This last week we headed up North to a little town called Shivley. It's about 20 minutes from Eureka, CA and about a 7 hour drive to Oregon to attend my baby cousins wedding. The wedding was located on a beautiful farm that his fiance Shannon's family has owned for many years. We left Thursday morning and flew on a plane from Orange County to Sacramento and then drove another 5 hours from there. A few weeks leading up to this trip, I was a little nervous on how the kids would do with the flight and the long drive we had ahead of us. They both did awesome and did better then I could have ever imagined. They slept the whole way on the flight (yes it was only an hour) but I was still happy that they did not cry once and the drive was also pretty easy. Nothing better then having an iPad, snacks and movies to keep the kids busy. We had 9 adults and 5 kids on our flight and I have never seen so much luggage in my whole life. This was Dylan and Hayley's first flight....

Dylan watching the planes coming in

We stayed at a great hotel and shared a nice big suite with my sister and her family and my mom. My cousin and her family came in on Friday and also stayed at the hotel with us. Everyone else in my family stayed at a beautiful farm house that they rented for the week. On Friday they hosted a meet and greet at this old cute little hotel in down town Shivley. This town was probably still the same as it was since the old days and I don't think much has changed. The churches were beautiful, the people were so nice and the scenery was amazing. After the meet and greet we went and had dinner at this awesome Italian restaurant with fantastic food!

There is nothing more in this world that I love and that is spending time with my family. My family is my whole life and it makes me so happy when we all get together for big events and especially a wedding when we get to add another amazing sweet person to our family. On Friday my aunt hosted the rehearsal BBQ for friends and family that came from out of town, which was mostly our side of the family as Shannon's family and friends all live up in Shivley. My aunt hosted the BBQ at a cute little barn house up in the red woods- The scenery was absolutely beautiful!





The best thing about my cousin Owen and Shannon is they had something planned everyday leading up to the wedding and even the day after. This really makes it fun and memorable to get as much time as possible to spend with family and friends, especially when people are traveling far to attend the wedding. The few days leading up to the big day were so much fun! Most of the events were in the evening so it gave us time to work out in the mornings, enjoy some great room service for breakfast and swim in the indoor pool with the kids.

It was so nice to have a hotel that had lots of stuff to do for the kids that kept them entertained at all times. Oh....and not to mention it was a casino we stayed in, so the adults were very well entertained as well into the later evenings. The wedding was on Sunday at one of the most beautiful farms I have ever seen and all 40 acres of it. They requested that everyone dress "country chic". They hosted this amazing day with 330 guest and you would have never thought there were that many guest attending with it being on a big farm. The wedding was beautiful. They had a short and sweet ceremony, with a perfect reception to follow. They had a band, 3 course meal and a full bar to keep the guest going well into the night. We tried our darn hardest to stay as long as we could, but the kids were exhausted from a very long day.

 

Well it was the last day of our trip and we headed over to the farm house that my aunt and uncle rented for the week to spend one last day with the family, and to let the kids run around and see all the fun farm animals and enjoy the beautiful scenery. This house was awesome! It had a main house and then 2 other little houses/studios around it. I love where we live, but every time I see houses like this and nothing but property and land all around it, it makes me want to live somewhere else.

The last day of vacations are always the hardest and for me it's even harder. I wish all of my family lived closer so we could see each other more often, but I always cherish the moments and times that we do get to spend together. On our drive back to the airport we stopped at this place called  "Chandelier Tree" It's a huge red wood tree that you can drive through it with you car. It was pretty cool! This trip was one of my favorite yet. Dylan and Haylee were some of the best travelers and I could have not of asked for anything more. Dylan especially was my little trooper. He loved walking, site seeing and looking at all of the animals around the farm. He was the happiest little boy and loved every minute of his time with cousins and family. Congratulations to my cousin Owen and his beautiful wife Shannon. To love and happiness and hosting one of the greatest weddings yet. We can't wait for our next family trip!

Nothing better then a sunset from high in the sky

Happy 35th Greg

A few weeks ago we celebrated my husband's 35th birthday and a 6 month old little girl. I ask myself this every time...but where does the time go? It goes by way to fast! One day I would like it to slow down, but for now we will keep up with the craziness of our life. I would not trade it for the world.

