Day...

We''re reached a nice milestone number on our Countdown-to-ZooDad's-return here at the zoo.

To memorialize this event and because I have nothing else to blog about...I shall give you a run down of today's events.


We woke up and I cooked a big breakfast including 2 whole pounds of bacon. We ate ourselves sick.
Everyone got dressed and I nagged the boys to pick up all the errant toys downstairs.

I must have told Sam a dozen times to stop singing very loudly to the cat. "Mango, ManGO, Mango, ManGO, Mango, ManGo, Maaaaaaannnnnngo, MangoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Trust me, it's only cute the first time.


ZooDad called and Sam hung up on him.
ZooDad called again and found Sam a whole lot cuter than I did.

Oldest child starting cutting the front yard and Andrew let the dogs out. The dogs are old and are not supposed to be out. Of course, oldest child didn't notice the dogs trotting by since he was busy cutting the grass. Apparently, the mower motor drown out screaming little brother. (note to self: cut the grass more.)


I rounded up the dogs and re-instructed the boys on how to close gates and keep the dogs safe.

We ate lunch then headed out for errand running.

First was Goodwill, where I dropped off a bunch of toys that I tired of picking up.
Then was Lowe's to buy a new leaf blower/Vac and a new set of curtain rods for the kitchen. Sam bent the current one when he tried to hang from them like monkey bars. (He fell and hit his cheek on the table. No ER visit thankfully. I told you...the boy is wild.)
Then Super Wal-mart for groceries, cheap school supplies, and presents for a birthday party tomorrow.

I haven't been grocery shopping at Super Wal-mart since ZooDad left....and they are reorganizing the place. Needless to say, I spent a whole lot of time wandering around and forgot half my normal groceries.

Drive back home and unload the groceries.
Have snacks, because the children can not go more than 2 hours without food.

Blow off the drive way and walkway. Blow off the drive way and walkway again. Curse the Crepe Myrtle Tree and blow the walkway one more time.
Contemplate trimming the hedges and decide better of it.


Yell at Sam again for singing the "Mango Song." MangoooOOOOOOOOO!

Start dinner while fielding questions from various boys. (This is where the Asperger's part gets really fun"

Yes, I'm cooking dinner.

I'm cooking chicken.

Yes, it's the kind of chicken that you like.

No, you can't have a snack...I'm cooking dinner.

You can eat a croissant after dinner. You are eating dinner first.

If I don't flour it, it won't have a crust.

I guess I could make mashed potatoes with the skins on, but you wouldn't eat it.

I don't know who ate the first potato.

I don't know about beans either.

or who invented bread.

Yes, chickens lay eggs.

No chickens fingers aren't fingers.

I don't know why they call them fingers either.

It will be done soon.

I will tell you when it's done.

Let your brother watch you play video games.

No, It's still cooking.

No you can not have a snack while you're waiting.

Ok, everyone come eat.

What do mean you're not hungry?


And my dear darling wonders why I'm so tired.

Ummm....Hi

I know, I know... I've dropped off the face of the blogosphere....I apologize. Not only that, I've also rewarded you by writing my most parenthetical post ever. A personal record, I'm sure.

It's just tough to write when you're counting down. And folks, we've entered the countdown phase.

Countdown phase is so frustrating. It's like living life in some pause mode. "I don't want to start (insert some project or activity) because it's only (some number) days until my darling comes home." I mean why bother struggling to do things when you can just wait for some help to arrive.
Or worse...you end up with this huge list of things that just have to be done before your lovey gets back. Things you want to get done so you can prove that you really could handle it all.

So on the one hand, the ticker seems to crawl by. Ughhhhhh....these numbers aren't getting any smaller. On the other hand, you go to bed each night panicking at the fact that you have one less day to "get stuff done."

It's an awkward time. Oscillating between excitement and panic with a little insanity thrown in there for good measure. It would almost be better to not have an end date. The unknown is sometimes easier to handle than the known.

I'm trying my best to fill the time. The boys are helping.
Sam is especially helpful.
He decided to top last month's bite-through-his-lip stunt by swallowing a steel Magnetics ball. It's totally freaked out Pensguys and her boys. (She did get to see me in "action" though. I get awfully stoic when something crazy happens.)
That was a fun trip to the emergency room. The X-ray tech cracked up laughing at the bright white perfect circle that showed up in Sam's stomach.
Oh. the. joy.

I think he's passed it now. If not, it's sure not slowing him down any. I think nothing short of an elephant tranquilizer would do that.

Then I have 10 days until the new Harry Potter book. So that's something to look forward to. It'll distract me for a day or so. Then I have a couple of other really good books saved up for those final few days...for those nights that I won't be able to sleep at all.

I also have the knitting. I can always knit. I've recently procured....umm.... about 5 more balls of sock yarn which brings my total stash up to enough yarn to knit..... about 50 pairs. So I have plenty to keep me busy on that front

And I have my little eye procedure to occupy a couple more days. I can't even describe how much I'm looking forward to that lovely little occasion.
(insert sarcasm)
By they way, if you are eye squeamish in any way...do not click that link. It won't offend me at all. I freaked out when my mom had it done. The ever helpful ZooDad doesn't even want to discuss it and was horrified to learn that this would be done without any anesthesia other than some drops to numb my eyeballs.

And just planning the logistics for this will take up another few days. (MIL is taking the boys down to the farm on Sunday. My sister takes me to have the procedure Monday. My mom will "babysit" me Tuesday against my will. Then I pick up the boys and take Andrew to OT on Wednesday. I swear, my medical care involves an act of Congress.)

Plus we have another week of swimming lessons as further distractions. (Yep, I have unleashed Sam unto the populace. His swimming coach said that "He's a child that just doesn't get discouraged." That's code for "That little bugger is not giving up on anything. He's a fence rattler.") And that includes daily visits to lounge around the pool and getting brown and wrinkly.

We have a birthday party to attend. I have to get these weekly overview lesson plans finished. I really must finish the trim in the Horse-butt-tan living room and re-decorate. It would also be nice if I could start painting the boys room...but I wouldn't put money on that actually happening.

Plus tutoring two middle school students each week. They are lots of fun. Oh the gaps in their education! (And people wonder why I homeschool. I'm getting paid to re-teach kids from my zoned school. Do you think I'm going to send my kids there? )

(sigh)

I have less than two months to go.
Less than 60 days....though I can't tell you exactly how much less.
Whew....the end is in sight. I can't believe it.
It is almost over.
I would like to say that in less than two months our life will back to normal. But that's not true. We won't ever be back to what we were. That's gone. We're not those people anymore. All of this has changed us. It's hardened us. It has forged us.

In less than two months....we just start something new.
A new life....one that will have us all together.
And that's all that matters.
It's just the waiting part that is so hard.

last post was a test.

You should be able to see 6 pictures. I can see them...but that might just be because I'm signed into flickr. Can anyone see them? can you see a couple? What do you see instead?

It's easier to upload a bunch to flicker and then make a bar than to upload to blogger. But not if they can't be seen....sigh.

I'll repost them if needed. There's a mighty cute pic of Sam with a firefly on there.

Chasing Fire flies

www.flickr.com

A lesson learned.

If you are a military wife whose husband is deployed or about to be deployed...avoid reading The Time Traveler's Wife.

I finished that one a few nights ago and it has been haunting me every night since. I can relate to Claire, waiting for her life to begin again and never quite knowing when it will be disturbed. The resolve to just keep going each day, knowing that her love would be back when he could. It just hit way to close to home.

