House Of Blues!

Kamtastrophic!

2012-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our life. This particular meltdown began at Target this afternoon. It was triggered by a little thing, his new shoes that he had on still had the plastic ring on one of them. He insisted on wearing them but became more and more determined to have me take the plastic off of his shoes. In anticipation of a possible meltdown, big or small, I knew I had a limited amount of time to get the heck outta there...

While leaving Target (thank goodness we were at least going out the door) a scene similar to this one occurred. I had to end up restraining him just to get him calmed down enough to even buckle him up. I recorded this up to the point of him throwing things at me. (And YES, he is in fact calling me stupid)! Prior to this video, he had already thrown his shoes and socks at me. By the time we got home, he had escaped from his car seat and was throwing punches. Both of us were in tears by this point.
Rest assured, he was disciplined when we got home.... But he has also been completely covered by his weighted blanket and self soothing with taggies, thumb sucking, etc.... for over an hour now. Exhausted :/!

HomeMade Sensory Items for Kam

2012-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

The boys have started their new daycare and while Ky is loving it, Kam has had a hard transition. The daycare has already moved him to a new class after the first unsuccessful week. The new class has only one teacher and half the number of children that the other class had - A much better fit for him. I have been very pleased with their proactive approach to helping Kam out.

This is a Picture Schedule I made for Kam due to him having a melt down every single morning because he wanted both mom and dad to take him to daycare. This was effective the very first time we used it. Yay for no more melt downs.

This is a 'Lap Buddy' I made out of tube socks and a variety of sensory materials. This one has 2 tube socks, wrong side out. Each part is made out of a different texture and the whole thing weighs about 3 pounds. The purpose of this is to put in his lap when he is asked to sit at a chair or at the carpet. It is just a constant reminder for him to sit and gives him something to do with his hands as well. Inside I put beans, macaroni, rice, and pillow stuffing. I resisted the urge to bling it out b/c I didn't want it to be a distraction for all the other kiddos (and he is a boy).

This one is a fidget toy and was fun to make. Again, another tube sock. I glued fidget items on there for texture/sensory needs and a strip of velcro. I also tapered the ends to be 'taggie-like' for him.

This one is a shaker toy that I filled with water, food coloring, glitter, liquid soap, and the letters of his name (beads). This has been his favorite one so far. It has really helped him learn his letters so I might have to think about making these in Kindergarten as well ;).

Sensory Integration Disorder and GREAT INFO!!!

2011-12-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

Found this great blog/link about a mom dealing with Sensory Integration Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder.
Great resource for both teachers and parents.

http://mom-blog.com/?p=2883

Santa Visits Early!

2011-11-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

Santa left our family a new puppy this weekend. The boys woke up Saturday to this letter attached to the cage in the following pic...

Dear Ky and Kam,

Paws and I needed a good home for Lennox.

I heard your holiday wish and I knew you would

be the best family for her.

Make sure you help your mom and dad feed her

and give her baths. Give her lots of love and cuddles.

Love, Santa

Lennox is a 6 month old Shih-tzu/Pug aka Pug-Zu. Although she is not potty trained AT ALL.... she is a very sweet girl. She seems to be scared of the boys so she stays away from them so far. I am so excited to have some pink in our lives :-)! We will enjoy having Lennox as a part of our family and are already making memories with her.
THANKS SANTA!!!!

Lennox - Welcome Home!!!

Boys Will Be Boys! (Even if they do scream like girls)

2011-11-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Mother of the year, I know ;)

Wordless Weekend: Pics of Zoo Trip!

2011-11-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

My Sweets for Trick Or Treat!!!

2011-10-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Customize your own picture slideshow

A Letter To Myself...

2011-10-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Pre-Vacation Self,

Simmer down! You’re going to get through the hustle and the bustle. You will. You’ll get the kids fed and tended. The bills will get paid and the Kinders will get taught. Yes, many things need doing. But this is the storm before the calm. And you are qualified to get ‘er done. Not excited about it, but qualified.

The details scream for attention, for there is no vacation planned. Don’t let the details steal the dream. You’ll be glad when you look back and realize you lived the process with grace. Grace. It’s a lovely word. Grace for your family, your world and yourself. Everyone needs it.

Your dream is waiting. Plan it well and enjoy every minute of it.

Live it well.

Praying for GRACE,

Your Post-Vacation Blissfull Self :)

Unexpected Blessings!

2011-09-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Got to stay home with my guys today unexpectedly and we had the best time together. We went on an hour long walk to the lake. Then we took Kam to the chiro and met dad for a lunch date. We were supposed to go to the Museum after nap, but the slept soooooooo long that we ended up at the park instead. (With a promise to go to the Museum this weekend).

Here are my guys with static head.

PeEk*A*bOo

Cannot get them both looking at me at the same time ;)...

Bounce House Burnout!

2011-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

The Cause

The Effect

The Skeleton in our Closets....uhhhh, I mean The Hulk in our Closets!

2011-07-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

First, let me begin by saying that my husband has a comic book/hulk toy collection that has outgrown our closet spaces. I surprised him by hiring 2 high school boys to help me move it all into what used to be the baby nursery. This has been his goal since the boys' were sharing a room, but he just never has the time to do it.
The collection previously was taking up space in the K's huge closet, guest room closet, and guest room itself.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

The entry to the K's closet. I was having to climb the comic book boxes to reach some of their clothes.

Looking back into the K's closet.

The K's closet now! :-) They have been playing in there non-stop and LOVE it! I can reach all their clothes. Now I can even relieve our living spaces of toys b/c I am slowly moving everything up there. AMAZING!!!!

The guest room before. And yes, our poor guests had to dive into the bed, haha... Not pictured is the guest room closet, stacked to the ceiling with more boxes.

After shot of emptyness! I might even put a chair in here.

Guest room also before.

Guest room after :)

The lonely baby nursery before.

Nursery shot after, the bulk of the hulk collection now resides here. The nursery closet is full, and the guest room closet is still full. That is quite a collection... It took lots of planning, and grunt work to make this happen and I am happy with the results and that it is all in one location. I did this as a surprise for my hubby so hopefully he will love it.

Mirror Makeover!

2011-07-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

I love the gaudy styled mirrors that are hot right now. I bought a cheapo from CL that was heavy and gold and painted it to match my master bedroom. Our master bedroom has dark grey walls with a brown accent wall. I was using red as my accent color, and will probably still keep some red throughout the room. Now I have decided to use yellow as my accent color to lighten up the room a bit.
This is what the gold mirror looked like before.

I taped and covered the glass and then used Kilz spray paint.

Here is a not that great pic of it hanging on the brown accent wall. I hung it directly over my jewelry chest sot hat I can use it each day. Love how it turned out!

Summer Wreath and Linky Party

2011-06-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Remember my summer wreath I made a week ago? I posted it at the following linky party. Check it out to see lots of inspirational ideas.

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken Bliss!!!

2011-06-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

My pic of the creamy chicken recipe!

Seriously, this recipe is a MUST TRY! So fattening, but oh so sinfully wonderful to taste. And the hardest part of making it, was frying up the bacon! Soooooooo EASY!
I got the recipe from one of my favorite slow cooker blogs:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Because I cook most of my meals in the mornings, crockpot meals are the best solution in our house and she has such a variety of meals to choose from. Check it out.

Here is the link to the Chicken recipe I just made:

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/06/crockpot-bacon-and-cheese-chicken.html

But here is the actual recipe:
--2 T olive oil
--4-6 chicken breast halves, or equivalent bird pieces (I used 8 breast tenders)
--12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon
--1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Tamari's wheat-free that I found at Whole Foods)
--1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing
--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

The Directions.

Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your crock and spread it around. If you are using thighs or fattier cuts of meat, this step is probably optional.

Put the chicken in the crock on top of the oil.

In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce and the ranch dressing. I kept tasting this---the flavor is so bizarre and tasty; I've never had anything like it.

Pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Add the shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon to the crock, getting between the chicken pieces, if you can.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken pieces are, and if they are fresh or frozen.

This is her pic of the meal.

Happy Father's Day 2011!

2011-06-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband Keith! This is what the boys and I came up with to help him celebrate (since all he got were tires on his car as a gift)...

Cardboard letters I used from Hobby Lobby.

Kam with the 'D'

Both with the 'A' - This evenutally turned into a fight ;)

Ky with a 'D'

I love this one even tho the first D is backwards, I blew it up and framed it!

Another shot of the 'DAD'

My intention was to frame them in a 3 column collage frame, however I took the pics up and down and then the middle letter was sideways and couldn't find a frame that fit that set-up. But I think it turned out okay in these cheapies...

