Food Shopping Evolution

Well, the day has finally arrived: James is eating more food as he prepares to hit his main growth years. At age 12 (almost 13) he is reaching 5'6". He is still a picky eater, and his overall well being suffers when he does not eat.

Luckily, Costco has an answer for that: cheese pizzas that he asks for (4/$10 ... yay finally having an oven that works! So long, Little Caesar's!) and yogurt. I have bookend foods (dinner and breakfast) that fit in my budget!

Then there's Costco itself. I have James come with me. We get in walking time - yay, exercise. He also helps carry out to the car and returns the cart, if we take one. Of course he meets people he knows ("James! Hi!" from one of his yard duty buddies, while we wait in line).

I am starting to look at the clothes. James is now wearing mens' size 10.5 shoes and small in clothing. Pants are tricky, as he has the length, but is still in kid mode for bone size -- I can still get away with kids XL sizes there sometimes.

We have already determined that the underwear is a no-go (No briefs. What the heck is this new style in mens' underpants?). He does not like the socks or shoes. But jackets, shorts and pants? Those are distinct possibilities. And a bathrobe.

This Costco addition to our weekly shopping comes at a good time, in a way. The Trader Joe's nearest us (yes, our beloved Trader Joe's, where the Crew Members all know James and miss him if I shop without him) took a hit in the Tubbs Fire last month. The building still stands but the business next to it was completely destroyed and a lot of smoke and water damage resulted in the surrounding area. It's closed for probably the next year.

This means that we now have to shop 10-15 minutes further south, at the next Trader Joe's. This one is in a big retail complex that includes a Costco and Costco gas station. If we time our runs strategically, we can hit all 3 without too much craziness at checkout or the parking lot. James grumbles about having to go with me, because he has developed this weird phobia about plants (since August) and guess what Trader Joe's sells outside their entrance? Once inside, it's okay. We see a lot of our regular Crew Members, and I think that reassures all of us.

Raley's strangely enough, still has the best prices around for cat litter (for what I can easily haul up 16 stairs) and canned cat food. They also have a good emergency sized cat food in the brand they prefer. So I still shop there, either after I drop off James at school or on our way back from Boys and Girls Club. They also have the soft wheat bread that James likes, and the lunch ham that I can use for work lunches. Occasionally they will have a good deal on berries (for James' sister) or asparagus and Peets (for me). And come birthday time, this is where the kids get to pick out the frosting and decorations for their birthday cakes (they both still like making their own cakes from scratch with a Lazy Daisy recipe). I like Raley's a lot. I am glad it's still one of my regular retail stops.

Two new local shopping establishments are being added to our routine: Berry's Market and the True Value Hardware stores down the street from us. But that's another story ...

Trader Joe's and Conversations

James and I made our weekly Trader Joe's run this morning. Later than usual, but we got lucky and hit a lull.

The weather is still damp, cold, and grey. Low lying cloud whisps hovered above the vineyards and hugged the bottoms of the foothills. The air was loaded with moisture. Armed with a grocery list, bags, bottle returns, and a reading test with a 100% grade, we took a cart and headed in.

Wow, Trader Joe's has a ton of holiday food and treats. Despite the awful week, I am comforted by the festive packaging and the helpful crew in our local store. James found Schroeder  (he's in the stuffing section today, Santa Rosa folks) and collected his sucker. He helped me get items from our list. He chose a new type of cookies to try in his lunch.

On our way out, he ran into one of his crew friends, and showed off his history test. Even though the crew member was busy, he took a moment to look at the paper and listen to James. He then gave him a high-five for his grade. Guess who got another sucker?

On the way home, I asked James about his music class at school. He told me they were practicing rhythms with sticks. He said he was alone with his aide. After some more questions about why he wasn't with the mainstream class, I understood: a leaf blower was being used outside the music class, so James got to go to a quieter room with his aide and practice.

Then we sang some of out favourite Christmas carols. Small things. They help.

PS: Trader Joe's is running a Customer Choice Awards contest. Nominate your favourites through tomorrow, December 6th.

