The Life of Levi

Camping in Prince William Forest Park - March 5, 2011

2011-03-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

A Fun Day

2011-01-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a really fun day so far. I played Super Mario Galaxy 2 with my dad. Then I went to my first pinewood derby. THe car was called the Golden Volcano. It was golden with a bunch of other stuff on it. I wish everyone could see it because it looks cool. Well, I didn't finish in first, second, or third, but a person in my pack won second place! I was excited that someone in my pack won! I had four races. I got 4th, 3rd, 3rd, and 2nd in my races. In the whole group, I probably would have got fifth or fourth.

-dictated by Levi to his father.

A lot has happend.

2010-01-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

Wow. SO much has happened since I blogged last! I started first grade, which means I go to school ALL DAY! Mostly it's good, but sometimes I have bad days. I also went to Seattle and Yakima for Christmas! That was really fun. Here are some pictures you might like.

Here's me after my very first day of first grade!

I turned 6 years old! Can you believe it! Grandma Judy had a party for me at her house!

Mom helped me dress up as a MAD SCIENTIST!!! for Halloween. I was also a Black Hole, but not at school.

I think I was dreaming of Christmas and a Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range-model Air Rifle.

That's me and my sister Adah on Santa's lap. About 5 seconds after this picture, Adah started screaming. She is afraid of Santa!

Here we are posing of a Christmas picture. It took about 15 pictures to get a good one!

Getting ready for Christmas Number 1. I decided to go as Mario.

Christmas Number 2 with Auntie Claire in Yakima!

Christmas number 3 with my new baby cousin Delaney!

Just A Few Picture Updates

2009-08-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Levi at the Tigers game on Memorial Day. He's looking at something...

LEVI SCORES THE WINNING RUN!!!11!!!

Lake St. Clair: Much nicer in pictures than in real life.

Levi the Champion Gymnast (sort of)

The 4th of July Parade in Kirkland

Levi and Grandpa Dave disappearing back into Boulder Cave

BIKE PARADE!

Levi and Adah. Awww, aren't they cute!

Levi the little tiny baby. Awww, isn't he cute!

Garden Schmarden

2009-05-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

Adah Pascale! My sister!

2009-03-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hey! I have a new baby sister! She was born yesterday and her name is Adah. I chose it.

A Man, A Plan

2009-02-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

The other day we were in a parking lot and Levi, pointing to a sign said, "Mom, that word, L-E-V-E-L, is a palindrome! What does it say?" Awesome. He may not be reading yet, but I think his vocabulary is good.

More News!

2008-11-30T07:25:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I have a new baby sister! Kind of...

Very Occasional Update Pt IV

2008-11-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

Hi again everybody! Here are some more things that I do.

I played soccer. Our team was the DRAGONS!!! We were really good. I kicked the ball sometimes.

Also, I had a birthday party! It was really fun and I got so many presents I STILL haven't opened some of them.

Very Occasional Update Pt III

2008-11-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody. I've been up to some stuff. I went camping with Kieran, see!

I also played t-ball with my friend Jacob, which was pretty fun. Sometimes it was boring though. Especially playing right field.

My Internet

2008-03-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

At the beach I shoveled sand.

At Disneyland, I went on rides like Big Thunder Mountain, Soarin' Over California, and Buzz Lightyear Astro-Blasters.

I liked playing in the fountain at California Adventure. I liked playing at the playgrounds (the one with the black slides and the 'nother one with the ship).

I liked swimming in the swimming pool and I liked it when daddy acted like a whale and went "pfffffffft" and spit water everywhere.

I liked playing at Toontown. I liked pressing the glass factory button and breaking the glass (for pretend). The door went "Bzzt bzzzzzzzt bzt."

I shoveled sand next to the world famous Santa Monica Pier.

I am really good at flying rockets.

Chip Chip Chip Chip and Dale! And me.

I liked breaking the glass at the glass factory.

And that's about enough of this Disneyland stuff.

Brighton Early

2007-06-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

June 8-10 marked our first camping expedition of the year. There are literally dozens of nice, rustic campgrounds within a couple hours of our house. This weekend, we went to the Murray Lake Rustic Campground at Brighton Recreation Area. It was pretty awesome. We had some fires, got some mosquito bites, lit some fireworks and ate some vegan indian food for lunch.

Oh yeah, we also went on a two-mile hike through the woods. Levi walked every step of it and had a blast. We had been planning to carry him most of the way. Now that we know he's such a trooper, we're going to make him do it every weekend!

Also, animals ate our food. Ziploc bags do not count as "sealing" food. They got all of our buns and our muffins Friday night. Really, all that changed was that we ate more bacon for breakfast instead of muffins. Bummer.

Future Ring Bearers of America

2007-05-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

So, a new post every other month? I mean, every third month? That is a keepable schedule!

In a couple months (exactly, from today, actually), Levi's uncle Zach is getting married in Eugene, Oregon. It should be a fun wedding and a good trip. Levi is especially excited at the prospect of getting to carry some rings on a little pillow. He's already been practicing. Here are a couple of pictures of him in his wedding suit just in case you wanted to see some pictures.

Oops

2007-03-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long time since this blog got an update. It almost doesn't make sense to talk about what happened between the last post and now. Suffice to say that it was a wild, sad, joyful, exciting, scary, stressful, crazy six months.

