If You Give a Kid a Camera

....she's going to want to take pictures.

So you're going to have to find batteries for the camera.

And that's going to mean a trip to Walmart.

During which she's going to want a toy kitty cat that really purrs and really walks.


And her grandma's going to buy that kitty cat.

Which the kid is going to want to take a picture of.



So you're going to need to find the tiny screwdriver and an extra SD card.

And then, the flash is going to be really bright.

And the pictures are going to be really unflattering.





And the kid is going to take pictures at her kid's-eye-level during dinner.



Which is really rather hilarious.




What's made you smile this week?

Be a Kid Again

On Saturday, two of my best girlfriends from college and I met up at the zoo, along with our daughters. We had such a wonderful time!

The great thing about having children is that it gives us a chance to just be a kid again.



We rode the carousel. Magical!

We rode the train. Not as magical, but only because it was too slow to work up a breeze, and the day was sooo hot!



The best part was watching our daughters enjoy themselves together.



Oh, and the giraffe. Trying to get water from a stream. Too funny, poor thing!


It was a marvelous day. We're going to have to start having fun reunions more often!



Tonight I let myself be a kid again for a moment, and splurge on ice cream for dessert after dinner. Fun! And very good for my happiness level! What makes you feel like a kid again?

I love peppers?

I really don't like peppers, but, seriously, if they will grow despite my lack of a green thumb, I really must at least learn to appreciate them a little. Check them out...real peppers from my own back yard! (I took these the morning we left for our trip...sorry I posted them out of order. If you're kinda OCD like me, little things like that might drive you cuh-razy!)






What's a good family friendly meal I can make with all of my future peppers? Any ideas?

Traveling

We're visiting family down South this weekend. Fun! And exhausting (the traveling, not the people!)! Here are some of the highlights. Flannery with her great grandmother "Mema." I love how they're looking at each other with complete adoration.
Happy Cousins
Flanna with my dad. I just love how he looks shocked that I'm taking a picture.
My parents with their grandkids after eating yummy mexican food at one of our old family favorite restaurants. A wonderful blast from the past! This is after we drove by the courthouse clock that my dad worked on (he's in construction) way back when, pointing it out as a happy monumental link to this old home town.

And tomorrow, if the weather cooperates....the zoo! I have so many special memories of going there with my family as a child. Can't wait to see what's changed and whether anything remains the same.



What places hold special meaning in your life? Are there certain places that make you feel like a kid again and also very very old at the same time? That's what visiting the town I grew up in does to me.

Simplify

We've decided to simplify things this summer.

We're downgrading our apartment to one similar in size but much cheaper, just across the street from where we are now. We're decluttering and getting rid of stuff we don't use or just love. We're switching Flanna to a less expensive preschool, but one that we really like, where she'll learn about God and Jesus and fruits of the spirit and wonderful stuff like that. I'm going to be working less, maybe even just mornings like I always intend to! (Somehow the extra $ from extra work hours is always soooo appealing, but I've got to find a balance in which work doesn't constantly push to overtake my precious family time.)

All this, to hopefully get our life to be a bit more manageable on less work with more play. On less stuff and more calm. On less spending and more saving. On less comparing ourselves and more accepting ourselves.

I think the changes will be good. Hard at first. (I hate to make changes to my sweet daughter's life when she's so small and doesn't understand why!) But good in the long run.




How does your current situation compare to the life you pictured for yourself at this stage in the game? Do you think that you judge yourself by your own standards, or by comparing yourself to others? I've found that the times I feel worst about my life are times when I'm judging myself by other people's standards, or looking at myself through other people's eyes. And then I feel best about my place in life when I just look at the life we've made through my own eyes. Does this resonate with you? Or if not, what helps you accept this life as your own?

This Made Me Happy, Too

Seriously. Really happy.

I was doing some research about what CEU programs I might like to complete this year, and I somehow stumbled upon an article about a young man with Down Syndrome who learned to drive.

Check it out here.

How very cool. I love how the mom talks about the small steps they took to get to that point. And how the young man's girlfriend thought it was so cool to go on a "real" date to a movie, being driven by her boyfriend.



What made you happy today?

This Made Me Happy

You just have to check out this adorable birthday party idea. It's called a "tiny party." It's very girly. And very cute.

I can't wait until my daughter turns 7 now!

Speechy Sunday - Book Review

A few weeks ago, I found Jenny McCarthy's book, Louder than Words, on sale for 75% off at Barnes & Noble. Several parents of my little early intervention clients had recommended the book to me, so I thought it would be worth the $4 sale price. I bought it, took it home, and, after my daughter went to bed, I started reading it. Four hours later, I was still sitting in the same spot, finishing up the book. It was really an interesting read.

