Our Family Homework

Each week we have speech therapy homework. One of the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome is very poor (pretty much non-existent) pragmatic speech skills. Pragmatic speech is the social aspect of speech - like how to listen, how to have a two-way conversation, how to communicate in a socially acceptable way, read facial expressions... etc.

We've learned that our whole family can learn from The Professor's homework - so we try to remember what we learn and do it as a family. I'll pass along what we're learning and maybe if you want to you can try it out at your house, too.

This week we are working on telling the difference between being polite and being rude (most people with Asperger's just say it like it is, or yell it like they see it - not understanding they should be polite. For example, if someone is in the way their instinct is to just yell, "move!" Instead of saying, "excuse me.").

So our homework for the week is to label behavior for what it is - being rude or polite and we need to be thinking about and then reacting with a polite phrase.

So we will focus on:
Saying sorry.
Using the words excuse me.
Asking instead of telling people what to do.
Saying please and thank you.
and making kind comments to each other.

All of this takes practice, practice, practice... and when you think you've practiced enough you still have to keep practicing.

We are thankful the scriptures tell us, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27 (You can find this scripture in the Book of Mormon.)

A Family Tradition

Our church meetings are at 8:30am every Sunday morning. So one of our family traditions is watching a, Sunday appropriate (not too crazy), movie in the afternoon.

The boys' snack of choice - Popcorn!

My Favorite Veggie

We recently started buying our fruits and vegetables through a co-op called Bountiful Baskets. If you live in the Phoenix area you should click here and find out more - we absolutely love it!

You never know what, exactly, you'll get in your order, but we've enjoyed what we've had and look forward to the surprises. This last week Handsome Hubby knew I would be thrilled with one of our fresh arrivals...

It was an eggplant!

Handsome Hubby knows how much I love these. Anytime I'm at a restaurant and they have eggplant... anything, on the menu - that's what I'm getting! My family used to grow them in the garden and I've always just thought they were an interesting looking vegetable. And as far as I can remember I really liked eating them!

Although I've eaten a lot of eggplant, the kids haven't. Here's what they thought of their first eggplant on the dinner table.

OTG Boy said his slice tasted good - but one slice was enough!

The Professor thought it was good while chewing, but didn't like the aftertaste.

Bubba's face says it all - not too thrilled with his first eggplant!

Oh well, we'll just have to keep trying!

Pool Chores

Now starts one of the least fun parts of having a pool. Labor Day has come and gone and even though it's still 100 degrees outside - the water is just too cold for us, thin-blooded Arizonans, to jump in and swim.

That, however, does not mean we get to ignore the pool for the next 8 months. Yep, we get to keep it clean year round!

So while OTG Boy and The Professor take turns skimming and sweeping, Bubba works on picking up the hundreds of olives that have fallen off the tree. The boys are not shy about taking credit for how good the pool looks - but believe me Handsome Hubby is the one who can give himself a big pat on the back. He puts a lot of effort into taking care of the pool and our family has truly had a lot of fun swimming and diving in our own backyard!

Come visit - we love backyard barbecues and an afternoon of swimming!

A Grandma's Birthday

It's our Idaho Grandma's Birthday this week!

We had so much fun when Handsome Hubby's Mom came to visit with us this year! She actually came twice and we were so happy to have her!

One of the boys' favorite memories from visiting Grandma's House last summer? Kitties!

They could not get enough of those poor little kitties - The Professor and Bubba just couldn't keep their hands off of them.

We love you Grandma!

The Professor on Temples

Last week Handsome Hubby and I took our Wolf Den to the Mesa, AZ Temple to talk about doing our Family History.

On the ride over the boys were very excited and talking about times they had been over to the Temple and Visitor's Center and then I heard The Professor start to talk about one of the reasons he feels the Temple is important for everyone... He shared a little of his own family story:

He was explaining that he had a brother that had died, but that his mom and dad had been married in the Temple (we were married in the Logan Utah Temple) and that meant we had been sealed so our family could be together forever - so even after you die you still get to be part of your family. Very simply put - and a great testimony that I will always be thankful I overheard.

If you'd like more information on LDS Temples try clicking here or here.

Cookies Save the Day!

While Handsome Hubby, OTG Boy and the Professor went off to play soccer last Saturday I had to stay home - I'm still not feeling too well and supposed to be taking it easy, so sitting out in 100 degree weather at 2:30 in the afternoon... not the best idea.

Because I was staying home the laws of cause and effect kicked in and Bubba was stuck staying home with me. Believe me there was...

Weeping

Wailing

and

Gnashing of Teeth...

Bubba was not happy.

And then his brilliant mother said, "once everybody leaves we'll make some cookies!"
Bubba could not get his brothers out the door fast enough - he was shutting and locking the door as quick as he could get them out. Then he turned and said, "It's time to make cookies!"

I don't think I've seen a happier kid!

Thank goodness for Betty Crocker cookie mixes - they're perfect for a mom who needs something quick and easy when she's not feeling well enough to be in the kitchen!

Bubba made the perfect fall cookies - brown chocolate frosting with yellow and orange sprinkles.

