Grace's Quiet Book

Shew, we have been out of town all weekend, so sorry there were no updates! Our missionary is home and we are happy he got here safe. The morning after he got home we headed to Montana to visit family, and shot back here by Sunday night so the teenager could go to school Monday morning! Other than the usual cleaning the entire house chore I have on Monday, I got to do some fun stuff!! I baked Chocolate chip/wheat/oatmeal cookies which are FABULOUS!! I also made Grace about a gallon of soy milk with our Vitamix! The normal dinner routine, and then all the laundry finished up just by Grace's bedtime so I could work on her quiet book!!! I'm so excited! I was hoping to have it done by the time we left for California, but I don't know if I can make it! I was so focused on it during Grace's nap time today I forgot about her water therapy today! Darnit! There's just too many things. That's ok though...one week missed won't hurt.

I absolutely love doing laundry, because I have SUCH a great helper! She pulls the clothes out of the washer and transfers to the dryer, can help push the door closed, I help her push the buttons, and when everything is done with their rounds, she helps unload to the basket or move the loads, over and over!! What a great little one I have! She also helps fold the laundry...well, she sits in the basket on top of the clothes and grunts and groans while trying to pull the laundry out from under herself to give to me! Silly girl! And then she really enjoyed dancing with her brother and sister to the Wii "Dance Party" game! It was so cute to watch her!

Alright, onto her quiet book pictures!

The "write" and mailbox go on opposite pages. The "write" will hold the paper/pencil and the mailbox will open to put the letter in. The sun will have velcro rays, and the fish bowl will have plastic over it so she can put the fish in and out.
Mr. Potato head...obvious. He will be velcro (which most will be unless otherwise stated) and the shapes are matching.
The owl has 5-7 different wings Grace can put on and off. I don't know whether it will be button or velcro though.
A purse that will be open to hold necklaces, pretend lipstick, bracelets, earrings, and more goodies! A button will open/close it.
Flower pot with button on/off flowers w/ matching color buttons. The stems will be sewed green.
Gumball machine with velcro gumballs, velcro ladybug spots, the brown square is the puzzle board, the garden with carrots and radishes is on the right that she pulls out and sticks in, and the stop light at the left bottom with velcro.
Stoplight again, the three puzzle sets, and the garden again.
The three puzzles for Grace to put together.

Dress GRACE!!! Interchangeable clothes that I think will be velcro but I don't know for sure. Might just by "lay on" so the velcro won't look weird on the body!

That's it for now. It's 10:30 pm and I'm exhausted, so time for a quick show before I hit the hay. Therapy tomorrow at 10 (speech).


Amanda

Good News

So, this post is about Grace's neurogenic bowel, so I'll try to keep it as clean as possible.

She's been diagnosed with neurogenic bowel, which means that she can't pass her bowels by herself. We were having to give her a laxative every day, and were told that it would be like that for the rest of her life.

Well, we got lucky!! We got SUCH a HUGE blessing from Heavenly Father!! Grace has been laxative free for 1 MONTH, and has been having bowel movements all by herself! Granted, it's not daily like doctors would like, but she's having them, and their aren't hard, and she's not struggling, and she's not getting horrible diaper rash anymore!!! I am so excited!!!

We've found the trick. If she's gone a couple days without having a movement, we have her sit in the tub with pretty warm water. Not like, "OUCH" water, but super comfy warm, and within 10 minutes she's able to relieve herself! It's definitely like...Heavenly Father knows we struggle with all her other abilities, and so we've gotten support on how to "cure" this one in a way!! And I'm SO thankful! I'd rather clean a bathtub then have to have little miss suffering w/ diaper rash because of the laxative!


Kisses on the forehead for Grace for a job well done, and thanks to Heavenly Father for blessing her little body.

What a beautiful life!

