The Green Boots

I thought I was doing a really great thing for our son - and it turns out that I did! I brought home some green "frog" rubber boots for Brogan a week or so ago...

When we go outside, Brogan always wants to join us BUT if he doesn't have shoes on he's not supposed to come outside! No SHOES no outside! So began our son's LOVE of shoes. He has a lot of shoes!

His feet have been getting wet and cold. I thought a nice pair of rubber boots would be just the thing.

Brogan quickly learned how to put on his new boots all by himself, and how to take them off too. He is so fast at putting them on now that no one can go outside without him right behind them.

Did I create a MONSTER? Yes -- BUT I created a very very happy monster! He has been spending more time outside helping daddy and playing in the yard.

Brogan is Daddy's best helper!

This is great for his parents, since he seems to be wearing himself out enough to go to sleep at bed time! YaY! Mom and Dad go to bed shortly (like 15 minutes after) the kids are all tucked in for sleep!

Brogan with his super awesome GREEN boots

Super awesome super FAST green boots! Catch him if you can!

Happy New Year - Frozen to the Ground

Happy New Year's Eve and the Power went off at around 2:30 in the afternoon.

We played Candyland. We snuggled, the kids played in the hallway with toys. Then at around 6 we decided to go to town for a warm dinner out.

All of us loaded into the Jeep and it had been warming up too. Dusty put it in reverse and guess what!? The tires were frozen to the ground!

Audrey being as emotional as she is freaked out. I told her to take it easy and daddy would fix whatever it was that was keeping us from moving.

Guess he's had experience with vehicles being frozen to the ground! We got going eventually and had a nice filling and warm dinner at the local mexican resturant.

When we got home, the power was still out! So we all cuddled into our big bed and daddy read the first two chapers of Audrey's new book: How to Train Your Dragon.

Then we turned the portable lights out and snuggled down all 4 of us in bed to sleep. Brogan was out first. Audrey wiggled and wiggled and whispered and wiggled and finally SHE HAD to go to her own room to sleep because she couldn't sleep with all of the noise of everyone breathing! Wasn't too long ago when she couldn't go to sleep without the sound of everyone breathing.

Daddy helped Audrey get to her room with Brittney as a bedmate, THEN mom and dad were able to go to sleep.

We woke up around 1:00 am and the power was back on. After turning off the tv in the living room and lights - checking on Audrey and turning on her nightlight, I crawled back into bed and said happy new year to my husband before falling asleep again.

Happy New Year... the power's on and it's warm in here today!

Beware Ye' Service Men

My rule is "Call me before you come over". That way I'm on the look out. Also - PLEASE don't knock or ring a doorbell.

I know that sounds kinda strange and you may think I'm a recluse or just anti-social but we have our reasons! We have a volitile home!

Scenario:

"Knock, Knock"

Romeo - Moluccan Cockatoo starts Screaming like a banshee! It's ear piercing.

Pandora - Sulfur Crest Cockatoo starts barking like a little terrier dog and screaming like a banshee!

Harley - 90 pound American Bulldog with a big scary bark!

Brittney - 45 pound red Cattle dog with a snaggle tooth growl and a big bark!

By the time one of us gets to the door to answer it, it's CHAOS and the poor guy on the other side of the door looks pretty worried.

And if you wake the BABY - my husband can look pretty scary too!

Daddy Pig Pile! Scary hu!?

Stone Fox

Audrey and I finished reading Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner last night. It was an exciting book.

All up till the finish line. Audrey and I were in shock when after all that had happened, Searchlight's heart burst 100 yards from the finish. Geez - this is an 8 year old I'm reading to, and she understands death quite well, but geez!

We enjoyed the book and the message it had, but I sure wish Searchlight would have surived.

Just like sissy!

Brogan's gotta be a big boy!

Got his own plate, ketchup and spot at the table just like his big sister. This is one happy guy!

Harley

Harley, originally uploaded by Eva D.

