For you, Mom, and all you energetic Grandma's out there. Meant in all good, tired and exasperated fun.
The mom sees clutters of papers of the same artwork and drawings that they see every day, and throws them away. (Keeps some but throws most away.)The Grandma sees a treasure and says "Keep it! One day you'll look back and have a treasure!" The tired mom wonders where she will store all that "treasure".
The Grandma lets the kids go in the rain muddles which are actually watery mud puddles, and say, "Life's too short! Let the kids have fun!" The tired Mom just sees all that laundry she's going to have to have to do.
The grandma fills the kids up with sweets and "break the rules" that she had kept diligently over the years with her own kids. The tired Mom wonders how she's going to get her kids to bed because now they are climbing walls.
The Grandma just laughs at all the small problems and messes that kids sometimes make. The tired mom wonders if that means the kids can spend the night at Grandmas.
The tired mom "slaps everything together" for a meal like her mom did as she was growing up, the energetic grandma says, "That's all you're going to give them??"
The tired mom finally asks the energetic grandma if she could do it all over again, would she?
"Heck, no!" Grandma says, as she starts to list off reasons like her age, the energetic kids and so on.
Alright then. Now we both see it from the same perspective.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
A little bit better
So after my last post, in which I vented some frustrations, a few things got worked out. I'm very thankful, because even though some of these concerns and worries I had might seem to be little things--and maybe in reality they are just little things--to me, it was big concerns.
So after I wrote my last post, I went to adoration to do some praying about my problems rather than venting. I prayed about all my concerns about school, my worries for Max and his first time back to school in a few years, my frustration that nothing was working with trying to get school and therapy to work together, and other things. I tried to concentrate on putting this all on the Lord and leaving it there, as I had no solution to any problem. However, being the control freak that I am, my mind had a hard time focusing on prayer and kept trying to find a solution for Max to go to school and still be able to keep therapy too. The conflict about this was that with both Fasier and OT (two different therapies at different times and locations) I knew we couldnt' pull Max out of school twice in one week, as that would be missing too much school. So I was forced to choose a therapy.
I did my best to trust in God, but when I went home, I still felt upset about everything. There was just too much going on in one week, and I felt dizzy and overwhelmed with it all. However, when I got home, I checked my email and found a message from Max's therapist at The Therapy Place saying that they found a spot for Max on Wednesdays--the same day that he goes to therapy at Frasier! So this meant that I did not have to give up a therapy afterall, and that he would only be pulled out of school one time during the week! What a huge relief! I felt very humbled as I remembered my time in adoration, stewing over my situation and trying to figure out a solution, and here the Lord fixed it all for me.
My second issue was that I was not able to get a time scheduled for Lucy's pre-conference. Though I'm not as concerned for her in school (actually, not concerned at all. She loves school and makes friends easily), I still wanted her to be able to meet her teacher and see her classroom so that she didn't feel like everything was unfamiliar the first day. The parents that bring their kids to school are only allowed to drop them off--they cant' go into the school with them, unless there's a very good reason. It's just meant to prevent clogging the halls with parents and adding to the confusion and chaos of kids trying to get to their classrooms. Anyway, when I called, all the time slots had been taken. They are only doing one day for conferences, so there was very little flexibility. The receptionist suggested I try to get Lucy in on Wednesday (which was yesterday) even though it was a day early for conferences, but the teacher never called me back. So basically chance to get Lucy in for a conference was gone.
I prayed again about it and put it in God's hands--I am trying to practice trust here, can you tell how hard this is for me? It's one thing to trust God with things you know are well out of your control, like surgery or something, but for me, trusting Him with the little things that I want to go my way, or the way I think it should go, is harder for me. It's hard for me to have to consider that perhaps I won't get my way afterall in this IEP meeting, or that I won't get Lucy in for a conference and she will just have to cope as best she can on her first day. But I know that when we pray for something, we always have to open to what God wants too--and sometimes it isn't what we want.
But still, I prayed about it anyway, trying to make the practice of bringing all things to God. Then I called one more time to see if there were any times at the end of the day that nobody wanted--like a 5:00 or something. And what do you know--the original time that I had wanted but had been taken by somebody else was suddenly free again. I had wanted the 11:00 conference since this was the closest time to Max and Luke's meeting and I knew that Mom could baby-sit the kids for me. But when I had tried to call back to get the time scheduled, both my phone and Dennis's phones had broke and he had to bring them in to get fixed. We didn't get our phones back until the end of the day, and so when I had tried to call the next day, not only was the 11:00 time taken, but all the time slots in the day as well. So I was extremely happy and surprised to find out that someone had decided to cancel their 11:00--my preferred time--and this meant that I could get "my way" after all!
So I had things are going a little bit better, but really they're going a lot better. All the meetings went well, mom and Laura (our social worker) did not have to fight traffic and were able to get here on time which meant we got to leave on time. I was able to leave the kids without anyone crying for me, and Henry did not have stranger anxiety with our baby-sitter--our first baby-sitter besides Mom, that is. The teachers and special ed teachers were very helpful and interested in all of my concerns and were able to set my fears (for the most part) to rest. Max got to talk a little bit about his worries, and his teacher was so nice to him. She didn't brush off his worries or do the super-cheerful "Oh, don't worry, we'll have a GREAT time!" thing. She talked to him very gently about things would be fine and that the teachers were going to help him with everything he needed. I have to say, they earned some points in the "trust box" for me.
Dennis has left for his wedding (ha,ha, that sounds funny doesn't it?) and I'm prepared for the most part, to get ready for school by myself. For now it's just crossing the i's and t's on the to-do list and mentally preparing myself and the kids for a new schedule.
Keep us in your prayers, and please especially remember Max for next week and the weeks to come. We can pave the road as best we can for him, but it's still going to be an adjustment, and he's very nervous about it. I prayed to Dad last night, whom I consider to be Max's prayer warrior, reminding him and pleading that he must remember his promise--that he would pray for Max. And I believe he listened.
Putting Max--and all the kids--into God's hands now....Jesus we trust in You!
So after I wrote my last post, I went to adoration to do some praying about my problems rather than venting. I prayed about all my concerns about school, my worries for Max and his first time back to school in a few years, my frustration that nothing was working with trying to get school and therapy to work together, and other things. I tried to concentrate on putting this all on the Lord and leaving it there, as I had no solution to any problem. However, being the control freak that I am, my mind had a hard time focusing on prayer and kept trying to find a solution for Max to go to school and still be able to keep therapy too. The conflict about this was that with both Fasier and OT (two different therapies at different times and locations) I knew we couldnt' pull Max out of school twice in one week, as that would be missing too much school. So I was forced to choose a therapy.
