It's A Dog Party

About a year and a half ago our good friend, Cari, gave us her dog.

He's been more of a help to our kids than I even imagined.

My kids love him dearly.

It's starting to look like Spring around our house and the girls are just eating it up!

I got a few pictures of Sister racing with Ranger from one end of the yard to another. She was giggling and he was nipping at her heels with excitement!

I take Ranger on hikes with me when I can because he loves hiking so much!

He's laughing at me...

He gets so excited when I lace up my hiking shoes

 My kids love him so much and for the last couple of months they have been very anxious to celebrate his birthday. They have birthdays, therefore he has a birthday. We celebrate their birthdays, therefore his birthday must be celebrated.

Well, I'm not a very good pet mom, I guess, because I couldn't remember his birthday.

I knew it was around February or March so we just picked a day and the kids told him happy birthday and it seemed to suffice.

Well, yesterday I received an email from his vet to remind me that it is his birthday.

I immediately texted Lindsey and asked her to do a little something so the kids could officially celebrate Ranger's birthday. I told her where his dog treats are and said that maybe she could get the kids to sing "Happy Birthday" or something and then all would be well.

I asked her to send me pictures of the little celebration.

When I got the pictures I was so elated to see that she had planned an entire birthday party and the kids looked as if they couldn't be more excited. 

This is a pretty big deal in our house because they don't like birthday parties, they can tolerate their own, but refuse to attend others'.

It was such a joy to see the birthday hats and streamers.

It is also such a joy to know that our children have the most amazing caregivers in their lives.

We are truly blessed.

And we are truly a pet family now... we had a literal party for our dog...

Oh boy.

Watching the Paint Dry

"Mom, I tried to take my tag off..." Brother says with a concerned look on his face.

This phrase has become one I dread.

I thought I learned my lesson at the beginning of this school year when Brother came home with his t-shirt in shreds.

I had remembered to cut the tag that was at his collar, but I forgot about the other tag at the bottom side of the shirt that includes the washing instructions...

I actually didn't know that a t-shirt could be torn into a spirally-mummy-taped-kind of mess just by pulling at a tag.

I want to warn all parents of children with Fragile X or Autism or sensory issues: IT CAN!

Brother was quite proud, though, when he got of the bus to show me he had tied his shirt all by himself...

I really regret not taking a picture of that creation... it's hilarious looking back on it now.

We had a to impress upon him at that time that he was NOT allowed to remove the tags from his clothing by himself and needed to ask his parents, teachers or caregivers to cut the tags off for him.

He's done pretty OK with this rule, but there have still been several pieces of clothing that have had to have my loving care and stitched a bit where he tried to start ripping off the tag and either got caught before it got bad, or he had some kind of realization that he should follow the rule he was given.

He is also very particular about his pants and how they fit. Bless his heart, if he could wear leggings I know he would be in heaven, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

So for those of you who have seen him in his extremely skinny jeans you now know that it is a sensory thing and not a fashion statement.

I can't even remember how many pairs of pants I have bought for him to try to get him to wear some better fitting pants, but nothing is as great as a good, worn in, fits like a glove (literally) pair of jeans. I mean I have patched both the knees and the butt of his pants! I think they may have to actually disintegrate before he will be willing to wear another pair of jeans.

Just before Marc and I left on our short trip Brother revealed to me that he had tried to remove a tag from his jacket...

I tried to not get mad because I know why he does this and I should have remembered to remove the tag. When he brought it to me with his words, "Mom, I tried to take my tag off..." I gave a dramatic sigh and reminded him of the rule and then went to retrieve my sewing box.

He felt bad. It is really tough for him to fight something that is so ingrained in him.

I try to remember all the things I need to be aware of with our children in order to have a, somewhat, normal life. I have to be prepared for everything that has, can and may go wrong.

This picture is one he asked me to send to his Nana Judy. It takes a substantial amount of effort to get him from his bed in the mornings and this how he looks when he finally begins to creep from his bed still half asleep.

So I had to laugh yesterday while in the hotel room on my own I took the time to paint my fingernails and toenails... like an actual 2 coats of polish plus a clear coat! Then I sat in front of the TV and waited for the nail polish to dry so I could actually pick up something without it is sticking to the tacky polish.

I was literally sitting and watching the paint dry...

You know how people use that phrase to express their boredom?

I was watching the paint dry and sat there in complete awe realizing that I was just sitting there with my fingernail polish still out, the polish remover sitting out and the cotton balls on the bed.

I wasn't bored.

I was amazed.

I didn't have to do anything after I was done painting my nails.

I was just able to sit there.

I didn't have to worry about Sister screaming at me because she could smell the nail polish remover.

