One Day at a Time

I know that this is the AA motto, but it works very well with Colby's Family too.  Here lately though, it is not even one day at a time, it is more like one minute at a time.  We are having lots of ups and downs in behavior right now. 

I have started keeping a behavior log...It is kind of a different behavior log though.  I am logging the unsavory behavior and what seems to start it, but I am also logging good behavior and new things that Colby is doing. 

I have to brag on my Sometimes-Sweet-Never-A-Dull-Moment Boy.  We had an unsavory (BAD) issue and subsequent meltdown last night.  Dad was sitting in his room with him, and Colby got up and said, "I'm gonna tell mom that I'm Sorry."  And he did come up and tell me that he was sorry. 

 image is from here

Needless to say, it really made my heart sing!

Aliens

Not sure where Colby got this, but Daddy and I laughed so hard over the newest thing Cole said.

Dad: Oh look Colby, an alien!

Colby: Aliens?  Are you nuts Dad?  I have been to the moon and there are no aliens!!!!

Needless to say, we thought it was hilarious!  Not sure where it came from, but hey, I'll take it!

Image came from here.

Here...

...Take your stinkin' baby.  Yep, that is Colby's new phrase.  He wants to hold the baby, but after about 90 seconds, literally, he is done.  It is actually quite funny to hear him say, "Here, take your stinkin' baby!!!" 

A Strong Family

Good family life is never an accident but always an achievement by those who share it.
- James H. Bossard 

 Our family is unique, crazy, multi-cultured, and weird.  Or so we have been told.  You know, that is OK! 

We are a strong family.  We will go to bat for everyone member of this "Strange" family.  Each member of this family brings something special and unique to the plate.  We celebrate accomplishments.  We talk about everything.  We listen to each other.  We help each other out.  We trust each other.   We are passionate and compassionate.  And most importantly, WE LOVE EACH OTHER!!!  

A good and strong family life does not come easy, nor does it come by accident.  It takes work...LOTS of it! 

We may be a bunch of weirdos, and we are OK with that. 

What a Week!

It is really sad to know on Monday that your week is going to be "One of Those" weeks.  But, well...I already know!  We are all going to be SUPER BUSY!  School has started for all the kiddos.  All of the kiddos have Dr. appointments.   We have to check into (and probably sign up for) Mother's Day Out for Willie.  Sign the girls up for Religion Education, Youth Group and Girl Scouts, not to mention taking them to karate on Monday and Wednesday.  There are several other things that have to get done this week, AND mom has 60+ things that have to get packed and shipped.

I don't know about other moms out there, but my day begins early.  Once Colby gets home from school, and until he goes to bed, there is no guarantee that ANYTHING will get done.  Some days, he is great, and we can get anything we need to get done, DONE.  On the flip side of that, there are some days that the only thing that gets done is dealing with Colby.

Well, I will try to post more this week, but NO GUARANTEES! 

I still can not believe it

Today is Colby's first day of MIDDLE SCHOOL!  Where have the years gone???

What's Next?

Now that Colby's birthday is over, the next thing is his first day of  Middle School!!!!  I can not believe my baby is starting middle school tomorrow! 

Happy Birthday

Wishing our Colby Doodle a Happy 10th Birthday today!  He is one awesome kid!!!  He is one funny little dude, and we love him very much!

Happy Birthday Doodle!

A "Clamulance" is Coming

At least that's what Colby keeps telling me.  He, also, keeps saying, "Don't worry mom, we are taking you to the hospital right away!"  Oh, how I wish that were true.  I agree with Colby.  I am beyond ready for this baby to come!  But I do wish that Colby would not obsess about it!

Was I Chosen???

Seeing as how I am 9 months pregnant, and I can not get comfortable enough to sleep, I decided that this morning is a good one to do some blog reading.   I have a few favorites, but this morning A Bona Fide Life is my favorite!  The post I read really got me thinking about something that I have thought about many times.  Was I chosen to be Colby's mom?  Did God see something in me and know that I could handle this "Task"?


