I have debated putting this on here, but here we go: Beckett has Asperger's, a high functioning form of Autism. We found out this spring/summer. His preschool teachers told us that they had noticed some things that he did at school that were characteristic of Asperger's, but they didn't know for sure. They suggested we have the school district's Early Intervention program test him. It took 3 different testing sessions. The first one was just standard testing to make sure he was on track for where he should be developmentally, and if there were any red flags, we would proceed from there. He was average for his age, but there were some Autism flags that showed up. They were things that I had just thought were unique, Beckett characteristics (him running place for a second or two before taking off), not symptoms of something else. When I got home from that first day of testing, I just bawled on my mom's shoulder. It was a hard pill to swallow. After I got my breath back, we sat down and talked it out some. I started to realize what a blessing it is to now know why he wont eat many foods, why he throws fits about stuff that make no sense, why he has a complete meltdown in loud, public places. Things that made no sense before now had a reason. It was, and still is, hard to think of my baby as having a problem, but at least now I can find ways to help him cope with it, and the rest of us as well.
The second day of testing was a month later and was mostly just me answering like 300 questions. I don't think I am exaggerating much (Beckett's principal gave me a fist bump when he heard I did that test to tell me that I was a trouper for doing it). They asked me stuff that I had no idea about, like does he use the word "between". I don't know. How am I supposed to know that? Who pays attention to that kind of stuff to begin with? Maybe better parents than me, which probably isn't hard to be. I also had to give his preschool teachers their own bazillion questions to fill out and return to the psychologist.
After all of those questions, they totaled all of the answers up and decided that he needed further examining, so they called me back to do a 3rd round of testing that involved the psychologist playing with him directly, while another psychologist watched and observed. I was in the room watching as well. I noticed things I had never noticed before. When the psychologist would ask Beckett questions directly about him, (i.e. What's your favorite toy?) he would completely ignore her, as if she hadn't said a thing. He just kept playing. When she asked questions that involved other people, (i.e. What do you like to do with your family?) he would respond most of the time. When asked to explain how to do things, like wash your face, he again acted like she didn't say anything. All of this reminded me of when Anabelle was born. He acted like she wasn't there. Not like how other kids that resent their new siblings do, but as if she really didn't exist. If I were nursing her, he would sit on my lap as if there was nothing there. He wouldn't sit on her or stuff like that, he just didn't see her as there. It's hard to explain. This realization was actually relieving to me. I had been feeling like maybe he wasn't born with it and that maybe I had failed him as a mother. I haven't been one to push learning. I didn't sit down and have school time each day, or take him on field trips, or any of the other stuff that other moms seem to do to help their kids develop properly. I started going to story time when Beckett was over 3 1/2, and only because I had become a hermit due to my depression and I had to force myself to leave my house at least once a week. I never did craft projects with my kids, only once in a great while. I have never had a set schedule. Every day is a "get dressed when you want" kind of day. I was afraid that all these things that I didn't do, that every other mom seemed to know how to do, was the cause of his Autism. But realizing that he had it all along, helped me realize that maybe I wasn't such a screw-up after all. Yes, I could have done all of those things, but it wouldn't have changed that he has Asperger's.
About a month after all of the testing, we met with the psychologist again and someone from the district to talk about where he fit on the Autism spectrum. He is actually high functioning for Asperger's, which is already high functioning for Autism. So that means that really no one would know that he has Asperger's, unless they knew what to look for. He could lead a pretty normal life, especially with training on how to manage the symptoms of Autism that he does have. That was a great relief to us to know that he can live a fulfilling life and wouldn't need to be dependent on us because of his Autism. They also said he will probably be an engineer of some kind and that he will make more money than anyone in that room. I was pretty excited to know that we could be dependent on him to pay for our retirement. :)
*I want to add a note here that we have decided not to tell other children, like cousins and friends, about his Asperger's, because they don't need to know, unless something serious happens and it needs to be explained. He isn't that different and knowing might cause them to treat him differently. So to any family members and friends that read this (all 3 of you), please don't say anything to your children about his Asperger's. We would greatly appreciate it.*
I guess I am telling everyone about this more as a form of therapy, getting it out there and out of me. For the most part, it really hasn't been too hard to handle, but there definitely are days that are difficult. I also wanted to say something on here because in some of the updates I have been putting off, I can say more things that I want to say about them, specifically our Lake Powell trip and Beckett's school experiences. You wouldn't quite understand why it is such a big deal that he rode in the speedboat without a complete meltdown, if you didn't know that loud noises really upset him. He did melt, but not completely. I want to be able to share the times that he makes big advances and have others to share in my joys. I might whine a little on here too. I'll try not to do it much though, because no one wants to read my depressing ramblings for very long. I can guarantee that.
