Cole and Callie's Mom

RIght before your eyes

2011-06-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those moments where you see your kids in "real time" and realize how big they are?? Or when they wake up in the morning and you could swear you can see a difference in how they have grown just since the night before?? I get glimpses of that a lot these days and the expression that they grow up right before your eyes seems so real. I get nostalgic all the time for baby faces and high-pitched voices, but try to remind myself of the joys of every stage. I am loving the summer and wish I could keep time still and remind myself often of the joys of being home, being around and sleeping in!!

Roasting Mellers

2011-06-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Birthday Party

2011-06-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Chocolate dipped strawberries

2011-06-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a summer blogger

2011-06-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have realized that I feel like a "summer" mom. I mean I know I am a mom during the school year but not as full-time as I am during the summer. It feels good because I appreciate little things like being here when they wake up, doing Callie's hair and making them breakfast. The novelty of being a stay at home mom is high during the first weeks of summer, so I thought I would pick blogging back up and not only be a "summer" mom but a "summer" blogger.

Sleepovers

2010-07-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

This has been a summer of firsts, one of those being sleepovers!!!! Cole and his good friend Tage have had 2 or 3 sleepovers this summer and they always have a blast!! They sleep in the basement in the "DS Club" and in the morning I try to shape their breakfast like a Pokemon figure and they have to try to guess who it is, even with the mess I make of them they always get it right. These two boys are everything Pokemon and hilarious together, it warms my heart!!

Day Camp!!!!

2010-07-28T09:41:00.001-07:00

Yikes! This was scary for me, but it turned out great. Cole's first day camp, we were up early and excited. He had a blast and came home with a rabbit fur that he loves. So glad he is independently doing things like this, he has come so far and I am so proud of him!

Sherwood Hills

2010-07-28T09:32:00.001-07:00

Shane and I spent our honeymoon night at Sherwood Hills and hadn't been back with the kids. I forgot how beautiful it is up there, ponds and swings and tennis courts. The kids had a blast!! They had their "own" little room attached to ours with bunk beds, they were in heaven!!! Their room also had the fridge and microwave so they felt officially on their own. It had the coolest pool ever!!!! It was huge and had rock formations everywhere that you could jump off of. We swam and swam and swam, we will definitely be back soon.

I'm gonna miss this

2010-07-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Made her way downstairs at 9 a.m and found a place to go back to sleep!

Just enjoying Hanging out at home

2010-07-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's funny because through the whole school year all I wanted was to be home, Sunday nights I would cry to Shane that I didn't want to be gone all week. I'm not going to lie now that I am home all week sometimes I feel like I am going to go crazy :) I have to constantly remind myself that all too soon I will be gone at 7:15 before anyone else is even awake in the house and then I begin to cherish sleeping in everyday, making breakfast, getting kids ready, doing Callie's hair, doing laundry, MAKING DINNER, going to the pool, playing in the basement and just hanging out with my family!!

Strawberry Days

2010-06-20T08:01:00.001-07:00

So we headed to the carni last Friday for Strawberry Days and the kids had a blast. It was hot and pricey but they loved it. Cole went off by himself with the other older kids, I can't believe he can do that I kept checking up on him and he was doing great! Here is one of the times I found him.

Check off carni number one for the summer, next up steel days with my fam!

Swimming Lessons

2010-06-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Oh man I was sad to say good-bye to this session of swimming lessons~ This year is the first year that I walk them in sun-screen them and send them on their way....and then I find my chair my drink and my book and for the next 30 minutes just relax!! I looked forward to swimming lessons as much as the kids did~ In years past I was in the pool for the mom and tot or so worried about Cole that I didn't take my eyes off him, so we have reached a new phase and I love it!!!

The last day all the kids get to go down the slide a few times, here is Callie with her teacher.

and here is Cole on one of his many trips down

definitely some cold days when you sign up for the first session :) but we braved them all and loved it!!

Oh Happy Day!!

2010-06-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

The first day of summer school was June 15th, always a highly anticipated day at our house. When you have a child with autism summer school can become a life-saver!! For you and your child :) The past couple of years Cole is doing so much better that it has become less of a necessitiy, but gives him enough of a routine to make his day (and our day) go much smoother!! Plus added bonus he loves it~~ and since I can't take him to school or pick him up during the school year I love being able to do this with him in the summer.

