Going on a Bug Hunt

Memorial Day Weekend

We took off on Friday of the Memorial day weekend and headed to Portland. It worked out nice because Juan had that Friday and Monday off. We headed out in the morning and went to OMSI for the first thing. It was ok but our kids are still a little too young to enjoy it and Damon was throwing up in the morning before we left but as soon as we got in the car, he was fine, but he was so tired! And that was the beginning of the trip. We headed over to the Beaverton area after and checked into our hotel and then met up with Juans sister and her boyfriend at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. That place is just amazing! Amazing wings for sure! We headed back to the hotel afterwards and got settled in a bit.

Saturday we started out our day and went to the childrens museum and the boys loved it! Especially Damon living the water area!We headed to babies r' us hoping to find a pack and play that we like since we aren't getting the crib out while we are living at my parents. Didn't find one that I completely loved and so we left empty handed. He headed over to costco after that and also left empty handed. My day was already going bad because both boys were tired and we had too many people with us that we were in the way for everyone. Idle standing, no good. I want to get in a store get what I need, and leave. We were going to head back to the hotel afterwards because it was about 2 in the afternoon and I wanted to put the kids to nap but we decided to head to a Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Can't not shop when you know there are no taxes! It was great to be near family in a way because we were able to leave Keenan with Juans little brothers that we brought with us to stay with Vicky and us adults and Damon went to eat at a buffet. Nice to be able to just relax a bit. We were able to let Damon have a nap at his sisters while Juan went with her boyfriend Juan to the adidas employee store where they got everything 50% off! It was a good deal!

Sunday we met up with my Grandpa Floyd and Jane for breakfast. It was nice to see them for about an hour and half and enjoy thier company. We headed out again and went and met up with his sister and his cousin to hang out together.

Monday we checked out and headed over to American Eagle and got Juan a couple pair of Jeans that headed over to his cousins house and then headed out towards home to his other cousins house for a BBQ. It was nice to be able to just hang out and not shop. We enjoyed some good company and some good food. We left on super full stomachs but couldn't miss the outlet malls heading out!

We had a good time but we both agreed it was too long of a vacation with kids that young and me being 8 months pregnant. We needed a vacation from our vacation!

Riders!

My dad seems to always have a crazy fun idea! And he doesn't bother to tell you what his idea is until it's in full action! Like this for example, taking Keenan on the street bike strapped in with a bungee cord. Thats it! The whole time I'm thinking oh this could end tragic! But he loved it and couldnt have been happier.

HIPPA Therapy

I got Damon involved in Hippa Therapy locally here close to my parents home. I think that he really enjoyed it because he would get excited and want to get out of the car as soon as we pulled in. The only down side about the whole thing is he doesn't have a whole lot of trunk control and so his time was very limited on the horse. The first go round was only aout 5 minutes long. And they would increase his time every week going around the ring another time. When we were finished he had done about four times around but still didn't take too long. I don't think I will get him involved again for the summer session just because it is a little pricey and like my dad said, I can just put him on the horse here and ride him around. We will try that and see how that goes. The main goal for this therapy is to gain trunk control and it works really well for autistic kids and kids with social problems because it gives them something to look forward too, routine, and someone they can love, a horse. So for the time being, we will just wait it out. It was fun to get him in though and see him get excited. I felt that it was good for him because he doesn't get to do too many things other then his therapies.

He loved to turn and try and look at the one tree in the corner. So as soon as they would pass that, he would throw his head around and try to look back towards the tree. Only problem, it distracted him too much that he couldnt concentrate on what he should have been doing and that is keeping his head up and trunk up.

I know they say that you should only write down the good, but lets be real... "real" people have up and down days. We can't always be happy or in a super good mood. Today I'm having one of those days where you feel a failure as a parent. Thought it was going to be a good day in fact. Take the boys to McDonalds for lunch, go to therapy for Damon, and thats pretty much where it went down hill.

I didn't choose to be the mom for Damon. There is obviously a plan for our family with him, but in the here and now, its a lot of work! Especially being 9 months pregnant and lifting around a 33 lb boy while getting another to follow us to all these appointments where he can't play with all the toys that are surrounding him. Asking a 3 year old to sit while your brother gets to play with all the fun toys is hard. Hard to get him to understand at this age that he can't play with all the things because of liability issues and the list goes on.