So, now Levi lives in Michigan. He seems to be very fond of it so far. I think he might think that all states are about the size of DC though, because every time we drive more than 15 minutes he asks, "is this Michigan," as though he thinks we might have left the state all together. As for how Michigan actually is, well, it's dang cold. The town of Rochester is pretty nice though for a typical suburb. On the whole, things are going well. We'd post some pictures but we don't have a working digital camera anymore. The camera and battery have parted ways, it seems. Sorry.

In His Own Words

2006-08-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Levi wants to write on his blog today, so I'm going to let him. Here goes:

xmxknkcxnskdckcnjkdnczkcdljhccknjc
mkmlmnlncknsdcndkjcjkjkssfjkckdfjdhfkdhfffffffjkfjhfjdhfhjdjddgdggfgfgfgfgfgfgfgfrrfgfggdfgregeyg ge

Now he is going to dictate:
I love Daddy. I want to go see I love Daddy. I want to climb up. How about.... how about..... how about... I want to climb up. I want that one. tookatookatookatookatooka. That one, I want that one. Pens. So, that's a big picture. What did I said? What did I said Mommy? You say, so that's a little picture, I say big picture. So that's another picture. uh, cups. I want cups to say those. Hi Grampa and Gramma. Mommery, mommery, mommery. I want to talk to Grampa and Gramma. Where's Grampa and Gramma live? Uh, pens. How about...toast.

Poke A Nose

2006-08-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Okay everybody! Here's a few pictures from my awesome weeks with my family!

Me and Mom and Dad

Two words for you: Light. Chaser.

Me and my cousin Xandra saying goodbye.

Do you like my moose hat?

Me and Grampa and Gramma

Awwww, just look at me! Ain't I cute?

Me and Gramma

Just me again.

Me and Gramma again. Those are some great falls, alright.

Mmm, Coffee

2006-07-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

So, the other night, a few people were at our house drinking some coffee. Levi loves to smell coffee. He has been smelling it for a while. That night, he kept asking for some coffee to drink. We kept saying "No, coffee is for grownups." He kept asking and our dear friend, Sonja, suggested that we let him try it. He would most certainly hate it and never ask for it again. Daddy concurred saying that he would surely spit it out all over the floor. So, the plan was enacted. Us brilliant grownups decided to teach the naive child a hilarious lesson. Well, turns out that we are not as smart as we think. The boy likes coffee. He took several drinks and then cried as Mommy took that coffee away. Great.

Life in the Breadbasket

2006-06-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what everybody? I eat bread now! Yep. That's right. Little ol' me likes to chew and swallow wheat hot dog buns. Don't believe me? Check the picture. Check. It.

Okay, you may be wondering why in the world our dining room table is behind me in that picture. And on its side. Well, that's because it was raining really hard and our house flooded so we moved the table. Only kidding! It's because it was raining really hard so we didn't go camping in the forest. Instead, we went camping at home!

See?

I eat hot dog buns in the tent, too.

Intellectuals Meet with Intellectuals

2006-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Is this my future? Am I destined to be a lonely intellectual given to pondering the great questions of mankind? I sure hope not. Mommy and Daddy are counting on me to be a professional athlete. For the money, you know?

Easter Inland

2006-06-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, sorry that I'm so late with this. It's just been really busy around here lately. We had Easter, and then springtime, and then daddy went to Japan and me and mommy went to Pennsylvania for a wedding. So, to make a long story short, I'm just now getting around to putting up the pictures from Easter. I hope you like them!

Yay! We did it! We painted some eggs!

Everybody knows that painting eggs and tickling daddies goes hand in hand.

Wow, look at that Easter spread!

Check out my new bike! I think it's really cool.

All hail King Chocolate!

Update on Levi's Medical Stuff

2006-05-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry no cute pics this time. I just wanted to bring everyone up to date on what's going on with Levi's eating issues. First, he's doing well, happy and developing as he should.

At his last pediatrician's appointment, he was bigger than the previous one, so he is continuing to grow. At that appointment, our doctor referred us to Lynn Balzer-Martin. She lives in our area and is a contributer to The Out of Sync Child, which is the best book available on sensory integration dysfunction. Check it out at your library if you want to know more about where Levi's coming from.

We met with Dr. Balzer-Martin and she gave us two contacts. One a nutritionist in North Potomac to meet with two or three times to help cover ground that Levi is not getting nutritionally. Second, a speech language therapist in Bethesda that specializes in young children with sensory-related eating problems.

We met with the nutritionist. She was very kind and helpful. She looked at some blood tests we had done earlier. She checked off on a list the problems Levi has. She checked:
Anemia (iron)
Constipation
Feeding Problems
Malnutrition (mild)
It was hard to see that malnutrition diagnosis written down like that, but the good news is that she will be able to help us fix these things. She prescribed a custom multi-vitamin that she designed, as well as additional iron. She also advised us to order an essential fat supplement that includes omega-3s. She also suggested juice plus fiber which is a fruit juice with added fiber. We've already started all the supplements except the fat, which hasn't come yet.

