Christmas gift to you

Our Christmas gift to all the fans of the famous pianist, Zachary W. Sansing...

I hope you all enjoy. From our family to yours, have a Happy New Year!

Love, The Sansing

Can you believe this?

Well, two nights ago, Zachary is sitting in the study with me and says, "when do I get to open those presents in the file cabinet?" I'm sure you all can figure out what those presents were. I have to be careful, little eyes are reading, but this is too funny not to share!

I say, "what were you doing looking in there anyway?" He says, "I was sneaking." I proceed to inform them those are presents I am mailing to Jack and Lauren. Upon bedtime, we had a discussion about "sneaking" and that Santa brings coal to those that sneak.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

P.S. Items have been "mailed".

The solo

As the anticipated Christmas musical began, I commented to John on where Zachary would be standing for his part. He said, "he has a solo part?!?" He had already sung the 3rd grade song and took his place appropriately.

When the time came during "Everybody's Bonkers...Well, it must be Christmas" he made his way down to the stage right on cue. So far so good. Zachary knew his part, and had practiced it for many weeks. As his line came up during the song, the first little boys microphone did not work, so there seemed to be some confusion. He said his line right on time, albeit there still seemed to be some confusion. His line was..."Charities, they think we're stingy!" I know, it is not very long, but he got a part, and he was really excited.

After the program, he insisted he take a picture in front of the tree in the lobby.


We are very proud of him, and pleased they allowed him a part. He continues with his enthusiasm for Christmas, and exclaimed this morning that Nana's house is beautiful at Christmas. And then followed with a quick, "I'm getting my presents on Saturday." This Christmas has been fun for all of us and the best is yet to come~ 6 days, but whose counting?

"Santa came to town yesterday"

That is what Zachary said on Wednesday, after the Cub Scout meeting Tuesday. His face lit up when Santa walked in the room. I'm glad he still believes, and is having a wonderful time this year admiring lights and playing many of the Christmas songs he has learned or is learning.

Here is a Cub Scout picture. One of our den leaders painted the backdrop. Isn't it beautiful!

Now this next picture, you may be wondering why I included. Maybe even asked "what is the big deal. It is a pencil drawing of what appears to be three houses." Well if you are a mom, you wait for the day that your child will draw their first picture for you. So if you can read the writing, you will see I got my first picture last week. He proudly got it out of his backpack and brought it to me. It might not be much to anyone else, but it is the best Christmas gift I will get this year.

He may not be an artist, but he is a pianist, passionate about chess, cares for his friends when they are upset, offers to give hugs whenever possible, and enjoys wrestling with his dad...just to name a few. Can you tell I love my kid!

14 days till Christmas!

Naughty Spot

Zachary caught a glimpse of The Supernanny one night and now is addicted. He loves to talk about the naughty kids. Maybe that is good, since he is recognizing inappropriate behavior. Well the other day, he made his own arrow (picture above) to indicate the naughty spot that the Supernanny uses so regularly. And he started putting Pete (the dog) in the naughty spot. And he tells him, 'you have been naughty, look at me when I am talking. Now stay here for two minutes." It is a challenge to get Pete to stay, but hysterical to watch Zachary interact with him.

We are getting our fair share of laughs these days. He was quite the social butterfly at Thanksgiving. He interacted great with my step-sisters and parents. He ate pretty good too, and I don't think he commented on how disgusting the food was this year!

And the wonder of Xmas has been delightful! He has enjoyed all of the traditions of lights, yard decorations, the daily calendar, and wrapping presents, etc. He even noted who we needed to buy for, including his cousin's Katie and Lauren. He is so excited this year, which makes it fun for us.

Stay tuned. I'm sure we will get some good comments in the coming weeks. Oh yeah, he also got a solo line in the Xmas musical, so we are excited about that on the 17th.

1/2 Marathon

Well, we did it after 5 1/2 months of training, an ulcer, sore legs, side stitches and a hurt foot. Why people do this over and over is beyond me. I made a new friend, and may have lost a little weight, so not so bad, but I will not participate in another race. While I feel a sense of accomplishment, I did worry about doing permanent damage to my knees. Here are a few pictures...

My cousins were my original inspiration - Go Leah and Trav on the full marathon!

Then I inspired my buddy Traci and she inspired her husband and many others to run. We ran together the day of the race, which is the only reason I ran it in 2:37.

And this was my running partner in the early mornings. She out ran me the whole time we trained. I wish we had taken a better picture with our medals. Her sweet daughter made this sign and the flowers.

