Another Month gone....

Another month over. Oh it's Harry Potter's birthday - totally noticed that this morning when I woke up. I just put the kids to bed. The cloth diapers are washing so they can dry overnight. I planned to get more done but my baby girl was needing cuddles and I am in more pain than I expected today. I made an awesome dinner tonight - it was yummy. My husband should be home soon to have his.

DD was diagnosed with hearing loss. We find out in three weeks if\when we'll need a hearing aid. Maybe this is why over a year of speech therapy has done little for her. Well that's not true. She makes gains and then has a big seizure and looses her progress. Then when her words come back [weeks or months down the line] she gets new words back, looses other words she once had. It's hard.

It's hot here. We've had little or no rain for months. We're on water restrictions but we're still allowed to water our lawns three times a week. What's up with that? Who cares about someone's stupid lawn? I let ours die. Don't even have to cut it.

In my boredom I began writing fanfic again. It feels like 2005. :P I have also been reading a lot of fanfic and here I was thinking I haven't picked up a book and then realize I read over 500, 000 words in fanfic in July.

Wife & Mother

Recently my son asked me why I don't work. My first thought was to think, "Hey I work! I never stop!". Then I had to step back and realize that most mothers he knows outside of me work outside the home. 

So I thought it was the perfect time to teach him [again] about how we all have roles within the family. How we all work together toward the good of the whole. Each part is important and worthy of praise and respect. Each job has his joys and his drawbacks.

We have two books on careers and what kids want to be when they grow up - neither give stay at home parent as an option. I wonder why. Many of us choose this for our lives our families for a number of reasons. My choice of "career" isn't less valid than if I chose to work outside the home.

This also seems to be a common belief among others. That I must be so bored to not work outside the home. I am waiting for the day I am bored. If I do get that day [my youngest will be in school half day] I wonder if this means I can take a nap since so many think I take a nap all the time!

I am in awe of the mothers of children with complex medical conditions\special needs who also keep outside jobs. How do they have the time? When do they wash the diapers or bake bread or fold laundry? I will gladly admit I couldn't do everything I do AND work a full time job. I am not super woman.

I have wondered if maybe in our quest to have equality - so women can work if the need to or choose or not have kids if they don't want to that we also in a way sold ourselves short. Now it seems a mother is expected to work full time, come home, cook meals from scratch every night, be on the PTA, take kids to lessons. Yet we never seem to put that type of pressure on Dad. Oh don't bug Daddy he's had a hard day at work but mom comes home to another job? Why is that? Is the job as home seen as less? Are we so used to taking on the whole world that people expect it of us? Do I have to do everything the world expects of me and perfectly in order to be a good mother or wife or woman?

On the flip side of that have we been taught by the world to expect less from men. It's a common joke oh Dad can't do this or that - he's Dad. My husband changes diapers - cloth ones no less. He's even getting better at remembering all the meds and times of Dad and learning how to play with our daughter is a way that's better for her. Now granted men used to do less with the kids but they also worked LONG hard days doing hard physical labor often working more than one trade. My Grandfather worked as a fisherman and worked his own small family farm...I'm sure he was very tired after a long day.

IDK but I like the idea of being reasonably confident that if I died my husband wouldn't be completely useless with his own children.      

So I hope by the time they are raised I will have instilled in my children the respect for motherhood and being a stay at home parent. I also hope I will give my future daughter in law a man who can run the washing machine, change a diaper or fix a meal as well as the normal "man chores".

 

The heat wave broke

It's over! It was actually in the 70s most of the day. Yesterday we got "rain" but it was more like a few drops. Just enough to bring my wash from drying outside and then it stopped. Of course. Today we got thunder and rumbles but no rain. Our plants and grass are dying and I think we'll be in a drought soon enough if we aren't already.

My poor baby girl is having a rough go of it. We meet the Neurologist Thursday to figure out what the heck we are supposed to do.

She is on the list to be measured for her first stroller-wheelchair at the end of the month. It will be easier than when she's more floppy than normal [she's low tone but much worse after seizures sometimes cannot even hold up her head] to not have to carry her. With my arthritis I cannot carry a 27 pound child all over let alone the huge hospital. I swear we walk miles.

