He's Back!

That darn dinosaur! Tanner came up to me and bluntly said "The dinosaur ate James." He also mentioned that James was lost. That is the red train from Thomas by the way. He was referring to his wooden toy.

Book Report

I borrowed this book from the library a couple of days ago, what a fun read! I have seen this family on TV and been fascinated at how they run their family with 18 children. The book has a lot of interesting stories about their life and background and their financial and parenting philosophies. My favorite thing is how much they emphasize that children are blessings from God. Sounds like Peter's parents, go figure. This strong Christian family is the least worldly family I have ever seen and I think that is very commendable. They have obviously been blessed for their faith in the Lord. I picked up several ideas that I would like to incorporate into our family and overall it left me so inspired to be a better teacher, example and leader for my children. It is a quick and uplifting read that I highly recommend.

The Dinosaur

I took Tanner in for his well child check up today. Now that he is turning 3 I am more comfortable allowing him to have immunizations, so he got 2 shots in his leg. He was lying on his back and I was holding him down and quizzing him about all of his random Thomas the Train facts. Tough little guy kept answering my questions even when he was on pain. Afterwards he sat up and watched the nurse putting on the band aids. He got off the table and as we were leaving he said "Mommy, the dinosaur bit me!" All the way home he told me about this so called dinosaur that had given him the owies on his legs. He never did see what was really happening so I guess he was trying to make sense of it.

kids

All the toys in our house and what is top choice? The avacado pit from lunch. It is a "golden egg".

Frugality at its Best

I am excited because today is a holiday. Everyone in my family is excited because we are heading to six flages, but that is not really why I am looking forward to today. My older kids are really into books, we read for at least a half hour before bed each night and they beg for more. They will stay in their beds and read for a while after that even. We use the library a lot and we have a growing collection of our own that I slowly gather when I find the right deals.

Today, being a holiday the Goodwill is having a sale, 1/2 off of everything. That means childrens books will be .50 for hardback and .25 for paper back. I am so stocking up on our way out of town! Those are my approved yard sale prices but they have a huge selection. I don't know if the sale is nationwide, but could be worth checking out. My budget is $20 so can you imagine how much fun we are going to have??? That would only buy a couple of books at Borders.

I have blogged about it before, but we love to buy our kids games and puzzles there too. A game for a couple dollars totally beats 10-20 bucks at Target. I got Eden a brand new Fancy Nancy game there the last time we went.

Keeping Busy

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy for us, so I am going to make a journal entry about everything we have been up to for now and then I will try to get to pictures later, but at least I have it written down.

Last weekend we went home to Oregon for a quick visit. Peter had a class on Thursday night and test Saturday morning so we just made a long weekend of it and went along. It didn't really feel like enough time to see everyone we wanted so we didn't make it too complicated. It was so fun to hang out with the Dickinson's as always. On Saturday we decided to throw a big birthday barbecue for Carter's first birthday. We invited our families over to Grandpa D's house and I think everyone had a great time eating good food, riding on the boat, and fishing. Carter went to town on his cake as the tradition goes. I pretty much let my kids have at it as long as they want. I am definitely not a mother that freaks out at the sight of a messy baby. He ate a lot and played a lot and I guessed he was done when he started pushing the big blob remnants onto the floor. It was quite a cute thing. I always look forward to this tradition.

The other highlight of the trip for me was watching Dallin interact with everyone. We always get comments about his progress since people at home only see him every few months. Michelle invited us over for a visit on friday and the kids love visiting there so it was really fun. Usually Dallin will go into the boys room and play with their toys the whole time. He and Derek haven't really been able to interact a whole lot. Dallin really likes Derek though and his love for Star Wars is fueled by that common interest. This time was so different. Dallin and Derek were together the whole time, and they even played Derek's Star Wars game. At lunch time Dallin wanted to sit by Derek and watched what he was eating and copied what he was doing. It was so cute and so great to see Dallin interacting and having conversations with someone his age. He is definitely blooming in his social life. I couldn't stop smiling and talking about it all day.

