*Just a note: This is not a sponsored post, in any way. I just want to share something that we are trying out in case it may help someone else. I don't get anything for sharing and I am paying for my membership. I just joined on Saturday, so it's still very new to us. :) *
I've been struggling with meal planning and going grocery shopping lately. I want to make some new or different meals - at least sometimes - but we seem to fall back on old favorites way too often.
Obviously they are old favorites for a reason, but it gets boring after a while and nobody wants to eat it. We are still trying to eat real, homemade meals - in other words, not from a box or mix - for most of our lunches and dinners, although we still tend to rely on cereal way too much in the mornings.
Jason and I watched a documentary the other night, The Perfect Human Diet. While I don't necessarily agree with it entirely, we did learn some interesting things, and Jason suggested trying a paleo diet/lifestyle. We aren't going completely "paleo" though, but limiting our grains quite a bit more. Having only started this yesterday in full force, it's been a definite change.
I usually plan two weeks of meals and go grocery shopping for 90% of what we need every other Friday or Saturday and get perishables as needed the next week - milk and dairy, veggies, fruit - which can be challenging in itself due to 14 dinners planned plus figuring out staples for breakfasts and lunches. The boys tend to take the same thing day after day, or at least week after week, which again can get boring.
On Saturday, after deciding to start planning for just a week, I attempted to find some new meals and while I found a few, I just couldn't concentrate. I remembered a site I'd heard about, eMeals, and decided to check into it. After a brief discussion with Jason, we signed up for a 3 month 7-day dinner meal plan - the paleo one - as well as adding on the 5-day lunch and 5-day breakfast menus. They give you a full week of dinners including recipes and grocery list, and for 5 days for the lunch and breakfast ones each.
There were 2 breakfast recipes we decided to skip (a smoothie and a pineapple cashew bar), but the other 3 look perfect for us to try. We are filling in cereal, scrambled eggs and toast or pancakes on the other 4 days this week. The lunches all look yummy and do-able. Today's was a parfait and pears with nut butter. I tweeked it a bit to fit our tastes, using regular french vanilla yogurt instead of french vanilla greek yogurt, granola cereal instead of pearl barley, and just strawberries rather than strawberries AND blueberries, and replacing nut butter with wowbutter, due to nut allergies at school. (I worry a lot, and even though there aren't allergies in either of the boys' classrooms, they aren't always diligent with the hand washing, etc and I'd hate for a friend in any other class that they see in the hall/lunch/recess that has an allergy to have a reaction. Better safe than sorry and they don't really mind :) )
Dinner last night was all new. Even though we've had ribs before, it was a new recipe. We baked baby-back pork ribs with a dry-rub for about 3 hours, till they were falling off the bone. For the side dishes, the boys had simply cheetos cheese puffs - no food coloring, although still processed, it's a compromise - and we all had spicy turnip greens. Having never cooked OR eaten turnip greens, I wasn't sure what to expect. With Jason's help in the kitchen, dinner turned out good! The turnip greens were sauteed/boiled with onions, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and dill pickle juice and then seasoned with sea salt and red pepper. They were sour, but not horrible. E and Alex really liked the ribs, with a bit of bbq sauce added, as did I. Jason ate them with and with out bbq sauce. Jack didn't want anything to do with the ribs. Jas, E, Alex and I ate the turnip greens - although the boys only had to try a small amount and weren't too enthusiastic, they did eat all of it! Jackson was leary about the whole meal to be honest, but did end up eating cheese puffs, a banana, and the ONIONS from the greens!! LOL. He kept saying "grapes, grapes" and pointing to the little diced onions, so Jason kept giving them to him.
Tonight, we are having fish and roasted veggies, and some baked fries for the boys. I have back-up stuff in the house just in case - fish sticks for the boys as the fish recipe sound a bit spicy. Although, they will probably at least eat some of it. I'm just glad they are willing to indulge me by trying this stuff ;) I won't be a short-order cook, but I'm willing to add something that I know they will eat to an all-new or mostly-new meal so they won't go hungry if they truly don't like it, and they are willing to eat at least a bite or two of most everything we offer them. Well except the toddler. He used to eat anything, but he's at a pickier stage now. That's ok. Just got to keep offering. Right?
One thing I'm not sure about with this new menu-plan thing is that I went way over budget for the week. I bought a week's worth of groceries, but spent almost all of our 2 weeks worth of grocery money...
Though I'm sure quite a few things are more than a week's supply - staples for the pantry. Plus we have 3 meals worth of meat that we had "extra" in the freezer from 2 weeks ago: a whole chicken and 2 lbs of ground beef. As well as adding an second roast since I bought 2 this week for a good price. We also usually have leftovers once a week, so we will do that, and move one of this week's meals to next week, as well as add one to next week, so that will only leave one dinner and then some breakfast/lunch items to buy. I will have to readjust our budget some though I think. It's a work in progress, but it will work out. I don't know when I've bought so much fresh produce!
I hope that nothing in the fridge freezes prior to tomorrow. We get our new one delivered tomorrow after 9am. I seriously can not wait!!! I've been watching the lettuce, kale and baby spinach, especially, like a hawk. They seem to freeze the easiest and then it's ruined. 24 hours!
I'm glad we decided to try this menu plan though. It's pleasing to all of us - Jason gets meat or seafood at every dinner (his favorite) and I get to serve more veggies and we get to try new things, while cutting down on the one thing I'm seriously addicted to: grains and starches. Plus it saves me time and energy. That makes me especially happy!
It's also October and we are trying - unbeknownst to Jason and the boys - eat less processed foods. Not completely unprocessed but much, much less.
We ordered pizza and cheesebread Friday night and all I could think about after and the next day was how much my stomach hurt. I mentioned it to Jason, and he said the same thing! It wasn't even that good tasting! Totally decided it's going to be quite awhile before we order pizza or even eat out anywhere.
How do you plan your meals? Do you cook a lot at home? Are you adventurous or at least willing to try new recipes or are you more conservative, sticking to your "old favorites"?
Monday, October 7, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
My "letter" to my sister and her new husband
My older sister, Heather got married last Saturday - 9/21/13 - and as her Matron of Honor, I was blessed with the honor of toasting the new couple, among all my other duties.
See, here's the thing. I'm pretty good with words, quite eloquent when writing, if I say so myself ;) The speaking of the words, not so much. If you know me, you know I can be a nervous wreck. I'm a very shy person, until I get to know people and open up, meaning in "real life" it's hard for me to talk to people.
Anyway, I wrote up this awesome little speech, toast, whatever you want to call it, the day before, on the car ride down, while Jason drove. I thought to myself, "Wow! That's so awesome!" LOL. Yes, just a little conceited ;)
Anyway, I showed my mom, and she started tearing up, so I knew it was perfect.
However, Saturday evening, I choked. I could barely get words out as I stood there with the microphone, looking at my beautiful sister and her handsome new husband, and oh yeah, the crowd of over 100 people, many of whom I'd never met!! While I managed to at least touch on some of what I had wanted to say, I didn't read the cards (I actually never intended to read them word for word anyway, but wanted them as a reminder, a back up, if you will).
Since I was unable to give my all and share exactly what I wanted, I thought I'd share here, and hope that my sister actually comes and reads it and shares it with Matt, my newest brother-in-law.
First of all, let me just say welcome to everyone who was able to join us today. On behalf of Heather and Matt, I want to say thank you for coming and celebrating this very special day with them as they join their families.
To my beautiful sister and her handsome husband -
See, here's the thing. I'm pretty good with words, quite eloquent when writing, if I say so myself ;) The speaking of the words, not so much. If you know me, you know I can be a nervous wreck. I'm a very shy person, until I get to know people and open up, meaning in "real life" it's hard for me to talk to people.
Anyway, I wrote up this awesome little speech, toast, whatever you want to call it, the day before, on the car ride down, while Jason drove. I thought to myself, "Wow! That's so awesome!" LOL. Yes, just a little conceited ;)
Anyway, I showed my mom, and she started tearing up, so I knew it was perfect.
However, Saturday evening, I choked. I could barely get words out as I stood there with the microphone, looking at my beautiful sister and her handsome new husband, and oh yeah, the crowd of over 100 people, many of whom I'd never met!! While I managed to at least touch on some of what I had wanted to say, I didn't read the cards (I actually never intended to read them word for word anyway, but wanted them as a reminder, a back up, if you will).
