Going home today after an amazing week at WSSB

I've showered, my things are packed in my car & I am ready to hit the road! I would leave now if I didn't think I might miss something in today's last session from 8am to Noon.

This has been an absolutely amazing experience!! I am so thankful I pushed myself to come & very thankful my work paid my way. I learned so much while at the Summer Institute here at the Washington State school for the blind and met a lot of incredible people! I learned more about my student's vision impairment, learned about tools & technology for blind & low vision, learned about the extended core curriculum, learned about Orientation and Mobility, and heard first hand experiences from students, adults and teachers in this community. One of the most important things I am taking away is that I MUST raise the expectations for my student. We will never know how far he can go unless we step back so he can step up! I also learned if he's going to be a successful adult we must start to help him be independent, and develop good social skills. We can't think of him as the adorable 8 year old that he is because he will be an adult before we know it. We need to start NOW to help him be the very best he can be. I have taken lots of notes, I have questions and actions plans to take to each of his specialists when school starts. His IEP is due to be reviewed the end of October and that would be a perfect time to meet with all specialists & his family. I am ready to go back and be an advocate for my student! I love teaching my student!

One of our experiences this week gave me a whole new outlook and appreciation for what my student experiences. We wore night shades to walk around the campus guided first and then on our own. Then all 50 of us went to dinner wearing night shades! It was a wild experience. The NOISE was unreal! I was trying to hear every ting going on around me and this was overwhelming. Oh so many smells I thought I was going to be sick. It was very hard to carry on a conversation, I think because I was concentrating so hard. It was difficult to know when to talk, to not interrupt, and you couldn't really tell if there person you were talking to cared about what you were saying. Eating was nuts! I didn't like not knowing what I was going to bite into. I bit into the lime for my salad three times (ICKY)! I can't tell you how many times I came up with an empty fork. Cutting the chicken on my salad was not easy, nor was buttering my bread. I wasn't too much of a mess but had spilled a bit on my shirt. I dropped my napkin and left it on the floor. It was very hard to orient myself and the stuff around me. I was exhausted by the end of the night!

LeAnne did marvelous with Grandma Marcia & daddy! My mama said she one afternoon she carried my picture around, saying "mama" and then kissing the picture. I talked to her on the phone a few times. It was nice to hear her say "mama" but made me cry too cause I missed her. It has been ROUGH being away from her! I can't wait to give her a big hug and kiss when I get home! I know Grandma and daddy can't wait to have me home either. John said it's boring without me and he's definitely not cut out to be a stay at home dad. I know Grandma is exhausted! Thank-you two tons!

The other great thing that happen this week was on Wednesday we got out at noon so I took a trip down to Corvallis and met Amanda. We had lunch at Subway, got a Jamba juice, and window shopped for a few hours. It was a lot of fun! She's doing great! The conversation was a lot of fun, she missed her dad & lil sister. This was my first time to see her driving and she did awesome!! She's such a beautiful young lady! We are hoping we can afford to fly her to our house for Christmas!!

Have I mentioned I am ready to go home? Well I am definitely ready to go home! I miss my family so much! I'm praying these next few hours fly by FAST!

I'll be outa touch for a week

The time has come for this mama bear to leave her den for a week. I will be attending a class for work at the state school for the blind. This class will help me to better understand my student's vision impairment, give me the opportunity to better understand what life is like with no or little sight, meet people in the same line of work and hopefully answer some questions I have about how to better equip my student to be successful. I really really hope to find out where I can buy large print children's books that are in color. It will be a great experience!

The toughest part is leaving my little girl. I have only ever left her overnight once, that was last summer. It's been a heart wrenching few days. I've been all over the map. One second I've found peace to cope, then I am so anxious I have to practice some deep breathing to catch my breath and then I am crying. I know she's in good hands. My mama will have her a lot because my husband is working nights. She loves her grandma so much and has spent a lot of time with her so I know she'll feel comfortable. It's just hard knowing I will be so far outa touch (5 hr drive) and outa control.

I would appreciate your prayers:

1. I pray that LeAnne is safe & well (her tummy has been icky today, not handling grapes well again, she's sensitive to sugars)

2. I pray that LeAnne rolls with the punches as her routine may change.

3. I pray that she gets good rest during naps & bedtime.

4. I pray that for stamina for my mama as she tries to keep up with our busy lil bee.

5. I pray for patience for my dear husband when he has LeAnne. He's a great daddy!

6. I pray that I would find peace, know God is in control ALL the time, that I will have a safe drive & not get lost, that I would relax, not worry, learn a lot, meet a lot of people and ENJOY this opportunity.