Trader Joe's To the Rescue, Again

 Now that James is getting accustomed to bathing more frequently and has started to was his hair himself, I have been looking for ways to make this easier for him. We already enjoyed success with the bathing chair. James picked out a great new hair style that's simplified hair care. Trader Joe's saw us coming:

A few weeks back, I came across this delightful, multi-task enabling soap. It's simplified bathing sessions and reduced time in the shower, which is great in a drought year. James mastered opening the bottle and using it. Thank you, Trader Joe's - another reason to love you.

Mothers' Day: Priceless

I am typing this from the backyard, listening to the birds twitter and call, smelling the approach of summer and retreat of this morning's fog, savouring my coffee (French roast from Trader Joe's and Peets' Anniversary Blend). I've just picked the first cherries off our tree and popped them in my mouth; they are delicious. Sometimes moments happen and some you just need to make yourself.

I am not a food bowl!!

The cat woke me shortly before 7, prowling for food and a playmate. I was so tired, I poured his kibbles on the nearest flat surface, a MagnaDoodle. My reprieve was short-lived. I heard James stirring, which was my signal to use the bathroom before he announced his waking state to the house and started a loud search for me.

I had been promised breakfast in bed. Unfortunately, my kitchen crew was still sleeping in and catching up on some much-needed rest (curse you, allergies!). I was hungry, so James and I hopped in the car and drove through the low-lying fog to Trader Joe's, where the flowers are gorgeous, the blueberry muffins plentiful, and prices are extraordinarily reasonable. First, though, I had to shut the cat in the garage, as he can't be trusted to not raid the garbage can.

We returned triumphant to a still-sleeping house. James graciously shared his muffins with me and I made coffee. Mmmmmm, liquid ambrosia!

I called my mom to wish her a happy Mothers' Day. We did our usual cell-phone shuffle and my cheek hung up on her once, but we connected. She is such an awesome mom. Every year I appreciate her more, and feel the least I can do is hand her some "Ah-HA!" moments of maternal payback when I talk about how my kids are doing. Kidding! Sometimes.

Meanwhile, coffee in one hand, cell phone in another, I am being presented with a DVD disc (dripping with hand cleaner) by James, who is urging me to clean it, because "it's dirty, Mommy." I finish my call and coffee prep, turn and find he has already inserted the dripping object into the DVD player and started to howl because "it's not woooorkinggggg!"

I whisk out the DVD, wipe it, and shut down the player and TV before telling James to NEVER put something wet into a machine. I explained we needed to let the DVD player dry out now and he had to find something else to do. He picked up the MagnaDoodle and dumped the kibble off it, while telling the cat he was bad, using his angry Dinosaur Voice.

Hello, chickens, so nice of you to return home. Like that roost, eh?

I took several deep breaths and directed James in the cleanup of said kibble. We then got to a more peaceful state by taking turns at playing Angry Birds Star Wars and "getting the piggies."

The Girl Child awoke somewhere around 9:15, disappointed that breakfast was behind me. She presented me with a slightly whacky plant and container from school, a Mothers' Day greeting sign taped to her back, a pink poodle & child diorama (complete with the note that "every mom [instead of 'dog'] has its day"), heart magnet, and a coupon for a free makeover (courtesy of Girl Child -- her manicures are divine).

She also presented me with a delightful concoction of her own design: apple cinnamon toast. It was so good with my coffee! Our daughter has a strong sense of whimsy -- she cut and arranged the apple slices into a smiley face on the toast. When I bit into it, we got the giggles, because now it resembled zombie toast.

My day is looking up.

Small Kindnesses Make A DIfference

The kids and I hit Trader Joe's yesterday morning for the weekly grocery run. I love Trader Joe's in so many ways ... their low prices, great food, and convenient locations all match so well with our hard-to-match lifestyle. I think of them as a family partner.

After becoming a parent, they won me over in a whole new dimension -- namely their crew members' wonderful way with kids in their stores. The crew members for the store closest to us were incredibly understanding when child #1 became unexpectedly ill on aisle 2; their "things like this happen, please don't worry" response was a very relieving surprise. When they still handed out balloons, they would accommodate balloon colour requests like they would be at Nordstom's.  They *tried* to get me to see the funny side of my toddler child #2 swiping a carton of eggs and turning it upside-down just out of my reach and the cart (and refused to let me help clean up or pay for it).

Several crew members are familiar with both kids by now. If I make the weekly run by myself, they ask where the kids are. One woman asks specifically after James. His happy hunt through the store, looking for the Peanuts plush doll of the day makes people smile. When he finds the character, he runs up to the front desk and reports its location for his coveted prize: a red TJ's lollypop. Talk about motivation to speak a sentence clearly!