Since I was unable to give my all and share exactly what I wanted, I thought I'd share here, and hope that my sister actually comes and reads it and shares it with Matt, my newest brother-in-law.
 |
| The Happy Couple |
For anyone who doesn't know, I'm Crystal, Heather's baby sister.
For the last 32 years, I've been the most blessed, and luckiest little sister to have Heather to look up to, watching her raise her boys and trusting her advice. She's always been there for me, never judging me. So much more than a sister to me, she's my oldest, dearest, and very best friend.
In the last 2 1/2 years, I've seen such happiness in her. After meeting Matt for the first time, I could see why. He's kind, thoughtful, and patient. Though they seem so different in their interests - Heather with her shopping vs Matt with his hunting and outdoorsy activities, in fact, I never foresaw Heather as one who would own chickens! - they are so perfect for each other (like peas and carrots).
Heather's eyes light up when Matt's around and he puts a smile on her face everyday.
In the traditional marriage vows, we promise to love for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. I've seen these two already living these vows and know they will continue to and are meant to be. True soul mates.
Besides, we all know if Matt has been able to stick around through Heather's "worse", he'll be able to handle anything! (Kidding!!)
Also not only am I thrilled to add a new brother but also two beautiful nieces to our family today!
Some age-old advice that Jason and I received so many years ago, that is the best advice we ever got, and rings so true - there is, after all, a reason everyone gives it!:
Never go to bed angry, always say I'm sorry.
Always, always, say I love you and mean it with your whole being. Whether you are leaving for 2 minutes or 2 days, never leave with out saying that simple phrase.
I'd like to propose a toast:
To my beautiful sister and her handsome husband -
Heather and Matt
Congratulations
and here's to many, many happy years together.
P.S. We love you guys very much!!!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
From Public to Private to Specialized to Charter: Our Education Journey So Far
Since yesterday's post disappeared and erased over half of this, I had to try and rewrite it. I hope I didn't leave anything out! And hopefully the internet won't eat it again ;)
When Ethan was about 18 months old, and we were still living in Southern Maryland, we had him evaluated through the early childhood education program. This was our first experience as parents with any kind of "school". Ms. Kim was awesome. She came out to the house for several months, 1-2 times a week and worked with E and us, getting him to sign a few things, talk, socialize, etc. We also did some play group activities.
When Ethan was about 18 months old, and we were still living in Southern Maryland, we had him evaluated through the early childhood education program. This was our first experience as parents with any kind of "school". Ms. Kim was awesome. She came out to the house for several months, 1-2 times a week and worked with E and us, getting him to sign a few things, talk, socialize, etc. We also did some play group activities.
Once we moved back to our hometown in Ohio, Ethan was 4 and Alex was 16 months. We were living with Jason's family for a few months, in our old school district and decided to wait on preschool for E and worked with him at home. In March, we moved across town to a different school district, one of the best in the area, and put him in their special education preschool for a couple of months, knowing he would start kindergarten in the fall. He did well, and the teachers were really nice.
Kindergarten was interesting. From Aug to December, E was in the same great district, in a great school, going half-day with a bus ride. They worked with us, got him his first "official" school diagnosis as well as an IEP (before school-age it's called something different, as it's family based rather than individual) and he was doing well. His teacher, the aide and the other students adored him.
In December, while Jason was in Afghanistan for contract work, we moved from our rental home to the house we purchased across the street from my in-laws. Which meant a change in districts, and schools. For E, this was a big change. Half-day to full-day, 23-25 kids to 32+ in the class, regular clothes to uniforms, bus ride to no bus service (too close to the school, so he was considered a "walker", and I drove him each day), and he did not really adjust well. I was somewhat excited because it was my old elementary school and I had mostly good memories. A lot had changed in those years though. I turned over all his records including his IEP and assumed it was being put into effect. After about a month of phone calls, early pick-ups due to meltdowns/crying, E telling me kids in his class were stealing his lunch (5 year olds!!!) and other bullying, I spoke with the teacher. I waited that long, because I knew there would be an adjustment period and learning period. However, that day I found out something that angered me. His teacher knew NOTHING of his IEP. It wasn't implemented, and it was somehow LOST!!!! I was pissed! Jason wasn't home yet, but if he had been, oh boy. I should've realized after the first day that we were going to have problems, after all, I witnessed 2 kindergarteners fist-fighting in the classroom... At the end of the year, we pulled him out of there.
There are so many options for school and our next choice was a private Catholic school. It was my in-laws parish and my sister-in-law was attending there and Jason, his brother and sister had all graduated 8th grade from there. The principal knew the family and was nice, so I spoke with her and told her about Ethan's autism diagnosis and school difficulties in terms of behavior and meltdowns. She let me know it should be fine and so at then end of August 2008, Ethan started 1st grade. In the first few weeks, while Jason was already working in Michigan and commuting, I got many phone calls, either to come get him, or saying he was "getting an attitude and being disrespectful" but once it was explained what he said, it was more of a matter of him correcting the teacher or telling her he didn't "need to do" such and such - the lack of a filter of what to say and what not to say and to whom. Not saying my child is NEVER disrespectful, but the majority of the time, he was/is being overly honest and speaking his mind without the INTENTION of hurting feelings and therefore not being disrespectful as there is absolutely no intention behind it. If that makes sense. And he has since learned to censor what he says a little better ;) Anyway, by mid-October, I was brought in to speak to the principal and was told we should start looking for a different environment because she wasn't sure it was working out and gave me a number to call for an organization that she thought worked with special needs kids including kids with ASD. I told her I would look into it. After 10 days or so, and doing my own research and not really finding anything, I hadn't heard any more from the school and I figured everything had settled down. The same day I got a letter essentially kicking Ethan out due to lack of resources for his "condition". Really? I had been up front and she said it would be fine. At the time, I was very hurt and angry, so I pulled him out and went to speak with her. She said something along the lines of "well I thought our last conversation cleared it all up and you were going to have him enrolled elsewhere by now. I called those people and apparently they no longer work with kids with ASD, only FAS. Sorry." Mind you, I couldn't even get in touch with "those people", so we got our tuition money back and didn't send him for a few days.
At this point, we found S.A.I.L. (School for Autistically Impaired Learners). They rented some rooms at a different Catholic elementary school and had one-on-one aides for each student in a multi-age and multi-grade class, and also the possibility to integrate into the Catholic school's regular ed classrooms if and when the students were ready. E started there in November and they quickly integrated him into the classroom and realized he was academically advanced. With our approval, they moved him to second grade and by January he spent most of his time - with his aide in the classroom, too - in the Catholic school's 2nd grade classroom. At the end of year, we sent E and Alex both to their summer school session, as they had a peer-to-peer program that Alex could attend as a typical peer. The director of S.A.I.L. felt that no matter where E went the next year, with the right supports, he could ideally be in the regular classroom full time, whether with an aide or a "safe place" if necessary to decompress.
Since Jason had been working and living most of the week in a rental room in Michigan and coming home on the weekends, it had been an extremely long year. We realized that it was time to be a family again in the normal sense and sell our house and move to Michigan. We found a rental house and started searching for a good school. The very first week we moved there, Jason had to travel for work, and school was scheduled to start. We were still looking at houses and different areas, so I was driving around with the boys one day and happened upon the charter school. I called and talked to the vice principal the Thursday after school started and we set up a walkthrough and meeting for the following day. After explaining E's diagnosis yet again, and detailing our previous experiences, we were welcomed with open arms. E started 3rd grade Monday morning. That year was a little rough, as there were many adjustments, and the teacher for the first part of the year had moved from K to 3rd that year and was somewhat unorganized and the teacher that took over after the winter holiday break was tougher, stricter. I was called a lot but mostly to keep me in the loop. 4th grade was better for E, as his teacher was organized but fairly laid back and Alex started kindergarten with the nicest kindergarten teacher ever! The following year, Alex went to one week of 1st grade before they came to me and asked if they could test him and move him to 2nd grade, which I agreed, and his teacher that year was amazing! Ethan also had a better year yet again, even though his very sweet and caring teacher went out on maternity leave in February. Luckily she was replaced with an equally good substitute. There were also a lot of changes here at home, having added a new member to our family in Jan 2012. 6th grade for Ethan, his teacher was so great and had a good insight into ASD and special needs and we decided on a self-contained class for E as we felt the rotating classes on top of his anxiety might prove to much for him. We were so glad the school offered it. Alex was lucky to have Ethan's old 4th grade teacher teaching 3rd last year, so we already knew it would be a good year.
