We got a Puppy and four other recents

We got a puppy. His name is Gus.

He's a Scottie/Beagle mix, and already survived a visit to the vet. For his second week with us we were on tenterhooks worrying about him. He had contracted Parvovirus, a very deadly sickness for puppies. His vet gave him 50/50 odds, and that was assuming we hospitalized him. Untreated, it gets pups over 95% of the time. But, he perked back up really well at the vet, and was able to come home after a week. 

Other recents:

2. I had an interview with Baker Tilly, a public accounting firm. I should hear back this week on whether I got an internship with them starting January. Like law, internships tend to be the direct path into full time employment with the firm. So, this is huge for me.

3. Lucie got a job as a legal assistant at a small firm. The firm focuses on estates, trusts, and real estate. She has successfully confirmed that she does not want to be a transactional lawyer in the slightest.

4. We have a parent teacher conference with Eamon's teacher tonight. I feel a million years old saying that. He's been doing super well, and I'm eager to hear how he's been in class. 

5. Lucie's putting the finishing touches on her applications. Then, the Law School Admission Council will bleed us of a pile of money. Then we wait. With any luck, we'll know by Christmas.

Apple Picking

That's what we did today.

 

Picture Day

Eamon went to registration today, and sat like a champ for his picture. This kid is getting so big.

Ubi sunt [qui ante nos fuerunt]

August already. Finals for me. Law school application essays for Lucie. Buying a backpack for Eamon. It'll be a short post this time, in part because Eamon is stealing everything he can from my office and Matilda is distraught that she woke up.

So last month my folks made their trek out from Washington to visit. We usually make two visits a year--they come once during the summer, we go once during the winter. Rather than flying, they drove out this year. My dad, after 30-some years working for the national lab (well, for the nonprofit research juggernaut that operates several national labs on behalf of the government), was forced into early retirement. He was somewhat willing to be forced, he'll admit, because he's been aching to get back into professional photography. After high school he first started out as a photographer, even travelling with the Seattle Seahawks as team photographer, but decided to go back to school and become an engineer. Eventually, between the time constraints, the costs and the kids he had more or less stopped taking pictures for anything other than the most functional results. Right around the time I was off enjoying Rome with most ya'll (and Haeley was going all gaga for Soren), he caved and bought a digital camera. Now, five years later, he just opened his own photography studio this Saturday.

Eamon and Matilda were particularly lovey for their Grandma and Grandpa

We had a joint birthday party for the two at the children's museum. Matilda was panicked she wasn't getting cake, but much relieved when she got to blow out the candles.

At the children's museum, Eamon playing driver while the kids in the back listened to "clapping" -- his term for Irish dance tunes.

The party had a safari theme, and the last thing they found on the safari hunt was this lizard. Also pictured, Lucie's thumb.

Eamon reserves his enthusiasm. Lucie does not.

Sean reserves his enthusiasm. Matilda does not.

Matilda enjoyed painting most of the afternoon. Eamon (not pictured) sat in a Jeep Wrangler that was in an exhibit.

"nemo."

He got this awesome thing, which is the perfect toy for Mr. Mechanical. He will spend dozens of minutes sitting and taking it apart and putting it back together. 

Climbing a tree.

My kids are gorgeous.

Also climbing a tree.

Matilda got a tea set with which they both love playing.

There was an excessive amount of hand holding, smooching, hugging and general over-the-top hamminess going on while my folks visited. Matilda is now ready for Eamon to start school.

Needless to say, there are hundreds (thousands) of pictures from their visit, most of which are probably sitting un-edited on one of his massive external hard-drives.

I'll leave it at that for now -- I have three finals in the next day, and plenty of work over and above that.

July 4th-

(Sorry the pic quality isn't great lol) 

 

So i hope everyone had a fun and relaxing July 4th weekend- Frenchy, did you guys celebrate? 

We had a really fun day with my buddy Mary at a community fair that lasted all evening until fireworks over the river at a park. It was a blast! Eamon and Matilda were crazy playing in the "bouncy" houses. Matilda is such a daredevil! She climbed up a 15 ft tall inflatable slide all by herself and sailed down it like an old pro. The teen guys taking tickets at the entrance were cracking up- but very impressed ;-) Matilda exclaimed "hey, watch this!!" At the top of the slide. Showmanship- its genetic ;-) 

We had a great spot at a picnic table right on the edge of the water. Giant snow cones and pizza slices were the treat of the day. 

When it came time for fireworks i had prepared an exit strategy- the firework display is incredibly large for a small city. Eamon can be unpredictable with loud noises- but i like to keep trying new things for him. He needs lots of chances to try new things like any kid. 

Matilda thought they were "ooohh pretty stars!" But was a bit shy about the noise. Eamon was pretty shy of them right from the get go- but no tears. He really plugged through. He buried his head into his Dada and covered his ears. I periodically fretted over him asking "is he crying? Is he ok? Should we leave?" Ok, maybe we should leave"- Sean was amused but telling me to "relax hun." 

