National Honor Society

At the beginning of October last fall, Rachel was inducted into Century High School's chapter of National Honor Society. I came home from Utah (while Sarah was in the hospital) on the Salt Lake Express to surprise Rachel. I wanted it to be a complete surprise, but we had to tell her ahead of time. She was really, really sad that we weren't there, and must have thought we didn't care enough about her to be there for her too. When she started making plans to go with her friend and her parents, we decided we needed to just tell her. In retrospect, I see that we made a mistake about surprising her. We should have just planned with her from the beginning for me to be there. She went through a lot of agony dealing with her feelings about it all.

That aside, it was a happy reunion when I came home to be with the kids, and we all went to Rachel's induction. I was so proud of her and am so impressed with what a wonderful student she is and how much she loves learning. Her talents and abilities astound me. 

 

My little sister used to always say how much she hated when people said she "has so much potential", as if she wasn't living up to what she could be now.... But, I think they simply meant that they could see so much in her that could prove to be nothing short of amazing as she grew and developed. I see that in my incredible daughter... so much potential, and nothing short of an amazing woman in the future. Love her so much!

Joshua's Baptism

 

On Saturday, June 4th, my fourth child was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since he was about 6, Josh has been so anxious. He was so happy that day that he could finally be baptized! Grandma and Grandpa Brown were here still from Sarah's graduation. It was a happy, calm, beautiful morning. After our traditional breakfast of rolled-up pancakes, we sent him in to get ready. I've never seen that boy get his church clothes on so fast in his whole life!

(See...? Everyone else is still their pajamas!)

After he was ready, he opened a present from us (his family) and was so excited, he could hardly stand it. He started reading 1 Nephi that very moment. He took his scriptures to the baptism with him and read in the car both ways.

The man of the hour... our future missionary!

At the church, we met up with lots of family and friends who came to share his special day. Grandma and Grandpa Dixon, aunts, uncles and cousins, home teachers, and primary leaders were there.

Daddy and Joshua

Our whole happy family!

Joshua with Grandpa and Grandma Dixon

 The Stake presented the baptism portion of the program and then we went to the room where the font is and witnessed his baptism. He was so happy, and hugged his daddy for a really long time (and that takes a lot... he's a very cuddly boy). While our "boys" got dressed, we were excused into our own little room where we waited for them and then had a little meeting for his confirmation. After our good bishop, Bishop Lothspeich, said some neat things about Joshua and the ordinance he had just participated in, Grandma Brown told some stories and shared her sweet testimony about the Holy Ghost. Then, surrounded by men that love him and hold the Holy Priesthood, Joshua was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was so sweet, and beautiful words were spoken. I love, love, love that my husband (and equal partner in raising these amazing kids) is worthy and able to baptize and confirm my children. It brings tears to my eyes just to think of the gratitude I have that he is able to perform such vital ordinances for of our children. I'm so proud of my little Joshua and his sweet little testimony and desire to do what's right. He tried so hard during the weeks before his baptism to choose the right and be extra kind and thoughtful. Oh, how I love him!

After all the hugs, we came back home  to change clothes and... we partied!! Our new house and yard is so perfect for such events and it was an amazing beautiful summer day! We had pizza and pop (Joshua's choice) with fruit and treats. The kids played and the grown ups sat around and visited. It was wonderful, relaxing, and the perfect end to a perfectly fabulous day!

Aaarrrgghh! It's Captain Nathan and his matey, Uncle Richard.

Our littlest cousins Kassandra and Hailey

Grandpa and Grandma Dixon, Uncle David and Aunt Valaire, Mommy, Aunt Sheri, Gramdma Brown, Jared and Jeff

Grandpa Brown, Aunt Kristina, Shannon, Uncle Kelly, and Kassandra

Daddy, Uncle Richard, Aunt Kathy, Jesse Vincent (our junior home teacher) and Rachel

Resting and visiting. Grandpa Dixon is resting best! :)

Kassie loved her mommy's chocolate sheet cake!

We love our sweet Joshua!

The First Day of the Rest of Her Life

So my sweet little Sarah, my fist born baby girl, graduated from high school on Thursday, June 2nd. It was an incredible occasion, celebrating her life, her accomplishments and her dedication to her education (especially this past year). As I thought about her experiences in high school, part of me longed for things to have been different. For her to have been healthy and felt good every day. For her to have had lots of really good friends. For her to have been involved in so many things, she didn't have time to study. Then, as I reflected on the things she's been through, especially in high school, I was so grateful that she recovered from the trauma of her PLE her sophomore year and became someone who was happy, well adjusted, loved to learn, smiled often, and accomplished so much, despite how awful she felt when she got up each morning. In so many ways, Sarah is my hero. I can't describe how grateful I am for her example of long-suffering and patience in her struggles.

