A Tylerism

Just a quick Tylerism to pass along for the final post today. It has been a busy few hours catching up on my blog that's for sure! I think this is a record number of posts for me all in one day. You actually have to go to the next page to see the first one I posted today. Whew. Don't expect much over the next month.

We were walking out of the orthodontist office and the assistant said "Have a great day!" and Tyler said: "My days are always great!" He's right. He is such a happy guy. I thought this was especially good of him to say after being so sick the day before.

Before, After, During

Sammie before:

Gotta love those facial expressions of hers.

Sammie After:

Braces came of today! Isn’t she beautiful? (yes, that is another bump on her head. She crashed into the buffet at my parent’s house. She needs to wear a helmet)

Here’s the during. They had way too much fun!

AHHHHHHH!!!!!! (they did this to her before she got them on too. I’ll have to find the before pic and see if they look better!)

Tyler’s before picture… orange tongue and all.

She got this balloon and a water bottle filled with chewy candy from the doctor. She was super excited about this part! Bring on the caramel!

She ordered a lime green and hot pink glow in the dark retainer with sparkles! We'll have to post a picture of that when it comes in next week. Next round of braces will be in the next year or 2. I think those will be on for 2 more years. We'll enjoy the break!

The Invite

Sammie worked hard on designing these invitations for her friends with a little help from Aunt Alexis’ old scrapbooking stuff! 

She messed up the 7 on this one so she decided to keep it.  The blue paper is just to cover up the tier with our address and phone # on it.  She’s really big into block letters right now. 

Spencer

 

Just a not so great pictures of Spencer.  It is so hard to find a good one of him.  He’s usually running away! 

 

 

He didn’t really like the arcade part of the pizza place, but loved the eating part. 

Easter Sunday

 

A few kids all dressed up.  Spencer had a melt down when I tried to take his picture.  Blah. 

 

That dress was mine when I was a little girl.  Sammie loves the puffy skirt, but the sleeves are a little too puffy for my taste.

 

Tyler posing with his little bunny we got him for Easter.  He named him Orangy. 

 

 

 

All well.  At least there’s documentation that Spencer was there that weekend.  If unhappy to be photographed.  Most of our pictures of Spencer in the group are of someone grabbing ahold of him and dragging him into the frame. 

Easter Saturday 2011

We went to the Incredible Pizza Company in Springfield for Easter Saturday with Darrin, Lex, Parker and my Dad when Mom was in the hospital. The kids sure thought it was incredible!

The first thing Tyler saw when he walked in was this cool car inside the restaurant and he knew he’d love the place!

Sammie scored a balloon for Parker.

Sammie, Darrin and Parker.

Alexis and Tyler

I wish I’d gotten a picture of Tyler’s face when he found out the only car left for go carts was pink! He was horrified! The attendant said “Real men wear pink!” Tyler wasn’t so sure, but sure had fun once he got going.

Sammie’s first car was red, but we realized that it was being charged. Tyler was beside himself wanting the “Lightning McQueen” car. All well.

The wind in her hair and weirdo hair braid clip thing- and her white car.

an action shot of the men in pink.

Sammie and Tyler playing air hockey.

The Cake Boss Party

Sammie requested a cake decorating party “Cake Boss” style with a few friends next weekend. First step was the consultation with our resident “Cake Boss” Ashley. Sammie had drawn out her cake design for the cake we will be eating that day. The bottom layer will be foam covered with fondant and decorated and she can replace the fondant and practice decorating on it when the party is through! (Since we only have 20 people to feed it was silly to make a cake ready to feed 100)

The sketch:

discussing options:

Aren’t they cute?

I just realized today that whatever other steps I have to take need to hurry up and happen because it’s a week from Saturday! Yikes!

The big X

Tyler caught a bad stomach virus and I had to take him in to the doctor for a nausea meds because he was throwing up so much.  Poor baby.  Every 15-20 minutes from about 2 am-12 noon yesterday.  He’s doing better now, but hasn’t had any solid food since Tuesday night dinner so we’ll wait and see.  He needed another dose of the meds last night and hasn’t been sick since, but laid around a lot today and took a nap.  (something he doesn’t ever do really)

He was too weak to walk yesterday when I took him to the Dr. so I carried all 50 lbs of him up to the office, but they gave me a wheelchair for him for the ride back down to the valet parking (which I did take advantage of on the way up)

As we were wheeling down the hallway Tyler said “Mom, can we just put a big X on this day already?” 