The kids painted their letters as another gift. Can you guess which were Ky's and which was Kam's? HAHA

My Summer Wreath!

2011-06-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I made this all by myself :-) I am so pleased with it and it looks great on our kitchen Plantation Shutters.

First, I wrapped a styrafoam wreath with twine using hot glue. Then I followed the steps at Delightful Order blog on how to make my own fabric flowers... Here is the link:
http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/2011/05/fabric-flower-tutorial.html

I cannot wait to make one of these for every season! :-) Happy Summer <3!

Freeze Time

2011-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA lately b/c I am so busy enjoying my boys! This summer I nearly signed up to teach summer school and I am so relieved I didn't do it :)! Ky and Kam are at such a fun age and I just want to freeze time and stay in summer mode forever <3.
Here is a video of 'The Freeze' dance moves in honor of this post... So cute and fun (and great exercise for mom)!

Go Away Big Green Veggie!

2011-05-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

The boys' new fave book is "Go Away Big Green Monster" and here is how I tried to use it to encourage them to eat vegetables!

Kam's attempt at creating a Green Monster!

Kyler actually did a great job and needed very little help. He had a good time, but didn't necessarily eat much of the veggies. :(

What I used:

Grilled Zucchini that I had leftover, strawberries, olives, cherry tomatoes, an apple sliced into sharp white teeth, and the hair was also the top of a strawberry.

FUN!!! And oh so easy!

All Bottled Up!

2011-05-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite bottles... Enjoy!

Milk bottle filled with bath salts

My newest bottle for $1 at a yard sale, an old whiskey bottle

A bleach bottle that resides permanently on my mantle filled with super tall sticks b/c we have severely tall ceilings

The bottle on the right is a jug of some kind of liquor that came from my mother-in-law's old barn along with two other bottles on the left; this ledge is about 25 feet high so I was standing on top of my couch and still couldn't get a great pic ;)

An old mason jar that I always use to display my Tyler Roses

This was one of my first bottles and got me hooked on old bottles. Found this Gancia bottle at an estate sale for $.50 when I was in college... This was only the beginning of my love affair with all things thrifty <3

My Killer Craigslist Curtains!

2011-05-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Remember a long ago previous post regarding my bland wall in my living room? Well...... I finally made a curtain commitment!!!! Hooray!
Here is the before and after pic. Can't wait to get some paint on the walls to really make them pop!

FAB!

DRAB.

Happy Mother's Day MiMi!

2011-05-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, aka MiMi!

We love you and miss you! Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day! xoxo (Kam got his haircut just for you) haha

Blessings!

2011-05-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

So many small blessings are happening in our lives right now. Although things have been better... I feel so encouraged by the little things in a way that I would previously have taken for granted.
So that I don't go on and on.... Take a picture walk and see what has made me smile this week!

Birdhouses made by Ksquared! Ky = Blue and Kam = Pink! Thanks Shannon ;)

Necklace with their thumb prints <3

Hubs got my hint from a previous blog post and ordered me several books for my summer reading pleasure :-)

I also received so many words of encouragement, thoughtful gifts, and lots of goodies for Teacher Appreciation Week!

And of course the KISD grant money that I won at school to spend in my classroom! YAY! My Kindergarteners, team, and I were all very excited about this big win!!!

Last, but not least, the BIG news of the week. We received word today that our rental home (which has been a HUGE thorn in our side recently) has been purchased. Although the new tenants cannot get qualified, they are going to do a lease to own program and paid the downpayment and signed the paperwork today! The BIGGIE is that they are buying it AS IS!!!! Right when we were about to pour about $5,000 into renovating the house. And another kicker is that the financial offer they made on the home is far more than we ever anticipated, especially since it currently has no flooring or even a fence! (We were just beginning the demo) This truly is an answered prayer! So thankful for the little things!

What blessings have you encountered this week?

My hearts!

2011-04-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

CoUnT DoWn 2 SuMmEr!

2011-04-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

Today begins the official countdown to SUMMER!!!
26 SCHOOL DAYS LEFT!!!

Comical Display of Developmental Differences B/t a 2 and 3 Year Old!

2011-04-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with these bouncy balls from the Easter Bunny this year. This was their first try on them and it was cute to watch how differently each of them used them, even after showing them. I just love how Kam flips over and his feet stay stuck on the ball as he just rolls around :-) Hilarious!!!

Sensory Kid + Rainforest Cafe = Mom doesn't get to eat!

2011-04-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

After this video, Kam ended up sitting in my lap, sucking his thumb, and laying his head on me the whole time. He wasn't ever scared again, just trying to black it all out ;) Kyler had a blast, as you can see. Kam enjoyed the fish and was unsure about the rest. Fun time all in all.

The K's Easter Fun!

2011-04-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Kam tasting his goodies

Ky trying to like candy

This is how you do it

Uncle Lee helping me out (aka Unco Wee)

Look what I found

Another one in the tree

I love my Elmo basket

He is just too cute

The final result of our dyed eggs :)
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

And The Winner Is.........MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

2011-04-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Won my first 'giveaway' today! So flippin happy!
Here is the giveaway I entered at eighteen25, you can check them out here:
http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/

What did I win?
So glad you asked!
This is the sight hosting the product I won at Paper Coterie!
https://papercoterie.com/
And the Growth Chart below is what I'm choosing! LOVE IT!

SO EXCITED!!!! And I know your completely jealous, right? :-) Things are looking up around here ;)!

My Day Ended in a SMILE :)

2011-04-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Here are my two favorite things of the day.... (And today was a doozie!!!) And it's only Wednesday? Really?????

First is this new 'Black Shatter' nail polish! Shannon let me borrow it and it is so fun and easy. Hers was turquoise and looks even cooler. At least it is something different since I am no longer on a bi-monthly mani/pedi schedule :(... Thanks Shannon :-)

Also thanks to Shannon, my kiddos made these for me at her house this morning. Are they not the cutest thing ever? You cannot tell from the pics, but they painted the pots as well. She said Kyler spent nearly an hour painting his and he was very determined to be the perfectionist that he is!
THANKS SHANNON for helping put a smile on my face today !

To Stain or Not to Stain?

2011-04-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

We just might be ripping up our downstairs carpet to put into our rental home. I am REALLY wanting hard wood flooring, but it is simply not in our budget these days :(! However, I am considering this....

I think I might love it as an alternative.... Anything but carpet!!!!

Here is an entertaining video (no really, I was actually getting into it) on how to stain concrete. Looks like a lot of steps for a family with two small kiddos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bx4gXJ4jkE

Got any other suggestions for me?!?

Book Looks!

2011-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am currently in a book funk!!! Can't find anything interesting to read, nor can I find the TIME to read.... This is my current Amazon Wish List (hint, hint hubs!!!) for my summer reading pleasure. Only 6 more weeks until I get some much needed R&R with my 2 K's!

I wasn't initially interested in this series, but I have heard good things about it so I'm willing to give it a shot.

Read about this series on another blog and it sounds lovely, can't wait...

This will be my sad story of the summer...

This one just sounds good and Amazon keeps recommending it to me, so I must need it, right?

My ghostly pic...

Gotta have a love story too! ohhhhlala xoxo

A book about sisters of course.

I have heard lots of people talk about Lisa Jackson books, so I just wanted to give her a try in this suspenseful one.

Hey, I even found an educational book I wanted. My friend Cheryl Landes swears by this when teaching her own kids to read so I want to check it out.

Have you read any of these? Got any other literary suggestions for my summer fun?

ABC's of ME!

2011-04-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Age: 34 and I already have to ask my hubs to remind me how old I am...

Bed Size: King

Chore you hate: Scrubbing the funk outta the shower

Dogs: Not an animal lover for some reason but not a hater either.

Essential start of your day: COFFEE and some M^E Time

Favorite Color: Blue and Brown is EVERYWHERE in my space lately

Gold or silver: Silver darling

Height: 5'4" THANK GOD it didn't ask for my weight!!!!! :-0

Instruments I play (or have played): Piano, but its been a loooooooooong time

Job Title: Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Teacher... etc....

Kids: 2 boys under the age of three, Ky and Kam -yes, please do pray for me ;)

Live: FW TX

Mom's Name: Linda

Nickname: Fairy

Overnight hospital stays: Having kids and in the hospital with Kam a few times.

Pet Peeve: TV on too loud!

Quote from a movie: Don't go breaking my heart! - Chicken Little (Inside joke b/t my three year old son and myself) Obviously I don't see many grown up movies?!?

Right or left handed: Right handed

Siblings: I am the oldest…and I have two sisters (Shelley and Anndrea) and a brother (Tanner).

Time you wake up: 4:30 AM; Crazy I know!!!!

