Our Week

Monday was MLK Day, so the kids had school off.  It was a beautiful day with lots of out door play.  Lizzy had two friends over.  They made muffins, had a tea party, and made necklaces from left over washers.

Therapy

 

This is how Joy counts – there is no two!

This crazy sweet baby – she loves her Mama and hummus!  She has reached a new developmental milestone – separation anxiety.  If I leave the house, she is so sad.  Her face just melts.  She asks to go.  Breaks my heart.

Just fun – a hidden pictures poster with stickers came in the mail (it was an advertisement), but Sammi and I had fun!  Bella exploring – notice those feet avoiding any tactile contact.  Using the cane in PT, he does better with his pre-cane walker.

Wednesday night for YW we had a Modesty Photo Shoot – all degrees of formality.  Fun to dress up!

Thursday Lizzy had a 5th Grade Strings Roller Skating Party.  She had a great time, but it’s moments like this that I really miss Bec.  Typically she would have been there helping out.  Growing up, moving on..

Friday Houston had some cold temperatures and ice – therefore H-town shut down.  School was closed.  Jason worked from home.  Another day at home to slow down and enjoy the slower pace of life.  Our ST (from Virginia) braved the arctic weather and came to visit Brother.  Sorry, but this video is so funny about our weather here:

With a daughter in college, a new car payment (and car insurance that then went up), health insurance premiums that went way up, lesson prices that went up, generally everything going up, and no pay check going up, we are having to do a little belt tightening around here.  Jason and I have been talking about things we can do, but really we have been doing belt tightening for so long, we have most things at their rock bottom.  Food is really our largest expense.  So for our Friday night date night we went through Costco and HEB comparing prices.  Jason made me a spreadsheet <3 !!  He speaks my language!  He can now tell you to the penny which items are cheaper to buy at Costco and which at HEB per unit price.  We now also have the standard prices to compare to grocery store sells.  Love it!  He even color coded it!

 

Brother makes me laugh – he loves to feel the water on his hands (like in the first picture), but his new thing is to turn around and feel it behind his head (2nd picture).  My favorite thing about early childhood is the sense of wonder and discovery.  Brother explores, but he does it differently.  Love it! 

Saturday night Liz and Jes went to Grace’s 12th birthday party.  Fun!

Joy loves swinging and watching the ipad at the same time. 

Sweet hugs

Working away at the braille.  (Must have chocolate)  TVI has encouraged me to become a TVI.  It is an endorsement, so you have to already have a degree, which I do.  There are two programs in Texas – one at SFA and one at Texas Tech.  They are mainly online.  She talked to Region IV (our educational authority in the area) about me.  I’ve thought about it.  I think it would be great to have the knowledge for Brother’s sake.  And I don’t know how I could ever work when the girls are older if and when we need the money for retirement.  How could I work with two adults with developmental delays/intellectual disabilities?  I don’t know.  Right now we are still pretty intense in the therapy and doctor world, but in a few years? Maybe while they are in school – that’s still 15 more years for Joy.  I don’t know.  It’s an idea to bounce around in my brain.

Lizzy has joined a craft club.  Her first project was to make this card for Grace’s birthday.  She is so excited!  She went to Activity Days this week and made a bag for all of her AD stuff.  Cleaning out her room, she wanted to throw out her old art projects , but wanted some memory of them.  So we took a picture and here it is.

Bella had her big ARD this week on Tuesday.  ST, OT,and PT were added.  I’m sorry, but what a joke.  ST is a group lesson once a week that she was already getting cause she was in the classroom.  OT and PT are just consultations for the teacher.  We really needed to do three months of testing and documentation for that?  Really all of the changes just created more work for her already over-worked teacher.  (Have I mentioned how much I love her teacher??  I adore her!)  Anyway, Jason built Bella a new walker for school.  The classroom environment is too crowded for her to use it in class, but for the hallways (going to the bathroom, to motor lab, that type thing) it is perfect!  Jason made it and painted it pink.  We put her name on it.  We showed her last night and she walked all over the living room and entryway, giggling the whole time – I so wish we’d gotten it on film!  ( I still think it’s funny that she HATES the expensive walker specially designed to help her, but this $20 PVC walker her Daddy made, she loves! Whatever works! )

Since Jes and Liz were off to a party, we treated ourselves and Sammi to Thai food!  So yummy!  Sammi loved the night just with her parents and no one else (funny how the three littles didn’t bother her. )  :)

Because it’s true – this is Jessi 90% of the time.  Reading somewhere

(Her shirt says, “So many books, so little time”)

Jason served on a federal jury this week.  His advice to everyone is “never go to prison.”  The trial involved 8th Amendment rights.  Interesting, but very sad.  His view from the jury room.