The Big Chill

Today was Father's Day and I had known that Rich would be leaving with James to go to a Daddy-Son birthday party at Motor World and I also knew I would be stuck with the mutes by myself to entertain, bathe and feed them.  So I admit I was dreading it just a little, but we made the best of it.  Judge me if you want.  I'm a B+ kind of mother.  It's hard talking to a one year old and a four year old for 4 hours straight and they say nothing back, even when they are your own.  My husband, however would relish this opportunity.  He is a much better person than I am in this department.  I decided things always get better when there's water around, so I stretched their bathing suits over their wiggly little bodies and stuck them in the pool and let the cold water fill ever so slowly.  They stayed there for an hour splashing around and getting only slightly whiny toward the end.

Well,  5:00 pm came and what would you do at this point if you were the Momma?  Give them a bath in the pool, that's what.  There was no way we were moving the circus up to the tub to do it all again.  So I stripped those girls down and scrubbed them up real good.  I admit that there were a few seconds where they actually looked like they were in a concentration camp*.  I felt bad at this point.  They were clinging on to each other, freezing and crying as I was pouring cold water over their heads.  I wrapped them up in towels and made my way into the house as quick as I could with the Hiding Place music and Corrie Ten Boom flooding my thoughts.  I told them I had to do it.  It's hard having twins.  Harder to have one giant twin who doesn't walk, and one twin who walks but doesn't come when called.  Here they are in a better state, all clean and reading magazines like teenagers.

Martha Stewart, no less.  I must have worn them out because they each ate a hearty dinner of chopped chicken, green beans, strawberries and crackers (leftovers-I did not cook) in about 3 minutes flat.  This never happens.  They were just continuing the theme of being in a concentration camp.  I admit that if they had thrown the chicken and the green beans on the floor, I would have fed them crackers only, but tonight the planets aligned and they gobbled up their meal like it was their last one.  They are now sleeping peacefully Hallelujah!


*Please note that I really don't mean to offend anyone when talking about the Holocaust like this.  It is honestly the first image that came to mind. When I was a little girl I would imagine what it was like to be in a concentration camp and always prayed I would never have to endure such horrendous torture.  I agree that this was a horrible time in History and my heart goes out to those who have suffered from these tragic events or similar ones.

Death to a Worm

We have ants.  Or we had ants, those little teeny sugar ants that smell like windex when you squish 'em with your bare hands.  So, I put in a call to the pest people and because it was Memorial Day Weekend we had to wait the ever so long weekend to get the guy to come out.  Now, we have a regular guy who comes that we really like....but a different guy came this time and he was sizing up my cleaning skills as soon as he entered my kitchen.  Mind you, I have an almost brand new kitchen (praise God for the flood last year), so my kitchen can't look that dirty.  He was running his finger across the stove and saying things like...."Yep-ants might like just a little drop of butter from a pan you left here,", or "You need to take everything out of your pantries and wipe them down with a cleaning solution of half peroxide, half water".  WOAH!  Wait! What did he just say?  Does he know what I have to do every day?  I have to pick up after these three kids, bathe them, be extremely patient with them, do their laundry, drive them places, feed them, wipe their butts, wipe their snots, wipe them in general, read them books after books, pretend I like to pretend, keep them alive and keep their daddy happy.  AND my pilates instructor wants me to do heel-toe slides, bent knee fall-outs and arm arcs every day.  I decided right then and there that the man did not have kids. 

I quietly watched as he set up all his bait traps and gel baited my kitchen; then I watched the ants come out of hiding and march along the cabinets, walls and molding to take part in the dying process.  This started James' fascination with bugs.  Did I mention we were having company for dinner that evening?  Wonderful.  We can all watch the death march. 

Upon exiting, the bug guy quietly made his way to the door and said he had just painted the room for his firstborn child coming this October. I smiled, mainly because I love to be right when I size people up and told him his world was about to be rocked, to be changed for the better. He asked how so.  I said, "You will realize just how selfish you have been your whole life".

