Days 66-70 of 365 Days of Thankfulness

3/16: I am grateful for my loving family.

 

3/17: I am grateful that we have a finished basement.  Riley and hung out and played all day down in the basemen.

 

3/18: I am grateful that our car did not need major repairs that it was only some low fluids.

 

3/19: I am thankful that had invested in Carbonite (even if it did take forever to backup my computer) as we had to replace the hard drive (again) in our laptop

 

3/20: I am grateful that I did not get pulled over or in an accident (actually I am thankful everyday when these things don't happen) as I left my wallet at home today!

Days 60 - 65 of 395 Days of Thankfulness

3/10: I am thankful that I got to spend the day with my future sister-in-law.  We had a very nuce day exploring Ellicott City and then had tea.  It was alot of fun.

3/11: I am thankful that I still get together with my friends from high school for dinner.  we try to get together at least once a month.

3/12: I am grateful to the Mary Kay ladies that taught me how to do a smokey eye.  I have watned to learn how to do that so awhile now.

3/13: I am thankful that Kyle and I are in a position that we are able to make improvements to our house. 

3/14: I am thankful for my in-laws who made us dinner last night after we had to drop our car off to be fixed.

3/15: I am grateful to come home after a long day to Riley smiling face and then spending time playing in the floor with her. 

The Great Sippy Cup War of 2013

Our household is embroiled in The Great Sippy Cup War of 2013. And I am sad the admitted that the 3 year old is winning.

Riley was never bottle fed. She went right from her G-tube to a sippy cup. You can read more about that journey in this post. And when we picked out a Sippy for her then we went with this Munchkin cup.

It also came in one that was bigger with no handles:

Riley will drink from either one of these without a problem.  The problem now is that Munchkin doesn't make that exact cup any more.  They change it to this cup:

Which looks very similar.. I know.  But my Riley can tell the difference.

Her cups mouth pieces look like this:

And the new cup mouth piece look like this:

It is wider.  It also is more floppy.  The part that the fluid comes out of is lower on the new cups.

So she won't take that cup.  I now am the proud owner of 13 different kinds of sippy cups.  And she refuses all of them.  Some of them she chooses to throw across the room when offered them.

Our collection of sippy cups.

We have tried other soft tipped cups:

And a few cups with straws.  But she doesn't know how to suck on a straw.  And I am kinda of at a lost as to how to teach a child that doesn't understand everything I say to her had to suck on a straw.

I have even gotten a few cups that open spouts.  But I am afraid to just offer her these as she throws her cups and leaves them on their sides on the floor.  And I am sure that I will be cleaning up more milk than she drinks.

So the search continues.  If any one has an suggests on a cup to try I am all ears.  I may have lost all of the battles so far, but I will win the WAR!!!!!

Riley: 12
Mommy: 0

Days 57, 58,& 59 of 365 days of thankfulness

3/7: I am thankful that this y is over. It was one of those days that drags on and on.

3/8: I am thankful that the days are getting longer and that I am able to see the sun when I leave work.

3/9: Today I a, thankful for how well behaved Riley is. I was out running errands with my future sister-in- law and we were out for several hours and Riley missed her nap. She was so good and complained very little. She is the best little kid.

Appearance of a disability

I came across this blog and it is one of my fears in regards to Riley.  When people look at Riley she does not look like your typical special needs child.  When you take a closer look, or watch her behave, or find out how old she is then it becomes more clear.

We have had handicap parking since around the time Riley turned 1.  And until recently she was always in a stroller.  I was always afraid that when I used the handicap tag that we would have some idiot come up to us and say something.  Riley now has a wheelchair, a very heavy wheelchair.  But at this point she really only uses it when she is at school, at other times she is in a stroller or goes right into a shopping cart.  I am still afraid or the person who will stop me and say something or give me a dirty look.  But I can't live my life in fear, so I live day by day.  Enjoying every minute (or at least most of them) that I get to spend with my beautiful, special daughter.

Here is what a child with a disability looks like.  And she is beautiful!!

Quiet Book

As I said in my last blog I am obsessed with Pinterest.  I blame my cousin Elizabeth for introducing my to the site in the first place.  