One last thing I want to say is that since finding out and then sharing this with others, I have felt an overwhelming feeling of love and support from lots of different people. People have given me advice or talked to someone they know that works with Autistic children and gotten advice or their phone numbers for me. They have let me just talk about it as I am still processing everything about it. I haven't felt like anybody is treating me or Beckett differently because he is Autistic. In some of the reading I have found, a support group is essential for parents of Autistic children, and I am so lucky to have already started to find so many willing to stand up and help us out. We have been truly blessed to have you all in our lives.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Givaway!!
Livia is hosting another givaway on her blog. It is a free download of My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Suite. She got to try it out for free, lucky girl. Head on over to her blog and find out how her scrapbooking turned out. She said it is saved as a jpeg file, so it is easy to transfer to blogs and emails. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. Entering is super easy - just go to the My Memories and look at the dollar store and then comment on Liv's blog about which one is your favorite.Go check it out.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Move over, Jane Fonda!
She's got moves...and she knows how to use them.
I still giggle every time I see the end of this video. He cracks me up. In case you couldn't tell what Anabelle was asking me when she patted the ground next to her, she wanted me to come and do exercises with her. That girl loves to exercise. I just might be able to loose all this excess weight if I would follow her regiment.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Chips
Today, we were at my parent's house. Beckett wanted a snack and so he got out some potato chips. My dad helped him put them onto a plate and then gave it to him. Beckett said, "Thanks for the Tomato chips."
I love that kid!
I love that kid!
Friday, August 19, 2011
June
Now on to June. It was pretty quiet for the most part. The kids must have really liked the zoo in Omaha, because when we got back, they busted out the animal dress-ups, which I can't believe still fit Beckett.
We also made some animal costumes out of brown paper bags. Here is an elephant.
That tail doubled as his trunk. I have a picture of him walking as an elephant, but it is far too blurry. I don't remember what animal Belle made all by herself with her paper bag.
I'm thinking a squid or octopus? You decide.
About half way through the month, a friend in our ward asked if I could watch her daughter one morning. the little girls name is Paige, and she is the same age as Anabelle and are good friends in nursery. Paige had to go potty while she was at our house. So, I went to help her and Belle followed. She saw Paige pee on the toilet and immediately went and put on underwear and hasn't worn a diaper since, except for a couple weeks at night she wore pull-ups, but were done away with because she said she didn't need them. So far she has been right. We offered to buy Paige a pony, but her parents said that that wasn't necessary. I beg to differ. I haven't had to change any diapers in 2 months! That is easily worth a pony to me. Do you know how nice it has been to not lug a diaper bag everywhere I go? I just grab my purse with extra undies and clothes and we are set. I realize that will all change when we have another kid (someday in the future, not announcing anything), but for right now, I am enjoying the freedom. Here is a cute picture of the kids in there undies eating a popcicle under the table:
Father's day was nice. I attempted my first homemade cinnamon rolls for Matt. It was his mom's recipe and one of his favorites. I was so proud of my dough rising I had to snap a picture of it.
I should have snapped a picture of the finished product, but we had to hurry to a family dinner and I was taking those with us. They looked gorgeous, but I don't think I put enough cinnamon and sugar inside. They weren't gooey enough in the middle. I have attempted it a second time, but that one didn't turn out as well. I guess I am just going to have to keep making cinnamon rolls until I get it right. Anyone want to be my taste testers?
Beckett turned 5 in June. Most years, his birthday has been pretty quiet. Mostly just our little family, and maybe a few other family members are there for cake and ice cream. But this year we decided to have a real party. A few days before, we called and invited friends and family to the celebration. It was really fun. More than we have ever done, that is for sure, but a lot of fun.
We started the day off with trying to catch a train. Beckett's preschool, Preschool Express, is train themed, so every year they have a little train that is in the South Ogden parade and they invite their students to ride on it. We thought Beckett would love it. So we worked hard to get out of the house as quickly as we could to get on the train at 9 (we don't get up at our house until 8 usually). We made it, but the train broke down and there would be no train the parade this year. We were bummed. Beckett was bummed, until Matt said he would take him to the train museum to make up for it. Then all he wanted to do was get out of there. Unfortunately, we had to wait for the parade to pass by. That was a long wait for a boy that wanted to go see some trains. He didn't even want to go get some of the salt water taffy they were throwing at the crowd. Luckily, South Ogden doesn't have a lot in their parade, so we were able to get out of there quickly. Matt dropped me off at our house so I could decorate Beckett's cake, while he took the kids to the train museum. They had a great time. They also rode on the front runner, to Clearfield and back, but hey, that was a train ride.
When they got back, the cake was done and we left to meet up with people at the Hill Air Force Museum. It was free and something that would be fun for all the kids, plus we had never been there. It was so cool! The kids loved it.
