Schauss Family Happenings

A Dance Party

2012-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn celebrated her birthday with her friends on Friday with a Dance Party. What a hit! We had the party at Ashlyn's dance studio. She has danced at Backstage Dance since she turned 2. The girls had so much fun. They got to do all the fun party dances. They loved the music and were so excited when they found out they were getting a disc of all the songs to take home with them.

Ashlyn is so lucky to have such a wonderful bunch of kids at school and in our neighborhood. They are all so helpful and kind to her. The girls kept dragging her into the middle of the floor to "get her groove on". It was such a fun party!

Warming Up

Somersault

"Getting Her Groove On"

The Happy Birthday Song (she doesn't like the cha cha cha version)!

Honor Ashlyn's Birthday With A Donation to PMSF

2012-01-18T04:19:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to Donate in HONOR OF ASHLYN!

A Handsome Young Man...

2012-01-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

That's Colton...looking pretty snazzy all dressed up for his Christmas program at church.

Christmas Minute To Win It

2012-01-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

I am Ashlyn's room parent at school...along with one other mom. We decided to try some different and fun for her class Christmas party...Minute To Win It. It was fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves. We played the following games: Reindeer Christmas Cookies, Ornament Roll, Marshmellow Wreath Toll, Jingle Bells, Ping Pong Toss, Face the Gingerbread Man, Penny Hose...and maybe a couple more.

2011 Christmas

2012-01-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Well...we completely missed Christmas with the Schauss' because Ashlyn got sick. She was pretty sad and thought she had ruined Christmas. All ended well...Santa still came.

We celebrated Christmas with the Jamison's a bit early in Lincoln. It was a beautiful day. We even got to go for a LONG walk. It was fun watching Rose and Ashlyn play. They had such a good time. AND IAN...he is getting so big. He has the most beautiful blue eyes. Love them! My parents spent a few extra days with us which was so nice, too. Mom and I got to do some SHOPPING!

AND...tons of pictures to share!

Family Holiday Party

2012-01-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

My work had their Family Christmas Holiday Party at Children's Museum this year. The kids really enjoyed it. I was a bit surprised Colton had so much fun. It's been a few years since we had been to the Children's Museum! Colton really enjoyed the Dinosaur exhibit and seeing how they made the dinosaurs.

My favorite picture was Ashlyn with Santa. She didn't even really care to tell him what she wanted for Christmas. She just wanted to talk!

Ashlyn loved everything about this party...especially the ball room and the cookies.

Christmas 4 Kids

2011-12-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Church had a Christmas 4 Kids day this past Saturday. Singing, stories, crafts, games...Ashlyn had a blast. The song was too hard for Ashlyn to learn so the choir director let Ashlyn direct the choir with her!

Christmas Dance Program

2011-12-10T18:52:00.001-08:00

I couldn't be more proud of Ashlyn. She had so much fun and did a GREAT job. It took her a bit to figure out where she was supposed to stand, but she did great once she figured that out.

Ashlyn is the tallest girl...she starts out on the far right.

This is Ashlyn with her friend, Emily. Emily had leukemia and is 2 years cancer free! She is the same age as Ashlyn. Both girls dance in a class with girls about 2 years younger than them. It's a bit easier for them to keep up that way.

Waiting to dance...

I love this photo. Another super cool dance mom took it for me (Thanks Jen L.)

Deocorating the Tree

2011-12-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2011-12-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

We did lots of running around during Thanksgiving weekend.

The Karimi girls spent the night! Ashlyn was so excited to have them visit.

A picture of the Karimi cousins with Colton and Ashlyn.

AND...Ryder was hilarious. He is definitely ALL BOY. This is what I am calling the attack of Colton...AND RYDER STARTED IT ALL!

PC Movie Night

2011-11-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn's school has a movie night last night. They rented a HUGE inflatable movie screen and watched Despicable Me. It was a BIG hit. Ashlyn had a BLAST. The kids came in PJs and brought sleeping bags and pillows. They got yummy movie snacks, too.

Halloween

2011-11-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn had a blast at her school Halloween party. They decorated pumpkins, made oragami bats, and popped balloons to get CANDY. The school had a cute parade to start off the day.

Ashlyn's Class

Ashlyn and her para during the parade.

Halloween night Colton was more interested in giving away candy then Trick or Treating. We actually made him go for awhile because it was such a NICE night. He needed the fresh air! Ashlyn could have went house to house all night. She loves Trick or Treating!

Our neighborhood gang of Trick or Treaters!

Pooley's Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Just sharing a few pictures from Pooley's Pumpkin Patch. Ashlyn loved the little chicks, ponies and face painting. Colton...not so much. BUT...he did enjoy the yummy treat I let him pick out!

Rhymes All Around

2011-10-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn had a Fall Concert at school tonight. She was pretty excited. She would not tell me anything that they were doing or singing. She said I had to wait to see it. She did such a fantastic job and really enjoyed herself. I was all smiles. It was super cute seeing her so happy and so into the concert. She even got to play an instrument (hand drums). I couldn't get any pictures though...she was hidden on the ground and I couldn't see over all the people.

Ashlyn all pretty and ready to go!

Ashlyn and her teacher.

Ashlyn is on the left in the pink outfit...hair in curls (her request).

Georgie Porgie

Hector Protector

Wee Willie Winkie

Bedtime

Carmel Rolls

2011-09-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Jeff asked me to make my grandma's Carmel rolls. They turned out pretty good. Next time...I think I would get up early and make them in the morning. The dough didn't sit in the refrigerator overnight so well.

Gooey...yummy...goodness!

Vala's Pumpkin Patch

2011-09-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we spent the day at Vala's Pumpkin Patch. What a great day! Vala's has to be the best place in the world to start Fall and get ready for Halloween. It never gets old. The kids were so good and really enjoyed the day. Ashlyn really gets a kick out of the Haunted Houses...Colton not so much. Both of them could have jumped on the bouncers for an hour! AND...the food...YUMMY!!!

Pumpkin Eating Dragon

Flying Dog Show

Haunted Grave Yard

Apple Jacks Festival

2011-09-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to Nebraska City to check out the Apple Jacks Festival. Jeff and I had never been to Nebraska City and we thought it would be fun to check out. We went to the Arbor Day Farm and took a tour of the facilities. We ended the day at Kimmel Orchard. We were told that we "had to try" the apple donuts at the orchard. OMGosh...they were so yummy...Colton ate two (and he is super picky)! We also had some ice cream and bought some apples, salsa, and popcorn.