Poor little guy.  Here’s a pic in the adult wheelchair they gave us. 

Bucket and all.

Just like Dad

 

Thomas reads scriptures when he eats breakfast.  Tyler wanted to read his book when eating lunch the other day and requested the special book holder Thomas’ dad made us a few years back.  He was excited to be like Dad. 

Attempts at something homemade, an Author in our midst, and the evidence of eating

 

It’s been a busy weekend, but I’ve had time to snap a few pictures of some of the fun things that went on. 

Let’s start with the last thing first- 

 

 

I made homemade

yogurt!!!!!

It’s really not that difficult, but it takes HOURS to set up which I didn’t plan for very well.  I started the process last night at 7 pm and had to do something to it at 9:30- no big deal- but then the major thing had to be done (adding the store bought yogurt to the milk) at 12:30 am.  I’m by no one’s definition a night owl and even the fun book I’m currently reading was no help to me. 

I even added the yogurt half an hour early because I can’t even remember the last time I stayed up till midnight- not even new years eve people so I gave up and went to bed and I still woke up to beautiful, creamy, delicious yogurt!!! 

Ok, on to the kids…

Sammie was selected to participate in a young writers conference on Saturday!  She and one other student from her class- and about 12 kids per school in our school district- got to go to a 3 hour writers workshop with Judy Young- children’s author and poet. 

Over 300 kids from the district got to hear her read a book she wrote, had a Q&A, got a signed book (most exciting part for Sammie- she carried around with her all weekend) and even got to share a piece they have self published at school with the group! 

We got her a special book and pen and wrote a little message about how proud we are of her dedication to her writing and how special she is.  She loved it!

 

 

This is the view I have of Spencer in the dining room while I do dishes or cook (when he’s not under foot “helping” that is) It’s hard to tell, but I assure you he is not eating. Right before I took this picture he was just sitting staring at his food as if to say- why can’t you just fly into my mouth so I don’t have to work for you? I really want to eat you, but I just can’t make myself do it.

There is much about Spencer that I have trouble understanding, but his current relationship with food really throws me for a loop. If there’s good food in front of me I’m eating it. Period.

Closer up view of his cuteness as he sits beside his lunchable.  He does like it I assure you… I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole, but the pizza lunchable is his current favorite lunch. 

 

And here’s the proof- He does eat! 

I wanted the pictures to put together for a social story of him actually eating so we can read it with him frequently throughout the day.  He has one at school, but he has a hard time generalizing concepts to home that he has grasped at school.  For instance, he is starting to take more independent bites at school while at home we still have to stand on his head to get  him to eat. 

 

And here’s just a quick picture of the fuzzy face… just because I need reminders that he’s really cute and cuddly when he is still having potty issues.

Skinny Boy

Spencer has been to the doctor again recently because he started loosing weight again and is still having trouble with feeding himself and being a motivated eater. The doctor recommended some over the counter medicine to help his digestive tract and gave us a note to give the school to make eating a high priority there. He was going all day without eating or drinking while at school. No wonder he lost weight. The dr also recommended a nutrition counselor and so we went to see her as well.

Here's the basics- send any high fat/high calorie/high protein food you have send our way because our boy has to eat between 2500-3000 calories a day and get between 80-100 grams of fat a day. Protein is a bonus of course, but the nutrition counselor stressed eating FAT FAT FAT!

Slather margarine on EVERYTHING, put heavy cream in his cereal, give him protein bars, no fruit, no vegetables, no whole grains (he's on a fiber supplement) because these things give the "appearance of fullness" without actually eating a ton of calories. Most of us need that strategy to loose weight, but Spencer is so far behind in the scale that he needs the good fats and lots of them! (and throw in all of the bad fats for now too. We aren't concerned about high cholesterol right now, just getting him fed enough so his organs don't decide to start shutting down)

Luckily I stumbled upon a lunch he'll eat better at school- pizza lunchables. High in fat and calories and when paired with a protein bar pretty good for you too. He has been eating better at school with assistance and taking more independent bites at home- not back to normal by any means, but it does seem like the baby steps forward have helped him remember he likes food and wants to eat it more often!

He's getting better slowly and we are seeing progress with this new strategy, but it will be a very long process to get him back to a normal weight since he's about 25-30 pounds below the lower range of normal.

