Visit To Santa

The boys rarely smile for the camera at the same time, much less in a situation like this. We are happy they're both looking at the camera at the same time and look relitively not unhappy.

After visiting Santa, we bought boots for the boys. We figure if they are going to swing in the rain, they need boots and rain slickers. We also found out about a place about two hours away where you can go tubing in the snow! Imagine, having to drive for 2 hours to find snow!

til later.....

It's Me!

Back from a long absence. I know, I know.... live with it. I just don't blog as much as I would like. It's not that I don't like you, but life takes up so much time!

I'll try and give a quick overview of what's been happening these past 4 weeks.

Ethan and Dylan turned 7 on December 10. They each had parties at school, Dylan's in the morning and Ethan's after lunch. Then on Saturday, we hooked up the web cam and got Grandma and Grandpa Nikoley, Aunt Gerrie, Uncle Tim and Aunt Maggie on speaker phone. We had a cyber party and it made me feel so much closer to home. Espcially when we all sang happy birthday together. The next day we took the boys mini putting for the very first time. They liked it once we let go and let them do it their way with just a little guidance from us
After the birthdays, I went in to a depression boardering on despondency. I really wanted to come home for Christmas and it wasn't going to happen. Plus I'm having that darned hysterectomy in Jan and we still hadn't found anyone to watch the boys.

Took extra meds and forced myself to get ready for Christmas parties at school. Between Ethan and Dylan, we gave over 30 teacher, aide, therapist, bus driver gifts. Tod and I stayed up till midnight every nite this week to get those done. The parties were today. I missed Dylan's party completely. Tod got to go to both. I will be glad if they ever end up at the same school.

While I was at Ethan's school, the aide mentioned that if we ever need a sitter, she and her 17 year old daughter would be happy to watch Ethan and Dylan. I told her about the surgery and she said she and her daughter could help out! So she and I are going to get together over the break and set up a schedule for the week after Jeni leaves.

Yes!!! Jeni, our sitter from Rockford, has agreed to fly out here the week of my surgery and help with the boys that whole week. She was supposed to start student teaching at Fairview on the 17th but she asked her boss if she could start a week later so she could come out here. The nice thing for her is that the state will pay her $11 per hour for all the time she spends with the boys. Jeni has always rescued us. When Tod was in the hospital all those times with his heart condition and when we were trying to find a place to live out here. Jeni would stay several days with the boys or come in her PJ's if it was early in the morning. Thank you Jeni for coming to our rescue again!

Grandma & Grandpa Nikoley, Uncle Dan and Aunt Mickey and Aunt Jean and Uncle Vern all sent us money to get the boys a swing set. You know we took the indoor swing down permanently after Dylan's head injury. We are donating it to a local agency that works with kids with autism. Tod has the swing set bought and half built in the garage. So on Christmas Eve, he will be out back with a spot light finishing the job. He wants to wrap it, too, so I bought 500 square ft. of Christmas wrap. I hope that's enough. I also hope it doesn't rain. It was coming down buckets today.

That pretty much brings us up to date. I'm sure I forgot something.

Have a Happy Holiday!

til later....

We're Thankful For...

Last night while Tod and I were still eating dinner, the boys were playing on the swing we have across the hall doorway. First Ethan started swinging really high as he is wont to do. But this time he let go! And went flying over the carpet (those of you who know our house know how far that is) and landed on the ceramic time in the foyer. He wasn't hurt, just winded. But it still made my heart stop! Then Dylan got on the swing. Tod pushed him several time since he can't pump yet like Ethan. Tod stopped pushing and sat down again at the table. I believe Dylan started spinning the swing although I am not sure because he was behind me. Next thing we heard this loud thud and a blood curdling scream. Dylan hit his head on the door jamb and was bleeding all over the place. Ethan started screaming "Dylan, Dylan" and I started arguing with Tod about taking him to the hospital. Tod agreed with me after he had a closer look at the cut so off they went. While I was helping put Dylan in the van, Ethan was trying to get the garage door open and locked me out of the house. Fortunately I never locked the front door after UPS came that afternoon and was able to get back in that way and calm Ethan.
Tod and Dylan were at the ER for what seemed like an eternity. Dylan wasn't vomiting and he was saying Hi and Bye to everyone in the waiting room and singing, so it looked pretty apparent that he didn't have a concussion. The doctor said it was a deep cut but only needed one stitch. Tod said no. Staple? Tod said no. Then they suggested gluing it and Tod went along with that although he regrets it now. It took 3 of them including Tod to hold Dylan down and Tod felt absolutely horrible. Tod and Dylan came home about an hour past bed time and Dylan fell asleep pretty quickly. This morning he's doing ok, but has a really funky hair-do from the glue in his hair. They twisted the hair around the cut to hold the glue in place until it dried.
Parenting - not for the faint of heart. We are so thankful both boys were not seriously hurt.

til later....

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy for us.

Tod doesn't have to work after all!

A First

We just had a big first at our house. Ethan had an absolute fit because I wouldn't buy something for him at WalMart. Just like a typical kid. I always get so mad at parents who yell at their kids for whining and crying about not getting candy or a toy. If they only knew how lucky they are, I would always think. Well, now I'm lucky, too!!!!!

til later...

The Weekend

Well, Tod ended up not working Sunday, so the weekend wasn't a complete loss. He got lots of e-cards and snail mail cards that he appreciated even more this year. Saturday while he was at work, the boys and I made his favorite meal and decorated the house. We had a "surprise" party when he got home. Spiderman was the the theme - I thought a Harry Potter theme would be cruel - so we had Spiderman decorations, goodie bags, plates and napkins and even a Spiderman game... stick Spiderman on the tallest building (like pin the tail on the donkey). The boys had a great time, although it was difficult for Ethan not to open Tod's presents. I think Tod was so happy he was home and didn't have to go in the next day, that was the best present for him.
Sunday he slept late and I had his favorite eclairs for him for breakfast. The boys were all over him he could hardly read the paper, they really missed him. Then I went to a craft show at the fairgrounds for a couple hours. My gift to Tod was that he didn't have to come with. He and the boys just hung around the house and he was happy. Later we all went outside and played tag and t-ball. Ethan is actually getting quite good at t-ball. He hits the ball to the fence almost every time and runs the bases in order. The only problem is that he brings the bat with him around the bases - makes you kind of afraid to tag him ;-)

I'm not looking forward to keeping them busy and happy all week by myself. Especially since Tod won't have Thurs and Friday off. I'm checking into an organization called "Special Nannies". It's an employment agency that provides nannies with experience in kids with special needs. We wouldn't need someone full time and with the state contributing to respite, we might be able to get them to chip in a little more, at least until I'm recovered from the surgery. I've emailed them to send us the questionnaire to see if our needs meet what they have to offer. So, we'll see.

til later......

Updates Since Yesterday

I forgot to mention that Dylan got an award for following directions. It was given to him by the principal in front of the whole school.

My foot x-ray came back negative, so no broken bones thankfully. I can't imagine having to wear a cast! But the Dr. does want me to see a podiatrist because it's still causing pain. My cholesterol looked good, but my tryglycerides are off the charts, so I have to go back in for consultation.

Tod's birthday tomorrow sucks even more. He has to work both Sat and Sun as well as all next week including Thanksgiving and the day after. I just hope they give him a day off before he leaves for Las Vegas in January!

Ethan found my cell phone and was looking at the wallpaper picture of the two of them in the Wells Fargo Stage Coach (which we won't be able to ride tomorrow because Tod has to work). He said, "Ethan and Dylan are twins."

til later...

Busy, Busy Here

Not much time to even think about posting. Ethan had bronchitis, I still have a sinus infection. We've had Dr. appts. and school meetings and our sitter quit. The boys have been on half days at school all week and today was their last day until the Monday after Thanksgiving. I have been wanting to get things ready for the show I'm doing on the 3rd and for the web site. I just yesterday started working on Tod's birthday which is Saturday. I was going to take him to the new Harry Potter movie but we have no sitter. That's it pretty much in a nutshell. Here's some details:

Tod has been busy at work and may not get any time off for Thanksgiving. They've been having lots of failures on product coming from Taiwan, so the QA guy from Taiwan is coming here next week. Happy Turkey Day.

Still looking for a sitter. Anybody want the job? As cheap as air fare is from Chicago to SF right now, we'll even pick up airfare. Or at least part of it. ;-)

The boys' progress reports at school were both good. That's always nice to hear. But they still have a long way to go before they would fit in with NT classmates. There was an article in the SF Chronicle this morning saying that Stanford did a study showing that playing a musical instrument helps auditory processing and reading. We bought the boys little mariachi guitars at the flea market. I hope uncle Tim will teach them to play.

I had a physical yesterday and she sent me to have my foot x-rayed. I hit it against the ladder on the boys' bunk bed and it has hurt for over month now. They haven't called back so it must be ok. She just wanted it checked since it has been bothering me for so long. Otherwise, they took lots of blood and I'm sure I'll be hearing about my cholesterol levels

The weather has been beautiful 75 and sunny every day. Beautiful fall colors, too. Pleasanton Ridge, which you can see from our house, is so pretty at sunrise and sunset. It's nice the boys still get to play outside so much. I can't figure out why the inside is always a mess, though, if they are outside.

til later....

More Health Updates

We're all just a little sick here still. Ethan is much better but still has a cough. Dylan and Tod are developing coughs and I have some kind of head cold, sinus thing happening. The boys had an appt with their psychiatrist on Saturday, but his nurse called and cancelled because he cut his finger and was in the ER. The behaviorist was supposed to come Sunday, but she didn't feel well either. Tim says that he and Nancy and Jeff aren't feeling well so I guess whatever it is, it's transcontinental.