Candy Factory and cemetary

2010-06-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a strange combination, but we had a blast! This was the first week of summer....I already want to rewind :( We took flowers to Grandma Karen's grave and I brought a gigantic bubble wand and we stayed there forever. It was so peaceful, no one else there we just hung out and Grandma Karen's grave. The kids pretended they were different characters and popped the bubble as those characters, they had the funnest time! I will remember that afternoon forever! Because they were being so good I told them that we could go to the candy factory close by....well it is now a mattress store but luckily they have turned it into the cutest candy store around the corner. We got some gummies for the ride home, including gummy butterflies, and called it a day :)

Pre-school Graduation

2010-06-10T18:24:00.001-07:00

Callie graduated from pre-school this year, Miss Kristy and Miss Camille have been wonderful!! She had a little speaking part in their program and she was so nervous for it and she nailed it! I was so proud and happy for her. It has been such a different experience to have a typical child go through pre-school...much less emotionally taxing if you will....it's actually very refreshing.

Still trying to figure stuff out...

2010-06-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone's blog that I look at is so fancy and cute, I need to play with stuff more to figure out how you get all those things on there, but for now....

These are Cole's dance festival pictures, these may seem like any old dance festival pictures to you but this is the first time he has fully and independently really been into the dance. He loved it and has performed it many times since! We had friends over for a BBQ on memorial day and made them all gather in the family room so he could perform the whole thing for them....I never thought I would see the day. I have had to download Rockin Robin to my computer for him to perform it :)

I'm BAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!

2010-06-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have recently become obsessed with blogs again, and I feel like it is unfair for me to stalk others if I am not willing to keep mine up.....so....."here it goes, here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again....ah here it goes again"

I am not going to try to catch you up on the last 2 years you'll figure it out as we go, but everyone is well and big, exciting, new adventures are on the horizon. So talk to you soon!

These are pics from Day out with Thomas, which we went on last Friday.....and yes Callie insisted on wearing her outgrown CareBear costume! Gotta Love it

The Carney is back in town!!

2008-07-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

1/2 baths and teenagers....

2008-07-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is for you Diane.....

So I am always so amused by what Cole's obsessions turn out to be.....I once thought it would be so funny to write them down. So his current one is bathrooms. And how many people have in their homes and what type they are. Be it 1/2, 3/4, full, master baths or toilet closets. He likes to have shane quiz him like...."this bathroom has 2 sinks and 2 shower heads and a jetted tub".....and cole will say "master bathroom!" this continues thru all the types. He knows how many and of what size all of our friends and relatives have in their homes and where they are located. I always try to think of how I could morph one of his obsessions into an occupation, but they ususally don't stick around long enough for me to figure that out.

Callie on the other hand is spilling over with attitude, it is hilarious! I honestly don't know where she learns some of this stuff! I swear I do not put my hands on my hips and grunt....at least I hope I don't. She has been doing this thing lately where she will say, "watch!" and then she will slowly rise up to her tippy toes and walk around on her tippy toes and say guess what I am......" A teenager!" are we in for it or what! She will continue to walk around on her toes and say look mom I am a teenager, watching her turn into one is the funniest part because she does it so slowly and deliberately that her arms even come up slowly as she is rising up like she is filling with air----morphing into a teenager right before our eyes!~

Not sure what day of the week it is...

2008-06-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

So summer is here, and I honestly never know what day of the week it is! I miss having calendar every morning. I mean besides Sunday the days are all the same. So I literally wake up some days and think is it Tuesday or Saturday? The first week was a little rough. I mean a huge adjustment for everyone. We went from me working, Cole in school all day, and Callie in school half a day to nothing plus cold weather aaaaahhhhh! And then they still hadn't adjusted their sleep schedule so it was up at 6:45-ish which made for a long day of trying to figure out what to do all day. Shane's work started picking up too which I am so grateful for but that meant long hours for him. Lets just say he came home to me sitting on the stairs with my head in my hands a couple of times :)! But all it took was a week and now everyone is back to themselves!!! Yay! We are having a good time and all is well!! Thank goodness for friends!!! and summer practicum!!! :)

A walk up the Provo river trail....

