My Goofball

Or Stickerboy!

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When Your Genius Has a Learning Delay

We all think our children are geniuses, and I am relatively certain that William is a smarty. He can count to thirty, knew his ABCs when he was two (because some nights I sang him to sleep with them), pretend reads, engages in imaginary play with and without friends - all 4-year-old milestones that he should have met. And yet he is in speech therapy (which doesn't bother me too much; all children progress at their own rate). What does bother me is that when his language skills were tested, the result was that he only understands 75% of what is said to him. He doesn't know how to respond to "why', "what", and "how" questions. I asked him the other day to tell me what the word "understand" means and he told me a story about the cat on the kitchen chair. I can't tell you how many times I've told him to do something, asked him if he understands, he says "yes." And I go my merry way. Then the task doesn't get done, I ask him why, and he stares at me blankly. I took this all as defiance. But he just doesn't get it.

Which, of course, makes me feel like a horrible, mean mom. How could I be so insensitive to my lovey boy? I picked up on the speech delay early, but how could I have not figured out that he didn't get what I was saying to him? We mom's are champions of making ourselves feel terrible when we learn that our conceptions about our kids were all wrong. If we don't understand our kids, what kind of parent could we possibly be but a bad one?

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So all weekend I've repeating this mantra:"you are not perfect, give yourself a break." and "You are a good mom" (which I should have down!) He will have his speech goals revised and I will learn how to help him, he'll be prepared for kindergarten, and then take over the world (if I ever let him move out of the house, but that's a whole new post.)

My belly

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The other day I was standing in front of William as he was sitting, facing me, on the bed. "Mommy," he said, putting his hands on both sides of my belly, "your belly is amazing." He was smiling and looked totally blissed out.

"Mommy's trying to make her belly smaller." It was a reflex reaction. Something I think about every time I put food in my mouth or look at a menu.

"NO, no, no, no, no, no, no mommy!!!!" He cried. "Mommy, it is amazing! I love your belly." Then he lifted up my shirt and kissed it.

How often do we stand in front of the mirror tearing ourselves apart. How often do we think I'm too fat, have too much acne, I hate my wrinkles, if only . . Our spouses tell us that they love us no matter what - but they know that they have to say that, so our thoughts go, so it doesn't really count. Our teenagers tell us that we look wonderful when we are dressed up, but they don't want to hurt our feelings, do they? But a four-year-old's thoughts are pure. They haven't learned what they are supposed to say, they just say what they feel. What William taught me is that while I may be unhappy with some superficial thing, those around me, those that love me, they love me for me, belly and all.

William's Eyes

It is early in the morning. William and Tim are asleep beside me. breathing heavily, like sleeping people do. Will just kicked the covers off, his lovely swan legs stretching. A load of firewood has been delivered. Winter fires are guaranteed; the cats will have a place to congregate.

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Tomorrow is Christmas. Having an almost 4 year old gives one a chance to see Christmas through the eyes of a child again. "Where Santa?" is the question of the hour. Explanations of baby Jesus, who grew to love everyone, are ever so important. The excitement of seeing a Christmas tree is fresh again. And tomorrow morning - what sort of spectacle will is hold, after Santa has visited and the room is festooned with presents and magic?

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William's eyes have been big, full of wonder this holiday season. What sort of time of year is this, when houses sport magical lights and people walk around with smiles on their faces? When the world becomes a fairy land of snow and ice? When candy and cookies abound, the house becomes full of visitors, warmth, and love?

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May you once again see this brilliant season through the eyes of a child and fell it with the heart of The One.

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Merry Christmas.

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I'm Grateful: Sibling Love

Enter my giveaway for a $50 CSN gift certificate! Money, money, money, money!

I am grateful to have a 17-year-old who loves to sing, dance, jump around with, slide, swing, and otherwise engage in all types of play with her sometimes annoying 3-year-old brother.


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Hearing them in her room singing Top 40 music at the top of their lungs is always a highlight of my day.

I'm Grateful: A few things

Enter my giveaway for a $50 CSN gift certificate! Get some extra cash for the holidays!!

Today I am grateful for: microwave popcorn, Will spinning in circles singing songs, having money to buy Christmas gifts, and soft, silly kittens.

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I'm grateful for a time of year that lets us reflect upon why we are grateful.

The Magic of Readeez

Will (my three-year-old computer geek) is sitting at the Dell eating Fiery Tortilla Chips (the boy likes anything savory or hot), downing the water, and watching Readeez clips on YouTube. Wait - you haven't heard of Readeez?! Well, you must!!! It is only the coolest reading tool to pop out of the blog-o-sphere since, well, I guess since ever!

Readeez was conceived by an uber-cool dad who wanted to find a way to teach his daughter, Isabelle, to read phonetic syllables. So he came up with these short, cool clips that remind me of the glory days of Sesame Street - you know, when Mr. Hooper was still alive and The Pointer Sisters sang "The Pinball Song" and Prairie Dawn sang songs about friendship that made my mom cry.