I've had plenty of time to recuperate. I am actually walking normally again. While part of me wants to run, I don't want to train, nor do I want the knee pain. My next marathon will be from the sidelines!

Not much to report...

Well, we fell victim to the flu, for the second time this year. The doctor says likely one of the times was the swine flu. It doesn't matter much at this point, but at least we won't have to get either vaccine. Zachary is doing much better, and John and I were spared both times. Zachary was very bummed that he had to miss his first scheduled chess tournament. The next one will be in January.

As for me, some of you may have heard I have an ucler that was bleeding. The great news is that all is healing, and treatable. So, that means I still get to run. I have been training for a 1/2 marathon since June. I was going to be upset if I did not get to run. We will run this Sunday and knock that off the bucket list. And no, I will not be doing another one. This is it for me. I love Jazzercise and loath running, even though I have gained a good friend from the whole experience. While my iron is still low and I will probably run as slow as a turtle, it will still be victory for me as I cross the finish line. I'm looking forward to meeting up with my cousins and many friends that are running too.

I'll post pictures next week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Halloween!

Here is our Halloween costume for 2009. Zachary decided back in January he wanted to be a pretzel. I'm not sure where he came up with this idea, but it stuck. Well, he did go through a short phase of wanting to be a Queen on a chess board. I just couldn't allow him to be a "queen". So pretzel it was, and we got some good comments...

The best part was that he liked it so much!

Jazzercise buddies

We had a Jazzercise party. So you have Michael Jackson (as if you couldn't figure that one), the Octo-mom, a sexy boxer, and a fly on the wall. We had a good time, and got many laughs from the church office. We have Jazzercise at a Methodist Church in Clear Lake.

Happy Halloween! 54 days till Christmas...yahooooo!

Dear Miss Trout,
I love to do work. Sometimes I get a 100, but I get something wrong. School is fun!
See you tomorrow,
Zachary

A Successful Walk

Zachary's Angels

Twenty one turned out to walk with Zachary’s Angels. The weather was beautiful and spirits were high as many walked to support a cure for autism. Our team raised just over $10,000 and the total funds raised for the day were around $300,000. Autism Speaks, of course, is still taking donation in hopes of reaching their $350,000 Houston goal. Here is the link if you are still interested...

http://www.walknowforautism.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=304930

And a few pictures for your viewing pleasure...

A few friends enjoying the weather



Me and my sweet son

Clients and family supporting the Walk

If you missed it this year, you all are welcome to walk with us next year. We would love to be the biggest team there. As always, we greatly appreciate those who supported us financially.

God Bless,

The Sansing Family

Autism Walk

If you follow my blog, you know God has blessed our family with a sweet little boy that at times can bring additional parenting challenges. Many of you support us with your prayers as we walk through our life journey. We do not take you for granted, and appreciate each of you.

This weekend, we will be walking in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event. We are raising money to find a cure. Did you know 1 in 58 boys and and 1 in 91 children are affected by autism? These are recently updated from 1 in 150 children being affected. I cannot even begin to understand what is happening, or fathom the number of children who will not receive the full care they truly need. The costs of therapy is staggering. I pray for every one of my friends and cousins that are pregnant, that their children will be spared. If they are, it is likely their children will know an autistic child. It seems at some point, we will all be affected by this disease, whether it is because we know someone with autism or are paying indirectly for their care.

You are affected by autism because you know Zachary, in some fashion. If you feel led, would you consider supporting this cause. Here is the link...

http://www.walknowforautism.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304930&lis=1&kntae304930=1CB8C2D3350A4230BB867AF987F8A448&supId=238244338#

Thank you supporters...for your continued prayers, financial support for the walk, and simply for loving Zachary. He holds a special place in our hearts, and I expect many of yours.

Love, The Sansing Family

Last song of the book

We have finished Zachary's Level 2A piano books, and to his surprise, he thought we were done until January. He also thinks that Level 5 is the last book and then he is done with lessons. He goes through phases of enjoying piano and then not as much. Right now, he is enjoying it a hair more as he reviews songs from his Level 1 book.

Anyway, he really liked this song, so I thought I would post it. He even danced his own Irish Jig (as the song is titled).

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Making me laugh 8-)

This morning, the conversation went like this...

Zachary: I need to change Pete's name.
Mom: To what?
His eyes shifted towards me, a grin began to develop and he said...
Zachary: Vargul.
Mom: (laughter), OK.

Hello! Where did that come from? He made me laugh this morning and I have chuckled a few times since.

