Well it looks like we wont be with K12 next year.
Mrs C.(The Principle in charge of the district K12 Program) wrote everyone an email saying that they are required to teach "State Corriculum" so this year things will be going a bit differently. So for History and Science(our 2 biggest hits with K12)they will not be going through K12 any more. Once they have gotten a set up curriculum for all other courses they will be not offering K12 for them either.
Yes, of course they will have workbooks ONLINE and worksheets you can print off etc. NOTHING like K12 had were it was really hands on and loads of activities and extra stuff that we could delve into. Plus everything woudl be lame worksheets and online things- etc. It just seasm WAY lame and them just trying to save a buck by using their own stuff instead of forking out the $$ for a solid curriculum like K12. ButI REALLY hate the idea of online workbooks etc-yuck. Stinger and I usually do everything on the floor and with K12 it was simple as we had workbooks to follow with -Id just retell everything and hed lok at teh worksheets and pictures that we had in front of us etc. I dont think Stinger would care for up to the computer all school day with thee two subjects he loved learning about.
So Im totally bummed. Her we were actually getting to the point of liking this curriculum, getting used to it, and now we have to look for something else.
I asked Dh, "So do we want to try just this one year and see what they have-or totally switch to something new?" He said very quickly, " Just switch." He said he doesnt trust them and their idea of what a state core should be etc....
So I guess I know what Ill be doing.....LOLOLOL
Im actually excited abt it-maybe this was what I needed to have something MAKE me let loose of the Brick and Morter school for Stinger. Then we can pick and choose what curriculum would be best in each subject for him-which would be really neat. This is what Ive come up with so far:
Math-TouchMath-2nd grade
Science-library/more nature-Charlotte Mason type learning....colorful worksheets/pictures-4th grade
History/Geography-library/timelines-characters/projects-4th grade
Language-lots of reading/stories-2nd grade
Phonics-2nd grade-letter tiles/boards etc...games...
Handwriting-2nd grade
Art-incorporate with other day lessons,Enchanted Learning
Okay-this is just off the top of my head-Ive got TUNZ of stuff to go through again for the zillionth time.......LOLOLOL
Id REALLY like a whole package curriculum-well one that could outline lessons each day for me etc....that way we wouldn't get off track....
I dont know-I DO know Ive got a whole lot of research to do......
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Testing......and Arrival of Some Tiny Critters :)
Well we loaded up to go to Brigham yet again this morning for the 15-30 min reading test.....can you say a WASTE of time....
And once again I had to explain to all the "testers" that Stinger needed me to stay in the room, that Stinger needed to have a divider/partition deal, needed to sit by himself etc...What-do they think I just make this stuff up? Hmmm Or MAYBEE I actually know what Im talking abt and these things will prevent problems not only for Stinger but the other children as well-eh? UGH-FRUSTRATING-for the Zillionth time...
So they walk away and go on and do the "whisper and looking deal in the corner" as Im rolling my eyes Im sure....They walk over abt to say something to me and I say "You know Ive spoken to Mrs C.(She is the Principle for the district and in charge of the K12 program run by it)abt all of this and she has assured me that its NOT a problem-so maybee you should call HER.
Basically my relationship with Mrs C started from the very beginning when I was questioning the districts policy on not supplying modififications for testing and IEP services etc-I called K12 they were very concerned and they called her and she called back and was more than willing to work with me then....;)Anyway-Mrs M( our supplied teacher)goes out of her way to help us-and so does Mrs C-but these other "testers" ...ugh-and thats who was there today....
Having to go through this each and every time starts me really not liking K12 and wanting to not do it again next year....But I talked with Stinger and he doesnt want to change to anything different-even if it means no more testing...so....change=bad as we all know......:)We'll proba be sticking with it. But the "you are just a parent" mentality and " I know more abt your child as Im the REAL teacher" attitude gets old REAL quick.
Stinger did Awesome! Like I knew he would. So we stopped off at the gas station for a pop and treat :)Thats our after test deal ard here :)So I was proud of him and upset at the testers...LOLOLOLOL
You know I just dont get it-he "supposedly" is in the Public School System still. He "supposedly" is to be getting IEP services and modifications, yet hissy fits are thrown by all when I want to stay in the room? Rediculous...okay change of subject......
ANTS-LOLOLOL
THEY CAME TODAY!!!!!! WHOOT!Stinger was sooo pleased. :) He's been waiting for them since he got his ant farms at X-Mas. But due to Utah weather they had a hold on them till it started to warm up. Abt 1/2 of them were dead on arrival-but they are really big and really neat to look at. Stinger is really enjoying them. We are watching Ant Wars on Tv on the Animal Planit as we speak-LOLOL. Cool-eh? Again-Im learning right along with my little guy. He cracks me up. He named the first ant to move through the tube George Washington.LOLOLOL He was in his room playing and I noticed an ant had made it across the tube to the other joining ant farm.( hes got two he has joined together with joining tubes) I said "Look Stinger- George got to the other side and went in the other ant farm!" He got up and looked and he said "Oh no Mom-thats not George -thats Christopher-Christopher Columbus."LOLOL-what a hoot-eh? As he was first to discover the other ant farm...LOLOLOL well duh Mom! LOLOLOLOLOL Too funny!
He told me the others were just ordinary-he calls them ordinary ants, but the ones that are brave and explorers have names...LOLOLOL Excellent ones-dont you think?
And once again I had to explain to all the "testers" that Stinger needed me to stay in the room, that Stinger needed to have a divider/partition deal, needed to sit by himself etc...What-do they think I just make this stuff up? Hmmm Or MAYBEE I actually know what Im talking abt and these things will prevent problems not only for Stinger but the other children as well-eh? UGH-FRUSTRATING-for the Zillionth time...
So they walk away and go on and do the "whisper and looking deal in the corner" as Im rolling my eyes Im sure....They walk over abt to say something to me and I say "You know Ive spoken to Mrs C.(She is the Principle for the district and in charge of the K12 program run by it)abt all of this and she has assured me that its NOT a problem-so maybee you should call HER.
Basically my relationship with Mrs C started from the very beginning when I was questioning the districts policy on not supplying modififications for testing and IEP services etc-I called K12 they were very concerned and they called her and she called back and was more than willing to work with me then....;)Anyway-Mrs M( our supplied teacher)goes out of her way to help us-and so does Mrs C-but these other "testers" ...ugh-and thats who was there today....
Having to go through this each and every time starts me really not liking K12 and wanting to not do it again next year....But I talked with Stinger and he doesnt want to change to anything different-even if it means no more testing...so....change=bad as we all know......:)We'll proba be sticking with it. But the "you are just a parent" mentality and " I know more abt your child as Im the REAL teacher" attitude gets old REAL quick.
Stinger did Awesome! Like I knew he would. So we stopped off at the gas station for a pop and treat :)Thats our after test deal ard here :)So I was proud of him and upset at the testers...LOLOLOLOL
You know I just dont get it-he "supposedly" is in the Public School System still. He "supposedly" is to be getting IEP services and modifications, yet hissy fits are thrown by all when I want to stay in the room? Rediculous...okay change of subject......
