Lonely Little Girl

Kasey, Kinsey, and Brandon all left this weekend to go to their respective parents houses, leaving Alyssa alone for the weekend. We played outside yesterday and that seemed to keep her content, but this morning she seemed really lonely. She kept asking when Kasey and Kinsey were coming home. So to cheer her up, James and I took her to the zoo. She has been asking to go, and we kept telling her when it warmed up we would take her. So, we decided today was the day. Unfortunately, about a million other people decided that today was the day to visit the zoo as well. We circled the parking lot forever before we found a parking space. We finally found one, stood in line, paid our admission, and we were finally at the zoo.

So, here we are in front of the lions. Alyssa was disappointed that there was no baby lions. She couldn't understand how there could be a mommy lion and a daddy lion and no baby lion. James kept trying to explain that these were two daddy lions, but to no avail.







Here James and Alyssa are standing in front of an exhibit of something. Okay, Okay, I honestly don't know what it is. At the time I took the picture, there was something there, I swear.









Here is the highlight of Alyssa's visit to the zoo. She got to ride a horse. Alyssa loves horses. She gets to see them all the time where we live, but this was her first ride. She loved it.









This one is camels. James and Alyssa standing in front of the camels, that Alyssa wasn't that impressed with because it was like the 3rd animal that was sleeping.
So, that was our day at the zoo. Actually it was like an hour and a half, but who is counting =) The three of us had a great time, and her brother and sisters will be home tomorrow.

Lisa

Ear Doctors, Park, and Occupational Therapy

Brandon had an appointment yesterday to get fitted for his new hearing aid, and FM trainer. An FM trainer is like a radio station for Brandon and his teacher alone. She can talk directly to Brandon through his hearing aid without everyone hearing her. We drove over to Goshen, and finally found the right building. He got to see what the inside of his ear looked like after the doctor was done taking the mold, and he got to pick out the colors for his new hearing aid. Red and blue swirled, Spiderman's colors. Both Brandon and Alyssa did pretty well while we were at the doctors office so I told them that we could go to the park when we got home. So we picked up his sisters from Grandmas house, and Dad too and we all went to the park.

Only my daughter brings a coloring book and pen to the park. Then precedes to color, while everyone else is playing.









Here we have coaxed her onto the swing, but she still has her coloring book.











Here are the twins posing for the camera =)












And finally, my favorite picture of Alyssa and James sans coloring book and pen.


So, while James and the girls stayed at the park to play for a little while I took Brandon to occupational therapy. Brandon loves occupational therapy, he has a blast for the hour that he is there. Plus, Katie filled the orange pop slot on the pop machine so Brandon could have an orange pop after he was done with his therapy. We are still working on meeting his sensory needs, but we have started seeing small improvements in him. I can not thank the friend (she knows who she is) who recommended the Therapy Place to us enough. I think it is going to be a big help for Brandon so thank you, thank you, thank you =) So, on with some pictures of some of the things that Brandon gets to do while at occupational therapy.


This is Brandon with his "football pads" on. All of the pieces are connected with rubber bungee pieces, it is to activate his core. After he gets into this getup he is ready to pogo. This is a suspended pogo stick that Brandon loves.








This swing has a wide platform on the bottom. Brandon loves to swing and then "fall" off in a crash mat that has been put in just the right place.






Okay, so that was our busy day. We got everything accomplished, and we had some fun while we were at. Plus, I was able to take some pictures so everyone could see some recent pictures of the kids. Alls well that ends well.

Lisa

Kittens, Kittens, Kittens

Awhile ago, we were at the pet store uptown, and they had kittens for five dollars. We fell in love with a six toed gray kitten. We were assured by the pet store that the kitten was a girl. We already had two female cats at home and did not want to add a male to the mix. Well, the pet store was wrong, and Joy turned out to be a Max, and now we have 5 baby kittens. Here is Jewel, she is the mommy. She is very protective of the kittens, much to mine and the kids dismay. She has secreted the kittens behind the pull out drawer on my daughter's beds. I can usually wiggle under there and grab one to hold for a minute or two and then Jewel comes out to collect the kitten I have "stolen" from her. Here you can barely see the head of the kitten she has come to collect. There are 2 jet black kittens and 3 that are gray striped. As for the ratio of boys to girls. I have no clue, if the pet store couldn't get it right, I am not even going to attempt it. I will let the vet sort it out when they go in for their first check up.

This little one here, is one of the two black kittens. He/She is also the only kitten out of the litter to have 6 toes on all four paws, like Max.










This little one, is Brandon and Kasey's favorite. It is the smallest of the litter. He/She is about half the size of all the other kittens.





Hopefull I will be able to post more pictures, once there eyes are open and they are moving around independently and mama isn't quite so protective.

Lisa

Cherishing the good times

" Being strong through adversity will not only make you even stronger but will help you realize how you must cherish the good times." These are words of advice offered to me by a friend. My seven year old son is autistic, and has a condition called sensory processing disorder, and is now facing heart surgery at Riley's Childrens Hospital this summer. During a routine visit to the doctor, a heart murmur was discovered. Brandon has a hole in his heart, and his right valve is leaking. These will require surgery to fix, and while we are dreading the surgery, I am trying not to dwell on it. Instead I am trying to dwell on the little things that so often get misplaced in the day to day busyness of our lives. So, that is where this blog comes in, a record of those little day to day things that I am going to make the time to stop and enjoy. The great day at the park, or the birth of new kittens. Whatever God sends my way. I am promising myself to stop and smell the roses, or markers and play-do as the case is more likely to be =)

Lisa