The Hornok Family

Lizzie and Natalie's at the NAA Talent Show

2010-05-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

Lizzie's 1st Grade Musical

2010-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Lizzie did an incredible job singing in her school musical. She is in the 3rd row, 2nd kid from the end on the right. I sat there in awe as I watched her singing, smiling, doing all the motions perfectly, and basically loving very minute of it! Last year at her kindergarten musical, she was too overwhelmed to participate. She cried and held her ears, and then finally sat with the group once I bribed her with candy, but did not sing. What a difference a year and a half makes. We are so, so blessed.

Easter

2010-04-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

Twin Day

2010-03-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

Andrew Turns 9!

2010-03-14T04:18:00.000-07:00

Sad as it is for Andrew, I lost my camera just before his birthday. Thankfully, we someone was able to take this pic for me. Andrew had 15 friends over to do an Amazing Race party sleepover. He had a blast, but as you can image, I was exhausted.

Elijah's Retreat

2010-03-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to be allowed to visit Elijah's Retreat www.elijahsretreat.com This is a cabin in east Texas that allows families dealing with autism to come and stay. We had the best time hiking, fishing, flying kites, and of course, doing s'mores!

Let it Snow!!

2010-02-11T04:10:00.000-08:00

The amount of snow and many times it has snowed this year has shocked us all. After all, this is Texas!!! The kids loved every minute of it! Lizzie kept saying, "It is winter! Where is the snow?" Sure enough, it was on it's way!

Lizzie's "Big Show"

2010-01-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Lizzie did such a great job at her gymnastics performance today! She was so excited, got so into it and was smiling the whole time! In case you can't tell she is the first little girl, and then at the end she is standing on the right side.

American Girl Doll

2010-01-16T04:01:00.000-08:00

I was so excited that Lizzie was showing interest in dolls (finally!), so we went to the American Girl Doll store to buy "Florda". Katie and Hailey met us there, which made for a super fun afternoon!

Hoop Shoot

2010-01-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

PISD has the kids do a hoop shoot contest in PE, and the winner gets invited to the city level. Andrew won 3rd place in the city! We are so proud of him!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Noah

2010-01-02T04:05:00.000-08:00

Skiing in Santa Fe

2010-01-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

What a great last minute trip! We decided to head to Santa Fe and ski with Andy and Lizzie. After a very rough start (it took like an hour and a half to get our skis and boots), we headed to the slopes! Lizzie did great learning to ski with me and Andy really improved from last year. I love how a ski trip shows the worst and the best of each of us. There were times that were so frustrating and then times when I was just so proud of the kids. Both times made me want to cry! :)

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Santa Pics

2009-12-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

We have never gotten a happy Santa picture with Noah and Lizzie, so this was a big year! In the past either one of them or all of them have been screaming. Lizzie and Noah both totally enjoy Santa now. They loved putting milk and cookies out for him on Christmas Eve and wanted to make sure there was no fire in the fireplace to burn Santa. It was very cute!

Talent Show

2009-12-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

I think this may be my proudest moment as a mom to date. Lizzie and Noah were in a talent show at our church. I was so proud of how they got up on stage in front of people and belted out their songs. And, seriously, have you ever seen anything more cute than Noah in a tux?!!

Noah's Christmas Program

2009-12-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

I was so proud of Noah as be belted out the tunes for his Pre-school Christmas show.

Lizzie's 7th Birthday

2009-12-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Lizzie is 7 years old! She had such a fun party this year. She decided to do a princess sleepover. I was so proud of how she greeted each of her friends at the door, and enjoyed herself the entire time! She has come so far!

Santa's Village

2009-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

We went to Santa's Village one weekend. The kids loved going through the houses and all the lights. They even got to ride on a sleigh pulled by other kids.

Run Forrest Run!

2009-11-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

We decided to detour from our normal, crazy, downtown Turkey Trot to a smaller one held in Sachse this year. Andy ran the 3 mile and Lizzie ran the 1 mile. You would not believe these kids and their excitement for the race. I was especially shocked at how Lizzie refused to walk when she got tired and couldn't wait to "win the race". She ran her 1 mile in 11:59 and Andy ran the 3 mile in 30:13. Next year, Noah will join in the fun.

Mother of the Year.....Or Not

2009-11-12T15:52:00.001-08:00

Lizzie showed me this beautiful drawing when she was half way done. There was a picture of mommy and Lizzie reading, a picture of mommy and Lizzie playing and then a picture with us that said, "I love you."

This made me feel like I was doing everything right as a mom. Here is my daughter enjoying activities with me and saying she loves me. I could hardly wait to see what else she would draw.

