Last Day of July

This morning at 5:50, my 9 year old came into my room tearful about a bad dream she just had. Then she asked if she could go watch TV. Knowing what her mood would be like by mid-afternoon, I dragged myself out of bed and snuggled her in with her other two sisters. Just because Doug is out of town, doesn't necessarily mean I have more space to sleep. I'll admit, I was not in the best of moods at that time. I knew that I had a couple choices. I could have been angry and frustrated right out of the bedroom door which would have been fueled by the mess in the kitchen after I had cleaned up from supper. Or, I could stand tall (to my full 5 feet and 2 inches) and brave the day, beginning with a cup of coffee. No one else was up so I'd get that first cup all to myself, hot and sweet. 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. 

My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

 ~Psalm 28:7

So for today, with one cup of coffee down and the hope of some sunshine today, I will chose the joyful road, rather than the angry one. It won't be easy but it can be done.

Happy Wednesday!

Things I'm Thankful For

1. Health services that our city provides. Sarah had to have her speech assessed this week in order to apply for funding. She was transferred from the preschool department to the school side of things and again, we dealt with a wonderful person. The ladies that work in these departments are so good with kids and are full of information and ideas. They are understanding and want to do their very best to work with the parents. 
2. Books. I love to read. I have shelves of books in my bedroom, in the bonus room, kitchen and basement. For me, they take me away from the world of being a mom to places where anything can happen. 
3. I appreciate Doug's job and his willingness and desire to work hard for his family. The hours can occasionally get long and there are road trips but he is a good provider. He does whatever he can so I can live my dream of being a stay at home mom and homeschool our children. We both agree that this is beneficial to our family and is the best choice for them.
4. My children are huge blessings to me. They are loving and kind, empathetic and generous. I am so thankful for their ability to care for and love Sarah when needed.
5. Other bloggers. I am encouraged and inspired by other writers and I love hearing about their lives and days. It also reminds me that I'm not alone in this journey and despite my toughest days, someone has it worse off than me.
6. My God who forgives me again and again and again. No matter how often I falter or fall behind, He is always there to welcome me in His arms.

Published Again

For the second time, a blog post that I submitted to The SPD Blogger Network was published! I love that I am reaching out to others and even encouraging them. This is what I've wanted!

You can see it HERE!

Speech Assessment, July 2013

Day 1

Well, like most nights before a test or assessment, I didn't sleep very well on Monday night. The day dawned bright and early as Sarah and I headed to the Health Unit to meet Tracy, the person who would do the assessment. Very shortly after we sat down, Sarah indicated she wanted to go home. Not a real surprise there. Her mood changed quickly though as she saw Wendy come alongside Tracy. It was (for me) a relief to see her there as well, knowing there'd be some moral support and someone who knows Sarah well.

The first part of the test was to measure where her receptive language skills are.

"There is no standard set of symptoms that indicates receptive language disorder, since it varies from one child to the next. However, symptoms may include:

• Not seeming to listen when they are spoken to
• Lack of interest when story books are read to them
• Inability to understand complicated sentences
• Inability to follow verbal instructions
• Parroting words or phrases (echoalia)
• Language skills below the expected level for their age

Receptive language disorder means the child has difficulties with understanding what is said to them. The symptoms vary between individuals but, generally, problems with language comprehension usually begin before the age of four years."

References taken from HERE

From what I can remember of the testing was Sarah looking at pictures and answering questions either verbally or by pointing. She'd be given four pictures to chose from (similar but different) and chose the one that fit the description that either Wendy or Tracy said to her. Once the sentences became more complex, she lost interest and we stopped at that point. For instance, "point to the picture where the girl is climbing and the boy is swinging." Another part that she struggled with was seeing three pictures and needing to point to the two that went together. She didn't like just pointing to one and she couldn't really answer why two would go together. An example would be a picture of blankets, a brick and a pillow. I think she knew that a blanket and pillow went together but could not tell us why. I did think that some of the correct answers were more of a fluke since she just wanted to be done. 

We will head back tomorrow to complete the testing to look at her expressive language. 

Once again though, she was very entertaining with her oversized yawns and fake sneezes. She always knows how to charm people!

Day 2

Well, I slept better last night than I did the previous. One downfall of today: Sarah crawled out of bed with me. At 5:55am. My first thought was "this is going to be one of those very long days." I am thankful for early morning appointments because at least she'll have only been awake for three hours rather than a possible 6 or 7 which puts her in less than fine form. Once she's been up for a good part of her day, the mood and attitude go downhill fast.

