa-d6fBxm-wKDJDfRqXDPrYZ0I_IPTnHw5ow5aoWLCQUPQo98t/s1600/IMG_6593.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz50AR1bSijre9BvJP1u0h7kiUfMGAmaEkZgGtCUHx2Cd1Yq-xq58e-mLcV2nComagXHxMlfu7Hs2Yarj0yfJ7hpchoKYhWG2pbZCO-i4Ay0RjjUQQsFfeZgaapFJYH9I6EBjprcUje32/s1600/IMG_6635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz50AR1bSijre9BvJP1u0h7kiUfMGAmaEkZgGtCUHx2Cd1Yq-xq58e-mLcV2nComagXHxMlfu7Hs2Yarj0yfJ7hpchoKYhWG2pbZCO-i4Ay0RjjUQQsFfeZgaapFJYH9I6EBjprcUje32/s1600/IMG_6635.jpg" height="640" width="626" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcHGrnI4ypcYVvuqPGvlngtqCT7-mCrmFYSc5-pZjE9gAZr4N_xkUgQ7hk58UXy4_hzep7Hk3NVqzmqvKse5V1-NtgNzhRY7hNXZvP2qRpIurmAdJu4NzImaOUoyUrxntb15OnsWgYnrX/s1600/IMG_6681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcHGrnI4ypcYVvuqPGvlngtqCT7-mCrmFYSc5-pZjE9gAZr4N_xkUgQ7hk58UXy4_hzep7Hk3NVqzmqvKse5V1-NtgNzhRY7hNXZvP2qRpIurmAdJu4NzImaOUoyUrxntb15OnsWgYnrX/s1600/IMG_6681.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby boy in a bow tie. 'Nough said. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaL7HpCpajDCM_pPZqDdrotuOTGvOrCR788l9YYHki6NfjD16kgpOAMoQJz2ZcbvmBxZtYI-ram0RRt5NNmaIGV5q7rCyvDEP-Et9jAPgkkdoWICZkJrfM8lYxqBVTxJebwkiWBg5ufxa1/s1600/IMG_6598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaL7HpCpajDCM_pPZqDdrotuOTGvOrCR788l9YYHki6NfjD16kgpOAMoQJz2ZcbvmBxZtYI-ram0RRt5NNmaIGV5q7rCyvDEP-Et9jAPgkkdoWICZkJrfM8lYxqBVTxJebwkiWBg5ufxa1/s1600/IMG_6598.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road trip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH0wMrT2Or96gpx0EDvBcCwMrT1yzBRgeOZugvmdOqHra4NuLQdx0ksEb1AUBUuTjshQC3BXSM109VnGnWECwfDvXXX_v8dy9PNU_YC1khVAV6_ny2Eqqfy3nihcHdnBi1ZF67QfIv31v/s1600/IMG_6611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH0wMrT2Or96gpx0EDvBcCwMrT1yzBRgeOZugvmdOqHra4NuLQdx0ksEb1AUBUuTjshQC3BXSM109VnGnWECwfDvXXX_v8dy9PNU_YC1khVAV6_ny2Eqqfy3nihcHdnBi1ZF67QfIv31v/s1600/IMG_6611.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggest birthday ice cream sundae. Ever.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1H_dYLjFswJfm1ru-jDLI5h9jVVQg1IXugo7Fvl4fiacWiz_StwKnHGbkJCyCupP1gROHb53iE7Fi8QwAPOuEWjzYvCW0uoCuPrr15oEomBTIZ6HkHmb_BXb1imxdHUEMHD3AmAUdK76/s1600/IMG_6642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1H_dYLjFswJfm1ru-jDLI5h9jVVQg1IXugo7Fvl4fiacWiz_StwKnHGbkJCyCupP1gROHb53iE7Fi8QwAPOuEWjzYvCW0uoCuPrr15oEomBTIZ6HkHmb_BXb1imxdHUEMHD3AmAUdK76/s1600/IMG_6642.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kid turned 9 in October. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3XGI76h0mwGX65d5gvWsANL7cFoFIyyXretlUDvhXnTiZxEVTga4QMNwCn6A8Fa-nOB9Etd9inwJbxf74kQehktReM2kgJZnfI7xoyCuWZ4zg3GesFl6zgKh7spWw7rRm-T2nnKzPK0-/s1600/IMG_6738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3XGI76h0mwGX65d5gvWsANL7cFoFIyyXretlUDvhXnTiZxEVTga4QMNwCn6A8Fa-nOB9Etd9inwJbxf74kQehktReM2kgJZnfI7xoyCuWZ4zg3GesFl6zgKh7spWw7rRm-T2nnKzPK0-/s1600/IMG_6738.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kid is where all my gray hair is going to come from....the cause of many sleepless nights and much of my days stresses. Wouldn't trade him for the world. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qCdlsp6nUlUMGrGyimDne0FfW0F5BosUv8UgYEhW7HyzRTXLeZXWD52CDWRSqjbiiNIs0QFAtBVMlFyk2_gXQqtM8zPUmGM2V2RCBUAUM9hLbhmIPUAhPAYDS6jqdiitAOO79u17MVFh/s1600/IMG_6756_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qCdlsp6nUlUMGrGyimDne0FfW0F5BosUv8UgYEhW7HyzRTXLeZXWD52CDWRSqjbiiNIs0QFAtBVMlFyk2_gXQqtM8zPUmGM2V2RCBUAUM9hLbhmIPUAhPAYDS6jqdiitAOO79u17MVFh/s1600/IMG_6756_2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday morning soccer selfie. </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11hAEl8OHSP7bPXVYVJYazoCBqMkX4TC8HwDW28vRHqNU0StqKrz94eD1f4uOOodIJ26pnVKC4ZuHs9wxK_wrz4RBPDlw8HUrFpibQyjZ1NSQisS3W8xaaU8yrK3aXiWQQtIycwQSaEEL/s1600/IMG_6908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11hAEl8OHSP7bPXVYVJYazoCBqMkX4TC8HwDW28vRHqNU0StqKrz94eD1f4uOOodIJ26pnVKC4ZuHs9wxK_wrz4RBPDlw8HUrFpibQyjZ1NSQisS3W8xaaU8yrK3aXiWQQtIycwQSaEEL/s1600/IMG_6908.