Seven Random Things

Amy tagged me to do this and sometimes I do these and sometimes I don't. I didn't have anything else really to blog about today so I'm doing it!

Here are seven random facts about me.

1. This week I've already mentioned that even though I grew up on a horse ranch I'm afraid of horses (and goats). From the comments, I've realized that I'm not alone!

2. I love Neil Diamond. Did you read that post? You should. Then you'll really know how much I love Neil.

3. We went to see Blades of Glory this week and my favorite line from there was, "That was so Cirque de So LAME." I laugh every time I hear that. My sense of humor is not very refined.

4. This post is #717. That's random and has TWO sevens! That should be in this list. I've been blogging for since November 2004.

5. I've had a party every year since 01/01/01 on the date that repeats (02/02/02, 03/03/03, etc...). This year it will be on 07/07/07! I'm thinking Karaoke Revolution, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution. Wanna come?

6. I broke my butt in December and I'm still feeling the effects. Julie warned me but I thought it wouldn't bother me so much by now!

7. If I had a choice between eating a hershey bar or a cucumber, I'd pick the cucumber every time. I love them. If the choice was between a cucumber and pizza...I'd have to think about it for a while.

And now I tag seven people. If you decide to do this, I'd love to read what you write. I'm choosing people that I don't necessarily know a lot of random things about.

Kayli Deanna Julie
Ginger Joanne
Maren Christina

Seven Random Things

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/seven-random-things.html

Cute Stuff

I'm pretty sure I'm going to look really cute in this. It's reserved because she's custom making me another one and I'm going to buy them at the same time to save on shipping. The custom one is going to use fabric #36.

I think I may have to rethink my stance on sewing and maybe take it up as another hobby.

There are so many cute things I could make. I guess maybe I should find myself a sewing machine. While I'm at it I should probably find myself some time to use it. And, some time to finish projects I have going from my other hobbies.

Looks like I may just stick with getting my cute sewn items from etsy.

Cute Stuff

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/cute-stuff.html

Dreaming of Vegas

I had a dream last night about my upcoming Vegas trip. Here's what I remember about it.

Mary, Megan and I arrived at the Las Vegas Airport and took a shuttle to our hotel. The airport was really, really small and right in the middle of the Strip. Our shuttle driver got lost and was going around some loop over and over. Mary got him to give us our shuttle trip for free and he finally deposited us at our hotel. We were so excited to be on our girls weekend! At around 7pm that first night we started thinking about what we might want to do. Then, we realized we had tickets to Celine and we were going to be late! How could we forget about Celine?

Then, I woke up.

*I hope this doesn't happen for real*

18 more days.

Dreaming of Vegas

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/dreaming-of-vegas.html

Blog Worthy

There are so many things I could blog about today!

1. Last night's party

It was really fun although I had a mini-breakdown at about 5:15pm. The party started at 6pm. Carl still wasn't home by 5:15pm (this was expected) and I was trying to get some last minute stuff done (chopping onions, taking out the trash, etc...) and Caleb and Eva decided it was a good time to go outside. They "escaped" (I heard them go out and figured it was okay) but then Caleb turned on the water. I went down to shut it off but the area was so muddy! He was wearing my shoes so I had to go out there in my super cute new flats (I'm so trendy...actually I'm probably a season too late--I should be wearing wedges, right?). Back to the story. My shoes got muddy. Caleb flipped out. He pushed Eva down into the mud. Caleb fell into the mud. Luckily, my shoes were my only mud related casualty. This wouldn't have been too horrible if I hadn't just spent 45 minutes wrangling them to get them into clean clothes and fix Eva's hair.

Carl got home around 5:30pm and the first guests showed up at 5:45pm. This was okay because we had done about as much as we were going to be able to by that time and everything went well. The food got grilled. The weather was perfect.

We ate some great food and then played Karaoke Revolution. Four out of seven students sang. Fun times. Caleb performed, "I Got You Babe" and "Beat It".

I gave Kim, the graduate, a "N" sweater ornament. She's on her way to San Jose for the job of her dreams.

