Homemade ornaments

A great sensory experience. Nanners enjoyed making these. Good smells and funky texture
3/4 cup applesauce
2 containers cinnamon

Mix all up, roll it out and use cookie cutters

A normal birth

I saw this on a site somewhere and thought it was beautiful. Cant wait to have our homebirth

This is 2 weeks ago. Less than 10 to go!


~Instructions for attending a normal birth~
Watch me.
Watch me lean over and groan.
Watch me sway or rock or dance.
Watch me find my rhythm.
Watch me breathe through a contraction.
As it ends, watch me have a drink of water.
Then watch me relax myself, resting, waiting for the next wave.
Then watch me breathe again.
As you sit there, just outside the vortex, know that my world has shrunk to a bubble.
Be careful. Don’t burst it.
A careless word, a bright light… they would be unwelcome right now.
Watch in awe I play out the age-old miracle.
The world turns for me, the edges go fuzzy, time turns inside out.
There’s a big slithery feeling
And then there’s a BABY!
Warm and slippery and fresh from my own body.
Worth every push, grunt, drop of sweat.
Worth every tightening, every stretch mark.
Wait! I’m still in my bubble. It is not finished yet.
Keep your hats and your clamps and your scissors and needles.
Keep your telephones, your scales, your exclamations
Keep us warm and keep the room quiet and still.
Watch me meet me baby.
Watch his eyes find mine.
Watch his hands and then his mouth find my nipple.
Watch me discover in wonder each finger, each hair, each wrinkle
Don’t disturb the awe of this first meeting.
Please. Just watch.
By Samantha Norman

New Crochet stuff

Well one of my old friends from highschool just had a beautiful baby boy. She asked if I could come up with a small blanket for him.  She gave me free reign and said blue,green, yellow and make it cute. I can totally live with that.

Enter the pattern from here - totally cute and adorable

I have also been making some toys for our little Booger for when He/She/It arrives in October. 

this cute rattle from here

I cant wait to get everything finished!

Thankful thursday- Bubble Mountain

Nanners has gotten more dependent with her oral fixations. Everything goes in the mouth. Stuffed animals, toys, shirts, dress straps, you name it it has been in her mouth. This of course drives me nuts. However I stop and think its just her SPD and her calming herself. Id rather have a calm child chewing than a crazy child. One way to curb it is to have them using straws consistently. She loves them so that was an easy one. However I wanted to see if she could handle blowing vs sucking. Its different muscles that need to be focused.

We had to clarify that we blow and not suck and she only messed up once. After drinking soap she decided that she was going to do it right.Presenting Bubble Mountain! She played in it and touched it which made me so happy as some days its a challenge. I am so thankful that we are finally having answers and able to help get her where she needs to be.

A heavy elephant

With our final diagnosis I of course have been the dutiful mommy researching EVERYTHING to help Nanners/me/daddy to cope with this SPD. We just dealt with the punches before but obviously that didn't work.

In her IEP it was suggested that we get her a weighted blanket/ backpack. Well she doesn't care for backpacks too much so I wanted to try it on a much smaller scale. I have seen that many people use stuffed animals instead and weighing them to use as cuddle objects. Nanners is a sensory seeker it seems and needs rubbing/ bear hugs / pressure so something heavy would make sense. I considered using one of her Elmo toys (she has almost 20 I swear) but figured she would get very angry that one of her Elmo's just wasnt right.

I remembered that I had taken a bag of stuffed animals out of her room and put them in a closet. I grabbed one of the bigger ones and it turned out to be a Heffalump. Nanners knows what elephants are so I figured it could be something to relate to.

 I took it and opened up the underside of its belly and "fixed " it. Aka 3 double bagged sandwich bags filled with rice. Sewed the bugger right up and its barely noticeable.

All I needed to "fix" Mr. Elephant

 

He's a bit chubbier than before but about 2 lbs heavier. Nanners was hesitant at first picking him up and yelling "He's too heavy!" We went on our walk in the stroller and I told her that the elephant wanted a ride too. (Long stroller rides are horrid especially when Nanners hides her shoes on Mommy) She sat with him and I convinced her he wanted to sit on her lap for the ride. She cuddled right up to him and actually laid down for the first time in the stroller in MONTHS. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was so nice that for the first time I didnt have a screaming/figity child in the stroller.

and the best part is from what I understand she hasn't let him leave the room since. 