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7UQZ4dKJXbD-gIOIrAWSjWM4158123TtJ4wQ5UkTQTt-tUQkCBeKgJmfrGfIg1hD7y1ixYBHDp7G-DdIIbGifChu-VtVjKvUaWf5DGQwXNeJcQPRhSh9FaQ27HOvwLgg_uMLyt_i188u/s1600/IMG_6958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7UQZ4dKJXbD-gIOIrAWSjWM4158123TtJ4wQ5UkTQTt-tUQkCBeKgJmfrGfIg1hD7y1ixYBHDp7G-DdIIbGifChu-VtVjKvUaWf5DGQwXNeJcQPRhSh9FaQ27HOvwLgg_uMLyt_i188u/s1600/IMG_6958.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fun that can be had at Target is endless. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCq5ztA5PmX5qJhTzACZ_EIAQZCflsWK5gcl-gqann8DUNqBIeLJ_ICYQtF_N2lUjDqRIILhLBCDhUbsNxFWUkcNtKt5yPAhnm5FIBK7q0FZWKXWX251DSIlFlXlepEen8vehlIsips1Dh/s1600/IMG_6966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCq5ztA5PmX5qJhTzACZ_EIAQZCflsWK5gcl-gqann8DUNqBIeLJ_ICYQtF_N2lUjDqRIILhLBCDhUbsNxFWUkcNtKt5yPAhnm5FIBK7q0FZWKXWX251DSIlFlXlepEen8vehlIsips1Dh/s1600/IMG_6966.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"9" looks good on her. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK1V4h05BdsJvHfmYmVrGWHgLpRlkczqX_VNthyphenhyphenEjMTHqqj40MHJwnv_93BbuVo_9oybjJc5PO15YuVk1gIuY7BCBTwYqGs9ftjvKfIXYhUsOsGt1ouL7ccoRlIWGnt8Dfqf04YoeRrR_/s1600/IMG_6969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK1V4h05BdsJvHfmYmVrGWHgLpRlkczqX_VNthyphenhyphenEjMTHqqj40MHJwnv_93BbuVo_9oybjJc5PO15YuVk1gIuY7BCBTwYqGs9ftjvKfIXYhUsOsGt1ouL7ccoRlIWGnt8Dfqf04YoeRrR_/s1600/IMG_6969.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday dinner....hotdogs ("the real ones mom, like the ones from Miller park...not those turkey ones you usually buy!"), white rice, and broccoli. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a_8dquGIAzNSPZfyG7XQgiXJQjBUYtLJ53x7va4wLH1efAY9hLBtDcck3ddYGDgJxkNU_KSyw16JxzWKEWoRJBMhzRJVPmMSobfBpH4brhm-uUZcPQhQTt4mRBEW7LAW0-9YcRzKxlDX/s1600/IMG_6994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a_8dquGIAzNSPZfyG7XQgiXJQjBUYtLJ53x7va4wLH1efAY9hLBtDcck3ddYGDgJxkNU_KSyw16JxzWKEWoRJBMhzRJVPmMSobfBpH4brhm-uUZcPQhQTt4mRBEW7LAW0-9YcRzKxlDX/s1600/IMG_6994.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bus ride to the pumpkin farm! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhwGhNPwmhEiS57C0bxSqSwcg2gqwYjahS1eUMPn10zLB5DH8dcAS50e-AMLb7pHiwBaVjD3uqZ2yyfPwap6oj8i-TkEgie2axe_928aNCqTDalB8nZ-X_eXcIihqmzaPN-LF6UvH2M1D/s1600/IMG_7008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhwGhNPwmhEiS57C0bxSqSwcg2gqwYjahS1eUMPn10zLB5DH8dcAS50e-AMLb7pHiwBaVjD3uqZ2yyfPwap6oj8i-TkEgie2axe_928aNCqTDalB8nZ-X_eXcIihqmzaPN-LF6UvH2M1D/s1600/IMG_7008.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4K field trip with her friends. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjb7OR2gf6_Ens6eifPPYuxgnH7h9QhaDzLm9bB5voKjLxUqVLe3La-UhWm2WBDjDuDIFsY8nbLByTawqBg3juL5-yeqLsrydRofPXN4ovizmLYX-bsDIiID5S9EE_lgruK7GQlkCjZwX/s1600/IMG_7025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjb7OR2gf6_Ens6eifPPYuxgnH7h9QhaDzLm9bB5voKjLxUqVLe3La-UhWm2WBDjDuDIFsY8nbLByTawqBg3juL5-yeqLsrydRofPXN4ovizmLYX-bsDIiID5S9EE_lgruK7GQlkCjZwX/s1600/IMG_7025.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte has been really into games lately...good thing she has good teachers (ignore the no pants, she isn't a fan of those). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto4DH5RJQRK6C7QcBkg5JSWqzhhXIc5RxT8MgtFxnomgluHVKUOnFe0t4LmvLV-3QVpKoXeQyvcA_P97eETBtjPlTha6ft7Innvu70lB2ZAtmpiZF2bABuQaM8Sqwk88ayTQf_bDLIh_d/s1600/IMG_7035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto4DH5RJQRK6C7QcBkg5JSWqzhhXIc5RxT8MgtFxnomgluHVKUOnFe0t4LmvLV-3QVpKoXeQyvcA_P97eETBtjPlTha6ft7Innvu70lB2ZAtmpiZF2bABuQaM8Sqwk88ayTQf_bDLIh_d/s1600/IMG_7035.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "More brothers" asking for more food, of course.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8XonXxwQ2gowNnj8ijlC7sOeS7ybjO3n-CbjCkmUZA-4n7nIniMIRfpxOJefWZAkA9DvO_-J42-S3bXVmaNhliNY25tlyFHcaZWDWR8IPcQ-oPpUcsYvgSD-SqdovtjYwxRL6HtoX1DW/s1600/IMG_7043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8XonXxwQ2gowNnj8ijlC7sOeS7ybjO3n-CbjCkmUZA-4n7nIniMIRfpxOJefWZAkA9DvO_-J42-S3bXVmaNhliNY25tlyFHcaZWDWR8IPcQ-oPpUcsYvgSD-SqdovtjYwxRL6HtoX1DW/s1600/IMG_7043.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A much welcomed night out. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscDUMj_MOiERXkxvBBJuPVvLO7adgjBWtEIz-DHW_tDM_N106dJgihd4qIkVHZC5-_0PH_D7UD3HDZau12VlxPZg9IBzVEzFGSG1KAFrJrHCFpGnfQAtVeZGLp5K9btsT9hKI0ymKPHot/s1600/IMG_7045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscDUMj_MOiERXkxvBBJuPVvLO7adgjBWtEIz-DHW_tDM_N106dJgihd4qIkVHZC5-_0PH_D7UD3HDZau12VlxPZg9IBzVEzFGSG1KAFrJrHCFpGnfQAtVeZGLp5K9btsT9hKI0ymKPHot/s1600/IMG_7045.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chipotle with friends. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We may have to try t-ball next summer...this kiddo wants to be just like her big brother. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily morning walks with the "More brothers"</td></tr>
