Really, your kid is an honor student...well that's great...oh mine...yeah he has an extra chromosone...beat that!

It all comes from wanting answers...and boy howdy did i get my answer. See the cutie pie up above...that's Gavin, my youngest. he is a pip let me tell you! didn't expect to have a 4th kiddo but he sort of snuck past his father's vasectomy and well...boom there he is.

A difficult child at birth he continued with that trend through toddler-hood. Was diagnosed with autism at age 2...we cried, then got learning.

At age 6 he was diagnosed with epilepsy...we cried, got meds, then got learning.

At 7 he was thought to have a really huge named disorder but essentially it was because of large cafe au lait birth marks on his body...tests came back negative..we cried (this time with happiness) and took the suggestion of genetic testing..yah know, for shits and grins...nothing better to do with our time.

Yesterday, we found out Gavin has 47 chromosones (while the rest of the regular folk have 46) and a disorder called Isodicentric 15. I cried, and cried, and cried...ate some chocolate...and got learning.

Not much changes as of yet. We get new meds for the ADHD that has decided to rear it's ugly head (since his epilepsy is under control..it made room for the ADHD to come on over) we get continued therapy...and we get to add a cardiologist to the list of doctors because with this new name, we magically get a possible heart condition, and we have to watch his kidneys.

Let it be said, when we do something in this house we do it ALL the way!!

for more information on Isodicentric 15 please visit www.idic15.org

Spring!!! Sort of!

Well, here comes the daffy dillys! So 2 weeks ago we had gorgeous, 70 degree weather...shorts weather you could say, and now we are sunk back in sub artic temps...the poor flowers are all sorts of confused and the humans (mainly me!) are frusterated with it all. So here are two pictures representing Spring in New Englad...an icey birdbath..with a couple of Cody's gnomes and a little daffodill poking it's head up in surprise at the cold.

When the world gets you down....take a bubble bath

Gavin has had a terrible, horrible, no good, yucky kind of week. Let's just say his behavior has been less than stellar at school...medication change, spring allergies, growth spurt label it what you will. He has not come home all week with a prize from the classroom treasure box....he has been pulling his friends hair :(

So, he sadly walks upstairs and goes into my bathroom..."Mom, I need a bath" he says staring at my big tub. "yeah, buddy...you do" "yup...in mom's tub...with bubbles"

so he did. he even used Mom's fancy Lollia bubblebath...just 'cause.

A funny thing happened on the way to the doctor's....

WARNING: THIS IS A GIRLS ONLY POST...'CAUSE THE GUYS JUST WON'T GET IT.

Ok, so, gyno visit aka "big girl doctor appointment" was yesterday....all is well, test results back in a week....BUT, of course, everywhere i go...there is sillyness involved.

I'm waiting and waiting and waiting and of course thinking...if i could just get up and reach over for that magazine on the counter i could have something to do...but i'm kind of stuck in one place with a towel draped over me and i just know the second i get up...the doctor will walk in. So i sit and wait...then i start to feel a tickle in my throat...i know i have cough drops...again, across the room...still tickling...then i get this thought..."OMG what if i have a coughing fit and shoot the metal thinggeemahoober out and shoot it through the doctor's eye" yup, that's me, i do think of these things...now i'm stressing out and the tickle is worse than ever...In pops young nurse perky pants to tell me "Honey (mind you...she is far my junior and calling me honey) we didn't forget about you...Dr. ** is just stuck" and she leaves the room....and i said outloud to the empty room

"Stuck in WHAT exactly???"

the visit pretty much went downhill from there....i managed to control the cough and not cause anyone bodily damage...but it was hard not to laugh.

Giving some love shout outs to my favorite socks

So as the weather sloooowly gets warmer here in the great North East I think yippee and then awwww because it will mean having to put away my socks. I love socks, well not just any socks...i like these socks...Soulmate Socks made in Vermont. Ok ok so as a rule i am not this picky about clothing and name brands and what not...but if you have ever slipped a pair of these onto your feet you would understand. They are wonderfully mismatched on purpose (because life is too short to wear matching socks is there motto) and so cottony and warm...ahhh and the colors!! Super Cute!! I wear them to school all the time and my feet feel good all day, the kids can catch a peek at them under my crocs and it makes them laugh that "Mrs. Jette can't match her socks!" My favorite Christmas present this year was my box full of socks..OH and they are awesome to hike in...not only do you look super cool with them under your hiking boots but your feet stay dry and comfortable!

