Yes I Did Friday!

It is Friday, right?  I've had one of those weeks where the days all blend together and it's felt like it should have been Friday for at least 3 days now... but it never was.  I'm hoping I've actually got it right today.  If not, I quit. 

As Jeanette says... Do something you shouldn't have this week and not feel a bit bad about it? Or how about  something you are so proud of, you can't wait to share? Well you've come to the right place! Friday is the day to own the bright and not so bright things you did this week!

I did encourage my husband to spend way too much money on Christmas gifts for our extended family yesterday, as well as buying two new Wii games as family gifts for Christmas as well.  Now I feel guilty and stressed about the money.  But dudes - I get Super Mario Brothers!!

I did spend the first half of the week grumpy and snappy with my husband due to feeling unsupported.  But we did get it worked out very easily once we sat down and talked.  I DO love the fact that we have such a great relationship that that is as bad as it ever gets between us.

I did go to Kindergarten on Monday!  I actually spent the afternoon in class with Christopher to have a better idea what's going on with him and it gave me some much needed insight as to exactly what he needs, and where he is.

I did promise Lexie I would cut her hair this weekend.  I am already sad about this.  But it's her hair!  I will take pictures!

And I did do this....

I'm not sure if this was a bright, or not so bright idea, but I did it!  And you should do it too!  You can do it here.  And I'm sure I will be looking for ideas, so if you have any questions for me, or anything you want to see... please feel free to hit me with them!  Otherwise you may end up with pictorial tours of the contents of my pantry.  And nobody wants that.

You Capture Autumn

I'm finally taking the plunge and joining in You Capture.  Now, like I have said, I am NOT a real photographer, and know nothing about photoshop, or any of those other programs, so you're just getting the picture I took.  But I love fall, so I had to go out and take some photos for this one!

 

This is Lexie and her "prettiest leaf."  I love the colors of the leaves in fall.

I love the sound of the leaves as I walk through them, the way they crunch under my feet.

I have no idea what kind of tree this is, I don't think it's actually a pine, because it does change colors.  It's gorgeous right now.

Another "I don't know what this is."  It grows on the base of the oak tree in our front yard, and was nice and green all summer long.  A few weeks ago it started changing and is so vibrant now.

Pumpkins on my table waiting to be carved!

So there you have it - my first You Capture.  I know a TON of very talented people participate, so you should head over and check out the rest of the submissions.

Meme Tuesday?

Sorry, didn't mean to dump such a heavy post on you and then disappear!  It's been a very chaotic around here, S ended up working all weekend, we had my mom and her husband over for another birthday celebration for Christopher, Lexie had a sleepover that ended up being much more stressful that I'd anticipated, and I went to Kindergarten yesterday.  As well as working on a new plan for Christopher at school, and just the usual, keeping the kids alive, trying not to be buried under laundry (I'm telling you - nudists have got the right idea.  I bet the whole no-clothes movement was started by someone tired of doing laundry!) and the rest of the day to day stuff.

So - since my brain is all tied up with all things education right now, how about one of those getting to know me type memes for now?

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you.  Lexie!  She was born on my 25th birthday.  Great present.  Lousy way to spend my birthday.  Fourteen hours of labor followed by an emergency c-section.

2. Where was your first kiss? My very first kiss, just a peck on the lips, was in 4th grade, and under the wooden walkway to the gym.  With a boy named Jasper McSlarrow.  He was chewing mint gum.  My first real kiss was on my bed, when I was 13. 

3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property? Nope.

4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? Yes.  But not seriously.  I tried once with my ex, but it didn't work - he was bigger than I was.

5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? Depends on what you consider large.  I was in choir and drama in high school, and also involved in the only theater Orcas Island had.  I played Wendy in the production of Peter Pan, which required singing.  So, yeah, kind of :)

6. What's the first thing you notice about the preferred sex? eyes and lips

7. What really turns you on? Oh yeah, like I'm gonna talk about that HERE!

8. What do you order at Starbucks? I've never been to one.

9. What is your biggest mistake? I have to choose one?  In my life now, I would say letting my insecurities take over.

10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? Yes.  I attempted suicide 4 times between the ages of 13 and 16.  I was a cutter for years in my teens.  I haven't done it since I was 17.  I was also a serious drug addict until I was 22, which I used to say just looked like a more fun way to die.

