Living & Learning On The Spectrum

Just a few updates...

2012-02-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

... for those who care...

Animal update

Updating after my last rant on the vet... they talked to the head vet & she insisted on seeing Thea so all of a sudden time opened up at our conveniece... go figure. Anyway, they retested her & the bloodwork & all came back normal. They would like to see her again in 4-5 months for a re-check. For those who don't know Thea is a 16 yrs old kitty diagnosed with renal failure about 1.5 yrs ago. She's hanging in there, although looking a bit more bony these days.

Family stuff update

A.K.A.... me. Health issues lately; pain, pain, ouchers... woman stuff; we've got a ton of it don't we? Well of course drs have no solutions, only long term "solutions" with possible forever negative consequences... um, no thanks. Going the natural route, although will take time. In the meantime, well, ouch... not feelin' so great.

Although I've been informed from my blood work I "look great on paper" ! Ha! Love. it. Funny considering but was a relief in some ways none the less.

Kiddo update

They've "struggled" through an unscheduled break so I can, well, be miserable & in pain (& make it to a couple of appointments too). Somehow they're making it through. (note: I tend to be a tad sarcastic at times).

Anyway, slowly getting back on track with the auties this week, while trying to get some pre-schooler stuff organized... will get the others back on track as well, although it may happen slowly. I'm also trying to get a few things ready for Butterfly, who will be turning 10 this month... yikes. We'll see how much I can do; it may take a few painkillers (over the counter), something I don't normally succumb to, but if I need to I will here & there until things get better.

Organizing

Took a dive. A while ago I had prepared a bunch of clothes ready to go in two huge boxes, then they sat for a while. Finally MIC got them out for me this past weekend, so if you're reading & expecting them, they are on the way - finally!

Otherwise nothing new really got done. I'm trying to keep on, but mostly with just what I need to keep us functioning right now, rather than all the stuff needing new homes. There's tons needing to get done so I need to stop & breathe, rest because of the pain, & know it will get done - eventually. Of course by then more will be built up... argh.

Breathing...

Okay.

R.I.P.... to anyone

2012-02-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

Reblogged from rickrosswifey

Some Recent Projects

2012-02-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

Clay centipedes & millipedes

Underwater sea creature scenes

Homemade sea creature shapes out of sponges for painting... there's a sea anemone, coral, sand dollar, sea horse, star fish, etc. (The little yellow ones on the bottom were store bought shapes I gave the twins).

The sponge painting experiment

Of course the twins got in on it with the little yellow shapes, as they do with many things. I gave them sponge shapes & the pictures started out as shapes, but quickly turned into, well, almost one color! I can now call them the "blobs of paint all mixed together" pictures.

I actually don't have any "pictures" of those right now, but here was a colorful Ladybug activity. I tore up pieces of colorful construction paper for them to glue on an upper & lower case "b"... this kept them busy for quite a while!

They did some pasting of beans on "A"'s, but it's been tough to get them to stay stuck so not sure how I'll be putting them in their books... maybe tape LOL.

The next two were edible. The first, for history/geography, was an "Egypt cake"... the southern end, "Upper Egypt" was supposed to have more icing on it to show a higher elevation. There is more but we probably could have added even more to it.

The orangey color is for land, the blue for bodies of water; the line running down is the Nile.

Storyman made the markers for various locations.

I made it GFCF, so all could enjoy afterward. :)

I know someone who, when studying worms, got real ones to study up close, even handling them in bunches.

I decided to go with a perhaps less educational, but much less disgusting "activity"... involving chocolate.

It was our science "wormy" snack, & it wierded them out a bit. They had them for dessert after lunch. On the bottom & top is crushed up cookie crumbs to look like dirt, & in the middle is chocolate pudding. Then, of course, the gummy worm.

Again, for those I had GFCF cookies & the pudding was almond milk, so again "safe" for us. (The candy gummy worms were bought at the health food store as well... still very sweet but a much less toxic version).

Storyman doesn't like chocolate, so rather than him be left out I made a vanilla wormy snack just for him. The cookies could have been crushed more on that one; it looks like rocks instead of yellow dirt!

Everyone thought they were yummy. It made a great "sensory" snack for Ladybug I, who found the textures fascinating. She was the only one who didn't like the gummy worm, except to play with a bit.

Of course there's always cleanup involved, but it's been worth it.

Vet Issues

2012-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

I'm having "issues" with our vet.

Last fall we had Daisy spayed. We brought her in absolutely flea free. The office calls that day telling us she's "infested". Huh???? I would think if that were the case we would've noticed, especially since fleas prefer me even over the animals most times.

We were told I must bring the other cats in for treatment... $$ ... hmmm...

Our other cats were just fine. The groomer came that very day; groomed one & checked both thoroughly.

No. fleas. None. Not even any evidence of such.

When I picked up Daisy & paid via cc, they put a sticker on the back of the receipt that I had to sign saying I was satisfied with the product.

I joked with them at the time but knew I had never had to sign something like that before & I never did again.

Odd, huh? Maybe they didn't want any complaints if my home became infested because they gave my cat fleas??

Possibly... maybe I'm just cynical. I do get that way, for some reason.

They've been treating my 16 year old cat for various things. I buy her a special med & special food from the vet regularly. At the last request for these items they told me they wanted her to have a check up.

I brought her in a few weeks after. They found "bacteria" in her urine. I never saw any test results but that is what I was told over the phone.

I picked up the required medicine & she was up to the last day of administration when I received a call from them telling me that another test came back saying she was resistent to that particular medicine (that most cats use just fine, I was told).

So I had to buy yet another medicine to give her for another 2 weeks. I was supposed to bring her back for re-testing afterward. Well, I didn't quite get there. She finished the medicine maybe two weeks ago.

They are difficult to get appointments with, even though there are 3 vets there. I need evening or Sat. AM appointments because I am home with special needs kids & my husband works long hours. I cannot just haul my kitty in whenever, & if they are not available, well, that makes it that much more difficult.

I called today. My dh is working from home tomorrow so he said I could take her.

No available appointments.

I got a "tone" - "You were supposed to bring her in weeks ago."

EXCUSE ME????

I know I'm a Christian. I should've been better, but I was annoyed & my own tone showed it...

"Well, I'm calling now but it's tough to get in with you all. My children have special needs & my husband works & I cannot just come in whenever."

Answer: "Un huuuuh."

I asked for Sat (blood boiling about now); nothing. I asked about all next week; nothing available.

Gee, thanks for helping us out ya know?

I told her to just see what the vet wants us to do at this point.

I'm sick of these folks, frankly.

There's another vet in town that our groomer (an awesome Christian lady) has heard good things about. It's tough to start over with Thea, given her issues, but I am seriously considering it.

Friday Funny: You Can Do Anything

2012-01-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

For this Friday Funny I chose this video I found on Karla's blog. She aptly stated:

Yup. This pretty much sums up society raising and educating kids in the last couple of decades.

And even though we're poking fun here, it really is pathetic.

Feeling Incomplete

2012-01-17T17:07:00.000-08:00

I unleased the Ladybugs into another room where there are tons of little toys to choose from... big mistake.

They weren't coming back.

Finally I retrieved Ladybug I with the toy of her choosing. Ladybug II was still MIA.

We waited.

And waited.

I called... we waited some more.

Ladybug I was getting very impatient for her sister. Finally she said:

"I'm only one in here; I want to be two!"

Autism Book List

2012-01-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

My friend Karla posted these on her blog; great list.

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism

Cuddly Soft

2012-01-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

Another one of Christina at Bundled in Prayer’s beautiful creations! I love purple, & indulged in one for myself.

Can’t wait to get a snuggle time on the couch with that one!

The Ladybugs each have one in pinks & purples; they are awesome. My new little cousin has a couple of hats. They are so sweet & soft. So I ordered a baby blanket for him as well; that should be here in a few days so pics to follow.

Now Butterfly wants one for herself, which is perfect timing as I can order it for her b-day next month.

I’m hooked on cuddly soft apparently. :)

Friday Funny: Brian Regan-Refrigerator Shopping

2012-01-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

Our dishwasher has been broken for quite a while... we're finally thinking about a replacement. That being mentioned this morning I immediately thought of this for today's "Friday Funny". :)

Color Me Middle

2012-01-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

Can’t believe I took the special6 out to the store with me this week. (I haven't done that for a while).

One of our laptop charger packs kicked it about a week ago & Storyman was driving me nuts moping from internet withdrawal.

Can’t blame him… if it had been me I probably would’ve had the shakes.

MIC had promised to get one, but, I was concerned that would go by way of his promise to get me an iPhone … I think that was first mentioned last Spring…

…still… no iPhone for me.

Yet, I live. Amazing.

So anyway we went. They were all good. Whew… but I move quick. And the guy at the (thankfully near empty) store directed us perfectly, making it even quicker.

So we’re back in business. Storyman wasted no time getting back to obsessing about getting information on old TV shows (aspie kiddo).

And me? No, no iPhone. He’s payin’ the bills so he picks it, & the plan etc. etc… maybe someday it’ll happen.

But, I did get myself a nice new wireless mouse. The other one had been dropped a number of times & was down to minimal functioning. I love having a new one; it’s amazing how well things can work when they haven’t been dropped on the hard floor a few dozen times.

