I Probably Shouldn't Say This...

I Made it!

2011-09-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely shocked that it is already the end of September. I am also shocked that I survived the summer- it was iffy there for a while. I guess the mere fact that it took me this long to write about our summer is an indication of how much we had going on. It turns out running a law firm with your husband and having 3 kids home for the summer is hard. True, I had a nanny here in the mornings (who was great by the way), but working at home with little ones downstairs can be challenging. One bonus- summer school! I know that every mother's dream is to have her children in summer school...well, that is probably not true, but I am not "every mother." It really was a good way for them to stay in the school routine though. However because of budget cuts (did you know we are in a recession?), summer school was only in the month of July and only Monday-Thursday from 9-12. As a funny side note, Timothy went Mon-Thur, but Madeline only went on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When I found out that Madeline was only going two days a week I mistakenly thought she would be thrilled, oh but no, Madeline was totally ticked that Timothy got to go more than her. She definitely let her teachers and bus driver (and really anyone else who would halfway listen) know that it was not fair that she only could go two days. Oh Madeline...I guess it is a good thing that she still wants to go to school at all.

Anyway, we were able to go camping on two weekends. My friend Karen and I took the girls and her son once and Josh took the girls along with my cousin another weekend. To say that Madeline and Sadie love camping would be an understatement. I really can not adequately describe just how dirty Sadie was able to get. The girl is a dirt magnet to begin with, but to bring her to a campsite complete with dirt, mud, sticks, a river and marshmallows is asking for it. She was in heaven! It, of course, would not be a Pond camping trip without a little drama (and I do mean a little for once). When I took them, Sadie got into something and starting breaking out in hives, so I got to make a trip to the nearest Walgreens (oh, the benefits of camping nearby- hardcore campers please do not scoff). However, when Josh took them we forgot to pack a pacifier for Sadie (yes, I know she is 2 1/2, but she only uses them to sleep and I will do anything to get that child to sleep- ANYTHING). Josh kept her up late and thought it would probably not be a big deal. He hoped that she would pass out after having played all day in the river and such, but not so. She kept telling him that she just needed to call me and ask me to bring it to her (she is a bit of a momma's girl). Finally, he broke down and ventured out to buy one. Apparently when he made it back and went into the tent to give it to her she said, "See Papa, you had my paci" and went immediately to sleep.

We also made it to the coast a few times, which is fun (most of the time). Again, another opportunity for Sadie to get dirty. Timothy also has a fondness for stuffing as much sand in his mouth as possible. I really can not overstate how much sand he consumes. You may be thinking that we should just keep a better eye on him (hey, I would if I were you), but he is able to feast on the sand while literally strapped to us. He just randomly drops to his knees and buries his face while you are using all your might to pull him up. Heaven forbid you actually look the other way to gaze at the beauty of the coast or watch one of the girls playing- you are really asking for it then. Let's just say that beach diapers are in a category all of their own. Despite the drama, it was still nice to change it up a bit. Plus I seriously love the Oregon coast. You very rarely go without a fleece on and the water is so cold that you don't want to get in. This may sound strange, but I am so pale and so scarred by swimming in the muddy, murky, tar-filled, jellyfish infested Texas Gulf Coast (I am sure all of it is not that way, but it is where I grew up) that the beach has never been my favorite place to be. Just thinking of the beech growing up sends shivers down my spine. I still pray daily that I do not get skin cancer from all the sunburns I got as a child. That is a whole different story though.

So far, the summer is sounding pretty good, and don't get me wrong, there were some good times tucked in there. I guess the tough part was August. Pretty much the whole month. You see, while already having to make some pretty hard decisions concerning Timothy we were hit with the possibility of him having cancer or some other blood disease. Thankfully, all is well and the blood tests that showed all of the bad stuff was later negated by further testing. Nevertheless, it was quite overwhelming. Then, there was the whole someone suing me thing. Another event that was dropped because of it being completely ridiculous and unfounded (I have a few opinions on how easy it is to actually sue someone for no real reason and just how much Americans like to get something for nothing. This could go on, so I will just save that for another time). Even though it was crazy, I still liked seeing Josh in action for me. Luckily, I usually just get to help him work for other people, but this was a whole new experience. It turns out he is a really good attorney! So, if you need someone to represent you just give us a call. His main focus is DUI's, but he does other fun stuff as well (wills, trusts, personal injury- that kind of thing). You should check out our website- www.joshuapondlaw.com Well, enough shameless self-promotion (well spousal promotion) for today (seriously though, he is a good lawyer). :-)

So, there you go. That was our summer. I am still trying to recover. Here are a few more random pics from the summer. Warning- they are mostly of Sadie. Timothy rarely stands still and Madeline is SO over having her picture taken (most of the time- you never know what each day brings).

Madeline on a hiking trip in the gorge.

Do I really need to explain?

More hiking pics- it was gorgeous.

My friend Karen asked Sadie to smile at the camera. This was her pose, complete with a loud grunt.

Josh and Sadie on Mt. Hood- they stopped by on their way home from camping.

Sadie at a lavender farm- a fun spot we stopped by with my in-laws.

This was at our neighborhood 4th of July Parade.

She really loves sticks!

Just a cute pic- Timothy was actually still (I am sure he was in his high chair or something).

Poofed Out!

2011-05-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

I was going upstairs with Madeline yesterday to put her to bed and she said, “Whew! I am really poofed out!” It is so hard to not laugh because she is trying so hard to be grown up and I don’t want to always correct her, so I just said, “I bet” and left it there.

I do sympathize with her though. Last weekend really poofed me out. On Friday my super sweet and responsible nanny was driving my car when someone hit her (by her I mean my sa-weet minivan). The other people have insurance and no one is disputing anything, it is really just another thing I have to coordinate and deal with- so sad. On Saturday though, Josh and I were being super great parents and decided to take the kids swimming at our local rec center. Taking our crew anywhere is not for the faint at heart, much less swimming. We really did have a good time though. Madeline loves the water- always has. Timothy is pretty amusing when he swims. He LOVES to put his head underwater. Sounds fairly normal, but when you look around and see the little guy constantly putting his head underwater (quite forcefully I might add) for about 20 seconds, then pulling it out gasping for breath only to repeat the process again and again- well, you get the picture. He really does like being in the swimming pool and Josh and I just take turns being man-handled and stared at by others. Sadie had a blast too. The rec center has a really fun slide, which Sadie very hesitantly ventured onto only to realize how magnificent it was. I think she went on it about 20 times. So, all in all, it was a lot of fun. That is, until we went to leave. Someone decided that they would benefit from taking our possessions. Meaning, our phones and my watch were stolen. Usually we do not bring this stuff in with us, but I guess we both were distracted and did not think about it. I have never had anything like that happen, so this is a whole new adventure for me. In the scheme of life having those things stolen is not a big deal, but it has been really tough. The watch was a gift from Josh when he passed the bar (we always joked that I would get the graduation gift once the whole school thing was over, and I did) and the phone was really one of my favorite things. Sounds silly, but I had an iPhone and I had everything on it. It was a 3Gs, so it had a little video recorder and it took good pictures. Call me sentimental, but I really love to watch the little videos I take of the kids- it makes me smile. Even though I know it is only stuff and it is not the end of the world, I am just totally bummed out. I feel like someone is walking around with a piece of my life. I don’t want them to be able to watch videos of my kids or look at my address book. I don’t like that I had to go and change passwords for everything I could think of or that I now have to start over on a new phone. Why can’t we all just be nice to each other?

Tina Fey

2011-05-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

I heard Tina Fey read this on NPR and I thought it was hilarious. Then, I saw that a friend of mine (www.landofozfam.blogspot.com) posted this on her blog. I could not resist. Though it is a tad crass, it is funny and pretty much says it all. If you have a daughter or plan to or have a friend who does..., you will enjoy this.

--------------------------------

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

(source: http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2011/04/16/tina-feys-prayer-for-a-daughter-a-must-read-for-any-parent-or-those-who-have-had-one/)

My daughters would NEVER do any of the above. NEVER...

Time is tickin' away, tick tick tickin' away...

2011-05-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it has been too long. Time has just gotten away from me and now it is the middle of May. How in the world did that happen? So, what have we been up to? Oh, nothing much, just Timothy in Kindergarten, Madeline trudging through third grade in a new school, Sadie

embracing being two, me running two half-marathons and hmmm… oh yeah, Josh started a law firm. To make a long story short it was his only option that would not only provide for his family (us- not his other family- they are on their own), but would also enable him to practice law the way he envisions it should be. The law firm is off to a great start; we really have been amazed at God’s provision. I was trying to continue to work in real estate and help Josh run the business side of things and it became quite obvious that I could not adequately do both. So, now I am working full-time with Josh. I love doing administrative work (I am serious!) and especially love working with Josh. You know, he is really pretty funny. I am also learning to work in the whole criminal law scene.

It is unlike anything I have ever done. Well, I did work for a seminary for a few years and there are criminals in the Bible- does that count?

Since I have not posted in a bit, I thought I should probably give updates with pics of my offspring. I guess I will start with the eldest and the one with the most amusing stories. Luckily for us things have been pretty even with Madeline this school year. She is in a great classroom where she is able to get a lot of attention and structure. She is blossoming into quite a little lady. I wish I had some pictures to show some of her latest fashions. I guess I will just have to tell you what she wore for Easter. A cute multi-colored striped cotton summer dress, pink and white snow leopard furry vest, rainbow Hello Kitty socks and rhinestone high-heeled shoes. When she showed me her outfit she said, “Don’t these shoes make me look SO grown up?”

Timothy has really helped with my prayer life and running speed. We just keep thinking that surely he cannot get more destructive or surely he will calm down. Not so much. He just keeps growing taller which means he can reach more- this is where my running comes in. I am getting really good at sprinting to catch or prevent something from flying across the room. I think my prayer life has grown so much by having him around- I don’t think I need to expound on this. He did do something super sweet last week. I was gone for a few days and when I came back he was so happy to see me that he kept looking at me and smiling and coming over to sit on my lap (for more than 5 seconds). This, to me, is progress.

Sadie, oh Sadie… I think she is going to give me just as many stories as Madeline. She is such a strong-willed little lady. She is also very funny and smart. I believe she will most definitely help me grow even more as a mother (just when I thought we were going to have an easy one). Right now she is in ballet and absolutely loves it. She talks about going everyday and will even show us some of her moves. Well, the other day I took her and the teacher came out at the end to give us a report. She said that the girls had had a rough time listening today, so she had to start a rewards system. She gave the girls stamps every time they listened well. She said that some got 3, some 2, some1 and even 0 stamps. Well, all of the little girls start pouring out and showing their moms how many stamps they got and Sadie ran to me and showed me her arm- 1 stamp. That’s my girl! I did see the Mom with the little girl who did not get any stamps, I have noticed her before because of how much she looks and acts like Madeline when she was 3. Poor woman. To show you how much I have grown, I could honestly care less how many stamps Sadie got, she is super adorable to me and I now know that my quality as a parent is not measured by stamps.

May I See Your ID Please?

2010-10-21T16:06:00.001-07:00

Another exciting doctor visit for Timothy! This one was with his Developmental Pediatrician who we only see about every 6-8 months. She is the one who keeps track of the long-term issues with Timothy. Well, I think she is great, but extremely blunt and most definitely does not candy coat anything. The first few times we saw her I left shell-shocked and feeling like the worst mom in history. Now, I really appreciate how she gets to the point even though I don’t really like the point. Where am I going with this? Well, among many other things she wants us to be thinking about is getting Timothy some type of ID bracelet in case he runs away or we somehow loose him. This is way more than I can stand to think about, but I understand the idea of being proactive. That being said I am now left to figure out what type of bracelet to get him. They have a really neat one with GPS, but I really don’t want to go that high-tech quite yet. Timothy has an amazing ability to destroy things, so it needs to be really tough. What I am thinking of now is buying in bulk those plastic (sorry environmentalists) bracelets like you get at a concert or waterpark that lock. You can put your own logo on them- what a bonus! Before I do that though I thought I would see if anyone else has ideas. What do you think? You can post your comment or email me at pondjen@gmail.com.

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Thanks for your help!!!

