Brother Blog

A few weeks ago Brother wanted to make a video to send into iCarly. He had been watching it on Netflix and thought it was hilarious. When I was tucking him into bed he informed me he wanted to make this video for her show.

I asked him if he wanted to have his own show after we had done a few and he got excited about the idea.

So here it is. (Oh, and the hamburger background on his blogsite is because of his love for hamburgers.)

I am so excited and hope that his own personal expressions will bring about awareness of Fragile X Syndrome. I am hoping that he will stay excited enough about it to post a new video on his blog once a week.

I will post the video here too, just because.


His first one


I hope you all get as much enjoyment out of this as I do (smile).

So they say

It was about 5:30pm when Sister started throwing her bracelet, jumping and grunting. I tried to redirect it by playing along side her, throwing another bracelet.

She looked at me quite annoyed and said, "Mom, no."

I said, "But, I want to play with you."

Sister replied, "Urgh. Mom, can't you make dinner or somethin'?" (and it's funny because she says that last word like, "suntin")

Tee hee!

I do usually make dinner about that time so I guess I was in her space.

Which reminds me of something else she has been saying often lately.

When we are trying to encourage her to do something, for example, clean up her messes, she will say, "I need some space! Give me some space."

Baby "sang" herself to sleep tonight. It is so cute to here complete and total gibberish coming from her sweet little voice. I always know when she is tired because she puts her fingers to her neck, kind of in the crevice between her chin and neck. It's such a funny tell-tale sign, but it is very helpful to help me to know that she is tired.

It's not about how you fall, it's about how you get up

I debate on sharing my down times and usually try only do so when there is a happy ending prospect.

I have fallen a few times these last few weeks.

Pretty hard.

I have been trying to pick myself back up mostly because I HAVE to, not really because I want to.

I thought this morning was going to be my "over the cliff" moment.

But, I forced myself to exercise this morning while watching one of my favorite shows "Dancing With The Stars." I have to say that my favorite moment was when Kirstie and Maks fell. Not because I laughed but, because I cried. I think that was my breaking point. Crying over dancing... hmm... issues. I think it was because I felt like Kirstie for the last while. Work so hard all just to fall flat on my face. Then the host of the show said,"It's not about how you fall, it's about how you get up." It just struck a note with me.

Let me explain what brought me to this point.

If you read this blog often you will remember Blue on a Green Day when I had drawn up a social story for Sister hoping it would help with her stimming issues.

I dove into that idea head first. It had been such a success with Brother when he was younger (he had problems with biting when he was hyper-aroused). I thought for sure this would be the answer.

The first two-three times I read this social story to her it seemed to be helping. Then after the second day Sister said to me with concern in her eyes, "I'm sorry mommy. I like it. It makes me happy." What could I say to that? She obviously was choosing this because it helped her.

Her stimming just got worse.

Our patience was wearing thinner as we were so worried that this was something that somehow we had not foreseen and nipped in the bud before it became a problem. And, really, hearing grunting, screaming and bouncing all day really can be annoying. Sorry, it just can be.

Along with all this worry about Sister I am still having to make sure that Brother is getting his homework done, that he is happy and feels encouraged so that he can face the next day (whether it be scouts, a family get together, a party, church, etc.). Of course Baby has her Occupational Therapy goals that I need to continue to be working on and she is starting the famous Fragile X thing of not sleeping. Really? She's not even 18 months old yet. Here we go.

And off to the side I still have constant concerns and worries for my niece and nephews, who were for a long time, like my children. I want so badly to be their aunt. You know, the fun aunt. The one they love to visit. The one they confide in. I don't even feel like and aunt at this point. I won't really go into that... it's a sore spot. It is just tough to let go. I try. I just don't know if I can completely let go. Move on. Yes. Let go. Hmmm... we'll see.

So back to Sister.

Finally we got an appointment with Sister's pediatrician. (A little insert here to thank Marc's mom for watching the other kids at home while Marc came with me to the appointment.) Her doctor confirmed what I had been thinking for a few years now. Sister shows signs of Autism, hence the stimming issue. We were counseled to take a different approach and some added medication.

I didn't want to rely entirely on the medication so I still wanted to work closely with her teacher and see if there were some behavior modifications we could implement.

So today, after crying about dancing, and dreading having to face Sister's issues head on when I was already on the verge of tears, I went to a meeting with the school psychologist and Sister's teacher to go over a Behavior Modification Plan.

It was so hard to talk about the problems Sister is having without completely falling apart as we talked about ALL the issues she is having at school. It is especially hard to know how smart she is, yet these autism-like behaviors are really hindering her social development.

We talked about picture schedules that would be able to go from school to home and we also discussed helping Sister to recognize her emotions so that we can start to learn what to do to help her.

After the meeting, although I kept a smile the whole time, I wanted to burst into tears on the way home.

I didn't.

I had to hold it together.

I knew if I started crying I would lose it for the rest of the day.

I tried to stay positive.

Then motivation came.

I got back up and dusted myself off, went to my computer and put together some things for Sister.

This one is for choices of what she can do. Her teacher will do the prep of her going home by choosing which activity she will do when she gets home. Cool huh?

And this one is so that she can point to how she feels, so she can start to understand her feeling and in turn help us to know what to do for her. I hope it works.

After she got home from school today I showed her the new pictures. She smiled and then we talked about them a bit. I think the emotions will need some time for her to understand, but, tonight I was putting Baby to bed and Marc was gone to his Bishopric meeting and I heard Sister say, "Mom! Where are you? I'm scared." Which was a miracle because usually she will just start screaming and crying until I come to see what is wrong. So maybe, just maybe these will help.

