Hello Everyone,
Let me update you on a few of our highlights of the last week. Last week we were getting things ready for Natalie, Brittney, Aiden, Angie, Angie’s boyfriend Zack and Shellie to come visit us on Halloween. The girl’s Halloween party was Thursday they had a great time. I moved the fridge in the Garage to give us more room to park the cars in the garage. I went visiting teaching Thursday night (nothing like waiting to the last minute) the first lady I went to visit was not home , the 2nd group of ladies I’m not sure if I’m suppose to visit all of them, I think just the one sister, but they are so much fun to visit. There is 3 sisters (in their late 30’s or early 40’s, I think and their mom who is retired) I was there for an hour and a half they are so funny. The other gal I never got a hold of so, I went home and made some enchilada casseroles with red sauce and froze them for dinner on Saturday, to make it easier with everyone here. I will have to post the recipe it is quiet good. On Friday we went to Grants school for his Halloween parade but before we went my blow-dryer broke and I had 15 min to get my hair dry and get the kids in the car and get to Grant's school ugh, so I plugged in the kids little heater and fan to try and dry my hair it was pretty comical to watch. But we made it. Then we ran to Wal-Mart to get a few more things I needed for the Halloween party. Brookie made a big fuss because she wanted those baby bottle suckers with the powder candy, it was not pretty, but I was not buying her candy when she was getting so much trick or treating. She got over that in about 10 min. Then we headed to Harmon’s to get bread bowls (Wal-Mart didn’t have any) then we went to Macy's for dry ice and ice-cream (they had them on sale). When we got home Mom Stringham called to tell us Grandma Delsa Passed away. Sad!! I thought it would be nice to have Mike write about his Grandma Delsa…..............................................
..................................................WAITING................................................................................................................. Any of you who are married you know sometime trying to get your hubby to do things (in your time frame) is like trying to nail jello to the wall. I really needed to get this posted, so I hope Sunny doesn't kill me but I copied her entry on Grandma Delsa I like the way she words it. Mike said he will post his thought this weekend.

SUNNY'S POST :
" My grandma Delsa passed away last Friday. She was actually my step-grandma, but that didn't matter - to me she was always my grandma. I remember spending Christmas Eve with her and my grandpa, summer lemonade in her front yard, birthday gifts, the way she always looked so beautiful, the candy jar in their home, and how excited she would get when we went to visit.

The last ten years or so have been difficult for everyone as my grandpa and her have needed to move into a facility that offered more care. They both have dementia. With this, and my getting older and more observant, I came to realize the extreme negative feelings of her children in regards to my grandpa and my family. These feelings have led them to some pretty extreme actions - including legal battles with my mom, and fighting to keep my grandma in a different facility from her husband (this was taken so far as to suddenly move her across town one day without notifying anyone - imagine the distress my grandpa felt when suddenly his wife was gone and no one could tell him where she was or if she was coming back).

Despite all this, she was still my grandma and I was looking forward to attending her funeral this week and remembering her life. Alas, it is not to be. Our family just found out that her family decided against having any sort of funeral or memorial service for her. In fact, they have already buried her. How sad that her own children and grandchildren weren't willing to make a small sacrifice in order to honor her life and allow others who loved her the same opportunity."

Sunny said it so well, I know this is how Mike and I feel, it is a sad way to end your life with no celebrated for living.

Halloween late after noon and night:
The crew (Natalie and everyone in her carpool) got her about 3:00 and we had so much fun getting ready for Halloween and our mini Party. You have to check out the pictures below. We had dinner in a pumpkin (bacon and rice soup you cook in a pumpkin) and Broccoli soup for those who dint like the other soup (in bread bowls my favorite). Witches brew (root beer and dry ice) I stole this Idea from mom Stringham spider web bean dip. We ate so much food and candy. Then we got ready to do a little trick or treating. It was such nice weather it has been cold the last 3 Halloweens I can remember, the kids had a great time and so did the older kids too. Brinlee was walking with Angie and she held up her finger and said she had a burger Angie thought she said boo boo and kissed her bogey finger it was pretty funny. On Saturday we went to Grandma’s grave again so Natalie and Angie could see it why they were hear. Then we went to temple square per Angies request so Zack could see it. It was fun just walking around temple Square we have not done that for some time. Then we went back to our house for some early dinner and just hung out played some games. Mike fell asleep before we started the games. we missed him. We had a good time. Brookie was sick so we stayed home from church. They crew all left about 11:30. We all took a good nap that afternoon. When we woke up we thought we would put Grant bed together ( My mom sent up one of there old beds) why we were doing this I thought it would be cute to set the cauldron trick or treat bucket on Craig’s head. Well I didn’t think he would pull it over his head. It was stuck we couldn't get it off so we tried to cut it off with scissors, no luck so Mike had to get his wire snipers to get it off. Craig was screaming he was so sweaty by the time we got it off (all of 2 minutes or less) I felt soooooo bad, but it was kind of funny. I'm a great mom ha. I got a fun package from my friend Mary in Idaho. I watched her kids for her why she did her student teaching and her kids had these really cute aprons. I'd been bugging her to make me some and she did, we got them on Saturday. I took a picture so Mary could see how cute they look. Any way sorry it s so long love lots Janie

Cauldron we had to cut off Graig's head and the
cute aprons Mary made for the kids.

