I took the kids back to St. Louis to Visit Grammy, Pop Pop and Great Nana Betty for Mis Winter Break. We had a wonderful time!
The LAS clan, a blog about our life...
Friday, February 28, 2014
Home
"It is a funny thing coming home. Nothing Changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what has changed is You." -F. Scott Fitzgerald
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Raindrop Macro Photography...
"Anyone that thinks that sunshine is pure happiness has never danced in the rain."
Monday, February 10, 2014
A boat on the water...
A beautiful thing happened to tonight... I had a break through with Luke and it has not been an easy road to get there. Luke is sweet, caring, quiet, strong, easy going and at the same time, very stuck in his ways. Luke learns differently than most because he is high-functioning Autistic. They call Autism a disability but I don't think it is at all. It is just that he learns differently and the traditional schools are not equipped to teach these children with autism. They are visual learners much like the rest of us but have developed a spectrum of other types of issues that impair them and make it harder to learn. It is like trying to listen to an AM radio station with a lot of static. You really have to focus on the words and block out the white noise. Well, the white noise to Luke are his sensory issues (sounds being louder than what you and I hear, colors being brighter, touch being more sensitive, taste being stronger, etc), his general and social anxiety, and his overactive mind distracting him (ADD.)
When I decided I wanted to be a Mom, I didn't know that being a Mom would mean I had to become a master of time and people management, that I would have to multitask more than my previous "job" in sales at Dell, and that I would need to become an honest to god, teacher. I knew I would need to teach life lessons and basics but not have to have practically a teaching degree! The playdates, socialization, and everyday life come easy, but the rest do not. When you give birth to a child, you think you are the one that will be teaching them about the world, but little do you know, that they will teaching you about the world.
The more podcasts I listen to, articles and books I read and most importantly, time I spend with Luke, listening, watching and learning..... I have realized that if he is going to learn quickly, it needs to be visual and not auditory. For the first half of this school year, I trusted that the his wonderful teachers and Speech therapists would teach him. Well they do a wonderful job of teaching and Luke has learned since he started school in September but he is not getting it as quickly as Steve and I would of hoped. He is still having a hard time reading and his lack of focus and social anxieties is holding him back in math and other subjects . The good news is that he gets math, the bad news is that unless he tunes out all of the "noise," he can't get it done correctly.
So this is where all of my extra hours of learning and researching how to teach are paying off.... and not only that, where I really need to put into action what I have learned if I want to make a difference. They say "your life is a result of the choices you make..." I have learned that it is my job as his parent to understand his challenges and show him how to do it.... and not only that, make it fun! This past month I have introduced to Luke to a lot of things. We have listened to guided meditations which has taught him how to sort through and talk about some of "the pictures in the head." We have done breathing exercises to calm him and get his mind off of his anxieties for the moment. We have created a "mind map" as a way of learning instead of boring old black text on white paper. I have showed him how to create the things he has seen of TV or seen someone else do and been afraid to try. I have taught him what HE needs to do in order to focus and learn. Everyone learns differently and I am trying to become an expert so I can help Luke gain the wisdom he needs to become successful in school and life.
Tonight, as he was complaining about the homework he needed to do, I brought him up to his room. Being positive and telling him how much I love spending that alone time with him, and trying not think about how grumpy he was being. He is always like this around homework time and I don't blame him! I would not like to do homework either if it was hard to focus and I didn't understand any of the directions or word on the papers. I have ADD and learning disabilities too, I UNDERSTAND what he is going through.... I get it. But like I said, they are not disibilities, they are just different ways of learning. If I use my so called "disabilities" as a crutch or an excuse, I would never accomplish anything. Instead, I just spent some time learning and thinking about what I learned and then combined it with experience and many years of that.... over and over.... still learning to this day...reading, researching, listening, experiencing, applying my knowledge, reevaluating... And now, teaching to Luke, by EXPERIENCE most importantly and analogies so he can visualize what he hears. My little genius of a son said to me tonight after he we finished homework when we were discussing the meaning of what focus really is, "Mommy, it is like I am on a boat in the middle of the water and I have this paper in my hands. This paper is my homework. If I stop looking at the paper, it flies away [in the wind] but if I look at it again it will appear." I was so proud when he said that because i knew that he was hearing my words and applying his knowledge in his own way. And that is learning!!!!
