We're back!

We are back from our beach trip! We left on Monday and were supposed to return on Friday. We got there and as the week went on we decided to stay until Sunday. We had a blast. We were back home by 5:30 last night. I am now home and trying to catch up on laundry and such. Tim started back to work this morning. I know he hated getting up at 4:00 am after having no time restrictions for a week. Well, school will be starting back in 3 weeks, so I better enjoy my time at home while it lasts. :) I hope to be catching up on some blogging over the next few days too. Looking forward to checking in with everyone! Have a great day!

I did it!! Woohoo!!

I took my bus test and I passed it!! You have no idea how many hours I studied the parts of a school bus. :) I am so glad it's over. Now I can look forward to my vacation next week knowing that I have a job to come back to.

Please excuse the mess!

I am currently trying to give my blog a facelift. Since I am fairly new at all of this it may take awhile. Please excuse the mess while I figure everything out. :)

School bus test

I haven't been around much the past few days because I have been studying for a test tomorrow. I have to drive a school bus in order to be an aide in our school system and tomorrow is my test to get my CDL. I am really nervous because if I do not pass I do not have a job. I am trying to be optimistic but I'm not very good at it. I know I have God on my side and His will is what matters. I just wish I wasn't so nervous. My test is at 8:00 tomorrow morning. Please pray that everything goes well. Thanks!

The Simple Woman's Day Book - My First Entry

For Today:

Okay, I know it's not Monday but I just couldn't wait to try this. :)

Outside My Window...Cars flying down the highway.
I am thinking...about VBS tonight, School bus driving test on Tuesday morning, my trip to the grocery store later today.
I am thankful for...My family, air conditioning, a job where I get the summer off to spend with my kiddos.
From the kitchen...Clean dishes and table (dinner at church tonight). :)
I am wearing...I'm embarassed to admit this.... My pajamas. :)
I am creating...Lots of scrapbook page ideas in my head. Hopefully soon I'll be able to get them on paper and in albums. :)
I am going...to church tonight and Wal-Mart later today for groceries. I'm even out of trash bags!
I am reading...A Woman of Moderation
I am hoping...that I will continue to do this weekly to get myself posting more on my blog and meeting more people.
I am hearing...Caillou on the TV.
Around the house...Alex & my nephew, McNeal are playing the Wii in the living room, Alayna is trying to fall asleep in my bed and I am playing on the internet while I wait for Alayna to fall asleep. She's gotten really clingy lately.
One of my favorite things...Pictures
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Study, study, study for my test on Tuesday!
Here is a picture thought I am sharing...




To read more Daybook entries, please visit The Simple Woman for the list of participants this week. Have a great weekend!

Traveling solo tonight

I will be leaving in a few hours to drive to the Atlanta airport to pick up my mother and step-father. They have been visiting family in California for the last two weeks and my step-father forgot to book a rental car for the drive home. :) I am kind of looking forward to some quiet time to myself. I don't really like driving long distances by myself but I'm going to use this 3 hour trip (approximately) to spend some alone time with God. I may or may not be on tomorrow. It will depend on how exhausted I am after 6+ hours of driving. Have a blessed evening!

Beach vacation

I'm just sitting here thinking that two weeks from today I will be here....




Anyone else taking a vacation soon? If so, where? Beach, mountains, etc.

A Day at the Park

I just thought I'd share some pictures of our day at the park this week. Enjoy!



Alayna enjoying the swing!



Alex getting ready to slide.




My nephew, McNeal, doing something I never could do! :)

Clutter

It has finally happened! We have outgrown our house and have been taken over by clutter!

I have been out of work for the summer for 3 weeks now and still haven't gotten the clutter under control. I have come a long way by doing a little each day but still have lots to do. My to-do list is getting longer and longer! :)

Some of the things I have done so far:

1. Cleaned the refrigerator off (magnets, school work, pictures, etc.)
2. Cleaned out freezer.
3. Cleaned out the kids toyboxes.
4. Cleaned out my "to be filed" pile.
5. Organized DVD's in entertainment center.
6. Straightened up and went through books on bookshelf. I got rid of the books the kids had outgrown.
7. Scrubbed the bathroom baseboards, floors, walls, doors, tub, sink, toilet, etc.
8. Cleaned laundry room.
9. Gone through mail over the trashcan daily.

There may be more but I can't think of anything else right now.

Anyone want to share their secrets to overcoming clutter? :)

Video games & autism

Alex's favorite pastime is video games. It's not a certain system or certain game. He will play anything and everything as long as it's a type of video game. Actually he likes board games too. I am not a parent that likes my child to spend a lot of time playing video games but it truly makes him happy. I will admit that he plays more than I really like him to because I am having a hard time finding ways to keep him entertained and happy at the same time. I would love it if somebody would give me some fun ideas for me and the kids to try this summer. I am keeping my 10 year old nephew, my son who's 8 (has autism) and my daughter who is 3. The boys are playing video games together and entertaining each other, which is an accomplishment for Alex to play with others. He prefers to play by himself most of the time. I am entertaining my daughter most of the time. Thanks for any ideas!

