Thanksgiving Vacation turned out to be a "stay-cation"

Thanksgiving vacation started a little early when I got a phone call from Jack's teacher telling me Jack needed to be picked up from school because he was throwing up :-(  I had just gotten Peyton down for a nap so I was very lucky that my wonderful neighbor Jessica was home.  She came over and sat at the house while I drove up and picked Jack up from school.  There had been a stomach bug going around so I thought that is probably what he had caught. I brought him home and we had a very eventful afternoon.  Since nothing seems to slow this boy down, I spend the first few hours chasing him from room to room holding a trash can.  Since the poor little guy couldn't keep a single thing down he finally ran out of gas and I got him settled in our bed with his three favorite movies (Cars, Cars 2 and Matter's Tall Tails).  Justin slept with him in our bed over night and in the morning he stayed home to take him to the doctor to find out he had Strep.  Since he wasn't able to keep anything down they had to give him a shot of antibiotics, which works well for us since he doesn't do well take oral antibiotics.  Justin brought Jack home and then took Peyton in to be tested.  Her rapid strep test came back negative on Friday and we did all we could to keep the germs at bay, but come Monday poor little lady started running a fever.  We called the Dr. and started her on an antibiotic.  At this point we were still planning on making the trip.  Her only symptom was a fever and Jack was feeling much better.  I was hoping we had caught it early and after a couple days of antibiotics  she would be up for a long car ride.  Unfortunately, Tuesday night before bed she started throwing up, so we decided it was best to cancel our trip.  Traveling with two kids 4 and under is hard enough to try and do it when both are sick/ recovering from being sick.

I was really sad about not getting to see my folks and sister, and I think Justin could tell, so he suggested I just take Jack and go for two nights and he would stay home and take care of Peyton.  I debated for a while but thought that might not be a bad idea, so I packed Jack and I a bag and we started on our drive to Springfield.  About 45 minutes into our drive I realized that Jack, who is usually always excited to be in the car, wasn't not going to make it 7 hours in the car. We also ran into a nice traffic jam that sealed the deal, so I turned around and headed back home.  Everyone was so understanding but after the "we're not going, we're going, we're not going" emotional roller coaster I was exhausted so it was best we stayed home.  We hadn't planned on being home so Justin went to the store and since all the turkeys were frozen solid he got us some really great steaks and lobster tails for us to make Thanksgiving day.  We still made mashed potatoes which is Justin's favorite part of Thanksgiving and I made my mom's crescent rolls, which is mine.  We didn't have any left overs to enjoy over the weekend, but I think we are going to make a turkey this weekend to satisfy our turkey craving :-)

Jack and Peyton are finally feeling better.  We spend a majority of our time at home since both kids were recovering from Strep.  Its never easy to be pinned up in doors for such a long period of time, so we ended up watching a lot of movies, oh well.  Jack did discover he is a Harry Potter fan, which makes his mama so proud, so it wasn't just a week of Cars movie ever made :-).  We finally made it out of the house Friday afternoon and took a trip to downtown McKinney for there Dickens of a Christmas celebration.  Peyton enjoyed a fun trip to the candy story and even talked daddy into a new Elmo doll which is her new favorite toy.  It along with her night night blankets much always come with us.  Justin also was sweet enough to watch the kids Saturday afternoon while I got out and had lunch with my friend Kara and got to go see the move Breaking Dawn 2.  It was a nice Thanksgiving break, but Jack was very happy to go back to school Monday morning.  He had a great day both there and in his ABA session. 

We are planning to try and decorate the house for Christmas this weekend.  We will be hosting Christmas this year and are looking forward to seeing both sets of grandparents and Justin's grandparents (Jack and Peyton's great-grandparents) at the end of December.  Until that time we have several weeks to prepare and do our Christmas shopping.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and has a wonderful week!

It's already November...

The past week I have been telling myself to get on the computer and update the blog, but as you can see I have been a very good procrastinator :-)  The Griggs family has been very busy the past few weeks, so I will try my best to cover all the important things that happened.

