two latest cakes...

A breath of fresh air.

Actually, i think that title might be inaccurate. A breath might be better. Because after Mason's OT (occupational therapy) assessment today, I feel like I finally took a breath in regards to helping Mason. And along with that breath come about 3 years of tears. Some that I shed, and some that I held back... but now all being released in the relief that we're gonna get help. We're going to finally get to know what makes Mason tick.

S (the OT) used a lot of big words that I will be Googling once I get her report :) But it would seem as though his need to run, and his need to escape, and his need to play with Play-Doh, and sand, and rice, and water, and shaving cream, are all normal for someone with the degree of Sensory issues Mason has. It would seem that him needing to be wrapped up like a burrito, or to be sitting pushed against someone at circle time, are normal for him. NORMAL. I have finally found my son's normal. And oh my goodness.... I can't ever begin to explain how relieved I am. *insert gush of tears here!*

S said such magical words... "We're going to make sure that the school understands how to accommodate Mason, so that he can reach his full potential." She saw, from the Moment he sat in his special chair, that he is such a fantastically smart little boy. He completed almost all of her challenges. And gave her a delightful display of how sticky, and stubborn he can be when he can't accomplish something. (He had a hard time cutting out a circle. Had a melt down (although, a calm one, for him). And then we were able to re-direct him onto something different. he never did go back to the circle, so that's something I'll have him practice here at home, but really... I'm okay with that :)

Unlike some of the other journey's we've been on with Mason, I'm excited to go down this path. Excited to have something to fall back on. Excited to have found a support system that understands by boy like no other. Speech helped. His resource teacher has become great. His pre-school has been Amazing. But OT? That's where it's at baby :)

Off to breath, and cry (the good tears). Finally.

Attack of the Squirrel.

We went to a local park today to enjoy an end of the year picnic with Mason's Pre-school. It was kinda chilly, but the kids were running around having a fantastic time...so they didn't notice. I joined the committee for the Picnic, so had to get there early to help set up. No biggie. One of the other committee members came, and then one of the mom's of another pre-schooler came. I'll call her The Crazy Squirrel Lady... or WTF!? for short. So, WTF!? brought crackers and cheese as her contribution to the picnic. So, we're standing around, waiting for other families show up, when a squirrel started to wander over. I tried to shoo it. WTF!? started giving it crackers!?!? And THEN she gave my children crackers to give to the squirrel! UGH! I was NOT impressed. I told them to stay away from the squirrel, and to NOT feed it anymore. But, WTF!? was going ON AND ON about how in Toronto the squirrels are so friendly, and how she bets that this Squirrel would just eat from your hand if you were still enough. HA! So, of course the kids are all excited about this, and start approaching the squirrel. I shooed them away. That's when the squirrel decided to stalk the food. When I tried to chase it away, it just hunkered down and glared at me. I was a bit freaked out. I'm pretty sure he was sending mind messages saying that if I took another step, he was going to eat my face. WTF!? was all "I'll get him to leave if he gets too close. He's so friendly! Give him another cracker!" And the rest of us were all "I don't want him near the food!" and "I don't want him near my kids!" So! Finally more people arrived and the squirrel scampered off. We ate, played some games, hung out, went on a scavenger hunt. A few more families went home. Me being on the committee meant that I had to stay later to clean up. No biggie. A few Mom's and I were standing around swapping recipes, and chatting about how to get out berry stains. I probably made that up... I looked over to see poor little Paige approaching the Squirrel. I started to walk towards her to tell her not to, when THE SQUIRREL JUMPED ON HER!!! I did Not make that part up. She was fine, just scared. A bunch of us looked around and discovered that WTF!? had already left!! ARGH!! I knew it!! Aidan ran over to me to show me his mutant caterpillar. Seriously, the thing was 3 inches long! One of the other Mom's suggested he show it to her daughter, so off he ran. I turned back to start clearing tables. Next thing I know, Aidan is running at me, screaming and holding his hand. I thought he had lost his caterpillar (he tends to be a tad dramatic..). but NO! He (foolishly) tried to pet the Squirrel!! And it ATTACKED HIM!! Ran up his leg, and bit the fleshy part between his thumb and hand. He flung it off then :) So, we got it cleaned, and I took him to the Clinic, where they can't do anything for animal bites (PSA). So, then Aidan and i had to spend 3 hours at the hospital. Where they also do nothing for Squirrel bites. Except inform the Public Health Unit. I had to fill out a form for the PHU, and talk to a PH nurse. And that's it. That's the story of how it was all fun and games until your kid gets bitten by a squirrel.

LMAO!!

Sorry my posts are so random and sporadic!! I just never seem to get here anymore!!

Anyway..

My kids are watching Teletoon retro this morning. THe chipmunks are on, which they LOVE :) So I decided to take a few minutes to myself before heading down to wash the dishes from the cheesecake I'm baking today. All of a sudden Jenna is calling me, telling me to "COME QUICK!!" I raced downstairs and she's so excited to tell me about the new "Super Juicer!" Here's what she said... "It's so fabulous! You add all the fruits, or even vegetables if you want, and it makes you healthier, stronger, and gives you more energy"! (At which point Mason piped in to say, "Yeah Mom! More Energy!!") Jenna continued on with "You just throw the fruit in whole, unless it's too big, then you chop it up. And the fruit bits go into one part, and the juice comes out of a spout, like a tea pot, or maybe a kettle, I don't know..." AND THEN< Jenna AND Aidan at the same time said "It's like two machines in ONE!"

