It's just what she does.......

While she sits on the potty!  The BIG potty now....apparently the froggie potty isn't so cool anymore.

 She made her MAD face........

 Her fish face.......

 And her kissy face.......

And on another note....she is completely addicted to sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches.  She eats atleast ONE every.single.day!  And this is what her face looks like every.single.time.

And even with all this cute stuff, I have to add that she has started with the lovely 2 year old independance and temper tantrums....oh joy!

But she is cute!



The 4 year old and the IPOD

We have honestly deleted HUNDREDS of pictures off the IPOD that Dylan has taken!  I have to say that we have laughed and laughed over some of the pictures he's taken!  It's amusing and fun to see it through his eyes!!



Welcome to Holland

I have read this many, many time over the last 7 years but I can't help believe that there is a "reason" that I got it via email today.  I really needed to read this today.

Welcome to Holland

By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Eva's all about the potty....

But clearly we still have some work to do on what's up with undies! :-)



Big yellow school bus....again!

Last Thursday I went on a field trip with Dylan to the Madison Children's Museum......and again, I think he was more excited about riding the school bus than anything. ;-)

Dylan loves the Children's Museum but honestly, he has a such a hard time with changes in routine that it was a rough afternoon for him.  He's used to being able to go from floor to floor of the museum when he wants to since when we go it is  a time that we can give him lots of choices which is a good thing.  Needless to say, one thing led to another on the field trip which ended up with both Dylan and Mommy in tears at one point.

The silver lining is that if you ask him.......he says that he had a great time and that's what's important!



Saturday Fun......

Nothing to say really....just wanted to share some new pics!

Just a little potty time......snack is sitting on the rocking horse!

Then we colored a little.....

 

Then we were a "princess!"  Mind you, this is her NEWBORN size tutu that still fits her fine!  She's actually going to wear it for her 2 year pics next Friday!! :-)

Then we ALL had to wear tutus!!

"I gotta gotta go find my purse Mommy!"



Pulling at my heartstrings.....

The last week has been an emotional one for me.....nerves about a lot of things but mostly my kids.  With all the crud going on in Wisconsin and the major cuts to schools and Medicaid, my stomach has been in knots.

Today Eva had her appointment with the developmental ped. and while for the most part it went well and they were impressed with her, they are concerned that she has a vestibular disorder like Kira.  It's most likely not as severe which is a great thing but it will require OT for Eva that is not with Birth-3 who comes to our house but across town at the UW Rehab Center where I take Dylan once a week for OT too.  Most likely she will have the same therapist as Dylan since she is one of the few that is trained in this therapy.  It's a very hands-on therapy for parents so having Dylan with me just won't work. It will make scheduling tricky and mean more trips across town, babysitters, etc.

Then a friend shared this song on Facebook which, of course, turned me into a blubbering mess and now is on my must have list!!