Please allow me to be one of the first to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. I can't believe it is already that time --- December flies by too fast. We have had a wonderful Christmas Eve day - -and I am looking forward to a great Christmas. I am trying to take lots of pics so that I can post the best ones on the blog. I actually didn't have to work today, so that was a huge bonus. It was great to have a day with the family. My parents came over and we ate and played a game - and of course had presents - which is a tradition in my family - to have presents on Christmas Eve - ever since I can remember. :)

Well, I wish each of you a splendid holiday --- I'll post pics as time allows! Happy Holidays!

Apparently it is flu season in our town ! Yikes. Mary woke us up at 4 am to let me know that she needed to "puke". I am so thankful that the Lord gave me a steel stomach to deal with these things. Bill (hubby) was not so blessed and has a really hard time with such things. She laid around all day -- she could barely keep Sprite down. She wants to go to school in the morning -- but we had to draw the line and say "until you can eat, you can't go to school". This is almost humorous because usually we can't stop her from eating == and today you couldn't have shoved food down her throat if your life depended on it. Poor thing -- it made me so sad just to watch her. I think she and I watched "The Polar Express" 3 times before Katie got home from school at noon.

Work tonight wasn't too bad. I can tell it is only 2 weeks until Christmas because people are crazy. We weren't really that busy after 8 pm -- so I got to come home a little early. No complaints here...I'm tired from my 4 am wake-up call. I have cute pics to download from the weekend -- 2 parties and a Christmas program - so as soon as I get those done I will upload them for everyone's viewing pleasure! Have a good day.....

Wow -- the days are flying by. Hard to believe that we are closing in on Christmas fast! Work is nothing but insanity. Today was my 6th day in a row, so I am ready for a break. Tomorrow I am off and I have the infamous scrapbooking/cookie exchange tomorrow night so I am really looking forward to that. I am getting my hair cut in the am and then I need to put some serious time into getting my house caught up. It seems like when I work for a long stretch of days in a row that my house often gets left behind. Oh well, such is life.

Well, my day off has proven to be wonderful from the standpoint that I was able to work on cleaning my house -- which was a huge need. It was so nice to drink coffee and watch "the View" and be able to just get some things done. I need to work on my scrapbooking. My design team layout for next month is sitting on my counter. I'm not real fond of the paper - or the theme - so I'm kind of putting it off. I asked my neighbor (who also crops) what she thought would happen if I didn't do a layout next month. She didn't know what to say. I wondered if I could be permanently banned from ever being on another design team? That would be a huge bummer b/c there are a lot of cool benefits as part of the design team including a 10% discount and one free crop a month -- oh well, I'll be over my attitude in a week or so and then I'll hopefully be able to figure out what pictures I could possibly use on that layout.

Gotta run--- hopefully more tomorrow!

Well, I survived Black Friday in the retail world and have now officially been an employee of Kohls for three years -- that is hard to believe. I am so tired -- it has been quite the weekend. Bill had all of last week off, but with both of the girls being sick and working 42 hours plus the holiday - I am spent.

Mary goes back to school tomorrow - Katie's classroom still has tomorrow off -- she won't remember what school is by the time she goes back on Tuesday -- hee hee!!

Sorry this one is short, but I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and I have two weekdays off this week, so hopefully I will have a chance to sit down and catch everyone up! Hope your turkey day was terrific!!! Christmas is only 4 weeks away -- Yippee!!!!

I am officially done apologizing for not posting more often. I will just be THANKFUL that I am able to post on occasion :). This is the busiest time of my year -- retail does that to you. I feel as though I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off all day. Not enough time to get things ready for Friday - that is for sure. Bill has the week off of work. He had some vacation to burn, and being that it is a crazy week for me, he thought he'd take the week off, give my mom a break from babysitting - and help me out a ton by being here for the girls.

Mary's teeth are so close to falling out ... I can't wait to see how cute she will be with no bottom teeth (hee hee). Did I mention that both girls are on antibiotics for ear infections? It is almost winter, isn't it? I am kind of ticked because I had to take Mary to the hospital in the middle of the night on Wednesday night into Thursday b/c she was in so much pain from her ear. The Dr. at the ER said it was only an infection in the ear canal and she didn't need antibiotics. The next day I took her to the pediatrician with Katie b/c Katie had been running a fever and had a green nose. The Dr. was like, "Jill, she has an ear infection and she needs meds..." So I guess that was a waste of money at the hospital. That is not the first time that has happened -- but you know you can't take your screaming 5 year old to the Dr's office at 3 am b/c they aren't open. What else can I do????

Well, gotta run -- another busy day tomorrow!!!HAPPY THANKSGIVING if I don't get a chance to post tomorrow!!!

Sorry that I've been a bit delinquent in posting as of late. It's been crazy at work getting ready for the busy holidays coming up -- and I've still got this cold -- 3 weeks and going strong. They put me on an inhaler - she says I have something called a post-viral asthmatic reaction - but I don't have asthma. My lungs are clear but I cough all the time and people look at me as though I have the plague. It's lovely. Mary has it, too -- she has had a cough for 4 weeks -- but she feels good - so there isn't much they can do for her.

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week -- this time of year seems to come too quickly as I get older....

Mary has her first two loose teeth! She is so excited. She keeps asking me to call the tooth fairy and let her know. My response was -- "The tooth fairy and I are very good friends -- I have known her about 36 years (hee hee) and I'm sure that when those teeth come out, she'll be the first to know!" Mary's response was , "Do you know her phone number?" to which I replied -- "Yep - I'm pretty sure I've got that one covered!"

What a week...I've been really sick since last Friday, but in true Mommy fashion I must continue on....I think the whole town has this cough..it's not fun. Thankfully the girls and Bill are pretty healthy....

Halloween was a crazy day..I'll post some pics. The girls had parties at school and then a big party at church in the evening.

Hopefully I'll be healthy and back to my blogging self soon....

Okay, I think I have come out of my depression as a result of the Tigers pitiful World Series performance. They were truly outplayed and deserved to lose. Although it was upsetting for me to see Jeff Weaver, a former Tiger, bask in the glory of kicking their butts. To be honest, I am glad it is finished and I can now move on to bigger and better things -- the Holidays are fast approaching and are much more deserving of my time and energy than the World Series.

What a weekend this is turning out to be. I took the girls Trick or Treating at the local supermarket (Meijers) and that was a blast. They had all kinds of stuff for the kids -- and it is nice for the kids to be able to dress up. Mary is very excited about Halloween. Katie has no clue what Halloween is as far as I can tell. I am one of the room mothers for Mary's class, so I get to be at her party. That will be fun. I have the day off of work for all of the festivities. Our church has a huge party also where they have inflatables and games and dinner -- all free for the community. It is a blast! The girls always have a great time at that - and this year I have two of my girlfriends and their kids coming along, too ...so it will be three times the fun.

