Once upon a time...

By:  Ellie Kate

Once upon a time there was a little girl there was another little girl and there was a dog and it was a girl.  There was three boys.  Our dog is very old. Her leg been hurting her.  She got hit in the eye by a car. Emmett, he been always funny.  Ellie Kate, the little girl, she played duck, duck, goose with Emmett.  Daddy he always has to do work.  Mama she is a great cook.  (Hence this is a fairytale.)  And Jack the little baby he is sooo cute.  Jack one time he smashed my doll house.  One time me and Daddy went on a daddy daughter date date. We ate ice cream. Both of ours had chocolate ice cream.  We both had a cherry on top.  Daddy he didn't want his cherry.  I ate mine first then I ate Daddy's.  I sneaked up to his ice cream and stoled the cherry. Daddy said,"Where'd my cherry go!" I told Daddy that I stoled it.  He got my goat.  That was the end.

Safety first

You can never be too careful.

I do not share the speed of the ostrich.

If I were an animal I'd be an ostrich.
As stated above, I do not share their speed.  They are fast and often outrun predators.  I could never outrun anyone or anything.  My five-year-old can almost catch me in a game of chase.
The reason I'd be an ostrich, well, I used to think it was because when threatened, they bury their head in the sand.  This, however, is a misconception.  You see, when hiding from predators, the ostrich will lay it's head and neck flat on the ground trying to appear as a mere mound of dirt. 
I can relate.
Often when confronted with, well, life I want to lay flat on my bed on the ground and appear as something I'm not.  I want to sleep for hours on end be indistinguishable from my surroundings and let whatever threat that may be present, pass me by.  I don't want to be engaged with reality, because what if I just can't handle it? 

Maybe I was never meant to handle it.

This is an update on our family.

I've been meaning to write this post for some time now. 
When last I wrote about Emmett, he had started attending a special preschool in Auburn.  We were commuting five days a week between Ashland and Auburn.  Then in December, Ross and I took Emmett to an appointment at Children's in Birmingham for a speech evaluation.  Our appointment ended up being more about trying to get Emmett's therapies centrally located.  The therapist told us that we needed to start thinking long term concerning the course that we would be taking with Emmett's treatment.  We needed to really consider the toil commuting five days a week would take on our family.
It wasn't that she told us anything new, but I sat and cried.  Reality has a way of making you think you've come to terms with it and then reintroducing itself all over again.  It carries such weight.  It can feel suffocating. It is truthful and while that in and of itself isn't bad, when accompanied with my emotions, reality can seem big and scary.
Here we were at yet another evaluation.  We wanted to get Emmett the help that he was needing more than anything, but it felt like we were once again trying to move all the while just standing still.  That's the only way that I know to describe it.  Maybe it makes sense. Maybe it doesn't.
The lady that we met with was very helpful.  She knew of a speech therapist in Auburn who would accept our insurance and maybe even go to Emmett's preschool for his sessions.
It was during this time when Ross and I began to see the need to move our family to Auburn.  The day to day stresses and time constraints of commuting were starting to take their toil.  The thought of continuing as we were for years to come didn't seem possible. And that is why three weeks ago we moved to Auburn. 
Our time in Ashland was short, but very purposeful.  During these past months, our church family ministered to us in remarkable ways.  They even had "Emmett's Supper Club", in which they brought us supper three times a week.  Amazing.  They encouraged us, prayed for us, and made themselves available to us to help in any way we needed.  We will forever be grateful for them and the kindness that they showed to us.

Our last Sunday at FBCA was the 11th of March. 
Ross will be supply preaching in our current association.  He will also be opening up an Alstate office handling insurance and investments.

Ellie Kate has started kindergarten in Auburn.  She didn't miss a beat.  After her first day, her teacher told me that Ellie Kate kept her in stitches all day.  She told her about Bunny and something about diarrhea.  I'm sure I should just plan on being embarrassed when I pick her up everyday.
In our new house, Ellie Kate shares a room with Emmett.  It's just the cutest thing.  They have bunk beds.  Emmett loves going to bed.  He gets very excited and jabbers alot.  Ellie Kate told me that she climbed down from her top bunk and layed on the bottom bunk with him the other night until he went to sleep.  Then she returned to the top bunk.  She really is a good big sister.  She naturally teaches and encourages Emmett, as well, as bossing him around to no end.  When they are together, giggling fills the air.  In Kroger last week they "drove" our car buggy and we got so many looks because of their laughter.  I don't know about you, but this is not my common response to grocery shopping. They are very silly together.  It's sweet until one gets tired of the other.

And Emmett, well I don't even know where to start. 
His progress has been nothing short of amazing.  He loves going to "cool" and is absolutely thriving!  He now calls me "Mama" all the time.  Just last week he came into our room at 5:45 in the A.M. and said "Good Monin', Mama." So sweet. And bless his heart he says "Ewie Kaaate" alot sometimes even out of frustration. Imagine that.
He talks and talks and talks and we can understand more of it.  And don't get him started on his ABC's because you'll hear them over and over and over again (which is fine with me).
We are able to meet with his case worker at the preschool each week to be updated on his progress.  We are given printouts including graphs and charts that show what he is working on and tasks that his little self has mastered.  We are able to ask any questions and receive advice on ways that we can work with Emmett at home.

