Goodbye 2014

Goodbye!           Farewell! 
Au Revoir!          Adios! 
Ciao!                   Aloha!

The Spirit

Sorry to be gone so long. 

It has been a rocky year for us. It has been a rocky year for a lot of people that I know. 

Unfortunately I am not really into the Christmas Spirit this year. I need to pep talk myself into a better mood. This year everything seems rushed. If it can go wrong, it has gone wrong. I have realized when you have an injury, you are less likely to be perky about the holidays. I kind of feel like Cindy Lou Who in the song Where Are You Christmas?

"It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

~ Dr. Suess- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

4 Letter Word

There are so many 4 letter words out there. One that is the very troublesome is HATE. 

"I hate this." "I hate that." "I hate (animal name, sports team, type of food)." "I hate you." "I hate."

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hate as (a) intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; (b) extreme dislike or antipathy.

What a more wonderful world this would be with less of the word hate. Instead of saying hate we should say dislike. Often when someone hates something, they do not understand it. The best way to conquer hate is to learn more about what you dislike. 

What A Hoot!

I like barred owls. They are one of the more common owls in our area along with great horned owls and screech owls. Barred owls are just beautiful with their dark eyes and barred chest that provide the perfect camouflage among the trees. Their frayed feathers allow them to move unheard. Their call is fun to make too: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" That is how hubby and I find each other in stores. We whistle "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" I am pretty good at making the hooting noise. 

Changes

This time of the year is all about changes.

Changes in season: Fall has finally brought the first hard frost of the year. Good-bye bugs!

Changes in temperature: It is like a yo-yo around here. One day up, one day down. Time to break out the blankets!

Changes in clothing: Hello fall and winter clothes. Good-bye spring and winter clothes.

Changes in time: Woohoo! We fell back an hour = an extra hour to sleep in this morning!

Environmental changes are good. They give us a chance to slow down and reflect on physical, emotional, and spiritual changes too. What changes are we expecting in the next few months? What changes do we want to make in the coming months? What changes will happen that will take our breath away?

Changes are everywhere. If we do not change, we cannot grow and we cannot thrive. We are continually adapting to the changes in our lives. Some changes are small and some are huge. Some are planned and some are unexpected. Some changes are good and other are heart breaking. Changes are like a roller coaster with ups and downs. The only thing we can control is how we react to each change. Will we take it in stride? Will we roar like a lion? Will we retreat and lick our wounds? Will we crumble and fall? Will we be an example to others? Changes.

I am not sure what the next few months will bring. The last twelve months has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. I hope that life will get easier, but I know there are many more bumps to navigate.

Changes that I would like to see:
- The kids helping more with keeping the house clean.
- Figuring out how to effectively relay information to my son.
- Slowing down, breathing, and eating healthier.
- Remembering to ask God for help more often.
- Figuring out how to lessen stress in our lives.
- Taking time to give more hugs and more kisses even when the kids are driving me up the wall.

What changes are happening in your life? What changes would you like to see?

Run For It

I meet myself coming and going quite a bit. I get myself turned around. I find myself upside down. Quite often I am overwhelmed. Life will get easier, right?

My sister got the front door painted lightening bug yellow a few weeks ago. She gave me a new wreath for my birthday, too. Isn't the combination pretty?

The kids have been playing in the leaves this weekend. Princess even sorted the leaves by color.

Last weekend, I carved the family's pumpkin. Somehow a deer bone is now sticking out from its mouth.

I won a free book a few weeks ago. It arrived last weekend: The Stress Cure: Praying Your Way to Personal Peace by Linda Evans Shepherd. Thank you Baker Publishing and Proverbs31. The book is fascinating and a down-to-earth. It centers on managing stress through prayer and scripture. I have only made it through three chapters so far, but I do enjoy the fact that information is related in easy to understand examples. Chapter Two was about being overwhelmed. That me, OVERWHELMED!

I have been taking some nature photography.

