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  • Family Firsts

    It’s always bittersweet for me when my children reach certain milestones in their lives.  I’m so happy for them because they’ve accomplished things yet I would love for them to stay this little.  I know there’s so much more enjoyment, albeit of a different variety, to come with each stage in life, but I love the baby/toddler stage so much.  Their joy, their absolute love–there is no lukewarmness about them.  My baby loves me and shows it.  She’s such a joy to have around.  She also has a temper and has no problems showing it.  My toddler loves Jesus and sings "Alleluia" at the top of her lungs.  My 4 year old does not.  She’s a bit more reserved, but she used to sing.  Pumpkin is one.  I just can’t stand it!!

    This was not supposed to be about toddlers and babies.  I wanted to write about Sister.  She is performing in her first ballet recital.  I love the school she attends.  It’s quite a serious school.  Her Pre-Ballet class of 4 and 5 year olds will be performing as flowers in a production called A Bug’s Life written by a local woman, choreographed by Sister’s ballet instructor.  Take a look at her pictures.  Isn’t she beautiful?  Of course, I am totally unbiased. 🙂

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  • Look Who is 1 Today

    My baby is one today.  It seems just like yesterday that I was in the hospital recovering from my Csection.  Oh, baby, Happy Birthday.

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  • I’m a Rambler

    I’ve realized that I’m a rambler.  I just tend to ramble on and on.  Bear with me while I get my writing legs underneath me.  I’m not a natural writer.  Give me a math problem and that’s when I am the happiest or better yet a sudoku puzzle.  Although, who has time to finish one?  There’s one that’s sitting unfinished in a book I bought months and months ago.  See?  Stream of consciousness.

  • Autism

    Recently, Time magazine wrote a couple of articles about the causes of autism.  I thought the articles would explore more in depth what goes on in the minds of autistic children, but it just barely touched the surface.  I am constantly looking for books that can tell me what is going on in my son’s mind.  How does he think.  Some days are so difficult and I sometimes can’t separate whether he’s just having a bad day or his autism is getting in the way.  I will be the first to admit that I don’t always handle him very well.  I try very hard to accommodate his needs, but it’s so exhausting to always remember that he is the one who has to open the car door and stop the music.  Some days he can just let it go, but there are others where it just sends him into a tailspin.  On those days, it’s easy to just turn the car back on and let the music start up again. 

    We made the decision to homeschool to give Brother the best opportunity possible.  Is it hard?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  A resounding yes.  He is flourishing.  We take it slow.  There are some days when he has worked hard at therapy and we do no formal schoolwork that day.  I will read to them.  I do know that he is learning.  At times it seems he is not paying any attention to what I am saying or reading.  It has brought me no amount of frustration to think he does not retain a single thing I read or tell him, and then he does this:

    Img_1445 This is his version of Jesus and the 12 disciples.  I don’t recall reading or telling him there were 12.  He may have heard it at church.  The point is that he is learning and I don’t think he would have been able to at school.  There would be too much stimulation. 

    I adore his drawings especially because until about a year ago he would refuse to draw anything.  This is a masterpiece.

  • Catholic Mosaic

    One of the ladies from the Real Learning messageboard has put together a wonderful book that called Catholic Mosaic, Living the Liturgical Year with Children.  You can preorder the book and receive free shipping before May 17th.  I can’t wait to receive my copy.

  • Pegs and Stuff

    I read an interesting blog entry by Melissa Wiley wrote of a system of pegging.  She would attach a simple learning item to an everyday task that is accomplished anyway.  For instance, during breakfast, which everyone eats, she would play a piece of music.  When I read this, I felt I was actually doing something.  There are so many times when I feel we’re not getting enough done in our day, but when I read Melissa’s post, I realized that we are. 

