A Joyful Life

Finally! Bringing back the Blog!

2012-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Honestly.....I've missed you! I can't believe it's been over 6 months since I've posted on this blog! I am sure that no one is coming by anymore...and maybe no one even misses it? Things got crazy busy for us the end of last year. Our biggest undertaking was Little J's heel cord and hamstring lengthening surgery. Most of you know that Little J took quite awhile to begin walking. Once he began walking he became a toe walker. This kid could navigate the most trecherous terrain on his toes! The only problem with that is that as he got older, his feet would likely become deformed and eventually it would be so painful that he would not be able to walk at all.

This photo was taken in September after his second set of casts were placed.

This surgery was our only option to give him the best opportunity for successful walking for a long time to come. It was a huge undertaking and still 6 months later it's still a work in progress. I knew it was going to be a lot of work going in, but it was far more than I imagined.

Little J went into the hospital in mid-August for his outpatient surgery. They did a small nick in his achilles tendon and hamstring and casted him up. Poor little J woke up from sleep with these two huge casts that went from his toes to his knees. Initially coming out of anesthesia he was doing well. The more he woke, the more distressed he became. This poor little boy was wailing like I've never heard before. At first, we thought it was the strange environment and the other kids crying in the recovery room, so we opted to take him home. Our poor sweet boy wailed from the time we left the hospital at 10:30 in the morning until 5pm! We were entertaining the thought of taking him back to the hospital, but after discussing it with the nurse and the thought of having to wait in admissions for a bed with this wailing child, we decided to try a few more things at home and if necessary we would have taken him to the emergency room. We just didn't know if he was in pain, if it was a side effect of the anesthesia, or just the confinement in the casts. Typically, this surgery is not known to be painful, but when you're talking about a child with Angelman Syndrome, you just never know. Thankfully, he was finally able to get some much needed rest and he adjusted to the casts.

The things you don't think of as being work are probably the most difficult. Carrying around your 7 year old is no easy task....it wasn't my biggest concern in the surgery until I had to do it. Just the day to day care was physically daunting for us. Little J went to physical therapy twice a week and worked really hard at walking in the casts with assistance, and building the muscles that he had never used before.

After 3 weeks, they took Little J back in to remove his casts, make some adjustments, cast him for his post surgical braces and replace the casts. Thankfully, this time he came home in a much better mood.

After another 3 weeks, Little J finally got his casts off for good! Now the really hard work began! Since he was walking on his toes, there are a lot of muscles including the ones in his ankles that had never built up, since they were not being utilized. His braces were fitted and after numerous adjustments including one to stop it from causing a large painful gash on his leg. He was going to physical therapy twice a week and working really hard at relearning to walk and just building his muscle strength. His school staff met with his physical therapist and worked really hard with him on exercises through out his school day to help him even more.

Four weeks after his casts came off, we saw his orthopedic surgeon who was quite impressed with his progress. He is walking independently and mostly flat footed.

Fast forward to 6 months post surgical. Little J is doing really well. He still a bit weak in some of his muscles. He can walk independently while wearing his braces. When not wearing his braces he requires almost 100% support. We recently saw his rehabillitation doctor, and we're switching his braces now. Hopefully, the new ones will be more comfortable for him and help him with his progress. He's still doing physical therapy once a week plus all of his excercises and strengthening at school. This kid is working so hard! There is a possibility that we may do some botox treatment on one of his hamstrings as it's still a bit tight. We'll be meeting with his orthopedic surgeon and rehabilitation doctor in May to see which direction they want to go. Overall, Little J is doing amazing! He has been such a trooper going through all of this. He gets up everyday with a smile on his face and works like a rockstar at school and at his therapy sessions

This really was the bulk of our end of the year craziness. If you read this far, thanks for being interested in what we've been up to. I have so much more to update you on. There is our diva Princess J, our goofball Peanut J and their adventures along with a lot more on Little J as well as new and exciting news in research for Angelman Syndrome. I have a few rants and shares coming up too if you're interested!

Surf's Up Dude!

2011-06-20T22:56:00.001-07:00

On Sunday June 19th, Little J got to participate in Max's Day with Ride A Wave in Santa Cruz.

I cannot express in words just how amazing this day was for Little J. This is his second year participating, and this year was just as fabulous as last year. Little J got to kayak and boogie board, he also got to surf.....STANDING UP! Last year they put him on a special surf board equiped with a seat, but this year they got him up on that board standing tall! Anytime he was in the water, his face was just a big bright smile and lots of giggling! The added bonus to this day was that several of Little J's classmates and fellow angels participated as well!

The people who put this event together and all of the wonderful volunteers really are beyond amazing! Little J was assigned 2 beach buddies, these two young men chatted with him, got him from one activity to the next and took him back to his favorite boogie boarding at least 15 times! It is just so amazing to see your child do things that you never in your wildest dreams imagined they could do much less would get the opportunity to do.....this organization and all of the volunteers out there made it happen! My heart is full......

Did you see the Vivnet Give Back Project link on my sidebar? Please take a moment to click on the link and vote for Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Theraputics to win! Angelman Syndrome has been cured in a mouse.... a few clicks of your mouse could bring us one step closer to the cure for Angelman Syndrome in people!

Princess J Update!

2011-06-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

This last year has been amazing for Princess J! She has been enrolled in a speech immersion program since her 3rd birthday. She started out barely talking and has just come so far! We can't stop her from talking now! The school has been a wonderful experience for her and she just loves it, her teacher and her friends.

Just before her 4th birthday they tested her to see how she was progressing. Apparently they kept her in while the other kids went out to play. She did so well concentrating and thinking about her answers and trying to make sure she got everything right. Her teacher told me that in all the time she has been teaching, Princess J is the first student she has ever given the entire test to. She passed with flying colors! As soon as she was done, the teacher told her she could go outside to play....just as the teacher said that, the bell for the end of playtime rang. Our sweet Princess J balled up her fists and put them on the table and said....awwwww! I missed playtime! Her teacher said it was so cute and she felt so bad making her miss play time!

Anyway, with the results of the test, it means that Princess J no longer qualifies for the speech immersion class at the school....so today, will be her last day in the classroom. She will still continue to receive weekly speech sessions just to keep her progressing for kindergarten. We are now on the hunt for her next school. We have her on a waiting list (she's #1) at a school that was recomended by friends and that after visiting, Princess J really liked. We won't know if she makes it in until August.

Princess J's current favorites:
Food: Mickey Chicken and French Fries, Cheetos and Pretzels (She's still a super pickey eater!)
Movies: Cars and Toy Story
Toys: Ham and Buzz Lightyear (from Toy Story) and Lightning McQueen
Colors: Green and Pink
Wearing Ballerina dresses and sparkley shoes
Cartoons: Pocoyo
Songs: The Duck Song 1, 2 and 3!
Favorite Friends: Nathan, Samantha, Elizabeth, Luis, and Brian

Current Phrases:
Not too much
Just a little bit
That's sooooo silly!
Jordan can I borrow it?

Wearing size 2T and sometimes 3T
Shoe size 6 or 7 toddler

Loves being read to and is beginning to read on her own!
Before we leave the house, she has to tell her toys staying home not to talk to eachother!
Unfortunately not potty trained yet!

And, because you know I have to mention it.....have you voted in the Vivnet Gives Back Project for Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Theraputics (FAST)? Please take a moment and click on the link on my sidebar and click to vote and help find a cure for Angelman Syndrome!

Angelman Syndrome-Finding a Cure

2011-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

...

As many of you know, our son Little J has Angelman Syndrome. Life with an angel can be very challenging, but along with the challenges come the amazing blessings that Little J brings to our family. As of today Little J is a first grader...soon to be second grader! He is doing so well in his class at school. He loves it so much! It's so nice to see that amazing smile on his face everyday when we take him to school. It's a testament to how wonderful the teachers and aides at his school are!

Little J is becoming quite the ladies man! He is in love with the girls! He is smitten with one particular classmate. Another angel who recently moved to our area with her angel brother and family....and who would have thought that they'd end up living 8 doors away! While his heart belongs to one.....he is not opposed to having an audience of ladies...I picked him up from school for a neurology appointment one day and he happend to be on the playground holding court with 4 adorable young ladies who were chatting with he and his aide. He was very happy to have their attention and was not too please when mom dragged him off the playground.

Little J just finished up his little league season with many of his friends from school. It was wonderful to have family come out to see him play and his teacher was at quite a few of their games this year too! It was a fabulous season with G and I volunteering as team organizer and coach....all while keeping Little J out there and managing Princess J and Peanut J! Thank goodness for our friends (and you know who you are!) for helping us out with the two smaller J's at games!

Later this summer Little J will be having a heel cord lengthening surgery. Currently he is a toe walker. He's very accomplished at it, but unfortunatly over time it will be become painful for him to walk and eventually he won't be able to. We are not looking forward to this, but it has to be done. He will be in a double cast for 6 to 8 weeks! Yikes! What is my active little angel going to do! I see a bit of grumpy angel time ahead! We welcome any prayers and good thoughts as this gets closer, that mommy and daddy can handle the anxiety and the recovery and that the surgery will go smoothly and recovery will be uncomplicated and quick! We also pray that the outcome will be Little J walking flat feet on the ground and for a succesful end result! We'll keep you posted on when the surgery will take place and how it goes...but start those prayers now if you don't mind!

I hope you will take a few minutes to watch the video above that I've shared. Foundation for Angelman Theraputics (FAST) has been working hard towards finding a cure. The science is there, the research is there, but the only thing missing is money! Vivnet has been running their Vivnet gives back promotion on Facebook and currently FAST is in the finals to win a $250,000 grant! This would mean so much to the work that FAST is doing! Here is a description of FAST (taken directly from the Vivnet Gives Back Project website):

The Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (or FAST) is an organization of families and professionals dedicated to finding a cure for Angelman Syndrome and related disorders through the funding of an aggressive research agenda, education, and advocacy. The Foundation is committed to assisting individuals living with Angelman Syndrome to realize their full potential and quality of life. We are confident that our goals are now within reach and together, with your help, we will change lives. You are our driving force; please donate generously and bring us one step closer to realizing our mission. FAST is run by an all volunteer staff and board who dedicate their time and expertise towards finding a cure for Angelman Syndrome. Our operating expenses are generated through our annual Gala and through donations specifically for that purpose. FAST does not have any paid staff. Donations otherwise generated throughout the year go directly to supporting research aimed at finding a cure. Our goal is to bring practical treatment into current medical practice as quickly as possible. It is our hope that grants we fund will lead to additional research support from government agencies and other funding sources.

You can visit FAST by clicking on the link I've shared above! You will find all kinds of information on Angelman Syndrome and their quest to find a cure!

Ok, so now that you've caught up on Little J, read a little bit about FAST and Angelman Syndrome, I need a huge favor! See the Vivnet Gives Back Project banner on the side of this revived blog? Please take a moment and click on it and vote for FAST! This program will be running for the next 10 weeks and you get one vote per day. Please bookmark it and go back and vote every single day! The little clicks of your mouse everyday for FAST could mean a cure for Angelman Syndrome and provide a roadmap for cures for may other disorders/diseases. They really believe that finding a cure for Angelman Syndrome could lead to some answers for other disorders and diseases including Alzheimers and Autism! Please help us! I know that one day I could potentially hear the sweet sound of my Little J's voice!

Reviving the Old Blogity!

2011-06-14T21:49:00.001-07:00

Ater a very long hiatus....I'm bringing the blog back! There really needs to be at least 36 hours in the day, but I miss this blog and hope that a few of you do too! The blog will be back tomorrow with a very important post about how you can help find a cure for Angelman Syndrome.....all it takes is a click or two of your mouse! If you'd like to get a head start on helping us out you can support Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Theraputics (FAST) in the Vivnet gives back project by clicking on the link on the side of my blog! Check back tomorrow for an amazing video about FAST and Angelman Syndrome...and an update about our sweet angel Little J and how this could greatly impact him!

The Trio visits Santa! (and what I've learned this year)

2010-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every year I learn something new when taking the kids Santa photos. This years list:

1. I think I look forward to the Santa visits more than the kids do.

2. Peanut J is definitely following in Princess J's footsteps and will be giving me more screaming Santa photos to add to my collection.

3. Little J gets to take his photo at a special holiday party put on by the United Cerebral Palsy of the Golden Gate. It's a fabulous party for children with special needs. Every year they have Santa along with "Santa's Elves" who happen to be beautiful ladies in cheerleader uniforms....last years "elves" were the Raiderettes....this years "elves" were the Warrior cheerleaders. Every year it becomes more apparent that Little J is more interested in the ladies than he is in Santa.....notice his eye gaze is not at the camera this year.

What a Princess wants for Christmas when she's 3.....

2010-12-19T23:57:00.000-08:00

Princess J is all about Christmas this year. She completely understands the concept now and is really enjoying all of the decorations and fun things going on this month. Everyday she has to look at the Christmas tree at least 100 times. This girl does not miss anything either...she notices any new present that makes an appearance.

She wrote a sweet letter to Santa this year.....

On her wish list:
Playskool Alphie

Dora House

Pillow Pet Zippity Zebra

Pillow Pet Dinosaur

Her letter was so cute and we had our postman come to the door to pick up her letter, she was so excited to send it off to Santa! Sadly, I didn't take photos of her handing her letter to the postman, since he was running behind and it was so nice of him to come to the door for her letter.

She was not so thrilled to actually go see Santa this year. The minute we got to Santa's visiting area at the mall, she started crying. Thankfully, we were third in line when they opened. She stopped crying long enough to snap a photo with Santa....even if she had a look on her face like "please mama get me outta here!" Santa was so good to her as well. He did very well keeping her calm during the photo and then really engaged her after the photo. She took the time to ask him if he got her letter and he told her he did and that she was definitely on the good list! She was so happy to hear that!

Princess J had a school holiday party and I have photos from that coming soon!

Santa photos coming soon!

Happy Halloweenie!

2010-11-02T20:05:00.001-07:00

Whew! What a busy week Halloween was! Yep, I said it....Halloween has now officially become a week long holiday event! Between making treats for the kiddos to take to their classes and making sure we had candy for trick or treating and costumes that fit it was a whirlwind!

First up, Princess J had two costumes! Her preschool had a little trick or treat event at the school district offices. They didn't want any costumes that were too elaborate or had any pieces to carry and keep track of. Soooo, I was very lucky to have a Tinkerbell costume in our arsenal! Grandma had purchased it for her last year to play dress up with and it hadn't fit quite yet....it came in quite handy this year! Thanks Grandma! Then, when Halloween costumes first came out, she saw this Strawberry butterfly princess and decided that was what she wanted to be. She had so much fun! She loved wearing both of her costumes and loved telling people what she was....and if they guessed wrong she loved making sure to correct them! We didn't trick or treat too far, she was done after about 10 houses. She had just as much fun handing out candy to the gazzillion kids that came to our door. It was as if someone brought a bus to our neighborhood....

Little J finally got to participate in his school Halloween parade! Yay! Last year he was so sick! He wore his Superman costume and he wore it well! Super kid, super strength and super smile! Loved his parade! Those teachers and aides work hard for those kids! Eight kids in the class and dressing all of them and keeping them all occupied while they wait their turn for the parade. They did lots of art projects leading up to Halloween too! We have lots of Little J created Halloween decorations now too!

The photos were soo hard to capture this year. Peanut J jsut wanted to make sure he had his car in his hand and was so busy watching all the other kids in the neighborhood, I had a hard time getting him to look at me! Princess J was everywhere, I couldn't keep her still for an instant! Always on the move!

Peanut J! What a fun one he was! His costume last year was so big, we thought that he might be able to wear it again this year....but it was not to be. So....while Princess J and Little J were at school we headed out to find this years costume. He tried on 4 costumes with an audience. They probably thought I was silly asking this little guy what he wanted to be....we tried on a spider, a lion, a puppy and this little monster. The spider, he wouldn't keep the hat on, the lion he hated the hood and kept pushing it around. It was one of those that was seperate from the body of the costume and it came around the whole head, so when he'd turn it around he could no longer see and would scream! Nice! The puppy he wouldn't even let me put his arms in the body...but when we put the monster on he just started smiling...along with his audience who proclaimed him the cutest monster! Without any bias, I have to agree! LOL!

All in all, Halloween was a great time! Princess J didn't want it to end. The dismantle of all the decorations inside and out brought tears and a "I want Halloween to be today again!"

I have a crafty post coming up soon too! I got crafty for Halloween for the kiddos and feel like I'm finally getting a little mojo back. More on that in another post!

{Still Here}

2010-10-24T22:50:00.001-07:00

We are still here and all is well. This cute little smiley boy you see here is none other than Peanut J! He is finally demanding his time and place in this family. He is no longer my patient little man who just goes with the flow. It used to be that he would only scream when he was hungry....now he is using those powerful vocal cords to demand many things.....including food, changing, naps, and moving his turn in the chain up a few notches. He let us have it easy for awhile.....but he is definately taking Princess J's lead and quickly attempting to move himself to the top of the chain. The squeeky wheel gets the grease.....and welll....he's being pretty darn squeeky!

We welcome this emergence of his personality....I don't know how long Princess J is going to stand for it though!

Peanut J is doing so well. He's quickly becoming a steady walker....and we believe he is destined to be a line backer or a comedian. While Princess J steers clear of Little J and stays out of his way, Peanut J just jumps right in....if Little J is in his way he just pushes him out of the way. Little J was in prime wrestling position the other day and Peanut J jumped right on top of him. We are so proud of Little J doing his best to be gentle....sometimes his excitement gets the best of him though.....but Peanut J has no fear!

Peanut J is a great eater! Right now, his favorite thing to do is to start laughing and then stick his hand in his full mouth and come after you with his handful of food. He thinks it's quite hilarious! He also thinks it's hilarious to throw his cheerios, goldfish, or whatever item is on his tray on the floor and watch you fetch it. He literally belly laughs! Peek-a-boo is still his favorite game....he still thinks it's hilarious. He loves to watch cartoons with the kids....however his personal favorite right now is Dora the Explorer.

I'm really trying to get back in the groove here and have some fun stuff to post coming up soon!

{Fairyland}

2010-10-11T19:32:00.001-07:00

This post is LONG overdue!

I remember my dad and my grandma taking me to Children's Fairyland when I was a little girl. I've been dying to take the kids myself! I have so many good memories of coming here. Lots of puppet shows, exploring my favorite fairytales and the prized magic key!

It was quite funny to enter through the old shoe that was once the ticket booth when I was little and enter the newly renovated ticket booth. Upon entering, I was struck by how little everything is, when my memories picture everything so much bigger! I know, I know, it's because I was so little then that it seemed so big!

What was so wonderful, is that overall, everything is exactly the same. The magic key, the little blue boxes and my little Princess was just mesmerized. She was running everywhere....and she held on to that magic key with every bit of strength she had! She didn't care to stick the key in the blue boxes, but she loved the key! LOL!