Halloween 2012:
Since Halloween this year fell in the middle of the week we kept things pretty low key.  We picked the kids costumes out a few weeks prior.   Since Jack still doesn't shown much interest and still lacks the verbal skills to help pick out his own costume, we decided that this year he would go as a Fireman and Peyton (since she is in love with kitty cat's) could be the cute little kitten he rescued.  I have a feeling my pairing might have not been as obvious to everyone else, but I still found the idea really cute!  Jack had a full day at school and had his usual Wednesday ABA therapy from 3-5, but once I got the kids fed and Justin got home we took off on a trick-or-treating adventure around the neighborhood.  Peyton wanted to walk all by herself and Jack was less interested in collecting candy and more interested in inspecting each and every car (and there licence plate) we passed.  We didn't visit to many houses but still ended up with a decent amount of candy. Peyton was a little scared of a few of the costumes we saw, but the highlight of her night was when she meet a  family walking around with a bulldog.  She was so excited to see that dog Justin said he had never seen her or any other child so excited about a dog, it was really cute.  Once we made the loop around our neighborhood Justin was able to transition Jack from walking/running around the neighborhood to going for a car ride to pick up some dinner for me and Justin, while Peyton and I went back to the house and handed out candy.  She enjoyed running to the door every time the doorbell would ring.  It was a great night and the kids and us were exhausted by the end of the night.

 

 

 

Color Run



I had a really fun time doing a color run with my friends Celina and Erin.  It was an off road 5K that included some obstacles and various people trowing powdered color on your while you ran.  It was a really fun event and if anyone ever has the change to sign up for one of these I would highly recommend it!  I didn't do a ton of running preparation, but ended up finishing in 33.55 minutes which is my best 5K time so far.  

Weekend with Grandma
This past weekend Justin's mom was able to come down and visit.  We had gotten to see her a few weeks ago when we went back to St. Louis in September to celebrate her birthday, but it had been a while since she had come down to see us here in Texas.  I think she really enjoy all the quality time she got to spend with Jack and Peyton.  She flew in on Thursday morning and had to leave to go back home today.  She was a big help around the house and was able to do some baby sitting for use while she was here.  She would stay with Peyton when I had to take Jack to school and therapy and I even got to do some kid less running around and had lunch yesterday with a friend.  Saturday night Justin and I had been invited to a fund raising event for the Notre Dame school in Dallas, which is a school for children with special needs.  It was a incredibly fun night, and since we don't get to many nights out together without the kids it was fun to get all dressed up a have a night out as a couple :-)  ( I tried to post a picture but I was having trouble so I will try and post the picture of us all dress up later)

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Thanksgiving is just a week away.  Jack will be off school next week and we are doing to driving up to Springfield to spend the holiday with my family.  I will post again when we get back and hopfully have some cute Turkey day pictures to share. 

Have a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!



The Autism Walk and a very big milestone!

First, I want to wish my dad a very happy birthday today!  We enjoyed getting to see him, my mom and sister this weekend when they came down for the Autism walk.  The walk this year was really fun!   Our team "Jump up for Jack" did an amazing job and we raised $1805!!  I want to thank everyone who donated and came out to support Jack, our family and to  help raise awareness for those living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

 

 

I have two really great story's to tell about Jack.  The first one was a very wonderful and exciting moment in my life and one that I have been waiting to happen for quite some time.  Jack has been working very hard at school and with his ABA therapist Jessi to increase his verbal skills.  He has words but doesn't always use them correctly or most importantly hasn't learned to use his words to communicate.  The process is long and we have started to see lots of growth, but this past week we had a pretty exciting break through.  He can now (with just a small prompt of the first sound) answer the questions: "What is your name?" and " How old are you?"!!!!  The first time I heard him use this sweet little voice to say "Jack" and "four" I about lost it.  He has come so far and he works so hard that every little accomplishment he makes I want to throw him a party.  I know that he still has to work at generalizing this these skills with other people and in different environments but it is a very important step towards hopefully getting him to learn how powerful and meaningful language can be.

