Do You Have a Code Word?

Remember when you were growing up and your parents taught you a secret "code word"?

You and your parents agreed on a code word that is easy to remember. This way, if anyone told you that you need to go with them because your parents were hurt or in the hospital, you'd can ask them for the code word. If they know the code word that you and your parents shared, it was safe to go with them. If they do not know the code word, you were supposed to run away from them as fast as possible.


Well our purpose of the code word is different from what I described above, but just wanted to give you the idea of why. Daniel's therapist gave me the idea because part of therapy sometimes involves cooking. We will change the word for home because the word the therapist used, we will use too often (therapy code word - delicious) for my stellar cooking skills! OK...so Lonnie stop laughing its not that bad.

Anyways, the purpose of the code word at home/therapy is for when your little one has helped prepare food or made a treat. They are so proud that they mixed up the ingredients, or added something, cooked it. They are beaming with joy, and they want to share with you.

Well if I say to Dad...'Daniel and I made cookies, they are Scrumdiliumptious'.

(Scrumdiliumptious =Home Code word) he then knows to say "Wow those look great, you did an awesome job, but I think I'll wait to have those for my bedtime snack. I can't wait!"

Why you ask?
Because in our house scrumdiliumptious now means : Our little guy helped make them and is very proud of his accomplishments but he sneezed, coughed, drooled in the batter so eat at your own risk! Or if he just added too much of the wrong ingredient like salt or something! But don't you dare say anything to burst his bubble!

Although it will always be fun when someone doesn't catch the code word and takes a big chomp from the cookie with too much salt, and they have to mask the look of disgust quickly because Mom will kick you in the shin if you let on.

So be warned - if you hear the code word while you're at my house. Eat at your discretion. :)

Maybe a Butterfly Soon?

As some of you might remember, we had some caterpillars (2) for our butterfly experiment this year. They have been hanging in their cocoons for a while now and I thought perhaps they didn't make it. But this is what I saw this evening. I could be wrong, but I think we might have at least one flutterby tomorrow.

Watch the short video and ignore the background sound! But I think someone is trying to come out! There's a lot of shakin' going on in there.

The True Purpose of a Peep

Marshmallow Peeps.

Truth be told, I personally can't stand them. Never have been able to eat them. Grosses me out for whatever reason. But I do like the colors that they have now. In the past years I have always ended up getting them to put into the Easter basket just because, well they are suppose to be there. No one in my family eats them, unless of course everything else has been eaten! Then you have to pull the Easter grass off cause its generally stuck to it.

This year I was given a little idea by Daniel's preschool teacher. While Daniel was out of school a lot this past month I asked for "homework" and she sent me a list of activities they were doing in the class for us to try at home. One of them was painting with peeps. Clever idea!

All the colors that peeps are in now, I figured we'd give it a try. We are a crafty family and Daniel loves getting messy.




Here are a few photos from our peep painting experience. I will warn you, it is a bit messy and sticky. A bath might be required after this craft. Best thing about it, if you have a child that likes to put things into their mouths, its all edible. Well except maybe for the peeps!! :)


So go grab your colored peeps, a little bit of vanilla pudding, dip and paint!! The color of the peep changes the pudding and voila' you have art!!









You gotta check out the Peeps website Also check out over at Bakerella what they do with their bunny peeps! Plus she is having a giveaway for a brand new Nintendo DSi. Check it out and try to win!

Here are a few fun peep trivia facts:

• Marshmallow Peeps were first introduced in 1953. Back then, the Peeps were squeezed out of a pastry tube one at a time and the eyes were painted on by hand -- taking a total of 27 hours to create one Peep. Today, technology can make one Peep in six minutes. (I think I still have my first peep...I use it for my doorstop during the Easter season!)
• Last Easter, more than 700 million peeps were consumed. (or used for arts/crafts/science experiments-microwaving!)
• Marshmallow Peeps have been the top selling non-chocolate candy for the last decade - even outselling jellybeans. (C'mon Man.....really??)

Are you a Peeps fan? Have you ever been curious about other Peep possibilities?

Give me your ideas, I've got some extras here that need a purpose!

Here Chickie chickie chickie-AMENDED

With Easter being right around the corner we decided to have a little fun with some holiday type activity. Some steps turned out well, and well some turned out to be messy but fun. I'll let you figure out which was which!

Can't say we aren't sanitary...gotta use the rubber gloves! That is half the fun!!!

