Dollhouses

When I was a little girl I wanted a wooden dollhouse. I thought they were the neatest thing ever. What a great way to show the dreams you hold about your home by decorating and painting a dollhouse.
In college I met a friend who held dollhouses close to her heart too. We would marvel at the electric wiring available for dollhouses and pick out carpeting and paint. Playing house before we could afford to decorate a real home the way we wanted.
When Andrew was in his first year of law school, he made a dollhouse for me. It was one of the most thoughtful and generous gifts I've received. All of his free time went into assembling a two story dollhouse.
Over the years I was given things to add to the dollhouse. This included a handmade cage with an iguana from a good friend, a cake from another friend, and handmade rugs and blankets from my great grandmother
The dollhouse has traveled with us on every move. This last move it lost the front porch and looked quite pathetic.
I gave Lane some people because as an adult, I never had any. She didn't play with it and I was beginning to consider throwing it away
Until Lane asked to get the dollhouse down the other day. She was so happy putting the baby on the potty, setting up the furniture, and moving the people in the home. I grabbed my hot glue gun and started fixing things that had fallen off. And like any other home improvement project, it looked much better.
I guess the old dollhouse is a keeper after all. (yes, Lane I wearing a crown in the photo. It has become a necessary fashion statement lately)

We are moving.

Or are we? The school situation here isn't working well for the boys for a number of reasons. The school has made it clear that they do not want to deal with Gabriel. I'm sure they feel the same way about Alex especially if I'm able to get an IEP for him
We didn't hear back from our landlord when we asked if we could stay a year. It felt like a good time to make changes to our financial situation by moving to a less expensive home. We thought it would be a way to change the boys school situation at the same time.
We thought that we found a private school that would be a good fit for Gabriel, a rental home near a good school and closer to Andrews job. The school wasn't what we thought it would be and now we need to decide what to do. We also heard from the landlord and they would be happy to have us stay another year
I think we will still move. The townhouse is nice but it's too many floors. The dogs are getting older so the stairs will get more difficult for them as well.
We can save about 5k a year by moving. That savings could go toward tuition or tutoring for Gabriel. We also need to get him into private ot and that isn't a cheap activity either
The thought of moving makes my stomach churn. I have experience moving but it's not easier with each move. I think it's just more exhausting the older I get.

Someone told me that we were gypsies with all the moving we have done. We have moved a LOT but we had valid reasons for all of our moves. 1. Andrew and I moved into our first apartment in 1992. We lived in Minneapolis near the U of MN. The cockroaches were very unwelcome visitors in this apartment. 2. We moved into a house near the U with two other girls the following year. This was the year Andrew confronted a stranger in our basement. 3. In 1994, we moved to our own apartment again, closer to the campus. We lived on the basement level and unfortunately, someone came in and stole all of our valuables. Our car window was shattered while we lived there as well. 4. Off to St Paul so I could be closer to my job of almost 7 years. Andrew had graduated from college and we didn't know where he would be working. He ended up in law school! We moved when they wanted to raise the rent. 5. We moved across the street to save money by living a cute upper duplex. 6. Andrew transferred to Georgetown Law School so we packed up our things and headed to DC. Our first cross country move! Little did we know that his career would lead us to fun new adventures. 7. Once Andrew graduated from law school, we moved to Daytona Beach Shores. We lived right across from the beach. 8. Andrew started working in Orlando so we moved closer to my job to help with the commute. We lived in a cute little beach house in Ormond by the Sea. 9. The commute got old quickly so we moved to Altamonte Springs. We lived here for a few years and brought our first son home here. We were finally parents! We wanted to be closer to family and bought our first home in Wausau, WI, in October 2005. 10. There was no work for Andrew at his job making it impossible to stay in WI. 11.Andrew found a job in Miami and we moved 5 short months later. We welcomed our second son in Miami. We coudn't believe that we now had two gorgeous babies! We liked our life in Miami but the economy was tanking and with it, municipal jobs. Andrew began searching for jobs in case he lost his job in Miami. 12. Andrew got the city attorney job in Sioux City, Iowa. We packed up our belongings, our dogs, our cats, and our young sons, ages 3, and 1.5 to move to Iowa. What an adventure we had there - we made many close friends and welcomed our third and last biological child into our home. Our daughter, our joy... but in order for Andrew for move up in his career, we need to move. 13. Back to the Orlando area we went. We currently live in Celebration, FL. It's gorgeous and family friendly.

