2011 DaNcE ReCiTaL WeEkEnD!!!

Matthew McCall 12 years old

I know, I know. He isnt in dance or the recital, but I couldnt resist showing him off in his new Boy Scout uniform! Matthew is really enjoying Boy Scouts for a change. It helps that there arent so many boys. There are 3-4 boys in our troop, which is way more manageable and less stressful (and teaches values) than what we had before with the city pack.

2011 Dance Recital!!!

Madison McCall 4 years old

I absolutely LOVE the blue and green tutu! She is so pretty in it with her pale complexion and blue eyes! She really knows her routine. This year she was taking ballet and tap. She was very distracted today while I was taking pictues at the rehersal. Tomorrow for the recital, I wont be bothered with a camera. :)

Bethanie McCall 8 years old
(very soon to be 9!!!)


Bethanie really seems to enjoy dancing. Each year, I see her come out of her shell a little more. She knows her stuff and is very athletic, and enjoys the workout of dance! She was in jazz this year instead of ballet. She is in the opening of the recital and then during her class dance as a Jive Bunny.






Bethanie's dance clip (Jive Bunny, Jailhouse Rock)

Madison's "Singing In The Rain" Dance Clip

North Central Kansas Autism Foundation: Welcome to the North Central Kansas Autism Foundat...

Our Autism Foundation now has a"temporary" website! Its the best I can do for the moment with so much going on. But at least we can have it out there. I have had 3 opportunities this week to discuss Autism with people, concerned parents and grandparents and gave out my first business card! At this point, we have 6 Board of Directors. We are still looking for three more. I am getting excited. Our first Board meeting will be held in early June. I am really looking forward to getting our activities up and running!

North Central Kansas Autism Foundation: Welcome to the North Central Kansas Autism Foundat...: "Visit us on Facebook ! We will be planning activities for the summer! It is also Autism Awareness month! Facts and current information will ..."

aNnUaL EaStEr EgG hUnT...

The city of Concordia has an annual Easter Egg Hunt each year. The Wesleyan Church sponsors it and several hundred people come out for it. This year was extra fun because since Easter is late this year, the weather was PERFECT. There was a petting zoo with little nanny goats that were not quite a day old yet! Chickens, and lambs were also part of the experience. I have uploaded a collage of pictures of each child just for fun! Next Sunday is Easter. I plan to have a feast on Saturday with an egg hunt here for the kids. I hope the weather is just as gorgeous as it was today!

WiShEs

• I wish I could change others behavior


• I wish my grass was beautiful like others


• I wish there was a world with out autism


• I wish that I could sing, and it would be beautiful


• I wish I knew what to do with it most days


• I wish I could stay 37 forever


• I wish I didn't have such an ugly haircut


• I wish I had some chocolate right now


• I wish my mother to know how good of a mom she is and was when I was growing up


• I wish I didnt have to wear glasses


• I wish my dad could know how good of a man he is, especially deep inside


• I wish I could have a group of girlfriends to do something fun with


• I wish my laundry was all washed and put away


• I wish I was a kid again, carefree, not a worry in sight


• I wish I didn't have to make any decisions, good or bad


• I wish I had more money to spend, just on something frivolous


• I wish I had more space for my garden


• I wish I felt like having a garden


• I wish my children could see just how deeply I feel for them


• I wish I knew where to put all my feelings, instead of this box inside my chest


• I wish I knew where Carlisle goes. Is he like Perry on Phineas and Ferb and on a secret mission? I wish the swimming pool was open so we could hang out there


• I wish summer was here already so I didn't have to send Bethanie off each day


• I wish bedtime for the kids was easier


• I wish I had some chocolate right now


• I wish someone would come to visit [me] because they just wanted to


• I wish people had more time for one another


• I wish my mantle wasn't so dusty


• I wish I could run I wish I could do math better


• I wish I had super human strength so I could save the day for everyone


• I wish I knew what to do or what to say


• I wish what was in my heart is more visible to others so they can see the real me inside