ANTS-LOLOLOL
THEY CAME TODAY!!!!!! WHOOT!Stinger was sooo pleased. :) He's been waiting for them since he got his ant farms at X-Mas. But due to Utah weather they had a hold on them till it started to warm up. Abt 1/2 of them were dead on arrival-but they are really big and really neat to look at. Stinger is really enjoying them. We are watching Ant Wars on Tv on the Animal Planit as we speak-LOLOL. Cool-eh? Again-Im learning right along with my little guy. He cracks me up. He named the first ant to move through the tube George Washington.LOLOLOL He was in his room playing and I noticed an ant had made it across the tube to the other joining ant farm.( hes got two he has joined together with joining tubes) I said "Look Stinger- George got to the other side and went in the other ant farm!" He got up and looked and he said "Oh no Mom-thats not George -thats Christopher-Christopher Columbus."LOLOL-what a hoot-eh? As he was first to discover the other ant farm...LOLOLOL well duh Mom! LOLOLOLOLOL Too funny!
He told me the others were just ordinary-he calls them ordinary ants, but the ones that are brave and explorers have names...LOLOLOL Excellent ones-dont you think?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Devotion-Renewed Thinking
Okay really interesting how I get these articles at just the right time. The Lord really does provide in our time of need-eh?
RENEWED THINKING AND SOFT HEARTS
by Suzanne Benner
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off
your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be
made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self,
created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22
-- 24).
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2).
God's Word tells us that we will be transformed if we renew our minds,
but how exactly do we change our thinking or "be made new in the
attitude of our minds"?
The process begins by asking ourselves what lies we have believed.
Think about worry for example -- we all know that we shouldn't worry, but
just telling ourselves to stop worrying doesn't seem to work.
Instead ask yourself "What lie do I believe that causes me to worry?"
? Do I believe that God will not provide?
? Do I believe that God won't give me good gifts?
? Do I believe that God won't give me what I want?
These questions guided me to a startling discovery: I don't have a
problem with worry at all -- I have a problem with surrender! The
realization dawned on me that I didn't trust God to provide for me because it
might not be what I would choose. That also meant that I didn't believe
that God knows better than me what I need.
After discovering the lies, replace them with the truth from the Bible:
? God will provide. (Philippians 4:19)
? God is the giver of good gifts. (James 1:17)
? I need to trust God, not myself. (Proverbs 3:5)
? I need to submit to God. (James 4:7)
In this way, renewing our minds will change our behavior.
Yet, as we saw last week, the problem is not in our minds alone, but
also in our hearts. Therefore, as renewed minds must replace futile
thinking, so soft hearts need to replace hardened ones.
Three times the writer of Hebrews repeats, "Today, if you hear his
voice, do not harden your hearts" (3:7; 3:15; 4:7).
Why do we harden our hearts?
Daniel, in talking about King Nebuchadnezzar, tells us, "...his heart
became arrogant and hardened with pride..." (Daniel 5:20).
Thus when God shows us something, we cannot push it aside thinking it's
not important or it's too painful to deal with or He's asking too
much. We must respond to God's nudging, humble ourselves and repent in
order to keep our hearts soft.
Therefore a behavior problem is a mind problem and a mind problem is a
heart problem.
RENEWED THINKING AND SOFT HEARTS
by Suzanne Benner
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off
your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be
made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self,
created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22
-- 24).
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2).
God's Word tells us that we will be transformed if we renew our minds,
but how exactly do we change our thinking or "be made new in the
attitude of our minds"?
The process begins by asking ourselves what lies we have believed.
Think about worry for example -- we all know that we shouldn't worry, but
just telling ourselves to stop worrying doesn't seem to work.
Instead ask yourself "What lie do I believe that causes me to worry?"
? Do I believe that God will not provide?
? Do I believe that God won't give me good gifts?
? Do I believe that God won't give me what I want?
These questions guided me to a startling discovery: I don't have a
problem with worry at all -- I have a problem with surrender! The
realization dawned on me that I didn't trust God to provide for me because it
might not be what I would choose. That also meant that I didn't believe
that God knows better than me what I need.
After discovering the lies, replace them with the truth from the Bible:
? God will provide. (Philippians 4:19)
? God is the giver of good gifts. (James 1:17)
? I need to trust God, not myself. (Proverbs 3:5)
? I need to submit to God. (James 4:7)
In this way, renewing our minds will change our behavior.
Yet, as we saw last week, the problem is not in our minds alone, but
also in our hearts. Therefore, as renewed minds must replace futile
thinking, so soft hearts need to replace hardened ones.
Three times the writer of Hebrews repeats, "Today, if you hear his
voice, do not harden your hearts" (3:7; 3:15; 4:7).
Why do we harden our hearts?
Daniel, in talking about King Nebuchadnezzar, tells us, "...his heart
became arrogant and hardened with pride..." (Daniel 5:20).
Thus when God shows us something, we cannot push it aside thinking it's
not important or it's too painful to deal with or He's asking too
much. We must respond to God's nudging, humble ourselves and repent in
order to keep our hearts soft.
Therefore a behavior problem is a mind problem and a mind problem is a
heart problem.
Appreciation for Life-article
Talk abt hitting home.........enjoy :)
It’s a beautiful day and we’re at the beach. The air is filled with laughter and joy. I smile as I watch my 4 year old daughter build sand castles with her cousin. I turn to my son and my heart grows heavy. Oblivious to everything around him, he constantly sifts the sand through his fingers, watching the particles scatter as they fall.
The playground is alive. Children are laughing together. They take turns on the swings, propelling themselves higher and higher. They flitter effortlessly from the slide, to the jungle gym and across the monkey bars. I watch my 5 year old daughter join in with the crowd. Her face is filled with delight as she spins on the tire swing with two other kids. Chatting to some friends, I smile and look happy but depression sets in as I watch my son scale the perimeter of the fence. Unaware of the activity around him, he simply stares at the trees, watching the leaves blowing in the breeze.
We’re in the clothes store and my daughter is excited. At 6 years old she likes matching her clothes. She happily goes from rack to rack, wanting to buy shirts and skirts and socks. Her participation is wonderful to see. My anxiety increases as I hold onto my son’s hand. Not caring what he wears and not knowing how to match, he is crying and constantly trying to hide between the clothes racks.
At home I am relaxing on the sofa. My 7 year old daughter suddenly runs up to me and throws her arms around me in a loving embrace. “Mommy I love you so much” she declares with a huge smile. It’s a bittersweet moment because out of the corner of my eye, I watch my son staring at his fingers as he flicks them through the air.
Walking through the museum my 8 year old daughter is impressed. She happily discusses each piece with us, asking questions and offering her opinion. My son walks by my side, staring blankly at each piece. My heart is broken. He makes no comment and I wonder if he comprehends where we are.
Years go by and my children grow and mature
Taking a family stroll through the park we pass by a playground. My 13 year old daughter grumbles that she’s hot and nags us to go home. I turn to my son and can’t help but smile. He has picked up a dandelion and holding it high in the air, he watches fascinated as the seeds sprinkle and scatter through the air.
On a tour through a famous art museum, my 14 year old daughter is not happy. Refusing to look at the displays, she constantly asks when we’re planning to leave. I look at my son and he smiles at me in delight. My heart fills with pride as I watch him intently study the artwork and paintings on the wall.
It’s the perfect evening for a walk on the beach. As we settle on the sand to watch the sunset my 15 year old daughter complains of boredom. With a sigh I turn to my son and immediately get caught up in his delight. Enjoying each moment as if it were his first time, he watches the sky change color as the sun goes down.
