hangin' out

We spent some time at the park yesterday and I was happy to get some pictures of my crazy kids. No more babies here...playtime yesterday proved it. 

Here's my "baby" ready to hit the monkey bars. 

He grabbed onto the first bar all by himself and he is actually hanging by his own strength here. It kind of looks like his feet are on the platform from the angle...but they're not. When did this happen? And I was slightly worried but, obviously, not worried enough since I decided to snap a picture instead of helping him. Mother of the Year. Yep. But you knew that already.

Liam could barely fit into the swing. I practically had to butter him to get him out of it when he was done.

And Daredevil Mikey over here...jumping off of a four-foot-high ledge. Fabulous. I'm happy to report there were no broken ankles or other injuries sustained. That's all that matters, right?

Now, this. This moment was my favorite of all.

A little history...from when Liam was about 10-months-old to 3 years, I have very few pictures of him because he refused to sit still for a camera. He didn't just not sit still, he would burst into a fit of stubborn frustration no matter where we were. 

Let me tell you, it's strange, yet relieving and exciting to see how things have changed in just a short year. I tried to go all ninja on him and snap a picture as he came down the slide, mostly because I didn't think he'd let me take one of him if I asked. But when he heard me snap the picture, he said, "NO, MOM! Let's do that again. I wasn't ready!" and proceeded to go back up the slide and slide down again. Then he stopped himself at that very spot, threw his arm over the side of the slide, positioned himself in a pose that he deemed acceptable and said, "Take it like this, Mom. This is a good one." Followed by, "Now, post it on Facebook, ok?" Oh, how that last request killed me. I about passed out from joy right then and there, but I didn't want to get tan bark in my hair.

This last picture, my friends, is just for the Mister. He hates this cheesy heart-y overlay so, of course, I had to take a pic of us...and use the overlay. Duh. And then post it on Instagram and blog about. Double Duh. What kind of wife would I be if I didn't? Love ya, Babe!

skool is kool

the big boys started school last monday, so this post is a little late. what's new, right? (btw, i realize i haven't posted in over a month. but i'm just going to start right up again and pretend like my unplanned hiatus never happened. ok, thanks. i knew you'd understand.)

isaiah started third grade and, well, he's pretty much over me. i'm no longer allowed to walk him to class. i have to stop a minimum of three doors down from his classroom and use sign language to tell him "goodbye" and "i love you". then, i have to discreetly separate myself from him as to not draw any attention to ourselves in the hallway. i do all of that, as directed by my 8-year-old baby boy, and also shed sad tears of longing as i turn and walk down the hallway toward michael's classroom. i'm totally exaggerating. sort of. maybe.

michael started kindergarten and he was really excited about that. he hit the ground running when he stepped onto that kinder playground and was ready to take on the world. {insert sinister laugh here} i'm excited that he's excited. his excitement for school is all i could ever ask for. and at least he still lets me hug and kiss him goodbye. that's really all i can ask for.

super reader

3-year-old liam reads a book to me!

swim! swim! by lerch

#2 goes to kindergarten

mister mikey had his first day of kindergarten bridge camp today. the kinder teachers bring in the incoming kindergartners for one week early in the summer to get them familiar with their future teachers and classrooms.

mikey dropped right in and was super excited to get his day started.

i was a little sad to send him off because it means he is growing up. but i was more excited for him and the things he will learn. he has been in preschool for three years and was beyond ready for this transition.

i picked him up and he came running into my arms, "i LOVE kindergarten, mommy! it was soooo fun!" that is the best reaction i could ever ask for.

8 is great!

last friday, this chubby-chub-chub little baby turned EIGHT years old. 

 

every year, isaiah's birthday stirs up bittersweet feelings. he's my first born. the one who changed my life. the one who made me a mother. and there will just always be something to say about that. 

he and his brother woke up on his birthday morning to balloons in their bedroom. i think mikey was more excited about this than isaiah. 

i was thrilled to be able to spend a little time in isaiah's classroom for a celebration with his classmates. 

we brought some birthday treats and he was excited to give "balloons" to his friends.

(they were just balloon cutouts taped to squiggly straws.) 

we even had a chance to spend some time with our favorite abris trio.

we took him out for dinner, then picked up a movie and cake.

he's got his "excited" face down, don't you think?

the three stooges that i have the pleasure of living with.

lucky me.

this kid is such a goofball. he never lets me get a good picture.

the next day was spent with his grandma, aunt and uncle. we enjoyed some arcade games and mini golf. the birthday boy and his brothers thoroughly enjoyed putting around on the green. 

until they were over it. which is when they started to just pick the balls up, drop them in the holes, then scream "YAYYYY!"

that works, too, i guess. 

and they ended the day with some brotherly quality time. 

 it was a fun few days for all. 

