The kids home for Christmas

I can’t possibly summarize or put into words what it means to me to have the kids home so I’ll just try to capture a moment in time. I am having such a great day so I will capture this moment. I got up this morning having gotten a good night sleep despite Leah coming home around 12:30 and Joel’s friends all coming over around that time. Hannah had stayed home for the evening so she was excited to have company. I could hear her voice over all the others. I finally got up and read for awhile and just basked in the lovely noise of kids in the house. I went up to Joel’s room and gathered about 50 pop cans and gaterade bottles and took it out to the curb with the rest of the recycling(am I the only person in the world who recycles in the middle of the night?). This morning I woke to a quiet house about 9 and cuddled with Rex uninterrupted by Professor who slept upstairs with the girls. The house was perfectly quiet so I had my quiet time (watch Joyce Meyer and wrote in my prayer journal). I got up and did some laundry and dishwashing. Having the kids home does mean more work but that is temporary. I went back to bed and finished the book I am reading which I didn’t love but liked ok and it was loooong—Katherine Neville The Eight. Now Hannah is awake and she’s sitting in the chair across from me on Leah’s computer. Today’s plans include eating leftover homemade pizza from last night that the girls and I made, getting Adelle for a few hours and then gravity class at the gym. I’m so excited about that! Hannah and Joel have tickets to the ksu game tonight so that blows our plans for Chipotle. Scott is at the fire department today then he’s off til after the first. Leah will get up next and the girls and I will sit around and chat and drink coffee probably til time to get Adelle. What a great day! Here are some photos including one of Adelle helping make cookies before the kids came home. (The house was perfect--lights up, tree up, theme wrapped shiny gifts, clean, fridge and cupboards stuffed to brimming with the kids' favorite foods and treats to eat). It also includes a crazy face contest Hannah challenged us to--I won with Rex as runner up although Hannah posted a few really good ones herself.

MP3

I have been waiting about 6 weeks to give Adelle her birthday present, an MP3 player loaded with the music she likes, country music. I got it quite a while ago and then a few weeks ago Mary at work helped me load it with all kinds of country music. Adelle loves 104.7 and sings it in the car. "Volume up!" she says. We can only talk during commercials. All this from the back seat, of course. I had asked Rosie, Adelle's mom about it and she said Adelle has been asking for one. Adelle has been talking about her friend at school who let's her listen to her ipod. So yesterday, I brought Adelle over to the house and gave her the present. She unwrapped it and asked what it was. I told her. She put it down and was ready to go downstairs to get on the computer. I told her no so she picked up the remote and we watched her favorite show, "Around the Horn." I tried again to encourage her to try the ipod, even turned it on and showed her that George Strait was playing. She took it from me and put it down and was ready to go out to eat. She stood by the door and said, "I don't think I will take it to school." At dinner I asked if she was disappointed that it wasn't an ipod. She said, "No, an ipod is an MP3 player." She did grab it when she got out of the car at home. Her mom was baffled too. Go figure! Who can predict this young lady? No one!

Cool

Yesterday I did some unique Christmas shopping at a ranch! A few weeks ago while at the coffee shop, Scott and I were admiring these amazing crossed that were displayed as artwork on the walls. So I called the gal to find out how to purchase some as gifts and she gave me directions to her ranch. She has built a tiny art studio/studio apartment out in the country. She has a barn where she boards horses and gives riding lessons. The building is sort of like the one on Shari's property but smaller and she had it decorated into a cool one room apartment and art studio. These crosses are sooo cool but I can't describe them right now because SOME of you (won't mention who) MAY be getting one for Christmas.

Funny

I don't know why this tickled my funny so badly,but last night I was tossing and turning in bed and Professor was sleeping soundly in the far corner of the bottom of the bed. At one point, I turned over and stretched my leg out and caught him hard with the side of my foot and launched him about 2-3 feet in the air and to the floor. I immediately got up and looked down and he was looking at me with the funniest look on his face. He was fine but it took me forever to quite GIGGLING and get back to sleep! I am still giggling as I write this.

Thanksgiving etc

I am so blessed to have such a long Thanksgiving weekend. Leah got home Tuesday night. I love spending time with Lele. We ordered pizza (too much). Wednesday I slept in til 9! We did some last minute things to the house and went shopping all about town--the usual spots--walmart, target and even hobby lobby! We got scrapbooking stuff for scott's soccer season and some supplies for Leah to make a mosaic breakfast tray for me for Christmas:). At target I got a cream color fleece and matching down vest:) Wednesday night we went to Chipoltle, Scott too. This is our all time favorite place to eat. It feels like home. Thanksgiving I started cooking about 10 and the guests arrived around noon--my dad and Jean, my mom, and all the griffiths--dave, ronnie, jon, tim and hannah, jc and ryan. We all ate too much chips and cheese dip and the boys all went to the old stadium to play catch while we did the last minute cooking. I just made all the basics--turkey (baked in a bag stuffed with fruits and veggies--so tender), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoe casserole, and stuffing. Mom brought cranberry salad, ronnie brought rolls and pop, and jeanie brought pecan and pumpkin pies. Everyone left by 6! It was good to see everyone and spend some time with them. I missed Hannah and Joel. Hannah stayed in Laramie to work on an art project that is due soon and her roommate Lucas' parents fixed dinner. Joel went with a friend to his house in Huntington beach. After the family left, Leah and I took her old ceramics out and smashed them into small peices for the mosaic. It was fun! I'll bet the neighbors wondered what we were up to. Today Leah and I went for coffee and I bought Scotty an electric blanket and took it to him at work. I also took the rest of the pumpkin pie to him. I had leftover Thanksgiving for breakfast and dinner. Good thing I got up this morning and went to an hour and a half exercise class--step, power chisel and yoga! Awesome! Today was even complete with a long nap! And I have two more days of weekend yet to go!