******** WARNING, THE FOLLOWING IS FOR THE LADIES EYE ONLY...MEN THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ********

oh yes, today is my "big girl" doctor appointment....fun fun fun, i'll be wearing my socks...makes my gyno laugh, and lets face it...his job isn't the most pleasant, he needs a laugh.

later sistas!

Nicole

Hi my name is Nicole (hi nicole) and well.... I like gnomes.

I successfully horrified my teenager yet again! I'm getting rather good at it really. At this point I think I have managed to guarantee she will NEVER EVER bring a boy by to meet me, and it is all because of a gnome...or possibly 12...that appear in our yard every spring.

Ok, it innocently started as a joke, and a few years back. My Cody was totally in love with this former neighbors yard/garden that was a gnome bedecked delight...she really had a fantastic garden. so we started buying our own gnomes, and every spring we add another to our collection, never spending more than a few dollars on each....needless to say, they are a little tacky...add in his Big Mimi (his beloved great grandmother) who dares not visit without bringing a new gnome to his collection and you have a yard full of gnomes. Tomorrow is the first day of Spring, so out they came and he very carefully arranged them around the yard, peeking out behind a shrub or placed were they will be hidden (eventually) by flowers, he is 9 and really how many more magical years do i have left before he becomes a moody pre-teen then morphing into the "i was hatched, i do not have parents" teenager so yes i encourage the gnomey behavior! So happy Spring to all...and get out there and plant a gnome...or a dozen :)

I'm so pale, i make the Twillight Vampires look like they just came off a Tropical Vacation!

Because the weather has turrned for the better and the sun is shining and it looks like the temps may creep up near 70 today (can i get a yippee!!) i decided to go through the summer clothes, and try on the shorts from last year...just for fun. Low and behold the suckers still fit! HOWEVER, the light reflecting off my pale and quite ghost like legs nearly blinded me and left me with spots before my eyes. I imagine the cat was laughing at my stumbling stupor as I quickly tried to pull the jeans back off to stop the disco globe like effect of light that was bedazzling around my bathroom. Sigh, don't even suggest bronzer as it leaves me orange and looking like an oompa-loompa, i've tried them all. I suppose i can console myself with the fact that i do have good skin, although pale the women in my family do age well. So i'll slather on some SPF 2,000 and try to keep from sparkling outside while outside today doing some yard work and just enjoying the warmth!

Happy St. someperson day....or something like that

Let me state right off, i have nothing against being Irish...many of my friends have been kicked in the arse by the blarney stone or had a leprechaun dropped on their heads. HOWEVER, i'm not irish, I'm Scottish...and yes there is a difference. So my kids don't wear green on st. patricks day and quite honestly i think corn beef and cabbage smells like feet when being cooked. just can't do it.

so today it's all about cleaning closets...not exciting to say the least but badly needing to be done

I can see clearly now the rain has gone....FINALLY!

Wow!!! 4 days of non stop rain, 7 inches fallen in total..and my basement has become an indoor swimming pool..not by my choice. So today is all about pumping the water out and splashing around in my boots. I can just see the clouds starting to break up and maybe the sun will make an appearance today. I know it rains in the Spring but this was Mother Nature going above and beyond!

No work today, i have a million kabillion things to get done, swap packages to send out (i am involved in several knitting swaps http://www.ravelry.com/) laundry to do, market to get to, and i must do something about the mutant dust bunnies that are threatening to take over the house! I would love to drag the big old rubbermaid containers out of the attic as well and see what spring/summer clothes are being handed down to what boy but my limited time may not allow me to get that crazy. I'll pace myself and occasionally refuel with coffee.

These are some flowers from my garden last summer

I wish i could take credit for the beautiful photos

but they were actually taken by my 14 yr old daughter Emily

aka: Baby Diva

Hyacinth...Her Royal Majesty Cat

This gorgeous feline is my beloved cat Hyacinth. She is such a diva...her entire day is spent eating and sleeping...and i have terrible cat envy! Oh wouldn't it be nice just to lounge around all day...get up, eat a little something and then continue relaxing until someone sits on the couch...then get up, snuggle, get my ears rubbed and maybe eat something a little later.

We rescued Hyacinth from the local cat shelter about 3 years ago...can you imagine she went through 3 homes before we got her! See, she isn't exactly what you would call snuggly...matter of fact, she is down right grumpy, but the kids and I find that funny and endearing. It's just recently that she will actually come down to the main floor of the house when there are other people besides just me. She has trust issues for sure.