Today was a good day. DD said a bunch of words: blanket, ball, blocks, uto [Pluto], star, apple, eat, and tree. A Good day. She loves flash cards. Most kids don't but she loves them so I think we have eight different sets now. She also worked on puzzles with Daddy. She also seems to be into motorcycles Vroom!!!

My son is being five - one second awesome the next second grumpy. I am so happy we'll get to go outside and play. Run off lots of energy. He's been making up words sounding them out and asking me if they are words. He discovered he could make fox and then  box he was very proud of himself. Then he made 'zurk' and asked me if it was a real word. He sounded out the letters correctly so I had to tell him it's not English but maybe it's Klingon or Romulan. 

Wedding days and the end of the month

Not for me obviously. Husband and I have been married for several years now. Being the first of my high school friends to get married or have children [beyond the one who had a child is high school] I have felt alone in this club. I made friends who were married or in relationships and mom friends but still. These are the girls who share my memories and laughs from high school.
The one marrying today I remember best for her silly LOTR fanfic she used to write and silly poems. She was and is fun. I hope only the best for her marriage and life with this now husband of hers. 

It's been very hot here like much of the United States and I hear Canada and many other places are also under this heat wave. *cue music* Only it's not exciting. It's oppressive. My husband tried to take our son to the park and it was already too hot by nine in the morning to stay our for long. Now we're under the threat of severe weather, many are without power due to down trees after these insane straight winds. Fun times! A whole week of heat wave to go before we may get a break. Awesome.

My daughter's health continues to worry us. Most days are good. Every day has many good moments and we do our best to protect the children from the stresses of a child with chronic health problems. Some big decisions will be made in July which could change things forever. I hope and pray we along with all the health professionals, her 'team' will make the choices which give her the best life. 

Scheduling out appointments I am already running into when my son will be back to school in August. When he will go to school all day and take a lunch. What?! This can't be happening he's my baby and now he's a big little dude about to go off to Kindergarten.

I am hoping once this heat settles down we will be able to enjoy more time outside. Right now it's just gross. 

Here to a fun filled July.

Not forgotten

A lot has been going on here in our home. My husband and I have both been dealing with the stress of the constant worry of dealing with a child with medical needs. Our son has some issues but they pale in comparison to his sister's ever increasing needs. We spent a lot of time each week thinking Autism, Epilepsy, medications, ER trips, Doctor's appointments, therapy. On top of the normal parenting stuff and making sure we spent enough time with each child. The balancing act.

Thankfully for the most part this has not stolen our ability to enjoy our baby. She's awesome. We love her so much. Her personality is bright and cheerful and she's funny. She loves Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, letters and numbers, jumping and bubbles.

I blow bubbles for her and she says "Pop!" over and over or "Big big bubbles!" so sweet since often times it's the only words she'll say most days and I am rewarded with eye contact to boot! 

My son has graduated preschool. He'll begin Kindergarten in the fall and if all goes well DD will begin preschool after she turns three if we are able to set up her IEP and get everything set into place. I am still having trouble with my Momma heart thinking of sending my baby away. Her brother was past the cut off so he was nearly four before he started school. I was thinking I'd get another year with her.

I just heard the books fall. My daughter likes to pull EVERY LAST BOOK out in order to find just the book she's looking for. It makes me happy that both my children love books. <3

As sad as I am -- well not sad but shocked at the fact she's nearly THREE and praying we're doing the right thing for our daughter. Everything we have been told by every doctor, every specialist, every book, article etc I have read says that early and intense intervention is the way to go and we're hoping it will help.


Gotta run someone is pulling me away....

The stuff I've pinned - ASL alphabet video

A friend of mine was talking about blogging about doing, making or using the stuff we've pinned. People often joke that we [those of us who use Pinterest] pin stuff but never actually getting around to making that art project or trying that recipe. So I will blog about the stuff I have seen on Pinterest and done or Pinned because I wanted to share it.

I pinned this video a month ago. In that time my children, my son who's 5.5 and my daughter who's 30 months have watched it hundreds of times. My husband and I too sing the song because we've heard it so often. We're all signing the alphabet and working on new signs beyond the 'baby signs' we started with. We're looking up real American Sign Language and are amazed at the world this simple video has opened up.

The most amazing thing has happened. My barely verbal significantly delayed autistic child is signing almost the entire alphabet [ G, P and Q are really hard for little hands] and has begun saying it too! She now will say "A is for apple" because of this video. Sure it doesn't make up for the hours and hours I work with her or Daddy or her speech therapists but it makes learning a form of communication that clicks with her fun.

