Mountain Chronicles

In A Nutshell

2012-01-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

My first post for the new year and it's going to be a hodge podge of things...sorry about that...but I have a lot of things to talk about.

For starters, it's officially been a year since my divorce was finalized. Wow, I cannot believe it's been that long and in other ways, it seems like it's been 10 times as long. I remember, back in mid-2010, contemplating whether or not ending my almost 10 year marriage was what I really wanted, deep down inside. While cleaning today, I even found my "journal" that I used one snowy day in early 2010, to collect my thoughts in an attempt to decide on a direction for my life and my girls' lives.

Now, one year later, I know, in my heart of hearts, that I did the right thing even though, a lot of days, I have many doubts.

When I made the decision to end my marriage, my children and I left behind our life in suburban Denver for the small town living of the Western Slope. We truly got a fresh start. New town (though I "grew up" here and have lived here once before as an adult), new apartment, new schools, new job. I was (and still am) forging ahead, across totally foreign terrain, as a single parent. I remember, in the beginning, that it was all about survival, making it from one day to the next. Quality of life got pushed to the sidelines for awhile as we got our feet planted on the ground and comfortable, new routines established.

Soon, we will mark two years in our current apartment, two years of me working at a sub-par job, two years since our fresh start. I am proud of the progress that the girls & I have made, how far we've come. Our apartment is definitely home and while my current job is no where near what one would call a career, it pays the bills and gives me something to occupy my mind 4 days a week.

To say that I am "settling" for my current position would be a granduois understatement. When I graduated from college after working my tail end off for 4.5 years (including numerous internships and a wonderful work/study at the campus library), never did I envision myself, 10 some-odd-years later, working in a field totally not related to either my degree or my experience. My first job out of college had nothing (well, maybe remotely) to do with my freshly obtained degree in sociology but, it did utilize my 3 years of experience in the library realm. I loved that job and said job helped to begin my "career" in libraries. I went on to work in a prison (*gasp*, I know) library for a few years, further expanding my library knowledge and infacuation. When the decision was made for me to stay home full-time after Cara's birth, it was my every intention to return to library land once Cara was in Kindergarten.

Fast forward to August of last year where, try as I might, I could not find a library-related job in the small town that we live in. Heck, I couldn't find any job that would make use of my degree or experience. Thus, settling for the position that I now hold...it's a paycheck and that's about it. I regularly check the classified ads for our small town only to discouraged at the lack of openings. I also religiously check a site that posts library positions throughout the state of Colorado. I have stumbled across several position that I wish I could apply for only to realize, for all intent and purposes, I am stuck in this town, as wonderful as it has been, for several reasons.

1. I really do not want to move the girls, again, just when we have finally established a sense of normalcy here.
2. If we were to move where the majority of these jobs are (Denver Metro area), the girls & I will be on our own and, to be honest, that prospect scares me as, right now, we are so thankful to have my parents close by for moral support, babysitting and so many other things.
3. The costs associated with moving are just too great at this point. The actual move (renting a van, gas for said van) would kill me financially not to mention the costs of finding a new home and establishing child care.

All things considered, for better or worse, we are "stuck" here for awhile. There are good things about being stuck--great, supportive school for the girls, having my parents nearby, the actual town itself--so it's not a total bummer. I have, however, decided that someway, somehow, I have to get unstuck and to move ahead, instead of just subsisting. Even...if that means completely changing things up in terms of what I thought I wanted to do with the rest of my life (be a librarian) and investigate new avenues that spark my interest. Now, I'm still considering my masters in library science because that's still where I feel the strongest pull but, at the same time, I am thinking about what else might be a good match for me. More and more, I am becoming drawn to special education and therapy because of Cara and all that we've been through with her education. I have began to look into requirements for a special education teacher license and find it quite intriguing. I suppose, the possibilities are endless for a new career direction. Who knows what will come of it. In addition to discovering new avenues, I have also decided to being seriously studying for the GRE so that I will have one admission requirement complete if and when I decide to persue a master's degree. Baby steps are what I'm taking but it feels good to be going somewhere...to move forward.

Okay, I think that's enough for one post. More to come as I continue to collect my thoughts. :o)

It's An Obsession

2012-01-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out Pinterest yet? Please tell me that you have! It may just be the most addicting site ever to come to the internet--seriously! Think of it as on virtual cork board divided up into as many clever catergories as you can imagine. At first, I will admit to not understanding what all of the fuss & craze was about. But, as one after another of my friends posted about the marvels and gobs of time they'd seen fly by while day-dreaming away on Pinterest, I knew I had to check it out. I, not so patiently, waited for an invite to arrive in my inbox, and once it did, I took off running, setting up boards, pinning things right, left, and center. What would I pin, you wonder? Oh gosh, everything! I have a board for delicious recipes I've found (did I mention that I've rediscovered the magic of my crock pot?), one for things that I would love to have in my house, another for places I dream of visiting and yet another filled with photography inspiration. I'm telling you, the possibilities are endless and I could so-ooo-ooo easily see myself spending an entire day clicking through pages & pages of pins. How fun to have a way to organize not only practical things but also one's dreams. I like to think that Pinterest is making me a better person, or, at least for now, a better cook. (haha) Pinterest is also almost like a form of therapy as you come across something that just warms your heart, makes you smile or brings back memories of yesteryear. I came across a random strangers board of all things 1980's and found myself reliving memories of Saturday morning cartoons, charm bracelets, gummy shoes and the like. One of my favorite things to look for are new books to read. I have an impossibly long like of books that I'd like to read but, even so, my eyes just light up when I come across what looks to be another wonderful recommendation. One can never read too many books, right?
Oh, and did I mention that you can pin just about anything, from anywhere?! So, say you're browsing around on the 'net and come across something that just perks your interest...you can pin it and save it for all eternity if you want. Too cool! And...it's almost an instant "pick-me-up" when someone either starts following you (as long as you know the person, at least for me anyway) or re-pins one of your pins (meaning they agree that your pin is cool). I know, I know, I shouldn't have this crazy need for validation of my coolness. (haha)
There are times when things get stressful or overwhelming and curling up with my laptop and the latest "finds" on Pinterest sounds just the thing to make everything better. Hey, it sure beats other forms of self-medicating! So, if you haven't discovered the addicting joy of Pinterest, go check it out! You can find me here.

Jolly Holidays

2011-12-10T20:09:00.004-07:00

I find comfort in the Christmas holiday season, in traditions old and new, in decking the halls and in trimming the tree. I love to get out the boxes of decorations and ornaments....retelling, once more, the stories behind each & every ornament. Carefully hanging the treasured stockings from their hooks, cuddling while reading or watching favorite holiday tales, placing vinyl clings on windows, strolling down Main Street to take in window displays, joining our quaint community for caroling and tree lighting, and participating in the annual Parade of Lights. It's activities like these that fill my heart with the spirit of the season.

This year, not only have the girls & I revisited some of our favorite activities and traditions, we have also started some new ones. One of those was to try our hand at glass ornament painting. While it took a few bulbs to develop our technique, we had a wonderful time and created hand-made gifts sure to be enjoyed by friends & family alike. The girls will be giving a couple as gifts to girls in the Girl Scout troop while the majority will be traveling the friendly skies to be given as presents to their aunts, uncle & grandmother in Michigan.

One of my goals for this year was to help the girls to understand how fortunate they really are. So, one of the things that we did was give to two of my favorite charities--Operation Christmas Child & Toys For Tots. For Operation Christmas Child, we filled a large shoe box with simple items and a few treats for a girl in need. I think it was a wake-up call to Caitlin that some children do not have such basic items as a toothbrush or a box of crayons. Toys For Tots in our town tries to fill up a school bus with toys for children in our local community who would otherwise not receive a gift (or not many) on Christmas. I took both girls shopping where we selected a gift for a little girl--picking out a very cute doll. Then we drove to where the big bus was parked and Caitlin presented our donation. She saw the volunteer put it on the bus and remarked that while they had come a long way towards filling the bus, that there was still quite a ways to go and that she hoped many other people would help. I made a point of telling her approximately how many children in our county would, most likely, not have a Christmas like the one she would. I really think it's important for children to understand how fortunate they are and to really embrace the true meaning of Christmas--love, humility, charity, thankfulness, togetherness, giving and so much more. Hopefully, Caitlin does understand that Christmas is about more than gifts under the tree. When Cara is older and can understand, I will be teaching her these same lessons. In the meantime, she can just tag along and hopefully absorb what is being said and done.

We also have plans to make an actual gingerbread house (well, it's a kit but...at least it's real gingerbread), visit Santa @ his cabin and make treats to hang in the trees for birds and other woodland creatures. I am really looking forward to making memories and creating new traditions with the girls.

This year, the girls will be making precious memories with their father & his side of the family as they are to spend a week, right around Christmas, with him in Michigan. Stockings are to be decorated and hung from the mantle and new traditions started for them there. No doubt, they will have a wonderful time and be spoiled both with gifts and love. The girls are very excited to see their aunts, uncle, little cousin and grandma. While I will miss them terribly, I cannot wait to hear the stories they were surely tell of the magical time they had in Michigan.

The girls & I will be having our intimate Christmas here in our cozy apartment next weekend prior to their departure for the midwest. I cannot wait to see their eyes light up when they see the carefully-selected, and brightly wrapped, presents under the tree. Christmas really does live in the heart of children in so many ways.

This time of year means something different to everyone. To me, it embodies everything good in the world and celebrates the values that I hold dear all while cherishing the birth of a true miracle. What does this season mean to you?

All Things Fall

2011-10-27T11:19:00.003-07:00

Fall is, by far, my favorite time of year. What's not to love about cool nights, brilliant blue skies, crisp air, changing & falling leaves, pumpkins, rich colors, cozy sweaters...I could go on & on. I love all things Fall. The girls & I have taken part in some of my favorite autumn activities--caramel apple making, Fall colors driving tour, a visit to the pumpkin patch--and we are anxiously awaiting Halloween and the fun that this holiday brings (not to mention the sugar rush).
I love that autumn gives us the excuse to cuddle under warm blankets while sipping cocoa and reading some of my all-time favorite children's books. Crockpot meals, soups and comfort foods are always on the menu. I can often be found sitting in my chair wrapped in my down blanket reading a book or a blog. Perfection.

The girls & I have settled into a happy little routine and are savoring each & every moment that we have together. I don't know what it is about Fall that seems to bring families together, but that's exactly what it does for us.

Hope that you all are enjoying autumn and all the wonderful sights, sounds & smells it brings.

Back-to-School 2011

2011-08-30T15:05:00.005-07:00

Wow, where did the summer go? Seems like it just started and now, both of my girls are back in school!

We were very lucky to have Ben join us for the girls' first week of school. He flew in from Michigan to spend 6 wonderful days with the girls. I know that Caitlin loved having her dad's hand to hold as they entered her 3rd grade classroom. Ben also was able to walk Cara into her classroom for the first time for her Observation Day (unofficial first day). I am so glad that he was able to be here for these memorable occasions.

Caitlin started 3rd grade **gasp** on August 23rd, a bit reluctant at first but now loves her teacher and the promise she made to be sure that Caitlin is challenged this year. She has already written her first essay and is enjoying working on problems in her math workbook. She will be starting her Gifted & Talented pull-out classes in another week. Once again, Caitlin is also busy with Girl Scouts (a Brownie) and is busy working on earning her badges.

Cara started Kindergarten on August 29th! (It is still so hard to believe that my youngest is 5 years old) Originally, Cara was to go to school in the mornings, being released at 11:05am. She would be pulled out of class several times a week for therapy sessions and for special education assistance. A few days before she was to officially start school, I received a call from her special education teacher telling me that they had come up with a great plan for Cara. Instead of pulling her out of her class for therapy & special ed, thus missing a lot of instructional time, her teacher asked me what I thought about having Cara stay in school all day. She would then get to spend the morning in her Kindergarten class and the afternoon in the special education rooms receiving the educational support she needs as well as all of her therapies. Knowing what a great opportunity this would be for Cara, the decision was quickly made and the plan accepted. Cara had terrific first day and didn't seem to mind being in school all day, at all! At pick-up, she was all smiles, anxious to tell me about her day.

You can see more back-to-school pictures by clicking here, here and here.

I can only hope that the rest of the school year goes as well as these first few days have.

Inch by Inch

2011-08-12T09:00:00.003-07:00

It's that time of year again! School is soon to be back in session (3rd grade for Caitlin, 1/2 day Kindergarten for Cara) which means it's time to take care of one back-to-school necessity other than shopping...well-child visits. Both girls had their check-ups yesterday! It's amazing to see how much they've grown in a year. I knew they both had growth spurts this summer but, seeing their heights and weights confirmed this.

Caitlin: 8 years old
Height: 4ft 3 in (65th percentile, no surprises there)
Weight: 53 lbs (34th percentile, right where she should be)

Cara: 3 years old
Height: 3ft 5in (20th percentile, kind of surprised it's not higher but she did grow--pants from spring are now capris)
Weight: 39th percentile (45th percentile, one healthy kiddo)

No shots this time for Caitlin, who is caught up for another few years, I think. Cara endured four shots like a champ, only crying very briefly upon injection. Such a brave girl!

We have some follow-up to do for Cara has her nurse practitioner detected a slight heart murmur--this murmur has been detected off and on for the past few years (once during an ultrasound of her heart/abdomen). We were hoping, and still are, that it would correct itself on its own. We are awaiting a call from the practice as to whether or not a referral to a pediatric cardiologist is in our future. I am a bit concerned about the murmur but know that lots of children have them and are perfectly fine. I almost feel that a reassurance from a cardiologist would be just the thing to put my mind at ease. We also learned that Cara needs to see an ENT regarding the ear tubes that were placed back in 2008. It seems that the little buggers do not want to come out, one being lodged pretty deep in her ear canal. We are probably looking at sedation while the ENT removes the microscopic, offending tube.

All things considered, both girls are strong, healthy and growing well. Gone are my babies and in their place are a young lady and a little girl. Time sure has flown!

Cait is 8!

2011-07-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Amazing! My oldest daughter is 8 years old today! Two more years until we hit the double digits! The past 8 years have been such of an incredible journey. Filled with laughter, tears, joy, sorrow and lots of memories and milestones. I cannot wait to see what the year ahead brings. Thank you, Caitlin, for allowing me the privilege of being your momma!

Happy Birthday sweet girl, Happy Birthday!

Cara Turns 5!

2011-07-17T23:10:00.005-07:00

Happy Birthday Cara Lou!

Cara is officially 5 years old, half of a decade of lighting up the world with her contagious smile and sunny personality! She is one very special & loved little girl.

**Year in memorandum to come soon**

Going Zippity By

2011-07-09T09:43:00.003-07:00

Holy smokes, this summer has just been zipping by! I cannot believe that it's July already. We have been filling our days with work (for me), Boys & Girls Club (for Caitlin) and therapy sessions (for Cara) along with as much fun as we can tolerate. Items have been checked off our Bucket List along with many other fun activities.

One day last week, we decided that the walls of our town were caving in around us and that we need an excursion. So, we took off east to the town of Gunnison, CO. We spent the day at the town park enjoying the wonderful play structures, sunshine and cool breezes. It was nice to go for a very pretty drive and enjoy what another town had to offer. Here is an album of pictures from that day out.

We celebrated the 4th of July with my youngest brother and his wife here in town, as I had to work which made making our annual trek to Ouray a bit impossible. We set in my parents' driveway where we were afforded a wonderful view of the town's brilliant and surprisingly, long last display. Off-key voices could be heard singing the national anthem and "American the Beautiful". Good thing the big booms drowned out our voices or I'm sure birds would have fell from the sky and windows would've broken! Click here to view my Facebook album of pictures.

Soon, both of the girls' birthdays will be upon me! I will have an 8 year-old and a 5 year-old in my house! My goodness, where has the time gone? I'm telling you, don't blink! Caitlin is having her first-ever birthday party in which she's invited her friends. In years past, we have just celebrated with family (there are a lot of July & August birthdays in my family). So, undoubtedly, Caitlin is super excited about this birthday. She has invited 10 of her closest friends and everyone will rendezvous at a local paint-your-own-pottery place to hone their artistic skills and have tie dye cupcakes (if my mom & I can pull this off, I will be super proud of us). Cara's birthday celebration included a trip down to Durango, CO for Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine. We spent the entire weekend in Durango, not only riding Thomas and taking part in all of the associated activities, but in exploring my alma mater and the beautiful town of Durango. Everyone had a blast and I know that Cara will forever remember seeing Thomas coming chugging into the train station. Click here and here for pictures of our mini vacation. In addition to both girls having their special days, we will also be celebrating with my parents immediately following Caitlin's pottery party. Caitlin has selected a local pizza joint as the destination and Cara has picked out Thomas table top decorations for when we blow out candles and officially mark another birthday for both girls. I hope to do my yearly tribute to both girls in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back.

As the summer continues to tick away, we are hoping to fill it with my fun and togetherness. There are still many items to be crossed off of our Bucket List and many more trips to the local library planned (Caitlin has read over 200 hours so far!) as we help the library send food and livestock to those in countries of need. I have thoroughly enjoyed having more time to spend with my daughters and have treasured all the memories that we have made and will continue to make.

What's Behind Door #2?

2011-06-12T08:57:00.003-07:00

At the end of the school year, I had a meeting with the acceleration committee at Caitlin's school to discuss whether or not she's a good candidate for moving into 4th grade next year. If you recall from my previous post, Caitlin was undergoing a garden variety of testing and talking with the school psychologist to evaluate her readiness.

After weeks of testing and observation, everyone gathered to share their thoughts and a decision was agreed upon. While Caitlin's test scores put her consistently in the 99 percentile for both her age and grade and she showed intellectual maturity, it was decided that she is still very much a 7, almost 8 year old girl who enjoys activities appropriate to her age and has the social maturity of an 8 year old. It was mentioned that 3rd grade is a big developmental year for students, both academically & socially as they cross the threshold into the intermediate elementary grades and the expectations that come with it. The G&T coordinator also noticed that Caitlin enjoys being "top dog" or "teacher's helper" in her current class and if she was to accelerate, she would not be the top student in the class but rather one of the high-average kids. Caitlin thrives on being a leader and a helper and we didn't want to deprive her of that.

However, it was duly noted that she does need more advanced lesson plans and grouping with like-minded peers in order to continue to meet her needs academically and to keep her challenged. So, Caitlin has been accepted into the Gifted & Talented program through the school district and will receive services starting in the fall. These services will continue as long as she wants or needs them without her having to re-qualify every year. The services will include a pull-out once a week with the G&T teacher where she will work on special projects with other 3rd-5th grade advanced students. She will also receive curriculum assistance in the classroom meaning that her teacher will work with the G&T teacher to "enhance" lesson plans to meet her advanced learning level. Caitlin will also be clustered in a group within the classroom of other G&T students who will be working on more challenging lessons with her. All of these services will be summed up in an ALP (Advanced Learning Plan) which will be followed by her teachers and the gifted and talented coordinator. A new ALP will be drafted every year with new goals, techniques, recommendations and procedures for implementation.

Caitlin was a bit disappointed at first, not to be moving to the 4th grade but once I explained the reasoning and that next year would be so much better than this year (in terms of the boredom), she was on board. I think she likes the idea that she'll still be with her peers but also able to do work that challenges her. I think it's a win-win combination!

I have to say, I have been so pleasantly surprised with her school and their coordination with the acceleration request. It is so comforting to know that so many people were determined to find the best fit for Caitlin, always keeping her best interests at heart. I was really unsure about the schools here when we moved, but my expectations have been far exceeded, for both girls.