It may be a beautiful friendship between her and Mr. Elephant. 

well we have our diagnosis

Nanners finally has her diagnosis. They agree that she has some behavioral issues and most of it is sensory based. She was perfect and even advanced on everything developmental especially her speech. We have a few goals and want to get the most out of therapy as we can in the next few months. We have already been told that we most likely will not qualify as you can not get Occupational therapy on its own which is the main component for what she needs.

I have a book I am required to read and we are going to try to get her set up quick.

Update on Nanners

UPDATE: The lady just came and went. The person I talked to on the phone didn't mention ANY of the sensory issues to the paperwork lady. After talking to us she decided that it may be a good idea to bring an Occupational Therapist in as well.

We will be meeting with a Behavioral Therapist  and an Occupational Therapist sometime within a few weeks and will have a total meeting with everyone on the 11th. I am so relieved they didn't say we were crazy, shitty parents or were making stuff up.

She was very impressed on how we had handled her sensory issues so far and how great her speech was. She could also see though her rough housing like crazy and her defiance all within the hour without a meltdown. I will be so happy when we get some suggestions on how to deal with her.

They did already say though that as soon as she turns 3 in September she will need to be transferred services. We will have to see how things are going at that point as we aren't putting her in the public school so it puts us in a weird situation. In IL we are still entitled services but you have to be careful how the school district is and make sure they arent pushy in a bad way.

Thankful Thursday- Big news

I havnt posted lately as I have been very unsure of where we were going in our life. Blessings none the less but some you have to go through some hell first. Mostly this is very personal on our end but its nice to get it out somewhere.


 Late January we found out that we would be expecting number 6. Yay! However it is always a concern how everything will work as I am the only one working and get no maternity leave. Not so yay. The big guy upstairs has some plans I'm sure but still leaves me with some fear of the unknown. We also have been unsuccessful to find a home birth midwife that accepts our insurance and I do not have large chunks of money laying about. We will be going through a UP/UC which is all unassisted pregnancy and childbirth. Baby seems to be doing well and I'm gaining weight so all looks good on our end.


Our other big news is on Nanners. She has always been my handful child and always will be. She keeps us on our toes and occasionally makes me pluck gray hairs from my 20 year old head. We have always known that something was a bit off with her but just accounted it as quirks. However she has become increasingly more violent with others and herself now. Her speech has regressed tremendously and although she can still tell you stories about her Papi if you ask her to tell you what she did wrong it sounds like a bunch of marbles. We had always been on the fence about calling Early Intervention but after she gave herself plenty of bruises we felt as if we don't have a choice. She needs more help than obviously we can give her alone. She still is excelling intellectually but behaviorally she is gonna need help working through her feelings and expressing them appropriately. We are having our first consultation next week and then will be meeting with a developmental therapist and a behavioral therapist to get some suggestions to help her.

Prayers are always appreciated as this is a new road for all of us.

Cleaning

One of my favorite aspects of Montessori is the application of practical life. We had always had squirt bottles around for Nanners hair as it needs some help in order to look manageable. She has always had an interest in them but I never enjoy water all over my house. When we went to the zoo she was given the opportunity to use one in full force and "water" all of the plants in the greenhouse. She loved every part of it and of course I didnt get any pictures. This being said when we got home she wanted to go to work and spray every aspect of my bathroom. I had to explain that some things could not get wet (Mama's phone) but the bathtub could use a good scrubbing after you spray. She loves the feeling of accomplishment of helping Mama clean up.

On our trays

Again behind. these have been out for a few days but never got the chance to put the post up. Last month I never took any pics so you will have to forgive me. This month though we did an Easter/spring theme.
We have:

matching sound eggs

matching color eggs

color grading (we still haven't got a hang of this)

and spooning.


Our sensory bin is full of eggs, Easter grass and this lightup fuzzy chick. Spring cookie cutters also are in our bin.

Moments to Remember

So Ive got behind on a few posts. I do apologize. Luckily the business has been growing the way i have needed it to so we were able to take some time to go to the zoo like we have been wanting to for awhile. we started a new custody agreement that allows us the kids on some weekends so we can take this time to enjoy them off of school. The kids saw plenty of animals but it seems like their favorite part was painting their face in the play zoo area. Nanners decided that she was a cat and Mark was a puppy. 

them working on makeup together

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Read Build Write

Well I LOVE  the read,build, write boards that Homeschool Creations made. We have started working on cursive with Mark however getting him to practice writing needs a little more creativity. I have made my own cards to go along with her boards found here Read Build Write boards .


Homeschool Creations has made several sets of cards to go along with general themes and some that go with books. These were great for starting out for us and I plan on using them for holidays. My favorite set I think has to be the ones for Star Wars.


