Monday, November 28, 2011

What I did today

Today is Charlie's 4th birthday. Since we closed on our house this morning Carley and Cody came over to stay with the kids while we were signing. She said that was her party for today. Ha!


Wearing her 4 t-shirt for the first time. Thanks Nattie!

We worked non-stop today, which I suppose is only appropriate since it finally occurred to us that the buyers aren't backing out.


Fridge doors open, mini fridge inserted (thanks Carley!) and cabinets cleared...


Bye bye fridge


Hello mini fridge...


Hello boxes


And more boxes


And more boxes


And more boxes. I'm not complaining...I'm really not. I'm just showing you so you'll be impressed with my workhorse skills.

I'm so tired. Tomorrow is Ty's last day of school and I cry when I think about it. He's not sad at all yet so I'm hopeful it doesn't all hit him at once tomorrow when it's time to leave. His teacher has changed his life and I'll miss her terribly. I begged her to move with us but she doesn't think living away from her family sounds fun. Go figure.

Good night y'all. I'll update more tomorrow!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Yesterday-(actually a week ago,) we had a party for Charlie at the house. Nori-Lyn, (party planner of the year,) made sweet treats, decorations, and thought up tons of things to make the Tangled party happen.


She made the tower and the jello boats and brought Chinese lanterns and all kinds of little Rapunzel touches. It was a great party for Charlie.





The kids painted castles and pictures from a Tangled coloring book...


And ate pizza and cake from the ugliest cake ever.


That's my girl!



The braid that Nori-Lyn and I spent no lie 35 minutes braiding. Man it took forever but it's pretty cute, huh?



It's just a whole bunch of yellow yard tied to the banister upstairs but the kids thought it was the REAL Rapunzel's hair. Awesome!

I'm way behind on blogging and I hate it. I'll catch up though...hang in there if you're still reading!

Today was our last day at our church, which was weird since its where Sean and I met. We talked a lot about what we will miss and we kept saying that it's the people we've come to know and love that we will miss. That's the way it should be I guess-the people are the church really. We are excited about what's waiting for us but it's hard at the same time. And it was my idea to move!

Closing day is TOMORROW y'all. We can't believe it. I hope we survive the heart attacks we will simultaneously experience when the last paper is signed. We are so thankful and so ready!

But I still cry almost every day when I think about my friends that I won't get to see every day.

Lord help me I'm a mess!

You already knew that though.


Friday, November 25, 2011

Black Friday

I got up at 4:45 today without the help of an alarm. It's Black Friday and waking up early is in my blood. I'll show y'all the deals I scored-worth getting up early for sure-tomorrow but I'll show you what my beloved was doing while I was out galavanting today.



Pitching to this little toot and entertaining the girls in our last few days here.

Between packing and organizing you just gotta play some baseball and go shopping, right?

Right.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Guess what




Y'all listen up



Are you listening?



You sure?



Charlie, baby (cousin) Sally, you listening?


Charlie-focus! I have something to say:

"I wuv my new house!"

Her exact words today on the way home from the new house...inspection was today so we took the kids for the first time...

And they loved it.

I still cry when I think about leaving friends here. Almost every day I tear up thinking about it. But seeing the house today, seeing them run and run and run in the backyard, I was full of excitement. They love all of the space to run and play outside. I love how excited they were as they looked around. I picked paint colors and we figured out where things will fit. I'm ready.

But I reserve the right to cry as needed. :)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Ugliest cake award

And the award goes to...




Yep this one wins it. I guess next time I'll be more specific when I order a cake from Costco...my instructions were,

"white cake, white icing, very simple please-going to add Tangled characters myself...color favorites are pink and purple."

Well they hit that nail right on the head, don't you think? That cake just screams SIMPLE.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A picture is worth a thousand words

Proof that the buyers might not back out-they've hired (and prepaid) a pool company to start putting in a pool.


And this is what that looks like for us. It looks like we turned the kids loose with spray paint, doesn't it?


Mmm good Jordan almonds that mommy left in the car while she talked to her friends...leaving Joy in the car without having her trapped in her seat always means trouble.

I bet you thought it was lipstick :)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Whose idea was this?

Today I packed a few things and watched a movie while the girls napped. It was a normal day, Sean is home and we stayed in the backyard a good part of the afternoon. We kept Cody for a few hours then met our friends at the ice cream place here. It's been a tradition most Sunday nights, for a few years now. It was a normal occurrence amidst the changes swirling around me...and when we took a picture of all of the kids I knew I was in for an emotional night.



