So What's the True Definition of a Fart?

I found out the answer to this question when Ian kindly told me, "Mom, I burped from my butt."

So, there ya have it.

To Pose or Not to Pose....

In Benjamin's class every year they dress the kids up like scarescrows and do a project with it. One of Benjamin's teachers went to take his picture and he didn't want to pose. When she saw him do this, she couldn't resist the cuteness. So, little did he know, but by not posing, he posed!

So What do Your Kids do at 10:30pm?

My Benjamin is a late-nighter type kid. When we put him to bed, at 8:30pm, he refuses to sleep. He'll sing, play blocks, talk to himself in the mirror, play in his backpack, or try to get our attention some other cute way.

The other night I peeked in on him and he had put his cowboy boots on and was doing "mr. strongman" in the mirror, standing on a tub he had turned upsidedown.

A couple nights later I peeked in. He had dumped all his big legos out of the tub and was sitting inside the tub with his backpack, talking away at whichever stuffed toy would listen.

Bedtime is alwasys my favorite time for cuteness!

Avery Saying

This one was extra too cute to not write about.

Avery: Mommy, can I get a cookie at school today for lunch?
Mommy: How much are they?
Avery: 4 quarters.
Mommy: A dollar for a cookie?!
Avery: No, mom....4 quarters.

my little baseball player

Ian joined Miracle League and had his first game this past weekend. He had so much fun, and looked so proud. Oh, he looked like such a big boy in his uniform. Since this is the first time we really even let him have a bat in his hand, he did much better using a tee. The first time he hit the ball, he stood there until his buddy led him to the base. When it was time to run to 2nd, he actually ran....and then kept running. Every seen Forest Gump? Uh-huh.

The next time he hit the ball (at least I think he hit it), he decided to run to 3rd base. Not quite sure where his buddy was, but he came back to get Ian and lead him to 1st.

In the outfield he mostly liked talking to his buddy. When a ball rolled out to him, he picked it up, looked like he was going to throw it toward the infield. But then he turned instead and threw it over the fence. He did this twice.

They don't have 'winners/losers' and basically everyone gets to score. He seemed to enjoy it and enjoyed high-fivin' the other players and buddies. I sure enjoyed watching him.

Okay, can't get pictures to open up, so those will have to come next time.

Officially Autumn! and more

In my opinion, in this part of the country, today is the beginning of the BEST season of the year! AUTUMN! I love everything about it. I know, I know...I say this every year. And I mean it every year. I love the weather, I love the colors, I love the football, I love the chili, I love the decrease in humidity, I love the running in cooler weather, and on and on. Okay, enough about fall.

Ian gets spelling words every week. I have to admit I giggled a little bit at the thought of Ian taking a spelling test. Boy, was I wrong! I started studying the words with him. First I would have him say the word..he did. Then I started saying the word and had him spell it as he was looking at it..he did. Then I would have the list in front of him and say a word, but not point to which one I was saying. I had him find the word in the list and spell it..he did. Then, I gave him the words orally and had him spell while I wrote what he said. He always got more right than wrong. At least twice he got them all right. So, I wrote a note to let his teacher know how we were studying. I didn't want them to just have him say the word. To me, that's not a spelling test if the student has the ability to do more than that. So, he brings home is spelling test yesterday. They gave it to him orally and the T.A. wrote what he spelled. He only got 3 wrong!!! I was soooooo proud of him!

Still pooping on the toilet. Not me...well, I am...but I'm talking about Ian. He'll disappear for a while then holler at us from the bathroom to let us know what he's done. We're on like 10 times now. Yes, he's getting a bit tired of pizza. Yesterday he requested McDonalds. To avoid a huge weight gain while potty training & avoid going broke, we bought the burger and made the fries at home. He was satisfied. Again, I am so stinkin proud of him! (pun intended) I am also so grateful that I have a group of bloggers who can totally understand the 'yippies' of this. And aren't you glad I don't post pics anymore!

Had another issue with school (well actually something T.A. did). I won't go into it because I don't want to sound like a negative Nelly. I emailed the teacher about the incident. I got a nice email back (although I don't think it was completely truthful, in order to save a butt). But it wasn't severe enough to pursue. I'm not out to get anyone in trouble, but I am out to be sure they learn about my son so they know best how to handle situations in a fair and appropriate manner. And, of course, I documented to be sure I have all the "data" to support anything that might come up. "Data" is the school system's 4-letter buzz word for the year. I got a bad taste of the word this summer while trying to work out a summer school issue. Anyway, I just want us all to be on the same side...not sure that's realistic based on the system, but, hey, it's always worth a try.