This week, however, he was unable to find Lucy, and he began a semi-frantic, howling meltdown, right as I was in the checkout line, trying to check my list and make sure I'd gotten everything. I got him to calm down enough to ask a crew member for a hint. They sent someone to look for her in the store. When they discovered that Lucy was AWOL, they hid Charlie Brown, and gave James' sister a "cold" clue for where they could find him. She then took James on another search, which had a happy conclusion in the freezer section, amongst the cookies.

I know they would have done this as soon as someone brought it to their attention, but these people also seem to understand how something not being in its right place was driving James into a panic. Because when his big sister told him "Lucy's on vacation," they said "That's right, and she'll be back later." Immediately, James calmed down, and afterwards I did not hear him asking constantly where Lucy was (which is something he does when someone/thing is out of place in his world).

And after a tough week (like this past one), small kindnesses mean everything. 

Early Morning TJ Run

I tweaked out my back yesterday and passed on the weekly shopping. After some rest and a whole lotta aspirin, it's a bit better today. So when James popped awake this morning, ready to leap, shout, and cavort with the day, I got him a quick breakfast and asked him to get dressed. "Okay!" was  his happy response. What a great difference from the negotiative, prolonged process with his sister, who was happily still asleep and remained at home with her dad.

My buddy and I took off for the weekly grocery run, arriving at Trader Joe's shortly after their 8 A.M. opening. I don't just love Trader Joe's, I adore them. Their low prices, their healthy foods, their South Pacific-themed stores, and their awesome Crew Members are a big part of our Child-raising Village.

It's always a pleasure to do our shopping there - it's like a little vacay for me. I also appreciate that the stores have almost everything I need, yet are smaller than most grocery stores. The whole chain is child-friendly without being child-centric and there are stores at most of our vacation spots, which means my picky eaters can get their usual foods while on vacation with a minimum of fuss on my part. Their reuseable bags are fabulous for toting toys and beach/pool play items as well.

So here are some things we picked up, as per our usual list:

James loves these in the morning, and for snacks. I am happy because he is getting fruit & fiber.

Cat cookies and tortilla chips are crunchy treats for lunch and occasional snacks. They are low in sugar, high in fiber, and contain no artificial ingredients. They are also much less expensive than regular grocery store items too.

James is a pretty simple lunch guy: he loves PB&J;
there are no preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup in these jars!

No high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogentated oils, and $1.99. Compare that with items in any grocery store bakery section.
I still haven't found anything to beat this combo.

James has become quite the helper, which is a sweet relief, as he used to run away from me in the store, dodging my attempts to keep him with me. Now he asks to push the cart, and does a good job all through the store. Not only does he stay closer to me, I can pass him items from the shelf and he'll run them to the cart for me. All the while, my formerly non-verbal kiddo pours forth a bubbling stream of  consciousness: "Two milks? Okay. I get the pink one. Now I get one more ... I did it!!" "I love it! Do you love it?" and "Oh, CARrots! They're orange!" ... while I head for the food demo area and take another shot of caffeine, and a sample of fresh blueberries.

Most stores have a stuffed Animal Crew Member hidden somewhere in the store, and kids know that if they spot it, and tell the Crew Lead at the info desk where they found it, they will get a small treat. What a smart idea! James' sister has taught him well, and he after spotted Pogo the Panda in the freezer section, peeking out of a reuseable freezer bag, he whooped and ran off to collect his prize: a red sucker (his favourite).

As he chattered and danced around, the Crew Member checking us out shook her head, and said with a smile "I don't know how you do it." "Do what?" I asked, startled. "All the questions ... you're so patient."

Right about now, anyone who's known me for a while is ROTFLOL. And anyone who's heard some of my stories from my temp job days is hooting like an owl on Everclear.

"Ah, well, I guess I just grew into it," I replied. And internally I was thinking "Are you kidding? This is a GOOD day! I prayed that he'd be talking to me one day. That he'd be engaged enough to do normal kid things with me. I am so happy he LIKES being with me and can show it. I am the luckiest person here in this store!"

