MMM...the wonderful smell of campfire

After 3 loads of laundry I am almost rid of the wonderful smell of campfire. I just need to defunk myself but since I have an 18 mile run today I decided to just get rid of it all at once. I survived my first camping trip with four kids and we actually even had fun. Amazing. It helped that we were with so much family and we had some back up. The first night I realized just how long it's been since we've gone camping when I realized the flimsy sleeping bags I brought for my kids were not going to cut it. I couldn't sleep worrying about how cold my poor kids were. A true bad mommy moment. The next night was much warmer and we had some donated blankets as well. Adam did a ton of fishing and I even went out on the boat with him. It was my first time since our boat only holds four and I usually spend our lake experiences on the shore keeping track of a kid or two.

It was Owen's first time on the boat as well. At first he was a little nervous but before we knew it is was walking around and reaching over the edge for the water. And we even caught a fish while we were out.

The campground was called the Big Rock campground and there was this big rock. You can't really see the size of it from this picture but it was big enough that most of the kids needed help climbing up and down off it.
We brought our four-wheeler too although we really only road it around camp. This is Millie with her cousin Kayden.
This is me and my sister. I have to make fun of her because she is so not a camper. In fact they actually slept in a house about 40 min away. I call her a wimp. I know I remember camping as a kid. In fact, when we went to Disneyland as a family when we were kids we camped the whole time. But, I know how she feels. Camping is such hard work it almost feels not worth it. Almost.

Look what I got

Just because. He's so sweet.

Summertime rain

There is just something about a good rainstorm in the summer. For one thing it's so nice to see something besides the blazing hot sun. It's just so warm and wet at the same time. We had gone fishing on Saturday but were chased home by the rain storm. By time we got home it was a complete downpour. The kids were ecstatic when we gave them the go ahead to play to their hearts content. Before we knew it, our storm drain out front was converted to a swimming pool by Owen and Ian who were laying down in the water. I don't think I've seen the kids have this much fun outside for a long time. Thank goodness for summer rain.

Take me out to the ball game (and I'll make someone cry)

It's kinda become a tradition of ours to spend July 24th at a Owlz game. For the last 3 years we've gone with our extended family and enjoyed a free game and fireworks. I'm really not a huge fan of baseball but it is pretty fun. We sit on the "berm" with our blankets and the kids have a ball hanging all over their uncle John Jay and chasing cousins. They have a playground just behind where we sit and of course that is where our kids prefer to be. Adam and I took turns watching Ian and Owen in the sea of kids. This was no easy task. Several times I lost one or the other. One of these times I turned my back on Ian who was content on the little playground "driving" to get Owen who was on the big playground trying to come down the rock climbing wall. When I get back to Ian I notice this lady who has Ian by the arm and is yelling at him "Where is your mom!?!? Where is your dad?!?!" "I'm right here" I reply "is there a problem?"

"Yes!" she says "he is being a bully! He won't let any of the other kids play with the steering wheel and I've told him several times to share and he's ignoring me!" I start shaking. I have a very hard time when other people discipline my children. If I'm not around and there is something worth disciplining for...go ahead. If I'm around...please bring it to my attention so that I can take care of it. NEVER, EVER place your hand on my child. So as calmly as I can I say "Well, it's not ok that he is being a bully but he has autism and he doesn't always have the best social skills. It's hard for him share and I don't think he was ignoring you. Sometimes things take a minute or two to register." Immediately she started crying. "I am so sorry...I am so sorry!" She grabs Ian and gives him a hug "I am so sorry!!!" I told her not to worry about it and that it really is not ok with me that he doesn't share. And I swiftly took him to sit with his dad in a time-out. I felt really bad. I try not to use Ian's disability as an excuse and I am trying very hard to teach him right from wrong. I try not to let him get away with things although I admit that I choose my battles with him. But sometimes I think it's important that people understand what they're dealing with is not just a horrible, bratty kid but someone who really does struggle with social settings and "playing nice". Yet I can't help but feel that a lot strangers and even my friends and family still look at Ian as a brat. It makes it hard for me that we are not invited to do things with some because they'd rather not deal with it. And then I feel like it reflects on me as a mom like maybe I just can't handle it. Which probably is true but can I decide for myself what I can and can't handle? I don't think people understand just how important it is to me to feel like Ian is loved and accepted. I was so thankful that this lady understood that maybe Ian really wasn't just a brat but a lovable kid who does have some great qualities and maybe he deserved a second chance. And some acceptance.