Now, if MIC had gone he would’ve gotten me a plain ol’ black one like I had. I saw an awesome looking purple one; purple is my favorite color. But Storyman reminded me it wouldn’t match at all (this from the "color challenged" kiddo; hmmmm). He wanted me to get a pink one to match my laptop.

But I chose this one…

I think I’m getting freakier as I get older. Midlife is doing wierd things to me… but I won’t go there.

Thea's New Meds

2012-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

Bubble gum flavored, because, as we all know, cats love bubble gum… yep.

She was dealing with the pills but clearly this is too much.

Run, Thea, run.

Reality Doesn't Taste Good

2012-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

I visited a new mom last week... & held a baby... a really wee baby. He's a teeny one.

I love babies. Might be why I had 6 of them (giggle). Thing is, I can enjoy holding someone else's & savor it more... not quite as glassy eyed tired? Well...

... with this autism thing... {sigh}... Little Bear had kept me up the night before. It's like having a newborn/toddler - with no end in sight to that stage.

Guess he wanted me to be well acquainted with her plight at the moment. And yes I am... very well acquainted.

Hopefully hers will actually grow out of it.

Anyway, got my "baby fix", then it was back to my reality... hehe... {sigh}.

Also brought some food. I wasn't sure how it'd go over. The husband eats anything so the sloppy joe stuff was good. But the mom is on a (self imposed) very restrictive diet.

I did find two recipes that might work so tried it .... & it went over as well. Whew.

They looked good so I may have to make them for us sometime too. Here was one of them:

Chickpea Broccoli Scramble

That site has many interesting looking vegan recipes.

She almost teared up she looked so grateful for the food. I remember that too; not being able to properly take care of oneself.

Remember? Oh yeah... I'm still living that as well.

Anyway, yes, back to burgers for us today... reality, yes... {eeek}.

Kitten Lessons

2012-01-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

One of the first lessons our kitten, Daisy, learned as a small youngster, was to plant herself under the table, right near the children, at mealtime.

She’s had some nice little meals courtesy of my Little Bear dropping his food.

Tantrum over? No.

2012-01-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when a kiddo is throwing a tantrum there is a lull where you think that maybe it’s over…

… when really s/he is just re-loading… ugh.

"King Tut"

2012-01-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

This video was required viewing for today's lesson. (It just never gets old).

So far this year...

2012-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

... this will be a catch-all type post; a little of this, a little of that.

On the kiddo-school etc. front: They had some down time over the holidays even though we didn't really need it for anything. But their daddy was home a lot so we "relaxed" a bit (schedule/routine/school-wise anyway). It was nice but now we're trying to ease back into a routine. I need to do some evaluating of their subjects & add things to their days. With both working more in the early mornings they should be able to fit more into the afternoon. I'm also re-evaluating the twins pre-school program. It seems good for Little Bear due to his short attention span, but they want more. I have another one here I'll take a look at again.

Health wise all their various appointments are up to date except the dentist. Oh, how I hate the dentist trip. We're going to have to bring one or two at a time, depending. The autie kiddos need assistance of course. Little Bear hasn't been, & he's going to be just awful there. He would never open his mouth; we get to brush & floss him but he's used to us & that's it. He will clamp his mouth shut for them; should be "fun". The twins too, are an issue. They still won't cooperate well with their doctor. He's great with them; so mellow. We can barely get the checkups done though; they would never cooperate for a dentist. Thankfully it doesn't look like any of the littles have any dental issues at this time. We will at least have to bring them to start getting them used to the process-somehow. Storyman & Butterfly are looking at orthodontia; another thing I've put off. I never had braces & have crooked teeth but somehow survived. They do have some other issues though so we'll be bringing them, but I'm sooooo dreading it.

On the autism front: There haven't been changes in a long while, to anything. I am considering what to tweak or do new for them biomedically. Their HANDLE program is actively getting updated at this time. She viewed our videos & offered some tweaks & changes I can implement immediately. So far the boys are good with it; they are typically very cooperative with this program. We'll be scheduling a phone consult so I can speak to her about specific issues; maybe she'll add to the program for us too. I still think a next route would be to add in RDI. It had the most benefit & "sticking power" for Big Guy. It is a huge commitment financially & time-wise & we're not even sure who to work with. We've been in discussion mode over it.

On the animal front: All the animals are doing well, but Thea, however, is our little old lady, & becoming higher maintainance everyday. She gets her regular pills 2x/day, & her special food. I took her in for a checkup recently & they took blood & urine & found bacteria, so they put her on another short term antibiotic pill for 2x/day. However, I got a call the other day that another test came back saying she's resistent to that one, so we took her off it ($108 later), & now must pick up a specially mixed liquid antibiotic that she will get 1x/day for about 2 weeks I believe... then every other day for another week... something like that. We'll get the instructions when we pick it up. She went down a few ounces in weight so they also wanted me to experiment with B12 shots for her once/week for a while. So that's Thea's plight these days.

The home front: What a mess... I had started purging & reorg-ing, which typically makes things worse instead of better, at least to start. Well, that's where it all stopped. I try to keep up with the day to day paperwork, kids' schoolwork etc, & that is about enough most of the time. If it were only easier to get rid of things. I can place them somewhere but if they don't have an immediate new home they sit, & wait... & wait... so there are many things still needing to go, somewhere. I'm not looking for decorating or pretty here; just less clutter. Still, a lofty goal.

One the "me" front: Right... all the updates on diet & exercise... hmmmm... (insert cricket sound here).... someone fell off the wagon, hard. I'm presently trying to climb back on. I wasn't off too long on the exercise at least. It's tough because I do feel stronger, but still very achey & tired. I never get past that point... but I'll keep going. It is worth it, generally. The diet went aside; stress is a killer & it affects everything. It is also hard because there is little time for me to special make things just for me, & I rarely feel like doing so after taking care of everyone else. The plight of a special needs mom trying to get herself to feeling better... {sigh}. The other major thing that needs to happen is Bible reading & prayer time, for me alone & with the kiddos. It's bad enough I don't get fellowship but I need time with Him & I need to get stronger. That's not going to happen on my own; I need Him. Someone wrote to start something new with just 2 minutes/day, because one can do anything for that long.

I suppose, but when it comes to me & my own short attention span & the constant interruptions, we'll see.

Stay tuned, because, the excitement continues, living here on the spectrum...

Wondering What Happened

2012-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Got my shopping errands done today. One store is about 30 miles south of us. On my way home I go over a highway & passed what was obviously a horrific accident. Several police cars were out & about, including unmarked ones, the highway was at a standstill, backed up for miles, completely blocked off by about 4-5 fire trucks & rescue squads.

Apparently there were helicopters too but I was not passing at that time. I checked online & there was at least 1 fatality, one presently in serious condition, & the others stable; all from one car.

I hope it wasn’t texting, but it’s odd how the driver completely lost control seemingly out of nowhere. I’m trying to get the jist of what happened but of course without details… but the car ended up facing oncoming traffic & somehow skidded into a fence on the side of the highway.

Thankfully it was a slow traffic day or this could have been even worse… so sad; what a waste of life.

Drive safely all.

Bacteria & a Pill- For the Cat

2011-12-30T14:22:00.001-08:00

Well, Thea's (my 16yo cat) tests came back & apparently she has some sort of bacteria. So now she has an antibiotic to add to her protocol, daily, for a week.

She's thrilled, I'm sure, because she just "loves" getting pilled twice a day already... ugh.

Well, I cater a bit to make her senior life easier. I even have her eat on the big chair next to me in the kitchen so I know for sure Daisy (the kitten) isn't stalking her food.

She's well worth it. :)

Twin Sillies

2011-12-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

The girls were throwing their stuffed animals in the air (making them jump), & one landed somewhere not so great, so I instructed them to be more careful…

…then one of the twins said, “Yeah, I have to be much carefully.”

Yes, perfect. :)

_________________________________________________________________________

The twins were playing “I Spy”, which just means one of them kept saying what she was “spying”.

She said, “I spy someone with bazel eyes.”

Then, “I spy someone with bazel hair.”

Me & 9yo: “There is no such thing as hazel hair.”

So then she said, “I spy someone with browned hair.”

Misunderstandings

2011-12-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

Me & a fellow Twitterer were lamenting our “gift” of being consistently misunderstood. If that’s my gift, I’d like to give it back…

… because I don’t know… maybe it’s my exemplary way of what I say or simply just being me, but I am, consistently, misunderstood… & typically for the worse.

It’s not a good feeling.

It makes me want to crawl into a corner & never deal with anyone or speak again…

… but that would probably end up offending someone, somewhere, somehow.

Can’t .. win.

Be Informed... & Be Real

2011-12-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

Went to get my hair cut & colored today… amazing … the habits I’m getting into these days.

The owner had 2 teenage girls come in for appointments wanting wierd things done to their hair. She was getting frustrated wondering why she was getting all these strange requests today.

Apparently an 80s punk trend is back… one that probably shouldn’t be. The first teenage girl wanted something with her hair all spikey short on top with longer layers on the bottom. Her mother was with her & apparently approved for some reason.

The owner/stylist said she basically wanted a mullet. She told her it would look awful & if she really must have it done she shouldn’t tell anyone who did it LOL.