KSU bsektball, Temple Grandin, and Adele

This week on Monday, I got to hear Temple Grandin speak. She's a 63 year old famous, successful woman who has autism. She lectures on what it is like to have autism as well as her field of study, animal handling. We got to ask her questions for two hours! I learned so much that I am already applying to the kids I work with at school and to my time with Adelle.
I had Adelle's mom help me talk Adelle into going with me to a Women's basektball game. I had asked her last time we got together if she wanted to go and she said, "No, let's just do the around the house stuff." Temple Grandin said that people with autism need to be pushed outside thier comfort zone, not to the point of overload or panic, but encouraged to do new things and not just the solitary activities that they prefer. So Rosie said she talked Adelle into going to the first half. I know that Adelle loves sports so I thought she might like to go watch them. She hated the JC soccer game I took her to this season which surprised me. I also know that Adelle is a pattern thinker and loves to look at numbers and charts so I had her bring a notebook.
Well, Adelle liked the game. At first, she kept asking if she could PLAY, not watch. She wanted to go shoot some baskets while the team was warming up but got her out notebook and wrote down the starting lineup. Keeping track of points and fouls kept her entertained for quite a while. She watched the game, too, and asked some good questions. Then she got out another peice of paper and listed a bunch of classmates, I think she was assigning them to all star teams. We made it to halftime and to te promised hotdogs. We had quite a snack of pizza, hot dogs and slushies. The only thing that upset Adelle was when one of our players helped the other team up off the court. Adelle said, "What! Why is the player helping the enemy up?" I explained that they aren't enemies, but opponents who have respect for each other and that that is good sportsmanship. I also had to explain to Adelle how to say, "excuse me" and wait instead of just climbing over people to get out of the row.
Adelle did super at the grocery store. I had reminded her the two rules before we went in, "Don't touch anything you aren't going to pay for" and "you must stay where I can see you." The first rule was from Temple Grandin and took care of the problem we had last week when Adelle picked up some tic tacs and helped herself to one then put it back. Today Adelle was perfectly appropriate, pushed the cart carefully, shook hands with the people I knew that we stopped to talk to, and didn't do anything she shouldn't. She didn't even ask for anything! She did ask if we could just hang out at the house next week (and have ice cream).

My Doggies

You should read "The Art of Racing in the Rain." Its a great book. Ever since I've read it, I have been more convinced than ever that dogs understand exactly what we are saying. Yesterday was proof again. I was explaining to Rex that we were taking Professor to see Leah and leaving him home. I didn't want him to feel bad so I was telling him that Professor would have to ride in the car for a really long time and wait in the car while we ate and shopped. While I was saying all this, Professor ran and hid under the couch and I had to drag him out when it was time to go! I wasn't completely honest with Rex, though, because Professor had a wonderful time. I don't remember if I blogged about this before, but another time that proved that they understand english was when Leah gave Rex this little cat toy that was a small, squeaky mouse. Rex was obsessed with this mouse. He kept it with him and played with it, squeaked it, licked it, cuddled it, etc, for about 36 hours straight when I realized it was way too small for him and he was going to choke on it. I waited for an opportunity and when he left it for a second to get a drink of water, I took it and hid it on top the fridge. He came back in the room and madly searched for it everywhere. I called him over to me and explained to him that I'd taken it away because it was too small. He looked at me, barked furiously at me a few times, then stopped looking for the toy, and layed down dejectedly. Proof.
Rex and Professor like to sleep with me. If you've ever owned a Shih Tzu, you know that they prefer to sleep near feet. When its cold out, one sleeps strtched out cuddling my shins and the other, my calves (I sleep on my side). Friday night when I couldn't sleep, I read my book for awhile. Rex got annoyed and came over and hit the book with his paw. When that didn't work, he laid down on my face so I couldn't see the book. Last night, Rex started scratching and it was shaking the bed. Normally, if I lieft my head up, both dogs pop their heads up to look back at me. So I looked at Rex and he looked back. Professor was upside down with all four paws spread out and his head tilted back and he didn't even open his eyes to see what was up. I told Rex to follow Professor's example and go to sleep. He hopped over the pillow and Professor and curled in a ball on my chest and laid his head on my chest. I rubbed his ears for awhile and we went to sleep. He didn't stay there long but it was sweet. I love my little doggies.