Twice a week Emmett receives speech therapy.  His therapist comes to his preschool for one session and then we take him to her office for the other session.  She is training us to help in Emmett's speech development.  He has learned how to make his wants known by asking, "May I have (such n such) pwease?"  We have been working on differentiating between yes/no. He has made tremendous strides in this area and it is just the cutest thing when you can tell that he's proud of himself. 
We are still waiting on our appointment with the place in Birmingham.  However, the goals that have been set for Emmett at his school are not contingent upon a diagnosis being made.  So we wait and that's okay.
I honestly cannot convey his progress.  We have been blessed to be able to witness it.
He is still very much Emmett.  He tends to be in his own little world, acting out movies/cartoons, but there is a definite difference in being able to communicate with him. The hard days seem farther apart now. 

 And Jack, well, he's my little side kick.  Sweet fella.  He had his first haircut, but it did not deter his locks from waving to the sky.  He's a fluffy headed little person.  He's a scooter.  He is responsible for cleaning the floors and he's good at it.  Whatever edible items he misses, well, Bunny steps in to do her part.  And she still provides reliable security for our family.  No shock there.
Jack points. Alot. 
Jack jabbers.  Alot.
He's still my Gwabber and Thrower.  I also think he's addicted to Bunny's food.  I am always relocating either him or her food.  It's a constant. Gerber may want to find out the ingredients in Science Diet's adult small bites.

And the ostrich. Much like the ostrich there have been many times recently when I've just wanted to blend in with my surroundings until trouble has passed me by.  But then God clearly shows me that that's not my calling.  It can be as simple as Ellie Kate asking me a question.  And in answering her I'm reminded that I am the lense thru which she perceives the world around her.  So yesterday when we were in the car together and the subject came up about why we moved to Auburn, we talked about how her Daddy and I make decisions.  I told her that we ask God what He wants us to do.  Then I got to share Romans 8:28 with her.  And while I think I saw a light bulb turn on above her head as she said,"Oh, I get it." It was I who was reminded that He works ALL things to the good of those who love Him. 
And He has.  And He does.
Much like the ostrich, I think there is also a misconception about me.  I think I'm perceived as something I'm not.  This last year when Jack got sick, when we moved three times, when we had evaluation after evaluation with Emmett, when we dealt with Ross's health concerns, when Ellie Kate started kindergarten, and on and on and on. I think that some people thought I was strong.  I wasn't.  I was frail and sometimes sad. I was hurt and confused.  I was wrestling with my faith and trying to cling to what I knew to be true.   
And once again in the middle of each transition God would wrap His grace and goodness tightly around me and my little family and handle everything in the tender way that only He can.

My little, old lady

To celebrate the 100th day of school, Ellie Kate and her classmates were encouraged to dress up like 100 year olds.  I cannot tell you just how perfect this was for Priss.  I wish you could hear her voice that accompanied her attire.  Just know that Ellie Kate was never able to do her little old lady impersonation without hunching over.  She fully played the part. 

The baby powder in her hair is a little more visible in this photo.

My 100 yr old kindergartener.

Jack turns 1!

Newborn Baby Jack

1/21/11

Goodness gracious.  As I live and breathe how in the world is my baby turning one? On the other hand I feel like asking,"Are we sure he isn't turning 5?" 
Whew, what a year!
Coincidentally Jack's first year is also the year when I found the most grey hairs in my head.  Actually that's not completely a coincidence.
Our little fella has had some kind of a year.
His sickness at 8 weeks of age was alot to absorb.  Truly, I believe that one of the Lord's graces was in allowing me to operate without fully comprehending my surrounding circumstances.  He really carried us through that difficult time.
I've shared this with many, but I can vividly remember one of the most calming moments during that whole ordeal.  Ross and I had just been told of the reality of Jack's condition.  We were reeling from the words spinal tap, meningitis, and "he needs to be airlifted to Children's hospital".
I sat in the hospital room and heard the helicopter flying overhead.
I approached my baby as they were wheeling him to the elevator.  I told him that he was my big, strong boy and that I loved him. Then the medic who was taking him looked at me and said,"I'm going to take care of him."
And I knew that he would.
And I knew that He would.
As we walked to our car in the hospital parking lot, we saw the ambulance make it's way to the launch pad.  We stood watching, tears streaming down my face as my sick little one was lifted away. 
There was so much comfort in knowing that so many were already praying for him.
And today on his 1st birthday he is a happy, healthy, loud little person.

On his birthday.