So far this year, it's been a good year. Alex is in 4th and his teacher is trying her best to academically challenge him - he's still reading above grade level (mind you, chronologically he should only be in 3rd this year) as well as most other subjects he's doing exceptionally in. E is in the self-contained 7th grade - per his request - and seems to be doing well behavior wise, and academically, he's being challenged despite also being ahead of 7th grade level in many subjects (again he should technically only be in 6th) and his teacher is doing a great job of helping him learn coping skills.
While it seems like we love our school - which for the most part we do! - there are some silly, little things (maybe some not so little, too) that irritate us.
1. The school is preschool through 12th grade split into four buildings, with a small gym, a big gym, a main office, music room, resource rooms, mtss rooms, media/library, small library - not really functional, small cafeteria and warming kitchen. I feel that if the school had been planned/built differently it could be more efficient.
2. The cafeteria is small and there's no "real" kitchen. Had they planned appropriately, they could have put in a real kitchen and had more lunch options and not had to cater the lunches, therefore avoiding the need to pre-order lunches a month in advance. We don't personally buy school lunch, as we don't like the choices (only one choice each day, and not so "real" food) but if we were late one day or something, we don't have the option to just send money in to buy lunch that day. Also there is a big kitchen in the preschool/library/spanish/resource room building attached to the "little" gym/multipurpose room. If it were me, I'd have just made it useful and used the multipurpose room as the cafeteria and used the kitchen that's already there. I think it's fully equipped! They could offer choices to the kids and make fresh, homemade foods in there... But that's just me and I'm not in charge ;)
3. The administration. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the teachers. The administration is somewhat lacking. I don't think they are bad people, just maybe not in the right positions for who they are. If that makes sense. The lack of organization and seemingly communication is appalling. Also there seems to be a lot of gossip, "high school" behavior, not just within the admin, but all the staff, teachers included. I may be misinterpreting, but sometimes, I want to remind people they are adults. But it's also some of the other parents too! I will probably get some slack for this...
4. The parking lots. Is it just me, or do people just not know proper etiquette when it comes to driving and parking? Or maybe they can't read the big bold yellow paint that says "NO PARKING"!!!!! It drives me absolutely nuts! And then I get looks like I'M the weird one! Really? I'm following the arrows, and parking in a marked space. Or I let the pedestrians have the right-of-way. Regardless of how others drive and park, the parking lots are not large enough for the amount of growth the school has had. There just aren't enough spots. I know they are planning to expand the elementary lot.
5. Expansion. I know there is talk of adding on to the HS building and moving middle school over there, which would actually be a great thing.
6. Currently no PTO. As well as lot of junk sold at games/events, bake sales (at least last year) during lunch periods and popcorn sales on Fridays. Popcorn CAN be healthy, however after helping last year, I've decided I will NOT be allowing my boys to buy popcorn from school. They will bring popcorn from home, made with less oil and salt, and no artificial colors and flavors. Although, I ran out of time today so I let them just this once.
At this point, we found S.A.I.L. (School for Autistically Impaired Learners). They rented some rooms at a different Catholic elementary school and had one-on-one aides for each student in a multi-age and multi-grade class, and also the possibility to integrate into the Catholic school's regular ed classrooms if and when the students were ready. E started there in November and they quickly integrated him into the classroom and realized he was academically advanced. With our approval, they moved him to second grade and by January he spent most of his time - with his aide in the classroom, too - in the Catholic school's 2nd grade classroom. At the end of year, we sent E and Alex both to their summer school session, as they had a peer-to-peer program that Alex could attend as a typical peer. The director of S.A.I.L. felt that no matter where E went the next year, with the right supports, he could ideally be in the regular classroom full time, whether with an aide or a "safe place" if necessary to decompress.
Since Jason had been working and living most of the week in a rental room in Michigan and coming home on the weekends, it had been an extremely long year. We realized that it was time to be a family again in the normal sense and sell our house and move to Michigan. We found a rental house and started searching for a good school. The very first week we moved there, Jason had to travel for work, and school was scheduled to start. We were still looking at houses and different areas, so I was driving around with the boys one day and happened upon the charter school. I called and talked to the vice principal the Thursday after school started and we set up a walkthrough and meeting for the following day. After explaining E's diagnosis yet again, and detailing our previous experiences, we were welcomed with open arms. E started 3rd grade Monday morning. That year was a little rough, as there were many adjustments, and the teacher for the first part of the year had moved from K to 3rd that year and was somewhat unorganized and the teacher that took over after the winter holiday break was tougher, stricter. I was called a lot but mostly to keep me in the loop. 4th grade was better for E, as his teacher was organized but fairly laid back and Alex started kindergarten with the nicest kindergarten teacher ever! The following year, Alex went to one week of 1st grade before they came to me and asked if they could test him and move him to 2nd grade, which I agreed, and his teacher that year was amazing! Ethan also had a better year yet again, even though his very sweet and caring teacher went out on maternity leave in February. Luckily she was replaced with an equally good substitute. There were also a lot of changes here at home, having added a new member to our family in Jan 2012. 6th grade for Ethan, his teacher was so great and had a good insight into ASD and special needs and we decided on a self-contained class for E as we felt the rotating classes on top of his anxiety might prove to much for him. We were so glad the school offered it. Alex was lucky to have Ethan's old 4th grade teacher teaching 3rd last year, so we already knew it would be a good year.
So far this year, it's been a good year. Alex is in 4th and his teacher is trying her best to academically challenge him - he's still reading above grade level (mind you, chronologically he should only be in 3rd this year) as well as most other subjects he's doing exceptionally in. E is in the self-contained 7th grade - per his request - and seems to be doing well behavior wise, and academically, he's being challenged despite also being ahead of 7th grade level in many subjects (again he should technically only be in 6th) and his teacher is doing a great job of helping him learn coping skills.
While it seems like we love our school - which for the most part we do! - there are some silly, little things (maybe some not so little, too) that irritate us.
1. The school is preschool through 12th grade split into four buildings, with a small gym, a big gym, a main office, music room, resource rooms, mtss rooms, media/library, small library - not really functional, small cafeteria and warming kitchen. I feel that if the school had been planned/built differently it could be more efficient.
2. The cafeteria is small and there's no "real" kitchen. Had they planned appropriately, they could have put in a real kitchen and had more lunch options and not had to cater the lunches, therefore avoiding the need to pre-order lunches a month in advance. We don't personally buy school lunch, as we don't like the choices (only one choice each day, and not so "real" food) but if we were late one day or something, we don't have the option to just send money in to buy lunch that day. Also there is a big kitchen in the preschool/library/spanish/resource room building attached to the "little" gym/multipurpose room. If it were me, I'd have just made it useful and used the multipurpose room as the cafeteria and used the kitchen that's already there. I think it's fully equipped! They could offer choices to the kids and make fresh, homemade foods in there... But that's just me and I'm not in charge ;)
3. The administration. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the teachers. The administration is somewhat lacking. I don't think they are bad people, just maybe not in the right positions for who they are. If that makes sense. The lack of organization and seemingly communication is appalling. Also there seems to be a lot of gossip, "high school" behavior, not just within the admin, but all the staff, teachers included. I may be misinterpreting, but sometimes, I want to remind people they are adults. But it's also some of the other parents too! I will probably get some slack for this...
4. The parking lots. Is it just me, or do people just not know proper etiquette when it comes to driving and parking? Or maybe they can't read the big bold yellow paint that says "NO PARKING"!!!!! It drives me absolutely nuts! And then I get looks like I'M the weird one! Really? I'm following the arrows, and parking in a marked space. Or I let the pedestrians have the right-of-way. Regardless of how others drive and park, the parking lots are not large enough for the amount of growth the school has had. There just aren't enough spots. I know they are planning to expand the elementary lot.
5. Expansion. I know there is talk of adding on to the HS building and moving middle school over there, which would actually be a great thing.
6. Currently no PTO. As well as lot of junk sold at games/events, bake sales (at least last year) during lunch periods and popcorn sales on Fridays. Popcorn CAN be healthy, however after helping last year, I've decided I will NOT be allowing my boys to buy popcorn from school. They will bring popcorn from home, made with less oil and salt, and no artificial colors and flavors. Although, I ran out of time today so I let them just this once.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Looking for advice...
I've got a post sitting in draft right now that's been there over a week. But this seems a bit more urgent, more important to share.
We've been trying to work with Ethan over the years in regards to his anxiety, frustrations, meltdowns, and behaviors. At 11, certain things have gotten better, and some have stayed the same or gotten a little worse. Jason and I decided a long time ago that we wanted to avoid medicating him unless absolutely necessary.
