Commotion squared

I'm wondering if I have ever written a post declaring boredom? Oh my goodness, things have seemed particularly crazy for the past few weeks. The boys are both doing swim lessons again, Elijah's behavioral aide has been coming over twice/week, I suddenly have a ton of projects to complete for my food blog (yay!), work for Dan is crazy (literally), Buddy is driving me crazy most of the time and Sammy started soccer! Look at him go! He has improved by leaps and bounds from last year. He had his first practice last night and I couldn't believe how well he was dribbling the ball and how focused he was. Go Sammy!

We have had a couple really rough past couple nights. We went down a bit on the dosage with Elijah's meds a month or two ago and now I'm wondering if we should go back up. We'd need to battle with insurance again, as our dosage request was denied last time. I've been seeing behaviors that I haven't seen in a really long time...LOTS of whining and deliberately trying to make me angry. Tonight's battle began when he whined about not being able to spell the word "mother." Knowing that he knew this, I asked him to politely ask for help and that I'd be happy to help out. Twenty minutes of screaming followed, which abruptly came to an end when his flailing arms knocked a huge jar of salsa off the counter and onto the floor...ugh.

Not only is Sammy doing great with soccer, he is rocking swimming, as well! He has been so brave and I'm super proud of him. He still doesn't like water in his face, but willingly bobs his head when asked and attempts everything else the instructor asks of him.

Last week was cold and rainy, but this week has been lovely again. The boys always know exactly what the expected high is for each day of the week. They are both excited for Friday, as it is expected to be 86 degrees! Both of them have their outfits picked out for that day. We love summer!

Ohh Buddy. He is so cute and sweet as long as I have time to manage our time together well and outsmart him a bit. Yesterday was an off day and we ended up getting very frustrated with each other. Every time I asked him to come or stay or do anything he would do the opposite. I brought him to doggy daycare for a few hours to wear him out and the car ride there (which is like 5 minutes long) was a nightmare. He found things in my car that I never knew existed. An old lollipop stick that he just about choked on. A wrapper buried way under my seat. A plastic bag crammed into the bottom side of the passenger door. As I was frantically pulling him out of the car to go into daycare, I saw a piece of chewed gum stuck to his ear. I couldn't help but take a photo. Only Buddy! :)

He was exhausted after playing and this sweetness ALMOST made up for the morning (not really).

I really do love Buddy. This puppy stage is tough, but I've been thinking about all of the positive things he has brought to our lives:

- I get outside MUCH more than I ever did before.

- The soccer skills I learned as a child are being honed (and are dang awesome, I must say!) since kicking a ball around is my main way to get Buddy exercise.

- People in our neighborhood who we've never spoken to before are suddenly our friends. It is amazing how drawn to dogs people are. We have been forced into a more social lifestyle!

- My laundry is ALWAYS immediately put away because if it's not, it will get chewed to pieces.

- My floors are ALWAYS free of clutter because anything on them will get chewed to pieces.

- Every door in my house is ALWAYS closed (so Buddy isn't tempted to go in and chew everything to pieces), which makes our house look cleaner.

- Aside from the shards of glass from the salsa jar remnants that I cleaned up tonight, I have not swept my kitchen since Buddy's arrival in our home.

- Both Elijah and Sammy find him very calming, which is such a HUGE bonus. They both love lying next to him and snuggling. They love getting kisses and they love when he chases them happily when they get off the bus.


I am very much looking forward forward to a relatively peaceful upcoming weekend. I'm hoping for peace for all of you and thank you for reading!

Cool dudes, a field trip and a fun weekend!

Look at my cool dudes! Once the weather finally swayed toward the WARM end of the spectrum, Elijah and Sammy were excited to wear tank tops, shorts, sunglasses and Crocs! We are EXCITED for summer!

On Friday I went on a field trip with Elijah's class to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was fun! E's bff was in our group and it was so much fun hanging out with them. I love this picture of them snuggling as they looked up at the art on the ceiling of the atrium.

There were a handful of moments when these two got upset with each other, but it was all in love. They act so much like brother and sister. We are SO GRATEFUL for A and the patience she has for Elijah! She is a good friend.