Today, Levi had his first session with Mandy, the therapist. They got on great and Levi had fun there. She observed him and asked me questions about him. They had a little snack time during which she handed him a piece of cereal (like a cornflake). He put it in his mouth, chewed it up and swallowed it. It was like some kind of miracle! It was all I could do to keep from crying or cheering or hugging him. She hadn't even done any therapy yet, she just told him that she was going to help him learn to eat. He tried another one and spit it out, but he still ate that one. That is the very first time that I have ever seen him eat that way. So I have very high hopes for the therapy. She also observed that she believes that much of his problem is due to oral-motor problems, and that his sensory issues are not as strong as we've been thinking. Which is good news, in that it is easier to work on. So, we are going to be doing tongue exercises and blowing on things and generally working to make those muscles stronger.

Levi continues to suffer from chronic constipation. I'm trying to get ahold of his pediatrician to come up with a better long term plan for treating it. I've found some information online. You can read about chronic constipation in kids due to withholding bowel movements here.

So, if you are a praying person, please pray that we will be able to relieve Levi's stress and pain due to bowel movements, that we will be able to provide the nutrients essential for energy and growth and that we will make steady progress with food at therapy.

Auntie Peter and Uncle Claire!

2006-04-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! My Auntie Claire and my Uncle Peter just came to visit me from Seattle! I am pretty sure that any airplane I see in the sky is flying to Seattle.

Anyway, it was lots of fun. We did all sorts of things, like go to museums and see dinosaurs and airplanes, go to the park. Auntie Claire and Uncle Peter even went to some concerts while they were here. I'm too little to go, but they said they had fun. Here's a bunch of pictures we took while they were here.

I miss you already Auntie Claire and Uncle Peter!

The Doctor

2006-04-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Levi had a Doctor's appointment yesterday and it went really well. In the last three months since his last appointment, Levi gained 1.8lbs and 4cm. His weight is back on the chart and his height is about 12th percentile. Not too bad. Also, we got some good leads for new therapists and are going to be following up on them.

Happy Birthday Everybody!

2006-03-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, I just wanted to say "Happy Birthday to everybody with birthdays this month. So...

Happy Birthday Aunt Liz!
Happy Birthday Xandra!
Happy Brthday Uncle Zach!
Happy Birthday Grampa Frank!
Happy Birthday Auntie Claire!
Happy Birthday John!

I sang happy birthday to all of you! You can listen below! I love you!

Happy Birthday Everybody! Click here to listen

Isn't Garageband great!?

A Trip to the Beach

2006-03-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

For the second time in my life, I visited the beach this weekend. The other time was to the Pacific Ocean, so this was at least my first trip to the Atlantic. On Friday we drove all the way over to the Dewey/Rehoboth Beach, Delaware area. We actually stayed a long way from any sort of town (well, as far away as you can get) in Delaware Seashore State Park. We rented a cool little cottage. I call it The Beach House. Here are some pictures of it. It's right on the Indian River Inlet, between Rehoboth Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The view from our screened in back porch. That's Indian River Inlet in the background, not the ocean.

That's our cottage. There are twelve of them and they are really great!

That's me sitting on the ladder to the loft in the beach house. I wasn't supposed to climb it by myself, but every time Mommy and Daddy turned their backs, that's where I headed. It's really fun!

I threw some rocks into the water here at Indian River Inlet!

But by far the most exciting thing we did all weeked was go and see THE OCEAN. It is really big. I learned that the ocean says "CRASH" and "BOOM" and there is water everywhere and sometimes it comes up the beach and tries to get you! Me and Daddy played a really fun game where we would go up to near the water and then run away fast when the wave crashed! The only sad part was that the weather was really cold and rainy and windy. Mommy and Daddy took a lot of pictures, so enjoy!

Just a Few Cute Picture

2006-03-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

Guess what everybody! There will be two posts today! Can you believe that my Mommy and Daddy are actually doing something with this? Maybe I should learn how to use the computer so I can do it!

The Return

2006-02-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hello?

Is anybody still here?

I'm sorry that we have been a little remiss in keeping up this blog. We're really going to try harder, I swear!

Anyway, a lot has happened in the three and a half months since the last post, and I think it would be silly to try to cover it all, so let's just start afresh.

A couple weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the three of us decided to go for a walk in the park beside our house, or, as Levi likes to call it, the Forest. We threw some rocks, looked at some cool trees, saw some dogs and even played in a big sculpture. Oh yeah. We were honked at by a fire truck, too. That ruled.

And now, what you all came for! Pictures!!!

Death of a Pumpkin

2005-11-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, and an incredibly beautiful weekend it was, we went way out into Virginia to go to Cox Farms. Cox Farms is a pretty cool place that's open every fall and they have lots of pumpkins and stuff. This last weekend was the last weekend they were open, which means.....time to get rid of all the pumpkins! There was a trebuchet that launched pumpkins several hundred feet into the lake. But by far Levi's favorite thing was the guy who lifted a bunch of pumpkins sixty feet into the air on a manlift and dropped them SMASH! onto a cement pad. Some were even filled with mustard, or applesauce or jelly. It was sweet, literally! We were there with some people from church and some kids from FACETS, but enough talk, let's see some pictures!

Levi playing on the hay house with Diana! FUN FUN FUN!

Maybe Levi doesn't want to be a mouse....

Ah, the hayride. Levi would do this all day, every day if he could.