Today's testing was going to focus on expressive language.

"Symptoms of expressive language disorder differ from one child to the next and depend on the child’s age and the degree of the impairment. Common symptoms include:

• Making grammatical errors, leaving off words (such as helper verbs) and using poor or incomplete sentence structure (for example, ‘He going work’ instead of ‘He’s going to work’ and ‘I talk’ instead of ‘I can talk’)
• Using noticeably fewer words and sentences than children of a similar age
• Using shorter, simpler sentence construction than children of a similar age
• Having a limited and more basic vocabulary than children of a similar age
• Frequently having trouble finding the right word
• Using non-specific vocabulary such as ‘this’ or ‘thing’
• Using the wrong words in sentences or confusing meaning in sentences
• Relying on standard phrases and limited content in speech
• Sounding hesitant when attempting to converse
• Repeating (or ‘echoing’) a speaker’s words
• Being unable to come to the point or talking in circles
• Having problems with retelling a story or relaying information in an organised or cohesive way
• Being unable to start or hold a conversation and not observing general rules of communicating with others

Expressive language disorder means a child has difficulty conveying information in speech, writing, sign language or gestures. The child may not use correct grammar, may produce very short phrases and sentences, and may have a small vocabulary. A speech pathologist usually assesses and treats this impairment.

References taken from HERE.

Today Sarah had to look at pictures and fill in the blank. For example "the boy is running, the girl is _______." (sitting) Or "this boy runs, this ______ sits." (girl) She got the first few right but wasn't able to use the word in the proper context all the time. The third part was looking at pictures and reciting what the image was. We got through the first few ok but lost her on footprint, telescope and firefighter. The final section was for Sarah to recite what she heard said. She did well with three word phrases but once they became more complex, she lost interest, probably because it was too hard for her.

Although I don't have the official results in my hand right now, the testing showed that both her receptive and expressive language skills are in the 0.1 percentile. That's a really low number. I didn't even know a scale went that low. In other terms, Sarah speaks like a young three year old. Kind of goes with the rest of her developmental stages.

I left the Health Unit with a very good idea of where Sarah is at and received some ideas on how to work on expanding her vocabulary. Although I knew her speech-abilities were not on par with her peers, it was slightly deflating. But, I do know that Sarah is still the same person she was yesterday and nothing will change that!

PS. If you found me through Ellen's Blogger Link Up, I'd love it if you'd follow my blog as well. I will do the same for you!

Parks & Playgrounds

Sarah is beginning to love going to playgrounds these days, now that she's beginning to master the climbing structures and slides. It is tough for me at times because she is still so little and her balance is still really poor. She also is very innocent, naive and can easily be pushed around. I try to find a good mixture of watching her closely while at the same time letting her explore and challenge herself. Today I had taken the girls to a park to play and Sarah was doing fine until she wandered to the swings and was hit on the face by one that was gently moving in the breeze. Kinda tough when the base of the swings comes to her face level. The other problem with 'big kid' swings is the fact that she doesn't always remember to hold on. When she indicates that she's done, she simply lets go. Up until now, I've managed to catch her and prevent a fall but part of me is expecting a tumble to occur.

Sometimes Sarah likes to sit back and just watch the goings on that are happening. Bigger kids ( not my own) can be quite rambunctious and rowdy and it can be too much for her. Today while she was sitting on a platform just keeping an eye on things, she ended up in the middle of a fight between two boys who were throwing fist fulls of wood chips. Poor girl received a handful of chips in her face which indicated (for her) then end of the play time. I did firmly and loudly tell the boys to not throw things around my kid and apologies were made. It makes me sad when a fun time ends on a note of tears though. Thankfully, a trip to Sobey's and a cookie make things better for her.

Lots of learning for both of us. It was the first time I've stood up like that but I had to defend her and the protector in me was really unhappy. She's recovered and so have I and I am thankful that by tomorrow she will have forgotten everything that happened and will be ready to play again!

I Was Published!

I had submitted a blog post to a much larger community called SPD Blogger Network. I hadn't heard anything from them until the 16th. My blog post was published here!

I had already posted it on this blog but it was really neat to have my post seen by a much larger online world.

http://www.spdbloggernetwork.com/

Wordless Wednesday

Ah, this makes me smile.

One year ago, she was scared of slides and heights. This year, a whole new person has emerged who is confident and brave! I'm so proud of her!

