Well, I guess it is time to re-hide where I keep the playroom key. Look who was trying to get it...and he was so proud of himself.

Our first week gluten free went pretty well. I bought more boxed stuff instead of trying to make stuff from scratch. It has certainly cut down on my snacking, mainly because I know how much the snacks cost. It requires a lot more planning, to make sure I have stuff on hand. I found a great boxed gluten free cookie mix and frozen waffles. Today I made homemade chocolate cupcakes with coconut flour. I don't like coconut, but I could have eaten the whole plate. Still not sure how it all worked since I only used 1/2 cup of flour and 6 eggs, but they were great! My greatest struggle is still what to send B for lunch at school. He is the pickiest, so it was always PBJ. So far rice crackers and pepperoni have sufficed.

B told me this past week that he is famous for 4 reasons. He is named after a famous football player, a president, someone from the Bible and after a famous clock. I sure love how his mind works. He has been having problems in math so was not very happy when his teacher sent home some papers for him to correct. He was so frustrated as I tried to him him through it that he blurted out that math is....like nature's prison. I guess I should not tell him that I am going to request the teacher send him home more worksheets to do!

The older two boys got to spend some of their allowance yesterday. They were so excited. They each carried their purchase to the front and individually checked out. I had also gotten a few items, one being some gloves for them to wear next season. J was so excited about his own money, he insisted on paying for his own gloves! I sure hope that trend continues, but doubtful.

Both of the older boys are planning their birthday parties. As they are getting older, I have told them the year they turn an even number, we can celebrate on a bigger scale. They are busily working on their lists (they only invite as many friends as they are years old). Jbird will be five in March and B will be 8 in June.

Got most of the allergy testing back for JB and it was all negative. (Still waiting on the celiac, but assuming since there are no issues, it will be negative too). Kind of surprised, since the other two were allergic at a younger age to very common foods. I talked with his therapist on Wednesday. She is hard to read, so not real sure what she thought of our conversation and not real sure what I had hoped to get out of our conversation. I just feel we have stalled, so I talked with her more about doing drills with him. She did a great job on Wednesday and did some things I had not seen her do before. I am also trying to do more mirror work with him...letting him see how he forms sounds and what his tongue does with different sounds.

I hit 13 miles at the gym today. I find most mornings I wake up before my 4:45 alarm. JR has finally bought a ticket to go back home. He has not been to his native Honduras in 18 years (we have always met the family in Florida). We have not seen his parents since summer of 08, so glad he will get to go down there for a week - mid April. We considered sending JB, but opted not to at this point!

Enjoyed my night away recently. Met a friend and we did some shopping - I even enjoy walking the aisles of Wal-mart when I have no kids, went out to eat and then my favorite part ---- hung at the hotel and played games. She taught me a new board game I had never heard of - Ticket to Ride. Seeing great potential in our house as a way to think ahead, multi-task and learn some more math. The boys survived without too, so a bonus!

We are 2 days into a gluten free diet. I have always wanted to try going gluten free and just had a conversation recently with a friend who is gluten free. Did not sound as difficult as when I had considered 3 years ago when B was diagnosed with some food allergies. I have also heard about how some behavorial changes can be seen in some kids, as well as a few kids it can help with some learning disabilities (in our case, JB and his speech). Not really expecting huge results but will be interesting if it helps us feel better without all that bread around! I am shooting for 3-4 weeks.

I talked with a nearby therapist whose clientele is about 80% apraxia kids. She actually had a cancellation and I took JB in. She had some great ideas about ways to work with him. She answered a lot of my questions and spent about 15 minutes doing one on one with him. She was very impressed with his 'work ethic' and said that is sometimes half the problem, because with apraxia, it is lots of work and drills on the part of the kids. So having a kid so willing to 'drill' is great. She has a full load right now, so can't take on new patients. I think in the meantime I will talk with our current therapists and see if we can switch gears and try some of these new approaches. (This gal was very willing to be a resource for our current therapists if they wanted to call her and learn more of apraxia - they are good therapists, just not familiar with apraxia approaches.) I actually think they are being used a little, just need to focus more on it. I did pick up some things to try with him and am also going to read a really good book that she recommended. The other thing she recommended is starting him on omega 3 fatty acids. She has seen some positives with kids with 'brain' issues once they start the supplement.

Took the boys sledding on Presidents Day. The hill we went to is rather tall and I was not expecting much. However, it was very fast, even with little snow. So fast that I would not let JB go down by himself from the top. I started him about 2/3 of the way down! They had a lot of fun and were worn out from all the climbing!

Seems like this week has been about appointments for the boys. We went to the dentist. B and I were good, but little Jbird. He had an abscessed tooth and a cavity. The tooth never bothered him because it was not an open abscess, I guess, just within the nerve/root. We got referred to a pediatric dentist because our dentist was not totally comfortable with him being 4 and working on him. So the next day we got an appt with another dentist but of course this was just the 'let's see what's going on but we won't fix it' appt. So had that appt today and we have his procedure scheduled for early March. I guess they will be putting a cap on that back tooth. Still not sure what happened but the tooth was about half gone. The cavity just went deep and spread along the base of the tooth. I thought you went to the dentist every 6 months to avoid things like that. They kept telling me how thin the enamel is on baby teeth.

I took JB to the doctor today. The speech therapists have both commented on how congested he has been and seems to be more often than not. Was wondering if his sinus infection never cleared up. She said he is very congested but no signs of sinus issues. So we have some nose spray - which he is not real found of and who would be. They also took some blood to do some allergy testing. Little guy is so awesome, he did not even cry and hardly flinched when they stuck the needle in. He just needs to get cleared up because it cannot be helping with the speech issues. I also realized over the last week that both of his therapists do not think that he is progressing as he should. Why their concerns were not brought to me, I don't know. So, I have been researching some other options. There is supposedly a therapist in a nearby town that deals with other apraxia kids and has had good success. I also came across a lady in Dallas that deals with nothing but apraxia. Trying to figure out how we could connect more with her and learn some techniques. I just feel that what we are currently doing is not working. He is making some progress but as I step back and look at the big picture, the particular progress is not really getting him further along the road to intelligible language.

There is no school Friday or Monday. No plans and not real sure what the weather is doing - maybe lots of fresh air. On Saturday I am meeting up with some friends a few hours away for an overnight. Will be nice to be responsibility free for 24 hours!

Finally got some snow over the weekend. Took the younger two out sledding. We were the first on the hill, so always hard when the snow is not packed. However, we made it work and they had a good time. So nice that they are old enough not to have to be carried back up the hill. Tried out the new sled and liked it.

B, Jbird and I went to the Harlem Globetrotters on Saturday. They always put on a good show. Jbird just did not understand why there were so many interruptions to the game. He went to see basketball, not all the hoopla and messing around that they did. Before the game we went to IHOP, the boys favorite restaurant. (You can tell we are in need of more restaurants around here...) They love to drown their pancakes in strawberry syrup.

