The last post about Halloween

OK, so finally, I am on my last post that has Halloween in it.

I'm eventually going to catch up, I promise.

The weekend before Halloween I was brave and decided to take Brother and Sister to a little celebration in the neighboring town to the Riverwoods (basically just around the corner from us). I was mostly brave because my friend, Amanda, and her kids Ali and Pepe and their student they had with them for a week from Japan, Conan. Marc was home with Baby. (He was not as brave as I.)

I know it may sound trivial to most of you, but taking my kids to a crowded Halloween Celebration with loud music, surrounding vendors and bounce houses is pretty darned overwhelming for any kid let alone one with hyper-arousal, anxiety and sensory processing issues...

But, with their friends there, they did GREAT! And I do mean GREAT!

I was so happy and so were they.

I have become so reluctant to take them to any big activities because how overwhelming it is for them. But I was feeling like I haven't been giving them all the opportunities they need to learn and mature.

So there I was, in the middle of this shopping center with music and all and my kids were loving it. Yes, you could see that some of it was overwhelming for them, but they were able to adapt and calm themselves to enjoy the time we spent there.

I was so proud of them. I just had to keep telling them so.

Sister couldn't have been prouder of herself, and Brother just kept bashfully giggling.

Man, I love these kids.

Brother, Sister and Pepe thought the Alpaca's at the petting zoo were pretty cool.

I had to get Conan in there too.

They had lots of free games there for the kids and Sister thought this one was pretty cool. I was surprised she let them blindfold her. She was so proud of her self when she saw her work.

She really got into the pumpkin bowling. That was my favorite to watch. She was giggling because she was so excited!

Now these are the kind of displays I hope to see at the Parade of Pumpkins next year. These were awesome.

It was pretty cool because this was my favorite one and I found out after posting it on Facebook that it was actually done in honor of my friends niece who had recently passed away. It really was an amazing display.

 This next round of pictures are because Sister was SO EXCITED about the "Christmas Tree" that I just had to keep taking pictures and adding everyone in...

Brother just had to have me take a picture of him with the "water fall." To say he loves waterfalls would be an understatement.

Another thing Sister was VERY excited about.

It was really cute because we were wandering around the bounce houses trying to decide if we should let our kids do it and the daughter of one of my neighbors saw Sister and offered her their extra ticket. She hardly knows us, and we hardly know here but she knows Sister from playing with her kids in the neighborhood. So sweet. So since Sister had a ticket, of course, we had to get one for the rest of the kids. And good thing too, the next series of pictures will show you how much fun they had.

Sister was pretty excited about the next part of the petting zoo with the miniature ponies. I don't think I have ever seen them so small. Sister just could not stop giggling about them.

They even had free horse-drawn wagon rides. Brother thought that was the best thing ever!!

Sister really liked Conan and stuck to him like the glue the whole day.

The headless horseman was pretty impressive!

Then, because we had the kids with us, we, of course, had to go to the Blickenstaff's toy store. But, Brother didn't seem to care as much for the toys as he did the mummy display. I think that was the toy he wanted to take home the most.

Ali had fun joining in to see what Brother was so excited about.

I think I need to get him one of this "wiggle" bikes. That was awesome and he was so confident on it.

Trying on the hats for my camera.

One last moment in the mummy case.

The next day we had a birthday celebration for my mom at her house.

Sister wanted to make a pumpkin pie for her with the pumpkin she picked with her class. I thought it was so cute that she wanted to use her precious little pumpkin for grandma.

I have NEVER made a pumpkin pie from scratch and I can count on one hand how many times I have made any kind of homemade crust pie.

It was a lot of work, but it was so worth it as Sister was giggling with excitement the entire time we were getting everything ready. She even oversaw my pumpkin preparation of cutting, peeling, gutting, cooking and pureeing the pumpkin. When it came time for her to help me with the crust and then the filling she was ecstatic.

I hate to inform you that our pumpkin pie was awful, but the pictures I took of the memory was awesome!

She was so proud to let grandma have a piece of her homemade pumpkin pie.

The party was a lot of fun. We had food and roasted hotdogs. But, Baby was so active that I really didn't get much time to socialize.

My uncle, Jeff saw how much she was keeping me busy and thought she would enjoy seeing the animals, so he took her to see the bunnies...

 

and the horse...

and the dog...

Just before the end of the party I just had to snap a shot of the beautiful sunset.

And then she was three

I can't believe how time flies past.

I know, if you are a teenager reading this, it seems time doesn't go by fast enough and every time you hear an "old" person say that you wonder what they are talking about if they don't experience summer vacation anymore...

But it does.

