Quick Updates & Slideshow Links

Very quickly..... the boys turned 8, Christmas came and went, Tod still doesn't have a job although he has a 4 day gig in Mtn View on the 9th. We survived the year.
That covers the updates here are the links to birthday and Christmas Slideshows.

http://smilebox.com/play/4d7a41784f5459790a&sb=1

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/hunnyJbunny/?action=view¤t=christmas2006.flv

til later....

Blatant Self Promotion or a Really Great Deal?

Blatant Self Promotion?

A Really Great Deal?
or just plain groveling?

HOLIDAY SALE!

HALF PRICE!

HALF PRICE!

HALF PRICE!

WWW.SUNNYMEADOW.COM

Take a look around, and pick out something

for yourself or as a gift!

The discount will be taken at checkout, if you use Paypal.

Otherwise email me and we'll work out another way of paying and

I'll send out your jewelry.

This is a great opportunity to start (or finish) your Holiday shopping!

If you are not into jewelry,

check out my Autism Stuff Store at Cafe Press

WWW.CAFESHOPS.COM/AUTISMSTUFF

Not only is there autism related stuff,

BUT I've put some of the boys' holiday artwork on

Cards, Sweatshirts, Ornaments, Teddy Bears, etc.

Now, the important stuff...

We took Dylan to another Dr. and all the Drs conferred and started Dylan on a new medication. He's only been on it a couple days, but he seems calmer and more coherent and we haven't seen any seizures, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. He is still having some emotional outbursts, though....I don't know if those ever stop.

Tod had a second interview for the job in Fresno. They are going to set up the 3rd one which will be in Fresno with the director of the department, but it won't happen until after Thanksgiving. The guy who interviewed Tod both times told Tod that everything is still in it's early stages and not to expect anything until after the first of the year. So, you may see a new address for us before too long.

til later.....

Ghoulish Tales and Updates

It took Tod and I many long hours of cutting, painting, gluing and fighting over creative differences to make the boys' costumes. Only to have most of the bones fall off 15 minutes before it was time to leave for school! AAAHHH! Talk about a scare!! We got to school just in time for the parade with bones still coming off and being taped with packaging tape.
Trick or treating was a bit of a let down. Tod said the neighborhood was a ghost town (pun intended) but the boys still seemed to enjoy it. The only problem is they still have trouble with timing and say "Trick or Treat" after they ring the door bell but before people answer the door. Oh well, maybe next year. I'm also ready to cave in and buy costumes next year. When I was a kid, a store bought costume was a thin, one piece jumpsuit thing with a plastic mask held on with elastic. The costumes are soo extravagant now and I would say 90% of the school kids had store bought costumes. Some of my favorites were the sumo wrestlers, the go-go girls (not too trashy, please!), the fairies and the pirates!

On the job front, Tod has an interview with a company in Fresno Monday. He's trying not to get too excited about it, but it is a move in a different direction for him. Plus the SD in Fresno has a great autism program, including an autism school! The cost of living is cheaper and it is at the foothills of the Sierra Mountains and sorta near Yosemite. But it's not San Francisco or Pleasanton and we really do like it here. Anyway, keep him in your good thoughts.

I'm getting ready to list jewelry on eBay for the holidays (my user id is SHIRLEYSTUFF). After I get those up, I have a new project that Gerrie is helping me with. Look for it soon.... I hope!

til later...

CLICK BELOW TO SEE OUR HALLOWEEN SLIDE SHOW!

SLIDE SHOWS

The three posts below are links to slide shows from my sister, Gerrie's visit. Just click on the title and it will take you to another website that will play the slide show. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Festival

Gerrie and Shirley in San Francisco

Bonfonte Gardens and Santa Cruz

Bowlin', Bowlin', Bowlin' - Gotta Keep a Bowlin'.....