Insight

2011-06-12T08:53:00.003-07:00

In hopes of finding a new & inspired direction for my life (surprise--I don't plan to work retail for the rest of my days), I stumbled upon a personality type quiz. Here are the results:

Your iPersonic Type: The Good-natured Realist

Good-natured Realists are warm-hearted, helpful personalities. They do their work conscientiously and have a pronounced organising talent. They often feel they are committed to traditional values. The family in particular is extremely important to Good-natured Realists. Their greatest pleasure is making themselves useful and taking care of other people. But they do not like pushing themselves to the fore; they prefer to fulfil their tasks out of the limelight. Good-natured Realists are real workaholics; they are very reliable and nothing is too much for them when it is a question of completing a project. Thoroughness, conscientiousness and sense of duty are their strongest points. They prefer established and familiar situations to new and unknown situations.

In dealing with others, Good-natured Realists are considerate and obliging; they are always happy to put aside their own requirements in the interest of their family and friends. Their home is mostly very well cared-for, cosy and tidy. Their perfectionism on the one hand and their aversion to delegating tasks on the other hand often lead to them taking on too much both professionally and privately. They cannot stand discord; conflicts make them very unhappy. One could almost describe them as being harmony-addicted - and this sometimes leads them to strongly neglecting themselves and their own wishes because they are unable to bring themselves to put up a fight.

As a Good-natured Realist you are one of the introverted personality types. Consequently, you don’t appreciate too much commotion around you so you can devote yourself to your task with sufficient intensity and concentration. You can work very well alone and while being immersed in a task, you don’t appreciate to be continuously interrupted or disturbed.

Nevertheless, your need for harmony and your adaptability make you a good team worker if necessary. Therefore, you are relatively flexible when choosing your working environment, and have the ability to decide which setting you prefer. A profession that gives you the feeling that you are doing something for other people is important to you. Good-natured Realists are very caring people and enjoy taking care of others. Despite your in-troverted personality and because you are a feeler-type, it is easy for you to put yourself in the place of others and sense their needs.

You are most comfortable in a one-on-one situation; you are less enthusiastic about delivering speeches to major groups. At any rate, when choosing your profession, make sure to surround yourself with people who share your personal ideals and convictions, and on whom you can count to work with you. Too many obstacles to your caring for and supporting others make you unhappy.

For you, it is important to depend on a clear and structured workflow. You need time to prepare yourself for new demands, possibly acquire new competencies, and finish one task after the other. As a matter of fact, you are less opposed to routine work than many other personality types. To a certain extent, you don’t mind dealing with them. In your workday, some diversions should naturally be available, but juggling three balls at the same time isn’t something you enjoy doing because you would be concerned that the quality of your work would suffer. That would be a nightmare for your perfectionist expectations of yourself and your accomplishments.

Thoroughness and accuracy are some of your great strengths. While other people stand in perplexity before that which you have accomplished, you see room for improvement in everything you have ever done. In your professional life, time-sensitive projects are especially helpful to you because you would be trying to improve rather unimportant details of a project until doomsday.
_______________

Scary how much a 5 questions can tell so much about a person. Now, anyone care to tell me what this means in terms of future careers?!

Our Ambitious Summer Bucket List-2011 Edition

2011-05-23T06:15:00.005-07:00

After brainstorming with the girls, we have put together our Summer Bucket List! Summer official starts tomorrow afternoon and we are all so excited to be able to spend more time together and cross off some of the activities on the list.

Without further ado, here is our Bucket List *drum roll*

Visit Dinosaur Journey in Fruita
Step back in time at the Montrose Historical Museum
Burn off some energy at Banana's Fun Park
Make friends with the animals at Pueblo Zoo
Go for a swim at the Aquatic Center or Ouray Hot Springs Pool
View flora and butterflies at Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
Learn all things locomotive at the Ridgway Railroad Museum
Swim in the Ridgway Reservoir
Go on a hike in the mountains (I know several kid-friendly trails)
Visit the Climbing Tree Children's Museum
Fly a hike, up to the highest heights
Go camping & roast marshmallows (This will be a first for the girls, if I can make it happen)
Take in an outdoor concert/performance
Go to the drive-in more than once
Hone our pottery-painting skills at Amazing Glaze (This will most likely be accomplished via Caitlin's 8th birthday party in July)
Go to a National Park or National Monument (We are lucky to live close to several of both)
Join the library's summer reading program (Heading out today to cross this one off, with suggested summer reading lists in hand)
Watch fireworks (Hopefully from our traditional spot in fabulous Ouray, CO)
Ride a train (Day Out with Thomas for Cara's early birthday in June will cross this one off)

So, that's OUR list, what's on yours?!

Acceleration

2011-05-16T09:38:00.006-07:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was going to talk to the principal at Caitlin's school about possibly moving her into the 4th grade next year, thus skipping 3rd, due to the material not being challenging enough to keep her from being bored.

Well, I did have a meeting with the principal back in mid-April and I addressed my concerns to her. Turns out, she had been aware of Caitlin's academic progress and had a feeling that I would be coming in to discuss acceleration. We sat down and she informed me of how the process works and also the options that we have for Caitlin. I was relieved to see that the school does have a method for dealing with acceleration requests and also has other options available if acceleration is determined not to be the best fit for the child.

The process is pretty grueling, surprisingly. First, Caitlin would be tested using practical intelligence testing methods to determine where she was academically (problem solving and reasoning being a big component). These tests were broken down over a few weeks as to not overwhelm Caitlin nor to make her miss too much classroom instruction. Caitlin said that most of the questions were very easy for her. The next step was to have her meet with the school psychologist so that he could determine her social and emotional readiness for acceleration. The counselor also sent home several behavioral surveys for me to do about Caitlin so that they could get a complete picture of her. The final step of the acceleration process is a team meeting which consists of myself, the principal, the gifted & talented coordinator for the district, the school's gifted & talented teacher, the school counselor, Caitlin's teacher, a 3rd grade teacher and a 4th grade teacher. Everyone will share their findings and then we will come to a conclusion of what we think would be the best plan for Caitlin for the fall.

Regardless of the decision to accelerate or not, Caitlin will be in the Gifted & Talented program next year which includes both pull-outs with the G&T teacher and collaboration with the classroom teacher to make assignments more challenging for her. In addition, Caitlin will be "clustered" within the classroom with other G&T peers. Caitlin & I both are hoping for acceleration into the 4th grade, but if that doesn't seem to be the best place for her, all things considered, it is kind of comforting to know that there is a back-up plan in place. Should everyone agree that acceleration is best, she will be put into 4th grade, in a "cluster" there as well and she will be continuously monitored by the G&T teacher as well as the school counselor to make sure that the transition is going smoothly.

The acceleration team meeting is on Wednesday and I am anxious to hear what everyone has to say and for a decision to be made. Caitlin's best interests are in mind, so I feel that either way, she will be challenged next year.

Kindergarten IEP implementation

2011-05-16T09:18:00.004-07:00

Last week, Cara & I met with her current therapists from preschool along with the therapists at the elementary that she will be attending in the fall to discuss implementation of her IEP in the elementary setting.

I was so pleased to find out that Cara will be getting more services this fall than she ever has before. Physical & occupational therapy will be increasing to twice a week for 45 minutes and speech therapy will be up to 180 hours/month. Cara will also be doing pull outs into the special education classrooms for several hours a few times a week. In addition to therapy services, Cara will also be sharing a special ed para-pro with one other student in her classroom. This is wonderful for her as she really needs that help and support in order to fully participate in classroom activities.

A few things that have changed on her IEP are that she needs more monitoring when using the restroom (she will not wipe unless told to, etc) and that she will be watched carefully on the playground since Cara still does not have the greatest balance in the world and she requires a larger base of support than other kids.

The subject of busing was also brought up. I mentioned that I kind of feared for Cara's safety on the bus that Caitlin currently rides because it is a full & rowdy bus even though the driver does the best that she can. Oftentimes, there are 3 kids to a seat which could make a difficult task out of Cara finding a seat herself and really put a spotlight on her. The bus stop is also about 8 blocks away from our house, which can be a bit much for Cara as she still suffers from muscle fatigue due to her cerebral palsy. Currently, Cara rides a bus to preschool that only has maybe 20 kids on it with an aide who helps the children to & from their car seats. I have to help Cara up the steps most days as well. Her bus stop is right outside of our complex and not a long distance for her to walk. So, when I voiced my concerns, the special education coordinator said that it wouldn't be a problem to line up special transportation for Cara. The bus will most likely stop in the same location as the preschool bus did and their will be an aide on the bus to help Cara into her seat. Caitlin will also be able to ride the bus with Cara, if she wants to do so. I do worry that Caitlin may be embarrassed to ride the special ed bus, but we will see how it goes. RIght now, Caitlin says she'd love to ride with Cara.

We have not found out whether Cara will be in morning or afternoon Kindergarten nor who her teacher will be. They still have to do staffing and wait until all new students to the district have registered. I have requested that Cara be kept in morning Kindergarten as that is what she's used to and it would be less of a disruption to the routine that Cara thrives on. Hopefully, her therapists and school personnel will take that into account when they make their decision.

All in all, I feel that Cara will be in good hands this coming school year and will be getting the services and help in the classroom that she needs to succeed. Cara, of course, is very excited to be going to "Sissy's school". It will be nice having both girls at the same school.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:32:00.003-07:00

Wish all my momma readers a very Happy Mother's Day. I hope that you are enjoying your day and spending it with the ones you love.

I am one very spoiled and well-loved momma. My girls gave me fresh flowers, homemade cards, paper flowers and a vase. More importantly though, they showed me their love. I feel very blessed to be a mom to my two precious princesses & love them more than they will ever know.

Here are some pictures from the day so far:

Fresh flowers that Caitlin picked out for me. I've had those vases for years and this may be the first time they've had real flowers in them!

Paper flowers that Caitlin made in a vase made by Cara.

Front cover of the card Caitlin made for me at school.

Top Ten List. I love this!

Bittersweet

2011-04-14T05:22:00.004-07:00

This morning, I'm off to register Cara for *gasp* Kindergarten! The day has finally come, I can't believe it. I'm hoping to get her into a particular teacher's class and into the morning session as that has been working well for us so far. Truth be told, I wish that Kindergarten was full day here, tuition-free, like I know it is in other areas, as I know Cara would benefit from a full day of instruction and therapy services. Our state passed a bill to make Kindergarten full day but, sadly, the school district lacks the money to make such bill as reality.

Here's hoping that by going first thing in the morning, I'll miss all the crowds and be able to get Cara in the class that I want. Having both girls, potentially, at the same school will be nice even though I know the transition to a new school will be hard on Cara. She has come to love her preschool teachers and therapists at her current school and Cara has never been one to adapt well to change. I know that the first week or two will be difficult for her, which is why finding the right teacher is so important to me. Thankfully, I was able to talk to several of them at a recent school function and got a good vibe from two, but one in particular. Fingers crossed!

Whiz Kid

2011-04-10T12:09:00.005-07:00

This school year has been one of challenges for Caitlin, as well as Cara. For Caitlin (and I), the challenge has revolved around making sure that she is not bored in the classroom. When she started 1st Grade at Global Village Academy, I had a talk with her teacher and the principal about where Caitlin was academically and worked with them to develop a curriculum that would keep Caitlin interested and challenged throughout the year. Thankfully, the way that her teacher, at the time, had the classroom set up, Caitlin was able to work at a table with our peers who were at, or close to, her level. For example, she & a few other students would be working on math pages in the 2nd grade textbook while the rest of the class was working from the 1st grade book. Her teacher and his aide would walk around and make sure that everyone was on track and understanding what was being taught. It was a win-win situation for everyone and Caitlin really enjoyed and learned a lot that year.

Fast forward to last fall (start of 2nd grade) when we moved from Aurora to the Western Slope. I had all of Caitlin's records forwarded to her new public elementary school and talked with the secretary at registration to attempt to find the best fit for Caitlin at her school. She was placed into Mrs. W's class as the office staff felt that she would be a good fit.

Within the first week of school, Caitlin was coming home with simplistic homework, similar to what she had done in Kindergarten and was already telling me that she was bored. So, I decided that I needed to go and have a talk with her teacher. I came prepared with copies of Caitlin's portfolio from 1st grade as well as testing results done at the end of the last year school which showed Caitlin consistently in the 99% on most subjects or at the 4th grade level. Her teacher admitted to feeling a bit perplexed about how to deal with Caitlin as she was obviously more advanced than most of her classmates. Already, her teacher had observed Caitlin completing assignments (correctly & neatly) way before her peers and that she was helping them understand their work after she had finished her own. She was the teacher assistant in the class, basically.

So, knowing that the classroom work was too simple for her, I asked her teacher what could be done so that she doesn't lose interest in school and start acting out. Mrs. W explained that they have a co-teaching environment and that she was talking with this other teacher and trying to come up with a plan for Caitlin that would include special assignments and projects. This sounded good, at first, but I quickly realized that this wasn't going to work.

The problem with the plan that Mrs. W designed is that Caitlin only gets more advanced work or special projects when her teacher feels that the material being taught is something that Caitlin already knows. Most days, however, Mrs. W feels that Caitlin would benefit from participating in what the rest of the class is doing, which is, in most cases, something Caitlin already knows and has been taught once, if not, numerous times before.

Now, I'm not saying that repetition isn't a good thing and that there aren't some skills that Caitlin could use practice on (i.e. writing & grammar) but when I see the work that comes home, it saddens me because I can go into her portfolios from previous years and pull out identical worksheets. I just don't feel that Caitlin needs to relearn a skill, especially in math, that she's known for a couple of years now.

It is so hard to hear Caitlin say that she's bored or to see the obvious signs that she is not being challenged in the classroom like I hoped she would be. Her teacher seemed to understand that my oldest needs some special attention, some extra effort, in order to really succeed, and yet, I do not see much effort being made. I have talked to Mrs. W more times that I care to count and while she assures me that they are trying to adapt to Caitlin's needs, I see almost no evidence.

That being said, I've kind of given up on her teacher and the school for rest of this year. School lets out near the end of May, so Caitlin only has to get through another 6 weeks or so of school. I've just decided to supplement what she's not learning in the classroom with workbooks, websites and activities here at home. My little brainiac loves her BrainQuest workbooks and is also eager to learn new math skills or try new practical learning projects (i.e. following a recipe, planning a imaginary trip) or explore the world around her. National Geographic movies and books on historic events are currently a favorite. I am just letting her interests lead the way and am providing whatever resources I can to enlighten her.

Before school does let out for the summer, I plan on going in and talking to her principal as well as the Gift & Talented coordinator for her school. The Gifted & Talented program starts in 3rd grade by testing every student to see if they meet the requirements (the requirements usually are testing a grade level or above in a set number of subject areas) for the program. I want to be sure that Caitlin will be tested and accepted into the program. I also want to talk to her principal about possibly promoting Caitlin into 4th grade instead of 3rd for the fall as I feel that is where she is academically and while I sometimes wonder how she will fair socially, I have noticed lately that most of Caitlin's friends are also among the more advanced learners or are a year or two older than she is. So, I think she won't have any problems fitting in and making friends. It is my hope that the principal will agree that Caitlin needs to be promoted and work with me to make sure that the transition is smooth for everyone.

-----
**I'm going to get on my soapbox for a moment, so please, bear with me.**

As most of my readers know, this struggle with Caitlin is nothing new. I am beginning to feel that if one happens to have a child who is an advanced learner, you are kind of thrown to the wolves and left to supplement your child's education on your own because the public schools can't be bothered because all of their money and resources are being spent on those that are not at grade level. Don't get me wrong, I have a child who is on an IEP and receives services to help her, so I'm not knocking special education or the legislation designed to help those students, I'm simply saying that there should be more resources on BOTH side of the spectrum. If your child needs special education services to help him/her make the most of his/her education, those services should be there...whether they are below, at or above their assigned grade level.

I find it frustrating that their are no services for students who are advanced until they are in the grade. So, if your child is working above her current grade level, you really only have two choices--to advance your child to the next grade or to put up with it. Teachers are overwhelmed, I know, trying to teach to a classroom of students at various levels, with various barriers to learning. This is why I believe that more services, for all students, should be available. No child should be left behind or not given the chance to shine & advance. Potential should not be missed or cast aside nor should a cry for help go unanswered.

Test results show that the United States is way behind our Eastern neighbors in many of the fundamental subject areas and it's no wonder--if all of our resources and energy are going towards the mainstream and neglecting the rest. I truly believe that, in most cases, we are not nudging our children enough, that the curriculum is not challenging them to think in different ways or adapting to the ever-changing knowledge base of the world. If we don't equip our children with the skills that they need to succeed, we are letting them down as they are our future!

-----

That being said, I am not going to stop fighting to get Caitlin the level of instruction that she needs so that she is enjoying school and wanting to go every day. Just like I will not stop fighting for Cara to get the services and support she needs to reach her potential in the classroom. I continue to fight a two front war but it's a war that is worth fighting.

Ready or not...

2011-03-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

I cannot wrap my head around the fact that I will be registering Cara for Kindergarten in less than a month, and that she will be 5 in July! I blinked and she went from an infant to a confident preschooler.

She does love going to pre-K and absolutely loves her teachers and therapists there. Her classmates have taken Cara under their wing and are protective of her and understanding of her disabilities.

As we move forward to making plans for Kindergarten, I am amazed at all of the progress that Cara has made in one school year (that's not even over yet)---
*She is using a low-tech communication device like this one to help her communicate her needs in the classroom and to help her participate in activities.
*Her vocabulary has shot through the roof. Cara can say many simple words [hi, bye bye, uh-oh, Momma, Papa] and approximations of lots of other words--so close that everyone close to her knows what she's trying to say. Her efforts to communicate verbally have increased exponentially, which has been so very encouraging. Cara has such of a cute voice and we know she has lots to say.
*She is beginning to grasp some of the fundamental learning concepts necessary for Kindergarten [knows a few colors, letters C & M, knows animals and animal sounds, can copy lines (straight, squiggle, zig zag), is coloring much more precisely and with more imagination than before, can imitate basic clapping patterns]
*There is no doubt that Cara is socially ready for Kindergarten. She loves going to school and being around her classmates and thrives off of the routines that school offers. She is a very social little girl and her sunny personality makes others warm up to her.
*Her gross & fine motor skills are improving [she can run, hop, jump and gallop, kick a ball, throw a ball, hold a pencil appropriately and sometimes successfully cut with scissors].
*More focus has been put into increasing Cara's sign language vocabulary both at home and at school. The Deaf & Hard of Hearing coordinator has been working with Cara's teachers and myself to supply materials and teach new signs in an effort to help Cara have a voice, both through ASL and verbally.

I recently met with Cara's team of teachers & therapist to discuss her transition into Kindergarten. While we all we amazed at how far she'd come since the IEP implementation meeting before school started, everyone voiced concerns regarding Cara's readiness for Kindergarten. Cara is still functioning, developmentally, at about a 2 1/2 to a 3 year old level, though in some areas, she right on par. I stated that I wished we could hold her back another year or find an alternative (read: Montessori) program for Cara has I feel she would benefit from another year of preschool instructions so that she would have a chance and firmly grasping all of the emerging education skills that are taught. However, because Cara has had two years of public preschool, we have to transition her into Kindergarten, at least if we are going to keep her in public school. Since I lack the monetary funds to put her elsewhere, transition is only only viable option. Her teacher & therapist did agree, however, with the right support in and outside (read: therapy pull-out sessions) the classroom, they felt that Cara would continue to excel in Kindergarten. They felt that it was paramount that expectations be clearly outlined in Cara's IEP and that the services she would be receiving at their maximum levels (so that she is receiving the maximum amount of time per week allowed for each service).

