Where is "Star Search" when you need it, and other exciting news...

Ok so a few items to discuss tonight. First: Sunday, this is how it went.......Sadie is the very first speaker in the primary program. Her part is as follows "If ye love me keep my commandments. John 14:15" This is how the Primary Program got kicked off, " If ye love me keep my commandments. John ROLLEY DIZZY!" Many songs about our dear freinds from Sunflower Valley followed but I think she was drowned out from time to time and there was a disgruntled five year old standing next to her (I won't name names you know who you are) making the most vitious growling faces which was a great distraction (thanks Sammy, oh sorry I named you). All in all we survived. My Brother in law Dave was then immediately compelled to Ebay Bob the Builder toys the second we got home from church for Sadie's birthday.

Ok next, My dear friend Maria came down to visit her family and Disneyland in which I was supposed to attend as well, however Sadie has come with the stomach flu. It is the saddest thing ever! This is my first experience with throw up. I know I should be thankful I have been spared this long but it's sad and gross. Any how back to my friend Maria, she came bearing gifts of photography!!! She took these exquisite pictures of the kids earlier this summer and brought me the disc. I know there amazing. After your done gawking you should check out her website she's awesome.





If I ever go into a far off dreamy look, this is what I am day dreaming about. My children running in a grassy field, sun flares, Sadie chasing after Micah. Ok really this picture was hard. I had to stand Sadie up then literally dive out of the picture before she would fall. Maria and I got quite the work out but it was worth it.




And the last order of business: As of yesterday Micah and I are first time home owners.... ya didn't expect that one did ya. I know I haven't blogged to much about our home search but my closest friends know that I was getting a little obsessed about owning a home and if I started to blog about it you would be reading piningforahouse.blogspot.com for the last two years. Any how I've been so giddy I couldn't sleep last night. Micah had to go by himself and get our keys last night while I was home with Sadie and her stomach flu, so it was a little anticlimactic but I met him out in the drive way of Jacki's house with the camera to capture the moment.

And here is the KEY!!!!...... (queue angelic choir)

I will definitely follow up with more info on our new house soon. In the meantime I'm up to my elbows in pedialite, popsicles, chicken soup and everything else that comes with a stomach virus, (ya...don't think about that to much).

Curse you Bob the Builder (with shaking clinched fist held high)

Sadie gets really excited about things, to the point where it's to overwhelming to talk about. She dicovered Bob the Builder on Sprout one day and started to go around talking about all the characters. However when we try to talk about it with her she would yell "No No be quiet!" and put her hand over our mouths. My husband finally made a break through one day when he made a color accosiation. " Hey Rolley is green like your shorts Sadie" he said to her. She grinned the cutest grin and said "oh yes he is! Green like ME!" From then on we could ask her" What color is Rolley? and she would say "green like my shorts". That was all we were aloud to ask about Bob the Builder for another week. She slowly began to make other color associations as she started to like the other characters more and more. Now everything that is blue is "Blue like Lofty" If it's orange it's "Orange like Dizzy". The great thing is is that we can talk about this show she loves with her now and she will let us pretend with her (for a few moments) but it's better then not at all like everything else. So this is all great and good, her therapists are a little conserned about Bob the builder being mentioned in every instance and inserted into every song (isn't your favorite song " It's a Small Rolley after ALL") but I think it's a phase......................Oh Nicki it's the PRIMARY PROGRAM THIS SUNDAY!!!!!!!! CURSE YOU BOB THE BUILDER! So far practices have been short of a nightmare. You know how when you get overwhelmed and you just want to scream but you don't? Sadie feels that way all the time and she does. Her escape is Bob the Builder now so she randomly start to shrill out the Bob the Builder theme song in the middle of the program. "Follow the profit" is now "Follow the Rolley" and don't you worry Dizzy, Scoop, Muck, Loftey and yes even Pilchard find there way in every reverent sweet primary song. I sure hope the thoughts of the primary presidency match there nice simpethetic faces. I just don't know them that well to ask. It's not like they are going to ask me to kick Sadie out of the primary program, they love her. What would you do? Feel free to comment I'm so not easily offended. So far my plan is to just pray so very hard that no one notices and Micah will be on stand by if it's to overwhelming for her. Trust me I am really giggling at my dilemma. I will be sure to let you know how it goes down tomorrow.

