Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who has been helping me keep my chin up lately.  Even my BFF from France was kind enough to remind me that I need to take a break sometimes.  Thank goodness I have a 13 year old, responsible, young man in my home who will watch the kids when I am loosing my mind or just need a date with my hubby.  Spencer is such a blessing to us.

I think what my frustration boils down to is:  I'm putting a lot of effort into many things I do, but not seeing tons of reward.  I know....I shouldn't be focusing on the results.  I just can't help but wonder what I could accomplish if my day wasn't spent picking up silverware, changing diapers, giving medicine, picking up crackers, vacuuming chips off the carpet....and all of the other things that come along with raising a child with special needs.  Honestly, I'm not spending the day on the couch feeling sorry for myself, but sometimes the house looks that way. 

But really, I have such wonderful friends and family.  Thank you for taking care of me.  I am blessed.  Very, very blessed.

We're Still Here

Summer is keeping us busy, but we are still here!

Summer is an interesting time at our house.

We spend quite a bit of our time chasing Brayden and his messes.  I honestly dream of the day when he learns to clean up after himself.  Not sure it will ever happen....that may be one skill he just never grasps...but a mom can dream.  Lately, he has decided that his favorite place to hang out is the top of my fridge.  He has always been a boy who loves high places.  Always wanted to be carried around when he was younger.  Loves windows.  Especially at Earl's 4th floor office.  And of course, loves the windows at home.  You would think after his previous accidents, he wouldn't like them so much....but he LOVES them.  So, Earl has installed contraptions that allow us to open the windows and enjoy the fresh air without allowing him to make an exit through the opening.  What a good dad.  These contraptions have been installed for almost 2 years.  This summer, we found out they might not be quite good enough....Brayden has found a way to climb OVER them.  So we are making improvements and changes to make them safer.

I would love to spend my summer working in the yard....painting the rooms of our house that are so neglected....or plain just doing a good deep clean.  But that doesn't happen.  I was honestly amazed to find myself in the playroom the other day with no one following behind me undoing the organization that I was immersed in.  Brayden was home.....napping....and being entertained by his ever patient big brother.  I was able to clean and reorganize that entire black hole.  It felt so wonderful!

It was one special day of cleaning.  Many of our other days are spent retrieving the things Brayden throws from his perch on the fridge.  Thank goodness we didn't put ceramic tile in our kitchen.  It would be so broken and chipped.  I also do quite a bit of vacuuming.  Anyone who stops by our house may not notice, but there really is quite a bit of cleaning going on over here.  Unfortunately it isn't to make the house look lovely and welcoming to visitors.  It is simply to make it livable to those in our home.  I can't even count how many times I have had to get out the vacuum in order to clean up the latest layer of chips or crackers that have been dumped out on the carpet or someone's bed.  Or mopping up the latest spill of a drink that Brayden has thrown.  That's one of his new pleasures in life....throwing a cup with any sort of liquid in it.  He also throws things when he's angry, so it is happening quite often.  

One of these days I really hope to have a semi-relaxing summer.  Brayden just doesn't enjoy being out of school.  Even summer school just doesn't do it for him.  3 hours a day 3 days a week for only 5 weeks.....just not enough.

So, until he finds a way to enjoy summer.....I try to remember that school starts in August.  And I try to take advantage of the time that he spends in school in the fall.  Its hard not to use that time to just relax.  Relaxing is a good thing.  When he is in school, and I am able to just SIT.  That is wonderful.  But I can't get too used to that.  Sooner than I realize, it will be summer again, and I will still have that long list of things to do.

For now, the yard gets neglected....the painting is NOT getting done....the cleanliness level in our home is questionable.....all of the craft projects I have running around in my head will have to stay in my head....but we can only do so much.  It can be an exhausting job taking care of this active little man.  But I love him so much.  He has taught and continues to teach me so many things.

I am so blessed to be his mom.

So, consider this your 'warning'.

The Fronk home is a circus during the summer.

I do my best to recover from it during the school year, but find that the time still doesn't allow for all of the things I want to do.  After recharging myself and making efforts to take back my house from the summer chaos, I find no time for the big projects I would love to do.  Maybe one of these days?  Brayden will most likely always be living with us, so I can't even say I'll get them done when he is 18 and moves out....so I'm brainstorming ways to get them done now.  And doing my best to remember how blessed we really are.....

And looking forward to fall!

Our Summer Sister

Krista is here!!!

And our family is SOOOOO excited!!

Krista is our niece who is spending the summer with us.

The girls are calling her their 'summer sister' because she is such a loved member of our family!

I am really looking forward to spending this time with her.

She is great at loving the girls, taking care of little things and especially making our days enjoyable.

Tonight we went on a walk along the bank of the canal.

These are some of the lovely flowers we found and just had to bring home with us.

May Snowstorm

Can you believe these pictures were taken on May 24th?

It was a crazy, slushy snowstorm.  

The snow was so heavy that it broke branches off of many trees in the neighborhood.

Chloe didn't mind.  She just wanted to play in the snow!

Andraia's Birthday Party

Andraia had a very fun 7th birthday party.

Some of her cute friends from school came over to celebrate.

We decorated cupcakes, played games, planted flowers and had lots of good laughs!

She's an amazing little girl.

And we had a great time!!!

Oh My Goodness!

Our Chloe

I always tell Earl that she is the comic relief of our family.

Recent conversation.....

Chloe:   Mom, the cat is in my way!!

Mom:  Give her a chance to move before you freak out.

ONE SECOND PAUSE

Chloe:  MOM!!!  I'm freaking out!!!

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Yesterday I gave her a bowl of Cocoa Puffs for breakfast then made my way around the house trying to get everyone else ready for our busy Saturday.

A bit of time later, Little Miss Chloe turned up in the bathroom where I was getting Brayden in the tub.

I asked her if she would like a bath.

She said, "No, Mommy, I just did my hair."

Looking at her hair, I notice that there are some wet spots.  Maybe like she had wet hands and tried to scrunch up the curls in her hair like mommy does.

I say, "Did you use some water to do your hair?"

Chloe: "No, I just did it."

Of course, now I'm curious......

attempting to figure out what she has in her hair I lean over to get a closer look........

and notice..............

her hair smells like Cocoa Puffs!

Apparently she decided the milk from her cereal was a GREAT product to put in her hair!

So...Chloe had no choice...

it was time for a bath!!!

Quote

"God doesn't give children with special needs
to strong people; He gives children with special needs to ordinary,
weak people and then gives them strength. Raising a child with
special needs doesn't take a special family, it makes a special
family." ~unknown author