hide-n-(sensory)-seeking

I'm giving myself another day!! I got a ton of stuff done today, despite Kit not taking a nap, AGAIN! I just didn't get to the part of organizing for disposal. But all day I kept remembering things I want to add to the piles, so I'm giving myself an extra day. A day when Daddy is home to help keep Kit busy,  and ensure she takes a nap so that I can kick some serious clutter! So instead of  a picture of stuff I'll leave you with a little adorableness! Well, she's little, her adorableness is HUGE!! Her outfit just couldn't have fallen together better, this was not planned, but ended up crazy adorable! Her shirt and shoes were the exact same colors and sparkles! And her little pink skirt over her black leggings! Ahhhh the cuteness!!

Day 25 1.) I cleaned out the sock box today. These are the ones that have been in there for close to a year and are still single. Now that I finally threw them out, their partners will finally show up looking for them! 2.) A nice pair of dress shoes that don't fit any of the guys here and so have been serving as a door stop fot too long. Time to find some feet guys. 3.) A candle wax warmer. I'm out of tealights to use with this and I don't have any plans to buy more anytime soon. One less thing to dust. Day 26 1.) Giving back the borrowed guitar that we never learned how to play because our life is already completely nutty. 2.) This flannel blanket will help keep Nana nice and toasty on these chilly nights. 3.) More clothes. (But still not enough to find the floor everywhere we want to!) Day 27 1.) A tv without out a remote is like apple pie without ice cream, sure it's still fun, but it doesn't quite give you the whole experience. The story behind this ...

One thing I love about cleaning house is that I find drawings everywhere. Most of them are Zak's and most of them are just doodles or practice, but to me they are little glimpses into his mind. And he has a pretty incredible mind.  So here is a few things I found lately that made me smile... He made a choose-your-own-story, speed story. He has been majorly into cartooning this year, reading tons of books about it, and filling notebook after notebook with different characters, practice faces, thought and quote bubbles, scenery, and then of course making up his own  comic strips. He made up the one below, and filled a third of a notebook with his adventures. The Bravish Knight even made a star appearance on the anniversary card Zak made for us this year, it was very charming! The last couple of months Zak has gotten more introverted. And his work has become much more artistic rather than cartoonish. He still cartoons reg...

Brain Dominance affects more than handedness. We   tend to think of our dominant side only in terms of right or left handedness. But brain dominance controls a whole lot more than that.  As you probably know, the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body. Typically, brain dominance not only determines handedness, but also which foot we lead with, which eye we focus with, and much less well known, which ear we listen better with. Kit is  extremely  right dominant. To the point that I several times looked up information on cerebral palsy, though I have been assured she is fine. It's really a matter of communication in her brain itself. Miss V explained to me recently that the left side of the brain is our logic center. It is very linear and pattern based, thus it is  where we process language and math. Whereas the right hemisphere is our emotion center. This...

Reflexes are very important! Have you ever been drifting off to sleep, only to suddenly jerk awake, slightly flailing your arms out, having a sudden, though brief, sensation of falling? That was your Moro reflex at work. Your brain for whatever reason felt that you needed to use it, so even though it's sort of been "dormant" in your system for a long time, it's still available in an emergency. We are all born with reflexes, and as we grow these reflexes become integrated into our nervous system. In a way, they lay dormant until our body has a need for them again. This is normal, and vital to growth and balance of our complex body systems. In some individuals, and very prevalent in those on the Autism spectrum, these reflexes do not properly integrate. They may however change their appearance and how they manifest throughout the body. This leads to a whole host of body systems that are getting mixed and messed up messages. It's not unlike trying to cli...

Day 24  (I know, I'm behind, several days have attacked me at once lately) 1.) Used to be a cute purse, now it's a mess. Actually, now it's gone. 2.) So hard to decide that our precious disc spin is simply beyond saving. Good bye dear friend, we love you, but it looks like we will have to eventually replace you. For now though, your are taking up more precious space. 3.) We are passing back our wooden puzzles to the littlest cousin. Hopefully with all the peices. Eventually :/

A brain divided cannot stand. Quite literally, in fact. When connections and synapses in the brain are not communicating well, one can have great difficulty with both simple and complex motor tasks. But it can affect much more than just that. The ability to perform multi-step actions, to interpret information received from the senses, to use more than one sense at once, and one of the most noticeable, the ability to execute speech. One of the most obvious examples of this is when an individual suffers a stroke or brain aneurysm. It is part of what can cause asymmetrical paralysis. And occupational therapy helps to not only retrain the muscles, but also to reteach the brain how to communicate with itself. This is the roll occupational therapy is playing for Kit as well. We are teaching her brain to communicate better with itself, and with her body. While many of her motor skills are actually quite advanced, there are many other areas that connections are lacking or need ...

