The end of the year is finally here. 2015, like seemingly each of the last 7 years, has been a year of change and development.
Emma, our oldest, is in 7th grade. Next month she turns 13. I'm not sure that I'm prepared for that; not really even sure that the world is ready. But like much of what else she does, Emma will put on a face of confidence and face it. She is in an interesting person. She oscillates between who she wants to be. At home, she is opinionated and sometimes even smug - but then minutes later sweet and comforting to her younger siblings. She is an avid reader and in incredibly hard worker. This fall, she began Confirmation at our church. It has been a blessing to see her faith evolve. We've had to adapt the way she is taught because of schedule conflicts with her mother, but Emma is getting it. She makes me very proud. At school and her relationships there, she seems to move between peer groups with ease. But then, there will be the occasional moment when I see much of myself reflected in her. I'll see her shyness, her reservation, sometimes even her self doubt. She will find her way. She is strong and determined.
Carter is in 5th grade and his last year of elementary school. He has matured greatly in just the last 6 months. Having a male teacher for the first time has helped. He also started hockey this year and I think that has given him something to look forward to as his own each week. Our deal has been that he has to maintain high grades if he wants to be able to play. So far, so good. Next week, will be starting level 3 (of 4) for learning to play hockey. Hopefully, this time next year I will be writing about him playing on a team. He's never been able to do that, and it something that I know he yearns for. He will also be making the jump from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts in the next couple of months. I am very much looking forward to this for him. The relationships he develops in Boy Scouts will be relationships that he will literally carry forever. The values that he learns, he will carry with him always.
Caraline is in 4 year old preschool and just turned 5 last week. She will continue to go to Immanuel Lutheran for school when she completes preschool. We've been members at Immanuel since Kate and I were married. Knowing that she will be able to go to school at what has become our "home", is reassuring. The foundation of her faith is incredibly strong. I can only imagine how it will continue to blossom. It's funny - she is Kate's carbon copy. She looks like her, talks like her, thinks like her, acts like her - loves like her. She's my little Lina Bean.
Coleton is a bouncing ball of a two year old. More accurately, he's like a bottle of coke that has been shaken up. At some point, you have to open the top of the coke and watch the excitement - well, Coleton is what that excitement looks like....all the time. His personality is constantly evolving but this kid likes to GO. His little engine just doesn't stop. He has learned that as #4 he has to make his voice heard to ensure the gets what he wants. He clearly learned that very early on and has refused to let it go since he was born. He's definitely the fireball of the family. This year, he has been doing a Mommy and Me class with Kate. I know that she cherishes the time she gets to spend with him every Wednesday. I will always be grateful of the time that she spends with all of them. Its cliche, but these moments really do move quickly.
Kate has been busy as always. She is splitting time between the Macomb Intermediate School District as a contract SLP and for a private company doing home based therapy. Both are good fits for her. She is much more of a talented Speech Pathologist that I can ever hope to be. While I often talk about working within my bliss in my job, all you have to do is listen to Kate talk for 30 seconds about the kiddos that she gets to work with and know that God has her placed exactly where he know she needs to be. She's that person that gives hope. I'm very proud of her.
As for myself, 2 months ago I returned to the field as a practicing Speech Pathologist for our Detroit patients at Residential Home Health. From a career perspective, this was the best move I've made in my life. People want to knock Detroit. Sure, its rough. It's old. It's full of burned out houses and building marked with every color of graffiti. But you know what? Its full of people. And the people that I see are just like your brother, your sister, your father and grandmother. They share the same hopes, the same fears. They are good people. It is an honor to work with the people that I do. Everyone has a story and when you are in the business of helping them communicate their story, well, you really can't be in any better place.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
As usual, I have waited a year to provide any updates to this blog. Facebook seems to be the medium that both Kate and I use to share the adventures of the Michigan Southerns. Yet, going back occasionally to this blog and reading though some of our own adventures is almost like taking a read back at an old diary.
The last year has been full of transitions. Emma is now in 6th grade and a middle schooler. She's had a great year and is doing well - even Advanced Math! She clearly did not get that skill from me. She has been learning to ride horses for the last 2 years and is loving it. Unfortunately, it got a bit chilly this winter and she decided to take a little bit of a break. It has FINALLY started to warm up in Michigan, so hopefully she will jump back into it soon. I know that she misses the 90 minutes of "doing her own thing" each week.
Carter continues to wander through elementary school. I mean that lovingly. I'm still not convinced that he knows he's alive yet. He does well - don't misunderstand - but he seems to careen from one extreme to the other. We are hoping that 5th grade will be the spark that he needs to find some consistency. He is such a good kid. And, as my mother says, is the carbon copy of myself.
Caraline has been attending pre-school at Immanuel Lutheran. It has been great to see her come home each week and share the small seeds of her faith. She is our prayer leader at most family meals. We've gone from the "Moravian Blessing" to a sing-song modified version of it to the tune of the alphabet song.
Coleton, aka Colie, is almost 2. He's such a dynamic little guy. While Caraline got the talkative nature of her mother, Coleton got his father's persistence. He doesn't take "no" for an answer. His speech is coming along fine and his language acquisition is just fascinating to watch. Between the two littles, Colie definitely has Dubay in him. Its slightly weird at times to look at him and see the baby version of your father in law looking back at you.
Kate continues to work contractually for the Macomb ISD. Luckily, this year, she is only working at one school. I really do admire what she does. She works with population of kids that I simply don't possess neither the skill set nor the understanding to provide effective interventions. I've seen her in action before and it is beyond amazing to see your wife working within her bliss.
Myself? I've transitioned from a field SLP in homecare to a therapy supervisor at the same company. I supervise the Detroit team of PTs, OTs, MSWs and SLPs. The engagement level is different, but in the end, the objective is still the same. Provide the best possible interventions and deliver the best possible outcomes to our customers. I simply love it.
Kate has made me promise to do this with a bit more regularity. We'll see how that goes. Until then...
The last year has been full of transitions. Emma is now in 6th grade and a middle schooler. She's had a great year and is doing well - even Advanced Math! She clearly did not get that skill from me. She has been learning to ride horses for the last 2 years and is loving it. Unfortunately, it got a bit chilly this winter and she decided to take a little bit of a break. It has FINALLY started to warm up in Michigan, so hopefully she will jump back into it soon. I know that she misses the 90 minutes of "doing her own thing" each week.
Carter continues to wander through elementary school. I mean that lovingly. I'm still not convinced that he knows he's alive yet. He does well - don't misunderstand - but he seems to careen from one extreme to the other. We are hoping that 5th grade will be the spark that he needs to find some consistency. He is such a good kid. And, as my mother says, is the carbon copy of myself.
Caraline has been attending pre-school at Immanuel Lutheran. It has been great to see her come home each week and share the small seeds of her faith. She is our prayer leader at most family meals. We've gone from the "Moravian Blessing" to a sing-song modified version of it to the tune of the alphabet song.
Coleton, aka Colie, is almost 2. He's such a dynamic little guy. While Caraline got the talkative nature of her mother, Coleton got his father's persistence. He doesn't take "no" for an answer. His speech is coming along fine and his language acquisition is just fascinating to watch. Between the two littles, Colie definitely has Dubay in him. Its slightly weird at times to look at him and see the baby version of your father in law looking back at you.
Kate continues to work contractually for the Macomb ISD. Luckily, this year, she is only working at one school. I really do admire what she does. She works with population of kids that I simply don't possess neither the skill set nor the understanding to provide effective interventions. I've seen her in action before and it is beyond amazing to see your wife working within her bliss.
Myself? I've transitioned from a field SLP in homecare to a therapy supervisor at the same company. I supervise the Detroit team of PTs, OTs, MSWs and SLPs. The engagement level is different, but in the end, the objective is still the same. Provide the best possible interventions and deliver the best possible outcomes to our customers. I simply love it.
Kate has made me promise to do this with a bit more regularity. We'll see how that goes. Until then...
Friday, January 17, 2014
January 2014
The time has come for me to update the blog again. (Yes, Kate is scrapbooking.)
