Thank You Therapy

Monday was Luke's last day in therapy for his Sensory Integration Disorder. We started off our insurance company's 12 weeks of allotted coverage for therapy with the food therapy sessions, during which his occupational therapists quickly realized that Luke's food issues stemmed from larger sensory issues rather than food-specific challenges. So a couple of weeks before our trip to Washington we had our last food therapy session and started with some one-on-one occupational therapy visits with Miss Susan. These continued after we returned home in August, concluding with Monday's visit.

The definition of Sensory Integration Disorder is: A disorder characterized by the inability to accurately process information coming to the brain from the senses, which results in inaccurate judgment of sensory information such as touch, sight, movement, taste and sound. Hot can seem scalding, a little loud can feel like your ear drums are going to be blasted out, sticky and dirty might be nearly unbearable causing you to stop being able to function, 3 feet up might as well be 10 stories for how unsettling it feels. Fortunately for Luke, his challenges are pretty minor on the spectrum, in most instances he's just like a regular 3-year-old, but the S.I.D. does rear its ugly head frequently enough that we are presented with some interesting reactions to textures, dirty, temperatures, transitions, and location in space. Did you know there are actually seven senses? I didn't! In addition to the typical five, there is also proprioceptive sense, or sense of body position (which for Luke is just fine) and a vestibular sense, or sense of balance (which, especially at the start of therapy, was the source of some of Luke's biggest issues).

Once Luke was properly diagnosed, things seemed to get better and better quickly. It was like we suddenly understood what had been going on with him, and knew, with the help and advice of Susan, how to help him deal with the things that for him were so scary, difficult, and at times painful. Thank you, God, for amazing, on-the-ball, intelligent therapists who pay attention! With small changes, careful scheduling and really, just being aware that he wasn't just being difficult but was truly having a physical reaction to some sensory input, life, for all of us, has become so much smoother and Luke has busted out of his shell. We still have bad moments, or bad days, or bad chunks, but now we know why, what to do and how to work them out.

Even with our insurance coverage running out, we could have appealed for aid to a local charitable organization of the Masons who generously provide grants for families who do not have insurance coverage for necessary therapy, but Luke has been doing so well, neither Susan nor I believed it was necessary to continue. So today we played our hearts out, and then sadly said our goodbyes. We feel so grateful to the therapists we saw there, and feel we are much more well equipped to deal with and help Luke through the rough patches.

And just so the fun doesn't stop, we're checking into a gymnastics class for Luke, to continue the big muscle work that seems to help him so much.

Here's Luke getting ready to jump into the foam pit! Climbing through the foam was one of Luke's favorite things to do at therapy.

The therapy room left to right: the platform swing, scooter-board ramp, "hugging" swing, trampoline, foam pit with trapeze, climbing wall, ladder, ball pit. We didn't use all of the things in the room, just the ones that were most beneficial to Luke. We also did things like play with homemade goo (cornstarch and water); make homemade silly putty (with starch and glue); dig pop-beads out of heavy, thick putty then make them into a bracelet; and "paint" with shaving cream, to get him to face and deal with the feelings he has when his his hands get sticky and dirty.

When we first started occupational therapy, Luke wouldn't go on the trampoline or in the ball pit, and he was scared to climb up the ladder higher than the first two rungs. By this past Monday's final session, he was up and down that ladder in seconds, and begging to do it again even though it was time to go!

Miss Susan giving Luke tickles. She was so great at listening to Luke, pushing without freaking him out, keeping him in line when he started to lose it and getting him to do more and more. Knowing we had such a short time with her, she also saw to it that Adam and I were packed with information and provided clear direction for what to do to help Luke and how to do it!

Thank you Susan! We truly appreciate all your help, advice, direction and care for Luke!

After therapy every week, Luke and I would head to the nearby Dunkin' Donuts for a tasty treat. I am going to miss our little delicious weekly date to the donut shop. It was a {sweet} time for me in more ways than one!

Pulling Up!

Over the busy Labor Day Weekend, Tommy's ability to pull himself to stand went from accidental, to constant and purposeful. I love books and own many, borrow many, and frequent the library and bookstores. So our shelves are stocked, and with Tommy's standing to reach the higher non-toy shelves on the book case, we are now in the "sea of books" stage that all the kids have gone through. That means we are constantly wading through books covering the floor that have been pulled off, just because that is SO fun to do!

He hasn't started cruising along the furniture yet, and he still can't always figure out how to get himself down back on his bum, which makes him really mad, but he's definitely proud of his new skill!

