A is for...

Sassy Pants

2012-02-06T20:06:00.001-05:00

So I texted this picture to my sister tonight and she suggested that this was just the right picture to get me blogging again!

Context of picture:
While we were eating dinner tonight AnnaKate got up from the table and moved her chair to the desk in the kitchen. She then moved her placemat and then her plate. She climbed into her chair and began to eat her dinner at the desk away from us!

This is our life with this silly, stubborn, fun loving girl! I sure wish I knew what was going on in her head when she did things like this.

Where has the time gone?

2011-10-18T19:35:00.001-04:00

And I am not talking about being a bad blogger (which I am), I mean how can AnnaKate be 5 and a half years old? For so long I wanted her to grow, to meet milestones like crawling and walking and now I find myself wanting her to slow down. She is losing her “babyness” that she had for so long. Today we had some milestones that need reporting:

A loose tooth!

AnnaKate lost her first tooth about a year ago due to a trauma to the tooth. So this is her first “real” loose and wiggly tooth. It makes me sad that she is growing and her perfect baby teeth will be replaced with big silly oversized teeth.

We had a regular dentist appointment today so during the drama of the cleaning (and it is high drama with AK) I told the hygienist that it would be ok if it just”fell” out. After a little rocking it came out and the tooth fairy will pay AnnaKate a visit tonight. And by the way, there are 2 more loose ones….ugh!

“Show me your teeth AnnaKate”

Beau had to jump in the picture…

Potty Talk

AnnaKate has been making great potty progress since May. If you put her on the potty she will go but she rarely initiates. So I have stopped pushing so hard and she seems to be coming around on her own. She has only done her “big business” in the potty once until today. She got out her little potty, sat in front of her mirror with a few books and voila…! I was so happy and danced around…she seemed a little confused as to why that yuckiness would make me so happy. I do see a light at the end of the diaper tunnel!

Communication

AnnaKate speaks, signs and uses a communication book to get heard. Her signing has boomed lately and we continue to hear new sounds as well. She just got the t sound which opened her up to lots of new words like, teeth and “TT’ (her grandmother). She can say Beau, eat, hi, up, bye, A, B, C, D, E, go, home, juice, dada, mama, pop, lala, and a lot of approximations. We are really proud of her progress and love “hearing” what she has to say.

Gymnastics!!!!!

2011-09-11T20:31:00.001-04:00

AnnaKate started gymnastics last week. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive community. This amazing gym does this class for special needs kids and even has a Special Olympics Gymnastics Team for the older ones.

AnnaKate loved it so, so much!! She even had a temper tantrum when the class was over.

*These pictures aren’t that great since I was taking them through glass…sigh…

They started out with a warm up. AnnaKate did great following directions like, put the bean bag on your elbow.

Walking with the bean bag between her legs.

Now off to the gym…

AnnaKate did the floor trampoline once…it made her very nervous not to have a bar to hold on to.

Her coach did a great job trying to convince her to try it again….maybe next time!

It was great to see AnnaKate trying and LOVING something new. I know she can’t wait until next week.

Horse Show

2011-08-28T19:08:00.001-04:00

Eden Farms had a horse show for their therapeutic riding program, Happy Hooves. It was such a great day for all of us!

AnnaKate anxiously awaiting the riders and the horses.

David is usually one of AnnaKate’s volunteers during her lessons. They have a special bond. He placed first today!

While we waited on her events AnnaKate played and ran and played and ran some more…

“Mary Rebecca” was one of my fourth graders years ago. She and her mom work at the barn now. I love that we get to see them.

AnnaKate and her friends from riding!

Getting ready to go in the ring.

Practicing jump seat…this will not be judged but you can’t blame her for being ready!

Rider number 112, assisted walk.

Hmmm….maybe if I wave to the judges that will get me some points.

Lining up in front of the judges. Fourth place for rider number 112!!

Clapping for fellow riders.

Wow…a ribbon!

We had such a special day! A huge thanks to all the volunteers for making the event possible.

Singing in the Rain!

2011-08-05T18:39:00.001-04:00

One Lucky Community

2011-07-25T18:28:00.001-04:00

Today our community just got a little bit luckier! We have the first Boundless Playground in our state. A Boundless Playground is an inclusive playground where children of all abilities are able to play and learn together in a fun and welcoming environment. One of the best things about this project is it the community teamed up with businesses to fund this project. In a time of government cut backs this is proof what a community can do when they work together towards a common goal.

Our governor spoke at the ceremony as well as other important local officials.

To me, the most important speaker was a parent. He is disabled as well as his child and he was very emotional talking about how wonderful it will be for him to be able to join in on the fun with his child instead of watching from the sidelines. It was very touching.

After the ribbon cutting the children charged the playground.

My cousin’s husband, Joe, was helping AnnaKate climb up the climbing wall.

My cousin’s daughter, Elise, loved playing with AnnaKate. It was truly special to see all the children playing together in such an inclusive environment.

Elise and AnnaKate go tandem down the slides and a sweet girl helps AnnaKate get up.

Whoa AnnaKate…I was shocked when she climbed up 3 steps on this ladder!

This sweet boy got off his swing and pushed AnnaKate. It made her day…she even signed thank you to him without me prompting her!!

AnnaKate and Elise catching some air!

Back for more fun…

AnnaKate really wanted to do the twisty slide but she was apprehensive. Elise patiently waited…

With a little coaxing…she made it!

More climbing…

Obviously her confidence was up and she tried the twisty slide on her belly…

Now that is impressive!

It was a very special day today for our community.
We can’t wait to go back!

A Heartfelt Thank You

2011-07-24T20:42:00.002-04:00

This week is the last week AnnaKate will have with her speech therapist. Some therapist come and go but AnnaKate has only had one speech therapist, Melissa. Melissa began with AnnaKate in 2007 when she was one and continued on with her for the past for 4 years.

Melissa did speech in our home once a week with AnnaKate for the first year. I think her speech time was part therapy for me as well. Melissa helped me learn how to be a mom to a child with special needs, she listened to me as I dealt with issues related to AnnaKate and she cheered with us as AnnaKate made accomplishments. It is hard to believe when she first started with AnnaKate they were still doing tummy time and working on sitting up!

Summer 2007

Melissa also introduced us to AnnaKate’s very special school, the Meyer Center. She continued to work with AnnaKate there. She always communicated with me on how AnnaKate was progressing. She would even video her in sessions so I could see therapy. It would make my day to get a text message from her telling me the new sound that AnnaKate made that day.

October 2008

October 2009

Ladies’ Luncheon
December 2009

Playdate
January 2010

October 2010

AnnaKate has made so much progress over the last 4 years with Melissa. Our family is forever grateful for her love, encouragement, smiles and caring heart.

It is so hard to say good-bye but we are happy for her to make a career change that will help her be with her family more.

Melissa…we will miss you and we love you dearly!

Fresh Air…

2011-07-11T18:45:00.001-04:00

We went to my parent’s mountain home over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Let’s look at that picture a little closer…
AnnaKate LOVES her dog and her TT (grandmother).

They have some amazing blueberry bushes so we spent some time picking. I think about 3 gallons was harvested! (Not a lot of help from the wee one…she either ate them, spilled them or picked the green ones!)

Even Beau helped…sort of…

A great storm rolled in…

After the storm…

AnnaKate helped Billy with some projects. She loves to help.

Beau just being cute…

AnnaKate through the outdoor shower was pretty cool.