While Princess J was running everywhere and hard to keep up with, Peanut J was just taking it all in. Just looking at everyone and everything! He was even distracted enough to drink his milk instead of formula...after he'd been fussing for days over the change. Little J, loved looking at stuff, but after awhile his friend Stephanie (our respite care helper) took him over to the open grass area and let him loose to wrestle and kick his legs up. It was perfect!

I can't wait to take Princess J back and now that Peanut J is a bit more moble, letting him explore some too....outside of the stroller.

Melting HOT!

2010-08-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

We've been complaining for days....okay months about where our summer has gone....it's here now! HOLY MOLY it's been HOT! While summer overheats the outside, we're staying nice and cool inside with the AC! Tomorrow the heat is supposed to break and we'll get some cool Bay Area weather back. I like hot, but not melting hot! Since this is the last week of summer vacation (well vacation for Little J) we're planning to do something fun tomorrow. On tap is either a trip to Fairyland or Fisherman's Warf. So look for some touristy photos tomorrow!

Love these little close up shots I got of Princess J the other day. Her favorite thing right now is to wear a "ballerina dress" and you can't forget the princess lip gloss! Too cute!

The Whole Enchilada!

2010-08-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

This post should be titled "The Works Burger" or something else more fitting. These 3 beautiful faces have been keeping us super busy! I used to LOVE summer break when I was in school, but now I'm not so sure why they call it summer break.....we're not getting any break....as a matter of fact we're counting down the days until school starts back up again and we can get back into a routine groove! It's not just G and I counting down the days, but I think Little J is too! Princess J is looking forward to going back to preschool as well. She misses her friend Brian! LOL! Already chasing after the boys!

Soooo....here are the updates:

Little J- OMG! He is going to be a FIRST GRADER this year! Wow! He is doing really well right now. He is full of energy and always on the move. He loves his brother and sister....and most of the time you can see it in his behavior. Often times if we are trying to do something with Little J that he needs to be still for we have to ask Princess to leave the room, because he is so excited to see her! They do have their sibling moments where they torture each other but most of the time they are happy to see each other. Little J is very in tune to Princess J's emotions. On many occasions if Princess J gets in trouble.....Little J ends up crying....he hates it when we get mad at her!

Some favorites:

Foods:

COOKIES (any kind)!

Fruit (apples, grapes, and melons)

Carrots

Movies:

Monsters Inc.

Planet 51

TV shows

The Upside Down Show: Every night for an hour we hear complete and full belly laughs over this show! We need to find the DVD's for this show!

Princess J: We are in the midst of the "horrifying 3's" She is on her own program and thinks that this is the Princess J show. Every other word out of her mouth is NO! Some of the things she says are hilarious and you almost wonder where she gets this stuff from. The other day she told me "Let's go clean my room!" Um...yeah...okay...I said "Let's go!" We get to her room and she says okay mommy...you clean, I'll play! HILARIOUS!

She tells me when I'm not doing something the right.....No mommy...that's not right! LOL! Like when I tried singing "The Wheels on the Bus" for her....sigh.....LOL!

She's always looking out for her brothers! She's very intuitive to what they want...especially Little J. He drops toys and she goes to get them for him. She loves to help put Peanut J to bed at night and she tells them she loves them.

She's still the pickiest eater on the planet....to the point of frustration. Thankfully, she drinks her instant breakfast drink without tantrum and she loves to eat fruit....although don't you dare leave skin on the apple! OY!

Everyday she asks for McDonalds!

Princess J favorites:

McDonalds

Playing dress up

Vanilla wafers

Her Hello Kitty wellies

Shoes

Purses

anything sparkly!

Caillou

Sprout

Chica (on Sprout)

Team Umizoomi

Dislikes:

Sesame Street....I really don't get this one...but everyday she tells me "I don't like it!" and brings me the remote to change the channel. She does like Elmo and the rest of the characters...but only in books and magazines...hmmmmmm....

Peanut J: OMG! This little man is 1! I cannot even believe it! What a sweet little wiggle worm he is! He is always on the move! He is getting ready to walk...he's working on it...he gets a few steps and then falls at this point. He seems to love almost any food we put in front of him.....but he's not really liking the transition from formula to regular milk....He puts up with 6 oz formula/2 oz milk mix....but he puts his foot down at 4oz formula/4oz milk......we'll keep working on it though.

Peanut J is really loving Sesame Street! Sigh......can't get Princess J to watch it....so sometimes it's a battle.

With school starting for both Little J full time from 8am to 2:30 in the afternoon and Princess J going to preschool 3 days a week....I am finally going to have some one on one time with Peanut J! I'm looking for a baby gym program for him to start! Princess J also wants to be a ballerina right now, so I think we're going to look for a little dance class for her and see how it goes. She is really blossoming right now. Her speech is coming along well and she's VERY GOOD at expressing herself. She has an amazing imagination and plays so well by herself as well as finding it easy to make new friends. She tries to make friends everywhere......doctors offices, restaurants...anywhere! She'll talk to any kid...thank goodness she won't just talk to any adult! LOL!

To clarify my last post....there is no fetus J in the oven at this time, nor do I anticipate one. Our plan is that Peanut is our last one....this makes me a little sad as I miss that itty bitty baby stage and I am a little sad that I won't be preggo again....but when I feel a little misty over it...reality smacks me on the forehead! My last post was about how last year we had two independent little ones on the outside and 1 little bun in the oven...it was much easier to take of 2 kids and 1 in utero rather than 3 independent beings! LOL!

All 3 of my J's are amazing little kids in their own ways. G and I are very blessed to have each and every one of them. We are so proud of each of them.

Coming Back Soon!

2010-08-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

The best laid plans don't always come out the way you thought. Summer break got here faster than I anticipated and with 3 kids this year instead of 2 and 1 baking in the oven it's been crazy! I'll be back this weekend with an update on all the J's and a special Happy Birthday to our 1 year old Peanut J!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know there is one kid missing. Just couldn't get a share worthy photo....

Don't worry Little J fans...a Little J post is on it's way and I promise sweet photos!

This was Peanut J's first 4th of July! I can't believe a year ago I was still ubber preggo with him and telling him every day to stay put until his planned arrival date...sniff...sniff....I really can't believe that he's almost a year old already! Yikes! Where has the year gone?

We've been super busy lately! Little J is enjoying his extended summer school and Princess J is missing her school. Hopefully we'll have a play date soon with her BFF Brian from school! She seriously did not like boys when she started school....but Brian's sweet nature and a little persistence has paid off. He is adorable and sweet! Peanut J is getting into his groove. He is obsessed with the remote control....nothing can stop that boy from trying to obtain and control! He is all over the place these days....that kid can crawl fast! He's cruising around and testing the water balancing on both feet. He's braving the step taking, but ends up on his booty 90% of the time.

With Little J's new respite caregiver, we've been able to take a few adventures! Last week, we hit the zoo and the fair after Little J got out of school. The kids had a blast! Pictures of those outings coming soon too.

Coming soon:

Zoo Outing!

Fair Outing!

Little J graduates from Kindergarten!

Peanut J is 11 months!

Princess J is divalicious and knows what she wants!

....and probably a few other things I'm forgetting!

We Walked (and rode) for Angels!

2010-06-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

May panned out to be a very busy month for us. Little J's social calender is in full swing and is keeping the rest of us on the move! So, I can't believe that I've waited until now to blog about The Angelman Syndrome Foundation walk-a-thon!

One of the most important events for us every year now is the ASF walk in Sacramento. Not only is it a chance for us to raise some money and awareness, but it is also an opportunity to gather together with other families to share accomplishments, tips and tricks, offer support to one another, meet new families and just have an all out good time. How could you not have a great time at an event with the happiest kids on earth!

This year 2 of the 3 little ones walked the event (or at least part of it). Last year all of them were pulled and pushed or just carried along for the ride in utero. Princess J had a great time giving Auntie Kristin a run for her money as she collected every stick and rock she could find....until she discovered the lake and tried making a run for it! Auntie Kristin knows every trick in the book though and was quickly between her and the lake!

Little J did amazing using his walker to complete a portion of the course and peanut J just went with the flow and made the day easy on us! He even squeezed in his nap while a live band belted out some fun tunes to dance to!

Every year our team of walkers grows! This year, we were lucky to have Auntie Kristin and Grandma and Grandpa Wells join us for the fun!

Maybe YOU can join us next year!

Challenger Jamboree 2010-{just a lil' peak}

2010-05-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

This month has been super busy, super fun and super exhausting all at the same time!

Today, Little J had his Challenger Little League Jamboree. What a fun day! It started out with a game at 9am, a medal ceremony, a welcome ceremony, full jamboree participants photos....(over 300 amazing kids!), and a BBQ lunch!

I'll have more photos to share later (and more to say too), but if you ever get the chance to get out and watch a Challenger Little League game, you will have the best time! There is nothing more heartwarming or joyful than seeing these amazing kids out there playing America's game and just having a good time. There are no fights, everyone scores, everyone plays, everyone wins! The families that participate, the people who volunteer to coach and assist are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet.

Strike A Pose

2010-05-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's not often that this little girl will pose for the camera, but on this day, she decided to rock her Backyardigans lunch box and her Hello Kitty sunglasses before school. She was...as I've said before...HILARIOUS!!!! Everytime I snapped a shot, she would change her pose....and that sassy face! We were having so much fun I wanted to keep her home from school that day....but just as quickly as she became a supermodel....she turned into an All done diva!

More coming soon on Little J and Peanut J!

The Golden Arches.....

2010-05-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

This little girl is such a crack up these days. The things that come out of her mouth and her imagination are HILARIOUS!

She started attending preschool in March and just amazes me! Her teacher has been really impressed with everything she understands and demonstrates in class and how quickly she catches on to things. We are so proud of her! Her speech and vocabulary are growing by leaps and bounds...she's turning into a real chatty girl!

Recently she made a candlestick and a spider in her class (reminder for me to take a photo of them). They used them to act out Jack Be Nimble and Little Miss Muffet. It was too cute! Now, I love saying these rhymes with her and having her fill in most of the important words. I love her 3 year old way of saying "curds and whey", "Miss Muffet", "Nimble" and especially "over my candlestick". I can't get enough and I know I'm driving her crazy asking her over and over. I keep trying to record it, but it's not turning out....I will keep trying as long as she'll let me!

This girl is in LOVE with McDonalds! During Josh's T-Ball season, we've been having it once a week, which is far more often than they usually get it. Since we don't have our normal T-Ball schedule this week, I decided to get her McDonalds for lunch today. Later this afternoon, she takes one of the kitchen table chairs and lines it up with her two small table chairs like a car and she pretends she's driving....she turns around and....

Princess J: I driving to McDonalds!

Me: Really? Are you almost there?

Princess J: Yeah!

Me: Could you get mommy some french fries while your there?

Princess J: I got it!

Me: You're back already?

Princess J: Yeah!

She gets out of her "car" and comes over to me pretending to carry french fries....

Princess J: French Fry! (While handing them to me)

Me: Did you bring any for Little J?

Princess J: No

Me: Could you give him some of mommy's?

Princess J: Ok...(as she takes some from me) she walks over to Little J and puts some on his tray.

Me: Did you bring some for Peanut J?

Princess J: No...too little.

Later playing with her blocks she built a little house and made a line of blocks along side it. She said it was McDonalds.....we're in trouble!

PEANUT J

2010-05-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

This little boy is so stinkin' sweet! He is growing up WAY too fast!

I love these sweet gummy smiles, but those will soon come to an end and I'll have a little boy with a tooth! Poor little guy has been pretty fussy all day, ended up taking a late nap and is up late now...and still a bit fussy. I felt it...the tooth finally making it's break for the top of the gumline. Can't wait to get through this teething stage now that it's really underway...but...sniff...sniff...sniff...I'm going to really miss this gummy little smile.

These days, at 9 months Peanut J:

Is really very easy going. He knows how demanding his brother and sister are and just goes with the flow....when he really wants something though...he knows how to let you know!

He is fascinated by his Little J and especially Princess J. He's always trying to grab on to her...she's not a very willing participant. It's on her terms or not at all!

He likes the ladies...Dora, Kai-Lan and any pretty girl who wants to give him some attention. He knows how to bat those pretty little eyes and give that sly flirty smile.

He loves to carry on conversations! Especially, when he's in the back seat of the mini-van...he doesn't want any of us to forget he's there. When's he's not "talking" back there...he's snoozing. The car ride is an instant sleep inducer for him. I think he's going to be like his sister and as he gets older he'll get mad when the car stops....I see inklings of it now...but we'll see. That's my prediction though.

He loves to jump in his bouncer!

He can crawl, but he knows he can get there faster by rolling. He'll crawl a few steps forward and then start rolling.

He can sit, but he's not interested in doing it for too long....he's got places to go...apparently.

He's already trying to grasp onto things to pull himself up...he's not getting to far with that though....yet!

He's a great eater! He'll eat anything you give him...so far....

He's become a great sleeper! After consistent 5 & 6 hour feedings, he's finally sleeping through the night! Yay!

I am just so blessed by this little boy. I honestly cannot imagine my life without that sweet little face!

Busy Bees!!!

2010-04-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for a busy month of May! I just realized that we have something going on every single weekend in May!

So much fun! I love being busy with activities in between the hectic week schedule. First up, this weekend Little J will be going surfing, boogie boarding and kayaking in Santa Cruz! I can't wait to take the kids to Santa Cruz! I used to love spending summer days there as a kid and went a bunch of times during college for weekend getaways with my girlfriends!

There should be lots of photos in the days and weeks ahead!!

Meanwhile, this little cutie is growing like a weed! I can't believe he is already 9mos old! Time sure flies! An update post on what he's up to will be on it's way soon! Now....time to rest for the busy month ahead!

Paying Attention!

2010-04-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Recently, Every Friday night has been spent at the local Little League field for Challenger league for Little J. Princess J loves to go and everytime we cheer on a player from either team, Princess J joins in louder than anyone...but especially when it's Little J. I didn't really think she was paying attention to what the kids were actually doing out there, because she's usually running around between cheers climbing on the bleachers, playing with other little girls or just running amuck. Princess J surprised me though! These photos are worth a million words!

Initially, we were not supposed to play this past Friday, but because of one game being rained out, and the last game being taken over by team photos they put a game together. It was a little disorganized, but it was lots of fun hanging out and chatting with the other families while it was being put together without our regular coaches. The parents who stepped up did a fabulous job! While we were waiting, Princess J was running amuck. She had a good cold going, but she loves being at the field! Next thing we know, as soon as the equipment got put out, she was all over it. She had a helmut on and grabbed a bat and ball. She carefully put the ball on the T and swung at it! She knocked it off the T and while it was only about 2 inches from where she started, she knew it was time to run......she did however put the ball back on the T before she ran....to 3rd base! LOL! It was so stinkin' cute! She was HILARIOUS...and had all that saw her giving her some of her own cheers! GO PRINCESS J!!!!

Catch Up with Princess J

2010-04-18T23:04:00.001-07:00

Since my last post, this little girl has had a lot going on!
*She turned 3years old!
*She started preschool!
*She moved into her new bedroom!
*She is finally in love with Peanut J!
She's still not interested in being followed by the mamarazzi.....unless the mamarazzi is following Peanut J!
Her favorite word is still NO!
Love the way she says OK...it's so cute!
Calls Daddy the Po Po! LOL!
Loves Hello Kitty (I have no idea how that happened)!
Her favorite shows are:
The Backyardigans-I think Pablo is her favorite.
Wow Wow Wubbzy
Max & Ruby
Wonder Pets
Penguins of Madagascar
Favorite Movies: Princess and the Frog and Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakual..I think she loves the Chipettes.
She loves to dance! If you ask her where her groove thing is, she dances. She loves the Shake-A-Rama Go Go Go by the Curious Buddies on Nick Jr. I love watching her dance too!
Favorite Food: McDonalds Chicken nuggets (Is there kiddie crack in that stuff?)
She is the pickiest eater EVER! It's a nightmare at times....
She's turning into a little mommy for both Little J and Peanut J. She wants to feed both of them and brush their hair.
She's an excellent cheerleader for Little J's t-ball team!
I'm so lucky to be her mommy. <3

Little J-apalooza!

2010-03-22T21:23:00.001-07:00

Little J had a very busy schedule on Friday! This little boy was going and going like the energizer bunny! Why is it that all the fun stuff always seems to fall on the same day instead of being spread out through the month or even the week? LOL!

Friday after school, Little J participated with his class in his schools walk-a-thon to raise money for his school! He did a great job and completed 3 laps walking on his own
with some supervision from his teacher! All the kids had a great time!

The most exciting thing for Little J was his first little league t-ball game!

We had heard about leagues in other areas for little ones with special needs, but hadn't heard of any near us. One day I was chatting with Little J's PE teacher and he was telling me that they had been playing t-ball in his PE class and that Little J loved it! I told him we eventually wanted to find a league for him to play in. He then told me he was in touch with our local league and would be getting the information and would pass it on to us.

We had Little J signed up before the end of the week! This organization is so awesome! All the kids were out there in their uniforms, just having a great time!

The smile on Little J's face as he played with his daddy's help says it all! I think that was probably the most amazing and fun sporting event I have ever been to! The best thing was that the fans in the stands were cheering equally for both teams! The kids got so much joy out of playing and hearing all the cheering going on for them. Princess J had a great time cheering everyone on too! She'd hear all the cheering from the stands and she joined right in and tried (and most likely succeeded) at being the loudest cheer girl there! Hmmmm....I wonder where she gets all that cheering spirit?

The kids play every Friday night for about an hour or so. It was perfect! Can't wait for this Friday to get here and go to another game! Yay!

You know that means more photos to come!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T19:34:00.003-07:00

Word Explosion!

2010-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our little Princess J hadn't been much interested in talking immediately. She was a very good communicator, making up her own version of sign language to meet her needs. For example: If she were sitting in her booster chair and she wanted down, she intially would point to you, point to herself and then point to the floor as if to say...you get me down! LOL! It was hilarious the things she came up with....but this also worried us.....

She started working with a speech therapist just after her 2nd birthday. After a few months, she got a new speech therapist and we are so thankful for all the hard work Alex has put in with our Princess J. Alex is amazing! Princess J adores Alex! Over the last year, she has slowly begun to use words...in the last 2 months, we've had word and sentence EXPLOSION!

You all have probably seen the Family Guy commerical where Stewie is saying "mom" in as many different ways as he can be annoying...this is Princess J constantly....although it's not annoying...it's the most amazing sound I have heard in my life! Her little voice and even the word "no" is cherished beyond measure. Don't get me wrong...there are those days where it's a bit grating on the ears, but I will never tell her to be quiet...except maybe to use the "inside voice" rather than crowded stadium voice. LOL!

When you have a child who doesn't meet their milestones and may never talk like our beautiful Little J, every milestone they do meet is a miracle....every milestone your other children meet is just as miraculous! We definately won't be taking any of it for granted!

Here are some of our favorite multiple word Princess phrases:

Stay Home!

Get out!

My Room!

Daddy Po Po!

Whole Bunch!

I Love You!

Love You Too!

Go Home!

My School!

How Are You?

I'm Good!

Wow Wow! (For Wow Wow Wubbzy)

Dora & Boots!