Arbor Day Farm

Kimmel Orchard

Pine Creek Walk-A-Thon

2011-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn's school had a WalkAThon last week. It was a fun night. Ashlyn walked about a mile! She really liked that she got to get her hair painted...only problem...all they had left was yellow. Yellow doesn't work well with blondish brown hair! She made sure she got glitter on her face, too!

Gethsemane PIG ROAST

2011-09-19T19:33:00.001-07:00

Our church had their annual PIG ROAST last weekend. I missed the service because Ashlyn participated in a WalkAThon. We ended up showing up after lunch for the clowns, face painting, balloons, and a TALENT SHOW. Ashlyn really got a kick out of watching everyone sing & dance.

Face Painting

Balloons

Walk Rite for Rite Care

2011-09-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

This morning, Ashlyn and I participated in the Walk Rite for Rite Care. Ashlyn received free speech services for many years from Rite Care. Beth and Paul, her therapists, were so patient and kind. It made the seemingly never ending visits so much easier. I'm sure we owe a big portion of Ashlyn's vocal successes to Beth and Paul.

There were a lot of clowns at this walk. Ashlyn spent most of the day...hanging out with the clowns. She even got to walk half the walk with a clown (and his kids). She brought her microphone along and sang during the walk and sang with the clowns. A lot of the kids had service dogs with them. Ashlyn loved hanging out with all the dogs! She ended up walking about a mile and a half. She did such a great job.

Ian's FIRST Birthday

2011-09-11T05:28:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Ian, celebrated his 1st birthday a few weeks ago in Norfolk. He is such a sweet little guy.

Colton even held Ian! How cute is this?

PRESENTS! Ian's face is too cute in this photo.

CAKE!

Happy Birthday, Ian.

The ROCK STAR

2011-09-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn loves her music and singing. We call her our little rock star. She loves the shows on NICK and constantly sings their theme songs.

This is her audience.

Dog Training...In Progress

2011-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn has decided that she is going to train Maggie to participate in agility races at dog shows! She had a treat in her hand and made Maggie follow her. I think she did a pretty good job!

She and I went to the NE Kennel Club dog show this weekend. She loves dogs. She loves watching dogs, petting dogs, playing dogs...she is all about dogs. Note for next year, go on Friday or Saturday. By Sunday, most everyone was packed up and gone. We did sit down for about an hour and watched the agility races. I love watching her at the dog shows. She gets so excited about all the fancy dogs in bows. One really nice family (who had 4 Great Danes and 1 Chihuahua) let her hold their show Chihuahua. Ashlyn was in heaven.

Doing Things Her Own Way

2011-07-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn has been cracking me up lately. I came into her room and found this...

the audience. She was having a blanket party with all her stuffed animals. The animals on the bed were the audience.

Another day, I went into her room and found her like this...

She is pretty particular about bed time. She lays on her pillows and has to be covered up. She was crashed on the other side of the bed...no covers. About a half hour later, she had fallen out of bed and knocked over all her toys on the floor!

Water Fun

2011-07-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Colton and Ashlyn had some friends over the other day. It has been so HOT! The only way to have fun outside is if it has something to do with water.

Josh and Colton hadwater gun fights. After about 20 minutes, they gave up and just got the hoses out and sprayed each other with hoses.

The girls, Ashlyn, Katie, and Faith, played mermaids in the pool.

A Day At The Lake

2011-07-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we visited with Jamie and her family at Woodcliff. We played in the water all day long...and took a boat ride. What a fun day...I thought. I had a bit of a stomach ache all day. Just felt kind of exhausted and got weaker and weaker throughout the day. I'm fairly confident after a fever of 104, chills, aches, etc...I had a good case of heat exhaustion. I felt better the next day...just a little tired. That was a first for me!

Ashlyn on the trampoline.

Loved this picture of Caden splashing Ashlyn!

Ashlyn sure does know how to enjoy a boat ride.

4th of July

2011-07-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well...I'm only a few weeks behind on blogging. It's been a busy few weeks. Ashlyn has a full schedule of appts during the week (tutoring, camps, OT, ST, dance, etc.) and our weekends have been crazy busy.

The weekend of the 4th...we spent lots of time with the neighbors lighting off fireworks. Of course, they always end up liking the parachutes the best. We also went to my friend's, Chris, house and watch their fireworks and met their new baby, Chloe. She is so cute! We ended the weekend with a neighborhood cookout. It was fun, but it was so hard to go back to work after a week of vacation and a weekend of fireworks and parties.

It was funny when Ashlyn was watching the fireworks she kept covering her eyes. She told us they were too loud. We told her she needed to cover her ears...not her eyes!

FLORIDA

2011-07-05T18:25:00.001-07:00

This is going to be a blog post full of pictures. I had so many cute pictures from this trip!

We spent the first day at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium because of all the rain. The aquarium was packed. We ended up not having enough time to see everything because we were so hungry...late for lunch.

After lunch, we went to Clearwater Beach. It was still kind of raining but we went for the walk anyway. After awhile, we decided we were already wet from the rain we may as well get in the water. Wouldn't you know it...as soon as we got in the water the sun came out. It was beautiful. It was so fun to watch Lauren splash in the water. She loved it. Colton and Ashlyn are at home with water so it was a hit for them, too. The pix are before we actually decided to get in and swim.

On Day 2, we went to Orlando to Adventure Island/Universal. Islands of Adventure was a hit with my kids...Universal...not so much. The kids loved the water barge ride. They were soaked head to toe and enjoyed every bit. Ashlyn loved so many rides. I think the Cat and the Hat Stuff was her favorite and Colton loved the Spider Man ride. The effects were amazing. The heat and mist...it was awesome!

I love this video of Ashlyn. It was the joy she experienced from most of the rides. Her little scream cracks me up.

Day 3...Caledesi Island. We saw a few dolphin on the boat ride to the island. Colton = thrilled!

Day 4...Disney World. Thanks to Ramin we got all the rides in just in time for the big rain. He got us fast passes and we got through the lines super quick. The rest of the day...we battled rain but hung out in doors.

