Brush it off Momma Bear.....again.....

Well its come up again on a list I am apart of..."Its your kids fault" thing-the usual......and on a homeschool group too......sigh......

1. The poor professionals and administers who have to put up with some kids
2. Parents are the ones who are at fault as they dont back the school teachers
3. Parents arent involved enough
4. Everyone Ive been in contact with has been soooo nice....ugh....

One lady made a comment abt someone I had come into contact with at Mckinley. Saying this person was the reason she now homeschooled. I wrote in telling my experiances abt this person too and how we had been treated-very similar to the first lady-and now people are just getting all upset-LOLOLOLOL

Seams we had known two entirely different people-a special needs Principle and a typical child principle.

The thing that really got to me was "In all the years I had known them-never was I treated that way." Basically saying its the parents fault and we arent willing to "work" with the school" She even went on to say if she was principle the kids would get more than a yelling at....oh...made me soo upset.......

It ticked me off to say the least that someone who had absolutely NO idea what she was talking about was making something so concerning to me sound so trivial. Its like that lady at church with the comments abt kids just needing a good spanking.

Why is it that comments like that just REALLY upset me-it make me feel so hateful inside-and I dont have a hateful bone in my body-usually.....LOLOLOL It makes me not even want to be ard people-THOSE people especially.

Anyway-I wroet back after I had gottenall upset and now I can only imagine what the list will look like tomorrow. I Just cant seam to brush this stuff off like I can most things.....

Makes me TOTALLY understand why Stinger is SOOOOOOO apprehensive abt people in general. I tell ya I totally see things through his eyes lately.. and I get it......People can be so crule and its heartbreaking to know that Stinger has probably come across most of these people.... probably more than any one should......probably more than I will ever know. Why when he sees someoen-anyone-he automatically thinks they are looking at him weird, or are saying something mean about him. He just thinks everyone is the "bad guy" and everyone ha sit in for him....:(

Kids can be cruel too-I dont even want to talk abt the stories Flamingo comes home with and tells me.....:( But we grownups, we should be different-we should know better...and yet we dont....thats what is REALLY sad....

Its just one more reason in my mind for me to not push him out there-like everyone says I should.....

A Decision...Finally...:)

Okay everyone-I think I have got it all figured out here :)

I have def decided on a Christian Curriculum. So I went online and went to the Abeka sight. I had previously not really looked into them as I had thought they were expensive-but they arent. And since I have already seen the Science book from a friend I have decided on Abeka Science. They have words highlighted and bold for vocab words, review questions at the end of each section and summaries at the beginning-not to mention not a bunch of twaddle;)( useless info talk in most textbooks)plus alot of really nice pictures all throughout it-Stinger will really enjoy it. We can sit down together and just READ-its going to be sooo much nicer than K12 was....

History- I was going to go Bob Jones until I saw and its alot more of reading-along with their Science-so I went back to Abeka and its set up just the same way as their Science book is-and its got TIMELINES!!!OH won't Stinger be pleased!!!! He's always asking me when and where and who and what and what was first etc-EVERY DAY.....wars, people and Im just not that great at that! . So it would be perfect for us. Grade 4 is abt setting up the US til present-so Stinger will totally enjoy it too :)K-so History I have chosen Abeka too :)

SO I naturally was thinking Id get Abeka Math too-but I looked up the core and index and samples and its a little advanced for our level right now--Bob Jones will be much better for him-It details each and every step and its in color-not like Christian Liberty's. So we will be doing Bob Jones Math.

And the best part of all of this is that I can get them at a REALLY good price on that used textbook websight! WHOOT!!!!!
So alls to do now is order them! WHOOT!!!! and send in my affidavid on my decision to homeschool to the school district. Then we are GOOD TO GO!!!!!!!...*big sigh of relief*
Ah.......it feels so good to be decided on and stop the wondering and worrying about what to do.

Darn Medicaid. What a headache. I just got a letter in the mail that our spendown is going to cost $899 this month as there are 3 paychecks in May. And they notify me.....TODAY........!!!!So I had to go and cancel everything all home visits, and behavior in home visits for this month. I have no idea what they are costing Medicaid, but I know we couldnt afford them if we werent on it...so I chose to just pass this month...How messed up is that? So I'll need to call in to the eligibility office at the end of May and everything will go back to normal-hopefully. How messed up is that! Its not like we will have an extra paycheck just floating ard-yeah there are three paydays-but they coinside with all of our normal bills that are at the beginning and end of the month etc--so stupid. Anyway........and we are right in the middle of our paper work being going over for our annual review.....they are such a headache-I dont even want to talk abt THAT process-them loosing my papers...certain people not sending certain papers in..deadlines....LOLOL-its totally not organised....so its no surprise I have no idea what the heck is going on month to month.....anyway......sigh.....Hopefully things will be right back to being confusing as usual come June...;)LOLOLOL

Oh-and I think my 4 rows out in the garden are duds :( I think they should have poked up by now......darn freezing weather at night......o-well-at least Ive got school all settled for next year! :)LOLOLOLOL

More Homeschool Stuff......and Tonights Game

Okay-well I think I have finally come to the realization that Im just going to HAVE to get student texts for Science, History and Math.