I did my best to trust in God, but when I went home, I still felt upset about everything. There was just too much going on in one week, and I felt dizzy and overwhelmed with it all. However, when I got home, I checked my email and found a message from Max's therapist at The Therapy Place saying that they found a spot for Max on Wednesdays--the same day that he goes to therapy at Frasier! So this meant that I did not have to give up a therapy afterall, and that he would only be pulled out of school one time during the week! What a huge relief! I felt very humbled as I remembered my time in adoration, stewing over my situation and trying to figure out a solution, and here the Lord fixed it all for me.
My second issue was that I was not able to get a time scheduled for Lucy's pre-conference. Though I'm not as concerned for her in school (actually, not concerned at all. She loves school and makes friends easily), I still wanted her to be able to meet her teacher and see her classroom so that she didn't feel like everything was unfamiliar the first day. The parents that bring their kids to school are only allowed to drop them off--they cant' go into the school with them, unless there's a very good reason. It's just meant to prevent clogging the halls with parents and adding to the confusion and chaos of kids trying to get to their classrooms. Anyway, when I called, all the time slots had been taken. They are only doing one day for conferences, so there was very little flexibility. The receptionist suggested I try to get Lucy in on Wednesday (which was yesterday) even though it was a day early for conferences, but the teacher never called me back. So basically chance to get Lucy in for a conference was gone.
I prayed again about it and put it in God's hands--I am trying to practice trust here, can you tell how hard this is for me? It's one thing to trust God with things you know are well out of your control, like surgery or something, but for me, trusting Him with the little things that I want to go my way, or the way I think it should go, is harder for me. It's hard for me to have to consider that perhaps I won't get my way afterall in this IEP meeting, or that I won't get Lucy in for a conference and she will just have to cope as best she can on her first day. But I know that when we pray for something, we always have to open to what God wants too--and sometimes it isn't what we want.
But still, I prayed about it anyway, trying to make the practice of bringing all things to God. Then I called one more time to see if there were any times at the end of the day that nobody wanted--like a 5:00 or something. And what do you know--the original time that I had wanted but had been taken by somebody else was suddenly free again. I had wanted the 11:00 conference since this was the closest time to Max and Luke's meeting and I knew that Mom could baby-sit the kids for me. But when I had tried to call back to get the time scheduled, both my phone and Dennis's phones had broke and he had to bring them in to get fixed. We didn't get our phones back until the end of the day, and so when I had tried to call the next day, not only was the 11:00 time taken, but all the time slots in the day as well. So I was extremely happy and surprised to find out that someone had decided to cancel their 11:00--my preferred time--and this meant that I could get "my way" after all!
So I had things are going a little bit better, but really they're going a lot better. All the meetings went well, mom and Laura (our social worker) did not have to fight traffic and were able to get here on time which meant we got to leave on time. I was able to leave the kids without anyone crying for me, and Henry did not have stranger anxiety with our baby-sitter--our first baby-sitter besides Mom, that is. The teachers and special ed teachers were very helpful and interested in all of my concerns and were able to set my fears (for the most part) to rest. Max got to talk a little bit about his worries, and his teacher was so nice to him. She didn't brush off his worries or do the super-cheerful "Oh, don't worry, we'll have a GREAT time!" thing. She talked to him very gently about things would be fine and that the teachers were going to help him with everything he needed. I have to say, they earned some points in the "trust box" for me.
Dennis has left for his wedding (ha,ha, that sounds funny doesn't it?) and I'm prepared for the most part, to get ready for school by myself. For now it's just crossing the i's and t's on the to-do list and mentally preparing myself and the kids for a new schedule.
Keep us in your prayers, and please especially remember Max for next week and the weeks to come. We can pave the road as best we can for him, but it's still going to be an adjustment, and he's very nervous about it. I prayed to Dad last night, whom I consider to be Max's prayer warrior, reminding him and pleading that he must remember his promise--that he would pray for Max. And I believe he listened.
Putting Max--and all the kids--into God's hands now....Jesus we trust in You!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Overwhelmed
I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed today. And frustrated. It seems that nothing is going right.
This is the week that Dennis leaves for five days to go to Oregon for a wedding. He comes back the day before school starts. This is also the week that we have Max and Luke's IEP meeting, something I'm not looking forward to because it seems what I want is not always what "they" want (the teachers.) We all want what is best for Max, yet everyone sees what is best from their own perspective: the teacher sees it from the academic side, the therapist sees it from the therapy side and I see it from my own mother's instinct side.
I forgot to add that trying to figure out how to keep going with Max's therapy with school is a headache; there are too many people involved with too many conflicting schedules. No time slots for after school is open--and I can't even get Fraser and The Therapy Place together so that I would only have to take Max out of school once. So the school isn't happy and is worried about Max missing too much school, Dennis isn't happy, because he doesn't want us to go to therapy twice a week (which looks like might happen) because he doesn't feel we can afford it. And I'm not happy because it looks like I'm going to be forced to give up a therapy--OT and speech, or social therapy.
I'm also not happy because I wasn't even sure I wanted Max to go to school anyway, I felt pressured into it by people. I felt like I had no reason to say no, and Max seemed more open to going to school so I didn't want to hold him back. But now to also be forced to give up therapy is a bitter pill to take--I'm struggling to keep the resentment of being pressured to myself. (The blog doesn't count--it's much better for me to type this out rather than vent in out in person.)
Little things as well--we screwed up on the uniforms and wasted a lot of money. The kids have only half of what they should have and I have to get the rest. There's little fees here and there; technology fees, t-shirt fees, milk fee....and of course more uniforms.
I can't get Lucy in for a meeting because I completely forgot about her because I was so distracted by trying to schedule an IEP meeting for the boys. It wasn't working out because the time of the meeting was the same time that Dennis has to be at the airport--which meant there was no one to watch the kids. A huge miscommunication. Thankfully, we got our neighbors to agree to watch the kids, or else I would have had to bring all 5 of them with, and knowing how tense this meeting is probably going to be, I didn't want to be distracted by the kids.