There was no Baby to try opening the nail polish to pour it on the floor or paint it on herself.

Brother was not going to clumsily wander into the room and spill anything or somehow magically stick cotton balls to my sticky nails.

Ha!

I laughed to myself as I realized that I live everyday in the state of alarm... it's funny really.

Funny how painting your nails can feel so freeing.

The song that Brother loves to listen to and sing out loud every day came to my mind, "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!"

I know.

I know.

That is funny on so many levels.

I also that Sister will come running into the kitchen from her room to angrily inquire, "Are you chewing gum?"

"Yes," I bashfully reply knowing what she is about to demand.

"Spit it out! I hate gum!"

I try sometimes to sneak a piece of gum in the car when we are on a family outing and she immediately yells, "Do you have gum?! Get it out! I hate gum!"

It's even gotten to the point that she will try to get after me even if I am just chewing food... she's relentless.

Marc and I have to hold in our laughter until after she leaves the room, because it's just so funny to think she can hear/smell gum from another room!

I think I have chewed an entire pack of gum in one day while I've been here... it's quite liberating!

So, yesterday, I sat and watched the paint paint dry and chewed gum at the same time.

It was blissful.

Marc took these pictures of our Baby and her chocolate cookie mustache and her modeling my had out on back porch.
She's quite the ham...

Baby always seems to need something from me right at the moment I can't help her, like when I'm in the middle of preparing raw chicken to cook for dinner or I am hand mixing the pizza dough, or when I'm sitting on the toilet.

*sigh*

So yesterday I sat watching the paint dry, chewing gum and not having to repeat phrases of "just a minute," "I can't right now," "hold on sweetie," or "just a sec."

It was so weird.

This is a vacation to me.

And that, my friends, is what makes me laugh so hard.

I love that being a mom helps you to appreciate the little things, the little people, the little moments, the little triumphs and the little blessings.

I also love that being a mom gives me so much great comedic material to write about!

Children of a King

I'm sitting here alone at a desk in a hotel room.

I'm happy about it.

I'm alone and I just sat here while someone else made my bed and cleaned my bathtub.

That was a treat!

I also didn't have to be on a schedule this morning. I have no commitments, no work, no responsibilities.

I need this break.

I took photos Monday for a local event being held for adult men with special needs.

This was a volunteer thing.

I was so excited to do it.

I love being able to help out in the special needs community.

But, this experience became more than just an opportunity to serve.

I learned a lot.

I learned about a great local program that serves our children with special needs when they are no longer, technically, children.

What happens after high school?

What happens when it's no longer the sweet and good thing to help your fellow classmates, but now they are adults in your community. Now you're not expected to give these adults your attention or go out of your way to be their friend. We're adults, we don't have time to talk with a 35-year-old man about My Little Ponies and Harry Potter.

For 2 hours I had the opportunity to look into the eyes of 21 men.

That's what you do when you take photos.

You look into their eyes.

That's how you capture them.

It was hard not to shed a tear behind the lens.

I saw joy, hope, fear, sadness, excitement, and triumph and that was just in one of the faces.

Some could talk.

Some couldn't.

Some could walk.

Some couldn't.

Some had parents there with them.

Some didn't.

I am not sure if some of the older ones have parents who are alive.

I would show each subject their photo after I took them and they would be so excited to see themselves on camera.

It made me wonder if we don't give special needs people opportunity enough to have their pictures taken.

Especially those who don't have a "typical" face.

Is it because we worry they'll be mocked or shied away from.

Or are we the ones that would do those things.

What is beauty?

We are trained to look at a person's face.

That's where we make our first judgement.

Right or wrong. It's what we do:
"What happened to them?"
 "Are they a model."
"Where are they from."
"Do they not have any money?"
"They're probably really snobby."
"Are they OK?"
"Were they born that way?"

Now this is not one of those posts where I am going to tell you not to judge a book by its cover.

Nope.

This one is different.

I'm not going to ask you to change what is instilled in us as natural curiosity.

This post is about going beyond the first impression:
"I'm going to smile at him."
"I'll open the door for them."
"Maybe they're staring at me because they hope I will say 'hello'."
"What can I do to bring happiness to this child of God?"

A child of God.

...

That's right.

We are all children of our Heavently Father, our God.

We are all here for a reason and a purpose.

What will your purpose be?

Are you the one who was chosen to be the teacher or the student?

Sometimes I think I am the teacher.

Sometimes I think I am the student.

I'm willing to accept both roles.

If we can all look at each other and think "That person is a child of God. They deserve my respect. He/She is the Son/Daughter of a King."