I'm still having a difficult time finding a good sitter/helper. Nichole quit yesterday when she didn't show up to work and never called to explain why. I called her but still have not heard anything. The ObGyn set my hysterectomy for Jan. 16th at 7:30 am. Anybody feel like making a trip to the bay area to help Tod? I'm really worried about him trying to keep up at work and keep up with the boys, too. I know from when I was in Rockford this Aug., the boys are much harder to handle than a job! At least that's what Tod told me. I knew it all along. Fortunately they will be in school during the day and the bus takes them to and from. Well, I'm sure something will work out and we will all survive. After all, that's what we do.

till later.....

Health Updates

Ethan has been home with bronchitis since Wednesday. He started getting a cough shortly after his stomach flu went away which was about a week ago. The cough just got worse, so I took him to the dr. yesterday and she prescribed antibiotics and cough medicine. His cough sounds really nasty and it's so hard to get him to remember to cover his mouth. I'm really surprised none of the rest of us has gotten sick!

I went to see my ObGYN this week about my "re-animated" uterus. It appears that a full blown hysterectomy is in order. I wish I would have just had that done in the first place instead of messing around with that other procedure back in April. But the hysterectomy has a 1-3 night hospital stay and 2-6 week recovery time at home. I'm not sure exactly how we're going to do that. Tod will have some paid time off and we do have a sitter who can help with the boys part of the time, too. But it's going to be hard on all of us (especially Tod). The dr. wanted to do the surgery in December, but I pushed her to wait until January so the boys will be in school most of the time and Tod can go to his CES in Las Vegas Jan 2-9. That will also give me time to save some of my own blood for a transfusion. I needed a transfusion when the boys were born, so there's a good chance I might need one for this - especially if they cut me from stem to stern. I'm not looking forward to the actual procedure, but I am so ready to get rid of my uterus. It has served it's purposed, it's time to let it go.

til later....

Another One

I just put this last picture on because it's cute

The Retun of The Spiders

The boys and dad loved trick or treating, although dad says they were shy and had a hard time remembering to say "trick or treat" and "thank you". Tod said they got many comments on how cute they looked. After they came home and got their costumes off, they almost had more fun helping dad answer the door. It was great to watch them run when the door bell rang and say "trick or treat" and "thank you" then - much to dad's chagrin. They got lots of candy, didn't eat any of it and were still hyped up for quite a while before bedtime. The extra candy is going to work with dad. Happy Halloween. I'm tired.

til later....

THE night

Spiders, spiders. Creepy crawlies. That's what we have tonight at our house. Our eight legged friends (and their dad) are still trick or treating. Who knows how long they will last. It's a beautiful evening and lots of costumed children and adults on the sidewalks. I told Tod he should have dressed like a big fly! The boys don't really care for candy that much. Ethan likes to sit down and open every single piece and not eat any of it. Dylan will eat the suckers until they get too stuck on something and then he finds another. Tod is so happy to be taking them out tonight. Last year he was in Taiwan for Halloween and so disappointed he wouldn't be able to go. Luckily for me, Aunt Gerrie was here and she handed out candy while I took the boys out and met some of the neighbors. I think that's the first and last time I've spoken to most of them.
I'll write more when they return.

til later....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This monster from Ethan is the harbinger of Halloween fun! Look for pictures and stories later today from our favorite holiday and favorite Halloween monsters! Ooooooooo....

Poor Ethan!

I had to pick Ethan up early from school today. He vomited in the classroom. When I got him home, he had diarrhea really bad. He asked me for a band-aid like he does when he has an ouchie. He never tells me where the ouchie is until I have the band-aid unwrapped and ready to go. This time, when I took the paper off, he had me put the band-aid on his belly button. It's still there. He's asleep on the couch now, poor little guy.

til later....

Monday, Monday...

The boys are off to school. Tod is at work. I am waiting for the cable guy and listening to my iPod. Got a copy of Tim and Maggie's entrance in the iPod contest. They wrote and performed a wonderful song which I'm sure will win them another iPod like they won last year. Good Luck Magnusons!!

Nichole was here yesterday, so Tod and I got to go to a movie. We saw "Good Night and Good Luck". Great movie! David Strathairn was wonderful as Murrow and the supporting cast was ..well, excellently supportive. If you don't know much about the McCarthy hearings this is an entertaining way to find out.

We also got to eat out, which we don't do very after. Carry out is our thing. We found out that there is a great Japanese restautant with carry out just up the road next to our pharmacy. We thought it was just a sushi bar, but oh my, their vegetable tempura is to die for! We also had Udon noodles and beef sukiyaki with sticky rice. Yummy, yummy! We're still looking for a good pizza place. Californians don't know how to make pizza. This is especially obvious when you're from the Chicago area or have ordered pizza from Linos or Johns or Primos or Marias in Belvidere and know what good pizza is. Even their Pizza Hut pizza tastes nothing like it does at home and costs a lot more! All food costs are high, groceries, too. Our biggest expenses are rent and food. A realtor came by to try to talk me into selling the house. I told him we rented but he gave me the seller's packet anyway. Get this - during the past 3 months homes in our neighborhood sold for an average of $935,000. All those news stories about SF and silicon valley having outrageous housing costs are true! Anyone who has been here knows that we have a pretty small 4 bedroom home with an eat-in kitchen, two baths, small front room, small family room and fenced in yard with patio. Nothing worth close to $1M. Not to me anyway and I really like this house.

I've been working on the boys' halloween costumes. They have their partys at school this Friday which is a 1/2 day and they trick or trick Monday which is teacher's institute or whatever they call it here. I will definitely get a picture up here sometime.

The cable guy is still not here. I have errands to run and things to buy for the costumes and for the show I'm doing in December. Well, it's not really a show, it's a shopping day at Dylan's school. You donate money to the PTA for a table and then you get to keep all your profits. This is only the second year they have done it, but last year they had 40 vendors and lots of buyers. You can sell anything from crafts to Discovery Toys. It's my first venture into selling on the west coast so I hope it goes well. I know the one year I set up a table at Fairview during lunch hour (which Ms. Bev so kindly set up for me), I did really well. So here's hoping for the best and hoping I can get my butt in gear and get everything done.

til later....

Bunk Beds - AAHHH!

Yes, it's true, Tod turned the boys' twin beds into bunk beds. They really need another dresser in their room and there is no other way to do it. They were very excited about the bunk beds and practiced climbing up and down the ladder all evening. The hardest lesson they learned, though, was that you cannot jump on the bed any more. Both of them bumped their heads on the ceiling really hard. But it only took a couple times before they became very aware of the small space between their heads and the ceiling. Ethan decided the top bunk was his since Dad put his bed on top of Dylan's bed. And Dylan agreed that he would keep his same bed. I was up all night worried that Ethan would try to crawl out of bed half asleep and not remember he was up in the air. He gets out of bed at least once almost every night. He got up at 4am and I got to his room just as he reached the bottom rung, so he did just fine. I hope he does as well tonight. Gosh these guys are growing up so fast.

til later....

Friday!!

It's Friday at last! It has really been a long week. Our sitter was in a car accident (she's ok, but had to spend the night in the hospital) so she hasn't been here all week. Every day seemed to move at a snail's pace. Plus we had trouble with our email. And I was a klutz all week and ruined everything in my path it seemed. We were worried the sitter wouldn't be able to watch the boys tomorrow because of the accident, but she is coming. It will be nice to have some time away. We are going to California's largest flea market in San Jose. Eight miles of crafts, antiques and junk. We'll have to wear our walkin' shoes!

Dylan has been doing really well lately. His language and connectedness have improved tremendously. He is saying full sentences "LaLa has an orange ball" ... totally self initiated. He is following directions " go get your shoes and bring them here" and answering questions, "do you want to get out on this side or that side?" and he'll answer "that side". These are some things Ethan has been able to do for a while, but are pretty new for Dylan - especially so consistently.

Ethan is doing well, too. He has so much homework in 1st grade. I don't remember having any homework. It comes home on Friday and has to be turned in the following Friday. He has math - simple addition, greater than and less than - concepts like "color all the living things red" and language homework - "name parts of a car, throw pennies in a jar and name an animal for each penny you get in". Plus! 4 small books each week to practice his reading out loud and we have to read him at least 18 books a month. This doesn't even include the OT, APE and
Speech assignments. He's a trooper, though and tries really hard.

Tod found out this week that they are sending him to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 2-9. He is so excited, but trying not to show it too much. This is the huge show where they exhibit all the new, state of the art electronic devises. It's a big deal. Bill Gates gives the opening speech. I would love to go out there for a night or two, but I don't trust the sitter with the boys overnight. This is where we really miss Jeni!!

til later....

Quote of the Day

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
- Mark Twain

Not Much Happening Here

We are all ok. School is going well for the boys. Ethan and Dylan have both lost 3 lower teeth. Ethan still hasn't lost the black one on top.

Tod had to go into the city Saturday to fix some equipment at the new store for their opening day, so we didn't see much of him this past weekend. He will probably have to go back again tomorrow. Fortunately the BART stops just 4 blocks from the store so he doesn't have to drive in. I don't see how people drive over those bridges everyday going into the city. They are scary enough on their own plus they are always congested. No Thanks! BART works for me.