My high and mighty I am a great mom thoughts were quickly choked when she showed me the second half of her drawings. Again, cute pictures of Lizzie and mommy. Only this time it read, "Do not pop (balloons), Do not run (at the pool), Do not dig (in my garden)."

Oh well, easy come, easy go. At lease she knows not to be popping balloons anytime soon. One life lesson down, a million more to go.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

We love going to the pumpkin patch every year. Since there has been so much rain, the kids were covered in mud by the time we left!

Noah's 1st Soccer Team

2009-10-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Noah loved playing soccer this year. His enthusiasm about soccer was a bit more impressive than his actual game, but he still has a blast. At the end of the season, he finally scored a goal complete with several bows to the adorning crowd.

1st Day of School

2009-08-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't believe I have a 1st and a 3rd grader. Man, time flies. The kids could hardly control their excitement this morning. I had them jump on the trampoline for awhile just to get their energy out!

Noah cried on and off all morning because he missed Andy. So sweet. Mommy just isn't as much fun.

Both kids had a great day. Andrew commented that he, "liked 3rd grade better than 2nd, but it was so boring to go over all the rules." I got a great report from Lizzie's teachers that she did well all day, listened well and followed directions. I guess I couldn't ask for more!

10 Reasons it is Past Time for the Kids to go Back to School

2009-08-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

As I was literally sliding my body through the tunnel at Burger King to help my 6 year old get through, I realized this is just 1 of the many reasons these kids should have already been back in school. Here are 9 more:

2. The kids consider going to the pool a chore. They do have a point though since all the floats have holes in them and their swimsuits have begun to sag
3. The strict 1 hour of TV/computer time has turned into 3 hours. (At least, 3 hours is the most I am willing to admit to.)
4. You look at the summer bible study you started with your kids and realize you are still on week 2.
5. You go to McDonalds or Burger King as a part of your “entertainment plan” of the day, and it doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around a meal.
6. The only comments you get about your kids when you are out go something like, “Wow. You have quite a wild bunch.”
7. Your normally involved parenting has turning into, “Work it out yourselves. I don’t want to hear about it unless there is blood.”
8. Your child with autism is the best behaved of the 3.
9. The only game left to play is, “Let’s countdown the hours until Daddy gets home.”
10. You find yourself making top 10 lists in an effort to survive the last 3 days of summer.

Burger Lake

2009-08-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun time at Burgers Lake. I was shocked at how brave Andy and Lizzie were going on the steep slides and jumping off the high dives. What a fun, end of the summer family time!

Ranger Game

2009-08-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

It was such fun to be able to go to a Ranger game as a family. I was in a bit of a panic once I realized I had forgotten Noah's Epipen in this peanut fest called a baseball stadium. But, after a trip to the first aid area to make sure they had me covered, we were off the enjoy the game.

I was surprised at how long all the kids actually sat for the game. I even think I caught Lizzie watching once or twice! :)

Rain Forest Pool Play

2009-07-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

We had a super fun time with the fam at the Rain Forest Pool today! Lizzie is going down the big slides, and Noah is jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side. Coach Andy is there cheering everyone on the whole way! So much fun!

This is summer at our house

2009-07-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Some moms have an organizational gift. I am not that mom. I am not sure how it happened. I used to be super organized with a fantastic memory and my life was full of order. Now, with 3 kids, I am just thankful I remembered to feed them breakfast. Summers at our house are always fun, but they are kind of a "free-for-all". The pics say it all.

Bathroom Remodel

2009-07-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

I am soooo glad this bathroom remodel is almost done! All three bathrooms look great, but the master is just an incredible difference!

Kids playing at the Michigan Beach

2009-07-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

The kids all love the beach so much. The water was freezing in Saugatuck, but kids didn't care one bit!

4th of July

2009-07-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

We had the absolute best time in Chicago this year. We went to Saugatuck, MI to enjoy the beach and then spent time in Chicago.

VBS 2009

2009-06-21T12:34:00.001-07:00

The kids loved VBS this year. It was fun for our cousins, Ethan, Austin and Emily to join us this year. Each kid had a cousin in their class and Clarissa worked kindergarten with me. Noah had all his little friends from preschool in his class, and everyday when he got there, they would scream, "NOAH!!!" It was so cute to see him enjoy his new celebrity status. I was especially proud of how well Lizzie did this year. You can see more details and a video on her blog at www.lizziehornok.blogspot.com

Happy Father's Day Greg

2009-06-21T12:30:00.001-07:00

The kids were so excited that Daddy chose Freddy's for lunch. In an effort to raise the excitement level, they each picked a number and would count, "1,2,3 Happy Father's Day!" Greg is the most wonderful father and you can see it in the way they love him!