The day we got Baby's test results back for being positive for Fragile X I have been planning for the day she would turn 3 and start going to Special Needs Preschool. (If you want to read about that particular day just under 3 years ago, go here.)

With both Brother and Sister it was a little while after their birthdays that they actually got on the big yellow bus and went to school.

But, Baby was lucky and started school right on her 3rd birthday.

My mom just happened to be there on her big first day.

My mom cried.

I didn't.

I'm used to it, I guess.

Or maybe my Prozac just keeps me from crying... ha ha ha ha!

Anyway, I know that she will love it when she gets there. It was a little heartbreaking, though, because she was so HAPPY to get on the bus just like she has seen her big brother and sister do for the last 3 years and then watch her face fill with confusion as the bus pulled away.  It's hard to explain the experience of having all three of your children start school and riding a bus at such a young age.

When brother got on the big bus at age 3 I balled like a newborn baby.

When Sister got on the bus I cried a little once I got back into the house.

When sister got on the bus I just realized that this is my lot in life, and it is hers too, and it is what it is: an opportunity for her to grow beyond what I am capable of helping her do.

I didn't even get any photos. Just video.

But I had been trying to take some cute pictures of her just for her "school" pictures because she freaks out for the photographer at the school so I thought I would try it myself, but, she wouldn't let me. I tried to get some candid ones and tried to get her to look at me and smile. I guess I'll just have to have someone else try it while I keep her entertained.

Here are some photos I took just before her 3rd birthday that don't look great, but touch my heart anyway... I mean just look at those Baby blues!

She's telling me "No. Please!"

I distracted her for a moment with a book

This is the look that says, "Seriously, are you still trying this?"

And then the morning after her birthday she wanted to play with the book Grandma Judy had given her.

She's happy as can be until...

she realizes how tired she still is and then...

gets mad at me for taking her picture..

I love my sweet little 3-year-old who now talks more since she has been in school, seems to understand more of what is being said, and actually sits with the class at carpet time! Who says miracles don't happen!

Happy belated-on-the-blog Birthday Baby!

"Desire for Choir" or "Mom for Hire"

Brother loves his choir class at school. He really does. I am always hearing rave reviews of how great of a singer he is, how well behaved and what a gentleman he is in class. His peer tutor is a dear friend from the neighborhood here and that is another big plus for him. He loves going to class with her. (I don't even want to think about what he is going to go through when he realizes that he only gets to have her as his peer tutor until the semester ends...)

His choir teacher is so great to include me and him in on all the news along with the rest of the mainstream kids. I had been looking forward to his choir concert that I had heard so much about—how well he knew the songs, the actions and how he carried his section.

About a week before the concert (which was a week before the Parade of Pumpkins ((yes, I am still catching up))) he started "freaking out" about going to the the choir concert. Which, I expected because that is what happens every time something comes up that brings a little pressure, it's that darn hyperarousal that gets him every time.

I kept going through the motions, reminding it was coming up, because I knew he had a strong desire to be in the concert.

He kept going through the motions of reminding me that "HE WAS NOT GOING!! AND THAT'S FINAL MISSY!" (No, really that's what he would say to me every time.)

Frankly, I was so overwhelmed by the Parade of Pumpkins at the time, that I, honestly, wasn't planning on pushing the issue. I was just going to let him win this time and let him stay home and avoid the premeditated anxiety...

In other words I didn't want to be "mom." I just wanted to give up on being the mom of a 12-year-old boy with Fragile X Syndrome. I needed one for hire.

Luckily Brother's Special Ed teacher was in tune enough to know that Brother was very anxious about the upcoming concert and sent me a text that afternoon of the concert and said she and her son and husband were attending and that I could sit by them and maybe Brother would be excited if he knew her son was coming.

I knew that if Brother's teacher was making this kind of effort that I could put the effort into getting him there.

And trust me, it took effort.

I knew he had the desire, but lacked the strength to overcome the anxiety of the situation.

So...

I had to literally drag him into the car and that is no easy task as his lanky arms and legs are now attached to a bigger and heavier body frame. Don't let his string bean appearance fool you, he is VERY strong!

He cried and screamed for the entire drive to the Junior High (luckily it is only 3 blocks away and the red light changed quickly). As soon as we parked in the parking lot, he calmed down, combed his hair back with his flimsy hand and sashayed into the school.

Then he sashayed quickly to sit by his choir buddies as if he had been cool as a cucumber the whole way there. It was as if the anxiety button was turned to "off."

He was so cute to watch.

It was so cute to watch his classmates with him and how they take good care of him.

There was a moment where a few of the boys in the group were kind of trying to avoid him but some of the girls welcomed him right back in and he didn't seem to mind a bit.

I found my spot next to his teacher and her family as he didn't seem to need me at all anymore.

I was so proud I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest!

