TBI

So it has been almost 4 months since Brookie fell from her second story window. Everyone asks how she is doing, and she is doing well. The most common comment is "she looks so good! Has she completely recovered?" Well, no. It is hard to explain quickly when asked this except to say, we won't see the full effects for awhile.
I have been searching the web for articles about TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries), but they are hard to find talking specifically about TBI in children. Most have to do with older children too, instead of young ones. I have come across a few though. Of coarse, I have a board on Pinterest specifically for these when I find them.

TBI recovery is a long road. Here's an exerpt from an article I found:

~The cognitive recovery process for children continues over many years as the child’s brain develops and matures. The effects of an earlier injury to any part of the brain may not become fully evident until that area develops and is challenged in the classroom. Changes in learning, executive skills and behavior are among the most common long-term effects of brain injuries among children. For the children with a brain injury, time “reveals” rather than “heals” all wounds. (source: http://www.lapublishing.com/blog/2010/tbi-child-recovery/) ~

We're off to see a developmental pediatric. Hopefully we can better understand the issues that are coming to the surface and how to best deal with them.


-Kenzie

Need your help!

Okay, I need your input. I originally had the first part of the alphabet designed like this photo.

Then I thought it would be nice to have the alphabet as an actually box. After a few people commented that they had trouble putting the 3D letter "B" together, I thought I'd go back to my original versions. All week I've been flip flopping back and forth, trying to decide what really to do. Of coarse, I probably should have just asked for everyone's input from the beginning.

So my question is, would you like the 3d alphabet the way it has been or like my photo; where you have a base and lid? Let me know so I can get these to the store ASAP. Thank for all you support!


-Kenzie

3D Alphabet tutorial: Letter B

I wanted to write a full out tutorial for the letter B box but haven't been able to get around to it. Here's the photos I made a couple weeks for it.

I'm hoping you can understand from the photos until I can get around to explaining them. Already 2 am her so I need to head to bed!

Control!

Okay, I'm slowly making my way through this crazy week! One speech therapy evaluation out of the way, one more to go, scouts for the week is over and our last week of preschool! So sad, they love preschool and their teacher was such joy and wonderful woman. I think I finally got the rest worked out today for preschool next year. No dentist appointments made yet, bummer...and I'm not sure the my b'day celebration is going to happen at all. Even more of a bummer. But, I finally feel a little more in control today than I have. So, here's hoping this feeling of control sticks for at least a little while!

-Kenzie

Too much!

Okay, not that I wish a brain injury on another family and not that I'm not grateful for how well my baby is doing, but I am not the person to handle well all that comes with it let alone normal life. I had no idea how much balancing and scheduling and being on top of everything you have to be to be mom. Just feeling a little overwhelmed tonight with all that needs to be done and how to fit it in each day.

Boy do I ever wish that we had more than 24 hours in a day! I'm sitting here, working on more 3D letters for the next couple weeks. Then I remember that I have another appointment tomorrow (or I guess now that it's past midnight for later today) for speech therapy for the 4 year old. I need to call back the special pediatrics and set up appointments for little Brookie, Another speech therapy appointment on Wednesday, oh, and forgot I need a babysitter for tomorrow. Then, there's scouts on Tuesday that forgot to gather stuff for. Tutorials for the 3D alphabets. My birthday was last week and I never did go out with the girls to celebrate, guess I'll have to skip that this year. Need to fit in finishing my grandfather's history before this week ends. The laundry is piling up. Dentist appointments need made, birthday party for the 2 and 4 year old. Ahhh!

Yes, this is how my mind has been going the last couple days. After a week with 4 sick kiddos and sick husband, I've been falling even farther behind. I would love to hear how you organize it all and get it done! Right now my mind is going so many more directions than this. It's pathetic! Does anyone else's life seem this out of control?! I'm scared of what is going to happen once we have sports and dance and homework to mix in with the rest of this. I need to figure this out now before it gets worse.

I so wish I could just hire a secretary some times to say okay, today you're doing this and this and you have this and this going on at this time. Just tell me what to do so my poor little brain can rest. I just want to spend time with my kiddos and hubby and not be completely exhausted when I'm with them. Okay, I feel a little better now. Back to work.

And I really would love to hear how you balance the busy lives of running a household!

-Kenzie

"A" my name is...

I am really excited for this new series. I've been working on these for almost a month now. Lots of math involved to get correct curve lengths, but the end result are these fun 3D alphabet letters! Numbers will be coming too. I will be releasing at least 2 a week and in alphabetic order. So watch for these every Monday or Tuesday in the Silhouette Online store.

I hope all you woman whether you have children or not, had a terrific Mother's day! I hope the men in your life treated you well! I woke up to "French pancakes" with strawberries, whipped creme and powdered sugar. Yummm, so good. I did go to my crop last night too, and it was the best gift I could have received! I met some wonderful ladies, and finished a layout! (Minus photos) Watch for these shapes and more in the store this week too. (squiggle border is from Loni Stevens and sun is mine released last May. Search: '2 layer sun') 

Here is a sketch of the double page layout too. 

The Mother's Insane Asylum!

Oh my! What a day it's been. Or should I say a week. My four year old has become a little trouble maker. Actually, I'd just call him the ring leader of the gang. His gang consists of his two little sisters. And a what a gang they are. If I'm supposed to learn patience, they are definitely testing me! Just found this quote:

Oh how true. We used to have preschool everday of the week. Now we are down to 2 days a week. I'm missing those extra hours of school a week! 

So anyway, back to what has been making me insane with my "Gang" of toddlers. They won't leave the mattresses on their bed! For a week and a half now, I've been putting sheets back on mattresses and mattresses back on beds about 3 or 4 times a day! What in the world?! What is this obsession these kids have? Leave the stinkin' mattress on the bed! This is what I contantly find after 2 minutes of unsupervised play in their bedrooms! 

I was steamed after I found this for the hundredth time today. So I loaded all four kiddos and ran over to my JoAnn's. Then loaded all four kids in their ridiculously small shopping carts and bought an entire spool (about 13 yards) of strapping and 5 buckles. Metal buckles. You see, my "Gang" has the capability of breaking those cheapy plastic buckles. (We have 4 booster seats, all with replaced buckles! I know what they are capable, or at least the minimum!) 

So here's my project today. Amoung all else, try to figure out a way to take 13 yards of strapping, 5 buckles, some thread and my sewing machine to attach 3 mattress to their respective beds so a toddler can not remove them! Wish me luck. Oh, also, the four year old ripped open his full diaper all over his room. Oh the joys of Motherhood! Ahhh!

On a good note, I get to go to 12 hour crop night on Saturday! Twelve hours of no fighting, changing diapers, fixing my broken house, or cleaning. Just me and my Cameo and some lovely ladies! Mmmmm...Happy Mother's day to me!