Rainy Day

WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok - so Monday it took everything in me to get out of bed to go to the gym.  I stayed up waaaaay too late on Sunday night - trying to prepare for the week - and boy did I pay in the morning.  Thank goodness for Bob.  He always walks me out to the car and tells me I can do it!  :o)  Love him!  

Anyway - I pull up to the gym - and I think to myself . . . hmmmm. . . odd . . . all those people milling about at 5 AM!!!!!!!!  There were about 20 of us gathered at the door - waiting for the poor snoozing kid who had no idea his alarm was failing him miserably.  So for about 20 minutes I enjoyed breathing some fresh early morning air until there was really no time left to workout - so I hopped back into my car and headed home.  Some people were rather cranky about it . . . but all I could think about was the poor kid and the minor heart attack he was going to have when he looked at his clock and realized his morning had already gone horribly wrong before he even woke up.  UGH!!!!  I hate that feeling.  It's happened one or two times before to me.

I actually really missed working out that morning.  The day wasn't the same.  It turned out to be a really difficult day as it was and I sure could have used that boost.  But the good thing is - the gym guy woke up on time this morning - and I'm back in the saddle again!  Woohooo!  

Taking the morning back!!! Woop woop!

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5:00 AM is all mine!!!!!  No meetings, lessons, schedules, activities, phone calls, taxi service, lesson plans, etc!!!!  Wooohooooo!!!!!!!  4 days in a row!  Why didn't I think of this sooner?!?!?!  I LOVE IT!!!  What a morning rush!

He is always there.

Isn't it amazing?  That all we have to do is reach up for his hand.  It's there . . . waiting - whenever we feel overwhelmed, a little weak on faith or like we're sinking.  As Isaiah always says - His hand is stretched out still.  It's not that we have to wait for Him to reach for us . . . the Savior is already there.  He is just waiting for us to take his hand so he can lift us up.  

I love the scriptures!

What a gorgeous day!

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After yesterday's mild wind and all day rain from Ike - it's almost wrong to have such a gorgeously beautiful day here.  Just knowing what so many are going through - not so far away . . .   There are many many shelters open in our area and apparently it will be some time before people from the Galveston area head home.  Our prayers are certainly with them.

Everything was cancelled yesterday - stake meetings, kids activities, and other commitments - in anticipation of the storm.  We hunkered down here at home and I worked all day!  My biggest task was putting together books from the music therapist who visits my classroom each week.  They are wonderful resources and I'd been anxious to complete them prior to her actually coming and using them.  But literally - I SAT ALL DAY!!!!  I didn't even realize - even though Bob kept walking by saying "Man - you've been sitting there working ALL DAY!"  I guess I didn't really process that until I went to move around midnight and realized my eyeballs were about to fall out and I no longer bent the way I was supposed to!  Who knew sitting could be so painful?!?!?!  My back is in bad shape today.  That'll learn me a lesson!  ;o)  But still - I got a ton done - and the majority of the books are complete!  Hooray!

The kiddos are happy and doing great.  Kbugs had orchestra tryouts and is 2nd chair 1st violin.  Woowoo!  Go Kbugs!!!!  She's starting speech club soon too which will be really fun for her.  My Buddy is so excited to be taking guitar lessons as part of the after school program at his school.  He has wowed everyone with his ability to play.  He is so anxious for baseball season to start up again.  It's going to be a looooong winter waiting!  Buddy loves his Spanish class too.  It's fun to hear him speaking Spanish.  Cowboy T is just a natural at the piano and has been making up songs and serenading us with new variations quite often.  In one day he can go from cowboy to scientist, to pole vaulter, basketball star, musician, artist, inventor, builder, to chef and on and on and on.  It's so fun to watch them develop their many different talents.  I just LOVE being their Mom!!!!!!  It rocks!!!

Too Much Soup!!!

