This morning, like every morning I drive to take Buggy and Princess to school.  And like every morning before they get out of the car and start their school day, I give them each a hug and big kiss and I get a big hug and kisses from them too along with a “bye mom” or “see ya later mom”.  Princess always and I mean ALWAYS looks back and blows me a kiss and I of course return the blown kiss.  It’s a memory I’ll always cherish. What a wonderful way to start my day huh?  It is, it really is.  Buggy gets out as he returns he teacher’s “Good Morning, how are you today?” with a “good morning, I’m doing good today”.

But as I was driving off today, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like a flood of memories all of a sudden. It wasn’t always like this.  Princess always gave me a kiss and has blown kisses at me every school day since her first day of kindergarten but Buggy no, things have changed.

It must have been the first two or three years of school that he would just climb out of the car.  He wouldn’t return my efforts to say goodbye  though I continued to try everyday as well as wish him a good day at school. He didn’t kiss me in the mornings after I’d give him a kiss.  He wouldn’t respond or even acknowledge a teacher’s greetings.  It was as though he didn’t even hear it. He’d walk right into the school without so much as a glance back.  All part of this thing called autism. I remember driving off in the car and crying, just wishing for “goodbye mom” or a glance or blown kiss but it didn’t happen. Not for so many school days.

Wow, that seems so long ago now.  He’s changed so much. He’s so social now. He won’t get out of the car if he hasn’t given me my morning kiss or at the very least blown me a kiss and say “kisses” if he’s being rushed out of the car by the school staff.  If we’ve had a rough morning and he gets out of the car still upset at me, I’ll still wish him a good day and tell him I love him. Sometimes he won’t respond but by the time I get back to the house I always get a phone call from his teacher and she puts him on the phone. He’s usually so upset that he didn’t tell me goodbye that he feels bad and needs to call and tell me.  I reassure him once again I love him and as soon as he sees me later that day, I usually get another apology, the biggest hug and kisses.

As emotional as those flashbacks can be, they are good reminders of growth. He’s feeling those emotions he didn’t feel before. He’s getting those connections.  It’s just simply amazing to see how much he’s grown physically, mentally, emotionally.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Story time is one of our favorite times of the day it gives us quality one on one time with the kids. It’s helps them unwind from the day. It’s a great way to encourage a love of reading and is just a great ending to our day.

We have been reading to the kids since they were tiny.  Of course it was just a handful of the same books over and over again.  It got to point where the kids memorized the books and would read along with us or we’d stop reading and the kids would take over certain pages or lines in the story.  Now that I think back on those times, it makes me a little sad as I miss those days and those little voices reading.  Don’t get me wrong I still love storytime but the books are different now.

What are your kids favorite stories?  These were some of ours:

Do you see any of your family favorites in there?  The kids have moved on to books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Barbie and Disney Princess books as well as books on cars, science and animals but I will hang on to and treasure our first books and the memories they hold for us.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

I remember when Buggy was an infant we took portraits monthly of him, and the same with Princess not to mention the zillions of photos I used to take of the kids.  We did the same with family portraits for awhile but then they seem to just fall by the wayside and my efforts of photographing the kids lapsed as well.

We were thinking back as to when the last family portrait was and oh my, it was back when Princess was about two years old.  We remember it because unfortunately, she wasn’t very cooperative that day and our family photos didn’t even turn out with one of her priceless smiles.  By the end of that day, we knew why. She was getting sick and it hadn’t fully kicked in till that evening.  Talk about feeling guilty putting her through that photo session.

As the years went on, life just got more hectic, money got tighter, we just didn’t think about it as much.  Now, I’m sad we didn’t as they kids have grown oh so much.  But this past weekend, we did it. We went and had our family portraits taken.  Now we just have to wait two weeks to see them.

The photo session wasn’t quite what we had expected.  We got all dressed up and expected the typical in studio shots.  We ended up taking the photos outside which I prefer the natural light anyway but the one thing I found odd – she asked the kids to take their shoes off.  I’m not a fan of dressed up kids without shoes. Buggy was wearing a dress shirt and tie and Princess a very fancy dress.  No shoes? Really? Princess again wasn’t the most cooperative one but she wasn’t sick this time.  I think just being in front a professional photographer makes her a little uncomfortable.  I know not having her shoes on made her uncomfortable, I could tell. Maybe someday I’ll find a photographer that she’ll feel comfortable enough in front of to share her beautiful smile (with her shoes on).  Well, at least I’ve captured her beautiful smile. I’d just really like to get a nice photograph of her and I together, more than just a snapshot.

