tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20282744500309005842024-03-05T06:18:44.787-08:00Sweet-peas & SkittlesA Day in the life of me, a mom of three crazy boys, and my awesome husband.Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-91075157815312577582014-06-28T08:19:00.001-07:002014-06-28T08:19:26.331-07:00Angel Kincaid Photography...?<div style="text-align: center;">
I have loved taking pictures for as long as I can remember. Hate getting my own picture taken, but put me behind the camera and I'm a happy girl. There is something about getting that perfect shot that gives me such a rush. Sometimes I don't see it until hours later when I am reviewing my pics. Sometimes I just know as I'm clicking the button that picture is gonna be pure magic. This one I didn't see until hours later, after all my kids were in bed and I was editing all the photos I had taken that day. </div>
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When I saw it, I gasped. I was thrilled with how it turned out. I actually did zero editing to this one. </div>
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Others that I take, I just know. I know as I am watching the moment unfold in front of me that I have to capture it. Like this one. You don't have to be a professional photographer to capture the intense love my husband has for our kids. It's just there all the time. But I saw this moment and had to get it, and its still one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken. It has an instagram filter on it. </div>
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My husband bought me a DSLR camera for mothers day this year. Pretty much my dream camera, and the gift to end all gifts. I have started to take more pictures and fallen in love all over again with the whole process. I have taken pictures of dance recitals, families, scenery shots, everything I can just to get a grasp of how every aspect of my camera works. I would LOVE if this could turn into a career for me some day. I can't imagine anything more amazing than doing something you LOVE and actually getting paid to do it. </div>
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So to get the ball rolling I started a facebook page to share some of my pictures. Facebook.com/AngelKincaidPhotography. I have been shooting some pictures for events and other things just to get some experience. I have some more shoots set up for the coming weeks. I can only hope people love my work as much as I do and actually wanna have me take photos for them some day!</div>
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I'm gonna leave you with this one last picture. My absolute favorite one I've ever taken. I did no editing to it because everything was just perfect about it (in my eyes anyway ;))</div>
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Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-51406486225052824902014-05-21T09:57:00.001-07:002014-05-21T10:00:33.945-07:00Everyone loves a clingy baby! Potato is a few months shy of turning 2. He has become unbelievably clingy lately. Thanks to all of C-man's many therapy appts, I have to leave him and crazypants with a sitter at least once a week. Most of the time when I go to leave he grabs my hand and I end up having to pry his fingers open, then I run out the door. Then I hear him crying all the way outside That's probably totally normal, I'm only gone for 2-3 hours tops. He's super excited to see me when I get back. Great, Fine, Good, ya know?<br />
Problem is, he's like this at home too! He wants to be attached to me all day long. Every time I try to get something done I feel his tiny hand slip into mine and he holds on for dear life. Which would be totally sweet, if I didn't have stuff to do! I have 2 other children besides you small child! Summer is coming and you are no longer gonna have mommy all to yourself all day!<br />
I've tried many different things to break him of this and no go. He still just wants to sit next to me and hold my hand all day. Again, almost 2, is it just a phase? God I hope! Or is there something else I can try...Any suggestions?<br />
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Good thing he's so cute...</div>
<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-64757744364255731982014-05-20T06:12:00.000-07:002014-05-20T06:12:00.278-07:00Amazed... Yesterday, I witnessed one of the most amazing things I have ever seen....<br />
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I had taken C to his group therapy. The doctor was running a little bit behind so we were left in the waiting room for a little bit. All of the kids in the group were roaming around the room doing different things. A group of around 7, 9&10 year old kids with Autism, it was pretty loud in there. C hates loud noises and crowds so he was a little uncomfortable, trying his best to make small talk with me so no one else tried to talk to him.<br />
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Then it happened...I saw a boy across the room notice C. He got right up and made a beeline for him. I held my breath waiting for the awkward moment that was about to happen. He said Hi...C said Hi, and looked up at him, giving him direct eye contact (something that is very difficult for C, and pretty much all kids with autism)...and the boy gave C direct eye contact right back. They continued to lock eyes and proceed to have an actual real conversation for a full 3 min.<br />
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That is not the first time C has interacted with another kid like him I'm sure. But, it was the first time I had seen it happen....and it was pretty much one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life.Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-23659597039572447062014-04-02T06:05:00.002-07:002014-04-02T06:06:00.854-07:00Autism Acceptance Month!I wrote a blog post last year during April, you can read it here: http://sweetpeasandskittles.blogspot.com/2013/04/is-last-day-of-autism-awareness-month.html<br />
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Autism hasn't been all unicorns and rainbows for us this year. Kinda took an ugly turn. To be honest I was expecting it to. They say..(who knows who "they" are)...that autism can hit sort of a peak for boys when they get close to puberty. While I never in a million years would wanna admit that my first baby is close to puberty its a fact. He did turn 10 this year. It got a little more aggressive and difficult. Thats probably normal. But I never expected some of this stuff from my sweet boy. We added a couple more therapists to the lineup, switched up some medications and it seems like we are in a semi-good place these days. (KNOCK ON WOOD)<br />