2. The Kentucky Derby

I've spent more time around horse racing than the average person, I would say. My dad and grandpa have been in the business for a long time. I grew up on a horse rance. I can see how some kids would have LOVED to live around all the animals and be on a ranch. I certainly enjoyed some of the perks..."riding" on the horse walker, biking down the ramp leading up to the dump truck, building forts in the hay. But I could definitely do without the smell, the dirt, and the scary horses. Yep, I'm scared of horses. I've been hurt too many times. We won't even go into my fear of goats.

You may be asking yourself why I would bother blogging about the Kentucky Derby if I don't even like horses?

I have a healthy respect for horses. I realize that it is because of horses that I had clothes on my back and food to eat. I have good memories of the race track. Our family had a box at Santa Anita (where we did most of our racing during the childhood years I remember most). It was right by Vic Tayback. He would always tell us to "Stow it!". Anyway, Lisa and I would pick our horses and bet on them (using pennies). Sometimes my grandma would get us a real ticket and we got to keep the money. My dad and grandpa never bet. I guess when your whole job is kind of a gamble, it isn't that exciting...or worth it (it never really is, though).

This is a lot of back story. I really just want to tell you about my scientific way of picking winners. Here is a link to the horses. First, I look at the odds. I rule out anyone with crazy odds (the biggest numbers). I usually rule out those with the best odds. Sometimes I'll look at their race history to see if they've had a lot of showings (top 3 finishes, mainly). From here I usually have a group of 2-3 horses that I'll choose from. The name of the horse is a factor. It has to be catchy. It should "speak" to you. Sometimes I would pick a horse based solely on the name. Then, I look at the silks. If they are good colors or have a nice design, they move up a notch in my mind. I also have to look at the horse. If the horse is a pretty color, I've made up my mind. That's the one.

Want my pick for today?

Hard Spun.


3. Cinco de mayo

I don't need another reason to celebrate my love for all things Mexican. However I feel it is my duty, as a former Spanish teacher and in my role as Sra. Nelson, to tell you that Cinco de mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day (Sept. 16th). In fact, in most parts of Mexico el cinco de mayo is just another day. It commemorates the Battle of Puebla where the Mexicans kicked butt over the French. I served my mission in Mexico (Guadalajara) and Carl served his in France (Paris). We find this mildly amusing (probably I do more than Carl).

4. Paris Hilton

Never mind. Not really blog worthy.

5. Knitting Group

I have knitting group today and I just wanted to let you all know of Hokie Healing. Here in Lincoln, Julie is organizing a mass mailing of squares but she lists the information so if there are other knitters that want to join in, you will be able to.

Have a happy weekend!

Blog Worthy

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-worthy.html

Preparations

Tonight we are having an end of the year party for Carl's students. One of his students just got her Master's degree so it is pretty special. He's even dressing up in his formal Dr.-wear to attend graduation ceremonies tomorrow.

Party preparations take a lot out of me and considering the lack luster job I do most of the time, I don't know why. Wait. Yes, I do. It is because I always have grand visions of what to do, what I'd like to make, how I'd like to decorate, etc... and what ends up happening is we get the house barely acceptable and I make ready to bake cookies.

In preparation for tonight I have been cleaning up the downstairs. This gets avoided many times because if we have adults over we try to go upstairs in the more "civilized" part of our home. But, we are going to congregate downstairs tonight so it needed a little TLC. Last night Carl and I did a toy inventory. The toy box had been overflowing for some time now. We kept only the favorites. The toy box will close now. This morning I'm going to tackle the piles of yarn strewn about down there.

If I'm going to get the rest of the house clean and the food made before tonight I'm going to have to take the kids to the sitter's house for a few hours this afternoon. Guess I better get started.

What are you doing today?

Preparations

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/preparations.html

Boast Post

Dr. Carl is a genius. I know a lot of you already know this, but it is so true. He was a National Merit Scholar, he got straight A's all through high school AND undergrad AND grad school. I've only seen him stressed about school a few times. Now Carl is a professor. He works with a lot of other geniuses. I see him a little more concerned than normal. He is getting gray hair (which I think is totally attractive on him). Getting tenure is important and he's starting to feel the pressure. He's been here almost two years and has had little luck securing a noteworthy grant. Until this week. That's right, folks. Carl's trip to D.C last month paid off. He's still got a way to go toward getting tenure but I saw some weight taken off his shoulders this week. I couldn't be more proud.

