Random Joy...

Well, when you've been kicked, it's hard some days to find the joy. After learning our car is terminal over the weekend I've been struggling with my usual cheery disposition (really, I am the optimist in this house, believe it or not!).

Over the weekend we went to the movies - $40 gone. I remembered I still have to buy a present for my nephew when I thought I was done with Christmas presents (looking at another $10 there at least). I have the expense of Christmast dinner (ham is EXPENSIVE!! Sheesh! And I thought our turkey breasts at T-day were bad)...and other random things. I'm looking at our currently stable savings (small though it is) and trying to figure out how long it has left to live. At this point I'm figuring 1 - maybe 2 - weeks before it's DOA.

Erik calls from work says he's going to pay on his account at work (he works for a water purification/water softener company - from which we regularly buy salt for our softener, and filters for our R/O)...and then take out $20 for his carpool buddy to help cover gas costs (he and I agreed $20/2wks)...and the $30 for my remaining Christmas presents.

In a panic, thinking of our cash levels, I pull up the account. I expect to see a certain moderate amount in our account (on hold until mortgage is paid on Friday)...instead I see $200 MORE than I expected.

Apparently Erik got a bonus at work. No one told him *lol*

So our random joy for today is a bonus!! It's not a huge one (not like the one he got two years ago, unfortunately), but it's bigger than last years crap...and enough to cover our date night this weekend, AND Christmas dinner!!

Now if UPS would show up with his present...and the other one would make it before Christmas I'll be totally joyous! (One gift was mailed standard USPS on Saturday...God willing it will get here before Christmas day!!)

Wordless Wednesday??

You know ladies and gents...I've thought about it...but I just cannot be silent for a full day most of the time. If I HAD to be silent on a day I know it jsut wouldn't happen *giggle* So I doubt I will ever be participating in Wordless Wednesday.

But I DID get a fun picture for this weeks upcoming Picture Hunt. So I may start doing that in time for the new year. I keep meaning to better my picture taking (I'm hoping for a fancy schmancy digital next year, our current one sucks monkey butt)...so that gives me an excuse and a challenge :D

CF Clinic was today. K was a total witch again. Throwing herself down on the floor (which, by the way, is 3 feet of concrete with a pretty layer of tile on it...how can that NOT hurt??)...throwing a huge fit pretty much 98% of the time we were there. Dr. was a doll...I just adore her...she called me insane for backing 5 different types of cookies (I didn't tell her I was planning on making a second round of 4 of those types).

Umm...oh yes. Car worked like a dream. Like there was absolutely nothing wrong with it ever. We're thinking the fuel got frozen in the line or something...I hadn't run it in about 36 hours....and it gets COLD at night here!!

Christmas Cookies...

Last night I finished (mostly) our Christmas Cookies!! It took me two weeks and 8 sticks of butter...but they are DONE! See the pretty plate I made up for Erik to take to work today:



They are from the top-clockwise: The Best Christmas Cutout Cookies EVER,
Polish Apricot Cookies, Cherry Shortbread, Brownie Cookies (w/powdered sugar, w/ candy cane bits), and LEmony Snickets in the center!!

I say 'mostly' done because I am going to make more of the Brownie and Lemon cookies because the brownie recipe didn't make much and the Lemon ones have been scarfed down by me and Molly (she LOVES them, and so do I). Depending on how the next week goes I may have to make more of the cutouts, too...we'll see!!

I don't know what it is this year...but I'm turning into a nutcase...cleaning and cooking and baking and...

(Cutout recipe coming later today...I swear it tastes delicious and was the EASIEST dough to work with I've EVER made...and I've made a LOT of cutouts in my time!)

The Aliens came....

And replaced my baby with some talking, jabbering fool!!! Not to mention a BIG girl!!

Molly TALKED at preschool!! SHE TALKED!! ALL WEEKEND she's been talking!

Pants, Tights, Dress, Santa (sun), Mommy, Diego climb tree, belly, shirt...just for starters!!

