Grandma's 85th Birthday

My final living grandparent, Grandma Quack turned 85. My mom put together a great open house for her and a lot of family and friends came. It was so great to see old family and friends. I think Grandma had a good time too.

My Baby is now two

And he's not a baby anymore. Last Sunday Atticus turned two. He is so expressive and so verbal. He's also started to use his imagination. That's something I didn't see in Sebastian until almost 3 so it's cool to see that already. He also has the mentality that anything Sebastian and Alexandra do he can do as well. He loves to play by himself and is all boy. He loves his trucks and cars. For his birthday we got him a t-ball stand and plate and he hits that ball over and over and over again. We're working on taking turns and sharing but for two he's getting there. He loves his ya-ya (alexandra) and likes his bubby (Sebastian) but seems to hit and fight with him a lot. He likes hats, really the only one of the kids that does. He has the cutest smile and a very sad cry even when he's not really sad. I've been much more relaxed with him which has led me to really enjoy him.

Only one more in diapers

Although I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, Sebastian is pretty much potty trained. Yippeee! It happened about a week and a half ago, it just seemed to click. He started telling me he needed to go and he just stated going. I was so excited. I think Atticus and Alexandra are just as happy that he's using the potty more. They get an M & M every time he uses the potty! Atticus has started to want to sit on the potty but that's about it. I believe though that he'll be a little easier than Sebastian.

Sprinkler Fun

We've had a lot of great times this summer. This summer has seemed easier than the past two because Atticus can be trusted a little more this summer to stay in the back yard. This video cracks me up because Atticus is trying to copy what Alexandra is doing. They have become two peas in a pod.

Potty Training Part three

We had a good day today with Potty Training Sebastian. We started last week and it went better than when we tried in June. Then the we had a penny incident. Alexandra and Sebastian came into our room last Tuesday morning and told us Sebastian had swallowed a penny. I called the Dr. and they wanted us to have an x-ray to make sure it had passed to his stomach. There was no penny in his belly although he still says its in his tummy. So after that we took a break from potty training last week and I thought we'd start again today. He didn't have an accident but he also didn't choose the potty on his own. I had to make him each time but then he did. We're getting there. The funny thing, I'm always thinking, when did he go last, how much did he have to drink and so on. Ah, what an interesting stage of life. Who knew the potty would occupy so much of my time.

Grimes Family Reunion

Every year my dad hosts his family reunion. This year my uncle Rob came and I got a picture of my dad and his siblings.

why do I get the baking bug on a day like this

It's quite warm here in the mid-west today but I decided to bake anyway. I had a helper and she really is a help. You can see her here putting chocolate chips in our whole wheat muffins. She also helped mix up the batter and put chocolate chip on the pancakes. There was a moment where Alexandra said, "mom, I really like helping you bake." "You do", I said. "yeah, because it's messy and fun". I had a flash back to when I was a youngster, not as young as Alexandra but in elementary school. We walked to a friends house and she would bake with me. She was always really patient and let me do a lot of messy stuff. It was fun and messy for me too. I am thankful that I get to do this with my daughter.

5 minutes for mom summer photo contest

There's another contest over at 5minutesformom.com. This one has a summer theme. If you would like to enter a photo as well, you can check it out at here.

What is it about night time around here

Last night I heard foot steps upstairs after we put the kids to bed. I went up and found out it was Sebastian and he needed a change. After he was disciplined, Alexandra says: For the record he also turned on the light. I couldn't believe she said that. I had to hold back the laughter as I walked out the door to get a pull up for Sebastian.

A scene from the Erbe house

Last night, about a hour this incident occurred.
Door to the upstairs opens.
Alexandra: Mama, I think you need to sew Buddy's night-night.
Me: Why?
Alexandra: I think I swallowed part of it.
Me: (holding back laughter) Go back to bed!
Paul: What will they come up with next!

A need for a little encouragement

Being a mom is a great thing. It's also a really tough job. I can't imagine my life without them but there are days I wonder what I'm doing and if I'm doing the right things. I also feel like I'm the only one that's struggling. It seems everyone else can handle this stage of life. It's a lot of work, rewarding, but still a lot of work. Sometimes you need someone to step in and say it is hard, and it's not easy for most women. I knew in my heart that this was where God wanted me, but was it really where my husband wanted me. So after a chat, he confirmed it was where he wanted me too. It's good to be reminded that your not alone and that you are supported in what you are doing. Thank God he gives us those times of encouragement when we feel like we're at our breaking point.