ZooDad has always traveled. He was either Active Duty and traveling or a Military contractor and traveling. For every year of our almost 13 years married, he's been gone for at least a quarter of it. We even dated long distance, only seeing each other on weekends for months. So we're used to him being gone for a week or so each month. In fact, having him around for months at a time is an anomaly.

What has scared me most about this deployment has been how easy it has been to deal with not having him around. Part of me feels guilty for just going on about my business and handling everything with not that much trouble.
The other part of me just misses my Darling.

I'll have to find another book to read. Something to wash the thoughts from the last book out of my brain. To cleanse my thinking palette so to speak.

That second shoe is about to drop

I've been waiting for it and it's just about to hit.

I can't really post about it since the official paperwork hasn't been filled out, but it's pretty much a done deal.

I'm going to have to get a new ticker. Mine expired four days ago.

I'm tyring to be very positive and accepting....because I don't have to option to be anything else. I just keep telling myself that it's all for a greater good and will turn out well for our family.

Which makes me think of "The Incredibles" ... "Greater good? I am your wife! I'm the greatest *good* you are ever gonna get!"
And that just makes me snicker.

**Edited because I scared the dickens out of a friend. The ticker I'm referring to is my deployment ticker. It was only good for a year and the deployment has outlasted it.
My other "ticker" is working just fine. It's just lonely.

Joys of boys....part 352

The scene: Sam, almost four-years-old and two McDonald's toys: a girl penguins and some sort of chicken like creature. Both with surfboards.

The action: Sam creates the following conversations as the two characters surf across the kitchen table.

Chicken figure: "Hey baby....you a great surfer. You wanna go out to dinner sometime?"

Penguin girl: "Sure, but I'm not kissing you."



I. kid. you. not.

And he's not even four yet. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my pint-sized Casanova. But at least he offered to take her out to dinner.

590 words

It's a bad picture but there is a lot to discuss in there...so that's why I'm posting it.
Also, to take a new picture would require a lot more energy than I really want to expend right now. I loathe uploading pictures.

New paint on the walls is "Pony Tail." Also known as Horse @ss tan by the deployed ZD. He did approve this color decision while he was home on leave. I learned that lesson when I painted our old bedroom the equivalent of Barney Purple. Always get the color choice approved.
How do you like it? It's kind of peachy and in its wet form (in the can) is looks like liquid Barbie legs. (Nisha I know you liked the green best but even Shelbie like the new tan/peach/Barbie leg color. It goes quite well with the Pea soup green in the dining room.)

The recliner you see, is in its new location. That was the prior home of the love seat. That's ZD's favorite seat in the house. It has to been in prime TV watching angle and far enough away from the wall for complete reclining. Never mind, that you can't see the TV when fully reclined.

And there's my dirty, finger printed fire place screen that I swear....NEVER looks that dirty in real life. It just acts up for the camera.

To the left, is the giant fish tank. (It is both a giant tank and a tank for giant fish.) That blur you see at the top of the tank is one of the fish. I think that's Elmo. I didn't approve the purchase of these fish. In fact, I informed ZD that they would "get really big." He thought I was crazy. Well, we can all see who was right, can't we. Elmo and Oscar are nearing the 12 inch mark and they have teeth. Fish approval should be sought more eagerly than paint approval. Just a lesson learned.

What else? Andrew is making circles the way Miss Nisha taught him. He's drawing super creatures. A whole flock of them, so it seems. He's using the coolest pencils I've ever found. Giant triangular shaped Ticonderoga's with a black rubber coating.

The table he working on is in great need of refinishing. It was my late father-in-law's from back in his bachelor days. So it's at least 50 years old. Whatever type of wood it is, is solid. Some day, when I have some amount of free time, I'll refinish it. We've had that table for 13 years so I assume it will be at least than much longer before I get around to it.

Sam is just staring at me. I guess he was shocked I was taking pictures. I get that expression quite frequently from him. He's bordering on offended and slightly annoyed but he's mostly shocked.

Oh,the clock was a gift from my parents on our wedding. It rings every hour except for a three year period when ZD disconnected the speaker and I didn't notice. Astute aren't I?

IF you look very closely on the fireplace hearth, you'll see a small painted jar. It's a jelly jar. It has a lid and a little spoon that goes with it. My MIL painted it. She paints china. That particular jar has raspberries and blackberries on it. Quite fitting for a jelly jar.
Of course, I'm not using it for jelly right now. It currently has picture hangers and curtain rod screws in it.

See....tons of stuff from one very bad picture.

Hi y'all

Sorry I dropped off for a bit but I needed a little vacation of sorts.



The boys went down to the farm for a few days while I rested and went to the funeral of my last Aunt. I just have two Uncles left living.

She was one very special lady and my uncle loved her in a way that every woman would want. During her last days, she sat with her husband, children, grand-children, and great-grand children and told them all the things that she wanted them to know.

She even helped write her eulogy. "Tell them that your Grandfather always treated me like a princess." she told her oldest grandson.



I will miss her. And I hope I live as wonderful of a life that she did.



I'll be around more now. I'm feeling a bit more rested these days.

Running to stand still

I have lost my "get up and go." I know this is just part of my cyclic personality issues but it's still annoying. I hate being still. I'm a multi-tasker. I like to have multiple things going on. To have options.

But I have options and I don't feel like doing any of them. In fact, I'm forcing myself to blog just to keep from vegging out in front of the TV for the rest of the night.

I could plan my history lessons for next year. I've finally decided on a format and it wouldn't take much work.
I could paint trim. The boys are all in bed, so I don't have to worry about curious fingers. It's not tedious work and I don't have much trim left to paint. But I've got no motivation to do it.
I could finish my socks. All I have left is to Kitchener the toe closed. But my grafting just down right sucks, so I want to wait until i can swing by the yarn store for help. It's stinks to do all this great knitting and then screw it up on the very last row.
I can't start new socks....because that would take a lot more thought than I feel like giving it right now.
The house is clean. No laundry to mindlessly fold.

I don't feel like rehashing the telethon (Which was wonderful and quite rewarding. It's a fabulous story for a night when I'm in a better mood.) or M's eye doc appointment (not so great experience...bad news actually.) So I don't have much to say. However, I will share that oldest boy, J, had an unassisted double play at his game last night.
Everybody on the field and watching the game was impressed. J, however, was confident and quite proud of himself.

I wish I could just peel this funk off me....like a lizard shedding it's skin. I guess I'll pop some vitamins, eat a bowl of soup, and get to bed early for a change.

On a good note, we're down to less than 100 days before ZD comes home.

A Nervous Wreck

Sometime ago I mentioned that our family was taking part in the Children's Miracle Network Telethon.
It's a national telethon that benefits your local children's hospitals. It starts tonight.

If you have a hospital near you, why don't you call and make a donation to help brighten a child's day. All the money that you pledge will stay in your local area. And all of that money is used to enrich a child's life.
To make them smile when they are scared or sick. To entertain them when they've been in the hospital for days. To buy new specialty equipment. To buy stuffed animals for children having surgery...or getting stitches...or having long medical tests.
It buys coloring books, and DVD players, and music, and video games...anything to help distract a child who is in pain.

And we get to be part of it. Last month, we taped several segments to air during our local telethon. It happened to coincide with ZooDad's R&R trip home. Those segments have started airing (last night and tonight) and tomorrow, we'll be broadcasting live. I am scared silly.
Petrified even.
But it's worth it. It's my chance to do something for a hospital that has done so much for us.
My oldest had surgery in a different hospital when he was 4 weeks old. It's was the most horrifying and traumatic experience for all of us.

4 years later, we had moved, and he had surgery at our local CMC (Children's Medical Center). The difference in that second surgery was like night and day. At that point, I knew that I would never take my children to any other place.

