Holiday Catch-up

Wow, it has been Halloween since our last written blog. This was a wonderful holiday season. Thanksgiving we spent with my family up in Cremlin, CO at my parents new Ranch House. It was beautiful. They have a bowling alley and theater for the kids with dress up costumes. We did karaoke and bowled the long weekend away, how fun! All while the kids did their costume changes in the theater. The Ranch is set in the most beautiful Aspen grove mountain, overlooking the most breathtaking views of the valley.
Shaela found a shiny gold dress and hair band that she felt gorgeous in and kept "checking herself out." She had fun playing with her cousins Sophia and Patrick (who was fond of the high heels and boa).

Two weeks later we were off to sunny AZ to see Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas. Shaela loved being in a warmer climate. She had a wonderful time opening presents and trying on dresses.

Then two weeks later we were off to Lanai, HI. A very small but beautiful island, we had not gone to before. Shaela had a nanny who taught her how to float on her back. She was so cute floating in the pool all around. Shaela does not like nanny's or babysitters, she wants to be with me. I enjoyed the break though (Thanks Mom and Dad).

Shaela was really acting out a lot over the holidays, especially with her cousins and us. She kept saying to us,
"You're/Mommy/Daddy/Sophia/Patrick/insert name is mad at me." Over and over again, when no one was mad at her or when we reprimanded her for something. She would get so obsessive over this and be in a very pouty, put-off mood. It was really hard for awhile.
But right before we left for HI, our friend Nancy from HI came to visit for a few days with her kids, Dalton and Ciana. She told us about how Ciana was so difficult to handle, and how she tested her for her neurotransmitters and has put her on supplements that really helped. Well, thank goodness for this advice! we got Shaela tested, found out her neurotransmitters were all very high, especially her Glutamate levels which is the excitatory neurohormone which can be neurotoxic. I sprayed her with an oral L-Theanine and she began to get calmer and have less tantrums. After a few days, her whole disposition is the "Good Shaela" we know and love, and her "Evil Shaela twin" has not reared her head at all! Wonders of wonders, miracles of miracles. Of course this has happened since being home after the holidays.

Last weekend, we went to the Tucson Rock/Gem/Mineral Show and spent a long weekend with Grandma and Grandpa. It was soooo wonderful. Shaela spent a lot of quality time with Bev/Grandma and Justin and I got to spend days looking at crystals. It was so good for everyone. We hope in the near future to be able to have Shaela spend a week with the grandparents, while Justin and I have some quality time.

Shaela is so into crystals. She likes to collect them and play with them, the bigger, clearer, shinier the better. She loves to pretend all the time that we are different people. She/Me: Tyler/Kristen (Tyler's mom), Mary/Miranda(Mary's Mom), Girl Mary/Pirate, Princess/Prince, Baby Chipmunk/Momma Chipmunk, etc. She rarely is herself. It is funny how she acts when she is depicting others. I like when she is Tyler, she acts so much better. She is always having an imaginary "Shaela" being disruptive in our scenes, which I try to steer her away from now. Since she has been behaving so well, this is easier to do now.
She is really enjoying two books rich with knowledge: Milton's Secret (Ekhart Tolle children's book about the Now) and Dr. Seuss' Yertle the Turtle (downfall of power, bragging, greed and jealousy). She really is getting it now. She often says she doesn't want to go to school and will repeat this incessantly. We tell her to be in the Now and what does she like about school. She starts to list off things like: playing the Big Bad Monster with Kim, Tyler and Mary, playing hide and seek, waterfall game, etc. Thank goodness for Tyler and Mary. I hope she makes some really good friends in her new school this summer. We are considering the Montessori school right now.

She is such a love and a joy. Today was such a spectacularly loving day for her. She was complementing me and telling me how much she loved me all day long. Not bad when you are cranky from being on a 500 calorie diet for 34 days (me, not Shaela). She is truly emerging as the most wonderful being that she is. She is also drawing up a storm and making fairies, witches, beautiful princesses in profile shots and also skeletons, spirals with crystals, the sun and clouds, hearts full of love that is bigger than the Universe.

What a being!
Love and Blessings,
Debbie