Bedtime stories :)

And now, starring in their FIRST video on this blog - I present to you, the lovely MBear and NBear!

Enjoy :)

Hair today, gone tomorrow!

Serves us right for thinking we could leave the girls alone downstairs for a bit!

Just a few minutes ago, I was jolted out of my seat (here, at the computer) by the sound of NBear's footsteps running up the stairs, and her squealing voice uttering these words:

Mommy --- Daddy! Is MBear! Is MBear is haircut! Zzzizzors!

I grabbed SBear in my arms, ran to the door (at the same time saying "Whaaat!??" while the Huz - who obviously heard the message - also made his way toward me. We met at the top of the stairs, both groaning the words "Oh no...oh my gawd....oooohhhhhh" and dreading having to catch sight of our daughter's new 'do.

I don't know what visual Huz had prepared for himself, but I had images of the movie "Powder" in mine. Then, the inevitable onslaught of images came: Yul Brynner in "The King and I"...Gordon from Sesame Street...Caillou....even Milla Jovovich in "The Fifth Element"....you get my point.

* The bad news --MBear had indeed chopped off a significant amount (no photos taken - I don't want to remember how angry I was at her!) of her tresses. The evidence was all over the carpet and on their play slide! No - I do NOT want to know how the heck chunks of her hair got on the slide!

* The good news -- the part she chopped off was close enough to her bangs, they simply looked like a "layered" addition to her look. (Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better? The Huz certainly won't agree with the Layered-look theory because he said "See? Look at you now! You look so funny!") sigh.

*The BEST news -- *just in case you missed it in the beginning!* YES! NBear actually told us what had happened! (She's also been good about telling us when one of her siblings has an accident, but "poopoo" is much easier to explain in one word than when somebody cuts their own hair off). The other neat thing happened when I was making my way down the stairs. I guess she sensed the angst and anger building up inside Mommy Bear because she quickly turned my face towards hers and said something like:

NBear GOOD GIRL! I love you, Mommy! (I love you, too) MBear is barbershop!

...and then when I acknowledged what she had said, That's right, honey - you are a good girl! Thanks for telling us, and for not cutting your hair, she gave me a *thumbs up*! :) HAHA!

Talk about knowing how to save her behind, huh?

I leave you now with another photo from NBear's gallery. I'll call this - MBear, before the Z-mishap. Enjoy.

Movies and Dogs and Hotels oh my!

Gotta love LM! thank you, thank you, thank you...

Last night was the first time I went to the movies with NBear without the Huz.

Yes, I was pretty nervous, but when LM suggested that we watch a movie with her and super-duper cutie daughter J (with MBear in tow, of course), I practically leaped at the chance to be able to say these words to myself: "Yes, NBear went to the movies with a friend! She had a great time, and - oh my gosh - it was an official kiddie outing!"

Of course, the night did not begin so well *lol*. After the Huz picked her up from her social group at school, I told her about the movie plans and hyped it up as much as I could (Come on, Nbear! Yeah! We're going to watch a movie ..NO MOVIES, MAMA! NO MOVIE ANYMORE...so you have to change your clothes, ok?) She ran upstairs excitedly, and just as I was about to claim victory, Huz says, "She just changed into her pajamas." My smile disappeared.

I don't know how I managed it (perhaps she saw MBear dressed and ready to go?) but she later agreed to put on movie-appropriate garb, and with LM and sweetie-J in our van, we headed to the theater to watch this. Woof.

*Yes, she covered her ears and closed her eyes for a few of the movie scenes -

*Yes, she made nonsensical noises and uttered some"tv talk" throughout the show -

*Yes, she echoed some of the scenes' lines when the characters would say them (Friday? Where are you?...Friday? Where are you????)

* read every...single....word (or attempted to read) shown in the movie - OUT LOUD.

BUT - YES, she also...

* made some conversation with the ticket person (Hi! How are you?)

* attempted to pay for mommy's popcorn with her movie ticket (Here you go! *holding ticket up to the confused popcorn-scooping man)

* had many "conversational" moments with LM and J

* very obviously enjoyed herself :)

Mommy Bear is happy. Very, very happy:)

Here's to your first movie night "playdate", sweetheart *big hug*!

