eSpecially Ben

Several weeks ago a huge storm came through our neighborhood. Unfortunately, a very large tree took down a neighbor's home. The next day when the tree company was cutting it down and turning it in to mulch, I asked to see if we could have some delivered to our house. This is what we got: Let's just say, Ryan has gotten a lot of mileage out of this one. The guy said there would be a few stumps...and I did run it by Ryan before they delivered it...and we could use some stump seats for around the fire...and you can never have too much mulch! Anyway, Logan has come to my rescue and many hours have been spent decorating the stumps as birdhouses - complete with glued down rocks, leaves and bark. He added birdseed because a house has to have food. And to top it off, Logan has witnessed birds eating from his birdhouses. As for Ryan, he just chuckles every time he walks by the pile. Need some art inspiration for your household? Check out 5 Minutes for Special Needs every Monday

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