Food for thought, on my early morning grocery run. And as a special bonus parting gift, as James skipped over to help me out with the cart, the checker showed him their new scratch-and-sniff stickers and gave him some. Scratch-and-sniff stickers? All right!

When James saw this one, he stuck it on me right away, with a "Here, Mommy. This one's for YOU!"

I also got the cedar. He kept the pizza one.

Yep. It's going to be a good day.

Note: No one paid me to write this post. TJ's has been delighting my family and I for many years.

Bedlam, In A Good Way

Busy day today. Both kids off to school so I tried to atone for a week of being housebound with a sick child. First, I pick up some forms from a language presentation by James' preschool, then hit a Costco, Trader Joe's and Target triple slam. On the way home I stopped by my daughter's school to drop off her homework folder (that girl!) and register James for Kindergarten for the district. Then back home to unpack shopping items and have something to eat, punctuated by fielding phone calls.

Picked up James from the mainstream preschool. Heard that his SHAPE asst. might be losing her job with her home school district (damn budget cuts!). I play devil's advocate and tell her if she's interested, I'd love to have her for James' assistant in the Kindergarten inclusion classroom next year and I'd even write it into the IEP that it's been reported to me that he has done best with this particular assistant and that he needs he for his classroom aide. I've even approached the SHAPE supervisor with this possibility and was told it does happen sometimes. This might actually get off the ground ...

Of course, James had wanted to play in the sand at said preschool. Of course the sand was muy wet after pouring down rain the past few days. So as soon as we got back home, I had to strip him down, de-sand him, and get him settled for a snack (with Benedryl) and some Baby Einstein (which helps his vocabulary, BTW). Still fielding phone calls. You don't even want to know.

Half an hour later I swept up James, protesting all the way, and got him into bed for a much-needed nap. We read the two dinosaur books that he's been loving lately: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? (50 cents at a library sale) and How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? (a gift from a wise person).

Fielding phone calls, yes. What IS it about today?

I got some laundry done and picked up the family room. I wanted to vacuum and blend myself up a smoothie before picking up James, because he still screams and cries at the sound of a blender. The hairdryer gives him the whim-whams. Just seeing the vacuum out makes him cry and run sobbing to his room "Nooooo vacuum? PEASE?!!" I plugged in the iron this morning and he started to cry and howl. The iron. Fah!

I ran out of time. There's always tomorrow.

Query: I wonder if James would warm up to the vacuum if it had an ignition key and a steering wheel? Hmmmmm ...

ALL The Things - To Do List

 So today I woke up at 4:00 AM, courtesy of my head cold and next door neighbours who like to slam doors as they let the dog out, take the dog for a walk, come home from a walk, then leave for work.

After being sick for almost 2 weeks and finally getting 2 nights of good sleep, I was ready to Do The Things - ALL The Things. So it wasn't bad at all to start that early. I made my evil dark coffee and drank it while I made The To Do List - Christmas day menus, items to get at the store, admin tasks, reminders ... all of which helped me organize the sequence for the day. 

I made breakfast for James and made sure he had his meds. I bagged up water bottles to recycle and had James dump his launder in the washer to be cleaned. List and recycling in hand I shepherded my guy into the van for stop #1: Trader Joe's. Although it had been open only 15 minutes, the lot was full. Luckily inside was not so bad. The recycling got taken care of. Wow, milk has shot up! I discovered that the one thing they were out of was what I wanted for Christmas dinner's main course. 

Okay, back at the van, James helped me load the groceries and then he returned the cart. Off to Stop#2 Kohl's. Avoided crowded route and entered a store with very few shoppers (I remember from my Christmas working at Capwell's that you have to get there before 11 to avoid crowds). This made it easy for James to pick out a gift for his dad.  There was no one in line and we zig-zagged through the line like the beginning of Shrek in Duloc. I swiped my online order on the way out - voila, James now has a Christmas t-shirt!

Stopped (#3) at the independent grocer on the way home and had a lovely conversation with the butcher, who saved Christmas! James' Cheez-Its were and on sale on the way to the register, so I got enough to last him on vacation. 

We tried looking for deer on Deer Hill South, but saw none. At home, James helped me unload the car and he took a break while I put away food, tossed his clothes in the dryer, and took a breather. Then I helped James get started on a shower and hair washing, which we accomplished in under an hour!!! Clean clothes were sorted, folded and donned. Hygiene list was completed.

