Praise and Worship.

I know I have posted about the twins singing worship songs all the time, especially Jonathan but I had to share this with you all. Last night on the way home from church and dinner we were listening to the boys cd of downloaded songs that they love to sing in children's church. I happened to look in the rear view mirror to see what the twins were doing (Luke was with Daddy in Daddy's car) and saw them reaching their hands in the air while singing. Now we do these motions with the songs and that is what they were doing, but it just did something to my heart to see them praising this way. I often wonder how much they understand about Our Savior and the songs we sing to Him and seeing that last night just made think that they just might understand more than I think they do. I posted the song they were singing last night along with one of their other favorites right now.

New foods.

I just thought I would update you on what the twins have started eating. I know I mentioned a couple months ago that Jonathan had eaten a hot dog for me and corn dogs. He now eats a corn dog or two almost everyday for lunch. I still have to de-corn the corn dog, but hey, I am just so happy he is eating them.
Matthew was a little slow with eating new foods and all of a sudden in the last month and week he has broadened his menu. It started with trying some carrots during Occupational Therapy. She has been working with feeding issues with them for about 3 months now. Then a couple weeks ago at a graduation party he decided he would like a bite of watermelon. He took a bite and didn't like it but he did finish what was in his mouth. Then this week he asked to make a ham sandwich because he wanted to eat it. I let him make half a sandwich because I didn't want it to go to waste. He ate it. The last 3 days he has eaten a ham sandwich for lunch. He also ate a bunch of grapes at VBS this week. I am just so happy that they are eating some new things.

Random Pictures from the Past Month.

Luke needed a picture of his new fashion style. He did this to himself.
Luke got this workbench for his birthday. It came a couple weeks after the fact but he was very excited. I put the whole thing together. Go Mom! < A couple weeks ago I took the boys (by myself) to a local park that has a few rides including this mini train. They did very well and cannot wait to go again this Saturday. Matthew calls it the carnival. Riding jet ski boats. I was really surprised that Luke got on because he does not like carousals, but he did great.





Luke started going to Rainbows on Sunday night at church since he is now 3. Here he is in his new uniform.

The boys were playing in this box that contained the twins new bedding. Oh how fun boxes are. This reminds me I need to get pictures of the new beds.

Matthew asked me to take his picture one morning before school. I thought he posed very well.


Luke wanted his picture taken yesterday morning. I think he wanted me to take a picture of the red balloon. This kid loves having his picture taken.

Decisions, Decisions.

We have had a few decisions to make around here recently regarding all the boys' schooling next year.
About 2 weeks ago Matthew's teacher called me wanting to know if I still wanted to keep the boys at separate schools next year. She works very closely with the head of the autistic programs for Mesa Public Schools. At the time I still wasn't 100% sure about keeping them separated but they do a lot better when they aren't together for long periods of time. So I told her to keep them at separate schools. For the past 2 weeks I have been debating that decision in my mind and out loud with Eric. He knows they do well apart but also knows how confusing it is to have the 2 of them at separate schools. He usually just goes along with what I feel is best for them. Earlier this week I almost called to see if I could change my mind but then decided against it.
Well, this morning Matthew's teacher called me again. She said they had a new situation come up with some of the programs and that there is now a way that the boys can both go to the same school and be in separate classes. At Matthew's school they have a separate autistic first grade and then second and third are together and fourth, fifth and sixth are together. Starting next year they will now have a separate second grade. She suggested putting Matthew in the second grade class and bringing Jonathan into the first grade class. I really think this will work out so well.
To answer your questions about Matthew being in the second grade class. No, he is not skipping a grade. Technically he will be in the second grade class but still considered a first grader. His teacher feels he is more at the level of the kids in that program and will fit in really well. I think he will do well too. He does have that early October birthday so he won't be much younger than the others and he is a pretty tall boy so he won't be the small kid. I am just so happy that this opportunity came along it is such and answer to prayer.
Jonathan might take a little while to get used to a new school but I really feel this will benefit him as well. In his class now there are a couple of kids who are for the most part non-verbal and highly aggressive. Jonathan has been bringing home some of their behavior and I really wasn't looking forward to him being with these kids again. I hope that doesn't sound mean. Jonathan's school does not offer a first grade program but instead has first, second and third all together and I was not really looking forward to that as well.
All in all, I really think this will be so nice. They can ride the same bus and Jonathan won't have to get picked up at 6:55, which means I get an extra 20 minutes to stay in bed. Which is always nice.
We also decided to put Luke in a preschool program next year. He will be attending a preschool at my parents church. He will go 2 days a week for 3 hours each day. I really feel that Luke needs this. 1. He is so smart and really needs to learn how to use his knowledge. 2. He needs to be around "normal" kids and make some friends. He loves his brothers dearly but he really loves the interaction he gets with other kids. I really think he will do well. I am so very excited to see what the Fall will bring to our family and I feel such a peace about all the decisions that have been made this week.

Matthew's First Field Trip

Today I joined Matthew on his very first field trip. All the kindergartners at his school went to visit a farm. I got to ride on the bus with him and he really thought that was funny.

Our first stop on the farm was to feed some of the animals. At first Matthew wanted no part of it and then he surprised me by holding out his hand for some goat food. He then got to feed a piece of carrot to a horse and then pet some bunnies.

The other highlight of the day was our last activity of going on a hayride to see all the cows. We were at a dairy farm so there were lots of cows. Matthew and I are both allergic to hay so we are feeling pretty miserable tonight.