Harley is going to the Vet today to be neutered. Poor guy. I told Dusty to have them give him some doggy Valium 'cause he is so attached to Dusty that he cries when he's gone - the WHOLE TIME he's gone.

Separation anxiety big time! Harley is a big love, 85 pound American bulldog.

Old Cougar

2010-10-28 17.20.14, originally uploaded by Eva D.

Power windows & doors. Power seats - kind of amazing for an old '77 cougar.

She's kind of old, but still pretty :)

Audrey's hair

For a long time now (like forever), Audrey's hair has been down to her bottom it's so long. It's a nightmare for her to brush in the morning when she's getting ready for school. It's hard for me to always braid it at night so the tangles are minimized. It's just been tough for everyone - even the poor dogs who seem to ingest long strands of hair and that ... well, that doesn't come out so great!

After much pleading and begging I finally gave in to Audrey's request for a haircut. She looks fantastic! She loves her hair and it's easy for her to take care of. The added bonus is that her brother can't reach out and pull it as easily as he did before.

I am glad I let Audrey get a hair cut - I did save the 8 inches or so of hair that was cut off and it's in her "baby box". A treasure.

MMMMMMMMMMM YUMMMMY

When I reach for the chip bag, Brogan says "MMMMMMMM" as in YUMMMMMY. When he sees string cheese, he says "MMMMMMMMM"! When he sees anything he likes to eat that's his response! He's a great snacking buddy.

One night Dusty put hot sauce on his food and Brogan really really wanted some. It did smell good I said. Dusty gave Brogan a little bite and Brogan got so mad at daddy! How dare he wreck something that smells so good with hot sauce!

When Brogan wants more juice/milk/koolaid in his sippy cup, he asks differently, depending on who he's asking. If he is asking Dad, he just shakes his cup and hands it over. If he's asking Mom - he grips the cup tightly, makes a "grrr" noise (imitating me trying to open a sippy cup) and expects me to know what he wants! I figured it out and thought that was so funny, I couldn't believe it - Brogan sign language.

Picture day 2010

Audrey, 1st grade - Picture day!
My Gorgeous Girl!

Harley in the Box

So we took the kids to Chuck - E - Cheese today to celebrate Brogan's birthday with G-Pa. Dusty took the kitchen trash can out of the house - just in case - Harley was feeling like being a bad boy.

We came home, and Dusty unlocked the door. Then Dusty saw Harley laying down, not jumping around to get out or anything. So Dusty took a closer look. Harley had his head stuck in a box! Dusty lead Harley out of the house, because no one would believe this - I had to see it too! Poor guy had a box stuck on his head.

He's such a lucky dog, because Audrey took the box off after we all had a good laugh... but I swear the poor boy is worn out from the ordeal. He's just been mellow and sleeping most of the afternoon. I think he was so grateful that he could see again!

Talk about your funny stories, we're still laughing - but we are still sorry for poor Harley. What were dad's words "You didn't get into any trouble did ya?"!!

Well we don't have a picture of that, but we do have a pretty cool picture of Harley's "talents" - his LIPS... (my friend at work asked me what he did, and I said he let the baby stretch his lips over his head). That's his great talent!

Sweet Harley and his talented lips!

My favorite guys

Hey that should be me?

Look at that precious sleeping baby without a care in the world. All is as it should be. Dad is the most wonderful guy ever - and Brogan is feeling loved and safe (always). My guys, so sweet.

And... yes, Dusty is built - huge arms and strong everywhere. My husband, my love. My husband and son have matching muscles - hey can you see how huge and strong Brogan's legs are? He's a very muscular kid! Just like his dad. Oh and BTW - he has Down Syndrome.

Sneaky hu?

Brogan eats really well, and most of my friends know this. He has a great appetite. When he gets full though, he likes to throw the rest of his food off of his high chair tray.

We always tell him "NO", and try to take away the food before he has a chance to throw it all - which is quite a race!

Last night our son looked me in the eye...