The girl had lovely long, thick black hair. I was relieved she talked her out of the new “look” she wanted.

Both her stylist & mine looked at the picture the girl brought in & concurred that the woman in the picture had extensions, so the “look” was not achieved naturally anyway.

It’s amazing how much they do to photographs, then we believe that’s what these people actually look like… between extensions, other fake hair, makeup, airbrushing, photoshop, & spray tans, people in magazines are definitely not what they seem.

That is a really good lesson for young girls, so they don’t go around feeling badly about themselves. The people in magazines are fake; better to aspire to be real.

Anyway, the second girl wanted her hair bleached. She already had blonde highlights & the stylist said no way, unless she wanted to come in every 2 weeks to touch up the nasty looking roots that would appear quickly.

The girl actually thought getting bleached would look more natural. The stylist was like how is bleaching your hair practically white going to look natural??

I think she talked her into reviving her nice blonde highlights instead… at least I hope so.

I really like these stylists; mine too. They don’t do something to someone (even adults) that would be ridiculous just because it’s what they want. They will talk to you & tell you the absolute truth!

Always good to make informed decisions, even about hair. :-)

The Little Geriatric Patient

2011-12-28T15:19:00.000-08:00

Took my 16yo kitty, Thea, to the vet today for her checkup. She has renal disease so they took blood to check all her levels. We should find out tomorrow how she’s doing there.

She did lose a few ounces, which is not uncommon for a senior kitty. She’s eating her special food just fine. But the vet suggested trying out B12 shots to see if they perk her up a bit… so that will be added to her protocol for a while… first weekly, then monthly, IF it helps.

So now she has her pills twice a day, her special food, & her shots…

… as my friend Karla says, “Getting old isn’t for sissies.”

Depending on how her blood work comes back she’s having us consider dental work. I can’t believe I’d even consider this because she’s older & I’d rather let her be, & even the vet said it’s really up to us considering her situation.

She does have some bad teeth… but to put her through general now, at 16? I’m just not sure. They say as long as her blood work says she’s well there is no more risk for her then there would be for a young kitty.

Still… I just don’t know.

Thea’s annoyed right now; obviously wasn’t really impressed with me dragging her out of her soft warm bed into the cold to be poked & prodded by strange human hands.

I tried to make it the best I could… even put a couple of towels in the dryer so she’d have a nice warm one to lie down on in her crate, & one to cover a good part of her crate to keep her warm from the cold.

She obviously doesn’t care…

I reached to pet her & she ran away. I could almost hear the “Get away from me.” muttered under her very bad breath.

Right now she’s out of sorts, kind of wandering around us, not wanting to be touched… but definitely wanting us to know she’s miffed.

It’s rough being a senior kitty.

She probably wants to be left alone in her old age. Can’t blame her; I guess that’s what we all would like.

Boxing Day...?

2011-12-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know what Boxing Day is about but I'm pretty sure this isn't it... at least I hope not LOL.

Getting Things Done

2011-12-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

I organized a few weeks worth of paperwork for the kids, made binders for the littles pre-school work, did two huge loads of laundry (still in progress), watched a short movie with the kids, & made “meatlove” for dinner…

… amazing what can get done when the rest of the world shuts down.

Presently listening to this… for much needed laughs.

Autism Awareness Holiday Card Accuracy

2011-12-23T01:21:00.000-08:00

Let's see if our card measures up...

1. The card has an autism ribbon & awareness message.

2. It was taken at home, where we are most of the time (forget about studio sessions).

3. Little Bear is strapped into his booster seat because he won't sit still any other way.

4. Big Guy is in the chair he typically sits in to eat, which helped him to stay put better.

5. Storyman wore his fedora. He embraces his uniqueness, as everyone should.

6. Big Guy is not looking at the camera (at least he's not looking annoyed like he often does during the picture taking process).

7. Little Bear was squirming so much I had to be fast. I finally got a picture with him sitting somewhat still (we're talking about a split second).

8. Little Bear is not smiling in the picture, or looking directly at the camera.

9. Butterfly kept running out from her spot in the back to see the picture as it came up on the camera. When she got back to her spot she was leaning over a bit too much.

10. The twins were distracted by all the craziness. I finally snapped when they were looking up but neither of them were smiling.

Is it a perfect depiction of an autism family? No; it didn't quite make it.

The pictures I got before the final would be more accurate...

-Little Bear squirming, turning around, putting his feet on the table...

-Butterfly not in place because she's worried about what everyone else is doing & when to run out to see the picture.

-Storyman distracted by trying to get Little Bear to turn around & get his feet off the table.

-Big Guy looking all over, doing his facial stims, & getting agitated by all the commotion & being scrunched in with his siblings for any length of time.

-The twins looking behind them to see what everyone else was doing.

Now THAT would've been a more accurate autism awareness holiday card!!

Maybe next year... hehe.

Animal "Money"

2011-12-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

We received a holiday card from our vet the other day, & inside they put this:

Ha! “Money” to apply toward our next visit. That’s actually quite timely considering my 16yo cat, Thea, has her checkup next week!

Very cool. :)

Latest Projects

2011-12-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

Clay Model Crustaceans-

On the left is Butterfly's woodlouse, on the right is Storyman's crayfish.

And marshmallow spiders!

RIP Baxter

2011-12-18T08:47:00.001-08:00

Our bunny, Baxter, died sometime yesterday. It wasn't totally unexpected as he had started to weaken significantly earlier last week.

We adopted him from another family when he was 5. He was going to be 13 years old in February. That's very old for a bunny, so we know he had a nice long life with us.

I'm so glad he died peacefully & quietly, here at home, in a relaxed state.

We should all go so well...

RIP Baxter... he was such a soft, sweet little fluff.

Picture Clients for Me

2011-12-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

I took a group pic of the kids today, which was an interesting undertaking. I wrote about it here.

I had them all set up behind the kitchen table. It’s easier that way because I can put Little Bear in his booster seat & Big Guy sits better that way. I bunched the others around them.

Later on that day, the Ladybugs had a bunch of their dolls & doll stuff in a corner of the kitchen. I was wondering what they were doing & one of them told me it was for “a picture”.

So, I took a picture for them. :)

Too cute…

Their prints will be ready early next week. They stiffed me on the session fee, but at least the group was very easy to work with. ;-)

Autism Holiday Cards

2011-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

I wasn't gonna do cards this year but then MIC seemed upset about it.

The past few years I've put individual photos of the kids on a photo card. It's easier than trying to get a group shot, which is nearly impossible mostly due to my two autie boys.

This year I realized I didn't have good face shots of my two autie boys for that. I probably could've used something, but I didn't even like any of the card designs or formats.

Same old stuff.

So today I found autism awareness photo cards on Zazzle. There was a spot that would only fit one picture, so I'd need a group photo. I don't know why but I decided to try it. I had Big Guy & Little Bear in their seats at the table, but next to each other, with the twins in front & Butterfly & Storyman in back.

Well, Big Guy wasn't looking at the camera, but that's typical. At least he didn't look annoyed as so often happens. Little Bear wasn't looking either, but he was facing forward at least... & he had a kind of cute look on his face.

Butterfly & Storyman both smiled. Storyman was wearing his fedora that he loves... so funny. The Ladybugs didn't smile, but they looked okay. They loved wearing headbands & bows (we never do that anymore).

I can't push it trying for the perfection that will never happen. Little Bear was moving all around in his seat, putting his feet on the table; Big Guy was getting agitated; the Ladybugs were distracted & kept looking at their siblings behind them; Butterfly kept running out from her spot to see the picture as it came up on the camera; then Storyman did the same thing... ugh!

I've learned to be quick & take what I can get.

And it's just a holiday card that will probably end up in someone's garbage eventually anyway.

It's not the most festive looking card, but I don't care about that. It's colorful with the autism ribbon & has an awareness message, rather than a holiday message. It's simple & I like it just fine. We don't decorate or do anything anymore. I gave them presents for Thanksgiving this year instead. We're done.

And at least it reminds others autism is out there... in ever increasing numbers & growing up fast.

Living on the Edge

2011-12-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

Have had enough this week… like this week has been any different? Not really. Hmmm.

Well, Little Bear has had a more difficult than usual sleep week... so I am tired. Ironically he's fine, as usual.

And now I find out dh has a get together for himself & previous work buds. So that means more work for me this evening. Great timing. As usual.

As previously stated I passed on a social thing this month for me, to the point of annoying the person it was for (I can feel the chilly silence). There are past posts on that & how I feel about it. It’s just too bad I’m not up to such things & no one could possibly understand why.

But anyway, I’m taking the kiddos to the mall today. We all need a break. Not that it’ll be a break for me, though, with the two auties along. It’s hit or miss with them, so we’ll see how it goes.

I live for adventure… yes. {sigh}

If You Don't Care, At Least Don't Assume

2011-12-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

I get very tired of the ignorant among us who make insensitive comments about how they can "understand" that we cannot attend their gatherings because of our large family...

... when that was never stated by us, ever.

They always assume it's the number of children we have.

And I do mean, they, as this has happened before.

The fact that there is a huge issue with autism, including two children who are severe, seems to escape them.

To me that is indicative of two things...

... one is these people have an unwarranted negative view of larger families.

... two is these people are completely insensitive & self-involved.