Amanda

Help at the Playground

We went to Arctic Circle for dinner, and it was so cute to see Grace playing in the play area! Well, cute AND aggravating. It was cute because there was another little girl about her age but was a little bit bigger, and the two were hanging out by the mouth of the slide. They would do their 2 yr old talk to each other (not really words but noises!) and the little girl wanted Grace to get up on the mouth of the slide. So Grace tried and tried, but it was just too high! So the little girl points again at the slide, which I'm assuming meant "turn around" because Grace did, and then the little girl bends down, grabs Grace around her thighs and LIFTS!!! She got Grace up there!!! You should have heard the two of them laughing when she got up there!! It was so cute, and the girl's mom and I were busting up. I would have cried had there not been so many people!


But then, of course, you have to have the sour apple kids. Grace was standing at the bottom of the climbing structure, minding her own business, and this little twirp of a girl came over and starting yelling at her. I gave the girl a chance to walk away, and when she didn't, I marched over there, all ready with my gruff voice to bark, "DON'T YELL AT HER" when she climbed up and was gone. Dangit. Then of course poor Grace's little face just fell and she balled. She definitely gets scared when people yell, doesn't understand it, and doesn't know to yell right back! My poor sweet spirited daughter! But she got over it after a few minutes, and the brat of a child went to back to her family, which of course was full of bratty people, including 3 other children that had NO manners. Totally figures. Grr...she still upsets me! I'm such a gruff momma bear!

All in all, a wonderful experience. That was a few days ago, and yesterday, we went again, and I was SO pleased to have Grace help me fill my soda! She LOVES pushing the button and watching the pop fill the cup! And when she went to play, she went ALL the way on the big kid side, through all the little tunnels that she's usually scared of, and down the kiddie slide by herself! Daddy was out there with her so I could finish my burger so I didn't get to see it but WOW! And she went down the big kid slide by herself, which was a feat in it's own. It had a 4 inch lip she had to climb up over to get into the slide, and she went face first...yikes. Daddy told me she probably won't do that again as she had the most scared face in the world and had to walk her hands down, rather fast, in order to keep from face planting! Silly girl!

I love watching her play in the play structures!! It's amazing to see her walking, crawling, stepping, and moving all around. What a blessing it is to have the ability to move like she does.
I definitely thank our Heavenly Father for it, because it could have been so much worse.


Amanda

Our Projects!

I have lots of little things going on, projects I'm working on, and traditions I'm hoping to instill in Grace's life to help her learn the holidays, whether they are big or not! There are many I have yet to do, but the idea constantly swirl around in my head like a tornado! I will list a few, starting from Christmas since that's where we are now in the months.

December:
"The Christmas Snowman"- He's just like "Elf on the Shelf," but I just thought the snowman was SO much cuter! He comes the first of December with a letter from Santa saying that he's there to watch over Grace and to see some happy deeds! I don't say good deeds, because I don't want her to think certain things she does is "good" or "bad".
He's not very comfy in there now because it's so plain, but not for long! This box is still a WIP...Work in Progress!
This is his little box. It will have Christmas paper put on the walls on the inside so he's happy with his home! And there will be a little treat stuck in before it's opened by Grace!
There he is sitting on the mantle watching over all of Grace's happy deeds!! He likes the temple picture as well!

One we haven't started yet as she's too young: We will hang up a stocking for Heavenly Father on the 1st of December, and every day, we will put a slip of paper in it with something we are grateful for on it. It can be that, or a scripture we like, or a message to Him, etc. Just something to keep it Christ focused :) Then I will put them in an envelope and send them off to Heavenly Father!

Countdown to Christmas- Daily advent with activities, toys, snacks, treats, and goodies that will help teach Christmas!

Another we haven't started: Good Deeds Jar: During December we will do a good deed once a day. As simple as "give a hug to a friend" or as complex as "collect cans and give to a food shelter."

"Christmas Book"- We bought a book from Deseret Book that we will read yearly, and write the date and age of Grace and who was there each year!

Folder Activity- Too young at this point but it's a daily, rather nightly, activity that has little stories or games with a lesson for each night of December.

A week before Christmas I will have a lesson set up for each night that teaches the symbols of Christmas, and the real meaning!