    I’m still in the newbie stages of the learning method of Charlotte Mason.  Her basic philosophy is learning through living literature.  Of course, this is a very simplistic explanation.  I have not read her books (yet), but have read books written by other people who have put her methods into practice.  Most notably, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Real Learning written by Elizabeth Foss.  She has been living this lifestyle and explains it all so well.  The best part is that it’s from a Catholic perspective.  Oh, how I wish I had discovered this from the very beginning.  The point I’m trying to make here is that we don’t follow a set curriculum.  We grab a bit from here and there.  However, we try very hard to be flexible and follow the flow of children where they interests may lead.  Right now, Brother is very interested in dinosaurs (he comes back to this often).  We have been discussing carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores.  Elizabeth calls these runs through an interest a rabbit trail and it is a very apt name.  We chase the rabbit and we have no idea where it may lead us.

    I have met through her message boards some wonderful, talented women (and man–I must mention the NetSmith) whose ideas are such an inspiration.  Alice has been doing many Marian activities such as May baskets that have inspired other to do the same.  The best part of this group is their strength through prayer.  If someone needs a prayer so many of these ladies are there to pray and pray.  I have been strengthened considerably through these generous, sweet, wonderful ladies.  Thank you to all.

  • Anatomy 101

    With Papa gone, bath times can be interesting.  The girls bathe together and then Brother gets his bath.  I leave the door open so I can keep an ear out for the girls.  Pumpkin wanders in and out often while the other two know to give Brother his privacy.  Well, today, she decided to stay and was staring in rapt attention at her brother.  You can imagine where her line of sight is when both kids are standing.  Then she walked away as I was toweling him off.  She came back again as Brother was going to start getting dressed.  She kept staring and then cocked her head to the side and said "Eh?"  At that point, I led her away.  And, to think I’d been fretting about not getting enough science into our lives.

  • Sick or stress?

    Yesterday we drove to my parents’ house to spend the day.  Papa had the day off since he is leaving this Sunday for stateside training and then off in the next week to the Middle East.  When we arrived Sister kept complaining about how cold she was.  It’s in the 80s, but sure enough she had goose bumps all up and down her whole body.  I checked and she had a temperature.  Well, darn.  We had such a day planned.  She was going in for her first haircut, then a last trip as a family to the bookstore until Papa returns.  It seems she didn’t mind not going to the bookstore.  I told her I would bring her a book and that satisfied her.  I think she just wanted to sleep. 

    We had a great time.  After Brother’s haircut, I ordered Pumpkin’s first birthday cake.  Then we went to the bookstore and had as always a fun time.  A couple of hours after our return home, it seems Brother was not feeling well.  He went to lie down for a bit in our room at my parents’ house.  This child does not rest.  He is constant motion so I was concerned.  He didn’t have a fever like his sister did, but something was not quite right.  He fell asleep.  I think the stress of his father’s impending deployment compounded with his OT being hospitalized just did him in.  When a big event is coming up good or bad, he tends to lose sleep and his appetite.  I think he hit a wall yesterday.  It broke my mother’s heart.  I know we will all bounce back.  We will get into the groove of things without Papa.  However, that doesn’t mean we won’t miss his presence. 

  • Such an individual

    My three older children have followed more or less the same path of least resistance.  They just lay there during diaper changes and waited patiently.  They wore their outfits well during their practice and then official photos.  Well, Pumpkin is quite the individual.  She hates having her diaper changed and from the moment she could roll over she let me know.  At each one’s first birthday, we take portraits in a beautiful "regular" outfit and one Korean outfit.  All the others sat peacefully in these outfits and let me take pictures weeks before their official photos.  Well…a picture is worth a thousand words.

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  • I’m “29” today

    My autistic son is obsessed with numbers.  All kinds of numbers.  Dates.  Speed limits.  You name it.  Well, for over a year now he has known my birthdate (today) and how old I am.  He will tell anyone how old I am prompted or not.  So, I’ve been working on brainwashing him.  Whenever he asks me how old I am, I tell him "29".  So, Happy Birthday to me.