I Heart Faces - Reflections

My first entry at I ♥ Faces. The theme this week is reflection.

~Evan enjoying some time at the zoo's aquarium~

The Green Grass Grows all Around and Around...

What a magnificent day outside today! Part of the day including planting flowers...lots of flowers. John has often commented that we should just plant ones that come back every year, but I would miss the process. Although John is definitely into landscaping, up until about two years ago, it was just me would put the flowers into the ground. Now it's a team effort! And I finally found my favorites today--my Salvias. Yes, those aren't difficult to find, but for whatever reason the Bonfire ones are a little harder to find around here. I adore those--they get to be approximately 2 feet tall; some of the other ones are only around 8 inches or so. Last year, I planted ones from the seeds I saved from the year before, but this year, I didn't get seeds started soon enough, so I bought the plants.

John also planted 4

Forsythia bushes.

(wish I had a picture of the one we had growing up--I need to ask the siblings about that)
We had one when I was growing up, and I remember the comfort of going inside the one we had--not sure how old I was, definitely young, and not sure if it was for just one season or more than one. I do know, from what mom says, it had gotten a bit out of control--but hey, that was perfect for hiding, although I'm not sure how hidden I was. But I remember liking it, and bringing all the items from nature that I collected in it with me. So, I convinced John that we needed to have some of those...problem is that that are planted in an area that is considered part of the front yard, and there is NO WAY John will let them get out of control. Oh well. Maybe, just maybe, I'll plant one somewhere in the backyard that will be

all

mine!

I miss the yard I grew up in--in CT...it was just about perfect for a child. There were 3 hills (Side note: thanks to the glaciers over 700,000 years ago, I live in flat country now) for sledding, although one of them went off a 4 or 5 foot wall onto the street. I think we only did that one a few times, and somebody was on car watch duty while the other person would go...hurt a little, but it was fun! No, mom and dad weren't aware. There were also a couple of flat areas--one often used for badminton, the other sometimes for crochet. A huge garden area, a bushy area with berries, and a wooded area perfect for climbing trees and being alone, and the best part---a steep hill that led down to a creek. We had paths on that hill, but several years after leaving home and the house no longer ours, I looked at the hill and didn't see any those supposed "paths." Oh, how fortunate I was to have parents that didn't hover over us. It was a world of "danger" and discovery.

Yards, I'm not into the whole chemically induced green grass thing. For years, I wouldn't let John use chemicals in our yard. Several years ago, I gave in, because the yard was looking a bit pathetic, so we had it "treated" for about a year. Yep, great looking yard. Yep, huge increase in the number of seizures our dog had. So we (I) stopped that.

But now, we're in this new yard (1 year in July), and with it, comes new weeds. The neighbors to the left and right of us "take care of their yards." John feels the pressure to do the same. I have a HUGE opinion about this...not happening, at least not with the standard treatments that are readily available with a quick phone call. I've started searching for environmentally friendly ways to take care of a lawn. Tips are welcome.

This is a photo of our lawn in the backyard before the first mowing of the season...I think those are pretty! But, yeah, I purposely didn't include any dandelions in the range of the camera's lens. Not a fan of those.

Randoms

I went to see Chelsey today! She, her roommate, and I went out to eat at Fazoli's, then we stopped at Lowe's (bought some Forsythia's--warm memories from childhood), and then it was off to Wally World (yuk). It was a last minute plan to go see her--I really need to plan these trips better so that I can spend more time with her and do more than go shopping. BUT, she's coming home soon for the summer--yeah!--so I don't need to worry about that planning until next year. Her roommate, who was carrying my camera, got a "great" picture of me lugging Chelsey's fridge across the parking lot--don't think I need to post that. That thing was heavy, and although Chelsey is stronger than me (really), I have longer arms which I think maybe made carrying it a little easier...at least that's the theory we came up with.

Last week, Kyle and Matt went over to Kyle's Best Buddie's house for a game night (Matt's buddy also went). The boys brought along their Star Wars Battleship and Trouble...they seemed to have a great time! Once again, love the Best Buddies program!