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Happy Halloween everyone!Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-41884042263721671482014-09-30T22:18:00.001-05:002014-09-30T22:21:18.602-05:00Gymnast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-39892665562645610232014-08-05T15:25:00.002-05:002014-08-05T15:25:50.794-05:0010 things I have been doing instead of blogging. Version 2.0.Last summer my blog was severely neglected. I blamed it on an incredibly needy, reflux-y, screaming baby.<br />
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This summer my blog is severely neglected. I blame it on an incredibly needy, high maintenance, "get into everything" toddler.<br />
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I apologize. School starts in less then a month, I am hoping to find more of a routine to the madness that is my household and increase my posts. I have lots of ideas and thoughts to share, just no time to get them on written down.<br />
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So, in an effort to catch up during what could be the only ten minutes I have to myself today, like <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2013/07/10-things-i-have-been-doing-instead-of.html">last summer</a>, "10 things I have been doing instead of blogging. Version 2.0"<br />
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1) Childproofing my house. Jack continues to be our most challenging child to date, and it hasn't slowed down as he has gotten older. The kid gets into everything, EV-ERY.THING. You would think I would be used to this? Nope. With Charlotte, baby gates and cabinet locks were not needed. Katherine & Will, though not as easy as Charlotte, had nothing on Jack. In an attempt to find a solution to control the chaos, we moved Mike's office to our bedroom and turned the first floor space into a playroom. With gates on either side. Good thing he is cute, and makes us laugh often with his crazy antics.<br />
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2) Potty training Charlotte. I will have a post coming up about this, as I know there are many who want to know more. I have cleaned up a lot of pee in the last three weeks, and while it hasn't been as quick as it was with the older two, she has definitely shown progress. However, potty training has proven to be quite an expensive ordeal; during Charlotte's first public potty "success" I jumped up to celebrate, and threw my cell phone in the toilet. $269 later, the Apple store was able to help me out. Ugh.<br />
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3) Saying goodbye to the smartest lady I know. My grams passed away a few weeks ago. We (as in me and all four of my kids) were extremely close to her, and it has been hard for all of us. I have a post started for my grams, but haven't been able to find the right words to finish it. Grandma didn't want a funeral, but rather a party...so in a few weeks we are going to celebrate her life, with good food, drinks, music, and memories.<br />
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4) Getting things ready for my new job this fall. I am looking forward to it; it is for a local school district, and I get to work mostly from home allowing me still to be home with the kids, but dip my toes back in the public schools...it is hard to believe it has been nearly seven years since I left teaching.<br />
