Barlowgirl: Never Alone Music Video

This song speaks my heart at the darkest times

Miracles happen almost daily around here

Sunday was a day of miracles for Katy. She was playing in the sanctuary at church while we had choir practice and her Daddy was watching her. He got my attention and told me to look at her and she was on her hands and knees rocking back and forth. I was thrilled and by this time she had everyone's attention, Anita(the choir director) even stopped the music. Well here comes the miracle! She actually crawled on hands and knees about 10 feet with a grin the size of Texas on her little face. The crowd applauded and she beamed with excitement and did it again. Well, that's not all folks. Later that night I was sitting on the couch eating a burrito and she scooted over to me with that same Texas-sized smile and snatched the burrito right out of my hand and took a bite. She quickly dug the tortilla out of her mouth and savored the bean and beef filling. I was completely floored! I thought I was dreaming. I fed her a good bit of that burrito filling and she still seemed a bit hungry so I fixed her some beef baby food and warmed it and spiced it up with some Mrs. Dash seasoning and some salt and she devoured it all. She has been eating decently ever since. Maybe, just maybe we are on our way to a tube-free Katy Bug.

Spring break was wonderful

I was NOT looking forward to spring break. I would be stuck with the kids all day all by myself and William was working overtime all week to boot. All that dread was for naught. The weather couldn't have been more wonderful. Sean usually has trouble with schedule changes and this time was no different. He had some issues but we took them with stride. We went to the park 4 of the 5 weekdays and played the afternoon away. We got some fun in the sun and my house was protected from the the 3 little tornadoes.

We will be meeting with the school staff soon to discuss plans for the summer and for placement options for next year. We have some major decisions to make. We can put Sean into the Autism program at Saks Elementary which has only autistic kids in it, no typical peers. Alternatively we can put him into a regular classroom with the extra help he needs. I am not sure if he is ready for this step yet, but he does well at church in a typical classroom setting. I can also decide if some combination of these 2 options should be implemented.

I will also be asking about options should we decide to move in the near future. I think that as long as we are in the Calhoun County school district Sean will be able to attend the autism program(if we choose that option), so that would keep our options open as far as what neighborhoods we could choose. The average person gives little thought to school district when they choose a home, but that is the single most important factor for us. With kids that need extra support in order to receive an appropriate education, a school that can and will provide for those needs is crucial. I pray daily for the children's education staff and hope they will be as active in their care as William and I are.

Today is Down Syndrome Awareness Day

Although no one in my family has Down Syndrome, I have a special place in my heart for all special children. Their smiles brighten your day and light your life with undying love. Check out this photo montage. http://www.giftsds.segullah.org/photo_montage.htm

I have finally found myself

I have struggled for years with keeping my house clean and my life free of CHAOS(can't have anyone over syndrome). I have tried cleaning marathons only to become exhausted and abandon my duties. I wake up and am so overwhelmed by the mess that I just feel paralyzed. Then I feel guilty and feel like a total failure. I feel like a bad wife and mother. I am not worthy of all the blessings I have in my life.

Then I discovered something truly wonderful. A lady named Marla, who was just like me, but managed to find her way and become the FLY Lady. She offers her help for free and gives me the hope and encouragement I need to keep on FLY(Finally Loving Yourself)ing. This wonderful lady inspires thousands of women to keep their home and love their families by doing babysteps toward that beautiful home we all dream of. We get rid of the clutter that weighs us down, leaving the guilt behind. A baby doesn't feel guilty that he doesn't yet know how to walk, no one has taught him yet. Keeping your home is the same way for you. You just gotta start where you are and listen to someone who has been right where you are. I know there are a lot of e-mails, but if you read them you realize that you need them to change your thinking a little thing Flylady calls "flywashing". If you are like me take a look at her site and learn to love yourself like I have. Her website is linked at the bottom of my page.

Since following Flylady's guidelines for 9 weeks my house is nice and I look and feel great. I am taking care of myself and therefore I have something to give to everything else I have to do.