Day 5...Honeymoon Island and a swim in the hotel pool. I think the kids liked the pool more. We got attacked by sandwich stealing birds at the beach. It was hilarious watching Colton yell at the birds!

All in all, it was a fun time hanging out with the Schauss/Karimi/Vanhessche families in FL. The cousins had so much fun hanging out with each other.

Bennington Daze

2011-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn loved the pony rides! I so wish I could get her into a therapy riding program...why does it have to be soooo expensive.

The parade was a hit...so much more laid back then previous parades we've been to...and TONS of candy. What could be better?

A bunch of the parade entries had water guns and were squirting the people watching the parade. She loved getting wet!

Our fellow PMS (22q13) family...

2011-06-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

Or...at least the only one we've met so far. Collin and his family came to Omaha to join us at the zoo. He and Ashlyn had a great time. Collin's deletion is a bit different from Ashlyn's. He has 22q13.2 and Ashlyn has 22q13.33. They have an awful lot of similarities. And it is super nice to talk to his mom, Dana...who just gets it. It's nice to know someone who has an understanding of what we are going through on a daily basis.

Weekend in Norfolk

2011-06-12T17:19:00.001-07:00

We headed back to Norfolk this weekend so Jeff could help my dad with a retaining wall. Ended up being a really busy Saturday.

We stopped by to see Grandma Verna at the nursing home.

Went to Cuthills Vineyard to buy some wine!!!

We stopped by the park to meet up with an old friend of mine.

AND...went fishing with Grandpa.

The Weekend with Ryder

2011-05-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ryder spent some time in Omaha while the rest of his family vacationed. We watched him over the weekend. What a good kid! We had so much fun. We went to the zoo yesterday. He and Ashlyn spent about an hour in the budgie encounter exhibit. They both thought the birds were so cool. Ryder kept walking around saying "birdie, birdie, birdie...tweet, tweet, tweet".

Cousins...

2011-05-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Our CO family made a visit to NE this weekend before heading off for a vacation. It was fun to see everyone!

Pine Creek Carnival

2011-05-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

WOW...what a fun night! Ashlyn's school has an awesome carnival tonight...bounce houses, food, games, and all. Ashlyn was a little overwhelmed at first...so many people...so many things. We went straight to bounce houses while there were no lines! Good thinking on our part. Ashlyn played games, we ate, played more games, and she got her face painted. Her friends Katie and Faith hung out with her for a good part of the night. I love Katie...she is so patient with Ashlyn!

Ashlyn's Field Day

2011-05-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

WHAT A LONG DAY! Today was Ashlyn's track and field day at school. She did really good this year. Some of the activities were really hard for her. We are so lucky in that she has a great teacher and awesome classmates. Everyone helped her out! It was a miserable weather day...46 degrees and super windy!

(Ashlyn is wearing the pink coat with white by the arm pits.)

I could not believe how well Ashlyn did in the long distance run event. (I ran with her to keep her motivated.) She actually beat 3 other kids! Usually, she is always last. She ran and ran and ran and then she wanted to do it again. The 2nd time, she beat about 10 kids because they all were "too tired" and walked the second half.

The potato sack race...she kept falling. Ashlyn's teacher and I ended up helping her jump the rest of the race. She did it twice and then gave up...can't say that I blame her...she was really wet!

Tug of War

Relay Race...Ashlyn's team won...TWICE!

A sprint race...trying to beat the teacher.

I love Katie! We knew the 3-legged race was going to be a hard event for Ashlyn. Katie offered to be Ashlyn's partner and said, "Don't worry...I'll go really slow." We were going to have Ashlyn partner up with me or her teacher. Ashlyn was so excited when Katie said she'd do the race with her.

Beach Volleyball

My favorite part of the day was basketball. Ashlyn swore she could not do it...wanted no part of it. AND...she couldn't...it's impossible for her to make a basket. We made her try and the 5th time Ashlyn's teacher and I lifted her up in the air high enough to make a basket. She did make the basket. She started screaming, "I CAN DO IT!". Everyone started screaming with her and hugging her. It was super cute.

Pampered

2011-05-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn has been a nail bitter for quite some time. I've always promised her if she quite biting her nails, I would take her to the salon. Well...she quite biting her nails and I took her to the salon to get her nail painted. She was so excited. She got right up in the chair, leaned back, and let the lady get to work. She really liked being pampered although she did not like that the TV in the salon had the news on!

My Dancing Princess

2011-05-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn has her dance recital the first week in June. I am so excited! She is doing fantastic this year. She knows her two dances fairly well and she still has a couple more weeks to practice. She really loves dancing and is really getting into the movements this year. We normally have some standing around...pausing..rubbing face...etc. It is so good to see her big smile while she dances!

Ashlyn is in the white leotard with the multi-striped skirt.

Never ending project...

2011-04-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Landscaping...the never ending project. We are going to have to tackle this in phases. Most important...the front of the house. We have quite a problem in that the front of the house only see about 1-2 hrs of sun each day. We have to plant shady plants. Picking out the plants was rather difficult!

We ended up getting azalea bushes, green velvet boxwood bushes, and snowdrops. We bought them really small so we had to be careful about spacing. I think it will look really nice when the plants fill out a bit.

The finished product

2011-04-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

We're done landscaping for now. It will probably take me all summer to buy the plants I need for the front yard! Jeff is excited...less to mow. I love it. Can't wait to see what it looks like with plants.

NEEDED...Landscaper that will work for FREE!

2011-04-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I took today off work to get started working on our landscaping. OUCH. I'M. SO. SORE. I sure hope I can find the energy to finish tomorrow. We dug up all the sod and started piling in the dirt. I think the design looks really good.

I put an add on craigslist for FREE SOD. Holy cow! I had 20 people respond that wanted the sod. One of them was our old neighbor...what a small world. We let our old neighbor take what he wanted and two other people took the rest. How lucky are we? Hauled away for FREE! We had about 55 rolls of sod.

Here's where we ended for the day...

A Thank You Note

2011-04-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn had a friend invite her over to play and she whated to write her friend a nice note. I decided to try something new! Usually, we highlight Ashlyn's words for her and then she writes them. She has been writing and drawing more on her own recently. I ended up writing the note on another piece of paper and gave her the instructions to cross off each word as she wrote it. This is what she came up with...

