Art Projects

WHOOT!!!!!!! :)

okay well that was fun-NOT ! Im going to have to come back and fix this mess I made-sheesh-Im sooo not getting how to do this tomorrow..bare with me....

Okay still working on how to do this-LOLOLOL

Found a photo sight :)

Okay-Im going to be experimenting here with this new sight I found-its called Photobucket-and its REALLY neat!!!!!
K-so here's some of Stingers art work...LOLOL

MY PRECIOUS JOY-poem

okay-this hit me deep.....



MY PRECIOUS JOY (AUTISM)
Author: Unknown

Sweet Father in Heaven whose love is divine,
Thank-you so much for the son that is mine.
To others he'd be a burden to bear,
But to me he's a joy to which none can compare.


I know that he's different from most girls and boys,
He speaks kind of funny and plays strange with toys.
For him, change is hard, he can get so upset,
He must seem so odd to those he has met.


Sometimes his anger gets out of control
And he has a huge meltdown which torments my soul.
Yet as I look into those precious blue eyes,
I know that you, Lord, gave me this surprise.


For life doesn't always turn out like we hope,
You know what is best, and it's through you I cope.
You help me to see as others do stare
That this is My precious boy, not a burden to bear.


Although he is different than some other kid,
I'm so glad that you did what you did.
When others comment "I don't know how you do it!"
It feels as arrows in my shoulder they have hit.


How could they not see what I see?
I just can't believe they don't envy me!
And then it occurs as if from above,
You knew that I was the one for this love.


You knew I'd rejoice in his triumphs though small they might be,
And urge him to greatness despite what they see.
I'd find joy and laughter where there could be tears,
I'd see his limits and proceed without fears.


You knew I'd be best for this special boy,
So, thank you Dear Lord, for my precious joy.

Im a Secret Sister....but dont tell anyone......:)

I found the greatest sight last week-its called Training Hearts. Its all about motivating homeschooling Moms and this secret sister is just the way to motivate us all :) Sometimes I feel Im all alone in doing this.
WHOOT!!!!!! Im so excited to start-only 4 days left-so there is still time if ya wanna join too :)

"Meanest Mom on Earth"

Okay- so aparrantly I have won this title tonight-LOLOLOL

There was a new playground put up behind the library. We noticed it yesterday when we were at the Library. I told the kids I would take them today. So when Flamingo comes home we have to go.

Flamingo and Monkey boy hop out of the car and hit the toys as fast as they can. Stinger isnt so fast.....he notices some kids and wont get out of the car. I try and coax him out for abt a 1/2 hr as he repeated to me that he would go as soon as ALL the kids left......yeah-not going to happen at a new cool playground-kwim? But he proceeds to wait patiently for this to happen....

I notice that there are some toys and kids are sitting on them aparently digging with them. AH-HA moment here! THIS is it- This is what will get him out of the car. I tell him-"WOW-look at what those kids are doing-they are digging with something!" Stingers ears perk up. " Oh my gosh Stinger! There are toys you can sit on and make them dig-how cool is that?" Stinger presses his nose to the window and looks. Flamingo and Monkey boy are now on them. I tell Stinger "Doesnt Monkey Boy look like he is having sooo much fun? He's got a big smile on his face and I bet he'd let you have a turn if you asked nicely Stinger"

So he got out of the car-TA DA! -going all the way ard the playground to avoid the other kids there. But he was in Heaven and Monkey Boy hoped right off-what a nice bro-eh? After abt 2 hours...sigh...LOLOL we needed to go so I could come home and get baths going and dinner made.

Can you say fits GALORE from all 3! LOLOLOL They want to go tomorrow as well-but I cant run into town every day-sheesh.....

Now Im the Meanest Mom on Earth -per Stinger-I NEVER do what they want to do-If Its all messed up when they go again-you guessed it-its MY fault-LOLOLOL. "Can we go???-waits 5-10 min-can we go????-wait -can we go...... "

Oh they have the hardest life........LOLOLOL Im soooo mean.

ANYWAY..........