When I first started to plan Greg's birthday it started with a big dinner with lots of friends and family. With everything going on right now with work, Dylan's crazy schedule and a very high demanding  6 month old I decided to just stick with a low key dinner with family. We got a sitter that night which was very nice for us adults. We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants near our house. Greg golfed earlier in the day so the kids and I went and got balloons and decorated the house. Dylan could not stop playing with them. I am so thankful for my husband each and every day. I hope you had a very special day sweetie. We love you!

Susie Cakes for my favorite man...

 

My best friend and love of my life!

 

Mother's Day Crush

One day out of the year we have this beautiful opportunity to give back to the people who have given us so much: our moms. We love them (at times, maybe not so much) and as we get older, sometimes, we become them. Whether she carried you inside of her for nine months, or is a non-blood related women who has loved you like her own, most people can identify a person who they can be thankful for on this holiday!

In honor of Mother's Day I wanted to recognize and show my appreciation to some of these beautiful women in my life. Each one of these women play a very important part in my life for many reasons. I have met each one of them at different times and in different places, but always at the most perfect time. Sometimes in the middle of life when things aren't working out and I feel like I've just been making a series of wrong turns in every direction, doors are closing and time seems to be running out, have had a really down day, or just need some crazy advice or a laugh... I can always count on them to cheer me up.  They truly inspire me everyday! We share the same stories and experiences, some different then the next, but most of all these women are beautiful from the inside out.

" There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a millions ways to be a good one"

Kendall:: and I met through our son's therapy facility. One day I was waiting with Dylan in the lobby and Kendall walked in with her son Cole. I actually was staring at Cole and how stinking cute he was (sorry Kendall) but he really is the cutest little boy in the world! A few weeks later, we saw each other again and started talking then and every week there after. We finally exchanged numbers and met for dinner and have been the greatest of friends since! She is such a heartfelt women and really loves everything about life. I love her beautiful smile, I love her funny jokes and her love for down syndrome. I am so excited to share this journey with her and can't wait to work on our visions and aspirations together for our beautiful baby boys!

"I am a part-time florist (www.petalandjoy.com) with a background in event coordinating and have a dream of one day becoming an elementary school teacher - 'I have the credential, just not the job'. I love vanilla lattes, getting creative, gabbing with friends, and curling up on the couch to watch a juicy show while scarfing-chocolate-chip cookies. I spend most (if not all) of my time mothering two spirited little boys, Cole (4) and Caleb (18-months). These two have my whole heart, but the love of my life is my husband Jeff.  Jeff is my best friend and makes me laugh harder than anyone else, and he always keeps things fun when life can be a bit on the serious side. He is my partner and better half in messy, challenging, fantastic circus they call life!"

Kendall

Mercedes:: and I met almost 2 years ago through a mutual friend. We instantly connected and about 2 days after we met I was already asking her for play dates. Dylan and Sunny are in the same school class together one day a week, and I love seeing these two grow up together. Mercedes truly is one amazing mama and the love she has for the lord is truly inspiring. I love her beautiful smile and witty personality, and how much passion for life she has. She has some amazing things in store and I am so proud of her for all of her hard work, and the dreams and aspirations she has for helping other families to adopt. She loves water, but as she says-"she never drinks enough" her favorite book is Little Women, and she loves everything about travel.

"I am a follower of Jesus, in love with my husband Andy, and a mommy to two beautiful babies. Oh and I have a rad dog named Juno. I stay home with my kiddos and spend most of my day feeding people, wiping bottoms and running around to different therapy sessions for my daughter Sunflower. Sunflower is my almost 2 year old daughter with Down Syndrome. My husband I adopted Sunflower when she was 2 years old. She is the apple of my eye. Rhodes my 5 month old little stud... well he is awesome and happily goes wherever Sunflower and I drag him. Andy is a creative director at a big church in Fullerton, and Juno she's the couch potato of the family. LOL!"

"I have a little business where a friend and I sell unique and lovely baby blankets https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleMessengers. I love being a "Maker" and a small business owner. It's my creative outlet and a breath of fresh air from my day to day routine. My husband and I love our life by the beach in Southern Orange County. I am a Down Syndrome and adoption advocate. I love to eat, I absolutely love dessert before dinner, and I strive after the lord each and everyday!"

