Dinner and dishes - all in one night!

Last night I arrived home from work after Matt had picked up the boys. He had dinner nearly ready and we ate tacos, rice, and ranch style beans. After dinner was over, he sent me upstairs to give the boys a bath while he loaded the dishwasher.

The boys took an extra long bubble bath, we read several books, turned the lights out and told stories in the dark.

I truly appreciated knowing that the dishes were done and I didn't have that task looming over my head after tucking the boys in bed.

We watched 24 together and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice!!!

Thanks baby for giving me a 'night off'!

One step back

Since my twins were born 3 months premature, the hospital staff told me that their development would be like a dance. Two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back.

This 'dance' has proven to be true. For the first few months of his life, #2 fought a life and death battle to hang on. He came off of the ventilator after the first few days and I was able to hold him for the first time (two steps foward), and then developed pneumonia and a collapsed lung (one step back). Now that he is older, his development has progressed by leaps and bounds, and one would never know he began life as a tiny 2 pound infant struggling to breathe and grow.

The dance for #1 began very smoothly. Everything seemed to be step forward, and he wowed the neonatologists and nurses in the NICU because he did not develop any of the complications that most preemies are prone to have. He went home from the hospital after only 6 weeks, and everything seemed to be going right (two steps forward). At 10 months of age, the 'dance' began when he had his first siezure (one step back). Then he began to have 3 or 4 siezures per day. The doctors had us give him powerful medication that made him sleep 20 out of 24 hours per day, but that didn't seem to slow the siezures, and he even had them in his sleep. The doctors then had us switch him to a steriod injection twice per day, which made him very fussy, irritated, hungry, and the hair around his upper lip even started to turn dark. Finally, the siezures stopped and we weaned him off of the steriods (two steps forward). He was a different baby after that day (one step back).

Now that #1 has autism, we still do the 'dance' with his progression. He will do wonderful for several weeks at a time, but then he will have a week or two of regression.

I have a feeling that a 'one step back' period is coming because he has had two months of solid steps foward, but I need to prepare my heart. It always devastates me when the step back occurs.

My prayer for this week

Here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. It's simplistic words are beautiful. It is my prayer for this week:

Just for Today
Also known as “Father God”
© 1995 Mark Schelske. All Rights Reserved

Father God, just for today
Help me to walk, your narrow way
Help me to stand, when I might fall
Give me the strength to heed your call

Chorus:
May my steps be worship
May my thoughts be praise
May my words, bring honor to your name
(repeat chorus 2x)

Hey look...it's an elephant!

One of Matt's favorite games to play with the boys when we eat together is to point to something behind one of them and say, "Hey look...it's a _____!" (fill in the blank, elephant, tiger, squirrel, giraffe, etc.). When the boys turn their heads to look, Matt steals their plate or bowl and hides it underneath the table, acting as if nothing happened. When they turn back around, the one without a plate/bowl yells, "Heeeeeeeyyyyy! Give it back!!" while everyone else cracks up laughing.

Yes, this is a game that never gets old in my household. Many a glass of milk has been spilled during these attempts to steal plates/bowls, but I love these family meal times.

Little artists

Last Friday after school I took the boys to an art shop for kids to paint a figurine. They had a great time (although their shirts are now stained).

Here is my little right-handed artist painting his dinosaur. He put so many colors on it that it turned out almost black in the end, but he was so proud of his creation.


#2 chose to paint a Batman, but he didn't spend much time painting it. In fact, most of piece stayed white. He spent most of the time mixing the colors in the water to see how they mixed together, like a science experiment.


#1 chose to paint Elmo. Both he and his twin are left-handed. He meticulously painted every inch of Elmo, and then proceeded to pour each little cup of paint on top of him, so Elmo was drenched in color.

I loved how the art shop was set up for kids, with the white pieces all at the front of the store away from the painting area for the kids (so they would not accidentally touch other pieces that I would have to buy), and they had little aprons for each child with stools and sinks to wash their little hands. We will definitely be back there soon! The boys had a great time and are very proud of their work!

Hurtful words

I knew some time I might hear hurtful words come from my kids' mouths, but I wasn't yet prepared for the words I heard #1 tell me yesterday while trying to get him dressed for school. "I hate you! You're mean!"

I know that he doesn't really mean it, but all the same it really hurt me. I started crying and he immediately said, "I'm sorry." He knows when people are hurting and I'm glad he is able to recognize when he needs to apologize, but still I wonder...where is he hearing those sort of words??

A Boy's Milestone

#2 has learned how to make himself burp, multiple times in a row. He is quite proud of himself. I think that feat is part of an unwritten set of milestones for boys, right there with spitting on the ground and making armpit noises. Now if I can just teach him not to do it in public places! :)