Can I Kick It?

YES I CAN!




Watching YO! MTV hits, which is showing clips of old Yo! MTV Raps shows from 1989-1990 (my junior year in high school), which leads to videos from Biz Markie, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. Which leads me to search old skool videos on YouTube, which leads me to this: Fraggle Rock meets DJ Kool's Let Me Clear My Throat (live).

And YES, I was doing the Ed Lover Dance. Tori, who had been watching all this silliness, just said, "Mom...you're NUTS"!

Autism: The Musical

If you subscribe to HBO, you should really catch this documentary. If you don't subscribe to HBO, you should...at least for the month, just so you can maybe catch it. ;-) I think it's available on HBO On Demand now.

EDITED 4/1/08: I just found that Autism: The Musical is available online! Check it out!

Dear God. I cried through the whole thing. I even laughed through some of it! And I fell in love with Wyatt, a sweetheart of a kid with a bully at school and a penchant for the word "dick" (he's the first little boy in the clip, on the swing). A couple of the kids reminded me of Ash, but it was Loryn I kept thinking about, and the big questions that the film brought home for us: What happens when Dave and I are gone? Will she ever have "real" communication? Will she ever live on her own? Is it enough, just to love her the way she is?

One of the questions I've asked myself ever since she was little, and we knew Autism before we got the official word from the docs: Will she ever say, "I love you, Mommy"?

The answer is yes. Yes. YES! Two nights ago, out of the blue, she told me she loved me.

So, there's that.

Kitten lurv

OK, not great vid quality. But these guys are so small, and so dark! One is almost all black, the other is a dark charcoal grey.

Too cute for words. We're can't wait till they're out of their box.

I thought about posting video of Mika giving birth, but decided I'd respect her privacy. She's so dignified, now that she's had babies. She's a great wittle-kitty-Momma.

Go Shorty. It's my Birthday.

Actually, my birthday was the 9th. I turned 35.

I'm still filled with a feeling of wonder, that I can be so loved. Just a few of my goodies: Target gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, a new outfit, lots of beautiful cards and notes, dinners out, the first season of 30 Rock, ALSO Across the Universe.

What a gushy, love-y birthday...what more can a girl ask for?



Kewlest gift? A video Shelby made for me...see below. Pay special attention, Dan...also, anyone who knows Loryn, keep an eye out for her cameo.

Dave and the girls

So few pics of my husband and all four girlies together, but I thought this was a pretty good one. Everyone looks really happy.

They had a blast splashing around in the pool with Dave. Definitely one of the highlights of our vacation.

Back from Chi-Town!

Shelby's back from Chicago, where she was visiting my sister-in-law, Aunt Lisa (Dave's sister).

Last week, after spending a little time in Louisville, KY with Dave's brother and his family (Chuck, his wife Stephanie, and baby Garrett) and Aunt Lisa, most of us came back home to Virginia, while Shelby rode with Lisa to Lombard, IL (a suburb of Chicago) to spend some time with her favorite Aunt.

Big news? Well, Lisa spoiled her rotten, taking her to punk shops, music stores, and shows (The Blue Man Group, or, as Dave and I call them: I Just Blue Myself). The little cuss even got her first manicure! A complete and utter Grrrls Week, so to speak.

More big news? Shelby flew home (well, to Richmond International Airport) by herself!

Here she is, at the airport, with two of her sisters: Ash on the left, and Tori (with a new haircut!) on the right. They missed her terribly.

Well...cowappledogmmmmmouse

(Crap, Loryn got on the keyboard, apparently, when I answered the phone. I'll keep that, I think it's cute. See, Loryn does communicate...just in her own way)!

Anyway, what I was going to write is that we all missed Shelby terribly. I'm so happy for her, that she had a good and safe trip, but I'm stoked to have her back home. And I have to be honest and say that when it was time for us to leave her in Louisville, I bawled like a baby. I even had Dave going, a little. :-) It's really, really hard to let go...even for a little bit.

Oh, and Lisa (if you're reading): What's up with Shelby all of a sudden requesting a drum set for her birthday, hmmm?

Lolo turns 5!

Loryn (or Lolo, as she's affectionately known around here) turned 5 on Sunday, May 20. And what a great day she had! It was all about Bob the Builder, Thomas the Train, and Veggie Tales for her. In the pics below, she looks a little...well...underwhelmed. I think it was the opposite: she was just overwhelmed with all the toys, everyone chattering back and forth, trying to get her to smile, and all that. She had a lot of fun, even though the party was just a family affair: just us and Dave's Dad, Wade.

I do hope to one day give her a big birthday party, but at this point I don't think she'd be as happy. She's comfortable, and happier, here at home, with people who love and know her best.

On Sleepovers...

Did you know that girls (who are high on junk food, caffeine, and very little sleep) do crazy things to each other's hair?

Check it out:

Rufus news!

Hey Ru fans! In case you're interested, (Yeah, I realize I might be the only one...but you can allow me the my little fantasy), Vh1 is streaming Rufus Wainwright's new album Release the Stars today.

Check it out...especially "Going to a Town". Very political, and timely.

Recent happenings, and interests

Lately I keep screwing around with the template here at A Beautiful Child. I like the look of s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d-out pages, but there are so few color choices that I keep putting other standard-sized themes back in. Hopefully, I'll stay here (with this theme) for a bit. When the blog loads and everything is all squished together, it just gives me a headache.