Sat in on therapy today with JB. I have not sat in for a full session in a while. He is still just struggling. Tries so hard to imitate sounds. Sometimes he is successful but he can never pull the word out on his own. We have now hit the 2 1/2 year old mark with him. He has struggled the last couple of days with more whining. He has had a cold for about a week, which does not help things. Makes it even harder for him to hear the correct sounds. We have an appointment later this month to talk about the preschool program in the fall. We all feel that he would benefit greatly from more interaction, in a daycare type setting. Just so hard to find a daycare that wants to take a child only two half days a week. He will probably be phasing out of physical therapy, which is a great thing.

Heading to the dentist this week. JBird had his valentine party today at school and B has his tomorrow. The boys and I will go up and help with the classroom party - strawberry sundaes.

Seems like the weeks continue to get away from me. I think it is good though, cause I am on the computer less. Most nights I am asleep around 9pm so having to be more productive during the days.

Had a good scout weekend. While we were touring the fire station a 911 call came in, so this was very exciting for the boys although our tour was cut short. This Saturday the scouts are going to see the Harlem Globetrotters. B has seen them once but Jbird has not, so taking the two boys!

Enjoying the experimenting I am doing in the kitchen. I have tried the artisan bread in 5 minutes a day technique and quite pleased with it. Still need to iron out a few details but if I do, I foresee never having to buy store bought bread again. So easy and good. I love my magic bullet. I finally got up the nerve to make a spinach smoothie and it was pretty good. Could have used a little more flavor but definitely something I will be making again. I probably had more veggies in that one cup that I had all week. My favorite meat marinade I whip up in the magic bullet too....pureed chipotle peppers and then combine it with Dr. Pepper. Then throw it all in the crock pot.

The other day I rounded the corner into the boys room and heard one of them say 'no, stand up, a wedgie does not work that way...' Uugghh. Then one of them did not want to partake of my dinner, so they chose not to eat. Before bedtime they told me they needed to get something from downstairs. As they walked back up the stairs, I heard the crinkling sound long before I saw them. Knowing the answer, I asked what they had. A granola bar. They quickly brought it out and told me they were trying to sneak it up. Once again, a lesson followed about doing what is right and obeying. So glad they are so teachable - I am sure it will always stay that way, right.

Had an issue this past week at the school. Not a huge issue but it could have been. The appropriate staff was called in. It all stemmed from an honest mistake but that mistake took wings and caused problems. Anyway, sure is hard watching your child have to face consequences you do not want them to face but know they need to from the learning standpoint. Mom and dad also learned a lesson as it is something we should have been aware of, but overlooked. I am thankful I have a relationship with the staff and that they know B and his heart and he is not a trouble maker. (I can only imagine what might have happened if that were not so)

Still plugging away at the gym. I can't believe how much I enjoy going to the gym right now. The mornings I don't go, I just drag. I also find most mornings I wake up long before my 4:45 alarm. I might even try to pick up the tennis racket in the next couple of weeks.

Off to take Jbird to school and then put JB down for a nap. He has a cold but does not seem to interfere with his progression with speech. I have found myself several times lately rocking him to sleep and then napping in the chair with him.

Just some sentences about the boys!
JB is now tall enough to see into the silverware drawer, reach the top button in the elevator at church and reach the bathroom faucet when standing on the stool. He can also climb in and out of the tub by himself. He is imitating almost any word you throw his way. Sure makes it easier for the therapists to work with him when he has a plethora of sounds. Most of the words he will not produce on his own though. I tried some more potty training. After not being able to get the timing down, I just decided to park him on the bathroom. He finally went to the bathroom! I just bought some more diapers and I hope it is my last box - I guess most of that depends on me and my diligence. We have several glue sticks that are washable. When you use them they go on purple and dry clear. I have seen JB use them several times thinking they are markers and then he is all confused when the color disappears. He has also used them several times as chap stick.

The boys have adjusted well to not having a short order cook in the kitchen. There are nights they choose not to eat, but they sure eat a big breakfast in the morning. Jbird is asking lots of questions about nutritional stuff like protein, fiber, etc. He has decided that he can get healthy by not eating the protein that is found in meat but by eating lots of apple and other fruit that has lots of fiber. He is also tall enough now that when he is sitting in the back of the van, I can reach back from the drivers seat and hand him something without tossing it at him. Looking at signing Jbird up for soccer this spring. We have never done soccer in the spring, but looks like neither boy will be doing t-ball.

B has a big weekend with lots of scout activities. This Saturday kicks off Scouting for Food, so the Dens will have a table set up at local grocery store seeking Food Bank donations. Then it is scout Sunday where you wear your uniform to church - he always loves this and then Sunday afternoon off to tour the fire station. Although he is a wolf rank, he does not actually cross over to wolf until the month of February, so trying to get in all the last minute requirements.

I am still hitting the gym! I get most of my miles during the week. I really like the 5am workouts. There was one day recently where I hit a decent jog. Mid stride, not sure what I did but I got in a groove and it felt great. Not sure if I stood up straighter, landed differently on my feet, adjusted my hips. I have tried to find that stride again and have not been able to yet. If I do, look out, I just might run for a long time. I finally understood how runners love to run.

JR is camping this weekend. It always does him good to get out in nature.

Off to finish up the taxes and put the kids to bed!

Friday, since we were going to be home most of the day, I decided to be a little more intentional with potty training JB. I never used a particular technique with the other two boys. I decided with JB to giving him unlimited Crystal Light to drink while I set my timer every 15 minutes to take him to the bathroom. I put regular underwear on him. I poured him a big ol' cup and he drank away. The timer went off at 15 minutes. I turned to him to tell him time to go to the bathroom and there he was peeing. I was late. So next time around I set my timer for 15 minutes. It went off and I was late again. The next time I set it for 10 minutes - yep, I was late again. Just about every time my timer went off, he had just gone to the bathroom. I never got him to the bathroom before he had to go. It got to where he would come up to me as soon as his underwear was wet and he would just smile. I would ask him if he had gone to the bathroom and he would kind of laugh and shake his head. I told him it was not funny and we needed to make it to the bathroom. Every time, even though he was wet, he still went into the bathroom to sit. Surely he is making some kind of connection. Guess I will be hand washing underwear every night!

B is at the stage now where if he says something at the same time you do, he will say "Jinx, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...you owe me a coke." He also loves to say "hey mom, were you under there?" to which I am suppose to say "under where", to which they crack up laughing and say "you said underwear!" You forget all those silly little phrases.