Continuing with the theme, James decided he would "take in" a worm as a pet (thank you Kat and Suneigh for the most excellent idea!).  He dug and dug and dug a hole right in the middle of my front lawn and finally found his worm friend.  Next, he rummaged through the giant blue recycling bin, found an empty salad container, filled it with dirt, attempted to poke holes in the top (with a butter knife), and quite proudly showed me his new worm home and pet worm named "Charlie".  Well, I didn't know worms could die in just a few short hours if it's too hot and dry.  I missed that part in biology.  I thought they just needed dirt to live.  Well, sweet James kept trying to bring the worm inside and he would say, "Mom, he's just resting..."  Well, resting he was, because we killed him.  Rich got home and pronounced him dead.  And here we are having a funeral for him and laying him back into the garden from whence he came. 

To top it all off, we are trying to get rid of ringworm in our household.  We keep passing it back and forth, one to another. So when you see us, please don't touch us.  Have a blessed evening and I hope you sleep soundly thinking about all the creepy crawlies!

33 hours

I'm sitting here, stunned, utterly and eternally grateful, wondering how this all happened and thankful that it did. 

Thirty-three hours ago, my sister posted a link on facebook to a website which rallied people to collect money for the goal of giving Iva June an opportunity this summer like none that I could find here in Hampton Roads.  She will attend a Summer Speech Camp at Quilt Autism and Speech Center and hopefully learn perhaps, a little more how to communicate what is captured in her mysterious brain. 

I am in tears to have seen what the good Lord has done, completely taken aback to know that people care so deeply and am honestly overwhelmed by donations from the most unexpected places. In a short 33 hours ALL of the money was collected and not even some of my closest friends have even seen the link or know what's going on yet.  Please know MJ, Uncle Jim, Aunt Lynn, Katie and George, Charles and Cherish, Emily and Fred, Andrew and Nicole, Erin, Jenn and Josh, Aaron and Valori, and Isabella that you have touched our lives in a way that I will never ever forget. 

And for the rest of you who didn't have a chance to share in the joy yet, thank you for loving us on a daily basis and praying for our sweet girl of mystery. 

eeeee!

I'm a failure as a Mom.  I want to quit, give these kids back, or start again so I can redo some things.  I tried to see the beautiful in today, be thankful about the little things, like, the literal sunshine peeking through the clouds and my son digging around in the sand finding rocks, shells and treasures; but alas, when I looked up the weather forecast on my ipad and there was an actual rain storm picture on each of the 7 days in the the 7 day forecast, I retreated back into my shell again to whither away and wonder again what I was going to do with myself...with ourselves if it rained for 40 days and nights.  God bless Noah. 

Our family has been sick for about 10 days now.  We've all had parts of the snotty flu bug and I am not kidding you when I say EVERY time I look at Charlotte, she has boogies running down her face.  That was June last week. At the end of the day, I have very visible dried snot all over my clothes, skin and jeans, and I scrub the girls clean, but by early the next morning, Charlotte's hair has been snot-glued to her nose in the middle of the night, and June awakens with snot trails on her face.  

Even though it's been a hard week, much of it just because of my own "stuff" in my head, I am thrilled that June is trying to say something to us.  
One of the few things she says is, "EEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"  She does it repetitively, compulsively, and depending on how loud it is, we can generally gauge whether she is upset, calm, or in some cases, ready to poop.  Trust me, it can get very annoying.  She has been saying it all day long lately.  Today was a very happy day for her.  She was almost humming her eeee's, like she was singing a song.  It was rather pleasant compared to all the eeeing she does when she is clearly upset, or in public.  I am waiting for that song.  I really think it's coming.  When I sang with her she smiled, and when I play the piano next to her, she is relaxed and engaged in the moment. 

Mostly, I wonder what are you thinking little one....and why does "eeeee" excite you so much? Goodnight little lady of wonder.

Bathing beauty. No towel needed.

June enjoying the sand at Ocean View a few weeks ago.

Teacher of the Year

I just found out my daughter's teacher received the "Teacher of the year" award at her school.  I am in tears.  Not because June's teacher is awesome.  She is.  Not because I am thrilled for what this means for her teacher.  I am.   Not because I am remembering my own journey as a teacher.  I remember it clearly.  I am moved because of what this means for June, and just how obvious I can see God's thumbprint on her life.  And to know she has gotten instruction from the best special needs pre-school teacher at Norfolk Public Schools this year is indeed, emotionally overwhelming! 