I have decided not to post pictures of my children [their faces anyway] on this blog and it doesn't matter - of course she won't sign her alphabet or talk when I have the video camera! Seriously mom...I'm not a performing monkey. :P

Another week

Another week has gone by. The kids were up half the night so I didn't send my son to school today. He was a grumpy, weepy mess earlier and I know it's because he's tired. My daughter has a gooey waxy ear and an infected ear. She's also got this running nose and cough so she's been having breathing treatments.
Another busy week in the whole learning to be an autism mom. Met with the school board and her early intervention case worker and we should be all set to have her testing and IEP written so that DD will start school the end of September after she turns three and ages out of EI. Hopefully that way she will have no break in her services which at this point are weekly OT and ST and bi-weekly PT. She might not need PT come the fall we'll see. She's doing incredibly well. Considering how bad her low tone was when she was 10 months [couldn't sit up or roll over] she's come a long way with lots of work on her part. She usually crashes when her PT leaves because she's so tired. 
I am doing some massive spring cleaning. So far I've spent six HOURS on my room alone and I'm a little over half way done now.Three bags ready to take to the thrift shop, several bags out to trash. I am hoping to do my kids room next but I will have to do toy purging on days my son is at school and my husband can drive the toys to donate right away. Otherwise he'll cry for toys I hid months ago and he doesn't miss. We simply have too much stuff for the size of our home so something has to give. 

Autism

I've had about a week to digest everything I was told. I knew it was coming, I saw what the doctors, therapists etc saw. I asked for the referral. I filled out the 300 question questionairre and waited months to get an appointment 6 months after that.
Yet the night before the appointment I barely slept. I dreaded it. We needed to go. I still dreaded it. Someone was going to tell me something for sure that would change our whole lives. You would think I would be used to it considering I'd gotten "the news" so many times including the fact that my child had seizure activity and could possibly have a tumor in her brain. Thankfully the MRI news was great. We do have so much to be thankful for.

My daughter has an Autism spectrum disorder.

It's so hurtful to hear. I spent a day crying. I would just be overcome with huge sobs and could barely breath and then be okay for a while and then it would happen again.

Now I'm to the point of needing to pull myself up by my boot straps and get on with it. I am her mother and her voice to the world. I will get her the help she needs to have the best chances of leading a happy\productive life. I refuse to put limits on what kind of amazing person she will become because none of us know and I have big dreams for her.

I've only been officially the mother of an autistic child for a week and already I am faced with the issues. Everyone agrees she needs a lot of help yet everywhere gives me reasons why she can't get that help. The run around is exactly what the seasoned moms said it would be and I've only been at this a week!

We will figure this out. Thankfully I have about six months until she ages out of the zero to three services to find a plan to continue speech, occupational and physical therapy. I am hoping to get her into preschool where she will get everything in one place but IDK what will happen. Take it one day at a time I suppose.

MIA

I have been missing in action. Too busy with too many things. My daughter's therapy swung into high gear weekly speech and occupational therapy and bi-weekly physical therapy. We also had a string of illnesses run through the house. My son was the first to come down with a stomach bug and within three weeks we all had it. I was the last. Both kids ended up needing IV fluids in the ER. Not fun. My daughter is once again recovering from pneumonia. Again. Third time this winter.

It's also been three months so I made the rounds to all the doctors with the kids and yesterday we had our WIC appt. I will once again sing the praises for WIC. Thanks to WIC my daughter gets 14 cans of EleCare a month paid for by magic and it's an incredible blessing. $629.30 worth of formula we don't have to cover. Also being in IL her insurance is required to pay for any formula she eats over the 14 cans. One thing I hear often from people who choose not to get WIC or make too much is that we don't know how much money we're saving or how much we're getting for free. We do. We are VERY grateful.

I don't know any parent who plans to need twenty thousand dollars to feed their kid for their first 2 years. Well for my DD nearly 22 thousand dollars. Yet without it she'd be a very sick little girl dependent on IV nutrition which I'm sure wouldn't be any cheaper.

In other news I am learning more ASL signs to teach my DD. Her speech has not improved although she is beginning to make more chatter, speech like sounds\noises even if they aren't words most of the time. I looked up BOY I tried to teach BROTHER but it's a complicated multi-part sign and she's 2.5 with a short attention span.