We are now in mid-January. Last week, we survived some of the coldest temperatures that I can remember during my time living in Michigan. Some of the daily low temperatures were -15 with a windchill of -33!! To put that in perspective, think about it this way. I had to stop at the ATM on my way to a patient's house on the coldest of those mornings. When I reached my hand out of the window of my car to use the keypad on the ATM, I swear that I lost feeling in my finger tips before they ever hit the keypad. It was literally the craziest sensation ever. Miraculously, 20 minutes later I was on a ferry crossing the river between Algonac and Harsen's Island. It was very interesting to see a completely frozen over river on either side as we passed to the other side.
Caraline is scrapbooking with Kate at the moment, singing her favorite song, "Hairy Christmas". It is a Duck Dynasty song that is on their Christmas CD. She is in love with "Willy's song" as she calls it. Constantly were hear, "Hunt you down a Christmas tree. Thank God Mama's cooking is free. Round up your redneck family and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! Like Jesus and Santa Claus, we got love behind these beards. Wishing you a hairy Christmas and a happy, happy, happy New Year." While it is cute, it is also, well, obsessive. Kate picked her up a free DD poster yesterday at the Christian book store. It now adorns one of the walls on the basement stairs. Last night, Cara had to tell Willy goodnight....
Emma and Carter have both done very well so far in 5th and 3rd grade. They love their teachers. Emma is continuing with horseback riding. She is now taking weekly lessons. Next week, in fact, she will get to "canter" for the first time. For those of us who don't speak horse, that means the horse will essentially be jogging. She loves it and though it is a bity pricey, we are beyond happy that she has found something that is "hers" to enjoy.
Carter is continuing with Scouts. This year he is a Bear Scout. He really enjoys the meetings, but this year has proved to be a little difficult because of logistical changes in our den schedule. We now meet on Sundays once a month and our den leader really tries to accommodate us regarding the parenting schedule. He is super excited about the upcoming Pinewood derby race in April. Hopefully we will finally break the Southern Family curse of producing cars that finish dead last every race. Seriously. This is our goal. DO. NOT. FINISH. LAST.
Kate is back working with MISD again this year. She is working at 3 different schools on a part-time basis. As crazy as that sounds, she actually loves it. The part-time aspect allows her to take Caraline to a Praise and Play pre-school at Immanuel. That has been a blessing in and of itself. Watching her faith bloom has been amazing to watch.
Coleton had his 6 month checkup today. He weighs 17lbs and is 26 inches long. Percentage wise, he is in the 25th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. His head circumference is in the 75th percentile. He is getting quite good at a few baby tricks. He can say the most important word in his early vocabulary, "da-da". He rolls to get where he wants to go. He's almost figured out how to crawl, but does more of a rocking motion at the moment. It is quite entertaining to watch. The older kids love him. He still hasn't figured out how to sleep through the night yet, but we are really hoping that he gets it together shortly. We have faith that he will.
Until next time....cheers!
We are now in mid-January. Last week, we survived some of the coldest temperatures that I can remember during my time living in Michigan. Some of the daily low temperatures were -15 with a windchill of -33!! To put that in perspective, think about it this way. I had to stop at the ATM on my way to a patient's house on the coldest of those mornings. When I reached my hand out of the window of my car to use the keypad on the ATM, I swear that I lost feeling in my finger tips before they ever hit the keypad. It was literally the craziest sensation ever. Miraculously, 20 minutes later I was on a ferry crossing the river between Algonac and Harsen's Island. It was very interesting to see a completely frozen over river on either side as we passed to the other side.
Caraline is scrapbooking with Kate at the moment, singing her favorite song, "Hairy Christmas". It is a Duck Dynasty song that is on their Christmas CD. She is in love with "Willy's song" as she calls it. Constantly were hear, "Hunt you down a Christmas tree. Thank God Mama's cooking is free. Round up your redneck family and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! Like Jesus and Santa Claus, we got love behind these beards. Wishing you a hairy Christmas and a happy, happy, happy New Year." While it is cute, it is also, well, obsessive. Kate picked her up a free DD poster yesterday at the Christian book store. It now adorns one of the walls on the basement stairs. Last night, Cara had to tell Willy goodnight....
Emma and Carter have both done very well so far in 5th and 3rd grade. They love their teachers. Emma is continuing with horseback riding. She is now taking weekly lessons. Next week, in fact, she will get to "canter" for the first time. For those of us who don't speak horse, that means the horse will essentially be jogging. She loves it and though it is a bity pricey, we are beyond happy that she has found something that is "hers" to enjoy.
Carter is continuing with Scouts. This year he is a Bear Scout. He really enjoys the meetings, but this year has proved to be a little difficult because of logistical changes in our den schedule. We now meet on Sundays once a month and our den leader really tries to accommodate us regarding the parenting schedule. He is super excited about the upcoming Pinewood derby race in April. Hopefully we will finally break the Southern Family curse of producing cars that finish dead last every race. Seriously. This is our goal. DO. NOT. FINISH. LAST.
Kate is back working with MISD again this year. She is working at 3 different schools on a part-time basis. As crazy as that sounds, she actually loves it. The part-time aspect allows her to take Caraline to a Praise and Play pre-school at Immanuel. That has been a blessing in and of itself. Watching her faith bloom has been amazing to watch.
Coleton had his 6 month checkup today. He weighs 17lbs and is 26 inches long. Percentage wise, he is in the 25th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. His head circumference is in the 75th percentile. He is getting quite good at a few baby tricks. He can say the most important word in his early vocabulary, "da-da". He rolls to get where he wants to go. He's almost figured out how to crawl, but does more of a rocking motion at the moment. It is quite entertaining to watch. The older kids love him. He still hasn't figured out how to sleep through the night yet, but we are really hoping that he gets it together shortly. We have faith that he will.
Until next time....cheers!
Monday, July 29, 2013
And yet again, I have let almost a year get between me and a new post to the blog. Kate and I have this deal, you see. Each time she scrapbooks for the kids, I am supposed to do a blog post. I'm somewhere around 4 million posts behind at present.
We've been living at the new place for about 18 months now. So far, so good. The drive took a little getting used to for the kids, but they have accepted it as the new normal. We've made changes all over the place. Just off the top of my head, I've stripped wallpaper in the kitchen (and repainted it), painted each kid's room, stripped and stained the front porch, built a mudroom cubby, changed primary lights in the kitchen and our bathroom, new ceiling fans in two rooms, added ventilation to the bonus room and new windows throughout. In other words, we've had nonstop projects. The only one that I didn't do myself was the windows. I have to admit, I have found that I love doing this all this stuff. The mudroom and ventilation projects proved that I could build and expand on to something and not destroy anything else in the process. I already have a list for the next 6 months that I'm working on. We'll definitely have to add blog posts as I complete them.
We have a new addition. Not a house addition, but a family addition! On July 11, 2013 at 2:58pm, Kate and I welcomed into the world Coleton William Southern. The little guy is two and a half weeks old right now and changes every single day. Once again, it has been amazing to watch the miracle we call a baby come to be a part of our lives. Emma, Carter and Caraline have been fantastic with him. Emma is the mother hen of the house now. She so wants to please and be helpful with Coleton. She's doing very well so far. Carter is excited that the numbers are back to even for boys vs girls. I can't blame him. More potential estrogen in the house could have really tampered our boy time.
And then there's Caraline. She's struggling a little bit with the focus not being on her as much. We were completely potty trained and doing very well, but have had a few regressive moments lately. Oddly enough though, she's yet to have an accident at night. Just in the middle of the day. Like when Mama is feeding Coleton in the living room and Cara walks to the bathroom, says she has to go potty and when Mama tells her to go on her own because she is a big girl, she turns around and pees all over the floor. Of course, she then tells Kate that she's happy for her in response to Kate saying that she is NOT happy with her. I am so glad I was not home today when this happened. Don't think I could have contained myself.