So I've included the three Readeez clips that get played the most in this household. They are loved by mommy, toddler, and the 12-year-old too cool for his britches boy. They are all under 2:30 minutes. You will thank yourself for watching them. Then you will head to YouTube and watch the rest of them, cuz they are that good.

Cool Sesame Street feel. And I think at this point, Will has watched this one 15 times tonight. Really. And I don't mind at all.

Catchy, can't get it out of your head song

The absolute favorite. Your one-year-old can sing it with you, as well as your 16-year-old. Will breaks out in this one at Wal-Mart All.The.Time!

Ten Little Isabels, Sandy Beach, Boomba Boom (the one with the Disoriented Zebra, which cracks Will up to no end), Love's Enough (mommy's favorite), and Tonight and Every Night (the one that makes the parents cry) are other faves. Oh, and Readeez has Bible and Math offerings, too.

So check it out, and I dare you not to become hooked!

p.s. happiness is a rockstar

Burning pictures

I've been trying to burn pictures into my brain with the cameras in my eyes

::you waking in the morning; the way you look at me

::your head on my tummy; your cheekbones

::the cats curled on their backs in the sun; light glinting off of soft fur; curled toes; half closed eyes

::bees lazy on the false indigo, gone for a week now; little orchid flowers; deep purple

::pictures of my grandparents; memories flood in; tears just barely held back

::the scars on your leg from the accident; new, but now a part of you

::you looking at me with eyes of trust and love; a little mischeif, too

::hair blowing with the window down; red, fiery, soft; bright smile and twirling thoughts

::cars lined up on the piano; keys as parking spaces

::the love in your smile

::the love

Photos from We Heart It

Happy Blues

I am having a "now why did I decide to have a toddler?" day today. His favorite word now is "no," even if he means yes. He has learned to whine, he threw his food across the room at lunch, and has had two HUGE fits. There was a point when I wanted to drive him out into the country and kick him out the door. But then I'd miss him, and if the police found out, I'd go to prison. Yeah, there's that.

GAH!

So I have We Heart It finds today. the theme is "Happy Blues." Enjoy!

{101} Happiness!

So when I started blogging in earnest, I immediately found a bloggy soul sister in Roxanne. Her blog is so cool! Which is why I am so honored to have received a Happy 101 Award from her; it's my first blog award and I'm feeling a bit giddy right now!



So the idea behind the Happy 101 Award is that I share 10 things that make me happy and ten bloggers that I love to read, then they get to do the same thing. Groovy, eh?

So, without further ado . . .

1) My family goes without saying. So number 1 is Vintage Mixing Bowls - yes, mixing bowls. I am a little obsessed with them. My favorite kinds are Jadite, Pyrex, and Fire King, but if it catches my eye, look out. They make me giddy.



2) Cats. The things I love about them are the things that others hate. They are independent, free-spirited. They get crazy, then sleep all day long. They pad you with their little paws little they did to mama cat when they were kittens. If they love you, they squint their eyes at you in the most blissed out way. They do nothing that you want them to do. A feather drives them insane. They curl up on little comfy balls with each other. And then they sleep on your face at night because they KNOW that you love it!



3) My three-year-old's voice. And his laugh. And when he sings the "SpongeBob SquarePants" theme song (he knows just about every cartoon theme song - and also "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga which I'm stumped by - but SpongeBob is by far my favorite).

4) Ice Cream. I've talked about my love of ice cream on this blog a lot. A lot. So here's a tempting picture of it. Just to make we want some more.



5) Americana. I love folk art and old lithographs of George and Martha Washington. I get silly misty at Greenfield Village and The Ohio Historical Village, not to mention the grandaddy museum-of-Americana, The Smithsonian. There is something about everything from quilts that women in Maine sewed in the 1700's to Archie Bunker's chair that makes me feel all gooshy and patriotic. I should mention that I cried watching Ken Burn's "The Civil War," so I have a thing for American History. Shoot, I could go on for hours about that. It's the art, though, the creativity, that really gets to me.



7) Shoes. Yes, it's cliched. But I love them. I love little kitten heels and ballet flats. Pointy toes that make your feet look twice as long. Shiny red patent leather, cheetah prints, loafers, and Chucks. Chucks with silver sequins. And gold ones. And zebra stripes. Must stop now.

8) Birds. I've been a bird watcher for as long as I can remember. My mom and step-dad were active birders and we would go on nature walks and find red-headed woodpeckers and nuthatches - things you didn't see at our apartment complex in Columbus. I keep a list of all of the species I've seen, but it's not just about numbers. It's about grace and gorgeous colors and jaunty hops through the yard. It's about haunting songs and bobbing heads and fearless dives into the water. They are amazing.



9) Cooking a Great Meal. I come from a big German-Irish family. It wasn't so much "food is love" as it was "if I love you, I will cook for you." What thrills me more is taking it a step further - making a fantastic coq au vin and seeing that "oh, my" look in the eyes of the people I'm feeding. Or making their favorite cake just because. And making it taste fantastic.



9.5) Anti-depressants. Okay. I'm joking here, but only partially so. I've alluded to the fact that I am diagnosed with depression. Before I was on the medication regimen that I was on, I wasn't a happy girl. I'm making light, because it goes so far beyond not being happy, but, if I'm really technical about it, those anti-depressants really do make me happy.

