The Anchorage Experience

Well this is Steve. Not something I usually do here is post. After the holidays were over and the snow had melted we headed off to Anchorage. Nicole flew up early in the morning as I had to work that day. Then later on Elliott and I had a later flight that evening. We had a little surprise when Elliott and I touched down. Found Nikki down at the baggage claim area waiting in the car. Low and behold it was a balmy -15 degrees out. Yes below zero and no wind chill involved in that temp. When the wind does pick up it drops quickly to -30 to -45 very quickly. If you have never been in that sort of cold it almost feels as if you nose and throat is burning. Instantly freezing any moisture in the air. It makes our little storm we had back home seem insignificant. Well getting around home is a pain compared to around here. Despite the 3 feet of snow that Anchorage has had the roads for the most part are clear with patches of snow and ice. For the most part we spend all days indoors as you can not stay outside to long. First day I was here I think I had cabin fever or maybe it was all the family was here in the house. Between our family of 4 kids there was the 4 other nephews and our 1 niece. Yes 8 kids and 5 of them under the age of 6. Yikes. Packed house. But we have definitely made the best of it between watching movies, playing games and rotating through the computer games to get every ones fix on there poison of choice. Woke up Saturday morning to a none functioning laptop. WTF. Not happy about that. Spent the better part of the day reinstalling all the software, antivirus and updates. So far I have spent approx. 4 hrs getting it back to normal. I miss my Mac back home. Well we are off to Grandma Susie's for some dinner. We are bring a Lasagna that Nicole and Crystal whipped up. Those two sure can cook. We definitely don't starve that's for sure. Well this is really my first post so bare with me as it may seem a bit sporadic at times!!

My Doobies

So, I love nicknames as much as I love hmm... Chocolate. Which, is to say life is like a box of chocolates - eat em' while you have them. Lame, I know. Whatever. Well, if you didn't have a nick name growing up - you suck. Ok, I am only kidding, slightly. Our newest arrival Erik, more commenly known around the house as Doobies, is going to be 6 months old on the 8th. WOW, how time has flown. He has been sleeping through the night since about 6 weeks old. Ok, I know I am gloating, but when you think your child is never going to sleep through the night after spending the first three weeks of life sleeping on your chest (I jokingly called it the fourth trimester), because that is the only place he will sleep - I think I have earned it. He loves to put himself to sleep to, he doesn't like to be rocked, doesn't like a pacifier (He took it for all of maybe two months - then saw we were pulling the wool over his eyes and dropped it like a hot potato. What can I say, thats two for two - both kids gave up their pacifiers really early - Elliott gave his up at about 7 1/2 months.) His night time routine generally consists of a final nursing between 7 and 7:30pm and then laying him down in his crib with his two snugglies - a horse and a monkey, one final kiss good night and I am out the door. WOHOO! Then he is out until at least 6 or 7am, nurses when he gets up falls asleep in another milk induced coma and is out until at least 9 or 9:30am. I am so lucky in that area.



Erik's personality is so complex. He is multi-faceted. He loves to tell you how he is doing, or more importantly what you need to be doing. He is a very determined child. He loves to growl - or do this low humming - nahhhhhh, when he wants you to stand up with him or even give him a kiss. He loves to be cuddled and kissed - he will kiss you right back until the cows come home. One of my favorite things he does is shake his head No-No. It's even funnier when you have both Elliott and Erik doing it to one another in the car seats. Those two are so silly when they are together - Elliott will call him Doobies and say it's ok baby, it's ok baby. They have the best time with one another and I swear Erik is trying to play catch up with his big brother. They have laughing contests in the back of the car - one will start laughing and the other will start laughing, one will stop and the other will start back up again. Car trips are very entertaining. Erik is already up on his hands and knees, he has started crawling backwards and has moved fowards doing the army crawl deal Elliott used to do. Most of the time if he wants to get going some where quicker he will just roll, he has roll mastered. It is scary how fast he moves. He is even more determined if there is something in his line of sight he wants. I can't believe my little baby is going to be six months tomorrow.

Oh, and sorry for not knowing what doobies are - apparently I wansn't some crazed flower child from the 70's... so maybe his new nick name will be Moose and Bubba (Elliott). Then it doesn't sound like some stoner convention.

So much to talk about!