Truth is, I would like to think so.  As much as I love Gran, she has admitted that there is no way that she could handle him on a daily basis.  I know my mother couldn't...especially after what happened the last time she was here.  I know many mothers who can barely handle the daily tasks that come with just being a mom, let alone dealing with a special needs child.  I know mothers who can not handle 1 or 2 "Normal" children, let alone have a house full like I do.

Please know that I am not judging, just stating  my opinion!

RIP

Have you ever had an experience that could not have happened unless all things lined up JUST perfectly?  Well, we did the other day.  Colby's family was walking out the door to our favorite Saturday lunch spot (Chick-Fil-A).  When Colby opened the door, in runs a chipmunk and the cat.  Mom and both girls were screaming.  The girls jumped on the chairs.  Dad yelled to stop being such girls (oxymoron much???).  Colby sits outside saying, "Get out of my house chipmunk"!  The chipmunk ran into the office, and Mom shoved a bunch of towels under the door so that the chipmunk can not get out.  We decided that it was best to just go on to Chick-Fil-A.  After we got home, Dad started looking all over the office for said Chipmunk.  He found him a few times, but Chippy managed to get away. 

Fast Forward to Tuesday:
Mom says to Dad, "Babe, I think Chippy must have died.  It stinks in here."
Dad: "I don't smell anything."
Hailey: "I do, it stinks!  It is not just Mom's pregnant nose."

Well Dad found poor dead Chippy! 

Ann Landers Said...

The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him no good.

- Ann Landers

 

This is one of the most wonderful things about Autism.  They don't care what you can or can not do for them.  

What Do You Have???

They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.

- Hindu Proverb

 

 

This is the quote that came in my "Healthy Reflections" this morning, and I fell in love with it instantly.  

 

I hope you all like it as much as I do!

Our Doodle Boy is HOME!!!!

It is hard for me to describe the emotional roller coaster that Meliah and I have been on for the last couple of days.  If you don't have a child with autism, you probably won't understand.  Nonetheless, let me share with you my experiences as Colby's dad.

After we got home from my brother's wedding, we learned that Colby had difficulties on Sunday before we arrived.  He was agitated, angry and acting out.  It looked to us like he was not happy with what was going on at home...and to an extent, I don't blame him.  I am not going to place blame on anyone in this article...I am not happy with certain people for what transpired with Colby, but this isn't the time nor the place to air our dirty laundry if you will.

On the previous Sunday, Colby didn't have a terrible day, but it wasn't a good day.  Mel and I had hoped that once home, Colby would be better.  Monday and Tuesday his mood changed significantly and it led to some VERY difficult times, interactions and decisions.  Meliah and I both reached our breaking point with Colby and, reluctantly, we took him to VUMC for treatment. It broke our hearts, but Colby was asked to stay for observation and evaluation for the next 5 days.  It is harder than anyone knows to watch your child go through this...to leave and not have him come home with you. It was not emotionally easy for either of us, and things just weren't the same with our Colby gone.  That having been said, Meliah and I realized that we had reached our breaking points as well...with each other and with Colby.  For our sanity and our safety, leaving Cole at VUMC was the best choice...the hardest choice, but the best one.

Let me be honest, I was dreading celebrating Father's Day because one of my sons was not here with me...but, one phone call changed my mood immediately. Colby made us so proud and so happy this past week.  While at Vandy, Colby actually called Mel and I for the first time ever.  This was a HUGE step.  But, to make things even better, Colby actually made small conversation with me on the phone!  This has never happened.  It was a BIG deal and I was so proud.  Hearing him like this made me realize how far he had come in just a few days...and how proud we are of our boy.  Although we were ready to have our Doodle home, it made my heart happier knowing that, at least for the moment, Colby was able to talk normally to daddy.

