Legacy

Here is the scenerio: I called Mark Monday afternoon at five and said that I was just leaving Salt Lake so probably would not be home until at least six with traffic. Well, what a pleasant surprise when I cruised in the driveway at 5:35. That's right, over thrity miles in about a half hour during rush hour. To what do I owe this modern day miracle? None other than the opening of the Legacy Highway. So sorry Mr. Anderson and your beloved wetlands but I sure enjoyed the thinning of traffic. Too bad this is my last week driving to and from Salt Lake for work.
Speaking of, I was layed off at my job and am in the market for a part time social work postion if anyone has any tips.

On a Lighter Note

First of all, thank you so much to all of our friends and family for expressing their concern and support. It is so nice to know that we are so loved and that so many are willing to help. It is true that it was an emotional weekend but life goes on. I am sure that I will have many emotional days along the way but really nothing in our day to day life is any different. Go to park, eat chicken nuggets, and fill the bathroom sink with crayons, just another regular, wonderful, day. Jackson is still the same happy kid that he has always been.
In an attempt to deter the somber mood of my blog here is some news on a lighter note. Even amongst all the emotional commotion this weekend Mark couldn't have been happier because it was the opening weekend of football and his beloved Seahawks were on primetime. Last Spring Mark bought Jackson a Seattle Seahawks jersey with his name on it. Nice thought but I think Mark expected our son to be a 6'5", 250 pound, line backer by his second birthday. No such luck.

The News

I debated on whether or not to even post about this because it is so personal but I know that many who read this blog would be interested and it will save me from having the conversation repeatedly. I also want a record of my feelings, so here it goes. Yesterday Jackson was diagnosed with Autism. Mark and I had suspected that this was the case and took him to in to be tested. When making the diagnosis they place kids on a spectrum ranging from mild to severe. Much to our relief Jackson placed on the mild end.
Despite feeling ready to hear the news it has been a very emotional couple of days. I worry and am sad about the trials that lay ahead of him. I think one of the hardest things about being a parent is watching your children struggle or have challenges that you can neither prevent nor protect them from. Sometimes I look at my happy little boy and get teary just thinking of him going to school, being so frustrated, or having to conform to a world that may not be so understanding of his challenges. At first I selfishly cried about the loss of normalcy and the dreams of mine that probably would not see fruition. But I had to realize that those were my dreams, not his, and I could not ask for a happier, more pure hearted, loving, boy.
As Jackson has grown here are some of the things that as his mother I have wanted for him:

• I want to teach him right from wrong and enable him to make good choices.
• I want him to be a good friend and to have good friends in return.
• I want him to enjoy learning and discover his own talents and abilities.
• I want him to feel confident in who he is and know that he is loved.
• I want him to have respect for others.
• I want him to feel safe and know that his home is always a refuge from the world.

After the diagnosis I realize that none of these things have changed. Maybe how we reach these goals will change and our definition of success may not be that of the rest of the world but the goals remain the same.

Our immediate plans for him are to get him started in speech therapy that is especially geared toward autistic children and learn as much as we can as his parents in order to help him succeed. He will probably attend preschool for autistic children when he is three and then go from there. Our long term goals are for him to attend regular school and be comfortable in social situations.

We are very hopeful that Jackson will be able to live a very 'normal' life and pray for guidance as his parents to be able to help him the best we can.

I am still trying to learn so much about this condition but you can click here for more information.

Olympic Dreams

This morning Jackson tried out his first gymnastics class. My friend Rachael and her daughter were trying it and graciously invited us to join them. Well, after faithfully watching the Olympics how could I not at least give Jackson the opportunity to possibly join the ranks of American heroes like Bart Connor and Paul Hamm. Well, lets just say that he may have to find heroism and fame in another realm. Don't get me wrong he had the time of his life but did not achieve a single gymnastics skill he was asked to do. If running as fast as you can (with your pregnant mom chasing you) around the gym and jumping into foam pits was an event, sign him up!

So today was our first and last, at least for awhile, gymnastics class. Carry on without us Rach and Ellie.

This morning I debated on dressing Jackson in a sleeveless onesie and stirruped stretch pants but luckily went with the sweats and t-shirt. What a cute boy.

Back to School

Although I don't miss being in school, I do miss getting ready to go back to school. The new outfits, new shoes, and my favorite, back to school supplies. We would wait anxiously for the ShopKo ad to come out announcing that the bins in front of the store were full and come on in. The whole gang would pile in the minivan and leave with sackfuls of 20 cent paper, 10 cent folders, dividers, 99 cent packs of pens and pencils. If my mom was feeling especially generous we each got our own pack of highlighters but usually we had to share. Two per child, one pack was plenty for five kids. Trapper Keepers were also a rare but much coveted luxury.

Nothing was more exciting than arranging each binder and stuffing our pencil pouches to the brim. Even after I graduated from college I continued this autumnal tradition for Mark which he politely accepted and then rearranged everything once he got to school. Apparently engineers are too good for pencil pouches.

Now that no one in my immediate household is in school the sphere of back to school giving has extended. My mom is an elementary school teacher and 'gets' to go back to school every year. Lucky girl. Well, in honor of her valiant pilgrimage back to the ghetto of Ogden to teach those eager young minds my sisters and I give her a few new outfits to send her back in style. Here she is posing in her new duds. What a hottie, huh! I tried to get her to sport her 'school bag' with the ensemble to get the full effect but she wasn't going for it.

Construction

My blog has been experiencing some technical difficulties so I have called in professional help. Bigger and better coming soon.

The Valley

For the first 15 years of my life in lived in Huntsville or as the locals call it 'the valley'. I can see now that referring to it as THE valley is a little pretentious considering most people have no idea where Huntsville is and you then have to go start naming landmarks like Snowbasin and Pineview as reference points. Anyway, my grandparents still live there and the family held on to my great-grandmother's home even after she passed away and it has become a family gathering place. The home is right across the street from the park I spent many recesses in and adjacent to my elementary school so the whole ambiance is very nostalgic and I love going back there. It has a huge shaded yard, little white wooden house, and the quintessential covered front porch complete with vinal covered rockers. The perfect down home setting.
Last Sunday we headed up for dinner with my dad and the fam.

You can kind of see the house and park in the background of the boys lounging in miss matched patio furniture.
Mark and Jackson went four-wheeling on the road. That is perfectly acceptable in these parts.
Just some fun in the yard amidst the shaded woodland.