All of the cards I have made are black and white as I do not buy color ink normally. We laminate them and they are pretty durable.

I will add more as I make them.

Pixar Cars - download
Spiderman- download
Toy Story - Download

Visiting the Music store- Moments to remember

This week Nanners, Daddy, Uncle DJ and I played hookie one day and visited Chicago. We decided to stop at a music store Daddy had hung out at when he was a teenager. With CDs hanging EVERYWHERE and on the ceiling, Nanners thought it was the coolest place ever. She ran around and pointed all the album covers out and saw Homer from the Simpsons and said he was the funny guy.

She also loved chilling and listening to music on huge headphones. Great adventure for a day of hookie!




  Great moment to remember!

DIY texture letters

Well I have wanted to get Nanners some sandpaper letters for awhile now. However being frugal (read: super poor) I decided to make some so she can use. I did not have sandpaper and I did not want to buy ANYTHING. I had seen some Chinese letters done in glitter glue before so I figured I could take the idea and morph it into my own.

 

 Our finished product. 

First I traced out our template.We used manilla folders cut into 8ths (4 from each side of the folder). I did not feel like buying cardstock. 

I got my outline for cursive letters from here. Find Cursive letter template I figured I would try cursive with her first as more and more I see children have an easier time with cursive than print. I did not bother printing these templates. I placed the manilla folder DIRECTLY on my laptop with the screen laying flat so I could trace it.

 

Then we colored everything in. Blue for the consonants and red for the vowels.  It matches the set of movable letters I have downloaded for when she is ready. (We have noncolor coded letters for her older brother to practice his reading/writing)

 

Then I took my hot glue gun and filled in all the letters. They are stringy and blobby which gives it a weird texture. You have to go over them slowly which makes more emphasis on the letter. 

And that's it! Simple as that! The other kids got to help me do all of the coloring and ironically our 9 year old, Beanie colored better than my 14 year old, Kota. Go figure. 

 

Plus a picture of Nanners and Beanie working together on our snaps electric board. We got it for free at the homeschool conference in Chicago and it gets used often. Nanners loves watching the older kids make fans and making things go flying! 

I am linking up to Montessori Monday!

Friends

I am making a post of all of the people I link up with sometimes.This will be updated often.

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Thankful Thursday- Crochet

Well now you know my 3rd love. It involves a hook and big balls of colorful yarn. I had always wanted to learn how to crochet or knit. Well this summer I decided it was about time I figured it out since I had found my Gama's and Mother's old hooks. I didnt really want to try knitting as it looked more complex. Plus no one needs to see me with 2 big pointy sticks. (It would be like the movie Bless the Child all over... not a kid friendly movie)

Also I'm not into looking like this.

So sometimes Nanners helps me crochet too!

All the kids have hats and such so I began working yet again on a blanket. Im using this pattern
this is my blanket

I am about a quarter of the way done. Still a lot to do since it needs to fit our king sized bed. Its a good time killer though!

Crocheting a big blanket is on my 101 in 1001 so its yet another one I can mark as started!!

Peanut butter cookies

Randy loves peanut butter. I mean he eats it straight out of the jar. I think its disgusting but its his thing. So occasionally he asks me to make his favorite cookies. So out comes the PB.

 I occasionally want to eat the cookies I may so I was forced to find a gluten free recipe. It is my favorite because it has 3 ingredients.

1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg

Thats it. Mix it all together and pop it in the oven at 350 for about 10-12 min. As soon as they look done pull them out. They hold together nicely and store nicely.

Im thinking maybe our next batch throwing some M&Ms in there or chocolate chips. Or if you like original things you can sandwich jelly in between them. 

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Thankful Thursday- My momma

So today makes it 11 years. My mom had died of a brain aneurysm in 2001. My brother was 5. Of course I remembered it after I had seen a friend post something on facebook. I spent all of last week dreading today but when it came down to it I had completely forgotten. I felt like a horrible daughter. What kind of child would forget a day like today. I cried at work and cried when I had to stop back home for a clients folder. One thing Randy said stuck with me.
~Dont cry because you forgot today. Today is something meant to be forgotten. You still remember what she looked like and what she sounded like when she yelled at you as a kid. Remember her birthday and your parents anniversary. Remember reenacting with her and wanting to be just like her. Forget the pain of today and remember whats important.

Maybe my old hubby has some words of wisdom in him.

101 in 1001

I figured I would join in this a few months ago. I had never had my list finished until now. Yay me!
The mission: Complete 101 tasks in 1001 days

The criteria: Tasks must be specific with a result that is measurable or easily defined. Tasks must also be realistic.