Thank-you very much! Oh yeah the other thing is that I will have no Internet access unless the school has one I can use. YIKES I might shrivel up. LOL! If you need to get a hold of me, call me on my cell or e-mail my hubby.

Have an amazing week!!

Mama-bear

Flashback Friday - NKOTB

Yes I was one of those teenage girls who was madly in love with New Kids On The Block! My walls & ceiling were covered in posters from teen magazines. I had all their albums, new all their lyrics, had a few NKOTB video cassets, shirts, and buttons. hee hee! I remember my best friend (then) Kari & I trying to see how many times we could sing the Right Stuff on our car ride from Seattle to Graham. I am pretty sure it was the longest trip her mom had ever made. We couldn't have been more excited when a security guard at the Washington state fair let us into the NKOTB concert without a ticket! It was near the end of the concert, we had been hanging around the gate for him to please please please let us in and then he did! We got to see them perform a few songs! I loved all the boyz but I believe my favorite was Jordan Knight! My oldest niece actually went to go see them in concert a few weeks ago. She said it was awesome. They were in the 13th row and the boyz kept walking by them. See when she was little I had her wear this tee-shirt and we had photo shoots of her and all my NKOTB stuff. Ha ha! I have those pictures around here somewhere. This picture was taken in the kitchen of my childhood home.

Now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself I would love to have you join in the fun of Flashback Friday. I hope to organize a blog carnival soon but for now I am busy getting ready to head out of town on Sunday. If you would like to join in the fun, please leave me a comment to check out your flashback on your blog. Happy Friday!!

Bloghop 09 Introduction

Time to join in the fun of Mommy blogging. I've been blogging since 2007 to give our loved ones a glimpse into our everyday life, and document our life. I love blogging, reading other peoples blogs, learning through blogs and I've recently been bit by the giveaway bug (entering them) and am thinking it would be fun to get involved in reviewing products for companies and being on the giving end of giveaways. Here are some facts facts about me:

33 years old (wow how did that happen?)

I love Jesus & our family looks to Him to guide our life.

Wife to an amazing man (May 2010 will be our 9th anniversary)

Mama to Amanda (John's daughter, 16) and LeAnne (our daughter, 21 months)

I am a Special Education Para-Professional at a teeny tiny elementary school

We live in a small farming town

Sleep deprivation almost kicked my butt then thank God she started to sleep.

I love: being a wife (I never knew marriage could be this good)
being a mama
taking pictures
scrap booking
listening to music
blogging
babbling (see random thoughts from mama bear posts) :-)

Their is a little bit about me. Please leave a comment because I'd love to meet new people. Have an amazing night! Happy blog hopping.

Thankful Thursday

I think most people have been affected by the recession in some way or another. We've made some major life changes in the last 2 years that have turned our lives upside down and we are still learning to live our new reality. In a nut shell our daughter was born 10/11/07, my husband got a new job, I quit my job as a project manager for Boeing, We bought our first home, moved across the state, moved from a big city to a small farming town, and on 10/31/08 I started a new career as a special education para-professional at small elementary school. I started writing Thankful Thursday because our family is very blessed and I want to always remember no matter how we may struggle we have a lot to be thankful for.

Since Thursday is drawing to a close I am going to write a short list, then next week I will be out of town so the next Thankful Thursday will be the first week in August. Without further rambling here's my list;


I am very thankful we took a huge LEAP of faith. I love our house. I love the peacefulness that surrounds us. I love being off this summer with my daughter & husband, I love my job, and I am happy my husband is happy with his job & our new home. (I guess you could say I am thankful for all of those things too).

2. I am thankful for our daughters! I miss Amanda a lot! I think about her many times a day. I got a message from her today saying she missed us and can't wait to come see us again. We pray we can afford to fly her up for Christmas. I pray for her daily! LeAnne your parents love you so much little girl.

3. I am incredibly thankful LeAnne's nap time/bed time routine! After 16 months of sleep deprivation, 21 months of fighting to get her to go to bed and stay asleep the last few weeks have been a welcome yet bitter sweet blessing. She has been running to her crib, can't wait to get in to read her books, and she is taking 1 1/2 to 2 hr naps and sleeping through the night. I say it's bittersweet because I loved our cuddle time, I loved kissing her many times as she fell asleep, and it shows our girl is growing up. I'll miss those times and yep this is my first of many lessons in doing what is right for her! I am also very proud of her! She's one dynamic little girl!

4. I am thankful for the cabinets my husband recently acquired through a remodeling project. His shop is looking awesome and that makes him happy. I like a happy husband!