Emma just spent two weeks at a day camp learning about horses. She seemed to really love it. Ironically, her horse's name was Carter. He was stubborn and often required constant redirection from Emma to keep him on task for what they were doing. She said that when she got out of the car each day, it was like she was never leaving her brother.
Carter is, well, Carter. He seems to float through life living oblivious to the future and not really paying attention to the past. He literally has to be the most carefree person that I know. Hopefully, 3rd grade will be not too much of a shock to him. 2nd grade was a breeze. He may actually have to apply himself this year and study. Or, who knows, he may not need to.
Kate is looking for a school job again this year. She worked for the Macomb ISD last year, but in a substitute SLP position. She's looking for something more permanent this year. Keep you fingers crossed for her. Any place would be lucky to have her on their staff.
As for me, I'm going to start a new blog here shortly. 10 years ago, I finished what I thought was my first novel. I really liked parts of it and hated other parts. So, I decided to put it away and not look at it. Last week, I pulled it out of the closet, read through a bit of it and decided that its time to revamp it and tell the story a bit from a different perspective in some parts. To keep me accountable, I've decided to publish the novel as part of a new blog. Keep an eye out later this week for the first installment.
We've been living at the new place for about 18 months now. So far, so good. The drive took a little getting used to for the kids, but they have accepted it as the new normal. We've made changes all over the place. Just off the top of my head, I've stripped wallpaper in the kitchen (and repainted it), painted each kid's room, stripped and stained the front porch, built a mudroom cubby, changed primary lights in the kitchen and our bathroom, new ceiling fans in two rooms, added ventilation to the bonus room and new windows throughout. In other words, we've had nonstop projects. The only one that I didn't do myself was the windows. I have to admit, I have found that I love doing this all this stuff. The mudroom and ventilation projects proved that I could build and expand on to something and not destroy anything else in the process. I already have a list for the next 6 months that I'm working on. We'll definitely have to add blog posts as I complete them.
We have a new addition. Not a house addition, but a family addition! On July 11, 2013 at 2:58pm, Kate and I welcomed into the world Coleton William Southern. The little guy is two and a half weeks old right now and changes every single day. Once again, it has been amazing to watch the miracle we call a baby come to be a part of our lives. Emma, Carter and Caraline have been fantastic with him. Emma is the mother hen of the house now. She so wants to please and be helpful with Coleton. She's doing very well so far. Carter is excited that the numbers are back to even for boys vs girls. I can't blame him. More potential estrogen in the house could have really tampered our boy time.
And then there's Caraline. She's struggling a little bit with the focus not being on her as much. We were completely potty trained and doing very well, but have had a few regressive moments lately. Oddly enough though, she's yet to have an accident at night. Just in the middle of the day. Like when Mama is feeding Coleton in the living room and Cara walks to the bathroom, says she has to go potty and when Mama tells her to go on her own because she is a big girl, she turns around and pees all over the floor. Of course, she then tells Kate that she's happy for her in response to Kate saying that she is NOT happy with her. I am so glad I was not home today when this happened. Don't think I could have contained myself.
Emma just spent two weeks at a day camp learning about horses. She seemed to really love it. Ironically, her horse's name was Carter. He was stubborn and often required constant redirection from Emma to keep him on task for what they were doing. She said that when she got out of the car each day, it was like she was never leaving her brother.
Carter is, well, Carter. He seems to float through life living oblivious to the future and not really paying attention to the past. He literally has to be the most carefree person that I know. Hopefully, 3rd grade will be not too much of a shock to him. 2nd grade was a breeze. He may actually have to apply himself this year and study. Or, who knows, he may not need to.
Kate is looking for a school job again this year. She worked for the Macomb ISD last year, but in a substitute SLP position. She's looking for something more permanent this year. Keep you fingers crossed for her. Any place would be lucky to have her on their staff.
As for me, I'm going to start a new blog here shortly. 10 years ago, I finished what I thought was my first novel. I really liked parts of it and hated other parts. So, I decided to put it away and not look at it. Last week, I pulled it out of the closet, read through a bit of it and decided that its time to revamp it and tell the story a bit from a different perspective in some parts. To keep me accountable, I've decided to publish the novel as part of a new blog. Keep an eye out later this week for the first installment.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Changes.....
Once again, it has taken me over 6 months to update the blog. So many things have happened....so here we go.
In February, we sold the house on Dunhill in Macomb and moved out to the country. Riley Township to be specific. It's a quiet little town that doesn't even have a main street its so small. The metropolis of Memphis is about 3 miles south of us. Memphis maybe has 3000 residents. It does have a nice little mainstreet. I've even picked out a little building that I'd love to open up a private practice clinic at some day. We'll see. Maybe one day when income doesn't matter...
We absolutely love the new place. I guess you would consider it a Cape Cod Colonial. The house sits on about 5 acres. The lot is about 5 times deeper than wide. Lots of grass. So much so, that I was able to purchase the coolest thing that every country living man needs...a 61" Husqvarna zero turn mower. I maintain about 4 acres of it weekly with the mowing. The awesome thing is that I can mow the whole thing in about 90 minutes, including trimming. No more push mower...ever!
About the same time we moved out here, I also started a new job at Residential Home Health. To be honest, I wasn't really sure about it when I was considering the offer. Something about going into random people's homes seemed intrusive. However, I fell in love with it quickly. It really is some of the most functional speech-language pathology intervention that you can provide. Think about it: in a clinic we talk about making our intervention functional when they go home for the day. If you're already at their home, the functional deficits that they may present with and have to deal with daily are staring at you in the face. You have no choice but to affect change quickly for them. You know every single session how functional the intervention you provided that day really is to them. Plus, when they got me certified in both the Lee Silveman Voice Treatment (LSVT) Loud program as well as VitalStim (neuromuscular electrical stimulation), it makes it very hard not to like the company you work for.
Kate's work has changed a bit lately. She is now part-time at Children's working on Tuesday and Thursday. She has taken another part-time position with Therapy Solutions Unlimited and is working at a charter school in Flint on Monday and Friday. Both positions have a good bit of driving for her to get to, but I think that's part of the trade-off with living where we do.
Emma and Carter are in 4th and 2nd grade now. Emma took piano last year and did pretty well with it. She decided not to do it this fall, but we are hoping to have her enrolled in a different extracurricular at the end of this grading period. 4th grade has been a little bit of a transition for her thus far - we want to see where she stands before adding something else. Carter has just started his 2nd year of CubScouts. This year he is a Wolf. He's super excited and already trying to convince me to start working on his Pinewood Derby car. He didn't like the fact that we came in 3rd from last this past spring...can't blame him.
Caraline is just growing and growing and growing. It's very cool being able to watch her developmentally now and know what I'm looking at. She's in that language explosion stage now and I swear literally learns and uses 5-10 new words a day. It's the coolest thing ever to watch. She spends 4 days per week with "Miss Nee-See", aka Mrs. Denise. Kate and I are thrilled that she has such wonderful experiences there. Denise is awesome and she certainly helps make our schedules a little less stressful because of her care.
In February, we sold the house on Dunhill in Macomb and moved out to the country. Riley Township to be specific. It's a quiet little town that doesn't even have a main street its so small. The metropolis of Memphis is about 3 miles south of us. Memphis maybe has 3000 residents. It does have a nice little mainstreet. I've even picked out a little building that I'd love to open up a private practice clinic at some day. We'll see. Maybe one day when income doesn't matter...
We absolutely love the new place. I guess you would consider it a Cape Cod Colonial. The house sits on about 5 acres. The lot is about 5 times deeper than wide. Lots of grass. So much so, that I was able to purchase the coolest thing that every country living man needs...a 61" Husqvarna zero turn mower. I maintain about 4 acres of it weekly with the mowing. The awesome thing is that I can mow the whole thing in about 90 minutes, including trimming. No more push mower...ever!