Haven't posted in ages - our apologies! We have been really busy this summer - too fun! Some fun tidbits of Honeycutt family info for you. Elliott and Erik have been baptized! May God grant them many, many years! We had our family down here for the blessed event - I haven't seen my soon to be sister in-law and nephews in almost two years, before this last trip down here. We had a very busy jam packed week with my Mom and family. Went sight seeing - visited the Space Needle, The Zoo and Science Center! Oh what fun, the kids loved every bit of it! We took a five day trip to the cabin for the 4th of July. Elliott's speech has progressed so much quicker than we were expecting, so much so we are flying solo without his speech therapist. Erik has grown by leaps and bounds - shaking his head No, No and crawling! What the heck a roonie? Does he know he is only 5 1/2 months old? It has to be all the excitement in the house with the older kids. OOO, on another fabulous note Elliott is about fully potty trained. Double WOOT! Steve has a new GRILL! It's a monster - THANK YOU MOM and DAD! We have been taking little weekend trips and enjoying as much of our wonderful state as we can. We have to be so much more cost conscious about where our funds go - it's so much fun to play closer to home! We really appreciate the number of State Parks we live by - Camano, Cama, Twin Lakes and Mt Baker. 

The fish slayers - Steve holding his catch & release 9in Rainbow Trout (photo by Rolo)

Thanks, no I really mean it, THANK YOU!

So, my babes has been my sanity saver since I have gone on a semi-notgoingtoobsessivelycleanmyhouse-mode. This weekend he dragged me out of the house, after I proclaimed I was going to stay home and clean every nook and cranny upstairs. Yes, I opted out of fishing with the clan. He looked at me and told me I was crazy and that I was going fishing. Umm, yeah, only THE BEST DAY EVER! 

Thanks babes, you made our Saturday so much fun, even folding clothes for 2 1/2 hours with you afterwards was amazing - and all the little tidbits of humor thrown in. I loved every bit it of it. Thanks for saving my sanity and better yet, making our home feel so warm and fuzzy. Love you my Scoobs!

A new BABY!

Thats right, you heard me loud and clear! A NEW BABY! Elliott has one that is... suckers. Hook, line and sinker. Elliott's new baby, drum roll, is tickle me Elmo. For the last two or three days, Elliott has been packing around his baby. Making sure his poopy pants are changed using Erik's diapers (yeppers! with some great imagination Elmo does the #2). Elliott is also quite concerned with his baby's food intake - he nurses. Thats right all you boys out there he nurses his Elmo. Steve says he is scarred. Whatever. He also puts his Elmo down for naps, and says Shhhh.. Baby go night, night. Last night I thought I would share Elmo with Erik. BIG mistake, the little tyke was enjoying his bubble bath up until that very moment. He heard his baby and immediately wanted out of the bath to care for him, he also wanted Elmo to take a bath. We (being the parents) won at keeping his baby out and up on the counter top. Cheers to Elliott for having such a wonderful imagination and also showing us gender equality - boys can nurse too. (it is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time, Elmo nursing) haha.

Summer? Simmer? What?

I am OFFICIALLY wondering where is SUMMER and wondering if we have in fact OFFICIALLY entered our second winter... You with me on this? It is a balmy 55* outside and I am craving the sun. My body wants blissful melatonin and sunny vitamin D. I want to dance and go on endless summer drives, be bopping down the road listening to a absolutely perfect compilation of summer tunes. Yeah, I can do that now, but most would agree it is not complete without some rays of sun... Completely befuddled, ying and yang are tossed together like a giant piles of playdoh, colors mis-mashing. It is not time to cook casseroles or stew and soups, rather uber snazzy BBQ's and DELISH salads. Yeah, I want it all, I have no shame in admitting it. Mother Nature, a little love and some sun... Pretty Please? 

Self inflicted Clutter!

Ok, CLUTTER! CLUTTER! CLUTTER! With kids there comes and endless array of clutter - self inflicted clutter - the toys, books and clothes you purchase for the kiddos. Which in turn the clothes become the never ending pile of laundry. Which in turn the toys become the never ending piles of cars, trains, frogs, animals and what nots floating around the house, that ever so gently stroke a raw nerve ending. Self inflicted is what I say - I brought this into the house I can surely keep up with it and take it out right? HAHA! 

