Escape room!

Stephen and I joined a few of our friends last night in an epic adventure! We had heard of escape rooms a few months ago and they are just starting to gain popularity. Albuquerque got an escape room about 3 months ago. 

An escape room is a room set up with certain clues and you have one hour to solve all the clues and escape the room. 

It was so fun! We all worked together and solved the clues. We needed two hints out of three available. We finished in 40:13 and broke the record, for now. I am sure another group will come through and blast through the clues. 

Check it out! http://nmescaperoom.com/ We had a blast!

Another one bites the dust

We have had the BEST occupational therapists at Kid Power. Amy is one of my favorites because she sees both of my boys. 

Edward is seen for auditory processing disorder while Nolen is seen for sensory processing disorder. Amy has been amazing with both boys. She is incredibly patient. It's been great to watch her work with my boys for the last year. I am so sad to see her go. She is moving on to work with adults. My boys will miss her terribly. 

What's the price of a photograph?

Let me take you back to one of my very first memories. I was two or three. I lived on a farm in Maricopa, Arizona. We had a huge house out in the middle of no where. Behind our house was an all grass back yard lined with fruit trees.  On the left hand side of our property, just outside the fence was our family garden. I recall walking through the gate to help my dad in the garden. He was tall then. He was thin and had a lot more jet black hair on his head. He was young but I didn't know that back then. Nothing specifically happened that day of note. But I remember the gate, my dad, and the garden. As I age, (I'm currently older now than my dad was in my memory) that memory is going fuzzy. It's pixilated and not crisp. It has blank spots then ends abruptly.

This is precisely why I take a million pictures. (That's an over exaggeration.) I want to always remember things as they are in this particular moment because it will never happen again and my memory will fade. 

I know a photograph won't last forever; however, it will last a long time. Especially digital photography. 

So, for me, the value of a photograph is priceless. I love to remember. Pictures take me back to those moments. I can almost taste the dust in the air that day I walked out to the garden with my dad. I never want to forget. 

This is all the more reason why I bought a camera and started capturing my boys in moments they may not recall. I value the photograph almost as high as I value my memory. 

It's priceless. 

First day of First grade

I may actually have been more anxious than Edward.  I barely slept.  Edward had a hard time falling asleep.  We didn't know who is teacher was until we got to the school today.  Kindergarten was a little rough for us last year so this year is super important to me (and Edward).  I want him to have a great year and love learning.  I want his teacher to understand him so that he can learn and grow to his up most potential.  

The school parking lot was packed so we had to park on the street.  We ran in and met the teacher briefly.  So chaotic!  There were parents everywhere!  I gave him a kiss on the cheek and said goodbye.  This year was almost harder than last year.  Luckily, I had Nolen with me and we had to get to his Occupation Therapy session at Kid Power.  After Kid Power we had pre-school registration.  Then we zoomed home for ABA.  Such a busy day.  

I sure love that little Edward.  I can not believe he is starting first grade.  I remember first grade.  It was better than kindergarten.  So here I sit, saying a little prayer that his first day of school is epic!

Feenixxxx

At least, that's how I think Phoenix should be spelled. Ha! We took our last summer vacation last week and headed to the city of extreme heat! 115 degrees is a bit high for my taste these days. I had such a great time with Craig and Blair. I'm always so grateful to have amazing siblings!

Our first stop was in Snowflake, Arizona. We had a great chat and delicious dinner with Stephens grandparents. I even snapped a 4 generations picture. Yay!

We, then, headed down to Phoenix and hit up Butterfly World. Sadly, it was grossly over priced. $20 per adult and $15 per kid. Here in Albuquerque we have a bio park that includes a butterfly pavilion, aquarium, and all the bio park garden displays for $7 a person!

This place did have an active beehive and that was cool. 

The boys built dune buggies with the pillows!

We drove down to Maricopa on Saturday night to get all of Stephens family together. We have missed spending time with them over the last year. I tried to get a group shot and failed miserably. Ha!

Such a great trip and always fun to see family! I miss you, feenixxxx!

Pass me some cheese please!

Remember that one time you felt like a really really bad mom because your 4 year old was acting like a spoiled rotten 2 year old who was never punished a day in his life? And remember when those "other" parents looked at you with complete disgust because you didn't train your 4 year old to act perfect in public? And, remember when another sweet 4 year old girl was around and she was so poised and so perfect it just blew your mind?

Yeah. That happened! To me. I actually believe I am one tough mom. I discipline my children a little on the harsh side. I send my children to time out. I follow through on all threats! (I have threatened to burn their toys. Don't test me. I'll do it!) 

My children might actually say I am a mean mom. 

But none of this matters. At all when my 4 year old is having an autism melt down. "Other" parents don't see the hard work I put in at home. They only see what looks like a spoiled rotten whiney 2 year old rolling on the ground begging for his milk and to go home. 

I try to act gracious and understanding; however, sometimes I can't stand looking like a failure as a mother. You may not understand. I get that. But it hurts. Bad. I don't want to be a perfect mother or a perfect person. I want to be the right mother for my boys. 

I apologize if my son offended you while he screamed about his problems. We may never understand what he is going through. You see, WE ARE NORMAL! 

Cut the kid some slack. He's gone through more in one day than we may ever experience in a life time. It's called autism. There is no magic cure all for his condition. There are no outward signs. I'd look rediculous if I carried a sign that said, "caution, autism melt down in progress.  Please casually step away"

But believe me. I want to. I want to scream at people just to get them to stop staring and judging my lack of parenting skills. 

There is nothing more I can do. I just smile and pretend my mother ego isn't taking a big hit. 

To my friends who are fighting the good fight every single day, my heart is with you. I know your pain. Let's smile more and judge less. No one is perfect. 

Give the boy a break. 

Remember

"Make sure they remember joy yesterday, experience joy today, and anticipate joy tomorrow."

 

I read this in an article on Deseret News today and I cried.  Mostly because I can't believe my two sweet boys are growing up so fast.  Sometimes, I am so quick to lose my temper and not so quick to jump on the floor and play with them.  I will never get back these last 6 years and 4 years of their lives.  I just MUST remember that each day brings a memory.

 

These last two weeks of summer my boys have been sitting on the couch playing Minecraft.  It just drives me crazy to see them acting like teenagers when they are so little.  They need to get out and play.  Which means, I need to get out and play.  I have been working on three photography classes and have sat still for too long.  This is our last week of summer and I just can't believe summer is already ending.  I feel like it just started!