How to Make Pancakes

As Told by Christopher

Step one:

Make sure you use the brown rice pancake mix. (That one is the best and I can eat it.)

Step two:

Get your egg replacer ready. (I can eat that too.)

Step three:

Measure the mix and pour it in the bowl. (Careful, don't miss the bowl, it's expensive mix.)

Step four:

Measure the water and pour it in the bowl too. (Don't use milk, it will make me sick.)

Step five:

Add the oil to the bowl. (It has to be Canola, cause that's the one I can have.)

Step six:

Add the egg you mixed together earlier. (It looks funny, but it works.)

Step seven:

Stir it together.

(Just like this.)

Step eight:

Keep stirring.

(And like this.)

Step nine:

Put some of the mix (it's called batter now) into the pan. (It should be a circle or it's not a pancake.)

(Yup, I made that pancake.)

Step ten:

Flip the pancake over to cook the other side. (Don't touch the stove, it's HOT.)

Step eleven:

Put the pancake on a plate and get a fork. (Tear it into small pieces so you can pick them up with your fingers.)

Step twelve:

Get the syrup. (Don't put any butter on the pancake, it will also make me sick.)

(Here it is.)

Step thirteen:

Get in your highchair. (You have to eat the pancakes there because they are sticky.)

Step fourteen:

EAT THE PANCAKES!!!

(YUMMY!!)

Getting Help

Christopher has a few problems with sensory processing. He doesn't do well with many textures or sounds.

As a new year begins, we also started Christopher's therapy. He is working with a program called Alta Mira. They are helping him with his sensory issues. He has a developmental specialist visit our house once a week and he also sees an occupational therapist once a week.

Christopher's sensory issues are affecting his speech. He isn't saying as many words or sounds as he should be. Alta Mira has also begun to help him with his speech, just to make sure that he doesn't fall behind.

So far the therapy does seem to help. Christopher is scratching a little less then he had been and he is making new sounds. He also has some new words!

New Year's

For New Year's, we spent a nice quite time at home. Matthew and Isaac came over and spent the night. We started working on a cool M&M puzzle I received for Christmas, but the table we were working on was too small, so we were unable to finish it.

Christopher woke up at 11:30 and didn't go back to sleep until 12:30. This was the first year that he was able to see a new year, since last year he was sleeping.

The next day, Elena made a really yummy ham and we all ate.

Hopefully everyone will have a really good and prosperous 2009!

Christmas Continued

After Uncle Rudy went home we headed over to Elsa and Elva's. There was lots of tasty food, plenty of family, and of course more presents.

(Watching the little angel.)

(A happy, sleeping baby.)

(What a really pretty dress.)

(The gangster ballerina.)

(A shy Emma.)

(Louie and Louie.)

Top: Manny, David, Louie

Bottom: Pee-wee, Louie

(What a happy family.)

(Awww, what a tired baby.)

Once everyone took a small nap, it was on to the next location: Uncle Rudy's house. There was more food and lots of new things to play with.

(Bella and Emma play dress up with Bella's new toys.)

(Isaac is enjoying a piece of pie.)

(All gathered in the kitchen, enjoying the food and the company.)

(Making themselves perfect.)

Matthew didn't make it to Grandma Elena's house for Christmas, so he spent the night on New Year's. He recieved the presents Santa left for him then.

(COOL! More tech decks.)

(Posing for the camera.)

Wow! What a crazy, fun, exhausting Christmas. Everyone had a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Merry Christmas!

This year, we went to Christopher's great grandma's for Christmas Eve, as usual. There was good food and Christopher got to spend time with family he usually doesn't see. He got a few cool gifts and everyone had a really good time.

(The woof-woof Christopher couldn't pet, but said hi to.)

(Christopher's cousin, Aiden, who was born 1 month before him.)

After we returned from Christopher's Granny's, we made cookies and left them out for Santa. Then it was off to bed.

Then Christmas morning, Christopher woke up and got his Santa shirt on. We then waited for everyone else to wake up so we could open presents.

(Where is everyone?)

Once we got everyone to wake up....it was present time! Although Christopher wasn't really interested in opening the presents he was really excited about what he found under the paper. Once again, almost all of the presents under the tree belonged to Christopher.

(Wow! What a cool couch.)

(Look who it is.....Look! LOOK!!)

(Those are some cool pants.)

(A shirt with LOTS of cars.)

(Looks like Grandma got some new knives.)

(What is that, Mama?)

(A fish puzzle just for Christopher.)

(A cook book for Mama.)

(Oh yea! A new video.)

(You guys open that one....I'm tired.)

(What did Daddy get?)

(Patsy gets to open a gift, too.)

(Hey, who got the cool kitchen?)

(Look, Mama got some matching PJ's, and she could REALLY use them.)

(Check out the cool Clifford.)

(What an awesome stocking, Santa.)

(What a MESS!)

Soon after Christopher opened all of his gifts, Uncle Rudy showed up with his family. Bella was very excited to discover that Santa had left a stocking here for her. Chantal and Isaac were thrilled with the gifts they got. Everyone had a great time!

(Bella opens one of her gifts.)

(Bella got a Tinker Bell snow globe.)

(Check out that cool "B")

(A beautiful princess set.)

(Isaac carefully opens his gift.)

(Oh wow! That's sooooo cool.)

(Stephanie opens her gift.)

(What cool thing did Chantal get?)

(Yea! Jackpot!)

(The best gift you could give a teen.)

(A present the whole family can enjoy.)

(Yum....the gift of food.)