Serving food at Homeless Shelter or Food Closet is a plan. As well as a food collection for the food closet!

January:
New Years!- We haven't done this yet, but it will be a box holding all sorts of little noisemakers, confetti, treats, and will hold a prompt for a new years resolution, as well as a yearly time capsule that we can fill up for the following year! Super fun!

February:
Week of Letters-We've not done this yet but I'm starting to work on it for the following year. We will be writing letters to so many friend the first week of February, and will put little treats or whatnot inside of them. Then the week of V-Day, they will be sent out to everyone!!

Door Treats- The week of V-day the girls have bags that hang on their door knobs, and little things are stuck in each night by Cupid!!! WOW!!

Heart Attacks- Not done yet. Someone lucky in the home will get hearts ALL over their door, in their room, and in their bed. The hearts will tell all the reasons why we love that person. This is also done through the mail with an envelope or box STUFFED with little hearts with writing on them all!

March:
Daddy's Birthday! We do different things each year for that.

St. Patricks Day Treat Box!! Not done yet. There is a box I've been meaning to make that will hold suprirses in it that were brought by the leprechaun every day the week of St. Patty's Day! It has to be left outside of the front door so he can get to everyone in time! I'm trying to find the picture of the box...

St. Patty's Day Photo Frame- Not yet. I will make a frame all green with 4-leaf clovers on it and each year we will try to get dressed as green as we can and take a picture, then print it and put it in! Then after the day I will scrapbook the pictures.

Green dinner of course!

April:
Easter Egg Hunt- Grace has her homemade bag that I made, and we will do the traditional egg hunt.

12 Eggs for Christ- too young. Each egg will hold one symbol of Easter, and we will discuss it as a countdown to Easter.

Egg Coloring-too young. Coloring eggs!

May:
Mother's Day-surprisingly I don't have any ideas. That should be the hubby's area!

20th- Pick Strawberries day! We will buy or pick strawberries, dress in all red, and eat the strawberries over ice cream, with chocolate, or however we want! We will play strawberry games like "find the strawberry" or "match the strawberries!"

Memorial Day- Not done yet. We will write to military men and women thanking them for their services. We will visit the cemetery and give thanks to those that gave their lives.

June:
Father's Day- We do different things each year.

July:
Family 4th of July- Get together and celebrate!

Homemade Dress- Each year Grace gets a homemade dress for 4th of July!!

August:
Friendship Week- We will make cookies for all our friends from church or the neighborhood that are smiley faces, and write a letter saying "Thank you for being our friend!" We will mail fun letter to our friends in CA.

Smile Week- Not done yet. We will have a box that hold fun pieces of paper with smiley faces on them, and for the week of "smile week" we will write what makes us smile and put them in the box to read every night at dinner! Then they will be scrapbooked.

September:
Grace's birthday!!! Either in CA or in MT. A new theme each year.

Grandparents Day!- Not done yet. We send a card to our real and extra special friend grandparents thanking them for all they do for us! We draw pictures, stick stickers on their cards and so forth!

9/11 Remembrance- Too young. At this point, we just say prayers for those that lost their lives and those that lost love ones. We will do more as she grows.

October:
Halloween- we dress up!

Goodie Bag!- As she gets older, there will be a special bag that we get from a friendly witch. She flies to our house while we are out Trick or Treating, and she leaves this super special bag! If we put ALL our candy in the bag at night before we go to bed, then in the morning, it will have a special toy in it!! WOW!

Halloween countdown- we will have activities to do each day until Halloween!

Family History Month- we will have little lessons on our ancestors, do genealogy work, and come up with a number we want to reach for indexing each week, 2 weeks, or for the month!

November:
National Children's book week- Not yet. We will read award winning books, make our own books, do craft activities for books like name labels or bookmarks!

Veteran's Day- Not yet. We will go visit a local "wise folks home" and thank any of them that might be veterans. We will try to find some sort of service project for veterans. We will have a very short lesson about what veterans did.