A Few Things That Parents of Special Needs Kids Shouldn't Feel Guilty About

I read a very encouraging blog this morning and with her permission, I'm blog lifting from her post. I’ve mixed her ideas with some of my own as well as some direct quotes from her. You can read more of her stuff HERE.

• Taking a break. I think for the most part, Sarah is pretty easy to take care of but she does require a fair amount of one on one attention and lots of it. She needs to be watched constantly as she lacks the judgement to be safe or to make appropriate decisions. I have found great comfort in the respite care that I've found for her and the time allows me to do other things that I might not otherwise be able to. This was a huge step for me to overcome as I tend to think I can do it all. Thankful for the wisdom of someone who encouraged me to take time for myself.

• Thinking that you "caused" your child's disabilities. I'll admit, this one touches close to home. I know in my heart that nothing I did caused Sarah’s delays and that the suspected oxygen deprivation early in my pregnancy wasn’t my fault. I play and replay in my mind all the suspects from the pregnancy and even beyond, wondering if anything I did differently would have changed. Probably not. 

• Giving up on redirecting or reminding your child. Whether it's your child's persistent banging of knees against the kitchen table or humming, at times you run out of strength to say, "Stop!" Go on, flee to another room or let your significant other deal. You can't always be on.” ~Ellen~

• Letting her zone out to the TV/iPad. I don’t really want her to spent insane amount of time in front of a screen but sometimes it’s necessary for survival. Mine and hers. 

• Spilling to your friends. If they are good friends, they'll be there to listen to you angst about your child and give you perspective, just as you are there for them. ~Ellen

• Writing about your child with special needs. I write so that I have a record of what I’ve done or have yet to do. It’s therapeutic for me to do it like this and even if I encourage one person, then I’ve met my goal. I also write for awareness of delays, microcephaly and cerebral palsy. I will admit though, sometimes I wonder if people really want to hear more or not...

PUF

In some ways, I feel like the special needs system lets us homeschooling families down. Up until the age of five, we have amazing support and resources through Early Intervention which provides as much help as we need. There are some amazing people who are so wonderful with kids and love what they do. I talk very highly of our personal experience in that program with Sarah and it will be a period of our lives that I won't forget.

Things would be different if I were to send Sarah to a program this fall where the supports would just be there for her but because I am keeping her at home, I have to search for those resources on my own. I don't know if she needs therapies. Her speech is ok, understood by people who know her and are around her lots, although I feel I have to translate a lot for her. I don't know what an Occupational Therapist would do and I'm not sure if I'm concerned about needing Physical Therapy either. Can she do what other five year olds can? Of course not. Will she some day? I think so. Her abilities are delayed, not at a stand still. Each day and week is filled with more and more learning and growing. As I've mentioned before, as she gets older, the gap between her and her peers is expanding; that's because she's just developing slower than others.

PUF stands for Program Unit Funding. In order to access this resource, one must be registered in a participating program. I could have applied for it over the past two years but it would have meant registering Sarah in a 'program' of choice like preschool or something of that sort and then I would have been discharged from Early Intervention. I wasn't willing to give that up so we just let it go. Also, I haven't ever sent any of the kids to preschool so it wasn't really ever an option for us.

As I delved further into researching this, I found that the school board that the three older kids are registered in DOES work with PUF. That means if I register Sarah with the homeschool board for kindergarten, she might be able to access those services. She will have to get a speech assessment done and it will need to show that she has a severe delay. The assessment would go to the school board and PUF would be applied for by the school. At this point, I still don't know what that means for us or what we will be able to get. My understanding (which could be proven wrong) is that I could use the funding for certain toys, special tools or anything that will help further her along in her "schooling" as I see fit. I guess we will see what this next chapter holds for us.

P.S. Why do I write and share like this? So that I have a record of what I'm thinking about and to maybe help someone in a similar situation. I hope this brings an awareness to others and that others will also be encouraged to continue to advocate for their children.

Daybook {07.15.13}

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... the lawn has been freshly cut by my son who is becoming more and more like a young man and less like a little boy. I love the smell of the yard after it's been mowed.

I am thinking... that I have a busy week ahead of me. The big girls are in a sports camp with our church and Joshua has a couple of work shifts. I'm glad the kids can do a few things like this to keep occupied with during the summer.

I am thankful... for summer weather. I really don't love much about winter months and this is such a refreshing season for me. I like to be warm and spend time outside with the kids. And not need a coat. Or boots. Or mitts. 

In the kitchen... it is marvellously clean. Supper is long over and it is simply waiting for the morning rush in less than 12 hours.

I am wearing... capri length cotton pants with a tank top. 

