Sick day.

Well today I spent the day at home with Sophia. On the way to school this morning Sophia got sick in the new car, and was still getting sick after we walked into the school office. She started her antibiotic today , and Ben will start a second round of meds for a lingering double ear infection that he was seen for a week ago on a Sunday. This past Sunday morning at Pri-Med they had to irrigate his ears. After I got Sophie home this morning she seemed to perk up a bit except for looking a little pale, and not having much of an appetite. A little later on in the day I was able to work with her on learning to identify money. I started with the coins, and the dollar bill. We worked for about 40 minuets on it. Last week I started introducing her to Time. I was given some really cute clocks from Chic Filet. I sarted her on the whole hour, and then a few days later we started on the half hour. I am going to try, and alternate a few days each week on both practicing money, and telling time. :) I don't want to bore her too much.

Oh be carefull little ears what you hear.

Like the old song goes Be careful little ears what you hear should also be oh be careful little mouth what you say. We found this out just last night during song service at church!! About 6 months ago Willy, and I were discussing our disapointment in a certain young lady that we had admired for several years, and the discussion was about the young lady becoming, or seeming to start acting conceited by posting bacoodles of self taken snap shots of herself in sexy poses on her e-mail/blog. They were not dirty, or anything, just very boastful, and very un becoming such as laying back with sexy expressions, or lifting her dress up to her thigh, and stuff like that. She was only a young teen, and we were disapointed. We only made a few comments to each other about it, and that was that. One of us made mention of her older Sister's self taken pictures as too sensual, and that she may have been following after her big Sister. Anyhow last night in Church Sophia kept asking me something about the young lady. I will call her Jenna for privacy sake. I couldn't hear Sophia over the music, so I leaned down closer, and she had to repeat it to me Three times before I understood what she was asking me. My heart nearly fell when I realised what she was asking me!! Nearly 6 months later she was asking me this question. Mommy?? Is Jenna really a sex bug? What's a sex bug? I was in shock because number one I don't remember Sophia even being in the same room with us when anything close to that was said, and 2nd that was like 6 months maybe even longer when That discussion even took place which was over, and done with in a matter of minuets. So the lesson learned is we will be very careful what comes out of our mouths from now on for all our sakes!! :)

Sophia does a practice duet with her dance teacher.

Sophia usually attends her cheerleading practices on Monday nights, and cheers at games on Saturdays, and does dance on Thursday nights, however since Sophia will be in her first dance competition at the end of Febuary they have started extra dance practice on Saturdays from 1 to 2 pm. This weekend dance practice fell on game time, so Sophia decided to practice for the competition, and skip cheerleading for today. She has two games left, but they will not be held during the same time as dance practice those last two Saturdays so thats good news. Anyhow today after dance practice Sophia got to do a dance duet with her instructor Ms. Heather. I video taped it, and she did a wonderful job. They were both in sync, and looked just great together. :) Since I got video I didn't get to get a snap shot. I will get plenty of those at the competition though.

A Car we got!

Hello.. Well, we have the car. Praise the Lord for his goodness. I pray that the time passes quickly to pay off!! :)

A Car we need!!

Toyota Camry 2005

I am posting this by faith that I will get this car which I need to get to work, and church in. Tomorrow morning we will head to the bank, and see about getting this car. Say a prayer that God works it all out as he has the power!! We really need a reliable dependable car!!

Food Fright?

Funny little story about Sophia.

Sophia is our fruit, and veggie kid. She will eat chicken nuggets, and hot dogs, and only hamburger meat if it's in Spaghetti, but for the most part when I serve dinner she will only eat the veggie, rice, and fruit. She does not like noddles such as Mac, and cheese, and is not to hip on breads, so when she said what she said last night I thought I'd share it. Last night as we were all in the living room watching a family movie Sophia walks up to 14 year old brother Spencer, and says I wouldn't eat hot dogs if I were you. As soon as those words were out of her mouth my husband Willy fell over in laughter, and didn't stop for a bit. After he regained his composure I asked him why she asked Spencer about that, and why was he laughing about it. He then told me that 3 days before Sophia had asked him what hot dogs were made of. Daddy told her that they came from pigs, chickens, and so forth. After he told her this she said well I guess I will never eat another hot dog. When he told her hamburgers came from cows she said I already know that, and I don't eat hamburgers anyway, and next time I will eat just plain spaghetti. A few minuets later Spencer pipes up, and tells Sophie he is allergic anyway, and hasn't eaten a hot dog since he was a baby. So it looks like our Sophia who was border line vegetarian has been pushed over that line by her Daddy's revelation about the hot dog!! We will see what happens in the near future on her eating habbits. :)

