We're Baaaacccckkkkk - minus one

Well, vacation is officially over. Wow, it was a whirlwind! We left last Sat morning and got down there around 11:30. We quickly changed our clothes donned some sunscreen and went to the Adams Co Fair for kids' wristband day. There were only 5 kiddos. Big K was in MO belting out home runs for his baseball team. :-) Mad Dawg couldn't do a lot of the rides that the older kids could - and he didn't cry - just the arms folded and scowl. It was too cute. Sal and him aren't usually 'buds' because Sal tends to tell him what not to do before he even does anything and well - who the heck needs that. But when reduced to Sal being his only ride partner (she doesn't like the big stuff) he sure made the best of it. And she in turn held her tongue - well, as much as Sal can. :-)

We watered them around 2:30 - rode some more and then around 4:30 we headed to the park in town to eat a picnic dinner under the trees and just chill out for a little while. Linkie was picked up by the other grandma and by 6:30 we were off to the fair again - this time to see the bull riders. We had parked our blankets and so we had great seats. I should probably explain that to those who don't know the "blanket rules". Down state the rule is - if there is a blanket, or throw or afghan on the bleacher that means it's saved, you don't sit there. So we take two blankets and put them down long sided on the bleachers. Plenty of room for us - and a nice comfy seat too - not to mention a little something to help soak up "shaved ice" when it's spilled.

The bulls were pretty good this year. The track wasn't near as slippery and they had the shoots out in the middle of the arena instead of the side. I have to say that the clown and the MC act left a lot to be desired and it gets just a little cheesy with all the Proud to Be An American stuff. I'm the one who tears up at the flag going down the street in a parade or singing the Nat. Anthem - but this stuff is over the top and kind of fake. But hey - the MC was from MO - what can you expect.

So, by the time we got home it was around 10 pm. *I* was EXHAUSTED and in total amazement at how the kids could still be up running around. After getting them into bed - we all congregated on the front porch - hounds a plenty and breeze as pleasant as could be.

Sunday

The boys and Sal went to an Auction - Jack went to stay with Gpa and Miss and I went to help serve at Heritage Days. That was a lot of fun! Since I was the "rookie" I got to serve the tea. I kept a sharp ear out for the name "Jill" - thinking that's who everyone would think I was - but I forget that when we're together - that doesn't happen. But imagine my surprise when someone - who I didn't know - called me by name. When I asked "how'd you know my name" he said "I asked someone". I was too shocked to ask who he had asked. :-) Steve's dad was surprised to see me - wondered if Golden had run out of volunteers that they had to ship them in from Chicago. :-) Mom opinioned later that without his wife that will soon be the case. :-)

My sister is a nut and it was fun to follow her around and play in her sharpness. I can't think nearly as fast as she can. I concentrated on not spilling tea on anyone and trying to pick the right ear with the hearing aide. :-)

Sunday night was *exciting* to say the least. We had decided that we should let Sal stay with Gma because she didn't seem to care much for the Bulls the night before and we were going to see bronco busting on Sunday night,. It was probably the smartest idea we've ever had. We got to Bronco busting - found Debbie and Julie and gathered Tim and Cindy and watched *maybe* 5 bronks before all hell came loose. It POURED - I don't mean rain coming down steadily - I mean sideways rain coming down in BUCKETS! We were in the middle of the grandstand about half way up - thank God and we didn't get hit by rain but when the electricity went out - it got REAL interesting. Generators kicked on and we say for probably an hour as we watched the horses point their butt in different directions as the wind blew from ALL directions. Finally it died down a little and we were told over the loud speaker that we should go home because there was another storm on the way. So off we went with blankets and purses and jackets over our heads, holding on to one another so we didn't fall in the mud. I remind you this is a county fair and paved roads are nill. We found our way out - we made it home and found that Missy had not electricity either. We sat for maybe 1/2 hour before it came back on. What a crazy crazy night.

Monday we did NOTHING - reading, napping, playing in the yard - it was FANTASTIC. That's the best part of vacation - doing nothing. :-)

Tuesday was another resting day. Bill helped dismantle Missy's pasture fence. I have to admit it was sad with no horses. But we still have all the other critters. Tiny, Chunk, Ottie, Miss Kittie, Bob, Ferocious, and Buger. Mabel had the time of her life with all the smells and the big dogs and the cats. She got a fast lesson on cats from Miss Kitty. After a couple of swipes Mabel got it. We saw deer that morning - WAY out in the distance. I find it humorous that deer come closer to humans here in town than at my sister's farm. We also got to hear the cry of the coyotes at night as they howl to one another. Mabel was fascinated by the cows next door. She climbed the woodpile in her attempt to imitate a mountain beagle and stared them all down.

Wednesday
Demolition Derby! The weather was much better but the mud wasn't. The ground is SO saturated down there that there's just no where for it to go so parking and walking into the fair was adventurous. :-) We met up with Rachel and the kiddos. We had a really nice time. Jack and Mal are becoming great friends. Sitting together and being goofballs. :-) Mary is always so sweet and always a smile and then there's the little Liz'beth. She's a doll. Too bad she looks so much like her daddy. :-) So we stayed till the end of the derby and watched as the guy who "won" was disqualified. THAT was too funny. Most of the crowd missed that because they all left asap.

Thursday
Was the Brown Co fair - we went to see the harness races. Sal got to go this time and Jack stayed at Gma's. Sal picked 5 winners out of 10 races. We used her winnings to bet again and came out just about even. She had a wonderful time. Talked constantly. She liked the fact that the horses got to go to a special place (winners circle) and have their picture taken after they won. She was a lot of fun. Talked the WHOLE way home.

Friday
Gma and Gpa got BOTH children and the grown ups all went to Qcy for Missy's birthday (July). That was a good time. Chinese food - shopping - general merriment. :-) Then home to find that Tiny had gone "visiting". He was back by morning - so he couldn't have gone too far.

Saturday
Garage sales in Qcy. Oh my - just finding them was a huge project. We found all sorts of "treasurers". We lunched at Elders - which was a blast from the past. We did a little shopping - complete with new shoes for the kiddos for school. Sally was ecstatic! We did the fireworks at night - the kids loved them. The animals - not so much. :-)

Sunday
Family picture and then we hit the road. Sally talked the whole way home. Jack stayed with Gma and Gpa. We get him back next weekend. :-) Sal slept in his room. :-)

What a fun vacation. My sister cooked the whole week. She is really a good cook. I think we all gained pounds The kids love running all over with the dogs and looking at all the new stuff. I think we were outside more than inside - even counting sleeping hours. :-) There's nothing better than sitting on the porch with a nice breeze - drinking coffee - reading the paper and watching the sun rise. Oh - that's right - we ALL slept in. :-) Must be the country air.

Reports are Done, Dude!!!!

That's right - all my quarterlys are done and done a day EARLY! Woo hoo. I pay my amigos tomorrow and I can then go on vacation without a care in the world. :-) Oh, that's right the children and half the zoo are going with - my bad.

Loading the "arc" ought to be interesting. Mabel doesn't seem to like to ride too well. And Sade - well she's a fantastic passenger - sleeping till we get close and then it's like she *knows* we're there and gets up and looks out the window. :-)

Still can't decide if we want to leave Friday night or Saturday morning. *I* like the morning driving - I think Bill prefers the evening. We shall see.....

Well Baby Check Up

Little Mabel went to the Dr today - she has a "puppy rash" on her tummy and they gave us some antibiotics. She also got her rabies and her distemper shots. Sadie called the vet earlier and asked for them to use the BIG square tipped needles. :-)

We then went over to Aunt L's and played with Ginger (retriever) and Bailey (Lab) . Poor little girl is all tuckered out. It's tough playing with the big dogs. :-)

Talked to Sal this morning - she's all concerned about Mr C watching Rexie when we're gone. Wanted to make sure I remembered to ask him. She's having a ball. They went to Quincy yesterday and she got her regular choc shake. :-)

I talked to Jack's to be mother-in-law last night. She informed me that her daughter Shaylyn and Jack kissed under the tree at her house. :-) Jack wrote her a letter saying she was so pretty and that he'd never "brak" up with her. My baby is growing up. Already he seems to be more romantic than his father. :-)

Mabel is doing well - but the potty training is ssllllllllooooowwww going. :-( After we get that licked we will most definitely need a house carpet cleaning. But a lot of that is because of Jack too. :-)

Jack is a very different kid without Sal. He's so quiet on the way to camp. Usually I'm threatening life in prison on the way to camp. At night he's hardly around - running off to "the girls" house. I do think he is loving the undivided attention. I know Sal is. :-)

Name Change!

We've changed "the Haze" to *Mabel*. Rex has settled down today and is more "about" the house.

