weekend cakes...

well, even on my weekend off last week - i still managed to fill a 'naughty' request, make some cake truffles for my bi-weekly Sweet Escape delivery & make a quickie cake for sunday dinner at nana & grandpa's house.....i know, i just can't stop! ~lol~

[naughty cake not posted] ;0)

but then, this weekend was pretty full....3 children's birthday cakes & an Xbox 360 for a big kid's birthday ;0) sorry u can't see the embossed detail in the fondant of the Xbox cake - my camera wouldn't pick it up....the girl in the tub was for my 13 year old cousin - she was having a spa treatment birthday party where all her friends came to get pampered (mani/peti, hair done, etc.)....the doll is the only thing not edible

The Last Lecture

I recently saw an ABC special where Diane Sawyer interviewed Professor Randy Pausch. What a super inspiring story!!! Check it out. And then tell me if you ever plan on complaining about how tough life is again! ;0)

sibling luv

dancing ~vs~ fishing

yesterday, curtis was already off work and i played hookie ;0) he fixed us breakfast & we had a great day together just hanging out and enjoying each other's company....we also got some stuff done - one of which, was cleaning my mini-van....i mean really detailing it....it was fun and it felt really good driving to work today in a clean vehicle!

well anyway, both girls take ballet class & gabby also takes tap.....so we're at the dance studio every tuesday evening from 4:45pm until 7pm (for all 3 classes).....since we were already in "hookie mode", i guess......we asked the girls if they'd mind missing dance one week, and going fishing instead.....the resounding answer was "YEAH!!!!" ~lol~ i felt a little guilty, but the recital is june 1st and i knew this would be our last chance to miss a class.....from here on out, they'll be working on their routines & it will be frowned upon if they miss a class

i left my camera at home (shame, shame) so these were taken with my cell.....it was a nice day yesterday, but there was a little overcast by the time we got to the river.....today is supposed to be even nicer! everyone caught at least one fish (gabrielle caught 2) and we also spotted some ducks and 2 muskrats....we think the muskrats scared away most of the fish, but it was fun following them as they swam up and down the river as a pair....we even found their lodge - the kids thought that was the coolest! :0)

see the fallen tree on the other side of the river? the muskrat lodge is right behind that
reeling in a fish...
everyone cheering for corinn as she reels her's in...

oh, and the other amusing part was that even though we've been fishing a million times, jaden was insisting that we keep the fish this time & eat them.....well, we're a catch and release kind of family, but i remembered that i had some trout that my dad had given us in the freezer at home....so along with the burgers & fries that daddy made for dinner, i fried 4 trout....let's just say, jaden wasn't as excited about eating the fish after he tried some ~lol~ the girls & i, on the other hand, love trout! ;0)

Larry King Live autism special

After finally getting a chance to view the Larry King Live autism special last night (my mom had to tape it for me, since we don't have cable), all I have to say is....well said Estee!!!

I hear Jenny McCarthy's argument and understand that some parents may really truly believe that the vaccines given to their child may be the cause behind their autism....and maybe toxins in the vaccines or in their child's environment triggered the signs of their child's autism (there's not enough research to prove or disprove this)....but you can't deny the facts....you can't ignore the research done, the genetic proof that science has discovered....and maybe these "triggers" are God's way of opening up a parent's eyes to their child's autism....they've proven that the earlier the therapy, the better.

And I guess it's easy for me to not jump on the "vaccines caused autism" band wagon (please read my note below regarding this)....for us, there really never was an overnight manifestation of Jaden's autism like some parents say they experience. Jaden was autistic from day one - I recognize that now....he was always such an easy, mellow, go-with-the-flow baby....stuck to a strict routine (yet, was easily distracted)....I thought I had gotten super lucky - this mama stuff is a breeze! How much easier can it get?!

But we've been watching some old home movies recently that I hadn't looked at for some time....and I see the signs plain as day now. And as Jaden got older, things weren't so easy....the speech delays became really apparent - I, in fact, became Jaden's translator (and this is how our whole discovery of Jaden's autism began...the speech delays caused us to have Jaden evaluated at a developmental clinic, get him in speech therapy, etc....it wasn't until Jaden started school and we could see him in learning mode that we were able to nail it down to autism/asperger's).....he would constantly wander off, wanting to tell everyone (even strangers) about his bat (he toted around/slept with a plastic bat for about 3 years) or introduce them to his imaginary friends. He was always preoccupied with his own world, not so interested in what we were trying to talk to him about. Back then, they were just Jaden's quirks....and things I thought every mother of a 2/3/4year old boy dealt with. Now, I watch these videos and see Jaden's version of hand flapping - he didn't flap, he would move/bend/scrunch his fingers a lot....I see that our moments of true eye contact with him were few and far between.....I see his constant scripting - something I thought he just had a nack at - maybe he'll be an actor, I thought....his complete obsession with animals....his wonderful artistic ability.....the way he'd line up his toys/blocks in a perfect row, clear across the house.....the many, many signs - signs, that after learning more about autism/asperger's, i recognize clearly now.

