A big mess

I was getting ready to fix dinner. I went to put something in the freezer. When I opened the door, two cookie sheets full of frozen raspberries came careening out at me! All I could do dodge out of the way from the lethal weapon :) After the explosion of raspberries all over the floor, my heart sank at the sight! There lay almost a full case of raspberries all over my kitchen floor. I was so sad, but realized that I might be able to salvage some of the larger pieces and ones that didn't break on impact. So I quickly set to work.
On fact that I soon realized is that my children, Big Guy, Bubba, and Monkey were all staring at the raspberries with excitement in there eyes! Monkey squealed and picked up one and took a bite. Big Guy asked immediately "Can I have a berry?" Bubba was on a little push car and said "Can I drive through them?" (I'm glad that he asked before doing so :). I knew that it was useless to try to keep them out, so I told them "You can eat the little pieces." I grabbed Monkey to keep him from smashing the berries with his already covered berry hands and feet. I put him in his booster (which he protested about) and gave him a few small pieces.
I proceeded to clean up the berries and was able to wash them off and freeze many of them. In the meantime, the children did their part by eating the little pieces as quickly as their little berry stained hands could put them into their mouths. They knew that Mom would soon come with the broom and sweep their "treat" away.
Some may say "I can't believe that she let her children eat off of the floor." I considered that, but realized that I had cleaned the floor yesterday. I know it was still dirty, but I guess considered the alternatives and thought, "This will make a great memory." I could have banished them out of the kitchen while I cleaned up the mess, but I knew there would have been weeping and wailing and it would have been almost impossible to keep them out. I didn't want to deal with all of that, so I went with the flow and let them create a fun memory. After we were all done, Big Guy said "Mom, can we eat berries off of the floor another day?" To me, it was worth it.

First day of School

Well, we made it through the first day of school without incident :) Last week we met my extraordinary boy's teacher. She is very nice and will be great for him! I also met with the vice principal and school counselor to set up his 504 accommodations. Today I met with his teacher after school to go over those. It was a great meeting! I feel so good about things after meeting with her and talking about how we can make it a great year for everyone involved. I feel truly blessed!
As for my extraordinary boy, he LOVES school and is sad to leave each day. He says several times a day "I will go to my school another day."

So blessed

I was so thankful last night as I looked through the Ensign and found this article. http://lds.org/ensign/2011/08/garrett-was-gods-child-first?lang=eng
It held some answers to my prayers about how to help my extraordinary little boy! I felt so blessed.

My Extraordinary Boy

extraordinary
adjective
1. remarkable, special, wonderful, outstanding, rare, amazing, fantastic, astonishing, marvellous, exceptional, notable, serious (informal), phenomenal, singular, wondrous (archaic or literary), out of this world (informal), extremely good
2. unusual, surprising, odd, strange, unique, remarkable, bizarre, curious, weird, unprecedented, peculiar, unfamiliar, uncommon, unheard-of, unwonted

I think it is interesting that such a word could have so many different meanings.

I am a mother of an extraordinary boy.
He can name every sign we pass when we head South from our home without looking, he knew his letters and sounds by the time he was 2 1/2 years old, he can tell you which direction (north, south, east, and west) most of his relatives live from our house, he recognizes roman numerals, he can tell time on various types of clocks, he can spell and read a lot of words, he can count over 100, and he looks for things he likes about people. He is only 5 years old.
He also has a hard time looking in your eyes when you talk to him, struggles to socialize with children his own age, he gets overwhelmed when he is in social situations, he uses a very loud voice, has a hard time communicating effectively sometimes and struggles writing correctly. He has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. (PDD-NOS). It is a disease on the Autism Spectrum. He is very high-functioning and if you didn't know his diagnosis, you might think that he is just a little strange, but very cute child.
Most days, we accept this challenge as part of our life and go forward. However, some days, it is really hard for me to watch him and other children and see what a difference there is. My heart aches for my little boy who seems so out of touch to the world. I seek for guidance and help, but there is so much information out there, I don't know what way to go. I worry about what will happen when he begins Kindergarten in just a few weeks. Will the children make fun of him and tease him, or will they accept him and be friends with him? How will he deal with being in a socially charged environment for such a long time each day? Will he be able to keep up on his school work? How can I make sure that he doesn't get lost in the shuffle? What can I do to help he be successful in school and life? Sometimes it is just so overwhelming!
Yet I look back and see how far we have come in the six months since he was diagnosed and I realize that we have been so blessed and guided. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father is very aware of my son's needs. I know that Heavenly Father will continue to guide us and to help him succeed.
I read on another blog about a lady who has a child with PDD-NOS. (I wish I could find it again) In one of the comments, someone told her:
"Don't forget, God isn't done with your son yet."
I just love that quote. When I feel so overwhelmed and mourn the loss that I feel for my child, I just remember that "God isn't done with him yet." and that God isn't done with me either. Each day I learn so much from my sweet, tender hearted little boy. He sees the good in others and helps me remember to be good too. He is forgiving and always willing to say "sorry" even if it isn't his fault. He strives to please his parents. He is kind and loving to all around him. And he always makes people smile. I try really hard to follow his example.