All the kids that came:
After that picture, Van leaned over and put his arm around Ally, who he had just met not more than 5 min. earlier. Van's got the moves. He is quite the player.
The kids had a great time, but I think the dads had a better time. They were more like kids than the kids were. It was funny. I think every boy has a dream to be a pilot at some point in their life.
They had on display this huge helicopter:
It was massive. The picture definitely doesn't do it justice. I think they are used to transport Navy Seals. So cool.
Here some more cute pics of our time at the museum:
After that, the party moved to our house. More people joined us there. We had cake and ice cream and opened presents, your standard gig. Beckett had a ball. He loved being the center of attention. He had started to unwrap one of his presents, a train, before we left for the Plane Museum, and then was very upset that we took it away. When we got home, he wanted to finish opening that present. He had a very difficult time waiting for all of the guests to arrive so he could finish what he had started.
He was so excited once he got it all opened. He has wanted James for a long time. He also got some more tracks and freight cars to go with his new train, lots of bubbles, books, a big bouncy ball, a big stuffed thomas, otter pops, and some little animals that came with a tent and fake fire for roasting marshmallows. There might be more than that, but I honestly can't remember.
After that, it was cake time. I have to say, I am very proud of how this cake turned out. That is two for two this year. (Any ideas for Matt's?)
I can't take credit for coming up with all of these ideas on my own. Ana suggested using a jelly roll for Thomas's tank. That suggestion made the whole cake. Someone else suggested using an ice cream cone for his funnel. Another freezing the cake so it is easier to decorate. I came up with the idea to use disposable bread pans for the cars and the cab on Thomas.
I could tell Beckett wanted this cake to be pretty accurate, so I really tried to make it as close to Thomas and his coaches as I could. I even put faces on Annie and Clarabell, Thomas's coaches. I also had left over cake from making the cab, so I decided to make a coal car. Unfortunately they didn't all fit lined up on the board, so I had to make it look like a car off to the side. Beckett loved it and noticed every little detail I put into it.
It was an awesome birthday and we were so glad to finally share it with friends and family. Thank you to everyone that came, last minute invite and all.
It is crazy to think that 5 whole years have gone by since he was born. I have been thinking about his birth lately and some things about him as he has been growing up. He is such a sweet, tender-hearted boy. He loves to cuddle and snuggle with just about anyone he feels comfortable with. He loves to laugh and make you laugh. He loves to have his back scratched. He loves to feel other people's silky clothes, but wont wear any himself. He loves to be in just his underwear, even in the winter. He loves me with all his heart. No matter how bad of a mom I can be, he still loves me and will give me the biggest hugs and tons of kisses. He is bright and can read about 10 or more words already. He is starting Kindergarten this year and I am so nervous. I hope he does well and has a great time. I know it is only Kindergarten, but it is the beginning of sending him out into the world on his own. It is the start of his journey in life to be more independent. It is a letting go, and I think I will have just as hard of a time leaving him in that classroom on the first day as he will letting me leave him. Don't get me wrong. I am already planning what I am going to do with only one child in the house with me for half the day, but it will be hard to let someone else have responsibility for him and watch out for him and make sure he is okay. I love that little guy and don't want him to grow up for a little bit longer. I have never really thought time went fast with my kids, but now that I am here at this point, I realize that he isn't going to be my little snuggle bug for much longer. He will one day stop climbing into bed with me in the mornings and snuggling for a little while before we get up and start the day, and my heart hurts a little just thinking of it. I love that little guy and he has been such a joy in our family and we would not be the same without him.
We also made some animal costumes out of brown paper bags. Here is an elephant.
That tail doubled as his trunk. I have a picture of him walking as an elephant, but it is far too blurry. I don't remember what animal Belle made all by herself with her paper bag.
I'm thinking a squid or octopus? You decide.
About half way through the month, a friend in our ward asked if I could watch her daughter one morning. the little girls name is Paige, and she is the same age as Anabelle and are good friends in nursery. Paige had to go potty while she was at our house. So, I went to help her and Belle followed. She saw Paige pee on the toilet and immediately went and put on underwear and hasn't worn a diaper since, except for a couple weeks at night she wore pull-ups, but were done away with because she said she didn't need them. So far she has been right. We offered to buy Paige a pony, but her parents said that that wasn't necessary. I beg to differ. I haven't had to change any diapers in 2 months! That is easily worth a pony to me. Do you know how nice it has been to not lug a diaper bag everywhere I go? I just grab my purse with extra undies and clothes and we are set. I realize that will all change when we have another kid (someday in the future, not announcing anything), but for right now, I am enjoying the freedom. Here is a cute picture of the kids in there undies eating a popcicle under the table:
Father's day was nice. I attempted my first homemade cinnamon rolls for Matt. It was his mom's recipe and one of his favorites. I was so proud of my dough rising I had to snap a picture of it.