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This past year I've really learned a lot about autism, and how I need to lean on people when I need them. It takes a village people say. And with a kid like mine that is certainly true. I've learned a lot about how to speak his language. Not English, we all speak english around these parts, probably a little hilbilly english, but english all the same. I learned that if he loves hotwheels, if only for a month. You buy him hot wheels, you help him set up tracks, you send out his birthday list to family and friends with nothing but hotwheels on it. But, you also understand that those kinds of things can be short lived and the unopened boxes of hotwheels will just sit here cause he no longer has an interest in them. I've learned that when your boy loves to talk gas prices you have to yell out the price of EVERY SINGLE gas station you pass during a drive. I've also learned that just because he has an obsession with watching some chick on youtube named Alejandra organize her entire house, DOES NOT mean he is gonna listen to her...*See picture.<br />
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Another thing I've learned is that people sometimes still don't understand autism. They don't understand I can't discipline him in the same ways that I would any other kid. They don't understand that he doesn't like to go out that often. If he's having a meltdown in the store I still get stares and dirty looks. But what are ya gonna do? Just because people don't understand your life doesn't change anything.<br />
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Most of all I learned, I just don't care what other people think!<br />
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April is Autism awareness month. Awareness...Aren't we all aware by now? The new statistics say that 1 in 68 have autism. With those kinds of stats don't you think we are all beyond awareness? It's time for a little Autism ACCEPTANCE up in here!<br />
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<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-73156271799783562302013-11-08T10:05:00.001-08:002013-11-08T10:09:00.449-08:0035 things I would tell young Angel... I was thinking today of all the things I would tell young Angel that if she knew then she might be a different better person now. I would probably tell these things to 14 yr old Angel. I say that because 14 is the year before I started dating the boy that was to be my husband. Cray cray right? I'm 31 now if that tells you anything. So here we go...(in random order of course, cause I am not an organized kinda person)<br />
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<li> Kids are great, you should have one.</li>
<li> Kids are great, you should never be outnumbered though (I have 3 kids)</li>
<li>Coffee is good, don't wait til you're 31 to try it. </li>
<li>When you're baby is napping you should nap, yea that crap is a myth</li>
<li>Don't be an idiot, driving isn't that scary. (I was 25 when I got my licence cause I had the fear!) </li>
<li>Brain Tumors are a very real and THEY CAN happen to you or someone you know </li>
<li>When you find out one of the little people you love most in this world has a brain tumor you will feel like your world is crumbling around you. </li>
<li>Let people help you. They mean well and you shouldn't be insulted. </li>
<li>College will be the best time of your life and will change you. </li>
<li>You will regret it everyday that you didn't finish. </li>
<li>Autism SUCKS</li>
<li>Autism is GREAT!</li>
<li>When you think you're done having kids, DON'T get rid of all your baby stuff. Cause there will be more...</li>
<li>When you think you're done having kids, you're probably not. </li>
<li>When you do have that last and final kid, he will change your life. He will fill a void in your heart and life that you never knew was there.</li>
<li>Dude, 3 kids is a lot. 3 Boys is even more...stop at 3!</li>
<li>Marriage is hard. But, so worth it. </li>
<li>You're gonna have one crazy kid, just get used to the idea now. </li>
<li>Christmas lights are gonna make you happier than you ever knew was possible you big dork. </li>
<li>You're best friends are probably gonna be a bunch of people you'll never get to meet, and that's OK. </li>
<li>Having a job is cool, but staying home taking care of your kids will be better. </li>
<li>You will feel so lonely being a stay at home mom. But in the end it will be worth it. </li>
<li>Be a better house keeper. </li>
<li>Boys are gross</li>
<li>If you need a moment alone, the bathroom is a perfect hideout. (only place in the house with locks on the door!)</li>
<li>Kids will drive you absolutely crazy. Then say something so insanely hilarious you won't even care about the crazy anymore. </li>
<li>Wear socks more, why don't you wear socks? Its cold in the winter!</li>
<li>They're gonna come out with this thing called Netflix, get that. Let your kid watch as much as they want so you can get crap done. Yes its OK, who cares what other people say. </li>
<li>14 year old Angel...sleep now...you'll never get another good nights sleep again. </li>
<li>Avoid the car rider line at all costs...or buy a taser. </li>
<li>Gather a group of people who will collect bail money for you cause that^^ will send you straight to jail one day. </li>
<li> Babies will WRECK your body and your mind. Do something about it. </li>
<li>Be funnier. Making people laugh is great. </li>
<li>Don't be so hard on yourself. </li>
<li>It's gonna get better, just you wait and see...</li>
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<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-29363528615180823882013-10-30T20:22:00.001-07:002013-10-30T20:22:24.021-07:00What is normal?<div style="text-align: center;">
Tonight the c-man came up to me and he had decided he was done with people treating him like he was special. He just wanted to be treated like a normal kid. Pretty much words I never wanted to hear come out of his mouth. I try my best to treat him exactly like his brothers. With the exception of having to chauffeur him around to more appointments than the others. I try to make sure everyone is happy and healthy in whatever they do. </div>
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Well, he's tired of it. What exactly is he tired of? He's tired of having to be separated from his class to take tests. (a 504 accomodation). But he doesn't test alone, he actually is separated into a small group and one of his good buddies happens to be in that group. He went on a field trip yesterday and according to him they would not stop repeating to him everything they were gonna do. (another 504 accommodation made by me)</div>
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Wanna know what he's most ticked off about that needs to stop now?</div>
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His mom (me) needs to stop being so dang nice to him all the time. I brought his dinner plate to him tonight so he didn't spill and got the good ole "HOW DARE YOU!!" Sheesh when will I ever learn right? lol</div>
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What he doesn't know is all these people who are nice to him and treat him special? They do that to make his life just a touch easier than it could be. He may not realize it now, but I'm willing to bet he's gonna be pretty thankful for that someday. </div>