 

I have wrangled with the health insurance company about Pumpkin's specialist. Turns out that I was right and she is in-network. So the insurance company has five visits over the last year to correct. A sixty dollar co-pay is a big difference when it is a two hundred dollar (3) or five hundred dollar (2) per visit bill.

I had the opportunity to attend an ADHD & Special Needs training last week. I have gleaned some information that I can use with Pumpkin. I need to find the time to really sit down and read over all of the handouts. The speaker was very nice, informative, and engaging.

A few weeks ago we took Princess to a neuro-opthomologist in a neighboring town. We were sent by our eye doctor for a second opinion. Good news! Her eyes are healthy and there are no underlying causes for her atypically vision problems. Her glasses are within the acceptable range for what she needs right now. We were referred back to our eye doctor for a 6-month January check-up.

Pumpkin went grocery shopping with me this afternoon. He decided to ride in the cart. Then he strategically stacked and built structures with the groceries as they went into the cart. Gotta love the quirks of autism at times.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! Don't forget Spotlight Sunday is tomorrow!

Spotlight Sunday

I am issuing a challenge:

Every Sunday from now (October 19) through the end of November, I challenge you to spotlight something positive happening in your community on some form of social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.). Hence, Spotlight Sunday!

I am concerned about all of the negativity that I see on social media. Usually it is picked up from what people see or hear through the media or acquaintances. There is just as much positive as there is negative for every community, but what seems to get selected to share is more often than not negative. Every single community across this world has at least one, if not more, positive things that often is overlooked. If you want to change how others view your community, then change must first happen within yourself. 

We need to start the change. So what is great and positive about your community? During the upcoming week look for something unique, wonderful, positive about your community to share with your friends, then each Sunday post, tweet, pin what you found. It is a fun treasure hunt and maybe you can even convince your friends to join along, together we can change negativity into positivity one post at time. Are you up for the challenge?

Happiness in the Small Things

Ahh!! New sheets! 

So fresh, so crisp, so wonderful! 

Nothing like new sheets! 

I splurged with my birthday money a few weeks ago and purchased a new set of sheets from Target. We just finally put them on the bed last night. 

I love the burnt orange color and white pattern that runs across the fabric. 

So fall like and not too girly!

Heaven! A freshly made bed is just heaven! 

We even took the time to rotate the mattress. We should do this more often, I woke up without my back hurting. Yay!

Besides these wonderful new sheets, I also like new hot-off-the-press books. The smell of a fresh new book is glorious and is also a rare treat! 

What do you like to have that is new?

Saturdays

I like Saturdays. Saturdays are laid back. Saturdays are typically the day of the week with the least amount of stress. A day to sleep-in, to relax a bit, and best of all NO homework.

Instead of sleeping in this morning, Pumpkin was up at the crack of dawn. He definitely did not have a volume control. I may need to take him to the doctor and make sure that his ear are okay. He has always been our stealth infection child in the past. Pumpkin kept himself busy exploring the kitchen cabinets and pulling out materials for some unknown creation. I found straws, duct tape, and a toilet paper tube abandoned on the great room floor.

I did not tackle any laundry today. Darn the luck! But Grandma, the kids, and I went to a few stores and grab some groceries. I cooked the kids macaroni and cheese for lunch by request. We used the last box of Phineas & Ferb macaroni and cheese, so we will have to use trial and error from this point on. Pumpkin can tell if it is not to his liking and will remember for the next time, shunning it forever. The joys of sensory processing disorder. I have learned the hard way when I attempt to switch the butter to another brand- his smell, taste, and sight are very fine tuned.

Princess decided to do my hair this afternoon. She placed twelve hair clips in my hair. Six in rainbow order on one side of my head and another six in rainbow order on the opposite side. Then she decorated her hair with nine hair clips. Little girls are quite interesting at this age.

