To brush or not to brush...

My boys are going on a scout campout this weekend.  I ran to the store to pick up a few things that they would need, or so I thought...

As I was grabbing toothpaste off the shelf I heard this conversation going on behind me...

Ethan:  She is getting toothpaste.
Brian:  I won't use it, will you?
Ethan:  No, I never brush my teeth when I am camping.
Brian:  Should we tell her so she doesn't waste money.
Ethan:  No way!! She'll be madder that we don't brush our teeth than about the money.

cavity  noun, 1) a hollow place or a hole 2) a hole in the tooth caused by decay

A rose by any other name...

I was correcting Brian's vocabulary assignment the other day and came across this...

4. You know I feel uneasy because

a. I smile all the time
b. I stand up straight
c. my clothes are new
d. my hands are shaking

Brian had marked "c" for his answer.  I asked him to explain what he thought that the word, uneasy, meant. He told me that wearing new clothes was uncomfortable and definitely made him uneasy.  I asked him if one of the other answers would be a better match and he quickly responded..."a".  He then showed me how he would smile to try and hide that he felt uneasy.  Once again I asked if another answer would be a better match.  His reply..."well it must be "b" then because my hands do NOT shake when I am uneasy".

uneasy  adjective, a little afraid, worried, uncomfortable

I cannot tell a lie...

Brian tells the truth...the whole truth and nothing but the truth...ALL of the time.  I am not sure if it is an "autism" thing or if it is indicative of a high level of integrity or maybe we are descendants of George Washington...I just don't know.  It can be a good thing...I ask who did this, he spills his guts.  Or it can be a bad thing...I ask how do I look, he spills his guts.  We have tried to find a filter for him but Home Depot never carries the right size.

One winter Sunday morning I was getting ready for church.  When I got out of the shower I could hear the 4 wheeler and figured Jason was out plowing driveways in the neighborhood.  After getting dressed I went downstairs and glanced out the window.  There was my husband on his 4 wheeler and my 4 year old son on a sled...TIED to the back of the 4 wheeler.  Jason was driving around and around in the cul-de-sac with my small child flying along behind him.  Just as I was going to go put a stop to their fun, Brian's sled hit a snowbank and it sent him flying through the air.  He landed in a crumpled heap, half of him in the gutter and the other half on the sidewalk.  Jason jumped off the 4 wheeler and ran to Brian.  I ran out the door and asked Jason what the heck he was thinking.  Brian was asking to do it again and seemed okay...whew!!
We finished getting ready for church and headed off.  Half way through our first meeting, Brian fell asleep.  I knew something was wrong.  He NEVER sleeps at church.  He is too busy going over the pew, under the pew, over the pew, under the pew, over the...you get the idea.  I looked at Jason and he gave me that "that isn't normal, you think he's okay?" look.
We left church early and took Brian over to see his doctor.  Dr. Freestone asked me what had happened.  I explained that Brian was sledding with his dad and he fell off the sled and hit his head on the sidewalk.  Wait for it...Brian chimes in, "that isn't how it happened".  Dr. Freestone looked at Brian and asked, "what really happened, Brian?"  Brian went on to explain in great detail how his dad used the yellow rope to tie his sled to the back of his 4 wheeler and then drove around really really really fast and he made him wreck and he went flying and crashed his head into the sidewalk.  Dr. Freestone then turned toward me, smiled, and said "do we need to discuss this and why it isn't safe practice?"  I raised my right hand and swore that none of our children would ever again be tied to the back of a moving vehicle...while I was present.  I couldn't guarantee that Jason would never have "man brain" (huge lapse in judgment where our children our concerned) again.
Dx:  concussion

concussion  noun, a head injury that is the result of a blow or a fall, a shock

I smell bacon!!

Brian was a handful when he was little...still is, but in a much less destructive kind of way. Jason worked A LOT when we were first married. I know, I know, he still works A LOT but back then it was 24, 72, and 96 hour shifts and he spent more time back East...4-6 weeks at a time. I was on my own with the kids quite a bit. We lived in Orem in a cute little house (I miss that house and the neighbors!!) and I worked at our family flower shop that was just 3 blocks up the street.