Just look at that smile!

Here's the proof!

Grandpa and Grandma Brown came from Utah to celebrate with us.

Grandma and Grandpa Dixon were also very proud of our girl.

She had a sort of break-down after graduation when we got home after commencement. She spent a lot of time talking with her daddy (she's always been a daddy's girl) and expressed her fears of the future. She wants to be a kindergarten teacher when she grows up, but doesn't know how, when or where she should accomplish that. She also really wants to be a wife and mother, but has so much that she needs to figure out before she's ready for that. It's scary... looking down the road, and not knowing for sure if the pathway you want to take is the one that leads to where you want to end up. Like she said, this is the only life she's ever known... going to school and learning each day. Now the possibilities are endless and sometimes frightening. But, like everything else in her life, she has started walking forward (even on swollen ankles) and headed down the path toward the "rest of her life".

First Friday Art Walk (in April)

Sarah and Rachel were invited by the owners of Alston Ink in downtown Pocatello to be their featured "artists" at the First Friday Art Walk on April 1st. They were invited by Stephanie and Neal Alston shortly after the article appeared in the paper about Rachel using her chocolate business to earn money for her leadership conference. Sarah and Rachel spent hours during the last week of March making mints for free samples and a whole bunch of peanut butter filled eggs, bunny suckers and solid chocolate bunnies. They set up a cute display at the front of the store and waited for people to stop and try (and hopefully buy) their chocolates.

They learned very quickly that you have to be pro-active to get people to stop and talk to you. A friendly smile just doesn't cut it. (Rachel was pretty used to it from the Chocolate Extravaganza, but we made Sarah sit on the outside until she invited ten people to try some free chocolate.) We also learned that the purpose of the Art Walk, besides to get recognition and business for local artists, is to give people in the community an opportunity to spend some time downtown and learn about the shops and stores there. Here's where Stephanie graciously stepped in and took over. She was wonderful. She obviously knew what she was doing, and stopped many people to brag about "these two high school students that have their own business of handmade chocolates". It was a great tactic. Most adults were impressed by my beautiful little entrepreneurs, and at least tried the mints and congratulated them on their business venture. A few even recognized Rachel from the article in the paper. Many people loved the mints so much they also bought Easter treats. Then, Stephanie would ask them if they've ever been in her shop and invited them in to show them around. The girls and I ended up having a nice time together, and Stephanie invited them back later in the summer, when business would be slow. We'll see if they're up for that again. They're not sure, but earning $76 in one evening was pretty nice!

Bryson's Progress

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my thoughts and feelings about having special needs children, one with health needs and another with psychological needs. I hoped by putting these thoughts into words I might help someone else someday that is walking a similar road. Unfortunately, I don't do a very good job of keeping those updates coming when things are going so well.... Here is a long-overdue update about Bryson.

I heard a few weeks ago that the term, "Aspergers Syndrome" is no longer valid, and kids with those symptoms are now part of the umbrella of "High Functioning Autism". Doesn't really matter to me, the diagnosis a few years ago is what got him the help he needed, and getting him the help he needed made him higher functioning than I thought possible.

On October 13th, the day after his 11th birthday, he was officially released from his occupational therapy, having met all of the goals we created with his therapist, and no other new concerns or deficiencies presented themselves. We were excited and so proud of him for accomplishing so much in just over a year. He was sad about not going to therapy anymore, because he loved Tonja and loved learning and practicing his new skills. She gave him an hour of undivided attention and listened to him talk (greatly encouraged him, really) about his day, his worries, his successes, and his preferences as she worked on strengthening his muscles, balance and coordination. It was kind of hectic for me, going every other Wednesday for over a year, but Bryson and I really enjoyed our alone time in the car driving there and back for each appointment. Sharing that time together was pretty special for both of us and we loved to talk about and celebrate his successes (always with an Arctic Circle ice cream cone on the way home).

