Insert Title Here - I'm not feeling creative

OK Kids, I was away for a week (it was a very busy weekend last week), and I've got LOTS to share. So let's not waste time. First of all, refer to my prior post, and check out the video I posted (I"m still figuring out YouTube, so don't hate me).

In other news:

• Emmitt Smith's win on "Dancing With the Stars" - AWESOME. So nice to see the underdog win; Mario and his partner looked pretty pissed off. Loved Emmitt with his gold shoes...big pimpin'! And before you say anything -- yes...I watch this show. I'm not proud ot it.
  
• Britney and K-Fed's divorce - I can't believe its taken her so long. Now if we can just get Katie away from Tom...oh, and that brings me to...
  
• The Tomkat wedding - meh. Can't ANYONE put an end to this sham? Run, Katie, RUN!!

Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. Now, on to the important stuff.

Looks like our cat Rusty is dying. He's 17 years old, and of our three (oops, two...we lost Rascal earlier this year) cats, Rusty is the "mayor" of the house. He's been dropping weight, and I finally convinced DH to take him to the vet. They kept him for three days, and it cost $1200 for them to tell us that his kidneys are failing. I've tried to convince DH to put the old boy down - I can't stand to see animals suffer, but I don't think DH has accepted the...inevitability of it all. Poor DH, and poor Rusty - stay tuned for updates.

The girls started new OT/Sensory Integration therapy this week; it went well - meaning no one cried. I'm hoping that this new therapy will put a stop to some of the girls' self-stim behaviors (like Dr. D's rocking on the couch and causing her acid reflux). Other than that, the girls had a good week in therapy. Miss Princess S. sat right down to work with her teachers this week without a single tear or tantrum -- she's doing so well, and she's incredibly bright (and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom). Dr. D. has incorporated some new phrases into her vernacular - "OH no...", "OOPS", and "No Way" ...do you suppose she hears those often?

Now that I've become an educated parent (at least where my kids' PDD is concerned, I don't profess to know much about anything else), lots of things are coming clearer.

I've noticed that my nephew (who is just a few months older than my girls) exhibits some sensory problems -- he toe-walks, he insists that his mother carry him everywhere, he doesn't really speak, and isn't very well socialized. Of course, I could never say this to my BIL, and I don't really have a great relationship with my SIL. Then I think of his older brother (who is 11) who also has sensory problems (but of course, no one really recognized it as such)...and then this weekend, my MIL tells me a "funny story" about how DH wasn't a good eater when he was little - he wouldn't eat things like toast because he said it "bites his throat" - UM...HELLO???! Sensory issue!

When the girls were diagnosed, I beat myself up -- I was convinced that somehow, I had contributed to their diagnosis -- by the preeclampsia, the hormones, the magnesium...and now I see that it wasn't my fault. Of course, I know its not about whose "fault" it is...but as a mom, I tend to corner the market on guilt, so I feel a sense of relief. I do realize that in the end, its all about getting my girls the services they need so that they can have productive lives. We're getting there.

Here's the Friday Feast for this week!

Appetizer
Do you believe there is intelligent life on other planets? - I think its rather small-minded to believe that we're the ONLY ones out there.

Soup
What is one thing you said you'd never do, but you eventually did? - HAVE KIDS

Salad
Who is the teacher that influenced you the most in school? - Mrs. Eccelston, Freshman year English

Main Course
If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be and why? - P. Diddy. Because I recently saw MTV's "Diary" on him, and that man lives THE. LIFE.

Dessert
What is your favorite dish to prepare? - My chili. It RAWKS.