And to top it off, I always worry when Dennis is gone. I feel the strain of being the "single parent" when he's gone on fishing trips. Last week he had to leave suddenly because his mom had to have unexpected bypass surgery. (She's doing well, by the way.) He was gone only for the day, but it was so unexpected and unplanned. And then when he came back he had to go to work for the weekend.
All this starting right before school and knowing the nerves I will be having with Max going to school for the first time in two years is a hard thing right now. But I'm trying to just trust in God with all this. Normally I try to search in my head for a plan B, C, or D, but I'm out. I can only just bring it to God and leave it there. I feel emotionally drained and mentally fried. It's been a hard couple weeks.
I read this for my meditation today:
Is it not true that there can be no greater happiness in this world than to be governed by God, guided by God, with our will conforming in all things to the will of God? When will you enjoy such happiness? WHy do you not enjoy it even now? What are you waiting for? Give yourself wholly to Jesus. Give Him the keys to your will without reservation. Do this and you will be happy.
You see? Giving up is not always such a bad thing.
This is the week that Dennis leaves for five days to go to Oregon for a wedding. He comes back the day before school starts. This is also the week that we have Max and Luke's IEP meeting, something I'm not looking forward to because it seems what I want is not always what "they" want (the teachers.) We all want what is best for Max, yet everyone sees what is best from their own perspective: the teacher sees it from the academic side, the therapist sees it from the therapy side and I see it from my own mother's instinct side.
I forgot to add that trying to figure out how to keep going with Max's therapy with school is a headache; there are too many people involved with too many conflicting schedules. No time slots for after school is open--and I can't even get Fraser and The Therapy Place together so that I would only have to take Max out of school once. So the school isn't happy and is worried about Max missing too much school, Dennis isn't happy, because he doesn't want us to go to therapy twice a week (which looks like might happen) because he doesn't feel we can afford it. And I'm not happy because it looks like I'm going to be forced to give up a therapy--OT and speech, or social therapy.
I'm also not happy because I wasn't even sure I wanted Max to go to school anyway, I felt pressured into it by people. I felt like I had no reason to say no, and Max seemed more open to going to school so I didn't want to hold him back. But now to also be forced to give up therapy is a bitter pill to take--I'm struggling to keep the resentment of being pressured to myself. (The blog doesn't count--it's much better for me to type this out rather than vent in out in person.)
Little things as well--we screwed up on the uniforms and wasted a lot of money. The kids have only half of what they should have and I have to get the rest. There's little fees here and there; technology fees, t-shirt fees, milk fee....and of course more uniforms.
I can't get Lucy in for a meeting because I completely forgot about her because I was so distracted by trying to schedule an IEP meeting for the boys. It wasn't working out because the time of the meeting was the same time that Dennis has to be at the airport--which meant there was no one to watch the kids. A huge miscommunication. Thankfully, we got our neighbors to agree to watch the kids, or else I would have had to bring all 5 of them with, and knowing how tense this meeting is probably going to be, I didn't want to be distracted by the kids.
And to top it off, I always worry when Dennis is gone. I feel the strain of being the "single parent" when he's gone on fishing trips. Last week he had to leave suddenly because his mom had to have unexpected bypass surgery. (She's doing well, by the way.) He was gone only for the day, but it was so unexpected and unplanned. And then when he came back he had to go to work for the weekend.
All this starting right before school and knowing the nerves I will be having with Max going to school for the first time in two years is a hard thing right now. But I'm trying to just trust in God with all this. Normally I try to search in my head for a plan B, C, or D, but I'm out. I can only just bring it to God and leave it there. I feel emotionally drained and mentally fried. It's been a hard couple weeks.
I read this for my meditation today:
Is it not true that there can be no greater happiness in this world than to be governed by God, guided by God, with our will conforming in all things to the will of God? When will you enjoy such happiness? WHy do you not enjoy it even now? What are you waiting for? Give yourself wholly to Jesus. Give Him the keys to your will without reservation. Do this and you will be happy.
You see? Giving up is not always such a bad thing.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Henry Update
The littlest is never forgotten, always talked about, yet hardly any pictures...
Henry is now 7 months old!
He loves, loves, soft blankets and robes. Well, I guess that would be just about any baby, but Henry won't go to sleep without a soft blanket against his cheek. That's actually my robe he's holding there--notice how he's holding it up to his cheek? This is what he does when he's telling us he wants to go to bed.
I have no other pictures! But I will tell you this: he is learning to sit up (almost has it mastered!) rolls over, and "spins". When he's laying on the floor he will be lying in one direction and a minute later, he'll be facing the opposite direction.
He is eating solids, but it's slow going. It's the curse of the Daoust stomach! Not one of our babies seem to have escaped the doom of the sensitive stomach!
He's getting to be quite loud--just like the kids. Cooing, babbling (ba, ba, ba, BAH!!!) Also talks though he doesn't know what he's saying. It's not unusual as you walk by for him to shout "HEY!" He usually does this when he wants you to pick him up. It used to also be that he would growl. Yes, people would be a little surprised as I would be talking to them, holding Henry and then they would hear "GRRR....GRRR...GRRR...(Snarl). Ok, I'm kidding on the snarling, but not the growling. It's always rather startling. I used to wonder if it was a baby or a wolf I was raising.
LOVES baths! One of these days I have to take a video of him taking a bath. His feet start kicking, and when he realizes the splashing as a result of it, he kicks even harder. If you give him a bath, be prepared to get soaked.
Yes, he does love to kick, now to think of it. The kids have learned that if they want to come up close to Henry, they will have to take a beating. Face, neck, stomach is all his favorite targets. Once I was ordering a sub at Subway, and you know how they have those potato chips all lined up across the counter? His feet was dangling near them and happened to touch one. Pretty soon it was, kick. Kick. Kick.....KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK!!
It was like he was on a mission: KILL THE POTATO CHIPS!
I was going to load up a video for you, but of course, it's not working. So another time then!
Henry is now 7 months old!
I have no other pictures! But I will tell you this: he is learning to sit up (almost has it mastered!) rolls over, and "spins". When he's laying on the floor he will be lying in one direction and a minute later, he'll be facing the opposite direction.
He is eating solids, but it's slow going. It's the curse of the Daoust stomach! Not one of our babies seem to have escaped the doom of the sensitive stomach!