This TumbleForm "Swing" was one of Bryson's favorite things. He nicknamed it "Tumbleweed" because it reminded him of a horse and he tumbled from it often! He also loved throwing the medicine balls into the small trampolines to play "bounce back". He got pretty good at it and could catch the heavier one while standing on one foot. By the time he was released he had learned how to tie his shoes (again), throw and catch with one hand, and how to skip, hop, and climb. He climbed up a rope ladder and a rock wall, and loved being up so high. (He was so afraid to climb even 2 feet off the ground when he started his therapy.) It was absolutely amazing to see the confidence grow in our little boy in just a year. I think being successful and getting stronger, plus having something to do that was all about him, was so good for him. Tonja always talked with me, too, giving suggestions with his sensory issues, resolving the frustrations at home, and offering new ideas for school and homework. She said once that she loved having him for a patient because his parents were engaged in his development and his therapy continued with us at home. Why would we not follow her suggestions and reinforce her teaching? Oh, how we love Tonja, and will be forever grateful to her for teaching us what to do to help our sweet, special son. He's a different kid than he was a year ago...confident, comfortable, successful, and even happy!

We also love our special eduction teacher at his school, Mindy. Like Tonja, she does her job with such loving care and concern that it doesn't even seem like she's doing a "job". She called me a couple months ago because she was concerned about Bryson's math scores, and we met for over an hour to talk about that and some frustrations with homework we were experiencing at home. (Because of his diagnosis, he has an IEP and accommodations at school to give him the added support he needs to be more successful. He attends a charter school whose philosophy is that when children are in a safe environment with accelerated learning opportunities, they will rise to the challenge and excel. It's a philosophy that works, even for kids with learning challenges. He still struggles at school, but is getting the help he needs to understand concepts and actually catch up to where he should be.) He was struggling specifically with the tasks of completing his 12 or 13 math problems each day and putting his spelling words in ABC order. It just took FOREVER...(like until bedtime). Well, we went back our 3rd and 4th grade method of having his math problems transferred from the book to the paper for him, as it seems that he was getting lost between the book and his work several times for each problem. And I think she's brilliant with the alphabetical order thing.... Bryson is a tactile learner. If he can manipulate it, he gets it. So, deciding he could show his understanding of the concept with 10-12 words just as easily as with 20, she started making him 10 word cards for him to manipulate until they're in order and then just write them down in a list like he has them placed. Pretty smart, huh? I never would have come up with that! Anyway, he also goes to early morning study hall at 7:15 three days a week to have someone help him correct and fix his math assignments. These accommodations alone has reduced homework time from 4 hours (not kidding) to about 1, and he works independently at his desk in his room, is self-motivated, successful, and again...happy!

I am so grateful for the people in my sweet boy's life that have helped us help him. I can't imagine how frustrating life would be to have a brain that processes things differently from the rest of the world (or so it seems) and not be able to understand why things are so hard and uncomfortable all the time. Oh, how I love my sweet little angel boy, with his happy, forgiving, loving disposition. And how grateful I am to have found help through the suggestions of loving teachers, doctors, therapists, friends and family.

My Piano Princess Plays Again!

A couple Saturdays ago, Rachel participated in Pocatello Music Club's Piano Festival again. This was her 6th performance, and her 6th... Superior rating! She said she got pretty nervous and had to start over on one piece, but she must have recovered nicely, because she earned herself another superior, which also earns her enough points for her 2nd gold cup trophy!

The following Monday, she also participated in the Pocatello Music Club's Piano Scholarship auditions. She played one of the pieces from festival and did an amazing job! She won a 2nd Place $50 scholarship that will be paid to her teacher, and give us one month free! (Love the free thing!) She also auditioned for summer music camps, but if she won one of those scholarships, we'll have to wait to find out if we get a notification in the mail.

She is such a gifted musician...the music just flows from her fingers, and I'm so grateful to have that beautiful music playing constantly in my home. She loves to play and enjoys being able to learn and play anything she wants to, including hard songs with pages and pages of music. She has also been teaching piano lessons for about a year and a half now and has six students. She loves the income and the cute little kids, and I love that she's gained greater independence, experience, and love of music.

A Chocolate Extravaganza!

After the article about Rachel appeared in the newspaper, a very kind lady from the Pocatello Community Charter School called and invited Rachel and Sarah to be vendors at their annual Spring Fundraiser, The PCCS Chocolate Extravaganza! People pay a fee to get in, and then get to taste everything chocolate from truffles to crepes, to shooters, mousse, and cookies! They also have an auction to raise more money. The Sweet Treets girls brought 200 Oreo Truffles as samples and had the opportunity to advertise their business with these samples, business cards and fliers.