Today, we took him to see a neurologist, who asked a bunch of questions - most of which we've answered many times before, either to a school or another doctor - and then gave us some good insight.
He recommended one of two things.
1.) Put him on a low-dose of an SSRI - Prozac, to be exact - to help with his anxiety and to cope with changes to routine easier.
2.) See a psychologist for cognitive behavior therapy to learn coping skills.
Prozac, apparently, has very few side effects, and the side effects they see in some older kids (suicidal thoughts, etc) doesn't seem to happen with ASD kids. Also it's a very low dose that he would be given, only 10 mg.
The cognitive behavior therapy can take a long time to help, especially in younger kids and teens, but is a great tool!
Jason and I are currently discussing our options, though we have the prescription sitting here if we want to start it.
We are thinking the following:
Contact a psychologist and sign him up for the therapy, and get him learning coping skills. Meanwhile, to help alleviate the day-to-day anxiety on a more immediate time frame, start him on the Prozac, temporarily, and wean him off of it in a few months time.
Anybody out there have any suggestions or thoughts? Seriously, now is the time. I am all ears. I hate to see any of my boys struggle and this is the hardest decision we've had to make to date.
We've been trying to work with Ethan over the years in regards to his anxiety, frustrations, meltdowns, and behaviors. At 11, certain things have gotten better, and some have stayed the same or gotten a little worse. Jason and I decided a long time ago that we wanted to avoid medicating him unless absolutely necessary.
Today, we took him to see a neurologist, who asked a bunch of questions - most of which we've answered many times before, either to a school or another doctor - and then gave us some good insight.
He recommended one of two things.
1.) Put him on a low-dose of an SSRI - Prozac, to be exact - to help with his anxiety and to cope with changes to routine easier.
2.) See a psychologist for cognitive behavior therapy to learn coping skills.
Prozac, apparently, has very few side effects, and the side effects they see in some older kids (suicidal thoughts, etc) doesn't seem to happen with ASD kids. Also it's a very low dose that he would be given, only 10 mg.
The cognitive behavior therapy can take a long time to help, especially in younger kids and teens, but is a great tool!
Jason and I are currently discussing our options, though we have the prescription sitting here if we want to start it.
We are thinking the following:
Contact a psychologist and sign him up for the therapy, and get him learning coping skills. Meanwhile, to help alleviate the day-to-day anxiety on a more immediate time frame, start him on the Prozac, temporarily, and wean him off of it in a few months time.
Anybody out there have any suggestions or thoughts? Seriously, now is the time. I am all ears. I hate to see any of my boys struggle and this is the hardest decision we've had to make to date.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Fun week, indeed!
For our mini-vacation this year, we went to Michigan Adventure again, due to Ethan winning 2 free tickets to the park.
Having spent a week in Muskegon last summer, spending a day at Michigan Adventure and doing some other things, we decided to take just 3 days this time around.
Jason found a KOA campground that had a "park model" cabin/camper for us to rent about 45 minutes from the park, in Allendale.
Tuesday morning, after a quick breakfast and loading the car up, we started our drive across the state. The older boys had their DSI's to play video games for most of the ride and the toddler slept about half of it. We stopped at Burger King for lunch and to get out of the car for awhile about half-way there.
A quick trip for some groceries and then we made it to the cabin to unpack the car. Swimming came next, in the campground's pool. Even Jackson joined in the fun! The boys played on the playground and swings, and we walked around a bit.
Jason cooked us up some cheeseburgers on the charcoal grill - the boys each had a regular, but we splurged for him and I and got black and blue burgers, seasoned with loads of black pepper and stuffed with blue cheese! Seriously tasty!
After dinner came a bit more "exploring" and an attempt at fishing. It started getting dark and Jackson was getting sleepy, so we went back to the cabin for the night. While I got Jack down for bed, Jason took the boys outside to have a campfire, complete with s'mores and a scary story. Poor Alex wasn't too fond of the scary story, so Jason stopped early and came in. After all the boys were sound asleep, Jason and I sat outside for a little while.
Jackson actually slept from about 9:30 till 5:30am! That rarely happens!
Wednesday, we went to the amusement park and had so much fun. Ethan went on a roller coaster first thing with Jason, and I took Alex to ride a couple of rides by himself, while Jack and I watched him. Jack loved watching all the cool rides. After quite a few rides, we grabbed a quick lunch over by the water park, and all changed into our swimwear.
The water park was my favorite part. All three boys got to do something fun in there, including the wave pool, and for the older boys, water slides!
We did have a big scare at one point. Before we even entered the park, we went over what the boys should do if we should get separated or lost. I took Jackson in the tidal wave pool with the older boys and Jason waited outside off to the side. I decided to take Jackson out after a few minutes so we could warm up and I guess Alex saw me and followed me. I didn't realize it though and because he was a little ways behind me, he didn't see which direction I went. He walked around for a bit looking for me and Jason, while we were standing off to the side, talking and looking in the giant tidal wave pool, filled with so many people, trying to catch a glimpse of each of them. We saw E, but no Alex anywhere. Trying not to panic we walked toward the front and continued to look, thinking he was just lost in the sea of kids in the water. After about 10 minutes and still no Alex, I started walking toward the front of the water park to see if he had maybe wandered to the bathroom or for a life-vest (he mentioned maybe wanting one) and as I turned to start going around the corner, I saw him with a security guard, with a scared look on his face. Pushing Jackson in the stroller, I walked as quickly as I could to meet him and wrapped him in my arms, asking where he'd gone! I was almost in tears, and thanked the security guard, who told me he had gone to the first aid station and asked for help. I'm so glad we told the boys who to go to and what to say. I never, ever want to feel that way again. I really don't think Alex does either!
It was time to leave the water park then and ride some more rides, followed by a bbq dinner, more rides and finally time to go home. Jason mentioned stopping for some ice cream on our way back to the cabin, so we were on a mission to find some soft-serve. We found a little place called Whippi Dip between Muskegon and Allendale and sat outside in the warm summer breeze, as it got darker and enjoyed some yummy ice cream.
We had to check out by 11am on Thursday, so we packed up all of our things and got on the road. We decided against fast food for lunch and found a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in Howell called Mexicali Allie's. It was pretty good and the boys all ate their cheese quesadillas, E ate his rice and Alex ate his refried beans. I decided on a ground beef taco, a bean tostada, beans and rice while Jason chose a chunk beef burrito, ground beef taco, beans and rice. Jackson ate a bite of beans but didn't really dig them, which surprised me, because he loves them on tacos at home!
Once we arrived home around 3, we were greeted with a "Welcome Home" chalk sign from Julie and the B's!! Well, actually two, the first on the driveway by the garage door and the second on the sidewalk/patio area by our back porch! That was really cute and sweet. At the last minute, on Monday evening, (because I forgot to find someone to watch the dog and none of our neighbors were around to ask) I sent Julie a text asking if she'd let the dog out a few times and feed and water him each day for us while we were gone. And because she's an awesome friend and my hero, she agreed!
THANKS AGAIN JULIE AND BOYS FOR HELPING US OUT! IT WAS SO NICE OF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP MEANS THE WORLD TO US!!!
Side note here: Make sure to follow Julie's new blog as she branches out from here and hopefully we will both grow our readership!
After we settled back in here at home, unpacking and ordering pizza for dinner, Jason suggested go-karts and/or mini-golf. I thought that sounded like a fantastic idea. When we got to C.J. Barrymore's, we had to see if the boys were tall enough to ride the "faster" go-karts. E is plenty tall enough and Alex is borderline. However, the lady at the counter asked how old he was, and when we said 8, she told us "Sorry, he has to be at least 10 AND 54" tall to ride those ones". After buying E's ticket and mini-golf tickets for all of us except Jackson - he had to be a spectator in the stroller as he's still a tiny bit too young to play :( but he didn't mind, he laughed at all of us - we went over to the turbo track to find NO ONE else in line. E was going to be out there all by himself! Jason ran back in and bought a ticket for himself and they raced each other while we looked on.
Mini-golf was fun, we chose the "green" course, and I did really well the first 5 or 6 holes, hitting it in with 2 strokes (par was 3 for every hole), then I kind of stunk for a while and then believe it or not, I, somehow, got 3 - yes, THREE! - holes-in-one! I don't even think JASON did that, lol. But Jason came in way under, winning the game. I had 63, E had 68 and Alex had 69.