While at the food court in the mall, I notice my 16 year old daughter with her friends. I smile and wave happily. At the age where she’s embarrassed to be seen with her parents, she pretends not to notice me and walks right by. The hurt is immediately replaced by joy as my son innocently gives me an affectionate bear hug and then happily drinks his soda.
We’re in the clothes store and my 17 year old daughter is mad. I listen in frustration as she insists that she can only purchase the latest and most expensive designer jeans. I turn away from her and break into a smile. My son is holding up a simple pair of shorts while looking at me with questioning eyes.
Stuck in traffic our whole family is frustrated. Everyone except my son who has turned his attention to a flock of birds resting on a telephone wire. One by one we smile at each other as we notice his delight. With his unique ability to appreciate life, my son constantly reminds us all how precious it is to appreciate each moment.
- By Jene Aviram
It’s a beautiful day and we’re at the beach. The air is filled with laughter and joy. I smile as I watch my 4 year old daughter build sand castles with her cousin. I turn to my son and my heart grows heavy. Oblivious to everything around him, he constantly sifts the sand through his fingers, watching the particles scatter as they fall.
The playground is alive. Children are laughing together. They take turns on the swings, propelling themselves higher and higher. They flitter effortlessly from the slide, to the jungle gym and across the monkey bars. I watch my 5 year old daughter join in with the crowd. Her face is filled with delight as she spins on the tire swing with two other kids. Chatting to some friends, I smile and look happy but depression sets in as I watch my son scale the perimeter of the fence. Unaware of the activity around him, he simply stares at the trees, watching the leaves blowing in the breeze.
We’re in the clothes store and my daughter is excited. At 6 years old she likes matching her clothes. She happily goes from rack to rack, wanting to buy shirts and skirts and socks. Her participation is wonderful to see. My anxiety increases as I hold onto my son’s hand. Not caring what he wears and not knowing how to match, he is crying and constantly trying to hide between the clothes racks.
At home I am relaxing on the sofa. My 7 year old daughter suddenly runs up to me and throws her arms around me in a loving embrace. “Mommy I love you so much” she declares with a huge smile. It’s a bittersweet moment because out of the corner of my eye, I watch my son staring at his fingers as he flicks them through the air.
Walking through the museum my 8 year old daughter is impressed. She happily discusses each piece with us, asking questions and offering her opinion. My son walks by my side, staring blankly at each piece. My heart is broken. He makes no comment and I wonder if he comprehends where we are.
Years go by and my children grow and mature
Taking a family stroll through the park we pass by a playground. My 13 year old daughter grumbles that she’s hot and nags us to go home. I turn to my son and can’t help but smile. He has picked up a dandelion and holding it high in the air, he watches fascinated as the seeds sprinkle and scatter through the air.
On a tour through a famous art museum, my 14 year old daughter is not happy. Refusing to look at the displays, she constantly asks when we’re planning to leave. I look at my son and he smiles at me in delight. My heart fills with pride as I watch him intently study the artwork and paintings on the wall.
It’s the perfect evening for a walk on the beach. As we settle on the sand to watch the sunset my 15 year old daughter complains of boredom. With a sigh I turn to my son and immediately get caught up in his delight. Enjoying each moment as if it were his first time, he watches the sky change color as the sun goes down.
While at the food court in the mall, I notice my 16 year old daughter with her friends. I smile and wave happily. At the age where she’s embarrassed to be seen with her parents, she pretends not to notice me and walks right by. The hurt is immediately replaced by joy as my son innocently gives me an affectionate bear hug and then happily drinks his soda.
We’re in the clothes store and my 17 year old daughter is mad. I listen in frustration as she insists that she can only purchase the latest and most expensive designer jeans. I turn away from her and break into a smile. My son is holding up a simple pair of shorts while looking at me with questioning eyes.
Stuck in traffic our whole family is frustrated. Everyone except my son who has turned his attention to a flock of birds resting on a telephone wire. One by one we smile at each other as we notice his delight. With his unique ability to appreciate life, my son constantly reminds us all how precious it is to appreciate each moment.
- By Jene Aviram
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Whew...........*sigh of relief* *catching my breath* ...finally LOLOLOL
Looks like Tuesdays are going to be quite busy for awhile ard here......
This was our after school schedule today:
4:00-5---->Flamingos Girl Scouts-got more homework for some badges to do....
5:15-5:45->stop at store gotta get milk, get home and run ard getting dinner ready and eat
6-6:30---->Flamingos Soccer practise
6:30-9---->LAMP training with Utah Parent Center
9:30------>kids in bed(miracle it was), Flamingos homework
Needless to say things didnt run to smoothly---STINGER....LOLOLOLOL But it was expected. Meltdown abt getting dressed, Meltdown and refusal to get out of car for soccer practice-said it was too cold to play on the playground, but didnt want to stay in the car by himself, Monkey Boy starts to cry as he wants to play on the play ground. Stinger finally steps out of the car and sits up on the top of the slide the whole time. I go and move teh car closser so he can get in the car and I can watch Flamingo and keep eyes on Monkey Boy playing.....sheesh.....
Found out not only is Flamingos game tomorrow, but pictures an hour earlier. Yes I told Stinger tonight and the fussing has already begun. But I thought Id inform him so tomorrow isnt a total refusal etc....He said "oh...its going to be the worst day of my life"Shaking his head back and forth.....So we will deal and go on......
Its hard bringing him everywhere we have to go when I know he hates it...but this is how its got to be. I used to just tell Flamingo she couldnt do things, but I realized that was totally unfair to her. So upsets are expected with Stinger now each and everytime we go out...and we just deal....
We got home, I popped a movie in the DVD and had some popcorn popped and Stinger got on the computer and I headed upstairs to have my teleconferance. Where I learned our "projects" are due in June.....sigh....
I've thought abt it and I think Im going to write up a brochure of sorts, info packet, resource list, etc, for parents of special needs and distribute them throughout the community etc. Something I wish had been there for me here. So thats what Ill be digging into for a while.
I so wish I could be on commmities, be more involved, go to support groups etc. But its hard when Stinger hates going out and interacting and just "being" with anyone.....
So Im back to the endless question-do I let him be-accept him that this is who he is and deal, pass.... on things that come up taht i wish I coudl do, or attend...or do I try and make him not so? I wish I knew what was best for him. To push-will that in any way change how things are, or just make him more upset and hard to get to places? Or just accept this and make everyone in the family learn to accept this as well???? Is it just anxiety that could be helped with ...something? I havent a clue.
All Iknow is that this is the ONE thing that isnt changing since we started homeschooling, that maybee it is possibly getting worse here...and what do I do abt it....if anything......Nims Island (Jody Foster)pops into my mind yet again and I catch myself fearing the what ifs yet again... what if this is his future? What should I do ...anyone?????:)
Does this sound more like that than something on the Autism Spectrum?
Fester...fester...fester........
This was our after school schedule today:
4:00-5---->Flamingos Girl Scouts-got more homework for some badges to do....