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**Attached pictures are the lovely little note C-man wrote me tonight**</div>
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Sigh...it could be worse. That's all I'm sayin' </div>
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FYI....these do make me sad. But they're also very real into what the world of autism is like and thats why I like to share things of this nature...:)</div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-80640286640448055092013-10-30T07:03:00.001-07:002013-10-30T07:05:06.211-07:00Out with the OLD in with the NEW... I decided to do away with the Ipad challenge fundraiser on the puzzling piece page. If you bought an item from there, thank you. I know that you did not only to help me but because autism probably affects you and your family too...<br />
So I am going to stick with the gofundme page only. I have re-written the description and will share it here for you as well... So If you can please DONATE, if not please SHARE...EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!<br />
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YOU CAN FIND HIS GOFUNDME PAGE HERE: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/CARTERSIPADCHALLENGE">WWW.GOFUNDME.COM/CARTERSIPADCHALLENGE</a><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">This is Carter. He's all kinds of awesome. He's been through more in his 9 years than more people go through in their entire lives. Why? When he was 5 we found out he had a brain tumor, he had brain surgery 24 hours later to have it removed. Then 6 months later it grew back and he had a 2nd brain surgery. He bounced back better than ever. Until shortly after his 2nd surgery he was diagnosed with Autism. Autism can be great, don't get me wrong. But, it is also one tough thing to deal with after another. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">My goal is so raise enough money to buy an iPad. He's very obsessed with electronics. They are what get him through the day. When he doesn't have something like that to occupy his mind and his hands lots of things can happen. Anxiety, aggression, OCD...just every fidgety thing you can think of. And while I hate to admit it he can get violent when he's bored and doesn't have anything to occupy him like this. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">There are many articles out there about how great iPads can be for kids with Autism. Kate Goodin from parenting.com says </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">"Most of us think of the iPad as Apple's latest, coolest gadget to add to our tech arsenals. For the parents of some autistic children, however, the iPad is a near-miracle."</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Fox news has even called it a </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">"Miracle device for kids with Autism"</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">myasdf.org explains how and why ipads are so useful for autistic kids just like mine...</span><br />
<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Why iPads?</strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">iPads offer portability and flexibly that a traditional PC or laptop cannot provide to a young child. Since it utilizes a touchscreen, the iPad is more accessible for children who have learning or coordination difficulties. Most children who use the iPad find that tapping and sliding motions are much easier than typing. iPads can also go wherever the child goes, which means they have ways to calm, focus, and learn while on-the-go.</span><br />
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<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Benefits of Using the iPad for Learning</strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">The iPad itself has a lot of benefits, but for the autistic child the iPad offers many distinct advantages:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Portability</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">A direct touchscreen so no mouse or stylus is required</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">A digital parallel to books or papers</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Not having to move their eyes from a keyboard to a screen</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Apps are easily organized, predictable, and accessible</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Apps help break learning down into discrete chunks and topics</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">A child can enjoy independent learning and leisure time</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Now that you have all the info, this is where you come in. You can donate (which would be great and I will be forever grateful). Or if you can't donate you can simply share this page. That would be just as helpful to help me get the word out there. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">I thank you, and Carter thanks you. Well he would if he knew about all this...if you know a kid with autism you know why I can't tell him about this until I pretty much have the iPad in my hand to give him. But I can promise that if you help me reach this goal I will post a video of him saying thank you! No matter how hard that usually is for me to get out of him ;)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">**I also want to add that if we exceed our goal I will be donating all of the extra money to an Autism awareness charity!</span><br />
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<img alt="" class="not-resizeable" src="http://3b4efb995be6c5c64252-c03f075f8191fb4e60e74b907071aee8.r12.cf1.rackcdn.com/723041_1381960030.346.jpg" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;" width="100%" />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-83698647877334496732013-10-28T07:12:00.001-07:002013-10-28T07:12:34.775-07:00What would you do? Autism and ipads part 2....<div style="text-align: center;">
A lot of different things have been brought to my attention since I started this "ipad Challenge" a couple of weeks ago. Honestly things I didn't even consider when i started. All I knew is I had heard wonderful things about how magical an ipad could be in the hands of a child with autism, and I had to figure out how to get one since all of my c-man's electronics had bit the dust lately. When the boy doesn't have his electronics honestly, he's kind of a mess. Lost, bored, angry, aggressive...He NEEDS these kinds of things to keep his mind and his hands busy. So as his mom I knew it was my job to figure it out. </div>
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So I sat down to do some research. I looked up places that provided grants for children with autism to buy an ipad. I looked up foundations that would just give you one if your child applied. I looked up contests, and games that you could win one. I applied for them all. ALL OF THEM. There were different reasons for each one that it didn't work out. The biggest reason was that there was too much need out there and not enough people to help fulfill the need. </div>