It makes me cry when I think of the love and peace that would happen between people if we all treated each other with so much respect.

It was a humbling honor to take photos of these special sons of God.

They brought so much joy to my day.

And so much fear.

My children will be in a situation like them one day.

All three of them.

...

Will they be surrounded by people who treat them as who they are?

Children of a perfect God?

I can only pray that Marc and I can outlive our children or that they can be surrounded by earthly angels their entire lives.

I want to share these photos that my kids actually, willingly, allowed me to take since I was taking pictures of their friends at the time.

I cry when I look into their eyes because I am so grateful for them.

They're tough to raise.

They are one of the reasons I need this time to be alone with my thoughts, but they are also the reason I am excited to get back home.

He Blew It

Oh my heck!

It was my birthday and I forgot to tell ya!

I'm 39!

Almost 40.

Not yet.

But, that's what everyone tells me when they hear I am now 39.

I look at it as one year away from having the most epic birthday party I have ever had!

That's my plan.

I want to go big when I turn 40.

This must happen.

... oh, and I mean a BIG party, not me actually getting/going big... that wouldn't make my 40th very happy...

I started celebrating when I went for a hike on my own to get out of the awful inversion that was happening in the Utah Valley and to get Ranger some good exercise:

I thought this was kind of cool to see two X's -- one in the snow and one in the sky.

Then Marc and I went on a date hiking to the same spot I had gone previous because Marc hadn't been there yet. That was actually shocking because I think that was a first that I was somewhere Marc hadn't been yet...

The snow was packed so we didn't need snow shoes.

Marc packed the tripod so we could get our Valentine's weekend date photo

I had told you in the previous (very short) post that Marc was able to get a quick ride not his bike! Those tires are huge!

After we were done hiking we explored the canyon roads a little bit and I loved this old barn.

After 3 or so hours in the canyon hiking and exploring, we decided to go for lunch.

We like try new places, especially ones that are a bit unknown, so we stopped at this Mexican restaurant and it was as if we had jumped the border to Mexico. Family and friends were there chatting and eating and we were the complete strangers that came in off the street.

I was a little worried when we first walked in but when we ate our food, I was very impressed. It was so good and the atmosphere was quite unique.

We got a chuckle out of how huge Marc's burrito was so I took a picture.

I know. He looks thrilled.

Marc thought I was trying to get an "action" shot of him, but I was actually trying to sneak a shot of the old lady to the left and behind him... she looked so authentic it just added to the fun of the lunch.

We celebrated my birthday with my family on Valentine's Day so we combined it with the holiday of love... it was perfect!

Here's a really poor quality video of me trying to keep Brother from blowing out my candles—it's kind of his tradition to blow out everyone's candles. It's not a tradition anyone condones... it's just his tradition (smile).

I love that it takes me and my dad to shield my candles from Brother. He's pretty dedicated I guess you could say.

Since we were celebrating Valentine's and my birthday my sister, Jessie, made sugar cookie dough and frosting so we could all make cookies together. With all the other treats and things that were going on we didn't get to doing that so Jessie sent me home with half the cookie dough and the frosting.

For Family Home Evening the next day we made cookies together and then frosted them.

It was really just me and the girls, but Marc took pictures and Brother would check in with us every so often. While the cookies were baking, Baby still wanted to roll out and play with dough so she got out her Play-Doh and had a good time.

Then we frosted the cookies when they had cooled enough.

Sister struggled frosting the small ones...

She also really enjoyed the frosting!

Baby enjoyed the extra sprinkles she was able to put on when I wasn't paying attention... but daddy was.

She saying, "Mmmmmmmmm!"

That cookie is as big as her face!

On the actual day of my birthday I was visited and called by some wonderful friends and family!

I was amazed at the gifts and cards that were brought to me, I'm quite speechless about that actually.

My mom also stopped by that day and it was so fun to just spend time with her and talking and getting all her attention to myself. It really made my day to have her show up.

We got talking about how we miss performing her songs for audiences and got talking about her childhood and then I was telling her to write a book and that we need to get her songs on YouTube.

I guess she didn't think I was that serious until I put one of her songs on YouTube that next day:

And while I was going through old photos and videos I ran across this gem and I couldn't stop laughing so I had to share the laughter with everyone else:

My birthday celebrations finally ended yesterday when I was able to celebrate with Marc's family mine and Marc's cousin, Cathy's birthdays!

The cake that Lynne and Gary got for us was so cute we just had to get a picture.

We lit every candle and before we even had a chance...

Brother blew them out

*sigh*

Happy Hiking and Happy Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Day activity!

This is all I am posting, but it was great to be in fresh air out in the sun with my love today!