I cooked a hot dinner for the first time since last weekend. It is hard to cook during the week with our homework hurtles. We either have leftovers, grab something out, or daddy makes cheese toasties. Pumpkin needs someone with him the entire time while working on homework. The homework table that I designated in the kitchen lasted for about a month. Right now his preferred place to do homework is in the sun room.  We need to figure out the key to unlocking the autism for dummies handbook soon before I lose my mind. Earlier this week Pumpkin flipped out when Uncle B, a close friend, dropped by to visit for a few minutes. Pumpkin jumped up and closed the curtains and was screaming that the Uncle B could not come into the house. So hubby and I chatted with Uncle B outside. When I asked Pumpkin about it later, he said that he did not want Uncle B seeing him doing his homework. Ack! It has to get better, right?

Anyway, this evening I baked a whole chicken in the guardian service seasoned with real butter and a fresh lemon. I also cooked frozen peas and made egg noddles with jarred alfredo sauce. We had sliced French bread, then I made grandma's sugar pies for dessert. 

It will be my turn for family dinner night this week. I am going to make cheese soup. It is always better the next day, so I will make a batch up tomorrow to cure in the refrigerator. I will figured out the rest of the meal later. Well better get moving on to the next thing on my to-do list.

Yes!

One day last week I had the day off work and the kids were in school, so I decided to treat myself with a Redbox movie. I rarely ever get to watch a movie without the kids at least until it is after they go to bed. Just after 8 am, I had made several important phone calls and was waiting for the return calls. I was hesitant about leaving homing to grab a movie. Finally at 11 am, I decided to brave it and made a fast run. 

When I returned, I thought maybe I should unload the freshly cleaned dishes from the dishwasher and reload before starting my movie. Then my sister arrived to paint the trim around the sunroom windows, if only I did not have allergies to the paint. Since my sister was rocking it out to her iPhone, I decided to replace the latch on the storm door that broke over the summer. I was very happy that the screw holes matched, but the inside part was too long. I searched for the hacksaw. Sigh, I could not find the hacksaw so I called grandma and she brought a hacksaw over. Grandma, my sister and I hung out, talked, and worked. I had been talking about repainting the front door because the paint was peeling off the metal. When I got the paint for the trim I grabbed a few paint samples. Sis and I looked through the samples and decided on a color- lightening bug. Hubby might be a touch surprised, but he said that I could paint it any color. Wink, wink! 

Looking at the clock it was 1pm, too late to watch a movie before getting the kids. Instead sis and I ran to the hardware store and got some paint rollers and the paint for the front door (this week's project). Then off to school I went to grab the kids. On the drive home I talked them into watching a movie in our bedroom so I could watch my movie on the sunroom tv. I popped a Halloween Scooby Doo in for the kids and Moms' Night Out in for me.  It only took me 3 1/2 hours to finish watching the movie. It got paused quite a few times for the telephone, a drop by visitor, and the kids. 

I am in love with the movie. Wow! Amazing! I could relate to quite a few of the characters. 

Allyson is zany and overwhelmed. I so get that and relate to the hiding from the kids in the closet scene. Life just gets so overwhelming at times and there needs to be a way to vent that build-up. I would love to have a girls night away from the kids. A night to forget homework woos, to forget autism, to forget sibling bickering, to forget chores, to forget cooking, and so much more. My luck, it would probably mirror parts of the movie. Ha ha ha ha!

Sondra is prim, proper, and always feels like everyone else is judging her in the role of a minister's wife. She rarely is given an invitation to just go out and have fun. I feel her too. I have had quite a few people tell me that I am prim and proper especially when they met my dad, who has Harley biker written all over in one glance. I do not see it, but I am more of an introvert. I like to be behind the scenes instead of out in the front. I rarely get invited to do fun things, except for parties where acquaintances are selling things. 

Izzy is struggling with the stress of parenting her twins. Her husband is terrified of being alone with the kids. I am very thankful that my hubby helps out, but there times when he will not do something because he does not know how. My response is let me show you how to do it for the next time. I am positive that he will not break Princess's glasses if he cleans them from time to time. He has learned that elastic bands in the hair of little girls are really not that scary either, just don't use the scissors.

Anway, what an amazing movie! I may have to splurge and add it to the home collection. I think it has made it to my top five list. Wink, wink!