Thanksgiving- We will have a Thanksgiving tree that we can put leaves on each day to tell what we are thankful for. We will send letters to family and friends telling why we are thankful for them. Art activities as well as reading our Thanksgiving book! It's a Scratch and Sniff! Someday, when Grace is old enough, we will help out at a Food Shelter on Thanksgiving.

Run to Feed the Hungry in Idaho Falls- Haven't yet, but plan to!


We will also celebrate family members birthdays, and send cards to those we can't be with on their days!

We also do an activity call "pen Pal Book!" We just did one for fall. I make a book with 4-6 little pages, small enough to fit in a greeting card envelope. Then we send it to our friends that live in CA, and even our grandparents! They fill it up with whatever they want! A little game they've drawn, a story, letter, drawings, stickers, or whatever. Then they send it back!! Grace LOVES getting mail. There will probably be ones for: Fall, Winter, New years!, Spring, Summer, and whenever else!

All in all, a TON of fun!!! It's so fun doing activities like this!!

And on to some projects that I've recently completed...

Grace's G Picture! I love this except that some of the picture bubbled up. But oh well, who cares! I cut the G out with an exacto knife, modge podged the picture back onto the G, and then the G onto a piece of cardboard that was pasted to the picture! I LOVE THIS!



Grace's blanket: I finished this last night. I'm trying to use up the extra fabric that was pre-cut for blankets but then never used for the blankets! This was going to be for her 72 hour kit but I like it too much to never be seen!



Grace's next quilt: This is the quilt I almost finished in one day. I just need to finish up sewing the squares, sew them together, then get the batting and backing matched to the top, sew, then I'm done!





Grace's quilt again: Yet again, another quilt. This one will grow with her though, at least to teen years if not more. It will be a much bigger quilt, needing a quilting frame, and has the stinking CUTEST fabric that will be pieced. This will Definitely take me a lot longer than the normal square block quilt, but will definitely be worth the time!

Grace's stocking! This isn't a project, and I didn't make it, but I thought it was so stinkin' cute I had to show it off! I had one like this growing up, and wish I still had it. I think mine was a big huge cat head! I LOVED that stocking!

A Year Of Dates Binder: I found this idea on someone else's blog. It's a binder packed full of props, papers, and directions on a different date each month! I haven't even printed the stuff yet, but will DEFINITELY be making this!! Awesome idea!!

Our food storage room has 1/3rd of the shelves up and already all our #10 cans on that shelf! So the rest will be built and put in, I can organize the room, and then get started on canning/preserving/dehydrating!!

I think that's pretty much it. I'm going to go work on Grace's pink quilt now!


Amanda

Church!

Well, Grace was just the belle of the ball at church today :) She FINALLY fit into one of her big girl dresses that I've been not so anxiously waiting for her to grow into!! It's hung in the back of her closet for SO long! So now that's she's a big girl and could wear it, what better day then today?! And of course I took lots of pictures! And I'm VERY excited to say that her shoes....A SIZE 5!!! WOW! They came from a very special "grandma Angie" in California! Thank you SO much! She was obviously excited to wear it too. She kept looking at the beads on it, and pulling it up and down at church. I just loved that part because I got to see her super cute pantaloons underneath! Ok not really, but they were big enough on her (it was a diaper cover) that it DEFINITELY could have been played off as pantaloons :) Of course no picture, I forgot...and she's already in day clothes. Next time!

She's holding our rendition of "Elf on the Shelf." It's a snowman instead, and I thought he was SO super cute we just had to get him instead!! I painted a box and decorated it so we'd have a special place to store him each year. Pictures of that to come.

Princess Grace getting her hair done!
And helping Mommy by brushing her own teeth! Not for real, I brush them, but she's really getting the hang of it!
Her face screams "What?" I asked her to smile! Yeah, she doesn't know what that means...yet!

