Valentine's dinner

Tonight we went to the Hibachi grill at Yuki Japanese It was really fun and the food was pretty good. We were seated with a bunch of college kids celebrating their 20 something birthday's. They looked at us like the old people and it was pretty darn funny.

Sick

Husband was sick today so I didn't take pics of anything. I will say it was nice to have time to myself since everyone else was in bed by 8pm ahhhhhhhh alone time :) I did have a glass of wine and relax.

Basketball :)

Tonight we went to SO basketball. This was Em's first time doing Special Olympics or any kind of organize ports and it was really kinda fun :)

Today, is about Millie

Today I am sharing Millie.

I should have shared her yesterday on Valentine's day but today will have to do.

Millie is an orphan with Down syndrome and she needs a home; TODAY.

Adopt Millie TODAY

People often ask why I care about a young girl that's half a world away from me and the answer is very simple; she needs someone to give a damn. I know that if my own daughter was in and institution she would not have come this far AND like my daughter Millie is nonverbal which makes her extra vulnerable, she cannot tell you when something is wrong. SO, I keep caring, posting, praying and hoping that someone will see her and be able to adopt her. Is that someone you?

Happy Valentine's day

Today was a good and bad kind of day.

The good, I got some great loot from my Valentine's :)

The bad :( I had a really bad mommy tantrum in the morning and it made the rest of the day really stink for me. I made cupcakes for Emily as peace offering and she seemed to be all good with that.

I hope your day was full of LOVE

365:44

Today Emily, Nicole and I finished up the Valentine's that were going to Emily's class, they were started in this post here's how the whole thing came out :) i like how the layering really makes her artwork pop :)

365:42 & 43

The kitchen project yesterday got me to thinking and today I decided to take down paneling in one of the downstairs rooms, this room has become our dumping room for everything we don't know what to do with.

Here it is with the paneling

Here is the room after, the walls are in pretty good shape and now I need to figure out paint.

365:41

So when we got the house last year one of the annoying things about it was that there was CARPET, yes, carpet in the kitchen!!!

Well, I have been hesitant to take it up because

I was worried about what might be under there.

Today, I took the carpet up &

THIS is what I found. Yes, the pattern is ugly BUT the floor is in great shape

365:39 & 365:40

Kidney stones were the words for these two days and I was in no mood to take pics or post pics ALTHOUGH it would be cool if I could get my xray's from the dr!

Giving thanks

We have come a very long way with Em, there was a time where her behaviors were so destructive that it was all we could do to get through a day. I think back a few years ago and I sometimes ask myself how we got through some of those days. We’ve come into an amazing place with Em, she has calmed down and tuned in. Sometimes, when you’re in the thick of situations you can’t step back and see the growth but when the dust settles, it’s amazing to see how far you have come. I don’t know what clicked, I don’t know what changed but I do know that I am so thankful for the changes.

There’s no guidebook to raising a child with both Down syndrome and Autism, it’s a bit of trial and error and A LOT of connecting with others and learning from what they did right and wrong. If there’s something that I could share with another parent it would be to keep striving for the next goal, don’t let the excuses pile up.

365:38

Half day at school today so we went bowling

we had a great time :)

365:37

All floors in dr's offices seem look alike!

365:36

WINNING!!!!!

365:35

LOVE

I took the pics from Christmas Cards

we got this year and made them into

a heart :) our pics are in the center.

Chaotic Basement

365:34

Today we did stamping, I got this great Melissa & Doug Stamp set from Kids Woot.

She kept signing "help" even though she was doing just fine with it, I think sometimes she just wants me to do it for her. She did a good job with it :)

Salute!

365:33

This pic cracks me up, she SO into the TV show.

We're having such a crazy winter. Usually we would have several feet of snow on the ground but as you can see we're snow free. LOVING every minute of it :)

365:32

The boy and his loyal sidekick are ready to take over the world!

365:31

Emily and I continued to work on our Valentine project but I ran out of glue stick, I really don't understand how since I feel like I buy those every other week.

Nicole's homework was to show where she is today and map out the next 50 years of her life, this is what she came up with :)

365:30 Starting our Valentine cards

Today we started on our Valentine Day cards. I am having Emily color on construction paper and then

I am VERY proud at how well she holding the paper and marker now :) such HUGE steps.

I am taking that paper and cutting out hearts to form these cards, she will then add stickers AND stamp her name. We have to start early because there are many to do.

leaving NY

there's no pics today, was really kind of down about leaving NY, I honestly miss it.