Jackson slept all night AGAIN! I'm loving the fact that he's sleeping anywhere from 7-10 hours a night now, although I know it could change at any moment. I'm relishing in the fact that I'm getting some good sleep myself now, except of course when my own body decides it doesn't need sleep, but I'm really, truly tired...
Yesterday (Friday), we are still technically on vacation, as Jason took the day off of work and the boys are not starting school for over a week. However, it sure didn't feel like a fun day. After having used up quite a few things before we left - milk, bread, peanut butter, eggs, you know the staples - I had no choice but to go grocery shopping, hopefully before lunch. Since I try and go "big grocery shopping" every other week and just get a few things that would go bad if I bought too much, and it happened to be shopping week, it took a little longer to plan the menu and grocery list out. Jack-Jack and I left after 11am and didn't get home till after 2! He was so well-behaved and patient in the two stores. We ended up going to Meijer for most things, and Costco for meat (they have organic chicken and ground beef for a good price), eggs - again organic, 2 dozen, great price - and a few other things. I even got 4 loaves of organic whole wheat bread for $11.38. I know it sounds kind of expensive, but even Aunt Millie's at Meijer is almost $3/loaf and it's not organic, but is my second choice. Meijer organic is about $4, I think? Regardless, we got everything, snacked on some samples and a slice of Costco pizza (eh, not my favorite) and came home. Jason took the older 2 out while we were gone, after lunch, to get new rotors for the front brakes on our van and to sell a buddy's riding gear. When we got home and got the van unloaded, they weren't home yet. We decided on leftovers or sandwiches for dinner. Jason was supposed to have his class last night, and still needs to find his 2 books, so he took off early, only to find the campus bookstore closes at 2pm. He stayed up there, went to class, his professor was a no-show so they all submitted attendance paperwork, and he took the long way home - meaning he rode his Harley around for a little while.
Today was a beach day. We decided on Lake St. Clair Metropark as there's a beach, playground, splash zone/sprayground and for an extra fee, a pool with water slides. We skipped the pool and slides and opted for free. I packed up some sandwiches, fruit, tortilla chips/cheese puffs, juice boxes and other picnic snacks for us, while Jason gathered our towels and beach gear. After everyone was dressed for swimming, we drove over and enjoyed 4 hours there! It was such a beautiful day, the water felt great, and the boys all got along. E even made a new friend that he and Alex played with in the water for a bit. Jackson went swimming - well sort of - and played happily in the sand. We ate our lunch and Jason and the older boys went back in the water. I took Jack to change his swim diaper and wash the sand off of his little bottom and change my own clothes, and then we met the 3 of them in the splash zone. After about 15 minutes (they were over there for about 20 before we even managed to make it back over that way, lol), we decided to call it a day.
Now that we are home, Jackson is taking a nice nap, E and Alex are playing video games, and Jason is off at the tattoo parlor getting more work done to his right arm. It's really nice looking so far, but he wants more added to it. While they are all occupied, I'm taking some "me" time and writing, finally!! Although, now I should probably go make some dinner for my little loves, because I know Jack will be awake soon and it's already 5:30!! Where did the day go?
Oh yeah, and tomorrow, we get to go hang out with JULIE and her little men! So excited. It's going to be an afternoon filled with visiting a metropark, geocaching - hopefully we will have better luck than before - and a cookout with friends.
I have a ton of pictures from our vacation, so I may make a slide show from them and share them that way. Still trying to figure out my photo software on this computer and I received it as a gift in December! Oh well.
Having spent a week in Muskegon last summer, spending a day at Michigan Adventure and doing some other things, we decided to take just 3 days this time around.
Jason found a KOA campground that had a "park model" cabin/camper for us to rent about 45 minutes from the park, in Allendale.
Tuesday morning, after a quick breakfast and loading the car up, we started our drive across the state. The older boys had their DSI's to play video games for most of the ride and the toddler slept about half of it. We stopped at Burger King for lunch and to get out of the car for awhile about half-way there.
A quick trip for some groceries and then we made it to the cabin to unpack the car. Swimming came next, in the campground's pool. Even Jackson joined in the fun! The boys played on the playground and swings, and we walked around a bit.
Jason cooked us up some cheeseburgers on the charcoal grill - the boys each had a regular, but we splurged for him and I and got black and blue burgers, seasoned with loads of black pepper and stuffed with blue cheese! Seriously tasty!
After dinner came a bit more "exploring" and an attempt at fishing. It started getting dark and Jackson was getting sleepy, so we went back to the cabin for the night. While I got Jack down for bed, Jason took the boys outside to have a campfire, complete with s'mores and a scary story. Poor Alex wasn't too fond of the scary story, so Jason stopped early and came in. After all the boys were sound asleep, Jason and I sat outside for a little while.
Jackson actually slept from about 9:30 till 5:30am! That rarely happens!
Wednesday, we went to the amusement park and had so much fun. Ethan went on a roller coaster first thing with Jason, and I took Alex to ride a couple of rides by himself, while Jack and I watched him. Jack loved watching all the cool rides. After quite a few rides, we grabbed a quick lunch over by the water park, and all changed into our swimwear.
The water park was my favorite part. All three boys got to do something fun in there, including the wave pool, and for the older boys, water slides!
We did have a big scare at one point. Before we even entered the park, we went over what the boys should do if we should get separated or lost. I took Jackson in the tidal wave pool with the older boys and Jason waited outside off to the side. I decided to take Jackson out after a few minutes so we could warm up and I guess Alex saw me and followed me. I didn't realize it though and because he was a little ways behind me, he didn't see which direction I went. He walked around for a bit looking for me and Jason, while we were standing off to the side, talking and looking in the giant tidal wave pool, filled with so many people, trying to catch a glimpse of each of them. We saw E, but no Alex anywhere. Trying not to panic we walked toward the front and continued to look, thinking he was just lost in the sea of kids in the water. After about 10 minutes and still no Alex, I started walking toward the front of the water park to see if he had maybe wandered to the bathroom or for a life-vest (he mentioned maybe wanting one) and as I turned to start going around the corner, I saw him with a security guard, with a scared look on his face. Pushing Jackson in the stroller, I walked as quickly as I could to meet him and wrapped him in my arms, asking where he'd gone! I was almost in tears, and thanked the security guard, who told me he had gone to the first aid station and asked for help. I'm so glad we told the boys who to go to and what to say. I never, ever want to feel that way again. I really don't think Alex does either!
It was time to leave the water park then and ride some more rides, followed by a bbq dinner, more rides and finally time to go home. Jason mentioned stopping for some ice cream on our way back to the cabin, so we were on a mission to find some soft-serve. We found a little place called Whippi Dip between Muskegon and Allendale and sat outside in the warm summer breeze, as it got darker and enjoyed some yummy ice cream.
We had to check out by 11am on Thursday, so we packed up all of our things and got on the road. We decided against fast food for lunch and found a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in Howell called Mexicali Allie's. It was pretty good and the boys all ate their cheese quesadillas, E ate his rice and Alex ate his refried beans. I decided on a ground beef taco, a bean tostada, beans and rice while Jason chose a chunk beef burrito, ground beef taco, beans and rice. Jackson ate a bite of beans but didn't really dig them, which surprised me, because he loves them on tacos at home!
Once we arrived home around 3, we were greeted with a "Welcome Home" chalk sign from Julie and the B's!! Well, actually two, the first on the driveway by the garage door and the second on the sidewalk/patio area by our back porch! That was really cute and sweet. At the last minute, on Monday evening, (because I forgot to find someone to watch the dog and none of our neighbors were around to ask) I sent Julie a text asking if she'd let the dog out a few times and feed and water him each day for us while we were gone. And because she's an awesome friend and my hero, she agreed!
THANKS AGAIN JULIE AND BOYS FOR HELPING US OUT! IT WAS SO NICE OF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP MEANS THE WORLD TO US!!!
Side note here: Make sure to follow Julie's new blog as she branches out from here and hopefully we will both grow our readership!
After we settled back in here at home, unpacking and ordering pizza for dinner, Jason suggested go-karts and/or mini-golf. I thought that sounded like a fantastic idea. When we got to C.J. Barrymore's, we had to see if the boys were tall enough to ride the "faster" go-karts. E is plenty tall enough and Alex is borderline. However, the lady at the counter asked how old he was, and when we said 8, she told us "Sorry, he has to be at least 10 AND 54" tall to ride those ones". After buying E's ticket and mini-golf tickets for all of us except Jackson - he had to be a spectator in the stroller as he's still a tiny bit too young to play :( but he didn't mind, he laughed at all of us - we went over to the turbo track to find NO ONE else in line. E was going to be out there all by himself! Jason ran back in and bought a ticket for himself and they raced each other while we looked on.
