April is Autism Awareness Month

"I'm already aware of autism, Mom." -Ethan, April 2nd, 2008 (World Autism Awareness Day)

April is Autism Awareness Month! As many of you know, our son has Aspergers. Some day, when I am ready, I plan to post my "on going" post about Aspergers and life with Ethan. Don't get me wrong, we are so blessed to be parents of our special boy! Yes, life can be complicated with an Asperger child. Neighbors, friends, and family do not always understand Ethan. They do not always understand how or why his brain operates and/or understand why he says the expressions he speaks. (don't place blame on the parents or 'assume' that the child is speaking words to be hurtful.... that is where people need to become more educated). We just wish for people to become educated regarding Aspergers, Autism, and other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

LB and I are so fortunate to have come in contact with many wonderful parents of ASD kids. We belong to many support groups and we have also organized our own parent ASD group in our town. It is a great way for parents to come together and share their successes and challenges.

Also, we have been fortunate to have a HUGE support group rooting for us and to be our guide and comfort when the tough times do arise. A big thank you is expressed for Father of Five. This kind man took the time to be educated about Autism and to display a banner on his blog in honor of Ethan! ----- thank you! Check out FOF's blog and read some good posts.

Study Buddy

This really isn't my idea of a "study buddy" but if I had to pick, yes, this is who I would choose.

Liberty Bell!

Doesn't Life as a Dog seem exhausting? After all, she did have to lift her head for a few minutes for the perfect shot. I am sure she is questioning me as to what in the world a pink monkey is doing by her head (and on her blanket)!

** this post is dedicated to a wonderful friend.... rest up, get well, and we'll be dancin' soon! :)**

{PS: This is what I had waiting for me after our trip.... isn't it wonderful... made by two great artists!}

3-6-9 Kid - E's play from the weekend

You can read LB's blog here to get all the details from the play. As you know, my blog is short these days due to school. Here is just a taste from the 3-6-9 play that E performed in. E had a great weekend. Here are some photos from the play. He was a deputy and played his part well.

Father/Daughter Dance - Ethan's Concert - for family

Photos from Ethans concert and from the Father Daughter Dance.










Ethan and his 3rd Grade teacher, Mrs. Baker - she is so nice. We really have been blessed with her this year!

Out with the OLD.... In with the NEW! Ready, Set, GO, GO, GO!

Officially Retired:


1 pair of Saucony.... well ridden!











Yes, it was time! Time for a new pair of runnin' shoes! Truly, I experienced anxiety thinking about having to depart from my walking partners ... my neon green Sauc's. As anyone who is walking or running knows, you need to change out your shoes very often. They wear out fast! Keep your feet healthy and sore free for goodness sakes!





So.......here they are! My new friends - righty and lefty Saucony!


Funny story: being fitted for new running shoes is actually fun! I love to have professional runners give me great advice on shoes. Mr. Gotee at the running store was amazed that they had one pair of my "best friends" left ... my size too! Bonus!

Yes, they are exactly the same as my other pair.



I am now a happy girl. I have my new shoes but feels like my old friends are still with me!








** Liberty Bell (91 in doggie years) is my summer walking partner. She doesn't like to walk in the cold Minnesota snow (can you blame her?) and I have yet to find a facility that will let you bring your dog/pet in for long walks.

Reflection

I read this quote on a scrapbook site and want to share with you. ENJOY!
"Worry is not necessary. Spend an equal amount of time counting blessings. Start with your childhood. Take the time to remember to really appreciate each blessing, absorb it and think of all the good effects it has had on you and others. Don't overlook the ordinary. There are a thousand blessings in every moment, if you look. Each breath and heartbeat, every color, texture, taste, smell. A lifetime of blessings, beauty, love. Thankfulness is like water. Allow yourself the release, the cleansing, the quenching that gratefulness brings."

I leave you with my favorite quote:
Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering!

Isn't He Adorable........

Well, I got my baby fix! The only problem, I didn't want Mel and Rocky to leave! We had such a wonderful time! Emery loved holding the baby! I was surprised at Emery's enthusiasm for Rocky. She even said she would like to have a baby brother or sister. Ethan wasn't that interested in the baby. No surprise there. Ethan informed me that "babies are not a "thing" for a 9 yr. old". It was so much fun to have a little one around. Thank you Mel..... can't wait to see you both again!

Kittens, Chickens and Eagles, Oh My!

Mya and the Fancy Chicken
Kitty on the Log
Fancy Girl

What an eventful weekend! Sweet Pea, Son, and I drove up to visit Grandma and Grandpa for the weekend. Well actually, Son got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa while Sweet Pea and I had a "girls weekend" with my dearest HS friend. We had a wonderful time! Sharing the weekend with my dear friend was so relaxing. My dear friend, (let's just call her Fe Fe), cooked a fabulous meal for all of us girls. It was delicious. A group of other High School friends joined us for food and gabbing all night.