Cara will be attending the same school as her big sister which is good for a couple of reasons---
1. Two kids @ one school will be so much easier to handle in terms of schedules
2. This school as the best Level III (able to meet the needs of the most severe special needs students) program in our school district

Cara's IEP outlines services from a physical & occupational therapist, speech therapist and special education teacher. In addition, Cara will receive the help of a paraprofessional in the classroom to help her with tasks during the day. Her therapists will work with Cara out of the classroom in both small group and individual sessions. There will be another implanmentation meeting before school starts in the fall to address how exactly Cara's needs will be met at the new school and to meet the therapists who will be working with her.

In addition to what the school will be providing, I will be continuing weekly speech therapy sessions provided through our local hospital's pediatric rehabilitation center. Cara has been seeing a therapist through this program for several months and I believe that the extra therapy has really helped her make the progress that she has.

Also, over the summer, I am going to intensify my work with Cara to help get her even more ready for the big step that she's going to be taking. I plan to focus on helping her learn her colors, shapes, ABC's and 123's. I have found some wonderful resources and tapped the brains of some great parents for suggestions. Hopefully, Cara will find the activities fun & educational.

One thing that I can promise is to be very involved with Cara's education. I want to be sure that she is happy and adjusted. I often worry about her getting teased or picked on because kids will see her as "different". I don't worry so much about her peers in Kindergarten, but more about the older kids. I know that education is going to be paramount and already am planning a simple presentation for her classroom to teach everyone about hydrocephalus and what it means to Cara.

Overall, I just want Cara to have a positive Kindergarten experience. I worry daily about how she will adjust since she does not deal well with change. I want her to love her teacher, her classmates and for her to look forward to going to school each day. I remember how much I loved my Kindergarten classroom and how my teacher remained a favorite as I progressed through elementary school. I think the foundation that is laid in Kindergarten is so important and helps to define a child's education. It is my sincere hope that Cara will have a wonderful year.

Out With the Old

2011-03-30T05:47:00.004-07:00

I am the proud owner of a new MacBook after my faithful companion (also another MacBook, though not a unibody) decided to retire. Several months ago, I noticed that the wifi wasn't working as it should be and self-diagnosis revealed that the wireless card in the laptop had died. Fixing it seemed pointless as the part was expensive and then I had to find someone who would be willing to crack open a 6+ year old Mac to replace it. Apple wouldn't touch it because it was so old and neither would one of the repair shops in town.

At first, I looked around on eBay for a replacement but the idea of buying a computer, sight unseen, without a warranty scared me. So, I ended up browsing at Apple's site and feeling my pulse increase when I priced out a replacement laptop. Now, some may ask why I had to have another Mac and the answer is simple. Mac's are so solidly built, I never had any issues albeit the wireless card, and I love not having to worry about security. You couldn't get me to buy a PC. Anyway, so there I was, my very expensive fate before me on the computer screen. I was just about to bite the bullet and click "order" when I had a moment of brilliance. Apple has online chat available for customers to ask questions about products, so I clicked and talked to "Ryan" who told me about Apple's refurbished computers.

The computers are guaranteed by Apple for two years on top of the 3 year AppleCare warranty that I ended up purchasing. The laptop had been returned to the factory for some reason and repaired to Apple specifications. Essentially, a brand new laptop inside & out but over $150 cheaper! Score!

After calming down from excitement, I completed my order online and waited for Apple to send me confirmation. My new computer would arrive on my door step in about a week! I anxiously tracked it's route on FedEx's site and arrange for my mom to "house sit" (wait for the FedEx man) while I was at work.

I came home Monday night to find a white box waiting for me on my kitchen table. I feel in love as soon as the lid opened. The laptop was in pristine condition and smelled slightly like that new car smell that everyone loves.

Transferring my data from the deceased laptop to it's replacement was too easy...one of the many things that I love about Macs. It found my old hard drive via Bluetooth and went to work copying the files over. After an hour of updates and installs, my new laptop was fully functional and ready to go.

That night, I sat, for the first time in months, in my living room, talking to my best friend on GoogleTalk...loving the fact that I could be curled up in my favorite chair, sipping some tea while watching Netflix and video chatting, simultaneously! It's so good to be back--not to have to stand right next to the router--to be able to multi-task--to be able to go wireless. Once again, I'm spoiled.

Pizza & A Movie Nights

2011-03-29T14:58:00.004-07:00

We have a tradition around here. Once a week, or thereabouts depending on schedules, the girls & I have pizza & a movie nights. Sometimes, we order pizza from Papa Murphy's Take & Bake and sometimes, we make our own. The girls love to be little chefs in creating their own pizza pies so, we've been doing that lately. While the pizzas are a-baking, we'll curl up in the big red chair and start the movie. Sometimes, we play board games or Wii instead of watching a movie, sometimes, we read books. The constant, central theme is that we spend time together...momma & her girls. All three of us look forward to these nights and wish they were more frequent.

On the marque for tonight is: Alvin & The Chimpmucks-The Squeakquel. Please excuse me, I'm off to preheat the oven and chop up cherry tomatoes and basil.

Welcome to (Single) Parenthood

2011-03-25T10:58:00.004-07:00

Upon saying vows and exchanging rings, no one envisions the day when the marriage ends. When parents meet their children for the first time and fall instantly in love, no one thinks that they may be a single parent one day.

No one plans for, or wants things like divorce or single parenthood to happen, and yet, despite our best intentions, they do.

When Ben & I mutually decided to end our marriage last year, I knew that life as I'd known it for the past 10 years was going to drastically change. What I didn't realize was just how much of an impact those changes were going to have.

I've always prided myself on being one who adapted well to change. If I can plan for it, I deal quite well. However, the dissolution of my marriage threw me into totally uncharted waters. When the day came for my daughters and I to pack up our home and move 5 hours away, it seemed, that I had everything together. Boxes were packed and marked with their contents, the moving van had been reserved. But, truth be told, I was just going through the motions, putting one foot in front of the other. I focused on the things that I did have control over and never more than a few hours ahead.

When we had safely arrived back in my "hometown", I allowed myself time to adjust to my new surroundings and mourn the loss of my marriage, my friends, my way of life. The reality and finality of the choices I had made a few days or weeks earlier hadn't sunk in.

I mean, here I was, a new single parent of two young children. I was starting over at 32 years old. I had to re-establish myself in the working world after having been a stay-at-home mom for 4 years. I needed to find a new home for my children. We needed to establish new routines, a new sense of normal.

Having no other choice, I pulled myself up by the boot-straps and embraced this new-found reality. Within a month of having moved across the state, I had a new job and a new home. My daughters had started new schools and were making new friends. We were settling into new routines.

I struggle daily with how to be everything that my daughters need. Thankfully, they still have a very open & loving relationship with their father even though he is over a thousand miles away in a different state. I am also very thankful for the co-parenting relationship that Ben & I have when it comes to making decisions for our daughters. It is so great to have him in my corner. But, even with Ben, my parents, teachers and therapists helping, I still feel very much alone as I go about the daily tasks of raising my daughters to be great women in society. I struggle with finding the time to be an active participant in their lives. With a work schedule that is far less than ideal, I feel that we are almost like two ships passing in the sea. Whenever the girls see me put on my work clothes, they protest...my oldest saying how she wished I was home when they were and the youngest saying "NO!" and wrapping her adorable self around me. Saying that, "Mommy is doing this so that we can have the things that we need" only offers so much comfort. Everyone assures me that I'm a good mom, that the girls will understand one day and see the strength that I had and such...this, however, fails to console me on the worst days...the days when I barely see my children...the week that goes by without us sitting down to dinner together...the nights that pass without me tucking them in.

I try to cherish each and every moment that I have with my girls and make an effort to establish fun traditions for them. We have pizza & a movie nights, the girls each get "Mommy & Daughter Time" once every few months, we play Barbies, board games or Wii. It is my sincere hope that these will be the times that they remember and not the school functions that I couldn't attend orthe field trips I couldn't chaperone.

Oh, how the guilt eats away at me. I have a severe (and maybe permanent) case of the "would've, could've, should've". Pity parties are also common. How I didn't want this for myself or my children, that it's not fair that I'm doing this alone and struggling so much. Some days, I wish I could throw in the towel but I know this isn't an option.

At this point, all that I can do is attempt to move forward. To know that much living lives ahead and that things can only improve. While I feel stuck with how life is now, I also know that I am empowered to change things, I just need to decide what I want and how I'm going to get it. I will be honest and say that sometimes, that's too much of a concept for me to wrap my head around. Most days, I'm simply in survival mode.

I do know, however, that I want the best possible life for my daughters and that I will stop at nothing to make sure that it materializes. I want to be there for them and for them to feel that I was an active part of their lives, I want us to do things together, to make lasting memories, to laugh, cry, argue and hug. I just want us to "be".

When my daughters are grown and have lives of their own, I want them to look back and know that their mother loved them, that she overcame the odds and made a great life for herself and her children. I want them to be happy and well-adjusted.

While single parenthood was never among my long-term goals, I have learned to embrace my new role and continue to do my best for my children as they are my reason for living, for breathing.

Wondering...

2011-03-25T10:40:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm thinking about picking this blog up again, 8 months after my last post. I'm wondering though, will anyone bother to read it? Never have I had a huge following nor anything inspiring or truly news-worthy to say. The blog has been, for the most part, a way for me to chronicle the lives of my children and the major happenings of our family. The last 8 months have brought about a lot of changes for my family, most of which have been hard to adjust to. But, being the resilient type that we are, we have coped and are moving on. Our days now are pretty routine and predictable as everyone is doing well and nothing catastrophic has happened for quite some time.

So, all that being said...it begs the question...should I even bother?

What to say?

2010-08-16T10:49:00.002-07:00

First off, I cannot believe that it's been more than a month since I last blogged. I just cannot seem to get my head around composing a post even though I have so much to share with you all. We've had birthdays and other fun events as well as some milestones to celebrate.

I guess part of the problem is that I don't know where to start in doing an update and whatnot. I've been such of a slacker mom this year that I haven't done my yearly birthday reflection posts for the girls who both had birthdays...in JULY! Bad mommy!

I've just been so preoccupied with other things and, I'll admit, a bit scatterbrained or absent-minded. I'll think of things to blog about and mean to either sit down & blog or at least write down the ideas but, forget to actually write them down or whatever.

This all being said, I don't know when I will get a chance to actually blog anything of substance again. I have been toying with the idea of stopping all together and going to a journal or something but then I feel like I'd be shirking the readers that I am blessed to have. If everyone would join Facebook, then life would be grand and all of my readers would be kept abreast of everything (more than they'd probably want to know) about us. Only in perfect world.

I will attempt to post links to some pictures on Facebook, at the least, and hoping, compose a long-overdue update. Thanks for patiently waiting for me.

Time off

2010-07-12T08:07:00.002-07:00

I am going to be taking an extended break from blogging for awhile. Some big changes are going to be happening for the girls & I and I need to focus on making these transitions as smooth as possible for everyone involved. If you all wouldn't mind saying a prayer or crossing fingers & toes for everything to go smoothly, I would really appreciate it. I hope to be back to more frequent blogging in a month or so. Take care everyone and, have no fear, I will still be on Facebook, I'm sure. :o)

Summer Days-Our Bucket List

2010-06-29T08:15:00.004-07:00

This summer has gone by way too fast! That's what happens when you're having fun and crossing off items on a bucket list. Here is ours for this summer:

~*~~~Visit the local spraygrounds~~ --Been twice already with another visit planned soon.
~*~~~Discover new parks and enjoy playing at them~~ --I seem to be the queen of finding "new" parks. We've found two already that we have added to our frequent visitor list. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such awesome parks & open spaces.
~*~~~Visit the Denver Zoo~~ --Thanks to my brother, Matt and his wonderful girlfriend, we recently visited the zoo and the girls loved seeing all of the animals and learning about their habitats and behaviors.
~*~Go to the Museum of Nature & Science --Hoping that we can squeeze this one in somehow.
~*~~~Have a picnic~~ --We've had several already including one with my brother and other with church. There's something magical about spreading out the blanket and eating under a beautiful blue sky.
~*~~~Participate in a summer reading program~~ --Cait did the Borders book challenge and we are also doing our library district's program.
~*~See fireworks --We have plans to watch them on the 4th of July from our favorite venue, Ouray, CO.
~*~~~See Toy Story 3 in 3D~~ --Accomplished! We all loved the movie. I even shed a few tears at the end.
~*~See a double feature at the drive-in.
~*~~~Have a sleepover with friends~~ --Thanks to a birthday party sleepover at one of her classmate's house, we can cross this off! Even better that I didn't have to host!
~*~Sleep outside --Plans are being made for a camp-out at Grandma's house
~*~Go to Belleview Park to ride the train and pet the farm animals.
~*~Take in flora and flauna at the Botanic Gardens.
~*~Celebrate the girls' birthday with pomp & circumstance.
~*~Pick 3 states to learn about over the summer and read books, do crafts, plan a make-believe trip and make foods from those states.
~*~Discover the abundance of locally-grown produce by visiting the farmer's market.
~*~Take in a summer concert.
~*~Make popsicles

What is on your bucket list for the summer? Our goal for this summer is to simply enjoy every day and delight in the simple pleasures that summer brings. I think we are doing well so far. :o)

Clickety!

2010-05-20T08:00:00.003-07:00

I wanted to share LOTS of pictures and the easiest way to do that is to tell you all to click--

Here

...and here

...again here

...and, one last time, here.

Enjoy! :o)

Cara's Last Day

2010-05-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Cara's first year of preschool came to a close on May 13th! Ben & I joined her class in an end-of-the-year party and presentation of certificates. Unfortunately, Cara cried through most of it, as is usually the case when one of us comes into her classroom. We think it is because we are, in her eyes, a break in routine, though she is glad to see us. Nevertheless, Cara did participate in the singing of several songs and when her name was called, she went up to get her certificate. We then enjoyed a light lunch and some special treats before saying goodbye to her wonderful teacher & aide. We also got lots of mementos to take home with us--drawings that Cara made and pictures taken throughout the year. Her teacher also showed us Cara's story journal and it was great to see the progress that she has made over the year. This year has been a wonderful one for Cara, as she has grown (in so many ways) by leaps & bounds. I know that we owe a lot of this to her teacher, aides and therapists. I cannot begin to sing their praises except to say that our expectations were far exceeded!

Cara's therapists all sent home packets of activity ideas that we can do with Cara over the summer to keep helping her meeting her goals. I'm excited to try some with her and keep on learning over the next couple of months.

I know that she misses preschool, the routine & her classmates, but what I think she misses the most is...riding the school bus! Everytime that we see one, she excitedly announces "BAAA!".

Here's to the summer and all the fun that it will bring!

Sitting on the carpet for song time.

With her certificate for completing a great year of preschool!

Blowing bubbles

With her teacher, Mrs. R--Cara loved her.

Cara with Mrs. J--I think they liked each other?!

Mother's Day Dedication

2010-05-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

The girls were dedicated at our church on Mother's Day. I cannot think of a more special way to spend the day! The purpose of the dedication was to place our children in the hands of both our faith in Jesus and in the congregation of our church, for both to help us raise our children. It's a powerful, yet comforting, feeling.

The girls before the dedication service.

The whole gang as Pastor Dave was explaining the significance of the dedication.

Dave--making Caitlin laugh when he was talking about her.

And, some other photos from Mother's Day--

The beautiful locket necklace that I got from the girls for Mother's Day. Caitlin had a grand plan to get this and wouldn't let anyone discourage her! I can't wait to get the little pictures to go inside. I will cherish this always and carry my daughters close to my heart!

Flowers that Caitlin got for me from church. She asked our pastor if she could have one to give to her mom and he said to take them all! It was just a beautiful arrangement. My daughter is just so sweet & thoughtful.

"Flowers" that Cara made for me in Sunday school.

I just know that this is going to be one of my most memorable Mother's Day yet!

Crossing Over

2010-04-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Caitlin's Daisy Girl Scout Troop had their bridging ceremony on April 29th. This ceremony marks the official transition from Daisies to Brownies. The girls in her troop all performed an adorable song about leaving Daisies behind to become Brownies to the tune of Frere Jaques. Afterward, each girl crossed over "the bridge" where they changed from the Daisy blue vest to a Brownie brown vest, received certificates & roses and then enjoyed delicious...BROWNIES...of course!

Caitlin has really enjoyed being in Girl Scouts and has said that she wants to continue all the way through high school. With all the good values and lessons that Girls Scouts teach, we are 110% behind her!

With her Brownie vest--just after crossing the bridge. Officially a Brownie!

Caitlin smelling her rose.

With her vest on! :o)

Brag Post-Be Warned!

2010-04-26T15:17:00.006-07:00

I'm bursting with pride at the moment. At school pick-up today, I was informed that Caitlin scored the highest in her class (of 29) on the state's math test that was administered today. She also placed among the highest in the school and in the district for her grade-level (1st grade)! This is my child who is always asking how to do one math problem or another, did summer bridging workbooks in 2nd grade math and is now working on multiplication and division. Since the math gene is kind of...umm...dormant on my side of the family, it is quite obvious where the skills come from. I fear that by the time Caitlin is in 4th grade, we may have to rely on her father or a tutor to help her with her math, if she has questions, because it will be out of my realm.

While my head was spinning from this awesome information, I further learned that Caitlin just finished the 1B math book ahead of her class and is moving onto the next level. She plowed through the book in about two months' time! What a challenge it must be for her wonderful teacher to keep up with a class of 29 students, all at different levels. In the reading department, our brainiac is soon to be moving up to the highest reading level, along with another of her classmates. Contrary to the math gene, I know exactlywhere the love of reading comes from! From the time she was born, Caitlin has had shelves filled with books, weekly trips to the library and nightly reading sessions. What is so wonderful now, is that Caitlin can read to herself (chapter books) and also enjoys reading to her sister. She gets quite animated and uses different voices and tones. You can often find her with her iPod on and a book in her lap on car rides or just relaxing. I know that her love for reading has helped develop her advanced vocabulary, quest for knowledge and general love of learning. It just tickles me that at times, she'd rather read than do anything else.

That's my (our) girl! Okay, I'm done bragging but sometimes, you just have to!

Struggling

2010-04-22T19:15:00.004-07:00

I have really been struggling with blogging material lately. Some days, it seems like our lives are so normal & mundane, that who would want to read about it? Other times, I'd love to share certain things with my readers, but worry about totally putting myself "out there" for all the world to see & know. There are some matters that are best left off of blogsphere, if you know what I mean. Privacy is still important, even when one has a blog and even though it may seem to go against every fiber in my being.

Yes, there has been turmoil in our lives lately, but thankfully, there have also been many wonderful memories and super-supportive family & friends who have the amazing ability to make our troubles melt away, even if only momentarily. I am really trying to focus on the positive things in our lives while keeping the struggles in the back of my mind, always there, thought about & planned for, but not all-consuming.

I take comfort in knowing that we are not alone, that many other we know and others around the nation are also struggling and yet, managing to adjust, adapt and move on. We have cut back, become super frugal and, at the same time, become closer as a family and have found the true meaning of life in a lot of ways. How could a night be more perfect than a leisurely walk through the park, pulling a wagon and having an honest, down-to-earth discussion while admiring the approaching sunset and ducks swimming in a pond? I think, when times get tough, we tend to come together, face things head on, and also truly appreciate the simple pleasures of life.