This is just the beginning for me. I still have so much more to uncover, observe, learn and teach. I love being a Mommy. There are hard, frustrating days but it is moments like these that I remind myself about to keep me persevering through. I am so happy and grateful for my 3 little miracles.... they and Steve have helped me find purpose, eternal love and happiness, spiritualness, and gratitude in my life. I can't wait to see what new things are in store for us tomorrow....
When I decided I wanted to be a Mom, I didn't know that being a Mom would mean I had to become a master of time and people management, that I would have to multitask more than my previous "job" in sales at Dell, and that I would need to become an honest to god, teacher. I knew I would need to teach life lessons and basics but not have to have practically a teaching degree! The playdates, socialization, and everyday life come easy, but the rest do not. When you give birth to a child, you think you are the one that will be teaching them about the world, but little do you know, that they will teaching you about the world.
The more podcasts I listen to, articles and books I read and most importantly, time I spend with Luke, listening, watching and learning..... I have realized that if he is going to learn quickly, it needs to be visual and not auditory. For the first half of this school year, I trusted that the his wonderful teachers and Speech therapists would teach him. Well they do a wonderful job of teaching and Luke has learned since he started school in September but he is not getting it as quickly as Steve and I would of hoped. He is still having a hard time reading and his lack of focus and social anxieties is holding him back in math and other subjects . The good news is that he gets math, the bad news is that unless he tunes out all of the "noise," he can't get it done correctly.
So this is where all of my extra hours of learning and researching how to teach are paying off.... and not only that, where I really need to put into action what I have learned if I want to make a difference. They say "your life is a result of the choices you make..." I have learned that it is my job as his parent to understand his challenges and show him how to do it.... and not only that, make it fun! This past month I have introduced to Luke to a lot of things. We have listened to guided meditations which has taught him how to sort through and talk about some of "the pictures in the head." We have done breathing exercises to calm him and get his mind off of his anxieties for the moment. We have created a "mind map" as a way of learning instead of boring old black text on white paper. I have showed him how to create the things he has seen of TV or seen someone else do and been afraid to try. I have taught him what HE needs to do in order to focus and learn. Everyone learns differently and I am trying to become an expert so I can help Luke gain the wisdom he needs to become successful in school and life.
Tonight, as he was complaining about the homework he needed to do, I brought him up to his room. Being positive and telling him how much I love spending that alone time with him, and trying not think about how grumpy he was being. He is always like this around homework time and I don't blame him! I would not like to do homework either if it was hard to focus and I didn't understand any of the directions or word on the papers. I have ADD and learning disabilities too, I UNDERSTAND what he is going through.... I get it. But like I said, they are not disibilities, they are just different ways of learning. If I use my so called "disabilities" as a crutch or an excuse, I would never accomplish anything. Instead, I just spent some time learning and thinking about what I learned and then combined it with experience and many years of that.... over and over.... still learning to this day...reading, researching, listening, experiencing, applying my knowledge, reevaluating... And now, teaching to Luke, by EXPERIENCE most importantly and analogies so he can visualize what he hears. My little genius of a son said to me tonight after he we finished homework when we were discussing the meaning of what focus really is, "Mommy, it is like I am on a boat in the middle of the water and I have this paper in my hands. This paper is my homework. If I stop looking at the paper, it flies away [in the wind] but if I look at it again it will appear." I was so proud when he said that because i knew that he was hearing my words and applying his knowledge in his own way. And that is learning!!!!
This is just the beginning for me. I still have so much more to uncover, observe, learn and teach. I love being a Mommy. There are hard, frustrating days but it is moments like these that I remind myself about to keep me persevering through. I am so happy and grateful for my 3 little miracles.... they and Steve have helped me find purpose, eternal love and happiness, spiritualness, and gratitude in my life. I can't wait to see what new things are in store for us tomorrow....