During one of my worry sessions i tried to reassure Eamon that "its not scary, you are so brave... Bla bla bla mommy speak"- he was sound asleep. Haha. So apparently he "totally got this." 

It was a blast all day. There were carnival games, treats, and of course lots of kids to play with. 

I have always loved summer so much and most especially the 4th! What did you all do for the day? 

Learning to learn

Well here we are almost through June- this month really shot past for us- and I haven't said much of anything about my little June Bug. Eamon Jo had a lovely little birthday. Spiderman cupcake and pasta were the features of my splendid three-year-old inspired spread. Eamon had requested cole slaw and juice for breakfast which was hard to beat for originality but alfredo sauce with zucchini and farfale noodles was an acceptable dinner for the little birthday prince. 

I know we all have been going through some of the biggest "firsts" of life since being together last. Graduations, grad school, jobs, moves, babies etc have crammed themselves into what seems like not THAT long ago at school together. I know we all have yet to mingle our little families together, and to meet all the new additions that are toddling, drooling, and giggling in our new lives. 

I know you all still need to meet my little Eamon guy. Sweetest guy you could ever meet. A very gentle little scholarly type. I wanted to share some of Eamon's life with you and what might be next for my little guy. 

Eamon has always been a "different" child. Since he was an infant he had been very different from the other little ones i had ever known. He was very easily upset by what seemed to be minor changes in his environment- light, music, clothes, sheets on our bed etc. He was also very very visually adept from a you g age recognizing letters and numbers pretty early on. He has always LOVED animation and can identify very minuscule color variations and shades. 

We began to struggle with eamon as he neared his first birthday. He had not said a word. He was very easily upset and had a very difficult time sleeping at all. He would wake up so frequently and violently that he was tested for sleep apnea. At a hearing test ordered by our doctor- which he aced- we were advised to seek professional diagnostic treatment for developmental issues. Smiley as ever he went through his diagnostic analysis as ordered. He had a significant speech delay and a delay in cognition of language. He struggled with attention and communication. He would easily lose attention while working with others and has a very difficult time following verbal-only directions. Initially we were informed Eamon had different sensory "needs" than most children. In other words "sensory processing disorder"... 

Not really a "disorder" (i dislike that term strongly) but more appropriately called sensory "difference." Eamon sees, hears, tastes, smells, and MOST importantly feels the world diffetently than you or I. Like a bloodhound Eamon senses things very strongly- but on the other side of this is a decreased sensory prception in other areas. Eamon made amazing progress with an Occupational Therapist- she was a gift from God. 

Eamon become a new man. He needs a much more significant input of physical activity (heavy work) than most children. He sleeps with a blanket that is weighted, carries gallons of milk when he gets up in the morning when he gets up to align his nervous system. If a toddler could work in construction- he would :-) 

The pressure and exertion of these activities are "needs" for his little body and brain. Like trying to read in dim light, eamon needs to meet these sensory needs to be able to develop. It was amazing to see his language rapidly improve as we learned the methods of sensory integration he needed. He routinely needs to be "brushed" across his back throughout the day- like a little puppy- to help him stay focused. As weird as it looks for me to be brushing across eamon's back with a surgical wash brush (gentle plastic bristles) he absolutely needs it. Its like his "smoke break" he needs to reset his little senses ;-) It was described to us as if we had a huge itchy yucky tag on the back of our shirt- think like An itchy big thing hanging down your neck and back- but were being told to sit still concentrate and work your way through some lovely algebra. You would lose it! Thats what Eamon feels nearly all of the time without intervention. 

So we have been learning a lot. Since about 20 months Eamon has had bi-weekly therapy and learning sessions. He does wonderfully. They include the parents in the therapy so we can learn how to help him whenever he needs. He has improved significantly. He is able to sleep and has improved drastically at communication. His vocabulary is rapidly expanding more like a traditional child. 

At age 3 wisconsin offers evaluation and educational assessments for children that have developmental differences. Eamon had an evaluation in mid May. 

I was very excited and expecting a wonderful result. He has been doing so well verbally, he has been able to attend to activities and even sleeps here and there ;-) 

But at the followup of the evaluation we recieved a bit of a shock. The teachers, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists were absolutely wonderful. Such sweet women- they all interacted with eachother like the little fairies from Sleeping Beauty. 

We thought their demeanor was a bit more serious than the evaluation. Maybe it has been a long day? I thought. 

We were handed pamphlets and piles of wonderful information. I felt frozen when i was hearing them using all of the technical explanations for their results. All I could see was the "A" word I had been dreading plastered on the front of the materials. 

