So Blessed!

Today was pick up day. 

The day when all the hungry people

in the valley

arrive at the designated location

to receive their 

Christmas food box.  

It's a big day. 

The doors opened at 10:30 

but like many others, 

I was waiting in line just after 9. 

It wasn't too cold.  It was windy. 

And everybody was happy.  

We shared stories,

ups and downs.  

We recalled Christmases past 

and talked about our hopes for the future.  

By the time the doors opened at 10:30, there were probably close to 75 

people waiting excitedly in line. 

They let us in, 3 at a time.  

Santa met each of us at the door with a hug. 

After we got checked in, 

a coupla high school classes 

and several pairs of missionaries

were there to carry our box and bird

to our car for it. 

Have you ever seen hundreds of frozen turkeys in piles like this?

I haven't. 

And I bet by the time they closed their doors this afternoon, 

every single box and every single bird

had been given away. 

After I picked up our Christmas food box, 

I headed to a local church

to fetch Luken's Share Tree goodies.  

I was welcomed into the church by 3 girls handing out cookies.

In addition to a giant black trash bag of gifts for Luken, 

I got to pick a few other gifts for my family. 

I chose a brand new football, 

a very sort blanket, 

and a new backpack.  

Every table had cookies and ornaments on it

and we were encouraged to take as many as we could carry. 

The kitchen smelled of several different kinds of hot soup. 

I had some cheesy potato and it was perfect for warming me up.

All the helpers there were kind and warm and happy.  

I wish I could better depict what I was part of today.  

I feel so, so blessed.

hbk

Snow Babies

Coupla days ago, 

we got about 5 inches of snow.

It was so pretty on the branches

on the roofs

on everything.

A clean new blanket. 

So, what's the first thing one must do?

Well, eat the snow, of course!

I have to admit that Luken comes by his

snow-baby-ness naturally. 

I can't blame Kara. 

She's all about getting things done. 

Like shoveling. 

But me, 

well . . . 

Yup, I'm a snow baby.  

And I'm sure that's where Luken got it.

Yum!

And, when you're finished eating it, 

there's always enough left to play in.  

Lucky us!

Have fun out there!

hbk

Must Destroy!

Belle is a hoot!  

She loves to go hiking.

And she loves sticks. 

Today, she decided she really had it in for this poor stick. 

I'm lucky to have such great entertainment, eh?

hbk

Small Town Christmas

Every year, the little town down the road

from our little town

has a 

Christmas celebration. 

The thoroughfare is closed off

and everybody comes out

to walk down Main Street

singing carols.

When the procession gets to the center of town

(marked by the town's only 4-way stop), 

a great cheer rises into the air

and all the lights of Main Street

come on at the same time.

                           

All the shoppes are open.

People stroll up and down the sidewalks

happy and sharing jokes and treats.

After the "parade", the highlight of the evening,

for Luken anyway,

is the "sleigh" ride.

There is a warming fire near the street and people line up

near it to wait their turn. 

The wagons have seats of hay covered in old quilts

and are decorated with bells and lights.

Beautiful Clydesdale horses pull the wagons. 

The same pairs of horses each year. 

They are gentle and slow and warm

And all decked out in their finest yokes

with bows and lights and bells. 

This year, it was cold.  

And windy.

Friendly strangers snuggled together under the quilts, 

singing carols.

In spite of the cold and wind and snow,

we stood in line twice

and enjoyed two

hay rides. 

We all had a blast!

Can't wait to do it again next year. 

hbk

Nests are cool!

Bird nests are so nest.  They're so different to me. 

Some, like this one, are delicate. 

We think it came out of our blue spruce tree.

It's probably been there awhile because it's lined

with Husky hair.

I wonder what kind of family used to live there. 

I wonder if they successfully fledged out. 

I'm glad they shared their old home with us,

even if the wind did knock it onto the ground years after

they were finished with it. 

hbk

Slower is better, I'm learning

Well, slower is better for yogurt making anyway. 

Tends to make the yogurt feel smoother in the mouth

and be nice and tangy.  