So, here's a quick summary of various interests around here:

Loryn: Way into Bob the Builder lately. Thank God for Sprout TV (and DVR)!

Loryn has had a good couple of days, though we're not making much progress with the potty training. Poop issues are getting better, though, and I'm thinking our healthier diet is helping that along. I've been researching a couple of very strict diets (Specific Carbohydrate Diet and GFCF), but am undecided as of yet which one to go with, or whether to go with one at all. There is just too much info available online. Each diet/therapy/specialist claims to be the be-all, end-all...the "answer to your prayers"!

*snort* Like I pray!


OK...back to the other kids.

Ashlyn: Is busy memorizing multiplication facts, and Chinese characters. She likes to write several lines on a little notepad, then read them off, over and over. No rhyme or reason...she'll just write 11 x 3 = 33, 7 x 8 = 56, etc. The Chinese characters she's picked up from a Chinese calendar we have, and some old Manga books. She's also been playing some PS2 games, especially Smackdown VS Raw 2007, and loves a DS game we got for Easter called Cooking Mama.


Tori: Reading lots of books (The Dark Hills Divide series, also Eva Ibbotson's Witch books). Shelby has banned Tori from reading anymore Harry Potter until she reads some other books first. Tori does tend to read the HP series all the way through, then start right back from the beginning of the series. ;-) This bothers Shelby, for some reason, hence the "NO Harry" rule for a while. Tori is also playing lots of Rune Scape and Maple Story. Lots of discussion about money here lately, as Tori has been blowing through Nexon cash cards left and right, buying "accessories" for her Maple Story character (and pet).



Shelby: Still into Manga (all things Japanese, really), reading, knitting, teas, and music. We've been playing around with shooting our own videos lately, you've probably seen some here already. Shelby wants to start getting up early to run, but hasn't managed to get up "early enough" yet. (She's shooting for 6:30...I have no idea why). We did just join the local YMCA, and Shelby and I are both looking forward to Yoga classes, exercise equipment, swimming, etc. Her taste in music is impressive (even to ME, self-proclaimed music junkie that I am!) and we've been watching some pretty neat things on Netflix (like The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and the DVR (I recorded Janis, a documentary about Janis Joplin, also Awesome! I F'in Shot That!
a live performance shot by audience members at a 2004 Beastie Boys concert at Madison Square Garden). I've got concerts by The Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded, and I've saved future episodes of the Storytellers sessions (Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, and The Dixie Chicks).

I love that we're all able to delve so deeply into what we're passionate about. We learn so much by following our passions and interests, and that is truly what Unschooling is all about.

Lolo (again) and Late-Night BSing

The "BSing" above refers, of course, to Penn and Teller's Bullshit, on Showtime. We love this show.

This week was about the BS of Exorcisms. Boy, people can be dumb. I thought that the guys would make mention of the 8 year old Autistic boy who suffocated during a church's "exorcism" back in 2003, but the show was more about the general Bullshit crazy "ministers" and what a joke it all is.

I don't know...it's a great show, and all of us watch it. But Lolo especially enjoys it!

I'm so excited!

My first video uploaded to YouTube!

This is a clip my friend Dan shot of Loryn, dancing to the Bullshit theme song. Lolo loves this show (more for the theme song than any other reason, though this particular episode was about breast hysteria!). Anyway, she just started dancing to the theme song, so I played it again and Dan got out the camera.

That's me dancing on the couch. I was in PJs, hence the bouncing tits. :-)

Unschooling Pre-K Math

You know what they say about Auties obsessively counting objects? Here's Loryn, counting her cereal. No stereotypes here! :-) She counted all of the pieces, too. What a smart girl!




Do you remember the scene in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, where Pee-Wee fixes his elaborate breakfast, then sits down and munches 2-3 bites of cereal, and he's full? This pic reminds me of Pee-Wee. Munch Munch Munch!.

Nurse-Ins Across America!

Love, love, love this video. Nursing families of the world UNITE!

My Life, the Original Soundtrack

Found this meme over at (mis)Adventures in... when scrolling through the Unschooling Blogs blogring. I have to say, this may be the most fun meme ever!

Directions

If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

1. Open your mp3 library
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.
7. Don't skip songs. (Unless they happen to be podcasts/foreign/downright perverted and you don't want your sister to think you're some sort of dirty whore.)

My Movie:

Opening Credits ~ Lipgloss - Pulp

Waking Up ~ Sally's Song (from Nightmare Before Christmas special edition) - Fiona Apple

First Day of School ~ Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own (2005 Live from Milan) - U2

Fight Song ~ Get It - Peaches (oh, that's a good one)!

Breaking Up ~ How's It Going to Be - Third Eye Blind

Happiness ~ Let's Go - the Wiggles (And YES, I'm cool enough to admit that)!

Life's Okay ~ Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mental Breakdown ~ Slippery Dick - Peaches

Driving ~ Prison Food - Ben Folds

Flashback ~ Wonderful - Everclear

Getting Back Together ~ Go or Go Ahead - Rufus Wainwright

Wedding Song ~ Mysterious Ways - U2

Birth of First Child ~ Not the Doctor - Alanis Morissette

Final Battle Scene ~ Lust for Life - Iggy Pop (No, I'm not making this up...this would make an awesome battle scene)!

Death Scene ~ Shake Your Rump - Beastie Boys

Funeral Song ~ Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) - Aretha Franklin

End Credits ~ Darling Nikki - Prince


Enjoy, and if you happen to do this meme, send me a note and let me know! Some of mine are right on!