New Guinea Pigs

Little Man Guito, and he is very vocal.

Sophia, and Guito.

Willy holding Guito.

Coa Coa kissing Sophie.

Coa Coa is such a sweet girl. She will sit in your lap for any length of time especially while I'm on the computer!!.

Here they are. Our new pet family memebers. :) They are spoiled rotten already. The first one we got a few weeks ago was from my Sister's Montesori school. Her name is Coa Coa. The newest one we adopted from one of my Teacher co workers at Garrett Elementary. His name is Guito. They are so cute. Coa Coa is very docile, and is used to being handled by our kids. Guito is still quite skiddish, but I'm sure he will come around. :) Here are some pictures of our new furry friends.

Car hunting.

Well, we are getting closer to getting another car. Hopefully soon!! It will be so nice to stop worrying on a daily basis if I will be stranded on the interstate, or the side of the road somewhere as that has been happening more, and more frequently. I really am praying for a good reliable dependable car preferably a Honda, or a Toyota, but whatever God has for me I pray I find soon. :) I don't know when, but when we find the right one, and actually get it I'll post the pics.

Dance competition.

Busy couple of months headed our way with game days, dance recitals, birthday parties, and baby showers. We found out tonight last minuet that Sophia's dance class was selected for competitions Febuary 27th which will be held here in Montgomery this time around. For the most part the age for competition is 7 years old. Although Sophia is the smallest dancer in her class there is one other girl her age that is 3 moths older than she is, but most of the other girls are 7, and 8 year olds. Sophie will be 6 April 8th. We are considering letting her participate in the competition. When we started ballet, and Tap it was with the idea for excerise, balance, and confidence. She has come out of her shyness quite a bit as she used to hide behind my legs, and sometimes still does at school, etc, etc. She has come along way socially though. If she does compete we were told tonight that they will wear the recital costumes. I still have no idea of what they look like this year, but I hope they are more toned down from years past. :) Well, I'm off to bed. I had a very long week!! The last two days have been very stressful which I knew they would be considering our kiddos have trouble adjusting to their schedules after such a long break from their every day routines. It's really hard on Autistic children when things change from what they are used to on a day by day, hour by hour so on, and so on in their lives. Structure, and stability reign supreme for them I guess as it should be for most anybody. :) The only thing I dread when vacation time comes is the stress, and anxiety that come with the week, or two afterwar that it takes to get the students back to functioning like they normally do without so many meltdowns, and so forth. We have enough of those without all the added extra ones when school is out for any extended length of time!! :) Have a nice weekend.

Cheering resumes for 2009

Now that Christmas break is over it's back to Monday night practices, and Saturday games for Ben, and Sophie. This Saturday will be Sophia's turn to call out the cheers, and at pracrtice last night she was loud, confident, and all smiles while she practiced calling them out to her team the Angels. Pictures also came back last night during practice, and I can't post them because our scanner is broken, so I will have to find someone who will let me scan them for our files so I can add them to our blog. In the meantime we are also working hard on the dance routines for the 2 fast approaching dance recitals. Hopefully for Sophia's sake the dance costumes will not be itchy, and scratchy like the last 2 years have been. In the picture below it was pure luck that I got this shot of Sophie up off the ground. At the start of each game they call out each cheerleader, and each girl does her signature jump, and shout.

Look at our little girl.

Sophia Grace age 5.

It took her 2nd year of cheering to finally warm up, and not be as shy as she was.

Go Sophie!!!

New family member.

Hello friends.

