Stacey's Sunday BandCamp

I hate when I do that. You let one day go without finishing a blog entry, thinking you'll do it when your eyes are rested the next morning because they kept closing that night while you were writing and you typed kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
then woke up with a start. So the next morning you go to finish the post and you forget what your train of thought was. So then you think "I'll come up with something better and do it after the kids go to bed". But then you have guests staying at your home and everyone wants time on your laptop and you're too lazy to go up or downstairs to one of the two other computers in your house, so instead you make excuses and you let another day pass without posting. So here you are a week later and you haven't done the promised Autism Awareness Items and you have a big guilt ball in your stomach, making it difficult to sit comfortably while you type this and you realize that you have another excuse not to write the post but then remember that the purpose of your post to begin with, was to write about no longer making excuses. You like how I keep writing YOU when really this is ME I'm talking about? Looks like another effort to avoid facing the music. So I hate when I do that.

So much has gone on this past week and I don't know where to start, so instead I'm going to ramble. I think it's Mama Kat who I saw rambling, but it was on a Friday and I thought what a great idea it was to plug in all of the things you wanted to BandCamp about to explain what went on during the week.

My Definition of BandCamp: reference to American Pie when the Michelle Flaherty character goes on and on and on "and this one time at band camp....". I've somehow adopted that expression over the years to refer to my rambling when I hear myself talking and I can't shut up or stop for air. I just realized how based on the American Pie reference, some might assume that BandCamp refers to something inappropriately sexual, but I assure you- it does not. So in this blog, you now know that BandCamp means 'Stacey's babbling and won't shut up'.

And we begin...

1) My birthday is coming up on May 12th. Mark your calendars. Am turning the big 3-5. This year it looks like my birthday will fall two days after Mother's Day. So... no excuse for the combo-holiday. Two separate days just pour moi. So I've got a Wish List. Really, this is a list for hubby so he has no excuses. But it's also a gentle nudge if anyone feels so generous as to want to reward this hard working mama for all of her efforts. ha!

a) This is Matt & Nat's new Samsara line of bags. I covet this bag. It's the Sarnia Pebble Handbag in Plum. It's my understanding that they went exclusive to Holt Renfrew last year in Canada, but lucky for us, Samsara is their new junior line and this bag sits in one of my favourite shops in Calgary- MardaLoop's Wanderlust.

b) for Jonathan to call our cable company and get it installed in our bedroom

c) CASH $$$ - Dad, if you're reading this -- all I want is CASH to put towards my trip to Chicago. Pretty please? I love you Daddy.

d)

e) And the biggies that I'll never get but will list anyways - a decent treadmill and for a magic tree to grow in our yard blooming thousand dollar bills to pay for us to have all of our carpet pulled and hardwood (or laminate) installed AFTER we repair the hole in our bathroom ceiling and replace all the kids' rooms' windows before the frames rot out.

2) As Jake said to someone yesterday "they're such good friends that they are really family"- Dana and Emily flew out from Ontario to spend 9 days with us this past week. Jonathan and Jake were on Spring Break and we decided to give the twins (and Mommy) a break as well from school and therapy. We had so much fun! A great part of what made the week so successful was that we created a new monthly visual schedule for Will. We want to teach him the concept of time and also to have a visual representation of activities so that he can see whether he has school or therapy that day, and to look in days ahead to see what big events are coming up. Every night he X's out the day and removes the pictures that were on it and the next morning we take the time to go to the calendar and see what's on the agenda.



This monthly calendar is complimented by a daily visual agenda that shows a sequence of what we will be doing that day. It helped us so much to curb Will's impatience at wanting everything NOW! when he could see that it was coming.

3) Owen lost his first tooth!!!! I had only realized a few weeks back that it was loose and I went to check it two days ago and it fell out in my hand. I'm sure if I hadn't caught it, he would have swallowed it and probably not have noticed. Not nearly as dramatic as Jake's first loss HERE for a reminder of how that went down. I'm sad. My baby is growing up.



4) I have reintroduced casein (mainly dairy) into Will's diet and have seen NO ill effects. I won't be going overboard with the dairy for him, but at least now we have some more options with food for him. He's thrilled to have cheese so it certainly has made pizza more interesting. I know that we cannot do the same for Owen. He has an immediate eczema flare-up at any contact with dairy products. For Will- we will remain artificial dye free and gluten free. I am 100% positive that whenever he has any infraction with these foods, his behaviour goes out of control, the hyperactivity returns, his focus is shot and his OCD is nutty. It's not perfected, but it sure is nice to have a sense of whether we are on the right track or not.

5) This one is gross, but I ripped off my big toenail. By accident of course, because who would do that on purpose?? I was washing my floors on my hands and knees and backed up, catching my toe on the edge of a door frame. Tore it right to the quick. Oh my gosh. I saw stars and it's been doing the Fred Flintstone throb ever since. Painful.

6) Jonathan and I have made some huge lifestyle changes since March 6th where eating and exercise is concerned. I have lost 19.4 lbs. (can't forget those 4 ounces) and Jonathan has lost 30!!! He has been running for an hour nearly everyday and it's just been falling off him. Slow and steady wins the race says I. It feels really good because it doesn't feel like a diet, it just feels like new life. We'll see!

7) Have I told you that Jake is a reading dynamo? He's reading at a grade 5 level (he's in the 2nd grade) and he gets through chapter books in a matter of an hour. I'm so proud that I've raised a reader.

8) Will has a new expression. Jake was telling a story about something disgusting and Will copied him in saying "ewwww gross!" and laughing hysterically. We thought it was cute but never thought he would know how to use the expression appropriately afterwards. As always, Will amazes us and he now uses it frequently. Especially in this household, there is always opportunity to say it.



9) Matilda the pug is going deaf. I think she has lost most of her hearing. She no longer hears the doorbell and often sleeps right through people coming into the room. Poor Mattie.

10) Our Gamma is returning next weekend! Hallelujah! We have been without my Gram in the house since February 2nd after learning she had had a silent heart attack and it kept her on an extended return to Ontario until she recuperated and sorted out her health. So she's booked to come back next weekend and thank Gawd. It has not been an easy time around here without her extra set of eyes. Can't wait to see the boys' reactions when she comes back.

If you could see through the blurry image of today's date on the monthly calendar- there's a pic of Sharon, Lois and Bram. Which means I am off to see the concert with the boys right now! (minus Lois who is no longer performing). Thanks for hanging in through that BandCamp