I am creating... something called 'social stories' for Sarah. The idea is to create a story for her that will help her with transitions, new ideas and basic tasks for living. 

I am going... to spend the last hour of my day reading. The girls all went to bed early and I'm going to enjoy these quiet moments.

I am reading... A Voice In The Wind by Francine Rivers. It's really thick and taking me a while to get through. 

I am hoping... that Sarah will continue to sleep well during the nights. She's been doing really good at staying in bed with Arianna until morning and she loves her two mini cookies that she gets as a little treat.

I am looking forward to... a few hours this week with just Sarah. It'll be quite different with just one hanging around me!

I am learning... how to research and figure out the 'system' in a way that will benefit Sarah the most this fall. I'll be able to get into that in a future post once I nail down some details.

Around the house... tidy. The little girls are in bed, Joshua is out driving with Doug and Andrea is in her room reading. I wonder how long it will stay like this...

A quote for today... "God is and all is well." (written on the headstone of my mom's grave)

One of my favorite things... the sound of laughter from my children. Happy noises like that make me think that things are alright in their world.

A few plans for the rest of the week... sports camp for the big girls, work for Doug and Joshua, some one on one with Sarah. Maybe I'll try to find a lunch date for her and I, have a visit with a friend or two...

Post #500

(it's actually 501 but who's counting?)

On Gardening...

I speak often of Doug's parents. They are amazing people and I am blessed to have them in my life. I also speak often of their acreage and all the ways they use the space up there. One thing they have is a garden. A. Big. Garden. Because of the road trip they took in June, it was suggested that I plant the garden this year. I agreed with some trepidation because there was no WAY my inexperience was going to measure up to what Mom has done in the past.

At the end of May, Andrea and I did our best to plant the easiest vegetables. Hearty things like lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, tomatos and a pumpkin. (Thankfully Doug's dad did some peas and potatoes). Enter the month of June. It rained. And rained. And rained some more. No problem keeping that ol' garden watered. The problem was that it was alway too wet to weed or care for. Today I felt the need to spend some time alone. No kids, no family, no one. So I headed up to the acreage to check out the garden. It was... green. I'm not sure that the plants were supposed to be 3 feet high though. I had quite the job ahead of me.

Spending this time alone on my hand and knees gave me a lot to think about. I began to compare us, as people to the weeds and plants. I found that there was one weed with a pretty purple flower that had soft leaves which were VERY similar to carrot tops. I had to be very careful to pull only those ones without ruining the carrots. How often do we try to be someone or something we aren't, in order to mix in with the crowd? Our real self is hindered and choked by the 'fake' person we're trying to be. I think if I had waited much longer, the vegetables wouldn't have stood a chance. I took down those tall weeds that were blocking out the sun and gave them some hope. Every so often, I wonder if we too, need to take down the weeds (or walls) that are making us be who we aren't really. I think God is kind of like the gardener, trying to take off our masks so that we can be real for Him.

There is hope, just as I have hope that my carrots, cucumbers and tomatos will pull through.

 A small head of romaine

The freshly weeded garden. Two hours later. There is still lots of work to do but that's going to require a much bigger tool... like a combine perhaps? Ok, maybe a riding lawn mower will suffice but still...

Now I hope that there will be some usable produce to come out of this. I also know that the owner of this yard will be reading this soon and I'm not sure if she'll laugh or cry at my efforts. I'm also not convinced I'm a good solo gardener. Maybe next year I'll just be an apprentice. Yes, I think that's what I'll do!

14 years ago...

I had no idea that when said good bye after a family wiener roast just a day or two earlier, I wouldn't ever see my mom alive again.

July. 13. 1999. The date that will be forever etched in my mind. The day that my mom took her final breath on earth and went home to be with her eternal Father. As I've put her memories in the forefront of my mind the past few days, I find it hard to create, yet another blog post. So I'm using the one I wrote in 2011. Very little has changed. I've gotten older, the kids keep growing and time doesn't stop. In fact, it's hard to believe she's been gone for 14 years already. There was a time where I was sure I wouldn't be able to survive. But I have. This is what I found that I wrote two years ago:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 13, 2011:

Today I found the words that I spoke at my Mom's funeral.  It's quite long but I thank you for hearing my heart.  Also remember, I was quite a bit younger and in emotional turmoil.  Any quotes from my Mom are in italics.

"My mom put her whole life in God's hands. Much of what I will try to say today is from the journals she wrote in. Shortly before her surgery in April, she had written: 

“How could I leave? How could my family make it without me? All I could do was hang onto my faith that night and over the next few days. God took me through the valley. His answer was simple, 'I love you and I love your family and no matter what the outcome, I will take care of all of you.'”