I think she did fantastic! The little alien looking creaters are actually Ashlyn drawing herself and her friend. She actually drew a really good flower. She signed her name "Ashlyn2". 2 is actually her locker # at school! The little lines are how many times Katie was Ashlyn's best friend (too cute!).

Cats & Dogs...

2011-04-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

So...I decided to paint Colton's room this weekend. Jeff was at the NU Spring Game and I needed to keep Ashlyn busy. I put on the movie Cats and Dogs for her. I walked in to check on her and all her cats and dogs were watching the movie, too!

Colton wanted his room painted grey...with Miami Dolphins stripes. We still need to get his new matching bedding. The camo doesn't quite go. I've been waiting for a Pottery Barn Teen sale...but the bedding he wants never seems to go on sale!

One down...One to go!

2011-04-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

We finally got Ashlyn some new bedding and painted her room. She really needed a big girl bedding set! She picked out a hot pink comforter with zebra prints sheets. The first night she slept in her new bedding she said, "Ahhhh...it feels like I'm cuddling with a zebra!"

Ashlyn has been wanting her room painted for quite some time. I finally got it done today. She wanted a pink and green room (like her room in our old house) and striped. (She actually wanted me to paint zebra stripes in her room...ahhhh NO!) Jeff didn't like the idea of doing a whole wall of stripes so we just did ONE stipe.

We are going to buy some zebra print wall decals to put on the walls...so Ashlyn will get her stripes.

SHE LOVES IT! Now...I just need to get Colton's room done.

$22 for 22Q in 22 Days

2011-04-01T05:14:00.000-07:00

To our family and friends,

As you know our daughter, Ashlyn, has Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. The condition is primarily caused by a deletion of the 22nd chromosome (specially the Shank3 gene). It is a very rare genetic disorder. Approximately 600 people in the world have been diagnosed with the condition. It has been recently recognized as a genetic cause of autism and there is a “buzz” among researchers about kids like Ashlyn.

The Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation (PMSF) is a support group for those impacted by Phelan McDermid Syndrome. PMSF is raising money that will go towards research, conference costs and raising awareness. A current focus of PMSF is creating a family registry detailing specific deletions and symptoms of those affected. We’re anxious to do what we can to help Ashlyn and others like her!

We have pledged to support Ashlyn by helping PMSF and are wondering if you might like to do the same. We’re asking family and friends to contribute $22 by the 22nd of April. You could give us a check (made out to PMSF) or send a check direct to the foundation at P.O. Box 1016 Venice, FL 34284. You can also log onto Donations at www.22q13.org and make a contribution via PayPal. Be sure to include “in honor of Ashlyn Schauss” so we can thank you for your generosity. The Foundation will send you an acknowledgement of your tax deductible contribution.

One more thing….please feel free to forward this opportunity to any family or friends that you feel might be willing to contribute.

Thank you so much for your love and support of Ashlyn and for considering a donation by the 22nd!

The Last Snow...

2011-03-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

At least I'm hoping it was the last snow. This is the kind of snow I like. It's not too cold out...big wet flakes...feels like I'm living in a snow globe. Beautiful snow AND it didn't last...no shoveling. Ashlyn saw the snow and immediately wanted to go play. She took her webkinz for a ride in the sled.

Screaming In The Car

2011-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

We were driving in the car and Colton started screaming. He was freaking out because Ashlyn did this all by herself.

Colton was so proud of Ashlyn. I was proud of him for making such a big deal out of the situation...because it is a big deal. Writing is such a hard thing for Ashlyn. Most of her writing is done by tracing things. Ashlyn wanted to erase it and do it again. Colton said, "No, mom is going to need to take a picture of that"! (He was right.)

"Junior"

2011-03-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well...my parents bought a new dog. We're babysitting for the night until they can pick up the dog tomorrow. I was hoping to catch up on my sleep this weekend, but I'm sure Junior(that's what Ashlyn has named him for the time being) plans on keeping us up alllllll night. He's a scared little puppy...very timid.

He's really liking the kids. I'm not sure what he's going to do when he realizes he has to go live with a couple "old folks"!

I'm thinking Junior was quite terrified during this picture! Ashlyn really gets a kick out of the dog.

My Little Franklin Pierce

2011-03-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn's class did a presidental wax museum presentation this week. WOW...was this hard for Ashlyn. She had to memorize a speech (a hard one...all the other kids got to read their speeches) and record it. There were just too many numbers and dates for Ashlyn...and it was a whole page long! Ashlyn is such a good sport. She did it. The teacher had to help her get her words in line, but she did remember parts of the speech. It was really hard to hear her struggle so much when the other kids breezed through it. BUT...such is life...it goes on. I couldn't be more proud of her for struggling through everything she does on a daily basis. She is such a trooper!

Balance Bike

2011-02-25T18:25:00.001-08:00

So...the big thing in our neighborhood is riding bikes. That's a tough thing for Ashlyn...and frustrating. She sees all the other kids riding bikes and she wants to ride a bike. Jeff happened to come across something called a balance bike. I researched a bit more and found a great deal on a brand new one on EBAY ($120 bike-brand new-for $70 shipped).

She loves the bike. AND...it's her favorite color...PINK!

Notice...It doesn't have pedals. It is suppose to help Ashlyn learn how to balance first...without pedals. She can use her feet to move herself along until she can learn how to balance.

She LOVES it! We had snow on the ground tonight. Hopefully, she can give it a try outdoors next week.

Happy Birthday Kali!

2011-02-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn helped her friend, Kali (a classmate of Ashlyn's), celebrate her 8th birthday today.

Happy Birthday Kali!

Kali's mom, Lauren, is now the "coolest mom EVER". She really knows how to throw a party. She made all the girls pretty...nails, make-up, and HAIR. (I know who I'm calling next time Ashlyn needs cute dance hair!) She ROCKS at doing hair.

Ashlyn

The kids played games, got pretty, and had a good time. They were so happy. SO. TOTALLY. CUTE.

This is a brave mama...she actually held onto the pinata!

More pix...

Singing Happy Birthday. The big candle in the middle was supposed to shoot out confetti of some sort...it "was a dud" (as Taylor said it best). We kept waiting...nothing happened.

THANK YOU LAUREN!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T16:59:00.001-08:00

Awwww...a nice relaxing sort of day! I took the afternoon off. Jeff and I went to lunch at Taste (I LOVE TASTE!) YUMMMMM. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Ashlyn at school and helped out with her class party.