Sweet Pea and I were given the opportunity to help Fe Fe on her chicken "farm". Sweet Pea loved the chickens. She asked if we could bring some home.

Fe Fe has chickens, dogs, and a cat.

Thank you, Fe Fe, for the best weekend! We had a great time!

The photo of the two bald eagles was taken near Bemidji. It is rare that you spot two eagles - let alone to find them perched on a branch. Doesn't it look patriotic? I stopped the car and had to shoot 5 or 6 photos of these beautiful birds! I hope they don't find out about Fe Fe's chickens.

Hot Hot Hot

Quote from my husband "With a title like that, are you finally writing about me". Sorry LB, I have to save those posts. Those are private. :)

This post is for Kerry and Tom

The Salsa was a huge hit!

I did it! I did it again! I love it!

Thanks to family for the veggies and to neighbor L. for the tomatoes. Yummy. . . .Tom, thank you for all of your help. Your the best "cooker" according to E & E. ;)

More writing to come......

off to school.

Up North Beauty

This past weekend we took a short trip up to Bemidji. The weather was perfect for boating. My parents live on a beautiful private lake just outside of Bemidji. We took the pontoon out on Saturday and saw some spectacular scenery. The ducks and their babies, all the sunfish, and of course, the pair of loons and their cute little one. My Dad was able to capture this photo (which I think is rare) of the loon feeding her baby. These loons are very good parents. They keep the baby very close and don't like us or anything bothering them. An eagle circled around a few times when we were out on the lake, the loons were squawking up a storm to warn him off.

Thank you Dad for sharing your unique photo. We had a nice time with you and Mom.

** I am posting this on July 8th. Today my Grandpa Roy would have turned 99 years young. My Grandpa passed away 5 years ago. My Grandma Olive and all of us miss him greatly.

93 - Peg and Ollie

This post is dedicated to 2 very special people in our lives. Grandma Ollie and Grandma Peg!

May I start out by wishing you both a very, very, Happy 93rd Birthday!

While dating LB, we were dining at the MOA (California Cafe to be exact), the discussion of our Grandparents came up. I was proudly telling LB about my Grandma Ollie. She is one of a kind! She is so special and dear to me. At the time, Grandma Ollie was turning 80. I mentioned my Grandma's big birthday to LB. His eyes lit up. "That is my Grandma's 80th birthday also"! One more detail we had in common! Our Grandma's shared the same EXACT birthday. They were both born in SD and later we found out that our Grandma's lived approximately 20 miles from each other. Back in 1914, to live twenty miles away from each other was far. That is probably why they had never met.

LB and I didn't date very long before we were married. Our wedding day was the day our Grandma's met each other (they had heard so much about one another). I can remember them hugging each other as if they had known each other for years.

These two beautiful ladies are now pen pals and friends! Grandma Peg still drives and plays bridge many times per week. I should say, she is the Bridge Queen (her name, the winner, is in the paper every week)! Grandma Ollie has been busy packing as she is moving into her new apartment. She will be close to her Church, which is a big part of her life, and near friends.

To you two wonderful ladies - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Thank you for being such a great influence in our lives, thank you for being the best Grandma's and best Great Grandma's in the world, thank you for your love! We love you both!

Como Zoo

" I just love him Mom............ can we get one?"

Emery's preschool class had their end of the year field trip. The class went to the Como Zoo in St. Paul. What a wonderful day!

The last time I visited Como Zoo was 3 years ago. As a matter of fact, a Dad from Ethan's class was reminding me of our trip 3 years ago. "Remember Dianne, it was cold, raining, and the zoo was under construction. The animals didn't come out and the kids were all complaining how they wanted to see some animals." I had forgotten most of those details. I only remember the rain and the bus ride home. This year, the trip was completely different. The weather was perfect and the bus ride was so much fun. I don't know who had more fun.... the Mom's or the kids! The pictures show our fun day!

I was told that with the remodeling of the zoo, it has attracted a lot more people. The zoo was clean and the animals looked well taken care of. I noticed how the patrons entering the zoo were so generous at the donation box. We made sure to add our share as we'd love to see this zoo for years to come. (as an extra bonus, I found some dollar bills near the giraffe exhibit - we donated that as we exited the zoo:)

We were able to view all of the animals in about 2 hours. We did spend extra time in the tropical gardens. It was interesting to see little mice running around in the lush grass. I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be in there but then I thought maybe the snakes feed on them. ?? The sloth was very interesting to watch. He (or she) actually climbed up the tree while we were watching below. It took him/her quite a long time to move just a few inches up the tree. Then he/she took a nap.