Grace just LOVES laughing!! I caught her in the act when I asked her to give me "a BIG laugh!"
She was done! No way was I going to be able to take any more pictures of her.
Look at my big girl in her beautiful dress! And right after this picture she stood there looking like a doll for 30 seconds or so, but my darn camera decided not to work!
Close up shot! A little exzema showing itself but other than that, she's perfect!
Of course the picture that I ask her to give the Snowman a hug it comes out all blurry. Oh well, you get the idea ;)

All in all, a beautiful day with a beautiful daughter. Now lunch time is over, she's calling me from the high chair with homemade macaroni and cheese in her hair saying, "nie nie?"

Amanda

A Lesson Learned...

Well, Grace has taught Mommy a VERY valuable lesson! If we are going to potty train, (which we are EXTREMELY SLOWLY) and we are teaching Grace to throw the toilet paper in the toilet, then we need to be sure to keep the lid closed at ALL times. Why, you might ask? Because she might try to be helpful and throw a shirt in there, thinking that's where it belongs!! Yep, she sure did! One of her shirts out of her clean laundry basket. That little stinker. But you know, she might have thought she was doing laundry, since of course she helps with that too. Maybe the toilet looked the the washer a bit? I dunno!

Silly girl!

Amanda

Saturday

So, ok...a little truth must come out. I can't wait for January. Why is that? Because then we will actually have things that are building up our days. Not only will we have the therapies, which I literally cheer for, but I'll have Grace going to toddler lab 2 days a week for almost 2 hours, and Mommy gets to have some alone, just Mommy, being an adult and not worrying about anyone, time at school! Not that I don't LOVE being with Grace all the time 24/7, because I do. But everyone needs a break every once in a while, and I'm really getting to that point. It's hard moving to a new place, because you don't know anyone. So the days tend to mesh together, and you tend to start forgetting what day it is, because they all seem the same. And then you tend to get bored, and kind of a HUGE dose of Cabin Fever, because it's the same thing every day. You just can't have the same thing happening every day or ya just go crazy, you know what I mean?! So I'm SO thankful for January. I just jump for joy whenever I think..."soon, she'll have big girl time (Grace) and I'LL have 4 1/2 hours 2 days a week of ME TIME!!!" Am I conceded? Selfish? I hope that doesn't sound like me! Maybe if I had a little flare in life right now, I wouldn't have cabin fever!!


Blah, there's the truth. That's not always shared since it could make me look bad, but there it is. Take it for what it's worth. I love my family, and I love being with my daughter. I just can't wait to watch her sprout her little wings (JUST A TINY BIT) and go to toddler classes!! I know I'll be plastered to the window watching, that's for sure.

Cabin Fever is just HORRIBLE!!


Amanda

School, Christmas, and a Missionary!

Well, I am happy to say that our Missionary (who comes home next week) was accepted to BYUI finally! We've been working like mad dogs to get all the paperwork done, classes picked out before they all close, and so forth. Granted, we can't sign him up for classes until he has the track he's going to be on, but still, I can be prepared right? And since I'm talking about the missionary right now, I'll just keep it up with him coming home! We are all so excited! In less than a week he will be home, going down the escalator while we hold up giant signs and yell "Welcome Home!!!" Times and dates are under wraps, but it's for sure happening! Grace has already learned how to say his name too, so I'm hoping she'll give him a giant hug and say, "WHY-AN." For one of our art projects I'm going to have her draw a picture called "Brother and Grace." Whatever she comes up with is going to be named that and framed for his room!

I can't believe that in 1 1/2 weeks, we'll be in CA!! I can't wait to spend Christmas with my grandparents, and spend time with all my friends as well! We haven't gotten much snow here, what comes here and there just melts within an hour or so, so it's not the real deal norm. I'm REALLY hoping it will hold off doing the real deal until we are already gone! It's waited this long, why not a bit longer?! If it snows too much we might not make it over the summits, granted, I don't think I'd let ANYTHING stand in my way of Christmas with my grandparents. It's been quite a few years not spending a holiday with them, and this year, it's MY year.

Lots of good things, but now it's after 9 and we are still in pajamas. Therapy time is quickly approaching, so I must go!


Amanda

Is it really Friday?