I have a 5 year old

After 2 parties, lots of friends and family, cool girly presents and way too much cake, we now have a 5 year old. I love the littler person she is and is becoming.

I love moments like this

Painting Sebastian's toes.





The other day I went for my yearly pedicure and came home with painted toe nails. Alexandra's been begging me to paint her toe nails. I got out the polish and painted her toes before bed. Atticus was the first to sit down and point to his toes, then Sebastian wanted his too. I had Alexandra run down and grab the camera so I could document the boys wanting their toes painted.

A Great Moment

One thing that continues to come up for Sebastian is his gross motor skills. When the PT at school told me that he doesn't have any problems with his gross motor skills, I told her he can't ride a tricycle. Yesterday we were playing outside and Sebastian got on the tricycle. He just put his feet on the petals and started riding. So tonight I got out the camera and taped his riding. I cannot express how excited this makes me.

The Powerless

Yes, that's what we were starting Wednesday night. While we were out at church, a huge storm came through town and even though we live in the city, we lost power. I was sure it would return in a couple of hours because in the last nine years, we've only lost power for a few hours if at all. It took almost 2 days. When I called the power company, they kept telling me that it wouldn't be restored until Saturday night. The first thing that happened to me was I thought about all the things I would be doing if the power was on but that really wasn't true. I thought about how I needed to do laundry and that I could mop the floor but I wouldn't have done that. I would have been on my computer or watching TV or both (which is what I'm doing now). I really learned I'm a modern girl. I like lights, I like to hear my fan or air conditioner running at night. We had hot water for dishes and a shower but no dishwasher and no hairdryer. I have to admit, I don't really like this about myself, I wish I liked living like I was camping but I don't. I don't like it at all. I think the kids handled it better than I did. That's pretty sad when your 5, 3 and 1 year old handle the power outage better than their mom! :)

I Love this Laugh

Sebastian has this really pure laugh, that you hear on the video and I can't help but laugh every time I hear it.

A typical evening in our backyard

The Visitation

Tonight Paul and I went to the visitation for our friend from the Bookmobile. It was so great to see so many people there. There were pictures of Dale growing up and of his adulthood working on the bookmobile. We chatted with Jermaine and waited for Brenda. Brenda and Dale were partners, they worked together for years. It will be so different for her. When someone close dies, it makes you want to cherish moments more. Hug your kids a little tighter, a few more times a day. Have a little more patience with them. I know that death is a part of this life, but knowing that doesn't make living with death any easier.

A week of change and loss

I haven't blogged in a while other than utterz because we have been so busy. Alexandra has been going to VBS in Otsego with Grandma Erbe. At first she was really tenative but then she jumped right in the second day and I left without a tear being shed. She also has been staying with Grandma last night and tomorrow night. Sebastian had a hard time with Alexandra being gone too. He cried last night and told me he wanted his Sissy. I also noticed just a little bit that my little girl isn't so little anymore. She making it on her own at least as much as an almost 5 year old can. I cried a few tears over that this week. I'm also thankful though that she's having alone time with Grandma and Grandpa. I have great memories of spending time with both sets of my Grandparents and I'm glad she's getting that now.

You've probably read before that we go to the bookmobile every Tuesday. We've gotten really close with the 3 people who work for the library. Brenda, Jermaine and Dale. We didn't get to see Dale that often but when we did we really enjoyed getting to know him. Brenda called yesterday to let me know they wouldn't be coming because Dale had passed away. His parents found him on Monday, they believe he had a heart attack. He was only 40. We had just seen him that last Tuesday. Brenda wanted us to know that he told her on Wednesday (after seeing us on Tuesday) that he wishes he could have Tuesday as his stop so he could see us more often. He also said he thought we were really great people. We'll be heading to the visitation tomorrow.

Atticus is still in our bedroom, well I should say he was until tonight! I had to take the crib apart to do it but he is now in with Sebastian and Alexandra. He cried a little but he settled down and when I went in the deal with the other two getting out of their bed, he waved bye bye to me. We'll see how tomorrow morning goes with all three of them in the same room. What a trip that should be. No sleeping in until 8 AM tomorrow.