Saturday was the Pinewood Derby. The boys are divided up in their rank (grade level). They race in their rank. They run 4 heats and each heat is in a different lane. Then they take the top 5 in each rank and they compete in the Pack championship. Benjamin won his first heat and set a track record (for the day) of 4.06 seconds (which calculates out to about 270 mph). He won his second heat and he won his third heat. Most of them were at least a car length win. Then the fourth heat, he won but when we looked at the computerized score board, he was in 3rd place. I told one of the 'officials' that there was a lane mix-up. They looked at it but then I guess decided it was too late to do anything about it. I knew I was not seeing things because 5 or 6 other parents saw it too. My competitive nature wanted to tell them it was not fair and he would have been 4 for 4. But I decided what did it matter. I figured he would still finish first or second in his rank. He finished fifth. I was glad for fifth because he just made the cut off for the championships. (But it showed how that one heat where he was 'third' cost him dearly.) Sure enough the championships started and he won the first heat, the second heat, the third heat and the fourth heat. He was 4 for 4. When they finally announced the winner, he ended up 3 over all, out of 67 scouts. He was so excited and got a nice size trophy. I think they realized their mistake when they had a kid that got 5th in rank but 3rd overall. B never knew what had happened so it really did not make a difference. Here is a picture of him with his trophy.

This week I have been waking up way before my alarm (around 4 or 4:15....) so no excuse when my alarm finally goes off at 4:45. I have been at the gym every morning and still had time to come back home, spend some time reading and praying, getting lunches ready for B and JR, cooking breakfast, cleaning the kitchen, taking a shower and getting ready for my day, all by 8am. Amazing how productive I can be when I set my mind to it.

We were in the car today and Jbird recited his Awana verse out of the blue. "God came into this world to save sinners." Taking a chance to expand on that, the following conversation ensued.
Me: Are you a sinner J?
Jbird: Yes
Me: Is mom a sinner?
Jbird: Yes
Me: Is our pastor a sinner?
Jbird: Yes
Me: Is President Obama a sinner?
Jbird: No, presidents are NOT sinners!!
Me: Oh, yes they are, anyone living and breathing is a sinner, so I guess Jesus died for us all!

Went to the grocery store today and walked out with $30 worth of groceries. The best part, the unhealthiest thing in our cart was yogurt. I told the boys we have never had so much fruit (and few veggies) in our cart. I bought a Magic Bullet today. Just could not bring myself to buy a Vita-Mix, especially when I realized it was too tall to fit under our kitchen cabinets. We have used it a couple of times already and really like it. Something the boys could use to create their own smoothies.

B had his follow up ortho appt today. Still in the waiting game on the palate expander. Seems his 6 year molars are very slow in coming in.

Gas is still holding at 2.99 a gallon. Sure wish it would stay that way, would make a road trip more possible this summer.

Here is the only decent picture I have gotten of the boys recently.

One of the perks of JR's job is food. When homeowners leave, he will often be given the perishable items. That often means food that I would not buy. The boys have discovered how good a Velveeta grilled cheese is. They may never go back to sliced cheese.

I think I have finally gotten a meal plan together. I have a weekly menu and have included dessert every night. So far so good. Since the boys can anticipate dessert every night, they are not asking for sweet stuff throughout the day. I am also amazed at how the food seems to stretch further. I am trying 1-2 new recipes a week. My goal is to come up with a 4-5 week rotating menu. We had chicken enchiladas tonight and gasp - B ate them, even though they had chicken. The boys just raved about how good they were...must have been the homemade tortillas. However good Jbird thought they were, he chose not to finish his. So I told him if he wanted dessert he would have to have 2 bowls of salad. Guess what, he ate 2 bowls!

I have hit my gym goal for the 3rd week. This week I am shooting for 11.5 miles for the week. Hitting that number is not the issue, more the issue of finding the time to get to the gym to hit that number.

This weekend is Pinewood Derby. B's car is in the final stages. His den leader is putting the wheels on. I guess there is a fine science that he has figured out. We will see how B does this year!

JB continues to make small steps forward. I am working on him stringing 2-3 words together. Mom - up - please, is probably all we have gotten but it is forward progress.

Not much else comes to mind right now! Will try to post a picture of all three boys in the next couple of days!

It is a good thing that I am not trying to be a blogger for a living. Seems I am so inconsistent from week to week. Some days I just live life and other days I am more intentional of taking pictures and remembering what the boys were up to.

Last Friday for my birthday we went out for donuts for breakfast. The boys had gotten up and gotten dressed, while I was at bible study. I heard JR make a comment about B's pants being short, but just figured it was because all my boys are outgrowing their clothes. It was not until we got to the donut shop that I actually looked at B for the first time. He was wearing J's pants. I had put the clothes away on the wrong shelf and it did not even occur to B that they were not his pants. He insisted he did not want to go home and change before school, so he set out once again with his younger brother's pants on.

Definite high waters!

It has turned winter again. A little bit of snow but temps down in the single digits with fierce winds. Always reminds me of the time I spent in North Dakota. I was just telling someone last night about the blizzard I got stuck in while travelling. It was 1am, we were in the middle of nowhere. The wind chill was 100 below and I crawled out of the car three times to go to the bathroom. Fortunately we happened to have a cell phone (it was 1997). A snow plow came out around 11am and we drove to a hole in the wall bed and breakfast where we had to stay 3 days because the whole state was shut down. Sure taught me a lesson in being prepared.

B continues to excel with his reading. So fun now to give him different books, devotionals and have him be able to read! He is loving his magazines too! Jbird has been exhausted lately, not sure why. He is getting 12 hours of sleep but seems that most days he just does not function well. JB just cracks me up with his facial expressions. Amazing what the eyes can communicate when words are not plentiful. I can only imagine what he will be like in 20 years - very, very expressive.

I have set upon a new goal. I enjoy going to the gym but seems that with an inconsistent schedule of when I can get there, I struggled with making any goals. I have decided to set a weekly goal and increase it 1/2 a mile each week. Most of the miles are logged on the treadmill, but some times I hop on the bike or elliptical. This week I am shooting for 11 miles, so very much doable and I am not hemmed in to trying to go on certain days, etc.

Not much else going on, or at least not that I remember.....

Just a quick picture. This is the newest way to clean up, not the most efficient, but what ever gets the job done. (I guess the hat has to be just so because he kept adjusting it.)

My computer was down again. When my friend cleaned it up last time, I was not able to get it connected to the internet. He was out of town and I could not reach him. Not knowing what to do, I called Dell and they talked me through some stuff. Never found any answers so the Dell tech had me restore my computer to a day before it was worked on. Therefore, everything my friend had done got undone. Turns out my friend had changed my IP address and forgot to change it back. So, he graciously worked on it another time and it is running great. I have actually enjoyed being unplugged. I get so much more done!!!

I walked into the boys bathroom the other day and found toothpaste on the shower curtain. I know the boys have a habit, when they brush their teeth and don't see a towel, they will wipe their mouth on the shower curtain. I assumed this to be the case. I turned to one in particular little 4 year old and asked him why he wiped his mouth on the shower curtain, again. He quickly told me he did not wipe his mouth, he wiped his toothbrush! Why....who knows why. It is so much easier to wash a towel than to take down a shower curtain. Doesn't he know this.