11. Say something totally random about yourself. I'm wearing my husband's bathrobe right now.  He's a foot taller and 100lbs heavier than me.  It doesn't fit very well!

12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Nope!

13. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows? All day long, but not because I want to!  Although I will admit to liking a lot of the Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks movies that come out now... the first 12 times I see them!

14. Did you have braces? No

15. Are you comfortable with your height? I'd like to be a few inches taller.  I'm almost 5'3".  It sucks not being able to reach things on the top shelf at the grocery store without asking for help!

16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you? Well, S bought me a bus ticket and invited me to move in with him, never having met me to get me away from my ex - does that count?

17. When do you know its love? When you realize you want to wake up in bed every morning for the rest of your life with that person - not for sex, but just to be with them.

18. Do you speak any other languages? Not with any fluency. I know a few words and phrases in Spanish.

19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon? Nope! I would just burn and peel.  I am very fair skinned.

20. What magazines do you read? None.  Magazines seem like a waste of time to me, since I read so fast.

21. Have you ever ridden in a limo? Nope.

22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away? No.  Both of S's grandmother's have passed since we've been together, but that's been my only real experience with death.

23. Do you watch MTV? Never.

24. What's something that really annoys you? clicking/clapping/tapping.  It drills into my head.  Applause doesn't, but when one or two people are clapping?  Arrrgggh!

25. What's something you really like? The way my kids necks smell.

26. Do you like Michael Jackson? No.  A couple of his songs were good, but he was  a serious mental case.

27. Can you dance? I have NO rhythm. 

28. What's the latest you have ever stayed up? Nine days straight - with a very short (half hour-ish nap) and then I don't even remember how many more days straight after that.

29. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room? Yes.  Four times for the aforementioned suicide attempts, and once when I was 14, I caught a viral infection in my lungs (I'm an asthmatic), and had to be med-flighted off the Island to the nearest hospital.  My right lung actually collapsed, and they had to resuscitate me 2(or 3- I forget!) times in the helicopter on the way to the hospital.

30. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out? Of course!

31. Tag 5 people! I'm going to tag 7.  So there.  My Life With Boys, Heather in Texas, Bella, Jeanette, Angel, Shana, and Kay!  C'mon, dish on all the minutia of your lives!  I'm nosy.

Christopher and my angst. Read at your own risk.

As I'm sure I have said before, Christopher has classic autism, although his is pretty mild.  He is very verbal, although he didn't talk at all until he was 2, and not in any meaningful way until closer to 3.  He got some speech therapy through EI at 2, aged out, and has been in the school system since the day he turned 3.  Half day special ed pre-school, 5 days a week.  Speech, OT.  He's currently in a mainstream kindergarten class with a para, receiving speech.  OT hasn't been set up yet, but is on the table. 

But we aren't sure what's going to happen.  He's losing ground, compared to where he was last year in the special ed preschool - he participated in all the activities there, circle time, centers, you know, the typical group things they expect of kids this age.  He's not doing any of that now.  Part of it is his para - she's not pushing him to participate.  With Christopher, if you don't push him, he's content to do nothing.  And the special ed coordinator seems to really want him to move back to the other school - out of this one.  When I said I wasn't sure this placement was working for him, the look of relief on her face was instantaneous, and obvious.

I'll be honest, I'm spoiled.  Every single teacher C has ever had has adored him.  So this was an odd feeling for me, to feel like he's not wanted here.  But it's making me think.  This is a typical classroom, with typical teachers, and typical kids.  They aren't used to dealing with kids with issues.  Maybe this isn't the right place for him.  It's obvious to me that as of yet, he's not getting what he needs from them.  He needs someone who's going to push him, challenge him, not baby him and coddle him.  He needs people who aren't afraid of the fact that he's autistic.