'til next year, birthday boy!

liam's first day

liam had his first day of preschool on tuesday and this new adventure had our entire family excited yet anxious for our sweet boy. it was definitely an exciting day. i did take some photos, but they don't do justice to the excitement. did i mention it was exciting? (hahah it's getting late....and my vocabulary shrinks as the night progresses.)

liam eats breakfast.

liam fiddles with his backpack strap.

liam and mommy trying to pose in front of what looks like the gate to a juvenile detention facility.

daddy trying to get all creative with the camera angle. fail.

liam finally showing a little bit of excitement. 

walking to his classroom.

he walked into the classroom, found a puzzle, got completely involved and forgot that i was even there.

so, we turn to leave and i'm slightly disappointed that it wasn't as dramatic as i expected it to be.

oh, but wait. 

liam notices me and shawn leaving, so he starts to cry. 

let the drama commence. 

i proceeded to cry as soon as i heard him cry.

 lord, have mercy. 

i turn toward the door to make a break for it and walk right into the door jamb.

thank goodness my face was there to take the hit. 

at the same moment, i let out (or in?) an embarrassingly loud snort amid my crying. 

i finally rush out the door, successful this time, but red-faced and defeated nonetheless.

doesn't that sound exciting?

oh, it was. believe me.

later that morning, when the redness in my face finally began to fade, liam's program assistant calls me and says, "liam's totally fine. but i was calling to see how YOU were doing." 

i'm immediately red-faced, once again. fantastic.

 it did make me happy, though, when his p.a. sent me this photo of my sweet boy. 

smiling. pretending. having fun.

i'm one super proud mama.

happy first birthday, chubby!

our fourth little boy

wyatt james

turns one today! 

as cute as our babies are {i kid, but it's true}...we regret to inform you all that there will be no more babies in this house, my friends. we are ready to close the baby chapter of our family's story and move on to far more exciting, big boy action and adventure. take a good look at this one-of-a-kind cuteness. this little guy will be the last you'll see of it! 

my favorite thing about this cutie, besides his unbearable handsomeness, is his name. we named our last baby boy after two of the baddest cowboys in history: wyatt earp and jesse james. or maybe i took james from that super hot jesse james that sandra bullock was so fortunate to be married to - the world shall never truly know. too bad he cheated on her. anyway, i digress....

this song that i have playing - the joker by steve miller band - always reminds me of my little space cowboy. and i'm sure it will every time i hear it for the rest of my life. and i love that.

i say it each time...but, oh, how it really feels like just yesterday that i selflessly went through the excruciating five minutes of labor with you, mister wyatt. 

exhausting, i tell you. 

you made me push a whole two times. who do you think you are?

 you have no shame. i think i know who you got that from. {ahem...dad.} 

flashing your back fat like there's no tomorrow. that should be illegal.

and those cheeks. 

please, wyatt. there will always be food available to you, i promise. 

you don't need to hide any away for the winter.

the love your brothers have for you is more than i could have ever hoped for.

you are their baby brother.

  

and always will be.

there will be years where you'll hate it.

but i hope that one day you'll embrace it.

and you'll always be my baby boy. 

no matter how much taller than me you end up to be.

thank you for completing our family, wyatt.

you've filled a place in my heart that i never even knew was there.

and i couldn't be happier or more grateful.

'cause i'm a picker

i'm a grinner

i'm a lover

and i'm a sinner

i play my music in the sun.

~ ~ ~ ~

happy first birthday, chubby!

i love you to the moon and back.

it's official!!!

liam's starting preschool!

yikes...yikes...and more yikes.

the whole process leading up to yesterday's IEP meeting has weighed heavy on my heart since it began. survey after survey. questionnaire after questionnaire. psychologists and psychiatrists and teachers and then some in and out of our house on a daily basis for assessments. hearing these strangers talk about my baby and try to "figure him out" has not been easy. this is why i've been pretty off the radar on my blog. i wanted to focus my energy on what was really important at the time - placing liam in a preschool program where he would thrive and be happy.

and finally, some three months later, we have received the results of all his assessments and they describe him pretty perfectly. his social and behavior skills are deficient, which i think will be helped by placing him in a preschool site with other children. and his cognitive skills are way beyond his age level. there were 8 different specialists present at the meetings, many of whom conducted assessments with liam, and all of them were blown away by his intelligence. he was completing puzzles and problem-solving tasks that are age-appropriate for a second grader. the school psychologist said that he finished the testing for a 3 year old with no problem, so she gave him items that were typically given to 5-7 year olds "just to see if he could do them", and he did. all of them. another psychologist saved a piece of paper from her assessment with liam where he had written the entire alphabet in completely legible handwriting. there is no question that our liam is incredibly gifted. now, we just need to focus on the areas where he is deficient and do our best to prepare him for kindergarten.