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So that's why I settled on the iPad Challenge on the puzzling piece. It was something I could control. There were no rules, or deadlines. It all sounded so simple....Until 2 weeks passed and I'd only sold 4 items and had 56 more to sell. 60 items to sell is a lot! Especially when they're autism themed items. I can totally understand that if you aren't affected by autism why would you want to buy an autism themed piece of jewelry or t-shirt. I wouldn't. </div>
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That's why I decided to start the gofundme page. I figured whatever money I could make there I would put back into buying things from the challenge so it would up my sales numbers. So if you didn't want to buy jewelry you could just donate a little cash and that would help out just the same. I have gotten many generous donations there. But also not enough. Because it was brought to my attention that 60 items sold well exceeds the actual cost of an iPad. When I set the amount to be raised on that site I set it high because 1. I didn't actually know how much an ipad cost, and 2. my goal was to turn the money into sales for the challenge. Then I thought well what if i made it to that goal before I made it to the ipad challenge goal? Why wouldn't I just buy an Ipad with that money?</div>
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Well, because the puzzling piece donates part of the proceeds to an autism awareness charity. But why can't I? If I exceed the price of an ipad on the go fund me page I could just turn around and give whats left to an autism awareness charity right?</div>
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There are also the naysayers who are probably just thinking..why should we giver her money for something like that? I don't blame you. I would too. BUT, the cost of something like that is way way way out of the realm of possibility for us right now. Why not just buy him an inexpensive tablet...Check that one off the list too. We bought him one for his birthday. Because of how rough he can be on things and the inexpensiveness of it, it broke within months. We sent it back to the company and got a new one, which also broke recently. That's why my mind when to an ipad. With the right case and the customer service and warranty's they provide, they can be indestructible. </div>
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I lowered the goal on the gofundme page in case that was scaring people off. But I'm stuck. Things aren't moving fast enough for me. This is something I need to happen quickly. I know I know, all great things take time. But with a kid like mine waiting is not his forte. </div>
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So, What would you do if you were in my shoes to help raise money for something like this?</div>
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Please comment, and share. I am willing to listen to any and all advice. I would do anything to make my boy happy. He's been through too much to not have a little joy in his life. So, what would you do?</div>
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If you wanna check out our gofundme page to see what that's all about and what you could do to help or change things..._------> www.gofundme.com/cartersipadchallenge </div>
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Thank you in advance for any and all help and advice you can throw my way! <3<3<3</div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-50658909431375147592013-10-18T07:28:00.001-07:002013-10-18T07:28:39.115-07:004 down, 56 to go! Just got my weekly email from the puzzling piece! We have sold 4 items so far in the iPad challenge! That great! But we need a lot more, 56 to be exact. If you don't wanna buy any items but still wanna help you can donate as much or as little as you want on our gofundme page. All the info you need is here on my blog http://sweetpeasandskittles.blogspot.com/2013/10/autism-and-ipads.html?m=1...<br />
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Keep in mine this sweet face when you're thinking of helping or sharing his story...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe3fuk1gyIQwQAQlNlTb1qJHIXXXBecPbhd0mfpzLtfdPL5i9Zdwf1hzpFafMApmHhE_ZQAaoxkQnaBusA0V3CxB9gndXBBXnFJP0edt7hoM5srISajAsdTpRH5ckoGuleoJXYZHAUwA/s1600/602758_10151384352981979_194955939_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe3fuk1gyIQwQAQlNlTb1qJHIXXXBecPbhd0mfpzLtfdPL5i9Zdwf1hzpFafMApmHhE_ZQAaoxkQnaBusA0V3CxB9gndXBBXnFJP0edt7hoM5srISajAsdTpRH5ckoGuleoJXYZHAUwA/s320/602758_10151384352981979_194955939_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Lol ok weird face. This was c-man last Christmas when Santa brought him the exact green sweater he'd always wanted. His Christmas list was very clear, a plain green sweater with nothing on it, no pictures, no buttons, no stripes, no nothing lol. </div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-91294684820914638402013-10-14T08:26:00.000-07:002013-10-16T15:25:54.480-07:00Autism and iPads... As I've shared before C-man has autism. We actually got his official diagnosis last week. "Your son has autism." Was I upset? No, its something I've known for a long time. She just put a caption on the picture. I waited til he got home to see if he looked different to me. He didn't. Still same ole C-man, who told me about a gas price he saw in town on his way home on the bus. Gas prices are his latest obsession. It actually comes in handy, as soon as he hears my low fuel alarm go off in the car he'll say "The times gas station near the dollar store is the cheapest at $3.21 a gallon." And that's where I go.<br />
Saturday night we had "the talk" with him. No not that talk, get your minds out of the gutter ;) lol...We shared with him that he had autism. He took it...well? He laughed the whole time, which is pretty normal for him. He doesn't usually display the right emotions for situations like that. He knows he can come ask questions about it whenever he needs to.<br />
He has always had an obsession with electronics, which is a pretty common one with kids who have autism. They keep his racing mind busy. Gives his hands something to do, and can help him with skill he has difficulty with. So in the past couple of months, our computer broke and the tablet he got for his birthday broke. An autistic kids WORST nightmare. Let me tell ya. He is bored bored bored. His meltdowns have been more frequent when he doesn't keep busy. So as his mom and his protector I decided I needed to figure out how to help him.<br />