Underwear: Um... yes, I wear them?

Vegetables you dislike: I'm a veggie girl but not much on raw veggies, like them cooked.

What makes you run late: Kids, but typically I am on-time

X-rays you've had done: Teeth, spine, MRI's

Yummy food you make: Our current fave at home is Sausage Tortellini! YUMMO

Zoo animal: Monkeys, and they are all over my classroom!

Your turn! Repost and play along!

Playmates!

2011-04-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Create a free digital scrapbook

My 1st Linky Party

2011-04-07T03:36:00.000-07:00

Check out all the other cute Easter/Spring/Inspirational Crafts on this fab blog!

Jumping Jack Flash-er!

2011-04-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Kam getting caught with his pants down ;)

Bad Hair Day?

2011-04-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Wonder if Justin Bieber ever wakes up looking like this?

April Fools Day! Cupcakes for Supper?!?

2011-04-02T16:55:00.001-07:00

I surprised the fam with Cupcakes for supper! They were loving it until they bit into them and discovered it was actually meatloaf, topped with colored mashed potatoes. APRIL FOOLS!!!! HAHA I have to admit that I stole this creative idea from my last year's room mom, Tricia. Kyler really understood it and thought it was hilarious. He ate LOTS of his supper, typically he wouldn't have loved meatloaf ;) Kam was just along for the ride. Loving our new April Fool's family tradition.

Here is the simple recipe that I used... (I used boxed mashed potatoes so that it would be nice and sticky.)

•MEATLOAF CUPCAKES
•2 pounds Ground Chuck
•2 cups Whole Wheat Bread, Torn Into Pieces
•16 ounces, weight Shredded Cheddar Cheese
•1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
•2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten
•¼ cups Tomato Sauce
•¼ cups Ketchup
•2 teaspoons Salt
•1 teaspoon Pepper
•MEATLOAF SAUCE
•½ cups Tomato Sauce
•½ cups Ketchup
•2 Tablespoons Regular Mustard
•2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
•3 Tablespoons Vinegar
•3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

MEATLOAF CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake trays with 24 aluminum foil baking cup liners.

Mix ground chuck, bread pieces, cheese, onion, eggs, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.

Fill each cup with meatloaf mixture. Press into aluminum baking cups and fill tops above the liners in a mounded shape simulating the finished cupcake shape since the mixture won’t rise.

Bake for almost an hour or until done.

Bistro Bargains from a Bloggy Buddy!

2011-04-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

My front patio went from drab to fab thanks to my friend Kelli! THANK YOU KELLI!
Before...

After...

Here is Kelli's own patio remodel that led to the big bargain ($25) woohooooo!!!!!!

http://kevinandkellipalmer.blogspot.com/2011/03/porch-love.html

Spring Fever!

2011-04-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

I heart the subway art that I download from the blog http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/03/pom-pom-garland.html!
I print one for every season and always get tons of compliments on it. I strung my Easter Eggs with a sewing needle to make some cheap, yet festive garland. Happy Spring :-)

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star! Sweetness!

2011-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Kam singing oh so sweetly... Remember, he despises cameras, so you can see that he keeps giving me 'the look' to put that thing away! ;)

Cowtown and the Cattle Drive

2011-03-19T11:48:00.001-07:00

We went down to the Stockyards to watch the Cattle Drive. They do this everyday at 11:30 am and the kids love to see the cowboys and the cattle. We walked around for a bit afterwards and took them to the old time candy store where they both chose the big lollipops. Fun day with the boys.

Spring Break Project: Hutch

2011-03-19T11:25:00.001-07:00

This hutch was given to us FREE from my mom and dad. It didn't match the dark wood in our home and I have been wanting to paint it for a while now. I finally had my chance and I have to say I LOVE it now! Here are the before and after pics. I still don't love the carvings in the wood, but I plan on buying some finial pieces to glue onto it to hide those and make it more updated. I painted it the green color and then applied the dark stain on top. My goal is to display my great grandmother's beautiful china and as you can see, it will match perfectly. I am also very relieved that our front room no longer looks like a Liquor-Rama! :-)

The Lost Little Boy: Colt

2011-03-18T11:25:00.001-07:00

Today I am forever changed by a little boy whom I will never see again, yet I will not soon forget. My thirty minute interaction with this sweet, sad child is imprinted in my heart and I will always say a prayer for him.
Today, while driving to my sister's house, I made a last minute turn to check on our rental house. Driving down the street, I suddenly come across a baby in the middle of the street alone. He is emotionless and lost and I immediately jump out of my car to check on him. I feel as if I am calling a stray dog as he is completely unresponsive to my attempts at getting his attention. As I approach him, I gasp at his much too long hair, his overly crusty nose, a terrible cough, and his much too neglected and full diaper (no clothes on at all)...among other things. Already, my heart is going out to this child. I knock on the door of what I assume to be his home but there is no answer. I attempt to knock on the doors of neighbors to find out info on this poor baby and at this point, I have accumulated a few neighbors and have called the police. Fortunately, I am always in mom-mode, and I have plenty of pull-ups/toys to distract him. When he saw the new pull-up, he immediately attempted to take his off and was overjoyed at seeing the new one. In our brief time together, he becomes quickly attached to me, and I have to say I too became enamored by him as well. I later found out that he is 2 years old, but he was unable to speak a single word :(. Thirty minutes later, his 'mom' finally comes outdoors and sits next to me on the curb, where I am holding Colt (she tells me his name). There is no sense of alarm, or where is Colt, or who are you and why are you holding him?!? She sits there and continues to chat on her cell phone while I am holding her child in my lap. The community of caregivers who have come together on behalf of this lost little boy are all astonished and it becomes attack time on her. She goes on to tell us that she is not in fact his mom, just the 'girlfriend' of dad. When it comes time to finally pass him off to her, he screams and cries for me and doesn't want to go with her. The fact that he preferred a stranger to the mother figure residing in his home brought tears to my eyes. This breaks me and I just nearly had an Amber Alert out for myself right then and there! She finally gets him inside and the cops FINALLY arrive. Due to my own two children being in the car, I give my brief statement and needed to leave so I am unsure what exactly happened.
The Lessons I Learned Today:
My kids learned that police officers will help you when you are lost! Great example for them to see first hand.
I learned that even though God granted me my two miracle babies, mothering doesn't stop there. I told Keith that I nearly came home with another little boy today, and if they would have let me I would have. (He is very relieved that they didn't let me).
How do you go on and not know the ending of the story? As a teacher, this is often the scenario... But this last minute turn on the road, being in the right place at the right time, wondering if my hugs were the only ones he has received today; The what ifs.... what if I didn't go that way? what if someone were texting and driving and didn't see him? what if.......
What if it were my child? your child?

Happy 34th Birthday Keith! 031611

2011-03-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

What we did to celebrate:
**Ky and Kam picked out their own gifts at Dollar Tree - Ky got a Hulk Puzzle and Kam gave his dad a Hulk Car, which quickly became Kam's Hulk Car ;)
**Keith was able to sneak away during his lunch break to play with us at the Science Museum and make memories. They had a blast and I am so happy we decided to get the one-year membership :-)
**We made Keith his favorite cake, cocoa feather cake. I didn't have buttermilk and instead substituted regular milk and it was no bueno! He faked that he liked it though...
**We met dad at Hooter's so he could cash in on his 10 free wings. Yumm-o!
**Thanks to Jennifer, we will also be going to a movie of his choice this Saturday night while she watches the boys for us. WooHoo for date night!
**Happy Birthday to you Hubs!

Spring Break and a day at the Science Museum!

2011-03-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Create a digital scrapbooking design

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

2011-03-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today, Kam went to the Chiropractor. I have been going to Dr. Crabtree for about 11 years now and have a great relationship with him and trust him completely with both of my sons. Both kids have seen him every now and then for something.... After seeking help with Kams severe digestive issues from two gastro docs and getting NO WHERE it suddenly occurred to me to take him to back to the Chiro. He spent so much time with us to show me some great ways to stimulate him naturally and to engage him neurologically as well. We are going to try to take him weekly to the Chiro to see if it helps over time. He was such a big boy and responded very well to the Doc. So proud of him! It was a good experience for him b/c he is used to being poked and prodded and connected to so many electrodes, machines, and needles when he visits a doctor. Just look at my little guy :-)

On the way home Kam said, "mommy, my neck feel all better, dr. cwabtwee did that."

Spring Cleaning and Paint Planning!