Check out the view over the top of the shower…

We did lots of relaxing and…

….playing….

and nature watching.

AnnaKate also slept in the big girl bed instead of the pack and play! Wow…

Saturday night my mom treated us to a great summer meal…Billy helped with the grilling.

Tomato Pie, Fried squash, Fresh corn and grilled sausage

Oh…and for dessert…delicious peach and blueberry cobbler.

What a weekend!

Sous Chef

2011-07-01T08:42:00.001-04:00

AnnaKate loves to cook and be in the kitchen. She was such a big help while I was making Billy’s birthday dinner.

First, she helped wash the potatoes.

She helped put the potatoes in the pot.

The next item on the menu was homemade chocolate eclairs. AnnaKate helped to make the dough and the filling by putting the ingredients in the mixer.

Here are the eclairs before we put them in the oven.

Here they are all nice and golden brown.

All filled and iced…yum! Billy said he thought they were better than the bakery’s.

My sous chef…

Billy’s birthday dinner…

Iceberg Wedge with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Steak au Poivre
Marinated Mushrooms and Onions
Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Creamed Spinach

Chocolate Eclairs

Happy Birthday Billy! We love you.

Beach Blast!

2011-06-27T20:28:00.001-04:00

We just got back from a fabulous week at the beach. We all had a blast getting away from our routines.

We are fortunate enough to stay in a family friend’s wonderful home. One of my favorite parts is being with family and having lazy days. We all really missed Kinney and Wilma this year. But he was not up to make the trip.

Here is my mom and her dear friend shagging and entertaining AnnaKate.

We spent hours on the beach playing. Billy got very serious with castle and tunnel building. AnnaKate was very serious about tearing it all down.

Some days she even took her short 15 minute nap on the beach.

But mostly this is what she wanted to do. It wore us out each day. She could ride the waves constantly!

Riding the waves!

Our family friend had her great nephews over to play and AnnaKate thought it was super to have playmates.

A mermaid!

Family time is the best!

I hope you are having a relaxing summer!

Favorites and Firsts…

2011-06-05T12:23:00.001-04:00

Favorites…

My birthday was this week and I had the best time with friends and got so many beautiful things. Here are a few…
I have wanted these measuring bowls from Anthropologie for the longest time. My sweet mom gave them to me. I love having them sit on the counter and using them every time I cook.

My wonderful sister-in-law gave me this neat bag. It has a velcro closure and of course a great monogram. You can use it for shampoo or a ton of other things but right now it is in my pool bag to keep my cell phone and other things dry. So nifty…

This gift just takes the cake. My dear friend, Jessica, and I love Lisa Leonard for a variety of reasons. On Jessica’s birthday I sent her a pair of Lisa’s earrings and for my birthday, I received this. It is truly a special gift.

I really am a novice photographer but thanks to my dad, I have the best gear. I got an awesome 18-105mm lens. Paparazzi style pictures will be coming soon!

Firsts…

AnnaKate got her first pair of riding pants. Aren’t they so cute?!

They must have been what she needed because she actually stood on the horse last week and rode around the ring. I did not get a picture because I was assisting but this will give you a hint of what it looked like. WOW!

We had our first swim of the summer. AnnaKate is a huge fan of the water and we found out that her new puppy, Beau, is too!

All of these things are a great way to kick off summer!

Family Mountain Weekend

2011-05-30T09:41:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we enjoyed a family mountain weekend. It was a relaxing getaway and a great time for us to all be together. AnnaKate adores spending time with her cousins. Thank you Lou-Lou and granddaddy for making this weekend happen!

Cousins playing with AnnaKate’s iPad.

Sarah titled this picture
”Girls Rock!”

All of the cousins together!

AnnaKate has really gotten in to playing the guitar since she got one for Christmas. She sings and enjoys anyone joining her for a duet.

Mountain Music

Special Olympics 2011

2011-05-08T08:19:00.001-04:00

AnnaKate’s school participates in the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program. I always very feel honored when I get to go. It was a perfect spring day to celebrate all these athletes and their accomplishments. Their moto says it all:

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

The parade of athletes

See anyone you know?

My mom and my sweet friend, Chappell, and her little girl, Sophie, came too.

Let the games begin!

A victory hug

Fun times!

She is a winner!

AnnaKate got to visit with one of my inclusion students from my school, it was the highlight of both of the girls’ day!

AnnaKate’s 5th Birthday

2011-04-10T19:53:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that we are having a 5th birthday for our sweet angel! Just like the day we brought her home from the hospital today was a perfect day for a party. The party theme this year was birds.

It started with this invitation…

Decorations…

birds, bird cages, balloons

*Click on picture to enlarge

Food…bird cookies, bird cake pops, cupcakes, cake, bird’s nest cookies

Fun…the kids decorated graham cracker bird houses, played in the sand box and enjoyed the beautiful day!

Birthday Girl…

We love you more than you will ever know AnnaKate!

Happy Birthday!!!

Character Breakfast

2011-03-13T20:32:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, my sister and I took AnnaKate to the local children’s theatre fundraiser, a Character Breakfast. AnnaKate loves giant things in a costume (like the Chick Fil’A cow) so I thought she would enjoy this.

A few of AnnaKate’s friends from her school were there and we enjoyed a great breakfast before the character parade.

Sweet Anna…

Funny Calvin…

AnnaKate loves Sarah…

Who doesn’t love the Cat and the Hat?

This is cute…you can see AnnaKate signing to Snow White to “open” her apple.

Out of all the characters that where there, AnnaKate loved another little girl dressed up like Tigger the most! She kept going up to her and hugging her!

What a fun way to spend a Saturday morning!

Have I ever told you…

2011-03-08T19:05:00.001-05:00

Have I ever told you that…
I truly dislike IEP meetings?

Have I ever told you how hard it is to listen to the negative aspects of your handicapped child when you try to live your life for the positive?

Have I ever told you how hard it is to sit at a large table with others and listen to words spoken about your child like…
delayed….at-risk…mentally disabled…slowly progressing…significantly lower… unable to communicate?

Tomorrow is the day. It has felt like a black cloud looming for a few weeks. I have been through IEP’s before and I will sit through lots more…but I don’t like them. AnnaKate has a great school with wonderful teachers and therapists that love her, but the clinical nature of the meeting always overwhelms me. The focusing on what AnnaKate can’t do and how far behind she is makes me sad. The other 364 days of the year we live in a world of what AnnaKate can do. We celebrate the smallest accomplishment and the everyday successes. You know…the ones that don’t show up on a test.

But….I will go and I will be strong because this little girl is the light of our lives and we will do anything for her!

News and Updates…

2011-02-22T20:59:00.001-05:00

January and February used to be slow, boring months! Not any more! I can hardly catch my breath.

Current medical fun…Neurology

AnnaKate presented a few seizure like symptoms so we decided to have an EEG a few weeks ago. Those sure are fun! The whole sleep deprivation part was daunting but we made it through as we always do. The results of the EEG did not show any seizure activity that day but did show signs of possible agenesis corpus callosum. We had a brain MRI last week to confirm those results. So…AnnaKate does have a thin corpus callosum but everything else in her brain looked good. ACC (agenesis corpus callosum) does not seem to run hand in hand with RTS but pretty common in special needs kids. It can cause developmental and learning issues but in some cases presents no problems. Do any other RTS families know about ACC?

