And now, the news...

We had some exciting news last night for The Momma Project... we hit $100! That's a tenth of the money we need to raise. Remember everyone, anything over one thousand dollars will be donated to charity, split 50/50 between the Hollyrod Foundation and 4 Paws For Ability, two organizations that I really love for our ASD kids.

If you want to help The Momma Project, but cannot make a monetary donation, there are several options:

Donate airline miles for the flight from Las Vegas to San Diego.

Blog about The Momma Project. You can link to the page above, and direct questions to frazzledmomma@livingwithlogan.com

Post a link to The Momma Project on your facebook wall to spread the word.

Tweet about #TheMommaProject as much as you can. The more people that do this, the more exposure there is.

Remember, we don't have a lot of time to raise these funds... our fundraiser ENDS on July 27th. Anything you can do to help us get more exposure would be greatly appreciated!

In other news, we have a winner for the BlogHer Conference pass that Gina from Special Happens sponsored. Congratulations to Amber Ayers (@AutismSupermom)!

Lastly, remember Bobbie Mauss, Deeds' mother? She just had ankle surgery last friday and is having a rough time with the stomach flu. As if recovery weren't bad enough,  she can't run to the bathroom with each bout of nausea, AND... no showers, because she's in a big 'ol cast. I'm sure she would love a  happy get well soon tweet or facebook post.

Thanks SO MUCH to all who have already blogged, retweeted, posted to facebook, and donated. I couldn't do it without you!!

Images in this post by Photobucket, of COURSE!

Monster merchandise!

Now, you can get Monster House merchandise through our zazzle shop! This is another way to help support The Momma Project, and have something fun to show for it. Check out our shop today! New items are being added all the time. You can find us on zazzle at ihave7monsters store

make 

Ah, The Memories...

Summer. The school aged child's version of heaven. Visions of epic vacations, pool time, and school-free days dance around in their cute little heads long before that last school bell rings. For parents though, it's a little different. We dread the lack of schedule which comes with school days.  We scramble around to keep the monsters entertained, so they won't beat the life out of each other out of pure boredom.

We pay for summer camps, swimming lessons, sports clinics, movies, and other activities. If the checkbook allows it, sometimes there's a vacation mixed in there somewhere.

I remember a vacation we took when I was a child, in fourth grade, to be exact. I'll be 37 this September, and I still remember that two weeks clearly and with fondness. We lived in Southern California at that time, and we took a trip in a really old motor home that belonged to my grandparents. I'd love to be able to post a picture of that monstrosity but... I called my Dad at work to see what kind it was, and it turns out it was a custom built motor home on a GMC chassis. Oh, well. Suffice it to say, it was big, it was orange, and it was... old.

We camped at the Redwood Forest, took a picture of me and four of my siblings standing inside a huge burnt out tree, and we messed around in Solvang. My brother caught a 12 inch rainbow trout along the way, that my mother turned into Trout Almondine for dinner. We took a tour through a submarine. At least once on that trip, one end of the top bunk in the motor home fell down (while me and my sisters were in it) while we were driving, causing my father to pull off at a rest stop and fix it.

Mom taught us "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost until we could all repeat it from memory. That was my first exposure to poetry and I thought Robert Frost sounded magical. I can still recite a few lines, but not many. The best part? It was during the school year. I got to show my class assorted bits of rubbish like pine cones and postcards as a "report" when I returned.

I guess my point is, I've been thinking. What memories have I given MY monsters that will last 28 years? My parents are brave, BRAVE people. I am far too scared to take all 7 monsters on a two week road trip. I can already imagine the fights, the complaints, the whining, and the moaning. It makes me want to go to bed and pull the covers up over my head. But ya know what? When I called my Dad just now, while he was working and said, "Hey Pappy, what kind of motor home was that , that we took on The Two Week Vacation?" And he knew exactly what I was talking about.. and even chuckled. Now THAT, addicts... THAT is the stuff families are made of.  I'm sure their memories of that vacation are much different than mine, and that they remember squabbling and other assorted unpleasantness,like trying to make us kids do our school work every day. Me? I remember my mother eating ( and nearly choking on) a meringue cookie from a bakery in Solvang, and getting wind chimes made of musical notes from a shop there. She still has them.