OMG, my children have been brainwashed!! By an INFOMERCIAL!! They get it from me I think.. I love infomercials. Bet you didn't know that! LOL

Market Research.

So, it's probably fairly obvious (If you're one of my facebook friends, and if not, dude, add me!) that I LOVE cakes. Well, in a way. I don't always love eating cake, but I love creating them. I love taking something as simple as flour and eggs, and turning it into something people crave. I love turning something from a cake wreck, into a work of art in the wee hours of the morning (okay, not really, but that seems to be how it works for me :)) Cakes are me. I'm the cake lady. Need a cake? Call me! I'll do anything.. apparently.. :) Considering my latest creation..



My friend had mentioned awhile ago wanting me to make a cake for her husbands 40th birthday. Specifically, a "boob" cake. I told her that I would do it. Reluctantly. I think these cakes are kinda weird... I don't know why. Almost as weird as the pregnant belly cakes... but those freak me out, because I can't imagine cutting one... seriously, think about it. Yeah. But I digress. So, we never really talked about the cake again, and I thought she must have changed her mind. HA! nope. She called Thursday. And asked if there was ANY way I could do the cake for Friday. EEK!! I, being the absolute glutton for punishment, agreed. It also stems from my need to make everyone happy. It's a sickness. Digress.. again.

So, then began the mad rampage of my kitchen. Do you know how many things I have in my kitchen that are shaped like breasts? ZERO! Who knew!? So, I ended up making the breasts in ramekins... or custard cups, whatever you want to call them. And then A LOT of engineering went into getting those puppies round! Many cake scraps and much icing was used. And I will never be a plastic surgeon. Sorry. :) But, like my husband was so kind to point out, my boobs aren't even, so of course, neither should the cake's be. LOL. Thanks dear.

I felt better about the cake once I got the rest of the icing on. I wish I had lowered the blue a bit more, to give it a bit more cleavage, but I'm always my own worst critic. :) And besides, there were kids at the party, so I wanted it to be fairly PG :)

OH!! Shout out to Jackie!! I used your mousse recipe for the filling! It was AWESOME!! White Chocolate :) My friends raved about it :) And so Easy! Who knew!?

Oh, wow. Did I ever digress on this post! I hadn't intended to write a play by play of my corset cake creation!!

What I really came here to ask was about the name of my future venture. I'm thinking of calling my business SugarMama's Cakes and Bakes. SugarMama's for short :) What do you think?? I have a good friend who does business branding, so I'm going to run it past her, to see what she thinks... But I kinda love it already :) I can just hear it. "OMG! Where did you get that cake!?" "SugarMama's" :)

I want to be able to start leaving my customers with a business card or two when I deliver a cake... so I need a name!! If there's any other suggestions, feel free to throw them out there!!

Thanks guys.

Oh, P.S. Need a cake?? ;)

And then a sigh of relief...

I love it when I freak out about something, and then get a sign that I am right :)

Mason had his first session for his second block of speech therapy today. And He Did AWESOME!! Never was there a child more perfect than mine :) He was blowing J out of the water with his mad speech skillz :) There are definitely still delays there, and I'm glad we're addressing them now... but man.. he was just so GOOD! I'm hopeful that by September, when he starts Kindergarten, all these struggles will be a distant memory :)

I like being hopeful..

2 steps forward, 2 steps back.

When I dropped Mason off at school today, I found out that the integration resource support worker was going to be there observing Mason. Surprise!! This of course, after I had been through the whole spiel with him about being nice to his friends, and listening to his teachers, and being a very good boy today. Figures. :) I mentioned to his teacher that he was starting a new block of speech therapy tomorrow. And that his ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) is coming up soon, on May 14th. She seemed surprised by that, and said, "Oh! Who's doing the ADOS??" I replied, "Dr.K" in a tone that said, "duh, thought you knew that??". And then she said "oh! no no no! Dr. K won't do the ADOS." And I said "Huh??" She said, "No, he is just the pediatrician. Mason has to be accepted as his patient before the ADOS can be done." HUH!?!?! NO ONE TOLD ME THAT!!! Here I'm thinking we're almost done with this shit, and we haven't even started. What if Dr. K decides not to take Mason on?? And seriously!? This is NOT what I was told. I was told, OH! You really want Dr. V for your ADOS ped. She's the best. And then I found out that Dr.V wasn't doing the ADOS anymore. So I got stuck with the Dr they kept telling me I probably didn't want. Crap.

So now I'm so confused. Mason was put on a waiting list with the Pre-school speech and language program for them to do the ADOS on video. The video would then be sent to Dr. J (Who really is the best of the best), who would assess from there. I was also told to get on board with a pediatrician to do an ADOS, because although doubtful, that might be a faster way of getting it done. So, fine, I got screwed around by my family Dr trying to get that referral. And now that I have it, I find out that I may still be up shit creek without a paddle. AND! the resource teacher tells me that one of the speech path's at the pre-school speech program is who will do ADOS!! And then Dr. K will read the results and make the final diagnosis from there. So no matter what, it's the same people doing the same test! WTF??