He's getting to be quite loud--just like the kids. Cooing, babbling (ba, ba, ba, BAH!!!) Also talks though he doesn't know what he's saying. It's not unusual as you walk by for him to shout "HEY!" He usually does this when he wants you to pick him up. It used to also be that he would growl. Yes, people would be a little surprised as I would be talking to them, holding Henry and then they would hear "GRRR....GRRR...GRRR...(Snarl). Ok, I'm kidding on the snarling, but not the growling. It's always rather startling. I used to wonder if it was a baby or a wolf I was raising.
LOVES baths! One of these days I have to take a video of him taking a bath. His feet start kicking, and when he realizes the splashing as a result of it, he kicks even harder. If you give him a bath, be prepared to get soaked.
Yes, he does love to kick, now to think of it. The kids have learned that if they want to come up close to Henry, they will have to take a beating. Face, neck, stomach is all his favorite targets. Once I was ordering a sub at Subway, and you know how they have those potato chips all lined up across the counter? His feet was dangling near them and happened to touch one. Pretty soon it was, kick. Kick. Kick.....KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK!!
It was like he was on a mission: KILL THE POTATO CHIPS!
I was going to load up a video for you, but of course, it's not working. So another time then!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
No more secrets
So today I had a talk with Max that I wasn't planning to have. I always knew that we would eventually tell Max about his autism, but I didn't know exactly when it would happen or how we would explain it. I figured when the time felt right, we would do it.
This morning, we had another discussion about too much computer. And again, I got upset with Max about the obsessiveness that comes with it. All the kids are a bit obsessive, but Max really, really struggles with it. The other kids are ok with me putting limits to the computer but Max has a hard time with it. It's an addiction, just like every other routine of his is an addiction. It's not a simple fix of "just turn the computer off." That would be as simple as telling an alcoholic to just throw away the bottle or tell a chain smoker to just throw away the cigarettes. It isn't that simple and it's not that easy. It turns their world upside down.
So I got upset, talked about how we are going to (again) cut down computer time and so on. And as I was talking, Max curled up in a ball. To him, it's like I'm taking a piece of his life away. Dramatic, I know. But a routine is a routine, a way of coping with his life. The computer has become his escape and now I'm tearing that escape away from him.
Later, after I calmed down, I decided to talk to Max about school and what to expect. I grabbed a notebook and pen and told Max I needed to talk to him. But as I sat down, my thoughts on what I was going to talk to him about suddenly changed--from school to autism. "Tell him about autism" was the thought in my head, something I was not planning on doing this morning or as far as I knew, any time soon.
I wrote down "Autism", with my hand shaking a little and my heart thumping. I asked Max if he knew what the word was. He didn't.
I said, "It says autism," and then found my throat closing up with unexpected emotion.
"Autism." Max repeated back in a very soft voice.
There was a moment of revealing for me; kind of like a moment when you see your kid in their hat and gown for graduation, or when you see your daughter in her wedding gown on her wedding day. It's like a revelation--you knew this day was coming and you tried to prepare for it, and it's bitter-sweet to see it come and a new page in your life is turned.
I remember the day I said "autism" to myself. I would lay awake at night, thinking "autism". I would make the supper, thinking "autism". I would watch Max play at the park thinking "autism." I didn't want it to own my child. I didn't want it to consume him. Autism has been a daily fight for me.
Part of the reason why I've put off telling Max about autism was because I didn't know how to tell him in a way that didn't make it sound like a disability. I didn't want him to think that now he had an excuse not to try. I didn't want him to use it as a crutch. But it's autism. It is a disability. He does struggle with autism. It's not his fault. So I've put it off, both Dennis and I, because we didn't know what words to say.
Thankfully the Holy Spirit gave me the words. I don't think I can even repeat back to you what I said, except maybe a small portion. It all just came flowing out, and it all came out perfectly. It was not at all what I had rehearsed in my head. I was not crying, like I was afraid I would, and Max did not seem to view his autism as an excuse not to try.
Naturally, his next question was: "What's autism?"
I wrote down autism again on one side of the paper and I said, "you know how there are some things that you struggle with? Like too much computer? Or getting too excited? Or not wanting to make friends?" I began to write some of the things down that Max struggles with in his autism with his help. I said to him, "All of that you struggle with--is autism."
Then I wrote on the other side of the paper: "Max".
I asked him, "What makes Max, Max? What makes you, you?"
We wrote down words like "gentle", "caring", "loves God", "tries hard". Max added in "wants to be a saint" and "is good with Henry". We also added "Max does want friends". I drew a line down to separate the two and said, "This is Max. That's autism. Max is not autism. Notice how much longer the list is for the "Max side" and the list is shorter with the autism side? Max is stronger than autism. God gave Max the gifts to overcome autism."
I told him that autism is his special gift from God. He has to try harder, work harder than most people will. The man that works hardest in his job is always paid the highest; the solider who overcomes his fears is the bravest; and it's the same with God; the soul that works with his cross attains heaven.
I said to him, "You know how sometimes I get mad at you for being obsessive about the computer, or sometimes I get mad that you have too many routines? Well, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at autism. Because I don't want to see autism holding you back anymore. The 'Mama Bear' comes out when I see autism controlling Max. I want you, Max, to start to control autism and be all that God wants you to be. Don't let autism define Max. You can beat autism if you want to." (Matthew Laborteaux, who played "Albert" on Little House on the Prairie, had autism and overcame it.)
At the end of the talk, Max was just fine. He learned something new about himself and he didn't seem affected one way or another. He just now has a name for some of things he struggles with: autism.
As for me, there are no more secrets. I no longer have to be afraid of saying "autism" in front of Max, and I know longer have to whisper or mouth "autism" in front of Max when talking to a therapist.
Max needed to learn about his autism so that he won't blame himself anymore. I began to see a depression starting when we would get on his case about trying to control what was out of his control. I would hear his prayers that God would help him "be good and not so hyper" or "help me not want the computer so much." I want him to take responsibility to fight what he needs to fight, but not take responsibility for something that is not his fault. It is what it is, and it's simply autism, the cross that God wants him to have.
And I don't mean to say that a cross should be "fought"; but it needs to be carried. He will always struggle with autism. But there are many success stories out there of children who have learned to overcome it by simply working with it. But you can't overcome something when you don't know about it, and you can't work with something, if you don't know what that something is.
