Austism Awareness Day

Just want to let everyone know that April 2 is Autism Awareness day. Being an educator for 10 years has given me the opportunity to work with some really sweet children who are afflicted with this disorder. I've always felt a certain kind of awe when working with these children, to see how their minds work. And the amount of respect I have for the parents for advocating for their children is huge. But I never knew that autism would touch my family in such a close way. This past November, my brother's 3 year old son was diagnosed with autism. While we had an idea that this diagnosis was going to happen, it still didn't blunt the blow. I know that my brother and his precious wife (who stays at home with him) have a lot to learn and a lot of work ahead of them. Fortunately, they have a good plan in place and we have seen some great progress. I will always hold close to my heart of a certain memory from this past summer- we were visiting my parent's in Kyle. We- being all the adults- were hanging out in the kitchen and we heard our kids start to get rowdy in one of the living rooms. My mom asked me to get them to calm down -"Before someone gets hurt!"- so she says. (I just think all the noise makes her nervous-ha!) So I go into the living room where the laughing and screaming was coming from and I saw the most beautiful sight ever. My nephew was actually playing with my son! I mean, wrestling and falling down all over each other. Then he started mimic-ing (sp?) Diego. I started to tear up and I just let them play and chase each other around. I had never EVER seen my nephew relate to another child like that before. My mom came into the room to see why the noise was still going on and I told her to stop b/c they were playing and I didn't want to see it end. I pray the they find a cause for autism and that there continues to be huge advances in treatment. I pray that my brother and his wife will be able to stay strong through the tough days and that their other son understands this disorder better. Wear blue this Friday in honor of Autism Awareness Day!!!!

Four + One = Five!!!

I thought I would explain my blog title a bit. It's so hard for us to believe that we are about to become a family of five because we still feel like we are brand new at being parents. When people find out that I'm pregnant with my third, it's not strange for them to give me that Oh-you-crazy-crazy-girl look. I've always wanted three children. I guess it's because I came from a family of five- my mom, dad and two older brothers. There was always a tie-breaker when you needed one! Most of you know I'm a country girl that lived on a ranch and my parents named it "Five Oaks Ranch"- five for the obvious fact that there were five in the family and oaks because the house that my parents live in is surrounded by oak trees. So I wanted the word five in my blog title like how my parents had the word five in our ranch name and I wanted it to really reflect my attitude about being a mom. I just really want have fun with my family and enjoy every single moment of it like it's a party... every milestone is a celebration. And for the moments that are everyday moments, everyday frustrations- hopefully my blog title will cheer me up and put things into perspective. The name came to me when I realized that one day, after this baby is born, we will go out to eat and have to wait for a table. And Ramon and I will be both shocked and amazed by the grace of God when the host/hostess calls for us to announce our table is ready: Garcia, Party of Five! Crazy, isn't it????? Still baffles my mind!!! HA!

First time!!!

So I've decided to bite the bullet and start a blog. I love my friends' blogs because it's a way to stay in touch. I also see it as a way of recording the everyday happenings of my family, which to me are so special. I just hope I don't bore anyone to sleep! So this is the test run. I'm determined to customize the blog and add pics- make it nice and jazzy. Stay tuned!