AnnaKate has had a cold, I am getting it and sleep is becoming tricky again but spring is just around the corner! I can’t wait…

A Second Helping

2011-02-02T18:44:00.001-05:00

Apparently AnnaKate was not actually finished eating dinner tonight…she went back to the table and got her bowl and took it to bed for a second helping. Yes…macaroni and cheese and peas in bed…oh my….

*And yes…as all good blogging moms do, I took pictures then took the bowl away!

EEG Fun…

2011-01-26T20:32:00.001-05:00

AnnaKate had an EEG today to look for seizure activity. We have suspected that she may have had a few seizures and we wanted to have it checked out. The EEG itself was pretty easy, the hard part was that AnnaKate had to be sleep deprived to help with accurate results. She could only sleep for 4-5 hours the night before. To keep her awake and active, I took her to the mall and closed the place down! We then came home and played until 11pm when she had a major meltdown. We got her up at 4am which was a lot tougher than I thought. She was exhausted and just cried. We made it to the 7:30am appointment and AnnaKate did great while they hooked her up.(It is nothing compared to a sleep study…) She went right to sleep as she was supposed to, but in true AnnaKate fashion she woke up about 20 minutes into the study. I had to use all my skills to get her to go back to sleep. She eventually did and they were able to get enough information. We should hear some results in the next few days.

*I think the sleep deprivation got to me too…no pictures of the EEG.

Go Ahead and Jump…

2011-01-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

AnnaKate LOVES to jump!

Ipad

2011-01-12T19:13:00.001-05:00

AnnaKate got an Ipad for Christmas. Sounds a little extravagant for a 4 year old, unless you are a special needs parent and then you understand. The Ipad has become quite the communication tool. I wanted to share how we have been using it with AnnaKate.

First, the case…
I was a little hesitant to get the OtterBox case but after a few negligent tosses by sweet girl…we knew it was the right move. The OtterBox makes the sleek, light Ipad a little heavy and bulky but it is great for protection. It even came with a screen protector that went on perfectly. I highly recommend this case if you have a rowdy child using the Ipad. :)

The purpose…
The purpose of the Ipad is to provide AnnaKate with an alternate way to communicate as she develops her speech.

The apps…
I have spent an extensive amount of time researching communication apps. The gold standard right now is Proloquo2go. It is an amazing communication program. I have not purchased it for 2 reasons:
1. It is $199.99.
2. It is a little more than what we need right now for AnnaKate. I could program it to suit her needs for now but I have decided to try some less expensive and more simplified apps first.

Communication apps we are currently using:
Verbal Victor, Icommunicate and
My Choices Board

We have set up one entire icon screen with all of AnnaKate’s apps. She knows to swipe to her screen to find her apps.

Here is a screen shot of Verbal Victor. Right now it is AnnaKate’s favorite communication tool. It is very basic and only costs $9.99. I like that AnnaKate can easily move through the screens to find the phrase she may want to say. I can see how she could outgrow this app but it is easy to use and great for our needs right now.

This is Icommunicate. I like this too but we don’t use it nearly as much as Verbal Victor. It is not as easy for AnnaKate to navigate by herself. It costs around $20.00

My Choices Board is great! This helps us with alleviating some frustrating moments in our house. We have created boards for what she wants to eat for meals, what she wants to watch on television, what she wants to play, etc. She loves touching the picture and hearing the word. This app costs about $9.99. Visually it is the most “cute” of all the apps with the neat little clipboard.

Other uses…
I was very hesitant about AnnaKate using the Ipad for non communication things. I didn’t want it to become a play toy and not be used for the intended purpose. I quickly found out that she needed practice learning to swipe, move through screens, etc. So we downloaded some apps that would help with that as well. So these are fun apps but help with navigation too. They also all expose her to language. It was neat for us to see how fast AnnaKate picked up using the Ipad.

Fun apps..
She loves being able to play her own music with Toddler Juke Box.

Peekaboo Barn is a cute app that practices animal names and sounds.

This is a great interactive Maisy book.

Duck Duck Moose has made some great apps. We have most of them. This is Baa Baa Black Sheep. AnnaKate has to find objects, match objects and navigate through the pages.

Babies with Ipads (the blog and Facebook page) has been a great resource for us. It lists great apps and also notifies you when useful apps are on sale or free.

The Ipad has become a great addition to our family. It has helped AnnaKate’s communication immensely and has become a fun thing to do together.

*This is a picture of AnnaKate and Billy listening to music last night. AnnaKate was changing songs with her feet! Silly girl…

Serious Snow!

2011-01-12T08:29:00.004-05:00

This was not your typical southern snow...this was serious, real snow!

We had 6 inches when we woke up and it continued to accumulate to 7 or 8 inches.

Snow for breakfast!

This first day the snow was powdery and perfect for sledding.

AnnaKate loved the sledding. She would sign more as soon as we came to a stop.

We went for some great adventure walks.

This has been a snow storm that we will remember for a long time!

Jam Session

2011-01-07T05:37:00.002-05:00

I came home the other night to find a little Jam Session going on in AnnaKate's room!

That girl loves music. When she got her Ukulele for Christmas we were shocked to see that she knew how to use a guitar pick. She loves music therapy at school and must have picked up her skills there.

The harmonica is always a fav too!

One Little Word

2011-01-03T18:51:00.002-05:00

It is that time again to choose One Little Word for the year. My friend, Holly and I have done this for 3 years and we really enjoy discussing which word we are going to pick and how it represents us.

As I pondered my word for this year, I read Ali Edward's blog for inspiration. She wrote about how the word must choose you. Immediately, I was drawn to balance. It struck me hard and I knew the word had chosen me. I was going to find balance in 2011!!

I went back to my previous blog entries (here and here) to see what I wrote about my word and guess what I found...my word last year was balance! HA...I thought it was purposeful but no that was the year before. So...balance did chose me because I must not have really found it last year! :)

So here is to balance...for one more year!

I want to find
BALANCE
in my work, my play, my marriage, my parenting, my running, my eating, my health, my friendships, my faith and the list goes on and on.

I think I am going to work on a little craft project to find a neat way to display my word so I don't loose sight of it like I did last year. Or I could just buy one of these cute little numbers...

What will your word be?

The Best of Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T09:02:00.008-05:00

We had a delightful Christmas filled with all the things I love...
family
friends
food
and surprises!

What could be better!

One of the best Christmas presents was a great report from the doctor for my granddaddy!!

Christmas Eve fun

Santa came...

Oh my...did Santa really hang a swing in the house?!

Christmas morning

A little nap before lunch

Christmas with the cousins

A trampoline from Lou-Lou and granddaddy

In addition to all the family fun, I had some great times with friends!

These are two of my favorite shots from the holidays...

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

The Holiday Season

2010-12-24T08:08:00.006-05:00

We have thoroughly enjoyed our holiday season. It is has been full of parties, trips to see Santa, family time, baking and eating... but just not a lot of blogging time.

AnnaKate's Christmas program at school

A trip to see Santa

So excited about the packages under the tree...

Meyer Center Holiday Luncheon

We wish your family a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Innocence

2010-11-03T06:11:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I worry about AnnaKate.
I worry about her future.
I worry about her cognitive abilities.
I worry about how she will be accepted.
I worry if she is reaching her potential.

Then I step back...
and look at the world the way she does.

No need to worry.

I love her innocence.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T19:25:00.004-04:00

This Halloween AnnaKate was a show pony.
She was so cute with her mane and her little feed bucket.