She can also count to 5 too!

So proud of her!

A Curse and A Blessing.

2010-03-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

What a tough week. This last week has left me drained. See that little spot on Little J's cheek? That little spot made me realize what a blessing my Little J is, but what a curse his diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome can be.

That little spot brought the fire department and an ambulance to our home. That little spot had us sitting at our local Emergency room for 5 hours. That little spot is only the aftermath. The cause of that little spot is burned in my memory and I see it everytime I close my eyes to go to bed. That little spot had me crying as silently as I could as I drove Little J to therapy the day after it happened.

Tuesday started out just like any other day. Little J went off to school and Princess J and Peanut J and I ran a few errends and played. We picked up Little J at school at his regular time and headed home for our afternoon routine. All the kiddos played and were having a great time. At 4:30, I started getting the kids ready for our evening routine and was getting ready to give the Princess her evening bath. I put Little J in his chair and had cartoons going for him. I got Peanut J in his swing to start his late evening snooze. I was heading down the hallway to start the water for the bath when I hear Little J start crying and Princess J is saying uh-oh over and over again. She didn't sound alarmed, so I was guessing she was tattling on Little J for doing some minor infraction to the Princess rules. Little J had a bungee cord in his hand and had placed the hook end in his mouth. At first I wasn't too alarmed I was going in to retrieve it from him, when I looked twice and realized that he had somehow pushed the hook through his cheek from the inside out.

Now that I've seen this, I can feel the panic rising from the bottom of my stomach, but I convinced myself to take a deep breath and try to relax. Little J is screaming and yanking on the bungee cord and Princess J is just standing there staring saying uh-oh. I didn't want her to get upset, so I just started trying to calm Little J down and keep him still. This was not working so well, as I'm thinking in my head what is the next best thing to do. I kept thinking that I've always heard that if you impale yourself with something that you should leave it in place until a doctor can remove it. While I was trying to keep Little J still, I managed to grab my cell phone out of my pocket and called 911. I just didn't know what else to do with this. Was he going to rip his cheek? How much was it going to bleed if it came out? How on earth was I going to get this out anyway? Keeping Little J from yanking on the bungee cord was not working out so well and finally he somehow popped it out, so while I was on the phone, I grabbed a towel and started applying pressure as I didn't know how much blood might come out. Thankfully, there was not a lot of blood, just a shocked and crying little boy and a freaked out mommy! I got Little J and took him to our front porch, since the fire department and an ambulance was on the way by now.

Thank goodness for our local fire station and the first responders who work there. They were AMAZING! They checked out Little J minimally so as not to freak him out anymore and they already figured that the hospital would be checking the wound. Since it wasn't gushing blood and he was alert, acting normal and breathing, they just stayed with us until G got home and I could transport him myself. We got through it all and Little J was an awesome little trooper. I on the other hand felt like I had just been nominated for worst mother of the decade award......

Here is where my curses and blessings come in. I hope I don't offend anyone by some of the things I'm about to say, but I feel I need to be candid here. Little J is an amazing little boy. He is beautiful, loving, sweet, tenacious, smart, determined and curious. We love him with all of our heart and wouldn't trade his sweet little self for anything on earth. I feel so blessed that he has the abilities that he does. I love that he sees something and never gives up until he figures out just how to accomplish whatever goal he has decided upon. I hate Angelman Syndrome. Not only do I hate the medical issues that AS causes...sleep disturbances, developmental delay, no speech and seizures, but I hate the mental deficiencies it causes. Most little ones learn not to do something either by being told not to do it and remembering that they were told not to do it, or by getting hurt doing something. They don't want to get hurt again and they realize that they should not do the same act again. Little J will not learn this way. I can almost guarantee with 100% accuracy that if Little J saw the same bungee cord again, he would once again pop it into his mouth. If I tell him no, he will stop for approximately 2 seconds and then be back at it again. Some days feel like ground hog day.....over and over and over.

In a nutshell, I am blessed by all the things that Little J can do, and I'm cursed by them all at the same time. I wouldn't trade the abilities he has for anything, but if I could get rid of AS from him, I would make a deal with the devil. I HATE it!

I've had a few people tell me I make it look easy. I thank those of you who have said that for the compliment from the bottom of my heart. I thank G for his constant support and love for our family too. It's not easy though. It's not easy for either of us. We love Little J and do what we have to do. We are abundantly rewarded with his sweet smiles and hugs and his amazing light of love....but it's hard and it's constant. I never ever want to see any of my children hurt, or in any kind of pain, physical or emotional. With Little J it's much different and I just can't find the right words to describe it. Maybe it's that I know he's going to rely on me much longer for so much more than his brother and sister will. Not only do we have to protect him from the world around him, but we have to protect him from himself as well. That's a huge weight on our shoulders and a responsibility that we don't take lightly and when we fail sometimes it breaks our hearts....

Cooking!

2010-02-26T23:03:00.000-08:00

This summer while I was uber preggo and my dad and stepmom were here visiting and helping us get ready for Peanut J's arrival, my stepmom bought me this book. I LOVE it!

One of my wishes was to be able to cook more meals with fresher and healthier ingredients, but not have to do it from scratch and take forever to prepare. While they were here, my stepmom fed us like royalty! We had a home cooked healthy meal almost every single night for the entire time. It was so healthy, that even though I was eating like a complete horse, I only gained 3lbs during pregnancy in the months that they were here....I actually weighed less after delivery than what I started out at. For those who are shocked...all my bloodwork and an extra ultrasound showed everything was fine with me and the little one during the pregnancy. Because of my low weight gain, they did an extra one in the 8th month just as a precaution. We tried several of the reciepes and they were all very good. I think we only made 1 addition to one of the reciepes and took out an ingredient on the same reciepe. Once my dad and stepmom left, I was unsure if I would be able to continue the success with this book, since I'm really just your average cook.

Anyway, most of the reciepes we have tried in this book I can complete in just about 1hour from start to serve. This is perfect! Even with my limited cooking abilities, the dishes have all turned out delicious! The other things I like about this book is it's small instruction sections for different cooking techniques and it recomendations on different ingredients brands. Try some Rotel tomatoes and Santita tortilla chips (these are only $2 a bag at Safeway) they really are so much better than Tostitos or the other brands!

If you want to read more about the book, go to America's Test Kitchen Bookstore.

I plan to explore the site America's Test Kitchen a bit more as I noticed that they have some other reciepes online for free.

I also plan to check out these 2 titles as well. We actually picked up the skillet book at Costco, so I plan to look there first for these other titles. Otherwise Barnes & Noble carries it. Amazon carries it as well, the prices are all about the same, so I would check your local Costco first. It was $19.99 there. Enjoy!

Bowling Princess Style...

2010-02-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

This week while Little J was at school, we decided to take Princess J to the bowling alley. She loves to stand up her books in the hallway and knock them over with her various balls, so we thought she might enjoy a bowling game....

We were right! She had a great time, but was pretty tired after just one game.

She loved watching the ball roll down the alley and knock over the pins...she only tried to chase it a couple of times. She loved cheering when the ball knocked over any pins. She loved cheering for daddy who bowled with her! Soooo stinkin' cute! The only thing that upset her was they brought her a boy blue ball instead of a girl pink ball.....sigh....

We have a busy week ahead! I hope to snap lots of pictures this week! I hope to make progress on my reading goal. I hope to make progress on a few other things as well.....let's see what the week holds...Bring it on!

Reading....

2010-02-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

I've been a lover of books for as long as I can remember. I'm so glad to see that in Princess J too. She loves to sit and look at books, listen to books and she always has one or more with her in the car no matter where we go. I used to read so much before my last two were born. Since Princess J and Peanut J have come along finding time to sit and enjoy a book as been difficult. There are so many other things roping me in during my free time (read here when all the kids are asleep). One of my goals in the new year is to get my reading fix in....and I don't mean reading The Cat in the Hat or I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham! I do love those books too, but after you've read them 100 times you need something new.

To get me started, I've selected 10 books I'm going to read before the year is up! These don't include new releases coming from a few of my favorite authors that I plan to add to my list as I'm plugging along. Most of these are easy reads. Nothing that Oprah would select for her book club, but they all seem to be entertaining and that is exactly what I'm looking for right now. I'm not putting any pressure on myself that I must end up reading these 10, maybe others will replace these or maybe I'll start one and *gasp* hate it so much I'll put it down. This would be a difficult task for me as I've never done that before...once I start a book, I've got to finish it....but maybe I could try....afterall who has time to waste. So, here is my current list which may be changed, added to, subtracted to, or dumped all together depending on how it goes.

I'm going to do my best to keep it updated here on the blog and I'll let you know what I think of the books too as I go along!

1. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
2. LA Candy and Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad (I know they are two seperate books, but I'm listing them together, because they seem like one and the same to me)
3. My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
4. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
5. The Shanghai Girls By Lisa See
6. The Secret Shoppers Revenge by Kate Harrison
7. The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson
8. Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky
9. Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman
10. Mayhem in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
11. The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
12. Outside In by Courtney Thorne-Smith

See, I couldn't narrow it down so I'm already up to 12......wish me Luck!

That {Elusive} Smile

2010-02-15T20:21:00.001-08:00

Happy Presidents Day! Since today was a holiday and G had to work, the kids and I stayed home. Most of the day was spent in jammies and playing.

Later in the day, I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine, Princess J's sunny disposition, and Peanut J's napping to play around with the camera. I took almost 200 photos of this little girl! I got lots of good photos, but many of them are going to need some photoshop correction....one of my goals to work on! These photos will be lots of fun to play around with.

In general, Princess J is an unwilling model. Mostly, it's mommy looking like a fool, laying on the ground, jumping up running after Princess and singing silly cartoon songs and telling her that different characters are in my camera and that she should look for them. Oh, what my neighbors must think when they see this spectacle! Today, Princess J still was on her own program, but she was tolerant of the camera. It was still me jumping through hoops, but she was having a good time and it didn't hurt taht she was in love with this little outfit from Target. She spent lots of time twirling the skirt around and just exploring the front yard, since it's been awhile since we've been able to play on the grass. As I was looking through the photos, this one just popped out at me....that smile! This little girl has such a beautiful smile, but she never wants to show it to the camera...it's always just mommy snapping away hoping to catch it. Usually, if I ask her to show me her smile, she turns her back to the camera and does it facing the other way! Such a stinker! Today....today I captured that elusive smile!!! It made mommy's day!

Some of Princess J's favorites are:

Cartoons: Backyardigans, Umizoomi, Max and Ruby aand Wow, Wow, Wubbzy.

Words: NO! Boo! My Room! Stay Home! and now.....she says that Daddy is the Po Po!

Foods: McDonalds Happy Meal (Chicken Nuggies and French Fries), Grapes, Strawberries, Princess Cookies (Madelines at Starbucks) and Lolipops. She's still a stubborn eater....sigh...

Toys: Little People Princess Castle and books!

Latest Stinker Moves: She likes to have the door closed in our room when she goes to sleep next to mommy or daddy. The door was open and she didn't want us to close it, she wanted to do it...so we let her....she ran to the door, went out of the room and shut the door quickly behind her heading to play with toys I'm sure! Removing baby gates from where they belong.

Just for Me

2010-02-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

I love my kids......but....other things I love have taken a backseat. I certainly don't regret that and I wouldn't go back to the days when they were my priority either....but....I miss them anyway. That being said, I didn't make any New Year resolutions. I find it hard to stick to something like that. The minute I slack....and with three kids and lots of activities and other things to think about...slacking will happen, I feel guilty. When I feel guilty, I get in funk and then I slack some more. It's a vicious circle for me. So...no resolutions. I do however have some things I'd like to work on. Nothing set in stone, but try and find a way to carve out just a few minutes or hours here and there to give my other loves well...some love.

1. Read more. This one, I've been working on and while it's slow going I've been carving out some time here and there. During Princess J's monday appointment, Little J sleeps and I read. During Little J's hour of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy..the other littles nap in the car and I....I read. Not setting a goal here, just finding time to enjoy it.

2. Scrap! I miss it so much! I've worked on this as well. The space is a bit cleaner and there is room to work. I need to stop over thinking my pages and just get in an do it.

3. More photos please! I took an awesome photography workshop with the fabulous Krista Lund and have been working on this. I just need the rain to go away so I can take the kids outside more often to just shoot away! Lighting inside is something I'm also working on, but I love to just go outside and play while they explore. I'm hoping that Krista is still planing to do another workshop in the spring....I'll be there if she does!

4. I need to take the time to figure out my photoshop program. I've sat down a few times and I'm just a little challenged here. I have some websites that Krista recomended...I just have to take the time to check them out and quit getting sucked into Facebook! LOL!

5. Date nights! Hubby and I need these! I'm working on this as this posts. It's not as simple as finding a random teenager to come over and babysit when you have a child with special needs. Not only do you have to find someone you trust with your little hearts, but you have to find someone who can lift him, deal with seizures if it should happen, and interact with your littles and keep them safe and entertained. Thankfully, Little J's new case manager is working on helping us with this now. I really hope we find someone fantastic, so hubby and I can go out into the world together and have some kid free time. I have a plan for our first date, when it all comes together....stay tuned!

Super Slacker!

2010-02-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes. I am still here. I wonder if everyone has completely given up on my blog? I have been a super slacker as of late. I don't really have any excuse except that getting used to being a family of 5 has been much more of a logistical challenge than being a family of 4. That's not saying that Peanut J is any more difficult than either Little J or Princess J was. We just no longer have any advantage. The littles officially outnumber us.....and they know it!

I also have been posting a lot on Facebook, which I think has taken me away from this sweet little blog and well....it's been easier for sharing photos and such. I think though that I'm ready to embrace my blog again. I'm not going to hold myself to any posting standard, I'm not going to feel guilty for all the things I wanted to document here but didn't.....but I'm ready to embrace, share and document on this ol' blog again.

We've had a rough winter so far. The kids have all been sick now off and on. Peanut J thankfully missed most of the bugs that came passing through this house. Little J brought quite a few of them home for visits. We were able to keep Peanut J from coming down with anything other than a few runny noses and a cough or two...thankfully nothing serious. He finally had his first illness with a stubborn fever the day before his 6 month check up. He got his 6month vaccines and his flu shot....and then we had the night from heck. He was completely miserable. For 2 days this went on and then just as quickly as it made him miserable, he was back to his sweet little peanut self.

He is maintaining his peanutness well too. At his 6 month check up he was 26 1/2 inches long and only 14 sweet little pounds. While he only makes the 10% mark for weight, we are not concerned as he was ill and that can account for some weight loss and he is growing length wise like a weed!

Little J is doing well in Kinder. He loves it! He gets so excited to see his teacher and aides in the morning. I swear he practically runs away with them at drop off and barely looks back at us. He's always happy to see us when we pick him up, but I think he'd still much rather stay at school longer. The other day I went to pick him up and his teacher came out and said that he was in a business meeting. Ha! Little J was selected to have pizza with the principal at his school! Every month students are selected for lunch with the principal for good behaviour and for demonstrating a positive character trait. Little J's positive character trait....Bully Free! It's good to know that my Little J is not bullying his classmates in kindergarten! His walking skills are constantly improving. He loves being so independent! We've seen some sleep issues and some seizure issues lately, but with a slight increase in his seizure medication and a plan for trying to control the sleep issue I think we'll survive.

Princess J's favorite word is NO! You can ask her, she'll tell you it's her favorite word! She is quickly approaching the terrifying 3's! I swear, this little girl is going to get the lifetime acheivement award for dramatics before she turns 3! Even with all the drama and NO yelling, she is so amazing. She looks out for Little J all the time. She makes sure he has toys, shares snacks with him and helps mommy whenever she can. She's still warming up to Peanut J. I think she still wants to be the baby....little does she know, she always will be! She's finally willing to give him kisses although these are mostly blowing kisses at him. She loves to make sure he has his binkie in his mouth whether he's crying or fast asleep. There is nothing like seeing her shove his binkie in his mouth while he's sound asleep and he's turning his head back and forth trying very hard to stay asleep and avoid the binkie thrust. Princess J is very good at letting me know when Little J or Peanut J need something and she's really good at tattling on Little J! There are still days in the car where Princess J will hold hands with Little J, but these days are growing further and further apart as she loves to tell him NO! Little J still tries very hard to console her when she's upset, but gives up much more quickly as she screams louder and louder at him! It really is hilarious to watch them together. While they "bicker" like typical siblings, they are also very protective of eachother. While Princess J is more than happy to tattle on Little J, she still doesn't like it when he gets in trouble and Little J does not like it when she gets in trouble.

We're already 2 months into the new year and while I didn't make any resolutions, I do have some things I'd like to work on in the new year. I'll recap those in a later post. So far progress is slow.....but tomorrow is a new day!

Enjoy the photos! Photos of Little J coming soon!

Two out of Three.....

2009-12-20T15:41:00.000-08:00

All the kids went to see Santa....I only have two loaded onto the computer, I still have to scan Little J's photo and upload it, but in the meantime, here are the other two......

Even too Much for Me...

2009-12-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

Princess J and I headed out to do some Merry Christmas shopping today. Usually, I am done with my shopping by now and I head out to laugh at all the last minute shoppers in a frenzy to get all their stuff done. This year......hanging my head.....I was one of them. Ugh!

Princess J and I got a lot done, we headed to Baby's R Us, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Target and then the mall. The mall is where I had to draw the line and make a plan to head back another day. I just couldn't deal with the weekend crowd. It was wall to wall people....it's been a long time since I've seen the mall that way! Princess J and I had a nice lunch together and just hung out having a good time. She is so much fun to be with and just cracks me up all the time.

Here is a conversation we had this morning....

Moose and Zee announce on Nickolodeon, that Miss Spider's Sunny Patch is next.....Princess J hates this show....

Princess J: No!

Me: You want me to change the channel?

Princess J: Yeah!

Me: Okay, let me finish Baby J's bottle and then I'll change the channel and find you something else.

Princess J: Pouty face with a sigh...

Me: What do you think this is the Princess J show?

Princess J: YEAH!!!!!

Sigh........

Fashion Diva

2009-12-17T00:31:00.000-08:00

Princess J is making her mark on the fashion world! This little girl has a sense of style all her own! This is her favorite home ensemble. Nice comfy feety jammies, Hello Kitty Wellies, Winnie the Pooh scarf and to finish off the look a jeweled princess crown! Everyday we get some version of this. The crown is interchangable with a Hello Kitty knit cap. Sometimes, she'll find the keys to the car and head for the door wanting to go out like this....

While this little girl has a style all her own....mommy is still lucky enough that Princess J likes to get dressed for the day most of the time as well. Sometimes she puts her 2 cents in and tells me that she's not going to wear something I've picked out, but most of the time she's compliant and happy. Once she if fully dressed and hair done, she must make the final inspection in the mirror before we can leave the house. She's finding a true liking for shoes and purses already too! We're in BIG trouble, I've created a monster (I've had a little help though...from Grandma who not only taught me my shoe and clothing love, but has assisted in the training of the princess) <3

Mommy's Christmas List!

