Pirate Adventure

Our Christmas cruise with my family was quite an adventure.   The Blatzheims and Skillestads - took a break from the Carnival Liberty and boarded the Black Pearl.   The kids had such a great time interacting with the pirates and I'm sure it is something they will remember for the rest of their lives......well all except for Tanner probably.

Captain Andrew

Courtney & Lydia learning the dagger

My Mermaid

So Courtney Mae has a major infatuation with mermaids this year.   She begged and begged for us to buy her a tail so she could swim like one.   After much searching around the internet I decided that was not going to happen.   Who spends $100 on something she will hardly ever be able to wear?   Not me!   So I did the next best thing and ordered her a fin for $30 and purchased some fabric for $2 and did the best I could to create one myself.   Even though the stiching is less than beautiful - it fit her perfect and she looked so cute!

Thanksgiving/Christmas Dinner

This year I hosted Thanksgiving/Christmas for our family since many of my immediate family will be gone over Christmas this year. I spent a long time on Pinterest trying to find just the right table decorations - but to no avail. So I did the next best thing and spent many hours waltzing around Joann's looking for something not to insanely expensive. I found for 60% off this snowflake fabric, some wooden snowflakes I painted white and glittered, and pulled out some old ribbon and blue Christmas balls to finish it off. Not as amazing as I had pictured it in my head - but was still beautiful. The dinner was wonderful and we all had a special day together - I guess that is the real purpose anyway.

 

I'm 1!

So as you may have guessed -- the theme for Tanner's 1st Birthday was a monkey theme.   I will be the first to admit I went a little overboard.   Ideas just kept popping into my head and I couldn't control myself.   Thank you to my dear sweet sister who helped me with the fondant for the cake.   Just the way you wanted to spend your Saturday morning Kater - rolling, and rerolling and rerolling and rerolling fondant :)    Despite our agony....I think it turned out pretty good.    Just thought I would post a few of the fun ideas I did for decorating.


Yellow napkins folded like bananas.



 

Tanner's first cake!



Oreos with chocolate coated centers
and candy bananas



Vines made of brown rolled paper with plush monkeys
from the dollar store hanging from them.



Their Smiles

One's smile shows pure joy
Usually basking in excitement
Contageous for sure
But rarely captured on film

One's smile shows pure beauty
Face glowing in perfect posing
Easy to capture its charm

One's smile shows pure love
You give one and one is returned
Not just on the lips
But the eyes give one too

I love my One's smiles

Homeschooling

So....again sorry for the long intermission.   Who knew having a baby was so exhausting and mentally draining.   Awwww I did, that's why I said no more children...he...he....     Good thing he's so stinkin cute!   Will post new photos soon.   Anyway, on to todays post.   So after a bad back to school night for Ms Courtney we decided rather suddenly and late for that matter - to homeschool her.   Now if you have ever been in our home during homework time - I'm sure you are saying to yourself   "They are going to rip each others hair out and  hate each other."   Yes, that thought crossed my mind.   However, I have been feeling prompted by the Lord that I need to strengthen my relationship with her and create a safer (emotionally) and more loving environment for her.   We don't have the best relationship.  I will be the first to admit that, but I don't want it to be that way.  Its not the way God intended us to be with each other, so through daily prayer and reliance on Him, I think this is going to be an amazing year for both of us.   A year we will forever remember as the start of a close and bonded relationship that we never had before.   I try not to blame the Autism for my lack of emotional closeness with the kids, but it is what it is.   I can no longer use that as an excuse when God has commanded us to let him have all our junk and to live and love as Christ did.   All this to say, yes, I recognize that the early road of this journey will undeniably challenging in many ways.  Our communication and reponses to one another will have to be changed - but this first two weeks have gone really really well. (Except one day - She didn't just wake up on the wrong side of the bed - she woke up on the wrong side of the moon)   She is excited to spend quality time with me - and I am excited to see her learning in an environment she is comfortable and doens't have anxiety.    Only time will tell how successful of a teacher I shall be, but I am already leaps and bounds ahead of what kind of a mother I was.  

Period.

So there is one (aside from the actual child) good thing about pregnancy - the long stretch without my monthly friend.   Not that anyone wants to read  that I suppose, but goes towards the rest of this post.   Our family has recently be reintroduced to PMS.   Uggg....I am not usually such an emotional mess - but PMS usually includes at least one good night of crying myself to sleep.

This time around I am struggling with fear again.   Tanner hasn't been having much eye contact with me and it finally got to me last night.   However, our sermon this morning was quite pertinent to my current state of mind - so - wait on the Lord and spend more time in his Word is what I must do.