My apologies for the spotty posting. 'Tis the beginning of a new semester, and I go back to the classroom at GCC for the first time in four years. I also return to UMW with Arts of the Buddhist World, which has had a three-year hiatus (I taught Arts of Asia two springs ago, and Arts of the Silk Road last spring). Everything has needed updating, refreshing, and digitizing. We also had return to school with the usual bumps and lumps. Oh, and I had to take my Christmas decorations down. I really haven't had much time to think, and less to write. I have to have some time, my computer, and my brain working all at the same time. that hasn't been happening much.
But never fear. It will all calm down soon. Then I'll get to write about it. Maybe.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
For the want of a fastener
Usually when Joey gets home, the Witching Hour begins. They both want to play a game, but neither want to share any of the parts or toys or pieces. It isn't good enough for each of them to have a computer, they want to be on the same computer. One things they hardly ever do is go over to the craft table and start making anything beyond maybe drawing or writing with magic markers.
With all the Christmas stuff out, I have most of the craft stuff put away, and blocked off by other stuff we usually have out, but right now needed out of the way for Christmas. So- you guessed it- today they wanted to make stuff. Andy wanted to make stick puppets (guess where the sticks are?) and Joey wanted to make a paper-plate clock. I managed the plates, but not the construction paper Joey wanted to make the hands. Then came the ultimate offense.
In order to make a paper plate clock, the hands have to be held on by a fastener thing, a little brass or steel thing that you put through the hole of loose-leaf paper, then it butterflies out like a mollybolt to hold the papers together. This lovely little device allows the hands to move while attached to the plate.
I don't own any.
The meltdown was immediate, but thankfully quicker than usual, and I got him to use his words to ask to go to the store to buy one. Into the car and off to Staples we go! Certainly the one store on earth that will have paper fasteners, right?
Wrong.
Three stores later, and we still have no paper fasteners. I have distracted him with a plastic schoolbus from the Roses(its closing, so it was a whopping fifty cents) and a playdate with Max and Charlie and Jack (which we were late for, looking for fasteners), but no clock. What am I going to do?
FRIDAY UPDATE: I found some very expensive ones at A.C.Moore. Joey got to make his clock today!
With all the Christmas stuff out, I have most of the craft stuff put away, and blocked off by other stuff we usually have out, but right now needed out of the way for Christmas. So- you guessed it- today they wanted to make stuff. Andy wanted to make stick puppets (guess where the sticks are?) and Joey wanted to make a paper-plate clock. I managed the plates, but not the construction paper Joey wanted to make the hands. Then came the ultimate offense.
In order to make a paper plate clock, the hands have to be held on by a fastener thing, a little brass or steel thing that you put through the hole of loose-leaf paper, then it butterflies out like a mollybolt to hold the papers together. This lovely little device allows the hands to move while attached to the plate.
I don't own any.
The meltdown was immediate, but thankfully quicker than usual, and I got him to use his words to ask to go to the store to buy one. Into the car and off to Staples we go! Certainly the one store on earth that will have paper fasteners, right?
Wrong.
Three stores later, and we still have no paper fasteners. I have distracted him with a plastic schoolbus from the Roses(its closing, so it was a whopping fifty cents) and a playdate with Max and Charlie and Jack (which we were late for, looking for fasteners), but no clock. What am I going to do?
FRIDAY UPDATE: I found some very expensive ones at A.C.Moore. Joey got to make his clock today!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
For Stimey
Once there was a rabbit preparing for an IEP meeting. She was busy outside her hole, digging up reports, franticly reading articles and books, and trying to find out what her baby bunny needed to be successful in school. As she was looking through all of her papers and books and websites, an administrator fox came up to the rabbit with jaws open wide.
"Haha!" said the fox, "I am going to eat you up!"
"Oh, please, Mr. Fox, don't eat me yet," the rabbit pleaded. "I just need to get through this IEP meeting so my baby bunny will get the services she needs to be successful at school."
"Oh, hoho!" the fox replied. "I won't fall for that. You'll never get the services you need, because there isn't enough money in the school to pay for them!"