Last but not least, enjoy this picture of yesterday's sunrise. A beautiful gift on the four year anniversary of mom's passing. I love you and miss you mom!

Ten Years

Hubby and I recently celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary. On top of that we dated for five years before getting married, so we have been together for fifteen years. Wow! 

Ten years ago, I was working two part-time jobs. I had a student loan and a car loan. I was living with grandma and grandpa. My baby sister was still in high school. Mom and dad were both healthy. I would not quite envision the life I have now back then.
 

We paid for our wedding mostly out of our own pockets. Grandma made my wedding dress. My wedding ring was my great-grandma's. We got married in my little country church, who doors have since been shut. I made up prairie flower arrangements for the front of the church, complete with rattlesnake master. Dad walked me down the aisle. Mom and step dad #2 made it to the wedding, mine is the only one she attended. We had a simple reception at an outdoor pavilion. We did not have a fancy honeymoon, just one night away.  We had Hawaiian pizza for our first meal. 

We temporarily moved into an apartment and at one time talked about building a home. I dreamed of a home with a creek and pond. We wanted to live in the country. We wanted to have one or two kids after we paid off my student loan. I dreamed of a full time job.

Ten years later, I still love my hubby. We have two beautiful children. Both are special in their own way. One has autism and the other vision problems. Every day is an adventure into the unknown. I am still working part-time. We live in a house that hubby's grandparent's built. Thankfully we do have a creek and pond, even though we are in town. My grandma and sister live near by. Grandpa and mom are gone. Dad has had two bone marrow transplants. I have learned that dreams are just that, dreams. The future never turns out how we envision. I have learned that it is best to just take one day at a time. 

I am thankful for my blessings. I am thankfully for hubby. I am thankful for Pumpkin and Princess. I am thankful for grandma. I am thankful for my dad. I am thankful for my sister. I am thankful for grandma R. I am thankful for hubby's family. I am thankful for a roof over my head. I am thankful for food to eat. I am thankful for freedom of religion. I am thankful for clean fresh air. I am thankful for the beauty of nature. I am thankful for so many things.

I do not know what the future holds, but I hope to have many more years with my wonderful, caring hubby.

A Tale of Two Tables

I was chatting with grandma in July about one aspect of our homework dilemma: How to stay near Pumpkin while he does his homework and cook dinner at the same time. The problem was that the table in the kitchen had a drop down side that was worse for the wear and made it impossible to sit in a normal fashion.  Since our eating table is located in the Sunroom (where we have a wonderful view of nature and the pond), it became a catch-all table with piles of stuff. 

Last school year homework was done at a long sofa table in the Great Room. Unfortunately that table is not close enough to the sink, stove, and refrigerator so dinner often suffered. Hubby became very proficient in the art of making cheese toasties. It was his avenue to escape homework.  Ha ha ha ha!

Our kitchen table was given to my parents as a gift when I was a small child. After my mom and stepdad #1 divorced, it sat in mom's garage for a few years.  The heat, humidity, and cold did not treat it kindly. The painted legs were cracked and chipped. The top of the table and sides also suffered from the wood splitting apart. A gentleman from church fixed it up enough to be usable, but honestly it needs a complete overhaul.

Grandma had a wonderful idea, she offered to trade tables with us to help with our homework dilemma. The new kitchen table was my great-great grandma's kitchen table. It is just a touch larger than the other table without any drop down sides.  The finish still looks nice after years of use.

About a week before school started, hubby and a friend did the Great Table Switch.  The "new" table is working out well. Pumpkin is enjoying doing his homework in the kitchen. The table is no longer a catch-all area, although it is homework and sack lunch central. And best of all, I can cook supper while monitoring and encouraging the homework situation. Now if we could only speed the homework process up (wink, wink).

101 Things

There is always 101 things that need to be done. It can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes I cannot tell the difference between up and down. 

