Our new addition

Meet our newest addition to the Wilson household! His name is Zander Cage and I guess we'll keep it even though Cade and Gracie can't remember it! Anna thinks it is original and cool, not plain and boring like her name! She says Gracie would pick out a boring name. Just because she named her goldfish Goldie and Sunshine. Those were the final names...it changed so often that she had to make a list and keep it beside the aquarium! I'm not even kidding!!! So Zander it is!






Ever since Gracie found our outside dog dead, she's been talking non-stop about getting another dog. We've never had a house dog but since the outside dogs are getting attacked and killed a house dog it'd have to be. When you take into account that I'm allergic to most all animals plus Asa's sensory issues and my desire to not have to clean up a ton of hair or poop, our choices were going to be limited! I've been doing my research and hit on a couple of breeds that fit our family. They are also pricey!!! This week I took Gracie by a local puppy breeder and let her look around. I was surpised when she went for the 2 yorkies running around. I thought she'd want a fuzz ball like a poodle or Biscon breed. Nope, she was stuck to the yorkies. These 2 were not for sale, one was the owners dog and the other was just bording. In fact there were no yorkie pups at all right now. Oh, and the owner mentioned that her yorkies run $500! HA, not happening here!!! I started searching some rescues because I also decided that the chewing and house breaking of a puppy was not something I really wanted to do!

Still unsure which breed would be good for us I started asking at the pet store when we bought fish. I asked a few vets. And when we picked our cat up from the vet (after his snippy appointment!) I asked them. Turns out one of the tech's mom had a yorkie she needed to get rid of. She had a mother yorkie and had kept a puppy but then started working 2 jobs and out of town so she really didn't have the time and attention for the puppy she'd kept. She only wanted $50 to pay for the vaccines! It was more than that to adopt from the shelters. He has papers too....whatever that means for us since we aren't breeders. So without telling the kids, I went back to the vet today to meet the little guy.

He is a year old, housebroken, quiet, friendly but not jumpy.....and ours! When all the other dogs in their kennels were barking and whimpering, Zander wasn't making a sound. When I held him he snuggled in for a cuddle. His only drawback, I was told, was that he didn't like a collar! He chewed them all off! I bought him a harness and he has been fine. I also bought a kennel since I found ours broken as we got ready to take the cat in.

I picked Anna up from school first and she was so surprised and excited! Asa was next but he was clueless. He noticed but was just his usual screaming, ill self on the way home. We waited for Gracie and Cade to get off the bus to surprise them. Zander was under the car and peeked out at them. By this time Asa had gotten sick and was screaming, the loud bus pulled up and our outside dog was very curious! Poor little guy was a bit overwhelmed! We got him inside and he has made himself right at home!!! I predict he will be spoiled rotten by night fall!





Asa just liked the new kennel! The boy loves boxes and he had a blast with this until he dropped the lid and startled himself!



This is what the final stage of a startle episode looks like for Asa! Passed out and draining! Right after he dropped the lid, Zander came over to see what the screaming was about and Asa was in no mood! He has since made friends and with help even rubbed the dog! I think both would just soon avoid the other. Asa is too loud for the dog and the dog is too soft and fuzzy for Asa.



So tonight I hope we all rest well!! So far everyone seems to get along fine! Let's hope it lasts!!


On a side note, when we told Cade we were taking Toby the cat in to be fixed, he was irrate!! He tried to hide the cat in the clothes dryer, in his room, in my closet and called me a "animal hater"! By the time we left the house he was near tears. No matter how much we told him we were helping Toby, he was just mad! I took him inside the vet so he could see it was a fine place with good people. I'm not sure why it affected him so much unless it was a male bonding thing. When we got Toby home and Barry saw that they actually remove the boy bits he was upset too!! What's with these guys?!

Milestone Celebration!

Asa has been making some great inchstones and milestones lately and I need to be sure they are all down and recognized!

A few weeks back Asa started sitting up in bed by himself. I was so excited to go into his room and see him sitting up in bed! Then he started sitting up and OUT of bed by himself! The first time he was in his room playing. The second time I was getting my camera ready so I could record myself going in there with him out of bed and before I got to him, he came scooting out of his room! Then this morning I slept in and as I got up I heard him in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. He was sitting but was stomping his feet on the floor. Gracie and Cade were upstairs watching TV so I assumed they got him up. When I asked though they said no, they didn't get him. That means that he got up and out of bed, out of his room and to the bottom of the stairs where the only noise was coming from! Smart kid! He just better not be planning any middle of the night roamings!

He has also gotten really good at the wheelchair. And very brave! After church Sunday we were finishing up the nursery and missed him. He was rolling down the hallway and into the foyer! Did you remember it was Easter Sunday and the place was packed!! Apparently the crowds parted for a 3 year old in a wheelchair and he headed outside! I found him happily rolling down the drive thru driveway....backwards! Don't panic there was a trusty adult there to stop him from crashing into the parked cars!! Seriously, he was having a great time! He'd push up the little hill and then let go of the wheels so he'd roll backwards!!!

