Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

So....I have been absent because we have been moving. It just worked out that we had to move then right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I would never advise anyone to do that. We did still manage to get a simple tree up and a couple of decorations. I have actually already unpacked everything I brought here so far, but still have some things to organize and other things to bring over from the storage locker. We did not officially even get the keys to the new place till Dec 17....and we took small loads over till the 20th when all the large stuff went. Little by little we got moved  but wow.....talk about stressful and it did not seem like Christmas because we had no downtime to even think about it much. I did try regardless, because I love Christmas.....it just seemed so odd this year....and no snow but TONS of rain and high winds!



Anyway, making time to just wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and hope you have a blessed and Happy New Year!

Dear Noah - Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year....your aunt and uncle came up from Florida along with your cousin and his girlfriend and daughter....we had a great visit and they brought some cool gifts from Florida and Columbia....and T-shirts that said I Survived the Lincoln Family Thanksgiving 2015 ......of course there were poses of every person taken with funny turkey hats on..... all in all another good time....wow..your 17th birthday is quickly approaching. Where has the time gone? I love you! Mom XOXOXOX

Dear Noah....third time's the charm!

Finally got your new extra pair of glasses. Your vision has not changed in the past couple of years, which is good, but you wanted a 2nd pair of glasses to change things up from time to time. The ones you originally chose though, only lasted 2 days before cracking and the lens falling out. When we got the replacement for that pair, upon picking up the glasses at the eye doctor's office, that pair cracked before we even left. You picked a 3rd pair but chose a slightly different design from another company and those so far have held up great.

Here is your new 2nd look....

 

We went to the local public school last night for information on transitioning from high school to life on your own and college. It was somewhat informative and we picked up some information that we will definitely be able to investigate further. 

On our way into the building there were cheerleaders outside. You were very worried about them seeing you..or so I thought. In reality you were afraid I think of having to see them....because as we walked past them to get inside the building, you told me you were going to try to not pay any attention to them and you actually turned your head and looked away. I asked you why this would bother you so much and you said you felt like if you looked, you were betraying your girlfriend.

Wow...I think I have brought you up right! What girlfriend would not want her boyfriend to think like that and actually take steps to prevent themselves from perhaps being tempted? I did explain to you later at home it is pretty natural for men or women to "look" at the opposite sex, but the fact that you were aware of it and wanted to keep it in check and took steps to do so was pretty impressive to me. Any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend!

I love you my young man who is growing up to be quite the adult.

To the moon and back, again and again, to infinity and beyond!

Mom

XOX

Dear Noah...where has my little man gone?

Dear Noah........where has this little boy gone???

Dear Noah - Doctor Who begins again ........and you and your scarf are ready

You were all set for the Doctor Who Season to begin last week.........yes...we are both Whovians.....

Dear Noah........I donated all my old preschool and elementary teaching resources to Goodwill today.........

Bittersweet day today. I took all my old preschool and elementary teaching resources over to donate to Goodwill. Part of me did not want to ever let that part of my life go, as I really loved teaching Noah and using all those resources. I am one of those who loves it when school supplies come out in the fall, as I love to find all sorts of teaching resources to buy. I was thrilled when I was finally able to have an excuse and reason to actually BUY things to use when I decided to homeschool Noah. I had everything all organized, all sorts of books, many unused with worksheets and CDs, papers, stickers, backpacks, notebooks, maps, microscopes, telescopes, invisible frogs and human models, games, puzzles, reading books, and even an entire set of Bible cards and notes that came in these tiny trunks, many unopened and unused. I hope I got anything Noah did out from the boxes I donated. I believe I did. I guess if not oh well, too late now. We had some wonderful resources in there, including when we studied Egypt and all the wonderful things Noah created during that time. Many great history resources. Anyway....... Part of me thought well maybe I should keep all of these, as maybe I will use them again one day...not sure how or when or with whom, but then I decided no, they have all been sitting here in boxes for some time now, and someone else could surely use them and appreciate them and be excited to receive them. Not sure the Goodwill was the best place to donate them, but they seemed excited to get it all. I hope they set up a little Back to School or Teacher's Aid section in their store, and not just dump and mix these things in with everything else. lol When I saw them wheel the boxes away and into their receiving area, I think they took a piece of my heart right along with them on that cart.

Dear Noah - First official field trip of the year, The Lincoln Funeral Train exhibit

 

Today we took our first official field trip for the school year to see the Lincoln Funeral Train exhibit in Troy, Ohio. It was pretty awesome and we got to go inside as well and check things out. They have re-created everything (they said) as it would have been on the real train. The Presidential bedroom suite Lincoln never got to sleep in the bed. He was killed before that ever happened so his ride was in the casket.