Left over pasta

I had some left over spaghetti noodles. Not enough for a meal but I was hungry. I melted some butter. Added some finely minced onion, a can of mushrooms, pepper and salt, garlic along with some olive oil. Cooked it down for 4-5 minutes. While it cooked I got some broccoli - too limp for the kids to eat raw but good enough for me. Added the cold noodles and tossed them in the butter etc. Added the broccoli tossed and popped on the kid. Five minutes later. Lunch! Yummy.

It could easily be made vegan with all olive oil and no butter. It was really satisfying and filling and quick. Some times I don't have time to or I forget to eat. Even more so with another illness going through the house [first DS, then DD, then DH...so far it hasn't gotten me] and I am hungry but by then I have low blood sugar. I get the shakes, sweat, my head hurts, I feel weak and think I might barf. So quick meals really help.

Almost gone

I cannot believe January is very nearly over! It doesn't even feel like January because we haven't had a good snow fall yet let alone much in the way of cold temperatures. A few cold days here and there but I think we have spent way more days above freezing this winter than below it. Very strange. All the geese were back this week. We saw hundreds of them sitting at one pond alone and bunch more flying overhead.

We've been busy. I am one tired Momma these days going from early in the morning until late at night. The possibility of some BIG changes. Very excited yet scary times! DD is over two weeks into her new epilepsy medication and doing wonderfully. She's been awesome. No bad reaction [ the one we tried in December led to hives] or even a mild one. We are so pleased and hope this will bring her back to having controlled seizures.

My son who was off the charts and Failure to Thrive or borderline Failure to Thrive for 4 years is now not only on the weight charts but with percentiles to spare. Mister came in at 37 pounds and 11 ounces. He's also grown 2 inches which is amazing because for so long [like 18 months] he never got any taller. We aren't doing much better on the feeding front but thankfully the formula is filling in the gaps and he's growing. PTL.

Cloth diapering

I knew of cloth diapering. My mother had cloth diapered twin she was a Nanny for when I was 9-10 or around there. I remember her shaking the insert in the toilet.

With my son I didn't cloth diaper because we didn't have a washing machine. I didn't want to run out of quarters and not be able to wash my son's diapers. Then we moved into a home and I got my washer and dryer. Shortly after that my husband broke his ankle and was out of work. I had to figure out how to live as cheap as I could.

Several nice mothers online mailed me their extra diapers and some covers.

I hated cloth diapering. My son hated being cloth diapered. No matter how often I changed him he was soaked within an hour in a prefold. No matter what I did and eventually so much padding and he still was always wet.

So once my husband began working again I went back to buying a box of Up and Up diapers every 2 weeks along with a big pack of disposable wipes. Basically spending $45 a month to throw away because I didn't want my son to be wet.

Then I got pregnant with my DD and wanted to give cloth another try. I decided prefolds were not for me but I'd use them through the newborn period and then buy something better pockets [where you put the absorbent material in between the layer that touches the baby's skin and the water proof layer] or AIOs [all in ones] something better.

My daughter was born with a host of health problems. She was first re-admitted to the hospital at 18 days old. I didn't CD as often as I liked. This was when she began having really awful poop. So awful they feared she had cystic fibrosis. Her poop was so vile [it smelled like the rhino exhibit at the zoo] and it left her skin in blisters. Then I noticed it actually began dissolving the cloth diapers. Seriously. Her poop would burn if you got it on your hand while changing her.

So I ended up not replacing the diapers with fancy ones when she outgrew them. I didn't see the point. Then the diaper rash began. Months of blisters, her skin raw...it was AWFUL. We tried every over the counter cream and several from the doctor. FInally I decided to pull out my son's old prefolds and I switched to cloth full time. Four days later - completely cloth - she was almost better. The worst blister took weeks to fully heal and to this day she has a scar.

When my husband and I saw how much better her skin was - we bought our first 8 pocket diapers. Eventually we retired those and replaced them with better pockets. We now have a rotation of about 30 pockets. We also gave up disposable wipes and thanks to 3 packs of Gerber wash clothes I wet them as needed and throw them in with the diapers. We also got some wet bags which make life a lot easier. She's very nearly out growing her OS [one size] pockets at nearly 30lbs and 35 inches. In the spring my husband and I plan on buying pocket training pants or large sized pocket style diapers - since DD is not near potty training and being special needs I don't know when she will train.