It has been too long…

2010-10-07T08:35:00.001-07:00

With school starting I thought I would have a lot of extra time. Time to nap, watch endless amounts of girly shows, read, and (most importantly) bake. Well, that is not the case. I have somehow gotten busier than before. While I am not chasing after Timothy or finding things for Madeline to do quite as much, I am now realizing how much I neglected during the summer. It is crazy how much work gets ignored when you are running around like a crazy person trying to survive the “break!” All this to say, I have not blogged in a while and I really need to. The problem with me is I have a very tiny memory for cute stories and the like (there are other problems with me, but can we please focus on one at a time?). My brain has a hard time remembering what it is supposed to be doing now, much less what has already happened. I prefer to live in my little world where the past is the past- it was great and happy, but it is gone now. Josh makes fun of me because I somehow forget just how hard certain situations have been or that some of them even existed. Oh well, I like my happy place! Now I just have to remember some of the last few weeks. Here are the main events:

Josh passed the Bar!!!!!!!!!!!! Need I go on? Here is a pic of him getting sworn in this afternoon- it is now completely official. Now he can sue anyone (in Oregon)! Accredited law schools maybe an option for those who are also interested in studying law.

In Timothy’s class they had to section off the room because he kept escaping (how much does that make me feel better?It is not just me!).

Sadie has started Kindergym (a much cheaper version of “Little Gym” classes done through our Parks and Rec department) where she is a maniac! The child has no fear. One of her favorite activities is the balance beam where yesterday she jumped continually across it. She is a tad scary, but hugely cute. Her sense of humor is really blossoming (what do you expect from a child with Josh and my genes put together? She better be funny!). The other day she climbed up next to Josh while he was feeding Timothy. When Josh looked over she was in Madeline’s sunglasses and simply said, “Coooooool.” I know I am partial, but that is really cute. Oh, and Sadie has decided to not call Josh "Papa" anymore. This morning she told him, "No Papa! Father!" So, I guess he has a new name.

Madeline has been doing really well in school. Everyday we get a report card for the day. This also includes her behavior on the bus. Well, last week when Madeline came home the bus driver told me to make sure I read her card, she had a tough afternoon on the bus. So, I excitedly took a peak and it said, “Loud talking out and criticizing my driving!” What exactly am I supposed to say to that? The loud talking I expect and truly have no other words to ask her to stop. I have pretty much given up and expect her to be a tour guide one day for partially deaf people. I decided instead to focus on the “criticizing my driving” part. I asked Madeline if she knew how to drive, she responded no. Then I asked if she has ever driven a bus, she said no. So, why then do you feel you need to criticize or instruct the driver? “I don’t know…..” She says. Well, I asked her to please leave the driver alone and then reminded her the following morning. When she got home the next afternoon apparently the same thing happened. So I talked to her again, but then emailed her teacher and asked her to remind Madeline. Her teacher (who I love by the way) said that they would have a bus training session the next day. When Madeline came home I got a good report. When I asked her about the day she very excitedly talked about the bus training game they played. She retold the story at dinner and Josh asked why they needed to do this (I guess I forgot to tell him about the issue) and she said, “Well Papa, you see some of the kids have been having troubles on the bus and my teacher felt they needed some practice (said in a very sad and compassionate tone). I guess like me (said in a very quick and quiet voice).” Oh Madeline, I wish I could be privy to your thoughts sometimes.

Well, that about does it for now. I am sure I will remember more, so I guess I will just need to write it down sooner next time.

735, 755, 1145, 350

2010-09-16T15:00:00.001-07:00

No, these are not lottery numbers or lucky numbers (well, not to everyone at least). These are the times a bus stops in front of our house every weekday. School has started! I guess that is old news, but I am still excited. I, for some reason, had these dreams of school starting and life magically becoming easier. Though I am most definitely enjoying the extra time to work, I am now reminded of just how much I was not able to accomplish this summer. I am on a marathon now trying to catch up with lofty hopes of one day getting ahead. Not to worry, this is just a dream- I will not get my hopes us.

Well, Madeline is in a new school and loves it! I was so concerned about her transition and the drama that would ensue, but it turns out I am seemingly the one most affected by it all. I am a mess! I miss her old school and want to go back! I don’t like having to learn all the new rules and regulations. I picked her up the other day and was completely traumatized. What is happening to me? I used to love change and everything about it, but now I completely thrown off by any hint of it. Our fridge broke last week and I told Josh that I was sad- not because of the money (though that is the actual worst part), but because I liked our old one and simply did not want to change it. Anyway, Madeline has jumped right in and is doing great. She is in a smaller more specialized classroom that seems like it will be a good fit. There are 6 students at this point and 3 teachers- can you believe it?! I get a note home each day to let me know how her day went. Well, the other day the note said, “Madeline had a good day today! She is having a hard time staying in her seat during independent work time though- She likes to ‘pop-up’ and help others.” This is not unusual for Madeline, sitting still has never been her strong suit, but the fact that they can not keep her situated when there are 3 teachers in the room goes to show you how much fun her past teachers must have had. I mentioned this to Madeline’s teacher from last year and I think it made him feel a lot better.

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Timothy is another story. I don’t know how much he actually likes school (seeing as he does not talk and such), but I do know that he adores the bus. Having it come everyday is like a dream come true! He patiently (and by patiently I mean the complete opposite- he goes berserk) waits every morning and can hardly contain his excitement when it rounds the corner. I think, more than anything, he likes the routine, but it sure is cute seeing him get so excited every morning. That is, until this morning. I am doing everything I can to keep him from hurting himself, myself and/or the house while waiting for the bus to come. Finally it came 10 minutes late and I walk with/get dragged by him to the bus only to be told that they do not have a car seat for him today. His usual bus needed work done and this one was not equipped (his normall bus has them built in the seat where you can just pull out the center and viola- a car seat)! She said that it was not in his file and suggested that I just put him in a seat belt. After I controlled the urge to say all sorts of sarcastic comments I calmly mentioned that there is absolutely no possible way

he would stay in his seat and he can even get out of a 5-point-harness when he so desires. I mean, he is not quite 30 pounds (which is hard to believe- I think he is made completely of muscle because when he jumps, hits or head butts you it feels like more than 30 pounds), so it is illegal to not have him in a seat. Well, I just had to change my plans for the morning and take him to school. So what if Sadie did not get to really eat breakfast? Who cares if I had an enormous list of things to do that did not include spending 40 minutes carting Timothy to school (the school is not close)? Ahhh…the joys of being a mom! They really do need to have a book or some type of disclosures you have to sign before mommy-hood commences.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue...

2010-08-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not be too impressed by what I am about to say, but being the mom of two special needs kids before #3 came along, my viewpoint is skewed. Last week I was walking around outside with Sadie (19 months old) and asked her to pick the yellow flower (thinking she would just pick one or I was going to point at the yellow flower). She proceeded to point at the yellow flower say, “Yellow” and then pick it. Coincidence? No, she then picked out the white and purple flowers. She has since replicated this new talent and I am completely impressed. I keep underestimating her and then being surprised when she does something so genius! Oh typical children…

This made me think, of course, of what we went through to teach Madeline colors. Seeing as how we spent a little while teaching her English we did not push things like colors or shapes. Why would we? Well, once she was headed to pre-school I figured it was time to really start working. You probably already know this, but Madeline has a bit of a strong-willed personality. Mix that with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and you can get in some interesting situations. I remember time and time again I would say the colors of things and then ask her what color something was. Inevitably she would tell me every single color she knew except the actual color. I am not exaggerating! I would point to a pink flower and ask, “What color is this?” (this is after going over it) and she would say in her shaky dramatic voice, “Yellow? Green? Blue? Orange?...” Every color but pink. I laugh now, but at the time it was very frustrating. Thankfully she now knows her colors, but this trait has moved onto bigger and better things. For example, any time I ask her which direction we need to turn or tell her to tie her left shoe, etc she will say or do the opposite. I would say 90% of the time this is true. Even if she were just guessing she would have better odds (I am not taking her to Vegas- that is for sure)! Now, I am sure that there is a perfectly logical explanation for this and I should probably ask her doctor, but for now I just laugh to myself and understand that at some point she will get it- it is really not that big of a deal.

As for Sadie, I guess I need to start really working with her- who knows what she can learn? I certainly don’t.

29 days- can we make it?

2010-08-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, summer school is over and we still have 29 long days until school begins. Can we do it? Today my nanny was not able to make it to work- so much fun. I was lucky enough to have a friend help me for a few hours because I had an appointment. I did, however, get to bring all 3 kids in search of Nature Camp for Madeline. Apparently, I signed her up for one that is 25 minutes from our house. She has done nature camps in the past and the facility is only about 10 minutes away, but not this week. To make matters worse I showed up on time (crazy, I know) to the place we thought it was only to be turned away and rerouted. By the time I made it back home (9:45) I had to immediately leave for an appointment then go get her (it ended at 12:00). It is already a short camp, but the hour of driving makes it even that much more fun. I should get a lot done this week for sure!

Speaking of school, Madeline graciously gave me yet another funny story. During the few weeks of summer school the bus picked up both Madeline and Timothy. This is normal for Timothy, but not for Madeline. You see, the Special Ed bus comes right to the door- what service! Timothy gets so excited he can hardly stand it and basically runs out to the bus where I strap him into the 5-point harness that is built into some of the seats. According to the bus drivers on the way home it is considered a good day if Timothy only gets out of his seat once. She had to pull over on the highway once to get him back in. I guess they don’t fasten it tight enough despite my continuous pleas. Anyway, Madeline was happy to wait out front for the bus and even thought it was cool to be dropped off. On the first day though, Madeline came into the house and asked, “Why does my bus have seatbelts?” Goodness, how do I answer this without sounding degrading? I think I said something like, “Well, these are newer buses and they just happen to have seatbelts.” Luckily she bought it. I did not have the heart to tell her that she will now ride the Special Ed buses. Since she will be going to a new school next year that is across town she will again be on the short bus. I joke about how lucky I am to have 2 kids on the bus with the tented windows! This means that each and everyday I will have 4 buses stopping at my house! I think the neighborhood kids might come and wait by our house assuming that the bus stop has moved. I guess there are perks to having such special little ones; sometimes I just have to think outside of the bus, I mean, box.

This is an old pic, but I thought it would show what it is like to keep Timothy from running like a mad man- maybe I should do this rather than chase him like a crazy woman to the bus. I guess a little extra exercise is not a bad thing... Oh, and that is my brother Benny (I guess he did not feel like chasing Timothy anymore).

2010-08-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I don’t mean to brag, but we actually made a trip- to Texas no less- without any drama. From start to finish everything went really well. Seriously, nothing crazy happened. There were plenty of opportunities for disaster. I mean the plane rides alone can offer drama and mishap. We had a layover each way, which was actually nice- gave Sadie a chance to run around. Madeline had the exciting opportunity to go to Dallas with two of her cousins and my mom. This was the first time she was away from me and home at the same time. I shuddered every time I thought of it and started praying for my mom about a year ago. My mom showed that she is a strong and daring woman- way to go mom! Madeline was, for the most part, well behaved and listened to my mom (a few threats were made, but that is pretty normal). While they were in Dallas Sadie and I drove to Austin to visit some of Josh’s siblings. Sadie did really well on the drive and we had a great time! I can really go on and on about what a great time we had and how much fun it was to hang out with my entire family- it is not often that we are all together at the same time. I love my family, but am happy to be back in Portland. It always helps me remember how much I love where I live. Now I just need to convince them all to move on up and start enjoying the weather and scenery. They are all convinced (except my youngest brother) that we are all a bunch of liberal hippies. While I am flattered that they think of me that way I do remind them that we live in the suburbs.

All in all I am glad the girls and I had a chance to visit the Lone Star State in all its glory. Now, I am back to mild weather and very little humidity. I laugh when people complain about the mosquitoes and told my friend that unless you get swarmed by them while on your way to and from the car you do not have a problem. Now, here is a good photo to show you where I grew up- try not to be jealous!

We have the bed!!!!!