This weekend we have a sitter for Saturday. We're not sure what we want to do. The Pumpkin Festival is going on in Half Moon Bay this weekend. But this is the first time the new sitter has been alone with the boys and I don't know if I want to be gone that long, especially since, if there was an emergency, it would take a long time to get back home. There are only 3 ways to get in to Half Moon Bay....along the coast from the north, along the coast from the south and across the peninsula. All roads will be packed that day. They get about 250,000 people every year for this festival. I think the best way to get the most from the festival would be to get a B&B the night before. Now wouldn't that be fun! Although you would probably have to reserve it now. So we may go to a movie or down to San Jose where they have a huge flea market. We're not sure.

We like the new sitter and she is working with the behaviorist and that is really cool. She can work on things with the boys and will know a lot about schedules and stuff for when she is here alone with the boys. I won't have to teach it to her - she will be learning right along side me.

The leaves are starting to change colors here. Fall was so pretty here last year and the colors lasted a long time. Right now we get about 80 degrees in the day and 50 at night. So no air conditioning or heat - which helps with utility costs. Especially since natural gas is supposed to go through the roof this winter.

til later...

More Bus Troubles

Dylan's first bus day was horrible. He got off ok in the morning. But in the afternoon, none of the bus drivers would claim him as being on their route. The poor kid stayed at school 50 minutes before a bus driver could take him. To makes matters worse, there was something wrong with our phone line so they couldn't get through to call me to have me come pick him up and they had our Rockford cell phone on file (even though we've turned in a new form at least 3 times) so they couldn't get through to us that way either. Fortunately the teacher had my cell and called me to let me know what was going on. Poor kid! The last 2 days have been better and he smiles when he gets on the bus.

I saw the geologist today. He had the results of the analysis of the stone I passed....calcium phosphate. I guess that means my kidneys glow in the dark. Perfect for halloween! He gave me a powder to put in water and drink twice a day. He also told me to cut back on my salt and meat. They've been telling me to do that for my heart for years. I don't go back for 2 months and then he'll schedule a CT scan to take a look inside.

The new sitter started yesterday. She did really well with the boys. Tomorrow she's coming while the behaviorist is here. We're going to work on potty training Dylan. Like Tod said, now there's a scary story!

til later....

Famous Birthdays

Since today is the birthday of both Groucho Marx and the Marquis de Sade, here are some quotes by both:

Groucho Marx

Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others.

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.

A man's only as old as the woman he feels.

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.

I must say that I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book.

I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.

I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.

Remember, men, we're fighting for this woman's honour; which is probably more than she ever did.

Time wounds all heels

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

Quote me as saying I was misquoted.

the Marquis de Sade

What is more immoral than war?

"Sex" is as important as eating or drinking and we ought to allow the one appetite to be satisfied with as little restraint or false modesty as the other.

Social order at the expense of liberty is hardly a bargain.

The imagination is the spur of delights... all depends upon it, it is the mainspring of everything; now, is it not by means of the imagination one knows joy? Is it not of the imagination that the sharpest pleasures arise?

To judge from the notions expounded by theologians, one must conclude that God created most men simply with a view to crowding hell.

Snipets

Birthday Fun

I had a great time on my birthday date with Tod. We saw Corpse Bride and then shopped the resale and thrift stores. Then we had an early dinner downtown at a great Mexican restaurant. Tod also gave me a coffin purse that I really hoped to have when we saw the movie. It will still be great fun for Halloween. The boys gave me remote locks for the van and Tod installed them on Sunday. It was something I've wanted since we bought the van. I got flowers and a check from Mom and Lou and an iPod from Tim and Maggie. It was really a great birthday weekend!

The Bus, The Bus

Ethan has been doing well taking the bus to and from school. His bus is so full, it takes about 45 minutes for him to get home. Dylan starts on Monday so we'll see how that goes. We still don't know what his pick up and drop off times are.

Tod

Tod has a new boss at work and he is very pleased about that. In fact his boss's boss lives in Chicago and was born and raised in Rockford until he was drafted. Tod still doesn't remember his last name so I don't know if any of you would know him. He has a very poor opinion of Rockford, though.

Halloween

I'm getting geared up for my favorite holiday! Looking at all the decorations at the stores (and picking up a couple). I still don't know what the boys are going to dress up as. Ethan was looking at a clown costume but I don't know if that's definite. The neighbors go all out for halloween decorations, so that will be fun, too.

Pleasanton - North Hollywood???

I was reading in the paper today that many westerns were filmed in Pleasanton from 1917 to the early 30's. Lillian Gish in Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm was one of them. Also The Lemon Drop Kid. Hollywood loved Pleasanton's Main Street as well as the surrounding hills and rivers. Plus, since rodeos and horse racing were a big thing, many of the stars liked coming here. (Seabiscuit raced here, too). Hollywood stopped coming when Pleasanton paved Main St. No dust!

In Memory of Pish

Pish is dead. When I sprinkle food on top of the water only one fish came up to eat. I looked and looked for Pish and finally found her finless body buried half in the rocks at the bottom of Fish's side of the tank. Nancy says that beta's fight to the death, so I guess Fish drug her over the divider again and finished her off. I'm not sure if we will get another fish or not, but if we do we'll put them in separate tanks.


til later....

Reflections on a Birthday

Today is my birthday and, as usual, I have mixed feelings about it. I love birthday cake for breakfast. And Tod never fails to make sure I get it. Even when he used to go to work when I was still asleep, there was always a birthday cake for me when I got up. My favorite time was when he drew flames on little pieces of paper and taped them to the wicks of the candles. What a guy. I love getting e-cards - Thank you Mom and Lou, Tim and Maggie, Gerrie. And e- cards from people I haven't heard from in a while, but never fail to send a card - thank you Rich. I love getting to pick the movie and restaurant if we get to go out. I love getting cards signed by the boys and packages in the mail. I love hearing "Happy Birthday Mommy" like I did this morning. Unfortunately, it was just Ethan, Dylan was sick in bed. I love letting my kids dig into my cake with their hands. Ethan ate all the words off. I love that it is the beginning of fall, the end of 90 degree weather and allergy season (although I don't know if it's the end of snake season). I love remembering all the "libra babe" parties we had in Rockford, although that is where the mixed feelings start. I miss those times more that I can say. I remember my 40th birthday. "The Usual Suspects" got together and I was pregnant with the boys. I was not depressed at all about turning 40. How could I be with this whole new life ahead of me. My friends were all around. Things have changed so much since then. Now, when I tell people how old I am they don't say, "I never would have guessed you to be that old. I thought you were in your 30's". They don't say anything. There's no parties and we're just lucky we got a sitter for tomorrow afternoon to have lunch and see a matinee (I still get to pick, though).
There's another "birthday" this weekend. Last year at this time we were looking for houses in Pleasanton because of Tod's new job. It was a bittersweet time.... filled with the excitement of a new life. A new job for Tod, better schools and more services for the boys, a bigger, nicer house. The thought of leaving friends and family was a something I couldn't think about. It was a decision Tod and I made together. He told me he wouldn't take the job if I just said the word. But when would this opportunity come again for him or the boys? Most of my friends couldn't even understand why I would hesitate. So now it's been a year. And Tod still has a good job making more money and the boys are getting incredible services from both the school and the state. Pleasanton is a wonderful, beautiful town in it's own right. Plus it's close to everything. We've seen and done so much in the Bay Area already. I am so happy about all those things. So here it is my 47th birthday and a year later and I'm feeling melancholy. Can all these things replace the boys seeing their grandparents several times a week, or my Wednesday date with mom...my sister coming to Rockford for frequent visits...Uncle Tim taking the boys to the park....unbirthday parties for the boys in our backyard or our parties with "The Usual Suspects"? Was it the right decision? ....we're still here.

til later......

The Bus Trials

Ethan took the bus to and from school today. We have been having a rough time with the SD and the bus co. getting the boys home within a reasonable timeframe. 90 minutes to and 90 minutes from school is way too long. Anyway, we started a trial bus ride today with Ethan. The bus got here about the same time Tod usually leaves the house with Ethan, so that was cool. I made Tod follow the bus so he could make sure Ethan was ok when he got off the bus at school, too. He seemed fine, Tod said.

I picked Dylan up on time today because I didn't have to get Ethan first. Dylan seemed very pleased about that. We got home and waited and waited for the bus to bring Ethan. I waited, Dylan had snack and played. At exactly 1 hour from when school let out, the bus pulled up. I ran out to get Ethan and you know what he was saying when he got off the bus? "Mommy, you found me!" He seemed to be fine with it. Still haven't heard about Dylan's trial on the bus. We'll see what happens.

til later...

I Am Shirley's Kidney

Yes, my kidneys have been a real pain! Last night was so bad, I took a percacet at bedtime. This morning I was in so much pain and so hung over, Tod would not let me drive the boys to school. I hate this. It sucks so big!

Another Visit by the Tooth Fairy

This time Ethan lost his first tooth. A bottom tooth he had been telling us was loose came out during lunchtime at school. I was hoping it would be that top front tooth that was damaged when he fell a couple years ago. It's getting so dark, now, that I have to touch up his pictures on PhotoShop.

I Have My (Snake) Eyes On You

There was a snake on our driveway yesterday. I walked around the back of the van and stopped at the door. Is that what I think it is??? I turned around and it hissed at me - in my own driveway. I walked closer to get a better look and it hissed again. What nerve! It was gone by the time we got home from school, but I checked the mailbox really well before I reached my hand in there to get the mail. (If you want to hear how frantic I really was, you'll have to ask Tod or Tim.)

til later...

The Geologist

I saw the geologist yesterday for my post surgery check up. He said... drink more water, keep straining my urine and sleep on my right side and come back in a month. The stones would pass. He was a little worried about the big one on the left because it was right by the exit of the kidney and he is afraid the "gravel" has pooled there. I guess sleeping on my right side will make it pour out. He took no responsibility for reanimating my uterus...said the 2 weren't connected. I find that difficult to believe.

til later...