Trip to Phoenix

2009-06-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Greg and I took a fun trip to Phoenix without the kids! It was nice to lay by the pool and the weather was amazing! Greg also had a climbing a mountain at night. The view was great, and we definitely worked off our dinner.

"My tooth! My tooth!"

2009-06-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

We woke up one morning to Lizzie shouting, "My tooth! My tooth is missing!" Her 1st tooth that had been loose for quite some time finally fell out in her sleep. Thankfully, Andy found it in her bed. I was so excited that Lizzie was excited and seemed to really understand what was going on.

Not to be out-shined, Andy then lost his 6th tooth later that day. The Tooth Fairy was happy to just make one stop for both kids!

Muffins with Mom

2009-05-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

Noah had "Muffins with Mom" at pre-school a week or two ago. He was pretty excited that he got to have a cupcake so early in the morning!

Big Noah Praise!

2009-05-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share how much better Noah's skin is. I really don't think my words could do it justice, so I attached the "before" pics from March and "after" pics from this weekend. I cannot tell you how much everyone's prayers have meant to me as we have been trying to seek out the right help and healing for Noah.

I have been so thankful that God continues to show His faithfulness through sending the right people to help our kids. This has been an area of constant blessing since Lizzie was diagnosed about 4 1/2 years ago. Time and time again God sends the best therapists and teachers to help her. I have often had people comment on how they can't believe what a strong team I was able to put together for Lizzie. I know it wasn't me! :)

When Noah was a baby, God provided for us a wonderful pediatrician that had the ability to think out of the box and was open to helping us with our struggles with Noah and Lizzie. I have been thankful to run my ideas by her knowing that she is not only guiding us with her medical knowledge, but seeking God in her own life as well. Earlier this year, she suggested that we took Noah to an alternative doctor and between him and a new (not even on the market yet) non-steriodal lotion from our dermatologist, Noah's skin has cleared up!!! He has been off his heavy nighttime medication for a month now, and has even started to not cling to me so much. He still itches here and there (mostly on his wrists), but for the most part he just needs lotion 2 times a day instead of 6 or 7 times an hour!!!

I realize this may be just a temporary break, but I am choosing to take joy in the moment, and I wanted to share it with you!

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 106:1

Shaving Cream Party

2009-05-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

We had some friends over for a water/shaving cream party. The kids had a blast on the slip and slide, jumping on the trampoline with the hose and covering each other in shaving cream!

Victory at State!

2009-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Words cannot express Andy's excitement when they took his car to the state level and won 2nd overall and 3rd in design! Grandpa had put some major work into Andy's car, Speed Car, to help it live up to it's name. Andy also lost a tooth and downed 4 chicken legs in 5 minutes. He had a gigantic, toothless smile on his face all day right up until he injured his hand in his basketball game that evening. Whew! That is a lot for anyone to handle in one day!!

Easter 2009

2009-04-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

It is always quite a scene when the Statler Family gets together. With 8 kids between the ages of 3 and 8, you never know what is going to go down at any moment. What fun we all had at my brother Tom' s house hunting for eggs. With all the allergies that our kids have, it has become a bit of a chore to go through the eggs each year and take away the candy they can't have. This year Grandma decided to only put toys and money in the eggs, and it was such a relief! The kids had just as much fun, and we didn't have the nasty side effects of high fructose corn syrup!

Attention ADD Campers!

2009-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

We went on our first official Hornok Family Camping Trip over Easter weekend! Greg had previously taken Lizzie, and had a camping plan. I went on the camping trip with an expectation of relaxing - ha! Little did I know what Greg had in store for us! He took us from, swimming, to rock climbing, to the park, to two docks where the kids could throw rocks, and finally on a nature hike in a matter of two hours. It was like just when I started to relax, we were on the move! I joked with him that he found his new calling as the "ADD Camper Tour Guide".

We had a great time and the kids loved it! I especially found Lizzie to be in her element and it brought me so much joy to see the smiles on all the kids faces. We have never been too excited about camping, but I see more of this in our future!

The Hornoks Get A Pet!

2009-03-30T20:04:00.001-07:00

Well, we finally broke down, and got a pet or pets. The kids could not be more excited to have three additions to our home. Please welcome Lizzie's black fish named "Grown-up", Noah's orange fish named "Piano", and Andy's white fish named "Superstar". Let's just hope this can be a lesson learned before they are allowed to name their children.

8 Years Old!

2009-03-30T19:42:00.001-07:00

Somehow because he is my oldest, each year I can't believe Andy is this old! 8 years - yikes!