Runaway Pony...

Our Halloween festivities went on for days.
We first did a Trunk or Treat at AnnaKate's school.
The community is always so generous and it was tons of fun.

AnnaKate's most favorite treat of the whole weekend...look how many she had in her bucket!

Seeing her SLP for the first time in months since she was on maternity leave.
We are so glad she is back!

Dr. April, AnnaKate's dentist, participates in the trunk or treat!

We went to our local grocery to trick or treat.
They are always so sweet to us and just love AnnaKate.

Carving a pumpkin with daddy.

Of course, no Halloween is complete without a visit to see Kinney and Wilma.

Whew...we have one tired pony at our house.

Hope you had a wonderful Halloween!

Denver Downs Farm

2010-10-29T21:25:00.005-04:00

We had the best time visiting a local farm with our Sunday School class last weekend.

AnnaKate loved the giant "corn ball". (whatever that is...)

But her most favorite thing was the corn box. She would run back to it when we would try and take her to do something else.

A little quiet time on the hay ride.

She jabbered away to the goat...bet she told him a thing or two!!

A great way to see the farm.

We had such a good time...maybe we will make it an annual trip!

fall

2010-10-02T19:58:00.005-04:00

...............fall...................

pumpkins, leaves, soup, holidays, crisp air, apples

Welcome old friend...we have missed you!

It's just a tooth...

2010-09-25T14:51:00.003-04:00

While brushing AnnaKate's teeth last night, I noticed that one of her front teeth is loose! She fell about 6 or 7 months ago at school and hit it but it seemed to be fine. But after a brief talk with the nurse at the dentist's office, that fall may have sparked the tooth to become loose prematurely.

When I saw the loose tooth my stomach dropped for lots of reasons...
1. I hate loose teeth! Ask my students...they know not to show or tell me about any teeth issues.
2. Vanity...I really don't want AnnaKate to be snaggly toothed for the next few years.
3. Sadness... my baby really isn't a baby anymore.

I called my mom in a tizzy and she reminded me that I knocked out one of my baby teeth around a year old. This kind of put it into perspective that it is really just a tooth and that I needed to get over my issues since there was nothing I could do about it.

So now we are just waiting for this loose tooth to fall out...really it makes me sick to see it all loose and dangly. I better just get over this since AnnaKate has lots of teeth to loose!

**Side note: we are still dealing with our sleep issues but some progress is being made. I hope to have things back on track in the next few weeks. Lack of sleep is really the worst!

Do you have any good tooth stories to make me feel better?

Getting ready...

2010-09-21T06:18:00.000-04:00

for an iPad.

The iPad has won over most people, but the special needs community is going crazy for it too. It is being used for all kinds of things but the one that is the most exciting for us is communication. There are tons of neat apps that you can buy to assist your child in communicating.

Our plan is to buy one for AnnaKate for Christmas (shh...don't tell her.) To prepare her we have been working on the iTouch practicing the basics. We are using iCommunicate and some fun apps that help her learn how to use the touch screen.

What apps do you suggest when we get the ipad?

A trip to the Children's Museum

2010-09-18T17:44:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a trip to our local Children's Museum.
We all had a really great time!

AnnaKate loved the market exhibit.
She decorated a cake...

Shopped...

Picked out her own groceries...

A girl after my own heart...

One of her new favorite words is apple...

AnnaKate loves bananas.
I died laughing when I turned around and saw this...Yep, she is kissing the poster!

Isn't her apron cute!

Of course, she loved this horse.

A giant lite brite

Brush-Brush

She loved the electronic vending machine that taught you about healthy foods.

Water is always big fun!

But the most fun thing was the Garage Band exhibit. She could have made music all day!

We had such a fun day!

Sleep...it does a body good!

2010-09-16T18:42:00.004-04:00

I have come to the computer many times this past month to blog but I have walked away with nothing to publish. The start of school is always a tough time but something else just did not seem right. After a long look at things I realized that I have been exhausted!

Most of you know that AnnaKate started using a CPAP about a year ago. She was the model patient! She took to the CPAP with no issues and it became part of our normal life. This summer AnnaKate figured out how to take the mask off during the night. No big deal...I would just go in and put it back on her. This easy routine turned into a nasty bad habit which has created many sleepless nights in our house. We realized this week that we had been dealing with this for close to 3 months and we were not making any progress. I broke down and called the sleep specialist to enlist his help. AnnaKate had conditioned her body to wake during the night and she was not getting a full night's rest. So to break this conditioning she will take a sleeping aid for a month.

I know that this too shall pass, but goodness am I tired! Wonder if he wouldn't mind giving me a sleeping aid...

Baby goes Swimming...

2010-08-06T09:39:00.003-04:00

I walked into the bathroom to find AnnaKate taking her baby for a swim.

And like any good, respectable blogging mom...I took pictures of the silliness.

Problem Solving

2010-07-30T08:51:00.003-04:00

I captured AnnaKate doing a little problem solving this week. I love that she is trying to be independent and figure out how to undress by herself. Obviously, she gave up with the shirt but she was very persistent.

Special Cousins

2010-07-27T08:12:00.002-04:00

AnnaKate absolutely adores her cousins.
She is lucky enough to have 6 cousins of various ages to play with.
A few weeks ago went went to play with Katie and Sarah. They are so sweet to AnnaKate and it was a real treat!

Katie and Sarah teach AnnaKate how to play the piano.

AnnaKate teaches Maggie the dog how to play the piano.
**Notice AnnaKate guiding Maggie's paw...

Just being silly.

Playing in the pool is so much fun...

Especially when you can dunk Sarah!!

What a fun summer day! We can't wait to do it again.

Big Step for a Big Girl!

2010-07-19T20:52:00.003-04:00

It's Big Girl Bed Time!!!

I have been debating moving AnnaKate to a big bed for a while.
I thought summer would be the perfect time to give it a shot.

Today I took down the crib(which was kind'of sad...) and put up AnnaKate's precious big girl bed. It is an old spool style bed that was given to us by a special family friend. I just love how it looks!

I talked with AnnaKate about the bed and when she walked in the room she ran right to it and kissed it! She played and played on the bed which seemed a good sign to me.

At bedtime she went right to sleep. I kept going in to check on her and it surprised me at how big she looked in that bed.

I am anxious about the rest of the night and the morning. I will let you know how it goes!

**Update...AnnaKate went to bed perfectly and woke up the same way! Yippee for night one...

Problem or Progress???

2010-07-07T11:52:00.003-04:00

Ok friends...help me decide if this is a problem or great progress??

This morning I came back from my run to find AnnaKate in her usual spot in front of the tv. I saw her bare bottom and figured that she had taken off her pjs and her diaper which she has been doing lately. Then I saw the problem...poop in the floor. Smooshed and disgusting! I quickly scooped her up and headed to the bathroom. Because I am a loving wife I gave Billy the option of bathing a poopy child or cleaning up the mess. He opted for the bath...nice.

As I began to clean up the mess, I started to look for AnnaKate's pjs and diaper. They were no where to be found. After further investigation, I found both of them in the dirty clothes hamper. Here lies the problem or progress....

I am proud of AnnaKate's acknowledgment of the poopy diaper because that means that potty training may be beginning in the future...maybe distant future. I also think it is great that she disposed of it in a pretty smart place. (I don't put them there but I can see her logic...) BUT...we can't have this "poop fest" happen again. I talked with her about and she patted her bottom (sign for dirty diaper in our house) and seemed to understand that she needs to come get us and not handle it herself.