Daddy and Levi. Just hanging out.

Mr. Fantastic introduces Levi to the mouse.

Erudite Animal?

2005-10-31T14:51:00.000-08:00

Today, Levi and I were playing a silly game wherein we would go back and forth saying silly things in silly voices. At one point I said the pirate classic, "Arrr!" Levi responded with , "Arrr!" and then, in the same growly, piratey voice, "P!" and "S!" and then, in his regular sweet little boy voice, "tiger!"
Apparently, what I had meant to be a pirate came across as a tiger saying his letters.

No, no, no

2005-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

So now Levi is 2 and he is able to ask for things more and more readily and understandably when he wants them. And I find that I am saying no more than I ever expected to. Here is a transcript - more or less - from our 10 minute drive to pick up Daddy from the train station.

Levi: Crash car?
Mom: No, I'm not going to crash the car.
Levi: Crash schoolbus?
Mom: No, we can't crash into the schoolbus.
Levi: Crash cars?
Mom: No, we can't crash into those cars.
Levi: Crash schoolbus?
Mom: No, we can't crash into the schoolbus.
Levi: Go!
Mom: We can't go, the light is red.
Levi: Go!
Mom: We can't go, the light is red.
Levi: Crash car?
Mom: No, we can't crash the car.
Levi: Turtle Park?
Mom: No, we can't go to Turtle Park, we're going to get Daddy.
Levi: Slurpee? (as we pass 7-11)
Mom: That's right, they have Slurpees there.
Levi: Get Slurpee?
Mom: No, we can't get a Slurpee now, we're going to get Daddy.
Levi: Daddy!
Mom: Yes, there's Daddy!

The Onion is Inside Levi's Head

2005-10-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is weird. I think this is exactly what Levi thinks....

Fire Truck! Fire Truck! Fire Truck!
Look, out the window! A fire truck! I've seen drawings of fire trucks in my picture books, of course, but how could I have ever known how pale and insignificant those crude representations were in comparison to the real thing! Fire truck! Oh, great God in heaven, fire truck! This has got to be the most moving of mankind's creations, and perhaps of nature's, as well.

This whirlwind of sensory input is almost more than my tiny mind can process! Mere words cannot begin to convey what I am feeling! This incredible, life-changing, soul-shattering wonder is... Why, it is beyond description!

Run! Run to the window as fast as your giant legs can carry you! Whatever you are doing right now, place it aside for a moment—it can't possibly be as important as the opportunity to see a fire truck with your own eyes.

This is quite possibly the greatest experience of my life thus far.

How do I even begin to describe its magnificence? First off, it is big—bigger than anything I could ever imagine! Secondly, it's painted an incredible, alarming, eye-catching red! Thirdly, it makes the most attention-grabbing sounds: whistles, bangs, gearshifts, bells. And that siren! Of all the noises, the siren is surely the best! I wonder if, somehow—but no, surely not—unless... Well, could I? Could I possibly? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... No, that's not right: It's high-pitched enough, but missing some crucial... OOOOOOOOOO... No, again, it's got the booming quality, but lacks the screechingly irritating aspect of the higher register. Wait! What if I combine the two, in an alternating series of high- and low-frequency modulations, and belt it out at the top of my lungs? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOO,EEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOO! That's it! That's the same noise that the fire truck is making! EEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOO, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOO! EEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOOO, EEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOO! Oh, God. I could make this noise all day! I never want to do anything else!

And now—am I really seeing this? It can't be! Surely there are not colorfully dressed men with powerful bodies, brave expressions, and purposeful toolbelts hanging off the side of the fire truck as it careens around the corner! If this is a dream, let me never wake. Look at their hats! They have the most wonderful hats ever made! I must acquire a child-sized version of such a hat! They are the most large and most yellow hats I have ever seen.

That's it: My fate in this life is sealed. I must become one of these men. Nothing will ever sway me from this goal.

But what a spectacle it is! You must come and look upon this immediately! This fire truck is blowing my mind. It is as if God Himself has created this piece of machinery just for me! But it will not be here long. It is driving away. It grows quieter and quieter as it recedes from my visual field and...

It is gone. It was only here for one fleeting moment, and you never even saw it. This is the greatest tragedy that has ever occurred. My faith in the universe is shaken to its core by the magnitude of what you have missed. If only you had listened to me. You may never be able to comprehend my experience, for I have seen the fire truck, and I will never think about anything else again as long as I live.

Huh? What is... Why... Afgh! Airplane! Airplane! Mommy! Airplane! Don't bother with those towels! Don't you see? Look! There is an actual airplane in the sky!

Poetry Thursday

2005-10-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Travel

By Edna St. Vincent Millay

The railroad track is miles away,
And the day is loud with voices speaking,
Yet there isn't a train goes by all day
But I hear its whistle shrieking.

All night there isn't a train goes by,
Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming,
But I see its cinders red on the sky,
And hear its engine steaming.

My heart is warm with friends I make,
And better friends I'll not be knowing;
Yet there isn't a train I'd rather take,
No matter where it's going.

Hey baby!

2005-10-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

So, Levi's cousins were down visiting from Rhode Island last weekend. He really had a great time playing with Xandra, and he's definitely been missing her since she left Tuesday morning. Anyway, I thought I'd recount a cute thing that happened while they were here.