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5) Increasing my Milwaukee Brewer knowledge. Pretty sure Will is the biggest fan there is, and in an effort to show him I care about his interests, I know every player, their positions, and pertinent stats. All this baseball hype must be contagious, as Katherine seems to have gotten bit by the Brewer bug too...Mike has taken them to quite a few games this summer, and there is rarely a night we don't have baseball on the television.<br />
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6) I am still doing the <a href="http://emilycornell.norwex.biz/">Norwex</a> thing, and it has picked up quite a bit this summer, keeping me busy and giving me an occasional night out away from the fam.<br />
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7) Reading lots of Katherine's writing. She wants to be an author when she grows up; she recently discovered the word processing program on our family laptop and has spent HOURS the past week writing. I told her she needs to add "printer ink" to her birthday list as her favorite part of typing up her stories is adding clip art. Lots of it.<br />
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8) Celebrating our tenth anniversary with my husband. We had a quick night away, and stuffed a whole bunch of stuff into a short amount of time. When you don't get a whole lot of time without children, you tend to really cherish the little time you have; which we did. Love that man more every day, and look forward to many, many more years to come.<br />
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9) Fun summer stuff with the kids. After our anniversary getaway, Mike took the rest of the week off and we planned a bunch of fun stuff with the kids. Noah's Ark, the zoo, a local pool...it was fun to have little structure to our day for once, and enjoy each other.<br />
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10) Shaking my head in amazement as Charlotte's speech has seemed to take off over the past month or so. Beginning sounds she used to drop, are all of a sudden there. Two word phrases have become full sentences, and lately when I ask her questions, her responses are not only appropriate, but right. A favorite lately has been, "It's mine, not YOURS! No fair!" ....apparently the result of a summer with her siblings.<br />
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There ya have it...hoping to get a least one more post in this August. No promises though ;-), I've got things to do!Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-35477937659919655952014-07-10T09:15:00.006-05:002014-07-10T09:15:54.697-05:00Summertime<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I am not sure what it is about summer, but my ability to keep up with this blog decreases greatly. Pretty sure it has something to do with the four little humans living in my house. My work (outside the home work that is) schedule cuts down to almost nothing, but life with my children becomes much more complicated in the summer....camps, summer school, swim lessons, speech, zoo classes...summer for this mom of four = taxi cab driver. </div>
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Here is a quick catch up of the last month in pictures (with a few captions). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7miA_V6dDptiRdNbLVNVe2uohlNCAo8YEnofUfvqLMCvKnwbiZDTW35FdDQBwzHQeIvsz9DwQfEGly38gOb5x2NCevFAWuE2YqqzIUZF76hrYT41VIStB7S5N2UDI7uA7MvPxnFjnhId/s640/blogger-image--1242942253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYvjbQM9EbPbd1eDos9CP5tk_bq_Mr0WGgqRPLYDFpJGCW2UZV22dXk3yRolntw6NlWM-H64rhstEgS5flq6AEaMthCuZVohj1xKQkDWLD5S-2xiDIYJXX-zALmEI4gG94XjFDAo6WUfj/s640/blogger-image--1435372613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYvjbQM9EbPbd1eDos9CP5tk_bq_Mr0WGgqRPLYDFpJGCW2UZV22dXk3yRolntw6NlWM-H64rhstEgS5flq6AEaMthCuZVohj1xKQkDWLD5S-2xiDIYJXX-zALmEI4gG94XjFDAo6WUfj/s1600/blogger-image--1435372613.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby boy comes everywhere with us. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We spent Father's day visiting a local petting zoo. Best dad ever. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRg1-xBgb9JSxGzRJ58KLY9GPvIGdm5SeSjOwGJCMAii2A5PI6xz5S5eou4k2sesY7RDTOxiIurVIRg2qXkRG2EtFNuSzd3BBU84cjOBNgf1VnS6CTSQimybIJAMxZOK9O4rwdNrw0vULH/s640/blogger-image--1886382484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRg1-xBgb9JSxGzRJ58KLY9GPvIGdm5SeSjOwGJCMAii2A5PI6xz5S5eou4k2sesY7RDTOxiIurVIRg2qXkRG2EtFNuSzd3BBU84cjOBNgf1VnS6CTSQimybIJAMxZOK9O4rwdNrw0vULH/s640/blogger-image--1886382484.