I should have snapped a picture of the finished product, but we had to hurry to a family dinner and I was taking those with us. They looked gorgeous, but I don't think I put enough cinnamon and sugar inside. They weren't gooey enough in the middle. I have attempted it a second time, but that one didn't turn out as well. I guess I am just going to have to keep making cinnamon rolls until I get it right. Anyone want to be my taste testers?
Beckett turned 5 in June. Most years, his birthday has been pretty quiet. Mostly just our little family, and maybe a few other family members are there for cake and ice cream. But this year we decided to have a real party. A few days before, we called and invited friends and family to the celebration. It was really fun. More than we have ever done, that is for sure, but a lot of fun.
We started the day off with trying to catch a train. Beckett's preschool, Preschool Express, is train themed, so every year they have a little train that is in the South Ogden parade and they invite their students to ride on it. We thought Beckett would love it. So we worked hard to get out of the house as quickly as we could to get on the train at 9 (we don't get up at our house until 8 usually). We made it, but the train broke down and there would be no train the parade this year. We were bummed. Beckett was bummed, until Matt said he would take him to the train museum to make up for it. Then all he wanted to do was get out of there. Unfortunately, we had to wait for the parade to pass by. That was a long wait for a boy that wanted to go see some trains. He didn't even want to go get some of the salt water taffy they were throwing at the crowd. Luckily, South Ogden doesn't have a lot in their parade, so we were able to get out of there quickly. Matt dropped me off at our house so I could decorate Beckett's cake, while he took the kids to the train museum. They had a great time. They also rode on the front runner, to Clearfield and back, but hey, that was a train ride.
When they got back, the cake was done and we left to meet up with people at the Hill Air Force Museum. It was free and something that would be fun for all the kids, plus we had never been there. It was so cool! The kids loved it.
All the kids that came:
After that picture, Van leaned over and put his arm around Ally, who he had just met not more than 5 min. earlier. Van's got the moves. He is quite the player.
The kids had a great time, but I think the dads had a better time. They were more like kids than the kids were. It was funny. I think every boy has a dream to be a pilot at some point in their life.
They had on display this huge helicopter:
It was massive. The picture definitely doesn't do it justice. I think they are used to transport Navy Seals. So cool.
Here some more cute pics of our time at the museum:
 |
| I love Beckett's face in this picture and that there is a little hand reaching for that nob. |
After that, the party moved to our house. More people joined us there. We had cake and ice cream and opened presents, your standard gig. Beckett had a ball. He loved being the center of attention. He had started to unwrap one of his presents, a train, before we left for the Plane Museum, and then was very upset that we took it away. When we got home, he wanted to finish opening that present. He had a very difficult time waiting for all of the guests to arrive so he could finish what he had started.
He was so excited once he got it all opened. He has wanted James for a long time. He also got some more tracks and freight cars to go with his new train, lots of bubbles, books, a big bouncy ball, a big stuffed thomas, otter pops, and some little animals that came with a tent and fake fire for roasting marshmallows. There might be more than that, but I honestly can't remember.
After that, it was cake time. I have to say, I am very proud of how this cake turned out. That is two for two this year. (Any ideas for Matt's?)
I can't take credit for coming up with all of these ideas on my own. Ana suggested using a jelly roll for Thomas's tank. That suggestion made the whole cake. Someone else suggested using an ice cream cone for his funnel. Another freezing the cake so it is easier to decorate. I came up with the idea to use disposable bread pans for the cars and the cab on Thomas.
I could tell Beckett wanted this cake to be pretty accurate, so I really tried to make it as close to Thomas and his coaches as I could. I even put faces on Annie and Clarabell, Thomas's coaches. I also had left over cake from making the cab, so I decided to make a coal car. Unfortunately they didn't all fit lined up on the board, so I had to make it look like a car off to the side. Beckett loved it and noticed every little detail I put into it.
It was an awesome birthday and we were so glad to finally share it with friends and family. Thank you to everyone that came, last minute invite and all.