2010-07-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

The new bed has arrived! We can hardly believe it!!! Timothy loves the bed and we do too. It fits like a glove in Madeline and Timothy’s small room. Hey, we are going for simple, so their room definitely fits the bill. He now loves to go in the bed and we have not heard him protest at all during nap or bedtime. There is plenty of room for him to sleep and play. I put the crib mattress in the bed with him to help with the transition and he has not even ripped it up yet- well, the custom cover has probably helped with that. One big change is that the bed is twin size, so I had to figure out a way to put on a mattress protector and sheet that he would not destroy on the first day. So, Lila and I headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond where we found a mattress protector that completely covers the mattress and zips up- nice... Then we bought a twin sheet in a lovely shade of blue (we are going for the whole- calming color- thing). Since he has an insatiable desire to rip sheets off (especially fitted sheets for some reason) We had to find a way to secure the sheet. With the help of Timothy’s OT we engineered a solution that will hopefully last more than a week or two. We went to Joann’s where we bought the strongest elastic possible. Then I sewed the elastic to make a large X on the bottom. It is quite a pain to put the sheet on, but it works. Now we will wish, hope, think, pray, plan and dream that it will be the perfect solution for all of us!

Here are some fun videos to see the difference in bed’s:

As soon as he gets in he likes to sleep in that corner- he really loves the pressure it offers. The whole sensory thing is interesting.

A little note about the bed- one of my blog readers did a lot of research after reading one of my pitiful stories. She was so super super nice and found a few options she thought might work. Her top pick was this bed which we bought from http://noahsworldllc.com/ . They were incredibly helpful, I would highly recommend them! Thanks Christy!

I guess I am a real woman now...

2010-07-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am sad to say that my excuses of pregnancy and hormonal challenges have lost their effectiveness. What am I talking about you ask? Well, I have been writing off my frequent crying as a temporary nuisance. Historically, I am not a crier. I always said that I didn’t have anything against it, but secretly I did. I thought it was a tad weak and just annoying. I even made fun of someone in high school that cried at the movie Armageddon (not nice poking fun, but pretty rude stuff- I am still ashamed) (hey, it was a Bruce Willis movie for crying out loud- she was really crying loudly). It all started when I was pregnant with Sadie (I had a brief bout while on fertility drugs, but quickly got over it- thank God). I wasn’t crying everyday or having emotional breakdowns, but the occasional tear would escape when, say, an Olympics commercial would come on or someone would die in a movie. Naturally I blamed it on the crazy hormones whelming up within me (why is that necessary to grow a baby?) and just knew that it would go away once the redhead vacated the premises. Hey, I even gave allowances for post-partumness. Sadly though, I can no longer blame it on Sadie. She is 19 months old (I can, however, blame the pooch on my stomach on her- something the other two did not cause).

What is happening now is insane! I had no idea it was this easy to cry. I am not a blubbering crazy woman or anything, but my eyes fill with water way too often. I tear up at things like stories people tell me (happy or sad), a song at church-(well, pretty much everything at church-), good news, bad news, stupid little mistakes (like, burning dinner or running out of cereal when that is all I want in the world), seeing someone pulled over or stalled on the highway... It is ridiculous!!! I can no longer claim to be an emotionless creature. How sad (I am not tearing up, I promise)… Is this how life is for others? Will I be like this forever? God help me! Maybe I should start taking some testoserone or something. Shoot, I don’t want chest hair. Maybe I am just learning to deal with life in a new way. I am most definitely more understanding of others emotions and would rather cry than yell at someone. Crying can make people feel sorry for you while yelling definitely does not.

I still do not officially say I am a crier, but my guess is that will change. What is the actual amount of crying necessary to make one a crier?

How many years are you in school?

2010-06-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

School is out (at least for a little while)! The last week of school was a bit tough for Madeline. Change is always hard on kids and especially hard on a little lady who suffers from some intense anxiety. Consequently we do a lot of talking about what is going on which means Madeline is going to say some pretty great things. On the way to school one morning she asked why she was going to summer school. I told her that some kids need a little extra school in the summer to keep them from forgetting all that they learned over the last year. She said, “Is it to help me catch up?” I told her that was part of it. So, she said, “because I am already good at second grade- I did it twice.” Oh Madeline… Then the following morning while she was getting ready she went even farther. She said, “I know I already did second grade twice, but can I do it again?” “No” I calmly said. “Well, why did I only do first grade once?” she asked. This made me pause, how do I make this sound affirming? “Well, usually kids only do each grade once, but we thought you might need a little extra time in second grade.” “Oh” she said, “well, maybe I can do it again too.” Dear God! She needs to get out of school at some point!!!! It really is hilarious how she is trying to put this all together.

So far, two weeks into the summer things are going well. True, the first week she went to Bible camp in the mornings and played at a friend’s house all afternoon on Tues/Wed/Thur. This last week my mother-in-law, Lila, took on the task of entertaining Madeline- hey I can do this kind of summer. We will see how it goes.

This is before the first day of the second run of second grade- does that sound right?

Teacher Gifts

2010-06-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

You know the saying, “What do you get the person who has everything?” My predicament is, “What do I get the teacher who had Madeline for 2 years?” To say that he is a saint is an understatement. This year alone has been incredibly trying and by incredibly I mean mind-boggling. Well, I have been thinking about this for a while now and finally figured it out! He had Madeline for a total of 20 months, so I got him 20 containers of alcohol! I kept joking throughout the year that she drives me to drink, etc, so I thought it was a fitting gift. I know he likes beer so I went to a super cool Beer store in Portland where I politely asked the guru to please pick out whatever is good, because I have no knowledge of this particular area. So the guy took me around the store and helped me choose (by helped I mean he did it) 18 different kinds of beer. For the other two months I decided that I should ramp it up a notch. You see, January was a rough month so I thought he deserved more than a beer for that particular portion. I found a great Russian vodka from St. Petersburg (considering Madeline is from St. Petersburg, I thought it was a tad funny). Lastly this month- since this is the end of his tenure with Madeline I gave him a bottle of Champagne. What can I say? If I can’t have a sense of humor about it all you would probably find me curled up in the fetal position in a dark alley. Well, this is not where it ends. I tied a little note to the top of each bottle saying one of the reasons he “earned” it. Here is what I came up with:

1. January 2010- enough said (this was tied to the bottle of vodka- it really was a hard month).

2. For painting Madeline’s nails to help her stop sucking on her fingers. Hey, we tried!

3. For all of the extended bathroom breaks.

4. For all of the visual schedules.

5. For all of the secret signals.

6. For trying everything- literally.

7. For all the long emails.

8. For all the bad words I know you wanted to say, but didn’t.

9. For all the calls.

10. For Madeline’s desk- I don’t know where to begin or end.

11. Transitions (this was tied to a bottle of beer with an eight ball on it- you never knew how they would go from day to day)

12. For all of the outbursts.

13. For all of the really really really sharpened pencils.

14. For all of the teacher questionnaires.

15. For all of the behavior plans.

16. For the days I forgot to give her her meds.

17. For all the times Madeline went MIA/Rogue

18. For listening intently and still not having any idea what she is talking about.

19. For all the IEP meetings.

20. June 2010! (this was tied to the bottle of champagne)

I know that these are not all self-explanatory, but you get the idea.

Online masters degree programs in education are available for those who also want to make a difference by being a great teacher.

It was a fun gift to make- I must say. I love using that 1/1000^th of my brain that is actually creative and can sometimes come up with stuff like that. It is rare, but can happen. The best part was his reaction. Either he is a really good actor or he really liked it. Apparently, when his wife saw it she asked, “is this from Madeline’s parents?” If that does not tell you how much of an impact on his life she has been I don’t know what will. It was nice to actually be honest about how trying these last two years were, but to also hear how much he loves Madeline and really cares about her success is wonderful.

Can I get a little help?

2010-06-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Madeline is getting into some serious financial debt these days. We do the whole, "natural consequences" thing with her. For example, if she were to do something like cut up a pair of jeans or purchase a gift card for the neighbor boy who saved Timothy (a story for another time), than she either has to pay me from money she already has or earn money the hard way (by picking up pinecones in the backyard 1 pinecone = 1 penny). At this point she owes me $9- not bad considering she owed me $30 last week (that's a lot of pinecones). A new income source has presented itself to Madeline, thanks to her brother. You see, Timothy has some

sort of vendetta against Sadie. I am not sure if he is doing the whole- if a boy is mean to you it means he likes you- thing or if genuinely doesn't like her. Actually, I think it is a matter of him thinking she is his newest cause and effect toy (think of one of those annoying toys with a lot of lights, sounds and buttons). She is the best one yet because she can do that and more! The only problem with his new obsession is that Sadie is a little girl and not an annoying talking piggy bank. She can actually get hurt and it matters. Where is this going, you ask? The other day I was not able to chase after him and Josh was making dinner. Timothy decided it would be the perfect time to play with his favorite red-headed toy. So, being the resourceful person that I am, I told Madeline to be her bodyguard. She did great! She and Sadie watched a cookie monster DVD and anytime Timothy got near-Madeline would use her body to cover Sadie. It was sad and sweet all at the same time.

The bummer about this situation is that Sadie will probably be in need of these services for a long time. We have been searching and searching for "answers" and solutions for what is going on in Timothy's little brain and, yet again, we have been told that they don't really know what the future holds. We know that he is at about a 10 month-old cognitive level and his motor skills are like that of a 21 month-old (I would seriously love if that were switched). That he is severely to profoundly (who knew there were many types ranging from mild to profoundly) mentally retarded which is a pretty broad diagnosis. While this is good to know it is not helpful in the whole, "how much longer can we keep going on like this" problem. Now is the time I can/should do all of the, “we only are given what we can handle” or “take one day at a time” schpeel, but what I really want to say is this bites! Okay, that is out of the way- whew. One thing that Timothy definitely has going for him is how darn cute he is! He is so endearing that you can’t stay frustrated for long- I didn’t say you can’t be frustrated just that it is hard to stay that way. In fact this is a tad embarrassing, but I was told screaming was a good way to relieve stress. I remember thinking, “What situation could possibly arise where I would want to scream?” Well, shockingly enough one presented itself quite soon thereafter. I don’t remember what Timothy was doing, but I do remember thinking I was going to lose my mind, so I just let out a loud piercing scream. Rather than getting upset like most kids he started busting out laughing. So, this may or may not have happened again with the same response. That means I now have a fun way to get out a little stress and make Timothy laugh- what a bonus! In conclusion, does anyone know what the going rate for a bodyguard is?

Suck It Up!

2010-06-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

I am doing this whole, trying to let my feelings out, thing. It is something I have been trying to do for a long time. You see, I prefer to keep my emotions in and ponder for a long period of time. Once I am finished pondering I seem to forget all about what was wrong anyway. Well, it turns out this whole “pondering” thing is actually called “bottling up your emotions” which is not a particularly emotionally healthy thing to do. I am just so good at it though! I am not saying that things don’t bother me, but rather, I tend to not be outwardly upset. When I do feel the need to cry it is generally at inopportune times, so I suck it up.

Last week as I was headed to the airport to pick up my parents I was quite upset about something entirely ridiculous. You see, I was having a boo-hoo-my-life moment. You have them- right? Basically, I heard some good news about a wonderful person and rather than being happy for the person I decided to think about how “bad” I have it and how “good” they have it. My emotions were having a field day and these strange drops started coming out of my eyes- it was insane! I have so many friends who say they cry all the time, I grew up with a mom and a sister who were not afraid to shed some tears, but for some reason this is not something that happens often in my world. I have no mockery of those who cry (well, I did once and that was not nice), I am actually jealous- it seems like a perfectly wonderful way to get some icky feeling out. Anyway, I was crying and feeling incredibly sorry for myself- it seemed so right and I had quite a good case for myself as to why my life was so hard. Then it happened- I was in line to get on the freeway and waiting on the side was a homeless man. Shoot! What a way to get dragged out of your pity party! I mean, maybe I should try having emotional breakdowns in the comfort and privacy of my own home. At least then I would only have to deal with little orphans. Well, crap! I can’t get a break! You see it occurred to me that I have it way better than most people in the world. The mere fact that I was born in America gives me a one-up on a large portion of the world. I have a home, a family, a car….so much more than I actually need. I have friends and those who love and care for me- how many people are alone? Before I go too far, I think you get it- right? We are incredibly blessed. This is not to say that I don’t or shouldn’t allow myself to ever feel bad, but rather I should not stay there. There is nothing but bitterness and anger in that place. What did I do- you ask? Well, I sucked it up and stopped crying. Don’t worry, more than a few tears and even a little snot had escaped before I cut it off.