But the thing that really sealed the deal for me was what happened when A was born.
his birth occurred at a different hospital and the pediatricians there heard an abnormality in his heart. Our CMC sent their personnel and equipment to the other hospital to do the diagnostic tests needed, so he would not have to be moved from the hospital.
They came to my hospital room to let me know that if the tests showed that he needed immediate treatment, that I would be taken with him. They didn't want me to worry any more than I was already.


We've had...
x-rays.
Stitches.
surgery.
another surgery.
more stitches.
lots of occupational therapy.
Even more speech therapy.
Yet another surgery.
speech therapy.
EKG's.
Blood work.
and some more stitches

visits with.....
a pediatric urologist
a pediatric orthopaedic doctor
a pediatric dermatologist
a pediatric cardiologist
a pediatric psychologist
a developmental pediatrician
a pediatric ophthalmologist

All in the same building complex.
You can't beat that.
And knowing that everyone who works with our children is trained in pediatrics is just a bonus.
I can't imagine not having the hospital in our area. I can't imagine not having this resource just half a hour (with traffic and an occasional train) from my home.

Life with an insane cat.

No pictures of the cat. She won't sit still for that long.

Mango is crazy.



She plays with marbles. That in itself would not be a problem but she carries them around in her mouth and then drops them on the tile work. Tap, tap, tap, tap, rooooooolllll. All night long.



She also races up and down the stairs. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.

It scares me because I think that one of the little guys is tumbling down the stairs. Nope....just the insane cat.



She goes in the pantry and chews on the bags. She chewed open a bag of bird seed, a bag of flour, and a bag of cornmeal. That was a huge mess.



At 10:30 each night she starts howling. We have no reason why. She's not hungry. She has clean water. No one is outside. No other animal is around. She just meows. Even Max the Cat gets annoyed. He usually pounces on her to get her to shut up.



She sleeps in the laundry basket, right on top of the clothes.



Every thing is a cat toy, except the actual cat toys. A dropped Cheese-it gets batted around on the floor. Crocs...that must be a marble maze to play. good thing she can carry marbles around. Plastic wrap....ultimate cat toy. Noisy and fun to chew.



Now she's playing with a carpet indention left by a table leg. That's right. She is stalking and pouncing on the indention...and then attempts to dig it out. I guess in her cat brain, a hole means something must be in the hole.



She'll dig and play or a awhile and then stretch out on the floor and act indifferent until someone drops a Cheeto.

It might be the paint fumes...

Either I am very brave or I have lost my mind completely. I have decided to re-paint the living room. You know...that room with all the big furniture and and the fish tank. The huge 55 gallon fish tank that houses the giant Oscars.

Not only did I decide to repaint, but I also decided to re-arrange the whole room. I just couldn't be satisfied with changing the color....everything has to find a new home too.

Of course this requires a unique painting approach. I can't just put on two coats and then do the trim. Oh no.
I can only move the fish tank when the water is out of it. It's a big fish tank.
And if I disconnect the TV armoire, I lose my cable modem. So I have to paint a wall and then move the furniture. Then paint another wall and move that furniture.

So far I have one coat of the longest wall done and moved the heaviest non-fish tank piece of furniture to the appropriate side of the room. Next I'll paint the new fish tank wall, drain and clean out the tank and then move Oscar and Elmo (collectively called "the fish") to their new location. And then work my way around the room until it is no longer a sage green.
The new color is called Pony Tail. Yep....it's horse butt tan. I think the color naming chick was reaching down in the bottom of the barrel when she pulled that out.
And let's just ignore the fact that the same room was tan before I painted it the current sage green that it is.

ZD thinks I've lost my mind.
"Are you pregnant? You seem to be nesting," he offered from his hot and sandy place.
No dear...I'm just insane.

For my next exercise in futility, I plan to re-paint and switch the boys' rooms.
Ha, ha, ha, ha....

Circle time....

we don't need no stinkin' circle time.
Not the littlest pair of boys here at the zoo.

Not when they have their 11 year-old brother playing "If You're Happy and You Know It" on his keyboard and encouraging them to join along.

They are upstairs playing. So far I have heard:
clap your hands
stomp your feet
say 'Amen'
Shout O'le. (Can't get the accent mark.)
and Hug a friend

Now I hear that there will be a story reading after lunch followed by some time at the sand and water table.
It's the Zoo Full of Boys Kindergarten Summer Program.

We're sorry that we have no spots available for new students.

Update: Now they are singing "The Ants Go Marching" and they are marching. Marching is great practice for crossing the mid line. I would love to go up there and snap some pictures but I don't want to risk spoiling the moment.

A comment from the littlest guy

Today, I am wearing a pair of workout pants. They are ride a little low, right down on my hip. I usually wear a longer shirt with them but today I grabbed a pink shirt that just barely skims the top of the pants.

Earlier today, while sitting on the floor...sorting through my sock yarn stash, the littlest guy Sam started commenting on my choice of apparel.

"Mom....your pants are low. Your pants are waaaaaaay low and I can see your back. And I can see your underwear. You have to pull up your pants when you go outside or everyone will see your under wear. Your underwear have flowers on them. Everyone will see your flower underwear. They will laugh. Pull up your pants, Momma."

During this whole tirade, I am trying not to (and failing) laugh. The boy was righteously offended by the sight of my flowered under garments. Yesterday, he gave me a very disgusted look over the tank top I had on.
The boy is a prude.

I can't wait until he sees some of the the teen age girls at the Y this summer. Bikinis are not allowed at the pool, but who knows what will show up at the ball park.

They better hope that Sam can't see their underwear.

An ultimate good

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained” C.S. Lewis

ZD says that I am a very supportive wife. I am. I do my very best to be. Because I know that what is best for him...is ultimately best for me and the boys.

But sometimes the support is very hard.
I have to agree to things that I love to scream, "No" to. But if I said no, what sort of man would come home to me? And would he be the sort of man that I needed?

They tell you being a parent is hard. When they hand you that little one for the first time, they warn you..."This will hurt. You will forever have your heart linked to someone else. You will suffer for them. You will sacrifice for them. Your success and failure and happiness and sorrow will depend on this person."
I expected it.
Because I knew that when I said, "I do."

In which the woman gets VERY angry with Tricare

A snippet of my letter to them in reference to another denial...

The letter goes on to state that “long term therapy may confer no advantage over short term therapy.” While we agree that the research on Autism treatment may still experimental, we are certain, however, that having no therapy at all will not be advantageous to our son at all. Every doctor and therapist that we have ever worked with agrees with this. The only dissenting party is the Tricare reviewer of our son’s case.

The letter also states, that “once a patient has reached the point where no significant practical improvement can be expected, the skills of an authorized provider will not be required.” Our son has not reached a point where no practical improvement can be expected. In fact, with additional therapy, he can be expected to make further improvements. His physicians and therapists agree with this. Again, the only dissenting body is the Reconsideration Department of Tricare.

We ask that Tricare only do what they have promised us. As an involuntarily recalled military family, Tricare is our only option for medical insurance. We have a child who has a medical need. Prior to our involuntary recall, his medical needs were taken care of by our private insurance. Now that the government has forced us to use Tricare, Tricare refuses to treat our son’s medical needs.

There is a treatment for his disorder and it is covered by Tricare according to Tricare Policy Manual 6010.54-M, chapter 7, section 18.3. We are not asking for anything more than what is already laid out in policy.

M has a loss of function due to Asperger’s Syndrome. He has not yet reached his highest level of function and will not without the appropriate therapy. We are asking that Tricare provide that therapy for him. It is very upsetting for us to have people who have never seen our child making decision that will affect the rest of his life.

