JR obviously made it back from Honduras a week ago! He enjoyed his trip but was very glad to be back home! Tomorrow I am headed to a conference on apraxia. Looking forward to seeing if I can pick up some more ideas and techniques to work with JB and his speech. He is doing really well and those around him are seeing huge improvements! So fun to be able to communicate with him using words! This past Friday we finally got to see one of B's swim lessons. They have been going for the last couple of weeks with school. It was his last lesson. He had a lot of fun, although I think he was put in a group lower than he should have been. Oh well, they had fun and every time he is in the water he becomes more and more comfortable and swims that much farther.

This past Thursday the younger two boys and I went with B's class to the Special Olympics opening ceremony. It was fun, lots of noise and people, but the kids really enjoyed it. JB wanted to take some 'homemade' binoculars so he could see. Here is a picture of him.

I have more pictures to share, but tired. Just wanted to post some quick stuff since it had been a while.

Monday JB's therapist finished up her eval on him. She said he tested at a 'severe apraxia' but she thinks he might be more mild to moderate. He was placed at the 5th percentile. I liked her definition of apraxia...the inability to coordinate the oral movements necessary to produce and combine speech sounds to form syllables and words in the absence of oral paralysis. She also said that prognosis is very good with intervention, which I figured! He still continues to plug along and amaze people with his temperament and his comprehension.

Monday we met with some of the preschool staff at the local school. The speech therapist said he is comprehending about 6-9 months ahead of his age. She did not score him on where he is verbally, but I am guessing the 14 month mark. The PT was not able to complete all her testing. He went for a 'visitation' day today. He spent 2 1/2 hours there interacting with the other kids. They said he did very well, although he did not talk much. When I got to the school, the kids were just leaving the play ground and heading to the bus. (Most of the kids ride the bus home.) JB was trying to keep up. He turned around, saw me and then kept running to the kids. The aide told him he needed to stop. He looked so confused. I told him he did not get to ride the bus because I was picking him up. He got the saddest little puppy face and almost started crying. He wanted to ride that bus too like his friends. He will go back on Friday for his second 'visitation'. Then late May we will meet to discuss everything and about the possibility of him being there in the fall.

The boys have had a couple of later nights this week and does it ever show! They are so tired and poor little Jbird just melts down. Not sure how things are going to go when it stays lighter longer. I just wish they would sleep in!

Went to the dermatologist today to have a spot on my knee cut out. So thankful for the costly insurance we have. It appears it is basal cell, but it should be gone now. One of the great things about going for yearly check-ups, things are caught often. I will be kid free most of tomorrow, thanks to a friend, so lots of lounging, projects and then dinner with a friend (while her kids hang with my kids). JR will come back Saturday night!

JR has made it to Honduras. He left Friday morning and will be there until this Saturday.

The boys and I have gone wild. For the last two days our couches and table have been turned upside down and now a 24/7 fort. They have figured out how to create 'rooms' in the fort and have been sleeping there. Tonight it was a shelter from komodo dragons, which did not take over the fort because the boys had their guns. It is so nice to see them playing so well together!

On Friday night I went to a contemplative prayer and fellowship time at a friends house. Something I had never experienced before. There were 16 ladies and my friend who led it did a great job. Hopefully something I can go to every quarter, or how often they have them.

Yesterday a friend came over with her two boys and literally spent all day here! We were outside from 11 - 4:30. Great to just hang out.

This week there is a lot going on with the preschool JB will probably go to. Tomorrow I am taking him in so they can put him through all the tests...PT, OT, Speech, etc. Then on Wed and Friday I will drop him off from 8:30 - 11 so he can 'try' it out. They usually get a pretty good idea of how and where he will fit in for the fall.

I have a couple of friends helping me with the boys this week so I can get some 'down' time. That down time will probably turn into project time. Just tonight I was able to fill an entire trash bag of clothes. So nice to weed out more stuff.