School is going good. We are learning abt Ecosystems and today we were studying the Borial Forest. Abt 5 minutes into it we were suddenly talking abt Big Foot-LOLOLOL, how we got there I can only imagine-but for the rest of the lesson thats all he could focus on-truly stuck. "Where do they live? I bet they live in these forests.....Do they have kids? What do they look like?-do they smell? eh-yiyi ;) Okay-so I didnt know ALL the answers to his questions.....so sue me. LOLOL "But Mom-you need to find this stuff out-I NEED to know this stuff!!!!" LOLOLOL-too funny-so anyone want to guess what Ill be looking up tonight and what we will be discussing tomorrow? LOLOLOLOL Anyone have or know of any sights out there? Guess Ill just be googling it as I have NO idea-LOLOLOL;)

But it was fun-I made sure I somehow got in all the objectives-but Im going with things he interupts with and letting him lead me sometimes-and it is SOOO much more stressless( is that a word? ) I got some homeschool books at Borders last weekend and Im learning alot from them and surprise surprise-they are actually HELPING and he's learning like they say-even if its not in the "curriculum" seams the more questions I answer the more he gets into it-he gets this big smile on his face and just goes and goes and goes, and gets more in depth etc.....they say be as interested in the things and questions they ask and they will naturally learn and want to learn more. Had my doubts-but its true it looks like.

Anyway-its going good ard here :)

What IS Your Story??????????

Okay this is my 1st LAMP training assignment:

I had to explain to the group tonight( its a training thing I got nominated for at the Utah Parent Training Center-they deal with helping parents with disabilities and the school etc)what our "story " was. I get to do teh conference online as I live so far out here :)
This is what I shared with the group:

My Story.........

I guess you could say my "story" began with the birth of my son Stinger.

To say he was a high needs baby simply doesnt do justice. I still to this day remember crying night after night as he cried and cried trying anything under the sun-what every book said to do

to soothe him. He had to be constantly bounced, juggled, and swaddled up really tight each and every night. Touchy to noises, sunlight. Not responding to his name-running away.....

Stinger being my first child, I think I missed alot of signs. Limited imagination play, eye contact, lining up toys, walking on tip-toes, aggressive play with others and objects, banging head,spitting. Things like this I must have just dismissed -after all he was my first child-my baby and he couldnt have been more PERFECT. :)

I'd say he was abt 2 1/2 when my mommy gut started telling me something was off. He had such a temper and I never knew what was the matter.

I called Early Intervention and he started a 1:1 play therapy where they signed and sang songs. He showed improvement and he was moved up to EI pre-school. They then recommended Head Start where he again did fairly well. My fears subsided as I quickly dismissed his behaviors as a maturity issue he was just growing out of.

Kindergarden started out well, but day after day the phone calls started coming in. "Stinger is hitting, Stinger wont share, Stinger cant learn his alphabet or his numbers, Stinger wont participate in class." Again I dismissd it blaming the teacher as she was known to have favorites and she well..she just hated my son....LOLOLOL But as the year went on I realized it was more than that.

1st grade we started the process of evaluating for special education. It took more than a year-yes, I wasnt familiar with the time frame laws then- for the school and I to agree on what the issues were-in the meantime they just decided to do nothing abt anything...sigh....

It was at this time that the word Autism became known to me. I started living at the computer. I just could not believe how the signs of ASD( Autism Spectrum Disorder) fit my son. I fought with the school all year abt which evals and testing scores-they had no idea and wouldnt even accept their own test eval results. They wanted to classify him as ED(Emotional Disturbance) I knew it went much deeper than that. I even had some advocates go to bat for us at some of the meetings-nothing changed.

During all of this nothing was being done. Stinger was getting suspended, I was getting calls every other day to come and pick him up etc. He was smacking, running away, kicking throwing things-his behaviors were just getting worse and worse.

I finally went outside the school to get him evaluated at a Childrens Hospital. There they diagnosed him with Pdd-Nos, Anxiety-Nos, and adhd tendancies, SID( sensory). I went back to the school with these papers in hand and he was finally classified as if by magic.

By the end of 1st grade everyone was overwhelmed and had no idea what to do. Stinger was getting Speech therapy, group therapy at mental Health, 1: 1 with some academics and things were just getting worse. I guess in my mind I thought their magical "system" was going to be able to fix everything-yes, I was very naive and way too trusting.