The people who are active in our son’s life, his doctors, his therapists both at MCG and at school, do not feel that M has reached his highest ability. They all agree that he can make great strides if given the opportunity. As, his parents, we will do all that is possible to make sure he gets that opportunity.

Do you think they'll get that little threat at the end?
My next step is taking the newspaper article of our boys and all my paperwork into all of our Congressmen's local offices, including the potential replacements for Congressman Norwood.
One more denial...and I'm starting a Congressional hearing.
I am already bolstering up for the fight.

Why I homeschool ... part 831

Six years ago, we made the decision to homeschool because our oldest child was a self motivated learner with a tender heart.
We didn't want the school system to squash either one of those properties.

Fast forward to today and that little 5 year old is now 11. And instead of picking out Kindergarten programs, I'm making decisions for middle school.
I don't know where the past 6 years have gone.

But through it all, our main goals have been met. He still is a highly self-motivated learner. And he still has a tender heart.

And he loves to read.

My father taught me that reading was your ticket to anything you wanted. If you could read, you could teach yourself. Then you weren't bound to the limits of a classroom. If you could read, you could change your own life. You didn't have to depend on someone else to help you.
It was the key to freedom.

My oldest is figuring that out for himself and I now understand the joy and sense of satisfaction my father got when I learned that lesson. It's great feeling.

Yesterday, we had a trip to the library and I nonchalantly grabbed a copy of The Bronze Bow. "You'll like this one," I told my oldest boy. "I like all the books you pick out," he replied and then picked out a few others for himself.

All the way home, he eyed that book quite suspiciously. "I think this book may be too hard. I can barely understand the first paragraph," he complained.

"A boy stood on the path of the mountain overlooking the sea." I read. "It's a story about a Galilean boy. He's Jewish and his village has been taken over by the Romans . They killed his family. It's historical fiction. I think you'll like it."

Out of a sense of obligation and respect for me, he opened the book and began to read. He read off and on yesterday:In the van to baseball practice and back, while waiting at the school book store, during lunch and dinner.
Currently, he's curled up on the couch, still reading and ignoring all requests to eat breakfast. He's been there since he woke up.
"This is a good book," he commented as I walked past him to grab my laptop, "As good as The Giver."
"I've got a lot of good books for you to read.

Ode to a nice soft pillow

What a difference seven hours of sleep makes. I'm now all refreshed and ready to face the upcoming week.
And what a week!
I feel like the climbers at the foot of Mt. Everest...looking up to the face of that sheer cliff that they swear to overcome.
That's me. I will scale this mountain. No doubt about it. Overbooked schedule....I laugh in your general direction. I know my calendar is double-dog daring me to finish all the stuff I have listed...but I am winning this challenge.

Today, I have gone to Speech at school, gone to the library, and the used homeschool books store where I scored both Lial's beginning algebra and Jacob's mathematics with the TE for less than $25 total. (ha..ha..HA! I love the smell of a darn good bargain.)
Now, I have to tidy up the house and tutor my middle school kid so so he can pass his exams and avoid summer school. Then the oldest zoo-child has baseball practice at 7 pm. Then it's home, dinner, and the fastest bed time routine ever.

The rest of the week is pretty much a repeat of today. We have 4 days of therapy and baseball practice and then a double elimination tournament on Saturday. PE, make-up testing for ITBS (that's tomorrow), plus a "to do" list that has gotten to two pages.
All to do by Friday.
But I will get it done.
Because I love a challenge.
And just to show off...I'm going to finish knitting a pair of socks and read some chick-lit.

Do not mess with a determined woman who has no other form of entertainment.

Dead dog tired

When I was in high school, I hung with a group that I had known since fifth grade. One of the guys in our little circle of strange friends had the most incredible pet stories.
There was the cat who ended up with a broken leg. (The cat had been sleeping on the van when friend's older brother jumped in it and drove off. The cat held on for a while and eventually gathered the strength to peer down into the windshield. The older brother, upon noticing the furry hitchhiker, slammed on brakes. Anyone who has studied Sir Isaac Newton knows that objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. They can also surmise that a tree makes a great outside force to act upon a cat whom has flown off the top of a moving van that suddenly stopped moving.)

Then there was his dog that committed suicide. (The dog was known for escaping. There was no fence that could hold him. He tunneled. He climbed. He even chewed through. In an act of desperation, friend's parents chained him to a very heavy dog house. The chain was quite long to give him maximum freedom in the yard but not get near the fence. The dog then ran around his dog house. Around and around and around...wrapping the loooooong chain. Then apparently, he climbed on the dog house and jumped off. Friend came home to find the poor pet's body. As a side note, if you're in high school and your dog kills itself....you get way more teasing than sympathy.

Then there was Prince...who was dead dog tired. This dog was the laziest dog that any of us had ever seen. He was a Basset Hound with absolutely no get-up-and-go about him. Prince's daily regiment consisted of getting up from his mat and eating his food, pooping, peeing, and then flopping back on his mat the sleep the remaining 23 hours of the day. His preferred sleeping spot was the side door mat. Right in front of the door. Basset hounds are no small creatures, so this dog pretty much blocked all entry to and exit from the door.
Each morning, friend would step over Prince to go to school. He'd reach down and pet him and then fill up his food and water bowl. Then each afternoon, he would come home, pet the old dog's head, step back over him, and go back into the house.
It was routine. It was expected. If you came to visit friend...you had to step over the dog to get in. We all grew used to Prince's location.
The sun rose each day and set each night and Prince slept in front of the door and never moved.

So one day, friend starts his day...steps over, pets the dog and notices that the food is still there. Friend shrugs his shoulders and goes on to school. At the end of the day, he pets and steps over the dog and then goes back into the house. The next day, on the way out the door, friend notices that once again....the food bowl has not been touched. Again, high school boy that he was...he shrugged and petted the dog, stepped over, and off he went again. Third day...repeat of the previous days.

(Yes, I'm going right where you think I am.)

The next day, friend comes to school all sad looking. He had this terrible tale to tell. When he came home the previous day, Prince was not in his usual spot. He was distraught. He hadn't had the best luck with animals. The cat never really recovered from his van experience. But Prince didn't really have the energy to hang himself.
So where was the dog?

Well....friend's mom decided that the dog needed a bath becasue...well...he kind of smelled. That's when the inevitable was discovered.

No one was really sure how long poor Prince had been dead. In fact, the only real difference between dead Prince and living Prince was the amount of dog food he consumed. But it's pretty bad when you've been petting a dead dog for days and not noticed it.

As another friend put it, "That Prince was always Dead Dog Tired."

That's how I'm feeling. Dead dog tired.
Don't forget to pet me as you step over.
Hee, hee, hee.

As a side note: Friend is now married, is a father and successful in his career. It was a long time before he ever owned another pet. I would think that was a wise decision.

Almost...but not quite

I almost made it though baseball season without a disaster.

Almost.

Two years ago, I fell and messed up my ankle. (high ankle sprain with two ligaments torn.) It took weeks of physical therapy to get me to almost normal and the things still bothers me.

Last year, I got rear ended at a red light and the van was messed up pretty bad. No one was hurt though.

This year, a friend backed into my parked van. Minor in the grand scheme of things but since I just prayed for nothing big....the Big Guy didn't really let me down.
The bracket broke and the whole bumper will have to be replaced.....again. That was my year old bumper.
The friend was horrified.
Her hubby was even more horrified.

I was just relieved that it was such a minimal thing and thankful that I have another car to drive while it's being fixed.

Compared to everything else...it's just a blip on my radar.

