Never a dull moment...

Please Pray for My Friends!

2008-12-10T05:27:00.003-05:00

I need your thoughts and prayers for a wonderful family that has just suffered a huge and tragic loss. I work for a family business where everyone is emotionally close to everyone else. The owner and his family are some of the kindest people you will ever meet. But they are also some of the most unfortunate when it comes to personal tragedies. After a couple of previous tragedies, the family had finally begun to move on and experienced extreme happiness when my bosses daughter became pregnant. It was my bosses first grandchild and the first great grandchild for the owner of my company. My bosses daughter, Ashley, and her boyfriend, Mike, became the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy, Riley. Ashley and Mike are extremely proud and absolutely adore each other and their new baby. They were looking forward to the upcoming holiday as it is Riley's first. Ashley and Mike had been together for many years and were an absolutely wonderful couple that deserved all of the good that could come their way.
On this past Saturday night, Ashley and Mike decided to go out for the evening with some friends. As the night progressed, Ashley became tired and left the bar earlier than Mike. When the last of their group prepared to leave, they realized that Mike had disappeared. They searched everywhere for him but he was nowhere to be found. The following day, he was still missing. The family and friends all began an extensive search because this was not like him to just not return home. By Monday he still had not shown up. At approximately 8pm, a friend located Mike's body beneath a downtown bridge. Apparently he had fallen from the bridge as he was intoxicated when he was last seen. It appears at this point that it was just a tragic accident, but an absolutely huge loss for his son, his girlfriend and all of this wonderful family. I am sure that Ashley will blame herself at some point and I can only imagine the what ifs she will experience. This family is devastated! Mike was a great man that absolutely adored his son and Ashley too. He and Ashley have been together for many years and he had bought them a home and even gutted it before remodeling it to make it perfect for her and their son. He was a hard worker and everyone reportedly loved him. I only had the opportunity of meeting him once, but he seemed like such a nice young man. You can only imagine the loss and the helplessness this family is going through right now. So I ask all of you to please pray for them. Pray that they find the strength to get through this and move forward bringing with them all of the greatness that was Mike. Help them to pass this on to his son who will never know the man that adored him most. Pray that Ashley will not blame herself and that she can get passed the what ifs while remembering all of the greatness and joy that Mike had brought to her life. Just pray for their strength as a family and that they can get through this together. My heart just bleeds for them right now. It is just so devastatingly tragic. I thank you all!

Just A Quick Update...

2008-12-08T04:38:00.003-05:00

I apologize for my poor blogging habits lately. I have been incredibly busy and I just have so much going on. I appreciate those of you that continue to check on a regular basis and even leave a comment when I do get an opportunity to blog. Today, I want to try to catch up a bit. I have had a few interesting things happening around here. And they are not all necessarily good interesting. As a matter of fact, most are "not-so-good" interesting. But worth blogging about nonetheless. Last week, Zachary had an MRI of his brain done. The purpose was to follow up on a previous MRI where we were told he had some sort of cyst. The original doctor that ordered the first scan, basically said..."he has a small benign cyst in the left temporal lobe of his brain. Nothing to concerning." And that was the jest of her explanation. Oh, and that was in a voicemail. She didn't even have the audacity to wait until she spoke to us so she could explain. I was pretty angry about it then but after receiving the newest results of his MRI, I am downright pissed about it now. I am aware that most of us are not doctors and big technical medical words can be very confusing, but please read the following MRI findings, and tell me if you think that this is just an insignificant benign cyst?!

As previously described, there is a SIGNIFICANT abnormality involving the medial left temporal lobe. The left hippocampus is essentially absent. There is associated loss of volume and atrophy of the adjacent left parahippocampalgyrus. In association with the absence of the left hippocampus is a very atrophic left fornix and mammillary body. Patient is also incidentally noted to have cavum septum pellucidum and cavum vergae. There is mildly dilated distal left temporal horn of the lateral ventricle which does not appear to be contiguous with the previously suspected arachnoid cyst in the anterior left temporal fossa. There is no definitive cortex on the coronal image necks to be arachnoid cyst raising the possibility of porencephalic cyst or some other neuroepithelial cysts simulating an arachnoid cyst. Also noted is a focal area of T2 hyper intensity in the sub cortical white matter in the most extreme anterior/superior lateral aspect of the left temporal lobe.

Now, first of all, shake your head back and forth while allowing your tongue to swing freely and saying, "ay-ay-ay-ay". If you though that was hard to read, imagine me trying to read it out loud on the phone to Zachary's dad! And go ahead and laugh about the fact that, apparently, we all have a college of hippos living in our brains! "Hippocampus"...I had never heard of it myself. But Stevie and I thought it was a pretty funny name for a part of the brain. Now, back to my issue with all of this...

After reading this report, I was left thinking..."small benign cyst? WTF?!" The very fist sentence says that he has a "significant abnormality". Then, like any other curious parent, I went to Wikipedia and looked up some of the big words in an attempt to figure out what was wrong with my sons brain. First of all, the hippocampus affects memory and is he first part of the brain affected by Alzheimer's. Basically, the hippocampus allows you to remember an entire scene, without it you could only remember the objects in the scene but not the backdrop. So I am thinking, this is not really hampering anything at this point, but definitely something to remember in his future. But then I looked up the porencephalic cyst and look at what it says...

You have been diagnosed with an extremely rare disorder of the central nervous system involving a cyst or cavity inside the brain tissue. The cysts or cavities are usually the result of some injury to the brain following an illness or trauma, but they can also be the result of abnormal development. The condition can occur before or after birth, the diagnosis usually being confirmed by CT, MRI, or ultrasonography. The exact cause is often unknown. The prognosis for individuals with porencephaly varies according to the location and extent of the cyst. When discovered in early life, the more severely affected infants show symptoms and signs of the disorder shortly after birth. These may include delayed growth and development, spastic paresis (slight or incomplete paralysis), hypotonia (decreased muscle tone), seizures (often infantile spasms), and macrocephaly (an abnormally large head) or microcephaly (an abnormally small head). Those severely affected individuals at one end of the spectrum may have poor or absent speech development, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, spastic contractures (shrinkage or shortening of muscles), and mental retardation.