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Dinner date with my girls while the boys went to baseball. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtTR8_znFCX1Ay4xFTQ6BLXe9FpPsCNOZkjM-u7NnzuoJQ0DMLTgMvT-spQYB9Ys2HfIru-UPI6DSihs7LGPDu6Tv3J4aaNPDT2CmbyhNDI9KgR9taoExjvmZDjd-06yjHD4jk-JKv6QG/s640/blogger-image-1748501224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtTR8_znFCX1Ay4xFTQ6BLXe9FpPsCNOZkjM-u7NnzuoJQ0DMLTgMvT-spQYB9Ys2HfIru-UPI6DSihs7LGPDu6Tv3J4aaNPDT2CmbyhNDI9KgR9taoExjvmZDjd-06yjHD4jk-JKv6QG/s640/blogger-image-1748501224.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying on flower girl dresses for Aunt Keri's wedding this fall. Both girl's loved it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh19vAyI9ci4JyTPaobDyNc0Gic32VmHk97CkpnRn1rGu_kZRMos87ChBQdNWZ6guVaXXH2F5CJ156K8f6trZSJkqr67ksMHKvC9DySwKFLOftjeiUWhTB7aEY8qOFqBSRxZyPdpKYv-4F/s640/blogger-image-2127945211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh19vAyI9ci4JyTPaobDyNc0Gic32VmHk97CkpnRn1rGu_kZRMos87ChBQdNWZ6guVaXXH2F5CJ156K8f6trZSJkqr67ksMHKvC9DySwKFLOftjeiUWhTB7aEY8qOFqBSRxZyPdpKYv-4F/s640/blogger-image-2127945211.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First pedicure. Katherine: "Mom, we need to do this more often."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack's teething (finally, 14 months finally got a tooth, or four!). Those baby books that say "children may be a little irritable while teething"....they haven't met Jack....a little?!?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annual 4th of July pic. It's a keeper. </td></tr>
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A lot of these pictures were on Instagram; I apologize for the repeats. I tend to post there more frequently as it is quick and easy to do. Feel free to follow me (ekc80) if you would like more frequent updates. Thanks for checking in, enjoy your July!Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-182231477926035562014-06-09T15:20:00.003-05:002014-06-09T20:25:02.209-05:00Four.Dear Charlotte,<br />
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Oh my, baby girl. Where does the time go? Today you are<i> four</i>. Four years old...how did that happen?! This past year has seem to fly by faster then the previous three, if that is even possible!<br />
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We had a great weekend celebrating both of our birthdays. I think you may be confused by when your actual birthday is, as it seems we have celebrated multiple times over during the past week, but hey, why shouldn't we? We have lots to celebrate.<br />
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Saturday was your birthday party. Like Jack's party last month, we kept is small and simple. And frankly, I am so glad we did. You were in your element. The ecstatic look on your face the entire day as you played with your siblings and cousins in your new pool and on the swing set was perfect. Pretty sure there wasn't much more you could have asked for; a day outside, good snacks & dinner, followed by a cake with the five inches of frosting you ordered.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not a fan of everyone singing to you...you don't like being the center of attention :)</i></td></tr>
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It was incredibly fun watching you open your presents this year. You opened them when you and each of your guests felt fit, not all at once. It was truly the birthday party that kept on giving. It didn't matter if you were opening bubbles or a sprinkler or your new swing or favorite blocks or a hot pink pair of googles; your reaction was the same, amazing amounts of glee & delight, followed by immense gratitude towards the gift giver. Missy said it best, "Charlotte is the kid you <i>want </i>to give gifts to, as she loves and appreciates each one so much!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tucker loved the "fruit swords!"</i></td></tr>
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*****</div>