This is Ashlyn and one of her paras handing out Valentines.

Ashlyn doing a craft.

Ashlyn and her classmate, Taylor. Taylor came home with us for a couple hours after school. We are so lucky Ashlyn has such fabulous classmates!

The Party

2011-02-13T06:40:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn celebrated her 8th birthday on Saturday. She invited 10 friends to watch the movie Gnomie and Juliet. The girls had to sing a "funny" version of the Happy Birthday song. At the end, they said "STOP". After asking why...I was told the next part was about a "fat lady" and they didn't want me video taping that part!

Never Trust Ashlyn...

2011-02-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

when it comes to a pillow fight!

Ashlyn Turns 8!

2011-02-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Geeeez...I have been terrible about blogging lately! SORRY.

Ashlyn celebrated her 8th birthday last week. She wanted an ice cream cake. It was yummy! She and mommy also went to a movie and she got the pizza dinner she wanted. She is going to celebrate her birthday with her friends at the movies next Saturday. We had to wait for a new movie to come out...she has not liked waiting for her party!

Sittin' for a Dane

2011-01-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

My in-laws took a vacation and left us with Bella. She is one of their many Great Dane rescue dogs. Bella was fun to have around...Maggie enjoyed the play mate.

The first day, Maggie and Bella fought over a toy for about 45 minutes. I don't know who won, but our back yard was full of stuffed toy fuzz...then it snowed.

The second day (and every day there after), they played in the snow.

It's Not Possible...Is It?

2011-01-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Seriously...is it possible? Colton will be 10 on Wednesday...I said TEN! I'm really finding it hard to believe that Colton is going to be 10. ANYWAY...for his birthday...he really wanted to have another birthday party. I have to preface this with the following statement. I swore after his 8th birthday I would NEVER (yes, I said NEVER) have a birthday party in my home again. I LIED! Colton had his 9th B-Day party at a laser tag joint. It was awesome...we didn't have to do anything. LOVED IT! Well...he really wanted another reptile party. We did a reptile party with Pam Cheever from the Douglas County Extension office for his 8th birthday. He loved it. He wanted to do it again. (I really have a hard time telling my kids NO...to some things.) It ended up not being so bad. The boys were a bit out of control at points, but for the most part...it wasn't bad. They all really seemed to enjoy the reptiles. Ashlyn was super excited because we let one of her friends come to "hang out" with her. (It was much easier for us because we didn't have to listen to her complain about the boys!)

Christmas with the Schauss Family

2010-12-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

We spent most of Christmas Day with the Schauss/Vanhessche/Karimi families. What a bunch of fun. (I'll have to share the how the bored kids have fun videos in another post!) Ramin and I took the kids to Yogi Bear in the early afternoon (not worth seeing...sort of boring). We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening at Jeff's parents. The Karimi girls spent the night at our house. Lots of entertainment...that's for sure.

Anyone want a cookie?

2010-12-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn wanted to make sugar cookies for Santa. Colton wanted chocolate chip (go figure)! We got baking and we ended up with too many cookies. I hope Grandma and Grandpa don't mind if we bring 100 or so to their house (j/k).

These are Ashlyn's cookies.

These are my world famous chocolate chip cookies. (J/K...but they are really good!)

An Early Christmas with the Jamison's

2010-12-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

My family came to watch Colton's Christmas program at church so we decided to make an early Christmas out of it. We went to early church...ate...and exchanged presents. Rose is such a sweet little girl. No thanks to Ashlyn...she has developed quite a love for Toy Story. She couldn't have been more thrilled with the Jessie doll we gave her for Christmas. AND...Ian...he is growing so fast. I enjoyed getting to snuggle with him!

Kids Christmas Service

2010-12-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

Our church had their annual Christmas service this last weekend. Colton participated and seemed to really enjoy it this year (although it doesn't look like it in the video).

Turning Two...

2010-12-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

My niece, Lauren, celebrated her 2nd birthday this last weekend. Her birthday is always such a special celebration for me. Remembering back 2 years ago to when she was born so premature at a tiny 1 lb 10 oz. She has come such a long way. She is all over the place, loves to dance, and is talking away. It was quite a treat to watch her enjoy her birthday celebration.

I think her favorite gift was the 40 yrs of Sesame Street DVD...wait...not the DVD...but the box it came in. She could not stop looking at the pictures on the cover. Too cute!

Winter Concert

2010-12-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn had her Winter/Holiday concert tonight at school. How cute! She did such a good job. She got on stage and let out a big "wow". She couldn't believe how many people were watching. She kept her fingers out of her mouth and she remembered her words. She had a hard time keeping up with the hand movements, but I don't think she could have done any better.

She got an early Christmas present...Fancy Nancy. She wanted to make sure she "dressed up nice and fancy".

Ashlyn with her teacher and some classmates. The kids all looked so cute!

Ashlyn and Faith...Faith is coming over for a play date over break. Ashlyn can't wait!

Frosty the Snowman

Jingle Bells

Holiday Dance Recital

2010-12-11T17:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday...what a crazy weather day! AND...the dance recital was a go...didn't get canceled. We had to drive all the way to Central High School...in a blizzard. It took us 40 minutes to get to the school. The white out driving conditions were horrible. It only took us 30 minutes to get home, but we saw a horrible accident right off Dodge and the interstate...cars flipped over and piled up on top of each other.

Ashlyn did fabulous. She actually performed the same dance as last year. This is the first dance she has actually performed the whole dance. She did such a GREAT job. It was so cute to see her on stage and doing the WHOLE dance! (ONE PROUD MAMA.)

In the video, Ashlyn is on the far left in the back row. At the very end, they are standing around and not moving. It was NOT their fault. They played the wrong (longer) version of the song. After a while, some of the girls just started dancing and then they walked off stage. They were all a bit confused!

Caroling with the Girl Scouts

2010-12-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

Friday, the Girl Scouts got together and donated some toys to Toys 4 Tots and then went to a low income community and did sang Christmas carols. It was a great night. It was chilly, but not the freezing cold blizzard we are experiencing today. They had to do quite a bit of walking, but Ashlyn didn't seemed to mind. She sang her songs and yelled Merry Christmas as we were leaving each housing area. The girls went back to their meeting place and had hot chocolate and cookies!

Toys 4 Tots Gifts.

Ashlyn Singing

Couple pix from the night.