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What has gotten into me today

I had Sebastian's IEP today and it went well. They don't think that he qualifies for services anymore. They believe the classroom has really helped Sebastian over come some of his sensory and social issues. We will continue with the private OT and plan on private preschool in the fall. I came home and decided I needed to clean. This is so not like me. I swept and mopped the floors. I had Alexandra help me after she came out from rest time. This is my only thought, I saw that the next few days are going to be really humid and hot. Today it is hot but not real humid. I figure If I do this hard work now, it's done and I won't have to work hard the really humid days. Also, an update on my strawberries. What ever is eating them Is getting as many as I am and that doesn't make me happy. What does make me happy is to enjoy the freshest strawberries out of my own back yard. It's the little things! It really doesn't take much to make me happy! :)

Obedience

This is a word I use a lot with my kids. God also wants it from me. After praying for a family in our preschool that their unborn daughter would not be born with a half functioning heart, I felt led to lay hands on the mom and baby and pray for a complete healing. I believe God can heal this babies heart but putting myself out there was the tough part. Tonight we had dinner with the family and another family from the preschool. Afterwards, we laid hands on the mom and her pregnant belly and prayed that when she comes out on Wednesday her heart will be totally normal. I prayed it would mystify the DR.s but we would know it was by the hand of God. I have no idea where this family is with God and I hope that through this they get drawn closer to him. I did my part, now it's God's turn to heal that little girls heart. Will you take a moment and lift up Lindsay. She'll be delivered on Wednesday. If you are interested in her progress you can check our the families blog at lindsaysheart.blogspot.com. I'm excited to see what God's going to do in the next few days. It was hard to be obiedent, but it was worth it.

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My water bugs

We decided to buy a new pool today since the weather reports are saying we are going to have a very hot day tomorrow. The kids couldn't wait until tomorrow for the fun to begin and here's some pics and video of some of the fun tonight. You got to love summer!

Big Boy Bed Update

I wondered what would happen last night when we put Sebastian to bed. We went up to go to bed and he walked right up to his new bed and said "I gotta get into my new bed, mama!". If I could have, I would have done cartwheels. The room is just not big enough for that. I did it in my mind! He cried a little bit when Paul made him lay down but once we left, he stopped crying. Then Alexandra read him a book and after two times out of bed, all was quiet in the room. A big sigh of relief! I did talk to both Alexandra and Sebastian last night about us moving Atticus into their room. Their reaction was was funny. Alexandra said "oh mom I would love that". Sebastian looked really worried and then after a few questions to him, it came out that he thought Atticus was going to sleep in his bed with him. LOL. We told him no, Atticus would sleep in his own bed. Oh the things kids come up with. One more big milestone, potty training, and our summer will be complete!

A hard night

At the advice of some we decided to take Sebastian bed out of his room and have him sleep in his big boy bed. We are finding with Sebastian that he hates change. I mean come on who doesn't. Paul read him a few books while I took the bed out, you see we really didn't intend on doing this tonight. When he realized I took it out, he cried and went out of the room to find his old bed. He went all the way downstairs to find it but it was out of site. Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew this was going to be a tough night. After lots of tears and screams, Alexandra read a couple of books to him and things have been quiet so far. I know this was necessary but my soft heart to him makes tonight hard for me too. Not because he's not in his old bed anymore, but because it pained him so much. We'll see how tomorrow morning goes when he can get out of bed all by himself.

The School Picnic

OH my sensitive little girl

Last night I thought I'd get Alexandra ready for school ending so I told her she just had one more day of school and then in the fall she would go to the big school. I thought her response would be oh, yea, I can't wait to go to the big school. Instead, I get a crinkled up face and tears streaming down her face. She says, "Mrs. Sellers" through her tears. I started to tear up. There were many a year where I went home on that last day of school and cried about my teacher, never seeing him or her again. It was so hard. I got exactly what she was feeling and I just had to let her grieve it. I told her we would see Mrs. Sellers again and that we would make her a special project on Tuesday and give it to her as a thank you gift. She wasn't as upset today and we did make a project. Hopefully, tomorrow at school she'll be ok. Poor girl, she had to get that from me!

Another Contest from 5 minutes for mom!

I'm trying to win a wii for the kid in me so I thought I'd submit this picture of Sebastian. Walking in the back yard picking dandelions! Priceless. Get more details on the contest here!

