February 2020

We discovered in February that Donovan has diabetes.  It’s been a lot to figure out but he has been amazing.  There is a LOT to learn but he is already trying to be positive and tell himself that he can handle it and even that’s it’s interesting to learn about.  Most of the time he handles all the shots and finger pricks required.  He’s sad or upset sometimes, wondering why he has to deal with all this (which we all wish he didn’t), but he’s doing great.  We’ve had LOTS of help, especially from Aunt Tina.  She has sent him all of her favorite diabetes tools and snacks, answered all of our questions, and gotten him excited about being on Team Cyborg.  The continuous blood glucose monitor is absolutely amazing.  She recommended we get it ASAP and it really does help so much to always know what his level is.  He knows more what it feels like to be really low and what he has to do to fix that.  He’s been telling his teachers what he needs for his diabetes, and teaching his friends about it too.  It’s amazing.  Plus it’s a good thing he’s good at math.  There’s lots of math figuring out carbohydrates and doses of insulin. 

Maia and Serenity sold cookies as a team this year!  It was Maia’s first turn to sell cookies, and Serenity is the only girl in her troop that actually likes selling cookies, so we just did it for one troop this year.  They shared the prizes with each other and with DZ, who enjoyed his usual role as Cookie Warehouse assistant and booth stock boy.  They did a great job!  They passed their first goal, which was to sell 300 to get the butterfly stuffie, and made a stretch goal of 350ish to get a disco ball!  Such great work!  They did booths at Papa’s house, door to door in the neighborhood, sales at Daddy’s work, and online sales!  Such fun!

In person deliveries rock!

We got a snow day!!!  We went sledding with Ava at a hill in our neighborhood.  We just used lids from my plastic tub collection at first, and it was so much fun!  Later Sasha found an even better hill and brought over their sleds which was a blast!  She and Donovan sledded for hours! 

Snow Turtle!

Taste of Greece.  Donovan’s geography teacher is so cool.  Mrs. Pappas planned for them to have a Taste of Greece after their unit on Greece. She got all kinds of Greek food for them to taste and discuss!  I brought my Parthenon backdrop for some fun pics =)

Donovan got the part of the lion in the drama festival!  He wanted a part that required him to move around the stage, I think because he was a narrator last year.  Plus he makes a perfect lion with his curly mane of hair.  Maia was playing one of the shoppers in the Abraham Lincoln play, a University School tradition. Serenity’s play was written by her class, fifth grade is the first year they do that. It was about the American Turtle, the first submarine to be used by America in warfare. She got the part of the reporter who is interviewing Mr. David Bushnell, aka Arjun who designed it. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, the Drama Festival had to be canceled! Big gatherings were just not a good idea, and I’m glad our school played it safe. The kids were bummed when we realized we weren’t going back to school, but I’m glad that they got to work on the plays at all! And I got to see a little bit of Donovan’s play practices since I had to meet him at school for his insulin every day.

Ava’s room is nearly ready! We will miss her so much!

Maia’s Valentine box! She has a definite Girl Scout obsession. So much of her school artwork includes a rainbow daisy!

Responsibility cupcakes to earn her Mari petal =)

Aquarium visit with Everett!

Donovan succeeded in his quest to fill up his bird board! Whenever he plays wingspan with us, our scores go crazy because his favorite thing to do is place birds that give everyone food, cards, or eggs!

Maia’s class got to go to the Aquarium! So much fun!!

100th day of school! Maia wore Granny Hale’s pin, one of my necklaces, a cardigan, and gray color in her bun!