Now that school has started, we have the homework battle with Pumpkin each night. We are trying to discover techniques that may help us proceed in a faster manner. I search the internet for ideas in the evenings. I dropped by the library and check out books for ideas. We did a change out with our kitchen table to help with our homework battle. Another post will be dedicated to that soon. Friday morning I am heading up north to a parent training session to see if I can glean ideas in general that will help us to help Pumpkin. We have met with his teacher and principal twice so far this school year and we are just starting the third week of school. We do have a great teacher this year and we are working with her on Pumpkin's social hurtles and quirks. Next week we go back to the childhood behavioral pediatrician to explore the possibly of medication to help manage the ADHD, so we can work on teaching the needed skills for the ASD. I am so glad for the weekends which give us a short break of the homework battle.

Housework has turned into a formidable mountain around here. Between being sick all summer, having an injured foot, and now homework it has been a challenge to get even the basics done. I have attempted to train the kids, but more often than not they are more of the problem than the solution. Laundry is getting washed, but unfortunately it has been hanging out unfolded in the laundry baskets until they are empty or reclaimed for another load of clean laundry. Surfaces are piled high with clutter, papers, STUFF. Dishes are hit and miss. I think that I need to have a cleaning party, one room at a time of course. Any friends up for the challenge?

We did have a friend come by this past weekend. He fixed the leak under our kitchen sink and removed our garbage disposal for us. I know, a lot of people love their garbage disposals. But, I did not have one until we moved into our current home.  I really am not fond of them. Why would someone would want to send stuff down their drains and into their pipes to risk having a blockage thereby having to call a plumber? We have an older model house and I know that we have some tile collapsing in the front yard, so why take the risk of causing more harm than good. I am happy though that I can now return all of the stuff that was under the sink, back underneath the sink. The under the sink supplies have been sitting in a tub in my kitchen for the past three months.

I am attempting to relearn how to type. Ugh! Apparently the rules for composing with a computer have changed. Instead of two spaces after a period (which is what I was taught by a teacher in high school that threated detentions for not following directions), the new rule is one space after a period. I guess this is because in this fast paced world, they want to save as much room and space as they can. Apparently the two space rule was created to help separate sentences when using a typewriter (which once again, I learned how to type on) and is not necessary with a computer since the spacing is more uniform. Up until last week at work, I had never heard of it before. I looked it up on the internet and quite a few well-known sites did talk about this change. So I am attempting with much error to reteach myself how to type. This is a quite a challenge, since it has been ingrained into my brain since my freshman year of high school. Try it for yourself to see how hard it is to conform.

Well, I guess that I should think about hitting the sack. Tomorrow will be another long day. I just have to remember: One day at a time. One breath at a time. This too shall pass. Before I know it life will get easier instead of more challenging. At least I hope (wink, wink).

Duck, Duck, Goose!

The most tenacious creatures we have in our yard are the Canada geese.  

They are here in the summer.

They are here in the fall.

They are here in the winter.

They are here in the spring.

The only time they leave is when the pond is iced over.

They will fly right over our heads when on approach to the pond and when exiting the pond.

Right before dark, they fly east to spend on the night on the local lake.

In the morning, they return.

It is interesting to watch a goose fight.

The geese like to stand on top of our house and garage, then honk until they are honked out.

They like to walk down the driveway, then walk up the sidewalk towards the stoplight.

They will not hurry if they are standing in the driveway and you are attempting to drive on the driveway.

They leave green squishy goose droppings everywhere.

One pair of geese has had their nest on top of the neighbor's porch overhang for the last two years.

They will chase you if you get too close to their young.

There was once a goose that we called War Goose.  He would not let anyone cross the bridge to the other side of the pond, unless you carried a really big stick and even then you never turned your back.

Playing in the Rain

We had a nice rain shower earlier.  

The kiddos enjoyed playing in it. 

This is what summer is about!

Summer Is Almost Over

Summer is almost over!  School is just around the corner.

We have the kids school supplies.  We had separate shopping trips for each child.  I have a laundry basket that is overfilled with all of their goodies.  Pumpkin was the easy one this year and we zipped through three stores pretty fast.  Princess on the other hand took at least 20 minutes to decide on each item that was on her school supply list.  I thought that the shopping trip would NEVER end.  Ha ha ha!   