Got Milk?

Yesterday I had just started dinner and sat down on the sofa to read the mail. The boys came in from outside and sat on either side of me.
"Ice cream?" Ethan asked. "No, I just started dinner." "WWWWAAAA" He runs screaming through the house and then sits down next to me.
"Cake?" Dylan asked. "No, I don't think..." "WWWWAAAAA" He runs screaming through the kitchen and then sits back down next to me.
"Goldfish?" Ethan asked. "Well, maybe with di...." "WWWWAAAA" He runs screaming through the house and then sits back down next to me.
"Milk?" Dylan asks. "Yes, you can have milk. It's on the table." "Yeah, Milk!" they both scream and run to the table.
Good thing I had milk.

til later.....

HOORAY ETHAN!
Ethan's teacher has informed me that after less than 2 weeks into the school year, Ethan has a friend! An NT friend from one of the typical first grades! I know that the aide facilitated the friendship, but Ethan reciprocated and that is the coolest! And now they look for each other on the play ground during recess! Every time I say (or write) about this, I get more than choked up, tears just pour down my face. This is something that I so want for my boys, but have always been afraid to hope for. A friend.


DYLAN
Dylan hasn't been having any seizure activity lately that we've seen. He is still enjoying school. Smiling when he gets out of the van. He will even allow the aide to get him out of the van instead of me. His language is getting better, although we have some really tough moments when he is trying to tell us something and we can't understand it. He becomes so frustrated and goes into a total rage sometimes. We are working on this with the behaviorist.

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE REALLY SQUEAMISH ABOUT "FEMALE" MEDICAL ISSUES
Or why I haven't written in so long
The lithotrypsy turned out to be worse than I had expected.... lots of pain, blood in my urine, not many stones passing. And then something odd happened. You may or may not remember back in May when I had a "uterine ablation". It was supposed to cauterize the inside of my uterus and relieve all my menstrual problems by relieving me of having a period. Well, 5 days after my kidney stone procedure, I started my period again! So, I don't know exactly what part of my insides are hurting and I can't tell if I'm passing stones, cuz there is blood everywhere (sorry!). It seems the radio waves from the lithotrypsy "reanimated" my uterus. Tod calls it "Frankenwomb". Anyway, I feel awful still, I'm in pain still and I'm still waiting to see both the urologist and the gynecologist... and wondering when the villagers will be arriving with torches.

FISH FIGHTS
I went to feed the boys' fish the other day - two Betas, Pish and Fish - and found both fish on the same side of the tank. If you know anything about Betas, they are Oriental Fighting Fish and you never put them in the same tank because they will beat the crap out of each other. So Aunt Nancy bought our Betas a tank with a see through divider, so they can make faces at each other but not do mortal combat. I don't know if one of the boys moved the Pish into Fish's side or if Pish jumped or if Fish grabbed her and pulled her over. Anyway, Pish got the crap beat out of her. She is pale (she was the red one), not eating well and her fins have been pretty shredded. Fish, on the other hand, looks gorgeous with dark iridescent fins that make him look like he's strutting around the tank. It will be interesting to see if there is a rematch.

WEATHER
Really cool here lately. I was getting so tired of 95+. It's 75 during the day and low 50's at night. No air conditioning. Jeans and sweaters in the mornings. Beautiful blue skies, nice breezes, no bugs. I love this.

til later.....

The Stones Have Been Blasted

They went ahead and did the lithotripsy procedure yesterday. And everything went well. Tod picked the boys up from school before he came to get me. It was so nice to have them there. The car ride home was pretty rough, but fortunately since it was 3:30 in the afternoon and holiday traffic wasn't too bad, yet. I've been drinking lots of water and taking lots of drugs. But I'm feeling better and better as each hour goes by. Glad it's a 3 day holiday. I'm sure I'll be up and running by Tuesday, especially since I don't have a choice ;-) Tod, in the mean time has been a great nurse and also wonderful at intercepting little boys who want to jump on their mom's bruised kidneys.

til later...

The Latest

For those of you who got a little misty eyed reading about Dylan's traumatic first day, you'll be happy to know that the last two days he has been singing on the way to school and even smiling(yes, smiling!) when he gets out of the car. Of course everyone in the classroom is just getting used to each other and the school day for this first week so we'll see how he is when the real work starts!
Tod and I are driving the boys to and from school. The bus co. told me that their contract with the school district said the kids can be on the buses up to 90 minutes one way. When Tod asked the director of sped about that, he would "neither confirm or deny" that statement and wanted to know who I talked to. See how sd's can be so secretive? They act like it's a matter of national security! Anyway, Tod takes Ethan in the morning and I take Dylan. Except on Wed. when school starts later, then I take them both and Dylan is early and Ethan is late. I pick them both up in the after noon. Ethan gets out of school 10 minutes before Dylan. It can be stressful some days.
Ethan is doing ok, starting to get the hang of the routine. But Dylan's teacher stopped me yesterday and said she would advocate for Ethan to be in the same school as Dylan if that's what we wanted. So it looks like IEP time again. I think they might as well book us in advance for an IEP meeting every 6 months.

We got orders from the neurologist at Stanford to have Dylan's depakote levels checked. Then the neurologist wants to see Dylan in person (awfully nice of him). He might do a 24 or 48 hour EEG after that. We don't know if he could do that at home or if there would be a hospital stay involved. We haven't seen any seizures or aftermaths of seizure in a while. But that was one reason I really didn't want him on the bus for 1-1/2 hours. Who would notice, if he did have a seizure? I have to tell you, on Monday when I got him off the bus after riding for 1-1/2 hours, the look on his face before he noticed me just broke my heart! He looked so forlorned an abandoned. Anyway, I'll let you know of any more news.

As far as my kidney stones, well there's a whole other story. I went to the hospital for pre-op tests yesterday and there was a problem with my EKG. So it looks like my procedure tomorrow most likely will be postponed. This happened to me one other time and I had a bunch of cardiology tests and it turned out to be nothing. Anyway, the cardiology and anesthesiologist here are comparing my last EKG with this one from yesterday. What they find will determine if I go in tomorrow. I was so looking forward to getting this over with so the kidney pain would stop. Pain is so inconvenient! And it messes up everyone else's day if your doubled over and can't get snack quickly or help with the dishes. Tod's back, by the way, is doing much better. He still has pain when he moves certain ways, but it's much better than it was. The boys are so happy to have him out back playing with them again!

til later...

School Days, School Days

The boys have started a brand new year at school. Ethan has a new school (Lydiksen Elementary) and all new teachers and aides and a curriculum that is much like a regular first grade. Dylan is in a new class room at Vintage Hills, with a new teacher and all new aides and a curriculum that's similar to last year's but a grade up. Tod took Ethan to school this morning and said Ethan seemed stunned, but was going with the flow and had started coloring his envelope (envelope for what, I don't know). Dylan started saying "no, no" as soon as I stopped the van in the drive way at school. An aide came to help him into the classroom but Dylan tried to get back in the van and push me in with him. I didn't see any tears or meltdown behavior as I drove away... not from Dylan anyway, I was a wreck. When school is done I will pick Ethan up instead of him riding the bus as we had planned. It is an 1-1/2 bus trip for a 10 minute car ride. There's no way my 6 y/o autistic child will sit on the bus for that long. I will be calling the bus co. when I am done with this post. Dylan, alas, will be riding the bus and I hope he does ok with that. He has been used to me being there everyday when school is done.
And so starts the first day of another school year.

Tod and I are still limping along. My kidney pain is worse than ever and I can't wait for Friday when they blast these stones apart. Tod's back is better, but he keeps rehurting it trying to make up for the slack of me either being in excrutiating pain or drugged to the gills or both. Plus the boys have been particularly rowdy and winy. We pretty much just get as little done as we can get away with and then both of us collapse in a fetal position. I'm interviewing a new respite worked this after noon. Maybe she can pick up the slack. But I digress, my point is to apologize to everyone we've neglected while we're crippled up. I've not kept up with emails, birthdays, anniversaries, phone calls. It should get better soon. I'm trying my best to keep the blog up to date so you can at least check in and see that we're alive.

til later....

The Next Step

The neurologist wants Dylan to have a blood test to check his Depakote levels. After that we are supposed to take Dylan back into Stanford for an appointment with the doctor. Maybe we'll get some answers then. At least it will be better that playing phone tag with the nurse!

til later...

Conversation with a Nurse

Tod talked to the nurse practitioner at Stanford this morning. She confirmed that nothing showed up on the EEG. She is going to talk to the Neurologist and he may suggest a 24 or 48 hour EEG. I don't know if this would be at the hospital or if they would just strap a recorder to Dylan like the last time he and Ethan had a 24 hour EEG. She did say that we should start a log of the episodes and if he starts to turn blue again we should definitely call 911. Tod said she seemed a little perplexed because it didn't fit into the "mold" of a typical epileptic seizure. We visited Dylan's new teacher and classroom today and I made sure she was aware of what was going on. The summer school teacher who first noticed the seizures was there today, too. She said she had been thinking about Dylan all summer and how scarey it was when the seizure happened in her classroom.
In the mean time, we are busy trying to get ready for school, working out bus and driving schedules, meeting new teachers, visiting new schools. Ethan seemed to like his new teacher and already had a chance to play on the computer and check out the playground. Dylan already had a meltdown in his new classroom, so we're off to a great start there. Actually it's probably a good thing for her to know what she's getting into. She has a background in behavior therapy so I think it's a good match.

til later...

Frustrated!