"But the law says budget concerns cannot be used to turn a student down for services. Besides, these services will save the district money in the long run. Come on down into my hole, and I will show you all the calculations I have done to prove it."
The fox was incredulous, but he followed the rabbit down the hole. He was never seen again.
A few days later, the rabbit was again busily preparing for the IEP meeting. She was surrounded by letters from specialists, generalists, and therapists. She had three-ring binders stuffed with paperwork, carefully organized. She was working on a powerpoint presentation about her baby bunny's needs, strengths, and supports. As she was busily preparing, a school coyote appeared from the bushes with mouth open wide.
"Haha!" said the coyote, "I am going to eat you up!"
Oh, please, Ms. Coyote, don't eat me yet," the rabbit pleaded. "I just need to get through this IEP meeting so my baby bunny will get the services she needs to be successful at school."
"Oh, hoho!" the coyote replied, "I won't fall for that. You'll never get the services you want, because we can't hire any more personnel for the school year, and we have no one qualified to provide these services!"
"But the law says you need to provide an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment," the rabbit explained, "These services are needed for my bunny to participate in an appropriate environment. Come on down into my hole, and I will show you all the data I have collected to prove it."
The coyote was incredulous, but she followed the rabbit down the hole. She was never seen again.
The following week, the rabbit was sitting on her front porch, having a glass of wine, waiting for little bunny to come home from school. Her friend squirrel saw her and stopped to chat.
"How did the IEP meeting go?"squirrel asked politely, and prepared for the onslaught of commentary. But Rabbit smiled broadly and offered her friend a celebratory glass of wine.
"The meeting was great, We got the services little bunny needs, and she is already doing much better at school. Come down and have some wine!"
So squirrel followed the rabbit into her hole, which though not exactly tidy, was comfortable enough. To one side of the cozy living room was a pile of fox bones. To the other side was a pile of coyote bones. And in the back, stretched out in front of a cozy fire, was a large Advocate Lion.
Moral of the story: the schools may give you all sorts of crazy reasons to not provide services, even if you do all the work to prove the services are needed. What really matters is having the right advocate/lawyer on your side.
"Haha!" said the fox, "I am going to eat you up!"
"Oh, please, Mr. Fox, don't eat me yet," the rabbit pleaded. "I just need to get through this IEP meeting so my baby bunny will get the services she needs to be successful at school."
"Oh, hoho!" the fox replied. "I won't fall for that. You'll never get the services you need, because there isn't enough money in the school to pay for them!"
"But the law says budget concerns cannot be used to turn a student down for services. Besides, these services will save the district money in the long run. Come on down into my hole, and I will show you all the calculations I have done to prove it."
The fox was incredulous, but he followed the rabbit down the hole. He was never seen again.
A few days later, the rabbit was again busily preparing for the IEP meeting. She was surrounded by letters from specialists, generalists, and therapists. She had three-ring binders stuffed with paperwork, carefully organized. She was working on a powerpoint presentation about her baby bunny's needs, strengths, and supports. As she was busily preparing, a school coyote appeared from the bushes with mouth open wide.
"Haha!" said the coyote, "I am going to eat you up!"
Oh, please, Ms. Coyote, don't eat me yet," the rabbit pleaded. "I just need to get through this IEP meeting so my baby bunny will get the services she needs to be successful at school."
"Oh, hoho!" the coyote replied, "I won't fall for that. You'll never get the services you want, because we can't hire any more personnel for the school year, and we have no one qualified to provide these services!"
"But the law says you need to provide an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment," the rabbit explained, "These services are needed for my bunny to participate in an appropriate environment. Come on down into my hole, and I will show you all the data I have collected to prove it."
The coyote was incredulous, but she followed the rabbit down the hole. She was never seen again.
The following week, the rabbit was sitting on her front porch, having a glass of wine, waiting for little bunny to come home from school. Her friend squirrel saw her and stopped to chat.
"How did the IEP meeting go?"squirrel asked politely, and prepared for the onslaught of commentary. But Rabbit smiled broadly and offered her friend a celebratory glass of wine.
"The meeting was great, We got the services little bunny needs, and she is already doing much better at school. Come down and have some wine!"