I set up my tripod for this one. That is Mt. Timpanogos behind us!

We were hiking but we saw some people riding these awesome bikes on the snow and Marc was bold enough to ask if he could give the bike a try... and they let him. We may have to try this together one day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Faith, Prayer and a little bit of Funny.

Wow! You guys!

Prayer and faith are real!

I was so stressed and nervous about taking Sister to her doctor's appointment last night and even let the anxiety of what I might face get me down yesterday morning...

BUT...

A little prayer and a lot of faith and all there was was a big meltdown when I told her about the appointment after school that lasted about 30 minutes, and then... voila! She was so good.

What?

For real?

We were even able to go to the store afterwords so she could pick out candy for her Valentines!

So I'm starting today with a better attitude and a more hopeful outlook.

Oh, I'm still overwhelmed by Our Life... you can be sure of that.

So I've decided sometimes I have to go through life like the picture below:

I might have to go through life with my eyes closed, but I am, at least, gonna find a way to laugh about it along the way!

Ha! Ha! Ha!

My mom took this picture of me at her house one night because we were just being goofy... I still laugh every time I see it!

I forgot to tell you yesterday, in my whining mode, that Baby said the funniest/cutest thing.

Let me give you the background for her words so that you'll get it.

So, to my chagrin, Baby is 6 and a half and still not potty trained. She keeps giving me a drop of hope every couple of months by voluntarily peeing on the potty by her own choice. I get all excited thinking we are on our way to a diaper free life... then she reminds me that she is in charge and has NO desire to not be in a diaper all day, but she is starting to talk more and understand more and that leaves room for the understanding of a reward chart.

So, on Wednesday afternoon, when she asked for a Barbie doll for no special reason, I said, "well, it's not Christmas or your birthday so I can't just get you a new toy for no reason. How about if you go potty 10 times then you can earn a Barbie doll?"

She smiled and went and sat on the potty and sat for while trying to make it happen. She succeeded and after our little celebration she followed me into the kitchen to mark her little chart and then she smiled and excitedly asked for her Barbie doll. I had to explain again that she had to have 10 marks on her chart to get her doll. So after she fussed for about an hour about not having a Barbie she decided to go potty again and she did. Then she ran in to watch me put a mark on her potty chart and then asked again, "Barbie?"

Needless to say, it wasn't exactly the prettiest response from Baby that I have seen and it took a while for her to calm down about not having a new Barbie yet.

I thought she had just forgotten about it yesterday until after I had gotten Sister off to school I walked into the kitchen to see a distraught look on Baby's face. She looked up at me, and clear as day, said to me, "I hate my chart."

Ha! Ha!

How cute it she?

I love hearing her talk, but I also love to hear that she has her own opinions and feelings.

Her chart is still hanging on the fridge with 2 marks on it, but hopefully we'll get to 10 marks before she's 10 years old.

*sigh

Now for a little update on Brother's hip. He stayed home all day from school and even stayed home from his class Valentine's Party after school. Poor little guy. It's hard to tell if it's just hyper-sensitivity to pain, the love of the attention he gets for being hurt or if he really can't walk well, but I do think he is hurting... I'm guessing he has a really bad bruise.

Anyway, being the angel that she is, his teacher, Marie, came with her kids to visit Brother and bring him Valentine cards that his classmates had made for him.

I was with Sister at the doctor at this time so I wasn't there, but hearing Brother talk about it all morning reassured me it was the highlight of his week! He even got up and got ready for school today all while limping and whimpering, but as excited as could be to see his friends at school.

Seriously!

We are so blessed.

I wish I could share this video with you that his teacher sent me while Brother was at home missing his party because it is adorable, but, I am just going to at least give you the audio feed. Brother couldn't stop smiling as we watched it twice:

I'm working on happy today and I am succeeding.

Like I always say, "fake it till you make it."

Sometimes that helps.

I just have to share this picture of my little friend, Ranger, keeping me company while I have my bone stimulator machine attached to my foot... he's always there by my side... sometimes annoyingly... but, most of the time welcomed. (smirk)

Peaches and Eggs

Life is great!

Really, it is!

I have so much to tell you that will make you smile!

See. I'm smiling! 

Well, actually this is a shot from when I was having a conversation with our dear friend, Thomas. With Marc being home I got him involved and it ended up getting pretty goofy....

I had to laugh when Marc agreed to get on the couch with me and hang upside down... oh the things we do for our loves.

Sometimes I get pictures from Brother's teachers or classmates.

I love them.

He doesn't tell us a whole lot about his day so it is fun to get a little insight into it from others' perspectives.

This one is with his friend, Gracy, at bowling during their Life Fitness class.