Children's Hospital Holiday Party

2010-12-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

What more can I say...Ashlyn had a blast! Colton wasn't too interested in the games, but he played and won more candy for Ashlyn. Oh wait...he did enjoy the FREE pizza.

Kids Holiday Party

2010-12-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

My company had their holiday party on Sunday (my birthday!). The kids got to see Santa, eat cookies, and did lots of crafts.

Luckily, we got to see Santa RIGHT AWAY. Ashlyn was in a mood and I did not want to wait in line with her. She was so excited to see Santa. She told him she wanted a Zhu Zhu Pets and a Doll that talks. Funny thing...we had a sitter on Saturday...and she found the doll that talks hidden under the sink. The sitter did a great job of playing it off and I had to hide it again. Ashlyn was so confused in the morning when she couldn't find the doll under the sink. Colton told Santa he wanted a laptop. He couldn't stop laughing at Santa...he had no idea what he meant with all the computer language.

Letters to Santa.

Crafts...Colton really liked the crafts this year. He usually doesn't get into the crafty kind of stuff.

Posing in front of the tree.

Picture with Santa.

My Paper Shredder

2010-12-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Jeff was out of town hunting a few weeks ago. Ashlyn was in her normal play, play, play mode. It was getting late...we had been waiting forever for a pizza! She decided we were going to be robots. She found toy parts to put on her arms and legs and got extremely frustrated when she couldn't find any toy part that fit me. So...she got out some paper and turned me into a robot.

She could sit at the table and cut and cut and cut. The table turns into 100s of tiny pieces of paper. At least she accomplished the task she set out to do...and it kept her busy for about an hour!

Decorating the Tree

2010-12-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

Colton whistled while he worked...

Ashlyn kept wanting to put all the ornaments in the same spot. Everytime she hung up an ornament...I had to move it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. My grandma, mom and dad, brother, Curt, and his family, my cousin, Tyson, and his family and my aunt, Marlys, joined us. It was a fabulous day! I enjoyed the food and the company.

My grandma, Verna, and Ian, Curt and Tracy's son.

Colton and Ian...I forced Colton to take the picture. Ian is getting so big. I had forgotten how fast these little kiddos grow!

Boy...is it hard to get my kids and 4 little kids to cooperate for a picture. They all needed to hold a toy. None of them really cared to take a picture!

Ashlyn - ready for the day.

Kellan and Tylee...My cousin's, Tyson, kids.

My mom and Ian.

Ian and Kellan. Kellan is great. He kisses (on the lips) and hugs EVERYONE...and he doesn't even care who they are...he just loves kisses and hugs.

Frosty the Snowman

2010-11-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

I love love love this video. I'm so proud of Ashlyn. She is bound and determined to learn the entire song. I don't doubt that she will learn every word!

Reader's Theater

2010-11-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn's favorite thing about her new school is Reader's Theater. The kids practice during the week and have a theater presentation every Friday. Parents are allowed to come visit the classroom during Reader's Theater. Ashlyn has been begging me to come to class for Reader's Theater. I can tell it's the one thing that she finds GREAT success and pride in during school. Today, I went to school and watched. I seriously could not have been more proud of Ashlyn.

The amazing thing is that a couple months ago...out of the blue...Ashlyn started memorizing things (yet she still can't read). All the other kids get to read their parts and Ashlyn memorizes her part. Her para works with her everyday at school and we work with her at home everyday. She does a fabulous job of memorizing and remembering her parts. (Sometimes, the kids have to remind her when it's her turn...but she knows her part!)

Ashlyn is in pink. If you want to fast forward through the video, she is at 3:52, 4:39 and 6:05.

At the end of the presentations, the kids get to comment on the preformances. I wish I would have video taped this part. One boy commented that he liked Ashlyn's perfromance the best because she memorizes her lines and that is hard work because everyone else gets to read their lines. Another girl commented that she was proud of Ashlyn for remembering all her lines. It makes me happy that the children also see how much harder she has to work to complete this task. It was fun to she her all smiles!

Halloween Festivities

2010-11-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn and I started our Halloween by visiting the Bennington Halloween Party. She had a blast. Lots of little kids activites and a haunted house. In the haunted house someone told her that the wanted her blood. She screamed back, "YOU CAN'T HAVE MY BLOOD!"!

We went trick or treating with the neighborhood kids. There were about 20 kids in a group. Colton and Ashlyn had a blast. Ashlyn and a neighbor girl were always the last two to every house. Instead of saying, "Trick or Treat", they asked to see the home owners dogs and cats. I think those two girls collected more candy then any of the speed racing other children.

Colton loves this picture. He thinks it's cool that he looks like a ghost in the picture.

Part of my decorations was an advertisement for a co-worker of mine!

My Tree Hugger...

2010-10-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what Colton is doing. He thought he was being funny. I'm just going to call him my little tree hugger. REALLY...He hugs trees!

I'm super excited our new house...finally has a new tree. It is an Emerald Luster Maple tree.

Ashlyn's Halloween Party

2010-10-29T18:20:00.001-07:00

I took the afternoon off to have some fun with Ashlyn at her school's Halloween celebration. They had a costume walk then it was back to their room for fun and games.

Waiting for the costume walk.

Ashlyn and Ms. Frizzle (her teacher).

The kids had a scavenger hunt and then decorated pumpkins. They are used to decorating pumpkins by carving or painting. We gave them vegetables and fruit to decorate their pumpkins. The kids loved it.

This was my favorite pumpkin.

Here is Ashlyn's pumpkin.

The kids wrapped up their teacher like a mummy.

They also made a human spider web. (They loved this!)

Emily's Pizza Party

2010-10-24T06:19:00.001-07:00

I don't normally go to birthday parties and enjoy them, but Emily's party was so yummy. The kids went to Old Chicago for a make your own pizza party. The pizza was really yummy. I had never eaten pizza at Old Chicago. I drug Colton along because Jeff was hunting and the kids had to leave the party early for swimming lessons.

Colton - he actually enjoyed making the pizza and eating it. See the big smiles!

The kids enjoyed seeing the cooking area of Old Chicago.

Ashlyn and the party girls.

