Marla Baltes

Signing Out for the Last Time

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:54:00 +0000

I thought I wanted to get back into blogging. However, once I began the interest was not there. I have decided to limit my time behind the keyboard.

I want to thank everyone for their support over these last few years. Blogging has taught me so much about mothering, family, disability, Autism and what it truly means to be a part of a supportive network.

If you would like to keep in touch please e-mail me at marlabaltes.hotmail.com. I love you all and will miss you greatly.

I have also limited my use of facebook. I am using that only as a means to keep in contact with my immediate family members. For everyone else I will be going back to the old fashioned method of e-mail and phone calls. Please do not take it personally for those of you that were removed from my facebook account. My life requires more privacy than in the past and I am finding that it works very well.

I wish you and your children all of the best.

Alex Barton's Tie Die Project

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Remember when we rallied around Alex Barton and let it be known we would not forget what happened in his elementary classroom? If you are new please read my post on Alex.Alex's mother has started the Tie Dye Project. This unity chain is an expression of passion for the equal rights of all people on the spectrum.

If you are interested in learning more about this project please e-mail Alex's mom at mommyofalex@justiceforalexbarton.com.

Smile! We are teaching our children to be responsible for the unity that they find in each other.

Please visit Justice For Alex Barton

Dog Park Days....Darwin's Big Decision

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Dog Park Days is up and running again. My recent post is Darwin's Big Decision for the Day....where to nap next?

This Dog Park Days post is dedicated to Chris who finds almost everything about Darwin very entertaining. Thank you Chris for all that you do for me and for being my very bestest friend.

Soft Clothing for All Children and Sensory Processing Disorder

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:56:00 +0000

Director, Jessica Elsas contacted me in regards to having a Blogger Profile on her site Soft Clothing for all Children.

Jessica wrote, "We plan to do weekly profiles of blogs that cover issues related to Autism, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder, Special Needs, Parenting and more. The purpose is twofold--to bring much deserved attention and traffic to blogs that deal with these topics, as well as to create a resource archive on the Soft Blog--for our readers and Google searchers everywhere. We get a lot of traffic from people searching for topics that are not covered comprehensively by us--but they still land on our pages. We hope this archive will direct our readers to blogs and articles that more comprehensively address their queries. For more information on our company and mission, please see http://www.softclothing.net/."

If you are interested in having your blog profiled please write to Jessica at info@softclothing.net.
I told a little about our story with Sensory Processing Disorder last October. Over time Maizie has been able to handle more sensory input but SPD continues to be a challenge for her. All of us have sensory issues but for children like Maizie it is more intense and can slow down life, making it almost unbearable.

Tags on my shirts send me over the edge. I cut most tags off immediately after purchasing an item. Obviously, for many children with SPD it goes beyond the irritating tags. The feel of the fabric, the way it hangs, does the fabric cling or give...there are many factors to consider.

Too many socks, underwear and shirts have been given away since Maizie refused to ever wear them because they, "hurt me". Jeans are the worst. She may agree to a pair in the store and once home curses them for every little stitch.

I am looking forward to seeing the clothing line at Soft for all Children. If you have any tips or links that you find helpful to help your child with SPD please leave them in the comments.

My Life Reinvented

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:16:00 +0000

Where do I begin after such a long and intense Bloggy Break? Many of you have been keeping up with me on Facebook. If you have not I will remind you that my divorce will soon be final. Maizie continues to talk to her Dad and will be visiting him. That is all I will say about that here.I certainly have appreciated all of the ongoing support. Making the decision to blog again has been difficult. My blogging friends understand how time consuming blogging can be. Not to mention when major life changes are happening one is a bit hesitant to share those with everyone.
After receiving many requests from friends and family I have decided to give my blog another go. I hope that my readers are happy with my return and will stick with me while I get back in the swing of things. Learning to balance Maizie, additional children,family, friends, a partner who is in the military, blogging and my art is going to be a challenge.

I imagine many of you are wondering what the heck has been going on. Where did me and Maizie disappear to?

It is amazing to me how one seemingly tragic change can open up a whole new world that would have never been imagined before. I began communicating with Chris and we fell for one another. How do I express here how in love with Chris I am? There are no words for it. We make a great team and our time together is fun and easy. I began visiting Chris in Iowa and he and his girls came to see us in Indiana. I won't go into all of the details of why it was best for us to make the move to Iowa. There were many factors involved in that decision. I am thankful for my friends and family that helped me move in literally....one day. So much work! Maizie and me love being here with Chris and his three girls. Chris shares joint custody of his beautiful daughters.
I know! Major changes. Maizie and me went from being on our own to sharing a home with a four, seven and nine year old. Darwin and the guinea pigs love all the extra attention! My blog will begin where I am now, where I am happy to be. You all know I am not one to dwell on the past and change does not scare me. I've moved on and we are all the better for it.

Maizie spent one week in the University of Iowa Children's Hospital for pneumonia, increased CVS and seizures. That was by far the scariest hospitalization Maizie has ever had. Chris and I were witness to a new type of seizure during that illness and it was by far the scariest I have ever seen. We were very concerned that she was not going to pull through. The pneumonia was very stubborn. I am happy to say that Maizie is feeling good and has her appetite back. She had lost so much weight that we were forcing Ensure on her every chance we could.

While at the hospital Maizie had excellent care. We were hooked up with top physicians who are going to continue caring for her. I was not looked at like a crazy mother when I told them about her Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, Chromosome Disorder, Seizure Disorder and Autism. Not one doctor said, "Now....what does that all mean exactly?" No one looked at me like I was nuts when I told them the medications she was on in order to stay healthy. What a breath of fresh air that was! Those of you out there with children like Maizie know what I am talking about. They understood how complicated her diagnosis is and I was beyond relieved.

As you see my header is now, Marla On All That is Dazlious. My last name will soon change back to my maiden name. However, I do not want to move to a new blog address at this time so you will continue to find me here. I have much to share and look forward to catching up with you all soon.

Bloggy Break

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:08:00 +0000

I am sorry to let you all know that a bloggy break has to happen. There is so much going on here that I don't have the time to devote to my blog right now. Read my previous post if you are unsure what I am talking about.