Temple Grandin - In My Opinion

Thank you Karen at Red Letter Living for recommending the movie, Temple Grandin! I have to tell ya that I had never heard her name before. Then in a matter of 2 days I read her name on the blog, read it on an attachment to an email I received, and then heard it on the radio (she's coming to our city for a speaking engagement). Hmmm, definitely knew I wanted to see the movie. So, we watched it last night. Great movie! I laughed, cried, and felt proud. I especially cried (clear to bedtime) during 2 particular parts in the movie...first, was at the funeral when she attempted to hug her mom. Second was the sweetness on her mom's face at the end when Temple was speaking at the Autism Fair. It's like she knew without a doubt that all her hard work and sacrifices were worth it. All the times she left her when she didn't want to, all the times she pushed her (as she 'kicked and screamed' and said, "NO") to do something, all the times she worked with her....it all came together in one proud moment. It really brings a lot of hope.

There are so many times that I've pushed Ian and felt so badly through his anger and tears. But at that given moment, I knew it was what he needed. But as a mom, with a mom's heart, it hurts. I've decided, for me, sometimes the momentary hurt has to be put aside because you know it's for the best. Results may be seen quickly or not for a long time.

I also love the way both her and her mom were able to push (and I mean push) through the nay-sayers and just plain mean people. I for one think the dude Temple punched TOTALLY deserved it! And the men at the cow feed place....I won't even tell you what I woulda planned for them for what they did!

Okay, okay, I need to be done. Great movie. If you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing. That's my opinion!

Dare I Say It?

Okay, I'm not the superstitious type, but I'm almost afraid to brag on this. I'm so darn excited, though, I'm going to! Ian has pooped ON THE TOILET for the last 4 (that's 1, 2, 3, 4 people!) days!!! He's gone in on his own and come out telling us he pooped. He's even held off flushing so we can see the proof....we told him we needed to see it to know he really did it. Well, our deal was he gets pizza no matter when or where if he does it on the toilet. So, instead of going broke ordering pizzas, Jim ordered a large and he gets a slice each time he does it. Works good so far. Oh, I wish you could see the proud look on his face! So stinkin' adorable!

I am praying (literally) that he keeps it up. He's been coming home dry and in the same underwear from school as well.

Oh, speaking of school. I talked to his Spec. Ed. teacher (who seems very caring)about several notes that have come home in his binder or on his school work. After deduction, I figured out that it was not her or his classroom teacher, but the T.A. who had been writing them. I've not met her, so I know nothing about her. But I do know they don't pay or train the T.A.'s near as much as they should. Basically, after about 3-4 notes, they became real downers. Things like "Ian had a hard day today", "Ian refused to do his work", "Ian was disruptive". Yeah, so tell me something I don't know. Now, I'm not asking for rainbows everyday. I'm not even asking for these things not to be written. I need to know it all (yeah, I'm a control freak). However, I am asking for positive things as well. Tell me what he did that was a "yea!" His teacher last year ALWAYS sent home notes telling me even the smallest achievement. Not only would it encourage me a bit, but I was also able to encourage Ian with it as well. So give me the bad, I can take it....but not without some good mixed in. That being said, here's the note that was in his binder the day after I talked to the Spec. Ed. teacher...."Ian had the best day he's had all year. He was even quiet in the cafeteria." Hmmmm, do ya think she talked to the T.A.????

From Typical to Depressing

So, a few days ago, as I was listening to my 3 FX children beautifully playing and singing nicely together, I told God how wonderful they were and how much I love them, and just what a 'typical', 'ordinary', 'everyday' life that day seemed to be. And I meant it. And of course, I still think my kids are wonderful and love them more than anything.

BUT...today doesn't seem so wonderfully 'typical'. Well, typical in the way I meant a few days ago. It's the 5th day of school. I've talked to his classroom teacher 3 times on the phone, and his Special Ed teacher 3 times on the phone and held email conversations 3 times. As a whole, this is not a bad thing. I like knowing they are keeping me in touch. However, today was a phone call I would rather not have gotten. It was his classroom teacher, and she told me that Ian has pooped three times today. Long story short, the reason she was calling about it was because neither her, nor his Spec. Ed. teacher, nor his aid knew about this 'issue'. She was very kind about it. But I told her that it was talked about in the ARD because it was an issue Jim and I were very concerned about regarding him being in a regular ed. classroom. So, WHY IN THE WORLD DID HIS TEACHER AND SPECIAL ED TEACHER NOT KNOW ABOUT IT! This is the part I HATE about everything being so new for my poor boy. Nobody knows anything now.

Find the positive...you say? Okay, here it is. At least none of the times he pooped was in the general ed classroom, so no one was there to make fun of him!