God is good.
Jack is a blessing through and through.
As I reflect on it now, it amazes me that during this year of crazy transitions, health concerns, and concerns in general, God saw fit to place little Jack Watson in our family. No matter the chaos He has used our sweet baby as a continual reminder of His goodness and blessing in our lives. 
The presence of such innocence is a beautiful thing to behold.  That sweet, perfectly round face.  That jolly chuckle waiting to spill out with an abundance of drool.  Oh you gotta love a baby!  Especially this one.  Jack is my little Rooster.  His hair is in constant rebellion as it stands straight up, reaching ever higher and waving in the breeze.  When I bathe him and slick his hair down with water, I almost feel as if I've turned him into a little business man.  Of course, it dries quickly and "poof", my jolly, little fun loving guy is back.
One of my absolute favorite things about Jack is his "singing".  He is a songbird. I fully expected him to release a holiday album.  That baby sings like no other.  He's kindof like Buddy the elf. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear."
Seriously, we went through a period of time when Jack would wake up and sing at about 2 in the a.m.  I would tell him that it was so pretty, but could we please wait a few more hours?
He still takes a bottle during the night.  It is so precious to return to my room and listen to the monitor as his little self sings until he falls back to sleep. I have walked into his room and found him singing in his sleep.
Oh, and it's always an original piece. It's usually goes something like this...."AaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAA..." and so on and so forth.

He is so ticklish.  I love to tickle him just so I can hear his precious laughter bubble out.
He has started doing something that Emmett did when he was a baby.  Jack raises his chin toward the ceiling and scrunches his little face up.  The Mommy melts every time.
He loves to watch anything that Emmett does.  Emmett usually calls him "Baby Dack", when prompted to acknowledge this little one who has hung around. Jack has those big ole' baby blues just like his brother.

Sucking his thumb & holding his Lovie

Mommy & Jack December 2011

Fathers' Day 2011

Jack & Ellie Kate April 2011

He also finds Ellie Kate to be rather entertaining.  I'm just hoping that he will start talking soon because currently Ellie Kate has a little voice that she pretends is his.  She feels safe behind her vocal disguise and allows all blame to sit squarely on her baby brother's shoulders when saying any silly words.  I'm not sure she knows any other kind of words.  In previous months she has mentioned that "Baby's don't have brains."  Hmmm....I'm wondering when she thinks those develop.   Anyway the sooner Jack can speak up for himself, the better.
Jack is a grabber and a thrower. It seems that nothing is ever fully out of his reach.  Oh yes. Do not be fooled.  He is a ninja.

This picture cracks me up.

In the mornings when I walk into his room I am usually greeted by him clapping his chubby little hands together.  Is there a better way to start one's morning? I think not. 
We are smitten with our little Jack Jack.                

Surprise! You get to dig in!

Happy Birthday Baby Jack!

" My Little Wooster"

Eating it up!

We love you!

Merry Christmas!

                                        
From the Kilpatricks


Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Let me explain.

Due to public outcry, I must explain what did not take place on August 6th.

On August 6th, a post was not dedicated to Bunny.

She turned 10 with no fanfare.

It's just not right people.

How could such a milestone take place and not be documented? Well, if memory serves me well, and it often doesn't, our life was insanely hectic at the time. "Insanely hectic" would pretty much characterize 2011 for us. Therefore, August 6th came during that time frame.

Sorry, Bun. Thankfully she has great patience and is willing to overlook the fact that this post is 4+ months late.

I decided that instead of doing a "through the years" album, I would just show a few pictures of Bunny that I've taken in the last few months.

It's pretty obvious that Bunny is "on guard" in the pictures below. Anytime we are outdoors with the children, she is on "high alert". I cannot conceal the details of "high alert" since it is a matter of security for our family. I will tell you that in the below pictures, Bunny is setting a security parameter in what was our backyard at the time.

You would think that the lack of sight in her left eye would lessen her ability to protect. However, her loss of sight has only proven to strengthen her other senses.

And to date, we have never had a break in.

Coincidence?

I think not.

All business as the children play in the background.

This look is clearly saying,"Make my day, punk."

Such concentration.

See the gentleness displayed as she walks over to Jack. It's her instinct, I tell ya.

This last picture was taken recently. I had seen a mouse. The best thing to do when you see a mouse is to position your chihuahua's bed in front on the last location in which the perpetrator was spotted.

I haven't seen him since.

And now I will leave you with a story from a few years ago.

I was exactly 7 months pregnant with Ellie Kate.

Ross and I lived on 120 acres of land in Troy.

I was taking a class at Troy University at the time. As I left that morning for school, I thought that I would leave Bunny outside with our new puppy, Pookie. I thought for sure Pookie would not run off since Bunny was there to keep her company.

We lived on the top of a hill, quite a distance from the road.

I watched the little white chihuahua fade into the distance as I drove down the driveway. She was use to being kept indoors and no doubt had a look of denial on her miniature face. She displayed a worried brow and that should have been my first clue that I was making a wrong decision. Getting fresh air was not on her list of things to do for the day.

Nevertheless, I drove away.

I returned a few hours later.

I drove into our yard and was immediately greeted by Pookie but there was no Bunny to be found.

I knew instantly that something was terribly wrong.

After looking all around and calling time and again for Bunny, I went inside to call Ross at work.