Then when he hopped (literally hopped) onto the stage in his spot to sing tears began to well up in my eyes.

He was grinning and waving at everyone. He was so happy and so proud of himself.

Everyone in the audience was getting such joy out of watching him.

They would laugh when he got excited and waved. I loved it! He loved it! He is such a performer.

I didn't take any pictures but I got film. But I haven't clipped it down for the blog so I will just show you a screen capture of my favorite antic.

At the end of each song the choir director would stand off to the side and show off the choir members as the audience clapped. Brother took full advantage of that and took a bow/curtsy!

Can you see him? He's on the far right next to the director. Here, let me help you out...

See how he's posing? Here, let me help you with that too...

There, the red lines show you his position... tee hee! Ah! I love him so much!!!

Laughter ensued and he continued to "ham it up." He got better with each of the 3 songs and on the last one he really went to town on the actions.

His teacher was so proud of him!

I don't know if she saw my happy tears but I was so proud of him and so thankful for her as his teacher and his choir teacher.

As soon as the concert was over he ran to me and was ready to go. He kept grinning and asking me if he was good.

I kept going on and on praising him. I told him how proud I was, how good he did, and how I loved his energy on stage and so did the audience.

You couldn't wipe the sheepish grin off his face.

Immediately after his concert we took him to his Mutual Activity where they were making the pumpkin displays for the Parade of Pumpkins.

He was so excited to come home and tell me about the pumpkin he helped paint with his friends and how neat he thought it was that they were doing it for an activity that benefited him. I LOVE that his friends were involved in contributing to him for Fragile X.

This table was full of the displays that the youth in our ward did with Brother,
but I am sad to say I don't have a picture of the one Brother helped on...

What a heart-filling night it was. A night I knew he and I would remember forever.

That night as I was reading to him and tucking him into bed he smiled at me and stated, "I was great in my concert, huh, mom."

I was so proud to tell him "You sure did."

Tricks and Treats

The trick is getting Sister and Brother to dress up.

The treat is when they do it isn't much but they are so proud of themselves and so happy to join in on the holiday.

I didn't get a picture of Brother because he ran to fast every time I had my camera but he was wearing a gold and black cape... around his waist. Whatever. He loved it. I asked him what he was and he didn't know so I told him he was Cyrus from this season's So You Think You Can Dance. (smile) I even gave him a mohawk that didn't last longer than the trip he took to the bus in the morning because he just had to put his jacket hood on. Oh well. It was still a treat.

Sister wore the same costume she did for my mom's Halloween party but I still got some pictures anyway (The costume is, basically, her Power Ranger gloves). The biggest treat was seeing how excited she was when I showed up at her school's costume parade! Oh my goodness she was happy!

The treat for Baby is that she LOVES to wear princess dresses (and she made a perfect Cinderella). She'd wear them everyday all day.

The trick is getting her out of the princess dress...

she wore it to bed last night.

The treat for me was getting dressed up for Halloween. I LOVE to get dressed up! It is just too fun to be some one else for a day! I wish I would have gotten a picture of my and Marc in full costume. I was a witch and Marc was a cowboy! I know, big stretch for Marc, huh, but it was so great to see him in "costume" again. I did get a head shot of me though. My makeup turned out pretty well. I got a comment from a friend, Jackie, on Facebook that said I looked like Mary Poppins gone bad... that made me laugh because it was kind of true. Tee hee!

It was a treat to have our friends, Travis and Amanda and my sister Kirsten's family over at our house to have Taco Soup and then to have Travis and Amanda stay to pass out candy with us.

The only trick with that was trying to get the trick-or-treaters to stay at the door while we both passed out candy, they were so shocked to get to choose from two families at one door.

The bigger treat was that Travis and Amanda's older daughters were so good to try to get Brother to come trick or treating. He hasn't really been for a few years. It really freaks him out, I guess. No biggy. It was just neat to see friends encouraging him to go. I love that he has friends who care that he gets to experience things with them. There was no trick there.

Sister, however, went with them and it was so sweet that they helped her along and she had that opportunity. Our neighborhood takes such great care of us! No trick there either.

When the girls were done taking Sister and Pepe around Travis took them down another few streets. That was a treat.

The trick, he said, was keeping Sister calm although she had left her Power ranger gloves at the house and then to keep her focused from house to house.

I can't express enough how great it was to have our friends involved in our Halloween.

Another treat was having my mom and dad come visit us on her Halloween Birthday.

The trick was trying not to laugh while I recorded this (It's Brother laughing, not me.)
You HAVE to watch this. It makes her costume even funnier.
Her voice reminds me of the girl from "Singing in The Rain."

Hope everyone had as much fun trick or treating as we did here!