Such a roller coaster of emotions,some not great, but others wonderful! We brought Colby back home today and I am looking forward to seeing how things go for our family.  I am optimistic :-)

For Those Born into Colby's Family

To those born into the gaze of loving eyes, life is beautiful. To those welcomed by tender voices, life is peaceful. To those embraced with gentle hands, life is secure. To those born into a world of compassion, life is good beyond all measure.
- Anonymous



To Colby and Siblings, I hope that you have been born into a world of ALL OF THE ABOVE!  

Love, 
Mom 

Communication

Most Autism specialist will tell you that "Behavior is Communication!"  And it is.  We, as parents, want our children to communicate with words, signs, or something we can understand.  Now, as I add more children into the mix, I am realizing that all children use behavior as a communication tool, not just special needs children.

I blogged the other day about "Really Listening" to your children.  So, today I am going to blog about your children communicating with you.

I will admit, and tell you, that we are all guilty of flying off the handle. So, when an inappropriate behavior occurs, please take some time to think about why it is occurring.

Example 1: Colby used to put on the clothes that I set out for him but would quickly change into something he preferred.  After a few times of getting very frustrated with that, I realized that Colby did not like the feel of the clothes I was trying to make him wear. 


Example 2: When Colby was much younger, he would scream any and every time we went into a store such as Walmart.  Very early one morning, I was in there by myself.  I noticed this light, but annoying buzzing sound.  I started to cry (good thing there was barely anyone in the store).  I thought about all the times I yelled at Colby out of annoyance because I could not get my shopping done.   It hit me like a ton of bricks---Colby can not take that sound.  It, literally, drove him crazy.   Now, most of the time, Colby does just fine in the store.

Please, don't be like me and have an epiphany in the middle of Walmart.  I hope you all have a great day!

Wise Use of Time

Be wise in the use of time.  

The Question in life is not how much time do we have.

The question is what shall we do with it.

Anna Robertson Brown

(THIS IS A COOL CLOCK!)

Photo Credit: Fotolia

Here in the World of Colby's Family, We use time a little differently than "NORMAL" families!

1) We have been spending a great deal of our time picking battles that need to be picked, but many people would not pick them.  We do this, because in time, we want Colby to be able to live without us!

  

2) We make great use of a timer here in Colby's Family.  We use a timer for making Colby wait to get his preferred task, drink, food, etc.  We also set a timer to let him know how much time he has left on his preferred task before moving on to a non-preferred task.  We set a timer to let him know that he only has so much time left to watch the Family Room TV before it is someone else's turn.

Now that it is summer vacation, we are working harder on those battles that need to be picked, and our use of a timer has gone up drastically...All in A Day in the Life as Colby's Family!

Sunday--- A Day of Reflection

"I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living."

From my daily devotion

 

 

 

Believing is the key to many things. 

Know that you can do anything with The Divine with you!!!  

 

 

This has been a long road for us, but we are finally getting there.  We are maintaining that WE CAN DO IT with Colby.  We WILL get him to where he needs to be.  We see good things where we believe we will see them, but in return, we see only bad things when we believe that we will see them. 

 

Have a good Sunday.  I hope that you reflect on what YOU need to think positive about.   

Epictetus Said...

Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.

This quote really got me thinking about "listening".  Listening is something good to do, but when it comes to children (special needs or not), it is not always about what is heard.  "Listen" to what is not being said.  "Listen" as you watch the actions of your children.  

When it comes to a child with Autism, and other disabilities, you need to "Listen" to their behavior.  "Listen" to their reactions.  Everything is communication, we need to learn how to LISTEN to them!

Picking Your Battles

As parents, we all know that we have to pick the battles that are 1) worth the fight and 2) we are willing to fight.  As parents of a child with Autsim, this is even more true.

