the randomness of life
For some reason my phone decided to work today…could be temporary…could be permanent! We will have to see but for now all systems are a go:) I’m kind of grossed out by the idea of using a phone that once landed in a toilet but I will do just about anything to save $400.00.
* if it is permanent, my hats off to apple for making a phone that can survive being completely submerged in water!
I got nothin’, sorry. Not much going on the past couple days hopefully things will get more exciting soon and I can fill you in but I just didn’t want you to worry…because I know that you would, HA!!
But just for the heck of it and because I just don’t post enough pictures (ha ha) here’s a picture I took yesterday of Jonas watching his favorite show Little Einstein’s …he is OBSESSED, can’t you tell!!
More photoshop fun…brighten this one up a bit…I guess I have my own obsessions too:)
Ok I’m not sure why, maybe it’s the unhealthy amount of time I have been spending reading Pioneer Woman Photography, but I just got done spending 2 hours playing around in photoshop. I have had the program for about 2 years and have never really used it for more than changing pictures to black and white or brightening a photo (extremely basic). The program is just intimidating, if you have it you probably no what I’m sayin’…its crazy! Well anyway I have always loved the idea of messing with photos but never took the time to learn it. The thing I love about pioneer woman’s website is she explains everything step by step, so tonight I tried it and I learned how to use the lasso tool and how to blur a photo!! (if you are reading this and your are really good at photoshop, don’t laugh, I know this is REALLY basic stuff but for me its BIG) Here’s what I did:
I’m not sure what the point is to doing this to your photo, but it sure is fun!
I love the internet. I know that it has its down side, but ever since I was told that Jonas is more than likely on the autism spectrum I have not stopped researching every thing I can. I feel like the more I learn the better off Jonas will be and I feel so blessed that I have an amazing resource sitting right in my living room or any room for that matter (I have a laptop). Anyway in my pursuit to learn about what I can do to help Jonas I came across this…thing, I don’t know what you would call it but it made me cry and I had to share.
WELCOME TO HOLLAND
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……
When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.
by
Emily Perl Kingsley.
I don’t feel like this all the time because for the most part Jonas is doing really well. We just started a new therapy called PECS which is supposed to help him communicate through pictures and he is doing amazing!! But, sometimes this is exactly how I feel and I just love that I can go online and find words to describe something I felt that I couldn’t put words to on my own.
There is one thing that happened this weekend which I did not mention in my last post because I felt it deserved its own.
On the left is a photo of the phone I currently own…you may recognize it…its the world famous iphone. On the right is a photo of a toilet. Unfortunately the 2 where introduced this weekend!!!!!!
Yes that’s right I dropped my iphone in the toilet….literally my worst nightmare come true!!!!! Well I guess its just in time to get the new one coming out next month, at least its half the price:)
In case anyone was wondering it did turn back on about 2 days after the incident but won’t read the sim card. I tried to take it to the apple store and pretend like I had no idea it had water damage (don’t judge me) but of course lying never works…at least for me!
Well I just got back from my mommy break to the keys. It was pretty relaxing and I was able to go around and do some of my favorite key west activities that I often have to skip when I go down with Jonas. I will say that by about Saturday I was really starting to miss him, its just a weird feeling not having him around. Here are a couple pictures I took (you knew I would). I actually took pictures of some of my favorite things to do while in key west, its not everything but it definitely covers the basics!
I always go to kino’s and see what colors they are carrying. They sell cheap, long lasting sandals that they make right in the store. They used to be like less than 5 bucks when I was a kid and they are now up to 11 dollars but still worth it.
Sometimes you go and they aren’t carrying any great colors and other times you go and you hit the jackpot which was this weekend! Aren’t they cute?!
Notice the pedicure…I bee-lined it to the nearest nail salon as soon as we arrived! Its not a weekend in the keys (or anywhere really) without freshly painted toes:)
Here is me having a cuban roast beef sandwich from paradise cafe. I try and eat out for as many meals as financially possible because the food in key west is just so so good! My favorites are blue heaven, abbondonza, camilles, micheal’s, BO’s fish wagon & El Siboney. I don’t have a picture but I also love to have a cuban coffee with toast in the mornings from Sandy’s or really from any of the cuban coffee shops. This weekend my brother was kind enough to pick it up and have it waiting for me when I woke up…thanks dennis!
Well that’s about it I have lots more pictures but all of them seem to be of someone (me or my family) eating…so I decided not to bore you or embarrass them 
So to recap, it was a good weekend we got lots of planning done and I got lots of eating done:)
Tonight will mark the beginning of my kid free weekend:) I am sooo excited!! I will be heading down to the keys for some wedding planning with my sister and leaving my little man behind. Thanks to my Mom and Bob who have volunteered to watch him when Brian is working! It has been a bit of a job getting ready to leave Jonas for 3 whole days ie. making list, meals, etc. etc. but It will be so worth it when I am laying out on the beach without having to chase Jonas down to put sunscreen on or to make sure he doesn’t drown:) I will have a full report of my mommy break when I return…have a good weekend everybody!
Just so you can fully grasp the concept:
Here is what I will be doing: (I wish I looked that good in a bathing suit. HA!)
Here is what I WILL NOT be doing:
I have been wanting to dedicate an entire post to the wii fit ever since I got it about a month ago but I felt that I needed to try it out for awhile before I could give me honest opinion of it. I spoke about it briefly in a previous post when I first got it because I was SOOO excited to try it out. It was advertised as supposedly a virtual gym in your living room and let me tell it has not let me down! This program has been the only exercise program that I have been able to stick to since having Jonas. Before becoming a mommy I could go for bike rides or a walk whenever I wanted but this became a challenge once I had a child around 24/7. I am able to pop in wii fit during Jonas nap time or bedtime and do a 30 minute workout of my choice! The “choice” part is the key. I could easily buy a workout video and do that during Jonas’ nap but I get so sick of the same video over and over again that my dedication usually lasts less that 2 weeks. I actually look forward to doing and trying different things. It has yoga, strength, aerobics and balance games. I know I sound like a commercial right now but I am just so loving it. My favorite feature so far has been the aerobics free step, you can do a step routine and change the channel to watch your favorite show and the wii will continue counting your steps and time!! It has so many features and I won’t bore you with all the details but if you are reading this and not sure if it is a worth while investment let me tell you…IT IS!!!
I almost posted a pic of me exercising but its to embarrasing so you will just have to picture it:)
I just wanted to write a post for the 2 best dads around:)
My dad:
This is an older pic of my dad and Jonas from when Jonas was dedicated it was taken by my friend katie and I LOVE it! Happy Father’s Day dad!
And of course, my husband:
One of the things I love about Brian is his playfulness its one of the qualities that has made him a great daddy! Happy Father’s Day sweetie!
I know that for some people a haircut is not a big deal but today Jonas got a haircut and it was SOOOO exciting because I have had major issues with him and haircuts he actually would freak out so bad that we would come home with his hair looking a million times worse that when we walked in!! But today was different we went to a special ”kids” haircut place (it’s a bit of a drive to get there but worth it). They have lollipops, bubbles, videos etc. He had never had a lollipop before and I am telling you I wish I had my camera because that kid was so excited about the lollipop that seriously I could have done anything to him and he would not have cared…it was hilarious and such a relief!
Doesn’t it look cute?!
Ps. Thank you to everyone that commented on my last post and even to those that I know read it and are keeping us in your prayers, Brian and I are really grateful for all the support we have around us!