We went to Disneyland several times when I was a kid, even when I was older,  and I don't remember ANY of those trips, other than knowing we went. It's all about the family time, people.  The quality stuff we do together.

And I... I took the road less traveled by~ and that has made all the difference.

Images in this post by Photobucket, of COURSE!

I'm Referring You...

Yesterday, as y'all know, we took the twinnies to their 3 year old well check at the pediatrician. Yes, I am "THAT mother". I had a rather lengthy list of things to discuss. After talking to the doc for 45 minutes while he took notes, I managed to leave that office with no less than 8 referrals to specialists for my monsterlettes. Yes. Eight. No shots, but 8 referrals. I think I'm in shock.

We now get to make appointments with an ENT (Logan sounds like he either needs his tonsils and adenoids out, or a CPAP when he's sleeping. Neither sound pleasant to me.), a dermatologist ( can't get the eczema under control, even with meds), pediatric neurologist, eye specialist (both have lazy eye and abnormally wide noses at the bridge...) AND... Children With Special Health Care Needs, which is actually where every 3 months or so, developmental specialists come to our area from "up North" where the GOOD medical services are.

AND... the clonidine fairy is no longer allowed to visit us. We have to make do with the melatonin pixie in training, instead. Here's hoping it's good enough.

Now, *I* am referring YOU over to Gina at Special Happens again because seriously people, a FREE BlogHer ticket! And this contest ends TOMORROW! Hurry,hurry, hurry and enter!!! Just click HERE

All images in this post by Photobucket, of COURSE!

The Momma Project

Good Morning, addicts! You think I'm here, sipping my morning coffee, but really I'm not. I'm at the pediatrician, getting lovely shots for the twinnie monsterlettes and doing a quick trip to the grocery store. Yay me. HOWEVER, new and exciting things to tell you about!

Notice the shiny new page up top entitled "The Momma Project"? Also notice the awesome Chip In widget on the top of my sidebar? Okay. Here's what I want you to do FIRST. First, go read the shiny new page entitled "The Momma Project". Here, I'll give you a link so you can have both open at once. Click HERE.


Secondly, if you really wish you could attend BlogHer, but you don't have a ticket... guess WHAT! My good friend Gina over at Special Happens is giving. away. a. ticket. for FREE. Ya gotta check this out! Click HERE but don't waste time, because the contest is the bestest shortest contest in the west and it ends on Wednesday! There are circumstances surrounding this contest that make it very VERY special, and all of us should promote it HARD. I mean, it's FREE!! It doesn't get better than that.

Thirdly, I have the most amazing, buckets of awesome bloggy friends, EVAH! This month, a bunch of them will be blogging on behalf of The Momma Project, and I'll be linking to them here. Want to get in on it, and help raise money not only for the Momma but also for some truly amazing charities? Email the Momma and tell me all about it!

Have a lovely Monday, y'all! I'll be missing you while holding the twinnies down during shots. Yay, me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, monsterlettes!

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Sacred Family Saturday!

We'll be working in the garden (now and forever). What will YOUR family be doing today?

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

It's Friday? OH! It's FRIDAY!

Good morning, Addicts! The Daddy made it home safely last night, and is working from home for the most part today to give me a hand with the monsters. Seriously... that alone is cause to celebrate! BUT...it's FRIDAY! You know what that means... Monster House Follow Friday!

Here we go, all y'all. Please buckle your safety belts and keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. Pull out your phones, log on to twitter and follow the following! If you don't, I'll make you listen to "It's a Small World" on endless replay.

@gypsy_momma

Because she showed me how butter is the ultimate in cleaning products

@min_svart_ros

The epitome of " warrior mom", who not only has a special needs child, but cancer as well. She's my hero.

@talesofstepford

Because she said her morning commute was like Ben-Hur, and she had snappy replies when I asked her about chariots and carnage. I like this!