Wow, I can't believe the entire week is already gone. I don't really know where the days go!! Today Grace has Speech at 10, then OT at 10:45, and I will be SURE to tell that OT that she's expecting too much from Grace at this point! It's crazy to think that she's going to hop and stand on one foot after JUST learning to really walk 3 weeks ago. And I'm definitely not going to let Grace get pushed too hard. I won't be super anal, but I will be sure she's working on what she's capable of doing. Anyways, after two therapies, I'll bet she'll be begging for nap time! Which will be good because I get to sew our quilt then!

So, one thing I have been noticing with Grace that I REALLY wish I wasn't noticing. Other than the fact that she NEVER listens to "no" (which is normal with her developmental age), is that she's falling A LOT. I can't quite tell what's going on, but random times she'll just fall when she's up walking. It's like 8 times in one day. So I'm TRYING not to think that there's something physically wrong with her that's causing her to lose her balance, or become dizzy and fall, or whatever. Brad told me that all kids fall a lot when they are learning to walk, and yes, that's true...but this much? And over nothing at times? I'm going to have to keep watching. And hoping it's just her being clumsy.

Another thing I've noticed about Grace? This one is a plus! She'll go play by herself! Oh yeah! I know that might sound harsh, but for a bit we were worried she was becoming one of those kids that have to be entertained from sun up to sun down, and I'm so glad to report that she's not. Like right now, she's off in her room playing with her singing dog! I love that I am able to not feel like a bad mom if I tell her, "Not right now Grace" and send her on her way :) And I am just SO happy she knows how to play alone for a little while! It was especially cute yesterday because she would throw her blocks, balls...anything...down the stairs, then she'd climb down the first little flight (our stairs turn) and she played down on the landing for a while by herself, laughing at herself and so forth, and after about 30 minutes she came up for some Mommy time! Good girl. She also LOVES playing with the dog! She'll lay on the floor when he's laying down, she'll walk around and he'll follow her, if he's playing with his ball she'll try to steal it, and then throw it for him, and she LOVES giving him great big hugs! She'll try to carry him off the couch, which usually ends up with a freaked out dog and a child laughing hysterically! I just love how much she's grown up and matured. But I'm still oh so glad she's my little 26 month old...oh my gosh! She's almost 2 1/2! I must try to find some way to slow down the time!!

Until I learn how to slow down time (like how it drags for three hours in the even between 5-8) I will continue to post everything so I remember!

And what did I tell you? She just walked out here with her block, tossed it down the stairs, and is now proceeding down the stairs to retrieve it! Silly girl!


Amanda

Thursday Evening!

Grace had a friend over!!! It was her first time having a friend over. Granted, he was 5, but still. He brought a toy to share with her, which ultimately ended up on the piano, but he was so good at trying to share it. It was a nice evening, and Grace was definitely tired out by it! She went right to sleep when I put her to bed at 8:30 pm! And she didn't even wake up at night. That was a blessing. Now if only every evening could be like that. I think she's realizing that when she goes to bed, she misses things! Little stinker.

All in all, a good night.


Friends are fun :)

Amanda

Thursday Morning...

Well, we were up bright eyed and bushy-tailed to get to therapy by 8, and after waiting outside in the 15 degree weather (granted, we were in the truck with the heater running) for 15 minutes, Grace and I came to the conclusion that her therapist wasn't going to show. The last time we met with her she was 10 minutes late. These 8 am sessions are obviously hard for her. So we headed to BYUI to figure out if I need a parking pass, or if I can just use Grace's disabled person placard (she will be going to school with me) and I'm lucky that I don't have to pay for a pass! Then off to the library to get tons of Christmas books! Finally, we get there before everyone else does. We also got a new library activity kit. Did I tell you what those were?

They are kits that the library has put together, and they have about 5 books in them, 3-4 file folder games, and then a 2 inch binder FULL of printouts that can be copied. Coloring pages, finger play, poems, and activities all on a certain theme. I picked out "Art" this time :) I can't wait to get started.

