I want to remember.....

Yesterday while the kids and I were out running errands we went to the craft store, much to Collin‘s dismay. {Collin + Craft store = melt down} I needed wanted to pick something up quickly so that I could finish a project that I had been working on. While we were in the store Regan found a bird house that was just calling her name. She asked if she could PLEASE get it. How could I deny this crafty wish, I mean it was for this sole purpose that I went into the store for myself right??? She is my little artist. It is very rare to find her with out a paint brush, crayon, or pencil in her hand. She loves to create. She tell me that some day she will be an artist. {living from home of course} So, I gave in and bought her the bird house.

From the second we stepped foot in the house she started asking if she could work on it. “OK…. OK… hold on just a minute. I need to clean off the table first.” I replied. We went round and round like this several times until I knew that there was no more stalling….. This girl NEEDED to paint. She put on her apron of choice {the one with alligators that Poppie made of course} and then proceeded to pick out the colors of paints that she wanted for her bird house. She began working very hard on her sweet little bird house and I headed back into the living room to fold laundry.


THEN IT HAPPENED…… My non verbal little boy let me know VERY clearly with out words what he wanted. He grabbed my hand and I walked with him into the dinning room. He then took me to his high chair and started to hit it, letting me know that he wanted in it. He was just staring at Regan and her paints. So, I followed his prompts and went and got him his own, non toxic, stain free, finger paint. When he saw me with the paints he started yelling with excitement. I got the paper for him and then poured out two colors onto the paper plate. With out hesitation he stuck his little hand in and started to paint. He LOVED it… every second of it. Regan loved having him there with her and quickly finished her project so that she could help and paint with her Bubba. Collin enjoyed the texture of the paint on his hands and would just stare in amazement at the way that they looked with the vivid blue and pink hues of the paint. He even picked up his paper to kiss it and love on it at one point. He was proud of his work.


By the end of our project Collin was covered in paint, as well as his high chair and table. Regan and I could not stop laughing and enjoyed EVERY second of it. Regan LOVES when Collin plays with her, when he understands and get excited about what they are doing.


I want to remember this wonderfully ordinary day. I want to remember their smiles and the laughs. I want to remember how good I felt when I actually understood my son and was able to make him happy. I want to remember what their little hands looked like all covered in paint. I want to remember how fun it was to clean the table with Regan when we were all done. I want to remember this simple little moment that I got to share with my children forever.

{ 4 o'clock}

You know that feeling..... It is 4 o'clock, the kids are hungry and starting to melt down, still a couple hours until the hubs gets home, and I start running out of things to keep them happy.


Am I the only mom out there that goes through this??

I have a feeling that I am not.

So, I decided to not let this time of day defeat me! wink!

I learned along time ago to not watch the clock for Jason.... It seems that every time that I stare at the clock waiting for him to get home, that is the night that he HAS to work late.

My biggest thing is finding something to make BOTH of my kids happy.

This can be HUGE problem in our house. My kids are so different on so MANY different levels.

That is when 4 o'clock at times can become a good thing.

What!?!?!

I know, sometimes I don't even make sense to myself. {hang in there with me}

What I mean by it being a good thing is that at this time of year it is a good thing.

Our detached garage shades our backyard and this is WONDERFUL for both kids.

Why is this simple thing SO wonderful. Well, for those of you that don't know much about Collin's illness I'll explain.....one of the biggest challenges is that Collin is allergic to the sun.

This limits EVERY thing that we can do.

Collin LOVES this time of year because he can actually go outside.

Regan LOVES this time of year because she doesn't have to play by herself in the backyard.

I love it because I get to make both kids happy at one time at one of the hardest times of the day.

For now, I hate LOVE 4 o'clock.

It is always FUN when..........

FaMiLy is around! {wink}

It always starts out sweet with LOTS of cuddles....

and maybe even a hug or two.

The kids might even play nice in between paper plate Frisbee toss and tag.

AND then something happens.....

Adults play dress up.....

AND there is always LOTS and LOTS

Of wrestling and tickling going on!!

and maybe just maybe someone gets their head stuck in the banister. wink!

By the end of the night everyone goes a little mad.....


OH I LOVE OUR FAMILY!!!!!

{Symphony}

This morning I had the privilege of going to the Long Beach Symphony for the third year in a row with Bubba and his wonderful classmates.

I LOVE going to the Symphony.
I LOVE that I am able to stay home and do things like this with my children.
I LOVE the music.
I LOVE the vibrations that fill my entire body.
I LOVE seeing sweet faces that tend to be non-responsive light up with joy.
I LOVE that with an entire hall filled with fourth and fifth graders... my son was included.
I LOVE that when Collin was getting tired and we were standing by an exit and the music and base started to vibrate the entire hall. I took Collin's hand and put it on the wall and his face just beamed!
I LOVE that despite how "deaf" my son is he can feel the music through out his entire body.
I LOVE that he LOVES the base and cymbals.
I LOVE the picture of Collin and his buddies.... the three amigos!
I LOVE that today we made memories.

Hands on fun

is having their weekly contest.... I decided to enter.
This week's theme is "Hands on Fun"
Here is my entry of my two little sweeties having some hands on fun together!

Let's go fly a kite.....

Daddy made a promise to his little girl.....as soon as I wake up in the morning we will make your kite.

Little did Daddy know how sick Mommy was going to get and what an awful night he was going to have with Bubba. So, when Regan came into the room at 6:30am and asked "is it time to make my kite?" Daddy told her that she would have to wait just a little bit. She continued to go into our room every thirty minutes..... "is it time yet??" Mommy got up with Bubba when he started to cough and let Daddy stay in bed since he was up with Bubba all night and tried to let Mommy get some sleep. Regan then started asking Mommy..."When is Daddy gonna get up??" Daddy did wake up and the first thing that he did with his little girl was make a kite. Not just any kite but a Tinker Bell kite that she got with Nana and Papa on one of Collin's bad days. She has been looking forward to flying this kite since the day she brought it home.


Mommy and Bubba were very tired but we wanted to watch them fly this wonderful new kite. So, we all piled in Mommy's van and headed down the street to a local school.

Daddy and Regan tried over and OVER.... but it just wasn't working.

Bubba and Mommy cheered from the side BUT it just didn't seem to work.

That is when the playground equipment looked a little bit more appealing than the kite.

Regan also thought it was fun to RUN Bubba around the playground. :) Bubba thought it was fun too.

Daddy was sad that their attempts had not worked out so well. Not wanting to let his little girl down Daddy said "how about we go to the beach and fly your kite" So, we all got back in Mommy's van and headed a little down the road in the other direction.

BUT it was too windy at the beach and it just wasn't working there either.

That is when the sand and sea shell collecting became more appealing than the kite.

Eventually we packed it up and called it a day. No, I don't think that the kite flying was a huge success BUT I think Daddy knew what he was doing. She might not remember how high the kite got that day BUT I think she will remember all of the fun that we had as a family with her Tinker Bell kite.