Bringing in the heavy hitter

M&M's. I have placed a jar full of them up on the back of the toilet. If he goes on the potty, he gets one. He's gotten three pieces in the last two days but we've had 4 accidents as well. That's progress though. I'm also making him take off his wet underwear and pants and take them to the laundry across the house. He's not happy about that at all, thanks for the tip Wendy! I also came to a realization, it's not my main job as mom to make my kids comfortable. It's my heart to do that but it's not always the best for them. I've got to keep that in mind while potty training Sebastian.

Potty Training update

We had three accidents within minutes of him sitting on the potty. We went through 3 pants and underwear. I decided that I need to make him even more uncomfortable but try not to make more work for me. I found 3T plastic pants. We're going with underwear and the plastic pants. Then I won't have to change his pants every time. I'm committed to continue to work on this. I believe he can do it, he just really doesn't want to. I'll keep you up dated!

Let the wetness begin

Our sitter is on vacation this week so I'm taking that opportunity to kick the potty training into high gear. Although we've been working on it here and there, this morning he is in big boy pants and he knows if he doesn't use the potty, he's going to be wet. Although Atticus used the big boy potty last week, I'm not pushing him as hard. If he wants to use the potty, great if not that's fine too. I think when he sees Sebastian using the potty, he will too, just like last week. We'll see. Sebastian has had his big boy pants on for about a hour now and no accidents.

A Normal Question

"Can he put on his shoes?" Pretty normal question right? Can your three year old boy put on his shoes? It was followed by can he dress himself? With a glazed over look, I answered "No, he can't?" I didn't know that my three year old was suppose to be able to put on his shoes. I didn't know he should be able to pull his shirt over his head or pull up his pants. The question was asked by a social worker at our first evaluation with the PET program. I felt so uninformed. The team that day told me that putting on shoes and clothes is tied into his gross and fine motor skills, two areas he's struggled with. They also shared with me that kids should be putting on their shoes and clothes around 2 years old. I had no idea but I'm never one to back down from a fight or a struggle so I was gonna work on him getting those shoes and clothes on. That question was asked about 3 months ago and I'm happy to report that Sebastian can put his shoes and clothes on all by himself. It took a lot of tears, screams, pleads and encouraging words but he can do it. This post is a part of the Scribbit Write-away contest. You can check it out here.

One of my favorite mommy moments

Alexandra was having a hard time getting to sleep and so she came downstairs. She wanted me to help her find an animal in her bed and since it was really late I told her no. She cried and cried. I sat back down on the couch to see this little 4 years old come face to face with me. Here's what she said, "I can't understand why you won't help me. If you were in my position, you would be frustrated too!". I didn't know if I should laugh or yell. I said to her that her behavior doesn't make me want to help her to encourage this in the future (I know, I know, It was late). She says, "And what does that even mean!". I tried to not laugh and then went upstairs to put her back to bed. I couldn't believe my 4 year old was speaking like that to me with such big words. It was too funny!

Three Cheers for Daddy

So, we were out late last night having dinner and playing cards with Paul's family. Paul was so exhausted I drove home and then stayed up for a while unwinding. The kids got up at normal time and Paul got out of bed with them. I woke back up at 10 AM and went downstairs, to an empty house. A note was left saying, we went to the museum and the library. I did a happy dance. I got to eat breakfast in silence, I watched the taped Office from Thursday night and I got to get myself ready without any interruptions. Oh My, it was so nice. I went to the store and came back to find everyone back home after having an awesome time with Daddy! We celebrated our 9th anniversary on Thursday but didn't really do anything (we will later in the summer). This was an awesome treat on a Saturday! Even though I thought I knew it 9 years ago, Paul cemented today that he is a great, great man and husband! Three cheers for Paul!

Dinner with the Erbe's

Lee and Sylvia came over Sunday night for dinner and cards. I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or Grandma and Grandpa!

5 minutes for Mom's Photo Contest

I want my kids to really have a great childhood and sometimes that means we play in the puddles.

If I get picked as a finalist I'll let you know. The winner will walk away with $1,000. I'll keep you posted.

Sebastian's skills

Boy does Sebastian have some verbal skills. Tonight when we were putting the kids to bed, Alexandra had baby lion because it was her turn. Sebastian had her princess watch and was conversing with us about it. Paul started to try to get the kids to trade so that Alexandra could get her watch. His words to Alexandra were "If you give Sebastian baby lion, he'll give you the watch. That'll be a good trade." Sebastian says, "That is not a good trade.". We laughed so hard. You would think he would be just repeating what Paul said but he's putting his own words in with what Paul said. He's also doing really well with prepositions which is cool. Tonight he said the watch was on his arm and sleeping beauty was on the watch. The OT has asked us to work on that so it's really cool to see our work is paying off, again!