Many times they even hold it against us... they actually get annoyed with us, for not being able to show up.

Well... I guess now we need to apologize to others for having a life that prevents us from partying with you... so sorry.

People are inherently selfish. They don't concern themselves with things they don't understand, no matter who they know it's affecting.

They'll just have their parties & gatherings & decide for themselves, based on their misconstrued ideas, what it might be holding us back.

And, that is also, in large part, what keeps us away.

Lizard Projects

2011-12-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

The kiddos drew lizards for a recent project as well. I didn’t have sequins for scales at the time, so they used some sparkly & metallic paints.

Butterfly's lizard

Storyman's lizard

So cute how my Ladybugs wanted to get in on it too, so they drew their lizards & were so excited to use paint LOL.

Bug Projects

2011-12-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

The kiddos recent bug projects.

Storyman's ant & Butterfly's, well... butterfly!

A Simple Message

2011-12-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

From Pastor Dean's blog...

The devil does NOT want you to get this message….

The human mind has a hard time grasping the love of God, and when it comes to the forgiveness of God, it sometimes just does not register. The finite brain cannot completely understand spiritual teachings.

We have a horrible time processing “eternity.” We don’t realize the importance of making a decision for or against God before we die. Humans have been stubborn in attempting to understand the message of salvation.

Consider this:

The Bible has been verified through prophecy, archaeology and the test of time. Ancient writings that were written and preserved, have been examined and re-examined by the world’s best scholars. The overall opinion of believers and non-believers highlight its amazing accuracy.
According to the Bible and the teachings of Christ, our spirits are going to be judged. In order to get into a perfect Heaven, we must declare perfection. The environment in Heaven is without sin, and anyone who has not been perfect in this life has only one recourse: To use the perfection and payment of one Jesus Christ who was used as a sacrifice for man’s imperfection or sin.
In this life we must repent for our sins, decide that we want to live the best we can and claim Jesus as Lord. If we do, all sins—past, present and future are absolved.

What is so difficult about that? God has given us the Bible to help us stay on the right track and to live the days we spend on this earth happily, successfully, and powerfully.

I have witnessed the changes in lives because of this teaching. Other than going to Heaven myself, I have seen the promises of the Scripture come alive when believed.

Blessings,
Pastor Dean

Pearl Harbor

2011-12-07T01:31:00.000-08:00

nationalpost:

Archival photos reveal horror of the Pearl Harbor on 70th anniversary of the attack
Seventy years ago this week, Navy veteran Lou Gore was startled by the muffled thuds of explosions and a burst of commotion while cleaning up from breakfast below deck on the USS Phoenix, a cruiser docked at Pearl Harbor.

Hurrying topside, the 18-year-old seaman first-class was confronted by pandemonium he was unable to immediately comprehend — flames shooting skyward, roiling clouds of dark, acrid smoke, swarms of fighter-bombers buzzing low overhead.

“We didn’t know (at first) those were Japanese planes,” Gore, now 88 and visiting the islands with nine members of his family, recalled in a recent interview. “We didn’t know what was happening. I just did my job.”

Photo: The USS Shaw explodes during the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii December 7, 1941. December 7, 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in which over 2,400 members of the United States military were killed. Picture taken December 7, 1941. (Department of the Navy/Naval Photographic Center/Reuters)

Spotted Twin

2011-12-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

One of the twins has so many dots on today, she looks like she has a colorful disease LOL.

Protect the Children

2011-12-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

Sex-ed classes and assault on our children's innocence (Part 2)

This is a purposeful degradation of children & society.

Quotes on Bible & Country

2011-12-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

"Why is it non Christians can’t understand the Bible? Because it is spiritually written and those without the Holy Spirit can’t comprehend it."

"Because the Christian minority refuse to stand for righteousness and be heard, America is continuing on a path that will totally destroy her."

Both quotes by Terry Chapman- blog here.

Places Cats Sleep

2011-12-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

... after a few experiences usually no where the kiddos are so the nap can actually be accomplished.

Ask, Instead of "Look"

2011-12-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

So I go to the health food store, & besides everyone knowing me by name (or at least by face), I always have a very full basket.

That’s one thing, but then the looks from others sometimes… why?

I’m quite friendly & easy to talk to, so if you say something I am more than happy to say…

“Yes, I have a large family.”
“Several kids on special diets.”

… etc, etc.

I’ve had occasion to elaborate, because folks can be curious. It’s okay to be curious; I don’t mind explaining…

…even though I don’t have to.

I realize most people go into a health food store for this or that, or to pick up a vitamin or two…

…although the workers there tell me I’m not the only one who can fill up a basket.

In part because I’m not the only one with special needs kids, or, is just health conscious for their families, etc.

So feeling curious is natural; I get that.

However, don’t just stand there & give me & my basket “looks”.

“Looks” that are judgemental… making a picture in your mind of whatever I may seem to you.

I always let others with smaller loads go first (I don’t mind waiting & understand that many others do mind getting caught behind me), & the store is excellent about accomodating with other lines, so no one should have a complaint there.
But if you’re so curious, just ask, nicely, okay? I’m willing to talk, just as I’m willing to talk about my kids’ autism, my faith, etc. Friendly curiosity is not a problem.

Oh, & if I’m already unloading, & you get caught behind me, save your “looks” then, too, because, it’s my turn right now. We keep it moving. I have a right to shop & pay with minimal stress, often while having a friendly chat with the cashier who keeps working the whole time.

And waiting is not the worst thing to happen to you…

… believe me.

You could have a bunch of special needs kiddos to buy all that stuff for.

But then, that wouldn’t be the worst thing either… they have a tendency to teach us things, things we wouldn’t learn otherwise…

… like patience. ;-)

And G-d provides for us… I’m so thankful. :)

Andrea Bocelli for the Holidays

2011-12-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

I found this on my friend, Karla's, blog, & thoroughly enjoyed it. :)

Presents & Being "Wrap Challenged"

2011-12-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

I know from having 6 of my own kiddos the mom-to-be will probably be up to her elbows in onesies & various yellow & green items (since they chose not to know the gender ahead). She has a lot on her registry (I never registered for anything, ever), & many who will oblige.

Therefore, I felt it would be nice to get something different, so in keeping with her Winnie the Pooh theme, I decided to start their little one’s library. (The larger box is a "Keepsake Box" for pics, firsts, etc).

I did get one thing off the registry; I really loved ours & still occasionally get to use it. Shopping carts are so germy… blech.

I also asked a lovely & talented friend of mine to make her these adorable little newborn caps; they are incredibly soft & sweet!

The little flower is a clippy that can be attached to the cream/blue cap in case it is a girl. She can also put a cute pink bow on the brown one if that is the case.

I decided not to send them though; I will do that after the birth, so I know whether or not to send the flower clippy ;-).

If you’re interested in cute little caps like these, or incredibly beautiful handmade afghans, her website is Bundled in Prayer & her button is on my sidebar. She made me two crib afghans for the twins when they were born & they are soooo comfy & beautiful. :)

I got them wrapped (something I'm not very good at), & did a not so bad job, for me anyway. I was disappointed I couldn't find Winnie the Pooh wrapping paper, but what I used was cute, anyway, for "gender-neutral" green.

And I managed to fit everything in a cute matching gift bag. I realized I'm not just wrapping paper challenged, but also tissue paper challenged. (Notice how I hid the top from you lest you judge; tissue paper fail).

And thankfully I had ordered some snow boots for the kids recently so I had a box exactly the right size for mailing the gift bag… whew!

I always write that on there, just in case...

A No Go; Where'd It Go?

2011-12-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

This evening I'll be wrapping presents for a baby shower I won’t be attending this weekend. I had nothing to wear that looked decent (I never go anywhere anymore), not even nice shoes because my feet always hurt. My social abilities are not their best at the moment.

Since I won’t be there I’d like to get the presents out in the mail tomorrow so they arrive right afterward.

I’ve really got to get back on the bandwagon for my diet & exercise. I have no energy & have gained back some of what I originally lost.

But where did my motivation go? I seem to have lost it somewhere…

…feeling rather down.

Invertebrate Collages

2011-12-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Storyman's...

Butterfly's...

The twins colored pics of butterflies :).

Skipper Bug Experiment +

2011-12-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Studying insects in our AiG program right now. There was an experiment to show how a skipper bug floats on the water.

So we made them out of paper, as instructed...

And put them on water...

They did float, for a few moments, but since they are made of paper they eventually sank.

Good added lesson on absorption. :)

Just Sick of It

2011-12-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Butterfly: "I want to watch this video"

Storyman: "We're all sick of that video."

Butterfly: "We all get sick of your favorites too."

Me: "We all get sick of what we're all watching at some point or another. So let's all just agree on that & keep getting sick."

Parenting method - confuse them by talking like an idiot & they stop arguing to figure out what you just said (or at the very least, laugh at you).

Hey, judge if you must, but if it creates peace, it's worth it.

Pro "Choice"... Not

2011-12-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

I am proLIFE- ALL life. But these folks, who claim to be pro-“choice”, are not. They are pro-death. If they were pro- “choice”, they would’ve listened to this woman & left her alone, accepting her decision for life. But they pushed. They pushed for death. That is not being pro”choice”.