2011-03-13T17:24:00.001-07:00

Below is my 'Inspiration Room' picture done by my facebook friend/interior decorator Monica Rogers. Obviously the custom built-in and ceiling nook areas add to the drama of the room. I really love the beautiful golden color on the walls. It is very complimentary with the blue/brown color scheme (which is everywhere in my house) and it would transition well if I ever changed my color scheme. My favorite thing about this room is the way in which she hung the drapes over the curved window. This is BrIlLiAnT! I love the arched circular flow and the simplicity of the drapes themselves.
Under my dream room, you can find one of my boring living room walls. Try not to fall asleep now...stay with me.... Got any ideas on how to glam up my space? We have lots of rich, dark woodwork in our home and dark leather furniture. Please H.E.L.P.!!!

A Great Catch!

2011-02-21T17:44:00.001-08:00

Keith's parents and I walked the boys down to the lake for their first ever fishing experience. Kambell LOVED everything about it. Kyler was so excited about going fishing but didn't seem to enjoy it much. We didn't 'really' fish, just threw it in and taught them now to reel it in. Below is a video of the best catch of the day...Kam :)!

Monster Truck Magic on a Snow Day!

2011-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ky loved painting with Monster Truck tires. We were limited on paint colors due to it being a last minute project. The white and brown paint we had on hand became mud and snow prints on our blue paper :)!

Kam painting with Monster Truck tires.

After the monster of a mess, we had a 'CarWash'... They scrubbed and scrubbed with toothbrushes until the paint was all clean. This took them nearly half an hour :-) Thanks Whitney for this wonderful last minute, snow day idea!!!

The Monster Truck Results! (Ky on the left, Kam on the right)

Just Call Me the Straw Man!

2011-02-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

This may seem minor to most people, but this is HUGE for Kam! Due to his swallowing issues, he had the hardest time learning how to suck through a straw. He recently began doing this with Mrs. Shannon, his 'more than just a babysitter' ;)! (Really she is family to them). The trick to it we decided was that he was using the skinny straws that come with juice packs. I bought a batch of skinny straws and sure enough he can do it. As you can see from the video there is some 'leakage' but he is super proud of himself and I could not be more proud. If we can get him to master this concept, he will be less reliant on thickener in his liquids and the motion will naturally strengthen his oral motor capabilities. YAY for Kam! I cannot wait for his OT to come this Tuesday to show her his new talents :)

There's No Angel Like a SnowAngel!

2011-02-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

Snow Ice Cream February 2011

2011-02-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

The recipe for snow ice cream:
8 cups of snow
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
And stir together...So simple!
The 'Before' shot, they were so excited

Checking out the snow before making the ice cream...

Helping mom stir the ingredients.

We just like to eat the snow.... instead of the snow ice cream.... oh well....

Check out the video of our first bite of Snow Ice Cream! Kambell spit it right back out (surprised?!?) Both of them disliked the Snow Ice Cream, but we made memories and a tradition and that is what matters to me! Love my boys!

Snow Dayzzzzz!

2011-02-04T06:59:00.001-08:00

Due to Kyler having Pnuemonia, we brought the snow indoors to him! Too cold for him to be outside!

Kambell dove right into the snow initially, but then screamed in pain until I wiped it all away from his hands. He was a fan of the snow from a far after that. Here he is sneaking a teeny tiny bite though...

Posing with our 'cool' snowman. Kambell was still not so sure about all of this at this point ;)!

From our front porch, it continued to snow beautiful thick snow all morning. It was very quiet and peaceful as I stood on the front porch admiring this beautiful scenery.

My feet on the front porch, as far as I was willing to venture. You couldn't even make out where the sidewalks or streets were.

Poor Ky! He woke up Monday night with what we thought was Croup. His fever and illness escalated so quickly that we slid dangerously all the way to Care Now twice on Tuesday, and once again on Wednesday. The second visit on Tuesday was due to him having an unknown allergic reaction to Penecillin. He is mildly better today, on Friday. So thankful that the snow allowed me to spend 4 days home with him without worrying over days off and sub plans, etc....
We have been cooped up due to the illness and the weather so we are all ready to get out into the world again. And if I have to watch Toy Story 3 one more time....................................

Happy 2nd Birthday Kam!

2011-01-23T18:27:00.001-08:00

(This pic of Kam is so perfect to me - he HATES it when people take his pic. But this pic captures his intensity perfectly and the balloon strings represent to me the veil that he is trapped behind, the veil is what makes him unique, but it is also the same veil we struggle to break thru each and every day)
To my baby boy Kam!
I cannot believe you have been in our lives for two years already. You have blessed us and tested us in ways that I never thought possible. There have been so many medical struggles and you have been so resilient and strong throughout all of it. I have learned so much about myself from you in your tiny two years. Thank you for teaching me about unconditional love, prayer, faith, PATIENCE, and trust. You have the ability to make me cry and make me laugh in the same moment. And I cherish each and every one of them that I have with you!

We are working very hard to find the answers for you so that we can enable you to have the greatest potential in your life. I know that you will find your way and embrace all of the obstacles in front of you and grow into a unique and special little man. I am in awe of you already and I am so blessed to be your mommy!

PS...please, please, please let me rock you to sleep again ;)

Kam's Snowman Birthday Party

2011-01-23T18:16:00.001-08:00

Kam turned 2 today!

The Snowman Pizza turned out pretty cute! Because my kiddos don't like cake, I always make them a pizza instead. This one was pretty easy to make and it has all of their favorite toppings. Both my boys love olives so they ate ALL of the hat!

These are the cake balls with snowman hats. I ran out of time and never drew faces on them, but oh well... Nobody's perfect, right?!?

Snowman cupcakes :-) YUMM-O!

Sorry Baby Jesus!

2010-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the Nativity Set that Keith's mom gave to the kid's. It is a children's set that they can play with. Kambell has taken a particular liking to 'baby Jesus' and carries him almost everywhere. Keith was getting upset with the 'disrespect' given to poor baby Jesus from our sensory kiddo and I had to explain to him that he doesn't care just yet that this is sacred.
This has led to some comical moments, and saying things I never thought would come out of my mouth... Such as...

Don't bite baby Jesus!
Don't hit your brother with baby Jesus!
Get baby Jesus out of your mouth! Spit Him out now...
Who put baby Jesus in the trash?
Baby Jesus does not need to go potty!
Baby Jesus does not need to wash His hands either!
Don't run over baby Jesus!
Who put mayonaise on baby Jesus? (my personal favorite)

I even found baby Jesus in the fridge one day! There have also been some loves and kisses for baby Jesus as well, so some lessons of kindness got through to my nearly two year old son ;)!

FW Zoo November 2010

2010-11-20T18:08:00.001-08:00

Today I vow to never, ever suffer through a zoo visit in the summer heat. Today's zoo visit was a cool 72 degrees, perfect weather! We had the best time AND nobody else in the world knows about this wonderful secret, because it was sooooooo not packed. The kids had the best time and they both walked the entire day, even Kambell. Kam fell asleep in the car before we even turned onto University Dr.
I love this pic of Kam with his reflection in the window. He loved all the water creatures and even touched them all in the touch tank!

We walked into the carousel at the perfect moment. Kam was losing his cool and this definately mellowed him out a little bit so that we could finish our adventure in peace.

Kam celebrating when Kyler found yet another bird to feed :-)

This is about as close as Kam would get to the birds.

Kyler feeding the birds, he really got into it.

Ky getting excited about the Elephants.

The elephants were by far the favorite animal of the day for both kiddos.

They loved the bubble windows at the zoo

Kam doing EvErYtHiNg that big brother does, but he was barely holding on ;)

Kambell refusing to make eye contact, but always a cute profile...

This pic shows how BIG Kyler is getting! He is a little guy now, no longer a toddler...

Kyler's Third Birthday Party!

2010-09-18T05:04:00.000-07:00

KambellSymptomaticBehavior

2010-09-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

KambellSeizure1

2010-09-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

Kambell Allen update...

2010-09-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

Kambell is doing great developmentally. He still seems to be right on track and is still having lots of good days. He does still have, what I call "symptomatic days." These days seem to last about 3-6 days, and always come before, during, and right after his seizure episodes.

He recently went through a small EEG and MRI, and preliminary results are all great! He has since had one other staring seizure and they are checking him BACK into the hospital next week for a 24 hour EEG. They are wanting to begin his meds but want to find where the seizure activity is manifesting from so that they can better treat it. We finally have our videos uploaded on You Tube of his seizures/self injury behaviors for his Neuro. I will post the links below for anyone who is interested in watching them. Warning, they are not easy to watch :(

Kam is still receiving therapy through ECI but it is far and few between due to my return to work and their heavy work load. We would love to get private pay therapy for him in the near future, but are waiting for our long overdue Neuro visit to find out what our options are.

The babysitter he is going to is great, she is awesome with both the boys and they love her so much. We are so blessed to have found her!