I'm most worried that he won't be accepted as a patient by Dr.K. Since his surgery, he's shown pretty much ZERO signs of Autism. I still really really really want to do the ADOS. I have a point to prove now. I want his resource teacher, and the supervising speech path to STOP assessing him, and treating him like he has Autism, if in fact he doesn't. I have concerns about Sensory Integration Disorder, but even that is only a small concern. Sorry, sidetracked there... seriously. During Mason's last Speech and Language assessment Mason was so good. However, he was really interested in the lanyard that A was wearing, with her name and picture. Mason has always been interested in those. Not obsessed, interested. In the report I got regarding that assessment, it was 'observed' that Mason invaded A's personal space to fixate on her identification. WHAT!? he's THREE!! At the same appointment, she brought out a puzzle he had never seen before. And as he was absorbed in doing the puzzle, she started talking, randomly, about how she had ridden a horse that weekend, with a wagon, blah blah blah. She was trying to get him to engage in conversation... I get that. But I don't see how that relays back to speech and language... not in the way she worded her report. It was a big fat, this kid has Autism report. And I'm not impressed.

Shoot this is random. Bottom line is, I want the ADOS to prove to these people that they are wrong, and to start focusing on his Speech. But that I am afraid I will never get an official diagnosis (or a negative diagnosis... does that make sense??) because Mason's behaviour is so different now than what it was pre-surgery. Blah. Just more hurry up and wait I guess. Blah.

Poor Mason :( And, Stupid telehealth.

A rant if you will. Except that I am, so you won't have to, so don't! haha. blah.

Mason is still sick. Not as sick as he was, but still sick :( He threw up again last night, after another day of diarrhea. And then he was so sleepy and not himself :( So, we put him to bed, Al went to the gym, and I called telehealth. (A free service, where one can call a nurse and get medical advice for non emergencies. Great concept. Poor execution.)

I've had a few reasons to call telehealth in the past 7 years of parenting that I've done. I don't remember calling them before becoming a mother. Guess I knew it all back then haha. I would bet that about 90% of the times I've called, they have advised me to seek immediate medical attention. The one time they were Really helpful was when they told me I could give Mason a higher dose of Benedryl when he had the allergic reaction to Penicillin. Thank you. Other than that.. it's all doom and gloom over there.

Last night was no different. As I said, Mason is still sick. He's not eating, and yesterday he all but stopped drinking. He's boycotting drinking because I am an horrid mother, who wouldn't let him have chocolate milk. DUDE! You have been puking for THREE DAYS!! Nuh uh are you having chocolate milk!! Well.. okay, for the love of all that is precious, yes, have this little drink of chocolate milk. Please, just drink babycakes!! And then he barfed. Lesson learned. ANYWAY!!

I called telehealth. When they finally called me back AN HOUR LATER!! We went through the requisite, Is he breathing, alive, moving etc. yes yes yes etc. They asked if he had been peeing, and I really didn't know. He's had diarrhea, so I've kept a pull-up on him. Beats me if there was pee in them!! He wasn't asking to go pee, but he had also slept almost all day. A few more questions, and it was decided that he was severely dehydrated and needed to get to the hospital STAT. EEK!! Freak me the hell out why don't you!!?? I should have known, but this was my very sick boy we were talking about, and I wasn't messing around anymore. He had me really worried.

So, I call Al to come home from the gym, and then packed Mason up and off we went, for a three hour nap in the hospital. Well, Mason napped, I read, played with my hair, yawned and felt my ass go to sleep in three different chairs. I am SO not complaining about the 3 hours. I know Full well how lucky we were to get in and out of there in 3 hours.

So, we saw the doctor, who confirmed that yes, Mason is dehydrated, but not in an emergency type of way. She said considering how sick he's been, he's doing pretty good. He's got the Flu. A very classic case. It should run it's course in 7-10 days :( So, in the meantime, I'm Lysoling everything he looks at and praying that no one else gets it.

Mason ate a bit today. A bite of a peanut butter sandwich, and 1 1/4 perogies. :) He's lost 4 pounds already, but everyone assures me that he'll be fine if he drinks... now if only I could convince him to do that. :(

Just when I was getting a good rhythm going...

Mason gets sick. I've never seen him so sick :( He started Sunday Morning, with the vomiting and diarrhea. And it hasn't really stopped since. He goes through long stretches of time between attacks now, but he's still not well :( I took him to the clinic and the Dr there said that it looks like it's just a bug. But I'm thinking if he's not himself by tomorrow I'm going to Mama Bear him into an appointment with our family doctor. He's not eating hardly at all, though luckily, he is still drinking fairly well.

I do have some very exciting news to share though!! Al has completed all the training and exams needed to become a Personal Trainer!!! He's wanted this since before I knew him. Unfortunately, like so many things in life, it got pushed aside for a lot of years. I'm so happy that his dream has finally become a reality. And so proud of the hard work he put in to get there. Though, I must say, he owes me A LOT of weekend sleep-ins!! He pulled a lot of late night study sessions to get ready for his exams...and being the total sweetheart that I am.. I of course let him sleep in every weekend. :) So yeah.. he owes me :) Got that Alvin?? :)

Yeah, so, that's about it around here!! Oh! Except I made this!!



It's a poker chip for my best customer's husband. We totally surprised him with it :) Chocolate cake, vanilla filling, buttercream icing. And apparently, it made them all look like Titanic survivors!! LOL.. she ASKED for Blue!!!

And that's all.. for now.