So what is pro”choice” really all about? Seems obvious.

Article here.

The Suffering Church

2011-11-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

Powerful video.

Christians in many countries around the world are persecuted for their faith; many are children.

Thea Today

2011-11-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

16 year old kitty, Thea, cuddling with a Ladybug girl...

She’s acting wierd today. She won’t go into her favorite little bed. She was sitting on my chair almost all day. Then she went to hide under the twins’ doll cradle. Now she’s sleeping on the little one’s lap.

She’s cuddled on laps before, just not much recently.

At 16, I tend to worry about her easily.

School Changes

2011-11-29T12:03:00.000-08:00

I started the twins on preschool... so much fun. I'm savoring this because as difficult as the rest of life is, doing preschool with them is such a wonderful "break"; it's really delightful (but unfortunately so short lived!).

Particularly delightful are the cries of, "I'm not done yet! I want to do more!"

Wow... I don't hear that from the biggers, that's for sure.

Storyman stated, quite accurately,

"For us the finishing school is a time of rejoicing. For the little kids it's a time of sorrow. Boy, does school change as you get older."

Very true... LOL. :-)

Now, just for the record, there are elements of school that Storyman & Butterfly enjoy, like history & science. Those programs are more interesting for them, not "workbooky" & have fun projects. (I guess parts of speech & math facts just don't rank in the "fun" category; go figure).

There's a lot I'd lot to blog about our activities... the days get busy & I forget!

Purses on Etsy

2011-11-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

The girls are enjoying their new purses, especially Butterfly. She really wanted something more grown up, but still pretty & sweet. To make sure she would be happy I consulted her before ordering.

Etsy turned out to be a wonderful resource.

This is her new purse.

(I couldn’t find the orignal seller).

She hasn’t had a chance to take it for a spin out yet, but she loves it so much she carries it all around the house. She still hasn’t figured out what she’d like to carry in it, though. :)

Little Bear has taken an interest in it because of the strap. He likes anything stick-like or strappy, to hold in his hand, along with something else more round-like. It’s a stim for him, but he has many alternatives.

I also consulted the Ladybugs before ordering… not sure if that was a great idea or not, as they changed their minds several times. But they are happy with their final selections…

I ordered them from Heart to Heart Handbags; she was excellent & so accomodating with quick shipping & lovely packaging.

A Tweep friend of mine has been posting to consider handmade for the holidays. I can say my experience has been excellent (wish I could make them myself; maybe someday!).

Friends?

2011-11-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

I could hardly believe it when I saw this today...

Thea & Daisy sharing sun together... wow.

Beauty

2011-11-26T10:43:00.000-08:00

Image from ButtonsandMore

The Educational System in One Image

2011-11-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

On this installment of yet another reason why we homeschool...

Image from Vitundarvakning

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

2011-11-24T17:33:00.000-08:00

Our dinner was a bit too late (we underestimated on cooking times), but it went well for us. Not everyone can like everything, but I think it was more of a preference thing, as opposed to a 'it didn't come out well' type thing.

I kind of miss the setting the pretty table thing. When I see pics of them from others' blogs etc it gets me thinking... wish we could do that. But tablecloths will be pulled by our autie kiddos, & they would grab foods, candles, decorations, etc, if placed on the table. So we make plates for everyone & leave it at that.

What with our dishwasher still broken, our dinnerware of late has been paper. I did get festive for today with our special turkey/pumpkin/fall motif paper plates, though. The kiddos loved them.

And they loved all their presents. The twins in particular were busy all afternoon playing, & my aspie kiddos are just loving their new two way radios. Oddly enough they're on the same floor using them LOL.

Another note of thankfulness for today goes to the blog Elana's Pantry. If you need recipes for a gluten/dairy free diet, or even SCD (Specific Carbohydrate), it's a great place to check out.

I'm tired now though. I'm used to plain, easy cooking. Although the recipes were not complicated, I offered the family quite a bit in the way of variety. It was fun, in a way... & in a way, too much. It did convince me, however, that I'd like to add a new dish in every now & then for everyone, as special dietary needs & sensory issues allow.

Blessed Thanksgiving to all...

Thanksgiving, Thus Far

2011-11-24T12:11:00.000-08:00

Little Bear couldn't get to sleep last night. I think sometime around midnight he finally settled.

Haven't taken my supps etc. in a few days now... starting to really feel it.

Woke up this morning to not 1, but 2 soiled beds to wash (presently in machine)... ahhhhhh, yes, autism... you do not take a day off ever.

Big Guy tantrum today; room time; calm now.

Butterfly big behavior issues & tantrumS... room time once; calm now.

(And why do we spend the day alone? Uh, yeah; it's a must).

Turkey in oven; stuffing done; other stuff done; other stuff waiting to be done. ALL gluten-dairy free (except for one store bought pie). ALL made from scratch, except for the mashed potatoes.

Mashed potato snobs, please do not judge. Enough was enough... maybe next year.

Kiddos enjoyed parade; we watched the dog show as always. This year was not too happy with results (although all are lovely).

Books about Thanksgiving yet to be read... tough to be heard over football & commercials (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr).

Presents for kiddos (this is our "Christmas")... soon to be given.

They await patiently.

Thankful for everything as per usual. Thankfulness is daily, not yearly.

And thankful for the peacefulness at the moment.

Ok, Little Bear just broke a gate down... moment by moment LOL.

** My autism disclaimer (since I encountered some judgement on another blog) - I know the difference between a tantrum & a meltdown & did a post on it here. In short, meltdowns are uncontrollable outbursts due to sensory overload, nonverbal frustrations etc. Tantrums are fits for not getting what one wants. My aspie AND autie children are quite capable of both. When it's unclear the benefit of the doubt can be given. But often, it's quite obvious what's happening & can be handled accordingly. The above situations, although not explained entirely here, were appropriately called "tantrums".

Carrot Kugel, Explained

2011-11-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

I steamed 2lbs of carrots for a GFCF carrot kugel & set them on the counter to cool a bit. Everyone knew they were there. Everyone loves carrots.

Then, I put them in the food processor to puree them with the other ingredients for the kugel.

One of the Ladybug's saw what I was doing & promptly cried out:

"Hey!! You ruined my carrots!"

After I explained what it was going to become she was happy again. Hopefully she'll enjoy the kugel tomorrow.

Recipe for the GFCF kugel can be found here.

Energy-got some?

2011-11-22T07:57:00.000-08:00

Finally… I did a workout this morning. I’ve missed several days in a row which isn’t good, but I didn’t give up, which is good. Now, hopefully, I can keep it up (& get back on my diet).

So, workouts are energizing, right? So, after my workout do I feel energized & ready to go go GO today????

No.

I feel like going back to bed & sleeping for a week.

But alas, the day awaits me. So here I go… yep… here I go…

Friday Funny: Confusing

2011-11-18T16:16:00.001-08:00

All parents of multiple children confuse their names when calling them once in a while… but when you start confusing their names with the pets’ names, you know you’ve really lost your mind.

Took me three tries to get one right this time… & I was asking about the cat.

Oh yeah.

Jewelry for a Good Cause

2011-11-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

I ordered autism awareness bracelets for Butterfly & myself. They came in yesterday & are really lovely. The picture really doesn't do them justice; they are quite sparkly in person.

They are made by a Christian homeschooling mom who lost one of her children in a tragic accident last year. She donates the proceeds to "Tiggy's House", in an effort to help fight child poverty, child slavery and s*x-trafficking in Nepal.

You can read more about it on their website: Tiggy's House.

You can find the autism awareness bracelets at this link, here. Her store on Etsy with other handmade jewelry, is here.

Not Forgotten

2011-11-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

It's shoebox time again... drop off/collection is this week, so you still have a very short window of opportunity.

I hadn't thought much of this tradition of ours until I almost didn't bother with it a couple of years ago. Then I read about how some of the kiddos who receive these boxes cling to them or some little toy they received in it until its falling apart, because it's all they have.

Made me think.

We have so much... what if that was my kid? Could be... I don't take what we have for granted. I'm thankful... very thankful.

I can imagine how the parents must feel (if they have parents). It's tough enough for them to feed their kiddos even one meal sometimes, never mind light their world up with some little toys.

If I can light up a world or two, even for just a moment, they will feel cared about.

It's not for me or about me.

I also read they see G-d in this... they realize they are not forgotten, & that HE cares.

It's about Him.

It's about shining for Him in this dark world. Lighting up a kiddo a bit... HIS light shining on them.

It's such a little thing, but can mean so much.

I pray He touches each one of their little hearts, & their families, this year & always.

And that He especially touches those who don't receive... that they know they are cared for, loved, & not forgotten.

For information on packing shoeboxes for a kiddo or kiddos, go to: Samaritan's Purse.

Rainy day errands... and hair.

2011-11-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

Amazing... the one day I had to get out & do a bunch of stuff which included a ton of driving...

... it poured. All day.

And the haircut... yes, I got it done, again! Last time, in Sept., was the first time in 4+ years. I went back again.

Color, good. Cut, too short. It's shoulder length now; too short for me. Note to self: next time, explain what I mean by "trim".

Anyway, I got around safely. And hair grows back (hopefully... quick).

It's all good.

An iPod for Christmas? Gimmie a Break!!