Cloth and the hospital is easy enough. I explain it to the nurses when we get admitted. I show them how to change her although they never had to because Dad or I are always with her. I simply hang the wet bag on the post at the corner of the hospital bed crib. The wipes, spray bottle of water and scale on the end table and the basket of clean stuffed diapers on the floor. Weigh dry diaper and tar out the weight and put on baby. When she needed changed. Take off diaper, put on scale, wipe, put wipes in wet bag, write down weight of dipe and then put in wetbag. The reason you weight hospital diapers is they measure output. I weighed each diaper before use because different inserts weigh different amounts even more so for daytime and night time stuffing.

Every 2-3 days take em home and wash I normally bring them back unstuffed since I try not to be gone long. My trips home are usually to wash diapers, shower, pack new clothes etc. Besides stuffing diapers helps pass the time at the hospital either way.

Most nurses are very supportive of CDing and some even ask for information to give to other moms of kids who are so rashy. The doctors ask me about squares and rubber pants and I'm like nope modern cloth you don't have to use pins.

I cannot imagine not CDing. DH and I have both said several times we'd CD for any future mythical children. CDing is awesome enough we would do it even if she didn't get a rash from the disposables.

Another week gone

Another week. A busy week.


We went to the city this week for some testing for my daughter and her on going feeding issues. We got the all clear to go back to solid foods which she's thrilled about. She loves pears, peaches and pancakes! We also had another follow up with Neurology. We tried a secondary medication back before Christmas which she got hives from. Even after recovering from pneumonia she continued to have several seizures a week. This means that her seizures are not controlled. We're hoping this new second medication - will give her good coverage and keep her from having seizures.

In one way trying yet another medication [her 4th since developing seizures April 2011] feels like failure. In another maybe this will be it. Like trying yet another formula maybe this will be what we need to go seizure free for a length of time. Hopefully. I pray for healing. I keep thinking it's not fair a 27 month old has epilepsy. Nobody should but babies. Then I think of how blessed we are. Back in April when we got her MRI we were worried they were going to fine a tumor and the C word was mentioned. So we never forget to think of how blessed we are and how much worse things could be.

Of course we get snow - the first major snow of the entire unseasonably warm winter the day we have to drive for these very important appts. To add insult to injury my son was whiny and disagreeable ALL DAY LONG. Wouldn't even play and we planned a fun side trip between appts. Came home and he was running a fever of 102-103 for the rest of the day and all the next day too. No other symptoms except a very bad headache. Poor guy. We can't win.

I am slowly continuing to clean my house. I am hoping to have the bulk of the 'spring cleaning' done before spring arrives. I am also doing my best to keep up with Bible in one year reading. It feeds my soul. I need that.

Busy Busy

I've been super busy trying to get my house into the sort of shape I'd like it to be in. It's slow but I'm working at it every day on top of my other work and it's coming along. I notice a difference. I have already donated 2 bags of clothes to a second hand store and thrown out oodles of trash. I am also selling some of my books and those I don't want that I can't sell will also be donated.

We're hoping to move in the spring and I want to take as little of the clutter that's holding us back with us when we leave. Leave room open and newer and better things like more book shelves and more books. Haha.

My pain level is not much fun today. I haven't done much today. I have a load of laundry to put in the dryer and I have to get dinner together. Thankfully since I am having good days and getting stuff done on them my house doesn't seem as trashed as it usually would.

My daughter has been having seizures again. Several a week. We were hoping it was because she was sick but she's been better for over a week and still she's had 1 possibly two since. So we see the neurologist at the end of the week and we'll see what the heck we are going to do.

Other wise my baby is a happy and bright 27 month old. She's awesome. She counts up to 18-19 now regularly and recognizes all her letters. She mixed up lower case l and upper case I and E and F but for the most part she does amazing even with some of the more wonky fonts. She loves screaming out the letters from signs in the store.

My son's latest obsession is becoming a sheep farmer. Yep. How odd is that. I love it.

Meal planning

I decided to start shopping differently. I realized when I had a bunch of food but 1-2 items missing from each meal I typically make I need to shop differently. So I wrote out what I typically make and what I make 1-2 times a month. Wrote a list based on what I need for those items and the extras [snacks, drinks] and the usual stuff - flour, baking powder, salt.