So what do you think...problem or progress? Do you have any similar stories or advice?

Girl's Weekend 2010

2010-06-29T08:48:00.005-04:00

This wasn't just any girl's weekend. Myssie, Jessica and I met through blogging about our children and last year we met for the first time and our friendship grew from there. We met this year in the south and spent the weekend at my parent's mountain home.

We did lots of this....

Took a fun hike...

to a beautiful waterfall.

Sweet Jessica brought us a perfect picture frame for a group shot.

The annual foot shot

We went to the Cheesecake Factory and ate some delicious....uhhmmm...cheesecake!!

I feel so lucky to have such special friends that just get it. We can talk about anything and I feel so safe with them.
Until next time my sweet friends!

Wacky Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T17:52:00.002-04:00

Vacation 2010

2010-06-21T18:41:00.012-04:00

We just got back from a wonderful family beach vacation. Here is my list of favorite things about our trip!

FAMILY TIME: We were able to spend tons of family time together at the beach, eating, swimming, relaxing, laughing and just being together. One of my mom's oldest friends, Betsy, goes with us too. What a fun crew!!

SPECIAL TIME WITH KINNEY AND WILMA: We were all so excited that granddaddy was well enough to come to the beach. I love having time just to sit and visit and AnnaKate really loves all the one on one time she got!

PLAYING WITH COUSINS: AnnaKate loves her cousins. I think she feels like she finally has the older brothers that she so desperately needs. It was fun to always have someone around to play with!

SEEING JESSICA: AnnaKate and I were able to go to the beach a few days early and visit with Jessica from a New Kind of Normal. Alex is one of AnnaKate's RTS brothers. It was so much fun...I just wish it was for longer!

BEACH: What fun we had going to the beach each day! AnnaKate loves the ocean and the sand. I really think she could stay out all day long.

So stylish...even on the beach!

One day they evacuated the water due to an alligator in the ocean. The wildlife rescue people took hours but they finally captured that lost little guy!

FOOD: In my book, vacation is a lot about the great food and we ate a lot of it!! We went out to eat a few times to great local restaurants and cooked in some. My favorite dinner was at Horry's...I really think I just liked the dessert the best! 16 layer cake...yes, 16 layers!

Whew...AnnaKate and I were gone 11 days! We feel so blessed to have been able to take such a wonderful vacation with such great people!

We can't wait for next year!!

Hard work pays off...

2010-05-29T10:50:00.005-04:00

Hard work does pay off and boy have we been working hard for 3 years!

Therapy for special needs children is hard work. In the beginning I was frustrated that we were not seeing results fast enough. I then realized that our results came in small increments. AnnaKate receives speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, early intervention therapy and therapeutic horseback riding. This does not include all the therapy related play we do at home! AnnaKate has to work so much harder to see results but boy they are coming.

Thanks to great therapists, AnnaKate can...
WALK
JUMP
WORK PUZZLES
COLOR
FEED HERSELF ANYTHING
FOLLOW COMMANDS
and
correctly say, mama, dada, ball, tail and hi.
She has lots of other word approximations.

She can also do tons of other things...take off her clothes, smile really cute, put on her shoes and socks, correctly point to body parts (including hair bow...), communicate to get her needs met, identify some of her colors and she can always identify the letter A (because it is usually monogrammed on her shirt...)

If you have an RTS child or a special needs child....hold on...results are coming. Keep blowing those bubbles and doing that therapy~it does work. And in these economic times, push your lawmakers to continue to fund therapy for your child.

Hard work does pay off!

AnnaKate began saying hi yesterday at horseback...it melted my heart! A huge thanks to AnnaKate's speech language pathologist that has been with her for 3 years. Her persistence and hard work are finally paying off BIG! We love you Melissa~

This girl makes us laugh...

2010-05-23T09:11:00.005-04:00

I mean...these pictures just say it all! AnnaKate always cracks us up!

She came walking down the hall this morning like this.

Funny Girl!

A New Toy

2010-05-15T09:04:00.005-04:00

Billy got a new toy...

A daddy-daughter toy...

AnnaKate doesn't look really excited...but she is!!

Her own personal chariot...

And a chauffeur to pull it!!!

Billy got a new bike and a child's pull behind trailer.

I can see lots of daddy-daughter days with this new toy!

The trailer is also a stroller..pretty cool!

This was my favorite...Billy was tweaking the brakes and I asked
AnnaKate to help her daddy fix the bike.

Isn't she the cutest bike mechanic?

My Mom

2010-05-09T08:26:00.004-04:00

As you get older and have your own family you realize how tough it is to be a mom.
My mom truly is the greatest mom.
She was a single mom when we were growing up, she worked, she cooked, she sewed, she gardened...she did it all! I really don't think there is anything she can't do. She was a great role model for me. She taught my sister and I how to be independent and strong women.
Thank you mom for making me the person I am today!
I love you

Bloom Where You're Planted

2010-05-08T19:09:00.006-04:00

I found myself out in the yard planting and weeding this morning. I love this time of year. Each day there is something new in the yard that is bigger and better than the year before. I noticed the growth of the plants that I carefully placed years before. They look so hardy and at home in their spots. I then noticed the plants that were not placed by me. The rebel seeds that come up in every crack or flower bed that they find. They are just as strong and fervent as the well placed plants. As cheesy and cliche as it is, it got me started thinking about the phrase "Bloom Where You're Planted".

I have lots of friends facing tough job situations. They have either been told to leave their school, told to change their room, change their grade or to leave teaching permanently. The budget cuts are hitting us hard and it is tough for all of us. But the phrase "Bloom Where You're Planted" fits perfectly to how these women are handling their situations. They are going to stay strong, tough it out and bloom.

I also felt this phrase fit with our AnnaKate too. We did not choose to have a daughter with special needs. We did not choose this path. But just like one of my rebel seeds that did not get to choose it's location-we are thriving.

I hope that no matter what life deals me, I can "Bloom Where I am Planted."

*My mother will be pleased to see this lesson that I have learned. She has always felt there is a lot to learn in the garden.

Restful Weekend

2010-05-02T18:09:00.004-04:00

As the school year comes to a close, the days get busier and busier! This weekend we went to the mountains for a nice restful weekend.

It was just nice family time. We shopped in Black Mountain and Asheville and even managed to sneak in a visit with Billy's sister.

We also did a lot of this...

and this...

AnnaKate loves to play on the screened porch. She does not even touch her toys...
she just goes in and out!

We came home to this beauty in our yard. I love peonies so much and this one is very special. It is from Billy's family farm. It is quite possibly the prettiest most wonderful smelling flower ever! (right Anna!)

What did you do this weekend?

Birthdays and Blogs

2010-04-27T22:11:00.004-04:00

I spent way too much time planning AnnaKate's Cupcake Birthday party. I searched blog after blog after blog looking for inspiration. These two blogs are great party planning blogs and they both happened to feature our sweet cupcake party. If you are planning a party or just want to drool...check them out!

What are your favorite inspiration blogs?

Kinney

2010-04-23T06:00:00.001-04:00

A true love story...
AnnaKate and her great grandfather "Kinney"

My grandaddy is sick with lung cancer. It is such a horrible thing, but that precious man continues to amaze us with his strength and positive attitude. He has been through 3 rounds of chemo and is doing great. I think today's visit did all of our hearts good.

