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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
[MPD-036] Public Exhibitionist
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[MPD-012] Public Exhibitionist
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Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wordless Weekend
Spring time makes walks to the park even more fun. Everything is starting to bloom here in VA!
("Wordless" Fail)
No - that's not a rotten tooth in front. It's loose. VERY loose. So loose, in fact, that it probably should have come out a few weeks ago. Have I mentioned Iraq has a hard time with transitions? Yup... even when it comes to losing a tooth!
Confucius say, "She who lay down in road get tired!"
Confucius say, "She who have regular Physical Therapy at school take big steps at park!"
Ok... maybe Confucius not say that. (But I'm sure he would have if he had the chance to meet The Skink.)
Confucius say, "She who pray to loose tooth get holy smile."
(insert groan here)
These two pictures were actually taken on Broadway's birthday (March 17th) but I figured I'd just slip them in to my weekend blog in hopes nobody will notice. As a side note, Broadway was in the newspaper on his birthday. Click here to see the article.
*Art by Danika
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Caught Somewhere Between Boy and Man
Thursday, March 17th marks Broadway's 16th birthday. Really, I can hardly believe it. I'm very proud of just how far my oldest has come.
As far as driving... we're not really sure if we're ready for that. Don't get me wrong... Broadway is a great kid! I just worry because we still have days where he forgets to take his ADHD medication. When he's on his medication, he's a smart, easy-going and popular guy.
When he's not on his medication he turns into the Tasmanian Devil - a whirling dervish unlike anything most people have ever seen. He is impulsive, temperamental, excitable and can't hold still even for a second. If he must hold still, he will drum his fingers... all his fingers... swing his legs and bounce up and down.
Now imagine that behind the wheel of a car.
And wasn't it just yesterday he was a 4 lb. 12 oz. baby coming home from the hospital wearing "Newborn" size clothing? His little legs didn't even reach the leg holes in the sleeper! (It was before the time that "Preemie" clothes were sold at WalMart.)
When did this:
turn into this?:
(No... don't worry. He can't be duplicated!)
And for all he's grown up and matured, he still has those sweet moments (don't tell him I posted this!) like the one I caught this last weekend:
Yes. That's my just-about-to-be-16-year-old-boy-man playing some sort of war game on our Wii with a real Kevlar Army helmet on his head and a happy kitty in his lap. (Perhaps the helmet is just in case he falls off the couch from distraction?)
No... When he says he wants to go get his driving permit, we won't say "no," but that doesn't mean I'm fully ready to unleash him upon the unsuspecting public in a 1,500 lb. gas-powered missile. (Although I suppose he could wear his Kevlar helmet... just in case... )
I guess that part of being a mother is knowing that no-matter how old your child is, when it comes to letting them get behind the wheel for the first time, you can't help but to see them like this:
As far as driving... we're not really sure if we're ready for that. Don't get me wrong... Broadway is a great kid! I just worry because we still have days where he forgets to take his ADHD medication. When he's on his medication, he's a smart, easy-going and popular guy.
When he's not on his medication he turns into the Tasmanian Devil - a whirling dervish unlike anything most people have ever seen. He is impulsive, temperamental, excitable and can't hold still even for a second. If he must hold still, he will drum his fingers... all his fingers... swing his legs and bounce up and down.
Now imagine that behind the wheel of a car.
And wasn't it just yesterday he was a 4 lb. 12 oz. baby coming home from the hospital wearing "Newborn" size clothing? His little legs didn't even reach the leg holes in the sleeper! (It was before the time that "Preemie" clothes were sold at WalMart.)
When did this:
turn into this?:
(No... don't worry. He can't be duplicated!)
And for all he's grown up and matured, he still has those sweet moments (don't tell him I posted this!) like the one I caught this last weekend:
Yes. That's my just-about-to-be-16-year-old-boy-man playing some sort of war game on our Wii with a real Kevlar Army helmet on his head and a happy kitty in his lap. (Perhaps the helmet is just in case he falls off the couch from distraction?)