Next, we hit the road so he could visit with his dad, play video games, and give him his present. They had a good time. I got to gas up the van for the cheapest gas around and hang out in the redwoods for a nature break.

On the way back up, hanger started to set in (not too badly, though), so we celebrated being on vacation and shower/shampoo victory with a pizza and shake from Amy's. Now it's dark again at just after 5:00 PM, but I can rest. It feels so good. 

Au Revoir, Ennui

Saw this on the blog these are the days. It looks like fun. Here goes!


Two 'Fer(remember, only two):

1. Name two things you did yesterday/last night.
2. What are two of your current favorite foods
3. List two things you are looking forward to
4. Name two things you fear
5. What are your weekend plans
---------------------------------

1. I took both kids to the pre-Halloween Trick & treat event at the North Bay Regional Center. It was fabulous! Then I took both kids to a birthday party at Funky Monkey. It was good crazy fun.
2. Just ate them: bacon and scallops (I love Trader Joe's)
3. Our upcoming trip to Disneyland! Having both kids going out trick-or-treating for Halloween this year.
4. The economy. My dad's health.
5. Supporting our PTA fund-raising school carnival (mission accomplished) and RESTING. I wish we could have gone to the rally in Oakland to push for getting therapies for autistic children covered by health care insurance. More on that soon, because my master plan is to NOT GET SICK AGAIN!

Your turn!

Packing Lists ... the Shorter Version Rules!

Even though it means more travel time, I prefer to drive down to the LA area from the Bay Area. Honestly, I do not think James could wait successfully in the security lines, and all the noise and people would freak him out. I am sure that just as we made it to the head of the screening line, he'd bolt. Yeah,   I so don't ever want to test that paranoid fantasy ...

Also, I have more freedom to PACK. Airline weight restrictions aside, many items we used to entertain the kids (or keep them fed & clean) involved Prohibited items (milk, water, nail clippers, scissors, food). Besides, by the time we got to the airport, parked the van, took the shuttle to the terminal, got through security, and checked in, and flew into a SoCal airport (assuming the plane was not delayed a couple of hours or oversold) we'd be in Bakersfield or further south. Trumping everything else is the fact that James cannot stand random up & down motions and has extremely sensitive ears.

But back to the packing list. Clothes are the easy part. Food is pretty easy because our kids are picky eaters. I usually do the weekly shopping at Trader Joe's and shlep it with us and we're good for most meals. Equipment is my Waterloo. It's getting much better. I used to pack 2 bags per child for special toys/comfort items. Of course they were items used daily, so it had to be done at the last minute, while taking care of home chores for the week or so we'd be gone. Recipe for stress and cortisone overload: Bing!

Here's a sample of what we packed this time:
@ Daughter: conditioner, brush, sparkle hair spray, nail polish, tooth brush, paste, flossers, mouth wash, Chapstick/lip gloss, plug-in nite lite

@ Son: pull ups, Balmex (hands-down my fav to deal with any kind of rash), powder, wet wipes, tooth brush, nail clipper, tooth brush, paste, floss

We had some extras in there because we had tickets for Trick-or-Treating at Disneyland. When in Rome ... eh? The exciting part was that everything fit in 1 bag per child. If not for the costumes, it would have been 1 bag for both kids ...

Here's the bog difference for me, when considering logistics for the trip:
-------- ephemera ----------
• 2 books
• 1 sketch pad
• MagnaDoodle
• phone
• camera & download cable
• chargers for phone and camera
• scissors
• sewing kit
• old crib mattress & sheet
• picnic blanket
• double stroller

The first 8 items fit in one reuseable bag. The next 2 items we use for bunking James in hotels. This is because he rolls off the side of a bed easily, and once he whacked his head. We find a nice corner for him, put down the picnic blanket and then set him up with the crib mattress and his blankies, which he travels with. Sometimes we even use the picnic blanket if we're also stopping at the beach. It's heavy-duty, and lined with this vinyl on the underside. Strange as it seems, I still find use for the double stroller. It's like having a nanny with strong arms while spending 15 hour days at an amusement resort. James still likes to buckle himself in -- it seems to make him feel secure.