I went scrapbooking last night with my friend Alicia -- that was a blast as always. I only got one layout done, but it was a very cute one, thanks to my crop coach (Alicia). She does more coaching than cropping, but that serves as a huge benefit to me --thanks Alicia!

Well, I probably should go...the girls are being too quiet and that is never a good thing :)

How can a world series game get rained out? I mean, seriously? Maybe it's a good thing -- those Cardinals need to be slowed up a bit. I know, the Tigers are really coming up short...but "it ain't over til its' over", right.

Today was crazy. Katie didn't have school at all, and Mary had an extended day, so things were really messed up. I can always tell when Katie's routine is off because it really sends her for a loop.

Does anyone out there watch "The Nine".....we don't seem to talk about TV shows much in blog world, but I am really fascinated by this show. I don't watch (and have never watched) LOST, which I am told is very similar to the NINE --- but it really is an interesting format for a TV show...just wondered if anyone else is intrigued by it...

Well, gotta run..hopefully game 4 will go off without a hitch tomorrow -- but rain is in the forecast....

GO TIGERS!!!

I am watching the World Series and blogging at the same time -- which for me could be a bit challenging. I have had good intentions of blogging more this week, but I have been very busy. We had Katie's IEP at school (Individualized Education Plan- required by law for special ed students) yesterday. It went well. They are keeping Katie's personal aide, and that was my only major concern - so at least until the end of the year we should be okay.

I had today off. That was a good thing. I had worked all weekend and had a lot to do around the house. I feel like I am always coming from behind when I have to work all weekend. There is so much to do with the kids -- Mary's last soccer game of the fall was supposed to be last night, but it was cancelled b/c of snow -- how funny is that. It was only 35 degrees out -- too cold for 5 year olds to be playing soccer if you ask me, so I was thrilled to not have a game.

Okay, the game isn't going so well at this moment, so maybe I should stop blogging -- hee hee -- GO TIGERS!!!

WORLD SERIES BEGINS TONIGHT!! GO TIGERS...

Okay, that is all I will say on that subject...for now. Actually I have really cute pictures of Katie at the Apple Orchard that I want to post. She was such a trooper...and actually picked an apple. It was great! The picture on the right is Katie's aid Amy helping her to pick an apple. Katie wasn't sure at first, but she had a great day.

Well, although the graphic quality of this pic is not the finest, Pudge Rodriguez says it all with his expression ... GO TIGERS!! I am so excited about the Tigers going to the World Series. As I have shared with some of my blogging pals, I have been a Tiger fan since I was 14 years old and I was in love with Lance Parrish, the catcher for the Tigers, who won the world series that year. Ever since, through Thick and Thin -- and there has been a lot of Thin, let me tell you, I have remained a true Tiger fan.

Finally, this year, we have had something to cheer about. I thought it was interesting that my local newspaper stated that it was appropriate that Detroit have a good year in baseball because the state of Michigan as a whole has really needed something to cheer about. Hello, we have to put up with the Detroit Lions -- although they did win today! Seriously, with unemployment and all of that, it is nice to have some nice Michigan news for a change. Go TIGERS~~~

The silly days of soccer are upon us. These kids of mine crack me up! As you can see, Mary is on the Orange Diamonds -- gotta love that orange jersey, and Katie just hangs out and makes me laugh. 3 more weeks of fall soccer - it'll be snowing before the season is over!!

Not too much else going on. Bill and the girls have been sick, so we've all been going to bed early. Work is crazy for both Bill and I. With the threat of snow on Thursday, Bill is crazy busy as people are freaking out that their boats are going to freeze in the lake.

Well...the Tigers are playing!! Go Detroit!! Gotta run....

Wow! I am tired. Seems like it has been quite the week -- nothing out of the norm really, but it seems the further into the fall we get, the busier my life becomes. The girls are doing well. Both are fighting off their first cold of the season. I think they have passed it on to Bill now --

Katie is doing so well. We are really pleased at how she is progressing. She has her IEP (Individualized Education Plan) in a few weeks. I am interested to hear everyone's comments as we don't always see eye to eye. The big thing is that she really needs to continue to have her own aide in the classroom. We are praying that that piece will remain in tact. Katie turns 4 next week -- that is hard for me to believe.

My father-in-law found an ELMO TMK for the girls for Christmas. I work at a retail chain and I can't even get one, but somehow he found one. I'm impressed! I need to come up with some good present ideas this year. Mary's b-day is one week before Christmas, so it means twice the presents and sometimes it is hard to be creative.

Well, I need to get ready for work. I get to scrapbook again tomorrow - I'm excited about that....

Sorry it's been awhile. Things have been so busy. We are running around like freaks lately. Soccer, school, work, family...my mom was out of town for a week fishing in the UP -- which made my life crazy ...she helps me so much with Katie (and Mary, too). I really miss her when she's not around. I also have been trying to scrapbook at least twice a month. It is so much fun to be back into scrapping again. I had really missed it.

Work has been very busy for Bill and I both. I feel like the holidays are almost here. Hard to believe it is October already. Mary is loving school...all she ever says is "school is great". She has a cold, Katie, too... 3 weeks into school before our first sickeness isn't too bad :)

Katie had a Dr's appointment on Friday. We are going to run chelation therapy on her for the next 4 months. I really am excited about this because even after just one session of treatment (they do 3 days on the meds and 11 days off) we have seen some great improvements in her. I will be sure to keep updating her progress with the chelation... it really it is an exciting therapy option for autistic families.

Well, I had better go.. I haven't heard Katie in awhile so I need to see what she is up to. Last night while I was at work she stood in the bathroom sink and turned our master bathroom into a swimming pool. Bill said the water was flowing down the walls and into the kitchen below. I am really glad I missed it!!!

Well it's been a week without a blog from me, so I'm long overdue. Things have been crazy. It seems as though with both girls in school the weeks are clicking off like days and every time I turn around I can't belive how quickly time flies. I think that it just shows how old I am getting (not feeling) -- but the reality is that the older we get, the faster time does seem to go. It will be the holiday's soon...work is an everpresent reminder of that. We already have a small area devoted to Christmas trees and holiday seasonal items. Yikes!