I did amazing! My husband was amazed at how much money we had left over.

I also found a recipe to replace hamburger helper. It was good. I didn't have sour cream so I didn't use it. Turned out very yummy! It made a lot we all ate and DH had seconds and we still had another portion big enough for DH for left overs.

http://family.go. com/food/recipe-ew-504953-hamburger-buddy-t/ - unbreak the link.

Hamburger cooked with veggies and then boiled in beef broth with noodles. I plan on grating more veggies to add into it next time. Carrot and mushrooms are a good start. I also have to chop the mushrooms finer to get past Mr. Picky.

A productive day

I laughed just a little at the play on words of today's blog title. Today my body decided to go through half an hour long coughing fits to finally begin bringing up the junk in my chest. Pneumonia is so much fun. I can barely eat because I feel full so quickly. My stomach sticks out like I'm pregnant trying to make room for my lungs. Steamy showers and the breathing treatments seem to help.

In other news I accomplished a lot today. Cleaned out the pantry and organized it. Cleaned out the stock pile. Took out a bunch of trash. Cleaned by the front door, took everything out swept etc. I did a load of laundry. Cleaned the kitchen and swept. Did some dishes. In the process of washing the diapers. Lots done. I really feel like you can tell I actually cleaned my house today because it looks cleaner.

Two days into reading the Bible in one year. Instead of going from one end to the other like I've done before this list skips around. I hope it will get me to read parts of the Bible I otherwise miss or don't hit often in my own reading\studying. I am waiting for the water to boil for my lemon tea. Nectar of heaven or something. It's been amazing since I got sick. Love me some lemon tea. Too bad it didn't come in boxes bigger than 20.

My baby girl had a good day today. She was happy and we had lots of good eye contact and she even said a few words. My son on the other hand is weepy and quick to get angry. We talked today about coming up with coping methods - like what to do when he gets SO ANGRY other than cussing us out, hitting etc. The joys of a five year old with anxiety and SPD. He's such a smart kid. He's amazing. We'll figure this out.

Today we tried to see how high we could count before we were grumpy anymore. 60 is a really grumpy number. 30 is for slightly annoyed. :P

2012

The end of the year was really hard on my family. In the course of a week maybe ten days all four of us ended up in the ER. Three of us had pneumonia. Fun times! Thankfully we're all on the mend - the kids seem to be bouncing back quicker than my husband and I.

Christmas was nice. Although my poor baby girl was so sick she slept most of the day and didn't really care much about what was going on. She discovered her presents over the next two days. It was like Christmas came three times for her. My son declared this the best Christmas ever and has been playing with all his new things and having a great time.

New Years Eve was a quiet non-holiday. My husband was working and the kids were in bed. I didn't do anything special. Today we've all taken naps and Daddy and DS surprised me my cleaning up all the toys and then Daddy VACUUMED the whole house. How rare is that?! Happy New Year to Momma.

My son and I took down the tree and packed away the Christmas decorations. I did some dishes and made dinner. Tomorrow I have to clean out the pantry\fridge and write my monthly grocery list. I have a goal to be better organized this year and get more stuff done.

It's turning cold again after being so unseasonably warm. I hope it stays this way. We're so sick of rain! Good thing about the rain is the drought related water restrictions have been lifted. Not that they effected us much personally but I have been teaching my son about saving water, not wasting things like that.

He saw on TV how the Polar Bears don't have the ice they need and since the ice is gone the mother bears have to swim sometimes several dozen miles with their cubs to land. Sometimes the baby bears don't make it and drown. That our warming up world is killing off polar bears and animals who NEED winter and ice. It is pretty sad that something that's been around for millions of years we humans can destroy so quickly.

They have seen that polar bears and grizzle bears are mating. The downside is that the babies learn how to be bears from their mothers since Dad isn't around. So those bears become whatever bear the mother is. The downside being Polar bears are having to live like grizzles because the ice is gone and these mothers don't have those skills. They don't know to go look for salmon for example.

Thank you, PBS, we're smarter now.

So many people were so upset about 2011. As hard as some things were [DD developing epilepsy for example] I have too many 2011 memories of my children, husband, friends and family to turn my back on the whole year.

Hopefully 2012 will bring lots of wonderful new memories. I pray my children are happy and content and really health stuff aside that's what matters.