Kinney still has the strength to jump with AnnaKate...

to play...

and to explore.

As we were leaving AnnaKate put on Wilma's sweater to walk to the car...*funny girl*...

I had hoped to get the best picture of the three of them with the azaleas, but the neighbors had an inflatable jump house in their backyard and AnnaKate could not keep her eyes off it.

But to me the picture still speaks a thousand words.

Love you Kinney and Wilma!

Spring Princess

2010-04-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

Spring in the south is just beautiful and so is our spring princess.

Ohhhh....stop me now...so precious!

Love, love, love you baby girl!

Domestic Diva

2010-04-18T19:14:00.003-04:00

AnnaKate is a real domestic diva! I mean can you believe this get-up???

Yes, that is a toy Dyson vacuum. AnnaKate's ever-so generous Aunt "B" gave it to her for her birthday. She absolutely loves it and it is the highlight of her day to vacuum with her daddy and his Dyson. (Yes, Billy does most of the vacuuming... *delightful*)

Using some of the attachments. Notice that this cute toy has a wand just like the big one.

Dyson really has something with this vacuum...I wish it would really vacuum!

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

2010-04-11T08:22:00.011-04:00

Happy Birthday AnnaKate!

We had a beautiful day yesterday for AnnaKate's fourth birthday party. Lots of friends and family came and celebrated with us. AnnaKate's cupcake party was truly one of my most favorite birthday parties yet! I just loved all the details!!

Click the pictures to make them bigger

Happy birthday dear sweet AnnaKate!
We love you so much!

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

We had such a wonderful Easter! The week before was spring break so we were able to get things done around the house and yard. That always makes me feel good.

On Saturday we went to an Easter Egg hunt at church. AnnaKate enjoyed coloring with sidewalk chalk with her cousin, Elise.

AnnaKate with her other cousin Ben and my cousin Margaret. They were ready to hunt!!!

I love that we live so close to our church that we were able to walk up to the egg hunt.

Easter morning

Could she get any cuter...?

After Easter lunch we had another egg hunt. She was really into it this time.

Sweet cousin Eli helping her find eggs.

My favorite picture of the day!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

Horse Love

2010-04-03T10:24:00.004-04:00

What an amazing day we had! AnnaKate had her first horseback riding therapy session. I was really unsure about how AnnaKate would do today. She can be very hesitant and unsure with new things. But today our little angel proved that she is truly amazing! She took right to being on the horse.

No tears...

This is after one minute of being on the horse...so confident!
Doesn't she look so big with that helmet!!

They began waking her around the ring. They would stop the horse and then say "Walk Hannah" and the horse would begin to walk again. AnnaKate picked right up on that and began vocalizing to make Hannah walk. That is huge speech progress for her!!

To help AnnaKate with strength and stability they had her put rings on posts. She loved it and clapped for herself after everyone!
They took her for a "mini" trail ride to get used to hills.

While we stayed behind we checked out the beautiful scenery. Gorgeous...

What a big...big girl!!!

After riding AnnaKate got to groom Hannah and give her treats. She loved this part too! She even kissed and hugged Hannah's leg.

Our little AnnaKate always amazes us! She was so confident and attentive during her lesson today. We are so proud of her!!
I can't wait to see what she does next week...

Hello yard...we have missed you!

2010-03-27T17:07:00.005-04:00

After AnnaKate was born, our yard was seriously neglected. We have always loved gardening and yard work but there just was not enough time to get it done with a baby. So our yard was in sad shape. Flower beds that were once perfectly manicured looked so pitiful.

Today we attacked the yard with AnnaKate. She loves being outside but we worried if she would entertain herself while we worked. Well...she did!! She loved drawing with sidewalk chalk, raking and playing in the dirt. We worked for hours!

Our yard is coming along and we hope to mulch this week. This is a real milestone for us!! :) I am sure the neighbors will appreciate it...

Proof that she gets dirty...

A bucket or a hiding place?????

What an imagination...

2010-03-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

I got a glimpse into AnnaKate's imgination yesterday. I came into her room to find her playing with Lilly the mouse on the changing table...

She got a diaper...

She got some wipes...

And then she put Lilly in the Diaper Champ...I think she got a little confused here! :)

I just love seeing AnnaKate's imagination at work.

Cookies for a Cause

2010-03-19T17:07:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow our Relay for Life team is having a bake sale to raise money for the American Cancer Society. If you live in our area, stop by Little Pigs BBQ at Hudson Corners on Saturday March 20 between 11:00 and 2:00pm to buy some yummy desserts.

How could you turn down buying one of these scrumptious cookies?

*These are my favorite cookies to make. I use the Martha Stewart sugar cookie recipe and SugarBaker's icing recipe.

So much more...

2010-03-16T20:50:00.000-04:00

This weekend was so much more than a weekend, so much more than a get together with another RTS mom, it was so much more!

We began the weekend with this...
On Saturday Jessica and I had a wonderful lunch with fellow blogger, Emily. We had the best time talking and when we left I felt so connected to her and her precious Cohen. I hope we get to have a 3 hour lunch together again soon!

AnnaKate loved Jessica's visit too. She loved the book and the stuffed animal she brought but she really loved Jessica's cute pink shoes!

Since it was just the two of us (we missed you Myssie, Kelly F. , Christine and all the other RTS moms) we had lots of pictures of just the two of us. Cheese...

And the three of us...

We enjoyed shopping and walking around downtown.
This is Jess having some yummy yogurt at the Blueberry Frog...

This weekend was truly so much more than just a girl's weekend. I feel so lucky to have made a connection to Jessica through our blogging and our RTS children but now our connection runs deeper. I began blogging as a journal to document our lives and RTS journey, but I have gained so much more than that... so much more!

Until next time Jess... love you!!

Did you hear?

2010-03-11T21:42:00.005-05:00

If you are in our "inner blog circle" you may have heard that Jessica is coming for a visit. I do love it when our blog worlds collide. I can't wait to just hang out and visit. We are going to catch up with another blogger, Emily. We are going to have so much fun!!! I can't wait to post pictures...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T04:00:00.001-05:00

Spread the Word To End the Word

2010-03-03T06:00:00.006-05:00

Today is the day. The day to Spread the Word to End the Word. The word I am talking about is retarded. It is actually a clinical term for referring to intelligence but it is often used as a hateful term. Every time someone uses that word to insult someone or something they are saying that if you are retarded you are less. Our precious daughter may very well be categorized as retarded. Are you saying that our baby is anything less than perfect? We don't think so. So think before you use this word in a playful or insulting way. Our language frames how we think about others and it is one of the most powerful tools we have.

Take the pledge with us to eliminate the r-word in everyday speech.

So leave a comment today and let us know that you have our AnnaKate's back and you will help us Spread the Word to end the Word

Here is a post from a fellow RTS mom. Her words are just perfect.
Thanks Terri

I don't talk about it much, as there are all sorts of assumptions about a mother's perspective floating around. Sometimes it's assumed I am speaking from a gaping wound I have, one caused by having a daughter who was born with mental retardation. Bitterness is often attributed.

I don't have any gaping wounds or bitterness. What I have for my daughter is pride, hope and respect. I have what every mother of every kid has, the desire for her child to find her place in the world and make the most of it. I want for her to know what fulfillment feels like.

But the misuse of a clinical term is a bit of an obstacle to this. As long as people choose to use the word as an insult, there will exist a misconception about the capabilities and value of people who are indeed affected by cognitive differences.