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO?! I bold-ed the things that my Zachary has issues with or has been suspected of. He had an abnormal EEG a few months ago that showed an extremely high probability of developing epilepsy. He has previously been diagnosed with macrocephaly and, obviously, the speech delay, delayed development and possibly some mild form of mental retardation. It looks to me that somebody missed something on the first MRI because to me, this is what is wrong with my son. Or maybe the cause of his Autism. But definitely more than an "insignificant benign cyst"! I can not wait for his new Neurologist to read this report and meet with myself and Zachary's dad. I am absolutely certain he will find it to be extremely significant. Thanks for reading and thanks i advance for you thoughts, prayers and well wishes.

I know its Christmas time but....

2008-12-03T05:22:00.002-05:00

I HAVE TO RANT! I can't bite my tongue anymore! Did you all know that we are in a recession? And, apparently, we have been since December of last year! Yea...really! They said it on the news yesterday. I say to them...DUH! You dipwads! It takes you a year to figure this out when the entire time people are steadily losing everything they have?! How stupid are these people anyway?! I mean, all year long they kept telling us, "no...its not a recession, its fine", while we were all screaming at them that "HELLOOO" we are broke as hell! So now that the government is with us, are they going to do anything about it? Of course, they aren't just going to sit back and do nothing, they are going to help. Yes, really! They are going to give more money to those people who already have it anyway. WTF?! How are they going to continue to bail out all of these CEO's making 6-7 figure incomes while me and my family are struggling to make a 5 figure income and provide dinner for our children? Why are they going to give more money to people that are just going to use it to give the big wigs in their companies a huge bonus and the take some fancy freaking vacation? Are they stupid?! I say...give it to the little guy! Give it to the blue collar workers struggling to survive. Cause guess what...they are going to spend it! Yeah! And guess what they are going to spend it on....cars, house payments, Christmas gifts etc. And when they spend it on these things, guess where the money goes from there?! Eventually, it gets to the big companies and winds up benefiting everyone! I received an email a while back that basically stated..."if you take the bailout money and tax it first, it would put some $300,000 plus back into the government. Then, you divide the remainder amongst all working Americans over 18 and we would each get something like $250,000! Imagine what we could do with that! And again, guess what?! It would go through "the system" and everyone would benefit! So if you agree with me...say it loud and proud! Blog about it, email your family and friends! We need to raise a big stink and see if we can convince these morons in charge of our money that we, the American working people, deserve a bailout! UGH!

WOW! What a LONG Weekend...

2008-12-01T05:10:00.004-05:00

Am I complaining...no,not really. But I am really glad it is Monday and we can all get back to normal again. Am I crazy....probably just a little! I am not glad it is Monday because the weekend was bad or because of anything that anyone did, I am just incredibly bored! I have been sitting around on my duff since Friday and I just need to have a reason to get my hiney off the sofa and rejoin the real world! I never even got out of my "comfy clothes" yesterday! It was a cold, rainy day and we had nowhere to go...so why change clothes...right?! But I am ready to pull myself back together and rejoin the real world. I think if we could have a 4 day weekend once every month, it would really help everyone destress and refresh, which would in turn, make the world a happier place. What do you think?
I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was nice and we all had plenty to eat. It was the first year, however, that we had absolutely no leftover turkey! I even went out on Friday and purchased a turkey breast to cook so that we could have turkey sandwiches (my husbands favorite). But guess what...They ate all of that in 1 day too! It reminded me of the Tasmanian devil or something...one minute you have this beautiful golden brown turkey...the kids fix their plates in a hurried rush...then when they are done...you only have a turkey carcass. It was crazy! But I am glad they enjoyed it! By the way, my turkeys were both incredibly moist and flavorful...even the kids noticed how yummy they were...my secret, rub it down in mayonnaise from top to bottom and then throw a few cloves of garlic into the cavity. Bake it in a turkey oven bag and wallah...a super yummy, moist turkey!

And as far as "black Friday" goes...Stevie and I went out to the mall and Target for a bit. Just mainly to people watch and stuff. We, like most people, didn't really have any money to spend. But amazingly, the mall was very empty considering the day. I was shocked! But I guess the economy is just hurting people more than you even realize. I know that this household will be having a very small Christmas this year and that we will be putting off some bills just to do that. But it gives me an opportunity to teach my children that it isn't about the amount of gifts anyway. The house is decorated, the Christmas spirit is here and we will soon be doing some holiday baking together. Hopefully, they will take something positive from all of it too. If not....there is always next year!

WHAT...TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING?!...

2008-11-26T05:18:00.002-05:00

OMG! I can't believe how fast time flies these days. I knew Thanksgiving was right around the corner but I didn't realize I was standing on it! WOW! I guess if I had plans of travelling to see my family or something like that, it would have been more evident how close it was getting. But we aren't doing anything special around here. It will be me, Stevie, all of the kids (except for Brandon who is stuck in Ft Stewart Ga) the grand baby and Nate's mom. So really it will just be like any other dinner except for Nate's mom. I am a little jealous of the people that get to travel to be with family that they never get to see. My family is in Arizonia and I would love to be going there. But that just isn't in the financial picture right now. Don't get me wrong...I love having my own little family get together, I just miss the rest of my family so much. We are planning the full fledge menu though, complete with all of the trimmings. I just don't think it would be right to not have all of the traditional dishes. My oldest is making a homemade apple pie and she is attempting to recreate my famous sweet potato casserole. I didn't feel like making it this year so she volunteered. It does my heart good to teach her traditions that she can spread to her daughter one day. I am making a pumpkin cheescake and banana pudding and Nate's mom is making lemon squares. If you are wondering why I am only listing the desserts, I have just one question..."Ain't it always about the desserts?"! For the meal, we will be having turkey, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce (the canned kind...we love that stuff), brussel sprouts, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and yams with marshmallows, deviled eggs, and I am making this new recipe for artichoke-mushroom stuffing. It is sure to be fantastic! I would like to wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, Full of Friends and Family, Fun Filled Thanksgiving Day! And I would like to complete this post by listing some of the things I am most thankful for...