You can't rush tangy.

We start with a gallon of full fat organic milk.  

Raw is best but it's hard to find in the winter.

So I buy milk that has been very lightly pasteurized. 

More good bugs this way.

Dump in all into a large heavy pot.

A big soup pot works well. 

You're gonna need a candy thermometer 

and something to stir with that's wooden or silicone. 

Set the heat on lowish. 

And stir. 

And stir. 

And stir. 

And stir.  You need to make sure the milk doesn't scorch.

So you kinda gotta pay attention.  

And . . . 

stir. 

When the temperature reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit

(yes, I had to look up how to spell that one),

you're ready to think about the cultures. 

Don't add them yet, the heat would kill them and that'd be sad, right?

The cultures are the things that make the yogurt sour and yummy tasting

instead of just tasting like rotten milk. 

Cultures can be the scrapings from a kind of yogurt you like. 

They can be an entirely different kind of yogurt altogether

(maybe goat milk for an adventure).

Or they can be your favorite probiotic capsule.

It should be a good quality one and kept in the fridge (doh).

One of the joys of making your own yogurt is that you can have 

W.A.Y.

more than the 3 or four strains of live cultures that 

usually come in comercial yogurts.  

So, be creative.  See what will grow.  See what you like. 

Keep checking the temp of your milk. 

You can place the pot in a sink of cool water

to more quickly reduce the temp. 

The longer the milk stays at the higher temp, it does something to the proteins and is supposed to give the yogurt a different texture.  

I usually let mine sit covered on the stove for awhile,

checking periodically to make sure the cat hasn't found it

or  . . .  

Anyway, when your heated milk has cooled to 110 

degrees Fahrenheit,

it's time to add your cultures.  

Gently stir them in.  Remember, they're living things.  Be nice to them.  

Now the fun part.  

More waiting. 

I pour the milk with cultures into a slow cooker. 

Put the lid on. 

And cover it with a towel. 

The milk needs to stay kinda warm (warmer than room temp) for 

12 to 24 hours.  

I achieve this by turning the slow cooker to "keep warm" several times throughout the day. 

Only turn the slow cooker on for a few minutes at a time

or you'll scorch the yogurt.  Yucky. 

Keep the slow cooker covered with a towel to keep the heat in.

You'll notice the stuff gets thick.  

Gross!  Oh, no, that's yogurt!

After 12 to 24 hours, you're 'bout done. 

You can use it as is, the more you stir it, the thinner it'll get.  

You can call this a probiotic drink if you want. 

Or you can strain it through a cheese cloth or dish towel

(I use a clean dish towel). 

Just pour it in, (over a strainer, set over a kettle)

and tie up the corners. 

I hang my yogurt blob on a kitchen cupboard handle

for a coupla hours. 

That yellow stuff that drips out is whey.  Save it.  

It's good for you.  Drink it in tea, juice, water.  

You'll come to think it's delish!

Anyway, after a few hours, scrape the yogurt out of the cheesecloth. 

It'll be nice and thick and creamy. 

Store it in a glass container in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  

From a gallon of milk, I usually get 2 quarts of yogurt. 

There, now ya know.  

hbk

Look How High!

I was in the kitchen preparing food for my child when I heard, 

"Mommy, I need you."

I knew he'd been out in the back yard with Kara so I wasn't too concerned. 

Again, "Mommy, I need help!"

Okay.  I wash and dry my hands and patter outside

in my sock. 

On the deck, I look over, and a little up

and see my son, higher than deck high

in a tree, still climbing!

"Wow, you climbed way up there!"  I say.  

"What do you need help with?"

"Mommy, I need help getting down.  I am stuck so I climbing higher."

Indeed.  I couldn't reach him from the ground. 

I couldn't reach him from his plastic climbing toys. 

I couldn't reach him from the lower branches. 

"Luken, stop climbing!"

"Mommy, hurry up.  It's getting nighttime and then it will be dark and I am cold.  I am not a bat like Stellaluna.  And I am not a bird.  Can you get me down?"

