A Few of My Favorite Things

2010 Edition:

We call this the "magic necklace". It's made of amber which supposedly has natural healing properties to relieve teething pain. It's made specifically for babies so each bead has a knot on either side so if it breaks it doesn't spray the beads everywhere. It also has a magnet fastener so that if it gets snagged it breaks right apart so no strangulation hazard. I bought it in a desperate attempt when Maya was having the worst of her teething pain. It works!

I took a risk and spent a butt-load of money on this flushing urinal. After over a year of trying to potty train Mateo I finally broke down and bought this silly thing. And Hallelujah! He is pretty much potty trained!

This wagon has come in useful in so many ways. Mateo loves pulling it around which is great for his sensory therapy (you SI parents know what I mean!). Maya loves riding in it. And when Mateo gets tired, he can jump right in. Perfect for the beach and picnics this summer!


Thanks JonesEthiopia for the suggestion of this product for Maya's hair.


Pediped shoes!
How cute are these? They are not just adorable but they are soft and comfortable but can still be worn outside. The website can be dangerous cause they are pricey, but worth it.


Mateo's grandpa found this jeep on the side of the road, fixed it up, and Mateo's been riding it anytime he can. It has two speeds, regular and turbo. He's pretty good at maneuvering it too. It's a great time killer for me!

Homeschooling Corner: Special Ed

I talked with the special education coordinator for our school district this week to tell her April will be Mateo's last month at school because we are moving. I also mentioned we were thinking about homeschooling in September. She stopped short and said to me in a shocked voice, "you know he's special ed right?" Hmm...let's see. He's been in birth-to-three for 2 years, I've been to 3 PPT's this year, I've put him on the special ed van every morning for 9 months, I've been taking him to private OT and speech every week, and I get a note everyday stating which therapies he had that day and how he did .... uh...no, I really hadn't noticed.

Anyway, I told her that from what I know it doesn't really matter legally if he's in special ed and we homeschool him. She agreed that's true and then mumbles something about it not being good enough. Her thoughts on homeschooling were very clear, but to be expected I suppose. She then goes on to say that I definitely HAVE TO go to parent teacher conferences in April (which I might add I ALWAYS go to parent teacher conferences) so that I "know where he's at". Here's what I have to say about that. (Warning: soap-box up ahead)

I may not have your uppity educational status and masters teaching degree, but I'm not an idiot. I spend more time with him than anybody else. I know he can draw circles but not copy lines or letters yet. I know he can't identify numbers but is now consistent with colors. I know his social skills can be really great but at the same time really poor. I know his speech is choppy, there are sounds he physically can't make with his mouth, but his thinking is more abstract now. I know he lacks frustration tolerance and that is a big issue for self help skills. I get him dressed every morning! I know he can't snap his pants but he can put on a shirt with assistance. I don't need a teacher to tell me that! I know his ability to cut with scissors is emerging but his interest in art is limited. I know he has trouble sitting still and maintaining interest in books but he's getting better. Of course I know where he's at! I am his mother! The only thing they can tell me that I don't already know is how he does with large groups of peers. So, for that reason, I'll go to the parent-teacher conference.

Phew! Have I made that clear?

Weekly Weigh-in

I chickened out. I know, shame on me. The whole point of Weight Watchers is to do the weekly weigh-in. But I had a really bad week. I quit my job, I've been really stressed, blah blah blah...(enter lame excuse here). My eating wasn't too bad. I didn't pig out on chips and icecream all week, but I can't stand to be disappointed by the number on the scale today. So, I am pulling out my one "get out of jail free" card, being a big chicken, and I'll try again next week (holding head down in shame).

Wordless Wednesday

Working Part-time vs. Staying at Home

Don't worry, I'm not trying to start a debate. I actually respect all decisions regarding the working vs. stay at home debate. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer about this, just what works best for the family. And for us, what we're doing is not working. I work part-time, mostly at home, and Dave works full-time at an office. He makes most of our income and he carries our insurance. So, when it comes down to it, his job comes first. With Mateo's growing healthcare needs, and my kids strange ambition to constantly be sick, I've been missing a lot of work. The way my job is set up is that I can make my own hours and create my own schedule. Great, right? But I still don't have time. I feel torn in two. First of all, my kids come first. Always. But because they are so needy, I am not doing well at my job. Or not as well as I could be doing. And I have good work ethic so I'm not okay with doing a half-assed job. It makes me feel guilty and horrible. When I'm with the kids, whether at the pediatrician or some various therapy, there is a nagging voice in my head telling me all the ways I'm behind in my job. When I'm actually working, I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.

