There's Gold in Them There Teeth

Kaylie story: (because it has been awhile)

(If you know Kaylie, you'll appreciate this; if you don't know Kaylie, I'm not quite sure what you'll think...)

Kaylie has decided she needs money to buy some random toy she doesn't need and I will not purchase.  (Have you seen the child's room? .... please tell me no, if you have, I don't want to know)  So, when she unearthed some teeth when cleaning her room today, she decided she was going to claim what she apparently failed to previously claim from the Tooth Fairy. 
"Mom, I found some teeth when I was cleaning my room - and one of them, Mom, has a silver filling in it - and anyway, Mom, I found some teeth and I need some money; I really need some money, so I am going to turn them all in to the Tooth Fairy." 
To which I probably said something lame like, "Ok" because I was trying to remember how much cash I had on me. 
But then she says, "Or, I think I might start a tooth collection."  (Like she needs another collection in her room.  Once again, have you seen the clutter in there?)  "I'm either going to save them, to remember my childhood, or I am going to sell them."
Me: "Who do you think is going to buy them?"
K: "Well, one has a silver filing in it.  Or people who need dentures."
That's one small set o' dentures, kid.

(PS - I read the Tooth Fairy's note - oh, yes, there is always a note.  Usually because she is instructed to leave one, answer multiple questions about her lifestyle, AND draw a picture.  And while the Tooth Fairy might be adept at disguising her handwriting, she is definitely not an artist.  She draws stick figures.  ANYWAY (see where Kaylie gets her ramblings?), the Tooth Fairy's note said Kaylie is too grown up and she (Tooth Fairy) can't keep coming back.  I love and treasure the notes and the sweetness and innocence of it all, but Asperger's or not, she (Kaylie) has to grow up, too.  *sad*)

(PPS - above photo is Kaylie at Colts Camp.  In Anderson.  Reading.  Because that's how she rolls.)

The Cabbage and the Cat (by Kaylie)

Here is a story Kaylie wrote in computer lab last week.  Not sure what the assignment was or how focused she was when she wrote it.  Thought you might find it interesting, though.  (If you know Kaylie, you can hear her telling you this story as you read it.) 

There was a cabbage and a cat in Arizona, on the rough desert sands.  The cabbage was rough too, in texture.  The chair they played on was sometimes pulled by the wind.  One day, the cat, whose name was Ashley, had a flag.  It was not a cute flag, but a crude one.  The rough cabbage didn't do anything, because, well, cabbages are not alive.  Ashley told the cabbage that the flag was from King Arthur's court!  Again the cabbage did not do anything,  Ashley and the cabbage, okay, the cabbage is called Rico, Ashley and Rico went off for King Arthur's court.  When they got there the cabbage finally did something!  He gave King Arthur the flag.  Then he started doing nothing again and they went home.  The End.

NY2LA

I think I will make today "Watch It Wednesday".  Here is another You Tube clip.  This is one of the songs Kaylie's dance class is working on this session.  Get to see them perform on Sunday!!

Nicaragua? Okay...

How do I communicate this without getting too long-winded?  Here goes: As you may know, my daughter Kaylie has Asperger's Syndrome.  She has participated in the special needs ministry program at our church since she was around three years old.  Like she does at school, at church she participates in the mainstream classroom, but when she was younger she had a "buddy" who accompanied her to class.

In 2005, our church began partnering with Nicaragua Resource Network to serve special needs kids in the Managua area (the capital of Nicaragua).  In this culture, special needs children are often hidden away by their families and not afforded the same opportunities as other children.  A special needs classroom was created to bridge this gap and this Agape Program continues to be supported with finances and mission teams from our church.

A recent team pictured with some of the "Agape kids"

While I have known about this program and the girls have helped with service projects geared to benefit this school and these kids, I never really felt called to go serve on-site.  I think I have been in general avoidance mode because I feel inadequate as the mother of a special needs child.  I am not near the advocate that I should be and come up severly lacking when measured against my fellow special needs moms.

