Dream Shard Blog: The Scintillating Adventures of Our Household

Choose a Topic:

Wed
4
Mar '15

Dinnertime Candids

During dinner tonight Elizabeth had a pouty moment. She has the best glowering, sullen looks where she tucks her chin under and sticks out her lower lip. I missed the lower lip but caught the rest. I can’t help but laugh when she glowers.

P1030453

P1030454

P1030456

So then Carissa wanted me to take a picture of her, too.

P1030457

And we couldn’t leave Wes out.

P1030458

P1030459

P1030460

P1030462

Sun
4
Jan '15

Bits of December

In December we went with some extended family to Tucanos. It is such a nice place to visit during the holidays because of the amazing lights outside.

smP1020120

We tried to get family pictures but they didn’t really turn out; these are the best two, and they don’t include everyone.

P1020131

P1020139

We enjoyed walking through the Christmas lights after dinner, and we discovered a free sleigh ride in a wagon pulled buy two horses with bells on. We stood in line about 15 minutes, and then it was our turn. Just as we were walking up to board Elizabeth suddenly threw up. So I stayed with her on the sidelines while John took the other two kids for a ride. They loved it. Elizabeth was fine, by the way.

We took the kids to the annual United Angels Foundation Christmas Party, which is for families who have kids with special needs. We ate dinner and then played games and stood in line to see Santa. I like to get pictures of the kids with Santa to help document Christmas year-by-year, but this year wasn’t a great year for pictures.

P1020171

P1020177

P1020180

Oh, well.

John and I attended a BIP meeting for Wes at his school. “BIP” means “Behavior Intervention Program” (I think). It’s part of his IEP program, which helps with academic goals. This covers behavior-specific goals. We met with six or seven other people who work with Wes and school and talked about ways to help him do better. Carissa was with us, since she had a slight fever and we didn’t want to leave her with a babysitter (like the other two kids). It was a long meeting, almost 2 hours, so to keep her busy I gave her my camera. And voila, we have pictures of our meeting. Mostly of Carissa.

P1020196

P1020206

P1020216

P1020217

P1020218

P1020219

P1020220

One morning I thought I’d make a quick coffee cake, and that it wouldn’t take much time at all, but then all three kids wanted to help and it wasn’t so quick anymore. I like it when they help me in the kitchen, though.

sm12.12.14 breakfast kids

Grocery shopping with Wes. I made him put the Utes hat back.

smP1020103

smP1020108

Playing with umbrellas.

smP1020164

I noticed that Carissa had taken our family picture (from 4 years ago) and updated it herself.

smP1020165

Sat
26
Apr '14

April

Carissa’s preschool class at their Easter Egg hunt. I asked Carissa if she knows why we celebrate Easter, and she said “So the Easter Bunny can come.” There’s a little boy in her class with Down syndrome. I know the boy’s family because his older brother is autistic and was in Wes’s preschool class. I asked Carissa about this boy and she said, “He is silly. He doesn’t listen to the teachers or help clean up.” Sounds just like Wes!
Carissa preschool Easter party

Carissa’s winter gear in spring.
IMG_1884

I bought Carissa this book that she picked out from the BYU Bookstore. It came with an ink pad. She makes fingerprints, and then follows the directions to turn the fingerprints into cute animals or objects. I was unsure if she was mature enough to really get it, but trust me–she really got it. I love looking through the book and seeing her creations. Carissa is very creative and getting more creative all the time.
IMG_1885

She gets a little carried away sometimes, though. I’ve also noticed Elizabeth starting to draw on herself, which I’m sure she’s learned from her big sister.
IMG_1887

One day we made blue Jigglers from a zoo Jell-O mold.
IMG_1890

IMG_1910IMG_1897

IMG_1898

Elizabeth has learned self-reliance. She is often seen toting a chair around so she can reach something she’s expressly not allowed to get into. I’ve started stacking the little red chairs on tables out of her reach so she can’t do this anymore, but she can still push the big kitchen chairs where she wants them.
IMG_1902

IMG_1905

One day I needed to get out of the house so I took the kids to Kiwanis Park near BYU. The kids had so much fun. There was a little neighborhood girl who was selling Otterpops, but she was giving them away free to kids three and younger. So Carissa had a little treat.