We also took the kids swimming and they had so much fun, they all love the water. Carter enjoyed his first time in a pool very much too. Can't wait to get the older ones in swim lessons this summer again.

I can't believe my baby is 1! He sure is a sweet little guy. Whenever I see those chubby little legs I just have to squeeze him and kiss those big cheeks. When I go to get him out of his crib in the morning sometimes I feel like I have been missing him, even though it has only been 10 hours. He is trying hard to learn how to talk. He can't articulate too much but he will always make an attempt anyway. He is very active now since he has been walking for a while and has begun to enjoy such toddler things as pulling books from bookcases and climbing onto the table. He loves eating food. I think he knew he wanted big people food before he had ever even tried it. The kids still dote over him a lot. Eden is a little mother and everyone thinks he is their "Cart Cart". Carter is pretty happy most of the time and will smile and wave at people. A couple of weeks ago in church he started copying the music conductor and waving his arm around. He is also my first child ever that does not mind getting his face washed after a meal. I always use warm washcloths and it seems like it is relaxing for him. Don't mix that up with wiping buggery noses though, he is like everyone else with that one. He brings a lot of joy to our life and fits right in with our family. Love that boy!

This week has been the busiest one I have had in a long time. It was full of tending to sick children and doctor visits which is always the pits. I was in charge of our ward Super Saturday today as well, so I was so busy getting everything ready for that that I didn't even know which way was up anymore. Peter was out of town for a couple of days which is always a little hard on me as I hold the fort down. then one night I was making dinner I flipped a big spoon full of boiling water down the front of my shirt. that was not fun and I have the blisters still to show for it. I also had to finish up my photoshop class, which required a portfolio of my work. I am actually very glad that the semester is over even though it was fun. I am ready for a break. Now that the weekend is here and it is all over, I have my neglected house to tend to, but at least I can take a breath and get back to normal. Maybe even pick up my camera here and there and get back to blogging.

I had been planning Super Saturday for a few months now, and it turned out great. I am so relieved and happy and glad it is over. It really was a fun time. We had a special speaker to start us off with our theme "Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth". Then we had classes on Make a Mix cookery and Using Coupons. The crafts were FHE boards, a couple of quiet books and FHE binders that coordinate with all of the church programs for the youth. We enjoyed a nice lunch and that was it. I think it was a success. I think a lot of people would have stayed longer and worked if they could have. I am so glad that it went well and that I don't have worry about how it will go anymore. This was my first big enrichment since I was called.

Amidst all of this business and sickness, Tanner has pretty much forced potty training upon me. He was very excited ever since I bought him Thomas underpants a couple of months ago and special Thomas stickers for a potty chart. With morning sickness and lack of motivation though, it all went on the back burner for me. I planned to get to it soon because he really seems eager about it excited every time we talk about it. I definitely didn't want to do the start and stop pattern with him so I was avoiding it altogether. Finally this week Tanner just told me that he doesn't want to wear a diaper any more, just underwear! He was just fine with trying to use his little potty and was elated when I finally made the sticker chart for him. I was so busy, but he was so eager I couldn't say no. He has been watching a lot of videos the last couple of days while sitting on his little potty and trying so hard to get a sticker. Finally today he got his first one. I went into the room to check on him and thought he had messed his undies, but they were clean. I could definitely smell something though so I looked in the potty and sure enough, his first success! He was so proud of himself and we all cheered and clapped and sang the potty song for him. I think this will be the easiest potty training ever. I am so glad that I haven't worried about it sooner, I just didn't want to stress over it too much. It seems that not pressuring him is paying off. Hey, if this goes well I will only have one in diapers for a few months!