"Yes, Love.  Don't be afraid.  I'm going to get you down.  You stay where you are and I will help you."

Luke and I worked together to get him down out of the tree. 

 He remained calm and I talked him down. 

"Put your foot behind you and reach it down. Good. 

There is a good handle branch nest to your shoulder.  Grab that with your hand. 

Awesome!"

Step by step he did what I told him to do until he was down far enough

I could reach him by standing on his climbing structure. 

By the time I had him in my arms, his little body was shaking.  

I could tell he was scared.  I knew he was cold.  

I gave him a big hug and took him inside for a warm bath where we talked about safety. 

I love that Luken is adventurous.  I love that he tries new things.  

And I'm proud of him that he realized he needed help. 

And even more proud that he remained calm enough to let me help him.  

I have an amazing kid!  

hbk

Lonely or Luxury?

If anybody tells you that marriage is easy, always peaceful, smooth sailing and blue skies, they're lying. Plain and simple.

I've been married to the woman I love for 10 years now.  It's been good.  It's been hard.  It's been up and down and down some more.  It's been scary.  It's been a place to come home to.  It's been work.  It's been some blood, salt and tears.  It's been comforting.  It's had blissful moments.  It's been teamwork.  And right now, it's hard.

Due to old habits that no longer serve us well, and to circumstances, some under our control and some not, I find myself in a position in my marriage I never thought I'd be in.  Should we split?  That question has loomed heavy for weeks now.  Many tears have been shed.  Thoughts on the topic go round and around.  Pros and cons.  How can we do this to our son?  How can we do this to each other?  I still love her.  I want to work things out.  I will find a way to make it work.  I hate her and want her out.  No, really I care so deeply for her that it hurts me to see her hurting.  Wait, or do I hate her?  I don't know.  One thing for sure is that both of us need some space.

So, Kara is moving out of our common bedroom and into the guest room and library in our basement.  She'll have to ask to come in to my room.  I have to ask to enter her room.  That kind of feels nice.  My own space.  (And when I say "my own space", realize that I share it freely with 2 large dogs and 3 cats and a very active 4 year old boy).  So, my own space is well, mostly a space with out my wife.  Which is good sometimes.  And sometimes sad.  And sometimes lonely.

Tonight we went as a family to a small town Parade of Lights. It's basically the entire town shows up to have a good time in the cold and sing and play and heat cold hands near crackling fires on sidewalk corners.  There are hey rides and a singing parade and the reading of "the Christmas Story".  We had a good time.

And then we came home and puttered along toward bedtime.  That's when the issue came up.  Luken wanted me to read to him in his bed.  Okay, I often do that.  And then he wanted Mom to read to him in His bed.  Also okay.  Then he made it known that he was worried about Mom sleeping downstairs all alone.  So, with a bit of coaxing and a lot of me telling him that I'll be just find in my bed by myself with the cats and dogs, Luken decided he'd like to have a sleepover with Mom in her bed downstairs.

I feel happy for him.  And excited.  Sleepovers are fun!  And, as I remember so fondly from my growing up, sleeping with a mom is so sweet and warm and special.  And, as much as I'm happy and excited for Luken, I feel lonely.  He's usually in the room next to mine and I can hear him breathing at night.  I get up and go to him when he can't find which way is up.  I welcome him into my bed after he has a nightmare.  And, while I'm looking forward to a full and uninterrupted night's sleep, I miss him.  Ya, okay.  I miss Kara too.  But anyway . . .

Just my thoughts in the snowy quiet under my pile of cats.  See, how can I really be alone anyway?

hbk

Luken-ism

I call Luken "Little Bear".

Today, during a thoughtful moment, he inquired,
"Mommy, if I am your Little Bear, then who is my Big Bear?"

"I don't know," I said.  "Who do you think your Big Bear is?"

More thought . . .

"Mommy, will you be my Big Bear?"

hbk

Devastated!

I am devastated!  

This angelic cherub

has just announced

that 

"I don't love you."