Through my research I came across a site called The Puzzling Piece. They offer an opportunity called the iPad challenge strictly for kids with autism. When you sign up for the challenge you have to sell 60 of their autism themed items, when you sell your 60th piece, that's it! You get an iPad. For every 12 items you sell after that you get an iTunes gift card to help buy apps for your new iPad. How easy could that be right? Not really...60 is a big number. So that's where you come in. You can buy items from the iPad challenge section of this site and every purchase will go towards his goal of winning an iPad. You can't buy anything? You can still help! Share his story and this challenge cause you never know who you might reach that CAN help!<br />
What you're gonna do is go to this site www.thepuzzlingpiece.com. Click on the tab at the top that says "products", then click on the section that says iPad challenge. There you will see a bunch of items that look like this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKf-N8Hsu-KQXI5-U3Q1w6C5QlTXC8TUpAH951sSkhqwe8o8o_QaH0bqjiFRAySAmriVfndbUHaas6iXZ1o5JOrlPo1R_SxL44WoqGh0JSpV_BT4OsxZNlWxGqPv_zjOja693qylsUspY/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKf-N8Hsu-KQXI5-U3Q1w6C5QlTXC8TUpAH951sSkhqwe8o8o_QaH0bqjiFRAySAmriVfndbUHaas6iXZ1o5JOrlPo1R_SxL44WoqGh0JSpV_BT4OsxZNlWxGqPv_zjOja693qylsUspY/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When you make your purchase you put in the challengers name which would be Angel Kincaid. That way they credit the purchase towards our goal. And that's it.It will be shipped right to you. You can feel good knowing you've made a difference in an awesome kids life! Because not only are you helping to put an amazing piece of technology in my kids hand, but with every sale the puzzling piece donates to an autism awareness charity! </div>
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IF YOU STILL WANNA HELP BUT DONT WANNA PURCHASE ANYTHING PLEASE CHECKOUT OUR GOFUNDME PAGE! WHERE ALL MONEY RAISED WILL GO RIGHT BACK INTO THIS CHALLENGE! <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/4twwes">http://www.gofundme.com/4twwes</a></div>
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iPads helps kids with Autism in so many different ways. I've already shared the ways I think it would help the C-man. But, I've also found some more info from the site www.myasdf.org. I will share a couple bits from there...</div>
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Why iPads?</span></strong></div>
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iPads offer portability and flexibly that a traditional PC or laptop cannot provide to a young child. Since it utilizes a touchscreen, the iPad is more accessible for children who have learning or coordination difficulties. Most children who use the iPad find that tapping and sliding motions are much easier than typing. iPads can also go wherever the child goes, which means they have ways to calm, focus, and learn while on-the-go.</div>
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Benefits of Using the iPad for Learning</span></strong></div>
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The iPad itself has a lot of benefits, but for the autistic child the iPad offers many distinct advantages:</div>
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<li>Portability</li>
<li>A direct touchscreen so no mouse or stylus is required</li>
<li>A digital parallel to books or papers</li>
<li>Not having to move their eyes from a keyboard to a screen</li>
<li>Apps are easily organized, predictable, and accessible</li>
<li>Apps help break learning down into discrete chunks and topics</li>
<li>A child can enjoy independent learning and leisure time</li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I am so thankful if you've made it this far. This is a very important opportunity for my c-man. I know this could help him in so many different ways and he would be forever grateful. So from this Autism mom I thank you in advance if you bought something, shared his story and info, or simply just read and liked my blog :)</span></span></div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-52006602970974908972013-05-31T09:43:00.001-07:002013-05-31T09:43:36.430-07:00Brain Tumor Awareness Month Today is the final day of Brain Tumor Awareness month. Just like last month I wanted to write a little about my family's experience with it. Most of you who know me and my family know when C-Man was 5 he was diagnosed with his first brain tumor. Six months later the tumor grew back and he had a 2nd surgery to have it removed again.<br />
While many know about it, not many know what got us to the day when we thought something might be wrong. I know this because it is the number one question I get asked when someone finds out that he had brain tumors. "How did you know?" I could throw a bunch of facts and percentages at you about brain tumors. But honestly I don't know all that. I just know our story. And our story may be different from another.<br />
For about 3 weeks he had been having some pretty serious headaches every day. Not your normal kind of headache where he says it hurts you give medicine and its over. The kind of headache that would make him drop to the floor and cry. Most of the time no medicine would touch the pain. Totally not normal for a 5 year old. He was also super clumsy. Tripping and falling a lot. He would walk at an angle so 9 times out of 10 when he was walking out a doorway he would walk into the door frame. So I took him to the Dr. and because he has pretty much year round seasonal allergies we all (including the Dr) just assumed it was that. We were probably sent home with our normal steroids and Zyrtec prescriptions.<br />
Then it started to happen. In just 7 days his eyes went from looking completely normal to all the way crossed inward. I took him back to the Dr. Pretty much as soon as we walked into the room the Dr noticed the eyes. So he did all sorts of tests. Following his finger, walking in a straight line, reading stuff from far away. You name it, he did it. He scheduled us for an MRI "just to be safe" and check things out. This was a Monday. The quickest appt for an MRI we could get was Wednesday morning. We went, they sedated him and took him back. We waited, and waited. They brought him out still asleep if I remember right. When he came out of sedation, wow, was he a mess. Crying like I'd never seen. We were told our family Dr would call us by the end of the day and let us know the results. So we went home to wait. Stopping on the way at Bojangles's and McDonald's for breakfast AND Lunch since Carter hadn't been allowed to eat all day. We watched cartoons, we played video games, we did anything we could to pass the time while we waited for the phone to ring. Around 3:00 the call we had been waiting for came. It was a nurse from the Dr's office asking us to come in and speak to the Dr. Clearly they tell you good news over the phone. So we got a sitter and raced over as fast as we could. The next 30 min is not something I like to relive. So I'll skip out on the details. But mainly we were told he had a mass on his brain and the next steps we needed to take, and where we needed to go.<br />