But now there is an opportunity for the whole family to go serve and we feel God is telling us to go.  Kaylie, with her loving, generous heart, wants to know if it is time to start packing yet.  She is beyond ready to go (I am excited to see what plan God has for her as she becomes an adult.  I am convinced He has big plans for her servant's heart.)  Hannah, for now, is most excited about the airplane ride.  Jim wonders how we will pay for the trip, but he, like Kaylie, is always ready and willing to serve.  And then there is me.  (Somewhat) reluctantly going along for the ride because I am convinced God is ordering me out of my comfort zone and to face head-on what He has given to our family.  If I am going to serve other special needs moms, I better learn how to be a better special needs mom so I can set a better example.  And I better learn fast and save fast, as the trip is in January.  (That's a lot of betters, so you see why I am overwhelmed!)

This trip does not excite me the way going to Austria did, or serving in the inner-city has, and I have not anticipated it the way I do one day getting to go to Haiti, or Africa, or China.  But I am excited because I know God's hand is in it and I think sending special needs kids to serve other special needs kids is a beautiful idea and will be a marvelous little glimpse of heaven.

Pray for us, please, as we prepare to serve that God would continue to put all the pieces in place.

To learn more about this work in Nicaragua, please visit the Nicaragua Resource Network and the TPCC Short-term Missions Blog.  Thanks!  If you would like to sponsor our team financially the address to send donations to can be found here.

Snow White With A Twist

Okay, maybe I just think this is hilarious because she is my kid, but I was laughing so hard I was in tears. It is totally Kaylie, so if you know her, you'll get it.  That being said, it is long and a little hard to follow, but I hope you enjoy.

More Quotes from Kaylie

If you know Kaylie, you know she comes up with some great one-liners (and two and three liners).  She cracks me up all the time, and the best part is when I totally crack up she says "What?!?" - she has no clue how funny she is and isn't usually saying things to get a laugh, she just has a unique way of looking at life.  Here are some recent gems:  (not as funny if you don't know Kaylie and can't read them in her voice, but I found them entertaining)

• Walking up to my grandparent’s wreath decorated door –
   Me: Oh, look at Nana and Papa’s cute wreath
   K: Yes, it adds such a charming touch

• In the car –
  Hannah: What was I about to say to you [Mom]?
  Me: I love you Mom, you are the best mom ever and I am so lucky to have you as a mom?
 K: I was about to say that! (pause) Not really.

• On the way home from school –
  K: Mom, Allen said my mouse [her new KinzClip] is a rat. I said, “No, it’s not, it’s a mouse. M-O-U-S-E, mouse. And he said R-A-T, rat! [more talking about rat v. mouse]…and it has a furless pink tail, which I am kind of creeped out by the furless part….[and on and on…much more than one ever needed to know about stuffed mini-mice - this one was just funny because she kept going and the tone of voice she had]

• In her book report – (please don’t think this is mean)
  Then Old Nimrod died on the altar steps. (He was on an altar then when he died.)  [This is a direct quote from the report.]

• When I was sick recently –

   I think you are getting pregnant again

• Explaining to me why she wanted a book on “dog language” for Christmas –
   Well, I just wanted to be able to understand Archie and Marvin [our dogs].

Been a long time

Wow. Been quite an extended blogging break. So much to say now, and so little time. Lots of fun to report to you. Can't get into it all now, but here are some morsels:

A long awaited update: Some of you may remember my story about Patrick and Kaylie earlier this year. Well, at the before school Ice Cream Social, we met Patrick's family!!!! Had a good conversation with his mom, who was very kind and easy going. Good people. Of course, Patrick and Kaylie aren't on the same bus this year...so that kind of decides that, now doesn't it? Well, they will still be hallway buddies.

A new development: I am going to start book reviews on the blog! I am very excited, as I will have an opportunity to preview some great books and give y'all my two cents. I know, you are thrilled, but it is cool for me! :)

A quick Kaylie story: A few Sundays ago, we were at church early because Jim had to be there early. The girls and I were sitting in the Gathering (a lounge outside the sanctuary) and Kaylie was hungry. (she is her mother's daughter) But she wasn't just hungry, she was starving. I told her (very sympathetically of course) that she would be fine and not starve, because her body stores excess to use in case of "emergency" and she could live for quite some time on the excess her body had stored up. Hannah chimed in with a much better, scientific explanation of just how long a person can go without food and water. Then Kaylie says, "Well, Dad would last for a real long time because he has lots of excess!!!"