I love the daily miracles I get to witness as a parent, especially when the big milestones arrive. There is such sweetness in taking the time to rejoice in the little things, the little things that can easily flit by unnoticed if you are not looking. God is so good to give us constant reminders of His presence through the lives of our children.

Rise All Loyal Cougars!

Saturday was the BYU vs. Air Force football game here at the Air Force Academy's Falcon Stadium and 5/7ths of the Conlin Chaos, decked out in our finest BYU spirit wear, was there cheering our blue-blooded hearts out from section M-13. And let's just get the bad news out of the way. The score was 35-14, Air Force. Words like creamed, routed, smashed and trounced come to mind when I think of that final score. Drat. We were all kind of feeling like this:
But other than agonizing over the actual game play, we had a GREAT time!

A little over a month ago, on the exact day Adam asked me if we wanted to go see the game (of course!), my friend Heidi emailed to say she found a fab deal where we could get tickets for only $5 a piece. Sweet! We asked our neighbor to watch our two little ones, thinking three plus hours at the game might be a bit too much "excitement" for them, and set out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We got to the field just in time to see the Air Force jet fighters fly over the stadium, as they do before all home game kick-offs (so cool!), and then were able to enjoy the time at the game with a bunch of our friends, thanks to Heidi's ticket deal and coordination efforts. We were so excited when the game started off well, but it quickly went south after the middle of the second quarter, and our sweet Cougars were never able to recover. Fortunately, the company was so good, we didn't feel the sting of loss quite so badly. In the photo are just a few of our friends who were there, L to R: Kristi (and Kevin), me, Ramona, Shaina (and Kimble), Heath, (lower row) Josh's eyeballs and Jen. Being at the Air Force Academy, among all the cadets, current Air Force and retired Air Force personnel was a great way to spend September 11th. Flags were passed around to the fans by the local paper to be waved with pride. Throughout the game, various stories of heroes from September 11th and the war against terrorism were told during time-outs. And the half-time show had a tribute to America, where the band played patriotic songs and a huge flag was unfurled. Adam and Ben had to leave after a couple of hours to get to Ben's soccer game, but the rest of The Chaos stood by our team until the bitter, the VERY bitter, end. Yes, the loss was disappointing, but we had such a fun afternoon cheering on our team, who we only get to see play live once every other year, and spending time with great people who make for the best company. Adam put it well when he said it felt like we were in college again, when we used to buy season tickets in blocks with a bunch of friends. What a great day! In the end, although we lost, we still love our Cougs. And in the final seconds Josh raised our colors high in the blue, as we cheered the Cougars of BYU!

And The Grandparent Prize Goes To...

Since today is Grandparent's Day and we recently had the joyous occasion of having all four of our children's grandparents here at one time, I have to declare to the world that my kids have the BEST grandparents! Seriously, Grandma Nic and Grandpa Dan, and Nana and Papa should be put in the Grandparent Hall of Fame. Having them all visit for Ben's baptism weekend was such a joy, such bliss, such fun! The boys think the world of them and suck every moment out of their visits, so that the grandparents return home to Washington feeling exhausted from non-stop boy attention but also deeply loved by five little Colorado boys. Same goes for our visits there. The boys are always asking when they get to see their grandparents again.

The love they have for our boys and for us and the pleasure they get spending time with the kids is felt by us all. I couldn't ask for more than to have my boys know how much they are loved, not just by Adam and I, but by their grandparents too. They encourage the boys in all their endeavors and never fail to show them a good time. They are friends and fans, guides and supporters for our whole family.

The kids aren't the only ones who enjoy their company. Adam and I love them so much too and appreciate their support, friendship and love for our family. I am constantly calling with questions and needing advice, and Adam does too. That they made the time in their busy lives to come out for Ben's baptism is such a blessing to us and to Ben. Plus, they love to help when they can. From playing with the crabby baby and making dinner, to watching the boys do their endless "look-what-I-can-do's" and cleaning dishes, I always feel like I have multiple Mary Poppinses here to help, snapping their fingers and "magically" making everything easier. I even recruited Nicolle and my Mom in helping me make more strawberry jam and some peach jam too while they were here. It was fun to be in the kitchen, us three gals.

We are all sad that the most recent visit is over and feel the hole where they are missing. We are trying to convince them to come again as quickly as possible! Here's a few pictures from their visit that I haven't yet posted.

Nicolle, me and my mom making freezer jam
Grandpa keeping Tommy happy, and vice versa

Papa hanging with the boys on the tramp
Grandma and Nana with Luke...one, two three, whee!!!
Nana with Tommy at the Colorado Springs Balloon Festival Glow

Josh and Nana

My Dad and I, we forgot cups so we had to drink the root-beer we brought with teeny rinse cups

Enjoying the Glow with a picnic dinner
Happy Grandparent's Day to the Best Grandparents five little boys could ask for! We love you!

