https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1082508

Here is a preview of the finaly chapter as well as possibly making it into a children’s book with illustrations. Please tell me what you think:

https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1082512

I finally decide to get up and out of bed around 10:30 because Mari is now saying, “Let’s go potty.” Now typically if Mari says “Let’s go potty” it is only to get out of doing something she no longer wants to do and not that she really needs to go potty. So I am pretty skeptical. The only drawback is you just never know when she actually has to use the potty. So I decide I had better go downstairs to get her out of her room to put her on the potty.

As I get closer to the door, you can just hear her saying over and over again, “Let’s go potty, let’s go potty, let’s go potty, let’s go potty.” I know it will NEVER stop until I get her out of her room as she is one persistent and stubborn little thing due to her autism. It’s kind of like we are at Burger King all the time, it ALWAYS has to be Mari’s way.

I take her out of her bedroom, put her hand in mine and take her to the bathroom across from her room. I unzip her blanket sleeper, pull down her Goodnight, and she sits down on the potty. Now, a typical, average, everyday person once they have woken up in the morning would sit on the toilet and go to the bathroom RIGHT AWAY. Not Mari. We sit, and sit, and sit, and then sit some more. Twenty minutes have now gone by and still no pee-pee on the potty for our little Mari. Boy does she have some good bladder control. Now Mari is saying, “All done.” I know that we could sit there for the next hour or two and she probably will still not have gone. So, I stand her up. She pulls up her goodnight. I take her blanket sleeper all the way off now because it is time to get dressed for the day.

We go back into her room to find an outfit. I am so organized with all of her clothes. If there is a top there is an exact bottom that matches it. If daddy or someone else tries to dress her and put the wrong items together, I have to go back and put the appropriate outfit on her. I pull out one of my favorite outfits for her. It is from the Mary Kate and Ashley line. I love almost all of the outfits they have come out with.

The top has long sleeves. The sleeves and the bodice are different because they are crocheted with a thin burnt orange yarn. The bottom half of the top is a cream t-shirt type material. Because the bodice is crocheted, the t-shirt type material goes up underneath it kind of like a tank top so the bodice is not see-through this way. There are two embroidered flowers, one of the left and one on the right, on the crocheted bodice. Towards the bottom right (if you are looking at the top) is another embroidered flower attached to the t-shirt material. The pants are jeans. They have an acid wash, wrinkled look to them. The jeans have double stitching on each seam and one thread is daisy yellow while the second thread is burnt orange. Towards the top of the pants have a special patterns that sort of looks like a big upside down crown where they attached the pants and used a zigzag stitch with burnt orange for the thread and a straight stitch with daisy yellow for the thread. On the front right jeans pocket (if you are looking at the jeans) has several embroidered flowers with an embroidered butterfly in many different colors. On both of her back pockets, the top half on the left pocket and the bottom right side on the right pocket, are multi-colored embroidered flowers as well. When this outfit is worn it just looks so feminine while at the same time it looks so incredibly cute.

I hand her the pants and she sits on the floor to put them on. I then hand her the shirt. She struggles a little so I help her put it on. We are all dressed now and Mari says, “Preacakes! Preacakes! Preacakes!” I stop her and say, “Mama, I want some preacakes please” while I sign to her the words. Mari then repeats back to me, “Mama, I want preacakes please.” I figure it is close enough so we are off to the kitchen to make us some preacakes.

So the first think I do is to pull out the griddle so it can start heating up. Mari starts to flap her arms in excitement because she knows she is getting her preacakes. I then pull out a bowl to mix the ingredients in. I pull over the step ladder so she can help me at the countertop. I ask Mari to go and get the Bisquick. She goes to the pantry, pulls out the big heavy box of Bisquick and places it on the countertop. I then pull out a 1/3 measuring cup. I measure the first cup full of Bisquick and she dumps it in the bowl. We do this five more times until we have two cups of Bisquick in the bowl. Then I ask Mari, “Ok, what is next?” So she steps down off the ladder, she opens the refrigerator and pulls out two eggs. She brings them over to me, steps back up on the ladder. I break the shells and put the eggs in. Then I ask Mari, “Ok, what is next?” She then steps back down, goes back to the refrigerator and pulls out the gallon of milk. She brings it over to me and she is back up on her ladder. I pull out a Pyrex two cup measuring cup and pour about one and a quarter cups of milk into it. I hand it to Mari and she pours it in. She then goes to the utensil draw and pulls out a whisk. She gets back up on her ladder and starts to stir the batter. She does a pretty good job but it is not quite all stirred so I finish mixing it until it is completely stirred.
So now I pour about a third of a cup of batter onto the griddle. I place four more round circles of batter onto the griddle and we watch them as they start to cook. Mari is just so excited. She starts to flap her “wings” again. The preacakes take about 3 to 4 minutes to cook and then they are done.

