eSpecially Ben

When people meet Sophia, the first comment we usually get is about her big beautiful blue eyes. They are very expressive and her spirit shines through. Her eyes speak even when she can't. Sophia really loves being around people and socializing. She communicates by using some words and by the cute sounds she makes. She typically finds a way to get her point across. Sophia loves to laugh, sing, hang out with family and splash around in water. Her all time favorite thing is listening to music and dancing around in my arms. It is one of my favorites too. Sophia has a really sweet personality and is very accepting of others. But don't be fooled by sweet and petite Sophia. She has a fiery side. She is very sassy and will let you know in a heartbeat if she doesn't like something. Like most two year olds, she knows how to roll her eyes and scream if you ask her to do something she doesn't want to do. She can say some things perfectly, especially if she wants it immediately.

My son, Tye, has occasional sensory issues that can overload his system. When this happens, my husband and I have witnessed Tye's very own, "Wolverine" manuever. Like Hugh Jackson's character in the X-men movie series, Tye will be walking with us in the mall and suddenly have the need to put his back flush against the wall and not move from that spot, looking around anxiously or with a huge grin on his face.  We call it "the Wolverine" because in the first X-Men movie, when Hugh Jackson's character woke up in the lab at the school he rushed to the wall with his back to it looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.  We never know when it will pop up or just what will set him off.  Could be the lights, decorations, the acoustics...we haven't quite figured it out yet.  Sensory issues have made life a bit interesting at times.  I never thought I would become a pretty good hairdresser. Tye can't tolerate the buzzer by his ears or nap

Samson’s Winning Run Of course it was raining, not too hard, but the black sky sailed in fast. So many treasured moments unfold under rain. Today the rain fell on my son running the 100 meter race at the Special Olympics. What he actually did was not exactly running – more like walking at a moderate pace, just slow enough to smile at all the people cheering him from the side of the track. Most of the people cheering I didn’t know, but he gets around and he gets known. Samson really has absolutely no competitive spirit. None. He doesn’t care what sport it is, what kind of ball he is supposed to be throwing. For him, it’s only about the sheer thrill of the instant when everybody’s eyes are on him. Those are his winning moments. When he was younger, on Wednesday afternoons, I would take him to ride horses at a farm for hippotherapy . When the sweet horse would quicken into a gentle trot, Samson would let go of the reigns, his arms waving in the wind. The trainer would stop, of course,

We needed to get a hold of our expenses so I suggested that we go cash only. I thought I was a genius when we started this, until a friend told me that Dave Ramsey , a financial guru, has been talking about this for awhile now.  Hmmmm...another clever idea stolen!   Ryan agreed with my plan and we both gave up our debit cards - meaning we canceled them completely.  We are over a month into this experiment, and it may become a way of life for us because we are spending ridiculously less money. And we were fairly frugal spenders before we started. To begin, we ate everything in the pantry and freezer. I realized I am a collector of food. I like to have it around just in case we might need something for a recipe. Now I am planning out our meals and buying what we need for the recipes for the current week. I actually use a calculator as I walk through the store so I do not go over my allotted amount. We each carry a credit card hidden deep in our wallets in case of an emergency. So fa

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Last time I wrote about Ben's seizures, we were increasing a current medicine to see if it would stop the seizures without having adverse effects on Ben. When Ben became a zombie over spring break because of this new dosage, we quickly activated Plan B and started an entirely new medicine. After almost three weeks on this new medicine, Ben is not totally seizure free, but he is having them less frequently and his energy level and personality are back. And to demonstrate that he is feeling 110% - Ben has been repeatedly opening the door to his brothers' room and climbing in bed with Sean. At 11pm. At 11:30pm. And when Ben is told he cannot throw his brother out of bed, he laughs. So Ben is back with almost no seizures, a seemingly good medicine, and he is up to his old antics again - crawling around the house, standing at counters, climbing on beds, chairs and sofas. When Sean tells anyone who will listen how Ben threw him out of his bed twice, I sympathize with Sean an

Thump! Thump! Thump! "May I juice?" says my son, standing next to my bed. I reluctantly open my eyes, praying it is not still dark outside and that it's a reasonable time to start the day, hug my sweet boy and say "What do you say to Mommy in the morning?" He shouts "G'morning Mommy!" in reply. We make our way downstairs where he gets his game system and orders the curtains opened. I obey, then prepare his juice and cuddle up beside him on the couch enjoying the precious time when it's just the two of us. After a game (or two or three) he heads into the kitchen to turn his "Music on!". We then sing and dance together. These days I am serenaded more often than I sing. Little else brings me such joy as hearing my son, who struggles for words, sing out loud. When it's time for coffee, my son insists on pressing the buttons, measuring the coffee and sugar, then fetching the milk from the fridge. He loves to help and is somew