Mini-golf was fun, we chose the "green" course, and I did really well the first 5 or 6 holes, hitting it in with 2 strokes (par was 3 for every hole), then I kind of stunk for a while and then believe it or not, I, somehow, got 3 - yes, THREE! - holes-in-one! I don't even think JASON did that, lol. But Jason came in way under, winning the game. I had 63, E had 68 and Alex had 69.
Jackson slept all night AGAIN! I'm loving the fact that he's sleeping anywhere from 7-10 hours a night now, although I know it could change at any moment. I'm relishing in the fact that I'm getting some good sleep myself now, except of course when my own body decides it doesn't need sleep, but I'm really, truly tired...
Yesterday (Friday), we are still technically on vacation, as Jason took the day off of work and the boys are not starting school for over a week. However, it sure didn't feel like a fun day. After having used up quite a few things before we left - milk, bread, peanut butter, eggs, you know the staples - I had no choice but to go grocery shopping, hopefully before lunch. Since I try and go "big grocery shopping" every other week and just get a few things that would go bad if I bought too much, and it happened to be shopping week, it took a little longer to plan the menu and grocery list out. Jack-Jack and I left after 11am and didn't get home till after 2! He was so well-behaved and patient in the two stores. We ended up going to Meijer for most things, and Costco for meat (they have organic chicken and ground beef for a good price), eggs - again organic, 2 dozen, great price - and a few other things. I even got 4 loaves of organic whole wheat bread for $11.38. I know it sounds kind of expensive, but even Aunt Millie's at Meijer is almost $3/loaf and it's not organic, but is my second choice. Meijer organic is about $4, I think? Regardless, we got everything, snacked on some samples and a slice of Costco pizza (eh, not my favorite) and came home. Jason took the older 2 out while we were gone, after lunch, to get new rotors for the front brakes on our van and to sell a buddy's riding gear. When we got home and got the van unloaded, they weren't home yet. We decided on leftovers or sandwiches for dinner. Jason was supposed to have his class last night, and still needs to find his 2 books, so he took off early, only to find the campus bookstore closes at 2pm. He stayed up there, went to class, his professor was a no-show so they all submitted attendance paperwork, and he took the long way home - meaning he rode his Harley around for a little while.
Today was a beach day. We decided on Lake St. Clair Metropark as there's a beach, playground, splash zone/sprayground and for an extra fee, a pool with water slides. We skipped the pool and slides and opted for free. I packed up some sandwiches, fruit, tortilla chips/cheese puffs, juice boxes and other picnic snacks for us, while Jason gathered our towels and beach gear. After everyone was dressed for swimming, we drove over and enjoyed 4 hours there! It was such a beautiful day, the water felt great, and the boys all got along. E even made a new friend that he and Alex played with in the water for a bit. Jackson went swimming - well sort of - and played happily in the sand. We ate our lunch and Jason and the older boys went back in the water. I took Jack to change his swim diaper and wash the sand off of his little bottom and change my own clothes, and then we met the 3 of them in the splash zone. After about 15 minutes (they were over there for about 20 before we even managed to make it back over that way, lol), we decided to call it a day.
Now that we are home, Jackson is taking a nice nap, E and Alex are playing video games, and Jason is off at the tattoo parlor getting more work done to his right arm. It's really nice looking so far, but he wants more added to it. While they are all occupied, I'm taking some "me" time and writing, finally!! Although, now I should probably go make some dinner for my little loves, because I know Jack will be awake soon and it's already 5:30!! Where did the day go?
Oh yeah, and tomorrow, we get to go hang out with JULIE and her little men! So excited. It's going to be an afternoon filled with visiting a metropark, geocaching - hopefully we will have better luck than before - and a cookout with friends.
I have a ton of pictures from our vacation, so I may make a slide show from them and share them that way. Still trying to figure out my photo software on this computer and I received it as a gift in December! Oh well.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Mini-vacation for the Hamers
Finally made plans to go to Michigan Adventure! E won 2 tickets at the charter school spelling bee back in Feb/Mar(?), and we've been waiting for a good time to go. It's all the way on the other side of the state though, and with 3 young boys, it's not ideal for a day trip. So our plan includes a 2 night cabin rental at the nearby KOA in Allentown, MI, and Tues/Wed/Thurs mini-vacation.
Jason starts back to school August 19th and is taking two classes, one on Mondays and one of Fridays.
So we decided to go the 20th-23rd. Even though Jackson, and by default, myself, won't be able to ride many rides - there are a few things he can go on and some of the water park stuff he's able to do - I think it will end up being a good time. We had fun last year, and Jack couldn't do anything as he was barely 7 months old!
We wanted to take Julie's 2 older boys with us, but the timing wasn't right and while my boys are disappointed that they won't have their "best friends" with them, they are super-excited to go.
Jason found a 2 bedroom cabin/mobile home available those 2 nights/3 days at the KOA about 45 minutes from Michigan Adventure. I had hoped we'd be able to go the weekend right before as their hours are longer (11am - 10pm) on Saturday the 17th, and the week we are going they are only open from 11am - 8pm.
Tentatively, our plan is to leave first thing Tuesday morning, drive over there, find something fun to do, and spend the night. Wednesday, after breakfast, we will head up to the amusement/water park and spend all day there, riding rides, going swimming and going on water slides (the best water slides ever!!) and eating "junk food" <--- not my favorite thing, but you can't bring your own food in the park. As they open so late (compared to say, Cedar Point in Ohio), it would be silly to leave or go to the parking lot at lunch to eat, and they offer a bbq buffet at dinner time for a good price. Plus it's a treat :) Thursday, we are going to get up, hang out until check out time and then drive towards home. Since it's across the state, we are thinking maybe we can find something - or maybe a few things? - to see or do on the way home. After all, Jason doesn't have to work till Friday, and we aren't in a rush to get home.
I'm hoping to blog from the road, or while we're there and share our fun! Definitely hoping to share some pics from my phone on the FB page (and/or my private page).
Jason starts back to school August 19th and is taking two classes, one on Mondays and one of Fridays.
So we decided to go the 20th-23rd. Even though Jackson, and by default, myself, won't be able to ride many rides - there are a few things he can go on and some of the water park stuff he's able to do - I think it will end up being a good time. We had fun last year, and Jack couldn't do anything as he was barely 7 months old!
We wanted to take Julie's 2 older boys with us, but the timing wasn't right and while my boys are disappointed that they won't have their "best friends" with them, they are super-excited to go.
Jason found a 2 bedroom cabin/mobile home available those 2 nights/3 days at the KOA about 45 minutes from Michigan Adventure. I had hoped we'd be able to go the weekend right before as their hours are longer (11am - 10pm) on Saturday the 17th, and the week we are going they are only open from 11am - 8pm.
Tentatively, our plan is to leave first thing Tuesday morning, drive over there, find something fun to do, and spend the night. Wednesday, after breakfast, we will head up to the amusement/water park and spend all day there, riding rides, going swimming and going on water slides (the best water slides ever!!) and eating "junk food" <--- not my favorite thing, but you can't bring your own food in the park. As they open so late (compared to say, Cedar Point in Ohio), it would be silly to leave or go to the parking lot at lunch to eat, and they offer a bbq buffet at dinner time for a good price. Plus it's a treat :) Thursday, we are going to get up, hang out until check out time and then drive towards home. Since it's across the state, we are thinking maybe we can find something - or maybe a few things? - to see or do on the way home. After all, Jason doesn't have to work till Friday, and we aren't in a rush to get home.
I'm hoping to blog from the road, or while we're there and share our fun! Definitely hoping to share some pics from my phone on the FB page (and/or my private page).
Monday, July 29, 2013
On this day...
11 years ago, at 8:31 am, a beautiful blue-eyed baby boy was born, weighing just 6 lbs 5.5oz.
It had been a somewhat long labor, starting the previous day, and had some stressful moments. At one point, the baby's heart rate had dropped low, and the obstetrician - whom this mom chose to never see again after her horrible bedside manner!! - suggested if the mom didn't "hurry up and push this baby out, we WILL be doing a c-section." (She also ripped the blanket off of me several times, even though the nurse kept covering me back up since I was very visibly cold in a very cold hospital room - it was July but the a/c was on full-blast! - and she made other rude comments to myself and Jason...) While there is nothing wrong with having a c-section, this young - just barely 21 at the time - first time mom KNEW she could do this! Within the half hour, a little blue baby with the cord wrapped around his neck twice was born. The dr removed and cut the cord immediately and got the baby screaming and pink within seconds.