Great News for Sebastian

So, It's been just a few weeks but we are getting good news from the Teacher of Sebastian's class. She stopped me today and said that Sebastian is doing really, really well. He's interacting with the other kids and he's interacting with the teachers well. He sits well at circle time, he responds when questioned and the music doesn't seem to bother his auditory issues. She is recommending that he go with a regular classroom in the fall. That's what we wanted to hear! Yippeee! He'll finish out this year in the ECDD class and then we'll have a new IEP to change our plan for next year. I am so excited! What great news! Praise God!

A great Sunday afternoon

It has been so nice here that we can't help but be outside. I finally got my batteries charged for the camera and took some pics. After dinner I made some cookies and they enjoyed them at the picnic table. Ah....Good times!

Mama I like your....

So yesterday I changed my clothes so go get my hair cut and Alexandra says, "mama, I like your shirt". I said thanks honey. Then Sebastian says "mama, I like your pants." He's been doing stuff like that lately. I laughed. He comes up with the funniest stuff. You see my pants were just an ordinary pair of off white shorts.

Let them struggle

Yesterday Sebastian was not excited about going to school. He cried when I left and it was hard for me to leave. I'm seeing though that Mrs. B the teacher really has a way with Sebastian and is really good at pushing him. She had him on the monkey bars this week and that's something I would have never done. I watch him struggle with tasks every day and some days I just stop the struggle and do those things for him. As I was watching Sebastian outside yesterday I thought, you know sometimes God allows us to struggle because what's on the other side is so much better for us. We can't see it but He can and that's why he allows it. As Sebastian struggles to put his shoes on and I verbally encourage him and not physically step in, every time gets easier. He is putting on his own shoes, pants and shirt. That's all because we've allowed him to struggle to figure out how to do those things. He's better because of the struggle. As his mom, that is one of the hardest things for me to grasp. I have such a love in my heart for him, I want things to come easy, but they don't for him right now. I have to see further into the future, that the struggle now will pay big later. I've got to keep reminding myself of that.

Sweet Kisses

Atticus has been pretty stingy with his kisses. He also really hadn't learned how to pucker and actually kiss. I would ask for a kiss and he would shake his head no. I have continued to ask. Yesterday he tried to open mouth kiss me which was a little yucky. Today, we were playing outside and he was very busy with the cars and the balls. I was sitting on the step and he came up, climbed up on the step and puckered up and kissed me twice. He then hugged me. Oh, so sweet. I was especially glad it wasn't an open mouth kiss.

The prayers of a little boy

One of these days I am going to video tape Sebastian praying at night. The way he prays is just the sweetest thing. I also know that when he's 16, I won't remember it. He prays for family members and dogs and he puts his hand on each of our heads and prays for us. It is just really cool and I don't want to forget it.

Back to our routine

Today was the first day back for Sebastian at Preschool. I talked to him about it this morning and he said yes he was ready to go back and see Ms. B and Mr. Travis. What's funny is that he didn't ask about school at all while we were on break. Alexandra was not happy about Sebastian going back to school either. I'm still struggling with Sebastian going to school. Some of it is that he misses his rest time and he really struggled that week he was at school. I still haven't figured out why I'm still struggling. I have a great relationship with the parent pro and the teacher so I guess I'll just keep processing. Alexandra was talking to me on the way home and said she wanted a peacock dress. I told her it would be difficult to make so she couldn't have one. She said she would buy one. I asked if she had money. She paused and said, "I have an idea, I'll find money on the ground. I just have to start looking." I had to laugh. I told her yes, she could find money and then save it so she could buy the dress. She is very, very resourceful. It's pretty amazing.

The things they say

Two funny things came out of the mouths of my babes tonight.

Just before dinner was over Paul asked the kids to pick up the toys in the living room before I gave them a bath. Paul then grabs a blanket and lays down on the couch for a short nap. I said to him, "what are you doing". He said, "oh just taking a little snooze". Alexandra said, "How are we going to clean up all the toys with Daddy snoring on the couch?" What's really funny is that Paul doesn't snore.