I am thankful for...
my childrens smiles
my husbands unconditional love
my families health
my sons willingness to defend his country
having my little family together for Thanksgiving
my new job
my new friends from my new job
having a nice home
having a dependable vehicle
having my sweet golden retriever "Theodore"
my daughters willingness to babysit my clan so that I can work
the far and few times my youngest uses the potty
my wonderful Santa collection
those stolen moments I get with my husband
a quiet evening when I get one
a cold glass of wine before bed
and....for you...my faithful readers!
Happy Thanksgiving! May all of your turkeys be moist!

I Need A "Blogging for Dummies" Book...

2008-11-24T05:18:00.003-05:00

I have managed to get this far with a little bit of luck, a little bit of "let's see what happens if I do this" and a little smidgen of knowledge. But there are a few things that I just can not seem to figure out with this whole blog thing. For instance...the previous blog with the "elf yourself" link that is totally white making it invisible. I have tried adjusting my title text colors etc, but it is still white. If you can't see the link...how can you follow it?! The most frustrating thing is the "change template to minima" thing. I have tried to follow the directions on a few websites, but it hasn't worked. Either I am an indiot or they just aren't explaining it simple enough for my "self trained" brain. But either way, I have this really cool background that would look even cooler if I could change my template to minima. So...I beg you...could someone please tell me how to change my template? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasssssseee?! I would greatly appreciate it. And I promise that you will no longer have to come back to this page and think..."if she would change her template to minima...her blog would look so much better!" Someday, when I get the money to do it, I want one of those fancy new customized blog title thingys too. But I am sure that isn't something a "dummy" like me can do. Even with a book written especially for me! Thanks in advance for any help you can give. You guys are always so awesome and I know that, ifyou can help, you will. And if any of you ever need assistance with something I am an expert on ...childbirth, sock matching, dish washing, sandwich cutting, pull up changing, pleasing a very picky Autistic child, shoe tying, shopping and spending money I don't even have etc., let me know. I will be glad to help!

Check Us Out as Elves...

2008-11-22T07:37:00.001-05:00

This is so fun! You can "elf your family" and then pick from 4 different dances. Check mine out and then go make your own!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Kids Say The Darndest Things...

2008-11-20T05:47:00.002-05:00

I just thought I would share this with you guys...

Last week at Boy Scouts, Logan's group had a visit from a health professional. He was there to explain some life saving techniques to the kids. In an attempt to teach them some danger signs of the most common issues with the elderly, he began faking some of the signs and allowing the kids to guess what was wrong.

It went something like this...
"OK guys, if your grandparent starts breathing funny and grabs at their heart, what would you think was wrong?"
"A heart attack", shouts one boy.
"Correct!" acknowledges the instructor.
"What if your grandparent is eating dinner and all of a sudden they grab their throat and their face starts turning red?"
"He didn't like the food?" guesses one wiseguy scout. "No! It means that he is choking!" chimes in the "know-it-all" scout.
"Correct!" "And do you know what to do if someone is choking...anyone?" "It is called the Heimlich maneuver and it goes like this....
After a brief demonstration the conversation continues...
"OK...what does it mean if your grandparent all of a sudden loses the use of their arm or leg and can't remember what is going on?" (*he is describing a stroke)
"It means they have old-timers!" guesses one scout. "NO!" chimes in the that same know-it-all scout..."It means he is having a senior moment!" "My grandpa has them all of the time!"
I wish you could have seen the look on his grandpa's face! Too funny! I guess the kids listen to more than you think they do!
Hope everyone has a great day!

I Just Want to Say...

2008-11-18T05:17:00.002-05:00

The bloggy world is so incredibly awesome that I am at a loss for words. I asked for some positive thoughts yesterday and what I got was so much more! I just want to say Thanks to everyone that left a comment and even those who didn't leave a comment but took the time to read my post. It makes me feel like I am not alone in this and that I can find support in many places that I never would have thought to look. You guys are awesome! I can only hope that I can be such an inspiration for all of you when you need me to! Thanks again! Oh....and I don't know what you all did but Zachary slept through the night last night! A super extra huge thanks for that!

As Much As I Hate to Do it...