No... When he says he wants to go get his driving permit, we won't say "no," but that doesn't mean I'm fully ready to unleash him upon the unsuspecting public in a 1,500 lb. gas-powered missile. (Although I suppose he could wear his Kevlar helmet... just in case... )
I guess that part of being a mother is knowing that no-matter how old your child is, when it comes to letting them get behind the wheel for the first time, you can't help but to see them like this:
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
St. Patrick's Day Parade
The biggest parade in our town is the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. It's rather nice since St. Patrick's day is Broadway's birthday. It's very hard for me to believe that on this St. Patrick's Day, we will celebrate Broadway's 16th birthday. I suppose this means that in order to hide my real age, I'll either have to start telling people he's my little brother or let them wonder if I was 14 when I had him.
Yesterday could not have been more beautiful. The temperature was in the upper 60's and there was not a cloud in the sky. The only negative was that Iraq has awakened in the morning with an ear ache. We initially planned on having daddy take her to the doctor while I took The Skink to the parade, but Iraq was adamant that she did NOT want to go to the doctor and that her ear was fine. After much cajoling, we managed to get some Tylenol in to her. As with many children in the autism spectrum, Iraq is very limited in the things she will swallow. Often getting her to take medication can involve both parents and duct tape a lot of patience.
We parked a block away from the parade rout and found a nice spot to watch from. The Skink had a lovely time running around in an empty parking lot prior to the start of the parade.
For some unknown reason, The Skink has an irrational fear of bagpipes. Now, I've looked it up, and there is no dedicated term for a fear of bagpipes. The closest things I can find are Ancraophobia - the fear of wind and Aulophobia - the fear of flutes. So we'll just have to come up with our own hybrid and call it Aulancraphobia. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? I should mention that there are some rather unique andhilarious unfortunate phobias out there, like Cenophobia - the fear of ideas. That particular phobia would be a horrible thing for a creative person. "Ahhhhh... I just had an idea! Make it go away! Oh no! There's another one! They're chasing me!"
You can See A List Of Phobias Here.
OK - so getting back on my train of thought before it leaves the station... I suppose a St. Patrick's Day parade might not be the best event to take a person with Aulancraphobia. The Skink panicked when this first group came by:
The panic subsided as soon as they passed. She and Iraq loved seeing the Wright Kids - the local group who made it on to the television show America's Got Talent last season.
And we all thought the Roller-Derby team was fun! No... I'm not considering joining the team. Those ladies could eat me for lunch!
Throughout the parade, I had the best view of all:
Right up until it turned into a wild, flailing creature at the sight of the next group of bagpipes! Aulancraphobia!
Then the evil Scottish torture devices were gone and the Dalmatians replaced them. Apparently the barking was way easier to take than the elongated honky-whining of the bagpipes.
The really loud motorcycles didn't phase The Skink a bit!
And then we could see Broadway's group approaching!
And then we saw Broadway! He's the second from the left in this picture:
The girls waved and yelled - behavior sure to make any almost-16-year-old blush, but like any good military man, he didn't flinch or even look at us.
The Corvette Club had their cars gleaming in the sunlight. I like Corvettes... it would just be hard to fit a family of 5 into one. Oh well... maybe when I'm older (and so are my kids).
After the parade it was time for lunch. Strangely, Iraq who hasn't taken a nap in years fell asleep on the couch after taking only a bite or two of her lunch. When she woke up later, she said her ear was still hurting.
Though we had planned on taking her to the doctor on Sunday (yes - are pediatricians have weekend hours for sick kids) I was worried we weren't going to make it through the night. I remember having ear infections as a child. I remember the horrible pain... and the idea of going to be only to be awakened by a child crying in pain at 2:00 a.m. sends shivers down my spine. (My own mild case of Odynephobia - fear of pain.)
At about 5:30 in the evening I put Iraq into the car (no - she still didn't want to go. Iatrophobia - fear of doctors and Aichmophobia - fear of needles) but told her we could get a treat afterward if she came with me. Good thing we went to the ER. Turns out poor Iraq had such a bad ear infection her ear drum ruptured. Just a small hole, but still... eeewwwww!
No - I didn't take any pictures of our hospital adventure. It may have been the first time Iraq was NOT in the mood to have pictures taken. We left with a prescription for some bubble-gum flavored medicine and a strict warning from the doctor that if Iraq refused to take her medicine, she would have to be brought back in to confront her Aichmophobia head-on.
