Jason's Latest Art Project

 We got a huge box of diapers in the mail, so I thought Jason might like to draw on it instead of the floors and the walls.

Patience

Today in Sacrament meeting, the talks were about enduring to the end.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm enduring to the end...the end of the day when I can climb in my covers and go to sleep and just get a break from it all.  But then there are the moments that make up for being overwhelmed, etc.  The times when my babies help me see a little bit of the love Heavenly Father has for me through their beautiful spirits and the unconditional love they send my way...even when I'm ornery or in my own world.
Coincidentally, in Sunday School we learned about our roles as parents, and I was reminded of when Garrett was born and I was no longer just responsible for myself, but I had this beautiful child who was dependent on me for everything.  This was when I realized that I had a purpose in life.  This is when I realized that my life had meaning and that there was more to life than just progressing on my own.  My children are my textbook, and they help me to learn who I am and what I can become.
The Relief Society Lesson today was on Patience.  It's funny because I've had so many people tell me how patient I am, and the fact is that I just have to be.  I had to learn to be that way.  It was an evolution.  If I wanted to survive, then I needed to adapt.  And patience is the very definition of my life in so many ways.  I have to be patient and realize that my children learn things in a different way than I do or other children.  I have to be patient when they don't understand what I want from them or when they repeat the same mistake over and over.  I have to be patient and realize that potty training really doesn't happen in a day at my house, it happens in years...and I have to be patient that it really will happen some day.  I have to be patient when we start on different therapies, etc., and I want to see the results right away.  The truth is that they come, but they come in their own time and with hard work.  When they do come, the satisfaction is so much greater because it was so much harder to get there.  But the biggest thing I have to be patient in is getting to know my children and who they really are underneath the shell that is called autism.  I have to be patient and know that, if I live right, then one day I will be able to know my children in their perfect state, and that is what helps me through and gives me the patience to just keep going and enjoy the blessings that God bestowed on me in my amazing children.

Fun at Home

So here's a little synopsis of what the kids have been up to, aside from wreaking havoc, school or their various therapies:

Jason's quite the techie.  He's got my itouch down pat, and knows how to maneuver through it to get to the games he likes. 

Of course Garrett and Jason totally love their bubble baths.  For some reason Caiti is hating baths right now.  I don't know what happened there.  I love seeing Garrett when he's trying to look like Santa in the bubble bath.  :)

 Caiti is never without one of her "friends."  It's always fun to watch her make them talk to each other.  I especially love her Grover voice.  Ha ha.  She also uses that voice for her dinosaur toys. 

 The newest addition at our house is the swing set we inherited from friends in our ward who moved.  That makes for hours of fun and less trouble making inside. 

 And last but not least, Caiti is very good at playing dress up.  She is such a girl in that way and loves to try on my clothes or put on hats or sunglasses and make faces in the mirror.  She's a cutie.

How to Know Caiti Lives Here

One of the cutest things about Caiti's autism/personality is how she lines up her toys.  They are her best friends, and she leaves a trail of friends throughout the house.  Here are just a few examples.  It always makes me smile to see them. 

Fun with Jason

I think one of the very best things about Garrett and Caiti being in school is that I get to spend some one-on-one time with my little buddy Jason.  Today, he was feeling a lot better than he did last week, so I decided we could venture out and explore the neighborhood a little.  I took him to the park across the street from our house first. 

 Jason was so excited to go all by himself...if you couldn't tell, he's doing his happy dance in this picture.

He loved watching the other kids there who were playing they were super heroes.  They were really nice to him and thought he was cute when he would try to run around with them.

He loved going on the slide with mommy.  We even attempted to get a self portrait while going on the slide.

The playground was a great place to practice going up and down steps.  It definitely has been a long time since I took Jason to the park because the last time he was here he could barely do the steps.

We felt a little overwhelmed by the other kids...or maybe I should say I felt a little overwhelmed by the other kids, so we decided to try out the park a little ways down the street.

 So independent!

Our shadows came too.

 Jason thought it was so fun to run away from mommy, but there was a scary pitbul right behind that fence that kept trying to jump over it and get my little man.

 So overprotective mommy decided it was time to go home and eat lunch and have a nap.

Email from Teacher on 1st Day of School

Hi Christine,

Your children had an awesome day today.  First off I want to apologize for the fingerpaint I am sure you noticed on various pieces of clothing and body parts (yes it is washable!) Caiti started off doing great using the finger paint appropriately and loving it (see attached picture) then Garrett approached and joined the group and immediately put it on his face and in his hair.  Well as the saying goes "Monkey see, monkey do"  It was everywhere.  We had a lot of fun but made a big huge mess.  I don't know what I was thinking when I planned finger paint for the first day of school.  Haha.

I have a couple of questions...