They incorporated a time out room just for Stinger which only served to escalate his behaviors-he was running every day now-afraid to be put into the timeout room. So they would use it more and more and not tell me about it.

The school at the middle of 2nd grade basically told me they could no longer handle my son-even though the aide I requested had helped tremendously and it was charted. We ended up talking about a change of placement.

About this time last year he was transferred to a self contained classroom. Having been lied to by the homeschool abt the time they had my son in the timeout room I was alread having trust issues and when NO phone calls came from this new school and visiting rights were denied I was starting to have doubts as to what exactly they were doing there. Stinger also started having accidents at school.

I guess the last straw came when Stinger got off the bus, with no note or phone call, all scratched up-his face, back and chest, raw red marks under his arms where they had been forcing him to stand, bruising ard both his wrists where he had been dragged to the timeout room. And Stinger explained to me abt a "box" he was placed in that they locked.

We immediately had an emergency meeting and they procedded to brush me off simply stating that they had all just had a "rough" day.

Later I found out that they had put him in that box frequently, covered the little window, locked the door, and he was not allowed to use the restroom while he was doing his "time" in there. They also had him in there for numerous hours where he would miss his lunch and wet himself and was required to clean this up himself.

THIS was when I said ENOUGH-I GIVE.

This past summer I pulled him out of the "program" if thats what youd call it.....

Trust has been broken, my sons spirit was broken and he and I will never get over what these individuals did in the name of " treatment."

I was done.

Done with the fighting, done with the retaliation whenever I said something was unjust. They treated him worse when I fought for his right to an education. Due Process was the only next step and even then I had no desire to even be in the same room with these people, let alone fight in court only to have him placed right back into their evil arms.

This summer I decided to Homeschool Stinger. Its as if he has been reborn-the once happy boy I once knew-the once happy smiling boy has come back. Behaviors arent an issue now that understanding, love and patience have been introduced to his learning. Its been wonderful and Im seeing growth each and every day. He is so far behind academically as the schools seamed to think his punishments were more important that his education. And we have our days. But everyday he is learning more, becoming more confident and growing into the young man I am so proud of.

One day I hope to try Public School again. I let the schools intimidate me and my son as I lacked the courage and known every law( which is basically what you need) to really stand up to them.

I am still studying every day and will continue to learn all that I can so that when and if we do decided to go back we will be able to stand strong and get the supports he needs and we will NOT stop fighting until my son gets a fair and appropriate education.

I look forward to getting to know you all and am looking forward to this training.

LOLOL-Wishing away here...........LOLOL;)

Its Finally Out :)

Well today is the long awaited premier of THE BEE MOVIE. Yes, we are all ready set to go out and see it on Saturday-LOLOLOL
For anyone who does not know Stinger-BEES are his "thing." Bees-what they do, how many different kinds, their homes, their colors-yes they all are different;), their work orders and routines, where they live, what they eat, how long they live, how the colonies are set up, what flowers they like, whatthey do during teh winter, their life cycles. Yes-we here are all very familiar with Bees-like it or not we have all had to hear the how and whys of every detail concerning them.
Bees in teh house are not uncommon-and if you should happen to venture into that room of his-you will find bee nests-empty-sometimes;)LOLOL), stuffed bees, bee pictures, bee books, bee plastic toys, bee kites, bee magnetic toys you can assemble-you name it.
So tomorrow is the BIG day. :) WHOOT!!! The movie actually looks really cute-so Im even looking forward to it.
School is going VERY well-his reading is getting better and better each week-amazing!!!!!We have had fun this past week with Halloween and doing crafts and learning abt the History of Halloween.
Haloween went well-Stinger wanted nothing to do with the trick or treat ard town as it wasnt in his regular routine set up. We ususally just go to the parking lot and not ard town. He refused to get out of the car and after many minutes of coaxing he finally agreed if he didnt have to go into the shops or talk to anyone.But we had fun going to the parking lot and eating chilli and cinnamon rolls:)
Then we all came home and looked at the loot- No candy needed ard here for awhile-at least till Christmas anyway-LOLOLOL:)

Have a Few.....