I will continue visiting your blogs as much as I can. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch for a while as well.

Please keep me and Maizie in your prayers as we move into the new year on our own.

Hopefully I will be back sooner than later!

Love you all.

Happy New Years Eve!

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

Wishing you and yours a truly blessed new year.

Love,

Maizie, Marla, Darwin

and

the two cavies

Zebra & Salem

Taking a New Path

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:53:00 +0000

I went on an emotional roller coaster ride this weekend. I am sure that is to be expected when you discover that your "best friend" of seventeen years has been cheating on you, decides he wants you back...you begin to move forward, forgive, be quite intimate together and then all of a sudden he wants a divorce to run off to another state and be with a married mother of two young children. Lovely.

To say I felt like an idiot was an understatement. I tend to beat myself up for not responding to all the red flags sooner. What Joe is thinking and doing will never make sense to me. I realize now it does not need to.

I took some steps this weekend that made me stronger. The energy level in the house has totally changed. It is lighter, happier and I don't feel like I am walking on egg shells anymore.

Today I met my parents at Target. They wanted to help me create a new bedroom. An awesome idea! My mom purchased a beautiful light colored bed spread for me and I treated myself to new curtains and pillows. Oh, and a really fuzzy mint green blanket that is to die for. I threw out Joe's favorite purple blanket since I certainly don't want that in bed with me anymore.

My mom and dad helped me rearrange everything in a more workable way. I found a coax cable and finally hooked my bedroom television up to cable. Moved up my mint green bookshelf that Joe had in his office and a comfy chair that I have been wanting up here for a long time.

Maizie and I had a great time cuddling and playing Webkinz in my made over bedroom. In fact, I am all cozy writing this blog post here as well.

On Christmas Day I had moved all of Joe's belongings to his office. Luckily, he picked them up shortly thereafter. Now, I have an office space to recreate as my own as well. Hey, why not take advantage of my new found space. I am sure "certain individuals" will say it shows how "self obsessed" I am. Whatever. Anyone who knows me can attest that I am not self obsessed.

I do have my concerns about Maizie. She has had two CVS spells since Joe told her he was leaving me. Her sleeping is erratic. My Aunt Julie took her to see Bedtime Stories today. Apparently the opening scene is of a father who abandons his wife and children. Lovely. Obviously we were not aware of this beforehand. Julie said Maizie did not say anything about it so she did not say anything about it either. I imagine Maizie is letting that information soak in.

Maizie has a few crying spells a day in regards to missing her Daddy. This is by far the most painful aspect of this situation for me. I don't want her to hurt but I can't shield her from it either. Joe is planning to move out of state very soon. I doubt she will see him very often. It is unclear to me if he will be traveling back often or not.

The pain children go through in these situations is certainly not uncommon. Maizie is not the first child to have been left by a parent nor will she be the last. And yet, the pain is undeniably life altering.

Suddenly, this life of mine has taken a new path. At first I thought I was never going to survive it. I wanted to turn everything around! In fact, I tried doing so when Joe came back and began "wooing me". When the path shifted again I realized that something had shifted within me. I woke up! No longer did I want Joe. After being with him for seventeen years it is understandable that I miss him terribly. The pain comes in intense waves and then I feel almost giddy with a freedom I have not experienced in years. I will make the best of this situation. I have to. For me and for Maizie.

Thank you to everyone for all of the e-mails and Facebook support. I am planning on making the rounds to my blogging friends real soon. As you can imagine my focusing ability has been a bit poor these last few days. I do miss you all very much.

Maizie and Me see Twilight, the Movie

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:12:00 +0000

Maizie had a great day at school and was in a fantastic mood tonight. I was too. We agreed that we did not want to spend another night at home. I asked Maizie what she wanted to do more than anything. I knew what she would say. When given the choice Maizie will always choose a movie. I knew my challenge would be convincing her to see a movie I wanted to see.

As you all know I loved the Twilight series. I have been talking about going to Twilight for weeks. No one went out of their way to say, "Oh! I would love to go with you Marla." Joe said he would go with me but it never happened. Considering the extreme cheesiness of this film I am glad it was just me and Maizie.Thankfully there was only one other person there tonight. A guy who did not want to be seen. He wore a hat and a hoodie and sunk down in his chair. I imagine he told his friends he was going to see the James Bond movie. It is quite possible Maizie and I drove him nuts. We were whispering through much of the movie. When I finally admitted to Maizie that I thought Edward was way hot she began hooting and hollering saying, "Ohhhhhhhh! Mom thinks Edward is hot! I am going to tell my teachers and Dad and Grandma and I am going to tell the whole world! Ohhhhhhhh!" We had so much fun.

I totally loved this movie. It certainly followed the book and was very similar to how I pictured the story in my mind. Maizie was excited when I told her there would be another movie with Bella and Edward soon. Her response was, "I can't wait! I am so hyper now for this movie." Too cute!

When we returned home Maizie saw the Christmas cards I purchased for her classmates. Oooops. Before I knew it we were sitting down making a list of everyone at her school at almost nine thirty at night. For each person Maizie began thinking of what that person liked. For one child she said, "He likes my singing Hanna Montana pen so I am going to draw a pen." Maizie explained to me that one little girl can't talk so she signs to her. For her she drew several stars. Another child talks a lot about shapes so she drew a triangle and a square on his card. Her thoughtfulness makes me so happy. I really needed to see Maizie in a great mood tonight. We have had several rough days in a row. Tonight reminded me that even though Maizie has her challenging days she is an amazingly intuitive and fun loving child. Just when I think I am going to crack up we have a night like this and everything feels right.

It is Possible to Feel Thankful, Happy, Proud& Sad all at Once

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:12:00 +0000

Today I met with Maizie's teachers to discuss how she is doing. I continue to be blown away with the staff. They seem to "get" Maizie and are working on goals that make total sense. For the first time ever Maizie wants to go to school. She is happy and I am so proud of her!