Mercedes


Andrea:: and I met on this amazing thing we call Instagram. I started following her through another follower and I fell in love with her at first sight. I loved her posts and most of all that handsome and crazy funny little boy of hers, Deacon. One day I made a comment on one of her post and had some questions for her. The next thing we exchanged emails/phone numbers and were talking on the phone about a week later. We both never start our day without a cup of coffee. The craziest thing about our friendship is that we have never met, but I feel like I have known her for my whole life. She is beautiful, smart, loves the lord and her passion for her children is truly heartfelt. She has a heart of gold and she inspires me everyday. I cannot wait to meet her in person, and I promised myself that one day we will meet.... maybe somewhere in between. But for now we will phone, text and face time.

"Jesus is the biggest love of my life. Next comes my husband of eleven year, Dustin, and my three kids, Noah, Anna Grace, and Deacon. Deacon changed our lives when he was born with an extra special chromosome. It is because of him that we developed a heart for orphans and are currently in the process of adopting a little girl with special needs from China. We hope to bring her home within the next year. Coffee is my saving grace. Not sure I could get through a day without it, and I don't really want to find out. Travel and photography are some of my biggest passions. I live for a new experience and sharing them with my family. Deacon has taught us how to slow down and truly enjoy the simple things in life."

Andrea

* Andrea and her family have started a fundraiser @Bethelightproject.com to help bring home their beautiful daughter. Once the adoption is fully funded she plans on continuing this awesome foundation to help others in need.


Sarah:: and I met through a mutual friend, who happens to be one of my best friends since high school. I believe Sarah and I have known each other longer then we think we have, and it definitely feels like it when we get together. We love to talk babies, travel, special needs, and most of all life.  She is my go-to mama for this whole crazy blogging thing. She is smart, talented and literally always comes up with the most amazing ideas ever when it comes to blogging and business. She is absolutely beautiful from the inside out, I love her smile, her love for life and everything green. She truly shines through everything that she does. Sarah and I recently did a collaboration on her blog http://www.greenmomco.com/ and I felt so honored to be apart of it. I have learned so much from her already and I can't wait to continue on this journey of life and friendship.

"I've always loved children. I feel a natural connection when working with them, and a strong sense of duty to ensure the wellbeing of children on both individual and global levels. My educational background is in Human Services and Child Development, and I've worked at non-profits in the fields of childcare, camps/recreation, and children's mental health my whole career. The individuals I've encountered along the way have taught me patience and a deep appreciation for allowing children to be who they are, no matter what. When I became a mom my little boy sparked not only my desire to keep him safe, healthy, and nurtured, but also a passion for doing my best to preserve the world around him. Starting The Green Mom Company with my friend/partner, we have collaborated to make an impact on the world around our children, one simple change at a time."

"Life is fun right now! My husband is my best friend and we are about to celebrate 9 years of marriage. We feel so lucky to be our little family of 3, though our son Sutton would correct this number to 5 and add in the dog and the fish... As a Stay-at-Home/Work-at-Home Mama I love being in the moment with my funny and sweet 4-year-old! I enjoy this age so much - I learn as much from him as he does from me; it's always something new and I am so happy to have this time with him. Throughout the - fun, easy, tough, tedious, breezy,exhausting, amazing - days, I am grateful everyday in my role as 'Mama'!"

Sarah


And...mom this one is for you,

Life has been difficult and there have been times when I've felt like giving up when things were not going my way. Each time you were there to remind me of my worth as a human being. You encouraged me to keep reaching for the unreachable and to never settle for anything less than I deserved.  No matter how bizarre my dreams were, from becoming president or wanting to be a dog walker or a teacher or a marine biologist, you always told me to go after what would make me happy. As I get older, I realize more and more how much you have done for me and continue every day. I love you so much!

And to my sister...you are my best friend, my everything and my night and shining star. I love you so much and I don't know what I would do with out you. I use to make fun of you with all the craziness of your tight schedules with your kids, but now having my own I truly understand. Thank you for always being here for me. I love you so much!

This Mother's Day, thank whomever you call "Mom" for being the best on the planet at her job.

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing, talented and beautiful moms and moms to-be out there!

Michelle, xo

the journey in the unexpected and the fear of the unknowing...love has no boundries

These past few weeks have been pretty overwhelming for me with preparing for our IEP meeting for Dylan. When Dylan was born I did not think that this day would come so fast. I thought he would be my baby forever. There is not a day that goes by where I think about Dylan and what is future looks like for him. Sometimes I wish I had a crystal ball just so I can get a glimpse into his future. It scares me to death to think about it, but at the same time it brings me so much love and joy knowing how special he will be to each and everyone person that he meets along the way.