Delicious!

'08 Soccer Has Begun

Here's the Professor and OTG Boy after their first soccer game last Saturday. Hopefully in the next couple of months I'll be able to get some better soccer pictures. They were happy to play but disappointed with the score - but there's time for improvement (their team has several first time soccer players - but Coach Handsome Hubby sees a lot of potential). Practices started at the end of August and their last game is in December. It will be nice when the weather isn't quite so hot, then I will be able to go too - I can't wait to see a game!

Go All Stars!

It's A...

This is me 18 weeks along. I just got back from my most recent doctor appointment and ultrasound and very happy to say that everything looks great! In fact, even though I'm high risk they are letting me go four weeks before my next appointment because everything looks right on schedule and no apparent problems! Yeah!
Oh, and by the way for all of you wondering what we're having - we didn't know until today either - it's...

Another Boy!

Handsome Hubby and I are very consistent - you can count on us:)

Good Days and Bad Days... They All Happen

Last Friday was the Math Blaster Assembly at the boys' school and I am very proud to announce OTG Boy made it into the Math Blaster Club! At the school each child is tested every month - grade level determines how hard your test is (number of problems, type of problem and how much time). OTG Boy was very excited because last year was the first year he made it into the club and he didn't make it until the very last test of the school year. This year he's been working hard and set the goal for himself to make it in on his first try and he did! His test - 50 addition problems, 50 subtraction problems, 50 multiplication problems and 50 division problems in 4 1/2 minutes and you have to get 100%. The kids do not get to know how they did on the test.

So last Friday morning was the assembly - it's a very "rock star" assembly. Music blasting, lights flashing and the "coolest" guy teacher at the school announcing (yelling) the new club members (who have no idea if they've made it or not). The kids jump up and run to the stage while the whole school cheers them on. Honestly, if they'd made math that exciting when I was in school I might have enjoyed it more!

OTG Boy was ecstatic when he heard his name - and he proudly showed off his awards when he came home - the certificate, water bottle and dog tag you see in the picture above.

So now I'm sure your question is - where's the motivation for the rest of the year? Well, now he'll be working on the 6th grade math level and keep moving up from there.

Great Job OTG Boy!

Now on to the sad news...

Our last goldfish, Mr. M (short for Mr. Mustachie - because he had a little black mustache when we bought him), died this morning. All the boys are feeling pretty sad.

Here's The Professor in happier times - the day we bought Mr. M and his friend Goldie (who's been gone for a while now).

Lastly, my sister asked a few questions so I'll answer them here. First, my code name is HaHa - if you want an explanation I'll let you know next time we're talking :) She also wondered how we were able to get pictures of our whole family. The family picture in my first post was actually taken by our dad - I'll call him Grandpa Florida - he takes the greatest pictures! The scouting family pic we actually took ourselves. Handsome Hubby gave me a tripod, for Christmas or my Birthday - it kind of blends together. The main purpose of the tripod is to be able to take photos of my scrapbooks so we can have digital copies in case anything happens to the originals (not quite the same, but better than nothing). Unfortunately, I haven't had time to get going on that project yet - but hopefully sometime soon. Anyway, we have a tripod which comes in handy for those whole family pics.

Cub Scouting Family

Right now we are a family of Cub Scouters - we wanted to remember this time because it won't be this way forever and it's worth remembering! I'm the Wolf Den Leader and Handsome Hubby is my Assistant Den Leader. OTG Boy is in the Bear Den. The Professor is in the Wolf Den and Bubba - he's along for the ride, but truly considers himself a member of the Wolf Den. (By the way, this photo definitely pre-pregnancy - you won't see any belly here. I promise I'll post a pregnancy pic soon!)

Bubba

Here's my number 3 - he's "Bubba." Handsome Hubby's been using this name from the time little Bubba joined the family. I do have a cousin who we always called Bubba - hopefully he doesn't mind we've carried on the name. So, this code name... not a stretch in fact Bubba responds to this name as readily as his real name.

Bubba's most notable characteristic - he'll tell you every time, "I have blue eyes." In our family that's an achievement - Handsome Hubby, OTG Boy, the Professor and I all have very brown eyes.

Bubba started school this year - his class is kind of a mix between Pre-K and regular Kindergarten - so at the end of the year we'll have to see if we decide to move him to 1st Grade or try out the regular full day Kindergarten. It seems crazy, but as parents, that will be a pretty big decision - but as always we'll do our best to do what's best for Bubba. One of Bubba's favorite parts of school - riding the bus to school! He's the only kid on the bus and he always reminds his brothers he has a seatbelt and air conditioning. The big bus that brings all of them home at the end of the day - no air conditioning - that's not too fun at the end of a long school day in Arizona.

Bubba is a little sweetheart. When the boys get home from school the first thing we do is sit down and have an after-school-snack. While they're eating I ask each of them about their day and after everyone has shared Bubba turns to me and says, "And how was your day, Mommy? Was it a good day, or a bad day at our home?"

