Halloween 2014

This Halloween was the first year that I let the girls pick their own costumes. In the past they were either too young or too apathetic to care so I picked what they were and I always coordinated them. This year I would have loved to have done the same, but the girls had their own opinions and ideas so I just went with it.

Alec obviously didn’t have any clue what was going on and had no opinion on his costume so I got to pick. This boy LOVES superheroes. He especially loves The Incredible Hulk, so that’s what I picked for him. He even has “Hulk Smash!” and The Hulk growl down pat. His costume was a no brainer.

The Lego Movie is a popular one in our house, and Jane really wanted to be Princess Unikitty. I really hoped that they would have sold a Unikitty costume, but they don’t, so I had to be creative (not my strong suit.) Jane was happy about it though so it all worked out.

Megan was apprehensive about choosing her costume (surprise, surprise) but I assured her that she could be anything she wanted to be. I was eating my words a little when she declared she wanted to be “The Wind.” I found lots of cute “windy” ideas online and on Pinterest, but she said the wind was just plain and simple and we ended up letting her take the lead. She loved her costume.

Megan had a party and parade at school and we attended our ward’s Halloween party and trunk or treat. We went up to my sister Ann’s house to go trick or treating with her family.

Jane and Cousin Norine (Glinda the Good Witch)

 

Megan and Cousin Katherine (broken porcelain doll)

 

The Wind in action

 

Alec and Cousin Marshall (Wolverine.) Alec LOVES Marshall so much.

 

The children had a great time and we got more candy than we could ever need. Can’t wait to see how their costume desires and favorite characters change over the years. Happy Halloween!

Partial Eclipse of the Sun

On October 23rd there was a partial eclipse of the sun. Adam was so excited about it and took us all up to the top of the science center to view it.

I took a photo of the sun through the telescope with my phone.

We also have a really nifty pair of solar glasses can be used to look directly at the sun.

Adam also went around the neighborhood letting our friends (and random strangers at the park) use the glasses to look at the eclipse.

It was super cool to see the eclipse but almost equally as cool to see Adam share his passion with others. I love my super cute husband.

Another Haircut for Alec

Alec has the most beautiful golden blonde hair. I’m still trying to figure out how to style it and what cut is best for him. In the meantime I love just been letting it grow out. Adam had been telling me for a couple weeks it was time for a cut, so one night while he was gone I finally chopped it.

It’s crazy how much a little haircut can change a person’s look. He looked so different and so handsome afterwards. I’m going to let it grow again and we’ll see what happens. One thing is for sure, he’s so cute in every which way.

Activity Days

When Megan turned eight in June, she started attending Activity Days at church. They do all sorts of fun activities and crafts, and teach the girls valuable skills and gospel principles. Megan LOVES going. She feels very comfortable with the girls and leaders and looks forward to each Activity Days.

One week I was asked to help with a sewing activity (I don’t know how to sew so I supervised more than helped.) It was fun to be with Megan and to observe her in that setting. She had a great time.

It’s hard to believe my little girl is growing up and learning skills like these. I love going through each new phase with her and watching her learn new things. The church sure knows what its doing with programs like these!

Autism Evaluation for Alec

At 18 months, in addition to his standard well-baby checkup, Alec also underwent an autism evaluation. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it on the blog, but a few of Alec’s behaviors and mannerism had me pretty concerned. I was anxious for this appointment. Alec’s doctor felt my concerns were accurate and valid. He felt like Alec “probably” didn’t have autism, but said there were still a number of red flags that he said meant we weren’t “out of the woods yet.”

The main concerns were, Alec could only say a couple words as opposed to the handful of words they hope for at this age. He also predominantly walks on his toes which is typically of a lot of children but even more common with sensory or neuro-atypical children. Alec also struggled with facial recognition and was extremely emotionally sensitive and wasn’t meeting social milestones. His doctor wanted to wait a few months to see how those red flags worked themselves out before starting early intervention. So that’s where we currently stand.

One thing that never ceases to amaze and confuse me is how when I mention to others how I am worried about Alec and his behaviors, how quickly they are to invalidate my concerns. “Oh he seems fine. There’s nothing wrong with him. Looks normal to me,” are only a few of the comments I hear back from people when I mention that I am worried about this or that. I guess I’ll never understand why others are so quick to dismiss my worries and feelings. Even after Megan received several medical diagnoses, including Autism, I still have people who doubt when I talk about some of her struggles and difficulties. I wonder if people think I am just seeking attention? Or maybe they think any problems my children have are just due to poor parenting on my part? Or maybe acknowledging that Megan (and maybe Alec) have a behavioral or neurological problem means acknowledging that my load might be heavy and maybe they don’t want to extend any additional emotional support my way? And maybe they just don’t mean anything and are just trying to be supportive and hopeful…I don’t know. I just know that sometimes it hurts when I express to another that I am concerned about this or that only to be dismissed and invalidated. So if there is someone in your life who comes to you and expresses concern about their child, maybe just say something like, “oh no, I am sorry you have those concerns! I hope everything is ok. Keep me posted as you learn more.”

We will probably do a follow-up evaluation at his 24 month check-up. The doctor said we could do it as soon as 21 months, but I feel like it’s okay to give him the full six months to see how his development works itself out. Also, at 18 months he weighed in at about 22.5 pounds (27%tile) and was 33 inches tall (78%tile.)

He is very smart, sweet, and wonderful. I only want his every happiness.