Blessed!

This year has been amazing and busy and I am so glad to have been actively involved in it.  ;-)
I would love to be updating more with this post, but I have to make dinner.
I do want to say, I hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas.  We were very blessed with special gifts and kind company.  :)

I also wish to everyone closure of this year, and a nice new fresh 2012!
May you overcome struggles you weren't able to in 2011, and if you don't have any struggles, may you continue to receive wonderful blessings!<3

On the note of blessings...

You can HELP these kids all get to their Angel Tree goal of $1000.

Reece's Rainbow helps children find their forever families and last I checked there were five kids within $30 of the $600.  The goal is $1000 for each child on the Angel Tree within the next three days.  Donations are tax deductible, and with a donation of $35 or more you will receive an ornament with the picture of the child you donated to on it!

I miss all of you I haven't been able to keep up with, and very much hope to gain some time management skills in the future so I can be more active in the blogging community!

Bye for now!

The "Terrible" Almost Twos!

Dear Kheaven,
You're sleeping right now, but there are many reminders of some of the ways we spent our day today...

I finally picked up all the movies you took out of the new bins I put them in, so you couldn't get them.  It's extra helpful that you decided to take them all out of their individual cases as well.  Mommy likes sorting!  :)  I think you like sorting too.  I saw what you did with the shoes on the shoe shelf...  you sorted them into a big pile on the floor!

I think It's wonderful your climbing abilities are superb.  Who else do I have who would take all the pens out of the cup on my computer desk?  At least the computer keyboard isn't missing any keys at the moment.  I was afraid we'd never find "C" yesterday.

Oh dear son, bathing you is always a joy!  I love how you splash and giggle.  I find it fascinating that the shower is the only place you choose to go from the sitting position to a stand without using anything to pull yourself up.  This has been going on for at least a month now, so I'm getting used to it!  Today you had two baths, but I suppose with meals like manicotti and pancakes with syrup will do that to an almost two year old.  I thought your hair looked fabulous with that maple syrup gel you put in it!  You are quite the stylish stud!

I look forward to doing many of the same things tomorrow, and probably some new things too.  Every day is an adventure when YOU'RE almost two!

Love,
Your Tired Mommy

Kheaven has definitely been keeping me on my toes lately.  He is closely supervised during his many excursions, but through exploring we learn and as far as dumping things out go, I'm not too inconvenienced picking all his messes up.  ;-)  

Some of Kheav's favorite things to do, other than sort and organize, are singing songs with hand motions, reading books and pointing at the words and making a woof or growl sound for every animal he sees, pulling hair :(, and eating.  

Single-Momming It: My Beautiful Detour

It's not constant, but I hear a lot of, "I don't know how you do it with THREE kids, all by YOURSELF!?"

I'm not by myself.
Yes, I'm a single mom.  My home consists of me, a six year old, a three and a half year old, an almost two year old, a crazy mouse who thinks it's his mission in life to escape from whatever enclosure I put him in, and possibly hundreds of tiny Sea Monkeys. 

I like my home. 
I love my kids.
As of right now I tolerate my pets.  :-P  :-)

I live states away from family and the friends I grew up with.  Sometimes I miss them dearly.  I hate that some of them feel pain because I'm further away than what makes them comfortable.  In other places I've lived, Virginia, California...  I've found pseudo families...  People have taken me (and Austin at the time) in and we were part of their family.  I miss them too, but they're even further away than my blood relatives.

I love my family.
I love my friends, the ones who are just like family, the ones who I grew up with, and the ones that are right in the town I live in now.

I don't have a lot of friends where I live now.  I don't think I need a lot though.  Since having more than one child it seems the new friends I make typically have children and husbands.  :-)  I love spending time with them while their hubbies are at work.  I love seeing their kids grow, through Facebook and in person.  I love that my kids are friends with their kids!

I have noticed/realized that my friends with kids who are married seem almost as "single" as me when it comes to raising our kids.  Not all of them, and yes, they get a few more "breaks" than I do...  but I get "breaks" with other things.  And it almost seems to me that in being single, I have more opportunities to interact with more people and my kids are exposed to more as well.  I know plenty of people who are with someone have/can make many opportunities to socialize and be around more people than those they live with.  Just as often I believe, though, that when you (or I, to be more specific) have someone I am perfectly content to live in a bubble with that someone.