Great Darke County Fair 2015

I always have Noah pose so I can take a photo of him at the same spot every time we go to the fair.

I found this interesting to look back at just the past few years so here are photos from him posing at the same spot from 2010, 2012 and 2015

Noah you have turned into a young man ......

Dear Noah.........I keep wondering where my little man has gone

I know you are in there somewhere still.......hard to believe in December you will turn 17 years old!

I love you , to the moon and back again, and again and again and again, to infinity and beyond, forever and ever and ever.

Mom
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah.......SCHOOL is out for summer!

Well...I am happy to say you successfully completed another year. We have a few things planned for summer.......but you did a great job and I look forward to next year of school with you! You will basically be done with your required subjects at the end of next year to graduate....so we may do your senior year with post-secondary or college courses. We will see......maybe we will do a more specialized study of sorts.

I love you!

Mom
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah........hard to believe it has been 9 years since we moved back to Ohio

It still seems like last week and not 9 years ago. This is also the weekend 9 years ago we moved out from my grandma's house (your great-grandmother) to move into this house we currently live in. Grandma was the only one who offered us a place to stay when we moved here from Colorado....until we could get a place of our own. We came back in February and it took almost 4 months to finally find a place, and unfortunately during that time...I caught a lot of crap from family via phone calls and emails about us needing to move out and finding a place of our own to live in and move out away from grandma's house. Like what.....we were not trying? You kept all the house floor plans and real estate print outs of the houses we looked at to buy...there are hundreds! Some days we would look at 10 to 15 at a time. I finally gave up on "buying" a house and decided just to find something to "rent" as I was still getting phone calls from my mom and uncle and cousin and whoever telling me how we needed to move out. You were still having more issues back then than you do now and they were afraid you would trip grandma or who knows what.

Grandma gave us a room upstairs and we pretty much tried to always stay up there and not disrupt grandma's routines or life as much as possible. Grandma never complained. She was not telling us we needed to move out yet...but everyone else was. Funny....I don't think anyone emailed my uncle or called him up and gave him crap like they did me after he moved in with grandma and ended up staying there for 4 years and causing her lots of grief in the process. BUT whatever. Maybe everyone has learned something from all this. I know grandma was a very loving and compassionate person and always loved you more than she could say. She always sent you a card, which she did not always do so to her other great-grandkids and she would make a point to tell us not to tell anyone else about it lol.....and she always stuck money in the card for you. She called you "my little Noah"......and loved you dearly.

I am now apparently off on a tangent....was just originally thinking about how this is the weekend 9 years ago we finally moved out from grandma's house (one room upstairs that she had fixed up for us) and moved into this house. It is also the weekend we got ready for grandma's funeral 1 year ago after she died following a horrific accident that she was in, with that same uncle from above driving her car. He failed to stop at a stop sign at a busy intersection and pulled out and an oncoming car hit grandma's car on the passenger side where she was sitting. She suffered a broken neck, head injuries, broken rib, etc. My uncle was basically fine. The other people were thankfully also okay. Grandma though died 2 days later from her injuries. She would most likely still be alive and going strong if that had not happened as she was very healthy and still living independently at 91 years of age. She would often in the middle of a conversation look at me and ask, "Just how long do you think I am going to live?" lol....she, I think, was worried about her eyesight as she had lost sight in the 1 eye already...and she did not hear the best anymore...and she was worried about slowly losing the use of her legs.....she had neuropathy and could not always feel her feet...so had to finally stop driving.

You already know all this though Noah....as we would go visit with grandma at least once a week. You heard us talk during our conversations. You also worked word puzzles with grandma and showed her floor plans in your house books. I am sure she was bored out of her mind but she never let you know that. So this is a mixed weekend for me. You are now 16 years old....16-1/2...we just wrapped up school.....and I came across this photo and realized how much older you now are.....how much time has passed since this photo was taken at grandma's house while we were living there or maybe shortly after we moved out.......and then all that has happened in that time but especially even this past year.

 Today is a rainy day.....and I have a lot I can do here in the house and outside even.....but I am not sure how much I will accomplish. Sometimes it is good to just take some down time to reflect.

I love you my little man. You have grown up so much since this photo was taken.

Mom
XOXOX

Dear Noah.........wrapping up the school year

We are moving along. Hard to believe the end of the school year is right around the corner. Didn't January just start? It is already May 8th!