Mabel is doing well and adjusting well. *Some* potty issues - but I think we'll get there very soon - she DOES leave the room to relieve herself. :-) So we have gates up all over and she's starting to "get it". Bill fixed all the holes in the fences so she can go out without a chain. She's not the brightest crayon in the box so it's a good thing that she's cute. :-)

Sally's gone this week but we still had an "alarm clock" at 7am this morning. Nothing like a "baying" beagle to make you jump right out of bed. :-) She's also leaving Sade alone more too. We bought a whole armory of chewies and toys. Now we see the vet and set up an appt for the big surgery and we should be good to go. :-)

I can't wait to see how she gets along with the "big dogs" back home. Aunt Jill said she'd tell Tiny that his lunch was on the way. :-)

Sally and Grandma went to exercise today. That was, of course, AFTER Grandpa and her went to get a notebook from Dan's store. :-) She's having a ball. When she got on the phone today the first thing she said was "Hi Mom, you missed me?" I almost spit coffee into the phone. :-)

A New Addition

The Zoo crew has a new addition as of last night. "Hazel" (the beagle) has joined our little mix. She's 4 months old. She is a cutie. Sade and Rex are *not* that inthused. In fact I think I heard combination of dog and cat voice last night saying "get out". :-)

She only barked a very short time in her cage last night. So here we go with the puppy thing again. I'm hoping we have good luck with this one. But no one will EVER compare to Sadie. :-)
She is by far the 'bestest dog in the whole wide world'.

Sal is off at Gma and Gpa's. We met in MC this morning and "made the switch". She was SO excited to go. Her backpack was packed yesterday. :-)

Jack and Bill are out fishing. He's loving the single attention. He was non-stop talking since Bill announced what they were going to do this afternoon.

Rexie has taken up residence on the kitchen table because of The Haze - Sade is still trying to find a safe place to lay down out of The Haze. :-) I did rummage up the baby gate to go in front of our room to make haven for cat and dog. :-)

We're a week away from vaaaaaaacaaaaaaaaation and I can taste it! I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch and doing nothing. :-)

Chemo Makes You Think

My friend is in the middle of round one of chemo. Her emails really make me realize what is important in life. We sure spend a lot of time on *crap*. She writes a lot on the days that are "good" as she calls it- the days that she is more *herself*. She's so upbeat on those days it's crazy to realize she's honestly fighting for her life.

She says that she has really re-evaluated her life and the people in it. She said that she had no idea of the people who were really her friends and who she thought was and turned out they weren't. I can empathize with that. It's in tough times that you see people's *true* colors. Not the stuff they want you to see the armor they put on, but the real them.

Sal and Jack had Carnival at camp today. Everyone was to bring something to share and by the time I left they already had 4 HUGE Rubbermaid garbage cans WAY full of stuff. :-) The two were so excited and planning out where they were going to meet up and what they would ride together. They are SO funny.

Sally is on every one's butt about JBSRA garage sale tomorrow. She's decided that's what we're doing come hell or high water! She told Jack all about it and where it was going to be and then asked if he wanted to come. I guess she'll be driving also. :-)

A Sea of Lime Green

Field trip days at camp are very interesting to me. The parking lot is just brimming with people in lime green camp shirts. 200-300 kids are on their way to Haunted Trails this morning, in bright, lime green shirts. When I went over to say good bye to Jack - I realized they all looked a like. Black, white, brown, they all meld together in those shirts. And can I just say I don't envy a one of those counselors! :-) I get back in my car and breathe a sigh of relief - all the while enjoying the quiet. A school bus ride on a 95* day to watch all these kids and listen to their whining and questions and "look at me"s .

What's crazy: not a one of the counselors acts like it's a big deal at all. I swear they put on a face that screams "I LOVE my job". I've NEVER had a one of them be anything but nice, courteous (as in greeting me FIRST) and helpful. Now, they're all in their late teens - early 20s so God knows they party and probably have some crazy hang overs - but you couldn't EVER tell it. Even when I see them out and about - not at camp. Still very courteous, saying hello to my guys, smiling..... I don't know - they're never going to make it in what this world is becoming. :-)

It's just a great feeling to drop your kids off with people who really act like they care that they're there. Now what they say in the privacy of their own - who cares - they sure do a nice job from this side. Here's to all of you counselors out there who are giving it your all - you ARE noticed!!!

Our Neighbors - bleck!

Uggghhh - we have a couple of neighbors with children that are nasty. And the reason they're nasty - their parents believe that they do no wrong. SO many people do this. Can't they see they are NOT helping their children???? I had a run in today with the 3 "ladies" here - all 3 of them gave me attitude and proceeded to lie to me. Dang, that SO ticks me off.

As usual we've gone from one extreme to the other. From kids having no rights to kids having TOO much. Just simple disrespect. My kids are going to be SO backward. We've taught them that if anyone tells us something that they did - they are in BIG trouble, and yes, we'll believe the adult till we find out different. I love my kids - but I KNOW they're monsters. But I EXPECT that they will be decent with other adults.

So, we'll be playing together more and less with the neighborhood. Which is fine and probably for the best in the long run.

We thought it was the kids that were slow - turns out - not so....

The newest *bright* idea from the Autism community:


Extended Limitations for Vaccine Injury Claims

We demand Congress take steps to extend the statute of limitations to allow all children affected by vaccine induced Autism to file in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). We demand the right to file a lawsuit until our children become an adult.Please sign this petition so that we may get justice for our children who have no voice.http://www.petitiononline.com/vaccjust/petition.html


This is just plain STUPID! It's a little like cutting off your nose to spite your face. #1 Prove it! If the AMA can't prove it - how can someone else. 2 - and most important - the money that has been spent to get this on the books - much less the amounts that will be paid out - where the HELL do they think that's going to come from????? Don't we all bitch about how crazy expensive therapy is. And won't that money take away from research???? I swear to God both the left and the right are TOTAL idiots!!!!! And 3 - till the child is an adult is ridiculous. Why is it we are SO into someone paying for our children? Why can't we see how BLESSED we are. Sure, my life is by FAR tougher than most mothers - but it is by FAR more loving, amazing and full of blessing counting. I wouldn't ask for anything different.

God love her - she drives me nuts but in a good way. Kind of like being pecked to death by a beakless chicken but loving the chicken SO much! :-)

Sher Sher and Duckie

OMG! My cheeks are still sore from laughing SO much last night! We finally got to visit H&S yesterday/last night. They used to live behind us and have since moved. We talked about that last night and it's been 4 years already, that they've been gone. It just seems so strange not to have them in our back yard. We still miss them very much.

As I was getting ready yesterday I was thinking about what a wonderful woman Sher is. She always seemed to make everyday special. When they lived behind us I knew of times that she made certain foods for Harry "just because" they are such a neat couple. And last night she told Bill and I the same thing - that we were a good couple. That meant a lot coming from her.

I swear, her life should be a sit-com. The things she's been through with relationships and health issues - but she keeps trudging on with a kind of *knowing* smile and wicked sense of humor.

We were talking about kids with special needs being kind of "special" souls and I believe H&S are right up there too. There's something about them- something very special - and just a little nuts. :-)

Jame babysat for us. I don't think we've had a sitter for over a year! It was SO nice to come home and have kids fed and asleep. The kids are BOTH still asleep - so I KNOW they had a good time! :-)

It feels good to come off such a fun night. I kind of underestimate an evening with folks who care about you just because you're you. Not for the car you drive or where you live or because they feel they *need* to for appearance. It was a shot in the arm that I didn't realize I really needed. :-)

I'm Sick

God, I'm such a WIMP - I HATE being sick! I just feel like I want to be in bed. My head feels like it weighs 40 pounds. I managed to drag my butt to work and finish sales tax and payroll.

Having kids and being sick sucks! This morning it was like I had 20 kids - the way they "Mom, I need...." " Mom, I want...." "Mom, will you...." Good God! See this is why some animals get eaten by their Mom's. That lion cub has "meowed" just one too many times!

But I managed to get the lunches done - complete with notes and jokes and back packs packed (with snack) and got them off to camp and me to work.

Sally came home from bowling yesterday and I was in the tub trying to drown myself. She said "you need soup, Mom - you sick." She kissed me and scampered away. She later told me that I need some ginger ale soda too - because that's what you get when you're sick . She's funny.

She slept till 7 this morning!!! And that was with no meds! I hope she's not getting sick. Not like she'd admit to it anyway. :-)

We Try Again

My beast is back once more. Last week it wouldn't start and come to find out the dealer that re-did the radio screwed up something to where the radio drained the battery. Bill picked it up last night and it cost him $200!!!! I'm upset. That should NOT be our problem - THEY are the ones that screwed up the radio. ugghhh.

Can I just say once again that the pool is a WONDERFUL addition. BOTH children played NICELY last night - red light green light and sleeping lions and four square. It was really nice to see them play *together*.

A big happy birthday to my big sis. I bet she's taking treats to work today. :-) Lasagna? Dirty pudding? Texas sheet cake?

I'm the payroll girl today. All my amigos and then some. Need to be done by 3 so I can pick up the monsters and take Sal to bowling. :-) She's looking forward to that.

The Pool is a Success!

Sally waited for me to get some laundry done and for Daddy to come home and then we all went for a "swim". :-) The pool is PERFECT for us. We all 3 played "letters". Sally names a letter and when it's your turn you have to think of a word that starts with that letter. She's getting better with the alphabet too. We had such a nice time just floating and playing. Jack missed out - he was at Tommy's. :-)

At camp yesterday, there was a little boy who got hurt at the pool. The ambulance was called and everyone was asked to get out. Sally somehow got it in her head that it was Jack. Her aide said she started crying.

Jack was asked to go swimming at Tommy's last night. There was to be the 4 neighborhood boys there - a full pool. Sally was not asked. She of course cried. Jack was SO upset that she was crying that he *bribed* her with his left over change so she could get ice-cream from the ice-cream man! Even after I told him it was ok (I didn't really want her to go anyway - those boys are rough!) He was clearly upset by her crying.

I'm so happy they seem to have such a good relationship. I pray it continues as the grow up.

Tagged.....