You see, in the Summer I begged for June to repeat the class that I thought must be best for her.  Same teacher.  Same agenda.  Half-way during the Summer I found out that NPS did not grant my request; However, there seemed to be a still, quiet voice whispering, "Everything is going to be okay".  I did not panic.  I waited.  I knew I would soon meet her.  And now it comes full circle.  I know why the plan was different, why June couldn't have the same teacher.  Ironically, June's former teacher was out for most of the year because of medical reasons.  God knew.  He foreknew.  He knows my future.  So happy He knows Iva June's.

Thank you Miss Citadel for giving my child the love that she so desperately doesn't even know she needs.  Thank you for spurring her on to independence in more ways than one.  Thank you for believing she can in fact, communicate.  Thank you for caring for her like your own little one.  We are really going to miss you next year!  But I KNOW God will only give June the BEST! 

Easter News

Our Easter weekend was a beautiful one, starting with and a special surprise for our precious June-bug.  A very generous family had given us a piano.  You should have seen her face on Saturday morning.  She would have said..."Wait!  Why is there a piano in our living room?"  She can now officially start becoming a piano sevant.

Saturday continued with blue-sky weather, a T-Ball game for James, egg dyeing and an awesome egg hunt at our home on Saturday. Everyone participated with eagerness...especially when they figured out there was exactly one all-natural jellybean in each egg.  I know, I make them work for 'em.  The day ended with the building of a tree house for James.  He drew up plans weeks ago....now we just need to paint it rainbow colors. Really, this story is best told in pictures.

Ben and James working on tree house

We ended our weekend with good news on Sunday morning.  We were happy to celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa!

"Death swallowed by triumphant LIFE!  Who got the last word, oh death?  Oh death, who is afraid of you now?  It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now, in a single, victorious stroke of LIFE, all three-sin, guilt, death-are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ."  from I Corinthians 15 (the MSG)

Happy Easter eve!

Opposites

I'm going to brag a little bit.  Firstly, I can't believe God has graced me with the presence of some very opposite children in this house.  We have every personality imaginable here.  Some are loud at night, some are loud during the day.  Some don't talk at all, some talk non-stop.  Some bite.  Some give hugs.  Some seek attention.  Some would like to spend the day alone in their room, pining away after the blinds.  Some like to be outside in the cold with no jacket on. Some cry when they are out in the cold.  Hard to imagine they come from us.  Oh....but I guess everyone has one thing in common.  They all like to be naked and they all love the water.  I guess that part might be inherited. 

So, James got "tested" for Kindergarten a few days ago and he, of course, passed with flying colors and was at-range or above range for every subject measured.  It's nice to know that he will most likely be successful in school Hallelujah.  What blew me away though, was that his linguistic score was measured at age 6.5.  She said he got every single question right when asked for opposites and when also given a verb and had to say a noun to accompany a verb.  For instance, she said "blow", and he had to come up with "wind".  So just how does THAT happen when I have another one who does not speak at all?  Don't these types of things typically run in families?  Again, I tell you, Iva June is a sweet mystery. I wouldn't have in any other way because she speaks to me in ways I can't express. The ways of the angels.

June has a routine in the morning and it goes like this.  Get up (with whining).  Change diaper.  Get dressed.  Eat breakfast.  Shoes on.  Coat on.  Wait at door for bus.  So, for a few days now she has been doing something that I think is remarkable.  She's been getting the toy die-cast bus and examining it, making bus noises, while she waits for the bus.

She's speaking to me.  Can you see it?  Her teacher also just told me she's been signing the word "candy at school to get a treat.  I'm impressed.

June with therapist

She's also been using the ipad and and participating in circle time.  I can't wait to spy on her.  She looks so happy.

June with her teacher

I'm ending with another brag.  My son told me for the first time that he loved me on Valentine's Day.  What a special treat.  I've been waiting for this moment for 5 years.  Most people get "I love you" at 2.  Not me. I guess he was waiting for perfect timing.  He came in the back door after being outside for a while, holding two perfect Camelia blooms (no stems of course) in his hand.  He said, "Mom, these are for you for Valentine's Day because I love you".  I melted, of course.

Five minutes later, my husband came in the door with these.  I guess someone is watching his Daddy.

I am blessed.