And then there's the JABBER she's been doing. Just talking our ears off!!

She listens and allows me to bargain with her. She has taken much more interest in solids (good), but therefore ignores important nutrition giving bottles. Today (twice) she was refusing the sippy cup, and I bargained with her, "Do you want to go night night?" "No!" "If you aren't going night night, you have to drink your milk." She took it both times!!

Last night at the company party she ended up with my plate in front of her and fed herself all night...mashed potatoes and HAM (she LOVED the ham!!)!!!

It happens so fast when it does happen...it catches me so off-guard!! She is SUCH a big girl suddenly! I swear the aliens took the whispy silent creature that was my daughter and replaced her with a lively little thing that is showing me just how MUCH knowledge she absorbed in her internalized silence. The girl is smart as a whip...I think we're going to be in TROUBLE!!

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Coming tomorrow - The BEST Christmas Cutout Cookies ever made (I'll proved recipes at Side Dishes, too.) And the next in the line of the Geek stories...Mama Geek!!

Posted NOW over at Side Dishes - My review of Sci-fi Channel's Tin Man. (short version-95% loved it, 5% not so much)

I feel pretty....

And lazy....and...yeah.

I have several posts on the tip of my tongue...but none of them seem to have come out this weekend. Hence, I feel quite lazy.

Besides that, I feel pretty :P Tonight was Erik's company party. It was at the zoo. It was a poorly organized slubfest, mostly. Molly's present was something she was NOT interested in (pissed me off in light of the fact of how many Dora and Diego toys were running around being held by other kids...especially since E's side-by-side coworker that he's worked with for 10 years did the shopping). Overly crowded, poorly organized, bit of a mess....and the girls started out in WONDERFUL *insert sarcasm* moods.

BUT, I still feel pretty *G* I actually did my hair, which led me to realize (after a comment from Erik) that my hair is now down to my bra-strap again!! WHEN did it get that long?! BUt, anyway, I did my hair in a style I haven't for years. I put on my newest jeans (it was dress-casual), which are actually long enough for my legs, and a pair of high-heeled boots that I haven't worn in years. I put on a shirt that doesn't disply my skin rolls so much, painted my nails, and wore makeup!! I felt pretty for the first time in a long time! Still took terrible pictures (well, one of them is really bad, I was making some STRANGE face in it).

After the party we wandered the zoo a bit. Molly was fascinated, so I'm definitely going to have to take the kids this summer (it is only 30 minutes away give or take). I'll need to buy a leash by then.

I plan on posting about Sci-Fi's Tin Man, but I may do that over at Side Dishes, which I've neglected since NaBlo was completed. I have other things too...but they're coming when I'm feeling inspired!

*MELTING*

Well...after last night's fiasco I've been a bit...exhausted. BUT, the girls found a way to make me melt. They asked for milk, so I gave them some and got back to cleaning up my pit of a kitchen. I heard giggling after a few minutes and found them like this:


I grabbed my camera phone (reason for the bad quality) because if I got out the regular camera I would have lost the moment. I managed to catch a brief video too. Basically, Molly was snuggling and talking to her sister...and anytime K took the bottle out of her mouth, Molly would point to her and say "eat".



It is seriously the cutest thing I've seen them do yet. I LOVE how close they're getting!! (There are also times I'm not so thrilled with it :P)

We KNEW it!!

We KNEW Molly was smart. Just KNEW it. But, as I said before, it's like there's something blocking her from expressing that intelligence. But now, bit by bit, she's showing us just how smart she is!! This weekend was a grab-bag of "Tricks" for her...for example:

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We have an advent calender with removable numbers (In the shape of stars...). Every night when it's time to change the stars, she sits on my lap. I ask her to take off the star with the "3" on it (or two, or whatever number). Without hesitation she takes that number off. I give her the new number, I tell her what it is, I sign it for her and she puts it on the post (little tiny wood posts the stars have holes...tough to line up...).