About the same time we moved out here, I also started a new job at Residential Home Health. To be honest, I wasn't really sure about it when I was considering the offer. Something about going into random people's homes seemed intrusive. However, I fell in love with it quickly. It really is some of the most functional speech-language pathology intervention that you can provide. Think about it: in a clinic we talk about making our intervention functional when they go home for the day. If you're already at their home, the functional deficits that they may present with and have to deal with daily are staring at you in the face. You have no choice but to affect change quickly for them. You know every single session how functional the intervention you provided that day really is to them. Plus, when they got me certified in both the Lee Silveman Voice Treatment (LSVT) Loud program as well as VitalStim (neuromuscular electrical stimulation), it makes it very hard not to like the company you work for.
Kate's work has changed a bit lately. She is now part-time at Children's working on Tuesday and Thursday. She has taken another part-time position with Therapy Solutions Unlimited and is working at a charter school in Flint on Monday and Friday. Both positions have a good bit of driving for her to get to, but I think that's part of the trade-off with living where we do.
Emma and Carter are in 4th and 2nd grade now. Emma took piano last year and did pretty well with it. She decided not to do it this fall, but we are hoping to have her enrolled in a different extracurricular at the end of this grading period. 4th grade has been a little bit of a transition for her thus far - we want to see where she stands before adding something else. Carter has just started his 2nd year of CubScouts. This year he is a Wolf. He's super excited and already trying to convince me to start working on his Pinewood Derby car. He didn't like the fact that we came in 3rd from last this past spring...can't blame him.
Caraline is just growing and growing and growing. It's very cool being able to watch her developmentally now and know what I'm looking at. She's in that language explosion stage now and I swear literally learns and uses 5-10 new words a day. It's the coolest thing ever to watch. She spends 4 days per week with "Miss Nee-See", aka Mrs. Denise. Kate and I are thrilled that she has such wonderful experiences there. Denise is awesome and she certainly helps make our schedules a little less stressful because of her care.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Fall 2011...
Once again, the time has passed relatively quickly between these posts. The Michigan Southerns are staying busy as usual....here's the rundown.
Emma is in 3rd grade this year at Sequoyah Elementary. As we all know, 3rd grade is a tough transitional year for most kids. This is the year that they go from "learning to read" to "reading to learn". So far, so good. Parent conferences were a week ago and the report from Mrs. Fleming was outstanding. Em has mostly all A's with a sprinkle or two of B's. (This is also the first year with letter grades!) She's having to learn how to study this year. Mom used to tell me to study when I was younger and my standard answer was "Sure, I looked it over." I understand now, why should we get so upset with me when I gave her that answer. To Emma's credit, it took one test for her to understand the importance of studying days in advance of a test.
Carter is just motoring along in 1st grade.
His teacher, Mrs. Woodruff, reports that he is doing fantastic We need to work on his hand writing a little, but other than that, he's doing great. His reading is awesome! It really makes me proud to hear him read each night. He doesn't shy away from words he doesn't know. He'll give it his best attempt by using strategies he's learned at school. We didn't accomplish the bike riding objective this summer. While I want him to do it, I'm not going to traumatize him in the process. I guess we'll give that another try this spring. That and swimming.
And Caraline is just growing and growing and growing. Her little motor doesn't stop. In the past month alone she has gone from an army crawl to a hand and knee crawl. In the last two weeks she's getting more and more adventurous with the walking attempts. She'll stand up on her own by pulling on a chair or pushing against a wall. In the last week she's advanced to pushing the laundry basket or chairs around the kitchen. All bets are that she'll have it together sometime between Christmas and New Year's and will be walking on her own.
Kate and are doing well. We put the house up for sale right before Halloween. The plan is to find a place a bit farther out in the country - hopefully something on some acreage that will give us the freedom to be out in the yard much more for years and year to come. Time will tell....
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Catching up!
Well, Kate's working on scrapbooks, so whenever she breaks those out, that usually means its time for me to get back on here and blog! I really need to get better about this...
Here's a rundown of the last 6 months for everyone....
Emma just finished 2nd grade. She did an outstanding job all year improving her reading and
writing each and every marking period. About half way through the year, she really began to start liking football. It started with wanting to watch football with me every now and
then, and over time she began to want
to get football trading cards. Now, she has a little collection of them started and trades with the boys at school. Hopefully, this next school year will allow her to participate in some more activities outside of school like soccer or basketball. She's a good little athlete. We kick the soccer ball around in the yard and she's actually quite good. With school for Kate and I finally settled down, the sky is the limit for what she wants to do.
Carter finished kindergarten. He attended a full-day version by going to his regular teacher in the morning and then spending the afternoon in "kindergarten plus". I think it will certainly ease the transition to first grade and actually having to pay attention all day to what you are supposed to be learning. It was interesting to watch his interactions with his peers as well. The two years at Merrill Palmer at WSU definitely set him up for success both academically and socially. He seemed so at ease from the very beginning. His interests are as variable as ever. Some days its his Matchbox cars, the next day its his Nerf guns, while another its football. One thing he LOVES to do is help Kate give Caraline a bath. She does the bathing, but he helps her get prepared and get the lotions and towels ready. It's like he's her little helper. On the flip side, one thing that he HATES to do is ride his bike. Last time I got him on it, he screamed as loud as police siren while I ran down the street with him...while he was steadied by training wheels. That's my middle of the summer project for him...to get him to not be so terrified of the bike.
Caraline is GROWING! Kate took her in for her check-up a few weeks ago and she's up to 26.5
inches and 16.8lbs. She's babbling like crazy too. One of my favorite things to do with her is to sit her on my bed when we all get home from work/school and ask her about her day. She obviously has no idea yet what I'm asking, but she just jabbers, and jabbers and jabbers to me. The more I vary my pitch and inflections, the more animated she gets. It is quite entertaining. The big event of the last 6 months for her was her baptism in February. Nana 'Pock and Aunt Jenny came up to Michigan with Mom and Dad to spend the weekend with us and share in the celebration of marking her as one of God's own.
Kate is still going strong at Children's Hospital. She has such a cool job. Not to knock the SLP's in schools, but she gets to see the really interesting stuff at her place. Her days are long (10hrs), but the 3 day weekends are nice. I know that she really enjoys it - even on days when her caseload is slammed and reports need to get done...yesterday. It's cool to watch her come home and know that she is exactly where she needs to be in her career. It fits her personality, intellect and beliefs perfectly. I'm proud of what she does and how she does it...in addition to being Mom of the Year everyday to all three kids. I'm darned lucky.
I finally finished up grad school at Wayne State in May. For the Winter term, I did my clinical internship at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, working primarily in inpatient care. It was a very good experience and I learned a TREMENDOUS amount from my supervisors and CFY's who I had the opportunity to work with. Two weeks prior to graduation, I accepted a Speech-Language Pathologist
position with Encore! Rehabilitation Services working at the Martha T. Berry Medical Care Facility in Mt. Clemens Michigan. I graduated on a Thursday and started work the next Monday. I gotta scream this to everyone who will listen: I love my job. This is exactly the reason that I went back to school. I view my job like this: Everyone has a story to tell. In some cases, their ability to tell that story becomes impaired because of an event that they didn't ask for (i.e., stroke, TBI, etc.). My job is to help them reclaim that ability and go on telling their story. To have the opportunity to do that everyday...I'm living the dream.
The last bit of news....I got a new truck!!! Actually, I just got it this past Thursday. Kate says that I've been smiling like the Cheshire Cat for 3 days. I can't help it.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Another beginning...
Our family recently welcomed home a new addition...Miss Caraline Marie Southern. She arrived on December 18th, 2010 at 8:06pm at Troy Beaumont Hospital. She weighed 6lbs 4oz and measured in at a petite little 18.25 inches.
Its been fun trying to pick out features in each of us that we see in her. She has my eyes, Kate's mouth and we think a mix of our noses. Its yet to be determined if she's going to have "Southern Ears". Emma and Carter do the same. They each see parts of them in her.
