Happy New Year!!!

Make a slideshow – it’s easy!

Happy Birthday Dad!

My adopted dad is 51 today!!  He is absolutely the best dad a girl could have ever!!  He became my dad when I was 15.  He had never had a daughter.  He got one in the throes of puberty.  He managed very well.  Exceptionally actually.  Better than my adopted my mom for sure!!  He treats me as 100% his child.  Before my wedding last year he paid to have my last name changed to his because it meant a lot to him.  And of course he walked me down the aisle but not before he gave Kevin a little lecture on the hardships of marriage and how important I was to him.  When it snowed last week, he gave me the lecture on how to properly drive in the snow, like I didn’t know. Thanks Dad!

My dad’s momma passed away on my wedding day last year.  It was really really hard for all of us when she passed.  One of my favorite memories of her is the story she tell of my dad’s birth.  My dad was born on the family ranch in south Texas.  They were essentially the citizens of the town.  When women had babies they called the doctor and they were met at his office.  He set up a back room for the babies to be birthed in.  Could you imagine going to have a physical and hearing a woman having a baby in the background?!?!  My dad was born about 30-45 minutes shy of the New Year.  When they got him cleaned up and brought back to my grandma she refused him!  She said that she knew that this could not be her baby.  She always had beautiful babies and this baby was UGLY!!  There was just no way he was her son.  The doctor had to tell her repeatedly that my dad was hers and she was the only one there that had a baby.  There couldn’t be a mix-up.  Since he looks almost exactly like his big sis we all know there wasn’t but at that moment my grandma was not going to bring home an ugly kid.  Luckily she did because my dad was the only son she had, and he cared for her from the time my grandpa died up until she died…and even beyond.  

So tonight we will be celebrating with my parents.  Another year for my dad and an end to another year for all of us.  My mom cooks up a sweet spread.  She cooks a ton of shrimp and other seafood.  And for people who hate seafood like me, she makes chicken.  Go mom!  I got my dad this cool water globe for his birthday.  He doesn’t know I blog so this isn’t giving it away .

He loves to play horse shoes.  And since he was a Texan once upon a time it’s fitting for him.  During the winter he can still play shoes but where it’s warmer .

I hope everyone has a safe New Year!! 

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Pondering

Matty curled up to me last night, covered in pizza sauce, and grinning from ear to ear.  I was on one end reading a book so he layed down on the opposite end.  He lightly touched my leg under the blankets I’m always buried under.  It was his gesture to me that he wanted under them too.  I scooted my leg over just enough for him to squeeze his little frame in between the back of the couch and my legs.  It wasn’t long before his body felt like dead weight against my legs.  He had fallen asleep.

He looked so perfect in that moment.  I began thinking about how life would have been different if he was normal.  Not in the sense of how his life would have been different but mine. 

I would have never known much about fragile X or autism.  I wondered how I would treat individuals with developmental disabilities today.  In stores, would I send disgusted glances towards a mom struggling with her children or sympathize like I do know?  When a DD child rubbed his hands down my very dirty car would I gross out at his dirty hands and get angry for the finger smudges on the paint?  What if a DD child started rubbing my arm while also looking away?  Would it creep me out?  Would I push her away?  Would I veer away from them when I saw them walking down the sidewalk towards me because they were drooling and chewing on their hand?

Though I truly wish that I would react in a good way to all the situations, because I was involved in Special Olympics and teaching Downs children to read before I had my special children,  I can’t say for sure.  I can say for sure that I am very happy that I will never have to worry about answering any of those questions.

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Anyone else??

Okay.  I turned off the snow and I turned off snap preview.  If anyone still locks up please let me know.  I will probably have to contact wordpress.  

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Every time I visit your blog anymore, my computer locks up! Typing quickly before it happens again!

That is so odd Kristie! I try to keep my picture size to a minimum so I hope that is not it?? I wonder if it’s wordpress???

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Ruh-row

…as Scooby Doo would say. 

Lauren is one sick girl. She was sounding kinda icky before bedtime.  Now, it’s 3 a.m. and she is miserable.  She is running a fever, very congested and weak looking.  I gave her some Tylenol Cold and a mug of vanilla honey chamomile tea with extra honey to help soothe her throat.  I know she is 15 and can pretty well care for herself but I still hate it when any of my babies get sick. 

I’m not feeling so spry right now either.  So I’m debating whether to stay home today or brave going to work & taking Matthew and Rachel with me.  Lauren needs to get all the rest she can get so no matter what she is NOT keeping the little kids today.

Luckily it is Friday so taking them to work won’t be too much of a crisis.  We’ll see.  If I take them to work with me I could have a blog post and a half for you tonight….two fragile x/autistic kids in a bank trust office for a 9 hour period….oh God help me!! 

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And we all fall down

Well half of us anyway.  Kevin is still icky.  He is home on day 2 of this gunk.  My head feels like it is ready to explode from all the congestion, and I wish it would at this point.  Lauren is obviously still ill.  I just heard Rachel in the front room coughing up a storm.  So she will be next.  Hopefully the boys stay far away from us and don’t get it.  Though I know better.  Matthew is a little duck and will get it before the weekend is over.

I did find out how it hit my family though.  One of Kevins coworkers came into work with it.  Anyone want to join me in egging his house!

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Winter Break

I know that I’m jinxing myself royally here, but Matthew and Rachel are handling this break rather well.  Matthew wants to take his backpack to his grandma’s house every day.  I let him fill it up with stuff he wants to take and then he will have whatever he wants when he gets there.  He isn’t too happy to get to grandma’s but he does get out of the van and doesn’t have a big meltdown.  That is a definite improvement over years past.

Rachel is just wanting one-on-one time with everyone.  She gets that with her dad but she doesn’t get it at my house.  So yesterday she spent the day at one grandma’s house with 4 other girls and two boys.  Today she opted for the grandma where there were no other girls or boys.  I’m sure tomorrow she will be ready for that full-kid interaction again. 

Austin & Lauren have adjusted just fine.  They are up all night playing around and then sleep all day.  Their cousins go back to Arizona tomorrow so they will begin their normal routines over the weekend. 

I can’t believe a full week of break is already over.  We have a touch over a week left.  Time just goes by way too fast.  I wish it had brakes.

New Page

I added a new page this morning.  It is an excerpt from Clare Dunsford’s autobiography, Spelling Love with an X.  It is long.  It does come with pictures.  It has a couple of links.  It is remarkable and I hope you can find the time to read it throughly.  You can click the link above that shows all my pages or you can click here.

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