12 years...

Happy Birthday to our 12 year old!!!!

My Fred...time has flown by!

I mean...wasn't this just like yesterday?



You are the best big sister in the WORLD!




You're beautiful in every sense of the word.


And hilarious too!


It's hard to believe you are 12 years old!!!


I hope this is your best year yet!!

Love,
Nene

School!!!

The Principal, Assistant Principal, two "significant needs specialists" special education teachers, the district nurse, a speech therapist, his home-base teacher (the first grade teacher at the school), and his teacher who will come to the house all just left meeting with us for almost an hour.

They filed in, introducing themselves, as I pointed them to the hand sanitizer before they had a chance to say hi to Max and sit down.

Max talked at the tip top of his voice that entire time, telling them all his story, and what he was about. When we could get a word in, we filled in the spaces. It was a really good visit.

We have some forms to fill out, and have the doctors fill out, and they have 60 days from today to get his services started.

His teacher who will come to the house was great. She actually reminds me of so many elementary school teachers I had. And they were all so impressed by him and his capabilities. Already they were bouncing ideas around of how they could best teach him.

Part of me says, why did we wait...and another bigger part of me says, we are starting at just the right time. He's ready, we're ready, and they're going to be a great team.

We'll know more as the 60 days draws to an end, but, he will likely get a couple hours a week of schooling at home, and we'll work on his lessons the rest of the week.

If you felt a warm breeze blow by you about 30 minutes ago, it was just me exhaling for the first time since someone even mentioned the words "Special Education". I'm glad it went so well...here's to a new year of school for Max!

Rocky Mountain High...

This was our view this weekend!


On Friday afternoon, we headed out towards the high country for some fresh mountain air. The guys were doing the Warrior Dash 5K race in Copper Mountain, and we were able to stay in a friend's condo a few minutes from there. It was nice to get away, even though it was Max's first time sleeping in the mountains, so I watched him like a hawk to make sure he was breathing okay! He did perfectly fine, and Steve and Dan had fun at the race. Ang and I, plus the kids and Steve - our chauffer because I was not driving the Monster Mobile down the mountain - went to the outlet shops to spend some of her birthday money too. We all got up and around and back down to Denver early Sunday, so we could have a day to clean our husband's muddy clothes and prepare for the week! It was a lot of fun to "get away"... and I can see us trying to make more of an effort to do it again!


Here are a few photos from our time hanging out Saturday...


Max and Mommy snuggling on the couch...




Addie wearing her viking hat...


A pony-tail just like her mom-mom's...


This is what happens anytime she sees me turn the camera on..."Deanie...CHEEEEEESE!!!!!"


She was happy to keep Max's empty chair warm for him all weekend!


And finally...she L-O-V-E-S her Max...

To the one...

One of my earliest memories, is with my Grandma...my dad's mom. I can remember being a toddler...before preschool, but I don't remember what age exactly. I was at my Grandma and Grandpa's house, and dozing while my Grandma was holding me on her lap. She was patting my leg, and I had my scrawny arms and legs wrapped around her. I still remember very clearly, before I dozed off thinking, this is the most comfy place in the world...sitting on Grandma's lap, with her hugging me. Of course, I've outgrown sitting on her lap, but I have never outgrown Grandma's hugs. They are still one of the most comforting moments in my life.

I've always had a big affinity for all my Grandparents. Each one has taught me different things in life.

But, to the one who taught me...

how to set a table...and eat with manners.

how to play the piano...stepping up, stepping down, then a skip.

how to sit like a lady...and out of any seat or car with the grace of a princess.

how to find the harmony inside the melody, and sing in front of others.

how to not "play favorites", rather to treat each person special for who they are, and their unique qualities. I always felt so special when I was with her...as I know every one of my cousins and siblings did too.

how to paint flowers on rocks...especially when I got so frustrated I would cry, because my flowers weren't perfect, but Grandma's were.

how to make any couch a five star accommodation for a child, because sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house was always special.

how to appreciate other cultures, and give me my first glimpse to other lands.

how to give more than you take.

how to make a bed with perfect corners...that helped me pass my CNA test all these years later.

how to be a good wife and mother...something I will have to strive towards for my whole life to reach the same level she's on.

how to tell my own children stories from the bible.

how to collect buttons.

how to always find the beauty in a rose, because every time I see one, I can only think of her.