Oh my Darlings

My Sister Holly took these sweet garden pics. Nina's garden was the favorite hang out spot this summer. Sadie loves watering cans and Bro loves dirt. I love oxy clean.

Sadie's hot wheels

I feel so blessed today as I am reflecting on Sadie's progress. She is doing so well! We recently got her this walker so she wouldn't fall down so often. She is doing much better at walking but her legs are still really tight. She can walk from holding place to holding place but if she falls she has to crawl to something like a wall or chair or me to get up again. She can't stand still or go from crawling to standing yet. This walker has been great. It has really helped her posture and helps her to be a little more independent(good and bad for me). She used to not get very far when she would try to run off but now she has wheels so watch out! It has a cool little seat she can sit on when she gets tired. It's also been great for practicing self help skills like getting dressed and putting on shoes. It's fun to see her at church with the other kids in her Sunday school class walk (or run) to the water fountain. She likes to sit in it during singing time so she can actually sing "head shoulders, knees and toes" without falling down. Now only if it had a seatbelt to strap her in:) The best part is that she loves to use it. The other day I took it out of the van and at the same time a little boy Sadie's age walked by with his mom and said "wow mom whats that? I want to ride one of those!!!" It was really quite funny. She will still have to get botox injected in her legs for a couple more years and then maybe surgery can help her.

Cognativly she is doing awesome. Micah and I say it's like we are getting to know a new child every six months. It's like mentally she was always there and listening we just couldn't break her out of her own little world. Now she argues with us and tells us what she wants for breakfast. The change is miraculous. She has so much language so quickly. Her mouth muscles still have a hard time forming some sounds but the conversation is there. She is so smart. I can't even convey how exciting it is to finally get to meet your nearly four year old child and have her interact with us and others. She calls for me and asks me to play tea party with her! Last year I could not even imagine that was possible. All the work and all the therapy has been so worth it! And it makes it easier to keep going and to do even more. We will never ever stop. Every day it gets easier and harder at the same time. As some things get better, new problems arise but we just keep adapting.
I will alway ask myself, "am I doing enough". I think all mothers ask themselves that no matter what. I'm not quite sure how to get away from that. I think there's a little calm space in my heart where I know Sadie is going to be just fine but the uncertainty in my head will always be there.

Last day of school

I really need to catch up on some blogging! Yes summer is nearly over and I'm blogging about the last day of school, oh well. Sadie had wonderful teachers at the Autism preschool program at Cottonwood. Her teacher Ms. Patty and her speech therapist among others on the team where so wonderful. You can tell when people treat there job like a job and when people love what they do and know that what they are doing matters. These ladies just have a special something about them not to mention mounds of patience. We have been so lucky to find people like this on our journey.

Sadie and Ms. Patty

Sadie and Ms. Nikki

My mama's day

I had a great mothers day! On Saturday I got to go to San Diego and get my hair cut by an old friend who happens to be genius with a pair of shears. I shamfuly admitt that it has been just shy over a year scince my last cut. So you can imagine how much fun I had checking it out on my computer camera, however not compeled enough to stop listening to my Dresden Files audio book and take out my ear buds. Hence the white cords coming out of my head.

On Sunday I got to sleep in... well I got to stay in bed anyway I can't reprogram for one day out of the year. Then I got called down for breakfast and was greeted with my sweet children and handprint artwork. On the way down stairs I found a little heart on every step with a drawing of Sadie's or one of there quotes like "hi mama whacha doin'?" or Brothers "YEAH!!" By the time I got to my french toast,eggs,bacon, and onion bagel I was all misty eyed. Micah and the kids (with a little help from Aunt Jacki) really made it such a special day.

Race for Humanity 2010

I just have to say thank you to everyone who contributed and supported us in the Race for Humanity! And thank you Nana and Auntie Julie for racing with us! We have started a tradition of supporting the New Vision Autism Center in the race for humanity. All your donations go into running this amazing center that helps parents like us figure out how to get the best services for autistic children like Sadie and is dedicated to educate people so more kiddos can have early intervention. So thank you soooo much for donating to our cause!!!!!