The usual counter to what is packaged into political correctness is to piffle at it - bah, it's just a word and it's my problem if I choose to be hurt by it. I am not actually hurt by it. Nor is my daughter. Hurt is not the right word. I am disappointed by the choice to use the word this way. If regular joe's think it's fine to say, then we are far from the society we can be, we profess to be: one that not only accepts differences, but celebrates them. We're just not there yet.

And this is not a freedom of speech issue - a rule that the word be erased from today's vernacular altogether is not what the campaign is about. We all know it's just a word. It's about rising and becoming a culture where people opt in to respecting those that are often either invisible or marginalized. Use the word all you want. Just keep it clinical and factual.

I know this - when the word retard or retarded is flung to amuse and insult(those of typical cognitive function, that is) simultaneously, I do know that it is not with direct, intended malice to my daughter or anyone intellectually diverse. The effort to encourage thought before throwing out this word to describe something less than desirable is not about the uprooting of purposefully bad intentions people have towards those with developmental disabilities, towards my child - I think those intentions rarely exist, if at all - it's about looking at the big picture to see the affects misuse of this word has on general acceptance and true inclusion (as opposed to just tolerance and/or patronization) of people like Addie. It's about awareness and mindfulness, really. Perpetuating the misdirected use of a word that describes part of who my daughter is stands in the way of my ultimate goal of ensuring she is a full citizen of the planet, contributing in meaningful and valuable ways.

A soapbox this is not. I am on the ground with everyone else. I too, have used this word in the past in just the ignorant ways this campaign is attempting to enlighten. A small chunk of awareness was bundled in with the packet from the geneticist containing our daughter's diagnosis a few years back. Bonus free gift.

Baking a Cake

2010-03-02T14:23:00.006-05:00

First of all...ta dah! What do you think about my new blog design? I fell in love with Kristina and Crystal's blog designs. Go check them out...

Blog Designs By Two Happy Mamas

Today AnnaKate and I got out of school early due to some snow. So I decided today would be a great day to do a trial run of her birthday cake. If you know me, you know that I plan way ahead for birthdays! AnnaKate is having a cupcake themed birthday in April. I am using the Williams-Sonoma Giant Cupcake Pan to make the cake. I have heard mixed reviews about the pan so I wanted to do a test run. I also want to decorate it with fondant...so again..this is why a trial run is needed!

We set out to make the cake together. This was our first big project in the kitchen together.
AnnaKate seemed ready for the challenge.

We got the ingredients together.

Silly girl thought she was playing with blocks. Get back to work AnnaKate!

One of her jobs was to unwrap the butter.

After cracking the eggs she just had to touch those strange looking things.

Here is our cake heading into the oven for 80 minutes.

No final pictures...it is still cooling.

We really had a great time today. AnnaKate giggled and took it all in.
You will have to wait until April to see the cake! :)

A Sunday Drive

2010-02-28T17:01:00.000-05:00

Little Helper

2010-02-21T18:06:00.005-05:00

AnnaKate loves to help! As we vacuumed and mopped the house today she was right underfoot wanting to do it all. Every night she pulls up a chair and helps me cook dinner. I love it that she is interested in what we are doing. Her Lou-Lou gave her a cute apron today so I had to put on my apron as we cooked. She thought that was pretty funny!

I chopped the sweet potatoes and she put them on the pan.

She is so proud of her work...she gave herself a round of applause!

Stirring it up!Billy was outside grilling and AnnaKate made her way out to help. When she saw he was sweeping she had to come in and get her broom.

How proud does she look?

I am so proud of all that AnnaKate is doing. She is learning and growing so much everyday!

Bad blogger...

2010-02-13T08:17:00.008-05:00

Well, the winter blahs set in and my motivation for blogging fell to the wayside for a while. Sorry...

We have had a little winter weather around here which makes for great pictures. The first storm was a few inches of sleet. None of us really enjoyed that. This weekend we had some great snow. We enjoyed getting out, sledding and walking around the neighborhood. It was fun to see our neighbors, Cassie, Taylor and Dave too.

AnnaKate is doing great things these days. She loves to do anything I do. Cook, wash dishes, vacuum, put on make-up, you name it! I love watching her grow and develop. Special needs children make you really appreciate each milestone and find the joy in the smallest accomplishments.

A bit of bad news has stuck close to home, my dear sweet granddaddy has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is such a strong, vivacious man and I pray that he can remain that way during his treatment. Please keep him in your prayers.

Can't you tell that AnnaKate loves her "Kinney".

Giving each other high fives.Check out the new reactions section near comments...

What's cooking?

2010-01-21T20:25:00.004-05:00

AnnaKate has gotten so inquisitive lately. I just love it!!
(She is turning the light on and off in the oven.)

*The rain boots were all her idea...she loves to dress up!!

Play Dates

2010-01-10T07:54:00.009-05:00

After Christmas we scheduled our week full of play dates for AnnaKate. I mean FULL...

First we went to Taylor's house. He was sweet and even announced when we got there that he was going to share his toys with AnnaKate. We had a great time and Cassie baked this wonderful Apple bread. As I post this I am just remembering how good it was...I need to get that recipe!

AnnaKate and Taylor had a great time playing in Taylor's "cardboard cottage".

They took a nap...

and peeked out the windows...

Taking a break to play with a chopper...

Time for a snack...

We had so much fun at Taylor's house. AnnaKate even tried to say Taylor's name when we left!

That night we had a "Dinner and Bath" play date with Emerson. Emerson gave AnnaKate an Ariel bathtub Barbie for Christmas. She decided that it would be fun to take a bath together so they could play with it!! What a great idea.

At first they danced to a little NutCracker Suite...

Had a tea party with cupcakes...

Played tiger under the table...And took a bath
(I wasn't sure of the proper etiquette of tub pictures...I mean this is the internet...)

A little jumping on the bed...
Kisses

"Whew...we are worn out...let's have a snack"

Mommies need a "snack" too..

Dress up time!

Let's read a bedtime story

**Photography note...I am learning how to take night time pictures without the flash. These are not that great...any DSLR photography suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

The next day we went to Will and Melissa's house. Will was really sweet too share his toys with AnnaKate.

This picture makes me laugh...they look like they are keeping a close eye on each other while they have snacks!

Will got a good-bye kiss!

That night Lou-Lou and granddaddy came for a visit to see the Christmas gifts.

The next day Rebecca and Carrie came to our house. They loved cooking in the kitchen and playing together while Carrie and I caught up.

Whew...it was a busy week! I love being off of work so we can do fun things like this.

Side note: I do worry about days when playdates are not as plentiful. I know as special needs children get older they can appear more different and become less accepted by their peers. My hope is that the kindness of our community and friends will remain so as she gets older. But I do worry...

My word of the year

2010-01-01T13:00:00.005-05:00

So last year Holly challenged me to decide on a word that would drive me throughout the year. Well...she did it again this year. I couldn't even remember my word from last year (purposeful) but I did remember that half way through the year I wanted to change it to something better. So this year I did a little research on "the Word of the Year" concept and it is a pretty popular alternative to a resolution. Ali Edwards has posted about it and so has Christine Kane. Christine had a "Your Word of the Year Discovery Tool" worksheet that was very helpful in helping me pick our my word for the year. In her words, "Your word is meant to teach you about you."

So, here goes.....drum roll....my word of the year is....