1. What is your occupation? Bookkeeper? Secretary? Right hand to CPA :-)
2. What color are your socks right now? no socks
> > 3.What are you listening to right now? "Animal Cops" - Sal and I are huddled on the couchh time.
> > 4. What was the last thing that you ate? PBJ - for lunch
> > 5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes - LOVE driving stick
> > 6.What color would you be, if you were a color? Some kind of green/yellow
> > 7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Juan from El Burrito
> > 8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes
9. How old are you today? 41
> > 10. Favorite drink? Cherry Coke
> > 11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football - GO BEARS
> > 12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yeah - ev 5 weeks :-)
> > 13. Pets? 1 cat : Rexie (Sade is a MEMBER - she's got the jacket)
> > 14. Favorite food? Apple Salad or Chicken gizzard
> > 15. Last movie you watched in movie theater? Been so long ago - don't even remember
> > 16. What do you do to vent anger? Tantrum (trying to work on that)
> > 17. What was your favorite toy as a child? Black and white teddy bear
> > 18. What is your favorite, fall or spring? FALL
> > 19. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry
> > 20 Do you want your friends to blog it back? Yes
21. Who is most likely to respond? ?????
> >22. Who is least likely to respond? not sure
> > 23 When was the last time you cried? This morning - reading mail from a friend
> > 24 Who is the friend you've had the longest time that you are tagging? The Professor
> > 25. Who is the friend you have had the shortest time that you are tagging? Robin?
>26. Favorite smell? Vanilla
27 Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?Plain pleas
28. Favorite car? No cars - love a jeep
> > 29. Favorite cat breed? Ummmmm - cats are different? Cat's a cat, a cat. They're not DOGS! :-)
> > 30 Number of keys on your key ring? 2 key rings - work=3 other=1
> > 31. Number of years at your current job? On and off 18!!!! Holy Cow!
> > 32. Favorite day of the week? Sunday or Monday
> 33 How many states have you lived in? (1) Illinois

She is a happy

Swimmer! Sally got to use the new pool for the first time tonight. She took in 2 "people" and a ball and the people got to ride on the raft and play ball and then Sal got on the raft. She was a "vision" all sprawled out on the raft and trying not to move at all so she wouldn't fall off. ;-)

We got our check from George today. I think we might invest in a computer and give the old one to the kids. I'm thinking I'll put the computer desk in Jack's room.

Jack - whew, that boy's on fire lately. Crying most every time he's told no about something. I know it's a lot about him being overly tired but it's still very annoying.

Sal has been getting hardly any sleep lately so I emailed Sherry and asked for the stuff she gave me before. All natural stuff. I gave her a 1/2 dose a half hour before bed and she was out like a light in no time at all. So now we'll see how long she'll sleep in the morning. I also wonder if it will help her behavior at camp. She had several time outs today, again. I'm not sure when and if to intervene.

Well, we (I) gave in.....

We are now the proud owners of a pool. No, not a *real* pool but a 10ft round pool. You know, the blue ones with the filter. I said I'd never do it - but then again I never thought I'd have a Sally. And because she came home in tears and said that one of the neighbors wouldn't let her swim I sent Bill to the store and said "just do it". :-) Something about that girl - she asks for SO little that she usually get what she wants.

Now if Jack would have asked it would have never happened. Poor Jack - he's so gypped when it comes to spoiling. He asks for SO much and nothing is EVER enough that we hardly even try anymore with him. That's probably going to cost him some money in therapy. ;-) (or us in bail)

So we sent them to the neighbor's to play and set to work putting up the sucker. Think toys at Christmas on a LARGE scale - like 900 gallons scale. So now we wait while our house drinks down 900 gallons from the Village and see how the thing goes. We're *hoping* it's not *too* un-level.

I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to a little float time tomorrow. :-) I'm SUCH a hypocrite. :-)

BIG HAPPY 4th!!!

We got up at 7!!!! That is sleeping in for our gang! We gathered in the living room and started reading books and such. As the kids went their separate ways I got a pen and paper and said to Bill "lets plan the day a little". WHOOOOSH! Sal was by my side in a heart beat She wanted to know EXACTLY what we were doing and when! ;-)

So we drove through Mickey Ds and then went to the "red park". It was SO nice outside - just a beautiful day. We had a ball at the park. When we got home Connie asked the kids to come swimming so off they went. Sally LOVES swimming and she practically bounces down there.

Bill and I packed a big "picnic" along with beach ball, football, extra clothes, and LOTS of glow sticks. We went out to the pond kind of behind the golf course and we played ball and tag with Ellie Maye who we met out there. :-) Then it was time for the air show. It was really cool and went directly over us.

The pond soon filled up with all kinds of people and Daddy and the kids walked around and handed out glow sticks. Sally loved handing out glow sticks. She really had a nice time. When the fireworks started they came out of a helicopter. It was really neat. Then we all hunkered down under our blanket and watched. Sally didn't watch at all - I think it was too much for her. She kept pretending to watch tv. It was very odd. But she just wanted nothing to do with fireworks.

We stopped and got ice-cream, went home and ate it and put the urchins to bed. Ahhhhh. They were all smiles as they laid down and were asleep in about 2minutes from their head hitting the pillow.

They slept in till almost 7:30 today! They both said they had a good time. Sal goes to Social Club today. They're going to Lyle fest. She's all excited and keeps asking if it's 11:30 yet. She's something.

Baby Borrowers

Ok - have you all seen this? I dvr'd it and got to watch this afternoon. I'm not sure what to think. Someone on my Oct list asked if I could handle giving up your baby for 3 days. Jack - YES! Jack was a crier (still is) and hard to make happy. I would have gladly given him away for 3 days. :-) The only thing is - I don't think I could have watched someone else "parenting" him. Especially when the "kids" called the babies "it" and "brat". I HATE the word brat. I think I would have had to go to a beach or something instead of watching the "kids" on tv. :-) Plus, I'd like to state right now that anytime anyone would like to take both for 3 days - just let me know. (advance notice is needed for the moving truck) :-)

Today was early day for us at camp and Sal didn't have bowling so we went to the library. I always tell them they can get 5 books, one movie and one book on tape. Jack had a VERY hard time finding something . (what else is new) He finally got into the movies and tried to find Jurassic Park. No luck. When I suggested the book he said "I don't like reading that much". WHAT??????!!!!!! Remain calm - try not to show fear. My worst fear coming to pass. But as we walked and looked and talked it became apparent that he needed *older* books than the picture books that Sal loves. Whew. Ok - I'm ok - breathe. So I found him in the "early reader" section and he found 5 books in no time. Thank you, God. I just don't have it in me to "make" someone love to read. That boy can always make me sweat.

My Little Sader Tader

Sade turned sweet 16 this year. And yes, she's a little ticked off at all of you who forgot to send a card. :-) She's still pretty spry. She is , however, deaf. I came in today and walked OVER her and she still didn't wake up. That makes me sad. But she can still detect the rustling of food wrappers. THAT is amazing to me. She sleeps a lot and she is very slow when getting up.

Jack had her running loops in the dining room/living room this morning. I think her and Rex both sigh and wonderful sigh when the door slams and we leave. I know *I* do when I get in my car ALONE to go to work. :-)

We've talked about getting another one but after the Ethel drama we're a little on the nervous side. Plus, who can compare?

Have You Heard??

We've moved over to our own site!!!!!!

Check us out at www.myautismdolls.com

4 Daves has a NEW HOME

Please change your bookmarks and visit us at:
http://4davesandazoo.myautismdolls.com/

Thanks!!

Through his eyes

I've noticed lately that J hangs out a lot with children that have special needs. I saw him and Ivan on the bench in the dugout last night - Ivan's arm around him. Today at camp - when I picked him up he was playing with Peter - when asked he told me that Peter had an aide but "wasn't like S". Is it possible that he truly doesn't *see* her disability. ??

On the car ride home S and J were planning tomorrow. They're going to do the Lazy River together and some water slide where "S has to be in back". It's almost scary when they get along. But I have to admit it really melts my heart. I so hope it continues into adulthood and for the rest of their lives.

Talked to the G-parents. They're coming next week on the train. They'll get to see the last baseball game this season AND get to see S bowl. She had a big 57 today - with her new shoes! :-) I ordered her shirt today - I'm praying it gets here by Thursday. :-)

I'm planning on taking Wed and Thurs off and since I got a lot done today - maybe even Friday. :-)

Got a HUGE surprise last night - one of my little daycare kids is babysitting now!!!! Little M - was here from the time she was 6 weeks till the time she was 8. She asked if she could use my sig line for her business card. I am SO flattered. B and I decided we NOW have the perfect babysitter for when we go out. I have to call H&S and let them know anytime is good for us. :-)

"Serious Tower"

This is what J was excited to see this morning. (Sears Tower). Camp is going to the Aquarium today and I told him that it was such a clear day that he would be able to see the Sears Tower from the road. When I tried to explain "Sears" - he said he'd rather call it the Serious Tower. :-)

S got to go garbage picking last night with Daddy. He's been promising that when school was out they could go - last night was S's turn. She's on the hunt for a drum. I have no idea why.

Daddy dropped her off early (10:30) they hadn't found anything and she was yawning so much he decided she should hit the rack. *He* went out again. :-)

I read Little House to J last night. He stopped me and said "Mom, I'm just going to shut my eyes - but I'm not going to sleep, ok." He was out complete with snoring in less than a page. That little one plays hard - and I mean hard. From the time he gets the cereal down his gullet to the time I *insist* he come in for a bath. The thing is - it's beginning to show. His emotions are at the surface and he's whiny. I *hate* that.