Several weeks ago, Matt and Kyle were in the variety program at school. It was similar to what Kyle did last year--they sang with some of the members of the choir. Last year, the song (that was written at the school) was "Everyday Heroes." This year, it was "Count On Me." Matt made it ever so clear that he didn't want to do it, but like so many things, we basically said, "Tough, you're doing it anyway!" We do this, well, because in most circumstances, he ends up enjoying whatever it is that we're trying to get him to do. And this was no exception. They had 3 practices, and after the first, he was fine with it. He seemed very happy and pleased with himself after each of the 2 performances. I even think I saw his lips moving during the song! :)

And Evan, let's see...he's been jumping--a lot-- recently. His behavior in stores has also deteriorated recently. He used to thoroughly enjoy grocery shopping; the last few times, he has not been content--a little screaming, gets mad if I go a direction that he doesn't want to go, etc--maybe the "terrible twos" hitting a bit late. I'm looking forward to this summer where I will have so much one on one time with him.

Time for bed...need to get there soon because I'm predicting Evan will be up in about 4 hours...maybe crying, maybe jumping, maybe "reading"....or just maybe, he might sleep through tonight....

Cooking with Chef Matt

Matt and I watched "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger" this morning on the Food Network (his favorite channel). Today's episode included a white chili that looked easy, healthy, and yummy! So, the boys and I made a trip to the store to get the ingredients, and tonight, Master Chef Matt and I put it all together. It's a chili with a mild flavor, and it's good!

We left off the yogurt at the end, and I forgot to buy the cilantro :( , so walked up to mom's and borrowed some frozen cilantro. We also didn't get any limes, but I think next time, we'll add that at the end.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/white-chili-recipe/index.html

...now I know my ABC's...

Evan's vocabulary, of course, doesn't follow the standard pattern. He has said words once, maybe even for a week, and then we don't hear them anymore. There have been some words that have "stuck." One word (phrase) that has lasted the longest is "Wazsat" (what's that?)--at least a year. Kind of an odd choice due to the fact that he doesn't even say mommy or daddy. The latest word that seems to be sticking is "peaz" (please). It's cute when he says it because I had tried to teach him the sign in the beginning, and he quickly adapted his own version of it by just bringing both hands to his stomach while saying "peaz." And, he does it with such a sweet look on his face! Yeah, it works almost every time...it's usually good for for something to drink or a cracker.

Now a bit of an obsession of his--letters. He verbalizes several letters of the alphabet: A B C D E G I O P Z are clear, and for L M S, it's more like the sound of the letter. He used to watch Super Why on a regular basis; now he can't handle the stimulation and will get upset. But he still loves his Leap Frog fridge magnets and his books. Recently during a short stay in a waiting room, I didn't have anything for him, and he wasn't too happy, so I grabbed a magazine. He was content to go through this magazine with me as he took my finger to make it point at various letters as I would say them. His newest toy is a VTech alphabet toy...a favorite. And starfall.com? I don't know how long he would go on that because I'm the one who has to say "all done." He's fascinated by it. He points to the letter he wants me to click on, and then I do all the clicking....he adores it. This is where he really demonstrates his ability to recognize letters. When he points to the screen to show me which letter he wants next, he usually will say the letter. Crazy kid!

Zoo

Today is the last day of spring break, and it's cold, rainy/snowy/yucky outside.

John, the boys, and I went to the zoo on Friday. We went fairly early, and it turned out to be a decent day to go. Many schools were on spring break, so there were only 3 buses there, and the forecast for a "chance of rain" in the afternoon I think kept people away. It was overcast, but actually kind of comfortable...50ish when we got there, almost 60 when we left.

This is the second time that Evan has been there; he was much younger the first time. He adores his books with animals...giraffes and elephants seem to be his favorites. He also loves water and things that splash in water. One of the first animals we saw was the polar bear---huge smile on Evan's face! He was absolutely amazed by the dolphin show; when the dolphins did an out-in-the-air trick, he would sign more and say "mo." The 15 minutes of keeping him happy while waiting for it to start was quite a workout for me (a lot of hanging him upside down), but it was well worth it.