So - I think we've had enough adventures for one weekend and today I'm staying at home with my girls while the boys enjoy an electronics expo at the Civic Center. Yay. I just hope they don't get carried away... I have Peniaphobia... the fear of being poor (following an electronics expo).
With that, I'm wishing you all a great weekend, and hopping you never develop a case of Geliophobia - the fear of laughing. Truly, that might be the most devastating of all phobias (in my humble opinion).
*
Yesterday could not have been more beautiful. The temperature was in the upper 60's and there was not a cloud in the sky. The only negative was that Iraq has awakened in the morning with an ear ache. We initially planned on having daddy take her to the doctor while I took The Skink to the parade, but Iraq was adamant that she did NOT want to go to the doctor and that her ear was fine. After much cajoling, we managed to get some Tylenol in to her. As with many children in the autism spectrum, Iraq is very limited in the things she will swallow. Often getting her to take medication can involve both parents and
We parked a block away from the parade rout and found a nice spot to watch from. The Skink had a lovely time running around in an empty parking lot prior to the start of the parade.
For some unknown reason, The Skink has an irrational fear of bagpipes. Now, I've looked it up, and there is no dedicated term for a fear of bagpipes. The closest things I can find are Ancraophobia - the fear of wind and Aulophobia - the fear of flutes. So we'll just have to come up with our own hybrid and call it Aulancraphobia. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? I should mention that there are some rather unique and
You can See A List Of Phobias Here.
OK - so getting back on my train of thought before it leaves the station... I suppose a St. Patrick's Day parade might not be the best event to take a person with Aulancraphobia. The Skink panicked when this first group came by:
The panic subsided as soon as they passed. She and Iraq loved seeing the Wright Kids - the local group who made it on to the television show America's Got Talent last season.
And we all thought the Roller-Derby team was fun! No... I'm not considering joining the team. Those ladies could eat me for lunch!
Throughout the parade, I had the best view of all:
Right up until it turned into a wild, flailing creature at the sight of the next group of bagpipes! Aulancraphobia!
Then the evil Scottish torture devices were gone and the Dalmatians replaced them. Apparently the barking was way easier to take than the elongated honky-whining of the bagpipes.
The really loud motorcycles didn't phase The Skink a bit!
And then we could see Broadway's group approaching!
And then we saw Broadway! He's the second from the left in this picture:
The girls waved and yelled - behavior sure to make any almost-16-year-old blush, but like any good military man, he didn't flinch or even look at us.
The Corvette Club had their cars gleaming in the sunlight. I like Corvettes... it would just be hard to fit a family of 5 into one. Oh well... maybe when I'm older (and so are my kids).
After the parade it was time for lunch. Strangely, Iraq who hasn't taken a nap in years fell asleep on the couch after taking only a bite or two of her lunch. When she woke up later, she said her ear was still hurting.
Though we had planned on taking her to the doctor on Sunday (yes - are pediatricians have weekend hours for sick kids) I was worried we weren't going to make it through the night. I remember having ear infections as a child. I remember the horrible pain... and the idea of going to be only to be awakened by a child crying in pain at 2:00 a.m. sends shivers down my spine. (My own mild case of Odynephobia - fear of pain.)
At about 5:30 in the evening I put Iraq into the car (no - she still didn't want to go. Iatrophobia - fear of doctors and Aichmophobia - fear of needles) but told her we could get a treat afterward if she came with me. Good thing we went to the ER. Turns out poor Iraq had such a bad ear infection her ear drum ruptured. Just a small hole, but still... eeewwwww!
No - I didn't take any pictures of our hospital adventure. It may have been the first time Iraq was NOT in the mood to have pictures taken. We left with a prescription for some bubble-gum flavored medicine and a strict warning from the doctor that if Iraq refused to take her medicine, she would have to be brought back in to confront her Aichmophobia head-on.
So - I think we've had enough adventures for one weekend and today I'm staying at home with my girls while the boys enjoy an electronics expo at the Civic Center. Yay. I just hope they don't get carried away... I have Peniaphobia... the fear of being poor (following an electronics expo).