So squirrel followed the rabbit into her hole, which though not exactly tidy, was comfortable enough. To one side of the cozy living room was a pile of fox bones. To the other side was a pile of coyote bones. And in the back, stretched out in front of a cozy fire, was a large Advocate Lion.
Moral of the story: the schools may give you all sorts of crazy reasons to not provide services, even if you do all the work to prove the services are needed. What really matters is having the right advocate/lawyer on your side.
Break Ends
After three rather hairy days, the boys were perfect angels yesterday. Hallelujah.
I know I tend to blog about this after every single break, but... I never wanted to be one of those moms who moan and groan about how long breaks are. I wanted to be having so much fun with my kids when they were home that I would be as disappointed about the return to school as they were. And in some ways, I am; after all, both boys love school, so they aren't disappointed about going back.
I am also not groaning about break being 16 days this year instead of 12-14 for the same reasons as others who groan. I don't really want to relinquish my children; if I thought they would like it, I would cuddle them at home every day forever. Or take them all over the place. I'm not ready to return them to school to get them away from me, because I feel I have better things to do (what could be better than boy squishing, 24/7?)
I groan because I see what it does to them to have so long away from routine, schedule, and learning.
In my short summer break, I do everything I can. I will be saving my pennies this year to take them to Wakefield, to Williamsburg, to Maymont, to Colonial Beach, to the zoo, to the Baltimore Aquarium, to the farm, anywhere and everywhere I can think of. Keep them moving, keep them engaged, keep them having fun, and everything is wonderful. Winter break is different. Being outside is harder, because it is colder, or rainy, or you are trying to get decorations up and down. Everyone else is having the same problem, so they are crammed into the same indoor activities you are trying to get into, and the boys don't do well with crowds. Trying to get them to do crafts and things at home is a bit of a challenge. Andy is better about doing things than Joey (it takes more effort for Joey to be successful, so he prefers other things at home- like his beloved and predictable computer games from Noggin and Starfall.)
Consequently, with no schedule, no routine, everything in holiday upheaval, we end up with major meltdowns, long whiny days, and general malaise that is not good for anybody. An extra three days of a break means my boys have three extra days of being unhappy and uncomfortable, three extra days of me trying to schedule and structure, and failing.
I gotta figure this out. We can't be doing this every Christmas break for the next 12 years.
I know I tend to blog about this after every single break, but... I never wanted to be one of those moms who moan and groan about how long breaks are. I wanted to be having so much fun with my kids when they were home that I would be as disappointed about the return to school as they were. And in some ways, I am; after all, both boys love school, so they aren't disappointed about going back.
I am also not groaning about break being 16 days this year instead of 12-14 for the same reasons as others who groan. I don't really want to relinquish my children; if I thought they would like it, I would cuddle them at home every day forever. Or take them all over the place. I'm not ready to return them to school to get them away from me, because I feel I have better things to do (what could be better than boy squishing, 24/7?)
I groan because I see what it does to them to have so long away from routine, schedule, and learning.
In my short summer break, I do everything I can. I will be saving my pennies this year to take them to Wakefield, to Williamsburg, to Maymont, to Colonial Beach, to the zoo, to the Baltimore Aquarium, to the farm, anywhere and everywhere I can think of. Keep them moving, keep them engaged, keep them having fun, and everything is wonderful. Winter break is different. Being outside is harder, because it is colder, or rainy, or you are trying to get decorations up and down. Everyone else is having the same problem, so they are crammed into the same indoor activities you are trying to get into, and the boys don't do well with crowds. Trying to get them to do crafts and things at home is a bit of a challenge. Andy is better about doing things than Joey (it takes more effort for Joey to be successful, so he prefers other things at home- like his beloved and predictable computer games from Noggin and Starfall.)
Consequently, with no schedule, no routine, everything in holiday upheaval, we end up with major meltdowns, long whiny days, and general malaise that is not good for anybody. An extra three days of a break means my boys have three extra days of being unhappy and uncomfortable, three extra days of me trying to schedule and structure, and failing.