The nurse practitioner Tod talked to today said that the EEG looked fine. Tod asked her what we were supposed to do about these episodes...what are they? She wouldn't say anything else, just said we had to talk to the other nurse practitioner tomorrow. Should we be relieved? I'm not. The school staff, the tutor, Tod and I have all seen him do this. In fact he had two more episodes this morning with the tutor right after Tod told me what the test result was. I'm still scared and frustrated and not too confident that I will feel any better tomorrow.

til later...

No Word Yet

We haven't heard anything on Dylan's EEG. The technician who did the test yesterday said we would have the results today. But the receptionist in the doctor's office didn't think they would have them that quickly when Tod called today. My guess is that they have the results, they just haven't had time to read them. Either way I hope we will know something tomorrow.
Tod just got home from work so I'm off to find some major drugs for my kidney stones.

til later....

Dylan's EEG Today

Dylan had his EEG at Stanford this afternoon. He had to be sleep deprived for the test so we had to keep him awake until midnight last night and then wake him at 5 am this morning. This meant mom and dad were sleep deprived, too. It was a real challenge keeping him up until his test at 1pm this afternoon, especially during the 1 hour drive there. The nurse said that he absolutely, positively could not fall asleep before the test! So I sat in the back seat with him to make sure he didn't nod off. We read books and sang songs, ate cookies, but soon his head started nodding and his eyes were closing. We were both shouting "wake up Dylan!" Nothing worked! I had brought a bag of baby carrots along for me to munch on. Since they were cold and wet, I started touching Dylan's face and neck with them and still he wouldn't wake up for more than a second or two. So I started putting the carrots down his shirt. Well, that got his attention! He didn't like that at all and he couldn't get the carrots out of his shirt because of the seat belt and that really made him mad! But it kept him awake until we got there and that was the purpose. He did great for the EEG. Such a big boy even with all the long waits. And the good news is that we should get the results sometime tomorrow. So right now Dylan still has the goop in his hair and we are hoping that both boys will want a nap so we can nap, too. I'll keep you updated.

til later.....

Geology Report

There has been so much going on, I haven't brought you up to date on the kidney stone situation. The CT scan showed 5 stones in my right kidney and 2 in my left. I'm having lithotrypsy done to both kidneys on Friday, Sept. 2. It's an out patient procedure. Then I'm supposed to "take 5 days off"..yeah, right! At least it's a 3 day weekend so Tod will be home to watch the boys.

I'm getting really nervous about school starting Aug 29. Neither of the boys has met their teachers, yet, or seen their classrooms. In fact we still don't know what time Dylan starts school in the morning. Some schools start SpEd classed at a different time than the rest of the classes. Plus we probably won't know anything new on Dylan's seizures since he's not having the EEG til the 22nd. And I'm nervous about that, too. He's had at least 2 more seizures since the one that happened while the tutor was here.

Not much else going on here. The days are a little cooler and the evenings and morning are actually quite chilly. Tod is still working away. The Hannspree store in San Francisco should be opening on Sept. 24. They are also looking at putting certain models of their designer tv's in national chains like Best Buy and Target. We're still waiting for ours, but we're not holding our breath. Actually, we'd be happy with some extra time off around the holidays so we can come back to Rockford for a long holiday weekend. The Taiwanese are not that, how should I say it, they're not very generous around American holidays. So we'll see. I'd at least like to go to Tahoe or somewhere where there is snow. Last christmas was really very depressing and I don't want to do that again.

til later....

The Afore Mentioned Sock Monkey....

.... and my sister, Gerrie!
(She always liked tall men)

It's all about me...

and my trip to Rockford! I had such great time and it was wonderful seeing family and friends. I miss everyone so much. Saturday my sister and I went shopping for Mom's party. We always having a good time when we are together, especially when it comes to making purchases. We always encourage each other to do the right thing and Buy, BUy, BUY!
Saturday night I met "the usual suspects" at Linos for dinner. Tim and Maggie, Nancy and Jeff, and Keith. Marie was busy and Chris had just had hip replacement surgery and couldn't make it. I love Linos pizza and Tod and I miss it terribly. We have not found a good pizza place in Pleasanton. I ordered a whole pizza and then wrapped the left overs up with ice packs and brought them home to Tod. After dinner we went to Tim and Maggies for dessert. We sat in their back yard and talked and laughed. It was great. I felt bad that Tod had to miss it. I know, it sounds like an international coffee moment or miller time. But when you're in a new town and too busy to make new friends, you realize how important time with friends really is.
Sunday was party day for mom and can read all about that in one of the previous posts.
Monday was a great day, too. I had breakfast at Stockholm Inn (swedish pancakes...yum) with Julie Anderson and Bev Cicolello, Dylan and Ethan's preschool teachers. It was so good to see them and catch up on each other's lives a bit. I really miss having such caring and knowledgeable teachers for the boys. I can't say enough about what they have done for our boys and our whole family. California may have some great programs and wonderful opportunities, but so far I've not met one teacher with the capacity for teaching and caring like Julie and Bev.
Next was a hair cut with my hairdresser, Kim. Since I've been in Pleasanton, I have had two trips to the hairdresser and spent $400 for hair I hate. I could have flown Kim to SF, had her cut my hair, and then taken her out for dinner for that price. It was nice to catch up with Kim, too. And, as it turned out, her next client was the daughter of the OT the boys had when they were 2 years old. Dianne had to quit working with the boys because she was pregnant with the little girl that was getting her hair cut!
After the new and reasonably priced do, Nancy picked me up and we went shopping. My favorite kind of shopping. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Hobby Lobby, the Dollar Store. It was shopping heaven. Nancy also took me to eat at Mexican Chipotle which I love and am still trying to pronounce. It was fun to catch up on Nancy's projects, ideas and plans for the future. She always has a new idea or three or four and is looking ahead for a good non-retirement retirement job. She brought my mother and I each a really neat "book thong" with silk ribbon and beads and charms. She's made 50 of them so if you want one let me know. I used mine in my Harry Potter book that I read on the plane.
Tuesday I spent the day with Mom since that was her actual birthday. We shopped at the mall and Mom found a new outfit for herself and a shirt for Lou. Later Tim came by the house to say good-bye and that maybe he and Maggie might be able to visit after the first of the year. Lou came home and took Mom and I to Linos for mom's birthday dinner. Twice in a weekend at Linos was a nice treat. I got to have lasagna this time - Yum!
Then it was time to pack and get ready for the bus to the airport in the morning. It was such a wonderful trip. Tod and I are talking about trying to come back at Christmas with the boys. Last Christmas was so depressing, if we don't get home to Rockford I told Tod he had to take us to Tahoe or someplace were there would be snow to play in. Anyway, we might be home for the holidays!

til later.....

Dylan Update

Dylan had another seizure yesterday morning while the tutor was here. She called me into the room saying there was something wrong with Dylan. He had been chattering while they were working on a number puzzle and he just stopped and stared at the wall. I called his name, held his face so it was facing me and it was just blank. I hugged him, tried playing with him, nothing worked. He was "gone" for 4-6 minutes. He also started turning blue around his mouth and nose. It was so scary. Slowly he came out of it, seeming somewhat confused and smacking his lips. After he sat for a bit with me he asked for chips and then curled up on the sofa and slept for two hours. From what I've read, I don't think we're dealing with Petit Mal seizures. I think it's a different kind and it looks to me as if Dylan may have epilepsy. The EEG isn't set until Aug. 22nd. So we won't know anything for sure until sometime after that. All we can do until then is keep a close eye on him and make sure he's safe. Seizures of this kind aren't fatal, thankfully. If that is what's going on.
Anyway, we appreciate all your positive thoughts and prayers for Dylan.

til later....

The Queen Mom's 80th Birthday!

Mom had a great time at her 80th birthday party! Gerrie and I adorned her with a crown and scepter so she could "hold court" on Sunday afternoon. We decorated her house with fresh flowers and pictures of mom when she was a little girl and a (beautiful) young woman. The guests enjoyed looking at the pictures almost as much as mom did! And so many people showed up, we hardly had room for all of them. There was talking and laughing and it seemed as if everyone really enjoyed themselves. There was still a lot of food left over, though, but with me staying there the cake at least was finished off before I left!
Later that night after everyone had gone and everything was cleaned up (thanks to Lou!), the three of us were so tired but didn't want to end the day quite yet. We started talking about the giant Sock Monkeys in downtown Rockford. For those of you who don't know... Rockford is the home of Nelson Knitting which made the brown socks with red seams called "Rockford Socks". In the early 50's they started making stuffed monkeys out of the Rockford Socks. Anyway, Rockford now has 6 ft fiberglass Sock Monkeys, decorated by local artists, scattered around downtown. Much like the cows in Chicago. My sister was leaving the next day, but really wanted to see the monkeys. So at 10:30 Sunday night, Mom, Gerrie and I hopped in the car and drove downtown to find the monkeys. We found three of them near New American Theater, so we parked and took our pictures with the monkeys! I hope to have copies of them soon and will post here so you can see what I'm talking about. Anyway, we all felt like school girls sneaking out at night to do something naughty! It was a great ending to the day!

til later.....

Dylan Update

The doctor thinks Dylan may be having Petit Mal seizures or worse. He's going in to Stanford for an EEG, but the soonest he can get in is the second week in August. They still haven't called back with an exact date for the test but I'm hoping it's either before or after my trip to Rockford. The nurse at Stanford did tell me how to handle seizures of all kinds and severities, just in case. And she said to watch him closely, especially in the tub or around water. He's not sleeping as much as he was and his language and connectedness seem better. Maybe the seizure actually reconnected some wires. Who knows. Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

On another note, I had my CT scan this morning and will see the doctor this afternoon about my kidney stone. I will be glad to know where I stand with that, too

Otherwise, I'm counting the days til my trip to Rockford and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

till later....