@Special_Happens

Because we send each other needy texts.. and she was there for me this week while I was single parenting.

@tiredx6 , @moody_mommy , and @froggyprincemom

More warrior moms keeping after it ~even in Fibro Fog.

Monsters, Messes, and Momma's Meltdown

Since the end of school a couple weeks ago, the Monster House has become one giant conglomeration of  meltdowns and messes. First, monsters 1-3 left for 6 weeks. Then #4 started her summer jobs and is gone half the day. The daddy is working, out of state this week... again. The meltdowns and the messes are effectively robbing me of my sanity.

view original images here

I have commiserated with other Mommas on twitter about the chaos that is this week. However, for those of you who do not tweet, let me share some of the fun with you. Since Sunday afternoon, my kitchen has been hosed down with: A full bottle of BBQ sauce (which caused me to do a total kitchen lysol scrub), a full bottle of ranch dressing (another scrub), a full bottle of tabasco sauce (yet another scrub). It has been fingerpainted with Miracle Whip, toothpaste, and chocolate Nesquik syrup. I spent an hour yesterday scraping toothpaste out of the nostrils of a rocking horse. Yes folks, there IS a rabid, nose foaming rocking horse in our family room.   There is a liter of rootbeer in my family room carpet with a drying crust of baking soda over it to draw it out of the carpet padding. #6 threw a fit about something I can't now recall on Tuesday night at about 10 pm and tossed a glass dinner plate out the kitchen window, shattering it beautifully on the back yard sidewalk. Yesterday afternoon, the same child climbed out the window wearing nothing but a pair of Optimus Prime clogs and ran across the street. He opened the door of our neighbors' house and went right in. I was in hot pursuit, about 5 steps behind him. And we were in their house just long enough to hear the hysterical laughter begin.

I'm reading this and thinking, "Holy Moses, woman! Don't you watch your children?!?!" I'm sure you're doing the same. Let me assure you, these children are smarter than the average bear. The little monsters are tag teaming! Notorious #5 will do something like flood the bathroom to distract me, while the twinnie monsterlettes  climb on chairs, unlock the fridge or the front door, and proceed to create all manner of mayhem. Or they will wait until I am cussing and screaming while cleaning something up, and do something cute~ like forget where the toilet is.

Last night when the Daddy made his obligatory nightly phone call to pretend that he missed all the fun of the Monster House, and that being in Vegas for a week~ alone, in a hotel, with room service, alcohol, and gambling~ was such a trial, I told him about our adventures of the day. I have to say I am impressed and pleased with his response. It went something like this, " Yes, dear. I am aware that they are my sons, and I am responsible for every evil thought and action. I love you and I appreciate you and you are the most wonderful mother in the world. I am sorry you are having to deal with all this alone. You are amazing and buckets of awesome, and I'm coming home a day early, because I know you need a break. I'm here for you. I promise to come home and help and let you relax." Now. Do I buy it? Not for a minute. But I love that he lied so well.

Hmm. Maybe this could work in my favor. Something like this..."Hey the Daddy! You know how you leave for a week frequently, and I have to do the single parenting thing, and by the time you come home I'm begging for a rubber room reservation? So, Momma needs a vacation. Like, in San Diego. Say, around August 4-7. This year. And also? Remember.... they are YOUR sons!"

Darn it. I KNEW I should have recorded that phone call last night....

Images by Google Images unless otherwise noted.

Are Blog Sponsors An Urban Legend?

Those of you that have been here since the beginning know that in my bloggy past, there are a couple of shameless begging posts (whaddaya mean, where?! Oh, fine. Begging part one and begging part two) in my history. Today, we are having Confession: the Monster House Version.