As for Max, autism doesn't define him; he's his own person. And autism stays on the side lines, where it should be.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Swimming Lessons
I had planned to put on a bunch of videos of the kids swimming, but silly me--I was recording when I thought the camera was off and I was "taping" when the camera was actually not recording. Have you ever done that? And hey, before you call me a fluff brain or whatever, this camera is confusing. It says "recording" even when you hit the stop button to end the video, so it can be confusing to know if the camera is actually recording or not.
Anyway. Here are a few videos of the kids at their swimming lessons that did turn out.
This is of Luke swimming. You can hear me and Max's super-intelligent conversation about "who is sitting here?"
Max: Who's sitting here?
Me: No one is sitting there.
Max: I was!
Me: Well then, you're sitting there.
Max: Ok.
This is Danny, Luke and Max's teacher. He's so patient with the kids, especially Luke. Luke likes to "test the waters" (haha, yes, I did that on purpose) to see how far he can go or how long he can pester someone before he gets swiped. But I've never once heard Danny raise his voice or be impatient with Luke--and believe me, Luke has done a few things where getting yelled at would have been justified. For instance, when he kept jumping into the pool even though Danny repeatedly told him not to. Unfortunately, Danny is going to be leaving soon, so Luke will be getting a new teacher. Lord help him. And I mean that sincerely.
I guess that's all for now, I'll try to have some videos of Max and Lucy's swimming--if I remember to make sure the camera is recording. Sheesh.
Anyway. Here are a few videos of the kids at their swimming lessons that did turn out.
Max: Who's sitting here?
Me: No one is sitting there.
Max: I was!
Me: Well then, you're sitting there.
Max: Ok.
This is Danny, Luke and Max's teacher. He's so patient with the kids, especially Luke. Luke likes to "test the waters" (haha, yes, I did that on purpose) to see how far he can go or how long he can pester someone before he gets swiped. But I've never once heard Danny raise his voice or be impatient with Luke--and believe me, Luke has done a few things where getting yelled at would have been justified. For instance, when he kept jumping into the pool even though Danny repeatedly told him not to. Unfortunately, Danny is going to be leaving soon, so Luke will be getting a new teacher. Lord help him. And I mean that sincerely.
I guess that's all for now, I'll try to have some videos of Max and Lucy's swimming--if I remember to make sure the camera is recording. Sheesh.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
A feast for Max
Today is the feast day of St.Maxilmilian Kolbe, a modern saint who is quickly becoming very popular.
Early this morning, I asked Max if he wanted to go to Mass with me, to hear the Mass that would be said in honor of his saint. He decided to come, and his face lit up every time he heard the priest say "St.Maximilian Kolbe." After that, we went for a little breakfast at McDonalds and from there, we went to the Apostles Bookstore where Max picked out a coloring book. He was happy it was "his feast day".
Later, if I can find it, we'll post St.Maximilian's picture up on the altar for a special remembrance and honor. We will invoke St.Maximilian to pray for us in our daily lives and ask that he helps us to become saints. We'll pray St.Maximilian's special prayer to Our Lady, his "Immaculata", whom he had such a special devotion:
- O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.
- If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world." Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
- V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin
- R. Give me strength against your enemies
- Amen
This is why I wanted the kids to have special saint names: to strive a saint who wore the name well! To imitate someone who has merited sanctity. Not to say that having those names of our relatives should be any less special; but for myself, but the saints lives are mapped out with the victories won, those virtues that were practiced and the faults that were overcome successfully.
And, as Max likes to so often point out to us, his saint is "the greatest", because his name Maximilian means "the greatest." To which Max takes all the credit for by the way.
So to all the little saint Maximilian's out there, happy feast day!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Luke's gonna live
Good news. Turns out Luke is going to live.
He does not have that amoeba thing, not that I really believed he did, but it was all too coincidental for me. He does have a fever and blisters all over the inside of his mouth though; thank goodness I took pity on him last night and let him go to bed without brushing his teeth. That would have been very painful, and I didn't even know at that time about the blisters in his mouth. Anyway, I brought him in to Urgent Care today, and even though he has ulcers (blisters) and a fever, he did not come out positive for Strep Throat. So it's just a virus. I would have been happier if he did have Strep, at least he could have had a quick fix. This, we just have to wait out and somehow keep him away from Henry as babies are very susceptible to viruses.
Even though he was sick, it didn't stop him from being his usual self. He kept pressing the nurses call button, although the couple times he didn't realize what he was doing. The second time the nurse came in she firmly but nicely told Luke not to press "that button"; which is not something you want to say if you really don't want Luke pressing a button. She should have said, "don't press that button; if you do, a mean and angry nurse will come in and yell at you." (Which is exactly what happened.) If she had said that, I can guarantee that even Luke wouldn't have pressed "that button."
But he did. And the nurse did come back very visibly annoyed and said very firmly, "Do.Not.Press.That.Button."
Luke said very seriously, "Ok."
In my defense, I was talking to the woman who handles the insurance, as she came in with papers to sign and so I didn't know that Luke was still pressing the button. In Luke's defense, well, I don't really have any. He's just Luke, testing his limits. But really, even though I totally get it about patients abusing the call light privilege, he's a little kid. I don't think that nurse likes little kids. She sure seemed annoyed that we were there. And she sure cheered up right away as soon as Luke was discharged!
Anyway, that is the Luke update. He'll live.
He does not have that amoeba thing, not that I really believed he did, but it was all too coincidental for me. He does have a fever and blisters all over the inside of his mouth though; thank goodness I took pity on him last night and let him go to bed without brushing his teeth. That would have been very painful, and I didn't even know at that time about the blisters in his mouth. Anyway, I brought him in to Urgent Care today, and even though he has ulcers (blisters) and a fever, he did not come out positive for Strep Throat. So it's just a virus. I would have been happier if he did have Strep, at least he could have had a quick fix. This, we just have to wait out and somehow keep him away from Henry as babies are very susceptible to viruses.
Even though he was sick, it didn't stop him from being his usual self. He kept pressing the nurses call button, although the couple times he didn't realize what he was doing. The second time the nurse came in she firmly but nicely told Luke not to press "that button"; which is not something you want to say if you really don't want Luke pressing a button. She should have said, "don't press that button; if you do, a mean and angry nurse will come in and yell at you." (Which is exactly what happened.) If she had said that, I can guarantee that even Luke wouldn't have pressed "that button."
But he did. And the nurse did come back very visibly annoyed and said very firmly, "Do.Not.Press.That.Button."