We were eating dinner Sunday night. Xandra was sitting in Levi's high chair (she's 19 months) and Levi was sitting in a grown-up chair on a phone book. The gigantic 4-month old Samantha was sitting peacefully in her umm....baby....thingy. All of a sudden, Levi stands up on his chair, turns around and says "Baby, come on! Eating dinner, sandwich!" Which, roughly translated, means "Hey, baby, come here! We're all eating dinner and you can have a sandwich!" I guess that means we've instilled the fact that dinner is family time pretty well!

We'll try to write more about their visit soon, hopefully with some pictures...

Poetry Thursday X

2005-10-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Little Black Bug
Margaret Wise Brown

Little black bug,
Little black bug
Where have you been?
I've been under the rug,
Said little black bug.
Bug-ug-ug-ug.

Little green fly,
Little green fly,
Where have you been?
I've been way up high,
Said little green fly.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Little old mouse,
Little old mouse,
Where have you been?
I've been all through the house
Said little old mouse.
Squeak-eak-eak-eak-eak.

Doctor

2005-10-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Levi saw the Doctor on Monday for his 2 year check up. He is doing well developmentally, but not so well growth wise. He gained no weight in the last month and has fallen below the 5th percentile. He is doing somewhat better in how much food he eats, but the weight issue is somewhat worrisome. Also though, keep in mind that these are small numbers we're dealing with as far as average growth, so the margin of error is quite significant. I am looking over the mini-record I keep and in the last year he has grown about 2.5 inches and gained about a pound. Which means that there are probably quite a few 1 year olds out there that are bigger than him. We are trying to meet with the doctor every month or so, so we'll keep you posted.

Poetry Thursday IX

2005-09-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

In September

I walked down the lane
Past the maple tree,
And Post Man wind
Brought a note to me--
A small yellow note
From my friend the tree!

You call it a "leaf"
Just drifting down?
Why, it says, "Old Winter
Will soon be in town!
So it's really a letter
The tree sent down!

Eleanor Hammond

Memory Lane Monday VI

2005-09-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from the first time Levi went on a boat. We were camping with Auntie Leah, Aunt Mary and Grandpa Frank. We were at Banks Lake in eastern Washington. It was really a lot of fun. Levi liked being on the boat, but was a little nervous when we were going. He is sitting on Auntie Leah's lap in the picture and mommy is behind hi m. All in all it made him really tired and thirsty. Levi took care of the former and Daddy helped him with the latter. He is about 9 months old here.

Here's What People Said

2005-09-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

So, Levi was baptised last Sunday. We read several blessings/letters to him from different family members, but a lot of people at the service probably couldn't hear them, so here they are in writing

Dearest Levi,

Blessings on you on the day of your baptism. I wish that when you grow up you be a good man, go to a good school and get a good scholarship.

God Bless,
Aunt Mary

Dear Levi,

Today is your baptism and you are almost two. You were born on October 7, 2003, the happiest day of my life. May God bless you with friends, love and hope as you grow into a man. I am so proud of you and you have the best parents.

With Love,
Uncle George

Levi,

I hope I am able to be a good mentor throughout your life. I hope I am able to witness your development from a beautiful young boy into the man that I know you'll become. The man with a kind soul, a strong will, and a heart nearly the size of his great blue eyes. How could you not become that man with the mother and father your have? And if you're ever in a jam, know that there is always God to guide you. You're never alone.

I love you,
Uncle Peter

To my baby Levi,
Love is the basis of all things. As you grow and start to see life in your own way, I pray that you see the beauty and purity in all things.
Never lose hope that in the end, love will prevail. Believe and trust in God for He will always be there for you, there to protect and guide you. Love is delicate and life is sweet, so live simply and love everthing about it.

Love always,
Auntie Claire

Levi,

We want to offer our love and support on your special day even though we could not be there. you are always in our thoughts and prayers. We are so glad to be a part of your life. It is amazing to think that one day you will be a man, and we would be honored if we could help you on your journey. Congratulations on your baptism.

Love,
Jennifer, Clinton, Elyse, and Kylee Endicott

Dear Levi, Maggie, and Schuyler,

Both Rachel and I wish we could be there with your on this wonderful day. We miss you all very much.

Levi, it is hard to believe that you are about to surpass another important milestone in your young life. Your are growing up so fast. Be comfortable knowing that as you journey through life, your are not alone. You are loved and supported, not only by your Mom and Dad, but also by all of your family annd friends. Enjoy today, be happy, be proud! And thankful for all you have.

Congratulations on your baptism. Aunt Rachel and Grandpa Frank love you very much and we are so very proud.

My dearest Levi,

As you grow in age and wisdom, may God's grace and love shine within you and may you always reflect that love.

With love and prayers,
Your loving Grandpa Dwight

Children are a very clear reminder that we are stewards of God's creation. He puts them into our lives and gives us the responsibility of "training them up in the way they should go." It doesn't take long to realize this is a task we cannot do well without God's help. We, as grandparents, are well pleased that you, Schuyler and Maggie, are putting Levi in God's hands and are dedicating yourselves to raising him in a way that honors God. Our prayer for you is that, as you keep your eyes focused on God, Levi will learn from you and develop his own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We look forward to watching Levi grow in his knowledge of, and relationship to, the Lord. We commit ourselves to pray for you and to provide support and encouragement to you in this wonderful journey.