Boast Post

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/boast-post.html

I CAN SEE!

I picked out some new frames and here they are! They are DKNY and weren't ones that I had chosen in my pre-shopping trip. It came down to these and the #2 frames from my previous post. I didn't go with the Adrienne Vittadini titanium frames because their sides were not hinged like these DKNY ones and that is what I have the most problem with when Caleb rips them off of my face. Hopefully these will keep their shape better and work for me for a while. They did bend back my other ones so I have a backup pair now.
While I was waiting for my pictures I had to browse the mall. I had a few bras that I bought for my birthday that I had to exchange at Lane Bryant, a friend to big girls everywhere. Underwire is not my friend. They were fine when I tried them on but when I wore them in real life and had to move and sit down and stuff, the underwire was digging into my side. So, I returned those (they were nice to take back the one that I wore for a few hours and ended up hating) and got a few other ones that are more comfy. I also took advantage of a sale and got some shorts and capris. These are the perfect length for me and I bought two pair (khaki and black).

I also bought two pair of these denim capris. The ones I got are a little darker denim and not so faded. I love these pictures on the mannequin legs because I can imagine my legs are just as white.

It was a perfect end to a kind of rotten day.

I CAN SEE!

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-can-see.html

Glasses

These past few days have been rough around here and my glasses have taken a beating from which they will not recover. I am preparing for an afternoon trip to my local LensCrafters for a replacement. Care to opine on which frames I should get?

I've included the descriptions from the website. The prices shouldn't be too big of a deal. We have really good eye insurance and this will be my first (and hopefully only) pair for the year.

1.

Adrienne Vittadini

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Check out these stylish frames I found at LensCrafters.com.

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Adrienne Vittadini AV6040" type="hidden">

Sleek metal, tailored styling and a fun silhouette make these Adrienne Vittadini eyeglasses great for work and play. The cat-eye shape helps balance a narrow jaw line so they're perfect for style mavens with heart-shaped faces.

Price: $149.95

2.

Adrienne Vittadini

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Check out these stylish frames I found at LensCrafters.com.

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Adrienne Vittadini AV8006" type="hidden">

A sleek titanium profile, unique almond shape and subtle details combine to create a sophisticated frame by

Adrienne Vittadini.

Price: $179.95

3.

D&G

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Check out these stylish frames I found at LensCrafters.com.

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D&G DD1105" type="hidden">

Featuring a smart rectangular shape and sleek D&G logo, these plastic frames are both hip and sophisticated.

Price: $179.95

4.

Prada

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Check out these stylish frames I found at LensCrafters.com.

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Prada VPR61G" type="hidden">

With a sleek metal front and colorful plastic temples, this metal/plastic duo frame by Prada combines the best of both materials. The frame's striking rectangular shape is destined to get you some extra attention.

Price: $255.00

5.

Vogue

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Check out these stylish frames I found at LensCrafters.com.

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Vogue VOGUE3505" type="hidden">

The slender lines and sleek metal of this Vogue frame will take you from the conference room to after-work cocktails in style. The rectangle shape adds angles and definition to round faces.

Price: $139.95

Glasses

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/glasses.html

My Thoughts

Cjane beat me to the punch. She said almost everything I was thinking in her post on Segullah.

Here are a few other things for your consideration:

• While I realize this is a documentary and not a film made by the church, I thought it was lacking in the doctrine and focused too much on other things like the Mountain Meadows Massacre and "Mormon Fundamentalists". I don't think these topics should have been left out, I just think that for the majority of members of the church these things have very little to do with our testimonies.
  
• I would have liked to see more focus on The Book of Mormon.
  
• Feminism: I think this section was very one-sided. I don't feel abused or like a second-class citizen because I don't have the priesthood. Frankly, I think most men in the church realize that they wouldn't be able to successfully lead and organize themselves without us.
  
