Hi!

Yesterday I had this whole post about Amon and his speech journey and I even had this cute video of a conversation I had with Amon and then Flickr and Youtube decided to be all wonkers and tick me off and then I threw up my hands and said ‘screw it all’ and then I moved on and gave up…even hit the big DELETE button.  Sometimes you just have to move on.

Long post short…he’s got 2 speech therapists now, 2 sessions a week, he now realizes we don’t understand everything, everyone gets frustrated, he’s working really hard and we’re proud.  The end.  If you want to see the video GO HERE!  Warning:  Josh Kelley is in fact sound asleep through our whole conversation.  And you can just skip the last 40 some odd seconds because it’s just me trying to get him to say “bye bye” and him just trying to poke me in the camera eye.

The end of the year is killing me.  Anyone else?  I have totally and completely over committed myself in far too many areas…and that’s just how I’m rolling.  I may have almost had a mini meltdown/anxiety attack on our stairs at almost midnight last night 🙂  I will survive!!!!  I need summer break stat.

I baked yesterday.  You know my motto…baked goods can change the world.  And holy cow…I made these Banana Pudding Cupcakes…like full on legit homemade and way above my skill level and the hardest recipe I have ever attempted.  At one point I was simmering and then pouring and whisking at the same time…my baking stress level through the roof.  And I loathe bananas so I didn’t even get to taste test, but Josh Kelley said they were delicious.

Laura Kelley Fun Fact #731:  I hate all things banana except banana bread…no nuts.  I will eat an entire loaf or pan in one sitting.

Laura Kelley Fun Fact #311:  I stay far away from dessert recipes which require me to boil or simmer any part of the recipe.  I have had bad luck far too many times burning the crap out of desserts like these.

I also picked Mom out a Mother’s Day card.  Anyone else buy their dead mother cards?!?!?!  I’ve done it each Mother’s Day so far.  It gets a little intense and I almost always dread actually writing the card because it’s just hard.  But I’m always so glad I did.  Then I leave it on her grave and at some point the grave keeper people will toss it…and that’s okay…because it’s more like a therapy gig instead.

I tried really hard this year to be super intentional about Mother’s Day.  I don’t want to spend the day in sadness or pity.  The world doesn’t need any more of that on my behalf and I just have to make the choice not to go down those roads.  I don’t want to waste a chance to make someone else’s day a little better.  So I’ve been planning and thinking a lot.

I also started thinking about the treat I wanted to make for us to enjoy at the cemetery…because all normal people eat dessert at the cemetery.  I’m thinking rice krispy treats…with sprinkles and maybe strawberries.  She loved rice krispy treats and strawberries were her favorite fruit.  I sat many a times at her kitchen table and devoured an entire carton of strawberries with her…or enjoyed a bowl of rice kristy treats because she never made them in squares but instead, dished them out into bowls with spoons.  I miss her.

Let’s see…what else…oh yes, today is the last and final day for our Noonday Fundraising Giveaway.  Remember, we’re mailing over $700 of Noonday goodies to one lucky donor.  On my to-do list today is to start writing out everyone’s names…and it’s a lot.  You guys are crazy nice.  Can’t wait to tell you how much we’ve raised for the kiddos at Ngungwane in Swaziland and who the winner is!!!!  You can read all the DETAILS HERE and find out how to join the fun.  I’ll post the winner tomorrow!

And that might be all I have for today.  I think my brain is fried.  I’m actually sitting on a pile of clean towels on our couch which should probably be folded and put away, but alas, I’m still sitting on them.  Please tell me you can relate?!?!?!  Oh, and I’ll end with a big positive…we actually executed baths on one of our bath days…which was yesterday…and by “we” I mean Josh Kelley.  I kind of like him.  And his commitment to kids with good hygiene.

Happy Thursday!