Watch Me.

This movie is just over a minute long. Imagine watching this for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. In complete darkness. Think your brain would get rewired too? You bet it would!

This is a sample of the treatment Landon has been doing for the last 3+ weeks. In the clinic the poor kid had to lay on a moving table while watching just this flashing light and listen to music that hit various frequencies.

Anyway, we've been doing this treatment at home for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night for almost two weeks. I will tell you now, it takes A LOT of self disipline. Landon is making progress though. Slowly but surely.

Anyway, sorry for the lack of posts lately, with this treatment, buying a house, and getting Landon going in school, things have been a little hectic around the Nielsen Casa. But stay tuned! We may have some exciting news soon!

***Don't even let it cross your mind. The exciting news WILL NOT be a new baby anytime in the near future!***

The Insults of Weight Loss

Obsession with weight loss. Everyone has it. Heck, I have it too. I won't lie, there are times when I wish that I could return to the days when Jim and I started dating and I was a blissful 120 pounds. Haha...sadly, those days are LONG gone, and I don't EVER expect to return to the glory days of my early 20's.

Recently, however, I have been able to drop a good 15 pounds thank you to better eating and...well who am I kidding, I don't exercise, it's really just better eating and the new discovery of water in the Arizona heat. But now that I have lost some weight, I am starting to feel better. I can't help but feel like maybe, just maybe, if I loose a little more weight I might stand a chance of being one step of my children's determination to cause mischief. Maybe. So, now I'm pumped to loose more weight, and doing so comes with A LOT of nutritional research.

There are a thousand-point-five diets out there, and twice as many exercise DVD programs, gym membership offers, magic diet pills, drops and injections to help you on your quest for healthy living. Along with this helpful (and sometimes completely unbelievable)bundle of information are generally images like this:

While this picture is one of the more tame that I have come across, it is nonetheless an insult and a reminder of the things that I will probably never be able to do. I'm not being pessimistic on this one, just realistic. Let's face it, there are certain things you cannot recover from. I call mine thing 1, thing 2, and thing 3. I know several women who have had children and can perform something like this, I just happen to know that I cannot. Even if I was able to pull off a position like this, I'm utterly afraid I would look disproportionate in one way or another...probably several ways at once, starting at the head.

It just so happens that the author of one of the blogs that I follow regularly feels the same way. So, he decided to make a spoof on these companies. Check out his video! It's hilarious!

This is Dan Pearce on "Single Dad Laughing."To check out his blog, Click Here. He's a pretty funny guy who has a whole new take on life.

As for me, I'm going to continue the healthy eating thing with the occasional warm chocolate chip/toffee cookie. Hey, if I can't keep up with my things, I might as well bribe them to come to me.

Landon's Last Day at the Clinic!

Yesterday was Landon's last day at the clinic, which was a bitter sweet day. The whole ordeal was really hard on all the kids, and fairly exhausting for this momma as well, but it was worth it. We made friends with families just like our own and grew close to the SIRRI staff. It was a place where we felt safe, because there was not one ounce of room for anyone to judge each other. In one way or another, we were all in the same boat.

Landon made leaps and bounds during this program, especially with his vocabulary. He went from mumbling and barely putting two and three words together to using full-on five-word sentences!

We are now in phase two of the program, where we do light therapy at home for 20 minutes, twice a day for 18 days. School starts in just over a week for the kiddo where he will be attending an all-day kindergarten and will likely be working with a speech therapist. It will be so strange to have the little guy gone all day, but he is ready. He is eager to learn and seems to absorb e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!

Here's some pictures of the whole ordeal:

As soon as we got out of the car, it was a race to push the button on the elevator...

...just to push the button again.

Then it was takeoff! All the way up to the second floor! (Hey, doing this everyday, you have to find humor in the small things!)

Of course, as soon as we got out of the elevator, Landon had to go and push the button again. Just. Because. (I almost lost a straggler baby who ran to catch the elevator twice because of this. Hey, I never claimed to be mom of the year.)

Landon made sure he opened his own door. Every. Time. It didn't matter if the other door was held open for him, he had to open his own door. This is something that Kaden caught on to. Hey, at least I could walk through with a wiggly baby in my arms that I just fetched out of the elevator!

Then we made our way down this hallway. It was a longer journey than it looks. Especially with two kiddos needing a nap right about now.

Yes, that is Kaden giving up about half way through and laying down to take a nap right there on the spot.

You thought I was exaggerating, didn't you!

As soon as we got there, Landon would say hi to the fish...

...Kaden would say hi to Mr. Potato Head...

...and Myla would say hi to Nicholas...

Yes, they did seem to have a certain fondness of eachother...but they also picked on each other just as well.

Then Landon would go in for his treatment, and the rest of us would wait...and wait...and wait.

Then we would go for lunch and do the whole thing all over again. It was a long two weeks, but a small price to pay!

Wanted

BREAKING NEWS: Be on the look out for this baby! She is armed and dangerous! She can be sweet and charming. DO NOT BE FOOLED! This face means mischief. The sweeter it is, the worse trouble she is in!

She has already struck one household in Maricopa, AZ.

Statements were taken by one of her victims, the identity of which is confidential to protect the innocent.  