• Missionary work--anyone else think that Tal Bachman was exaggerating a little bit about his mission experience in Argentina? People serve (or don't serve) their missions for many reasons. There probably are a lot of young men that go out because that is what is expected of them. I served a mission to Mexico and I can honestly say I had some of the greatest experiences of my life. It is rigorous and exhilirating and I don't anticipate having an opportunity to focus 100% on spirituality like that in my life again. I had to laugh at the clips they showed of missionaries doing some street contacting.
  

On being a Mormon:

I can't remember where I was but I heard someone say that the reason they choose a church is to go where their friends attend. I'm lucky that I have found many friends through my association with the LDS church, but that is certainly not the reason I attend. I believe in God. I believe He appeared to Joseph Smith. I believe Jesus is the Christ and that he was resurrected and lives. I believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I have had experiences in my life that would make it near impossible for me to deny these things. So, I don't. I'm not perfect. Not even close. But, I try.

Shall we discuss? What did all of you think about the documentary?

My Thoughts

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-thoughts.html

Celebrate Mom!

I don't think I'm particularly cool, but I am a mom so I feel qualified to spread the word about the Cool Mom Picks Mother's Day Guide.

The chances of Dr. Carl, the frugal, of getting me something from this guide are pretty slim (that's okay, I'm going to VEGAS!), I love seeing all the great ideas. I especially love the charms at Little Jules. They are even offereing generous discounts on many of the item listed.

Maybe you should send your husband the link. Now.

Celebrate Mom!

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/05/celebrate-mom.html

ANNOYED!!!!

Tomorrow we have the final election for mayor here in the fine city of Lincoln, Nebraska. I had pretty much made up my mind who I was going to vote for and then today my decision was confirmed.

I got SIX phone calls today (4 canned, 2 from people that could barely read what they were supposed to say) from one candidate (CB) telling me about how horrible the other candidate (KS) is for running a negative campaign. I don't watch commercials so I truly didn't know whether or not either of them had run a negative campaign. Now I know but I could care less. Anybody that is going to disrupt my day like this has got to go down. Policies schmolicies. He's not getting my vote.

ANNOYED!!!!

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/annoyed.html

The End...Or is it?

What a month it has been. I spent most of it hyper focused on the world of autism with a little bit of birthday fun thrown in the mix. I'm grateful for all the support I received for my fundraiser and also just the emotional support that was given to me through your comments.

*MUCH APPRECIATED!*

As of the writing of this post we are only $70 away from my goal of $300. If we don't reach $300 by the end of the day, that's okay. I'm amazed at what we were able to accomplish because truthfully, I would have been over the moon just to raise $100 and we definitely surpassed that! Don't let this keep you from donating if you've been waiting! By all means, do it!

I'm doing one last drawing and it is for another one of these:

The winner is Anne! Anne, contact me via email with your mailing address and I'll get this sent out to you. I've got so much mailing to do...I've set a goal for Wednesday to mail out what is left of the orders and also Gigi's prize (I've moved the sweater to where I see it everyday and can feel shame and guilt for not finishing it sooner).

So, we've come to the end of this exciting month and I'm going to try and take a break from blogging about autism for a while. What will I blog about tomorrow? Who knows. See you then.

The End...Or is it?

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/endor-is-it.html

The Mormons

On April 30th and May 1st, PBS is doing a special 4 hour documentary on the Mormons. I'm curious to see what it is like and I'm sure I'll be blogging about it after I watch the episodes. I've always been surprised about a lot of the misconceptions many people still have about our faith--not the least of which is that we aren't Christian. This is so far from the truth! I'm especially anxious to hear reactions from my blog readers that aren't members of the church. So, watch it and let me know. Did you learn something new about us? Did you have some questions answered? Was something you thought to be true nothing more than a misunderstanding or falsehood?

Here is the "blurb" on the show from PBS.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of America's fastest growing religions, and its influence circles the globe. The church has 12 million members today and over half of them live outside the United States. Yet the birth of Mormonism and its history is one of America's great neglected narratives. This four-hour documentary brings together FRONTLINE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in their first co-production to provide a searching portrait of this fascinating but often misunderstood religion. Produced by award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney ("Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero," "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope"), the film will explore the richness, the complexities, and the controversies of the Mormons' story as told through interviews with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and historians, and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.