She continues to write:

“God will help John and the kids through and I have to trust Him to just that. My mom died when I was 29 in 1984 and I felt I was much too young. My kids are younger and I can't even think of what it would be like for them. My greatest fear is that they will turn away from God in anger.”

I truly believe the opposite has happened. My faith in God has become much stronger since her illness began in December of 1997. She was a light that shone to me and helped me get through the storms. After reading numerous journals, I know that it was God who helper her along and it is God who will continue to help me along as well.

The next thing I want to say came from a piece she wrote titled On Being a Mom. It is too long to read entirely so I chose some special lines.

“I love my children and it has always been important to me that they know it and feel it. I hugged and kissed my babies, they often fell asleep on my chest. I tried to tell them I loved them. I used words, actions, and connections. I tried to listen and really hear them. I tried to make each feel special, protected, encouraged and obedient. I tried to mold their behaviour so they would be likeable children. I tried to teach them clear moral standards and the meaning of loyalty and sharing. I encouraged them to be their own person. I taught them to work hard and do their best. To live with gusto and enthusiasm.”

After reading that, I realized that I want to be the mom to Joshua that she was to me. I feel that those are a set of guidelines that I need to follow and raise my own son by. I hope I do a good job. The last thing I want to quote is a prayer Mom wrote on August 4, 1998.

“Father in Heaven, I ask in the name of your Son Jesus, that through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I may be healed completely. Fully and totally healed and restored. I long to be whole and physically strong. Please hear my prayer O God.”

The first time I read that, I was angry with God. Why didn't He answer her desperate plea? Why couldn't he have done that for her? Then I began to realize that He did. Maybe not the way we would have wanted – to have her earthy heart healed – but I know her Heavenly heart is beating in perfect rhythm. She is running down the streets of gold praising the God she fully trusted. She is a witness to me and I have learned a lot from her and her personal testimony. I thank God for the special times I shared with her after Joshua was born and I will treasure those days forever. I would just like to add:

Mom, you taught me everything I know – how to cook, clean, and bake; how to be a good wife and mom. You were the best teacher in the world, and as my role model, I hope I continue to live the way you would have wanted me to. I will never forget the many talks we had and any time I have a cup of tea, I'll be thinking of you.  You were my best friend in the whole world and I wasn't ready to say good-bye.  We are both too young to lose each other and I still need you more than ever.  On Tuesday morning, I promised I would take care of Joshua for you, and I know you'll be watching out for us.   I love you Mom and will miss you always."

Yesterday, Doug's parents stopped by. With these for me:

 When we had these family pictures done, my dad had requested 

one of just my mom. The photographer did an

amazing job of capturing her beauty, inside and out.

Time to Say Good-Bye ~ Andrea Bocelli

This is the song that was played at my mom's funeral. Many moments of that day are so clear and vivid in my mind. I remember the processional into the church and one thing I can recall so clearly is how many of Doug's family members came. What a true expression of family love which still is so wonderful and strong today.

You can see and hear the song HERE on YouTube if you wish. 

The translated lyrics are:

When I'm alone I dream of the horizon and words fail me.
There is no light in a room where there is no sun
and there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me.
From every window unfurls my heart the heart that you have won.
Into me you've poured the light,
the light that you found by the side of the road.

Time to say goodbye.
Places that I've never seen or experienced with you.
Now I shall, I'll sail with you upon ships across the seas,
seas that exist no more,
it's time to say goodbye.

When you're far away I dream of the horizon and words fail me.
And of course I know that you're with me, with me.
You, my moon, you are with me.
My sun, you're here with me with me, with me, with me.

Time to say goodbye.
Places that I've never seen or experienced with you.
Now I shall, I'll sail with you upon ships across the seas,
seas that exist no more,

Both
I'll revive them with you.
I'll go with you upon ships across the seas,
seas that exist no more,
I'll revive them with you.
I'll go with you.

Thankful Thursday

• Yesterday I mentioned on Facebook that Sarah ate a few cucumber slices. It's not much but it's the first time she's really eaten any vegetables since she was eating baby food. She got a couple chocolate chips for each slice and they went down nicely. I was so proud of her!
• Although it's not quite perfect yet, Sarah is spending most of the night in her own bed snuggled beside Arianna. Even last night during crazy loud thunderstorm, she managed to stay with her big sister. I love that she is starting to figure it out!
• I'm thankful for a surprise lunch date from a special friend on Monday
• I had a coffee date with another friend on Wednesday. She's an amazing mom of two great kids and it was refreshing to talk to someone who understands the 'system' of special needs.
• The weather has been so nice lately. I love summer time and having the sun out so we can be outside is good for my heart.
• I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life. My family, friends and many other people who are so important to me as they encourage and support me.