Before I was even able to bring up Maizie's recent "attitude" the teachers began talking to me about how they were handling her "tude" at school. Every time I looked at my list they were already bringing up the issue and easing my concerns, communicating ideas that made sense. This is certainly a new experience for me. Typically, I would attend meetings like this carrying notebooks, reports from doctors and written requests, etc. Preparation for the meetings took me hours and left me exhausted. Today I just showed up with my little list of questions and concerns. Within thirty minutes the meeting was done.

I requested more attention be placed on math skills and everyone agreed, notes were written down and I totally trust that within a day or two they will be working on more math with Maizie. They are writing up a plan to help Maizie become more independent with her medications and shared their ideas with me. Once I agree to the written plan and sign it they will begin working with her on taking her medications.

Of course all of these goals transfer to home as well. We need to stop doing so many things for Maizie and help her learn these skills. I continue to work with Maizie on some homeschooling since a lot of her day program is not addressing academics. I told the staff that I thought Maizie was losing academic skills even though we try to keep her working on them at home as well. This moved into the area of Maizie's memory which varies from day to day. I felt myself get a bit blurry eyed and choking back the tears when this topic came up. I don't often find myself feeling emotional at these meetings. I think I was so amazed that these people were understanding Maizie and in total agreement with my concerns and even added some of their own. I still feel in a state of shock from it all.

The most emotional part is hearing the staff say something like this,"We want Maizie to be as independent as possible. Would you agree that Maizie will probably be on a few medications for her entire life, for her various health problems? Yes...we think so too. So, it is very important that we help her be as independent as possible. Of course, she will always need someone to help her count out the medications and handle refills and things like that. But, we would like her to get used to handling the pills herself and making sure she knows how to read the labels and take the medication on her own." No one has ever talked to me about Maizie needing medications her entire life, yet alone that she would always require someone to assist her with them. Yes, I think about this but it is less real until you hear someone else say it. Does that make sense?

Or when they say something like this when I express my concern in regards to academics, "I think we can all agree that it is more important right now that Maizie learn basic math, reading and language skills rather than science and history. That is not to say that we don't want her to learn those things but since she is having a hard time with even the most basic learning and memory skills we feel it is very important to focus on those areas before working on higher academics." I know this. I really do. But, as a mom it is so hard to admit that Maizie still can't repeat a simple message upon hearing it. It is hard for me to accept that her memory and processing skills are still that of a preschooler. Her previous schools pushed her forward despite her never learning even the most basic skills. Obviously, that does not work long term.

I almost passed out when they said something like this in regards to our long term goal, "Eventually, in a year or so our goal would be that Maizie may attend a private (Catholic, Lutheran, etc.) school where we have had good placements. These schools are more open to one to one aides when needed and reduced school schedules. Maizie will have a very hard time fitting into a regular classroom because academically she is years behind. A special needs classroom is not acceptable because she is more advanced than what you would find in those classrooms. We will work towards her attending a private school...possibly....a couple half days a week."

I sat there stunned. Never before have teachers talked to me like this. Usually I heard this, "We think Maizie is doing just fine. She is a quiet, darling little girl and she tries hard to please her teachers. We would like to mainstream Maizie and use the resource room for ISTEP skills. Here is the schedule (insert schedule from hell moving from room to room to room, from teacher to teacher to teacher)." I sigh and begin to advocate like a lawyer, trying to prove that my daughter needs an aide if she is to be in a main stream classroom and that she is not at the age level they insist she is at.....on and on and on and on.

So tonight I sit her stunned, thankful and yet sad. It is a mixture of emotions that I imagine other parents of special needs children feel. I want to celebrate this new found school and at the same time I live in fear we will lose it, leaving me, Joe and Maizie beyond devastated. I suppose that is normal considering we have spent so long in search of a school for Maizie. Our insurance is being a pain about it. We already owe six grand! Insurance keeps losing the claim, saying the claim code is wrong, that it was mailed to the wrong address and blah blah blah. It is enough to send me over the edge. For once I just want to know that she will be in the same school for at least a good year. Two would be even better.

And the Prizes go to.....

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:35:00 +0000

Casdok is the Grand Prize Winner of the Lil' Miss Maizie Eats Edamame Keepsake Box!

Winners of an All That is Dazlious magnet...

Niksmom

Club 166

Storkdok

Felicia

Mary P Jones

Crystal Jigsaw

Katrin

Ashley's Mom

Pregnantly Plump

Please e-mail the following information to marlabaltes@hotmail.com.

Your commenter's name.
Your real first and last name.
Your address so I can mail you the prize.

I will mail the prizes out later this week. Thanks for playing along!

Let Them Eat Cake!

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:41:00 +0000

We celebrated Maizie's birthday with family this week. Maizie's birthday is very close to Christmas. It helps to have the big event celebrated early when things are a tad calmer.

This time of year is one of Maizie's most challenging. We keep the month of December and our Christmas celebration very low key. Even though we go out of our way to reduce stress during this time I am convinced there is something in the air that gets everyone, including Maizie overly excited. Maizie senses this and her ability to cope with life seems to decrease almost overnight.

The biggest stress and chaos inducing factor when we celebrate holidays is food. Maizie loves cake, cookies and all sweets. I made a cute vanilla cake for her birthday gathering. Maizie and Christian loved it. I have managed to resist its sweet charms. Maizie can't stop thinking about it. She wants to eat cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I refused Maizie's "deal" of eating five bites of pancakes followed by a piece of cake for breakfast. Before I knew it Maizie was screaming at me that I am the worst mom in the whole world. She said she would never write me any love notes ever again. (A frequent threat when she is told, "no".) Maizie continued yelling at me.....loudly. My ears are still ringing. She said, "I am going to go upstairs and slam my door!" The slamming of the door does not bother me at all. I am thrilled when Maizie is willing to retreat to her room to calm down. Upon doing so she always slams the door at least three or four times in a row. For dramatic purposes, of course.

This morning though there seemed to be no relief in sight. Maizie wanted a piece of that yummy cake and she was trying everything until I agreed. I let Darwin out and when I came back inside the house was too quiet. I looked where the cake had been and it was gone. Not good.