Blanket Mahem

So, there's this blanket that Avery is EXTREMELY attached to, and has been since, oh about...BIRTH! We're rushing about this morning, trying not to be late for her second day of school. She goes into her room, comes out crying and mumbling something I can't understand because she's crying so much. Ian was in her room too, so of course I thought he hit or something. Uh-uh....way worse.

Once I could finally understand her, these were her words, "Ian barfed on my blanket! Now it's ruined!" (more crying continues) Sure enough, poor Ian had vomited in her room, on her blanket and elsewhere.

After all humans and belongings got cleaned up, we managed to convince Avery that I would get her blanket washed and dried and good as new before she even got home from school. And so it is.

Oh, the pains of life. And yes, I got her to school on time...thanks to Jim helping to clean up, getting the boys dressed, and taking them to his school with him until I dropped her off. Love you honey!

To the Point

Well, I was waiting until I had time to post pictures before I updated, but that could be forever. So, I'm just gonna update and will do pictures later...hopefully.

*The family went to Morgan's Wonderland. It was a great trip. The kids did great. This trip gave my hubby the confidence to do other 'shorter destination' trips with hotel rooms with the kids. On the way there, we met up with a mom and her adorable little boy with FX. I first 'met' her from someone's blog entry I commented on, so it was really cool to meet them in person!

*We've managed to stay cool without spending gobs of money this summer. The main way has been swimming at Gramma's or going into the pool in the backyard that is pictured in previous entry. That's been THE best summer purchase this year!

*Avery turned 6. She had a fun luau party at Gramma's with her friends. We had a hard time thinking of something to get her. One day we saw her riding on Ben's tractor and decided to get her a princess jeep. It's a 2-seater. So now Ben goes to his tractor and Ian hops in the jeep with Avery and they all take rides around the backyard. It's amazing how long they've been able to stand the heat when doing something they enjoy.

That's it for now. I hope to post pictures soon.

not another kitchen untensil!

Yes, it happened again. Only this time, he asked. This utensil is normally called a collander, used for draining.


However, add this piece of equipment, and the collander becomes a skimmer.

IEPs, ESY, DVDs, and PICs

Okay, so Ian is now in summer school!! Long story short (for real this time), after a couple phone calls, the summer diagnostician called us Monday morning to let us know she was completing the amendment paperwork (PAPERWORK only, people) for Ian to begin ESY (Extended School Year - summer school). She said the bus paperwork would take an extra day, but if we could transport him, he could start the following day (Tuesday). So, Tuesday morning we took Ian and Benjamin together. Wednesday he was walking out to the bus with Benjamin...soooo cute. Benjamin actually went without hesitation when he saw his brother going. So, all worked out. Now was there some huge ARD committee meeting needed? NO! Know what they did? One piece of paper changing his start date to ESY. ARG!!! Lesson???? Well lots. However, the most important one for me...is to stop being so anxious about things. Although things will not always work out the way I want in life, I still know Who is in control and should leave that up to Him. I may not always like it, but I can always trust it's the best. So I've got to learn to give up my anxiety....can that really happen with our special kiddos???? Hmmmmm. I'll at least keep trying.

Other news: I don't have a picture of this, but hopefully will at some point. I actually watched Ian one day open the DVD changer, take out the DVD, put in a new DVD, start it, and hit play to start the actual video. I couldn't believe it! Downfall is he hasn't quite gotten to where he puts the DVD's back where they belong, so we could easily be swimming in a pool of DVD's by the end of the day if mom didn't come to the rescue.

And lastly, here are a few pics:

Daddy walking Benjamin to his very first bus ride. Benjamin was not amused or excited by it.Daddy carrying Benjamin onto the bus. The noise from the bus was too much for him. Daddy ended up taking him to school that first day.

This may look like a kid on a microphone. I suppose in a sense, it is. The 'microphone' is actually the handle of a Barbie vacuum cleaner. Yes, cute. Very cute. Benjamin will not be out-done!

Oh, let's not forget the drums...the very, very, very, LOUD drums! And we're going to get him a drum set for his birthday?????? What are we thinking!

Ian continuing on the 'microphone', praising God along with the Mercy Me DVD in the background.

Summer fun in the backyard with a friend.

Umm, a good friend of mine, who would KILL me if she knew I posted this pic. Kristie and Tammy....don't say a word!

LONG and ANGRY

Okay, I know I've always bragged that we've been so incredibly blessed to not have to have gone through what many of you have with school districts with my children because they go to the school where my husband teaches...until now. It's not a HUGE thing, but I'm just afraid it'll be the first of many.