I try not to always talk about Down Syndrome on my blog to much as I don't want it to be a crutch or the topic of our family or are life. Dylan was born with Down Syndrome and had two holes in his heart which he then had open heart surgery at 4 months old to correct it. God gave us this amazing beautiful baby because he knew that we would be the best fit parents for him. I did not know we were having a child with down syndrome until after he was born (this still would have not changed my mind if I would have known before) it would have been the same outcome for our family and the decision my husband and I would have made. In saying this Dylan is a child of God and born just the way he was supposed to. Raising a child with any disorder, condition or special need, is both a blessing and a challenge. A challenge for the obvious reasons and a blessing because you don't know the depths of victory and joy until you see your child overcoming some of those challenges. Dylan's diagnosis does not justify who he is, it's just an added bonus in my eyes to this beautiful, soft hearted, gentle loving little boy. He is just like us or any other kid out there. We all have our challenges if we like it or not. The beauty in it, is that we all get to learn from our stories as we are all so different and unique.

You may or may not know a special needs parent, or you may be one yourself. As myself with a child with special needs I often don't share my feelings on this topic of my life, even sometimes only to my closets friends if I need to vent.  I am not an expert in any of this or an expert in parenting, because we all know that it's hard and we just learn as we go and do are darn best each and everyday. My only hope is that I can touch the lives of other's out there and hope that our story and the things I have learned along the way can help every family out there that may be going through the same thing, or will be that parent one day. The thing I love about this blog, social media (the thing we call the new age communication) it really helps us to connect in ways we could never imagine. Stories of tragic, triumph, love, determination, empowerment and motivation. With all of these stories we can learn from one to the next and learn along this crazy journey we call life. I may not be the best at grammar at this thing, but I sure do love to write and it comes from the deepest and strongest part of my heart. As a mom, women, friend, sister I love to learn from other women-we are power houses and we strive to teach our kids what we have learned growing up and want nothing but the best!

It's exhausting...  Parenting is already an exhausting overwhelming daily task. But parenting a child with special needs takes things to another level of craziness. Even when I have gotten a good night's sleep, or have had a vacation or a day at the spa to myself, there is always a level of physical tiredness that never leaves. It simply comes from the weight of tending to those needs 24 hours a day 7 days a week. From doctors visits that are not just the usual few times a year in our house they are about 3 times a month depending on what may arise. Therapies on a daily bases 2 hours a day and some 3 hours a day ,driving back and forth to drop off and pick up. Monthly assessments, new goals and working at home... to paying bills and arranging anything to ensure he gets to his appointments. Advocationg for him and ensuring he is right where he needs to be. The peaks and valleys of emotions are so much more extreme.


Jealous,but not really....Sometimes it's hard for me to come out and say it, but I can't help but compare a little and be jealous ( yes this is me being honest) when I see a 1 year old doing things that my soon to be 3 year old cannot do. It hurts me to see my son struggle so hard to learn and do something that comes so easy and naturally for a typical kid. Like holding a fork and feeding themselves, to drinking out of a straw, walking and running, saying "I love you" feeding themselves a snack, the list goes on..and weirdly enough it's also the same with other special needs kids that may be doing things faster then my son.  But in our home it's all about Dylan and when he meets his goals you better darn well believe we celebrate and we celebrate like crazy! As long as Dylan is happy and doing what he loves that is all that matters, and all that jealousy goes right out the window.

Sometimes it's lonely...  Being a parent sometimes can be lonely in general, but being a parent with a child with special needs can be even more lonely. I sometimes feel like an outsider around moms with typical kids. I always want to be happy for them when they brag about there 2 year old saying 200 words, or already knowing there ABC's or they even went "pee in the potty". It really has been a god sent and stress saviour meeting and connecting with so many other special needs moms, with whom I can relate to and not feel so uncomfortable about talking about my day in the life of therapy, doctors visits, feeding issues, sleeping problems, and just a shoulder to lean on.

The fear of the unknowing... I worry and I worry everyday. I worry I am not doing enough. What if I missed a day of working with Dylan, what if I missed a treatment or a diagnosis or weather he will get sick or not and have to take another visit to the doctors. I worry about Dylan's future, whether he will drive a car, get married, go to college-which now I have much hope for with the amazing foundation http://www.rubysrainbow.org/ ride a bike, his physical safety and who is mean to him or not at school. I worry about bills, daily chores and most importantly what would happen to Dylan and my kids if something happened to me. But what I do not fear is the love that Dylan has for his sister, and me his mom and his loving father and his friends. That gives me the greatest hope of all!