Becoming my mother

The other day, I put my right blinker on and exited the freeway. I left it on to cross three lanes, and continued to leave it on in order to turn right on the approaching street. I had to laugh at myself when I recalled a time my mom did that on a trip to San Antonio. I was so embarrassed! And now, I am doing it.

I realized last week that becoming more like my mom is not such a bad thing. She is not as dumb as I thought when I was in high school, and she sure seems to know a lot more than I do about most things. As a matter of fact, I honestly believe I subconsciously chose financial planning as a profession because my mom was a "financial planner" herself. She is well organized and taught me how to get by on what I had without creating a bunch of debt for myself or expecting others to help me. My mom can fix just about anything it seems like. I think she actually gives my husband a run for his money. And when Zachary goes to visit, she is actively involved in being with him, whether it is building a bird house or painting a picture for his bedroom.

This is a picture my mom and Zachary painted together last month

This is a birdhouse they built last summer

So if I become a little more like my mom, it is not such a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I would be honored to do so. Love you Mom.

AR tests

As kids start school, you have to learn the lingo of school work, new programs and such. Well AR tests came into our life in First Grade. AR stands for Accelerated Reader. To put it simply, the child reads a library book that is designated a certain level, like 1.9 would be a First grade book but almost a Second grade because of the 0.9. Then they take a simple 5 to 10 question comprehension quiz. Well there is the word I dread...comprehension.

Comprehension has been a struggle for Zachary, but this summer they worked specifically on comprehension and auditory processing. I had already decided I would not be able to spend as much time reading and re-reading multiple times to make sure he understood the material because the books are just getting too long. Well three weeks ago, he got a 100% on his first test, then last week he got an 80% (got 4 out of 5 correct). I was so excited!

This week, he brought home some crazy, long book. He has been very insistent on him reading his books and me not helping. Wednesday night, when he finished reading his book for his Thursday AR test, he said, and I quote, "quiz me." So I did and he seemed to know his stuff. He took his 10 question quiz and got a 100%. Whooooohooooo! I am so proud of him. We treated him to his favorite restaurant...Lupe Tortillas (his choice, honest). What a fulfilling day! Just thought I would share my joy.

Enchanted Rock

When we were in Austin over Labor Day weekend, we climbed Enchanted Rock. Thank goodness my good friend had her camera. I, of course, left my camera and to say the least, the iphone is not the best. Here are two pictures from our adventure...

Me and my buddy

The little climbers

My friend, Traci, and her kids went (the first three on the left), me and Zachary, followed by my cousin Amy and her daughter (last one on the right). We had a good time, and the heat was not too bad. We followed that up by ice cream in Fredericksburg and shopping at the Five and Dime store.

I have no idea what you are talking about!

On Wednesday, I was taking a shower while Zachary was eating breakfast. Normally he watches tennis while he eats, so he is preoccupied. He lost his TV privileges, so I guess he thought he would entertain himself.

I get out of the shower to hear Pete barking and a loud knock on the door, followed by the door knocker being used and then a knock again. This did not sound like a normal solicitor, which I don't normally answer. So I go to the peep hole, in my towel, no less....looks like a man in a uniform. I'm a little confused, so I say "who is it?" He says, "Pasadena Police. We received a 911 call from this number. Is everything OK?"

So in my shame, I crack the door and quickly explain Zachary and the situation, profusely apologize, and say we are fine. Then I found Zachary with two phones, quietly eating as if nothing new was going on. I see the answering machine has a message, so I play it back. They say the typical stuff and then add, "the phone was answered by a young man saying "I have no idea what you are talking about! We've dispatched an officer. Please call us back."

After I regain my composure, I remind him of our trip that past Wednesday to the Police Station with the Boy Scouts, and we were not to play on the phone.

You know, I had always been proud that he had never placed that call when he was younger. I guess I am getting a few pranks a little later in his life. Hmm, what's to come?

Looking forward to Labor Day fun!

We are headed to Austin. We have lots of family there. We are going to see Lauren on Friday. She will keep Pistol Pete over the weekend. Saturday will be fun with the Robbins Family. I think we are eating at the Nutty Brown Cafe and then going to climb Enchanted Rock...yes, in this crazy heat.

Sunday, we will probably take little Lauren and Zachary swimming, maybe a little golf in the late evening, and then we will get to see the babies and more family. Adam and Nicole and Ryan and Michaela have added to the two newest additions to the Scott Family. I think little Nolan and little Luke might be the best part of the trip. I'll let you know next week.

