Eli Update

James and I went last Friday to Eli's annual IEP (individualized education plan) meeting. His teacher and Occupational therapist just kept on praising his progress and told us several things that he does that keeps them laughing. He has quite the personality, even though he can't communicate very well yet. He does have some communication but it is very, very limited. That is our goal for this next year. His teacher, Mrs. Carrie, said that every day after naps he points to her and says, "you fired." We discovered he got that off of the movie, "The Incredibles." She said he is the king of circle time; he recognizes his name said aloud and written; he sings and does the moves to a lot of the songs. He still thrives on routine and any change in his routine causes a tantrum but he has learned to calm himself down pretty fast. He understands more words and does say "NO" when he doesn't want something. He loves the assistant principal, Mr. Peoples and Mr peoples even takes him around to other classrooms sometimes with him. So when we were there other teachers would say how much they love Eli. He rules the school, they say!
They want to keep him in school for 3 hrs. a day during the summer. We are trying to find what else we can do for him this summer. They also want him back in the same classroom (CBIP-Communication, Behavioral intervention program), at the same school, with the same teacher in the fall. I think this is the best thing for him for now. Please keep him in your prayers and pray that we will know what avenues to take to try to help him.
While we were discussing his IEP i heard yelling down the hall of the school and knew it was Eli. They weren't putting him on the bus since we were there so he threw a little fit because it was a change in routine but when he saw us he gave us his biggest smile and ran to his Dad. He looked at the teachers aids and said, "all done" while signing it at the same time. He was done with them, he had his dad. He loved being in there with us and loved the chocolate on the table. He at one point went and played with the magnetic letters on the teachers desk and brought some back to the table with him. He then proceeded to put them back in the same exact order he found them on the teachers desk. James would then mess it up and then Eli would put it back together exactly the way it was before. So it seems he has a photographic memory. We are going to try a few things to see if that is true and what else he can do. In other words, the progression is slow but there is progression and that is what's important. I love my sweet Eli!

I'm sure everyone knows by now!

Okay, so I am really slow at posting on my blog. NO wisecracks please! I am sure most of you know what gender our baby is going to be by now but for those who have not heard I am now going to tell you. We went, very excited to find out. The baby was hiding, trying to not let us see and then we got a good look. Can you guess? IT'S A ...........(the suspense it killing you right)...............(Okay I'll let you know after I stretch for a little bit).............. (I'lll let you know after I use the restroom).................(uh-oh kids are screaming)....................(gotta check on who got booted off on American Idol)...........................(I missed "Lost" last night, so I better watch the episode)...........................................................................IT'S A BOY!!!! Man it took you long enough to find out. Silly people! We thought for sure we were having a girl so I even bought a few girl things; good thing Margene is having a girl. I went to the Doctors appointment after in tears. We are excited to have a boy, but hesitant on what challenge this little boy is going to bring with him. We are praying that he won't have any problems but also praying that we can handle whatever happens. We just want him to be healthy and happy.
Aubrey was very sad too. She didn't want the boys to outnumber the girls anymore. After we came home she cried for awhile. She said, "boys are too bossy!" I said that girls are bossy too and she said, "no way, I've never been bossy!" Now she is very excited and even felt the baby kick her in the head the other day. She keeps asking me when I am going to have them take him out. She said she "can't wait to be a big sister." I told her she already is and she said, "no way!" We can't wait to welcome him into our family and are excited about the names we have come up with. Thanks for all your prayers and love.

Yeah Warmth

I love when the weather gets warm and the kids can play outside for a little bit. We pulled out our dora sprinkler, and let the kids run through it. Eli would have done it all day if he could have! Of course Jaxon is once again wearing Spiderman. That is all he wears. We finally had to force one of his shirts off him since he wore it for 4 days; he didn't like the replacement spiderman shirt we gave him. He threw a big fit! Poor kid!

Easter

We went up to Josh and Margene's for conference weekend. They are always party animals. We left Aubrey up there for a week so they would have to come down the next weekend for Easter. As payment for being sneaky they brought Aubrey home with the flu. Which the rest of us, except for James( always the case), would get in the next couple weeks. ( more to come on that later) We had lots of things planned for Easter but it ended up being freezing cold and so we did a quick easter egg hunt and then ended up at home for our Easter picnic. McKaylee helped me finish the Easter Egg Pinata by painting it very colorful. She did a great job! It was expertly put together because no one could break it. Josh even broke our most treasured, green, plastic bat trying to get it to open. We ended up kicking it. The kids expected candy but we had slips of paper with scriptures on it and things that represented the Savior (along with some marbles to add some weight) in it instead. Then after we discussed the reason we celebrate Easter we gave them a clue to go and find a bag of gummi lifesavers candy with a couple more scriptures explaining that Jesus is our lifesaver and he loves us. It was fun for me to put together so I hope every one else had fun. Thanks Josh and Margene for braving the Greenwood household once again. Josh, you still owe us another beautiful, plastic, green bat. hehe j/k

The two pregnant women helping the Easter bunny get the baskets together. Margene is so cute!

Flu update: Jaxon got the flu for the normal 24-48 hrs after Aubrey. Then we had a break for a few days and so we thought it was over. Then, Eli came home from school the next thursday after Easter with red, goopy eyes and a fever. Then the next day both Eli and I were bed ridden because of chills, fever, ache and some congestion. It ended up lasting until the next thursday when we were finally able to send Eli to school and I went to the Dr.'s because mine turned into a sinus infection. I have decided that we ended up with the piglet flu, not quite the swine flu that everyone else it getting. ( haha bad joke, I know) It was the worst flu I have ever had! I am glad it is over for awhile, hopefully!

new helmet

I don't know if anyone else has this problem but my kids seem to have very large heads. Aubrey had a cute princess helmet that lasted, not very long. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Greenwood, who sent money for her birthday, she got a new helmet (still with princesses on it). She looks cute.

We also bought some curlers to see if Aubrey would actually let me curl her hair. We have done it once and it has been over a month. Oh well!

Aubrey's Week

The last week of March was a busy week for Aubrey.

Aubrey of course realizes that she is a big girl but sometimes her curiosity gets the better of her. We were enjoying the day outside. I was planting some flowers and the kids were playing in the cul-de-sac. James keeps asking me where the adult supervision was. I was right there and thought she was playing with some dirt on the side of the road. Come to find out it was tar! We tried oil, butter, soap and water and everything else. I called James and told him to pick up some of that fast orange stuff that mechanics use. That is the only way we ended up getting it off. Meanwhile, Aubrey's hands and arms were covered, as well as her feet and legs. It was quite the sight to see. She got it all over the kitchen sink and the bathroom sink, and her bike and all over my shirt. What a mess it was! We ended up putting socks on her hands and feet so she wouldn't get it anywhere else, until her dad got home. What a kid!

Aubrey this same week ended up losing her first tooth; well, she swallowed it while we were at the Dr.'s office. She also got her 5 year shots so she can go to school. I finally gave in and got Jaxon his MMR shot. I was nervous for weeks always hoping that shots really don't have anything to do with Autism. He is still doing great and is in the process of potty training. He has to wear spider man underwear and it has to be on backwords so he can see the pictures. He climbs up backwards on the toilet and does his thing. He loves being big!