Ethan and Dylan started Special Olympics bowling yesterday. What fun!! They got to wear special shoes and throw, or attempt to throw a bright orange ball on the floor and try to hit a bunch of pins! It was exciting. They were pretty good, too, and if they could just get a little more umph behind their throws, I'm sure more pins would fall over. But the balls were a wee bit slow and by the time they got down the lane, most of them barely touched the pins! After an hour and a half of bowling to get through 5 frames, tragedy struck! Dylan got a little bored and decided to run down the lane after the ball. Anyone who knows anything about bowling lanes knows they are as slippery as oil on ice. I went after him trying not to fall myself, but he went down hard before I could get to him and hit the back of his head on the floor. Tod had to meet me half way down the lane to get him back, because even with tennis shoes I couldn't keep my balance and hold him. Brave Dylan did buck up and finish the frame, but after that both boys were ready to go. We're going to try again next week, but it will be totally up to them if they want to continue.

Update on the school scene: Dylan is doing absolutely fantastic! He is adjusting well to the new school and the new classroom and method of teaching. Ethan on the other hand, has been quite a handful... very defiant, uncooperative and having lots and lots of meltdowns. We're working on the issue with the teacher and the behaviorist at home. There has been talk of putting Ethan back in 1st grade for part of the day since the 1st grade teacher is pretty militant, but I don't think that's the answer. It will just be more change and more adjustment for him. We'll keep you posted.

Avast, ye scalliwags!

Tuesday, September 19 be

International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Need a quick lesson? Check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cKCkbWDGwE
SAVVY??

til later....

Second Graders!

Ethan and Dylan started 2nd grade yesterday. This year they are in the same school and the same classroom and they are sitting in desks now. They are getting so big.
I was really nervous for Dylan. He has been in a completely different classroom environment up until now. And this is all such a big change for him. Plus, even though the seizures seemed to have all but stopped, his behavior problems have not. I guess he caused quite a stir in the classroom today and Ethan fed on Dylan's behavior and acted up, too. The teacher knows Ethan from last year and she was really suprised at the way he acted. I hope Dylan gets into the routine. He looked absolutely stunned when he walked into that classroom. I really feel for him. So keep them both in your thoughts, please. I would really appreciate it.

til later....

News

My mom is doing ok after her hip surgery. She did need a couple transfusions before they moved her to PA Peterson and that delayed her move by one day. She has physical therapy everyday, but is not sleeping well due to the foam wedge they have between her legs at night. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks!

We took Dylan to a neurologist Monday. She is not a ped neuro but she can see children. Anyway, it is her opinion that Dylan is not having petit mal seizures but partial complex seizures (I think I got the name right). I guess with petit mal, most kids are only out a second or two and then continue with what they were doing with no confusion or memory of anything happening. Dylan has been just spacing out for much longer than a second or two. He is confused and upset when he comes out of it and he sleeps for a long time which is another symptom of partial complex and not petit mal. She wants him to see a ped neuro from Children's Hosp in Oakland, especially because Dylan's language and comprehension skills regress during this time. I have no idea how long the referral will take. They were supposed to send it in this afternoon. Again, I'll keep you posted.

The new school year is looming in front of us. I register the boys on the 22nd and they start school on the 29th. I have asked the teacher if we can meet with her before school starts. Ethan has met her before but Dylan hasn't. Plus Dylan will be changing schools so I want to get pictures to do a social story for him. I hope it works out for both of them to be in the same classroom. Ethan is so eager to jump in and answer questions for Dylan. We are meeting with the SD 30 days after school starts to review the placement.

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print.

til later....

It Finally Happened...

Ethan finally lost his cracked, black front tooth! Well, he didn't really "lose" it. More like he pulled and twisted and yanked while it bled all over the place and came out. I am so happy to see (or not see) that thing gone. And I'm so glad he won't have to be put under and have it pulled. Yippee!