This afternoon while at school I was told my phone rang a few times while I was in the lounge running the copy machine, and when I returned the call I found it was my Sister. We spoke for a few minuets, and she told me that my husband said I could come get CoaCoa the Guine Pig that was a class pet at the Montesori school she works at. CoaCoa is the same coloring as our Daushaunds, and we have been sitting here chuckling at CoaCoa. She runs around her big cage, and it truly looks like she is having fun. It may be because she spent 2 weeks in her smaller carry cage, altohough she did get lots of exercise in her play yard. My Sister, and her 2 sweet kiddos had been baby sitting for CoaCoa during the Christmas break, and when I walked up the driveway Sean saw me, and said loudly I know why your's here aunt Heather. You are here to take CoaCoa home with you. He said I will miss her, but she will be like my cousin, and I can see her sometimes. A little while later after my Sister loaded the huge cage, and all the stuff CoaCoa would need for her new home with us Sean said see ya later CoaCoa, and ran back into the house. Anyhow after I came home It took our Son Spencer to get the heavy wooden bottom part of the cage inside, but we finally got CoaCoa settled. We have just been sitting back watching her run around, and Sophia, and Spencer can't stop laughing at her as she runs around in circles, stops to drink some water, run some more then stop to eat. She surely will be spoiled rotten just like all the rest of them around here. I Will post a pic when I can. :) Have fun at school this week!! I know I will. We all are in for a big workout with our special bunch. Anytime our kids are out for more than Two, or Three days it is a challenge to get things back on track!!

Farewell 2008. Hello 2009.

Our family at the end of 2008 in church where we want to be as much as we can in 2009.

The memory of Felicia reminds us of how precious life truly is, and that we should live each day to the fullest, take nothing for granted, but live, and love with each new day to our very best.

Reflections on 2008

Prima Ballerina.

Sophia, and her dance mates at Holiday Market.

Sophia in her 3rd year of Dance.

Sophia's 2nd year of dance. This Recital was her May Recital. She is in the first row on the far left of the screen.

Here is a side view of the 2/3 story home Willy's Dad built when our 14 year old was a baby. Even the basement took on damage.

Looking back on 2008.

Lets begin with January 2008.

The year started out with the loss of a dear friend Felicia Hoots. She was a wonderful person, Friend, Wife, and Mother, and she is greatly missed. Felicia was in a car wreck several days before Christmas 2007, and bravely hung on to life, and left this world January 18th 2008. Her memory will live on in all who knew, and loved her. In the Spring of 2008 Willy's parents home was hit by a Tornado, and by the grace of God their lives were spared. Their home, and land sustained much damage, and devestation, but we are so blessed that they are still with us today. :) Summer came, and went, and I prayed for God to open the right door for me concerning a new job. School started August 6th, and within the hour of the school day I got a call about a job. I started on with Garrett, and by September 23rd it became official. I am back in the system as a Para Profsessional, and this time around I am working with strictly Autistic children. I love it. Before I had worked with special children in general with a wide range of disabilities, so this is a new challenge for me, and so far I am doing well with it. From time to time I ask myself if I am really cut out for this line of work, and sometimes wonder if I am good enough for it, but when I am away from the kids, and the atmosphere I really miss it especially during holidays, and Summer breaks. In 2008 we reached many highs, and had many lows, but God was always right their with us. Sophia had a 3rd wonderful year in Tap, and Ballet started Kindergarten, and her 2nd year of cheerleading. Benjamin started 6th grade, joined band for the first time, began his 4th year in the quest program, and continued a 6th season of basket ball. Spencer is a junior high student, always on the phone, and continues building, and creating things. :) Our kids are growing, and surprising us all the time. :) Also this year my Brother, his wife, and their little girl welcomed a new baby girl into their fold. We are all happy to welcome this new bundle of joy into our wonderful loving family. Willy, and I will reach 17 years of marriage in several months, and we pray that we as a family will grow closer to each other, and to God in the year/years to come. We pray that you all have a safe, happy, healthy, and Prosperous New Year!! Here are a few pics from the year 2008.