This past weekend was a total blur. Friday afternoon some friends called us who live an hour away and said they were headed to the hospital for some testing. The dad has recently been diagnosed with MS and seemed there were some complications. The doctor wanted them at the hospital for short tests over the weekend (an hour or two each day). So, we entertained their two youngest for the better part of the weekend. The boys loved having a sister. She and Jbird are oil and water at times, so they act just like siblings.

On Saturday night JR and I took our three and two of their three to a local Pow Wow. Everything I read said it started at 6pm, so we got there at 5:45. Then we found out at 6 that it did not start until 7. They were running real late so the grand entry did not start until 7:45. So the kids were tired of sitting by the time it started. We left toward the end of the grand entry, which was at least 25 minutes long. Very fascinating, just wish I could have seen more of it. We did enjoy some fry bread though.

Saturday afternoon we went to one easter egg hunt at a nearby church. It had snowed the day before, so quite a bit of snow on the ground, but it was a beautiful day. It was pretty obvious from the pictures below which one of my children got dressed with no parental influence. (I wonder if it is a good thing that my children are so unconcerned about their attire. On one hand, it will probably save me lots of money, on the other hand, I just laugh when they go out like this.....note those are wool socks B is wearing.)



After the egg hunt the Easter bunny came out. JB initiated several high fives!



Sunday morning, because we had an extra child with us, we did not do our traditional Easter and the boys did not seem to mind. We had brunch with our friends and then headed to their hotel to swim. I had all five of the kids by myself, but they did wonderful.

Monday JB had his second visit with the new therapist. She is just amazed at how hard he likes to work! She did mention that most apraxic kids she has seen have sleep apnea. So, watching him for that, but currently he is not showing strong signs.

We have been getting out lately on bikes and going for walks. So looking forward to this summer, although I think more snow is coming later in the week.

This was yesterday.....The boys put on their cowboy hats and bandanas. We have a couple of cap guns that Jbird got for his birthday. However, he has deemed it too dangerous to use because he saw a spark when the cap went off. So they run around shooting the guns and providing their own noises. We also played some 'tennis'.



This is a picture of this morning.


Lovely spring weather. At least it is April, so the snow won't stick around long. However it is needed since a wildfire started earlier this week.

We were eating lunch today and JB said 'mo wa wa'. Yeah...'more water'. I think he is close to 70 'words' that he uses on his own and appropriately. He is also enjoying the one morning he goes to daycare and plays hard along side kids his own age.

Had an eye opening experience this week about the day and age we live in. (Too complicated to go into). It is amazing to see where we are as a culture...although I am thankful for the diligence of others, JR and I are the parents and have nothing but the best interest at hand for our kids. So thankful for the wisdom God gives us in how to deal with our kids and their different temperaments and personalities.

Not much on the calendar this weekend except celebrating our risen Lord!!! The youth group is hosting an egg hunt before church so I think we will deviate from our norm and do that. Also working on a scavenger hunt for the boys instead of the traditional egg hunt at home. Hopefully the boys will enjoy it because I love coming up with things like that. Oh the possibilities now that B is a full on reader. Love having a reader in our home! He laid in bed last night and read a story to JB while I had to finish up some stuff. Those are the memories I hope they will carry with them.

Yesterday our hospital had their semi annual Wellness Day. Since JR and I have a high deductible insurance policy, we decided to take advantage of getting low cost blood work done. They had some great stations for the kids too - Wii fitness, hula hoop, homemade granola, balloon art and face painting. B was the only brave one to get his face painted....Jbird and JB both got turtles on their hands. Here is the crew.

Here is a photo of two beloved items in our house.... a recent gun that Jbird purchased with some birthday money and JB's 'uufff'. His little dog is never far from him.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

This past weekend JB exploded with sounds. He at times does spontaneous imitation, trying to repeat every word I say. I just still am amazed at the therapy. I never thought much about how sounds were made. He does well with CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) when the consonants are made in the same part of the mouth (T and D). However, when you give him a consonant that is made on the teeth and one that is made behind the teeth, he really struggled (h and t). He is starting a new therapy schedule next week. He will see a new therapist on Mondays and his current therapist on Tues and Wed. This new therapist works with a lot of apraxic kids. He has to be re-authorized every 6 months for more therapy. He is currently authorized for 3 times a week but that authorization ends April 30th. Not sure if he will get 2 or 3 times a week starting in May. Am curious to see the 'tests' the new therapist will put him through and her opinion on 'where' he is.