Recently I got JR to show me how to use his saws in the garage. I have had a project I wanted done for so long that I decided I should just learn myself. He showed me everything but then quickly offered to do the project for me. Maybe when it warms up I can get some more hands on experience and become a 'builder' of things. I had him make some game board art. I saw this on a blog (infarrantlycreative.blogspot.com)and loved the idea. A special frame for board games that allow the pieces to be stored behind the 'picture'. Now, no more broken board boxes and frees up room in my game 'closet'. 7 of my games are hanging up the stairwell. Hopefully it will encourage us to play more games since they are visible too.

Some friends recently bought an Xbox so we bought some of their Wii games. The boys have had a ball with Just Dance 2. Jbird is not too sure what to think of it yet, but B and little JB now how to shake things up. We also got Zumba. I put it on yesterday and I am not sure who got a better workout. JB or me. He was just cracking himself up, running in circles. I forget how kids at that age try to mimic your every move! He even attempted push-ups the other day with me. He had pretty good form!

With the unseasonably warm weather, have gotten into some spring cleaning! I recently attended a Gold Party. Did not really think I had much gold, but found several pieces that either had a broken clasp, missing a matched earring, or stuff I just never wore. Several pieces I thought for sure were dollar store finds, only to realize they were gold. I walked away with over $350. Makes me want to go out once a month and hit the second hand stores! Now trying to think of something special I would want. The two things I am leaning towards, a Vitamix blender or a (new to me - ie used) fridge. Tired of all the food getting lost. Would love more room on the doors and everything eye level, with freezer on the bottom.

The rest of the week should be pretty quiet and slow. Few things planned this weekend...wish one of them was sledding with the boys, if the snow will ever fall.

A quiet week here. We have struggled with bedtime for a while here. Particularly B. He will get in bed but it takes him 1-3 hours to fall asleep. I know by the daytime behaviors that my boys were tired. So, a friend tipped me off to melatonin. I checked with our pediatrician and she said go for it. So, I have been giving it to the boys. (I originally got it for B, but Jbird and JB saw him get some and they wanted some - figured why not try it. I do quarter JB's tablet, so he is getting less than 1 mg.) It has worked like a charm. Within an hour everyone is fast asleep. I was worried that they would be waking up early, but they are not. They are getting close to 12 hours every night. I think B actually enjoys it because he knows he does not struggle with going to sleep and it helps to calm it. One of the best things, my evenings are very long and productive. Most days I don't even turn on the computer until they are in bed, because I know I will have a quiet evening. I have also been able to get back to the gym in the evenings, knowing bedtime is not drawn out!

With JB's diagnosis of apraxia, we kept getting asked by the medical professionals if an MRI had ever been done. So, we decided to go ahead and do one, not expecting anything to show up but wanting to answer that question. My precious little 2 year old climbed up on that hospital bed at 7:30 am. He sat there very quietly while they did the blood pressure, listen to his lungs and heart and while they put the numbing cream on his 'future' IV sites. Then he sat back and curled up under a blanket and watched some TV. Once the radiology tech came in, they decided they might try the MRI without sedation, since he was so calm. I told them best if I stayed behind so he would not look to me to 'rescue' him. They carried him out and I prayed and prayed for a calm for him. About 30 minutes later, they brought him in and said he did stellar and he had no IV or sedation. I think a first for them to see a 2 year old so still. He even fell asleep once he was inside the machine. Such a trooper!! The results came back negative or positive (how ever you look at it). It did show a sinus infection though so I guess there is a small chance that it could have had a small affect on how he hears sounds. I don't know how long sinus infections can hang around, but he is on antibiotics to see if we can clear it up.

Yesterday at speech/occupational therapy, the OT said that she thinks what she was seeing as a weakness might be more of a motor planning issue. So, not only is there verbal apraxia, but motor apraxia (or whatever it is called). She has given me some things to work with him at home. Just over the last 5 days or so, we are getting more sound combinations. Not words but like what you would hear a baby as they babble new sounds. The words he has though are still very consistent!

We have been in the mid 50s most of this week. Absolutely unheard of. We have no snow on the ground (other than shady spots). The boys have not been able to try out their new sled. I must say I don't mind the lack of cold and snow but it could possibly make for a very, very dry summer!

On Friday I took my computer over to a friend's house so he could clean it up. I got it back Sunday afternoon and my internet did not work. Finally got it working today. Here is one picture before I head to bed. I took the Christmas tree down on the 30th. The boys saw the mess the pine needles made, so they eagerly wanted to help. Their most favorite part was spraying and wiping down the floor. Here is a picture of JB. Notice the gloves and cowboy boots. This is what he wanted to wear to clean the floor.



I love my boys and their individuality.

We have pulled out the ice skates twice in the last couple of days. Thankfully this is not a pond (our weather has been too warm) but a field that the city covers in water and freezes nicely into an ice skating rink. JB loves to run in his boots and slide. Jbird has not decided if he likes skating or not. One time he put his skates on and the other time he said he was not going to skate again until he was 5.

We have had a very nice, quiet couple of days! The only thing we have on the schedule all week is JB's therapy. Since it is a holiday week, they are doing special group therapies, so we just have one tomorrow. It is 2 1/2 hours so will be fun for me to get out with the older boys and do something fun.

We had a good Christmas. The older two boys got lots of legos. They spent 4 hours yesterday afternoon quietly playing. So nice. Almost makes me wish I had invested in Legos sooner. We headed to some friends house for a late lunch. The boys are excited to use their sled, if we ever get some snow. Today it is close to 40 and sunny. We sat outside eating pie and shooting baskets. The boys love their new hoop.



Here is a picture of B at the classroom Christmas party on Thursday. The entire second grade wore their pajamas. At the end of the day they had a pizza party and sang songs for the parents. B is playing a 'slide' here.



For Christmas we were given a game by my sister. I found it very odd on the back this was written..."note-knowledge of the English language is required". Guess we need to be politically correct for those non English speaking people that live in the US? Some friends borrowed our cargo carrier for their Christmas road trip. We normally always keep it on top of our van...the best place to store it! Well, I never realized just how much I rely on that to find my car in a parking lot. On more than one occasion I have walked out of a store and forgotten where I parked the van.

Not much else going on! A catch up day while JB naps and the boys are drawing.

The kids have discovered they can slide down the stairs on their coats. They put their legs into the arm holes and then sit on the bottom of the coat. Amazing how fast they can go. They even have races. One of these days I might move the front entry way table and give them sleds. I would really love to see if I could also open the front door and send them on outside. Just seems like something you would see in a movie.