...I went to see some family and friends in Wisconsin in the beginning of the month and on my way home there was a detour.  I was so nervous b/c I didn't have a map specific for the area, my phone wasn't in service, and it was just me and the kids!!  The detour signs were all for a highway that was parallel with the one I wanted to be on, but it wasn't the number for the one I wanted to be on.  SO, I wanted to be on 59, but 59 was closed where I needed to be on it, all the detour signs were for 45...  not for 59.  I wasn't positive where I was going to end up.  I knew I was really close to Kansas, I just wasn't sure when I was going to get their, or which way was going to lead me to where I wanted to go.  There were a lot of hills, and there were a lot of curves.  It was completely unfamiliar territory!!  I went really slow because when you can't see what's ahead of you, well, you don't know!!  I would go up hills and all I could see was the sky and the fields or trees beside me and I didn't know if the road dropped off over the hill, I didn't know if there was a curve right away, or a tractor or a huge truck coming from the other direction, or a deer...  There could have been anything! 

Eventually I found a town and in ten minutes I was over the Missouri River and in Kansas City, Kansas.  I couldn't believe all that excitement was so close to an area I know fairly well.  I got to thinking...  Everyone should be forced to take a detour to get to where they want to go!  Haha...  I have an adventurous spirit, what can I say.  :-)  Well, being the thinky person that I am, I applied my "detour quote" to real life. 

Being a "single" mom is a detour...  My kids, (don't judge me) have been detours...  My LIFE has pretty much, mostly been a detour...  and it has been BEAUTIFUL.  Sometimes I feel so lost, but I know where I want to be.  I DON'T know if I'm on the right road all the time.  I do know what direction I want to go, and I know, most of the time I'm pretty close.  :-)

January 2011=Complete!

January seems to have whizzed right by!

I have found that updating my facebook informs more family members and friends than blogging does.  So, I have been doing that lately.

Some MAIN things...

Kheaven:

-Cruising along/between furniture wonderfully.

-Can point to my eyes, nose, and mouth when asked.

-Continues to say/do new things everyday!!

(Yesterday he said, "I will," after his sister said it.)

-He has a neurology appointment in a little over a week.  Hopefully all is well!

Here's a pic of the handsome baby-man:

Austin:

-Caught on to addition with no problem at all.
-Is working on word problems and doing great!
-Is doing MUCH better in phonics and sounding out words!

-Has been listening and helping out around the house wonderfully.  :)

**If you have kids and let them use the computer, 

visit this website for kids, www.starfall.com!  It's awesome!!**

Austin dressed himself and posed himself for this picture.  

He then had me turn a copy of it sepia 

b/c he wanted to make it look like an "old picture."  

I love his creativity!

Nayeli:

My amazing little princess turned three!!

It was a wonderful day.  Honestly it all seemed to go in slow motion, in a good way.  It was in the 70's and we all played outside and went for a walk.  Then we played at the park and headed to McDonalds where we had and shared cake with new friends!  After that we headed home and opened presents.  She is the BEST present opener EVER.  She gets excited about everything!  It's precious.  

The headbands in this pic of her were some of her presents...  She wanted them all on, cuz she's cool like that.  ;-)

Other than turning three Nayeli

-Is learning some Spanish.

-Super interested in reading, so we are constantly looking at books.

-Sometimes she makes up stories to get her brothers in trouble.  lol...

We're working on fixing that.

I'm glad she's creative in her own ways too though!

-She also sings all the time!

:-)

I have been doing pretty good at keeping up with most of my new goals.  As I mentioned, we had McDonalds for Nayeli's birthday, which isn't on my list of healthy things to eat...  McDonalds is a weakness when time is an issue or it's a busy day and we're out and about.  I'm sure eventually it will be eliminated almost completely though.

For my photography I have been taking at least one picture everyday.  It's a 365 Project and at the end of the year I will look back at all the photos I have and see my year.  Each day I try to take a picture that encompasses the theme/main thing in that day.  It doesn't happen that way everyday, but more than I thought it would.  :-)

Happy end of January/beginning of February!