Sometimes.......

Things go from bad to worse and you feel SO helpless. Bad news from the South makes it tough to stay positive. You want SO much to DO something. Again - to "fix" it. And you feel angry about WHY. It makes you want to "kick some a**". You can kind of see how people get to the point where they do really CRAZY things. It feels so hopeless sometimes. And even though I'm kind of typing in code - it helps to kind of get it out.

Weird stuff with Camp again. I don't know - S has an aide - but not the same one and then there was talk (from S) that she had cried yesterday because someone wouldn't let her play a game. I hate that - you can't get a full story from her. She's also going through this cry thing when she's told no about something. She can be very obnoxious. Nagging and whining and CONSTANT wanting. ugghhh - I know a lot of it has to do with not knowing what to expect next - but such is life and she's GOT to learn too. Plus the no thing is prob more like a developmental thing - flexing her independence. Celebration yes - but also aggravating as hell! :-)

The October List

Most of you have heard me refer to this group at one point or another and you probably don't *really* get what/who they are. In 1997 we all (I think there are about 80 of us left) joined a Yahoo group called Oct 1997. The meaning of this was that we were all pregnant and had due dates of Oct 97. We had only one thing in common then: our due dates were in October - since then we have come to know all sorts of things in common. (and a lot of us didn't deliver in October) I think I joined in July sometime - a lot of them joined earlier. An email group is one where when you write to the addy of the email group it then goes out to all members. We started out as a public group - meaning anyone could join and after a year we closed the group - because 1. We feared no one just joining would be able to "catch up" and 2. We had become so close that we were sharing things that we didn't feel comfortable with "strangers" knowing. We have been together for almost 11 years now - emailing daily about EVERYTHING. We've had battles over breast vs bottle, homeschooling vs public, democrat vs republican, hospital birth vs home birth, you name it - we've covered it. Some drift off and on in times of heavy activity in real life and then check in again when we have time.

We've been through the death of still borns, miscarriages and a special little boy who managed to make it 5 years before cancer took him from us. I say that almost in passing - but believe me each one has a name and means a LOT to the list - it wasn't/isn't in passing that we think of our lost angels. Our members are all over the nation along with France, Holland, and the Netherlands being represented. We've had divorces and tales of brutality. And we've rejoiced in all of our good things and especially our other births that came later.

We face more opposition - we have two members with cancer and one with a fairly extreme heart situation. The members taking a break have all been summoned and are checking in to show their support. We all feel helpless and desperately want to be with the ones afflicted but distance stands in the way. We write notes of encouragement and tell them we're with them in spirit - we light candles and say prayers. Times like these we feel like men - wanting to "fix" it. Wanting to use our strength and make *it* go away. I find it particularly interesting that we band together - that we rally the troops and bring in our "lost" to help defend our stricken members. We are true soul sisters. When I pray with S at night I always think about my sisters and mentally bless them and send them healing thoughts.

You may think this a very trivial group - but it isn't. These unseen women - even though we've posted pictures and exchanged Christmas presents and year books - have changed my life in drastic ways. I've been forced to look at things from many points of view. I've had the advantage of being "well traveled" without leaving my house. ;-) I've become a better mother by being able to vent about things with them and having new ideas given to me from different walks of life. My spiritual side has been strengthened and opened, by people who I probably would never come into contact with in real life.

They mean the world to me and I'm amazed how deeply I feel about people I've never met face to face. All my love, cyber sisters - and THANK YOU!

Mark's Mom

I met Mark's Mom today. Bare with me as I try to explain who, what, and where. I first met Mark - well, not really met him but saw him at SRA Christmas Party where he sang Silent Night and of course I bawled my eyes out. I since then got him and another young adult confused and saw Mark on the front page of the paper doing some sport (I forget which) - and as I said to the young man who I thought was Mark - "oh, I saw you in the paper" - "no, that was Mark" he said and since then I've *kind* of kept them straight. :-)

Anywho - Mark has been in the paper more and more with track and field and Special Olympics - and I've seen him at chorus practice at the PD. So when I saw him again at the Torch Run and he ran the whole thing WITH the torch - I thought to myself "I've got to meet his Mom, she's GOT to be something." And I was right.

The reason I was so interested in meeting Mark's Mom was that even though I don't know exactly how old Mark is - I do know he's at *least* 10 years older than 2 and that means that in "those days" the special needs world was a WHOLE different arena. How true my thought was.

His Mom and I started to talk and when I asked his diagnosis she told me that she was one of the "refrigerator mothers" - that *lovely* term that was coined to describe the mother of an autistic person and *why* the child was autistic. She was told that she should put Mark in an institution. Thank GOD she did NOT listen!!!! Hurrrayyyyy for those refrigerator moms!!!! He is truly and inspiration! A very tall dark headed lad. He's always got a smile.

Well, you can imagine what happened when I told her that I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for doing all that hard work and not following "the rules" - we both started to weep (ok, you know me too well - *I* bawled). Here I am standing in the shadow of a true pioneer. She was on the first board of the American Autism Society. And her BEST work - well, he waved to us from the back of the van as they drove off to bowling club. I bawled all the way home....

Bowling Club- it was S's first time and her score was 63!!!! I'm totally impressed. She had a BALL! I can't wait to get her shoes and now I need to order a shirt for her. Daddy and I are going next week and we'll take pictures. She needs something to put up on the wall next to J's baseball picture.

Me on my horse again

This is from an About.com newsletter I receive:

" More Topics:
People with Autism? Or Autistic People?Which is the proper way to refer to people with an autism spectrum diagnosis? Vote in the poll!"


Are they kidding me with this????? WHO CARES????? WHAT DOES IT MATTER?????? When the h*** are we as a people and I mean ALL people going to get the heck over ourselves???? I mean, REALLY!!! I heard a blurb the other day that Tiger Woods apologized for saying he didn't like to watch Hockey. SERIOUSLY??????? Is this REALLY all we have to bitch about??

I'm very serious when I say that the people who respect me will ALWAYS respect me - no matter what I call myself. The people who don't 'get it' - will never. I swear people have WAY too much time on their hands if they're THAT upset by WORDS!!! WORDS, people!!! Read the book "Frindle" - you might start to think differently about WORDS!!!!!

What's next - looks? I don't like the way people look at me. They hurt my feelings when they look at me. Good God. How about we forget the WORDS and focus on insurance paying for treatments and therapies??? How about we HELP people understand our kids instead of PREACHING to others what they *should* say. I don't know - I swear some people wear autism like a badge that entitles them to be - well - nasty.

Ok - I'm climbing out of the saddle.

Camps and Concert

We got through the first day of camp. Not real happy with S's aide - but what else is new. Seems that because she's "high functioning" (HATE those terms) that they kind of put her at the bottom of the list when it comes to aides. :-( Which honestly - she may not even NEED an aide (since she's gotten MUCH better with potty). She's not a "runner" and she really doesn't push the limits - very much a rule follower - to a fault sometimes. And really ALL the counselors know her and are SO good with her. They really see to her - well to all the kids.

Again - I'm in awe at the "kids" (young adults - and probably older than I think) that work at Camp. They're all so very polite, and helpful and really full of energy. AND they all know the kids' names. One of the fellas stopped J as we were walking in and was talking to him about what group he was in. I couldn't keep all those names straight!

S starts bowling club today - after camp. It will be interesting to see how that goes. I've ordered bowling shoes online and I'm PRAYING they get her today. I think she'll have a good time.

Special Olympics Torch Run

What a proud moment - seeing my little Auti and her Daddy and MANY police officers along with all the other JBSRA athletes running by as several squad cars escorted their leg of the torch run. (3 miles)

It was a perfect day for it. Bright shining sun, no rain and just a little breeze. We all traveled from Town Center to Joliet Road with the company of the Bbk Police, Joliet Police and the JBSRA bus. S got into the bus about half way through. Daddy made it all the way!!!!

Mark carried the torch. I HAVE to meet his mother. She must be something. That boy (adult now) is really a success story! I have tears in my eyes every time I watch him do something.

J got to ride in my car and "wait" - which I had to remind him of all the times his sister waits for him while he plays baseball or does TKD or whatever the sport of the month is. It's good for him to experience her life once in a while.

S was pleased as punch and LOVED seeing all the police! I got to see a lot of my favorite tax clients (since we seem to be CPA to the cops lately) :-)

We start camp today. S seems to be VERY excited - couldn't go to sleep last night - up very early this morning. And already on my butt to make her lunch and snack. So summer starts as usual. ;-)

Another Year Gone,

Eyes are watery and hugs exchanged. School came to an end for my guys yesterday. S had Dr's appts and then today we do the Spec Olympics Torch Run.

The amount of "stuff" S brings home is always amazing! All the work my team does to make sure we have things to do over the summer - so she doesn't loose what we've worked so hard for.

S met her new aide - Mrs B and her "new" (she was Tech Club advisor) teacher - she was SO excited.

She did VERY well at the Dentist. She got her teeth cleaned and Dr G was able to get in there enough to see no cavities. We were all pleased. I assured Dr that he would indeed get money off of J. That boy has a mouth full of problems.