I love love love love love you *muah*

Note: Plus, it didn't hurt that there were 3 kids in the theater screaming their lungs out. It certainly made me feel so much better. HAHAHAHA!

What if...

Thanks, Ginger - for this wonderful post-to-a-post, on your blog :)

Funny how we're also learning about multiple perspectives in my classroom!

Eye-opening, indeed. I'm hoping a TON of people have read it.

*side note*
Sorry for not having an NBear original pic to post - been blogging from work (after school!) because I know I won't have time at home....I wonder why? *lol*

...and you are? (said David Spade-ishly)

I am so very lucky to have great friend LM, who volunteered to watch all three (yes, you read THAT right) bears while I took the car in for its so-many-mile service. When I picked the girls up, she had quite a funny story to tell me:)

LM:
So, NBear looked at me and said "Hi! What's your name?" and I wasn't answering her right away because I was busy with something else...

Me:
Yeah? (eager to hear more) *note - I was pretty sad :( that NBear didn't remember her name! This was not the first time they had been at her house, nor was it the first time they'd met.*

LM:
Then, she looked at me and started saying... "My...name...is..."

Me:
*Laughing* Oh my gosh - you mean, like she was prompting you?

LM:
*laughing too!* Yeah - it was just so funny how she said it!

Well - good job, NBear! Not only have you shown Mommy that you can ask people for their names, you've also done a wonderful job letting me know that you can also -

tell them HOW
to answer that question. ;)

Bravo!!!

My Repeat-erminator!

(photo courtesy of MBear, who was able to capture her sister's oh-so-hard-habit-to-break: nail-biting!)

NBear has recently discovered that mommy's laptop (which now has a permanent spot on our dinner table) is just as capable of getting internet access downstairs as it was upstairs. Welcome to the wireless universe, honey.

Huz and I try to keep her off the computer as much as we can, unless we're in the room with her to monitor her web-surfing know-how. Boy, does that girl know how to surf!

Her favorite site happens to be Youtube, where she entertains herself endlessly with scenes from her favorite Pixar film (Toy Story) or Elmo dvds. Yup, she can go from the desktop to Youtube by Google-ing (Huz has it on his favorites list) the words "Toy Story" or "Elmo" (or anything else for that matter. I know I said I'd be so happy if she ever learned how to spell -but....*sigh*). Needless to say, not all the videos or sites are appropriate, and when she happens upon those, I experience rare moments when I am actually happy that she doesn't ask questions!

Like when I took her to work one weekend and she put my computer's sound on full blast - I found myself listening to a very explicit version of a Woody and Buzz scene. Let's just say... words that rhymed with muckin' and fit were among those being uttered. Poor NBear. I'm sure she was wondering why mommy ran to the computer like a lunatic, furiously waving the mouse's cursor on the screen in a desperate search for the "Escape" button. *note to self: must tell IT person for district about blocking that despicable site!*

She also loves to repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat..*whew* (you get the picture) AND repeat those online videos. Am I right to call this her visual stim, or is that a characteristic across the board? If she's left alone, I'm sure she can keep at it for hours and hours. :(

I suppose this is why Huz and I would rather see her watch TV (yes, I said it!) than be on the computer OR watch a dvd - which also gets rewound like crazy. The obvious reason? She cannot control how the story/show/commercial will run its course! She may change the channel, sure, but it's still miles better than hearing "Hello Elmo" 50 times in a row. Groan.

I am so tempted to buy her her OWN digital camera. That should keep her occupied. ;)

Cheese, Mommy!

I wouldn't be surprised if one day, NBear won a Pulitzer prize for her amazing photographs!

She never really took an interest in mommy's digital camera before, until she figured out how to actually TAKE a picture. (not with my help, I may add) After that, I'd often discover that my camera would be missing from its usual spot, and when I'd finally find it and turn it on, there would be a ton of random photos - some you have already seen in my posts! *lol*

The days of being jealous because other kids could take their parents' pictures (my 4 year-old goddaughter "A" took a great many pics of her mommy and daddy - A and C - while we were hotel-hopping in Vegas), are gone! I mean, sure - she has to work on her angle and distance so we don't look like fleas on the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but I'll take it.

