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Springtime




We are wishing for spring. We keep getting little glimpses of it and are ready to welcome it in. As the start of the semester arrived, we found ourselves extremely busy. Casey jumped into a full-time load and I began teaching two courses for the first time in a long time. The days are busy and the nights even busier. Despite this, we are still having a great time as a family. We managed a trip down to Virginia Beach and then got to stop at all the beach towns from there back home. It was great fun. CJ loves the arcade and Ceirnan just likes to walk around on her own. They both love the hotel and getting a chance to swim. We are all so ready for it to warm up so we can go camping and hit all of our fun swimming holes.

Ceirnan just had a visit with her specialist at CHOP, Dr. Chang. He was very pleased at how well she is doing. Hard to believe at this time last year, she could not even move her fingers. He graduated her up to a free finger splint, which she will enjoy much better than her full hand splint. She only has to wear it at night, but she definitely does not like anything that makes her feel constrained. I try to always put it on after she goes to sleep. We are still looking at her big surgery at about 3 years old, but Dr. Chang is doing research to try to come up with some new ideas since traditional surgeries aren't appropriate. She is running and climbing. She speaks about 15 words now. She laughs a lot.

CJ is doing great. After a lot of research, discussions, questioning, debating, rediscussing, self-examination, more research, and parent teacher conferences, we have decided to put him in pre-k next year. Although his teachers say he is one of the brightest in the class and more than able to keep up with his peers, the research all discusses how much the extra year can benefit the summer birthday student. It was one of the hardest decisions we've had to make. CJ seems to be okay with the choice though. The practice called "red-shirting" will allow him a chance to really be a leader and give him more time with this sister. I am excited that they will get to be in school together longer. He is now reading simple books. He is an amazing runner and can't wait for soccor and baseball season to start.

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