It is crazy to think that 5 whole years have gone by since he was born. I have been thinking about his birth lately and some things about him as he has been growing up. He is such a sweet, tender-hearted boy. He loves to cuddle and snuggle with just about anyone he feels comfortable with. He loves to laugh and make you laugh. He loves to have his back scratched. He loves to feel other people's silky clothes, but wont wear any himself. He loves to be in just his underwear, even in the winter. He loves me with all his heart. No matter how bad of a mom I can be, he still loves me and will give me the biggest hugs and tons of kisses. He is bright and can read about 10 or more words already. He is starting Kindergarten this year and I am so nervous. I hope he does well and has a great time. I know it is only Kindergarten, but it is the beginning of sending him out into the world on his own. It is the start of his journey in life to be more independent. It is a letting go, and I think I will have just as hard of a time leaving him in that classroom on the first day as he will letting me leave him. Don't get me wrong. I am already planning what I am going to do with only one child in the house with me for half the day, but it will be hard to let someone else have responsibility for him and watch out for him and make sure he is okay. I love that little guy and don't want him to grow up for a little bit longer. I have never really thought time went fast with my kids, but now that I am here at this point, I realize that he isn't going to be my little snuggle bug for much longer. He will one day stop climbing into bed with me in the mornings and snuggling for a little while before we get up and start the day, and my heart hurts a little just thinking of it. I love that little guy and he has been such a joy in our family and we would not be the same without him.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Another photo deal!!!
Snapfish is having another deal. You can get 100 photos for only $1.09, shipped. How good of a deal is that?! The code is WEDPRINT. Go jump on this deal! I don't know when it expires so it might be over today.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Omaha
We drove out to Omaha, NE at the end of May. We decided it would be best to drive overnight so that the trip wouldn't seem so long to the youngens. It wasn't too bad, except that around 2am, we stopped for all of us to sleep, unfortunately, Anabelle decided to wake up and sat there crying until we started driving again. The little stinker. Luckily I had gotten some sleep before we stopped, so it was my turn to drive. We arrived at Grandma Jill's apartment early Saturday afternoon. Some of Matt's brothers and a wife came over and we had a fun time catching up and playing scrabble with each other on smartphones. Mom and I were totally excluded because we don't have smartphones. We had one of Matt's favorite meals that his mom makes, for dinner that night, Italian sandwiches. So yummy! It will kill you, but you will die happy.
The kids were so excited to be with their Grandma Jill. They had so much fun with her. One of Matt's sisters, Heather, brought over a bunch of toys for Mom to keep at her house, since she got rid of all of them when she left on her mission. One of the toys was this foot high, remote controlled T-Rex that walked, roared, and did all kinds of stuff. Beckett was so funny with this toy. At first he was really nervous about it. He would just watch it from a distance. Then he realized it wasn't real and that he could play with it and after that, it was his favorite toy. He had a hard time sharing it with other cousins that came over while we were there. I personally, am very glad that we don't have one of those. That thing would move all by itself without anyone touching the remote and it kind of freaked me out.
Belle's favorite thing at Grandma Jill's was her deck she loved it. I think she was out there every chance she got.
Matt left Saturday night to start his Brothers Baseball Trip. They did one two years ago, and decided they had so much fun, they wanted to do it again. This time they stayed at their sister, Tris's house. She lives in Ohio, so they went to Cleveland and Pittsburgh. They had a blast on this trip too. Tris made shirts for all the boys.
Matt's family loves Balderdash, a game about making up stuff and getting people to believe what you wrote is the right answer. On their last baseball trip, the boys played the game and they got the name George Dawes one round. He has since become a huge inside joke for all of the guys and at our family reunion, the joke only continued. Tris remembered it all and made a T-shirt for them. Isn't she so cool?
While they were on their trip, they also went to Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital.
It looks like so much fun. Someday I will get to go too. I love roller coasters. Hopefully turning 30 and having kids hasn't ruined that for me.
Back to Omaha. We had a lot of fun of our own. Monday was pretty tame most of the day. We went to a park and had a picnic with another one of the wives and children left behind.
All I have to say is the humidity is killer. I am seriously considering NOT moving to Omaha, just because of the humidity. I moved into the shade and it was literally no different than in the sunshine. I was melting. And Anabelle just wanted to swing the whole time, in the sunshine. I had to talk her out of swinging and going and playing on the playground with her cousins and brother because I couldn't stand it another second longer.
That night, after making pizza for dinner, the fire alarm went off in the apartment above Mom's. Mom immediately grabbed the kids and told them to get their shoes on. I grabbed my camera and phone and then left. As we were going down the stairs, the girl in the apartment on fire came out and said it was a cooking fire and they had put out and that we didn't need to leave. Mom and I left anyways because the alarm was still going. We walked across the street and watched the fire trucks come and then played at the park at the elementary. After a little bit, Mom's neighbor came running towards us and told us the fire fighters needed the keys to the apartment. I ran back to open the door for them to find them already inside and pots and pans everywhere. Apparently those sprinklers are crazy. They spray about 55 gallons of water per minute, so there was a few inches of water in the apartment above, and it was all coming down into Mom's place. We had to pack up and go sleep at my sister-in-law, Erica's house that night. It was crazy.