Kam has regressed some with my return to work, but I think that is pretty natural and he will recover in his own time.

Kyler is 3!

2010-09-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

Kyler is such a big boy lately and I totally missed doing a happy birthday post for him :( But here is what he is up to...

*He got a new Train track for his birthday and it is all he does at home. He loves it and the boys share it really nicely! Playing with the ChooChoo even trumps watching cartoons these days, which is major for Kyler

*Kyler has had a big ol' growth spurt and all his clothes suddenly don't fit, he has officially lost his baby look and is officially a handsome lil man.

*He loves going for walks, and prefers to walk all the way to the park now vs. ride in the stroller.

*He remembers everything! His memory is awesome and he can now recall what it will look like in Winter, Halloween, Christmas, etc... It is so funny to hear stories from the past thru him. I like how every story starts with Yesterday... ;) even if it was a few months ago...

*Mr. Independent - He loves to do all things by himself and is completely potty trained. (except for that pesky #2!)

*He is such a super big brother, and unfortunately gets picked on by his little brother lots. He takes it like a champ and I love how he tries to use his 'kind words' to work things out with him.

Just a few summer fun pics

2010-08-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Kyler having fun in the sun!

They LOVE playing outside, they can't stand it now that it is tooooo hot to go out....

Best Buddies! Kambell does any and everything Kyler does. Kyler is hitting those terrible three's so that is not necessarily a good thing ;)

Heading to the community pool with a big ol' hat :)

Kambell has been Diagnosed!

2010-07-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today was Kambell's big day! His final OT assessment and first behavior therapy were today. Fortunately, Kambell was in full form for them and had many melt downs, and demonstrated nearly every symptom I have ever verbalized to them, right in front of everyone. Normally this is an embarassing moment, but it was great for the professionals to see him at his worst. I learned SOOOOO much and got some much needed advice and feedback from everyone. Hopefully, we will see big improvements in the near future.
He has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (aka Sensory Integration Disorder) with a slight Auditory Processing Disorder. I am not too familiar with the Auditory part, but I have dealt with Sensory kiddos before as a PPCD teacher.
The biggest agreement among everyone involved, is that Kambell does not seem to be Autistic. They explained to me that SPD is a symptom of AU, and is seperate from AU. It is common for children to have SPD w/o being AU. This is such a relief to me. Most likely, this happened b/c of the seizures and his under-developed nervous system, according to the OT. This is something that Kam will always struggle with, but he will be able to be a functional adult... just a little quirky. I can live with quirky :)

There is lots of great information at...
http://www.brighttots.com/sensory_integration

We will continue getting therapy through ECI, and follow up with our Neuro in Sept. We also have a new Neuro to visit in Sept for a 2nd opinion!

It's Official!

2010-07-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

The kiddos have officially been enrolled in Daycare. This has been a tough decision for us (well, me) to make. Kyler will LoVe it! He is so ready to be with other friends his own age, he will thrive once he is adjusted. The daycare has a splash park, and that is all it took to convince Kyler to be on board ;)

Kambell will eventually adjust and the benefit is that there are low numbers of kids currently due to it just opening up. Right now there are only two kiddos in his class so this will help him tremendously!

Another benefit is that it is a Christian based facility and they attend Chapel every morning. This will be great for them. I've teaching them prayers and simple songs at home, but we have not been great about finding a permanent church home.

Wish them luck!!!

Crazy Love!

2010-07-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Crazy Love written by Francis Chan and it is InCrEdIbLe! I love it!

Back in the first chapter, I came across this thought provoking statement that really spoke to me...

Psalm 115:3 reveals, "Our God is in heaven, he does whatever pleases him." Yet we keep on questioning Him: "Why did you make me with this body? Why are so many people dying of starvation? Why are there so many planets with nothing living on them? Why is my family so messed up? Why don't you make yourself more obvious to the people that need you?"

The answer to each of these questions is simply this: b/c He's God. He has more of a right to ask us why so many peoploe are starving. Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?

This spoke to me b/c throughout our ordea with Kambell's seizures I have begged this question many times. This has been so eye opening to me and has rendered me speechless.

I am speed reading this book, but already have plans to re-read it upon completing the book and pick it apart. Before reading this I also read Radical, but that particular book didn't speak to me like this one. I highly recommend CrazyLove!

Fun Friday Pic!

2010-07-09T04:09:00.001-07:00

Just a cute pic of Kambell Allen (who will be 18 months old soon...GASP!!!)

Independence Day in Victoria!

2010-07-05T17:42:00.001-07:00

HaPpY FoUrTh Of JuLy!!!

We spent this holiday weekend in Victoria TX with Keith's family. Kyler is at the age where he LOVES to visit Poppe's Farm. He remembers the animals and even remembered feeding the cows on our previous visit, which was last Thanksgiving.

Kyler feeding the cows a "snack."

Kyler checking out the sheep from afar.

Kyler and Clayton getting a drink from Poppe's water well.

A candid shot of Kyler loving the farm life!

Obstacle Course!

2010-06-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Rylee and Alexis made an obstacle course in the backyard for Kyler, but they enjoyed it more than he did! haha

Neices and Nephews Extravaganza!

2010-06-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Keith's 10 year old neice, Alexis, has been staying with us for a few weeks. She has been the biggest help with the kiddos and Kambell adores her. We are all going to miss her when she leaves this Sunday :( Rylee and Alexis have become fast friends and both Devin and Rylee stayed the night with us last night. So I spent all morning with 5 kids! WOOHOO! Pretty intense but we had fun. Definately couldn't be a mom of 5 so more power to ya if you are! Although, all but mine are pretty self sufficient ;)

Rylee and Alexis helped me make my "Treasure Box" for my Kindergarten class next year. I've been needing a new one and they had a blast making it. They both got one teeny burn each from the hot-glue gun but that didn't stop them :-)

They had fun writing on each others bellies using shaving cream in the pool. We used to do this ALL THE TIME as kiddos. Cheap entertainment.

Rylee, pretty proud of her make-over!

Rylee gave everyone a make-over!

Then they begged and begged to give me a foot massage! How could you say no?!? It was pretty good too!

Summer of Colors! Yellow, Squares, and Twinkle Twinkle!

2010-06-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

This week Kyler is learning all about YELLOW! He has learned the color song and we have painted and played with play-doh. Alexis even made him some yummy scrambled eggs for breakfast one morning. He also made a square collage and decorated his Square Shape book. Because we were learning about the color Yellow, our nursery rhyme of the week this week was Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star! We are having so much fun!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2010-06-20T10:02:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful hubby of 3 years! The boys and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. We love you very much!
xoxo

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

2010-06-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

My boys are into "Pretend" lately! Which is great, especially for Kambell :)!
The first photo needs explaining... Kyler 'borrowed' this potty from cousin Rylee (with a potty doll) to assist in potty training. The idea was to potty train the doll and reward the doll, then Kyler would do the same (and it worked). Anyways, my two boys have been using this potty as their make-believe kitchen... I guess it was the sink that convinced them?!? They even referred to the pretend poop in the potty as cooking meat. HAHA
So, after weeks of this, and eating this so called... meat... I finally gave in and upgraded them to an official Pretend Kitchen off of Craigslist.
Here is our new (to us), and improved, gender neutral Kitchen! They LOVE it! But, I have to say I do not LOVE the mess! It came with TONS of "food/cooking items."

Kambell stirring his little heart out!

Kambell has adopted this as his picnic area for some reason.

Even though, most of these pics were Kambell, it is Kyler who is blossoming with this new Kitchen. His vocabulary is expanding everyday as he cooks delicious recipes for us all. When I tell him daddy is almost homes, he rushes to his Kitchen to prepare a "tasty" supper for him to eat (hotdog).

So, I'm learning everyday that little boys do sometimes have a little sugar and spice and everything nice ;)

Kyler's Summer of Shapes and Colors!

2010-06-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Various art projects and play-doh! Even have a pic of the RED wasp sting we got this week :(

This was our first week of learning a color and a shape. We learned about RED and CIRCLES. We are also doing 1 Nursery Rhyme per week, this week was TEDDY BEAR, TEDDY BEAR. He had so much fun making crafts and learning the new songs and rhymes. Here are some photos from our first week of "Summer School."

Below is a CUTE video of Ky singing R-E-D spells RED! So proud of my big boy!

Supper by the Sea!

2010-06-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

This is our "Supper by the Sea" made special by Mr. Crab himself. In the pasta is an Octopus (hot dog), a Squid (string cheese), a Starfish (pepperoni), and a Hermit Crab (boiled egg with pepperoni legs).