The Best Laid Plans

Today we were going to spend the morning at the Farmers Market in downtown Pleasanton. And after lunch it was supposed to be pampering time for me when I got my pedicure and manicure. Then I expected to come home with my "twinkle toes" and join the boys in the pool. Instead we all spent an afternoon at the ER. Here's what happened: The boys teacher told me Friday that Dylan has been spacing out at school and she thought he might be having seizures. Today, he kept falling asleep, even though he had had a good night’s rest. We were concerned and planned to take him to the doctor on Monday. Then Ethan started walking funny and holding his stomach. He was almost doubled over and couldn’t walk very far. We weren’t sure if it was his legs or stomach until he asked to have a band aid put near his belly button. We decided they both needed to see a doctor NOW. The ER doc was really good. He said Dylan should probably have an EEG and would need to call his regular doctor for that. They didn't have the equipment and Dylan was wide awake and not in any eminent danger. Ethan had to have blood and urine tests and then go to the other hospital to have a CT scan so they could look at his stomach. There was one area in his stomach that was very tender. The doctor thought maybe appendicitis or an obstruction in his bowel, either from being constipated or from something he might have eaten. Well, it turned out it was constipation, thankfully. Whatever it was must have moved on down the line. The doctor did say if it was wood chips or anything biodegradable, it would not show up on the CT. By the time he left the hospital he was skipping and in a good mood. Now we just have to get Dylan in for an EEG to see if he's having seizures.

Friday was the last day of ESY. Monday the boys start in home tutoring weekday mornings, 9-12. I got a whole list of "supplies" I need to have for the tutoring, including a small table and chairs, a bin of toys, paper, pencils,wipe off board, crayons, markers, flash cards. For something the school district is supposed to be paying for, it is sure going to cost us a lot of money! I also have to rearrange 2 other therapists and 2 respite workers (as soon as I get the authorization to hire the 2nd one).

It's going to be a busy week. It's not even Sunday night and I'm already worrying about it!!

till later.....

Don't Read This If You Have A Weak Stomach

As you may recall from my last post, Ethan had been making confetti out of his poop. He has stopped that for now, but not without really grossing me out before he did. Thursday I was doing laundry. I emptied the clean clothes from the washer into the dryer and saw what I thought was a stone at the bottom of the washer. Well, you can imagine what it really was!!! I just about lost it. My first response was to throw all the clothes away and buy a new washer and dryer. That wasn't exactly in the budget, though. So all the clothes had to be shook out and the washer had to be cleaned and bleached out. I think I would rather change diapers for 6 more years than go through any more potty training fun. It's a control issue, I'm sure. As well as a gross out issue.
The good thing that came out of this is that Tod felt sorry for me and made an appointment for me to get a little pampering.... manicure and pedicure, this afternoon at 1pm. I've always wanted a pedicure and I do wear sandals all the time now. It was a really sweet thing for Tod to do. Either that or it was a calculated action to keep me from loosing my mind. Either way, I'm thrilled!!!

till later

I Never Liked the Term "Hump Day"...

Here it is the middle of the week. I saw the urologist today about my kidney stone. He scheduled a CT scan for next Wednesday morning and then later that afternoon we will talk about what to do. In the mean time he told me that the pain meds I was taking are bad for my kidneys. He gave me a script for a different drug so if I seem disjointed (more than usual) please understand.

The good news is that I booked my tickets for my trip to Rockford August 5-10. My mom turns 80 on the 9th and I will be staying at her and Lou's apartment. Tod and the boys will have to wait until next time to come with. I'm really looking forward to the trip and hope some of you will stop by or call while I'm in town. The only plans I have made besides celebrating Mom's birthday, is getting my hair cut. I have not had a decent hair cut or perm or color since I've been here. And with the money I've spent, I could have just flown Kim here to do my hair at the house and then taken her to dinner!!

The boys have been pretty manic lately. Not sure why. We took them to the dr. Saturday and he tweeked their meds a bit, but not really that much. Yesterday, every time Ethan had to poop, he did so in his underwear and then threw the little turds around the family room like confetti! Today, he kept stripping naked and running outside screaming. This kind of stuff can be difficult on a "normal" day, much less when you're in pain. I'm always so happy to see Tod walk through the door - probably a lot more happy than he is to walk through the door. He told me the other day, "I'm tired of being the super hero when I get home!"

Speaking of Tod and work--- here is a link to a really cool news report about the tv's Tod's company makes. Check it out:

http://media.vmsnews.com/MonitoringReports/072005/565055/D000317374/

till later

But it's a dry heat...

We have had some really hot days here. 100 today and no relief in sight. The good thing is it's a dry heat and that (believe it or not) does seem to make a difference. That is a good thing unless, of course, you have a predisposition for kidney stones. In that case you have to be really careful about not getting dehydrated. I try to carry some beverage with me at all times, but it hasn't been enough to keep those little guys from rearing their pointy, sharp little heads in my kidney! Any of you who have had kidney stones or have been around when I've had them know what a big pain they can be. My goal is to flood them out on my own, but I do have the names of 3 urologists in the area in case I need something like lythotrypsy. So I have been laying low, not getting much rest and kind of afraid to go too far from home in case one of them "attacks".

The boys have been beating the heat by playing in the pool. Yesterday they were still in the pool when Tod got home from work, so he jumped in with them! They absolutely loved that! Tod had a great time, too. I video taped some of the action and the very large grins!

till later

Pool Boys!

The Weekend??

Tod didn't have to go to Beverly Hills today so that was nice. It seems that the people at Hannspree who dropped the ball in the first place still haven't been able to get their act together enough to figure out what to do about it.

Still our Saturday started with trying to potty train Dylan. The SD is really pushing us to get the potty training done before school starts. They have a policy that students have to be potty trained for certain classes. I guess it doesn't matter that a policy like that is against federal law. Anyway, Ethan is doing pretty good. Still doesn't like to poop in the potty and maybe once a day gets too busy playing to run to the bathroom and has an accident. Dylan, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to "get it". We started yesterday with big boy underwear and taking him to the bathroom every 30 minutes. We quickly changed to every 15 minutes and still couldn't catch him to go in the toilet. We mopped floors and cleaned carpets all day. He just isn't making the connection, no matter how often he sees his brother or dad or how much time he spends in the bathroom.

I don't know how much of this was bothering Dylan, but he couldn't sleep last night. He was up until after ten and then got up this morning at 2:30am for the day. Everyone (except Ethan) is tired and crabby. Dylan is back in pull ups and they (SD) are going to start hassling me again tomorrow. Do you remember I told you about the behaviorist from the SD who tried to potty train Dylan and he got so upset he started banging his head on the shower door? Well she is a good friend of the boys' summer school teacher. And, she also just got fired. Don't know what to think of all that.

So the weekend wasn't all that great. Nothing much got accomplished. No one got any rest or relief from stress. And Monday morning looms like Damocles sword. Ok, ok, that's a little dramatic, but you get the idea.

til later

Friday Already!

It's been a pretty uneventful week after the holiday weekend. The boys have been going to school and therapy and spending a lot of time in our back yard pool. It's been near 90 almost every day so the pool water is like bath water. They have also been sleeping much better on the days they have been in the pool!
Tod took a short trip to Beverly Hills yesterday for the grand opening of the Hannspree store on Rodeo Dr. He was only gone one day, but since he's the Repair Manager, he was bombarded with every little thing that's wrong with the LCD TV's. Now they want him to go back on Sunday. Tod is trying to get out of it, so we'll see what happens. All part of the job, I guess, but Tod gets so frustrated when other people not doing their jobs cause him time away from home. We were going to try to get to the fair again this weekend before it's over. Now we're not sure we can. Oh well, there are always other things to do in the area.
That's about it here. I've been getting many comments about the picture of Ethan and Dylan. It's so rare when they are together and smiling and sitting still long enough for a picture!

til later...

My Giggling Boys!

Happy 4th of July!

What a country! A place where the Taiwanese can open a business and pay my husband a decent wage to support a family that he never gets to see. It makes me very grateful for a three day weekend that we can spend together.

The beach was fun for all of us yesterday! Traffic was backed up from Half Moon Bay all the way across the peninsula, so it took us a while to get there. But the boys were good in the van - we sang a lot of songs and brought snacks and books to keep them occupied. As I said yesterday, it's not very warm in Half Moon Bay and the water temp was really cold. There were quite a few people on the beach, but no one was swimming. We didn't plan on swimming either but Dylan and I did more than dip our toes in the water. Standing in the surf really disoriented me and when the outgoing wave pulled the sand out from under my feet, I fell in the water and took Dylan with me! We were both fully clothed and completely soaked. Poor Dylan's teeth were chattering! We walked the beach and sat in the sun to warm up, building sand castles and looking for sea shells. As soon as the chill wore off, both boys wanted to play in the surf again. It was so wonderful to see their smiles and hear their constant giggling over the sound of the waves. But as soon as they got chilled again they wanted to go home. We stopped and got McDonald's french fries and ice cream cones on our way out of town. It was a great time!

til later....

Hot, hot, hot!