He was rather alarmed as his 7 month pregnant wife cried over the phone,"She's gone!  Bunny's gone!  I can't find her!"

He calmly replied,"It's okay. She'll come back."

I cried,"But she doesn't know where we live!"

And so the search began.

I was waddling around in 100 degree weather when Ross pulled up to help. I had also contacted my Mother who was about an hour away. She called my cousin who brought her boyfriend over.

We split up.

I walked along the edge of the woods calling her name and crying.

I saw something move in the brush. I paused only to realize that it was a wild turkey. The stupid thing started to circle me. I picked up a stick and invisioned the next morning's headline,"Pregnant Woman Killed by Wild Turkey."

Only in Alabama.

Anyway, the bird with the shrunken looking head must have realized my distress because he chose not to attack. I think it was a wise choice on his part.

The search continued for a couple of hours.

Our reinforcements had to leave, but Ross and I continued to look.

We would momentarily go inside to rehydrate. I would sit on the couch and cry for a little while and then we were off again.

The ground search yielded no hard evidence of her whereabouts.

We got in the car and started going door to door.

We even went to the Walmart redistribution center up the road.

Ross made some comment about how someone may have picked her up. He wanted to check the parking lot to see if someone had put her in their car. I dissolved into tears as I contemplated how this scenerio would play out in such sweltering heat. He immediately retracted his statement.

Bless his heart. When you've got a pudgy 7 month pregnant wife looking for her lost chihuahua on a burning hot and humid south Alabama day, well I'm sure "choose your words carefully" is an understatement.

We returned to our driveway passing a flattened carcass in the road. My sweet husband assured me time and again that the poor unfortunate ball of fuzz had been a squirrel.

Just as we were about to pull into our driveway, we decided to drive down the road and visit one more home.

Ross looked into his rearview mirror as a truck had pulled off the road behind us.

A man got out and asked if we were looking for something.

There, sitting in the cab of his truck was B-U-N-N-Y!

Apparently after I left for school that morning, Bunny had trekked the entire way to the road. This saintly gentleman had been passing by and noticed her. He stopped and picked her up, knowing that with those trimmed nails, she belonged to someone. This hunch was further strengthened when his family tried to feed her outside. She had refused to eat until she was taken inside into the air conditioning.

Ross and I returned home after our 3 hour ordeal. We sat on the couch and turned on the Atlanta Braves game. It just so happened to be bring your dog to the park night.

Thinking back on it now. It's very likely that Bunny knew this fact and was hitching her way to the game.

I guess we will never really know.

Anyway,

Happy Birthday, Bunny or as Ross says, "Bunna-potomas!"

I'm just going to write.

Even as I type this, I don't know how.

I don't want to oversimplify nor do I want to be dramatic.

I have written bits and pieces of this post in my head a hundred times.

This is about Emmett.

Since January, it's as if I've been introduced to a new world.

As a baby he was delayed in many developments such as crawling and walking.

He began to babble and talk.

I remember him saying "Mama" and "Butber" (Butler, our dog at the time).

At some point he stopped doing this.

We had his hearing checked. Have you ever tried to have a little one's hearing checked?

I was told to just watch him and see how he developed. I was told that we could eventually start speech therapy. I was told to wait. Wait and see. Isn't that what we had been doing?

Fast forward.

Different. That's the only way that I could have described our Little Man to you.

Somewhat withdrawn. He didn't engage or even seem to notice other kids.

Until recently he didn't call me anything. And then when he did want me to hold him he would come to me with his hand out saying,"Cwying." Never "mama".

Last January a concern was shared. Ross and I returned from a little get away. We ate with my mom in Montgomery. Sometime during that visit she asked me if we had considered talking with our pediatrician about autism.

It's amazing when someone speaks out loud what you've been reserving and questioning in your heart.

I know it wasn't easy for my Mom to say what she said.

And so Ross and I drove home with the kids.

I sat in the passenger seat, eight months pregnant and I cried.

It seemed as though I was lost in a sea of questions and uncertainty.

What was going on? Mommy guilt reared it's ugly head and all I could ask myself was,"How had I failed this precious blue-eyed boy?"

I believe I had a check up the next day. While I was at the doctor, Ross took Emmett to his pediatrician and expressed our concern.

I was about two weeks away from having Jack when a case worker was sent to our home to observe and interact with Emmett.

Little Man did everything that she asked him to do.

The lady asked Ross and me various questions.

It was determined that Emmett was delayed with his speech. We would schedule the second part of the evaluation to have him further observed.

We began working with Emmett in different ways.

His speech greatly improved and we felt that we were on the right path.

In the next several months, Jack was born. Jack got very sick. We moved. Alot of changes took place. It was a time of transition.

Then at the beginning of the summer, Ross and I took Emmett and Ellie Kate to see a movie. We just knew that Emmett would be glued to the screen.

He did watch, but then he stood up and began jabbering. He wasn't just jabbering. It was as if he were the only one in the theater. To watch him, you would think that he was in a movie of his own, playing each part. He was so intent on what he was saying and doing. The huge movie screen may as well have not been there, because Emmett was in his own little world.