Mari goes and puts herself into her highchair that she has had since the day she was born. I close the lid. I place the three preacakes on a plate, butter them, cut them up into easy to eat squares, and then add syrup. I bring the plate and a fork over to Mari. She immediately digs in. Mari tries so hard to use a fork but ultimately gives up and just uses her hands. By the time she is done eating you ask yourself, “Did she get any of it in her mouth?” as it is all over her face, hands, and the clothes we had just put her in for the day.

So I take her out of her high chair, get her all cleaned up and Mari is off to play for the rest of the day.

It is August 22, 2014. Mariana is now 14 years old. The black stretch limousine pulls up to the house to pick up Keith, myself, Mariana, and Keith’s mom and dad. We are smiling and laughing from ear to ear. The night is special; one that will be remembered for years to come.

Keith is wearing an Armani black tux with a bow tie. I am wearing a bright Christmassy red dress. The entire dress has an overlay fabric that is an iridescent red color that almost looks like sparkles or glitter is sewn throughout the fabric and when the light hits it just right it sparkles so beautifully. The bodice of the dress is form fitting with thin straps. It has hand tacked on tiny beads all over the bodice. Then starting about the waistline the skirt of the dress starts to flow out. It is a full skirt. It reminds you of when you are a little girl twirling in a dress. I am wearing red satin strappy shoes and gloves that go up the entire length of my arms that match the color of my dress.

Mariana is in a brilliant purple floor length dress that looks just like mine. She has on purple satin strappy shoes and gloves just like mine in the color of her dress. We both have on shawls that match the color of our dresses. Keith’s dad is in the same tux as Keith. Keith’s mom has on a shimmering gold dress. It is a top and a skirt. The top buttons up the back. It has off the shoulder, made of chiffon, scrunched up type straps. The skirt is not form fitting but is not really full either. It has a slight train on the bottom. The skirt and top have hand tacked on beads and sequence. She has on a beautifully designed jacket to match.

The limousine driver comes up to the door and escorts us out to the limo. We all get into this beautiful limo. We start reminiscing about how Keith has gotten to where he is today. We are on our way to the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago. We open our bottle of Cristal Champagne. We all toast Keith and how well he has done. The drive takes about an hour.

We finally get to the hotel and the limo driver gets out and opens the door. We are then escorted into the ballroom where there are over 200 people waiting on us. All of our family, friends, people from my business, and those that Keith has worked with over the years are all there to celebrate with us.

The orchestra starts to play a song for the celebration we are having. The big banner in the back of the room says, “Congratulations Keith on Your Retirement!” Keith is only 43 years old. There is dancing, dinner and many toasts that happen this night. The night never seemed to end. We all went home with such a memory that will last for years to come.

We are in the year 2022. It is Saturday, June 18th at 4pm. It is Mariana’s wedding day. The sky is clear blue with a couple of beautiful white puffy clouds and it is 75 degrees outside. There are some blue birds flying over head as we drive up in a 1969 convertible white walled tired car.
She is carrying her white rose bouquet with a couple of white lilies, carnations and tulips. Around the stems are beautiful silk ribbons weaved together with the excess flowing freely. She is wearing a snow white gown. It reminds you of Cinderella. It has embroidered flowers and lace all over the gowns skirt. It is a sleeveless gown in a heart shaped bust line. It has laces instead of buttons up of the back of the dress. She is wearing white gloves that go up the entire length of her arms. She chose ballerina type slippers for her feet instead of shoes. The train on her dress is 8 feet long. There are two little girls who are there just to help her with her train. Her veil starts with a small princess type crown on her head. The ends of her veil have small pearls attached. The front of the veil goes to about her waist and the back goes the full length of the gown in the back.

