Never Let an Idea Go!

I just couldn't let the idea go. Yesterday while doing LEGOS with Matt I thought "this would be so much easier if these were sorted by color". So, instead of doing my normal Monday housework, I got distracted while doing the laundry by LEGOS......it was like they were calling me. "Come sort us". Well, I complied. It took me longer than I would have liked and being the crazy person I am I couldn't stop until I was done.

I know what your thinking what 5 almost 6 year old is going to keep their LEGOS sorted. Well, they may get intermixed but at least when Matt asks me to help him build, I'll have a little peace of mind.

Mom, you can help me!

Sundays are a pretty busy and yet relaxing day for me. I have several responsibilities at church and afterwards we head out for lunch. Usually we get back home around 3 p.m. and I'm ready to nap. Thankfully, Dave gives me this time to catch up on lost sleep and get refreshed by doing so. He spends that time doing homework with the kids and then other activities if the weather allows, which today it did. So after doing some Tball practice and a bike ride, it was time for Dave to get our taxes done and review some files from work. Well, Matt had other ideas. He wanted Dave to help him rebuild his LEGO police station. When Dave told him he just could help him right then, Matt headed my way and said "you can help me". He told me I could even bring my computer with me seeing I was on it at the time he made this request. I told him I would come and help without the computer. So, we headed down got the directions and pieces and two hours later we were done. Mind you this only half of the station...there is still a whole jail section, which I didn't know about until the last page of the instructions and got confirmation from Dave that this is correct.

Anyway, we had a great time getting it done and our work got our official approval.

Tonight when I was putting Matt to bed he told me "mom, next we can work on the jail part". I told him maybe tomorrow if we have time after homework. What use to be a daddy and Matt thing has become a mommy and Matt thing, that's what happens during Dave's busy work season.

Oh, and the organizer in me came out when doing this "build". I've decided we need to sort the unused LEGOS into color groups that way when we do a rebuild it won't be so hard to find the right part. How long do you think that sorting would take and last? Too long and not long enough. Still think I may do it though. :)

All Things LEGO

Matthew loves his LEGOS and when he recently got a LEGO reading book it took all but a few seconds to see on the back page that you could get LEGO backpacks. Well, Matt sooooo wanted the fire related one that is didn't take long for me to check the website and see how much this "backpack" would cost me. I showed it to him and said "are you sure that you would want this" to which he said a resounding "yes". Of course, I was also suffering from a little mommy guilt seeing I've been working on redoing Emily's room and purchasing some new items for it. Matt's reaction when the box with her bedding was delivered was "I never get any boxes". I diffused that moment by giving him the popping bubbles to stomp on. Well, I went and ordered the backpack and told him that he would be getting it soon so I wasn't very surprised when I picked him up from school on Tuesday and his teacher told me that Matt had advised her he was getting a new LEGO Fireman backpack. Imagine his excitement when he got home on Thursday and there it was "his box". He tore that thing open and was "soooo happy". So, how does the backpack rate? Two thumbs up of course. Oh and yes, he did use it for school the very next day!

Happy Birthday Dennis

Today is my oldest brother's birthday. So, I've been racking my brain on how to pay tribute to Dennis on this special day (he does a top ten list for family members birthdays) and this is what I came up with.

We are four years apart, which in old age seems like no time at all, after all there is a four year difference between Dave & I. However, when you are a kid that four year difference can seem vast. Even with this age difference there are memories I have that will surpass all time and age.

* Dennis and I could chug ice tea like no ones business. I think for a while instead of blood we had ice tea in our veins.

* He always got to wash the dishes, while the rest of us got the "privilege" of drying.

* We had amazingly, hilarious times waiting for the bus.

* I think he was the one who dubbed me "catalog Kathy". The name stuck with all my siblings.

* He was a great babysitter, except for the fact he would let us watch scary movies and then send us up the dark stairs to our bedroom.....yes, I still remember that movie to this day!

* Shingles....ugh, I so remember that and didn't even have them. UGH!!

* He would stick up for me in a moments notice but I wouldn't always know he did it.

* Dennis spent several summers at Word of Life Ranch. It was just a given he was going.

* How could we forget him breaking his leg the one summer at the ranch and guess who got to serve him ice tea while he got the best tan of the summer!

* He was very loyal to his friends which I am positive has transferred over into his adult life.

* He could cook and bake.

* He just smiled and asked "what did you put on the chicken?" when Lori and I mistook dill seed for basil (mom, reused the spice jar). Of course, now you can find dill on chicken in a restaurant.