Then once we are done, hubby in his suit, realized his tie wasn’t tight. And neither the photographer nor her assistant said anything? Hubby was upset about that. Maybe not the best photo shoot or just maybe far from what we were expecting, either way I’m just really hoping they turn out well.

So tell me, how often do you take family portraits? Were you really good at one point and then sort of just got lazy about it like me? Are all of your kids pretty good about smiling and being comfortable in front of a professional photographer?

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

The other day after some of our photos and videos went corrupt for no apparent reason, I began going through and reorganizing our pictures and videos.  I had them all over the place and couldn’t tell which ones we lost and which were ok.  I even had some duplicates.  Once I reorganized them, I caught hubby and myself looking at them. Some I hadn’t seen or realized he took and some I took that he hadn’t seen.

He came across a video of Buggy having a major meltdown in the car from several years ago and asked me about it.  I didn’t even have to look at the video, I knew exactly which video he was talking about, where we were, what happened that triggered it and why he wasn’t there for it.  It all came rushing back to me so clearly as though it was yesterday.  Buggy and Princess saw the video as well since they were within earshot and since they are nosey kiddos they stopped to watch.

Buggy immediately recalled the situation. And then this conversation immediately ensued without a word from either hubby or I.

“Boy that was a really bad meltdown huh mama?” – Buggy

“Yes, baby it was, but you’re not like that anymore are you?” – Mommy

“Mommy, can you get rid of that video?” – Princess

And just as I was about to say something, Buggy puts his hand on his sister’s shoulder and interrupted with this: “It’s ok sister, I’m not like that anymore. ”

Then he turned to me and said, “I’m a big kid now mama. I’m sorry I got so angry in the car when I wanted a smoothie”

What? Did he really just recall that meltdown and why it happened from FOUR years ago?  It always appeared to us as though he would go in the rage of a meltdown and not even remember it happened but now he can recall the entire situation?

“I know now I can’t have the smoothies at HEB and it’s ok” – Buggy.

I’ll admit the video was hard to watch. Heartbreaking to see him like that. I hardly even remember those times till something like this brings it all back but how enlightening it was to hear Buggy’s take on it all.  To hear his side, in his own words.  To hear him say that he’s not like that any more.  To realize it upset his sister and to try to calm her fears/concerns. In some way I’m glad we came across that video  all of us together so all of us together could stand back and see just how far Buggy has come.

He’s not the same little boy he used to be.

The doctors who told us he’d never change couldn’t have been more WRONG.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Do you have one? Is there that one toy you or your child has that you just can’t bring yourself to get rid of?  I don’t mean toss it in the trash can if it’s still in good shape, I mean donate it or pass it along to another child.

I have tried and tried to get rid of this one toy but I can’t.  It’s been in Bug’s closet for years, then moved it over to Princess’ closet now it sits in the back of my closet.  It’s close to the bags I have of clothing and other items (including toys) I’m going to eventually get over and donate to the second hand shop.  It’s close but I can’t bring myself to put it in the bag to donate.  If I do I know I’ll regret it.

You remember this don’t you?  Blue’s Clues with Steve!  Oh we liked Steve in our home everyday.  We had all the plush toys – Tickey Tock, Blue, Magenta, and others.  We laughed every time Steve checked the mail. Bug even had the green striped shirt just like Steve.  The first stage show we ever took Bug to was Blue’s Clues.  I still have the light up wand we bought him.  I hope I still have the Blue’s Clues baseball cap we got him. (Now I have to go looking for that.) He was just a year old then. I know we still have the matching card game.

I pulled it out today for some reason and started to dust it off. And what do I hear, none other than Blue making his noise. I didn’t even realize it still had batteries in it.  But you know just listening to Blue’s bark, so many memories of the show and my son and daughter in front of the t.v. and us playing and giggling all just came back to me and filled my heart with happiness.  Maybe that’s why I can’t let it go.  It holds so many joyous moments I shared with my kids as babies and toddlers.  Memories I’ll cherish forever, moments I’ll remember when I see this toy.  So once again happily back in the closet it goes

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Kids learn through play so what better way to get the benefits of both play and learning than with educational toys.  Toys that they don’t know are learning toys are the best kind. Today’s deal is from Katy Educational Toys.

$15 for $30 at Katy Education Toys

They carry one of my favorite learning/teaching brands Melissa and Doug.  That’s one of the brands my son’s former occupational therapist used and they were a great help to him.  They also carry Brain Quest, Creativity for Kids and many more. I love learning toys and what a great gift this deal would be for yourself, a teacher or therapist. Buy this deal and you’ll be investing in your child’s learning and growth.