2009-12-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Just as daddy requested....mommy's wish list!

In no particular order:

1. Glee Soundtrack Volume 2

2.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

3. Cannon 50mm 1.4 lens

4.Nook eBook Reader I'm a little on the fence about this....can I really give up the holding of the traditional book? I never really fell in love with listening to books....this eBook seems to do all the things I'd like in an eBook though....hmmm....

5. Car charger for the iPhone!

6. A Wii!!!! I don't know what games to go with it, but would love to have Wii Fit and Guitar Hero! :D

7. A new laptop??? LOL!

Christmas lists are hard for me...I am already so blessed and don't really want for anything....so....well..there it is....still thinking if there is anything to add.

What's on your list?

Birthday Extension!

2009-12-03T17:49:00.001-08:00

What a week this has been! I'm not even sure where the entire thing went, I just know I've been running like crazy!

Poor G has been sick for which I think he feels is like forever! He is never one to sit still for a millisecond...so making him sit and rest has been next to impossible! He's been quarantined from Baby J! He's also had limited contact with the other two, just trying to keep everyone healthy! I know he misses his time with the littles and I KNOW they miss daddy time.

Princess J only has a few words right now, but in the last two weeks she's gone crazy using them consistently! Mommy is super excited about that! Everything has to be on her terms...she definately is a stubborn one (I have no idea where she got that from)!

Little J is having his class birthday party tomorrow! We're taking pizza and cupcakes to school for him! I'll try very hard to post the photos I take tomorrow!

Baby J had his 4 month check up this week.....he's a whopping 13 lbs! His weight has dropped off a bit from the rapid spurt he took from birth. He's such a mover! He's actually trying to pull himself up to a sit in his bouncy chair! I'm sure he's got abs of steel from trying so hard too! He's such a sweet little patient one too! His brother and especially his sister are super demanding and he's so patient waiting for their needs to be met. He's such a snuggle bug!

That's all I got for now! Trying to put together plans for Christmas......so much to think about!

Five? Really?

2009-12-01T21:23:00.001-08:00

I cannot even believe that my Little J is actually a five year old! It just does not seem possible that he could really be 5! G and I were talking yesterday about how much our lives have changed since Little J came along. The day Little J arrived, we were so overjoyed and could not wait to embark on our adventure as a family of 3 knowing that we wanted to add more little ones. We could not have even begun to imagine what was in store for us. We had on huge pairs of rose colored glasses when we decided to join the ranks of parenthood....little did we know just how joyful the joys would be and just how heartbreaking some of the lows could be.

Little J's diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome is still such a pivotal moment in our lives. One that both G and I can replay over and over in our heads. I remember exactly what the doctors office looked like and the look on her face when she had to break the news to us. It's been a hard road to come to terms with and sometimes the road is very smooth and sometimes it is extremely bumpy! I have to say though, that every milestone Little J reaches, I am just beyond joyful. What a true and honest blessing Little J is to us. He is the epitome of unconditional love. He makes us so proud with every new step he takes and every new skill he learns.

Some of the most amazing joys in this journey have come from Princess J. She is so caring and loving to Little J. She brings him toys when he drops them, helps alert us when she knows he's about to do something he shouldn't (such a tattle tale) or when she knows he needs us. The first time he walked a short distance independently she clapped for him....she knew just how amazing it was! They go after eachother in typical sibling fashion as well. When she wants to be the diva, even Little J can't sway her. For his birthday today, she tried to convince me he wanted a Hello Kitty cake too! I cannot wait to see Baby J follow her lead in caring about Little J. I know that because of Little J, aside from mommy and daddy, they will both really know unconditional love, they will both have caring and compassionate hearts and what amazing people Little J's influence will help them become. In turn, their milestones and example will influence Little J to keep working and to strive to do the things he wants to do. While I'm not a "pie in the sky" type of person, I know for Little J ANYTHING is possible!

Five years ago today, I was taking my first peek into they eyes of my beautiful baby boy, my beautiful angel from God. Five years ago today, I was looking into the eyes of a baby with a pure and good loving heart and I know that his heart will always remain that way. It will never be jaded. Today, I wish my Little J a very Happy 5th Birthday! Mommy and Daddy love you so very much!

More photos to come after Friday! We're having a little party in his classroom! I still had to get photos to day for his actual birthday though! <3

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-26T19:24:00.000-08:00

Wow! So much to be thankful for this year! All those smiles from the other day are just the beginning! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family! Not only my wonderful husband and beautiful children, but our extended family as well. We sure missed all of them this Thanksgiving. It was just the 5 of us, but we didn't skimp on the trimmings! So thankful for all that we have.

This was only the second time I've made a turkey, but it turned out nice and juicy! Yummo! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and we still have pumpkin and apple pie to devour! My poor hubby is a bit under the weather, so pretty much today was a jammie day for the kiddos. I did get Princess J dressed later in the day to play with the camera a little. She's a wild little diva, so she definatley gave me a run!

It's a tough balance to get Princess J to look at the camera, get it to focus, get the white balance right, get the focus right and everything else we learned at Krista's workshop. It was fun playing around though! Maybe tomorrow after a little early morning Black Friday fun, I'll play some more in the afternoon!

We hope you all had a beautiful and happy Thanksgiving!

{Smiles and Frowns}

2009-11-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

So I picked up this idea from Krista quite awhile ago and thought it was a cute idea. I never implemented it, but I think now is a good time to do it! There is quite a bit going on around here....some good and some....not so good....

Smiles:
The care and concern that Princess J is showing for both her big brother and her little brother. Today, she wanted to play ball with both of them. She actively tried to engage Little J in a game of catch...Little J is good at catching, but not so good at throwing and then wanted to include Baby J....needless to say, the ball just whacked him in the head (it was a very soft ball..so no injury occured). She was very sad when I told her that Baby J was just too little to play ball with. Then tonight, she was laying in bed with me while I was feeding Baby J and she wanted to help hold the bottle while he ate.

Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Theraputics (FAST). All the work that they are doing to find a cure and treatments for AS! A Gala is being held to raise money for all the great work they are doing!

Grocery deliver by Safeway...1 hour early too!

Excited to pick up and borrow a new lens to try out on my camera! I see a little photo shoot with the kiddos in the VERY near future!

Gingerbread Lattes and Carmel Brulee Lattes!

Got a nice "tweet" from Jacqueline Laurita. I know I'm such a dork, but it's my brush with reality TV and she seems so sweet and genuine. :D

A few minutes in the day to read a good book!

Frowns:

Not enough hours in the day!

Trying to find time to pack up the scrap room to move it...not successful.

Missing my creative time with paper, scissors and glue.

Little J's teacher has been sick and was briefly in the hospital.

A couple of people I've been praying for have passed away in the last week.I didn't know either of them, but their stories and their courageous battles touched my heart. One was a young boy with a rare disease and the other a young mother of 2 young boys who battled Leukemia. Sending continued prayers to their families for comfort and peace. Hug your families tight and make sure you tell them you love them as often as you can!

Little J's continuous mischeiviousness is making life a little difficult lately. He doesn't understand danger and has no fear, so this mama is a little on edge lately.

That we are not able to attend the event in Chicago in December by FAST to raise money and awareness for Angelman Syndrome and research to find a CURE!

----------------------------------The next blog entry will have photos....I Promise!-----------

{Crazy Random}

2009-11-22T21:57:00.000-08:00

See....I told you I was back!

This week has been crazy busy, with tons of appointments! Thankfully, we made it through without too much trouble.

Monday was the craziest of all! Little J had his clinic appointment with CCS, Little J had to go to school, Princess J had her speech appointment and then we were off to meet with the school district. Craziness that all those appointments and running around occured btween 8:30am and 10:45am!

Tuesday Princess J had a hearing test appointment. Originally she was supposed to go on July 30th, but Baby J made his appearance on the 29th, soooo needless to say we didn't make it. Everything went fine with her hearing test except that she didn't want to put anything on her head or in her ears! Talk about DRAMA! This girl can scream and throw and tantrum with the best of them. They got enough information to say that hearing does not appear to be affecting her ability for expressive speech, so that's a good thing. I think it's good old fashioned stubborness at play....wonder where she gets that from? She'll return in 6mos for a follow up visit to try and get more detailed information on each ear, but for now all is good.

Wednesday, we heard that Little J's teacher was in the hospital with pneumonia! We've since heard that he's at home recovering now, but keep him in your prayers! He is such a great teacher and so genuinely concerned for his students. They've all been in and out sick over the last month...including Little J, so it's definately going around and this cold/flu season is starting out with a bang! My pet peeve has always been that some parents send their kids to school knowing they are sick! Often times I know it's a daycare issue, but please!

Saturday, I was so lucky to take a photography workshop by Krista! You can see the photo shoot she did for us this summer here! She is an awesome photographer and friend! She gave us tons of information and I'm actually beginning to understand a little bit about how to get the photos I want! It's going to take some practice and a different lens than what I have......insert Christmas wish here....LOL! I'm actually going to borrow the lens I think I want and test it out a little bit and see what I can come up with before I put it on the official wish list. My goal is to become a better photographer so I can capture all those moments with my littles.....time is going by so quickly and I don't want to forget a minute of it! I'm looking forward to her future workshops! Need to get a better understanding of photoshop as well....to fix all my bloopers! LOL! For now, I think Krista gave me just enough information to work my brain for a little while and give me something to play around with....just in time to try and get photos of the kiddos for our Christmas card! Hopefully, with Josh out of school for the week I'll be able to find some time to play around with the kiddos and the camera.....

So much to do and not enough time to do it! G got the Christmas lights up outside and they are just about ready to go for Thursday. Still gotta get the tree up and the Christmas dishes out too! I love Christmas and all the fun, but it's a lot of work! I liked it better when I wasn't the adult who had to do it! LOL! G is better at getting it done than I, but I'm going to be better this year! LOL! I also need to pack up my scraproom and move it! Oy! I need to make a dent in it this week! Otherwise Baby J may be 18 before he gets his own room! We're moving my scraproom downstairs again, Princess J is moving to my scraproom and Baby J is taking her room.

So much random rambling! If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me and thanks for coming back after my hiatus! <3

Let's Start Over....Please?

2009-11-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

This poor blog has been overly neglected this year. First it was neglected, because sleep seemed to be the most important thing while Little Peanut was in control of my body. Now that he's here, it's been neglected while we try to get used to being outnumbered by the littles in the house, overcome illness' (nothing serious) and keep our daily routine going. I love this blog and really want to get back to it, but I think I was over pressuring myself to have pictures everytime and really have something overwhelmingly wonderful to say.....

Let's catch up, shall we?

Little J- He's been a bit of a challenge lately, but overall is doing amazingly well. He's settled into his kindergarten class and seems to really love it and love his teacher and the aide that primarily works with him. He's making lots of friends and we're so thankful that he's got another "angel" buddy at school with him! He's still not a functional walker, but he's walking further and further independently all the time....so it's a matter of time! He's also discovering things that I had hoped would remain a secret or of non-interest for years to come....I'll leave it at that.

Princess J- She is still the sassy little diva she's always been. She is such a riot to be around! This is the first year she really "got" Halloween and she had a blast! Sadly, Josh was sick, so Halloween wasn't everything we had planned, but she had a great time. She can't say "Trick or Treat" yet, so when we took her door to door, we had her say "BOO!" when anyone opened the door. She thinks she was scary! She still runs around the house screaming "BOO!" to scare us! It's too funny!

Little Peanut-Is going to be a linebacker! He was born the smallest, yet he is growing the fastest! He is my little super chub! Currently he likes sleeping in a seated position....so thank goodness for baby swings and bouncy chairs, otherwise this family would be awake 24/7! He has (knock on wood) stayed healthy while Little J and Princess J have battled some colds and Little J a flu of some sort that is going around his classroom.

Everyone here has thankfully had an easy time getting our seasonal flu vaccines and our H1N1 vaccine. Little Peanut is too young to vaccinate, so it was important we all got the shots to do our best to protect him from what I fear is going to be a very crazy winter for colds and flus.

I will do my best to play catch up from past photos, but am not making any promises. I'm going to try and start fresh here and try to give you lots of photo love going forward!

The photo above is just before my parents left to go home. Little Peanut is only 1 month old and I just love the smile on Little J's face! My poor Little Diva was not happy about being contained for a photo opportunity....

CHEEZ-IT THEIF!

2009-08-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

After a stock up trip to Costco, Princess J showed off her expert skill at opening doors. She took a quick peek into the pantry and stole her new favorite item. She was initially very stealthy and hauled this huge

box all the way to her room without anyone noticing. It was when she became giddy with excitment that we figured her out. Perfect opportunity for a photo shoot and to catch her little cheezer smile!

Heart Attack at the Zoo!

2009-08-13T23:22:00.001-07:00

Today, Grandma, Grandpa, Little J, Princess J, Baby J and I headed for a day at the zoo. Since Baby J arrived, the kids have been pretty cooped up in the house as we settle into a new normal. Today, we had to get the kiddos out of the house and test the waters out in the world.

What a great day we had! We got to see lots of animals and we were pretty impressed with the Oakland Zoo. I can't even remember the last time I was there, but I'm sure I probably paid the kids admission fee! LOL!

Princess J loved the River Dog, the Giraffes and the Elephants. Baby J was a trooper and was soooo good! He made it so easy for mommy! He enjoyed the fresh air and snoozed as we strolled around and entertained Little J and Princess J. He even slept through their lunch and woke wanting to be fed just as we were all finishing up our lunches! What a perfect baby!

You'll notice the extra photo of Princess J and she doesn't look happy!

We tried giving her a few opportunities to be out of the stroller and check things out. I really was trying to get a photo of her with the Giraffes, but as I've posted before, she has one speed......FAST! She took off running down the path so fast! We had to reign her in and put her back in the stroller. This did not make her happy in the least. She got over it pretty quick and when we gave her freedom again to check out the lions she was pretty good about sticking close to Grandma or mommy. So good about holding hands and everything!

As we were preparing to leave, Grandma decided to get the kiddos some shirts for their visit at the zoo. We left Little J and Baby J out in the strollers in the shade with Grandpa and too Princess J inside to the gift shop. She was having a great time checking out all the stuffed animals, the books and the animal figures. She was being soooo good about staying put and holding hands and just being a good little princess in general. Then, something caught her eye and she took off running faster than a speeding bullet! I followed in the direction she went calling out her FULL name and by that I mean First, Middle and Last! The only problem is she was no where to be seen! Thankfully, Grandma caught her coming around another corner! She pretty much did a circle around me from the direction she initially went. I was sooooo SUPER FREAKED OUT! Needless to say, she got into big trouble and her freedom was over. From now on, I can guarantee that my kid will be one of those kiddos with the "backpack leash" attached to her!

In case you are wondering about the second photo of Princess J, she is imitating the elephants! It is soooo stinkin' cute!

Happy 4th Birthday ol' Blog!

2009-08-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Who knew! Life has changed so much since I started this ol' blog! Little J was almost a year old when I started this and who knew all the life changing things we would go through just eight months later! Since I started this blog, Little J was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, he's started and finished pre-school and will soon start kindergarten. I'm glad I had this blog when our family went through that very difficult period after Little J was diagnosed. It's been very helpful to be able to talk about everything from his amazing accomplishments, the diagnosis, the difficulties that Little J faces and just his smiling little face. We also welcomed Princess J to our family and she has just been an amazing gem! She is so stinkin' cute and so stinkin' smart and just one little pistol of a drama queen little girl. We also welcomed Baby J just a couple of weeks ago!

I'm so happy with my sweet little family of 5 and hope you will continue to follow our adventures in this joyful life of ours....with a little drama on the side sometimes! LOL!

Uh-Uh

2009-08-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

So, we spent a lot of time telling Princess J about her new little brother. She spent many nights laying in bed with mommy and checking out the baby belly. She was so sweet and gentle and would give it kisses.

She was a little upset the day of the delivery, because mommy and daddy had to rush out of the house to head for the hospital. She and Little J stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa said that Princess J kept grabbing his hand and taking him to the door wanting to go too. The kiddos were a little out of sorts that night and didn't get to sleep until late.....not that they were not in bed, they just wouldn't go to sleep! Daddy came home pretty late, as peanut and I didn't get to a room until almost midnight after the delivery.

The next day Grandma brought Princess J over to the hospital to see me and to meet Little Peanut. We asked her where her little brother was and she pointed (as usual) to mommy's belly. When we told her no and showed her Little Peanut, she just said uh-uh and turned her head away. Even after bringing him home, she's still not completely sold on the whole little brother deal. She's been a little mad at mommy lately for bringing Little Peanut home! LOL! She's slowly....very slowly warming up to him though. I give her another month and she'll be just as smitten with him as the rest of us! LOL!

I just had to get these cute little photos of Princess J the other day. It's so hard to snap her photo though, because she only operates in one speed......FAST! Can't wait to sit down and order photos and get back to some scrapping!

It's a PEANUT!

2009-08-09T00:59:00.001-07:00

Have you wondered at all where I've been? This last pregnancy kicked my bootay and some things had to go by the wayside. As much as I wanted to and tried, I just couldn't keep up with Little J, Princess J and the blog along with numerous other things. Craziness!

Our newest addition arrived nice and early, just like his brother and sister. His due date was August 8. His planned eviction date was August 4. He arrived on July 29th at 7:43 pm weighing in at 6lbs, 15oz and measuring 21 inches long. I spent most of the pregnancy begging him to stay put until his eviction date, but as you can see, he didn't listen. The day started out pretty typical....lots on the "to do" list, lots of plans and a few appointments. I had a plan to go to Ikea, but had some crazy nightmare about breaking my water and going into labor in Ikea, so I decided not to go. We stuck pretty close to home and G was on his last 2 days at work before his family leave started. My stepmom and I headed to take Little J to his OT/PT appointment, while Little J was busy working out, we went and got a yummy Jamba Juice. After we picked him up, we stopped at Target for a few things and headed home to get some of the "to do" list done. The plan was to have a snack (of some yummy home made salsa and chips) along with the yummy Jamba Juice, and clean out an over stuffed closet and take the contents we no longer wanted along with some other stuff in the garage to a local charity for donation. Lofty dreams I know. We get home, and first things first, one must go to the rest room. As I'm in there, I realize I am now bleeding....YIKES! Nothing serious, but this means......gotta head to the hospital as we didn't want me in full blown labor since I was a repeat c-section patient. Poor G had to race home from work....good thing he works really close! We headed to the hospital...which is less than a mile away to get checked out.

As they are checking things out and hooking me up to monitors and playing the wait and see game....I spent my time letting my Facebook friends know what was going on. It really made the time pass very quickly! After awhile, the doc came in and said that they were going to watch things and decide what they were going to do. The nurse however told us that the chances of us leaving the hospital without delivering the baby were in the neighborhood of zero! LOL! I knew that when I walked in the front door!

So, as this story continues and I get back into the blogity blog the adventures of this Joyful Life will now include not only our fabulous angel Little J, and the Royal Princess J, but now we have sweet little Peanut J! Collectively, they will lovingly be referred to as the three J's! LOL!