We've had a run of very hot weather these past few days... lower to mid 90's. We all stayed indoors yesterday. Tod worked on the computers most of the day. I guess mine was getting ready to die, so he did some transplant procedure to revive it. I cleaned around the house and the boys watched videos and played indoors. Today we are planning to go to Half Moon Bay and dip our toes in the ocean. Tod and the boys haven't been to the beach since last November. It will be much cooler in Half Moon Bay, a high of 68 to our 88. And the water will probably be 10-20 degrees colder than that. Most people don't realize that the beaches in Northern Ca are much different than the ones in Southern Ca. In Northern Ca the coast lines are rocky and full of cliffs. The water barely gets up to 60 degrees and there are few beaches that are calm enough for swimming. The waves are really high and the sand is very coarse from broken shells. When I checked the internet for the best beaches to take children to in Northern Ca, I could only find 5 that were good for swimming and one that was recommended for kids. As a side note, China Beach, the beach recommended for kids, is in Marin County where Robin Williams is from. They say he has a house overlooking the beach and occasionally you can see him walking along the shore.
It's only about an hour to Half Moon Bay, so we will probably head out after lunch when it's a little warmer there and hotter here. Half Moon is a great little town. There are wonderful shops and eating places on main street and some great antique stores. I bought our end tables at one of the shops there. They are actually nightstands made in the 30's, but we use them for end tables in the living room. Both times I've gone to Half Moon Bay without the boys (once with my sister, Gerrie and the other time with my friend, Nancy) we had to make one trip to eat and shop and a second trip to walk the beach. There wasn't enough time to do both in one day! In October they have a Pumpkin Festival that is incredibly popular with over 140 antique dealers and crafters, plus stuff for the kids. Sounds like a fun time to me!
I hope you are all having a fun holiday weekend!

til later....

McDonalds

After school yesterday, the boys and I met the behaviorist at McDonalds for lunch. She wanted to see how Ethan and Dylan do in public - we have had problems with elopement which is pretty scary. When Dylan was finished eating, Beth took him to the play area. Ethan was still eating and playing with his happy meal toys, so I stayed at the table with him. We weren't really close to the play area, but every now and then I could see Dylan in his bright red tank top and Beth right behind him. Some boys about Ethan and Dylan's age, were sitting between us and the play area going back and forth between playing and eating with their mothers. I overheard one of the boys say, "that boy in the red tank top is really mean" and pointed to Dylan! The mom quickly hushed him and I couldn't hear anything else he had to say. I was devastated! Dylan - mean??? You've got to be kidding! I know his social skills are poor and he is not good at playing with other kids - that's part of autism and we're working on it. I also know that children and adults alike often misinterpret this as being rude or "mean". But hearing the boy say that just broke my heart. How misunderstood kids (and adults for that matter) with ASD are. It gives you a better understanding of why parents in years past had kept kids with disabilities at home all the time. They weren't embarrassed or trying to punish their kids. They were trying to keep them safe from all the ridicule and persecution from people who don't understand or just don't care.
There is a saying that goes something like "to be a mother is to forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body"... so true

til later....

What Can Happen In An Hour And A Half

Is it Wednesday already??? The week is just flying by! The boys started back to school (ESY) on Monday, so I've had mornings to myself all week. The behaviorist has been coming every day after lunch and working with the boys. Ethan has only gotten up in the middle of the night once since she started and that was so he could get a drink(s)-he drank 3 glasses of milk and went back to bed. It's been great. Even though Ethan and Dylan were only off for two weeks, they are having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Both of them are very tired in the afternoons. Dylan is not happy at all with going back to school and cries when he gets out of the van. He doesn't act up or have a meltdown, he is just really sad. I feel so bad for him. I hate to see my boys sad.

It's funny how things can be going really well and then start to fall apart in a matter of minutes. Take Monday afternoon for instance. A good day all day until about 5:30 when Tod IM's me to tell me he's in a conference call with Taiwan and will be late coming home. I always feel bad for Tod and the boys when Tod can't at least be there for bedtime. Anyway--I put on some water and started cooking macaroni for macaroni and cheese. While the macaroni was cooking, Tim called. We chatted for a while until Dylan had to go to the bathroom. I hung up and on our way to the bathroom I noticed the macaroni was boiling over. I turned it off, got to the bathroom too late for Dylan, cleaned that up and went back to cooking dinner. The macaroni was ruined. I opened another box, started the water boiling, put the macaroni in and noticed Ethan had been in the bathroom for a really long time. Went to check on him and he was sitting on the rug wiping something off his legs with his hands. Yes, you're right, IT was everywhere. So I threw Ethan in the shower, cleaned up the bathroom, put all the clothes, towels and rugs (Tod says when the rugs are missing in the bathroom, he knows we had potty training problems) in the washer to soak. I went back to cooking dinner and guess what?? the macaroni had boiled over and was ruined! So I opened a third box! Dinner was really late by this time and I hurried and finished it, put it on the table and.... No one would eat it!
(Sorry this is so long, but a lot can happen in an hour and a half). Now, dinner is done, I'm rinsing off dishes and getting snack ready for school the next day. I turn around from the sink and it looks like it snowed in our kitchen and dining area and entry way and hall and family room!! One of the boys' squishy pillows had sprung a leak (I found the dead carcass in the living room) and they were spreading the teeny tiny little styrofoam pebbles all over the house. Apparently, they were taking their stuffed animals sledding! I get the vacuum out and started cleaning the mess. Fortunately they clean up pretty easily. When I unplug the vacuum to move it to the next room I hear water running. Ethan decided to clean up his stuffed bear in the kitchen sink. I let him finish and then put the bear up to dry. This is when the screaming starts. Ethan is furious with me for putting the bear up. I brought it down, let him feel how wet it was, but it didn't matter, he was on his way! Screaming and crying and starting to really melt down. So the bear went into the garage where the washer and dryer are. Ethan starts slamming into the door to the garage with his other stuffed toys and then throwing himself to the ground. All the while Dylan has been watching and decides, "hey, that looks like fun!" and Dylan starts slamming toys into the door and throwing himself to the ground, giggling the whole time.
About this time I'm about to lose it, too, when "Dragon Tales" comes on the television. The screaming and crying stop, both boys start singing with the tv and when Tod gets home, everything is wonderful. With all that happened, bed time started late so Tod was able to put them to bed after all.

til later

Sunday Morning at the County Fair

What a great Sunday we had!! In the morning we took the boys to the Alameda County Fair. The county fairgrounds are very close to where we live. We got there as soon as they opened, so it wasn't crowded at all. We wanted to do something fun as a family since Tod had to work all day Saturday and he and I were going out on a much needed "date" Sunday afternoon.
We weren't sure how the boys would like the fair so we only planned on staying a short time. And our sitter was coming at noon. We were disappointed to find out that the rides didn't open until 11 am! But we walked around, had some "Lemon Shake Ups" and did some of the activities in the science tent. The boys (and Tod) enjoyed all the puzzles and things and they got to pet an albino snake. I watched that part from far away! By then the rides had opened. We went with the boys on the little roller coaster. I was worried about Ethan, when we rode the Merry-Go-Round at Tilden park, he started shaking and Tod had to hold him. Ethan had already started shaking before he got on the roller coaster. We kept asking him if he want to go on the ride and he kept saying "yes!!". By the 3rd time around the track, he started smiling. He did great! They both did!
Next Ethan wanted to try and win a stuffed animal at one of the carnival games. The girl who ran it was soo nice, she let both boys cheat so they could win a little stuffed toy. By this time Ethan was dragging us around to all the places he wanted to see. He picked "Jumpin' Jumbo" for the next ride. (Elephants that go around and up and down). After much discussion between Tod and I, we decided to let them go by themselves. The carny let Tod put them in and buckle them securely. And then we watched from the ground as they flew in the air! Ethan waved a couple times, Dylan was making his stuffed toy fly like the elephants. Cute.
By now it was time to go. Ethan and Dylan didn't put up a fuss about leaving, but we really think they had a good time and we were so proud of how well behaved they were.
Later in the evening, after Tod and I took the boys for a wagon ride around the neighborhood, we were all out in the back yard. It was beautiful weather for sitting outside. Ethan and Dylan used their toys to make carnival rides for their stuffed animals. The "merry-go-round" and the "ferris-go-wheel". It was so much fun to watch, they are very imaginative (I know I've said this before, but it's true!) Tod got some of it on video tape. I think we may try and get back to the fair next weekend. It's here until the 10th.

til later

It's a Sunny Yummy Day

Good Friday afternoon! It's a beautiful, sunny day, about 75 degrees and there's a nice breeze blowing. Why am I so cheery? Both boys have slept through the night two nights in a row. Getting sleep can really change a person's disposition. I love the new behaviorist!!!! Today she worked with Dylan and he took a nap on the couch after she left. My boys never take naps! They are always go- go- go- morning until, well, morning. Dylan is watching "Crashbox" on TV and Ethan is re-enacting the 3 Little Pigs in the corner of the living room. I can actually work on the computer without interruptions. What a concept!

Tod and I have our big date this Sunday afternoon. We have a sitter from noon to 5 PM. We haven't decided what movie we are going to see. We would really like to see "Hitchhikers Guide" but the closest theater it's playing in is in Oakland (also known as the armpit of California). In the nearby theaters we've narrowed it down to 3: Star Wars 3, Batman Grows Up, and Spy vs. Spy. So if any of you have seen one two or all these movies and have an opinion, please, please let us know. This is only the 2nd time we've been able to go out to a movie since we've moved, so I don't want to waste it on a bad movie.

Tomorrow Tod has an all day training at work, which sucks big time. He gets home so late during the week, the only time we have as a family is on the weekends. Now this weekend he's working Saturday and he and I will be gone all Sunday afternoon. ESY starts Monday, so the boys will be in school from 8:30 to 12:30 for four weeks. I'm trying to think of something fun the four of us can do the short time we have together this weekend. They have a great buffet restaurant here called Sweet Tomatoes. It's salad bar, soups, bread, potatoes, deserts...all the good stuff from a buffet without the nasty, rainbow roast beef. They also have macaroni and cheese and make your own ice cream sundaes. That right there makes it a good place for Ethan and Dylan, although I might have to bring our own sprinkles.