As you can tell from the picture - this was a few years ago.  We had worked outside all day on the yard - and the kids were hungry and tired.  Just as Bob was about to take a picture - one of the kids asked what was for dinner.  Bob replied "Soup!" (which in all fairness - we'd had just about every night that week!)  The result is priceless.  I guess they just couldn't take it one more night.  Poor things!  ;o)

(I just have no idea where they get such flair for drama!  Honestly!)

Halloween!!!!

Man!  I'm toast!!!!  My kids are old enough to reach the mailbox.  Usually I chucked all those catalogs that would come - you know - the ones with all the costumes in them.  It was so easy!  They didn't even know they existed.  Then - being one of those particularly uncreative mom's - I would spend the build up to Halloween convincing them to wear their red pajamas and just be a red gumdrop - or something terribly effortless.  

In a stroke of genius - when I was just a toddler - my Mom would make my sisters and I dress up as bunny rabbits and give us un-naturally giant carrots to munch on as we went trick-or-treating!  Yeah - guess who wasn't hungry by the end of trick or treating?!?!?!  I can't believe I fell for that!  (three years in a row!)

Anyway - the jig is up!  They now know there is more to Halloween then red pajamas - or taping Smarties to your pants (Smarty pants!  Get it!!!!  Hilarity at it's best - you gotta admit it!)  They found the catalog and have poured over and over it.  Last I heard - we have a trio of super heroes in the house.  Supergirl, Flash, Indiana Jones, Catwoman, Batman, a cowboy, a fighter pilot - you name it - I've heard it!  Honestly - it's kind of fun hearing their excitement.  But wishes and reality - well . . . we shall see . . . 

When I heard Bob looking at the his and her pirate costumes . . . well - let's just say - the catalog just might mysteriously disappear!  Muwahahahahaaa!!!!  Aaaaargggghhhh matey!

Back in the Swing!

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Typically I don't post on this blog about school.  I can't share much because of confidentiality stuff but I did want to say that so far I'm having a good year!  Yea!  I have 8 students in the morning.  7 boys and 1 precious little girl!  The majority of my students have autism - although I also have student's with downs syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and other (as of yet) non-diagnosed disabilities.  They are all non-verbal in my morning class.  They are also all 3 years old.  Two of them just barely turned three a few weeks ago.   Because of their age - we do A LOT of redirection and basic skills - but that's how they learn the routines and what it's like to be in school.  Sometimes the going is slow - but it's all good.

My afternoon class is a completely different mix.  It is SO FUN!!!!  I have 6 little boys.  They are all 4 years old and 4 out of the 6 have some verbal abilities in varying degrees.  In fact one of them I am (reluctantly - but still urgently) trying to move out of my class - as he is much too high cognitively - but it's been a real treat having him in there for a little while at least.  

I am starting with two aides this year!  Yea!  One of them speaks Spanish (hooray!) and the other one was with me last year too.  They are really great!  I enjoy working with them.  I am so lucky!  They both work really hard.  It was kind of tough for us to start back up and get going with a new year - but I think we've found our groove and are doing a-ok.  

I wish I could share all the cute melt-your-heart stories and the many small amazing accomplishments that are huge enormous moments for our class.  There are times when I'm convinced that winning the lottery wouldn't be as exciting as when one of them learns how to sip a straw after months of trying - or finally says a word, signs their first sign, walks up the steps by themselves, holds a spoon by themselves, or figures out how to balance and hold their cafeteria tray.  Such little things that just make it all worth it!  As challenging as it can be at times - the moments of accomplishment are monumental in comparison.

I Swam With Alligators!

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I must have been 10 or 8 - maybe 7 or 9. Ok - who knows . . . somewhere around there. But I was young. We were on vacation! Yea! Our family vacations were always spectacular! A kid's dream (and probably a parent's nightmare by the end! hahaha - just kidding! Thanks Mom and Dad.) We would drive all over the country for weeks in my Dad's cool antique car with side pipes - stopping here and there - hitting any and every spot along the way. (Except the rattlesnake with two heads place. Kinda creepy!)