Kyler and Kambell have been not wanting to eat dinner, so I made it fun tonight. I wanted to make something cold to eat, to see if Kambell would eat it.

Kyler had his first "storytime" at the library today and 'A House for Hermit Crab' is the book he choose to check out from the library. He decided on the way to the library that he randomly wanted to check-out a book about crabs, and this is what we ended up with (along with a Dora book and a Spot book).

So while they were napping, I threw this together. Then when he woke up we re-read the story and I said, "wouldn't it be cool if Mr. Crab cooked us dinner tonight, so mommy doesn't have to cook." He loved it and we put the crab book into the fridge so that Mr. Crab could get to work. Several hours later we checked to see if supper was ready and this is what we found. Kyler was so impressed that he hopped down from the table, ran and opened the fridge and said "Thank you Meesta Cwab!" He did eat all of his food, and some of Kambell's too :) Guess that means I've got to get creative more often ;)

ECI Update!

2010-06-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Kambell and his newest "coping" skills! He searches out tags to rub when he is upset now and has recently discovered a tag under the cushion of our rocking chair. So here he is soothing himself. Cute and funny!

ECI came today and I am happy to report.... Drumroll please.... ALL GOOD NEWS!!! :)

Yes, I said it, good news about Kambell Allen!

Developmentally, Kambell is on, or above, age level in all areas! This is huge, b/c the Neurologists said this would be the number 1 sign that things are not okay if he shows gaps developmentally. So, since his seizure journey began, he has gone from mildly delayed to above average! Mr. Smarty Pants!!

The only part of the assessment that he 'failed' was Vision and Nutrition. The vision portion is not accurate and we just need to follow-up with the Eye Doctor at Cooks to eliminate any problems. The nurse said that it is common for children with seizure disorders to have vision problems.

Failing Nutrition was no surprise to me. Due to Kambell's sensory issues, he is eating less and less frequently lately. In the last two weeks, he has lost 2 pounds and is now in the 3rd percentile :( He is officially labeled with "failure to thrive" but the Nutritionist will start on Monday and I'm hoping we can get some great ideas from her. ECI is currently without an Occupational Therapist, but they decided to put a contract out for one to get Kambell some services ASAP due to his sensory issues.

And, we already will begin to receive Behavior Therapy, twice monthly, to deal with his self-injury behavior; as well as the nurse visiting once per month to discuss seizure disorders and answer questions we may have.

I am very pleased with ECI and feel hopeful that we will all become better adjusted to our new normal with the help of these kind and generous people. It will not be easy having therapists in and out of our home so frequently (up to 4 times per week) but it will be worth it!

I am sooooooo proud of him! He is doing so much better lately and is slowly but surely maturing and coping better. The seizures have continued, but his behavior is slightly, but noticably better! YAY for Kambell and YAY for good news!

Summer Fun 2010

2010-06-08T18:45:00.001-07:00

The boys and I have been having the BEST time since being home this summer! I have LOVED every minute of it. The best discovery so far, has been their independence at the park. Kambell can crawl up the steps and finally can slide down the slide alone! YAY!!! And Kyler has been doing this for quite sometime, but can now climb up the more challenging rock walls and ladders. When did that happen?!? Who knows, but let my fun summer sitting on the park bench begin! :)
Kambell all by himself :-0

He has a hard time with the big drop at the end and tumbled off a few times, but he insists on doing it alone!

Wheeeeee! This pic is at our neighborhood park (we usually go to the one at our neighborhood school). This one is VERY shaded so it works best when it is mid-day. But, Kyler has become very fond of the neighborhood pool, and it is right next to it. Sooooooo, to avoid conflict we stay away from this one whenever possible.

Our First Visit to the Pool 2010

2010-06-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day of school for the year! So we went swimming this evening for the first time this year. Kam was pretty overwhelmed by the whole thing, but Ky picked up right where he left off and jumped right in! We had a great time as a family!

Join the Potty Train!

2010-06-04T17:49:00.001-07:00

Again, Ky is completely potty-trained, but Kambell is no where near ready. But, he idolizes his Big Bro, and must do all the things Kyler does. I let him sit on the potty b/c he loves it and giggles and is so proud of himself. He has no clue that you have to pee in there... Makes me laugh everytime, but I'm just happy it keeps him occupied, b/c Kyler is still pretty reliant on help using the potty. It is always a long conversation in deciding who gets the real potty and who gets the floor potty. And somehow, Kam always ends up on the big one! They crack me up! (I know they'll be sooooo embarassed by this one day ;)

Kambell and ECI

2010-06-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

I have to admit it, I have been waaaayyyy stressed out lately about my poor little Kambell! He is doing well since finishing up his first Anti-seizure medication. He has had only one seizure and it was the longest one yet, lasting 4 minutes long. This time, however the seizure was a gran mal seizure, where he was spaced out and not jerking. Haven't talked to the Neuro about this just yet, but curious to see exactly what the change is...

Anyways... back to ECI...

ECI came for the Parent Survey last week and I felt so much better after meeting with the Service Coordinator. Kambell automatically qualifies for services based on his seizure disorder. Next week, a Nurse, Child Psychologist, Nutritionist, and Occupational Therapist will be coming out to do formal testing with Kam. The Child Psych and OT will address his sensory issues and self injury behavior. He automatically qualifies for the Counseling services to deal with the agression and self-injury behavior due to it being a common symptom of seizure disorders. The assessment will determine the amt. of interventions needed. The Nurse will perform an AU assessment and also determine if there is a Sensory Processing Disorder. The Nutritionist will help us learn how to get him to eat better. He tends to chew and spit food, or hoard it in his mouth for hours sometimes (again, sensory). He is under the 10th percentile in weight and this automatically qualifies him for services from them. The OT will assess his sensory issues and clumsiness to determine if Kam needs interventions there as well.

The unbelievable part about this is that we pay $50 per month for ECI, regardless of the amt. of services he qualifies for! This is great! We are guaranteed these services for 6 months at a time. I am so releived to have help coming and to have the summer off to structure his little life and plan for a happy and healthy future for him. Another great thing about ECI is that when I do go back to work, they will go to his daycare to provide services there as well. This will help especially if he qualifies for "play therapy" so that they can integrate other kiddos as well and work on some of his social skills.

It feels great to be hopeful and to see the recent smiles on my babies face :)

Thanks again to EVERYONE who has been praying and thinking about our family during this trying time in our lives. I see a miracle in that little boy each and everyday, as he continues to grow and learn and change. There are so many more good days than bad days now and that is such a blessing!

3 Day Weekend With Mommy!

2010-06-01T18:27:00.001-07:00

Keith went to Austin on Sunday and I stayed home with the boys. We had a BLAST together and I am sooooo looking forward to spending this summer with them! Can't wait (only 3 more days!!!!!!)
Scooter boy is off and running on his own! He is determined to get a big boy bicycle for his Third Birthday and is working on his independence with all things wheelie. He's so big!

We ordered some pizza! Olive pizza, of course (Ky's fave)! He only eats the olives and the bread?!?

Kam loves this firefighter hat and "hat" is one of his new favorite words.

BoooooHooooooo! Just Kam being Kam, but his haircut is so cute! ;)

Thomas the Train tent is their all time favorite toy when playing together. Thomas frequently finds himself in Time-Out due to them getting carried away with it...) Anyways, Kam has started looking up to his big brother recently and Kyler has quickly picked up on this newfound power over his younger sibling, hence the toy being in time-out. They play hide-and-seek in this tent all the time and have recently started filling it with pillows and blankets and pretending to sleep in there. So cute!

Saturday morning cartoons! (Already) Kam watches it, just b/c Kyler does... But as you can see in the picture, Kam simply stays busy checking Ky out to see what he's up to. And Kyler is just like his daddy, addicted to the television ;)

Just a Snapshot of Kam

2010-05-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

This is typical behavior for Kambell, but this evening it went on for TWO LONG HOURS!!! You might say, why don't you give him a consequence?!? And typically there are consequences, but I have been trying to document some things for the Doctors.
I think it went on soooooo long tonight b/c of the new meds he is on. :(

Kambell's New Possible Diagnosis

2010-05-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

As I previously stated, Kam was tentatively diagnosed with Autism by our Pediatrician last week. I have gone through every single part of the grief process since then. After teaching PPCD for as many years as I have, I never truly understood this about the kiddos and their families until now.
Getting help for the official assessment and diagnosis of AU has been overwhelming! Our Pediatrician doesn't feel well equipped to do it and our Neurologist doesn't do it. Can you BELIEVE that? The entire Cooks' Childrens Neurological team DOES NOT diagnose or screen for AU? Isn't this a Neurological disorder we're talking about?!? Instead I got referred to the Children's Center of FW, which is a 6 month waiting list! FRUSTRATING! Thank goodness, I already have ECI coming out this Thursday to do their own assessments.
Kam has had two more seizures this week already. He has been running a fever due to teething with both his molars at once. Fevers bring out seizures so Kam has finally been placed on Anti-Seizure meds. He is on clonozapam, which is basically Valium. Poor baby took his first dose this evening and he was falling over and walking like a drunk man. I finally put him to bed a little bit early just so that he wouldn't hurt his little self. I am so heartbroken for my little man! Please continue to pray for answers for our baby Bobo!

