Recovering Noah

Well, it's Memorial Day and I'm sitting here by the pool while the kids are splashing around. That probably sounds really nice and relaxing, but the truth is that the pool is a little $15 thing we bought at Walmart and I'm sitting in a garage sale lawn chair and sweating like a pig who's just realized it's about to get stuck on a spit and roasted. Ewwwww .... that's not a very good visual, is it? Anyway, Nandi and Noah are out playing in the pool while Eli - who is currently shunning anything that involves being outside in 98 degree temperature (no doubt about it, he's my son) - is inside driving Sim crazy. And I'm sitting here watching three ducks giving my kids the stink eye because they think that anything involving water is their territory. It kind of amuses me that there's a huge ' ol lake right across the street and I end up having to shoo ducks away from our plastic swimming pool every evening. Well, the purpose of this post is to play...

Please pray for the staff and children at Sarah's Covenant Homes in Ongole, India. They were hit by a cyclone and there's a lot of devastation. You can read more about it online or you can read Nikki's personal account HERE on her blog. Please also remember Genie and Linda who are two volunteers from our church that our volunteering at SCH. Linda is a nurse who went to SCH to train the staff in emergency medical procedures, and Genie is a wonderful lady, who at 64, said she finally discovered her passion in life... helping the orphaned and special needs children of India. As far as I know, power is out across Ongole and it's impossible to reach SCH. Nikki mentioned on Facebook (just before her computer battery went out) that they were unable to make it to the children's home today and will have to try again after the floods subside. Many people are left homeless now. No word on how the boys at Angel Home are doing. It's half a mile from the coast. Please remem...

I love parodies. They crack me up. And, apparently, I'm one of the only people who hasn't seen the Bible video below called "Baby Got Book". It's a different take on the "Baby Got Back" song... which, I admit, I still turn up full blast when it comes on the radio. When Noah was little, I made up a parody called "Baby Got Flax" and it was all about fruits and veggies and wholefoods. But, uh, no... my rapping skills are pretty scary so there is definitely no video coming your way. So enjoy this one below. It's cute.

That's right! Anoop's debut album hits iTunes today! Whoo hoo! Party at Noah's house! If you've just found this blog then you may not know that our little boy, Noah, has autism and is nonverbal. And kids with autism - as a general rule - aren't that interested in a lot of things. Noah, especially, likes to spend most of his days sitting on his bed spinning the wheels to toy cars or outside swinging on a swing. He may watch Elmo videos, but he doesn't watch TV or anything outside of Sesame Street. He likes music, but only music that he listened to as a baby... like The Wiggles "Yummy Yummy" and They Might Be Giants. So, imagine our surprise last year when the American Idol season started and Noah ran to the TV all excited when a contestant named Anoop Desai appeared on screen and started to sing. I mean Noah went nuts. He was glued to the T.V. and would hop up and down and clap his hands and get all excited. When Anoop would sing a ballad, Noah would ca...

Okay, I would be really remiss if I didn't mention this super-duper Mother's Day fundraiser going on over at Sarah's Covenant Homes. Wait! Don't click off. Don't let your eyes glaze over. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm talking about India. Again. For the gazillionth time. But ya'll, it's my passion. Plus, my kids totally helped out with this one.... and surely some of you have some compassion and admiration for me doing crafts that involve tiny glue dots and rhinestones with a child who has RAD. I mean, seriously, do ya'll know how many rhinestones and sequins and glitter stickers accidentally got knocked off the table, stepped on, and ground into the floor during the making? Enough that surely you'll want to whip out $10 and say " God bless this woman's soul! I wouldn't even attempt that with my own child . " Oh. Wait. You mean the "take pity on me" route's not working? You're not moved yet? Hmmm... different tactic. ...