Ketchup only

Finally...blog #2 is up and running...and it is REAL plain... it needs a lot of work, and I have a lot of ideas for it. I'm off school for the next two weeks and that is one of many projects on the list. Check it out here if you get a minute...thanks!

Where did Ketchup only come from you ask? For the last few weeks I pondered the name of a new blog, a place where I could write about my son's life with Asperger's. A place that other families could turn to for resources, help, a laugh, or a listening ear. I digress...back to ketchup only...now, one would think that ordering a cheeseburger, ketchup only, would not be such a monumental task. One would also think that raising a son would not be such a monumental task. Throw Asperger's Syndrome into the mix and both of those things become monumental. I cannot remember how many times my son ordered ketchup only...only to get a cheeseburber with everything that resulted in 1) the cheeseburger flying across the room, car, restaurant etc., 2) a meltdown that could last God knows how long and, not or....and 3) my bubba being too upset to eat anything. That's the imagery...my life with my boy, and my boy with Asperger's...the ups, the down's and everything in between.

Like water off a duck's back...

The goal for today....shake it off. Do you have days, or perhaps weeks, or lifetimes, where it feels like you gotta shake a lot off? Like water off a duck's back? For instance, lack of loyalty? Self centeredness? Fighting the system? Crazy dysfunctional family members? There are times by God, when all of that craziness can surely be a little much. And really, there are real people in this world, with real problems, real...life threatening problems and situations and somehow they manage to get through life happy as a lark. Ok, maybe not happy as a lark, but with a darn more grateful attitude than a whole lot of people that have the world handed to them. Typically, I am not the 'rant' kind of person...but today....thank you for listening...I'll try to be sunshine and smiles tomorrow, but for today...would some of my family members puleeeeezzzz get their heads out of their A**es long enough to realize all that you have, not the little that you don't?

The rest of us would be eternally grateful...

:rant off:

In the same frame...

Meet Woody...My brother's cat...temporarily staying at my house. Old, male, cranky, super cute personality...
Meet Jake...cutest cat that ever walked the planet...permanent resident at the Ruch house...not very old, male, HATES other cats. Genuinely likes dogs...

You see where this is going right...whose bright idea was it to think that they could peacefully coexist. Well, after a month or so...they are beginning to adjust to each other, and have made it into the same frame...
Meet Jake and Woody...new friends.

Softball sadly is over for the season...it's only sad for me emotionally, because my schedule TOTALLY appreciates it! Kristina, being in a new league this year, only one one game...but guess what?!? They sure won a tournament game :) Gotta love that...

Kristina got her end of the year trophy & metal...I made these super cute (if I don't say so myself) photo cubes for all the coaches...I included photos from the season and THE cutest softball stickers I found at hobby lobby...which said 'You wish you could throw like a girl, sugar and spikes, if softball were easy it'd be baseball, etc. etc.' So cute! I also made one for Kristina and had all her team mates sign the top.

Finally, just wanted to share this photo...when the big girl got home from Wisconsin...it was only a matter of minutes before this occurred.... 8 Days without my space??? How did she live? And...of course we must text and my space at the same time...

She cracks me up!

Quite weak, yes that's me...

I sure laid down...'just for minute' at 7:30 last night...only to wake up at 3:30 this morning thinking it was Sunday and being grateful I had 7 more hours until church. WAIT!! This isn't Sunday...what did I do yesterday? Oh, I worked, then what did I do last night? Oh, more work...than this for sure isn't Sunday...what the heck day is it? After a few moments of clarity I did determine that it was Tuesday. AND...that it was indeed 3:30...and why am I so frozen? Well...my honey had a hot flash last night, which therefore makes it necessary to put the air on ... I don't know 68?!?! Anyway...somehow during my thrashing in the night my micro fleece blanket...(the softest blanket in the whole world without which I cannot sleep) -- my cozy blanket landed on the floor...so I tried to go back to sleep, but of course knew I had no alarm clock set...therefore knowing too that I would oversleep, knowing that I had to go to the bathroom, and knowing that I was freezing, yet, there I lay, thinking perhaps I'd go back to sleep...why are we so crazy when we're trying to sleep?!? So, I finally got up, found my cell phone, set the alarm, went to the bathroom, turned up the air (or down the air, however you figure it...anyway I made it warmer), found my blanket and pointed out to my idiot dogs that it was indeed 3:45 not 5:00 and that there was no way in H E double hockey sticks they were going outside right now and that if they knew what was good for them, they'd instantly go back to sleep. (They gave me the why so cranky look and laid back down) Finally...I got that last blissful hours sleep...and started my day...yes...with 10 hours of sleep. I AM weak, and I AM lovin it!

Until next time...

Sleep is for the weak...

That thought has been my mantra lately unfortunately. Tonight I planned on my big girl getting home about 10. Well, she arrived about 8 after I just destroyed the kitchen making zucchini bread, ate corn on the cob, the remnants of which were still in my teeth, and generally our house was in the worse case of CHAOS (Can't have anyone over syndrome) that it has been in for quite some time...and I look out the front window and there is my brother, his wife, and my big girl pulling in the driveway...two hours early. Yeeeeeeesssssiiiiirrrreeeeee....I am sure they'll want to come in to sit down. Now...where did those chairs go? Oh yes, there they are covered with laundry that is waiting to be folded. Well, lets head them off at the pass and offer them a lawn chair...yes a lawn chair...good idea and let's pray and light a candle that they don't ask to use the bathroom. We'll even offer bug spray being the great hosts that we are, in the event of a mosquito attack. Yes...I was the worst hostess ever...I didn't even have anything to offer them to drink. I mean milk doesn't really count right? So...we chatted in the driveway...my new spot to host guests...and here it is 9:30---they headed to the hotel and we are going to meet for breakfast in the morning in a much cleaner INDOOR restaurant with comfy seating that has a full range of beverages. Perhaps they could build a restaurant next door to my house and I could accommodate guests there? I don't know...maybe someday I'll be done with all this crazy schooling, working, interning, and kid raising and the house will be clean. Oh wait...I vaguely remember days without interning, working, schooling, and kid raising and I seem to recall the house wasn't much cleaner back then. Hmmmph...back to the drawing board. I think this week I'll make a valiant effort at shining my sink...

So...back to sleep is for the weak...it is now 9:45 pm and here I sit on the computer...why? Cuz SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!! I'm going to start the laundry that should have been done this morning, finish reading the paper...also a task from this morning, clean up my dinner dishes...and get up at 5AM with my happy face on ;)

Until next time...

Calling all my preschool teacher homies...

Ok, since most of my friends either are preschool teachers, have formerly been a preschool teacher, or dream at night and sometimes during the day of being a preschool teacher (ok, maybe I've lost a little bit of touch with reality...) I believe that sunshine has pointed me to perhaps the best crackin me up blog ever! PLEEEEEEASE take a minute to check out 'riding the short bus' and her post about dropping off her son to preschool....crackin me up~

Sky Watch Friday

Yesterday, my precious one said to me..."Gee Mom before you started posting for Skywatch Friday, I never really looked at the sky and now I seem to notice it all the time." Gotta love that huh? Thanks Tom for helping my little one appreciate nature and all it's beauty...

This week I have more sunrise photos to share...

This one I thought looked like the remnants of fireworks and this one... my son pointed out to me this morning as the only bright cloud in the sky...When we got up today it had recently rained and all the other clouds were gloomy...this bright cloud in the sky...we're dedicating to Amanda Kordich.