Luke said very seriously, "Ok."
In my defense, I was talking to the woman who handles the insurance, as she came in with papers to sign and so I didn't know that Luke was still pressing the button. In Luke's defense, well, I don't really have any. He's just Luke, testing his limits. But really, even though I totally get it about patients abusing the call light privilege, he's a little kid. I don't think that nurse likes little kids. She sure seemed annoyed that we were there. And she sure cheered up right away as soon as Luke was discharged!
Anyway, that is the Luke update. He'll live.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
It's probably nothing, but...
So after enjoying a day at the beach, I later went to the gym. The gym is where I watch the news, if at all, because it's the only thing worth watching there. Other than that, I don't really watch the news.
Anyway, I watched a very sad news story of a nine year old boy who died of a brain infection caused by amoeba (sp?), which is a brain-eating disease. Its' very rare, but resembles meningitis so doctors think that a lot of cases have been missed. Amoeba nearly always results in death; only seven people have survived world-wide.
Another woman who lost her seven year old daughter to what they thought was meningitis also died from amoeba. Both children have gotten this virus from swimmng in lakes. Both parents are warning all parents to make sure children wear nose plugs when swimming in lakes.
So I get home from the gym and Luke meets me at the door, asking to go to bed. He's got a fever and a headache. It's probably nothing, but of course, now I'm worried. I told Dennis that Luke is sick and Dennis was surprised and said, "He was fine just a minute ago." I told him of Luke's symptoms and reminded him that you can't fake a fever. "It's probably amoeba," Dennis joked. "Don't say that!" I said to him.
Like I said, it's probably nothing, but I'll be watching Luke closely tonight.
Anyway, I watched a very sad news story of a nine year old boy who died of a brain infection caused by amoeba (sp?), which is a brain-eating disease. Its' very rare, but resembles meningitis so doctors think that a lot of cases have been missed. Amoeba nearly always results in death; only seven people have survived world-wide.
Another woman who lost her seven year old daughter to what they thought was meningitis also died from amoeba. Both children have gotten this virus from swimmng in lakes. Both parents are warning all parents to make sure children wear nose plugs when swimming in lakes.
So I get home from the gym and Luke meets me at the door, asking to go to bed. He's got a fever and a headache. It's probably nothing, but of course, now I'm worried. I told Dennis that Luke is sick and Dennis was surprised and said, "He was fine just a minute ago." I told him of Luke's symptoms and reminded him that you can't fake a fever. "It's probably amoeba," Dennis joked. "Don't say that!" I said to him.
Like I said, it's probably nothing, but I'll be watching Luke closely tonight.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Craziness
Things have been crazy around here; I know it's not quite as crazy as the rest of you guys, like Mark and Meagan just having another baby, or Jerry and Susan with Alex, and then Mary with all of Dominic's appointments. But it just seems like this summer has been non-stop and expensive!
First there was the trip to Mary's which was a lot of fun, even if it only was for a day and a half. But then we came home and found that a forgotten check had cleared and we went negative during our trip since we were buying food and gas. On top of that, our basement flooded while we were gone and we had to rip out of our carpet, throw out Dennis's desk, and spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies and anti-mold stuff.
There was the occasional camping trip, and Dennis being called into work nearly every other day at work. Thank goodness he had that extra work, because even though it was hard having him gone that much, it saved us with continuing to go negative.
Then I had the retreat, which also was a lot of money but I don't regret going one bit. The money that I normally would have used to help with bills was used for rent and the bill for the retreat. Then there was Luke's birthday, and later this month, I've got a much needed dentist appointment that I have been putting off for a year now. I have to first pay $120 before they will see me, so that's another month of not being able to help much with bills.
Of course, now there is the preparation for school supplies. So far we've spent over $100 in school supplies and the list is not done yet. I've jumped in to do all this in advance this year, because last year I learned the hard way that putting it off until the week before school is not smart!
I'm all for chipping in and helping the teachers with school supplies, but it seems like their lists get more and more demanding every year. Things like hand sanitizers, paper towels, wipes and so on, seem like they are mooching off the parents more than getting it from the school. I'm not great with financial topics, but isn't this what our taxes are supposed to be covering with schools anyway?
I understand the pencils, but instead of buying pencils for just your child, your buying them for the teachers pencil supply. Max's list said 48 pencils. Lucy's list said 24 pencils and Luke's list said 12 pencils. There is also things on the list like 2 pkgs of copy paper. This is on each of their lists. I have a hard time believing that each kid is going to be using their own copiers.
Oh yes, and after I get all the random stuff like erasers, highlighters, dry erase markers, fine tip markers and wide tip markers, crayons and so on, I also have to buy each child their own pair of gym shoes which has to be left at the school. "MUST BE VELCRO" is on both Lucy's and Luke's lists. "MUST BE ABLE TO TIE OWN SHOES" is on Max's list an it has me sweating because we've been working on tying shoes and he doesnt' have it mastered yet. I also have to buy each kid their own set of headphones, which also has to be left at the school.
There are tons of paperwork to still fill out and the schoolboard is calling all parents in for "cleaning parties" to help get the school ready. It's funny how they add the word "party" to the end of every request (demand), like it sweetens the deal a little. Last week it was "come and help us get the school ready by joining us in the locker assembly party!!!" (There are over 100 lockers to assemble and they still aren't done. When I asked Dennis when he thought he would be home, he said maybe September or October.) Today's party is "Moving Day party!" where they get the school offices ready and set up the furniture. (I suppose I should mention that the expansion for the school just got finished a few weeks ago.) This coming weekend is an ice cream social which I had planned on going to, but then I found out through Dennis that the ice cream comes at the end of the day--a CLEANING PARTY DAY! So we're not going.
Still, the summer is still going on and play dates for Max continues with Vinney to keep them acquainted since they may not see each other during the school year. Lucy had 2 birthday parties in one day last Saturday (she said she was "all partied out") and a few moms have emailed me asking if Lucy could do a play date with so-and-so from preschool before school begins. I'm glad for the play dates, but they take a lot of time. And then there is the sleep over with the little neighbor girl that will be at our house, that's coming up.
Dennis has jury duty this week and every day he has to call in at 11:30 to see if he has to come in. So far, he's gotten lucky, but I doubt our luck will hold out much longer. Once he is called in, all plans for the day have to be canceled, no matter how important they are, because I'm not dragging five kids to appointments, play dates and therapy.