 



The second story I have to share is exciting and kind of funny.  Jack and Peyton were playing outside over the weekend.  Peyton was chasing the cat and playing on the slide and Jack was enjoying his car especially the new Hummer he got when he and Justin took their weekly trip to Target.  After a short time I looked at him and he was trying to ride a toy tractor that use to be one of Justin's old toys.  I found this quite humorous since this isn't a riding toy and Jack looked like a giant trying to ride such a small tractor.  I then took a closer look and saw that he was pushing the Hummer in front of the tractor as he moved along the porch.  I yelled for Justin to come and see and then it donned on me...he was recreating the wagon ride we took at the pumpkin patch the weekend before.  The wagon at the pumpkin patch (or at lease the one we went on) was pulled by a Hummer, and he was pretending to go on a wagon ride like the one we had been on at the pumpkin patch.  It was so sweet and exciting to see him pretending and remember something he had experience.  

 

 

 

 Have a wonderful week everyone, and I'll post again soon!



Pumkin patch fun

This past weekend we took the kids to a pumpkin patch.  It was a really fun Saturday morning.  Jack and Peyton had so fun walking through the hay bale maze and jumping in the bounce houses.  Peyton got to experience her first pony ride and based on her reaction when it was over she really enjoyed herself.  She kept asking for "more" and was crying when she had to get off.  Jack didn't seem very interested in the horses, but was very excited when he saw that the wagon ride we went on was being pulled by a hummer.  He was so excited and once the ride was over he had to walk around and inspect everything he could about that vehicle.  The weather was perfect and we were able to stay for about and hour and a half.  Jack did great and Peyton had so much fun she fell fast asleep on the way home.  It was a very fun family outing.  Later that afternoon we took the kids out and got them their Halloween costumes.  Jack is going to be a fire fighter and Peyton is going to be a kitten. 

I am so sorry I haven't posted in a few weeks.  I think the last post I mentions I was getting sick and unfortunately that lasted a little longer then I would have liked.  I am finally back to 100% which is good since this weekend my parents and sister will be coming in town for the Autism Speaks walk.  This will be our second year doing the Autism walk and I am very thankful for all our friends and family who have are going to come out and walk with us. 

I hope everyone has a great week!

Go Team:  Jump Up for Jack!

10 years ago today...

Justin and I walked down the isle and said "I Do"!  We have been married for ten years and it has been a fun, sometimes crazy, but amazing journey!  I feel so lucky to have married my best friend who is the sweetest and kindest man I know.  He is always been there to support me, he is a loving husband, and a terrific father.  He loves me for who I am and I am exctied to see what the next ten years has instore for us!

We did our big anniversary celebration this summer with a fun and relaxing trip to San Francisco and Napa. Tonight, Justin had arranged to have someone come and watch the kids and we were going to go out for an anniversary dinner, but unfortuantly I am sick :-( so we are going to try and do it another night.  Justin left for work a little later then usual so I could get a little extra sleep. I was able to get Jack off to school this morning with no major problems (which the way thing have been going this week was a major acomplishment).  Maybe this was Jack's anniversary present to me or maybe he knew I could use the break since I wasn't feeling great, but regardless of the reason... it I'll take it :-)  Now, Peyton and I are enjoying a nice relaxing morning at home.  I am feeling better then I did yesterday, but hopefully by tomorrow I will be feeling even better so we can get out of the house and have a little family fun! 

I hope everyone has a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

 

back from the Lou...