The most awesome thing about it all was that the lady that invited them to be vendors at their event actually paid for the truffles Rachel made. It was so generous and kind. I'm quite sure nobody else got that offer. I got to go with them as their "adult chaperon" since there would be alcohol served there. It was really fun to see people's reaction to these sweet little truffles...and girls. People were so kind and complimentary, and so friendly. It was a good experience for the girls to be able to learn to "sell" themselves, be positive, friendly, and go out of their way to talk to strangers. (Something I don't recommend in other situations!) They were so good at it, they were given the "Spirit Award". There was competition for best presentation, best drink, best non-dessert, and "People's Choice". This was decided by votes (dollars) put in a jar on each table. The girls got so excited each time somebody came by and dropped a bill in their jar and told them they were their favorite. They didn't win that, but their "votes" earned another $14 for the charter school. It was so fun!

It was also through the newspaper article and this connection to the charter school's fundraiser that the girls have been invited by Stephanie and Neal Alston to their shop in Old Town Pocatello for the First Friday Art Walk in April. They will be at Alston Ink on April 1st giving out samples and selling Easter Bunnies and other Sweet Treets and doing more of that "talking to strangers" I referred to earlier. Should be a fun event as well, and such a good advertising tool for them. The people of Pocatello are so thoughtful, generous and kind... Thank you, Pocatello!!

I'm a Lifetime Member!!

Well, I did it, I really, really did it! After completing my 6 weeks of maintenance after reaching my goal weight, I officially became a Weight Watchers Lifetime Member tonight! I love the new "me"! I pray with all my heart that my energies and focus will keep me at this point for the rest of my life. I've taken control, I'm healthy, and I feel so good! Here are some of the things I've learned about food and myself:

• I can do anything I set my mind to, if I want it bad enough.
• I can control myself around homemade brownies and cookies.
• It's okay to leave food on your plate, even at restaurants.
• It's okay to say "no, thank you" and it won't offend your real friends.
• It's possible to find healthy food anywhere you go, if you want to find it.
• I have an amazing support system, and I love them so much.
• I know when I'm satisfied, and no longer overeat to bursting point.
• Eating healthy food is more expensive than eating junk food.
• I can have a 32 year-old body, even after I turn 40.
• Planning is the key to success. If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.
• Tracking (even though I hate it) is the key to staying on top of the food game.
• Losing weight and exercising regularly helped me knock off two contributors to diabetes and heart disease.
• Walking on the treadmill is a lot more fun with a good audio book.
• If you fill your plate with salad and vegetables, there's not much room left for potatoes and gravy.
• I LOVE fruits and vegetables!
• There are lots of delicious low-fat and low-calorie substitutes out there, you just have to be willing to try them.
• Eating right is a decision. It's hard sometimes, but so very worth it.

There are a lot more, but I can't think of them right now. I think the most wonderful things that happened are the changes that happened inside of me. I learned that I CAN control myself, that I CAN have energy to keep up with my kids, I CAN feel good on the inside and out, and I CAN do whatever I want to, with a desire to change, lots of support, conscious effort, and prayer!

The turning point in my "healthy-me" journey was definitely when I joined Weight Watchers with my mom. I have said this before, but I love Weight Watchers! Here's why:

• I had to have someone to report to, weigh in with, and be accountable to (my leaders).
• I had to have money spent (monthly fee) so I would be motivated to make it work.
• I had to have success right away so I could see that it would work.
• I love that the new PointsPlusTM program encourages lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and controlled portions of lean protein (just like the Word of Wisdom).
• I love that Weight Watchers teaches you ways to cope with stress, emotions and celebrations in non-food ways; helps you look inside of yourself for cues; and helps you explore the real "you" inside and instills courage, hope and strength from within.
• I loved going to group meetings. There was lots of support, celebrating, ideas, recipes and knowledge swapped there that gave me much to think about, and the tools I needed for success.
• I lost 20 pounds (and 2 pants sizes) I'd been carrying around for at least 17 years.
• There is flexibility in the plan that allows you to eat out, have birthday treats, satisfy cravings, and enjoy life!
• It's easy to understand, makes sense with everything you know about living a healthy lifestyle, and was created with the latest scientific research.
• It works!!

Rachel is a Celebrity

A wonderful article, with a darling picture of Rachel, appeared in the Idaho State Journal today. It was a feature about her (and Sarah's) chocolate business, Sweet Treets. It was a pretty exciting thing to have the reporter call yesterday asking for a phone interview with her and the photographer to do a photo shoot. I was really surprised that our advertising emails and Facebook post could have spurred a story, but apparently Steve has friends in all kinds of places, even The Idaho State Journal! It was so kind of them to promote her fund raising efforts by doing a story on her. She's braced for a whole bunch of strangers ordering chocolates now, but is really excited and grateful for the extra business. It wouldn't surprise me. A cute face like that and a kid trying to earn money for a leadership conference...it's just the sort of thing a community like Pocatello will support.