I've blogged before about returning to simplicity and, in a way, we are doing that, and in a way, this makes my heart glad. While part of me worries that my children will feel deprived, part of me also knows that they are learning important life lessons--that there is a limit to what we can buy, that it's okay to do without some things, that our basic needs will always be met, that something old can be new again and that creativity is fun! One of my favorite things, as of late, has been to introduce my girls to the old-school movies I loved as a kid as well as some of the games that I enjoyed playing. Who knew, huh?

All in all, I am determined to make the most of the changes that have been, for lack of a better term, forced upon us. But, know that if I don't blog often, it's because I often struggle with just what to post and, occasionally, the unpleasantness of life consumes me. Just know, that no matter what, I relish my connections that I have with my readers and I won't disappear entirely.

Thank You Earth!

2010-04-22T05:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Earth Day to our 3rd rock from the sun! Thank you for sustaining life, providing us with air to breathe, food to eat and scenery to admire.

Today was the perfect Earth Day, in my opinion (though maybe, we could've done without the tornado warning and sirens) as it was raining and you could just see the grass, flowers and trees springing to life! Spring really is my favorite season of the year. I love the "rebirth" of our Earth. Could we have a more wonderful planet to call home?

All in Good Fun

2010-03-26T15:50:00.003-07:00

It has become obvious lately that Cara has gained some new fine motor and cognitive skills. The notes that come home from her therapists are so encouraging...matching, playing games, imitating sounds and learning new signs.

So, when a box of goodies for the girls (and I) from my life-long best friend included two age-appropriate games for Cara, I was excited to see if she could play along.

The first game is a shape & color matching game based off of Candy Land. It's called Candy Land Castle and kiddos get a little gingerbread child with shapes on it and they have to match the shapes on the gingerbread with shapes that come out of the castle. The game teaches color & shape recognition as well as turn-taking. Cara had previously played this game in a small group setting with her therapist, so she was familiar with the game. What completely surprised me was how well Cara could play! She knew that she had to chose one gingerbread kid, pull down on the handle and then, when the piece came out, determine whether or not she had a match. She also did really well with taking turns with me. We played probably 6 rounds that day and we both truly enjoyed ourselves!

Cara also received Hi Ho Cherry-O! With some instruction throughout the game, Cara & I were able to play and have a lot of fun. She tried to vocalize with me when we were counting her fruit and quickly figured out that the goal was to put all of her fruit in the little bucket. I think, with more practice, Cara will become a whiz at playing this game too.

It is so nice that Cara has developed the skills necessary to play some structured games. Even 3 months ago, this wasn't really a possibility for us. I love when I can plainly see the results that all the therapy is having on Cara!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2010-03-18T14:16:00.004-07:00

A dream came true this past weekend for a certain 6 year old in our house. Thanks to our own personal Hero, Caitlin & I got to see the musical Mary Poppins on Saturday in Downtown Denver. Let me explain the back story a bit...

Caitlin has been wanting to see Mary Poppins every since we first saw the posters announcing that they musical was coming to Denver back before Christmas, I want to say. I looked into it and the tickets were just out of reach for us, as I'm sure they would be for a lot of people right now, due the state of our economy and it's effect on numerous families.

Anyway, this was something that I really wanted to do for Caitlin since I felt bad for having to say no to a lot of her (sometimes very simple) requests so I decided to reach out and make a wish at this wonderful website called WishUponAHero. Basically, the site is similar to Make A Wish. People can sign up and post wishes for everything from cards for their elderly parent's birthday to help with rent or other things. In the past, I have granted several wishes for others, so I thought, maybe someone would grant mine...what goes around...

I posted a wish asking if someone would like to make a little 6 year old girl's wish come true and help us go see Mary Poppins. I posted it, not expecting to ever get a reply. I mean, honestly, who has the money to cough up theatre tickets? But, someone upstairs read my post and decided we were worthy because about 24 hours later, a sweet woman named Ellen contacted me and said that she wanted to grant our wish. She said she would arrange everything and get back to me. I was so excited, I was crying but still, didn't want to get my hopes up. But, Ellen more than followed through, she did something totally amazing!

Not only did she buy us tickets, but she purchased VIP tickets for the 4th row center! All we had to do was show up at Will Call the day of the show and we were good to go. After getting all dressed up (Caitlin anyway) and taking the Light Rail downtown and walking a block or so to the Buell Theatre, we received our tickets and headed to the concession area. There, we learned that our VIP tickets entitled us to two free programs! Caitlin was tickled pink to get hers and carefully looked through it, oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the pictures and centerfold poster. Next, we went down the the orchestra level to find our seats and settled in. Caitlin was so excited, she could hardly sit still. Before we knew it, the lights dimmed and the orchestra started to play (we could see the conductor from our seats). Caitlin's face lit up when the curtain rose and the play started. She was transfixed from beginning to end and kept moving in her seat to get the best possible view. We loved the sets & props in the movie, how they changed from one scene to the next was just so cool! I saw Caitlin singing along to the familiar songs (especially Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious & Go Fly A Kite), laugh and exclaim at various parts of the movie. I think her favorite parts where when Mary Poppins flew in, when they flew the kites, and then when Mary Poppins made her exit by flying via umbrella up over the audience. She also liked the special effects. All in all, it was an amazing performance, one that neither of of us likely to ever forget. We were so close to the stage that we could almost reach out and touch the characters. In fact, Caitlin was so bummed that we couldn't get autographs as she wanted to hug Mary Poppins.

I can't thank our Hero, Ellen, enough for granting our wish and allowing me to have this wonderful day with Caitlin!

Here are some pictures from our magical experience:

And the strep exits the stage!

2010-03-18T14:06:00.003-07:00

Cara is back to normal! After a trip to the emergency room over concern for swelling above her eye and lethargy, Cara made a rebound and returned to her normal, destructive self. From the ER visit, we learned that Cara is allergic to the antibiotic that her doctor prescribed in good faith in an attempt to prevent Cara's body from building an immunity against the frequently prescribed Amoxicillin. Once we ruled out any neurological problems causing the swelling, it became apparent that we were dealing with a nasty allergic reaction. Once Cara was switched back to good old Amox and given some antihistamine, she was herself again within 36 hours, no sign of the strep throat! It was hard to remember that she had been a lifeless little girl for almost a week. She was up playing, eating & drinking in no time. Yay, major potential crisis averted!

Go away strep, you are not welcome here!

2010-03-12T08:06:00.004-07:00

Poor Cara is sick once again. The kiddo seems to get hit with something about every couple of months. This time, it's our good buddy, strep throat, once again. This time, it seems to have reared it's nasty, ugly head and knocked Cara out cold. She's been down & out for about 5 days now with no sign of improvement.

We ended up in the ER yesterday afternoon because Cara woke up with a large amount of swelling over her right eye (her shunt side) and she was pointing to her head along with lots of whining. Not wanting to blow this off, we packed up and headed to Children's Hospital. We were quickly assigned a room and had a neurosurgery resident in to examine Cara and talk with us. The concern, initially, was for inter cranial pressure due to Cara's low heart rate and high blood pressure in triage. The doctor ordered a rapid MRI (only takes 3 minutes to complete) to check on her ventricles which would insure that he shunt was working properly. Cara did really well with the MRI and we were soon back in our room awaiting the results. Her ER doctor come back after about 30 minutes of waiting for the MRI results to tell us that everything appeared to be fine and that, most likely, Cara is suffering from an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that were prescribed to her the previous day by our family practitioner.

She prescribed something called Cefdinir which was new to us since, in the past, Cara has always had Amoxicillin, which quickly did it's job and made her better. Her doctor's reasoning for trying the new drug as a good one, she didn't want Cara to build up an immunity to the Amoxicillin since she's had so many doses in the past 12 months (strep, ear infection, etc). However, it appears that the new drug didn't agree with Cara, thus causing the swelling and other symptoms.

The ER equipped us with an prescription for Amoxicillin (better to stick with what you know works and deal with the consequences later than switch to something that doesn't) which we quickly filled at the in-house Walgreen's and sent us home to be seen by the neurosurgery clinic next week. We are to watch for any signs that she is worsening or not getting any better despite the medication switch. A big thing that we are watching for is swelling along her shunt tract which runs from the top of her head, behind her ear and into her stomach. The doctor did say that it could take 72 hours for the Cefdinir to get out of her system, so we may have a long wait to see any improvement.

That said, it is so hard to sit here and watch Cara sleep and be so lifeless. She hasn't had any solid food since Monday evening and only drinks about 24oz of milk a day. She sleeps probably 20 out of 24 hours and if she is awake, she is tossing and turning, whining and just looking so uncomfortable. It just breaks my heart. I want nothing more than to have our usual Cara back. Even if that means the little terror who whips through our house like a tornado, leaving toy piles and other destruction in her wake. Right now, that would be a welcomed sight! Hopefully, by Monday, she will be back to her old self and all of this will just be a memory.

So, can I ask for positive thoughts, crossed fingers and prayers for Cara's speedy recovery? Goodness knows this little girl has been through enough! I really don't want the ER ward to become our second home, nor the pharmacy.

On a side note, we are going to look into a sulfur allergy for Cara. It seems that the Cefdinir has sulfur in it while Amoxicillin does not. Sulfur (sulfa, sulfate) is in so many things and would explain a prevalent skin "rash" that Cara seems to have. I have read that this is a very common allergy and some family members are even allergic so, who knows...maybe we solved the mystery of the eye swelling as well as the rash. I plan to bring this up to her neurosurgeon as well as our family practitioner.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:53:00.002-07:00

While we should make a habit of telling those that we love and care about how we feel about them every day of the year, Valentine's Day is a day to go an extra mile and do something special. Maybe it's a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, a thoughtfully picked out card. Or maybe it's a kind gesture, a kiss, a random act of kindness. Whatever you do, let those your hold close in your heart know how much you love and appreciate them...today, as well as throughout the year.

Valentine's Day in our household meant sweet treats, a small gift and an indoor pizza picnic complete with a movie. For us, it is about being with those you love.

Happy Valentine's Day to my readers. I am so happy to count you all as my friends & loved ones!

The Picture Update Post

2010-01-23T19:51:00.003-07:00

I just realized that I haven't posted pictures on my blog or Flickr in a long time. I have just been posting to my Facebook account. It's easy to download the pictures to Facebook from my iPhoto, so that's all I've been doing and thus, neglecting my readers from seeing the latest pictures. So...without further ado...links to some new photos! Just click on the title to check them out. :o)

Our "hike" to Lookout Mountain

Christmas with my side of the family

Lemonade Awards

2010-01-10T18:56:00.006-07:00

I was just nominated for this award by my good friend Sarah all the way over in Australia. I met Sarah right after Cara's diagnosis with hydrocephalus. She was the first mom that I met who had a daughter with this condition and she gave me advice, answered my questions and was a shoulder to cry and lean on--and still is.

Lemonade Award

*Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.
*Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.
*Link the nominees within your post.
*Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
*Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are the blogs that I think are totally worthy of this award:

***Veronica's blog Mamameo-Veronica is a dear friend of mine. Her little man also has hydrocephalus. She & her family are some of the most upbeat and vibrant people I've had the pleasure of meeting and befriending. She is also very crafty and takes some beautiful pictures.

***Judy's blog Where One Day Runs Into Another--Judy never fails to make me laugh with her posts. And...and, I recently had the pleasure of meeting her & her awesome family and I can honestly say that she's just as wonderful in person as she appears to be online.

***Lauren's blog How Bourgeois-I've known Lauren for several years and have enjoyed staying in touch with her through her blog. Her posts vary in topics from interesting news stories to pictures of her very handsome son. A lot of her posts make me really think and inspire me.

***Christy's blog Superheros & Princesses-I honestly don't remember when I first came across Christy's blog but, I've been a frequent reader every since. She has some of the most creative craft activity ideas and also unique ways of teaching her children. I'm also in love with her dog!

***Jenny's blog The Fisch Tank-I have been so inspired by how amazing Jennifer & her family are, how they've overcome such huge obstacles and how much they do for all of their children. I have gotten some great advice and support from Jenny about how to advocate for Cara and other issues pertaining to being the parent of a child with special needs. It's nice to have others out there that know what you're going through.

***Kendra's blog A Word Fitly Spoken-Kendra is such of a loving, upbeat and very sweet person. She has the gift of eloquent writing, so her posts are always so enjoyable. She is a very busy mom to two of the cutest little girls.

***Amanda's blog Funny Days With Mommy & Maddie-I stumbled upon her blog one day and am so glad that I did. Amanda is one crafty momma who's always doing such neat activities with her toddler daughter. She shares crafts, recipes and the frustrations & joys of parenthood with her readers.

I know this isn't ten, but I think these gals are truly worthy! Pass it on everyone!

Twenty-Ten

2010-01-01T12:38:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year! Last night, we rung the New Year in with style here in our household. We watched Ryan Seacrest & Dick Clark and counted down to the ball dropping at One Time Square. We decided to let the girls stay up and take part in the festivities and Caitlin was all into learning about why we celebrate New Years and in the "party". I picked up some inexpensive party favors and when the clock struck midnight here in Colorado, we all blew horns, shot off poppers (only Ben & I did this) and covered the girls in streamers. We had a blast!

Every year, I try to set three goals for myself to work towards. Not anything monumental but things like a reading goal, something that I want to work on with the girls and then one thing I'd like to better about myself. I'm the planning type, so setting these goals gives me an agenda and something to work towards all year round. Each goal usually has several sub-goals too so that they are not so overwhelming. I've learned in the past that having huge, vague resolutions doesn't work because there's no outline, nothing that is realistically attainable. Even though, in years past, I'd set myself up for failure, I was still bummed when the house didn't get organized, I didn't lose those pounds or whatever. Having learned that and embraced my limits, here are my goals for 2010:

A. Read a book by an author for every letter of the alphabet. I will be looking on library and bookstore websites for suggestions. I will read from all different genres and keep a list of these books.

B. Work on exposing the girls to the wonders of the world around us. This can be accomplished by visiting places, exploring the world through books or websites and any other means that I can think of. We will try to be more hands-on this year.

C. I will learn how to crochet. I've wanted to learn for some time but it's always getting put on the back burner. My mom has agreed to teach me and I'm a willing student. I think it will be a good thing for me to have another creative outlet other than this blog...one that is more portable. I look forward to making hats & scarves for family and friends by the 2010 holiday season.

Those are my goals, what are yours? Have you sat down and thought about what you want 2010 to bring or looked back on 2009? Here's a wonderful post about goal setting and reflecting, just click here. May this year be one of health, happiness and prosperity for you all!

Happy Holidays 2009

2009-12-23T11:45:00.003-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

We would like to wish you a very Happy Holiday season and hope that you are blessed in the year to come!

Christmas promises to be white this year and our holiday spirit is overflowing. Many lasting memories are in progress and we cannot wait for the excitement of Christmas morning and being with our family.

We hope that you all are warm, happy & safe this season!

With much love,

Ben, Laura, Caitlin & Cara

Santa @ his Tropical Retreat

2009-12-07T11:21:00.005-07:00

This year, we decided to take the girls to see Santa at a local (huge) garden center. We told Caitlin & Cara that this is where Santa goes to escape the bitter cold of Colorado and especially the North Pole.
Both girls had fun looking at all of the plants and hundreds of Christmas trees. They even got to plant their very own "Christmas" plants.
Unfortunately, Cara would not go within 6 feet of Santa this year, even with Ben holding her. We'll keep trying and maybe, just maybe we'll be successful. Caitlin, of course, hopped right up and whispered her wishes to Santa.
All in all, we had a great time.

'Tis the Season

2009-12-07T10:53:00.006-07:00

We have officially begun our holiday festivities. It began on Friday, December 4th when we went to downtown Denver to take in the annual 9News Parade of Lights. This is our second year going and we still enjoy it immensely. Before the parade, we battled the chilly night air to roam the streets surrounding the 16th Street Mall to take in the sights & lights. Downtown Denver is so pretty & festive this time of year.

Afterward, we headed to our parade viewing location. This year, we were lucky enough to be able to view the parade from a unique vintage point--indoors on the 3rd floor of Ben's work downtown, right on the parade route. It is a very different experience than being out on the street with the crowds, but we were thankful to not have to deal with the below freezing temperatures! The girls (especially Cara) were captivated by the parade, eagerly watching for which float, band or group was coming up next. Both went crazy when they saw Santa's float appear. We all waved from our 3rd story perch in hopes that the man in red would wave back. Before disappearing out of sight, he turned around and waved right at us! I bet you can imagine how excited everyone was (even the grown ups).

The Parade of Lights officially started our season of holiday madness. We will be visiting Santa (post to come shortly), attending a holiday party, participating in a Daisy Scouts unit event, partaking in some delicious German cuisine at a company party and many more activities sure to bring us lots of great memories!

Slip, Slide and a Crunch!

2009-12-02T14:36:00.005-07:00

Please send a Band-Aid or some duct tape this way as my poor car is in pain! This morning, after learning that the the youngest one's bus was running very late (darn snow, ice and bus heaters), I decided to drive Cara in myself as the main roads in town were not all that bad as the road crews had been out at dawn to plow, sand & ice. As we pulled out of the parking spot when had been sitting in waiting patiently, before receiving the news on the tardy bus, and started to approach the exit of our complex, poor Sally (my husband's name for my car) hit a patch of ice on a "plowed" road and headed straight for the end post of the open gate. Slip, slide, CRUNCH! Sally yelped and came to a stop while I sat in shock. I had made all humanly attempts possible to save the poor vehicle from its ultimate fate, including braking and turning the steering wheel away from the gate but, it wasn't enough. I promptly got out of my car in the freezing cold to inspect the damage. The gate took quite a bite out of the driver's side front bumper and gave Sally quite a bruise.

I backed the car up and went into our complex's office and spoke to the maintenance guy. Alright, I'll be honest, more like snarled at him. He then followed me back (out, once again, into 16 degree air) to the accident scene to inspect the damage and then told me to contact the property manager, who was out of town. Call her I promptly did, but I was disheartened to know that due to a very convenient addendum to our lease agreement, she didn't believe that the complex was liable for any property damages since a reasonable attempt was made to deal with the "conditions" on the roadway.

Not willing to take no for an answer, I went about getting a quote for the repairs ($1200 and some change *gulp*) and coming up with a strategy for when I talk to the property manager tomorrow. I believe, truly, that the complex is at fault for not dealing with the snow & ice more effectively and in a more timely matter. I'm not asking them to pay for the repairs, no-no, just all or part of my $500 deductible to get the damage fixed. Since we pay for snow removal services, I have a reasonable expectation to be able to exit my home without having a run-in with the gate.

I am going armed with pictures, a time line and sincere hope that our property manager will work with me on this. Poor Sally needs to have her front end fixed. In the meantime, did you know that duct tape comes in 14 colors? I'm sure I can find one that comes close to my bumper color!

Comfort & Joy

2009-12-02T14:28:00.004-07:00

Some of the highlights of our trip to my parents' house for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Much relaxing was done, delicious food consumed, company enjoyed, cookies and Playdoh made. We left full & refreshed though not wanting the weekend to end.
I certainly counted my blessings--health, happiness, love, family & friends (just to name a few).

Here's hoping that you & yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

With Honor

2009-11-11T07:01:00.002-07:00

A big thank you to all the men & women who have dedicated their lives to protecting our country's freedom! THANK YOU! We take it for granted but without your sacrifice, our country wouldn't be what it is today.

Hodge Podge

2009-11-10T18:25:00.008-07:00

My profound apologies for slacking in the blogging department as of late. Time just flies by when you're busy & having fun! Here's what we've been up to.