2008-11-17T05:27:00.004-05:00

I try so hard not to allow my blog to become all whiny and emotional and full of complaining. But I think the reason I have had such terrible blog block is because I just need to get some things off of my mind. So...WARNING...this is going to get whiny and emotional. I wish I could be more inspirational for all of you today, but I think I need for you guys to me that for me instead. I won't blame you, however, if you want to leave now.
So here goes...I realize that this is a tough time for everyone right now and the economy is the major cause, but I probably could deal a little bit better if it wasn't for everything else. Zachary has not slept through the night in over a week and wakes me regularly every night because he is afraid, or he wants to watch something else on TV, or he wants some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have been making sandwiches in the middle of the night for the past week. I am exhausted! But he doesn't get that, he says..."I only wake you up this one time". But an hour later, he wakes me up for something else..."just this one time". I have tried explaining that I am tired, I have tried make ahead sandwiches and I have tried to show him how to change the TV. Nothing works. So I just get very little sleep. On top of that, Sydney has been crazy lately. She is chewing on everything and pees her pants constantly. She is like having a new puppy around the house. My living room furniture is ruined, we have tried to clean it but it smells like pee! I can't afford new furniture so we just spray smell good stuff on it and sit on blankets. She has chewed on electrical wires, the side of her wooden bunk beds, Logan's shoe strings, books etc. I am so afraid she is going to get hurt real bad. She is so quick and she just doesn't learn from her mistakes. And she doesn't listen to anyone no matter what we try! Then when you put her and Zachy together, its oil and water. My oldest child still at home, Alex, is failing school and always has something ugly to say to everyone in the house. I have tried everything to discipline him but, again, nothing works. My house is constantly a mess. We bought new carpet back in February and it is already ruined! It is covered in stains because nobody takes off their shoes like we tell them to, unless I am here to make them. My house is out of control! My bank account winds up $1000 overdrawn every week because we are constantly trying to mail checks early to avoid things getting cut off. Christmas is coming and all of the kids have huge lists. I never expect to get them everything on their lists, but as any parent knows, you just want so bad to give them everything and you feel terrible when you can't. And to top everything off, I am still falling apart physically! I have gained 20 pounds this year which means all of my clothes from last year don't fit. We all know how depressing that is! Then I am still in great pain everyday! My back hurts, my left leg is screaming, my feet are swelling, my neck hurts, my right arm hurts and my hands are swollen so bad I can't wear my engagement ring and my wedding band together. (I have had 4 previous spine surgeries due to many diseases of the spine). I have developed a twitch in my right eyebrow and I am always on the verge of tears. I did get my doctor to prescribe me some Xanax for times when I just can't get it together. But it really doesn't do anything but add to the guilt of it all.
I am truly sorry for all of this ranting and whining. For those of you still here, I want to say thanks for caring enough to read. I hope that by getting all of this off of my chest, I can go back to my inspirational posts. If you can relate to me, let me know in your comments. Maybe we can help each other feel better.

Virtual Vacation...

2008-11-13T05:42:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with blog block. That is when I started thinking about how bad I needed a long, relaxing vacation, away from it all. (insert light bulb turning on here) I had a great idea! I thought I would take all of my bloggy friends on a virtual vacation with me! But first we have to get ourselves ready. Take your computer (if you can) to the quietest room in your home. If you have a desktop, shut the door and threaten...er...tell the kids to leave you alone for about 15 minutes. You will need absolute silence for this to work. Let me know when you are ready....(patiently waiting)...OK, here we go...

This week we have taken a virtual trip to the beach! Hope you brought your bathing suit but if you didn't, you can buy a new one. After all, this is a virtual vacation and you have plenty of virtual money! Oh, and of course they all look great on you because in virtual world, we all have perfect little virtual figures! First, we arrive to this gorgeous sunrise...And then it is on to our gorgeous hotel room...

Look how clean it is! No fingerprints, kool-aid stains or other peoples clothes strewn about! I am in heaven! OK, everyone into your swimsuits now, we are going to the pool!

OH, how convenient, there is nobody else here! Pick a chair girls (or guys), let's get our tan on! Ahhh...the weather is perfect, the pool is refreshing, there is a slight breeze blowing and all you can here is the ocean surf and an occasional tropical bird! Ain't this great?! We will leave here and go to breakfast...

Mmmm, bread, rolls, muffins, pancakes, coffee, juice etc! Don't worry girls...no calories in virtual world either! Eat up! After we eat, it is off to have a full body massage! We have all earned it because we all work so hard!

Look, they even laid out the red rose petals for us! How nice...we should leave them a great big virtual tip! After you have been rubbed down from head to toe and you feel completely relaxed, we head down to the beach for a nice nap...

Ahhh...so quiet....breeze is blowing...seagulls are...er, um....seagulling and we are all drifting off into a nice nap. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

After a nice long nap, we wake up thirsty so we order drinks.....

Ahhhh, this is the life. "Thank you sir, that'll be all for now!" As we lie back sipping our drinks, we notice the lifeguard...

Apparently, our drinks are working well on us because we are now seeing in black and white and he looks very distorted....drink up girls!

After another nap, this one not so willingly, we wake up starving! We haven't eaten since breakfast and we drank a few very yummy mixed cocktails, so now we are famished. Off to our rooms we go, get dressed up nice in your sexiest little outfits and meet me at the resorts Italian restaurant!

Man...we really need to eat...everything is still looking distorted! But hey, he looks good either way. We all order the most fattening, yummy, covered in cheese meal we can find and we eat it really slowly without anyone asking for bites or crying for some other reason. Mmmmmmm....after we finish, we decide to take in a spectacular sunset..

OK...you got me...this is a sunrise, but in virtual world, the sun never sets! This means we can do it all over again....Let's go girls!!!!

Thank you for joining me on my mini virtual vacation. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and maybe even got a moment of peace. Join me next Sunday for another virtual vacation. Where would you all like to go next? Let me know in your comment, the highest vote wins!

A Quick Note...

2008-11-11T05:38:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let me loyal readers know that I am still breathing and I wanted to apologize for my absence. But, like most everyone else, I have been incredibly busy. Not to mention, I have a serious case of blog block! Christmas is fast approaching and being the Christmas kid I am, I spend every extra minute I have, scouring the stores and websites for the perfect smile deserving gifts! Remember now, I have 9 kids, 1 grand daughter, a husband and a son in law to shop for. It takes great planning and bargain hunting to accomplish that "OMG, this is perfect!" gift! Needless to say, I have some time left but I hate to wait until the last minute. Even if you can get some great deals by doing so. I am a bargain hunter by nature and will be the first to admit the low price I paid for something. Some people say I shouldn't tell but I am bragging more about the bargain than I am about the item! If I find any awesome deals on my venture, you can bet I will let you all know by posting them here. As a matter of fact, I think I may have just ended my blog block. Maybe I will just have a "44 Days of Christmas Shopping Bargains" thing. Let me know what you all think of the idea. I also need to update on my Zachary at some point. Again, I apologize, please bear with me. Hope everyone has a great day!

Pfriday, Pfoto, Pfunky, Pfun Day!

