Little Hunter's Evaluation

Recently we had been seeing some troubling things with Hunter. He seemed to be always unhappy and in need of something that we just couldn't figure out what it was. We new that Mason has Sensory Processing Disorder and were wondering if this could be the answer for Hunter too. So we went throught the long process of evaluation after evaluation. He say 4 different therapist and evaluators and the results were as i suspected. Hunter also has Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD for short.

We found out that he is saverly sensory seeking. This means that his body is in need of constant rough imput. I don't really know how else to say it. The said to me that he probably feels like his skin is crawling all the time and therefore completely uncomfortable.

This disorder was explained to me as their brain just doesn't process the 5 senses properly. The goal, through therapy, is to change the way that the body and brain process the imput the are getting through their 5 senses. Complicated and very confusing. And worse of all, they look so normal that many people just don't get that they have real problems that need addressing.

We love our kids. I would do anything i can to help them. Life everyday is hard and full of challenges i really don't understand how to handle. I have always been told that god will not give you more than you can handle, but sometimes i just wonder. I spend alot of time on my knees asking for help, guidance, and patients, and i guess that is all i can do.

therapy time

So, we have been in the process of evaluation Hunter for Synsory Processing Disorder. (the same thing mason has) We found out, after 4 different therapist evaluated him, that they all agree that he has it too. The tactile part of his body is all out of wack. I will write more on this once we get all the evaluations back.

This is one of their therapy swings in their play room. too cute. They love to do everything together.

Mom tip of the day

My boys have never liked brushing their teeth and i always forget to do it. So recently we started just brushing their teeth while they take a bath. It works great! I even brush my teeth with them and that helps the do a better job when the do what mommy is doing. Excuse the nasty bathtub grout. We are getting ready to redo it. It was badly done by the previous owners.

Also, i started a new blog devoted to my photography hobbie/obsession. the url is

www.snugglebugsphotos.com

I love this picture of Hunter and me. He is so loving sometimes.

Temple Pictures

Stupid Ice Storm!

Well, like most, we lost power. We lost ours about 6am when a line was hit by a falling ice filled tree limb by our house. I called my parents around 7:30am and they said they still had power. My kids were still really sick so we loaded them in the bike trailer that had big wheels and covered them with blankets and zipped them all in. Then we loaded our metal garden cart with big wheels with supplies, like clothes, food, blankets, etc. and we all, including 2 dogs, walked the 1/2 mile down a huge hill to my parents house in the driving snow. A half hour after getting there they lost power. Figures.

My parents have a generator that allowed us to have heat and some light. And they had a fireplace so we kept warm. My kids inevitably got everyone sick so i tried to take care of them while my husband worked. He works in the medical field so he has to work no matter what, ice storm or no ice storm, sick kids and mommy or not.

My kids are used to taking a bath every night so we were able to heat water on the grill or in a crockpot to fill the kitchen sink at my parents house. They loved it.

We finally got power back at our house Sat. afternoon. Brandon left for work and i tried to clean up the mess, both in the yard and in the house.

I did find time to go up to the temple on Sat. before he left to get some amazing pics. i will post a few in a min. I am hoping i can sell some to help support our failing budget. We are also trying to sell brandons Saturn View which did amazing in the ice. He didn't slid once. Great little car! I was amazed.

sickly boys

talk about a hard 2 weeks! My little guys have been so sick. They spent a full five days just sitting in boxes. I know that sounds wierd, but we put a pillow in a box for hunter and a small bean bag chair in a tupperware bin for mason. The loved the comfort it gave them. It was just like being held when i couldn't hold them.(mostly because they got me sick too)

Mason is obsessed with polar express the movie and he asks to watch it at least 3 times daily. We do try to limit his watching of tv but when they are sick, they want what they want.

Christmas day, just a little late

Mason loves trains so he got lots of trains and hunter loved the wrapping paper. We had a great time that day opening gifts then spending time with my parents and uncle Stuart.

The day before we donated tons of stuffed animals to a local fire department. I wanted to make sure that my boys know what christmas is really about and what a great service project to get the point across. I watched my amazing little Mason walk up to the fireman with his big bucket of stuffed animals and heard him say, "For kids. Yeah, after fire." It was amazing to me that a tiny little 23 month old got the concept so well.

The fire men were so moved that they invited us in to the station, gave us a tour and let mason and hunter climb all over the fire trucks. We were there for about 2 hours, and we had just expected to drop off the toys and leave. It was an amazing experiance and Mason to this day, still asks about the firemen and kids that will get his toys that he gave away.