Anyhow - this particular time we were on vacation in Florida to relax and go to Disney World and Epcot. My Dad had a friend from work (?) that had a lake cabin there that he was letting us stay in. His name was Art Dosal. I thought it was the coolest name - and would repeat it often in my head over and over. Art Dosal Art Dosal Art Dosal Art Dosal . Ok - anyway. I was slightly fascinated by him because I remember seeing a giant green dollar bill with his face on it. He was wearing a top hat. I'm not sure what that was all about - but things like that can fascinate a kid. Seriously. It did.

So we were at his lake house and of course - decided to go swimming in the lake. We found a few kid type swimming things in a closet and put on our swimsuits to go play.

At this time - I would like to pause. I have two items that must be addressed before this story can move forward.

1. I failed the Starfish Level of swimming class 8 times. (ok - maybe not 8 - but it sure felt like it) over and over and over. Let's just say I was not a confident swimmer. Bless all my swim teacher's hearts. I could kind of keep my head up - but wasn't quite coordinated enough to put it all together. Don't worry though - I'm ok now. In fact - I took the Starfish Level again this summer and passed with flying colors. (No I didn't. Taking the class I mean - not that I didn't pass - again.)

2. I am the youngest of 3 girls. The youngest. The baby. The supposed spoiled one. Well - really it goes both ways - it has its perks and it has it's down side too. I missed my sisters terribly when they both left for college. That alone swallowed up the benefits of the perks. We had a lot of fun together growing up.

Ok - so now that those two points have been established I can carry on.

In the closet - we actually found a big rubber inner tube - that fit two. And a styrofoam kickboard with what looked like a very large shark bite out of the bottom corner of it. Umm yeah . . . guess who got the kickboard. Right. So my sisters enjoyed the inner tube and the man power of two - out playing in the lake - while I pathetically trailed behind on this broken styrofoam kickboard in my limping Starfish level kick about 15 yards behind wherever they were. Needless to say - I stuck near the shore.

After a few days of this unarguable injustice - I gathered up enough bravery to follow them further out in the lake then I'd ever gone before. We were actually out pretty far - especially for a failed Starfish. I recall finally catching up to them and enjoying my feeling of triumphant I-can-do-it-too-ishness. When I suddenly noticed my sisters (sitting on that nice big beautiful inner tube) were looking past me - with wide eyes - and a terrified look. They began screaming - and paddling with their two-man man-power back to shore faster than I could turn my head and look behind me. When I managed to - I saw a slithering writhing mass of water moccasins headed in our general direction. Just a slight refresher - I had a styrofoam kickboard - which was missing a giant chunk out of the corner - and I failed swimming. However - in that scary life threatening moment - I actually would have qualified for the Olympics. I had never been so terrified in my short time on earth. By the time I'd reached shore - my sisters had informed my Mom what had happened and we were banned from sticking our toes in the lake ever again. Fine with me! My heavens!

So - this is the ironic part. When Art Dosal showed up a day or two later - to see that we were enjoying our stay - my Mom casually (hahaha) mentioned to him the experience we had. I will never forget the look on his face as the color drained and he looked like he wanted to sink to his knees and pray in thanks. He said to my Mom "You let them swim in the lake?!?!?!?! Did I forget to tell you?!?!?!?!? THERE ARE ALLIGATORS IN THIS LAKE!!!!!!

It was beyond me at that point - why anyone would even WANT to pass the Starfish swim class. Mercy!

Another thing I love about Bob . . .

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He never criticizes me when I make a mistake - or says "I told you so" He never seems to get a kick out of watching me mess up. (even though he so easily could). Bob knows just how to point out things to me to get me thinking on my own in an inderect way - rather then directly pointing out my flaws or crazy ideas.

I just really love him.