I am a mom and I am human...  There are days that I have been challenged to the max and beyond my limits of no tomorrow. Since Dylan was born I have grown and learned so much as a person and a mom. I have developed a even bigger heart and empathy for others in a way I never could have ever imagined. I have learned that each day is different then the next, that each child is different no matter what their genetic makeup is, I have learned that no life is perfect and if you know a perfect life please tell me because I would love to know! I have learned that love is never ending and it has no boundaries. I have learned that we "ALL" yes you and I and everyone out there have no limits to what we can do. Let me tell you my son may not be able to walk fast, or eat by himself, or speak much, but he can give the darn biggest hugs in the world and he can maneuver around an ipad like no ones business. But I am human, I am a mom and I am just like any other mom. Sometimes I have melt downs for no reason in the middle of dinner, sometimes I just want to drink a bottle of wine and text and complain to my girlfriends, and sometimes I literally just want to leave my house and not come back till bed time. I still have dreams and aspirations of my own. I love to write, listen to music, drink coffee, go out with my friends, sit and drink good wine, go to church, date nights with my husband, travel...etc. and if it's my son and daughter that I talk about for the rest of my life then I am ok with that because they are my life and me being a mom is exactly where I am supposed to be.

Dylan is the most awe inspiring and greatest gift that has ever happened to me and our family. Some days I want to tell the world about him and fly a plane and scream from as high as I can, and tell everyone how cute he is or that he met a milestone, or that he just said a word for the first time, or that he took his first steps, but then again there are days I just want to remain quite in my own home sheltered from the world and it's outside beauty. Raising a child with special needs has changed my life. I was raised in a family that family is all that matters and the value of that goes further then 100 dollars in a shopping mall. Nothing melts my heart more then having a sweet innocent child who was born with the impairments that make ordinary living and ordinary "performance" difficult or even impossible.

It has helped me to understand the true love is meeting someone (child, adult, special needs or not) exactly where he or she is, no matter how they stack up against what "should be". Raising a child with special needs child breaks all the "should Be's" that we idolize and build our lives around, and puts everything into perspective of love and understanding. So one last thing is I may have it tough, but In so many ways my world and life is blessed to the fullest. I hope both my children know how much we love them and how we prayed for them everyday before they came into this world. I pray they will always stand up for themselves and know how beautiful they are inside and out. Always be true to yourself and no matter where life may lead you always...always be your own different!

Happy Friday!

Michelle xo

Life Lately....

We have been very busy lately with life in general. I am guilty of neglecting my blog this past few weeks, but every time I seem to sit down all I want to do is go to bed. This past month we have had complete and utter chaos in our home. Dylan was very sick with a nasty virus for 10 days straight and four of those days he had a fever of 103 and it just would not kick itself. I took him to the doctors 3 times and every time they told me it was nothing, which it was-but their were so many times he just did not sound or look good. I am an extra worry wart with Dylan because of his heart surgery when he was 4 months old. It is all fixed, but I always just worry about any respiratory infections. Dylan would not drink or eat, he just wanted to be held and laying next to Greg or I. Haylee got a little cold (thank goodness) that was the last thing I wanted was to have her get sick. Greg and I were also very lucky that neither of us got sick also.

My poor buddy sick as ever

The following weekend Greg and I were driving home from work and I was telling him that "I could not wait to enjoy a nice glass of wine by the fire outside after the long 10 days we just had with a sick little boy"... I could tell you that I spoke too soon. After dinner we heard some water leaking in our bathroom and low-and-behold our entire bathroom was filled up with water. It leaked into and under our base boards and all into our living room! Yup..that is right our house was just flooded and our entire floors and dry wall had to be torn apart. So my calm and relaxing weekend just turned into the biggest mess of my life. My house is now torn apart and waiting to be fixed. This full time working mom of two, with no sleep=break down soon! When it rains it pores! In the midst of all of our crazy shenanigans/life as we know it kind of month, We always seem to find joy and love with these two little peanuts...

 

These two are the best of friends, and I could not ask for it any other way!