Within an hour we were on the road to a hospital 3 hours from home. He was admitted to the ICU right away. And the very next afternoon less than 24 hours after we had gotten the news of the brain tumor he was having a 6 hour brain surgery to have it removed. It was definitely the scariest time in mine or my husbands life. Little did we know it would be repeated 6 months later.<br />
Definitely not an experience I would wish on anyone. Even a scare is not something you wanna go through. And we have gone through a scare or two since. Like I said though, C-man's story and symptoms may not be the same of another kid with the same problem. But I can tell you, if it weren't for the eyes, we might have never known until it got REALLY bad. Wanna know why?<br />
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Because this is a picture of our boy just 2 weeks before we found out he had a brain tumor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqz0-6NfSe-rztrB4EEn-4jqYVBfPwnswJPRrono8mB4E6ols9EPH7arSfgqxrkFdrp7bolxSP3kuGs4GuQ1LxlthWP1mpInlYV01lj-c5dSSmHwu8SRTzTxan-ZklEP43MkfTTzd_Pc/s1600/9035_183534471978_8259475_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqz0-6NfSe-rztrB4EEn-4jqYVBfPwnswJPRrono8mB4E6ols9EPH7arSfgqxrkFdrp7bolxSP3kuGs4GuQ1LxlthWP1mpInlYV01lj-c5dSSmHwu8SRTzTxan-ZklEP43MkfTTzd_Pc/s320/9035_183534471978_8259475_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Can you tell there's something wrong?</div>
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Yea, neither could we. </div>
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But I am VERY happy to say he is a HEALTHY 9 year old boy now. Who has been tumor free for over 3 years. <3<3<3</div>
<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-42770403495132607282013-04-30T08:17:00.000-07:002013-04-30T08:18:39.124-07:00What Autism looks like in our house... Today is the last day of Autism awareness month. I don't talk about Autism a lot outside of a little group I am in. Because, really, why would you want to talk about it all the time when you live it every. single. day. I am aware, trust me.<br />
Autism has its ups and its downs. It means something different for every family who experiences it. No two kids with Autism are cut from the same mold. I can ask my fellow autism mommies a question and most of the time they have very little advice cause they've never experienced that situation themselves.<br />
Don't get me wrong, Autism is great sometimes! If it weren't for Autism I wouldn't know so many things. Like did you know that there are around 8 or 9 different internet browsers? And my computer has had every one of those. Did you know that Ellen comes on every day at 5 pm, on channel 18, and Ellen is usually done talking and starts her dancing at 5:04. She is usually talking to her first guest by 5:18. She has many different segments and games, like Clumsy Thumbsy, know or go, kid ink, real paid for photos...and so on and so on. Also did you know that for two whole weeks at the beginning of April, Ellen only showed reruns and that way so upsetting?! No worries, she's back now with new episodes cause she had been in Australia. Another great thing, is if I wanna know the day of the week my birthday is gonna be on is the year 2015, he can tell me.<br />
The downsides are hard though. But they also motivate me to keep going and to try harder. Like now I am in the middle of an IEP mess with his school. I have been trying since he was first diagnosed at age 6 to get him an IEP. I am farther now than I have ever gotten before. He is in the evaluation process which he was denied before. I am drowning in paperwork too. In the end it will be worth it, but now? It's a pain. There are meltdowns, some minor, some major, that tend to get out of hand and make you question if you'll ever get the hang of this whole "Autism thing". There are weekly therapy appts, and frequent dr. visits. That can be both uplifting and discouraging.<br />
When I get into a corner where I just wanna cry cause I think I can't handle things anymore I have many Autism mommy friends in that corner with me who always know the right things to say to help me out. I am thankful for those friends every day. It's not a club you start out wanting to be in. But once you're in, its pretty awesome to be apart of. To share in the successes of other kids just like him is great. Its not what typical kids would achieve. But sharing that you're kid has finally made a friend that they talk about and and are excited about seeing and spending time with, having other members of this club to share it with is great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVh85GSFT4FfPbF6DdlxBcS4YgqWITR67sgBe_LIAUfbZwIMElsAF6KCC1EvHg39J3Gp4Wegd1XrZl3qL7_u4XBBaGAUn9YvAYWIlblbm-RXn4Ee8ZNnvzM8bXMQPPTNFLaCulyds-E64/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVh85GSFT4FfPbF6DdlxBcS4YgqWITR67sgBe_LIAUfbZwIMElsAF6KCC1EvHg39J3Gp4Wegd1XrZl3qL7_u4XBBaGAUn9YvAYWIlblbm-RXn4Ee8ZNnvzM8bXMQPPTNFLaCulyds-E64/s320/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
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I made this collage up at the beginning of the month so people could see what Autism looked like in our house. For us, Autism is:</div>
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~Hating to take pictures, so you get a grumpy face or a surprised face cause you caught them on camera. </div>
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~It's schedules, INSANELY DETAILED schedules</div>
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~It's weekly therapy appointments with more than one kid along. </div>
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~It's unusual christmas and birthday lists. </div>
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~It's Friday shirts.</div>
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~It's unusual requests, like one of these pictures is him with an overhead projector that he asked for, FOREVER. </div>
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~It's quiet lonely moments, and loud chaotic moments. </div>
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~It's hardly ever seeing the front of his face cause he is happier in front of some sort of electronic. </div>
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~It's "It's 5:01, why isn't Ellen on TV yet?!?!?"</div>
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~It's paperwork, never ending, lengthy paperwork. </div>
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~It can be exciting and heartbreaking all in the same day, heck, same hour. </div>
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So, I am sure everyone is aware of Autism. It's everywhere lately. But this is just my little piece in hopes that the next time you are out in public and you see a kid screaming or fighting with his parents, throwing stuff, Whatever. Maybe instead of thinking, wow what a spoiled brat. Maybe think, there might be an issue there that is making that kid act like this in a public setting. (We had one of these issues recently, and it was a result of, he didn't want to be out of the house, people were standing too close to him, and it smelled weird in there). Its different for everyone. </div>
