Autism video

My mom shared this video, and I wanted to post it here, in honor of autism awareness month. Julianna isn't nearly this severe, and she talks a LOT, but she has her own issues, many related to sensory and anxiety/OCD. I hope you can learn from this video to see what it's like for kids with autism.

Because I went to BYU...

I'm not all into sports or anything, but these people had some good things to say about the BYU honor code so I wanted to share.

I do have other things to post about, and I will get to them soon!

Big Updates

Three significant things have happened this week that have been miracles.

1. I decided to fight my HUGE red-light camera ticket in court yesterday. Because the officer who issued the ticket (using the camera?) didn't show up to court, I get my whole $456 back. SO glad I went in and took the time.

2. Today I was an advocate for Julianna at a meeting put on by the area board for developmental disabilities--in attendance was the new Director for the Inland Regional Center (the IRC has denied Julianna year after year even though she's diagnosed with autism). The new director wanted to hear firsthand from parents their concerns. I emailed the person in charge of the meeting and after hearing my story, she wanted me to be one of the key speakers at the meeting and share my story. We'll see if Julianna will finally get help! The IRC services help more at home, which is something I've needed for years now.

3. And here's the BIG one--drum roll--Julianna can now go #1 IN THE TOILET! We decided to hire outside help for a few sessions (and only had to do this because the IRC isn't helping us--big reason why I spoke at the meeting) and toward the end of the last session, we had a miracle! She did it! We are so happy for her. HUGE burden lifted from me, even though this really is the beginning of another long road to finalize it, but for her to do this makes me so glad we paid for the extra potty help.

So those are my updates!

What's been going on

It was hot enough today to do some trampoline sprinklers!

The BEST picture I could get of Blake at the preschool graduation (he finished his first year, of course. One more year to go!) He was not happy because all his friends were already playing on the playground--he was the last one to be announced.

In other Blake news, Blake is excited to wear his first belt to church. But then halfway through sacrament meeting, he wanted me to take it off. Oh well.

And just because it was cool, I wanted to share pictures of eggs laid by a bird that we discovered in a rock pile at the park. Pretty clever place!

This is the bird that was standing over her eggs. Every time someone would come within 6 feet, she would squeak at us and fluff her feathers! Can anyone name that bird? I've never seen one like it.

So it's been 2 weeks again. Where did the time go? We just got new brakes and tires for my van--and it was long overdue! But it wasn't so bad spending hundreds of dollars when we also got 4 tickets each to Wild Rivers, Wild Animal Park, and the SD Zoo, FREE! We did it at Discount Tire. Look for the ad in the mail. We are so excited!

This past Thursday we held our co-op preschool graduation. It was so fun! The kids wore white t-shirts with their handprints, and they all had little caps with tassels. We sang the circle time songs with them and each mom announced their child. Then we had pizza and snacks. I'm so glad I started the co-op--it has turned out to be a really great experience for everyone, and I look forward to working with new (and some old) people next year!

Anyway, that's about it for now. Random post, I know.

$200 a month for groceries?

In May I have decided to try this program I heard about at a recent Stake Relief Society workshop. One of the classes was about being frugal, and the teacher shared a link that I went home and looked at. It's an article about how to live off $200 a month for a family of 4. I thought that seemed impossible, but the teacher said she tried it and it works! So here's the link:

http://www.budget101.com/frugal/frugal-living-articles-3/

Here are some ways I'm going to save money:

1. Make my own bread (I have a breadmaker).
2. Make a different treat each week for school lunches, instead of buying prepackaged goodies. I'm really excited to try homemade granola bars!
3. Continue my once-a-month cooking (OAMC), of course!
4. ONLY shop once a week--no impulse buying!

OAMC is actually one of the chapters in the article, so I was already living somewhat frugally! But I still can't get a handle on the grocery budget--I ALWAYS exceed it and it drives me crazy! So if I can stay around $200 a month (which is what we lived off in our student days at BYU) then I will be so happy! Do you think I can do it? Any other ideas on how to save money? I will let you know how it goes...

No fair!