We went to see Paddington at the theater in Englewood and last weekend saw Avengers movie Age of Ultron...at the DRIVE-IN! It was really good..they both were actually. Nothing  like the drive-in though. Still love to go and thankful we have one to go to!

Love you lots!

Mom

XOXOX

Dear Noah....train stopped during railfanning....

Train stopped in Tipp City 

(you can click the title right above this to see the video) You and I went railfanning in Tipp City, Ohio yesterday and one of the longer Northbound CSX trains had to stop and wait on the tracks for a Northbound CSX train to get off the tracks so they could continue on. As you can see from the photo above, you took advantage of that opportunity to actually get out and TOUCH the train lol. You were thrilled. We were only there a couple of hours at most and saw 3 very long  CSX trains.

I love you!

Mom
XOXOXO

Dear Noah.......where has my little boy gone?

so.....you are growing up so very fast. Seems like only yesterday you were that little boy in the above photo from 2007 with your grandpa. Fast forward 8 years.....you are now 16-1/2 years old........and well on your way to becoming a young adult man.

It seems to have gone by way too quickly......

I love you my little man...

Mom
XOXOXO

Dear Noah........you still have to have some things a specific way.......always

It is funny...no matter what gets placed on your bed......even if I stack everything in one pile....you have to line everything up.....and put specific things in specific areas. That mini Frisbee has been on your bed like a year or two? I move it...even suggest putting it on a shelf. You want it on the bed..so I put it on the bed...but you MOVE it to the EXACT location shown above.

I can stack the books and papers and folders in 1 stack.....you take each one and lay them out in a single-file lineup.  Your Doctor Who scarf is always up by your pillow. I never actually paid attention to the specific locations until the other day......so I snapped this photo......and when we have changed your bedding the last few times..I watch where you put things on the bed...especially changing things if I put it all in 1 stack. It ends up like this. 

I asked you why you did it...and I am not sure you really gave me an answer.  I just asked you again...and you said you really don't know. I do know it is a pretty common trait with anyone with autism.....and you have lined things up since you were little.

Anyway........as you can see..Opie always finds a place to lay on your bed.

I love you Noah Wesley. I know you don't feel really well right now with some cold or allergies...you have a very runny nose, have been sneezing and coughing....I hope and pray you feel better soon!

Mom
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah...a visit to our new local Rural King

You loved the new store...and took your camera to film things you found interesting and take pictures. You thought their LED lights were most interesting. You also enjoyed hopping in this! We have had a good time lately going to some antique malls and field trips. I will try to post more on that later.

Meanwhile yesterday my PC shut down and would not power back up. Thank goodness you had the spare former PC you had used before we built your gaming PC...and you were the one who suggested I use that for an immediate solution. I have found recently that you are the first one to actually suggest a logical solution to most of our immediate problems. You also do it calmly and it is well thought out. Often when I am floundering around like a fish out of water wondering what I will do about something...you have already come up with a solution. This is GREAT and HUGE  progress! I am thankful. You are growing up....and quite the young man now already.

I love you  my little man. Yes...you will always be my little man.

your mom
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah...we have been doing some railfanning!

We had a great time the past few days watching trains....here are a few links to clips

Dear Noah....your big school project for the year....building your own gaming PC

Well...this year you were planning on me buying you a gaming PC or at least going in half for one. The problem was...it was hard to find one that you wanted for the price we wanted to spend. We talked about building on a few times....and checked parts...videos online about it..did a lot of research..and finally decided to just DO IT. We ordered all the parts...everything came...and we spent a Sunday putting everything together and hooking it up. Monday we spent tweaking things and adding software and updates...and finally .....you were ready to test it out. You were sooooo excited and it was actually pretty fun building this computer with you and it was MUCH cheaper than buying one already built. You were able to personalize it to suit you too. Enjoy it! I say you get an A for this project!

Dear Noah.....hum.......

You are growing up.....and you have made a few good friends online now that you talk with every day and play videogames with....and lo and behold...one I find out is a girl...and you two like each other.......a LOT! Not sure if I am ready for all that yet but I guess it does not really matter because that stage of life for you has already come to fruition!

I am filled with wonder when I think about your future...and what might come to pass and where you might end up or who you might be with one day or date or marry and what you will do for a career.....and how it will all come to pass.  You have come so far in your journey....you are like a totally different person now. I guess we all do that as we grow up and get older.

AND being your mother...I hope and pray the very best for you and that hopefully  you can avoid having your heart get broken at any point in your life.

Dear Noah.....you are now 16 years old..........

 Where has my little man gone?