Halloween 2009--
As usual the weeks & days leading up to Halloween were full of fun activities for our family. We received an invitation from some dear friends in Boulder to come to their church's Halloween celebration. The girls had fun painting little pumpkins, decorating cookies, getting their faces painted, making treat bags and playing with festive orange Play Doh. Caitlin, Ben & I went to the "kid-friendly" haunted forest but Cara wanted nothing to do with it and promptly started crying and wanting to exit the forest. We ended the night by listening to Halloween stories followed by the long drive home.

We also received an invitation to a Pumpkin Party hosted by Caitlin's Daisy Scout leader. We enjoyed hot apple cider, yummy cookies and a fantastic pumpkin cake, that looked like a real pumpkin. The girls & I carved our pumpkins too, even Cara got in on the scooping out of the pumpkin innards.

Finally, we wrapped up Halloween by going trick-or-treating not once, but twice. Both girls love the idea of getting candy for free, just by asking politely. During the day, we went to a local pedestrian mall where the girls trick-or-treated at various stores along the mall and also got to participate in a few Halloween activities and see some very creatively carved pumpkins. This was the perfect location and time for Cara since it wasn't scary or dark.
After this, we went to my brother's house west of Denver and trick-or-treated in his neighborhood. Cara lasted for about 10 houses, even though she was scared at time and wanted both mommy & daddy to go with her, before she wanted to find her big sister, who had gone ahead with her aunt & uncle, and go home. Caitlin was satisfied with doing about 3 streets. She was very pleased with her bag full of loot (which was carefully rationed by her loving parents...why didn't some one tell me that dentists were buying candy?).

All in all, the girls had a wonderful Halloween and this was the first year that Cara really understood what it was all about.

Birthday parties--
Caitlin has been invited to two birthday parties so far this year, both for classmates. The first was a party held at Monkey Bizness, an indoor inflatable play area. Caitlin and her classmates had a lot of fun bouncing and climbing around. She even talked me into climbing up and going down the big slide. I have to say, it was blast!

The second birthday party is this weekend and will be Caitlin's first sleepover party! She's so beyond excited to see her friends and stay up telling stories (I'm guessing that they will all crash hard at some point). All that I have to say is that the birthday girl's mother is one brave soul to have a house full of sugar-high 1st grade girls! I can't wait to hear Caitlin's recount of the night.

School projects--
We have been really busy with all things school related in our house too. Having two kids in school means double the projects and fundraisers. We've had a Daisy Scouts candy & nut sale, school picture days, a Hawaii poster project, an "I am Thankful for" bag and much more in addition to the regular load of homework and nightly reading. Caitlin's school is participating in the Book-It program with Pizza Hut and Caitlin is eagerly awaiting her first coupon for a free pan pizza! Cara & I do daily enrichment activities in a variety of areas, which keeps my creative gears turning as I search for fun and engaging things for us to try.

Sickness--
Right after Halloween, everyone in the family, except for me, came down with Strep throat. After several nurse visits and prescriptions for Amoxicillin, Ben & the girls recovered and were back to their normal selves. I thought it was so comical that Caitlin loved the taste of the medicine so much that she reminded me when it was time for a dose and wanted more after we'd finished the prescribed amount. Thankfully, minus the bout of pretty minor strep throat, everyone's been healthy so far this winter. We are thanking our lucky stars, for sure. As long as I cover every inch of our house with Lysol, I'm sure the germs will stay at bay, right?

After this very lengthy post, I can honestly say that I've caught you all up on happenings in our house. We are now gearing up for Thanksgiving, which we plan to spend with my parents at their home. Being around family is what the holidays are all about.

I hope that you & yours are happy, healthy, warm & safe!

Fall Blizzard '09

2009-10-29T08:26:00.004-07:00

If you've been watching the news lately, you've undoubtedly heard about the snow storm that hit Colorado on Wednesday. Many areas are digging out from under more than 2 feet of snow! Here in our part of the metro area, we've gotten about 14 inches and it's still coming down. A high school friend who lives a bit north of us has about FOUR FEET!

When I heard of the incoming storm, I decided to get smart and headed to our local grocery store to stock up on meals and snacks to tie us over until the storm moved out. I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have wanted to drive on the roads (even though the road crews have been doing a great job) or haul my kids out in the below freezing temperatures.

Yesterday, I made crock pot chili and corn muffins for dinner, the perfect meal for a cold winter's day, and the girls & I settled in for some snow day fun. Thankfully, both kiddos are off of school for Fall Break. We watched movies, played Uno and created Mr. Potato Head masterpieces. The girls also braved the cold, briefly, to romp in the fresh snow. They had a blast! Click here and here for some picture of our day. My poor hubby had to drive into work downtown yesterday. A drive that would normally take about a 1/2 hour took an hour. He was, thankfully, able to work from home last night so that he didn't have to deal with the roads at night.

This morning, we woke up to an additional 6 inches of snow (click here for some Day 2 pictures), bringing our two-day total to over a foot of snow! We haven't seen this much snow in such of a sort period of time in awhile. And...it's still snowing! The forecast is calling for another 3-6 inches by this evening and then, gradually, the snow is to taper off and we are to see highs in the 40's tomorrow. Our Halloween forecast calls for a mostly clear evening but chilly.

Our plans for today include doing much of the same things we did yesterday as we are, again, home-bound by choice. I also plan to do some cookie baking with the girls though I'm a bit confused...should I be making Halloween cookies or Christmas cookies? I am so thankful that we have a warm house with a pretty fireplace to stay in and watch the snow fall. What would make it even more perfect is if Ben was here to enjoy it with us. Alas, he trekked downtown again this morning and, having arrived safely, is working hard. We have discovered, however, that his car is in need of new tires. What says Merry Christmas like tires, I ask you?! Haha

Hope that you & yours are happy, warm and dry! Cheers for the white wonderland known as Colorado!

Motherhood Makes You A Celebrity!

2009-10-27T07:35:00.002-07:00

**I "borrowed" this from Parenting Magazine. I read it, thought it was hysterical, so I had to pass it on.**

Top Ten: Ways Motherhood Makes You a Celebrity---

1. Someone's always hounding you for your autograph. Even if it's just on a permission slip for the class trip to the recycling center.

2. You travel with an entourage. Okay, so two of them are fighting over a bag of Doritos and one of them has a crusty nose, but STILL.

3. You spend your days club-hopping. How else would your kids get to Brownies?

4. You're front and center at every awards show. Because your 10-year-old would never forgive you for being absent when he wins the school carnival karaoke contest.

5. You change clothes three times a day. And it's much more fun if you pretend it's because you're being stalked by the paparazzi, not a messy toddler.

6. You're on a spa diet. Your kids only leave broccoli on their plates for you.

7. You've flashed your boobs in public. Hey, it's not easy to juggle a hungry baby in one hand and unhook a nursing bra with the other!

8. People beg to sleep with you. Well, only because there's a monster under their bed.

9. You're covered in tattoos that your kid got in a birthday-party-goody bag and plastered on you when you were too pooped to resist.

10. Hassled as you feel right now, in 20 years you'll miss all the chaos.

Toys My Girls Actually Play With

2009-10-20T09:55:00.003-07:00

Fellow blogger Christy over at Superheroes and Princesses has a post about the top 5 toys that her kids play with, without fail. It got me thinking...our house is overflowing with toys...but which ones do the girls play with regularly? With the holiday season comes my annual toy sort & purge. The toys that will be staying are---

1. Play Food:One of the cheapest toys out there has brought hours upon hours of fun as the girls have played restaraunt, house, bakery, etc. Cara and I have also used the food to work on colors, similar versus different, shapes and phonic activities.

2. Building blocks:We have Duplos, Pop-Onz, Peek-a-blocks and the old school ABC wooden blocks. Cara's favorite at the moment are the Duplos but she can be found creating architectural masterpieces out of just about any blocks in the house. Caitlin, Ben & I even get in on the building action.

3. Dress Up Clothes:The girls have a big chest that is home to a wide variety of dress up clothes. We've got "princess" dresses, a cowgirl costume, purses, hats, scarves, you name it. One of the favorite past times in our house is to dress up and dance to some music.

4. Balls:With a little bit of creativity, the various balls that we have in our house have been meatballs, snowballs, scoops of ice cream and eggs among other things. Both girls just love the Roll-Arounds that Cara got a few years ago.

5. Magnets:Not just for putting artwork on the fridge. Both girls love to play with them--writing words, sorting by color and just transferring them from a plastic cup to the fridge, to the table and back provides hours of entertainment.

6. Dolls:This encompasses baby dolls, Barbies, Polly Pocket and everything in between. My girls are little mommas and love to role-play with the dolls and dress them up. Caitlin prefers Barbies and Polly Pockets these days while Cara shows a preference for soft dolls that she can carry around. For years, we had a doll stroller in which both girls have pushed around their babies.

7. Books:While not a toy, like Christy mentioned, books are a favorite go-to activity for both Caitlin & Cara. At times, you can find both of them curled up on the couch looking at their favorite books. Nightly reading time is looked forward to and enjoyed by all. Our library card never has fewer than 30 books checked out on it and we love to browse at the book stores. Caitlin is reading chapter books but still loves reading the shorter story books while Cara loves board books, especially touch & feel.

As I look around my living room, I am not surprised to see that it is the toys listed above that are scattered around. If only I could honestly say that these are the only toys in my house!

So, what are YOUR child's favorite toys? And, I want to add another question...actually, it's more like a plea...how do you keep the toys organized without breaking the bank?

Pumpkin Pickin'

2009-10-19T16:30:00.004-07:00

This past Sunday was the perfect day, with the perfect weather (highs in the 70s), for pumpkin picking. We loaded everyone (including my youngest brother, Matt) into the Subaru and headed an hour or so north to Fort Collins to Bartel's Pumpkin Patch. We all had lots of fun getting lost in a corn maze, petting some farm animals and searching for the perfect pumpkins and gourds among thousands of candidates spread over hundreds of acres. The girls got to pull their pumpkins from the vine, a unique experience that I wanted them to have. It was so neat to see all the variety of pumpkins, not only in shapes and sizes, but colors too. We even saw melons and other members of the squash family. The girls were also able to see how pumpkins and other fall crops are grown and harvested on this working farm. Even though it was a bit of a drive, I just know that Bartel's will become an annual tradition!

Here's a sampling of pictures from our trip to the patch, for more, click here:

Riding on a Bus

2009-10-16T14:12:00.003-07:00

Cara recently started riding the bus to preschool. We decided that since it was offered, we'd take them up on it. It saves me from playing taxi all day long. Right now, she only rides to school but soon, she may ride both ways. We just wanted to ease her into change but she's been handling it like a pro. My only reservation to having her bused both ways is that I won't have any time to connect with her teachers and therapists. I'm kind of torn becauseit sure is nice to save the time and money of having to drive her (especially come winter when the roads get bad) and she loves riding the bus.

Here are some pictures from Cara's first day riding the bus:

Obviously, she had no problem adjusting to riding the bus, in fact, she was so excited! She tried to hop up the steps on her own (they must look like mountains to a 3 year old) and climbed right up into the seat. Now, Mommy & Daddy felt a little bit differently--just another way in which our littlest is growing up!

Now, when the bus pulls up, she runs toward it and says, "BAAA!". She tries to wave at us as the bus departs but you can barely see her little fingers.

War on My Rack

2009-10-04T12:30:00.004-07:00

I'm so proud of my husband. Ben walked a 5K with his co-workers early this morning for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. He actually thought that he had to ask if it was okay if he took a Sunday morning to go and participate! Crazy man! He joined 15 other co-workers and thousands of Denver area residents in the walk/run. He said that there was no civility though because their were protesters out with signs protesting everything from abortion to the war in Iraq while all people were trying to do was raise funds and awareness for a good cause. The most humorous sign that he saw was one that said, "Stop the War on My Rack". Too bad he didn't take his phone or I'd have some pictures to share. He is currently taking a hot shower and is going to recuperate for the day by watching some football. He's is in pretty high spirits now, we'll see how he feels later!

Fall Colors Driving Tour

2009-09-28T09:29:00.005-07:00

I wanted to share with my readers some of the beautiful photos that we took as part of a drive that we went on this weekend to take in some of the beautiful colors of autumn. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Temperatures in Denver hovered around 80 degrees, the sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue.

We headed out from our house and decided to follow Highway 74 from Evergreen to Morrison, Colorado. Evergreen's name really does suit it as the roads are lined with lots and lots of evergreen trees. While pretty in it's own right, wasn't exactly the range of colors that we were hoping for.

We continued our drive along Highway 74 until we reached the quaint town of Kittredge and spotted a road-side park. We decided that the park looked the perfect spot for a picnic. We unloaded our car and spread out our blanket to feast on chicken salad, croissants, grapes, chips and peanut butter cookies. The girls had fun playing on the playground structures and chasing their daddy around the park.

I wandered on my own, to get some nature shots, and discovered that a path ran behind the park and down to a lazy little river. I grabbed the family and we all had fun dipping our toes (well, Cara fell down at one point) in the cool water.

We got to talking to other families in the park and discovered that we had just passed a road that promised much more spectacular fall colors--Squall Pass which leads up to Echo Lake and Mt. Evans (a 14,000+ foot peak, able to be reached by car). We decided to alter our course and headed up Squall Pass Road, just outside of Evergreen. The locals were right and the scenery along the way was absolutely breathtaking. We really do live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. I pulled over numerous time just to appreciate the splendor.

At one point in our journey, I pulled over to get some shots of the mountains as well as Denver's skyline from way 5,000+ feet above, and we found snow. That, of course, led to an impromptu snowball fight. How many kids can say that they got to play in real snow in September? We had a blast even if we did come away with some cold fingertips!

We ended our trip with a stop at Echo Lake (at an amazing 10,600 ft) before heading down into Idaho Springs. We had a wonderful, relaxing and very simple day--something that we need to do more of!

You can click here to see an album of the pictures taken on our tour.

My Favorite Time of Year!

2009-09-28T09:10:00.003-07:00

Fall is, by far, my most favorite time of the year.

I love the crispness in the air, the cool nights made for curling up under blankets and sipping cocoa.

I love the beautiful contrast between brilliant blue skies and the color of autumn leaves.

I love the colors of fall, the reds, oranges, deep yellows and browns. So very comforting.

I love how fall seems to foster a sense of family togetherness. Hunting for the perfect pumpkin, getting lost in a corn maze, playing in piles of leaves.

I love the foods of fall--apples, cider, donuts, pumpkins and the familiar comfort foods like soups, roasts and casseroles.

I love wearing layers of soft clothes that make me feel warm and safe.

Fall is the most wonderful time of year!

Opposite ends of the spectrum

2009-09-23T06:01:00.008-07:00

I have discovered that a great deal of the time spent parenting is spent being an advocate for one's children. While we fight for Cara's IEP to be honored, on one end of the spectrum, we push Caitlin's school and teachers to challenge her academically, on the other.

We've always known, since Caitlin uttered her first words and drew her first scribble, that she was academically advanced. This is the child who knew her ABC's and could count to 50 by the time she was 2. She asks to do math, workbooks and to read chapter books. The questions that she asks us lead us to a Google search in the quest for answers. Her knowledge base and vocabulary are just astounding. Just the other day, she was telling me how people get different skin colors and freckles.

It has been a challenge, faced by her teachers and ourselves, as parents, to keep up with her quest and hunger for knowledge. Her Kindergarten teacher recognized Caitlin's enthusiasm and met it by advancing her in both reading and math throughout the school year. By the end of the school year, Caitlin was doing 2nd semester 1st grade math with ease and reading chapter books fluently. Her standardized test scores showed that she was at the level of the average 3rd grader in most subject areas. We were blown away and so very proud!

Over the summer, instead of dreaming away her days, Caitlin was doing a Summer Bridge workbook and learning more and more interesting facts as we explored the area where we lived. We checked out about 100 books a month from the library and discovered more wonderful learning websites. Her quest for knowledge did not ebb over the summer. In fact, she went into 1st grade knowing more than she did at the end of Kindergarten, which according to her 1st grade teacher, is very rare.

So, imagine, if you will, how bored our poor child must have been when, at the start of first grade, she found herself reviewing the very basics of mathematics and reading. She was coming home from school every day saying how bored she was and even pretended to be sick on a few occasions to escape the boredom. Now, I want to say, that I know that Caitlin is just one of 28 students in the class and that her teacher has to figure out, after a summer away, where each student in the class was, academically. That said, I had a talk with her wonderful teacher (Mr. H, we'll call him) and we agreed to work together to keep Caitlin interested and challenged while he got her classmates up to par.

Mr. H has since divided the class into groups based on their academic ability and Caitlin is in a group with like-minded peers. Within the group, she is able to work at her own pace using the current math book and activities. She is soon to start the second half of the 1B math workbook that she started on in Kindergarten. At home, we are working on carrying and borrowing, addition and subtraction with money, basic multiplication and story problems.

I'm not going to lie, at one point, we were considering trying to find a school better equipped to handle Caitlin's educational needs. I went and toured 4 different schools only to learn that they are all full for this school year. Coming to terms with the fact that we needed to make the best out of the situation at her current school (and the fact that Caitlin genuinely liked her school, teacher and peers), I approached her principal, who was not very supportive, and asked me what exactly I wanted her to do. Did I want her to promote Caitlin to the 2nd grade? No, what I wanted the school to do was to teach my child at a level which best fits her needs, within her current classroom. My argument being that each child learns at their own pace.

Feeling a bit defeated, I went back to her teacher. I should have approached Mr. H right from the get-go as I found him to be a very wonderful and caring teacher. He had noticed, in just a few weeks of school and very little one-on-one time, that Caitlin soared above most of her peers. He pledged to help me keep her interested and together, we formulated a game plan. It was full steam ahead!

In the short bit of time that has passed since the changes have been made, Caitlin has come home mostly happy after school, enjoys and is even challenged by, her school work and is looking forward to starting a new math book soon as well as moving up to another reading level (she is currently on Level I--the levels start at A and go up. Mos of her peers are at around level D or E--but feels that it's too easy!). I guess I've fostered my love of books onto my children! It is so refreshing to know that a little bit of advocacy has paid off in big dividends.

I have learned that having a positive relationship with your child's teacher is the best tool you can have for making sure that your child is getting the most out of his/her education. It is so helpful when you have your child's teacher on your side, working to do what is in the best interest of your child. I am very blessed, thus far, that Caitlin has had teachers who really do want her to succeed and are willing to go "outside of the box" for that to happen. I have no doubt, that with Mr. H's support, Caitlin will have a great year in 1st grade and continue to learn new things.

Parent Day @ Preschool

2009-09-22T10:22:00.009-07:00

Cara's preschool hosted a Parent Day a little while ago. It's a chance for parents to come into the classroom during class hours and see their child's daily routine.

It was great fun to watch Cara participate in class and I was just amazed and how much progress she's made and the things that she's learned. She isn't totally up to par with her classmates, but it's still so amazing to think about how far she's come.

Here is a glimpse at a typical day in Cara's class:

This is the routine chart, so that the students know what they are doing next.

Here, Cara is waiting for her teacher to ask who's hand print she's holding. Each child has a hand print with their name on it that they put on the felt board as they come in each morning. I'm am proud to report that Cara can pick out and recognize her own name!

Next, her class sang some songs for us. Cara really got into several of them and it was fun to watch all the kids singing and copying their teacher. Cara's special education teacher helped her participate in a couple of the songs as well.

Every week, they write a new story, one line at a time. Her teacher picks a different student to contribute to each part of the story. It's funny to see what the kids say for the next line. I bet they've written some wacky, off-the-wall stories! They also work on vocabulary as new words are introduced into the story.

