Hey everyone!

Long time...long update...

Been a super week, kids were on spring break. We had a blast visiting family, friends, bonfires, too much pizza and junk food, and my fav kicking back and relaxing. BTW...motel 6 not only takes dogs for free, but wow what an improvement! Loved it.

Highlight of family visit...a three year old cousin ate so many Easter eggs he got sick. Seriously, I've never seen so much vomit come out of a kid in my life. Vince was totally grossed out, he said "I'm going to get a German Shepard first, then think about kids, maybe" hee hee.

Can't remember if I mentioned it already, but I have a pt job now, love it loooooooove it. Basically, helping a high schooler with autism get ready/to school. Works perfectly, cause of my kids different school start time.

The kids are doing GREAT. This neighborhood kid that has loathed Vince for the longest finally spoke and hung out with him. It was awesome, Vince was across the street playing with his cars, four girls approached him, they talked some, and Vince did not get too wild or impulsive or pushy. He spoke to them, then got on with playing with his cars instead of being so happy to have potential playmates he gets drunken frat boy obnoxious and drives them away. He gave them proper distance, didn't crowd, I'd have never known he was autistic from the distance. The boy who had loathed him for years eventually entered the scene. They all did some chasing and tag....again, Vince was great, when Vince tagged he didn't knock anyone into tomorrow using his Shrek strength. He was actually gentle. It was all so 'typical' which for me translates into 'miracle'.

When Vince came home (unaware I watch) he said, "That one boy finally wants to be my friend...but I think he was just trying to get a piece of my action with the chicks." Baawawaaa!!!! Talk about reading another persons perspective! It was awesome...and he was probably right too. That was THE FIRST time I can ever recall such long interaction and with so many kids where I didn't have to bolt across the street and intervene, apologize profusely, deal with angry parents, cops, etc.... Could the demon depakote actually be the right thing to have done? Time will tell.

Carmen is in a play and choir, continues loving school, loving learning, loving reading, despite her dyslexia impacting it all so much. He case manager is just the best, makes my life lovely cause she makes Carmen's life lovely. She's still not boy crazy, thank God. But today confessed she feels like some kind of wierdo, everyone at school has friends to go places and do things with, but she goes everywhere with me. I mean, she's right. She has a few friends, but, basically I am her best friend - makes her feel like a loser. I don't blame her. She's nt all the way, but raised by a mom with aspergers and a brother with autism, hardly an environment to nurture social skills. Not down on myself, I'm just stating fact, I gave her such bad examples of what to think and feel and do socially. She's very all or nothing, her way or their way, not much collaborative ability. She can't or won't play 'the game', if she like you she shows it, if she doesn't like you she doesn't care what your 'social rank' she lets you know you're an ****. Her best friends are mostly the adults in her life, including her wonderful case manager.

I'm just glad she has a mom and dad to come to, to talk about her feelings. Plenty of kids (me and dh included) never had even that. She'll be fine, but it sure hurts to see her hurting. Hurts me to know I didn't pass on by example how to handle social situations, again just stating fact, not putting myself down, I was the best mom I knew how to be. She's not as incapacitated as say LaToya Jackson (nothing personal, only name I could think of). Maybe with Vince doing so well finally, I can give her more attention...at least I know what she needs, RDI spells it out weather nt or asd. Whew. Finally a guide on how to raise kids...shoulda had it from the beginning!

I'm doing super cause dh has been such a darn great guy for quite a long time now (no jeckle/hyde thing). He's doing super cause I'm not mad at him.

I've had the birds back for 4 days (the vet and I arranged for them to live there). For some reason they didn't flourish there, I can see the difference in how their thriving here at home. Funny how 10 birds can seem so natural in our home, like they never left. Vince and I will have to build a sturdy outdoor aviary for the summer up on our deck, by the window under the eave. It'll be fun!

The turtles are in their outdoor pen (a 25 sq. foot area under the wooden swing set). We'll plant the usual greens for them to graze on all summer.

Visited our 5 goldfish in the zoo pond today...had trouble figuring out which were ours. The pond is huge (150 feet across?) has lots of fish.

Rat is fine.

Dogs are fine...one got his teeth cleaned finally...holy cow that was expensive! He's a teeny guy, his teeth were a mess, poor fella. All better now.

I'm pooped, it's way too late! The left side of my chest has been achy/tight for a good week now. No weird heart palpitations or anything, so not my prolapsed heart valve (which I take meds for anyhow so hasn't been a problem for over a decade). I wouldn't call it pain. Anyhow, just posting cause in my superstitious mind it'll turn out to be nothing if I post, then I can feel dumb for saying anything, but be fine.