I am sitting in the car with her. I have on a light pink and white floor length gown on. It has a solid pink ½ length type jacket on that goes just below the bust line. The dress has white baby rose buds on it. The slit goes up my left leg up to my knee. I am wearing a pink and white rose corsage with baby’s breath and one green leaf attached to my jacket.

One of the groomsmen opens the door for the two of us when we arrive at the church. The photographer is there taking pictures of us. We go into the Bridal room and wait for the wedding to start. Keith, Mari’s daddy, walks in and starts to tear up (which he never does). He tells her what a precious moment this is and will always be treasured. He takes her head in his hands and kisses her forehead. He leaves the room and I have my alone time with her. I sit there with her reminiscing of the days when she was young and how they seem just like yesterday yet so long ago.

The pastor opens the door and says its time. So, I grab her head in my hands and kiss her on the forehead. I tell her how very proud I am to have been her mom and so proud of the woman she has turned into. The man she is going to marry is one lucky guy to have her.

I leave the room and close the door behind me so she can have her last couple of moments to herself. I go to the door to the sanctuary where my husband gives me a hug and kisses me on the mouth and tells me how much he loves me and how good of a job we did in raising one very special little girl.

All the guests are seated now. The groom’s mom, who is in pink and light gray sparkly dress, was taken down the aisle to her seat. An usher comes to me now and asks if I am ready as this signifies the starting of the wedding. I say, “I am as ready as I ever will be.” I take his arm and I am escorted to the first pew on the left hands side.

At the end of each pew are white and pink real flower arrangements with either a pink or white satin bow below the flowers that alternate. I am now seated and it is now time the groom’s mom and myself to light the two smaller candles for the trinity candle. We go to the front of the church arm in arm. We each light our candle with one representing the bride and one the groom. Mari and her groom will later take the two candles and light the middle Trinity candle signifying that they have become one by becoming husband and wife. We hug each other and sit back down.

The candle lighters, there are 4 of them, now come forward and light the 200 candles that are at the front of the church. There is a harp, 2 chellos, 2 violas, and 6 violins that play the wedding music.

The groom now comes out of his room and stands beside the pastor. The music for the bridal party now starts. There are 8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen. They all walk down together. The bridesmaids are in floor length solid pink dresses. The bodice is heart shaped that ties up the back just like the bride’s gown. They have thin straps instead of being strapless. It is a skirt and top. The skirt is a flowing skirt. It has a very small train, maybe a ½ foot in length. They have pink and white bouquets that look just like the bride’s only smaller with pink and white ribbons around the stems. The men are in solid black tuxes with one white strip going down the side of each leg on the outside. They have a pink rose boutonniere attached to their left lapel. They are wearing a pink vest with pink ties. The groom is in a solid white tux with tails with one black strip going down the side of each leg on the outside. He is wearing a white rose boutonniere attached to his left lapel and is wearing a white vest with a white bow tie.

Two of the candle lighters now go back to the front of the church and grab the white isle runner and roll it out. This now signifies bride is coming. The flower girl now comes down the isle with the ring bearer. She is in a floor length white princess type gown. She has a little tiara on her head and her hair is full on blond golden ringlets. The ring bearer is in a miniature tux that looks just like the grooms.

The stringed instruments begin to play the bride’s song. The doors reopen and now she is standing there with her daddy. She now has the veil over her face. She is beaming from ear to ear while having tears in her eyes. They now start walking down the aisle. She looks so beautiful. She has the grace and presence of anyone you could imagine. She makes it to the front and the pastor asks, “Who gives this bride to this man?” Keith answers, “Her mother and I do.” He lifts the veil up high enough just to give her a kiss and places it back down. He squeezes her hand and comes to sit down by me.

I know the ceremony lasts for about 30 to 40 minutes but it seems to just go by so quickly. I watch her say her vows and exchange her rings. Songs were sung and tears flowed freely. Her daddy and I even sang a beautiful love song to her in dedication of her new life with her new husband to show her how much her daddy and I loved her and were so happy for her.

Finally the end was near and the pastor said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.” The groom lifts Mari’s veil over head and kisses her ever so sweetly, so gently, so precious and you can just imagine what it looked like. Our daughter is now married. She has now officially started her new life. We love her so much and will miss her being at home but we wish her all the best.

I hope you have enjoyed the dream I once had. Even though this will never come true, I am glad I have the memory of it in my head.