Kambell 'May' update!

2010-05-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

Kambell is doing pretty much the same. He had another seizure on Monday :( but it seemed to be a pretty mild one. He recovered quickly, unlike the other ones. He seems to be going about 2-3 weeks in between seizures, so that is good news. I am still informing our Neurologist each time and they still do not seem concerned.
Again, the most concerning symptom for me is the self injury behavior. He is no longer eye gouging, but is still head banging and gagging himself. The gagging has become a chronic habit lately and has even escalated to using silverware to gag himself. I always feel that he needs to be monitored constantly. Thank goodness our sitter gave us the Video Monitor so that we can keep an eye on him in bed (this is how we discovered how much he really does head bang).
Today, I took Ky and Kam to our pediatrician for a cough and we left with an "Autism" diagnosis. He has been great in doing research for us and documenting our concerns and he even admitted to me today that he doesn't feel qualified to deal with this and would help us seek out specialists.
This was not news to me, as it has been in the back of my mind for awhile now... But it was a little heartbreaking to hear it from a professional.
ECI is already coming out to do a screening for any and everything to see if we can qualify for some services to deal with his violent tendancies,etc...
Please continue to pray for Kam as we search for an answer and that all the specialists he needs will come into our lives.

Kyler

2010-05-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Is officially potty trained! YAY!!! And Kambell is sitting on the potty, because "he can't be left out..." ;) He doesn't have a clue yet, but hey, he is entertained while I'm busy encouraging the big guy!
So happy to report some good news :)

Ky-liner! Part 2

2010-04-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today Kyler was super sweet!

First, Ky did pretty great at potty training and had two stickers decorating his shirt to prove it. Kambell was quiet intrigued by these bright bursts of colors that Kyler was now so proudly displaying and kept pointing at them. I dictated to Kyler, "Kambell is telling you that he likes your stickers!" Then, Kyler, being the sweetie that he is, said: "Awww thanks BoBo, I wike your wion too, its so cute!" (Kambell had a lion shirt on today.) Now, Kyler really does have exceptional manners ;) but this was the first time I saw him get a compliment and feel like he needed to give one in return. It was a lesson we can all learn from! Love my boys!

The second sweet moment came when he was doing a great job reading a book with me. I was making silly mistakes when reading the book and he was catching the mistakes and giggling and correcting me. When he is being a super smarty, I tell him to 'Kiss his Brain!' - (It's a Kindergarten thing...) Anyways, he was continually kissing his brain and he looked at me a little sad. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, "It's okay mommy, I'll kiss your brain too xx!" Guess he was feeling sorry for my not so smart brain b/c I was making so many mistakes. HAHA

Kyler STILL potty training...sigh.......

2010-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Kyler has been potty training for several months. This has been the area of parenting that I have been the least consistent with so all blame is placed on me. Ky has shown interest in potty training for awhile but at the same time he can have the wettest diaper on and not even notice. It just doesn't seem to make him uncomfortable to be wet, therefore he doesn't see the need to stop what he's doing to make a special trip to the potty. If you've been to our house lately you have seen our collection of potties! He has the Peter Potty (the cutest ever baby urinal), a regular training potty and the training seat that sits on top of our normal toilet.
Due to my being a working mom and Kambell having his recent health scare, I have not pressured him at all. Today we started again, thanks to Shelley's inspiration... And mostly we have pee on the couch and floor.....sigh.... He actually sat on the toilet, without tears, and let out the hugest "toot!" He was so excited about it that I rewarded him for it. Hey, progress is progress... right?
Kyler is such a good kid and I know he'll get it, just may take a lil longer!
Keep your fingers crossed that we will have this mastered soon and we can save $$$ on diapers!

This is an oldie! Shows how long we've been trying... hehe. Kambell is now wearing that outfit, that tells you how long we've been potty training!

Ky-Liners

2010-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

This will be my code name for Kyler's one-liners, that I love so much.
Wellllll, today we were driving home on I35 (I cannot begin to tell you how much he loves and adores the highway btw). Anyways, we were on the access road (Taco Tues...) and he looked over and discovered for the 1st time that there is a wall built up to hold the highways up. You know what I'm talking about, the simple wall that we all drive under, when driving under the Interstate. Kyler started yelling something excitedly about a new "puzzle game!" It took me a few exits to realize that he was talking about the huge hexagon shaped bricks that are used to build the walls (no really, take a look at them, they do look like huge puzzle pieces). He was going on and on about how nice it is that somebody built a "puzzle game" for the highway to play with. Then came all the questions.... Do the cars...trucks...buses...etc.... get to play the "puzzle game" too? And of course he cried terribly when I informed him that he could not play with the "puzzle game." Broke his little heart!

Kambell's Swollen Eye - update!!!

2010-04-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Kambell on the way to the Doc with his droopy/swollen eye! :(

Kam went to see Dr. Godfrey today regarding his eye. He woke up this morning and literally could not even open his left eye. I immediately cried, being the sensitive mommy that I am. After giving him some Motrin, the swelling went down lots! Basically, the Doc said that his eye gunk probably started as allergies and somehow became infected. YUCK! My poor lil baby boy has been thru so much in the past several months. It looks awfully painful but he seems in good spirits!

Basically, he is on a new Antibiotic eye drop and oral Antibiotics to kick it. Hopefully this will be the end of our unlucky streak and all of us will be well.

Kyler 2.5

2010-04-18T18:15:00.001-07:00

Kyler has always been a very serious and sincere boy. He still has these same qualities but has developed the greatest sense of humor. He cracks me up each and every day and I love him more and more every day, and not b/c he is my son, b/c he is a fascinating little person! This is my most favorite stage ever of his childhood! Whoever talks about the terrible two's has not met my perfect little angel. He has his moments, but they are certainly far and few between. He has already figured out that Daddy can be manipulated and Mommy is the boss! haha ;)

My goal is to blog more consistently his "one-liners" so that I can have them and keep them forever. I am constantly telling people, "Kyler said or did the cutest thing... what was it...?" I am soooooo forgetful.

He is into singing any and everything right now. Even on the way to daycare in the mornings he makes up songs like, we are driving on the hiiiiiiiiiwaaaaaaaay and I can see cars, and buses, and trucks, and garbage trucks, etc.... and the song is repeated with every passing vehicle, for the entire 20 minute trip. I never tire of it... We listen to all my Kinder music in the car and he already has his favorite songs that he requests over and over. He is the same way about Cartoons. His favorite cartoon is Dora, (he even has a Dora toothbrush...hehe) He loves Ice Age movies too. I plan on taking him to Toy Story 3 for his 1st ever movie theatre experience.

His favorite thing to play with are books books and more books. He will be a reader like his momma for sure. He also loves puzzles, legos, CARS, and mommy's iPhone. The kid has more apps on the phone than I do.

Again, I promise I will upload the Best Of... one liners straight from his kissy lips. They are so worth the read.

Kambell update!

2010-04-18T17:54:00.001-07:00

Our New Normal: Kambell has been doing really well since his hospital stay. He has only had a few set backs. One of the health concerns was that he was slightly developmentally delayed. This combined with the MRI results and the seizures was just something to keep an eye on. Fortunately, Kam has mastered walking and is verbalizing a BUNCH! He seems right on target suddenly, which is fantastic!!! He has had 2 additional seizures since being in the hospital. One could have been a Breath Holding seizure, but the other one was not, due to him not crying at all prior to the seizure. The Neurologist has him on Seizure meds only when he is running a fever or has a confirmed viral infection. Seizures are more frequent during these times. Kambell seems to be getting clogged eye ducts again. His eyes have been disgusting for the past 2 weeks, and hopefully we'll get him into our Pediatrician tomorrow to check it out. Even antibiotic drops are not helping. Kambell also seems to have one droopy and swelled eye. B/c of the "gunk" it is hard to judge if we should be alarmed b/c of his brain, or if it related to the "gunk"... Hopefully the Dr. will ease our minds about this tomorrow.

Test results: Both EEG's came back okay, now we are waiting for the Metabolic, blood, and urine testing... And again in September, he will have the follow-up MRI to track the suspicious spot on his brain.