As most of you know, it's hard to just boil it all down into a nutshell, but I'm gonna try. I'm just so frustrated. This is where I don't like having my husband work for the district. At the same time, I am glad, because it helps me to see both sides. But when smoke is undoubtedly being blown....look out! This mama bear gets MAD!

So, let's start with the ARD, which went relatively well (obviously until I signed off on it, which I will NEVER do again without my 5 days to dispute). But from what we were told (incorrectly), we were under the impression that Ian could only do one session of summer school (probably our stupid mistake since he went both sessions last year). But with all the budget cuts, my husband didn't seem too surprised. So, it was decided best for him to go the second session (dates listed as 6/27 - 8/4).

Then, after school was out we received paperwork from the district's Special Ed department listing both boys' summer school dates as 6/13 - 8/4, which is both sessions. Well, we were happy. The bus people came around to introduce themselves and let us know what time they would arrive, blah, blah, blah. They had listed that Ian would start the bus second session (date listed as 7/11 - 8/4). Jim just showed them the paperwork we got from the district and they changed the dates to list that Ian could get on the bus 6/13 with Ben...per the district paperwork.

Then at the end of Ben's first week of summer school, we get a phone call from one of the teachers at summer school because some there were under the impression Ian would be starting first session, some that he would start second session. That started the whole stinkin ball rolling. So, I keep up on calling to check the status of things. I was told by the teacher that they had begun the process and that Ian should be able to start by Wednesday of the following week.

Following week starts, haven't heard anything. So, we call one of the 'higher ups' for the program. She sounded clueless in him starting and told me that based on the ARD, the "data" only supports him going second session. My husband then told me that the word "data" is the buzz word and I'd probably hear it a lot. I did. She must have said that 4-letter word at least 5 times in our conversation. By the way, this woman wasn't even in our ARD meeting. I continue to tell her that the dates on the ARD paperwork are wrong for the start of the second session. She blurbed something and basically made it sound like that was the start of the second session. Yep, I'm supposed to believe her. After a few more minutes, she finally said she would research the "data" more and get back with me. Oh, and let's not forget she mentioned she'd have to contact the ARD committee to do this....Ummmm has she forgotten that I, as parent, am part of the ARD committee????? Now, I want to be sure to add in, that this woman is very nice and I (at this point) do have respect for her, and it's a very amicable conversation.

In the meantime, my sweet husband, having to deal with both ends of it, doesn't want to make too many waves. I can totally understand that. BUT man do I feel totally alone in this. I don't even want him working on it cause I'm afraid he'll be too soft and Ian won't get what he is due to get...especially because it was the district who screwed up. Now, there are some areas I am being careful on because one of the teachers in particular should not catch the fall for this and I want to be sure she doesn't. But I don't feel like he is pushing enough. It's not like we're asking for something the district didn't already say he should be getting!

Okay, on we go. I pull out our ARD paperwork. Long story short, the "data" DOES support he would benefit from summer school. The only thing it DOESN'T support is why he should only get second session.....which has the wrong dates anyway. So, per my request, my husband emails this administrator I had been talking to and informs her of our information and requests an admendment to the ARD be started. I think the only reason he did this was because he gets angry that the district just isn't honest because basically it's all about money, not the best interest of the child, but they throw around words that they hope we have no idea what they're talking about...which is true in most of the cases for me!

I get a message from the administrator telling me after further research, the "data" supports that both sessions would benefit Ian. DUH! She would begin the process for an amendment ARD...which by the way, I do understand might be a pain for those they have to dig up to attend. But seriously, just fill out some paperwork and have us sign it! Curse those parents who have made it soooo difficult for things to be done without the districts all being so afraid of being sued! That's the reason you can't drop a pen without an amendment ARD. Uh-hem. Back to the facts. Administrator says she'll work on getting it done in a timely matter so that Ian would hopefully be able to start Monday. Ok, mama bear happy.

Okay, so another 2 days go by. The summer school teacher calls to let me know that she'll be gone next week, but she has already updated the sub for when Ian starts. Have I heard anything from the admistrator yet? NOPE. So, Jim emails her. Ready for this???????? He gets an automated response back saying she will be out of the office until the 27th!!!! That's the straw that did it for me! Mama bear REALLY angry now. Repect is diminishing. But what this woman doesn't know is that I inadvertantly got information that she WAS wrong on the start date of the second session. And I believe she knows it's wrong. That's the last week of the first session, not the first week of the last session. So anyway they want to slice it, the ARD paperwork IS wrong. And the district DID goof.

I told my husband when all this started, that I would bet him that they planned to sit on their "you know whats" and try to appease long enough until the next thing ya know it's the start of the second session. And then Ian would have missed the entire first session. He was going to agree to that bet....until he got the automated response email.

