Funny children

You know sometimes when you first reaction is to get angry or yell at your children when they are doing something wrong then you realize you don't want to be that mother who yells all time so then the mother in you wants to calm down and approach it a nice but disciplinary way - then you realize you are too tired for that so...

then the only reaction left is just just smile or laugh cause lets face it - kids are funny!!

More Changes

I always feel like half of me loves changes and the other half cannot stand when something interrupts routine.

Word came a few weeks ago from the bank that Donna was denied a modification to her home loan on the house we live in. Without a long background story, suffice it to say that there is not a chance the mortgage can go back to what it was before the modification trial period. Therefore the house is being short sold and we will all be packing up and moving in the next couple months.

It is good and bad. Good for the fresh start. A time to move closer to where ever Brody ends up going to school and perhaps more west since Jake works in Phoenix. A place to call our own. Though things are still up in the air if we can rent or buy. Bad because this house has been in Jake's family for about 20 years. In the early years of the Miller's marriage they were nomads and lived in so many different places. This house on Yale Street is where they chose to 'settle'. It has also been the house that is a part of my life for the past 11 years that I have known Jake. Except for the first 9 months Jake and I were married and the 7 months we lived in our house on Emelita - this house has been our home for about 6 years. This is the house where Jake and I hung out when we date. This was the house my babies learned to crawl and then walk. But life is life and it is what it is. Most people cannot keep a hold one house their whole life.

Another big change is Jake will graduate with his masters in accounting - Monday March 28th 2011!!! Monday March 14th was the first day at his official new job at Apollo Group (Apollo Group owns University of Phoenix). He now works as an internal auditor. He is happy to, in the first time in his life, work at a job related to his education. He does not have to talk to crazy people trying to get them to 'buy' college and he doesn't have to work on the phones all day. This job is a great opportunity for him and for our family. This job is a huge blessing for us. Lots of fasting and prayers were answered. We are so grateful and realize how much the Lord provides for us.


The latest change (since things happen in threes) is that Donna and Dennis left for the MTC this morning. In a couple weeks they will be off to their mission in Italy. Last night we all said goodbye to them for two years. We will miss them but we are glad that they are willing to serve the Lord.



Not much of a change but things to make life that much crazier - Ryan got his cast off Monday and Tuesday he had surgery to get tubes in his ears (for the second time) as well as get his Adenoids removed. It was not a fun experience but necessary so that Ryan does not get an ear infection every month. His ears do not drain like they are suppose to so allergies, colds, even bath or water from being a pool cause ear infections. The removal of the Adenoids made the surgery a little longer and instead of just case Ryan got an IV in his foot so coming out of it took a while to calm down. He did really well considering everything. So the medication during the next recovering days means stronger medicine - liquid vicodin at the surgery center then Tylenol with codeine...my kid is on heavy narcotics! But he is doing so good this afternoon that I might go down to just normal kids Tylenol - it is not like my doped up kid has been an easier kid to take care of!



Life with kids is always interesting and other changes will make for an even more interesting life.

IEP

IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan

An IEP exists for many different types of children. As far as I know it is mostly for special needs children. I realize there are exceptions to that.

Yesterday was our second official IEP meeting for Brody. His preschool teacher and the speech language pathologist for his classroom attended. Also the school psychologist came because she was reviewing test results and evaluations done for Brody. This meeting was to help review the results the psychologist had and it would help with the transition to kindergarten as well as a normal IEP.

If you ask most parents of special needs children, an IEP meeting is HUGE. It is one of the single most important annual meetings about your child. An IEP is an academic and legal document with many details and information about the child. From the details of transportation on the bus to the background about the child's family life. The school district, teachers and elementary school has to follow what is on an IEP. The main focus of an IEP are goals that the child's schooling is based around. The teacher, aids and therapists use those goals as a way to set the standard for how to teach the child and what goals the child should work towards.

Before the IEP was the review of the results of the evaluations and assessments on Brody. This was a necessity in order to place Brody in an appropriate program for kindergarten (and possibly other years of elementary school). Unfortunately (but not unexpected) Brody is low functioning on the autism spectrum as well as severely delayed in multiple developmental areas. With Brody's severe lack of speech and understanding of communication we knew this is probably what would happen. Though it is always difficult to hear the harsh labels associated with your child. I know what Brody is capable of and how intelligent he is. I was happy to hear the psychologist say that some of the areas he was evaluated on were difficult to come up with a real result because she did not know if Brody is unable to complete a task or if he is just unable to understand a task. It is nice to know she is logical enough to know that the barrier to knowing Brody's true intelligence is his lack of communication

The results of the first part of the meeting was that Brody is eligible for special education program that is a self-contained autism classroom for the kindergarten year. The second part of the meeting was a review of the current IEP goals and a couple news ones. This IEP will be honored for the rest of his time at his preschool and in whatever kindergarten class he is in for next year. We know what program but the school district will place him at a school that has that program.

The whole process can be very technical and there are many things that have to be signed by law and it protects Brody as well as the school district. It was a 2 hour meeting in a conference room at our local elementary school.