Lots to catch up on, including the ever so adorable reaction of Princess J to Peanut J! You won't want to miss that!

Her Royal Highness gets her royal bed.....

2009-06-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

THE CRIB IS GONE! It's been dismantled and removed from service (sniff....sniff) . We found the perfect bed for our little royal princess as well. She is doing great sleeping in her new bed at night. Still (knock on wood) sleeping through the night as before. She does love the new freedom she has in her room in the morning though. She loves to take all her books out, a couple of toys and then get into her drawer of hats. The first morning she woke up in her new bed, she was running all over her room like the cartoon character The Tazmanian Devil and doing dances on her rug. It was so stinking cute!

Nap time has not been quite as easy as bed time. The first day, it took mommy over an hour of laying in her room on the floor and putting her back in bed over and over again before she finally settled down for her nap. We've made great progress in 24 hours though, as it only took 15 minutes today to get her down.

Next up for the little princess is her "Royal Throne" as we start potty training in a little over a week. While I won't be sharing photos of our princess on her throne, I will post a photo of the "Royal Throne" when it arrives, as it is soooo stinkin' cute! LOL! My goal is to get her out of diapers before this new little peanut arrives! Keeping my fingers crossed that it works!

I am so proud of this little girl and am sooo lucky to be her mommy! Since we moved her to her big girl bed, she is acting like a big girl. She helps clean up her mess (most of the time) without drama. She is doing what she is told about 90% of the time....eventhough sometimes she's shaking her head no as she does it. LOL! She's still being a really really picky eater. I'm hoping she's gained a little bit of weight for her visit tomorrow, but I'm not too worried about it if she hasn't. She's just taking after her mommy. She is definately my "payback" for all the things I did when I was little. I don't know why my parents thought I needed payback though....she's just perfect! LOL!

Angelman Syndrome Walk-a-thon

2009-05-29T11:07:00.001-07:00

We had such a fabulous day at the Angelman Syndrome Walk-a-thon in Sacramento! It's always so much fun to catch up with other families as well as meet new ones. This year there were over 550 walkers at the Sacramento site!

Joshua raised so far a total of $1205! We have amazing friends and family! Joshua's donation page is open until the end of September if you would still like to donate. The Angelman Syndrome Foundation is trying to meet their fundraising goal of $1 million dollars this year!

Angelman Syndrome Walk-a-thon update!

2009-05-15T13:33:00.001-07:00

Wow! Our friends and family really rock! With less than 24 hours to go, we are only $250 away from reaching our fundraising goal for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation! Yay Little J!! Tomorrow is going to be an amazing day walking with all the other angels and their families! We are so excited! We've got the minivan packed, the video camera ready as well as the camera! Josh has been working so hard on his walking skills, that this last Wednesday, he walked about 30 feet unassisted! AMAZING! Praise God for all my Little J's progress! He has really given us very knowlegable and caring professionals to help Little J meet all of his potential!

Thank you to all of our family and friends who love and support Little J! If you would still like to make a donation to help us reach our fundraising goal, you can go to his fundraising page here:

http://www.angelman.org/JoshuaSchmeckTeamPunkypants

There is also a button on the side of the ol' blog here as well!

Thanks again!

Angelman Syndrome Awareness!

2009-05-12T15:32:00.001-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,
In just a few days, we will be attending out second Angelman Syndrome Foundation walk-a-thon. We are so excited to see all the other angels and their families and for a beautiful day! There is so much going on in the research area of Angelman Syndrome and there are some exciting things in the pipeline. There have been many developments that bring us hope for theraputic treatments and hopefully someday a cure! Josh recently finished his supplement study at UC San Diego, we hope to participate in more studies as they become available. He is still enrolled in the Natural History study, which basically tracks and studies the growth and development of those with Angelman Syndrome. While there is much on the horizon, none of this can be accomplished without your help! Every year, we come together to raise awareness and money about Angelman Syndrome and for The Angelman Syndrome Foundation. They are currently the primary funders of research grants and studies. They also provide many services to families of those with Angelman Syndrome.I know with the economy in the state it is, that times are tight for everyone, but anything you could donate to Josh's fundraising team would be greatly appreciate.

We are also excited to share with you some of Joshua's many accomplishments in the last year. Josh has been working very hard at many things over the last year! We have been so fortunate to have so many professionals in his corner assisting him and rooting for him all the way. I think one of his biggest accomplishments this year has been learning to walk unassisted! While he still can't walk by himself 100%, he has really made huge progress in this area, especially in the last couple of weeks. Last week at therapy, he walked 11 steps unassisted! His physical therapist Sheri Tom has been working with him since just before he turned 3 years old! She has worked so hard with him and it's paying off!

This is also Josh's second year in preschool. He LOVES school so much! Last year, he was the baby in the class and all the other kiddos really took the time to make him feel good and to always help him. This year, he's the big boy in class! His teachers and aides have been working with him on many directive skills, art skills, and self help skills. He is doing so remarkable! I love watching him in the morning hold someones hand and carry his lunch to the refrigerator and put it in! It is so cute! I think his favorite is circle time, his teachers say he likes to be in the thick of things. Doesn't want to miss out on any fun! He is sitting unassisted in a toddler chair at school now too! He's just growing up so fast! He is eligible to transition to Kindergarten next year. I'm still on the fence about that, since school starts in September and he doesn't turn 5 until December, but we'll see. His new teacher if he does transition is great and I think he'll have a great time. I know he will miss the kids remaining in preschool and I know he will miss his preschool teachers and aides!

Josh and Jocelyn are very close. Jocelyn takes really good care to help her big brother when he needs it. They are both very empathetic to one another as well. When one is upset, they both are upset. They love to entertain eachother as well. While Josh never tires of his little sister, there are times when our drama queen is done with him though....he just laughs though!

I know this email is late getting to you, we've had our hands full this year with our new little peanut on the way and time just slipped away from us. This is still an endeavor of great importance to us. We would be overjoyed to see in our lifetime theraputic treatments to make our sweet Joshua's life and the life of other angels better and easier. Ultimately, we would love to see a cure for this disorder! Please help in anyway you can! If you would like to attend the walk with us, we would love to have you! Josh would be overjoyed at the support!

Donations can be made at: http://www.angelman.org/JoshuaSchmeckTeamPunkypants or by making a check to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and getting it to either Greg or myself by Friday. The online donation is a safe and secure site set up by the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. This is the easiest way and you can print a copy for your tax records!

If you are interested in walking with us in Sacramento, please email me and I will get the details out to you!

Love,
Laurie, Greg, Josh and Jocelyn

You can also click on the link on the side of my blog as well!

Support Josh in raising awareness and money for Angelman Syndrome!http://www.angelman.org/JoshuaSchmeckTeamPunkypants/Sacramento Walk-a-thon May 16th 2009Join the Fun!

Princess J turns 2! (yep...more catch up!)

2009-05-07T15:51:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I cannot believe this little girl turned 2 last month! She is just so much fun to have around....drama and all!

She is really becoming quite the character and she is so stinkin' smart too! She's silly, she's independent and she's super caring towards Little J. She does not like it one bit if you raise your voice and Little J and she more often than not makes sure he has a toy to play with. He's about the only kid she will share with at this point. She loves to dance! Oh my gosh! Anywhere she hears music, she will start shaking her booty....even in the pediatricians waiting room! Too funny! A few weeks ago, I asked her where her groove thing was and she pointed at her little bottom and started shaking it! I was absolutely hysterical! She also knows she's the princess too. We were watching some show with a princess on it and I asked her where the princess was and she pointed to herself....way too funny!

Her favorite things right now are balloons, Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora, The Backyardigans, Ni Hao Kai Lan, and Jack's Big Music Show. She loves to sit and color and she loves to look at books! She's still an extremely picky eater. At her last check-up she still weighed the same as when she was 18 months old. She grew taller, but didn't gain any weight. So now, we're trying to get her to eat a little more. She's not all that interested though. She does not like to try new things, but we keep putting them in front of her!

She loves to run free and explore everything everywhere! She's such a sweet and good little girl. I just love spending time with her and cherish everything about her....including all the drama! LOL!

March of Dimes (more catch up!)

2009-05-05T16:09:00.001-07:00

Recently, the CHP had a Tip a Cop event at a local eatery to raise money for the March of Dimes. Princess J and I dropped Little J off at school and headed over to meet up with Verna and Jayda and Lizz and Little Max. It was fun having a yummy breakfast and catching up with good friends. G even stopped by for a cup of coffee! Fun times!

Catching Up...

2009-05-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

I had so many good intentions for catching up with this blog and keeping some momentum going. Unfortunately, life threw a few curveballs in the way....and is still trying to throw some still! We had a beautiful Easter Day, just the family enjoying some simple traditions. We stayed home and had a little Easter Egg hunt out on our front lawn, enjoyed a day of fun with Easter Basket goodies and a yummy ham dinner.

Unfortunately, later that evening Little J got sick. He was running a 102 temperature for most of the night and was up and down not getting much sleep. As Monday progressed he seemed to get worse, even to the point of gagging whenever we put something in his mouth, whether it was food or drink. I ended up taking him to the pediatrician, who confirmed it was just a virus and to just give him small amounts of liquid at a time and build up until he could tolerate it. I ended up calling her back at 4pm, because by now, even the sight of his motrin or tylenol was making him gag. I kept trying to give liquids, but by now we couldn't keep his temperature down, because he wouldn't take in the medication and we were getting close to the time he needed his seizure medication. By Monday evening, he hadn't slept much since he woke up Easter Sunday. He started to exhibit some of the signs of his drop seizures (temperature and lack of sleep are huge in bringing on his activity). At 5:30pm, Little J and I headed off the the local ER. That place was jam packed! CRAZY! Everyone was so nice though...even most of the other patients waiting to be seen! It took almost 3 hours before we got back to be seen and Little J was a champ in the waiting room! Once we were finally seen, the nurse and the doctor who cared for him, were AMAZING! They were so nice and sweet with Little J. I knew he wasn't feeling well, because he wasn't flirting with the cute nurse either! LOL! Anyway, they were able to give him something to stop the gagging and vomiting...Yay! They had me give him fluids for a little while, then had me give him his seizure medication and kept us there to make sure he kept it all down and that his drop seizures subsided. Finally, they gave him some benedryl to help him get to sleep, since he was sooooo exhausted. Once they felt confident and knew that I was comfortable, they released us with a prescription for more "anti gag" medication and we were on our way at 11:30pm. I put Little J in the car and he was out like a light before I even backed out of the parking spot...Yay! He slept like a log! I even headed to the drive-thru pharmacy to pick up his prescription and finally hit a drive thru to eat something and he slept so peacefully! Yay!

After a week of spring break recovery, on Monday he was ready to go back to school. He was super excited and Princess J was happy to get rid of him for awhile and get out of the house! LOL! While he was in the car and I was getting his stuff ready to get out, he saw one of the aides from his classroom Aaron, and went completely out of control excited! Yay! He's been back in school for two weeks and now over the weekend, his fever and cough have returned. OY! We were off to the pediatrician again yesterday, and while everything is clear we decided to give him an antibiotic, just to be safe, since this is his third bout with fever and this cough keeps coming back.

As of right now, 3 out of the 4 of us are coughing, but only Little J is has gotten the fever. We had Princess J checked out at the pediatrician yesterday as well.

Thankfully, no one has Swine Flu! LOL!

Enjoy the photos from our Easter fun...before all the sicky drama! LOL!

{Happy Easter!!!}

2009-04-12T08:51:00.003-07:00

I just love taking the kiddos to see the Easter Bunny! Such priceless shots! As you can see, Josh was so happy to pose with the Easter Bunny! Jocelyn did not want any part of it. The Easter Bunny even tried to give her an Easter Egg, and she just looked at him and pushed it away. Such a diva!

Hope everyone has a beautiful Easter! We'll have more Easter photos later....hopefully, Jocelyn will be smiling! LOL!

A Really Tough Day....

2009-03-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very tough day for the entire Bay Area. Four Oakland officers killed in the line of duty were laid to rest. These deaths definately hit very close to home for our family. This was a routine traffic stop and G makes these everyday. I am so proud of my husband and what he does everyday protecting our state, our community, our citizens and our family. Another reason these deaths hit close to home is that these were Oakland Police officers. My uncle was an Oakland Police officer for many years and retired as a Leutenant. He knew these officers and was especially close with Officer John Hege. I know yesterday was especially tough on him. The video shared here is quite long, but the first 10 minutes is my uncle speaking on behalf of and to his dear friend and brother in blue.

I want to take a minute to thank these officers for making that ultimate sacrifice. One they knew was always a possibility, one they hoped they would never have to make, but one they got up and went to work everyday prepared to make.

Yesterday was also Princess J's 2nd birthday, but I'd like to save that for another post.....

Take A Guess!

2009-03-21T13:19:00.001-07:00

Princess J and Little J are excited to be having a new baby brother or sister. We've started a little online game for everyone to make their guesses from everything from the gender, arrival date, and all the vital information. Take a guess!

Dear Guido's Dad....

2009-03-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Guido's Dad,
Sorry if the name I'm calling your son offends you, but you never said his name while you were at the indoor playground with him today. As a matter of fact, you never once talked to him, even when he talked to you. You were the only parent not interacting with your child at said playground. You were the only parent not parenting your child at the playground. I know you were watching him, when he came up and pushed Princess J out of his way to play with an item that she was already playing with. Too bad you didn't take the time to tell him about sharing or being nice to others. Your child, while probably close to the same age as my daughter was twice her size and made her cry twice. I hope his mom is a better parent than you, otherwise I fear that your child will be the class bully and not have many friends.

Peace!

Thank You {DORA}!

2009-03-12T17:13:00.001-07:00

Princess J is a very strong willed little girl. She is really testing her independence every single day. She only wants to do what she wants to do and only when she wants to do it. This little girl knows how to throw a temper tantrum!

We have been trying endlessly to get her to give up her bottle and move to a sippy cup. She has wanted no part of it. She has thrown them. She has sat there and looked at them. She has played with them, but she has never ever taken even one sip out of one. We have bought endless types to see which one she would like. We even put her bottle nipple on one sippy cup to try and transition her over. Even that didn't work. The other day, I went to the dreaded Wally's and as we were walking down an aisle picking up some cups for Little J, she spotted Dora......on a sippy cup! She pointed and pointed and pointed until I grabbed one for her. She held on to it with all her might! So, that afternoon, I put her milk in it and OH MY GOD! She drank from it! It took her a bit to get the hang of it, but she did it!!! I have not given her a bottle since!!! Let's keep our fingers crossed that she continues to love on this sippy cup! I'll be out to get a few more tomorrow. I only bought a 2 pack, because I didn't want to throw away anymore money on a useless sippy cup.

Next hurdle will be to get her to be more interested and less picky about food.

Just Some {FUN}

2009-03-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

Not much new is going on here. We're just always crazy busy. I know it's only going to get busier too! YIKES!

I can't believe that our little Princess J is going to be 2 this month! Where have the last 2 years gone? Her favorite things on TV right now are Ni Hao Kai Lan, Little Bill and Dora! She loves to sit and color....she can sit and color for over an hour! I got my little crafty girl! Yay! She also loves to sit and look at books. Her favorite place to sit is down at the end of our hallway and just look at all her books. It's so stinkin' cute! This little one has so much energy too! It's almost impossible to keep up with her! She loves dropping brother off at school, but now she especially likes picking him up. They have a great playground there and we usually go about 10 or 15 minutes early so she can run around and burn off some energy. Usually, she's pretty mad when it's time to go though. She's very good at throwing a temper tantrum....good thing I'm good at ignoring it! LOL! This little girl is very adventurous and has no fear either! She can take a fall and get right back up, dust herself off and get right back to exploring! Sooooo much fun!

She's got daddy wrapped around her little finger too! She knows just how to melt his heart in an instant...well, I guess that means she's got me wrapped too!

Little J is doing really well too! He is in desperate need of a haircut! He's had a pretty good cough for a couple of weeks, so we went to the pediatrician on Monday, thankfully, it's just a virus and she's sure it will pass in a week or so. She gave us an antibiotic prescription just in case he starts getting a fever or gets worse, but she's pretty sure we won't need it. He had his check-up with his neurologist also this week. He's doing so well! We're so lucky we have such good doctors for him! We'll see her again in 3 months before the new little one arrives and then go back to our six month intervals. I just felt better having an appointment before the new one arrives as kind of an insurance policy that when the new one arrives we won't have some crisis.....something that always worries me. I know I'm ready to handle any seizure situation that might arise with Little J, but it's the thing that freaks me out and scares me the most. OY!

Easter is coming soon, so I need to get out and get their Easter outfits for their photos with the Easter Bunny. I love taking the kiddos for their annual photos with the Bunny and Santa. It's a lot of work, but the outcome is soooo worth it!

Serious Blog Neglect!

2009-03-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Wow! I've really neglected this blog lately....

Hello? Is anyone still there? Is anyone still checking in?

Thankfully, for the most part everyone has remained healthy. Little J and Princess J have had a few colds and coughs since my last post, but overall have just been keeping this mommy really busy.

Little J has been really busy working on his skills. He's still in loves school and is just really thriving there. I've never in my life seen a kid so happy to go to school each and everyday. I've also never seen a kid get so upset when you drive by his school on the weekend and he doesn't get to go! LOL! His therapies have been going really well. We just transitioned to a new OT and she is amazing! There was nothing wrong with our previous OT, she went on maternity leave. Our new one though, works so well with Little J and I've never seen him work harder! His PT is going very well also....last weekend, he took his first two independent steps! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! We're waiting for more, but know it may be awhile.

Princess J is learning to be a big escape artist now! There is no containing this little girl anymore! She is a true diva and lets you know she's in charge! Her most favorite thing currently is to go pick up brother at school early and play on the preschool playground! It's so much fun to watch her run and explore!

Now, for the reason this blog has been so neglected.....I just have not been feeling well. It's been a crazy time, but will be so worth it in the end! Our little duo of Little J and Princess J are going to become a trio! Our new little arrival should be here sometime around August 8th! We are so excited and overjoyed at the addition to our family!

I hope to have some new photos to share in the next couple of days....so please don't give up on my lil' blog! :D Thanks for checking in with us too!

{FABULOUS!}

2009-01-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

What a completely fabulous day! There is nothing I LOVE more than spending some fun time with my husband and lil' munchkins! We headed out to the beach this morning, just for the nice drive and to check out some of the small beach towns nearby. I can't believe it, but this was Princess J's first excursion to the beach! What a bad mommy I am to wait this long to take her! She was in heaven at the beach! She took to it like a fish in water! I had to drag her off the beach kicking and screaming....literally. Let me just say, that it is a long walk in sand, with a toddler kicking and screaming with hands, body and feet covered in sand.

The best things ever today, Princess J discoverd her shadow. It was so stinkin' cute watching her check it out and point and poke at it. I'm glad I had the camera out and captured her checking it out.

