emails

This info is just for me.  Just getting it down so i will remember it.


http://thehoekstra5.blogspot.com      email is hoekstramelissa5@gmail.com

http://www.thehoekstragirlsandjohn.blogspot.com      is hoekstrameilssa13@gmail.com

Worst news ever

Well I have the worst news ever.  I will have to say bye bye to www.thehoekstragirlsandjohn.com.  It is soooo sad.  Yes I know we have a boy now so should have done it ages ago but I just didn't want to.  I have to though.  We ran out of room on this site.   So we have to moved on.  You can find us now at http://thehoekstra5.blogspot.com/.  Please follow us there.  We would miss you if you didn't.  I will always keep this blog, I will just no longer be adding to it.  Thanks!!!   Love you all.

http://thehoekstra5.blogspot.com/

Girl Scouts

Av had another girl scouts meeting.  She earned the light green petal.  She had a great time!!!

They made postage stamps bc it was like the 3rd time ever that the stamp was a GS one.  It was cute.

my bday....26 again!

I've missed sooo much in November.  This month has flown by, and we were gone for a big chunk of it.  This month started with my bday.  It was a great one.  My fam spoiled me as always.  Home run burger for dinner, DQ ice cream cake and a nice gc to pick out whatever I want.  Home run burger is my fav kid friendly restaurant.  My friends and family spoiled me with cards, calls, texts and fb messages.  I sure am one lucky girl.

Week in TX

Our week in TX.  Where do I start?  Well let's just say there was no middle ground.  The hours spent there were either super fun and WONDERFUL or super hard and very stressful.  No in-between.  Let me step back, I am not sure I even mentioned we were going to TX.  The chromosome abnormality that Av has is rare.  The research for it is done in San Antonio, TX.  We were contacted at the beginning of this school year asking if we would come to TX and take part in a clinical study.  They are looking at the breakpoint of the chromosome these kiddos have so they can possibly give a prognosis to future parents of kids born with this chromosome abnormality.  Something that would have been soooooo nice to have when we were going through it.  We wanted to do it but really didn't want to take Av out of school for a week.  We finally decided on a week she was out 2 days already so she only missed 3.  Going to SA was a no brainer bc John and I lived in Austin and we would get to see our friends!!!!!  All 5 of us left a few Saturdays ago.  Av with all the luggage.

The plane rides there were pretty much what you would expect.  The kids were VERY excited and thought it was pretty cool.  The girls were easy.  Some coloring books, go fish and an ipad and they were good to go.   The girls on the plane

 The boy on the other hand was slightly wild.  He didn't want to be contained and was not interested in quiet activities.  J sat with him and did a GREAT job of handling him.  Airplane cookies and apple juice helped somewhat.  We got to Austin right around dinner time and Matt and Jeff met us at an outdoor place to eat.  It was yummy and the kids had fun playing with some cornhole boards.  Then off to a hotel room for the night.  The kids LOVE hotel rooms.  Jumping between the 2 beds and running around a new space is great for them.  We all settled in and slept great.

Sunday we got up and had breakfast at the hotel and then went to a park.   There was a balloon guy there.  The girls asked and asked for one.  We held out as long as we could.  Finally gave in but we told Av that she had to go ask the guy how much they were first before we agreed.  She tried and tried but could not make herself go and ask him herself.  I was waiting the whole time for her to figure out that her little sis would do it.  Finally it dawned on her and she said, "I will get Camille to do it!"  hehehe I laughed and told her that was a great idea.  The 2 of them went and asked and then came back and got money and then went and did it all by their selves.  They were soooo excited and loved their balloons.

Matt and Andrea met us there.  Then off to Tourchy's for breakfast tacos.  We miss breakfast tacos sooooo much.    Anything you can get here just doesn't come close to the real thing they have in Austin.  Tourchy's is like a food truck eatery.  Picnic tables outside.  Really really good.  Then we left for SA.  J gave the kids several of luggage cart rides.

 That afternoon for dinner we were meeting the doctor that started the research for this abnormality 20 years ago.  We didn't want to take C and E to this dinner.  Someone I knew in high school lives in SA.  We were not really friends but I always knew she was an awesome person.  She has 3 kids (all girls) now and agreed to watch C and E for me.  I can't thank her enough for this and Jessie, Dave, Lela, Carly and Ella will forever hold a special place in my heart.  C and E had a great time at her house.  She has the COOLEST house.  We had a nice time at dinner with the doctor.