Andrew had such a fun birthday! We decided to kick it old school and do a sleep over with lots of fun activities. I was happy to see that the boys had more fun than ever doing a scavenger hunt, flashlight tag, bingo and staying up late in their sleeping bags. Grandpa even snuck in some candles that light back up after you blow them out each time. I think it took him 7 or 8 times to finally get them out and he thought it was hilarious!

Awana Grand Prix Racing

2009-03-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

When Greg and I selfishly delegated this project to my dad, we would have never guessed that this would become such a huge hobby for him! Turns out he LOVED helping Andrew with his car, and he made sure to take all the extra steps to make that thing fast!

Andrew's car, creatively named "Speed Car", won all of it's races, 4th overall, and Honorable Mention for design.

Andrew had never been so excited! We all know how he loves to win! :) We are off to the regionals in May.... just as soon as Grandpa makes a few hundred improvements on the car.

Noah's "Performance" at Pre-School

2009-03-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Pics of the Kids

2009-03-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks Aunt Carrrianne! www.carriannephotography.com

Noah Turns 3!

2009-01-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

Whew!!! Two birthdays, Christmas, and New Years is enough for one month! I was so excited when we showed up at Aunt Carrianne's and there was a surprise party for Noah and his cousin Jake. Both boys turned 3 years old. I am still figuring out how to work this Dec. 29th birthday, and I would love any suggestions!

Andrew's First Ski Adventure

2009-01-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

After, two hours of ski school, a frustrating time on the rope pull, and one difficult trip down the mountain, Greg and I just decided to quit trying to teach (not either of our strength) and let Andy go. What a relief! Once we quit telling him to do, he decided it was fun to go straight down the mountain, and he never looked back! We were so proud of him that he picked it up, and that now we can enjoy skiing together. He even got to ski with his cousin Maddie down the slopes.

2009-01-01T12:26:00.001-08:00

We had more fun in the snow in Chicago over Christmas! We NEVER have snow like this in Texas. It was the perfect packing kind, and the kids went crazy throwing snowballs, rolling huge snowballs and building a snowman with their Aunt Jill.
After an extremely treacherous 18-19 hour drive in the ice and snow the day before, we were so glad to enjoy the perks of this bitter windy city.

Happy 6th Birthday Lizzie!

2008-12-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

6 years old! I can't believe she is already 6 years old! This past year (especially the last 3 or 4 months) has been a year of of wonderful Lizzie blessings!

We have been in awe of all she has accomplished. Successfully attending kindergarten, making a friend, and she just started reading a few weeks ago!

We had a princess party joined by Cinderella, Snow White and Belle. I hope the girls had a great time. For more pics, check out Lizzie's site www.lizziehornok.blogspot.com for a slide show.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

30 minutes in line for the bathroom.

20 minutes after the start gun.

5 minutes of walking with the 3 milers.

15 minutes of zig zagging through the crowd....

AND WE WERE OFF to run the 8 mile Turkey Trot! It was really fun to run with Greg and Jill as the kids were playing with Grammy and Gramps. We are so glad that Aunt Jill, Grammy and Gramps were able to come all the way from Chicago! We have so much to be thankful for this year!

Family Pics

2008-11-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

Taking family pics is always a more than a little stressful for me!! I was so excited that our friend, Haley, was able to get some really great shots of the kids and the whole Statler side of the family.

Haley's site is http://www.haleybphotography.com/ if you want to check it out.

Trick or Treat - It's that time again!

2008-11-01T20:09:00.001-07:00

This year we had such a blast trick or treating! Andy was an Orka (aka Shamoo), Lizzie Strawberry Shortcake, and Noah a "fast fast race car". This kids all had a blast. As usual, Andy led the pack, and Noah even kept up pretty good.

This was the first year I can say we truly felt like a normal family. We had some friends over for dinner and then headed out for the fun. In past years, I have had to do a social story for Lizzie and go over the details of how trick or treating works, reminding her that we could not go in the houses. It was always just a little more work than I wanted to do for what should be a care-free holiday! Well, this year she was so excited about it that about a month ago, we began a calendar- count-down until Halloween. Every night before bed, she was so excited to cross off another day and tell me how many more until she could go trick or treating.

Once we got out there, she kept up with Andy and didn't even get upset if someone didn't answer the door. I can't really explain in words the joy of watching your child truly enjoy something for the first time. In the past, so many things that are supposed to be fun for children have been too stressful for Lizzie. We have noticed, especially since the start of school, that Lizzie is enjoying more and more of the activities that are fun for the other kids too!

Once we got home, Lizzie could hardly control her excitement to pass out the candy. When kids approached the house, she would go running out the door, meeting them at the sidewalk, yelling "trick or treat" and putting candy in their baskets.

Watching the kids enjoy this Halloween was definitely more of a treat for me than all the candy was for the kids.