Anna Maria island

We haven't been to a beach on the west side of the state since Gabriel was born. I think we went in 2003 and took three dogs with us, one was a foster dog. We got back to the Gulf side today.
We stopped at a McDonalds on the way and the kids played for an hour in the gerbil tunnels. It was a big, fun play area for them. We pried them off the play equipment and meandered to Anna Maria.
The calm, shallow, blue teal water was gorgeous. The sand is lighter in color than Cocoa or Daytona but it's the kind of sand that sticks to your skin for hours and that's annoying. I always forget how loud the beach is when we haven't gone in a while. For that reason alone, it's great for our children. No one can complain or give me a dirty look when my children are being noisy because they can't be heard over the surf
Gabriel got a lot of sensory input from the water while Alex used his boogie board. Lane enjoyed digging in the sand.
We had a nice day at the beach ad a family. I won't make a decision on which side of the state I like better. Clearly I need more time to soak up the rays before making that decision. I think I will like both but for different reasons.
In the photo, Gabriel wanted to show his lost tooth. He's becoming such a big kid right before my eyes. He has told me many times that he wants to become a baby again because that was more fun. To which I reply, you will ALWAYS be my baby, no matter how big you get. You know what, he really will. He still snuggled up next to me at night and it feels no different than it did 7 years ago.

Acting class

Alex signed up for acting class for a six week period. Every Wednesday evening at 5:30, he learned acting skills for an hour. I think he has a natural talent for the arts and I want to encourage him if he has interest
He enjoyed it and looked forward to
his Wednesday evening. Gabriel didn't way to be left out and we were fortunate enough to have a teacher who was willing to help Gabriel as well
There was only one problem in the class - He didn't like a boy with spots. The spots were freckles and for some reason, that flipped him out.
The class had their final play the night Alex had a performance at school. Andrew took Alex to his play at school and I took Gabriel to his class.

Gabriel's teacher did a wonderful job helping him read some lines. I was so proud of him

I bumped my head!

This isn't a great photo of our little man Alex but I had to share the sticker he wore home from school. I think it's so clever, especially since the boys forget about things that happen during their day.
The sticker says "please watch me. I bumped my head.". I love it. More of these clever, simple messages would be an easy way to communicate with the school. Alex hit his head on the cafeteria lunch table. It wasnt a serious injury by any means

Mommy and Laney dates

Knowing that summer will change the daily dynamics of our family, Lane and I have been going on little "dates" together.
I want enjoy these last few weeks of her being two years old. She is at a fun age to hang out with - she finds magic in the smallest of things still. A business owner cut a marigold for her and she was in heaven
She is very social and enjoys leaving the house to go on adventures. She is also happy sitting next to me on the couch while I work on something. Lane likes clothes, especially anything with purple.
Lane gets herself dressed and likes to pick out her own clothing. She usually picks a dress and calls herself "princess Lane." The biggest development for Lane is she is potty trained! No more diapers for us!

Naked in unknown places

Gabriel was given this Mario hat by our friends a few weeks ago. He LOVES it. Isn't it perfect for him? We have been searching for a new home and need to relocate by August 1 at the latest. We have driven around with the kids a few times in order to become more familiar with other neighborhoods. This past year we've spent most of our time in the "bubble" of Celebration or at Disney so Osceola Co. is still a mystery to us. We have found some beautiful developments and neat pockets of possible places to live. Our want list is long and I'm unsure if we'll be able to find something that fits the bill entirely. I think we are more picky than we used to be simply because we need a good school and need more space than we have in the past. We met with a lovely family who showed us their home. It is a tad smaller than we want, had one less half bath than we are accostumed to, and doesn't have a private pool but there is a community pool. Otherwise, it has everything else we want in a home. The best part? Gabriel stipped naked, ran out of the bathroom, and the family wasn't phased in the least bit. In fact they laughed! It was terribly embarrassing and awkward for us but they didn't care at all. Gabriel had to be escorted to the van because he couldn't let go of the shower idea. We aren't sure what to do in the future. I'm sure Gabriel will continue to want to take a shower. We could split up, leaving the kids at home with one parent while the other views the possible home. It might be the solution except neither of us wants the entire decision resting on our shoulders. I figure that if the person can't deal with Gabriel's behavior and quirks, we don't need to move into their home. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise!