Then on Monday, I am absolutely thrilled to see my childhood best friend and her newest son, Owen. Denise and I lost touch in about 9th grade when she moved. There was no cell phones or emails, and my allowance did not pay enough to cover long distance calls very frequently. Nonetheless, she found me at Christmas, which was probably the best gift I received last year. I'm finally going to get to see her, meet her husband and hug her kids.

Then back home with Pete and Zachary in tow. They are good riding buddies. Zachary is excited we are bringing Pete and beating Uncle Bill at chess, but I'm not sure about much else. He is very concerned about "pausing" his online chess games so he doesn't loose. I'm praying for good behavior and less mouthiness. I've often wished he had the Ziploc seal and I could open and close it when necessary. Ha. Enjoy your long weekend wherever you may be!

Back to school

Same place, same uniform, different year. This year, we started 3rd grade. Over the weekend, Zachary was already telling me how he did not like English or Math tests. His teacher is Miss Trout. I love her! She loves the kids and has a desire for them to learn spiritually and academically. Her class is quiet and controlled, and she always states her expectations before the children are allowed to move. She shows loving discipline. So far, I think this year will work out very good.

On a funny note, I was explaining Ms. Trout's conduct policy. If a child gets too many marks against their name, they have to write 75 sentences for homework that night. So something like, "I will not talk in class." I explained this to Zachary, and he said, "that is too many. It should be five." I told him let's just work not having to write the sentences.

The cruise

John and I went on a cruise in late July to celebrate our 10 year anniversary - woohoo! Anyway, we had a good time, snorkling, Sea Treking, ziplining, and rock wall climbing. We also layed by the pool and people watched, and did that at the beach too. We took a few island tours, which for the most part, were interesting. To say the least, we enjoyed the R&R and not having to worry about Zachary. A friend and past therapist kept him again. She does a great job. Here are a few pics...

Ready to board the boat

On the zip line

On the rock wall

John is not a fan of being too far off the ground, so I ventured off by myself. We had a good time, and Zachary is already looking forward to us going again next year. Hmmm, he must of had a good time without us. 8-)

Painting with Granmommy

In decorating Zachary's room, we decided to go with a game theme. Being highly interested in chess, and ranking in the top 4 students in Chess Club, a chess picture seemed appropriate. And why keep it simple with a fabricated picture when we could get Granmommy involved.

Once I got Granmommy to agree, we set out for a fun weekend. She might report differently. I don't think we realized what we had gotten ourselves in too. I had my ideas and Granmommy had hers. After two days of drawing and painting, we finished our masterpiece.

The Battle is On

Pops is Zachary's buddy when it comes to playing games. Now, I will admit that Zachary is a cheater and sore loser, but Pops endures nonetheless. Notice the seat positions. Last time they played, we realized Zachary had to go the bathroom a little too often, only to check out where Pops boats were when he returned from the bathroom.

Chess camp

Chess has become a regular activity in the evenings at our home. I think I've posted on this before. So, we decided to try Chess camp out. And true to form, when they started camp on the first day, Zachary had pen and paper out taking notes. He has learned all kinds of strategies and new terms. The only thing he continues to do is try to take all your pieces before he will checkmate your king. It drives John crazy, and maybe that is because he insists on rubbing it in that he is going to win. I just have to laugh.

Zachary with his award and trophy. He really liked camp!

How long do I have to wear this?

I was asked that question several times last night and this evening. Zachary now has an expander in the top of his mouth and we added what the Orthodontist calls a reverse head gear or face mask on Wednesday. He will have to wear the face mask for approximately ten months if he wears it 12 hours a day. That is going to be tough, but Zachary is such a trooper. He does fuss about some about things, but what child wouldn't if he had been made to do so much as he has for the past six years. Here is a pic for your humor...

Poor guy, however I promised him he would not have to wear it to school, but mainly when he sleeps. Say it isn't so...I've lost the baby boy face and am directly headed to that awkward stage of growth. Alas, I still think he is just as cute!

Wild Horseman

My Wild Horseman finally allowed me to record him. It was with much aggravation, and while I believe he can play it better, I told him I would only record him one time. So here it is...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This was a very difficult song for Zachary. He enjoyed watching his piano teacher play and point out her mistakes rather than play it himself. I showed him on You Tube how it normally sounds. He liked that too, but not enough to keep practicing. Still I feel he played great considering his enthusiasm for the piece.

P.S. If you are wondering why the video starts in a different shirt, it is simply because I am computer challenged. Don't ask, just enjoy!