Eamon has been identified as being on the Autism Spectrum. I had a very hard time listening through the rest of the meeting. Eamon was giggling and playing with one of the millions of toys in the room- and all i can feel is "no, that can't be right." 

I tried to deal with this scary word andcwhat it might mean the way I deal with everything- READ! I have been researching, reading, and watching anything I can. The more i learn... The more hope i have. Eamon is not at all what anyone pictures when they hear "Autism." It is unlikely many people would percieve him as diffetent in any way during an encounter.

He is extremely bright- he can read basic words and has a HUGE aptitude for memorization. But he has challenges that are harder to see. He has trouble in groups or with verbal directions. He is very habitual and can become completely panicked when there are changes or unexpected things in his environment. Socialization can be tough for him. ohher children are unpredictable. His sensory disorder can make his ability to sit still or listen quite limited. He has so many marvelous skills and aptitudes that can be used to help him learn the other skills so many children just have naturally. He will be attending a specialised school this fall. His teacher is amazing. They have VERY high expectations of Eamon. His academic skills are strong. But it will be an environment that can accomodate and understand his challenges. I'm very grateful he has that opportunity. 

So, we have been adjusting and learning as much as we can to be the parents he needs. He is a wonderful amazing little child I'm so grateful to have and to love. I know he will become an amazing young man and love learning. He is such a blessing. 

So thats just a snippet of little Eamon's life so far. I just wanted to share this with you all. I'm so excited for you all to meet him. I haven't really shared this with anyone except my Mom and sister. I don't want people to think differently of Eamon or reduce expectations of him because he learns differently. But I also want people to know how hard he works and what types of challenges he has faced. I love him and am so proud to be his "bragging" Mama :-) 

Summer salads!

Well, as far as picnics go I'm right with you about the baskets. They really can be pretty darn pricey. Especially if in our case a fairly heavy toddler could crash it to tinder at any moment. We could easily have a very short-lived picnic season. So, the old red and white cooler will have to do. 

One of my most favorite salads is an apple salad we used to make with apples from our front yard trees when I was a kid. 

Depending on the number you are serving this salad can easily be adapted. 

You will need: 

1) Apples (2-3 large). Its fun to experiment with any variety but my favorite for this salad is the Braeburn. It has a nice amount of acidity without being tart. 

2) plain yogurt (i prefer Greek for the creaminess). 

3) Honey. I really like buckwheat honey but its all good. 

4) Dates. Chopped and dried. 

5) Walnuts. About a 1/2 to 3/4 up or down depending on your liking. 

6) Shredded dried cocoanut. About the same amount as dates and walnuts. 

Chop the apples into bit size chunks. Add them with the yogurt to a mixing bowl. Add honey a bit at a time until the yogurt has a very slight yellow tint. I like slightly less honey. Maybe a quarter cup. 

Next stir in dates, walnuts, and shredded cocoanut. Toss together until all ingredients are coated with the yogurt and honey mixture. Their should be enough yogurt to create a nice generous coating to the apples without leaving much behind at the bottom of the bowl. 

And there you go! 

Thunderstorms and peaceful afternoons

So, after all the craziness of my LSAT and Sean's surgery is dying down a bit I wanted to just touch base with everyone and reconnect with the blog. 

So, as far as Im concerned right now I'm in the waiting game concerning my score. It should be in by the end of the month. I was initially really anxiety ridden and a little overwhelmed after the test. I haven't busted my bum like that since the Junior project! As far as the schools I am shooting for the LSAT score is equally weighted with my undergrad GPA. Its a primary factor in determining my eligibility and most importantly my scholarship potential. I'm not sure how Ryan's experience was with LSAT, but I'm sure it was a relief for him to be finished up too. 

It was pretty amusing watching the other testers that day- i of course was seated next to the "Rain Man" of test takers. He couldn't remember to tie his shoe but flew through that exam like a bird. Im hoping he nailed it-  and anyway, lawyers rely on paralegals for more basic skills than tying their shoes ;-) 

Sean is doing really well. It was quite the surgery. He had three moderate size incisions that will heal nicely. I think one could give him a nice background story for a pretty thug-life-esque gunshot story.

He is also in the midst of his heavy course work in his master's program so Im hoping he can get plenty of rest and be back to normal soon. It seems tough to do financial accounting with vicadin fog. But thank you so much for the prayers- he did really well! 

This week our little Eamon turns 3! I can hardly believe it! He will be in preschool this fall- things really do move fast. 

Well, except the LSAT scores, but hey, I can wait a while in "toddler time" with my soon to be 3 year old... 

Three Dates

If we could ask for your prayers for three dates this month:

Monday, June 3. I (Sean) have a meeting with the Wisconsin not-for-profit service leader at Grant Thornton (5th largest accounting firm by revenue). Being a non-traditional accounting student, I've been sorta concerned about breaking into the recruiting pipeline to actually wrangle a job out of doubling-down on this grad school gambit. I could use your prayers that I make a good impression and maybe leave a step closer to actually working in accounting.