Both boys started swim lessons this week and both of them did GREAT! Sammy was braver than I've ever seen him in the water. Kindergarten has given him confidence and courage that gets him through things like this. A year ago he never would have willingly dunked his head and attempted everything the instructor asked of him without tears. I'm so proud! Elijah did great, too. He dunked his head underwater at least six times and followed along better than ever before. I'm hoping both boys can graduate from their swim classes at the end of this eight weeks!

Buddy is learning SO quickly and we are all still getting to know each other. He has attended two puppy kindergarten classes and he is getting so much better with walks and leash training. He hasn't had an accident in our house in almost a week! He is still wanting to chew on everything, but we are getting wiser. At peak chewing times, we give him bones and raw hides that keep him occupied and also keep him from chewing our shoes and rugs to pieces. He really is such a good puppy! He isn't even four months old and he sits on command, stays on command, hardly ever barks (we've only heard him bark maybe 5 or 6 times in 3 weeks) and he loves his new pack. He loves to lick Elijah's face (E LOVES this!). When he is excited to see one of us, he wags his tail so hard that his butt wiggles and waggles back and forth. :) He is SO friendly with people and dogs. He found a new pup friend in the neighborhood that he loves named Carter. This morning he saw Carter and his owner walk by and he looked longingly down the street at them and whimpered (we missed saying hello) until they were out of sight.

Today we brought the boys to Lake Ann for some sun and play time. It felt great! Elijah had an allergic reaction to something floating through the air, but we managed it with allergy meds. It feels so good to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors again. We love spring!

Sammy lost a tooth last week and Elijah lost one tonight. The Tooth Fairy has to get things together! This week we are praying for health, as well as further progress in the puppy realm so I can actually get some work done during the day. Thanks for peeking in!

Butterflies, sickness, camp, cousins, vacation and water...phew!

Since my last post, we have been busy! We have raised a few caterpillars who have transformed into beautiful butterflies. In this photo Elijah is holding Mr. Juicy! We set him free yesterday. I sat next to him until his wings were ready to fly. Watching the entire process from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly is incredible. It's a miracle!

I think Mr. Juicy flew back to our house for a visit today! I never see monarch butterflies in our yard, but one sat right on one of our bushes for a while this morning. 

We spent a few days last week in Iowa for our annual family reunion. The boys had more fun than ever this year, playing with their second cousins and splashing in the lake.

They got tons of snuggles.

We enjoyed a campfire by the lake one evening. This is the FIRST time Elijah has ever been able to participate in anything past 7:00pm (thank you, Straterra, for helping to expand his threshold!). We are still having some issues with behavior, but overall things are better. We are seeing fewer incidents and they are overall less dramatic. We do still have rough days and moments, but we are finding that he can bounce back from poor sleep or overstimulation MUCH more quickly than before. We are praying this trend continues.

The boys got a couple boat rides, which is always a treat!

They had so much fun in the lake this year! If we would have let him, Elijah literally would have spent every waking moment swimming. Being in the water is calming for him. It is definitely his happy place!

Silly green faces with cousin Cate!

We spent tons of time sitting on the dock and gazing out over the beautiful lake.

The boys got a to have a fun popcorn-movie night with their awesome second cousins (seriously, this bunch of kiddos is incredible...love them all!).

Literally two minutes after we got home from our Iowa adventure, Sammy dropped onto the couch. He spent the following 48 hours with a fever and a sore throat. He felt crummy. It was sad seeing him out of sorts, but it made for a good photo op! Sleeping on Gramps' lap during story time.. :)

The day after Sammy healed up, Elijah got the virus! :( Sammy thankfully was feeling good enough to go with my dad and stepmom up to northern Minnesota to spend some time with family. Elijah stayed back because this is heart camp week. We have been bummed that he's had to miss a few days of camp due to his fever, but he is looking forward to going tomorrow for the last day. Tonight we will be prepping for joke-telling at the talent show!

Here is a cute video of Sammy running to Elijah Monday when we picked him up from camp. He has done this SAME exact thing every year. It's so precious. "BUUUDDDDDDDYYYYY!"

With Sammy up north, the boys have been missing each other like crazy this week. I've had to limit Elijah's phone calls to 1/day. He tells me how much he misses Sammy about 100 times an hour. Their phone conversations are ridiculously adorable. The first time they spoke Elijah excitedly said, "SAMMY?! Is it really YOU???" :)

Thanks for peeking in!

