A Year in Review!

*click on the photos to read the original posts!

January:

A tale of Two Cows...

February:

We ate some pizza...

March:

We stood up and a made a change...

April:

We were living in a hotel and snuggling...

May:

Caroline was a sweet little dancing ballerina...

June:

We moved into our new house!

July:

Caroline started Kindergarten...

August:

Will got a little blue cast...

and had a first day...

September:

I lived in a blur...

October:

We started a new system...

November:

Caroline learned something about squirrels...

December:

Will found his voice...

We have had a great year here at The Adventures of Lilo and The Stitch! Wonder what 2010 has in store for us!?

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

Love,
Lilo (Caroline), The Stitch (William), Myssie and Josh

A Video!

Here is a video of Will telling me what he wants. I realize that my voice gets a bit skreech owl-ish, but give me a break...I'm excited!! And I never realized that I might talk a little baby talk-ish to him too...I need to stop that!

What's that you said??

Today Josh and I went to Will's school because they were having their "Christmas Party". It wasn't much of a party because the kids in Will's class like structure and don't like loud noises or to be over stimulated. The teachers had crafts and small games set up around the room and they sang some Christmas songs.

It was interesting to watch Will in his element. He was having fun, listening to instruction and participating with the class. He wasn't distracted with us being there. He remained with his teacher and did what was asked of him.

During circle time (right before they were to go home) Will used his communication board and requested Mr. Cow. But here is the amazing part...he requested Mr. Cow in a sentence. He used a picture icon for "I want" and then he used the icon "Cow". He then handed the sentence strip to his teacher and pointed to "I want" and then pointed to "Cow". He communicated a sentence!!

I had no idea that he had been doing that at school. Josh and I looked at each other in amazement. I asked the teacher if I could have an "I want" icon so that we could start doing the same thing at home. The teacher said that he should always request in a sentence from here on out. She said that if he brings us just the picture we should direct him back to his board and to his sentence strip. A sentence strip is just a smaller plastic piece with Velcro on it that he sticks his icons to, in order (sentence structure!!). He then must point to each icon in order.

I can not even explain how exciting this is. I am so proud of him. His voice is being heard, he is communicating and he is proud of himself. He is empowered!

St Louis Unionstation

Josh and I spent last weekend in downtown St Louis. On Friday, Josh had his company Christmas party and on Saturday, we went to the SIU/SLU basketball game with friends from college. With all of that going on we decided to stay at the Marriott in Unionstation.

I love this hotel! It is just beautiful. Unionstation was built in the 1890s and during it's prime serviced 100,000 passengers a day!

This photo was taken on the third floor of the hotel looking down into the Headhouse (main hall). They have it decorated for Christmas with a tree and wreaths. Behind the Christmas tree you can see an arch in the architecture (to the left). That is the main entrance to the hotel/unionstation. It is also known as the "whispering wall". A design accident, but really neat! One person stands facing the wall on one side of the arch and another person on the other side. If you talk in a whisper you can hear each other. Josh and I tried it, it really works!


We have never taken the kids to the hotel but I really want to. I think that they would really like it and well, there are trains there so Will would enjoy it too! If you are ever in St Louis and want to stay downtown I highly recommend the Marriott!

Fireplace Smores!

Caroline really likes smores, really, what kid doesn't! I told her that we could make smores in the fireplace and she was all about it.

She only roasts her marshmallow for about a minute and then says, "Mom, can you do it?" So I end up roasting the marshmallows and she sits next to me and watches. She thinks it is really cool when the marshmallow catches on fire! But that only happens when I am roasting because she doesn't get that close to the flame!

She has asked every night for the past week and a half if we can make smores again!

Watching it snow...

today before school.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

What's Up?

I haven't posted in a week.

I am not sure what I have been doing.

A little of this...

A little of that.

Nothing too important.

I have missed ya'll!!

A Chance Meeting

Today Will and I went to the shopping mall while Caroline was at school. I had to find something to wear to Josh's work Christmas party on Friday. Me trying to find something to wear is near impossible, but that is another story for a different day. Anyway...

We went through Sears to catch the elevator down to the lower level. We got on the elevator and someone else got on with us...it was Santa!! For real! He had a long white beard, white hair and a belly that jiggled like a bowl full of jelly. He even had jiggle bells in his pocket, but he had on street clothes, no red suit. Will was intrigued by the bells and he just kept looking at him. Santa said Hi to Will and Will gave him a wave back. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen, Will looking at Santa with wonder in his eyes. As we got off of the elevator Santa told Will to keep being a good boy.

I wish I could know what was going through Will's mind at that moment. It was such a cool thing to have happened to a child that believes in Santa. I am pretty sure Caroline would have peed her pants if she would have been with us.

I have a good feeling about our annual trip to see Santa. It may be the first year that both kids are smiling and not crying!!

When Caroline got home from school and I told her all about it and she was super excited. We have decided that Santa was in Sears shopping for Mrs. Claus' Christmas gift!