5:15-5:45->stop at store gotta get milk, get home and run ard getting dinner ready and eat
6-6:30---->Flamingos Soccer practise
6:30-9---->LAMP training with Utah Parent Center
9:30------>kids in bed(miracle it was), Flamingos homework
Needless to say things didnt run to smoothly---STINGER....LOLOLOLOL But it was expected. Meltdown abt getting dressed, Meltdown and refusal to get out of car for soccer practice-said it was too cold to play on the playground, but didnt want to stay in the car by himself, Monkey Boy starts to cry as he wants to play on the play ground. Stinger finally steps out of the car and sits up on the top of the slide the whole time. I go and move teh car closser so he can get in the car and I can watch Flamingo and keep eyes on Monkey Boy playing.....sheesh.....
Found out not only is Flamingos game tomorrow, but pictures an hour earlier. Yes I told Stinger tonight and the fussing has already begun. But I thought Id inform him so tomorrow isnt a total refusal etc....He said "oh...its going to be the worst day of my life"Shaking his head back and forth.....So we will deal and go on......
Its hard bringing him everywhere we have to go when I know he hates it...but this is how its got to be. I used to just tell Flamingo she couldnt do things, but I realized that was totally unfair to her. So upsets are expected with Stinger now each and everytime we go out...and we just deal....
We got home, I popped a movie in the DVD and had some popcorn popped and Stinger got on the computer and I headed upstairs to have my teleconferance. Where I learned our "projects" are due in June.....sigh....
I've thought abt it and I think Im going to write up a brochure of sorts, info packet, resource list, etc, for parents of special needs and distribute them throughout the community etc. Something I wish had been there for me here. So thats what Ill be digging into for a while.
I so wish I could be on commmities, be more involved, go to support groups etc. But its hard when Stinger hates going out and interacting and just "being" with anyone.....
So Im back to the endless question-do I let him be-accept him that this is who he is and deal, pass.... on things that come up taht i wish I coudl do, or attend...or do I try and make him not so? I wish I knew what was best for him. To push-will that in any way change how things are, or just make him more upset and hard to get to places? Or just accept this and make everyone in the family learn to accept this as well???? Is it just anxiety that could be helped with ...something? I havent a clue.
All Iknow is that this is the ONE thing that isnt changing since we started homeschooling, that maybee it is possibly getting worse here...and what do I do abt it....if anything......Nims Island (Jody Foster)pops into my mind yet again and I catch myself fearing the what ifs yet again... what if this is his future? What should I do ...anyone?????:)
Does this sound more like that than something on the Autism Spectrum?
Fester...fester...fester........
Monday, April 14, 2008
My Secret Sis-Exposed!!!!! :)
I just received a final gift from my secret sis, and found out who she is!!!!!
Thank you secret sis for the oil burner. I LOVE it!!!!!I love plugging it up and having the house smell all nice for when dh gets home :) During the day when Im reading or having a quiet time I plug it up as well as it is very soothing and helps me de-stress from the day!Im excited to go to your blog and learn all abt you {{HUGS}}Thank you for being such a strength and inspiration to me these past months{{HUGS}}
Thank you secret sis for the oil burner. I LOVE it!!!!!I love plugging it up and having the house smell all nice for when dh gets home :) During the day when Im reading or having a quiet time I plug it up as well as it is very soothing and helps me de-stress from the day!Im excited to go to your blog and learn all abt you {{HUGS}}Thank you for being such a strength and inspiration to me these past months{{HUGS}}
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Nim's Island
Well this is where we were at on Friday.....What can I say but a VERY cute-GOOD movie!!!!!
Stinger was quiet upset when he realized the main character was a girl, but quickly got over it when it started-LOLOLOL
Jody Foster is also in it and she plays a lady with Agrophobia( I think this is the fear of people etc)It was really interesting how similar the things she did, certian ritual thinking, certain scares and worries are things we frequently deal with here with Stinger. At one point a pharmacy comes to the door( she calls in her hand sanitiser and has it delivered-instead of actually going to the pharmacy)and she has him leave it outside in the rain. Another time the mail man accidently leaves her mail in the mailbox and she really fights with herself on how she needs to go out and get it,but cant bring herself to do it,then finally accepts that she doesnt need to read her mail that day.....
She also uses this hand sanitiser-obsessively-Stinger doesnt believe this stuff works;)LOLOLOL, but I could totally see alot of attributes of her in Stinger. What was REALLY cool is that she finally faces her fears and conquers them!!!!!It was awesome to see!
Anyway-REALLY cute show. Id look over at Stinger and he would be smiling so big-I wonder if he could relate at all to her fears. I know Ive seen that fear look on his face too many times to count.
We also went to Charlies(an Ice-Cream store)-as Stinger had a free coupon sent for his B-day. He ordered his usual-plain vanilla-his one and only and his favorite. But I think we have actually found a flavor he likes just as much. Its called bannana nut-and boy he tasted Dads and TRADED! LOLOLOLOL
Well wonders cease to amaze me! LOLOLOLOL
But it was a fun day. :)
Tonight can you say pain!!!!!!I went out to the "garden"got my soil ready and actually got 4 rows filled. Carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, and salad greens. We have really been going through the greens here lately. But BOY-am I feeling it tonight! ;)LOLOLOL
Dh is on a strict diet and he's been losing 5 pds per week....Im not doing so well. We have a bet going and basically who ever wins and gets down to their desired weight gets to spend the tax refund-LOLOLOL-pretty good motivation-eh? But its not helping too much with me I guess......LOLOLOL
But Im lovin the weather-its FINALLY warming up here without the wind.
I did see something though that caught my breath in the paper. It was saying how officials in Box Elder are looking at the weather carefully-not wanting it to warm up too soon-as it could cause flooding LIKE WE HAD HERE THREE YEARS AGO.......boy-thats all I need to hear........sigh.......Cross them fingers and toes-eh? NOT something I want to re-live.
Stinger was quiet upset when he realized the main character was a girl, but quickly got over it when it started-LOLOLOL
Jody Foster is also in it and she plays a lady with Agrophobia( I think this is the fear of people etc)It was really interesting how similar the things she did, certian ritual thinking, certain scares and worries are things we frequently deal with here with Stinger. At one point a pharmacy comes to the door( she calls in her hand sanitiser and has it delivered-instead of actually going to the pharmacy)and she has him leave it outside in the rain. Another time the mail man accidently leaves her mail in the mailbox and she really fights with herself on how she needs to go out and get it,but cant bring herself to do it,then finally accepts that she doesnt need to read her mail that day.....
She also uses this hand sanitiser-obsessively-Stinger doesnt believe this stuff works;)LOLOLOL, but I could totally see alot of attributes of her in Stinger. What was REALLY cool is that she finally faces her fears and conquers them!!!!!It was awesome to see!
Anyway-REALLY cute show. Id look over at Stinger and he would be smiling so big-I wonder if he could relate at all to her fears. I know Ive seen that fear look on his face too many times to count.
We also went to Charlies(an Ice-Cream store)-as Stinger had a free coupon sent for his B-day. He ordered his usual-plain vanilla-his one and only and his favorite. But I think we have actually found a flavor he likes just as much. Its called bannana nut-and boy he tasted Dads and TRADED! LOLOLOLOL
Well wonders cease to amaze me! LOLOLOLOL
But it was a fun day. :)
Tonight can you say pain!!!!!!I went out to the "garden"got my soil ready and actually got 4 rows filled. Carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, and salad greens. We have really been going through the greens here lately. But BOY-am I feeling it tonight! ;)LOLOLOL
Dh is on a strict diet and he's been losing 5 pds per week....Im not doing so well. We have a bet going and basically who ever wins and gets down to their desired weight gets to spend the tax refund-LOLOLOL-pretty good motivation-eh? But its not helping too much with me I guess......LOLOLOL
But Im lovin the weather-its FINALLY warming up here without the wind.