We got report cards yesterday. SO good. They both brought up the numbers part (follows rules, participates in class, does work neatly, etc) J of course, had MANY "exceeds" and S actually had several A's. I was VERY pleased. J's reading went WAY up (again). I can't get over how well he reads. We need to make sure that doesn't get lost over the summer either.

So we're off for Torch Run .....

I Need a Re-Post

I had to re post this because I need the lesson again. I am daily surrounded by SO many people that not only accept S but seek her out so when confronted with people who shun her I'm surprised. The look you get is SO unbelievable. And when it happens I find myself getting almost ballsie about it - just daring them to say something.






Sunday, February 18, 2007

Sunday
"You Are Understanding:Maybe you never realized how important it is to have a truly understanding friend until you had a child with special needs, and found so many friends to be unable to reach out and give you the support you needed.Whether they couldn't deal with your changed circumstances, sympathize with your problems, keep from hurtful judging, or allow you child to associate with theirs,some of the people who were once important in your life may have fallen away because at the deepest level, they were unable to understand.It's made you value those who are always there for you, unconditionally, without agenda. And it's helped you to be much more understanding parent, family member and friend yourself."

Terri Mauro

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Oh, sing it loud and proud, Sistah!!!!!!! YES, many people have fallen by the wayside and mostly it was their choice. And what's sad - they don't know what they're missing. She is a true joy. I learn stuff from her every day of my life. Yes, it's a struggle and life is harder than I ever imagined, but it's also better than I ever imagined. The people who HAVE stuck or been added: Topping the list -- L. I don't know what I would do without her. She is the friend they speak about above. She treats S just like she would anyone else. She loves me unconditionally. We have had our growing pains but we have made it through a lot! I know that if I call her she will put me back on the right track. I value her so much. She has always been in my cheering section and always pumped me up when I needed it. I so wish she could see herself through my eyes. She is a VERY special person.My sister has also been a guiding force in my life. She also sees no difference in S. She has imparted wisdom of years and relationships. She has also made me laugh along the way and provided a very much needed refuge to escape and dial down. I value her more than she knows or will admit. :-)My cyber friends have both entertained, informed me and let me vent. We've been in space for over 10 years now. I value them because they incorporate so MANY walks of life. When we started we had "only October in common" and now we have SO much more. What I find most interesting about the relationships that have been lost along the way, they were never positive ones. It's taken (still is) me a LONG time to realize that no matter what I did - it wasn't going to work out and in reality I didn't want the prize. How many years have I been in that same mess, just different faces. And what's worse - realizing all the energy that was lost on stuff that really didn't matter and wasn't going to make a difference. Energy I could have used to do other things. But you live, you learn, hopefully. :-)

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Well, I'm STILL learning this lesson. I have to say - on some things I'm very *thick*. I do the same thing over and over and over. Never *really* learning. So I question - exactly WHO has the learning disability??????

S went to social club today - out to DesPlaines. Had a GREAT time! As soon as she was back she was off to Connie's birthday party down the street. The two didn't get home till around 8:30!

We started the day off (and MOST of the rest of the day) with NO air conditioning!!!! It is the most humid and hot day we've had yet and with no air there was really nothing to do but lay around all day. B fixed the air - thank God -it's now BEAUTIFUL here!

So tomorrow I get to do all the chores I was supposed to do today. Woo hoo.

It Takes a Village...

This was written by a lady that I don't know - and I apologize for not giving her name credit - but she has an Autistic son and evidentially she and I were seperated at birth - because I SO could have written the same letter. The only thing I could add is that OTHER children learn FROM *our* kids as MUCH as they learn from others.


"It takes a Village to raise a child.

People say it so much that it sounds cliche, but if you have a child, then you know it's true. What you do as a parent is important, but you can never underestimate the power and influence of the other people in your child's life - especially the people who are with him when you are not. You choose some of the people in your child's village; others are assigned to you. You hold your breath, hand over your child to the village elders, and hope for the best.I've been thinking lately about how much courage it takes for parents - any parents, but particularly those whose children have developmental challenges - to trust the village that is the public school system.

I've been thinking, especially, about two different public school villages: the village at the regional elementary school that Bud attends and the village at the Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Florida, that Alex Barton attended.

The villages are a study in contrast, though my hunch is that the boys in question may not be. I don't know Alex Barton, so I don't know what his school year was like. My sense, though, is that this year in Kindergarten, Alex, who is in the process of being tested for Aspergers Syndrome, exhibited some combination of aggressive behaviors, verbal and physical outbursts, emotional dysregulation, anger and defiance. So did Bud in his second grade class this year.

As I said, I don't know Alex Barton. My only information about him comes from this mind boggling news story. I'll sum it up for you: It seems that Alex's Kindergarten teacher, at wit's end with Alex, adopted an intervention strategy straight out of the reality television program Survivor. She gathered together her class of five-year-olds and held a tribal council, in which each child was encouraged to tell Alex exactly what they thought of him and his behavior. Then the children were asked to cast their votes on whether or not to keep him in the classroom.

They voted him off the island.

The day after Alex's horrifying experience at school, I joined Bud and his classmates for a field trip to a farm museum. As we prepared for the trip, I wondered how it would go - How would Bud manage the dramatic change in routine? Would my presence at a school event be a comfort or an additional source of stress? And I wondered what I would see in the interactions between Bud and his classmates. Out of necessity, we have kept my presence in Bud's classroom at a minimum this semester - a quick kiss goodbye at the door each morning with no time to linger to watch Bud with his peers as he settles in to his day. So, I wondered how Bud's classmates were reacting to him these days, after a year of witnessing what was probably startling and possibly troubling behavior from him.

I was surprised by what I saw.

Bud and I had a completely different farm museum experience from the rest of his classmates. While they gathered in small groups to learn about milking cows and raising chickens and churning butter, Bud and I set off on our own, seeking out the places that were quiet, peeking at cows from a distance, making sheep noises to each other, and walking, walking, walking, walking towards emotional regulation as we tried to work out the jitters and find a way to settle in.

But though Bud and I did not spend the day with a group, we were never outsiders. When we passed children on the grounds, they greeted Bud. They engaged with him when he responded to their greetings, and they gave him space when he didn't. By noontime, we'd found a rhythm and I convinced Bud to join a group from a distance, for just a few minutes. He stayed near (but not with) the group, and then, with a little encouragement from his teacher, worked up the confidence to reach out and stroke the downy feathers of a remarkably docile chicken.

Later, we joined the larger group again for ice cream. Bud's friend Kelly plopped down on the bench beside him, asking about his ice cream and reporting on her own, and then, when the ice cream was finished, she raced out to the field with some other children to roll down the hill. Without prompting from me, Bud ran out to join them.

Then Bud asked his teacher if she'd play hide and seek with him. She readily agreed and ran to hide while Bud closed his eyes and counted. Several children saw what they were doing and asked if they could join in. Tom was one of them. When it was Tom's turn to be "it," he closed his eyes and counted while Bud pulled me over to "hide" with him behind a slender birch tree which left all but a tiny bit of us in plain sight. Tom finished counting, looked up, and looked directly at us. Then he turned and walked in the other direction and said, puzzled, "I wonder where Bud is!"

Tom's words weren't striking - but his tone was. He wasn't playing down to Bud. There wasn't a hint of condescension in his voice. He didn't sound like an older boy playing with his baby brother. He sounded like an eight-year-old playing with another eight-year-old. Tom got it. And when he "discovered" our hiding spot a few minutes later, the thrill of the find was genuine for all three of us.

Later that day, when the field trip was over and Bud was at home with Nana, I met with the school team about Bud's IEP for next year. I recounted the story of our day, and especially Bud's interactions with his peers and his game of hide and seek with Tom. They smiled and said they were glad that I got to see what they see every day. Then one of them offered, "That's what inclusive education is all about."

And that's it, isn't it? That is what inclusive education is about. It's what all education should be about. It's what should be at the heart of the villages that raise our children. All of our children.

But it wasn't at the heart of Alex Barton's village.

In the midst of a difficult, troubling year, Alex Barton's teacher called his village together and rallied them against him. Bud also had a difficult, troubling year and, interestingly, his teacher also called his village together for a tribal meeting. Unlike Alex, Bud was not there for the meeting. And the agenda for Bud's tribe's meeting was distinctly different: one of the special ed team members came in to talk to Bud's class and help them understand Bud a little better - help them understand the things that are difficult for him, the things that are easy for him, and the things they could do to support him through the challenging times. Like Alex's village, Bud's village came together. But Bud was embraced instead of exiled.

Because that's what inclusive education is about.

Inclusive education recognizes that it takes a village to raise a child. It recognizes that Kelly and Tom and the other children in the class are an important part of the village that is raising Bud. And - more to the point - it recognizes that Bud is an important part of the village that is raising Kelly and Tom and the other children in the class. They need each other, and they know it.

Our children's lives should not be played like a game of Survivor. The real-life stakes are too high to take our cues from a reality game show. Our kids need to know that survival doesn't mean pushing others down and fighting to be the last one standing. They need to know that survival - real survival - means that we all emerge, triumphant, standing together at the end.

Bud's tribe has spoken. I hope Alex's tribe is next."