Sunday, February 9, 2014
SNOWDAY!
It started snowing last night right after the kids went to bed. I was so excited for them to wake up and see the surprise! I love the way the snow illuminates darkness of night. Usually when we look out our back windows at night, all we see is black or our reflection. Not last night... we looked out at a beautiful blanket of snow. And this morning at 6:30 when it was still pitch black outside, the kids woke up and saw snow!!
What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday? I thank God for my children and family everyday!
So funny.... she smashed up her face to the window while she watched Daddy build an igloo with Lukre and Ava.
What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday? I thank God for my children and family everyday!
So funny.... she smashed up her face to the window while she watched Daddy build an igloo with Lukre and Ava.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Art...
I have been turning to the arts lately in my spare time. Drawing, painting, reading, learning about everything I can, and meditating. It's amazing how using your right side of the brain will give you the wisdom you need to find such great peace in your life. And now my job as a Mommy is to teach my children through my example, to find their talents, their confidence, their peace within. Not to tell them them how to do it, but to be the example that they need to grow, flourish and discover their own uniqueness and beauty within. Such an amazing quote.... "It's not a parents responsibility to have godly children, it's a parents responsibility to make sure their children have godly parents." Proverbs 22:6.
I can really relate to Ava through her artistic ability. She takes out the our carousel of crayons everyday and we have a whole cabinet devoted to art supplies. Personally, I have always love to draw and create beautiful and tangible creations. Art is a gift of patience and it surely takes time (and learning) to develop into the artist that you want to be. I have watched Ava go through some of these stages, but I remind myself of the above and constantly remind her, Luke and Sydney that there is no such thing as making a mistake in art. You can always go back and rework it to make it appear as you would like. It is their "fear" of messing up that keeps them from creating. But I encourage it.... that is all I can do. Pablo Picasso once said "Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up." Coincidentally he is one of my favorite artists. I think what he is referring to in this quote is that when you are an adult, you know what looks real and what doesn't. For some reason, we believe everything needs to look realistic. Not for a child, they just do things without thinking... and when it comes to art, that is a beautiful thing because it is just creating.... making beautiful things.... And who cares if it is right? I have been working on these, "child guided drawings" with Ava and I love them. It is every bit enjoyable for me as it is for her. I call it child guided because I draw whatever she wants me to draw, anywhere on the page. I have this unspoken rule with myself that I just do what she says without arguing why it isn't correct. This makes such beautiful pictures of a child's imagination. And it is truly a gift to have your child be able to envision what they want on paper. I know from trying to encourage Luke that this wildly vivid imagination doesn't always translate to a visualization of how a child wants it to look on paper. This is a gift and I treasure this within Ava and I am excited for the day that Luke (and Sydney) too will find the patience within to sit there with me to create an image on paper of what he see's in his imagination.
Note to self and for my kiddos...
"A bird sitting on a branch is never afraid of the of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch, but on her own wings." Always believe in yourself...
I can really relate to Ava through her artistic ability. She takes out the our carousel of crayons everyday and we have a whole cabinet devoted to art supplies. Personally, I have always love to draw and create beautiful and tangible creations. Art is a gift of patience and it surely takes time (and learning) to develop into the artist that you want to be. I have watched Ava go through some of these stages, but I remind myself of the above and constantly remind her, Luke and Sydney that there is no such thing as making a mistake in art. You can always go back and rework it to make it appear as you would like. It is their "fear" of messing up that keeps them from creating. But I encourage it.... that is all I can do. Pablo Picasso once said "Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up." Coincidentally he is one of my favorite artists. I think what he is referring to in this quote is that when you are an adult, you know what looks real and what doesn't. For some reason, we believe everything needs to look realistic. Not for a child, they just do things without thinking... and when it comes to art, that is a beautiful thing because it is just creating.... making beautiful things.... And who cares if it is right? I have been working on these, "child guided drawings" with Ava and I love them. It is every bit enjoyable for me as it is for her. I call it child guided because I draw whatever she wants me to draw, anywhere on the page. I have this unspoken rule with myself that I just do what she says without arguing why it isn't correct. This makes such beautiful pictures of a child's imagination. And it is truly a gift to have your child be able to envision what they want on paper. I know from trying to encourage Luke that this wildly vivid imagination doesn't always translate to a visualization of how a child wants it to look on paper. This is a gift and I treasure this within Ava and I am excited for the day that Luke (and Sydney) too will find the patience within to sit there with me to create an image on paper of what he see's in his imagination.