I wrote last week about us going back to St. Louis but didn't really expand on the reason for the trip.  We went back for a surprise birthday party weekend for Justin's mom.  We had a fun weekend getting to see lots of people who we haven't seen in a long and don't get to see as often as we would like.  We got to St. Louis Friday afternoon and took the kids over to Edwardsville for some pizza at Pantera's.  Justin called his mom and asked if she could run over and meet one of his friends to "pick up" something.  She thought we were coming into town next weekend.  She walked into the restaurant and saw all four of us sitting at a table eating pizza and was completely surprised, it was great!  We got to visit with her for just a little while because we needed to head over the the hotel check in and get ready for the suprise dinner she didn't know was happening.  We had a little time so Justin's friend Parker came over with his daughter Grace and we all went swimming in the hotel pool.   After we got done swimming we got everyone ready and went to the surprise dinner Justin's sister Joyce arranged.  It was a really nice family party at a restaurant in downtown St. Louis and we had a fun night visiting and eating.  The kids lasted way longer then I expected them to but called it a night around 8:30 which was when we headed back to the hotel.  The kids were really tired from traveling so we did our best to calm everyone down and get to bed.  Jack had a fairly major melt down in the hotel room that lasted longer then I would have liked but once I got him calm he fell asleep.

 

Saturday, the kids woke up early (as usual) and we grabbed a quick bite at McDonald's with Joyce, Michael and Justin's parents.  Jack doesn't always like to eat as well as he does at home when we travel, which unfortunately makes him more likely to meltown in situtuations he would rather not be in.  We tried ordering him some pancakes and sausage which are things he would usually eat, but since his usual meal out consists of a cheeseburger he was a little confused and refused anything we tried to give him.  Justin was able to talk with the people at McDonald's and they were nice enough to make him a plain cheeseburger.  He finally settled down and started to pick at it while we were still there, but ended up eating  more of it once we left and were back in the car. 

We then headed over to Ekert's which is a farm located in Belleville IL that has an apple orchard this time of year that you can go take a hay ride and pick your own apples.  Peyton had so much fun and kept wanted to have a "bite" of all the apples.  Jack had fun playing the mini golf with Justin in the play area but isn't a huge fan of apples like he was when he was about 18 months old.  It was a beautiful morning and the weather was great.  I got some fun pictures of Peyton eating apples and looking at the goats.  The kids took a nap in the car on the ride back to the hotel and Justin drove them around while I went to get ready for Surprise Party #2.  This party was a bigger event with more of her friends and family.  They had it at the church, which is also the church Justin and I got married in.  There was lots of space so the kids were able to sit or run around and did really well considering all the new and unfamiliar faces.  The party was a lot of fun and she was successfully surprised for the second time and had no idea that the party she was going to was for her.  Jana and Glenn did and great job organizing this event, and I am glad we were able to come.

After the party was over we took the kids over to Justin's parents house and they got to play around their yard before we took them back over to the hotel.  Peyton started to feel warm to me and in the next few hours she had (what felt like since I didn't have a thermometer) a pretty high temperature.  Justin's parents were coming over to visit one last time so they were nice enough to stop by the store and get her a little Tylenol.  I am not sure if she just got run down with all the traveling or if her body caught a little virus.  She was still running a fever all day yesterday but fortunately she woke up this morning and the fever had broke.  I am going to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets some much needed rest. 

We woke up the next morning and took the 9:15 flight back home.  The plane ride both to and from went really well.  The kids did great!  Jack was a little anxious when we boarded the plane but once we got him seated he started to relax.  He wanted me to sit close to him and hug him tight, but once the plane took off he reached for a magazine in the seat back in front of him, leaned back in his chair and started to read... it was hilarious!  I wish I had thought to take a picture.  Peyton slept on both flights and was only upset when going though security in STL when she had to send her blanket through the x-ray machine.  She started crying and screaming for her "night-night".  People were looking and the TSA agent was so nice she grabbed the bin as it came out and immediately gave her back the blanket. Traveling with kids is always so entertaining, you never know what is going to happen.  

I am very happy to be back home and since I traveled the past two weekends I am looking forward to just being home for a while. I hope everyone had a fun weekend and enjoys the pictures I took from our trip.  Have a great week and I will post again soon.