Some Obviously Smoke the Crack

"I'm trying to remember the name of a book I saw on how to vaccinateusing a safe schedule, no mercury, etc. Can anyone help? Also, whatare your thoughts on the measles outbreak in D county? I saw somepeople saying they wanted to have a party to get their kids exposed.Is that better than vaccinating? Thanks- N"

This is from a mother on one of my lists. Can I just say "Are ya kidding me with this???" Measles is NOT something to screw with. People DIE - really die - not get autism die - from measles. I know these mothers *think* autism makes their child "dead" (thank you Jenny McStupid) but measles can = the GRAVE. To me this is kind of a child abuse. What kind of mother knowingly BRINGS suffering and sickness to their child???? Have we just gone off the deep end again???

I also read some of the comments from the March on Washington and God forbid - some mother spoke up *for* vaccinations as they are now and questioned the nontesting done about "green vaccines"!!!! She will now be burned at the stake. These people are DETERMINED to just steam roll this thing - paying NO attention to those of us whose children DIDN'T get autism from vaccines and STILL have autism!!! Just burns my butt. Just like the stay at home Mom vs the work outside the home Mom debate - we scratch each others eyes out instead of joining forces and supporting each other. Ugghhh - will we just NEVER learn. Shouldn't we be learning FROM our children too - instead of being SO consumed with teaching THEM????????

My Youngest....

I went on a field trip with ALL the first graders yesterday. Oh My! I rode the bus, played on the playground, went on a hike, and ate watermelon. I got to sing "Sponge Bob" and "Everywhere we go". I also found out a few things about my youngest:

1. It was VERY important to him that I go on this field trip.
2. He has more anxiety than S does - esp about being late.
3. He has been moved (desk wise) back to the general population.
4. His teacher next year will be the one he had hoped for and the reason????

5 - He is VERY good with the special needs boy in his class - so much so that the
school feels it's important for the two of them to move up together!!!!!!!

Can I just tell you how much I had to hold the HUGE lump in my throat. See, I didn't expect that. No, I knew he wouldn't be *mean* to the boy - but to be that big a part of the child's life is HUGE to me. He gets so much of that at home I just never expected him to *seek it out* . He's become S's Quinn. It still brings tears to my eyes. I've just never been as proud of him as I was yesterday when I heard that. Challenge can bite me - I'll take someone who is good to those that society sees as "less than".

He fell asleep on the bus ride home. Drool and everything. :-) They call him "wild man, J" in school.

And my little Autie - S. Well, she's all about what the last days of school are about. She's excited to be a 5th grader next year. She also got into shopping recently. Her and I went to the store to get sandals the other night and she started looking at the clothes and we came home with 3 outfits for "good". She's so funny - wandering from rack to rack with that "oohhh" sucking in of the breath.

I haven't heard anything about the computer yet. Figure I'll kind of shake the rafters on Monday. I also need to touch base with Speech so I can get the prompts - since she insists on doing them. ;-)

Some of the Good Things About Autism

By Lisa Jo Jody

If you're sick of hearing about all the "deficits" challenging people on the autism spectrum, join the club! But for every down side to autism, there seems to be a positive -- an unusual trait that rarely appears among the "typical" community, but shines out among autistic folk. These plusses are well worth celebrating.

1. Autistic People Rarely Lie We all claim to value the truth, but almost all of us tell little white lies. All, that is, except people on the autism spectrum. To them, truth is truth -- and a good word from a person on the spectrum is the real deal.


2. People on the Autism Spectrum Live in the Moment How often do typical people fail to notice what's in front of their eyes because they're distracted by social cues or random chitchat? People on the autism spectrum truly attend to the sensory input that surrounds them. Many have achieved the ideal of mindfulness.

3. People with Autism Rarely Judge Others Who's fatter? Richer? Smarter? For people on the autism spectrum, these distinctions hold much less importance than for typical folks. In fact, people on the spectrum often see through such surface appearances to discover the real person.

4. Autistic People are Passionate Of course, not all autistic people are alike. But many are truly passionate about the things, ideas and people in their lives. How many "typical" people can say the same?

5. People with Autism Are Not Tied to Social Expectations If you've ever bought a car, played a game or joined a club to fit in, you know how hard it is to be true to yourself. But for people with autism, social expectations can be honestly irrelevant. What matters is true liking, interest and passion -- not keeping up with the Joneses.

6. People with Autism Have Terrific Memories How often do typical people forget directions, or fail to take note of colors, names, and other details? People on the autism spectrum are often much more tuned in to details. They may have a much better memory than their typical peers for all kind of critical details.

7. Autistic People Are Less Materialistic Of course, this is not universally true -- but in general, people with autism are far less concerned with outward appearance than their typical peers. As a result, they worry less about brand names, hairstyles and other expensive but unimportant externals than most people do.

8. Autistic People Play Fewer Head Games Who was that woman, and why were you looking at her? I know I TOLD you I didn't mind if you went out, but why did you believe me? Most autistic people don't play games like these -- and they assume that you won't either. It's a refreshing and wonderful change from the Peyton Place emotional roller coaster that mars too many typical relationships!

9. Autistic People Have Fewer Hidden Agendas Most of the time, if a person on the autism spectrum tells you what he wants -- he is telling you what he wants. No need to beat around the bush, second guess, and hope you're reading between the lines!

10. People with Autism Open New Doors for Neurotypicals For some of us neurotypicals, having an autistic person in our lives has had a profound positive impact on our perceptions, beliefs and expectations. For me, at least, being the mom of a son on the autism spectrum has released me from a lifetime of "should" -- and offered me a new world of "is."

This Guys Is Good - Thanks Steph

What Teachers Make, orObjection Overruled, orIf things don't work out, you can always go to law schoolBy Taylor Maliwww.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers: Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.
"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says. "Be honest. What do you make?"
And I wish he hadn't done that (asked me to be honest) because, you see, I have a policy about honesty and ass-kicking: if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups. No, you may not ask a question. Why won't I let you get a drink of water? Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home: I hope I haven't called at a bad time, I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today. Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?" And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder, I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write, write, write. And then I make them read. I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math. And hide it on their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you got this (brains) then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true: I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

Stick a Fork In Me!

I'm SO done! Ok - when I go to a tee ball game - it's about the boy. But instead I got stuck next to another person who does nothing but talk special needs!!! OMG! I don't think I saw one play from beginning to end! There's sometimes I just don't want to even think special needs. I was so angry and so *tired* after the game.

I *think* J did well. He has SUCH a good time at play! Of course, when we came home he stripped and was out playing with the "gang" by the time B and I had just got in and put our stuff down.

S was also in a mood. I wonder if she knows that we're discussing things that pertain to her. I wonder if she's sick of hearing about special needs too. She wouldn't sit still - she wouldn't play people - she just wouldn't do too much of anything - but whine! :-(

My Eyes Have It

No, nothing serious. I just had a check up this week and for the first time they diluted my eyes. ..... NOT a fun experience. :-/ First the drops burn - no one told me this. Second everything gets very blury. You keep blinking thinking that you can clear the eye, but noooooo. Anyway - I learned a lot from a Dr that just kept talking on and on. :-)



I have always been very sensitive to light - always wearing sun glasses - even when the sun didn't *really* warrant them. The reason : my "light" eyes. I have greenish, brownish, blueish, hazel eyes. They kind of take on different colors depending. Anyway - after checking for tears and such, he goes on to tell me how light my eyes are and that they should be very sensitive to light and the drops and all. Well, *now* he tells me. Also he says "you have very low blood pressure too - don't you?" Yeah - I do. According to him he can see this in my eyes and this is the reason I feel dizzy sometimes and can be part of the headaches. Plus, my right eye is sees much better than the left one and is compensating for this. That could produce the headaches also.

So, I get glasses (stronger) at least for the left eye and tells me I should really invest in some *good* sun glasses. I explain the children. He suggests the "unbreakable" kind. I explain Jack. :-)

Looking forward to a little "down" time this weekend. Got most of the laundry done and have kept up with the kitchen - thanks to B so I don't foresee a lot of crap to do. J has a game tomorrow - I'm hoping it's not cold or rained out. I need to get my presents out to the folks - or they'll outgrow their shirts. ha ha. Jack still has some thank yous to do too. I might even tackle my desk tonight so I can really relax this weekend. :-)

Might be a nice time to set up the lawn furniture and actually use it. Also promised J that I'd teach him how *I* was taught to bat. :-) No snickering ------- I can hear you.

Florida Teacher

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Fire-teacher-for-unprofessional-conduct

This is the story about the Kindergarten teacher who had the class take a vote to see if they should keep this little boy in their class. The vote was taken AFTER the teacher had all members of the class tell this little boy what they didn't like about him.

Not only is does this story scare the hell out of me that teachers like this actually exist but it is some of the comments listed after the story. Some people want to give her a medal! Cannot we see that there are MUCH better ways to handle this. Special Needs or not (they're saying the boy is borderline autistic) this should NEVER happen in a classroom!!! Maybe we should now give the people who read this story a vote on what should happen to the teacher.

Can I just once again say how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE JES!!!! *My* school ROCKS!!! ;-)

What a FUN Weekend!

So maybe I have a "convienent" memory. :-) Some funny things did happen this weekend (Memorial Day) and WE got a LOT of stuff done!

We went garage saling on Saturday. J GAVE S some of HIS money!!!!! They both left with $5 in quarters. S had to buy something at each sale. ;-) After the first sale J asked "How much did S *waste*?" :-) Too funny. On the way home S was complaining about a Arthur doll she had bought that needed a couple of stitches to hold up his glasses. I told her I could fix that with needle and thread. From the back seat - loud as can be - I hear "YOU can sew?????!!!!" In a voice that can hardly believe what I said. :-)

"Yes, J, I can sew."
"Like Gma and Aunt J?" he asks still amazed
"Well, yes."
"Then why don't you make stuff" he says - testing me
"Because I don't enjoy doing the stuff that Gma and Aunt J do, I'd rather scrap book."
"But we could have more blankets if you did"
Never fear - leave it to J to figure out how EVERYTHING can benifit him.

