Paul comes up with the cutest questions while he is chattering to me all day long.
This morning I was cleaning out the drawers in the kids bathroom, the ones that have hair ties, toothpaste, goo and grime all over them. I clean those drawers only when I can no longer tolerate them,not even for one more day. Paul comes and asks "Mom are you having fun"? Oh yeah you betcha I am I really dig this job and maybe I should do it every week because it is just so fun.
We were outside because I was hanging laundry on the line. Paul decides to sit in the basket, on top of the wet clothes, and he asks "why is the front door in the front and the back door in the back"? I guess I will have to ponder that one for awhile.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Pizza In Your Face
I now clearly understand that there are teachers out there who just can not figure out how to handle it when a student with special needs is in there classroom. Is this ninety-seven pound, blue eyed, Blondie who wears purple braces on both her legs and her teeth and uses a purple wheelchair really that intimidating or what? Maybe it is the mother of that kid who is scary? I tend to be pretty straight forward with things like this.
All it would take is just a few communication skills here. The class is having an end of the year pizza feast. That is great, this kid can eat pizza just as well as most teenagers. Since I had expressed concerns about these activities not being communicated to me BEFORE they occur so that the kid is prepared to participate appropriately in the past, the teacher sends a note home today. Thanks for the note that is what I wanted and it is all I need to determine whether or not the event is going to work for the kid.
So what is your problem Mom? The problem is that in the note this teacher wants to pay for the kid`s pizza because some how the five bucks is an issue and if it is covered then she can participate. Is the cost going to be covered for any of the other students who do not have a disability, no? (I know this since I have a regular kid in the same class) This five bucks IS NOT THE ISSUE at all since this kid earns allowance just like everyone else does. She can afford the pizza I just NEED TO BE INFORMED of the event. I do not need her to be singled out as being special,different, or anything else, that happens enough without even trying just because of her issues. Can you imagine what a group of teenagers would think if their teacher was buying pizza for just one of them, I do not even want to go there.
What is so complicated about this? include when appropriate, make changes when needed, and communicate. This teenager wants to be just like everyone else nothing more or less. She wants to be included to the best of her ability. That becomes a challenge at times, but it can be done.
Maybe I had better go find some pizza to calm myself down.
All it would take is just a few communication skills here. The class is having an end of the year pizza feast. That is great, this kid can eat pizza just as well as most teenagers. Since I had expressed concerns about these activities not being communicated to me BEFORE they occur so that the kid is prepared to participate appropriately in the past, the teacher sends a note home today. Thanks for the note that is what I wanted and it is all I need to determine whether or not the event is going to work for the kid.
So what is your problem Mom? The problem is that in the note this teacher wants to pay for the kid`s pizza because some how the five bucks is an issue and if it is covered then she can participate. Is the cost going to be covered for any of the other students who do not have a disability, no? (I know this since I have a regular kid in the same class) This five bucks IS NOT THE ISSUE at all since this kid earns allowance just like everyone else does. She can afford the pizza I just NEED TO BE INFORMED of the event. I do not need her to be singled out as being special,different, or anything else, that happens enough without even trying just because of her issues. Can you imagine what a group of teenagers would think if their teacher was buying pizza for just one of them, I do not even want to go there.
What is so complicated about this? include when appropriate, make changes when needed, and communicate. This teenager wants to be just like everyone else nothing more or less. She wants to be included to the best of her ability. That becomes a challenge at times, but it can be done.
Maybe I had better go find some pizza to calm myself down.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Back To Work
I had a nice weekend with Trevor and Karre. I climbed a bazillion stairs to go on a water slide with them. That was an experience that sure gave me my exercise. We also walked around the Mall of America more then once. Now I am back to the real world.
Hanna only has five days of school left because she is ssssooooooo wound up and will not be able to handle the final two days of "fun". I have scheduled appointments that need to get done so she will be with me like it or not. Three months of that is a little more then I can handle all at once so we are gong to try to break things up with the help of a PCA. I hope she does not make the lady crazy. I think she can handle Hanna going bananas since she has worked with people who have dementia and are criminally insane.
I need to meet once again this afternoon, with Paul`s IEP team to continue to sort this duel diagnosis thing out and get some accommodations in place for kindergarten. This is all pretty simple stuff if only everyone would listen.
Hanna only has five days of school left because she is ssssooooooo wound up and will not be able to handle the final two days of "fun". I have scheduled appointments that need to get done so she will be with me like it or not. Three months of that is a little more then I can handle all at once so we are gong to try to break things up with the help of a PCA. I hope she does not make the lady crazy. I think she can handle Hanna going bananas since she has worked with people who have dementia and are criminally insane.
I need to meet once again this afternoon, with Paul`s IEP team to continue to sort this duel diagnosis thing out and get some accommodations in place for kindergarten. This is all pretty simple stuff if only everyone would listen.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Update
I guess an update is probably needed here as I have been out of touch with the computer lately. It has been very busy around here and I just have not taken the time to blog. There is some unbloggible stuff going on and then there is everything else as well.
