Wonders of Wonderland

The Wonders of Wonderland!

This weekend I went with two other families to Sears Canada Day at Wonderland. I will happily say this will be part of my life in Canada that I will want to remember forever.

When you take 4 boys all the same age + 1 toddler + 3 moms + 2 hubbies = GREAT LAUGHS! We all had so much fun. I really needed out too and this was the time I needed. I am happy to call these two girls two of my best friends in life. Lisa (left) Kimberly (Middle) and me (right) are in this photo that my DH took. I met them through the moms board I help to create a year ago. Now a year later we three run the site. These are those sort of friends who come around because they want to, they dont expect anything of you and they understand what it is like to have a special needs child because they are sitting right next to me on the same bench. I am blessed!

I attended 2 crops last week and got my albums rocking again after a small break. I am going to start hosting some crops and getting out more for my little hobby! Can not wait. I am working on a PJ Crop now. Should be cute.

Well that was our weekend. Just 3 similar families sharing laughs and spinning on teacups!

First Day of School

Where has the time gone? Yesterday, Sept 13th, was Alexander's first day of school. He is in Senior Kindergarten this year. Last year in Jr he did well despite a few road blocks and he was ready to go back to see his friends. I snapped this shot when I asked him if he was ready to see Mrs S, he can not say her name! This was the face I got and I was in laughter when I viewed it on the camera - how fitting? He likes her, or he did last year. Same teacher so that helps with the transition.

I woke him up and he knew it was time. We had been counting sleeps till we go back. We are starting off very rocky already as they do not have resources lined up for him yet and they should by now. I am hearing it is not the teacher or the school but more so the district not having a spare EA (Educational Assistant) for him. Funny thing is he had one last year, no problems. Now that they requested one this year and he has a fitting diagnoses and history they can not seem to get one. It has been a major headache already and mama bird is grinding her teeth getting ready for a final blow. He has to have someone, for many reasons including safety.

He is on early release because he has to be handheld and walked to my car. So I am there prior to the buses with a few other special ed moms. We talk, we chat -nothing like when you are in the pile up with the moms with perfect kids when they frown or half ass nod like your or a lower parenting level when your child comes out in a major meltdown.

I wrote on someones blog this morning, who also had a child with needs to not worry so much about them. That were raising Einsteins - did you know he could not even tie his shoes? Watch out world - here comes Alex!

Candle of the Month

From now till the end of September I am offering the following Candle of the Month at 20% off Retail. For ordering details or to see more products please let me know. Do not forget to go to my site and register for a FREE Candle!



HollyBerry Balsam
Fruit & Spice combine with the fresh forest scent of balsam to bring you this intriguing aroma.
Check back next month for more sales!

Sometimes Simple is Best

Call me crazy but I do like this layout! I am driving myself nuts working on the scrapbook album for Disney. While I am excited we are going to make this a yearly getaway while the kids are small, I am debating just how many photos I make. Dennis bought me a Rebel for our Anniversary this summer. I am still trying to figure out how to do everything it is capable of doing. Surely they could add some more hours to the day? But scrapbooking is what I like to call my Jagged Little Pill. I can have the crappiest of days (which the past week has been crap) and I will go to my room and scrap. Radio turned up, Dennis has the boys or either they are in bed, bottled water and a fattening snack from the candy basket I keep as my sanity treats. Hey, chocolate is a girls best friend, ok well next to a loved hobby. But to me I can go scrapbook and it is like everything else takes a back burner for a while. It is my happy pill in glue and paper form! I have been trying to come up with changing my style around when I scrap and catching up to the latest trends. But I created this layout and I was just happy! Because sometimes Simple really is the Best way to go. If only life were that simple?

Do you remember? I do!

6 years ago I was doing my normal thing. Getting up, combing my hair and heading to run my errands. I would take my ferret Casper to the vet and find out his fate was sealed in the very near future. But also that very same day the sights in my home town were like something I have never seen before. When I came out from the vets office in tears myself I notice how hectic things became while I was inside with Casper. You see, at that time I lived among several Military Bases in North Carolina. It was nothing to see different branches of the Military out running, doing errands or driving their transport vehicles from North Carolina to Virginia. I was all about 2 hours south or so from the Pentagon.

I could not get over all the buzz around town. Military Personnel everywhere, even convoys of transportation beginning to group together. The relaxed training look that I was familiar with had disappeared. On a few faces screamed of rage, anger and even some I can still see today as scared. Images I will forever take with me because that was the last time I would see these unknown faces. I do not know if they are alive even today.

