AUTISM WALK FOR HOPE 2008

ERIC AND JILL
ESTELLE
JULIA AND LILLIANNE
LILLIE BEING MISCHIEVOUS
DAD WALKED FROM HIS BED TO THE KITCHEN
THE TEAM
OUR SHIRTS
DUANE AND THE KIDS
ANDREW AND HIS BEST GAL DANIELLE
GRACIE AND SOPHIE



We had so much fun!! Our shirts were really cool and the weather was good. It would have been great except it was a little too humid but at least it didn't rain. We had food and goodie bags and Duane won a door prize to Buffalo Wild Wings and the Grand Theatre. Gracie and Sophie had their faces painted and played fun games. Andrew had a blast on the fun jumps and Lillianne did what she does best--ate non-stop. We can't wait until next year! GO TEAM HURRICANE ANDREW!!

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

On Thursday we attended an awards reception for Andrew. As I posted before, he won the 1st Place Prize in the Lafayette Parish "A Very Special Arts Festival" in the preschool division. Here is a picture of the winning painting. His teacher told me that she only helped him with opening the paints and he chose his design and colors himself. I am interpreting it as a rainbow. Maybe one day Andrew will tell us all about the inspiration for his creation. He loves to draw and paint and we are so proud of him. The awards presentation was long and he got antsy (surprise!) so we left and his teacher stayed and accepted his award on his behalf. Thanks, Mrs. Heidi!

EASTER SUNDAY

We had a lovely Easter Sunday and here is pic of the kids in their Easter finery. The wind was blowing hard and Andrew was completely uninterested in having his picture taken (as usual) so this is the best I could do without resorting to screaming and threatening (which is what I usually do, but it was the Sabbath :) ). I gave a talk at Church then I took a two hour nap and we had boiled crawfish in the afternoon so it was a really great Easter day. Hope yours was great, too!

EASTER EGG HUNT

BALLOON RELEASE
AUNT LAUREN AND SOPHIE DYEING EGGS
LILLIANNE
ANDREW
SOPHIE
THE KIDS WITH THEIR EASTER BASKETS


MIA AND LILLIE
KAITLYN AND KARLIE


On Saturday we out to the country in Allen Parish to the family Easter Egg Hunt. We had a BLAST!! There were wide open spaces and Andrew just ran and ran and ran. It was so nice to go somewhere with him and be able to relax because he couldn't run away or get into anything. He loved hunting eggs and Lillianne was excited to hunt eggs as well. Sophie had a great time dyeing eggs with her cousins. Before the Egg Hunt we had a beautiful prayer and a Balloon Release in honor of our little cousin Bryce. The food was delicious and the company was great. Can't wait until next year!!

THE GOOD OL' DAYS

I was going through pictures on our harddrive and I came across this one of Duane and me that was taken right after we were engaged. I was really overwhelmed with the feeling that these two people just had absolutely NO idea what was in store for them. Those were the days of wonderful freedom and selfishness and going out all the time and partying (nerd-style, of course!). We just had no idea what trials lay before us with raising children and maintaining a marriage. I remember those days very fondly but I have a little tug at my heart when I do because I did not have my three little sweetpeas and I wouldn't trade those little rugrats for anything in the world. Even with all the challenges we face today I wonder if in ten more years, when all these kids are teenagers, I will look back on when they were small children and think "Those were the good ol' days!" I'm sure I probably will.

ROASTED GARLIC, ANYONE???

So my Mom and Dad are leaving for California and Utah for several weeks so my mother calls me to come get frozen stuff and vegetables and whatnot from her very well-stocked fridge because they will be gone for a while. I scored some really great stuff that I don't usually buy and she gave me a big container of roasted garlic from Fresh Market that is $6 a pound so I don't usually buy it although I absolutely LOVE it! I brought 6 bags of stuff home and of course I had Lillianne in tow and I proceeded to put all the frozen stuff up first and I thought I smelled the garlic and thought "Oh no, I hope it didn't leak into one of the bags!". Well, here comes Lillie around the corner and points to the couch and says "Dat nastee!" and I look and she has dumped the entire container on my sofa (yes! it is cloth!). The entire house reeks of garlic and I have done everything I can think of the deodorize it. Does anyone want a gently used 2 year old???

GREEN YOUR HOME!!

I am not a tree hugger by any stretch of the imagination but since Andrew's diagnosis and my "Google Doctorate" in autism research I have changed things considerably in our home. Along with Andrew's specialized diet we have also incorporated organic produce and other products as well as refraining from processed foods as much as possible (you've got to kick back with a plate full of Velveeta nachos once in a while!). While I still harbor a chronic case of house-cleaning loathing I do occasionally bite the bullet and clean 'er up Alice from the Brady Bunch style. I have completely switched to non-toxic cleaners and I would suggest you do the same, especially those few of you out there gestating that read my blog. My favorites are the METHOD line available online and at Target and the new GREENWORKS by Clorox. Each line has several different cleaners that are supereffective and will satisfy even the most OCD housewife. The products are about a dollar more than your brain cell killing types so they won't strap your grocery budget, either.

BUILD-A-BEAR FIELD TRIP

Andrew's class went to Build-a Bear at the Mall on Thursday and his teacher said he had a really great time. He picked which bear he wanted and he got to pump the pedal to fill the bear and he named him"Teddy". He has been sleeping with Teddy every night and pushing him in the stroller ( except when Lillianne sees him doing it and runs up to him and says "MINE! ME STROLLER!!). Maybe we will make a trip to the Mall today and get an outfit for Teddy and one for Sophie's bear (who's name is Hannah Montana) as well because she has earned some money doing extra chores.