All in all it was a lot of fun and it was good to see that he is not so different from "typical" kindergartners. I was also so proud of him for feeding the animals. Something I am not sure I would have done even today.

Duck, Duck, Goose.

The other night Matthew and Luke were playing with their diecast nascar cars and I was on the computer. After a few races across the room I hear a rousing game of Duck, Duck, Goose going on. I look over to my right and see the cars in a circle with Matthew and Luke making them play the game. It was so cute and such a great moment for Matthew, who along with Jonathan, has a problem with pretend play. It really made me smile and I had to laugh when I heard them saying "Okay Jimmie Johnson it's your turn." "Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose. Get him Jeff Gordon."

I had to take picture of the cars in their circle and new I needed to post this. So Cute.

A Little of This and That

Sorry it has been a few weeks since my last post. Life has again been busy with illness and other things. I went on a little vacation for 4 days in the middle of February. Just me, no kids and no husband. I went to visit my dear friend, Amy in Oklahoma. But before that we had another round or ear infections and I came down with bronchitis and pink eye. Not a fun way to leave for a vacation but I survived.
The twins also had their 6 year reevaluation for autism. In Arizona, in order to keep your state assistance for therapy programs, kids have to have another diagnosis at the age of 6. I guess they think it just in case the child get better with early intervention.
Not much has changed. They are still autistic. However, they are now officially considered underweight. Jonathan is underweight and Matthew is on the border. They do eat, just not a lot of variety and they are very active. Jonathan, however, has stopped eating some things at home, namely his chicken nuggets. This has been a staple for him since he was able to eat table food and he usually has this for dinner at least twice a week. So for him to stop eating it is not a good thing. I could understand if he was sick of it but he eats chicken nuggets at school and he also eats them at Grandma's and at Grandma's house they are the same chicken nuggets that I buy. I have been in tears pleading with him to eat some nights and other nights I just have to leave the room and let Eric deal with it. I have been told that Jonathan might be doing this because he knows how much it means to me and in a way it is his way of having power over me. His eating has been foremost in my mind lately and will even cry myself to sleep thinking about it. Matthew is skinny but Jonathan looks like an anorexic, he just looks so frail and that if I grabbed his arm the wrong way it would snap. It is so very scary to me.
All this to say, could you please keep both boys in your prayers, especially Jonathan. Thank you.

Making Plans For the Future

In case you didn't know my boys have a new love for NASCAR. It started with the Disney/Pixar movie cars and one day back in October I was flipping through the channels and we caught the beginning of a NASCAR race. We watched the WHOLE thing that night. I so did not want to be a NASCAR family. Matthew and Luke like it the best, especially Matthew.
Well, tonight we were watching the season opener Shoot Out. I really liked this race because there weren't as many cars racing and they only race 70 laps. I can handle 70 laps. So anyway, about halfway through the race Matthew says "Mommy I want to race NASCARS." I asked him if he meant his toy cars or if he really wanted to drive the cars when he got older. He informed me that he wanted to drive them when he got older. I asked him what number he was going to be and he told me number 4 and that his car would be blue. I don't know who his sponsors are going to be but I will keep you all posted on that one.
This was so endearing to me because the future is very uncertain for the twins and it was so nice to hear Matthew tell me that he wanted to be something when he grows up. Neither of the twins has told me that before.

Something's Missing

Well, everyone, today my first born son (Matthew) lost his first tooth. He came home from school minus a tooth in his mouth. The teacher was nice enough to enclose it in a little plastic tooth holder necklace. I called to see how he did when it came out and was happy to hear he did just fine. I have been worried how the boys would do when they started losing teeth. I could just hear them telling me to "put it back in" or to "fix it". I am not sure if I will do the tooth fairy thing, not because I don't believe in doing it, but because I don't think he would care one way or the other. I will have to discuss it with Daddy.
I tried to get a picure of him showing off his new smile but wasn't very successful.

That's my hand holding his lip down so you can see the missing tooth.

I was trying to get him to stick his lower teeth out and this was the result.

Playing with the open space.

A Matthew Funny

Just a little funny from Matthew I wanted to share.
As some of you know, the boys like to go to a local restaurant called "Streets of New York". We usually go there on Sunday nights after church. We haven't been there since the first week of December because of tight finances this month. About 3 weeks ago they were really wanting to go and we told them that we didn't have any money to go there and we were just going to come home and eat. Since then we haven't had regular Sunday night services due to a couple different plays at the church. Last night things were back to normal and when we got in the van Matthew asked Eric "Daddy, you have money?" just like that, not do you have money but it was almost more of a fact than a question. It took us a little bit to figure out that he remembered us telling him we didn't have money to go out. So since we did have money last night the boys got to go out.
Just another glimpse of how normal Matthew can be at times.

What Did You Say?

So tonight I was loading the boys into our van to go to church and Matthew looks at me and says "Happy Holidays, Mommy." My first thought to that was "WHAT????" But I just looked at him and said "Matthew, we say Merry CHRISTmas."
Now there was a time this wouldn't have bothered me but in recent years the term Happy Holidays has been used in place of Merry Christmas trying to take the Christ out of the Christmas season. I make it a point to return a "happy holidays" greeting with a "Merry CHRISTmas".
I was just so blown away that Matthew would say this to me. I wonder if he was taught to say this at school or if he just picked it up off the television. With him you never know.