I am jealous of bloggers that get sponsored for things like BlogHer. I like to think that I have just as much capability to represent a brand as anyone else. And, let's face it... I have a big mouth... er, keyboard. I know that I am just as smart as the average bear, and I know that I am professional enough to carry it off with dignity and grace. I have references from people I have worked with through this blog, twitter, and facebook . I have stats for page views, and unique visits. So, what's the problem? Well. I'm too young (How often will I get to say THAT?!?). The Monster House has not been here long ( we'll have our first bloggy birthday in September), I don't have a big enough following, and my facebook stats are not stellar. My klout score has dropped four points, and I have not been blogging 6 days a week for a while now. I know. I'm horrible.

However, I've chatted it up with some blogging friends that I have enormous respect for, who are NOT young, who DO have the stats and the following, and they are having trouble being sponsored as well. I've read the articles. I am doing the research. In fact, in one article I read not so long ago, companies say they feel pressured by bloggers doing a hard sell for sponsorship. Okay. I can see that. Lots of bloggers, lots of brands, not so many slots at a blogging conference... makes sense. I've sent my share of letters.

So. How do y'all get it done? Bubbe, my wonderful, darling, awesome Bubbe purchased a ticket to BlogHer'11 for me. Ever the optimist months ago when she bought it, she told me she knew that it would all work out. It hasn't. People? I've begun entering every facebook BlogHer ticket/travel/lodging giveaway I hear about.  I'm seriously considering attending twitter parties that advertise Visa gift cards as prizes, hoping to win enough of them to cover expenses. I know. I'm pathetic.

Pretty soon, I'm going to have to sell that ticket. And I REALLY don't wanna. What can I do? What should I change? How can I show that I am willing and able for sponsorship? I eagerly await your replies~ because really.. I'm out of brilliant ideas.

Beginning A New Chapter

Saturday was our last OT visit for Logan through Early Intervention. Tuesday is our last learning consultant visit. And though it isn't scheduled yet, in the next week, we will have our last SLP visit as well. Logan and #6 will be turning 3 on the 26th, and it's a little bittersweet.

When we started with Early Intervention, Logan was barely walking and talking (he was almost 2). Remember this?

And now, here's our guy, kicking butt and taking names, progressing beyond my wildest initial dreams. I remember telling our first OT, " I just want to know what he needs, when he cries. If  that can happen, we'll be fine!"

Our therapists for Logan through EI have become like family. We text each other, we email, and we share new things we have read. It squeezes my heart to lose Jessica and Kimber, two women who have brightened our lives and given us so many tools to help Logan. They helped us discover the mischivious little monsterlette hiding inside the silent, non-seeking baby we knew last year. For this, there are no words, gifts, or actions that are adequate enough to express our love and appreciation. 

But, part of this whole process is about moving on, something I am becoming more comfortable with by the day. These women have gently taught this over protective monster momma that not all change is bad. Thank you, from the bottom of my over protective, helicopter mom heart. There is no such thing as too many people to love my monsters. 

Happy Pappy Day!

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Farmer for a day...or two

I've been a little absent from bloggyland this week, and I've missed it!

This week, #4 has been babysitting a farm for some friends that are out of state for a few days. This means we drive outside of our little town about 7 miles one way, twice a day, every day.

 I have been amazed with her capability and willingness to do farm chores without complaint. Understand, this little girl was raised by a Momma who has a deep appreciation for central air, pre-packaged meat, and clean shoes. I was so surprised and pleased that #4 had no qualms going right into a chicken coop carpeted with.. well... chicken mess, a turkey coop carpeted with.. turkey mess, etc. And she does it every day, twice a day. I did help, though. I watered the vegetable garden each day. What?! That's helping.....kinda...

While I was waiting for her to finish her farm chores at the crack of dawn yesterday morning (and really.. who decided that farm chores had to be done at the crack of dawn?!?), I sat and marveled at the view. Check THIS out. Not a shabby place to enjoy your morning coffee, huh?

And, because I like to "brag on the babies", here's some pics of my little farmerlette. She's proud of herself, and so am I!

She's also working three hours a day, 5 days a week, at the berry farm here in town, weeding and picking and getting all kinds of tanned. I'm SO proud of my #4. She begged and begged to have jobs this summer, and has really been showing me how responsible she is. I had my doubts.. after all.. she's only 11. I couldn't be more impressed with her if I tried. She's really earning that nap she takes every afternoon.