It was my idea to move back to my hometown. I love it there. I love knowing that my teachers from school still live there. I love that no matter where I go I have memories. Ones that I can tell the kids about and watch them learn about where momma grew up. I love that my parents will get to see them all the time. I love that I will be able to send them off to school knowing I'll know what goes on during the day thanks to my teacher friends. I love that there are people from my church growing up that are excited for us and that love my kids already. There is much to look forward to and tons of reasons to be happy about moving.

But tonight I'm sad that getting together with my friends here won't be as easy or convenient. I'm sad that these kids will likely grow a
little bit between visits. I hate knowing I will miss moments in their little lives, moments that I've gotten to experience with them since they were born. I will miss their mommas terribly. I'm grateful for the safety they've provided us to be "off" some days. That on Ty's hardest days they don't bat an eye because they know him and love him. And that any given moment my girls could walk into their homes and feel content and loved. It's no wonder my kids think these kids are their cousins. (They do have quite a few cousins, you know.)

God has given me a few precious years here and I'm thankful. I'm as excited as ever to pack and prepare for the future but not without being sad about the change coming. I guess I need to acknowledge that I'm moving an hour away, not to another country. Another state even might send me right into hysterics. Yes, yes I'm pitiful.

Good night y'all. Thanks in advance for not making fun of me. :)

Friday, November 11, 2011

Flashback Friday

The little toot edition. When my kids do something they're not supposed to do I call them little toots. These are some "you little toot!" pics.


Joy, that's not a pacifier...it's an outlet cover.


I said DO NOT DRINK THE WATER.


You are supposed to take your clothes off first Joy



Oh Joy you're just a toot. My mom taught them to make the same face as the girl on this pillow. Joy's is the finniest, mainly because she makes a face like that a lot.




Joy, don't climb in with the donkeys



Joy stop climbing on furniture.



Ty. Well, never mind that's funny.



Guys, don't get in Max's pen.

Actually...

Oh no never mind. Not a good idea.




Joy, don't fall asleep in the car!

Ok I'm done. Happy Friday y'all. I think the virus is over-did I tell you we thought Joy and I had it yesterday? If we did it was quick. Praise the Lord!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday




Sweater and shirt: Forever 21
Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Old Navy


Sweater: Anthropologie sale
Shirt and shorts: Forever 21
Tights: Ross
Boots: Anthropologie sale


Butterfly girl in need of my lipstick: not happening


This is what I've really been wearing the last few weeks. Sweats and a few children...

Happy day y'all! We are off to look at houses :)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Your questions...my answers

This has been a work in progress...

1. What makes you think Ty has Aspergers/Autism? What are some of the warning signs?

Early on we knew Ty was bothered by loud noises and large groups of people. Literally in the hospital when he was days old I realized I was holding a baby who needed quiet soothing, darkness, etc. I didn't know anything else at that point about taking care of a baby (at all) but I knew that he screamed non-stop unless it was dark and quiet. As he got older the only milestone he didn't reach was speech-related. His gross motor and even fine motor skills were average/on time, but he wasn't saying more than like 4 words at 18 months. Then he mastered 10 words at age 2...the bare minimum. Speech delay can be an early warning sign but if that's the only symptom it doesn't necessarily mean Autism at all. Ty also had acid reflux so he was unhappy when he was eating too-poor guy finally settled down when he was 6 months old. I used to blame his intensity on reflux but looking back it was definitely a combination of reflux and his sensory overload issues.



2. How early did you start noticing things that made him "different?"

Since he progressed normally physically we really only noticed that he was different when it came to language. So first indicators were around 18 months. He always had good eye contact, and was affectionate with us, two early 'red flags' that didn't apply to him. At each of our well-child visits with our doctor we would mention his flapping, (literally flapping like a bird,) to her and she would agree that it was a behavior often seen in Autistic children but that alone doesn't warrant further testing. He used to flap often-every time he'd get excited about something he was playing with. We were so used to it that it became part of him, nothing bothersome really until we were in a group of other kids and it would be something that stood out.

3. Do you ever "counsel" Sean? Does he respond well to that?

No and no. The few times I've used my counseling lingo in our conversations/arguments he picked up on it and would joke about me being the relationship authority. It would be a chance to regroup and calm down, which helped both of us get to the heart of the matter instead of beating around the bush.

