LarkExaltation

PD and I were talking about some of the class room decorations they’ve been working on for their parents day. We were doing a search for some ideas and we ran across the fact that April is Autism Awareness Month…

So bought this awesome shirt for him and the teacher in his class has requested one.

He wrote a poem for the class bulletin board for parents night… hope he doesn’t mind my posing it. you don’t, do ya honey? I’ll need to wait for final wording … *hint*

It’s really hard to believe we actually got snow. Sam was so excited. He had been waiting for this all winter. They closed our schools at one o’clock, which I thought was hilarious. It didn’t even stick, much less stick around, but neighboring towns got hit pretty hard so I suppose it had potential for damage. Or maybe it’s just so rare, they wanted the kids to be able to play in it?! In my videos, it’s hard to believe the kids were even home. It was so quiet… except for my cell phone ringing a couple of times.

as of December 28th i was officially back to work and back to “normal.” and aside from a few changes that took place january 1st that no one told me about, everything has been running rather smoothly. PD and I have been figuring out morning schedules with getting kids and ourselves ready. And then there’s PD’s night classes that start on the 14th. i am happy though to say we’ll have him home more in the evenings this semester. he’s only taking two classes on campus and the rest will be internet courses so that will be nice to have the normality for the kids, but it will be hard to keep them out of his hair when needed.

i realize it’s been almost two months since i posted last. i’m not going to say it’s the baby that keeps me busy. i think it’s more of the needing to work while on “leave,” Christmas shopping, and the two other tornadoes that live in our home. but, as the dust is starting to settle, i think, well, i hope that i’ll be able to keep up more with writing and pictures. i was told yesterday by a friend who will remain nameless, amie!, that i needed to post more pictures of evelyn. so! i’ve been inspired to take more pictures! imagine that. and last night i snapped off some cute ones of the kiddos. but i’ll start with the one’s from two months ago…

40 Hours old

Home at last

So pretty

Christmas Card 2007

Precious Memories

Sam’s Christmas List - Optimus Prime, Bumble Bee, and a Black Spiderman outfit “see his angry eyes, and he has no mouth”

She picked out her clothes after bath last night. Boy pull-up because we couldn’t find girl “feel n learn” at the store (those things work so well!)

So much for clean towels - standing at the kitchen door with a wash cloth in hand “i get another baby…”
*side note: every towel has some sort of baby under it*


“I love you to take a picture of me with my ship on my head”

We got the original “my little pony” for her birthday. That’s the same one I had when i was little.

My little thumbalina

The baby we got her for Christmas, I am always drawn to the dark skin, brown hair, brown eye babies for her. She loves that it has a “pony”

I’m getting tired of looking at my furry face and I’m sure you are too.

time to update…

today was a lovely day. work as usual but my group took me to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch and gave me a visa gift card, all for having a baby?! it was lovely and a nice surprise. it was kind of funny when they were sweating the whole plan because they found out i had a doctors appointment at ten this morning. but, i was able to leave a little early, to get in a little early, to get out a little early. and it actually worked. all looks well. no signs of our little evelyn arriving early, and no real feelings that it will take “forever.”

as far as “plans” this pregnancy couldn’t have gone better. when the doctor’s office went to calculate OB payments, they told me that insurance covered 100%. my boss hasn’t gotten any “support” from his boss or our company as far as someone to take over while I am on leave, so I’m being permitted to work from home. this will have it’s pros and cons. pros, i won’t have to train anyone, time worked will be keyed as regular time so my FMLA time will not be used as quickly, and possibly, and i haven’t spoken with my boss about this yet, but maybe i’ll be able to take another week or two longer than expected, as long as things are getting done. my main concern with going back to work is having a spot for her in our daycare. no one has really said either way. I’m hoping it will be as it was when we had Libby and because Sam was there we were almost guaranteed the spot. but, with a smaller, and very popular daycare, I’m not sure this is going to be the case. i guess only time will tell. and the cream of the crop of wonderful things to happen, yes i would have thought it was the 100% coverage to the doctor too, but i was delighted to find out that not only was i able to still pre-register at the hospital over the phone, but it also pre-registered me for the epidural. which in times past I’ve had to sign lots of papers and even pay a deposit once. the first time i had to go to meet the anesthesiologist and talk about what could happen and pay lots of money for a deposit. last time i got to read all the papers again and they told me that i didn’t have to pay the smaller deposit that the doctor said i was having to pay. this time… “thank you ma’am and congratulations, go straight to labor and delivery when you come in to have your baby” pass go, but i could only wish to collect two hundred dollars from this. ha!