Love in our Lord,
Grandpa and Grandma St. Lawrence

Poetry Thursday

2005-09-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

H. Baptism II
by George Herbert

Since, Lord, to thee
A narrow way and little gate
Is all the passage, on my infancy
Thou didst lay hold, and antedate
My faith in me.

O let me still
Write thee great God, and me a child:
Let me be soft and supple to thy will,
Small to my self, to others mild,
Behither ill.

Although by stealth
My flesh get on, yet let her sister
My soul bid nothing, but preserve her wealth:
The growth of flesh is but a blister;
Childhood is health.

A Fun Time in Boston

2005-09-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, Levi, Mom and Dad went to Boston for a couple of days. We were able to meet up with Aunt Liz, Uncle Matthew and cousins

Alexandra (18 months)

and Samantha (3 months).

Daddy had a conference to go to but we got to explore Boston, see the children's museum and catch up with family. Levi and Zandra had a great time together. She is just about his size and very affectionate.

She made Levi a little nervous at times, but he sure does love her. He looked for her after she was gone. They ran around and played together.

Zandra taught Levi to take bites of rice cake.

He thought it was great fun to take a bite and spit the pieces all over the hotel room floor, but at least he was taking bites and learning to use his teeth. Overall, it was a really fun time and we are looking forward to them coming to see us.

Memory Lane Monday V

2005-09-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is not a picture of a specific interesting memory, but Auntie Leah left today and we miss her, so we thought we'd show a memory with her in it. Levi in this picture is about 6 months old. We were at the best burger place in the world. At this time, we lived in Moses Lake and Auntie Leah lived in Seattle, so we were pretty close together and could see each other fairly often. It's hard being so far away from family and we miss them dearly, but we have also made wonderful friends here. We only wish we could be near both somehow.

A couple of new photos

2005-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here is Levi enjoying a mimosa with breakfast. Oh wait no, that's Boost Breeze. The lengths that mommy will go to to get him to eat more of that stuff. sheesh.

What do you think is a better story? Time out didn't work so we made Levi scrub the floor? Or, Levi found out grandma was coming and mommy wasn't cleaning, so he took matters into his own hands?

A Levi Update

2005-09-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here is an update for any of you following Levi's eating and growing situation. Levi had an appointment at the pediatrician yesterday. He has gained about 4 grams per day in the last month. The goal is 6. That's not too bad, he is staying steady at about the 5th percentile. The doctor was fairly happy with his progress and pleased that he is starting to sleep through the night better. As far as following advice and directives from Levi's various care providers we are doing our best. Some of the advice seems to be conflicting. Here is a summary:

From the pediatrician at Georgetown and the feeding team nurse at CNMC (they confer often) :
1. Get him to sleep all the way through the night without nursing. (working on it)
2. Nurse him no more than five times during the day. (will start working on it after we succeed at the first one)
3. Do not nurse him in the two hours before a meal. (see previous one)
4. Do not nurse him directly after a meal. (see previous two)
5. Try to get him to take 24oz of Pediasure or other nutritional drink a day. (seems impossible at this time - working on it)
6. Do not give him juice/juice smoothies, as they are more filling than nutritional. (hmm)

From the feeding team child psychiatrist at CNMC:
7. Remain emotionally neutral during meals. Do not scold for not eating or praise for eating. (a good idea in theory - we try)
8.Give him a meal or snack every three to four hours and nothing in between. (not working out - see number 4)
9. No playing during meals. (hmm)
10. Time out in high chair for misbehaving during a meal. (tried it once, didn't work, may try it again eventually)
11. Keep him at meal for 20 minutes. (mostly successful)

From the occupational therapist:
12. Brush him with a soft brush and run a thumb across the roof of his mouth every two hours. (we are trying, there is some biting, some forgetting and some schedule conflicts)
13. Bounce him on a ball and tip him sideways regularly to build his abs and help with his balance reactions. (we do this sometimes)
14. Give him things like twizzlers to chew on. (he won't try it)
15. Give him tubs full of different textured things, ie a rice box, a pasta box, a bean box etc. (we've done the rice box)
16. Buy him toys that have unusual texture or vibrate. (have some, always looking for more)
17. Get him to carry around heavy things to work on his strength. (hmm)
18. Give him more advanced textures of things he likes, like juice smoothies. (see number 5)
19. Have him blow out candles, blow bubbles, blow into a straw etc to work on his mouth muscles. (do it every day)
20. Give him lots of stuffed animal kisses around the mouth. (do it)
21. Engage in lots of rough play including air swinging and swinging him in a sheet or large towel. (do it sometimes)
22.Attempt to narrow his base of support when he is sitting. (try, he is not very cooperative)

From the develpmental evaluator at Georgetown:
We are terrible parents and everything we do is wrong and selfish. (we aren't going back to her)

Poetry Thursday IX

2005-09-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Swarm of Bees
Elsa Gorham Baker

One little honeybee by my window flew;
Soon came another - then there were two.
Two happy honeybees in the appletree;
One more bee came buzzing up - then there were three.
Three busy honeybees starting to explore
Another bee came to help - then there were four.
Four laden honeybees flying to the hive;
They were joined by one more bee - then there were five.
Five tired honeybees with the others mix;
Now there's a swarm of them - a hundred times six.