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We were reading a book called "pop pop pop pop pop pop"...with a monkey finding different colored balloons. She accurately picked out "red" "Blue" and "yellow"!!!

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She has an ugly little baby doll she got from the hospital. She can take the clothes off of this doll. I went to get her out of bed and she was holding the doll, the clothes were on the floor and she pointed down and said, "Pants!"

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She is asking for pants or shirt, describing getting K dressed.

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She is stringing some words together. "Ball with stars".

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I'm now OFFICIALLY Mommy!!!!!!!!!!!!! She said it several times over the weekends.

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There was one other thing she did that literally floored us...but off the top of my head I can't remember. And that bothers me. I should've blogged it immediately!

Anyway, more on the Story of Me coming up later today! I won't be online tonight because DH and I are relatively engrossed with the SciFi channel miniseries, "Tin Man". I REALLY like it! (some of the special effects aren't so grand...but it's sci fi channel) The story itself is VERY sound so far!

Holiday Traditions...

Traditions can make or break a holiday. The traditions we grew up with as a child are translated into something we try to do with our kids. Every year we add traditions or drop them, but if we don't have any...our holiday can be only ho-hum. In my family there are several traditions that I continue to follow to this day. Christmas is not Christmas without them.

The first thing that makes it Christmas is listening to the The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Album. How can you not hear Thank God for Kids with lyrics like "When you look down in those trusting eyes; That look to you, you realize; There's a love that you can't buy; Thank God for kids..." and not melt? There's just something about this album that brings Christmas to our family. We ALWAYS listen to it on Christmas eve (there's a song for that, too!!)

There are two movies that we must watch, too! First is Scrooge. It's the musical version of a Christmas Carol and it's just bright and cheery and perfect for decorating the tree with! And we canNOT live without Alastair Sim, the original Black and White version of A Christmas Carol. His pure joy when he wakes up on Christmas morning cannot be beat...even by the drool-worthy Patrick Stewart.

Beyond media, though...there is one specific tradition that has meant very much to me for the past 9 years. Christmas Eve.

When I was growing up as a child every Christmas Eve my brother and I would climb into one or the other's bed (alternating every year) and my Mother would read The Night Before Christmas. The linked version is the one she read. The pictures were so magical to me. The way she read it brought life to the pages and made me so eager for Santa's arrival. I can still remember the giddy joy of clamoring into bed, me on one side of her, my brother on the other.

When my oldest was born the tradition was passed on. My dad took up the tradition with his grandson, who meant so much to him. I bought myself the exact same version I'd grown up with, and my dad would read that - and then the bible story of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:1-20).

Now my oldest is almost 10. I have two very young girls at home. The torch has been passed again - onto me. Now on Christmas Eve, I gather my babies close to me on the couch and we read The Night Before Christmas . I quote the bible scripture, having memorized it years ago. We play our Oak Ridge Boys and set out Cookies and milk for Santa...and if I'm thoughtful enough to remember, carrots for the reindeer.

I don't know for a fact that my brother also carries on these same traditions, but I like to think that he does. They meant a lot to us growing up...and I'm so happy to pass them on. I only hope they mean as much to my children as they did to me.

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This post was made in honor of a contest over at Sue's Navel Gazing...but I probably would have made it anyway :D I love the holiday! Thank you, Sue for the prompt!!

Operation Santa...And other random items...

*Operation Santa - Stage 1 is complete. If I may say so myself, it was a success! In order to prepare Molly for pictures with Santa, I took her and the other kids today to the Santa's Snowglobe nearby. We played in the 'waiting room' part for a while...crept our way closer to where Santa was. Finally got close. Every time I said Santa Molly would look up at him and smile. She wouldn't get too close, but we got within a couple of feet. We'll go again tomorrow. Next week when it's picture time I may have to have her on my lap, but I think we'll get close.

