I Want to Remember This...

 I want to remember...Zippi at 2.5 years old saying a 15 word sentence to me yesterday that went like this... "I have to get that rainbow painting from Alayne because it was for my birthday".Stass and I were a little surprised that so many words came out of her mouth in one little sentence!Here she is with a butter moustache and beard! lol!  I want to remember...Sulley taking Stassi and Zippi on separate dates this week (they so loved that!)  I want to remember...A lovely time spent with Mell Mallin and Ella sharing our hearts about parenting and family life. I want to remember...
The celebratory coupon dance that take place in our kitchen when a child earns their coupon and how everyone dances around like crazy singing, "Ethi gets a coup-on! Ethi gets a coup-on!" I want to remember...How challenging I have found this week. We decided to go back onto a low salicylate diet for a week to kind of almost re-set the kids' systems again to see if that helps. Liji is really displaying so many signs of ODD - OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER. Once upon a time, I honestly thought that ODD was an excuse for poor parenting. Having been very intentional in our parenting journey, I know that it is not always that at all and often has to do with an imbalance in a child/adult's systems. Anyone who knows us well knows that 'labels' and 'diagnosis' are helpful if they open the door to helping us better understand our children and giving us information, tools and stratergies to help them. This is why we underwent a diagnosis for Elijah when he was diagnosed with Autism Disorder 4 years ago. Back then, we didn't know what we were dealing with. We were just trying to love him the best way we could and nothing we did felt like it was actually working. It felt like we were knocking on a door and no one was answering us each time we asked questions of professionals. Once we had the word 'autism' to look up, it helped us to find our way through and finally get the help we needed. Of course, Yah guided us by His Spirit the whole way. He showed us which therapy to do, when to start diets, when to stop, when to pick up a book and how to communicate with Liji in a way that helped him like we'd never seen before. I'm so thankful we had Yah's help through it all.Now we haven't sought to get a diagnosis of ODD as yet since we have a really good tool up our sleeve that we know has taken away the symptoms before (the low salicylate diet). As much as I detest the diet myself, we know that it works and we are committed to doing it again for the short term (minus the high sugar content that the diet allows). We will do this for a short time in the hope of 'resetting' their systems as I said earlier and then we will gradually begin back on allowing more moderate vegetables and fruit back in and then the odd high salicylate food in too. Will keep you updated with how it goes. We are on Day 2 of going back to low salicylates and I tell you what, I see a HUGE difference in our Liji Boy today already! Things that were tipping him over the edge so quickly and easily are just not today! There have been no tears, compliance and he even proclaimed this morning, "I don't know what it is, but I feel really happy today and less angry!" Anything that helps us get our boy back like this is SO worth the effort.I also want to remember that although some days are so challenging for him, that Liji always has a gentle loving heart to be with his little bro...  I want to remember...Hanging out last week with our Jassy Wassy, chatting with Neen and prayer time with my precious Lori. Very thankful for amazing women who encourage my heart and my faith!  I want to remember... the kindness of Jono and Channi to feed us with this beautifully hearty warm soup when we popped into their town for a visit last week :) Their hospitality and love meant alot to us...  

I want to remember...

That this gorgeous bubba of ours rolled over from his back to his front for the first time on Sunday just gone. He's 3.5 months now and he's so sweet and smiley! The colic and silent reflux are both still there but manageable. I stopped giving him Zantac since he hated taking it SO much and he seems ok without it. Still using the tinctures (non-alcoholic) that Elisa kindly gave me of catnip and camomille to help with the colic. Want to make a batch up myself actually! I owe you an email Elisa!

I want to remember...

this yummy 'safe' version of sang choy bow I made last week and how much everyone loved it!

 I want to remember...Travelling 3 hours to get to Mitch's 21st to celebrate with him. I want to remember that it's one year exactlt today that his mum (Aunty Deb) passed away. It was a bitter sweet celebration for him and everyone there. 

I want to remember...

How much Zippi LOVES playing charades after her shower especially (and how cute she is when she does all the actions!)

She does this...

{it's a movie}

{first word}

{"It's Moses Prince of Egypt in a blanket!"}

I want to remember...

When the song by Matthew Hoffman,'Yahweh Fill this Place' was playing this week, Ethi said, "Mum I'm so glad I can sing about Yah and say His Name to Him".

 I want to remember...Cuddles together after family time watching 'It's a Knockout!' 

I want to remember...

The biggest zucchini we have grown so far!

Thank you Yah for such provision!

I want to remember...

Time together cutting out patterns for making our own beanbags to play with {especially for Zippi}

I want to remember...

How excited I am to be seeing Anth soon (all the way from Wales after not seeing each other for a year and a half! Can't wait!!!)

Well, there's more to post but not enough time to do it all now!

lol.

It can all wait.

More another time,

I Want to Remember This...

This is a regular meme that you too can join in with!

  I want to remember this... That Zippi at 2.5 says all the time, "But Mummy, thas not very fair!" if I won't get the paints out right on dinner time or if I don't grant any request she has really. Ethi has had less meltdowns. Liji is having a growth spurt and an increase in meltdowns.*sigh*He finished his Math U See Alpha book today and was so proud of himself "woohoooing" around the place that he woke up the baby! Brett took him out for a celebration. I want to remember that sometimes I think back on friendships lost; especially when the kids are in bed and I have quiet time to think....except I can't think about it too much because it makes me so sad. I do want to remember that though in times to come; that I won't just think I was ok with losing people out of my life but that I will remember it hurt and it was hard and yet Yah got us through. I think about how thankful I am for the strong and supportive friendships that remain. I want to remember that too. I want to remember the date night I had with Ethi this week; he requested we go to the arcade and play some games like air hockey and car racing together. We did our first photo booth together too. Stass also redeemed one of her coupons this week which was icecream out with mum. We looked at art works, ate and talked and stayed out a little too late. It was beautiful. I want to remember the massive nerf gun fights we had out in the backyard this week and how thoroughly we cleaned the house before the landlord inspections!!! I want to remember sitting out on the driveway enjoying a Mister Whippy icecream each while we chatted and laughed as it all ran down our arms or made a fake milk moustache. I want to remember how hard balancing life is sometimes. It's beautiful and creative and joyful and also challenging, draining and difficult but I honestly wouldn't trade it for the world.

I want to remember this....that I really love the life I am living  - the ups and downs of it all. 

  

I Want to Remember This...

Ethi (almost 7) stretches out on my bed this morning, arms folded behind his head and says,

"Ah this is the life style".

Too cute.

Didn't have the heart to tell him that the saying goes,

"This is the life".

Has anyone in your house said anything cute or funny lately?