Elder's Quorum Pinewood Derby & Princess Party

So my sister asked for some photos so I looked through my computer to send her some when I realized I hadn't added most of these to the blog. You would have thought I would have been better blogging since I had thought the pregnancy was going to kill me off. Who doesn't want to remember the last year of their life well? Apparently me. I figure if I add as much as I can then I might be able to stay a little less behind than over a year or so. I'm ambitious like that.

Andy loves participating in the Elder's Quorum Pinewood Derby each year and loves that there are no rules. This ward really went overboard and hired a guy that has a track, timing system, and controls the whole thing. It was pretty impressive. There were amazing cars out there that were exactly like Lightning McQueen, others with CO2 cartridges, a remote control car, etc. I'm sure you are dying to see Andy's. Well, I won't hold you off forever. The anticipation is too much.

You see that rock? Do you see what's behind the rock? Nothing. But there are wheels underneath it. Yeah. You're wishing you had thought of it. Let's just say we lost. But we weren't in last since a couple of high tech ones defaulted and wouldn't start. I think he got 9th out of 12. That counts for something.

Back in April, Emma went to a princess party in Snake River. She really enjoyed it. Her older cousin took her around and no one would really tell us much about it. I know there was dancing and a couple of games. They had a little "tea" party as well. The older kids that were hosting it were dressed up as princesses and villains. There was one girl that was very convincing as a bad woman and Emma came away with a fear of Cruella DeVille. She talked about her for a couple of weeks whenever there was a break in conversation.

I have to throw in a funny story from this event. We went and drove Emma and three of her cousins to the event. One of them brought a friend. Andy and I were very apprehensive about not being with Emma (that she could get lost, someone could take her, she could get scared...) so we were giving the typical lecture to stay with the group, never leave the older cousin, and don't go anywhere with a stranger. Just then we looked in the rearview mirror and saw the friend looking around confused. We realized that she had climbed in the car with strangers without hesitating and we still didn't know what her name was. Guess her mom should have given her the lecture.

No name girl is in the pink, Lydia, Emma, Kaylee. Hayley, the cousin watching them, took the picture.

Preschool & shopping

Two separate stories that I needed to write down before I forgot them about yesterday. I will have to post pictures at some point but I don't know where that darn cord is.

Jackson has been making huge leaps and bounds in development lately. He had the flu horribly and has finally recovered. We have been doing a lot of shakes and desserts in hopes to put some weight back on him. Tough, isn't it? We avoid going anywhere without Andy because it is an ordeal. Jack has breakdowns and then freaks out when we leave where ever we are. I just can't do it by myself. Well, yesterday, I was just sick on how my vacuum does not work. The central vac has a blockage in there somewhere and after research, it said that a pipe snake should do the trick. We went to Lowe's where Jack touched every snow blower and grill. I thought he was going to lay down a couple of times but we pulled through it. He was distracted by the time I finally found the snake so I had to have him carry it. It was too heavy for him, as I found out when he crumbled under the weight so I had to carry most of the weight while he carried it. Let's just say that my back hurt for the rest of the day from stooping to keeping him happy. But happy he was. He had a huge grin that he was helping. I know it doesn't sound like much but it was a good experience out and about and we don't have those often. I am really excited by that little experience.

Emma is in preschool and loves it. She looks forward to it and always asks if she is going tomorrow. This is her third week. Last night she told us that names in her class were Joey, Tony and Pony. I really have a feeling that I need to get a roster or something to ask her specifically about different names. Don't get me wrong. There might be a Pony in her class but it worries me that that person did not love their child to name them Pony. This is the story, though. It broke my heart. When we picked up Emma, there were a group of about 4 girls that ran to one car yelling that they were going to play at their house. They had apparently set up a play date before hand and the mom was taking them all with them. There stood my little Emma watching them all pile in the car. Her huge, blue eyes were filled with hurt that she wasn't included. I felt horrible that I couldn't take that away. I never thought that exclusion would start so early. I hated that I had partly contributed to this by not knowing anyone with girls her age to have her play with. I can't let my insecurities hurt my daughter. I need to find her some friends. Or our friends from Arizona could move here. No pressure.

See Jack Run

We have started a new blog about Jack and Sensory Processing Disorder. Please check it out, and give us feedback and let other people whose children are impacted by the disorder know about, we would love to hear about their experiences or any ideas with children. aaajma.blogspot.com. I will keep this blog for family practice, but the other blog will be only for Jack and updates on his development.

