I am a Happy Girl!

I have been going crazy for the last 6 days (I know - long time huh?) because our apartment is a total disaster.  The day we got here we arrived at 5:15 am with 5 people (three of them sleeping...) 15 suitcases, a travel cooler, a stroller and a car seat.  It was pouring rain and luckily our shuttle driver was nice enough to load our bags and also stop at McDonalds for the adults (kids still asleep) because we were starving.

We got to our place and the key was supposed to be under the mat and there was no mat and no key.  The garage code we were given didn't work and we couldn't break in (not that we tried or anything...)  I was discouraged because I thought this was going to be the first thing that did not work perfectly since up to this point everything else had.  I decided to call the emergency maintenance line because I figured that the shuttle driver was not going to just chill with us in his van for 2 more hours until the office opened and I was worried we would be stranded out in the rain.  Luckily the gentleman was nice and called back right away and informed me that the key was under the mat of the OFFICE.  Great!  Once again everything was perfectly in line :)

So, we got into our place  (which was not supposed to be ready until the 18th but somehow "magically" was able to get ready by the 15th so we didn't have to live in a hotel for 3 days with no way to cook food for the kids and have no way of getting to our apartment with all that luggage.  However, I guess in the rush they had to clean the carpets very last and they were still soaking wet when we got here.  We were all exhausted so we just laid all of our blankets and sheets on the floor and went to sleep for about 3 hours.  By the time we got up we had an hour for me and Wyatt to get to Brain Balance for his first assessment.  It was still raining and I had absolutely NO IDEA how to get to brain balance on a golf cart.  If I could have taken the roads, then I have GPS that would lead me right there, but I have no car.  So - I called Brain Balance to see if they could tell me how to get there and they just insisted that they come and pick us up!  How nice!  We got ready just in time and they gave us a ride to and from Brain Balance that first day.

Ever since then, we have been running here and there and going absolutely nuts.  We have been living out of suitcases which is no fun at all.  It is even less fun because all of the suitcases were mixed together so my shoes were with some kitchen stuff as well as Hazel's socks and Brody's shirts - you get the picture.  So every time we needed to find something we had to run to 4 different rooms and look through 10 different suitcases and it was terrible!  We also had NO food for three days and finally got t the store, you get the picture.

So - FINALLY today we got to organize!  It was so much fun!  We got our closet, the kid's closet and the bathrooms done.  I am so happy and feel SO much better.  I just can't stand living in total chaos while living in total chaos - if you know what I mean :)  I will post some pictures below so you can see our place.   I feel like we are really ready (okay, I have a list of 20 other things to do first thing tomorrow morning...) to start our official first week at Brain Balance!

Quick updates tonight - here you go:

Brody:

• Good the first half of the day and hyper and crazy the second half.  Not sure why?
• Helped me organize his room and closet.
• Was a good boy at church and made new friends already!
• Funny story:  I walked into the kitchen and Brody was right behind me.  I said "Why is the fridge wide open?" and Brody said "You don't see that everyday"  Seriously so funny.

Wyatt:

• We had to wake him up to go to church but he was a good sport and ate his breakfast during sacrament meeting.
• While sitting in the lobby (yes, we were late because it took 45 minutes to get there on our golf cart and the map told us wrong...) Out of nowhere he said "Hot Dog"  It was so funny.  He also said it yesterday and we have no idea why or where he learned it.  
• While sitting in church, he pulled up his sweater and grabbed the tag as if it was bothering him.  This is GREAT because a lot of these kids, Wyatt included, don't notice tags, or twisted clothes, or if there face is messy because they are "numb" and can't feel their bodies well.  The fact that he felt the tag and kept playing with it says that he can FEEL it!
• He also was looking in the mirror at his mouth again and doing other various things that show me that he is more aware of his body.
• Another great thing!  Luckily we grabbed blankets to snuggle in for the ride to church because it was cold!  It really felt nice outside, but when you have no windows or doors in your "car" and travel at the high speeds that we do, it gets chilly.  Anyways, as we were driving, Wyatt kept pulling the blanket back up onto him if it fell off or slid down.  He did it multiple times as if he was cold!  Sounds normal right?  Yes, - that IS normal!  However, it is NOT normal for Wyatt.  Back at home, when he goes outside to play in the backyard, he seems completely un-phased by the fact that it is 30 degrees or 110 degrees.  He will go out in the freezing cold with no shoes and sometimes takes his shirt off!  It is part of his sensory problems that he doesn't really sense hot and cold.  But today he did!! Yahoo!
• The last great thing was what happened when I put him to bed which you can read about in the post just before this.  

Hazel:

• So so so tired today.  I guess because she was up most of the night last night.  For those that don't see my facebook posts, I set my alarm for 3:30 am to collect urine samples from the boys and found Hazel and Brody playing Star Wars in their closet...  Not sure how long they were up before that, but I know that at 5:00 am when they ran in to tell me there was a spider in their room that they hadn't been back to sleep yet.  The tiredness made my newly extra whiny Haze even whinier.  
• She did good at church and the teacher said she was talkative and cute.  
• She helped me organize her closet. 
• She did some brain balance exercises with Brody and had fun. 
• She wanted me to sing her to sleep so 15 songs later, she was out.  

The week ahead still stresses me out because of the amount of work that still needs to be done to get settled.  The scariest is the blood work that has to be done on Tuesday.  Not only do I not have a car to get to the lab, but NO ONE has been able to draw blood from the boys at all in the last 4 years besides our Dr. in Salt Lake City and our friend back at home that makes house calls :)  The kids are so scared and anxious and they scream and move the whole time and most people just end up not tearing the vein and not being able to get the blood.  This scares me because I HATE watching them go through this especially when there is a chance that it will be unsuccessful.  :(  If you have any room in your prayers this week, this is where we need them :)

I can't believe I am going to bed so late again.  I just get so much more done when everyone else in the house is sleeping - especially Paige - she is a trouble maker. :)  Okay, okay, she is great and stayed up late helping me organize.  Thanks Paige!

Night night.  Enjoy the photos.

Kid's Closet - Hazel's Dresses and "nice" clothes on top shelf

Pajamas and Toys - Yep, that is all we have got. (Toys I mean...)

This is my favorite!  This is the kid's closet.  We could not afford, nor did we want dressers but we had to have somewhere to put their clothes.  I looked around and thought a lot about what could be cheap and functional for a 6 month period and I found these!  Stacking baskets with open fronts at WalMart for $3.50 each!  I was so excited!  They work great and  I spent only $20 for all!

Master Bathroom.  You can't what it looked like before, but imagine the fact that you couldn't see the counter or sinks at all....

Master Closet.  I LOVE this!  I can actually find my clothes and shoes (except one green flip flop, but it has to turn up somewhere)

On our way home from church.  We were cold and windblown, but loved the view of the Lake and trees behind us.  We are on a bridge that goes over the lake!

Wyatt LOVES the swings.  In fact, they all do.  We try to make it to our community park once a day. 

Brody and Hazel were playing "Troll" with Paige.  I am pretty sure Paige is the troll :)  I guess they were in jail?   Brody looks scary and Hazel looks so sad!  The game was actually fun, but the faces were added for dramatic effect.

Can't believe I got such a good picture of the three of them!  I guess that is what happens when they are all strapped in seat belts!  They LOVE riding in the cart everywhere and Wyatt has never ONCE tried to escape or get out of his seat belt like he does in a car so it is great!

Golf Cart Crossing :)