Dylan has been doing so well with his walking. He is walking every where. When we go places now it's so nice to be able to let him down and explore on his own. I truly love watching his little face when he see's and hears things. It's like everything to him is so intriguing, but it's all learning for him. His speech is doing awesome! We are working on putting 3 words together like-"ready, set, go"! He has not quite mastered the "ready" but he has the "set and go" down. I love how excited he gets when he starts to say new words. We also have been working on eating with a fork and spoon, which is he doing awesome! Dylan has become the best big brother ever. He loves playing with his sister. He helps her with her toys and the newest thing is he loves to try and help her sing the "wheels on the bus" that is his favorite song....we sing it all the time. We are preparing for Dylan's IEP meeting (another post to come) so we have had lot's of evaluations and preparation for that. Lots of emotions fill my heart to think about my little man's future and what this little crazy world will be for him.

Haylee on the other hand is growing like a weed. We have her 6 month appointment in 2 weeks and at her 4 month she was 95% in height and 81% in weight. She is going to out grow her older brother in no time at all. She is rolling over all the time now, she has been sleeping about 10-11 hours a night(thank the lord, this mam can now sleep) We started oatmeal with her and she absolutely loves it. She is trying to move her legs like she wants to crawl. She try's to drink out of her brothers Sippy cup all the time and it's pretty funny. This little girl can not keep her eyes off of her brother. She is a solid magnet for him and 100% adores him in the cutest way possible. They are going to be the best of friends and she is going to be his little protector. She babbles like crazy and is the sweetest most gentle loving little girl.

In between are crazy month we got to enjoy a nice filled BBQ at my Dad and step mom's house with the family. One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my family. Their is no better thing then your family and the love that you share for each other. I love watching the kids play and help Dylan with all the fun activities. I have visions of what there future will bring and how awesome they will be for my little man. The cousins have such an awesome closeness that I pray every day will never break and always be close. Just like I am with my cousins...

As for Greg and I we are both very busy with work. It's been very hard to juggle working full time and raising two babies. I try my hardest to focus on spending time with the kids when I get home and leave the little messes for after we put them down for bed. I want to spend every minute I have with them since I am away all day. We have our groove and we make it work. I am a planner so my weekends are spent getting groceries for lunches and dinners, planning out our week for any appointments, Dylan's therapy days, or any other activities we have. Thank you for the inventions of Calendars, I don't know what I would do with out them. When we get home we go for family walks and have dinner. Greg and I try to have a date night once a month, as this is important for us as a couple. It's been harder on me leaving two babies now, but we have the best nanny in the world! I hope one day to be home with them and believe me I will ENJOY every waking minute of it. It's not easy and I envy those moms that can work and raise a family, but I also envy the moms that get to stay home. None of them our easy, but as moms we do it. We rise to the occasion and we ensure that everything is good and our family and home our running the way they need to be. God made us moms for a reason. I would not change it for the world! Hope everyone is having a great week and ready for the weekend like me...


Michelle, xo

Haylee:: 5 Months

Well our little girl is 5 months old! Where does the time go? I feel having two kids makes them grow even faster. I don't even have a second at the most to really sit down and enjoy those precious moments. Haylee and Dylan really keep us on our toes. Haylee is such a gentle loving sweet little girl. Her smile is infectious and her belly laughs our the cutest thing in the world. She is rolling over non-stop, she loves her brother more then anything, and her energy can be seen from a mile away. She is about 16 pounds and growing. She loves to grab her toys and throw them, she loves Mickey Mouse so much and I am just waiting for that day when we are asked " when are we going to Disneyland"? Haylee finally started to sleep through the night and wakes up around 4:30-5. She eats a lot and honestly I think she is ready for some real food. She is always staring at her brother when he is eating like-"hey can you give me some of that"!

I am so thankful for this sweet little girl of ours. She has made our world a better place. I am love stricken over the friendship and love that she has for her brother and how close they are becoming. I have visions of there future together and it just makes my heart beat even harder. We love you Haylee girl and so blessed God gave you to our family!

Oh.. The Things You Can Read

 Books, books and more books. This is something that is very popular in our home these days. It has been a big hit ever since Dylan was a baby. I started reading to him from the time he was born! We knew as Dylan got older his speech would become a challenge, but we had no doubt that he would learn and be awesome at it! We wanted to ensure we did anything and everything to help encourage his speech as it will help him, our family, friends, and teachers to better communicate with Dylan. In the past 2 1/2 years I have read many things myself and working very close with Dylan's therapist reading has become a huge essential part of our life. Dylan is constantly reading and learning from everything we read. From shapes, to stories, to colors, to numbers you name it we have it. We're always telling Dylan that books and reading are good for him, but have we ever really thought about why that's true? Exactly what do children get out of reading books? Does reading matter?

Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children. Not only is it necessary for survival in the world of schools , but in adult life as well. The ability to learn about new subjects and use our imaginations will only help in the long run.
The more children read, the better they become at reading. It's as simple as that.

 The more enjoyable the things they read are, the more they'll stick with them and develop the reading skills that they'll need for full access to information in their adult lives. Reading should be viewed as a pleasurable activity - as a source of entertaining tales and useful and interesting factual information.

The more young children are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading. Reading out loud exposes children to proper grammar and phrasing. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills, their ability to express themselves verbally.Reading, by way of books, magazines or websites, exposes kids to new vocabulary.

 Even when they don't understand every new word, they absorb something from the context that may deepen their understanding of it the next time the word is encountered. When parents read aloud to children, the children also hear correct pronunciation as they see the words on the page, even if they can't yet read the words on their own.

 Reading opens doors - doors to factual information about any subject on earth, practical or theoretical. Given the wealth of available resources such as Internet, libraries, schools and bookstores, if children can read well and if they see reading as a source of information, then for the rest of their lives they will have access to all of the accumulated knowledge of mankind, access to all of the great minds and ideas of the past and present. It truly is magic !

Through stories and novels children can vicariously try out new experiences and test new ideas, with no negative consequences in their real lives. They can meet characters who they'll enjoy returning to for comforting and satisfying visits when they reread a cherished book or discover a sequel. Books also give kids the opportunity to flex their critical thinking skills in such areas as problem solving, the concepts of cause and effect, conflict resolution, and acceptance of responsibility for one's actions. Mysteries allow children to follow clues to their logical conclusions and to try to outguess the author. Even for very young children, a simple story with a repetitive refrain or a simple mystery to solve gives a confidence boost. Children can predict the patterns and successfully solve the riddles.

Children are influenced by and imitate the world around them. For example, books can encourage children to be more cooperative, to share with others, to be kind to animals, or to respect the natural environment.

 They share a few minutes of precious time, plus they share the ideas that are contained in the story. In addition, older children can be encouraged to read aloud to younger ones as a means of enhancing their relationship.

At school or at a library story hour, books can bring children together and can be part of a positive shared experience. For some preschoolers this may be their primary opportunity to socialize and to learn how to behave around other children or how to sit quietly for a group activity. Make the most of this experience by encouraging children to talk about what they've read or heard.

 

It may sound funny, but ebooks can be a way for children to improve their fine motor skills and their hand-eye coordination, as they click around a child friendly website or click the backward and forward buttons of online story pages. They may also be picking up valuable computer skills that they'll need in school and later in life.

 

This is one of my favorite! Reading can provide children with endless hours of fun and entertainment. All of the reasons above aren't at all necessary to justify reading's place in children's lives. Stories can free up imaginations and open up exciting new worlds of fantasy or reality. They allow children to dream and may give them a good start on the road to viewing reading as a lifelong source of pleasure; so read to your young children every day.

Inspire your older children to read. Give them access to plenty of reading material that they'll enjoy and discuss it with them. Sample everything - traditional printed books and ebooks on Internet, classic children's novels and fairy tales, as well as more modern stories.

If a child wants to hear the same story over and over again, don't worry about it. Children take comfort from the familiarity and predictability of a beloved story that they know by heart. There's no harm in that. Reread old favorites and, at the same time, introduce your children to new stories. Your child's mind and heart have room for both.

So reading really does matter after all!

There are so many ways in which reading continues to be both a vital skill for children to master, and an important source of knowledge and pleasure that can last a lifetime. Nurture it in your children. Make the most of all the resources that are available and waiting for you: printed books, online books, magazines and so forth. Encourage follow-up activities involving creative writing skills and the arts, as well, so that your children can reflect upon or expand on what they've absorbed and, at the same time, develop their own creativity. As you help your kids appreciate the magic of reading, you'll find that there's a whole wonderful world full of children's literature out there that YOU can enjoy too. I myself have found the magic in reading again through the eyes of my sweet baby boy!

The books in the pictures are currently on our top list of reads during the week. Dylan asks for each one of them every time we sit down to read.... thought I would share!

* This little Piggy- Hannah Wood
* Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb- Dr. Suess
* I'm a big Brother - Ronne Randall & Kristina Stephenson- Got This for him when his sister was born...he loves being a big brother.

Michelle, xo