And from Sarah Palin

"To the families of special needs children all across this country, I have a message for you. For years you've sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters and I pledge to you that if we're elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

Why I am voting for McCain

I am generally not terribly political in my blog. (Although some of those who know us in real life know a different side of us ;)

"I fight for Jake and Toni Wimmer of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Jake works on a loading dock, coaches Little League, and raises money for the mentally and physically disabled. Toni is a schoolteacher, working toward her master's degree. They have two sons; the youngest, Luke, has been diagnosed with autism. Their lives should matter to the people they elect to office. They matter to me. And they matter to you."

--John McCain, in his acceptance speech to the RNC Sept. 4th, 2008

It brings tears to my eyes.

It gives me hope.

Already

Six months old! Already. Today is Ella's half-birthday.

She's crawling (albeit slowly), sitting on her own (well, for a few minutes anyway), and she can even get herself into a sitting position on her own. She watches everyone and everything and coos up a storm. Always SO much going on to see and comment on.

She fits perfectly into our family. Everyone is completely in love with her and her smiles in return just further solidify their feelings. It is very gratifying to watch as a mother.

Here's to the NEXT six months with Ella.

Loga

That's what Hannah's been asking to do everyday lately.

"Hey mom, let's do loga." (Which would be yoga.)

Michael even felt good enough to join in at the beginning. I am also a little sad that I didn't get Hannah's great camel pose very well, because my flash was off. (I am using my point and shoot Panasonic, since my Canon is STILL off at the Canon repair center...) It is times like these that I miss having such wide-aperture possibilities.

Don't you love Michael (see how skinny he is?) and Hannah working so hard and Garrett kicking back and being entertained by all the loga-goings-on?They do enjoy following along with the yoga instructor on the DVD. Such rapt attention.

Cute little downward dog.

The blurry, non-flash, very wiggly Camel Pose.

Ahh, so Zen.

People wonder how Darwin and I survive without cable in the house. Honestly, we're entertained very well everyday. Wouldn't you agree?

Twilight Quiz

I absolutely stole this off of Kim's blog. It's a Twilight quiz. You get to see which character you are. I am Esme, but it was a tie between her and Alice and the tie-breaker said Esme. I think McKay has cultivated my "Alice-like" tendencies. Or, as Ross from Friends would say, "Unagi"...while pointing seriously at his head.

Anyway, fun stuff!

*In case you can't tell, the word Twilight quiz is the link.

Germs!

It seems like a back-to-school tradition.

A couple weeks after school starts, at least one of the kids comes down with something. Does this happen to anyone else? It happens without fail in our house.

This time Michael drew the short straw. He is S.I.C.K. He has slept for pretty much 2 days straight. He has a fever. He is throwing up. He has a congested nose. He had a hacking cough. He looks like he's been hit by a truck.

Michael is rarely sick, so this is not something he is used to. He is not pleased with the situation either. But at least he is able to sleep through a lot of it. Of course, that means he is drinking sparsely and eating even less. He is so skinny, losing weight it NOT at the top of his list of things he needs to do. I've even toyed with taking him to the doctor. This is rarely a course of action I resort to. If there is not blood or broken bones, we usually stay home. And in the end, I think I will not take Michael in to the doctor. Mainly because I am fairly sure it is viral and he got it at school, and if I go to the doctor we will be the proud new owners of a pet Strep bug and it will share the love with Michael and every other kid in the house in turn. Still, Michael is so skinny, any sickness just scares me.

I'm sure he'll be better in no time. Still, it doesn't make this moment any easier for him.

Really, does this happen to everyone else? Does the beginning of school signal a sickness coming 2 weeks down the pipeline?

Could I BE any luckier?

My heart could possibly melt.

Please excuse the messy room. McKay loves pumping up balls lately. So all of our flat balls are getting fixed.

McKay and Garrett spent quite a bit of time running in the circle. The last one was how it ended. I alternately crack up and want to tear up a little. Awww.

And finally, McKay pushes Ella's swing. Look at her adoring eyes. She just LOVES her big brother. I know these are so gushy, but honestly, look at the depth of McKay's connection to the family. I know, as parents of autistic kids, we are SO blessed with how strong his bond is with the whole family and with how much outward affection he shows every single day.