Yay!!

I took Mason back to the ENT today. He says his ears look Great!! There's still quite a bit of wax, but that's normal..and he's not worried about it, so I won't be either!

I told him all about the changes we've seen in Mason over the past couple weeks, and he seemed pleased, but not overly surprised :)

I was pleasently surprised when his intern/side-kick someone or other kept staring at me :) Oh yeah.. still got it.. LMAO.. I probably had something in my teeth knowing my luck!

So, for the next little while, we can just focus on enjoying Mason, as he emerges as this incredible new little person. Come May, when he has the ADOS, I'll fret and worry again, but I am giving myself a get-out-of-worry card for a little while. I need it. And I'm pretty sure everyone around me does too :( I try so hard not to voice all my thoughts and worries and little annoying wonderings ALL the time. Because I can see and hear when they start to bother my husband...and mother...and friends...and teachers...and and and.. So, enough of that for awhile. Onto something more fun, like.... well...... dang i'm boring!! Gotta think of Something to spice it up around here!!

For a Really long time now..

I've wanted to get a tattoo. But it's a Huge commitment, so I've never gotten overly serious about it. Until now! I was talking to a friend of mine about what I wanted. I had thought about a dragonfly, because they are good luck. But dragonflies kinda freak me out. LOL. I have Always been fascinated by butterflies. I think the changes they makes, and the obstacles they overcome, and the miles they travel to preserve themselves is just awesome. The only thing holding me back from getting a butterfly tattoo is that it seems to be what Everyone gets. And I didn't want to seem like a follower :) But then my brain kicked back into gear and hit me across the back of the head. DUH! It's MY tattoo. I really should be getting what I want. No matter what anyone else has... right?! Right.

For a long time I've thought it would be cool to get Half a butterfly done. And then get the complete butterfly done when I feel I've completed my own metamorphosis. That's still an option, but not a top priority. :) However, when I saw this one, I saw SO many opportunities to really make it mine :)


Exhibits A, B and C...






And then, if I knew anything at all about photoshop, I could probably figure out how to show that I can add the same wings and tails to the other side of it, for my original metamorphosis idea :)

Now I just need to work on where I want it, and how big to get it!! I want to be able to see it, and show it off, but still cover it up when needed. My tummy is NOT an option. :) I'm kinda thinking of my foot.. or maybe the back of my shoulder.. or maybe the back of my neck.. I really don't know. But I can't wait to figure it all out!!

Back to business!!

So, Mason's surgery is done and over with. He's doing FANTASTIC! I can't believe the change in him!! Little speech improvements here and there, but those are minor so far. He's using S's consistently now. Instead of "I'm Matin!" he says "I'm Mason!" It's weird to hear it now.. but so lovely :) The Biggest change is in HIM, and a little person. He's playing. I know, that seems like a bizarre statement, but it's true. He's engaging the other kids, he's playing with different toys than he's ever been interested in before, he's happy, he's leading and following with his play. It's so incredible.. I never would have thought I'd see a change like that!! The jury is still out on whether I'm ready to take him shopping again, but we'll see :)

Mason has an ADOS assessment on May 14th. I'm thisclose to cancelling it, but there are certain people who have faces that I need to wave papers in front of, proving that my son does not have Autism. That will be a happy happy day :) unfortunately though, I'm also thisclose to asking for a Sensory integration Disorder test of some sort :P Oh well :)

I'm doing good.. still liking my job. But a friend of mine has put a little bug in my ear, and I'm seriously considering pursuing some sort of baking venture. In that, early thinking stage of serious consideration kind of way :) I'll need to get a part time job. Which means a weekend job for a little while, and that will suck ass, but it's a small step in the right direction to something I've dreamed of forever. Did you know the government will GIVE you money. They really will!! And I'm gonna get my hands on some of it and change the world, one cupcake at a time LOL!! What do you think of Sugar Mama's Cakes and Bakes??

We had a good March Break. Fairly quiet and easy going. Man was it ever nice to stay in my comfy clothes for a few extra hours a day!! I could have gotten used to that in a hurry :)

Al had a birthday yesterday. We had a few friends over for dinner on Saturday. Made steaks, and had a baked potato bar. It was AWESOME!! the vodka helped that too. Just sayin'. :P I made a traditional Black Forest cake. It was (toot toot) SO good!! Complete with the booze in the cake!! :) And my own special recipe for the icing, to make it more than just whipped cream :) Mmm.. and i wonder why I can't lose weight! LOL



Yeah, so boring old me.. that's about it :)

Back to blogging..

and all I'm giving you is this! More to come.. i promise!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iraoHE6JlY&feature=related

I just adore this song :)

A funny!

The best part of having a child with speech delays is their mis-pronunciations...

This morning Mason walked up to me and said...

"Wanna ring roun-ah rogie!!"

Which, on it's own is kinda cute when you decipher that he wants to play Ring Around the Rosie. But frackin' Hilarious when you also know that his favourite food is Perogies, and he calls them Rogies. :)

I love that kid!

A week from today!

Mason has his surgery next week. He's getting tubes in his ears, and having his adenoids taken out. As much as I dread my little boy being put out for surgery, and scary shiny cutting things being near his body, I am relieved, all in the same breath.