My precious little boy...recently found wicks pulled out of my votive candles and my metal broom handle almost broken completely off. My little blessing just never ceases to amaze me and what he finds to 'explore'.

The other day I tried, again, to make homemade flour tortillas. I think I have finally figured it out - yea! The secret, at least for my success, was letting the dough 'rest' for quite a few hours. Seems the longer you let it sit and the less you work with it, the less elasticity it has. In the past I would roll them out or use a press and then when I put them on the griddle, they always shrunk up and were thick and hard. These tortillas, which were better the next day, were soft and rolled very easily. JR even commented on them!

The presents are all wrapped but none are out yet. Nobody seems to be complaining too much. Might put a few out each day but save most for Christmas morning. We headed to a friends' house last night for some ice skating (on the pond across the street) and Christmas caroling. Although they had just skated on the pond 2 days prior, the ice was really soft. It snowed the day before. I knew snow was an insulator but did not anticipate the warmer snow (32 degrees) melting the ice on the pond. At least that was the explanation given by an engineer! The boys did have fun playing and then doing some caroling. The boys even made their first ever snowman. Yes my oldest is 7 and has never actually built a snowman. Little guy JB kept pushing the head off. Once he was redirected inside, Jbird and his 5 year old friend Eli finished Frosty off by kicking him to pieces. Oh how much fun they had.

Joseph is slowly adding a few more sounds to his vocabulary. He has been using the word 'up' for a long time now. However, he is finally starting to use it in different contexts. He will now say 'up' when he wants the music louder and he will say 'up' in regards to balloons. Both speech therapists are trying hard to get him to say 'no'. Imagine that, a child having to be taught how to say no. He can say 'n' and 'ah' but when you ask him to put them together for 'no', he resorts to 'uh uh'. That might be his default 'no' for quite a while.

Last day of school tomorrow, early release. Will head to school for a class Christmas party.

We woke up to 3-4 inches of snow this morning. We were beginning to wonder if we would have a white Christmas this year. Sure would be nice to get a few more inches so we could try out the new sled the boys are getting for Christmas.

Jbird is out of preschool until Wed the 4th. B does not get out until 22nd. I am planning on making bread machine cinnamon rolls for all his teachers and delivering them Thursday.

A pretty quiet weekend. I got out several times and did some shopping. We had B's Cub Scout Den party. The boys exchanged gifts and sure was a hard concept for them. They thought they got to keep exchanging until they got the one they wanted. Yes, a few tears were shed but in the end, everyone was happy when we left. Sure glad we did not give the kids the option to 'steal' someone else's gift.

Since JR is a big hunter, he has several calls around the house that he uses to bring animals in. Occasionally you will hear them around the house. So the boys always try to imitate a coyote call. JB in particular. As I am excited for the imitation and sounds he is making, he is just down right loud! I have noticed several nights that he seems to get loud and call coyotes just before he actually closes his eyes and goes to sleep. It is like his last ditch effort to stay awake.

Seems like I had several things to post, but they slip my mind right now. I guess that means off to fold laundry!

Last weekend B went to a friends house for a birthday sleepover. Afterwards, I was asking him how it went, etc. He told me everything they did. He mentioned that they were watching Sponge Bob. (I have not watched a lot of sponge bob but what little I have seen, I do not like. He just seems crass and crude, something I just don't want my boys to watch at this point.) B then proceeded to tell me that he told his friend that he was not suppose to watch Sponge Bob. I asked him what his friend said and he said 'not much but he changed the channel'. I asked B what he would have done if his friend had not changed the channel and he told me he would have gone to play in the other room. When I hear things like that, it just makes my heart swell. All of the teaching and to see as they get older that they are 'catching' it. That they are making wise decisions. I of course told him how proud I was of him and we also talked about how he can stand up to what others are doing and sometimes change their behavior. If he can't change it, then he can make other choices.

Occasionally I have been putting underwear on JB. Just to see if we can start making a connection with wet underwear and going to the bathroom. I have not been putting pants on him, less for me to clean. He has also started wearing a backpack when we leave the house. So, the other day, we were getting ready to go somewhere and I hollered for everyone to get shoes, coats, etc. I headed down the stairs and found JB standing there in his underwear, tennis shoes and backpack on. He was ready to roll!

The other day Jbird asked me something. I told him 'maybe later in the weekend'. He furrowed his eyes and said 'Momma, what day is that.'

It has been a busy week. Had 2 extra kids this week. It has been fun for the boys to have others around to play with. Lot more running around for me, getting them to and from their activities too. Last night was the Christmas program for both boys. They both lasted about 25 minutes and I got to see almost all of both of them. (They were back to back in different locations.) At B's school they had the programs in the evening and it was the whole grade. (Last year the programs were during the school day and 2 classes combined). I think the music teacher quickly realized the error in her thinking. There were over 500 people in this little gym, with no air. The stage was so small half the kids were standing on the gym floor. Parents could not see...it was chaos! The kids did not know any different though! B had two lines to say and he did very well!

Another quiet weekend....not much other than a Cub Scout Den Christmas party. Hopefully some snow so we can go sledding!

JB is doing well with his PT and addition of a third speech therapy. I think the addition of the new therapist will prove very beneficial. This last time she taught him how to 'click' with his tongue - putting his tongue behind his top teeth and pulling it down. I actually think he could do this but then she associated that sound with the letter 't' and 'd'. So, now when I ask him to say 'dog', we click first and then I am more successful in getting the 'd' sound. The therapist definitely has a different approach than the one we have been with for a year.

Took B out to Pizza Hut today. He met his reading goal at school, so got a Book It certificate for a personal pan pizza. Football was on and he was non-stop talking about football and cheering for his two favorite teams. Which was funny, because he did not even know who the second team was. The cub scouts were suppose to go sledding yesterday but it got cancelled. Not enough snow. It would have turned into a huge mud fest. There is no snow forecasted for the next week and I think we are suppose to be above freezing. Winter might make a very late appearance. The great thing about December, after the 21st, the days start getting longer!!!

The boys and I played Monopoly again yesterday. It is so funny cause they hear me talk about saving money so that is what B does in Monopoly. He just does not yet get the concept of having to spend money to make money. Of course I will encourage the saving in real life. The other day Jbird was unloading the dishwasher. He was getting frustrated because JB wanted to help. JB would pick up silverware and just drop it in the drawer - he is just inches away from being able to see inside the drawer. Jbird was voicing his frustration over JB wanting to help. Saw another teachable moment about how sometimes mom has a project that despite how much I appreciate their wanting to help, sometimes it is better for them to let mom do it.

I went with a friend last night to see White Christmas, the musical. We were in the nosebleed section, but still a lot of fun. I remembered seeing White Christmas on the screen one time with my grandmother. I was probably in middle school or high school and remember thinking...boring. But walked away from it having loved it.