This is what we did not bring: box(es) of diapers, special feeding cups and plates, toys that run on batteries and make lots of noise when buttons are pushed, white noise machine, ice, beads on a wire, porta potty chair, booster seat, books that make noise when you push buttons, spinning toys, toy phones, stacking toys, teething toys, portacrib, excessive stuffed animals, or extra "lovey" pillows.

Vacation just got better!

Christmas Morning 2014

We all got to bed a bit late Christmas Eve, so I was able to sleep in until just after 6:30 -- yes!

James was first up. He was so excited: "Is today December 25th?" "Yes." "Is it Christmas?" "Yes." "Hooray!!! Angry Bird Season Christmas is open! Can I play my iPad?"

My, what Charles Dickens could have done with that one!

Anywho, we did all wake up a little after that, had some freshly baked scones, bacon, and eggs for breakfast (unless you were James, who had mini blueberry muffins and a scone). James did get excited with his stocking and presents:

James unexpectedly liked the snowman tic-tac-toe game. Not that he wants to play it with us, he just thinks it's neat and likes to fiddle with it. He also liked the hand rocket launcher ... until the fins started coming off the rocket. Then it was oh noes time and we had to hide them before he could calm down and move on to something else.

He really liked the Star Wars selection of bath soap - more for the figurine/bottles than happy anticipation of bath time, I'd say. He also liked the Star Wars reader book.

James does not like sugar or candy much. He does love the Trader Joe's organic lollipops - only the red ones, though! Santa's paper this year was SpongeBob & Co in Santa gear ...

  

He did like Fred from Big Hero 6 ... mainly because Fred dresses as an over-the-top monster who shoots fire sticks from his mouth. What is not to like?

James did a Happy Dance for his Robot and the Minion characters went on such a spin that I could not capture them on film. He also received a large amount of fabulous books!


Is he playing with some of these toys? YES! Not as much as I'd like to see, but he is playing. So that's a good thing.

Try a Little Pretenderness

Today was about as normal a day as James has had in a while. He got on the bus this morning eagerly and had a good day at school. I did hear from his teacher that he is back to eating sand, though: gah!!!

I picked him up after school and we did the weekly shopping together, with a potty break in the store. May I just say here that I am in love with the bathrooms at Trader Joe's? They are on the ground floor, look homier than my own bathroom, are clean and large enough for a mom with 2 kids under 7 for a family bathroom break. But I digress ...

James spent a bunch of time in the cart pretending he was in a rocket. He kept counting down from 10 in the checkout line and yelled "Blast off!!" at the end. This is the first time I have seen him this playful while shopping. The test cooker loved it and gave him a juice box. The bagger cracked up and gave him a balloon. Both tried to engage him in conversation.

I gave him a few seconds to respond and then prompted him with a leading question so he could respond. It was so different from him being silent or making the eternal "eeeeeee" sound. He seemed so calm and happy, and I was too -- just more excited on the inside.

He also kept saying "Mom! Mickey Mouse!" At first I thought it was because he wanted to go home and finish watching some cartoons from earlier in the day, but then I realized he was talking about my new purse, with Mickey Mouse designs. We had fun counting them, and saying "peek-a-boo, Mickey!" when we came across a partial mouse in the design.

After a nap, his sister told him they were going to have a party! Her teacher is very big on parties as a reward for successfully following instructions. James said "yay" in a low voice, then grabbed a birthday party hat from the table, voluntarily put it on his head and said "yay ... happy birthday! Happy birthday!" This is all new and fun.

And at bed time, he now likes to put his stuffed animals on his head and sing the Laurie Berkner song "Pig on Her Head."

I am loving this playful, pretending side coming out. It's like I am seeing more of James, and he's a really fun-loving guy.

SOOC: Friday Brackets

Friday was a very strange and sad day for me. I am still trying to process it. Here are some shots from the morning grocery run, when I was dealing with the usual schtuff. The magic lens and Trader Joe's work well together:

And here is one that I took at the end of the day, after hearing some very upsetting news:

It was a campfire/ranger talk in a local park at sunset. Those massive redwoods, with the golden sun setting behind them and the evening breezes whispering in the boughs overhead, brought me some comfort. It made it easy for me to say some prayers for people I care about.


I'm participating in the SOOC action at Marvelous Mommy's blog.
Come on over to see more or join in.

I've Got My Work Cut Out For Me

Well, I'll know what I'll be doing today:

Note: Allergies and stomach flu do not mix well.