He took a noodle (Swedish meatballs), and he...

HE had the audacity to look me in the eye and...

take the noodle under his high chair tray, put it through his legs and drop it onto the floor.

What a SNEAK!!! Somebody tell me that this kid is not a Mr. Smarty pants? Well instead of getting mad - I just calmly told dad (and Sissy) that our boy is a super sneaker now!

Funny boy - he's been down with allergies for a week and a half, but he is feeling better (maybe I am too, yikes). He ate like a champ today trying to make up for all those lost carbs and calories.

Solid our boy is, and very strong. We sure are proud of him but that doesn't make our worries any less.

Someone asked me wow how do you work with your son now that you know he has Down Syndrome? I told that person that Dusty and I treat Brogan like a regular kid. We talk to him, we play with him, we interest him in books and toys. Why would we treat him any different?

Years ago, our precious son would have had a life span of about 9 years. That's when they took your Down Syndrome baby and put them in homes ... homes? (Insane Asylums) - for lack of a better place, and those poor kids were left to fend for themselves with poor nutrition and health care.

I am so happy that modern medicine and health care, and knowledge ( acceptance ) of our beautiful kids has advanced so that my boy can have a long and healthy life. I cried my heart out thinking that he was going to die by the time he was 7 years old when they told me he had Down Syndrome, but I know more now and statistically he will live a long and healthy life. That I am so happy for because someone as awesome as Brogan should be with us for a long time to teach and love us all as we are.

Outside!

Outside is GREAT DAD!

Brogan is so funny - he's been walking for quite some time, but whenever we take him out of the living room - even down the hallway - he refuses to walk.

He decided that walking outside was really really cool, especially because Brittney the dog was out there.

Big Boy Bath

Big enough for his first bath in the BIG TUB!!

The sweetest little boy, my boy. After enjoying his spaghetti & meatballs, Brogan really enjoyed his big boy bath and the boats in the bathtub.

Brogan the super cool boy!

It took so long to log on to Blogger I almost forgot what I was going to rant/rave about...

Or not...

Brogan went from our precious baby to a ruffian "BOY" in one hair cut, I swear. I guess it's all about perceptions. As much as we saw Brogan as our baby, it seemed that right after he got his super cool crew cut, we started seeing him as the ruffian boy that he really is.

Well Audrey would have told us that a few months ago when her brother started walking and pulling her hair.

Wow. What a difference a simple haircut makes. Geez - ladies - we all know that's a fact too. So here's to our sweet son, who says "Hi, Mommomma, Dad Dad". Brogan you are super cool!

His skin, normally so clear and perfectly olive is a little inflamed by the spaghetti sauce in his dinner tonight. Yikes - but then I pamper him with "Aquaphor".. Dusty loves to say what's the aqua for??? I am always looking for the Aquaphor, it's great stuff. It is awesome for helping sooth any kind of rash.

Audrey - PLEASE EAT!!!

The nightly battle is getting Audrey to eat her dinner...

Dusty knows how much she likes Teriyaki so made beef Teriyaki just for her.

"It won't kill you"

Brogan's new 'Do

Ok, well the gorgeous baby curls had to go... :( Lots easier to comb out now!

Brogan's busy day

I can always tell when Brogan has had a busy day when I walk in the door after work. He likes to throw all of his toys over the back of the couch... that's where the entry way is. He's a stinker! We tell him "no! Don't throw your toys", but he just thinks it's great fun.

We have a new puppy that thinks it's great fun too! Luckily, Harley hasn't destroyed more than a handful of Brogan's toys. He did chew the wheel off of the little monster truck Brogan got for Christmas - 'Donkey Kong' - AND this really upset Audrey!

So here are a few shots of our busy guy AFTER he's emptied his toy box.

We've started NOT giving his toys back after he throws them. They are mommy and daddy's toy now and we put them into a box. Audrey actually is the one who takes those toys and puts them back in his toy box. She's an awesome big sister.

Popcicle Boy