I did see something though that caught my breath in the paper. It was saying how officials in Box Elder are looking at the weather carefully-not wanting it to warm up too soon-as it could cause flooding LIKE WE HAD HERE THREE YEARS AGO.......boy-thats all I need to hear........sigh.......Cross them fingers and toes-eh? NOT something I want to re-live.
Yet Another GOOD Reason to Homeschool.....
This upset me so much, that I had to do something.
I figured I would pass this along to as many people as possible.
Please, if nothing else, read the comments by the teacher that goes
by "vomit".
Carol from GA
Here is a blog thread on teachers' attitudes toward autism. Quite
revealing in my opinion.
http://teachers.net/states/ga/topic2982/3.17.08.05.23.55.html
-----sigh.........
I figured I would pass this along to as many people as possible.
Please, if nothing else, read the comments by the teacher that goes
by "vomit".
Carol from GA
Here is a blog thread on teachers' attitudes toward autism. Quite
revealing in my opinion.
http://teachers.net/states/ga/topic2982/3.17.08.05.23.55.html
-----sigh.........
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Field Trip
Today Monkey Boy and Stinger and I set out on a some what field trip to see a school play (The Wizard of Oz). It was playing at McKinley-Stingers old home school. It was a matinee and so the kids at school were there watching it too.
To say it mildly Stinger was not thrilled abt going.....no surprise there-eh? But he went without any tantrum or fussing. We get there and there are no outisde seats left-which is where he likes to be so he doesnt have to sit by anyone....so he struggled a bit with that, but as there was no alternative he managed to be okay with it. You shoudl have seen hsi face during teh whole play. Its as if he himself was in the play being soooo misereable. He looked soo sullen and NOT happy......but a couple of times he woudl complain that he could not see-so I know he was maybee enjoying it, if just a wee bit-kwim? Abt 15 min into it he started complaining that it was giving him a headache and told me he wanted to leave. He said there was too much talking. I dont know if he was talking about the play or the spectators sitting along with us-yet I assume it was the play as everyone ard us was really quite and well behaved.
Some of the characters were wearing headphone deals and they kept going out-which to Stinger I imagine was pretty frustrating.
But he did VERY well-for not wanting to be there, and Monkey boy was very well behaved too :)He REALLY enjoyed it, had fun clapping etc.
So it was, I guess, a sucess..... I guess?????
I thought it was cute and there were a couple of neighborhood kids in it that were fun to watch. Flamingo had NO desire to be in it-she hates talking in front of others-I found out this year at the Christmas Play.....
She is going through some funny cheerleading craze right now. Seams that two other girls and her have brought there pom-poms to school and have been cheering at breaks. Doing cart-wheels and hand-stands, and of course making up dreamy cheers for the boys they like-LOLOLOL. Its so funny listening to her tell these stories to me at night.
She wants to take cheerleading, but doesnt want to take gymnastics-as she has "already tried it" .Ive tried to explain to her that the two go together, but shes not understanding too well.
But I did call abt starting her up. I saw an add in the paper abt cheering, tumbling, dance etc-that is new and is being taught by the same awesome teachers she had for gymnastics. Their prices are really afordeable-so thats a BIG plus and I can stop hearing about it from Flamingo for awhile as they wont be starting up until the fall. ;)LOLOLOLOL She wants to be in a competing class, but you have to be 10-so shes just gunna have to be in the reg class in the fall. But she is excited. And Im sure this news is doing wonders for her shows at recess-LOLOLOL
Her soccer is starting up again. Its really cold still here-so Im not looking forward to sitting out there on those cold bleachers-LOLOLOL, but I remember my parents doing it on those cold Saturdays-I guess I can too.....;)LOLOLOLOLOL.
School is going really well again. WE are back into our daily schedule-which Stinger is again insisting on keeping to the "t" again :)He sure keeps me on my toes-LOLOLOLOL-but its going good :)
To say it mildly Stinger was not thrilled abt going.....no surprise there-eh? But he went without any tantrum or fussing. We get there and there are no outisde seats left-which is where he likes to be so he doesnt have to sit by anyone....so he struggled a bit with that, but as there was no alternative he managed to be okay with it. You shoudl have seen hsi face during teh whole play. Its as if he himself was in the play being soooo misereable. He looked soo sullen and NOT happy......but a couple of times he woudl complain that he could not see-so I know he was maybee enjoying it, if just a wee bit-kwim? Abt 15 min into it he started complaining that it was giving him a headache and told me he wanted to leave. He said there was too much talking. I dont know if he was talking about the play or the spectators sitting along with us-yet I assume it was the play as everyone ard us was really quite and well behaved.
Some of the characters were wearing headphone deals and they kept going out-which to Stinger I imagine was pretty frustrating.
But he did VERY well-for not wanting to be there, and Monkey boy was very well behaved too :)He REALLY enjoyed it, had fun clapping etc.
So it was, I guess, a sucess..... I guess?????
I thought it was cute and there were a couple of neighborhood kids in it that were fun to watch. Flamingo had NO desire to be in it-she hates talking in front of others-I found out this year at the Christmas Play.....
She is going through some funny cheerleading craze right now. Seams that two other girls and her have brought there pom-poms to school and have been cheering at breaks. Doing cart-wheels and hand-stands, and of course making up dreamy cheers for the boys they like-LOLOLOL. Its so funny listening to her tell these stories to me at night.
She wants to take cheerleading, but doesnt want to take gymnastics-as she has "already tried it" .Ive tried to explain to her that the two go together, but shes not understanding too well.
But I did call abt starting her up. I saw an add in the paper abt cheering, tumbling, dance etc-that is new and is being taught by the same awesome teachers she had for gymnastics. Their prices are really afordeable-so thats a BIG plus and I can stop hearing about it from Flamingo for awhile as they wont be starting up until the fall. ;)LOLOLOLOL She wants to be in a competing class, but you have to be 10-so shes just gunna have to be in the reg class in the fall. But she is excited. And Im sure this news is doing wonders for her shows at recess-LOLOLOL
Her soccer is starting up again. Its really cold still here-so Im not looking forward to sitting out there on those cold bleachers-LOLOLOL, but I remember my parents doing it on those cold Saturdays-I guess I can too.....;)LOLOLOLOLOL.
School is going really well again. WE are back into our daily schedule-which Stinger is again insisting on keeping to the "t" again :)He sure keeps me on my toes-LOLOLOLOL-but its going good :)
From My "Autistic" Point of View-article
This was right on the money I think....
Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the
unpredictability. The only consistent attribute the inconsistency. There is
little argument on any level but that autism is baffling, even to those who
spend their lives around it.
The child who lives with autism may look "normal," but his or her behavior
can be perplexing and downright difficult. Today, the citadel of autism,
once thought an "incurable" disorder, is cracking around the foundation.
Every day, individuals with autism show us they can overcome, compensate
for, and otherwise manage many of the condition's most challenging aspects.