Elliott, Erik and I have spent most of the morning in their rooms cleaning and organizing and in between all the cleaning and organizing - doing four loads of laundry, which the older kids will be folding as a chore tonight... there will probably be another four loads of laundry between now and then too - which will amount to this massive pile of clean clothes, which I will hope will magically find its way to each owners respective dressers, hangers, closets and drawers. Can I pray to a saint for this to happen? 

Now the toys bit, I love to play just as much as the next adult... oops I mean kid - so when it comes time to one in one out - I have a hard time with it. The whole idea of bring home a new toy and removing or donating one that has seen it's turn around the block a time or two is somewhat challenging for me. Am I a closet pack rat? I hope not. I love the feeling of purging, but can never seem be happy with empty space, and what not better to do with empty space but FILL IT! Once again, self infliction at it's best. The endless array of every rotating clutter. Mr Potato Head, I have seen you come around a time or two - but as Indian Jones? That is quite possibly the best one yet! It's on the to buy list... What toy will leave the house for his arrival? Probably notta - Erik still hasn't played with half the toys here! Self infliction...

Playskool Indiana Jones Mr Potato Head!

Intervention of Sorts!

Ok, so I officially feel as if I received a wake up call from God. How? Well, we went through about two weeks of worry, after Elliott's speech therapist told us there were several red flag or warning signs of Autism/PDD. I scoured the Internet for more information. There is a wealth of great information out there and there is so much more misinformation which can lead you around in circles. It can almost make it nearly impossible to create a game plan for your child. I have to say it was a frustrating and time consuming process trying to find more information or resources about Autism.

Well, I got myself so wound up I wouldn't sleep at night. I would lay awake with worry and then go into Elliott's room and stare at him, then leave and start praying. I was driving everyone around me nuts, wondering what was in store for Elliott. I had so many questions without answers - how can we be the best possible parents to our little boy? How could we be better advocates for our child? 

Well, we made two appointments with different doctors and they both came to the same conclusion - NO, your child does not have Autism or PDD, but rather he has some interesting fixations - which we will watch; and is a highly spirited child with a very strong will. Alright, what does that translate into - imagine you are Michael Jordan, heck you can play ball like nobody else, you will do what ever it takes to take that ball to the hoop, to score every single chance you get, to make every shot count and do it just for the fun of it. That is Elliott, everything he does, he does with PURPOSE, there is nothing that will deter him from his goals, whatever they may be at point in time. 

Here is what we have done. House being UBER clean is no longer a goal (which I have to say, is single handedly the hardest thing to do - learning to LET GO). Our goal is to make our home a playground of sorts - to encourage his wild imagination, his cognitive thinking, not worry about what playdoh or finger paints will be adhered to, but rather - letting Elliott run with it. All the while encouraging our little boy to be a little boy. 

The scariest part of it all is trying to keep him safe - providing a safe environment for him to do so. Which I have to say, they do not write books about safety for spirited, strong willed children. All the little safety pamphlets do not have a strong willed, highly spirited child in mind. So, as we SUPER childproof our home and offer our child out to all the would be parents or parents thinking about procreating, Elliott is a master at taking anything apart and at showing you what needs to change in your house before the big or impending arrival arrives.

Oh yeah, my wake up call, my house being clean isn't as important as Elliott... big DUH right? It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day activities of cleaning, running errands and making dinner, and cleaning all over again day in and out, you almost forget how to have fun and just be. A little OCDish is what I would have called my fervent cleaning habits.

Worry doesn't encompass the way I feel...

Our little Elliott has been a little slow when it comes to speaking. So, about 8 weeks ago, we went and had a speech evaluation done. At the time of the evaluation Elliott had a vocabulary of about 25 words. Which, is on the middle of the low end of the spectrum for a child his age. We scheduled more speech therapy appointments, his first appointment was this past Tuesday. 

Well, in talking with his therapist, we began to recognize there are several other areas which need to be addressed. He will also need to see an Occupational Therapist. Elliott has his routines, which if you haven't spent more than 24 hours with him, you might not notice at all, you would think he just has this little quirks, no big deal, a few meltdowns no big deal, he is two. To better describe some of his quirks here are some of them:

Elliott loves to have his snacks lined up in perfect little rows. His trains, frogs, animals all have to be in perfect rows. If any of his rows get knocked over he will throw what ever he was lining up all over the room he is in. His blanket must be perfectly flat, not a ripple, upturned corner or crinkle can be in the blanket. He can spend up to 45 minutes just rearranging his blanket. We have to cross over the train tracks after we drop Malia off to school and when we pick her up from school. If, I don't cross the train tracks he will scream and cry the whole way home. We have to cross the tracks no matter what. Whenever we head down to Mom and Dad's we have to take the same route, or he will scream, kick and cry until he is in an area he recognizes, only then will he be ok. 