Heading into town later to grab some groceries and let the kids meander the toy aisles. Not to buy anything, they can just spend hours going from toy to toy. I love to watch them. Then maybe looking at some Christmas lights. The boys have their Christmas programs this week. I am also going to have a few extra kids most of the week, so should be busy.

I think it is finally happening. I am headed towards needing glasses. Just within the last couple of weeks I noticed the distinct point where words get blurrier as they get closer - about half an arms length away. So long to 20/20 vision. I guess I made it longer than most people, I am in early 40s.

Several evenings now we have been out and about and looked at some Christmas lights. JB just loves them. Anytime he sees lights in the distance, he is hollering and pointing. He gets very vocal when they flash. He always gets upset when I turn the lights off on the Christmas tree. Still no presents below the tree. I am holding out as long as I can. The other night I could tell B was not himself. All the boys went to bed and after a while, I found him sitting up in his bed while the others were asleep. He had turned the light on, found a clipboard and was writing a letter. I sat beside him for a while and then asked him to read me the letter. (Of course the words were spelled phonetically). It was a letter to Santa. It said "I thought this was the time of year that you were suppose to be spending time with friends that you care about but it seems like all my friends have moved away or are going to their cousins or their grandmas and grandpas. If there's anyway you can help please do. And for my little brother, he does not have a blanket like me if you can get that for him please do. And make sure it is 15x25 inches." He was so down. I am not sure what brought the letter on, since none of his close friends have moved away, but sure loved his heart.

Jbird has been full of fun questions/statements lately..."Was God born or was he created?" "What is Jesus' middle name?" I made tuna casserole recently and he actually tried it. He told me several times he really liked. I told him I was glad he liked and then he got serious, looked at me and said "I did not say I wanted every night or anything...I mean it is good but not that good".

I hear my little guy playing in his room when he should be sleeping before speech. Off to lay down with him.

Just a few sentences....

JB has figured out how to put his thumb inside the thumb slot of mittens and gloves. You would not think this is a big deal, but oh, the meltdowns that are prevented now.

Yesterday in the car, not sure what started it, but Jbird said something to JB and JB said 'uh uh' (or the equivalent to no) and then Jbird said 'yea' and so it continued back and forth for about 20 seconds. JB's first argument and I was so excited.

It has been hard to get out of bed lately when the outside temperature is .5! B has always been a hard one to get settled down and asleep. He will lay in bed for a long time but not be able to relax enough to sleep. Lately he has discovered the heating pad. He curls up on that thing and falls fast asleep. I have just ordered him (and one for Jbird) an electric blanket in hopes of warming up the bed and helping them to fall asleep. Maybe this will encourage them to stay in bed longer on the weekends too.

B is making great strides in his reading. So fun to listen to him reading his devotional at night. It is one of those times as a parent that you hate to tell them to turn off the light.

Cub Scout winter activity planned for this weekend. Sledding. Just hope it gets into the double digits with no wind!

JB had a major meltdown the other day. We had just pulled into the parking lot at the AWANA church. The wind was howling, the sun was setting and the wind chill felt about zero. We got about 15 feet from the door and he decided he was done walking. He laid down in the middle of the parking lot, screaming and crying. I am standing there freezing, trying to deal with him. I glanced up to see the pastor of the church standing at the door. The pastor is also a part time police officer, so my first thought was he is going to come out and rail me for not getting my child in where it was warm. I still am not sure what got him to come inside, but after about 2 minutes, he gave in. We got just inside the door and he is still screaming. I kneel down and try to settle him down, he wants nothing of it. He is pointing at the car and keeps saying 'dad'. So, I ask him if he wants to call dad on the phone and he nods yes. He stopped crying and grabbed the phone. As soon as he heard JR's voice, all he could do was cry and say 'daddy'. It was funny and sad at the same time. A few more minutes and he totally settled down and we proceeded further inside the church. As we walked inside, the pastor looked at me and made the comment about how we had all been there. Whew.

Today I went to B's school to help out. I had made some fun Christmas cookies earlier in the week and took them along for all the kids. As I was in the hallway taking off my coat, one of the boys in B's class started talking to me. He said how he wished his mom would come into the classroom and help out. I asked if she worked and he started no and started telling me about his home life. My heart broke for this boy that seems to have potential but given his home environment and lack of parental involvement, he faces an uphill battle.

I took JB back to the opthomologist for his second visit. We were there almost 2 hours. She said the health of the eye looks good and from how he cooperated, she does not see any vision issues - still hard to tell at this point though. He was somewhat fidgety, as to be expected but she tried something different. She pulled out some yoke prisms that looked like regular lenses. She held them up to his eyes and he pulled away. She flipped them over and turned them around to another configuration. He pulled away. She changed them again and he instantly got still and relaxed and looked. Obviously something that he saw through those lenses created a positive response. We moved on to something else and then she pulled the prism lenses out again. She did different configurations and again, we got negative responses from all by one combination, which was the same combo used first time for positive response. This was repeated several more times and every time the same thing. He was sitting on my lap and when that certain combo lenses was put in front of his eyes, it was always a positive thing. I keep feel his relax. She thinks he could have some spatial issues. His vision is fine but the way he processes his space is distorted. She told me she had an autistic patient who was very spastic. They tried yoked prism glasses with him. The first day he wore them to school, the staff were trying to figure out what had happened. He was calm and much easier to deal with. It is still somewhat new and some doctors don't use them, but she suggested them for us. She said she has had a few patients that struggled with speech that did better once they saw their world through prisms. I don't understand it and the doctor said she honestly can't fully explain it. She has been to several seminars regarding space and spatial issues. It is very abstract. Since JB can't tell us what he sees through certain prisms, we have no idea what is happening visually with him. Not that the glasses would help him talk but there is a small possibility that this could be the one link that brings it all together for him and gives him the stability to make it happen. They certainly would not hurt him. We have a prescription for them, but I don't want to fill it just yet. Want to read some more stuff online and maybe drop back in the doctor's office to see if we could try different lens combinations again to see if we continue to get a positive response. As I research more online, it is so amazing how God put the body together, especially the eye. You would not think vision would affect other areas of one's body, but it does. One statistic I saw was research estimates that eighty to eighty five percent of our perception, learning, cognition and activities are mediated through vision. Will be interesting to read more and maybe talk to some other professional to see if they have any experience with this and particularly if they have had non-verbal kids that were benefited.
JB also started his third speech therapy a week this week. He did physical therapy and then speech. They both commented on how well he did and the sounds he was making! Yea!!
Off to enjoy a relatively quiet weekend and do some more research.

Sunday night after the kids were in bed, the tree fell a second time. I was in the kitchen so knew that no one was within 10 feet of it. So, we grabbed some wire and a screw. It is now securely attached to the wall - however the boys do not know this!