Tonight after bath I was drying off Sebastian I asked him if it was a good back. He said, "yep is was a good belly button and back bath mommy!" I laughed. He has a fascination with his belly button. He mentions it quite often. Oh the things they say and focus on!

The power of accountability

Last night we hosted Home group. I told the group that I was having a hard time getting things done. I was doing really well with sorting clothes and washing windows but not work and vision stuff done for my new venture. I'm hoping to get a grant to put together a blog community and a book series to help educate parents on the development milestones for their children. I've also had to write a letter to get Alexandra released from our current school system so she can go to a better smaller school system in the fall. Well, after telling everyone that last night and getting prayer, I sent off two emails for the development milestone site and the letter to our school system is addressed and ready to go in the mail. You would have thought the rain here today would have put me in the mood for a nap but instead I got a lot done. I think part of the reason is too that I totally cleaned the house yesterday and I got all the laundry done yesterday. I pretty much have nothing to do today in the house so I had to do those other things. Whatever it was I'm glad I got all those things done.

Getting back to reality

Oh, it's been quite a transition back to reality. I miss vacation. The boys got sick the week we got back and I think we're all just about well again. Alexandra and Sebastian are on spring break now and we are loving the weather. Atticus is so funny, he will run away from me and try to hide from me when I tell him it's time to go inside. Spring has also motivated me to clean windows and keep the house picked up. Also I've been grilling. Ah, how I longed for these days back in January and February. I do think though that I will spend a large amount of my time this spring and summer pushing the kids on the swings. Alexandra can pump but Sebastian isn't quite co-ordinated enough to do that so I have to push him. If I push him, then Alexandra wants me to push her as well. Atticus is funny, he doesn't care at all what the other two are doing. He plays in the toy car, he plays with the balls, he pushes the toys around. It is so funny. I'm finding it hard to blog as much when it's so nice outside, I'll try to keep on top of it a little better than I have. Sorry for the little break!

Mystery Reader

If you didn't know, which I didn't, March is reading month. Alexandra's preschool had mystery readers and She wanted Pa Pa (or my dad) to read. He agreed but said we'd have to pick the book for him. Last night Alexandra started to pick books. The first one was about Human Development. I told her no. Then she picked a easter and religious traditions book that had no pictures and lots and lots words. So I directed her to a fire dog book and a bakers counting book. As you can see and hear he did an awesome job and the kids seem to really enjoy it. It was so cool to see him reading to Alexandra's class.

Wordless Wednesday - My boys

A haircut for Granny

When we were in Florida my mom thought it would be a good thing to get Alexandra a hair cut. Just to trim her hair up. Both Alexandra and I told her no. So, after I got home I thought about what she said (see mom, I do listen to you)and I talked to Alexandra about it. She thought it would be fine. So, I trimmed it. Here's a pic of the new do. She's not real thrilled with it since it's too short to really braid it but other than that I think it's really cute a little shorter.

I think it was harder on me

Today was the day I had been dreading for a while. Sebastian started his preschool class today. We all headed to the school. Sebastian went right in and started to play. We had to check in with the lunch lady and once we left he started to cry. We peeked in the window and the Teacher told me that he was upset and she was holding him. She told me to go. I started to cry as we walked out the door. Alexandra asked me what was wrong. I told her that dropping Sebastian was hard for me and it made me sad. I could tell she didn't get it. I cried more on the way home. We got home and got Atticus to bed and Alexandra was getting ready for rest time. I started to cry again. Alexandra said, mom you don't have to be sad, I'm not sad. He'll be back in a couple of hours. Plus, you have that other boy in the other room." I laughed through my tears and I said, "I also have you". We picked him up around 3:30 PM and he was really happy to see us. The Teacher said he did really well and got a star on his hand for helping to pick up toys. She said they played in the gym and he was kicking balls and running around. He told me as we left that he had a good time and wanted to go back. He fell asleep on the way home and he slept in the car for about an hour. He was a little out of sorts tonight, I think it'll be a few days or even into next week to transition out of his nap time.

I of course analyzed why this was so upsetting to me to leave him at preschool today. I cried when I dropped Alexandra off but I also knew she and I were both ready. I hadn't prepared myself for this like I did with her. I think my other concern was that the teachers wouldn't get him, like I get him and maybe they won't but that doesn't mean they can't help him. I also don't want him to be mistreated. It's not that I get that feeling but it would pain me to know we made this decision and it hurt him in some way instead of helping him. I guess I'll leave it at that for now. I'm sure I'll have more thoughts tomorrow.