I like to say her larger size is due to her being a Maine Coon Cat..but it's not all that...she is lazy and not really motivated to play with cat toys. She likes to sleep on the small of my back at night and if you don't hear her coming, she can knock the breath out of you when she first gets into sleeping position (oooof!) She definatly has that "i'm so much superior to you" attitude that comes with being named Hyacinth (PBS reference...Keeping up Appearances....we love that show!)

It's Time.....the dirt is calling me.

I can no longer ignore the siren call of the soil...i must plant! This weekend is seed starting weekend! so exciting! we have the table all set up in front of the window that gets the most sun during the day and have selected our seeds...nothing out of the normal veggies for us although we are trying pear tomatoes...they have lovely color!

Last night we used the last jar of our zucchini relish...there was much sadness. Baby Diva made sure we were going to plant extra zucchini this year as she has been known to just eat the relish out of the jar, it's kind of her favorite. we also used the last of the sweet pickles a few months back, lots of empty canning jars just sitting around waiting to be put to use! Looks like our new apple trees survived the winter! Cody planted them last year and is hoping for at least one apple that will be edible this season, we will be adding 2 dwarf peach trees this year....mmmmmm.

turned the compost over last weekend....it looked pretty good, Brendan would like to get his vermipost bins up and running again so we will be looking for worms soon enough.

I love Spring :)

Pokey the wonder pony and the boy who loves him.

This is about my son Gavin and his pony Pokey...two peas in a pod to be sure! Pokey is a mischevious little pony who rarely listens to anyone and doesn't exactly follow directions well...unless you are his boy and it's your weekly lesson with him...oh and of course you know there will be carrots at the end!

Gavin is a mischevious little boy who selectivly listens and sometimes follows directions. He has his own agenda which usually doesn't flow with everyone elses, he has a hard time focusing...unless he is on the back of his pony and it's his weekly lesson with him....oh and of course you know there will be french fries at the end!

Pokey came into our lives quite by accident. Gavin is autistic and epileptic. it was suggested to us we try horseback riding to improve his balance...his teacher invited us down to where she boarded her horse for a trial ride to see if he would like it. Was i skeptical...you betcha, i couldn't imagine he would like it as he didn't show much interest in things outside of cars and fire trucks...color me wrong. Of course is wasn't pokey we rode that day..but he was there in the paddock just staring us down with those big brown eyes. he watched Gavin like a hawk, not moving, just standing there...this is something unsual for Pokey as we suspect he has horse adhd (LOL) and cannot be still for a minute.

So we signed on...and met Pokey, and fell in love. Gavin and Pokey are best friends. Pokey often tries to push the adults out of the way and just play with his boy...he nuzzles Gavin's neck and is so super gentle around him (again, Pokey's usual demenor is much like a bull in a china shop) Pokey stands so still while Gavin grooms him and gets him ready to ride, and will often only listen to Gavin's command to "trot" and ignore the instructor. if Gavin gets distracted by something while leading him Pokey will often give him a "poke" in the butt with his nose to get him going..i've even see little Pokey put his body between Gavin and another LARGE horse as if to say..."watch out for my kid".

of course Pokey is a typical pony, a complete pain in the arse for anyone else...he nips my legs and often tries to push me into the side of the barn while i'm running alongside..and then there was the infamous "pool splashing sound" freak out when he came down on my foot (owie owie owie) and most times Gavin is right there with him giggling at the craziness that is Pokey. Sigh...little imps both of them :) xxxooo to Gavin and a xxoo to Pokey too...see you on Weds, we will bring the carrots!

Ode to the Omelette

I think the omlette is by far the world's most perfect food. Here is why: it can be as fancy or as plain as you like, it's like the garbage disposal food (wait for it.......) you can literally clean out your left over veggies by adding them to an omlette, you could have the smallest amount of cheese leftover and use it in an omlette. You can make several different kinds for a meal and not feel like you made something different for everyone! They are quick to make up for lunch and make a Sunday breakfast feel special..all the best brunch places have an omlette bar. And best of all...they are tasty!!

so guess what i just ate for lunch?

My Brain Hurts!!!!