Well, I didn't have much to blog about lately. Until today, when I got the official amount of my citation fine = $456!!! Why would the County of Riverside be charging me this insane amount of money? Well, when my sister Callie and her family were in town a few weeks ago, we were going to meet up at a park in Murrieta. I was driving, and went to turn right on a red light to get to the park. All of a sudden the stoplight takes a picture of me. At first, Joel and I thought, no big deal--I don't even have a front license plate (it got lost somehow) so they won't catch us. We were wrong. We got something in the mail last week with pictures of our car before the red light, after the light, me driving, the back of our van, closeup of license plate, everything! They are saying that I ran a red light, even though I was turning right. The first letter didn't say how much the fine was, so today I got the bill. I AM SO MAD! I feel like if I decide to fight it, it won't even matter, because California is so greedy and needs every dollar they can get to fix this budget crisis. But really, all I did was not make a COMPLETE stop on a red-light right turn. The funny thing is, until last October (when I had that little fender bender--my fault--in a Stater Bros parking lot) I had a perfect driving record (if you don't count the time I hit an open car door driving to seminary with Callie when I was 16). So in 6 months, I've managed to get in a accident, AND get a ticket. I've never even been pulled over! And the REALLY funny thing is, I failed my first driver's test because I didn't stop before the crosswalk line on a red-light right turn. And now, 12 years later, a camera catches me doing it and I get a ticket. That's life for you!

Should I fight it? Anyone else gotten a ticket lately? I'm not sure what to do.

Blake's "badness" and a beehive

Sometimes when Blake doesn't want to listen to me I try to use his favorite characters to persuade him. Right now he's OBSESSED with "The Incredibles." So he wanted to go outside, but he left a big mess of playdoh on the floor. I said,

"Blake, you need to pick up your playdoh before you go outside."

He pauses at the door.

"Blake, Dash from the Incredibles is a good boy and he picks up when his mom asks."

Blake thinks for a second, "Well, I'm bad Dash."

I've been outsmarted by a 3-year-old. I'm going to have to use some new tricks, I guess.

In other news, we discovered a beehive in our neighbor's yard. It's in a tree right on the edge of his yard, bordering ours. Yesterday after church, we opened the blinds to the front yard and saw a HUGE swarm of insects. We looked closer and saw they were bees! So the swarm died down after a while and we noticed the beehive in the tree. Our neighbor said he'd take care of it--I sure hope so! He said a few years back they had the same problem--same tree, too. Here's a picture of the beehive (that big brown thing in the center of the tree):

Never thought I'd be able to look out my window and see a beehive!

"From an Educational Standpoint"

I was told yesterday by the director of special education that the lack of potty training does not hurt a child's education. "From an educational standpoint," she would say, we cannot give extra help (like in-home behavior therapy) to a child to potty train because it does not interfere with their education (but what she doesn't tell me is that it will cost the school district a lot of money). She even mentioned children in middle and high school who are doing really well educationally despite their lack of potty training. And this is supposed to make me feel better? Why didn't the district just help at a young age when the need was there? At what point should there be intervention? When they're about to graduate from high school? COME ON!

So what do you think about this? Tell me why you think mastering potty training is essential to a child's education and overall quality of life and why school districts really should help.

I might need to go to Chicago...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

To Facebook, or Not to Facebook...

This past weekend my mom was staying with us to help me out with a minor operation I had. While she was here, she let me look at her Facebook page a few times to show me some pictures of people, etc. And as I looked, for the first time I actually thought, maybe I should join Facebook. After all, I'm like the only one left on the planet who isn't part of it (along with Joel, of course). But the way I see it, Facebook would just be one more thing I have to manage in my life, to worry about--just another online responsiblity. So I'm asking all of you to tell me: Why should I join Facebook? What has it done for you in your life? Has it added meaning? Or has it only been another way to waste time? Is it addicting, or can you say to yourself, I'm only going on Facebook once a day for 15 minutes? I need you to sell me on Facebook, and maybe I'll just join.

But don't even get me started about Twitter. Baby steps...

Good luck, Karina and Adam! We are waiting anxiously for Bradley to come!
Happy Birthday, Dad! I should have mentioned that on my last post, since it was your birthday.
And thanks Mom, for all your help this weekend!

Listen to your heart

The other day as we were driving to the pediatrician, I was telling Julianna why we were going to the doctor (yet again). I said, "We are going so the doctor can listen to your heart." And after having this discussion a few times (so I could reassure her she would not be getting hurt by the doctor), a song came on the radio: "Listen to Your Heart" by Roxette. Good timing, huh? Her pediatrician said her murmur is nothing to worry about, but this anesthesiologist insists Julianna be cleared by a cardiologist, so she still has another person who needs to listen to her heart.

Here's a link to the song below if you want to listen to it. By the way, how do you put a youtube video up on your blog, as opposed to a link? I'm lame and can't do it.

What a week

Blake said he's "Jokerf" (that was not a typo--this is how he says Joker. He also likes to dress up like Batman.)