Now we're finally home. We couldn't take the 15 degree weather anymore! No, it didn't go up at all while we were out! The high today is...29!!!

As I'm writing this, Grace is throwing her new legos down the stairs. She's realized that it's absolute FUN to throw things down the stairs and watch them crash. Hey, whatever keeps her busy right?

Today will be "Art" kit day, with grinding more rice (which Grace has already helped me do), the kitchen has already been cleaned, laundry is going, and Christmas presents will be sewed after she goes down for nap! I'm also going to grind some more wheat for my bread I make weekly, as well as rolled oats for cookies! I also have to make plans with friends while I'm in CA so I know where we'll be for meals and everything! But I will be, for sure, making my crock pot lasagna for my grandparents one night!!

Alright, well I better go switch the laundry as it's beeping at me!


Amanda

Grace's New Toy, and More

We just got Grace some blocks her Spina Bifida OT told us to get for hand eye coordination as well as block building :) She likes to throw them down the stairs!! So now we have a new toy to learn with! I can't wait to get started tomorrow...


It's so cute so I have to share...it's 8 pm and 1/2 an hour till she goes to bed. We usually watch "Madeline" when time is going by to slow, which she calls "Nie nie?" When I sit at the computer/Tv she usually asks over and over "nie nie? nie nie?" She gets all excited walking around in circles and tries to go to the couch and climb up, which is where she and I sit to watch her absolute FAVORITE show!! She does big "O" faces when the girls cry on it, or when there's mystery, cheers when they cheer, says "HI" when they do...etc. It's so stinkin' cute!!
See what Daddy does when Grace is done playing? How cute!


And just showing off my newest addition to my kitchen :) A shoe holder for all my spice packets! I'm going to make my own packets and put them in this as well, it's cheaper to make my own once I find the recipes! Now I've got an extra drawer that's empty for something else!

Grace had her OT today. Her OT wants us to work on her standing on one foot and hopping. Are you SERIOUS? No, you're just INSANE! She JUST learned to walk...Hello??? I guess mommy gets to go to the next appt with the OT and be a bit abrupt with what I think and KNOW Grace needs.


And a super messy faced and messy haired girl :)


Amanda

Time

Time definitely seems to stop for no one! And another thing that doesn't stop for someone...sickness!!! Blah, I'm sick, but luckily Grace has gotten over it quickly. I'm just hoping everyone will get over it by the 16th, which is when we welcome our missionary home!! Grace gets to have a late night that night, as he doesn't arrive until 9:06 pm. We are so excited. Again, there's when time doesn't stop...I can't believe it's already been two years!! We are trying to tie up loose ends with BYU-I so he can start there Winter semester, but it seems to be taking them FOREVER to accept him so I can sign him up for classes! But hopefully, it will all get taken care of very soon.

Therapy...therapy is going well so far. Grace has speech three times a week...Tue at 10, Thur at 8, Fri at 10. It has to be that weird schedule so I can take her there and then back home before I have to go to school, so it works for us. That 8 am though is sometimes so hard to get up for when you've stayed up late the night before!! But she's totally worth it. She goes back with the therapist for 45 minutes (eeek, I don't get to go...) and every time she comes out, she's got a snack bag of goldfish in her hand and a huge smile on her face.

Sometimes, when I watch her walking around, I get all emotional and teary-eyed thinking that 2 years ago, she was my little newborn wrapped up in my arms. And now she's this petite 2 year old with LOTS of character! I LOVE IT!!! But of course, for a mommy it's sad to see her little one grow up. You always want them to be your baby, but you want them to grow up too! I'm just glad I have 16 years left...maybe more!!

Time stands still for no one, so you have to make the best of it all. I do by dancing with her EVERY night before I put her to bed, and after I lay her down, she tries to keep her feet up in the air oh so long, but sooner or later, I catch them with the blanket, rush her bangs from her face, tell her I love her, and blow her a kiss as I quietly shut the door. Those little moments are so worth the time flying by.


I love you Grace!

