Happy Halloween 2012

Happy Halloween from a sweet Puppy Dog, Rosie the Riveter, and a beautiful Butterfly!

Graduation

Life is crazy.  Its fast.  Its loads of fun.  And sometimes it just gets busy.  So busy that things you really like to do (ahem, blog) fall to the side. I look back at the last year or so and realize that I really do miss having my little blog to write about my little happenings in my little world.  So, we are going to try this again folks and see what happens - no promises.

Last week my boy graduated from Toddler Group.  We started this group last October and I was so thankful for it.  The kids in this group all have varying degrees of hearing loss and when  you are trying to figure out about your child's hearing loss it is amazing to be surrounded with parents and kids who are trying to figure it all out also.  Ms. Lynne and Ms. Nancy were amazing teachers - they encouraged us and answered questions and pushed us.  I am going to miss our group so very much.

We found out about Quinn's hearing loss at birth. He has normal hearing in one ear and profound loss in the other.  We were scared and frustrated and hurt and very confused about what it means to have a child with a profound loss. We started right away in a program called CHIP (Colorado Home Intervention Program) where Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy would come to our house to work with us.  We have met some amazing people through this program and I know I am a better parent from what I learned from all these people.

Now, I have a funny, sweet almost-three-year old who is walking, sometimes running, climbing, singing and starting to say so many words and sentences here and there. We are still just starting our journey into hearing loss and figuring out what that means for Quinn but I feel like we have come so very far thanks to all the people who have walked along side of us.

Quinn will start preschool next week.

I can't believe he will start preschool next week. Three years ago when I had a 4-year old, 18-month old, and newborn - I felt like this day was so, so far away.  We've been talking about it a lot trying to get him (me) prepared for it. I'm not ready.  I never am when it comes to my kids going off to school.  It will be good for him to fly on his own for a few hours each day. He will learn so much and I can't wait to see his growth. But secretly, I am so sad - I might need a few more vanilla lattes that day.  

Brown Sugar Granola

Sometimes I start craving granola. Especially on cold windy mornings when things are a little rushed. I've tried loads and loads of granola recipes looking for that special one. I have learned that I like my granola on the decadent side and to me, that means butter and brown sugar.

6 cups Rolled Oats

1/3 cups toasted flax seed

1 cup raw sunflower seeds - you can add other seeds/nuts but this is how my kids like to eat it

1/4 t. salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the oats, seeds/nuts, and salt. Melt the butter over the stove and add the honey and brown sugar.

Add the buttery sugary goodness to the oat and mix well.

Line a cookie sheet (the ones with sides) with foil and pour the granola mixture on it. Bake for 30 minutes, stir, and bake for another 30 minutes...by now the house should start smelling really good.

Let the granola cool and then break up into smaller clumps. Who wants a granola-yogurt parfait?

Valentine's Day 2012

There is something about Valentine's Day that I just love. Every year when the Valentine's candy comes out I search the stores for the red juju hearts - they are my favorite of all candy. I seriously think of stocking up every year. The kids woke up to small treats on the table and we have a heart-shaped waffles with whipped cream and strawberries for breakfast. We had a special family dinner and the kids each got a pair of TOMS Shoes. If you don't know TOMS - they give a pair of shoes to someone in need for each pair they sell. It is an awesome company! This is what Valentine's 2012 looked like at our house.

Climb On.

My husband is amazing. He can build pretty much anything I ask for. I wanted a wall removed between our living room and kitchen and he figured it out. Before Christmas I showed him a recipe box that I loved and he made it for me. We dreamed up the idea of putting a climbing wall in our basement and he did it.

Everyone pitched in one way or another to help get it built.

The angled section of the wall is at a 42° pitch.

We decided that we would add a hideout for the kids to play in - we call it the cave. It's big enough for multiple kids to hang out in and even long enough for an adult to sleep in.

We have spent hours each day climbing the wall. It's the first thing the kids want to do in the morning and the last thing they ask to do before we get ready for bed. Blakeley has gotten so good that she has almost climbed to the top of the angled section of the wall. Anyone wanna climb?