Trevor turned 21 the last day I blogged. He was busy clearing out the dorm and being a Marshall at graduation that day so there was no time for getting wasted just because it was legal. He is not that sort of guy anyway.
Rene` and Trevor are home so we have been busy going through clothes, toys, and generally cleaning everything up around here. It is nice to get these things done when the kid who stashes things away is at school and the one who could never throw away a broken car is out of the way.
Trevor is getting things together to go to Washington DC as he is doing an internship at the Department of the Interior. He had to get a security clearance, oh yeah we have been there done that with Rene` and the Navy. They have a hard time figuring out how you get siblings who are all the same age, yet they have different birthdays, explain, explain.
The end of the school year craziness is in full swing with field trips and parties. The routine is over and Hanna has gone bananas. I have to get PCA schedules in order for the summer. I also need to find things for them to do because every minute of every day has to be scheduled or there will be trouble. I also need to get the paperwork to hire a PCA who can take on some of the Hanna duties.
It is Paul`s last day of preschool and he is so excited about getting to stay home with mom. I am not sure if I agree with him on this point. He is a happy, fun to be around kid who has so much to entertain with, but sometimes this mom just needs a break from the chatter, business, and impulsiveness.
I am going on a 2 day escape from mom duty to spend time with Trevor and Karre. We are going to have a blast, swimming, shopping, eating pizza, and relaxing.
Trevor turned 21 the last day I blogged. He was busy clearing out the dorm and being a Marshall at graduation that day so there was no time for getting wasted just because it was legal. He is not that sort of guy anyway.
Rene` and Trevor are home so we have been busy going through clothes, toys, and generally cleaning everything up around here. It is nice to get these things done when the kid who stashes things away is at school and the one who could never throw away a broken car is out of the way.
Trevor is getting things together to go to Washington DC as he is doing an internship at the Department of the Interior. He had to get a security clearance, oh yeah we have been there done that with Rene` and the Navy. They have a hard time figuring out how you get siblings who are all the same age, yet they have different birthdays, explain, explain.
The end of the school year craziness is in full swing with field trips and parties. The routine is over and Hanna has gone bananas. I have to get PCA schedules in order for the summer. I also need to find things for them to do because every minute of every day has to be scheduled or there will be trouble. I also need to get the paperwork to hire a PCA who can take on some of the Hanna duties.
It is Paul`s last day of preschool and he is so excited about getting to stay home with mom. I am not sure if I agree with him on this point. He is a happy, fun to be around kid who has so much to entertain with, but sometimes this mom just needs a break from the chatter, business, and impulsiveness.
I am going on a 2 day escape from mom duty to spend time with Trevor and Karre. We are going to have a blast, swimming, shopping, eating pizza, and relaxing.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
It Is Running Over
The landfill is full, in fact it is running over because it is so full.
It is full of families who are...
to large or to small
to white or to black
to experienced or not experienced enough
have two moms or two dads or only have one mom or dad
It is full of all of these families who are willing to wade through the swamp, walk through hell, and swim upstream through all of the craziness, horror, and down right nastiness that goes along with the adoption process.
It is full of thousands of kids who are...
teenagers
have medical issues
come in sibling groups of two or ten
have ADHD, ADD, FAS, TBI, OCD,ODD, or any of the other alphabet soup that is out there
have experienced the trauma and abuse of their birth families
they are angry, hurt, feel worthless, trust no one, and have given up on those who are supposed to be out their to help and protect them
The landfill is full of families and kids who have been thrown in the garbage. These families and kids are treasures buried in a huge pile of rubbish.
The landfill in running over here. The system is broken, it needs to be thrown in this landfill and a new one needs to be built. When creating a new system consider this, families and kids are all unique, they are people who have feelings, wants and needs, they get hurt and frustrated, and both the families and the kids need on going support to deal with adoption and what it brings with it through out life because adoption is a part of the families and kids for life.
The landfill is full and it has been watered with many tears. Now the sun is out and some vegetables need to be planted.
It is full of families who are...
to large or to small
to white or to black
to experienced or not experienced enough
have two moms or two dads or only have one mom or dad
It is full of all of these families who are willing to wade through the swamp, walk through hell, and swim upstream through all of the craziness, horror, and down right nastiness that goes along with the adoption process.
It is full of thousands of kids who are...
teenagers
have medical issues
come in sibling groups of two or ten
have ADHD, ADD, FAS, TBI, OCD,ODD, or any of the other alphabet soup that is out there
have experienced the trauma and abuse of their birth families
they are angry, hurt, feel worthless, trust no one, and have given up on those who are supposed to be out their to help and protect them
The landfill is full of families and kids who have been thrown in the garbage. These families and kids are treasures buried in a huge pile of rubbish.