The next morning the youngest two thought it was funny to throw gloves into the tree. Then JB decided it would be fun to throw an ornament. Just happened to be an ornament that was around 30 years old and breakable. I just about lost it. I told them that if they keep touching the tree, that there would be no Christmas presents under it this year. That they had been disrespectful and broken an ornament that I really liked. Somehow we were able to make it to school on time, despite my rant and I had to apologize to the boys for coming down on them so hard - it is only just stuff.

B's class at school has a set schedule every morning. One of the things they do is circle up and have 'newsworthy' time. This is where each child that chooses can share something of 'interest' with the whole class. The afternoon of the ornament incident, one of B's friends came over after school. One of the first things he said was 'where is the ornament that was your mom's favorite?'. I asked a few questions only to find out that the tree falling over and the ornament incident made the morning 'newsworthy' section at school. I think his teacher was horrified that I threatened to take away all presents.

The paper on the wall for the impulsive child is somewhat effective, but as he told me, I need to put paper up in the car (after he drew in the car). JB has learned how to crawl over the railing on the top bunk and drop down below (there is a mattress below him). It takes a bit of worry off me because I now know he can get down safely. The younger two have been in bed recently as early as 7pm. They are just exhausted and it makes for very productive evenings for me. JB starts his third speech therapy session this week and physical therapy will be just before that. It is Thursday afternoons, so my job Thursday mornings is to make sure he gets a good nap! I pulled out the video camera today to see if I could record JB talking. I have not been successful in the past because he always likes to look in the view finder and see himself. So this time I decided to turn the view finder around so he could see it. That meant, though, that I was not able to see for sure what I was recording. Here is what I was able to record. When I downloaded it, and then tried to preview it in the blog, it said an error occurred. But sometimes when I get that message it works, so hopefully it will work for you. (If you are receiving my blog via email, you can only watch videos by going to the actual webpage...welcomeatmyfire.blogspot.com

There has been nothing on the schedule since lunch on Thanksgiving and it has been nice. Lounging around. We have watched way too many movies this weekend. I decided to do Christmas stuff differently this year. I put up all the decorations Friday after the boys were in bed and then saved the tree and decorating the tree for Sunday. The boys have had a ball playing with their nativity sets. They each have one and I love to hear them playing with them. We pulled out all the Santa hats, my boys really love them although we don't really have Santa around the house. Jbird informed me that I look much better in a Santa hat. (Not sure how to take that one). JR went out and got the tree this morning. Made me a little nervous because his idea of cutting down your tree, is pulling up, getting out and finding a tree within the first 20 yards. As long as it is green, it qualifies as a tree. I made him promise to not cut down the first tree he found. He was gone a couple of hours and he did good. Probably the fullest tree we have had. The boys had a great time looking at all their ornaments. Each year they get a 'yearly' ornament from Granny with a current picture and then each year I take the boys to purchase an ornament. Here is a picture of the finished product.......

Yes, our tree is leaning, because it took less than 2 hours for the older 2 to knock it over. (Still need to get it straight) On the way home from church today, anticipating getting the tree up, Jbird asked why they can't hide behind the tree because it is the best hiding spot. We had a long talk about getting behind the tree. I see my words fell on deaf ears. At least I had a quiet evening as the boys were stuck upstairs until bedtime!

We also made gingerbread houses. I bought this year a mini village thinking it would be cool if the boys could have their own houses to decorate. Uuuggghhh. Trying to cut the pieces apart and then glue them together. I think going forward I will stick to the one big house and they each decorate a side! Here are some pictures........
(Notice snaggle tooth B. He can now appropriately sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth....")



I love it when circumstances are such that they provide real life learning. The boys are doing chores and they have a little bit of spending money. Last week, due to a Red Box malfunction, we were given some codes for free movies. The boys wanted some movies, so Jbird opted to get one at the library and B wanted a movie from Red Box. We headed to Red Box and Benjamin has learned his way around those machines, so before I knew it, he had pulled up a Pirates of the Carribean Wii game. He was so excited it was available and asked if he could rent it. Without thinking, I said sure but he would pay me $2 when we got home. Okay fine he said. He got the game and as we were driving off, Jbird reminded all of us that B is grounded from the Wii. Oh, he was upset. He wanted to take it back but I told him too late, we were already charged for it. It was a great opportunity to talk about impulse buying. He was so excited when he saw it was available, he did not think things through. Now I will forever have something to refer back to that he will get.

JR got a deer Thanksgiving morning. After hiking 20 plus miles this hunting season, he went to a friend's land and was basically able to drive around until they saw the deer. It was a small buck. Meat for the freezer.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving. A lazy morning. We watched the parade on tv and then had a scavenger hunt. I gathered 4 of like objects (paper cups, straws, rubber bands, wash cloths, dominoes, etc). Since Jbird cannot read yet, figured it was easiest if they each had a pile of items to look at and then go find. It was a hard concept for them to begin with, but by the end of the game they had it down. It provided more physical exercise than I intended. I assumed they would find a few objects and then run upstairs to match them with their pile. But they would find one item at a time, run upstairs, run back downstairs, find another object, run up stairs and so on. They enjoyed it. I had to coach them on how it was not necessarily being the fastest but having the best eye as you looked around a room. (What are the chances this game can teach them to see 'the mess' in the room, when they have told me the room is picked up and they don't see the other 27 small items scattered around the room).

Then for lunch, we headed to some friends from church. There were 3 other families there and it was just a really nice time. It had been quite a few years since we have had Thanksgiving meal with someone and then stayed after to just hang out. No football, just all sat around for several hours talking. The kids did really great, except one child falling off his chair during the meal and causing a scene. We had one casualty with the toys they were playing with too. There was, what appeared to be a really nice doll, that I found on the floor with her hair scattered everywhere. I found a piece of braided hair and wondered if one of the boys had flung her around until it came out. Still not sure what happened, because the boys are not real sure. But either way, the host was very gracious. They said all the stuff down there was junk and it did not matter to them. She said it was probably a 25 cent doll from a second hand store (and maybe that is why all the hair came out).

We came home and I put all the boys to bed and curled up on the couch by myself, working on organizing all my recipes and watched a movie.

Right now the boys are downstairs watching a movie and I am soon to join them with hot chocolate and popcorn (one of our favorite treats right now). One thing I enjoy about this holiday season is all the fun movies.

This morning the boys invented a new game and it pleased me because it requires physical activity on their part. They put a step stool beside the bed. Then they go down the hallway to get a good running start. They step on the step stool and then catapult themselves through the air onto the bed. Then Jbird wanted to show me his new trick in the playroom. Actually a trick that made my heart skip a beat. He climbed to the top of the climbing wall and then had me hand him one of the rings we have hanging from the ceiling. Yep, he let go of the wall and flew down and across the room. So thankful for the hedge of protection!

Off to enjoy some time with the boys!