Kids Really Do and Say the Funniest Things

2008-10-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of changes in our lives in the last few weeks. Andrew has a new freedom to ride his bike all around the neighborhood with his friends and to their houses, Lizzie has a million different changes with starting kindergarten, and Noah has serious I-wish-I-was-older-itis.

I did not realize the impact Andy's new freedoms were having on Noah. Noah walks up to me while we were on the driveway and says, "I'll be back Mom". First of all, why am I not still "mommy" and second of all, where does this two-year-old think he is going all by himself? "Oh really. Where are you going?" I say. He replied, "To the park. I'll be back later." As he starts to take off, I couldn't believe what I had just heard. How is it possible that this child thinks he can just hop scotch across a very busy street and have a leisurely afternoon at the park?!

Lizzie was particularly tired to today and after about an hour of therapy with Cristina, Lizzie was definitely done. She tells Cristina, "Playing closed, all done. Office closed." She then walks out of the room, leaving Cristina in there, and closes the door. As if that wasn't enough, she looks through the drawer, finds the tape and tapes the door shut! I am pretty sure you know you have overstayed your welcome when the host tapes you in a room to get away from you!

Andy and I rode our bikes to Sonic to have "special time". In an effort to get in some type of intelligent conversation in the day, I told him, "I voted today". He then goes on to tell me that he also voted in his class. He voted for McCain, and so did everyone in the class. I asked him why he decided to vote for McCain, and he said, "Well, Obama is going to make us go to school every single day of the year!" That must have been some negative campaign ad that McCain put out! Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Last weekend, I was so tired, so I put everyone in their rooms for nap or quiet time and went to bed. About 10 minutes after I had fallen asleep, Lizzie came in wanting to play. I told her that I was sleeping, and she said, "Okay. I know what to do." I was thankful that she had a plan and was going to go play by herself while I got a nap. Just as I had dozed off again, the light flips on and Lizzie starts beating a drum and yelling, "Time to wake-up mommy"! Well, that got me up for sure! The next day we went to the store together while Noah was napping, and Lizzie was so excited to see bananas, so that we could buy them for Noah. When we got home, she wanted to take the bananas inside. I gave her the bag and started unpacking the car. Next thing I know, Noah is walking out of his room with a bag of bananas. She had used her newly acquired drum trick to get him out of bed too! I am starting to see a very scary pattern....

I Can't Believe I Married Into THIS!

2008-10-29T11:51:00.001-07:00

Anyone that knows me from long ago would tell you that I am not a sports person. Sure, I can be competitive when it comes to cards or a good 'ole potato sack race, but I could really care less if the Cowboys win or if the Cubs make the playoffs (even if it has been 100 years!).

I realized when I married Greg that he loved sports. I thought to myself - well, when he is watching his sports, that will give me a great time to take a nap! I am going to be so rested - ha! Little did I realize that sports would soon take over my life. Andy is always in two sports at once. This season he is in basketball and soccer. Of course, Greg coaches basketball. So, that means 2-4 practices a week and at least 2 games a week. I can't even imagine what will happen when Noah starts to play too.

The crazy thing is that I love to watch Andy play and Greg coach. I have many times had to stop myself from screaming too loud at the players or ref or whatever. I would never of guessed that I would be "that mom" with the loud scream next to you in the bleachers. The more I learn about sports, the more I learn that it is not a hobby, it is a way of life. A way of life that slowly takes over until you think that the reason kids actually have off school on the weekends is to play their games.

Reliving My Pre-teen Obsession - NKOTB

2008-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

It wasn't just the fact that I had 3 of my walls plastered with NKOTB in my pre-teen years, it was ridiculous amount of time that I had spent listening to them and thinking about them that made this concert reunion so much fun.

It had been 18 years since my friends, Stacy, Jessica and I had piled into a limo and were escorted to our first row seats to the NKOTB concert. I didn't eat or sleep for a week before in anticipation of our time with "the boys". It lived up to all our dreams as young, almost-teenage girls. The boys delivered to us an amazing time with so many stories to tell and a memory that we would never forget.

18 years later and two songs into the concert, it might as well have been 1990 again. We sang, or rather screamed, the familiar songs, danced and made total idiots of ourselves. The only thing that could have possibly been more of a sight was if one of us had been pregnant like so many of the other thirty-somethings in the audience.

We had great seats thanks to Jessica, and were even able to high-five "the men" as they ran by us to the stage. As they belted out their last song, one of my old favorites, Hangin' Tough, I didn't want it to end. I wasn't quite ready to go back to responsibilities of 2008 when 1990 seemed like so much fun.

