Our year in number, 2010 edition

Number of people in our family- 6, (that's it we are finally done)
Days Kristin was overdue- 7
Number of minutes from the time Kristin left work to the time she held Ian-94
Number of minutes from standing in the parking lot to holding a baby- 55
Number of times we said "I can't believe it's a boy"- 238,358
Number of people who said "so, you finally got your boy"- 239
Number of pigtails Kristin does before she goes to work- 6
Days spent at the pool- 45
Kids in school-3
IEP meetings-1
New jobs-0
Birthday parties Lauren was invited to- 1
Pounds of apples picked-14
Times we went to the pumpkin patch- 3
Milkshakes made-129
Drinks Bob drank for the world tour- almost 100
Days we snuggled Ian- 335
People who said "well, you certainly have your hands full"- more than I care to count
People who smiled and said "isn't that wonderful"- probably less than 10
Stitches received- 3
Children versus celing fan- 1 (celing fan won)

Days that we remain grateful and thankful for what God has given us- 365

Merry Christmas!!

From my house to yours

Christmas Eve Eve

And the presents are ready...




And the stockings are hung....




And hopefully there are visions of sugar plums dancing in my girly girls heads.

O Christmas Tree

Some pictures from the Jingle Breakfast at church this weekend.

Just like Santa

We've decided to do something different for Christmas this year. We are having a gift exchange between the kids. They all pulled names and are very excited to be giving a present to another kid in the house.

Lauren has Ian
Ellie has Lauren
Shannon has Ellie
Ian has Shannon.

I took Ellie to the store to get her gift and she said "Mommy, we're being like Santa and getting presents."

First word

Ian has his first word. He looks at me and says "Mom-mom". Definetly a first in this house. The girls always sad Da-da first.

I definetely perfer this.

Five Dollars

I can't find my work ID and it's cold so I have to walk around the entire building. It's my fault becuase I never hang it up and the run around every morning looking for it. I have to get goning somehow.

I just offered the girls $5 if they find it. They are now running aroudn looking everywhere for it. However, Ellie just stopped and said "Mommy, if I don't find it, can I still have $5?"

My entrepanaur.

10 month Bear picture

Pre and post Thanksgiving Meal

Pre- meal


Post-meal

Thankfullness

We are thankful for:

1. God, the author, creator, and sustainer of life.
2. Lauren
3. Ellie
4. Shannon
5. Ian
6. Having one last baby
7. The completion of our family
8. Teachers
9. Therapists
10. Jobs to pay our needs and some of our wants
11. A marriage that has been reedeemed.
12. Cars that run
13. Good neighbors
14. Lauren was invited to a birthday party this year.
15. Autism
16. Typicalness
17. Dancing ballerinas
18. A roaring dinosaur
19. A summer spent at the pool
20. a job I like most of the time
21. the ability to forgive
21. the ability to be forgiven
22. summer school and extended year services
23. food on the table
24. a church that loves kids with Autism because Jesus loves kids with Autism
25. That tommorrow is always a new day
26. that we get to experience the world for the first time, one last time
27. that our kids likes each other, some of the time
28. for extended family that loves our children
29. that we get to experience a baby boy
30. for health insurance, we sure used it this year
31. for a great delivery with Ian
32. that my reputation is the girl who almost had the baby at work
33. for a beginning relationship with a church family
34. that we have not had any extensive medical tests for L this year
35. that we do not know what it is like to leave our kids in the hospital
36. that it's only Autism

9 month bear picture

Pumpkin Patch

Trick or Treat

Imaginary friend

Shannon has an imaginary friend. It's the first one ever in our family.

Her name is Cinnamon and she lives at Cinnamon's house.

She has yellow hair like Shannon, is tall like mommy, and is smooshy like daddy.

Normal behavior

One of the things that sucks about Autism is the signs or symptoms. Some of the signs and and symptoms of Autism are also normal typical 2-3 year old behavior. No wonder are parents are so scared.

Shannon did this. She's as typical as they come.

8 month bear picture

iEllie

Bob and I recently got iPods as early Christmas presents. Ellie really wanted one but again she's 5. So, she made one herself.