I had to give James some of the anti-nausea pills that the ER doc gave me the last time he started yammying and could not stop, once started. The climax after that was pretty awful.

Then we both got 3 hours of sleep.

This morning he's taking on electrolyte water (I love you, Trader Joe's), blowing up the Death Star (go, you Angry Birds!) and has kept down 2 yogurt tubes.

Meanwhile, I love my washer and dryer.

Autism Awareness: Always

It's April 2nd, and World Autism Awareness Day is almost over. I have not put blue lights out or done much writing lately, but I am awware. Every day.

Autism has punched us in the gut and wrung our hearts. It's given me a new appreciation of what I really do have, and many more blessings in the little things in life meaning so much.

• My son's hand in mine. Being able to have him tell me what happened in his day. 
• Conquering hopscotch. 
• Watching him write. 
• Hearing him read all the road signs or playing the alphabet game on the way to school. 
• Finding out he chose to play football with his classmates at free choice, instead of playing games on the computer. 
• Watching him "conduct" music from the very back of the multipurpose room during his sister's chorus performance. Having his help with household chores.

• The pat on my back and whispered "It's okay, Sweetie, it's oooo-kaaaay!" when he sees me upset or sad.

• The Trader Joe's lady, who waits for him to come visit with her after he finds the Peanuts character in the store. 
• The boys in his class who hang out of car windows and yell "Hi, James!" during after school pickup as we walk to our car. 
• Seeing peoples' faces soften as he skips past them. 

All special things I might have been too busy to notice, if I had not been made aware.

What would I hope for others to be aware of? Please don't put people in an autism box. Please don't get too caught up on test scores and check boxes. Please don't see a price tag or something dangerous.

Listen to the parents. Take a good look at all the little things, and be aware that they matter, and you can help make them happen.

Help us. Help us find answers, solutions, and a better future together.

One thing I will be doing, is walking this month to raise money and awareness for Autism Speaks . Please help, if you can, and thank you.

Magic Marker Monday: Basic Holiday Fun

Halloween morning. It's after breakfast, the TV is off, the kids are literally bouncing around (love that indoor trampoline) yet I am still struggling to reach full awake status. What to do ...

Make cards!

We broke out our economy pad o' construction paper (big back to school sale at Target), scissors, crayons, sparkle pen, FREE stickers from Trader Joe's (just when I think I could not love them more!) and adhesives (both tape and glue stick). Result: almost 45 minutes of colourful fun:

James' card is the green one on the left.

Here is the inside of his card:

I traced his pumpkin and them helped him cut it out. I offered him the scissors in between his left & right hands and he chose his right. Yes, I am still obsessing -- shhhh! James wrote his name with crayon on the right.

Here is our collection of spooky creations:

Visit 5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday creations!


  

Road Trippin'

Yay, we got to take a few mini vacations! My husband is still saving up vacation days with his new job so we made weekend trips to Santa Cruz and Southern California. Both trips involved major time at the beach. Both kids loved it, and by the time of our last day at Newport Beach, James had started to bat away our hands so he could stand alone n the surf, and brace his legs against the waves.

He didn't mid getting sandy, but he remains a picky eater. After some frustrating tries to get more than milk inside of him during the Santa Cruz trip, I made PB&J sandwiches for James to take to SoCal. My husband rolled his eyes a bit, but I've seen the prices for PB&J on the menus -- $3-7, and there's no guarantee that James will like the (1) bread), (2)PB, or (3) jam/jelly.

They home-made "Shamiches"? So. Much. Easier! James gobbled them down. And thank goodness Trader Joe's sells watermelon precut, in a nicely sealed plastic bowl. Money well spent and it kept James happy, still, and hydrated at the beach.

What a nice change for both kids to jump, run, and yell as loudly and long as they liked! They are both really good travelers on long car trips, and it feels good to having something worth their while at journey's end. James kept up his words with "bird!", "wah-er!" (water), "Mennon!" (watermelon), "bwoo!" (blue) ... and "haycopper!" for when the helicopter buzzed us at the Newport shoreline. He also likes to count. He can get up to 14 and count back down from 5. He can sing the A-B-C song, but doesn't really know the letters.