*DH's Christmas List - I've asked him to make me a Christmas list because we are actually getting gifts for each other this year. Among those things on his list is...Vomit Bags (he finds the word vomit funny), a 2007 Dodge Charger w/ Hemi engine (yeah, that'll happen), and sex. Hmmm...maybe I SHOULD get him the Charger *giggle*

*Christmas Cookies - I just may go overboard this year...I printed out quite a few recipes last night...but I still don't feel I've found THE recipe yet. Maybe THAT will be my contest!!

*Shoe Obsession - IT's gotten worse. I can't even take off her shoes to change her diaper. If she were potty trained this wouldn't be an issue...but...um...WTH do I do now?

*ON THE CHARTS!! - Molly and K had their nutritionist appts today! For the first time since she was 8 months old Molly is back on the charts for weight!! She's only in the 4th%ile...but she's on the charts!! She didn't grow in heighth at ALL this time (very strange for her), but her height to weight ratio is still off...but who cares...she's ON THE CHARTS!!

*A break from PT is NOT allowed - ever again!! Due to illness and Thanksgiving it's been almost a month since K's last PT appointment...and let's just say that today was NOT successful. We aren't doing THAT again *headdesk*

Overall a good day, despite the crazy way it started!!

The Newest Obsession...

Molly has obsessions. They come and go, only return again and be greeted like a long lost lover (you'll see I'm not kidding).

Her first notable obsession was the Backyardigans...but not JUST the show. We're talking down and dirty love with the DVD case. She carried it EVERYWHERE. Took it to bed with her. It got to the point where we had to sneak the cases away because she'd played with them so much the actual title pages were ripped and worn - and in some cases the plastic of the case was half ripped off. We now have NO DVD cases of kids shows...all kids shows are on a spindle and locked away for their own safety.

From there we moved onto cars. She had toy cars and she would line them up in a perfect little line and carry them everywhere. This was a very short lived obsession...

Because she found her Dora doll. Oh, Dora was BIG. Dora was carried EVERYWHERE. Dora was chewed on as much as Molly's fingers. Dora was LIFE.

Then she learned the word "STAR". Dora still had a place...but STAR was the shiznit. STARS can be seen EVERYWHERE. On common commercials, on signs, and on fabrics that Mommy finds at the fabric stores.

For some reason stars faded...but so did Molly. She became very introverted again and we lost our little girl for a while (this happens from time to time...she gets vibrant and full of life...then disappears into her own little world).

Now it's Christmas. And a whole new world has begun. We now have TWO simultaneous obsessions...

The first is STARS! They have returned! With Christmas in the air, stars can REALLY be seen everywhere. There's one on top of our tree...ornaments have stars. She has picked an ornament with a star that she carried with her to daycare today. She KISSES the star on the ornament regularly! STars are once again the shiznit...

But the other obsession...well...

I bought 'new' shoes at the resale shop the other day. They are shoes I've wanted to buy from Target since last year, but never did due to cost, etc. So, when I saw them at resale in her size I grabbed them.

SHE WONT TAKE THEM OFF!! If I take them off she throws a MASSIVE fit. Even if I explain that it's just to change clothes/diaper, whatever. If I take them off and leave them on the table...she PUTS THEM ON.

She goes to bed with them. Yes. I let her wear them to bed...you try putting her in bed without them!

Tomorrow we discuss Molly's hidden intelligence...

She said Mommy!!!

I'm in heaven today...Molly said MOMMY!!!! This is huge huge huge for us!! Neither of my girls says Mommy on a regular basis (we're all about Daddy in this house)...and Molly has NEVER said it!! I was very excited to hear it :D Now I'm a proud Mama!!

More stuffs coming soon, later today...It's time to get the little brats out of bed!

A Day Off

Today I had a day off!! Well, a work days worth!!

I left at 9AM today and didn't see my kiddos until about 2:30 in the afternoon. We spent the afternoon together out. We (sort of) got rid of the car (long story, for another day...and you will get it). And then came home and the girls crashed.