Budding chocolatier

The Idaho State Journal, Wednesday, January 26, 2011

By: Kendra Evensen, Photo: Doug Lindley

Rachel Brown, a Century High School student, teaches piano and is in the school choir.

    POCATELLO — Rachel Brown had never made a chocolate prior to last year, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a holiday chocolatier.
    The 14-year-old Century High School student and her sister, Sarah, decided to start making chocolates last year in order to make some extra money.
    Although Rachel didn’t have any experience, her mother, Julia, and grandmother, Linda, did and were ready and willing to pass on their secrets. And the sisters learned fast.
    They were able to start their “Sweet Treets” chocolate business in time for Valentine’s Day last year, and, based on their success, have decided to continue selling a variety of goodies, including Oreo truffles, peanut butter blobs, chewy caramels and an assortment of mints, suckers and chocolate bars.
    They sell their goodies during the Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas holidays.
    “It’s really fun to see how excited people get about them,” Rachel said, adding that they strive to make them not only tasty, but attractive. “We work pretty hard on them.”
    The sisters and their family members use e-mails to spread the word about their goodies during the holidays, and they’ve developed a website, www.sweet-treets.blogspot.com, to further their business.
    And it seems to be working. Although Rachel wasn’t sure exactly how much they sold last year, she said they have had to come up with ways to streamline the system to meet demand, especially during Valentine’s Day.
    Rachel said she strives for perfection to keep her customers happy, even though that often means extra work.
    “When they get messed up it’s frustrating because I have to make them all over again,” she said, adding that the chocolate bars and the chocolate dishes, which hold a variety of mints, are particularly painstaking.
    But she and her sister enjoy the time they spend working together. They have used the business to help each other earn money for various needs, including history tours and college tuition. Rachel is hoping to use the Valentine’s Day profits to attend a National Young Leaders State Conference she’s been invited to attend in Montana this summer.
    “It’s a really good opportunity for me,” she said, adding that her teachers nominated her to go.
    She needs about $1,519 to cover the cost of the conference, so she’s hoping the community will continue to support their business during the upcoming holiday.
    “It’s really nice of them to support me and my sister,” she said, adding that they work hard to give them quality goodies in return.
    “They taste really good and they look really cute,” she said.

Original Story
Copyright 2011 Idaho State Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Merry Christmas to Me!

I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT! Last night, I went to weigh in at Weight Watchers, and after 33 weeks of weigh-ins, I met my weight-loss goal! After only losing a total of about 7.5 pounds through our Dixon Girls' Biggest Loser contest, I realized that my my eating was still a little out of control, even when I was "trying". I had hit a brick wall, and it seemed that stubborn spot on the scale just wouldn't ever give way. My mom, after having come to the same conclusion about her weight-loss adventure, joined Weight Watchers and told me all about it and that she was really excited. It sounded like exactly what I needed, too. I decided that I needed someone to be accountable to on the scale besides myself, and a place where I could go that someone else would tell me what to do, and ask me how I did. Obviously, my methods weren't working. So, I joined Weight Watchers last April - at 154.6 lbs. I just wanted to lose 15, just to get past that brick wall, and closer the mid-point of the BMI scale. (I later changed my goal to include another 5, to put me right smack in the middle of it.) I love the Weight Watchers Program. It encompasses all aspects of how our bodies process the food we take in, healthy eating, healthy smart habits, exercise or increased activity, group support and encouragement - and most importantly - it includes slow, steady maintain-able weight loss. It took me a while, (with the trip to Alaska and the last 3 pounds I lost over and over again) but I DID IT! Through this process, I broke a few really bad eating habits I didn't even realize I had, gained some self-control, and got a whole lot healthier! Oh, and I went down another pants size and feel terrific about myself! Merry Christmas to ME!