This past year you have grown so much; physically, socially, academically, verbally...actually pretty much all around growth! It has been fun watching you leave the last stages of toddlerhood behind and blossom into a delightful little girl. A girl with opinions about what you want, when you want it, and how you are going to get it. You are pretty strong willed, and have no problems communicating your desires with us.<br />
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Your amaze me with your ability to empathize with others as such a young age. A few weeks ago, I took both you and Jack for routine annual blood work. You went first, chatted up a storm with the tech taking your blood, didn't shed a tear, and thanked her when she was done. Then it was Jack's turn...he didn't do quite so well. Jack started crying as soon as the tech looked at him. His crying escalated to full out wailing before the needle even hit his skin, and I am sure you remember how loud he was screaming when he was actually poked. While I was trying to comfort Jack, I looked over at you; <span style="text-align: center;">sitting in your stroller, with your new Frozen sticker stuck to your shirt, and your lower lip was quivering. Big tears started to roll down your face, and you kept saying "Boo boo, it is okay, it is okay boo boo." You hate seeing others in distress, pain, or upset. When he was done, you came over gave him an hug and wouldn't let go.</span><br />
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In April, after your tonsil/adenoids surgery, I went back to the recovery room to see you after you had woken up. I had been prepared to see you upset, as a lot times when kids come out of anesthesia they are disorientated and inconsolable. Not you. You were awake, smiling, and greeted me with a "hi Mom!" Your nurse told me that you were the most polite and sweet kid she had ever taken care of; you even thanked her for taking your blood pressure. I smiled and agreed.<br />
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I should really write down all of the crazy, funny, clever things you say. Your ability to communicate with us and others this year has increased exponentially. Last week, I went upstairs to get you after your nap (which these days, it is more of a rest time, as you rarely sleep), and there was white stuffing all over your room. I asked you what happened, and what stuffed animal did the stuffing come from? You responded with, "Oh no!! It is snowing!!" ...today I went up to put you down for nap and found your stuffed dinosaur with your bandaid that was on your knee last week, across his neck seam. Sure enough, dino had a big hole under his bandaid and was missing quite a bit of stuffing.<br />
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At the beginning of May, we sat down for your annual IEP meeting. It came up that you hadn't met one of your goals, which was "Be able to answer the question, <i>what is your name?</i>" Your teachers and therapists had been trying for weeks to get you to answer this question. Silly really, as you know your name, and we let them all know this. I continued on to tell your team about the swim story (which I have mentioned a few times on <a href="http://charlotte0609.blogspot.com/2014/02/wordless-wednesdaywell-not-really.html">this blog</a>), and all of a sudden everyone was laughing and lightbulbs were going on, you indeed were telling them each time that your name was swim. Why? Because you think (and know) you are funny. Your sense of humor is crazy, and keeps us laughing.<br />
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Thank you my girl, thank you for being you. I could go on and on with stories from this year that have blown us away, made us laugh, or reminded us what a crazy, polite, strong-willed, smart little girl you have become.<br />
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What lies ahead for you? A summer filled with camp, zoo trips, parks, birthday parties, swimming lessons, a few road trips...and this fall, 4 year-old kindergarten. I look forward to this next year. Can't wait.<br />
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Happy birthday my love,<br />
Mom<br />