5. Oh so thankful to be able to experience being a mama! PCOS had me thinkin I may never be a mama but PRAISE God for our daughter. It's been a wild ride for sure, I am learning, I am relaxing, and loving it.

6. Thankful for the amazing skills hypnosis techniques I learned from Nancy. I know its why I had such an amazing labor/delivery, I use these skills frequently to cope with pain, and to relax.

7. Very thankful LeAnne will be well cared for while mama goes out of town to take a class for work.

8. Thankful Stellan is doing okay tonight & praying for him and the family as they have changes coming their way. In the midst of those changes Stellan is having more SVT, the Dr's are talking. Thankful God is with them every step of the way.

9. Thankful oh so thankful God is providing for our family!

10. On that thankful note...thankful my work is providing a credit card for me to pay for gas when I attend a week long class 5 hours away from home.

11. Thankful for the love, the prayers and support that surrounds this precious family on their journey of love.

12. Thankful for these adorable clothes we got from cousin Emma! Thank-you Uncle Matt & Aunt Pam. I can't believe the shirt is 24 month and the Capri jeans are 2T. The belt is definitely holding her pants up.


13. Thankful ya'll understand I must sign off for now because my brain is mush and know I am thankful for a lot more. I hope in the near future to set up a blog carnival so others may join me in sharing what they are thankful for. I am learning all about McLinky's so stay tune. In the mean time please feel free to write a comment sharing what you are thankful for.

We are a blessed family indeed!

almost Wordless Wednesday

This Winnie the Pooh ride on toy was our $5 garage sale find on Sunday. LeAnne loves it! With no volume control or on and off switch it's definitely an outside toy though.

Shhh I'm quitely shouting from the roof top!

I am smiling from ear to ear! I am breathing easy and I am giddy! So this is what it feels like when your child goes to sleep without a fight. I love it! I have to blog about it in case, heaven forbid it's just another phase and the torture returns. Oh but I won't think like that, I am just going to stick my head in the sand and enjoy every blissful second of peace & quiet.

From the day we brought dear LeAnne home from the hospital sleep has been an ongoing mystery for us. She didn't sleep through the night until she was 16 months old,though she still woke up a few times a night but my times of getting up with her far fewer. She's always been a pretty restless sleeper. I don't think I helped matters by jumping at her ever whimper from day 1. It didn't seem right to let her cry and I wanted to know what she needed. Yep she's my first child. I tell ya after 16 months of 2-4 hours of sleep a night I was a wreck. I was on the verge of a break down when our lil princess began to sleep so mama started getting a decent nights rest. Although we were still prepared for a fight when it came to nap time and bed time. Then she started waking up when we laid her down & let the screaming begin. Oh my the torture! The painful time spent listening to her cry, crying myself while reading online what to do. Nothing seemed to fit our girl. Then she got better and then it got much much worse. The time I've spent with my stomach in knots thinking I've screwed up with her,and how do I teach her how to sleep. Our vacation was a train wreck, co-sleeping is not for me and I was never so glad to be home. That first week or two that we were home was a nightmare. I was at my wits end, and I ordered a few books. One of which that hasn't come yet. tee hee! I'll browse through it in case the torture returns. So what changed you ask?

Well my mommy memory is already a little foggy already but I believe she just starting crying less at and less and night, then our nap time routine took a shocking turn and bedtime routine was soon to follow. Night time routine: Dinner, bath, PJ's, play a little more, snack, change diaper, read 3 books and rock to sleep, lay down in her bed. That was the normal routine UNTIL a few weeks ago when I'd get the reading 3 books, then I would say okay that's it lets rock for a bit now she would start to fight me so I said okay lets just go to bed. I'd lay her down, walk out and she'd put herself to sleep. Even better she'd been sleeping the whole night without waking up whimpering! The nap time routine is slightly different because I put her glow worm in her bed, along with 3 books. I figure I don't mind if she looks at a few books during nap time and then puts herself to sleep. It's working! It was so funny today we got done reading our 3 books and I said are you read to take a nap and she said "yeah" and was happy about it. PRAISE GOD! I am so thankful, so much more relaxed and less stressed already!

I tell ya parenting is one big experiment. Reading the books, surfing online for answers, talking to others with similar experiences can be helpful but also frustrating because every child is different to some degree. When LeAnne was young I was given a piece of advice that I really appreciate. She said something to the effect that what ever decision we make about raising our child has to be what works for our child & for our family. There is no one right answer.

On that note I am still smiling from ear to ear and silently shouting from the roof top!