2008-05-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

So a couple of sundays ago I took the kids up that trail to the base of bridal veil falls. The river was super high and fast and Cole was on his scooter next to me. So I said, "Cole you have to stay right next to me if you fell in that river I would just die....." to which he responded, " No, mom I would be the one that would die..." which I said "No, honey I just mean I would never get over it." and fittingly he told me, "well mom the bridge is just right there you could get over it there." Kid you not that was the exact conversation so perfect! Life would be so boring without his little literal mind.

Callie is so sweet!! Her little pre-school graduation was last friday and I was prepping her saying you'll just do a couple things up front and then everyone will clap and then you will be all done. She was so excited she went up there with all the other kids and they said the pledge of allegiance and everybody clapped and she thru her hands in the air and said "I'm Done!" Needless to say she spent the rest of the program on my lap and I couldn't have been happier. Let's be honest how many more years will she sit on my lap thru school programs........well lets hope not too many more :)

Walk for Autism

2008-05-12T14:39:00.001-07:00

We were on the Giant Steps team
It was such a fun day with so many things for the kids to do
There were all kinds of Disney characters!

A day at the farm

2008-05-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the theme at school was farm animals. Cole with the help of Callie made a farm in our front room, with animals, food and water and crops. So Fun!

Just Catching up....

2008-05-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

I can't keep up with all of my technology these days! First I started texting which I must say it now takes me less than 10 minutes to ask a question. And most of the time you can even decipher what I am trying to say. Then Bre introduced me to blogging and then Amber started me on Facebook. Does anybody even check email anymore? But seriously I love it!! And I wouldn't be able to figure out any of it without my younger/hipper friends! Speaking of younger and hipper, my birthday was friday and Shellee and Naon and I went and stayed the night in Park City and SHOPPED our hearts out at the outlets, went out to dinner at the best restaurant called the eating establishment and saw Made of Honor, ate tons of chocolate, read magazines and stayed up late. It was soooooo much fun!

As this year is starting to wind down and my last day at giant steps is approaching as well as Cole's last day of kindergarten, Callie's last day of Shauna's and Shane's last day of nearly full time Mr. mom. I have never been so grateful for the people in my life and in my kids everyday life who have made this year possible and so wonderful. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Just like the markers!

2008-04-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

The other day we were talking to Cole about his loose teeth and how his permanent teeth were already starting to come in and he said, "Yep these are just my washable ones and when these fall out I will get my permanent ones!"

The other day I got home late and Shane was on his way upstairs to put Callie down, she heard me come in and Shane kept walking upstairs and I guess she thought she wasn't going to get to see me. So she started crying really hard, when we finally got her calmed down I asked her what was the matter and she said, "I think I just freaked out." (without pronouncing the "r" in freaked, it was hilarious.)

Nothing beats an autistic play date!

2008-04-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

If you have never experienced a play date between two autistic kids, I highly recommend it. It is very entertaining. Maybe only a select few of us find it so amusing but if you are familiar with autism you can appreciate it.

Play date #1: Cole and Ethan, what sweethearts! I seriously sat on the stairs and listened to them in the basement, trying not to laugh out loud. As they began to recite every one's birth date that they've ever known. And what letters they both had in common in their first and last names. Then it moved to Ethan giving the GPS coordinates of every street he took to get to our house (very impressive). Then Cole telling Ethan what was served for school lunch on what date and day of the week. But they were happy and had a blast what more can you ask for. Adorable!

Play date #2: Cole and Jackson, oh what fun! All that Cole could talk about was Jackson coming over, he watched and waited anxiously for him....enter Jackson....I ask Jackson "where do you want to go play" Jackson responds, "I want to go upstairs." Cole then heads outside hollering, "I am going outside." Annie and I look at each other and Annie says "there's an autistic play date for you" It was perfect! They did end up meeting up at some point and had a blast as they always do. I am sure Cole taught him more ways you can work the word "poo" into your conversations. But hey were going for appropriate behavior right. Annie and I also discussed the pros of autistic play dates there is not the usual fit throwing that you sometimes get with typical kids when it is time to go because when it's time to go means it's time to go.

