Holes | SN House

This series, I fear, is not about solutions. It's about problems that may or may not have a solution. I'm sorry if you're a SN parent coming here looking for answers today, because I have none.

So on this edition of SN House, I'm going to talk about holes. Well, one in particular.

In Alabama when the temperature dips below 50, we are FREEZING and begin pulling out the sweaters, long johns, gloves, and toboggans. In other words, when it comes to cold temperatures, we're weak.

For the last few days, it's been in the 40's in the mornings. Cold enough (to us) to fire up the gas logs! So this morning, Todd went to get the fire started and found trash stuffed in the hole where the key goes.



He used my tweezers (not his) to remove the obstructions.



Max likes holes and details. I'm guessing he was downright giddy when he got each of these items crammed into the key hole.

I love a good fire, don't you?

Mediterranean Quiche | MMMMM....

I came across this recipe a few weeks back and I just had to make it. However I had no doubt my family would not go for it. Lucky for me, I have Yaya's who have a love for Mediterranean food as I do.

So I whipped this up. It has all my favorite things: feta, kalamata olives, artichokes, garlic, tomatoes, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!



Scramble your eggs and then add in all the goodness.



Pour it in a pie crust.



Bake it.



Top it with more goodness.



Eat it!

Mediterranean Quiche

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 pie crust
6 eggs
1 cup feta cheese, divided in half
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, diced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
Sea salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Prepare pie crust or use a store bought version and lay it in the bottom of a pie dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, half of feta cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives. Add salt and pepper and garlic and stir to combine.
4. Pour mixture into the pie dish. If it is really full, place pie dish on a cookie sheet in case it spills over.
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is firm and doesn't jiggle when you take it out. If the crust starts to get too brown, cover with a piece of foil.
6. When it is cooked, slice and top with diced tomatoes and feta cheese. Serve hot.

Milk and Honey

Last night Emmy had a hard time going to sleep. Here's how the night went:

8:30pm - Bedtime

8:42pm - Emmy: "Mommy, I can't go to sleep"
Me: "Go lay down and close your eyes for a little while more"

8:55pm - Emmy: "Mommy, I'm just not tired"
Me: "Take a book and look at it and lay down"

9:15pm - Emmy: "Mommy, How 'bout some milk like you fix it?"
Me: "Ok"





Success!

Perfection | Personal Blog Post

First, take a look at this photo.



Here is what makes this a perfect situation for Max...

1. Max is swinging
   
2. Max is chewing
   
3. Max is checking his schedule (see how he's looking at his open right hand?)
   
4. Max is shirtless
   
5. Max is shoeless
   
6. It's Fall
   

That is all.

Cora is One | Gadsden Baby Photographer

A few weeks ago my girls and I went to Cora's first birthday party. I had a great time taking a few photos of her as a big 1-year-old! As with her newborn shoot, she was the perfect little poser!

Superman | SN House

In the 3rd edition of SN House...

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able separate windows from the window frame! Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SuperMAX!

Yes, it's true. Over time, Max has single-handedly separated the window from the window frame. Good thing cooler less-hot weather will be arriving soon. Hoping we can wait till Spring '13 to repair. ;-\

Gaertner Family 2012 | Morris Avenue Birmingham Family Photographer

My brother, John, his wife, Catherine and my sweet nieces came for a visit in July so we decided to update their family portraits while they were here.











Beautiful niece #1 (the quiet one)


Beautiful niece #2 (the not quiet one)




My goofy brother...


Although, they are all goofy

76 Years Young

On this day in 1936, my dad, John Frederick Gaertner, Jr., was born to John and Quindola in Texarkana, Texas Arkansas after 36 hours of labor. So sorry Mimi, but it was worth it. Here's to a thoughtful, loving husband and father who always has a story or memory to share. Oh, and if you need to know the weather, just ask him - I think he missed his calling as a meteorologist. ;-)

Father/Daughter day coming soon. Whoot!

Bed Frames Are Overrated | SN House

On this edition of SN House, Bed Frames and the advantages to not having them.

Today, Max broke off a piece of his bed frame that was soldered on.



So removed the vile piece of furniture from the room piece by piece.