I have been seeing these quiet books show up on my board for awhile.  And I thought to myself.. "Hey I  could do that!  Riley would love it.  She is totally into books.  I should make one!"  This coming from the girl who got a sewing machine for her birthday 4 years and has used it once with the help of my mother (Who is awesome at sewing.  The woman made me a prom dress for goodness sake.  Side note on that my Dad actually taught my Mom to sew, cool parents I have right!?!) to make curtains for Riley's bedroom.

So I started collecting ideas, and fabric, and buttons, and zippers, and felt (oh so much felt) and all the things that I thought that I would need.  Well last night I started cutting out my templates.  I am realizing that I might first my first book by the time Riley turns 5.  Goodness me is it time consuming.  First I cutting the templates out in paper, because I can;t get any of the fabric pencils that I have to write on felt GRRRRR!  Then I am pinning my paper templates onto the felt to cut it out.  I brought embroidery scissors, because A) They are small enough to cut the small templates and B) They are super sharp.  

I have not even started sewing anything yet.  Hopefully I can get into a rhythm and get a few pages done.  I will keep you all updated.

These are some of the pages taht I have found my ideas on:

http://jocelynandjason.blogspot.com/2013/03/free-butterfly-quiet-book-template.html

http://quietbookblog.blogspot.com/

http://theintentionalmomma.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-quiet-book.html

Days 53, 54, 55, & 56 of 365 days of thankfulness

3/3: I am thankful that I will be getting a new sister in law soon. My brother in law is getting married in May and LOVE his fiancé. She and I are becoming better and better friends the more time I spend with her. I love it.

3/4: I am thankful for the girls at my father's office. Kyle and needed our will notarized and witness and the girls at my father were kind enough to take time out of their day to sign everything that needed to be done. They were awesome.

3/5: I thankful that my godson is doing so well at his feeding program in Richmond.

3/6: I am thankful for my Mom. Today I came from work early because of the weather and my mom stayed some could work from home. Then she made Riley and I dinner.

Trix Crispy Treats

I admit that I an addicted to Pinterest. I go on all the time and pin tons of stuff that I will probable never actually look again. Recipes that I will never make, articles I probable won't get around to reading, crafts that I won't try, you get the idea.

Well last Thursday I actually made one of the desserts that I had pinned who knows how long ago. And it actually turned out really good. There was a bake sale at Riley's school and I wanted to make something simple and quick.  And fun.  What is more fun than rice crispy treats, how are TRIX CRISPY TREATS.  Same marshmallowly (I know it isn't a real word, but it is fun) taste but with FUN COLORS.  I found this recipe on a blog by Kim (http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/), I actually melted my butter and marshmallows differently then she said because my first try didn't turn out right.  Which then cause me to make a Wal Mart run at 11 o'clock at night, not fun. I guess that should teach me to start making a bake sale item so late at night, but it probable won't.

So here is how you can make your own Trix Crispy Treats for your kiddos or husbands, as Kyle was thoroughly disappointment when he realized that I had sent all of the treats to the bake sale.

Ingredients:

1 x 400g bag of mini marshmallows

10 cups Trix cereal

¼ cup butter

Instructions

1. Place the butter and marshmallows in nonstick pot on low to melt.  It works best if you spray stick spray in the pot even if it is nonstick.

2. Stir constantly.  I also sprayed the spoon I was using to stir.

3. Stir until completely melted.

4. Put your Trix cereal in a big bowl and stir in marshmallow mixture.  (I did not spray my bowl first, but next time I make these I will)

5. Pour into a large greased pan (9 x 13 or 11 x 11) and press down with a spoon. (The spoon below was sprayed with nonstick spray and was completely clean, see below for what happens when not sprayed)

6. Cut into squares.  I let mine sit over night to firm up with wax paper and foil over them.  I think it was easier to cut them that way.

This picture taken from Kim's blog as I forgot to take a picture of them cut.

You could also 2 bags of marshmallows.

Here is what my fingers and the bowl looked like after mix without receiving some nonstick spray.

Original link for the recipe: http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/2012/04/trix-krispies.html

Days 50, 51, & 52 of 365 days of thankfulness

2/28: I am grateful for Riley hugs. She has been super cuddly for the last few days.

3/1: I thankful to be able to spend a quiet evening at home with Kyle watching a movie.

3/2: I am grateful for how well behaved Riley is. The three I us were running errands all day and she didn't complain once.