Sometimes I wonder that if in his eyes I'm just the dumbest woman ever put on the earth. :-) I know I'm the worst mother. ;-)

They played outside ALL weekend. The mud hardly ran down the drain after their baths. ;-) J can NOt get enough of "playing".

We got out ALL the summer stuff and *almost* have all the winter clothes put away. Yesterday it was in the 70s. Today it's around 50. Ugghh. I *do* always leave out some winter clothes - but it's just the point of it all.

S and I went to see O's game. That was really fun. I love to watch them play. Same way with Mrs G's son. J's games are getting better. It's just that I'm usually busy with whatever is keeping S occupied.

S did well this weekend. A little bit of naglet. But she can tone it down if asked. I really need to get the "softeners" in her - but I can't figure a time that it would hit at home and not at school. I totally forgot about it this weekend.

B made the BEST meals this weekend. He is such a good cook. I was SO glad he took over this weekend. AND he cleaned up. LOVE that!!!! I think he knows the government checks are getting closer to us and he wants to make sure he gets to spend his cut frivolously. ;-)

BIG News!

S is going to be a "Patrol" next year at school. Patrols kind of "patrol" the school - in the morning and after school - making sure kids don't fight in line or do "bad things". (I guess I would call them tattle tales or informers) :-) It is a BIG step for her. She's really good at knowing how one should act - it's the enforcing it with OUT physical contact that will be hard for her. :-)

I can't believe that all too soon we'll be saying goodbye to another set of teachers. And then in one VERY short year it will be time for Jr High. Just where did the time go? It's funny looking back at all of our "autistic phases" that we went through - feces smearing, drooling, non-verbal, potty training (at age 10), a room that was in FANTASTIC order and her getting ticked when it wasn't, tantrums, yelling out, and yes, we do still have *some* of those symptoms - we sure have come a LONG way! I can't WAIT to see where she goes from here. :-)

We had our school book fair at Barnes and Noble last night and --- O M G! Both S and I were like kids in a candy store. I think she would have taken one of everything and so would I. J on the other hand, was overwhelmed, I think. It was very hard for him to choose and he didn't "want anything". I think he was afraid he'd take the wrong thing. He also fought me about getting toys instead of books. WHY do they sell toys in the bookstore? I know some of the toys go with the books but there's a LOT that don't!

Mrs H turned me on to a book that has to do with an autistic child and a NT sibling, and I found 2 more CS Lewis' that I hadn't read yet. I'm set for some good summer reading. The bad thing is that with S's swimming lessons over for the summer - I don't have a nice chunk of time that's pretty much un-interrupted. :-(

Looking forward to a nice long weekend. I have a lot to do - STILL haven't exchanged summer for winter clothes! But the weather hasn't really demanded that it be done - and you know me - never do something till it's a deadline! :-)

I'm also planning on finishing the planting and painting the fence and in general clean up "the grounds". I've decided we should paint the fence with chalkboard paint and then get a bird feeder to store the chalk. That way it won't sit out in the weather but would be able to find also. We'll see how that idea flys with the power that be. :-)

The Birthday is FINALLY Over!

Thank the Good Lord - we're finally done with J's birthday. The day is actually the 14th but it seems like we've been "celebrating" for over 2 weeks! Aunt J came up this weekend and we went to see the baseball game.

The bouncy castle - or dinosaur arrived on Sunday at 9am and stayed till 8pm. At one time there were 13 children out there! We had hotdogs, chips, cupcakes and ice-cream and of course Popsicles the whole day.

J received a game ball on Saturday because he drove in both the tying and winning run. Granted he stopped to tie his shoe on 2nd - but nevertheless he felt like a star. :-) I find it so humorous how serious people get about this. Most of the kids are almost oblivious to what's going on but the parents get into it like it's a life or death situation. Parents...... they're just nuts.

I've been sick the last couple of days. Not sure how much is physical and how much is mental. I'm just really tired. Mentally beat up.

My little "Autistic" is talking non-stop and as usual hits the ground running and expects the same from me. I don't re-charge as well as she does. She's having problems in the potty dept again. I think it's just one of those things. Roller coaster kind of progress. We just "keep on keepin' on".

Looking forward to haircut and a little *me* time today. Still need to do some laundry when I get home - but we get dinner out tonight because it's "school dinner night". That's kind of nice - start tomorrow with a clean kitchen.

Do You Trust Meds or Not?????

I'm on several email lists about autism. One link in all of them - their children were all poisoned by vaccines. The few of us that don't believe this learn very early to keep our mouths shut less you wake the lion and get your butt flamed. But just this morning I read a post about someone having problems getting a child to sleep through the night. Benedryl was first suggested then more and more drugs. It occurred to me that if you believe your child was poisoned why in God's name would you be putting more medication (made by the evil drug company) into a child and for no more purpose than your own comfort.

Now, don't get me wrong - I don't have one problem helping a child to sleep in a responsible way if only for your own personal sanity. BUT - I don't preach to all who will hear how my kid was poisoned and that my child "died in front of my very eyes". A quote that I SO hurt for people who really do loose a child never hear.

Not to mention that fact that a lot of these same people use meds to keep their child in check. So vaccines are bad and meds are good? Doesn't make good sense does it? I don't know - I don't have all the answers but I DO believe that just as no child with autism is the same - neither is the cause and to take matters to the legal system creates another problem all together.

Just a little food or drugs for thought.

I'm The Birthday Boy!

This is what we heard out of J's room yesterday morning! We had our usual birthday breakfast, sang to him, blew candles and recited his birth story - which he absolutely loves. Then we took his brownies and apple juice to school. He was SO proud and SO excited!

S and I had picked up the treats at Walmart the night before. She loves going shopping and J loves to have someone get the stuff he dictates. :-) The only problem was S peed her pants right in the checkout. She was pretty upset. Thank God she had a jacket on. I tied it around her waste and notified the checker that there was a need for a mop. It was raining outside so no one even noticed. I think it was because we had been talking to someone in line who was from JES and I think she just waited too long. "That's an accident and accidents happen, right Mom" she said. I didn't even scold her - just told her to remember to tell me right when she first feels the pee.

J and Daddy went to the batting cages last night. Then we went out for birthday dinner - guess where. That's right - Mc Ds. :-) S actually initiated talking with a little girl that was there. Asked her how old she was and where she went to school. I was quite impressed.

We have a baseball game tonight, I'm just praying it doesn't get so cold again. :-( S and I have swimming lessons first. She LOVES swimming, and *I* love that! :-)

Thoughts of a Mom
By Maureen K. Higgins

Many of you I have never even met face to face, but I've searched you out every day. I've looked for you on the Internet, on playgrounds and in grocery stores. I've become an expert at identifying you. You are well worn. You are stronger than you ever wanted to be. Your words ring experience, experience you culled with your very heart and soul. You are compassionate beyond the expectations of this world. You are my "sisters."

Yes, you and I, my friend, are sisters in a sorority. A very elite sorority.We are special. Just like any other sorority, we were chosen to be members. Some of us were invited to join immediately, some not for months or even years. Some of us even tried to refuse membership, but to no avail. We were initiated in neurologist's offices and NICU units, in obstetrician's offices, in emergency rooms, and during ultrasounds. We were initiated with somber telephone calls, consultations, evaluations, blood tests, x-rays, MRI films, and heart surgeries. All of us have one thing in common. One day things were fine. We were pregnant, or we had just given birth, or we were nursing our newborn, or we were playing with our toddler. Yes, one minute everything was fine. Then, whether it happened in an instant, as it often does, or over the course of a few weeks or months, our entire lives changed. Something wasn't quite right. Then we found ourselves mothers of children with special needs. We are united, we sisters, regardless of the diversity of our children's special needs.

We have mutual respect and empathy for all the women who walk in our shoes. We are knowledgeable. We have educated ourselves with whatever materials we could find. We know "the" specialists in the field. We know "the" neurologists, "the" hospitals, "the" wonder drugs, "the" treatments. We know "the" tests that need to be done, we know "the" degenerative and progressive diseases and we hold our breath while our children are tested for them. Without formal education, we could become board certified in neurology, endocrinology, and psychiatry.

We have taken on our insurance companies and school boards to get what our children need to survive, and to flourish. We have prevailed upon the State to include augmentative communication devices in special education classes and mainstream schools for our children. We have sued municipalities to have our children properly classified so they could receive education and evaluation commensurate with their diagnosis.We have learned to deal with the rest of the world, even if that means walking away from it.

We have tolerated scorn in supermarkets during "tantrums" and gritted our teeth while discipline was advocated by the person behind us on line. We have tolerated inane suggestions and home remedies from well-meaning strangers. We have tolerated mothers of children without special needs complaining about chicken pox and ear infections.

We have learned that many of our closest friends can't understand what it's like to be in our sorority, and don't even want to try. We have our own personal copies of Emily Perl Kingsley's "A Trip To Holland" and Erma Bombeck's "The Special Mother." We keep them by our bedside and read and reread them during our toughest hours. We have coped with holidays. And all the while, we have tried to create a festive atmosphere for the rest of our family. We've gotten up every morning since our journey began wondering how we'd make it through another day, and gone to bed every evening not sure how we did it.

