Test 1...

Today was day 1 of azures autism evaluation. 

Have to say that i think it went really well! Shelby the occupational therapist that he spent most of the morning with was really engaging with him.  Everything that he did was all "play based" he got to stack blocks, paint, play with shapes, all sorts of fun stuff. i think the only negative was the room was insanely stuff and that by the time the speech pathologist came in for her assessment Azure was really starting to burn out. 

Eden also came along, that made things really hard. Although azure was so focused on the toys that when Eden started to flip out he didn't seem to care.  The ride home was a different story. 

Im glad that the first assessment is over. It was really draining for all of us to drive the 3hours, 3 hour app, then 4 hour drive home. Kinda crazy. We wish that we could drop Gusgus off at the kennel and stay the weekend in LA eating food and taking the kids to the beach. :)

Green trees, good food, and family love :)

Back in the bay BABY!  I think i could possible have undone all the hard work of my challenge in just week in the bay. I have consumed Cheeseboard, Gordos, Thai food, Sarah's cooking, Roam burger, Dinner with family, and a great BBq with friends. It feels amazing. The kids are also blossoming while we have been home.  Being so isolated in Irwin is hard on everyone. Azure having to communicate with our family and friends is sooooooo great for him. 

Eden of course is also LOVING all the attention. Shes into everything! She has is so very close to walking that its scary. I'm not ready. 

A few more days left...

Day 22 ...Last day !!!

What a great last day of my challenge! Started off with me getting breakfast in bed. Yep luckiest Mama EVER!

My favorite Vegan pancakes with fresh fruit and coffee :) Thank you Kevin my loving husband for letting me rest xoxo

Lunch

Today was a day of the food i enjoyed the most the last 22 days. My hands down fave is my simple Avocado toast with fresh basil. 

I could live of this!

Its no joke when i stat that today was the best kind of lazy family day. Because after lunch i got ot nap with my love. Shes a bed hog.

Here was the fun we has after everyone got a rest...GOLF!

Azure LOVED it!

We all got to play in the grass even GusGus got to stretch his legs off leash for a bit.

Who knew that Fort Irwin had such a nice open space that NO ONE ever uses. Sad to that it was the best patch of grass on the whole POST!! 

Dinner

Bad picture sorry, but sooooooooo fucking good. Pasta with leeks, asparagus, and Bok choy. Kevin made it to i ate way to much. Hes sooo good at creating in the kitchen! 

This adventure as a vegan has been fun. It would of been better if i was able to get my hands on better fruits,  veggies,  and alternative foods. But we are so limited here...  That would of made this less of "food loopy" i think. should of branched out a bit more in my meals. (Once again 2 small kids and not a lot of choices here.) The stats of my vegan adventure are:

-lost 8 lbs

-came to terms with the need to take care of "me" 

-cut way back on my sugar intake with out really trying

hmmmm...

I think that's it. Challenge accepted. Challenge completed! I think next will be 22 days of running? Or yoga? Insanity workouts?  But tomorrow its the BACON BIRTHDAY! i might eat it at every meal....

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Day 20 + 21... Almost done!!!

Tomorrow is Sunday and the last day of the 22 day vegan Challenge! I've already prepped my breakfast of Fluffy vegan pancakes for the morning. I should be eating them in bed because its my DAY TO SLEEP IN!!!! AAAHAHA. I will admit that i could of been better this last week. Sarah my co challenger hit the nail on the head when she said "the trick is being prepared". When I don't prep my food or have a section in the fridge just ready for me to grab on the go. Then i fail. OK fail is a bad word for it, to negative. It becomes way more challenging when I'm not prepared. So everything is prepped for tomorrow. Then Monday is BIRTHDAY BACON FEST!

Family fun time at the park!

Slide with Daddy 

Dinner
Fresh tacos with all sorts of yummy peppers and  salsa

Fun times!!

Days 19 and 20.... Time with just me...