The other best thing, was watching Little J walk with daddy out to the ocean. He was so happy to be out there and it just really warmed my heart to see him so steady on his feet. While he still doesn't walk on his own, he is becoming so much more steady on his feet, that it is pretty easy to walk with him holding one hand for support. It gets pretty tiring on the arm, but so worth it to see him working on it.

Princess J pretty much brought most of the beach home on her sweat suit. She was covered from head to toe in sand. We were smart enough to bring extra clothes for everyone. She loves the sand, she had a grand old time digging holes and throwing sand everywhere. She loved running down to the water and having daddy chase her around. She had no interest in her personal papparazzi, as everytime I tried to get her to look at me for a photo, she pretty much ignored me as obviously the sand and water were much more entertaining. I can't believe I actually took 145 photos today. I just keep snapping away hoping to get that photo with her actually looking at me! LOL!

After we left the beach, we decided to drive up to Half Moon Bay to get some lunch. We went to this yummy little Mexican restaurant called Tres Amigos. We had some yummy tacos and chips and salsa. Everyone was so super friendly there! We drove through downtown Half Moon Bay and then headed home. I can't wait to go back when it's a bit less crowded and just walk around downtown. It is so super cute! I think we left at the right time though, as we were leaving, the traffic coming in was brutal. The drive in and home were perfect and easy.

We had such a fabulous day! We were exhausted though when we got home, got everything cleaned up and the kids in and out of the bathtub. Whew!

I know......

2009-01-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Total blog neglect. Not to mention neglect of all the people who stalk my blog looking for photos of their precious grandchildren. I have no excuse except to say life is a little hectic right now, I've been a little bit lazy and well I just sorta took a break. If you are still sticking with me, I hope you are not disappointed as this will be a photo filled post.

This will also be a Princess J filled post, as that as of late her character has been in rare form. On Friday, Princess J and I headed out to the mall to look for something for Grandma, that she requested. As we walked around the mall, in and out of a few stores, this little girl was letting me know what she liked and didn't like. If the store had nothing to do with her she wasn't interested and screamed at the top of her lungs! It was cute in the first two stores, but by the third one I was a little miffed with her. Thankfully, the mall was not that crowded. Anyway, we made a stop in Baby Gap. She was having a good time here. We found her a cute pair of silver sandles for spring/summer. I always love their little silver shoes, and they always seem to sell out fast. She always gets lots of compliments on her silver shoes too. Anyway, as we were strolling around she managed to find a cute little pair of sunglasses. She would not let go of them for anything. Thank goodness they were pretty cheap, because she wanted those things, and I did too! I thought they would be so cute for summer and photo oportunities. LOL!

As you all know, her favorite show is Little Bill. I love listening to her laugh at all the funny parts...and she seems to laugh at the same parts when she watches re-runs. Her favorite thing now is to imitate what she is seeing on the screen. Today, one of the episodes had Little Bill and his friend taking a long walk to the bathroom at school. As they were walking, they pass the music room, and Little Bill and his friend beat on their chests to imitate the drum sound. There was Princess J right along with them in front of the TV pounding on her chest. LOL, it was so funny and she was so stinkin' proud of herself.

She also received a special package from Switzerland today! Grandma made her a beautiful quilt to help teach her the months of the year. Also inside was a beautiful authentic dress from Austria (I think that's where it's from right?) I can't wait to try it on her and take some photos! Little J also got an awesome sweatshirt! Perfect for those cold mornings going to school! Anyway, Princess J is loving playing with the box now! I think she was trying to pack herself up for a visit, because she put her cell phone, her hairbrush and a couple of toys in the box and then sat in it.

Little J is doing really well also. He is still LOVING school! He gets so excited when we get to school everyday. He is making tons of progress in lots of areas. He really is on the verge of walking. He seems more stable ever single day. Now if we could just get him confident enough to let go of us, he'd be running circles everywhere. I can't wait for the day I have to chase him on his feet too! I know it will be exhausting, and there will be days that I wish for the time when I could put him somewhere and he would stay, but I'm just so excited for the day he will reach this huge milestone! :D

Enjoy the photos!!!

{Please Pray}

2008-12-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

Please pray for my sweet friend Michelle and her beautiful children. Michelle's husband passed away last night. I am just so sad and heartbroken right now. Marshall was such an amazing man, such a wonderful dad and I know he was Michelle's hero and best friend. Please pray for strength and comfort for Michelle and her family during this very difficult time. Love you Michelle.

SANTA!!!!!

2008-12-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

Yay for successful Santa visits!!! Little J was invited by the UCP of Golden Gate (United Cerebral Palsy) to attend their annual holiday party. What a shindig that was! I took my camera, but didn't even get one photo taken...I know shame on me! Anyway, they had gifts for the kids, lots of food, lots of activities and Santa photos for the children invited to the event. Little J was head over heals for the Raiderettes that were there as well. Everytime one of them would walk by us, he would giggle really loud and put on all the charm he could muster. I think she might have had a little crush on him too, because she made sure to talk to him everytime she came by! So super sweet! I have a photo of Little J with the Raiderettes, but of course instead of looking at the camera, Little J is staring at the girls. LOL!!!

Since Little J had his photo taken with Santa at the party, while he was in school during the week we took Princess J for her visit to the mall. I was totally expecting her to scream just like last year. She was too adorable though. She let me put her on his lap, and she just kept looking at him. She then started putting her hands in front of her face like she was hiding from all of us. It was so stinkin' cute. Then Santa pulled her hands down and held them and sang "itsy bitsy spider" with her. The ladies taking the photos somehow made her laugh and they were able to capture her little smile just perfectly.

(I'll have to figure out how to fix the size of Little J's photo, so look for an update later)

{Catch Up!}

2008-12-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time sure has flown by since my last update. Sorry to those of you who look forward to photos of the kiddos daily. Life has been outta control lately! Everyone in the house had been sick. It just seemed to get passed around from Little J, to me, to Princess J and to daddy and then seemed to start all over again. Yikes! Little J ended up getting some antibiotics, since he had a fever and was sick, got well and then got a fever all over again. His pediatrician said that it could either be a whole new illness or the original one getting more complicated so we played it safe and got the antibiotics. We were suprised to look through his file and find that this is the first time he's ever had any. Wow! What a healthy kid. Awesome blessing.

After Little J ended up being sick on the day we had planned his class party, we got him back to school and had his party. It was soooo much fun! I just love all his aides and teachers! All the kids in his class are just so stinkin' cute too! Just love them!

We've been in Christmas prep overload around here too. Trying to get all the pressies ready for the kiddos. Princess J is fascinated with all the decorations and all the crowds at the mall. I can't wait to see her open presents on Christmas!!!

We also got our visit to Santa in too! Those photos deserve their own post, so you'll have to wait just a little longer to see these great photos!

As of today, we are officially done with our major Christmas shopping. The last few things we need are at the grocery store, so I'm not counting that. I'm so glad to be done! Now we're just anxiously awaiting for Grandma and Grandpa Wells to come join us this week. Hopefully the weather will allow them to get her as planned on Monday. Yay!

Tomorrow, I think I'm gonna bake some cookies and do a little creating.....

Enjoy all the photos!

Happy 4th Birthday Little J!

2008-12-01T20:01:00.001-08:00

WOW!!! I cannot believe that Little J is actually a 4 year old! While I can't remember life without him, it still feels like yesterday that I brought him home. It's been a wild and crazy 4 years with lots of ups and downs. We've been through so much with Little J in the last 4 years, that it seems like a lifetime.

Little J is such an amazing blessing. He is the purest heart and happiest boy you will ever meet. He has shown us the true meaning of unconditional love, perserverance, and never giving up.

We kept his birthday today pretty low key. He went back to school today and had his usual therapy appointment. His class made him a birthday card and we'll be having a birthday party in his class for him on Friday. At home, we made his favorite meal, Spiderman macaroni and cheese and Mickey Mouse Chicken Nuggets. Then he got his ice cream cake. He was all over that and enjoyed it.......a bunch! He enjoyed it so much, he needed a bath afterwards! Princess J isn't as fond of the macaroni and cheese dinner, but she loved the cake! :D

More Auey Santos Magic!

2008-11-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, I posted that Princess J had a little mini photo session with a local photographer and member of a mommy group I belong to. I am so happy that we did this! Auey is an amazingly talented photographer and a total sweetheart! Recently, I linked you all to her blog where there were a couple of photos of our princess, and now I am so happy to be able to share these two photos with you all here. These are the two from our session that I decided to purchase, but there were so many more I wanted! I had to contain myself since we are planning a family photo shoot with Auey sometime next month. I know I'll really want to go crazy then!

Please go check out her blog Photograffiti by Auey Santos and her official photography website Photograffiti.

Thank you so much Auey for sending the shots so I could share them on my blog!

Got Christmas Tree?

2008-11-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

We do!!! Princess J had fun exploring it in the dark with all the lights on!

I am so excited for Christmas this year! It's going to be so much fun!

{Ha! We Were First!}

2008-11-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

We had our lights up and turned on first in the neighborhood! Christmas is here and the kiddos loved all the lights! Yay G!

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

I have so much to be thankful for. I know that with Thanksgiving, maybe that sentence is a little played out, but honestly, I should probably start every day by telling myself this. This year for Thanksgiving, we spent it at home, just the four of us. We had a full turkey meal with all the fixings and lots of leftovers! It was a lot of work to cook all of that, but it really didn't feel like work while I was doing it. We were supposed to go on a neighborhood walk this morning, but all the kiddos are still sick. Princess was up at 1am and just unhappy (screaming included) until about 3am. We watched two fun hours of Sesame Street...thank goodness for On Demand television! She was super sleepy when she got up, so the neighborhood walk was shelved. So far, we've been lucky enough to be able to have one humidifier and switch it between the kiddos, since generally they are not sick at the same time. This time, no such luck, so it was off to KMart for me today. I got in and got what I needed and got out. The place was super packed! I guess that KMart is the only big store doing Lay-A-Way now, so the line for that was HUGE! Yikes!

I am so thankful for above all, my sweet and amazing family! I couldn't ask for a better husband and father for my little ones. No matter what, he always puts us first. He is always willing to put his desires aside to make things easier for me and for whatever the kiddos need. I hope he knows that what I really want is for him to realize his own dreams (he knows what I'm talking abotu here) and that I'm willing to work extra hard and give things up to support him in that. As a matter of fact, nothing would make me happier than to see him do this something that he's been talking about since we met. I LOVE YOU G!

Little J has had an amazing year! When he was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, we were devastated. Angelman Syndrome really does make life hard, challenging and frustrating sometimes...okay a lot of times. Little J faces so many challenges and frustrations and he does it with such amazing grace and fearlessness. He NEVER gives up. He keeps trying things over and over, no matter how long it takes him to master. We recently had a follow-up in San Diego with several doctors and professionals that had evaluated him just one year ago. One of the professionals said she was so impressed and amazed my his progress. I must be thankful to his therapists (Sheri and Wendy), his teachers and aides (Janice, Sandy, Connie and Aaron) and his doctors. Everyone just supports him and never gives up on him. This kid just brings a smile to my face every day.

Princess J is just one little character. She is such an independent little girl and knows exactly what she wants and you'd better not try to get in her way. She's not afraid to "voice" her opinion! She cracks me up to no end. After watching the struggles that Little J goes through, seeing all the accomplishments of this little girl is just amazing! She figures things out so quickly and just keeps us on the move all of the time. She is so caring for Little J too. Whenever Little J drops something, she will make sure to pick it up and give it back to him. She gets really upset when he gets in trouble (that goes both ways though, when she gets in trouble he gets really upset as well) I love that they "look out" for eachother! She really is just a sweet blessing and we are so lucky to have her.

I am also thankful for my extended family and my friends. Our families do everything they can to support us. Sometimes we are overwhelmed or just plain tired and may not say it enough, but we are thankful. I am so lucky to have recently reconnect with many good friends. I am so thankful that those of you who I have reconnected with have been so supportive of Little J, your commitment to try and walk with us at the next walk-a-thon is so greatly appreciated. I love seeing you, even if sometimes it's only on Facebook.

My Alpha Phi sisters....you are true sisters and I love you guys soooo much!!!

We have been greatly blessed and we are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

{Show Me Your Fork Skills!}

2008-11-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

Our little Princess has been trying to spread her independent little wings lately. More and more she is not wanting our help with feeding. She usually finger feeds everything, but tonight I decided to give her a little fork and see what she would do with it. For a little while she was just holding it and finger feeding. I went about feeding Little J and kept watching her out of the corner of my eye. She kept looking at the fork and looking at her food. Finally, I went over and guided her hand with the fork in it and put her ravioli on the fork. I did this wither her a couple of times and then went back to help Little J with his dinner some more. All of the sudden, she starts using the fork for every other bite! She was so proud of herself and would clap evertime she would do it! It was so funny. After her dinner, I went to take the fork from her since it was cookie time, and she tried to eat the cookies with her fork. I don't remember how she ended up with two forks, but it was so funny.

Meanwhile, everyone has been sick around here. I think Little J brought a cold home from school and it is slowly making its' way through our family. We are ready for Thanksgiving, it will just be the four of us this year. I can't wait to make our nice little family turkey dinner! I already made the green bean casserole so tomorrow I just have to make the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. We'll be having a Pumpkin Cheesecake for dessert from the Cheesecake Factory! Yummy!!!!

Missing Friends....

2008-11-17T00:10:00.000-08:00

I've been so lucky recently to be reconnecting with high school classmates as well as college friends and especially my sorority sisters. Recently one of my sisters has been posting old photos, so I stole these from her, since I'm lazy about scanning my own, but will get to it soon.

Anyway, 2 years ago my sweet sorority sister and friend Courtney Andreas Gray passed away after a battle with a rare form of Leukemia. I am so sad that I lost touch with her after college and that we never got the chance to reconnect. I am also sad that I wasn't there to be a support for her or our other friends when she was courageously battling Leukemia. I had no idea until it was too late. I remember reading the email from my sorority sister Verna. I was shocked and sad that day.

Thankfully, I have lots of good memories and fun times with her to look back on. I still miss her, but I'm so thankful that I've been spending time with Verna and Annie lately and that is something that I won't let change ever again.

So, take today and find those old friends you've been thinking of. Get back in touch with them and catch up on old times and make some fun new memories.

The photos above are of a fun cruise that Annie, Courtney and I took together in 1995 I think. Love these girls!

Thinking of Courtney today and always.

Post it like you stole it.....

2008-11-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

and that is exactly what I did! I stole this from Jen's blog. The idea is that the things in bold are things you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (you don't want me to do this again...trust me!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Dutch ancestors/not Filipino ancestors)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke (something else you don't want to hear again)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (At Burger King :D)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (A very long long time ago)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (My brown Barbie!)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (From Burger King...the same day I was quiting no less! Already had another job at Baskin and Robbins in High School!)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (A few times in High School)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Two!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (not as someone being sued though)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (many times!)

San Diego....Al a Carte!

2008-11-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

This was a quick trip to San Diego. Not much time for fun, since we had lots of appointments today and a few more tomorrow before we head home.

Little J has done really well down here. He is such a trooper! He had to be at his first appointment at 7:30 this morning and his last appointment didn't end until 2:30pm. They've taken blood, tons of vitals, asked lots of questions and poked and proded Little J to no end. Tomorrow will be a little more of the same. For those of you who don't know, Little J is participating in a couple of studies at Children's Hospital in San Diego. One has been a suppliment study and the other is just a natural history study for Angelman Syndrome. With such a rare disorder, I think it's important (as long as it's not medically risky) for Little J to participate in the quest to find a cure and treatments. While I'm not expecting miracles, there isn't anything wrong with hoping for them. Some of you donated to Little J's walk-a-thon team and this is where the money goes. To research and studies to help find a cure!

The airplane photos are of our flight out of Oakland. Little J was a bit of a wildman on the plane. He quickly figured out how to undo his seatbelt and he made my drink fly in the air when he kicked my tray! Crazy kiddo! There is also this cool ball contraption in the waiting room at Children's Hospital, Little J was fascinated by it. We actually sat there watching it for 30 or 40 minute, so not like Little J! This hospital is huge and it's getting bigger as well! Inside the main hospital is a McDonald's! There is also a Starbucks and a Quiznos inside one of the nearby satelite medical offices. Wow! If only Children't Hospital Oakland had all of that!

After our appointments, Little J and I went back to the hotel room, where he tried various times to escape from our room! If I hadn't locked the deadbolt, Little J would have been racing down the hallway!

Tomorrow we have a few more appointments and then we head to the airport for our flight home. I can't wait to get home and see my hubby and Princess J! This is the very first time I've been away from her since she was born, and I've missed her little face and sassy attitude.

Rock Your Vote!!!

2008-11-04T12:52:00.001-08:00

What an exciting day for our country! They say there will be a record number of voters across the country! Regardless of who wins, today will be a milestone in history. I made sure my little ones were decked out today to remind everyone they came in contact with to participate! What an amazing opportunity we are given to vote and voice our opinions on the direction of our country! We are blessed to live in the United States, to have brave soldiers that risk their lives to serve our country and fight for all the rights we are given and to be able to have a voice in how our country is run. Make sure you are taking advantage of your opportunity to make you voice heard! GO VOTE!

If you don't vote, then as my dad used to tell me, when things don't go as you think they should, you don't have any right to complain. So, for the sake of the future of our country, the future of all of us and especially, the future of our children....GO VOTE!

Happy Halloween {The Return of Pablo and Milestones}

2008-10-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Although everyone in the house is sick (except Little J so far) we had a pretty good Halloween! Little J did most of his celebrating on Thursday. He got to dress up for school and they took them trick-or-treating at the school district offices. They had a cool little party with cupcakes. He had a great time and was taking a nap within 20 minutes of coming home! :D

We went shopping for a new costume for Little J, but were unsuccessful. Since Little J still really doesn't understand the concept of Halloween, I try to make it fun for him by dressing him up in a character that he'll recognize. Pablo was his favorite last year, and still is today. since I couldn't find his other favorite Curious George in time, I pulled out Pablo (for those of you unfamiliar with cartoons geared to pre-schoolers, Pablo is a character on The Backyardigans) and Little J was beyond ecstatic, so call it going green, call in recycling, Pablo made his return! Yay Pablo!

Princess J still doesn't totally get the concept of Halloween, but she is well on her way. We started out the morning after dropping Little J off at school by going by G's office to drop off some cupcakes and let Princess J show off her pumpkin costume. Here again we went green or recycled a costume. Last year, I was totally looking for this costume for her very first Halloween, but Gymboree was totally out within 2 days of putting it out in their stores. My friend Erin passed down her daughter Mari's costume! Thanks Erin! Since it was cold, we added a black turtle neck and picked up the tights that Gymboree came out with for the costume this year. So cute! I was shocked that Princess J was willing to keep the headband on, since lately she hasn't been a fan of hats or headbands. She was not willing to keep the pumpkin shoes on that came with the costume, so we let her wear her sparkly silver ones.

We went to a couple of neighbors houses, but mostly stayed home to answer our own trick-or treaters. Princess J loved opening the door to all the fun little ones in their costumes. She was a little cranky until the doorbell started ringing. Then whenever she'd see other kiddos all dressed up she was all smiles. She's quick to close the door when she's done checking them out though!