Okay. Shameless bragging finished... for now. But you know... this will probably happen again (wink)!

Monster Munchies!

During the summer, life gets nutty. I mean, it's just crazy busy! There's trips to the park, the library, taking #4 to work, the regular errands~ grocery shopping, getting the mail, going to Grandma and Grandad's to get their garden in. Inevitably, we will be in the car, not headed to a grocery store, when one monster or another will insist that starvation is a real possibility.

Now. We all know that Logan is allergic to everything even remotely fun. This means there are no trips to McDonald's ( which is good, because this tiny town doesn't have one), and convenience foods from the grocery store are VERY few and far between. So, I decided to take action. Check out my brilliance!

What you see, my dear addicts, is a truly yummy GFCFSFEFCF trail mix.  Seriously. Everything in it is Logan safe,which is a miracle in and of itself. You can do this, too. It is SO dang easy. I bought a package of each item on the following list, stirred it up, and voila! All done.

Dehydrated apricots

Banana chips

Craisins (I bought ocean spray, they are moister)

Raisins

Salted cashews

Roasted. salted sunflower seeds

1/2 box rice Chex

People? Even the DADDY has been eating this stuff, and the man refuses to touch ANYTHING healthy.  You can adapt your child's own likes and dietary needs into your own trail mixes.  The thing about this is, it's portable, virtually no mess, because it's not wet or sticky or greasy, and if it spills in the car? The vacuum or a quick brush with a whisk broom makes it all better! And also? You can feed this to monsters by the handful at the pediatrician's office and no one will look at you like you're poisoning your child (a personal pet peeve of mine)!

The possibilities are endless. How sad is it that I'm all kinds of thrilled that I made... trail mix?I need to get out more..... anyway... try your own GFCF variations, take pics, then send the pic and recipe to me, and I'll share them on our recipe page! 

Sacred Family Saturday!

What is Sacred Family Saturday, you ask? Here, in living color, are monsters 4,5,6,and 7~ happy to show you the very definition of this almost religious weekly observance. I couldn't put it any better than this if I tried. Enjoy Sacred Family Saturday, y'all!

Follow Friday?!?!

I can't help it. Every time I see Follow Friday or #FF on twitter, I think of Fred MacMurray and a bunch of scouts.

May I just say at this point, no. I am NOT showing my age here. That movie was long before my time. However, the Daddy and I love black and white movies. I have since I was a lil squirt. 

ANYWAY, because I think of Fred MacMurray and a bunch of scouts on Follow Friday, I have this list of... criteria.. if you will, for those that I recommend on #FF. I know that there are those that spend hours listing every single person THEY follow on twitter. I don't. If I can't give a reason to follow someone, I don't list them. Is that horribly rude of me? Have I caused hurt feelings by being in this frame of mind? I would hope the answer to both is no. 

I still can't understand why people follow ME.. because as we all know, I'm this side of insanity most of the time. I feel the need to warn people. Here is a  PSA: 

Yeah.. we ain't the von Trapp version of seven monsters.

Okay. I've done my duty. With that out of the way, let's move on to..... Monster House Follow Friday!

@jillsmo  

She has no filter. I like this.

@Handflapper  

She knows what REAL messes are, and gave me a new excuse for not vacuuming.

@rmalove

She was horrified when I said I wanted to be like @LittleAnimation when I grow up(not because I would be like her, but because I would be growing up). I assured her I would not be growing up any time soon. Crisis averted.

@dithedncingfrog

Because she called #6 beautiful. People that do this MUST be followed

@PrettyAllTrue

The woman's guest post here is STILL #1 in most viewed posts. I am in awe.

@Gingerheaddad

Because he is STILL talking about jellobarf

@ihave7monsters

The kindest, most generous, most amazing woman I have EVER met. We have a very close relationship.