Occupational Therapist

The Occupational Therapist came this morning for the first time and I am really excited and hopeful. He came and asked us lots of questions for Jackson to get a better idea what is going on. After a lot of long answers on our part for one word answer questions, Jackson definitely has a sensory deprivation disorder. He is either taking in too much information or not enough at other times. His strongest attribute is visual. Our therapist also is sensory deprived. He has a lot of input and suggestions that are super helpful. I was excited to get homework to work on before he comes back next week. We are to take pictures of things we do so he can choose and feel like he has control of his day. Apparently, they are control freaks and that totally is Jack. Because he is trying so hard to understand all the things going on around him, he becomes really controlling in what is happening and how it is presented. Things are always on his terms. After all the things he talked about, I really wonder if I have sensory deprivation or the anxiety that I was always diagnosed with. He even recommended reading the book Out of Synch. It is written by a mother of a child with sensory deprivation and a therapist. It was a really hopeful meeting and I think that great things will come from it because even after the last visit, we have seen great development in him. It will only get better. Boy, I'm excited for this part of the adventure.

Needed a vent

I went to Jackson's well child visit with a lot of concerns this morning. He has really started to lash out this last week and cannot cope with much. I've always been worried about how he doesn't respond to his name and certain things but when I tell him to get in his chair for dinner or he hears the bath water, he comes running. That means it isn't his hearing. I loved how Dr. Laura stayed and talked with me and watched Jackson for almost an hour. It was so nice to hear words of encouragement and a different perspective. We decided to have him evaluated for behavioral problems like autism. No matter what happens, it will be for the best. I will know how to better communicate with him and help him with his needs whether he has special needs or if he just has a strong personality. He is such an intense boy. I worry so much about our future children if he is effected because our chances are so much higher that they would be as well. That isn't fair to any of them. I need to be able to give them the attention and focus that he needs but with each one it would be unfair for them and they would suffer.

On top of that, his little tear ducts still haven't opened up so the need for a probe is pretty high. We kept hoping they would open up on their own. I don't like the idea of my little guy getting surgery and I know it is nothing in comparison to what other little children have had to go through but it is your little baby and you don't like to see them in pain.

We just keep having medical issues at this house, and I am ready for a little reprieve. I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of hours and hope for better news than we've received this far into the morning. Maybe in that amount of time, I will be able to locate a stench in the house besides where Jackson's massive diaper leaked urine this morning on the couch and I need to wash again because I can still smell it. Luckily, that's why we bought this couch. Easy clean up, not the urine part. I would be worried if I went into a store looking for something for my kids to pee on.

Farewell to Arizona

This is when I post our last few days in Arizona. We had to go one more time to the zoo there. We went quite a few times while we were in Phoenix because with Bank of America, the first Saturday of every month was free for card holders. The last couple of times we had to pay for Emma, but we still figured it was worth it. See those sunglasses on Andy's face? They are his favorite. They decided they enjoyed Arizona better than Idaho and stayed at the zoo. We haven't seen them since. They were super comfy. To tell you the truth, I can't blame them for choosing that climate. They don't have family in Idaho to convince them to come back.

There were a group of girls in Arizona that I really became close with. They were wonderful and my sanity. They had a farewell party for me with fondue and pajamas. Brittany and I apparently were the only ones to participate with pj's but there was a lot of laughing and talking. A couple of other girls didn't get to come that were planning on it so I feel badly that I didn't officially say goodbye to them. I'm hoping that they know that I love them even though I didn't say it. Girls, you have no idea how much you mean to me and how much I dearly miss you. Church, and life in general, is not the same without you just down the road.

Can you believe that 3 of these girls were pregnant in this picture? Crazy things happen in that water.

Halloween

So this last Halloween, I had the brilliant idea that with 4 of us, we had the perfect number for a clever theme for the family. I was so proud of myself. We were Goldilocks and the three bears. Complete with a blonde girl with curly hair, baby bear, Momma bear and Papa Bear.

Here is Andy as the Hillbilly papa. He had twine as suspender and a fish shirt. I loved it. I sewed felt ears on his hat and Jackson's. I made ears to go on hair clips for me.

So this is the rest of us.I thought we looked great. The rest of the night, people thought were saying we were the cutest mice ever. So much for my creating skills. I guess better luck next year to have a costume that people recognize on sight. I still like how it turned out even if we were mice.

The Giant Cookie

I have been asking Andy for weeks where the camera cord was since we moved. He kept putting me off. You know what made the huge enticement for him to find the cord? His birthday cookie. He doesn't really care for cake but loves cookies so the last two years I have made him a 13" chocolate and peanut butter chip cookie on our cast iron skillet. He looks forward to it for weeks. I made him homemade bread to make him BLT and guacamole on it. He loves sandwiches so that was what he wanted. When the cookie came out of the oven, there was Andy, having a little photo shoot with it. I couldn't believe all of the angles and props he could find to diversify the whole thing. He had to put the pictures on the internet so I finally have the cord to upload the pictures. I have pictures dating back to Halloween. That's right. I'm that behind. We can do it.