Equipping those around our children with a simple understanding of autism's
most basic elements has a tremendous effect on the children's journey
towards productive, independent adulthood. Autism is an extremely complex
disorder, but we can distill it to three critical components: sensory
processing difficulties, speech/language delays and impairments, and whole
child/social interaction issues.
Here are 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew.
1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one
aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person.
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary
sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not
even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I
have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to
you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the
grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyper-acute. Dozens of
people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak
whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee
grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak,
the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm
in overload!
My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat
counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered
today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us
has a poopy diaper, and they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia.
... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous.
Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become over-stimulated. The
fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my
eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what
I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing.
There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too
many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel
vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell
where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay
down to try and regroup.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and
can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both
difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I
can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what
I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*"
Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to
lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen
next. Now it's much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very
confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you
really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of
cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This
will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I
see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very
hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me, and frustrate me.
5. Be patient with me. It's hard for me to tell you
what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be
hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are
beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal,
agitation, or other signs that something is wrong. There's a flip side to
this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off
words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages
I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language
deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may
come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called
echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm
using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented.
Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be
prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn. A
visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day
planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next,
makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time
and meet your expectations. Here's a great web site for learning more about
visual schedules http://www.cesa7.
k12.wi.us/newweb/ content/rsn/ autism.asp
7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like
any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made
to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new
when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive,
becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them.
There's more than one right way to do most things.
8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to
play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I
simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If
you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or
shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included.
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the
antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them
are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or
more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my
meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.
10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish
thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You
didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you
wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have
autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support,
my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support
and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise
you I'm worth it.
It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.
Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability.
Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts
autism has given me.
I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I
don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on
other people?
You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if
they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and
we'll see just how far I can go.
I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, ....but with my attention to fine
detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein.
Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh. They had autism too.
Freelance writer and consultant Ellen Notbohm is a columnist for
Autism/Asperger' s Digest and co-author of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and
Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Future Horizons
http://www.futureho
rizons-autism. com). She favors "common sense" approaches
to raising her sons with autism and AD/HD. She lives in Oregon.
Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the
unpredictability. The only consistent attribute the inconsistency. There is
little argument on any level but that autism is baffling, even to those who
spend their lives around it.
The child who lives with autism may look "normal," but his or her behavior
can be perplexing and downright difficult. Today, the citadel of autism,
once thought an "incurable" disorder, is cracking around the foundation.
Every day, individuals with autism show us they can overcome, compensate
for, and otherwise manage many of the condition's most challenging aspects.
Equipping those around our children with a simple understanding of autism's
most basic elements has a tremendous effect on the children's journey
towards productive, independent adulthood. Autism is an extremely complex
disorder, but we can distill it to three critical components: sensory
processing difficulties, speech/language delays and impairments, and whole
child/social interaction issues.
Here are 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew.
1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one
aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person.
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary
sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not
even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I
have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to
you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the
grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyper-acute. Dozens of
people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak
whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee
grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak,
the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm
in overload!
My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat
counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered
today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us
has a poopy diaper, and they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia.
... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous.
Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become over-stimulated. The
fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my
eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what
I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing.
There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too
many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel
vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell
where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay
down to try and regroup.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and
can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both
difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I
can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what
I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*"
Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to
lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen
next. Now it's much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very
confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you
really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of
cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This
will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I
see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very
hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me, and frustrate me.
5. Be patient with me. It's hard for me to tell you
what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be
hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are
beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal,
agitation, or other signs that something is wrong. There's a flip side to
this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off
words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages
I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language
deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may
come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called
echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm
using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented.
Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be
prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn. A
visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day
planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next,
makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time
and meet your expectations. Here's a great web site for learning more about
visual schedules http://www.cesa7.
k12.wi.us/newweb/ content/rsn/ autism.asp
7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like
any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made
to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new
when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive,
becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them.
There's more than one right way to do most things.
8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to
play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I
simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If
you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or
shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included.
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the
antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them
are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or
more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my
meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.
10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish
thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You
didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you
wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have
autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support,
my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support
and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise
you I'm worth it.
It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.
Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability.
Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts
autism has given me.
I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I
don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on
other people?
You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if
they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and
we'll see just how far I can go.
I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, ....but with my attention to fine
detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein.
Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh. They had autism too.
Freelance writer and consultant Ellen Notbohm is a columnist for
Autism/Asperger' s Digest and co-author of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and
Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Future Horizons
http://www.futureho
rizons-autism. com). She favors "common sense" approaches
to raising her sons with autism and AD/HD. She lives in Oregon.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Stary Night-Inside Milky Way
Well we have just finished up our Solar System Unit-man I learned alot! LOLOLOLOLOL. Tonight we looked up the Hubble Space Telescope. Trying to get my brain let alone Stingers brain ard it that there are such magnificent beautiful things out there today was pretty....well...impossible-LOLOLOL.
He was amazed and we watched a video and saw even more beautiful galaxies and learned alot abt the Hubble Telescope. It was so interesting, amazing....and FUN! LOLOLOL
Today we learned abt the Milky Way and did a picture out of cotton balls spread out into strands to represent the galaxy with and our tiny part-our solar system inside it. Made absolutely no sense to me and seams quiet unbelievable until we actually saw it online and looked at the telescope tonight. We actually looked and saw where the telescope is right now-a bit off of Australia and we could see it moving-He thought that was really neat. He wanted to watch it all night until it was above us. LOLOLOL It takes abt 97 minutes for it to make a complete orbit-so no, we didnt sit there and watch;)LOLOLOL maybee some other time.......LOLOLOL
But it was really neat.
Heres some more pictures-completely breathtakingly beautiful-eh?
Ill put them on teh next blog-sheesh..they are sooo beautiuful.....and it begs you to ask-why oh why are they out there???????Sunday, April 06, 2008
Special Mountains
This was a pretty good article I found today-made me smile and made me again think how lucky I am to have my Stinger home with me :)
LEARNING DISABILITIES - SPECIAL MOUNTAINS
by - Steven Michael Evans
Imagine a world in which the ability to draw was considered more valuable than the ability to read and write. Or a society in which climbing sheer rock faces and repelling down mountains was considered the norm. Would you excel, be average, or would you lag behind? (Perhaps a quick trip to the mirror to check your physique or sketch a self-portrait would answer that question for you.)
Visualize life as a "special needs student" in a society governed by skills and abilities which, by no fault of your own, you do not have. So, you spend hours and hours every day learning and relearning how to climb a 20-foot vertical. And it takes you weeks to complete a drawing of stick men having breakfast. (I don't know how to draw stick-eggs!!) Still, you don't get any better, but you do try. Oh boy, do you try!
Welcome to the misunderstood and misinterpreted world of special needs students.
They spend their days living in a world in which knowing how to spell preate (pretty) and spishal (special) is, questionably, more important than the message behind the spelling. These are individuals who stare at words packed like sardines onto a page. They are expected to absorb, decipher, accumulate, and file data into a neat, orderly mental package which can be regurgitated at any time, without any difficulty or extra help. Right? Yeah, sure.
Oh, by the way, climb Mount Rundle and give me a Rembrandt-esque rendition of the city dump. It's due at the end of class.