She did a little reading before the trick-or-treaters started showing up too. She loves to sit and look at books and turn the pages! Maybe she'll be a reader like Mommy!

At one of the neighbors, Princess J picked up a Hershey Bar. When we came home to wait for more trick-or-treaters, I put her in her play pen and forgot about the candy bar. G asked me what she was eating, I figured she was chewing on a piece of her costume. This photo is what we walked into. The Hershey bar was everywhere. All over her hands, face, costume and playpen! Now, you might ask how she got the candy out of the wrapper? She just stuck the whole thing, wrapper and all in her mouth and let it melt melt melt! What a smart little cookie!

I think Halloween is going to be a time to reflect on milestones for Princess J. October 31, 2006 was the first time we saw Princess J on our ultrasound. It's also the first time we knew she was a princess! Last year was her very first Halloween and looking at the photos, she was so itty bitty, with barely any hair and needed help standing up. This year, she is a little whirlwind! Always on the move and always looking for something to demolish! She wants to be on the move all the time as opposed to being in Mommy's arms being carried. She's got tons of hair now and is just a little drama queen, that I can't get enough of!

Auey Santos!

2008-10-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, Princess J and I headed out to a "playdate" with our meetup group. It was a mini photo session with another mommy in the group Auey Santos! G promised me a family photo session for my birthday, but we have yet to do it. We've had trouble finding a photographer that is available and that understands some of Little J's needs. After meeting Auey and chatting with her, we are going to book a full session with her! I am so excited! She shared some of the photos she took at the mini session on her blog HERE! Go check out Princess J! Just scroll down a little. She took more that are adorable and I hope to be able to share those with you soon! Off to place my order!

I WANT THIS NOW!!!

2008-10-24T16:30:00.001-07:00

I'll probably have to wait until Christmas, but this looks awesome! It was featured on Oprah today as well. I must have this!!!

CF Card Please!!!

2008-10-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Ugh! We had a beautiful day at the Pumpkin Patch today. I snapped lots of photos and could not wait to upload them......only problem is there was no CF card in the camera while I was snapping photos! Ugh!

Diapers Only!

2008-10-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's official, Princess J does not want to wear her clothes anymore. I am constantly finding her in only her diaper. While I have a few cute photos of the craziness, I won't be sharing them on the ol' blog. I'd like to keep my blog public, so only appropriate photos! :D

For the Love of Nilla Wafers {and some other random stuff}

2008-10-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

What a busy day....don't I start every post with that sentence or some form of it? Yikes! Today, we dropped Little J off at school and then Princess J and I headed out to meet Auntie Verna (one of my sorority sisters from Alpha Phi) for an early lunch. Yummy! Good times! We also did a little window shopping. I've been looking for what Little J is going to wear to see Santa, but haven't found it yet. Princess J is all set though. Then we headed back to pick up Little J from school.

We came home and relaxed for about 45 minutes, before we had to head back out to take Little J to the pediatrician's office for his flu shot....well, actually his flu mist. Then, instead of going back out later, we just headed straight for the grocery store. It's always a big adventure with both little ones in tow. Little J was busy trying to grab anything he could reach....and since his arms are longer than the I-5 freeway...that's A LOT of stuff! Princess J was busy saying Mama and Baba over and over again....sometimes at the top of her lungs! :D As we strolled down the cookie aisle, and I was trying to decide what kind of cookies to get for the lil' ones, Princess J reached out and pointed towards the Nilla Wafers. She's never had these before, but apparently something about this big yellow box caught her eye. I picked up another box of cookies and showed them both to her, but she grabbed the Nilla Wafers and would not let go. So, we got the lil' ones Nilla Wafers. She carried them all the way out to the car and even held onto them in the car on the way home. Hope she likes them when the come her way after dinner.

Little J got himself a cookie as well....he was a little more devious though. Sadly, I have no photos to show for this little display of 3 year old behavior. They had these halloween decorated cookies at the checkout counter. Little J swiped for them and I caught him and put it back. A couple of minutes later, he grabbed the cookie again and put it right in his mouth. While he didn't get the bite he was looking for, he did break a chunk off of the cookie.....so we own it now. I really wish they wouldn't put those cookies there. It's a pain in the bootay, it's one thing to fight the kids off the candy shelves at the checkout stands, but to have things on the counters past the register is just mean! ;P

This week we also celebrated G's birthday!

Also, just in case you were wondering when the Christmas stuff would start appearing....Coca Cola has decided that it's the Holiday Season with the introduction of their holiday cans!

And....if you are a Kenny Chesney fan....the new album is out and it does not disappoint! :D You didn't think I would miss it did you? Sigh.....

Music and Spills

2008-10-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

Princess J loves to make noise! This morning was no exception! This morning though, she had the help of a metal bowl and 2 wooden spoons....she LOVED it!

Last Friday, I didn't post any photos, because well....I couldn't. Unfortunately, I still can't post the photos from that day, but I'm working on it. We've been actively looking for a photographer to do some family photos for us, but it's been next to impossible to set anything up with our crazy busy schedule. Also, I worry about getting good photos of Little J since he doesn't follow direction well and the patience level of our photographer. Anyway, a moms' play group I belong to did a little mini photo shoot playdate with Auey Santos. When I looked at her website, I really liked the photos I saw and thought this would be a good opportunity to get some cute lil' photos of Princess J and talk to her about our situation with Little J. I love the photos she took of Princess J, and can't wait till I can share some or maybe she will share them on her blog eventually. It was a mini session, so we only got about 15 photos, but it will be hard for me to choose just a few. We will definately be setting up a family photo session with her. She was so nice and I think that she will have the patience and I know she has the understanding we will need with Little J! :D I am so excited about it!

This afternoon, I went to pick up Little J at school....he took a little spill. I swear, this kid can tip over things that I didn't think was possible! They were working with him using a walker (something he is getting pretty darn good at) and giving him some freedom to go where he wants to go. Currently, since he's just starting out, they have the wheels set so they only go backwards and forwards....well Little J wanted to go left or right! He was so determined, that he finally tipped over the walker. He got a little bit of road rash on his face, but his teacher said that he was up and ready to go again just a few minutes later. It's hard to see in the photos, but in person it looks worse upon first sight than it really is. It's very minor. He got a good workout at school and then later it was off to his PT Sheri, for another workout. This kid works so hard, sometimes I get tired just watching him work. It's hard to watch sometimes, just how hard he has to work to do things that many of us take for granted. I am in awe of his determination and just how he keeps going and going and going with all the work he does.

Last, but not least, I have a little vent. We have this neighbor...well he/she lives around the corner about 3 or 4 house up. They have been doing A LOT of construction on their property which unlucky for us has included incessent Jackhammering (not ideal for a napping toddler). Ugh! This has been going on for weeks and weeks. I want to say they really started doing this about 4 to 6 weeks ago and it just goes on and on and on. How long do you think neighbors should have "loud" construction going on for before it becomes just inconsiderate to the neighbors? Honestly, I don't mind when people are doing work on their homes etc, as long as it ends at some point within a reasonable time and it doesn't go until 7pm at night....UGH!

Second Week in the Life.......

2008-10-09T22:43:00.001-07:00

Today the main event was Princess J's 18 month check-up. She is doing so well! She was seriously in rare form showing off her skills in the doctors office. As always, she had to have the trains from the waiting room with her in the exam room. Too funny! Doctor says she is doing well! She's ahead in her gross motor skills, showed that she can follow 2 step commands and has a few words. She's still not very interested in using them often though. She falls in the 50th percentile in height and weight. She's still a little peanut and only fits in 12-18 month clothing...sometimes 9 to 12 month clothing as well. This is good though, since the doctor says the average baby is weighing in heavier than the 50th percentile now. Clothing is made for the average baby which is generally larger. With girls, they say that you can predict their final height based on their height at 18 mos. Princess J will probably turn out short like mommy and come in at about 5ft. 3in. or 5ft. 4in. Funny how that works out, that she's going to be my little peanut and Little J is slated to be over 6ft. tall! WOW! When the nurse came in to giver her shots, she rushed passed her out the door pushing it open and brushing aside the nurse. Good thing she's only 18 mos, because if she was 13 it would not have been as cute! LOL! She headed off to another doctors private office to make sure he knew she was there. This little girl is always causing a commotion. She had her flu shot and her tetnus shot today and suprisingly didn't shed a tear. She was sort of mad that I was holding her down, but got over it when the nurse gave her some stickers. I'm so used to taking her to the doctor every 3 months, it will be strange waiting for 6 months. Princess J was not being cooperative in getting a photo with her pediatrician, so we'll have to get one at a later date to share. Now the only doctor appointments we have left this year (as far as regular visits) are Little J's neurologist visit in December and our follow-up in San Diego for the research study.

We were supposed to have lunch with my sorority sister Verna today, but things didn't work out, so next week for sure! I love that I've reconnected with many of my college friends and sorority sisters. What would we all do without Facebook?

Some of the other photos from Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday, G got a haircut, but wouldn't let me embarass him with the camera in the barbershop. Princess J got her morning cookie snack...this doesn't happen often, but she loves those cookies! Princess J and I headed to the Post Office. She's so good at being a good helper.....until she decides she's done and throws the packages on the floor. Tuesday, we were mailing some books for Paperback Swap. If you are interested in it, click on the banner on my sidebar! :D

Wednesday is always a busy day. Little J goes off to school and then after we pick him up, it's off to therapy. Today the photos include some good mail for G...a birthday card and birthday present (which he hasn't opened yet, since his bday is next week) and his weekly USA Today Sports paper....gotta be ready for Fantasy Football Sunday! We headed off to therapy (why when you are in a hurry, does the train always stop you in your tracks) and you see his rockstar OT Wendy! After his appointment we headed over to Target for a few odds and ends. Too bad they wouldn't both look at the camera...they were getting a little grumpy....well maybe all three of us were! LOL! I still had to document how we roll when a cart is involved. Usually, I put both kids in like they are and then use one of the handheld baskets on the bottom. Sadly, this Target has gone to baskets that won't fit underneath the cart.....DRAT! I think I'm going to have to try the toddler carrier cart soon. They are never near the parking lot though, so it's sometimes hard to carry both kids on each hip to get to one.....someday. After a long busy day, there had to be a stop at Starbucks. Mommy's little cup of sanity.

Had to get a photo of Little J with his Backyardigan quilt...handmade and designed with genious by Grandma Libbi! :D He loves loves loves this thing sooooo much. He is just full of smiles and giggles whenever it's in sight. He won't let go of it for anything....believe me I've tried to steal it a few times....:D

Looking forward to tomorrow, which I can't say much about, but Princess J and I will be working on a suprise for G's birthday coming up. I hope it turns out well! :D

Second Week in the Life.......

2008-10-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no new photos today. We really didn't do much today. We took Little J to school, G got a haircut, Princess J and I went to the post office and walked around a little. We took a few photos, but I'll post them with tomorrows, because there are probably only 2 or 3. Picked up Little J, who had a great day at school, came home and just hung out.

We did watch the movie Perfect Stranger with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis. If you like suspense films with unexpected endings, this one was pretty good.

We also watched the Presidential debate. Lots to think about, but I believe that Obama won this round.

Second Week in the Life.......

2008-10-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

So, this morning we all got ourselves together and since G was off today we dropped Little J off at school and were going to go out for breakfast. Well, on the way to school I noticed this little beauty on the pasenger side of my windshield. UGH! So not in the mood to go out for breakfast anymore. OY! So, we headed to Starbucks to get what always cheers me up! LOL!

As we were driving home, I said to G, that maybe we should take Princess J to the park today. So, instead of heading home, we just turned to go to the park. I am so glad that we did! I love all the photos we got of Princess J having so much fun!

She totally loves the swing! I also love the photo of her checking out the park rules. It was nice and quiet at the park, there were maybe 4 other kids there. She got to run around and explore without worrying about other big kids running into her.

I also love the photo of her walking along next to G. They looks so stinkin' cute! She had a great time going through the tunnel back and forth and driving the play structure.

She was not happy at all when it was time to go home. She played non-stop for about 45 minutes! She was just go! go! go!

Since she wasn't too happy about leaving, G thought he would take her for a walk home. The park is only about 4 blocks from our house.

At noon, I picked up Little J and we headed to Safeway to pick up a few things.....like hummingbird food. He's too big to ride in the front of the cart now, so he lounges in the cart part. It's quite a sight shopping with Little J, he loves the grocery store! I have to take one of those handheld baskets and put it on the bottom to collect all of our purchases, because if they are within arms reach Little J will try to eat it right then and there!

Always be careful at the checkout stand, because he has quick hands!!! Today he picked out some Ritz cracker bites with cheese I think.

After school on Monday's Little J has a date with Sheri! Sheri is his awesome physical therapist! Of course since I had the camera, I couldn't get the usual grin he has when he and Sheri are together.....I think she is one of his crushes!

We think he's getting close to walking....so keep your fingers crossed. He works so hard for Sheri and she keeps him progressing! We are so thankful for all of her work and support for Little J! She rocks!

More fun tomorrow!!!

Originally, this was supposed to be a one week project, but because of all the extra craziness last week, we wanted to make sure to get some other important stuff in, so I've got 6 more days of this! :D

A Week in the Life....or Maybe Two (cont..)

2008-10-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

During football season, Sunday is all about Fantasy Football for the boys in the house. So, Princess J and I got up and ready for the day to run a few errends....well mostly get out of the house for a little while. See Princess J even has her lipstick out first thing in the morning! LOL!
You'll find this screen on all the computers in the house throughout the day!

One of my pet peeves, is how dirty carts at stores get. Ewwww! When we visted my parents in Switzerland a couple of years ago...well a few times since our honeymoon, one of the things we noticed, was how clean carts were. The reason they are so clean, and why they always get put away when shoppers are done, is because in order to use the cart, you have to stick a coin in a slot to unlock it. When you are done, you return it to the corral and slip the key in (you can see it hanging down from the coin slot in the photo) to one of the other carts and you get your coin back. LOVE IT! I hope that all stores start to implement this. We found this one at our local Big Lots.
We stopped at Target to get G his new XBOX game. He's been playing the Silent Hill series forever now.

As always, Princess J fell asleep in the car, so G came out and carried her in to bed for awhile.
It wasn't long before she was awake though! When we put her in bed, she had her shoes on still, she got them off and puth them aside neatly! LOL!

Little J doesn't take naps anymore, but we layed on the couch and cuddled while watching football for a little while.
Princess J loves to play with her milk now. She paints around with the bottle when she gets to the end and smears it all over the place....then the most fun is splashing in it! She gets so serious about it too!

Bath day too!!! Both these kiddos love their bath time! Play! Play! Play!!!
Sunday is also list making day! It's about time to head to Costco again!

Yay! G won his Fantasy match-up today!!!

A Week in the Life....or Maybe Two (cont..)

2008-10-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a day! We were up early and getting ready for a fun day in Rocklin! Little J was a bit on the exhuberant side, so we got off to a late start, but on a Saturday who needs to stress about getting anywhere! We were headed up to get together with some other angel families! I love these get togethers! It is always so much fun to let the angels play together...and you can tell they are having a good time and there is always great exchange of information. I'm excited to read over some of the material I collected today and check out some websites. There is a lot of encouraging and promising research being done in the AS (Angelman Syndrome) community and there are lots of exciting new fundraising opportunities in the pipeline to fund it. I am so thankful to those that are working so hard for all of our sweet angels. I need to figure out where I fit in and get involved as well. This is a priority for me now after todays meeting.

The kids were a hit in the playroom. They were having such a good time! It's so much fun to watch Little J learning to play and try and share toys with others. It works out well, since the other kids are often just as exhuberant as he is! Princess J as really a hit though. All the young ladies caring for the children during the meeting were having a great time with her. She didn't want any of the toys in the laundry basket they arrived in, because she was able to get the girls to ride her around in it. She did not like when it was time to put the toys away, she kept trying to take them back out of the basket so she could get back in.

Apparently also, Princess J is going to be an interior decorator. See all those chairs in that photo? Well, they started out all in nice straight rows. Princess J decided that it was her job to move each and every one of them into her own configeration.

Sorry some of the photos from the playroom are a bit blurry, but everyone was constantly in motion and I just wasn't quick enough.

Our drive up and back was very easy. As usual, Princess J fell asleep very quickly. Little J was laughing all the way up. I had to get a photo of our GPS device as I was crossing the bridge. Recently, Caltrans rebuilt this particular bridge. Apparently the new bridge is not programmed into the satelite system yet. As you approach the bridge (see the first photo arrow) you are located on the roadway. As you get on to the new section, (see second photo arrow in water) you now appear to be next to the old bridge in the water. As you are crossing, the GPS system tells you to make a legal u-turn when possible. Too funny!

As we stopped for coffee....since it has been the first rain of the season, we saw a rainbow! Yay! Can you see it too?

On the way back, we made a short pit stop since we were driving by where daddy started his new life in California. Had he not moved down here to go to the CHP Academy, we never would have met and Little J and Princess J would not be here....so it deserved a photo and a small detour.

Let's see what fun photos tomorrow brings!

A Week in the Life....or Maybe Two (cont..)

2008-10-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

So, today we headed out the door to take Little J to school. We even followed Daddy down the street! Yay Daddy! About half way to school, I realized that we left Little J's lunch at home. So, we dropped him off and headed back home to picj up the lunch! Princess J was so helpful! She carried Little J's lunch to the classroom. When we got to the door, I put her down and she ran inside with it! I told her to go give it to brother, but she took off with it and went and put it down in front of the refrigerator. Then she went over to brother to say hi. Then she took off looking for all the toys in the classroom. She was not very happy when it was time for us to leave! :D

We headed out to run some errends at the local mall. Princess J was all about grabbing everything in sight! She was a handful! We stopped at Starbucks for a treat for mommy and some Madeline cookies for Princess! She was loving them!

On our way out, we stopped in the Pottery Barn Kids store. They had lots of cute Halloween costumes and decorations, but Princess J was busy checking out the Frog Prince! It was so cute!

My favorite photo of the day though has to be this one I caught of Princess J and Little J holding hands from their carseats. They do this all the time and it is so stinkin' cute! I'm glad I finally got it on the camera!

A Week in the Life....or Maybe Two (cont..)

2008-10-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Didn't take as many photos today as I would have liked. Princess J was being a bit grumpy today and kept pulling at her ears. I was afraid she was getting an ear infection. I took her to the pediatrician today and all is well with her. It appears that her molars are coming in, so hopefully a little tylenol will make her feel better...and a lil' less grumpy.

Ther first photos are what I get to look at in my rear view mirror....my two beautiful blessings! This is on our way out the door to take Little J to school. After dropping Little J off, Princess J and I head off to our local Starbucks Drive-thru! Yay for Drive-thru Starbucks....no getting the kiddos out of the car, no getting cold or wet when it rains, but having your favorite drink handed to you right through the drivers side window!!! It's the little thing we have to be thankful for!