Another specialist...why not?

I've noticed Lane's left eye tends to float outward throughout the day. We've noticed it happening since she was a few months old. Given all the other medical concerns in our family, this issue didn't seem as pressing as the other issues.
When I caught my breath, I thought I should take her into a pediatric specialist. It is her eye sight after all and I would feel awful if I messed that up I couldn't forgive myself.
Lane dislikes doctors so much that she falls asleep on the way to appointments. What a cool trick, right?
At first Lane wouldn't tell the nurse or doctor the names of pictures. It's tough to test vision without a verbal response. Since Lane can speak in full sentences, we had to explain the importance of speech and how that related to leaving the office. She had a lot to say after that but unfortunately, we had to stay longer due to eye drops
Our poor Princess did not like having her eyes dilated. We made it through the two hour appointment without many problems.
Lane's diagnosis: intermittent exotropia. It's common and means her eye floats to the outside edge. She needs to wear a patch for an hour every day for the next 8 weeks. It sounds doable but she HATES it. Maybe some bribes are in order.
We will return to the dr in June to see if patching worked or if she will need surgery. The condition, also known as lazy eye, can cause decreased vision. So we are off to play pirate every day!

Mai boys

Boy relationships can seem odd to me. I understand "one up" and some boy behavior. What I can't understand is how my 7 and 5 year old sons can wrestle, beat the crap out of each other (or as far as I will allow and can stand to ignore), and then be best friends again, all in a matter of 15 minutes.
I had to make important phone calls this afternoon and had to ignore the boys when they argued. Sometimes it's tough for me to ignore them but I didn't have a choice unless I heard violent screams. They wrestled. They hurt each other and then I went downstairs and found them laying on the floor, holding hands, watching a show. (a kids show as we call it). It was a pretty sweet sight to witness. I'm glad I didn't step in because they were able to figure things out without me and that is far more important.

Playgroup Pinata

I told myself and other people that when I moved I would not organize a playgroup. I've been there, done that, and it's now my turn to sit back and RSVP to events I want to attend. I'm barely treading the waters of daily life as it is, I shouldn't take on another responsibility. And ... well... I was also drowning in lack of adult contact during the day. My depression was creeping up and my life felt overwhelming. So why not offer to help create events and add to that ongoing to do list?! That is what I did. I asked to help organize the playgroup I joined because I've met several wonderful mothers and beautiful children. No one was stepping up to add interesting events to the calendar so I couldn't look away from the moms I've met when I knew I could add some fun to our lives. Or at least make our lives more interesting with playdates together. I tend to forget that Lane is only two years old and still needs that kind of activity with me. I feel like she's older because she's an easy going, rather mature two year old. We have lengthy discussions and hang out just enjoying one another's company. However, I need to do more two year old activities with her. I removed the cobwebs from my activity list, got my creative juices flowing, and set to work. I am really glad I did it. I had one of my first themed playdates at the park this week. I am a theme addict. I could post a plain park playdate but themes are more fun. We had Cinco de Mayo in the park! I kept it simple with a taco bar. Everyone brought something to contribute and we ate tacos and the kids played in the park. Mmmmmm tacos! One of the moms brought a pinata too!! Oh the joy on the kids faces!

The kids ranged from 14 months to almost 4 and they were thrilled to be given permission and the opportunity to whack the crap out of the pinata. It was adorable. They did not do the job, however, and a mom had to open it and shake the candy out. Oh.. CANDY! They didn't know candy was coming out it too! They were just happy to whack it!