I spent the afternoon at church today and was amazed at the response I got from people about the email I sent out publicizing the fundraiser and open house for Autism Awareness Month. I got slipped a few checks and got lots of hugs. I'll be submitting the grand total from all open house sales and extra donations tomorrow. I can't wait to see that total jump up! We're still a little short on my goal of $300 for the month (did you notice that it isn't $310 anymore? Yep, 30 days hath September...and apparently, April). Ha ha. So, if you've been waiting to donate...now is the time!

The Mormons

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/mormons.html

Generosity

I've been amazed at the generosity of all of you. But, you know what? I shouldn't be. I have amazing friends and family and now you've gone and proven it again!

The open house was a huge success. This is what I put together. I'm trying to come up with a good (and cheap) way to display my cards for the craft fair on May 11th. I've been swarming in filling outside orders and having people drop in today was a lot of fun. I have $80 ready to deposit into my sidebar banner. I will continue the fundraiser through Monday but all of these items will be available after that and what would have been donated to Autism Speaks will be donated to the "Caleb's therapy" fund.

I made a new item that just happens to be part of the prize for today. It's this really cool card holder that contains eight matching cards. The cards are all different (some thank you, friend, miss you, etc...) but matchy enough for this to be a really cool set. You know you want to get one for your mom for Mother's Day, right? You can get one for $15 (colors may vary and you can specify what type of cards you want inside--like all birthday, thank you, etc...).

Speaking of Mother's Day, mine won the drawing today (it wasn't rigged or anything!). Congrats, Mom! You will get this lovely card set in the mail and your choice of home decor items donated by Janet (Carl's mom). It is such the family affair today.

And now, I will go and spend time with my lovely family here. It's a gorgeous day and I'm totally rockin' my flip flops.

Generosity

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/generosity.html

Come Back Later!

Check back tonight for the drawing and the grand total from my Open House.

One funny story--especially for Carl's family (although I think you all might find it amusing).

One night last week Carl watched one of his Macgyver DVDs with Eva. Now she can't get enough. She wakes up in the morning and runs straight over to where we keep the DVDs and she points and says "Gyver!". She carries around the DVD jacket with her and talks about Gyver. If I give her a choice between anything else and Macgyver...GYVER it is!

Nature vs. Nurture is at work everyday in our household. Let's chalk one up for nurture!

Come Back Later!

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/come-back-later.html

TV Turn-Off Week

This week is TV Turn-Off Week. Did you know? Are you participating? While I should participate myself, there is no way I could make Caleb get rid of TV for the week. That would induce meltdowns galore and take away some of his best learning opportunities of the day.

I found an excellent list from autism.about.com that lists some good reasons for allowing kids with autism to watch television and videos. I can't believe how well this matches up with how Caleb learns.

Here are the reasons. Any bold-type print in the explanations are my own additions.

1) Research Shows that Autistic Children Learn From Videos

Researchers have looked into the power of video modeling for children with autism. They've discovered that videos, which can be viewed over and over again, are actually powerful tools for teaching skills, concepts, and even emotional responses. Some video modeling has been shown to effectively teach life skills like tooth brushing, shoe tying and more! There is a Sesame Street episode that we have on tape that Caleb likes to watch over and over. It has a section on brushing your teeth. Every time he brushes his teeth he repeats the steps that were given on the show.

2) Carefully Selected TV Shows Can Help Your Child Connect to His Peers

Children with autism are idiosyncratic enough without being denied the common cultural language of television. Even if your child with autism doesn't fully grasp the humor of Spongebob, his knowledge of the characters and settings will provide him with better tools for connecting with his peers. This isn't really an issue with Caleb yet and I don't totally agree with this one. There are plenty of ways to connect with peers without having tv show characters in common.

3) TV and Video Can Provide Parent and Child with a Common Language

As you and your child watch videos or TV together, you can establish a common symbolic language. That language can provide the basis for shared imaginative play. Our son became fascinated with one particular Pooh video, and it has led to really meaningful conversation, role play, drawing, even puppet shows. I've seen this time and time again with Caleb. When I watch shows with him I know what he's talking about when he says things he's learned from there. We are able to have conversations based on what we've watched.