2 days left to go! Today was an interesting day... I got to have a few hours to myself for a trip to the dentist. You should of seen me. i had my music blaring, singing at the top of my lungs, and a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Then the dentist.......... UGGGG... I have never had a cavity in my life. today i was told that i have 7. FUCKING 7!! I'm blaming pregnancy. The killer for me was the $768.00 we have to pay out of pocket. Our pockets are shallow.  That turned my drive home into me running numbers through my head in every direction i could think of. Bottom line, i need a paying job. Bad. 

At least my food today was amazing. proud of myself for not giving into my self coping of eating while i was freaking out. It could of also helped that most of my freaking out was during my 1.5 hour drive back to base.

Breakfast

This is by far my fave breakfast. Its the fresh basil and avocado combo. Rich, creamy, and the fresh zing of the basil. Perfect :)

Lunch

Wonderful colorful salad! A bit of everything in this one. roasted peppers, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, yellow rice, and avocado. Yum!

Dinner

Once again i had a salad but, this time Kevin made it. *Trivia about us- i put in my wedding vows that he has to make me salads*. Why would i do that you ask. BECAUSE HES AMAZING AT IT. Tonight spot on! Pan roasted peppers, asparagus, and onions with an orange vin. With caramelized onion crostini

(bad pic sorry)

I'm going to conclude my day with trying to see the big picture of the universe. We have a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, My children are happy, and healthy. As much as i want to scream and shout about the constant stress of money and living pay check to pay check. i wont.  Instead I'm going relax and give it up. These problems will still be here tomorrow. So tonight i give them up. Doctor who is waiting for me. Going to zone. Goodnight xxoo

Day 17+ 18 ... Azure's paper work continues....

Day 17 and 18 are done. It ended with a HUGE amount of paper work to fill out before Azures first test appointment. It feels daunting.  We have Bayley Scale, Sensory Profile, Behavior checklist, Parent Report, and a Stress Index. To be filled out ASAP. Feels like taking the S.A.T with every subject being our child. Should be easy you think "i know my child". But its more then that. i cant even put it into words, i don't know how to explain the tightening of my chest, the faster pace of my heart, and the buzz in my head when i start to answer page one. I'm frozen. Deep breath. Again. Deep breath.  Don't cry.  This is happening.  I'm filling the paper work out that could answer so many unexplained questions. If Hes autistic then that's OK. Its not the possible diagnosis that scares me. Its the way people might treat him. When Kevin was deployed for the first time i got a lot of shoulder pat's and head tilts. I don't what those for my son. I don't want to hear another parents voice to go up an octave in sympathy. No matter what they say about him when this testing is over... He is my son, and he is magical. So i will answer these pages and PAGES of questions as tears roll down my cheeks. I will breath. This journey continues...

Day 15 +16...OUCH.

Ouch. Not sure whats going on but everything in my body hurts + i have a red rash all over every part of me. OUCH. i feel like I'm a million years old. My joints hurt, from my pinkie toe to my neck.  Have to admit that I sure look funny going down the stairs. I'm sorry for anyone that has any sort if foot, ankle, knee problems that encounters stairs at any point of time. OUCH.  FUCKING OUCH. Oh and NEVER ever google any sort of medical symptoms you may have. For 20 min i almost convinced my self i had lupus or scarlet fever. I don't, no need to worry.  

Thank god Kevin was home to help. Think i might have been a  bit hard on him the first day. Sometimes when you spend so much time apart that when you come back together the expectation and the reality of the situation don't fit together. A bit of butting heads. Got to make more of an effort to be nice to each other.

On to food :) i only have 2 pictures. It hurts to move my arms. It hurts to type. 

vegan pancakes and fresh strawberries

 SOOOO yummy! Spanish rice, with bean salad, cabbage slaw, and cilantro hot sauce! best family  dinner in a while :)

Goodnight i hope i feel better in the morning uggg.