And is it really fair to the other kids in the class?  Making him participate is going to result in some tantrums at first.  Especially since he's been allowed to NOT participate for so long.  Which will be disruptive.  What about the other 21 kids in the class?  Is it fair to them to make them have to deal with that, just to keep him in a mainstream classroom?

We mainstreamed him for 2 reasons.  the first and biggest is because Christopher NEEDS peer modeling of social skills.  As an autistic, his biggest deficit is his social abilities.  Staying in a classroom with other, mostly more autistic children, he won't have that positive peer modeling.  He won't be able to watch and learn how typical kids interact.

The other reason was because his last teacher really thought it was the best place for him.  Both for the above reason, and academically.  Which brings me to another point.  He's developmentally behind there too.  I mean, according to his teacher, it's not insurmountable, it's not like he's "a 2 year old in a class of 5 year olds" like I thought he was.  But I feel so defeated when they send home the weekly homework, and he can't do it.  This week, it's rhymes.  And for the life of me, I can't seem to figure out how to get him to make the connection what a rhyme is.  And he hates being read to.  Do you know how much of kindergarten involves reading?  I mean, really! 

I'm at a loss here.  I don't know what to do.  Going back to the other school (which is a special ed specific school) is something I am more than willing to consider if it's the right thing for him.  I just don't know what the right thing is.  I know children don't come with a manual, but dammit, I wish he did.  It seems all the decisions I make for Christopher are bigger, and harder and more important than for Lexie or Joshua.  I know, they're not - at least not more important, but it sure feels that way. 

In part at least because he can't tell me if I'm doing it right.  I worry about where he's going to end up in life.  More than anything.  You know how when you're pregnant, and they're tiny you try to envision their lives?  Well I have one real hope for C.  I want him to find someone who loves him for him.  Someone to share his life with - we aren't meant to go through life alone.  But for that to happen, he's going to have to reach the point where he wants someone in his life.  And I don't know if I see that happening.  Which is part of why we want him around other kids.  We want him to learn to make friends.

When Lexie (who is a social butterfly) has the neighborhood come pounding through the house, as they so often do, Christopher often doesn't even notice they're there...  Well, actually, I'm sure he notices.  He pays attention to everything and is constantly surprising us with the things he knows.  But it makes no impact on him that the house is full of noisy rambunctious kids.  He has no desire to be a part of it.  And that's okay.  But I'd like for him to have a friend eventually.  Or to want to have one.

Anyway... back to the school issue.  After a long talk with his teacher and the special ed coordinator last night, we've decided to try it for another month.  But we're going to crack down on him.  No more letting him get away with not being involved.  I know he's capable of so much more than he's been giving them, and I want him to reach his full potential.  I even told them I am more than willing to come to school with him and sit with him every day to make him do it.  There's nothing I won't do for him.  For any of my kids.  I just wish I knew that this was the right thing. 

It's Friday!

It's Friday!  Although it felt like Friday all day yesterday to me anyway, since my kids are out of school today for parent teacher conferences.  Yay 3 day weekend?  But you know what else Friday means?  That's right!

Time to share the bright, and not so bright things we did this week.  I've had some good ones, in both senses.

I did spend so much time on OHiH that I was late in picking up my kids.  Well, not late late - I just left late.  I still got there on time.  Luckily we live very close to the school!  But that place is addicting!

I did lock the door and hide in the bathroom to get 5 minutes peace from my youngest who was having a tantrum earlier today.  I did not actually get any peace.  Three year olds can yell through 2 shut doors quite well.

I did make zucchini bread, pumpkin spice muffins, and banana bread this week.  I did not gain 5 pounds from it... yet :)

I did buy 3 new candles, inspired by Anemone Pie's most recent entry.  But I am an idiot who didn't stop to think that mulled cider probably meant cinnamon scented (in my defense, in doesn't smell like cinnamon, just smells really good!) and so now I do have a headache.  I will be passing that one on to my mom!

And if my children don't figure out how to get along... I will be moving out and changing my name!  But I guess that would be something for next Friday's Yes I Did, right? :)

Head on over to Jeanette's to check out what everyone else has been up to this week, and to join in yourself!

