Slacker with a Question....

`
`
`

I can't believe it is already Thursday afternoon!  Wow.  This week has gone by way too quickly.  I haven't blogged at all.  I am such a slacker!

I guess I've been preoccupied.  By what, I have no idea.  I think I need a schedule.  A plan.

Or someone to tell me what to do.  Wait....

I just need a better plan. 

Did you know that April is Autism Awareness Month?  Even though I didn't (but should have) spend a lot of extra time blogging about Congenital Heart Disease back in February,  I do plan to share some of my experience and knowledge about Autism in April.  If you are directly affected by Autism or know someone who is, please check back with me in April.  I plan to share some web resources and some of my own personal tips and tricks for dealing with the characteristics of Autism.

For now I just have two questions....

1.  Do you know someone personally with Autism?  Leave me a comment and tell me.  

I really want to know!

2.  What do you do to organize your life regarding blogging, household chores, kids, husband, etc. with or without Autism? 

I really NEED to know!

Oh, and one more thing.....

Finish this sentence:  When I get stressed I ______________________________________.

Just curious!

Friday Ramblings

`
`
`

T to-the-GIF!  What a week.  So emotionally draining and paralyzing.

We I made it.


We've managed to make some good memories, have some good times, and even get a little work done this week.  I can't claim much in the way of productivity, but I did see a couple of family members take on some big jobs.

Tim started working on our girl's broken Tracker.   New axle.  (Don't ask.)

 I certainly do not envy him at this point.  Yuck.  What a mess!


My girl is missing her little Tracker, but we are definitely NOT missing the added gas expenses.  :oP


~~~~~~~

While Dad was busy tearing her car apart, our girl was busy doing yard work.  Gardening is very calming while keeping your body and mind busy.  Just look how great my flower beds are looking!

See the lilies coming up?  Won't be long until the garden is filled with colorful flowers.

~~~~~~~

I decided to create a mini art gallery of kids' art in the short hallway by their bedrooms.  It's a tiny wall, but I think it turned out nice, although I would like to have a little more room: 

I've been picking up frames at thrift stores just for this purpose.  I'm finding that it is difficult to switch out pieces like I had planned.

All of my kids are very creative.  I guess it comes naturally from my art background and Tim's photography background.  They all love to paint, draw, take pictures, and create masterpieces. 

This is Cade's Picasso from last year.  It's one of my all-time favorites.

And this is his field of purple flowers.  So pretty!  He was 9 when he did this one.  He will be 10 in 3 weeks.  Double digits!

These are Eli's (age 5):

Mario and Bowser.  He LOVES Mario.

And a very colorful watercolor project.

Eli had a day off from school today so we hung out and painted together.  He did this watercolor all by himself and I just love it!  I love the boldness of it.  What do you think?

Isn't it lovely??

I taught him all about smash painting.  Just the name of it sounds like great boy fun.  To create smash art you apply blobs of paint to the paper.  Once you have all the colors you want, you fold the paper in half and smash it with your hand.  You can rub it around or drag your fingers across with varying pressure to create different effects. 

I did these two so my little one could see what to do.  The top one looks like a flower, doesn't it?  And the bottom one looks like Mighty Mouse.  Ha!!

Can you see the mouse??

Here are Eli's smash paintings.  He calls the top one Koopa (from Mario, of course).  He didn't give the bottom one a name, but I think it looks like oriental art.  It's beautiful!

 ~~~~~~~~

 Eli recently discovered the Nick Jr show "Blue's Clues" and absolutely loves it.  He was so excited when he found this at a thrift store today:

His joy was so obvious, so complete, so overflowing that the store manager gave Eli the stuffed toy on the spot.  Wasn't that nice??

~~~~~~~~

As I was finishing up this post, my little one grabbed Dad's camera (yeah, the one he GAVE me, then took back) and snapped a quick self portrait.  Of course, I just had to share it.  It's upside down! lol

~~~~~~~~~

In about an hour we will kick off the spring soccer season with Cade's first practice.  He is so excited!  And so am I.  I hope he has a great time.

~~~~~~~~



 Life goes on...