I felt sick.

I'm pretty sure Ross did, too.
We finally voiced our concerns to one another about Emmett.

It wasn't so much that we could say exactly what we knew was amiss. Something was just different.

We contacted Early Childhood Intervention again.

We took Emmett for more evalution. We answered the same questions again.

We filled out forms to be sent off to Birmingham to a place where we could further investigate and see if there was any link between Emmett and autism. We wanted to search to the inth degree and find out all that we could about what was taking place with our boy.

I felt emotionally drained.

It's funny how the world keeps turning at the same rate as it always has despite what you are dealing with in life.

We were told that Emmett was indeed delayed in various areas of development.

We decided to place him in a local daycare for a few days a week so that he could be around other children his age.

We witnessed so much progress with him.

He began talking more and tolerating having other children playing around him.

We found out that the place in Birmingham (that diagnoses) had a 12 month waiting list.

Waiting can be the hardest part.

The Early Intervention program sent a lady to our home a few times to show us ways to work with Emmett. It was very helpful. She said that many delays can often be called "mommy" delays. I basically began to see where I just did things for Emmett. Speech is necessary to express a want or need. If I thought he had a want or a need, I simply met it without him ever asking.

You can only imagine how helpful Ellie Kate was and continues to be in this process. Ellie Kate and Emmett's relationship is truly a strength in this circumstance. He has a full time speech therapist right here at home who doesn't take a breath. Oh the things she wants to teach him!

When Emmett turned three, the Early Intervention services came to an end.

Our local school system stepped in.

More evaluations.

More of the same questions.

More waiting.

More acronyms that I didn't understand.

Lots of opinions.

More of everything except definite answers.

One of the most maddening things about this process is that "time is of the essence" all the while we add our name to another waiting list.

There is a lack of resources and a definite lack when it comes to my patience.

Hello, Mama Bear.

I tell ya, let anything, and I mean, anything happen to me. But let something begin to effect one of my children and the gloves are comin' off.

Trust has been no small commodity.

I've uttered the most honest of prayers and pleaded with the Lord for wholeness for my little one. In fact, that's exactly what Ross prays every. single. night.

He places his hand on Emmett and prays that the Lord would make him whole mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

I need to say something here.

I know no evil intent has ever been attached to this expression that I'm about to share,but never ask someone what is wrong with their child.

I can in complete confidence tell you that there is indeed nothing wrong with Emmett. He is exactly who the Lord created him to be.

He is a gift. He is precious.

He may not be typical but he is full of purpose. Mind you, he is very much a stubborn little three-year-old boy.

He is also not disabled or severly anything for that matter.

He is extremely affectionate and will gaze directly at me with those big blue eyes.

He is a funny kid with an infectious laugh. When he smiles, it's not that just the corners of his mouth turn upward. His entire face scrunches and lights up. Noone smiles as well as Emmett.

God does not make mistakes. Ross and I are keenly aware of the fact that there is so much purpose on the road we are walking with the beautiful child that the Lord has entrusted to us.

To be quite honest, I need the Lord to make me whole mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. And apart from His provision, I am left wanting.

So where are we currently?

I cannot begin to describe the amount of support that we have received. Many prayers have been lifted on our behalf and endless acts of kindness have been shown.

I am in awe as I reflect back over the relationships that the Lord has orchestrated in our lives. Thru one of Ross' friends who has two autistic children, we were referred to a (Defeat Autism Now) DAN Doctor in Auburn. Dr A. told us about some special preschools that cater to the needs of children who display varying types of developmental delays. They receive hours of specialized therapy and are also taught in classrooms with children who are developing typically. Parents are updated weekly on their child's progress and trained to know how to best help their child.

We were ecstatic to hear that such a place existed.

In the next few days we enrolled Emmett in one of these preschools in Jacksonville.

We were put on a waiting list.

Ross called the location in Auburn and asked for an application to be mailed to us. We were going to be added to their waiting list, as well.

Then last week Ross made the decision to drive to Auburn and take care of the process in person. Upon arriving at the preschool, the director, knowing who Ross was, said,"I've got some good news. We had someone decline their spot a couple of hours ago. We have a place for Emmett."

Finally.

Wonderful news. Thank you, Lord!

Emmett was showing so much improvement at his daycare. It was a bittersweet send off on his last day. The teachers were excited to see him have such a wonderful opportunity ahead, but they all agreed that they would miss his little self.

And so this week has been a big transition for us.

His first day at his new preschool was on Monday.

The drive is about an hour and 15 minutes one way. He will come Monday thru Friday, 7:45 to 2:30.

They will soon begin their own evaluations. We will sit down and see what the plan will be for our little man.

If you haven't met Emmett, well I wish you could.

He is a beautiful, intelligent soul.

It is like opening a gift each time we hear him say something new.

I really look forward to seeing him learn how to communicate, express himself.

We don't have a diagnosis. We are still on a waiting list for the place in Birmingham. We aren't looking for a diagnosis. It's not that we want any certain labels attached to Emmett. We simply want to know where he is so we can best help him. Unfortunately, we have learned that without a diagnosis it is hard to get some services that are needed.