Our surgeon has warned me that he is doubtful that we'll see much of a difference in Mason's speech. And I am comfortable with that. Disappointed yes, because you always here these stories of the dramatic change in childrens' speech once they got their tubes, and that may not happen for us... but we have speech therapy for that, and really, when it comes to his speech, we are hearing improvements.

I'm more hopeful that we will see a change in his behaviour. You see, he snores. A lot. Not loud, but constant. Enough that I would imagine it effects his sleep. And I know all too well how I feel when my sleep has been disturbed. I can't imagine how I would feel if I had had to endure 3 years of that! So, I might be putting more apples into that cart than I should, but I am really hoping that this surgery means better sleep and better behaviour from him :) (Picture me with my eyes shut tight and fingers crossed REALLY HARD! LOL)

And now a funny or two :)

Yesterday I took the kids to school, like always. I turned to say good bye to Jenna. When I turned back, my little Houdini(Mason) had ran in to the Kindergarten yard. I was headed around to get him out, when I noticed what he was up to. He had lined up with all the other kids. I had to go all the way around the enclosure to get to him. By the time I caught up, he was at the door, ready to walk into the school! The teacher is new to the school, and didn't realize that he didn't belong! There was an EA standing outside laughing at us. She said she was watching him, but wanted to know just how far he would really go! And that's when we noticed he had escaped us AGAIN! this time he was right in the classroom, taking his mittens off and trying very hard to undo his coat!! What a monkey :) But it gives me hope that he's going to be easy going next year, with no tears at the door. :)

So after all that I was trying very hard to convince him to walk home with me! I told him to chase his shadow, to try and catch it. So, he runs after it for a couple seconds and then Leaped on top of it... kinda like a baseball player sliding into a base. He was SO proud of himself for catching his shadow! :) And I got a good laugh :)

Appology

Al and I, when we were young and foolish, had an inside joke. When we were out and about, and we'd see those mom's in the mall...you know who I mean... the ones dragging their screaming kids up the aisles...the ones yelling at their kids to stop crying already...the ones that look like their heads may explode if they have to spend one more minute inside this mall, with this kid, so help me God... yeah... those Moms. Al and I always called them Mall Moms. And we Always Swore we would NEVER turn into a Mall Mom, so help us God. We've all seen them, right? Ever been one?? Yeah.

We went shopping today. (you can see where this is going can't you?) Mason occasionally has a hard time shopping. He runs away. He cries. He touches things he shouldn't. He knocks over displays. He screams. He dances in aisles. He walks into people. He yells "Stop Touching me!". He hides in the racks of clothes. It's not fun for anyone within a 15 foot radius of him. Especially for him. We had one of those days today.

And for some reason it really got to me today. I'm usually pretty good with having enough patience to sort through these moments. But today I was the Mom begging him to stop crying. I was the Mom sending her oldest child around one side of a rack to help me head him off from the other direction. I was the one grabbing his coat and yanking him backwards. I was the one with the red face, the out of place hair, the dropped packages and the 'if I have to spend one more minute in this mall, with this kid', look on my face.

I saw the looks I was getting. I saw the stares and the shakes of the heads. I could read on the other mother's and grandmother's faces the looks of "God, control your kid already would ya!?" And i wanted to scream at those people. I wanted so bad to look them in face and scream "You try it!!" "you spend 1 hour in this place with a kid that HATES being in here!" "You have NO idea" And then I just wanted to beg them to please, please stop staring. Please.

Because I get it now. For every time I laughed, and joked about Mall Moms, I'm getting it back. And I am so very sorry. It never once occured to me that that mother might not have a choice. That that child may be unable to control his behaviour. That that family may really be doing the best that they can. And if it means looking like your head is going to explode, I get it. And I'm sorry that I ever judged differently. So very sorry.

And I think I decided today that there's something to be said about on-line shopping... for me anyway. Because as awful as I felt being in that place, and getting those stares... I will really never know how much worse it was for Mason.

Annoyed

My doctor screwed up, and hasn't sent a referral to a pediatrician for Mason to have the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) done. It was "overlooked". We were there January 6th. I know that I should have called back sooner to find out what was going on, but I didn't :(

I called Monday, and found out the referral wasn't sent. I called Tuesday and was told that the nurse left a message for the doctor, but hadn't heard anything back from him yet regarding a referral. I pleaded my case then. Telling them that I needed the assessment done ASAP, since Mason starts school in September, and I want some answers before then. That I was totally stressing about this, and have already been waiting more than a month! The nurse said she would see what she could find out. I waited. The office is closed on Wednesdays. I didn't get a chance to call yesterday, and they didn't call me either. So, I guess it's going to be up to me to call AGAIN today. I hate having to do that :P

My doctor used to be so awesome. Took time to really listen to his patients. But his practice is getting bigger, and I find the wait in the waiting room longer, and the time in his office shorter. I'm not impressed if this is going to be the way he continues to treat his patients. I get the whole doctor shortage thing. I know that I should be counting my lucky stars that we even have a doctor...but still, I'm used to a certain level of care, and I'm not seeing it anymore :( Hopefully a taste of my Mama Bear routine will help smooth my (and Mason's) path!

Sticky situation...

For my birthday, I had a couple friends over. L, S, and the infamous K. Now, L and S were Awesome, we have a lot in common, and I think those friendships will go far. K however...talked about herself all night. L, S, and I all felt that she was trying to one up us everytime we said anything. Hell, she even CRIED...at my birthday party...and it was pretty obvious that she was just trying to get attention. It was not a good night.