After a nights sleep, we felt better. Erica and I decided it would be a good day to take all our kids to the children's museum. As we were leaving it started to rain, then it turned into a downpour. It was lightening like crazy. I saw lightening strike a radio tower like a mile or less in front of me. Kind of scary. The streets were flooded. When we arrived at the museum, we got drenched running from our cars to the museum, and I am really not exaggerating. Here are some pictures of the kids at the museum after we had been there a half hour and you can still see the water in Belle's hair:
It was a really fun place. It is a lot like the Discovery Gateway. There was a YMCA children's group there so it was super crowded, but the kids had a blast anyways. There was this ball area that had all kinds of machines that moved the balls in all kinds of ways. Beckett loved that area. They also had an area for putting on stage make-up. Belle really liked that area as well as the grocery store. It was so fun. And it was free to boot. She had a year pass that lets in 2 adults, and 4 kids. It was perfect!
When we got back, Mom and I thought we would be able to go back to the apartment. Nope. We had to go back and get clothes for another night. I hadn't planned on living out of a suitcase, living out of a suitcase, if that makes any sense. Beckett and Anabelle were fine with it. They were having so much fun playing with their cousins that they never get to see, Beckett especially.
Wednesday, we thought for sure we would be able to go back to the apartment. We went back to only find big huge fans blowing. There was no way we would be able to stay the day there. So we went to the visitor's center by the Winter Quarters Temple. It was fun. They had all kinds of neat stuff and things to look at, even dress ups.
I highly recommend going there if you are ever in the area. The temple is just gorgeous as well. The visitor's center has a beautiful view of the temple and the graveyard right next to it. (In case you didn't know, the temple was built right next to the cemetery for the saints that died there before they could begin their trek out west. It actually is really beautiful and even more peaceful than most temple grounds)
Well, when we got back to the apartment, it was still blowing. So we went shopping! We went to Joann's, where Jill works, and she helped me pick out some fabric for curtains to put in Anabelle's room.
Didn't they just turn out adorable? I just love them. I like how they match her blanket as well.
The only problem is, that as soon as we came home, Anabelle started insisting on sleeping in Beckett's room. So, now those cute curtains are up with no blanket to match. Oh well, they look cute anyways.
After our purchases, we decided we couldn't sleep at the apartment that night, and trespassed on another sister-in-law, Taffy. Luckily, we arrived just as she was finishing up making chicken pot pie, so we got to have a delicious dinner and a place to stay. Beckett and Anabelle got acquainted with more cousins that they never see and had a lot of fun. Everyone that we stayed with was so hospitable. They were so kind and gracious.
Well, now we are up to Thursday, and that was the day we went to the Omaha Zoo. Which is huge! I have never been and it was so cool. At least 3 or 4 times bigger than our wonderful Hoogle Zoo. They have the 2nd largest indoor rainforest in the world. How cool is that?! We didn't go in though. There was just too much to look at and two little kids and two adults that got a little weary of walking everywhere (oh wait, the kids were in the wagon that I rented, so they really had no excuse for being tired).
We did go in the desert dome, which didn't feel very new to me, but they did have an exhibit in the basement that was so cool. It is called Creatures of the Night. It is dark down there and they have all these nocturnal creatures on display, even bats in open cages that are netted off, but you can see and hear them flying around. It was really cool.
All the boys thought it was so fun to be down there and that they were so tough, even though they are only 4 and 5. Then we got to the end, which is where they have a bayou, complete with alligators. You walk through on a wooden platform that is maybe a foot off the water with thin metal netting on the sides, hanging from the railing.
At first I thought, "Those alligators are fake. There is no way they would have them so close to the public." Then I asked Taffy if they were real and yes they were. Beckett was scared to go in, but once he got in he wasn't scared. Once I got in and found that out, I was a bit nervous. Those gators could easily chomp through and eat somebody. I did calm down after she told me that they are really lazy and well feed. They better be! They had an albino alligator in there and that was really cool. It was maybe 3 feet from the walkway, so I didn't stay too long to gawk.
After that, we went to the aquarium. That was so fun. They had all kinds of ocean creatures. I think the kids liked this place the most.
I didn't get a picture of it, but they had a big column filled with water and Jelly fish. It was so amazing and beautiful. It was just like on Finding Nemo.
Due to Beckett's insistence, after seeing the cat house, we went and saw the giraffes, but I didn't take any pictures there either. I am terrible. I did get a picture of the next thing we went and saw though:
That was definitely the best thing there for Beckett. After that, we were all spent and went home. I got an amazing parking spot, in the shade, real close to the entrance. I was so lucky and so happy when we were able to just pull right out of there. That was a highlight for me.
After that, Mom and I decided that we had had enough of sleeping at other people's houses and went back, loud fans and all. They had now added dehumidifiers, so it was even noisier, but we didn't care. It was nice to be settled finally and not putting anyone out. Plus, we made up our own recipe for chicken salad that had just what we wanted in it and it turned out great. I am craving it now just thinking about it.