At the end of the day, we did a project to coincide with the theme of the month, which is "Our bodies, ourselves". The parents traced their kiddos and then helped them color their bodies to match themselves. We made a flat Cara! It is now hanging in her room. We had fun coloring though Cara was much more interested in what everyone else was doing! I got to flex my (very small) creative muscles.

What I've Learned

2009-09-08T19:36:00.006-07:00

I wanted to share some wisdom, some things that I've learned in the past two years since Cara's diagnosis. These things I've learned as I walk down the road of being a parent to a child with special needs--

You will...
**always wonder if you are doing enough for your child and second-guess yourself. Would that test have made a difference? Should we have gone with that doctor?
**be your child's biggest advocate and cheerleader.
**appreciate the small stuff. Every little thing that your child learns to do will seem Earth-scattering. You will also feel guilty for not thinking that your older child's milestones were as important. You will celebrate each of these accomplishments with pomp and circumstance.
**redefine normal. Your special needs child will have their own definition of what is normal and you will embrace it.
**discover a new meaning to unconditional love. Your child will remind you daily of what this means.
**learn new ways of seeing things through the eyes of your special needs child.
**live in constant fear of the unknown, of your child getting sick.
**learn that no one knows a child like its parents and you will learn to trust your instincts.
**it does take a village to raise a child and that it is even more crucial when raising a child with special needs. You need a very special team of people to help care for your child and help him or her reach her potential. Your team will be made up of people that you never thought you'd have the privilege of sharing your parenting journey with but now can't imagine not having by your side.
**be prepared to learn a whole new language called medical jargon and to become almost an expert on your child (all his or her diagnosis or conditions). You will be throwing out medical terminology without even thinking and expecting others to know what you're talking about.
**discover every child is unique and that what works for one child doesn't necessarily work for another. This means that you will learn not to compare your child to others and that you will get creative with how you teach things to your special needs child.
**get frustrated, no matter how patient you are or how much you love your child. When we can't control something, we tend to get frustrated, it's natural and it's okay!
**learn so much more than you ever imagined you could from someone so young.
**feel your heart swell with a love like no other.

Talking Politics & Health Care

2009-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

With all of the press and media coverage surrounding President Obama's plan for health care reform, I felt compelled to weigh in with my two cents. I will spare you all of the details as I'm sure many of you know of our plight but here are my feelings, as raw as they can be.

Over the past few years, we have had various health insurance providers from a private, specifically negotiated plan to a individually purchased policy. We went from having no medical debt to having debt equal to a year in a public higher education institution. In my eyes, this has happened because hospitals are willing to charge not only for the services provided for the doctor but for the use of the hospital and everything in it. I mean, it is really necessary to charge me $12 for a tube of diaper rash cream and then $63K for a procedure that lasted a whole 30 minutes(yes, we're talking about a shunt surgery here)?

That's not to say that I'm not grateful for the quality care that both myself and my family have received, but must it cost us so dearly?! Should a husband have to work 80+ hours a week? Should a family have to chose between eating or paying the mounting medical bills? Should a medical service provider be able to threaten financial harm to a family despite the fact that this family is doing everything they can to pay their bill on time? Should one have to forgo medical treatment because of the financial impact it will have? Must we live in fear of the "what ifs"...the fear of getting sick?

The way I see it, this shouldn't be allowed to happen in a country that prides itself on being industrialized, modern and forward-thinking. I totally support what President Obama is attempting to do--bring affordable health care to everyone citizen of our country. To end the privatization of health care which has lead to the rising costs and lower standard of care. To make sure that every child born in our country has the equal chance to grow up healthy. To make sure that no one dies because they couldn't afford simple or life-saving treatments or procedures.

For my family, personally, this would relieve us of a huge burden. We wouldn't live in fear of Cara needed a shunt revision or Caitlin needing to visit the ER. Ben & I could get the routine care that we desperately need without having to think about how it will effect our checkbook.

I have to admit that I am a bit naive as to exactly how President Obama plans to accomplish this but from where I stand, thousands of dollars in debt and living paycheck to paycheck, I can't imagine that it could be much worse than this.

One might say that due to the financial gain received from performing top-notch procedures and developing new drugs and treatments, American medicine far out-reaches its socialist counterparts. Without the competition and reward, our standard and expectation of cutting-edge medicine will be diminished. To this, I wonder, why can't the exploration of medicine just be for the betterment of mankind, for the victory over disease, and not for the financial gains or endorsements? We need to return medicine to its core--the want, desire and need to help others. Take away the monetary attachment and replace it with a feeling of charity, pride, empathy--whatever it takes to get people motivated to do something just because, simply put, it's the right thing to do, not because they have something to gain from it.

We have seen socialized medicine work successfully in other modernized countries. Surely, we have something to learn from them. When a tourist in a foreign country can obtain medical services for less than it would cost an American citizen here in this country, something is fundamentally wrong! Granted, no one wants to have to wait 6 months to have an ultrasound or to receive dialysis but no one wants to go into foreclosure on their home because such things cost them their livelihood. We must task ourselves with the job of finding that happy medium, so that it's not just a dream, an agenda but a reality.

I truly believe that our President has our country's best interest and well-being in mind as he approaches both the Congress and the American people with his plan for health care reform. While he may not have the perfect solution, at least he is moving this country, finally, in a direction to forever change the way we think about health care. It is a right, not a privilege! I have seen what the rising cost of health care can do to a family and it has to stop! It is my sincere hope that something is done, and soon, to fix this mess. I want better for my children.

Writer's Block

2009-09-07T18:38:00.004-07:00

I'm suffering from a severe case of writer's block. I have several potential blog posts waiting to be edited, finished and posted but I just cannot get the words to flow. That and the fact that we have been pretty busy around here, which has limited my free time which I would normally use for writing.

Hopefully, along with the changing of seasons, will come a revelation of clarity. Until then, enjoy these last few days of summer!

Then & Now

2009-08-22T14:37:00.002-07:00

Then & Now
Originally uploaded by Mountain Chronicles

The same location, a year later. :o)

Coming Soon-Our 2nd Hydrocephalus Walk!

2009-08-21T09:06:00.002-07:00

Hello friends and family! We are all really looking forward to participating in the Walk this year on September 7th and raising funds for the research towards better treatments for hydrocephalus. This is our 2nd year participating in the walk and we are hoping to raise even more money for the cause! In case you aren't aware, here is a bit of Cara's story:

Cara was diagnosed with hydrocephalus in August of 2007. She had her VP shunt placed that same month, just one month after her 1st birthday, on August 17, 2007. Since then, we have been very fortunate in that Cara has not had any shunt related issues at all. She is soon to celebrate her 2nd anniversary with this shunt! Cara is doing wonderfully, thanks to the help of some talented therapists, and has started preschool on an IEP. She will be receiving PT, OT, Speech, vision and adaptive learning assistance in the classroom. She has had a great couple of days so far and we are hoping that the positive peer pressure and socialization will be just want Cara needs to continue to make progress.

With your help, we would like to raise awareness and funds for Hydrocephalus. One out of every 1,000 babies born in the United States will have hydrocephalus, yet, it is one of the most under-funded conditions out there. Funds are needed to advance research and explore new treatment options. So, please, won't you pledge your support not only of our family & Cara but for the Hydrocephalus Association? Whatever you can give would be so wonderful! You can donate by clicking here and pledging your support through a secure website. All of your donations are tax deductible!

Thanks again for thinking of us! Many blessings to you & yours!

Laura, Ben, Caitlin & Cara

All it takes is ONE blink!

2009-08-18T11:47:00.004-07:00

I woke up this morning and realized, my baby will be going to preschool! I will not have any children home for a few hours for the first time in years! What a change. I swear, it was just a blink ago that Cara was just a tiny 6lb, 6oz baby girl that we brought home from the hospital and now she's a confident preschooler!

We visited her classroom yesterday, met her teacher, Mrs. R, the classroom aide and the therapists that will be working with Cara. Cara made herself at home playing with the toys (purses & dolls were a big hit) while I discussed Cara's IEP with her teachers & other caregivers. I got a really good vibe from her teacher and the therapists and have a good feeling that Cara's needs will be met.

Cara has been so excited to go to school for weeks now, ever since Caitlin started a few weeks ago. Last night, when we were packing her bag with diapers, wipes and a sippy cup, she wanted to carry it around the house like a big girl and would jump up and down when we asked her if she was excited to start school.

This morning, we got to her school early, so Cara played and socialized a bit with the other children on the playground while we waited for her teacher to come out and welcome the class in. There are 16 children in her class with 1 teacher, 2 aides and therapists who visit on a rotating schedule. 7 of the children have special needs, like Cara, while the others are part of the Colorado Preschool Program, so a good mix.

Her teacher welcomed us all into the classroom where the first tasks where to sign in, find their name on a yellow hand print, put it on the felt board, hang up their backpacks, wash their hands and then find a book to look at. We helped Cara through this routine (which happens every day) and then went to say good-bye. She clung to Ben & I, like we knew that she would, but we were determined to make our exit as quickly and as calmly as we could. We hugged her, kissed her and said that we would see her soon and left the classroom. She cried but her seasoned teacher was already at work distracting and calming her.

Ben & I went out to the parking lot and cried. We just cannot believe that Cara is old enough for preschool or that we made it to this point. Those that know Cara's history understand how big this milestone is! We are so proud of our little girl for the progress that she's made and hope that she continues to surprise us!

At pick up, Cara was happy to see me and ran right for me as soon as I came into the room. One of the aides reported that she had a good day and only cried for a few minutes after we left. She was using some of her sign language (I think we are going to have to teach the staff) and enjoyed the activities. She received a smiley face stamp on her hand for doing very well on her first day. As we were walking out of school, I asked Cara if she liked various things, if she did various activities and every question got a very enthusiastic response. Judging by that and the big smile on her face, I'm concluding that she had a great 1st day! She even wants to go back tomorrow. We came home, had a quick lunch and now Cara is down for a nap, probably very tired from her busy day!

I am so glad that she's in preschool, for I know how great it will be for Cara, in so many ways. Just why must children grow up so quickly?! Don't blink or it will happen to you too.

Enjoy some pictures of Cara's first day or preschool---

We have an official 1st Grader in the house!

2009-08-13T17:19:00.005-07:00

Caitlin had a great first day of 1st grade on August 5th (yes, I slacked in posting this)! She really liked her teacher and was happy to discover that because the classes are set up as "villages" and they try to keep "villages" intact every year, a lot of her classmates from Kindergarten were also in her class this year. She reported that she liked eating lunch at school and having recess. I have a feeling that we are going to have to keep her challenged at home for the first couple of weeks as her teacher is going to be reviewing the basics to get a feel for where everyone is before assigning students to different learning groups. I have already purchased a math workbook (her favorite subject) and am planning to buy a Brain Quest workbook too, just to provide her brain with some extra stimulation while everything gets sorted out. Caitlin is learning early the realities of friendships as her best friend from last year isn't sticking by her side this year. Thankfully, she had found some new friends and seems to be adjusting well socially. She will be starting Girl Scouts next week as well as gymnastics so, once again, our after school schedule will be full! I cannot wait to see how Caitlin progresses as the year goes on!

A Glance Back & A Tribute to Caitlin

2009-08-02T21:10:00.010-07:00

Caitlin, words can not begin to describe how much you mean to Daddy & I. When you were born, 6 years ago, a new chapter of our lives began. We began parents for the first time and we were so excited to welcome you, our firstborn, into the family! Over the years, we have elated in your milestones and watched you go from a cuddly baby to a very confident and smart little girl.

Last year, you started down the path of your educational future. You looked so confident and excited to start Kindergarten and came home beaming and with a wonderful report of your first day. You just totally blossomed, both academically and socially.

Since then, you have:
-discovered a love for reading,math and gym
-made several great friends
-participated in a dance class & recital
-impressed your teacher with your knowledge and maturity
-managed to learn a lot of sign language to aid in communicating with your sister
-played baseball
-mastered riding a two-wheeler sans training wheels
-gotten completely over your fear of the water (and even went down a big water slide)

-become a Junior National Park Ranger just like your uncles
-graduated from Kindergarten with pomp & circumstance
-lost your first 2 teeth on the same day
-grown like a weed
-actively participated in the election of President Obama
-and asserted your independence and opinions, as always!

You are such of a bright and energetic girl, never afraid to speak your mind (Daddy's right, you should be a lawyer as your defenses and debates are so convincing that sometimes, it's hard to punish you!) and always curious to discover new things. You've asked us questions that have led mommy & daddy to ponder and search for answers. We love your curiosity, your imagination and your sweetness. Such qualities make for a wonderful little girl.

Now, you are about to embark on another major milestone, attending school for a full day! While I will miss having you around the house, I know that you will just absorb all of the extra learning and fun that you will have at school. Daddy & I just know that your education is in good hands with your teacher this year, and are confident that you will be challenged. At Back-to-School night, you where joyous to meet up with your good friends Amaya & Isabella, ran to find your beloved Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Brock and were just excited to be among the familiarity of school. See, you are going to do just fine!

It's so hard, yet so wonderful, to believe that you've been in our lives for 6 years! You are truly a blessing and a joy! We hope you know how much we love you and how much we look forward to being a part of your ever-changing world for years to come.

We love you Princess!

Mommy & Dadd

Caitlin is 6!

2009-07-24T10:11:00.003-07:00

6 years and about 7 hours ago, I became a mommy for the 1st time. Time certainly has flown by! I cannot believe that my "baby" is 6 years old today.

I will write a memoir later on, but I just want to say:

Happy 6th Birthday Princess Caitie!

Cara's Totally Sweet Birthday

2009-07-18T11:51:00.004-07:00

We took Cara out to celebrate her 3rd birthday yesterday. We began with lunch at one of the girls' favorite places, Applebee's. Cara had a grilled cheese sandwich with applesauce and when she finished, our waitress brought out a celebratory scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for Cara. As you can see, she enjoyed the lunch, but especially the ice cream!

Afterward, we wanted to treat her to a very special cupcake. Awhile back, I happened across the website for Lovely Confections in Denver. They are a local shop that specializes in organic cupcakes (and cakes). We found the shop located "on the Fax", walked in and received a very warm greeting from the store owner and employees. Cara picked a chocolate cupcake with vanilla bean butter cream icing, I had a red velvet cupcake with the same icing and Caitlin had a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing (Ben helped Cara with her cupcake and had a few bites of mine). The cupcakes were AMAZING! Rich, moist and full of flavor. The icing was definitely a favorite all around, which they put on right in front of us and the cupcakes were still warm from the oven! If you are in the Denver area, a Lovely Confection cupcake is a must!

We wrapped up the day by heading to our good friends' house to socialize, let the kids play and so that Ben could troubleshoot a computer problem. We rolled into bed rather late, but had a wonderful day, and no doubt, Cara did too!

3 Years Ago

2009-07-17T09:12:00.008-07:00

Three years ago, we went from being a family of 3 to a family of 4.
Three years ago, I became the mother of TWO of the cutest little girls ever.
Three years ago, I realized it was possible to love the 2nd child just as much as the 1st.
Three years ago, I held a 6 pound, 6 ounce peanut in my arms.

Fast forward to today. Our youngest daughter is THREE years old! I cannot believe how quickly time has gone by. It is amazing to look back and see how much has happened in the short span of 12 months. Running, jumping, coloring, panting, walking up steps, making animal sounds, discovering her imagination, learning to love books, dancing, vocalizing, using a big girl swing...all of these wonderful things (and many more) have happened this year.

One of our favorite things has been watching Cara grow and mature & watching her personality develop. She is such of a sweet, caring, smart and rambunctious little girl.

This is Cara, as we've come to know & love her--
She loves to run to you, full force, and embrace you in a hug with surprising strength. She is a diva at heart and longs to be bedecked in necklaces, bracelets and fancy dresses. She adores playing outside and exploring nature (which includes picking things off of trees & bushes). She has an obsession with balloons (the movie Up was a hit) and Elmo. She would drink nothing but milk with a squirt of chocolate syrup if we had access to a cow with an unending milk supply. She loves to be a big girl by "vacuuming", putting her dishes away and washing her hands. She is a momma at heart and hates to see people upset or crying. She still realizes the importance of naps and will put herself down for one if she's tired. She would rather have a pile of books than a toy box full of toys (a girl after her mother's heart). She knows how to wrap you around her little finger with her adorable smile, but watch out, she often has a mischievous glint in her eye! She understands the wonders and miracles of the world and delights in experiencing and discovering them--every day is something new.

We are greatly looking forward to what this year brings as Cara enters the world of preschool. We are excited for the friends that she'll make and the things that she'll learn. It's hard to believe that she's THREE, but oh my, she's come so far! May the future be bright & happy for her.

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY Cara, we love you, always!

Cara JUMPS!

2009-07-14T11:22:00.004-07:00

Cara mastered the art of jumping on Monday! She finally learned how to get both of her feet off of the ground at the same time. Those that know her story, know how long this has been in the making--lots and lots of physical therapy. We are SO proud of her!

I have noticed a trend though, that Cara seems to accomplish a big gross motor skill just before she has a birthday. Last year, it was walking and this year, it's jumping!

Just a bit of Denver (LoDo) pride

2009-07-09T16:02:00.003-07:00

I was just made aware that Denver's LoDo was ranked America's 10th most walkable city! I couldn't agree more except that I think it should be ranked higher. Our family loves to walk downtown and we always feel safe doing so. We love the selection of stores & boutiques, cafes, restaurants, museums, libraries and parks that this diverse district has to offer. I'm so psyched and appreciative to live close to a walkable city. Check the article to see if your city made the list.

The Great Cake Debate--Solved

2009-07-08T16:21:00.006-07:00

There has been an on-going debate--err, discussion--going on between myself & the soon-to-be 6 year old member of the family. This discussion has focused on birthday cakes for the upcoming celebration. Originally, Caitlin wanted the theme to be polka dots & balloons (polka dots for her, balloons for Cara) which I thought was cute. Caitlin also voiced a preference for an ice cream cake. I began looking around and found the cutest polka dot ice cream cake at Baskin Robbins. Problem is, those things aren't cheap, even with a $3 off birthday coupon. So, I approached Caitlin with the idea that she & Cara could share the cake--we'd write both names on the cake--but each girl would get a cupcake with the appropriate number candle to blow out. Sharing the cake was a total deal breaker apparently. Why I decided to let my child run the show, I'll never know--I guess I'm a softie when it comes to allowing her to make her birthday her special day. Since we seemed to be at a stalemate, I decided to temporarily table the debate.
Fast forward a week or so to today. The party is now 10 days away, so having a game plan is becoming crucial. I was online, chatting with my mom and brainstorming other party details when I had a glorious vision. We could make our OWN cakes! What a totally marvelous and unique idea--not! When I mentioned it to Caitlin, she was so psyched and started thinking of how she would like to decorate her cake. So...I've decided to buy another round cake pan so that I can make each girl their own two layer cake and then we will go to Sweet Factory to get a variety of candies. I'm thinking round candies like M&Ms, Skittles, Necco wafers & candy buttons. A friend also told me that I can melt Starbursts to make colorful circles. I may get bold and try fondant for the 1st time too, since it gives a much flatter surface to decorate on. Can you tell that I'm excited?! It is my sincere hope that this will be both a fun & cost-saving alternative to purchasing bakery cakes. I will do a test run on both the cake & icing before the big day to work out any creative difficulties.
All in all, I'm excited to see how the cakes turn out! One debate solved and one cake crisis adverted!

It is my hope that the cake will look something like this when finished. At least in terms of being colorful...I don't know if I have to artistic ability to pull off the rest!