Damon has been having his evaluations for Occupational, Physical, and speech therapy and you would think that by now, I would have a binder I could just hand to them and they can read up about him. Maybe I can be more organized that way. But the same questions day in and day out, what can he do, what are your goals for therapy, how does he eat, what does he play with, what is his routine for a day. If I was a really good mom, I would say, wake up, try and feed him breakfast with us, work on therapy things all morning, naps, and continue therapy and stretching in the afternoon, put him in his stander, his walker... But when they ask me, I feel that I don't do anything with him. He doesnt eat meals with us, he doesnt get to always go outside when we do, so he sits. Really do I tell them that?

Therapy questions: When was his last swallow study, are these all his medications, when was his surgeries, when was the last time he had services, and the list goes on and on. To be honest, I don't work with him like I should, I dont put him in his stander and walker daily. But then you get grilled that you need to be working on these things at home all the time. emm... ok... Because I have all the time and energy to do so. Yes please. I think I heard over a dozen times in the last 2 days, you have your hands full and they are just going to get busier. I just wonder what is going on in their little minds that she has 2, one with disabilities and and she's pregnant again? Does she know how this happens? yes in fact I do. I keep trying to keep in the back of my mind, that this is temporary and the kids will be older, and many great things will come when they are older. But therapies multiple times a week, is taking a lot out of me.

Well so my rant has gone on, but it's ok for me. Things need to be said on paper because I can't tell anyone, not even Juan, because nobody get's it unless you know what it is I'm going through. The moms out there with disabled children are about the only ones to really know.

I can't believe that we have been done with school for almost 2 months! WHAT? It has flown by! That meaning that we have been back around family, living with family, and that has a been a little rough for me for some reason. I thought that I was so excited about coming back, which I am don't get me wrong, but it has been a little different. Living with the parents is a little hard. SO SO grateful that we can live with them and be able to save money, but c'mon after living in your own space for nearly that last seven years, and we haven't had our own "things" since last July, is getting hard. And not knowing what is going to happen after his internship is over is whole other story. But I can't see us living anywhere else at the moment. We looked into getting our own place in Pasco but it didn't feel right as soon as we started looking. So we are here, and as soon as I decided that ok, this is where we are, embrace it, everything else has been running smoothly. I have gotten into my normal routine again with the kids, myself, and now its time to get ready for this baby! I can't believe that in 6 weeks, he could possibly be here. I have been told many many times that I'm small for being due so soon. I feel small when I sit down, but when I stand, I feel like I'm pushing out there! We go and register at the hospital tommorow. It's happening fast! Ready or not here he comes! We still haven't settled on a name, so thats a little stressful. I don't know how I'm going to do it with three kids and I'm so glad that my mom will be here to help out and that she will be done with school for the summer!

Juan is defenitly keeping busy at work. Right now is a time that they are doing lots of laying off and he's taking over all those jobs. He says bring it on! The more he knows, the more valuable his is out there. He has been going to meetings out of work, in work, and most times he's the only intern there. It's exciting the see the growth that he makes out there and use the skills he learned in school put to work! We love having an income again.

Damon finished preschool for the summer yesterday. I think it's going to take him some time to get used to not waking up and getting on the bus. He loved going!! It was a nice break for me also but it really restricted what I could do because I had to leave early in the morning and be home by noon to get home and get him off the bus. So it was always quick trips. Things might be a little more linent now and summer can start! If the weather would know that it's summer. It has been rainy, windy, cooler weather here which is not normal!

Keenan is my little crack up everyday! He's such a good little boy! Of course he has his times everyday that he gets in trouble, but he's three. Exploring and getting in trouble is part of hte game. The other day he tried to ride snoopy, the dog. He actually got on, snoopy took off and Keenan fell off. He got hurt but it was just too funny not to laugh at! My dad brought home a little quail home and put it in a box for Keenan and well lets just say he got a little too happy and squeezed him a little to hard. Now he tells everyone he "squeezed too hard, baby bird die." He's still pretty behind in his speech but he's picking up a lot! I can actually know what he wants but most people don't. last week he was tired and came in from outside and said, "I go home, Keenan go home." I'm glad that he won't remember not having a steady place. But for now he is loving have grandma and grandpa around!