Monday it was time for the testing to begin.  J dropped Av and I off.  The first day was full of neurospsych testing.  It was supposed to last all day and even into the next but she blew right through it in 2.5 hours.  Not even sure what any of it was as I was not in there with her.  She went in by herself and worked with the research assistant all by herself!!!!!  She is truely amazing, first time of many this week she showed us that again.     Since we were out of there so early we let the kids pick what they wanted to do.  It was beautiful out but they picked the indoor pool they wanted to swim.  So swim we did.  We spent hours and hours in that pool over the whole week.  The kids LOVED it and loved playing with Daddy in the pool.  J was jimmy and kept having his color changed and had to go to the principal bc he was throwing the kids.  He was naughty.  E is starting to swim on his own already!!!  After that we went to a park by the riverwalk and to a BBQ place that had a playground.   Best idea ever -restaurants that have playgrounds.   We swam again after dinner that night!!!

Tuesday was an ENT visit, an interview for me, lunch and then an ABR and audiologist exam.  All hearing stuff.  Her hearing is normal but she does have a cyst in one ear that will require surgery.  Not the best news.  I was also told in my parent interview how well she was doing.  Amazing, so that is awesome but amazing for the kids with the abnormality, just below average for "normal" kids.  Which we knew but always hard to hear.  Tuesday was a very hard day.  Getting to all these appointments with all these kids in tow was no fun.  We were a little sleep deprived and living in one little space was taking it's toll.  After the day we decided to head to the river walk.  We had ice cream, chips and salsa and margaritas for dinner.  Made us all much happier.   C found a rainbow teddy bear in a souvenir shop that she had to have.  Daddy bought each girl one.  They were happy.  After that we went back for more swimming.

Wednesday was the day I had been dreading.  Growth hormone testing.  They put in an IV and drew blood at 30 minuter intervals.  After 3 of those they give her a med that made her sleepy and sick to her stomach and we had to do it 3 more times.  Long morning.  She hung in there like a trooper but trying to explain to your kid why they need to put a needle in their arm and sit in a chair for almost 4 hours is horrible.  After that they took an X-ray of her hand and then we met J and the kids in the park.  Had a quick lunch at Subway durning which Av threw up from the meds and then back to the clinic for 2 different MD visits.  J handled those with her while I tried to entertain the other 2.  Av did fall asleep in there somewhere again and when she woke she was feeling a lot better.  It was a long day.  We swam for a little bit and then we met Jessie and her fam at a Mexican restaurant with a playground.  We were there for almost 3 hours!  Between the margs and the playground everyone was happy.  Again thank you so much Jessie!!!!  You made part of our trip really awesome.  So glad we got to know you all.  You have a beautiful family!!!!

Thursday was an MRI and then we were DONE!!!  I sent J bc I knew I could not watch/talk her into being in that tube for an hour.  She did it though.  No meds or anything.  She laid there for 50 minutes still as could be wo talking and let them do their thing.  Not sure how she did it, I couldn't have.  Or how J was strong enough to watch his kid do it.  I can handle the needles and he can handle that part.  We make a good team.  After that we swam one last time and then hit the road for Austin.  I was soooooooooo excited to see my girlfriends.  We got to Trena's house about 430.  It was soooo good to see her and her girls.  We played and played and played and picked up mess after mess.  With 6 kids it was wild but we did great!!!  Keith came home and brought us mexican and it was a party!!  We had such a nice time just hanging with them.  They have such a cute, sweet, wonderful little family!!!

Friday morning my girls and I helped Trena get her 2 oldest to school and then we went shopping for a bit.  Needed to grocery shop and then hit the outlets.  We had such fun at the Gap it was the only store we made it too.  My girls were awesome shopping.  I let them each pick out an outfit and they loved it. John and E had went to see Matt at his work, have a tour and then lunch.  E ate his whole plate of rice and beans.  They said he sat there for almost an hour working on them.  Yes he had great diapers after that. heheheh.  After all that we all went back to Trena's and hung for a bit longer.  Then it was time to get ready to head to Matt's house to hang for a bit and then to dinner for his Bday.  They were having a party for him at the Salt Lick.  It is a BBQ place way out in the middle of no where in the country.  It is yummy.  We had a big room to ourselves and had picnic table after picnic table of yummy food.  There were about 35 of us.  The kids were WILD.  Showing off big time.  It was some what annoying.  We got to see sooooo many friends we had not seen in a long time and all their kids.  It was a blast.  After that we went back to Matt and Andrea's to stay the nice.  So nice of them to have the Hoekstra crew.  We are a lot.  The did great putting up with us though.  We put the kids to bed and hung with them for a while.  In the am Andrea introduced C to waffles.  She is a big fan!!!  It was a fun time.