More to come. Stay tuned.

Kaylie Story of the Day

I was laying in bed nursing a headache and Kaylie goes nonchalantly strutting through my room, carrying a book and wearing only her underwear.

"Hi, Mom" she says as she walks by the bed on the way into my bathroom.
"Hi, Naked" I answer
"What?!?", she responds, "we are going to have a shower." (Therefore I am supposed to accept it as perfectly normal that she is trotting through my room mostly naked)

She goes in the bathroom and closes the door.

A number of minutes pass. Suddenly the bathroom door whips open and there is Kaylie, now standing there totally naked. "Mom! This spiders book is really scary!"

She started telling me about a picture of a tarantula or something, but I couldn't hear. I was cracking up too hard. Did I mention it hurts to laugh when you have a migraine?

This may not be as funny to you as it was to me; I can't say you had to be there, because that would be inappropriate, but trust me, it was great.

Letter from Kaylie, part II

We asked Kaylie if she wanted to add to her part of the Mexico support letter and include anything else, including prayer requests, concerns about the trip people could pray for, etc. Here is her expanded letter:

Dear Family and Friends,
Daddy and I are going to Mexico. We will need to have money to pay for the trip though. Could you send money in? We will need $2,000. Don’t send in all your money though. Just send in some money. We will build a house and live in tents! We will stay July 11th -18th. Please can you help me and Daddy? Thanks!!! Can you pray for us too? Don’t forget Mom and Hannah! I am afraid no Mexican kids will like me because I am a American. Pray for that too. Bye-bye!!!!!!!!
Love,
Kaylie

When I asked about her addendum, if this is what was on her heart, or if she was just doing it quick because we asked her to, she said it truly is one of her concerns because she does not speak the same language and so she might have trouble making friends with the children she meets there. (She dramatically adds "the only Spanish word I know is elefante and that means elephant!", but then immediately adds the word for penguin, proving what I already know, which is that she knows more than "elephant") I think she is going to be pleasantly surprised and will learn so much on the trip! I am so excited she is going and going with a heart to serve and love the people of Mexico. Unfortunately we have to wait for July.

Please do keep Kaylie and Jim and all the others planning to go in your prayers as they prepare and then as they travel this summer. From a travel website:

Travel Alert: There has been a significant increase in the level of drug-related violence throughout Mexico with northern Baja California and Tijuana among the worst affected parts of the country. Tourists are not specifically targeted, but any travellers visiting these areas should exercise extreme caution.
Tijuana has a bad reputation that, sure, it partly deserves. Bars, brothels and strip clubs are brazenly frequented, and prescription meds and drugs loudly advertised. Hawkers brashly proclaim to ‘have it’ (no matter what you might be looking for), and if they don’t, they know someone who does.

Just as I do every day, I trust God will take care of them and I know God is always in control and will take care of us no matter what. I will keep passing on prayer requests as the trip nears.

Smooth Talker

We were at Bob Evans with our good friends the Breens after church on Sunday. The girls were at one table and we were at another table. Kaylie had finished her lunch and came over to ask Jim something. She starts out talking to Jim about something random and Jim leans over and whispers to me, "Can I have your biscuit?" indicating what he is certain she is leading up to. Sure enough Kaylie asks if "Mr. and Mrs. Breen can come over to our house after lunch" and then without pausing or even missing the slightest beat adds "Can I have that biscuit?" I think she was hoping one yes would cover both questions since she asked them so close together.

I read on another blog about creating a Laugh Book - a journal for each of your kids where you record all the wonderful things they say. (http://alastingfoundation.blogspot.com/) I think I am going to have to stick a notebook in the car just for this because even though the girls are getting older, they still say so much that just cracks me up (especially when they have conversations between themselves), or is really touching but I have trouble remembering it . I wish I had thought to do this 10 1/2 years ago when Hannah was born. :( I have some stories recorded, but not near as many as I wish I did.