That's the good news. The bad news is that Dylan started having petit mal seizures again. They started before summer school ended. We noticed the unusual behaviors about the same time his teacher and his behaviorist did. Almost the same time as last year. We've been to the pediatrician and his psychiatrist who monitors his meds. And we are still trying to get him into the neurologist. It takes so long to get to see one. There just aren't that many pediatric neurologists, Stanford and Children's Hospital are the closest, but that doesn't mean you get in to see them quickly, even though Children's has a satellite office in Pleasanton. We'll keep you posted.

Just got a phone call from Lou that my mom came through her hip replacement surgery very well. The doc was pleased with how things went. No excess bleeding, no transfusion needed. She was still in recovery when we talked, but she will be at OSF for the next 3 days and then will move to PA Peterson for recovery and therapy. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She made it through the surgery, but has a long road of recovery ahead of her. Thanks!

Well, that's about all the news from here.

til later...

Ok, so it's been a month...

... we're still here in hot, dry northern California - yesterday it was 107 at 5 pm. S'posed to be 113 today. Too hot to even put the boys in the pool. We're all just hanging out in the warm house not wanting to move much, even with air conditioning. Everyone warned us that San Francisco was so cold, but no one told us that just a few miles inland was like the Sahara Desert in summer!

The good news is that the boys started their dance class a couple weeks ago. I haven't actually stayed to watched them in the classroom. I've been good and stayed in the waiting area with the rest of the moms. This is Ethan and Dylan's time plus I want them to get used to the teacher and the other kids before I observe. Even when I stand in the doorway, Dylan keeps turning around to see what I'm doing. They have a lot of gymnastic equipment in the room every week. And the boys are always the last ones to leave, so I'm pretty sure they like it. As soon as I can, I will get in and get pictures.

Tod and I went into the city to see the "Monet in Normandy" exhibit last Sunday. It would have been a really nice day except that the SF bus system is a mess and it took us 2 hours to get to the other side of town where the exhibit was. It was really an ok show... lots of ocean and boat scenes obviously since he was in Normandy. But the huge water lily paintings took your breathe away, literally. We found some kids books on Monet for the boys and Monet finger puppets, which were too funny!
Well, I need to go, I'm breaking a sweat typing so much.

til later....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, TOD

Rita Rudner used to tell a joke about dating men, " Is this the man I want my children to spend every other weekend with?". A funny, but cynical look at dating and marriage, it was actually a criteria for me as well. Not that I expected to divorce any one I married, but more, would this man be good to our children, if we had any? Would he be responsible, committed and loyal. Life is uncertain, we could get divorced or I could die. I would want to know that the father of my children would be there for them no matter what the circumstances. And even if we didn't have children, this was my standard for a husband.

I married Tod because he was the kind of man I would want to spend every other weekend with my children, (it didn't hurt that he was funny, handsome and smart). And didn't disappoint me. He spent three months of sleepless nights walking the floors trying to calm colicky twins. And then got up and when into work the next morning. He sat with me and listened to the results of the testing by Early Intervention agency when we found that the boys were speech delayed and possibly had Sensory Integration Dysfunction. He took off work to take the boys to developmental play group. He went to the parents' group even though he was usually the only dad. Tod was a dad who was involved in his children's lives and our children's lives totally took over ours.

Then the real bomb hit. The diagnosis. What Tod calls the worst day of his life. "Your sons have autism," the developmental pediatrician said, "but don't worry, you won't be changing diapers all your life, when they are older they will be institutionalized. Sorry it wasn't better news." The doctor shook Tod's hand, headed for the door and took all Tod's dreams for his boys with him. At that moment our sons' future was snatched from their hands. It was devastating. It felt as if all hope was lost and any chance of a "normal" relationship with our sons was gone. It was hard for Tod to accept, just as it would be for any father.

