Catching Up

Wow, so it's been a long time since I've posted anything. It's not that nothing has been going on, it's just that it's been really difficult to find time to write lately. Nap time used to work out beautifully because Auden and Logan would sleep at the same time, but now, Auden sleeps most of the morning, so the afternoon is his time to shine. By the time I get dinner dishes put away in the evening, I don't really feel like blogging, so I've just been reading instead.

My parents made their annual October trip up here for a visit, and Logan was the main event for entertainment. He hunted dinosaurs with his wiffle ball bat; he took them to the apple orchard; he opened the presents they brought and ate inordinate amounts of candy. We were sad to see them go, as always, but we know we'll see them really soon, what with Logan pestering us to see Bart and Ginger all the time.

When we make the trip(s) to the apple orchard, we know Halloween is just around the bend, and this year Logan's going to be a pirate. Since I wanted to make my boys a trick-or-treating couple, I thought it would be fitting for Auden to be a parrot. So now I'm making costumes for both of them, even though I'm not all that creative, nor can I sew well. I've bought all the materials I need; now I just need to put them together...This whole endeavor may just end in my making a last minute trip to the costume store, especially if I don't start it soon. Even though his costume isn't complete, Logan is really excited about Halloween. We've been practicing trick-or-treating, and he has it down, especially since he knows he's getting candy out of the deal.

Speaking of candy, Logan went to DeKalb High's homecoming parade and he rounded up his first decent stash of parade candy. It was hard to tell what he enjoyed more, though, the candy or the bands, since he was bobbing his head to the beat of the music. His dancing made me think of all the parades I attended as a kid--and I attended many, since my dad was a middle school band director. Anyway, it does my heart good to see the love of music runs in the family.

Eric and I enjoyed some music for my birthday this weekend. We went to see the Lion King in Chicago, which was a really cool show. Admittedly, I was most interested in seeing the staging, costume, and puppets, and they were cool, but the music was really beautiful, too.

Earlier this week, Auden and Logan tag-teamed the doctor for Auden's 2 month immunizations and Logan's 2 1/2 year checkup. Immunizations are tricky for me. Of everything I've read, there has been no definitive link between autism and immunizations, yet I still get nervous when I'm taking them in to the doctor for their shots. And it's not only autism I worry about, it's the side-effects kids can have from the shots, too. Fortunately, they're really rare, but, you know, you always worry that rare case might in fact be your child. I know it's rare for kids to get the diseases my sons are being immunized against, but those diseases are making a resurgence, so, when I look at the statistics, I'm more afraid of the illnesses than the immunizations. As a parent, it's just a strange feeling to know that you could voluntarily be subjecting your children to something that might make them sick. But when you think about it, there are tons of things that affect your child's safety that you really can't control: environmental pollutants, water and food contaminants. I wonder if, one day, we'll find out that autism is actually caused by one or the combination of the many chemicals we're surrounded by on a daily basis. In any case, Auden continues to do well--14 lbs now and two feet long. The doctor detected a heart murmur from Logan, which makes us a little nervous, but we're supposed to check on it again in a month. Doc says it could possibly be the result of a recent growth spurt and will resolve itself--I hope that's the case.