The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

The kids had a Friday off of school, so we headed up to the pumpkin patch with some friends. We go to this same place up in Celina every year. The kids love picking out their pumpkins, feeding the animals and riding on the hay ride.

Noah talked about getting a "little pumpkin" for like a week. Andy wanted the biggest one he could find, and Lizzie grabbed the first one she could find.

When in a busy place like this, it is always fun to see what kind of trouble my kids will cause. It is like, I know it is going to happen, so I am just waiting for the disaster to occur. We got off pretty easy this trip. Lizzie was sick of waiting in line for the hay ride. Waiting is always so hard for her. So, I she disappeared for awhile, and of course, she had just helped herself by cutting in line. She decided she was going on the hay ride with or without us.

Arboretum Monday

2008-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

About a week or two ago, I took Noah to the Arboretum for "Mommy & Me". We got to look at at all the pumpkins, take pictures (much to his irritation), pet the animals, and listen to a kids concert while having a picnic. It was so much fun! Noah really enjoyed his special day with me.

Partners in Crime

2008-10-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that Lizzie and Noah have hit the same level of play and have been playing together non-stop for the last few days. For most parents, the things they are doing would not be considered productive, but I couldn't be more thankful for their interaction.

If I hear them giggling and playing in the other room, I stay out. I don't want to mess up what they have going on by walking into the room. When the fun has died down, I enter the room prepared for the worst. This evening I walked into a kitchen that was soaking wet, almost all the cabinets were open, and there were bubbles all over the floor. I think the giggling was from spraying the kitchen sink hose everywhere. They had come in the other room and told me they were "washing dishes".

People always tell me to expect things with Lizzie to be "two steps forward and one step back". I just didn't realize that the steps backward tonight would present themselves in the form of an extra hour of clean-up for me.

Benbrook Triathalon

2008-10-06T10:15:00.001-07:00

Well, I completed my first triathalon. The swim went great and the run went great, but I was a bit frustrated with the bike. I have a really old mountain bike and needless to say that is not the best situation for racing. I am looking forward to doing another one in the spring. My time was 1 hour 38 minutes and some seconds. I wanted to do it in 1 hour 45 minutes, so I was happy!

You know you have a child with autism when....

2008-09-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

I was driving home from Bible study last night when I opened my phone to call a friend. Her number wasn't in my phone, but all of Lizzie's therapists were! I couldn't stop laughing, and that got me thinking. Here are some things that ring true in our family, and I am sure many others too.

You know you have a child with autism when….

....you open your phone book on your cell and see more therapists than friends.
....your child digests more calories from your medicine cabinet than she does from your pantry.
....you spend the time to tuck in 10 stuffed animals exactly right in their beds, so your child will actually consider getting in their own bed.
....your favorite actor is Jim Carrey and it is not because of his acting.
....you find yourself doing barrel rolls in public just to relate to your child.
....you apologize to a stranger at the pool for the first time for your child chucking all their belongings in the pool.
....you have to take over 100 pictures just to get 1 of your child actually looking at the camera.
....you put your child's favorite toy on top of their birthday cake to get them to sit at the table long enough for the guests to sing.
....when you carry around spoons and toy trees in your purse because you know they will occupy your child's time for hours if needed.
....you never, never consider getting the letters or puzzles out to play with without making sure to double and triple check that one of the pieces is not missing.
....you apologize to a stranger at the pool for the twentieth time for your child chucking all their belongings in the pool
....you only know your friends by their e-mail address.
....you are excited to spend your "play money" on thera-puddy and pencil grips.
....you allow your child to go to school in long pants and long sleeves in the summer and shorts and a tank top in the winter.
....your kids' bedtimes are determined by how much they are interacting.
....a chew toy becomes a fashionable accessory.
....you live your life in 2 hour increments.
....you are encouraging your husband to look up Jenny McCarthy online.
....you would donate a kidney to hear an unprompted "I love you".
....you don't have the brain power to make a grocery list.
....you know that one accidental lick of a lollipop means the whole family will be up all night.
....you exceeded your login time and have to re-login from spending too much time doing online research.
....you loose your faith in doctors, law-makers and the "system" in a matter of months.
....you introduce your child to someone knowing they could really care less.
....you apologize to a stranger at the pool for the fortieth time for your child chucking all their belongings in the pool
....you want to hurry up and go to Disney World before your child appears too “normal” to take advantage of the disability pass and not wait in any lines.
....your monthly therapy bill is four times as big as your mortgage.
....you wonder why your child will lick a metal pole covered in dirt, but can't tolerate a grape on her plate at dinner.
....gluten and casein are the devil.
....you wish your husband would leave the flowers at the florist and show his love by researching a new treatment.
....you find that there is a warrior inside yourself after all.
....you can't leave the play area at the mall until you have screened each of the kids for red flags.
….you leave the pool because you are tired of apologizing.
....you just know everything will be better in two years.

