New Year, New Beginnings...

Well Its almost midnight... So we are about to start a brand new year... 2010 has been an interesting year.. Lots a good time and bad... People brought into our lives and people taken from our lives. We are already half way done with this school year...

We have decided as a family some of the things we would like to change in the new year. We've decided we need more family time... You can never have enough family time. The boys want us to go camping this year, and have more family dinner, and game nights....

I have decided that I am going to lose weight this year. I have to lose weight for my health and so that I can be the mom I want to be for my kids. So keep on the look out for more posts about that.

We have also decided to become more organized as a family.

All 3 boys are setting their goals in Tae Kwon Do to earn Red Belts by the end of the year. Which is amazing and I know they can do it!

Well Happy New Year to all my friends and family... Can't wait to share 2011 with all of you...

Charlie and the GI

**Warning: The following post should not be read while eating, it pertains lots of bathroom talk**

As most of you know... we've been struggling with Charlie's bowels for quite a few months now. We've tried bribing, rewarding, punishment, miralax, e-lax, about anything you can think of. Finally we talked the ped into giving us a referral to GI. Well on Feb. 1st UNC Peds GI told us great we can see you on June 1st. Well needless to say my lid was FLIPPED! But Duke was about to see us TODAY!!! Hip Hip Horray! That is one reason I love where we live. Two GREAT hospitals 20 minutes from us. Well here's what happened today...

We do know that Charlie is constipated and has a rock hard one in there. Which we need to get out. They are thinking that his problem is that his Colon and Rectum are stretched due to the constipation. So he doesn't recieve the feeling of "Oh I gotta go Potty" because the rectum doesn't close after he has pooped because he isn't getting it all out and even when he does the colon and rectum don't close all the way. Kinda like when you stretch a rubber band out as far as you can alot and then let it go it doesn't go back as small as it was.

So how do we fix this? Well for this weekend we will be staying home. Charlie is going to get cleaned out *We Hope* He will recieve 5 doses of miralax and 2 e-lax for 2days and then go to 1 dose of each for the next few weeks. We are hoping to see a difference in the next week in his bowels. If not we call her back. But either way we go back in 3 weeks to check in with her.

I will keep you all updated as to how this goes... We are hoping this is the issue but if not we will continue to search what is going on with him. Next week we check back in with Jacob's Autism Doctor and get lots of results back! Stay Tuned!

Frustration.....

Warning: The post that you are about to read is more a vent and frustration.

For those of you who continued reading. This post came to be while I was laying on the couch wrestling Jakers to sleep. I am really frustrated with the fact the children's schedule completely relies on myself. Because it has made me prisoner in my life or atleast that is how I feel. For example there was a H.E.O.S (Helping Every One Successed) Meeting tonight which is basically a support group for families of children with IEPs at our school. I made the arrangements for the boys to go down to Ma and Pa's while I went to the meeting, because for certain issues its just better for them to go down to there rather than stay home with Daddy. But I knew I was cutting it close and that our bedtime routine would be thrown off up to an hour because I wouldn't be home til 7:30. But that when it hit me that them going to bed depends on ME, homework ME, Therapy ME, getting up and to school on time that would be ME, making sure everything is sent in when its suppose to that would be me aswell which is probally why its frustrating to the teachers because I always forget til the last minute and they usually send a note home to remind me. (mental note to put CharChars shirt for tie dye in his bookbag). But I know that I can't go anywhere or do anything for me because they need all of me. I laid on the couch wrestling Jakers for 1 hour and 25 minutes because we were off schedule and his melatonin took FOREVER to kick in tonight. While I was running around tonight trying to atleast get them inbed by 9pm it hit me how much circles around me... What happens if I can't do it all??? What happens if something happens to me?? How much better of a parent could I be if I had just a little bit more time??

Signing Time = FAMILY

I know the title doesn't really make sense but you'll understand why it really does. Family isn't blood relation anymore. When I was younger my aunts would fight over who was going to get me when I was out of school. But after I had my first child earlier in life than we expected I was no longer worth fighting for. After 2 of the 3 boys got dx'd as special needs my "family" seemed to drift apart more. But then we found www.signingtime.com and now we have a HUGE family. We came to www.signingtime.com to teach the boys ASL so that Jacob ho was nonverbal would be able to communicate with us. Little did we know but www.signingtime.com was going to give us a much bigger gift, which we will never be able to repay Rachel and everyone at www.signingtime.com . We started going to the wednesday night chats to ask questions and learn new things. Rachel then started using www.Twitter.com to let us keep track of her whereabouts and the random things she loves to tweet about. So then we started meeting more and more people and learning new things. But thanks to Twitter and www.signingtime.com we met Erin, Melissa Pam and many more who I consider some of my best friends. We are there for each other for anything day or night for ANYTHING some of us might never actually meet some of us might see eachother all the time. The one thing that amazes us is that even though our children's special needs is what brought us together in the begining that and www.signingtime.com its usually the farthest thing from our conversations. We are now family, we are the support system that we all need. I am so grateful for the relationships I have and proud to call all my signing time friends FAMILY!!
I lubs You Guys!
Rachel thank you so much for creating www.signingtime.com I don't know what we would have done if we wouldn't have found signingtime. You've help me create a WONDERFUL support system and a whole new family.

Back to School

The boys have now completed 2 weeks back in school. We are going into our second year in the year round school schedule. I have to say that we love it. I think it has been the best change for our family. The 9 weeks in 3 weeks off schedule with 6 weeks in the summer is great. Just enough time off and the kids are ready to go back. This year we also had the chance to loop Hunter with his teacher () so it was an amazing transition for him. Charlie is such a social butterfly he is fine in almost any situation in school. His teacher is great. She lets them have fun but keeps them in order.

We are waiting to find out about Jacob's start date for school. It should be towards the end August once traditional schools start up.

We also should have some big announcements comming soon about our service dog. We also are working on getting some of the clutter out of the house and keeping things organized.

Til Next Time...

Cheap Summer Entertainment....

FireFlies.... Lighting Bugs...

The past few nights since our Carowinds Family Bonding Adventure (Yes I know I haven't posted the pictures yet... Kiss My Booty I mean hold your horses)

The boys have been having a ball in the evening running around the yard catching fireflies... Well of course now we have some new vistors in the house with us. Jacob has a new friend! He played like this for 45minutes tonight... I just had to show you guys.. He was so cute I loved the squeal each time and him hollar "It fries"

I will finish editing the Carowinds pics as soon as I can get them to sleep!

Where are YOUR Boobies!!!!

I had to post this it was soooo cute.... Some might find it offense but I thought it was cute..... Not sure who taught him his body parts but he's gotten mixed up along the way....

Will do a good post later.....