I gotta figure this out. We can't be doing this every Christmas break for the next 12 years.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
With Apologies to Mrs. H
I lay next to Andy, waiting for him to sleep. If I move too soon, we must start over from scratch, so I try to stay still. From the next room wafts the whispers, squeaks, squeals, and giggles of another sleepless boy. Most of it is soundified, incomprehensible gibberish, a steady stream of motor-sound and oral stim. Occasionally I catch a few of what were once words, or the current favorite mantra, which has clung to some thread of meaning, and which Joey finds hilariously funny. Over and over, chanting and giggling, Joey tries to talk himself to sleep.
Christmas break is hard. There is almost no chance of establishing a routine, a pattern from day to day to day to let Joey get his bearings and steer through the jumble of sound, glitter, and cold. I think the lack of daylight affects him, too. We do best with bedtime in spring and fall. In summer, the days are too long; in winter, they are too short. Even the simplest of structure eludes us. Getting up in the morning, he never knows when Dad will have the day off, even if it is mid-week. People may visit the house, which is topsy-turvy and filled with unusual, glittery items that only come out for about a month, sometimes just a week. The weather doesn't help, either; this year, it was 70 degrees one day, 40 degrees the next.
At first, he retreated to his computer, a safe haven of games that always act the same, once you figure out the rules of the game. But with so much to do and see and what-have-you, often there are stretches of unscheduled hours spent in cars, other homes, other places seeing other people and doing other things, all of which are unexpected, no matter how much warning I give him- and sometimes I have little warning myself. Left to self-regulate, sound becomes key. Clicking returns. Mantras- appropriate and otherwise- roar to life with a vengeance. It's the Witching Hour, all day, every day... and this year, for sixteen days (winter break is usually 13-14 days).
I listen to the stream of whispers and giggles. At least he's happy. Or finds it funny. He did fine through Christmas day, then everything began to deteriorate. Mrs. H sent me home a happy, huggy, smiling boy, and I'm going to send her back a echolallic mess.
Christmas break is hard. There is almost no chance of establishing a routine, a pattern from day to day to day to let Joey get his bearings and steer through the jumble of sound, glitter, and cold. I think the lack of daylight affects him, too. We do best with bedtime in spring and fall. In summer, the days are too long; in winter, they are too short. Even the simplest of structure eludes us. Getting up in the morning, he never knows when Dad will have the day off, even if it is mid-week. People may visit the house, which is topsy-turvy and filled with unusual, glittery items that only come out for about a month, sometimes just a week. The weather doesn't help, either; this year, it was 70 degrees one day, 40 degrees the next.
At first, he retreated to his computer, a safe haven of games that always act the same, once you figure out the rules of the game. But with so much to do and see and what-have-you, often there are stretches of unscheduled hours spent in cars, other homes, other places seeing other people and doing other things, all of which are unexpected, no matter how much warning I give him- and sometimes I have little warning myself. Left to self-regulate, sound becomes key. Clicking returns. Mantras- appropriate and otherwise- roar to life with a vengeance. It's the Witching Hour, all day, every day... and this year, for sixteen days (winter break is usually 13-14 days).
I listen to the stream of whispers and giggles. At least he's happy. Or finds it funny. He did fine through Christmas day, then everything began to deteriorate. Mrs. H sent me home a happy, huggy, smiling boy, and I'm going to send her back a echolallic mess.
Happy 2009
Nobody else is stronger than I am
Yesterday I moved a mountain
I bet I could be your hero
I am a mighty little man.
-Steve Burns, Mighty Little Man
To all our mighty men and women, and their fabulous families: We love you. Happy New Year. Keep up the amazing work.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The funniest thing of all time.
A frequent perception of autistic kids is that they lack a sense of humor. Joey is not that way, though he has trouble with jokes; understanding them and telling them so that they're funny to others is extremely challenging for him.
So when I arrived back at the homestead after the day's work, I was greeted with, 'Does a snowman zerzer wiener? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA', accompanied by several Andy cackles.
Wha? Can he possibly have said what I thought I heard him say? Oh yes. 'Daddy, hahahaha, does a snowman, ka-ha-ha, have a WIEEEEENERR?' I lost it. Bad daddy, I know. Apparently this had been a frequent refrain today on the less-than-stressfree outing to the Christmas store in Ashland. My bad.