The kids have been transitioning well so far. This Christmas, Emma got an American Girl doll that looks just like her. Its been interesting to watch. She's found a renewed interest in an older American Girl baby and tends to her more now than she has at any point in the past. It is almost as if she's learning how to deal with another baby in the house, by playing with "her" baby again. Watching her play activity has been insightful. This is not to say that she doesn't do anything with Caraline. She's is quite the helper with changing diapers and such. We haven't quite let her do anything on her own yet, because Caraline was so little (she actually went down to 5lbs 10oz in the week after she was born), but she has such a sincere interest in her. Emma is going to continue to be an outstanding big sister.
Carter is, well, Carter. He's been a non-stop quote machine. Some of his best are: "Does she have a robot brain?" "Does she have teeth and can she talk?" "Her head is like a peach...its soft and fuzzy." He wants to kiss her on the head literally every chance that he gets. I wondered how he would be with her as he's seemed to relish the role of "the youngest". He's been a little gentleman about her.
Kate and I are doing well too. She will be home though the first week of February. One of my favorite things to catch her doing now is taking a nap with Caraline. The little one is quite the snuggler and is always the most content when held as close as possible to her Mama. Kate is quite simply, the happiest I've ever seen her.
Caraline has been out and about a little more this past week than in the first two weeks. We've
been to church a couple of time and made a few quick shopping trips. Yesterday, she even indulged her Mama and Daddy by letting us take her to the movies with us to see "The King's Speech." She enjoyed it by sleeping almost the entire way through!
I start my internship at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield in about a week. I'm really looking forward to it and can't believe that I'm almost done with Grad School completely. Now I just have to find a job!
In summary, this has been an exciting month. The Michigan Southerns have their newest addition and things couldn't be any better than what they are. We're happy. An old and wonderful friend of mine told me in a message today that we just fit together as a family. I think that is a great description. It's easy to fit together when you truly belong together.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
This is a happy moment
"I'm pregnant."
Now, in the grand scheme of all of the memory of events in one lifetime, how many times do you get to hear that from your wife?
I looked up, smiled, and held her close. Her heart was beating faster than I've ever felt it beat. She was trembling. I held her as close to me as possible and whispered to her the only thing that I was feeling.
"This is a happy moment."
The day was May 5. One day before Kate graduated from Wayne State. The same week that she began working full-time as a SLP at a contract job. I was just finishing my 1st semester back in school and was about to begin my 2nd. We knew the next 12 months were going to be tight and that any number of unplanned for events could disrupt what we perceived as a solid plan to stability.
But in that moment, and in every moment since she told me the good news, a peace has lived within both of us. Now, that's not to say that some aspects of the news weren't stressful. I'd be lying if I said that. In the following weeks, another set of job interviews came and passed and some questions about how a new job would handle her were always floating around our minds. How would we tell our parents without sending them into endless worry? How would we tell our families as a whole? What about Emma and Carter?
Yet, at the same time, there was always a feeling that we shared spiritually. God isn't going to put us in a situation that we can't handle. He has a way of giving us just enough.
I think some of that comes with how we choose to view His plan. The news of expecting a child IS happy news. Its God's greatest miracle to parents. God knew that this is something that wouldn't shake our foundation because he knew that our foundation is strong. He knows we've found our foundation in Him. That our family, Emma, Carter, Kate and myself, believe that is is only through Jesus's love that our truest happiness exists.
Kate was blessed with the new job at Children's Hospital of Michigan. She loves it and they are accepting of the pregnancy. I just finished my school term. Our families and friends now know. We just shared the news with the kids at the beginning of this week.
So, I look forward, more excited than I can possibly put in words, to not only the remaining 5 months of the pregnancy, but the lifetime of shared moments in our family that will now include another gift from God.
Mark 9:35-36And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them: Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name, receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Family Focus
Kate and I have a calendar in our bathroom. Its the flip kind that isn't year specific. Everyday there is either a Bible passage, a prayer, or a thought for the day. I like it. Most days, Kate wakes up about 10 minutes before I do and will flip the calendar by the time that I make it in there to brush my teeth and get my day started.
A few of them in the last few weeks have struck me as particularly powerful.
May 17: When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. -Ecclesiastes 7:14
May 19: Love is good above all others, which alone maketh every burden light. - Thomas A Kempis
May 26: It is our duty, as parents, to be teachers. We are not doing right by our children unless we teach them how to live in a godly manner. Instead of lectures, though, we should strive to give our children constant, positive examples. It is through our own lives that we must teach them Christian values.
may 29: The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
And now, todays...June 6: Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live. - Robert Southey
I'm probably beginning to sound like a broken record in this blog, but I view everything so differently now than I did in the past. My day doesn't start with a coffee and a donut anymore without seeing my kids and giving them a hug. It doesn't start with a cursory kiss to my wife as I worry more about my political ineptness at work than the spritual and emotional well being of my family. Those days are in the past.
Every day now has a clear focus. Whether it is a school day for me or a weekend day with everyone, the focus is on the family. Kate is such an amazing mother. She is also an amazing wife and companion. She helps keep me centered. Without her in my life, or for that matter, the kids' lives, we'd be lost. She has helped remind me that there is meaning beyond what lies outside my home's door.
She helps me find a little bit more of myself and my children every single day. Some people are born to be mothers. Kate is one of them.
-----
The school year is almost done for Emma and Carter! They are so excited. Its kind of bittersweet with Carter. For the last two school years, Kate and I have been taking him down to school with us. The preschool at Merrill Palmer has literally been a 5 minute walk to the Rackham Building where our department is located. I'm going to miss our rides to and from school everyday. He may not be the most talkative kid on the planet, but just being around him makes me happy. I'm going to miss peeking at him every few minutes in the rear-view mirror and seeing him sing along to whatever we're listening to on the way in.
At the same time, though, he'll be going to school with Emma in the fall. She's such a little mother hen at times. She may pick on him from time to time at home, but when we're out and about, she protects him. She's going to look out for her little buddy next year. They'll go to latchkey together in the morning. She'll help him find new friends. When she went to Kindergarten two years ago, I was nervous for her. With Carter though, he has Emma. He'll be ok.
A few of them in the last few weeks have struck me as particularly powerful.
May 17: When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. -Ecclesiastes 7:14
May 19: Love is good above all others, which alone maketh every burden light. - Thomas A Kempis
May 26: It is our duty, as parents, to be teachers. We are not doing right by our children unless we teach them how to live in a godly manner. Instead of lectures, though, we should strive to give our children constant, positive examples. It is through our own lives that we must teach them Christian values.
may 29: The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
And now, todays...June 6: Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live. - Robert Southey
I'm probably beginning to sound like a broken record in this blog, but I view everything so differently now than I did in the past. My day doesn't start with a coffee and a donut anymore without seeing my kids and giving them a hug. It doesn't start with a cursory kiss to my wife as I worry more about my political ineptness at work than the spritual and emotional well being of my family. Those days are in the past.
Every day now has a clear focus. Whether it is a school day for me or a weekend day with everyone, the focus is on the family. Kate is such an amazing mother. She is also an amazing wife and companion. She helps keep me centered. Without her in my life, or for that matter, the kids' lives, we'd be lost. She has helped remind me that there is meaning beyond what lies outside my home's door.
She helps me find a little bit more of myself and my children every single day. Some people are born to be mothers. Kate is one of them.
-----
The school year is almost done for Emma and Carter! They are so excited. Its kind of bittersweet with Carter. For the last two school years, Kate and I have been taking him down to school with us. The preschool at Merrill Palmer has literally been a 5 minute walk to the Rackham Building where our department is located. I'm going to miss our rides to and from school everyday. He may not be the most talkative kid on the planet, but just being around him makes me happy. I'm going to miss peeking at him every few minutes in the rear-view mirror and seeing him sing along to whatever we're listening to on the way in.
At the same time, though, he'll be going to school with Emma in the fall. She's such a little mother hen at times. She may pick on him from time to time at home, but when we're out and about, she protects him. She's going to look out for her little buddy next year. They'll go to latchkey together in the morning. She'll help him find new friends. When she went to Kindergarten two years ago, I was nervous for her. With Carter though, he has Emma. He'll be ok.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
I am a friend of God
The Spring is upon us. And as the cliche goes, so comes renewal.