This just confirms for me that we're moving in the right direction....that maybe we didn't see it as early as we could have, but we recognize it now - and that's a whole lot earlier than some. It's amazing to watch these videos from 2004 & 2005 and see Jaden's progress.....he's totally different kid now! Of course, Jaden still does the scripting, and he still wants to talk to everyone he meets.....he still LOVES animals and is an amazing artist! I don't want those things to change - but Jaden knows what is & isn't appropriate now. Me saying, "Jaden, we're not talking about Home Alone right now. We're doing your homework." completely reels him back in and he's able to focus on the task at hand. Reminding him that we don't talk to strangers, is enough to keep him by my side at the grocery store.

The whole point of April being Autism Awareness Month is to gain more Autism Acceptance. Help us to protect our children's fundamental right to be autistic and treated with respect.

Like Estee, I don't see autism/asperger's as an "ugly disease" or "epidemic infecting our children"....and I don't think Jaden needs to be "cured"....I see Jaden for Jaden - beautifully and wonderfully made by God!

*the autism-vaccine controversy side note....
read on Estee's blog about Kathleen Seidel & her being subpoenaed in a trial she has absolutely no involvement with....simply blogging her research has landed her a subpoena to appear in court for deposition & to produce all documentation regarding her website....she's fighting this - she's a smart lady who knows her rights....but really, what is this world coming to?!

*one other note - fellow bloggers, the Kirtons, were on this special as well....they weren't thrilled about how they were portrayed but were thankful for the opportunity to appear and get the word out

weekend recap...

we had a great weekend - the weather was decent (fairly nice most of saturday, then rain for the rest of the weekend).....but even with the rain, we managed to have a really great time together ;0)

gabrielle did get an upset stomach after taking zithromax for her strep (just as i predicted), but at least it's not an all out allergic reaction....and it's been just for an hour or so after her daily dose - eating something before taking the medicine seems to help a little

she sailed by jaden & corinn, finishing her sticker chart on saturday and earning a new necklace, picked out of the prize bag.....it's a chain with a different charm for each day of the week.....but of course, miss gabrielle has to wear all the charms on the chain together! and we can't have the charms all bunched together, overlapping each other......no, no......we have to add a bead in between each charm so that all charms can be seen! ~lol~

a pic of the chart - gabby, one sticker before reaching the end.....if only jaden & corinn could earn as many as they lose! gabrielle has the 'go above & beyond' concept down pat - that's my girl! ;0) also, notice corinn's sticker chart below the real chart - her chart shows how all her sons & daughters are doing ~lol~

and the necklace, being modeled at the park...

gabrielle also got to visit Pump It Up for the very first time....a friend in her pre-k class had her birthday party there! even though i'm not a fan of spending hundreds of dollars on a 5 year old's birthday party, this place is soooo fun! i'd been to a bday party there once with jaden, so i was super excited that gabby was feeling better and could go try it out.....what a work-out....all that sliding/climbing/crawling/jumping sure makes you tired! and to be honest, it really ends up being some great one-on-one time....the kids go in every which direction, not really trying to stay together and play.....so it ends up that the parents join in the fun with their son/daughter individually
she's so silly!

more pics from the park....an overcast day, but just fine for scooter-riding & tree-climbing fun!
even met a friendly dog...
corinn took along her camera and was snapping pics of all the pretty things - animals, flowers, trees, etc...wonder where she gets that from? ;0)
gabby's checking out the new buds on the tree in this one...spring is finally here!

then sunday was spent indoors because of the rain....we had a great family dinner at nana's house, and then got out some more old home movies last night when we got home....the kids (corinn especially) are addicted to watching these now!

one of the best weekends in a while - nothing on the schedule....just go with the flow, fun with the fam!

9 years baby!

the 22nd of this month will be our 2nd wedding anniversary - cause you know, we had to do it our way - 3 kids, then marriage!
but saturday marked 9 years together for curtis & i!!! i swear, it feels like we only met yesterday.....except after being by his side - seeing him as a husband & father for 9 years, i love him WAY MORE than i ever thought i could!

darn strep!

gabrielle woke up with a very sore throat an a 100.5 degree fever.....curtis just took her to the doctor and was told "she has very bad strep!".....the one and only day jaden has ever missed from school in the 3 years he's been going, was when he caught strep his first year.....i guess gabby is following suit....and unfortunately, she's allergic to augmentin (what they usually prescribe for strep) & ceftin.....they prescribed zithromax instead, which i'm allergic too and gabby has never had.....i've got curtis keeping an eye on her for a possible reaction, but i'm praying she has a peaceful, restful day at home with daddy.....complete with lots of popsicles & her new fav movie - Pipi Longstocking

outside...

we're loving the spring weather that finally decided to show up....of course, i hear we'll be lucky if today's temperature reaches 50 degrees....but most of this week has been gorgeous!

here are some pics of the kids playing outside last evening....climbing trees...

building another "camp fire"...
"cooking cucumbers with salt & pepper" (weeds & flower stems, sprinkled with dirt/sand)...

and my favorite....playing together...