Today, that tiny, little boy is growing up into a fine young man.
My son Ethan, with all his little quirks and particular ways about him, is such a blessing. I couldn't ask for a better big brother for his 2 younger brothers, Alex and Jackson. Not only is he highly intelligent and advanced in school, breezing through most subjects, but he is funny, sweet and oh so loving. We've gone through some scares with him, first his ventricular septal defect, diagnosed at just 2 days old, then not knowing why he wasn't speaking at 18 months. We've had ups - moving from 1st to second grade early, winning the school and district spelling bee in 5th grade, winning the school bee and coming in 2nd to an 8th grader/previous winner in the district bee in 6th, learning to ride a bike with two wheels and tie his shoes, and maturing so much after his youngest brother was born a year and a half ago - and downs - struggling with frustrations, anxiety, and meltdowns at school due to his Asperger's/Autism diagnosis, lack of social skills and understanding certain social cues and sarcasm and remembering simple day-to-day things. It's definitely been a journey. One that I wouldn't change for the world.
Ethan, we are so blessed to have you as our son (and brother!). Thank you for being you, and I can't wait to see what you become as you grow and eventually reach adulthood.
Happy Eleventh Birthday, to our oldest son. I hope you have an amazing day. We love you to the moon and back!!
It had been a somewhat long labor, starting the previous day, and had some stressful moments. At one point, the baby's heart rate had dropped low, and the obstetrician - whom this mom chose to never see again after her horrible bedside manner!! - suggested if the mom didn't "hurry up and push this baby out, we WILL be doing a c-section." (She also ripped the blanket off of me several times, even though the nurse kept covering me back up since I was very visibly cold in a very cold hospital room - it was July but the a/c was on full-blast! - and she made other rude comments to myself and Jason...) While there is nothing wrong with having a c-section, this young - just barely 21 at the time - first time mom KNEW she could do this! Within the half hour, a little blue baby with the cord wrapped around his neck twice was born. The dr removed and cut the cord immediately and got the baby screaming and pink within seconds.
Today, that tiny, little boy is growing up into a fine young man.
My son Ethan, with all his little quirks and particular ways about him, is such a blessing. I couldn't ask for a better big brother for his 2 younger brothers, Alex and Jackson. Not only is he highly intelligent and advanced in school, breezing through most subjects, but he is funny, sweet and oh so loving. We've gone through some scares with him, first his ventricular septal defect, diagnosed at just 2 days old, then not knowing why he wasn't speaking at 18 months. We've had ups - moving from 1st to second grade early, winning the school and district spelling bee in 5th grade, winning the school bee and coming in 2nd to an 8th grader/previous winner in the district bee in 6th, learning to ride a bike with two wheels and tie his shoes, and maturing so much after his youngest brother was born a year and a half ago - and downs - struggling with frustrations, anxiety, and meltdowns at school due to his Asperger's/Autism diagnosis, lack of social skills and understanding certain social cues and sarcasm and remembering simple day-to-day things. It's definitely been a journey. One that I wouldn't change for the world.
Ethan, we are so blessed to have you as our son (and brother!). Thank you for being you, and I can't wait to see what you become as you grow and eventually reach adulthood.
Happy Eleventh Birthday, to our oldest son. I hope you have an amazing day. We love you to the moon and back!!
Friday, July 5, 2013
7 Quick Takes ;) - July 5, 2013
Yesterday was the 4th of July. Independence Day. We didn't have our 2 older boys with us, so it was just Jason, Jackson and I. After a light lunch, we went to Great Lakes Crossing and walked around for a couple of hours. Jack LOVED the animals at Bass Pro Shops. He was pointing at them and trying to name them. Even the fish were just the most amazing thing to him! We decided to have dinner at Toby Keith's I <3 this bar and grill. It was pretty good. I ended up ordering a half-rack of St. Louis style ribs, baked beans and sweet potato tots.
We didn't go see fireworks last night, but we sure did hear them. Our dog is a scaredy-cat and spent the whole night whimpering and whining. I can't wait till people are done shooting them off... Actually since Monday, we've just been kind of not doing a whole lot. Jason has had class most evenings, so Jack and I have been spending time together.
While at the mall, we passed the Verizon Wireless store. My Droid X2 has been acting up for the last couple of months. Missing texts, not dialing, dropping calls, the screen freezing up, having to do a hard reset by removing the battery. It has gotten quite irritating. I'd already gone over once to the store nearest to our house, but the customer service rep was less than helpful (kind but unable to offer me a replacement). So when Jason suggested stopping in to this store, I wasn't exactly enthusiastic. However, the very nice lady looked up our information and found that not only do we have insurance, but also the extended warranty, meaning they would replace my phone with something NEWER, of equal or better value! For FREE! And it won't change our plan or "renew" our contract so we won't lose our current unlimited data. I should be getting my brand new Droid RAZR M on either Monday or Tuesday! It looks pretty sweet. Smaller phone, but all screen, so it's actually a bigger screen, lighter, faster, 4G, and I won't lose my apps. I'm pretty thrilled to say the least.
I want to let people know that if you get a message from me on Facebook, I'm not spamming you, nor am I just trying to bug you or sell to you. I'm genuinely reaching out to help others. My thought is this: If I don't reach out to so-and-so and they DO want help reaching their goals, I'll never know, nor will they know I want to help them. If I do reach out, and they don't need or want help, at least they know I care, and if they ever need support, that I'm there. Also maybe they know somebody that wants or needs assistance. So please don't mind my messages. If it's not of interest to you, a quick no thanks would be grand, but if you forget or don't have a minute, I understand. Just know that it's not to bother you or because I think you are in particular need of something. I figure all of us could use some support at sometime or another. :) Thanks for your understanding!!!
You don't realize how much you are alike (and different at the same time!) until you spend a lot of time with family members. This past weekend, after dropping the older boys off, I picked my mom up and we drove down to Columbus. We stayed at my sister Heather's house for the weekend, and while it was fun, it did get a little, ahem, tense? sometimes. Really it was over silly stuff, and most of it was myself overreacting. I do want to apologize though, again. Love you!! We threw her a bridal shower, and even though no family from out of town came in (...), we still had a good time and made the most of it. Jackson had a blast running around with all the "little" girls that were there. They ranged from 4-12, I think? Oh my gosh, he was so funny. Back at the house, he'd chase the dogs, yelling "dog" or "gigi" (one of Heather and Matt's pups names). Jack loved that they were almost all smaller than him.
Looking for boots for the wedding party proved fruitful. We found a pair all of us girls liked, though a different color we originally talked about. We did have to go online to order them (planning to do so this weekend actually) and found a better deal too! I promised I would share a picture if it was alright with the bride-to-be and she obliged :)
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| Justin Boots Red Torino |
On top of finding those, yesterday proved fruitful too. I found a new pair of tennis shoes for exercise, walking and hopefully, eventually, running! They are Asics, very cute, comfortable and not terribly expensive. I guess, after reading the description on the site linked below, they are technically trail-running shoes, but whatever ;)
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| Asics GEL-Venture 3 |
I'm still on the lookout for a good pair of tennis shoes for everyday wear to replace my 4 year old Sketchers shape-ups that I love but are worn out... I did find a pair of Sketchers D'Lites that I like, but wanted to price them elsewhere before I got them. These look and feel good, and even though they are actually considered "athletic training shoes", I could wear them everyday, with jeans or whatever.
I'm not much of a shoe or fashion person, but since I'm losing weight now, I need to start slowly replacing my clothes with things that fit. I may need a fashion advisor... anybody want the job? LOL.
--- 6 ---
Finding myself in my hobbies is a chore in itself
Finding myself in my hobbies is a chore in itself
I got married pretty young and never really developed a sense of "self", so to speak. I didn't really have any hobbies or at least I didn't really grow them? As I build this blog, and grow as a person, I want to find new things to do. Photographing things has been fun, but I always seem to put it away and never learn more, or I forget my camera and miss out on opportune shots!
I have tried learning to knit, and while I did successfully make a hat, I just don't seem to take the time to work on my projects!
Excuse after excuse, really. I have got to stop that.