♥

Tugging My Heart Strings

I keep hearing songs... love songs I suppose... and I can't help but feel they're for the babies without homes. A baby that's mine... who's waiting, or who hasn't even been born. I feel connected already and I can't wait until the day I bring him/her home. It's so strange. I have never felt so compelled about anything in my life!

Hi There 2011!

It doesn't really matter how one year ends and another begins, each has it ups and downs. Every day is a chance to make new choices, to take a step in becoming who we want to be, to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.

The new year doesn't typically mean a lot to me. I try to take a day at a time. I do like to reflect a little more around the end of one year and the beginning of another... I also like to re-evaluate my goals and make adjustments if needed.

Don’t Buy “Stuff.”
The kids have enough toys. I have enough “things.” We ALL have enough clothes! There should be no reason, other than impulse to buy things. Yes, sometimes it feels good to make a purchase, but we just end up with more than we need and all that stuff is completely overwhelming!
Eat Fresh!
After watching Food Inc. I am completely motivated to eat better. I have been working on this, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like the cheapest choice to make, but after doing it for a few months I’ve found that it is cheaper than the way I was eating before, by about $150, at least. Before I started buying almost all of my food from the organic section at the store I was spending $500 a month on food. Now I’m down to $350. I am also working on eating what’s in season and when the Farmer’s Market opens back up I am hoping to become more acquainted with it!
Keep Up With Housework.
During this time apart from Austin I have had time and energy to catch up on some housework. I still have a little way to go, but by the time he is back I should have things how I have wanted them for a very long time. It is my goal to keep up with this throughout 2011 and beyond! I plan on being held accountable to this by posting pix either here or in a blog every week of my home. Even if that means I have to clean to take the pix... Then I HAVE to clean. ;-)

Along with what's listed I want to work on some different things with my photography... I want to read the Bible more, maybe get all the way through it finally... And I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting to mention, but they're on a piece of paper or in my head somewhere. :)

Here's wishing everyone a positive perspective on life, hope when all seems lost, strength at your weakest points, and the ability to recognize the moments that make it all worth it!

Donating

I was on RR tonight... I felt called to make a donation. There are so many things my own family needs right now. Tomorrow I am going out to use some gift cards I got for Christmas. There is a list of things we need/that would benefit us. I am going to make a donation based on what's left. I am going to pray about my purchases and see if I really need the things I am picking up, and if I can get other things that I do need with the gift cards... That way the money I would be using for what I really need can go to a child on RR.

I have been contemplating single adoption. I know that if I get myself more organized and figure out how to do paperwork... and get a vehicle, and a home... that I can do it. God will provide.♥

Semester Break

We're at the middle of the year. Things went great for a while, but life handed us some lemons. Keeping up with everything is a little tough, but I'd really like to stick it through until the end of the year at least. It is my hearts desire (at least I think it is) to continue the K12 program next year as well, but I need to become more organized and efficient before I can make that decision. Also, I have to consider Bubs, where he is in life, and what is best for him. He is a social creature.

I don't like thinking about all the things he would be introduced to in a public school environment. How do I teach him what's right and wrong if I can't be there and know what is all being put into his head and by whom?

If I enroll him in a public school I will still teach him things at home, and have him involved in a couple of extra curricular groups. I want to gently lead him in the right direction.

Ohhh Boys!!

Linking up with Greg's General Store today for Thankful Thursday!

I am thankful for my oh-so-amazing children,

the fact that all of our needs and many of our wants are met,

a warm place to call home in this cold season,

a flexible job that allows me to be available as a parent,

friends who are like family,

family who are like friends,

social networking, which makes it easier to keep in touch with those I love who are far away,

and so much more!

 Austin @10 months/Kheaven @14 months

Things are going well in our home this autumn.  

Austin's got some standardized testing coming up.  Last time he did great in everything but phonemic awareness.  His education specialist is going to start working with him once a week to make sure he doesn't get behind in that area.

Kheaven continues to be very vocal.  The other day he said robot, over and over again.  He's always amazing!  There are some issues with his infant child development team right now and we are praying for all of them.  It's a mix between them or their family members being VERY sick...  and it's heartbreaking because they all have the sweetest hearts.  Until we can see them again we are working on communicating using words and signing and also working on standing, cruising and guided walking.  :)

Nayeli is my quiet learner.  She observes everything around her and then one day she shows me she knows it.  She has started drawing more recently and is very good at circles and faces.  It's beautiful and she gets so excited when she makes a picture.  She's been getting into some things lately and continues to color in books and rip pages, but we're working on it!