We recently had biscuits and gravy and bacon and eggs for dinner, just before bible study. For some reason B thought it would be fun to take the biscuits and gravy to bible study and share with the other adults. I looked at him and told him 'no, that mom happens to really like biscuits and gravy and I don't get to eat it very much and I am not interested in sharing.' Jbird's eyes got really big and told me that that was not nice and that Jesus would not like it. I was busted, for not wanting to share.

I finally broke down and bought some clippers for the boys. I do not like buzz hair cuts and have always either tried to cut their hair or a few times a year take them to a barber. However, since it seems to be getting more and more expensive, I decided I would give it a try. Poor Benjamin. Everything looks okay except the front. For some reason one spot is much shorter than the rest. If I were to even it up, he basically would not have any 'bangs'. Hopefully I can only get better the more I use them. I have not tried them on JB yet. I will NOT try them on Jbird and his curls.

The other day I went to pick Jbird up at pre-school. Normally I leave JB in the car and just run in quick. This time around we were a few minutes early so decided to go inside with JB. He loves to climb the stairs inside and sure enough when it was time to go, he wanted me to pick him up and carry him down the stairs. Not that that is a terrible request, but lately, he asks to be picked up a lot and carried. Not a habit I want to get into as he is getting older and bigger and hard to carry for long period of time. So, I told him no. He just stood there and watched me and watched me and watched me. He was not going to budge. A stand off had begun. One of the preschool teachers, not realizing what was going on, helped him down the steps. So, now he stood at the bottom of the steps wanting up. I again said no. I told Jacob we were going to go outside. The teachers were becoming aware of what was happening and they just watched, as did JB. He stood in the same spot and did not move a muscle. Jbird and I walked outside and stood for close to 2 minutes. Frustrated and not knowing what the teachers were thinking or needed to do, I walked back inside. They both looked at me and said he wants a stand off. They told me to go back outside if I wanted to and they would keep an eye on him. So, Jbird and I walked outside and got in the car. I sat in the drivers seat and waved at JB (he could see me through the glass front door. He just stood there and did not move. I started to put it in reverse and saw one of the teachers kneel down to talk to JB. I could see his eyes get big as the car moved and then he slowly sauntered outside. One small victory for mom! I think next time I will leave him in the car!

I was talking with a friend yesterday about my impulsive child. We were talking about trying to set some boundaries even within the impulsive behavior (drawing on walls or beds). So today Jbird and I walked around the house with scissors, butcher paper and tape. I decided we would tape some paper to the walls so that there would always be some paper in each room when the urge hit for him to draw. He would find a spot where he had previously drawn and we put paper up. We will see how well it works. Hopefully JB won't try drawing on the walls without paper and hopefully Jbird will use the paper only when 'needed' and not just whenever he wants to draw. I have told him that now that there is paper up, there are no excuses and there will be consequences if he draws on other things.

B is out of school Wed, Thurs and Friday of this week. Other than trying to go sledding and heading to some Church friends for Thanksgiving, no plans!

Had a quiet weekend! Got into the single digits, so was not much on venturing out, except to do some solo shopping.

Talked with the speech therapist today. After scoring the results from the test last week, she is fairly confident that we are actually dealing with apraxia. There could be some phonological disorder too, but hard to tell because some of the phonological stuff normally disappears when they turn 3. Apraxia is a long uphill road, basically retraining the mental processing. Jb did throw a frustration fit today at therapy for the first time. She was surprised she was just now seeing one.

My precious impulsive child. I thought we were making some headway when I saw him recently pick up a marker and turn to the wall. Then he said 'oh, we don't draw on the wall, but on paper'. Yeah! Then later that day I found where he had drawn a big green square on the couch with a marker - and yes he colored it in. It was done very nicely and had it been on paper, I would have been impressed. Then I found a lot of scribbling with a black pen all over the sheets of our bed. The other day he went to a friend's house to play (a friend we are just getting to know). We had been there about 2 minutes when the other little boy comes running in and asks "are we suppose to draw on walls?" His mom was puzzled, but I was not. Seems my precious child had found a really, really long, big ol' fat pencil and just had know if it would write. It did. Fortunately the other mom was very understanding and did not seem to mind - she was able to get all the marks off without taking off any paint. Disciplining for these things just seems to have no impact.

My 'wall' is now finished. Somewhere between when the boys turned 2 and 2 1/2 I have had two collages done of them. Just recently had JB's done and they are on the wall. (Despite the angle of the picture, yes, they are hanging straight). Just love how they have all turned out and how the pictures capture so much of their personality.


Here are the other two pictures I had taken while we were at it and they are now framed on the wall too. (It is hard to take pictures on a wall because of the flash reflection in the picture. All the more reason for me to figure out how to use the manual modes on my camera and turn off the flash!)

Recently JR and I got a babysitter and went out. We went to shoot some pool and I lost terribly. While we were out, B called me on the phone and wanted to know "where my stickers were that I put on letters. Not the stickers with the tennis balls and my name but the ones with the flag." Ahhhh.....stamps. I asked why he wanted to know and he told me he had written a letter. Curious, but told him where they were. When I came home he showed me the letters. He had written two of them, one to Mr. Smith his principal and one to a teacher's aid. It melted my heart that he, unprompted, wanted to write a letter. Here is his letter.

Translation - Mr. Smith, I know how much you like being our principal and I know I like you being my principal. Your Friend. Then he wrote gobble gobble down by the turkey. I saw Mr. Smith the next day and the first thing he told me was how much he appreciated the letter and how it made his day. He has it on his bulletin board! It provided a great opportunity for me to tell B how much his words meant to Mr. Smith and how much he blessed him that day. I encouraged him to continue writing letters and looking for ways to bless and encourage others.

Speaking of B, the other morning he just could not focus long enough to get dressed for school. So my precious little boy had to go to school in his Star Wars pajama bottoms. If I could have gotten away with it, he would have gone barefoot but I knew that was not permissible. Hopefully going forward mornings will be more focused!

JB got approved for speech three times a week! Yeah. We also saw the opthomalogist today. JB was not very cooperative, which is some what normal at that age. It made it hard because he could not look at a picture and tell us what he saw. She was able to get him to track, but not for very long. His eyes move in all directions but she struggled with his visual attentiveness. She said he is showing a possible correction (need for glasses) but wants to do some more testing and dialate his eyes. She said his visual attentiveness could be from needing a correction (he can't clearly see things so he quickly loses interest) or just the day. I asked her if there could be another issue that causes poor attentiveness, and I honestly can't remember what she said but she did say something. She said from the stand point of the health of the eye, it looks good from what she could see, but we will explore everything at our next appointment in 2 weeks. So no huge red flags at this point, but she also just seemed to think that there are possibly some very subtle things that are adding up to something more (not necessarily a serious 'more').

A quiet weekend. I might get the opportunity to redeem myself with some more pool. Otherwise, bundling up for a good chance of snow.