As we are trying to get Colby's behavior where it needs to be, we are picking a lot more battles.  We are also learning that we have to follow through.  We have to see the fight through to the end.  We have to stand our ground.  If we don't do these things, then Colby will think that next time all he has to do is push us a little harder, and we will give in.  Or, he will think that it is OK to use the bad behavior that we are trying to rectify.

And trust me, sometimes this is what we are dealing with!!! 

Image Credit : Maniac World

Consistency

 Consistent means: showing consistency; not self-contradictory

Consistency is a big word around Colby's Family.  It is an especially big word for Mom and Dad.  It is hard to be consistent.  I know that it is hard not to just throw your hands up and say, "WHATEVER!"  I, also, know that with summer coming on, consistency is going to be even harder!

We have made the decision that even though school will be out, we need to stay consistent with bed times, bath times, schedules, and every other rule.  We do not want Colby to regress during the summer.  Actually, I am hoping that this summer will be one of progress for Colby's family.

SO HERE IS TO SOME MAJOR

"Not All Superheroes Wear Capes"

That is right; we don't all wear capes.  I don't think of myself as a Super Hero.  I am just MOM.  I am a mom who loves her children.  I am a "Work From Home" mom.  I am a "Love to Cook" kind of mom.  I am a "Break Up Fights" kind of mom.  I am a "Kiss Away Tears and Pain" kind of mom.  I am a home-schooling mom.  I am a "Calm Colby Down" kind of mom.  I am a "Lock Myself in the Bathroom and Cry because I am not sure what else to do" kind of mom.  And I am many more kinds of mom.  I am far from perfect.  I lose my cool sometimes.  I do all that I can possibly do.  And I have to admit, that it hurt my feelings when people who don't live here and can not possibly know what all we do all day, call me lazy.  I challenge anyone to come and do what I do for 1 day!

Patience...

There is this Turkish proverb that I came across today and thought that it is very fitting in the lives that are Colby's Family.

"Patience is the key to paradise"

Now, I know that it is REALLY hard to be patient at times, but I have noticed that when we are not patient with Colby, he acts worse.  When we are patient, talk in a calm voice, even when he is screaming, and we remain calm, Colby does MUCH better.  I know that this is easier said than done.  We, sometimes, lose our cool as well. 

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Colby (From Dad)

It has been an interesting week, filled with ups and downs.  We had Colby by ourselves this weekend (with Will) as his sisters and Nick went to see their Pop.  I thought Colby would take it hard, but we had a pretty good weekend.  He actually watched me cut the grass (which is a big improvement from screaming and hiding like he did in the past), he helped us clean and we took him to Chic-Fil-A on Saturday.  We took him to see his doctor on Thursday and she prescribed him some new medicine.  Other than insomnia, the medicine seems to be taking effect quite nicely.

My only concern was that at different times during this past week, Colby has been very upset when I have left.  He says that "Daddy has run away and won't come back".  This is troubling because I want Colby to know that I will always come back.  It has gotten better, and hopefully it will continue.

We had a good morning this morning, so here's to hoping we have a great week!

So Far, So Good - And a Note on Bad Behavior

We have had a good weekend...Well, a good weekend the the "Colby's Family Book"!  We had a few minor incidents with Colby, but really, nothing major.  We will see how today (Sunday) goes.

Mom's Note on Behavior:
On Saturdays, if Colby has had a good week, we take him to a fast food place. This week's choice-CHICK-FIL-A!  Now, I am not judging how other parents choose to parent their children, but there was this child (a boy about 4) in Chick-Fil-A throwing a fit for ice cream.  "I WANT ICE CREAM"-He was screaming.  Dad asked me if there was something wrong with the child, and I said, "I don't know, but the parents let him go play on the play ground area while they ate in the dining room."  God above knows that I am not the perfect parent, but fit-throwing is one thing that I do not allow.  Colby (and the others) have thrown fits in public, but we gather up our stuff and leave.  Above all else, they do not get the treat (such as ice cream).