2008-11-07T05:38:00.004-05:00

OK...I am sorry for him being sideways...I have tried 3 different ways to turn him right side up. It is early and I am tired, so I am begging you, just bend your heads to the left and take in the awesomeness of this photo. This is my sexy husband dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow for Halloween. On our way to the costume party, we had to stop by the grocery store. This lady in here said she could not believe how much he looked like Johnny Depp. I kept catching her staring at her and I loved it! I don't know about you but I think Johnny Depp is hot!

Wondering what my title is all about? No, I am not just a bad speller! It is a fun game plated by Candid Carrie and many other bloggers too. Click on her name and head over to her blog to see what it is all about!

Things I have Learned....

2008-11-06T05:34:00.001-05:00

Most of us can admit that, as we grow older, we begin to realize things that we swore we would never realize. We also learn that some of the things we "thought" we were taught by our parents, may not be exactly true. Wondering what I am talking about....

I've learned that you can not make someone love you.
All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just jerks.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes
suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After
that you better have a big wallet or huge boobs.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others -
they are more screwed up than you think.

I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think your finished.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless
we are celebrities.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades, and there had better be a lot of money to take its place.

I've learned that 99% of the time that something isn't working or is missing in the house,
one of your kids did it.

I've learned that people you care about most in the world are taken away
too soon and the less important ones just never go away.
AMEN!!

Top Ten Things To Know About Zachary..,

2008-11-05T05:16:00.000-05:00

Being a mother of a child with Autism, I have read every website and symptom-sign list out there. But my Zachy doesn't completely match any of them. He has some of each. So I thought I would compile a list of Zachy's signs and symptoms, in layman's terms:

1. If he does something funny and you think it is to make you laugh, you're wrong! Please don't laugh. He is only mimicking something he saw someone else doing and doesn't understand that you are laughing with him, not at him.

2. Always be prepared and know exactly what he might want at any given time without warning. An example would be that you have at least one of all of his favorite foods available because just when you think he won't want that again, he does. And there is no convincing him otherwise, don't even try!

3. Give him 10 minute warnings for any change in activity. Otherwise he will tantrum and you will not get anything accomplished.

4. Know the answers to all questions "even if you didn't even think about that one".

5. Always keep your cool and make it clear that everyone else in the house and surrounding vicinity does as well. Zachy feeds off of his environment. If it is calm, he most likely will be, but not always.

6. Never run out of sidewalk chalk. Zachy likes to draw roads on the driveway and then have everyone follow them. But you must always know which way he wants you to go because if you go the wrong way at the wrong time, he gets upset because you are doing it wrong.

7. Never serve Zachy food that isn't the perfect room temperature. He does not like too cool and he does not like too warm.

8. Zachary can't go to sleep unless he has his TV on, 2 pieces of bread and 4 circle cookies. Oh, and a cup of water just in case he might want some "when he just wakes up". Never give him food in an odd number, only even numbers are acceptible. Unless you are talking about french toast sticks, then it's 5, because that's how old he is.

9. Keep voices, TV, music and all outside noises quiet. It makes his ears hurt and causes a tantrum.

10. BE PATIENT! Sometimes Zachary needs to think things over in his mind to make sense of what and why he needs to do things. He can't do anything without having some understanding of why he is doing it. He also can't do anything unless he understands what he has to do, how long it might take and what direct effect it will have on him. And sometimes he just can't make sense of it and that becomes an instant frustration that causes a tantrum. So always be prepared!

Truth is, a list of 10 doesn't even begin to cover his signs and symptoms. Every time I think I have him figured out, he changes the rules without warning. Oh, and I am supposed to know he changed them and what change has been made too. The facts is, at least in my experience, all children with autism are completely different in some ways. Like you wouldn't have 2 children with the exact same list. Some things may be similar and a thing or 2 might be exact. But for the most part, they are different. If you notice strange behaviors in your child that are repetitive, and you think they may have Autism, get them tested. Don't worry about looking crazy or even finding out that you are right. All of Zachary's physicians have told me flat out that there is a window of time when a child's brain is open to change through therapy, but when that window closes, it may be too late. Apparently, this window is only open until a child is about 6-7 years old. I am not a doctor, so what I write is based on my own belief, experience and what I was told.
Zachary's biggest issue is social behavior. He is still not potty trained and not concerned that someone might notice he has had an accident. He will play with peers but it has to by his rules and at his directions, otherwise he retreats to his own space and plays alone. Or he just gets angry and strikes out to hurt someone, be it verbally or physically. His speech is way behind and he suffers from echolalia (sp?). He doesn't repeat entire lines of speech or movies (which is what I gathered when I read the description of it) he repeats words or actions from time to time. It is almost difficult to tell when he does it. Like when he was mimicking things he saw another kid doing until his siblings began to laugh at him. He didn't understand that the other person was trying to be funny and now he was being funny. He got very upset and started screaming the meanest most terrible words he could think of. For some reason, he thinks that hurts you and will make you stop hurting him. He isn't interested in the "normal" things kids of his age are interested in. He likes Thomas the Train, waterfalls, street signs and what they mean, traffic lights, bridges, tunnels and cities. And not just them in general, but all about them. What they are, why they are, what they mean, how they are made, why they are where they are etc. And when he plays Thomas it is very methodical. As cruel as it sounds, when Zachy asks his siblings to play trains with him, they all try to run and hide. It is a dreaded request in this house. Not because they don't want to play with trains, but because they know how picky and difficult he is. You have to follow him and only make certain turns on certain roads at certain times.
Taking him in public is much easier now that he has been to school but still not something you can do without plenty of fair warning and thought of all possible outcomes. You have to first convince him to go. Then you have to answer his 40 questions about where you are going and why, then you have to explain anything that might happen unexpectedly or any noise there might be there. If you are going to purchase something you know he will love, don't tell him that is why you are going. God forbid they don't have it, you are in big trouble. "They just have to have it, they're spost to have it, so, it doesn't matter!", he begins his tantrum.
To sum it up for now, Zachy is a special boy with special needs. He requires an abundance of patience, preparedness and understanding. Oh, and all of the answers! I hope this helps someone who may have wondered. If I can answer any questions, feel free to comment and I will be in touch.