Mom and Luke Go To Preschool

I have a little project that many of you know about, but possibly not all of you do. It's a project I've been thinking about for a few years now, and with Tommy being such a great baby and unsure about where I was going to send Luke for school, I thought this was the year to go for it!

So I started a little preschool at my house this year. It's only for 3's turning 4, just two days a week for two-and-a-half hours a day. And this was our first week. Tuesday was very fun, but Thursday was even better! I think the kids were more comfortable since I was familiar to them.

I have five boys and two girls. And oh, boy! Did I have fun shopping for some girl things to throw in with all the boy things I already have! Tutus, magic wands, My Little Ponies and Polly Pockets...fun, fun! The kids are adorable, each with their own unique personalities to add to and enhance the group.

We had circle time, talked about new friends, went on a scavenger hunt to explore the room, painted a group picture, played outside, did some investigation inside, danced, played instruments, used finger puppets, enjoyed snack, read stories, sang songs, talked about our families, practiced taking turns and waiting, had a mass exodus to the bathroom during opening circle on our second day, discovered that blue and red make purple, played in the water table, made a family graph, wiggled wiggles and got to know our new friends. It was fun! When the day was done I was exhausted but VERY happy with how it all went.

Luke's been so excited to start. He's watched me gathering things all summer for "his" preschool. We've talked a lot about sharing our things with our preschool friends, and I noticed when one little boy sat in a chair he considers "his," Luke said, "It's OK, you can sit in my chair." Just before we started, Luke carried his little backpack into the basement so it could be with the rest of the backpacks. He had a very fun day meeting new friends and learning about how school will go. And only had a couple of melt downs, which for my sensitive boy, is pretty great! At the end of the day on both Tuesday and Thursday, after everyone had gone home, Luke said, "Thanks, Mom, for being my preschool teacher!" And when I asked what he liked best about the first day, he told me his favorite part was doing the group painting. I think all the kids would agree with that!I'm really looking forward to the year ahead. I'm excited and a little nervous, I want the kids to enjoy themselves and learn as they do. But if the rest of the year goes as well as the first week did, I think we'll do just fine.

The Cake That Inspired a Party! Oh, Yeah, And Then There's The Party Itself

The same edition of Family Fun Magazine that brought us Luke's barnyard cake also included this cake:While Luke's vision of pink frosting pigs and edible grass buttercream swirled in his head, I hatched an idea of my own. The picture got me thinking. Close to our house is a BMX track. It's very cool, and the boys have enjoyed countless summer hours speeding around the course. It is an official track, so I would have to make sure we held the party on a day when nothing else was planned there, but wouldn't that be fun for Ben's 8th birthday party? Heck, YEAH!! When I presented the idea to Ben, including the photo of the cake that inspired my little plan, he was immediately on board.

So on Monday, the Labor Day holiday, having checked the track's schedule and finding the day free of events, we brought a whole gaggle of Ben's best buddies down to the track for two hours of BMX (or whatever kind of bike you might have) biking and awesome looking cake consumption. And, yes, I know motorcross isn't the same thing, but it's close enough!

This cake was WORLDS easier to put together than the farm cake. I made four chocolate cakes from-the-box (I have yet to find a homemade cake recipe that can hold up to decoration, but isn't totally dry, so if you want to share, please do!), and whipped up a huge batch of chocolate buttercream frosting compliments of Martha Stewart. I enlisted Adam and my mom to help and set about making the second RADDEST cake in the entire world. And it's only considered "second" because it's the second one I've made that I consider rad. Hmm...the rainbow one was pretty rad too...oh well, let's just focus on one thing at at time. This cake was indeed quite rad, no comparison to past cakes necessary.

Adam preps the frosting then heads to the garage to load the cars with bikes, water, decorations, gift bags, helmets, sunscreen and his suitcase, as we would be leaving directly from the birthday party to drive him to the airport for another business trip.

I frost the cakes and stack as I go, trying to abstain from just digging the icing knife deep into the frosting and licking it completely clean. The "tongue of concentration" helps with the steady hand.

Mom is in charge of the pretzel race track and banners. The pretzels were a cinch.

I can see the awesomeness that the cake will become developing before my eyes. Feeling happy! This is "a piece of cake" compared to the barnyard cake! Sweet!

OK, the fruit roll-up banners were not such a cinch. But with me holding and mom cutting we got 'er done.

VOILA! Hooray! Love it, love it, love it.

And more importantly, Ben does too!Now that the cake is done, we're off to the track!