IMG_1932

IMG_1933

IMG_1938

IMG_1939

IMG_1944

Carissa loves goggles. And all accessories. She also loves her swimsuit. Sometimes she’ll wear it to bed, either by itself or over her pajamas.
IMG_1949

IMG_1950

IMG_1951

IMG_1952

John and I had this crazy idea to take our kids backyard camping. We wanted a practice run before we go real-camping.

Wes and Carissa were BEYOND excited. Carissa helped Dad set up the tent.

IMG_1956

IMG_1961IMG_1969

IMG_1971

We put Elizabeth in the playpen in the tent for bedtime. Which didn’t work at all, but Carissa took care of her without me asking her to by running back and forth between the other tent (the “toy tent”) and the playpen, getting toys she thought Elizabeth might like. When it came time for her to really fall asleep, John held her until she did. The kids slept really well in the tent, even though it was a chilly night.

IMG_1973

IMG_1974

Once it was dark we gave the kids new little flashlights and explored the backyard. It was so cute to hear them say things like, “Look! A rock! Mom, check out this stick!” Everything is cooler in the dark, with flashlights. Wes kept saying, “Spooky!”
IMG_1977

Then we roasted marshmallows.
IMG_1980

This was their first time making and eating s’mores. I even found pink marshmallows for Carissa.
IMG_1981

IMG_1983

We sang a song together (“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”–in a round, even!) and then it was bedtime. We will probably do this again sometime. The kids loved it.
IMG_1985

The day after camping was our annual Easter egg hunt at BYU with Wesley’s Down syndrome group.
IMG_1987

IMG_1989

IMG_1990

IMG_1991

IMG_1996

IMG_1998

IMG_2000

IMG_2005

IMG_2008

Carissa knows she’s allergic to nuts (or, at least, that they “make her sick” and she can’t have them). So with every egg she opened she showed me the candy and asked, “Does this have nuts?” Good girl.
IMG_2009

Carissa loved chasing the ducks in the stream. There was a mama duck with about fifteen ducklings. Fifteen!
IMG_2015

We walked through the Wilkinson Center and posed by Cosmo Cougar on the steps. Wes loves BYU football.

IMG_2018

Then we got ice cream at Baskin Robbins and ate it outside. Good times.
IMG_2019

The big news around here is two new scooters. John took Carissa for her inaugural ride down our street.
IMG_2023

IMG_2026

IMG_2029

IMG_2032

The park by our house on another day when I just needed to get out.
IMG_2049

IMG_2053

Carissa has great poses.
IMG_2057

IMG_2059

Native American Baby. Carissa says she didn’t do this, but I’m not so convinced.
IMG_2061

IMG_2064

IMG_2065

Eating cereal.
IMG_2071

IMG_2074

IMG_2076

Carissa made this lion. I think it kind of looks like one, too! She’s getting better with scissors and glue and tape.
IMG_2082

Easter! During the Easter egg hunt Carissa insisted on only collecting purple ones. She helped Wes find all the rest. Wes and Carissa both got watches in their Easter baskets. Wes’s is Angry Birds (his favorite game) and Carissa’s is…well, can you guess? Hello Kitty.
IMG_2084

IMG_2085

IMG_2090

IMG_2094

IMG_2097

IMG_2099

IMG_2102

IMG_2103

IMG_2105

IMG_2109

IMG_2110

IMG_2111

IMG_2113

IMG_2114

Carissa has finally mastered writing her name. I thought she had it down a while ago, but in February when she was signing her name on Valentines I discovered she writes her name backward. It was perfect, just backward (even her S’s were backward). Her preschool teacher says it’s really common, and they worked on it at school. This week is the first time I saw her write it correctly (even her S’s!), so I snapped a picture. (Then, the next day or so I saw her write her name backward again. But now I know she can do it forward.)