I found Maizie hiding behind her favorite chair with her arms wrapped tightly around the cake Tupperware. The cake was nice and secure inside. Whew. Granted, all I felt like doing was grabbing the cake and disposing of it in the trash, in a very dramatic fashion!

It seemed to me like I was negotiating a hostage deal to save the birthday cake. Except I would gladly destroy the birthday cake to avoid this situation from happening again.

I pictured myself forcing the cake out of Maizie's arms and rushing it to the trash can, scraping it into the trash triumphantly. Fortunately, I contained my frustration realizing that reacting in that way would no doubt traumatize Maizie for years, ruining one of her favorite things...cake. Argh.Finally, Maizie released the cake and I put it on top of the cupboards in the kitchen. I repeated that she could enjoy a piece of cake with her lunch. Crocodile tears fell and then she requested a soda. I swear, I just woke up a bit ago and I was about to be sent over the edge. I wanted to scream. I think I may have made a sound that resembled a bear growling. Lovely.

It felt like deja vu as Maizie began yelling at me all over again wanting a soda. I thought things were going to get even worse when she stormed into the kitchen insisting she was going to get a soda. I stood there wanting so badly to just go back to bed. I thought about waking Joe up and making him take over but knew Maizie would follow me to my bedroom and yell at me there.

To my surprise Maizie chose a juice box and stomped back into the living room saying, "Mom! I really don't like you right now! You better not get rid of that cake! I want a piece at lunch time." She then cuddled up with a blanket on her chair and has been quiet ever since.

I sighed real big, proud of Maizie and proud of myself for not totally freaking out. It is only nine and we have the rest of the day to navigate through. Maizie looks exhausted so I am praying she takes a morning nap. I know I will be waking up Joe in a bit so I can take a mid morning nap.

Do you all have challenges around food and the holidays this time of year? I know we do. Soon Joe will be making delicious frosted cookies and snicker doodles. They are not something I am allowed to eat anymore. I am sure Maizie will have similar morning cravings for those cookies. And yet, we still make them together. They are a family tradition.

Happy Thanksgiving!

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:03:00 +0000

I am thankful for all of my fellow blogging friends and readers! Since I began blogging I have met so many amazing people. Sometimes when I am down on myself, worried or celebrating a triumph I think about you all and your positive energy and encouragement moves me forward.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving Day I want to give a gift to a few lucky readers.

I will place all of the commenter's names in a bowl. Maizie will randomly pick each name out for me. The first name drawn will win the grand prize of a keepsake box with an image I created titled "Lil' Miss Maizie Loves Edamame" and an All That is Dazlious magnet! Eight more names will be drawn for an All That is Dazlious magnet!Are you as excited as I am? I hope so!

All you have to do is leave me one of your dazlious comments and I will post the winners this coming Sunday.

Thank you bloggy friends and readers! I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Have a restful and joyful Thanksgiving weekend.

Holiday Traditions and a Drug House

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:31:00 +0000

This weekend was fun and frustrating at the same time. Friday night I decided we were going to get our house ready for Christmas. Out came the ornaments and set around stuff. Maizie, as always was very excited. With each ornament Maizie said, "Did I make this mom? Who made this one? Is this one mine from when I was a baby? When can I be a baby again?" The questions never stopped.

While we were decorating the tree I heard some strange noises in between the houses. I opened the back door to find one of our neighbors trying to break into the electrical box to his apartment. He looked at me and said in his usual drug induced way, "I am just tightening things up back here! That's all." I smiled, nodded and closed the door.

Joe and I discussed that we thought he was going to get electrocuted and then he knocked on the door. Joe answered and he asked if we had a Philip's screwdriver. Joe said, "Sorry, we don't." Needless to say, we do but we don't want to get into the habit of handing out tools to the neighbors for illegal activities.

I peeked through the window blinds to see him pushing a screwdriver into the box and trying to pull the door off. I noticed a large lock had been placed on the bottom of the electrical box. Putting two and two together I realized our neighbor must not have paid the bill and was trying to turn his power back on. He was making some progress but the way he was haphazardly jamming the various tools he had into that box made me nervous.

I held my phone, staring at it and staring back out the window. Finally, I called the police and they had me stay on the line giving a description of our neighbor and waiting till the cop arrived. Once the police came our neighbor took off like a lightning bolt through the back yard and down the alley. The cop followed, flashlight in hand and gun out. Lovely.

I began running from window to window. A sight Maizie has unfortunately witnessed on many occasions. I heard the loud annoying squeak the neighbors door makes every time it is opened or closed and ran to the front. The man had already made it back to the safety of his apartment and the cop was still running in the wrong direction. Argh!

I called the police station back and told them that the guy went back into his apartment. The cop gets the message and came back huffing and puffing, knocking on the front door. It took quite a while for the guys to answer. Once they did I heard one of the men saying, "I swear! It was not me! I just got back from walking down from the liquor store." No doubt he was telling the truth since our neighbors like to begin drinking early in the morning and into the night. In fact, it seems that they don't require any sleep at all.

I heard tempers flaring and reluctantly peeked my head out the door. The cops turned to look at me and pointed to the man they were accusing of trying to break into the electrical box. I shook my head no and they reentered the apartment. They came out with the other guy and I nodded 'yes'. Not happy. Not happy at all. It is bad enough that I have to call the cops a few times a week on our neighbors but now our neighbors knew I had called this time. Not cool.

I have went out of my way to always say hello and treat my annoying and sometimes scary neighbors with the respect they want and I am sure verifying who was who did not please them. I only hoped that they were all too drunk and doped up on crack to remember me.

I went back in the house, reassured Maizie that it was over and we began decorating again. Maizie kept peeking out the front window waiting to see if the guy was going to be arrested. Maizie is all too familiar with the process. Finally she yelled, "There is the cop mom!" I ran back to the window and saw that they were indeed arresting the man. That surprised me.

I heard the cops back at the electrical boxes talking so I went out to see if there was anything new they could tell me about our drug house next door.

One of the cops looked up and said, "Now, if you hear anything else tonight or need anything please don't hesitate to call. We are arresting him but he will be out in a few hours. (I sighed real big.) Also, you may want to call narcotics again."