Fall Festival

2010-10-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Colton's school had a Fall Fesitval on Friday. Holy Cow...I can't believe how many people showed up. The school/church fellowship hall was packed. I had planned a scavengar hunt...which went well once I got everyone organized. I don't think I thought much about how to organize over 100 kids...when no one would listen to me. I only saw Colton once the whole night. I didn't even get a picture of him in his costume!

Here is Jesse.

Colton won 2nd prize and Ashlyn won 4th prize in the pumpkin carving contest. Everyone though Colton's pumpkin was an awesome pacman...funny thing...it was a skelton face to him. Ashlyn wanted to make a sun. It looks must better light up with the rays showing through the pumpkin.

Ashlyn had a blast playing games...she wanted to win as much candy as possible!

This is the only time I saw Colton...making smores. He is the kid in black off to the right. I wouldn't let him wear his whole costume as it's not quite appropriate for a Lutheran school...bad mom!

The Schauss House Pumpkin Seeds

2010-10-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

The kids have a pumpkin carving contest at a school party on Friday. We cleaned out the pumpkins tonight and plan to carve them tomorrow night. Ashlyn always wants to cook the pumpkin seeds to eat them. In fact, she'll eat them raw...GROSS!

Anyway...here's how we go about making our cooked pumpkin seeds.

First...the KIDS must clean out the pumpkins. (Really, this means they get a couple spoons of goop out and then mom finishes up.)

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin goop and rinse the seeds in a strainer.

Dry the seeds on paper towels.

In a bowl, mix the seeds with a teaspoon of olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 40 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes and eat!

Ashlyn loves them. She'd eat them all in one sitting if I'd allow it!

Vala's Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday could not have been a more beautiful day to head to Vala's. We left right after church and got there early...perfect timing. We were ready to head out about 2...and it was getting packed. I ate way too much. Everything smelled so good. Ashlyn...as usual...loved the haunted houses. She is very entertained by all the creepy stuff! Colton...he's like me...just wanted to eat everything.

Coloradoans for Texas or Nebraska?

2010-10-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Karimi's traveled from CO to NE to watch the Nebraska vrs. Texas game this weekend. Sue, I'm sure, was cheering for Nebraska and Ramin was cheering for Texas. I bet Ramin was thrilled with the outcome after having to pay hundreds of dollars for the tickets!

I loved seeing my nieces and nephews. We actually, sort of, got them all to cooperate for one picture.

Oh my...how Ryder has grown. He is a smiley little guy. He loved our dogs. Sue and Ramin need to get a puppy soon. The poor kid really needs a dog!

Colton has been longing for some little boy cousins and Ryder is finally getting old enough to play with...aren't they so cute!

Ian's Affirmation

2010-10-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Last week, we set out for Lincoln to celebrate Ian's Affirmation. How excited was I? Super...Excited. Jeff and I were asked to be Ian's sponsors! We celebrated the affirmation then headed over to Curt and Tracy's for lunch and some family time.

Here are some pictures from the day!

Pinkalicious

2010-10-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn was so excited when I told her I was taking her to Pinkalicious the Musical. She had to find as much pink as she could to wear.

She loved the musical. She sat so intently watching every minute and giggling. The characters were adults playing children. It was actually really funny! She got a kick out of Pinkalicious' brother (adult) dressed up as a little boy and sucking his thumb.

Something Silly...

2010-10-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Fort Atkinson with the Brownies

2010-10-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn had her first event with her Girl Scout troop this weekend at Ft. Atkinson in Ft. Calhoun. It was on Sunday...what a beautiful day. Ashlyn loved the fort...especially doing the laundry!

At one time during the day, a lady asked Ashlyn if she was with the Brownies. She said, "No...you eat Brownies. I am not a Brownie!". I had to explain to Ashlyn that she was in Girl Scouts, but she was in the Brownie level. She couldn't make the connection...is was a bit silly.

Here is her troop.

And pix from the day...

Played A Game - WON A PRIZE!

2010-09-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

I just love my Ashlyn! She is always full of surprises. I was in the office working on my computer. Ashlyn told me to close my eyes and come into the kitchen. So...I did. This is what I found.

Stuff hiding everywhere. Ashlyn told me it was a game and if I found everything...I would WIN A PRIZE. I found everything. My prize...

A sparkly pink pencil from my princess!

NU vrs. SDU

2010-09-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

What a bad game...for such a great night! I received 3 free tickets to the NU game on Saturday. GREAT TICKETS...club level seating...our own chairs...and a parking pass RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. I've decided I rather not watch a Husker game any other way. I didn't have to stand up the entire game. Just casually sat in a chair (NOT BLEECHERS) and watched a game on a beautiful night. It was awesome. Colton, Jeff and I went to the game and Ashlyn hung out with my aunt, Marlys, and her cousin, Rose. Ashlyn didn't mind because she said...she does not like football. Marlys kept her busy and she got to paint pine cones...with sprinkles! The game was the most disappointing game I have ever witnessed. I was expecting NU to kick some serious tushy! Well...that didn't happen.

Sharing a recipe...

2010-09-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

because it is a new family favorite. This is the 2nd time I've made these baked sandwiches. This time I made two...because the kids love them so much they could eat one by them selves. Really easy to make and super yummy! (We used provolone cheese...only cheese Colton REALLY likes!)

Baked Club Sandwich Rounds
Prep Time: 35 min (Ready in 1 hr 5 min )
Makes: 12 servings Nutrition Information

The filling--Cheddar, turkey and ham--bakes right inside the French bread; slicing the baked loaf reveals a pinwheel design.

1 lb. bacon
1 (11-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crusty French Loaf
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 oz. thinly sliced cooked deli turkey
2 oz. thinly sliced cooked deli ham

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel; crumble.
2. Unroll dough. Sprinkle cheese over dough. Top with turkey, ham and bacon. Starting with long side, roll up dough; press edges to seal. Make 3 to 4 slits in top of loaf. Place on sprayed cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 23 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into 1-inch diagonal slices.

What a girl wants...

2010-09-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

SHE GETS...RIGHT? Well...at least Ashlyn thinks so. Her daddy has been working so diligently on completing a dream play house for Ashlyn. (Mom, too...I painted the inside!) So...dad gets it all together in the back yard and asks Ashlyn to go take a look. She doesn't say...OH...DADDY I LOVE IT! She says...BUT WHERE IS MY DOOR! She proceeds to get out a piece of paper and draws Jeff "plans" on how to make a door...complete with a door knocker and all framed in "something pretty". Jeff...if it makes any difference...I THINK IT'S PERFECT.

