Slippery Fish and other sorts of randomness

In church on Sunday, Tater-tot really wanted me to draw him a 'swippery fish.'

I don't really know how to draw a slippery fish.  I can draw a fish, sure. But how does one make it slippery?  DH attempted at it, but when Tater-tot saw the results he yelled, (and I do mean yelled--in church--a quiet place) "Dat's not swippery fish! Dat's a bag!!"  Apparently DH needs to go to art school.  Or Tater-tot needs a more creative eye.  I learned from our nursery leaders that he also wanted them to sing the 'swippery fish' song.  When they didn't know what he was talking about, he answered, "My teacher knows it. I will get the words from her."  Sure enough, today he asked his teacher for the slippery fish song. I have had a request to hold off a week to let him present it so the nursery leader doesn't miss it. Can you freeze a 3 year old? Cuz he's just so dang cute I just might attempt it.
The other day I was getting the kids dressed for school.  Since we had enjoyed slightly warmer temperatures at 50 degrees the day before, it was only natural that I woke up to 5 inches of snow.  Explaining to the kids that they need their coats, boots and scarfs today when yesterday the only needed light jackets is confusing for them.  And you know what kids do when they're confused. They fight it.  It was a miracle they even got dressed.

How is that Feburary is the shortest month of the year, yet it lasts the longest? Someday soon--though not soon enough--I will post a beautiful picture of the tulips starting to bloom. On that day, there will be joy. Mark my words: there will be joy.

The next step...

When Lou was 18 months old, we noticed something.  She was very talkative, energized, happy and active. She danced and she singed and she seemed to think the world was her stage. But only when she was at home.

At first, Lou only talked to me and DH.  A few months later she branched out to Grandparents.  DH and I are close with both of our families and get together a lot.  Lou often took several hours to warm up in social settings and wouldn't speak to any other uncles, aunts or cousins.  Over the past few years, her branches of whom she can comfortably speak with has lengthened, but the battle is just beginning.

When Lou was 2-3, she had a series of severe panic attacks. The first happened at the doctors office at her 2 year checkup. It was like she was horrifically terrified. I had never seen her act like that before.  When she started preschool a few months later, they started happening more often.  She wouldn't speak to anyone outside the family, and even then, those whom she would speak with still remained small.  I knew something wasn't right.  My pediatrician said she was 'just shy'. But I knew something much deeper resided in Lou's reasoning for not speaking.

I did some research and came across Selective Mutism.  I knew instantly this is what Lou suffered from.  Over the past 18 months, I tried to find help, but couldn't find anyone who really knew anything about it.  Selective Mutism is similar to the case of Autism in children 10-15 years ago.  Parents knew something was wrong, but doctors weren't sure or gave a different diagnosis and treatment altogether.

With Lou starting Kindergarten, my desperation for more answers became every day worry.  Lou is extremely bright. She's smart, she's incredibly observant and she is just plain old fun.  But it is a Lou that few people get to see.  The effects of school with people who have SM can be catastrophic if not handled carefully.  I felt that it was with the upmost caution and thought that I chose what school she should attend and how the school and teacher could best help her. 

So, we start on our next step.  Lou has not yet been officially diagnosed. I have not known where to go to get her help.  But, (and I thank my lucky stars) I have met another mother whose child also suffers from SM and has pointed me in the direction of getting Lou the help she needs.  It will be a long road.  It has been a long road.  But I look forward to it with hope and faith that we can help her and I am glad to be able to finally not carry this burden alone.  The video below is a 20/20 special on 2 kids who suffer from SM.  It is as if they have filmed our lives, as this is exactly the same story we carry.  I hope that those who often interact with Lou can watch this and gain some understanding of why she may not talk to them at times (or not at all).  And I hope that should any parent wondering should stumble upon this post, that it will help them because I know how it feels to have no answers.

Laughter---a mother's necessity

Being a mom is tough work. Like really tough.

I like to look back and laugh about how I used to think I had all the answers--you know, when I was 16 and knew everything?  I've since forgotten all that I used to know. But here is one thing I do know. My kids are hil-a-rious.  I think that is God's way of putting the cherry on top of the sundae--a very messy sundae.  Here are some joyful verbage I've enjoyed this week.

'A boy named Sue' by Johnny Cash was playing on the radio.  Lou (4) says "Mom I don't like this singer."

"Why not?" I ask

"Because he has a funny voice."

"Yeah, it is a bit different isn't it?"
"Yeah. He sounds like a farmer......that never went to school."

Tater-tot would not eat his lunch. He would do everything BUT eat his lunch.  When DH told him to sit down and eat or go to the corner, tater-tot replies "I would go eat my lunch, if you'd quit buggin me!"

When I asked Tater-tot if he was excited for Valentines Day,

he replied "NO! And I don't want to be a Valentine Boy. AND I DON'T want to wear pink. You can't make me!!!'

During church, with 35 minutes still to go, Tater-tot points to the clock on the wall and says "See that clock mom? It says it's time to go home! We better listen, or we'll be late!"

Lou is convinced you go to the store to 'buy' a baby--and she really wants us to buy a baby girl next.  When DH was getting ready to go to work on day, Lou told him "Dad, go to work. You need to make more money so you can go buy us a baby girl."

Lou:  "Mom, I must be getting older."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I keep calling people by the wrong name like you and grandma always do."

One of the kids great-grandmothers brought them over a Valentine's treat.  Later, when Lou was talking to Grandma (who is great-grandma's daughter), went something like this:
"Hi Grandma, Happy Valentines Day.  You're mother brought me a treat, but she didn't bring you one did she?"

Somedays, it's just one funny saying that can turn the day around, and today I am thankful for that.

Because he turned 3...

Everytime I sit down at my computer, something breaks. I kid you not. My computer is not my friend. In fact, most electronics are not my friend.  My MP3 player, just after I finished loading all my favorite songs on it, decided to quit.  My external hard drive decided to crash. And my laptop decided it was going to kick the bucket and fried it's motherboard (okay..so maybe I fried the motherboard when I plugged its completely-unsafe-sparking-AC adapter in).  But for these reasons, and probably many more, I have dropped from the blogging world.

But then, Tater-tot turned 3. THREE. Where does the time go? Maybe it's irony that the first blog post I ever created was announcing his birth (did I mention that that blog also went kaploot on me? No? Well--it did). 

Let's face it. My memory is simply not the way it used to be.  I often leave the house without my purse. Or my phone. Or there was the one time when I nearly walked into church without a shirt on (true story).  In fact, just this week I missed my primary meeting for at least the umpteenth time just because I simply forgot.  And so I know that I am going to forget these days.  Everyone tells me, someday I'll look back on these days and wish I could see it all again. Since most the time, what everyone says is what happens, I am giving another go at our family blog--full of the adventures of Lou, my 16 year old daughter who is trapped inside a 4 year olds body and my now 3 year old, whose little pouty lip can give him just about anything. Don't believe me? Check it out, taken at just 3 months old. He's had THREE years to perfect it, people.  He knows it. And he uses it.

And so, stay tuned for more of our shennangins, funny stories, bad days to laugh at later and just life in general.  But first, a then and now picture of Tater-tot and other cute faces (because I can't resist).