Just a cute picture of Sadie- if she is not a blessing I don't know what is.

Just Write it Out.

2010-06-11T21:29:00.001-07:00

I have so many ideas about blog posts, but so little time... Madeline provides me with a plethora of material. Writing can be such a good thing for mental health. I have filled up many journals with unimportant whining/prayers (well, the prayers are important, but the whining is a bit annoying). Why do you think I write this blog? To make sure as many people as possible know as many embarrassing details of my life as possible? That is part of it, but it is more so that I can get things off my chest while trying to be funny (trying being the operative word here).

So, Madeline must be picking up on this idea. She has always liked to scribble on paper and write in books, etc. Now though, she is taking it to the next level. Not too long ago I took Madeline to school (well, I do that almost every day if I can- gives me a chance to find out what is really going on) and her teacher (a saint) asked if I had heard about “yesterday’s incident.” Surprisingly, I had not. Apparently while on a bathroom break Madeline decided to try her hand at a little graffiti. This is not surprising if you go to our church (it is held at a Portland high school) where you cannot go to the restroom without seeing a colorful (both language and hue selection) array of reading material in each stall. One problem though- while Madeline has the concept of graffiti down, she does not quite “get it.” On the door she wrote, “Do not disturb! By Madeline Pond.” I guess the whole not getting caught thing did not matter to her. Her teacher tried to make me feel better when he said that all the words were spelled correctly- sad to say, it did.

I did not have the heart to make a big deal out of it- I actually cannot even remember what I said- I think I was too amused to think of a consequence. Having the principal take you into the bathroom and watch while you clean up your mistake seems like a big enough consequence to me.

We're Back!

2010-05-30T16:05:00.001-07:00

Well, we have been back for a week and I am still in denial! Alaska was absolutely wonderful! From start to finish we had a great time. The ship was great, the cities were fun and just being together was simply amazing. 7 days went by so fast; I didn’t even have time to miss home. I cannot overstate how nice it was and just how physically and emotionally rested I feel. We had a chance to recharge and just be together. Some of the highlights include:

Whales- While working out on the ship we had a panoramic view of the ocean and kept seeing fins of whales or porpoises when all of a sudden we saw a complete whale breach (I think that is what it is called when they jump out of the water) and then a few minutes later we saw a tail fin. Crazy! Who knew exercising could be so much fun!
Reading- I finished one book and read three more.
Eating- the food was incredible. One of the people at the gym said that cruisers gain an average of 7-10 pounds while on board- it is easy to see why.
Nothing- we could do nothing at all if we wanted. It was strange how quickly I figured out how to take advantage of that situation.
Excursions- while in the ports (Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria) we had a chance to go on a cool hike, dry snorkeling and zip-lining. Each was super fun in their own way. The cities themselves were really neat and it was fun just walking around.

So, there, enough of that. One of the best things about this vacation was what happened while we were away. Before you think I am going to get all mushy about missing the kiddos, don’t worry, it is not going to happen.

Josh’s parents, Paul and Lila, graciously offered (that is right- offered) to watch the kids while we were away; 7 days- enough said. By now you surely realize what an amazing gift that is- watching OUR kids for a week is not for the faint of heart. Good thing they are pros with 8 kids of their own- they just jumped right in. As Paul would say, this ain’t my first rodeo! Well, this may not have been their first rodeo, but it was more like a circus combined with a rodeo. When we left on Saturday morning they were smiling so sweetly, but you could tell there was real fear underneath it all. I guess it would have been smart to take a picture. Before we were even in Seattle we got a call that the newest crib tent was done- Timothy had finished it off. So, they frantically found one in a specialty kids store nearby (which the last few times I have needed one they were out). From then on, Paul and Lila were on a mission to help Timothy proof the house. They sent out an email to our family who are graciously helping us buy Timothy a bed (which was found online by a super-sweet reader). It is on order now and we are trusting God to help us fund the rest. They had a contractor at the house for a few days basically constructing a room within a room in our garage, which is our playroom. It is incredible! He also installed cabinet locks that Timothy cannot (shoot! should I say that?) break, built a tall gate on our deck so the kids can go out there and play without us being right there as well as a few other things. Basically, he pimped out our house! By far though, our biggest gift from them is that Lila is going to come back for 6 weeks this summer! While Josh is studying for the bar she is going to come help us with the kids. This will definitely be a huge stress relief for us and will help our home be more relaxed with more hands on deck. I was and still am completely blown away by there incredible generosity. Already our home is a safer place for Timothy, which means less anxiety for us. It is incredible! So, Paul and Lila survived with only a few minor incidences. Who cares that there was a small fire, Madeline threatened a kid with a plastic knife at school and Sadie got a little bruised up? What else is new?

We're going to Alaskuuuuh!

2010-05-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Alaskuuuuuh (this is a song sung by me- very clever- you just sing it with a very deep annoying voice)! Josh’s parents are watching the kids and we are leaving for 7 days! Can you believe it! It is seriously perfect timing, that is, if you want to prevent my complete and total mental breakdown. This week I have been pondering the reasons why I am so excited about this trip, so without further adieu…

THE WATER HEATER: I don’t know if I have mentioned this, but we made our garage into a play room- complete with a therapeutic swing for Timothy, things to climb on, etc. Well in that “playroom” we have the added benefit of it holding things like lawn maintenance paraphernalia (which is oddly never used), glass recycling containers, the water heater, and such. Well, shockingly Timothy loves the water heater, especially the knob that turns it on and off. So, every time he is out there he inevitably will turn that knob. So, we continually have to keep him away from it and turn it back. However, sometimes he can get away with it without us knowing. When this happens we are blissfully unaware until we need to take a shower. You understand the rest. In Alaska, there are no Ethiopians messing with hot water heaters- I think!

DINNER: The other night I was being a good wife and mom- I cooked dinner. Nothing too crazy about that-right? Well, let’s just say a meal that should have taken me about 30 minutes to make, at the most, took 3 ½ hours. It is not like I set it down and did other things for a while, no, during this time I was chasing, holding, grabbing, blocking and basically just running ragged to make this meal. I started at 3:30pm and really only got the chicken cooked and sliced until Josh came home at 5:30pm. On the ship they will cook our food and we will have many dishes to choose from- amazing!

MADELINE SCHOOL: It will be hard to reach us while in Alaska, not impossible, but expensive when we are at sea. So, I will not be able to hear all of the exciting things Madeline does at school. For example, a week or two ago Madeline gets home and before she even gets through the door she says, “Mom, I did something really bad at school and you are going to get a call from my teacher!” “Okay, what did you do?” I said. “Ummm, I guess I went into the PE teacher’s office during PE and I guess I saw a cupcake on her desk. I thought it was for me, so I ate it .” (when she said “ate” she really meant that she licked the icing off and put it back on the dest) “Really? You thought it was for you? “ I said. “No, I guess not” was her response. So, what did I do? Rather than listening to my inner voice telling me to yell and give a long drawn out speech, I instead told her that she was going to write an apology note and when I find out what kind of cupcake she ate she was going to use her money and buy more. Well, it was a red velvet cupcake, so I ordered some nice large cupcakes that cost $4 each. Madeline purchased 4 of them and we brought them to school and personally delivered them to the PE teacher. You see, I do not have to do these things for 7 days!!!

ARGUING: Josh and I are not big arguers, at least not with each other. Madeline, on the other hand, loves to argue. It is an art form she has perfected over years of practice. The other day I was reading a Dr. Seuss book to her and she started arguing with the book- apparently ham is not green. I really just don’t know how to handle things like this. On a regular basis Josh and I will be talking and Madeline will inject a question, “Why would they do that?” I ask her if she has any idea what we are talking about and she says, “No.” “So, why are you asking questions?” I ask. “I don’t know, I just wanted to know why.” What am I supposed to say?

CHILD-PROOFING: I know that you have heard all of my ludicrous stories of child-proofing, but I just could not leave this out. We can open up any door we want and leave it open. We can leave things out without fear of destruction. We can even walk around without tripping on random toys, books, cups, furniture… I honestly cannot even picture it all. I guarantee that I will randomly go move something out of reach or just feel like I need to find a place to hide my purse. There will be no bed in our room that is covered with a tent or with zip-ties holding it all together- we will not need to be kept in bed- we can stay for as long or as little as we want.

POOTY-PANTS AND POTTY MOUTHS: This one is pretty self-explanatory- Sadie will not be teething on the boat, I will not need to change crazy disgusting-air-out-the-house diapers, and I will not get called about inappropriate word knowledge from the principal (see last post). I can say whatever the heck I want to say (replace heck with whatever word you would like)!

WE ARE GOING TO ALASKA!!!: Who really needs a reason to be excited about going to Alaska or anywhere for that matter? Josh and I are simply floored at this amazing trip and our wonderful care-giving family. We can leave knowing that our children are in perfect hands, have fun and just bask at the amazing earth God has created. Right now, we are in a coffee shop eating lunch before we get on the ship. We just got off the train from Portland to Seattle where we saw a bald eagle, mountains, and really incredible beauty and the trip has not even started. I can feel the tightness in my chest easing, my brain relaxing and a smile on my face that does not seem to want to go away. Josh and I most definitely need a break and are going to get one. I will let you know how it goes…

What tha....?

2010-05-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

I have been rounding up some fun Madeline stories for a blog post when today she presented me with one that can stand on its own. Here we go....

Yesterday I came home from work and as soon as I walked in Madeline said, "Mom, I did something really bad at school today and Dee Dee (the bus driver) is going to tell the principal. You are going to get a call!" If this was the first time these words had come out of her mouth I may have freaked out or my blood pressure may have even risen a little, but no, I stayed calm. I asked why and she proceeded to tell me a strange tale of lunch table conversations mixed with riding the bus home and even threw in a little writing on trees just for the fun of it. Apparently she said a bad word- the f-word. I asked her what the f-word is and she could not tell me (shock). So, I said that I would talk to her teacher about it the next day or when I got a call from the principal we would work out what happened.

This morning I walked her to school (with my posse) and I had a chance to talk to her aide (Madeline has her own teacher's assistant who is awesome) and her teacher. According to them Madeline said the bad word at lunch. Her aide talked to her, calmed everyone down and thought it was finished. Then there was recess and Madeline got all worked up and came in to the classroom in tears "devastated" by her bad behavior. They calmed everyone down even though Madeline kept trying to make a big deal out of it. She kept reminding her classmates what she had done (so helpful). Then it came time to get on the bus. In the bus line Madeline decided it was time to yell the word at the top of her lungs. Nice... So, as I was talking to her teachers about the situation in the lunch room the vice-principal comes and chats with me about the bus yelling incident. Very appropriately, I told him that I guess I should stop yelling that word all day at home. Where does Madeline get her sassiness?

Now we are to this afternoon. I see Madeline walking up the sidewalk talking with a neighbor who is looking at Madeline with a mixture of amusement and shock. I come outside and start talking to Madeline when she starts yelling, "MOM, THE WHOLE SCHOOL KNOWS WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY, I SAID F-U-*-*!" Oh yes, she spelled the word loudly in our front yard! This is a child who has passed maybe two spelling tests ever, yet she seems quite knowledgeable about this particular spelling word. Well, I did what every other mom would do and quietly yell, "get inside, what are you thinking?" Once inside I say, "Madeline what is going on? Is this still about yesterday? Okay, is **** the word you said?" "Yes" Madeline said. So, I proceeded to calmly say the f-word about 10 times. "That is the word-right?" I said. Madeline just looked at me like I was crazy. "Well, there, I said it. Why is it such a big deal? It is just a word, people say. We do not say it at our house and we do not think it is appropriate, but it is just a word. So, stop it."

I will let you know how it goes, but she seemed so shocked by my outburst that it has not come up again. I honestly think she was trying to get attention and this was working quite well at school. Her awesome teacher handled it well, but he was vastly outnumbered by little people. The principal told me it is quite an issue right now with the older kids, so I felt oddly proud that Madeline was having a "normal" issue. Am I sick?