Mary and Katie have an open house at school tonight. I'm actually looking forward to it, mostly because we haven't had much of an opportunity to meet Mary's teacher and see what is going on in the classroom. Also, Mary hardly says anything about Kindergarten. Last year - when she was at the private school in K4 - she couldn't stop talking about all of the things they were doing, but now it's like pulling teeth. Hopefully tonight I will see what she has actually been doing :)

I spent most of my day at the Allegan County Fair with my daughter Katie and her early childhood class on their field trip. It was "handicap" or "special ed" day at the fair. Admission was free and they could ride the rides for about 1 1/2 hours for free. It was great fun for them. Katie was so tired by the time we were done, but it was a great time. I think it is so important for kids like Katie to have exposure to public events like the fair. Even though she did have several meltdowns, she was such a trooper! This is a self-portrait that I took of the two of us when we were hanging out waiting for her class. Katie would not go in any of the animal barns. She caught one whiff of the smell and she was done for the day, so she and I walked around and for awhile we just sat on a picnic table and watched people an animals go by. She loved that!!! She is such a joy to my heart!!! I'm glad I was able to spend the day with her. I think she may be "mommy'd out"!!

Good Morning!

I am enjoying one of my new-found mornings of freedom when I don't have to work and both girls are in school. WOW!!! It is so nice to have some Jill time. I love the girls...but I also need to learn to take care of myself. They are both on the bus by 7:30 so it gives me time to have a cup of coffee and clean the house :). Today I went and got my hair cut without having to chase two kids around while I'm trying to get a decent haircut!!!

The weather here has been crazy...rainy and cold. It feels more like November than September....which is a bummer because both of my girls love to be outside!! It is supposed to be much nicer this weekend.

What a week....

I have not been meaning to be neglectful of my blog...but as I have looked through my blogging pals blogs, they too seem to be running a bit behind in updating. It is just a busy time of year with the kids getting back to school. I feel like we are running at 100 miles an hour all the time. Also, our church has built a new addition and our first day in the new church is tomorrow ..so that is just more "excitement" to our already crazy schedule.

Things are going pretty well with back to school. Katie is not adjusting as well as Mary. Mary loves kindergarten and loves riding the bus. She is doing fine with public school. She has asked a couple of times if she is going back to her old school...but I think she is almost past it. Katie is another story. She either doesn't want to get on the bus, or doesn't want to get off the bus. On Friday, she had her shoes off in the van (at the bus stop on the corner) and I had to carry her to the bus and put her shoes in her backpack. When the bus driver dropped her off at lunch time, he said that by the time he got to school she had her shirt off, too! You have to love autistic kids and how they hate shoes and clothes in general!! It's funny to me now, but I do wish that she could at least wear shoes!!!

Well...it's getting late and I'm actually watching Dale Jr. try and secure a spot in the Nextel chase for the cup. I challenge all of my blogging pals to update their sites very soon as I am dying for an update!!!

MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE -- This week has been so busy that I didn't get around to writing about our trip to Michigan's Adventure onThursday. My mom watched Katie so that we could have a good day with Mary and give her some quality one on one time. Plus, Katie would have been miserable. I didn't take a lot of pictures, mostly video, but here's one that shows how much fun we were having.

CHELATION THERAPY - It is a controversial thing in the world of autism. But, after doing our research and finding a doctor with whom we are extremely comfortable, we are doing it. The goal of chelation is to give the patient a chelator which binds to the bad things (in this case, the heavy metals) in their body and helps them to pass these things out of their body. It can be administered in several ways, but the safest, especially with little kids, is having them take tablets 3 a day, for 3 days and then you do a test to see what levels of metals they are passing. A lot of people, including Bill & I, believe that if autistic kids can be de-toxed from all of the toxicity in their systems (mostly heavy metals including mercury) that they can show drastic improvement in many areas. Our doctor says the results of improvement are about 50/50, so we'll just have to wait and see! Today is day 2 of 3 with the first round of medicine - we are praying for good results!!!

My husband e-mailed this to me and I couldn't resist passing it on to all of my blogging friends ENJOY!!! SAD NEWS Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in thebelly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebreties turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Doughand Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survivedby his elderly father Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads it.

Can you say CHUCK E. CHEESE? We went yesterday for my neighbor's 39th birthday. 4 moms and all of our kids -- it was crazy. This was Katie's favorite spot -- lying on the skee-ball game. Too crazy-- especially when a boy (probably 8 or 9) decided that he was going to throw skee-balls at her. When I told him that he should not throw balls at a child he said "Lady, she shouldn't be up there and I'll throw them at her if I want." I said, "No, you won't. She's a child, and sometimes child go places they shouldn't. It will not be a good thing if you hit her with a ball". He gave me a dirty look and kept righ on throwing the balls. He was there with a daycare group -- okay, seriously, why would you take a daycare group to Chuck E. Cheese? It was fun. The food was bad as usual, but the kids had a great time. The best part is that I don't have to worry about losing Katie because they put hand stamps on you and the stamps have to match in order to take the child out with you....I often joke that people wouldn't get too far trying to kidnap Katie anyway. She throws a fit when her own mother tries to make her leave -- I can't imagine what kind of meltdown she would have if a stranger tried to pick her up!!!!

6 days of work in a row and I am a tired girl....I have 2 days off now, so that will be good. I miss seeing the girls when I work so much...and Katie is at a stage where she bawls every time I leave for work -- she lies at the garage door and kicks and screams - it's horrible, and it makes me feel so guilty for going to work. Bill and I have talked about how part of it is her age and part of it is her autism. It's so hard on me. I am exhausted, so I'll write more tomorrow ---

We went to the beach this afternoon. This is what I love about Michigan....Bill and I have both been under a lot of stress and he had the afternoon off, so we decided to head to the beach...it was great. Katie really didn't want to leave --- (autistic kids often love sand and water) so she had a major melt-down...but other than that it was amazing!!! Thanks Bill for thinking of such a great way to spend a Friday night. It was so much fun that I didn't even miss my scrapbooking.

HAIR CUTS and AUTISM don't go together very well. My mom and I took Katie to get her hair cut short because we all liked Mary's so well. It was insane. Our poor hair-dresser was literally following Katie around the room trying to cut wherever and whenever she could. She got a good start to the cut but my mom basically finished it while Katie was in the bathtub at our house. That is about the only place we have success with hair-cuts with her. The before and after pictures are not as good as Mary's so I'm not posting them (mostly because I need to take an after picture from "now" as opposed to when we left the salon.

I'm starting to feel better....about the situation with Mary and the hot tub. I haven't let Mary play with the little girl since Friday when I heard about it through the grapevine. Mary keeps asking me why and I just tell her that until Mommy can talk to the other Mommy she isn't allowed to play over there. She's funny b/c she keeps saying, I already promised ___ (the other mommy) that I won't play in the pool anymore. I just have to tell her that I know, and that I appreciate how honest she was in coming forward about it, but that mommy needs to clear some things up before she can play with her friend again. What a pain in the butt. But on to bigger and better things.... We have pulled Mary from private school and have enrolled her in public school. This has been a very emotional decision for both Bill and I. We have been praying for a peace about it, and actually I was amazed at how easy it was to enroll her in public school. She will be in the same building as Katie -- we have two elementary schools in town - and she will go in the morning just like Katie. She is very excited .. and I am just relieved. I told her Private School teacher yesterday and she was just devastated. The school has been having a lot of problems - it is really sad. We are just at a point where we are doing what we have to do...I hate life changing decisions - they are hard work.