Monday, June 10. Lucie sits the LSAT. She must check-in no later than 12 pm, and the test begins at 1 pm. She has been studying intensively for it since the start of the year, and her recent practice tests have been showing very promising results. Law schools weigh this one score about equal with four years of class work. She could use your prayers that she hits an all-time high on test day. 

Wednesday, June 12. I am having my gallbladder removed. Turns out, I've got a stone the size of a raspberry (or an 8-week-along baby) that exhibits what the surgeon called "positive Murphy signs." They're gonna puff my belly full of air, slice the gallbladder out, and close me up. I go in at 5 am, should be home by lunch and recovered within a month. I'd just appreciate a prayer that no complications occur.

Thanks everyone.

Guilty Pleasures

Lucie's a week away from LSAT, so I'll be guest blogging this one.

I'm not sure if this really counts as a guilty pleasure because, well, we're really quite unabashed about it. We cannot get enough Gordon Ramsay. Maybe it's because we both worked in food service (and masochistically enjoyed it). Maybe it's because, for a very brief stint, we were planning on starting a brew pub. Maybe it's because we're both spastic Type-A types who enjoy watching slackers and the incompetent get reamed.

Stock footage.

We've power-watched an entire season of Hell's Kitchen just to recover before. We've also watched both versions (U.S. and U.K.) of Kitchen Nightmares. We watch MasterChef on a weekly basis. Fortunately, the man is so shamelessly prolific that he has multiple shows airing at any part of the year. Oh no, the season finale of Kitchen Nightmares was the other week? MasterChef starts. Hell's Kitchen winds to a close? Hotel Hell. And on the off chance there's no new Ramsay-hosted show to watch? We get hangry.

Similar sorta feeling as when Colbert gives himself a week off for Memorial Day.

And we get hangry because it forces us to accept that another day has started and we need to return to our productive, hyperachieving lives.

Also: Shaun T.

In Medias Res

I wanted to write something up about what we're all up to. This already has been an absurdly packed year, so I suppose it's fitting that I should summarize with a Christmas letter in late-May. Let's begin.

Lucie is currently pulling her hair out. Not really, it's grown out most of the way from when she cut it real short last summer, but as she's entering mole-person territory as the LSAT approaches it's fair to say it's only from monumental self control that she doesn't look like that lady from Shutter Island.

Yeah, remember this lady? Creepiest part of the whole movie.

Oh, yeah. Did we mention that Lucie's preparing to apply to law school? We may have forgotten that. Let's see, last year she started a post-baccalaureate program in paralegalism. After wading through the grime and the muck of the law -- what else would you call transcribing dictation and drafting traffic complaints -- and still wanting more, Lucie decided on going to law school. So in the midst of an internship at the district attorney's office, getting a 4.0 in her second semester of the program and everything else involved in the day-to-day, she's been completing an arduous self-study program for the LSAT. She's sitting it on June 10th, and may be hard to come by until then.

Sean, myself, also finished this latest semester with a 4.0. Big surprise, huh, glasses couple is busy wearing glasses. So, I should back up a little. I spent last year working as a Field Agent for the Knights of Columbus, selling life insurance and a few other things, and that was alright. But, although I had decided against diving further in academia, the salesman lifestyle wasn't quite what I had in mind either. So, I started a MS in Accounting program through Texas A&M University Commerce. Can't remember where, but while I was freelance writing I heard it repeated that "accounting is the language of business." Makes sense to me, and the deeper into my program I get the more sense it makes. 
Since February or so, I returned to freelance writing. I got to stay at home with the kids and also have time to keep up with my classes. Over the next seven months I'll be taking 27 credits, which should put me on track to graduate and start working in public accounting by the time Lucie starts law school. So from time to time I may look like Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Should I link this up as my selfie?

Anyway, that's more or less what Lucie and I are up to. Lucie's also still teaching Irish step for her school, and I started brewing beer. The kids will have to be the subject of another post because I spent way too much time finding screenshots for this post.

Mother's day!

Im just posting to say how happy and grateful i am for my two beautiful healthy children. I feel so blessed today.

Green!

Here are some snaps of my favorite color... I have always loved it. Im the only "green eyed" in my family and i always liked that :-)
I always wait for the first bright green leaf buds each spring... Finally they are here!

Tildy and her "pony"

This is Matilda Margaret and her purple zebra.
She has the sweetest, most knowing little face sometimes.

Playing in the yard

We have had gorgeous weather all weekend! Here are some pics of the tots soaking up the fresh air!
My mom and dad were here and my Dad had the very goofy idea of putting eamon into the jumper seat hanging in our front TREE. Lol he is officially eamon's favorite person.... I wasnt thrilled from a safety standpoint ;-)

Selfie

This is my thinking face