Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

I have to admit that I haven't done anything this week in regards to the 40 Days in the Word.  Time change has really played havoc with my sleeping patterns and this is the first of the two birthdays of crazy birthday month.  I have decided to dedicate this week's randomness to crazy birthday month.  

March used to be the unbirthday month in my family.  It was typically Easter month and nothing else.  When I got married, my husband's sister had a birthday in March, but we rarely saw her.  The only other holiday was my in laws anniversary on the 17th.  They have the best date, if they were Irish.  Still March was a slow month.  Then another of my sister in laws delivered twin boys on the 8th and 9th respectively.  They were born so close to midnight.  However, we rarely saw them as well.  

This all changed in 2007 with I had Thomas on the 27th.  We now had a birthday.  The year I had Thomas, Easter was a week after his birth.  I have pictures of him in his bouncy chair all stickered up by his sister as she decorated him like an Easter Egg.  He started sleeping with one eye open after that escapade.  I didn't blame him.  I relished having my children's birthdays so far apart (Nicole's birthday is in June).  I could plan them both with relish and ease.  

March 2008 just before Thomas' birthday I found out I was pregnant again.  My due date was November 2008.  This was not to be as I miscarried.  I was understandably upset.  Two months later, I found out I was pregnant again.  I was elated.  Then I counted.  March 2009 was my due date.  I would have two birthdays in one month.  As my due date got closer, I started planning Thomas' 3rd birthday party.  I knew if I didn't, the poor boy wouldn't get one.  Luckily I had great friends who helped me in the execution.  Thomas wasn't too happy there was a baby in the house, so having a day with his friends and cake was a great thing for him.  

Since Sam was born, I've only had one friend with a little one the same age.  As a result, Sam has only had family parties with our family and very close friends.  This year Sam is having his first official birthday party with his friends.  I am having a Milk and Cookies party and at the writing of this blog (Thursday night) I am very disorganized and stressing.  I know though that everything will go well that it doesn't matter to the kids that the table looks amazing or that I used my cricut to cut out his name (hoping to get to that tomorrow morning).  I will be spending my morning blowing up balloons, baking some sugar cookies for decorating, decorating the table and keeping the house tidy until the guests arrive.  After that it's a free for all.  

Then it's on to the execution of the next party in two weeks.  Thomas has requested a Hotel Transylvania PJ Party.  I will be making the invitations this weekend and then next week working on the giveaways.    

In all the birthday planning and executions I thought I would share a gift with you.  My cupcake and chocolate icing recipes.  I hope you enjoy them.

Pour cream into large mixing bowl. 

Mix the sugar and the cocoa together, then sift them into the cream a little at a time, beating with an electric beater.  Continue beating until the frosting stands up in stiff peaks and is thick enough to spread.  Ice cupcakes when cooled.

Sometimes a year can go by so quickly.  Sometimes nothing changes in that year.  Sometimes everything changes.  A year ago this week we packed up our belongings, loaded them in a truck, said good bye to our dear friends and little town and moved back to Alberta.  We had made the decision to move to get more help for Thomas.  He had just been diagnosised with Autism.  His speech was almost unintelligible, even for those closet to him.  He couldn't deal with large crowds.  Socially he was so far behind his peers.  He had very few friends and those that he did play with were 2 years younger than him. 

We hestitantly placed him in kindergarten.  It was not something we wanted to do.  We were sure he wasn't ready for it.  However, to get the funding for him we needed to.  We lucked out in getting a great teacher, Mrs. B.  She was a lovely woman.  She was the grandmother everyone wanted.  I was to find out later that she was a believer, which just made her even greater.  Whenever anything came up, she would contact me immediately.  When she felt that something was being done that wasn't in his best interest, she would call me at home and support the decisions I made.  She nurtured Thomas.  She encouraged him.  She pushed for his best.  She was part of the team that only wanted the best for Thomas. 

We also were blessed by the therapists and aides.  They engaged Thomas the way he needed to be.  Encouraging him to push beyond the limits.  To seek out more than what the world wanted for him.  Thomas blossomed.   We saw changes in him almost immediatey after the start of school.  For a little guy scared to even sit on the table, he started to climb up to his sister's top bunk to read with her.  This spring he became evil knievil, putting on his helmet and racing down the hill behind our house on his plasma car. 

He made friends among his peers.  He was a very popular fellow.  He had a few close friends that seemed to know when he needed sensory stimulation.  Even though we as adults were trying to teach Thomas to high five his friends instead of hugging them.  These little boys knew when Thomas needed to wrestle and get that stimulation.  They made a game of it.  Thomas was included in their parties.  One of the moms told me that he was so good at the party.  That she wished the other boys were like Thomas.  He listened and did what was asked of him.  She didn't worry about him at all. 

Thomas still needs further therapies.  We still need to work on his speech and his fine motor skills regarding hand writing need further work.  He still gets disorientated when he is in large crowds.  One year though has made a complete difference in his and our lives. 

I will admit that last year I thought he would be repeating kindergarten.  Not that I underestimated him, but I knew we had so much work to do.  I am so proud to say that he is going to Grade 1 next year.  His report card was above average (I might be exagerating a bit, but it was awesome).  He is working on reading.  He is using his laptop to write out his sentences and work. 

God has blessed us with the people around us who want Thomas to succeed.  Where others may have wanted to put him in a box, God is tearing that box apart and is showing us what inclusion should be through Thomas.  Thomas is one of God's sons.  He is perfectly and wonderfully made.  God has great plans for Thomas and I have been able to view these over the year and hope to see more of His plans through the next year.

I bet you didn't know that I live with Hugh Hefner. He is very comfortable strolling around the house in his brown corduroy house coat all day. In fact, I have to remind him that he needs to put a regular jacket on when we are going out.

Don't you love him. I know he is ageless. You wouldn't know that he isn't a day over 4 years old. He loves the ladies. He loves giving kisses and hugs to any woman he encounters. I don't know if I should be scared about that or if I should embrace it. But I'm not a jealous mom, so I let him. Just today, someone came to pickup tickets that I was selling for a fundraiser, he had to immediately run to the door and go up and "maul" her. Luckily I knew the lovely lady. She was shocked but more at the fact that he had grown so much since the last time she had seen him. So, if you're every up our way, don't be surprised at the love received at our door.

By the way, did you know that Hugh is actually Spiderman.

Now go and use your "Spidey" senses at Under Grace Over Coffee.