I'm glad for the weekend... Wow it's been a week. I went scrapbooking tonight, which I love, but amidst the conversation (there were several of my neighbors there) I found out some things about what Mary has been up to in the neighborhood that are a little disturbing to me. I know that she is mischeivious, but after some of the things that were said I find myself a little unsettled. I knew that earlier this week she and her "little" friend got into thier hot tub and were sitting on the edge of it with their hands and feet in it. Mary told me that the friend had asked her to open it because Mary is much bigger than the other girl and she was unable to open it herself. Mary admitted to me that she opened it. Apparently the parents felt it was Mary acting independently and they did not allow her to play with their daughter for a day because the father was very upset. The parents didn't see Mary do anything, they just went off of what their daughter said. The parents told my other neighbor that Mary was standing on top of the hot tub jumping up and down (okay, what would the point of that be) and then she opened it up (which she did) and they felt she is a bad example for their daughter. I think the reality here is that both girls are at fault and it bothers me that the parents haven't said anything to me directly. I know that they think I am a bad mother becuase I don't always hang out outside in the front yard with all of them. I HAVE AN AUTISTIC DAUGHTER WHO WILL RUN AWAY IF WE ARE IN THE FRONT YARD!!!! I am so tired of having to defend all of my actions all the time. I'm sorry that I can't be in an area that isn't fenced in because Katie will be in danger. I give Mary a lot of freedom out of necessity. I always know where she is and she is very good at asking permission to go and do things. I guess that I shouldn't be that upset, and that I just need to let it go..but I'm just upset that the neighborhood knows more about what my daughter did than I do. I'm glad that Mary told me what had happened before I heard about it at the scrapbook store. That was my Friday night. I'm off this weekend -- I need it!

Today Was Crazy

Well it was my day off, but it wasn't a true day off. Katie had her yearly appointment with the pediatric neurologist this morning. That went pretty well. She said that Katie looked great and that it seemed like, all things considered, Katie was doing really well. We talked about the new doctor we are seeing and how we are trying to modify her diet and see what happens. Like my pediatrician she also told me not to put too much hope in "alternative" medicines. She was concerned that I might have become "Anti-vacine" (which I am not). I told her that I am not opposed to vaccinating children, I just think that parents need to be better educated about what is in the shots and in how they are being administered.
Once we got past that it was a good visit. Katie is all set for another year unless we start to have more sleep issues or if any new issues develop. Then we came home and Mary went with Papa B to Coney Island for lunch and then to the lake for a swim. She learned how to "dive" off the diving board today....she is growing up so fast. Katie had speech therapy this afternoon. That went really well. She is making such good progress. By the time we got home from that it was 3 o'clock and the day was pretty much spent. Seems like today was my day to run 5 million errands - so I am tired. But all of this is why I am a few days behind on the blog...hope to do better...but I close the next two nights at work, so we'll see what happens. :)

These are the pictures ..before and after! What a big change. Mary looks so cute....Maybe Katie's hair is next!!!

I want to say that I am so excited because I am actually going scrapbooking tonight. I haven't been in months!!! I printed off a bunch of the pics that Mindy sent to me and I can't wait!!! Bill is actually leaving work early so that I can can get an early start. :) Mary got her hair cut really short today. I have a before and after pic. As soon as I upload them I will add them to the blog!!!

This is Katie on our vacation. Gotta love that harness! It is a life-saver with her :) Mindy sent me a cd with150+ pictures on it -- it will take me awhile to get through them all, but this one of Katie is so cute...she's such a treat! ..and after all, she is really what this blog is all about! My mom spent hours at the healthfood store today trying to find some foods that she can eat. It is going to be a challenge to get her diet re-vamped so that she isn't eating all of the foods that bother her. We had a little scare today...while the sitter was here, Katie managed to go into Mary's room and somehow flip over the toy kitchen (which is quite large - and she flips it over all the time) but today she somehow got it wedged between the wall and the door and there was no way for the sitter to get into the room. It ended up that Bill had to come home from work and use a crowbar to move the kitchen enough so that the door would open. What a mess. She was in there for about 45 minutes -- the sitter said that she was just happy as a clam, jumping on the bed and laughing !! She's a little stinker!! But we love her!!!!!

Well as you can see - it was ELEPHANT Day in Plainwell. Katie didn't ride, but Mary loved it. It was so hot out waiting in line, but Mary had great fun. They had the elephants a few years ago when I was pregnant for Katie, and Mary rode then, too. She says she still remembers it, but I'm not sure about that :)

Well, this morning was the doctor's appointment to find out what is up with Katie. Let's start this by saying that I bawled. So it's not good. First of all she has some weird bacteria with a two word name that I can't spell or pronounce living in her intestines. The strange thing about this particular bacteria is that the Dr. had never heard of it before, so she did some research on it. It is usually only found in people who live in tropical climates (which Michigan is not), eat a lot of shellfish (she has never eaten any fish) or have prolonged exposure to snakes and/or amphibians (which she also has not) - so how in the heck did she get it. It can be found in tropical freshwater - which if you consider gull lake tropical than that might be the culprate since she has a tendency to drink the water when she swims - she's 3 -- all 3 year olds do that. The doctor is putting her on an antibiotic to try and combat it -- The next thing is the food allergy test -- this is the part that made me cry -- she is allergic to all of the foods that she eats. She can't have rice, wheat, flour, barley, oats, sesame, cow's milk, cheese, soy products, all citrus is out (orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit - which by the way she doesn't eat) -- it's insane. i looked at the doctor and said -- what am I supposed to feed her? The girl survives on grilled cheese, chicken nuggets and pretzels -- she can have chicken, but not the breading -- I don't know what to think. Now on to the even "better" news - she has heavy metal poisoning (which is very common in autistic kids) - and she has to start taking supplements to try and get her body to naturally rid itself of all the metals it is keeping inside. This is one of the biggest problems with kids like Katie - figuring out how to get the metals out. She has toxic levels of arsenic and a bunch of other metals (the report is downstairs - I can get more specific later) and we need to get them OUT!!!! Well, that is the main jist of it. I'll try to write more tomorrow. I went back to work tonight. -- it was okay ---