On this particular day, Jason was working at the fire station and I wanted to shower and that left me in what was becoming a daily dilemma. Brian was 2 and could not be left alone. The boy was fast on his feet and could climb anything. He was able to escape the 3 locks I had on the front and back doors in less than a minute and nothing was safe from his little hands.

I showered, quickly got dressed and walked downstairs to see what destruction awaited me. Half way down the stairs I could smell bacon. My heart began to race as I imagined my 2 year old at the stove frying bacon and grease spattering all over. I continued down and the smell got stronger and stronger. I made it to the kitchen and it took a minute for my brain to process what I saw... Brian was standing in the middle of the kitchen floor with the classic "Brian smile" on his face. Ethan was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, his cheeks were as full as a chipmunks , drool ran down his chin, and his fists were full of something. Chair next to the fridge. The smell of bacon but no pan on the stove. And then I saw it...the empty bag of Beggin Strips dog treats that Ethan was half sitting on. I looked at Ethan again and now I knew what that something was that had his checks and fists so full. I quickly began to remove the dog treats from his mouth and tried to pry the pieces out of his hands. Ethan was screaming in protest and Brian was informing me that "Efan, eat bacon mom."

I made my weekly call to poison control and this is what was said...

Me: Hi, my son just fed my 1 year old beggin strips dog treats.
Poison control: Those are meant to be eaten.
Me: Yes, I know...eaten by the dog, not my child.
Poison control: They are completely safe. He could eat them everyday and be fine. We just had a mom call because her son just ate dog poop. That we don't recommend.
Me: Thanks??

bacon noun, meat from the back and sides of a pig, salted and smoked.

Friday Foto Flashback

Riding horses at Aunt Lisa's
November 2005

horse noun, an animal with long legs that eats grass and can pull a cart or carry people

Wednesday's...Who What When Where Why and How

There are days when I feel completely inadequate to raise my children...
This was on one of those days...

Brian: "What if gravity fails?"

Me: blank stare...."that is a good question"

gravity noun, 1) the force that draws everything to the earth's center 2) solemnity

Flippin Sweet Quotes...

Lately I have been pretty lazy about getting ready for the day. I just pull my hair up and I am usually in "comfy pants" and a t-shirt. Yesterday I decided to to change things up. I left my hair down and I put on jeans and my firefighter t-shirt...you can imagine how hot I was looking!! When I walked into the family room this is what was said...

Ethan: Mom can we...hey mom you look beautiful.

Brian: Yeah mom you look really put together.

Me: Thanks?? (put together?? the kid is a goofball)


beautiful adjective, charming and delightful to the senses, very pretty, lovely

Supernanny...Help!!!

Shortly after we moved into our home we started building a fence...an absolute necessity with children as active as ours. Brian was 6 years old and Ethan was 4 years old. Leave it to Brian to find entertainment using a fence post, duct tape, and Ethan. During the fence building activities Brian came in the house, and we could hear Ethan screaming. We asked Brian where Ethan was and he calmly said "he is outside", we asked why he was screaming and Brian again calmly said "I taped him to the fence". Jason and I went outside and sure enough...Brian had duct tapped the little guy to a fence post!!! There was a good 10 feet of tape used for the event. Ethan hasn't ever learned (bless his brave little heart)...he is still willing to be the fall guy for most of Brian's experiments.

help noun, assistance, support, guidance, verb, to do something for someone, to assist

Over the river and through the woods....

Last Saturday we spent the day at "Great's" house helping to plant flowers in her yard. This has become sort of an annual get together (2nd year running) for our family. I should note that her yard is dang near perfect...I am not kidding...most weeds do not dare enter...the weeds that are brave enough to enter adapt into what looks like exotic flowers!!! Grammy has spent over 35 years tending to her yard and the love she has put into it shows. I have incredibly fond memories of playing and climbing trees in her back yard. I am so grateful my kids are going to have those memories also. After the flower planting we had a BBQ. Uncle Bruce grilled the best burgers and hot dogs my kids say they have ever had and after lunch the kids proceeded to talk Bruce's ears off...thanks Bruce, the kids absolutely adore you and are still talking about what they are calling their "Uncle Bruce Time". Uncle Reid gave some great pointers on growing cucumbers, and Aunt Sue makes a mean potato salad and can toast a bun to perfection.
We love all of you and can't wait for next year!!!

memory noun, something a person remembers, the ability to remember

Gone Fishing!!