Note to self and for my kiddos...
"A bird sitting on a branch is never afraid of the of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch, but on her own wings." Always believe in yourself...
Monday, February 3, 2014
SIlly Girls
These girls love each other so much! They are a lot of work when they are together but fun to watch!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
My funny bunnies...
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Being Vulnerable....
What I love so much about photography is how real it is, especially these days. You take a picture and you have such a crisp depiction of the subject. I love light, especially the light of the outdoors because it is so bright, even when diffused through the clouds. You can really see everything on the face of your flawless child. Their skin really is that perfect. Their sweet little faces change so quickly and it is my job as their mommy who loves photography to capture them in the moment. Lucky for them, they have all of this recorded in such detail so that someday they can look back with their children and really see the similarities and differences. It is the combination of these two things that makes them so unique and beautiful. Not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. We see aspects of ourselves that we can relate to as parents, and then we see and deal with things that are completely new to us as parents. This is the gift that God gave us in our children..... learn to be vulnerable and to not feel as though we need to be perfect. Just be.... the person we are and strive the be the best versions of ourselves. Strive to be "real" even if that doesn't look so pretty to our children and most importantly be the person that we want our children to be.
As I forever pass this blog onto my children, I want them to know these things because as long as I am around, I want to be their teacher but also can't wait to see what I have in store to learn from them.
For this Mommy being real means, laughing at myself and not taking myself too seriously, empathetic but strong, vulnerable and real. I strive to be accepting and open of their talents whether I can relate to them or not. I seek understanding and practice patience to get there. I have always thought that raising my kids will get easier as they get older. Lately, I have been tested... I am learning that certain age related things get easier by default but as their brains and needs mature, they need Steve and I more than ever to be their patient teachers. It is less a physical feat to take care of them and more a psychological challenge. Be confident and believe in myself is what I intend to do and I am committing to make sure most importantly, to take care of myself, my body, my spirituality.... and the rest will just fall into place.
I love being a mommy to my 3 extraordinary kids who are teaching me new things about themselves and MYSELF everyday. God gave me such special and complex gifts!
The eyes are the windows to the souls and I love to capture that!
Monday, January 13, 2014
New Year's Eve 2013
Blessed to have spent New Years with nana lass, Greg and April and Of Course Steve. It was low key but fun!
Cheers to a good but hard year. Cheers to a healthy family and an HSP free Luke! Cheers to getting some diagnosis' for Luke and starting our journey to overcoming his learning, social and sensory challenges. Cheers to him learning to read and excelling in math. Cheers to Luke's amazing visual memory.... His superpower. Cheers to Ava for such maturity this year... she really is the best big sis to Sydney and best lil sis to Luke.... My leader. Cheers to her for finding her artistic confidence and excelling in that and writing! She amazes me every day. Cheers to Ava for no more training wheels and moving up a level or 2 in gymnastics! Cheers to Sydney for learning to talk in sentences this year! She has really turned a lot of corners and is just the cutest little 3 year old I know! Cheers to her for moving back in her bed, and cheers to her Sass, confidence, and passion. Cheers to our sweet little Graycie and of course Mr. PJ. Cheers to yoga, for finding new artistic hobbies, my longest and fastest runs ever, inner peace, and an amazing first year in our new home. Cheers To Stevo for overcoming a challenging year in work and keeping his head up high. Cheers to us for being together for half of lives.... 18 years! I can't wait to see what growth we all have to look forward to in 2014.
