And we have chickens…

Gigi's Joy: ordering chickens

Back in May, we spent some time on the computer picking out chickens. The five of us in the family that could talk were each able to pick out two laying hens. I shared my choice with the baby, who waved his hand in the general direction of the one I wanted anyway. A couple of weeks later, the post office called to say that our chicks had arrived!

Gigi's Joy: Baby Chicks

The children were sad to go to school that morning and leave their baby chicks behind. The little one spent the day glued to the door to the garage, begging to see them. We both checked on them obsessively.

Gigi's Joy: Baby at garage door

That’s a baby chick figurine in his hand. By the end of the day he had mastered saying “chicken” in sign language.

We brought the laying hens out for a little tour of the barnyard a couple of days ago. They didn’t seem too impressed, just a little apprehensive.

Gigi's Joy: Hens

The copper-colored one on the left is named Penny… Henny Penny.

The baby fluff is gone, true feathers are growing in.

Gigi's Joy: boots and chickens

Lilac Tea Party

Oh, the joys of having a daughter and a forest of lilacs…

Gigi's Joy: Lilac Tea Party 1

Gigi's Joy: Lilacs

Gigi's Joy: Lilac Tea Party 2

Photographer’s Circle: Refreshing

The Photographer’s Circle theme for this month is “refreshing.” To me, the most refreshing thing at the moment is our change of pace since school got out last week. We have so much more time. Other than my oldest son’s baseball games, we haven’t scheduled any other activities or classes this summer, and it makes all of us very happy.

Suddenly, we have time to play with treasures found at the new house.

GIgi's Joy: word tiles

Hours to spend with the Stomp Rocket (and not having to travel to a park to do so).

Gigi's Joy: Stomp Rocket 1

Gigi's Joy: Stomp Rocket 2

Gigi's Joy: Stomp Rocket 3

The children can set up the Playmobil village, knowing that they’ll have time tomorrow to play as well.

Gigi's Joy: Playmobil

And hours to spend sorting and rearranging stacks of baseball cards.

Gigi's Joy: baseball cards

A barefoot baby in a onesie is a pretty refreshing sight, too.

Gigi's Joy: Baby

That’s what refreshing means to me today. Please check out talented Erin Nisi’s take on the theme this month! (Click HERE)

Stories of Autism: 2013 Project Gallery

Gigi's Joy- Stories of Autism 5

The Stories of Autism 2013 Project Gallery is online! Please visit the website and read these children’s stories. The children, their stories, and their incredible parents will touch your heart.

Please click here to visit: Stories of Autism 2013 Project Gallery

Gigi's Joy: Stories of Autism screen shot

Stories of Autism: Isaiah

This is an incredibly special little boy, and I’m honored that his parents are sharing his story for the Stories of Autism project. I met Isaiah when he was just a few day old, in the NICU. I had never seen a baby so tiny, and it was a humbling experience. A few weeks later, I went back to the hospital with my camera. As I was taking pictures, I remember thinking that if a baby this small can survive, he must be destined for great things. With as many lives that Isaiah has touched already, he is well on his way.

Gigi's Joy- Stories of Autism 7

From Isaiah’s parents:

Isaiah came into the world ten weeks premature on a Tuesday night just before Thanksgiving, 2006.  My pregnancy was going smoothly, so his early arrival was quite a shock.  He spent forty days in the NICU, and came home on New Year’s Eve.

Gigi's Joy: Stories of Autism premature

A new baby in the house…quite an adjustment!  We tried to focus on the positive.  We had time to prepare for Isaiah to come home while he was being cared for in the hospital.  He had a few bumps in the road, but overall he was healthy and growing.  He was taking more time to develop than was typical, which was not a surprise considering his being born so early.  Around the time he was two years old, though, he didn’t seem to be making the progress that he should.  Isaiah was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in June 2009.