And then at the end of the month, Dennis is going to a wedding in Oklahoma (I think it's there) for five days. He'll return with one day to spare before school starts. I'm trying not to think of the bundle of nerves I will be with him gone and school coming up so fast.
And then there's therapy and the rearranging of schedules between myself and the therapists so that Max and Luke can continue to go to therapy during the school year. Max's therapist from Frasier is going to be out until mid-September because she's having surgery, so nothing is planned for him yet with school and therapy. With his other therapy, he and Luke will be pulled out early on Wednesdays. All the therapists have been really helpful in preparing the boys for their new school and new schedules by typing up a list of "coping skills" for the boys when things gets too overwhelming for them. Both tend to shut down when this happens, but they show it in different ways.
And that is the craziness around here.
First there was the trip to Mary's which was a lot of fun, even if it only was for a day and a half. But then we came home and found that a forgotten check had cleared and we went negative during our trip since we were buying food and gas. On top of that, our basement flooded while we were gone and we had to rip out of our carpet, throw out Dennis's desk, and spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies and anti-mold stuff.
There was the occasional camping trip, and Dennis being called into work nearly every other day at work. Thank goodness he had that extra work, because even though it was hard having him gone that much, it saved us with continuing to go negative.
Then I had the retreat, which also was a lot of money but I don't regret going one bit. The money that I normally would have used to help with bills was used for rent and the bill for the retreat. Then there was Luke's birthday, and later this month, I've got a much needed dentist appointment that I have been putting off for a year now. I have to first pay $120 before they will see me, so that's another month of not being able to help much with bills.
Of course, now there is the preparation for school supplies. So far we've spent over $100 in school supplies and the list is not done yet. I've jumped in to do all this in advance this year, because last year I learned the hard way that putting it off until the week before school is not smart!
I'm all for chipping in and helping the teachers with school supplies, but it seems like their lists get more and more demanding every year. Things like hand sanitizers, paper towels, wipes and so on, seem like they are mooching off the parents more than getting it from the school. I'm not great with financial topics, but isn't this what our taxes are supposed to be covering with schools anyway?
I understand the pencils, but instead of buying pencils for just your child, your buying them for the teachers pencil supply. Max's list said 48 pencils. Lucy's list said 24 pencils and Luke's list said 12 pencils. There is also things on the list like 2 pkgs of copy paper. This is on each of their lists. I have a hard time believing that each kid is going to be using their own copiers.
Oh yes, and after I get all the random stuff like erasers, highlighters, dry erase markers, fine tip markers and wide tip markers, crayons and so on, I also have to buy each child their own pair of gym shoes which has to be left at the school. "MUST BE VELCRO" is on both Lucy's and Luke's lists. "MUST BE ABLE TO TIE OWN SHOES" is on Max's list an it has me sweating because we've been working on tying shoes and he doesnt' have it mastered yet. I also have to buy each kid their own set of headphones, which also has to be left at the school.
There are tons of paperwork to still fill out and the schoolboard is calling all parents in for "cleaning parties" to help get the school ready. It's funny how they add the word "party" to the end of every request (demand), like it sweetens the deal a little. Last week it was "come and help us get the school ready by joining us in the locker assembly party!!!" (There are over 100 lockers to assemble and they still aren't done. When I asked Dennis when he thought he would be home, he said maybe September or October.) Today's party is "Moving Day party!" where they get the school offices ready and set up the furniture. (I suppose I should mention that the expansion for the school just got finished a few weeks ago.) This coming weekend is an ice cream social which I had planned on going to, but then I found out through Dennis that the ice cream comes at the end of the day--a CLEANING PARTY DAY! So we're not going.
Still, the summer is still going on and play dates for Max continues with Vinney to keep them acquainted since they may not see each other during the school year. Lucy had 2 birthday parties in one day last Saturday (she said she was "all partied out") and a few moms have emailed me asking if Lucy could do a play date with so-and-so from preschool before school begins. I'm glad for the play dates, but they take a lot of time. And then there is the sleep over with the little neighbor girl that will be at our house, that's coming up.
Dennis has jury duty this week and every day he has to call in at 11:30 to see if he has to come in. So far, he's gotten lucky, but I doubt our luck will hold out much longer. Once he is called in, all plans for the day have to be canceled, no matter how important they are, because I'm not dragging five kids to appointments, play dates and therapy.
And then at the end of the month, Dennis is going to a wedding in Oklahoma (I think it's there) for five days. He'll return with one day to spare before school starts. I'm trying not to think of the bundle of nerves I will be with him gone and school coming up so fast.
And then there's therapy and the rearranging of schedules between myself and the therapists so that Max and Luke can continue to go to therapy during the school year. Max's therapist from Frasier is going to be out until mid-September because she's having surgery, so nothing is planned for him yet with school and therapy. With his other therapy, he and Luke will be pulled out early on Wednesdays. All the therapists have been really helpful in preparing the boys for their new school and new schedules by typing up a list of "coping skills" for the boys when things gets too overwhelming for them. Both tend to shut down when this happens, but they show it in different ways.
And that is the craziness around here.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Mama's the toothfairy
The other day, Lucy said to me, "Mom, I know you're the tooth fairy." I denied it at first because I wanted to preserve her youthful innocence a little while longer. Then she said to me again later that day, "Mom, I do know you're the tooth fairy, because Grace told me so." Augh! Grace!
She looked at me with that knowing smile that she had "caught me" and I finally admitted, "Ok Lucy, I am the tooth fairy." She looked at me, startled, and said, "You ARE????"
"Yes," I said, and then I figured she was going to also figure out that I'm "Santa Clause" too. She persisted, "You're the tooth fairy? You really are??"
So now I was wondering why she was trying to get me to admit it what I had already admitted. It was like putting salt in a wound. So I said a little sarcastically, "Yes, Lucy. I am the tooth fairy. After I put you guys to bed, instead of putting my feet up and relaxing at night, I go to all the children's houses and steal their teeth and replace it with money."
Then Lucy jumped up and clapped her hands and said, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! My Mom is the tooth fairy! I can't believe it! Wait until I tell my friends!" I blinked and then realized that she didn't figure out that there is no tooth fairy, but had actually thought that Grace was telling her that I was THE tooth fairy!
I stopped her and said, "Wait Lucy. I was just kidding. I'm not really the tooth fairy."