Since I am enjoying my 8 days off work and have time enough to take a test that tells me I am a totalitarian - just like Kish and Emily - then I guess I have time enough to finally write about our vacation and what is up around here. Vacation was pretty good except for the fact that the weather in St. Louis was horrible and we didn't have power in our hotel the first night. Also on Friday we went to St. Louis Mills which is this awesome outlet mall - but about 30 seconds after we walked in the door the power went out. Not cool. Thankfully my mom had packed a flashlight and candles - and we survived. The power came back on the first night around 1 in the morning. That was a good thing b/c without air conditioning it would have been a long night. It was about 101 degrees that day. Mary learned (FINALLY) how to swim without her life jacket and also my mom taught her how to spell MISSISSIPPI - seeing that we went over the Mississippi river about 15 times while we were there. Katie did pretty well over all. We had a few minor lapses, but she is doing so good. I am hoping to have some really great pictures for the blog when I get them from Mindy -- We bowled and went to a water park and did lots of fun things. It was a nice time away from the crazy-ness of our lives -- and I am still enjoying my break from work. Reality will hit on Thursday! YIKES!!

You are a Social Conservative (33% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (28% permissive) You are best described as a: Totalitarian Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Vacation Pics.... There will be more later. My cousin's wife Mindy is going to mail me a cd with tons more pics...but these are from the Robert Wadlow Statue in Alton, IL. (Near St. Louis). He was the tallest person in the modern era at over 8 feet tall. To give these pictures perspective, my husband is 6'5" and he looks like a midget next to him.....

I'm Back.... Sorry, Em. It's been busy around here. We've been getting ready for vacation and it's just been a little crazy. Things are good. I won't know the results of Katie's tests until the end of next week. I'm excited to have some time off of work, and most of it I'm just going to spend at home...but the break will be nice. I've been reading all of "your' blogs -- Em., did you see that I took your quiz. I tried to set up a "how well do you know me" quiz on my website and that IQ test (if you wonder what I'm talking about, you can link to Emily's blog on the right.) but they didn't want to copy over. All right, I know this is short, but I have to run. Lots to do today!!! Bye

Wednesday --- My oh my! What else can I say. It is my day off -- again :) - Because today is my and Bill's 9th wedding anniversary. That is hard to believe. It has been a long road - but a fulfilling one. I look at the girls and I know that what we all have is great and special, and in the world we live in, it is an accomplishment to be proud of. No big plans today -- Bill and I are going out to dinner, but the girls and I are just hanging out today. I need a day to recoup because yesterday after I got home from work, Katie managed to climb up on the kitchen counter and pull out a crystal salad bowl which she proceeded to shatter all over the kitchen counter and floor. It looked like a diamond mind exploded in my kitchen. I should have taken a picture, but I was so insane with panic that I couldn't. katie was cut and bleeding and she was trying to get out of the kitchen by walking over the glass -- I've never seen such a mess. Mary was a big help to me, but it was an hour of cleaning, vaccuuming, repairing cuts and scrapes and trying to keep Katie out of the kitchen so that she didn't get hurt. If she gets out of my sight for more than 30 seconds, it is trouble waiting to happen! I will tell you all that we did get a new tv - and Bill has put brackets around it so that Katie will not be able to pull it off of the entertainment center. His comment was "it will be pretty hard for someone to steal the tv, now." I was kind of like " who is trying to steal the tv....", but hey, whatever works! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BILL!! I love you!!!

What a Week... Wow .. it has been a crazy one. I am so tired. I never like these 5 day in a row stretches at work. Plus there has just been a lot going on. As some of you know, with Katie's autism things are never dull around here. She really loves watching videos on tv, as is common with most autistic children. However, her attachment to the tv has led to its ultimate destruction as it has been licked, pulled, slapped, knocked over and handled far too much. It died for good last night. Bill has fixed it several times in the past, but it is beyond hope I fear. Far beyond the "Lazarus" stage as I would call it. I believe that we are going to have to go get a new tv today. Actually I think that Bill and the girls are going to go get it while I'm at work. That ought to be interesting. There is a circuit city right next to my Kohls', so I'll probably take my lunch when they come and go over to help pick it ought. If money wasn't a consideration, we should probably get a projection tv so that she can't knock it over. Our vacuum also died this week, so I have been on appliance replacement overload, but I found an awesome clearance deal at work on a vaccuum, so we should be all set with that one. I also took Katie up to have her blood drawn for all of the tests that her new doctor wants to run. That was kind of stressful as Katie hates being confined or restrained at all and in order to draw blood, that is necessary. They are running a huge battery of tests including food allergy and metal counts to see what is going on in that body of hers. It's a never ending journey of trying to figure out what we can do to help her "escape" the things that confine her inside of herself. Well, I've got tons to do and I have to work at 3, so I had better go..... Have a great weekend. I'll write more later, probably Monday because I am finally OFF!!!!

Happy Birthday USA!

Wow - Hard to believe that it is the fourth of July already. The weather here has been awful this weekend so far. I knew that would happen because I have had four days off. The good part is that with the yucky weather the marina hasn't been that busy and Bill has been able to cut his hours back. That has been great for the girls and I.

Katie is doing well. I never got back on and talked about her new doctor and everything - but the readers' digest version is that I think if we can get her on the right diet and on the right therapies, we may be able to see some great progress. We are really encouraged. She needs to have some blood test and other tests done this week and then we should be able to find out what we are really dealing with.

We are going out to the lake swimming this afternoon and then staying for fireworks if it isn't raining. We had thunder and lightening last night, so that would have made it impossible. We actually go out in the boat to see the fireworks, so lightening kind of throws a wrench in it.

I hope that everyone is having a great holiday....if I take pics this afternoon I will try to upload them later! happy 4th!

I need to find the time to write more about what happened at the doctor on Thursday - but let's say that it went pretty well and I am excited about the potential of what they could do for Katie -- I am so tired -- bill and I went to a concert in Muskegon - about 90 miles away - tonight and we just walked in the door. The tickets were free and it included food -- so it was a great "free" date. (Except for the 3.00 gas -- yes that is my new thing to complain about) so, hopefully later tomorrow after I get a good night's sleep, I will sit and write about the doctor visit :) good night.

Wow...the week is flying by. I wanted to write tonight really quick before I hop into bed because I have Katie's appointment with a new doctor tomorrow morning -- we are going to look into chelation therapy and what the benefits might be for Katie....Bill and I and my parents are really praying that this might be a huge help for Katie. I'll be sure to write more tomorrow to update what is going on and what we found out... Does anyone else wonder why gas is 3.09 a gallon?

