Little Scientists

At Girl Scouts this week we were “Home Scientists”.  It was fun to watch the girls get excited about the different experiments (okay, it was fun for me to be so excited about the different experiments).  We are fortunate to have a group of moms with a wide variety of backgrounds and one of the moms is a biologist (I am super impressed by this because science was never a strong subject for me, but one I always liked) and she brought in coats and gloves and safety glasses for all the girls, can you say EXCITING!

Temple Grandin

I attended an Asperger’s/Autism lecture a few weeks ago held at Lindenwood University and I was moved to tears.  Temple Grandin was inspiring and insightful.  I was given a needed boost that we are moving in the right direction with Owen and my biggest question “How and When should I tell Owen about his Asperger’s?” was answered.

Temple said (and this is super paraphrasing, so please Temple, do not sue me) “I hate it when 12 years come up to me and tell me about their autism or Asperger’s, I want to hear about their science projects! AND they better have pictures of it on their IPODS!”  Everyone clapped at this.  I took it as, who cares when as long as when you do they know this is NOT who they are it is just a part of who they are, it DOES NOT DEFINE THEM.  I’m not closer to deciding how or when I will tell Owen but I have less of a need to tell him.  I am in no hurry.  I know what dies define him is his overall GREATNESS.

Not Too Hot

Since Brooklynn wastes the shampoo it has forced us to put the shampoo on the high ledge in the shower.  It’s a bummer because even though the kids are old enough to clean themselves we are still forced to go in and give them shampoo.  It isn’t all bad because a good mom hair wash is needed every couple of times.  Let’s be honest, a kid just doesn’t do as good of a job.  The other day Owens shower lasted all of 8 seconds and I barely made it into the bathroom to get the shampoo.  He had the water off and I hustled him back in to his “mmmoooommmm” complaining.  I turned on the water and he instantly started in with the “not so hot”… Really Owen, do you think I’m going to singe your skin, my entire arm is in the water.  I tell him “Owen, it isn’t that hot” He responded with, “Hot water will raise my blood pressure”

WHAT!?

Okay, I had to go there, “Owen, where did you read that?”

Owen “I learned it on Wii Fit, it asked me if I wanted health tips, I said yes”  The best part, he hasn’t played Wii Fit in 12 months.  I wonder how many luke warm or down right cold showers this kid has taken to avoid high blood pressure?

The Shower Death Trap

Brooklynn is a shampoo waster! She drizzles it on the shower floor and splashes in it creating this bubble haven that she plays in.  She fills the shower cup with shampoo and water and pours it out and plays making even more bubbles.  She thinks this is just the best time ever.  I hate the wasting sure, but even worse then that the soapy floor becomes a DEATH TRAP for the next person to step into the shower.  As the first person up in the morning I now have to step into the shower on high alert ready to brace myself for what might happen! DANG IT!  We have taken steps to correct this but seriously one slip and you can never relax in the haven that is a hot shower again.  SO SO SAD!

Moves Like Jagger

We went to an 80’s Girl Scout dance and Brooklynn BUSTED out some amazing moves. It was a great time.

A Hero Named Jesus

I do what I can to own my short comings, I promise.  I fail, on a regular basis, to look thru my children’s backpacks.  I think this is for two reasons.
1.       They are gross, especially Brooklynn’s.  She uses it as a catch all and thing or piece of paper that makes it to the bottom of the bag ends up covered in food crumbs (YUCK)
2.       They are both really good about doing their homework, so if it’s important to go back they are on top of it.
The down side, I sometimes miss the great stuff that they bring.  Well I don’t miss it, it’s just delayed.

I digress… Over spring break I decided to PURGE the beasts that are the backpacks and emptied them (After I emptied Brooklynn’s I actually had to bring the vacuum cleaner out and VACUUM out the bottom of the backpack, she has major issues). I looked at every piece of paper. I gave Owen the riot act for every paper that he didn’t get 100% on and gave Brooklynn a high five for anything that was nearing a C. They are different students and should be treated differently. Anyway, I was awe struck when I found this in Owen’s stack of papers:


The best part, it had clearly been hanging on the wall of his class room or hallway.  I was pretty proud of his outlook and insight.  Owen, he’s my Hero too.

Father Daughter Dance

This is the THIRD year that I have asked Donn to take Brooklynn to the Girl Scout Father Daughter Dance.  To me it is a no brainer.  If there was a mother-son event, I would be all over it.  Owen would have to beg me not to drag him there.  This year I finally convinced him.  I was super pumped.  A few days before the event I suggested he take her to dinner and make a date night, he declined, just not feeling the greatness that is “the Father-Daughter Dance”.  The day of the dance comes and he changes his mind, they are going to go to dinner.  Brooklynn has a new dress (a Christmas present from Mamaw) and shiny black shoes.  I paint her nails and curl her hair – it is important to her that I do her hair with the same number of curls that I had when I married Daddy – “that’s how he likes hair mom”.  She looked so pretty!  Donn got her a corsage that matched her dress perfectly.

The absolute BEST part of the night, hands down, no question… Donn said when they got home “I regret not taking her the last two years, we had a great time, we danced all night”.  I wasn’t glad in the “I told you so” kind of way, I was glad in the IT WAS THAT GREAT – kind of way… A memory was definitely made.  The second best part when Owen & I got home (we decided to go on a date too, we went to dinner to Angel and Carys) Donn and Brooklynn were cuddled up on the couch together.  AWESOME!