With that, I'm wishing you all a great weekend, and hopping you never develop a case of Geliophobia - the fear of laughing. Truly, that might be the most devastating of all phobias (in my humble opinion).
Enjoy this blog? Let me know by voting on TopMommyBlogs!
Follow the link and scroll down until you find Adasperdown Town.
*
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Some of My Favorite IEP Goals for The Skink
So after getting Iraq's IEP meeting out of the way just a week or so ago, it was already time for The Skink's IEP. We got her updated IEP a few days prior to the meeting so that we could go over it and highlight any questions or concerns we had.
Both my husband and I looked over the pages and pages and pages of goals, but aside from laughing our back-sides off over some of the goals, didn't feel any changes were necessary. I did start to wonder, though, if after writing IEP after IEP, the teachers lost track of how some of the goals sounded to the outside world. These are a few of my favorite goals:
**
The Skink will increase cognitive skills through participation in activities that emphasize conceptual development, reasoning and academic skills, memory, and perceptual discrimination, achieving at least 80% accuracy on the following objectives by 3/8/2012.
Great! Not sure I caught all that, but it sounds... great...
**
The Skink will listen to a simple story presented to the group without engaging in disruptive behavior, on five different occasions by November 2011.
Without disruptive behavior? They're taking all the fun out of story time! And 5 WHOLE TIMES in the next 8 months? I'm glad they're challenging my daughter so nicely!
**
The Skink will name all the primary colors when asked, "What color is that?" with 80% accuracy by March 2012.
It's wonderful the school has faith she'll have recovered from color blindness by then!
**
The Skink will maintain her balance on cafeteria seats without falling off due to distractability each day.
Oooops! Sorry, I didn't catch that one. I seem to have fallen off my chair.
**
The Skink will carry her lunch tray with hand over hand adult assistance each day without milk on tray and without "fussing" by 10/14/2011.
Hmmm... I'm not sure I wouldn't fuss under those circumstances, too.
**
The Skink will correctly respond the the question, "Are you a boy?" and "Are you a girl?" by December 2011.
Seems kind of sexist, doesn't it? I bet they don't worry about that "goal" with kids who happen to be hermaphrodites. (Yeah - Freud would have a ball with my response - LOL)
**
The Skink will assert herself in socially acceptable ways (e.g., no screaming, asking for objects or declining objects) at least 80% of the time by March 2012.
Well... that one seems pretty straight forward. It also gives a lovely mental picture of what must be the current "norm."
**
And yes, there were at least 673 more "goals" lined out in the pages, but I just felt these particular goals possessed a little something extra! Speaking of goals...
We're reaching some goals here at home! Like WALKING up and down the stairs, with at least 80% accuracy, without being disruptive, while wearing every color in the rainbow, looking feminine and without falling off her chair due to distractability! Yay!
Remember... goals are our friends, and as with our friends, we should feel free to laugh at them as needed!
Both my husband and I looked over the pages and pages and pages of goals, but aside from laughing our back-sides off over some of the goals, didn't feel any changes were necessary. I did start to wonder, though, if after writing IEP after IEP, the teachers lost track of how some of the goals sounded to the outside world. These are a few of my favorite goals:
**
The Skink will increase cognitive skills through participation in activities that emphasize conceptual development, reasoning and academic skills, memory, and perceptual discrimination, achieving at least 80% accuracy on the following objectives by 3/8/2012.
Great! Not sure I caught all that, but it sounds... great...
**
The Skink will listen to a simple story presented to the group without engaging in disruptive behavior, on five different occasions by November 2011.
Without disruptive behavior? They're taking all the fun out of story time! And 5 WHOLE TIMES in the next 8 months? I'm glad they're challenging my daughter so nicely!
**
The Skink will name all the primary colors when asked, "What color is that?" with 80% accuracy by March 2012.
It's wonderful the school has faith she'll have recovered from color blindness by then!
**
The Skink will maintain her balance on cafeteria seats without falling off due to distractability each day.
Oooops! Sorry, I didn't catch that one. I seem to have fallen off my chair.
**
The Skink will carry her lunch tray with hand over hand adult assistance each day without milk on tray and without "fussing" by 10/14/2011.