On a positive note, we're all done with the ITBS. I have some make-up tests to administer and then I ship those bad boys back to whence they came. Woohoo.
Another year all done.
62 kids tested. 31 families. 3 days. 1 fender bender.
Not bad.

Coming home from the airport early Monday morning.

"Hey, Mom! I think I saw an owl." says my oldest boy.

Oh cool....an owl.

We whip the van in a 180 and go back to see the owl. (I am an unabashed science nerd. Any science...any time.)

We found the owl on the top of a neighbors chimney and I did what any good homeschool mom would do....I pulled out my camera to take pictures. I even blocked neighborhood traffic to do so.

Then, we did another 180 so the kids on the other side of the van could see. I mean how cool is it to see an owl in your own neighborhood. Just sitting there doing his owl thing.

I started a little mini lesson about how owls eat and regurgitate the non-digestible parts. How they have very sharp eyesight and even sharper talons. That they cannot turn their eyes in socket....

That's when oldest child remarked, "Did that owl carry his own perch up there?"

What?

"There's a little log thing that the owl's standing on." oldest child clarified.I did a quick double take....then looked closer.

Then it hit me.

It was a fake owl. I had been taking pictures of a fake owl.

Oh.

My.

How dumb am I?
Thankfully, this took place on the different section of the neighborhood than my cat-napping incident. Once again, I hope the owners weren't home to witness me stalking their fake owl. And I really hope that they meet up with the cat owners. I can only imagine their conversation.

N1: "Did you know that a few months ago, some woman in a blue mini-van attempted to steal our cat....right from our front yard?"
N2: "Oh my heavens....I wonder if it is the same woman that was driving by our house and taking pictures of that fake owl we have on the chimney to keep squirrels from invading our attic again?"

How embarrassing.

The evidence against me having any intelligence at all is stacking up. Now I not only have to double check the cat...I also have to confirm that all the birds are actually alive.

I'm back!

The day we've been dreading has arrived.
Each morning for the past 5 days, Baby S has been asking, "Is today Monday?"
Today, it was.

ZD is still in country. He's hanging in "Adlanna" awaiting his ride back. If we had known he would have so much time to kill we would have taken him up there.
(sigh)
Instead we took him to the local tiny but quite hoity-toity airport. The ticket TSA guy gave us a security clearance pass so we could all hang out in the terminal and wait for ZD's ride. That gave us and extra hour and a half with our guy.

We had a great two weeks. We jammed it packed with as much as possible.
The short list with more explanations in the near future:
A trip to the Aquarium
ZD taught 3 co-op classes
A trip down to the farm
The "Baby's" first time shooting a gun (Now that is a story!)
Replacing and placing new sprinklers
A long nature walk
A TV interview
A newspaper interview
A lot of filming
2 baseball practices
2 sets of baseball games
A lot of shopping
2 shaved dogs
A birthday party
Some fishing
badminton
A visit from a favorite Uncle
A home run
hospitalization of another favorite Uncle
Bad news about my eyes
Good news about the rest of me.
A computer rescue attempt
Lots, and lots, and lots of hugs.
4 pampered and spoiled boys
and 1,000,000 trips to the snack hut at baseball.

But right now, I'm a little tired and quite a bit sad. I've gotten a bit spoiled myself...having ZD around 24 hours for 16 days. It surprised me how easily we all just fell back into our normal life.

Now, we're back to waiting again.

just checking in

Zoodad is all comfy and happy here at home. Only a few more days until he leaves again. We've had a simultaneous busy and laid back 10 days here at the Zoo.

We got lots of smiles in the airport when ZD arrived. We got a few handshakes and "thank yous" too.

I have lots to blog about after I get the big guy back on a plane to places hot and sandy.

Until then....

Hours to go...

Hours...as in less than one day.

The whole crew will wake up bright an early in the morning. We'll all pile into the van and head out as the sun rises so we can get to the airport as ZD is coming in.

Our other option is to wait until the local airport can bring him home at dinner time. (We aren't doing that option.)

I doubt the boys will even sleep tonight. They are so excited.
Yesterday, we stocked the fridge and pantry with favorite foods.
The van is already clean and all tuned up.
We'll spend the rest of the evening getting the house all tidied up.

All to welcome home our own personal hero.

It's spring break for the Zoo. We'll be out visiting and vacationing. The boys have a multitude of plans including seeing the pandas, going to the aquarium, and possibly heading down to the beach.
A summer's worth of fun all stuffed into 2 weeks.

Sweetest (and saddest) thing ever

S has one of the Leap Pad talking Frog toys. It looks like this.

He's never really played with it other than to listen to the stories it tells. Anyway...you have to customize it. You add names of family members and you can record messages.

I had forgotten about the messages.

Today, S turned it on and pushed the yellow "paw" instead of the red one. Suddenly, we hear ZooDad's voices saying "Don't forget...Daddy loves you."

S stopped dead in his tracks and looooooooked at that frog. After a long pause, he looked up and started yelling, "Daddy loves me. Daddy loves meeeeeeee!"

He pressed that button over and over again. Every time it would play ZooDad's voice he would reply, "Daddy loves me" and then laugh and laugh.

It was an unexpected surprise. The boys sure misses his daddy.

I'll give him a 8.

We've been watching a little too much "Dancing with the Stars" here at Casa De Zoo.
How do I know?

Not-so-baby S, who will be four in a few short months, upon hearing a lovely lilting waltz on a TV commercial...proceeded to put his arms out wide and began taking long graceful spinning steps around the room.
It just seemed to him like a totally natural thing to do.

I just stared at him.
Dumbfounded and then tried not to laugh.

You know that I am not telling ZooDad about this incident. No way! Not there is anything wrong with pint-sized ball room dancers. But daddy's don't always feel that way. Plus, I don't want ZooDad to get the idea to change the parental lock codes.

Helpfull Homeschool Mom

Are you studying Genghis Khan this year?

If so...check out the LA county Museum of Art and the Legacy of Genghis Khan.

What a cool site! Great music too.

It even includes a free resource guide for teachers.

From there is a link to the Met and an exhibit on Marco Polo.

Killing time

The bad thing about having a deployed spouse is that you live your life in a "waiting" sort of mode.
We wait for phone calls.
We wait for them to come home to visit.
We waiting for them to come home for good.

All the other things that we do in between the waiting, are just the stuff we do to pass the time.
And all those "other things" are the things that our deployed family members miss the most.

The people at home are waiting for the big things....homecomings.
The people deployed are waiting to enjoy the little things...all that other stuff.

So I'm killing time. Days to go. One hands worth. And the world just keeps on spinning around me.
(Which reminds me of the joke: God planned for Autistic children....that's why he made the world spin around, and around, and around.)

Tiny things fill the day. Mini crises and little moments of joy. In the middle of a time out for downright awful behavior, baby S asked me to sit beside and "sing to me, Momma."
And I sang until he calmed himself down enough to function with his brothers again.

A...always so happy and kind of oblivious... broke down in tears when I explained that the cat ran from him our of fear and not in form game of tag. He doesn't understand the body language in people or animals and is heartbroken to find out that he was scaring his pets. As cruel irony, cats don't understand his tear filled apologies.

M who I usually have to force to read, forgot the clock and read an extra 15 minutes while engrossed in a story. Then he excitedly told me the details that he liked the best. I fought to urge to ask questions and just let him tell me what he thought was important. (He said that if he and his brothers were only 3 inches tall, I wouldn't have to cook as much food, the dishes would be quick to wash, and I could do all the laundry in just one load.)