We've mourned the fact that we never got to relax and sip red wine in Italy.We've mourned the fact that our trip to Holland has required much more baggage than we ever imagined when we first visited the travel agent. And we've mourned because we left for the airport without most of the things we needed for the trip. But we, sisters, we keep the faith always. We never stop believing.Our love for our special children and our belief in all that they will achieve in life knows no bounds. We dream of them scoring touchdowns and extra points and home runs. We visualize them running sprints and marathons. We dream of them planting vegetable seeds, riding horses and chopping down trees. We hear their angelic voices singing Christmas carols. We see their palettes smeared with watercolors, and their fingers flying over ivory keys in a concert hall. We are amazed at the grace of their pirouettes. We never, never stop believing in all they will accomplish as they pass through this world.But in the meantime, my sisters, the most important thing we do, is hold tight to their little hands as together, we special mothers and our special children, reach for the stars.
*******************************************************************

OH! Sing is my Sistah!!!!! Ain't it the truth! I'm always amazed at how EXHAUSTING "special living" can be! I always think it's just me till I run into another Mom or *my* Mom has S for a week. I LOVE her so much it doesn't *seem* that different - till she's gone and I get to experience that "normal" life. :-) There's only a very few days I'd trade. I'm glad.

She is the *I* in her IEP

Team meeting yesterday. This kid is just going GANG BUSTERS! She took what they call a 4th grade probe - she read 43 words!!!! That's grade level - baby!!!!! What's really funny - I was stopped 3 times in the hall before I actually got to the meeting and was told congratulations. The WHOLE school is S's teacher. :-) We also started the *PROCESS* of getting her a laptop for class next year. You know the State - have to document and prove everything 3 times over. Puts me right over the edge. But we're looking at having one by next Sept - if not - B and I have decided we would furnish one.

I also got to see some really COOL new software out there. Like the "smart" stuff - once she types a letter a screen will pop up with words for her to pick from. I'm very excited about this. I thought Tech Club was just going to be a chance for her to be more independent and practice social skills and here she busts through that too. She really should be the poster child for inclusion. She has really blossomed. Thank God for Mrs Anderson!!!

J's game was cancelled on Wed - we were ALL so bummed. I really don't know why - it had stopped raining several hours before - but maybe the fields just couldn't be saved. Who knows. But I was really bummed. J, of course, just ran off to play - no skin off him. :-) God, he LOVES to play outside!

We received a box of books from Aunt Betty this week. We were ALL excited. They are SO cute. Lots of "Children's Letters to God" and that type. J is loving reading them before bed. He also brought home a Junie B Jones book that we're almost done with. We read while S is at swimming lessons. I love Junie B - she reminds me a LOT of J. :-)

We were all up at 6 am today - woo hoo. :-/ ughhh. Got to get our "playing" in before school. They're begging at 7 to go get the neighbors. I hold them off till 8 and then the neighborhood is up for grabs.

I'm planning on planting all my *stuff* this weekend. I thought I could get laundry done and take it easy but no going. :-/ Such is Mother's Day weekend. :-)

Oh Yeah - THAT's the job I want my kid to have!

PALEASE! The White Sox apparently have a blow up doll in their locker room with bats going up into "strategic" places. This was all done to break the "curse" of bad and no hits. Hey, I got a CRAZY idea - how about BATTING PRACTICE????!!!!!!



This will now be my MAIN example of why I think professional ball players are HUGE WASTES - and seriously DON'T have the sense God gave a goose! Yes, they have the right to do this - but *I* have the right to see and treat them as the 12 year olds that they so obviously are! And I shudder when I think that my child may very well want to be a pro ball player one day - and then I see me telling him (and yes, I WOULD put MY opinions ON my child for this one) how STUPID (yes, S I said stupid) the profession is. Baseball not exclusive - this is true. Benson, from the Bears was arrested recently and don't get me started with Urlacher and his Baby Momma crap. They're idiots, the whole lot of them. No one kept them grounded when they were growing up. No one told them that when God gives you a special talent He EXPECTS a LOT from you. And not just on the field. Ok, I'll step off my horse now. :-)

Take Me Out To The Freezer?

DANG! It was COLD at the diamond today!!!! We all dressed in our J finery and our Purple Murple outfits and headed out to face the winds, rain and COLD!

But as luck would have it, cold seems to be no threat to the boy. He was on fire today. Well, as on fire as a 6 year old can be. :-) He went 3/3 at the plate and handled himself VERY well behind the plate. Catching seems to be his thing. He also scored the tying run (by SLIDING into home and getting conked on the head) and was the only person to hit the ball into the outfield. The thing is - I'm not quite sure who was more excited J or his dad. :-)

We had after game dinner at Culver's and we talked and talked about J's game. As we went to a different topic he politely asked "Excuse me, can we talk about my baseball again?" Like there was a choice. :-)

So we dropped the girl off at Social Club (today was Cinco De Mayo Party) and headed to Wal-Mart to buy a new glove. All you die hard baseball fans - don't worry - I'm saving the old glove - just in case all the luck is in it. :-)

As we're walking through the store he turns to his Dad and asks "Who were we versus today?" He cracks me up, that boy.

So the girl comes bouncing up the stairs from Social Club and produces a back pack full of *stuff*. The obviously had pinatas' and lots of candy. :-) She's smiles from head to toe. What a difference an evening can make. :-)

I Wish...

"I wish S didn't have Autism." J's words ring true in my ears. "Yeah, well, then she wouldn't be S would she? She wouldn't say things like *you're a nice boy, J*.

"She might," he answered me.

"No, autism is as much a part of S as her eye color or being right handed. It's the way she sees the world."

This whole little conversation came up as we put J to bed - after leaving a family gathering rather abruptly. S was very close to melt down totally tonight. It was too warm, too loud, too close and she was tired and she couldn't really "get away "or "tune out" as she does. We tried a walk outside - but being dark I think it scared her just a little. Or at least put more anxiety in her. I'm VERY tired. My anxiety doesn't help either in the situation. And thus, this is why we don't go many places that we don't know well.

I feel very bad for B and J. They were having SUCH a good time. I MUST remember that next time we should take two cars. It doesn't seem fair to punish EVERYONE. I also feel sorry for S. It gets crazier and crazier as the years go by with meltdown prevention.

Autism is NOT a tragedy it is the fact that MOST of us are unversed in the autism language and don't know how to help them maneuver this crazy world. Hell, most of the time*I* can't maneuver the world. Little secret: the walk tonight was as much for me as it was for her. I just can't do the loud and crazy anymore. :-)

Yesterday...

was the best day in J's life. If you're a loyal reader you know that this has been said several times before. :-) The reason for this particular "best day" was that the after school daycare took them skating. *I* personally, thought it was fantastic. They paid for skating and snack. How nice is that. JS Elem School just gets better and better for us. I've never met so many nice and concerned people. Not to mention on the top of their game.

So, I had lunch with the Wild Boys yesterday. That's always fun and interesting. :-) Seems one of their co-workers is really getting up there in age and is having some difficulties. They were making fun of it because - well - that's what they do - but it's really kind of sad. There's so many people having to work longer and longer and still not making it. Bossman told me that stats say that the next generation will actually be *poorer* than the one before. How sad is that.

S informed me that I was "a nice girl" yesterday because I asked her if she was ok when she had a little coughing attack. She is SO funny sometimes. We had to watch "Naughty Kids" (the rest of you know it as "Supernanny") this morning - I had taped it last night. She is really into that. But thank God we don't have to watch reruns over and over like we did before. She's content with just one showing.

Gma sent money and treats yesterday - for good report cards. I don't think my guys really *get* that. And I'm sure that's really a bad thing. :-) J was SO excited to see the box on the front porch. Telling all his friends that he got a present! I so want that shirt "it's all about J".

Tonight is the regular baseball practice and swimming lessons with the encounter of Mothers of "neuro-typical" children. I have to admit it's kind of entertaining in a way. Kind of a life boat kind of way. ;-)

SO Early!

S is intent on being up before 6am every day. I usually don't mind too much - I'm kind of a morning person also - but today I had a headache and that little screechy voice and freezing cold feet just didn't set well. Not to mention that S hits the ground running and pretty much expects everyone else to do the same.

As I tumbled out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen she was already asking if she could have pancakes for breakfast. To my HUGE surprise J volunteered to make them!!! As I watched from my office chair J micro'd the pancakes and sausage, cut them up for S - AND got the juice out and poured it and returned it to the fridge - all without a spill!!! I felt as if my test results had come back and J had seen them first. :-) I couldn't believe it.

Of course the minute breakfast was consumed J started asking when he could "go knock on doors" - in other words - when could he go out and play with the neighbors. When I told him that he could go at 8:00 AND that he HAD to brush his teeth really well before he went out. He not only put toothpaste on S's brush but tried to get her to brush her teeth herself. That little "disappointed" tone "Oh, S - I thought you were going to do it yourself." Made my heart just melt.

On the way to school J told me it was the best day of his life. (he's had MANY of these days) :-)But this one is because the after school daycare is taking all the kids skating today. He has the money for snack for both of them and he was all smiles as he headed to class today.

Last day of no boss man for me. The office is so quiet and there are virtually no phone calls. He returns tomorrow and with that more work than ever. :-) I'm having lunch with the hubby today just as a celebration. :-)