sleep walking and eggs

I was woke up this morning at God knows what time it was to a "crash, thunk, boom!" Figuring it was my sister's cats I just rolled over and decided to deal with the devastation tomorrow at a decent hour. I rolled over to an empty pillow. Colin was gone. That motherly extinct kicked into high gear and I managed to untangle myself, get out of bed, and grab my glasses in less than 5 seconds. I noticed our door was open and ran downstairs. I called out his name, but he didn't answer. Then I walked into the kitchen and found him crying on the ground next to an open refrigerator door. I realized the poor kid was sleep walking again. Now is you have ever seen Step Brothers the movie you know not to wake a sleep walker. This isn't just for laughs, but in real life you really don't do it. So I very quietly closed the fridge door, stepped over the broken eggs, closed the dishwasher door, turned off the sink faucet, picked up the pans on the ground, closed the pantry door, put the cat food away, and very gently coaxed Colin back to bed. He was mumbling something about eggs and dishes the whole way upstairs. He crawled right back into bed and covered up. I didn't hear a peep out of him for the rest of the night. This isn't the first time he has done this either. It isn't an every night kinda thing, but more like once a month. I guess I am going to have to bring this up to his pediatrician when we get back to Ohio. Lovely the things our kids do. The ironic thing is..he doesn't even like eggs!

South Carolina

I haven't been on here in awhile and I wanted to post about my stay here in very sunny South Carolina. It is hotter than one can describe. When I step out of the house in the morning I am always greeted with the humidity which I try very carefully not to choke on! It is very beautiful here and the weather is a wonder as well. One minute it is raining so hard you can't see in front of you and then next minute (And I mean literally a minute) the sun is shining and the only way you knew it had just rained is because the grass and leaves are shiny. Amazing.

The kiddos are enjoying it here. They love the fact they get to go outside. There little tans are a nice marker for this. They can't stay out long, because it is just too hot, but are bribed fairly easily with popsicles.

Here are a few pictures of the kids in South Carolina!

Bowling

Aunt Jessie and I took the kids bowling last night. Colin loves to bowl more than he loves eating. He scored a fifty unassisted and Morgan got over 60, but Jess and I helped her quite a bit. I think Morgan liked the nachos better than the bowling..but hey, we had cheese man! They did great and Colin was wonderful taking turns. Here are some and pictures of the kids.

I made it

Well, today is my last day of school. I have a written final and something they call "Walk of Fame". I guess all of our chef instructors line up and we walk down a path and they clap for us. Since I have been a blubbering mess for a week now, I am sure this will only spark the tears..yet again. I can't belive it is finally here. It is like graduating from high school all over again. You wait for it forever and then BAM it is right there in your face, reality. I am scared, excited, sad, anxious, and depressed all at the same time. My friend Amy calls it being a "hot mess". That is for sure!

So, anyways, Goodbye Minnesota and Goodbye to a great set of friends, whom I will never forget and hope to visit soon!

Toad, if you are reading this, I love you and I will miss you like crazy! :-) You are the best. Not many people would step aside and let someone they love live their dream. You are doing that and so much more. How lucky am I to have you?

Leaving and starting over...again

I am in my final days of school here is beautiful Minnesota. I realize every day how much I am going to miss this place. It has been a huge stepping stone for me. I really feel like a found another piece of myself here. Colin has come leaps and bounds from when we moved here a year ago, Morgan talks, runs, and fixes her own cereal. I found a babysitter that I am pretty sure is a Saint and I realized how much sacrifice my husband made when we made the trip out here. We have all grown..physically and emotionally. I believe that we were meant to come here so we could grow as a family as well.

School has been a Godsend. I have developed friendships I didn't even know existed. People who see me for who I am. It has been wonderful and I will miss it tremendously, however it is time to move on and start another chapter in our lives. So here are some pictures of things I have done at school. I really have amazed myself for being able to accomplish so much. I am proud of who I have become.

Hair cuts and happiness

All week I have been preparing Colin for another hair cut. Todd and I totally dread these days, but unfortuantely, Colin takes after his Daddy and his hair grows incredibly fast. Today was the day to take him in. I didn't say anything to him this morning and got both the kids ready to go. Once we were in the car, I let him know what we were doing and promised him chicken nuggets, fries, and pop if he did a good job. Todd and I talked about how much we hated this time and wished it was all ready over. I volunteered to hold him down and fight with him every time the clippers or scisscors came near him. I checked us in, sat down and Todd and I joked over which hair stylist was about to have a really bad day. Colin's name was called and sure enough, the tears and whining started. I did my usual reassuring and telling him what a good boy he was. I let the stylist know he was autistic and that hair cuts are his worst nightmare. She smiled and said, "No Problem, we will do what we can." That was all I could ask for. Then for the first time ever, Colin stopped crying and just sat there. I was literally speechless. He was watching Curious George on T.V. and occasionally dodging his head when she came too close to his ears. After 5 minutes he began getting a little anxious and wanted to be all done. I held his hand and the stylist finished up. He did great!!!!! I couldn't believe it. I remember looking over at Todd at one point and his jaw was about to hit the floor because he couldn't believe Colin wasn't screaming. Now, there were a few tears and the occasional head movement, but man have we come so far!!!!

When we started Colin in his 40 hours a week of ABA therapy, I had two main goals in mind. Potty training and being able to sit through a hair cut! Well, they have met and exceeded all of my expectations! Colin continues to amaze me every day with the amount of knowledge he has, and today was no exception!

It has FINALLY happened!

Well Folks, it has finally happened! As every parent of a little girl wants to do from the moment they even find out they have a little girl is put their hair in pig tails! I am proud to say that when Morgan was born, she was bald as a cue ball! My hopes and dreams were immediately dashed! Corn syrup and bows were what we did, just so people would know she was a girl. Today, I told her I was doing her hair. The look of confusion, curiousness, and utter horror crossed her face in an instant. I went and got the brush, hair ties, and a mirror so she could watch and went to work. In less than 2 minutes, I had accomplished what I have been waiting for for over 2 years now..the little girl has pig tails! She said they are "pretty". I can move on now to making sure she doesn't date until she is 30!