Images by Google Images

Trying something new!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm trying out something new here at the Monster House. There are so many great blogs out there, and we ALL have our favorites. I wanted to have one day a week where I featured some blogs and links, to spread the word. Also, my blog roll is currently not cooperating, but I'd still like to do the polite thing and help drive traffic to my faves.

But, I need your help. I'd love it if you'd tell me what (and where) your favorite blogs are! And, let's not be modest, here. Share your own link, too! I will feature 3-5 bloggers each Wednesday, and hope that y'all will keep me supplied with a list, because otherwise, it could get boring real dang fast.

So, here we go! Let's kick off the very first  Wednesday Writers right now! I'm listing, in no particular order, a few of my favorite blogs. 

Special Happens

Big Daddy Autism

World's Worst Moms

Pretty All True

One Bored Mommy

Now people, we all know what the comment section is for. I went and put the most awesome disqus comments in, just for you, so I could respond to your comments, and then you could respond to me, and then I could respond to your response to my response... ok, I'm done.

So, get on it! Tell me which blogs you want to see listed here next wednesday!

Image and animation by Photobucket, of course!

Guest post today!

Y'all! I'm tardy in posting today, but I think it's worth the wait! We have an awesome guest blogger from Eat Breathe Blog.  Sally, welcome to the madness we call the Monster House!

When I was trolling around for guest bloggers, knowing that things would be crazy for a few weeks, Sally here responded with the cutest, most flattering email ever. Therefore, she is our guest today. I expect y'all to play nice and show her some love. And now... take it away, Sally!

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Getting sick when overseas is never fun. Whether you’re locked in the bathroom fighting Montezuma’s revenge in Mexico or that haggis in Scotland seems to be doing a jig in your stomach, you have no choice but to pray the symptoms eventually go away. If they don’t, you have to find a translator and seek out professional medical help. After all is said and done, hopefully things will be resolved as quickly as possible so you can stay abroad and enjoy the rest of your trip. Or so you hope! One thing I have learned from my own experience is to always expect the unexpected!

My husband, Jack, had been obsessively planning our tour of Africa for over two years. We were ready to go, and I was ready for a break from my second grade (as much as I love them!) class to spend some quality time alone with my hubby. We had just finished moving into our new apartment the weekend before, and I was feeling a little tired from the move, but I was ready to explore and have some fun!

We landed in Casablanca, Morocco and – ignoring our jet lag – went right to sampling the local cuisine, shopping, and visiting beautiful mosques. Then, as we were staring at the magnificence that is Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur, I suddenly, mid-conversation, had to lean over and throw up. The other tourists around us were not so amused, and my husband immediately began his worrying.

Image courtesy of wikipedia

Now, let me state now: I am not one to get sick. I always tease my husband that he needs one of those medical alert buttons you see on those infomercials on TV, because he seems to pick up every germ possible and, on top of that, is a total klutz (I love him, but he trips both up and down stairs sometimes).

I tried to reassure my loving hubby it was just some sort of combination of a flu bug and jet lag, and I was determined to have a great time in Morocco no matter what! A couple days later when my nausea, fatigue and headaches showed no sign of disappearing, Jack dragged me off to the hospital. We explained my symptoms to a translator who relayed our message to a doctor (neither of us spoke Arabic, Morocco’s official language) and with my husband’s broken French (the unofficial language of Morocco), we explained my symptoms. Before we even finished, the translator began smiling and shaking her head.

After a blood test, we found out why: I was six weeks pregnant with my first child! Although unexpected, both my husband and I were overjoyed! We both started crying tears of happiness as both the translator and doctor stared at us dubiously. I’ll never forget what Jack said to me, once we caught our breath from the elation of laughing and crying.

“Since we’re overseas, we don’t have to call your mom until we get home, right?”

Silly men, they never change.

We interrupt your previously scheduled programs

Just a quick little posting today, in the midst of near continuous meltdowns. Life has been interesting here at the Monster House since yesterday afternoon. All I have to say is, " Calgon, take me away!"

Images by photobucket of course!

Sunday Comics

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Sacred Family Saturday!