Her face fell. She said, "You're not? So the tooth fairy is just really a fairy?"
"Um...yeah. I guess so."
"Darn. That would have been SO COOL if my Mama was the tooth fairy." And she walked away.
So not only do I have the assurance that I still have Lucy's youthful innocence, but it looks like it might be sticking around a little longer than I thought.
She looked at me with that knowing smile that she had "caught me" and I finally admitted, "Ok Lucy, I am the tooth fairy." She looked at me, startled, and said, "You ARE????"
"Yes," I said, and then I figured she was going to also figure out that I'm "Santa Clause" too. She persisted, "You're the tooth fairy? You really are??"
So now I was wondering why she was trying to get me to admit it what I had already admitted. It was like putting salt in a wound. So I said a little sarcastically, "Yes, Lucy. I am the tooth fairy. After I put you guys to bed, instead of putting my feet up and relaxing at night, I go to all the children's houses and steal their teeth and replace it with money."
Then Lucy jumped up and clapped her hands and said, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! My Mom is the tooth fairy! I can't believe it! Wait until I tell my friends!" I blinked and then realized that she didn't figure out that there is no tooth fairy, but had actually thought that Grace was telling her that I was THE tooth fairy!
I stopped her and said, "Wait Lucy. I was just kidding. I'm not really the tooth fairy."
Her face fell. She said, "You're not? So the tooth fairy is just really a fairy?"
"Um...yeah. I guess so."
"Darn. That would have been SO COOL if my Mama was the tooth fairy." And she walked away.
So not only do I have the assurance that I still have Lucy's youthful innocence, but it looks like it might be sticking around a little longer than I thought.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Baptism Pictures
Here are the pictures of little George's baptism. He's my new godchild, did I tell you that? I started off as "Godmother " with a bang, and forgot to get him a baptism present.
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| Aww...ain't he cute?? |
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| This kid is too pretty to be a boy. Look at those eyes! |
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| Proud Grandma! |
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| Welcome to the Church, George William! |
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Water Fight!
Luke got a water balloon kit from Grandma A. It's the coolest present ever, and we've all been playing with it.
The only person who doesn't like it is Max. He still gets very nervous around balloons and I think seeing them hurled across the yard, dousing people with water, triples his apprehension. So he always stays inside when water balloons are being thrown around, but he watches through the window.
One day, we were filling water balloons and I suggested that we throw them at each other. The kids looked at me like I was crazy. After years of preaching that we don't throw sand, balls, toys or whatever at each other, they were understandably confused. Lucy decided that she just wanted to throw the balloons at objects, "Like the car," she said. "How about a target instead," I said. "You draw a target on the garage floor and then you can throw a balloon at it." (We had just tarred the driveway and Dennis didn't want the kids putting chalk on it yet.) So while I filled water balloons, she drew a target. And this is what she showed me:
Can you see this? It's a picture of the store Target. Clearly we need to work on our athletic skills more, and shop at other places other than Target.
She was so proud of herself, I didn't have the heart to tell her that she misunderstood. Besides, she also drew a Wal-Mart for us to throw balloons at. So what could I say but, "Pelt 'em!"
We then practiced throwing water balloons at a moving target. That would be Daddy.
But Dennis kept dodging the balloons. Luke was getting really frustrated with him. I finally gave Dennis "the look" and he stayed still to let the balloons hit him. That's a good Daddy!
But those balloons kept bouncing off of him! What is made out of, rubber??? Luke began to cry and I said scolding, "Dennis!" And Dennis would say, "I'm standing still, they just keep bouncing off of me!"
So then I tried to throw water balloons at him. He didn't stay still for me like he did for Luke. Instead, he turned the hose on us.
Finally, Lucy got him in the face with a water balloon. I didn't get a picture of that though. I'm pretty sure he stood still for her. No fair.
But he's got his coming, lemme tell you. Oh yes. He better watch out. Mama's gonna get him, and Mama's gonna get him good.
The only person who doesn't like it is Max. He still gets very nervous around balloons and I think seeing them hurled across the yard, dousing people with water, triples his apprehension. So he always stays inside when water balloons are being thrown around, but he watches through the window.
One day, we were filling water balloons and I suggested that we throw them at each other. The kids looked at me like I was crazy. After years of preaching that we don't throw sand, balls, toys or whatever at each other, they were understandably confused. Lucy decided that she just wanted to throw the balloons at objects, "Like the car," she said. "How about a target instead," I said. "You draw a target on the garage floor and then you can throw a balloon at it." (We had just tarred the driveway and Dennis didn't want the kids putting chalk on it yet.) So while I filled water balloons, she drew a target. And this is what she showed me:
Can you see this? It's a picture of the store Target. Clearly we need to work on our athletic skills more, and shop at other places other than Target.
She was so proud of herself, I didn't have the heart to tell her that she misunderstood. Besides, she also drew a Wal-Mart for us to throw balloons at. So what could I say but, "Pelt 'em!"
We then practiced throwing water balloons at a moving target. That would be Daddy.
So then I tried to throw water balloons at him. He didn't stay still for me like he did for Luke. Instead, he turned the hose on us.
 |
| Heh.Heh.Heh. |
But he's got his coming, lemme tell you. Oh yes. He better watch out. Mama's gonna get him, and Mama's gonna get him good.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Post #1! In the Beginning!
Well, here we go. Blog #3. Well, technically blog #4, if you count the Roses for Mary blog. But yes, this is blog attempt #3 of family life...let's see if I can make this one right this time, shall we?
I'm glad that those of you who decided to share our journey (on both calm days and crazy days) have decided to follow along--again--for the heck of it. Here, you will hear everything that happens in our daily lives, kind of like a reality show on blog.
We have a lot to share here. Little spats, funny quotes from the kids, recipe disasters, fishing stories and Dennis falling through the upstairs window. Hey, that ones a classic. It will always be re-told.
So this is it, post #1 done and underway. Get ready for a crazy ride folks.
I'm glad that those of you who decided to share our journey (on both calm days and crazy days) have decided to follow along--again--for the heck of it. Here, you will hear everything that happens in our daily lives, kind of like a reality show on blog.
We have a lot to share here. Little spats, funny quotes from the kids, recipe disasters, fishing stories and Dennis falling through the upstairs window. Hey, that ones a classic. It will always be re-told.
So this is it, post #1 done and underway. Get ready for a crazy ride folks.
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