bub...didja HAVE to break my camera?

Yep, he got a hold of it the day he was "sick", cuz I was going to take a picture of him practicing writing while "sick" in bed, opened the door to the room, and find him bopping around his room instead, w/ no pants or underwear on and a big ol' puddle on the floor.
*lovely*

This part is my fault in this...I chased Bub to the bathroom and put down the camera  so I could clean him off while Joe took on the room/floor cleanup.  I promptly forgot about the camera btwn Bub doing a preemptive freakout in fear of momma secretly planning to give him a shampoo while in the bath (I wasn't planning it, but that's what he thinks...), and Zbear screaming because she's jealous Bub is in the tub, and I won't let her in the bathroom.

After bath and room detail, Bub finds the camera, quietly squirrels it into his room, turns it on and pushes the lense back into the camera while it is on...and breaks the gear that operated the lense.  Joe tried to fix it, but the gears were too fargone.

So I won't have pictures for a while.  boo.  Hopefully we will get a new camera around the 1st of the month.  I'm in digital photography withdrawl.  :(

Nubs

Bub and his antics

We get the call from Bub's school..."Bub is sick, please pick him up now".  Really?!?

Joe gets Bub, is informed that he wouldn't eat, and pointed to his throat when asked if he was hurting, and refused to take an oral or axillary temp.  thank God they didn't try a rectal temp, right?  Joe, being the well trained Nurse's husband asked, "didn't you try taking his temp w/ a temporal thermometer?"  the response of the school nurse was..."we will be purchasing one in the very near future."  
*insert eye rolling*

Once Joe talked to Bub's aide, the story took a slightly different tone.  when Bub pointed to his throat, he was moving his pointer finger from the top of his throat to the bottom of his throat.  That is "drink" in ASL.  When they kept asking if his throat hurt he started crying.

Momma translation:  I am thirsty and you don't understand me, I think I will cry now because I am thirsty and mad.

*Insert my head pounding on the counter*

Bub's temp is 98.7- normal.  after 3 attempts, got to see the throat: no redness, no swelling.  No glandular swelling in the cervical (neck) area.  ears clean and clear, nose clear, eyes bright, MM pink & moist. 

Bub is fine.  Bub has now learned to fake getting sick to get out of school.  My gratitude abounds.

Bub is now in his room, in BED since he's "sick", and I have him practicing writing his letters on his little leapfrog electronic pad thingy grandma got him.  Gave him Jello, and Joe bought him some soda on the way home from school.   Bub is no longer "thirsty"

Thinking of printing out this post as Bub's excuse note for school tomorrow.

Nubs

really?!?!

So I'm starting to get "concerned" w/ Z's dearthness of speech.  I hear "up", "Cat", "Bye bye" , "Ba-ba(bottle)", and "Da-da", and (bub's name), and some "mama"s every now and then.  This is really getting to me.  I've been spending a lot of time on vocal-type exercises with her...she just gets mad at me.  I've been reading more to her than normal...she gets bored and then mad when I don't let her wiggle away.  Joe tells me to calm down.  I try.  maybe my friend Shirley is right and I really am a pessimist at heart.  I always thought I was more a realistic person than pessimist, but maybe I was wrong.

I took Z shopping today, there was a special on formula at toys R us...well it was advertised, but I didn't see the offer in the store, AND they didn't have the right kind in stock...and it was WAY more expensive than if I went and got it at Target or my grocery store...so instead I got her a potty, (she's been peeing pretty predictably right before a bath), a shape puzzle (to further help with speech exercises), and some batteries on sale (to power up the electronic speech-inducing toys for her to play with).  I also have drastically cut down on the TV being on in the house while she's up (Joe has taken refuge from the TV "ban" by watching stuff on the PC w/ his earplugs in while working on chainmail), and pulled out and cleaned up a bunch of books we used to use w/ Bub when he was about 3 y/o.
So at Toys R us, she was really happy with all the toys around her (of course), and we stopped and played with a few.  She played little miss mute at the counter, wouldn't even wave.  boo
Then to payless, and new shoes.  She REALLY liked finding shoes.  there was a really cute pair of ugg-like boot she really liked, but hell no if I'm spending $25+ on a pair of boot that won't fit her next month!  She can wait until she's 3.  really.  And Then she DID wave "bybye" to the lady at payless.  that made my heart really happy.