I could go on and on. But I'm really angry right now and probably shouldn't. So I'll end instead. I'll let ya know what comes next....

Vacation Agenda

We were going to go to New Mexico this summer and rent a cabin, but ya know what? Sounds too exhausting for me this year....the drive in particular. We did a longer drive last summer to Colorado. It was okay, but exhausting and long. So, we decided to go to San Antonio (only 4 hours) and go to Morgan's Wonderland. Heard of it? If not, go to www.morganswonderland.com and check it out. (Sorry, couldn't get the link to come up.) If anyone has been there and would like to give us your opinion, please do. If you're like us, we just can't do the 'normal' parks and vacation spots...at least not at this stage in kids' lives. So, we've got our hotel booked and 2 days booked at Morgan's Wonderland.

The other great thing about not going so far away is not having to worry about what we're gonna do with Ellie (the dog) for so many days. This way, only being gone 4 days, we have our wonderful college babysitter (turned dog sitter this time) coming to stay at the house. Now we have no worries. House and dog will be well taken care of.

Vacation, here we come!

Graduates

I have 2 kindergarten graduates this year. I never really understood, or got into, the whole kindergarten graduation thing. I think it's a bit silly, but that's just my opinion. I go along with it. And yes, they do look really cute in the cap.

This was Ian's second (and last) year of kindergarten. Next year is going to be a whole new ballgame for him, including a new school (where he will no longer be with Daddy.....Mommy's not a happy camper). Ian did such a great job during his 'ceremony'. They sang two songs first. Ian sang the words (I watched his lips) and did the right hand movements. He never touched or annoyed anyone around him. Then he sat right down with the rest of the group. He walked back up to stage to get his 'diploma' and back down to his seat again. It was great.

Avery will also be doing something new next year. Still pondering our final decision. She has done fabulous at her school over the last 4 years.

Okay, Avery's graduation experience was not quite as easy as Ian's. When both classes got on stage to sing their songs, I noticed Avery was not there. When I saw her teacher, she had a horrified look on her face and was asking me if I'd seen Avery. Uh-oh. Well, we found her in the hallway. She refused to go in. Another teacher finally coaxed her in, but she was NOT about to get on stage. When it was time for her to get her 'diploma', the music teacher had to coax and lead her up. Ugh. She walked ever so slowly to her teacher, then walked ever so slowly down to the "X" for her picture. When it was time to walk off, my wonderful mommy friends all clapped for her.

Benjamin obviously did not have a kindergarten graduation or kindergarten anything since he's still in pre-K. He had a beach day. Lucky for me, Daddy took the pictures and I did not have to endure the heat. Benjamin, who typically LOVES water, was way more interested in the trikes. Oh well, he had fun.


This picture has absolutely nothing to do with school, I know. I included her because she's so darn cute. This is my great-niece. Adorable, huh!!!

Five Words for Ya!

BENJAMIN POOPED IN THE TOILET!

Extra words: No pic, sorry.
Extra, extra words: He even told me ahead of time he was going to go poop (I've heard that before, so I didn't believe him....showed me). Thanks for sharing the moment with me!

i got something to grow!

Okay, just wanted to show everyone that I CAN get something to live for more than a week and even get it to grow. This doesn't happen often. This Hollyhock is something I bought when my MIL and I went to the gardens on Mother's Day. Every year we go, and every year I hesitate whether or not to buy anything to plant. I always vote on not buying because I know one of two things will happen. One, it won't ever get planted. Two, it'll die within a month. This year was different. I decided to buy this and a couple other things. I planted it within about 2 weeks of getting it. So far, it's bloomed great and looks beautiful.

There's hope for me yet!

6 Years

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, May 12, but when I finally got to sit down at the computer, Blogger was down. So, here it is now.

Yesterday was May 12, which means yesterday was 6 years since our first diagnosis. I was trying to figure out how I felt all day, but I think my emotions escaped me. Overall, I did well. Time does do a certain amount of healing. One thing that tipped me over the edge was a potty incident that happened to Ian at school. The mere fact that Ian won't be at the same school, with Daddy to be there to help out, just drives me insane. I hate all the thoughts I let roll around in my mind. Maybe for once, I should think about all the good "what-ifs". Like, what if he does really well at the new school. What a concept.