I got a WONDERFUL pedicure w/ a neck massage (brief, but wonderful), a great massaging chair and some wonderful scented oils of my own choice. My nails are all painted (something that has not occured for a LONG time) in a beautiful shiny burgundy color (It's called 'Wrapped in Rubies')...and my feet feel sooo soft. My manicure was nice, but more for the humor of my manicurist than for the manicure itself...it wasn't over the top and he didn't even massage my hands (my fav part of a manicure)...BUT, he himself was hilarious!!

So, I got a nice little Mommies Day Out. Got to chat and relax with the girls, ahve a little lunch (that got cut short for my car appointment)...and it was sooo wonderful!!

Hooray for time off - even if we do talk about our kids during it!!!

Thankful Thursday....

In place of tales of woe today I will do the 'obligatory' Thankful post...I have a lot to be thankful for.

I am thankful for...my husband who spends the morning attempting to 'help' while I'm trying to prep for Thanksgiving. Who cleans the bathroom so that I can cook...and who tells me daily that I'm a 'good wife'...and somehow knows when I'm having a bad enough day that I need to hear it more than once. When I'm going bonkers, he's calm; when he's going bonkers, I'm calm; our balancing act makes for a good marriage.

I am thankful for...my oldest child. Who is smart enough to get on the A/B Honor Roll his first trimester, despite starting off the year with an adjustment period that began with three F's. That is so book-smart...but still manages to maintain a 9/10 year old's lack of common sense. That spends time with his sisters and almost always gets them laughing.

I am thankful for...my Molly. She is the smartest baby ever. Despite the limitations of not always being able to communicate what's going on in her head...she still manages to show us how incredibly smart she is with each passing day. She is the spitting image of her Daddy in so many ways...and she helps me learn more about him every day.

I am thankful for...my spitting image, K. The strongest of my kids, she's overcome so many obstacles already, and still has at least one smile every day. She is also the one that shows me a dose of what I gave my parents (a great story on that tomorrow!!). She is a beautiful little girl, my sunshine surprise baby...the best 'oops' I ever had.

I am thankful for...good neighbors. Our next door neighbor is the best friend to my hubby, and just a great guy all around. I wish daily that his ex hadn't hurt him so incredibly bad...he'd have made a great husband for someone.

I am thankful for...Jess. I know she's there no matter what...and she'll always tell me the truth. Even when the truth hurts.

There is so much more I'm thankful for...but this tops the list today.

Best Day Ever...

According to the teachers/therapists Molly had the "Best day ever" at day care! She still wasn't a conversationalist - but she made tons of choices. She picked what mat she wanted, her name, what treat she wanted. The OT said she let her do the oral motor exercises and everything. Apparently it was a very very good day...

Then she came home and has turned into a holy terror. Yay me. *thunk*

More Accomplishments...

Yesterday I promised updates of another Molly accomplishment, and here it is...

Wednesday I took the girls into the bedroom where DH was watching a movie. They were playing on the bed, climbing all over him and me...just have a grand old time.

While playing, I often play 'word games' with the girls, trying to get them to repeat the sounds. K is always game, copying to the best of her abilities. So somehow that night we ended up saying "Up, Down." I think K had said 'happy', and it sounded similar to up/down, so I went with it. Anyway, I start saying "Up, Down. Up, Down." K is copying it...and suddenly I take note of Molly.

She's standing up, and sitting down. Standing up, sitting down. She KNOWS what Up/Down means!!! Thinking it was a fluke, we moved on...and then started again...and she started doing it again! Up, down, up down...Then she started jumping to get us to say it faster!!!

We always suspected (pretty much knew) there was more knowledge in her head than she could express...to see it evidenced in action is HUGE!!! Big day!! We're very happy :D

Is it Potty Time?