Celebrating Freedom

2009-07-04T13:36:00.006-07:00

Happy 4th of July all of our family & friends. Go out, celebrate our freedom, be with friends & family, and be safe!

We are headed to my brother & sister-in-law's new place west of Denver for a BBQ and good times. Following dinner, we will trek to Golden, CO for their 4th of July celebration & fireworks.

Bargain Hunting

2009-07-02T09:51:00.008-07:00

One of the things that I try so hard to do, being a SAHM, is to make Ben's hard-earned income go as far as possible. This means clipping coupons, watching sale ads, buying generic, finding cheap and free activities for the girls and for our family to do and...bargain hunting for clothing.

Cara is usually pretty set because I have, thankfully, saved hand-me-downs from Caitlin and, double thankfully, she was very nice to her clothes. I do try to get her a few brand-new outfits, just to balance things out. Unfortunately, it is harder for Caitlin as I do not have anyone to bless me with some gently-used (and free) hand-me-downs, so I have to work harder to find deals.

I have to admit, I struck gold in this past week thanks to a referral from one of my best buddies to a children's resale shop called Tumbleweeds. If you live in the Aurora/Parker area, you must visit this shop. The owner only sells name brand (think Children's Place, Gymboree), high-quality & gentle used clothing. Before this experience, I haven't had much luck finding a decent selection of used clothes for Caitlin. It seems that kids wear out their clothing before it makes to the resale shop. At Tumbleweeds though, the owner had several adorable outfits with the promise of more to come in a few weeks. I really had to restrain myself and to stick to my budget. I could've easily spent $100 in there! I am proud of my end result though, and the outfits I chose received two thumbs up from Caitlin. Here are my great steals:

L to R:
-Outfit one is from Gymboree and when I looked online, a similar outfit would go for over $40 in the store, I paid $15.99 for both pieces.

-Two long sleeved shirts, one from Gymboree and the other is a Macy's brand. $5/each. The top shirt retails for $12.99 @ Gymboree.

-Outfit two's top is from JCPenney and would sell for about $12 and the skirt is from Gymboree. I found one very similar online and it was $28. I paid $5 for the top and $9 for the skirt.

++My grand total for these outfits *drumroll*--$40+tax plus a $6 credit to use the next time I shop there!++

Earlier this week, a Freecycler posted an offer for girls size 7-10 clothes. Somehow, the stars were aligned in my favor, because I was the first responder and got a great lot of clothes. On top of all of this, the woman said that she would call me if she found anymore clothes. Here is what I received:

Three pairs of jeans, a pair of brown lounge/yoga pants, a pair of brown cords, two summer t-shirts, two pairs of shorts, a pair of pajama pants, three pairs of capris, a pair of pink yoga pants and a black velvet skirt (not pictured).

Now, I will just have to watch sales to get a few more outfits and pieces to complete outfits that we already have as well as under garments. I'm keeping my eye out for Kohl's and Old Navy ads, two of our favorite places to go to for back-to-school shopping.

Some Monkeying Around

2009-07-02T09:29:00.003-07:00

Last week, at the conclusion of Bible Sports Camp (I tried to post some video, but my file's too large) for Caitlin, we met up with some good friends at Little Monkey Bizness to let the kids romp around and burn off energy. It also gave me a chance to catch up with one of my bestest buddies and sneak over to a wonderful children's resale shop where I scored some adorable fall outfits for Caitlin. Little Monkey Bizness is so neat. For a very modest price, kids 2-6 can climb on play structures, go down slides, bounce in a bounce house, swing on a disc swing, play dress up and even make artistic masterpieces. For the adult set, there's coffee bar with drinks and snacks as well as a cafe seating area in full view of the kids playing. It was so nice! I hope that we can go back again this summer, especially as our high temperatures creep up into the 90's.

Sisters of Summer

2009-06-23T12:53:00.003-07:00

It seems that summer is finally here to stay in our neck of the woods, after weeks of cooler than average and severe weather. We had our first completely sunny day yesterday and you know that we took advantage of it! Here are some pictures from our day at the local sprayground & park. Yesterday was a day of firsts for both of the girls. Cara, for the first time, independently played in the water, though she wasn't found of getting too wet; Caitlin crossed the monkey bars on her own and has learned how to "pump" a swing. I have a feeling that this is going to one fun-filled and amazing summer! Bring it on!

Our weekend in pictures

2009-06-23T09:22:00.009-07:00

Enjoy these pictures from our day up at Rocky Mountain National Park for Father's Day. We had been wanting to go to the park for some time but never have, so with it being a holiday weekend and free enterance, we took advantage. We headed up the Grand Lake side of the park, stopped to take in some pretty sights on the way up and then partook in a picnic once we were in the park. Overall, we had a great time but we will have to go back soon to see parts of the park that we missed. You certainly can't see everything in one day! Too much beauty to be seen. We are very blessed to live in such of a beautiful state.

From top to bottom:
-Our family in front of a beautiful roadside waterfall on the way up to Rocky Mountain National Park from the Grand Lake side.
-Cara, pointing to the roaring waters.
-Caitlin up at Berthoud Pass & the Continential Divide. Notice the elevation and presence of snow!
-Our family up at one of the highest points on Trail Ridge Road. The wind was blowing something fierce!
-Caitlin, being sworn in as an official Junior Park Ranger for Rocky Mountain National Park. The ranger made an announcement, people clapped for her, and she got her badge pinned on. Quite the ceremony.
-A snowfield up at the Alpine Visitor's Center. We are up at 11,700+ feet. As were were leaving, it was snowing, which quickly turned into hail and then rain.
-Ben & the girls in front of one the snowfields. Look how high the snow is--in June! Doesn't Ben look like such of a proud dad?
-Elevation at the "top of the trail" of Trail Ridge Road. At this point, we think that Cara was suffering from a pressure headache. BIG change in elevation from our place (a mile high) to here (more than TWO MILES high). We forgot that her shunt might protest to the change. Poor girl just slept it off.
-Beautiful Never Summer Mountains
-A very bold and beautiful rainbow as we were exiting the park. We went from wind, snow/rain and 46 degrees to partly sunny and 78!

P.S. If you click the individual pictures, they will open up to a larger size. :)

Chick Fil A, how we heart you!

2009-06-08T16:45:00.005-07:00

Do you have a Chick Fil A near you? If so, maybe you'll understand my undying love for this fast food chain. We just recently discovered it thanks to a friend of ours who is also a fan. Let me attempt to list the reasons why this is our favorite low-cost destination (at least the two that we frequent).

1. The employees always seem glad to be there. They smile, are polite and friendly. I got called Ma'am the other day. I was talking to one of the girls who was off-shift and asked her if she genuinely liked her job and she said that she did, that her co-workers and the management are awesome. She's pregnant and they threw her a very nice baby shower.
2. They are closed on Sundays so that their employees can spend time with their families. What?! You mean, it's not all about the money?! Someone actually still cares about family values!
3. Someone brings your food out to you, comes around and asks if you need anything else. The last few times, a manager has come out with disposable place mats for the girls to eat on.
4. The food is good and inexpensive. We can feed our family for $20 and we like the options with the meals. In this day & age, getting the most for your buck is paramount.
5. They have some of the cleanest restrooms I've ever had the pleasure of being in.
6. The play area is clean and gets wiped down, throughout, twice a day and there are anti-bacterial wipes at the entrance.
7. Several times a month, Chick Fil A holds Family Fun Nights and other kid-geared activities. We've been to a Bingo Night and just recently, to a crown-making activity. In most cases, you can score a free or reduced cost meal for your child, just for showing up. We love to go and participate. It's good, cheap interaction for the girls. The other night, I fed the girls & I for...$9 including ice cream cones! Can't beat that. We plan to go back in a week or so for the "Prince & Princess Party". Part of the dining room will be set up like a castle. Should be fun for two girls who love to dress up and strut their stuff!

As long as we continue to have pleasant experiences, Chick Fil A will continue to get our patronage. To the managers and crew of our local joint, we love you guys!

Onward & Upward

2009-05-27T16:04:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, Caitlin graduated from Kindergarten in a very cute ceremony. She wore a cap & gown, shook the principal's hand, hugged her teacher and received her certificate. She sang the chorus of "We Are the World" in Spanish, with her classmates. She listened to both her mom and the principal talk about memories and achievements. She was so excited, yet so composed. She was such of a big girl, ready for 1st grade! Ben & I have been so very impressed with Caitlin this year. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that she would do so well academically and socially. We will have our hands full keeping her busy and helping her to both retain all that she's mastered this year (2nd grade math level & 3rd grade reading level) and learn new skills this summer.

Caitlin--walking off the stage after receiving her certificate. Please excuse the poor picture quality. The lighting was horrible in the gym. We will be receiving professional quality shots in another week or so.

Caitlin and her wonderfully sweet teacher, Ms. Brock. Caitlin just loved her and she was a great Kindergarten teacher, always caring, creative and challenging her students.

(Big) Girls Day Out

2009-05-16T16:34:00.007-07:00

Caitlin & I just got back from a wonderful afternoon, just Mommy & Caitlin. It's been quite a while since she & I have spent some quality time and we decided, that with the beautiful weather, we should head downtown to hang out. We started with lunch @ Starbuck's (and yes, Caitlin chose to go there), where Caitlin had Greek yogurt w/ honey and granola & a blueberry muffin. I had one of Starbuck's English muffin sandwiches (they are SOOO good) & a green tea
Frappuccino. From there, we took a short jet down the interstate to the light rail station where we hopped the train to Union Station and walked the block and a half to Tattered Cover. A little birdie told Ben that I needed new reads, so he obliged with a gift card for me, for Mother's Day. I snatched up another Jodi Picoult book (yes, I believe I'm addicted) and Three Cups of Tea, the latest issues of Real Simple magazine and treated Caitlin to two new chapters books (my 5 1/2 year old is reading chapter books-*gasp*). Not quite ready to end our day out, we went further into LoDo in search of some ice cream. We happened upon Gellazzi, a local joint that serves up wonderfully homemade & fresh gelato. Caitlin had a mixture of soy chocolate and raspberry while I enjoyed a piccolo cup of wildberry. We sat alfresco, enjoying our treat and the wonderful sunshine & gentle breeze. With our bellies full, we began our very leisurely walk back to the light rail station. Caitlin stopped to pose with some buffaloes and dance among the squares. Once on the train, we read a chapter in one of her newest books and enjoyed the sights on the ride home. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and hope to have many more days out together. It is so fun to have someone to do "big girl" things with even though she's growing up too darn fast!

Caitlin dances on one of the "squares".

Enjoying her soy chocolate & fresh raspberry gelato.

On the light rail, heading downtown for an afternoon of fun with Mommy!

Sitting in a "grown up" chair at Starbuck's.

Cara Lou is a Preschool Girl

2009-05-16T07:41:00.007-07:00

From toddler to preschooler in one fast motion. Cara had her 1st IEP facilitation meeting on Wednesday with Child Find through our local school district. We met previously to do the evaluation to asses Cara's needs.

At the facilitation, I learned that Cara qualifies for 4 1/2 day (about 3 hours/day) sessions of preschool at the child development center in our district. She will be in a classroom with 15 other students, half of whom are "typical" and the other half who are receiving some sort of special education. Cara will be receiving physical/occupational, speech and cognitive special education therapies, to the tune of about 3-4 hours a week. The therapists work with students in the classroom setting so that no child feels excluded or "different". In addition, vision therapist and assisted technology will consult with her teachers and therapist to make their recommendations regarding visual safety concerns and the possible need of a low-technology assistance device to help Cara communicate with her teachers & peers.

The program sounds like a perfect mix for Cara--both student & teacher led activities and a structured daily routine. The ratio is never more than 16:2 and is usually 16:3 or 16:4 due to various therapists, volunteers & parents being in the classroom.

I will be doing the actual registration in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure a few tears will be shed as I fully face the reality that my baby is growing up. I just know that she'll love preschool as she is a social child and loves doing activities. In fact, she often wants to stay with Caitlin at drop-off and join her big sister's Kindergarten class. It will be hard for me to trust others in caring for Cara as she has been darn-nearly glued to my side for almost 3 years. Adjustments, and a lot of them, are coming our way soon. I have a feeling that Cara will adapt very well and I will be the one having issues!

Taking a Deep Breath

2009-05-16T07:31:00.003-07:00

***big sigh**

We can all breathe a bit easier now. Cara's primary care doctor called on Wednesday to tell us the results of Cara's echocardiogram. The results stated that, "Everything is completely normal. Cara has a very strong and healthy heart." Yay! Not that we *really* doubted that, but it was so wonderful to have professional medical clearance.

I'm curious to see what this means for genetics since Cara has tested negative for every test they've done so far. I think we may just have them halt the exploration process all together. We are very happy with Cara, just as she is, and now, we know that she does not have any major genetic conditions nor heart malformations. Other than her hydrocephalus (which is hardly even a factor given her well-performing shunt *knock on wood*) and some global delays, Cara is a happy, healthy and bubbly little girl. We feel so very lucky!

*deep breath**

Echocardiogram 5/4/09

2009-05-07T09:20:00.003-07:00

Once again, we were at Children's Hospital this week as Cara had an echocardiogram scheduled for Monday morning. The reason for the ECG is two-fold:
-Her geneticist wanted it done as part of the genetic testing they are doing in an attempt to properly determine the case of Cara's hydrocephalus as well as the appearance of her cafe-au-lait spots. Apparently, many genetic conditions have cardiac issues attached to them. Ruling out cardiac concerns helps them to narrow down the list of possible conditions.
-Her pediatrician heard a slight heart murmur during Cara's annual exam last month and is anxiously awaiting the results of the ECG to see if it's anything more to be concerned about other than a murmur, which many people live with, unaffected.

We arrived and were quickly shown to a room outfitted with an ultrasound machine. The Disney Channel was playing on a TV, which provided a good initial distraction for Cara. However, once she realized that she was going to have to lay still for a long time, reinforcements were necessary, in the form of lollipops. After that, she laid very still while the technician took 80+ images of her heart from various angles. An hour later, we were done. I am really pleased with how well Cara did, without even an oral sedative.

Copies of the cardiologist's report will be sent to genetics and our pediatrician and we should receive a call or letter from genetics by next week. It only take 1-2 days for them to get the images and report but then for them to call us or notify us could take a few more days. The patient coordinator did say to call genetics next week if we haven't heard anything from them.

I do not think that there could be anything major going on or we would've either been kept after the ECG to speak with a cardiologist or genetics would have contacted us by now. So, I'm breathing a little bit easier than I did going in, but won't completely take a deep breath until we get the "all clear" from genetics. The ECG is the last step in the initial series of testing that the genetics clinic wanted to do...these tests ruling out the most significant conditions. So far, everything has come back normal (the Noonan's test, the NF1 test and the gene array). We will continue to thank our lucky stars and pray that the ECG also comes back normal.

One More Year

2009-05-02T08:07:00.007-07:00

You might wonder what the heck Baskin Robbins has to do with getting older but...

I officially joined the ranks of the over 30's crowd last weekend (4/25), as I marked my 31st birthday. Somethings, like wine and cheese, are better the older they get, or so I keep telling myself. I also like to kid that I've had as much variety in my life as all of those 31 flavors! Truth be told, except for the gray hair I found earlier the same week, I feel the same age now as I did when I first had children, almost 6 years ago. What can I say, my girls are helping to keep me young or maybe it's the fact that I can still play with Barbies, paint with finger paints and dress up that keeps the wrinkles at bay. All I know is, time has been good to me.

I was lucky to be able to spend my birthday with my adorable family & my wonderful parents who made the journey over from the other side of the state. We started the day off with a leisurely ride on the Light Rail to downtown Denver (LoDo) and a trip to one of my favorite eating establishments--BD's Mongolian BBQ. I even got to hit the gong a few times and watch the grillers do acrobatic feats with their metal chopsticks. From there, we walked around LoDo, taking in the sights and admiring the architecture (such a varied mix). We were right around the corner from my favorite bookstore of all time, Tattered Cover, so we just had to go in and browse. I walked out with this book, though I could've easily purchased several more. I'd love to curl up in a chair, by a window, with a cup of tea and watch the hours fly by.

A little bit of a side note: When I was in college and searching for some obscure and "crunchy" social theory texts, Tattered Cover was one of the only bookstores this side of the Mississippi who carried the books I desired. I had a very pleasant experience chatting with several employees and received recommendations for other books that might help with my research. The books arrived, wrapped in brown paper & twine, with a personal note from one of the employees who invited me to visit. I had never stepped foot in the bookstore but tried to envision it. Floors, upon floors of books on every topic, comfy leather chairs, an air of intellectual freedom. I'm happy to say that the "real thing" lived up to my visions, and more. Tattered Cover has an environment that makes you just want to sit down & stay awhile, a relaxed atmosphere that "big box" stores struggle to re-create. It is so effortless here.

Getting back on track, we left Tattered Cover, rode the Light Rail back to our Park 'n Ride station, said good-bye to my parents (as they had a 5 hour drive back to the Western Slope) and drove home.

On Sunday, after teaching my group of rowdy toddlers at church, our little clan headed out to a post-birthday lunch at TGI Friday's and then to a local shopping mall. Ben sent me off to get my hair done while he & the girls roamed the mall. Hours later, with my hair was shorter and full of wild curls, they returned armed with birthday cards and a sampling of my favorite lotions from Bath & Body Works. I was very spoiled indeed (thank you Bath & Body Works for having a great sale that weekend)!

As you get older, it's less about opening presents and more about spending time with family & friends. That said, it certainly was nice to be remembered & pampered. I got the best of both worlds that weekend and consider myself extremely lucky.

I Spy...

2009-04-19T19:18:00.004-07:00

Can you see what's missing? Caitlin's bottom two front teeth! After her dental appointment x-rays, we saw that her permanent teeth were coming in & that the primary teeth should be coming out soon. Barely two weeks later and both little pearly whites were wiggling. Caitlin went off to school on Friday with two very loose teeth that were stubbornly hanging on to their territory in her mouth. When I came to pick Caitlin up from school that day, she came running at me with a cute little pink treasure chest and a smile that looked slightly different than the one that she left with 3 hours earlier. So, I learned, that while in class, she had been wiggling one tooth with her tongue and then, was surprised to feel something on her tongue. The second tooth came out after a journey to the bathroom mirror to get something out of her teeth, only to realize that this "something" was the other tooth!

That night, after tucking the little pink treasure chest under her pillow, the tooth fairy proudly rewarded Caitlin with two gold dollars!

Caitlin was so proud of herself and to join the ranks of her classmates who have all previously lost their first teeth. It was a bittersweet moment for Ben & I however, because, no matter how much we try to deny it, Caitlin is growing up.

"New Patient" Neurosurgery Visit

2009-04-17T11:55:00.003-07:00

After our initial visit was canceled due to a bad spring blizzard, we were anticipating our rescheduled visit with Cara's new neurosurgeon today. The doctor that consulted with us and put in her shunt back in 2007 has pretty much retired from operating and has switched to another hospital. When we were up in neurosurgery last year to have Cara's shunt reset after a CT scan, we got to talking to our Physician's Assistant about finding another neurosurgeon to take over Cara's care. Knowing that we like to be able to ask questions and openly converse with our doctor, she recommended Dr. McNatt for Cara. I have to say that we immediately felt at ease with him--both Ben & I got a great vibe. He shook our hands and then Cara walked right up to him to shake his hand too! We had a great talk about Cara's progress as well as some concerns that we have. He pretty much reassured us that Cara is doing very well, all things considered. Her head circumference (51.3 cm) has stabilized and obviously, her shunt continues to do it's job. Unless something comes up in the meantime, we do not need to see him until a year from now! *knocks on wood* I have a feeling that this is the start of a great professional relationship.