He also rocked at the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday. While the big kids were busy he used the wheelchair to push a little ping pong ball around on the gym floor! I see wheelchair Olympics in his future! Do they have a wheelchair X-games?!

And his tolerance for crazy, loud, busy environments is amazing to me! The egg hunt was busy and loud and he did great. He spent a lot of time in his chair rolling around with everyone. Then he spotted me and was clingy while I needed to be busy! I ended up putting him in a little chair along the wall and he just sat and watched all the action! The best tolerance was last Thursday at Gracie and Cade's ball games. Gracie played at 5:45 and Cade at 7:30. We have to be there by 5:15 and Cade's game went until 9:30! Asa did amazing!!! He staying in the jogging stroller for a long time. Then he walked with my mom. Then back into the stroller for a while. He scooted along the bottom of the bleachers for a while and was happy to sit and rub the concrete! And he ate! Boy did he eat!!! He had some Cheerios bummed from another little boy, a sucker, some hamburger bun, some of a fry, Pedisure and 3 cups of Gracie's Gatorade!!! I just knew he was gonna be sick but he wasn't at all!

His eating has not been so great lately. He is willing to do the Pedisure but he isn't very adventurous with other oral things. And we've been having to drain a lot too. I need to start tracking this!

Thanks for celebrating with us!!!

Happy Birthday Gracie!!

I've got several blog posts in my head and one is even typed and ready to share but a more important event needs to come today! Today was Gracie's 8th birthday! I got to take birthday cookies to school and hang out while the kids did their Easter Egg hunt. Seeing Gracie in her school environment was really fun.

Gracie is one of the most unique girls that I know. She has always done things her own way. She has no fear of bugs or blood or guts. She doesn't scare away from any of the grossness of Asa at all. She even attempted to change a terribly stinky diaper all on her own....as a matter of fact she did change it by herself, there was just poop smeared everywhere!

She is also a huge tomboy. From an very early age she just kinda fell in line with Cade and assumed the role as his equal! When she was 4 I even caught her trying to stick through the deck rails to tinkle while in her swim trunks. She didn't understand why her pee went down her leg instead of the streaming off the deck onto the plants below! She still loves her swim trunks but now she does wear a swim top at least!

For as tough as she is, she is also terribly tender hearted. She loves animals. All animals! Just a few weeks ago we were leaving our house to ride out a tornado warning in my parent's basement. She broke down because we couldn't carry her fish with us! This whole thing with her dog getting killed is terrible for her too. In case you aren't my FB friend (and why aren't you?!) then you don't know that last weekend Gracie found our dog killed by dogs who are unleashed and have pack like behavior. Apparently the attack happened on Thursday afternoon or Friday and Gracie found him on Saturday afternoon. It wasn't a pretty sight! She has had trouble sleeping and keeps talking about it. She also thought her teacher was gonna get her a puppy for her birthday today! Getting another dog is not an option right now because the other dogs are STILL not being leashed! Anyway, my Gracie is an animal lover!

She is also so funny! She says what's on her mind, even when she'd be better off keeping her opinion to herself! She is so blunt and honest and innocent that I can't help but laugh even though she is telling me how old and fat I'm getting! She told me on Monday that she wanted me to make the same softball cookies I made for her last year. They are scratch cookies so there is mixing, rolling, chilling, cutting, cooking, cooling, frosting, packing, etc. I couldn't get the icing the color I wanted and Gracie just sighed and said "it doesn't really match but it's ok, just do the best you can"! She doesn't understand sarcasm though! Too bad that is like my second language!

And she doesn't lack self confidence! She will readily tell you that she is the best reader in class, the "hottest" girl in the school, the best ball player on her team and just generally the best of all things in the world! And she isn't just blowing hot air. She believes it! She lives it!!! While Cade was playing ball tonight she was playing "wall ball" with a group of boys, some older and some her age. Then they got out on an empty field and she pitched and fielded for them. Then she took her turn hitting! I'm amazed at her ability to hang with a group of boys but not just to hang with them but also have the upper hand! She was the only girl!

I've enjoyed watching her grow this year.....physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. She started off this school year with no desire to read and was not that great of a reader. She has improved so much and even likes to read for fun now! Of course she has grown taller and stronger too.

By far the hugest milestone of her past year was that she gave her life to Christ! She is a Christian and I couldn't be more proud! What a blessing and I can't wait to see her grow and learn and I wonder how God will use her!

It has been a wonder 8 years with my sweet Grace Eden Marie Wilson! I'm so blessed to be able to call her mine while we are here on Earth together! And yes she has 4 names! Would you expect anything else from someone who named thier kid Asa! We selected Gracie because we truly feel like God's grace has given us much more than we can ever deserve or even imagine. And Eden came in when our pastor was teaching about the perfect Garden of Eden. It seemed fitting since baby #3 would be our last and complete our family....or so we planned! Anna insisted that Gracie had to have Marie in her name since Anna does too. So she does!

Happy Birthday my Gracie!