First Day of Pre-school

2008-09-14T17:03:00.001-07:00

Noah had been wearing his backpack around the house for two weeks. He was soooo excited to get to go to school just like the big kids. He insists on doing everything himself, so he wore a VERY heavy backpack into class on Thursday.

He got a little shy at the beginning, but literally gave me a play by play when I picked him up. He raved about the green play-doh that he played with and thought it was fun to have a slumber party with his friends. He told me what a great job he did "sleeping", but I wasn't surprised to see "restless during nap" was circled on his take home sheet.

He is one of the oldest kids in his class, so I am sure he will be bossing them all around just like Andy and Lizzie do to him at home.

I think the most exciting part of it was that this will be my first consistent time to myself since Andy was born! I LOVE PRE-SCHOOL!

Mall Miracle!

2008-08-31T20:52:00.001-07:00

Okay, I will admit upfront that this post is going to be a little cheesey. Still, I had to share. There are simple little things that every family does, but most families don't even notice these little things because they come naturally to them. These are the little things that make each family feel so much like a family. It is one of those simple things that I am calling a miracle because it has never happened before in our family until today.

I have been telling anyone who will listen to me lately how great Lizzie is doing. Each day I am thrilled with the interaction we are having with her! Well, let me tell you our normal scene when we go anywhere. Greg parks far away (with several dents and more door dings on the mini-van than I can count, I still don't know why he does this!!!). Anyway, then usually I am carrying either Lizzie or Noah and telling Andy to stay close to Greg. Usually someone is crying because they weren't carried, and we move very slowly through the parking lot. There is also that chance that Lizzie might take off, and we can't catch her. I am just thankful when we reach the front door that we all made it without getting hit by a car.

Well, today, I held Lizzie's hand, then Andy wanted to hold a hand, so he grabbed Lizzie's hand and then Noah grabbed his and then Greg grabbed his. So, there we were, all 5 of us holding hands walking all the way through the parking lot! It really was a wonderful miracle for our family. Usually Lizzie won't let anyone besides me get near her hand, much less hold Andy's all the way through a parking lot! Cheesey maybe, but I have learned to be thankful for the little things, and this little thing was pretty big to me.

1st Day of School - A Big Success!

2008-08-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

So, the day went much better than we could have even hoped for!

Andrew started 2nd grade. He was a little shy walking into his new class, but came home beaming about how in 2nd grade they get to keep all their own school supplies. I guess you have to share in K and 1st. Who would have guessed that that would be so important. He liked some of the kids in his class and specials group and seemed excited to go back tomorrow.

I got great reports all around for Lizzie. I posted the full details on her blog http://www.lizziehornok.blogspot.com/

Reliving Old Times

2008-08-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

I had a great weekend with my three friends from college (Nancy, Lisa and Stacy) - all of whom I lived with at some point. I must be such a great roommate! :)

We ate great food and went to a terrible movie. Thanks for the fun times ladies!

Kindergarten Prep

2008-08-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

I just had to share the greatest story. As many of you know, I have been in a bit of a panic since Lizzie is starting kindergarten in 2 weeks. When Andy went, I threw a party because he was excited and ready. It is such a different feeling to send a child that has trouble with new places, people, transitions, etc.. The fact that she is unable to tell me if anything was to upset her at school is just really hard for me to handle.

So, we have been in massive kindergarten prep mode to help her know what to expect. The school has been extremely accommodating. In fact, we will be up there several times next week to familiarize her with the environment and teachers.

One of my goals that I had for her is the ability to wake up, get dressed and brush teeth all on her own before school. Last night, I made her a picture schedule, put it up on her wall and we talked about it. I didn't want to mention kindergarten yet because she doesn't do well not being able to do things NOW. So at the end of the story, it says "We are all ready. What should we do today?" Somehow she knew. She says, "Go to kindergarten!" She then added her own pictures of things she wanted to do in kindergarten (class, playground, etc!)

This morning I hear her in her room for awhile, and then she comes out, and she had followed the schedule perfectly! She was dressed, clean teeth and even wanted to do her own hair! I could hardly control my excitement! On top of that, all day today, she has been asking to go to kindergarten. I think she is finally ready!!!

August 25th is the big day. Please pray for Lizzie to be able to handle the new environment, many transitions and long day.

Lizzie's video blog http://www.lizziehornok.blogspot.com/ shows how much progress she has made. She is doing even better now, and I promise to update it with more video soon. We are so proud of her and so thankful for all the support of our family and friends.

THE BEACH!

2008-06-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time in Destin this year! The beach and water are just beautiful. I don't know why we ever go anywhere else.