Oh, and check out her picture. She told me this is a picture of herself. She has bangs, and a rainbow on her shirt like the one she’s wearing. What a great artist!
IMG_2121

Elizabeth enjoys the sandbox.
IMG_2123

Wes is really liking bubbles lately. This is great because blowing bubbles was a really hard skill for him to learn. But he can do it now all by himself!
IMG_2124

IMG_2127

Three kids on a couch.

IMG_2130

Sun
6
Apr '14

March Lookback

Grandpa visited in early March and repaired a clogged drain. The kids watched.

IMG_1675

Grandpa showed them his new shop in their backyard.

IMG_1603

And Grandma read a book to them.

IMG_1606

Wes is 6 1/2 years old. He likes to do things by himself. This teaches me much patience, as it is always easier and faster to do it myself, but not better for him. Lately he has been practicing making his own bagel in the morning. I help him put it in the toaster, but he can get the plate, knife, and cream cheese out himself and spread the cream cheese (with a little help). I’m proud of him.

IMG_1766

Recently Carissa wanted breadsticks for lunch. I told her we’d have to make them, and she said that was OK with her. Thankfully I have a nice 1-hour bread recipe. She liked helping shape the breadsticks and putting them on the pan to bake. She likes to help in the kitchen and sometimes comes in while I’m cooking dinner and says, “Mom, can I help?” She especially likes stirring and tasting (especially when I’m not looking).

IMG_1799

We made some no-bake cookies (which usually have peanut butter in them) from Biscoff cookie spread, which is nut-free.

IMG_1805

Elizabeth likes to eat but it is messy.

IMG_1802

In March we visited a yummy cupcake shop with Aunt Tara.

IMG_1860

IMG_1863

Elizabeth is 17 months today and what a wonderful handful she is. Bright, robust, and talking with a million words of her creation. She loves to say “bye-bye” to everyone and everything, and she squeals whenever she sees our cats outside. She gets really excited to see buses (because Wes rides a school bus and we look for it five days a week) and calls them “Ba ba.” Also known as “Ba ba” is her favorite crocheted blanket. She can identify the nose and calls it “no.” When she wakes up at night crying John is really diplomatic (and more patient than I am) and gets her to calm down by asking her what she wants, going through “no, no, no” until he gets a “Yes!” and problem is solved.

IMG_1865

There’s a garden plot in our backyard that serves as a hole-digging paradise.

IMG_1727

Also a place where the kids can explore for wriggling worms.

IMG_1873

IMG_1874

We found a cheap remote-controlled Angry Birds balloon that the kids enjoy flying in our living room.

IMG_1754

One day Carissa started crying hysterically, saying her thumb hurt. She said she pinched it in the DVD case. It took a lot to calm her down and she refused to use her thumb all evening. But by nighttime I saw her using it again. The next day the same thing happened (not sure how she hurt it this time). And then it happened the next day a third time. We didn’t know if there was something wrong, so John took her to instacare (wish we had insurance). They took xrays and wrapped her hand in a pink bandage. Nothing seems to be wrong, although she might have had a strained tendon. John said Carissa was an absolute ANGEL at the doctor’s office and the nurses loved her–until it was time to go home and she still had the pink bandage on. She cried and cried that she wanted it off, but we wouldn’t let her. She pulled it off herself after bedtime. We put it back on the next day, but she pulled it off again. As far as we can tell her hand is fine.