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<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-51838662731431883542013-01-07T08:57:00.001-08:002013-01-07T09:00:29.132-08:00Yep, I said it. <div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes, Autism just sucks. Yep. I said it. We have been having quite the difficult time with C-man lately. So much so that our family dynamic is changing. It is a struggle almost every day to deal with the new an different thing autism is throwing our way. Hopefully with the help from our Dr. and his therapist help is on the way. But, for now, it just sucks :/</div>
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That's all for now!</div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-23483201853708068842012-12-29T07:20:00.001-08:002012-12-29T07:20:22.876-08:00Pizza We love pizza around here, its the only food that every member of the family with eat. Even picky crazypants. We usually order it, but I like to make it at home too. About a year ago my husband found one of the best goodwill finds ever. A bread machine! For $5, in perfect working condition. I've made a lot of bread in it, but my favorite thing to make is pizza dough. It makes everything so much easier. I am in constant search of the perfect pizza dough recipe, and yesterday I found it! It was easy to work with, buttery, flaky goodness. Here's where I found it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.momontimeout.com/2012/02/bread-machine-pizza-dough-recipe/">http://www.momontimeout.com/2012/02/bread-machine-pizza-dough-recipe/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RVOz0VOcqyGjH10bhVTJTcrij7dOUXiIQsMiN3dSYNgC5_XKc8sl508u1fE4GiB0zlMyPxhaFBcgY-IezK06oeycOErqyDDPjlozbmoOa4FNSkxjJYihYH2CZr_I8LfQKr3IX1CYSXw/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RVOz0VOcqyGjH10bhVTJTcrij7dOUXiIQsMiN3dSYNgC5_XKc8sl508u1fE4GiB0zlMyPxhaFBcgY-IezK06oeycOErqyDDPjlozbmoOa4FNSkxjJYihYH2CZr_I8LfQKr3IX1CYSXw/s320/Capture.PNG" width="258" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #073763;">Ingredients:</span></span></b><br />2 c flour (I like to use bread flour but all purpose and even a combination of AP and wheat flour works)<br />1 Tbls butter, softened<br />1 Tbls sugar<br />1 tsp yeast<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 c plus 2 Tbls water (105-110 degrees)</div>
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<b>Doubled (for 2 pizzas):</b><br />4 c flour<br />2 Tbls butter, softened<br />2 Tbls sugar<br />2 tsp yeast<br />2 tsp salt<br />1 1/3 c water (105-110 degrees)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a big pizza pan, I think it's like 16-18"? So I doubled the recipe and it was a perfect thickness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to Momontimeout for this wonderful recipe!</span></div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-47812920847818141002012-12-28T05:54:00.001-08:002012-12-28T06:01:10.265-08:00Jinxed! I knew it was gonna happen. I knew I shouldn't have talked about it, but I did. Now I've jinxed myself. Potato slept through the night for 4 days in a row, some days sleeping more than 12 hours! Unheard of for him. Well I had to go talking about it and guess what? Up 4x last night. Yawwwwwn. Good thing he's cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9F0Uq7QzILegUjD3d6YsJkyesVUmRs7dpLIJxYE5IYDlhxGNqtqsVDYxlR8edKDNh3TGlX3cFentwxWigsyHCY-k_lFDywgWWs89P98epBUjQgUvXq-tKCMQYvhkBA9zkvTVK2-fwZ4/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9F0Uq7QzILegUjD3d6YsJkyesVUmRs7dpLIJxYE5IYDlhxGNqtqsVDYxlR8edKDNh3TGlX3cFentwxWigsyHCY-k_lFDywgWWs89P98epBUjQgUvXq-tKCMQYvhkBA9zkvTVK2-fwZ4/s320/PicMonkey+Collage+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-10272290332649215402012-12-25T19:20:00.001-08:002012-12-25T19:27:51.857-08:00Christmas! Of course this morning I couldn't find my camera. So all I have are a bunch of grainy ipod pictures. Doesn't matter though, they still captured what I wanted. Smiles and happiness! Really great day, and it was declared the BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER. by both big boys.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwR1_eMGN65v-kYu9tbrylXI_JcpMxdtnG3tWZKKxSI9xZdKh95xNcsLNLk-SgxWnhZSFLD_oij1Lq40J0dfbRxmJjLii_KMpN3F8lg5NY6dsni3KOCCUBDWZowfr9_PnoMHfosiA3xo/s1600/409440_10151384353066979_1789176319_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwR1_eMGN65v-kYu9tbrylXI_JcpMxdtnG3tWZKKxSI9xZdKh95xNcsLNLk-SgxWnhZSFLD_oij1Lq40J0dfbRxmJjLii_KMpN3F8lg5NY6dsni3KOCCUBDWZowfr9_PnoMHfosiA3xo/s320/409440_10151384353066979_1789176319_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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M and Potato</div>
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HILARIOUS Crazypants</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe3fuk1gyIQwQAQlNlTb1qJHIXXXBecPbhd0mfpzLtfdPL5i9Zdwf1hzpFafMApmHhE_ZQAaoxkQnaBusA0V3CxB9gndXBBXnFJP0edt7hoM5srISajAsdTpRH5ckoGuleoJXYZHAUwA/s1600/602758_10151384352981979_194955939_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe3fuk1gyIQwQAQlNlTb1qJHIXXXBecPbhd0mfpzLtfdPL5i9Zdwf1hzpFafMApmHhE_ZQAaoxkQnaBusA0V3CxB9gndXBBXnFJP0edt7hoM5srISajAsdTpRH5ckoGuleoJXYZHAUwA/s320/602758_10151384352981979_194955939_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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C-Man and his very specific, PLAIN GREEN SWEATER he asked for that was bought for him by some really sweet and wonderful friends!</div>
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Potato's first gift unwrapping experience.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbNLIu_-bmrnVzhitMK6K-8UpVteU6crrfPz4U-LJS-DV_kvNmF3SIDE_wkQS2CG9uJgyElXev_sqlPXlihd0-rRBGZ2G9YCCa-3UVMnnijfKhEcu4BRuUmXsGaKa8d5rwByD0wyTFpI/s1600/77037_10151384386936979_1165967439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbNLIu_-bmrnVzhitMK6K-8UpVteU6crrfPz4U-LJS-DV_kvNmF3SIDE_wkQS2CG9uJgyElXev_sqlPXlihd0-rRBGZ2G9YCCa-3UVMnnijfKhEcu4BRuUmXsGaKa8d5rwByD0wyTFpI/s320/77037_10151384386936979_1165967439_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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SUPER EXCITED Crazypants, he screamed with happiness for HOURS this morning!</div>
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My favorite. C-Man never has much of a reaction to gifts, never gets excited. But boy did he give us a pretty sweet gift this morning. REAL EXCITEMENT AND HAPPINESS!</div>
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Merry Christmas Everyone!</div>
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Hope your day was magical!</div>
<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-62185576411232831922012-12-23T07:00:00.001-08:002012-12-23T07:01:17.847-08:00Remembering an amazing man Yesterday the world lost an amazing man. But, heaven gained quite an angel. Pastor Robert Wensil was "M's" preacher since birth I think. Then mine when I joined the church at 15. He was one of the nicest, most sincere people I have ever met, funny too! I remember before M and I got married we had to go to pre-martial counseling with Robert. It was all we could do to hold back our laughter during that session. But, he also gave us amazing advice that we still remember to this day.<br />