Not only were we able to do a service project but we were incredibly blessed to have things donated to our family as well. This are so very tight right now but a few choice spirits took it upon themselves to help us give our boys a few small gifts and some clothing that they were in need of. To everyone that gave thank you so very much. We are eternally greatful.

good recipe

Flat Bread:

2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp shortening
1 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3 cups white flour
1 cup wheat flour

Mix together ingredients until dough is mixed thouroughly. The dough will be very sticky. Flour a counter top and make small balls or dough. (i usually make about 10 to 15 small balls of dough depending on how big you want your flat bread.) Let the balls rest for approx. 15 minutes. (turn on your oven to broil) Toll out balls into small circles and then place directly on oven rack on highest shelf with the oven on broil. Cook for 3 - 4 min. until bread starts to lightly brown, then turn over and brown the other side. Cover in towels to prevent drying out while it cools.

This bread is amazing with a little humus spread on it or even as soft taco shells. We really like it as our pizza dough because it takes so little time to rise. You can make great little indivisual pizzas too, and let your kids add any toppings they want.

I make my flat bread even healthier by adding 2 tablespoons of Wheat Germ (you find it near the oatmeal at the grocery store) and 2 tablespoons of Milled Flax Seed (this is found by the flour and stuff).

This is our families favorite type of home made bread. My kids fight over it and they are only 24 months and 12 months. It is so healthy and filling they make fantastic snack time treats or even breakfast time foods with a little jam or low fat cream cheese.

Poem for my Boys

I See You Sleeping:

I crack the door and i peer inside
Hope that i hide from your eyes
Tiptoe in and peer over the side
Knowing my love for you i cannot hide

I see you sleeping
in the pale cool moon light
I hear you breathing
Deep into the night
I feel your heart beating
Like a gentle autums wind

And i know, that tonight, You are mine

I watch the stars as they sparkle
And they fall upon your bed
I run my fingers gently
Through the curls on your little head

I remember that day
when our eyes first met
You broke into my soul
And our story is the rest

I see you sleeping
In the pale cool moom light
I hear you breathing
In the darkness of the night
I feel your heart beating
Like a gentle autum wind

And i know, that tonight, you are mine.

Your forgotten stories
Will live on in my head
Your childhood laughter
Is a crimson shade of red

Your open heart strings
Is what every mother needs
Your big huge bear hugs
My fragile soul now needs

I know tomorrow is calling
As i tip toe away
A smile across my face
As i remember today

A Perfect little child
As you sigh into the wind
Your are my child,
My angel, My friend

I see you sleeping
In the pale cool moon light
I hear you breathing
In the darkness of the night
I feel your heart beating
Like a gentle autum wind

And i know, that tonight, you are Mine.

They are so Funny!

Mason wanted "his baby" and him to sit in boxes to watch his disney sing along one night.


Hunter tried finger painting for the first time with his brother the other day. It was hilarious.


mason was telling me a story in his jibberous talk.

Yeah! The holidays are over!!

WOW! I hate to say it but i am so glad that the holidays are over. Mason had a really hard time. With his Synsory Processesing Disorder, this has been unbearable for him. He has been off of his very structured schedule for about a week and a half, but really since Thanksgiving. I have been doing my best to try and keep him on schedual but it is not easy. Now he is trying to elimenate one of his naps and it makes him really cranky for most of the day. And to make matters worse, Hunter is trying to take only one nap also. I think he is a little young at 10 months to just have one nap but i can't force him either. He is just horribly cranky all day now. This all makes mommy really cranky too.

Brandon starts his new job next Tuesday and will be having normaly daddy hours 9am to 5pm. We are used to having daddy home til 2pm every day. Now we are going to not have him at all during the day and he will only see the boys from 5:30pm til bed time which is at 7 & 8pm. And i am gonna have to run all my erands with both boys. I think i will be staying home alot.

Mason has a OT therapist coming on Mondays for an hour and he goes to "play group" which is group therapy for kids like mason on tuesdays for 2 hours. There is about 6 or 7 kids and 2 to 3 therapist in these sessions. This is so benifical for Mason and he is learning so very much about how to interact with other kids and how to help himself with his own special needs. Parents are not there for these sessions except for the last 15 min.

He has come so far, but the Holidays have taken us so very far backwards. I am looking so forward to getting back to normal. But "normal" for us is still pretty unusual and intense for others. Oh well, I guess god knows best and i am just so very thankful for my beautiful boys.

So much to catch up on

so much has happened since i last wrote and i am just too tired to write it all now so i will do it later but for now here are some pictures of hunter passed out eating, mason tired in our inside hammock, Mason in a box, Mason eating in a box, Mason playing playdough, Mason with a trash can over his head after trick-or-treating, boys on there rides, and halloween.