Plus, my job is becoming more and more institutionalized. When I started it was fun. We were a private non-profit organization that really didn't answer to anyone but ourselves and our mission. Now we're becoming more and more controlled by the government. All the fun got sucked away as people who have no idea what we do are telling us how to do our jobs and how much money to use and for what. Now it's just stressful and frustrating. I'm sure everyone who works feels that way about their job. But I'm already so stressed at home that I can't take another stressor in my life right now. Maybe if things were different, if the kids were older, it would work out better.

So, I'm in the process of quitting my job. Or at least decreasing my hours to evenings and weekends when Dave will be home and we don't have to pay for childcare that we're barely making enough to afford.

I'm worried about this move. It wasn't an easy decision. I'm worried both financially and mentally. Meaning I hope I don't have a nervous breakdown being with the kids all day every day with no breaks. Mateo doesn't nap anymore. Maya has never been a good napper. Dave will help in the evenings and weekends of course. But I still worry.

Anyway, what have been your obstacles in working or staying home? What works in your household and what are the challenges?

New Moon (hot picture)

(Jones Ethiopia...there's your warning) So, I watched New Moon Saturday night. Here's my (expert) analysis. I think it's too serious. The very dark, slow music in every scene is just depressing. All the actors take a really long time to say their lines. They all look so tortured. I understand that's a part of the story. A part. But the way I interpreted the books was very different. I don't know how to describe it. More....dynamic. And, although I like Kristin Stewart better in New Moon than Twilight, I still think she sucks as Bella. Even the adored Robert Pattinson was making me snore in parts. By far, the best actor in the series is Taylor Lautner. I would say he's really hot but because of his age, it's practically criminal.



What do my fellow fans think?

Anyone Watching....

THIS tonight?



I'm home alone. Dave is working at the new house. Kids are in bed. Got some chicken cordon-bleu in the oven. And I'm gonna get my Edward fix tonight. Anyone with me?

Thursday Weigh-in

I went to Weight Watchers last night. I didn't expect to lose much. I've been trying to do well with eating healthy and tracking the points, but we happened to eat out a lot this past week. Plus, I may have eaten two pieces of Maya's gigantic birthday cake. I really wanted to lose 3 lbs so it would be a grand total of 10, but I didn't. I lost 2 lbs. Still not bad, at least I lost something. But I think I can do better. So starting off a new week (well a new week in weight watchers land) and working harder to lose more this time. Any other successes out there?

Homeschool Corner: Music Therapy

About a month ago I went to a short evening class about music therapy. It was awesome, I learned a lot, and it inspired me to utilize music in our education and everyday play. So here are some things I made and bought to start our music collection and inspire the kids to express themselves.

These were all on sale for $2 each on a website I found. I especially like the wooden block with the stick. It makes such a pure sound.

We bought a set of these small plastic hearts at the dollar store around Valentines Day. Mateo and I filled them with rice and pasta then hot glued them shut. I asked Mateo what else we could fill them with to make a cool sound and he picked coins. Those worked great too. A fun activity to experiment with sound.


These are called Boom-whackers. They are basically glorified paper towel tubes but they are plastic and last longer. They are also tuned to specific notes. So you can buy a whole octave if you want to. They are lots of fun to get some aggression out while creating music.

I also got these wooden spoons at the dollar store. Dave used...some kind of tool...to create slots in one of them so you can bang them or scrape them together to make a cool noise.


I bought this guitar at Radio Shack. What I like about it is that it has actual strings instead of just buttons like most play guitars. It's a good beginner without being frustrating or breakable. It even has a whammy bar. Oh, and Mateo calls it his "rock star".

I'm hoping that since both the kids are so responsive to music, we can use it to learn some academics, like abc's, rhyming words, and...the periodic table.

I also learned some great techniques for using music as therapy for kids who've been through trauma. Or teenagers you have trouble relating to. Here are a couple ideas that I loved (mostly for older kids):

* Having the child (or teenager) create their life through music by picking out special songs that fit their life stages

* Rewriting the lyrics to favorite songs to express how they feel (this works especially well for teens who like current pop music. It can be a way to communicate with a child who is too cool for their parents)

* Take the lyrics to favorite songs and leave parts blank for them to fill in themselves. And ask them questions about what the song lyrics mean to them


Does anyone else use music in a fun and creative way?

Wordless Wednesday

I've also updated my other blog Renovating the Hayden House

There Always Has to Be a First Post

Here's the link to my old blog. It's also on the side bar and will stay there indefinitely. All posts about "sensitive issues" have been deleted from the old blog. If you are new here, you can check it out. It dates back two years (I think) when we first adopted Mateo. From now on, I will be blogging right where I left off. What do you think? Are we liking the new blog look?