I registered Jbird for kindergarten today! He was so excited! He has now found a favorite pair of jeans that he wears most days and yep, there is a hole in each knee. Not sure what it is with him and jeans. At least it should be warm enough in a few weeks that we will start seeing lots of shorts.

B has 10 more weeks of school left. He still has perfect attendance. He is so motivated by rewards. Each child that has perfect attendance up until the last week of school gets recognized at a school assembly. They also get a school hooded sweatshirt with their last name on the back.

I have been overhauling parts of the house. In the process of redoing the front entryway...using pegboard and baskets. I think the pegboard is quickly growing on me. Getting ready to paint a small closet and turn it into a reading nook for B. We are looking at rearranging the whole garage and putting in a utility sink. I am cleaning up the back yard. We have decided to do away with our 'garden' space for now and plant more grass. I am hoping to fill the sand box with dirt. My goal is to have most of this done in two weeks, before JR leaves for a week in Honduras. Once he gets back it will be crazy at work and then camping season begins. At this point no road trips planned, so should get in lots of camping/outdoor time.

We are still alive....
Just have not been focused on computer stuff.
A week ago today we celebrated J's 5th birthday. He had a few friends that we invited to the local donut shop for donut sundaes. Then we headed across the street to burn off all the sugar. The weather got crazy about the time we got to the park. The wind really kicked up and it got cold. The kids were the only ones that did not seem to care.
My mom's week long visit flew by way too fast. I enjoyed lots of little chunks of time getting out of the house. I even stopped the 5am work outs and went during 'normal' hours. I do regret that mistake because it has taken me a few days to get back into the swing of rising early.
B started swim lessons today. One thing the PTC at the school pays for is swim lessons for the second graders. They go once a week for 4 weeks. Will be interesting to see what he thinks about it. They were bused to the local college. Spent part of this past week putting out all new playground sports equipment at the school. This was stuff that was finally bought from the money we raised at the Fun Run last September. Amazing how excited kids get about balls, jump ropes, etc. The playground aides were so appreciative. They kept telling me how much easier their job is now that the kids have things to do during recess.
Yesterday was JB's last day of physical therapy. The therapist told me how much he was chatting. At times I find him imitating me almost word for word. Yeah. I have to catch myself from telling him to be quiet. Let the words flow. Still one of our biggest immediate goals is for him to say 'no' instead of screaming for what he wants, particularly with his brothers. The end of April there is an apraxia workshop a couple of hours away. I am hoping to go as it sounds like lots of practical, hands on things will be taught.
My mom brought her Ipad with her on this trip. The boys really enjoyed playing with it. It was amazing how quickly JB picked it up. There was one application he enjoyed playing with that was geared towards learning words.
A rather quiet weekend and upcoming week. The weather should be nice and hopefully some bike rides and maybe I will remember to take my camera along. Just not a lot of picture taking lately.

I am thinking spring has sprung....at least for now! Been working on projects and time is just slipping away. We are gearing up for a 5 year old birthday party. We are having it at the local donut shop. What is better than a donut and a scoop of ice cream. The best part, there is a park right across the street so we can parade over there and let all the kids run and run and run.

Several months ago, I pulled out Jbird's 5 year old clothes. Being the particular 'clothes-wearer' that he is, there was one pair of jeans he gravitated to. He wore them just about every day except Sunday. They were flannel lined and even with 2 layers, it was not long before they became worn. Jbird refused to depart with them and knowing I could not just discard when he was not looking, I had a plan. I told him on his 5th birthday, we would either cut the jeans into shorts or throw them away. After all the weather would be warming up and he would not need them for the summer. He agreed. So, I washed the jeans one last time yesterday. Decided I needed to take a picture of them. They got totally torn up in the wash, but here he is, in his favorite jeans. (They were not this bad before the last wash...)