I know that it is sometimes hard to tell your child, especially when they do have a disability like Autism.
I know that it is easier to just give in to the temptation of giving the child his/her way just so they don't scream, cry, throw a fit, lash out, hit, bite, kick, and the list could go on.
I admit that I have given in more times than I should have.  BUT, I have also learned, on this long journey that is being a part of "Colby's Family", that giving in ONLY condones the bad behavior.  It makes the child think that it is OK to act that way.  We (mom and dad) have learned that, even though it may be easier to throw up our hands and say, "Whatever", it is not helping Colby become the person he can become.

Playing Hooky

If you want to call it that.  I am calling it, "Mom is being nice to the teachers".  Dad had to take Willie to the ER because he can not keep stuff out of his ears.  And a new development has occurred with Colby: HE FLIPS OUT EVERY TIME DAD LEAVES!!!!!  He asks non-stop about "when's dad coming home?"  He cries and says, "Dad ran away!"  Complete and total meltdown mode is what I am talking about.  It lasts the entire time Dad is gone.  So, I thought that today would be a good day for us to play hooky!

And Our Summer is Getting Busier!!!!

Just when I thought we could jam absolutely nothing else into June, we did!!!  Yesterday, we added 2 more appointments to our already busy month that will be called June 2011.

The appointment with Dr. Hollis went quickly.  Let me rephrase that...the time we actually saw Dr. Hollis was quick, but we had to sit in the dreary waiting room for far too long.  Colby did well though considering.  I gave him a dollar and told him that he could get something from the vending machines after we saw the Dr. 

I think Dr. Hollis got annoyed with me because I took Colby off the meds he was on, but seriously, if they don't do anything, there is no need to keep him on a medication.  I am semi-anti-medication.  I am willing to give Colby a medicine that will work, and I willing to give it a month to see if we see any benefits.  After a month with no benefits, I am taking him off.  In my opinion, if a medicine does not work within a month, IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK! 

So, we are now trying a new medication.  I will post more on that some other time.  I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Back to Centerstone

Today, we are going back to see Dr. Hollis at Centerstone.  It is not my most favorite place to go.  And I will be honest, it is the way it looks.  Inside, in the waiting, there is nothing but chairs and a small lego table.  I know they service both adults as well as children, and that may be good for the future, but I wish it were bright and they had more toys or something.   It is just drab and dreary. 

Well, I hope you all have a great day!

What I know now...

...That I wish I knew then???   I wish I had known of this place! 

The Brown Center for Autism  would have been a cool place for Colby when he was little.  They have both morning and afternoon classes as well as an all day class.  Unfortunately, they only serve up to 5 years, so Colby is too old, but boy, would it have been cool! 

Good Days and Bad Ones

Sure, Colby's Family has good as well as bad days, and yesterday was a good one in our book. 

We have started a new rule in our house: 1 hour of TV per night during the week, and they can earn extra minutes.  Let me rephrase that: 1 hour of TV in the living room per weekday night.  Colby can have his TV in his room for more than 1 hour.  Today when Colby's hour was up, we turned the TV off, and we had a small incident, but Colby did recover quickly ( after about 10 minutes), and went on outside to play.  So, this constitutes a good day in Colby's family.  While he did get slightly aggressive with me (MOM), it did not last.  So, yeah it was a good day! 

PS-On a side note, My desk got cleared off so Colby can plug in the "white one"! 

From Bad to Worse...

...That is how our night went.  And it had nothing to do with the keyboard, or at least from our standpoint. 