Pumpkin will be going into the second grade and Princess will be starting kindergarten.  Thankful that both kids will be at the same location! We get to met the teachers with the kids this coming week, then school starts on August 18.  I think that they are both excited.  Hubby and I got a chance to met with the principal and Pumpkin's teacher to get game plan started.  We have a really good feeling about this school year and are so thankful that the staff is supportive and flexible. 

We finished our summer care Friday.  It was truly a blessing!  The kids got to play outside most of the summer.  They even got the opportunity to take swim lessons.  Pumpkin got extra help strengthening his math and reading skills.  This coming week the kids get to hang out with me at home.

Pumpkin lost his first two teeth ever on July 14.  We have yet to have a visit from the tooth fairy.  He is refusing to part with his teeth, since they contain his "memories."  So they are hidden away in his room so the tooth fairy cannot find them.  He got that train of thought from the movie "Rise of the Guardians."  His two "shark" teeth were almost fully in right behind the ones that fell out.  They are starting to shift forward now.

I am still hanging in there.  Life certainly has been rough this year, but I am still smiling.  I got released from my multiple doctors two Monday's ago.  Ten long weeks of uncertainty and just not feeling good at all.  So thankful that all of the testing and illness is gone.  Thanks be to God!  Unfortunately, I cannot say that it is the end of my health saga.  The next day I ended up with a stress fracture to my right foot.  I initially thought that it was a really bad foot cramp, but since the pain did not subside I saw the podiatrist.  So, I have a lovely black surgical shoe that I get to wear until I go back for another visit.  I think that the culprit might have been my house shoes.  I have been wearing them for about six years now.  I know, I know!  Shoes are not meant to be worn daily for that long.  I just could not bear to give them up.  I find that I have trouble getting rid of things that have sentimental value.  I bought them a few months before I had Princess and wore them in the hospital during our maternal stay.

For the upcoming week, we had planned to go to the state fair, have a garage sale, and take a few local day trips.  But since I injured my driving foot, we are going to have to stay local unless someone else does the driving and I cannot be standing for hours at a time.  I probably should not be lugging stuff over to grandma's house for a garage sale either.  I have decided that I will use my heavy duty walking boot (from my plantar fasciitis stint in 2009), when it comes to going to school for registration day.  The last thing I need is for someone to step on my injured hoof.  Funny thing is that I can move faster in the boot, than in the shoe.  Ha ha ha!

Well life is never boring around here!  Hopefully I stay a little more up to date with this little blog as we venture into the fall.

Count Your Blessings

"Count your blessings!  Name them one by one!"

I have a wonderful, supportive husband! Yay!

I have two quirky, lovable children! Yay!
 
After eight weeks of the unknown, I have found out that I do not have cancer! Yay!
 
I have had a chance to take some cool nature photography! Yay!
 
I have some really awesome friends that have offered  encouragement and advice! Yay!
 
After seven weeks, my very first bladder infection is finally gone! Yay!
 
We have an official diagnosis for Pumpkin! Yay!
 
I have some amazing prayer warriors that have been keeping my family and I in their prayers! Yay!
 
I treasure the words of encouragement and support from my school teacher cousin, nearby mother-in-law, and nearby sister-in-law.

We were fortunate to have a friend sell us a relatively new iPad mini for Pumpkin! Yay!
 
Over seven weeks, my ovarian cyst has gone from the size of a lemon to completely disappeared! Yay!
 
I am thankful for my faith in God!  Yay!

I am not quite there yet, but I finally starting to feel half-way normal again! Yay!

A is for . . .

A is for Absorb.  Pumpkin absorbs information and uses it at the most interesting times.

A is for Actually.  Pumpkin loves to say "actually."

A is for ADHD.  Pumpkin has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder difference.

A is for Adventurous.  Pumpkin is adventurous and loves to climb trees.

A is for Allergy.  Pumpkin has an allergy to cats.

A is for Amazing.  Pumpkin is amazing at building and creating.

A is for Apples.  Pumpkin loves apples with peanut butter.