Up To Our Eyeballs in Chocolate

"All I really need is love... But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." (Lucy Van Pelt from "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schultz)

For Valentiene's day, Rachel sold handmade chocolates to earn the last $600 for her American Heritage trip. She went through Grandma Dixon's boxes of chocolate molds (she used to have a business) and decided what she wanted to make. I created a brochure for her and Steve and I sent it out to about 100 people by email. Grandma also took some to work and put them in the teacher's lounge with some samples. Well, when all was said and done, she brought in $1,369 ($1126 after costs), made 24 chocolate bars, 237 trays of heart mints, 459 heart suckers, 95 circle suckers with colored hearts, and 19 candy dishes filled with another 57 trays of mints. Through the undying devotion and help of her mom, and pulling her first ever all-nighter, she pulled out almost twice as much money as she needed for her trip. I was amazed at how hard she worked and how supportive our friends and parents were with her project. Several people sent the email out to their friends, and others gave her donations above and beyond what they had bought. Although we were exhausted and still scraping chocolate off the kitchen counters, chairs and floor for days, we were so grateful and it was a great experience... for both of us.

...And as if I hadn't had enough fun with Rachel, I decided this was how Sarah would earn her tuition money for her week-long summer session of EFY in August. So, we started the process again, but this time with Easter Chocolates. I knew, going into it, that Sarah is not as self-motivated, and that she couldn't stay up late and give up her sleep, so we planned to work all day while she was home on Spring Break. But, because of timing troubles, we only got half of the orders that she needed. So, we extended the order deadline for another week and got twice as many orders as we had before. She had school the week we did the second half of her orders, so this project became more of mom's than Sarah's once she went back to school. But, we did it again, and Sarah earned all the money she needed to pay her tuition and pay back all the money she owed us from fall coed. In the end, Sarah earned $485, and we made 12 chocolate bunnies, 31 bunny suckers, 32 bags of mints, and 199 peanut-butter filled eggs with 87 of those personalized and decorated. The eggs were kind of my project, so Sarah did most of the other things while I worked on those. I put in a couple of late nights, but I was grateful we didn't get the larger orders like Rachel's project. It was scaled down perfectly for the need and the kid. So, with the money she had in her bank, Sarah is completely out of debt, and a free woman! She paid us back the money for her tuition and the money she owed for coed and still has enough money for camp and some spending cash for EFY. She's also been babysitting a lot, realizing that money is much more valuable to her than before. It was a good learning experience for her, too.

I had a moment of insanity (must have been the lack of sleep) while I was working on Sarah's eggs where I thought about what a wonderful little business this could be for my girls. They could do parties, weddings, holiday treats and do it in their own time, from home. My mom has all sorts of molds and we could find suppliers for the chocolate and molds at wholesale prices...my mind was spinning, thinking of how to market it and what we'd need to do to get it going. (I think my husband has finally converted me to the entrepreneurial way of thinking. It kind of spirals out of control once you get those thoughts in there). It sounded good until the next day when I started thinking about how much of my time would be swallowed up in "helping" them. Maybe if they ever want a stay at home job bad enough, I'll help them again, or, if I get bored and need something to do (hahaha...) once my kids are all in school, I could do it myself. Until then, we'll just keep it to making occasional birthday and holiday treats for the family and remember this wonderful experience with my girls where we worked toward financial goals together while we were up to our eyeballs in chocolate!

Piano Festival 2010

In March, Rachel participated in the annual Idaho Junior Music Federation's Piano Festival again. When we got there, they took her right back so she didn't have much time to psych her self out, or get nervous at all. She sat in a room with a really kind judge, and her teacher took me back to listen to her play at the door. She played beautifully and received an "Superior" rating...and a perfect score (50 out of 50 points)! It was amazing. She told me she thought she messed up a couple of times, and there were some comments for improvement on her score sheet, but the judge was very impressed with her performance. She was called the next day to perform again at the subsequent Honors Recital. I went with her last year, so Steve and my parents went to watch our amazing young pianist. I probably don't have to say it, but we are all so proud of her!

A Brand New Basement Bedroom

The girls' Christmas gift from Santa (and Mom and Dad) this year was new bedspreads and pillows for their bedroom. We also spent days (literally) cleaning out, throwing away, reorganizing and then redecorating the whole thing. The girls threw away and got rid of more than 2/3 of the stuff in their room. I was so proud of them!! They helped paint and Steve put up more trim and new carpet. The carpet was given to us from some good friends. It fit, almost exactly perfect, including the closet, with no seams! Must have been meant to be! I wish I had before pictures to show how awful it was before, but here's proof of how absolutely cute it is now!!

Rachel's bed and wall...

Sarah's bed and wall...

The very organized shelves and closet...

One of the best things about their new look is that they love it so much that they love to hang out there and it is is clean almost all of the time! The clothes only stay on the floor for a few days at a time, and the junk disappears at least every Saturday! I'm so proud of them, and it was a great learning/teaching/relationship building experience for them! It's one of the best things we've could have done for (and with) them! Great job, girls!