There is something seriously wrong with someone who voluntarily gets up at 7am on a Saturday. Oh, wait. *I* am voluntarily getting up at 7am on a Saturday. Fun things happening at the Monster House! The tiller is coming to get the garden all pretty and happy and plantable. This means I need to empty the scary, mossy kiddy pool and move it, and the Daddy will be moving the trailer full of weeds and other landscaping rubbish so the tractor can get through the driveway to the back yard. Oodles of fun, no?

Gotta love living in a farming community. The twinnies are stoked: "The TWACTOR is coming, Mumma!"  "When we wake up from a nap the twactor is coming, Mumma?"  "Tell Gwandad to wake up the twactor, Mumma!"

If all the stars are in alignment, I will have a plowed, planted, and watered garden by nightfall. Pray for me, people~ if for no other reason than to wish me minimal pain from the inevitable sun burn.

Images by google images

A very special guest!

Y'all. Today, I have the honor of a guest here at the Monster House. Gina St. Aubin from Special Happens is here today. I just love love LOVE the way she writes. And also? Give the woman a round of applause. She's the reason my blog is looking SO fantastic!

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Flipping through channels, we landed on this one. Rather than listening to another mind piercing commercial, I decided to take a chance, weigh it out. I looked back. In the rear view mirror, what I saw matched what I was beginning to feel. The fun, the freedom, the happiness emerging as a wave of an electrically charged, yet serene ocean gliding into shore, enticing me to jump in. I was excited that the music long since missing from my ears was being welcomed.

Since J was born, I’ve made the very conscious effort not to play some of the music that I have loved. Being musically eclectic, I like heavy metal, alternative, 80’s, Motown, country and everything in between. The heavy metal and alternative I’ve stayed away from, very purposefully.

When you have an emotionally driven child, an emotionally influenced child, one who has a hard time controlling his impulses...you tend to stay far, far away from this. But on this day, the day of a happenstance of landing on any station billowing music to accompany our ride, when I looked in my rear view mirror, I realized I didn’t need to stay far away any longer.

My son, my special needs boy, my J, was rocking to and fro with purpose, smiling, letting the music fill his soul, “banging his head” to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. He was truly happy, feeling the music fill his soul and moving it to the beat. Hearing the rhythm of notes, not classifying it as one genre or another...it just moves and he went with it, he was familiar already.

Why? He watches YouTube Videos of his choosing which include tractor pulls, mud bogging, trains, funny car races, flight machines and the like. As if the stimulation of seeing these magical machines fly across a computer screen isn’t enough, many put the videos to this music, even this song in particular...and he has become an unwitting fan.

So on this day like others preceding it, chasing down this train or that, speeding along the same lines to see if we can make a lucky find of an engine, I made an unlikely yet welcomed discovery. My little head banging, cerebral palsy, epileptic, boy with autism...is also….a head banger.

I’m so proud. I have a tear in my eye. *sniff, sniff*

The three envelopes, please!

The winners of the Alef Bef Jewelry Blessings collection giveaway, as chosen by random.org:

GinaCollapse

I like you on FB as much as I like you here...and on twitter...text...phone.... hopefully one day in person...

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LydiaCollapse

I really like the IRREGULARITY of them. To me, they look more organic, and are bound to feel that way too. The declarations/wishes are organic too - simple, basic, things everyone wants and needs. I'ma go around & do more entries. I like these, very very much!

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wondersndreamsCollapse

I like Alef Bet on facebook

Ladies, please email shipping information to me within 48 hours at frazzledmomma@livingwithlogan.com. Congratulations, y'all!

I hope you dance

I have received so much love, support, and encouragement this week from all of you. I wanted to give some in return. I hope you DANCE! I'm here for all y'all... as you have been here for me. xoxo

I Hope You Dance lyrics
Songwriters: Sanders, Mark D.; Sillers, Tia;

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/l/lee-ann-womack-lyrics/i-hope-you-dance-lyrics.html }

I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance
I hope you dance
(Dance)
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder
(Dance)
Where those years have gone
(Dance)

Dreading departure

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