Why 1001 days? Many people have created lists in the past- frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start date: October 1, 2011
End date: June 28, 2014


Italics- in progress
Completed





Personal/Encouragement/faith
1     get a massage
2     keep my toenails painted for 3 months straight (looking nice)
3     make a 1 word challenge and stick to it (2012- faith)
4     memorize 10 verses of the Bible
5     donate 30 pieces of clothing
6     donate 10 books
7     buy myself flowers for no reason
8     bring someone flowers
9     Tie a note to a balloon and let it go
10     put an encouraging note inside a book for someone to find
11     Keep a “My Day in Six Words” journal for six (6) months.
12     read the bible cover to cover
13    finish vine tattoo
14    go to a drive in
15    not log onto facebook for a week
 16    watch the whole show of roswell in a month 
17    get my owl tattoo
 18    increase my vocab in ASL by 100 signs 
19    go to a concert  {SKILLET!}
 20    dont say anything negative for a day 
21    compliment someone every day for a week  
22    donate blood 5xs  ( Did I)
23    Blog at least 3 times a week for 6 months straight
24    Volunteer once rosies bday party
25    volunteer N.E.S.T- no empty stomachs today
26    watch legend of the guardians
27    get motorcycle license
28    read dantes inferno
29    take a friend or family member to church with us
30    donate my hair to locks of love31    pray for randy 31 day challenge
32    take 1 photo everyday for a month for a scrapbook
33    write my will
34    Pay the bill for someone behind me in the drive-thru lane
35    dont swear for a whole week
36    wear my hair down for a week
37    become a bone marrow donor
Crafty
38    crochet a dress for myself
39    make a tie dye sheet set for our bed
40    only give handmade gifts for christmas
41    crochet large blanket for king sized bed
 42    crochet large blanket for couch 
 43    learn to stamp metal
  44    make a dress
Kids
45    take the kids to a classical concert
46    take the kids to a ballet
47    night time potty train nalani
48    take the kids to a play
49    teach marshall cursive
50    get nalani hand washing station set up   
51    get nalani independent snack zone set up52    make sandpaper letters
53    take the kids to a museum
 54    get a savings account for all kids
55    go to a national civil war event
56    read with the kids island of the blue dolphin
57    read with the kids heidi
58    read with the kids there are no children here
59    homeschool the kids
60     teach the kids about the 50 states
finance
61    document all my possessions
62    pay off all library card debt
63    start a coin jar and do not open for a year
64    Complete emergency fund of 6 months living expenses
65    upkeep a credit card  
66    get a credit card  
67    build a reserve of 3 months of food. just in case.
68    buy a house
for the home
69    get a coffee table
70    plant garden 
71    can tomato sauce
 72    make pickles
73    get a fence for the yard
74    start the rent to own process on house
75    make office space more functional
76    make the office pretty
77    have professional pictures taken
78    host a themed dinner party
79    start composting
80    get rid of all paper towels in the house
81    get a new dog for Randy- OTIS
health/wellness
82    go poo free for 6 months (started 12/18/2011)
83    Go to a roller derby match.
84    go to to a gun range
85    bike the entirety of rock cut park
86    conceive
 87    have a natural birth
 88    birth at home
89    find good tasting gluten free bread
 90    find good tasting gluten free cookies 
91    breastfeed 2 years
92    Practice Kundalini prenatal yoga
93    Drink at least 36oz of water a day for 1 month
94    floss every day for a month
95     finish a half marathon  
96    get a new hair cut
97    go vegetarian for a week   
98    do yoga every day for a month
business
99    help organize a march of dimes event
100    get my own office with farmers
101    convert to career agent

Happy new year!

So today was a good day. Nanners and I went to church and did some heavy duty prayer. I feel it was needed and was a much better mama and wife after worship. Came home relaxed and then the fun began.

A little over 2 weeks ago I started nopooing. No I'm not constipated. My hair was down to my hips and was a knotted curly mess. I knew I had to do something. I had read and knew from experience that when I shampooed my hair I had to have conditioner (from experience crying because there were so many knots and pain). What I didnt know was why. To make long short, when you shampoo you strip it of all the good oils that your hair needs. So I figured I'd give it a shot. The first week was horrible with dry crunchy smelly nasty ichy scalp. Pretty gross. However I had heard it needs some time to adjust so I stuck with it. My hair is super nice now and looks the healthiest its been in forever. I also about an hour ago cut my hair. I will be shipping it in the mail to donate it to Locks of Love.

Before

After

Plus we made some good Peanut butter cookies! Today was a success!