For some giggles, check out my Side Dishes today...it's all about the men :P

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We started at 18 months, but potty training was a useless endeavor then and fell to the wayside. We started again at 2 years, very little success. Then, about four months ago we started having potty time freakouts. Molly didn't want to go anywhere near the potty! She'd cry and scream.

Over the past few weeks she's been 'hiding' when she goes. Going behind the arm of the couch, in the corner, looking mildly destressed. There are times when I ask if she's going potty...and she ignores me, or vehemently shakes her head no (I don't push her)..but then there are times that she nods her head emphatically and says, "Yeah! Yuck!!" (Yes, we are fond of the word 'yuck' in my house).

Today, I changed her dry diaper and said, "You want to go potty?" She actually nodded yes (wow!) - and we went. She sat on the potty for five minutes...nodding yes when I asked if she wanted me to leave the room. Now, she didn't go...but she at least tried w/o a freakout!! Yay!!

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I have other big news of another Molly accomplishment...but that will either come tonight, or I'll save it for tomorrow (have to spread these things out...month is only half over, ya know).

Improving by leaps and bounds!

Last night, for the second time in a week, Molly copied words!! Not to mention the fact that she's starting to converse a little, and become more aware of potty-time (or at least willing to admit it)

Last week it was Daddy, and she copied him when he said "Happy". The rest of the night she kept saying it. She hasn't said it since (common for her), but it was still a copied word!

During the week I saw her go behind the couch, and you could obviously see her straining a bit. I said, "Are you going potty?" She didn't answer, so I repeated, "Molly? Are you going poopy?" She looked up at me, obviously done and said, "Yeah!! YUCK!" *lol* Again...it wasn't repeated, at least not yet, but it was a joy.

Last night we were "talking". She was doing GREAT reading a book and matching objects in it (amazing the heck otu of me)...and I could tell one of the girls filled their diaper. I asked M if it was her and she shook her head vehemently no. I said, "Molly? Are you SURE?" She looked up at me with a big grin and sounded like a true New Yorker, "Shooo-ah!" I laughed, said it again, "SURE?" She gigglied, "Shoo-ah!" It was so cute!!

The bright side

Today is a day for looking on the bright side of things. It has been a very rough week for me in many aspects, so instead of a post specifically about autism or CF or any of my girls 'problems'....I decided to focus on the good.

M is extremely intelligent. Her cognitive functions are off the charts. You can lay out ten wooden puzzles and give her one piece and she can put it in the proper space within thirty seconds.

K has a smile for everyone. She could be screaming and crying in discomfort during PT...and turn on a smile for her therapist in no time flat once the 'work' is over.

M has made leaps and bounds in her skills. She amazes us every day.

K's language is developing so fast I can hardly keep up!

M's first two days of preschool went so well, all my fears are relieved!!

K's lungs have sounded perfect at her last two CF clinics.

M's hair is growing in (finally) and she LOVES for me to put it up (I love to do it :D)

K has the funkiest dance moves ever.

That is it for now...I do have tons more...but I felt like being positive for a bit.

Coming this week, as I've focused so much on autism/PDD, I'll be making some mention of Cystic Fibrosis and Hypotonia and how those have affected our lives.

Preschool

Today I got a call from a local special needs preschool. One of our therapists is employed through them and told me about them/them about us. Today they called and started to let me know about their program. I'm very excited now. Molly can start there in about two months, so long as she meets their standards and they hold an opening for her!! We go next week for an evaluation to make sure she qualifies. If she does, we can alter her plan through her Early Intervention program and they will cover the cost. After that the cost is minimal for us!! So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next Thursday. I'll find out much more information then!

Also today my oldest came home with a letter from school. They're putting him in an advanced Math program! My little science geek is getting ahead!! I'm so proud of him!!

All in all a very good day. Therapies went smoothly, only one more appointment with the therapist I don't care for too much and our favorite comes back!! Our service coordinator faxed over what will (hopefully) be the last file the diagnosing doc for SSI requires so that they can (finally) make their decision!!