I talked with Flamingos Girl Scout troup leader-and she homeschools all of her kids. She is using Christian Liberty Press. They have REALLY good prices, but Ive always just not been sure abt the content of the books-if it would be dry, or interesting-kwim? So GS Leader brought out some of her kids Texts and I LOVE them! COOL -eh? Her daughter is in the 4th grade-so I saw the actual textbook that Stinger would be using-and I must say I was impressed. Not too much reading and wonderful pictures and content. Plus its a Christian Curriculum-which would be awesome. I talked it over with Dh and we will probably be using them for History, Science, and Math.

I also found a really cool sight today. http://www.thebackpack.com/used_math_textbooks.htm

I called them too and they said they made sure that there were no written marks and water damaged pages etc-if there were you would just return them and they'd send out another. REALLY good prices too-for like $10. REALLY good books too-like McGraw, Bob Jones, Scott Foresman, Macmillan, and Houghton-all VERY good NICE books. They are truly my favorite-but not Christian based. I just LOVE their content-beautiful books which are ususally ard $75 or even higher. So I could use these used older addition books( which really have the same content as the newer addition except history, and I know Stinger would like them, etc. Stinger loves his Math workbook-its like not even doing worksheets-kwim? Thats what I love abt these-they are FUN.

So anyway-Im still undecided on what books to use......any advice?

Flamingo won her game tonight-They won-6-4. She got 3 of the goals-but she also gave the other team a goal when she was goaly and her drop kick went back into the goal box-it was tooo funny!LOLOL-hehe;)She just shrugged and laughed-LOLOLOL. Such a good natured girl-eh?

Monkey Boy was making friends left and right on the playground and Stinger was in the car the whole time....nothing new. But I think we all had our own fun in our own way-kwim? LOLOLOL-Funny-eh?

Flamingo is getting really good at Soccer:)Much better than last year-its so much fun to watch her play :)

Eigh-Yie-Yigh

Ive abt gone through everything out there-My eyes are abt to pop out of my skull-LOLOLOL
So here's the deal- Bob Jones box curriculum is what I REALLY REALLY want to do....but its not really in our budget right now...next year when we can plan better-yes.......anyway....so Ive opted to try and put together some things and see if I can get a curriculum together-if its better than K12-well than we will do mine -If I just cant do it-then K12 it will be.....
So THATS what Ive been doing lately-looking at EVERYTHINg-and going nutso in the process...wow-hard work!
K-this is what I have so far:

PHONICS-Phonics Skills and Stategies Gr. 2

READING-take home books(cut out and staple)
-vocab practise in books
-sun series books 6(short stories)
-beginning reading practise workbook

HANDWRITING-Handwriting Practise book-Gr 2
-Swirls and Curls made up pages-writing practise etc

Grammer/Spelling-Word Wall sheets
-Grammer Practise book Gr 2
-Primary Analogies
-Reading-Everything practise pages
-Reading Comprehension Helpers workbooks

History/Geography-Atlas of The World book
******need more History Curr***********

Science-Science Journal pages
-Student Research books(vocab, story,activity) Houghton/Mif
-Investigation workbook
-Vocab workbook
*******need more Science Curr*************

Math-Math Minutes
-Concepts workbook
******need more Math Curr***********

Character Building-Book of Virtues(on tape)
-Learning Bible
-Family Faith Treasury
-Precious Truths book


k-so thats what Ive got so far........What do you think? I just cant seam to find anything I like for History, Science, or Math-I may just have to get the workbooks on those ones online.....???

History and Science Ive got to be really picky and choosey with as these are Stingers Favorites and Math is a little on the tough side-so Its got to be good too......and not just a bunch of problesm fr him to do-kwim? decisions...... decisions......

Ive foind a couple of Science and History online through the major book companies-Houghton /Mif, and Mcgraw Hill-I really like those...but they are online...so.......I really want some good texts we can dig into......so Ill keep digging.....
But I could use the Child Craft books/ encyclopedias also-Ive got a whole set from Papa and Nana :)So Ill have to look into that too......that might could work......Hmmmmmmmmmm.......;)LOLOLOL

Oh NICE-JUST what we need......sigh....

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......

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?

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.

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

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........

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}}

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.

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.........

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 :)

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.

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