Elmer the Elf returns for Christmas

The latest pictures from our customary breakfast welcoming our Elf, Elmer.   

You know the holiday season is just around the corner if this guy is lounging around. 

 

Gracie and her Girl Scout Troop

Gracie is still continuing her Girl Scout Journey and we love all of the wonderful things that she is learning.  The Girl Scouts have been such a great social outlet for her.  She was presented with two patches at last months award ceremony and they will join the many more patches that have not been sewed on her vest.  What can I say, patch sewing is a back burner kind of task.  Ha! 

               

Thankful for the military and the friends that we make!

This is our third year being stationed with the Clarke family and I'm thankful that we got to spend Thanksgiving with them.  Moving to a new town can be tough, but knowing that you have close friends nearby really makes this military life so much sweeter.  We've been having so much fun reconnecting and our kids pretty much carry on like no time has passed.  We have no idea if there will be a fourth station together, but we are making sure to enjoy what little time that we have left here.  Our hearts are full and we are thankful for sweet friends! 

Happy Halloween

Halloween isn't Halloween without our BOO Breakfast! 

Temporary teachers, everlasting triumphs.

I was annoyed.  I wasn’t mad yet, I was just annoyed.  I stood at the window waiting for the new therapist to show up.  She was twenty minutes late.  Lexie, only three months old at the time, wasn’t going to be awake much longer.  This was prime therapy time and we had no therapist.  I remember calling her and leaving a short and cold message.  Little did my naïve, inexperienced self, understand at the time that ECI therapists are driving from one house to another helping more families than what’s humanly possible.  They’re understaffed and underpaid.  I will spare you the political rant, but I’m shocked how little I knew of Early Intervention programs.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Anyway, back to this visit.  I was nervous and very skeptical.  How can they teach me to teach her?  Why even bother? Her doctors are pretty convinced that she is a lost cause.   The therapist finally showed up, apologized more than what was needed and jumped right in.  She kindly explained that it was going to be a lot of work for her and us, but we would start out small and work our way up.  It sounded daunting and I fully admit that there was no way I saw Lexie reaching the goals that we set for her.  Goals that any three month old should’ve been effortlessly doing by now.  I had no idea how much therapy would become a consistent part of our lives.  Between the weekly visits and the constant struggle to make therapy a daily chore, not to mention the constant medical appointments on top of those tasks, it didn’t sound fair for a family that was still in shock and trying to put themselves back together. 

Fast forward 5 years and 10 months of our family being enrolled in ECI. 

Eli has officially aged out of ECI and is now attending school where he will continue to receive therapy.  Watching the last therapist walk out of my door for the last time hit me like a bulldozer.  I actually felt hurt and somewhat abandoned.  I was shocked that I felt that way and I remember tearing up.  Even though we just moved to Alabama, Eli had only seen this therapist twice before he was released from ECI.  It wasn’t necessarily her as, a person, that I would miss, but it was what she represented and all of the therapists that came before her.  I was never prepared to fall in love with these people.  How much I would rely on their experience and expertise.  How much I would enjoy their overwhelming love and acceptance for my children.  They became my weekly counselors and my support team.  They made me laugh and cry more times than I can count.  They let me into their lives as well.  I know their hopes and their personal struggles.   They felt comfortable around me and I felt the same around them.   They accepted my family.  They essentially became my family.  I’m not sure they fully understand the profound presence they left.  I think they view it as only the profession they chose, but I view it as that and so much more.  They made our lives richer and the crazy thing is we have a horrible brain condition and developmental delays to thank for that.  Yes, it felt weird typing that, but it’s the truth.

Dear you know who, 

It takes a special person to be a teacher.  Although therapist don’t teach in traditional classrooms, therapists are teachers who provide our children with the basic building blocks to be successful in life.  In our case, those building blocks are seemingly simple tasks like learning to eat, roll over, crawl and walk.  Like traditional teachers, I don’t think therapists get what’s owed to them.  You invest so much into your kiddos and celebrate every triumph as if they were your own children.  Whether it’s from thinking of new and different ways to accomplish a goal to reading each child’s personality and finding what makes them tick,  you give a lot and aren’t recognized nearly enough.  You know what each child is capable of and it’s often much more than their doctors and even their parents expect for them to ever achieve.   I consider myself lucky that I get to see you, incredible individuals, in action.  I can't even imagine what you see and how you emotionally process it when a child is referred to you due to an unfortunate incident.  If I had my choice, your workload would be cut in half and your salaries doubled.  Unfortunately, despite how opinionated I am (Let’s not try to act like you’ve never noticed), the government has failed to share my point of view.   Until we see eye to eye on this matter, please accept my sincerest gratitude, appreciation and the Ashe Hero Award. 

Yes, it’s just a fictitious award, but it represents so much more. 

Thank you

The Ashe Family

P.S.  Thank you for always supporting my Pinterest addiction and ignoring the random cuss words that sometimes escaped my mouth.  It’s a hard habit to break.  

Fall Time Favorites

Our last baby is now THREE?!

There's nothing I can say that can accurately describe how crazy we are about this little guy! 

Just one little smile and tight hug from him could melt the coldest of hearts.  Eli adores his siblings and when they are around, he just takes it all in.  He shrieks with excitement when it's time to pick them up from school.  Eli is often too busy to cuddle, but when he does want to cuddle it's the best part of my day.  He loves throwing balls around the house and really enjoys it when they make loud noises.  He's still a fanatic about Family Feud and will ignore a crazy house full of noise just to clap for Steve Harvey.  He relies on his walker to get around, but I know as soon as he overcomes the fear of falling, he will be on his way without it.  His favorite song is "If you're happy and you know it".  I try to incorporate new speech sounds in the song seeing how he only knows a few words, but he seems to be catching on.  When the weather is nice, he loves jumping on the trampoline and watching the outside balls bounce.  Just like his brother and sisters, he could live outside and be perfectly content.  These last three years went by too fast for this emotional mommy.

To celebrate Eli's birthday, we went to McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

 It's a fantastic learning environment and we had a great day playing. 

After the busy day of fun, we returned home for cake and presents.  

Egg and Peanut Free cake for the birthday boy, of course!     

Gracie and I spent way too much time being entertained by this crazy eel. 

The birthday boy was very clear what stuffed animal he wanted to leave with. 

I think he loves it!!