Any yet, Tod kept going and keeps going. He has always gone to every doctor appointment, every school meeting. After a stressful day at work, he comes home tired and hungry. But Ethan grabs one hand and Dylan grabs the other, "camping!", "parachute!", and off he goes. It's usually after 8 before he gets to sit down and relax or eat something. Tod wrestles with them, gets up in the night with them, takes them to the park. He tries not to be embarrassed when one of them melts down in the store or can't answer the little boy at McDonald's who asks innocently, "what's your name?". Tod makes their lunch for school every morning and tucks them into bed every night. I'm not saying Tod is perfect. It is often very difficult to keep your composure or find the energy or the patience or even the hope to get through the day or not give up completely - for both of us. But Tod has been there for Ethan and Dylan no matter what. And they know it. They miss him when he's gone, fight to sit on his lap. It's always dad thy want to camp with and play tag with, read to and put them to bed. And when Tod works really late, Ethan sends him emails like, "daddy, Ethan Dylan"

The circumstances of our life are often worse than divorce or even death. But Tod has been loyal, responsible and committed to Ethan and Dylan no matter what. His love for them shows in everything he does -24/7 - every, waking, sleeping, frustrated, delighted, stressful, proud, exhausted, worried, amused, hopeful second of the day. And he's still handsome, funny and smart!!

Chugga Chugga! WOO WOO

Last Sunday (even though Tod had scads of work to do) we took the boys to teeny, tiny Sunol so they could ride the Niles Canyon Train to Fremont. It was about a half hour one way. Not exactly Thomas the Tank Engine, but the boys loved it! The engineer punched our tickets and we got to move from car to car - it didn't go very fast on the way there. Some of the cars were open, but we stayed in the enclosed one, just to be safe. The boys liked it just the same. Afterwards we got t-shirts and train cars from the teeny, tiny gift shop. It was a great morning.

We heard about another train that goes through the Redwoods and ends at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. It's supposed to be a gorgeous ride and of course, Santa Cruz is beautiful. The ride one way is over 2 hours, though, so we're not sure if that might be just a little too long for our antsy engineers, seeing as they got a little bored by the end of the trip.

til later....

Hair Today....

Hot, dry summer days are on their way. Some have made it here already. So it's off to "Cool Tops Hair Salon for Kids" to ease the heat a little for the season. Personally, I prefer men with long hair, but they are darn cute anyway, aren't they?

Tod arrived safely from Mexico with even more work to do when he got home.

There are only 2 weeks left of school, so say a prayer for us all. I have registration forms for swimming and dance for the boys - just trying to work out the schedules (hmmm--should we dance before mom's breakdown or after? ;-)

til later......

Big Day

A big day today.... the boys got their first library cards! I was so excited for them, they love books. Do you know at Easter, when they got their baskets they sat down and read their books before they even looked at what else they got! I had to get pictures of such a momentous occasion. They each signed their own cards (with help from dad). Since it was Memorial Day weekend there was a band playing Big Band music (so much for the quiet library I kept preparing them for). Ethan and Dylan amused themselves by dancing together while the paper work was being processed for their cards. And when the band played "our" song (Tod's and mine), I danced with Tod in the children's section. Of course, he didn't even notice the song.
Ethan and Dylan loved looking at all the books. But they didn't quite get that they could take them home at first. They would read them and then put them back. We finally got a stack of books and then went over to the video section. Again, they didn't quite get it. They would find one video they liked and take it but as soon as they saw another one they liked better, they put the first one back. We did end up with a nice selection of videos, too. They liked taking their cards out of their pockets to check out the books and they each read all the way home. It really was a nice experience for them and it was one of the best Sundays for me. Tod leaves tomorrow at 5 am for Mexico, so this also gives them lots to keep them busy.

Have a good Memorial Day.

til later.....

A Cute Ethan Story

This morning at 6:30, the boys and I were sitting on the couch trying the new candy coated Hershey's Kisses. Dylan didn't like them much, but Ethan gobbled them up. When they were gone he asked for "more gum drops??" Even though I thought he was so cute, I wasn't planning on either of us eating anymore. "These aren't gum drops, honey", I said, "these are Hershey's Kisses". So he leaned over and kissed me! "More gum drops?" Needless to say, he got more gum drops.

til later....