As age has come, some memories have faded but new memories have been made later in life. Dennis has actually been a part of 3 very important days in my life. First, my wedding day. He helped officiate and most girls just can't say they were married by their brother. Then, he dedicated both Emily and Matt. Those are such important days in my life and it was amazing to have him central in both parts doing what he does best serving His Lord and God!

Unfortunately, ever since Dennis went to college most of our adult life has been spent in different geographic locations (except for a short time while I went to school in Chicago and he was in seminary a short distance away). One new amazing memory I have was watching him play with my kids during a visit to IL two years ago. Matt loved when he would chase and tickle him.

So, all this being said, Dennis thank you for being an awesome big brother and a wonderful Uncle. We hope you had a wonderful birthday and look forward to spending time with you soon. Love you much!!!

Sleeping in Her "New" Room

Emily was able to get back into her room on Thursday night. Her room is not quite done but enough so that she can get back in to sleep and "live". We've decided not to bring all of her things back in until after her furniture is delivered. This way I don't have to move everything a total of 4 times. Emily also wants to go through all of her things when she brings them back in to see what she can give to others. Love her giving heart.

"Remember when we went on our date?"

Last Friday, Emily went to her first school function, movie night. The Kindergarten class was not involved with this activity and Dave was working, so I sent Emily on to her function (which I'll mention in a separate post) and told Matt we were going on a date. He was kind of upset her wasn't going with Emily to movie night, so I guess I played up the date idea quite a bit to take his mind off it.

We headed to Qdoba for tacos (he loves tacos) and to Maggie Moo's for ice cream (similar to Cold Stone). Because our "date" was on April 1st, most of our time was spent playing silly April Fool's jokes on each other while eating. From there we headed to get some coffee (just for me), this is where Matt popped the question. Yes, my little man asked me to marry him. I told him that I couldn't because I am married to daddy, to which he replied "pleeeease marry me." I am relishing this moment as I know that when I least expect it he will be at the age that he'll be walking a far distance ahead of me and asking that I drop him a block from school.

The sweetest part of the night is later as we were in the house, waiting until we had to pick up Emily he came to me and said, "remember when we went on our date?" So, I think we will start a date tradition with each child until they want nothing to do with us or even if we sit in silence. And some day I'll be reminding Matt that the first person he asked to marry him was me.

You've Come a Long Way Baby!!!

This picture was taken of Emily on our family vacation just before she headed into PreK4 summer school at the South Bergen Jointure in their High Functioning Autistic Program. Its hard to fathom where she was at then, the amazing progress she has made and now will be heading into 3rd grade general education next year.

It has not been an easy journey and it is no way over but the strides Emily has made and the amazing people who have helped along the way have made it so much more doable.

We had Emily's follow-up IEP meeting to discuss her needs for 3rd grade. I have to tell you I am a little scared. This is a transitional year in the dynamics of the classroom (assignment notebooks, changing classrooms for math and language) and in curriculum (times tables, here we come). I thank God we have an IEP in place. It puts my mind at ease. Also, the case worker she has is Emily's biggest advocate and will move mountains for her.

At this point, I'm waiting to have a meeting with principal next month so we can express our concerns, so he can take them into consideration while making the teacher selection for next year. Next year will require me to be a little more involved, this year was very relaxed in comparison.

The issues where Emily still struggles is in Math - money and time. Money has been her nemesis since it was first introduced. She loves spending it though. Most of her struggles are in regard to multiple step concepts. Sometimes she can just get the concept first try but the majority of the time, it is a struggle until we have worked it for quite a while and even then if not regularly reviewed it can get lost and has to be relearned. In reading, it has more to do with having to answer abstract questions from a story. Emily is very factual, so if you are looking for a moral to a story or a what if or why question, it just doesn't come. She is still working in speech on her expressive speech and writing.

Emily's grades are all A's & B's and if you look at that you may think "why does she need and IEP?" but let me tell you a lot of work and sometimes tears (on both our parts) goes into achieving and keeping those grades.

So, as this year ends and the summer comes, please pray that God puts Emily with the right teacher from the start, that that teacher is receptive to an involved parent and that Emily will soak in the curriculum and thrive as best she can.

Like I said, Emily has come a long way from that little antisocial, creative loner who couldn't really express her needs or wants. Praise be to God for opening our eyes to her needs and for the people He has brought into her life on this amazing and continuing journey.

Not a Repeat Year, Thank Goodness!!!

Our winter and spring have been quite precipitous which I am sure the majority of you reading this would agree even if you live outside of NJ. However, this year's multiple snowstorms, which started the day after Christmas, and our most recent flood producing rains cannot compare to last March when the wind "raise our roof" and rain all over it. I do have to say though when we get a storm with strong wind I tend to look out the sliding glass doors and up toward the roof.....habit? I'd say "fear". I am happy to say we are a year removed from that ordeal!!

