17.9.12

1. Husband added this wonderful family shelf in our kitchen. Not beautiful, but functional and with three kids, that matters. This way, we can enjoy time together around the kitchen table everyday around dinner time and it's not just home and into bed.


2. We took the kids to the Admiral Twin for the first time since Arthur was a baby and (obviously) since it was rebuilt. We piled all three kids in the back of the Suzuki 5-door Aerio and flipped up the back door, and everyone snuggled under the covers while we enjoyed the cover of the door protecting us from the rain. Who would have thought that a five-door subcompact would be the perfect vehicle for a family of 5 at the drive-in?


3. Noah and Arthur got a new "little friend"--a dwarf hamster he named "Doctor Squeakers." Guess where the "Doctor" part came from?

Notice the color of the cage...that cost extra, but somebody loves pink! He's been talking about his "little guy" nonstop. It seems like having a pet is really good for his empathy building and social interaction. He also doesn't engage in as much stimming when he's talking to/about The Doctor.



4. We finally took the advice of so many mom bloggers and made glitter meditation jars for the kids. They love them, and the jars provide an adequate amount of stimulation for Noah. You shake them and when all the glitter settles, time out is over. Lucy's is smaller and faster, while Noah's is thickest and lasts the longest because he shakes it and uses it in other ways than as a timer. Next step: get a clock for our daily schedule so the children can physically see it and an egg timer for time out.


5. We also figured out (with the help of the Interwebs) that magazine holders make great kitchen storage for ziploc baggies, trash bags and wraps and other such things. Gone are the days of frantically tossing around random packing and bags in the kitchen looking for one little trash bag. Hurray for baby steps.



Sorry for the bad pics. We still really have no earthly clue where our broken camera went. We'll find it when it's obsolete and the parts are no longer available.