Happy 37th bday to mommy
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Christmas 2013
What a special Christmas we had this year... the first year in our new home. Nana visited us for a little over 2 weeks and Greg, April and Gavin were here for a week. We had so much fun that the time flew by way too fast! We really felt blessed this year for the good health of our family and we were mostly just so fortunate to have the opportunity to spend precious time together.
Santa was too kind this year! He brought Sydney and Ava a power wheels dune buggy, the "Green Machine." Luke got his very own motorized motorcycle that Ava and Mommy like to borrow a lot. They received razor scooters as well. Sydney received her very own big girl, American girl from Nana that she loves. Ava received many crafty things. Luke got the Leap Pad 2 along with some movies, skylanders, mine craft blocks and many other fun Luke kind of toys. The girls both received veterinarian and doctor play outfits and the Melissa and Doug barn and show horses.
We spent a whole afternoon before Christmas decorating cookies. We went to the zoo with April and Gavin, spent the day downtown at the Space Needle and the Chihuly museum and brought Greg, April and Gavin to Richmond Beach. The kids all played together great!
We ran out of time to go sit on Santa's lap at the mall but we did spend some time with him at Redhook Brewery. Here are a few pictures, more to come soon of all of the festivities.
This was the first time I ever tried to "flood" the icing on the cookies! I enjoyed doing it!
Santa was too kind this year! He brought Sydney and Ava a power wheels dune buggy, the "Green Machine." Luke got his very own motorized motorcycle that Ava and Mommy like to borrow a lot. They received razor scooters as well. Sydney received her very own big girl, American girl from Nana that she loves. Ava received many crafty things. Luke got the Leap Pad 2 along with some movies, skylanders, mine craft blocks and many other fun Luke kind of toys. The girls both received veterinarian and doctor play outfits and the Melissa and Doug barn and show horses.
We spent a whole afternoon before Christmas decorating cookies. We went to the zoo with April and Gavin, spent the day downtown at the Space Needle and the Chihuly museum and brought Greg, April and Gavin to Richmond Beach. The kids all played together great!
We ran out of time to go sit on Santa's lap at the mall but we did spend some time with him at Redhook Brewery. Here are a few pictures, more to come soon of all of the festivities.
This was the first time I ever tried to "flood" the icing on the cookies! I enjoyed doing it!
my special ornament made by Sydney :)
The Nutcracker
This Christmas Eve, I surprised the kids, Nana and Steve with tickets to the Pacific NW Ballet's production of the Nutcracker. Luke was especially excited because because they were talking a lot about the Nutcracker in his music class this year. The kids did a great job staying in their seats for the whole musical. The dancers were all so talented.
Friday, January 3, 2014
My art on imagekind...
As the new Year begins, I will have more time to focus on artwork. I am uploading images as I have time to work on them to image kind. This is the site where you anyone can buy prints. Go to the link below to check out more :)
The kids are excited that people can buy Mommy's photos and art. Ava and I drew a picture together that I had printed on photo luster paper and is hanging in her room. She picked out the fancy frame and is so proud of it.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Fun with my new lens....
Steve bought me a new macro lens for Christmas! My other one broke a few months ago so I have been really missing it!
Here are some of my favorite people <3
Here are some of my favorite people <3
Friday, December 20, 2013
First snow day in 2 years!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Ava's 5th Birthday Party...
We had a very small and special gathering at American Girl last Wed, the 11th after Luke got out of town. Ava's closest friends were there.... Nicolas, Pea, Addee and siblings. Of course Luke, Daddy and Sydney were there as well! Ava got her wish come true as she was able to spend to a Gift card from Nana and extra birthday money from her Aunt Gloria at the American Girl store. She picked out the biggest horse she could find and a sled dog. Nicolas gave her american doll the matching Christmas dress that Ava has this year, Pea gave her an AG kitty and pajamas for her doll. Addee gave her a Monster High Doll. She was thankful and grateful for her wonderful gifts and to have such great friends!
Luke took this picture!
Fun with my new fisheye lens!
All Shy because she didn't want to be sang to :)
LUKE ATE HIS WHOLE SUNDAE!
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