Friday was the day the boys got back, so we decided to not do much. I sewed my curtains and that was about it. Saturday we spent at Matt's brother's house helping him with yard work, and then had Chinese for dinner (you should know by now that the meals were just as much apart of the trip for me, as everything else was). Sunday we had a big picnic with almost all of the family in Omaha, plus some from Utah, and the kids just had a blast playing with all of their cousins. Here is a picture of Anabelle chasing a squirrel with her cousin Ally (also from Utah):
After the picnic, Matt and I decided we would leave as soon as we could, instead of the next day, so we could drive while the kids slept. I think it took Matt's mom by surprise because she started crying when we said it. It was hard for us to leave as well. I think Beckett knew it we were leaving too because this is what he did when we got back to Mom's apartment:
Then Anabelle couldn't be left out, only she didn't look quite so melancholy.
We had so much fun with family and especially with Mom. One of our best trips out there.
The kids were so excited to be with their Grandma Jill. They had so much fun with her. One of Matt's sisters, Heather, brought over a bunch of toys for Mom to keep at her house, since she got rid of all of them when she left on her mission. One of the toys was this foot high, remote controlled T-Rex that walked, roared, and did all kinds of stuff. Beckett was so funny with this toy. At first he was really nervous about it. He would just watch it from a distance. Then he realized it wasn't real and that he could play with it and after that, it was his favorite toy. He had a hard time sharing it with other cousins that came over while we were there. I personally, am very glad that we don't have one of those. That thing would move all by itself without anyone touching the remote and it kind of freaked me out.
Belle's favorite thing at Grandma Jill's was her deck she loved it. I think she was out there every chance she got.
Matt left Saturday night to start his Brothers Baseball Trip. They did one two years ago, and decided they had so much fun, they wanted to do it again. This time they stayed at their sister, Tris's house. She lives in Ohio, so they went to Cleveland and Pittsburgh. They had a blast on this trip too. Tris made shirts for all the boys.
Matt's family loves Balderdash, a game about making up stuff and getting people to believe what you wrote is the right answer. On their last baseball trip, the boys played the game and they got the name George Dawes one round. He has since become a huge inside joke for all of the guys and at our family reunion, the joke only continued. Tris remembered it all and made a T-shirt for them. Isn't she so cool?
While they were on their trip, they also went to Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital.
It looks like so much fun. Someday I will get to go too. I love roller coasters. Hopefully turning 30 and having kids hasn't ruined that for me.
Back to Omaha. We had a lot of fun of our own. Monday was pretty tame most of the day. We went to a park and had a picnic with another one of the wives and children left behind.
All I have to say is the humidity is killer. I am seriously considering NOT moving to Omaha, just because of the humidity. I moved into the shade and it was literally no different than in the sunshine. I was melting. And Anabelle just wanted to swing the whole time, in the sunshine. I had to talk her out of swinging and going and playing on the playground with her cousins and brother because I couldn't stand it another second longer.
That night, after making pizza for dinner, the fire alarm went off in the apartment above Mom's. Mom immediately grabbed the kids and told them to get their shoes on. I grabbed my camera and phone and then left. As we were going down the stairs, the girl in the apartment on fire came out and said it was a cooking fire and they had put out and that we didn't need to leave. Mom and I left anyways because the alarm was still going. We walked across the street and watched the fire trucks come and then played at the park at the elementary. After a little bit, Mom's neighbor came running towards us and told us the fire fighters needed the keys to the apartment. I ran back to open the door for them to find them already inside and pots and pans everywhere. Apparently those sprinklers are crazy. They spray about 55 gallons of water per minute, so there was a few inches of water in the apartment above, and it was all coming down into Mom's place. We had to pack up and go sleep at my sister-in-law, Erica's house that night. It was crazy.
After a nights sleep, we felt better. Erica and I decided it would be a good day to take all our kids to the children's museum. As we were leaving it started to rain, then it turned into a downpour. It was lightening like crazy. I saw lightening strike a radio tower like a mile or less in front of me. Kind of scary. The streets were flooded. When we arrived at the museum, we got drenched running from our cars to the museum, and I am really not exaggerating. Here are some pictures of the kids at the museum after we had been there a half hour and you can still see the water in Belle's hair:
It was a really fun place. It is a lot like the Discovery Gateway. There was a YMCA children's group there so it was super crowded, but the kids had a blast anyways. There was this ball area that had all kinds of machines that moved the balls in all kinds of ways. Beckett loved that area. They also had an area for putting on stage make-up. Belle really liked that area as well as the grocery store. It was so fun. And it was free to boot. She had a year pass that lets in 2 adults, and 4 kids. It was perfect!
