Just good clean fun...

Corey still prefers baths over showers. Spectrum kids often have sensory issues, and showers can be a more than a bit overwhelming, between the noise of the shower and the sensation of so much water hitting all over the place. Besides - baths are great. Corey is working on overcoming his discomfort/anxiety surrounding haircuts, hair-washing, etc. He is slowly but surely doing better, and last night he and I had such a fun time with the bath, and washing his hair. We like to do things like singing learning songs, etc. while he bathes - gotta love good clean fun, right? Checkout the super cool mohawk...

The party...

Mia had such a great time at her bday party today. Hoppin Hippo is such a great venue for a young kid's bday party - lots of different things to play in/around and not so huuuuge that you can't find your kids. Everyone had fun and Mia was loving having so many folks there for her bday party. The other big thing was that Mia's Aunti Marti came in to town yesterday to spend the weekend, and join in the party fun. We didn't tell her until we were on our way to the airport to pickup Marti, so it was a big, fun surprise. As per Mia's request, we made a princess bday cake (gfcf, of course) and it turned out yummy - yay!

Happy Birthday, Mia!

Today our baby girl is 4 years old! She started off the day with presents and is now off to preschool. She is going to have a class party at school, complete with cupcakes, and after school the two of us are going to get pedicures. Yes - she is living large today.












































































A mani/pedi for Mia today - What a princess!

Happy New Year. The kids and I have been spending some quality time while Joe gets back into the travel grind. We miss him when he is on the road, we have a good routine down. We have been enjoying some beautiful days - going to the parks and playing outside in the neighborhood. It is always amazing to watch my children grow and learn - they surprise me every day. Corey is showing me so much lately. His playful side is coming out more and more and his imaginative play - this is tremendous in the world of autism. The other day in the bathtub, Corey told me he was pretending to be a snake and proceeded to lay down on his side/tummy, wiggle and hiss like a snake. He was having fun with it, and having fun making his mommy laugh. He is also doing great in school, learning by leaps and bounds - we are so proud of him. Our Mia is such a smart little thing and is loving going to her "big girl school" and loves to "teach" me about the stuff she is learning. She is so funny in how she loves to be a princess, but also tells me she is "girl incredible hulk" or a power ranger.

I have also been having some fun reconnecting with old friends recently. Turns out, there are 4 people from my jr. high and high school days now living in the Austin area like me. What are the odds of 5 Glendale kids ending up here? I had a great lunch yesterday with my friend Heidi - hadn't seen her in 20 years. We are so happy to be reconnected and are looking forward to hanging out more now that we are "neighbors" again. Another friend, Robin is planning to set up a "reunion" of sorts for all of us Glendale kids sometime soon. Wonder if there are any others in the area, beyond the 5 of us?

Party season begins...

Apparently, it is party season for Mia. She attended her friend Kirra's birthday party yesterday and had so much fun. She is eagerly anticipating her friend Jacob's party next weekend and her own party the following weekend.

Outdoor fun...

January is interesting around here. We go from days that hover around freezing to days near 80. The kids love to get out and enjoy the warmer days, especially when they have been cooped up and/or bundled up for several cold days. We go fly kites, hit the neighborhood parks and generally goof off.

"The Lot"

How can I really describe the fun the kids have playing on the lot nearby? The builder has recently sold the lot and must be preparing to break ground on a new house. The good news for the kids is that means they came by and delivery a big pile of dirt on the lot in question. The kids are having so much fun digging and generally getting filthy playing in the dirt on "The Lot". They are going to less than pleased when construction begins, I am sure. In the meantime - its a party every day.

"Big Girl School"

Mia officially started "Big Girl School" on Tuesday. She is attending Creative Kids Preschool in Hutto and she just loves it! She is terribly impressed with herself - LOL. The staff there is so kind and welcoming -- they were ready to help soothe Mia if she was nervous about me leaving, etc., but now they know that that isn't a problem - Mia was ready for me to go as soon as she got there. She is a big girl now, you know. Today she told me that she didn't have time to kiss me goodbye because she had to work on her "project". What a little stinker! Here is a picture of her and her new teacher, Ms. Donna and a picture of her on one of the "famous" Hutto Hippos.

A bit of history: According to local legend, it was in 1915 that a circus train stopped in Hutto Texas at the depot to take on passengers, pick up and deliver mail and possibly take on water and fuel for the steam locomotive. The circus train workers also would have taken this opportunity to care for their animals. At some point during this historic layover, a hippopotamus got out of the railcar and made its way to the nearby Cottonwood Creek which is next to the rail line. This caused much consternation for the circus workers. Local farmers and merchants watched the commotion in amusement and with interest as unsuccessful efforts were made to extricate the hippopotamus from the muddy waters of Cottonwood Creek. It is said that the Depot Agent, who at that time would have been Hal Farley, Jr., telegraphed the communities of Taylor and Round Rock that were eight miles to the east and west of Hutto to the effect of: “STOP TRAINS, HIPPO LOOSE IN HUTTO”. After much effort the hippo was prodded from the mud and water that resembled its natural habitat and was reloaded back onto the train car. Soon afterward the Hutto School adopted the hippopotamus as its mascot and as early as 1923 the hippo appeared on official Hutto High School graduation announcements.

There are several alternate stories about the beginnings of the unique Hutto mascot. According to one, the big Swedish and German boys of Hutto were playing their smaller foes in football, and the visiting coach exclaimed “We can’t beat those boys, they’re big as hippos!” Another story, also based on gridiron lore, is that the Hutto football team in the early twenties had no real jerseys and used feed sacks as their uniforms. The opposing coach allegedly said that the football team looked like a bunch of hippos in their makeshift outfits.

Getting back to reality...

OK, the holidays are now behind us - time to get back to regular life, school, etc. Corey went back to school on Monday, to his great delight. He was getting SO tired of being home. Gotta love that he loves school, right? Kids like Corey crave routine and order, and extended breaks from school aren't such a treat for them. Mom was happy to get back into the regular school routine, too. We did have lots of fun over the holiday break though...