She loves the sneakers especially

Joe reported that she peed in the potty just before her after dinner bath.  yayee...that's a good thing I'm going to hold on to today.

finally some rain!

it rain today for the first time in what seems like forever.  not anything NEAR enough what we need here in drought-stricken ET, but enough for Lil Miss Z to get her mud puddle on...

 After the muddy fun, we waited for Bub to come home from his 1st day of school.  It was a bigish day for Bub, he has the same teacher he had his 2nd year of school.  Plus he is now in a "life skills" class with kiddos up to 12 y/o.  Bub is no longer the biggest fish in the pond.  lol.  But with the way he's been growing, and how hungry the risperidone is making him...He may be catching up soon.  erk.

Home again home again, jiggity jig.

After he got home, we went out for dinner, I let Bub pick what he wanted to eat.  Lots of jello...and fries, and fish.  a few shrimp. and a cup of ketchup.  what a lucky little boy.

Heck yeah, I did it.

6 flipping 12 hour shifts in a row completed.

I am so tired.

I don't think my kiddo's recognize me.

I'm never doing this again...I feel so draggy.

I hear lil miss Z bopping around in her crib.  I should go and get her, but I am trying to deflate from the stress of work, and I am feeling guilty because she prolly has a diaper full of  "end products".    I guess I should go and retrieve her and make Joe wake up so I can get some sleep.

Wish I had the energy to make crepes for my Bub this morning, but he's going to have to wait until Saturday. boo me.

Nubs

sometimes you have to be brave

I chopped off my hair.  it's really short.  I like it, but am in shock a little over my daringness.  I typically am much more mild-mannered.  I was/am the "straight-man" to most of my daring friends. ( I tend to be drawn to daring people without being daring typically).   The one who said "ok guys, this is a BAD idea" and then proceeded to lock myself away from the naughtiness...mostly.  The few times in my life I have done something daring, I have always had positive things happen as a result, so I don't know why I shy away from that side of myself so often.  Maybe I don't want to push my luck?  and just save up all the chances for one big hurrah?  not sure, but I found it funny that most of my co-workers didn't recognize me until they saw me face on last night.  hee.  I guess you got to be shocking and unexpected every now and then just to keep people guessing.

before the chop

after the chop

*mommy moment*
Isn't my sweet Z photogenic?  awww....
*end mommy moment*

nubs!

medieval solutions to autism, lol

Yes, Joe and I are sometimes.... weird.
In the past we have experimented with weighted therapy for Bub, w/ fair to middling success.  ie- he likes it for a while then refuses to co-operate.  We've done a weighted vest (I've made 2 of them so far), ankle weights, wrist weights, pressure vests, weighted blankets, and weighted toys.  all initially a success, then the novelty wears off, and he loses interest, and the therapeutic results fade.  Pretty frustrating to me, as I am the one MAKING these things for Bub, and researching where I can buy them...and they aren't cheap, even when you make it yourself.

well, Joe is always lurking around trying to find new hobbies to do while the kids are too small to go back to work (being a stay at home dad and all).  a few weeks back, he remembered a friend that used to make chain-mail (we've been wracking our memories and have concluded this friend was named "Rick"...and that's all we remember from 14 years ago...sorry Rick...we suck).  And as Joe has a passion for all things Renaissance Faire, he decided to try making chain mail.  Bub was immediately interested in what Daddy was doing. Bub really likes the coiled wire before Joe cuts them into the rings that get linked together.  Bub even likes to help join the rings together and make a simple chain.