Gigi's Joy- Stories of Autism

Learning that our child is, in fact, on the spectrum took us through a roller coaster of emotions.  I don’t know if we will ever get off the roller coaster, but we do our best to enjoy the ride.  Isaiah is such a happy boy.  He has a deep love for Jesus and has an incredibly kind heart.  I don’t know any other child who shows such concern for others over himself the way that Isaiah does.
 
Gigi's Joy: Stories of Autism 3
 
Similar to other families with Autistics, we have to manage anxiety, therapy schedules, nighttime insomnia, and meltdowns.  We choose not to focus on these events, though.  We are truly blessed to have Isaiah – Autism or not.
 
Gigi's Joy- Stories of Autism 6
 
Each milestone he reaches gives us so much more to celebrate.  We are so proud of how hard he works to learn, all that he has accomplished, and most of all the love that he shows others.
 
Gigi's Joy: Stories of Autism 1
 
We like to think that Isaiah came into the world so early, so that we could be blessed with extra time with him.  We’ll never forget those early days with Isaiah when we had to unhook our baby from the machines before we could hold him.
 
Gigi's Joy: Stories of Autism NICU
 
Those quiet moments in the hospital provided us with the time we would need to prepare for the road ahead, though we didn’t know it at the time.
 
Gigi's Joy- Stories of Autism 8
 
Now, at 6 years old, we are learning right alongside Isaiah – and we love and appreciate every moment that we have together to put the pieces of the Autism puzzle together.
 
Gigi's Joy- Stories of Autism puzzle
 
Tim and Becky,
parents of Isaiah
Appleton, Wisconsin
 
 
The new Stories of Autism gallery goes live on Monday, April 29th. Please be sure to visit it to read about Isaiah and other children on the spectrum!
 
 

Special Needs Photographer

I thoroughly enjoy photography, but I’ve read enough business and marketing books to know that in order to be successful with a boutique business, I was going to have to find a niche. I love weddings, but  my love of unscheduled Saturdays is greater. I love spending a morning photographing a newborn, but babies are a saturated market. I went through each photography genre in my head, and eliminated them all for one reason or another. When I had nothing left,  I thought of my godson, and the clouds parted and the angels sang.

O

I am this handsome boy’s primary (almost exclusive) photographer. He has some pretty signifigant developmental delays which have made it difficult to go to a traditional photography studio. Instead of dealing with the  questions from a stranger on a strict time schedule, his mother has been able to communicate his needs with me, in a  more comfortable setting. I figured if I could help him, there must be other families who would appreciate a customized photography experience as well. To serve families with special needs would combine my love of working with children as well as my preference for lifestyle photography. I figured if there was a demographic who would appreciate good customer service, it would be the under-served special needs community!

I thought I had invented the term “special needs photographer” and then I Googled it. Apparently, other photographers have thought of this idea as well,  and many of them do a beautiful job. I spent at least an hour scrolling through images with tears streaming down my face. To see these portraits of children in their home, where they are most comfortable, touched my heart. My favorite images of my own children are not the posed ones we’ve had done in studios. They are the images that showcase their personality in their favorite spaces. Surely, there must be other parents who feel the same way.

One of the photographers who I particulary admired was Carrie Anciaux from the Madison, Wisconsin area. She creates beautiful portraits, and sets aside the month of April to feature families with Autism on her blog, in connection with the Stories of Autism organization. After reading the description from their website: Stories of Autism is dedicated to heightening autism awareness through the exhibition of its portraits and stories of children and adults on the autism spectrum, I knew that this organization was one I wanted to be a part of. This year, I’m proud to say that I am.

Tomorrow, I’ll feature Isaiah, a dear family friend who is on the autism spectrum. His portrait will be featured in the new Stories of Autism gallery that will be released on Monday, April 29th.

Photographer’s Circle: LIFE

The April theme for this month’s Photographer’s Circle is “life”. In the springtime, the word life brings to mind baby chicks, budding flowers, newborns, and Jesus – not necessarily in that order. I don’t have any of those available at the moment to photograph, so I’m sharing a snapshot of what life to us looks like these days.