Minutes-LOLOLOL

Well we just finsished our Birds study and what do ya know-Happy Feet is on-so Ive got a little break today it seams.....
Ive been explaining things throughout the movie and Stinger and Monkey Boy are enjoying it -LOLOLOL. We've discussed Nothern Lights, the nesting period of the penguins( the dad sitting on the egg instead of the Momma and how he has to wait all winter for her to return and the feeding process when the Momma returns( she regurgitates the food)-Stinger said" oh gross!"LOLOLOL
Stinger says "Mom-its a funny movie-you sure we can watch it during school time?"I say " yeah Stinger-thats the great thing abt doing school at home-it CAN be fun!!!!" LOLOLOLHe just smiled so big-it was too cute :)

Happy Feet looks really cute-its about a penguin who cant find his heart song:( His father dropped him during the nesting which is why they say he is so "different" Its quiet sad-brings to mind of all the intolerance I have seen in this world. How "different" is so called "bad" hmpft! Is all I want say!

Since we have been not reviewing so much-no more busy work-things have been going GREAT!!!!!He's so much more attentive and we have been finishing all objectives and hes understanding and not getting frustrated.

Hes still having trouble counting-still insists things are too hard for him not to count on his finagers-he wont group etc.
Ive looked into a TouchMath curriculumn-which looks really cool. It uses dots on the numbers and the kids memorize the dots and then can use them when they see a number. We tried a sample sheet and Stinger likes it alot better. I ordered a free teacher sample kit and DVD etc-so we shall see when it gets here. I think it should help.

Reading.......were do I start? Stinger is doing soooo awesome!!!!!I can really see him improving! So I got some First reading chapter books and hes started reading one- My Big Ball Of String. Totally sounds like a Stinger book-eh? :)
Anyway-I was just thrilled when I brought them home and he said "YES" So we are starting slow-reading one page a day-but hes so happy and excited he can actually read a book he WANTS to read! WHOOT!!!!!

So things are going great! He did tell me hes not interested in doing the BookIt program-as he doesnt want to go in and talk to the guys at Pizza Hut.......he is adamant abt this. So we are still working on this.....LOLOLOLwe'll get there.......

We have started Christmas Pageant rehearsals again this year. Flamingo is thrilled and has two speaking parts and will be an angel. Monkey Boy is going to be a shepard and is excited abt it too. Stinger says everything is even more complicated than last year and doesnt want to be in it. I guess in his eyes it is-its abt a story, but has The Nativity written in the story sort of thing-so yeah...its more complicated. I can see where he is coming from. We arent pushing him this year to be in it. You could see the relief in his eyes when we told him he didnt have to be in it if he didnt want to.

But things are going good here :)

I Am......

Okay-THIS is it-the one poem that says it all-MY FAVORITE I have found out there-was send today and made me smile :)

- *I Am... for Mothers of Special Needs Children ~*~ By Michelle Guppy>>>> http://www.frommyheart.org/view/?pageID=151167>>>>

I am the little engine that did.
When on my journey in life, my tracks led me to a mountain - a diagnosis of (Autism, CP, MR, ...) - I looked at it with defeat - thinking there was no way I could climb over it. I then
pondered the obstacle before me, and I then said to myself over and over, "I think I can, I think I can...," then I slowly started climbing the mountain saying to myself over and over, "I know I can, I know I can,...." and then I made it over that ominous diagnosis and continued my journey. I am the little engine that did.

I am more devoted than Noah's wife. I sometimes feel overwhelmed in my "houseboat" -- 365 days and 365 nights a year, constantly working with and teaching my child. But when the storms of isolation and monotony become most unbearable, I do not jump ship. Instead I wait for the rainbow that is promised to come.

I am Xena. Real life warrior goddess of Autism. With my steel plated armor I can battle anyone who gets in the way of progress for my child. I can overcome the stares and ignorance of those without a disability in their lives - and educate them as to why my child is the way he is, and why he does the things he does. With my sword of persistence, I can battle the schools to have them properly educate my child. Yes, I am Xena - and I am prepared for any battle that might come my way......