"I woke up this morning to this baby girl greeting me with sweet little kisses. The next thing I know she is in my lap with the T.V. remote in her hands. I mean, who does that? I was watching the news! I know now that it was a distraction.

"Anyway, she looked at me with these big, innocent brown eyes and a partially toothy grin, so I caved and settled in to watch morning cartoons with her.

"Then it became time to get ready for the day. I got her and my two other kids dressed, and prepared a lunch for each of them. While they were eating lunch, I thought I would slip away and take a quick shower. When I came out I was met with this:

"It's the most heinous thing I'd ever seen! I was only able to snap a couple of quick pictures before she took off running!"

So there you have it. The whereabouts of this baby are unknown, though she was last seen in Tempe. We expect that she will return to Maricopa. Please be on the lookout, and call authorities if you see this baby. If you do cross paths, do not engage!

Here are her most recent mugshots:

We're relying on you! With your help, we can catch this baby and make this country a safer place!

Chew on This!

Talk about the things that make you go "Ugh!"

This little guy (haha! I said "little!" He is anything BUT little!) was waiting outside under the garbage can for Jim when he went to take out the trash the other day... Jim came rushing in shuddering during a spell of minor convulsions after he saw this guy. Two days later, he was still there, so we decided to get a few pictures.

Isn't he gross? Just look at how big he is next to the quarter! He's the size of my cell phone! Oh, and apologies for the name of this post, I had my brother in law in mind. He has this crazy desire to eat a  scorpion. I got somethin' better for ya, my friend!  Bon Apetite Bro!

So, if you live outside AZ, sleep well tonight. These are only pictures and this guy can no way get you. If you live in the same hot, baron abyss we do, lock your doors! You never know what crazy things lurk out here!

Do They Know You Love Them?

Howdy everyone! I hope you had a wonderful and adventurous weekend!

We survived our weekend, which was filled with long travels, frustration and tears...and mom and dad aren't doin so hot either! Without diving into too much personal detail, I feel it's enough to say that we have felt a flood of emotions this weekend. There are certain inevitibilities that we have had to come to accept (it has nothing to do with Landon, by the way, he is doing great) and it has been a definite struggle for us. Which leads to today's topic.

Just over two years ago, an uncle of mine passed away. All my grandparents died either before I was born or while I was really young, so this was really my first exposure to mortality. During his funeral, something was said that really made me think about life. The heavy weight of mortality sank in as I considered how often I wasted time being frustrated because I was trying to get in the last word, or I was fighting to be right with any number of people in my life.

I especially considered this with my husband and the occasions he left for work frustrated because of a confrontation we had. I truly don't believe that there is an innocent side to any confrontation, but what if he left the house that day and got into a car accident and the last thing he felt was irritation with me? What if I missed a chance to tell him I loved him and I never saw him in this life again? Was the fight worth it? Was it worth a small victory, when in the end I would loose one of the most important people in my life?

What about my kids? What if I chose not to kiss them good night and something happened? Perhaps these are horrific things to consider, however, I would dare say that there are plenty of widowed mothers and fathers out there that would give anything to be able to say those last words, as well as parents who suffer the pain every day because they didn't take the time to kiss their child goodbye. A prime example of this is Mrs. Dugard when she didn't see her child again for 18 years.  

What I realized was that I was taking my family and the opportunity that I had to love them for granted, and this weekend was a manifest to that, which is the cause of this heavy topic today.

All I ask is that whoever reads this really takes a look at their loved ones, and take the time to show them you love them. They may or may not be here tomorrow, and in the event that they are not, do they truly  know how you feel? 

As for me, I want to dedicate this post to a very special woman in my life. I want to let her know just how much I appreciate her and everything she has done on our behalf. She has been such a blessing in my life, as she has given me an opportunity to have a grandmother...something that I've never had. I am grateful for the time and opportunity I have had to be able to love her.

We love you, Ri, so much. Thank you for all our memories and for being such an inspiration to us! You are always in our hearts and in our prayers!

T.G.I.F!!!

This week has been tough for the whole family. Landon is doing great with treatments, but we're starting to see the treatments work. He's making progress in his efforts, but he's often tired, and quite a bit more irritable and frustrated. This is completely normal, and is a sign that his brain is exercising, similar to being sore the day after a good workout.

Kaden is especially having a hard time with all this activity. I don't think it's necessarily that he feels Landon is getting all the attention, I think being out of his schedule is really messing with him. He has a hard time when Landon is taken to the back, especially if we need to go to the car for a diaper change. It seems he's always afraid we're going to leave Landon behind and it puts him in an inconsolable fit.

Myla decided to grow up this week as well. We toyed with the idea of putting her in a toddler bed earlier, and before I knew it, she was sleeping like a big girl! Then, when she decided she didn't  need a sippy cup any more yesterday, my heart broke a little. I know that girl is destined for great things, I just wish I could keep her small a little bit longer.

As for me and Jim...we have definitely looked better. I think the word "frazzled" would be a good description. Constantly feeling like we're forgetting something is a feeling we're becoming used to. I suppose it's just good that we've managed to keep track of all three kids so far. (I only have three, right?)

I think this Saturday we'll just take it easy. We'll go to the park and feed the ducks and let the kids take a breather. Just one more week and we can resume a fairly normal schedule at home! (Landon will do another 18 days of treatment at home).