AD's and hummus

I seem to be having one of those times when I feel like I am withdrawing from life.  Becoming a spectator again, rather than a participant.  I feel like I am not really here... and nobody will much miss me anyway.  Except maybe the kids, and that's only because I'm the one who feeds them.  I'm unimportant, but not in that "nobody loves me everybody hates me I'm gonna go eat worms" way - more like I'm just insignificant... something to pass by and not notice.

It's weird.  I don't know what causes it, or how to reverse it.  It just happens sometimes, and then goes away.  Even when I was little.  Then I used to think I was just part of someone else's dream, and I was just waiting for them to wake up and I would never have existed at all.  I guess it says a lot about my childhood that that idea didn't scare me.

So - have I picked the best time to wean off my anti-depressants or what?  I'm on Effexor, have been for about 6 months.  I've been off and on AD's in the past, the last one being Zoloft for post-partum depression (remind me to tell you about THAT someday - that was fun!).  I went off the Zoloft when I was ready, with very few problems, and had no idea that Effexor was going to be any different.  Oh Brother was I wrong.  Severe headaches, nausea, enough dizziness to rival any 3 carnival rides you can name... and I was back on it, calling for my doctor.  So now I have a lower dosage, and a plan to wean off slowly.  Sounds like a good idea to me.  Or maybe just a way to prolong this nasty headache, I can't be sure right now.

OH!  Total subject change here!  I'm going to have to turn in my Hummus Harlot badge for just a Harlot one.  I tried hummus finally and well.... I took pictures so you can see for yourself.  Please ignore the scary frizzy hair I have in these - my planning skills are obviously on vacation along with my sense of reality, or I would not have done these right out of a shower without doing *something* with my hair!

The cast - Whole Grain Wheat Thins (very yummy) and some hummus I picked up at Wal Mart.  Yes, I know, this is basically sacrilege, but I generally try an easy version of something to see if I might be interested enough to go all out for it.

Me with hummus loaded cracker.  Not much explanation needed.  Frizzy hair not being mentioned.

Hmmm... tasting, no longer smiling (also not looking at camera)

And the verdict.  EW.  I followed this one up with a few more unadulterated crackers to get that nasty taste out of my mouth.  So I may be kicked off OHiH twice.  My hummus was not homemade.  And I didn't like it at all.  I guess that just leaves more for the rest of you.







Okay, headache is winning.  If I knew for sure how long the withdrawal from Effexor lasted I'm not sure I wouldn't just choose to quit cold turkey and get it over with rather than drag this out for weeks or longer.  I've done the longterm headache thing already (I had one continuous headache for just over 3 months last year) and I am so not liking this.  Anyone have any experience they can share?  Sorry for all my whining.  I'll try and make my next post more cheerful!  I still have birthday pictures and a few from the pumpkin patch.

Yum!

I used to bake, all the time.  Then I lost weight, and my husband lost weight and we realized that baking all the time is a bad idea.  So I don't do it very often anymore.  But I've been wanting to a lot lately.  I blame the Hummus Harlots.  They're a bunch of baking goddesses.

Someone, I don't remember who, on OHiH the other day recommended a very easy pumpkin muffin recipe.  It's a box of spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and a cup of water.  After a little reading, I also added an egg, and 1/3 c mini chocolate chips, and then topped the muffins with a few more chocolate chips.  So it's not completely lowfat, or good for you, but it's not bad.  And it makes 24 muffins, and I plan on freezing some, as soon as they finish cooling.  But they are sooooo good.  Moist and yummy and very good.  They taste like autumn.

 

Random Things

I've been tagged by Belladonna and Angel to list 8 random facts about myself.  (see previous post about being a slacker.  Angel tagged me DAYS ago!  But this time it worked in my favor, I get a 2-for1.  Otherwise I'd have to do this one twice!)

1. I didn't learn to drive until I was 25.  I was a month a way from my 26th birthday when I got my driver's license.
2. I can flip my tongue over sideways.  It freaks my husband out.
3. I'm allergic to everything.  Seriously.  I had one of those scratch tests and on a scale of 0 (meaning no response) to 4 (very allergic) I tested at a 2 or above to all 30 things they tested me for. Including cats.
4. I have 4 cats.  Little Guy, Penelope, Luna, and Kali.  I take Zyrtec every day.
5. I got married in Gatlinburg Tennessee, in the Little Log Wedding Chapel.  It's kind of like the red-neck version of going to Vegas. 
   