These kids are learning to cope in a society that is geared toward accumulation of facts and the ability to access them quickly. They are penalized for not possessing the same skills as the so called " normal " population. They are chastised, segregated, shunned, laughed at , called names, and must work twice as hard as "regular" students just to get onto a "level" playing field called public education.
Hopefully, our world still appreciates the oddballs; the underdogs; the square pegs - even if that appreciation is long term in its arrival. There is a continual amazement offered by the individual gifts and talents of special needs students.
Take Sharlene (not her real name) , who can list the title of every movie made in the past five years, not to mention the plot, main characters, setting and what the stars were doing on premiere night in Hollywood. Or Jacob (not his real name either) , who arrived a wild -child, but took up the challenge to find himself and define what he wanted in life. Or Josie (not...well, you guessed it) , who, at 17, has the work ethic and attitude of a seasoned university student.
The best job in the world belongs to those who teach, who are witness to many small miracles - as well as the continued daily struggles through which special kids must cope. They have been given the wondrous opportunity to work with students who may never remember how to figure out percent, or what the capital of Canada is, but can share their own Sistine Chapels, and lead an expedition on to mountains most of us don't see and the majority would otherwise never ascend.
LEARNING DISABILITIES - SPECIAL MOUNTAINS
by - Steven Michael Evans
Imagine a world in which the ability to draw was considered more valuable than the ability to read and write. Or a society in which climbing sheer rock faces and repelling down mountains was considered the norm. Would you excel, be average, or would you lag behind? (Perhaps a quick trip to the mirror to check your physique or sketch a self-portrait would answer that question for you.)
Visualize life as a "special needs student" in a society governed by skills and abilities which, by no fault of your own, you do not have. So, you spend hours and hours every day learning and relearning how to climb a 20-foot vertical. And it takes you weeks to complete a drawing of stick men having breakfast. (I don't know how to draw stick-eggs!!) Still, you don't get any better, but you do try. Oh boy, do you try!
Welcome to the misunderstood and misinterpreted world of special needs students.
They spend their days living in a world in which knowing how to spell preate (pretty) and spishal (special) is, questionably, more important than the message behind the spelling. These are individuals who stare at words packed like sardines onto a page. They are expected to absorb, decipher, accumulate, and file data into a neat, orderly mental package which can be regurgitated at any time, without any difficulty or extra help. Right? Yeah, sure.
Oh, by the way, climb Mount Rundle and give me a Rembrandt-esque rendition of the city dump. It's due at the end of class.
These kids are learning to cope in a society that is geared toward accumulation of facts and the ability to access them quickly. They are penalized for not possessing the same skills as the so called " normal " population. They are chastised, segregated, shunned, laughed at , called names, and must work twice as hard as "regular" students just to get onto a "level" playing field called public education.
Hopefully, our world still appreciates the oddballs; the underdogs; the square pegs - even if that appreciation is long term in its arrival. There is a continual amazement offered by the individual gifts and talents of special needs students.
Take Sharlene (not her real name) , who can list the title of every movie made in the past five years, not to mention the plot, main characters, setting and what the stars were doing on premiere night in Hollywood. Or Jacob (not his real name either) , who arrived a wild -child, but took up the challenge to find himself and define what he wanted in life. Or Josie (not...well, you guessed it) , who, at 17, has the work ethic and attitude of a seasoned university student.
The best job in the world belongs to those who teach, who are witness to many small miracles - as well as the continued daily struggles through which special kids must cope. They have been given the wondrous opportunity to work with students who may never remember how to figure out percent, or what the capital of Canada is, but can share their own Sistine Chapels, and lead an expedition on to mountains most of us don't see and the majority would otherwise never ascend.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Kindergarden Round-up...
was today for Monkey Boy.
He is so funny and constantly gives me reasons to smile throughout my day. Last night he was very nervous and worried abt what questions they would ask him. He said last night " What if they ask me what is 8+8 Mom-I dont know -what is it? 9?"LOLOLOL
He was so confidenst and walked right in there introducing himself to every single person he saw-LOLOLOL. A little girl informed us we should check in the office. Monkey Boy turned to her and said " Why thank you" and smiled and said" That was nice of her Mom wasnt it? To tell us where to go." :) My little man..........LOLOLOL * sniff*-he sure is growing up.
But the testers said he is very prepared for Kindergarden-which is just what we Moms who have been trying to teach want to hear ;) He walked out of there and gave me a high five and was so very proud of himself. He is so excited to get out there and grow up *sniff* Ack......Im no where near ready for that I dont think.....*sniff* :)
But I was a proud Momma today :) WHOOT!
He is so funny and constantly gives me reasons to smile throughout my day. Last night he was very nervous and worried abt what questions they would ask him. He said last night " What if they ask me what is 8+8 Mom-I dont know -what is it? 9?"LOLOLOL
He was so confidenst and walked right in there introducing himself to every single person he saw-LOLOLOL. A little girl informed us we should check in the office. Monkey Boy turned to her and said " Why thank you" and smiled and said" That was nice of her Mom wasnt it? To tell us where to go." :) My little man..........LOLOLOL * sniff*-he sure is growing up.
But the testers said he is very prepared for Kindergarden-which is just what we Moms who have been trying to teach want to hear ;) He walked out of there and gave me a high five and was so very proud of himself. He is so excited to get out there and grow up *sniff* Ack......Im no where near ready for that I dont think.....*sniff* :)
But I was a proud Momma today :) WHOOT!
Back in the Flow of things....slowly....LOLOLOL
Well we are getting back into our rhythme ard here. SLOWLY....LOLOLOL My Sunshine is back and all is right with the world again :)Man-I missed my little guy......
In order to hinder any meltdowns we have been taking things slow with Stinger with our schooling.........Today we actually did all subjects-as Ive been easing back into it. Frustrations are juts right on the surface lately-so I have to tread lightly or he will just shut down and not want to do anything if I push him too hard or too long. But hes been doing really well-as usual.
He had such a wonderful time with Nana and Papa-every day I learn a little more abt what he did and how happy he was-each and every time something comes into his memory abt it I know as he just beams and smiles soooo big-LOLOLOL :)
I guess I was worried for no reason-but I made a notebook with every problem they could possibly incounter and how to handle it etc and gave it to them to take. I just wanted to have all our bases covered. To no surprise Papa and Nana went above and beyond everything I wrote-anticipating things and looking at possible problems, analizing things before hand, and preparing things for Stinger to know in advance. I have such wonderful parents :)They thought of everything and Stinger responded so well to their thoughtfullness. Not a day goes by that I dont thank the Heavens to have been given such wonderful caring parents who have ALWAYS been there for me and my family in any way they could and can be. They had an egg timer going to help Stinger transition from things to other things-which he apparently really responded well to. They thought of everything to make his visit special and perfect. I dont think they understand how much that truly means to me and how it touches me and how happy inside that makes me feel to know they care so much abt him and care how he feels abt things.
Thank you Papa and Nana for giving my Stinger such fond memories and giving him your feelings of such acceptance and confidence. I am surely blessed. WE are truly blessed to have you in our lives. {{HUGS}}
In order to hinder any meltdowns we have been taking things slow with Stinger with our schooling.........Today we actually did all subjects-as Ive been easing back into it. Frustrations are juts right on the surface lately-so I have to tread lightly or he will just shut down and not want to do anything if I push him too hard or too long. But hes been doing really well-as usual.