This has been an interesting week for sure. Let's start from the beginning.
Sunday and Monday--Julianna was sick and in a lot of pain--took her to the doctor, she's much better now. It sure is a crazy house around here when she gets like that! That's all I'm going to say.
Tuesday--co-op preschool at our house. It went well. Watched Blake's preschool friend so his mom could do her once-a-month cooking.
Wednesday--did my once a month cooking (3rd month now.) This time my friend and I each picked 5 meals that we knew we would both like and split the days (instead of having all our kids at one house and trying to cook 10 meals together--this didn't seem to work too well last month.) I'm still LOVING once a month cooking. Also found out the little fender bender was my fault and now I will lose my 5-year good driver discount (which is a BIG discount) so I'm not happy about that. Anyway, later, had activity days at the church--came home feeling a little out of it...
Thursday--I woke up SICK AS A DOG. And I mean could not walk around, could not eat, and would not have gotten better if it weren't for my friend watching Blake for me after preschool, and she also graciously offered to have preschool at her house last minute (it was still supposed to be at mine.) I was sick pretty much all day and finally felt better when I woke up this morning.
Today--Felt well enough to run a few errands. One was to check out a garage sale at the really big fancy house right behind mine (on Ramona Blvd.) I didn't see anything, but I got to meet some people that live there. Accidentally locked Blake in the car. Had to borrow a ladder from these rich people, walk through the field to the fence behind my house, hop the fence, open my garage (good thing we have a code) and get my spare car key, and bring the ladder back. Quite an adventure, I must say. Why do things like this always happen to me? Am I the only one? Oh, and Blake got a booster seat today. Apparently, even a fender bender in California means you have to get a new car seat, and since Blake was going to get a booster seat soon anyway, that's what we did today. He loves being a BIG BOY in the car now.

And now I'm all caught up. How was your week?

Life is crazy

So Julianna has to see a cardiologist now because the anesthesiologist heard a heart murmur and won't allow sedation because of it. I was okay with it and glad the doctor was so careful and thorough. He said murmurs are nothing to worry about and she will most likely still be able to get her cavities filled. So Julianna went to school on the bus, just like normal. I went to Blake's preschool for the Halloween lunch/party, and on the way home we stopped at the store to use my great Stater Bros. coupons. As I was backing out of my parking space, I hear a CRUNCH! And at first I thought something fell out of my car--it was so strange. Then I looked back to see that I hit an SUV! An old man gets out and we chat--exchange info, etc. This is the first accident I've been in since the one soon after I got my driver's license (with Callie in our little Ford Festiva). So anyway, I know I didn't see this guy behind me, and he said he saw my brake lights come on but wasn't sure if I was backing out. He was stopped at the end of the parking lane, waiting to turn out in front of the store (after I hit him), or maybe he went past me as I was backing out, thinking I saw him--I really don't know. Anyway, this is the first time I've ever filed a claim--let's hope things work out! Meanwhile I have to get an estimate on repair for the bumper. The weird thing is--I wouldn't have even been at the store if Julianna had been able to get her dental work done--I would have been home with her. So was this meant to happen to me today? Either way I guess it would have been a tough day. And that's why life is CRAZY.

Bad news, and good news

Let's start with the bad news: our trampoline is no longer safe. Thanks to an extra strong gust of wind today, the net is so ripped (in two places) that it is beyond repair. I've actually sewn two big rips together that were on the lower part of the net--it wasn't too hard. But there's no way I can fix it, besides getting a new net (I wonder how much they cost...). Well, it almost lasted a year.

And now for the good news--I am the proud owner of an official Rodney Copperbottom doll ("Robots" movie)--yes, that is my doll on my carpet . Well, I'm the owner for now, until it's given to Julianna on her birthday. She really wants this--badly! And after some successful negotiating on ebay, it arrived in the mail today! This RARE doll cannot be found in stores, and people charge a pretty penny for it (we're talking $40 to 80). I got mine for $20. Not bad!! But don't tell Julianna--it's a surprise! I can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens it! I love getting things for my kids that they REALLY love--because I love seeing their faces light up.

