I’m always finding new things I need to wash crayon off of: tables, dolls, windows, floors, and now the fridge. Wes was never into coloring, but she definitely likes it. In the video you can hear her call the letters on the magnet, “B.” That’s what she calls all letters now.

On Saturdays now I take Wes (and Carissa) to BYU for a special program that connects people with special needs (mostly Down syndrome, as far as I can tell) with BYU athletic teams. This week he met the women’s lacrosse team.

Admittedly, he didn’t care about lacrosse at all. As soon as he walked in he zoned in on the basketballs on the corner, and the girls were fantastic with him. Right away they scooped him up and helped him make baskets. They stood in a circle around him and watched him try (and miss, and miss, and miss), but every time he made a basket they all cheered so loud for him! He was basically in heaven.

I was impressed with the girls on the team; they were all so nice and welcoming and knew Wesley’s name even though I didn’t tell them what it was.

Carissa is a little 19-month-old Diva, demanding everything she wants, when and how she wants it. She loves her blanket (which she calls “Bah”), she loves her bottle, and she loves her big-girl sippy cup. She often eats Cheerios first thing in the morning, if she’s not stealing toast from Wesley’s plate.

Wes and Carissa both like to play with water. They enjoy transferring the water from one cup to another. It gets all over the floor, but at least it’s just water.

The other day Carissa wouldn’t go down for a nap. Finally I just sent her into the living room to watch TV with Wes. She didn’t last long.

Waiting for Wesley’s bus.

Lately I’ve been changing my diet to include better food, and less of it. Here are some things I’ve been eating regularly.

I cycle through a couple different breakfast options. They all involve a carbohydrate, fruit, and protein. This is Kodiak Cakes whole wheat pancake mix with bananas, blueberries, and egg whites.

Chicken wrap for lunch, with an 80-calorie whole wheat tortilla and lots of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

Which Wes also likes. I got tired of him trying to eat mine, so I made him his own. The front of his hair is all sticky from drinking a bowl of peach juice.

For dinner, shredded pork with a measured amount of cheddar cheese and steamed broccoli. Or I’ll have chicken instead of pork.

Or I’ll eat the pork with feta cheese instead of cheddar, which is super yummy and salty. I’m becoming a big fan of steamed broccoli sprinkled with salt and pepper.

My snacks usually involve Greek yogurt mixed with fruit, or protein powder mixed with peanut butter. Greek yogurt is a fantastic source of protein (Fage 0% Plain has 23 grams per cup). However, I think Greek yogurt tastes bitter, so I always add ample amounts of Truvia, which is a calorie-free, natural sweetener you can find at your grocery store. It tastes GREAT.

This is Greek yogurt mixed with water, strawberries, ice, and Truvia. Maybe some cinnamon, too.

I also use unsweetened almond milk instead of cow’s milk. It’s only about 40 calories per cup. I like to add sugar-free flavored syrup (usually in the hot chocolate and coffee aisle) and Truvia, which makes it taste like a super sweet treat.

This is one of my snacks made with Gaspari Milk Chocolate protein powder and Adam’s Natural Peanut Butter. It is a gooey, yummy, healthier version of the peanut butter cup (which if you know me, I really like). It’s just protein powder mixed with a couple tablespoons water. I put half in a muffin cup and freeze it for 3o minutes. Then I spread on my measured peanut butter and top it off with the rest of the chocolate mixture. This milk chocolate protein powder is the best I’ve tasted. I sometimes eat it with a cup of my almond milk sweetened with sugar-free caramel syrup. So good.

Wes locked himself and Carissa in his room. I convinced him to open the door, and I walked in and found…

Carissa is getting very good at jumping. Especially on beds.

Yesterday I saw Wes put on his shoe all by himself, for the very first time ever. He skipped socks, but who was I to complain?