Okay, so back to emotions. As I was jogging last night I pondered it all in my head. I began to think about Christ, because I KNOW without a doubt, He has a plan (unbeknownst to me of course) for all that happens, including rotten Fragile X. My kids may have Fragile X, but they're still my kids...wonderful, happy, adorable children. Then I began to think about the Bible verses tell us that we have not suffered anything that Jesus himself did not (He actually endured worse, in my opinion. I wanted to apply that to our situation. Jesus may not have suffered with Fragile X itself, but He did suffer loss. There's a huge sense of loss with the news of a diagnosis...whether it's Fragile X, Downs Syndrome, Autism, Emotional Disorder...whatever. Jesus DID suffer loss. He suffered loss through the death of His friends while on earth. He suffered loss through betrayal. Most of all He suffered loss by time separated from His Father while on the cross. This biggest loss He endured to the end, as is evidenced by His words, "...into Your hands I commit my spirit." He knew that ultimately His spirit belonged to His Father, and He knew the joy coming. And I know that ultimately, my kids belong to Him as well. He has most graciously 'loaned' them to Jim and me. He trusted us to take care of them and to 'train them in the way they should go'.

I cannot answer those who ask the why's of God. I've asked my own. I do believe I will have them answered in heaven...and am thankful that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, found me, loved me, and calls me His own. I could not make it through Fragile X without Him. For those who know Him as your Lord and your Savior and your Friend, don't ever let Him go! For those who say that He is responsible for all your woes in life, I am truly sad you feel that way and hope that your eyes too will one day be open to what it REALLY means to have Him as your Savior. It's a lot to take in, but well worth it. It's the only thing that makes this journey bearable for me.

So, my final thoughts....does any of this make it easier to live life? Does it make having Fragile X (or anything else) great? Absolutely not. But it does lead me through each day. And it reminds me to find the joy in all things....the kids' smiles, the "I love you's", each accomplishment, etc. Because Christ was willing and able to endure all He did, it makes me want to do my best to 'endure' to honor all He did for me.

Okay, thanks for sharing this day (a day late) with me. I still remember it like it was yesterday, and I will remember the other 2 as they come along too. It's good to have friends and bloggers to share it with!

McDonalds Here We Come!

It's a wonderful day here in our household. First, Ian has been really good, behavior-wise. He's been enjoyable for the other kids to play with, and receptive to discipline when needed. But that's not the best of it....

I put underwear on both the boys today (knowing full well it's a risk with Benjamin in particular). Ian was playing with the other kids. All of a sudden I saw him dart across the house to the bathroom and shut the door. So I sneaked over to listen. Sure enough....pee! ALL BY HIMSELF! I am so stinkin' proud of him! And I let him know it! Wish you could have seen his proud face!

When the timer went off, I took Benjamin...totally against his will. Sat him down, and man...he pee'd a large river! But his underwear was dry. So, he got the accolades as well. (Especially at the thought of what it would have been like had he pee'd all that in his underwear!)

What would have made these proud moments better? Well, obviously if it would have been poop that Ian did in the toilet. And if Benjamin would have run to the bathroom himself to relieve all that liquid. BUT HEY! Ya take what ya get, and ya don't throw a fit, right? RIGHT! I'm lovin' it.

Oh, I forget to mention, that all this equals McDonalds time. Ian thinks we're going because he went potty by himself, Benjamin thinks we're going because he stayed dry and pee'd alot in the toilet, and Avery thinks we're going just because she's a little princess. Truth is....they're all correct!

Avery Saying Worth a Whole Entry

I emailed this to my friends/family and then decided it was worth sharing with all who would read.

Just wanted to share the latest "Avery saying". Warning: Not for the faint of heart. :)

Background...She's been having some bowel movement issues. We'll leave it at that. We had to tell her that if she didn't go, we were going to have to use a sapository. See if you can guess how Jim explained one to her....(the shape)

Today....she went into the bathroom to go. Of course she wanted me in there. (Nothing I would rather do.) She gets that look of fear on her face that it's going to hurt. So, me, being the cheerleader I am, start chanting a little cheer to encourage her. Pretty soon (longer than I would have liked), I hear several big droppings go into the toilet. She gets this big grin on her face and we high five and hug.

After she gets off, she says, "Mommy, I guess this means I don't have to have a bullet now."

Yep, for real.

My Baby is 4! Can't Be!

For some reason, for me, saying that my child is 3 sounds young. But saying that he's turning 4 changes everything. Maybe cuz it's closer to being 5. Who knows. It all still happens regardless. And Benjamin turns 4 today. We had his party weekend before Easter weekend. He had a lot of fun with his friends in the sandbox, on the trampoline, on the swingset, in the playroom, on the computer, etc., etc.

I ended up being pretty proud of the cakes I made. Since Benjamin LOVES the Veggie Tales song, I decided to go with a Bob and a Larry Cake. This being against my husband's opinion that I should just go buy a cake and not stress out. Hmmmph. No can do. Party started at 2pm and I started the cakes at 11am. Just finished them up as the first few guests arrived.