4) TV and Videos Can Open the World to Your Child

Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as Animal Planet and the Eye Witness videos can build on those interests. Next step: a trip to the real zoo to see real crocodiles, a real-life train ride, or just a visit to the pet store. Yep.

5) TV and Videos can Create a Link Between the Internal and External Worlds

At age three, our son's language consisted largely of memorized scripts. Some of those scripts came from a Canadian TV show called Theodore Tugboat which featured talking boats in a harbor. We had no idea how much he'd learned from the show until we went to a real harbor, where our three-year-old correctly pointed out real research vessels, container ships, tugs and more! This describes Caleb very well.

6) TV Provides a Much-Needed Respite for Parents

It's easy to feel guilty for plopping your autistic child in front of the TV. The truth is, though, that no one can be physically and emotionally available all day, every day. Even parents of special needs kids need a break. And carefully selected TV or videos, offered in a structured and limited manner, can be a sanity-saver. Amen. I usually have Caleb pick one of his shows to watch while Eva is taking a nap so I can get some down time.

7) TV and Videos Can Build Parent-Child Relationships

Even if you're not actively engaging with each other in a therapeutic manner, you can cuddle together on the couch. Those quiet, physically intimate moments together may be just as signficant to your child's development as high energy interactive play. It is so rare when Caleb wants to cuddle with me. He is always on the go. But, there are times when he will sit with me and let me hold him if we are watching something he really likes.

8) TV and Videos Can Stimulate Ideas for Therapy

If you are a parent who practices developmental therapies like floortime, RDI or Sonshine, you may simply run out of creative ideas. And very often, children with autism are not much help in that department. TV and Videos can stimulate your imagination with new images, ideas and scenarios. We don't practice these particular therapies but I agree that I can get good ideas from TV. I saw that there was a Blue's Clues show on feelings so I decided to DVR it to check it out. Caleb is working on learning facial expressions and we talk about how people look on the TV. For example, when Curious George (his latest TV "obsession") gets taken by animal control Caleb will always say "George is sad".

9) Autistic Children Relate Intensely to TV-Related Merchandise and Games

Typical children may tire quickly of Sesame Street toys. Children on the autism spectrum, however, are more likely to find real comfort and pleasure in toys that relate to their favorite videos. And those toys can become a wonderful source for therapeutic play. So can some of the video games related to PBS television program. In fact, the Arthur website includes a game which asks kids to connect facial expressions to story events! Caleb loves playing the games on pbskids.org, nickjr.com, and playhousedisney.com. He gets good practice from what he's been learning at school (shapes, letters, turn taking, etc...). This is something that he has a hard time "learning" directly from me.

10) Auditory and Visual Teaching Is Ideal for Autistic Children

Autistic people often learn best with their eyes and ears, while words may not sink in. Our son plays the clarinet, but it was tough to get him to play anything new. That is, until the Disney show Little Einsteins introduced the Mozart piece Eine Kleine Nacht Musik. Now, he plays like a whiz! The same goes for Pink Panther: we showed him the animation from the beginning of the Pink Panther movie; now he can play the piece with proper rhythm and intonation. It should be no surprise to most of you that Caleb learns this way. He started out talking by imitating conversations he memorized from TV. Right now we are able to limit his tv viewing and the shows he has access to but I can see in the future how this can be something we'll really have to watch out for. He is so impressionable and prone to memorization that I don't want him watching shows that teach him things he doesn't need to know.

TV Turn-Off Week

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/tv-turn-off-week.html

What Kind of World You Want

This was mentioned in the comments here on this blog earlier this month and I thought it was worth putting it out here for all of you to see. You can go to this website and watch a video by Five for Fighting. A donation is made to Autism Speaks when you watch it. Make sure you scroll down to see view the Autism Speaks intro.