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<br />Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-31232972412208415572014-06-03T12:08:00.003-05:002014-06-03T12:08:58.199-05:00Cake. And frosting too.My girl's birthday is fast approaching. Here are her thoughts on the upcoming event. As you can see, she is also quite a help in the kitchen, and is always there asking me what I am cooking and if she can help.<br />
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-74627911917754815802014-05-21T16:38:00.001-05:002014-05-21T20:07:06.595-05:00Hot Zoo day.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Apparently we skipped spring in Wisconsin and went right from winter to summer.<br />
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The kids aren't so sure about the extreme temperatures, but it sure is nice to be outside without shivering! </div>
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And since the zoo is right across from Mike's office, lunch with him was an added bonus. </div>
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Happy Wednesday! </div>
Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-46202853357384513182014-05-16T21:17:00.000-05:002014-05-16T21:17:00.902-05:00To make you smile. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My neglected blog is the result of a week of no sleep thanks to my favorite 1-year-old. Most nights by the time all four kids are in bed, and I have time to myself, writing a blog entry isn't in the cards. Tonight isn't any different, as my eyes are heavy and my pillow is calling my name....so, while I have a huge list of topics in my head that I need to write about, a short video of my girl is what you get instead. I love this kid so much and I can't tell you how much she makes me (and the rest of the fam) laugh on a daily basis. </div>
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Here's to hoping for at least a few consecutive hours of sleep tonight without a coughing/snotty baby laying on me.Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-68715185581141298762014-05-03T22:26:00.001-05:002014-05-04T08:09:54.605-05:00The Last First Birthday Party.Today was Jack's birthday party. The last first birthday party we will plan.<br />
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We kept the party small, in comparison to years past. Lots has been going on with our extended family lately, and stress levels have been high. A small, low-key party was what we all needed.<br />
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Jack seemed to enjoy himself, which was the goal of the day. He decided he was having so much fun, he went from taking an occasional step here and there, to walking a good 10 steps across the room. He was so proud and loved the cheering from the crowd.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two are going to get into trouble together someday...</td></tr>
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Thanks to much to our family for helping us celebrate. Jack is one lucky little boy.<br />
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Next up? A certain little girl is going to be FOUR in just one month. Yikes, time flies.<br />
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Edited to add a picture comparison of all four of my babies on their first birthdays...</div>
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-15410782678301941132014-05-01T20:01:00.001-05:002014-05-01T20:01:25.361-05:00My baby is one. Dear Jack,<br />
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Well, my dear, we made it. This past year has often seemed like time has stood still. But, 365 days have passed, and today you are one. Even though many of the days have seemed long, looking back at pictures, I remember every detail of the night you were born, including the intense feelings of joy and amazement when I first laid eyes on you.<br />
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I often say, I should have known. You were born at 12:43AM, and moments after birth immediately started crying and didn't stop until I was able to nurse you. You latched on like a champ...and didn't want to let go, for THREE hours. I remember looking over at your daddy, realizing he was sound asleep and thinking to myself, wait a sec, when do I get to do that?<br />