On Charlotte 2015

Our time in Charlotte with my dad and stepmom went by way too fast. It always happens that way, I suppose since we are in the good company of family. The second we pulled in their driveway, we felt right at home (as always). My stepmom had the perfect beds prepared for each of us. I got a bedroom ALL TO MYSELF....complete with comfy bed, pillows and a fan. And across the house from the boys. I slept great! All of us slept well!

The morning after we arrived, all of the boys dressed up as cows so they could get a free breakfast at Chick-Fil-A. I love this picture! :) Gramps is such a good sport. (By the way, we barely got Sammy in this outfit and out the door looking like this.) 

The boys got to watch TWO movies in the theater while we were there. Inside Out for the first time (they loved this one soooo much and are still talking about it daily) and Minions for the second time. Check out these cozy recliner movie theater chairs!

We checked out a local museum one day. The boys had fun running around. Here they are doing "creepy bug faces."

Bath time! Washing off the sunscreen and sweat from the day!

While we were there, my dad/stepmom offered to watch a friend's dog for a few days. They have a dog of their own (Juan), but (sorry Juan!) he's a little bit grumpy and old. Elijah and Sammy were SO excited for Daisy to arrive! Oh my goodness, they were squealing and running in circles when she came up to the door for the first time. She is an old dog, too, but she is so laid back and gentle. The boys and I adored her.

Before we left, Sammy drew this picture for Juan and hung it by his bed in the living room. "So he will remember me!" :)

The boys did story time with Grammie and Gramps every night. A special end to every day!

We went to the Lazy 5 Ranch again this year and this time we drove through it in the car. We drove along the winding path through tons of wildlife, feeding them, talking to them, telling them to GET AWAY, squealing, but loving the entire adventure. We were told NOT to feed or pet the zebras, so Sammy dissed this guy right away.

I loved feeding a giraffe from the sunroof. He was by far the most gentle creature we encountered during the entire adventure. He accepted the food gingerly, almost with gratitude. We all loved him!

Elijah and Grammie, playing on the ship at Lazy 5!

We made it to their community pool 3 or 4 times. The boys had a blast! They loved their swim noodles and time in the water. Sammy began "swimming" (with the help of his floatie and a noodle under his armpits) across the entire pool by himself...kicking, paddling with his hands and all! I was so proud of my boy! He is becoming more adventurous all the time!

When we went to the park by their house, instead of playing on the swing or slides, Sammy started picking up garbage. I asked what he was doing and he said, "I HAVE to clean up this litter! Is there a recycling bin around here?" That's my organized, thoughtful Sammy. As we got in the car to leave, he saw a stray piece of garbage he had missed and felt terrible about leaving it behind.

I love making memories with my precious boys and my parents. This summer's trip was so much fun. We get to see Grammie and Gramps again this coming weekend in Iowa and we are all excited for it. Dan and I constantly express gratitude about our boys have such loving grandparents. Thank you, DAD and PAULA for being so kind, gracious and selfless! We love you guys and love that you let us invade your home without a single complaint.

We drove back to Louisville for a QUICK night after our time in Charlotte, and drove the rest of the way home the following day. It was a long one! The last few hours were rough, involving potty in pants, a smelly car, a VERY windy car ride, VERY loud and excited-to-be-home boys and a VERY crabby mama. I literally pulled into our driveway, got out of the car (without closing the door) and ran inside to ask Dan for HELP. An hour later we were all feeling much better (and sleeping).

This coming week is a busy one for us. Hoping you are doing well and thank you for peeking in!

The past TWO weeks in numbers

3 trips to the swimming pool

8 swim lessons (E)

2 visits to child psychologist (E)

2 visits to Fraser - social skills class (E)

2 visits to OT (E)

2 visits to PT (E)

1 visit to pulmonologist (E)

1 visit to development pediatrician (E)

1 visit to pediatrician (S)

2 photo shoots

1 full day of wedding photography

6 blog posts written

4 soccer games (S)

1 birthday party thrown

7 trips to the gym

10 loads of laundry done

5 trips to the grocery store

2 photo sessions edited

4 parks visited

Summer has been soooo crazy! We are enjoying it, but wow! Swim lessons end this week, so next week will be a bit lighter. But then we'll be getting ready for our big trip! The little boys and I are road-tripping out east again this summer. First stop: Kentucky, to visit one of our favorite heart families, Evan and Co. Second stop: North Carolina, to visit my dad and stepmom. We are excited!