Pond Vision International

2010-04-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, today we got some bad news- Josh did not pass the bar. When it happened the first time we were devastated, but this time we are just plainly in shock. Our hope, of course, is that there is some mistake. My sister has a theory- he made such a high score that they are re-grading to make sure he did not cheat. I like the sound of that. Seriously though, I feel like now is a good time to announce our next endeavor. I have been waiting for the right time, and it has finally come. Starting on May 1^st we are officially kicking off Pond Vision International ™- think World Vision and our family is the World. Just like in World Vision you have a chance to sponsor a child! For just pennies a day you can change the life of a little Ethiopian forever. For less than a cup of coffee a day you can make a Russian girl have a real chance for success in life. Each month we will send pictures, updates and even drawings from the child you sponsor. Don’t wait- make the call today and be a hero forever.

Here are the levels of Monthly Giving and Benefits:

$1-$49- FRIEND- Your name will appear on our website as one who gives, but is a tad cheap. This thoughtful donation can be used towards diapers and goldfish crackers for the month.

$50-$149- PATRON- Your name will also appear on our website with a small picture. This donation can pay for one child’s medication per month- sanity in a bottle.

$150- $499- PACESETTER- With this level of generosity you will have a large picture on our website bragging about how wonderful you are, we will mail you an 8x10 portrait of our family, and you will most likely go to heaven. This donation will help pay for a few therapy sessions each month!

$500- $999- ANGEL- As an example of kindness and love you will have a link on our website with a biography stating just how wonderful you are. We will mail you an 11x17 portrait of our family; you will definitely go to heaven and will probably even sit pretty close to St. Peter. At this level of donation you will be able to help us buy things like, therapeutic swings, weighted blankets, headphones for therapeutic listing and more!

$1000- $4999- CHAMPION- Seriously, need I say all of the wonderful things that will surely happen in your life? Heaven is an absolute, there will definitely be a mansion waiting, and you will have lots of money and friends on earth. At this level you will change a child’s life forever! We would be able to buy specialized beds, completely child-proof our home and even pay for around-the-clock care for a special little fellow.

$5000 +- HERO- Enough said. You would not only be our hero, but everyone else’s. There will be books and legends all about how much you truly care and support needy children all over Beaverton! We would be able to take our little ones to places like, Paris, Italy, Switzerland and more! Hey, we could even build a house on a lake for our family!

Baked Goods- DEALER- If money is not plentiful do not fret- there are other ways to make a difference. Sugar and chocolate- enough said. Now, this is not really for the children, but more of a coping mechanism for the parents. The only thing I can say as far as benefits are concerned is that you can also make baked good for yourself at the same time. That way we will all be fat and happy!

So, mail your donations today to: Pond Vision International, PO Box Care, Beaverton, OR 77777 (God’s favorite number).

As hard as this is for me to say, I truly believe that God has a plan in all this and we are just waiting to see what it is. Josh and I are planning to take a step back and figure out what to do next and where we are supposed to be. Is God leading us in a different direction or are we learning what dependence on God really looks like? Through it all, I am so thankful for my husband and family- I love my life and would not change anything about it (well, except for the whole passing the bar thing).

So, there are 52 weeks in a year- that means...

2010-04-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Thursday I went to the doctor- big surprise- nothing big, just annoying. Well, I proceeded to the pharmacy afterwards to pick up prescriptions- not one, not two, but five medications!!! Oh my life… Anyway, this just reminded me about a fun annual “event” I get to participate in- taxes. Each year I have the “opportunity” to go through mounds of receipts and such to figure out our medical expenses for the year. I am organized enough to have it all filed together, just not motivated to keep a running total (too depressing). This year I put it all in an excel doc so I could delineate which receipt went to what type of expense. I thought it was depressing before, but when it was all in I realized that I went to the pharmacy 50 times and to Dr/Therapy appointments at least 123 times. Seriously, it is all making sense to me now as to why I have so many “friends” in the medical field. They are paid to be my friend- they have to like me. I am the reason they can sleep well at night knowing that their houses and cars will be paid off soon. They love me! At least I think they do- I wonder if they would charge a co-pay to hang out? Now, the big shock is when the grand total appears- goodness gracious- that is all I can say (well, I could say a lot more, but I don’t want to get kicked off of the internet just yet). So, after I drink myself to sleep I wake up the next day and just put it all behind me- on my way to a therapy appointment with Timothy of course.

Spring "Break"

2010-03-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

One question, who said Spring Break is a break? I know moms who love when their kids are home from school. They say things like, “We just have so much fun doing nothing” or, “It is just nice to not have to get up early” or one of my recent fav’s, “we are just going to lie around and swim and just hang out as a family.” Now doesn’t that sound like fun? Well, yes, they all sound fun, but none of those are my life. No school means, frantically trying to come up with things to do with kids while still needing to work. This spring break is especially crazy because work is very busy (woo hoo!) and Timothy is very busy (not woo hoo). Here is an excerpt from an email this morning to my business partner, Liz, “Sure thing chicken wing. I am a little silly right now. Maybe it is the shots of rum each time Timothy pulls out a book.” If only it were true… Well, I would probably not want it to be true for two reasons. 1. Rum is gross and 2. Passing out drunk would mean that I would wake up to sirens, screaming or (best case scenario) my house completely destroyed. Oh well, it sounded like a good idea at the time.

Back to spring break. To say that this week has been a break would be a blatant lie. I am tired, so tired. Tuesday at 8pm I had to stop working because I was getting ditzy, I mean, dizzy. I literally walked to get a file and lost my balance. Whew, good times. Oh, and this week I decided or I guess Sadie decided that she no longer needs a morning nap. Why does that matter, you ask? Well, it basically means that Sadie is a basket case mid-morning and then late evening. She is really perfecting the art of pitching a fit, complete with flailing arms, hitting and throwing herself onto the floor (I thought this was a 2-year old thing to do- why wasn’t I warned?). We did get to go to the coast the other day and it really was fun. Timothy and Sadie each consumed large amounts of sand, but I have long gotten over germs. I am so thankful that my friend Karen and her son came along, she and I each took a “little” and went with it. Sadie was obsessed with getting in the water and Timothy with getting into everything. They each had a blast and Karen and I got a work out. I have not figured out why she even wants to hang out with me. She has a nice calm life with one cute little boy and well, you know what my life is like. Good thing spring break is just one week- shoot!!!!- Timothy has a two-week break. Oh, why me?!

Okay, I am done for the day. Instead of shots though, I am going to treat myself to a nice, sugary treat. Hopefully the sugar will help me forget about my friends enjoying their relaxing spring breaks- I better make an extra pan of brownies tonight.

I love the Oregon coast- beautiful, the water is too cold to swim in and you get to wear a jacket most of the time. Perfect for the pigment challenged!

Sadie is in her 3rd pair of pants for the day.

They just have to have a stick- why is that?

This is Madeline standing by a group with a bonfire- I told her she could not join the group of strangers, so she just stood by looking pitiful.

Timothy, sitting, how wonderful!

Well, not anymore.

So, is this what people mean by children relaxing?

No....No!

2010-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sadie is talking now. She can say a lot of words like, Mama, Papa, ball, all done, more, that, go up, socks, and shoes. I think there are more, but my brain can only hold so much. Sadie’s new favorite word is, “no.” I am not capitalizing it at this point, because she says it so sweetly. It is actually pretty cute (not to worry, this will only be for a little while- just let me enjoy it!). She now follows Timothy around to keep him in line- when he is pulling out books like a man possessed she walks up and tells him, “no-o.” Pretty soon we are going to have her babysitting (well, she actually sat on him the other day to get him to stop pulling out books- does that count?). When Madeline was little “no” was actually her first word in English. In fact, she learned it within a day (interesting…I think it was a sign of things to come). The funny thing was that “yes” took about a year for her to master. She kept the Russian, “da” for a while and then morphed it into, “dap” (a mixture of da and yep) before she finally bended to our crazy English ways. Those were the days….

I have been thinking about how interesting it is that we learn the word no so easily. For me, that particular word has not been especially easy. I am sure I was just fine as a kid, but those days ended and I became a people pleaser. Suddenly the word “no” was very difficult. In school, this actually was a good thing (at least for my teachers), but it took me a while to figure out I could use that word to help myself. Yes has gotten me in bad relationships, doing way too many unnecessary things for others, and generally just doing things that I shouldn’t be doing. Thank God I have learned my lesson (for the most part), I am still a people pleaser (in recovery- thank you), but am learning that it is okay to say no. For my daughters- I hope that they learn the word “no” and hold onto that. Not in a rude way, but in a “take up for yourself” way. I want them to be strong women who know what they want and are not afraid to go and get it. I say this now not knowing what it will look like in the teenage years, but let’s let the naivety stay around as long as possible- it gives me hope.

Tibby-proofing

2010-03-18T21:47:00.001-07:00

Here is another section about the difficulty in keeping Timothy safe/my sanity intact. Keeping Timothy in bed is and has been for a long time insanely hard. We are on crib tent #5 at least. What is a crib tent, you ask? It is a canopy type thing that supposedly keeps children in their cribs and therefore prevents broken bones and the like. One day about two years ago Timothy suddenly decided to break free from the confines of the crib. This was after he more or less destroyed his first crib (hey, a kid likes to jump- right?). It just occurred to me how much he hates his bed. Interesting… Anyway, we had no idea what to do. While trying to figure this out we transitioned the crib into a toddler bed and he would just wander around his room for hours until falling asleep on the floor somewhere. So, we would go in and put

him back in his bed before we went to sleep. As much fun as that sounds, when I say wander what I really mean is take everything out of every crevice and this was before he could open doors, turn on lights and was not yet much of a climber (ahhh, those were the days). Well, while at a coffee shop one day that had a little playroom a mom told me about the blessed crib tent. It really was a life-saving find. We were so excited! Since then though Timothy has gone through (and by gone through I mean completely destroyed) 4 crib tents. He is quite a problem solver (sugarcoated term for someone who will do anything to get what he wants)! #5 is actually pretty new- less than a month old- and he has already managed to rip a good section out of it. Tonight when I put him in bed he escaped in less than two minutes. I was wondering why he eyed me so intently as I was leaving the room when, before I could even put Sadie in her pajamas, Timothy’s light came on. Keep in mind that Josh had to work late so I was putting 3 kids to bed by myself. After I decided against pitching a total hissy-fit complete with kicking and screaming, I went downstairs and got a bunch of zip ties. At this point, and I am sure not for long, the crib tent is tightly fastened to his bed with those plastic zip ties that can supposedly keep things in place quite well. I am sure Timothy can push through and work out how to escape- it is just a matter of time. I am now out of ideas though. I really cannot figure out what to do to keep him in his bed at night. I just don’t know what to do. I would love suggestions, so if you have any ideas please email me at pondjen@gmail.com. Keep in mind that we are trying to find a job for Timothy- someone to test child-proofing or toy durability. I think if Timothy is unable to break something it is unbreakable. Please help me!!!

Over it!

2010-03-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today was a crazy day. Just one of those days where there is too much to do even without things happening like, the sitter being sick or a realtor misplacing a key for your client’s new home. Not knowing those things when I woke up this morning I was already "full" for the day. This seems to be my life though, especially for the last month or so. You already know about the whole surgery debacle- I felt like that was probably good for me at least for a month or so. Oh, but no, I went ahead and added a ruptured eardrum and a stomach virus (which everyone in our family shared- Sadie twice) to the mix. I mean, seriously! There have been some good things too, like business is getting busier which, for realtors, means you are actually selling houses and a friend of mine is making me cookies. Today though, it really hit me and I may or may not have said way way too many bad words. Not to worry, when I was around the kids I only said them in my head (at least that is my stance). This afternoon though on my third trip to the Target pharmacy for the week (I have no idea how many times this month) it became official- even the Pharmacists think I am pitiful. Just a note about my friends, the Target pharmacy team, they all know me too well. I very rarely have to use my or any of my kids names when I walk up to get a prescription. When I was there with a friend picking up her meds they went ahead and looked to make sure I didn’t have any waiting for pick-up. It totally weirded my friend out that they knew me so well and that more than one of the clerks said hello. How sweet it is when you are so well known by an entire team of pharmacists that they enquire about your children when they are not with you. This would not be a big deal in a small town like my hometown, Groves, TX, where you have lived there forever and know everyone. No, this is a huge city. I guess I also have a tendency to befriend everyone. Even when I am feeling like total bunk I just have to smile and say hello. When I told one of my friends that I went to Texas A&M where it is tradition to say “Howdy” to everyone you pass, she thought it was the strangest thing she had ever heard- I thought the whole tradition was wonderful! It is hard to be in a bad mood when you smile and talk to random strangers all the time. So, I guess I just need to start feeling better so that I can get on the road to recovery, one in which I do not have to be BFF’s with all the medical personnel in Portland.