Today should have been a glorious sun filled day...SHOULD HAVE BEEN..but alas...it failed miserably. All was going well, toliets got scrubbed (why can't boys hit the toliet when they pee? i mean really are they dancing in there?) beds were stripped and changed up, chowder base was being made (that's chowdah if your from New England) and then....well, quite frankly the kids came home. The youngest had a bad day...there was some hair pulling, not his..he was the puller, his poor PT was the pullee..mental note to self: she gets a big present at the end of the year...i'm thinking wine OK there's more, and he is falling asleep in class...now granted he recently had a med change..oh and the fact he sleeps like CRAP but i don't know the real reason he falls asleep...boredom? narcolepsy (oh wait, he was diagnosed with that...ok scratch that one) growth spurt? bottom line, i'm not his neurologist nor do i play one on tv....everyone is going to have to wait patiently for his blood work results and that's that. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE: orthodontist calls and claims to have left me a message several days ago (yeah, no..nice try) to let me know that my oldest son is going to need 3 teeth pulled before he gets his top braces on...ha ha ha funny joke...oh your not joking...dammit. So now i get the job of telling the Asperger's kid that well, getting your braces on isn't going to happen like the original plan...that you have memorized...yeah, your getting teeth pulled...and yes needles will be involved....somebody get the elephant tranquilizer gun and restraints because that is the only way he is going to go along with this let me tell you...(2nd mental note to self....i might want to buy 2 bottles of wine and self medicate)

OH BUT IF YOU ORDER NOW..YOU WILL GET THIS ADDED STRESS: Baby Diva is pulling the old "i don't want to go to dance class" just a few months before the giant "i just paid for 5 freakin' costumes to the tune of $60 a wack" dance recital...and why do you ask? because She's not in the mood" yarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!!

Desperate request: i need a dairy queen blizzard so bad right now, if anyone is going....i like the PB cup one. Please deliver it to the fetal positioned under the kitchen table rocking back and forth crazy person on Da Hill. much thanks

Gentlemen...start your engines...and watch out for the Diva-Mobile!

Oh it's that time of the year! Pinewood Derby time! Now, if you don't currently own a cub scout you haven't a clue as to what i am talking about..but if you have one in your house you might notice a fine layer of sawdust all over the kitchen counter and talk of weights, graphite lube and paint colors being discussed.

Not only do i have a cub scout of my very own...i'm also the little boogers den mom...a title i wear proudly every Monday night from 6pm to 7pm! So this year not only am i helping my furture little Jimmy Johnson with his car but i am also making my own! yes they are having a parents race and it's a swell idea really, see some parents have a tendency to take over the building of the car..when really to make things fair it should be made by the boys, this way if they have their own race, they can build their own car and beat the pants off other parents. Sooooo that being said, i'm up against a bunch of Dads. This means (as far as i'm concerned) my car has to be the most over the top girly, sparkly, most Diva-like car there is...'cause nothing says fun like having a flashy high octaine looking block of wood get beaten by some pink boa lined beauty! right? right? of course!

Cody of course (that would be the scout of my owning) is taking his car very seriously and has decided to paint it silver with flames on the sides. i am being sent to the craft store TODAY to purchase the necessary painting equipment/weights/and decals for this undertaking. Last night he sandpapered until his car was as smooth as a baby's bottom.

I'm taking suggestions for my car decorating....all are welcome and will be taken into consideration....but i'm thinking tacky here folks....it's not about winning you know, but how fabulous you look crossing the finish line!

Ahhhhh! What a glorious weekend! March is so unpredictable here in New England..it could snow one day and then you get 2 days of 60 degree weather! the kids and i took total advantage of this warm streak and headed outside to bask in the sun...and clean up the yard a bit, which they weren't too happy about but humored their mother and picked up the fallen branches. we even got to eat lunch outside on the back deck much to the THRILL of Gavin who thinks eating outside is the only way (dining al fresco?).

So i am hoping this weather lasts just a little while longer and that nasty white stuff (you know, it begins with "s" and rhymes with mow) stays faaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr away. i'm ready for some green grass and blue skies. Cody and i will be starting our veggie seeds soon. found a perfect sunny spot to put them in out of the way of cats and little brothers...hoping that this year will be a better growing season, last year was just too soggy and wet.

Sweet Sweet Maple Syrup...mmmmmm

It was the perfect pre-spring day today here in North Attleboro, the sun was out in full force, the temps ran into the 50's , birds singing, sap flowing....yes you heard me sap...it's that magical time of the year when it's time to make the syrup! Oh there is nothing like early season maple syrup, it's light and sweet and just screaming for pancakes!! We took a little trip (and i mean little, 2 minutes up the street) to our friend Dave and Ellen's house where they started making maple syrup as a hobby a few years back, each spring they roll the boat out of the huge shed and convert it to a sugar shack...they tap neihborhood trees when the weather starts to warm up and usually have a pretty good supply of sap. The wonderful thing is about this friendly and down to earth couple is that on the weekends they invite EVERYONE to come down and see what it takes to make that golden goodness. Scout troops, friends, kids from school (Ellen was my Cody's first grade teacher and is by far the most patient and caring teacher i have ever met...we just love her to bits) and just people passing by..they will take you by the hand and explain the entire process. You can tell this is something they enjoy doing...and quite frankly my family is so spoiled by their syrup they cannot even think of getting any at the grocery store...oh no, it's Cournoyer Syrup or nothing. Matter of fact, we have to buy the 1/2 gallon bottle!!! i use it in baking of all kinds and of course they are always willing to share a recipe or two with us.