I explained how many times I have called narcotics and nothing seems to be happening.

The cops explained that there are undercover cops working on the situation in unmarked cars and that it takes a great deal of time. Yes, it certainly must.

I told the cops that sometimes I have felt bad calling because I know the neighbors are struggling on a number of levels....financially, with severe addictions, etc. I asked them if I could be imagining the drug use? The cops brought up the incident last week where they were called because a man on crack cocaine had beat up a woman he was with. I nodded my head since I had talked to that woman on that night as well. She said this to me when I went out to my car, "I am trying so hard. So hard to be clean and just be a good person. I have been off crack for seven days, I loved this guy and thought he loved me and then he does this to me." I nodded and found myself at a loss for words. I said, "Don't give up. Whatever you do....just keep trying." I quickly went back into the house not waiting for a response.

The cops went on to say, "Just remember that if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck it is probably a duck."

Okay. We just gotta find a way to move out of this house at some point. Our neighborhood is historic and beautiful, there are some really good people here and yet there are some people who are very desperate and don't want to live according to the rules of society. What more can I do? There seems to be nothing. I just get so frustrated and angry. I called the landlord again. He lives in a nice house outside of the down town area and could care less. I make a point of calling him whenever I call the cops. He never answers.

The next night we had my mom over for her birthday. The whole family was here and it was a very nice time. I know my parents worry about us living here. They are glad to have us back in Indiana but are not happy we live in this house next to that house. Yes, buying this house was not the best decision we have ever made. We moved to this modest house when we had no insurance coverage for Maizie. Her medications and hospital stays were being refused and mental coverage was being dropped. Debt was piling quickly and we freaked, scaling way down. So, we are stuck here for right now.

What will Maizie remember of these nights decorating for Christmas? The frequent incidents with our neighbors or the meaning behind every ornament she hangs?

I shake it off and we make the best of our cozy little cottage house.

My Night Owl

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:15:00 +0000

Maizie woke me up at three in the morning by lightly patting my left foot through the comforter. When she wakes me up in this way it takes me quite a while to leave 'la la land'. I typically assume Darwin is lying on my feet, licking his paws. Anyway, I wake up after who knows how long of her patiently patting and say, "Oh no......what?!"

I am sure that is not the loving greeting that she was hoping for. But at three in the morning I am lucky to be speaking at all. Maizie told me she had a bad dream. I asked her what it was about and she said she can't tell me and then quickly shouted, "Zombies!" Lately Maizie's tone of voice has been loud and louder. She has always struggled with speaking at an even volume but lately it has progressed into a tween angst sort of yelling in order to get her point across. Even the school has noticed it. Lovely.

I stretched out my arms out for a nice hug. She stepped back and stared at me. I asked, "Do you want to sleep in bed with me?" I regretted that almost immediately remembering that sleeping with Maizie is like sleeping with a kick boxer.

Maizie shook her head no. Whew. Maizie said, "Mom. Will you tuck me in?" I forced my lazy self out of bed and followed Maizie back to her room. I turned the television back on, kissed her forehead and said, "Go back to sleep! I mean it Maizie! You have got to sleep or tomorrow will be miserable!"

Okay. There are a few things I must explain from that last paragraph. First, the television. We fought Maizie sleeping with a television on in her room for years. I brought it up with my counselor when she was seven saying, "This child will not sleep. I am losing my mind! Worse, she begs me to keep the television on. I have tried soft music but she insists it has to be the t.v."

The counselor looked at me and said, "Why don't you just keep the television on for her?" I said, "No! Why would I do that? She watches enough t.v. as it is. What kind of mom would I be?!" He sighed and then said, " Just try leaving the television on and see what happens." I thought he was nuts but agreed. Once we began leaving the t.v. on for her she began sleeping for more hours at a time. I was thrilled and so was my know it all counselor. Apparently, some people don't like total silence when they sleep and require white noise. I wear ear plugs.

Second, the words I said to Maizie. 'Tomorrow' and 'miserable'...do you really think Maizie understood what I was saying? I am sure she knew from my tone that I was not thrilled she was awake but talking about 'tomorrow' probably confused her and I doubt she knew what 'miserable' meant in regards to school. I am pretty certain what I was thinking was this, "Go to sleep or I won't get any sleep and tomorrow will be miserable for me!"

Maizie cuddled under the covers and closed her eyes. Yes! I stumbled back to my room and went to my favorite place...la la land.

I did not wake up again until eight. My door had been shut(I wonder who did that) and Darwin was keeping my feet toasty warm.

Maizie was playing nicely in her room and watching her favorite Faerie Tale Theatre, Beauty and the Beast. Her bedroom was a mess. A huge, ginormous mess. I asked her if she had slept all night. Maizie hid something behind her back and nervously shouted, "Yes! I just got up Mom!!!!" Hmmmm...I looked behind her back and saw several cups and Tupperware filled with water. I did not even have to ask. Maizie explained in her quiet focused voice, "I was putting my fish in these and this one and that one." Oh my. The beta fish were alive and well in the tank. Quite the project for having just "woke up". I sighed a big sigh.

Once downstairs I saw another clue that led me to believe Maizie was up most of the night. Before I went to bed the kitchen was all cleaned up, no sodas or dishes anywhere. Everything was spotless. Upon entering the kitchen I saw an orange soda, opened and empty on the dining room table. Argh! Then I saw this...I went back upstairs and told Maizie I was not happy that she was up since she had her bad dream. Maizie's eyes got all big and she said, "How do you always know?!"

Get the Book... Autism Life Skills

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:56:00 +0000

I had mentioned a while back that I was reading Autism Life Skills by Chantal Sicile-Kira. I have finished the book and I highly recommend it.

I was happy to see a few adults with Autism that I know from the Autism Hub being interviewed. The book is one of the more positive and helpful books I have read on Autism in a long time. I am especially pleased that adults with Autism share their insights throughout the book.

Sensory overload is a huge challenge for Maizie. Much of her aggressive behavior is a result of sensory overload. This book explains that in many situations the child with Autism cannot control it. I knew this but was glad to see it explained in this book.