The better part of the last 4 months have been very fast paced. Kate is in her internship in Bloomfield Hills and I'm at school full-time. Emma's getting near the end of her 1st grade year and Carter is ending his time in preschool. I wonder how many families can say that all four members are in school, all at various levels, all at the same time?
Carter and I listen to a variety of things either on the radio or on CD on the may in to school each day. Since Christmas we've been listening to a CD that Kate made for us: Immanuel Praise Music. It is a compilation of songs that our church, Immanuel Lutheran in Macomb, uses throughout the year. The little man and I have our own favorites. He loves the song "I am a friend of God". Mine is "God of Wonders". We sing them together on the way in and the way from school. Its fulfilling to see him and hear him - whether he knows it or not- with Jesus at his side and in his heart.
This past week, we received our copy of The Lutheran Witness. It is a publication that is sent out by The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (the governing body that our church belongs to). A prominent article this time is called "Faith, Culture and Youth". I encourage you all to read it. This paragraph in particular stood out to me as troubling: "Postmodernism has, in many ways, led youth, while wanting to keep up religious appearances, to think about God and religion in a unique and ambivalent way. Survey responses indicate they largely see God as a distant being. They may acknowledge that He created the universe in one way or another. He can intervene in human affairs, and even be reached through prayer. Yet, He mostly remains aloof and disinterested. Also, according to this worldview, the highest goal in life for humans is happiness. This, along with being nice and kind, is what defines a moral person. And since morality is found in all religions, this view puts most if not all religions on an equal footing."
Kate and I have made every effort we can possibly make within the past year, to keep our family focused on Jesus. In the not-to-distant past, Emma and Carter fit into this post-modern role that is described above. God was distant. Jesus was an idea. They knew the words, but didn't - our couldn't - grasp what He is. But what has transpired over the last 13 months is nothing short of a miracle in my eyes.
Emma brings her Bible to church every single week. When we find the readings for the week in our Bible, we immediately help her find it in hers. She reads along with us. When Pastors Mike or Greg are delivering their message, she listens intently. When we get home, she asks questions. When we put them to bed each night, they thank Jesus for all that has happened during the day.
Jesus isn't so distant anymore. He's becoming a friend that they can talk to. It goes without saying that the last 2 years have been tough for them. They've had to deal with a lot of anger and frustration. But they are learning to know that there is someone far greater and more powerful than any fear that they can devise. They know that Jesus is there for them. That He walks with them throughout the day. That he comforts their minds and fills their hearts when they need him.
I just finished reading Max Lucado's latest book, Fearless. I highly recommend it. Kate's reading it now. While I am fearful of many things for Emma and Carter as they grow up, the one thing I am not fearful of is that they will lose Jesus in their life. They have found Him.
Follow this link to The Lutheran Witness:
http://www.lcms.org/pages/wPagex.asp?ContentID=746&IssueID=43
The better part of the last 4 months have been very fast paced. Kate is in her internship in Bloomfield Hills and I'm at school full-time. Emma's getting near the end of her 1st grade year and Carter is ending his time in preschool. I wonder how many families can say that all four members are in school, all at various levels, all at the same time?
Carter and I listen to a variety of things either on the radio or on CD on the may in to school each day. Since Christmas we've been listening to a CD that Kate made for us: Immanuel Praise Music. It is a compilation of songs that our church, Immanuel Lutheran in Macomb, uses throughout the year. The little man and I have our own favorites. He loves the song "I am a friend of God". Mine is "God of Wonders". We sing them together on the way in and the way from school. Its fulfilling to see him and hear him - whether he knows it or not- with Jesus at his side and in his heart.
This past week, we received our copy of The Lutheran Witness. It is a publication that is sent out by The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (the governing body that our church belongs to). A prominent article this time is called "Faith, Culture and Youth". I encourage you all to read it. This paragraph in particular stood out to me as troubling: "Postmodernism has, in many ways, led youth, while wanting to keep up religious appearances, to think about God and religion in a unique and ambivalent way. Survey responses indicate they largely see God as a distant being. They may acknowledge that He created the universe in one way or another. He can intervene in human affairs, and even be reached through prayer. Yet, He mostly remains aloof and disinterested. Also, according to this worldview, the highest goal in life for humans is happiness. This, along with being nice and kind, is what defines a moral person. And since morality is found in all religions, this view puts most if not all religions on an equal footing."
Kate and I have made every effort we can possibly make within the past year, to keep our family focused on Jesus. In the not-to-distant past, Emma and Carter fit into this post-modern role that is described above. God was distant. Jesus was an idea. They knew the words, but didn't - our couldn't - grasp what He is. But what has transpired over the last 13 months is nothing short of a miracle in my eyes.
Emma brings her Bible to church every single week. When we find the readings for the week in our Bible, we immediately help her find it in hers. She reads along with us. When Pastors Mike or Greg are delivering their message, she listens intently. When we get home, she asks questions. When we put them to bed each night, they thank Jesus for all that has happened during the day.
Jesus isn't so distant anymore. He's becoming a friend that they can talk to. It goes without saying that the last 2 years have been tough for them. They've had to deal with a lot of anger and frustration. But they are learning to know that there is someone far greater and more powerful than any fear that they can devise. They know that Jesus is there for them. That He walks with them throughout the day. That he comforts their minds and fills their hearts when they need him.
I just finished reading Max Lucado's latest book, Fearless. I highly recommend it. Kate's reading it now. While I am fearful of many things for Emma and Carter as they grow up, the one thing I am not fearful of is that they will lose Jesus in their life. They have found Him.
Follow this link to The Lutheran Witness:
http://www.lcms.org/pages/wPagex.asp?ContentID=746&IssueID=43
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Puppy, Christmas and a New Year
Well, I had no intention of not posting for almost 6 months. The time that has passed has been a whirlwind! The biggest news of the last 6 months has been that we now have an addition to the family. Her name is Lucy, our new (and growing) black lab puppy! For about 4 months between the late summer and Thanksgiving, Emma and Carter worked their way to earning a puppy by filling up a "puppy chart" that Kate and I created. The idea was simple. We put pictures on a 24x36 foam board that showed different supplies that a family needs for a puppy during the first year: crate, food, leash, biscuits, collar, shampoo, etc. Each supply was attained by earning a puppy icon to place over the top of the supply picture. To earn the puppy icon, they had to fill up what we had been using, a smiley chart, with 7 smilies. (These smilies were usually earned for a full day of good behavior.) In all, there were 25 puppies that had to be earned in order to get a puppy.
In mid-October, we learned through a friend of Kate's who lives out of state, that she knew of a family that was selling black lab puppies. She checked it out for us and after a few phone conversations with the owner, we reserved a little girl for us. So for about a little over a month, Kate and I kept it secret from the kids that we already had the puppy picked out. On Thanksgiving weekend, Kate and I took a little road trip and picked up Lucy! (We didn't officially decide her name until about an hour after we got her.)
So far, she is doing very well. The house training is going great. Instead of an accident every 30 minutes, its an accident every other week or so now. Most of those are our fault now anyways for not paying enough attention to her "signs". The kids love her. About a month ago, she moved from a tiny puppy travel kennel to a large crate that Emma has in her room. Emma has found a best friend in her puppy. Its funny to listen to her talk to her in her room when she doesn't think that we are listening. Lots of secrets apparently! Carter, who less than 3 months ago was absolutely terrified of dogs, is doing phenomenal around her. He even chases her around the great room and giggle hysterically about it...of course he seems to like it more when I do it....maybe its just the sight of me acting like an idiot that he's giggling at.
For Christmas, Mom and Dad flew up here from North Carolina from the 21-25th. I can't ever remember them being up here before Christmas. It was great to have them. Its weird how when you're young and you can't wait to get out of the house and away from them, but then as you get older and start having children of your own that you really look forward to the moments that you get to spend with your own parents. Maybe sometime in the future we'll figure out away for our families to not 
have to be so long distance.
have to be so long distance.In other news, Kate finished the academic side of the SLP program in December and passed both the WSU departmental exam and the national Praxis exam in January. Right now she is doing her 4 month internship in Bloomfield Hills at an elementary school. In less than 3 months, she will be a Clinical Fellow!