I am beautiful. I have hairy legs because I get no time alone in the bathroom, and bags under my eyes from staying up all night with my child.The only exercise I get is the sprint from my house to my car - to take my child to therapy. Dressed up to me is, well - just that I had a moment to get dressed! They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and so even on the days when I don't feel very beautiful - I will know that I am........ because God is my beholder.

I am the Bionic Woman. With my bionic vision - I can see through the disability my child has, and see the beauty in his soul, the intelligence in his eyes --- when others can't. I have bionic hearing - I can look at my child when he smiles at me, and hear his voice say, "I Love You Mommy," --- even though he can't talk. Yes, I am thankful to be Bionic.

I am Mary. A not so well known mother of a Special Needs child who was brought here to touch the souls of those around him, in a way that will forever change them. And it started with me. By teaching me things I would never have known, by bringing me friendships I never would have had, and by opening my eyes as to what really matters in life. Things like the Joy of just living in the moment, the Peace of knowing that God is in control, never losing Hope, and knowing an unconditional Love that words cannot express. Yes, I too am blessed by a special child, just like Mary.

I am Superwoman. I am able to leap over tall loads of laundry in a single bound, and run faster than a speeding bullet, to rescue my child from danger. Oh yes, without a doubt, I am Superwoman.

I am like Moses. I was chosen to be the mother of a Special Needs Child. I may at times question whether I am the right "man" for the job ---but God will give me the Faith I need to lead my child to be the best he can be. And like Moses, God will give me the small Miracles here and there, needed to accomplish my mission.

I am Stretch Armstrong - a mom that can be stretched beyond belief and still somehow return to normal. I can stretch limited funds to cover every treatment and therapy that insurance won't. I can stretch my patience as I bounce from doctor to doctor in a quest to treat my child. I can stretch what time I have, and share it with my husband, my children, my church, >> and>> still have some leftover to help my friends. Yes, my name is Stretch. And >> I>> have the stretch-marks to prove it!

I am Rosa Parks. I refuse to move or waiver in what I believe is right for my child --simply because my view is the minority, not the majority. I refuse to believe "What can one mother do?" But instead, I will write, call, and rally to the government if I have to, and do whatever it takes to>> prevent discrimination against my child and ensure that he gets the services he needs.

I am Hercules. The Greek god known for strength and courage. The heavy loads I must carry would make others crumble to the ground. The weight of Sorrow, Fear at uncertainty of the future, Injustice at having no answers, and the Tears of despair, would alone possibly be too much, --- even for Hercules. But then the Joy, Laughter, Smiles, and Pride, - at my child's accomplishments, - balance the load to make it easy to bear.

I am touched by an Angel. An Angel who lives in a world of his own. And it's true. He lives in a world of innocence and purity. A world without hatred or deceit. A world where everyone is beautiful and where no-one is ugly. A world where there is always enough time. A world where he goes to bed with no worries of tomorrow and wakes up with no regrets of the past. Yes, I most certainly am touched by an Angel, and in some ways, his world is better....

I am a true "Survivor" - the mom of a child, who has faced, is facing, and will face, --some of the most difficult challenges life has to offer. I am ready for the challenge and have God given endurance to last until the end, -- along with a sense of humor to cope with all the twists, turns, and surprises along the way. Oh yes, I am a TRUE "Survivor" - and I don't need to win a million dollars to prove it!!!

I am a mom of a special needs child, all the above, and so much more. Some days I will want to be none of the above - and just be a typical mom with a typical child, doing typical things. On those days I will know it's okay to be angry, and to cry, and to lean on my family, friends, for support. Because after all, ---the most important thing I am, ..... is human.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-beautiful -eh? :)

Whats Been Going On.....

School is going good......we are struggling I think with this curriculum. I find it nice and full of lots of info-Stinger finds it not very stimulationg-no matter how I go abt doing things....So I guess what they say is true-what you as a parent might like and be comforteable with is not neccesarily what will be right for your child....hmmm.....

He's still not liking the breaking up of subjects-it frustrates him when he sees different subjects we will be doing that day etc. The days I can combine subjects -are really good days. The days I do what the curriculum says-even when I modify it-its a frustrating day for us both....

