Trip to Cabela's...

We took a little road trip down to Buda to the Cabela's store...  For those not in the know, Cabela's is the "World's Foremost Outfitter" - they have gear for hunting, fishing, camping, boating -- you name it.  They also have lots of wonderful hands on displays, as well areas with all sorts of lifelike stuffed wildlife in natural settings with information about their habitats, etc - a great learning place for kids.  We saw lions, bears, goats, turkeys, zebras, an elephant, beavers...  The kids had fun checking out the animals, the camping area, and many other areas throughout the store.  

Mom's Night Out

I am so blessed to have such an amazing network of autism mom's here in Central Texas.  Organizations like Autism Speaks, ASA, Generation Rescue, NAA - Central Texas, Texas Autism Advocacy and others - all full of strong, smart moms and dads working to help our kids and others affected by autism.  We also recognize that all moms and dads need a time out from kids and autism to cut loose and enjoy some laughs, share stories and support each other.  Last night, the moms had a great night out at Razoo's in Round Rock.  What a fantastic group of ladies - it was so much fun!

Happy Memorial Day!

First, a word in honor of this day:  

God Bless our troops... past, present and future... for all their sacrifices - big and small.

And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging:

What a fun weekend we had, even if Corey's baseball game got rained out on Saturday.  Lots of family fun anyways.  On Sunday, we attended a luncheon reception celebrating the recent marriage of one of Joe's childhood friends at County Line on the Lake - yummy BBQ and a beautiful setting. (http://www.countyline.com/comeseeus.asp#Austin (On the Lake))

The kids even got to feed turtles outside after they ate lunch.

Today, the kids and I hung around in the morning, did some grocery shopping and played with a friend while Joe, Steve and Paul went and played a round of golf.  When they got done, the family hooked up with Steve and family and headed to one of the community pools - what a great time for all.  The kids are pooped and happy, and so are the grownups, for that matter.

And here we go...

Corey had his first session with Melissa, his new ABA therapist, today at Children's Autism Center right here in Round Rock (www.childrens-autism-center.org).  He did so well - took to her right away and had some fun, too.  Mia was so sweet about playing nicely while Corey was in session for 2 hours - no complaining at all.  We are doing 2 sessions this week and next week and then as school gets out, we will be upping it to 5 times per week.  We are so excited about this opportunity to keep Corey learning and progressing through the summer.  Watch out world - here he comes!

Blue Hole Park

Mia and I went and checked out Blue Hole Park in Georgetown this morning.  (http://parks.georgetown.org/blue-hole/)  It was a beautiful morning, with the added bonus of running into some really nice folks who were fishing there.  Mia got to touch a fish (she said it was "sticky"), watch some fishing and even reel in a big one!  Mia also got to see a real catfish and check out its whiskers.  We even took a little walk - such a pretty setting.   We will have to come back again with the boys and our fishing gear.  What a wonderful place we live in, where we can enjoy the city, the 'burbs, rivers, lakes, fields, farmland, etc.  - all within a short drive.

Here comes Summer!

It is heating up here in Central Texas, and we are getting ready to enjoy a hot, fun-filled summer! Mia had a blast at the Brushy Creek Sprinkler Park on Friday with her friend, Rowan.  Today was a short school day for Corey, so we headed out to the pool when we got home...  The kids had so much fun and were so excited to hit the pool for the first time this season.  

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.  ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul

Today is Mothers' Day... How amazingly blessed I am to be mom to two incredible children. They are both so sweet, smart and full of spunk - they make me laugh each day.  Watching them grow and learn, and also teach me so much.  I am a better person because of my children.  My life is challenging, to be sure, but it is also so rewarding.  I see my baby girl transforming before my eyes into a young lady - she is becoming very interested in the the performing arts - it will be fun to see her experiment on the stage, as I am sure she will be following in her daddy's footsteps, in one form or another - theatre, dance... something where she has a spotlight.  I see my boy working so hard to overcome the obstacles that autism places before him, and succeeding more and more each day.  He has inspired me to learn so much and I am proud of the help I am getting him and will never stop working to get him what he needs to succeed.

 

Today is also the day that I give thanks for my mom.  She is an unwavering force of love and support in my life... She is such a wonderful blessing to my children in so many ways, both big and small.  I feel so lucky to have "Grandma and Papa" so closeby and able to really be a part of our kids' childhoods.

Corey the Cub Scout

Corey is now a cub scout - how cool is that?  Our friend, Jennifer, did the legwork and has started a special needs/autism cub scout den.  The pack has welcomed us with open arms, and we are adapting some things for our kids, but they are having fun learning about scouting, doing projects and making new friends.  Today, the kiddos worked on a poster for the month - the theme is Leave No Trace.  They also did stones for the garden...  With a bit of extra materials,  Corey made one for Mia, too.

Out on the Town...

A night out in Austin is always fun, and last night was no exception.  We dropped the kiddos off at Grandma and Papa's, and hit the Zilker Spring Fling at Fado's Irish Pub.  What a blast, and for a great cause - this is a yearly fundraiser for Zilker Elementary School - we SO need to do something like this for Corey's school - hmmmmmm.  We participated in both the silent auction and the live auction and got a couple of really awesome prizes.  With some friends, we won a long weekend retreat at Granite Ranch - we are so excited to get the trip arranged - we will be going with a some friends' and their families and it is going to be so much fun for adults and kids alike...  (www.graniteranch.com)  We also won a "Booze Cruise" on Lake Travis.  Woo hoo!  Beyond the winning bids, we had so much fun listening to Mysterious Ways, a great U2 cover band, drinking good beer and hanging out with awesome friends.  What a night!