He was the one who was standing at the end of the aisle the day I got saved and the day I got married. If it weren't for him my family wouldn't be what it is today. When I was pregnant with "c-man" I got kidney stones and was in the hospital for 5 days. M couldn't be there most of the time cause he had to work. I remember one day Robert came up there and sat with me for hours. We talked about the most random things that day. Carolina basketball of course, and the dumb bank robber on the news, and that crazy hair style the news lady had. I think he knew I was lonely that day cause even when there wasn't much to talk about anymore he still sat there with me. He visited us when we we're scared to death right after C-man was born and in the NICU. He called when C-Man had his brain surgeries. Even when he was in the midst of battling his leukemia he came to the hospital to see us the day Potato was born, less than 5 months ago.<br />
He was an amazing man, we will forever remember him to the great changes he made in our lives. He will be greatly missed!<br />
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Robert with M and I, the day we got married <3</div>
<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-1337083317901536262012-12-21T09:48:00.001-08:002012-12-21T09:48:54.374-08:00Obsessions Let's talk about obsessions. As I mentioned yesterday C-man is autistic. It is common for him to have obsessions. They can last for a day, a week, a month, or years. It's never the same kind of thing either. When he was 3 he was obsessed with the Family Feud. He could tell you every single time it came on, what channel it came on at what time, who every host was. Then it shifted to Thomas the train when he was about 4. Every time we went out he had to get the newest Thomas movie, train, book, whatever. From about 5-7 it was pens. Kid had about a thousand pens, all kinds. That was an easy one to deal with, pens are cheap. He was thrilled with a one dollar pack of pens every time he went out. Heck, that was HOW we got him to leave the house, by promising pens! In the middle of the pen obsession was the wiggles. That was an odd one cause he was too old for the wiggles by this point. He even wanted us all to be the wiggles for Halloween. That was fun (not really ;))<br />
In recent years it has been the computer, he has meltdowns when he can't use it. He likes to use it every chance he gets. Most of the time he isn't doing anything on there except for changing the backgrounds and downloading new browsers, I think we've had 8 at one time. Then came organizing, that turned into more of an OCD thing rather than an obsession. In the last week or two it has become diary of a wimpy kid. He has all the books, he's read them all. And re-read a few. He has the first 3 movies, he watches one every single night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SRDfUwRzpF14XTsmYH2jl20r-gegnJkghWqpZ906Kef3ZLv3z54ZlEZjPS8BfAPdsTRSIIAcjcl3Pb5cLqCKfq58eSm3Twh9ULvramov9cvXKW0r5fxaF_XOziLeoUuTBNTUJnriUGQ/s1600/imagejpeg_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SRDfUwRzpF14XTsmYH2jl20r-gegnJkghWqpZ906Kef3ZLv3z54ZlEZjPS8BfAPdsTRSIIAcjcl3Pb5cLqCKfq58eSm3Twh9ULvramov9cvXKW0r5fxaF_XOziLeoUuTBNTUJnriUGQ/s320/imagejpeg_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is his desk area in our back room. </div>
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My point, if I actually made one. Is that obsessions can be easy to deal with, but they can also he hard. I vote for hard. When you can't help satisfy the need for something its difficult on everyone. So, we just suck it up and try to move on to the next thing to shift his mind onto something new! Bet you never knew obsessions were that serious. They can be, and now you know! :)</div>
Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2028274450030900584.post-79766271987295707982012-12-20T16:20:00.000-08:002012-12-20T16:24:49.770-08:00IntroductionHi, I'm "A"...I am married to the dashingly handsome "M". We have been together for half our lives now. He asked me to be his girlfriend at the wee young age of 14 years old. 15 years later we have been married about 9 1/2 years, and have 3 crazy boys. I won't ever use their real names on here, ya know privacy and stuff. I will start with a little intro about each of them.<br />
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"C-Man" we'll call him, is 8 years old going on 30. He is a rock star in every which way. When he was 5 he was diagnosed with his first brain tumor, which quickly grew back 6 months later. So by 6 years old he already had 2 brain surgeries under his belt. When he was 6 he was diagnosed with autism. More specifically PDD-NOS/Aspergers. He is a super genius and not afraid to tell you that. He is also in the 3rd grade.<br />
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"Crazypants" is the middle child, poor thing, and is 4 years old. He is a little ball of crazy energy. I think its the red hair. I like to say he hit the terrible 2's at 6 months old and it never stopped. He is wild, reckless, destructive, love able, and sweetest kid ever. Loves his daddy to the moon and back.<br />
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Little "Potato", he's new. He is 4 1/2 months old. Hates sleeping. Loves smiling, smiling's his favorite ;)<br />
He is a sweet little goober, but like I said he's new, so there's not much to know about him yet.<br />
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"M" My husband. Well he's just the love of my life. We met in high school and have been together since. He is truly my soul mate and partner in crime. We have been through the ringer with all of "C-Man's" surgeries and stuff. But he was my rock through all of that and I was his. He is goofy, and funny, and will do ANYTHING to make our boys laugh. When I say anything, I really mean it. He is such a hard worker, and everyone knows it. After 9 years at the same company he lost his job in Sept. It was devastating...for about 5 min. He sat here and filled out applications non-stop for 3 weeks. Even when he had interviews he didn't stop. After only 3 weeks he got a job and is so happy there now. I still think all that mess was meant to be.<br />
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Our life is crazy, and exciting. But, hard work. Three kids is super hard. Way harder than 2. So there is something new and interesting happening every day around here. If you stick around you might get to read about it :)<br />
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This picture is normal day around 6pm at my house. I was cooking dinner. M, not home from work yet. Potato in his swing, Crazypants made a huge mess, and C-man on the couch reading. And of course family feud on the TV. Its the latest obsession with C-man.<br />
<br />Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09886588781466890064noreply@blogger.com4