It’s only a little different from before, but I cleaned out my drawers too.
At lunch I took home an arm full of books and a target bag full of junk.

man time flies - i would probably go crazy if not for my window. the the occasional comic relief.

2000 - 5th floor - Tower - lots of windows around
2001 - 2nd floor - Cave Dwellers
2002 - Changed Groups/Moved Cubes - Open to Catwalk - more sunlight
2003
2004
2005 - Moved Cubes - Miles from the nearest bathroom - but I have a window!
2006
2007

Makes me think of James and the Giant Peach - it’s a Rhino!

In October he signed on with the School Board as a substitute teacher. The decision just made sense and was obvious to us, God’s calling. PD loves to be around kids, mentoring them etc. He was in school at one time for both Physical Education and Music with the thought to get his teaching certification. He has been involved with our church youth group since he left the youth group. Eight years ago there was a boy at church, who happened to be autistic, who was placed in PD’s care during church time. He quickly labeled PD “my friend.” He has moved away, but even today, he remembers PD that way. It is one thing for him to love children so very much, but the kids really seem to love him too. His own believe he could lasso the moon.

A few weeks into substituting at various schools in the parish, getting calls for classes almost every day, I got a call one day from the school board’s Special Education Department. The teacher of one of the classes he subbed, raved about him and the principal called the school board to get him in the class on a fulltime, but temporary basis. The class is in the Special Education department of the Jr. High, in the Autism class. He was to be an aid to one boy in particular who was joining the school. They were unsure if the student would remain at the school, or even progress through the system. At one time, it was PD’s hope to follow him through High School. Since then, PD has grown increasingly popular in the school, with the teacher, the principal, the faculty, and even more importantly students in the class. PD has seen tremendous progress in his student since November, and has relished in the joy of the strides the other children are taking too. My heart swells more everyday to see him come home, happy, and actually talking about his day with the kids. Soon the push began to get him on permanently. He was lacking a few college courses to be given the true title of paraprofessional, so the principal and the school board began pushing him to take the Para PRAXIS exam to become a certified paraprofessional. He was scheduled for February 1st, but Wednesday, the school board called to tell him there had been a cancelation and they scheduled him in that place for the following day, three weeks early.

I’m thrilled to announce that he passed with flying colors!

And I’m SO very proud of him.

2006 was exceedingly difficult for me and my family, and for those of you who have been praying for us, please continue. We have some more changes to be made before things feel “normal” again. I’m extremely impressed with PD’s ongoing faith through our trials. I could not have been joined with a better man.

YAY PD!

I got to make an absolute fool of myself in front of the company (that showed up), and had a blast. it was a fifties theme celebration for the close of our United Way… drive (? is that the right term?). Our group was the only live music, my manager sang Blue Suede Shoes and played guitar, while a coworker played drums. We even picked up a bass player yesterday who is also quite the dancer. We worked up a dance routine in a couple of days and after three practices it was show time. I was fine, not nervous at first, the music was playing while we were getting ready and we were all excited. Then they moved us to the “green room” and with out the music and everyone talking about being nervous, I started getting that way too. Once we got out on stage, the audience just started to blur. I couldn’t focus on one face, so it was as if no one was even watching. Too busy laughing at myself and one of our guys, I didn’t even have to remember to smile. That didn’t make me dance any better, but it did make things a lot easier, faster. Once we were in the audience we cheered along the following numbers, better than the actual audience. It was as if we were on American Band Stand.

And back to work we go…

Everyone left for lunch while I was changing from my costume. A little down, kind of like a crash after the climax, but it’s quiet and I’m able to finally catch my breath.

Relax.