Dallin made a play house in our yard out of junk wood, mostly the old broken crib that we were going to throw away. Peter even went out and screwed all the walls together for him one day and he loved it. When his friend Jack came over, it was a huge it. I however, was not too thrilled with our white trash playhouse. After expressing that to Peter, he decided that it would be fun to go buy some real wood and have a father/son project. Dallin was beside himself with glee at the prospect of it. So one night last week the boys went to Home Depot and got the necessary materials. They have been working on it every night this week. It has been great motivation for Dallin because we told him that every day he gets a stamp at school(which means that he had a good day) he can build that night. He got his stamp every day. Dallin has told me before that he wants to be a builder when he grows up so this is really his thing. The kids are out there all the time now and the house is really coming along. It is going to be so cute.

We also decided to finally plant a garden a couple of weeks ago. It is really just a small one, but it was a really fun family project to go buy the plants, dig the dirt, etc. Now it is fun to watch it grow. We are also growing a chia herb garden that we got for Christmas and the kids really learned a lot from planting seeds and seeing what happens next. Having a garden growing up, I have really wanted to have one, but have always been so overwhelmed with life the last 8 years, that we haven't gotten to it. Its kind of like my feeling on having pets, I have too many other living things that depend on me. I am glad we finally went for it though. Now I can't wait to eat fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Maybe we will even get pumpkins this fall! I just hope it isn't way to late in the season to get a good result.

Eden will be preschool age in the fall so I have been worrying about what to do about that. I am shocked at how much it costs, it really is a lot for us. I was hoping to get a group of mothers to do Joy School with but haven't had much interest. When we were in Oregon, I was talking with Michelle about it and she told me about this curriculum that you can purchase that has all the lesson plans and materials you need for a year of preschool. I checked it out and after discussing our options with Peter, we decided that I will homeschool and do the Mother Goose preschool program. That way we can also do it for Tanner, he is such a smartie pants. I am so excited, I think it is going to be so much fun. This really follows some of the stuff I did for my major and I remember trying in my big sister way to teach my little sister "preschool" when we were little. I was made for this kind of stuff.

The Oregonian is Speaking My Language

My sister sent this article to me. She said it was on the front page of the Oregonian Newspaper yesterday. This is a great study. It really hits home for me and my assurance that we are doing exactly what we should be doing with Dallin. There is hope of recovery for many many kids out there if they get the right therapies. Dallin's therapists can't believe that he is the same child that they met 18 months ago. I hope that studies like this will eventually readily bring much needed therapy to the autism community everywhere. I heard of a family that just moved here from Honolulu to get help for their child. I guess being a short 10 hours away from home is not much comparted to them. Anyway, check this out:

Researcher suggests children can recover from autism
by The Associated Press
Sunday May 10, 2009, 4:26 AM
CHICAGO -- Leo Lytel was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. But by age 9 he had overcome the disorder. His progress is part of a growing body of research that suggests at least 10 percent of children with autism can "recover" from it -- most of them after undergoing years of intensive behavioral therapy. Skeptics question the phenomenon, but University of Connecticut psychology professor Deborah Fein is among those convinced it's real.
She presented research this week at an autism conference in Chicago that included 20 children who, according to rigorous analysis, got a correct diagnosis but years later were no longer considered autistic. Among them was Leo, a boy in Washington, D.C., who once made no eye contact, who echoed words said to him and often spun around in circles -- all classic autism symptoms. Now he is an articulate, social third-grader. His mother, Jayne Lytel, says his teachers call Leo a leader. The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, involves children ages 9 to 18. Autism researcher Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, called Fein's research a breakthrough. "Even though a number of us out in the clinical field have seen kids who appear to recover," it has never been documented as thoroughly as Fein's work, Dawson said. "We're at a very early stage in terms of understanding" the phenomenon, Dawson said. Previous studies have suggested between 3 percent and 25 percent of autistic kids recover. Fein says her studies have shown the range is 10 percent to 20 percent. But even after lots of therapy -- often carefully designed educational and social activities with rewards -- most autistic children remain autistic. Recovery is "not a realistic expectation for the majority of kids," but parents should know it can happen, Fein said. Doubters say "either they really weren't autistic to begin with ... or they're still socially odd and obsessive, but they don't exactly meet criteria" for autism, she said. Fein said the children in her study "really were" autistic and now they're "really not." University of Michigan autism expert Catherine Lord said she also has seen autistic patients who recover. Most had parents who spent long hours working with them on behavior improvement. But, Lord added, "I don't think we can predict who this will happen for." And she does not think it's possible to make it happen. The children in Fein's study, which is ongoing, were diagnosed by an autism specialist before age 5 but no longer meet diagnostic criteria for autism. The initial diagnoses were verified through early medical records. Because the phenomenon is so rare, Fein is still seeking children to help bolster evidence on what traits formerly autistic kids may have in common. Her team is also comparing these children with autistic and non-autistic kids. So far, the "recovered" kids "are turning out very normal" on neuropsychological exams and verbal and nonverbal tests, she said. The researchers are also doing imaging tests to see if the recovered kids' brains look more like those of autistic or nonautistic children. Autistic children's brains tend to be slightly larger than normal. Imaging scans also are being done to examine brain function in formerly autistic kids. Researchers want to know if their "normal" behavior is a result of "normal" brain activity, or if their brains process information in a non-typical way to compensate for any deficits. Results from those tests are still being analyzed. Most of the formerly autistic kids got long-term behavior treatment soon after diagnosis, in some cases for 30 or 40 hours weekly. Many also have above-average IQs and had been diagnosed with relatively mild cases of autism. At age 2, many were within the normal range for motor development, able to walk, climb and hold a pencil. Significant improvement suggesting recovery was evident by around age 7 in most cases, Fein said. None of the children has shown any sign of relapse. But nearly three-fourths of the formerly autistic kids have had other disorders, including attention-deficit problems, tics and phobias; eight still are affected. Jayne Lytel says Leo sometimes still gets upset easily but is much more flexible than before.
-- The Associated Press

A Wonderful Day!

Today was such a wonderful Mothers day! I woke up early this morning the same time that Peter quietly crawled out of bed and went downstairs. I could hear the kids up and busy too. I lounged on the Internet for a while so that I wouldn't spoil any surprises. When I heard feet coming up the stairs and lots of "ssshhhh!" I quickly climbed back into bed and closed my eyes. The kids all shouted "Happy Mother's Day!" I woke up and smiled at the sight of home made cards, flowers, and french toast. It was neat for me since this is the first time the kids have gotten into doing something like this.

After breakfast I stayed upstairs and lounged around some more while Peter went down and cleaned the main floor as it was messy from the day before. I enjoyed my little hideaway for a couple of hours by myself. It was very relaxing. Then we went to Church and of course I got serenaded by Dallin and Eden. Well I wouldn't really say that they sang as much as sucked on the pulpit wall while peeping over the top. It was very nice still.

On a side note, I discovered that it is not a great idea to grab a handful of chocolate chips to snack on the way to church if you are wearing a white shirt! As I was sitting down in the chapel, I realized that one had gotten away from me and melted on my shirt. I was however very grateful that it was not poop!

After church we came home and fired up our barbecue for the first time this year. It was fun to eat out on the patio and enjoy such nice weather. Peter gave me a thoughtful gift as well, a one hour massage! He set it all up for tomorrow evening after he gets home so I can take off and enjoy. It really was a wonderful, relaxing mothers day and I am so very grateful for the blessing of being a mother. I love my job and can't imagine life any other way!

Getting Organized

I want to share some systems that have really been working for us lately. I don't think any of it is original, but they have made life so much easier around our home.

1. AM/PM Schedules. I made these schedules for the kids a couple of months ago and they have changed my life. The kids are learning good habits and I don't have to walk them through it all the time anymore. In the morning they must do their schedule before we have breakfast. After doing it for several weeks, they just go do it and I don't have to do anything. That's not true for Tanner though, he is still learning so I am working with him each time. Dallin gets his whole schedule done in less than 10 minutes and then he is ready for school, so nice! I love the bed time one too because the kids actually climb into bed without argument since it is on their schedule.