How I do it "all"

2010-03-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

***WARNING- this is out of my comfort zone- sappiness and cheesiness reign- don’t expect to laugh too much- sorry- it must be the pain meds***

I have been thinking a lot about how tough life has been lately and really for the past 13 years or so. I get asked on a regular basis how I do it. I have even had two therapists tell me that they are pretty shocked I have not had a complete breakdown. I am not saying this to brag or get pity, but rather to give an answer. The only way I have made it is God. I don’t mean this in a sappy Christian way, but rather an everyday living kind of thing- this is the only way I can honestly keep going feeling optimistic and content that God knows the way and I don’t have too.

God has given me a super crazy ability to deal with stress. My everyday life with three kiddos, two of which are special needs, a husband in law school (just finished!!!), working to support the family and just normal stuff is pretty overwhelming. When family or friends spend more than a few hours with us, they comment that our family life is pretty intense or just flee in shock, glad that they get to go home and relax in a peaceful environment. I may be exaggerating a little about the fleeing part, but you get the idea. Things are hard without extras thrown in like surgery, trouble in school, etc. God has been so faithful though, somehow I wake up every morning excited about the day (for the most part), I am optimistic that things will get better and confident that God will carry me through. Even when some pretty tough stuff comes my way, I can only seem to dwell on the negative for less than a day. I have no idea why this is, but I am simply incapable of being down and out for long periods of time. Maybe it is my strange sense of humor, maybe I am just a glutton for punishment- I just can’t help myself- I have to make fun of it all. I guess I just hope people will laugh with me and then somehow see God in my story. I think the only reason for my super hero powers is God’s provision. He has given me more than I can possibly repay.

Josh- my sweet husband is beyond words. He is exactly who God designed for me. Through our messy life our relationship has grown stronger rather than growing apart. He loves me so much and continually strives to show me. He makes me laugh and smile everyday (it may not always be on purpose). I sometimes think that he loves me more than I could ever love him. This is not to say that I don’t love him, I just feel like he loves so unselfishly and completely- I don’t feel I am even capable to love in that way. He gives without expecting or even wanting anything in return. He is just super cool and I am super lucky.

Family- God has given me an amazing family, both biological and the family I married into. Our parents have been a source of provision, physically and emotionally. They both offer a different type of relationship, which really is

amazing. I am so blessed to have incredible siblings. My sister is my best friend. This has not always been the case (we did the whole sibling rivalry thing- who knows why), but she continually provides me with a listening ear sans judgment. I know I can call her (which I do multiple times a day) and we can talk about nothing or talk about the latest crisis (she has them too- I promise). My brother, Benny, is pretty cool himself. He is the person I can call when I need to laugh and step away from the present. I have a unique relationship with each of my siblings and Josh’s as well. It is pretty nice. We even have a great extended family who are always ready to pray and listen.

Friends- I cannot say enough about my spectacular friends. In each of our moves, God has given me the exact friends I needed. It is incredible how much they have been there for me, especially since we are not near family. They have been our family. I have learned so much from them. Even though I have not been able to stay in touch with them all, they have made a difference. Our Oregon friends are beyond amazing. This has been, by far, the toughest couple of years yet and they have stood beside me, comforted me, encouraged me and helped me in so many ways. Quite frankly, I am a pretty needy friend and they have been there without question. If I am ever able to repay them I will be surprised. They are just that incredible.

So, there you have it, this is what I am made of. This is how I live, this is it.

Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe.

We don't need it anyway!

2010-02-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend my fabulous friend and business partner, Liz, decided that we needed a getaway. This was planned before the whole emergency surgery thing (see last post), which made the weekend all that more needed. Josh and I have this superhuman ability to forget important things when we go somewhere- it is quite uncanny. It is usually not a trip ruiner (not a word, I know); nevertheless it is always something that would have made the trip better. This trip- a swimsuit for Josh. It would be for me as well, but I can’t swim with my 3 incisions gig. Yes, we are at a really neat spa place called the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort and Spa. They tend to run really good specials in the off season and we figured, what the hell, Josh just finished the BAR and we are super poor already, why not stack on a little more for a sanity saving 24 hours. They have a great facility with an indoor pool, sauna, hot tub, etc. Josh loves this type of thing, but, sadly, cannot participate nude. I have a fun spa appointment, so I am not too worried about it. I have no idea what Josh is going to do though (I can’t say that I care too much- I will be in blissful relaxation mode, quite possibly asleep though due to my drugs/ weakness from loss of blood). Anyway, this forgetful act is not too bad, but it made me remember another trip where our absent mindedness was a little more memorable.

Camping in Wisconsin. That’s right- we camp- kinda. Well, we have all of the stuff and can make it happen. We come off like total morons when you compare us to our friends here who have an enormous amount of camping paraphernalia. Wait- are we the dorks? I guess that depends on who you ask. Before we left Wisconsin we wanted to go somewhere we had not been- Door County. So, we decided to go camping with just the fam (I am sure we asked, but no one else could come along). We packed up and headed to our destination, excited about taking the kids to a new place- we were ready for 2 days of fun. We arrived with plenty of time to set up, make dinner and even enjoy some s’mores. The weather was nice- super exciting stuff. Well, as Josh and Madeline (she was a huge help) set up the tent Josh could not find the tent poles. He looked everywhere and in everything. Come to find out, they do not fit in the nice and neat little bag that the rest of the tent stuff goes into. I knew this piece of information, but I failed to

pass it on to Josh. Did we give up? Did we just pack up and find a hotel or go home? No! I found a clothes line purchased in the camping section at Wal-mart for $0.99! That and some bungee cords and voila- a tent- kinda! Hey, it did the job. Did we get lots of crazy looks? Did we notice people coming by more than once walking slowly past our spot? Did we hear sly comments and little snickers? Yes, oh yes we did. Good thing we have a sense of humor and would just smile and fake laugh as people stared with their -I am a better camper than you- look. The only time it was really annoying was when we actually needed to sleep in the tent. Timothy was fine in his pack’n’play, but the rest of us had a nice little blanket hanging about 6 inches from our face all night. Needless to say, we woke up early, packed up and left to check out the nearby town, which was quite cute. It was a memorable trip even if it was cut short.

Now, we forget stuff all the time- an attribute that makes my brother-in-law Wayne wake up in the middle of the night screaming and soaked in sweat. Things like, jackets, socks, medications, drivers licenses, phone chargers, keys, diapers- you get the idea. It does not and will not discourage us from pushing forward- ready to see what we will forget on our next trip!

Here we go again!

2010-02-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, apparently I spoke/wrote too soon when I blogged about our adventures in travel. I think the latest trip officially won the prize for insane travel experiences. The plane ride on the way to Texas was just fine. We even received multiple complements on how organized we were and how the kids behaved. That is where it ended. When we arrived in Houston we had a 2 hour drive to get to my parents house in Groves (amazing metropolis- there truly is no comparison). We stopped to grab dinner half way and let the kids get some wiggles out. Well, when we got back in the car I began to feel a little twinge of pain in my abdomen. Rather than being responsible by pulling over and having someone else drive I pushed through. I honestly thought it was just a cyst on my ovary bursting (tmi- I know, if you don’t want to hear more I would just stop reading now) which happens on a regular basis and goes away fairly quickly. Not so, it just got gradually worse and worse. I just pushed through though- I wanted to get home. I was even doing the whole cold sweat thing and clenching the steering wheel while doing some breathing. I am sure Karen was a tad scared, but I assured her I was fine (I think this will tarnish my reputation when it comes to telling the truth about how I feel). Anyway, we got home safely and I managed to freak my parent completely out. I climbed out of the car; which was no small feat (it was a huge Ford Expedition because they ran out of minivans- ahh Texas and their huge vehicles). I walked slowly to my parents door completely bent over- so much drama. When they opened the door and excitedly said, “Look who's home!!!” I burst into tears and said I needed to lie down and they needed to help with the kids. I am normally not a dramatic person, so this was not expected to say the least. After lying on the bed giving directions on how to put the kids to bed and instructions on how to put up the crib tent, etc my mom and Karen made me go to the ER. My dad even ran a red light to get there as fast as possible- this is a man who has never gotten a ticket (so you can imagine how much mercy we got as teenage drivers). We arrived at the hospital and eventually got into a room. The staff was SO impressive with their lack of emotion and extreme country accents. While lying in pain I got to listen to them try to explain to another woman what a barista is- high class! Well, it turns out I had an ectopic pregnancy that was implanted on a cyst on my ovary (see, it was related to a cyst!) and was bleeding internally. I had to have surgery immediately. My doctor only partially freaked me out with her lack of real concern- it was mind-boggling.

She just held her coffee and looked put-out to be called in so early. I am glad I was delirious in pain otherwise I may have asked questions. Luckily, I made it out okay and am recovering. I am so blessed that my family and friends were there. They all jumped in and helped with the kids without question. I spent the rest of the trip laying around and not being helpful at all. If you think this is the end of the drama though you are wrong. Timothy put an explanation point on the whole crazy trip by getting sick and throwing up during most of the flight home. I am pretty sure Karen and Ashley will never come with me on any trip longer than a ride to the grocery store. Happy Trails- I can't wait until next time!

Doin' Time

2010-02-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

I remember a time when I could freely go through my home without obstacles. I could open cabinets unhindered, I could walk up the stairs without thinking, I could even cook without fear. Well, those days are long gone; I can hardly even remember what it was like to open doors without ‘the trick’ of how to get it open. Ahhhh…those were the days. I can also remember a time when I thought baby-proofing was for weaklings, for those who could not keep watch over their children and mommy-stare them into submission. That was before my little Ethiopian came out of his placid phase. He was so calm and compliant for the first 9-12 months. I like to call it the honeymoon period (we were told that when adopting an older child, Madeline, that we would have a brief period of time when she would want to please us- HAH- we had 30 minutes. I guess I thought the term brief wouldn’t be quite so, well, brief). Anyway, we were spared a time of prison-like living with Timothy- he did not walk until 2 ½ (there are definitely some benefits to developmental delays). Now, our house is like a maze of the mind. Which doors need to be closed at all times, which cabinets are locked and what type of lock is it, how do I open the latest garbage cans, how do I get up the stairs- we literally have a cabinet tied shut with rope (no, we are not moving). I thought I would share with you some of our most creative ideas on Tibby-proofing up to this point. I am sure we are nowhere near finished trying to out-smart the little problem solver.

Timothy went through a time of turning off all the lights in the house (he was too little to turn them back on), so we went through the house and unscrewed the switch plates and turned them upside down. That way he would go through and turn them all on. I know it is not eco-friendly, but when trying to do homework or having friends over for dinner it is nice to have the lights on. Timothy’s diaper situation is a never-ending mind game for Josh and I. He simply longs to be naked, to run free and tear apart the gel pack of each and every diaper that dares to cross his path. At first we could just put onesies on him and that did the trick, then it moved to taping the diapers with packing tape. Now, we have to tape the diapers insanely making sure there are not edges poking out, then put on backwards onesie pajamas with a pair of shorts and a shirt over the pj’s. He still manages to get out when he is really determined, but our hope is to keep him busy until he just passes out at night. Speaking of sleep, the baby bed situation has been challenging as well. At first, we just had to get a new crib to replace the hand-me-down. Then we found out about the crib tent- a wonderful invention that is basically what it says, a mesh tent attached to a crib. The first version did not last too long but the following two Crib Tent II’s (an improved model) lasted a while. After those were torn apart little by little he started on the mattresses (yes, plural, we are on #4), so, naturally I just sewed a custom pillow case thing to go around the mattress. It is so tight that it took two of us to put it on. Who cares if it now smells a little? I am past that. Let’s see, we had a contractor put up a Plexiglas barrier on our banister to keep him from jumping off the balcony overlook of our living room, we are taking down pictures and putting away other decorative objects of his wrath. We have an oven lock, fridge lock- it just keeps going. With all of this you would think we could sit down and relax with him awake, but no, there is none of that. The only way that could happen is if we lived in a padded house with no furniture or stairs- don’t think I haven’t thought of being complete minimalists. Timothy is just an active fella without a stop or pause button (I have looked). Even with all of these precautions we still have the audacity to turn around or (heaven forbid) use the restroom (see results in picture below). When these transgressions take place he is sure to be on the kitchen island or his new favorite hangout, the middle of the table playing with the light fixture. The fun just never ends!

