Day 5 of a year of thankfulness

I am grateful for a 4 day weekend.

Day 4 of 365 days of Thankfulness

I am thankful for a 4 day weekend this week.

Day 2 & 3 of a year of being thankful

So I didn't get a chance to post yesterday I am post two today

Day 2 

I am grateful for my mom. (I am sure she is going too make an appearance on this list several times throughout this year) I came home from work yesterday and she had vacuumed my whole house. It seems like something so small but it is wonderful to not have to deal with that when I get home from a long day. My mom rocks. 

Day 3

I am grateful that I was able to motivate myself this evening to do an exercise video. Here is to a new start to a healthier life. 

A Change in Thinking

Recently I was having a conversation with another mom of a different needs child, we were discussing a possible new diagnosis that they were looking into that has the potential to shorten her child's life.  She told me that at this point they don't know if it is true or not, but I commented that it would be good to know because she might do things different if they knew they only had few years with their child.  Maybe they would go to Disney earlier than they would otherwise, or they would take a photo of their child everyday.  She went on to tell me about a friend of hers that is currently dealing with just that with not one but two of her children.  This woman walked into find her kids doing something that most parents would have started yelling about, but she couldn't bring herself to yell, so instead she laughed and took a picture.

This conversation got me thinking why should a child dying changes how we act toward them.  If you only get a few years with a child because they are sick and you then make sure to take a photo everyday or you plan a trip that you would have otherwise put off until "they were older," or you laugh off small misbehaviors.  Why not do that with a healthy child too?

This world is unpredictable.  A health child could be diagnosis with cancer, or get in a car accident.  Look at the parents of the Sandy Hook students.  I am sure they are all wishing for one more photo or one more trip or one more anything.

We should cherish EVERYDAY we have with each other.  Whether it is child, or husband, or wife, or moth, or father, or brother, or sister, or friend.  Don't wait until tomorrow to tell someone that you love them.  We live in a world where we are so focused on what we don't have that we forget to look at what we DO have.

I have recently watched two movies that drove this point home. And yes they could be a bit preachy, but sometimes preaching isn't a bad thing if it gives you a new perspective.  For anyone that is interested the movies were "Courageous" and "The Heart of Christmas."

I watch my Facebook feed all through November and everyone was posting what they were grateful for, but as of December 1st that was no more.  Are we only grateful for our lives and the little things in them on month of the year.  I am going to try to find 1 thing I am grateful for everyday for a year. Some days I may not write a full post but I will try to at least post what I am grateful for each day.

So Day 1 of the year of Thank you for my life.

I am grateful for the joy on Riley's face when I walk in the door from work.  She greets me with a big smile, a yell of happiness, and a giant hug.  It is a great way to end a good day or even better a bad day.

Manual setting

I have always enjoyed taking photos. I would not say that I am super awesome at, but  I have fun.  This past summer I decided to invested in a new nice SLD camera. I brought a Nikon D90. I I would shoot in auto mode or use some of the preset modes but never went any were near the M.  The dreaded manual mode.  I have been pinning lots of photo articles but never got around to read any of them. Surprise surprise the procrastinating girl procrastinated about reading stuff.  I know I know.

So in December I finally looked at myself and asked what I was waiting.  I had this great camera I had even had a few additional lens but never knew the right way to use them.  So I took the big step and turn that dial on the top of the camera to M.  And I have being very good about keeping there.  I think I have a pretty good handle on aperture and ISO.  I have started playing with my shutter speed and I have even looked at a histogram or two.  Now I still have a long way to go but I have been happy with a few shots. 

I wish I had more time to shoot but I have been trying to take my camera when I go out.  Unfortunately I work 10 hour shifts and it it dark when I leave in the morning and dark when I come home.  I am looking forward to when the day set a little longer so u can take my camera with me to work and shoot some shoots on my way home. 

Check out my photography page.  I uploaded a few of my newer shots.

Here are some of the articles and sites that have found the most helpful.

http://somegirlswebsite.com/showing-love/2011/11/moving-into-manual-mode-its-easier-than-it-seems/

http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/18718154670753327_nUxLnqSy.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/oqd4sz.png

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/07/dont-say-cheese-5-tips-for-getting-natural-smiles/

http://www.elizabethhalford.com/photography-tutorials/photographing/how-to-photograph-your-christmas-tree-how-to-get-twinkle-bursts-of-light/

Update on Riley

I have not done a Riley post in awhile.  

Riley has made some big progress recently she is pulling up on anything and everything that she can get her hands on.  She has also started doing a really hands and knees crawl.  She has been army crawling and rolling for a long time now, but just within the last week or so she has started really crawling.  It is awesome.

She also got her wheelchair because ...SHE STARTED SCHOOL YESTERDAY!!  You heard right my baby is in school.  Riley turned 3 in December and that meant that she aged out of the Infant and Toddlers Program.  In order for her to still receive services she needed to start going to school.

We had our 1st IEP (Individual Education Program) meeting at the end of November and it went very smoothly.  Through Infant and Toddlers Riley was getting PT once a week, OT twice a month, speech twice a month, and the developmental specialist twice a month.  With her IEP she is still getting PT once a week, but she is also getting OT once a week now.  She is still getting speech twice a month.  Plus she is in school 5 days a week for 2.5 hours a day so they are working on PT, OT, speech, and developmental stuff through out her time in the classroom.  But someone is coming to work specifically with her according to the schedule above.

My husband and I dropped her off yesterday and as soon as another child walked in the room it was like we did not exist.  I think she is going to be fine.  Mommy's on the other hand we a bit sad to see her go. I was proud of myself though because I did not cry like I thought I would.  It was a bit to hectic getting out the door and into class for me to get upset.  I think school is going to be a great thing for her.  I can't want to see how much progress she makes between now and summertime. 

We have switched to a new orthopedic doctor because we were unhappy with the one we were seeing before   He put Ri in a cast on her right foot to try to straighten it out more and it worked well.  So she in now in new AFOs that are higher then the ones she had before.  They now come up to just below her knees.  We are going next Friday to meet with the doctor again to discuss the surgery that he wants to do on her knees.  Riley is missing about 20 degrees of flex in both of her knees.  Think about trying to walk with your knees bent at at 20 degree angle, and how tired you would be.  That is what she is dealing with now.  I don't have more information at this point but will after next Friday.  I will post after that meeting.

Here is a picture from Riley's 1st day of school.

Update to pages

I have added a few new definitions to the the "Medical Terms" page and changed the name to "Definitions" as there are now going to be special education terms in there too.

I have also added a few new pictures to my photograph page.