To this amazing woman...the one I have been blessed to call Grandma, Happy Birthday! I hope your day is very special...and I hope to soon be able to get back there to get one of your amazing Grandma hugs!

Do Re Mi

Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with

A-B-C


When you sing you begin with

do-re-mi

We have wanted to do music therapy with Max for a while, and finally have it lined up to do every other week...although, I think he would love to do it all day every day!


I asked his therapist, Laura, if I could take some videos, so we could chronicle his journey with music, and she was happy to let me. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite videos of today.

Max playing the drum with his feet...


Yankee Doodle Toes...


Max play the drum with your hands...


Max singing E-I-E-I-O!


"Good-bye to music" ...UH-UH!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Monster Max's pumpkin is growing nicely...he's going to have a GREAT pumpkin for his birthday!

Quack Quack, Max Max...

Our favorite place in Denver, is a large park that we visit throughout the year. Max knows "Washington Park" by name, and gets excited about visiting. On Friday evening, when Steve got done with work, we didn't feel like hanging out in the house, so we headed to Denver to the park.

We picked up a picnic from our Thai restaurant, and parked ourselves at the pond to watch the sunset and let Max talk to the ducks. We've told him that the ducks say "Max Max Max Maaaaax" instead of "Quack quack quack!".











It was a beautiful evening...and the beginning of the weather shifting. It will be here before we know it...and we'll be happy to head to the park a lot more when it gets here!

I've earned them...

When I was a child, I used to love watching women primp themselves. I would watch with fascination at my Grandma curling her hair, with the tiniest curling iron imaginable, then getting it just right with her round brush before tacking it all down with hairspray. My Granny would put clips and combs in her wavy hair when she was getting ready to head out...or just to get it out of her eyes. And she wore mood lipstick, which we would go into her bathroom and sneak onto our lips...and always it would stain them the most obnoxious shade of red. Aunts and momma putting on makeup before work, or a night out always made me wish for the days I could play with paint on my face!

But, my Grandmama was the one who had the most extravagant routines. Mostly after working all day long. She would sit at the kitchen table, with a tub of Pond's skin cream, and slather it on her skin, then would take a wet towel and wipe away the whole day. She would smear on Vaseline to her eyes and wipe off her purple eye shadow, and black mascara. The witch hazel to get any gunk off that remained. And there she would be...clean face, and feeling better, with her "fresh face".

I remember one evening, watching her wipe off her mask and I asked her how come she had so many lines around her eyes? Probably not something an older woman wanted to hear, but I think she knew I was just asking out of childlike curiosity. She told me it was because she's smiled more than she had frowned...and she had earned them. That was also her answer for she didn't dye here silver hair...because she had earned it.

I can remember standing before any bathroom mirror after that and scrunching my eyes up, to make the lines appear like my Grandmama had. I wanted "laughing lines". She saw me one time doing this in her bathroom and she asked me what on earth I was doing...I told her I wanted laughing lines too. She told me I'd have them one day...they don't show up overnight.

But I think they must have. As I was getting my face cleaned this evening, I noticed the slightest hint of those laughing lines...and it made me smille. A real, unforced smile...remembering my Grandmama...and her special lessons in life. I also noticed the silver hair crowning the front of my hairline...and have to thank her for that too...silver hair at 31. I guess some would not want the lines and grey hair...but I have to agree with her way of thinking. I've smiled much more than I've frowned in my life...and I've earned every bit of it.

Thankful...