Salsa Chicken

This is a yummy, easy recipe for the summer. It is a quick meal if you use bottled chicken.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 lb chicken (cut into small stripes) or 1 pint bottled chicken
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/3 c apricot jam


Heat oil and add chicken and taco seasoning (I only used 1/2 pkg - it was about right for us), cook and stir for 5 minutes if using uncooked chicken. After chicken and seasoning is mixed in good, stir in tomatoes and apricot jam. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve over rice or in taco shells.

A New Me

This is hard for me to share, but I feel like I need to share it. It has been a life changing experience for me. Here is my story:
Ever since I was a young girl, I have never felt like I was very pretty. I wasn't tall, skinny, or a big flirt. In fact, I was painfully shy and awkward around guys - especially the ones I liked. I accepted those facts and knew that to attract guys, I would have to use other features, qualities, and talents that I had.
I remember the day that I got married. It was so cold outside, but inside my heart I was warm. I was warm because I had found a man that I loved with all of my heart and he loved me back. He looked past my faults and saw who I was inside. I also felt very beautiful and like a princess. I wondered if I would ever feel so beautiful again. It was a day that I will never forget.
Fast forward 6+ years, 3 kids later, and several pounds heavier. I rarely wore makeup, nice clothes, or any jewelry (except for my wedding ring). I just went day to day and tried to just get through the day sometimes.
Then my friend, Michelle, told me about "Dressing your truth". She shared some books and a lot of information with me. I was interested in it, but hesitant because it was expensive and I didn't feel like I should pay that much for it. So I waited. I was blessed to be able to purchase the program for a really good price a little while later.
I purchased the program on July 1st. After watching the beauty profiling and dressing your truth online courses, I was very excited to let the real me show on the outside. Michelle and I went to Deseret Industries (2nd hand store) to find some clothes that fit my type - a bright and animated woman. I have always hated shopping, but this was great! We were in and out within 1 hour. I found a pair of capris, a skirt, a jacket, and a couple of shirts for a great price and all the style that compliments my type.
Then on July 14, I decided to take the plunge and go to the Dressing Your Truth Beauty Salon for a haircut and consultation. My mother-in-law came to watch the kids while I went. I would have never thought that a simple haircut would be so life changing. However, when I was done at the salon, I felt like a new woman. I felt those same feelings that I felt on my wedding day - beautiful and like a princess. It was so wonderful and exhilarating!
The hair stylist was so good to explain to me everything that she was doing as she styled my hair so that I could duplicate it on my own. She did the same as she shared some makeup tips with me. I feel like this haircut brings out my natural beauty and personality. The best part is that each morning as I wake up, I am excited to get up, get dressed, and do my hair and makeup. I just feel so wonderful and I want that to show!
I was worried about what my husband would think about my new haircut. Thankfully, he LOVES it! I feel so much more attractive and beautiful that it flows over into every part of my life! I am so grateful for a friend who shared the "Dressing Your Truth" program with me and for my Heavenly Father who has helped me to feel his love for me.
So here is my before picture:

And here is my after picture:

Emma's Blog

My friend Emma and I started our blogs about the same time:) She has lots of cute, crafty ideas. She is doing a give away right now.
Check out her blog at: http://itotallymadethis.blogspot.com/2011/07/as-promised-my-first-giveaway.html