Gigi's Joy: basketball in the barn

This week we’ve been heading out to the barn daily after lunch. No animals to look after yet, but there’s an amazing hayloft. When we stopped having animals on the farm, my dad rebuilt the loft into an incredible space for my nieces and nephews to play. He died a few years ago, but all of his hard work is getting daily use again. With all of the rain, it is the perfect escape for us. We put on our boots and I shoot baskets, while my little one collects the balls for me. He’s the perfect spectator. He claps whether the ball goes in or not.

Please visit the talented photographer Erin Nisi to see how she interpreted LIFE.

Teddy Graham Cars

A week before our move, my son reminded me that he was the student of the week, and needed a classroom snack the next day. I offered to pick up fruit snacks on the way to school in the morning. This suggestion was met with a blank stare. I offered granola bars or suckers and his expression remained the same. I leaned in and quietly asked “were you expecting something homemade?” He nodded, responding “you just make the coolest things, Mom”. Be still my heart. And then, he added the clincher: but if it’s too much trouble, we can just buy something he says as he surveys the dinner dishes, and the half-packed boxes. This boy, who has taken the news of the move so well, and has shown such maturity in the extra tasks asked of him, if he wanted something homemade, he was going to get it, by golly. We went to the computer for inspiration.

The idea of cupcakes, brownies, or cookies seemed too daunting of a project for the moment. Most of the bowls and pans were packed, and the idea of more dishes at the end of the night was unappealing. We saw these Tiny Teddy Cars online. Buying the ingredients and having the kids assemble it seemed manageable. FYI: Baking a pan of brownies would have cost 75% less and taken a fraction of the time.

And, since we were serving these to others, this was no longer a job for the kids – it was messy and tedious.

Blessed is the friend, who arrives to pack, but seeing a kitchen table filled with sorted M&Ms, broken Teddy Grahams and chocolate, does not cast judgement,  just washes her hands to help.

Gigi's Joy: Teddy Graham Cars 3

Before the kids were sent to bed, they cut the Teddy Grahams drivers in half, and attempted to halve the M&Ms, but those were too tricky. I thought the kids would be more disappointed not to help with the project, but they were content to just eat the unneeded brown M&Ms.

Gigi's Joy: Teddy Grahams

We used little Milky Ways fun size bars. The store didn’t have many choices this time of year – most brands just had the mini size.

Gigi's Joy: Teddy Graham Cars

The project took hours longer than expected. I could have baked and frosted four dozen cupcakes, cleaned the kitchen, and packed at least two boxes in the time it took to make these, but they were adorable once finished. And my son was thrilled, which was the whole point.

The cars turned out much sturdier than I expected, once fully dry. I packed them in a 9×13 lidded pan with crumpled foil on the bottom, and covered them with crumpled wax paper so that they wouldn’t bump into each other. They survived the third grader taking them into school on his own.

The verdict? It was an adorable, time-consuming project. As cute as they are, I don’t recommend making these for a classroom, unless an unsuspecting friend stops by. However, they would make great favors at a birthday party or be super cute on a cake.

 

Everything is cuter in rainbow order.

And my daughter, who was the “Top Dog Student” the week of the move, graciously chose to take fruit snacks as her treat. Bless her heart.

There’s no place like home

This month’s theme for the photography group that I’m in is “green”.

We’re in the middle of a move at the moment, so capturing anything the color green is the furthest from my mind. I’m too busy throwing things in boxes, wondering if we’ll have enough and hoping that I don’t forget to do the change of address forms. But every few minutes I stop to concentrate on how the light streams in from the sunroom windows, highlighting the wisps of my baby’s hair as he builds his towers. You see, I’m trying to soak in every last bit of this house and our neighborhood. As I tucked the kids a few nights ago, they asked if it would be the last night in this bed, in this house. I explained that yes, it would. The beds would be disassembled tomorrow and you’ll have one last night in your room, but sleep on the floor. They nodded their heads and snuggled down deeper into the covers. I think they understand. They’re trying to soak up the memories and feelings here as well.