Elliott clings to Spongebob like a child would cling to a blanket, bear, pacifier. He also will repeat our names - Mama, Dada, Rolo, Baby and Grandma go bye bye, not wanting us to respond, but just doing it to do it. Tonight's repetition was "A, E, I, O, U". I listened to him say this to Steve about 18 times before he moved on to something else. Bedtime can take up to two hours or more. Then there is the most upsetting of all behaviors, he will hit himself when confused or extremely upset. Now watching your child do this to himself will reduce you to tears, and believe you me, you will do anything to get him to stop. 

You want the best in life for your children, I breast fed because breast is supposed to be best. He has never been hospitalized, he is the picture of health in his doctors eyes. You do all the things you think will help - eating organic, making sure he is fed to the nth degree, read every book under the moon 50 plus times in a day just to see a smile. It was only at his two year appointment when red flags started to fly. We thought and so did our family think that Elliott was just working on different things, his unbelievable motor skills - the kid can take apart and put together anything in front of him. He has the most unbelievable smile and awestruck look in his eye when he has figured out something mechanical. We figured his speech will come along with everything else, and you know it has, he has over 75+ words that I am very proud of and he spoke his first sentence this weekend. "Ow! She hit my head". I practically broke down and cried at Costco and cheered him on, like a cheerleader at a football game. I cherish each and every word, vowel and consonant like a piano player cherishes their keys, notes and chords. I love hearing him say Fish and Frog and do not tire of it. 

We thought all was ok, he is doing so well, his vocabulary has expanded from 25-75 words in 8 weeks... But something is still amiss. It took a professionals eyes looking in and for them to tell us there is something else we have to consider, Autism or PDD. Today I hope and pray they are all wrong. As my dad and Steve keep telling me take it a day at time. This to shall pass. I love my little boy more than anyone can possibly realize.

 

Our dream date!

WOOT! Well, if you haven't see Alan Jackson in concert - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
He is seriously one of the most humble, down to earth and relaxed performers I have ever seen live. We enjoyed his show so much. From the opening song to the end, you are throw into what makes him tick. Without a doubt it is his family! Every song he played references childhood memories, his daughters, his wife, his parents and his hometown. You are throughly immersed in what makes Alan Jackson who he is, through the whole concert you get video feed of home videos and pictures of his family. What an emotional experience, unless you are emotionally inept then it doesn't really matter... lol. 
Miranda Lambert opened for AJ. I have to say, she is one eccentric chick. She has the most marvelous pink electric guitar... and she THREW it at one of her stage hands! To see a fabulous pink guitar flying through the air, CRAZY. In almost all of her songs she is blowing something up or talking about shooting someone with her guns. There is a song calleed the crazy ex girlfriend, and for some stinking reason or another, I do believe she is referencing herself. After seeing her perform live, you want to stand up on a chair and whoop " HELL YA! Go get'em girl!". Well, maybe not Steve, but by the end she had my blood flowing. 

We can't begin to THANK Jefe and Sally enough, for watching the kiddos. I know they had a fabulous time. Malia and Rolando can't wait to do it again for sure! Kuddo's to Sally for getting Elliott down, he is one feisty little guy and bedtime is single handedly the hardest thing to do with little man. Sooo, I pumped 8oz for little Erik, thinking if I feed him before I go he will be ok... DOH, the little stinker drank the 8oz of donated milk in a swath of greediness never witnessed before in a matter of 30 minutes. What's a girl to do? Have a cow ready and willing? Nah, I will just make sure I have about 24oz in donated milk. This was our first time away from him in the evening, and least I forget - I whip out his milk about 3 times between 6:30 and 8pm every night... He stock piles the milk before he sleeps. Which I do say has it's benefits - Steve and I sleep through the night and have been since he was about six weeks old. 

Jefe and Sally - Thanks for making our night out very special! 

Mom and Dad - Thank you again, for our tickets!!! 

Nick and Kristen - We will so take a rain check :P

Love you guys!