Biggest Loser Update: The Wall

Here's an update on my Dixon Girls Biggest Loser challenge...

Five years ago, I lost 28 pounds. I wanted to lose about 37, but I hit a point that I couldn't get past. I called it my wall. For months, I kept at it, trying to break through, but just couldn't get past it. I finally decided that with that weight loss, I would just be happy being that size, and be grateful that I shed the other 28 pounds. ...And, here I am again...

I'm happy to announce that I hit that point again about 4 weeks ago. My weight has been fluctuating right above that since. I've been pretty frustrated because no matter how hard I work out and regardless of what I (don't) eat, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I would really like to lose at least 7 more pounds, and be within the middle of my healthy BMI range. However, my ultimate goal is, of course, to be healthy and have the energy I need to keep up with my kids. I feel like I've already begun to accomplish that one. So, I'm doing okay, just want to figure out how to get past "the wall"!

I recently finished reading Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture (great book!) and pondered some of the things he taught. The one thing that has stuck in my head the most is something he said about brick walls. "...A brick wall isn't there to keep us out. It's there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." So, my brick wall (the point where I quit losing weight over and over again) has become an even greater challenge for me. It's the point where I get to decide HOW BAD I really want to lose those pounds (be a size 10, get in better shape, establish healthier habits...etc.). And I have decided!! I'm going to bust down the wall by working my butt off (literally). And if I can't bust it down, I'm going to use all my new-found energy, and just climb over it!!

Life After the Diagnosis

It's been about 8 months since Bryson was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Some days I can totally forget that there's anything different about him, and think we were hasty in seeking a diagnosis. Other days, I'm so grateful to finally have an explanation and some tools to help us be able to help him through this adventure we call life.

After waiting forever for the doctor to send referrals and get appointments set up for us with therapists, we finally bypassed him and with the help of his nurse, we started some therapy. Bryson went to his first Occupational Therapy appointment in August, the week I was gone to girls camp. Steve took him in and they started the assessment process. His therapist is a cute and sweet girl (probably in her late 20's) named Tonja. It is so fun to watch how she interacts with him. At their first appointment, she told Bryson that she loved his name and when she has a little boy, she wants to name him that. (Her last name is Brown, too.) Bryson beamed. Through the evaluation, we learned that there were some things that she can help us with, mostly related to gross motor skills and building the large muscle groups. She gave us some tips to deal with homework time and some information about Sensory Diet and how to help him with his sensory needs. There is so much to learn. First, we let him go outside and jump on the neighbor's trampoline for about a half hour. She taught us that since he's spent so much time at school trying to focus, he's probably really burned out and needs to use his large muscles to kick his mind back into gear. Through the sensory information, we also discovered some music that he loves to listen to with a steady quick rhythm to keep him going at a reasonable pace.

The miracle occurred after the first week of school, and now homework time isn't nearly the nightmare it was last year. It still requires preparation and focus on my part, but we've made significant strides. I'm not sure if it's the maturity I've seen developing in him, the new desk arrangement for homework time, the "homework helpers" (small reward treats), the beat of his new favorite music, or the exercise prior to homework time, but something (maybe a combination of all of it) has clicked, and he works hard until the chore is done. He works so much more independently and sticks to it until we can sign it all off. I can tell that he's really trying and I tell him almost every day how much I appreciate his hard work and amazing focus.

About 5 weeks ago, we went back to visit the psychologist to talk about some therapy that the pediatrician recommended to help with stress management and relaxation techniques. He refereed us to Renee and we started seeing her, too. She assessed the needs based on his original diagnosis report, and the things I shared with her, and by observing and talking to Bryson. She's already taught him some breathing and relaxation techniques (using sensory reminders) that will help him be more "grounded" and focused for homework time. We haven't had to use them yet, but she taught them to me, too, so we could do them together. She spends time with me (or Steve) alone, or with Bryson, to discuss issues that come up and offer ideas and insight to help us better deal with the hard situations.