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The time of our lives

Sorry I haven't been able to update via utterz but my cell phone hasn't been working in Port. Yesterday we were in Cozumel and it was awesome. We snokeled, enjoyed the ocean on a private beach and had an awesome ride on a catamaran. We also had a great time yesterday at dinner with our new friends Kelly and Chris and Wendy and David. Ask me about the game show the Quest. I won't blog about it here. We arrived in Progreso this morning and it was raining and cloudy. It was still warm though. We visited a mayan ruins site and it was fantastic. I'll post pics soon. We enjoyed climing the ruins and seeing the country side of Mexico. Progreso is a fairly new port and the city isn't quite the tourist mecca that Cozumel is. We've had rough seas most of the time but Paul has not been sick anymore. Tonight we'll enjoy another delicious dinner with our table mates and then hopefully have a warm and sunny day at sea. We'll arrive back at Tampa at 7 AM on Saturday. This trip has been a great time for Paul and I to reconnect and just talk about stuff and really cut loose and have a great time together, like we did early in our marriage. This was well worth the money for the encouragment it's been to our relationship. Please continue to pray for my mom and Russ as they are still taking care of the three little ones. I'll post more soon!

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Today is the day

We arrived in Florida save and sound. It was really late and Sebastian decided he didn't want to sleep in the playard, he wanted to sleep in the big bed with Alexandra. He did and pretty much stayed in the bed until morning. Hopefully, this will help him transition to the big bed when we get home. We also left Sebastian's nite-nite at home in Michigan. Granny saved the day and went and bought him a new one and we made a big deal about it when we arrived. Out of the three, he's the one who would deal with it the best! He's done really well. Atticus I think is still recovering from the sickness and is still pretty tired. We will leave for Tampa today at 2 PM and hopefully be on the boat and ready to sail by 3 PM. Last night I started to think about being away from the kids for that long and it started to bother me. I know they will be well taken care of here with My mom and Russ, it's still a litte weird to know we'll be gone for 5 days. Oh and for my friends in cooler climates, the weather has been sunny and 85 to 90 here. The kids have been loving being outside and playing in the pool. It's been so nice! I hope to update either by Utterz or via the internet while on the boat to keep a record of our trip!

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Crazy Time

Our OT , Joann has recommended that we do some things to help reset Sebastian's vestibular system. I have called this crazy time in our house. The kids get to jump on the bed and run around and be "crazy". The physical activity stimulates Sebastian's large muscle groups and it also helps all the kids to let off some steam. As you can see from the pics, they are having a good time.

The Sickness has got to go

Ok so last week it was colds and sinus infections. I thought, ok great we'll be good to go for vacation. Then, I get this in bed all day stomach flu yesterday. For the first time ever in our marriage, I called Paul at work and asked him to please come home. I was either on the couch or in the bathroom. Paul got home around 12:30 PM and I was in bed the rest of the day until 7:30 PM. It was horrible. I'm thankful that today I am feeling better but still not well. I've been praying the kids don't get it especially since we fly to florida on Saturday. Paul is still fighting his infection and is hoping to get more medicine tomorrow. The kids seem to be all over everything so I'll keep praying that they stay well. Paul and I leave Tampa on a royal caribbean cruise for 5 nights. I am so excited. I just realized last night that I've never been to Mexico and our cruise will make two stops in Mexico. Oh and keep checking back next week, I hope to be posting pics and sound from our cruise!

Sebastian Update

We had Sebastian's IEP on Friday. I was on my own, other than the prayers of faithful friends and family. Joann couldn't make it. I met with the school psychologist and the teacher for the ECDD class. Joann had given me a list of questions specifically about the OT and the training the teachers had. Sebastian's sensory issues have flared up quite a bit in the last week. He's telling me more and more that things are too loud like music and TV. Joann wants us to start what they call "Theraputic Listening". It's where we put headphones on with his favorite song or my voice and set it at a level where it's comfortable for him. Then we do that for a few days and then take it up a level and see how he responds. We are also going to be starting the "brushing technique" to help with the touch sensitivity. Joann wanted to make sure that if we put him in the classroom, they would continue to help me with those things. Joann will train me as well so that I can do those things at home. The teacher assured me that if that's what he needs, they will be trained and will do what the OT in the classroom suggests. They will also allow activities every day he's there that will help stimulate his vestibular system. We are also asking the dr. to refer us to a audiologist to determine whether or not there is anything physically wrong wit his inner ear since he does have balance problems. I decided to sign the agreement to put him in the afternoon classroom starting March 25th. He'll be going 3 1/2 days which is better than the 4 I thought. On a good note, his gross motor skills are improving and his speech is so much better. He continues to amaze me with the things he says. He's also learning more and more about sharing and caring. He accidentally kicked me in the face the other day on the swing. I said to him that he hurt me. He said, oh mama, I'm so sorry! I'm very thankful for the help we are receiving and I hope that by the fall he'll be ready for a mainstream 2 day preschool.

