Lemon

I've had a lemon plant for most of my adult life.  Some years, it has been fruitful, others barren.  This year, my lemon plant netted one solitary lemon.  Much like other years, I picked the fruit right before the first freeze.  Since then?  It sits on our counter, untouched. 

Every year that the lemon plant produces, I am excited about the fruit-- until I pick it.  Now what do I do with it?  Nothing seems special enough for my home grown lemon, but if history repeats itself, it will sit on the counter and shrivel due to my inability to decide on its fate. 

I'm sure there is a moral, or metaphor, or something, in the lemon's story, but I don't really know what it is beyond the fact that I need to find something to do with one lemon.  Let me know if you have suggestions!

Scenery

In Austin, there are some very pretty views. So, I found it a bit odd that when we were looking at houses in Austin, I got advice to not buy a house with a view. Sounded odd at first, but now I'm realizing that the reasoning was sound.  Once you live every day, the everyday, in one spot, the view becomes just scenery or background.  It no longer evokes the awe it once did. 

That is how I mostly feel about living these past almost 5 years in Holland. Every day, in the everyday, I usually don't think about it.  Our life is as it is.  It feels 'normal'-- to us anyway.  Holland is just scenery or background. 

Well, until it isn't.  We are jolted when we are awoken in the middle of the night to the sound of a wheezing, little boy who struggles to breathe. (Croup again!) We remember when we see Matthew's classmates learning to read as he is just now learning to talk.  We can't forget when we are still potty training an almost 5 year old. In those moments, I whisper "I hate Holland".  Sometimes, I really do. 

Though, thankfully, those are just moments, as Holland soon fades back into the background and our everyday life continues onward. 

Incessant Chatter

I think I can finally put to rest my fear that Matthew won't talk.  Lately, he has done nothing but talk!  I think the issue has gone from being non-verbal (or low verbal) to very verbal with an articulation issue.  Darren and I can understand the majority of what he tries to say.  Teachers and friends likely struggle a little more.  Strangers probably wonder 'what?'. 

I want car in driveway.  I want car.  I want underwear.  I want to eat.  School. I want window down.  I want. I want. I want.  Home?  Look Mommy.  Look Aly.  Hi Jack.  Hi Daddy.  Potty.  Shhh...hide. Jump. Shoe. I want watch tv.  Please. No, Mickey.  Padme!  No!  Wake up. I want yogurt.  I want milk. I want water. Banana. Work? I dry.  Thank you.

Read the previous paragraph, aloud, fast, 3 times. That is Matthew-- all day long.  We love it and it is driving us a bit batty at the same time. 

Happy Halloween

This is the 6th year the Hoy kids have been themed for Halloween.  I am way too giddy about the theme-- every year.  I think the kids are so used to it now, they can't imagine October 31 any other way.  As we were making our rounds this evening, Alyssa asked what our theme might be for next year. My heart smiled. 

Since we have been reading, listening and watching Harry Potter this past year, it was an easy sell this year.  Alyssa was Hermine, Jackson was Harry, and Matthew was Fluffy (the 3 headed dog).  I think the 3 headed dog costume has to be my favorite so far. 

Our neighborhood does Halloween up right and all of us had a grand time.  Matthew enjoyed growling at people. Jackson went off on his own (we weren't happy about that! but thank goodness for sweet neighbors who watched him) and accumulated 2 buckets worth of candy, of which he was quite proud.  Alyssa enjoyed spending time with her friend.  All the while the adults enjoyed the evening outside.  Awesome evening.  Happy Halloween! 

Bad Kitty

Three years ago, I was pretty annoyed when I sent Alyssa with $20 in hand to her first book fair at school and she came home with ONE hardback book and an eraser.  I can now smile about that memory because that hardback book became a household favorite, along with the main character and the series.  Bad Kitty was the first series of chapter books that Alyssa wanted to read independently and was the first character she thought of for the 1st grade storybook parade.  It has also been one of Jackson's favorites.  His 1st grade 'pumpkin book report' (decorated pumpkin plus written report) is over Bad Kitty Gets a Bath.  I guess that was $20 well spent! 

Happy Heart Day

This time of year, I can't help but to think back to October 2010. Matthew was grey, lethargic and dying. His little heart was much, much bigger than it should have been, overworked for 7 months, and pumping 4x more blood to his lungs than his body.

On this day, October 7, 2010, Matthew's heart was fixed. I had never known more relief than when his heart surgeon came out to tell us he fixed the issue and the struggles we had endured those 7 months prior would subside. I have also never known such fear as when the OR nurse called us in the waiting room to say they couldn't wake Matthew and he wasn't breathing on his own. I can close my eyes today and still see Darren standing over sweet baby Matthew in the ICU where the machine was breathing for him, all of us wondering if that would be our last day as an intact family of 5.

Today, October 7, 2014, is vastly different than that day. Today, our little man is pink, energetic, and full of life! We have been given 4 years plus now, thanks to our pediatrician (who believed me that something was wrong), our GI (who kept trying to figure it out and found Mattie's big heart via X-ray), our cardiologist (who treated 'congestive heart failure' like the emergency it was), our cardiac surgeon (who calmed this crazy mommy and fixed Matthew's heart), and our family and friends (who cared for us and kept us sane in our darkest hours). Thank you! Thanks be to God! Happy Heart Day!!

October Already?

I am sorry the blog has been so quiet lately. The good news is that I am usually compelled to blog when something big (or scary or unusual) is going on. So the fact I haven't posted in over a week means it has been 'business as usual' at the Hoy House. Well, mostly.

When I threw our family into chaos by accepting a full time teaching position, I imagined life would normalize by October. The calendar now reads 'October'. While I feel like I have really hit my stride in the classroom, I am still struggling with the work/life balance. I have been putting in serious hours at work and never seem to catch up, never mind, get ahead of it. I believe I could work 24/7 and still have more to do. I am finding that is the life of a typical teacher! I love it, really love it, but need to find a way to prioritize better. That is my goal for the month. I hope to find a little better balance to bring about a bit of normalcy for our family. So until I figure it out, I fear blog posts will be sporadic at best.

Other Hoy happenings--

-Mattie's still working on potty training with slow, very slow, progress.
-Jackson joined Cub Scouts and he and Darren went on a successful camp out last weekend.
-I caught a cold, likely from my classroom Petri dish (stapler), and I flooded our laundry room this week. Not a stellar week for me.
-Thankfully it appears the rest of the Hoy House has avoided my cold. I am crossing fingers that remains true.
-Six weeks in, I am happy to report that all 3 Hoy kids seem to be enjoying school.

Thank you for checking back in on us!