Teacher Appreciation Week 2012

All three children are currently attending school so Teacher Appreciation Week is especially important to us. We are incredibly grateful for everything teachers do to help and educate our children. It's no small task to be a teacher and I wanted to show our appreciation this week. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I have been pinning ideas on Pinterest for months. I contacted the room parents and one parents was doing themes each day to celebrate. For simplicity sake, I decided to follow her themes for all three children's teachers. This year I had 8 teachers to prepare for: 2 for Lane, 2 for Alex, and 4 for Gabriel. Lane attends school two mornings a week so I didn't have to make as many gifts as I will in the future. Day one: Spa Day

I made "Thanks for Bee-lieving in Me" gift packs with two Burts Bees products in the bag. I got the idea and printable tag from http://detailorienteddiva.blogspot.com/2012/04/thanks-for-bee-lieving-in-me.html . Day two: Candle Day One teacher liked Air Wick and the other liked Yankee Candle so I bought both and made these

I got the printable from this site: It says, "a good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others." Day three: snack day I found a cute idea that states "I'm glad you are mint to be my teacher." on this site http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2010/05/inexpensive-yet-meaningful-teacher-gift/ Here is my version:

I picked up the thank you ribbon a while ago and I was really happy to use it on this little gift. I put gum and mints in the bag. Day four: art and note day Lane made pictures for her teachers but then she played with them, rolling them into balls. I think she will need to make new pictures. She is an intent, hard worker so I don't think this will be a problem for her. The boys will draw pictures and write notes to their teachers. I printed free note cards from dltk-kids.com

Day five: gift card day The easiest day! The gift cards are purchased and ready for delivery. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

A beach mini break

We haven't taken a weekend away to simply hang out at the beach. We usually go to museums, zoos, or events when go on any type of vacation. Until this weekend, that is. The kids "uncle" Nik flew from Denver to Ft. Lauderdale for a conference and we were able to meet him there. We stayed in a hotel with beach access and three pools. It had a one bedroom suite with a jetted tub and a kitchen. The kids spent half the day at the beach and half in the pool. One of the pools had a tiki bar, perfect for celebration Cinco de Mayo!

Our room faced the river. It was a great view of many yachts and large boats in the water. The immediate area had gorgeous mansions overlooking the river or the ocean. Gabriel was fascinted by the dead creatures he found. He was positive that if he threw the puffer fish and cucumber back in the ocean, they would come back to life. I was thankful he thought of that because I was concerned we would come home with rotting fish. We had a few "autistic" moments as we call them. The kids had free snowcones in the afternoon. Later, Gabriel wanted another one and ran back to the hotel lobby. He screamed, "I want a snowcone." When no one paid attention to him and he didn't believe me, he yelled even louder. It was amusing to watch a front desk employee scramble for words. She then said, "I can't make a snowcone. But, here, have a maraca and Happy Cinco de Mayo." We still have the maraca. The boys jumped in the jetted tub in the bedroom. They were laughing and having a good time. We noticed all too late that they were laughing because the water was FLOWING onto the floor. It took quite a while and many towels to soak up the majority of the water. Thankfully we had a washer and dryer in our unit to dry the towels and reapply to the watery mess. Alexander swam the length of the pool several times. He was very proud of himself. Gabriel made friends with two girls and they played for a long time.

Lately, Lane and Gabriel have not been getting along. They annoy each other. I'm not worried that it's a long term issue. I think it happens to anyone you live with and siblings are no exception to that rule. After their fun day at the beach, it was really nice to see the two of them enjoy a movie together. All in all, it was a great weekend away for us. We need to have another simple weekend like this again.

Light it up black or blue?