The landfill in running over here. The system is broken, it needs to be thrown in this landfill and a new one needs to be built. When creating a new system consider this, families and kids are all unique, they are people who have feelings, wants and needs, they get hurt and frustrated, and both the families and the kids need on going support to deal with adoption and what it brings with it through out life because adoption is a part of the families and kids for life.
The landfill is full and it has been watered with many tears. Now the sun is out and some vegetables need to be planted.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Time Out
Why is it that there has to be a day for everything, Jersey day, PJ day, hula day, and this day and that day and on and on and on?
My kid does not understand this stuff and it REALLY gets her behavior out of line. Today is Jersey day and even though she did not even know what a jersey was and she does not have one, her dad was being mean when he told her to just go put on a t-shirt and go to school. We have worked so hard at keeping things calm, structured, very concrete,and routine. It works wonders in dealing with the behavior issues. Today we have none of that. Dad has gone to work and I am left with the kid. I have an IEP meeting shortly so will have to get a PCA to come and deal with her. If the one who can sometimes work in the morning is not able to come then I will have to reschedule the meeting, AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHH!
Well it seems that the end of the school year is coming so they have to overload on field trips and special days. That leads to a lot of very awful behavior.
Hanna was upset because no one had informed me about the stupid hat day thing so she took her anger out on me when she got home. I had to ask her why she didn`t just get angry with the person she was really upset with and leave me out of this.
Hanna`s reply "If I get mad at school and throw things and scream then I have to take a time out".
Let me get this straight taking a time out at school is worse then losing all privileges as home and getting sent to bed early because you are not able to calm down . That is just about as bizarre as it gets. I would be silently cheering her on if she could actually direct her anger at the appropriate person because that would be progress in the right direction here. Take a time out girl!!
My kid does not understand this stuff and it REALLY gets her behavior out of line. Today is Jersey day and even though she did not even know what a jersey was and she does not have one, her dad was being mean when he told her to just go put on a t-shirt and go to school. We have worked so hard at keeping things calm, structured, very concrete,and routine. It works wonders in dealing with the behavior issues. Today we have none of that. Dad has gone to work and I am left with the kid. I have an IEP meeting shortly so will have to get a PCA to come and deal with her. If the one who can sometimes work in the morning is not able to come then I will have to reschedule the meeting, AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHH!
Well it seems that the end of the school year is coming so they have to overload on field trips and special days. That leads to a lot of very awful behavior.
Hanna was upset because no one had informed me about the stupid hat day thing so she took her anger out on me when she got home. I had to ask her why she didn`t just get angry with the person she was really upset with and leave me out of this.
Hanna`s reply "If I get mad at school and throw things and scream then I have to take a time out".
Let me get this straight taking a time out at school is worse then losing all privileges as home and getting sent to bed early because you are not able to calm down . That is just about as bizarre as it gets. I would be silently cheering her on if she could actually direct her anger at the appropriate person because that would be progress in the right direction here. Take a time out girl!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Hat Day
They do this crap just to make crazy moms even crazier. Hanna is telling me that it is hat day at school. Well it may be hat day, but there is nothing written in your communication notebook that tells me that you are telling the truth so guess what you are not taking a hat to school. That is the way we have to operate when we have been taken advantage of one thousand times to many.
The kid goes to school and puts on the very sad act because her mean mom will not let her participate in hat day. I get the phone call before the bell has rung with that sob story. Is the kid really upset because she does not get to wear a hat is school today? I don`t think so more then half the kids there are not wearing hats and they all seem to be fine with it. She has found one more thing to manipulate school personal with. Oh I know how mean I am. I also can say that if you were a kid we could trust then we would not be playing these little games all the time and by the way how is it that you can remember stupid stuff like it is hat day yet you can NEVER remember to put deodorant on? I just get tired of being the crazy mom who does not care about this kid, the one who never lets her do anything she wants to do. Do not try to manipulate and life would be more fun for everyone.
Hats off to the school personal who can not figure out what she is doing here. You are making my life so much fun. I can hardly wait for the next exciting adventure in crazy land.
The kid goes to school and puts on the very sad act because her mean mom will not let her participate in hat day. I get the phone call before the bell has rung with that sob story. Is the kid really upset because she does not get to wear a hat is school today? I don`t think so more then half the kids there are not wearing hats and they all seem to be fine with it. She has found one more thing to manipulate school personal with. Oh I know how mean I am. I also can say that if you were a kid we could trust then we would not be playing these little games all the time and by the way how is it that you can remember stupid stuff like it is hat day yet you can NEVER remember to put deodorant on? I just get tired of being the crazy mom who does not care about this kid, the one who never lets her do anything she wants to do. Do not try to manipulate and life would be more fun for everyone.
Hats off to the school personal who can not figure out what she is doing here. You are making my life so much fun. I can hardly wait for the next exciting adventure in crazy land.
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