His look on his face when he saw the giraffes was one of amazement---he didn't want to leave them---same thing when he saw the elephants.

We went on the train ride that goes around the zoo. He wasn't too happy about that. About half way through, he settled down, but it wasn't worth the effort. One doesn't see animals on this ride; it goes around the "outside"---we saw many buildings, a gas station, and his favorite, a busy road which is what actually got him to settle down.

His FAVORITE part of the zoo was seeing the dog sharks! First, he got to put his hands into the water; that was a plus....then he got to touch a "fish"--definite plus. We went there twice, and when we tried to leave, I put him down, and he ran back to it--very cute. :)

trying to get in with them

We were only there for a few hours which was enough time for him. He looked exhausted when we left. He pointed to the dvd screen in the van, so I thought, sure, watching a movie will keep him awake for the almost hour ride home. Then, he can take a nice, long nap when we get home. Well, it seemed to be working; he watched Blue's Clues, but then about 15 minutes before we got home, he started to get really dozy. I tickled the legs, put on Little Einsteins for a change in movie (which worked for a minute or two), but those eyes were so heavy! He never really fell asleep, so I thought we were good when we got home. Oh how wrong I was! He needed to "unwind," and that he did! For the first hour in his room, he was fairly quiet, but I could hear that he wasn't asleep. Then he started "calling" me, and I went in and changed a dirty diaper. I thought he was good to go. Nope, for the next hour, he was a little more active in his room; I could hear a lot of jumping. I took him into our room; he likes to put all our pillows on top of himself. He's never fallen asleep in there, but I thought it was worth a try. But no, that didn't work either. So, I brought him downstairs....around 5, and within 5 minutes, he was asleep on the floor! We let him sleep for about an hour, and thankfully, it really didn't affect his bedtime.

Kyle and Matt's day at the zoo----Kyle was the official announcer of what time it was (every 10 minutes or so); Matt seemed to enjoy it.

This was taken at the end of our trip there...I guess I was the only one who had the energy to look at the camera.

When he sleeps, he keeps his blankie around his neck...has done this since, I don't know, around 5 months.

***Yes, I gave him a haircut recently, and yes, it was an awful experience.***

Thomas the Tank Engine on YouTube

Kyle has been on Thomas fan for, well, his entire life. One activity that he enjoys is telling stories as I typed them out for him. He'll take characters from a variety of shows (trains play big roles), and combine them into his own story. For several years, he has been asking for "Bill and Ben go into the Spooky Forrest." As far as I know, there is no such video.

Another thing he likes to do on the computer is search for train videos for purchase. He was doing this the other day, and somehow, he stumbled upon YouTube. And what did he find there? Homemade Thomas videos! Some of them are quite simple...people video tape their Thomas trains going around the track in their living room. Some of them, are a bit more advanced. I've been keeping a close eye making sure everything stays appropriate.

One of the first ones I saw him watching had the freight trains pushing Thomas off a cliff, and then Harold dropped a bomb on him! Kyle thought it was hilarious. One of the ones he was watching today (8 minutes long) was a romance...it was quite cute, and it reminded me so much of the type of story Kyle would write. I will definitely have to keep a close watch on this, but so far, it's exactly what he's been hoping for; he's even asked if we could "buy the dvd" for some of them. Thanks to the people taking the time to make these new episodes!

On the subject of shows, a show he's been watching lately is Popeye. Recently, I brought home some spinach in a bag (for our salads and sandwiches). As he was helping me put away groceries, he said, "Mm, spinach, I'll take some." Okay, this boy doesn't even eat salads. I gave him one leaf and expected him to chew it and make a weird face. No, he ate it and asked for more--he ended up having a whole bowl of it! The next day, he had a bowl of chips and spinach mixed together. Funny kid.

Big Boy Bed!