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It turns out baby boy, 12 months later, I still have the same question. You definitely have kept us on our toes these past months. You love being held, you prefer me (mom) to anyone else, and you are still hard to please when all isn't right in your world. At almost 1-year-old, you are the first of our four children to crawl after me through the house saying "mamamamama...." over and over until I stop and pick you up. For months, the only way your daddy could make you happy was to wear you in the baby carrier. Hours on end you would spend strapped to him, the only way you wouldn't scream the entire time I was at work.<br />
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But despite all the challenges this year has brought, I would do it over in an instant. Because you my little Goober, are worth every sleepless night and every minute of crying. You are truly the perfect final piece to our family. <br />
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Your siblings have a love for you that I can only describe as unconditional. All three of them squeal with excitement when daddy brings you down from your crib in the morning. Katherine usually has her hands around your neck, hugging you the minute she sees you. Charlotte shouting, "Goobie, hi Goobie! Smile!", while Will fills your tray with cheerios from his bowl. One year later, they are still completely enamored by you, and show it every chance they get.<br />
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I look forward to seeing what the next year has in store for you. Here's to today and many more happy birthdays to come my sweet boy!<br />
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Love,<br />
MamamamamamaEmily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-77684111878699462072014-04-24T21:36:00.001-05:002014-04-24T21:36:23.832-05:00Meet Me in St. Louis.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few days before the kid's spring break was to start, Mike & I discussed our plans for the upcoming week. A big vacation wasn't in our plans, but we were craving a change of pace. Fast forward an hour; we had a destination, hotel reservations, an idea of what we could do when we got there. We decided to go south, as the idea of warmer temperatures was incredibly appealing; we also knew it had to be in a comfortable driving distance since Jack has proven to be the world's worst traveler. </div>
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Six hours south, a reasonable, decent hotel and a host of family friendly activities. St. Louis bound we became!</div>
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The weather was perfect (mid-70's and sunny), the kids were for the most part near-perfect, the car ride was manageable, and heck all 6 of us spent three nights in one hotel room we actually all got some <i>sleep</i>. Amazing. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending the arch in the "pod"</td></tr>
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Happy Spring break!Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250756217444825793.post-62888804603625103432014-04-16T20:45:00.000-05:002014-04-16T20:45:06.398-05:00Swinging into Spring. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Charlotte is feeling much better. We are happy to have her surgery behind us, and Charlotte back to her old self. She lost a little bit of weight due to her limited diet during recovery, but overall, it wasn't too bad. She is a tough cookie. </div>
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Spring came to Wisconsin for a few days, and then left again. We are hoping it returns soon; I pretty sick of waking up to snow. </div>
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One of Charlotte & Jack's favorite spring activities....</div>
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Hoping for more spring weather soon!</div>
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Emily Cornellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009813544978711795noreply@blogger.com0