Thank goodness His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:23)   Seriously.



Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday--Sleeping Problems!

'
'
'
S

 Seriously...  HOW???
 

 Twenty minutes later...  (Cruel??  Time got away from me!)

  

Boy's got talent.

Or serious sleeping problems. 

Or both.

Thoughts about Loss....

March 22, 2011 is one for the history books.

Today was tough.

Losing a child is so hard. 

So painful.  So..... empty.  

Watching your child suffer this loss is nearly unbearable.

I have never been able to verbalize my thoughts on early infant loss versus miscarriage due to lack of personal experience. 

Until now.  

(And I still have no direct personal experience with miscarriage, as in, I've never actually had one. Does a grandchild count?)  

Infant loss, I do know. 

I held my baby.  

I saw that he was a boy.  

I gazed into his dark blue eyes.  

I smelled that new baby smell that is irresistible and unforgettable and universal....  

(He has a name....Clint...)  

 I never had to wonder if he had my nose or his daddy's eyes.  

I never had to wonder if he was a new baby son or a new baby daughter.   I knew.

He has a name.  He has a memorial headstone.

After eighteen years... 

...he still has a name. 

I would trade places if I could.  I would take her pain, her questions, her uncertainty, her emptiness...

I would spare her these feelings in a New York minute, even though the ignorance would surely drive me mad.

But, I can't.

And that's all I have to say about that.  

Making a Wish.....

'
'
'
ye
Yep.  That's right....

Eli was visited by two Make a Wish volunteers last week.  And they brought gifts!

He was a little leery at first, but was excited to see the Toy Story tissue paper!

Of course, I was there to help him dig into that bag of goodies....

Markers, crayons, Crayola Color Works, Toy Story coloring books, a Crayola dry erase activity center, bubbles.....

Did you see his face???  He was a very happy camper!

We were afraid his lack of communication skills might get in the way (thanks to Autism) but he made his wish known loud and clear.

Where do you want to go, Eli???

 Deenee Wold!!!  Woody, Buzz??

Thank you Make a Wish, Ms. Ashley and Ms. Shelia!  We are so excited to hear if Eli is going to get his wish to meet Woody and Buzz.   Stayed tuned for updates.....

A Bittersweet Birthday....

'
'
'

My status as the mom of teens dropped this weekend.  I was the mom of three teens (plus a pre-tween and a preschooler)....and then...

....faster than you can snap your fingers, I became a mom of two teens.

I have a 20 year old.


I have a 20 year old?!?!?!   How is that possible?????  

I mean, it was only yesterday....

*Sigh*

Now she's all grown up.....

So, we celebrated. 

.....like children.  

When we took the party inside, we were hit with a blast of girly pink and tie dye.....

I made a 'hippie' cake complete with peace signs, smiley faces, love beads, and tie dye. 

Even the cake itself was tie dye!

(I wish the photos were better, but remember that new camera I received not too long ago?  Well...SOMEBODY is an Indian Giver.  I won't name names but it isn't one of my kids and we share a bedroom.  lol  He dropped his camera and broke it.  Then he took mine.   So, all I have is my camera phone and these low quality photos to share.  Hmmpfff.)   ANYWAY.


Back to the cake.  My tie dye masterpiece.

When the teens and twenty-somethings left to meet up with the cousins to continue the celebration, I contemplated as I cleaned.

In 2005, the day before my 40th birthday, I learned bad news about the baby I was expecting.  It was a shock to learn about his heart defects and it cast a large shadow over what is usually a milestone birthday.  

History repeated itself this year.  The day before we celebrated my girl's 20th birthday, she learned that the baby she is carrying is no longer living. 

So sad and unexpected.

I had not taken the time yet to make a formal announcement here on my blog because, well, learning I would soon be a grandma was quite a shock.   I did add a ticker to my sidebar (Gigi-to-be) and planned to post ultrasound photos and make a big announcement post after her doctor's visit last week. 

Well, here it is.  Just not the announcement I had planned.  :o(   

It all made for a bittersweet birthday. 

God gives and he takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I love you, Sam.  Happy Birthday.  Trust God, okay?  He has a plan for you....