I've seen others do a "Thankful Thursday" on their blogs. I don't always keep up with the weekly scheduled posts...but I thought it was an important day to proclaim my thankfulness...and it happens to be a Thursday.

2 years ago today, I had a boy with a new appendage. A life-saver. A g-tube.
And I'm so thankful we got to that decision. But, mostly today, I'm thankful for a baby niece who was born on the same day we got Max's gtube.

It's a special day because she was born, but also because we made a decision to give Max the best life he can have. So he can grow up alongside his skunky cousin!



They've been bff since day one...






She's grown SO much this past year!! And has the coolest little personality!


And Max, he's still growing too.

Photo catch-up...

I've got photos...so many photos...and not a lot of words. So, I give you the photos, and spare you the words.

Max playing with his toys, in his new chair...


Max's first letter from "school". He will be starting homebound schooling this fall!



Max's new best friend, sent to him by my cousin.




Watching TV with George, and Abbey...


Our two heroes


A face-off...


Abbey's "baby" zucchini....


And finally, a self-portrait by Abbey, that I found on my camera after she had left. :)


That's all I've got for now. Hopefully the sweet faces filled in the gap of words I can't seem to form tonight!

Sitting pretty...

Max has had this Special Tomato chair for nearly four years.

He has gotten much use out of it. And, it has by far, been the best chair he's ever had!

(Peanut Max, the day he got his chair.)


(Max at 5 years old)


It's a fantastic chair, in that it is a floor sitter (good for therapy and playing), a wheelchair that is ti-in ready, a car-seat, and a seat for an airplane. In the past year, it's been useless. Well, except for this...


I tried, in a last ditch effort to make it work for a while longer, since we've been waiting for months and months for the large size to be approved...


(Max 6 years old, WAY too big for the chair!)


But, it's just too small for him. So, we're still waiting on the approval from insurance. They denied it the first time, saying it could be used outside of the home...what a stupid reason...everything COULD be used outside of the home...and most of the time SHOULD be used outside of the home. But, alas, we wait.

Until . . .

Last week, I got an email from the rss feed I have set up for this chair across all of Craigslist.org's pages. One in Tennessee popped up, size large, at a fraction of the cost of a new one. We scrambled around to figure out who we had in Tennessee to pick it up for us and ship it. We just happened to have friends that were there at a conference...and had just happened to drive...and just happened to be headed out of town the next morning and could pick it up for us.

It got here today!!!


After blowing through every package of sani-wipes I had left from last flu season, we had a clean chair...and a very excited Max to try it out!




He looks so great in it! And he has room to grow!!




It even came with his own name-plate...


We're so happy to have it! And, if the other one gets approved, so be it. But I'm not holding my breath! Everything is being denied these days, and some things are worth fighting for, like a bath lift, and others aren't!

Thankful again, for our global village that is always ready to help our family out.

A rundown...

August is upon us!

That means more activity...and the winding down of summer.

It's been a good summer, as far as seasons go. I'll be glad for a bit cooler weather, and to get to take walks with Max again.

Abbey heads back to her other house this weekend. It seems like she just got here. And already time to leave again. Time with her always goes by too fast.

We had to go to the dentist today, to get a filling for her. I think she's actually liked some of the attention being solely on her, with her special doctor and dental visits this summer, without Max, and having nothing to do with his medical needs.

But, speaking of Max, he's got a pretty full schedule this month too. We have a dental appointment for him next week, and a pediatrician follow-up also. Then I think we have a week off of visiting Children's Hospital, then back for neurology. We may still try to fit in an eye-doctor visit for him before quarantine starts back up.

He'll also be getting his schooling set up in the next month...maybe by September we'll really be doing school here at the house. I'm not sure how that will all work still.

And in the midst of it all, Steve is traveling a couple days a week for a few weeks. We're headed into his travel for work season!

That's my little update for now...I know it's pretty riveting stuff...but that's it for now.