And the oldest one, J, just came downstairs for a glass of water...an hour after lights out. I noticed that he had his book light in his hand.
"Were you up this late reading?" I asked.
An embarrassed smile was answer enough.
"The chapter ended in suspense, so I had to read the next one just to get to a good stopping point."

The little things.
But the little things are everything.

Flight plans have been made

We're down in the single digits until ZooDad comes to home for R&R. Blogging will be more sporadic than usual until the end of the month. So don't worry about me.
I have a lot of preparations and big plans to finish up before the big guy comes home.

But I'll be pack with Part II of our day. Some video about Asperger's. Our plans for next school year. And pictures from our adventures.

Y'all behave.

A Movie Meme

I'm not tagging anyone but I kind of liked this meme. ZooDad and I are movie people. We'll watch just about anything...except really gory stuff.

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times.
Kelly Heroes
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?" I love Donald Southerland

2. Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show

3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Hugh Grant and Bruce Willis (Odd, I know.)

4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie.
Tom Cruise

5. Name a movie you can and do quote from.
Monty Python: Holy Grail and Snatch. ("You're not much use to me alive are you, Turkish?" is a common phrase used here.)

6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Mary Poppins. (And Rocky Horror....but we won't count that one.)

7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with.
The Wedding Singer

8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see.
About a Boy. Good movie about "growing up."

9. Name a movie you own.
Um....a lot. All M. Night Shyamalan's movies.

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Hmmmm....I don't know. Gene Kelly? Frank Sinatra? Donald O'Connor?
None of the current singer/actors do it nearly as well as the old ones did.

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Nope....never been to one

13. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet.
Anything up for Best Picture at the last academy Awards. I've seen none of them.

14. Ever walked out of a movie? Which one?
Yes....D.O.A. A long movie that never started.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I cry at all of them. I cry when I've seen them half a dozen time. Best one: Where the Heart Is.

16. Popcorn?
Large with lots of butter.

17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
So seldom. (sigh) Maybe one every few months.

18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
X-men 3? (I know...I know.)

19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Comedy and Sci-fi

20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Star Wars or The Muppet Movie. I can't remember which came out first.

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Saw

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. (Did you know that was Hugo Weaving in that one? The same guy in LOTR and The Matrix.)

23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Saw

24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
I don't have an answer...but ZooDad loves those Ernest movies.

Woohee....

Go Wickman! What a closer! Yeah Thorman. Even though you were just glad to get a piece of it. It was a beuatiful HR.
Go Braves!
Y'all take all the innings you need to get the win.

And....as a bonus my beloved Gamecocks beat Furman. Now to do the same to Florida.

It was a good night for baseball.

Things that have made me laugh recently

214 days on my own....
I have to get my jollies in any way I can.
So I present to you a list of things that I have found darn funny this past few weeks.

1. Comment by a friend who is coaching a t-ball team called the Marlins.
Instead of getting the teal shirts that the Marlins traditionally wear, they got green jerseys.
Really green jerseys. "How green?" I asked.
Friend responded..."We're the O'Marlins."

I'm still snickering about that one. Every time I see those green shirts. O'Marlins.


2. Joke from my 11 -year-old.
If H2O is on the inside of a fire hydrant...what's on the outside of a fire hydrant?
*
*
*
*
K9P
Bad, bad....funny but bad.


3. Same son carrying his littlest brother's mini astronaut rescue hero. (Littlest brother had his hands filled with the space ship and moon buggy.)
Oldest child landed the tiny explorer on M's head and said.....

"I have landed on the planet M....a gaseous planet...barren of all forms of life."

The doctor walking behind us cracked up laughing. I did too.


4. Same kid is so full of snark. I don't know what I'm going to do with him. After being hit twice by his baseball coach, (both by accident but one was hard enough to knock the breath out of him.)
J announced, "Ok...one more hit, Coach, and you'll win a prize."

I should punish the snarkiness...but I'd have to stop laughing first.

A Question Answered

Mere asks: Our ped. neurologist has told us that unless he has intensive ST twice a week he may NEVER talk (he has about thirty words, half of which he says backwards or only partially), so it seems pretty necessary to me. Does this sound familiar to you?

First of all...how old is your child. 30 words for a just turned 2 year old is not so bad but something to look into. 30 words for a three year old is a big concern.

But yes...it does sound familiar.

My 8 year old had a language explosion at 2 years and 3 months. It didn't concern me because, at the time, we thought he was a neurotypical child. But apparently we missed a whole lot of stuff. I also didn't notice that his eyes crossed until he was over three years old. Looking back at pictures, it's obvious. But at the time, I just thought I was imagining things. His speech progressed well but he had articulation problems. He sounded like Jar-Jar Binks. One of our favorite phrases was, "Please-ah, givey me dat." He also had terrible syntax. He could not pick up verb tenses. he had trouble getting words in the right order. He fronted, he lisped, and he had no r sound or r controlled vowels. At 5 he started speech at school and also private speech. At 6, he started OT.

Our third child, A is now 5. I'll describe he school day in my part two post.
He started speech therapy at 2 years, 4 months. At two we knew that he was waaaaaaay behind where his brothers had been. (Even the one with the speech problem.) He had about 10 "words" and most of those we only understandable to us. He was diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech and Dysarthria. Days before starting ST, he said "Dada" for the first time. A couple of months later, he said "Mama."
When he started speech...we had no idea how they were going to work with him. He made no sounds on command and usually just nodding and grunted. Every now and then he would point in some general direction and grunt.
He started out having private speech therapy twice a week. After a few months...he OT once a week. When he turned four, we discovered that he could qualify for school therapy also. He began speech at the school twice a week. (on top of private ST and OT) We also do a lot of extra work at home. A LOT!

Would he have learned to speak if we had not done this intensive therapy? I don't think so. Apraxia is motor-planning disorder and people with Apraxia don't just figure it out. He was untestable when we first started speech. Six months later, he was at the 1st percentile.
I do know that he has made extraordinary progress. He speaks very well but he still doesn't have normal speech. He's currently right over the 30th percentile.
However, now that he's learning to read...we see the same problems with decoding that we saw with his speech.
He read words backwards. (He used to say words backwards. ) He drops ending sounds. He substitutes letters. And he still has trouble with words that begin and end with the same sound. (pop)
It's like starting over and it's frustrating.

Remember them all.

Remember

This link is one I hope goes viral. It's a wonderful reminder to think about our soldiers (which include my darling hubby and my nephew among many, many others) who are deployed to combat areas.

be warned that this link does contain pictures of funerals. If you are sensitive to these sort of pictures, do not visit this link.

Part one of our day

In my comments last month, a fellow homeschool mom with SN children asked me to describe our day.

That's hard for two reasons. First, I make so many accommodations throughout the day that I don't really notice what I'm doing. So I have to stop and really think about what I do. That brings the second reason...when I stop and think, I'm forced to think what the future will hold for my boys. I'm not in denial about my children but I also try not to dwell on the "what if's" and the "maybe's." I don't have any control over that so I just put my energy on the stuff I can have some effect.

Now the disclaimer: I'm not doing this to elicit any sympathy. Honestly, it's not deserved. I'm doing this because it helps to know that you are not alone. If one person reads this and thinks, "Whew...I'm glad to know that my kid isn't the only one." then I have met my goal. But don't feel bad for me. I don't.

So here's part one of our day:
M is our second child. He's 8 years old and, according to the school system, he should be in second grade. M is however very tall and mature for his age and advanced academically. So when he was 4 (turning 5 after the school year started), he started "kindergarten."
Up until this year, he has had no problem with this accelerated grade. However,third grade has been a problem and he most likely will not move into fourth in the fall.

