by Sarah | Apr 7, 2010 | All About Kennedy, All About Molly
In two weeks it’s time for my Irish Twins birthdays. They’ll be five and four.
Riley is trying very hard to read, and Angel is doing her best to follow right behind.
Riley can write her own name (forward and backward, literally), and is figuring out how to write the numbers 1-10.
Angel is curious…about EVERYTHING. We cannot keep her out of anywhere from touching anything. She is the child that as you run through the store runs her fingers along the shelves and tries to touch everything she sees.
Riley is cautiously curious outside of the home and her comfort zones – but around people she knows is talkative and friendly.
They are each others best friends and worst enemies.
Technically I should be signing Riley up for Kindergarten based on her age. That doesn’t seem real. It seems like just yesterday that I was in the hospital watching them decide the new pope on TV while wondering when the pitocin was going to make labor actually hurt (didn’t take more than a few hours). Or just this morning that I walked the four miles to and from Dairy Queen to try to spark labor for Angel, and lamenting the fact that it failed (it didn’t – just took two hours to hit me).
The days of diapers are finally gone (almost – we still wear pullups at night).
The days of learning and growing and wonder at the world around them have arrived. They are curious and thirsting for knowledge – and I can’t wait to keep watching them learn.
I miss my babies. More than I imagined…
But I’m loving the excitement of my big girls and their big personalities.
by Sarah | Apr 2, 2010 | All About Molly, Autism
Today is “Autism Awareness Day.”
For some reason as I heard the words in my head this morning I immediately became amused. I understand that it’s about spreading awareness of autism, but I could only laugh and think But I’m aware of it EVERY day.
This is our face of autism. Those gorgeous ice blue eyes. The smile that has found its way to her face somehow. The personality that is starting to grow.
Most would call us blessed, and we agree. Riley’s form of autism is mild enough that she will likely lead a “normal” life. A job, a family, all that a parent imagines for their child. That doesn’t mean she won’t struggle. That every day one quirk or another won’t rear its head to impede what would normally be an easy step into a careful shuffle of feet.
The little reminders that pop up.
The way she organizes her M&M’s by colors in a snakelike form before eating.
The way she delicately nibbles, trying not to let the grease or crumbs of food touch her lips or outside of her mouth.
The way we cannot break our established program or routine without a meltdown.
The way her hugs are strong but brief, no linger touches or snuggles.
The way you see her mind processing and learning everything she cannot express verbally.
Leaps and bounds of progress have shaped our winter, a sparkling personality is emerging from behind the walls. With those she trusts she is bubbling and bright, even bossy…but the meltdowns still linger.
We are blessed.
All parents are blessed.
I hope today your awareness expands, but shouldn’t it every day?
by Sarah | Feb 17, 2010 | All About Family, Crap
When your BROTHER calls you out.
*sigh*
Yup, my brother called me out on my failure to get my project 365 going beyond where it was in my last post.
If I were TRULY evil, I would post that picture I have of him when he was 10 wearing earrings and a shawl…but I won’t.
I would also take this post to introduce my new Nephew (via my bro) and Niece (via my SIL) – but I don’t post pictures of others kids on my blog!!
So…instead I’m left with a rather empty post announcing that I’ve been called out. So I must pick up my camera and begin anew 365. I think I know exactly what my first picture will be tomorrow. It’s truly sad, but I’m so excited about it I’ve been posting it all over twitter and facebook all day. I got my beautiful NOOK today. I already have several books on it and lots of poetry.
January was a month of illness. We all got sick. Riley first, who gave it to me…then Angel got sick…we feared a hospital visit but were blessed to have that fear lifted…for now. Her levels were WAY down at her last visit so we must return to have her levels checked again.
As I said, February has been a fruitful month. I became an Aunt (again) twice in the past two weeks. First a gorgeous nephew that has been struggling a bit with jaundice, but is coming out the other side finally! Then a beautiful niece…who happens to share a middle name with my Angel.
Otherwise I have been doing a LOT of writing…just not in cyberspace as you can see. A story hit me and demanded to be written. When that happens I end up consumed and so I was. Now I need to take the drivel of unpublishable material that comes from such a spurt and attempt to make something viable from it. That is the challenge. The story is told, now it needs to be formed.
In other news our month of sickness from January to now ended with a literal bang. Hubby gave himself a concussion. We are unsure if he slipped or passed out, but he hit his head on the way to the ground and gave himself a mild concussion. That was two days ago, he’s showing improvement but he’s still a little out of it…
Tomorrow I pick up my camera again, okay, bro? If I miss a day I’ll just fill in with you in girly clothes and earrings.
by Sarah | Jan 8, 2010 | Photography
I have been curled up on the couch fighting a scratchy throat, stuffy nose cold ick and been totally uninspired to post. It is only the commitment I made to do 365 that made me lift my camera yesterday (at 10:50, mind you…just after I took the Tylenol PM that would soon send me crashing into a deep slumber). So in lieu of a real post bemoaning our visit to the Orthopedist a few days ago, you get 3 of my 365 pictures and maybe tomorrow I’ll be refreshed to write a real post.
5/365
“I can do it myself.”
6/365
Beware of the person who can’t be bothered by details.
~ William Feather
7/365
Tea is a cup of life. ~Author Unknown
Funny enough, the picture taken as I was passing out from my cold and drugs is my favorite so far of the year. Of course, I love that mug that I was drinking my tea from.
Hopefully in the next few days I’ll be up to posting about the other stuff going on. Our trip to the Ortho. The breakdown of a pre-teens freedom into servitude and restriction.
For now I give in to my headache while my daughters eat each other as I wait for Archie to return home from work to make a grocery list and leave again.
by Sarah | Jan 4, 2010 | Photography
The Devil is in the Details.
by Sarah | Jan 3, 2010 | Weekly Winners
All taken w/ Canon Rebel XTi. All SOOC.
This week I started work on a project I’ve been wanting to do since I was probably 8. I started constructing a Victorian Era outfit from the skin out (literally, I made a duct tape dress form & everything). So most of my pictures are around that event.
Then, at the bottom, the final three are part of my new Project 365 project. It’s all Mishi’s fault. She twittered and posted about it, and when I said I’d been thinking of it, but was worried of forgetting/messing up she ‘twisted my arm’. Okay, it didn’t take much convincing, but it’s still her fault. I can’t guarantee that I will POST a picture every day, but I will TAKE at least a picture every day and try to post that often. I’m anxious to see where this takes me…my poor camera has been a bit neglected lately. And I was really pleased with what I was doing with it over the summer last year…so I’m excited!!
Unwanted Travellers
Supplies At The Ready
The First Pins
And now my Project 365 Pictures!!
January 1, 2010: New Year Wishes finish off the candle
Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~ Hal Borland
January 2, 2010: My own decorative touches.
Sewing mends the soul. ~Author Unknown
January 3, 2010: A change of pace
Knitting is very conducive to thought. It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again. ~Dorothy Day
Weekly Winners is the brainchild of Lotus, the Sarcastic Mom. Visit her blog to see more great photos this week!!
In two weeks it’s time for my Irish Twins birthdays. They’ll be five and four. 