"I only love Kara Mom."

"I would rather pick my nose 

than sit with you."

This cherub!  My son. 

Hates me. 

And my heart is crushed. 

NOT.  

I'm laughing so hard I have tears

running down my face.  

He'd rather pick his nose . . . 

It's a good thing that sarcasm is my first language. 

And it's a good thing that I'll love him 

forever, 

no

matter

what. 

hbk

Peaceful Moments

They happen.  

Sometimes. 

And when they do,

I cherish them. 

Mostly though, 

I cherish this sweet boy. 

I am so lucky that he chose me

to be his mother. 

hbk

My Hiking Buddy

Our family likes to go hiking. 

We often go to the same area.

There are several different trails where we go. 

After 4 years of hiking in the same area,

Luken really knows his way around these woods!

For his age, I'm impressed with how far his little legs can go. 

And I like how there is always something new and interesting to see. 

But best of all, I like my hiking buddy.  

Never hike alone!

hbk

Ballet!

A very kind woman gave me 3 tickets to the annual Nutcracker (or variation of such) at our wonderful small town Performing Arts Center.  And, who better to take than my charming rosie cheeked boy?  (And my wife, of course.)  We prepped and primed him so he'd know what to expect.  Then we got all washed and changed and ready for "the show"!.  Luken was so excited to go that, if he'd have had it his way, we'd have arrived at the PAC an hour before the doors even opened. 

See, isn't he just the most handsome date ever?  

He did VERY well at the ballet!  He sat quietly (or mostly sat mostly quietly) very interested and intent through the entire performance!  He got hungry and that was distracting to him but he didn't want to go out because they wouldn't "freeze" the show for him.  So he watched.  Wide eyed.  Completely enthralled.  

When intermission came, and Luken finally did get to go get a bite to eat and stretch his bouncy legs, he left his beloved Brownie to keep his seat warm.  I do believe that Brownie loved the show as well.  

I am so proud.  Both of how well behaved my child was, and at the quality of art expression and dance that we were treated to.  Bravo, Ballet Bitterroot.  Bravo!

hbk

Milestone!

A week or so ago, after heavy concentration and a lot of coaching, Luken wrote his name for the very first time!  I am so proud of him!

Here, so you can see that it's all there, is a copy that I traced using colored pens.  You can clearly see all the letters.  L U K E N.  

He hasn't done it since but he has mentioned that he did it once.  And that he's proud too.  He recognizes this as kind of a big deal.  

Now, I know that often, children will write their name before the age of four and a half.  I also know that each child does things at their own pace.  So, please, just let me be proud of this accomplishment without pointing out that "he's slow".  My kid wrote his name!  I have a huge grin every time I think of it.  I am so, SO proud of him!  

hbk

Babette

Bebette is our long haired black cat.  She's got the most beautiful yellow eyes and a purr that drives me up a wall when I'm trying to sleep.  She's a great snuggler.  And, I think she's sick.  Coupla months ago, she started puking.  She puked and puked and puked.  I took her to the emergency vet in town and asked for a shot of stop puking medicine.  it sort of worked.  I took her in to our regular vet the next day and they did an exam and found that she had about a week's worth of poop built up in her colon.  She'd developed a conditioned called "mega colon" in which the colon simply stretches out and becomes a floppy flacid poop sack.  They had to give her several enemas and lots of oral medications to resolve it. She had to be quite sedated for the enemas.  She came home weak and seek.  I felt terrible.  They sent meds home with me to try to manage the condition that way.  I've tried.

Tonight she's started puking again.  I'm scared for her.  If I take her on in Monday and they say she needs an enema, I'll say no.  She hates it and I can't afford it.  Over the weekend, I'll do my best to manage her condition medically and force extra fluids.  If that evades the crisis, great!  If not, I'll be sad.  I don't like saying goodbye to pets I've loved for so long.

hbk

Migraine

For way too long I've been living with severe chronic migraines.  I've tried many, MANY different things to alleviate and prevent them.  Some things help a little bit or part of the time.  Most things, not at all.  I saw my neuro yesterday.  She switched my meds around (again).  And she told me that nothing she can do will work until I stop crying every day.  Really, how in the hell does she know that I cry every day?