Mommy

Emergency Kits

Well, I've recently updated our 72 hour kits...as of 10 minutes ago to be exact! I added portable stoves to each one, about the size of two tuna cans stacked, burn lotion, and biodegradable soap! I will be refilling water jugs (gallons) tomorrow and putting them back in freshly dated, and will be checking the clothing sizes as well to be sure everything still fits. And now that we live in a snow state, I'll probably put thicker blankets as well as thicker jackets :)

Fun stuff you know!!


Amanda

Grace's First PT in the new house!

12/5

We finally had our first PT in our new home!!! I have a lot of video of it, but seeing how our internet is oober slow, as well as drops Firefox about every 10 minutes, I doubt I'd be able to upload it before it freaked out and closed down. So for now, pictures. Until we can get someone out here to fix the cable. Side note: when they wired the house for internet (before we were here) the went from one side of the house, wrapped it ALL the way around the house and back to where they started, and then went in. WOW.)

I am so amazed that she figured out how to step over the swiffer!! This was her first time trying, and after about 10 times of practicing and or cheating, she figured it out!!! Wonderful job Grace!
And she just HAD to bring me her PT's clipboard. There was just something so important on there I had to see it!


Wonderful job Grace!!

Amanda

My Projects

12/4


I've tried to keep up with my housekeeping, cooking, baking, etc etc now that we've finally moved in, and let me say it's tough to get started again! Only because some things get misplaced, like some of my bread recipe books. But even with that, I've tried to keep up with all that, and throwing in a teaspoon of craftiness as well.

This is our menu for the week. I don't really like the homemade flower on the side, but whatever. It works for us!
Baked apples with cinnamon, sugar and raisins in the middle. The crock pot and I have become best friends...attached at the hip for sure! Other than right this minute, my crock has been on non stop for a week now! Whether it's dinner, or desserts, or breakfasts, it's always going! I have been working out of my "Fix it and Forget it" Crock pot recipe book. I must say I've fallen in love!
A bread recipe I recently made. I guess I didn't give it a bowl big enough!!! I was AMAZED how big this rose! I also love that my oven goes down to 175 degrees, so I can turn that on for 5 minutes while I'm kneading, turn it off and stick the bread in to rise, and it does wonderfully!


And my two loaves of bread! I think the only bad thing is it's a "roll up" bread recipe, and I didn't roll it tight enough. I had two holes in the middle of one of the loaves. But it was SO YUMMY!!!


Amanda

Shaving Cream Fun!

11/29

This is definitely one of our favorite past times!!! SHAVING CREAM!!! I've gotten smarter over the days, and now it's safest to put her in the tub, with a diaper, and let her go full bore into that cream!

She's trying to crawl...unsuccessfully, over to the edge of the tub! See her face of determination?
How stinkin' cute is she?!!! I love how she's chewing on her tongue!
Smearing her foot with shaving cream :)
Awwww, what a sweetie she is!!


Amanda

Grace being a cutie!

11/23

Grace loves flirting with herself in the mirror, and does it CONSTANTLY!!! I think she knows the girl in the mirror is super cute!! I also love her hair in two pigtails, and I also ADORE the purple jumper she's wearing!!

Up top she's TOTALLY smiling at herself and all her cuteness!
Sending a big MMMMUUUUAAAAHHH to all our followers,friends and family!
Showing off her teeth!
Do you see her looking at us from the reflection? Smart girl!
And her beautiful locks, and her best man!!!


Amanda

Grace's PT at home

11/17

This blog post is while we were still living in the apartment. PT was coming to the home, and we tried on a different suit than the one at Hippo to see how it did. This suit, though, didn't help much. She was still all over, super excited Gracey, so this one was definitely a "not use again" one. But that's ok, she gave us some super cute pictures with it! It looks like she's ready to go to a dance class or something!

How stinkin' cute does she look with the suit on and her SUPER blonde hair!!!

She's working on putting the pieces back in the bag. She likes to make a mess, but not really clean up, yet anyways!


Amanda