Field Trip - DOWNTOWN

2010-09-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

Colton's class took a field trip downtown. They were doing some prep work for an art project. They spotted shapes, took pictures, and will be drawing them in art class. I took tons of pix for the school year book. It got a little hot...Ashlyn wanted to go home half way through the trip!

Walk A Thon

2010-09-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn was super excited to participate in her schools Walk A Thon. She made it through the whole walk. It was more like a carnival. Lots a vendors, bouncers, DJ, yummy food, etc. It was a super fun night.

I hate bugs...

2010-09-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

Even more now than before. So...I get a note home from Colton's teacher saying he has to do a class project on bugs. Yeah...he has to catch 15+ bugs...mount them on a board and label them by groups. I walked Colton, Weston (a buddy from school), and Ashlyn around the fields TO CATCH BUGS. I screamed LOTS. Weston screamed LOTS. (He hates bugs as much as I do!) Ashlyn thought it was cool...Colton...not so much. Never mind...none of them would actually even try to catch a bug. I had to catch all of them...well almost. Jeff caught a few. Never mind...my eyes hurt and my nose won't stop running. This did nothing for my allergy issues.

Note...the rather larger spiders...Jeff had to catch a few of those!

More Playhouse

2010-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Friday, Ashlyn's class won a party and they choose to have a pj/stuffed animal/movie party. Ashlyn loved it...she decided to keep her pjs on when she got home from school!

Here's another playhouse picture. Jeff is still working on the last side of the playhouse. I should be able to get the last side painted some time this weekend. Ashlyn decide she wanted to draw on the playhouse. So...I told her to do it on the side that hasn't been painted and we'll paint over it later! She is really looking forward to having a playhouse in her back yard.

Strike a pose...

Every little girls dream...

2010-09-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

PLAYHOUSE! Jeff started working on a playhouse for Ashlyn this weekend. He got all four sides done and I got three sides painted. Ashlyn helped paint, too. Hopefully, she has hours of fun inside her new house.

Labor Day Weekend Dinner

2010-09-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

We had Jeff's parents and his sister, Tracy, and her family over for dinner this weekend. Tracy and Dave had not yet been to our new house.

I love seeing Lauren and how much she grows and changes each time we visit. She is such a ball of energy. You just have to treasure those moments considering she had such a rocky start at life.

Lauren couldn't be anymore like Colton...who wants the cupcake when you can eat just the frosting?

New Friends...

2010-09-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Colton has been running (or I should say biking) all around the neighborhood with all the boys. There are so many boys! Ashlyn was getting a little jealous...until she spent some time with Lauren. Lauren lives in the circle across the street. (Her brother Cullen is in Ashlyn's class at school.) The boys were being mean to girls so we invited Lauren to come over and hang out in the back yard. They have been buds ever since. Lauren's family had a movie night in their back yard last night. I think there were at least 20 kids watching the movie. Ashlyn had to sit right next to Lauren. We invited Lauren to go the zoo with us today. The girls had a great time. I'm so happy Ashlyn finally found a little friend to play with in the neighborhood!

$15 Well Spent.

2010-09-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

When we moved from our old house, we sold our trampoline. It was an 8 ft trampoline and the kids were just getting too big for it. PLUS...we didn't want to try to figure out how to store it for a couple months!

I was at Garden Ridge a couple weeks ago and found this gem for $15 on clearance. I love it. It is just the right size for Ashlyn and we don't have to worry about her falling and getting hurt.

One of the best $15 ever spent...

My Fishies

2010-09-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Colton and Ashlyn started swim lesson this weekend. Colton swims during the school year and takes the summer off. Ashlyn...this is just her 2nd try at lessons.

Colton took right to swimming once again. The first session they just worked on strokes to see where each kids were with regards to skill.

Ashlyn...she did great. I'm not sure she'll be able to master swimming skills. She has a hard time figuring out how to hold her breathe in the water. She always ends up swallowing water. She is a little fish...loves the water. I just wish she could learn to be a little more SAFE in the water. BEST PART...she actually left the goggles on...that's a first!

I love this picture of Ashlyn. She was resting on a ledge, but it really looks like she is doing the back float!

For my 22q13 peeps...

2010-09-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn is 7.7 yrs old and was diagnosed this summer with a 22q13.3 deletion...a small deletion at 114kb. I know a lot of you with younger kids wonder if your kids will talk or learn. I hope to give you a little hope with this video. Ashlyn is just starting to read. YES...I said read. She knows all her letters and sounds and she is starting to form words. It is very difficult for her and we work hard every day.

We started with Bob Books. We have been working on Set 1 for Beginning Readers for about 2 months. She reads through at least one book every day. We are going to keep working on Set 1 for another month and then try to move onto Set 2. I am really so proud of her!

Ashlyn started forming words at about 3 years old. Her articulation was poor through Kindergarten. She was probably 80% understandable by the end of Kindergarten. She currently has a receptive language impairment, but she is learning to read...slowly! Her articulation is great now...although she does make some sound errors...she can be understood for the most part. Sometimes her language doesn't make sense, but she is easily understood.

Back to dance!

2010-09-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn started back to dance on Tuesday. She was so excited to be dancing again. She has a couple friends in class this year that were in previous year's classes. She was so excited to see everyone. I was so excited to see her thrilled about going back to dance.

Isn't she so cute?

I've think I've seen it all...

2010-09-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

So...I'm not quite used to seeing so many pests! YES...pests. I say pests because they are unusual and annoying to me. I think the city life has minimized my tolerance for little creatures. Anyway...since we moved into our new house...we've seen 100s of dragonflies, a mink, YUCKY snakes, many gofers, ground hogs, ground squirrels or whatever they are, toads toads and more toads, some geese, a tarantula sized spider, a bazillion butterflies, and now...this little guy. He is trapped in our window well...and I'm not touching him.

Last Day...

2010-08-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to donate for the Phelan McDermid Syndrome Foundation's campaign of $22 for 22Q in 22 days. The foundation is trying to help raise funds to help find out more about kids like Ashlyn who have a 22q13 genetic deletion.

To find out more CLICK HERE! Follow the link to the text in green to donate via paypal or mail a check. Please make sure you mention that your donation is in the HONOR OF ASHLYN SCHAUSS.