So, this Friday, S and I decided we needed some girl time. I suggested we invite L, and S thought that would be Great! I am the luckiest person alive, because L and S are coming over to help me paint my living room!! Sweet huh?? Except here's where it gets sticky... what do I do about K? I know for sure that L and S weren't impressed by her. And I don't want a night that could be so much fun be ruined by such a pessimist. (K and I went to the movies last Friday, and it wasn't much fun) But I'm afraid of the wrath that could come from not inviting her.

K was my best friend for almost 5 years. But she's really changed, and I don't consider her treatment of me, or my husband, acceptable. She is still a friend, but certainly not someone I will ever tell any secrets to again, ya know?

What do I do!?? I know she'll be hurt when she finds out that S and L were here helping me. And I am not a person who ever feels good about hurting other people. But I also don't want to put my other two friends in an uncomfortable situation.

What would YOU do!?

Sorry,

I can't come to my blog right now. I've been reading the Twilight series. I'll return to blogging and responding to blogs a soon as I find out what becomes of Bella Swan. Thanks for stopping by!

OMG! Seriously!! I had no idea! I know a lot of my Mommy friends have read the series, and raved about it, but really... I didn't have a clue! I was all OMG, how much more Jonas Brothers, High School Musical, Miley Cyrus can I stand taking over my friends!! But now, I get it! I'm all consumed by this series! I don't understand how you can be team Jacob, Julie bo bolie, but I'm willing to continue reading the series in a quest to find out :)

I just finished New Moon, and have heard that Eclipse is by far the best in the series. Darn kids here all day are taking me away from valuable reading time though! LOL, totally kidding. kinda :)

OMG!! I just googled Twilight, because I'm crazy like that... and in a post written by Stephanie Meyer, describing how she got her book written and published, she mentions Janet Evanovich!! (Stephanie Plum anyone!?) What a crazy coincidence!! The last time I followed a crowd of readers it was to read the Stephanie Plum series!! :) Thanks guys :)

So anyway, I'm about to dive into another book, and don't expect to suffice for longer than to cook chicken nuggets or eat a protein bar. So if you find yourself missing me, no worries, I'll be back! (Especially since I don't have a copy of Breaking Dawn waiting for me yet!)

I've got nothing...

Nothing to write about!

I'm still excited about the house. I bought new towel racks on the weekend. And I'm 90% decided on a paint colour. :) But that's about it. Gonna light a fire under Al's but to start looking for a dishwasher :) (Hi Honey :))

Jenna got her ears pierced on Sunday :) She looks sooo different!! Makes my heart get a bit squishy when I see her :)

Aidan is so stinkin' sensitive that it's driving me up the wall. Any ideas on how to deal with a crier??

Mason, his resource teacher, and I had a meeting yesterday. I really think she's pushing him towards having Autism. I"m not sure how I feel about this. She kept asking if I think her has sensory issues. Um, No. This is the kid I can't keep out of the mud puddles. The only of my three kids that has wanted to finger-paint, and actually use his fingers! I will admit to him maybe having food-sensory issues, but she was talking tactile, because he was hesitant about putting his hands in the cornmeal at school that day. I thought that was strange, until she told me that he preferred using the scoops and shovels. Well DUH! That just makes sense! It's just starting to feel to me that she is pushing him into a certain category, and I'm not convinced that's where he belongs. I don't know :( I'll think on it some more. The good news is that it looks like he has a fairly good chance of getting an EA (Educational Assistant) when he goes to Kindergarten next fall. I'm grateful for that. He's such a go-er that he really does need someone on top of him every minute to make sure he's going in the right direction, or to re-direct him onto something more reasonable. He also has the potential to be a flight risk, especially outside, which scares me, so I'm hoping the school can be aware of that before he gets there. Some very big steps to be taken very soon :( Scary.

I'm good. Had some blahs. Had the flu. Feeling better :) I got a Wii Fit last week :) I love it. And man, I can Feel it!! And I've lost 1.8 pounds in the past 5 days :) Although one of those days was when I had the flu :( So who knows.

Al is doing great. He's sent in the papers to take the course and exam to become a personal trainer. And he's working very hard on his goal. :) Eating better, working out regularly. Studying hard :) I'm so proud of him. (Go honey!)

And I think that's that!

Pausing to breathe...

We are thisclose to being finished with all the stuff that goes along with getting a mortgage! And by we, I am mostly referencing Me. :) What. a. pain! Never Ever buy a house around Christmas! Seriously! Everyone in careers associated with house buying takes two weeks vacation.

I think the worst headache was centered around getting the house appraised. I had a guy all lined up to come last Tuesday afternoon. Super nice guy. However, when I was talking to our Credit Union that morning (her first day back after 2 weeks off) she said no no no, that guy is not qualified to do the kind of appraisal we want. My jaw hit the floor. Scramble scramble scramble. Because our deadline was that Friday! Eek! So, I called guy number 1 back, and apologized profusely. He gave me a number for a fully certified appraiser, and told me the guy was the best :) I called, and left a message. no call back that day. We get to Wednesday afternoon and I still hadn't heard anything (eek!). I called back, and guy #2 was in the office (score!) I explained my situation, and he was SO nice! And showed up at my house 15 minutes later (eek!)! He was so nice. Great with the kids, very professional, and understanding. AND! He appraised the house bang on what the credit union asked for! Must remember to send a thank you card.