I have been working more over the past month and it's great.  I work at night while the kids are sleeping and get home on time to get a little sleep before they wake up.  J is still helping watch them when I work, and when he's not available my close friend/Kheaven's God-mother watches them.

Austin's birthday/Thanksgiving was wonderful!  We enjoyed the company of each other and made new friends as well.  We visited with one of my co-worker's family for the holiday and they were very kind and welcoming.  There were plenty of kids there for them to play and interact with and they loved it!

Thank you to all of our family and friends who sent a gift!

♥

AND, this was us on Thanksgiving/Austin's 6th birthday!

:)

♥My heart is full.♥
What are you thankful for this Thursday?!

Ahh! I love stages of development!

Kheaven has been super spongy the past week or so.  Actually, it's been the past three weeks, because it seems like I noticed it the day after Halloween.  :-D

Tonight for instance, he has
said/sang Amen after prayer with the kids,
sang la, la, la,
sounded like he tried to say birthday, came out "berrrrduh"
said, "yeah" when I was reading the book, "I Can, Can You?"
let go of me to stand on his own, but then grabbed back on quickly...
moved between pieces of furniture while cruising,
made "gassy" noises using his tongue while crawling into the bathroom,
picked up a fake flower, held it over his head and said "umbrella" - When I said, "No, that's a flower," he held it to his nose and sniffed it!  :)

There were a few other things he did that were just...  amazing...  :)
All my littles are amazing.
Sometimes I think I'm just going to burst with love and appreciation of them!

Austi is six today...  I keep thinking about how absolutely adorable Nayeli is going to look in the dress my Grammy made for her.  I'll post pix of that.  :)

Happy Thanksgiving on time!

Speak for Someone Who Can't

Tonight a newborn baby boy with Down syndrome is fighting for his life in Arkansas Children's Hospital. He was born a twin and the adoptive parents chose only to take the baby without Ds. The adoption agency put a DNR (do not resuscitate) order on this baby.There are families who want to adopt this baby but we must get Governor Beebe to lift the DNR order so this baby lives long enough to unite with his forever family.


E-mail the governor.
http://governor.arkansas.gov/contact/index.php


Please feel free to use any part of my e-mail as your own.


My e-mail:
Dear Governor Beebe,
It has been brought to my attention that there is a child in an Arkansas hospital that was born with Down syndrome.  He was a twin and his adoptive parents decided to take his healthy sibling and leave him.  The adoption agency put a DNR order on him and it can only be lifted by you.


I am the parent of an amazing 14 month old who has Down syndrome.  He is healthy and vibrant and I know he will be a productive member of society someday.  Please give this precious life a chance.  He may hold answers to the cure for Alzeimers, heart disease, or something else.  If nothing else he will make a difference in the life of a family who very much wants to adopt him.


Just because the family he was originally meant to be with didn't want him doesn't mean there aren't others out there.  There are.  As a member of several Down syndrome communities I have seen an outreach in the past 24 hours.  Please, Governor, please lift the DNR order.


Sincerely,
Amy Green
Proud parent of a child with Down syndrome.

Autumn, Finally

Life hasn't been easy for the past month or so.  God is giving me strength, I believe, because if he wasn't I wouldn't be able to type this now.  Jeremy and I are no longer together.  I see no point in trying to hide it, or not writing about it.  I'm public about a lot of my life, I always have been.  Sometimes people find strength in the observations of another's struggle.  Maybe some good can come of this?

The kids are doing well!  Halloween was fine, we all still went out trick-or-treating as a family, and that was nice since he's been living with a friend lately.  From what I can tell the kids take their emotional cues from me.  If I'm okay, they're okay...  It's good to see them okay, because then I think I must be holding it together nicely.  ;-)  

^LOOK!^ Cheese-heads in Kansas.  There IS a reason I love it here!

Kheaven was in the hospital at the beginning of the month with croup.  We spent three days there, with him getting breathing treatments and shots of steroids.  A couple of days after he was released both of the other kids and myself got sick.  We are all on the tail end of it now though, and I am SO glad!  Sick babies while you're a sick mama is NO fun!