New Food: Sweet Cinnamon Mini Crescent Rolls

Like many teens, James likes donuts (glazed, occasional treats) and cinnamon rolls (Starbucks, when on vacation and special weekend treats) for breakfast.

Unfortunately, he is growing fast and will only eat some of the foods some of the time, and those babies are sugar overloads and empty carbs galore. So I look for a happy medium to balance coaxing him to expand his list of foods he will eat and getting in as much of a healthy diet as possible.

Solution: Trader Joe's refrigerated pop and bake mini crescent rolls. Plussed. I add a little butter and small sprinkling of a cinnamon & sugar mixture before rolling the triangles and baking.

Voila! Better for him and fresh from the oven. First time he refused. Second time he tried some and took some to school. This morning, I had to work fast to snag a couple before he wolfed them down.

I will need to get some more. Luckily, a can of 8 mini crescents costs less than one morning bun or cinnamon roll from Starbucks. Oh, and they're Vegan too.

The Precise Child's Sandwich Recipe

Ran across this over the weekend. Oh my sweet corn. It's still true. This is what I have to go through some days to feed the kids.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Sammiches, per my son)

Recipe (per my daughter):
That Bread that Mme Untel uses and That Cheese that she buys; I don't know what it is, but I think it's yellow or maybe orange. She makes it on a grill and it tastes good! (Note: Mme Untel was our day-care provider for years -- everything is better at her house!)

Chez Nous recipe: Use soft bread -- I can get away with Trader Joe's whole wheat bread ($1.99/loaf) and sliced orange cheddar cheese, as plain as possible. Use real butter (ours is not salted).

(1) Heat pan; melt a small slice of butter, enough to completely coat pan's surface.
(2) Place up to 2 slices of cheese in between bread. Butter the outer top slice.
(3) Using medium-to-low heat, cook sandwich until butter browns and crisps the bottom bread's exterior. (note to self Do NOT attempt to answer email or bread will burn)
(4) Flip sandwich and repeat cooking.
(5) Remove sandwich from pan, slice in half diagonally (this is actually important), and put on plate. (6) Serve warm (or else it's no good).

... and with that, time to pack the school lunches!

Things in Places: the Good and Not So Good

While James has not exhibited typical behaviour of lining up objects as a way of playing with them, he has always liked Things in Their Places. This means that he can recite who lives or works at a city or off an exit as we drive down the freeway. He knows which of his doctors/therapists (and there are a lot of them) live/work in which city. It sometimes frustrates him that he does not know where his teacher and aide live. He has a much better idea of North, South, and how to find a place in our town than, say, his older sister. He dislikes it even more than I when Trader Joe's changes up the layout of their stores.

He LOVES Hide-and-Go-Seek. Likewise Blue's Clues. I think the reason he did not embrace Joe is because he displaced Steve from the house. His favourite bedtime stories have been a combination of hide-and-go-seek and his favourite people/tv characters. We have a lot of fun with that one. He has 3 favourite settings: Caillou's house, his grandparents' near us, and the beach house. Most of the characters have to hide in a certain spot and he won't let the story go until EVERYONE has been found.

We've tried to interest James in non-iPad play things, such as stuffed animals, toy cars, books, and building objects. Hand puppets, costumes, and drawing materials have had a pretty strong success with truly active play. The most he's done with stacking or lining up activities are sporadically holding onto recorded media. Over the past few months, however, he has started to obsess in particular over the Baby Einstein videos and DVDs that we've amassed over the years and never given away, because he still like sthem. Now they are "his" and we are immediately corrected if we call a VHS a DVD. We are expected to know which are marked "FHS" and the difference between the originals and the re-released. We have discussed at length Julie Clark: he hair (and it's length), and whether or not we can call the Baby Einstein logo Julie Clark because she drew it.

Frankly, I am up to here with Julie Clark and the Baby Einstein collection. They are better than The Teletubbies or the Wiggles, I give you that. And yes, they have turned him on to classical music, which he prefers even as his sister heads into Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and Tween rap, for which my ears and my sanity are thankful. But I have to talk him out of taking them EVERYWHERE with him, including school and trips to the specialist in SF. The horror of losing one, or the DVD, or having one break is not to be imagined.

I'll end on a positive note: His penchant for Things in Their Places sure comes in handy when it's time to clean up his room or around the house. I can hardly wait to try him at coding.