Autism evaluation

We finally got an autism evaluation last week for Alex with the Carolina Autism Resource & Evaluation Center. We have tried to get this evaluation before but couldn't get our schedules to work out.

A little background:

Alex was diagnosed with ADHD in Dec. 2004, Asperger's Syndrome in Jan. 2006 and LD in May 2006. I have known something was "different" with Alex since about 3 months before his 3rd birthday but never thought it could be Asperger's. I have done LOTS of research and just didn't feel this diagnosis (that we received from 2 different doctors) was accurate. I finally found out who to contact and was referred by the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs to the CARE Center.

The evaluation team consisted of 3 very knowledgeable and caring professionals. They were wonderful with Alex. We all felt very comfortable there. When we left with the diagnosis of Autism I had mixed emotions. I was sad because nobody wants to hear that their child has a disability. I was relieved because we finally had some answers and I knew my motherly instincts were correct.

Anyway, all of this to say that we are now on the next leg of our journey with autism. We are now in search of a new developmental pediatrician (didn't care for the one we went to before). Thanks for reading about our journey. :)

Bronchitis, bronchitis, bronchitis!

I am REALLY starting to dislike that word. I have been sick for 2 weeks now and am getting exhausted. School was out here on the 5th of June. I came home that afternoon with a fever of 101.8 and it progressed over the next few days and got as high as 103.7! I cannot remember the last time I had a fever that high! The fever has been gone a little over a week now but the cough is still hanging on. I have coughed so much I feel like I need to go back to diapers! :) Anyway, enough with my complaining. I'm hoping that maybe since I got my thoughts written down maybe the cough will decide to finally leave me with a little help from my new best friend, Mucinex DM. ;) This stuff really works but I think I'm going to have to get a second bottle at the rate I'm going. Praying that nobody else is having to spend their summer dealing with bronchitis!

Wonder Pets

My daughter and I have discovered a cute show on NICK JR, the Wonder Pets ! This is a cute show where classroom pets become superheroes after school is out for the day. They teach little ones how to work together while saving animals in trouble. Teamwork! And the animals are as cute as they can be. I personally like Ming-Ming and my daughter likes Tuck. Check it out with your little ones and see how they like it. Also, if you'd like to win a copy of Wonder Pets : Save the Nursery Rhyme then check out the giveaway at Seven Dogs and a Baby. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the Wonder Pets as much as we did! :)

Encouragement

I received this in an email from a friend and really liked some of the points made. :)

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.


1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.


2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.


3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.


4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.


5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.


6. You mean the world to someone.


7. You are special and unique.


8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.


9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.


10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.


11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.


Good friends are like stars.
You don't always see them,
But you know they are always there.


Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another


Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Life keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going!

Flip Flops

Just something fun because my daughter's newest addiction is flip flops! :) The funny thing is that this sounds a lot like me!

What Your Flip Flops Say About You

You are a very sweet and sensitive person. You connect with other people easily. You're the type of person who feels bad about killing bugs. You hate to see anyone - or anything - in pain. Your ideal warm weather place: Thailand

The Flip Flop Test

Cousins

I can remember growing up how much I looked forward to seeing my cousins. We lived about 4 hours apart, so it didn't happen as often as I would've liked. I am so thankful that my kids live within 30 minutes at the most from their cousins. I love to take pictures of them enjoying each others company. They were all together at the ballpark a few weeks ago and here are some shots of them I thought I'd share. I hope you enjoy them. :)

An update

Well, I've been missing for about a month now. Partly due to a busy, busy life BUT....

My wonderful hubby (gotta love him), accidentally reformatted our hard drive on our computer and I lost EVERYTHING! Talk about feeling sick! I lost some pictures, emails, email addresses, important documents, favorite websites, etc. So, if you're reading this and you haven't heard from me in awhile it's probably because I no longer have your email. Please bear with me as I catch up! Also, any help would be appreciated! :)

Haircut season

I have been wanting to get my hair chopped off for a few weeks now. I will actually be getting it done soon, but not soon enough. There is just something unexplainable about a fresh, new haircut and color in the spring! If I did not have color treated hair I would love to donate my "ponytail" to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths to help a woman in need or Locks of Love for children. Since I am not eligible I thought I would pass on the info so you can check it out and see if you qualify to donate.

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life says, "In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing heavy or too thought-provoking.
If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!"



So, here's my question:



What do you do to celebrate Easter?



We will be going to church as we do every Sunday and teaching our kids the "true" meaning of Easter. Then, we will most likely be having Easter dinner with the extended family for lunch. I will also be cooking my first ham for our little family that evening. Don't laugh! I know it's pathetic that I've never made a ham before. There's always a first time for everything, right?



Looking forward to hearing your answers and meeting new friends! :) God bless you all and Happy Easter!

School pictures

We received my oldest's school pictures last week. He is growing so fast! He has even started talking about girlfriends and he's only in the first grade! What happened to the phase where girls are yucky? Anyway, here is a peek at my oldest. :)