Gotta run, the boys just went outside and I need to check on them.
Til later.....

Mr. Sandman Showed Up...Finally

Hurray!! Ethan slept all night... well, he got up once, but went right back to sleep and slept until almost 7! It's amazing how much better you feel when you have had a good night's sleep! The behaviorist really worked with Ethan yesterday afternoon for about 1-1/2. Lots of sensory stuff. I think that really helped. Starting next week, she will be coming over 1 hour every day to work with the boys. She did recommend more OT, which the school district is supposed supply, but we will end up either fighting the district over it or paying out of pocket for it or both. The ot they had last year said during our IEP that Dylan, especially, needs it in order to be able to focus and learn in the classroom, but then deferred to ADMINISTRATION ???!!! as to how much ot Dylan could have.... so frustrating

This morning we are going to speech therapy (that we are also paying for out of pocket). The boys really hated it last week when we went. It's not a very "child friendly" place. The waiting area is a few chairs in a circle at the edge of the physical therapy machines and tables. The therapy room is small and sterile with a table, 3 chairs and a metal cabinet. It's a brand new "lifestyles" building associated with one of the biggest hospitals in the area. It has several pools (with poolside lunch service available), workout rooms, a cafe, steam rooms and I can't remember what else. But they couldn't put a kid's table in the waiting area or some pictures on the wall where they have kid's speech therapy. Ethan and Dylan have never had a problem going to therapy before. We'll see how today goes.

This afternoon, I get another 3 hour break to run errands without the boys. That will be nice, especially today since Tod doesn't get home til 8pm on Thursdays.

till later

Happy Solstice

Happy Solstice! The longest day of the year was pretty ok in my book. I had a sitter for three hours this afternoon. 1-1/2 hours of that time was to go to therapy, which is a good thing (Hi Sheila), and the rest of the time was spent at Walmart. It was nice to get out by myself. I'm still feeling mighty low these days. I haven't felt 100% since I had bronchitis a month ago. I was starting to feel pretty good last week and then this stomach thing hit over the weekend. I'm getting tired of being so tired. When you're bipolar, it's difficult to know sometimes if you're actually getting sick or the depressive part of the disorder is kicking in. And then there's all the guilt that comes along with not feeling up to doing everything you should be doing. Ah, too complicated to think about tonight, I'm just too tired!

Tomorrow the behaviorist is coming back to observe the boys more. I like her, she's had a lot of experience with autism and she picked up on a lot things that most "professionals" don't. She was doing joint compression and extensions on Dylan and she knew what she was doing! And she was also very understanding of all my concerns. She'll be working with us indefinately at home and she'll also be going on outings with us to help with some of the "elopement" problem.
Sorry, folks, but I'm all done tonight. Time to sit and stare for a while ;-)

til later

It's Morning Already??

What a night! Ethan was up and down from midnight on. Of course, he's sleeping now! I'm tired, Tod's tired. Dylan's doing great! He's feeling better today, actually, and has been playing very nicely all morning. He even re-enacted an episode of Sesame St. for me with his stuffed animals... over and over and over. It was actually really cute. He's got a good imagination, too. He turned a drum upside down and put a toy fish in it for Elmo's pet fish Dorothy. And put a small bear in a little house for Telly's hamster. He still doesn't talk much, but he tries really hard. I've always had a notion that he has apraxia, some speech therapists have thought so, too. Apraxia, if I understand it correctly, is when he wants to say the words but just can't get the muscles in his mouth and lips to form the sounds. It's got to be very frustrating for him. I know it is for us, trying to figure out what he's saying sometimes. We started additional speech therapy last week for both boys. But the boys couldn't stand to be apart long enough to work with the therapist individually. Again, And I put them in seperate schools next year, what was I thinking!?

'til later.....

Nice to Hear From You!

Thanks to everyone who has commented or sent emails! I've heard from people I haven't heard from in a while. In case you are wondering, you don't have to start your own blog to leave a comment. And you can always email me directly. Just check out "view my complete profile" for my email address.

The boys are in bed and I actually ate some food today without getting sick. So, the day is ending up ok. Tod is watching tv and I'm trying wrap things up for the day so I can get to bed at 10. My therapist (yes, I see a therapist) says that sporadic sleep patterns wreak havoc on people with bi-polar disorder (yes, I'm bi-polar). So bed time is 10, which is difficult when you don't even get to eat dinner until 8:30 most nights. But it does seem to help, so I try my best (yes, I try my best).

'Til next time.....

Father's Day

Poor Tod had another crappy Father's Day. Not as bad as last year when an ambulance had to take me to the hospital. But none of us were feeling all that great all weekend. The boys have had colds and are kinda grumpy and I've not felt great since Saturday morning. I did manage to get up with Ethan both at 3 and at 6 am so Tod could sleep in. I made him breakfast and the boys brought their present to him and both said, "Happy Father's Day!". The boys made hand prints in clay kind of things at school for Father's Day. They were still not dry after 10 days. Tod loved them, though, and wants to figure out how to hang them at work. By 9:10 am we were all exhausted and wanted to go back to bed. Tod fell asleep on the couch for a while, then Ethan, then me. It's been a pretty uneventful day. I wanted us all to go to Half Moon Bay today, but everyone was too sick. I bought porterhouse steaks for Tod and I for dinner, but I don't think I could stomache a steak today. I can barely keep toast in my system. I did line up a sitter for next Sunday afternoon so Tod and I can go to lunch and a movie. We've only been to one movie since we moved here in Oct. Can you believe it?? Sitters are so hard to find and even harder to keep. Not that the boys are difficult, but everyone else has lives and families, too. Plus, we just don't know that many people, yet.
Well, enough complaining. Hope everyone had a great day!
Until next time.....

Super Boys!

I hope you're enjoying the picture of my super boys!! Aren't they a hoot? They love dressing up, especially Ethan. The other day he dressed up as a firefighter and "saved" a stuffed cat from the top of the sofa! He had to climb up a laundry basket ladder in his dad's black boots to do it, too.
It's funny when you have kids with a disability. You are always looking for things they do that are "normal" or "typical" for their age. But when they do, you wonder, where did they learn that? A couple weeks ago they were playing in the back yard. Our house has a nice sized (for CA) fenced-in back yard. I still have to keep an eye on them, there is so much they can still get into. Anyway, I was in the house and the door bell rang. I answered it and there was no one there. Then I heard giggling and saw too little boys running back to the gate to our back yard!!! Now tell me, is there a "ring the doorbell and run" gene??? I can't imagine where they picked that up. And it was darn hard to keep from laughing when I met them on the other side of the gate and chastized them for leaving the yard.
Bye for now....

Super Dylan and Super Ethan

Well, I've averted disaster so far. Both boys are in underwear, we've had no accidents and it's almost noon here. Dylan opted for underwear over pullups. It's weird Ethan will pee in the potty but won't poop there and Dylan is just the opposite. I guess that's where the egg split.

Ok, enough about potty training. It's safe now, you can read on...

It's been a quiet day, actually. We've had no doctor or therapy appts., no one is coming to the house to observe us or tell us what to do. We're still in our pj's and the house is a mess. I love it!! That is until I'm racing to the bathroom with Dylan so he won't pee all over everything and I trip on a --oops, right, no more potty talk.
So, here's some other news. I'm working on a trip back to Rockford in August. Before I left, I promised my mom (Hi Mom!) that I would come back for her 80th birthday. I'm waiting for the air fares to go back down before I buy my ticket, but it will probably be the 5th - 10th of Aug. I'm going by myself because it's cheaper (obviously) and we're really afraid the boys would be confused by it. They've really had a hard time transitioning here - as have I. One nice thing that has come of this is that Ethan and Dylan are much closer. It used to be that they hardly noticed if the other one was in the room. Last week end we were watching a DVD of Dylan's K class. There were some pics of girls with their arms around Dylan. At the end of the DVD, Ethan started crying. He paced and cried and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. Finally he went over to his brother, held his hand and said, "Dylan MY best friend". Isn't that a tear jerker! And I'm putting them in separate schools next fall......what was I thinking??!!

Almost bedtime... Ok, it is bedtime. Here's a quick post.
Ethan did so well today with potty training. He went to the bathroom by himself ALL DAY! Well, he had one accident running in from outside and another with a little diarrhea (which you really don't want to hear the details about). I'm so proud of him. Dylan went back to Pull Ups today. Yesterday he decided he wanted to wear underwear like Ethan. I was trying to just train one at a time. But with Dylan on board, yesterday was the day from potty training hell. I mopped floors, cleaned furniture and did laundry all day. The behaviorist from school was here and she was really hard on Dylan in the bathroom, making him sit until he got upset and started banging his head on the shower door. I was not happy and put a stop to it, but I think Dylan was a little traumatized and the word potty makes him cry now. He's back in Pull-Ups today, which is easier on me but I worry how it will affect Dylan in the long run.

On another note, Dylan lost his first tooth yesterday! He came up to me and said "ouchie". His mouth was bleeding and I looked and saw the wiggly tooth. 15 minutes later, the tooth was gone! I have no idea if he swallowed it or what. The Tooth Fairy put money in his piggy bank anyway.

And for those of you who were wondering, yes, I did feel the earthquake the other night. I thought the boys had gotten out of bed and were banging on the walls or something. I told Tod that it sounded like a giant stomping down the hallway. We saw later on the news that there had been an earthquake. I must be a real San Franciscan now!

Bye for now