2011-11-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is unreal… I asked for a doll or something growing up; geesh! This whole season is an UNChristian greed-fest beyond belief & it only keeps getting worse.

Article: Apple iPad tops kids' Christmas wish lists in survey

How do silkworms make silk?

2011-11-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

This week we were studying silkworms in relation to China & the early dynasties. The Shang dynasty were the first to discover these little boogers can spin a thread to make a nifty fabric (the kind most moms avoid wearing after having children). It was a huge secret for years but, of course, it got out eventually.

When we study about them it helps in realizing why silk is so expensive. Not just that it feels nice... but talk about labor intensive!!

Anyway, this link was a good, concise explanation of the process.

Twin People Talk

2011-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Ladybug II: "Dere are a lot of people in dis house."

Ladybug I: "Yeah, I'm a people."

Thea is Reading About Canada!

2011-11-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Thea!!! Look at you! You made my friend, Karla's The History Scroll blog!! Click on The History Scroll to see her right on Karla's blog!!

And I was wondering where my book went! Well, how wonderful that you are so interested in Canada, um, & that you can read! Maybe she can take over some of the schooling here now; cool.

Thea, you are quite the special kitty.

Careful, Little Dancer

2011-11-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

Ladybug I: Mommy, I'm dancing!

Me: Oh nice!

Ladybug I: Mommy I have a skurrt to dance in!

Me: Yes, you do!

{thump}

Ladybug I: Mommy, I felled.

Me: (she's okay) Be careful. :)

{dancing again}

Ladybug I: Mommy, I'm gonna be careful I do that with my legs.

Me: :-D

Guessing Game

2011-11-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

Let's play, shall we?

Okay, so "guess who" didn't know halloween had been cancelled last week due to "Snowtober"??

And, "guess who" also didn't know that halloween was rescheduled by some unknown person, for today???

And, "guess who" answered the door this afternoon to 3 children all dressed up in costume saying "Trick or Treat"????

And, it gets even better...

... "guess who" didn't have any candy because it was sent to work with a certain someone last week?????

And, "guess who" looked like a deer caught in the headlights, apologizing to children because there was no candy to give??????

And, there's more... "guess who" (even though does not participate in halloween) ran out to the store quickly to restock the candy supply (because said person has a heart for children, or, at least, can commiserate with people who want sugary treats)???????

Let's continue...

..."Guess who", in leaving home to pick up said candy, passed trick or treating neighbors on the way, & pointed to the house without candy, explaining that it would be in full supply shortly????????

And, yep, more... "guess who" pulled back into the driveway just in time to meet a crowd of children ringing candy-less home's doorbell which was not being answered because someone inside was not going to explain there was no candy?????????

But, "guess who" was able to provide candy for above children & in the process met a neighbor who also hadn't known halloween was rescheduled until yesterday?????????? (she was one day ahead of said person, at least)

Finally, last but not least, "guess who", after running out to get last minute candy, only had to answer the door one more time for a few children, & had no one else show up the rest of the evening, & now has a LOT of leftover candy???????????

Bet you can't guess.

Bonus question: "Guess who" is taking candy to work again Monday?

Eeeek!

2011-11-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

There are mice in our garage & it's freaking me out. We have cats so they would never enter the house (I hope).

Thea was a good mouser in her day. Many years ago we were in a rental home that had mice. Well, Thea found out & we never had that problem again.

But here, many years later, the mice have found a home in our garage, where our cats don't live (sneaky things). We've only seen evidence until yesterday evening. Storyman opened the door to the garage to get something & one of the little buggers scampered away.

I had to go into the garage this evening & opened the door quickly so that IF someone was there it would disappear before I could see it. If anyone was there I didn't catch glimpse of it; whew.

Something needs to be done about this situation ... maybe give them a rental agreement... something...

Judging

2011-11-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Via ButtonsAndMore

Uh Oh

2011-11-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

Daisy is in Thea’s bed… Thea’s bed…

… really, that’s Thea’s bed.

Me thinks the furs gonna fly.

She's a bit miffed...

2011-11-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

...this is Thea’s “I’m annoyed because it’s past my feeding time.” face.

We're vewey scaaaweeee...

2011-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

... or maybe, just, smelleeee.

Our kitten, Daisy, made it through her spay with flying colors. Only problem is now we have to transition her out of going to her litter box in a big doggie crate in the front hallway. For some reason she doesn't like going to the box where the other cats do - downstairs in the basement.

Her box is particularly foul today, & I don't have anymore litter right now. MIC can take care of it when he gets home.

Just waitin' for someone to fill their diaper to add to the stench.

What a day to have to answer the front door - blech! I guess that'll be our own brand of scaweeness today... foul odors eminating from our home awaiting those at the front door everytime it opens.

Come at your own risk hehe.

Hallo.. what?

2011-10-31T02:00:00.000-07:00

We don't participate in halloween. If you'd like the full explanation on that I wrote what I think is a good piece on it a few years ago. I haven't taken the time to update it but all the info is relevant, so I direct folks back to it yearly now. You can find it here.

So now that's done, I can poke a bit of fun at this today. Well, not me personally, but there's some funny bits I can share.

First, here's Brad Stine on "oversensitive witches" (I posted this last year but it's too funny to skip)...

And here's one from Tim Hawkins on "bad candy"!

Incidentally, I do give out candy - the good kind: chocolate! (That's the "good kind" in my book). But with them I give out tracts, or "comic books" or sorts, that entertain while spreading the message of Truth & Love & the Savior Jesus.

Why would an everyday, run a the mill type Christian person like myself want to miss the best chance to evangelize I'll probably ever get? Here are a bunch of folks, or whoever wants to brave the leftover Snotober carnage, coming to my door. Yes, they want candy, but I can give them even more. ;-)

So I feel the best way to handle today is to take it back. Satan took it trying to make it his own, but "this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice & be glad in it!"

So c'mom over on a day they've tried to make about darkness & death... come for candy (the good kind!)...

...& you'll also get a message about love, hope & life. :-)

Goodbye, "Snowtober"!

2011-10-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

We lost power again for a short time overnight, but we’re so blessed to have it at all now. I went shopping today about 40 minutes away (they had power), but on the way, in the next town the lights were out. Two traffic lights, at busy intersections were out, no cops helping or anything. The supermarkets, one in town, one in the next town, have no power. No perishables can be sold right now, nor can they accept debit or credit cards. They say it may be this way until Wednesday.

The tree carnage was incredible too. Trees & limbs are down everywhere. This was way worse than Hurricane Irene so far, for my area.

Geesh… what I don’t understand is we get winter here. So why all this? The snow was very heavy & wet so maybe that's why ?

Well, so much for “Snowtober”… look at this colorful tree, with all the snow around it.

Now that's just wrong.

"Snowtober"

2011-10-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

Seriously, October? Really?

Uh, Cost of a Call Back, Please??

2011-10-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation on my part, I decided to renew the boys' HANDLE programs. This meant deciding who would be working with us, since the original consultant lives across country & has decided not to travel to this area anymore.

She does travel to a state a bit south of us, but c'mon... six kiddos, two severe... um, no, we can't make it... for some reason.

Although she had hoped to see the boys, since it has been a long while, she said she would work with us anyway, continuing on with video. She tried to contact someone who works somewhere within driving distance of us, to at least do the initial evaluation again. It took a while but our consultant finally reached her & she said she would do the eval for us.

That same day I called said person & left her a message.

That was over two weeks ago.

Oy... ya know, it's difficult to get on the phone here (again, wonder why...) but, someone could at least return a phone call within a reasonable amount of time (a few days, tops, in my book).

Now I've got to try to get back on the phone, probably to leave yet another message, & wait... again.

We're working with this same lady across country for several reasons. One is she already knows the boys; another is she's very good. She has knowledge of other areas besides HANDLE. I wish she were closer so I could pick her brain easier.

Wierd expression, isn't that?

Lastly she's keeping her rates "reasonable". That's in quotes for good reason. It's still very pricey to do this, especially for TWO kiddos, & all is out of pocket for us.

Honestly, I really resent the fact that a lot of these folks, (& this is not the only modality that does this), keep their rates very high.

Autism is expensive enough. Just basic care costs bunches, never mind when you're handling things totally on your own.

The greed is enormous in the "business" of autism. Yes, we need many of these people. And yes, they have an expertise & deserve compensation. But the costs of therapies etc, is often beyond ridiculous. Many are making a pretty penny off others' suffering.

But what else is new right?

Well, for those costs they could at least return a phone call promptly.

Never, never, upset an autism mom!

2011-10-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

For my Christian friends, there is some mild "language". But this is so incredibly real I just had to share it.

I can relate to everything but the fighter part... I'm not much of a fighter anymore, at least not with others. Isolated, yes... much of it on purpose. Maybe not the best strategy, but if you're not me don't judge. And I'm pretty sure you're not; if the job was available I'd give it to you, at least for a day or two or until you run screaming back into your neurotypical world. I might get a 20 minute or so break that way.

You can find the post here ...

Friday Funny: Bob Smiley on Canada

2011-10-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

This one’s for Karla, because I’m reading her new, wonderful book O Canada, little by little, out loud with the kiddos. We just started but are all enjoying it so much.

I love this clip by the way… very funny Smiley bit.