Princess J is known for her love of sleeping in the car, it never takes very long for her to be sound asleep.....sometimes just halfway down our own street! LOL!

Afte getting our morning cup, it was off to run a few errends before having to pick up Little J at noon. It's so much easier to do a Safeway run with just one little one in tow!

After picking Little J up at school, it was off to the pediatricians office for a quick check for Princess. She loves the little train set they have there and she always has to take that little yellow train into the exam room with her. It is too funny! She loves looking in the little fish window too!

On a funny note, we've been waiting and waiting for Princess J to start chatting up a storm...but currently she doesn't feel the need. I was planning on talking with her doctor about it a little next week at her regular check-up but as if to let me know not to worry, as Dr. H walked into the exam room and said hello to Princess J....she clearly said Hi back! Too funny! I don't think we have anything to worry about! LOL!

After a clean bill of health and a quick drive home (The doctors office is only a few blocks from the house...Yay). It was time for some play!

In getting ready for our evening routine, I would be remiss in not documenting the current medication/suppliment load that Little J is on. He is currently participating in a research study in San Diego. Every morning and evening in addition to his daily seizure and reflux medication, he is taking suppliments, that G and I have to mix and keep track of. It's a lot of work, but in the end if it provides some clues to treatments or a cure then I'm glad we've participated!

Since Princess J is getting her molars in now....Tylenol is a godsend!

Princess J is getting more and more independent. She is starting to love feeding herself! She's fighting giving up the bottle to go to a sippy cup every step of the way, but feeding is something she loves to do for herself.

Currently I am reading The Shack by William P. Young. It's a good read!

Tonight on television and important debate! The Vice Presidential debate between Democrat VP candidate Joe Biden and Republican candidate Sarah Palin. I think it will be one of the most widely watched VP debates ever.

Let's see what tomorrow brings......

A Week in the Life....or Maybe Two.

2008-10-01T20:21:00.001-07:00

So on Sunday, I started working on a project that Ali Edwards posted on her blog called "A Week in the Life: Documenting a week in your life" project. I knew I had a few special things planned this week that would be great to document as well as the typical things we do every week. Unfortunately, a monkey wrench got thrown into the mix (isn't that just like life!), so I considered starting fresh next week. The more I thought about it, though, the more I decided, that maybe I should document this week. Then I started thinking even more about it and was a little disappointed, that because of the monkey wrench, some typical, yet important things we do each week would be left out. This is what made me decide to do it for two weeks. I would be able to document the monkey wrench and the special things we had planned this week as well as documenting the typical things that we'll be back at next week. So....without further ado we move forward!

I'm going to gloss over the monkey wrench here, because I'm going to save documenting it for my final project rather than here on the blog. Our monkey wrench included a trip to our local hospital and doctor. Please know that everyone is fine :D Monday and Tuesday kept us mostly housebound...except for Little J who went to school.

This morning, we were mostly back in the groove of things. Little J went off to school, as you can tell by his face as I was getting him out of the car, he loves it there! As most of you know, Little J cannot walk independently yet, but to watch him at school working so hard on his walking skills is amazing! Recently, he began learning how to put his own lunch away at school! I love watching him walk with either his teacher or aide. After he puts his lunch away, it's time to sit at his desk and get to some serious preschool work!

Had to stop and get some gas today, so I thought it would be good to share and remind ourselves how much gas costs these days and what it costs to fill up the Sienna

After picking up Little J at school it's time to go home and relax a little....with a little Noggin'! Normally in a typical week, Little J would have a therapy appointment....but alas the monkey wrench rears it's lil' head. Little J sat with daddy for a little bit to watch his 'toons! I love this photo of them! Today we had a follow-up appointment at the doctor, so the kiddos got to start playing early!

Today, Princess J was a little ham for the camera! I love it! She also spent a little time with daddy showing off some of her mad skills of telling us how old she is, and showing us her toes! Too cute! Princess J also loves Yukon! When daddy is outside feeding him, she always has to watch from the window...lots more hamming it up!

One more exciting thing! The ladies I scrap with and am on the design team with at Picture Me Perfect were asked to be guest designers for October for Becky Fleck's Page Maps! So exciting!

More to follow!

A Day out with Princess J!

2008-09-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today, Princess J and I spent the day together! I just love spending time with her and watching her explore her environment and watch things going on around her. Today, we went to the
Quilting in the Garden show. It was a beautiful day also! The setting was just wonderful to see all the works of art and Princess J loved looking at all the sights and hearing all the acordion players that were around the event. Most of the time while we were strolling around, Princess J stayed in her stroller and just looked around. We went in the morning, because we knew it was going to get HOT later. When we got there it was about 76 degrees at 10:30 in the morning. When we left at 12:30 it was about 90 degrees! YIKES!! There were quite a few people there when we got there, but by the time we left it was getting super packed. I'm so glad we went when we did. We really got to look around and see everything without bumping into anyone or anything. The quilts were so beautiful, and the way they were displayed throughout the nursery was amazing!

After awhile, I got Princess J out of her stroller and let her explore on her feet a little. She loved the pumpkins and really wanted to eat the gravel. Since it was getting close to 12, she was starting to get a little fussy, because she was tired. As we were walking out to the car, she found a spot right out in front of the place, where she wanted to play in the dirt a bit. She was having a good time! LOL! As I took her out to the car...screaming just a little, because she wanted to play in the dirt....I kept thinking that there were a few quilts on the list that I didn't see, and was wondering how I missed them. I buckled Princess in, thinking we would just forget about it. She was out like a light in minutes and then it donned on me that they were probably in the little shop in front we didn't go into. I got her back out of the car and went back in, thankfully she continued to sleep on my shoulder while I looked around and snapped some photos. I loved the display inside the little shop of all the cupcake and baked goodness! It all looked so yummy, but it was all soaps and candles. So stinkin' cute.

The last photo is these cute little cups that are filled with pink yarn and knitting needles. On the front, they say Knit for a Cure for Breast Cancer. I thought this was such a cute little idea! I loved the package, but since I can't knit, I opted to just take a photo instead of buying it! LOL!

The best part of the day (besides just being with Princess J), was meeting Alex Anderson. My stepmother is an avid quilter and belongs to this website The Quilt Show . She is part of the website and does shows and such. She was such a sweetheart to meet! If I didn't know that sewing was not my forte and I didn't have a overloaded room full of scrapbook supplies (that I love each and every one of), I might just become a quilter! She is so energetic and has a beautiful personality...that she could probably convince me to quilt!! LOL!! Loved her! That is her with Princess J and I in the first photo! I hope I get to meet her again sometime! If you are already a quilter, then go check out their website, it is awesome! Suppot them!!

Scrappin' Good Fun!

2008-09-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

Life has just been busy as usual! We run around like crazy people trying to get everyone where they need to go and get a little rest in between. I have been feeling a little creative lately, so I thought I would share. These layouts were all done for PMP. I have some other exciting scrapping news coming on October 1st as well! Can't wait to share, but for now mums the word!

I hope to get some new photos of the kiddos this weekend, I know some of you are only here for those photos, so I will do my best to have some for you by Sunday!

Dancing with the Stars is Back!!!

2008-09-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

I am officially addicted to this show! My 3 early favorites are Rocco DiSpirito, Warren Sapp and of course I always have to root for our hometown dancer Cheryl Burke who is dancing with Maurice Greene! I know that Rocco and Warren are not the best dancers on the floor, but they are definately entertaining!

I am also glad to see Maxim Chmerkovskiy back....he is one hot piece of eye candy. LOL!

I hope there is another tour this year, I went to the first one and had a blast! Last year I missed it because we were out of town. This year, if it comes, I will be in the house!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

2008-09-18T13:50:00.001-07:00

Life has been exhausting lately. I just can't keep up with myself. I have a "to do" list that is at least a mile long, that does not seem to be getting any shorter. School is back in full swing and we're getting used to the new schedule for G.

My camera and I have not been getting along lately, but I think we're back together now.

I'm sorry I've been a bad blogger, but life is just that way sometimes. Lately, I just haven't had anything exciting to say and since my camera and I were not seeing eye to eye, I didn't have any photos that I could get off the dang card to post....ARGHHHH!

Princess J is always on the move, long gone are the days when she would sit still and let me capture cute little photos. Now, I have to chase her around! It's very tiring trying to chase her down, get that cute cheesy smile and snap the photo in the same instant. I got a few cute ones this morning though! Fall weather is beginning to appear around here. The nights and evenings are chilly, so I've been kind of excited to have the little one wear her new fall clothing. :D My sweet little fashion plate! LOL!

Well, the most important thing I have to say today is.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! We all love you and miss you tons! Can't wait to see you early next year!!!

Exhausting Week!

2008-09-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is September already! This blog has really suffered this last week or so. I had some photos to upload, but still can't get them off of the stupid card! Ugh!

This week has been full of adjustments and just being busy! Little J started school this week! I know the close up photo of him is washed out, but the smile on his face really shows how happy he was (and mommy too) to go back to school. He had a fun filled week with all new kids in his class. His little schedule is back in full swing with school every day and therapy twice a week. This week we also had the added bonus of a playdate for Little J. Little J played with fellow angel Little G. Little G's family is so wonderful! They were really our first contact in the Angelman Syndrome community. What a blessing they are to us to have so close. Little J and Little G played so well together, it was lots of fun. Little J had lots to "say" all the way home that night, and he "told" G all about it while getting ready for bed.

G has started working the new 12 hour shifts this week as well. It's nice to have a shorter week and have him home more days, but 12 hours is a long day! It's just going to take a little while to make it routine around the house.

It was really hard to get anything done this week, since it was so stinkin' HOT! OY! I think we really are a coastal family. We love sunshine, but the morning fog and chilly days are nice too.

This week has lots in store for us, and hopefully, I'll get those other photos off the stinkin' card by tomorrow.

More photos and fun to come!

I'm on my Soapbox!

2008-08-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Princess J's 17 month birthday, and while she's a bit under the weather, I did have some photos to share. Since for some reason which I can't figure out, they won't load, I'll save them for tomorrow.

Today, since I don't have any Princess photos, I wanted to share a letter that was written to the LA Times by California's First Lady Maria Shriver. It is in regards to the movie Tropic Thunder and the protesting that has been going on.

The 'R-word' is no joke
For the intellectually disabled and their families, it's just as bad as the "N"-word.

This has been a year filled with teachable political moments. Racism, sexism, ageism and "change" have been debated at kitchen tables and water coolers across America. But this last week, those gathered around my kitchen table have been consumed with another discussion, one that is not Democratic or Republican -- it's the "R-word" debate.

The "R-word" stands for "retard." For the 6 million to 8 million Americans with intellectual disabilities and their families, this word and its hurtful use is equal to the impact of the "N-word" on an African American.

The reason it's kitchen-table fodder is because of the Dreamworks film "Tropic Thunder," which topped the box-office charts when it opened last weekend and which will attract many more moviegoers this weekend. In the R-rated film, which I've seen, a character named Simple Jack is a caricature of a person with a developmental disability. In one of the scenes, the character played by Robert Downey Jr. chastises Ben Stiller's character for "going full retard," and the "R-word" is repeated many times.

As a journalist, I respect the right to freedom of speech, and my kids will tell you I laugh the loudest when we see a comedy. But as the niece of someone who had a developmental disability, and as a member of the board of directors of Special Olympics International, I know how hurtful the "R-word" is to someone with a disability. I know why "Tropic Thunder's" opening was met by protests on behalf of the intellectually disabled.

Listen to actor Eddie Barbanell, who serves on the Special Olympics board with me, and he will tell you in very emotional terms how the use of that word has made him feel rejected, stupid, demeaned.

Or you can talk to Special Olympics athlete Loretta Claiborne, who speaks on behalf of millions when she describes how the "R-word" has been used to mock and degrade her. She asks all of us to stop using this word without regard to its effect on the hearts and minds of people with disabilities.

There is an old saying: "Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me." Even when I chanted it as a child, I never believed it. Words do hurt -- they break people's spirits, they break people's dreams, they break people's hearts.

Kids will see "Tropic Thunder," no matter the rating, and when they leave the theater and go out to their schools, their homes and their communities, they'll call each other the "R-word" because they think it's funny. They'll do it without any idea or regard to how it makes a person with a disability feel.

Too many in the intellectually disabled movement cannot speak out for themselves. It is up to their families and those of us who advocate on their behalf to explain that calling someone by the "R-word" is no longer acceptable and is anything but funny.

It's not acceptable in a movie theater; it's not acceptable on a playground. It's not acceptable that college coaches use it to chastise athletes. It's not OK to use it in a classroom or a boardroom.

"Tropic Thunder" is giving Claiborne, Barbanell and many other individuals and organizations that serve those with special needs -- the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, the Arc, the American Assn. of People with Disabilities, Parent to Parent-USA -- a teachable moment. They are ready to join with the entertainment industry to change minds. Dreamworks' decision to include a public service announcement with DVDs of "Tropic Thunder" is an important first step, but far more needs to be done.

Just as important, parents must talk to kids at our kitchen tables about how we have felt when someone called us stupid, idiotic or lame. Because once we put ourselves in someone else's shoes, certain names just aren't that funny any more.

I often quote the Hopi prayer that tells us not to look outside ourselves for a leader. It tells us that we are the ones we have been waiting for. We can exchange one "R-word" for another: respect. We can teach our children that name-calling hurts.

Let's makes the "R-word" as unacceptable as the "N-word." Think of all we can accomplish if we work together.

It's one thing in this political season that shouldn't require a water-cooler debate.

Maria Shriver is the first lady of California

As the mommy of a child with intellectual disabilities, it hurts my heart to think that kids at his school will be using this word and hurting his feelings. Right now, he's only 3, so he doesn't understand, but someday he will. No matter how many times I tell him I'm proud of him, or what an amazing little boy he is, or how much we love him, it will hurt him. When he is hurt, I will be hurt also. I also dread what kind of an impact these things will have on his sister. I know her heart will hurt when others use these words as well.

Little J has so much unconditional love and joy to offer the world. I hope people will open themselves up to see that and love him back. Little J is the most joyful spirit you will ever meet. Your life and your heart will be touched just knowing him.

I personally have chosen not to support this movie. I may watch it when it goes to DVD, to see their PSA in the beginning. I think there is already enough hurt by the mean things that are said to one another, that we don't need to promote these things in movies. It's time to not only teach our children about using the 'R-word', but also about being kind to one another and having compassion for those who by no fault of their own have all types of disabilities seen and unseen.

*stepping off my soapbox now*

Let's just be nice to eachother, today and everyday......

Is There a 12 Step Program??

2008-08-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

For Reality TV junkies?

Here in all it's glory is my list of Reality TV programing. I know my Dad and Stepmom are shaking there heads at me as they read this......I'm sorry I can't help it.

These are listed in no particular order other than what order I thought of them in.

I should add that I don't watch all of these religously or anything. They definately are not all on in the same season either. Most of them are on networks that play them over and over and over and over and over, so you are bound to be able to catch an episode without dedicating any time to it. :D

Million Dollar Listing
Big Brother 10
Date My Ex: Jo and Slade (although I've given up on this one as it is really stupid)
Survivor (New Season Starting soon!)
Amazing Race (New Season Starting soon!)
Top Chef
The Mole
Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
Hell's Kitchen
How Clean is Your House? (I know this is old, but I can't help it!)
Last Restaurant Standing (Hope BBC comes up with a new season!)
Real Housewives (of the OC, of NYC and the new season will be Atlanta)
Tabitha's Salon Takeover
Real World (still)
My Super Sweet 16: Exiled (I was disgusted by the behavior of these girls in the original series setting up their parties, but I LOVE this, where they send these prima donnas to little tribal villages in other countries and make them live in houses made of cow poo!)
The Hills
Bridezillas
Platnum Wedding
Dancing With the Stars
American Idol
Flipping Out
Intervention
The First 48
Americas Most Wanted
Cops
Dog the Bounty Hunter
Wife Swap
Baby Borrowers
Last Comic Standing

I'm sure there is more that I'm missing here, but I think that is enough embarassment for now.

Sadly, I will probably also get sucked into the show Paris Hiltons: My New BFF. OY! Seriously, is there rehab for this? I've done the first step, admitting I'm a junkie.

Back to regularly scheduled Little J and Princess J postings soon.... Stay Tuned!

Big Belly Laughs!

2008-08-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

This little girl CRACKS me up! She makes the silliest faces and when she's watching her shows she lets out the biggest belly laughs. It's really infectious, even if you are in another room, you hear those belly laughs and you just can't help but laugh out loud! Don't get me wrong, she's still the biggest drama queen I have ever met in my entire life, but those belly laughs kill me!

She's really on the go these days. Once you put her down and give her freedom, she wants nothing to do with being picked up. She is already on lil' independent mama. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't like and she's not afraid to tell it like it is.....sans words yet.......

Little J is doing really well. We have 13 more days until school starts and I know he's ready to go back. He has learned this summer how to tell us off. While he's got his own little language, that we don't quite understand, the facial expressions are enough to tell us that he is a little irritated at times with us. I need to get a video of a "telling off" session. I know lots of typical 3 year olds have their way of telling off their parents and it's not funny, but when Little J does it, well for now.......it's HILARIOUS! I need to capture it on film now, while I still think it's hilarious and can look back at these blog posts and remember....

Today, my MIL recomended Alvin and the Chipmunks for the kids. She thought that Little J would especially love it.....well.....it was a hit with Princess J she was glued to it....until we gave her a toy to play with. LOL! Little J liked the singing parts.

Super Frustrated!

2008-08-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

This post will be short and sweet and I promise to post something more fun later. I am so frustrated with the order for Little J's activity chair. This has been an ongoing process since October of last year! Ugh!

First, we had to get a prescription which was relatively simple, then we had to pick out the right chair for Little J and thankfully we were able to test this one out at home for a few weeks before we made a choice.

We selected the chair and waited and waited and waited. I was then told we were waiting for word from our insurance company. I called them and they told me they were waiting for additional information from the provider.....all they wanted was the prescribing doctors name and phone number. They had been waiting for this information for 2 weeks! So I gave them that info and waited some more.

Finally, I get a letter telling me they are denying the request, because it's too much of a chair for Little J's needs. We file for arbitration and our doctors, therapists and us write new letters explaining why we are selecting this chair and why it is the best one for Little J's needs. Two weeks later, we get a letter saying they have reviewed our request and will approve it! Yay!

The information goes back to the provider and now we had to wait for our local regional center to approve payment of the 10% not covered by our insurance. About 3 weeks later, we get a call that the payment has been approved and they will send out the approval to the provider ASAP.

The provider get the approval from our local regional center and you think all would be good and they could order the stinkin' chair right? NO! Now they need to get an extension on approval from our insurance company and now we are WAITING AGAIN! Ugh!!!!

Once they get this extension they say they will try and expedite the order, but in general it takes 6 to 8 weeks to get the chair. That will be OCTOBER! OY! A whole year to get medical equipment that our little one really needs to be comfy and safe.

Thankfully, a family that we are friends with who also has a daughter with special needs had a chair that their daughter grew out of, so while it's not the perfect chair for Little J, at least he's safe.