It's August Already!??

It's the middle of May and already the boys have farmer tans from playing outside every waking hour they are not in school. The temps are in the upper 80's and the grass is starting to turn brown on Pleasanton Ridge.
The boys both had their musicals at their schools. Neither of them sang much but both had their own dance moves! We're still working on finding a place they can get dance lessons. This summer they are taking swimming lessons from the local park district. They offer "Adapted Aquatics" for kids with disabilities. They will teach 1:1 at whatever level the kids are at so we will probably work on what to if you fall in the water. More of a water survival/safety than speed for now.
We took the boys to Ethan's school Fun Fair last Friday. Ethan walked around like he owned the place. Several pretty little girls came up to say Hi to him and one even gave him and Dylan free rides on the bouncy slide. Ethan and Dylan won prizes at the games and really had a good time. It was also a great opportunity to learn about waiting in line ;-)
We got a used patio table for our porch from Craigslist. We didn't want to spend a lot and we didn't want something so light that the boys could drag it around the yard. Tod and I really enjoy eating out there, but it's hard to keep the boys seated at the table!
I had a very nice Mother's Day. I stayed in my PJ's and had Starbucks and Krispy Kreme for breakfast....yummy! The day before, Tod planted some flowers for me in the front yard and the boys and I planted zinnea seeds in the back yard. They come up so fast and make beautiful cutting gardens.
Tod is totally frustrated with his job. He has to travel to Mexico over Memorial weekend. He's tired of spending time away from home. When he is home, the boys just cling to him. One pulls one arm and the other pulls the other as soon as he walks in the door. He tries to work over the week end and they grab his hand off the computer mouse. It's really tearing Tod up.
Well, It's friday now. The boys got sick and I never got back to finish this until now. They are back at school today and I have what they had. The weather has also turned cooler and we might even have rain tonight. My zinneas are coming up, though!
Sunday, we are going to the first get together of a parent support group I and another parent have been trying to put together. We have set up a table at the Farmer's Market downtown passing out flyers about the group. It's an online support group for parents of kids with Special Needs in Pleasanton. We're also going to try to have activities for parents and families. I met some really nice people at the Farmer's Market. It's so hard to meet people in a new place.

til later....

SMILE!

Dylan's smile is a little different these days. It makes me grin every time I see it.
Otherwise, we're all just plugging along. Getting through the days. Really looking forward to our company at the end of the month.
til later...

DinoRific

We took the boys to Berekeley University over the week end to see the dinosaur bones. They were pretty amazing and the boys really liked getting out and doing something. In fact Dylan liked it so much that he bolted on us 3 different times. He must really have been stir crazy. We're starting to get back into our "normal" routine, so I guess that's a good thing. not much else going on.
til later.....

Back in the Saddle Again

Hello. It's been a long time.
For those of you wondering, my surgery went well and I am on my way to a complete recovery, sans uterous of course! Jeni flying out here to help out was a godsend. She truly is our angel. We're trying to talk her into moving out this way.
My second mammography and ultra sound also held good news as they believe it is just a cyst and I don't have to go back until June.
Tod got a promotion and an office when he got back from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The only problem is they didn't give him a raise. He's got a lot of work and is under even more stress.
The boys have a playdate now every Tuesday after school with a little boy named Cailin. He doesn't have as much language as Ethan and Dylan, but he is such a sweet little boy, not bulldozers like our boys!! We also signed the boys up for baseball. They start March 19, every Sunday. It's a league for kids with disabilities and they play other teams in the area. Ethan and Dylan will be Pleasanton Pirates!
Tim and Maggie will be coming for a visit towards the end of March. We are all looking forward to that. My parents were going to come for a visit the end of April, but that doesn't seem to be working out. Just to remind you, we do have a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house and one of the bedrooms is set up as a guest room.
Well that's about all I can think of.
til later....