One article of clothing I will not hesitate to get rid of. Between needing a hair cut and a different pair of 'favorite jeans', we are half way there. Not sure how long he will let his hair grow before he wants it cut.

My mom is coming in tomorrow for a week. Looking forward to having her around.

Today we had our intake meeting for preschool for JB. Sounds like he will qualify for services. They will do a full assessment/evaluation mid April and then he will visit the classroom two more times later that week. So, we should know for sure by mid May.

Take Jbird tomorrow to get his cavities and his other tooth capped. The other day he had this really strange red and dry area below his lip. It was too perfect of a line for it to have just appeared. We put some dry skin stuff on it and it healed in a few days. Jbird could not remember what he had done to cause it. I was baffled too, until recently I saw him vacuuming. Yep, he had taken the nozzle and put it over his lips. My precious little boy. He will be 5 next week and we have an agreement that when he turns 5 the weather will warm up and we can throw away his favorite pair of jeans because it will be too warm for them. They are flannel lined and both knees are blown out. Not just blown out but the holes have ripped almost all the way down to his shoes. Having the layer of denim and red flannel make him look so pitiful. Not to mention that he has declared several times over the last couple of weeks that he is not going to cut his hair. Getting pretty scraggily, but hey, there are bigger battles to fight right now.

Recently had two different conversations with two of B's teachers. They both commented on how much he loves to read. He gets distracted with books. So glad he loves to read and can get lost in a good magazine or book. This past weekend he earned his geology, astronomy and cultural belt loop through a cub scout program at the local museum.

We got more of the house painted this past weekend. Always love seeing new colors on the walls. Now to figure out how to put it all back together. Need to figure out a new system for organizing.

Off to get kids ready for bed and to go to bible study.

Seems to be the time of year where I want change. Purged a lot of my clothes this past weekend. I finally got rid of a sweatshirt I bought in 1995 on a trip to Cape Cod along with a few other things that had seen better days. This weekend we are hoping to paint the front entryway and re-organize it yet again. I can't seem to find a system that works. It is the one part of the house we can't keep straight and tidy. (A bigger coat closet would be nice but houses up here in the north don't seem to have huge closets or entryways...not sure why with all the winter gear we have)

JB seems to be turning a corner. Getting closer approximations with words. The therapist is making him work hard. She is making him start to think through what he is going to say instead of just blurting out what is familiar. He is having to sort through his thoughts to dig up what word he wants. Monday we have our initial interview at the special need pre-school program at the elementary school. I am told that he will qualify at this point, just a formality to start the paper work. If all goes according to plan, he will start in the fall. They go 4 days a week for about 2 1/2 hours. I keep hearing wonderful things about the program and the way they work with kids.

Last night JB woke up wanting water, as he sometimes does in the middle of the night. I brought him two different cups but he did not want to drink out of either of them. So, being frustrated I told him if he wanted a different cup, to go find it. He quietly got out of bed and walked downstairs. He never turned on a light but I soon heard him going through the cup drawer. He managed to find a cup, lid and valve for the lid. He quietly carried them back upstairs, handed them to me and crawled in to bed. After I filled the cup he drank some then rolled back over to go to sleep. Just hearing him plod through the quiet house and not even being concerned a light was not on. Too precious.

After I recent dentist appointments, I decided to buy a Sonic care toothbrush set. The boys really enjoy it and seems to keep them more motivated to brush. We have tooth brushing parties in the bathroom now. We will see in 6 months the effect they have, been seems to clean my teeth better. I like that it has the 30 second timer that goes off 4 times to remind you to switch sides of your mouth. Good for the kids too.

Last weekend someone, somehow got my credit card number and was then able to 'create' a card. They used it at various gas stations across the midwest. Fortunately it was a credit card, so the company is covering 100% of the charges. I think in total it came up to over a thousand dollars.

Not much else has been going on...

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!