So, with that headache relieved, All I had to do was wait for the government to send me my 2006 notice of assessment for my taxes. HA! I stressed about checking the mailbox every day from the day I called to request it! It came Thursday :) I called our Lender, and set up the appointment to sign the final papers on Saturday!!

We went Saturday, and even took the kids! (eek!) but they were pretty well behaved (I took books and colouring stuff and toys :)) and our Lender had chocolate :) Yeah, she has kids too :) After that it was all signed, sealed and delivered!!!!!!!! AND! Rates went down, so our mortgage did too! By $25 a month!! sweet!

Next headache. Get an appointment with the lawyer. He has to do all the money transferring to pay off the loans and my Dad. And that appointment HAS to be this Friday at 10:30. And I have daycare kids that day. And I have to get there and back before it's time to get the kids picked up from school. And did I mention the lawyer is in another town...over an hour away? Yeah, that too. Eek! I called, and held my breath. And then the heavens parted again. Yes, he was available Friday. And yes, he has an opening at 10:30. And everything you need to bring is easy to get :)

And that's about all there is to it. I think. I hope.

Except that Al has all these grand plans for the house, now that it's ours, and we're going to have a little bit of extra money to put towards some upgrades and renos. So on top of organizing our lives and appointments and changing accounts to pay the utilities and convincing my Dad that we're going to be okay doing this, and running a daycare and doing school runs and keeping clean clothes on our backs and food (from my handy new menu plan that I think I might not be able to live without now) in our bellies, I need to decide on a stove, dishwasher, microwave, flooring for the living room, paint for the kitchen, the living room, the master bedroom and the boys room, and curtains and maybe a sofa or two no pressure OMG I can't breathe.

I can't wait for this to be over and done with. Except that I'm a homeowner now. I have a feeling that's not going to happen is it??

The best word I heard all day was....

Optimistic :)

I had an appointment with our family doctor today. To get a referral to a pediatrician who will do a psych evaluation on Mason to test for Autism.

He seemed surprised to see me from the start. I'm not a Mom who has her kids to the doctor for every sniffle, so I guess when he sees me, he knows it's for real. So, there we were. And of course, Mason. was. an. ANGEL! Normally he hates the doctor's office, but he seems to have turned a bit of a corner on that one, and is tolerating them much better. But I digress.

So I told him about Mason occasionally lining up his toys, and even less frequently flapping his hands. How he hates straying from his routine, and how he has a very hard time with transitions, and shopping, and obeying the rules. How he is having some difficulty with his peers, in regards to engaging them in play, and treating them appropriately(He's very hands on, which is very unacceptable). I explained that he has significant speech delays, and that I have wondered off and on since he was an infant what it was that makes Mason SO different from his siblings and peers.

The Dr asked about Mason's eye contact, which is limited at best, but not blank and lifeless. He asked if he was toilet trained, if he could say Mommy, Daddy and how he would typically ask for something, such as Juice. He is, he can, yes, and he says "MOM! I want JUICE! In a WHITE CUP! PLEASE!" The Dr. asked if there was any family history, and I initially said no, and then changed my opinion because I seriously think my brother has Aspergers (and OMG, I can't believe my computer is telling me Aspergers is spelled wrong!), but that my brother has never been diagnosed.

Then the DR mentioned that he knew I have three kids, and asked what I was doing for work now. I told him daycare, but that less than a year ago I was working with children who have Autism. He kinda smiled at that, and asked if maybe I was a bit biased? I wasn't too sure what he meant, but answered with this...

"I don't know if Mason has Autism. If he does, he is very high functioning, and for that I am grateful. If he doesn't then that's even better. Because no one Ever wants to hear that their child has a neurological disorder." I said "All I know is that from the time he was just a baby, he's been different. He was too quiet for too long. and then when he stopped begin quiet, he was SO different from all the other children I know of the same age, that he really stands out. And if he's not standing out, he's sitting alone, playing as though no one else is in the room" I told him "I don't know if Mason has Autism, but I NEED to know what is making him different. And if it's Autism, so be it, but I also feel the same way if it's ADHD, if it's Oppositional Defiance Disorder, if it's Sensory Integration Disorder, or if it just boils down to Mason being Mason. I just need an answer. I've struggled with this for more than long enough now, and I need an Answer."

And that's when Mason hopped off the table, and stood with his back against the measuring tape thingy on the wall, looked at me and said "Measure Mason!" And that's when my Dr looked at me with the greatest smile, and said, "I think you might be wasting your time, I don't see Autism". He said, That's a very complex idea he's grasping there, and a child with Autism probably wouldn't be able to grasp that" I told him that Academically, Mason is very smart, ahead of his peers in many many areas. It's the simple stuff that we're missing, that is causing us the trouble. Like sitting for circle time, or wearing a hat when it's cold.

The Dr. just smiled, patted me on the back, told me I was doing a great job, and then he looked at Mason and said, "I'm optimistic" :)

So I'm going to be optimistic too. I'm not going to give up on my search for the rooth of all this. But I am optimistic about his diagnosis. Whatever that may be.

Worried much!?