I returned to school in January. I'm working as a Graduate Assistant for Dr. Derek Daniels. He's doing some very interesting research in stuttering perception and I am having a great time working with someone like Dr. D. He has also agreed to be an advisor to me as I work on my own research (more to come on that later.) I am also starting to work on a project with Dr. Susan Bowyer and Jennifer Peacock at Henry Ford Hospital in downtown Detroit. Jennifer and Dr. Bowyer are looking at what happens neurologically when a person uses the SpeechEasy fluency device. Specifically, what effect on "timing" neurologically, does the device have. We're talking literally milliseconds here, but in a process like speech, that timing is critical. The beauty of working on this project is that I get to learn about the critical aspects of neuroimaging that I have to know as a basis for my own project with the device. Plus, its just wicked cool to be a user of the device, look at your own brain scans and see just what the heck is happening up there.
Also in January, we celebrated Emma's 7th birthday with a big party at the house. Lots of our friends from around metro Detroit (and some from Up-North!) came to celebrate. Happy Birthday Emma!
The two big things coming up are Ashley's wedding in April and then Kate's graduation in May.
I think that catches everyone up to speed. I promise...no more 6 month layoffs from this! Afterall, with these two huge events happening, I'll be in the doghouse forever if I don't keep people updated!
Take care everyone!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Ruminating
The last month has been a whirlwind! It would too easy to update you all on everything we've done. (If you have Facebook, you already know and this would just be redundant.)
So... this entry will be a little different.
It's "something" to watch your kids grow up isn't it? Granted, mine are still very young, but there are "somethings" everyday that Kate and I are with them that make our time together so special.
This year has brought many firsts for them. Carter getting a big boy bed. Emma entering kindergarten and now first grade. Emma learning to read. Carter making friends at Merrill Palmer. Emma losing her first teeth. Sledding and ice skating for the first time. Riding a tube behind a boat on a family vacation. Sleepovers with friends in the backyard. Opening savings accounts. Going to church every week.
The next year will hold many more "firsts" for them. We're planning to get a dog in the next few months. Emma is so excited, she doesn't know what to do with herself. Carter's only concern with it is that he doesn't want to clean the poop up outside. A year from now, both of them will be in school at the same school together, and Kate and I will be able to pick them up most afternoons right from school.
Its "something" to lay in bed one at a time with them each night right before they go to sleep talking about their day. We pray every night. The first words are always, "Dear Jesus, thank you for the wonderful day." Its warming to hear what they then start thanking Him for. Sometimes its simply for us having dinner together every night, or going on a walk down to the pond. Other times, its for family members who we saw that weekend, or for the little puppy that we played with at the pet store. And every single night, they thank Him for having this family.
Its "something" when Emma asks and wants to know all about God and Jesus, and heaven. She has so many questions. I remember her telling me one morning when she was about 3, that she had seen Jesus in her room that night before and that she talked to him. In the chaos of our lives at the time, Emma knew that there was someone there watching over her when she needed it.
It's "something" that Carter has found his voice in the last month or so. Before, he was quiet and timid. He has become a chatterbox as of late and will tell you some of the funniest things imaginable. His latest, is that he and Laniya (a pretty little girl at his school) are married. If you ask him why and how, he replies that he gave her a kiss before they took a nap one day and that if you kiss someone then you are married. Innocence....
It's "something" to see how they have taken to having a new set of grandparents and two new aunts this year. "Mr. Tom" and "Momo" (Terry) opened their arms to them. I'll never forget hearing how excited they were on the night that Kate and I went on our honeymoon that they were able to spend that evening being grandparents, truly, for the first time. Aunts Gina and Beth have been wonderful to them as well. It really is a blessing for us all.
It's "something" to see the love in their eyes when they are with Kate. She has brought so much happiness to their lives just in the last 5 months. Emma has learned to scrapbook from Mama Kate. The art table in the basement was Kate's idea. It has allowed Em to express her self in so many creative ways to everyone. Carter has learned that his favorite thing to do on the way to school is sing The Thymes beach music song, "Miss Grace" with M'Tatie. He challenges her at times, but I think its because he wants to make sure she's always going to treat him like a big boy. They listen to her. Not because they have to, but because they want to. She gives them her full attention. Its an interesting dichotomy from the past.
It's "something" to look at the past year and imagine that their lives would be as stable now considering how tremulous and tumultuous things were a year ago. They are strong kids. Emma is going to be a leader someday. She already does it now. She's brave, thoughtful, courteous and so compassionate. Carter is coming into his own now a bit. He's creative, industrious, and now...quite gregarious. All of those traits will serve them well as they continue to grow up.
Myself, well, I'm just thankful. I know that my life has been blessed in the past year. While some people I know will point to the various challenges we've had since last summer, I can't help but look at it as the most important and most blessed time of my life. I found love. I found a life outside of work. I found a new family...a new mom and dad and two sisters and two sets of grandparents who trust me and accept me and Kate and this path that we've set off on together. I know my side of the family "gets" it...its just so reassuring to know that the other side "gets" it too. We just want to be a family.
I'm a lucky man.
So... this entry will be a little different.
It's "something" to watch your kids grow up isn't it? Granted, mine are still very young, but there are "somethings" everyday that Kate and I are with them that make our time together so special.
This year has brought many firsts for them. Carter getting a big boy bed. Emma entering kindergarten and now first grade. Emma learning to read. Carter making friends at Merrill Palmer. Emma losing her first teeth. Sledding and ice skating for the first time. Riding a tube behind a boat on a family vacation. Sleepovers with friends in the backyard. Opening savings accounts. Going to church every week.
The next year will hold many more "firsts" for them. We're planning to get a dog in the next few months. Emma is so excited, she doesn't know what to do with herself. Carter's only concern with it is that he doesn't want to clean the poop up outside. A year from now, both of them will be in school at the same school together, and Kate and I will be able to pick them up most afternoons right from school.
Its "something" to lay in bed one at a time with them each night right before they go to sleep talking about their day. We pray every night. The first words are always, "Dear Jesus, thank you for the wonderful day." Its warming to hear what they then start thanking Him for. Sometimes its simply for us having dinner together every night, or going on a walk down to the pond. Other times, its for family members who we saw that weekend, or for the little puppy that we played with at the pet store. And every single night, they thank Him for having this family.
Its "something" when Emma asks and wants to know all about God and Jesus, and heaven. She has so many questions. I remember her telling me one morning when she was about 3, that she had seen Jesus in her room that night before and that she talked to him. In the chaos of our lives at the time, Emma knew that there was someone there watching over her when she needed it.
It's "something" that Carter has found his voice in the last month or so. Before, he was quiet and timid. He has become a chatterbox as of late and will tell you some of the funniest things imaginable. His latest, is that he and Laniya (a pretty little girl at his school) are married. If you ask him why and how, he replies that he gave her a kiss before they took a nap one day and that if you kiss someone then you are married. Innocence....
It's "something" to see how they have taken to having a new set of grandparents and two new aunts this year. "Mr. Tom" and "Momo" (Terry) opened their arms to them. I'll never forget hearing how excited they were on the night that Kate and I went on our honeymoon that they were able to spend that evening being grandparents, truly, for the first time. Aunts Gina and Beth have been wonderful to them as well. It really is a blessing for us all.
It's "something" to see the love in their eyes when they are with Kate. She has brought so much happiness to their lives just in the last 5 months. Emma has learned to scrapbook from Mama Kate. The art table in the basement was Kate's idea. It has allowed Em to express her self in so many creative ways to everyone. Carter has learned that his favorite thing to do on the way to school is sing The Thymes beach music song, "Miss Grace" with M'Tatie. He challenges her at times, but I think its because he wants to make sure she's always going to treat him like a big boy. They listen to her. Not because they have to, but because they want to. She gives them her full attention. Its an interesting dichotomy from the past.