M also has Asperger's Syndrome, an articulation problem, Sensory Integration Disorder, fine and gross motor issues, and vision problems.
None of this has slowed him down much. He plays soccer, basketball, and baseball for Upward and the Family Y.
Though he will never be the star player, he is involved and enjoys the sports. Baseball is his best sport. Somehow, with no depth perception at all, he manages to get a hit at every at bat. His throwing is weak but the boy can catch.

Each morning, he wakes up last... and grumpy. M has difficulty going to sleep at night and the medication he is taking has stopped being effective. Earlier bedtime has helped a little. Now instead of laying in bed awake from 9pm to 10 pm, he lays in bed away from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
He has breakfast, either eating something I have made or making waffles for himself. He enjoys the autonomy of making his own breakfast. Then I have to force him to shower, brush his teeth, and put on clean clothes. He his obsessive about his hair, so I never have to remind him to brush it. His clothes are on color-coded hangers and labeled drawers so he can find them easier. Before he gets dressed, I tell him what type of clothes to wear, i.e. shorts, jeans, long/short sleeves because he has trouble selecting appropriate clothes for the weather. He also will not wear a shirt with a collar under any circumstance other than Scouts, church, or a funeral. And even then, he is not happy about it and changes clothes as soon as possible.

Once he is dressed (with no collars) and fed, he starts his daily chores. Now this part sounds totalitarian of me but with four children and 2 with Asperger's we have to have a fairly regulated household. The boys thrive on order and predictability. They also love checklists.
Each boy has a list of chores on a weekly checklist. They have to complete 5 chores without me reminding them and all the rest of the list before they get to play any video games. The chores include putting their dirty dishes in the sink after each meal, getting dressed, brushing teeth, picking up toys. So it's nothing huge. M has to bring down all the boys' dirty clothes, put up his clean clothes, vacuum, empty the dishwasher, and empty all the bathroom trashcans. It takes him about 30 minutes to do everything. Once all the morning chores are done, it's either time for school, time for co-op, or time to go the speech therapy...depending on the day of the week. M has speech at school twice a week.

School day: I make a weekly assignment sheet for each child. My oldest is a very independent worker and M has to know just what is required for each day. He breaks down if he thinks there is is some unknown quantity of work he must finish. Everything is listed: Speech exercises, books to read, # of problems, daily activities. He has to know every detail of what is required and what will happen. The schedule keeps him calm. If anything changes...I have to addend the schedule. If for some reason, I don't have an assignment list, I have to spend a huge amount of time explaining and re-explaining the day.

M has writing problems so we avoid programs like Rod and Staff English, which require a lot of writing. Right now we are using Abeka Language but I am not happy with the directions in the workbook. Many times they are confusing and awkward. But I am happy with the scope and sequence so to accommodate, I highlight the important words and write in my own directions as needed. It is important to me that M learn to work on his own, so I do not sit with him as he works each assignment. We go over the assignment orally until I am confident that he understands the material. Then we go over the directions, making changes as needed, and M does the rest of the examples on his own. When he is finished, he brings his work to me and we go over the answers that he gave and then correct any mistakes.

We do the same thing for math, a combination of Singapore math and MCP math, and all his other workbook-type subjects. Since M's handwriting is so tedious, I do copy his Review problems for him for Singapore Math. For me at this time, doing the math is more important than writing the problems. Spelling is done on his own using Spelling Workout. Last year, he had problems with spelling. This year has been a huge improvement. We follow the same schedule every week: Monday is alphabetizing, on Tuesday and Wednesday he writes all his words once, on Thursday he writes 7 sentences with list words of his choosing.

Spontaneous written language is very had for M. Writing assignments like writing a story or a poem are next to impossible for him. Just making a list of sentences about a picture is difficult. So I am working very slowly to make this easier for him. His speech therapist using computer programs and word cards. We buy the same items to use at home.

Winners so far: No-Glamour Grammar Sentence Structure (works for both my boys) and No-Glamour Language and Reasoning.
Both are available from Lingui-systems.
Home made cards that are based on the 1970's era Folk Sentence Builder. (I am awaiting a gift of a "real" set of these cards. But until then, I just keep plugging away with mine.)
Chewy Tubes from Super Duper...used to help build up his jaw muscles. M also has low muscle tone for his upper body...including his jaw and neck.
Say & Do Grammar Board Games and workbook...though M uses the worksheets more than the board games. His younger brother enjoys the board games.

For handwriting, we use Handwriting Without Tears with moderate success. M is not ready for cursive. He has no where near the control that is needed to make letters flow. So next year, I will continue to use my Startwrite software to make handwriting worksheets. As a tip....I make worksheets based on their science or history notes. It kills two birds with one stone. Why write a series of nonsense sentences when he could copy traits of Mammals or the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Then there is actually dealing with M and his need to know exactly what is going on. Sometimes it really can wear me down. I mean...there's only so many questions you can answer and sometimes you only know a limited amount of information. At one point Saturday, I had to say "Your cousin's party is tomorrow at Planet Extreme. We will leave the house at 3:30. The party is at 4:00. I already have his new video game and it is wrapped. We will have cake and pizza. You will get some number of tokens and get to play laser tag. That's all I know. If you have any other questions...I won't know the answer."To which he asked, "But they'll have bathrooms there, right?" (sigh)
He needs to have as much information as possible. It's how he controls his anxiety. If he knows what is going to happen, he can plan how to act and what to say. If he is unsure of how to react...he breaks down and shuts down.

The more unfamiliar the activity...the more questions he needs answered. But even familiar activities have questions. What game will we play at PE? I know so-and-so will be there...will his brother be there? Where will we go after PE? Can we play after PE? Do you think we will ever have PE outside? How many chances will I get to hit the ball? On and on and on.

One night, I had a nightmare in which the boys were lost. In my dream, a fireman had a child and was on the radio trying to confirm who he was. He said, "He wants to know if the hole will sink in again if it gets filled up." In my dream, I reacted by yelling, "That's my son....that's M!"

And he's literal. Very literal. He can not take one experience and apply it to another. An example which occurred as I was typing this.
Today is day 2 of a big local golf tournament. The news showed the traffic from outside one of the doughnut shops. It was bumper to bumper with very little movement. I commented that no one would get any doughnuts today. (Due to the traffic.) He replied, "But I did." He had those little cake doughnuts for breakfast. He could not see that I wasn't referring to the people in our house or to the type of doughnuts we had had.

"I think a cat's life is boring. They have nothing to do. They just eat, sleep, and drink." A random thought....sparked by fact that he'd rather stare at his sleeping cat than attempt to decode the contractions in is grammar assignment. I may even have been a statement of envy. Since cats don't have to study grammar either.

How you can Help

Events sponsored by Autism Speaks.


Toy's "R" Us Fundraising Campaign

March 18 - May 4
Toys "R" Us and the Toys “R” Us Children's Fund are holding a nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks. From March 18 through May 4, all 586 Toys “R” Us stores across the country will accept cash donations to support Autism Speaks in its efforts to help solve the puzzle of autism. Online shoppers can also contribute by visiting www.Toysrus.com/autismspeaks. The program coincides with Autism Awareness Month, which is officially designated as April each year.

Modell's Dollar Donation Days

March 27 - April 28Through April 28
Customers at all of Modell's Sporting Goods 135 store locations throughout the Northeast will be able to purchase one-dollar Autism Speaks puzzle pieces at check-out, with all proceeds being directed towards autism research. This is the third consecutive year that Modell's has participated in the “Dollar Donation Days” campaign to benefit autism.