But what was fanstastic was that Bub started putting the chain mail on his body and began to calm down.  and then fell asleep...in the middle of the afternoon!!!!  Bub does not nap unless he is sick with a fever and vomiting down my shirt sick. A chain mail blanket is soothing to him, and for the past 3 weeks, Bub has been taking his chain mail blanket to bed with him and falling asleep within 10 min of turning his own lights off.  I am speechless every night this happens, and it's been happening every night.

Even during his time-outs, if I put the chain mail on his legs, he will sit still in time-out until I tell him it's over, and won't even fuss.   I am shocked speechless by this  (well, it's just an expression).

close up

sleeping Bub, life is good  :)

I think all the weighted stuff we tried in the past were not heavy enough.  I would only get up to 5-10% of his body weight as all the authorities on the subject would recommend.  I think this chain mail is at least 15-20% of his body weight, and it seems to be working, and continuing to capture his attention beyond the novelity phase.
Joe is making another one, I think it's going to be for school.  we'll see.

Nubs

what I get for trying to be a nice momma

And today:
Bub started today in a good mood.  he let me make pancakes w/o being in my way.  This is a big accomplishment for Bub...as pancakes are a favorite of his.  He refused to eat his peaches tho.  Ha ha on him, Momma snuck bananas in the pancakes.  hee.

Then while Zbear was napping, I decided to make corndogs from scratch for lunch.  This is a big deal for me since I can not find any edible version of corndogs that exclude forbidden ingredients from the stores (milk products mainly)  The few that I did find, I couldn't gag down, Joe barely ate (and he's a corndog lover) and Bub walked away from, and Bub never walks away from any kind of hotdog.
It started well.  Bub was all interested in what I was doing...until I rolled the hotdogs in flour.  Oh, the wailing.  Bub was convinced I was destroying his beloved hotdogs.  normally I'm not phased by this, but I had a vat of hot grease going on the range near the fussing of this little man. 
Momma started to loose her cool, Bub protested by climbing up the cabinets to get corn chips in protest, and promptly was sent to his room to take a time out in his bed.  more wailing and moaning.
Then when I finished making the corndogs and french fries, he peeled the coating off.  !!!!  in his favor I will say he came back 10 min later and did eat the coatings, but by then, after I finished monitoring Zbear's eating of the highly minced corndogs, I felt SICK, and I didn't eat anything.  Joe said it was good, but I felt like hurling.  Took a bath, during which time Bub snuck off to his room and protested the whole affair by pooping on the floor.

yayee us.

After cleanup (Joe did the floor, I did the Bub) I meant to only rest for a half hour, but Joe woke me up just before 7pm.  I slept thru our free babysitting offer and we missed our date night.  I feel really bad for that, plus I still feel sick.

The pharmacy called and said they aren't going to be able to refill Bub's risperidone until tomorrow, and unadvertantly sometime during the adventures in cooking I knocked over the box with his meds and we had a 20 min freakout thinking Bub climbed up the stove and ate himself an overdose of a hefty anti-psychotic.  Thankfully, as I said it was just knocked over, and now I am trying to think of a different safe location to keep his meds.  There is really nowhere in the house I can guarantee Bub won't get into, he is a marvel at engineering feats.  He figured out how to unscrew his door off the hinges when he found Joe's secret stash of screwdrivers.

well, at least he is happily asleep right now, as is Zbear.  I'm hitting up the pepto and hoping to feel better in the morning, so I can be ready for what Bub dishes up for me next.

attempting to pose while wearing his sister's snuggly hat

Nubs

adventures today

So, now that we are entering THE worst month to live in TX, because it is SO stinkin' hot...Joe and I are trying to come up w/ creative and cheap ways of getting the cabin-fever kids out of the house for a while.  today, at 4pm CST it was 116 farenheit.  WTF?!?!?!?

Any way you slice it it has been an eventful day.