Ive been looking at Unit Studies and I think this is the Golden Ticket for Stinger. Basically you have a theme and you incorporate all subjects into that certian theme. Say its on eco-systems, you would put math in, science, history, writing, language, spelling-but it would all go together with that certain theme. I think Stinger would like that alot better and it wouldnt be so overwhelming for him-Ive tried it a little with this K12 curriculumn, but it doesnt really work that way...so its difficult to do....

But we will be probbaly be doing something like that next year if things dont look up with this curriculumn. He was happy with it-I think just because it was a "new" thing, but now he doesnt care for it too much....

He is really enjoying the Indian in the Cupboard though-I wish I could incorporate thinsg he is doing into that theme-which would be really nice-see this is what Im talking about-and I cant really do that with K12 as they have their set curriculum. We are also reading Mrs Piggle-Wiggle9part of K12). Stinger thinks these books are sooo funny! He never really laughs, but I see him smiling and he has that Stinger twinkle in his eyes as he looks at me with his grins-LOLOLOL He enjoys listening to what teh naughty kids do and what Mrs Piggle -Wiggle suggests to the parents of these naughty children-LOLOLOL-he likes it when the kids learn their lesson -hopefully hes picking up on some of these lessons-eh? ;)

Flamingo had her last soccer game on Wed. She is upset to be done for the season. She was actually getting really good-getting in there to fight for the ball as at first she was hesitating. They gave all the kids trophies and had a little presentation-MY!!! Was she proud of herself!!!! You can still find her with that trophy in her hands as soon as she comes home from school these days. Cute-eh? She also got a certificate that she has up on her dresser displayed proudly with her trophy:)

Monkey Boy is still acting like a Monkey-LOLOLOL-He's doing really well with his school we are doing-he just LOVES worksheets-and hes alwasy asking me" whats next?"LOLOLOL Hes always wearing a smile and he brightens my days.

Communicating Partners book study notes....

Communicating Partners
by: James MacDonald

Okay-If you haven't read this book-DO!!!!! LOLOLOLOL
Its about Communicating with your children particularly late talkers, ASD, and DS.
I found out about it from C-shes the big guroo when it comes to books and I know if shes recommending something to me I need to just go out and buy it!LOLOLOL Which was the case of this book.

Out of all the books I have read-and trust me Ive read books all abt Stinger and trying to find ways I can help him in trying to have some what of a better understanding of what is going on in that head of his (trying to get in there is like trying to knock down a brick wall sometimes)-this one TOPS them all and Im just starting it-LOLOLOL

So Ive been taking some notes and I thought Id share them-the points that have struck me pertaining to Stinger. Its been an eye opening book to say the least-some parts Im nervous abt trying, some parts Im excited abt trying, some parts are totally gratifying in learning Ive been doing things right, other parts Im finding out Im going abt things all wrong......anyway.....here's my notes so far....

Step 1: enter into routines
-dont teach, be still, be alert, accept

THIS I think is going to be the hardest thing as Stinger so clearly doesnt want anyone ard when he is doing "his" thing-I can see him getting extremely upset with me....

Step 2:( after being accepted) Immitation and Modeling
-immitate him/parralel play-do what he is doing
-goal is for Stinger to eventually do what I am doing when he isnt being told or asked to do it, kwim?

Step 3: Taking turns
-WAIT!!!!! for Stinger to take his turn

I have recognised I talk for Stinger when Dh asks him something or anyone for that matter asks him something-thinking this is helping him, when in actuality it is hurting his progress. :(

So how do we get thsi social habit going you ask?

*Be balanced-do as much as each other
-dont dominate
-stay away from "learned helplessness"
-stay out of the "needs help.....help more" circle
-GIVE STINGER TIME!!!!!