Revenge of the Dirt

2005-09-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday our church had the first of its September outdoor services. After the service, we had a good old-fashioned cookout/potluck/playtime. Levi didn't really get into the food part, but he sure did like playing. At first, the trampoline was his favorite, but that was before he discovered the wonders of dirt. He also had a great time playing with Stacy and Driving Mr. Fantastic's car.

Memory Lane Monday IV

2005-09-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

That's Levi rolling around on the floor of our newly vacant apartment in Moses Lake. The movers had just finished packing everything up, and as a last goodbye, Levi wanted to roll around on the ugly carpet one more time. It was actually a little sad, leaving that place, the house that Levi first called home. After a couple days with the folks, we said goodbye to Washington State and moved all the way to DC. What an adventure.

Poetry Thurday VIII

2005-09-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Little Turtle
by Vachel Lindsay

There was a little turtle
Who lived in a box.
He swam in the puddles
And climbed on the rocks.
He snapped at the mosquito,
He snapped at the flea.
He snapped at the minnow,
And he snapped at me.
He caught the mosquito,
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow,
But he didn't catch me

Memory Lane Monday III

2005-08-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

This picture is of Levi and Daddy on Easter of 2004. Levi is about 6 months old and Daddy is about 292 1/2 months old. We went up to the mountains for part of the day with Mom's side of the family. Levi loved it up there and was fascinated with the trees and the water. And there were so many places to hide eggs! Levi wasn't really interested in eggs at that point, but his aunts and uncles were. And he got to watch Daddy swing an axe, which was pretty cool.

Poetry Thurday VII

2005-08-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

On Our Way

What kind of walk shall we take today?
Leap like a frog? Creep like a snail?
Scamper like a squirrel with a furry tail?

Flutter like a butterfly? Chicken Peck?
Stretch like a turtle with a poking-out neck?

Trot like a pony, clip clop clop?
Swing like a monkey in a treetop?

Scuttle like a crab? Kangaroo jump?
Plod like a camel with an up-and-down hump?

We could even try a brand-new way
Walking down the street
On our own two feet.

Eve Merriam

Memory Lane Monday II

2005-08-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's that time again!

This was Levi's first baseball game ever! He made it through a few innings before falling asleep. It was the only game he went to in Seattle. By the way, April in Seattle is cold.

Poetry Thurday VI

2005-08-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Upside Down

It's funny how beetles
and creatures like that
can walk upside down
as well as walk flat:

They crawl on a ceiling
and climb on a wall
without any practice
or trouble at all,

While I have been trying
for a year (maybe more)
and still I can't stand
with my head on the floor.

Aileen Fisher

Crashing and Counting

2005-08-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, Levi and I were playing this really awesome game with a garage/gas station playset that he has (thanks Grandma and Grandpa). The game goes like this:
1. line up two or three cars on a twisting slide
2. Say "1, 2, 3 GO!" and let the cars all go down the slide
3. Say "OH MY GOSH" and laugh like crazy when the cars all crash together at the bottom
4. Repeat

So after about 10 or 15 minutes of this I say to Levi, "okay, now this time, you count!" We line up the cars and he says...
"One, Two, Free, Four, Five, SSSeven, eight, nine, ten, ehven, telve, firteen, fo'een, GO!"

Maggie and I just looked at each other, a little shocked. Who knew our little guy could count to 14! It's not like we really work with him a lot on counting or anything. Now if only he could eat as well as he counts...

P.S. We are planning an early retirement due to our son's genius abilities in Math. It's such a lucrative field and I'm sure he'll be world champion by the time he is 22 so that means lots o' cash. Oh, wait. That's not Math, that's golf! Well back to the 401k I guess.

Memory Lane Monday I

2005-08-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Levi at about 4 1/2 months. He's wide-eyed and happy and ready to go. Isn't it cool how much he's changed, but also how much he is still the same?

Poetry Thursday V

2005-08-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Cradle song of the Elephants
A Brazilian lullaby

The little elephant was crying
because it did not want to sleep...
Go to sleep, my little elephant,
the moon is going to hear you weep.

Papa elephant is near.
I hear him bellowing among the mangoes.
Go to sleep, my little elephant,
the moon will hear my little fellow...

Adriano del Valle
translated by Alida Malkus

Poetry Thursday IV

2005-08-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

Bleezer's Ice Cream
By Jack Prelutsky

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:

COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.

Hello Grandma and Grandpa, and goodbye...

2005-08-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we just had a great whirlwind visit from grandma and grandpa. We did more stuff than it seems like should be possible! We went to...

The Natural History Museum
The Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum
Shenandoah National Park
Warrenton (Foster Grille)
Arlington National Cemetary
The US Marine Corps Monument (Iwo Jima Memorial)
The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
Turtle Park
Cafe Deluxe

All in all it was a great weekend+. Levi really loves his grandparents and was so happy to have them here. When he woke up in the morning, he would do his usual routine of hanging out in bed, snuggled up with mom and dad. Until he remembered that Grandma and Grandpa were upstairs, at which point he would rush for the door to go see them. I'm worried that he's really going to miss them tomorrow when he wakes up and finds them gone. I know that they are going to miss him. Sometimes I wish we hadn't moved so far away from all our family. No matter how good your friends are, nothing can replace family.