I am so glad Cole has such sweet boys in his class to play with.

Is that so much to ask....

2008-04-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

This week has been my dream job!!! I've gotten to go on the daily Giant Steps spring break excursions....and I got to bring my kids with me. I have felt all week that never again will I have this type of experience where each day of a school break is planned out for me, I get paid and I get to have my kids with me. It has been so wonderful that I keep thinking is it to much to ask that I get hired for a job where I get to work with autistic kids and take them on fun outings around the valley and have my kids come with me probably....but maybe like everything else the reason it is so fun is because it is a vacation from the ordinary and if I did it constantly it would become work. But for now I can say gosh this has been the best week!

Recent pics

2008-04-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

I have finally figured out how to put pictures in my posts so this was from a couple weeks ago on a friday night watching a movie.

Sledding in April

2008-04-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

On Monday when Callie saw the snow she wanted to go sledding. By the time we got all geared up this was what was left. I tied the rope around my waist and ran around the yard a couple of times pulling her. She said "mom, you're just like a motor cycle" (in the winter Shane pulls the kids on sleds behind the 4-wheeler)

p.s Shane just aerated the lawn so all those suspicious brown nuggets are dirt...or at least most of them are ha ha.

This is so exciting, I've never been tagged before!

2008-04-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

What time did you wake up this morning? 6:55, much much to late considering I have to shower and be semi-ready, and get Cole ready and on the bus by 7:25 so you can imagine what my hair looked like today.

What do you usually have for breakfast? Quaker "weight control" instant oatmeal. It's the only thing that keeps me full until about 10:00 and then the snacking begins!

What is your favorite CD at the moment? Truthfully I don't listen to much adult music. In my car right now I have Kindermusik CD's and Elizabeth Schatz "Thank God that I am your Mom." But Shane just bought Trace Adkins new CD and it has this song on it that I love called "You're Gonna Miss This."

What kind of car do you drive? A silver tan 2005-ish Toyota Corolla, along with the rest of the world, I can't tell you how many times I've put me keys in or even sat down in the wrong car when I am not paying attention.

Favorite item of clothing? Definitely my brown fleece comfy bottoms!

If you could go anywhere on vacation where would you go? With kids= Disneyland/Disneyworld, Without kids=Europe.

What color is your bathroom? Tan and Dark Brown.

Where would you retire? I have no idea, probably near where the kids are.

Most memorable birthday? The one that sticks out the most is my 11th birthday when I was surprised with a puppy who I named B.J. (Barney James).

Favorite sport to watch? Anything that Shane is watching which is just about every sport. I don't think I am into sports so I just sit by him with a magazine but I always end up totally getting into it and yelling and jumping up and down more than he is.

Are you a morning person or a night person? Definitely a night person. When everybody is asleep it's the first time that it feels like it is finally "me" and sometimes I need it so badly that I just keep staying up later and later.

Shoe size? I seriously just had to look and the shoes I am wearing are 9 1/2.

Pets? Two dogs Dawson and Chubbs who I am just now starting to think I won't "accidentally" leave the gate open. I am not really and animal person but Shane and the kids love them.

What did you want to be when you were little? A Lawyer!!! Which is hilarious because I am the MOST non-confrontational person in the world I run from it!

What is your favorite candy? JUNIOR MINTS it is not my favorite candy it is my Addiction. On any given week there may be 3-4 empty boxes of them in my cars trash compartment. It's embarrassing!

What is your favorite flower? Poppies, they remind me of my mom and this field in the foothills of Alpine we used to go to when they were in bloom.

What is a day on the calendar that you are looking forward to? Probably my birthday May 9, because I'll get to go shopping!!!

What are you listening to right now? Cole and Callie in the bathtub in the next room playing "green eggs and ham" it's really funny.

What is the last thing you ate? Fruit Loops (dry)... like I said the snacking begins at 10:00 a.m. and doesn't end until I am asleep.