One last time

We've put away the baby carrier for the last time. It's so very bitter sweet and I have such a difficult time that we are leaving the baby stage for one final time.

I'm enjoying watching my kiddos grow and change. However, for me, there is just something about the snuggly baby stage that I adore.

Anyway, here's Ian in his little car seat, one last time.

Applepicking

Another rare picture of me and the kids

I want to be

"Mommy, I want to be a bird, and live in a nest. I flap my wings and I fly aways, Mommy can you please make me a bird"

Sorry Shannon, it would take a power far greater than I.

Face painting

We went to the girls' dance studio's annual "Party in the Parking Lot". The girls got their face painted. Sadly, they don't last forever so I had to take pictures so we could memorialize them forever.

Nature

Lauren had some very simple homework. She had to divide some objects into two categories. They objects included the sun, a flash light, a candle, a firefly, and a street light. She had to decide which source of light was Found In Nature and which was Made by People.

I pointed to the sun and she said it belonged in the Made by People category. I asked her why and she said "Well, God made the sun and Jesus is God and Jesus became people so it is made by People".

Good thought Lauren! She gets it!

Working on the car with Daddy

Just the guys.





I'm just going to be hopeful that it's finally fixed. We are a one and 3/4 car family. We have one van than can transport us all and then a car than can transport 3/4 of us. It can make life a little difficult

Trike riding girl

She's working on pedaling.

Sitting pretty

Nothing nice

I'm sure we've all heard it before. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." I've heard it since I was little and now have said it more times than I can count.

Lauren got her one of her numerous report cards (it's special education, we don't do anything halfway). The report card from her regular 1st grade teacher really, really bothered me.

I can't remember exactly what was said on it but I know that it said that Lauren was "peforming well below grade level" and is "extremely unfocused". The narrative also wished her well this summer and told her to have fun in second grade.

There was not one postivite thing said about her. Her teacher could not come up with anything posistive just some generic remarks. And that bothered me a lot. So much that I'm writing about it over three months later.

I get that Lauren is delayed. I know that she is behind. I know that she can't focused. I go home with her everyday and live with her well beyond the 9-4 school day. I see her 365 days a year. I'm not stupid nor naive. I'm not turning a blind eye to the issues that she has. But when they write about what she is not doing, it doesn't surprise me.

But, there is something great about Lauren. There's a lot of great things about Lauren. I fail to see how after having her in a class for 9 months that you couldn't come up with something. I'm not really picky. "Lauren has a great smile." "Lauren has a great memory." Anything would do! This is especially important because at age 7, it is more about me than her.

I did speak to her principal about it. I know that her teacher didn't mean to hurt me. She didn't set out to make me sad about it but she didn't think. The principal did thank me and said he wants his staff to be aware of issues like this.

My friend, Leslie at www.mymommysplace.com, summed it up the best in her back to school haiku. "she may be the dark spot in your day, but she is the bright spot in mine". And that is my Lauren.

My guys

I love them!

Ian's first bites

At 7 months old, we are just venturing into the world of solids. It's not going so well.

Crying

Lauren is currentlly upstairs in her bed crying that she doesn't want to go to college. She doesn't want to leave her family because we will miss her so much. Goodness kid, you are 7!

I just told her about colleges she could go to and still live at home. She's now excited that she could be a Buckeye.

I also told her that this is her home and she doesn't ever have to leave. There will always be a spot for her in our home and house.

We've decided to live our life and assume Lauren will never be capable of living independently.

But on the other hand we're hoping that she will.

7 month bear picture

1st day of Kindergarten

It's official. Ellie is a kindergartner. She was so excited all morning to get on that big yellow bus. She's watched Lauren ride the bus since Lauren turned 3. It's finally her turn.

1st day of 2nd grade

Snuggly little guy

Ice Cream

We've gone out for Ice Cream way more than I'd like to admit this summer. We all have our favorite flavors.

Me- Chocolate Almond
Bob- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie
Lauren- Buckeye
Ellie- Blue Moon
Shannon- they give her a free "baby" cone

The girls love to sit on the fence and wait for ice cream.






Ice cream girls