I hear the secrets that you keep...

When Mac was a toddler, before she could really articulate what she was thinking, I used to wonder what she dreamed about at night. If you don't have language or grasp abstract concepts, how do you dream? Babies don't have a sense of narrative or time (right??), so what do they dream about?

Lately, Oli has been talking in his sleep. A few nights ago, he said "No, not my biggies." His "biggies" are his HKAFOs, or the braces that go up to his hips. He has been giving me some resistance to wearing them lately,probably b/c they are cumbersome and make him really hot. But he needs them to walk, so more often than not, he has to wear them. I guess it really bothers him, b/c he sounded really distressed in his sleep :(

This morning, while he was sleeping, he said "More jello beans," with a big smile. "Jello beans" are jelly beans. I thought it was so funny, b/c he was so expressive, even though he was sleeping. He loves jelly beans and hates his braces -- I guess his conscious and subconscious are not that far apart...

This from the boy who is in speech therapy. Actually, he is having his (last) 6 month evaluation for Early Intervention tomorrow. We are recommending that he drop speech, and add a second PT session. With school coming, we want him as ready to go as possible. Speech hasn't really been working out, so this is a welcome move for us. It turns out that Oli is so good at talking that he can do it in his sleep.

Weird Things My Kids Say

In the last 24 hours, my kids have said:

"I a big bird. I take you down, mommy."

"Don't throw me in the garbage. Okay, just my head."

and

"I feel alive!" (said in a triumphant yell)

This brought me to 2 realizations:

1. My kids sound like the foreign exchange students who learn English by watching movies.
2. I probably can't send them to school, because there is a good chance we will go to jail based on the outlandish things that they come up with.

So, without meaning to, I let too much time slip by between my last post and now. So much has happened, and I haven't really had time to sit down and reflect on it all. Something that I don't think I've mentioned is that my mother in law was diagnosed with cancer in November and had surgery in February. Surgery went well, but she has had other complications, which is dragging out her post-operative treatment. Luckily her prognosis is good, and it is only a matter of time before she is through this ordeal. We are trying to strike the appropriate level of disclosure with the kids, letting them know that something is going on, without too many of the scary details. Because Nanny is still recovering, Tim and I have divided up our time with the kids, forming an ad hoc childcare/work schedule. The wonderful piece that has been added to our puzzle is my Aunt Patti and grandma, who come down every Wednesday to watch the kids. It has been great getting to see them every week, and watching the kids' relationship with them grow. When I was little, my grandma used to take care of me and Beth every Wednesday. It is beyond special to me that she is now getting to do the same with my own kids.

Because of everything that was happening, we delayed Mac's birthday parties until the end of March. For the first time ever, she had a kids party and a family party. The kid party was (where else) at the karate school. I was afraid that it wouldn't be fun, because only 6 kids could come. But once her first guest arrived, I realized that Mac was so excited that she would have fun with just one kid. Luckily, more showed up and it was a great time. Tim did a wonderful job keeping the kids busy, and we had an awesome princess cake and cupcakes.

Mac also made her Easter Play debut at church. Following her triumphant performance in the Christmas play (which really just hinged on her not throwing anything at the Baby Jesus this year) we decided to let her be in the Easter show. It was an exciting showing, and watching her become friends with the other kids in the program has been a real blessing. I am so happy that we have a good church where she can learn and grow.

We are gearing up for a busy few weeks. Not only is it the end of the semester, but the karate school is also hosting the regional tournament for April. Tim has lined up a lot of special guests, and extended the event into a nighttime tricking gathering and a tricking seminar the next day. It will be a busy, but hopefully lucrative and educational, weekend.

Meanwhile, while Tim is hosting the seminar, the kids and I will be heading to Sesame Place. Each year, the Variety Children's Network rents the park and opens it free for kids with disabilities and their families. We went last year and had a great time. I can't wait to go again.