Daisy Ordeal

2011-10-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Daisy went in for her spay on Monday. I called after 2pm to see if she was okay, & they put me through to a tech. The tech assured me she was well, but that she had fleas.

They had me make an appointment for our other two cats to bring them in for "treatment".

I'm thinking, "What treatment? For what?" I just knew it was wrong.

I was floored. We had a flea issue years ago & I was the first one to know it. This is because I'm the first human to start getting bit.

This time no issues. No scratching or itching; no bites. The other cats had been fine, & Daisy had always seemed fine as well.

I won't say "as luck would have it", because I don't believe in luck... so, as G-d worked out for us, Monday happened to be Otis' grooming day. His groomer was set to arrive less than an hour after I spoke with the vet. (BTW, she's a Christian :-)).

She also felt it wasn't adding up. The groomer inspected Otis top to bottom & even shaved his belly a bit to check him out. Then she was nice enough to come inside & check Thea as well.

She found nothing, no sign of any flea issues on either cat.

She said most likely they put Daisy in a crate while awaiting surgery & she picked them up from another animal.

So after the groomer left I called the vet's office again, but was not put through to a tech. I explained our concerns to the receptionist who said someone would call me back.

No one did.

Later that night I left them a message, same details, hoping for a call first thing in the morning.

No one called.

Later that morning we had finally had enough & MIC called. They had just been trying to reach us. He explained our concerns again but the tech pressed on with the flea story.

MIC told her our groomer was by the day before & inspected both cats finding no evidence of fleas, at all.

She completely ignored him & kept talking about treating all the cats.

That's where she lost us.

In the end, we had them treat Daisy with some pill they recommended, but I did not bring our other two cats for treatment. Instead I picked up Frontline at a pet store in town for all of the cats. Our groomer & vet said it would not be overkill for Daisy.

Our concern, of course, was that she not come home with fleas & create a problem where there wasn't one.

Here's another G-d moment in all this... I called the groomer that morning after MIC talked to the vet, & she was totally with me in that they were not owning up to the fact our kitten picked up fleas at their office, & that there was no problem in our home or with our cats prior.

So, I was very uptight, & asked if she could look Daisy over before I brought her inside. She was very busy that day but her husband, also a groomer & working with her in the business, was in the other truck coming back from having it maintained.

He would be passing by our area the same time I'd be bringing Daisy home. In fact, we pulled in the driveway at the same time!

Praise G-d!!

Her husband looked Daisy over carefully & found no problems & no evidence of fleas. He also Frontlined her for me.

So in the end here all the cats have been Frontlined, Daisy had her extra treatment, & is home recuperating from her spay.

She spent yesterday in a large dog crate with her box, food/water, & a sleep towel. The vet had wanted her isolated for healing.

Today she just seemed so sad in there (& a bit fiesty at times), so by early afternoon I opened the door & let her wander & do what she could. She roamed about, asked for lots of petting, & took a few naps.

As far as the vet, this was handled so poorly I'm not sure whether to use them again. They knew we were annoyed & skeptical & they were rude in return. They were going to subject our other cats to unnecessary flea treaments that would have cost us more money. Thea is 16 years old, on special food for renal failure, & on meds for potassium. What would that pill have done to her?

I hated Daisy even having it, but they infested her so they were responsible for clearing up the mess. When I left my messages I was clear to tell them that I did not want her coming home with fleas, thereby causing a problem we did not have prior.

No one addressed any of our concerns when it questioned how Daisy could have possibly had fleas when she went in completely clean.

I may be vet shopping... I need to find one who can provide Thea's necessary food & meds to keep her alive.

All I really care about is our cats are with us & doing well. But we also need to work with people we can trust.

I doubt there's anyone left like that out there.

Thank G-d for our groomer & her husband. G-d was really with us in providing the genuine help we needed!

And our sweet little Daisy is home... flealess... whew. Now I hope & pray she heals well so I don't have to bring her back!

Bad Day for Cats

2011-10-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

It's kind of a bad day to be a cat around here... at least for 2 of our feline friends.

I took Daisy in for her spay this morning. We had the usual pre-op talk & I mentioned having lost a kitten to an allergic reaction to a med after her spay, years ago. It was with the same vet but the tech wouldn't know.

But hopefully that was enough to give Daisy some extra watching over there...

Just a few minutes ago I noticed a message on the machine (yes I still use a landline with a machine; at least it's cordless LOL). I wasn't going to listen to it because I figured it was from the call MIC had just picked up a few minutes earlier. Sometimes it records part of it.

Well, good thing I checked because it was Otis' groomer. Otis is a maine coon mix & a big bushy cat. He gets groomed about every 6-8 weeks. Because of my kiddo situation I had to call in a groomer that would come to us. I found one who is not only awesome with Otis, but a Christian as well.

She doesn't take many cats because of the scratching & biting. Otis is a wimp who is part dog. Basically he just licks her the entire time. She loves Otis so much it made her want to get a cat (but her "mic" said no).

Anyway, score for me on all counts. Otis is well taken care of...

... but, she's coming for him this afternoon. I never remember our appointments & forget to mark them down too. I always count on her night before calls.

Thankfully, she remembers!

And I'm glad I checked that message because I was supposed to be out doing a grocery pick up (online is a dream for an autism mom like me). I will move it to later.

It worked out well for me in the end.

For the cats... well, it's a bad day for both Otis & Daisy. Otis will be fine, and I said a prayer over Daisy before bringing her in to the vet.

My 16 year old cat, Thea, will think she scored big today too, when the other two cats are not here. She's always wanted to be an only cat.

But, no such luck Thea... they'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!

Friday Funny: Corn Mazes & Tim Hawkins on GPS

2011-10-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

The weather was nice last weekend so we wanted to get the kiddos out to do one of our "Fall activities"... you know, the typical stuff: mazes, apples, corn, animals, pumpkins etc.

Unfortunately, others had the same idea. We rode by one farm we've enjoyed in the past but it was extremely crowded... & autism & crowds don't mix.

Another was a disappointment... an apple picking "farm" that turned out to be someone's private residence who had a few trees.

We moved on.

We ended up at a farm in town that had a few activities. We didn't do much there except the kiddos enjoyed a hay stack for a while. There was a slide attached which the twins enjoyed.

Then we opted for the corn maze. I was skeptical, especially when the lady said it would take 1-1/2 hours.

But we got lost & I lost track of time.

Incidentally, I don't lead in these things. Maybe I should take the map next time... I mean, it really couldn't have been any worse, I don't think.

Even in my new wonderful sneakers my feet had had enough. Talk about pain...

At one point we passed a group of younger people who seemed a bit lost as well. They looked on us with some question but I addressed them, "We've been in here for hours so I don't think you want to follow us."

There was laughter but I was serious. Save yourselves, was my warning. Actually, maybe I should have turned around & followed them.

When we finally made it out I was never so thrilled to see, well, something besides corn. I think the kiddos might actually be scarred for life & never want to see corn again.

As we drove away we could still hear the hopeless cries of the poor souls still trapped on its never ending corn lined paths...

But I certainly wasn't going back in.

In light of our recent experience, for today's Friday Funny, here is Tim Hawkins on GPS. I believe there should be one for corn mazes...

Can't Win

2011-10-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

I actually escaped got out today & while running errands bought the bigger kiddos a new game. For the littles I bought new sticker/coloring books.

The twins used the books for about 10 minutes. Now one of them is literally screaming to play with the biggers, so much so I sent them in the next room for some peace. Thankfully there's a gate but she's yelling at them through the doorway.

The other is playing with her stickers on & off but Little Bear keeps trying to grab them (a stim of his), so now she's screaming too.

I'm told it was peaceful while I was out.

I can't win for trying... oy.

He stood!

2011-10-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, I passed by the 700 pound pig a little while ago & he was standing!! The pig was actually awake & standing!!

He must be soooooooooooooo tired now LOL.

Incompatible

2011-10-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

The word of the day is “Chocolate”.

This word is not compatible with the other word of everyday: “Diet”

It is, however, compatible with autism stress, of which there is much of lately.

Rats.

The 700 Pound, Cat?

2011-10-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

Wanna see a 700lb pig?

Yeah, we did too, but he just wouldn't wake up.

I snapped these two pics... see if you can gauge the enormity of him.

Well, anyway.

We drove by the other day & he was sleeping again. I suppose at that size it takes a lot of energy just existing.

What we did garner from our visit was a ton of mud on our shoes... all over my new sneakers.

MIC washed off all our sneakers, & they dried just fine.

So all is well again. Moving on... or, not moving, in the pig's case.

Kitten or Skunk?

2011-10-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Butterfly loves to pick up our kitten, Daisy, who is 6 months old. She does this often; too often. I tell her but she doesn't listen. Daisy is just so cute she cannot resist.

Daisy squiggles to get down, & will scratch if this is not heeded. My daughter knows what she's risking.

Except Daisy now seems to have a new tactic. See, she's kind of a, ahem... gassy kitty.

So often now when she is picked up she lets one go, & boy do you ever really want to put her down quickly when she does that!!

It's a stink that'll clear the worst sinuses.

So we've decided this is her new defense.

Our "kitten", Daisy... the skunk.

A New Low

2011-10-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Raw post alert...

Seems we've reached a new autism low. My oldest, who is severe, has become very difficult to take anywhere.