We love you, Grandma and Grandpa

-Dad

Poetry Thursday III

2005-07-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Tiger

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

William Blake

A Quick Observation

2005-07-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

It is absolutely adorable when your toddler picks up the broom and starts sweeping the floor or when he picks up the phone, holds it to his ear and says, "Hello?". It is not so adorable when he picks up the hammer and starts banging it on the wall.

Tales from Ethan's Birthday

2005-07-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Being totally clothed and covered in pudding is okay....

but nothing beats being shirtless and covered in pudding!

A little mess

2005-07-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Levi was very impish tonight and gave me a much needed laugh. Dad gave him a piece of chocolate, which he was carrying around sucking on. (I guess he will eat some things). He came to visit me at the computer and I said, "Where's your chocolate?" Dad said, "He doesn't have it? Uh-Oh, that means it's on the floor somewhere." He went searching for the elusive piece of chocolate and found it--on his tie. Levi had pulled the tie down from where it was hanging and deposited his chocolate on it. I'm not really sure what Levi's motivation was, but it we sure laughed.
-Mom

Poetry Thursday II

2005-07-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here is another poem for Daddy's Poetry Thursday from my book, Poems for Little Ones:

My feet took a walk in the heavenly grass.
All day while the sky shone clear as glass.
My feet took a walk in the heavenly grass,
All night while the lonesome stars rolled past.

From "Heavenly Grass"
Tennessee Williams

Rocking Out!

2005-07-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Night Kisses

2005-07-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

Levi has been feeling sick for the last couple days (Deanna, Sam, Ryan, Becky, we're really sorry if Ethan or Sophie get sick. We didn't know until it was too late!) so he hasn't been sleeping very well. On Sunday night, Mom and I stayed up quite late reading the new Harry Potter book. When we went to bed Levi was fine. He didn't wake up or anything. About two hours later he wakes up and starts tapping me saying "Daddy, daddy, daddy." Eventually I wake up and he says "tiss?" and leans forward so I can give him a kiss. I do. Then he says "tank ooo" and lays down and goes right back to sleep. I love being a dad.

-Dad

Poetry Thursday

2005-07-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a poem for Daddy's poetry Thursday from my book, Poems for Little Ones:

I love to see the big white moon,
A-shining in the sky;
I love to see the little stars,
When shadow clouds go by.

I love the raindrops falling
On my rooftop in the night;
I love the soft wind's sighing,
Before the dawn's gray light.

From "My Loves"
By Langston Hughes

OT Today

2005-07-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

So Levi had his third session of occupational therapy today. It had been awhile and the therapist was pleased with his progress. He played with some balls and a swing and a whistle. We are going to be working with him at home and going to therapy every two weeks to discuss his progress. We will be encouraging him to try different flavours of food and to play with different textures. We are also going to be working on his balance judgement by tipping him sideways. We will continue to brush him every two hours with a soft brush and run our thumb across the roof of his mouth (I'm not kidding about those things). We will let you know how it goes. Hopefully we will have a more interesting cute story next time.
-Mom

Don't Cry Levi, You're at DISNEYLAND!!!

2005-07-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, we have a lot of catching up to do. Let's get it started.

Back in March, the three of us took a trip out to Southern California. The main reason we went out there was not a happy one; Maggie's uncle Chuck passed away last winter and his "Celebration of Life" took place over Easter Weekend. But since it's not every day we get to go to the OC, we decided to take advantage of it and visit DISNEYLAND!!! while we were there.

Levi really loved Disneyland, though I think it completely wore him out. He slept for about three days straight when we got back home. His favorite rides were It's a Small World and The Adventures of Pooh. He did not like Splash Mountain. Ha ha, just kidding. He loved it. Levi really liked seeing all the big characters in person, too. But, by far, his favorite thing was the fountain. The Bug's Life fountain. He would have stayed there all day if we let him.

Now from our point of view, Disneyland was a lot different. This was the first time we had been there with a toddler, and it definitely changes things. We were there for four days, and we still didn't get to do everything! Now don't get us wrong, it was still fun, maybe even more fun, it was just different. It's a good thing we had Aunties Leah and Rachel along for the ride, too, since that gave us a chance to get away by ourselves a little.

So, to recap: Disneyland is fun. We hope to make a trip there an annual event, though we'll see if it actually works out that way. As Levi gets older it's probably only going to get more and more fun, so I can't wait!

P.S. If you want a copy of any of the picture in this, or any, post, just right click (control-click for you Mac users) and select "save picture to computer."

Writing on the Wall

2005-07-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Levi knows now that he is not allowed to color on the wall. Today, he was drawing with markers on a sheet of paper, (a lovely picture) and I said, "This is great, we'll have to hang it on the wall."
Levi misunderstood me. He thought I said we should color on the wall. His eyes lit up, he said "yeah," laughed and ran towards the wall, marker in hand. I said, "No, sweetie, we can't color on the wall, that's not what I meant."
He looked visibly disappointed, but resignedly went back to coloring without complaint. Such a sweet boy.
-Mom

Bus?

2005-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Rock? Car?

Grass?

Nurse? Nap?