Wildlife and a doctor visit

What an adventure it was at the doctor today. Julianna came down with an ear infection yesterday, so I took her in to the pediatrician around 2:45 today. As we were waiting for our name to be called, someone pointed outside (we were sitting in front of the wall/window that's in front of the sidewalk of the building.) So we turned around and saw a HAWK (a red-tailed hawk like the one above) laying on the ground, and it looked like it was dead. There was already a small crowd gathered--some people were touching it. Even though I was inside, our view was perfect--only about 10 feet away from this huge bird. I watched the people talking outside, trying to read their lips to see what happened to the hawk. I'm pretty sure a boy said that the hawk somehow flew right into the wall above the window and then fell to the ground. So sad! Everyone just sat around, waiting to see what would happen, both inside and outside the doctor's office. Some people inside went and told one of the nurses, so they told the doctors, and pretty soon everyone was buzzing about it. After about 10 minutes, the hawk slowly began to open its eyes, and then lift its head, and before we knew it, it got up on its feet and ruffled its feathers! Everyone just watched as this predator, this meat-eating bird stood there trying to gather its strength again. It stood there for a long time, until our name was called. I heard later that the hawk did fly away again. It really was amazing to watch an injured bird regain strength, and I'm glad the kids were there to see it.

After I got home, I got a call from the doctor's office--I left my wallet there! So I had to drive back to get it. As we left the parking lot, I noticed the hawk perched on the rooftop of a nearby building. What a cool thing to happen at the doctor! It sure made our wait a little more entertaining and bearable!

I am a newly converted once-a-month mom!

My sink after all the meals were done (I kind of cleaned as I went to save time).

The top of my freezer--all the freezer bags of stew and chili

The bottom of my freezer--all the casseroles and bigger dishes.

My entire freezer--full of dinners for the MONTH!

Just wanted to update you on my big cooking day last Thursday--it was SO GREAT! I was able to make 10 really great meals in less than 6 hours and they all fit in my freezer! (Babysitting was a HUGE HELP!) We have been eating a different meal each night since then and they have all been SO GOOD! The best part is that I don't have to stress about dinner every day! All I have to do is remember to thaw and preheat the oven! Some meals you don't even have to thaw at all--just double the cooking time. So I am very pleased with once a month mom cooking and will definitely do it next month. It's such a wonderful idea. The grocery shopping was EASY because the website tells you everything to buy (by watching sales, it only cost around $100 for all the ingredients! not kidding), the recipes tell you how to cook for the bigger portions, and there are step-by-step instructions on how to cook all of them in the easiest order possible. It could not be easier!

Have I converted anyone else? See the onceamonthmom link on my sidebar!

A cute surprise

I am a BIG cat person. I love cats, and hope to have one or two someday, maybe when the kids are older. This morning we decided to take a walk and go to the park. As we started to get closer to our house as we were walking home, I saw a baby kitten sitting on the ledge under our front window. It was SO cute! I started to slowly walk toward it, and thought I was seeing double, because near it was ANOTHER kitten of the same pattern and color. Two kittens waiting for us when we got home. But those kittens ran away quick--one toward the left side of my house, one toward the right. I tried to find both of them, but only found one, and tried to tempt it with a bowl of tuna and water. It ran away again, so I put the bowl of tuna and water by our front doorstep. I hope they come back! I feel so bad for stray cats, especially kittens who are just roaming around. I just want to make sure they are safe and found, if someone lost them. That's my story for today.

And here's some recent pics:

Julianna with her new "Fender" doll from the Robots movie. I found it at a secondhand store for $3 (not even opened). But she REALLY wants the Rodney (blue robot) doll. Too bad it's REALLY hard to find. I've only found a few ebay auctions with it, and they sell for $30 or more! Not kidding. So keep a look out for a Rodney doll!

Julianna practicing her smile for picture day yesterday. Let's hope she did at least as well as this picture!

Of course Blake had to practice his smile. He always has to turn his head this way.

Once-a-month cooking

Has anyone heard of once-a-month mom? I just came across it, because I'm trying to save money on groceries! I can't seem to get a handle on them. This website tells you exactly what to do to cook only ONCE a month for the whole family (freezer meals, of course). They suggest doing it with another person--the grocery lists they show are for 2 families--only one BIG shopping day a month? Can that be possible? I just might try it next month and see how it goes...the link is on my right sidebar--once a month mom. I'll put it here, too, so you can check it out:

http://onceamonthmom.com

Like our new look?

We had a little fun with Joel's webcam on his new laptop. I think Blake's is the funniest.

We're back, and not happy

We just had a great time in Utah with my family. The drive was great. Couldn't be better. We get home and hear a little hissing noise from upstairs. Joel opens the upstairs bathroom door to find our bathroom FLOODED! The carpet is soaked into the loft and bedrooms, it's a mess. It gets worse--the bathroom is above the downstairs bedroom/office--the walls in that room are damaged. We have no idea how long it's been leaking. Looks like we'll be filing our second claim (first was air conditioning last summer). Keep us in your prayers that we get out of this okay! (Pics from our trip to come).