As you can see from the above list, we've been spending a lot of time in the water. I am determined to get these boys swimming! Both boys have been terrified about dunking their heads under water, so we have been working hard on it. FINALLY, after much coaxing and a bit of bribery, Elijah willingly went under water today THREE TIMES! His swim instructor is going to be soooo happy tomorrow to see this! He also went down a huge water slide all by himself six times and (kind of) jumped off the edge of the pool into my arms. Progress! And have I mentioned that Sammy is actually excited to get into the pool these days? That is such huge progress compared to last year!

We are currently in a night-time potty transition, which means...sleep disturbances. Which means...we are having a hard time controlling our behavior (all of us). Things had gotten a bit better but they are a bit rough again. Don't get me wrong, it is GOOD that night-time potty is finally being addressed. In the long run, this will be a good thing as long as we can stick with it.

I hope you all are enjoying summer! This weather is fabulous. I'll end with a few Sammy funnies:

cardboard = "carveboard"

instead of "fall in love," he says "follow in love"

Desperate times...

What a weekend! We celebrated Sammy (again) this weekend, this time with extended family and friends. Sammy requested a COW theme for his party (I love this), and of course we complied. I love that he chose something a little bit off-the-wall. He was super excited to have a few friends attend this year. His daycare buds are the BEST!

These four cuties have been going to the same daycare since birth. The boys LOVE these girls! They are the sweetest little things and I'm so glad they have such a special bond with one another.

Birthday bro hugs. :)

The cow piñata got a beating.

And today we broke out our pool for the first time this year. The boys had a blast! Sammy is so much braver than ever before with water and trying new things. I'm proud of him!

In all honesty, it has been rough going for our family. Elijah is really struggling again, the boys have not been getting along and it seems like there is often some sort of turmoil in our home. Potty issues have regressed hugely, which has all affected sleep and sanity. I know that better times are in store, but until then we are spent.

This will be another crazy week, including three doctor's appointments, three therapy appointments and swim lessons. I think I just need to accept the fact that life will always be nuts!

Elijah started seeing a child psychologist on Friday and I will take him to see her weekly for the next few months. She is AWESOME! Our hope is that she can help him learn some coping techniques that will lessen anxiety and frustration.

You can see from these photos that we had a few moments of summer-time peace today, thanks to Dan and his bubble-making.

Dan and I have had to get extreme recently. Behavior, potty and sass have been OUT of control, so we have taken away ALL technology until we see an improvement in behavior and sass. And every time there is a potty accident, we take a toy away from E. To earn one toy back he needs to use the toilet successfully all on his own. We are going to keep with this until we see improvement!

Early to bed tonight. Thanks for peeking in! Have a wonderful week!

Desperately seeking sanity

Today will never be forgotten in this mama's mind. It was one of my most challenging days being a mother. Elijah's behavior has escalated to a degree that I never imagined it could. I don't know how many more days like today I can stomach! Please pray for my sanity and for Elijah to feel peaceful! 

We have stayed very busy and that likely has been a contributing factor to the madness. On Friday the little boys and I were able to go to the zoo for a few hours, courtesy Hope Kids. We had fun!  We scurried around and saw as many animals as we could before bedtime crept up on us. Here are the boys in the "stinky jungle." :)

Dan made it home safely from DC on Tuesday night. The following pics are moments the boys asked me to capture and send to him while he was away. 

Elijah re-started OT/PT this week! We decided to take a break back in February when life was really overwhelming, so we will see how it goes starting back up. Both his OT and PT did testing on Wednesday to see how much service he will be able to receive. His PT called me back at the end of the session to show me Elijah's new accomplishment! He never would have done this a few months ago!

The boys and I have been loving on a few plants this spring. It has been fun watching them grow. Elijah and Sammy get so excited to water their flowers and veggies!

We made it to the pool for the first time early this week. Elijah is so much more capable in shallow water. I worry much less than I did last year about him wading around. He starts another round of swim lessons next week, so things will only improve!

And guess what?! Sammy did not even hesitate to remove his shirt and socks. WOW! He got into the pool right away. WOW! He even got upset when I told him to stay a little bit closer to me. In fact, I believe he said something like, "I'm going to swim away from you FOREVER!" See how that works out for you, Sammy!

Elijah has his first appointment tomorrow with a new psychologist. The timing is great. I/We need her more than ever. Thanks for checking in!