Now It Is Time to Plan for Thanksgiving!

2008-11-03T05:36:00.002-05:00

Yep...I know...I can't believe it either. But today is November 3rd! And if you really want to freak yourself out...take a gander at that Christmas Countdown up there in the corner! My mom always said that the older you get, the quicker the years go by! And boy was she right!
But since it is November and Thanksgiving is like 3 weeks from Thursday, I am beginning to plan my menu for the big day. Normally we eat at a family members home but this year, I am doing the cooking for my little family. We will have 8 of our kids, my son-in-law, my grand daughter, Stevie and myself in attendance. Brandon will not be able to be here since they are not allowing any leaves for Thanksgiving this year. (he is in the US Army) It will be very strange not having him around, he has always been with me. But I guess when duty calls, he has to answer. He makes me so proud!
Anyway, I apologize for getting a bit side tracked there. So I am trying to plan a really good and traditional dinner. But I really wanted to try to put a new spin on some of the old classics. For instance, I found a recipe for a stuffing that has artichoke hearts in it. I am seriously considering making it and will be glad to post it if anyone is interested. I always make a turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, rolls etc. (wipe the drool off of your chin before it drips onto your computer!) I also always cook everything the same way and we always have the jellied cranberry sauce from the can. So this year, I really want to wow them. I found a recipe for cherry and cranberry sauce that looks good. I am just not sure whether I want to try it or not. I also found several new ideas for sweet potatoes, a few potato casseroles that could be used in place of the mashed potatoes etc.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, "If you have any Thanksgiving recipes that you would like to share, by all means, share!". Just post your recipe in your comment and that way we can all see them. Please don't forget about dessert! Thanks in advance and I will be glad to email the recipes I mentioned (because I am still too tired to do it right now). Just let me know you want them! Have a great Monday!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T07:40:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone! I hope it was a safe one and everyone got more candy than they can eat in 3 lifetimes! This is the youngest 2 of our bunch! Sydney is the cutest little lady bug fairy and Emma is a beautiful princess! I painted their faces for fun and they both loved it!

I also added the following photos because of its hilarity...

I am a Tiger Den Leader for the cub scouts. When we were preparing for our monthly pack meeting, I inquired as to what our Cub Master would be dressing up in. He said an Army man...I said "Wow...real original, why don't you just come dressed as a Cub Scout Master"? So we decided to come up with a cool new idea. That is when it hit me...a GIRL scout! The head cub scout master dressed up as a girl scout....too funny! He went for it and after a quick trip to Goodwill, this is how he looked....

I couldn't get a great photo because Zachy was on the verge of a meltdown so we had to leave. But he came in after the meeting started, looking totally bewildered and asking, "is this the girl scout meeting?...I am looking for the Girl Scout meeting". The boys, almost as if rehearsed, screamed..."we are the BOY Scouts!" It was really funny!

Zachary's Official Title Change...

2008-10-31T05:13:00.002-04:00

Good Morning! First of all I would like to thank everyone that came by yesterday and left me a comment. I have never seen so many comments in one day! WOW~I can't believe how wonderful you all are. I appreciate all of the sweet and inspiring comments, I also am overwhelmingly thrilled at all of the wonderful advice. You are all truly inspiring! I will be visiting each and every one of you but please be patient. Believe it or not, there were over 300 comments on my blog yesterday!

Now, to explain my blog title...
We had Zachy's eligibility meeting at the school yesterday. We have done this every year for the past 4 years that he has been in school. (yes, he did start school at 2 1/2) Every year it is a bunch of red tape, "credible" excuses and no changes. His IEP diagnosis has always been "Developmental Delay" even though he has Autism. I knew that if he had the Autism as his diagnosis instead of the Developmental Delay, it would open up more help through the school. I also knew this was why I was getting nowhere when I tried to have it changed. For those of you that have experience with the whole IEP process, you know the difference the 2 diagnosises make. But in order to keep my blog from covering 3 pages, Developmental Delay comes with only a few government mandates of requirements. Nothing that will really help my Zachy with his behavior issues or social difficulties. Basically it only assists academically. But the Autism label has many government, state and county mandates that require the schools to cover all aspects of his Autism. Getting the label on the IEP is a very difficult process because the schools in this country do not have the funding to provide for all the children with special needs that are entering the system in droves. And once the label is granted, it can not be taken away!

Well after 4 VERY long years of fighting with everything I had...his label was changed yesterday. His IEP diagnosis is now "Autism" just like it should be. And this means my baby will finally get the therapies he deserves! I can not tell you how I feel. Sheer elation and long awaited validation! I spent the day, yesterday, crying one minute and laughing the next! FINALLY....they see what I do and they are willing to do what it takes to help him It was like a very large weight was lifted off of my shoulders and all of the fears, anger, frustration, pleading and disappointment....WE WON! Or I should say, Zachary won! Thank you God! Now I can move the fight from the whys to the how's. I realize that we will still have to fight in order to make sure he is getting what he needs. But I am ready for it! After all, it may have taken 4 years, but despite all of the resistance and red tape, I got him his label! I will get him his therapies too!

Happy Halloween! Be safe and have fun!

Notice of My Official Title Change

2008-10-28T05:20:00.003-04:00

I am in the process of trying to sell an electric golf cart that was given to my husband. Well, we are trying to sell it. But I received an email inquiring about it from a man that works for Nasa! After I read the email, I noticed this guys title....

NASA Shuttle Program
Integrated Aeroscience Systems Manager

How cool is that?! Maybe it is just me but I think that has got to be one of the coolest titles ever! At my work, my title is " Billing Dept.". I have no idea what qualifies me as being a "department", but that is it. No bling...no excitement...no easy to mispronounce words...b-o-r-i-n-g! That was when it hit me...just take it! Take the title and run! Yes...I really did it! I sent out an email at work, yesterday, letting everyone know of my new title. And now when I send an email, my signature looks like this...