We did it! This weekend, Evan's time in a crib came to an end. Even though he is no older than if he was still in a crib, he seems like such a big boy.

After his nap on Sunday, John made the transformation happen while Evan was downstairs. That evening, I told him that we had something exciting to show him in his room. He climbed up the stairs as we followed behind. I was a bit concerned that he wouldn't be too happy with what had happened. Nope. He walked into his room, looked at his "big boy bed" for a couple of seconds, and then turned to us with the biggest grin on his face! I know he was thinking, "This is sooo cool!" He then practiced getting in and out of bed several times.

It's gone well so far; really no different than it had been for the past couple of weeks with him climbing out of his crib. At least this way, he can get back in bed much easier than he could the crib. So even if he does get out to play (and he usually goes for his musical toy--not really hiding the fact that he's out of bed), he can get right back in on his own, or when I go in and say, "Get back into bed!"

Accomplished Crib Climber

A few months ago, Evan fell out of his crib and hit the floor hard! He didn't attempt that again for quite a while. Quite a while is over. He now can get in and out of his crib with speed and accuracy. Last night for about an hour, he did the old "keep getting out of the crib no matter how many times they put me back in." He was so proud of himself (so was I!). John finally laid down the law (very stern voice--meany), Evan cried for a minute, but, he stayed put in his crib!

It's hard sometimes for me to be strict in situations like this; it's nice to see him accomplishing something! Yes, he's way overdue for the transition from crib to toddler bed --this weekend. I think we may need to pull out the instructions on how to change the crib to a bed.

Crash

Kyle and Matt's bus was rear-ended this morning...again! This happened about a year ago, although at that time, it was only Kyle on because Matt was in middle school.

I had backed my van out of the garage so that it could warm up. When I got out, I heard sirens, and, me, being the paranoid person that I am, did think that it could possibly be their bus--really, I did.

A few minutes after I came inside, I got a call from the secretary at the school where I work. She told me about the situation and said that they would cover my class while I went to the hospital. It's the rule here: if the special ed. bus gets into an accident, the children must be checked out at the hospital.

I arrived at the hospital before they did, and was relieved to see that they brought the students (5, I think) on a bus. In the last accident, they had Kyle strapped into an ambulance when I arrived at the scene.

The boys strolled in, nervous, but okay. The people working with them did an outstanding job of keeping them calm. We went to a room, along with 2 other students and their two teachers. There, they took vitals. Well, first, they asked if the boys would put on the wrist bans...somebody gave them a little background about the boys...maybe the school's police liaison, he knows about them. As I was saying Matt would not want that on, he spoke up and made it quite clear that he was not going to wear that! So I got to hold his, and they put Kyle's on him. He was concerned about it interfering with his watch, but other than that he was good with it. :)

They took Kyle's vitals first...blood pressure: 120 over 60. Kyle is so much like John. I don't know how often the words Fragile X and "laid back" are used together, but that describes Kyle. It's interesting, because yes, he still gets quite anxious when confronted with uncomfortable situations, but since he has gotten older, he does everything he can to "deal with it." When John was in an accident about 5 years ago (the other driver passed away...accident wasn't John's fault), they asked me in the hospital if he was always that calm. I think they thought he might be in shock, but I assured them that that was just him! Then there's Matt. When they went to put the cuff on his arm, he pulled his hat over his face and was extremely frustrated. His blood pressure: 182 over 112!! I don't think I could make mine go that high if I tried. They then moved us to another room so he could relax. The doctor came in to do a quick check. He was very friendly and interacted really well with the boys. They check Matt's blood pressure again, and she said it was better, although she didn't say what the numbers were.

The teachers and the superintendent asked if the boys were going to go to school or stay home. It was already a 2 hour delay, and the teacher assured me that they wouldn't be missing much. I asked the boys, and they thought that staying home was a mighty fine idea. Well, actually, they stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Although this is bus accident number 2, I'm very thankful that both were so minor.