We were fortunate to see the seals being fed, have their teeth cleaned, and then perform a small show for us. I wish I could have taken a better photo of them swimming in their home but they were too quick for my eye!

Relaxin' in the sun. I don't blame these two oldies for relaxing. They both look like they deserve to relax .... don't they?

Not sure what this bird was called but I was very pleased with the pose it gave me. Beautiful bird I might add.

Polar Bears!

The polar bears were fun to watch. The larger one above, wanted to guard his cave while the smaller one below was pacing the lower part of their exhibit. I wasn't sure why it was pacing back and forth but it was fun for everyone to see his size and to listen to him growl.

All in all, it was a great day! I would recommend to take your family to the Como Zoo. Spend the entire day. Take many photos. Stop and have a picnic lunch. Enjoy the beautiful facility. Lastly, Enjoy and Treasure your time together!

Many thanks go out to the teachers for being so patient with the children. Thanks to the bus drivers also, they take their job very seriously. They made sure to keep us all safe even during the crazy traffic time.

Swimming - Water Park Fun

Grandma and Grandpa here are some swimming photos. We took these photos while visiting the water park in South Dakota.

Ethan hanging from the rope Emery swimming with the huge snake
I Love this photo! This was taken near the end the of evening. The kids were taking a break and were sitting on the mini fountains. I love the look on each face. Emery looks completely wore out - Ella is still smiling from all the fun - Ethan, well is Ethan.... :) He was happy to be anywhere near the water!
Another favorite of mine. Emery and Ella - cousins having a great time together.

Ethan going down the water slide - we quit counting after 100 times down :) Great job Ethan!
Emery jumping in (again) She had Daddy there to help her the first couple of times. By the end of the day, she was jumping in all by herself and swimming to the edge. Good job Emery!
Emery goofing around :)

Ella and Hope. Hope loved to go down this slide. She didn't mind being under water one bit! :)

Ella loved the slide too.

We had a great time. We hope to go back and visit the water park again!

KoKonut Kapers

Kokonut Kapers Musical

Ethan, you were the best pirate! You did such a wonderful job acting in the play! All the directors said you played the roll the best and were such a delight to work with. You didn't complain at all with the late night/weekend practices. As a matter of fact, you were very eager to be on time and to start learning your part. We are so proud of you Ethan!

Swimming and looking oh so cute.....

We started our day by singing Happy Birthday to Kyle! Kyle we hope you had a wonderful birthday! Then it was off to swimming lessons............

Emery had her second swimming lesson yesterday. She waited so patiently for her instructor. Once her instructor came out then it was time to get serious. Once again, Emery had such a wonderful time and is doing extremely well. Good job Emery!

I have to laugh every time I think of her in that pool. There was not ONE time when I would look over at her and she wasn't smiling! She always had a huge smile on her face and was having the time of her life! To me, to see her having this much fun and being so happy .... this makes me content! Emery is happy, healthy and having a fabulous time!

Stay tuned for Ethan's BIG weekend!

Let the Swimming Begin

Good Job Emery......... You Swim So Well!

On Wednesday, Emery started swimming lessons. This girl swims like a fish! She did extremely well on her first day. The instructor said that Emery was advanced for her age. Emery was the only child in this group so rather than move her up and into a class with 4 boys the instructor said she would give Emery one on one lessons and work with her at the next level. We were so proud of Emery and very pleased with her new instructor.

The night before her lessons Emery could not sleep, she kept getting up asking if it was morning yet. She was so excited for swimming.

After swimming lessons and on the drive home Emery asked why we didn't sign her up during a time when Ethan could come and watch. "Ethan would like to see me dive and swim under water", she proudly told us.

Warning: Cute Children Photos Shown Below

Ok so I am a "copy cat". I copied this title from my husband's post. He should be flattered that I wanted to use his title. (Plus it fits the photos)

This was taken at Emery's preschool on the day of her Valentine party. Ethan took this photo. He's quite a photographer I might add. Emery's Preschool teachers are so kind to Ethan. They let him participate in the fun classroom parties. Ms. Joni and Ms. Chris gave Ethan a cookie to decorate and eat.
Emery and Ms. Joni.
Ethan had his Valentine party on Valentine's day. Here are a few photos from his classroom. Ethan sits with 3 girls at his spot in the room. They seem to really enjoy him. He makes them laugh. I can only imagine what goes on and the conversations those 4 have. One of the girls was in Preschool with Ethan. They also had Ms. Joni. That was 4 years ago.
The kids decorated their own Valentine boxes. Ethan chose to do a patriotic theme. He wanted a photo of himself on his box. I loved his idea of the candy hearts he put on the top.