10)The Promise - John 3:16. It changed everyone's lives. In moments when I am the most down, I think of forgiveness and I know that I have something even more amazing waiting for me later.



It was extremely difficult to pick just ten bloggers to award with a Happy 101 Award (Roxanne helped me out by already awarding Kate, so even though I'm giving her props, she doesn't count!). A lot of these women have been my blog sisters for a long time, a few I just met, but all of their blogs are special and they have been an encouragement to me. Read them and feel happy.

Cora from Heartfelt and Homemade
Lisa of Earth Mama
Julochka's Moment's of Perfect Clarity
Samantha of Perfection is Boring
Stephanie's Handmade by God
Michelle from Give a Girl a Fig
Debbie of Strings of Purls
Kathy of A Beautiful Ramble
Manda from There Is a Time
Stacey of golden bird knits
And for added measure, a blogger I just started reading and adore
Alison from and flowers pick themselves

The Color Red

The C+C Photography assignment this week was to tell a story with a color. There were all sorts of parts to the assignment, like using the chosen color's complementary color in a photo, do something blurry, use lessons from the Perspective assignment.

Can you guess my color? It's not yellow (though that's what I started with)?

At first, I wanted to tell a story about a toddler at play. Will and I went into the yard, then we went exploring .

The yard wasn't really doing it for me, though. So I loaded Will, Kendall, and myself up into the car and we took a road trip. And I shot rural Ohio.

Pottersville Bridge, Early 1900's

Near Mingo, OH

Using some layers

And finally, my favorite photo

At first, I thought I was doomed with this assignment. I took photo after photo and couldn't seem to get anything right. MANY photos were deleted. Once I decided that a change of perspective was what I needed, it all came together. Harrah for road trips!

A Quick Moment

Claire b did a quick little post today asking what our favorite memories from the day were. It made me think of something, a quiet, quick moment that happened a few days ago. It was one of those moments that you store away in your heart forever.

Will and I were cuddling in bed at nap time. He was in the crook of my left shoulder. He turned and looked at me, eyes full of love. "Mommy?" he asked. "What William?" I answered. "I happy, Mommy." Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

I took a nap holding him; my heart had melted.

The Big Party

So right now, I am in the midst of preparing for Will's birthday party. The cake has been baked an decorated, Swiss Steak (which I will give you the recipe for soon), a family birthday tradition, is in the oven and baking, cut potatoes for the mashed potatoes are on the stove. The girls (Kendall and her friend Ashley) wrapped the presents, Collin and Tim tackled the shoveling and salting of the walkways.

A word on the Swiss Steak. Around 15 years ago, I made my grandfather, who brought the recipe back from his WWII Navy days, write the recipe down. I'm so happy that I did. Ever since he died three years ago, it hasn't been made. I decided now was the time. I was going to use my pressure cooker (which had belonged to him and my grandma), but I got a little too carried away and made more than the cooker could hold. So now it is in a roaster pan in the oven stewing away. I am excited to taste it again, and my family is all showing up for a taste, too. The Vawters are German, food brings us together.

So that's that. Busy busy, while Will enjoys his billionth viewing of The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. I suppose I should change out of my cooking clothes, which are splattered and covered with flour, into something more presentable!

(Will's cake is a dark chocolate fudge cake with chocolate icing. I have no way of sharing a picture of it with you, however, as my hard drive has crashed. Yes, you heard me. Out of the blue, it crashed. So enjoy these pictures from We Heart It.)

Etsy finds for Will (and Mommy)

William's third (THIRD!) birthday is the 26th, so last night I took a tour of etsy trying to find items I might buy for him. As always, I found some wonderful stuff!

At Lisa J Honey's Sweet Things you can find the most Amazing felt food. Check out this cheese tray for $20. Looks good enough to eat!



Speaking of felt, asherjasper offers The Cutest egg people. They start around $15, but for $70, you can get this custom ordered set of your own family. Email a picture and you will receive this amazing set (even with the family pet!).



This woodpecker print would be perfect for William's animal room. From Studio Lyon, $18.



Studio Lyon also offers these ABC prints; with a modern graphic they are a nice way to introduce the alphabet ($8).



I love this owl shelf for Will's room. Maple shade Kids specializes in eco-friendly Room Decor and Art. $59



It's hard to find great boy's clothing, but I think this car shirt from BabyBolt fits the bill. It's $20, and would thrill Will, who loves anything with a car.



These two are more for mommy. You may have gathered by now that I am fascinated with saints. Blame it on catholic school. But this St. Therese of Lisieux ($18) is detailed and just the cutest little saint ever. Saintly Silver and Saintly Sewing offer any saint you can think of, all intricately stitched and highly detailed. And cute!



Kelly Street Vintage (one of my favorite shops on ebay) has this wonderful late 1800's - early 1900's wooden alphabet toy. I so want this (I doubt Will would ever get his hands on it - this is a mommy toy, too). Priced at $82.50, I think it would be a wonderful addition to my antique collection!