It was also a relief to read a book that did not waste my time discussing potential causes, cures and ongoing debates.

I highly encourage you to get a hold of this book. I am going to buy a copy. I want a few people close to me to read it.

Flo and Kay...Autistic Savants, Thoughts on Caregiving

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Yesterday I watched a program I recorded called Flo & Kay: Twin Savants. Possibly you have seen it as well? I found myself moved throughout the film.

Flo and Kay Lyman are both Autistic and very close to one another. Very close. They have an interesting obsession with Dick Clark and are friends with him. Dick Clark met with the twins and sends them cards. I now have a very special place in my heart for Dick Clark. He could have blown them off but he took the time to communicate with two of his biggest fans on an ongoing basis.It was especially interesting for me to watch this since I was asked this question by an acquaintance a few weeks ago. He asked, "Maizie is autistic? What is her 'special skill'?" I sat there...staring at the guy in disbelief. He was relatively young so I would have thought he understood a bit more about Autism. Was I understanding him correctly? Was he assuming all Autistic people were savants? My pause was long and uncomfortable enough that he added, "You know....like counting cards or something." Argh. Rainman.

I took that opportunity to talk a bit about Autism and how incredible Maizie is. I have to believe that he was asking me the question with kind intentions. If not, I would never leave the house considering how often I get asked bizarre questions in regards to my daughter, Autism and even adoption (I will cover a frequently asked question in regards to adoption in another post soon).

The show Flo & Kay talks about the many misconceptions in regards to Autism and Savant abilities. It says that ten percent of people with Autism have savant characteristics. That is quite low and yet many people think that all Autistics are like the character in Rainman. I was very pleased to hear the show go into detail on the statistics and touch a bit on how Autism varies from person to person.

The program also discussed the stress on caregivers and the difficulties of finding ongoing care when the main caregiver passes on. A subject I don't like to think about.

Flo and Kay were raised by their mother. The mother felt so left out of her community, so alone and without help that she tried taking her life and the life of the twins. It was the twins older, neurotypical sister that stopped her when she found them all with their heads in the gas oven. Needless to say I was aghast hearing this. And yet, we still hear stories like this or much worse to this day. The twins said the mother promised she would never hurt them again after the older sister saved them.

Obviously I was moved. I could relate to their mother and felt such sadness for her. I had more support than she had and I still felt desperate...alone and beyond exhausted. Back in the 50's when the twins were little the supports were non existent. Children with disabilities were often hidden and looked at shamefully by others. I know when my mom was caring for my sister who had a stroke at six the supports were terrible. That was in the seventies. We have come a long long way. And yet, there is still a long way to go. A very long way.

We need to look out for caregivers during these difficult times and support them in any way we can. As caregivers, we need to ask others for help and be very specific with our requests. Friends and family can not read our minds. I would often try and hide just how difficult life was because I wanted to be the perfect mom. I still struggle with this. That got me nowhere but more tired and more alone. Sometimes it is difficult to ask for help.

I am lucky to have my sister Melissa. She was the one who brought my relentless depression to my attention, helped me make my appointment, encouraged me to try medication and went with me so she could communicate my situation. I was beyond words at that point. All I did was cry at that meeting. Sometimes we can't see a way out until someone guides us along.

I hope Flo & Kay's mother was able to see what charming women her daughters are. I hope that she died knowing she did a very good job raising the twins. Mothers often get the blame for everything and very little recognition for the hard work they are putting forth to care for their children. My life has been looking up over that last few years. I read many blogs where the families are in the early years of finding a diagnosis and caring for an Autistic child. Some are searching for a cure and some are moving on to the place of acceptance and pure joy for who their child is. It is a process and it takes time.

I do not believe there is a cure for Autism and I don't search for one anymore. I need my energy for living life and enjoying my time with Maizie, Joe and my friends. Looking back at my earlier years as a mom I can understand my exhaustion, frustration and fear but I do wish I would have spent less time worrying, fretting over the latest cause or potential cure. Instead, I would have spent more time just 'being' with Maizie, enjoying everything about her without trying to force her to change. It is easy to say that now. At the time I felt like I was living on an island, swimming against a sea of negativity...trying to reach my daughter. If I had been blogging back then and had the support network I have now...I think that would have helped me see more clearly.

Sometimes when I am trying to help Maizie develop skills and she is struggling with health issues I see life through a very thick filter of illness, disability and desperation. Every little thing in my vision becomes clouded, distorted and life feels desperate and fearful. It is hard to remove that filter from my eyes. And yet, it is necessary to remove it in order to let Maizie be Maizie and me be me. I am still working hard at peeling back that damn filter. The light is fantastic though when you let it through. Everything is dazlious!

Flo & Kay inspired me to write this post as did the many people who love them. Flo & Kay are truly dazlious!

Hello! Are you my Facebook friend??

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:08:00 +0000

I have become a Facebook addict. I know! Just what I needed when I already am addicted to Blogging and Webkinz. Not to mention I have Facebook on my iPhone. Sigh. Oh, well.

Crystal Jigsaw did a Facebook post and inspired me to do the same!

Many of my bloggy friends are on Facebook which I love. My only confusion and slight frustration is when people have a different name on their blog then on their Facebook. I get easily confused and can't figure out what blog they are from or how I even know them!

I eventually figure it out. Usually. If you are going to add me to your Facebook...which would make me feel all 'Dazliously giddy'... please.....send a little note to let me know your blog and how I know you. If we are already Facebook pals and you think I might not have your blog on my page please drop me a line and let me know. I will put your blog on my Facebook favorites.

Remember, I have adrenal fatigue which means my memory has some.... shall we say...challenges. I make it too easy for people. My blog is my name.;) If I have no idea who a person is I may not add him or her. That never makes me happy.

I have been able to reconnect with old friends from my school days in Iowa. Joe and I have fun via Facebook when he is traveling. Making new friends is always fun too.

If you don't have a Facebook page....what are you waiting for? It is all the rage. Seriously! Now, I not only obsessively text my husband and friends but am able to see their family photos or compare our personality profiles, send flare and hug one another. Facebook is quite organized and clean looking. It can be very private or not. You can use it for good or evil. I choose good. I like it. I like it...a lot.