Behavior: Kambell is still very aggressive and his self injury behavior has escalated, but it does seem to come and go. It is very difficult to provide consistent consequences for him but we are still on Baby Boot Camp mode. He is having a terrible time going to the childcare at church every evening. He cries for the entire time that we are in "big church." Poor baby. I'm hoping he'll get a little better each week. We skipped church this weekend due to his eyes being so bad.

Kam's Future: Please continue to pray for our little guy as we try to figure out what is going on with his little brain and that he continues to grow and develop and can find happiness and joy increasingly. Again, thank you to everyone for your thoughtfulness and prayers thus far!

Kyler discovers his first Roly Poly!

2010-04-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Kambell: Dancing Elmo

2010-04-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Kyler: If You're Happy And You Know It!

2010-04-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Fun!

2010-03-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Our Spring Break may have started with quite a scare, but we still managed to have a good time. My goal was to stay home as much as possible to monitor Kambell and feel more confident that he is doing well. He has remained seizure free! He has officially been diagnosed with Breath Holding Seizures. This condition begins behaviorally by him holding his breath and losing enough oxygen to "pass out." His nervous system is under-developed and his body reacts to the loss of sudden oxygen by having a seizure. (He should outgrow the condition entirely by the age of 5 - 6 years old, which seems faaaaaarrrrrr away!) It is great news that the behavior isn't ongoing, some children do this multiple times per day! I cannot imagine... Kambell's little life, however has become extremely structured and it seems to be working. We are doing a "one strike and you are out" approach with him. He is doing LOTS of self injury type behavior since his seizures began, and the safest way to give him a consequence is by using his play pen. He has been spending LOTS of time in his play pen, but I have already noticed a big difference in his behavior.
Here are some pics of fun times at home!

Kyler and Kambell are just now beginning to enjoy playing together, I love watching them. It doesn't last long though...

Keith and Kyler at daddy's birthday dinner. Kyler got his first crush on one of the Hooter's waitresses! He was busy blowing and catching kisses to her, I'm in big trouble already...

Kambell had a great time too, he is such a good eater! He even wanted some hot wings.

Kambell is officially in a booster seat at the table. I was sooooo happy to get rid of that highchair! They love sitting across from one another at the table, it gets pretty loud and giggly.

Kyler in his "new, big boy spot."

Superman eating cars.

Batman and Superman playing Choo-Choo! They also have a Train tent and their favorite thing to do together is Hide and Seek or Peek a Boo in and out of the tent. I've got to get it on video, it is precious! They love each other so much!

Kambell's Big Scare!!!

2010-03-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

I decided to put the whole story on our blog so that everyone could get the details all at once.
Kambell had what we are now calling a "near seizure" on Tuesday at 3:00. He was with Ms. Amy, our in-home childcare provider. He was crawling and whining to be picked up and basically he started swaying and looking as if he were about to pass out. By the time Amy picked him up, his eyes were rolled back and he was unconscious. It took him some time to get back to normal, but eventually he did come around. I arrived about 20 minutes after it happened and we called our Pediatrician immediately. He advised us to go to Cooks ER and that is where we spent the rest of that night. The first night in Cooks, Kambell got an EKG and a chest X-ray. He had recently had the Croup and was still pretty wheezy from that. The test results looked great and we were happy to be declared healthy and discharged.
The following morning, I took Kambell to our Pediatrician just to have someone check him out once more. He and I talked about what to look for, before and after a seizure, just in case. He was convinced that it was nothing more than low blood sugar and that all was well. (Kam was on steroids for the Croup and was having NO appetite at the time.)
At 5:00 Wednesday evening, Kambell had his first full-on seizure. Let me tell you, it was by far the scariest thing I have ever witnessed in my life! He was crying extremely hard, and I walked away for just a second. Suddenly he wasn't crying any longer so I rushed back and sure enough he was rolling onto his back and his eyes were rolled back. He became very stiff and his arms and legs stood straight in the air. I instinctively scooped him up to hold him and that is when the jerking began. This all seemed to be lasting a lifetime, but only took about 30 seconds. Kambell finally became conscious and awake but was completely non-responsive for nearly 5 minutes.
Believe it or not, Shelley walked through my front door about 2 minutes after this happened! She called our Pediatrician AT HOME, and he was great! He called the ER ahead and made special requests for us and even gave us permission to call throughout the night if they were not making us feel comfortable or well taken care of. On Wednesday, they took us much more seriously and after some blood work and a CT scan we were checked in.
The rest is a big blur, due to sleeplessness and stress... Kambell was assigned to a great Neurologist right away and he was given blood and urine tests, MRI, and 2 EEG assessments.
All tests were coming back with positive results until we got to the MRI. The Neurologist took on a whole new tone with us and became very serious as he explained that he found an alarming spot on Kam's brain. It is located on the right, back side and is pretty big. We were packed up and ready to leave, and he changed his mind after reviewing the screens. Kam was ordered to go through the 24 hour EEG test AGAIN!!! Thursday night was extremely stressful, after learning that your child has something unknown going on in their brain. On Friday, our Neurologist came in to review the EEG screen live and said that again, there were no signs of seizure activity, especially in the part of the brain where the spot was located! YAY! Great news. The only downfall is that the spot that was found in his brain is a big question mark. Dr. Acosta reassured us that it is not in fact a mass or a tumor. It could be any number of things, but right now I am greatful for what it is NOT!
The Dr. also seems to think that he may have a "breath holding" problem. Anyone who knows my Kambell personally could tell you that this is highly possible. He is quite the fiesty baby!!! :) Basically, he gets himself so upset and loses oxygen to the extent that he passes out. Then his immature nervous system reacts by having a seizure. Only time will tell on this one...
From this point on, we have follow-up appointments with the Neurologist in 2 weeks, and then a re-do on the MRI in about 3 months. The second MRI will give them a comparison on the trouble spot to see if it grows, changes, etc...
Right now, we are educating ourselves on seizures and hoping and praying that this particular symptom simply goes away. We are so incredibly blessed to have received the numerous prayers and good wishes from both friends and strangers.
I simply could not have gotten through this without the encouraging thoughts, words, texts from everyone! Keith and I are both very touched!
Please continue to pray for Kam, that he can continue to remain healthy. We are thinking positive thoughts at this point and anticipate no further complications.

Snow Ice Cream

2010-02-12T17:06:00.001-08:00

We made our first ever ice cream out of snow tonight and Keith loved it but Kyler, not so much! I have to admit it was pretty good, but oh so sweet!

Here is the recipe:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
about 5 cups clean snow
And stir...
We got fresh snow last night and just kept it in the freezer and it was perfect.

Snow Day Feb 2010

2010-02-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

The front of the house this morning.

This is a funny story! I parked the truck in the middle of the garage and told Keith to leave the Honda outside due to the slippery driveway. I didn't want the two cars sliding into one another... He decided that was a terrible idea and INSISTED that he wanted both cars to be in the garage. After trying to convince him that it isn't worth our deductible, he did things his way. Needless to say the Honda got into the garage and the truck ended up halfway into the street and stranded there for the night. HAHA! I love being right, especially when it doesn't cost a deductible!

Kyler's bird house in the back yard.

Backyard trees.

The kids toddler swingset and rocking horse, the rocking horse is pretty much covered by snow!

9 inches in our backyard!!! Record breaking for one day in DFW!!!

The "after" pic of our snowman friend.

The "before" pic of our snowman friend.

Kambell's First Birthday at Build A Bear!

2010-01-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

Kambell and Daddy with his new Doggie!

Kambell brushing his new dog, Kyler's poor bear was abandoned...

Kam really liked the brush, I was almost tempted to spend the 3 extra bux to buy him one...

Kyler hugging both of the Build A Bears! xoxo

Kyler got a Build A Bear on his first Birthday and we thought we would keep the tradition for Kambell as well. Both of their bears have voice recordings on each paw, one with a special message from mommy and the other with a special message from daddy.

The boys were a little grouchy (surprise, surprise) and didn't fully enjoy the store, which was WAY too packed!

Kambell's First Birthday Party

2010-01-17T17:39:00.001-08:00

Kambell's first birthday is on the 23rd and we celebrated one week early. He was pretty overstimulated by all the attention and didn't want anything to do with the cake.

Kambell got a baby doll from Shelley, and he loves to hug and kiss him.

Kambell was pretty mesmerized by all the balloons in the house. This was by far his favorite part.

Family photo op....

Kyler and Kambell checking out the new Mickey toy from Meme and Papa. Kambell LOVES the Hot Dog dance!

Kyler "borrowing" some of Kams new toys.

Kyler celebrating all the new goods that Kams birthday brought into his little life :)