Four advantages to NOT having a bed frame:

1. Bed jumping won't be as loud.

2. Less dirt under bed. (Hopefully)



3. Less gouging of wall. (which will be particularly nice once the walls have been painted - which is waiting on school to begin - hard to paint with SN boy racing around the house like a bull in a china shop.)



4. Less gouging of molding. (no, my quarter round has not been painted yet even though the flooring was installed like 4 years ago... don't rush me)



So here's the bed, frameless. I put a fitted sheet on the box springs to hide their ugly-ness.



Through the magic of Photoshop, I present to you what the walls should look like once I have an opportunity to paint them.



After I paint the main color, I'm considering doing a stencil from Royal Design Studios at the head of his bed like a faux bed frame. I may even keep my eye out for one more box springs just to raise the bed up a bit.... we'll see.

Max-Proof Bedroom | SN House

My friend, Tara, thinks I need to do some house posts about how to keep house with a SN kid in the midst. So here goes... this may be the only post or maybe I'll keep on adding to this series I'm calling "SN House"

[Disclaimer - Max's room is soon going to be Mega Greige. The white you see in a couple photos is spackle where I covered up nail holes. The blue is a color I was considering for about 5 seconds.]

To get the scoop on Max, click here

Max's room is pretty bare. This is because when we put him to bed and there are toys in the room, he chooses to play rather than sleep. So about 2 years ago, I finally gave up on keeping any toys in his room and moved them into my dining room home office. So his room consists of his bed, a small table for ABA therapy and 2 chairs. No pictures on the wall (because they tend to get swung creating arcs - maybe he's just trying to make happy faces...hmmm).

He does have a nice-sized closet. It's big enough for a small chest of drawers that holds all his clothes, a few "Church" shirts, and all the stuff Jennifer uses for therapy time. (Thank God for therapy time - also known as 2 hours that I don't have to get him out of mischief)

This is his nightly routine:
Administer medication
Administer 2mg of melantonin
Change him into a nighttime pullup
Turn off his room light from the fixture (so he won't be turning it on and off before he falls asleep)
Tuck him in
Lock his door (from the outside - so he won't escape)

10 minutes later...

"Max... get in your bed!"

20 minutes later...
Max has scooted his bed in order to turn on the light in order to pry the child lock off the closet door in order to party in his closet. oi.
scoot bed back into position
Close and put child lock back on door
Tuck child in
Turn off light
Lock door

The party closet...


This cycle is sometimes repeated.

So today I decided to nip it in the butt.

I went to Home Depot and picked up a door knob that locks - like you put on your bathroom or bedroom door.



Then I went to the electrical problem and told the electrical guy "I have a unique problem that requires a creative solution". And proceeded to give him more information then he needed. He showed me this...



I installed the doorknob as soon as I got home with the lock on the inside. Sarah - 1, Autism - 0.



Jennifer was coming over today to therapize Max, so I asked her if her hubs could come over and install the light switch thingy because I'm scared of electrical stuff. Thanks Michael. :)



You use the eensy weensy tiny key to turn the light on and off. Fabulous. A tiny key. That's what I need. :-|

Keeping the key in a high place.


Addendum - eensy weensy tiny key is officially lost.

Doorknob - $8.47
Lockable Lightswitch - $12.99

Sarah - 2, Autism - 0.

Winning.

A Milestone

Today, Abby reached a new milestone in her softball career.

She hit a ball through the bedroom window.



Go Abby.

Wearing Scripture

Oh, how I love Nations Outfitters. I was so drawn to this shirt yesterday. All of their clothing has scripture written in it. I tried on like 4 or 5 dresses and yet this is what was calling me. I didn't look at the scripture till this morning. How appropriate!

Nine

We celebrated Max's birthday yesterday with trip to Chuck E. Cheese, a cupcake from Olexa's Bakery in Mountain Brook, and a short walk at the Birmingham Zoo. It was a good day.

We have a scanner now, so I scanned "Then" photos (I was not a photographer at the time, but stamping it with my logo is just the easiest way to save photos for me).

Two days old...






Curls.


And a few pics from this morning.









This boys' toes are amazing.


Max, you are loved.