Snow Day

Another snow day

Going for a walk seemed like such a good idea-- we have all this snow, the sun is shining, and it's not windy out. Should I have taken into consideration the fact that it was so close to his nap time, and he was already a bit cranky? Maybe.

So, I took the sled out so that I could pull him; he wanted nothing to do with that. Plan B: I let him walk. All was going well. We walked up our street with the intention of stopping near the top, and then turning around to walk back down, stopping at my parents to pick up some yummy, homemade soup, and return home to eat it! At least, those were my intentions--not Evan's. When we got to the "turn around point," he made it quite clear that turning around was not a good idea. As a matter of fact, he believed it to be a very bad idea.

I should have known; he never wants to turn around when we walk in nice weather, so why did I think today would be any different? So, I carried/dragged him down the street, briefly stopping at my parents' house to pick up the soup (definitely not happy about stopping), and returned home. I gave him the opportunity to "play" outside at home, but he only wanted to go for a walk...which wasn't going to happen.
Soon after this shot, I put him down for his nap. He thought that was a good idea... and so did I.

This and That

Not knowing about the boys' diagnosis until Kyle was almost three had its benefits...I didn't analyze every little thing that they did.

With Evan, I frequently try to compare him to the older two, but it's kind of tricky, because I really didn't keep track of their development--I know the major milestones, but it's all the "other things" that I wonder about.

Here's one thing that I don't remember the boys doing: While humming, Evan will turn his head quickly side to side as if he were watching a fly going back and forth in front of him. This is definitely a "zoned out" time. Kyle used to hum and very infrequently still does, but we didn't get the rapid head turning to go along with it.

Hand-flapping--right now, I think the only time he does it is while watching TV, and he gets some air under those feet while doing it. I wonder if, or should I say, when, he will flap about other things? I wonder what would happen if we never watched anymore TV? Kyle still flaps occasionally; Matt has always been a wrist-twister, but once again, it's just about always when they are watching TV, although Kyle used to do it for anything that made him nervous or excited.

And crib jumping? I don't know what happened, but for the past 3 weeks, there has been, like, none. We went from 45 minutes before bed, 45 minutes during the night (at least), to suddenly none. We'll see if that last. I really think the fact that I was home for 2 weeks contributed to the sudden halt--he stopped on day 3 of vacation--but we'll see.

Oh yes, it's a cloudy, cold, dreary day. My mind is wandering. Speaking of the weather--the title of my blog: Sunny Day. Where did that come from? What is the deep meaning behind it? Drum roll-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.----The sun was shining the day I started my blog, and while racking my brain trying to come up with a title, the fact that the sun was hitting the floor by the computer caught my eye. I didn't start the whole blog thing with the intention of "meeting" other people. I started because I have a teen-aged daughter who was always on the computer! At the time, she frequently blogged (now Facebook is more "her thing"--so I'm there now, too!), and I wanted to join her world--or just bug her a little--I really didn't intend on doing much with it (hence, the 6 months between my first post and the second). It was when I was doing an FX search and stumbled upon Fragilemom's blog that I thought, "Wow, cool, there are people out there that I can relate to!"

Sunny Day--sometimes I think I'll change the title, but really, I do like sunny days, and yes, my kids are my "little sunshines"--for years, I sang "You Are My Sunshine" to Kyle at bedtime-- so I don't know. Maybe on another day when my mind is wandering again I'll change it.

(Yes, the other kids had their songs, too. Matt's was the "I Love You" song from Barney, Chelsey's was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and Evan, well, I have a song that I made up, but it's not a nightly thing...how sad).

Okay, just a little more. Back to "You Are My Sunshine." I sang that song to Kyle for YEARS. I remember when he got older, and he got some creativity going, he would change the words. I would stop during the song so that he would say the word that went next. To spice things up, he would put a completely different word in (I think because he knew it would make me laugh). My favorite was when I would sing "When skies are..." and he would say quite dramatically, "Vanished!" or "Vanished, Out of Here!" Oh, how I wish I had blogged back then (or at least kept a journal).