Hand Art & Other Fun Stuff

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:52:00 +0000

This weekend Christian came over. I took him with me to pick Maizie up at school on Friday. He was very curious to see Maizie's school and was a bit taken a back when he realized how "un school like" it was. When we arrived Maizie was playing Battleship with a friend. I was excited to see that because I loved that game as a kid. Marie and I would play it all the time. Maizie showed Christian her decorated desk (cubicle). Christian nodded letting us know he approved.

Christian asked if he could see the school's Wii by smiling and growling all silly like,"I wanna see the Wii!" He did not believe me when I told him Maizie's school had a Wii and that the kids played it often. Maizie showed him the Wii and Christian began jumping around the room all giddy. I guess he is easily impressed. Maizie would love to have a Wii but I am happy to let that be something she can look forward to at school. Back at home Maizie and Christian were into the Play-doh. They were busy making "breakfast" for a few hours. I was thrilled since this was a quiet activity.The rest of the weekend Maizie became obsessed with making hand drawings. I purchased her the book Hand Art by KLUTZ a few years ago. She has loved that book ever since. For Maizie the fine motor and planning skills involved in placing her hand in the correct position and tracing it have been a challenge. I am happy to say that she is getting very good at it. I love this book!Last week I was on an organizing/cleaning spree. I accomplished a whole lot. Wahoo! The weather was gorgeous and I felt motivated so I just went with it.

Wahoo! And the Defeater is....

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:46:00 +0000

Obama!
Last night I was finally finishing Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I was so happy to finish the book. Next I am reading The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Maizie and I watched the movie and it intrigued me to read the book.

Anyway, I set my finished book down and heard my neighbor yell out to one of his friends, "It's a new America!" I got up and looked out the window. Suddenly, I was overcome with emotion. He was right and I too felt like yelling out about how happy I was!

I went back to bed and my mind was a whirlwind of thought. I began to think about how we had just elected the first black president of the United States of America. I could barely contain my emotions and began crying. I was a tad taken aback with my emotion.

Tears of joy. For the first time in a long time I felt overwhelmed with hope for our country.

When Maizie woke up I told her that Obama defeated Mc Cain. She put up her arms, wiggled her fingers and shouted, "Yes! You are happy for Obama! He is the defeater!"

Yes, indeed.

Vote! Who will be the Defeater?

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Last week I went to vote early. The day I went there was just a twenty minute wait. Joe went a few days later and the line was two hours long. I am so curious what the turn out will be like tomorrow. I have several friends who said, "Oh. I always go early in the morning before work and get right through." I have a feeling it will be a bit longer of a wait tomorrow.

I was walking Darwin the other day and saw these two signs. The sign on the fence is on the back yard of a house that neighbors the McCain sign's house. It made me smile because it seemed so obvious that one sign was trying to cancel out the other. Or something like that.

I am very excited for this election. However, it will be very nice when every news show I hear or watch is not focusing on the election.

The turnout for this election is huge and unlike anything I have ever seen in my life so far. My family and friends are all pretty pumped up about it. It is interesting to ask little kids I know who they would vote for. Typically, the kids say interesting comments that you know they have heard from their parents. A few make sense and some statements I am sure the parents wish the child had never repeated. One little second grader I know said something like this when I asked her who she would vote for, "I know I am not voting for Obama! He will make people go back to the country they came from!" Wow.

Maizie is not into the election. We have discussed it with her and she likes the idea of voting and someone "defeating" someone else. She must imagine more of a superhero election process. The great defeater wins and runs the world...or something like that. Cracks me up.

Get out there and vote. While you are waiting in the long lines strike up some conversations. It makes the time go by fast. Or do what I did and eavesdrop. Talk about some fascinating conversations in the poll line.

Oh, and if you are wondering...I voted for Obama.

"The vote is a power, a weapon of offense and defense, a prayer."
Carrie Chapman Catt (1920)

Christian does not like the candy...I am drooling and the pumpkin that made me bleed.

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:11:00 +0000

Happy Halloween! Maizie had a great day at school. When I dropped her off they were all out in costumes playing with silly string. Maizie did not look pleased. Once I picked her up though she said, "Will you please...please...please...buy me some of that silly string." I was shocked. For Maizie to be willing to go near the stuff and then request it...wow!

One of Maizie's classmates was too cute wearing an elephant costume. I said, "Oh! You look so cute! You are an elephant." He replied, "No! I am not an elephant. I am Max in an elephant costume!" He made me repeat this information to be sure I had it correct. Yes. He proved me wrong indeed.After school we took off to Marie's house for dinner and trick or treating. At one point my thirteen year old nephew Daniel hid behind a house and jumped out and scared Christian. Daniel was not in a costume but his loud scream scared Christian. Joe and I were hoping to get through the night without a tear fest from Christian. No luck. Christian was at first stunned silent. Joe and I stared..waiting. Suddenly the cry came...no...more like a loud wail followed by crocodile tears and lots of shrieks. Not good.

Maizie being more patient than us at that moment went to Christian and asked, "Mom. Do you have a tissue." I did not. She leaned down and gently wiped Christian's tears away with her hand. Too sweet. This seemed to have an almost instant calming response from Christian.Back at the house Christian dumped out his bucket o' treats. Yes, he was very happy. Amazingly enough Christian will refuse the majority of his candy. He says, "My mom can eat it. I don't like this candy!" Must be nice. I was drooling at the site of the Hershey bars. Talk about tempting!Once back home we lit our pumpkins. Maizie's is on the top and the one that tried to butcher me is on the bottom. Yeah, it looks so satisfied after making me bleed. There was supposed to be a nose but we gave up after my tragic injury.;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pumpkin Carving brings about Stitches...are stitches contagious?