IMG_1776

I took the kids swimming a couple weeks ago, which is one of their most favorite things in the world. Especially Wes. Usually transition times (like when it’s time to stop doing something and start doing something else) are REALLY HARD for Wesley. And for me, getting him to transition. It is like dragging a donkey through the snow. But all you have to do is say, “Wes, wanna go swimming?” and he is 100%, perfectly compliant and willingly goes potty and puts on his swim trunks and runs to the garage door saying, “READY!” all by himself without any push from me. And once he is in the water Wes is as happy as in heaven, swimming and jumping and splashing and doing everything that brings him joy. This time he met a boy there about his age and they had so much fun running around the pool together. It’s a great toddler-sized pool that even Elizabeth can stand in and walk around. After about an hour Carissa got up courage to go up the stairs to the slide area (because water rains down on the steps–she was nervous to go through that). But I couldn’t get her down a slide because of the water that periodically dumps from above. I can understand that, but I sure loved going down those slides, and so did Wes. We stayed a couple hours and got ice cream on the way home (which is literally the only way to help Wes transition happily from swim-time to go-home-time). I tried to get a good picture of them before we left for the pool but this was the best I got.

IMG_1791

IMG_1795

This is a game in the lobby of the rec center where you try to touch lights that move.

IMG_1792

Wes on the way home from the pool.

IMG_1796

IMG_1797

Some artwork:

Carissa recently learned how to make rainbows.

IMG_1718

Carissa also recently discovered eyebrows.

IMG_1807

Wesley doesn’t love coloring like Carissa does but sometimes he gets into it. He is getting good at writing letters.

IMG_1722

Playing at a friend’s house.

IMG_1457

IMG_1465

IMG_1469

Wes got to hang out with the BYU cheer squad. They played red light/green light and Wes had fun. Usually the BYU athletes tower over the people with Down syndrome (because they’re typically short) but these cheerleaders were just the right size.

IMG_1594

In Feb-March Wes played in a basketball league for kids with special needs. To say Wes loved it would be an understatement. He lived for that every Saturday for six weeks. He was the only 6-year-old who could make baskets in the tall regulation-height hoops. At the end of the six weeks he got a medal.

IMG_1602

Wes is really good at writing his name. This a sign of great progress from the start of his school year. However, he did it with permanent marker on our coffee table and I haven’t been able to get it off yet.

IMG_1607

We went bowling with his BYU Athletic Connection group one week. Wes loves bowling.

IMG_1730

IMG_1731

Wes cheering for himself.
IMG_1734

Carissa had more fun in the arcade section. We spent a few dollars playing Ski-ball (I played, she watched and collected tickets) so she could “win” a red slap bracelet. She also won some bouncy balls. Afterward, naturally, we got ice cream from the Creamery and visited the BYU Bookstore. We bought a couple Pinkalicious books, which are some of Wesley’s current favorites.
IMG_1749

IMG_1751

Mon
16
Dec '13

Winter is Here

With the holidays fast approaching we’ve been enjoying the season.

I tried taking photos of the kids for a potential Christmas card but they all basically turned out like this. No Christmas cards for us.

IMG_0914

IMG_0908

IMG_0912

IMG_0916

IMG_0915

IMG_0906

We bought a pile of hot chocolate for a church activity. Wes and Carissa liked using it to build a giant tower.

IMG_0924

Wes is really improving at his art and writing skills. As his mom, I am Super Impressed and Proud. And so I share:

He did this picture AND the word all by himself. ALL BY HIMSELF. (I just told him how to spell “spider.”) Did I mention I’m Super Impressed and Proud?

IMG_0925

IMG_0926

IMG_0927

Elizabeth is 13 months going on 13 years.

IMG_0932

This afternoon the sun was shining and it was above freezing, so when Carissa asked to play outside in the snow I couldn’t object. For the first time, both kids got to make snow angels. Carissa did one and was happy (“Just like Kipper!” she said, referring to the dog on one of her favorite shows from Netflix), but Wes made about six. He really liked it!

IMG_0940

Carissa was my helper decorating our goodies for neighbor gifts. She was in her element and did a good job. She helped decorate, Wes helped eat them.