Ben really enjoyed opening the presents and occasionally tried to eat a piece of wrapping. The toy of all toys came the next day. Grandma and Papa got him a riding, battery operated John Deer Tractor with wagon. Fun, fun, fun. So, here are a few pics to share.

Survived the Scrapbook Retreat

We had our annual April scrapbook retreat this past weekend. Loads of fun! Practical jokes was the theme of the weekend. When introduced to 16 year Jessica, her first remark was, "Oh,you're one of the big pranksters!" So, Here are the highlights.


This was a prank gone bad. It was meant for me. Unfortunately for the ladies, I caught on a little too early and no scream was heard from me! (It's stuffed! They got the owner, Larry, involved in this prank. It's one of his.)

This is the infamous 'bird'. I found out this weekend that is a roadrunner. Anyway, Jill pulled a good one and it was hiding for me under the lamp when I went to bed.

This is a pic of the group of ladies who went. Great group of women!

One of my layouts...to show we actually did work!

The bird again. This was actually the first joke pulled. After being asked to remind Jill to call someone the next morning, I decided to let the bird remind her when she got up to go to the restroom the next morning. It worked.

I'm sure the picture says enough.

Sharing in the joy!

We had a great time of prayer Saturday afternoon.
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Sneak peak at the some of the wildlife.

Havin a good time.

My sweet great friend and coordinator of the retreats.

Hmm, the mango is a long story. Your secret is safe with me, Sue!

Time Flies

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I've made an entry. It's late right now and gotta get to bed. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm still here. Hoping to get spring break pics posted soon. Leaving town tomorrow afternoon for a ladies' scrapbooking retreat. First of 2 for the year. It's great fun. More posting after I return.

Spring Break Comin' Up

So excited. Today is Friday, and next week is spring break. We are once again blessed to be going to what we have affectionally called the "cabin in the woods". Only this time we're doubly blessed because our friends are going with us!

We were first blessed by the cabin in the woods after we received our first two diagnoses (did I spell that right?), within 6 months of each other. Our good friends (and pastors at the time) knew the family that owned this cabin. This family uses their cabin not only for themselves, but also as a ministry to others. So, our friends told this family about our stressful situation and they invited us to spend some time out at their cabin. So, we went when Ian was 2 and Avery was about 6 months or so. We have kept in touch with this family ever since and have been fortunate enough to be able to go at least once a year since then. The kids love going. And I've no doubt our friends are going to love it as well. Total relaxation (well, except for keeping up with kiddos, of course).

Hoping everyone has a blessed, relaxing, and fun spring break...whenever yours is. Here's a few pics from last year's cabin in the woods.

Major Leap of Faith

No more hee-hawing around. The decision is made. I will be home-schooling Avery next year for 1st grade. Most of you don't know that this is something I've been struggling with as her school career at her current school draws to and end (it's only PK through Kinder...boohoo). Although I am a certified teacher, schooling my own children scares me to death. Two events have lead to this decision. Both involving the Lord...what a shock.

The first is a book study I'm doing with a dear friend of mine. It's "Beautiful Things Happen when a Woman Trusts God" by Sheila Walsh. The second is a Jonah bible study I'm doing with a group of ladies. Through the Jonah study, I've learned something about myself and this homeschooling thing....like Jonah running away from what God called him to do, I've been running away from this homeschooling thing; trying to come up with every reason why I shouldn't do it, and never feeling at peace with any of those reasons. Through the Sheila Walsh book, I've learned that I don't have to be afraid that I don't have what it takes. If this is what the Lord is calling me to do (which I truly believe it is), then He has already (ALREADY) equipped me with what I need and He has already told me that I have what it takes (I just haven't been listening).

This is not really a subject I like to talk about in front of parents who choose not to homeschool, or have only seen the 'failed' homeschool attempts (there's plenty out there). But oh, I feel badly if they've never seen it work. I have plenty of friends who have beautifully homeschooled their kiddos. All have different personalities and thus homeschool differently.

I really don't have opinions for what other parents choose to do. It doesn't bother me if they homeschool; it doesn't bother me if they put them in a private school; it doesn't bother me if they put them in public school. They know what's best for their children and family. So why is it that I get so much slack for my choice? Of course the biggest reason I hear as to why I shouldn't homeschool is "what about their socialization?" Let's NOT even go there. If you're familiar with homeschooling at all, you know that there are plenty of opportunities for socializing. That's all I'll say about that so that I don't accidently offend anyone. :)

As for the boys? Well, Benjamin we know will stay at his public school in the PPCD program. We're very glad about that. Ian? Not quite sure what our options are for him yet. I panic everytime I think about that one. I'm hoping to one day be able to homeschool him, but this upcoming year will not be the year.