What faith are you? LDS

Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Shane asking me if I needed a drink he was stopping at the gas station.

Celeb hair you covet? This is probably so out of style but I have always loved thick naturally curly kind of out of control hair....like first season Felicity.

One of your favorite school teachers? High school English teacher Miss Shelly, who is the reason I pursued and love English.

Chocolate or Vanilla? no competition chocolate.

When was the last time you cried? Wednesday night had a little overwhelmed, what should I do with my life moment, but it passed.

What did you do last night? Played with the kids, ate dinner, put kids to bed, watched Survivor with Shane.

Favorite smell? Fresh clean house and laundry, which is a very rare occurrence.

What are you afraid of? Oh geez so many things. Mostly they involve not giving my kids what they need. oh and the dark seekers on I Am Legend.

How many cities have you lived in? Alpine, Pleasant Grove, Salt Lake, Lehi and Lindon.

How many kids do you want? That is the exact same question I have right now too, and I have no idea. Except I know I want the two I already have!

3 bad habits? Being late, being un-organized, spreading myself to thin.

If I were a billionaire I would? Not stress about money I hope! Open an Autism Spectrum Disorder school and hire Bre Bell for a million dollars to teach!

One life goal? To make a difference in the special education field.

A few things your friends might not know about you? I think there are things my friends wish they didn't know about me, I don't hold anything back.

I tag? Well considering there are only about three people who know I have a blog and I probably can't tag Bre back I would say Anna and I will make it a point to get some more friends!

Thanks Bre that was so much fun!

aaahhhh the weekend

2008-03-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

What would we do without weekends, no stressing to get the kids in bed by 8:00, sleeping in, I live for them and just when you think you've just about had enough. The week starts again.

This weekend was really great. Cole and Callie were so excited about the Easter Bunny. Anybody who gripes about how commercial Easter has become and how it seems like the 2nd Christmas just needed to be up in Cole's room the night before Easter. Seriously how many years do you really have once they get it and our excited about it until they figure it out.

Cole had snuck down for the second time the night before Easter to find Shane and I watching TV, when I took him back to bed he said, "Mom! the Easter bunny will not come until we are all in our bed...what does Dad think that it is the night before St. Patricks day?" (actually honey no it is just March madness)

They had so much fun coloring eggs and they wrote a note to the Easter bunny I asked them if we should leave the eggs out for the Easter Bunny and Cole said no lets just tell him they are in the fridge.

Callie is talking so much and the things she says are hilarious! It is like being a mom for the first time all over again, because we didn't experience the toddler years like this with Cole. When I get her up in the morning and ask her if she had a good sleep she says, "yes, you're right I did." Everything is so exciting to her! Her babysitter Shauna says if we could all have just a smidgen of her enthusiasm for life we'd be set.

The true meaning of Easter

2008-03-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

So ever since Christmas Cole thinks that every holiday a guy dressed up as something brings us gifts. He kept asking what the "Valentine Guy" would be bringing us and where do we mail the Easter bunny our list of what we want. So I decided to try to explain to him what we celebrate on Easter. So I told him, "you know how on Christmas we celebrate Jesus' birthday well on Easter we celebrate that Jesus came back alive..." to which he responded, "Jesus is coming back alive on Easter!" (uh oh) "No honey, Jesus came back alive a long time ago it is called being resurrected." (cole responds) "okay so Jesus dies on St. Patrick's day and comes back alive on Easter?" ....."Nevermind honey the Easter bunny comes on Easter"

The secret mission

2008-03-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

So last night I was thrilled when at 8:00 both kids were in bed and Shane was at young mens, and it was just me in the quiet. Until I heard footsteps upstairs at first I thought I had just imagined it but it happened a couple of times. When I went upstairs to investigate there was no one in Cole's bed and the stool that is at the landing at the top of the stairs was missing. I then went into Callie's room and found Cole standing on the four legged pedastol stool at Callie's crib attempting to pick her up out of her crib as she was laughing. When I put a stop and returned everyone to there beds I asked Cole what he was doing and he said he was planning a secret mission to sneak Callie and he out and go downstairs to watch an episode of Wow Wow Wubzy without me knowing. I loved it!