IMG_0950

IMG_0954

Sat
30
Nov '13

The Day After Thanksgiving

We had this brilliant idea to go to Salt Lake City the day after Thanksgiving and to stay in a hotel right by the new downtown mall.

Then we remembered it was Black Friday. But we went anyway.

Getting ready took most of the morning, as things do with kids. When we were all finally packed we were on our way to Salt Lake City. We checked in to our hotel downtown, parked the car, and started pulling stuff out. That’s when John said, “Where’s the suitcase?” and our conversation went something like:

“I don’t know, didn’t you pack it in the car?”

“No, I thought you did.”

“No, I thought YOU did.”

And so we checked ourselves out of the hotel and transformed our overnight plans into a short daytrip.

We began at the Leonardo, a science and creative arts and technology museum.

IMG_0707

Our first stop was the creative studio. Carissa, Wes, and I each made something out of clay. (Elizabeth played on the beanbag.)

IMG_0708

IMG_0709

IMG_0712

IMG_0714

Wes and Dad made a train. I made a turtle. Carissa made…I’m not sure what it is.

IMG_0745

IMG_0746

Next we went upstairs where the kids played in the pixel station.

IMG_0719

IMG_0720

IMG_0716

IMG_0724

Next was the green screen room. The kids could stand in front of the green screen and see themselves on a TV with a weather map behind them. They thought that was neat, but even neater was holding up a green piece of fabric and making themselves disappear on the TV. Cool science!

IMG_0725

See how Wes is partially missing?
IMG_0726

IMG_0727

IMG_0728

The kids spent a lot of time in the Motion Capture room, where they could dance to music in their bare feet. A motion sensor could pick up one person’s structure and while you dance, you can see your skeleton move with you on the TV screen. Carissa was too little for the motion sensor to detect her, but it worked for Wes. (P.S. Do you notice how he’s pulling the same dance move in the picture below as in the picture above from the green room?)

IMG_0733

The kids loved dancing in this room, especially Elizabeth. Good thing the place wasn’t busy.

IMG_0735

IMG_0736

Even I got to rock it out with my kids.

IMG_0740

John helped the kids make a stop-action film in the room near the dancing room, but I guess I didn’t take any pictures. They also used a paintbrush to touch a computer screen and create art.

By now it was 5 pm and kids (namely me) were getting hungry. We took the Trax train back to the City Creek Mall and walked around to find a place to eat. Turns out that on Black Friday, at a new mall, on the night Temple Square turns on its Christmas lights, restaurants are pretty busy around 5:30 pm. We went to four different places but all had an hour wait. We went to the top floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and got this picture:

IMG_0748

I thought that might be the closest we’d get to the lights, but we decided to take a quick stroll through them before heading back towards our car. At least it was above freezing, which was especially nice since I left our kids’ hats and gloves and my scarf in our car back at the hotel parking lot.

IMG_0750

IMG_0752

It was about 6:30 pm. We thought we would go back to the hotel and end up at a drive-through somewhere. This was a little disappointing since we had been looking forward to a sit-down restaurant (which we haven’t done in a long while). Just as we were headed back through the mall towards our car John pointed out a Brazilian steakhouse. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask, so for the fifth time I asked what the wait was, and for the first time I got a “You can come right in” reply. Hallelujah!

It was a Brazilian churrasco-style menu where they serve yummy fresh-grilled meat at your table, and you can get additional sides from the salad bar. We were hungry, and the children were tired. It was pricey but we didn’t care. We weren’t paying for a hotel anymore, so why not?

And it was delicious. The filet Mignon, grilled pineapple, garlic mashed potatoes, cheesy bread, caramelized bananas, fresh Parmesan… Yep, it was a tasty dinner. Carissa made it through the whole dinner happily, but progressively more tiredly.

IMG_0754

Elizabeth fell asleep in the stroller not too long after we sat down. Wes ate a little and then crawled into my lap and fell asleep around 7:45 pm. We enjoyed our peaceful dinner.

IMG_0753