So, I am still nervous about what this will look like, but very peaceful that God has truly shown me the best direction for Avery's schooling. I always love it when I know that He has put His hand in my life to guide me! I hate feeling lost! Anyone have any encouraging words for me......I'm all ears.

Avery saying:
Me: "Avery, what did you learn at school today?"
Avery: "I learned that the moon is 150 million gallons away!"
(I forget the number she used. It's the 'gallons' that cracked me up.)

From Swordsman to Caregiver

I think the pics say it all! My Benjamin is ALL boy....with a sensitive side. He will pick up anything and turn it into a sword (and make sure you have one as well). But when duty calls, he's right there to take care of the babydoll too!

No More Kitchen Utensils!

Background Info: During our first year of marriage, we lived in a duplex with not a big yard. Luckily, it didn't have any grass either because we didn't own a lawnmower. Correction: We owned a push mower....literally....push. No motor. We didn't own one single lawn tool other than that. Well eventually dirt and what little grass there was began to become unsightly in the sidewalk edges. I went out front one day to see what Jim could possibly be doing with the lawn he said he was going to go work on. To my horror, he was edging the lawn with my pizza cutter! Yes, you read that correctly...pizza cutter. Genius? Men would say 'yes'. I would probably even say 'yes', but would never admit it to Jim after the way I went off on him for using a kitchen utensil on the lawn.

Back to the present: It's now been 11 1/2 years of marriage. Various kitchen utensils still get used for non-kitchen jobs (meat scissors for cutting non-food items, forks used as a screwdriver, rolling pin used as a hammer, etc). Keep in mind, most of it is used because he can't find where he last put the proper tool for the job. He has been working hard re-doing our master bathroom. I went in there the other day, and what did I find? Yep, a kitchen untensil (albeit only a spoon) being used for... I'm not sure what.

End result: I told him I was getting him a Lowe's gift card for Father's Day. And if I saw him mis-using one more kitchen untensil after that, I was going to go make a VERY LARGE purchase of some sort. VERY LARGE. Hmmmm, we'll see what happens.

Side note: I did get a new pizza cutter after the edging incident.

The Sweetest Moments

For Jim and I, one of our biggest desires as parents is to know that our children are growing up seeing Jesus in us. We often wonder if that is the case...you know, at those moments where you just 'lose it'. Well, God has shown me otherwise in my children. Just today, I can list the sweetest moments.....watching Ian singing during worship time at church, hands raised, eyes closed, voice loud....Avery in her room singing "Jesus Loves Me" and "This Little Light of Mine"....Avery telling me her version of Noah and the Ark and Jonah and the Big Fish.

If it's such complete joy to my heart, I can only imagine what joy it must bring to their Father in heaven!!!!

Avery saying: Playing hide and seek, Avery's turn to count. Avery: "Okay, it's my turn to count. Hide someplace I can find you."

it's a new day

happier entry today. sorry but my shift key has a mind of its own today, so all lower-caps and no great punctuation marks. if you happen to see one, it's because the shift key decided to work at that moment in time.

First, Avery...


This is baby addison. She is Avery's reward for her not sucking her finger anymore. it's been over 2 months now and we don't use the 'anti-finger-sucking' polish anymore. i recommend it to anyone working on the task of removing a finger or thumb. it's called Mavala Stop. heard about it from a friend and ordered it from Amazon.

Avery is extremely proud of her infant baby alive. she takes very good care of her and loves being a 'mom'. When her teacher asks her what she wants to be when she grows up, she always says 'a mom'. hmmm, does she like me that much? yep. This picture is of Addison ...which is what she named her .... buckled in the carseat while Avery is away at school. She told me to take care of her and feed her. i said i would. Don't tell her i accidently left her in the car all day.

Now ian....


yes, we actually have a tooth now. i was helping ian brush his teeth, when all of a sudden i see this white thing on his tongue and blood in his mouth. i freaked with excitement at the thought of actually having one of his teeth. So, of course, this made him freak..luckily with laughter. i pushed his head forward and the tooth came close enough to his lip for me to grab it....no, i was not about to risk losing a finger by putting it inside his mouth. Then i had him try to spit as much blood as he could into the sink. i don't know about your child's spitting techniques, but mine have a lot to be desired. but overall he did pretty good. he was laughing so much that i can't believe he never vomited. bleeding finally stopped, and i'm a proud mom of a tooth that didn't go m.i.a.

Finally, benjamin...


And here is benjamin displaying his pride in his new boots from Christmas. After seeing how much he loved putting on ian's boots...and anybody else's he could find...we finally decided he needed a pair of his own. he wants to wear nothing else. Literally, he would be fine butt naked with the boots. he is sooooooo stinkin' adorable..exclamation point.