The kids LOVED all sleeping in the same room together. They couldn't believe they were allowed to have a slumber party every night for a whole week!

After Destin, we headed to Nashville to visit some friends on the way home (you are probably wondering how this is possibly on the way home! - I am too).

The kids did great in the car, and fun was had by all.

Grammy is Coming to Town!

2008-04-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Grammy from Chicago came to town for a whole week! We were so excited for her to spend so much time with us. We kept her busy with important things like lemonade stands. Now when we ask where Grammy is, Noah says, "She's in Cago!" We miss you Grammy! Come visit again soon!

Andrew's 7th Birthday

2008-03-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Andrew turned 7 years old! By the way, he changed his name to Andrew. He had several parties. The most fun was a Treasure Hunt Party with his friends. They followed the clues all around the park to find the treasure. They had to do a hang man riddle and bust open a piniata to get some of the clues. Andy said it was his second favorite party. Appartently the first was his Dora party when he was 4 years old. We also had a fun family party and a cupcake party at school. His Aunt Clarissa drew him a dolphin mural in his room, and we redid his room (half dolphins and half sports) just like he wanted.

Let it Snow!

2008-03-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

The kids were so excited that it snowed! Lizzie was in it before the sun came up, and Andy and Noah were out there too before 7:00 am! Too bad they only got like 30 minutes to play before school started.

Noah turns 2!

2007-12-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

2 years old already! Noah shocks me everyday with how much he talks, and how much he understands about the world already at just 2. Unfortunately, his "yes's" have turned into "no's" as we have already entered the terrible two stage. This two year old doesn't realize that he is going to have to throw some pretty severe tantrums to phase us. His sister and brother trained us well.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

The best part about Christmas this year was that all 3 kids were so excited to decorate the tree! They all had fun decorating together, and we had the ugliest tree in the city. It was worth it though!

Mavericks Game

2007-12-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

Greg and I went to a Mavericks game with our old friends the Mike and Bekahs. They had box seats, and it was fun to catch up after not seeing them for so long! The Mavs won - not that I care!

White Rock Marathon

2007-12-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

Well, Greg made it! 26.2 miles in the freezing cold, windy winter weather. Greg had many issues to overcome with this marathon. He had injured his back about 3 weeks before and was seeing a chiropractor to help fix it. He was also having issues with his feet. What a trooper!! My mom kept the little kids, and me, my dad and Andy went out to cheer for him. Andy ran mile 20-21 with him, and I ran 21 to the finish with him. We had a really good time, and are so proud of Greg for making it! This is his fourth marathon and there has already been talk of a fifth in the near future.

Lizzie Turns 5!!!

2007-12-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Lizzie had a wonderful 5th b-day! We went a little overboard on parties! She had a school, therapist, friend and family party. I was especially excited about her friend party because this is the first one ever! She is finally excited to have her friends over and really did a good job enjoying her party. We did a princess party where we got dressed up, did the girls' hair, nails and make-up, had a princess tea party and did a princess fashion show. I am so proud of how much she has grown up and progressed this year! For more pics from her parties, check out Lizzie's blog.

Trip to Hollywood

2007-11-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Greg sent me to Hollywood with my sister, Katie, for my b-day. It was the best trip ever! We stayed at the Fairmont in Santa Monica right by the beach. We enjoyed shopping on 3rd Street and biking by the beach. My friend from high school, TJ Thyne (he is a cast member on the show "Bones") showed us a great time by taking us to all the hot spots in LA, and we even got to tour the set of Bones!

Texas Twenty

2007-11-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Greg ran 20 miles this morning in the Texas Twenty. He did great. His time was 3 hours and 12 minutes. Here is a video clip of him running around mile 16. I am learning how to use my video camera on my phone! The cutest thing was when Andy started running with Greg. Lizzie decided she wanted to be a part of the fun and ran after him too!

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-01T20:30:00.001-07:00

Andy, Lizzie and Noah had a great time trick or treating this year! We went in our neighborhood. Andy made his own costume and he was a Miami Dolphins football player, Lizzie was Cinderella, and Noah was a monkey. Lizzie did great this year. She loved going up to the houses and getting candy. Noah took people by surprise when he said, "trick or treat" in his tiny little almost two-year-old voice.

Awesome!

2007-10-27T19:21:00.001-07:00

Today Noah had made a picture, and I put it on the refrigerator and he said, "Awesome!" I laughed at him because the thought of a child who wasn't even 2 saying awesome is just absurd! He must have liked the attention because for the rest of the day, everything even remotely cool was "awesome"! He is going to be that kid in preschool that teaches the other preschoolers what the cool kids are saying.