It's "something" to look at the past year and imagine that their lives would be as stable now considering how tremulous and tumultuous things were a year ago. They are strong kids. Emma is going to be a leader someday. She already does it now. She's brave, thoughtful, courteous and so compassionate. Carter is coming into his own now a bit. He's creative, industrious, and now...quite gregarious. All of those traits will serve them well as they continue to grow up.
Myself, well, I'm just thankful. I know that my life has been blessed in the past year. While some people I know will point to the various challenges we've had since last summer, I can't help but look at it as the most important and most blessed time of my life. I found love. I found a life outside of work. I found a new family...a new mom and dad and two sisters and two sets of grandparents who trust me and accept me and Kate and this path that we've set off on together. I know my side of the family "gets" it...its just so reassuring to know that the other side "gets" it too. We just want to be a family.
I'm a lucky man.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Port Huron, Saginaw and the Tooth Fairy
The last two weeks have been busy! On the first day the kids were back at the house after spending a week at their mom's, we decided to take off to the beach at Port Huron. (For you non-Michiganders, look at the palm of your right hand
. Port Huron is right where your thumb hits the bottom of your index finger. Macomb is a little to the southwest of that.) Carter, Emma and I packed a picnic lunch and some cold CapriSuns and hit the smooth stone beach right by the Fort Gratiot lighthouse and the Bluewater Bridge.
A year ago, Carter would have rather walked through fire (or a house full of "BIG DOGS"), than to let his tender little feet touch the sand. As you can see, he has clearly gotten over that phobia. We stayed for about three hours, watching the massive tankers leave the port and holding our breath at every passing sailboat as they seemed to speed past what nearly always seemed certain doom. Emma found a friend for them both to play with and they seemed to have a great time!
Over the next few days we followed our normal summer routine: Carter at Merrill Palmer on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while Emma spent the day with Kate on Tuesday and Thursday while enjoying a day of fun a the Sequoyah Day Camp on Wednesday. Family dinners every night followed by a little desert and maybe a walk to the pond or around the block.
On Friday, we drove up to Saginaw (about an inch under your middle finger non-Michiganders) to spend the weekend with Kate's parents, Tom and Terry. We got to spend time with Aunts Gina and Beth! On Saturday, we attended the 10th Annual Dubay Family Reunion in Gladwin. Tom, Kate, Kevin (Beth's fiance) and myself played in a golf scramble that morning and then met up with the rest of the family for lunch and the rest of the day. It was unseasonably chilly all day with the hi temps only reaching into the low 60's. Thank God for Tom's Spicy Bloody Mary's on the front 9 and then a couple of brewskis on the back 9.
As we moved into this week Kate and I kept talking to Emma about her loose front tooth that REALLY needed to get pulled as it had been loose for what seemed like a month. On Wednesday night, Emma finally built up the courage to pull it...by herself! It took about an hour for her to finally get it out. Most of the time was spent in the bathroom watching the tricks she could do with her dangling tooth with her tongue. At one point, the tooth was sticking at almost a right angle to her other teeth! The Tooth Fairy visited at some point that night and left Emma $5 for a perfect incisor to add to her collection.
. Port Huron is right where your thumb hits the bottom of your index finger. Macomb is a little to the southwest of that.) Carter, Emma and I packed a picnic lunch and some cold CapriSuns and hit the smooth stone beach right by the Fort Gratiot lighthouse and the Bluewater Bridge.A year ago, Carter would have rather walked through fire (or a house full of "BIG DOGS"), than to let his tender little feet touch the sand. As you can see, he has clearly gotten over that phobia. We stayed for about three hours, watching the massive tankers leave the port and holding our breath at every passing sailboat as they seemed to speed past what nearly always seemed certain doom. Emma found a friend for them both to play with and they seemed to have a great time!
Over the next few days we followed our normal summer routine: Carter at Merrill Palmer on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while Emma spent the day with Kate on Tuesday and Thursday while enjoying a day of fun a the Sequoyah Day Camp on Wednesday. Family dinners every night followed by a little desert and maybe a walk to the pond or around the block.
On Friday, we drove up to Saginaw (about an inch under your middle finger non-Michiganders) to spend the weekend with Kate's parents, Tom and Terry. We got to spend time with Aunts Gina and Beth! On Saturday, we attended the 10th Annual Dubay Family Reunion in Gladwin. Tom, Kate, Kevin (Beth's fiance) and myself played in a golf scramble that morning and then met up with the rest of the family for lunch and the rest of the day. It was unseasonably chilly all day with the hi temps only reaching into the low 60's. Thank God for Tom's Spicy Bloody Mary's on the front 9 and then a couple of brewskis on the back 9.
As we moved into this week Kate and I kept talking to Emma about her loose front tooth that REALLY needed to get pulled as it had been loose for what seemed like a month. On Wednesday night, Emma finally built up the courage to pull it...by herself! It took about an hour for her to finally get it out. Most of the time was spent in the bathroom watching the tricks she could do with her dangling tooth with her tongue. At one point, the tooth was sticking at almost a right angle to her other teeth! The Tooth Fairy visited at some point that night and left Emma $5 for a perfect incisor to add to her collection.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Welcome to our Story
Well this is new. Never thought that I'd think about blogging. Interesting concept though - as the "Original Southern Six" from New Bern, NC all spread out, it allows us all to stay in contact with each other in perhaps a little different way than what we are used to. I'm game and ready to give this a try for a while.
For those of you who don't know the Michigan Southerns...I'll try to catch you up to speed. I'm married to the most beautiful, brilliant and loving mother in the whole world, Kate (Dubay) Southern. We have two kids: Emma, who is six and heading to 1st grade this fall, and Carter, who is almost four and enjoying preschool.
Kate and I are both graduate students in the Speech-Language Pathology program within the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Kate is originally from Saginaw, Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Psychology. She is now a full-time student in the SLP program at Wayne. She LOVES to work with kids in therapy and is truly an amazing clinician to watch. She engages on a level that they "get" and has made true progress with the kids that she has worked with so far. Next January, she will start an internship working with the Bloomfield Hills schools. I am very excited for her. At home, she is an engaging mother who we are all lucky to have in our lives. Much like at school, she handles motherhood at a level that the kids understand. They simply adore her.
I am part-time in the SLP program and presently work as a manager for CVS Pharmacy. My passion in SLP is with fluency disorders and their neurological basis. Kate and I are working on a research project right now that looks at neurological trends in people who stutter who also use the Speech Easy Fluency Device (of which I am also a user).
Kate and I met about two years ago at school. We both were married before but forged a tight friendship at a time when both of our marriages were disintegrating. In our darkest hours, we found a solace in each other that led us to fall in love. We were ma
rried this past March 14.Emma and Carter are our truest passions. We are truly blessed to have a daughter and son who are so resilient, so brave and so loving. The past year was tough for them, but they have handled it well.
Emma's kindergarten year at Sequoyah Elementary was fantastic. She loved her teacher, Mrs. Hagel and made great strides in reading and basic math. She absolutely loves to read and learn everything that she can. 1st grade will be fun for her. We're on a summer reading and writing plan right now so that she can leap right in feet first this fall. Its so cool to see how excited she gets about doing her "homework". Emma likes to play board games like CandyLand and Pretty Pretty Princess. Lately, we've been transitioning into games like Memory --mine must be going because she whips up on me pretty bad rather consistently.
Carter attends the Child Development Lab at the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute on Wayne State's campus. ( http://mpsi.wayne.edu/education/child-development.php ) His class is very neat - the enrollment is truly diverse with many ethnicities and nationalities represented. He attends Tuesday through Thursday each week for about 6-7 hours each day. In a way, it is like watching a mini-kindergarten class. Kate and I will sometimes sneak over there when we can and watch some of his class from an observation room that sits above the classroom. Having him down there in such a rich environment is something that we are truly lucky to have.
Just since the March wedding, we've been busy! Weekend trips to Saginaw, visits to the Science Center and Zoo, visits by the Nanas....lots of stuff to keep us busy...but most importantly...doing things as a family.
Stay posted for updates about once a month!
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