Bubba has a good sense of humor and he's always doing silly things, but last night he did a silly thing in his sleep that made Handsome Hubby and I laugh in the middle of the night. In the darkness we heard Bubba get up and go to the bathroom, but when he went back to bed it sounded more like a thud and a thump of plastic. Handsome Hubby got up to inspect the situation and found that instead of going back to bed Bubba had mistakenly gone in the playroom (next door to his room) and climbed up on to the air hockey table and was laying there like it was his bed. Handsome Hubby asked him what he was doing, he didn't know, climbed down and went to bed in his bedroom. Kids do some of the funniest things when they aren't awake!

Bubba's interests: doing homework - just like his brothers, painting with water colors and swimming. He loves to play outside, blow bubbles and play with his friend down the street.

We love Bubba - he's our sweetheart!

The Professor

Meet the Professor! This guy is a walking encyclopedia - I'm not kidding he knows facts from the Broiler Chick capital of America to history from all over the world to what's going on in space exploration. He is always reading - usually nonfiction - although this year he has discovered a few fiction books at school that he has actually enjoyed. He's also a dictionary... he throws around words like "pugnacious" as part of his everyday conversation - it's a little scary when I have to ask my third grade son what the definition of a word is. The other day I went to check on what he was doing and I actually found him reading our copy of the Webster's Dictionary - his explanation, "I just want to know what every word means."

The Professor's latest craze? Standing on his head. Every time I turn around he's standing on his head.

The Professor is also a scientist - he moves from subject to subject trying to understand everything he can. He made a volcano with one of his grandpa's earlier this year which he found very interesting and is still following volcanic eruptions around the world. Just this weekend he took apart a broken remote controlled car to see how it worked and actually fixed the motor by himself and got it working again! He's very attentive to detail and curious about anything he finds scientific around himself.

Here's what the Professor is doing lately... going to school and reading constantly. He swims and since following the Olympics this summer is very excited about diving! He also plays soccer on the same team with the OTG Boy and Handsome Hubby is their coach. He plays the piano and likes to tell people he has a strong singing voice (sometimes we have to remind him it's okay to let your voice blend in with everyone else - he still does his own thing). Another favorite of the Professor - PBS - he loves NOVA.

The Professor keeps us busy trying to provide activities and opportunities to challenge his always thinking brain - but it has been wonderful for our entire family to learn with him even if we're just tagging along.

We Love The Professor - he keeps us on our toes!

OTG Boy

This is our oldest - his codename - "OTG Boy!" This stands for On The Go Boy (hopefully OTG doesn't mean something horrible in the texting world - if it does please let me know so we can change the name and keep this kids self-esteem intact). Anyway...
This kid is constantly on the go - he loves to be involved in everything! He never just sits - if he is sitting he's reading (he's an excellent reader too, he breezes through Harry Potter Books in less than a week).

OTG Boy is in 5th Grade and loves school - he's always been this way and as far as I can tell will probably always be this way. When he walked in on his first day of Kindergarten (after telling me, "I don't need you here, Mom. You can go.") I hovered by the door and watched him walk in and sit at a table - all of the other kids were playing with toys and clinging to parents. His teacher walked over and asked if he wanted to go play with the toys like the other kids and he just looked her straight in the eyes and said, "I did not come here to play. I came to learn." Luckily, he has learned how to play, but still has a great attitude about learning. He's already picked out a college, BYU (which Handsome Hubby says is all me - but I promise I've never told any of the kids they had to go there - it's just that when we're in Utah you have to find the "Y" on the mountain and visiting campus is so much fun and of course you have to pick out a book at the bookstore. I must admit I love that campus - and it's obvious!)

Anyway, a little bit more about OTG Boy... he plays soccer, swims and rollerblades. Likes to play the piano and the cello. He's just about to earn his Bear Rank in Cub Scouts - we'll finish-up the last requirement tonight - as long as it doesn't rain (fingers crossed - it can rain tomorrow though - we love monsoon storms in the desert). He loves Primary (the program for children where we attend church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and has been working very hard on memorizing the Articles of Faith this Year.

So there he is... OTG Boy - We Love Him!

My First Blog

I guess it's about time I jump into the exciting world of blogging. At this point I have no idea what I'm doing but look forward to using this as a fun way of keeping touch with family and friends all over the country - and yes, a few around the world.

Here's a few warnings up-front... My Handsome Hubby is a "computer guy" for a living and happens to be very big on security, so code names are going to be oh, so fun to come up with. So please protect the innocent and don't use our real names in any of your comments. Who knows it could be kind of fun.

Every story needs to start somewhere... here's where we're starting. I'm a Utah girl who met an Idaho boy - 11 years, 4 boys + 1? (3 living, 1 stillborn & one on the way) and several moves later we live in Arizona. Life keeps us busy Handsome Hubby works, coaches soccer, is an assistant Cub Scout Leader, not to mention does an excellent job with yard work and pretty much everything around the house right now. Did I mention we have "one on the way"? I'm sick sick sick and spend most of my time - well you don't want to know where I've spent most of my time, but anyway Handsome Hubby is pulling more than his fair share of the load right now.

The boys - well we'll have to discuss them later after I figure out some great code names.