The process

Although I'm in Gr right now helping out with WaYfm's sharathon, I'm also still processing what happened yesterday when we visited the ECDD classroom. Sebastian didn't really engage with the kids when the music was playing and they were dancing around. Now that I look back, he had his fingers in his ears. He usually dances around when we play music at home. I talked to Joann today and she said it seems his auditory issues are really progressing. He started to tell me when I rip the sides of his pull up to change him, that its too loud. I think as we continue to progress with him, other issues are rearing their heads. Joann will advocate for him on Friday that maybe the classroom isn't the best thing for him that maybe one on one therapy. I think the socialization and the extra work would be really good for him but I don't want him to be overwhelmed with all the noise. Oh, I have so much on my mind but I am having a great time on the radio. I'm on between 3 and 5 PM. And then 6 to 8 PM. Listen live now at Way.fm

I'm a believer

As I go through the struggles with Sebastian I have felt God share with me about what my struggles are and how I dishonor God and My Husband as I struggle with Food and Money issues. Tonight I shared some of that with Paul and for the first time we had a civil conversation about it. I truly believe that it went so well because I was honest, upfront and owned up to my stuff. I tell you it is so shameful to have to face your stuff with the person you Love the most. Paul finally understood that my actions are not acts of defiance. I spend and eat too much because I'm trying to fill a need with those things that I should be getting filled by God. I told him I couldn't be out here all alone anymore. I need guidance and accountability. He for the first time that I was more important to him than Money or Debt. I needed to hear those words. I needed to hear that I was more important to him than fixing these things in our life. I'm considering seeking some counseling for these issues. My call to you is, if you are hiding something from someone you love, don't let it rule your life. Sit down with them, share the honest truth that you are struggling and that you need their help. You can't go it alone anymore. It's hard, but to be unburdened Is so much better.

Busy, busy, busy

It seems like this is just a busy time of year for us. Alexandra has had school three days a week, Sebastian still does his therapy once a week and Atticus is just all over the place all the time. I'm working on a spaghetti dinner and auction for the preschool. I've secured donations and meat for the dinner. That doesn't happen until March 27th. Sebastian's IEP meeting is this Friday and I needed to stop by the classroom this week. We did that today. Sebastian did well and I think I'll be good for him. I'm the one that is having a hard time with it. He told me after we left "mama, that sandbox was so nice!". I chuckled. The kids in the class had a lot of speech issues and a few had physical issues. Tomorrow I head to GR for Sharathon 2008 for WayFM. I'll be on tomorrow at 10 am and then throughout the day and Thursday as well starting at 7 AM. As I said I have Sebastian's IEP on Friday. Whew! I'm tired already and I haven't even gone through it all. The nice thing is that these kinds of things usually energize me so I should come off of the two days. I will try to give an update while I'm in GR but we'll have to see.

Oh, too funny

Alexandra heads down the stairs tonight and here's how the conversation went:

Me: What are you doing out of bed?

Alexandra: Something is wrong mom?

Me: What?

A: Well, Buddy got out of his bed, he didn't turn on the light but he's in my bed, he won't leave so I can't go to sleep.

Me: Ok, I'll see what's going on. (I head into the room to find Buddy in Alexandra's bed reading a book.)

Sebastian: Mama, I reading.

Me: You need to be in your own bed, reading.

Sebastian: Oh, you right mama.

I put him in his bed. I smelled something. I asked If he had poopy.

Sebastian: No, I not. Bubba poopy.

Atticus is in a whole different room. It's funny. He won't tell me when he is, but he'll lie to me when he isn't to get out of bed. I'm hoping his escape tonight starts to push him to wanting to be in his own bed.