We had a bad evening.  It started when it was the girls turn to watch their show.  He screamed, threw things, etc, and then Mom and Dad finally turned off the TV and let the girls go to our room to watch their show.  Colby then took a kazoo away from Will, and instead of giving it back he threw it across the room.  So, I (mom) took the kazoo and put it away.  That meant FULL BLOWN MELTDOWN!!!!  Colby is screaming, Dad is screaming, and Mom is about to go into her own meltdown mode, so I decided that I needed to defuse the situation.  By defuse, I mean-Colby has to go to his room and lay in his bed.  It took a while to get him into his PJ's and down the stairs into his room, but we did it.  All was calm for about 10 minutes.  Colby then tried to come get his kazoo, so we went through another round of screaming on Colby's part.  I have to admit that I am proud of Dad, who did not scream or raise his voice at all during the 2nd round.  Back to the night, Dad put the kazoo in a locked closet (where many things Colby can not have go).  The 2nd round was worse than the first-  Screaming, throwing himself on the ground, trying to hit, etc,and it took both Dad and me to get him down the stairs, but we did make him go back to his room.  One thing we are learning is that we cannot give in-WE HAVE TO STICK WITH WHAT WE SAY!  If not, it reinforces that bad behavior.  It lets Colby think that he can do it again. 

Well, GOOD MORNING- today is a new day, and a new day means a new beginning here in Colby's Family.  Hope you all do have a Wonderful and Blessed Day!

A Very Obsessive-Compulsive Sunday

Obsession: the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.

Compulsion: A strong, usually irresistible, impulse to perform an act.

And just for the record, I do not think that Colby has OCD.  I just think he has some OCD tendencies.

There are days, like today, that he is compelled by a single thought and urge to act on that thought.  Today's "THING" is using a different keyboard for my computer.  He has obsessed about the "white one" (never mind that it is actually silver) all day!  Why does he want to use the other keyboard?  WHO KNOWS!  Not Colby's Family!  He went as far as unplugging  it from the computer it goes to and tried to unplug my keyboard from my computer.  He became  very agitated when we said that he would have to wait until tomorrow to plug in the "White One".   But, if you know me, you know that my desk is a multitude of need-to-finish projects, paper work, school work, work-work, mail I need to look at, books, and probably many things that I just don't want to think about at the moment.  Needless to say, but plugging in a different keyboard is just going to have to wait until I clean off my desk.  That being said, I have already started cleaning so that tomorrow after school, Colby can plug in the "white one".

Well, I guess we will just have to see how the rest of the night goes, but after a small meltdown (small meaning it lasted less than 30 minutes), he seems content to leave the keyboard on the kitchen table and wait until tomorrow.  And hey, at least mom's desk is getting clean!

Bus Driver Forced from His Job???

You may read the article for yourself, and please do so before coming back to read my commentary!

The bus driver left a 3 year old boy on the bus, never mind that the child had autism...He left a 3 YEAR OLD on the bus.  Now he is being "FORCED" from his job, and I think he should be!  He did something worthy of being fired-plain and simple!  I do not like it saying that the bus driver is "Being Forced" from his job like he did nothing wrong. 

OK...I am off my soap box now!

Today is a Big Day

We are going to see Dr. Hollis (the psych) today with the Behavior Therapist (Miss A is what I will call her).  I am really excited that Miss A is going with us.  As an outsider, she can see things in a different light.  She does not have to deal with it all day, every day.  She is a professional, trained in this type situation.

She can also back me up when I tell the Dr. that the meds didn't work.  There was no change in Colby's behavior, and the meds made him lethargic during school. 

So, we will see how it goes and where we go from here. 

Mark Twain Said:

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the one you did do."


So, this is where Colby's family is at the moment. It has been a LONG week. We have had many rough days. Even though it was breaking our hearts, we considered that Colby would be best served elsewhere. Then, I came across this quote. I have never lived with regrets, and I am not going to start now. We have decided that until we have exhausted EVERY OTHER option out there, Colby is staying right here with us. 20 years from now, we will not regret not trying!

Has it been 13 Years Already???

Yes it has, and these creepy bugs are back!  Our yard is covered.  We all had a great deal of fun chasing the girls with them.  They actually ran into the house and locked themselves in the bathroom.  It is more fun than we should be allowed to have!  