Gas stations were lined up to the hills, people huddled around talking. I just did not know what was going on. I called my husband on the cell phone and told him what I was seeing. I truly did not know, that is till he asked me if I had the radio on. No, I did not. I came out of the vets office upset and the radio was the last thing I wanted to deal with. I turned it on and was horrified at what I was hearing. I knew then and there when they were speculating what happened to the towers that it was serious because just in those moments since the planes hit the placeI live in was all a buzz!

It hit our area hard. We were actually told to stay off roads and places were closed by lunch time. They did road blocks and cops with sirens went up and down the road reminding us to stay in. It was not that we were in close danger but right in our town ran the main interstate that connected all the bases directly to the Pentagon. They did not want to hinder what was going to take place. It was a site to see all the Military getting things together before the towers even fell. My heart knew it was going to be bad, very bad.

I turned on my tv and sat like most of the world in tears and disbelief. I remember it all so clearly, all of the images and everything I have scrapbooked for my children, the news - everything is part of me today. I will never ever forget feeling limp and sitting down on my couch just as the tower fell. In an instant the trapped and the living took their last breath. My soul felt heavy - I knew.

I hurt for people I knew who were going to war, I hurt for their families in our area. I cried for the widows and the children who were left to rise in a world where what had fallen had taken a parent -or two. Sisters, brothers, moms, aunts, dads, uncles, cousins all became an instant family even though all I knew was the image of their poster being shown and saying 'Missing'.

6 years later the images have faded and argument has taken place on the real reason it happened. While it does matter, we can not disrespect those who had fallen. No matter if they were heros who died saving lives or a stock broker on floor 97, even the window washer who perished helping others.....it does not matter, they all deserve our respect. Their families deserve it.

I, like you, was able to wake this morning and hopefully will do so all week long as the reminders flood our homes of what seemed like yesterday but is infact ..History now. Those images, the faces and people are burned into history forever. I got out my albums today. I have every soul documented who perished. I have books, magazines, my own albums in my home. I want my children to know History can make you stronger even in disbelief and sorrow.

As most of us still are trying to comprehend how thousands of people died in a single cloud of smoke the reality is some have forgotten what happened that day. Do not become to wrapped up in the politics this week. I know there are many theories floating around right now. If, for just one day - September 11th, remember what started out as a beautiful sunny morning quickly ended in a black dust that kept those lovely people from going home that very same beautiful night. The sun was still bright, the clouds were brilliant. The tears wept and the things you and I take for granted now were taken away in just a moments time.

I sit with my husband and my family at night. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Say I love you, hug your family and friends tight, dismiss any ill thoughts - because where you are happily sitting next to your loved one another one is crying in pain because they can still remember that fleeting moment that they felt their loved ones pass through them as if to give them - one last touch.

I enclosed a photo that I got in an email. I can not take credit for it nor do I know where it came from. As an American, as a Human - I respect and see more to that photo than anyone who only gives in a 2 second glance.

Yes I am on Facebook

And NO you can not poke me! Let me know you are looking for me and I will add you to my friends list.

Goodbye to Summer!

We have had a wonderful summer this year. I regret not keeping up with the blog but we have been really busy with losts of traveling and just being family.

Before school ended we were given the diagnoses for my son that we knew would come. It has been a good 3 to 4 years coming as I knew all along in my heart. We did confirm that he is Autistic. But let me tell you one thing....I would not change my son for anything in the world. He has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of childhood. Sure he has his issues but I can at any given time see what he does through his eyes and that makes me a better person and mother to him.

After school ended we spent a while in SC at my parents. Oh the fun! Carowinds, Chuck E Cheese (better pronouced as Chunks & Cheese by my 4 yr old). We had sprinkler fun and just enjoyed life. Life is too short to debate and worry over the small things. This summer has been a great one for making me whole and to be a child again.

We went to MarineLand a couple of times, we saw lots of family, the zoo! Wow we have just been busy but once again the leaves are changing and here comes fall so it means it is time to settle down. I do love Sept-December as those months have a certain glow and magic to them. No matter the reasons or locations family comes together. Besides sweaters and jeans are much nicer for a crisp night then sweating in the heat.

Alex goes back to school this Thursday. He will be in Senior Kindergarten. Luckily, he will have the same teacher so that clears one more transition for us. Chasen is right on his big brothers heels with the growing.

Too look at me you see 2 kids fairly close in age, but they are really different. At this age Chasen is talking and eating, is pretty healthy....I wonder and feel we may skip the Autism Diagnosis with him as his path of development seems to be different. Time will tell.

I am going to start this blog back up and even try and post some scrapbooking goodies. I hope to rekindle communication among my many peers I have lost over the last few moves.