*Be matched-
-what he can do at the moment
this shows support( understanding his world)
-match his playing
-get into routines together: pushing cars, putting toys away,having a snack-
( do what he is doing)
-back and forth routines-will eventually be able to teach him something new to do
goal------> Stinger thinks interaction is worthwhile and FUN! :)

<remember> any interaction is a struggle for Stinger-be grateful for any signs of

-its difficult, frightening, overwhelming for him
-with matched playing we can build confidence-he will finally feel accepted while interacting!:)

<remember>convince staying with people is rewarding and successful

-dont relie on toys-be more exciting and interesting than the distraction

*be responsive
-be patient-not easy for him-celebrate small interactions at first
-for Stinger it might take some time to accept me playing parallel with each other
-will need time fro him to realize Im not imposing changes, but letting him be himself

(I was relieved to see this as I am quiet sure we will have some opposition with this one)
-acting like Stinger enables me to read and connect with him
-Stinger needs to learn to respond to what others do
-peers will not likely stick ard if ignored

*Share control and decisions
-many parenst are pushed away, screamed at, or rejected
-are known for resisting typical kinds of play

*emotionally attached and playful
-appreciate whatever he does
-my job is to be accepted BY HIM
-be silly
---->age appropriate often makes silent and alone
-very sensitive to adult judgements or lack of support
=======>important development:
to BELIEVE they can interact successfully without being judged or told to change

WOW-eh?

Our First Novel......

Well we have embarked on our first voyage of books without pictures-LOLOLOL:)
It has been a HUGE -AND I MEAN HUGE hit!!!!!So much so that Stinger doesnt want me to put it down. "Mom!!!!! Keep going!!!!!!!" This is what I hear every morning. Im soooooooo pleased-can you tell!!!! LOLOLOL:)

We are reading Indian In The Cupboard. I have to admit that I have been getting into it as well. Dh was downstairs and after we had finished he looked at me, smiled, and said" You are trying so hard." With a big grin on his face. I jokingly asked him if he too was enjoying the story-LOLOLOL. So Its been a big hit and everyone is enjoying it. Monkey Boy I can tell is wanting pictures and sometimes gets bored. I just have to keep asking him questions abt it very animated like and he smiles and sometimes I can real him back in. So its a GO!!! WHOOT!!!LOLOLOL:)

School is going well-Ive been having a hard time getting in all the subjects Im supposed to day after day. Stinger seams to think that after lunch school is done......so Ive tried to shorten teh 1/2 hour breaks afetr every subject and it hasnt been working too well. I tried something on Thursday though. I tried to kinda fit everything into one subject-kinda blended things together so Stinger couldnt really tell it was a different subject. This worked and we got everything done.

I think what I need to do is go over the objectives and incorporate some subjects together as this seams to go smoother and all the objectives that need to be covered are-kwim? Which is basically what homeschoolers who are doing Unit Studies do.....so Im going to look into that a bit more and see if I can find anything that wont break the bank, but kinda groups objectives and subjects together with a common theme. I think Stinger would really enjoy that and it wouldnt be so frustrating for him.

What kinda worries me though is if we get to far away from the school curriculum and what if he goes back-then it would be even harder for him.....But no use festering over something like that -the main objective is him learning and enjoying learning-right? So we will do what we need to do to accomplish this.

Something that has been bothering me is how much do I push to get him up to grade level. K12 is so much info and we can barely make it through everything in teh time we have. So I dont know how he ever can get up to level? Is this something I should even be worrying about?

We took his Phonics assesment and for the first time he didnt pass it. He's having trouble remembering diagraphs(ch, wh, th, etc) and trigraphs(tch) this is what made him not pass this last assesment-he did everything else fine-except he missed all the blends in the words. So that was kinda a bummer-we are going to have to review those this week. But do how long do I spend reviewing if he just cant remember it?

I noticed this week that Flamingo is doing this exact same thing-bringing home worksheets with these sounds. So this is 1st grade level material, and hes having trouble with it.

I guess its no big deal as we can just review and he will get it down-which is the great thing abt homeschooling, but this was just the first assesment he didnt master and it kinda bummed me out as a teacher I guess-kwim? Thinking I failed too-kwim?

O-well just gotta figure this out and manipulate it so he can get it down. Maybee a notebook or something and pictures???Anyone have any ideas? Im open for any and all:)

Mothers Overture...

Okay Everyone-I had to share this-its a KEEPER!!!! and oh too funny-yet soooo true!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzZJO3ZRNCo

Enjoy! :)

Testing, Testing......1,2,3......