What we have done for Brother to help him through some tough emotions of selling our goat and chickens was a different approach.

He has been begging for a dog.

I would love to give him a dog, but there is NO WAY I can handle 3 kids and a dog at this time so we compromised, we bought FurReal's Go-go My Walking Pup.

Brother named her Tinkerbell.

It has been a hit! Sister and Baby love it too.

Marc and I made a little kennel for her out of a cardboard box but it didn't last long. Brother was so sad that she didn't have a kennel for her but, amid all the turmoil with Sister and what not, I could not work up the energy to make him another one. So my mom was the angel that came to his rescue. She found an old dog kennel and painted it up for Tinkerbell. It was like Christmas for brother when he opened the door before school and saw that Grandpa James had left it there on the porch for him. So excited.

Honestly I know I wouldn't have made it through all this if it wasn't for the spiritual uplift I had over the weekend. AND all the help I got from my family: Jessie, watching Baby last minute, Lynne cleaning, doing laundry and babysitting, Mom bringing over chips and dip (smile).

So there you go, a pick me up kind of ending.

I think I got up quite gracefully from my fall.

Before the snow came... again

It was a nice day a couple weekends ago and we all walked to the park to get the wiggles out. Mostly for Sister's sake.... OK, maybe it was for her for MY sake. Anyway, we had a good time.

Baby did NOT want to get out of the swing

Marc's mom came with us for the walk and it was neat to see them together talking

There's Brother playing horse in the green on the left, Sister is on the slide 

Isn't this scene beautiful? Marc taking Baby home the fun way and those beautiful mountains ahead. Although, I thought that the snow was going to stay in the mountains...

And then last weekend I woke up to this:

Mother Nature was 2 days late to actually get me to laugh about her April Fool's joke.

Book Butterfly

I don't really think I can call her a book worm for this video because her hair is so crazy. It looks like wings. Hence, the "Book Butterfly." (Ya, I know, what ever floats my boat.)

Anyway, I am excited to hear her little voice and know that she has a love for books. I think she has learned it from her older sister. (smile)

Scouting for Brother

Now, I have to say that I am not a big scouts fan...

Oh, no, let the comments roll in.

My brothers were never into scouting so I guess I never learned much about it.

I always encouraged Bryan and J.R. to do scouts if they wanted to. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages their young boys to participate in scouts and eventually earn their Eagle. This is not required, but encouraged.

So, naturally when Brother turned 8 years old we tried to get him involved in scouts.

No go.

When he was 10 he started going to scouts and eventually without me there. It was awesome because his leaders were so incredibly dedicated to him. I have to admit that I didn't care at all about him getting the awards, pins or belt loops, I just wanted him to socialize and have fun with kids his age.

It has been a wonderful year and a half as I have watched Brother overcome his fears and attend scouts. During his scouts at 10 years old he received at least 20 awards and belt loops... if not more. Wow!

It wasn't because of me.

It was all his leaders.

Honestly.

I wish I would have gotten pictures of him with his leaders. I'll have to go through his scout stuff and find some pictures.

Trying to get him to go to his new group of scouts was a challenge. I spent 3 weeks dragging him into the New Scout Leader's house and he sat on my lap with his coat over his head while I participated for him...

Today I dropped him off for the second time in a row and he went to the door all by himself! Today they were preparing their backpacks before their big campout at the end of this month. I just had to take a picture of him before we left. He didn't want me to take his picture so I had to sneak a few. And the other picture of him below is of him learning how to sharpen a pocket knife at the activity previous.

I'm so proud of him.

I am so proud of his leaders.

It says a lot for both parties.

Brother for being brave enough to face his fears.

His Scout leaders for being brave enough to allow him to be just like any other kid his age.

Where do you poop?! You poop in the potty!!

When my mom and dad were first married they lived in an apartment in the basement of a home. My dad loves to tell the story about the parents yelling to their little toddler, "Where do you poop?! You poop in the potty!!" And for some reason whenever I recollect my dad telling that story I remember it being in and Italian accent, which made it sound even funnier. (I am pretty sure they people upstairs were not Italian, but maybe it was funnier for the story's sake.)

Anyway, I had to laugh today (and later, scream because it ended up not being the first time).

I heard Sister calling to me from the down the hall that Baby was playing in the toilet. I was not happy, but, as most mom's know, toddlers do this if the lid is left open. You freak out, wash their hands and go back to life.

Well, when I came around to get those chubby little hands out of the tank, I noticed that Sister was washing her hands.

!!!!

Now, I am going to insert here, that as any parent knows, we can teach our children to flush, wipe, and wash their hands--but no matter how many times we instill this in their little brains they just don't seem to get it. Well, when you have a mentally challenged child then this feat is increased four-fold.

I mean, I can't complain. Sister did wash her hands.

I just wish she had flushed the floaters before Baby had started playing in the toilet.

Eeeew!!!!!!!

Ah.

Well, I freaked out a little more that the last 2 times she has done this in a flushed potty and then scrubbed her hands and fingernails along with my own.

Oh, the joys of motherhood.

I am amazed at the things I can do now as compared to when I was a teenager.

I mean when I was babysitting as a teenager and a kid drooled on me I was immediately up and cleaning it off my shoulder like it was acid that would burn through to my skin.

Now I just leave it there.

Remember this:

Ya, that's it, my badge.

A few more statistics about Baby:
She now has 3 teeth coming in all at once, this will make a total of seven
She is walking everywhere
She brought her shoes to me to today to let me know she wanted to go outside!! (Yay, her first attempt at communication!!
We just recently had her IFSP and wrote up some new goals and I am excited to move forward with them.

Oh, and one other thing, I am so happy that I had a bit of inspiration today.