2. Laundry System. This is so huge for me. The worst part of doing laundry is getting it all put away. With our family of 6 it takes forever to get everything put where it needs to go. I asked my sister who has 5 kids for suggestions and it was definitely a light bulb moment for me. Now instead of separating all the laundry into colors each week and dealing with a huge pile of everything at once, I have a laundry basket for each person in our family, and one for kitchen towels. I labeled them with their names so they know where to put their clothes when they change. Then I follow a laundry schedule so that I am washing about 2 loads per day. The beautiful thing is that I just wash a load and it all gets put away in 2 minutes in one place. I wash it all in cold and bought some color saving sheets for loads with reds in them. I don't know why it has taken me so long to come to this system, it is SOOO overdue. The second part to my sytem are these great little under bed boxes. They are just the right size to fit a week of outfits down one side, and undies and jammies on the other. I have one for each kid. When they do their schedule they just go to their box and get what they need. I roll shirts and pants together to make outfits for the week. I still use their dresser for all of their other clothes that are not in season or being used at the moment. Having a specifit basket for dirties and box for clean makes schedules go that much smoother. Now when I wash a person's basket I just bring the clean clothes up and reset their box and I am done for a week.
3. Green Bags. I won't pretend that I am trying to save the planet here. That is great and all but this really is just practical for me. I invested 1.00 each for these at the grocery store and I love them. They are SO durable and fit a TON of stuff in each bag. When I get home everything is still in the bag, I don't have to deal with broken bags, or little plastic bags all over my house. One of the best things is that the straps are long enough that you can throw 2 or 3 over your shoulder and carry a couple in your hands too. I am one to always try to bring as much as possible in at once. 5 is enough if you do a weekly trip, but I do about 2 weeks at a time so I need 10. Still a really cheap investment. for a dollar I am so impressed with how durable these little guys are, and with the large capacity I will probably find a lot of uses for them.



4. Kids will be kids. No matter how perfectly organized I try to be, the kids will always keep me humble. With all this swine flu stuff in the news, I got to thinking about my food storage and how we don't have any salt! That would really stink to have all this food and no way to flavor it. So I was happy that salt was on sale for .27 this week. I bought nine containers and brought them home in my handy dandy bag. My biggest mistake was not putting it away with the food storage right away. I was so happy last night listening to the kids play so nicely together, no fighting or yelling or anything. Then I discovered what they were up to. SALT!!!! Dallin and Tanner thought the salt would make great snow to play with their cars in. Eden was guilty by association as well. I really don't know how much more the carpets in our house can take, really! This particular pile was turned into snow by adding water. Aren't they just so creative? After I was done pulling my hair out I could laugh about it when I told Peter about it (he was out of town for the night).

Dallin's First Fishing Trip

Dallin's ABA company hosted a fishing trip so Peter was able to take Dallin last Saturday. It rained a bit, but it was still a fun day for these two.

They gave him a shirt, hat, tackle box, and pole to keep. He felt very special.



This is the man that volunteered to take them out on a boat at Folsom Lake. Dallin LOVES going on boats so that was half of the fun for him. This is a very fast fishing boat. Dallin was impressed when the guy took it to about 50 mph. He told Dallin that it had 250 horsepower! He made Peter proud when Dallin's response was, "The Black Scorpian(Grandpa D's boat) has 330 horsepower!"

Some boats got all the luck but these guys came away empty handed. Dallin still had a great time and they even had a barbeque once they got to shore. I was a little bit of a sore loser with the whole thing because Peter really wanted to be the one to take Dallin and I thought, why does it have to be a guy thing, I want to take him! Peter won out though, I guess he wanted it more.Dallin is such a cutie. He is getting all excited about going to first grade. The highlight of his week is when his best friend Jack gets to come over and play every Wednesday. They play outside mostly, building things, jumping on the trampoline and all kinds of good boy stuff. They are so cute together and they both love it! Dallin knows Jack from church and they are a great match and play very well together. It is fun watch.