I have been working on getting our website up and running. There is still work to do, but I will be posting over there more often. Please join us over at DasselAcademy.com. I hope you will bookmark the site and visit often. I have dreams for that site, it will probably take years to get it to be what I want it to be. I hope to have the kidlets get into some design and development. Oh and I love comments. 
Susan
Have you heard about 1st Friends For Life? The first I heard about it was when we lived in Iowa and the Channel 13 would air a segment every month on the last day of the month and the 1st of the month. It was a short public service announcement to remind women to do their monthly breast self-exam (BSE) to check themselves for changes that may indicate the beginning of breast cancer. It also encouraged the viewer to call their friends and remind them to do their monthly breast self-exam. It was a great reminder to be active in the early detection of breast cancer.
When we moved to North Carolina I tried to search their website for the psa but have been unable to find it. Here is the article that explains it well. I love the concept of early detection of cancer and breast cancer is such a sneaky cancer, yet it can be detected early and when detected early, there is great success in defeating it. There may be lots of debate about the best way to catch breast cancer via medical tests and exams, but a self-exam is a great way that any woman can feel changes in her breast and bring it to the attention of their doctor.
If you are like me and often forget to do your monthly self-exam, join the “1st Friends for Life” Facebook page and be reminded on the1st of every month to do your exam.
The 1st of the month is not the best day for everyone to do their monthly exam. That is a great time for pregnant woman, post-menopausal woman, basically any woman who is not having a monthly period. If you are still menstruating, it is usually best to do your self-exam a week after your period when you are no longer swollen and sensitive. Try to do it about the same time after your period every month. The important thing is to do it and do it monthly.
Today is August 1st, please do your BSE today and call, e-mail, text or message your good friends, your 1st Friends for Life.
susan
In April Uncle Ted decided to let someone at work cut off his goatee to raise money for charity.
Before he went to work, he stopped by to see the kidlets and get his picture taken with them. Well, the kidlets were not all having a great day, but look at those beautiful Wisteria (?) on the tree behind them.
Almost long enough to comb over.
Just how long is it?
A serious one before he leaves
Susan
Elianna (click to play the video) in her Swing. We borrowed a swing from church. I was not sure she would like it and we don’t have money to buy one or space to keep one. We got desperate a few weeks ago. She loves the motion and even gave us a smile in the video. Don’t listen too carefully, you will hear me complain about how sticky my spot is at the table.
I have enjoyed having the swing. It is a place that is mostly safe for her to be in. Whenever Caleb and Olivia are around, we need to be careful that she is not forced to eat pennies, or anything else. We also need to watch those two smucks to not increase the rate of the swinging in the swing.
Have a great day. I hope you enjoyed the video.
susan
Remember I made my own cloth diapers and covers for Elianna? Elianna’s thighs are now thick enough to be able to use those cute diapers. I had more “handed down to me” and we are stocked full of small diapers. I love them. I am glad I made the covers with gussets because her tiny thighs plus the gussets make very few leaks.
Here she is happy and content before her diaper change. My Mom would shoot me for waking a sleeping baby, but she really needed a diaper change and I had the camera ready so I could document the cloth diapers and covers. I love this cover, it is so soft, yet thick. It has a cute diaper pin pattern.
Every time I change my baby’s diaper, I think of the Brady Bunch episode where Peter Brady boys sings, “Time to Change“. The diaper is cute, even when it has been “used”.
And on with a new one.
And this is why my Mother always said, “Don’t ever wake a sleeping baby.”
No, she is not crying because her cover is blue. It has super cute teddy bears on it. Isn’t she a pretty cry baby.
susan
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susan
I love to get mail. Do you like to get mail? My kidlets love to get cards and letters. But, when a package arrives and it is addressed to the children, squeals of delight erupt from the girls and grunts of curiosity slip out of the boys’ mouths. In June, we had such a day.
A usps priority box arrived on our doorstep. Well, really, it arrived at the post office box and Sean brought it to our doorstep. Because it was relatively close to Abigail’s birthday, she assumed it was for her. But alas, it was addressed to all the children. Because it was close to her birthday, we let her open it.
Written on one of the box was, “Open this end.” Alas, we did not realize that until after everything was out of the box. The box was filled with cards, letters, gifts and a book for our family from dear friends in Iowa. (You know who you are and we are so grateful for you.) The kids were overjoyed and loved discovering each and every thing. From the bracelets for the girls, to the Barbie for Abigail, to the book and oatmeal for all the kids, to the tie for the boys, from the letters and card and even a little cute dress for Elianna, (which Abigail asks, every Sunday, if she can wear.) we are blessed beyond measure.
The girls with their bracelets and Elianna’s dress. And Caleb wanted to be in the picture. We kept chanting, “Caleb is a girl. Caleb is a girl.” He just laughed.
Thomas and “his” new Star Wars tie.
Abigail with her new Barbie. I am not sure she let that doll out of her hands for a week. She has finally let the other kids play with it, but she keeps a tight reign on it.
The kidlets keep talking about making a “caring package” for their dear friends and what they can put it in. They are trying to brainstorm, but it might be just as easy to bring them some North Carolina goodies when we head up to Iowa later this year.
susan
So, Caleb had started getting out of his crib by himself. There was great debate at the dinner table how he was doing it. I finally was able to get a video of him crawling out. He needed encouragement when I was watching him because he knew it was wrong.
Funny how he kept looking at me questioning, “Am I really allowed to do this?”
He was a bit apprehensive of his new bed at first, but then he really began to like it.
susan
Caleb has began to decide when his nap is over. We’ll hear him playing with Legos in his room, or he will simply come out of his room with all his treasures in tow. I guess he is ready to be out of a crib and in a big bed. So we have been working to make that a reality.
He really is too big for the crib.
Wanna see a close up?
He is very very ready to move up, or down, however you want to put it.
Caleb is graduating to the bottom bunk of the triple bunk bed. Here is what it looked like before we had the mattress. Yes it was a Lego ship landing pad.
Bye Bye Crib.
Hello Big Boy Bed!
Can I go to bed now?
I love my bed. I love Baroo’. I love Big Baby. I love Bella. I love Blanket. I love (B)Froggie too.
Goodnight Caleb. Sweet Dreams.
I will soon put up the videos of Caleb getting out of his crib and getting into his bed for the first time.
Susan