When we got back, Mom and I thought we would be able to go back to the apartment. Nope. We had to go back and get clothes for another night. I hadn't planned on living out of a suitcase, living out of a suitcase, if that makes any sense. Beckett and Anabelle were fine with it. They were having so much fun playing with their cousins that they never get to see, Beckett especially.
Wednesday, we thought for sure we would be able to go back to the apartment. We went back to only find big huge fans blowing. There was no way we would be able to stay the day there. So we went to the visitor's center by the Winter Quarters Temple. It was fun. They had all kinds of neat stuff and things to look at, even dress ups.
I highly recommend going there if you are ever in the area. The temple is just gorgeous as well. The visitor's center has a beautiful view of the temple and the graveyard right next to it. (In case you didn't know, the temple was built right next to the cemetery for the saints that died there before they could begin their trek out west. It actually is really beautiful and even more peaceful than most temple grounds)
Well, when we got back to the apartment, it was still blowing. So we went shopping! We went to Joann's, where Jill works, and she helped me pick out some fabric for curtains to put in Anabelle's room.
Didn't they just turn out adorable? I just love them. I like how they match her blanket as well.
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| Just a reminder of what it looks like |
After our purchases, we decided we couldn't sleep at the apartment that night, and trespassed on another sister-in-law, Taffy. Luckily, we arrived just as she was finishing up making chicken pot pie, so we got to have a delicious dinner and a place to stay. Beckett and Anabelle got acquainted with more cousins that they never see and had a lot of fun. Everyone that we stayed with was so hospitable. They were so kind and gracious.
Well, now we are up to Thursday, and that was the day we went to the Omaha Zoo. Which is huge! I have never been and it was so cool. At least 3 or 4 times bigger than our wonderful Hoogle Zoo. They have the 2nd largest indoor rainforest in the world. How cool is that?! We didn't go in though. There was just too much to look at and two little kids and two adults that got a little weary of walking everywhere (oh wait, the kids were in the wagon that I rented, so they really had no excuse for being tired).
We did go in the desert dome, which didn't feel very new to me, but they did have an exhibit in the basement that was so cool. It is called Creatures of the Night. It is dark down there and they have all these nocturnal creatures on display, even bats in open cages that are netted off, but you can see and hear them flying around. It was really cool.
All the boys thought it was so fun to be down there and that they were so tough, even though they are only 4 and 5. Then we got to the end, which is where they have a bayou, complete with alligators. You walk through on a wooden platform that is maybe a foot off the water with thin metal netting on the sides, hanging from the railing.
At first I thought, "Those alligators are fake. There is no way they would have them so close to the public." Then I asked Taffy if they were real and yes they were. Beckett was scared to go in, but once he got in he wasn't scared. Once I got in and found that out, I was a bit nervous. Those gators could easily chomp through and eat somebody. I did calm down after she told me that they are really lazy and well feed. They better be! They had an albino alligator in there and that was really cool. It was maybe 3 feet from the walkway, so I didn't stay too long to gawk.
After that, we went to the aquarium. That was so fun. They had all kinds of ocean creatures. I think the kids liked this place the most.
I didn't get a picture of it, but they had a big column filled with water and Jelly fish. It was so amazing and beautiful. It was just like on Finding Nemo.
Due to Beckett's insistence, after seeing the cat house, we went and saw the giraffes, but I didn't take any pictures there either. I am terrible. I did get a picture of the next thing we went and saw though:
That was definitely the best thing there for Beckett. After that, we were all spent and went home. I got an amazing parking spot, in the shade, real close to the entrance. I was so lucky and so happy when we were able to just pull right out of there. That was a highlight for me.
After that, Mom and I decided that we had had enough of sleeping at other people's houses and went back, loud fans and all. They had now added dehumidifiers, so it was even noisier, but we didn't care. It was nice to be settled finally and not putting anyone out. Plus, we made up our own recipe for chicken salad that had just what we wanted in it and it turned out great. I am craving it now just thinking about it.
Friday was the day the boys got back, so we decided to not do much. I sewed my curtains and that was about it. Saturday we spent at Matt's brother's house helping him with yard work, and then had Chinese for dinner (you should know by now that the meals were just as much apart of the trip for me, as everything else was). Sunday we had a big picnic with almost all of the family in Omaha, plus some from Utah, and the kids just had a blast playing with all of their cousins. Here is a picture of Anabelle chasing a squirrel with her cousin Ally (also from Utah):
After the picnic, Matt and I decided we would leave as soon as we could, instead of the next day, so we could drive while the kids slept. I think it took Matt's mom by surprise because she started crying when we said it. It was hard for us to leave as well. I think Beckett knew it we were leaving too because this is what he did when we got back to Mom's apartment:
Then Anabelle couldn't be left out, only she didn't look quite so melancholy.
We had so much fun with family and especially with Mom. One of our best trips out there.
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