Build-a-Bear Fundraising Campaign

April 1 - April 30
Autism Speaks and Build-A-Bear Workshop, for the third consecutive year, are partnering to raise awareness and funds during Autism Awareness Month. Throughout April, visit Build-A-Bear Workshop at any of their 200+ stores in the United States and Canada to purchase a purple satin heart, and your $1 donation will be distributed through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation to Autism Speaks.

TJ Maxx Instore Fundraising Campaign

April 8 - April 28
Building on last year's successful campaign, Autism Speaks and retailer TJ Maxx will partner once again this April on a month-long fundraising and awareness program. From April 8 through April 28 at 800 TJ Maxx stores nationwide, customers will be invited to purchase an Autism Speaks puzzle piece at checkout for a donation of $1. No purchase is necessary to make a donation, and all proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks.

Concert for Autism Speaks Featuring Bill Cosby and Toni Braxton

April 9, 2007
Famed comedian Bill Cosby will headline the “Concert for Autism Speaks,” an unforgettable night of comedy and music in the Big Apple. Joining him will be six-time, Grammy-award-winning singer Toni Braxton. Tom Brokaw will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for this special night benefiting Autism Speaks. The “Concert for Autism Speaks” will be held on Monday, April 9, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. Tickets are available through the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office, 212-721-6500, at the $100, $75 and $50 levels, or online by clicking here. For gala and VIP ticket packages, which include a reception, please call 212-245-6570, extension 12. Bill Cosby has requested that the proceeds of his performance be focused on environmental research for factors which may be identified with autism. (Tony Braxton has a son with Autism.)

We Are... Curing Autism Now 2007

April 14, 2007
Rally your friends, families, and coworkers to join us in downtown State College, Penn., in support of a common goal - to find the causes, effective treatments and a cure for autism. The 2nd annual “We Are…Curing Autism Now 5K Race/3K Walk,” presented by the Penn State Chapters of Beta Sigma Beta and Beta Phi, will take center stage. At last year's inaugural event, over 550 participants helped raise over $91,000, and this year's event promises to be even bigger. Click here to learn more and to register for the event today.

Cleveland Rocks Autism

April 21, 2007
This spectacular event benefiting autism will consist of 6 bands on two stages at the hip House of Blues in downtown Cleveland. The evening will feature the club's fine Southern Inspired cuisine and Grand River Cellars will unveil two wines created and produced to raise money and awareness for autism. Throughout the evening there will be music, food, and wine along with an amazing silent auction featuring numerous sports related gifts, rock-n-roll memorabilia, walk-ons to Hollywood shows, and much more. Tickets are $100 per person and include food, two drink tickets and two wine tasting tickets. Valet parking is available. Visit http://www.clevelandrocksautism.com/ for tickets and more information.

Autism Awareness Day with the New York Mets

April 22, 2007
Join Autism Speaks and other members of the autism community for a special Autism Awareness Month event as the New York Mets take on the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. We have VIP tickets available that include an exclusive tent party, private outfield seating, and a chance to stand on the field with the Mets for pre-game ceremonies. General admission tickets can be purchased for the following amounts and include entry to the fan fest area; Upper Level tickets are $12, Upper Box tickets are $45 and Mezzanine Reserved tickets are $50. To order online through one of our event partners, click here. To order tickets by phone, call Autism Speaks at (914) 934-5138. Tickets will be mailed 1 week prior to the game.

2nd Annual International Forum Hosted by the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs

April 23-25
Autism Speaks Co-founder Suzanne Wright and Chief Science Officer Andy Shih, along with Priscilla Natkins, executive vice president at Ad Council, have been invited by the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nassar Al-Missnad, wife of His Highness the Emir of Qatar, to speak at the 2nd Annual International Forum in Doha, Qatar. The forum will bring together policymakers, educators, persons with disabilities, and leaders in the field to discuss how perceptions of disability are formed and transformed through media, creative arts, and education, and will spotlight Article 8 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which focuses on raising public awareness. Three documentaries, including Autism Every Day, will have screenings at the conference. To learn more about Shafallah and the forum, contact Jodi Bannerman at Brown Lloyd James: jodib@brownlloydjames.com or 212-486-7091.

5th Annual Early Childhood Conference

April 27, 2007
Autism Speaks is proud to help sponsor a conference this year focused on young children with autism. The conference is organized by Los Ninos services in New York and will be held on April 27 from 8 a.m.– 4 p.m. at Fordham University, Lincoln Center Campus. Internationally recognized expert speakers will present on diverse topics such as novel treatment approaches, innovative schools, sleep issues, nutrition, chiropractic, mental health, play, discipline, diagnosis, counseling, working with parents, fostering resilience. Professionals, students and parents are encouraged to attend. For more information, click here.
Pittsburgh Area Autism Speaks Golf Classic May 14th, 2007
The fifth annual Pittsburgh Area Autism Speaks Golf Classic will take place at the St. Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA. Each year, this event has been a complete sell-out, and last year your generosity enabled us to raise over $80,000 for this important cause. To ensure an enjoyable round of golf, we will once again limit the size of the field. As always, friends, spouses and non-golfers are encouraged to attend dinner and the silent auction.

The Ninth Annual NY Celebrity Golf Challenge at Winged Foot

June 18, 2007
Enjoy a fun-filled round of golf at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, the site of the 2006 U.S. Open, while raising money for Autism Speaks! Don't miss a rare chance to play this championship course! You'll mingle with stars from the worlds of sports and entertainment while enjoying a million-dollar shootout, celebrity putting contest, great prizes, cocktails, dinner, and silent and live auctions during our evening reception! Last year's celebrity attendees included Dateline's Stone Phillips, the Giant's Howard Cross, CNBC news anchor Joe Kernen, and actor Aidan Quinn, among others. This will be a day of golf you won't want to miss! For more information please contact Cindy Brown at 914-935-1462 ext. 11 or cbrown@autismspeaks.org. Click here to register. Click here to view highlights from 2006.

Second Annual Autism Speaks Golf Classic at Deepdale

September 24, 2007
The Second Annual Autism Speaks Golf Classic will take place at the historic Deepdale Golf Club in Long Island, NY. This year's golf tournament will build on its inaugural year success of raising almost $700,000 to benefit children and adults with autism and will again be hosted by Matt Lauer. The tournament features foursomes, priced at $25,000, paired with a star from the sports or entertainment world for a fun filled day of golf and goodwill. The day concludes with an evening reception that includes dinner and an exciting live and silent auction. Last year's attendees witnessed sports star Mia Hamm hit a 340-yard drive. For more information, or to purchase your foursome, please contact Kevin Hill at 203-354-7564 or via email at kevin.hill@octagon.com.

April is Autism Awareness month

1 in 150 children are on the autism spectrum.

1 in 94 will be boys.

It is more common than MS, Cystic Fibrosis and Childhood Cancer combined. (Where's out Labor Day telethon?)

There is no cure.

NO cure. And there is no "proven" treatment.

I know I seldom write about the specific issues that come up with my sons on the spectrum. But this month...I will.

It's going to be a Zoofull of Boys (with Asperger's) for the next 29 days. Awareness is the key. Awareness will get people fired up top make a change.

Here's our first tidbit from the Zoo.

Tricare has decided that "Occupation therapy has no real benefit for children with Autism. It is not proven nor recommended. " How does that affect me? My 8-year-old has no more OT or ST except for the hour of speech he receives at school. Even though he is at the 38th percentile and has the capability to make progress. (He has made progress since we started.)
I am appealing...again. We've had two denials so far.
One more and they assume that I'll roll over and surrender.
They are wrong.
One more denial and I start my petition for a Congressional Hearing for my son.

Apropos that this will happen in April.