Snuggles

I have to share a conversation between Jabber Box and my husband tonight (Sunday).

(When putting the kids to bed, often times my husband will climb into bed with one or each of the kids in turn and snuggle with them for a little while. My husband started doing this to get Power Ranger to quiet down when he's too riled to fall asleep. Once, some time ago, Jabber Box asked to be snuggled too and so the tradition began.)

JB: Daddy, will you come snuggle with me tonight in my bed?

Daddy: Yes, JB, I'll come snuggle with you.

JB: You have to snuggle with me every night. Every night until I die, OK?

JB: Well... every night until you die, OK?

~

Nick Names

Ok... seems that most people have nick names for their kids. I do get tired of using initials or just saying "my oldest..." blah blah blah. So, I've finally come up with nick names for my kids. I've run it past them and they are cool with them. Well... most are cool with them.


First let me introduce you to Jabber Box and Dragon Girl.



Jabber Box LOVES to talk. He is a very happy kid and loves to lead. He is a HUGE help around the house and is eager to live life.

Dragon Girl loves Dragons and dinosaurs. She is VERY creative and is always making her own craft projects. For several years she has wanted to be a Paleontologist when she grows up. I'm interested to see what she ends up being.

(FYI: Dragon Girl is older by 4 minutes)



Next... I'd like to introduce Power Ranger.



Power Ranger loves... well.. you guessed.. The Power Rangers. He can be bigger than life. He has a scream that can be heard on the moon. He also has a certain amount of screams that must be emitted every day. He never misses getting them all out. LOL. Some of those screams are pure joy... others are expressing his disagreement with how things are playing out in front of him. Power Ranger keeps life very interesting. When he's happy his eyes dance and my heart overflows with love.



Finally... I'd like to introduce you to Tinker Bell.



Tinker Bell LOVES pretty dancing dresses. Especially ones that look like Tinker Bell's dress. She is my girlie girl. Loves her baby dolls and dancing around the house. Her speech blows me out of the water. I never knew a 2 year old could talk like her.



Well... There are my little cuties. They entertain me and keep me on my toes. I LOVE who they are and am eager to see who they will become.

The twins have overcome HUGE obsticles... born 11 weeks early, all the "joys" the NICU can provide, various bouts with infections - Dragon Girl has had lots of pneumonia and Jabber Box has had countless ear infections / surgeries (tubes, adenoids, tonsils etc..).

Power Ranger was born with a condition called: microcephaly lymphoedema chorioretinal dysplasia. Google it if you want to know more. He's the first one diagnosed with this at the local children's hospital. It's a pretty rare disorder and no one really knows that much about it. We're kinda like gunnea pigs in the genetics department. He's already exceeded the levels that genetics thought he could achieve. He's in the special needs program at school. He has really come a LONG way during the past school year. I'm soo excited to see how far he gets this year. Last year he finished the school year being able to read his name, cow, dog and cat. He can sorta write his name. It looks like a bunch of circles but we know what he's trying to write.

Tinker Bell is our first full term babe. Only 3 weeks early. Her ability to form complete sentences at her young age keeps me amazed. I've never had a child her age be so easy to understand what she wants or doesn't want. She is a total gift.

sick kids

Quick post. I've been very busy trying to remember who got what when. I've been dishing out the tylenol, motrin, benedryl etc.. like it was water. Runny noses (4 of them), fevers (up to 105.5) and general crankiness have been the main reasons behind the sudden drugging my my children.

I have labeled all but one of my kids "healthy" so far. Shoved whomever I could out the door and into the hands of patient and gifted people put in charge of making them smarter.

I hate looking at a worksheet with vague directions on it and try to figure out what in the world my daughter is supposed to do with it. I'm talking about the homework that gets sent home while she's out sick. Sometimes I can figure it out on my own.... others I have to beg her twin to come over and please try to explain what's going on. (the clueless teaching the clueless).

These have been the first of MANY days lost to germs.

Hershey’s Glossy Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

To me... it's still Friday night (even though it's now 4am Saturday). I recently finished my monthly church newsletter. I decided to go ahead and post the recipe from it here so others could print it out if you so choose.

Annette - this is the beginning of the list of recipies you asked for. Keep an eye out.. I will be posting more.



(I got this from Hershey's webiste. It was attached to the bottom of a cake recipe. I never could find this recipe by itself. It tastes VERY chocolatey and not overly sweet.)


Hershey’s Glossy Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups Hershey’s Mini Chips (Semi-Sweet Chocolate)
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk

Place small chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Add powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. Add milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, for a thinner consistency. About 2 1/2 cups frosting.

The MOST amazing teachers in the world!!!

This morning we were running late. My son who is in the special needs 1st grade was really "off" this morning too. This combination can be explosive. He's already cranky and crying... then to stress him out with having to hurry can be just too much for him.

I noticed that when my husband held him and just rocked him that my little Power Ranger (what he calls himself) was able to chill out and actually get some stuff done (eat, get dressed etc...).

By the time we got to school we were still in hurry mode. I had the twins take off to their door to get in the school while I carried Power Ranger to his class that were standing outside by the busses. Students were still being unloaded. I could feel him relaxing in my arms. I do this so he's as relaxed and destressed as possible before pawning him off on his teacher and the aids.

Then we walked to the cafeteria where more than half the kids eat breakfast. This is where it got LOUD!!! Kids yelling, freaking out, panic attacks, running whever they felt like it. Meanwhile these ANGELS stood nearby making sure the kids didn't hurt themselves or anyone else. They used soft words and gentle hands to bring these kids back from whever their minds had taken them.

These women are true angels without wings. They deal with children with all sorts of mental and physical disorders. They keep some level of order and figure out how each of their student's "tick". They are the calmest and most tender hearted women in the world. They can be firm when necessary so don't assume their sweet nature means they are all pushovers.

We are blessed to have the same teacher this year that Power Ranger had last year. It took both of us working with him for about 3 months to figure out how to push the right buttons to get the right actions out of him. Since she already knows him we don't lose that 3 months of figuring him out again. Mrs. "C" got him to read about 4 words last year. I'm eager to see how far she can push him this year.



Teaching is a TALENT!!! It takes a great deal of patience (that I don't have). I am always grateful for these men and women who take on the HUGE responsibility of molding my children into intelligent, creative, well rounded adults. They have skills and talents that I do not have. But I truely believe that God gave an extra serving of love and patience to these women who take on the huge responsibility of teaching and nurturing the special needs children. I wish I could give them all awards and special recognition just for them being them.