It began @6:30 when Zber decided to wake up, by 7:00 she & Bub were eating breakfast, Z decided she wanted to be a big girl and stand up at the table in a big-person chair instead of her high chair. Momma made Big mistake to let her do that....she lost her balance and did a face flop on the floor and busted open her upper lip.  So Momma had to break the 10 am rule of "no popsicles before 10 am" (you know, to get the bleeding mouth to stop bleeding).  and since Z was slurping up a popsi, Bub had to have one too, otherwise non-verbal cries of loud unfairness would puncture my poor ears when all I really want to hear is coffee brewing....

so after that, poor Zbear had a really, REALLY fat upper lip.  like her mouth was just an upper lip.  No, I didn't take pictures of my poor baby's disfigured lip.  (it's normal again already).  Bub was all huggy towards Z today after she finished her crying post-face-flop, but little Miss Z did not want to be hugged on...so there was lots of momma pulling them apart until nap time.

***Side thought***
*have I told you all how much I love nap time?  Have I told you how much I cried when Bub stopped taking his nap everyday?!?  I wish nap time didn't end until age 65...then I would get one too....lol*
***end side thought***

After nap we all had lunch, even Bub decided eating the food I made him was a good idea.  He sometimes thinks eating should only involve sweets and popsicles.  we "argue" about this frequently.  Arguing meaning a conversation like this:

*hears the fridge door open*
Momma: Bub, close the fridge door.

Bub: *Door slam* "Aaaaahg!"   *Bub comes over to me and pulls my hands towards the kitchen*

Momma: What are you asking me for Bub?

Bub: *signs "Help"*

Momma: What do you want help with Bub?

Bub: *signs "help", pulls me toward the kitchen*

Momma:  No Bub, you have to eat your dinner before you have a popsicle.

Bub: *throwing himself on the floor "Aaaahg!!!!!!!"*
Repeat X5

This conversation happens frequently in my house, just switch "Breakfast" and "Lunch" for "dinner"

Meanwhile, the power company (the one we pay to have our power mysteriously out for hours at a time at least once a week in good weather) stops at our door and asks if we will let them cut down some branches over the power line in our backyard, or if we want to do it ourselves...I answer, "that's really up to my landlord, as we don't OWN the property".  So between Joe and I, we get our landlord on the phone who then grants permission of the general heyday of branch cutting...which turned into an ENTIRE TREE being chopped down in the back yard.

As a plus to the wanton Shade murder (remember-116degrees, I like shade...) Joe thinks there is a piece of wood out there that will make a great bowl if he can find all his tools to turn it.  I think it's a knobbley root piece of wood.  It was too hot for me to really go out and inspect, esp since an enormous chunk of shade is now missing from the backyard... grrr..

so to escape the loud chainsaw tree massacre we loaded the kids up into the car and when to the mall.  Bub was so well behaved.  He made his momma proud.  Z however wanted to run off every chance she got!  Bub was an excellent big brother and kept herding her back to us.  it was really cute.
they had this hurricane stimulator booth for $2 in one of the main areas, Joe thought he and Bub should give it a try.  once the wind started, Bub did his "unhappy ALMOST but not quite scream" and flopopped  out of the booth and insisted that we should put about 30 ft distance between us and the booth.  Momma complied rather than make my poor guy freak out.
He was very interested in the trampoline thingy that needed cables and a harness attached to the jumper.  Momma and Daddy decided he's not quite ready for that yet...at least not until we replace the netting on our trampoline.  Best not give the boy too many ideas that involve him flipping off the trampoline and onto the ground...we already coped w/ a broken arm 2 years ago...   And he still makes a pretend cast out of toilet paper every now and then

finally, dinner, which bub has refused, and I am refusing to allow popsicles.  He still thinks he will win this argument...I know better.  It's nice being a mom.  lol!

Me and Z!

Me and my Bub

making Chainmail w/ daddy

Enjoy the shots!