She's right though.  I need to figure out what, in my life, is making me cry every day.  I need to have these headaches gone.

HBK

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HBK

Summer's gifts

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog entry.  Too long.  There's been a lot of water under the bridge.

Let's see, where are we now.  It was a busy summer.  Kara planted a wonderful organic garden.  We're still enjoying the fruits of it.  She grew carrots bigger around than my forearm!  We enjoy those nearly daily still.  And beets!  And kale!  Still good.  I am so proud of all that she grew for our family.  I think it's pretty special that she does this for us.

The summer also brought smoke.  Long heavy smoke.  For 2 month, smoke shrouded the entire valley. It was worse than ever I've seen it before.  It was too smokey to play outside.  Too smokey to hike.  Too smokey to breathe.  It was depressing.  Ugh.  Cough.  Then, finally, the wind blew and the air cleared and it rained!

Luken turned 4 this summer.  How time flies!  He got a bike for his birthday.  He asks every day to ride it.  Yesterday he informed me that he no longer needs training wheels.  We'll see. I'll take them off after Thanksgiving.  He's growing SO fast!

His newest proud thing is that he wrote his name fir the first time yesterday!  This boy never ceases to amaze me.

He has such challenges yet he forges ahead, not knowing that he is different than most kids.  He is autistic.  And he doesn't let that get in his way of his enthusiasm for life.

When I say that he's autistic, don't picture him as a silent flapping spinning lost boy.  Nope. Not at all.  He is very expressive.  He talks a blue streak, using a huge vocabulary.  His mouth is NEVER still, even while he's sleeping.  People that don't know Luken wouldn't know that he's is autistic.  But, for those of us who spend lots of time with Luken, it becomes apparent.  I knew that something was different about Luken from just a few months of age.  I began to suspect Autism when he was about 18 months old.  This summer finally brought the official diagnosis.

What else did the summer bring us?  Well, lemme think.  Kara and I looked hard at our finances.  For years, we'd been living on credit, using our one and only credit card to live on, mostly paying off each month.  Over the years, we found ourselves slipping slowly farther and farther into debt.  We don't have huge debt.  Coupla thousand bucks.  But living so tightly, it feels like a lot.  So, we made the hard decision to cut up our credit card and live "up front".  It's taking us longer to pay off our little debt and get everything paid off.  Now we pay for our expenses with a debit card or cash.  No credit card as a back up.  It's scary and hard.  We have a way to go.  I think we're on the right track though.  By this time next year, I see us living "up front", having paid off our little credit card debt.

As long as I'm talking about debt, our medical debt bears mention.  Bottom line, we need to get healthy!  The way we eat, in large, causes medical problems that get expensive.  And, if we're going to have money to pay for the therapies Luken needs, Kara and I, his mommies, better do some long hard thinking and hard actions addressing our health.  Not gonna be fun but I think we're up for the task.  Encouragement is welcome.

I became a business owner this summer.  I joined an awesome company that promotes health, life and prosperity.  My job is to promote the 90 Day Body by Vi Challenge.  I did the Challenge myself and lost 25 pounds.  It's fun and exhilarating.  My absolute favorite part of ViSalus is when my customers come back to me and tell me how much Vi has changed their life for the better.  When that happens, it makes my day!

Kara and I reached a marital milestone this summer.  On June 16th, we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary!  On that evening, we actually had a date!  We went to dinner together while a high energy teen and her family chased responsibly after Luken.  Marriage isn't what I expected it to be.  It's not easy.  And if I had it to do over again with Kara, I would.  She's stubborn and grouchy and I love her so much.

Ah, it was a busy summer.  In some ways very hard.  In some ways very good.  I was glad when summer arrived.  And I'm happy to move on, into fall and winter.  I am comforted by the circular nature of, well, nature.