The Lord has opened this new door for us.

We don't always know how to walk this path. It can at times feel as though we are indeed taking two steps forward and one step back. But for now, it has been so wonderful to know that our son is where he can receive the help he needs.

As we continue to walk and learn daily, I know that Emmett will not be the only one changed.

Mr. Kilpatrick has a birthday

Yay! Today Ross is catching up with me...for a little while.

Love, love, love, this man.

Handsome.

Goofy.

Calming.

Tender.

Consistent.

Thoughtful.

Strong.

Respectful.

That's my man.

And yet he is so much more.

I often tell Ross that I am so glad that I get to do life with him.

That includes celebrating.

His life is definitely one to be celebrated!

For the Love!

8 years people. 8 years!

I hate that I can't scan some photos from our wedding day, but that's how it goes with my computersaurus. I can't even upload new pictures!

Hmmm...the main thing that I remember about our wedding was that I was completely unconcerned with the details. I just wanted to say "I do" to Mr. William Ross Kilpatrick.

I think that the 5 month planning process added to my Mom's loss of sanity because I was not worried in the least about anything besides tying the knot. After finding my wedding dress and having my bridal portraits made, I found a new dress two weeks before our big day. It was crazy!

The Lord has been not just faithful, but bountiful in His blessings given to us. We have three beautiful little ones and countless memories. Just as I said in my vows on that day, Ross continues to have my deepest love and highest respect.

Oh how I love me some Ross!

I didn't even see it coming.