Well-Child check ups

2009-04-13T18:17:00.004-07:00

Both of the girls went in to see our faithful family practice doctor on Friday 4/10 for their well-child check-ups and immunizations. I'm proud to report that the girls are fine & dandy. Their doctor is very pleased with their health & growth. I asked, and received some advice on Cara's thumb-sucking and biting and about Caitlin's snoring. Cara received two shots and took them like a champ. She is now done for several years. Caitlin received one shot, cried slightly, and is, most likely (unless they change the current immunization recommendations), done until she is 11.

Here are their stats--
Caitlin (5 1/2)
Height: 3 ft 5 in (65th percentile)
Weight: 48lbs (50th percentile)

Cara (3 1/2)
Height: 36 in (70th percentile)
Weight: 29 lbs (50th percentile)
Head circumference: 20 in (95th percentile--while this seems bad, we are actually pleased because her head has pretty much stabilized!)

The girls do not need to return for a year, unless they come down with something.

IEP Evaluation 4/10

2009-04-13T18:06:00.002-07:00

Cara had her first, of what will be occurring annually (at minimum), IEP evaluation at our school district's Child Find office on Thursday. We met with her Developmental Pathways service coordinator, a school psychologist, physical therapist (PT) and speech & language pathologist (SLP) to evaluate where Cara was in all areas of her development and come up with a plan for services that she will need this fall, when she starts preschool. All of the therapists worked with Cara on various tasks and she did very well, and, at times, shocked me with what she was able to do! For the first time, she was able to make a very tall tower, for example. The therapists also asked me questions about skills, tasks and overall development. We are to meet again, in May, to go over their recommendations, formulate a plan and decide on services as well as preschool options available to us. Cara also has to undergo a hearing screening as part of the evaluation process. I have no doubt that she'll pass with flying colors.

I am very anxious to hear what the therapists recommend and how these recommendations would be carried out in a school setting as I have become so accustomed to the clinic or home settings over the past year.

Vision Therapy Playdate

2009-04-13T17:47:00.004-07:00

Vision therapy was just one of our "activities" last week. Here is a run-down:

**Vision therapy @ the Anchor Center on Wednesday 4/8. This was our first visit and I think it went pretty well. Unfortunately, we arrived about halfway into the session due to the conflict of the starting time with dropping Caitlin off at school. The sessions start @ 11:45 and go until 1-1:15. They start off with a snack in the cafeteria, move on to the motor/open play gym, then to a small group discussion time and, finally, wraps up with the light room. We got there just as the small group discussion was started. The topics were--1. What do you know know that you wished you'd known then? 2. How do others in your life (spouse, siblings, parents, grandparents, strangers, etc) deal with your child's disability. There were 4 other families in the group and despite being the only native English speaker, we had a very good chat. Turns out that 3 out of 4 kids also have shunts and one has hydrocephalus. Due to the language barrier, I wasn't able to openly talk with the parents, but we did share the challenges of having children with a condition that the mainstream public hasn't heard of. It was so comforting to know that I am not alone in dealing with Cara's multitude of "delays". I have met very few people, locally, who understand what life is like with Cara. Next, we rotated to the light room and this was, by far, Cara's favorite part of the playdate. The light room is moderately dark and filled with black lights, holiday lights, mirrors and objects of different shapes, colors and textures. They were doing a "color of the day" while we were there and it was blue. Out on the mats were tons of things all having blue in common. Cara loved the beads and these plastic "rocks". She did very well with moving objects back & forth between cups and dishes as well as manipulation several "stations" in the room. At the conclusion of the play date, Cara was given the Teller Test of Acuity by one of the teachers. We learned that her vision is about 20/90 assisted with her glasses. This means that what someone with "normal" vision would see at 90, Cara would need to be at 20 feet to see clearly. The test also confirmed Cathy's findings during the home visit.
**We had vision therapy again today (4/13) and while we started in the Light Room, we also got to go to the motor gym. It was just open play today due to a "Parent Pull Out". They have these once a month for parents. It's a chance for the caregivers to get together and discuss issues and ask questions. I chose to opt out this time as we were very new and I knew that Cara would not cooperate if I were to leave. I am hoping to participate next month, once Cara is more familiar with her surroundings and therapists there. I should mention, that during the sessions, there are PTs, OTs and SPTs on hand to work with the kids.

I am going to go a few more times and then evaluate on whether or not I think the sessions are helping Cara. Hopefully, the therapists will work with her more in the coming weeks, once they get a feel for her abilities and difficulties.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T06:57:00.003-07:00

Wishing all of our friends & family a wonderful Easter!
(I will post pictures of our Eggventure in a bit.)

Whoop! Whoop!

2009-03-29T17:15:00.004-07:00

I forgot to mention that due to some crazy mixed blessing, Ben was able to be home with us for a very long, luxurious extended weekend. (Which, due to the blizzard, was another blessing in and of itself. I'm glad that I didn't have to worry about him commuting home from work in near white-out conditions, going at a snail's pace and arriving home 5 hours after leaving the office.) On the afternoon of March 25th, Ben got a lovely email from the higher-ups at his job downtown that a co-worker had tested positive for whooping cough. When I first heard, I wasn't all that alarmed since it's a big bank, lots of floors, lots of people. But when Ben came home and told me that he had worked on this lady's computer and noticed that she was "hacking up a storm" and that he suggested that she go home, I knew we were in for some potential trouble. Not to mention that Ben wasn't feeling all that well and was starting to cough--not good signs. He immediately called our D.O. and got an appointment for the following afternoon. Our faithful doctor noticed that Ben was presenting classic whooping cough symptoms and decided to be proactive, not waiting for the test results--which can take up to a week--and started Ben on a antibiotic regime as well as giving him the Dtap vaccine. Of course, being that he was probably contagious, Ben was told not to report to work until Monday. Thankfully, other than a few bouts of coughing and a low-grade fever, Ben has been his normal self and has been able to enjoy having this lazy weekend with the family. It's been a long time since we've had him home for this long of a stretch and it's been really nice. I'm sure that he has appreciated the 8 hours of sleep a night too, a drastic improvement from the *maybe* 3 1/2 hours that he tries to survive on (Did I mention that my husband is my hero?). We spent lots of quality time together, doing nothing specific, just enjoying each other. I can't put it into words, how nice it was. We felt like a normal family for a few, rare & VERY special days.
That all ends tonight as Ben prepares to start his work-week again and we return to the normal routine around here albeit no school for Caitlin due to Spring Break. I am always bittersweet come Sunday nights, but today, I am even more so. I'm going to really miss my husband. Okay, I think I'd better go grab some tissues and cop a hug from the big guy.

**Edited to add: The girls & I are symptom free so far. I'm praying that we're good to go!**

Blizzard? I'll just call it a storm.

2009-03-29T16:53:00.008-07:00

**That is a 12" ruler stuck in the snow. I could've pushed it down more but didn't want to get wet feet as I just went out in shoes, not boots.**

**This is the wind whipping up a mini tornado on the roof. At times, we had wind gusts of over 40 MPH!**

We got hit with a pretty powerful spring storm on Thursday. In 24 hours we went from 50+ degrees and sunny to high temperatures in the teens and some wicked wind. Much of the Front Range (and in Wyoming & the Dakotas) was under a blizzard warning as visibility slipped to less than a mile. Pile-ups were a common occurrence on both interstates and surface streets alike while the Department of Transportation set up shelters and closed roads. We had snow days (a rarity here, we had school when the HIGH temperature was -35!) Thursdays & Friday and didn't step from the house except to take out the trash and dig out Ben's car from a drift. After all was said and done, we had over a foot of snow! The girls braved the wind, briefly, to go out and play--throwing snow balls and making angels. Otherwise, we stay inside, snuggled under blankets, played board games, watched movies and just enjoyed being a family.

Spatula Baseball--didn't you know it's all the rage?!

Today, the remnants of this storm are few...dirty piles moved by snow plows, fresh snow sheltered from the sun under trees or in the shade, and the river formerly known as our parking lot. Our high today, a typical 64 degrees.
What can I say except that, that's Colorado for you!

Anchor Center Evaluation

2009-03-11T11:55:00.003-07:00

Today was Cara's much-anticipated vision evaluation by a therapist from the Anchor Center. The assessment included engaging Cara in some close-range visual activities, a quick vision test and then asking me some questions. Cathy, the therapist, wanted to do an acuteness test on Cara but because Cara's matching and recognition skills are not refined, this would not be possible, at least not in the home setting.

Cathy concluded based upon observation (there were specific things that she was watching for) that Cara most likely will qualify for the services offered at the Anchor Center. Cara has (ny)stagmus, a neurological condition in which her vision is impaired--this could have been caused by Cara's hydrocephalus when pressure in her brain was compressing the optic nerves. The therapist used a great analogy to explain this condition to me--imagine that your eye is like an old-school 35mm camera, where you have to adjust the focus for every picture. Every time a subject moves, you have to readjust the focus and everything. This is what Cara's eye is doing. One of the things that Cathy observed in Cara is that she seems to favor her left eye, the eye without the (ny)stagmus. Cara will place toys on her left side or she will tilt her head which slows the (ny)stagmus. Because of the existence of this condition, her left eye has to work very hard to focus, leading to the strabismus, which we've known about for awhile, and also explains why Cara goes cross-eyed a lot.

Cathy also said that sometimes, children with these conditions tend to have eyes that tire easily from all of the strain. This explains why Cara takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes after she's been playing intensely. To say the least, this visit was very informative.

Since Cathy believes that Cara qualifies for vision services, she recommended that we come to the Anchor Center in April to try out their toddler group therapy. The group meets twice a week for a little over an hour. Various teachers are on hand to work with the children. They have circle time, a snack and fun activities like an obstacle course--all designed to help children with various vision issues. I am so excited to take Cara and see if this is something she could benefit from. Being in a group setting will also allow the therapists to get a better idea of her vision impairment since she will be in unfamiliar surroundings and will not be able to anticipate or predict things like she can here at home.

Cathy is also recommending that a vision teacher be present at Cara's IEP evaluation with the school district in April. If the vision teacher also agrees that Cara has an impairment, she will qualify for continuing vision therapy as part of her IEP. If that is the case, Anchor Center has a preschool program that may be an option for Cara. We will have to wait and see what the outcome of this IEP evaluation is. As you can guess, this is going to be a very big day for Cara!

For right now, I am just excited to try out the toddler program. I'm hoping that Cara will love it and also benefit from it. It sounds like a great program!

Speech/Vision Therapy Update

2009-02-23T18:23:00.005-07:00

A few things have happened in the therapy realm lately, so I thought an update was due.

**Per a suggestion from Cara's physical therapist at her IFSP review, contact has been made with the Anchor Center for Blind Children. They offer vision therapy, free of charge (usually), for qualifying children. I have asked for Cara's ophthalamology records to be sent to the intake coordinator for Anchor. If Cara meets their qualifications, a home visit will be scheduled to discuss Cara's needs. We are concerned with Cara's lack of visual perception and body awareness (where she is in relation to other things). These are both areas that the Anchor Center's therapies would address, should she qualify. I am waiting to hear back from the intake coordinator that she has received the records, so that we can schedule the home visit and go from there. I really believe that Cara could benefit greatly from this type of therapy, so am keeping my fingers crossed and saying extra prayers that she will be excepted.
**Today, during Cara's routine speech therapy session, her therapist brought to my attention that she believes that Cara has a muscle weakness in her jaw, which is making it difficult for her to move her jaw in accordance with performing various mouth movements needed to form words. She also believes that Cara may not understand the need to breath for speech versus breathing for living. This may explain why Cara's "noises" come out abbreviated. For her jaw weakness (called jaw rehabilitation) and mouth movements, we are going to try some oral/motor exercises and also use some tools such as a Nuk brush and tubes. For her breathing, her therapist is going to try some abdominal grading or practiced breathing for speech exercises with Cara. Hopefully, these new techniques and exercises will help Cara move forward in her progress with speech. We will know in a few months' time.

One thing that I really appreciate about her therapists is how they are on the ball, always looking for ways to help Cara succeed, seeing problems and figuring old how to deal with them. We have been very blessed to have such attentive therapists for Cara.

Luxurious Weekend

2009-02-17T16:57:00.003-07:00

Ben, the girls & I were very lucky to be able to escape to my parents' house on Colorado's Western Slope for the 4 day weekend (Ben & Caitlin both had Monday off). With the weather man predicting snow after midnight on Friday, we decided to leave after Ben got home from work on Friday night, hoping to beat the storm. I ran around like a madwoman packing up 4 people in a record (for me, anyway) 20 minutes. Ben got home at 6pm and we were out the door at 6:15! We started up and were faced with almost gridlock traffic and snow. At one point, we were going a whole 30-35MPH. Mind you, the snow wasn't even really sticking to the ground at this point. I looked at Ben and said, "If it's going to be like this all the way, I don't think I want to do it". With all of the traffic combined with snow, a pile-up accident was waiting to happen. Thankfully, we decided to stop in a town about 45 minutes away from Denver to pick up some dinner (and a mint tea latte for me). By the time we got back on the road, the traffic had mostly cleared. The rest of the drive was very uneventful, minus a couple of bathroom breaks and a family sing-along. At one point, I was the only one awake in the car and got away with playing some Kenny G! We arrived at my parents' house just after midnight. I'm proud to say that this trip cured my fear of driving through the mountains in the dark.

We had a wonderful visit, as always. It's hard to leave. We were able to visit with my aunt & uncle who live in Colorado part of the year and in Michigan the other half. We realized it had been quite some time since we'd seen them.
The girls woke up on Valentine's Day to see bags of candy, cards and cute Valentine's Day outfits from Grandma & Grandpa. They are two very spoiled little girls!
My parents also treated us to a soak in the Ouray Hot Springs. Nothing like a good soak to melt away the stress and worries as well as cure a sinus cold!

We headed home, regretfully, on Monday afternoon. I'm sure we could've stayed another few days, but I was glad to be home, even if it did mean that I had to do laundry and go grocery shopping. Ahh, the return to the daily grind.

I cannnot wait until this spring/summer. I have a lot of little weekend getaways planned for our family. Just to places within a day's drive of our house that we have yet to visit. My goal is to "explore our backyard" this year.

**By the way, just had to add that we didn't get any snow at my parents' or here in Denver out of this predicted storm. Oh well, I know the girls enjoyed the extra time of being spoiled by the grandparents.**

You have good taste!

2009-02-10T17:37:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't like free food? You don't have to tell me twice, that's for sure. So, when I came across this BOGO coupon, I had to spread the word. If you've got a TGI Friday's around, click here for a coupon good for BOGO entrees. It won't work on Valentine's Day and expires on March 1st, so scramble on it and enjoy!

Been there, want to do that but never in a million years!

2009-02-02T08:13:00.002-07:00

Things you’ve already done: bold

Things you want to do: italicize

Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band (if junior high counts)
4. visited Hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to Disneyworld
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited Paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in Venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen Niagara Falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an Amish community
36. taught yourself a language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen Old Faithful (geyser) erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited Africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. been to the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theater
55. been in a movie (public access count?)
56. visited the Great Wall of China
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited Russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold Girl Scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the Lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in Times Square
74. toured the Everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in London
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the Vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in Jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire Bible
86. visited the White House
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating (summer camp, it was a frog)
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the Alamo in person
96. taken a road trip
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee
100. met the love of your life

Cara's Annual IFSP Review

2009-01-29T13:01:00.004-07:00

Today, Cara had her annual IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan). This is the plan that outlines goals, strengths and weaknesses of each child and family receiving services through the state. Cara receives her physical and speech therapy through Developmental Pathways which is an agency that is contracted by the state to carry-out it's Early Intervention services.

At this review, we set some new goals for Cara in areas of fine and gross motor skills--things that we would like to see Cara doing by the time she turns 3. We listed skills such as independently and consistently feeding herself using a fork or spoon; learning to hold a pencil or crayon correctly; learning to gallop and to ride a tricycle; and for her to have a better sense of self perception and awareness. In addition to identifying these goals, I worked with Cara's service coordinator and physical therapist to think of ways to help Cara meet these goals. We have a lot of hard work on our hands but as long as Cara continues to progress as she has in the past year, we should be able to add these skills to her list! We will be doing the speech and communication part of the review with Cara's speech therapist on Monday.

The other part of the review was the transition plan. When Cara turns 3 in July, she will transition out of Part C of Early Intervention services and into Part B. Services will go from being provided in the home to being provided in a school setting. That being said, we have to start transitioning Cara into preschool and/or Head Start, if she qualifies. We are to schedule a comprehensive evaluation with the school district's early intervention program to see if she'll qualify for their FREE preschool program. Basically, Cara will be thoroughly evaluated by a speech/language pathologist, physical and occupational therapist as well as an development/behavioral specialist. Based upon their findings, we will know whether Cara qualifies. There doesn't seem to be any doubt that she will qualify given that she is behind on several benchmarks for her age. If we qualify, Cara will be eligible to go to preschool 2 days a week for a few hours a day. Therapy will, most likely, also be included in her school time. Whatever therapy she is determined to need, the therapists will provide at the preschool.

In addition, if this evaluation deems that Cara will indeed need supportive therapies in the school setting, an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) will be written for her and a meeting held to develop this plan and inform our family as to how it will be carried out.

I am also to call Creative Options, another service provider, to see about their qualifications for the Head Start program. If Cara meets their qualifications, she may also be able to attend Head Start a few days a week and further benefit from that instruction and socialization.

It seems that time in flying. In 6 months, Cara will be 3 and we'll be sending her to preschool! Where has the time gone? When I look back over the past year and all that Cara has accomplished, I am simply amazed! She has overcome so much and just blossomed. I cannot wait to see what these next 6 months bring!

This Day in History

2009-01-20T14:25:00.003-07:00

Today is January 20, 2009:
On this day, history was made. President-elect Barack Obama was officially sworn in as the Nation's 44th President.

We sat, we watched, we exclaimed, we gasped, we cried, we were moved.

This was a remarkably historic day for the United States. Not only did the first African-American (though truthfully, he's mixed) become President, but we his election comes a tide of change. We, the people, have truly come together as ONE. We are inspired to make this country a better place and finally, we have just the man in the Oval Office to help make that a reality.

Change has come!

Family Outings

2009-01-19T10:05:00.006-07:00

We are really very blessed to live in the Denver metro area, with it's abundance of places to go and things to see. Making memories with the girls is so much fun! Here are a few places that we've visited so far this month.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science. It was their monthly free day, so we decided to take advantage. After struggling to find a parking spots and dealing with the crowds, we headed to the space exhibit followed by the kid's Discovery Zone and finally up through the Animals of North American displays. It was so much fun to explain things to the girls and to watch them explore and get excited at seeing certain things.

We are members (thanks Mom & Dad) of the Denver Zoo, so now, we can go for an hour or to see a particular animal without feeling guilty of wasting money. We went this past Saturday and focused on the bears and primates. We marveled and how much we have in common with primates and loved watching a newborn baby monkey explore his new home. The weather in Denver was perfect for our zoo visit, about 60 degrees, so we were able to see a lot of the animals roaming around outside. Heck, it felt like spring and we walked the zoo without coats!

What have you been doing with YOUR families?

The Wheel-Reinvented

2009-01-08T12:12:00.002-07:00

To my fellow Mac lovers/users:

MacBook Wheel

Play, laugh, dream! :)

(Thanks Mary, for sharing this.)