What a weekend - I am tired. Work, work, and more work. Mary had her awards for VBS this morning and she chose a super-soaker! Yikes! She is too funny. She's five years old and she was third highest points winner for the whole VBS which runs through 6th grade! On a different note, Katie used the potty this weekend (big YEA!!!) and she also said "hi" to me in direct response to me saying "Hi, Katie". Bill and I both did a double take -- it is great when she does correct and appropriate verbal responses. This week should be crazy. I'm on a 5 in row at work and Bill will be crazy as the marina prepares for the 4th of July. The good news is that I actually have a four day weekend for the fourth. I am so excited! We aren't going anywhere -- because Bill will have to work a little bit, but I am so excited to have four days of no work!!! That motivates me to get through the week. Mary was pretty excited to find out I'll be home that many days in a row, too --- Okay, I have to get up early to take Katie to speech therapy (which by the way they were finally able to get her a weekly spot with the therapist that we wanted, which is a huge answer to prayer) and we also have finally gotten a doctor's appointment to look into chelation therapy for her autism this week as well -- so it is going to be a crazy one. More later....

Well I think that this week has worn both of the girls out. Mary has been attending Vacation Bible School (VBS) all week at my parents church and by supper time she is a genuine crab. Bill said that she fell fast asleep before 7 tonight -- that never happens. Katie is on antibiotics and ear drops for her swimmers ear -- and antibiotics always seem to make Katie super wound up. I'm glad I have tomorrow off -- we all need to recover. I am on again this weekend -- mid-shifts again. I really don't like them because they pretty much kill the whole day. No time to do anything in the morning - and not home until the girls are basically in bed. I'm tired --- more tomorrow.

Okay, I've been delinquent with pictures, so here are a few -- this is my husband Bill and my oldest, Mary on a field trip a few weeks ago to the Marina where Bill works. The top one is my precious Katie at her sissy's soccer game. She's trying to sleep but it's too sunny out!

Well, Katie is sick again -- imagine that. It seems like a never ending battle with her -- even after tubes and adenoids. The Doctor said she has swimmer's ear and something funky in her throat so he prescribed antibiotics and ear drops - which of course are not generic and cost an arm and a leg -- it makes me crazy -- but hopefully they will help her feel better. He said that swimmer's ear is common with tubes because most ENT's don't recommend ear plugs anymore and sometimes water just ends up lingering in the ears causing swimmers ear. He said to use the drops before and after swimming for the rest of the summer as a preventative of future swimmers ear. I'm tired -- I have to be back at work in 9 hours and I just walked in the door 15 minutes ago - YIKES.

Well what a Monday it has been. I had to work a mid-shift at work (which is by far my least favorite.) Anyway -- Mary has vacation Bible school at my parent's church this week -- which she loves and which is also nice for me as it gives me some one on one time with Katie. Katie apparently had a pretty crabby day -- she was slightly off this weekend too - other than when we were on the boat. I don't know if she's just tired, or if she's had too much sun, or too much running around to 20 million places over Father's Day weekend, or what! All I know is that I am tired and better turn it, but it feels really good to be back in the blogging world - I've missed all of you bloggers out there -- and those of you who I know read this to get updates on Katie and the family but don't comment -- so to all of you HELLO!!!! and it's nice to be back in the swing of things.

Wow! Is it ever hot here today. the girls were outside swimming for awhile, and now we are waiting for Bill to call and say that our boat is ready to go so that we can drive out to the Lake. We didn't put our boat in last summer, so it needed a little work before we could use it. One of Katie's most favorite places is to be out on a boat. I love to see her stand and let the breeze go through her hair. It is like her "dream place" -- she is content and happy. I don't think I've ever seen her cry on a boat. She doesn't even fuss about having to wear a life jacket. The girls already have a mid-summer tan and its' only the middle of June -- I think that we are in for another hot summer like last year. I'm glad that I have this weekend off -- I just need to "de-tox" from work a little bit. It's been crazy there - and all I want to do is spend time with my girls and Bill.

We went to the zoo today -- Katie did suprisingly well. I'm happy that she is so far having a good summer. We started her on a pretty significant vitamin regimin this week and I am anxious to see how it changes her. Mary loved the zoo, too. She was able to pet and feed a stingray -- she loved it! I am tired, but it has been great to have a day off -- and knowing that after I work tomorrow I have the weekend off, too , makes it even better!!!

My links are finally working, so I can add some more now -- to my friend's blogs. Today was long -- I don't really like working mid-shifts because it kills both ends of your day. The girls are getting so tan - all they do is swim all day. We started Katie on a new vitamin regimin today -- we are hoping for great results. We wanted to get her going on the vitamins before we start the chelation. The formula we bought (at the health food store yesterday) is reported to have great results with autistic, down syndrome and ADD/ADHD kids. We are excited to see how she will do. They must taste okay because she tolerates them really well in her apple juice. I'll keep you posted!

I am trying to put links to Autism Speaks and some other great sights on my blog, but I am having trouble. My computer illiteracy is holding me back. I'll keep working on it -- I've tried about 5 times - and that is enough for tonight. Work was yucky -- we were pretty slow and everyone was crabby. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. katie and Mary went swimming and it wasn't even 70 degrees here! They are crazy -- but there is something about Katie that you can't keep her out of the water -- they say that autistic kids are just attracted to the water -- that can be both a good and a dangerous thing -- we just have to be very careful that she always has excellent supervision when she is around the water.

I tried to take the "what sign should you be" test on my friend Emily's blog -- and it turned out that I should be a "virgo" -- but the results were so not me that I just sat and laughed! You can take the survey yourself at http://embstew.blogspot.com/ I'm back to work a little later this morning! Hopefully I can survive!!!!The weather isn't very nice here today -- it puts me in a sleepy mood. Not good -- that probably means the store will be very busy. Hopefully the girls will have a great day !!!

Well, we are going to start looking into chelation therapy for Katie. Chelation is the process of ridding the body of the excess mercury that her body is not able to rid itself of. We believe that the mercury is what causes the autism. I've done so much reading and research over the past year that at times I feel like I should be in a PhD class for autism -- but if Katie is able to make any improvement as a result of my research it will be well worth the time and effort. My vacation is over - back to work tomorrow -- oh well, the routine will be good for me. As much as I love being home with the girls, I was beginning to go a bit stir crazy. Well, more on chelation later....

Today was good. I'm tired -- I didn't think you were supposed to be tired when you are on vacation -- but I am. I'm on vacation from work, but we are busy. Today was Katie's last day of school -- which actually was sad. She has learned so much from school that I am sad she will not have class for 3 months. Her speech therapy went awesome yesterday though, so I am encouraged that she will continue to make good progress over the summer.

well, I'm having the same old problems - like this blog doesn't seem to be updating, but I'll just assume that it is just me and everyone out there in cyberland can see my updates just fine :) Katie's summer speech therapy starts tomorrow. I'm excited to see how it goes. Mary's last day of school is tomorrow -- she's sad and excited at the same time....I'm sad and excited too--I think summer is going to wear me out. The good news -- I don't work again until Saturday -- yee hah!!!