He had such a wonderful time with Nana and Papa-every day I learn a little more abt what he did and how happy he was-each and every time something comes into his memory abt it I know as he just beams and smiles soooo big-LOLOLOL :)
I guess I was worried for no reason-but I made a notebook with every problem they could possibly incounter and how to handle it etc and gave it to them to take. I just wanted to have all our bases covered. To no surprise Papa and Nana went above and beyond everything I wrote-anticipating things and looking at possible problems, analizing things before hand, and preparing things for Stinger to know in advance. I have such wonderful parents :)They thought of everything and Stinger responded so well to their thoughtfullness. Not a day goes by that I dont thank the Heavens to have been given such wonderful caring parents who have ALWAYS been there for me and my family in any way they could and can be. They had an egg timer going to help Stinger transition from things to other things-which he apparently really responded well to. They thought of everything to make his visit special and perfect. I dont think they understand how much that truly means to me and how it touches me and how happy inside that makes me feel to know they care so much abt him and care how he feels abt things.
Thank you Papa and Nana for giving my Stinger such fond memories and giving him your feelings of such acceptance and confidence. I am surely blessed. WE are truly blessed to have you in our lives. {{HUGS}}
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Autism-The Musical
All I can say is WOW-
This clip went through it all.
All the emotions I have felt at some point in all of this.
I could SOOOOO relate to these parents and their reactions and feelings to every thing.
All I can say is it thoroughly touched me...........touched me deep.
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/autism/video/
This clip went through it all.
All the emotions I have felt at some point in all of this.
I could SOOOOO relate to these parents and their reactions and feelings to every thing.
All I can say is it thoroughly touched me...........touched me deep.
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/autism/video/
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
My Sunshine is Missing.......
Boy-is that the truth or what.
Sunshine is the nickname of Stinger. Sunshine has been HIS song that is sung by me to him when he is blue.
He's with Papa and Nana for a week-and BOY-its too quiet ard here. He's never been away this long and it just feels ............like my sunshine is gone.......:(
We got to see him last night though on our web-cam and that was SOOOOO NICE-you could see how much fun he was having on that face of his :) Which meant the world to Dh and I. We could actually see that face of his smile-which was priceless! It was a sight for sore eyes- beautiful!
Oh-how I miss him-but this is good for him to spend some one on one time with Papa and Nana. And I can tell he is just eating it right on up-LOLOLOL
They went B-day shopping-no problems :)Then they were going to go to McD's-one of his favorite places :) I hope it went well there too :)
He's been making really good choices and doing a real good job being so grown up Papa and Nana say:)So Im proud of him. Tackling something so hard(maybee harder for me I guess;)-LOLOLOL)and doing so well :)He's been adjusting to the changes-which Im sure has been hard-and hes handling everything just like the trooper I know him to be.
SUNSHINE-Im so proud of you-and I miss you and Love you so much. Way to Go! :) Im so glad you are having a good time! :)
XOXOXOXOX-MOM
Thanks Papa and Nana for inviting him over and for letting me check in-maybee a little too much-LOLOLOLOL {{HUGS}} I had no idea this would be so hard ON ME! LOLOLOLOL :)and here I was worried abt Stinger! Sheesh....LOLOLOL
Sunshine is the nickname of Stinger. Sunshine has been HIS song that is sung by me to him when he is blue.
He's with Papa and Nana for a week-and BOY-its too quiet ard here. He's never been away this long and it just feels ............like my sunshine is gone.......:(
We got to see him last night though on our web-cam and that was SOOOOO NICE-you could see how much fun he was having on that face of his :) Which meant the world to Dh and I. We could actually see that face of his smile-which was priceless! It was a sight for sore eyes- beautiful!
Oh-how I miss him-but this is good for him to spend some one on one time with Papa and Nana. And I can tell he is just eating it right on up-LOLOLOL
They went B-day shopping-no problems :)Then they were going to go to McD's-one of his favorite places :) I hope it went well there too :)
He's been making really good choices and doing a real good job being so grown up Papa and Nana say:)So Im proud of him. Tackling something so hard(maybee harder for me I guess;)-LOLOLOL)and doing so well :)He's been adjusting to the changes-which Im sure has been hard-and hes handling everything just like the trooper I know him to be.
SUNSHINE-Im so proud of you-and I miss you and Love you so much. Way to Go! :) Im so glad you are having a good time! :)
XOXOXOXOX-MOM
Thanks Papa and Nana for inviting him over and for letting me check in-maybee a little too much-LOLOLOLOL {{HUGS}} I had no idea this would be so hard ON ME! LOLOLOLOL :)and here I was worried abt Stinger! Sheesh....LOLOLOL
Thanks Secret Sister
Thank you for the card-it was so much fun opening it and having all those Easter stickers come tumbling out :) What a nice surprise!!!{{HUGS}}
Friday, March 14, 2008
Refuge Found in the Bathroom
Well as you can probably guess todays visit with Mr B didnt fly real well. Stinger barricaded his door shut-then decided to spend the rest of the time locked in the bathroom....sigh.....*think Mommy-Its just going to take some time*
THis is our first home helper who is trying to actually engage Stinger -so its a HUGE step for him. At least they talked a little bit-okay so it was mostly No's etc from Stinger-but at least it was a sort of communication effort-right?
Mr B is going to just stop by from now on-I think he's coming ard tomorrow too-he wants Stinger to understand he's going to be ard here-kwim? He wants to see also if he can get Stinger to engage better if Dh is home-which he probably will. Dh thinks its a good idea too.
So we shall see..........Puddin our dog was soo funny-he was acting alot like Stinger-very cautious and not liking the intrusion one bit-barking and putting up a very noisey stink, but finally allowed Mr B to give him loves.
So maybee there is some spark of hope in all of this....LOLOLOLOL If he can get Puddin to come ard there is hope yet he said-LOLOLOL
Mr B is very cautious abt giving Stinger his space-and isnt trying to barge into his life-which is very nice to see-as this is a first when it comes to getting outside help as far as proffessionals go. He's going very slow and isnt pushing.
Anyway-hes got Monky Boy on his team already-they give each other knuckles every time they meet-Monkey boy likes his new friend-LOLOLOL
Hope its catching.....
THis is our first home helper who is trying to actually engage Stinger -so its a HUGE step for him. At least they talked a little bit-okay so it was mostly No's etc from Stinger-but at least it was a sort of communication effort-right?
Mr B is going to just stop by from now on-I think he's coming ard tomorrow too-he wants Stinger to understand he's going to be ard here-kwim? He wants to see also if he can get Stinger to engage better if Dh is home-which he probably will. Dh thinks its a good idea too.
So we shall see..........Puddin our dog was soo funny-he was acting alot like Stinger-very cautious and not liking the intrusion one bit-barking and putting up a very noisey stink, but finally allowed Mr B to give him loves.
So maybee there is some spark of hope in all of this....LOLOLOLOL If he can get Puddin to come ard there is hope yet he said-LOLOLOL
Mr B is very cautious abt giving Stinger his space-and isnt trying to barge into his life-which is very nice to see-as this is a first when it comes to getting outside help as far as proffessionals go. He's going very slow and isnt pushing.
Anyway-hes got Monky Boy on his team already-they give each other knuckles every time they meet-Monkey boy likes his new friend-LOLOLOL
Hope its catching.....
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