A new found friend

After eight years, Zachary has decided Pete is a nice accessory to have around the house. As a matter of fact, he talks to him and follows him around. He has started commanding him and thinks it is hysterical when Pete gets in trouble. He likes to pat him on the back and say "bad dog"..."I spanked Pete." Ridiculous, but Zachary keeps us laughing! Here are a few photos of him
interacting and imitating Pete.

Trying to be sweet

Yawning like Pete

Sitting like Pete (notice Zachary's hands)

And still no piano video yet. I tried to bribe Zachary to play in exchange for swimming tonight, but he said no. And then of course, John asked Zachary if he wanted to go play golf. I knew I was out of luck at that point.

Scout Camp

Piano video no, but I did get a few pictures from Scout camp this week. I’ve been real impressed with Zachary. He has tried everything and not complained much. Granted we are not in the same Den, but we are in the same rotation, so I get see him participate. Now, I’m not saying he is like Scout of the year, but he is complying with the Scout motto...‘Do your best’.

Archery

Den play (they had to make and wear masks)

Rifles (scary)

He did happen to wonder away from his den yesterday. We found him pretty quickly. When asked where his den and buddy were, he responded, “They are lost.” Today is our last day and we are all tired, but have had fun!

Family Affair

Before I start, I know I am a lame blogger. I can't seem to get it done, but I sure try.

So my cousin Leah married Scott. They've courted since I think their sophomore year in college and were ready to tie the knot. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Steve sure know how to have a celebration. We had a great time with all the family and cousins. We did miss Jessica and Jeff though. I can't believe Scott and Leah will be a married for a month this weekend. Time flies! Here are a few photos from the wedding and family at the reception. I didn't get as many as I would have liked.

I know! I didn't get one of the happy couple, but that is what my mom is for. She is the master of photos, and combines all photos taken and kindly distributes Cd's from family functions. Love her for that. Besides, I was busy with Zachary, making sure he was kept clear of the dance floor and not overloading at the candy bar. I tell you the one picture I wish I had taken was of him dancing. It was hilarious! He definitely got his moves from his dad.

Stay tuned for the next post. I am working hard on getting a video of Zachary playing the piano, and it is not nearly as long as Moonlight Sonata.

Summer has begun

We started our summer and have not stopped for the last three weeks. First in South Padre where Aunt Traci and her three kids joined us.

From there, we rode to Austin with Traci for a baby shower for Micki and Nicole. Of course, we made time to stop off and see Lauren.

And then we headed to the Sansing grassroots to support Burt and Rebekah as they tied the knot on June 13th.

Pretty good looking family, if I say so myself.

Does it really matter?

I was visiting with my cousin's wife this past weekend at a family affair (more on that another time). She is expecting in August. We were speaking about staying at home or going back to work after the baby arrived. She mentioned being torn and what others would think. Later several of us were discussing ill-behaved children and again what others would think of our kids. I mentioned it didn't matter. Try as we will, no one is a perfect parent and our kids are certain to misbehave. All you can do is put your best foot forward for you and your family, and the rest is life!

I was thinking about that conversation yesterday. It dawned on me that I need to take my own advice. I need to try my best and not worry what others think of me or my Zachary. It seems I worry most what my family & friends thinks of Zachary, when those are the ones that love us the most. As every other parent, I need to fix my eyes on being a godly parent and let the rest fall into place.

P.S. Nicole, I think you and Adam are going to be great parents. All you can do is try your best, and the rest will happen. Micki, ditto for you guys too. Love you both!

Top picked papers

I typically keep all of Zachary's school papers until the end of the year. It is good to review all he has learned and see how well he has done. Here are a few funny things he wrote and drew...

Mrs. Delany and class

As we draw to a close, I must admit, this has been a highly successful year. And I owe much of that to Mrs. Delany. Zachary was on the "A" Honor Roll all four quarters this year. He also earned the Principal's List Award, Excellent Conduct, Bible Award, Book Report Award, History Award, and the Bible Rosette Award. And then this year, they started a National Elementary Junior Honor Society and Zachary was inducted into that as well.

Back row: Mrs. Rhonda Delany, Bryan Tran, Nicholas Wilson, Nathan Davis, Justine Feathers, Joseph Shiflet, Zachary Sansing, JoJo Otto, Brandon Feather. Front row: Bethany Andress, Katelynn Kaufhold, Reina Ramnarine, Eunice Mora, Maddy Burke, Daniella Scarpetta.