My friend Jen (the other Jen)

AKA Miss Jen came for a visit on Wednesday. Can I just tell you, We love her to pieces! She is the most amazing teacher and friend. We were blessed enough to have her teach Ian in his second year of preschool after an awful and frustrating first year. She was fabulous and radiated love for her students. Naturally, I enrolled Millie in her class the next two years. Millie loved her and to this day the kids (all of them, even Matthais who never had her as a teacher) talk about her. We were so sad to see her move to California last year but so happy to keep in touch and to have her come and visit.

I don't know how many times she has helped me. She was and is such a support to me and my family giving advice in the special education sector. She has been my shoulder to cry on, my crutch to lean on, and Ian's biggest cheerleader. Her greatest asset is the ability to love and to see the potential in everyone! She doesn't always feel great but you would never know because her enthusiasm is amazing! I am so thankful to call her one of my best friends. I hope she knows just how much we love and appreciate her.

Would you like some waffles to go with that?

I just went upstairs to Owen alternatly drinking from the syrup bottle and the honey bottle. "yum" he tells me. Any ideas on how to get half a bottle of syrup out of the carpet with out a carpet cleaner? Did I mention I just cleaned these carpets last week? Did I mention I still have a MAJOR headache? Where is my diet coke.

Two Sun filled days and a major headache

I went to bed at 7:00 last night. I climbed in thinking I'd just have a little nap to get rid of a nasty headache I had. I drifted in and out of sleep as I listened to Adam pounding the ground with a hammer (he was doing some asphalt repair). I got out of bed a few times but every time I did my head would begin to pound again. I was scheduled for a 6 miler but there was no way I was going. The aleve I took was doing nothing to control the explosion in my head. I finally surrendered and went to sleep. I think my body was just too water logged and sun soaked and the headache was the result of it's rebellion. Wednesday we spent the day at Seven Peaks. This is an annual tradition and lots of fun. For the kids. For me...not so much. I mean first I have to parade around in a swimsuit in front of all of my ridiculously skinny sisters-in-law and even a few of their husbands. Eek. And then I get to chase four kids and make sure that A) no one drowns, B) no one drowns some one else and C) no one drowns while trying to drown someone else. For some reason this year Ian was terrified of all of the slides even the small ones that you have to literally push yourself down. That was good for me since last year he got stuck on one of them and stood up and walked down. Ya, the life guard didn't like that one. This year the other kids wanted to play in this area and Ian had several meltdowns because of the slides and we ended up spending most of the day in the wave pool. Luckily I had some relief in the wave pool. I was so thankful for John Jay's help with Ian. There is no way I could have done it without his help. Thursday I decided to invite some friends over for a craft day with the kids. It was really fun and gave me a chance to visit and feel social. I've been really struggling with the whole "social" thing lately. I have a lot of great friends some of who I talk to almost everyday but for some psycho reason I've been feeling really left out and sad lately. I decided it's time to make my own happiness and not to depend on others to make it for me. I really do wear my emotions on my sleeve and little things can send me into a depression. So, it's up to me to not feel this way right? Anyway we had lots of fun making necklaces, hats and bookmarks. We decided to put the kids down for a quick nap and head to the PG pool. My kids were in heaven with two days of swimming but after a few hours at the pool I good feel the sun sucking the energy from my body. Owen was being very brave and I had to keep rescuing him from the deeper end. He'd walk until he couldn't touch and then he'd grab onto the side. I was hoping that just once he'd go under and realize it was much funner to stay by mom. Nope. The "have mom chase me to the deep end" game was much funner than playing where he could actually touch. I can't believe that summer is winding down. One month from today and the kiddos will be back in action at school. Sweet relief!