Balance

Balance work,
balance play,
balance being a Christian,
balance exercise,
balance finances,
balance being a wife,
balance being a mom,
balance scrapbooking,
balance being environmentally friendly,
balance LIFE!

So happy new year to you...what will your word be?

Imagination

2009-12-29T21:22:00.005-05:00

Brandi commented on my last post that she liked all the toys that AnnaKate got for Christmas that require imagination. It got me thinking about how important imaginative play is. Before AnnaKate, I always said I wanted wooden classic toys for my child because they would last longer and required imagination. When AnnaKate came along, I seemed to deviate from the imagination toys to light up-musical toys because is what AnnaKate liked the best. But I soon realized that she liked what we exposed her to. She can play with toys that require imagination and will grow and learn from them. I was really pleased when I looked back at her Christmas gifts and realized very few things require batteries.

AnnaKate's kitchen is a huge hit. She cooks for us all the time and especially likes to make sandwiches. Everyone has to eat...including baby.

One of the best gifts AnnaKate ever got was a mirror for her room. It is still the focal point of all play. She has moved it so she can watch herself cook.

Today she put on her aprons and really enjoyed playing "dress-up" in the kitchen. This also led to a hat parade. I just sat in awe as she spent a good 30 minutes trying on all of her hats. I really think she needs a chef hat...

*This is her monogrammed shopping bag for her felt food...or a hat...**The apron can also be a hat...this was my idea!

What kind of neat toys did your child get for Christmas?

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T09:10:00.006-05:00

Wow...is all I can really say! We have had the most wonderful holiday season and Christmas did not disappoint!

AnnaKate's friend, Emerson, came over on December 23 to exchange presents.

We stopped by my mom's on Christmas Eve and my mom went ahead and gave AnnaKate her stroller and baby doll. It is one of her most favorite gifts!

On Christmas Eve, we went to church and then to my mom's for our family Christmas.

Kenny and AnnaKate= True Love

Bev and LeahGrace

AnnaKate was exhausted.

Marshall and I got a little silly...I will spare you all the pictures!

LeahGrace got in on the fun

Santa came!!!!

This year's big gift was a kitchen. She got so much stuff to go in the kitchen...a toaster, blender, pots and pans, an apron, plates and TONS of food.

Christmas morning when AnnaKate first saw her kitchen. She was so excited and immediately set to work cooking.

Opening her stocking

Dog was able to try one of her delicious meals from the new kitchen

After a quiet Christmas morning at home, we headed over to Kenny's house for our family Christmas.

After lunch AnnaKate was pooped!

After a rejuvenating nap, she was ready to go at LouLou's.

Ohh...a cupcake making set for the kitchen!

LouLou and granddaddy gave her a beautiful hand painted table and chair set.

And if that was not enough...we had my dad's family over to our house the day after Christmas. The Christmas kitchen extravaganza continued.
Every little girl needs a blender with her kitchen...

Making a sandwich and reading a book with TT.

I think this picture sums up our Christmas!
We all had a wonderful time enjoying family and friends.

I hope your Christmas was just as special!

Holiday Home Tour

2009-12-18T17:58:00.006-05:00

So many blogs have Holiday Home Tours where you can go and look at other people's decorations. I just love it! I find myself spending way to much time looking inside of stranger's homes! So I decided to give the Holiday Home Tour a whirl. If I can't visit your home this year for the holidays, why don't you do the same so I can see your decorations?

The holidays brings special smells, "limited edition" items, special dishes, etc.
These are some of my favorites:

Portmeirion Holly and Ivy China...I like to use it well into February.
Williams-Sonoma Winter Forest hand and dish soap
Exposures Holiday Picture Frames
Any yummy smelling holiday candles

My friend, Holly, and I made these neat advent calendars for our children this summer. I really like ours! I had fun filling it with trinkets, names of Christmas books to read and holiday outings to do.

My paper house collection is one of my favorite things. They look so vintage.

This year I added some new paper houses to the mantle in the den. They are a lot bigger and much more whimsical.

Decorating the tree is so special for me. My mom started collecting Christopher Radko ornaments for me back in the late 1980's. I just love opening the boxes and thinking of when I got that ornament. I have had to cut back on my Radko collection because they have just gotten way too expensive.

My tree is very similar to my mom's tree. Mostly all of my ornaments are old world glass type ornaments. I love glass clip-on birds with feather tails and at last count had about 70 on the tree! Glass bead garland and white lights make the whole room twinkle. The more ornaments the better!!

I always love framing the Santa picture from that year and finding a special place for it.

The is our mantle in the living room. The lighted garland is a new addition.
I like the festiveness of lights!

Ribbon candy is so fun...

I love to fill jars and bowls up with old ornaments.

Don't you just love what AnnaKate and I whipped up!! HA
A dear friend's mother-in-law always makes a gingerbread house for AnnaKate. It is just amazing. The details are perfect.

I have a little tree and some decorations in AnnaKate's room too. She loves turning on her tree every morning. Her nativity figurines are a gift from her grandmother each year at Christmas.

It was so fun to have you over! Please invite me to see your decorations...

Big News..

2009-12-17T06:20:00.002-05:00

Nothing can make me happier than a great report from one of AnnaKate's therapists. Today I got a text from AnnaKate's speech pathologist,

"Guess who said bus, bye bye, Lissa (therapists nickname), shhh, thank you and tons of sounds. This is not a joke, she is really starting to talk!"

I have been hearing lots of new sounds and word approximations too, but I always don't believe it until someone else says they hear it too.

We are thrilled beyond words to see progress. I can't thank Melissa, her speech pathologist, enough! She has had AnnaKate since she was one and we just LOVE her!

I did it!

2009-12-13T19:34:00.004-05:00

Kiawah Island
Half Marathon
December 12, 2009
2 hours and 2 minutes

Wow...Kiawah was just amazing! A little over 8 months ago I started running and would have never thought that I would run 13.1 miles. I have learned so much about myself over the last 4 months as I have trained. I truly loved every minute of the run and I am sad it is over.

Sallie, Kim, Stacey and me before the race

The Starting line...almost 4,000 people. It took almost 5 minutes just to cross the starting line.

As I came across the finish line...

*Notice the big headphones...I was so worried that my Ipod would die that I brought 2 Ipods but NO ear buds, so Billy found those in his suitcase. They actually turned out great and keep my ears warm too. I needed the music to push me along.

My parents came to celebrate with me
A well earned medal

We had a wonderful weekend in Charleston and AnnaKate had a great time with her grandparents and cousins. I am a little sore but already thinking about where I should run next! :)

Kiawah bound...

2009-12-10T20:06:00.004-05:00

I am heading out tomorrow afternoon to Charleston, SC to run in the Kiawah Half Marathon on Saturday. I would have never thought I would be doing this! I am the girl that didn't even play church basketball...zero athletic ability here. But last May some friends convinced me to start running. I really fell in love with it and in August I set a goal of a half marathon. It seemed so far away then but it is already here. I feel ready and I can't wait to see how I do.

I am so thankful for all the support I have had from friends and family. My husband has been so good to find a way to make my runs fit into our busy schedule and I know he won't complain once while he waits for me in the cold rain on Saturday. My sweet, oldest and dearest friend Holly sent me the best gift today. Check out these magnets and the sweet note.

Chappell, aka Coach, gave me running gloves. I think it will feel like she is holding my hand the whole way. And my sweet parents are going to be at the finish line cheering me on. I am one lucky girl!

Check back in to see how I do!