I guess we’ll just have to live in ‘constant vigilance’ like Mad-Eye Moody says, wait, I think I know why people have started calling me mad-eye Jen. It all makes sense…

Huh?

2010-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

This week has been pretty stressful, to say the least. In fact, I should be working right now, but my brain is mush. Let’s just say one of the minor issues of the week happened yesterday when we woke up to a leak in the garage. Oh yes, the week just kept getting better and better. Rather than going into it (too depressing), I thought I would share a few recent stores of my ditsy demise. Some of these things happen on a regular basis and others are just one-time (hopefully) incidents. Where to begin…

Pretty much every morning I have a hard time concentrating and remembering what I am doing in the shower- not in a gross way- but I will just forget if I have shampooed my hair and have to stop and think for a minute. Most frequently I can’t remember if I have rinsed the conditioner out (I went through a period of forgetting to rinse and then realizing later in the day that my hair is super slick), so I tend to just keep rinsing. Well, this morning I am pretty sure I did everything twice- I just could not get it together. You may be thinking that I was tired and just woke up, sadly though that was not the case, I had been awake for over an hour working out. It has nothing to do with drowsiness.

The other day I mistakenly squirted saline solution on my toothbrush- who needs minty fresh breath when your teeth can see so clearly?

Yesterday I went upstairs three times before I could remember why- medicine- how fitting.

A few days ago I was trying to get out of the house in a hurry (wait- am I ever not in a hurry?) and I could not find my phone. I was frantically looking everywhere I usually loose it when I realized that I was actually on the phone. Nice.

Pretty much all the time I will ask Josh what a movie is about that we are about to see. Well, by the 4^th time I ask I can usually remember (well, at least I pretend to). Not to worry though, I preface my asking with, “I am sure I have already asked you this, but what is this movie about again?”

On a regular basis I will be driving somewhere and completely end up at Target or the grocery store- why is this strange? Well, I am usually headed somewhere completely in another direction.

The other day I had to go back to the car twice (in the rain) before I remembered to get the prescription that I needed to fill, which was the only reason I was going to that store. Why has there been more than one mention of meds? It is scary how many drugs are consumed in our house :).

Last week I put my contacts in the wrong eyes. This wouldn’t be too funny except how long it took me to realize that they were switched and considering that one eye is significantly worse than the other. It was making me dizzy and light headed, funny that I did not consider this out of the ordinary.

There was another time when…wait- what was it again? Nevermind…

The J. Pond Traveling Circus

2010-02-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law coined the term (at least as far as I know), “The Paul Pond Family Traveling Circus.” Well, he thought that his time of traveling with 8 kids was a big deal, but I think he may even agree that we are surpassing him quickly! I am about to head to Texas with the kids (not to worry, I have my nanny Ashley coming along- do you think I am completely crazy?!) in 1 ½ weeks. As I formulate a plan of who sits where on the plane and our crazy packing list, which will include a crib tent and packing tape, I am reminiscing of past adventures (that is a nice way of saying crazy trips). Now, these “adventures” seem to all center around the actual getting there part- the rest of the trips were, on the most part, great. Here are some highlights~

We should have seen the “sign” when two travel-related incidences brought us together. The first was when I was home from Texas A&M for the weekend when, while stopped at a stop sign, a car hit me. It was not a bad accident, but the area around the tire was bent just enough so that I could not drive. Well, my mom called Josh’s house (our mom’s were friends) and managed to have Josh bring me back to A&M (much to my dismay- he was weird). Well, that was that and we started dating. Just a little over a month later an even bigger travel crazy thing happened. I was going with his family to Colorado on a ski trip (yes, things moved quickly in our relationship- don’t judge) when on the plane I had a seizure and they had to emergency land the plane. I had never had a seizure- so this was a first- just the thing to do when you are on a trip with your new boyfriend’s family (a tad embarrassing). Needless to say, I survived and we were married a year later.

The next major incident was on our way home from adopting Madeline. We were new parents who thought a 2-1 ratio for travel would be just fine. Well, to make a long story short, Madeline was up and active (to put it nicely) for 26 hours. That’s right folks- 26 HOURS. Insane is all I can really say.

Another fun time was when we were traveling back from Texas with Madeline and she looked at Josh and said, “I don’t feel good” which was immediately followed by a continual time of throwing up. To make matters worse, while in Texas for Christmas our Wisconsin driveway was neglected, so it was covered in ice. When that is the case, I now know, it is generally not a good idea to carry your sick 3 year old up the concrete stoop to get in the front door. I slipped and photo below was the result.

Don’t dismay, we are not finished yet. On the way home from Ethiopia all was well, that is, until the last 3 hours (of a 30 hour trip). Again, Madeline got sick. So sick that there was a point when all of the seats on our row (which did not only include us) were covered in plastic trash bags or newspapers and Madeline was sitting in only her underwear and holding a bag. Just to let you know, Madeline is the loudest vomiter on the face of the earth, so the entire plane knew that something was going on. I am sure they thought it was an exorcism and were pleasantly surprised when they saw that it was just a naked Russian.

Okay, so this is the last one I will share today. Since I am doing the whole, when you brought home your kids theme, I should probably tell you about Sadie’s adventure home. Since we like to spice things up, we decided (oh, wait God and the Dr. decided) that Sadie should be born in the middle of one of the worst snowstorms Portland has seen. Not just one single day of snow, it was over a week of on and off snow in a town that has zero idea of how to handle it. I believe it was called, “The Arctic Blast!” So, when it was time to come home from the hospital everyone was in a tizzy to get checked out before the next wave hit. It just started snowing again when we were leaving, so we did miss some drama. It turns out though that when you just birthed a baby it is not the funnest thing in the world to ride in a car with chains on the tires going over heaps of ice and pot holes for 45 minutes. Especially when it should only be a 15-minute drive. To make matters worse though we were finally turning onto our street and got stuck because another car was stuck. I believe there were tears.

So, there we are, travel and Pond’s apparently don’t mix. Shoot! I really hope that my friend Karen, who is going with us to Texas next week, doesn’t read this!

You just said that?!

2010-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here are two things I never thought I would hear from a teacher:

1. "The second time I heard the phone ring I figured out it was coming from Madeline" (she does not and may not ever have a cell phone).

2. "When I found her laying in a puddle with a big non-repentant smile, I had had enough."

Today has been a day about Madeline. Things are a little tough right now and rather than lamenting about the bad, I thought I would tell a story about her that makes me smile.

This was April 2006 right after we adopted Timothy. We were in the- go get things for new baby- mode with my mother-in-law. Well, of course, those things included photos of the trip to Ethiopia. While checking out at the photo place in Target, Madeline asked the person behind the counter, “Are you a boy or a girl?” The woman said, “I am a girl, of course” while looking at me with a, “can you believe this kid smirk”. Naturally, I said, “Oh sweetie, you are so funny!” Madeline then replied, “No you're not! You're a boy!” Me- “You must think that because she has such short hair (the tone of my voice said “shut up, shut up, shut up!”).” “No,” said Madeline, “it is because of your moo-stash!” Well, there you have it. Lila and I have never moved so fast. We tried to just laugh it off nervously and then get out fast. Of course, when we were out of sight, we could barely stand up we were laughing so hard! That is Madeline- she just says it (whether you like it or not- ooohh, maybe that is why we are here now).

And the lesson is...

2010-01-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

Oh Madeline…sometimes you are so funny and some times you hit too close to home. Today has been a rough day with Madeline as has the last little bit. She is having quite a streak of hard times and I don’t get it. Apparently God thought it would be funny (or something) to give me a little one that is totally different than me- behavior wise. I was a goody-two-shoes to the nth degree. Not to say that I did not get in trouble or deserve to at times, but for the most part I wanted to please others, especially adults. I was crushed every time I made my mom or dad mad, much less (God forbid) teachers! I lived (and still do) in a state of perpetual guilt over anything I may do or have done that might possibly make anyone else upset. Well, except my siblings. Seriously, how much fun would that be? Okay, back to Madeline. I am sure she probably feels bad and all that, but she does not seem to have the teeniest tinniest desire to make adults or anyone else happy. This is infuriating to me, I truly don’t get it; my brain simply cannot wrap around the idea. I mean, your main goal in life is not to please everyone and be every person’s favorite person? How can that be? So, today, after getting super mad for the 19^th time about her doing random things or being rude or whatever (the final straw was when she got into our camping stuff in the garage and found the clothes line- it wasn’t pretty), I was done. I basically gave her an ultimatum that she better sit and watch a move while I went upstairs or she was going to go to bed for the rest of the day when I came back down. I may or may not have given her a good talking too as well. I sat her down to watch Annie and she said in a weepy voice, “Does this movie have a lesson?” I told her I didn’t really know (who can remember things when in a tizzy?). And she said, “I think it is that parents should not be rude to their children.” Cricket…cricket… Yikes, why me God?!

Whew...That Stinks!

2010-01-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

I realized that it might be fun to tell stories from the past- there are so many I could not think where to begin. So, I went with the first one that popped into my head.

Not too long after we adopted Madeline and were living in Wisconsin I had quite a surprise one afternoon. Keep in mind that I was a new parent, not even 6 months behind my belt. Going straight to a 3 year old is mighty tough, especially when the 3 year old does not speak english and makes parenting triplets seem like a walk in the park- I am not joking! So, back to my surprise. I was enjoying a nice restful afternoon, Madeline was supposedly taking a nap. I was so thankful she was sleeping after an especially trying morning. I remember being SO ready for nap time, not unlike the present. So, I quietly went into her room, ready to wake up my little princess when, to my utter surprise, there was feces smeared ALL OVER THE PLACE! Sitting in the bed was an innocent, but guilty, little Russian. What did I do you ask? Well, my first instinct would have put me on the 10 most wanted- Abusive Parents addition. To prevent, this I took a deep breath (not through my nose), picked up Madeline, and set her on the stool (the kind that you use to sit on) next to her bed (I think she could tell by my shock that she needed to stay put if she knew what was good for her) and left the room. I took a few more deep breaths and called my sister. My recollection was that I was crying and just asking what I should do. I mean, when I read the manual on raising perfect children this was not in it! Did you see that section? I must have missed it or it was in a later edition- who knows. Surprisingly she did not have the answer. When I spoke with my wise father later that day he had an interesting opinion, "maybe she was just expressing her artistic side." That was a big load of... what she put on the walls! Well, after crying while cleaning, scrubbing and doing laundry I somehow managed to push through and am still alive today. What is really funny, in a sad kind of way, is that that would not be the only poo cleaning event of my life. In fact, I currently do it on a regular basis. Timothy, our little problem solver, has gone above and beyond to make that incident seem like a fairytale. His situation is a little different, nevertheless it is what it is. He is a master at escaping the confines of things like cribs, clothes, diapers- you get the point. Ahhh...livin' the dream!