Day 22 1.) The kitty house that the kitty destroys nearly everyday. It's too flimsy for our house. I'd rather get rid of it and get him a more sturdy scratching post since he sleeps on the couch or with Grace most of the time now anyway. 2.) This is only a partial picture of the many old and non-reusable school books, but mostly notebooks that we pitched this week. We buy 'em cheap and use 'em faster. 3.) Two closet organizers that don't work at all for our closets. They are just sitting around, and I think it's time they found a new place of work. Day 23 I don't care if this officially counts or not. It's my challenge,  so I am making it count. And it's a HUGE weight of my list of stresses. 1.) We switched dance schools. Grace has been in dance since September and while they put on an impressive "show" at the end of last year, we have come to realize that instruction is not the priority of the establishment.  Nor is treating their ...

Scene: Victor gave Grandpa corn with his dinner. Grandpa : What's this? Victor: Corn G: Rice? V: No, corn. G: No, it's rice. V: No, corn, maize, its yellow see? G: No no, it's rice. V: Ok, it's rice. G: I like the rice, it's good.

I'm trying very hard to find the silver lining in my baby not napping. She still desperately needs one. Her mind and body are completely dysregulated. She's litterally fighting a battle inside her body. When she can't nap, the entire afternoon and evening feels hijacked. Nothing happens the way its supposed to. None of our goals for the day get met. She doesn't get happier and calmer, but rather continuously more tightly wound, more oversensitive, and looses not only all emotional control but her words and ability to verbalize her needs as well. Yesterday, the entire afternoon and evening I spent either trying to get her to sleep, or engaging her in soothing activities trying to prepare her body and settle her brain to be receptive to sleep later. She had a terrible time falling asleep last night. And she woke up at least five times in the first three hours of the night after she  fell asleep. The big kids need my help and attention, but they can't get it when...

Today was horrible . This thought kept rattling around my head all afternoon and evening. Not again !  As I rocked and sang and did sensory integration therapy in what was quickly proving to be another failed attempt to get Kit to nap. Argh! Come on! As I hear the big kids bickering on the other side of the bathroom door. Ugh! Good grief! When Zak informs me that Kit has smeared chocolate on the dry erase board. I just knew this was going to happen! As I am cutting Thinking Putty out of Kit's hair because I couldn't reach her in time to take it from her, and of course she wouldn't bring it to me because today was just not a complying sort of day! *** The list continues throughout the evening, and to my great surprise but wonderful relief,  stopped just short of me getting thrown up on. In fact, nobody threw up today. No one needed x-rays. Daddy arrived home safely. Kit did eventually fall asleep, despite having emense difficulty staying that way. It's...

Day 21 1.) Two toddler sleeping bags. My big kids outgrew these a while back, but I really resisted separating the pair. They were a gift at my baby shower for Grace, so I really wanted them to stick together and to help make many more happy memories for other little people. So, I'm giving them to Auntie. They will be there as the littlest nieces and nephews grow and get to make memories at Auntie's house. And in that wonderful way, I'm not really giving them away at all! (But they still count here. They did leave my house!) 2.) Nana went home with an extra blanket today. I'm glad it can warm her knees instead of sit on a closet shelf. :) 3.) I love the fabric and colors on this dress, but it is the most unflattering (to me) thing I may have ever put on. To even begin to hang right on me, I would have to grow about four inches. Ha! I'll get right on that. Or I could just give the thing away. Yeah, think I'll just go with that option. 

When I  look at my baby girl, I see a crazy, adorable, busy, growing, affectionate, smart, funny little girl. Other people can see that, too. She is a whirlwind toddler that does very toddler-y things, like throwing things, whining, fighting with her siblings,  playing with toys, and sharing her snacks with the dog.  But what you can't see is how much work has gone into teaching her body and brain to do many things that other toddlers "just know" how to do. Like how to "play" with toys. Or tolerate clothes. Or sleep with a blanket. What doesn't "show" is how overwhelmed she gets by being in new places or around a lot of people all talking and laughing. She seems fine. But all of those people don't come home with us.  They don't have to physically wrestle her into her car seat as she screams because she wants to run in circles longer. They don't see the bite marks on her hand from her chewing on it. And they don't hear ...