Side Note to Mother's Day

As I was cooking dinner last night, Hailey asked me if there was 1 thing I could have for Mother's Day, even if no one could give it to you, what would that be.  "One day of normal" was my answer.  She wittily answered back, "That is impossible. You are not normal!  Besides, what is normal anyway?"  Good answer my sweet girl, VERY GOOD ANSWER!

What Do You Want for Mother's Day?

Someone asked me that the other day, and my only response can be, "What more could I want?"  I have 5 beautiful, healthy children.  I have a wonderful and very loving husband.  I have a roof over my head.  I have food in the fridge.  I have another healthy baby on the way.  What else is there really?

Sure, someone could bring me breakfast in bed, but I am up long before the rest of Colby's Family is. 
Sure, plants are nice, but I kill every plant I touch.  The rest of the family actually tells me not to touch the plants, dirt or water. 
Sure, there is jewelry, but in this family, not a good idea to wear too much.

So, that brings me back to my whole point...Having Colby's Family is enough for me!

Living Life One Moment at a Time

Because that is all we can do!  One moment, our day is going well, and the next, all hell has broke loose. 

I get that there are "triggers" to some of the behavior, but honestly, many times I can not figure out the "trigger".  Colby, sometimes, just seems to snap.  He says ugly things.  He lashes out at Colby's Family.  All we can do is pray over and for Colby. 

Today is one of those "Living One Moment At A Time" days!

Rough Days and No Understanding

Yes, I am venting today.  I lost my cool.  I admit that.  I am even going to say that it's OK.  I don't lose it very often when it comes to Colby, but today, I just had enough.

But actually, I am not writing because of that.  I am writing because I am about to lose my cool with all those people who think that they know what goes on in my life.  They think they know how it is DAY to DAY in this house.  They don't see the tantrums or the meltdowns over the what we perceive  to be little things (like bacon not cooked in the microwave. Which I hate!).

These same people think they know it all.  They think they know about my finances.  They think they know how much I pay in taxes.  I have even been told that I should, and they know my finances will allow me to, hire a cleaning lady. They think they know everything.  They even try to feed me lines of crap (A.K.A. LIES), thinking I am a moron.  I don't like it when people think I am stupid, and I dislike LIARS even more.

Yes, I am pregnant.  That means I am a lot more mouthy than normal.  And yes, I know...I am normally pretty mouthy.  So, you can take this to heart or with a grain of salt.  Pregnant or not, I still feel this way!

PS- For all of you who do know or don't act like you know- LOTS OF LOVE BEING SENT YOUR WAY!

Just for You

Happy Easter
Love,
Colby's Family

Happy Good Friday

So...today is Good Friday.  As I was thinking about what "NORMAL" families do for Easter, a thought came RUNNING through my mind, "What is so great about normal?"

I know that sometimes, Colby's family wishes we could be a little more on the normal side.  I have to confess, I sometimes pray for 1 normal day.  But, well...we don't always get what we want huh? 

ANYWAY...back to the topic at hand: What do normal families do for Easter?

We do the Easter basket thing, but we don't put "normal" Easter things in it.  We have an Easter egg hunt, but all of Colby's candy goes to the rest of Colby's family (since he only eats kit kats ONLY when he is in the mood, which is not very often). We have an Easter lunch, but Colby doesn't really join us.  We do not go to Church.  That is the big one.  I want to go and take the family so desperately, but it is not for us right now.  Maybe someday!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Finally...

We are back on and ready to write.  I know that it has been quite a while, but we have been dealing with a lot of stuff with Colby.  We have gotten a behavior therapist coming 3 days a week.  We are trying to get some respite care as well.  Keep your fingers crossed on that one...so far, we have heard nada!


We have also found out that we are adding a new addition to Colby's family.  A new baby brother will be gracing us all with his appearance in August.

I will be adding lots of new stuff here soon.