Given his age, increasing size, & inability to understand & heed directions for safety or otherwise, things are getting precarious.

The other day was bad. It has been building but finally, I think I am realizing that I am losing all independence...

... except, somewhat, when MIC is home on weekends.

But no longer can I just bring the kids somewhere with me. I don't feel comfortable taking them anywhere for fear that my oldest will decide to do his own thing.

There's only so much Storyman, who is bigger & stronger than his brother, can do to help. And it's not his responsibility. I don't like the other kiddos to be stressed too, not knowing what might happen.

We keep losing more & more due to his severe autism. But then so does he...

...and when you're losing hope you're losing everything.

Regarding depression...

2011-10-07T07:04:00.001-07:00

"Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it" - Jacques Prévert

Friday Funny: My cats are not evil...

2011-10-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

...for the most part.

But I just realized, I've got a 6 month old, Daisy...

Clearly she realizes she's the "baby" of the family.

A 6 year old, Otis... (he's all fur & eyes).

And as of this month, a 16 YEAR old! Thea... the dignified matriarch.

A typical expression; one of many... Thea appears to be part human.

3 - 6's... 6-6-6 ? Oh dear... thankfully the Bible never says the antichrist has fur. Whew.

Although Otis' eyes do tend to glow in the dark...

Piccolo's Molt

2011-10-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Goin' online shopping at Frisky Finches for canary food & vitamins today. Our canary, Piccolo, is in bad spirits because of his molt. He can't sing except for a little roll now & then, & only chirps a bit.

He's a Fife canary, & typically a very strong singer. In fact a visitor once commented that she thought we had more than one bird there was so much singing going on - & loud too.

Yeah, he's that good.

Canaries don't sing during molt, so it's sadly quiet without his beautiful song. He should be through it in a few weeks or so.

He can squawk when he wants to though, because he's definitely in a bad mood.

Molting season is stressful for birds, so he's getting special water with a vitamin & "mold aid" mix.

I'm also trying to make sure he's warm & comfy since canaries like to bathe daily (& he does!).

I can understand him being in a bad mood... losing feathers like that would be kinda like us losing hair. That would put me in a bad mood too.

This little bird has quite a personality. He's camera shy. Everytime he starts to sing & I bring a camera over he stops & squawks at me.

Even today, I brought the camera over, just for a picture, & he squawked.

But maybe it's because he's just not feeling picture worthy right now.

I understand... but he's such a cutie even during molt!

Loving These Sneakers

2011-10-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

I bought these New Balance sneakers from Zappos & wore them over the weekend for the first time.

I have to say I love these sneakers... love, love, love them.

I have chronic foot pain that doesn't seem to have a source. I put these on & never limped - not once. When I took them off at home my feet were still better hours later than they were before I wore the sneakers.

Amazing.

Today I put my real cheapy indoor workout sneakers on for my cardio/sculpt day, & my feet were killing me & still are... miserable. It's awful when your feet hurt.

I had ordered a cheaper pair of New Balance for workouts, so I hope they will be as wonderfully comfy as the ones above...

... which I love. I really love those sneakers.

It's like walking on a piece of heaven.

And they're purple so what more could I possibly want??

And FYI Zappos has free & fast shipping.

It just doesn't get any better.

My disclaimer - I've received nothing to express my love and affection for these sneakers (nor my appreciation for Zappos); no kickbacks or discounts. I just love them.

There you have it... my honest opinion.

Plumbers, Haircuts, & Schedules (Oh my)

2011-09-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

(Don't worry, they don't go together in some odd way; I'm just throwing everything into one post here).

This week the plumber came to fix a leak in the basement, & like all things, it wasn't that simple.

Not to get technical on you, but something was stuck so he couldn't do the job until the water company came to turn off the water inside from the outside.

Following?

Anyway, MIC warned me that once that was completed we could be without water for who knows how long.

It's always good to have specifics.

It wasn't quite as bad as we thought it would be... almost. We had our water back on by noon. But, the bad news was a 15 minute job became a 4 hour job.

Translation - a lot more expensive.

That same day the Sears guy was to come do maintainence on the washer. With the water off we weren't sure we could accomodate him that day, but turns out he called that he was on his way 15 minutes after the plumber left. He arrived before his "arrival window" time period & was finished quickly.

So things weren't all that bad.

Oh, there was one other thing... the plumber warned us that our hot water heater is reaching the end of its life cycle. He said it looks fine right now but that they typically go without warning.

I know exactly when that will happen... when me & the kids are needing to be cleaned the most & mid-winter when a cold shower is most appreciated.

It's always good to have something to look forward to in life.

Well, in other news...

My diet is coming along... 14 lbs down, about a bazillion more to go (there's probably a converter chart for that somewhere online). I'm getting the exercising done too. I don't commit to more than 20 minutes first thing in the morning (or whenever I'm awake enough).

And, I had a haircut. This is big news because I hadn't had a hair cut in 4+ years. I had a bit of fun telling the stylist that & getting a stunned reaction. (I obviously don't get out much).

She wondered why so long until she found out more about me & the kids. Then it all made sense.

I found her through a curly hair website specifically geared toward the curly hair afflicted such as myself. We need extra support & specialists.

She was worth it too. She cut it well, got quite a few damaged ends off while still leaving it long for me. (You know what happens when curly hair is cut too short? I'm really not into the Shirley Temple look; cute on her but... not me).

We talked color. Mine was overdo for my home, um, "treatment", I guess. I do the best I can. Anyway, I expressed a concern about toxins & she was on it. There's a product they had that was all natural & covered better than what I was using. It was also conditioning (wow did I need it; talking straw-like here), & works really well specifically for curly hair.

I was like, so when can I get back in for that?

Turns out the lady who was supposed to come in after me cancelled right before I showed up. So I was blessed with both color & cut that day.

That was really an amazing day for me. (I said I don't get out much).

And it looks nice; the color that is... I'm still adjusting to having curly hair. I have been since... well since it grew in, pretty much. Maybe I'll actually accept my fate someday.

And in my last bit of news for today, I'm trying to set up a new schedule for us. I have so many to work with & so much to do. I figure if I give myself a (flexible) "to do" of sorts with everyone, with somewhat of a structured outline, I could keep it all down better.

Trouble is, I can't get past "wake up".

Disabled Boy Commits Suicide After Being Mugged And Bullied

2011-09-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

When I read stories like this I get so upset that homeschoolers are picked on for what we do. We take so many ignorant accusations from people, yet this type of thing is going on in schools everwhere.

No one deserves this to happen to them or their child.

Article here:
http://bit.ly/ovmH1a

Butterfly Jokes

2011-09-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

Butterfly, who, like Storyman is very creative, came up with some jokes to brighten your day. :-)

What do you call a robber with a double whopper?
A burgerler.

What do you call a clown with water coming out of him?
A rain clown.

How does a drake fix something that is cracked?
He uses duck tape.

What do you call a car that is clumsy?
A bumper car.

What do you call a dinosaur who’s dragging a string behind him?
A dragon.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Psalm 91:13
Smart kiddo!!

Otis vs. Thea

2011-09-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

The other morning, early, MIC said Otis (our huge kitty), was chasing Thea (our petite 16yo senior kitty). Usually those two get along just fine but apparently they had some sort of disagreement & a chase ensued.

This is our dainty little Thea…

The wierd eyes are because the flash on my camera is bright!

This is Otis…

I don’t know if you can truly appreciate his girth from the picture, but he’s about twice the size of Thea.

Fortunately for Thea, Otis is quite, um, full figured. She’s slim & even at 16, faster than Otis.

I wonder if there’s a 17 Day diet plan for kitties. At least he doesn’t have to worry about how his clothes fit ;-/.

No Drying Here

2011-09-24T10:12:00.001-07:00

I got through a full day of washing & drying yesterday. There were lots of new fall clothes to wash, & I normally hang quite a bit to dry.

But, when I went to check the second load of towels, I discovered the dryer was running cool on every setting & nothing was drying.

This has happened before, but of course now it has to happen with a load of towels in there & a just finished regular load of wet clothes waiting.

And… on a Friday night when, of course, no repairman could be here until the following week.

Ugh…. great timing dryer, great timing.

With 6 kiddos, some of whom have severe special needs & soil things constantly, being without a washer or dryer is just not good.

MIC called Sears last night but they cannot come out until next Wed. Not so good. Then, he found the repairman we used last time who was pretty good & they can get here Monday afternoon (hopefully). Better.

So I have thrown in another load, will hang whatever I can (they are not drying though because it’s raining this weekend & the air is wet & humid), & have added a trip to the laundromat as another “to do” for this weekend.

At least MIC is here so I can take the stuff. There’s no way I could bring my special6 to a laundromat. My two aspie kiddos would be bored but could deal but the two 4 year olds & two severe autie kiddos - oh no way!!

But, there are worse things than a broken dryer… so, moving on.

Track for Littles, Made by Storyman

2011-09-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

Storyman made this awesome track for the littles. He's built some huge, complicated tracks for himself in past. For the little sibs he keeps it mellow enough for them but still interesting. He used the clock tower, one of my favs.

Friday Funny: Tim Hawkins-Have you eaten?

2011-09-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

I think I like his mom... LOL.