Then, when they came inside from playing....I got to see this....too cute Miss Corinn - you want me to break that stem off for you? ~lol~

it's baaaaaack...

Jaden first requested a mohawk back in the summer of 2005, right before he started his 1st year of kindergarten. I'm all for self-expression - hey, it's your hair! So he sported his first mohawk all summer long! Then, when it was time for school to start....I encouraged Jaden to let us give him a slick, short cut for his first day of school. He agreed. Since then, we've brought the mohawk back just once - I think it was over the summer and leading into Jaden's 2nd year of kindergarten. Well, it's been a while (I guess over a year now) and Jaden has decided it's time again. How stinking cute is my little man?!

i'm so mean...

i've already fooled my husband 3 times today - he's too easy! ~lol~

april fool's day 2002 - i found out i was pregnant with gabrielle & informed curtis that we would be having our 2nd child.....he, of course, did not believe me since it was april fool's day......ever since then (after i finally convinced him i was for real), i've fooled him every single year with the pregnancy scare trick! ~lol~ today, i've also gotten him to believe that i was afraid i was about to get fired from my full-time job....and that the traffic courts had called and let me know that he would need to take some driving classes because he's gotten too many traffic tickets in the last year (he's really only gotten 2 - but that's too many, if u ask me!) ~lol~

i know, i'm so mean!!!

April is Autism Awareness Month!

Autism Awareness Month, celebrated every year in April, provides an opportunity for families, friends, and local communities to raise public awareness about autism. It is sponsored by the Autism Society of America (ASA). Individuals and communities can get involved by participating in activities sponsored by their local ASA chapter or by promoting services related to autism.

Wouldn't it be lovely if autism only lasted one month? Unfortunately, it is lived day, by day, by day, by the individual, each family member, the community, schools, physicians, researchers, and the world in general. I don't know what we'd do without the support we receive from our families, friends, Jaden's schools, doctors, etc.!

Years ago, when we started exploring the possibility of Jaden being autistic, I really never imagined that autism would be in the news as much as it is today. It's nice to actually have people recognize the word autism or asperger's when you talk about it - and not just think about Rain Man...it's wonderful to be able to find so many websites & support groups out on the net....to actually have local groups/walks/conferences in our area!

CNN has been running specials on the entire autism spectrum this week (on TV & the net). Check out some of the articles & videos they have on their page.

Field trip to The Frontier Culture Museum

Last Friday, I went along with Jaden's 1st grade class on a field trip to The Frontier Culture Museum. We worried about rain that morning, but it turned out to be a lovely day - it sprinkled just a little bit, causing us to have to move our picnic lunch on to the bus. But it stopped just as we were finished eating.

I love this place, but hadn't been there for quite some time. We didn't tour the whole museum, but visited just the American exhibit. It showed how settlers would have started a farm in the early 19th century - from their initial camp, to building a small cabin, to finally constructing the big farm house, allowing the kids to return to school instead of working on the farm every day. We got to learn about how they would cook, garden, raise animals....it was very hands-on and the kids loved it! The house we toured - the Bowman house - was built by a German settler that originally lived in Pennsylvania. He moved to Virginia after hearing about how much cheaper the land was here. The house was actually moved to the museum from where it was built and stood vacant for a long time in Timberville - where we live! :0)

On our way...

The settlers' camp...

Jaden (and the other 2 boys I chaperoned) helping to begin work on the cabin...

Each kid got to get an ear of corn from the corn crib to feed to the pigs...

Jaden trying out a Jacob's ladder....no video games back then!

Inside the Bowman house - learning to get the wool ready for spinning...

By the fireplace inside the Bowman house...

last week's cakes...

Another doozy of a week! This is what my kitchen table looked like at one point...


I'm happy to announce that next weekend will be a break for me!!!! I have a cake truffle delivery to make to Sweet Escape, but other than that - no cakes! Soooo, there won't be a cake post next Monday.

Now, on to the cakes...

EEO-1 Report changes

It's pretty sad that this survey is still needed today. There hadn't been any changes made to it since 1966!!! I will say I'm happy to see that the "Two or more races" category has finally been added. Just imagine how many people fall into that category now a days! The last change cracks me up - thank goodness the government "strongly endorses self-identification". ~lol~

I found this info here...

The EEO-1 Report – formally known as the "Employer Information Report" – is a government form requiring many employers to provide a count of their employees by job category and then by ethnicity, race and gender. The EEO-1 report is submitted to both the EEOC and the Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

A number of changes are being made to the race and ethnic categories. The revised EEO-1 report:

*adds a new category titled "Two or more races"
*divides "Asian or Pacific Islander" into two separate categories: "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander"
*renames "Black" as "Black or African American"
*renames "Hispanic" as "Hispanic or Latino"
*strongly endorses self-identification of race and ethnic categories, as opposed to visual identification by employers