The truth of the matter is that we’re moving into the “dream”.

For years, we’ve wanted to move to the country – but we’ve never found anything afforable that met all of the criteria. Wanting a good school district was a given, but I wanted a two story white farmhouse with a porch. At one point, there was a beautiful tan farmhouse that my husband found online – but he was apologetic that the barn wasn’t a barn at all. It was a shed, and it was brown. I preferred red. It was silly and obnoxious, but we couldn’t afford any of these places anyway, so it didn’t hurt to be specific in the dream.

A few years ago we were part of a CSA. One of  our cars was in for repairs, so the kids and I were going to pick my husband up from work. I called him and explained that I’d pick up the CSA box (he usually did), and then we’d be over to get him. He was insistent that I pick him up first, and we drive over together. I was insulted, assuming that he was making judgement of my direction-following, but agreed to pick him up first. As we pulled into the CSA site with the kids chattering in the back, I took note of the white farmhouse with the porch swing, the red barn, the overflowing gardens,  the sunlight shining through the trees onto the sunflowers at the trellis, and the chickens  wandering about the yard. And I began to cry. Very softly, my husband says, “this is why you couldn’t come here alone”.

You see, that theme of green mentioned earlier? Green makes me think of envy…. and it has been an issue.

I didn’t want a custom built home, I don’t care about the car I drive, or the labels on my clothes – I wanted space. I wanted space for my children to run and play and explore.  I wanted Little House on the Prairie land with an Anne of Green Gables house, and I was envious of those who had it. But really, we’ve made a wonderful life here. I love that my kids had sidewalks to fill with chalk drawings, and friends across the street to play with in the snow. The post office that shares our property line? Sure – there was litter and big noisy trucks that would wake my babies, but the empty parking lot on a Sunday afternoon was the perfect place to teach our children how to ride a two-wheeler.

A phone conversation with my sister last summer and one breezy comment made me suddenly realize that the dream we’ve had was based on a place we’ve already been. The standard  by which all other places were measured, our specifications of the two-story white farmhouse with a wraparound porch, the red barn, and five or more acres was really based on one place: my childhood home.

I tearfully went to my husband with this idea of buying the small farm, and his response of “this is the first you ever thought of it?” blew me away. We decided that we’d try to make a go of it, realizing that it might take six months or two years. And here we sit, eight months later – my husband secure in his new job, my mother in her new smaller home in town, and the moving truck for us will arrive in just a few hours.

I know that just a few months from now, we’ll be living the dream. The children will be playing in the forest of lilacs, the baby will be toddling in and out of the garden rows, and my husband and I will be sitting on our front porch holding hands. But right now? I’m very sad. I’m sad to leave this house where we brought home our babies, and our library and church, and our circle of dear friends.  I feel a bit like Dorothy, saying goodbye to her new friends in Oz.

But as it turns out, she’s right. There’s no place like home.

Gigi's Joy: the dream

Please visit photographer Erin Nisi and see how she interpreted this month’s theme of green!

Thanksgiving Treat Bags

Earlier this year, I came across the cutest Thanksgiving treat bags from Cookies and Cups, thanks to the wonder known as Pinterest .

These little treat bags made use of Bugle snacks as cornucopias mixed with Runts candy. It was a brilliant concept, so I decided I needed to make my own. I made a little label with the help of my best friend, Picmonkey.

I felt a little guilty having this much fun assembling without my children to help, but it went much faster. My grocery store didn’t have the regular Bugles, but the caramel ones were pretty tasty.

I gave these out to my board members at church last night. Adults need treat bags sometimes, too. I think they make long meetings more tolerable.

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