4. How often does your husband travel?

Almost every week, a few days a week.

5. Where did you meet Sean?

We met at church. We were working with the Jr. High kids and were friends for three years before we ever dated. We were both gun-shy about relationships so for us, the friendship-first thing was what it took. Once we started dating, things quickly became serious since the foundation was there.


6. How much do you get paid to run ads on your blog?

Working with an advertising company doesn't support a family, let's put it that way. If you're looking for a way to make money, I think that you might want to look into something else. It's a fun way to make a little money though! If you love blogging anyway, especially.

7. How can I start running ads to make money with my blog?

See the ads over on the right side of my blog? There is a link to the BlogHer publishing network right there on the bottom of the pictures. Click on it and you can inquire about working with them.


8. Is it "normal" to experience anxiety on a daily basis if you're a mom?

Heavens yes it's normal! We've got a lot going on, you know. I think that it takes great discipline to avoid ever feeling anxious about our kids. It is possible to redirect your thinking so that it doesn't become a problem. I'm working on it every hour of every day!

9. What should I do if I think I have a problem with anxiety that I can't control?

Talk to your family. If they have mentioned to you that you seem anxious all the time then listen to them. Talk about what makes you feel that way with your spouse. See if there is something you can change, like if being in charge of getting everyone fed and ready in the morning leaves you frazzled, ask your spouse to help out with one of those things. If cooking dinner every night when you get home from work seems impossible, try to prepare things one day a week and freeze dinners for the latter half of the week. For me, communicating with the people in my inner circle makes all of the difference. If I get overwhelmed I tend to shut down and hide, not answering my phone, texts, etc. My good friends know this and will keep trying to get me to talk, never giving up. I love this about them! As much as I think talking about it will make it worse or add pressure, that could not be further from the truth.

If you feel like you can't make your mind shut off the anxious thoughts, talk to a mentor in your life and see if they can help you come up with solutions to the things that are causing you anxiety. The next step would be asking someone in your church for some guidance. If you don't have someone in place in your church to help then talk to your doctor about your overall health. My doctor always makes me think through my caffeine intake, sleep habits, and anything else that I am doing physically to combat the anxiety. You'd be surprised how lack of sleep can cause anxiety to take over! Everyone experiences stress in some area of their life and thankfully most can get it under control without medical or psychological intervention.

That's it for now!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Flashback Friday

A preview of my post about Ty...





















Happy Friday, y'all!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

What I'm thinking about Wednesday

First, for anybody interested in WIWW posts, here is a link to the gal who started it all-It's not about the brand, the money, etc. it's a challenge she made to herself about getting out of PJ's each day. I'm not posting this week because, well, I've worn PJ's a few days and workout clothes the other days. I'm (hopefully) getting ready to actually move so I'm packing stuff up when we are home. Well, it's not to the packing part right now, just the cleaning out part. I've made a few trips to Restyle to sell clothes and a few trips to CCA in Lewisville to drop things off. Even if this move doesn't happen now we will downsize whenever we DO move so I'm making the most of my mindset! Give away, get rid of, decide if we can fit it, really need it when we move, etc.

I'm the type that has a plastic bin full of all of the things the kids have made at school. I don't always weed the non-keepers out as I go, I just put it either on the fridge that day when they bring it home if it's something they're proud of or I put it in my bin. The bin is now consuming the closet it's in because I haven't gone through it in, well, about two years.

Ahem.

I'm married to a type A man with a bit of OCD thrown in. He's not what you'd call a hoarder. He's not even what you'd call a keeper of things. He's a minimalist and an organized person. And he's married to me, which, as we all know by now, isn't for the faint of heart. I do love me a good bin of stuff I'll never need nor look at ever again.

Aside from the cold we've all had this week, (Sean always has it the worst,) we've been fairly low-key. We went to my sis-in-law's house on Monday and the kids trick or treated with their cousins like they do every year. Did I post pictures? Y'all, I forget what I started ten minutes ago. There's no excuse-not pregnant, not sleep deprived. Not even tired just all over the place. God is good to keep my children safe with me as their momma.

I have a post of answers to the questions y'all emailed me a few months ago. I'll post it in the next day or two after I figure out what I saved it under in my computer. It's full of specifics about Ty as well as my answers to questions you were too shy to ask in the comments section. Should be fun! Or at least moderately amusing :)