As you can see, Daniel was our taste tester. Actually he wasn't the only one, he was the only one I caught on camera!

If you can't tell these are suppose to be lil' chicks. Didn't turn out quite like they were supposed to but it was fun anyways.

Check tomorrow to see the only purpose a Peep really has in this world!

Amendment: I forgot to put the link to where we got the idea for the chick. Bakerella!
You didn't really think I was that crafty to figure these guys out by myself!

To Sleep.........is divine! OMG

Daniel has never been a great sleeper. I figure he got that from me.
I go in these spurts of not liking to sleep, wanting to sleep ALL THE TIME, and wanting to sleep but can't so I cry!

We've done the whole Melatonin thing for Daniel and it just doesn't seem to work. Plus I hate giving him more drugs on top of all the daily stuff we give him. So come 3 a.m. Daniel is generally awake and wanting attention.
If I am with Daniel I will lay in the bed with him and we'll talk about the butterflies, the things we're going to do the next day, I'll make shadow puppets on the wall, we'll practice rolling over from one end of the bed to the other, we will hold our legs up in the air and count our toes and kick out feet, just giggle.
Well, not so much the same thing with Dad. Lonnie will smile as Daniel and explain in the sweetest way possible "Daniel sweetie, you need to go back to sleep. Nope, stop smiling at me...close your eyes and go to sleep. Daniel.....Daniel...yep thats Daddy's nose! Daniel...its time for sleep. Yes....Eye...very good, thats Daddy's eye. Daniel get your finger out of my nose.......its time to sleep. Daniel, why do you have to be so damn cute.......FINE, you wanna watch some tv?" Big smile....and then he'll watch a show and go back to bed.

With me? I can't get him to do that for the life of me. When he's with me we're up for hours.....I can't figure it out!

More so lately I haven't been sleeping well, so once I finally fall asleep, if there is a little Daniel awake Lonnie tends to him so I can get a little sleep. INSOMNIA sucks! So generally I'm not falling asleep when most people are and when they are getting up I tend to have just fallen asleep. So sleep isn't often with me, UNTIL I got these Melatonin strips from Jacolyn.

OMG

Sleep..............ah what a wonderful thing. Two nights in a row, complete sleep. Much needed sleep. AAAAH sleep is divine!

So if you're looking up sleep issues on the internet, contact Jacolyn...she'll hook ya up with these enlyten Melatonin strips. I am HOOKED

Oh and let's not forget the Energy strips she sent me too! YEP they work too.....with her three little ones I can't imagine that she doesn't use these little babies every once in a while too!

ECO- 14 Programming

Well -

Let me just tell you all this much- These augmentative devices aren't just a plug in, charge, and play kinda thing!!

We are trying to get it as customized as possible for Daniel. Reason being, I think if it is more "his style" that he'll be more willing to use it. I have learned that I have to be very careful when I program it that Daniel is not around to watch me. The little booger seems to watch my every move and has figured out how to get into the programming area! I still have my training to go to which will tell me how to lock that feature from him!

I am still working on getting a good video of him using his device. Right now its hard. Its hard because he always has his head down looking at what he is suppose to be looking at and not at me!!

We work on it a lot, get him use to the keys, and where his "words" are. Of course on the main page that comes up we have "About me" button, "Potty" button, "My words" button, "Eat" button, "Toys" button.
Ya know....the important stuff.

For some reason, anytime one of us is using at computer Daniel feels its HIS TURN to use it and you better well acknowledge that you are aware that you're working at HIS computer.
Daniel has his home computer which has his games and has a touch screen monitor for him. And he also has his ECO-14 augmentative device. So according to Daniel - HE IS TOP DOG, and no one is allowed to use ANY computer in the house without his say so. If you got to use it and he saw you use it, then he gets to use it next and for twice as long! Kid is a riot!
Here is a photo of Daniel at therapy working on the computer and using a mouse. He has also started doing "Therapeutic Listening". (more about that in another post)

Today while Daniel was watching "Blue's Clues"....I thought OK, he's distracted I'll check my email real quick. Next thing I know he is looking at me and yelling "ON ON ON ON"
He thinks if he yells and repeats himself saying he wants "ON", he'll get it.

I know don't give into him.
Well it is technically HIS computer.
OK Daniel, your turn! (and we get a big ol' grin from ear to ear).
All is good once again in the world!

Stick Figure Family

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

You gotta try this thing out! Its pretty funny. Can't wait for the kids (girls) look to see how I made them!! I think pretty accurate!