Jyll (last name)
NASA Shuttle Program
Integrated Aeroscience Systems Manager

Don't worry about the "rightful owner". I left him my old title. He is now a billing department. Judging by his...er uh...my title that was previously his, he is a smart guy. He will figure out how to be a billing dept.! As for me, you can find me strutting around my office, wearing an insanely large name tag (we don't even wear name tags at work but with a title like mine...I am SO wearing one now!). At least until Nasa figures out that it was me that stole this guys title. Then they will most likely send the feds to quickly whisk me away to some unknown, third world country where they will promptly stick me into a dirt hole while feeding me nothing but bugs and dirty water, until I agree to give the title back. So I ask you, my loyal blog readers, don't forget about me and try to find some way to send me food...because I ain't giving it back! And while I am still a free lady...if you would like a cool new title, I will gladly help you get one. Just let me know!

OH...anyone want to buy a golf cart?!

What Is It With Halloween Costumes These Days?!

2008-10-27T05:30:00.006-04:00

My husband and I went shopping over the weekend, for Halloween costumes. (Yes...we do wait for the last minute!) We are going to a family costume party on Saturday and we were attempting to find something simple and inexpensive. You know...like a vampire or a ghost etc. Well we did not find that...no siree Bob! Instead we found this...

This costume is supposed to be Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ. And it was in the "Tween" section. Meaning it is for girls between the ages of 10 and 12. I don't know about you but there is no way I am letting my 11 year old daughters wear thigh highs in public. Or anywhere else for that matter. We also saw these...

This is the French Maid costume for Tweens. It is not as bad as the previous one, but as an adult, I know all about the French Maid and I say Heck NO! And lastly, we have this...

Again...this is for teens and tweens! What kind of mother would allow her "tween" to even see this costume...let alone wear it?! I could be here all day just posting photo's of "what were they thinking" costumes. But if you really don't believe me...go searching for yourself. And if you decide to take your children with you, stay away from the adult costume sections. They have everything from large foam breasts to men's costumes with fake "boners". A warning would have been nice, but you won't find one anywhere. These stores can be a lot of fun for adults but if you have small children, use your discretion. For me, I am going to Wally world and buying a couple of white sheets!

Friday Foto Time Again...

2008-10-24T05:16:00.004-04:00

For this week, I had to choose 2 fotos for Friday Favorite Foto Fun. This is my sweet puppy and my sweet Zachary. As you can see, they have a lot in common! If you want to join in on all of the fun click here and you will be swiftly redirected to Candid Carrie's wonderful world of wonderful photos and misspelled words! Yes, you heard {read} me right! She has a way with making a correctly spelled word appear boring and normal. She will make you wish that you never took that pesky spelling class. Go ahead, check her out...join in on the misspelled adventures and you are sure to have a fun, funky, fotographically fascinating Friday!

No Child Left Behind...

2008-10-22T05:19:00.003-04:00

I am going t get a bit serious, and maybe even a bit controversial, for a minute. I know what your thinking..."YOU...Serious?!...HA!". But even I can get serious sometimes. Especially when it comes to my children. More specifically...my special needs child. Zachary has had a really rough week that began last Wednesday. He has been even more impulsive, agitated and aggressive than normal. He has an overload of energy and spends his evenings running around, jumping on furniture and making loud firetruck noises. He has begun biting at himself, chewing on his clothes, swatting at his teacher and aid at school. He is experiencing more difficulty during transistions and disrupting class with his loud vocalizations. His medications haven't changed and, as far as I know, neither has anything else. He has told me that he doesn't love me, he has thrown things at me and even grabbed my legs with both hands in an attempt to pinch me. He goes up and then down. One minute he is drawing a photo of he and I holding hands and smiling with the words, "I love you mommy and I miss you when you are far" written above them. The next minute he has drawn a big x through it and rewritten, "I don't love you mommy, you're mean!". It hurts my heart so bad that I spent Friday morning at work, crying my eyes out. He is so angry and so upset but I can't figure out why. I have tried everything to comfort him and calm him down, but it only seems to make things worse. I checked with the school and they verified that the behaviors are happening there too.
So I made him an appointment with his Neurologist. I just wanted to make sure that something else wasn't going on. After all, they told me that his chances of developing epilepsy are extremely high according to his EEG. Maybe he is on the verge of his first seizure. I am grasping at straws probably, but I just can't understand why he changed so drastically and so suddenly. After talking to his doctor, I had more understanding of what was going on. He said, "imagine that he is a car and he is having issue after issue. You know he needs a major overhaul but you keep taking him to local mechanics to fix this or that. Knowing the entire time that the dealership is the only place that can truly fix it with a major overhaul." He says it is due to the fact that Zachy is getting older and stronger and he has never had the much needed behavioral training he needs. He concluded that without this training from a trained Autism provider, it is only going to get worse. He said, "taking him to a regular teacher in a mainstream class is a bit like taking your car to 7-11 for repair in hopes that the cashier knows something about cars". WOW! I never really thought about it like that.
So now I am on a mission to get my son what he truly needs. Not that I haven't been on that mission all along. I was just not as well equipped prior to my conversation with the Neurologist. See, he hooked me up with a paper that contained this statement...
Education is the fostering of acquisition of skills or knowledge...including not only academic learning, but also socialization, adaptive skills, language and communication, and reduction of behavior problems - to assist a child to develop independence and personal responsibility.
At the beginning of the year, I attempted to get Zach placed into a special classroom taught by teachers with experience in dealing with special needs kids. This school does not have an Autism class and the County I live in is in great need of Autism teachers. So they convinced me that since he is doing great academically, we could just place him in a mainstream class with the assistance of a full time aide. I admit, he is doing great academically, with lots of prompting and constant reminders to stay on task. However, he is not doing great in all other areas. He has made attempts at socialization but is incredibly awkward in his socializing. Eventually, this will lead to teasing and being shunned by classmates. I was always led to believe that the school was only responsible for his academics. Now that I know they are responsible for more, I am pushing it forward. I have already been in touch with an advocate to speak on our behalf at the IEP meetings and I sent an email to the school letting them know what I want for my son. They stated that we will have an eligibility meeting next week to see what he qualifies for and what label to put on his IEP. After all, he has "outgrown" the developmentally delayed label they previously gave him. Even though my son has the diagnosis of Autism from 2 very highly respected child developmental doctors, the school feels they need to test him. They apparently think they know more than these professionals. I say they just don't want to have to provide the therapies required by the Autism label. No Child Left Behind has no funding behind it and therefore the schools are scrambling to care for these children. But this is not Zachy's fault. He deserves what he needs in order to lead a "normal" life someday. So I begin my fight! I WILL win! For my son, I will do what it takes to see him get what he needs. My child will not be left behind!