So while i purchased our tub of syrup, Cody, Brendan and their friend Philip kept Jack the sap dog busy by playing fetch for a good 1/2 hour....that dog should sleep well tonight.

I stood staring at my flower beds and trees noticing the little buds and small green shoots gently poking their heads up to say hi to the sun and the possibilities of what is to come just filled me with such longing for the warmer days ahead.....oh wait, it's stick pick up day tomorrow with the teenagers....yah, not really longing for that....oh well, good with the bad right?

Excuse me...Mother Nature... I think i ordered Spring, this looks like winter

Oh come on already!!! where is the sun? why does it tease me so?? earlier this week we had a day in the 50's and the last few have been snowy and cold...really mother nature? really? did we irritate you or something with our shouts of joy and the running around outside?

this weekend is the Pick Up the Sticks Extravaganza at our house (Insert moans and complaints from the children....here) as most of our front lawn is covered in fallen branches and sticks. all they have to do is make a nice pile and we will use them in the outside fire place...which is one of our favorite things to do in the summer, sit by the fire, roast some marshmellows and makes Smohes....ahhh summer, seems like such a distant memory :) now the weather for Sunday is calling for warmth and 50's again, i was hoping to fire up the grill and get some burgers and roasted veggies going BUT when i took a peek in the grill i noticed it had become a winter chalet for a small, fuzzy creature...i think we scared the crap out of each other, i tried to get a picture but it darted away...so....since winter isn't over yet, do i evict my latest tennent to the cold or do i just make the burgers inside and let him/her/it ride out the rest of the season? Sigh.

i'm very very busy and i've got alot to do and i haven't but a minute to explain it all to you

Looky oh just looky at what came in the mail for me.....just me!! i don't have to share it with anyone at all....sometimes it pays to be a stalker as i was the 500th visitor to my cousin's blog (not to shabby there Dawn) and she sent me a present...i have been dying to try felting and as soon as i finish the 20 other projects i started i'm on this!

I have this song from the CD Philadephia Chickens running though my head about being very busy...it's hysterical but suddenly my life is mimicking it! OY!

I have swaps to put together, gardens to plan out, chicks to prepare for, laundry to do, kids to run to horseback riding, dance, music concerts to attend and lets not even discuss dinner making (do they really need to eat? ) and of course i am working all the while. off to play in kindergarten today :) wonder what i will learn?!!?

The Victorious Dancers Have Return...Victoriously

The stunning view from our hotel room....note the porta potties...very classy indeed.

Baby Diva after the first dance! 2 out of 3 stars and first place in their division!! Now we feast!

So we braved the snow squalls and white out conditions and traveled up north for the Starpower dance competition in Concord, NH, leaving the boys back home to fend for themselves (pizza for dinner and unlimited part scratching...occasional burping and farting) Now Concord is a lovely little town, very cute and lots of nice shops...and if there was any power we would have had a great time. Oh yes, due to a freak wind storm most of that part of New Hampshire was in a blackout situation. The hotels were jammed with people who couldn't get into the emergency shelters, it was kind of sad. We met up with a man and his kids in the elevator and he asked us how long we had been without power, i told him we were up for a dance competition..."oh a vacation, how nice for you" and how i wished a big black hole would open up and swallow me and baby diva right up...yes guilt is a horrible thing.

All in all, the dancing was good. imagine it as a 5 hour concerts listening to music you really don't care for then the 3 minutes of the song you love (baby diva) and then another 5 hours of hellish screetching (while waiting for awards) yup, that was my weekend. And of course i can't wait for the next one. it's all about costumes, make up and getting her hair into a damn bun!! I can so see how the "pagent mommies" become consumed by it all.

came home to unwashed, non-teeth brushed boys who by the looks of it never changed their clothing from what i left them in. but the house was still standing and everyone had been fed so i just directed them to the showers with instruction to wash WITH SOAP and put on clean undies.