I can't believe that the months have flown by since I've updated the blog. Have I said before that autism can at times be an all-consuming thing. It definitely has been lately. Although Katie continues to do well and is making great improvements - it seems that we are constantly facing new challenges. She finishes school this week and as of today we have very few plans for her summer. I know that it will be difficult for her to be out of her routine and away from her daily school schedule which she loves. We have been able to get into a speech therapy program for the summer (and beyond) --but that will be once a week at most -- so not enough to fill the void of school-life. We have all been sick, too - which doesn't help. Katie had the stomach flu. Do you know how horrible it is to wake up in the morning and realize that sometime during the night your 3 year old threw-up all over herself, but had no way to let you know that she needed your help. It is crushing for me... We are all starting to feel better, but it has been a long week. Well, I promise to start updating more often again.......

I'm so bad. I had wanted to be so much more dedicated to my blog -- so here goes - a big catch up session. I don't think I ever finished my top 100 list. The girls are doing pretty good -- Mary is still on antibiotic for her strep and double ear infection. Katie has a little cold, but I think she is doing ok. We have parent - teacher conferences for her tonight. That will be exciting for Bill and I to hear how she is really doing. I am tired, but hanging in there. My job is going much better. I feel like I am starting to find my niche - starting to earn people's respect. I can't believe I've been there almost 2 months already. Bill's work is finally settling in, too. We are hoping for a much calmer March than Jan or Feb was. We'll have to wait and see....

Mary has strep and a double ear infection!! Yikes. I need to keep Katie healthy for her surgery in two weeks! I think we need to open the windows and flush out all of these icky germs!!!!!

Per usual, time is short. I've had 3 days off from work -- that has been great. I start 6 in a row tomorrow. Things here are crazy. Katie is doing good with school. Her antibiotic has worn off so I'm a little concerned about her ears. She's already tugging at them. She is having tubes in and adenoids out the end of this month. Bill had either food poisoning or the stomach flu over the week -- that was horrible. I'm leaning towards food poisoning since none of the rest of us got it and it (pardon the expression) "went both ways" -- not a good thing. Saturday was a nightmare.
We were supposed to be going to Chicago today for a college thing for me. The touring group I sang in is celebrating its 60th anniversary -- but I decided that I didn't have anything to wear and I wasn't in the mood to deal with it -- so we stayed home. Considering how Bill is feeling, I think that was a good decision.

Okay, I have now officially caught whatever it is that my whole family has had -- I feel like poop! At least I'm not coughing, and I don't think I need antibiotics - but I am whipped! It's 8:30 and both of our kids are asleep -- that doesn't happen very often at this house -- but lately with all the sickness, it is becoming more common place. Katie missed the whole week of school -- which bums me out. She has an appointment on Tuesday to meet with the ENT so she can have the tubes put back in her ears. I was hoping we wouldn't have to do that - but it looks like we aren't going to have any optiions.

I hope that everyone else is doing well. I need to catch up on everyone's blogs -- I am going to try and do that this weekend... and I need to finish my list as well!!!!

Okay - I'll try and finish, but as per usual, I am crunched for time

61. God is good.
62. Babies are a true miracle.
63. I've always had an easier time making guy friends than girls friends
64. I only had 2 serious boyfriends before I met my husband.
65. Taco Bell always gives me a tummy-ache.
65. I broke my foot in the fourth grade and my fourth toe on my left foot has never grown since that time.
66. I can't ice skate worth a hoot - but I love to rollerskate -- and was pretty good at it in my prime.
67. Autism is a cruel disease --
68. I wish that I could be a stay at home mom.
69. I could never home-school.
70. I need to learn to be more generous.
71. Hot fudge
72. Chicago White Sox
73. I've seen Billy Joel and Elton John in concert seperately and they both rocked.
74. Houston's -- have you ever eaten there?
75. Hot tubs
76. Snowmobiling
77. Have I mentioned my love of NASCAR???
78. Daytona
79. Disneyworld
80. Giordonno's Pizza - if you haven't had it you are missing out.
81. Date Night -- we don't have it often enough.
82. Flannel Sheets
83. Fudge Brownies


Okay -- I have to go to work -- but I'm almost done.

Katie has a double ear infection and Bill has bronchitis, so we have been in the sick zone again. I am getting tired of it. We are trying to have Katie's tubes put back in her ears -- it helped her so much last time, so hopefully we can work that out. We have an appointment with the ENT next week.

51. I have a bad history with "best" friends. Two of the three"best" friends I have had in my adult life are no longer more than "acquaintances" to me.
52. I had brain surgery in '02 when I was diagnosed with Arnold Chiari Malformation.
53. I love to eat at Red Lobster.
54. Chicago's greatest hits is the CD currently in my CD player.
55. Although not officially labeled as one, I think I stutter quite often.
56. I have a teaching degree although I have never taught (other than subbing.)
57. I buy cheap shampoo.
58. Chocolate Milk - what more can I say.
59. Old Navy has the best kids clothes.
60. Retail management is not my life ambition.

Okay, you guys all make me laugh. Sorry I didn't make McDonalds. I am doing better, Em. I'll have to call you and touch base. Kish - I hope that I do get to me you sometime soon, too. Actually, Mary got sick yesterday and on my way home from work I talked to my mom on my cell and she said that Mary had a fever, was coughing horribly and had been very lethargic since late morning -- so Mc Donalds wouldn't have been a good option. Sorry that I did't get to call you Em and let you know that I wasn't coming. Katie is catching whatever it is that Mary has now, too -- and I am in the middle of my 6 days in a row of work - so things are a little crazy.

The new job is improving -- I am starting to feel adjusted. It wasn't good earlier this week -- but I've decided that I am going to stay positivie and stick it out --- (I liked your flying house comment, Em.)

I need to finish my top 100 list --- maybe Wednesday on my day off. And Susie -- I agree that there needs to be a better way to say "I'm not a girly girl ", but how. To me it means that I'm not a "foofy" girl -- I don't wear frilly dresses and strappy heels but I'm still a girl and I still know how to look pretty.

Okay -- I'm tired. So I'm signing off. Thanks for hanging with me fellow bloggers!!! Goodnight.

I really need to finish my top 100 list -- but not tonight. Today was my day off. Katie didn't have school because of icy roads -- so both kids were home all day. It's been crazy. I start 6 days in a row tomorrow -- not sure how that will be, I just know I'll be tired when it's done.

I challenge any fellow bloggers out there to work on their own top 100 list.....I'd love to read them!