Wordless Wednesday

God has created all of my children to be such unique individuals! 

Such blessings they are!

Depression Part 3

Depression is a sneaky kind of creature. I see it as a black mass with arms. It can creep up on you without you knowing. It lurks in the shadows and then with no warning wraps it's dark arms around it's unsuspecting victim.

These depression posts are about Doug's fight with the disease and my determination to help him through it. I have learned to read the signs and I can then be on the alert. This means watching how the kids are behaving, the tidiness of the house, ensuring supper is more substantial than pancakes and exercising caution in how I say things. One thing that I've noticed since his official diagnosis is his shorter temper. I'm not saying he loses it, rather just gets impatient more quickly. Other things that are harder for someone with depression to deal with is physical pain or illness. For a "non-depressive" person, a sore back or cold would mean taking the necessary medication and working through it. For Doug, it (at times) can put him in a really low spot. He'll have very little energy and he will desire to spend more time in bed alone. So in addition to having less control of his mood and mind than others, he also has the deep negative feelings towards his physical self letting him down. I know this frustrates him but I am thankful and blessed that he is able to hear my words to make him aware of this. I think by me telling him, he is able to work on making a greater effort in watching those tricky moments.

I will continue to say, it can be tough to be on the other side of the fence. It is a fight to make sure that I don't fall into the same darkness for Doug and the kids' sake. It is also hard because if I'm in a bad mood, he is more susceptible to be cranky or unhappy. Not to say my feelings aren't okay to have but I need to keep them in check. And once in a while, that is hard. I'm thankful for my good friends who listen to me vent and then encourage me. They are amazing!

On a good note, our days are much better than they were, even six months ago. The medications are doing their job and we are thankful! Doug is more cheerful and agreeable. He wants to be around us and do things as a family. He recently took a week off work and we spent the time away from here and lived at his parent's acreage while they were away. I think even mowing the grass on a riding lawn mower can be therapeutic. Spending time at a place where you don't hear sirens, motorcycles racing or trucks revving their engines at all hours is really good for the mind. We enjoyed being away from the rush of city living and took the opportunity to slow down a bit.

We are continuing to work through this. One day at a time. We will conquer it together!

Long Weekend 2013

Well, it was a busy and eventful weekend for us.

Arianna had decided that she wanted to cut her hair to sit just at her shoulders. When we measured the length, we found that she was only about 1.5 inches from the minimum length for locks of love. With the determination that she has, she went to the hair dresser and cut off 10-12 inches of hair. She is loving her new 'do and feels so much cooler, especially with the hot days we've been having.

Isn't she so pretty and grown up looking?

Speaking of hair cuts, someone else had a hair cut, only she did it herself. I wasn't nearly as pleased with this one. It's taken us five years of watching it slowly grow out.

Yeah, not nearly as fun...

On Monday (Canada Day), the kids and I headed out to Jubilee Park to participate in festivities that our city was having. Things were going fine until the traditional fighter jets flew over us. Of course the sound is startling as well as deafening and at that moment, all I could think about was Sarah who was trapped in her stroller. The kids and I whipped her out as quickly as we could but not quite soon enough. Her whole body appeared to have shut down. She didn't cry but she didn't blink or talk either. She was sweating hard against my chest and although she jumped as the second fly-by occurred, she was motionless. Somehow, her body went into a shock type reaction and it was a good 15 minutes before she stopped shaking and would respond to us. Usually her response to noise is to cry and cling to me but this one was really different and kind of scary. All day, she was talking about the scary planes... The weather was very hot today and so when I got her home, we went to my room with the air conditioning unit and snuggled in for some recovery time.

Once her body temperature was a bit more normal, Andrea, Sarah and I went to a park. Of course it was empty which is kind of how we like it. Today, this gave Sarah the opportunity to try some new skills. She mastered a little climbing wall and the swirly slide! I was so proud of her. Up until now, she's resisted the slide because she can't see the bottom so this was a huge accomplishment. She must have done it 15 times!

Loved it!

The kids Doug and I are just hanging out this evening, doing out best to stay as cool as we can. Tomorrow is back to the good ol' routine! Happy weekend!