Day 20!!! 1.) Threw away all the dried playdough, and the containers with out lids. I can't get rid of the empty ones with lids because these are Kit's "rainbow colors" that she stacks into towers taller than herself. 2.) Our cute little instrument set is moving to Auntie's house. She may regret accepting these when "the band" stages their next practice at her place! Just kidding, she'll love it! 3.) There once was a pretty sun hat...now it's old and ugly.  Nuff said.

Day 19! 1.) A couple of magnet writing boards the kids don't play with anymore. We had three, Grace insisted that she loves them, so I let her pick one to keep and the other two are moving on now. 2.) A cute supply box I got when we bought Zak's Kindergarten curriculum. It has served us well, but has been moatly empty and unused for a while, and its longer size makes it difficult to fit in the places we would prefer to keep it. 3.) Zak's m&m dispenser he bought at a garage sale. He thought he would like/use it more. I'm so proud of him for letting this one go voluntarily! Ok, we're doing good! 11 more days, 33 more things. Coming soon...my bedroom. EEEKK!!!

Day 16  1.) A bunch of learning cds we unfortunately never used and they have sat around for three years now. Part of me says you'll use them, you will! But the practical part says, we don't even have a working cd player anymore, just move on. 2.) A velcro toss game we lost the ball to a long time ago and these were buried At the back of the closet.  3.) A couple of dollies who need a new mama, they are currently being neglected here. Day 17 1.) If I had to give up my egg cartons then Victor has to give up his "back up collection" of plastic cutlery from various eateries. I saved a handful of the really sturdy ones but the rest are gone. It's ok, Babe, just rip it off, like a bandaid. 2.) A bag of Fuzzy Sticks that a friend of ours will enjoy more than my kids who have had these on their top shelf for months. 3.) A basically new dehumidifier that we bought in our camper days, but has been stored since we bought our house. To the pawn shop ye shall go. Day ...

It's true. There is a lot of yelling that happens around here. Yes, sometimes it's the result of grouchy people annoying or aggravating other grouchy people. Other times it's because all my gentle pleas have fallen on deaf ears and I've lost my cool. Again. Not my proudest parenting moments. But many times, so many times, it has a happy, silly, or hysterical wave that carries our voices to the crest of literally shouting with glee. By us I mostly mean them, as in the kids. Because that is usually the case. A lot of times it feels like that is the default volume of my children as well, regardless of their mood. They are just loud all the time. A great majority of it anyway. Victor and I can regularly be heard throughout the day issuing reminders to "talk quieter", "turn your volume down", "please speak softer". They do, for the remainder of that sentence or request.  Then the next time they open up to speak, our ears ar...

Day 15!!!! 1.) A couple of bath boats that have simply been adrift for too long. Hopefully will get much more use in Gummy's tub than ours! 2.) More shoes! These ones are Kit's. Can't believe she's outgrown these already!  3.) Kit's little pink wagon. :(  It's sooo cute, but she doesn't use it anymore. It's been housing naked dolls, several of which will be spotlighting tomorrow's post (fully clothed, by the way). Good-bye little pink wagon. Hello more free floor space! I'm halfway there! Yippie!! Only 45 more things to go! 

Sometimes I look around and I see dozens of little clues scattered all around me of the people that my children are. Through the typical mess of childhood, I wonder how much of it is clues to the big people they will someday become. How much will they carry through from these days and take with them into adulthood? It's fun to think about. My artist. My scholar (and cartoonist). My little gemologist. Happy Wednesday Everybody!

Day 14 1.) Fun little books that assist kids learning to read. We returned these to Lela since Grace is now reading like a pro! 2.) An old glasses case that has been buried under stuff for over a year.  3.) More kids clothes. (And still the drawers won't close!)

So we had a pretty busy weekend, most of which was spent trying to find studs to hang up our new shelves. Not even remotely kidding. Bob Villa himself would have been puzzled to say the least. Argh! So frustrating!  But Us vs. Wall finally ended with us getting four wonderfully functional and space saving shelves installed without demolishing the walls, which was briefly considered at the height of aggravation.  Nevertheless, the purge continues, so... Day11! 1.) Wii protectors that we never use and have been sitting in a drawer since Kit ceased using them as chew toys. 2.) Some wax scent things that I bought about four years ago and have never used because they are too perfume-y. 3.) By beloved egg cartons. I hate throwing these away, but I had way too many. Victor commented that they may be the gateway to future hoarding. Bye bye egg cartons.  *** Day 12! 1.) We have stuffed animals coming out our ears! So I told the kids to pick two each. Thankfully there were ...