NOW! Well actually tomorrow. Well, technically, it already did a few weeks ago, BUT we only did a few simple, already scheduled things. Now it's time to hit it and hit it HARD! Ethan and Alex will be excited to get moving on it and start doing some of the fun things we have listed. I think first thing we should cross off is making homemade donuts. A couple of weeks ago, we found a BabyCakes donut maker on clearance at Meijer and snagged it. Sunday morning would be a great day to do this :) I will try to remember to snap some pics of the process and the aftermath! I'm thinking using our whole wheat pancake batter recipe, just a bit thicker might work? Any thoughts? I'd like to make them a healthy version. They are basically baked, not fried, and we have tons of King Arthur's white whole wheat flour, and fresh berries we could add. We'll see how they turn out!
Thanks for reading!
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Saturday, June 15, 2013
The road we travel...
We never really put down our roots for very long, it's the wandering gene that Jason and I both were inherently born with. A few years here, a few there, never more than about 5.
Having live in Michigan now for just about 5, we've actually been getting that itch. The itch to move somewhere new, somewhere away from here.
It's funny actually, when we lived in Maryland with two small children and the dog, all we ever wanted (so we thought) was to move back to our hometown in Ohio, to be near our extended family. While we missed them, and still do, now that we live 2 hours away AGAIN, I've realized that it's just not meant to be. Never would Jason find a job doing what he does in Toledo, nor would we end up being settled. It's just not us.
We always hated the long drive back and forth when we'd go for a holiday or summer visit, even knowing that our short time would be so filled with activities and time with loved ones, because it just wouldn't ever be truly enough enjoyable, quality time with our families. We knew we would have to leave too soon and we had two crabby, out-of-their-normal-routine kiddies. Now we live just far enough that it's a hassle for us to go visit too often - packing up bags of clothes for overnight, diapers, the dog and his necessary things - but just close enough that we feel we should and everyone expects us too - not that that's a bad thing, but it's true.
There are days when I'd love to just pack up the car, fill it up and drive with my amazingly supportive husband and our 3 crazy, funny, annoyingly-loud-at-times, awesome sons and just go in one direction until we run out of gas and just stay a while. And then do it all over again. And again. And again. That's my wandering gene, my gypsy blood, if you will.
Mind you, I'm a "lister", a planner to an extent, when it comes to silly, frivolous things. But the big things? It's ironic because not so much. I think Jason and I both have a tendency to be impulsive. Not in a bad way, but just going with our guts. Our first instincts are almost always right, for both of us. We are so in tune with each other, he will call to ask me something and I would have just been thinking of the same thing, or sometimes, I'll be ready to tell him something and boom, he was just talking to somebody about that earlier or whatever. It's kind of freaky. But it just shows me how perfect we are for each other, how we just seem to fit together. Before anybody says, "gimme a break!", that doesn't mean we always get along, or even close to it! It just means that we have definitely grown into this relationship and understanding of each others' wants and needs over the years. We certainly are both still quite selfish sometimes - I more than he - but that's how it goes. But I digress.
Where we will end up next? Who knows? We've both talked about moving somewhere, Jason finding a new job or a different position/place with his company and going somewhere South or West. I know the boys love their school and their friends and it always seems just as I finally make new friends or at least become more social with the ones I have ;) , I'm ready to move on in a sense to a new place, not leaving those people behind, but to find more to add richness to my life. That's how I look at those people I've met along this long, strange road called life. They've all played a part, and added something to my life, taught me something, shared their little corners of this place with me, made me a better person in some way. From the girls I went to high school with or met in Germany to the co-worker who became one of my best friends in Maryland to my newest friend and co-blogger Julie, they've all changed my life and truly helped me grow and still are!!!
The real question at hand is where are we being "lead to" and should we follow the pull down this winding path? I guess time will tell...
Having live in Michigan now for just about 5, we've actually been getting that itch. The itch to move somewhere new, somewhere away from here.
It's funny actually, when we lived in Maryland with two small children and the dog, all we ever wanted (so we thought) was to move back to our hometown in Ohio, to be near our extended family. While we missed them, and still do, now that we live 2 hours away AGAIN, I've realized that it's just not meant to be. Never would Jason find a job doing what he does in Toledo, nor would we end up being settled. It's just not us.
We always hated the long drive back and forth when we'd go for a holiday or summer visit, even knowing that our short time would be so filled with activities and time with loved ones, because it just wouldn't ever be truly enough enjoyable, quality time with our families. We knew we would have to leave too soon and we had two crabby, out-of-their-normal-routine kiddies. Now we live just far enough that it's a hassle for us to go visit too often - packing up bags of clothes for overnight, diapers, the dog and his necessary things - but just close enough that we feel we should and everyone expects us too - not that that's a bad thing, but it's true.
There are days when I'd love to just pack up the car, fill it up and drive with my amazingly supportive husband and our 3 crazy, funny, annoyingly-loud-at-times, awesome sons and just go in one direction until we run out of gas and just stay a while. And then do it all over again. And again. And again. That's my wandering gene, my gypsy blood, if you will.
Mind you, I'm a "lister", a planner to an extent, when it comes to silly, frivolous things. But the big things? It's ironic because not so much. I think Jason and I both have a tendency to be impulsive. Not in a bad way, but just going with our guts. Our first instincts are almost always right, for both of us. We are so in tune with each other, he will call to ask me something and I would have just been thinking of the same thing, or sometimes, I'll be ready to tell him something and boom, he was just talking to somebody about that earlier or whatever. It's kind of freaky. But it just shows me how perfect we are for each other, how we just seem to fit together. Before anybody says, "gimme a break!", that doesn't mean we always get along, or even close to it! It just means that we have definitely grown into this relationship and understanding of each others' wants and needs over the years. We certainly are both still quite selfish sometimes - I more than he - but that's how it goes. But I digress.
Where we will end up next? Who knows? We've both talked about moving somewhere, Jason finding a new job or a different position/place with his company and going somewhere South or West. I know the boys love their school and their friends and it always seems just as I finally make new friends or at least become more social with the ones I have ;) , I'm ready to move on in a sense to a new place, not leaving those people behind, but to find more to add richness to my life. That's how I look at those people I've met along this long, strange road called life. They've all played a part, and added something to my life, taught me something, shared their little corners of this place with me, made me a better person in some way. From the girls I went to high school with or met in Germany to the co-worker who became one of my best friends in Maryland to my newest friend and co-blogger Julie, they've all changed my life and truly helped me grow and still are!!!
The real question at hand is where are we being "lead to" and should we follow the pull down this winding path? I guess time will tell...
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Umm...
I never thought I'd have to say to my almost ELEVEN year old that he can't use scissors without adult supervision...
Last Saturday after Tons O' Trucks, Jason gave the boys a hair cut, which was needed but not absolutely necessary. They could've waited another couple of days. Except for the fact that E decided to cut his "sideburns" and around his ears because it was bothering him. Without telling us. Oh and then he cut the small little "Alfalfa" tuft he tends to get once it's a certain length. Ugh. It was kind of funny, but I'm just glad he didn't snip his ear in the process.
This was what it looked like. Of course, we didn't notice until AFTER we left the house!
Tonight, we went out to dinner, and when we outside waiting for our table, I kept looking at E and thinking "What is different about him? His eyes look different to me." I asked Jason what was different and he couldn't figure it out either but saw what I meant.
After a few minutes, I leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek and noticed what it was...
HE CUT HIS EYELASHES!!
He's always had really long eyelashes, and apparently they were bugging him this morning. So he decided he was going to use his "kid" scissors to trim them. Wow. That's all I can say.
So no more scissors anywhere for E. Again, I'm REALLY glad he didn't hurt himself somehow.
I do have to laugh though, not in a mean way, but a what the @%#* kind of way!
Last Saturday after Tons O' Trucks, Jason gave the boys a hair cut, which was needed but not absolutely necessary. They could've waited another couple of days. Except for the fact that E decided to cut his "sideburns" and around his ears because it was bothering him. Without telling us. Oh and then he cut the small little "Alfalfa" tuft he tends to get once it's a certain length. Ugh. It was kind of funny, but I'm just glad he didn't snip his ear in the process.
Tonight, we went out to dinner, and when we outside waiting for our table, I kept looking at E and thinking "What is different about him? His eyes look different to me." I asked Jason what was different and he couldn't figure it out either but saw what I meant.
After a few minutes, I leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek and noticed what it was...
HE CUT HIS EYELASHES!!
He's always had really long eyelashes, and apparently they were bugging him this morning. So he decided he was going to use his "kid" scissors to trim them. Wow. That's all I can say.
So no more scissors anywhere for E. Again, I'm REALLY glad he didn't hurt himself somehow.
I do have to laugh though, not in a mean way, but a what the @%#* kind of way!
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