• I wish I was the little girl inside my heart and not an old woman


• I wish I could curl my silver hair


• I wish someone would clean out that refrigerator


• I still wish I had some chocolate, anything chocolate


• I wish no one had to leave the house tomorrow


• I wish everyone would leave the house tomorrow


• I wish I could dance like those on Dancing With The Stars


• I wish my husband wasn't closing up all the windows right now


• I wish I could be completely out of debt


• I wish I could go camping and fishing like when I was a kid


• I wish I lived in the mountains, or could just visit them


• I wish I could have 2 or 3 more kids


• I wish I didn't suffer from anxiety/panic disorder


• I wish I had more stamina


• I wish I could see my dearest friend to tell her what she really means to me


• I wish my parents could see how far I have to look to see them (they high on a pedestal)


• I wish I knew where Carlisle was.... Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!


• I wish we could have an evening free of anger, heartache, fear


• I wish everyone knew the truth about the gospel


• I wish I could go to the temple, without worry or stress of what is being left behind while we are away


• I wish I was in Hawaii


• I wish I could roller skate


• I wish I knew the answers to life's biggest mysteries


• I wish.....for so many things.


• I wish I could find faith within myself, to make things better.

NeW EnDeAvErS...

Jeff and I are finally activating some of our goals that we have had for some time. Things are in place for our autism foundation to start up. So far, we applied through the state to create our own non-profit business. It is called, "North Central Kansas Autism Foundation". This foundation is totally non-profit, and we will be seeking funding, grants and donations to help families in North Central Kansas to learn more about autism, support them, give them resources they need to become a successful family with autism. Budget cuts in Kansas have been severely slashed for mental health agencies to come into homes and help families like ours. It is sad. We are losing 1/2 of our therapy appointments and 3/4 of our case management through our mental health agency. Some ask, "Why don't you go to another agency"? We would but in our state the only agency we are "allowed" to use is one specific agency to receive services (respite, case management, therapy). Basically the state is screwing over families like ours who really need help keeping their loved one home (and not hospitalized, but guess what? the state did away with state mental hospitals too). So, there are a lot of families in this very under served area that needs help. Some of the things we will do will be monthly activities (probably on a Saturday). Things might include: Therapeutic horseback riding, painting on canvas, physical fitness, and the best part is that it is going to be FAMILY based. It will include all of the family, not just the autistic child and their parent. So many of these kinds of things ONLY include the person with autism and caregivers. The siblings get left out. Not here! All family members will be able to take part in everything we do, and we fully encourage that. As this point, we have about 5 board of directors. Its a time game now. We are waiting on state papers to come back, and we need to raise $400 so we can apply for non-profit status. Once that happens, we can raise money and get started! Anyway, that's what is new there.

I look forward to having something new to do. Something to put my mind to.

Dancing: Night of 1000 Dances...

Tonight both of the girls were in a performance put on by the High School. It was the High School Dance Team's end of the year dance recital, and they needed filler time while they changed, so for the past 5 years, they invited "The Dance Company" and other gymnasts and such to be the fill ins. It is quite a lengthy program. Fortunately for us, Madison was 4th on the program and Bethanie was 12, so we were able to leave after she performed instead of waiting through the whole thing. But the girls did a fantastic job, kept up energy during their dances. The funnest part was that Madison went prepared to wear her Fall Fest T-shirt and shorts because her costume wasn't in. But when we got there, she was surprised and it came in just in time so they got to wear their costumes! The funny thing is, it is the same colors we are painting their bedroom. :P

On another note: My mom had knee surgery today. This was on her GOOD bad knee. The one that had not had surgery before. This one was different. Instead of just a scope to help clean it out, they found torn tendons inside and fixed them while they were there. She is in tons of pain. I am glad she is on THIS side of the surgery. Sometimes the mental preparation is worse than suffering through the pain, although I bet tonight she would beg to differ. Love you mom!