the decision as to his placement has been made. he will be going to the school site for the same program that he has been with in-home for over a year now. he has made such great progress with them, we didn't see any reason to change things. the only change is that he will be at a school with other children rather than at home with Mom. he will even have the same teachers as he has had in-home, which will hopefully help him transition smoothly.

tomorrow is his last day of in-home sessions, then i have two weeks to spend with my baby before he officially starts preschool. i'm excited for him to start this next chapter of his journey, but i'm also a little sad. therapy in the morning with liam was what ran my days for the past year. i can't help but feel like, "what am i going to do now?" but i'm sure wyatt and i will find plenty of things to do to occupy our time while all of his brothers are in school. :)

i brought liam to his school yesterday because i wanted to see how he would take to the new environment. i feared the worst - tantrum at the door, refusing to go in, kicking and screaming. to my surprise, i got the complete opposite. we walked right in, he recognized a few of the people there from visits at home and found a spot in the play room with one of his teachers. i toured the school a bit and when i came back to him, i found him playing happily and he looked like he didn't even notice i left. i ask him, "do you like your new school, liam?" he answered, "yeah". i asked, "are you ready to go home now?" he answered, "no. no, thanks." i can't even clearly remember because everything was such a blur, almost like a dream, but i'm pretty sure i cried. (i cry about everything.) i think i was just having a hard time realizing that we are finally at this point - the point that we have been preparing him for for the past year - and that he is ready. 


wish us luck!!!


liam has a huge team of people supporting and guiding him. i wish i could give each of them the world. but, i can't. so instead, i made them some cards.

liam and one of his teachers, melissa. she has been such a blessing.

disneyland!

even as we approached the main entrance, i remember shawn and i being so nervous about surviving a disneyland trip with four kids, one with autism. we were whispering to each other our game plan of what to do if liam (or any of the kids, for that matter) had a meltdown at some point during the day. we whispered that we'd remind each other to take deep breaths and reassured one another that the memories we'd make for the kids would be so worth the inevitable stress that we'd experience. we reminded each other to just not care about onlookers and not care what other people think - this is my biggest difficulty when it comes to liam and his meltdowns in public. we were giving each other this pre-game pep talk and the only thing missing was to put our hands in the middle of the huddle then yelling, "goooo team!" 

we survived. there was crying. there was bickering. there were meltdowns in the middle of main street for cotton candy. there was stress. lots of it. but there were also lots of smiles. lots of laughs. lots of moments of pure wonder in their eyes...and it made every anxious moment worthwhile.

i think i still look a little nervous in our first picture upon entering. heehee

a good friend mentioned that we could get a "guest assistance pass" for liam, which is basically the pass for people with disabilities to skip the lines. i felt guilty about it at first, but then i had just had to realize that we needed it and families like us are one of the reasons they even provide that service. liam has a severe aversion to crowds, loud places and loud music, and not to mention, waiting, so there was no way he'd be able to wait in any lines. before we knew about the pass, we just figured shawn and i would have split up while one of us takes the big kids into a ride and the other stays outside and waits with liam. well, thanks to the pass, this was not the case. liam was able to take part in everything that the big kids did. we were able to do and see everything as a family and actually enjoy the park together. this was huge and i was so incredibly thankful. i remember being in tears at every single ride, when i'd look at liam and just see the wonder and curiosity in his eyes. never, until that day, had i ever truly experienced the magic of disneyland. 

liam was intrigued by goofy and the other characters he saw around the park. too funny.

my boys had zero interest in sleeping beauty's castle or anything princess, actually. sigh. but, i made them pose in front of the castle anyway. because i'm their mom and they have to do what i tell them.

isaiah even got to participate in a jedi training class.

and fight darth vader with his newly-acquired jedi skillz. 

on the boat, about to enter "it's a small world". liam wasn't sure what all the excitement was about and was far more interested in what was up his nose.

this is the first time i'd been to the park during the holidays. "it's a small world" was absolutely breathtaking. 

my favorite picture of the entire day.

my silly boys.

liam, studying his map intently.

this is also the first time i've seen the park decorated for christmas. everything was so beautiful. it's a completely different place during the holidays. i don't think i'd ever want to come at another time of the year ever again!

we were able to watch the fireworks later in the evening. they played christmas music and the fireworks were holiday-themed. and at the end of the show, it snowed on main street! this might not be new to others but, like i said, this is the first time i'd been during the holidays, so i was taken completely by surprise and that was when the waterworks started. i was in tears - it was such a memorable and magical experience for so many reasons. i will never, ever forget it.