I am very blessed to have the support system I have.  My co-workers, especially, have been extraordinary.  They are my pseudo-family.  :)  I am also very blessed to have a non-coworker "family member," Kheaven's God-mother.  She has been very helpful and supportive.  I shouldn't forget to mention Kheaven's Infant Child Development team.  They are and always have been amazing people!  I know that I will endure and eventually life will seem normal to me again.  


I will continue to update when I can.  If I don't have the chance to update beforehand.  

♥Happy Thanksgiving to all!♥

A Letter for Nayeli Belly Boo

Dear Booboo,
You are a beautiful, amazing princess!  I love watching you develop your sweet, silly personality.  I think it's great that you can play rough with your big brother, and soft and gentle with your little brother.  You are incredibly smart!  I can't believe you can count to 20 and say the seven continents and your just over two and a half!!


I love your high pitched voice and how you sing and dance all the time.  I love the faces you make all the time.


I love our time together now, but I also look forward to the future.  I hope I can always let you know how sweet and smart and special you are to me.  I know we'll have our conflicts, but I hope that we can always come to an understanding.


Your so little and already such an incredible little person, I can only imagine that you'll get better with time.

I love YOU Nayeli!♥

I Don't Know When

My dream of adoption feels like it's going to be put on hold for possibly longer than I thought. It's still my dream though. I don't know when I'll write again, but this post is just to say that I'll be back. :)

Six in a Month?!

Austin is going to be six on ONE MONTH!
My first baby is getting SO big.  I can hardly believe it!
He is such an experienced little person.
He has lived in California, Wisconsin and Kansas.
He rolled over when he was two weeks old.
He sat on his very own, from a crawl at six months old.
He didn't walk until he was 13 months old, but when he was a year and a half he ran face first into a bookshelf.
He needed stitches for that.
When he was little he wouldn't go anywhere without a ball.
Now he can sit and draw for hours and hours.
He loves studying Spanish.
He's fascinated by plants and bugs.
He's a good singer, and is usually singing or humming something.
He is an exceptional big brother and super loving and helpful most of the time.  :)
He is friendly and caring.
He takes pride in the fact that he has friends ALL over the country!
He is thoughtful and empathetic.
He is an animal lover.
He's a picky eater.
He LOVES candy and sweet things.(He gets that from his dad.  I try to keep him in check though.)
He says he doesn't like school, but he does very well in it.
I love looking back at where he's been, and I look forward to where he'll be.

♥I'm so glad to be raising such an incredible little boy.♥

Happy last month of being five Buggy!!!

A Letter to Kheaven (@13 Months)

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Dear Kheaven,
You're AMAZING!  Your smile and your laugh light up the world...  not just my world, but THE world.  You are strong and fast and sooo curious!  I love how you mimic the things I say and the faces I make.  I love the silly noises you find on your own.  I love that you are so ticklish that when I pick you up you laugh.  I love that having you in my life has made me grateful for more than I used to be.


Kheaven, I believe that you are capable of whatever you put your mind to!  You have been surprising me since the day you were born and I know that you will continue to surprise me.  I hope that I will always give you room to grow and learn.  I hope that I won't expect more than you can give, pressure you in any unhealthy ways, or make you feel like you're not right where you should be.  I hope that we are able to communicate our wants and needs with each other calmly and that I will truly hear the things you want/need.


I thank God every day for you.  You are one of my most treasured blessings.♥

Once Upon A Time...

There was a beautiful princess...

Such a beautiful princess was she!

♥

Another busy day ahead, but there's always time for pictures...  right?

:)

My Lovey Loves

I've been so busy playin' with these beautiful little people that I hardly can find the time to blog.

In the spirit of keeping up with the 31 for 21 challenge I leave you with more pictures.

 We know autumn will be here soon...  til then, short sleeves work.

The Camera Loves Him!

My baba will be six on Thanksgiving!!

 

 

 

 He's still a hammy man!

♥

 

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Something you may not know, in other parts of the world children with Ds are put in institutions if they are not adopted by the age of five.  There are people trying to adopt these precious children, and if you find it in your heart, you can help.

http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorsader.html
http://thenewfaceofdowns.org/adoption/

Both links will bring you to a page where you can make a donation.  No amount is too small.  These children deserve a chance.♥