Painting.....Check!!

Okay, I won't say I dislike painting, but I really haven't done it in a very long time. Dad did the first "big" paint job we had here in the house - 6 rooms in all. Then, the last painting was done by our friend & contractor, Danny, when we had the issue last spring with the roof lifting & leaking. The last rooms I remember painting were the kitchen, which has been paint twice since then, and Emily's room the pink I just covered with purple. So I've come to the conclusion that although I will paint it is hard for this perfectionist to do it. I think I've looked at her walls at least 6 times checking for missed spots. Finally, I just let go.

Now, comes the absolute fun part....DECORATING!!! It brings back memories of when I would make floor plans and choose colors to go in the room and even the furniture (that is why I hoarded all those catalogs, they were my sample books). I was ecstatic today when I came home from picking the kids up from school and found that the box with her bedspread, sham and letter wall hangings had arrived. I had to reign myself in from putting things back in place and going to the next step.....the paint really should be given time to dry!

I am excited to work on the magnetic wall, I have big plans for it......I won't elaborate, you'll need to just wait and see. I am just hoping it turns out as well as I see it in my mind.

This is by far the most fun I've had in decorating a room.....I think I missed my calling as a decorator but nothing says I can't do a little implementation now.

So, stay tuned for the updates and final reveal of Emily's new little lady room!

All in One Month

I know you wonder "what does she do all day?" Well, the month of March included creating 4 different bulletin boards at our church. The first board is my absolute favorite so far. Originally there was a different but similar concept for the Easter/Resurrection board but as the deadline for putting it up got closer, I changed it to be a little easier and I'm so glad I did . I love the simplicity of this board and yet it is very striking. Then, there was the children's ministry board and our focus was on Awana. Next, we have a group from the church headed on a missions trip to Ghana this August, so a board was created to highlight them as they raise funds for this trip. Finally, we decided to revamp the nursery board. I love the building block theme. So when you wonder what I am up to during the day, all you have to do is think "I wonder what bulletin board is being worked on?"

Medium

You just have to love the way Matt's mind works. The other day when we were out at lunch I asked Matt how old I was. Now Matt knows how old I am.....no, I don't go through the house singing my age but I am not ashamed of my 43 years or saying that I am such. So what was Matt's response? "Your medium." Medium, what does that mean? I guess I would be a little more concerned or upset if he said "well done" or "overcooked". Like I said, he has a great way of thinking which usually keeps me laughing.

Finally Free!!

Free of strep, that is!! When Emily had her last diagnosis, the doctor requested that she see her on a follow up visit after the round of antibiotics to make sure that the infection cleared. Well, today was her appointment. Her throat looked good and the in office strep test came back showing she is strep free. The doctor did however send the swab out to the lab for a more in depth testing just to be on the safe side. Right now we are keeping our fingers crossed that that test also shows no strep. It would be wonderful to put our March Madness of strep behind us.

Everything's Better with a Coat of Paint

Its funny how a coat of paint can change everything. When we purchased Matthew's closet doors, we knew they needed to be painted but we hung them and figured we would do it at another time. Well, that time came today. While I was waiting for the magnetic primer to dry for 30 minutes between 3 applications in Emily's room, I decided to fill my time taking care of this task...FINALLY! I couldn't believe the difference so I took a picture of one door painted and the other not. If you ask me which one is which, I'll have to wonder about you. I couldn't believe how dingy the doors were. Well, I did paint the other door and I do plan on doing another coat tomorrow. I'm just so happy it is finally done. Oh, by the way, Matt could have cared less that I painted them.

Keeping My Promise

For quite a while now, Emily has been wanting to have her room changed. Up until last week, she was willing to just have the furniture moved around & that sufficed but her patience wore out as we have been telling her since winter that we would paint her room and get her new furniture. Emily's room is the only room that hasn't received the "gift" of new furniture.

I was going to hand this project over to someone else, even have them do it while we were away for spring break but I decided to save us the money (mind you not my sanity) and do it myself. I don't mind painting, once I get started, but I dread the prep work. I told Emily last week that this week would be "the week" and she has been reminding me and telling everyone else that I will be painting her room "this week". Last Friday, I got all the supplies and paint. Emily is going purple - enchanted is the paint name. I am painting the one wall with magnetic primer so we can stop the thumbtack pricks in the wall. The accents will be white and black. It is going to be a room that she can keep into her teens. Tonight we are headed to look at and confirm the bed set we've been looking at. So, in a few weeks (not sure when the furniture will be deliverable) she will have a whole new room. Now the question that comes to mind is "what will Matt want done to his room after he sees Emily's?"