A Funny Email I Recieved...

2008-10-21T05:47:00.002-04:00

Tough Love vs. Spanking - Good Argument Most of the American populace thinks it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments.' One that I found effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk. Some say it's the vibration from the car, others say it's the time away from any distractions such as TV, Video Games, Computer, IPod, etc. Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together. Eye to eye contact helps a lot too. I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique. Sincerely,Your Friend

This works with grandchildren, nieces, and nephews as well.
Obviously, this is a joke! Please do not try this at home!

When You Think of Pumpkin Patch...

2008-10-20T05:23:00.009-04:00

I decided quite a few years ago, that I wanted to start a family tradition with my children. Something they would want to follow for the rest of their lives, even after they created their own families. The tradition I came up with was an annual visit to the pumpkin patch. (I live in Virginia, its a big thing here) So after about 5 years of this, we may have to find a new tradition. Let me explain why. First of all, when you think of a pumpkin patch, what do you picture?

A big farm, a hay ride...

a nice slow, bumpy trip through the fields leading to the pumpkin patch...

Running through the vines, trying not to trip, while searching for the perfect pumpkin to take home and carve into the perfect Jack-o-lantern for the front porch! Maybe even a nice, steamy cup of hot apple cider while standing by the bon fire, warming back up after the fall weather has you shivering... Maybe a stop by the pool of corn for a fun little "swim" with the other children. And maybe even a small petting zoo, just to really get you into the "down on the farm" feeling...

I don't know about you but this is definitely my idea of a trip to the pumpkin patch. Every year we have gone to the same patch and every year it has gotten a bit more commercial. But somehow, it still managed to hold onto some of the "down on the farm" it was meant to have.

Until this year...I felt more like I had just taken a drive out to the state fair

Minus the lights and big rides, this is more like what we saw when we arrived this year. They had an admission menu that started at $5.00 per person (any age) that included admission into the patch, the hay ride and use of their facilities. They had 3 other choices that ranged from $10 - $20 per person (any age) that included all of their "rides", the haunted house, the corn maze, the corn cannons, the blow up jump houses, the pony rides, the "tractor train" etc. WTF?! And you still had to pay their over inflated per pound price for the pumpkins! Unfortunately, we had already promised the kids they could have lunch and cider at the patch, before we knew they had changed everything. Otherwise, I would have gotten back in my van and went somewhere else! Last year, we spent about $60 to get the kids one ride a piece and a pumpkin too. This year we spent approximately $100 just to get in, eat a hot dog, share some apple cider, and get pumpkins for each kid! And to top it off, I couldn't even get any decent pictures of the family at the patch! I look forward to getting that photo every year. Everyone dressed in their fall clothes, looking cozy, and the backdrop of partially changed leaves, pumpkins and a barn. Not this year! I couldn't get a picture because the place was so overcrowded that every time we tried to get into formation, people would walk in front of us. I finally gave up. I actually planned on using this photo at the top of my blog, but now I guess I will have to do something else. Oh, and I didn't even tell you about the DJ they hired to blast country music so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think! Needless to say, we will not be returning next year. I can't believe they have allowed themselves to be bitten by the bug. You know, the "chi-ching" bug. I am pretty sure they made plenty of money before they became so commercialized. And I am pretty sure they will now lose money. Because I can't imagine anyone loading their kids up every fall to drive out into the country for a taste of the city! Just had to vent. And if you live in Virginia...don't waste your time or money on the Chesterfield Berry Farm's Pumpkin Patch!

Phriday Photo Phunky Phun

2008-10-17T05:43:00.005-04:00

I took this photo last weekend at boy scout camp. Doesn't it just reek of "peacefulness"?! I mean even the 2 geese look relaxed and happy to be here! In light of all of my positive energy posts this week, I wanted to pick a photo to make you go "ahhhhhhhhhhhh". Go to Ms. Carrie's funky fresh blog to see more wonderful photos and join in on the fun!

Now that I have been very positive and upbeat for a few days, I have to blog a bit more negatively for a moment. Yesterday, while clicking around on the Internet, I came across this man...

Dennis "I am a total moronic jerk" Leary. For anyone who did not hear or see it already, this is why I must post his ugly mug on my blog...

He said this...
"There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-*** kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both."

I refuse to lower myself to his level and bash his name like I so want to do. But I will say this, it is people like him that make life difficult for my son and every other child or person that suffers with Autism. He obviously had not had the fortunate opportunity to meet and get to know an Autistic person. They have difficulty understanding the world around them yet they are more compassionate and non-judgemental than even this ignorant man! Apparently, he was making the comment to be funny, but I am sure that no one finds it funny. I, myself, find it utterly disgusting! It is distasteful, moronic, ignorant, cruel and stereotypical! I am so angry that I just want to say terrible things about this person. But I said I wouldn't lower myself for him. I will just allow my wonderful, intelligent, compassionate, caring bloggy friends to rip him apart themselves.