6. I've never been to a concert.
7. I've lost 58% of my body weight since January 2008.  
8. I can do the splits cartwheels and handstands.  But I injured myself in February trying to do a headstand.

Okay!  I think everyone I know has been tagged, so I am not going to tag anyone.  If you haven't done it, and want to, consider yourself tagged!

Super Snapshot Saturday

I am so behind on posts!  I missed Yes I Did Friday yesterday, I've been tagged (twice!) for 8 random facts (does that mean I owe you 16?  I don't think there are that many...), I totally half-assed Christopher's birthday post yesterday, I bought a container of hummus and told OHiH that I was going to try it, with pictures on Wednesday, and still it sits unopened in my fridge.... I'm a slacker.  And I have no time for any of it right now, because we're getting ready to go to the pumpkin patch!

But, I couldn't miss Super Snapshot Saturday!! 

I've been taking pictures all week for this one!  So without further adieu, here are my black and whites.

 

 

Happy Birthday Christopher!

Today Christopher is 6!

Happy Birthday beautiful boy!

I'd fully intended on writing one of those long sappy posts I've seen on other blogs, but instead I've been busy all day, playing with him, and his new Ben10 alien force watch, buying special birthday doughnuts, and visiting Grandma.  So the post will have to wait.  But I did manage to dig out pictures, one for every year, so you can all see how much he's grown.

 

S in pictures

I've been taking lots of black and white pictures in preparation for Super Snapshot Saturday, which has been a lot of fun.  Last night, S was working out, which is pretty much his favorite thing in the world to do, and I was in there with my camera, pretending I knew what I was doing, which I so don't.  I've discovered that I prefer the look of pictures taken without the flash, but haven't actually figured out how to make them look as sharp or clear.  Anyway... S was a willing subject as I played around, and I think I got some good shots, and some not so bad ones.  It helps that I love watching him work out, and he, even on nights like last night, where it didn't go as well as he would have liked, loves working out.  He started it seriously about a year ago, when he was approaching 40.  He'd been lamenting wasting his youth, never doing anything when he was young... you know, the typical midlife thing. :) (he's going to get me for that lol)  But he found a forum of older weight lifters that made him think maybe his last chance hadn't passed.  The changes in S's body have been impressive in the past year, whether he sees them or not.  But even better is the sense of accomplishment I see in him.  He comes out of that room pumped not only physically, but emotionally.  And when he's made a big jump in weight, or some other gain, his excitement fills the house.  So while I may complain about it occasionally, I'm thrilled that this is his passion.

(Once again, I apologize for the wonky formatting.  Blogger hates me.)

The eyes have it!

Christopher isn't the only blue eyed member of this family!

Me,

Lexie,

Joshua.

Only S breaks the mold.  He has really pretty green eyes.  I was hoping one of the kids would get them, but as you can clearly see, we are blue eye dominant in this family!  Of course, since the kids all look like him anyway, it's only fair I got to pass on something!

And, even though this will be a picture heavy post - just because I like the full size pics, I'll include them down here.

Super Snapshot Saturday

Angel has started Super Snapshot Saturday.  Now I am NOT a photographer, and I don't know anything about photoshop, or any other program, so what you see, other than maybe fiddling with the a crop, red-eye or brightness, is just the picture I took.  But I want to take better pictures, so maybe participating will help me to do that!

I took this picture of Christopher today, and just had to post it - look at his eyes! 

That's the color a - "ahem" certain blogger photoshops to get!  But it's all his!  I took him with me to run errands, this was in front of Walmart.  It was fun, just Bubby and me.  We don't often get a chance to do things without his siblings, and I enjoyed the heck out of it.  After I took this one, we got silly in the checkout lane.

 

 

*For the record - I hate picture formatting in blogger.  They never go where I want them to.  So forgive the weirdness in this post.