The birthday boy ridin' the course.

After the boys seemed to be tiring we felt it was time for a break and a good chance to dig into the cake. The cake was well received by all Ben's friends! "Cool!" "Can you eat all that?!" "Awesome!" These were some of the comments. I felt like I had passed the critic's test. Phew! The boys all wanted a piece of "grass" (sour ropes) and a "meatball" (chocolate doughnut holes). I had no problem cutting the cake to pieces for feasting. I was so excited to eat that chocolate buttercream!

Ben's buddy Kendale had to leave early, so he didn't get in the group shot, but I wanted to make sure to include his photo. Here's Ben opening up the gift Kendale gave him before he had to go.

The party crew left to right: stranger who just got in the photo, Dragan, Dallin, Ben, Kian (Dragan's older brother who stuck around for the party), Zach, Sebastien, James, Owen, Adam (a kid Ben met at the track that day and included in the festivities), Josh, Micah, Coleman, Josiah and Graham (Micah's older brother and another neighbor).

It's so fun to see Ben with his buddies. They are a total little dude posse! It will be heartbreaking if we ever have to move Ben away from them.

Dragan was so excited to give his gift he was almost giddy, I just had to include this photo! Plus, I love how Ben and Dragan have the same second-grade teeth!

And you can see the reason for Dragan's excitement. A Nerf Tommy gun. Ben loves it! He actually loved every gift. His friends sure know how to pick them!

Just before we left the park, Ben's friend Luke showed up, home late from a camping trip. It was thoughtful of him to come and give Ben a gift and say hello even if he missed out on all the good parts of the party!

It was such a fun birthday party. Only three band-aids were used on a couple of good lookin' raspberries and no bones were broken (for which I said a huge prayer of gratitude!). Thanks, Family Fun Magazine for the inspiration and another successful cake idea. The BMX party was a perfect way to celebrate the 8th birthday of our all-boyest boy!

A Smorgasbord of GREAT Gifts

Ben has always been so easy to shop for. His interests are varied so there are a lot of options, and if you find anything that will expand his knowledge or allow him to create you know he will love it. The hardest part is not getting EVERYTHING you see that you know he would like!

I wanted to post some of the really cool things that he got for his birthday because I think this year's round of birthday gifts were SO Ben! I simply love when a gift hits home. It brings me such pleasure to see the joy on the face of someone when you know you've given them something thoughtful and perfect for them. So watching Ben open his gifts this year, and then later watching him enjoy them, has been so fantastic.Magna-Tiles from Nana and Papa. He loved playing with them on Saturday afternoon with his cousin Sheridan. For the tower below they used every single one. As a bonus, they are fun for the big boys, but the tinys love them too.

The Ant Farm from Tutu. Bugs, natural science, no brainer.

This was the gift idea I got from my friend Cailean, whose blog can be found here. These are snap circuits, given to Ben by Adam and I, that allow him to build all kinds of working electronic projects (in a safe way) like an AM radio, a light switch that turns a light on and off, a siren, and a spinning helicopter blade that can launch up into the air. There are over 300 project ideas ranging from super easy to more difficult so they definitely don't get boring. What a hit! Thanks again, Cailean!

Money from Grandma and Grandpa. He's desperate to spend it, but also wants to save it for the "perfect" thing. We are claiming right of veto, as well as requiring a one-week waiting period for any decision he makes to really think about it. He's got about 20 ideas. What will win the honor of being "the chosen one"?!
Luke gave him a 500-piece pack of Bendaroos, waxy, sticky 9 inch long lengths of string that can be used for all kinds of art projects. Ben's already completed the scorpion.Zach gave him a geode making set. He's been desperate to begin making one, but with the busyness of the week following his birthday and needing to get some items that he could use to make them that didn't come in his kit (like a stainless steel pot that would never again be able to be used for food--thanks Goodwill and Papa!) he's had to wait. Oh, but he's barely containing his excitement!

Josh got him Minotaurus, a Lego game, and a couple of large Lego mats. And Tommy rounded out the gift giving with about 10 packs of Silly Bands, rubber bands shaped like letters, numbers, animals, surfers, barbecues, robots, anything under the sun, you name it, they make a Silly Band shaped like it! These wacky new things are the latest school-age craze for collecting and trading. You can see them stretching up Ben's arms in the photo below.

On his actual birthday which was full of soccer practices and Scouts, since the cake was coming for his party, Ben requested the brownies seen below, topped with baked marshmallows and peanut butter m&m's. The gift of sweet treats is always a big hit in Ben's book. He's got a sweet tooth that brings joyful celebration to the Cavity Creeps that live in his mouth!