Eigh-yi-yi.........ugh........
Well its Saturday-I think I've re-grouped enough from Friday to go into it...LOLOLOL. So...........

Friday was testing-IOWA testing-3rd, 5th and 8th graders.....and yes-since we are doing K12 homeschooling this is mandatory state testing we are required to take. And yes-I was a bundle of nerves not expecting anything good from it at all.....

We get there-Stinger and I- to Brigham abt 15 minutes early. Stinger is turning into a statue-getting very uncomforteable-hands to his side, sullen look on his face-Nervous doesnt quiet describe it-but basically thats what was happening. We go to the room where there are abt 8 kids in the room-all 3rd graders-no one Stinger has seen before and Stinger REFUSES to go in. Starts walking back down the hallway.

Now mind you-I had thoroughly talked abt this whole situation before hand, went through it step by step. What things would be like, what things would look like, when he would be done, what the teacher would be saying, what the kids would be doing-which was a MAJOR concern of his.

But we both go to the door and immediately Stinger backs up and freezes in his tracks and wont go in. He doesnt like that the kids are looking at him, he doesnt want them to look up at him when he walks in. Now how am I supposed to stop this from happening?????He thinks I can....So there we are its 9 and its time to start the testing and Stinger isnt in the classroom yet.
I walk up to one of the aides there and tell her our situation-which is NOT what I had been planning on, but I had no idea what to do. She calls the Principle and says " we have a child who is refusing to go in" okay can you say ugh.....LOLOLOL, then she tells me that the principle( whom I knowand have talked with numerous times) has granted ME permission to go into the classroom. Parents arent usually allowed to go into the room where the students are testing. So we tell Stinger-still a " No" ...sigh....okay. Plan B: We show him the desk right by the door where he can sit all by himself-we can put up a folder so the other kids cant see him-still a " no"......okay......this negotiating takes abt till 9:35.....Stinger is crying, and starting to get angry and frustrated....and Im starting to get a little worried so..... Plan C: Call Mrs C( shes our in home behavior helper who I am supposed to call if there are any problems anytime) she tells me what needs to happen. Basically it involves giving him a choice , counting to 5, then either he can make a choice or I can get help and make it for him-which means forcing him in there. She tells me she is going to call his therapist and see if he can meet us there.

"Okay"-I say and hang up. I run through this senario in my mind and its not looking pretty-we do NOT want a scene. So I take Stinger down a hallway and get down and talk to him. I tell him what the choices are and NOT taking the test is NOT a choice -so he needs to think abt what choice will get more attention from the other kids. Him going in and sitting down quitely with a folder and me in there-or me having to hold his hand and take him in there making noises and complaining. I was grasping at straws here..but I did NOT want anyone forcing him-touching him to get him in there-so I was saying anything.... I told him I knew it was scary, but that he COULD do this. That he could make the better choice and that no one would notice him or keep looking at him-they were all nervous too and scared just like him. He takes abt 15 minutes to think abt it and then says " oh all right".....WHOOT! *sigh of relief* So I quickly( dont want Stinger to change his mind) inform everyone quitely that we are good to go. Its now 10:00.

After he got in there with his wall of boxes and folders put up for him he did beautifully-it was just a matter of getting him in that silly room of kids. So I call back Mrs C. and tell her I got him in there;)thank goodness....

So...what did I learn from this...its the little things that need to be planned, gone over, understood, explained thoroughly. We didnt go over getting into the room because it wasnt a concern I thought-or wasnt a concern I would have had. I forgot to look at things from Stingers perspective. But its these little things that we dont see or notice that are BIGGIES to him. The test taking wasnt hard for him-it was getting into the room. I seam to forget that typical concerns are never his top concerns....its the same with his sensory things or getting over stimulated-not biggies to us, we dont even think abt them-but they can totally turn his day upside down and all around.

He did so well in the room-I was very proud of him. The teacher in there was so nice-but many things Im sure just flew by him as she talked so fast. And many things were not at his level. But he did soooo well in there. So we ended on a VERY good note-rough start, but strong finish. Good enough for me any day-eh?