The book has many good points. First of all, it's a personal story of triumph over tragedy. And a compelling story at that. Jenny's son's path to an autism diagnosis was a scary and medically complicated one, and much more dramatic than the (equally hard and frustrating, just less life-threatening) path that most families traverse. Second, Jenny sparks empathy immediately and speaks openly and candidly about how hard the experience was on her marriage and friendships. She is just a very readable and friendly author, and reading her book is almost like chatting with another mom who's just telling you her story. The final thing I appreciated about the book is that Jenny, despite what I had thought before reading the book, was actually very open-minded about a variety of treatments for autism. I had expected the book to be all about biomedical treatments, but, actually, Jenny pointed out the importance of ABA, speech therapy, parental involvement in carryover, and mentioned looking into RDI, as well. Overall, I thought that she did a nice job of describing what worked for her son without insisting that her way was the only right way for "recovering" children with autism.

On the other hand, there were a few things in the book that I didn't like. It really upset me that Jenny so frequently painted all dads of children with autism as being distant, unhelpful, uninvolved, non-partners in the treatment experience. In my experience as an SLP working with families with young children with autism, I have had a very different experience. I have worked with many fathers who have worked through the grief alongside their wives, and who have become strong advocates for their children. Also, I didn't like the way Jenny described her son as being "cured," or "recovered," at the end of the story, when in interviews since then, you can see that they are still working on social skills and higher level concept learning. I understand that her son has made dramatic and wonderful progress, but I think it's a little irresponsible to make parents think that everything will be fine and dandy for their child with autism after one year of treatment.

Overall, I recommend this book as a personal story of one family's experience with the diagnosis and intensive treatment phase for autism. As a story of one mom's transition from grief to empowerment, this book is moving and sweet. However, I caution families to remember that Jenny is not an autism expert, and to treat this book as a starting point for conversations with your own team of doctors and therapists, rather than as a guide in and of itself.

By the way, here are my all-time favorite books about treatment for autism, if you're interested.



What books are you reading right now?

Lethargy

I've had a sore throat and lingering cough, along with lethargy and achy joints, for going on 4 weeks now, and today, I thought my throat was going to burst into flames, so I finally made a doctor's appointment. I kind of hoped it would be strep, so that I would be able to get some meds and start getting better. But the quick and dirty strep test came back negative. They'll do a culture now and let me know the results, but, ugh. I really would like to feel better, quickly.

But instead, I'm going to bed early. Gargling with salt water. Using the neti pot regularly. Taking my vitamins. Doing an old tribal ritual to cleanse my chi.

Just kidding on the last one. But seriously, I'm open to anything if it will just get me well.





What home remedies do you turn to when you're sick?

Progress

Our tomatoes and peppers are growing! We can't wait for them to be big enough to eat!

And hopefully the squirrels won't get to them before we do!



Where in your life are you seeing progress right now?

Do One Thing Right

Some days are just wacky.

Today was my afternoon off, when I usually like to do something fun and special with Flanna. But I had work to do. And she had a doctor's appointment. And it rained on and off all afternoon. And we had to run to Target. Twice (because I forgot to buy batteries). And then suddenly, it was 6:00, and we had yet to do anything very fun or special.

So, we broke out the Lite Brite. And shared a sweet quiet moment on the floor creating color and light together. And made a gorgeous ice cream cone picture, if I do say so myself. And then, we ate dinner (my sweet hubby made bruschetta) by the light of the Lite Brite. Which was pretty special. And pretty fun.

Thank goodness.

Sometimes I think if I can just do one thing right, or have one thing the way I want it to be, on a given day, then the rest of the wacky day is bearable.



What's one thing that you did right today?

Our First Family Camping Experience

Here are some photos from our fun camping trip, as promised!

It was simply a lovely time. And the best thing was that we had no cell phone or internet service while we were there, so it was a real vacation from everything! Don't you love the trash bag in the family photo?






The guys deep in thought. I bet they're thinking about grilled meat.



The girlies were soooo sleepy, but naps just didn't happen the whole weekend. Too much excitement going on!



Amama got her wish to sleep in a tent through a rainy night...VERY rainy!




We're hoping to make camping a fun family tradition. It's something both Robi and I remember enjoying with each of our families when we were young. And since it was pretty successful (minus the thunderstorm!), we're hoping it will get more enjoyable the more we go. Fun!



What family traditions do you value from your childhood? What new traditions do you want to create for yourself now?