This week has been getting back to our normal routines once again now that our visitors are gone.  There have been a few squawks and murmuring about jobs and normal bed times and our quiet house, and not just from the kids.

This week I met with Taylor's teachers and therapists for his yearly IEP and then with the other kids' teachers for their parent teacher conferences.  Junior high conferences are not my favorite because you have to go sit in line and wait to speak to every one of your kids' teachers.  Luckily I had a good book!  Taylor is coming back to where he was a year ago which is good to see him sort of wake up to life once again but it isn't like he is making progress anywhere.  I learned how to change him standing up instead of lying down, which everyone swore to me will be easier but I haven't bought into it completely yet. Taylor is now up to my eyes as he continues to grow so I better get used to changing him standing quickly.  Spencer is learning not to constantly make comments, ask questions etc but to think before he opens his mouth.  And he seems to be figuring out the homework thing.  This week he got his touch back about which he was literally jumping up and down and clicking his heels for.  Our rule is he looses his touch if any of his classes get below a B.  Allison is as always straight A's everywhere, gets along with everyone and excels everywhere.  I worry sometimes that she will push herself too hard but she likes to challenge herself.  Robyn is just middle of the road, learning how to sound out different words and get more fluent.  It is fun with Robyn that I get to teach her class every week for 30 minutes as I really get to see her world.

Friday night the kids and I went to attend a storytelling event.  Jeremy enjoyed an unheard of night at home to catch up on work and watch a movie.  By himself, in peace and quiet, with nachos.  He was a happy man.  Kids and I enjoyed laughing at the story tellers.  It was one of those nights where its all good but it requires more effort on your part as a parent.  Some events with kids just flow, others have little girls begging loudly, in the front row that she needs to go home now or have a big piece of chocolate out of Mom's stash in her purse, or now that she has had said chocolate she needs to walk back through a huge auditorium to get a drink - repeat several times.  But the next day all three of them retold the stories over and over, so I think the night was a hit.

On Saturday Jeremy and I went and picked up my road bike for my birthday.  I rode it home and learned a few minutes later that road bikes are different than mountain bikes when I hit a bunch of railroad tracks.  So now I have some nice road rash on one leg.  Guess that is what happens when a clutzy nerd tries to get athletic.  But the bike is awesome and I rode it around a bunch enjoying the speed.  of course today the rain and snow hit so I am not sure how much I will get to use it this week but I have big plans for this summer.

Saturday night our new respite worker, Melissa started.  Kids all really like her and she seems to fit in well.  After training her we left for a few hours on our "date".  It really was an awesome date as we went to our old ward's adult valentine dinner.  Jeremy took pictures of all the couples and then we got to hang out with our friends and catch up and laugh.  They did a slide show of everyone's high school pictures.  Earlier that week I had pulled a picture out of me and Jeremy said I should not submit it as I was really homely in that picture, "there has to be a better one".  I assured him that is exactly what I looked like at 15.  So Saturday night I won the award for "Biggest Surprise".  Jeremy was just doubled up with laughter and said I should view it as a big compliment.  I viewed it as a huge tribute to my parents and young women leaders who never made me feel that I looked as nerdy as I did!

I don't feel like the mundane tasks of the week would interest anyone but myself.  Probably I am the only person who was excited to clean out our kitchen cupboards this week from crumbs and debris.  But I love mundane days where you just realize that everything is clicking and working the way it should.

Love, Heather

Our "cookie hamburgers" we made for the Superbowl.  Peanut butter cookies sprinkled on top with sesame seeds and brownies and red frosting in between.