Okay -- so Kish has a top 100 things on her blog ..what a lot of work. I thought I'd start on mine today...not sure if I'll finish it all today or not, but I'll start.


1. Jesus Christ is my heavenly father and I know that eternal life in heaven awaits me when I die.
2. I hate cleaining my house, but I love a clean house.
3. I love McDonald's cheesburgers.
4. I love Diet Coke.
5. I hate the sound of the word "Moist".
6. I have a secret crush on Val Kilmer.
7. I am a grumpy "waker-upper".
8. Bad drivers make me angry.
9. I don't like it when people talk on their cell-phone and try to check out at a store/bank at the same time.
10. I love ice cream.
11. I love to scrapbook, but don't seem to have much time for it.
12. I love coffee.
13. I hate mornings.
14. I don't like it when my kids whine.
15. I love my children and they are both the apple of my eye.
16. I love to get a tan in the summer.
17. I am a big John Grisham fan and have read most of his books.
18. I am a "Fanilow" (Barry Manilow fan) and have been since I was a young child.
19. I hate it when people ask me if I have a cold just because I have a raspy voice.
20. I married the perfect person for me.
21. Chicago is my favorite city.
22. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I try to learn from each of them.
23. I am a spender, not a saver.
24. I' m not into shoes, like most women are.
25. I'm not a girly girl.
26. I admit to fixing hamburger helper on a regular basis.
27. I am crazy about Nascar and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
28. Disneyworld is probably my favorite place on earth.
29. I'm a Harry Potter fan.
30.I often have a hard time finishing things that I start.
31. I love to bake, but I hate cleaning up afterwards.
32. My mom is the best!
33. I cherish my true friends.
34. Where would we be without computers?
35. I like to shop - but only when I have money.
36. I don't like to swim very much.
37. I didn't like High School
38. I loved college.
39.Hawaii is overrated.
40. I wish I was more organized.
41. "The Saint" is my all-time favorite movie.
42. I like to have wine at weddings.
43. I have never struggled with feeling old - I'm 35 and that's okay.
44. I tend not to be even tempered -- that is why my husband is so good for me.
45. I like to play Chinese Checkers and Mexican Train.
46. Bill and I are awesome at Euchre.
47. I wish I didn't have to work and could spend more time at home with the kids and Bill.
48. I'm thankful for a house in a nice neighborhood.
49. I still have friends from college with whom I keep in regular contact with. I am proud of my efforts to stay in touch with them.
50! This list is killing me. Maybe the next fifty will be my next blog. I challenge all of my other blogging friends out there to give it a shot!

My blog is continuing to do weird things --- so is my Yahoo -- maybe I've got a "bug" -- hope not. But I guess you can never really know!

Katie and Mary both had yesterday off school. We ran errands in the morning and then I had to close at work last night. I'm off this weekend -- which I really needed. I've been cleaning my house all morning and we have a party tonight with some old friends of ours from before we were married. Most of us have kids now and it always ends up being quite an interesting event.

Did you all watch "Dancing with the Stars" on Thursday? I missed the elimination show last night, but Bill told me all about it.

Well, I best keep it short and sweet - I have brownies in the oven downstairs for the party tonight and I don't want them to burn. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

My blog is doing weird things - like not updating and things --- who knows? I get by on the computer, but blogging is not my forte'.

Anyway, work was crazy -- I'm starting to feel at home though. I am slowing, but surely, getting the hang of it. We still need to find a good babysitter to help my mom with childcare. We are praying ---

Dancing with the Stars is on tonight -- can't wait!!!

The girls are good. Katie's bus rides continue to go well.

Today was my day off. I open the next 2 days - 6 am - yikes, because I'm not a morning person, but it is nice to be home by 3.

Katie continues to do well. We have gone back to letting her have a sippy cup at school. They have been trying to teach her to drink out of a regular cup, but she doesn't want anything to do with it -- and she doesn't drink anything all morning-- which for her is a big deal. She has always been much more of a drinker than an eater. We decided to let her go back to the sippy cup -- especially because now she is riding the bus home as well which means she doesn't get a drink for almost 4 hours.

Bill's new position is starting to transition. I think he's feeling better now that he is back from the holiday lay-off and he can start to implement his new ideas. I'll be glad when he and I are both adjusted to our new positions.

I am trying to blog more this year, remember? Ok...I'm on it. The new job is going pretty well. Lots of adjustments, but so far, so good.

Katie is doing great with the bus. Thanks for the comments that I was right in not putting her on the bus for an hour in the am. We are totally at peace with that decision. The ride home is going great. The bus driver told my mom today that he wished all the kids were like Katie. She is quiet and just sits in her sit and enjoys the ride. We are so happy for her.

Bill's new job officially started today. I've talked to him on the phone -- he sounds a little overwhelmed. Kind of like I did on my first day.

Okay...lots to do. I just got home from a 6-2:30 shift and I am tired!

Another good day for Katie on the bus. Bill is at a meeting for work so I'm continuing to work on this house. The holidays have pretty much trashed it. Plus we have all been at home which has caused more chaos and messiness.

Back to work for me tomorrow.

Does anyone watch "Dancing with the Stars?" I love it! Drew Lachey and Jerry Rice are my top two picks. Any thoughts or comments?

Katie rode the bus by herself for the first time today!! How exciting. She is going to be riding the bus home from school each day now. What a huge step for her -- and how exciting for Bill and I to start to see her gain some new independence. There are 3 or 4 other students from her class that ride the "special" bus home at lunch-time, too. We aren't putting her on the bus in the am because she would have to be on the bus at 7:25 am - and school doesn't start until 8:30. She's only 3 and an hour on the bus is a little much in my opinion, but the ride home is quick - only 10 minutes.

She also shook her head "no" twice in direct response to my mom today -- and I was there to see her do it! That was a first for her as well. What a great "Katie-day" this has been.

I have today and tomorrow off! That, too, is exciting, but I do have to work the weekend. I'll take it -- Bill is still on lay-off, so it's nice to have the time off with he and the girls.

Not much else going on except that Bill is off racing cars tonight, Katie has been asleep since 4 in the afternoon and I desperately need to get at this messy house!

The new job is good. My first day was a little rough. I had a pounding headache most of the day -- it was storming terribly outside and I know that was most of it -- but that store is crazy busy. Everyone was really nice to me --I close tonight, work a mid tomorrow and then I'm off Thursday and Friday. Pretty nice. Emily -- I will have to give you a call with the details -- but overall it went really well.

Katie did great at school today. She rolled a ball back and forth 10 times with her Occupational Therapist. WOW!!!! That was a year end goal for her, so we are so thrilled.

Well, I need to run,....more about the new job later.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!