Grab this deal now.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Budget cuts, budget cuts, budget cuts!  That’s all we heard recently.  And where were the cuts?  In our schools, our classrooms, our teachers!  Who did they hurt? The students, OUR KIDS!  As a parent, this was upsetting, as a parent of a special needs child this was unfair.  Sadly, funds for special needs children were cut as well as other vital areas of learning.

Education is one of the most important aspects of a child’s life.  It lays the groundwork for their future, their success.  Teachers can’t do their job without the proper training, the right equipment in schools and classrooms, the items they need to think out of the box for our kids who learn best from out of the box methods. I know from personal experience there are some learning tools, some extra well trained special education staff, and some programs that are needed to help our children succeed not only in school but in their futures.  And no they aren’t always cheap.  Schools need to be able to purchase the products they need to help our kids learn in a manner that is conducive to their type of learning.

Children have lost recess times, music and art classes which I feel build character and allow all children to express themselves. Oh the talent that one teacher may foster in a child. Just the thought of it fills me with hope.

That’s why I wanted to share the Macy’s Classroom Makeover Sweepstakes with you that SheSpeaks is working with.  You have the ability to help out your school, YOUR child. Can you imagine winning a $25,000 upgrade for YOUR favorite homeroom? You can and it’s really easy to do too.  Here’s how to enter:

• Head to www.facebook.com/macys and like the page

• Click the Classroom Makeover Sweeps tab

• Fill out the entry form & submit

• Share the contest via Facebook and Twitter

That’s it!  It’s easy huh? The Macy’s Classroom Makeover Sweepstakes only runs ’til September 15th, 2011, so make sure you enter soon! You don’t want to miss this opportunity.

If we can help one teacher who helps one student, the effort is well worth it!

Disclosure: I have received a gift for this post in conjunction with SheSpeaks. But I shared it with you mainly because I believe in the importance of education for all our children. Thank you Macy’s for giving something back to them.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

The kids are now back in school and life hasn’t exactly slowed down but it sure is a lot quieter around the house during the day.  So far the kids have had “great” days at school and although I’m really glad they are enjoying school, I must admit I miss them.  Yes, by the end of summer the noise level was getting to me a little bit but I miss them and I want them to know I’m thinking about them all day while they are away at school.  And I know not everyday is going to be “great”.  There will be test days and just days where they miss me too and it’s for those days and any day I’m missing them that Hallmark’s Back-To-School Confidence Checklist will be great.

Encouragement and helping kids be confident are vital not only for success in school but also in life.  Now, you know how much you like to give your kids kisses, hugs and tell them “I Love You” no matter where you are but they get to that age where they don’t want mom embarrassing them right? You can still tell them you love them but in a way that won’t embarrass them.

Let them hold on to your words. Hallmark’s Kids Collection features cards that address topics that your young on might face such as being nervous about school or a little positive reinforcement. There are even topics for tween/teens like peer pressure and choosing your friends wisely. Stick that little “I Love You” note in their backpack or inside one of their textbooks as a little reminder.

Pass the encouragement bug around. A little encouragement goes a long way.  Hallmark’s Bug ‘Em is an adorable bug with a zipper pouch for adding goodies and gifts.  My kids are going to love it when they find it in their backpack. It’s also got a clip and bendable legs to hold notes, cards and even gift cards.  Let each family member spread a little encouragement around your house by having one person start by filling or offering to do something nice or say something encouraging to another family member.  Make it fun by leaving the Bug ‘Em somewhere where the recipient will find it. Then it’s their turn to surprise another family member.

Surprise your child with a lunchtime delight. We pack healthy lunches for our children’s physical well being.  But we don’t want to forget about our child’s emotional well being.  Hallmark’s new bite-sized Lunchbox Notes will brighten your child’s day with the unexpected “I love you” or “good luck” note.  They’ll know your right by their side even if you can’t physically be. I can’t wait to hear what they think of the notes.

The Giveaway!

Hallmark has offered to give one of you a Confidence Care Package like the one I received for review.  It’s really cute. You’re going to like it, I’m sure. It includes Bug ‘Em (you see him up there), Lunchbox notes, a few Kids Collection cards.

Simply leave a comment letting me know you’d like to be entered.  If you share on twitter or facebook and leave the link in the comments you’ll get an extra entry each time.

Giveaway ends: Sept. 2nd. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted via email or twitter so make sure you leave a valid email address or twitter handle. Winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize. Sponsor will ship the prize to the winner.

Disclosure: I received a Confidence Care Package for review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.