Hmmm... I'm not sure I wouldn't fuss under those circumstances, too.
**
The Skink will correctly respond the the question, "Are you a boy?" and "Are you a girl?" by December 2011.
Seems kind of sexist, doesn't it? I bet they don't worry about that "goal" with kids who happen to be hermaphrodites. (Yeah - Freud would have a ball with my response - LOL)
**
The Skink will assert herself in socially acceptable ways (e.g., no screaming, asking for objects or declining objects) at least 80% of the time by March 2012.
Well... that one seems pretty straight forward. It also gives a lovely mental picture of what must be the current "norm."
**
And yes, there were at least 673 more "goals" lined out in the pages, but I just felt these particular goals possessed a little something extra! Speaking of goals...
We're reaching some goals here at home! Like WALKING up and down the stairs, with at least 80% accuracy, without being disruptive, while wearing every color in the rainbow, looking feminine and without falling off her chair due to distractability! Yay!
Enjoy this blog? Let me know by voting on TopMommyBlogs!
Follow the link and scroll down until you find Adasperdown Town.
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Sunday, March 6, 2011
Nap Time Fashionista
Just a hair after noon, I put The Skink in her room for a nap. When I put her in there, she was wearing a purple onsie with a pink pony on it and some blue jeans.
Throughout nap time I heard a continuing stream of activity coming from the direction of her room, but like any mother clutching to her last few scraps of sanity, I held out hope she would settle down and take a nap. I played a game of Parcheesi with Iraq and helped Broadway with a project he was working on.
Finally after I figured The Skink was simply not going to sleep, I asked Broadway to go up and release her from her incarceration. When she came down stairs, she looked like this:
Apparently at some point during the unsuccessful "nap time," The Skink climbed up on a table to reach the laundry basket that sits on top of her dresser, found her "pretty shirt" and put it on.
Once downstairs she strategically accessorized the look with a Dora the Explorer backpack filled with plastic Barbie fairies. Clearly a lot of thought went into the outfit!
All dressed up and no place to go? Not this fashionista! Nope, she proceeded to write up her shopping list...
And check it twice before directing a cheerful "Bye-bye, Mommy!" at me and trying to escape out the front door which, much to her dismay, was solidly dead-bolted to prevent escape. No matter. She simply grabbed the toy shopping cart and proceeded to load it with a stuffed duck, a talking red Elmo camera
, a knit winter hat and 3 books. I would have loved to get some photos of her on her shopping trip, but unfortunately paparazzi was NOT allowed, and she was screaming at me and covering her face in every picture I snapped .
Oh well... Luckily for me there IS someone in this house who NEVER says "no" to having photos taken!
Throughout nap time I heard a continuing stream of activity coming from the direction of her room, but like any mother clutching to her last few scraps of sanity, I held out hope she would settle down and take a nap. I played a game of Parcheesi with Iraq and helped Broadway with a project he was working on.
Finally after I figured The Skink was simply not going to sleep, I asked Broadway to go up and release her from her incarceration. When she came down stairs, she looked like this:
Apparently at some point during the unsuccessful "nap time," The Skink climbed up on a table to reach the laundry basket that sits on top of her dresser, found her "pretty shirt" and put it on.
Once downstairs she strategically accessorized the look with a Dora the Explorer backpack filled with plastic Barbie fairies. Clearly a lot of thought went into the outfit!
All dressed up and no place to go? Not this fashionista! Nope, she proceeded to write up her shopping list...
And check it twice before directing a cheerful "Bye-bye, Mommy!" at me and trying to escape out the front door which, much to her dismay, was solidly dead-bolted to prevent escape. No matter. She simply grabbed the toy shopping cart and proceeded to load it with a stuffed duck, a talking red Elmo camera
, a knit winter hat and 3 books. I would have loved to get some photos of her on her shopping trip, but unfortunately paparazzi was NOT allowed, and she was screaming at me and covering her face in every picture I snapped .Oh well... Luckily for me there IS someone in this house who NEVER says "no" to having photos taken!
Enjoy this blog? Let me know by voting on TopMommyBlogs!
Follow the link and scroll down until you find Adasperdown Town. (We're currently #15!)
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