I just can't help but smile.

 A couple of days ago, Brother was having one of those rare moments where he volunteers information to us about his day at school. It was so cute when he told me that one of his peer tutors gave him a Granny Smith apple. He was smiling so big when he said, "He had one for me and one for himself."

I almost cried.

I'm so thankful for good people.

I've also had the awesome privilege of seeing Sister take Baby and do cute little things with her like making a lunch for the both of them and taking it into her room and setting it up on her desk and they eat and "talk" together.

It melts my heart and makes me laugh at the same time... I love that Baby's lunch is animal cookies and water.

Sister has also been working hard to teach Baby the ways of organizing and ordering random objects. This day it was hair ties and barettes... hey, I'm not complaining I am just thankful that my two daughters are doing things together. It's such a joy to watch.

I am also happy because I went on a rad date with the hubby and our friends this last weekend and tried something I had never tried before...

We did a chocolate and vinegar tasting at a local restaurant/chocolate factory, The Taste! It was quite an experience and I felt so cultured... like I was in Europe or something.

This is me at the tasting counter with Marc reflecting next to me and our hostess giving us the explanations of chocolates of all kinds. It really was a treat.

So we did chocolate tasting for our appetizer at one restaurant and then went to another restaurant, Oregano, for our main course.

The service, the atmosphere, and the food were great! I had to take a picture of my fancy potatoes... too bad I only had my phone camera to get the shot... ho hum... but trust me, it was really good.

That tall, empty glass in front of Marc was our Italian Soda which was amazing so if you ever go there, you really need to try one.

Then we took a little walk to let our food settle a bit before dessert and Marc and I introduced our friends to a local clothing store, Unhinged, that is quite unique and awesome, but also has this really cool barber shop set-up for mens beards and cuts. I made Marc and Brent take a seat for a shot.

I wish I had remembered to get a picture of our next stop for dessert. It was a place that serves what's called Kronuts. Never heard of that before so we thought we'd keep our adventurous night going and go there for dessert. I didn't end up getting a Kronut, but I got a pastry of another kind and it was so delicious... I'm telling you this was the date night of European delight... at least it took me back there for a moment. We had good laughs, good conversation, and good food. I love dates like that!

This morning I took pictures of two things that made me smile:

The first one was Baby's dolls that she has stacked on our side table next to the chair in the front room. I keep putting them in her room and she keeps sneaking them back to the front room.

Last night I heard some little footsteps run down the hall as I was working late at my computer.

I think I know now what she was doing.

Too funny.

I know it's dark, but, it was kinda creepy that way...

After being spooked by the re-appearing dolls I open the curtains to see there was a lot of fog outside and the street light and trees looked so cool. I just stepped out our front door and took a shot.

Also, I have another reason to be happy! Guess what!

I made it into another play at the Scera! I get to play the part of Matron in Saturday's Warrior! Cheesiest LDS film ever and yet, I have always LOVED it! So excited to be a part of it on stage. It will be so nostalgic!

Yay!!!!!

So why did I have such a hard time getting myself to move forward this morning?

So much joy, so much to celebrate, so much to be happy about... and I could only do the necessary to get the girls off to school.

I hate depression.

It sucks!

I think that all the physical and emotional turmoil of taking Baby to a doctors appointment last week and a hearing test at the hospital yesterday, Brother coming home from rollerskating with church friends crying because he fell hard and couldn't go to school this morning because he couldn't walk and knowing that I have an upcoming doctor appointment for Sister tonight... It drains me. All of these things are so wearing and intimidating and overwhelming.

It's not often that a mom has to hold her daughter in a trained position in order to just have a doctor look at her ears.

It's not often that a 16-year-old boy falls and acts as if his limb was ripped off.

It's not often that you have to endure threats and screaming from your sweet-faced 10-year-old daughter just to get her to a well-check.

But, it's often enough for me.

I just have to keep moving forward.

Our Life won't get any easier, I am seeing that now.

I have to push through it. 

I have to keep going so I won't be defeated.

I mean, if you look at the bright side, which I just spent 90% of this post telling you about, life is peachy... I just have to focus on the peach instead of the pit.

I do have to end though, by showing you the video I put together of the kids getting excited (and overstimulated) about a surprise that was sent to us in the mail last week.

I am amazed at the kindness and thoughtfulness of people and when I received a message from an acquaintance and friend from high school I was a bit shocked that she would choose my family to send a special package to. She and her kids sent my kids one of the greatest things they could ever  have received in the mail—chocolate Kinder Eggs! Best day ever!

My heart is filled with joy when I think of all the great people I have the privilege of knowing.

How can I not smile when even a far away friend can be such a peach!