Wednesday afternoon.
Everyone has eaten supper.
Emmett is literally cackling at Ellie Kate.
She sits at the table and he pulls her out of her chair and takes off running hoping to be chased. Thankfully, she thinks this is funny, too.
Church starts at 6:30.
I freshen up my makeup using much concealer. I expect National Geographic to show up wanting to do a special on the alien life form that has invaded my face. Somehow my skin forgot that we've made it thru the teen years (as well as past our twenties). Even Ellie Kate took notice of the "boo-boo" on my face. I don't know how I've avoided wearing a bandaid over it. At our house they heal, well, everything.
Jack (bless his little heart) has fallen asleep in his jumparoo.
I lay him in my bed so he can catch a quick nap. It's about 5:30 at this point.
I've got the diaper bag ready complete with juice cups.
The clock speeds up as it approaches 6:00. Time always disappears when I'm trying to get myself and three kids ready.
I've cleaned up the kitchen.
The diaper bag is on the couch. I try to have everything that I need to take with me waiting by the door. This includes mobile children.
And then it begins.
I'm not even sure what to call it.
I tell Ellie Kate to find her flip-flops. She reports back saying that they are nowhere to be found.
I catch a moving Emmett and wrestle him to the ground.
I wipe off all of the stains on his face. As previously mentioned, everyone has had supper.
He needs a fresh diaper.
With him lying flat I could change his diaper in seconds, but where's the fun in that?
I'm reminded by his resistance that having his diaper changed is a form of abuse.
Somehow he nearly escapes. I grab his legs and pull him back toward me. His rear is dragging on the floor yet he is fully twisted around from the waist up, grabbing at the carpet. My little contortionist. I unwind his middle section and complete the diaper change even slipping some shorts on him. I then marvel at my skills as I wrestle the little guy and successfully put sandals that buckle on his feet.
I realize that the background music is not music at all. It's Jack, awake and crying.
I stick my head into Ellie Kate's room and spot a solitary flip flop by the wall.
She is in the kitchen digging thru her backpack to retreat her princess pen and notepad.
I call for her to return to her room.
I tell her to look for the lost flip flop. She lacks enthusiasm.
I return to the living room and find Emmett seated in the rocking chair. He has (as always) gotten his cup out of the diaper bag and is drinking his "duice". Emmett's juice drinking method is to turn up his cup and empty it of every single drop of liquid. I haven't packed extra juice for him so I take his cup away and place it once again in the diaper bag.
He is appalled. He cuts his eyes at me, grunting in protest saying, "Duice, duice!"
If ever there is an appropriate time to reprimand your mommy, well, Emmett believes it is now. "NoooooooNooo. Duiceduiceduice."
"No, man. You can have your juice when we get to church."
With that, I tell Jack that Mommy is doing her best to get to him. Just another minute, please.
I return to Ellie Kate's room and find her seated on the floor reading a book.
"Ellie Kate did you find your flip flop?"
"Um...no." She returns to her literature.
I point to the closet and ask her to hand me her pink bag. She cuts her eyes at me and pretends that I'm speaking to her invisible friend. I repeat my request. She reaches over and pulls the bag out. I tell her to put the book down for now and help me.
At this point attitude oozes as she slowly lets the book fall out of her hand and to the floor from her now standing position.
"Oh, no ma'am. Come over here."
She receives a quick pop on the rear and a reprimand.
I search her pink bag and am unable to locate the missing flip flop.
I logically say,"You can just wear your pink sandals." Apparently, Ellie Kate heard me say,"We are going to remove all of your toenails" because her posture sags and she begins to dissolve into tears. I make my firm tone a little firmer and let her know that she will wear her sandals.
"Mama, you just hurt my feelings.(...sobs...sobs.) You won't let me help you."
I respond,"Ellie Kate I told you to come in here and find your other flip flop and you came and sat on the floor and read a book."
"But Mama, I love books!"(sob...sob)
I respond,"Baby, I know you do, but when I tell you to do something that's what you need to do. Now lets get these sandals on. We've got to go."
Like salt on a slug she continues to rapidly dissolve.
Meanwhile, in the background I can hear two things: Jack crying and Emmett protesting.
I put the pink sandals on the little girl with crocodile tears rolling down her face. She manages to continue talking thru her tears.
I walk into my room and scoop Jack up. I take him into the den and change his diaper. I wonder when the angry foreign exchange student arrived as Emmett continues to jabber and be annoyed by me.
Ellie Kate is once again retrieving her notebook and pen. She continues to cry.
I begin to shuffle us to the door.
"These shoes frwustrate me, Mama!"
"I know. I know. Come on let's get in the car."
Jack is on my hip. The diaper bag and my purse are slung over my shoulder. Emmett balances two dinosaurs in one hand and reaches up with his free hand to be helped down the stairs. Each step is numbered. There are six in all.
I look back over my shoulder and the little girl with the frustrating sandals is standing at the top of the six stairs.
"Come on, Ellie Kate. You are okay."
She joins us at the van and climbs back to her seat while I put Jack in his car seat.
I walk around to the passenger side and catch Emmett just before he crawls to the back with his sister and out of my reach. I notice that he has a peanut butter hand print on his back that happens to be the same size as Ellie Kate's hand. I don't even consider changing his shirt. After all peanut butter smells good.
I hook him in his car seat. He is saying "sinosaur" over and over. I half way climb into the van and see a dinosaur on the floor. I retrieve the dinosaur and hand it to him.
I walk around and climb into the driver's side. As Ellie Kate cries, Emmett repeats "sinosaur" over and over.
I look back and see the very dinosaur that I had just handed to him on the floor. I once again retrieve the thing and put it in his little hand. As I'm turning around, out of the corner of my eye I see Emmett "accidentally" drop the dinosaur again.
I'm not playing this game.
As we are pulling out of the driveway, Ellie Kate says while crying,"My eye hurts. It hurts because I can't stop thinking about it."
I remind her that she can go into the Bible study with me tonight and ask her Daddy to pray for it.
We drive less than two miles to church.
As we turn into the church parking lot Emmett begins angry crying and arching his back in protest. This is not always his response to church, but apparently he's decided that he doesn't want to go tonight.
I pull into a space marked "SENIORS" because it's near the door.
Thankfully a sweet lady pulls in behind me and asks if I could use some help. I quickly explain that we are in simultaneous meltdown mode and my turn is coming up. She graciously takes Jack from me as I begin to unbuckle my less than happy toddler.
He begins to flail, kicking his sister.
The five-year-old with the frustrating sandals and hurting eye, does not take kindly to this.
We enter the foyer.
The Kilpatricks have arrived.
I make light of the fact that my two oldest are nearly distraught.
We walk thru the sanctuary to get to the nursery.
I smile around clinched teeth.
The nursery worker (Ms. C) takes Jack from the kind lady that came to my rescue. I make a quick note to include said kind lady in my will and I thank her for her help.
I put Emmett down and he morphs into a leach and attaches to my leg.
Ellie Kate sits down with the twin little boys in the nursery and starts asking them how to spell their names. She wants to write this in her notebook.
I sit in a rocking chair and look for something, anything to draw Emmett's attention away from me. Jack decides to follow suit with the crying.
Ms. C tells me that the last time Emmett was like this, he calmed down shortly after I left. I ask her if she wants me to just stay in the nursery or try to leave. We decide that Ellie Kate and I will exit and wait outside of the door for a few seconds to see if Emmett calms down.
We bolt out of the door.
As we stand with our backs against the wall, Ellie Kate whispers,"Don't say a word."
Sure enough, in less than three minutes Emmett quits crying.
Ellie Kate and I enter the sanctuary and find a seat near the back. She raises her hand to request prayer for her eye and then chickens out when Ross calls on her. She asks me to make the request for her and I do. Ross also tells everyone that it's her birthday. We sing to her and then continue with our prayer meeting/Bible study.
I shoosh Ellie Kate and then remind her 5+ times that she has been shooshed.
I'm somewhat surprised as I sit in the sanctuary that I'm not completely frayed. I realize that in recent prayers I asked for patience. It becomes obvious to me that the Lord is allowing opportunities for me to grow in this area.
I thank Him for my babies.
The return home goes much more smoothly.
My children's plot to take over Mommy has been averted...for today, but I have to say that I didn't even see this one coming.
Sneeky little people... that I love dearly.

Ellie Kate: 5

Maybe this will cut down on the confusion.

We've always told Ellie Kate,"When you're five you'll go to kindergarten."