It's back to the routines today. No more jammies until 1:00...or later :) no more snacking as we please. No more hop in the car and go where we want, when we want. Nope. It's get up get breakfast, get dressed, brush hair and teeth, pack school bags, run out the door, drop kids off at school, run back on Mondays and Wednesdays and take Mason to pre-school. Run home play with kids de jour, run back to school on Mondays and Wednesdays to get Mason, make lunch, quiet time (HA), get kids from school, snack, play, eat dinner, do homework, chill, have a snack, brush teeth, bedtime. Lisa crashes.

I had a very quiet Christmas break. Just had one little guy here for a couple days, and then I was off :) I'm not used to all that quiet!!

I guess I was worried about today, getting back into the swing of things, because I had a bad dream about it!

I dreamt that I dropped Aidan at his friend's house, and the Mom invited me in for some quiet. So I grabbed a snack, went up to her room, and turned on her TV. And then I realized it was 9:45, and I had forgotten to wait at home for one of my daycare kids, and Mason was home alone, and WAY late for school. As I was leaving, the Dad (who is a cop) came in, and was trying to chat with me, and I couldn't hardly speak because I was convinced he was going to arrest me for leaving Mason alone!! How strange eh??

I'm very happy that none of those things happened :) The only mistake I made was to forget that the school has switched their schedule to a balanced day...so now the kids have two times to eat instead of three, and I meant to divide Jenna's lunch/snacks accordingly. Hopefully she's a big enough girl that she can figure it out. :)

Glad I was able to dive back in so easily!!

So far so good.

Day two of not eating everything in sight :) I'm already making better choices. And it's not that hard :) I think it really helped that I did the weight watchers thing a couple summers ago. I know what I can eat, I know what works. I know that I need more water though, and that's not something I've been doing very well yet, but it will come.

I had an interesting day today. Jenna and Aidan are both sick. They have tonsillitis. I was a little apprehensive about a solo trip to the clinic with all three kids in tow, but it wasn't bad at all. I thought the clinic opened at 9, we got there at 9:30, and the parking lot was empty. Hmm... I was thinking they might not have opened it because of a doctor shortage or something. But, I figured we'd give it a shot anyway. So, in we went. Turns out the clinic wasn't open until 10! Oops. The lovely nurse though opened the doors early so everyone could get registered and settle in. We were second in line! Score!! I only had to entertain the kids for 35 minutes before our names were called. And man, was I ever relieved that we got there when we did!! By the time we left (10:15), the line was almost out the door! So, then we debated on where to go to get the prescriptions filled. We'd been grocery shopping and wal-mart last night, so I didn't really feel like going there. I hate taking Mason into Shoppers Drug Mart, so that was a last resort. Then Jenna reminded me that she had only had grapes for breakfast (oops!) and was hungry. Something clicked, and I remembered that Costco has a pharmacy!! ALSO!! It's Saturday, which means free sample day!! Double Score! Jenna had a great breakfast of melon, yogurt, pepperoni stick and fruit/veggie juice! Oh and an Arrowroot :) We got their medicine, I got a good deal on Tide, and we were good to go! Until!!

Some ASSHAT double parked me!! There was a guy in front of me and a guy behind. Seriously! How can you not notice that you are blocking someone in!? I understand that it's winter, and the parking lot lines are snow covered, but dude!! use your damn common sense!! Line up with the cart corral and you're good! Not this idiot. I tried a 4572483 point turn to wiggle the van out, but it's about 89 feet long, so there was no getting out. So I waited. and waited. I finally unbuckled the kids and went back inside. Got an employee to get a manager. She was no help. There's no PA system in Costco, so they couldn't call the asshat. She suggested I call a tow truck, and said that the asshat would be towed at his expense. I told her that seemed a bit harsh, and she told me it was my only option. Considering how Mason was dashing around freaking out about being asked to stand still for the 3.8 seconds I spoke with this woman, I gave up and went back outside. On my way out a VERY nice couple offered to let me use their cell phone to call a tow. I'm grateful to them, even though I have a cell phone of my own...they renewed my faith in humanity a little bit.

So, out I went to call the tow truck (actually first I called Al who told me to stop being so nice and call the damn tow!) :) I get them on the phone, and because of some stupid by-law in the city, he can't tow it because it's not mine!! Well, no, that's not entirely true. He could have towed it, if I wanted to pay for it!! Uh, NO!? He was super nice about it all though, thanks tow truck guy!!

I spoke to a couple other people who sympathized with me. One guy was going to help me try another 4572483 point turn, but I was too nervous about hitting the 4 other cars around me so I sent him on his way. The cart guy was also super sweet. Called me dear. :) He told me the guy had been parked there for quite awhile. And he felt bad for not knowing who it was to go find them :) Thanks Sweet older guy.

So my only option left was to wait. And that's what we did. for an HOUR!!! I was sooo annoyed!! Finally this guy comes up to my window, and said "Did that guy double park you?" pointing to the car in front of me. I said no, I'm pretty sure it's the guy behind me. I've been waiting for him for a freakin' hour!! He says, as he's walking backwards from me, "Oh, well, I didn't know, I'm in line with all the other guys beside me" and then he books it back to his van! I was REALLY tempted to run over his asshat wife and their new big screen TV as I pulled away. But I'm too nice for that :(

So, back to the original point, even after all that, I came home, made myself a giant salad in a wrap with a few pieces of chicken :) Not the box of Kraft dinner that I was really wanting :) I snacked on fruit, and drank water :)

So far so good.