At our last session, she taught me the importance of focusing on praising his effort, rather than the whole. We had a situation during that week where I was correcting some of his spelling and the "criticism" was just too much. He shut down. When I got him back and talking to me, he told me that he felt stupid and hated that he makes mistakes. I realized at that moment how damaging my "help" was to him, but was worried also because I don't want him to get his homework back with everything marked wrong. I can see how damaging that could be, too. So, I asked Renee how to help and correct him without criticizing. She told me that in our society we focus on the end result as being "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong" and that for kids like Bryson, he needs to know that each step of the way is a battle he is winning. She suggested that I praise his straight lines, nice handwriting, or the creative sentence and then ask him if he can see something that's not correct in the sentence (or problem). I tried it the next day, and realized how turning it into a game, and having him find the mistakes himself was a much better way to help him learn. I also realized in our discussion that his very literal mind hadn't completely grasped the "rules" or concepts in the assignment. The assignment was to "choose 7 spelling words and write 7 sentences." To you and I, that also includes application of the understood rules of proper grammar, spelling, capitalizaiton, and punctuation in those 7 sentences. Yet, every sentence he wrote started with a lower case letter and had misspelled words (including his chosen spelling words). It's amazing what you can learn when you step outside of the moment and look at things from an AS mind. We approached that and a couple of other issues with his teacher in his IEP meeting.

We had the IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting a week or so ago. We feel so blessed that he is able to attend The Academy, where the environment of the school already addresses much of what Bryson needs. We brought up the thought of giving speific guidelines to each assignment and the teacher agreed that it would probaly help all of her students to have that reminder. We talked about having short-term assignments written out for him to better pace himself with the long-term assignments. His special ed teacher suggested that homework shouldn't take as long as it does, so we also made accommodations for his math homework (when appropriate) to be written out for him, so he can focus on working the problems rather than the transfer of information. He also gets to do his "mad minutes" math facts with flash cards instead of on the paper for the same reasons. We also talked about how note taking is so tedious for him with this stuggle between transfer and processing information and asked that a copy of the teacher's notes be provided so I can help him at home to make sure he has all the right informaiton on his study guides and worksheets. He will also be receiving OT at school once a week to reinforce the activity goals that Tonya has begun.

I'm so excited about the progress we've made, the special alone moments and talks I've had with him driving to and from therapy, and the much-needed help we're getting for him and us. I feel like things are moving at a nice even roll now, and that we have many more tools and resources to help us work through the bumps. He's such a special kid with so much to offer and I love him and his special little self sooo much!

A Bear and Two Arrow Points

After cramming a few family home evenings with "character connections", letter writing, and family outdoor games, a few talks with dad, and a soap carving of a semi-truck, Bryson finished all the requirements for his Bear Award in Cub Scouts! He worked right up until the last possible minute to get it at Pack Meeting a couple of weeks ago. He was so proud! When he dropped his book off at the scout leader's house, he held up his hand for a high-five, and grinned the whole night. He worked really hard and also earned a gold and silver arrow point.

Admiring the Bear and Arrow Point Patches

Pinning on the Mother's Pin
(Good practice for those corsages on Prom Night!)

Bryson and Andrew (a fellow scouter) both received exactly the same awards that night!

He still has a couple of weeks until his birthday and is trying to get at least one more arrow point. I love how cub scouts gives him something to look forward to each week and an opportunity to work toward lots of small goals. The pride he feels when he completes requirements for each of his major awards just shines in his face. It's so good for him, and makes his mom (and dad) so proud! Way to go, Buddy!

I'm A Domestic Goddess...

Okay, maybe that's going a little too far, but I've done some pretty cool domestic-type things this last few months that I'm awfully proud of. You know how when you want to grow up to be a wife and mommy, you plan to be able to do all the cool and amazing things your mom did? Then, you get married and learn that you're also expected to do all the wonderful things your husband's mom did, too? Well, for the first 18 years of marriage, I have hated ironing, almost never (except one disastrous meal and one special recipe) made gravy from meat drippings, failed miserably and gave up on my mother-in-law's "no fail pie crust" recipe, and never made a loaf of bread with my hands, from scratch.

Well, I've decided to call this my Season of Growth in the Homemaking Arena. Since Father's Day, I've made four amazingly flaky and delicious no-fail pie crusts, made chicken gravy from a roasted chicken that even our friend who doesn't like gravy said was wonderful, bottled 12 quarts of peaches (water bath canned) all by myself, made beautiful twin loaves of yummy sourdough bread (from my own sourdough start), bottled 22 quarts of green beans (pressure canned) all by myself, and made a "just right" lemon meringue pie that looked as beautiful as my mom's and caused a great big grin on my husband's face. How's that for developing my talents? I know that He who created me is the one that gave me these hidden abilities, but I'm so excited, I've allowed myself just a few small moments of unrighteous pride...

Oh, yeah. And thanks to those who gave me tips, pointers, encouragement, recipes, and you know, ...helped me!