I am so jealous of parents who can just send their child to school when they turn 5 and that is it, they just need to check up and make sure homework is being done and the education just naturally comes! But I am trying to be positive and instead I have tried to be grateful for an amazing school district with incredibly capable and caring professionals. As a team they all have Brody's best interest at heart and truly care for my beautiful boy with the wonderful smile. I am grateful that there is special education and that an IEP exists.

I know that this is not the process of sending my oldest child to kindergarten as I imagined when I first gave birth to Brody but it is what it is and I am constantly hoping and praying that with the help of wonderful professionals in the school system that Brody advances and progresses to be the capable and smart child that I know he is.

Gabe & Ashley (3.5.2011)

My little brother, Gabe married his girl Ashley yesterday.

They are a cute couple and they both just beamed happiness and joy yesterday. We are so happy to have her as part of our family. She is a beautiful girl and somehow with all the little quirks of my brother they are a happy couple who love each other.

The day was such a great day with nice weather, amazing decorations, delicious food and wonderful family and friends to visit with.

My boys specifically had fun on the dance floor. Even Ryan with the broken leg and Brody, who just hours before the reception fell in the backyard and had a scratched and bruised face - they both loved the music and dancing. It was a very fun reception.

P.S. And my sister came home from Argentina after serving her mission there. She has been home for a week or so and was able to be here for the wedding...making the day that much more special!

The blue cast

So here is Ryan's cast!

To usher in his 2nd year of life...or is he technically done with his second and started his third.....whatever - Ryan broke his leg!

He has what is called a 'toddler' fracture. At Ryan's age there is more cartilage than actual bone so any breaks do not show up on xrays for the most part. So after 4 weeks in the cast it will heal and be bone by then and then there will be another xray and then we will probably see the details of the break. Based on what happened and how he acted during the exam, the fracture is most likely in his tibia.

After wasting our time on an urgent care and 3 full days of no walking we finally got answers at a wonderful and amazing place called Cactus Pediatric Orthopaedics on Dobson Road by the hospital.

What is crazy is there was no big accident or fall. It was merely Ryan taking a big step down off of something. No swelling or bruising. Just screaming in pain!

We are grateful to those who specialize in understanding children's bodies!

So it will be a tough 4 weeks...okay it will be hell - I mean lets be honest. A two year old with a trampoline and a backyard, he is already having a difficult time with wanting to do what he used to do. I cannot believe how much it has changed our everyday life so far. I cannot imagine parents who have children break multiple bones. Maybe it is just his age and the fact that it is his leg.

Here is to hoping for the quickest 4 weeks ever!!!!

My big little man!

So my little Ryan turned 2 years old the other day.

Like other mothers do for their child I thought I would jot down a couple things about Ryan. I wanted a bunch of fun pictures but that little boy, cute as can be, is not photogenic and really tought to even take a picture - therefore difficult to capture how cute he is.

Likes:

Blues Clues
Circles (really all shapes but circles are easier to say)
LOVES the alphabet
numbers
naming family members
singing
dancing
splashing in the bathtub
sometimes he likes to cuddles
sometimes he likes to give kisses
balls
fruit snacks
he loves to jump and swing
coloring - this is his #1 obsession
snacks - specifically cheese snacks or cheese flavored (when he sees anything that looks like a snack at the grocery store he yells as loud as he can SNACK)!

dislikes

Having to be strapped down in his chair to eat
putting on and taking off clothes
when he wants something his brother has
when his brother takes something from him
when people leave the house and he can't go with them
when he is not allowed to play with candles
when he is not allowed to color

Ryan is pretty happy and extremely adorable but he has started to get mad very often or at least he has been demanding certain things I cannot always give him which makes him scream, cry, hit and throw tantrums to display how upset he is. At the same time that kid gets so excited about certain things and it is the cutest thing to see him jump up and down frantically and yell in excitement.

It is amazing to me to have a child where the language just flows. He talks and talks all the time. Everyday he says a new word or many new words. I am just blown away every day how that comes naturally to almost every child. I don't say that to sound dramatic or emphasize my parenting experience with Brody but that is all I knew was child who cannot say or communicate the simplest request let alone anything else which Brody still has a tough time with. Ryan can say people's name, I can give him directions, we can talk about things we see and he can do simple interactions with language such as saying, "hello" when I say hi. He says "love you" sometimes without me saying it first. There are so many aspects of communication that I just did not realize what it would be like to be a parent of a typical functioning child that this past year with Ryan has been wonderful and a brand new experience for me.

We love our little Ry guy and the happiness he brings into our lives.

Happy Birthday to my man and my little boy

Jake turned 29 on February 12th

Ryan turned 2 on February 13th

I will turn 28 on February 19th

So we had one big party yesterday. It was fun, despite all the crankiness of Ryan (who is most likely teething) and Jake not wanting to get any older - it is always nice to surrounded by family.

P.S. Ryan has been obsessed with "birthdays" for literally months. Every light is a birthday, we sing the song and then he blows it out. He always pretends to blow things out....so last night should have been extra awesome for him. There he was with three little candles on top of cupcakes and what did he do - just stared at the lights as if he had no idea what he was suppose to do!! It was just to funny :)