What is Autism?

I have had some people ask me, what is Autism? I thought this would be a great way to explain it. I'm not real good at explaining things so I copied this off of two different websites.

What is autism? Autism (sometimes called “classical autism”) is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

What are some common signs of autism? There are three distinctive behaviors that characterize autism. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling.

The hallmark feature of autism is impaired social interaction. Parents are usually the first to notice symptoms of autism in their child. As early as infancy, a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement.

Children with autism may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can’t understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and don’t watch other people’s faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy.

Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of “I” or “me.” Children with autism don’t know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.

Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. These unusual reactions may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged.

Children with autism appear to have a higher than normal risk for certain co-existing conditions, including fragile X syndrome (which causes mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (in which tumors grow on the brain), epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder. For reasons that are still unclear, about 20 to 30 percent of children with autism develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood. While people with schizophrenia may show some autistic-like behavior, their symptoms usually do not appear until the late teens or early adulthood. Most people with schizophrenia also have hallucinations and delusions, which are not found in autism.

How is autism diagnosed?

Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps. Doctors rely on a core group of behaviors to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of autism. These behaviors are:

• impaired ability to make friends with peers
• impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
• stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
• restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
• preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
• inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

Doctors will often use a questionnaire or other screening instrument to gather information about a child’s development and behavior. Some screening instruments rely solely on parent observations; others rely on a combination of parent and doctor observations. If screening instruments indicate the possibility of autism, doctors will ask for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Autism is a complex disorder. A comprehensive evaluation requires a multidisciplinary team including a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and other professionals who diagnose children with ASDs. The team members will conduct a thorough neurological assessment and in-depth cognitive and language testing. Because hearing problems can cause behaviors that could be mistaken for autism, children with delayed speech development should also have their hearing tested. After a thorough evaluation, the team usually meets with parents to explain the results of the evaluation and present the diagnosis.

Children with some symptoms of autism, but not enough to be diagnosed with classical autism, are often diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Children with autistic behaviors but well-developed language skills are often diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Children who develop normally and then suddenly deteriorate between the ages of 3 to 10 years and show marked autistic behaviors may be diagnosed with childhood disintegrative disorder. Girls with autistic symptoms may be suffering from Rett syndrome, a sex-linked genetic disorder characterized by social withdrawal, regressed language skills, and hand wringing.

What causes autism?

Scientists are not certain what causes autism, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the disorder. Studies of people with autism have found irregularities in several regions of the brain. Other studies suggest that people with autism have abnormal levels of serotonin or other neurotransmitters in the brain. These abnormalities suggest that autism could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development caused by defects in genes that control brain growth and that regulate how neurons communicate with each other. While these findings are intriguing, they are preliminary and require further study. The theory that parental practices are responsible for autism has now been disproved

Social interaction:

• Does not make friends
• Does not play interactive games
• Is withdrawn
• May not respond to eye contact or smiles, or may avoid eye contact
• May treat others as if they are objects
• Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others
• Shows a lack of empathy

Response to sensory information:

• Does not startle at loud noises
• Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
• May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears
• May withdraw from physical contact because it is overstimulating or overwhelming
• Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects
• Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain

Play:

• Doesn't imitate the actions of others
• Prefers solitary or ritualistic play
• Shows little pretend or imaginative play

Behaviors:

• "Acts up" with intense tantrums
• Gets stuck on a single topic or task (perseveration)
• Has a short attention span
• Has very narrow interests
• Is overactive or very passive
• Shows aggression to others or self
• Shows a strong need for sameness
• Uses repetitive body movements

*Symptoms very from child to child no one child with Autism is alike!

Angel Foundation Halloween Party! October 27 2008
My sister-in-law Sunny told me about this foundation. They originally were just for kids with Down Syndrome, but they have opened it up to all kids with special need. They do all sorts of fun stuff for families. We registered to be a member (it’s all free). I signed up to volunteer. I am a little scared to do this (out of my comfort zone) but hey why not. I'm not sure how much good I will be. They may ask me once and never again, ha ha. Sunny made all the sugar cookies the kids are decorating. Everyone helping are volunteers WOW!! We all had a great time. I need to get more involved with stuff for Grant. Sunny does such a great job with Antalya, I am always amazed by her. I am trying to find the web address so if any of you want to check them out you can. They do take donations if you wanted. Or you can just sign up, to say you support our angel Grant.

Decorating Cookies

Decorating their bags.

Brooklyn and Antalya coloring.

Craig loved the balloons.

Face painting

cool bat!!

Brookie got a spider web.

Do you think he is mad?

Mike and Jason having a manly chat!

Grant enjoying himself.