I did have to loosen the button elastic (love those on pants now for kids!) on a few pairs of jeans recently so that's a step in the right direction! Too bad I had to cut about 3 button holes last fall to get them to stay up, but it's a start!

I was joking with a friend recently about how opposite our diet plans are. Spencer eating everything in site- or at least staring at it all- and I'm having to cut back on eating everything in site while I stare at all of the yummy food he's not eating. Ironic isn't it? Too bad there isn't such a thing as a fat transplant because as his mother I'm pretty sure I'd be a match. Take all the flub from my rear end and give it to Spencer! I'll take one for the team!

Seriously though we are staying positive about this. Knowing what the problem is and how to fix it go a long way to helping us cope with this challenge.

Tyler's Prank

Tyler tried to fool me today. "Mom! You have a spider on your head!" I pretended to be freaked out and batted at my head a bit. He ruined the punch line though by saying "Happy Birthday!" instead of "April Fools!" Made me laugh anyway so I guess that's the point. Maybe next year buddy!

April Fools!

 

Tonight I made up a menu for a wacky April Fools dinner for the kids and our neighbor friend.   The menu made them order from a list of items that had gibberish on it for the names of the actual food- I got this idea from a young women’s activity a few years ago where the leaders made dinner for the girls. 

Here’s the menu: keep in mind they didn’t have any idea what they were ordering.  The menu only had the weirdo names. 

They got to choose 2 from this group:

Dohickey-plate
Humdinger- napkin

Flibberdegibit- Straw

Thingamabobber- Fork

 

Choose 1 from this group:

Superfragilistic- pasta bake

Pennypincher- potato casserole

 

Choose 1:

Penplier- pretzels

Adamsappleninger- orange

Good Golly Miss Molly- Grapefruit with sugar

 

Choose 1:

Tuckerniller- milk

Seeweedlier- Apple Juice

Wally Wabbles- Water

 

Choose 1:

Fluffernickle- 2 cookies

remakering- squirt of redi whip (bought so I can spray it in Spencer’s mouth every time I walk by the fridge.  Did I mention he needs to gain weight? more on that later.)

supernuperdoopertropper- ice cream scoop

 

They put in their “orders” and then I sent them out to the trampoline while I prepared the leftovers to make into a memorable meal. 

Sammie had to eat her pennypincher (potato casserole), Good Golly Miss Molly (grapefruit) and Supernuperdroopertrooper (ice cream) with a set of  Flibberdegibits! (straws!)

 

Tyler didn’t get a plate.  I mean er…Do Hickey.  But he had his pennypincher and adamsappleringer and a squirt of remakering on his humdinger.   Hey, at least he got a thingamobobber (fork) 

 

Our neighbor friend had the best luck.  She got a plate and fork.  At first we were really into calling everything by it’s name and checking the answer key to make sure we had it right.  Then we just gave up. 

They were all glad they didn’t order the flibberdegibit (straw) and thingamobber (fork) because they would have had to eat off the table.  I am not sure if I would have made them… maybe they would have had to eat off of a tiny plate and all of their food would have been touching.  nah, they wouldn’t have eaten that either.  I guess it’s good it didn’t happen then.

Spencer didn’t like the game.  He demanded all of his food be given it’s proper name and even got to order more than the others because let’s face it-  he needs to eat big time!  Everyone understood. 

The actual menu was super fancy let me tell you- here’s the wonderful pink copy paper folded over with my untidy scrawl that still impressed the kiddos.  It doesn’t have to be perfectionist to be fun. 

 

Did you do something fun for April Fools?  I know my friend Ashley had a backwards dinner planned- a cake that looked like spaghetti and meatballs and meatloaf that looked like cupcakes!  She even made mashed potatoes and piped it onto the meatloaf!  Can’t wait to see pictures of that one. 

New favorite treat

I was at the store today with Spencer wasting time before McDonald's started serving lunch- long story- and found this stuff. Oh, my. It is so good. I could eat it by the spoonfuls. I have been eating it by the spoonfuls. Too bad for me (not Spencer) it's like 200 calories and 11 grams of fat per spoonful and that it costs like 5 bucks. Still, totally worth it. I can't wait to have him try it when he gets home from school!

(I did buy it for Spencer to pack on the pounds, but nothing sayin I can't enjoy a bit here and there right?)