And with that bit of tired silliness, I'll sign off for today.

Be well!

HBK

Entertainment

My dearest son caught Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease.  So, he was home sick for a bit with blisters in his mouth, on his hands, and on his feet.  Miserable little dude.  And bored.

So, how did we entertain ourselves?  Well, by switching things up a bit.

He got purple hair and all the popsicles he wanted.

And I got, uh, red streaks in my hair.

He's better now and I'm really glad of that.  But we sure tried to make the most of our "down" time.

  

hbk

The Smoke is Boiling

My wife says I'm a freak.  We were sitting on the couch tonight watching the closing ceremonies of the olympics when the hair on the back of my neck stood up.  I told her, "We're gonna get a call.  Where's my pager?"  I went to the front door, opened it and stepped out to look at the mountains.  There I saw it, a grey boiling column of smoke rising up from the hillside just south of us.

Ghosts in the night

I turned on my radio to hear the rising voices of my comrades.  I could feel their excitement.  I sauntered into the other room and got my wildland pants on.  Sauntered into the living room and casually pulled on and laced up my boots.  I listened to about 6 engines leave the barn and head up the mountain.  I got my camera and keys and drove slowly and carefully through the chaos to the scene.

Yes, I do know how to fill this truck.

Going to a fire can be a complicated thing.  Tonight, for example, there was a grandpa driving oh, so slowly and carefully up the very middle of the road.  He probably had no idea that there were lights and sirens all around him.

"the guys" digging line at night. 

Then, a little further up the road, off the pavement and into the clouds of dust, there were 3 girls on horses dancing in the middle of the road.  You can't really blow past in a big loud truck when it's gonna cause the horses to buck and hurt their riders.  We tippy-toed around them.

My friend Joe.  Happy with his saw.

Then there's the traffic coming down.  "Hey, do you know there's a fire up there?"  No, I was just heading this way, why?

1020 Pump Panel.  Uh, looks like ya got a limp hose there.  Hmmm. . . 

Anyway, I didn't really go to fight the fire.  I went to play.  I took pictures.  I helped fill coupla trucks with water.  I drained a hose.  I made bad jokes and had a great time.

The guys.  

It was good for me to get out.  It was good for me to play.  It was good for me to feel useful.

When I get home from a fire, the animals are always curious about where I've been.  So many interesting smells!

HBK

photos by Kiss the Fiddler (uh, that's me)

one month down

Here's my one month 90 Day Body by Vi Challenge update. Start weight, 225 pounds. Current weight, 211 pounds. Inches lost: 1/4 from my neck, 1/2 inch from each upper arm, 1/4 inch from each wrist, 1 inch from upper chest, 2 inches from lower chest, 2 inches from waist, 1.5 inches from hips, 4 inches from each thigh, 1/4 inch from each ankle. Thank you, Body by Vi! 

It takes guts to put it a

ll out there like this. I'm proud of the work I'm doing to get healthy. I'm grateful to ViSalus for giving me the tools that I've needed to turn things around.

I'm not doing anything too special. ViShape shake for breakfast, snacks, ViShape shake for lunch, more snacks, sensible dinner. Not much working out at all. It's hot and I'm lazy and don't want to pop a migraine by getting too hot. So, mostly by sticking to the ViShape shakes twice a day. Yummy! 

If you're interested in beginning your own transformation, leave a comment and lemme know. 

hbk

Sometimes, to be kind in life, you have to lend a hand to death

This evening, on my way home, I spotted a minivan stopped in the middle passing lane on the highway with it's flashers on.  On the northbound side of the highway was a pickup, stopped also with its flashers on.  There was an individual out of the pickup.  I carefully drove through the scene and notice that the headlights on the mini an in the middle of the highway were trained an a beautiful little spotty fawn who was in the road, injured.  I flipped around, pulled OFF the road, put my flasher on and waited for a break in traffic.  I advised the woman to call 911 and request an officer come dispatch the animal.  Then I asked her to remove her vehicle from the middle of the road.  The man from the truck help me gently move the fawn to the side of the road.  He was upset and I told him that I'd be find if he wanted to go.  He gratefully left with tears running down his face.