Emery decorated her box at her Preschool. I love all the hearts she colored and the rickrack. These were the beautiful and very colorful Valentine cards I received from my two sweethearts.

Fancy Dinner ~ Funny Conversation

Happy Valentine's Day!

Each year it seems we (meaning the kids and I) spend Valentine's Day alone. LB seems to be the unfortunate one to have to work on Love Day. I try to come up with a little something special for the kids. Usually I prepare their favorite meal and we use our fancy china and have a candlelight dinner. Tonight, however, the kids asked for a heart shaped pizza.

We purchased our pizza from our favorite take out pizza shop. Once we were home, I thought it would be fun to have dinner in our p.j.'s. The kids thought this was really cool. I made my famous sparkling orange-pineapple punch. We then placed our fancy snack set china on the table as our dinnerware. We even had my dozen roses as our table center piece.

We had a wonderful dinner! We were only missing one thing..... ~ Daddy.

So to you Daddy, Happy Valentine's Day. We will have your favorite dinner tomorrow evening. We Love you lots!

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As always, I'd like to share one more story:

Our conversation that we had while eating our "fancy dinner".

Ethan was talking about money for college and how it must cost more than $80 to go to college. Emery was talking about .... well, who knows... her mouth goes a mile a minute, interrupting everyone.
So it was during our college conversation that Ethan asked me if LB and I met in college. I explained to him that his Dad went to college long before I did (being as I am in college now). Ethan then asked me how LB and I met. I explained to him how I got sick and needed a prescription and went into the Pharmacy and that was where I met his Dad. "Oh yeah, you went in, saw Dad and really liked him, you two went on a date, had a fancy dinner, and Dad asked you to marry him". My reply was, (smiling & chuckling to myself) "Well, you were correct with most of the story, but your Dad and I dated for awhile before we got married".

After dinner, I was putting away the dishes and thinking about when I met LB. It was 14 years ago. It is a funny but long story that brought us together (maybe I'll post that later). Thinking about how we met and our blind date, brought back all those wonderful memories. It made me appreciate LB all the more. It made me want to call him at work and tell him how much I really Love Him. I missed him tonight (we missed him tonight) and wish he could have shared this precious time and conversation with us. I need to go and make a call to Cub....... :)

"Mom, guess who is joining us for breakfast?"

Happy Monday!

Emery is full of energy this morning! It is 9:00AM and we have already built a fort out of chairs and blankets, colored bookmarks, and played with stuffed animals. Oh and yes, we had breakfast hours ago. Emery just informed me that we will be having a guest for breakfast. Any guesses?

If you guessed Paint, the multi-colored horse, you are correct. And why was Paint
hanging on the edge of the table (looks like she was doing chin-ups)?

Because this is what was under the table helping Paint to hold her head high!

In the fort with Paint

Bookmarks!

Next on the agenda? To get dressed!

I'll also leave you with a short story of what went on in our house last night.

5:30PM and I am trying to get dinner ready. We were waiting for LB to come home and join us.

I asked Ethan to please go and take his Sunday night shower.

6:15PM "Emery, will you please go and knock on the bathroom door and tell Ethan he needs to be done with his shower?" "OK Mom, I'll tell him", she replied. Thinking in my head, we don't own the water company, son!

6:16PM Emery sits back down at the table and finishes her coloring project.

6:25PM "Emery, did Ethan say he'd be right down? Was he finished with his shower?" I asked.

Emery replies, "humm, I don't know but he yelled "Emery! Get atta here!" (her exact words)

Time To Learn More Gooder English.....

For most of you that know me, you know that I have gone back to college. It has been more than 16 years since I have been in college. Let me tell you, life is sure different now than when I was in school. Most of the students are "typical" students, under the age of 20 and fresh out of high school. I am one of the "non-traditional" students. That means "old". When my fellow classmates were showing off their tattoos and piercings, I could only offer to show the recent school photos of my children. Although I got "oh cute" and "she looks just like you", I could tell they were not very interested.

I finished my first English class in December. I did very well (an A I might add) . I worked very hard for my grade. I was proud of my accomplishment. I put forth more effort in this class than I did my entire high school years. Yes, I will admit, in high school I was more interested in the next party that was brewing. Heading up the weekend "pit parties" was second nature to me. I am sure my parents knew all of this but just in case they didn't... now they do.

It wasn't and isn't easy going back to school after all these years. My previous worries of balancing family, friends, and time no longer concern me. I am working at my own pace and will strive for the best grade I can earn. I will start back in 4 days. I am eager, confident, and ready. Ready to learn!

My last goal is to convince LB that I need new school clothes and supplies. He isn't buying this one... guess I won't ask about Spring Break.