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:07:00 +0000

Over the weekend we went to my sister Marie's house for our yearly pumpkin carving extravaganza. Christian took a great deal of time to draw out his pumpkin's face. He turned the pumpkin to me and said something like, "Cut it just like this!" Hmmmm.....I promised I would do my best interpretation of his design. Christian and Maizie both refused to clean out the pumpkins. No surprise there. Neither like messes and Maizie has always disliked touching squishy stuff. They retreated to Christian's room to play with their stuffed animals.

After a few minutes I excitedly called Christian in to see his finished pumpkin. Christian said,"That's my pumpkin!" I must have done well. Joe was working on Maizie's design while I moved on to my awesome bumpy pumpkin. It will be the last time I buy a lumpy pumpkin for carving. It was so hard to cut that even Joe gave up on it. Me, being my typical stubborn self insisted that my pumpkin had to be carved. If Joe would not do it for me I would do it myself. I put all my energy into it.I took a quick break to take a picture of Maizie with her pumpkin. I love it. The kids took off to play again and I went back to carving the stone pumpkin. Joe stood in the kitchen watching me warily.

I went to work on the eye of the pumpkin and it was as if I was watching my hand move in slow motion. The knife slid right into the side of my thumb, cutting towards my nail about an inch in length. Joe shook his head as if he saw it coming all along. Argh.

Joe described the incident like this, "The blood came out like a scene from Kill Bill." Ha! I must say it was quite the mess. My Aunt Julie is a nurse and had me hold ice and a towel tightly against it to stop the bleeding. The cut throbbed a little, the bleeding would not slow.

We had plans to bring Christian home with us for the night. Instead we left Maizie with Marie's and I headed off to the hospital with Joe for stitches. Instead of thinking about my thumb I was obsessing over how my evening plan was not going to work out. Yes, I am a tad obsessive.

They gave me a tetanus shot since it had been many years since my last one. That was easy. I will say though that my arm has been throbbing and aching ever since. I am ready for that to stop.

I figured getting two stitches would be a walk in the park. I miscalculated just a tad. The injection to numb the area hurt! It was like my thumb was on fire. Luckily, it did not last long. I was stitched up and on my way in no time at all.

Maizie has had a harder time adjusting to my two stitches. She is convinced that if I touch her with my left hand I will "give her stitches". Last night I tucked her in bed hugged her. My left hand touched the back of her head. When I turned to leave I saw her shaking her hands through her hair and lightly touching her scalp all over. I said, "What on earth are you doing?"

In her most serious voice she sighed and said, "I am making sure you did not give me stitches!"

Every couple of hours she asks how long my stitches will be there. I tell her the number of days left. Maizie then asks, "How long is that?" I explain the days of the week and how many days are left and then she asks,"What day is next? When is next week? Do you get your stitches out today? Is now Halloween?"

Sigh.

Asperger Syndrome & Alcohol...Drinking to Cope? Autism Life Skills.

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:34:00 +0000

Yesterday I went to the library to pick up some books for Maizie and instead was surprised to find a couple of interesting books discussing Autism.

On the 'new books' shelf there were two books that caught my attention. The first, 'Autism Life Skills' From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More 10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves to Learn by Chantal Sicile-Kira. I was taken by the title immediately, thinking the words 'Deserves to Learn' were an interesting choice. I most certainly do believe Autistic children have every right to learn. I found the words shocking because I would like to think people don't need to be told that children who are Autistic deserve to learn. Hopefully, that is just a given. And yet, considering what we have been through with the school systems inability to teach my daughter who is in every way teachable...well, it is naive of me to think that everyone believes that Autistic children and adults deserve to learn. The truth is some parents and professionals out there believe that Autistic children don't have the same rights to an education that "normal" children do.

Possibly, I am misreading that title but these were the thoughts that initially struck me. The foreword is written by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. and I love her writing. I am most interested in the chapter on independence because Maizie has shown an increased interest in being more independent despite her safety and communication skills not being ready for it. As parents we are talking over some ideas to help her gain the independence she is requesting.

The second book I checked out surprised me. It is titled Asperger Syndrome and Alcohol...Drinking to Cope? by Matthew Tinsley and Sarah Hendrckx. This book's foreword is also by Temple Grandin. The writers are hoping to explain the link between alcohol abuse and Aspergers. Matthew Tinsley the author was an alcoholic and writes about how his diagnosis of Aspergers helped him recover. Sarah Hendrickx's partner Keith is self diagnosed Aspergers.

I like that the book is written by two people who have first hand experience being Aspergers or living with someone who is. Alcohol being used as a way to cope with Aspergers is something I have naively never considered. Looking back to my high school days I can see a few friends who may have fit the diagnosis of Aspergers who were routinely turning to alcohol to make it through high school and all of the social challenges that go with it. Of course I have no idea if Aspergers would account for the alochol use I witnessed but it would answer a few questions. I do believe that without a proper diagnosis most individuals will turn to something to cope. That seems to be true for many other challenges such as major depression or eating disorders.

Hopefully reading the book will shed some light on this topic which is very new to my thinking about Aspergers.

High School Musical 3 Makes me feel too Squeaky Clean

marlabaltes@hotmail.com (Marla) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Tonight I went with Maizie, my Aunt Julie, Susie, Chloe and a bunch more friends of friends to see High School Musical 3.

My favorite part is one of the very first scenes where Troy stops in the middle of the game and sings directly to Gabriella in the stands. He is all sweaty and muscular...oh, wait..I forgot this is supposed to be a squeaky clean blog post. Sigh.

The movie was so cheesy I thought I would melt or something while watching it. It is so goody goody, cheesily spectacular....I almost could not stand it. I must admit that my eyes glazed over a few times. Troy and Gabriella finally kissed and I was like, "It's about damn time! Get it on already!" I know. I am terrible. But geesh. Oh, and when they finally locked lips the theatre broke out into the sound of little kids giggling.

Maizie loved the movie. Her favorite part was the junk yard dance. There is an adorable little surprise during that scene that she thought was awesome. I won't give it away here though. I thought the junk yard dance was hilarious because the kids always dress all modern and cool like and then suddenly they are dancing in this junk yard looking like Midwestern style kids. Maybe it was just me, but I thought it was funny.
I am off for a little bloggy break. I will be back Tuesday! I hope everyone has a terrific weekend.