Letter from Kaylie

This summer Jim and Kaylie are planning to travel with a group from church to Mexico on a mission trip. We asked Kaylie to write a little letter to go with Jim's support letter. Here is what she typed up all on her own. (I think Jim gave her the "Dear Family and Friends")

Dear Family and Friends,

Daddy and I are going to Mexico. We will need to have money to pay for the trip though. Could you send money in? We will need $2,000. Don’t send in all your money though. Just send in some money. We will build a house and live in tents! We will stay July 11th -18th. Please can you help me and Daddy? Thanks!!!

Love,
Kaylie

Jim thought it was hilarious, but inappropriate to include. I think it is sweet and since that is what she wrote and we want it to be from her and it is only going to friends and family, it is fine. What do you think?

Belle of the Ball

Kaylie has ballet and basketball on Mondays. This week was the last basketball practice for this season and the basketball clothes inadvently did not travel to participate in practice - must have been a Dancing with the Stars injury or something. So Kaylie dressed up for basketball. By the way, she is not in dress code for ballet either.




Yes, she really is this much taller than most of the people on her team (and the other teams). But don't let the height fool you. She gets her athletic ability from her mom.









Ta da! Still not in uniform. This is yet another reason why I will never be a Professional Mom. But can I just tell ya, that I love her 1,000,000% EXACTLY the wonderful, fantastic, beautiful way God made her?

Sisters, I need your advice/input

There is a little boy on the bus Kaylie has befriended. She is in second grade, he is in kindergarten. His name is Patrick. She sits by him on the bus and apparently they get along swell. When she first came home and told me "there is a boy on the bus and his name is Patrick and he likes me" I wasn't sure what to think - sounded basically harmless and innocent. Then when I found out he was 2 years younger (which at this age is 2 big years) I really didn't know what to think. She is so sweet and caring and has such an open heart - I don't her to mislead this young boy. As many of you know, Kaylie has her own issues which we have dealt with for years and so we have to tread delicately in some areas and she does not always get along socially with her peers - so it does not surprise me, given this and her sweet spirit that she has made this friend.

You are thinking, they are just friends on the bus, what is the problem here? Well, a couple months ago, he gave her a tiara that he told her he made. Cute - maybe he has a crush, but let's move on. BUT, today the school secretary called me to tell me that he gave her a little purse for Valentine's Day. So now that the school is concerned enough to call me, I am really stressing over this. The school says, we can tell Patrick's parents that Kaylie's parents said no thank you or something along that line. But I don't want to hurt this little boy or offend his family - his grandmother told the secretary it was just because he appreciates her being his friend. And I don't want to try to change Kaylie from the loving person God made her to be. I felt like since the school was calling I was supposed to have some kind of response, but I just didn't know what to do.

This is probably a good learning opportunity for all of us - she needs to know how to be her loving self with out opening herself up to something unhealthy (not so likely now - but she could set herself up later) and I need to learn to not be such a wimpy avoider of anything resembling conflict. (I also tend to worry way to much about what other people think) But I am not sure how to handle this situation - if in fact it is a "situation" at all.

I am thinking we should somehow communicate no more gifts - I don't really want to contact his family, as that seems to be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but am concerned if I tell Kaylie she needs to tell him no more gifts, it might come out wrong and when replayed for his family, will lead to the insult I want to avoid.

I don't really know what to do about this and some of you out there are Super Moms and much better at this than me and I am wondering what your advice is.

Martin Luther King, Reader's Digest version

I hope no one finds this offensive, I thought it was cute.

Kaylie came home from school today and told me they watched a "thing" at school on Dr. Martin Luther King. All excited to hear about the lessons she learned from Dr. King, with great enthusiasm I asked, "What did you learn about Dr. Martin Luther King?!" She responded, "He had a hard time livin'," and walked out of the room.

And I guess that is all she had to say about that.