A is for Attention.  Pumpkin may not pay attention, but he is a very loving child.

A is for Atypical.  Pumpkin is atypical, he marches to the beat of his own drum.

A is for Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Pumpkin has autism spectrum disorder difference, the high functioning kind. 

Pumpkin is just Pumpkin.  He is our son.  He is a child just like every other child out there.  He is curious, full of love, and adventurous.  He just learns a little differently than the next.  I do not appreciate the audacity of those that think he does not fit into the ADHD or autism classifications because he does not fit into the neat little box of someone's ideals.  I do not appreciate being told that I am wasting my time and money trying to help my son.  Every child is different, no child fits within a particular mold whether they are a typical or a atypical child. Every child deserves the right to excel in all aspects of life.  It might be harder for some children than others, but every parent wants that for their child.  

Now that we have an official diagnosis, we will move forward.  We will learn ways to help Pumpkin excel.  We will learn ways to help us a family navigate through these new uncharted waters.  We will modify and adapt as we do with each twist and turn of life.

What I know as a mother about Pumpkin:

1) He takes things literally.  I once got flustered while overseeing homework and made the mistake of saying "I'm just going to jump off a bridge."  Pumpkin burst into tears and then I spent the next thirty minutes explaining that it was a saying and that I really would not jump off a bridge.  

2) He is impulsive and cannot always control what he does.  This is a hard one for us parents.  We go over the rules, we have him repeat the rules, we give consequences for breaking the rules and still he cannot conform.  He knows that he should not have done the action afterwards, but has not mastered the ability to control himself.  This is not due to a lack of discipline.  This is not due to the lack of parent attention.  Pumpkin learns different, thereby we must modify to teach him differently.  So if my son upsets a fellow child, I ask my son why he thinks the other child might be upset, then ask him how he might feel in that child's place.  It is not a lack of punishment, it is simply trying to teach my child empathy for his fellow peers.  He has to understand that his actions affect others to help him understand that the action was wrong.  He still gets in trouble and has a time out on my lap, but to change he has to understand and see why his actions were wrong. 

3) He does not fully understand social boundaries and etiquette.  He constantly gets in trouble at school and most are repetitive offenses.  He does not seem to grasp what is appropriate and it does not help that sometimes his peers egg him on.  Since he has trouble being the "perfect" child, occasionally his peers use him as the fall guy when mischief occurs.  I am sure that he does his fair share of the mischief, but there are times that I have chatted with him after school and the story he tells is quite different than the note that was sent home.  He has trouble keeping his hands to himself and he has trouble not saying "funny" inappropriate words (like bathroom words).  If a peer says "hi" or "bye", he is absolutely oblivious.  Instead of shaking hands at church, he likes to hide behind or under the church pew.  He prefers to avoid eye contact, especially with people that he does not know.

Parents of an atypical child see things a lot differently than others on the outside.  We do not try to make excuses for our children.  Every child in this world is unique and special.  Every child has a different way to learn and not every child is capable of conforming to a single style of learning.  Parents also do not want to overhear disheartening things about their child.   

A person would definitely need to walk a mile in our shoes to even begin to understand Pumpkin.  He looks like a normal child.  Sometimes he even acts like a normal child.  He has good days.  And he has bad days.  He is our Pumpkin and we love him. 

A Mother's Love- Part 2

My quilt is finally done.  It took time and love on grandma's part and it is absolutely beautiful!  

The blocks were embroidered by my mom and great grandma.  See A Mother's Love- Part 1 for the back story.  
 

Grandma allowed me to design how I wanted the quilt to look.  I envisioned a garden.  The embroidered blocks I wanted surrounded by a stain glass inspired gate in memory of grandpa.  I wanted a wandering chain of flowers between the inner gate and outer border. When grandma completed the quilt, she had a local lady machine quilt it before sewing the binding on.

It was quite the project.  But I am so thankful that I have something to keep my mom, grandpa, and great grandma in my memories.  And one day when grandma goes to join them, I will also remember her love in creating this beautiful quilt.