Saturday we woke at Matt and Andrea's and hung for a bit until the kids got restless and then it was time to leave.  We went back to Trena's to play and get ready for a BBQ she was having.  Marci, Jason, Stella, Kristina, Lauren, Rob, Renee, Jeff, Weston,  Trena, Keith, Kinsley, Trinity, Teegan, Matt and Andrea.  We had a great time.  We are so lucky to have such good friends take the time to come see us!!!

Sunday it was time to go back home.  The plane rides were more of the same.  E was really difficult.  I am not sure how J managed to manage him the whole time.  We made it home though and were glad to be home!!

First grade

I hope I don't jinx it but Av's work has been coming home perfect!  She has really stepped up her game it seems.  This is what came home in her red folder Friday.

Little hard to tell but the above pic has 10 samples of her work and they all have stars or good jobs on them.  This is every paper that was in her folder Friday.  I didn't leave anything out.  It is 2 spelling tests that are 100%, 2 math papers and one includes a math story problem that she wrote out, one science worksheet, one sheet she wrote 4 sentences on it about community helpers, one reading worksheet, and 3 writing/spelling practice sheets. She is amazing.

The best part though is this came home Monday!!!

Notice that 100%!!!!  This is on a AR test.  AR stands for Accelerated reader.  It is a computerized test they take on the library book they check out each week.  We read it and read it and read it and then on Monday they sit at a computer and take a test on the book.  She did amazing. This is only the second one she has taken.  AR is new for the first graders so they didn't do it in the first 6 weeks of school.  The first one she took she got 3 out of 5 rights.  So this is something we really worked hard on this week and a goal we worked towards.   I literally jumped for joy when I saw this.  Her and I work sooooo hard each week.  I can't even tell you how many hours we put in.  Yes I do a lot as we are constantly going over stuff, in the car, on the way to the bus, in the bathtub, but the rest is all on her.  She works her little butt off and I am soooo proud of her!!!!!!

E in the halloween parade

My little fireman.  He looks thrilled doesn't he???  heheheh He stayed in the wagon though, which I was very surprised to see.  I thought as soon as he saw me it would be all over.

C's fall party

Circle time where they all stood up and said what they were.  

Decorating trick or treat bags

                                                             My bag!!!!!!

Trick or treating

As much of the class as I could get

Class

Carson, Dash, Blaise, Noah, Max, Austin (spiderman)

Leo, Emily, Braydon, Camille, Sophia, Adam (Layla the mermaid behind batmann)

Parade in the gym.  Look at that happy girl!

Silly girl!

       

Class 4 day 4's 2012

Class pic with Braydon

Blaise, Noah, Josh, Adam, Layla, Austin

Dash, Camille, Max, Sophia, Braydon (ref), Leo (sitting in the back)

missing Carson, Emily 

more fall pics

C's field trip

It was not her first field trip (last year was) but her first time on a school bus!!!!!!!!!!  Which I think was more exciting to them than the field trip.

                Camille, Max and Layla on the bus

            Her class.  Sophie, Camille, Layla, Max, Adam, Austin, Carson, Noah, Blaise and Josh

         She made it!

         
              "Mom, I need to find the smallest pumpkin...ever."

              She LOVED feeding the goats.

Sunday

I wanted today to be super fun.  I wanted it to be a day of fall family fun.  Popcorn ball making, jumping in leaves, booing the neighbors, pumpkin carving, Casper movie watching type of family fun.  That was not the reality.  The reality was a very tired fam of 5 trying to have fun.

  They were done making the popcorn balls before they were all made.  Neither of them would try one   of them.

                   Buttering the hands

         Don't you just love her hair.  hehehe

       
 Booing the neighbors!!!  This part was fun but it took like 5 seconds.  We dropped these baskets off, rang the doorbell and ran.  The person that has been booed is supposed to then boo another neighbor.  We will see.

                               Caroline and Lilly- their mom caught us. hhehhe

                    Alison and Aaron

  When it came time to carve the pumpkin J and C got in a huge fight over shoes.  C went running to her bedroom and I got mad at J for picking a fight with her.  Didn't want C to miss the carving over shoes.    He got mad at me and then went to get C.  Av and I went out to start carving.  Av started crying bc it was cold.  She was mad we were making her stay outside.  None of them would go near the "guts."  hehehhe fun times.

                E said, "can I carve my pumpkin?" hehehheh  Poor buddy only had a gourd.  It's what he picked at the pumpkin patch though.

           We moved it inside for the carving.  They helped him pick out a cat to put on it.  One of the hardest designs they could have picked.  Then they sat and watched/helped for about 2.2 seconds then back to fighting.  I took them up for a bath while he finished it.

       J surprised me with the back!!!  Very cute.

The leaves were fun for a few minutes and C like Casper.  Av complained the whole time.
Bedtime was rough too.  Glad they are in bed!!!!!