Elf Yourself

Jim "elf'd" the girls and the dogs. I think this is just hilarious, I was crying I was laughing so hard. I don't have the download, but here is the link - yours to view over and over ad infinitum until January 15th. Joy and bliss!!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/bWW76gjI7PjRAoRJA77w

Who I ought to be

When Kaylie and I were going home from the car wash today, we took a short cut through the shopping center parking lot to get out to the street and head home. Our path took us behind the movie theater, where we passed a lady with 2 children and a cart of groceries. I drove past and fleetingly thought about helping her, then as I normally do, decided she probably did not need help - it was a nice day out, they probably were not walking far etc. But I did not get far before I felt convicted for being so dismissive. I made a quick reverse-rationalization (sure it was a gorgeous day, but what if she had milk or something that might spoil?), turned around, pulled up and asked if I could give her a ride somewhere.

Turns out they were waiting for their car to be repaired at the shop across the (very busy) street, so I was so glad we stopped - I wouldn't want to try to cross it with Kaylie and Hannah in tow and her two girls looked close to their ages. After we let them out, Kaylie says, "Wow, Mom, that was a really nice thing that you did helping that lady." Then she says, "When I grow up, I want to be just like you, and look out for people to help." Talk about wow. And feeling convicted. Here I wasn't even going to help, and Kaylie has me up on this pedestal of which I am totally unworthy. And how proud am I that my kid wants to grow up to be someone who helps others. And, yikes, our kids watch everything we do and, good or bad, pattern their behavior after it.

Tomato, tomahtoe; meclomen, meclizine

Ok, I know oy with the poodles already and all that - but if I can go on for just one more day - can I just tell y'all about today??

Here is how it begins: I decide on the way to work that since I am running a little late, I am just going to be mostly late and stop at Starbucks, check out this whole ordering decaf situation and, actually most importantly, get a muffin, as I had a doctor appointment right during lunch and knew I was going to need something to tide me over. I made this decision while driving to work in the rain. I stuck stubbornly to this decision even when the heavens opened up and it started pouring just as I approached Starbucks. Milliseconds after opening the car door, I was wet, and worse, my sandal-clad feet were wet. Ick. Even more challenging was getting back into the car muffin and decaf iced Americano in hand. I was very soaked, and the muffin bag barely made it. But I made a decaf Starbucks run - and in the pouring rain no less! What a suburban warrior I am!

The big news of the day ended up coming at the office of our good friend, Dr. Simchak. I had a one week follow-up appointment from last Tuesday. (a miracle given that when I tried to schedule a 4 week follow-up as I left they told me his first available was Nov 4, if that gives you any idea of his calendar) I learned many moons ago to bring a book when coming to see Dr. Simchak - due to his popularity, one often has to wait to see him, and seeing as I had been squeezed in, I made sure I had one today. Good thing, as it took almost 2 hours to be seen. But I made great progress on my book! I think everyone should have forced relaxation placed upon them every so often like that. The only problem is that it is kind of stressful at the same time because you are thinking about where you should be. Anyway, big revelation - he asks how I did on the Meclomen, the anti-inflammatory, last week. "Meclomen? I thought it was Meclizine. It was an anti-histamine and I don't know how I did, I was too tired." ACK! I WAS TAKING THE WRONG MEDICINE!!! So for 4 days I was dutifully taking this medicine every 8 hours and going to work, driving, etc all while being so tired I could barely function all in the name of getting rid of a headache and it wasn't even the right med!! Can you believe it??

So I confessed to Dr. Simchak I was bad-mouthing him because I thought he was giving me what was basically sleeping pills and taking me off caffeine all in one fell swoop. (You know I did wonder why he did not warn me I would be tired, that was out of character; also strange that he would tell me to take Lunesta last week to make sure I slept - that was definitely not necessary. I need to do a better job of getting the names of these medicines and not just blindly trusting the pharmicists to read the chicken scratch on the prescription slip. "It's an M word" doesn't cut it.) And we have made some changes to my other meds and now I am happily and merrily back on my way.

PS - Jim just called Kaylie into the other room, and she goes in there and says (starting off very sweetly), "Well, I'm not trying to be rude, but what is it now??!!!" (the last part in frustration) - which I know is totally inappropriate (as Jim quickly pointed out) - but I still find very funny. You had to be there, I guess. I know, just blow the dust off my Worst Mom in the World Trophy and hand it to me...

Me, too!

In all fairness, here is Kaylie's thought for the day, too...

I have to say that I am doing good today. I'm going to tikle war with my mom tomorro.

Hear is a little video for you.