How does Caiti usually do with her bathroom routine.  Today she was a little resistive to going into the bathroom & sitting but not sure if this is because she wanted to go swing/ play or because it was a new bathroom/ people or if she is typically resistive to this task.  We basically just had her sit while slowly counting/ clapping to 20.  She did NOT like the hand dryer. 

After lunch they both were extremely tired (especially Caiti).  She fell asleep for about 15 minutes which I usually do not allow them to do but she really could not keep her eyes opened.  She was pretty upset when she woke up and was not at home.  I know that you have mentioned that Garrett has trouble sleeping at night sometimes.  Does Caiti have trouble sleeping also?  When she is that tired do you prefer me to let her sleep for a short period or push her to stay awake?  I just don't want to throw off your sleep routines at home.

I think that's all.  Overall they both had a very good day!

Kristin Zavala Miller Elementary School

First Day of School 2010 (YAY!)

Today was the happiest day ever.  Ha ha.  J/K.  Today I got to get Garrett and Caiti up and ready for their first day of school.  Last night I had Kevin choose their first day of school outfits.  I thought he did a good job.  :)

I love this pic of Garrett.  He's SOOO happy and excited.  He was bored waiting for the bus and kept telling me, "I want...school."  So, finally we decided we'd had enough of waiting inside, so we went outside to wait.

This year Garrett and Caiti are in the same class.  It is a special day class.  I didn't realize that Garrett's teacher taught the special day class for both kindergarten and first grade.  So, she will get to know my kids very well. 

And here is a picture of every mother's proud moment.  My baby Caiti is going to her first day of kindergarten.  Gulp.  :)

Now, I'm off to spend a whole lot of quality, one-on-one time with my cute little Jason.  :)

Proof Kevin and I Actually Went on a Date

Michelle was so nice on Sunday, and she came over to give Kevin and I a little break from the kids and some time to be together.  We ended up taking a nice walk on the beach at La Jolla.  It wasn't the most original idea, since everyone on the planet was there too, but it was fun to get out and do something with my honey.

We felt pretty cool to get this pic by the life guard truck.  :)

Don't I have a sexy husband!

Dates are fun.  We need to go on more of them!

Flying Home.

Our trip was over, and we survived, thanks to the support of family and friends.  I was very proud of my kids and myself for doing something fun and not letting their disabilities hold us back.  I owe them that much and myself that much.  My kids were very cute on the plane and very excited when we landed and were able to see daddy.  :)

The Rest of Our Indy Trip

We had a great time the rest of the trip.  We were able to spend our entire fifth day with the Enz family.  It was a busy day for them because they were getting ready to go back to school.  I loved seeing them, especially since they were always our good buddies when we lived there.  Garrett loved staying at their house and escaping outside.  We'd freak out until we realized he always went straight to the swings.  :)  I was so grateful for their hospitality while we were in town.  They always have helped me to feel welcome and not worry about inconveniencing them or stressing them out too much with the differences my family can bring.  That is something I will always appreciate.

Day 5 of the trip I had the privilege of going on a Daddy/Daughter date.  I always wanted to tour the Indianapolis Museum of Art with my daddy, and I was lucky enough to get that chance.  We saw some really cool paintings, including my dad's favorite era, the Impressionist Era.  It was pretty neat to understand where his influences came from after looking at that painting.  It was also very fun for me to see the paintings by the local artists there in Indiana, and also to see the display of fashion history.  I loved spending that time with my daddy and getting a tour from a real artist/art expert.
I was very grateful to my mom and Nicole for watching the kids while we were gone.  They had so much fun playing in the sprinklers in the backyard, etc.  We, of course, had to take the opportunity to take a few pictures:

I was sad to say goodbye, but I ended up seeing mom and Nicole again during my visit to my good friends, Adam and Elizabeth Scott, because the van died...and we couldn't figure out why...but then we jumped it, and it was fine.  I loved visiting with Adam and Elizabeth and seeing their adorable twins.  They have always been such good friends to my family.  I was sad our visit was only for half an hour.
We then were able to have dinner with our good friend Sheila.  She was both Garrett and Caiti's developmental therapist when we lived in Indiana, and we all adored her and enjoyed having her in our lives.   You can tell from these pics that Garrett and Sheila's bond was still there, even after a couple of years.  :)

I sure enjoyed catching up with Sheila and her husband.  However, that visit was also way too short.  :(

We then headed back to Marie's house where we were going to spend the night.  It was nice because all the Roach family was there for a visit.  I loved to see all of them and just catch up.  It was neat to see Kim in her scrubs and working, since I remember when she just started going back to college.  I loved seeing my very cute but grown-up nieces and nephews and enjoyed seeing everyone interacting and playing with my kids.  I love the family that I was lucky enough to marry into.