Light It Up Blue is an event held on April 2 for Autism Awareness. There are pages of participants listed on the Autism Speaks site. Some of the participants included the Christ the Redeemer Statue, The Great Pyramid of Giza, and the City Hall of Dublin. It was an international event. I just learned about Light It Up Black. It's people who want less awareness and more action toward a "cure" for autism. While I understand the meaning behind this, I'm disappointed by this idea. Without awareness, there will be no cure. There will be no understanding and there will be no acceptance. I still run into people who say strange things or who have no idea what autism is. I know and I think it too, how could that be? There is so much awareness. Because, just because the name is recognizable, it isn't something that everyone comes in contact yet. Why would someone learn about autism if it doesn't effect them? Even with all of my child psychology courses and work, I was clueless. I thought it was overdiagnosed. I had all kinds of thoughts and opinions about autism but I didn't know what it was exactly. I knew it scared the shit out of me but I didn't know what it was persay. At a playdate one time, I mentioned Gabriel's diagnosis. Another parent said," Wow. You are amazing. I can't believe he still lives with you!" Yes, we still need awareness! Do we need to figure out what is causing 1:88 to get this G-d awful disorder, YES! But don't forget about awareness. There are people suffering with terrible illnesses that are not getting the same awareness that autism is receiving and let me tell you, they WANT the awareness. I've heard it from them. They want to know that something, anything, is being done for their illness to better their life or their loved ones life. So before we bash awarenss, let's consider where we would be without it. It would be a sad place for my son. I have a difficult time explaining his behavior in this day and age WITH awareness and Light It Blue. I can't imagine what it will be like if we lose the awareness created with events like Light It Blue. Bring on Light It Black but not in an effort to squash Light It Blue. We need both. We need answers and awareness.

A tiara fit for a Princess

Little girls are called "Princess" at Disney and since we go often, Lane hears Princess quite a bit. She now tells people that her name is Princess when she is asked. When she came out of her bedroom with a tiara a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help but giggle. Maybe she really believes she is a Princess?
Lane's toddler years have been very enjoyable. She is all girl yet can stand up to her older brothers without a problem. She loves Hello Kitty, Belle, and Dora. If it's purple, she wants to wear it. Lane even likes lip gloss and perfumes.
It is my hope that we are giving her a great start to life because she has made our lives so much better just by being our daughter. We love our little Princess

Pie Festival 2012

Celebration has a pie festival every year. We were happy to check out another fun event in our town. There is a NEVER ENDING pie buffet for $10/adult and $5/child. We did something we have never done before - we fed the kids pie for dinner! They were THRILLED!! Life is for living and that's what we did!

Gabriel picked out the filling and even got upset when he thought he ate gluten.

Alex ate a ton of pie and even had ice cream. He says that all of the pies were his favorite but he asked for seconds of lemon meringue and pumpkin. He asked us to look up a cake festival for us to attend next time!

Lane was the pickiest eater. She liked the cake and berry combination but she did not like cherry at all! A volunteer gave the kids plenty of stickers. Unfortunately, they told the kids that they could put them on the bathroom wall and windows. Guess where we have "I Love Pie" stickers now?! The boys adore characters of any kind, including Dunkin' and a California Raisin. Their joy in characters fills my soul with happiness.

Potty Training

I have quite a bit of experience potty training children from my nanny and teaching days. I've decided that potty training children who do not have half my genetic make-up is much easier process. I was able to potty train other peoples cuties in a matter of days when the kids were still toddlers.
Despite that experience, I have no good tips or ideas. Google potty training and you get a ton of ideas. In some cities, you can even hire someone to come in and potty train your child. I think you pick a method, stick with a couple weeks, and move on to another method if it doesn't work.
My kids have been a different story altogether Gabriel's autism and SPD made potty training a big challenge. He was over four years old before he used the potty in a consistent basis. We had to reward him with many little toys. Alex was almost 4.5 He had zero interest and it became a real battle with him. So I had two children in diapers for a long time.
Lane has been much easier. She tries really hard to make it to the potty by herself. Sometimes she pees all over the floor and sometimes she gets poop
on every surface of the bathroom. However, sometimes she does exactly what she is supposed to do. The thought of having three kids out of diapers is exciting. Yes, it is the little things in my world that make me happy!
Lane helped her Cinderella and Gabriel's Chilly (penguin) go potty yesterday. She does some of the cutest things. Unfortunately Chilly needs a bath in the washer today because he made a trip into the toilet.