Just some random news

We've been keeping busy with life like every one else and we are thoroughly enjoying life!
Steve is enjoying work and loves learning more about the financial industry, he's hoping to start studying for his investment license soon, but we will see how time works out and flies! He's still the Scout Master in our ward and enjoys working with the few boys that are still in the deacons quorum. Steve went to Washington for work with his dad at the beginning of February and sounds like they had a great time. It was his dad, Larry, himself, and his cousin, Graig. They seemed to have more fun than work and it sounds like they will have to make one more trip in the next few weeks to finish the job. Steve keeps busy and thankfully he's been able to balance time for the family and work and scouts. Even when it means that Mike goes to a meeting with him.... Mike loves it!!!



Mike as happy as all get out after going to work with dad. He came home with some snickers candy from a real millionaire. He was so excited even though he had no idea what that meant. Excuse the woman at the side... it was still during the puking stage. Doesn't he look handsome?

below: Mike's newcast





Mike has been busy with preschool and having an imagination as huge as the sky it seems! The other day he gave me a news report about his toys and even had commercial breaks... he would break by giving the signature local news line... "local people, local news." He is such fun with the things he comes up with! He loves watching the Olympics and enjoyed the little he was able to stay awake for of the opening ceremony... which were wonderful! He even will go around the house lately ice skating, but couldn't quite figure out why he wasn't able to spin on the ground like they could. Preschool has definitely been busy lately it seems, but Mike really enjoys it and especially loves the new aide, whom he flirts with ALL the time... she's in our ward. Mike loves singing especially the days of the week song that sounds like the Adam's family song. We let him watch part of the Star Wars: Episode One a couple of weeks back and now he uses a k'nex rod to fight "the ducks" all over the house (He thought that the droids looked a lot like ducks), it's been a ton of fun especially when Steve gets in the fray :)

Mike is doing well with recognizing sight words and will probably be a kid that memorizes everything. He has that elated look on his face when he realizes that he has memorized something... like a new primary song, a new word, and the words to his favorite books.
I think that must be the most wonderful feeling... when you get to see your child really intrigued and happy with what they've done!

We are continuously working on SPD lately and increasing Mike's fine motor skills with "homework." Mike has loved homework lately and that's made the extra work easier. Today's homework was to make snowballs. Making "snowballs" not only strengthens small muscles in the hand, but also wakes them up to get them ready to work (writing, coloring, cutting). We scrunched up as many snowballs out of paper as we could and then had a great indoors family snowball fight! It was a lot of fun!!! Something I'm sure we will keep doing just for kicks!

snowball fight! Mike and Steve with their game faces on! :)

I'm starting to throw myself back into learning as much as I can about SPD and other "disabilities" (lack of a better word) that hold kid back from learning, and doing the best that they can. It's an interesting adventure. I've been cross referencing some of the challenges Mike has with activities that can help with those things. I just want to know all that I can right now. It's been fun e-mailing OT's and talking to the speech therapists and other people who are involved with helping these kids. A little frustrating because it seems that too often hands are tied by rules, or parents don't have the time or resources to help, or the kid is just missed and labeled as a bad kid. What an unfair disadvantage! I am very thankful to have the time, to have the resources, and the spit fire to stand my ground when my mother's instinct tells me what's going on with my child... wish I had a little more of that to not doubt myself so much :)
Some of the things we are starting to try with Mike is for his vestibular system... inner ear. He enjoys it a lot and so does Steve. It involves standing on his head for a few minutes, swinging around, spinning, and tumbling. I still need to get some more info. and tips from our OT, but it's seeming to help him come back to calm attention when he needs it. He really likes it when he gets to stand on his head and read a book! What a wonderful adventure learning is!!!