This is definitely a blog-worthy day

2010-01-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

To say that today was hard would be too easy. Today was a lot of things, exhausting, stressful, painful, happy, hopeful and sweet all at the same time. Let me just give you the run down. I woke up at 5am to exercise (yes, still doing that)- kickboxing. It was funny to see how terrible I am at it and exasperating to see how Josh looks like he does it everyday. He was tired too, but his form was crazy good. Then, it was off to get ready. As I am about to start eating my first appointment of the day (Madeline's teacher) calls. I take my tea and toast and go upstairs to chat with him for almost an hour. Yep, nothing like an hour long conversation about how Madeline is having a hard time at school to start off your day! Immediately after that, I say hello to Josh, Timothy and Sadie while I get out the door to go to a closing for a client. It was a pleasant signing especially since it was 2 weeks before schedule- crazy to have a house close, much less close early, in this market. From there, I ran to meet Ashley, Timothy and Sadie at OT (Occupational Therapy)- I was only 15 min late. While there Timothy did really well! His therapist was excited and we could not believe he was doing so great. We just started him on some meds to help calm his regulatory system down some so that he can be less activated- did that sound official? Well, it is starting to work! Next, we went straight to our behavioral pediatrician's appointment for Timothy. Well, he saw Timothy and then we talked a lot about Madeline. Apparently Timothy is starting on the right track, but we have derailed (to put it mildly) a bit with Madeline. We are having to make adjustments and it was simply difficult to talk about. I love our behavioral guy, he is becoming like one of the family- maybe because he knows so much about our family and still likes us (Wait! We pay him). From there, I went home and got the kids started on lunch- well, Josh studied at home this morning and made their lunches and one for me too. After Ashley had it all under control I went to my next meeting. On the way there, I called Madeline's neuropsychologist to see if we should even continue cogmed and the school psychologist at a local elementary school to make the first of many meeting appointments to get Timothy into kindergarten. The next meeting is an IFSP meeting for Timothy- that is the yearly meeting where you talk about your goals and the schools goals for Timothy to determine eligibility for services through the county. It is always good to be there, but for me, it is overwhelming and a stark reminder about how far we have to go. His teacher is really great, has such a good outlook and really does love Timothy. We were able to talk more about next year and what that may look like. After that 1 1/2 hour meeting I was on my way home when I realized that I should probably go get the prescription of Timothy's that had mysteriously been spilled by an imaginary person- we really do not know what happened, but are so thankful for insurance yet again. While at Target, I may or may not have stopped and gotten some brownies to make when I got home (I still have not made them though). Then I got home! Whew- what a day! Wait, there is more!!! I get home and talk to Ashley for a few minutes before she leaves and then Madeline comes right in. Madeline is acting a tad crazy (by a tad, I mean a ton) and I am being super nice patient mom for a bit. Then, I finally just ask if she took off her patch (meds), well, yes she did folks. That's right everybody! My daughter who is already wacked out on the wrong dose of one medication completely takes off the most important one. Well, I did the only thing I could think of- get her eating snacks that are not sugar coated cereal which was her find and then go upstairs where I sit on my bed and take big deep breaths. While taking those deep breaths though, I smell a Timothy diaper. I say a Timothy diaper because a dirty diaper does not convey the terror that a Timothy diaper does. Not only is it dirty, but we have to air out the upstairs after each one. To make matters worse, changing Timothy's diapers require scissors and tape. Well, I calmed down, got up Sadie and then went in for Timothy. Luckily he still had his clothes on and we took care of things. Okay, we are almost done, I promise. After I have all the kids downstairs I give them snacks and then we just play until Josh gets home. Oh, while I gave them snacks I had to actually do some work for clients and write funny emails to Madeline's teacher about needing to drink. We made it!!! After he got home I walked Madeline down to a birthday party (before you ask why I would do that to a poor unsuspecting family, I put a replacement patch on Madeline simply so she could go to the party). Then, I came home and stared off into space while Josh fed Sadie and Timothy. They are now in bed and I am doing this- therapy- until I have to go get Madeline which is now.

Can someone get me some meds?

Oh, what a great mom I am!

2010-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

I have been lazying around today eating bonbons and thinking about what a terrific mom I am. I mean, I do so much for my 3 little blessings... Okay, enough of that. You see how I could not even go more than 2 sentences being cushy? Seriously though, I was talking to my sister today and glancing at my calendar when I realized how funny all of the random things I do for our crew that I really never thought I would do- I can truly say this is not what I expected my life to look like. Disclaimer- I really do love my life, this is just a matter of me making fun of the strangeness in which I exist. So, here is a bit of a run down of all the things I did just this week for our gaggle. This does not include the cooking, cleaning, errands, bath times, homework... you know the things that we just simply have to do when we give our staff the week off (by staff I mean my cook, 2 full-time maids, 2 full-time nannies and a personal assistant). Okay, here we go for real.

Augmentative Communication Therapy
A meeting to work on tweaking the parents concerns section of Timothy's upcoming IEP meetings (that is right plural, at least 3) to get into Kindergarten.
Behavioral pediatrician for Timothy
Occupational Therapy
Refill a prescription that was just filled last week because it spilled somehow and we just simply have to have the meds.
Worked on a schedule communication board.
Mouth Time- another therapy for Timothy that we get to do at home.
Communicated via email at least 8 times with a certain 2nd grader's teacher.
Emailed the behavioral pediatrician twice
Got a call from the behavioral pediatrician
Did Cogmed (a five-week intensive computer course that is supposed to help with working memory- I can't remember what else) with Madeline for about an hour each day.
Called a certain 2nd graders teacher
Had a meeting with Timothy's teacher to work on his IFSP
Helped in Madeline's Sunday school class- not normally special unless you consider I was really only there to keep her in line.

Well, that is all I can think of right now.

Two stories of the day-

Timothy- I walked in to get him up from his nap and saw that he is sleeping straight on the board of his bed, you know, below the mattress. This is not unusual for him, but then I looked over and the entire mattress was out of his bed! This is a new thing. The fun never ends!

Sadie- She heard about my post yesterday about Timothy's BFF and was jealous. She wanted a BFF too! Well, not to worry, she found her at last! She waved, blew kisses, smiled and laughed at her. Who is she you ask? Sadie- well, her reflection in the window. She also has a friend on the stove.

Timothy's BFF

2010-01-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day. Nothing super great and nothing super bad. That is, unless you are Timothy Pond. Apparently the love of his life has returned! None of us really knew it had left, even Timothy had all but forgotten. Then it happened! While atop the climbing structure in our garage/playroom/not-a-place-for-a-car-so-it-makes-me-crazy, Timothy was happily tearing up the plastic cover to a mattress (one of those that you use to move a mattress in) when he spotted his long lost love- the wild animal fitted sheet!!!!! This sheet was not on the mattress of which he was tearing up the cover- oh no- it was on a previous mattress that he had destroyed which was also wrapped in plastic (for more info on the garage mattress situation please see below). He immediately used his prowess as a baby raccoon to claw his way over the large mattress. Well folks, this is where I come in. I hear Timothy screaming (not at all uncommon) his, "I am not mad or hurt, but I could use some help" scream. So, I walk over to find and rescue him from a precarious position and am not at all moved. Timothy is on a mission to save his BFF and does not let me get away so easily. Through his- amazing communication without speaking- ways mixed with my- I'm a mom, so I somehow know what my children need- ways the sheet was rescued! Hooray!!! Timothy was in a good mood for the rest of the day. He was seen hugging the sheet, cuddling with it, huddling underneath it... At one point I even saw him completely covered up under the sheet with one arm out trying to find and then throw a toy. It does not get much sweeter!

Garage Mattress Situation-

1. Madeline and Timothy now share a room, so that displaced a queen sized mattress that was formerly Madeline's bottom bunk. It was nicely stowed in the garage wrapped in thick covering awaiting its next mission until Madeline and then Timothy took care of that. Now, I guess I need to go find another cover...

2. Timothy went on a "Destroy All Mattresses!" campaign a little while back. Well, I tried to save one. I thought that maybe it was not too bad, so I have been thinking about how I can fix it. In the meantime I put the BFF fitted sheet on it to hold in the stuffing and wrapped it in the plastic cover that the newest mattress came in. Now that I engineered a cover for the current mattress that will hopefully last a little longer and can then be made again if necessary, I think I may go ahead and get rid of it.

Also, our garage has been turned into a playroom/therapy room for Timothy. Apparently he needs places that are okay to climb and swing in and really just destroy. While it goes against all I stand for to have a garage that has no cars in it, it sure is nice for Timothy to have a place to play and climb. Now, if we could just figure out what to do with the rest of the stuff.

One of "Those Days."

2010-01-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

Well, today was not especially horrible, just a day that kept going and going and going... It all started at 2:45am- (teething and never have been a good sleeper) Sadie woke up and played for a bit until Josh gave her a bottle at around 3:15. Then, we woke up at 4:45am to exercise (oh, aren't we so good). While in the shower I realized that I had not taken Timothy to get some bloodwork done- woo hoo (that is said in a dull tone). So, I immediately got dressed and decent enough to leave the house where I was privileged enough to lay on a cot with Timothy basically barring him from all movement (me and two others)- it actually wasn't as bad as anticipated. Well, you get the point. So, right now it is 8:20ish and I am just now sitting down. I am tired to say the least.

Highlights of the day-

I was changing Sadie's diaper and forgot in the middle if I had actually done it.
I drove all the way to the grocery story (not a typo- Madeline) and realized that I had forgotten the list and my coupons- so, yes, I went back.
I found out that I can have Timothy's diapers paid for by the state.
I am now watching Big Love and about to have one of those Betty Crocker mini Warm Delights- if you have not tried them you should- they are scrumptious.

Finally, here is a list of my pocket contents at the end of the day :)- this does not include things that transferred in and out throughout the day-

1. A grocery list

2. A toilet paper roll with a bite out of it

3. A piece of gauze with tape on it

3. A pen

4. A single sock

5. A pair of socks

6. A piece of paper that I don't have any idea where it came from

7. A stick

8. A tourniquet- one of those things they tie around your arm when you have blood taken

Good-bye today, here I come Betty Crocker!

Try it again.

2010-01-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I failed the first time, but I am going to try it again. Blogging that is. I have not quite figured out why or if people would actually read it. Worst case, it would be nice to try to remember my life in little snip-its. I have such a terrible memory, this may help.

Since I am not that creative I thought it would be easy to just write about my exciting life. I must warn you, it will be sarcastic, sometimes a little sad, but hopefully funny. I love my life and my family above all else. It just so happens that my life is insane. Things are terribly stressful at the moment and have been for a few years. In fact, I keep thinking surely it will get better, but not quite yet. Anyway, somehow I manage to laugh a lot and make fun of it all. That is called coping.

Today was quite nice. Nothing too crazy. Church in the morning where I helped in Madeline's class. For some reason she likes when I am there- I can't figure out why though. I feel like I am always on her case. I was not being super anal-retentive (oh yeah, I am just going to say what I like and not worry about language for now), but just stopped her from sucking her fingers, laying on the floor, things like that. Well, I guess there was the whole sitting beside her and snuggling during the story and watching her help sing up front. Cute.

After church, Madeline, Timothy and I stopped at Babies R Us to get a baby gate (one more way I can make my home feel more like a prison). This, of course, was the second try- the first one never works out. Then home, cogmed with Madeline, baby gate, lunch and a 45 minute nap (oh yeah, that's right, a nap). Finally there was a tad bit of work, home community where I made sweet potato chocolate chip waffles and now here we are. Josh and I just watched a terrible movie while I was working on this here blog. Nice day.

First- Sadie said "Uh oh!" when she dropped something. She is also becoming quite good at the itsy bitsy spider.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T17:09:00.001-07:00

As I sit here feeding Sadie I was thinking about St. Patrick's day. I don't really know what it comes from, but I do always hear about the luck of the Irish. Luck... a funny thing. I was thinking about how lucky I am. I have a fabulous family. Josh, the best husband ever. He is hilarious, thoughtful and hardworking all at the same time. Madeline is always full of excitement and never gives up no matter what. Timothy is a continual burst of energy who continues to surprise me with his never-ending raccoon qualities. Finally, Sadie, I love getting to know her and feel incredibly blessed by her mere existence. No matter what may be going on in this crazy world, I cling to the enormous blessings of my sweet family.

Today Timothy rode the bus to school for the first time. It is the cutest thing! They have car seats built in with the whole 5 point harness, etc. He totally adapted to it and even managed to take of his socks and shoes as if he were in our car. He is so courageous!

What fun!

2009-03-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am going to try to blog now. I am not sure what my schtick is going to be, but I will work it out. Right now Madeline is writing on a white board (writing who knows what), Timothy is whining/eating dinner, Josh is cooking dinner (yea, that is right, I am on the computer doing nothing important and he is cooking teriyaki fish- I am a lucky lady indeed), and Sadie is sleeping. My life is so easy.....