Today was the "Kids Annual Fishing Day" at Salem Pond. It's an opportunity for kids with a disability to catch a fish. An event Brian looks forward to every year. So much in fact that tomorrow he will already be talking about going next year. Jason has been the one to go with Brian since he was in preschool. This year Jason couldn't go so it was my turn. "Bad Mom" confession coming up...please don't judge until you finish reading this entire post. I can honestly say I was not looking forward to this. I am not sure exactly what my aversion was...I didn't want to catch a fish, clean a fish, be around 1500+ people... I really don't know what my problem was. When I woke up this morning I promised that my bad attitude would not ruin Brian's day...really mature of me, I know. I put on a big smile and got on the bus (yep, a big yellow school bus). Already I was starting to relax and even got a little excited. The people that organize this event are absolutely incredible. They are so well organized that you feel like you are one of a only a few dozen people there. We signed in, got a "fish bag", Brian got his hat, and we headed off to eat. After eating...the food was actually good...we headed down to the bank to fish. The volunteers were so patient and kind. They handed Brian a fishing rod and told him to start reeling in...the fish are pre-hooked and cast out...my kind of fishing!!! Brian was so excited when he saw the fish getting closer. The grin on Brian's face was almost as big as the grin on the 200lb burly tough volunteer helping us...again, fantastic volunteer staff!!! After his "catch" we went to the cleaning station where Brian said to the man helping him "please don't hurt him, okay?". Then we went off to play. Brian ran around with all of his little friends and had a great time. As I sat and watched I was overwhelmed by the number of children who live with a disability and my heart ached for these little ones and it was then that I realized why I didn't want to go today. I am sure I subconsciously was aware of the feelings I would face by going. My sadness was quickly overcome with a huge feeling of peace. I continued to watch as these kids played and communicated, most times without saying a word to each other. It was almost like watching the waves of the ocean...perfectly timed and in sync. Brian was at home with these children...they speak his language, love unconditionally, and have no expectations or judgement of one another...they allow one another to just be. I was actually sad when they said it was time to go. On the bus ride home my Little B sang "My Country" with his buddies and entertained us all with a free concert. On a daily basis I feel the need to "explain" Brian to anyone he talks to. I am so afraid he will be judged or made fun of for his social skills and quirky comments. Today I didn't once feel the need to do that. I am so grateful for Brian and completely humbled that I get to raise him. I get it Brian, I'll be talking about next year's trip tomorrow too.

fish noun, 1) an animal that lives in the sea, seafood, verb, 2) to try to catch a fish or get something from someone

5th grade...here I come!!!

Yesterday was the dreaded end of year IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting for Brian. I say dreaded only because I have been known to shed a tear or two thousand at these meetings. We sit down with Brian's teachers (special ed and general ed), therapists, and District Reps to discuss Brian's present level of function/performance, annual goals, and special education services. Seeing it all on paper always makes the Autism part real. Jason has been out of town and so I faced the meeting alone. His teachers told me he is doing fantastic this year and that he has almost caught up to grade level (just under a year behind). Go Brian!!! They all say what an absolute joy he is to have around and that he provides comic relief at all times..he gets that from me :) !!! Next year he will remain in the Autism program (at a new school closer to us...shorter bus ride!!), he will continue with speech therapy (dang the lame "th" sound), and will continue to participate in a general ed class for part of the day. We are so proud of Brian...he has really worked hard this year.

ability noun, 1) capability, power or knowledge 2) skill, expertise

ABC's, 123's, and CPR

If I look on the bright side of things...the children who have me nearly unconscious by the end of the day can save my life if I actually quit breathing from total exhaustion.

unconscious adjective, not knowing what is happening, lacking awareness

Happy Birthday Brian!!!

Happy Birthday Little B. We can't believe you are already 10 years old. You are a super fantastic kid and a great example to all of us. We love you sooooo much!!
Love,
Mom, Dad, Ethan, Hannah, and Joshie

happy adjective, content, delighted or pleased