I've got another funny story about the kids. I was upstairs checking my email this afternoon and I heard Caleb go into the kitchen. Here is the conversation:

Caleb: Eva, you want some ice cream?
Eva: Yes.
Caleb: Eva, you want some ice cream?
Eva: Yes.
I come into the room and see him opening the freezer...
Me: Caleb, what are you doing?
Caleb: Mommy, you go play on the computer right now.
Me: Do you need a snack?
Caleb: Go play, Mommy.
Eva: CREAM!

They didn't get any ice cream but I was so impressed with the way Caleb was using his words.

Okay, one more. On our sliding glass door that leads to the backyard we have two locks and also a piece of wood that is up really high that keeps them from opening the door. One of the locks is useless. Both kids know how to open it. The second lock can only be opened by Eva. Caleb has yet to master it. Up until last week, they couldn't get to the wood. Now my two little angels work together to get out of the house. Caleb pulls over a chair and then jumps off of it to knock the wood down. Then, he asks Eva if she wants to go outside. She always says yes. So, he asks her to open the door and then she unlocks the lock. They are then free to run away. Which, they do. When Carl came home from his trip last weekend, I told him we had a major issue with our home security. He built a "wall" out of old computer towers and our wood pile. The kids can still get outside but it will take them a lot longer to breach the "wall" so I have a chance to chase them and get them before they make it down the street. They only try to escape when they know I'm otherwise indisposed (ahem, everybody's gotta pee sometime). Luckily the weather has been rotten these past couple of days so they haven't hatched any escape plans since Monday.

There are just a few more days of Autism Awareness Month. Please spread the word and don't forget to check out the items I have for sale for my Open House Fundraiser.

What Kind of World You Want

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/what-kind-of-world-you-want.html

Kiss and Say BOO!

Caleb's favorite game to play lately is a little something he made up called "Kiss and Say Boo!" Basically, we do just that. Caleb will kiss me and then he wants me to say "BOO!" to scare him. The louder I say it the better. He just laughs wildly and falls to the ground. Then he says, "You scared me, mommy!". Sometimes he likes to say boo and after he says it he'll ask me, "Did I scare you?". Eva is getting in on the game now and anytime she gets kisses she growls, "BOO!" (she has a very low voice). Then she says,"Scare?". It's all pretty cute. Sometimes to switch things up when Caleb asks to play "Kiss and Say Boo!" I let him kiss me and then I sing, "Cebú!" (from the VeggieTales Song of the Cebú) and then we sing the song. Fun stuff.

Speaking of fun stuff, I drew a winner for the latest prize. The prize is a 1/4" circle punch and a double punch circle from Stampin' UP! and a packet of scrapbooking materials. This was all graciously donated by Heather. And, the winner is JULIE! Email me your contact info, Julie and I'll get it to Heather so she can send you the goods.

I'll do the next drawing on Saturday. Here's how to enter. So far there are over 140 entries divided by just over 20 people. Not bad.

I've got some new things up at Sticks and Stamps. Check them out!

Kiss and Say BOO!

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/kiss-and-say-boo.html

What I Would Be Doing...

If I wasn't so busy using Eva's naptime to make up cards and nugget boxes, I would be able to share this with you and let you know about my immense excitement about this upcoming movie. I've been so busy making cards that I don't know when I'll be able to find the time to watch this trailer 5 times and write this blog post.

What I Would Be Doing...

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/what-i-would-be-doing.html

We're Over Halfway!!!

Have you noticed the tally on my donation banner going up up up? It's amazing. Thanks to all of you! But, I'm holding on to all of the proceeds from my Open House until after Saturday. If I were to add those in today we'd be at $180. Unbelievable.

The Autism Family Network is having a craft fair on May 11th. So, I'm trying to make as much as possible for this Saturday and then know that I can take what is left and have time to remake the best sellers for that event. The booth proceeds for that event go directly to the Autism Family Network. I'm donating 20% of my proceeds (after I get back my inital booth fee) to AFN at this event. I'll be sure to let the locals here know the time and place when it gets closer. There are going to be a lot of vendors there and it is for a good cause!

This crafting and autism awareness month has been taking over my life these past few weeks. I'm sure I'll have other things to write about soon.

Don't forget about the contest! The entries keep rolling in but I'm sure we can do more! Spread the word.

We're Over Halfway!!!

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/were-over-halfway.html