Nana and Bro Hi five'n

Auntie Julie and Sadie

Little Micah was just so exhausted from all the running he had to do

Nana and Sadie...... notice how I conveniently stay behind the camera when I am wearing spandex and no make up:)

Pink Milk

Yesterday I pranced up the stairs to collect a load of laundry while the children were so innocently sitting on the couch downstairs watching Yo Gabba. I was gone for two minutes, I swear two!! On my way down I was met by a pile of strawberry nestle quik dumped on the bottom stair and bro swirling an excited little finger in it. Sadie was then yelling "Bro took pink milk!" As I further investigated the crime scene I saw that she had reached onto the table, grabbed pink milk and a cup and sat on the family room floor to fill up the cup all the way with powder, it was then confiscated by baby Micah and he attempted to flee up the stairs. After cleaning up sticky kids and grabbing the shop vac I realized I really wasn't mad or even irritated I actually delighted in dealing with what I imagine is a typical kid catastrophe for once:)

Easter pictures......finally

Peeps for Breakfast

Like most I enjoy easter for the true meaning and all in spring time nature that echoes it. The new budding flowers, the baby birds and all thats fresh and new. My next favorite part is the clothes! I love easter dresses and all children's easter apparel! This year I did skip the dress for Sadie, she just falls down too often and I wanted her to enjoy the easter egg hunt in Ninah's (grandma Smith) garden. I love playing photographer outside! Never mind my hand or that my kids will never look at the camera at the same time!

Painting and having a reasonable hairday at the same time- amazing!

I'm so glad he loves this hat as much as I do!

Some day she really is going to be able to ride this bike but for now it makes for a cute shoe photo op :)

Bro is walking and Sadie is Blowing bubbles!!!

Yes! Our little Micah is WALKING!!! He just got up one morning and took some steps. Micah and I looked at each other with watery eyes. We both felt the exact same: Elated with his progress, relieved that he is developing normally and a tiny bit of sadness that Sadie still can't walk as well as he can. Mostly elated though! He is walking everywhere! He is so steady it's really quite amazing to me. He comes and grabs my hand to pull me places. He comes and looks for me when I'm out of sight. I can't help but love the attention:) He really is the sweetest child and gives me looks that melt my heart 200 times a day.

Next: Sadie is blowing bubbles!!! For some this may not seem to be much but if you new how long it has taken for us to get her to move her lips into the different shapes we use to speak, this is a major milestone! Today at physical therapy Sadie picked up the bubble wand and instead of her lips doing nothing while air blew out of her nose, she shaped her lips into a perfect "o" and a steady stream of bubbles came out the other side!! The best part was how proud of her self she was! Before I could say anything She said "I so excited!" (Thats what I say when she accomplishes something). She is just doing so well! She is starting to get out "m" sounds. Any movement of her lips has been hard for her in the past. She has low tone in her muscles there so normal things we do without thinking like drinking from an open cup and forming words are hard for her and she really has to concentrate. She is starting to say "mommy" really clearly but mostly keeps calling me "nie nie" I don't really mind I think I would be a bit sad if she stopped altogether.

All in all I really could not be happier right now. What on earth could be better then seeing these breakthroughs in your children's development. I can never take anything for granted it is all miraculous.

Once there was a snow man......

My sister, Jacki and brother in law Dave brought us home a special treat from Big Bear today! A truck load of SNOW!!! This is as good as it gets in California. Little Micah couldn't be happier. Sadie was conflicted, she didn't like her hands being so cold but she would not stop digging in it. Ahhh life is fun!

My rainy Thursday

This week I got my clearance badge to volunteer in Sadie's special day class. I went today. I cried all the way home.

Let me start by saying that the teachers are great. I really do think that they are doing all they can. There is just so many children and not enough hands. All of these children's disabilities are on so many different levels it's impossible to address their needs as a class. It was only one day. I know I need to give it another chance but there will be much pondering and praying about what to do.

When we got home Sadie kept trying to go outside in the rain. I could not get her mind off of the loud raindrops pinging at the window. I came down to put a child lock on the front door. Sadie started to protest, then looked in my eyes and said "Nie Nie want to say hi to the rain" she opened the door again and said "Hi rain" and waved. I then carried her outside to wash away all our worries.