What works for us Wednesday

Typically I try to write a "What works for us Wednesday" post

It's kind of my way of sharing helpful or insightful stuff with all of you

Today I'm sharing something different.....

My kids

For the next four days I'm going to write a special post about each one of them

Because things in our family have been a little private this past year

And now we can relax and share some of the pain and the joy

And how much each of our kids have grown!

So, stay tuned!

Of course there will be a post on the tallest kid, Nate

 And there will be a post on Hannah, our only daughter!

And who could forget a post on Tommy!

 And the baby of our family Liam will have a special day post to update you on his amazing changes

And we will show you what we do an Sunday school and how far we have come in preschool and what college Hannah is going to attend in the fall and where Nate will be in school

And we will share with you how much we love and cherish our extended family and one big Easter dinner at our home, oh my there was lots of ham

So stay tuned! 

What works for us Wednesday

I haven't done a "Wednesday update" in awhile and just received some great news so I thought I would share because this is surely something that works for us!  We don't attend many conferences, and it's not because we don't want to, but rather our time is just so precious with both Colin and I working, that getting away to attend a conference isn't that appealing.  Usually.  But I attended one last year, because a couple people mentioned it numerous times to me and I was blown away.  The Infant and Early Childhood conference in Tacoma.

Here are the "Conference Goals":

Challenge thinking about diversity and disability;
Increase family and provider effectiveness through new skills, strategies and ideas for providing high quality services;
Enhance understanding of the unique strengths and needs of each family;
Foster partnerships across families, disciplines, agencies and funders to provide coordinated services in local communities;
Promote networking and coalition building around early childhood issues;
Enhance the lives of families and their children through the use of information and technology; and
Promote the mutual understanding of the contributions families and providers bring to the lives of young children.

Last year I had applied to receive a scholarship to attend and this year I applied thinking it would be a slim chance to receive one twice in a row.  Thinking a "no" from the conference folks would mean I'm needed more at home and that would be fine also.  Well, I got a call from the coordinating person and after listening to the coordinator talk about budget decreases meant decreased scholarships, she said that I had been selected to receive a scholarship and lodging at a hotel near the conference center.

This conference was amazing last year.  I met probably 4 moms whom I am still in contact with today.  I learned from some of the best educators on:  Tommy's visual processing issues, Liam's delay of expressive speech, sign language, sleep for toddlers, parent networking, ipad applications for nonverbal kids, family based literacy, supporting your child emotionally during medical procedures.... the list could go on!

This year I've got an entire new set of conference classes and am so excited to bring back knowledge and support to my family and all the other moms that I connect with.  Lots to be shared I'm sure!  Conferences can really energize me and help me to realize I'm not alone in parenting special needs.  And getting the best information from a conference is terrific!  It works for us. 

Liam's PreK learning

Liam has been enjoying early intervention preschool and his team of teachers has been fabulous.  Amazing educators who love and support him.  Four days of the week he is there for a tad over 2 hours each day.  They work on gross and fine motor skills, speech (Liam has a remarkable delay), early literacy and early math concepts, social skills and just a whole bunch of love and encouragement.

So at home, we wanted to spend the "rest of his day" supporting his learning and emerging literacy interests.  He really has shown pre-math reading readiness.  We found a great website and this is a totally unsolicited review.  I actually bought the "jumbo combo" pack on her website for $48 and downloaded a PreK curriculum for homeschooling that has blown me away. 

Here is her blog and I'll put a link to hers on my blog too (goodness I'm going to be using this lil button alot I can tell).


Here is a sample of how some of the teaching games are used:
http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2010/05/z-review.html


I'll post pictures of Liam learning thru all these fun games which will be fantastic also for afternoons and evenings here at home with him.  I hope that Tommy will eventually grow into some of these learning games also.  The pictures and content are so sweet, cute and encouraging.  This will be fun!

Blanketed in grace

Sometimes I feel like I'm blanketed in God's grace.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1: 2



Like I can actually feel I'm being taken care of and have no worries.  Yes I have "wants" that are still out there on a wish list.  But all of my needs are so carefully taken care of.  It's like a giant grace blanket being pulled right up to my chin and all snuggled in.  Or it looks like this:

We decided to get one of our kids a new bed, which honestly was LONG overdue.  We needed to get him something nice and comfortable, I wanted it to be trendy for his teenage interest.  No we didn't know how we were going to pay for the trendy and comfy new bed but we knew as parents we needed to provide something bigger than his current twin bed which he was probably a good three inches too long for.  We also knew that a certain dynamic duo of twin boys were outgrowing their toddler car beds and those would need to go soon. 

I knew this weekend would be a good opportunity to get a new bed and switch a set of bunk beds in for the twins room.  But this weekend was also looked forward to because my parents were visiting and we all really wanted to spend time with them.

So I shopped for a bed just a few days ago and found one that I new would be great at Ikea.  Yes trendy.  But it was a queen sized so plenty big and with the right mattress it would be super comfy.  I really wanted the nightstands also as this teen does homework from bed and could use nightstands for lamps.  Add all that up and way, way overbudget.

So I hoped on Craigslist to add a posting for two blue little tyes beds that I had bought from a twins mom four years ago.  I listed them at the same price I had purchased them mostly because that is what they currently were going for on the listings.

While I was on Craigslist I searched for the bed that I really wanted for our son.  And that's when God's grace took over.  I found the bed with the nightstands in a town a little ways away for half the price, much more reasonable.  And then before I could get to my email account to send the person a question about the "big" bed, I noticed my email was full of folks who wanted to come get the twins beds.  And suddenly the bigger bed was paid in full with the little guys beds.  Our only cost was the comfy mattress for the big bed. 

God is great!  And used Ikea beds are too, ha ha.

Life changing

This is so heavy on my heart:
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2012/02/power-of-one.html

I've prayed for so many of them.  I look at their faces nightly on Reece's Rainbow.  Then I look at my children's sweet faces, full bellies, knowledge filled heads and over abundance of 'stuff' and 'toys'.  We have clean water.  We have beds to sleep in.  We have love for each other.  And we have the love of God daily.

And I know my family could help one.  Just one.  Because I see these people doing great things.  Praying for direction in how my family with help one.
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2012/02/seeing-is-believing.html

Family photo session fun

We recently decided to update our family photos.

The most recent professional ones we had were from 2007.

And we had all grown up a little bit.

We had a lot of fun with the photographer.

And alot of fun being together as a family at Hovander Park here in Ferndale.

Thought you all might enjoy pictures from the day.

Family photos

We spent this last Saturday having fun as a family at Hovander Park and had our family photos taken by a talented photographer.  I'm not sure we have ever had this good of a picture of Tommy.

And all six of us really enjoyed Mt Baker as our backdrop.  These proofs are sneak peeks from the photographer.  She is truely gifted and talented.  More to come when we purchase our photos and I can officially share them.  What a gift a family is.