Before, Huz and I were always baffled at how difficult it was to get her to look at the camera screen, realize that it was a reflection of the scene she was looking at, and take a picture. But, it was. You thought it was tough to get her to look at the camera when she was the subject? Being on the other side of the camera proved to be an even greater challenge!

That is, until today.

Enjoy some more of her exhibits below :)

Incriminating evidence that MommyBear is a slave to the Starbucks franchise.

MBear - her favorite subject and muse. (That is, if they're not embroiled in a fighting match likened only to that you see in a UFC event!)

I'm sure she'd name this one "Pretty Doorknob".
(Notice the exquisite way she was able to capture the light's reflection on the dull brass. Breathtaking.)

Gotta love the Wonderpets!

...and these "Upside Down Show" guys. :)

The end. For now.

Before I begin a post that is long overdue, I really would love to thank the readers and dear friends I have out there! It's neat how people come up to you and say "I read your blog! It's very interesting - I have a friend who has kids with autism..." (that was from little sister Val *hug*), or when people you haven't even met, make their chat status read "Gotta love the Cinderella Rain and Dancing Bananas" and your heart explodes (that was for robot number BF3L:RCPB - you know who you are!) Little comments and awareness-moments like these really do give me the confirmation that I am of help...or rather, my NBear is :) So, I do thank you all so very much! And now, we begin.....

Carolyn's holiday blog break was certainly nothing compared to this recent insane hiatus of mine (more like a hibernation, if you ask me!), but I'm so glad I'm back (and you're still here).

You are, right?...hello?......anyone out there?....

We made a very difficult decision after the new year hit: Nbear would have to stop her biomeds program, just until we could get back on our feet again. *sob* The Huz was the first to bring it up, which was a LOT ironic, being he was the force du jour in this entire scenario. Needless to say, the times are not on our side -- nor that of the entire nation's!

So, with a heavy heart, we agreed to use up the last of the B-12 shots, the glutathione ointment, and continue to give her the supplements until they too were gone. (Of course he made it VERY clear that this was just a "break", and nothing more!) So, I braced myself for an extreme regression period, or - heaven forbid - the devastation of seeing all of our hard work (and hard-earned money) go down the drain in the form of losing NBear's progress completely!

I have to admit, without the daily schedule of supplements and measuring spoons and watching the clock, and write that down to remind us that we already gave it to her this morning, and today is shot day will she stay still and so on and so forth, I immediately noticed the very first change -- but it wasn't with NBear.

My husband's stress level had taken a wonderful, almost Olympic-level dive. :) All the months of biomeds and DAN! protocols had certainly taken their toll (though we certainly don't regret any of it), and it was nice to see the "ease" seep back into his eyes. It made me - yet again - aware of how lucky other parents were, not having to go through what we in the A-club world go through. And oh! How wonderful it was to just have to take the AFP tablets with us, and be free of the arsenal NBear usually had to have: to not have to pack her meds when we anticipated staying late at a get-together (though we still have to pack some of her gfcf food) was heaven.

Did she change?
Honestly, I'd have to give the dreaded two-fold answer.

Yes: She has been Ms. Defiant these past few weeks, but has taken an interest in rollerskating, thanks to the Christmas present from daddy. I'm not sure if her frustration lies in the fact that the 2-week Christmas break didn't offer her much of a "fun" schedule (that would be mom's fault), or if she's at an age where she's just more aware of...well, not wanting to follow orders. Isn't that puberty, though? *ugh*

No: Other than the aforementioned, however, she is still my very verbal, very playful, very social NBear. Sure the language still needs work, but she has still retained what we saw her gain. I love watching her play, play, play with MBear. She does get her silly moments (and that's when I remember Dr. Mielke's warning about yeast overgrowth, and have to warn myself to calm down, and just enjoy the laughing spell for what it is) and I am warmed.

I have a feeling - despite what our nation faces in these dreary times - that the best...
is yet...
to come. :)

Happy new year!