I knelt there, knees in the gravel and grass stickers on the side of the road, cars whizzing by.  I put my hands on the little fawn and she immediately stopped struggling and relaxed into me.  I could feel her pulse and her breath.  Her breath slowed and stopped before her heart stopped.  As I was breathing life out of her, I heard a sound behind me.  I glanced back to catch mama deer out of the corner of my eye.  She was so close I could feel her breath on the back of my neck.  She stomped her foot once and let out sort of a strangled chittering sound.  Then she pressed her chin into my shoulder, exhaled and turned and left.  I told her I was sorry, that I'd done all I could.  She was gone in the darkness.

Then I heard another noise behind me, in the ditch.  And I smelled the unmistakable smell of a billy goat in full scent.  I turned around with the dead fawn gathered in my lap to see a huge stinky billy goat snuffling his way through the ditch.  I found it to be so funny and out of place that I could not help but laughing.

When the officer got there, I was sitting in the grass and gravel on the side of the road with a beautiful dead fawn in my lap, laughing my food head off with tears streaming down my face.  The officer musta thought I was more than half cracked.  I showed him the billy goat and yes, he thought it was comical too.  He thanked me for my assistance in helping the fawn die.  He said he hated having to shoot injured animals.  He said I'd made his night easier.  I untangled the fawn from my lap, gathered up it's soft legs and tucked its little head in.  Got up and shook the officer's hand.  We went on our merry (or not so) way.

Such are the adventures of my life.

HBK

4 years!

Yup, I'm a negligent blogger.  But I have a good excuse.   I've been busy raising my son.  He's a handful and a heartful.  He turned 4 yesterday!

Happy Birthday, Luken!

hbk

Snow!

We have lots of it. Snowed about 18 inches and then rained and then snowed again. Now we have a layer of snow, a layer of ice and another layer of snow. It's slick! And heavy! I spent the last 2 days shoveling. I am sore beyond description right now. And there is SO much shoveling left to do.

First, more coffee.

HBK

School!

Luken started preschool last week. He's attending the Bitterroot Valley Education Cooperative Special Education Preschool in Stevensville. It's 4 mornings a week from 8:30 to 10:55.

He did not want to go the first day. Every day since though, he is excited about going and fusses when it's time to go home. He very proudly brings home the work he's done each day.

I am seeing big changes in him. In less than 2 weeks, I see changes. I am so glad that he gets this chance at 6 weeks of real school with a qualified special education teacher. All of the sudden, he seems to be understanding more and more of what is said. His responses are more and more appropriate (aside from the usual defiance and sass). He seems happier and that warms my heart.

School wears him out! He gets up at 7:15 and usually needs a bath. Then he "eats" breakfast (mostly doesn't eat at all) and helps me get him dressed and cleaned and ready to roll. By the time I'm dropping him off, he's asking for a snack. He greets the other students with a big grin each morning and wastes no time with idle chatter. He gets busy right away doing whatever it is that grabs his attention. I kiss is cheek and leave.

When I come to pick him up, he's standing at the door, coat on and backpack in hand, ready to go. Each day he asks to ride the bus home and is sad when he can't (the bus goes south and he lives north). As soon as the bus conversation is over, he's asking for food. I usually feed him some lunch or healthy snack in the car on the way home. Sometimes he chatters about the kids and the things they did. Sometimes he dozes off.

When we get home, he's done. He can't do anything but have a tantrum or rest/sleep for the next 2 hours. He's too tired to even eat. I try to make the transition as smooth and calm as possible for him. After a rest, he's generally pretty relaxed and happy. It's so neat to see him this way.

He's doing so well that I doubt they will let him stay in this school after his 6 eval weeks are up. That's good. And kind of sad. I see him blossoming and I want him to keep blossoming.

I guess we'll see what's next when we get there. I sure am glad Luken is my son. I would't want it any other way. I just love him so much!

HBK