Well, she's been in school for a few weeks now, but is just turning five today.

She was also confused by the fact that we celebrated her's and Emmett's birthdays this past weekend. I think she didn't know how to celebrate being five when she was still four.

We had a party at my parents' home. I walked into the den at about seven that morning and Ellie Kate was already up. She was sitting in the rocking chair. She asked me,"When are we going to get this party started?"

Anyway, now she is officially the big 0-5.

Last night before she went to bed, we prayed for one of her friends at school who "broke her eye." Then she expressed to me (almost in tears) just how badly she wanted to be a "bus rider" and not a "car rider". Big stuff.

Of course, one of her first questions this morning was,"When will I turn six?"

All I could think was,"Soon enough. Soon enough."

I did something this morning that I don't normally do. After her bath I blow dried her hair. I brushed it and dried it. I wanted to get all sentimental thinking about how bald that little punkin head used to be. My emotions were quickly averted as Ellie Kate made faces at herself in the mirror.

As I rocked Jack to sleep last night, I remembered when Ellie Kate was his size. Has it really been five years?

I've heard it said that with children the days are long, but the years are short. Oh how true! I'm thankful that Ellie Kate still wants me to rock her.

I tell ya, starting kindergarten has been hard. After taking her to school that first morning, Ross and I attended the 'Boo Hoo Breakfast' where I boohooed. I then took Emmett to his school. I came home and sat, rocking baby Jack. He and I had a nice conversation in which he agreed to remain a baby, indefinitely. That helped my feelings.

In the mornings when she's leaving, she says,"Bye Jack, my little carrot."

She recently got in trouble.

During revival we were getting ready to leave church and I couldn't find her. I walked to the back of the sanctuary and looked in the foyer. One of the doors was opened where people were walking out. All I could see was an arm extended with a little hand palm up. Then I noticed men digging in their pockets. Well come to find out Ellie Kate was taking up money from people as they left the church. She even told me later,"If you give me a dollar it'll be your lucky day." She came home with a five dollar bill and some change.

Ross and I told her that she was not to take up money at church. So you can imagine our surprise when recently we found her on a Sunday night at church collecting money as people left. A familiar discussion ensued as we talked about the fact that she was not to do this. Her response,"But it's for my money collection."

I think we'll play it safe and check her pockets every time we come home from church.

Oh how I often wish I knew just half of what Ellie Kate thinks she knows. She has always been a grown up in a little body. Being the big sister to two little boys only accentuates the entitlement of authority that she already feels.

Just the other night I heard Emmett crying. Ellie Kate came walking out of her room. I asked her what happened. She said that Emmett was being ugly while playing with her dollhouse so she hit him. I took her into her room so that I could mediate between the two parties. Emmett, crying, came and put his head on my lap. I talked to him about playing nice with his sister. Before I could address the sister, she turned to Emmett and said,"Now apologize to Sister." She went on to say,"If you apologize and keep your promise you can play, but if you don't keep your promise then I'm not gonna let you play with it (the dollhouse) nights or days."

Emmett, feeling the full weight of the consequences and to my surprise, murmured a "sawwee". Little Priss would have overlooked her own offense had I not stopped her and reminded her that I am the Mommy and she isn't supposed to hit anyone. She apologized to her brother shortly thereafter and all was right with the world for 13.5 seconds.

I have to say, she really does love her brothers and she mothers them to the best of her five year old ability.

So (as my mother laughs) I am getting a daily dose of what it's like to raise, well, myself.

D-r-a-m-a.

When she fell on the waterslide Saturday and cut her toe (it was pretty bad), she quickly decided that since she had "broke" her toe, her fellow classmates could get her a wheelchair and push her around. Thus far we have been able to avoid the wheelchair and managed with only a slight limp. She also told me that swinging in our backyard the other day was good excercise for her "broke" toe. I have reminded her daily about her bravery concerning her recent injury. She has proudly told me that she has indeed been impressed with said bravery.

She does currently end most sentences with,"Isn't that right, Mama." Ross and I think it's so cute that she wants my affirmation so often.

And one last thing, Ellie Kate thinks she speaks several different languages. This is especially true when she is taken to get a pedicure. She communicates with whoever is painting her toenails. She and I were having a pedicure recently and she said,"ChongChichiiahfdhdihdchong." I said,"What?" She quickly told me that she was not talking to me.

She has also approached people in restaurants and started speaking "their" language.

Offensive? Most likely.

She is a mess, but I wouldn't take anything in the world for that little girl.

And with that, I will leave you with a couple of recent Ellie Kate quotes:

"Shut up isn't a nice word for adults, for cats and dogs, or for small children."

"See this boo boo on my neck. I was trying to grow a hair there. It didn't come out. It made a little place. It wasn't up to me. It was up to my body."

Happy Birthday Ellie Kate! I love you!

You are my Priss-a-potamus!

These little people...

look alot alike.

Ellie Kate


Emmett


Jack

Ellie Kate

Emmett

Jack

And they favor these big people.

Each baby with Daddy.