Oh, the hilarity. But now, I had to put this particular horse back in the barn. Because things that Joey finds funny can get said at any time, in any situation, in front of any one. I like it that he's developing a sense of humor, even if it is potty humor. It IS age-appropriate, after all. It's the lack of contextual use that is the problem. If he wants to talk like this around his peers and his brother (and me), I'm all about that. It's a vital social skill that will help him make friends and fit in when/if that's what he wants.
But what about if he says it to a girl in his class? Or his grandmother? (which of course he has done!) Or a teacher? People are hyper-sensitive about this kind of thing as it is, and he just doesn't need any more social hurdles to climb.
But no, Joey. Most snowmen definitely do not have wieners. Now we get to ask him why he thinks that is. Good times.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Foot Stimming
You can tell its a holiday around here- the boys are foot stimming a lot more. This is what I call it when they step and stand on things on purpose, or try to get a lot of input through their feet (like jumping a lot). The trampoline is rolled away for the holiday, but it may be time to pull it back out...
Andy likes the lego tub top best. He puts it in front of the TV, then rocks on the raised rim while watching his Zoboomafoo.
Joey likes jumping on things and into the shallow pool at the gym.
They've both been standing on blankie and even skiffing about with blankie under their feet. Blankie is knit, so the texture provides input. They've also been trying to bounce on the sofa a lot.
Shoes and socks seem to be either completely to be banned, or worn constantly. Usually banned.
The foot input also means Andy and Joey both have more trouble sitting without footstools to put their feet on. That little bit of elevation means you lean onto your feet more, thus more input. At lunch yesterday, there was a lot of dancing around the chairs.
My current plan is to track down some bubble wrap and put it on my floor to test my theory, If I find two little guys attracted to it like flies to honey, then I'll know we need to invest in some more. And get the trampoline back out.
Andy likes the lego tub top best. He puts it in front of the TV, then rocks on the raised rim while watching his Zoboomafoo.
Joey likes jumping on things and into the shallow pool at the gym.
They've both been standing on blankie and even skiffing about with blankie under their feet. Blankie is knit, so the texture provides input. They've also been trying to bounce on the sofa a lot.
Shoes and socks seem to be either completely to be banned, or worn constantly. Usually banned.
The foot input also means Andy and Joey both have more trouble sitting without footstools to put their feet on. That little bit of elevation means you lean onto your feet more, thus more input. At lunch yesterday, there was a lot of dancing around the chairs.
My current plan is to track down some bubble wrap and put it on my floor to test my theory, If I find two little guys attracted to it like flies to honey, then I'll know we need to invest in some more. And get the trampoline back out.
Monday, December 29, 2008
What I have learned this Christmas (so far)
1. Don't bother wrapping Joey's presents. The unwrapping process exhausts him, and the overload of excitement means it will take all day to unwrap his presents.
2. Once Joey has the toy he wants, he's done. The rest of the presents can sit there until next Christmas.
3. Boys. Trains. Life is good.
4. Andy, a ball, Joey sitting on the ball, and a pair of loppers left on the porch is not going to turn out well. (No one got hurt, but Joey was heartbroken about the ball.)
5. You can explain socially significant things to Andy using words.
6. Lightsticks make great nightlights.
7. Children really will fall asleep during a story if the story is long enough. And is about girls, and they are boys.
8. In the time it takes me to put Andy's coat on him, Joey can be out the office door, out the building, to the van, and buckling himself into his seat.
9. If you need a toy to distract a child, go for the dancing, singing turkey. Seriously.
10. Even if the tinsel is only on the tree at someone else's house, not yours, and you go to visit that someone, tinsel appears at your house.
11. Tinsel does indeed go undigested through the digestive system of a cat.
You can take a little tour of my Christmas decorations here.
2. Once Joey has the toy he wants, he's done. The rest of the presents can sit there until next Christmas.
3. Boys. Trains. Life is good.
4. Andy, a ball, Joey sitting on the ball, and a pair of loppers left on the porch is not going to turn out well. (No one got hurt, but Joey was heartbroken about the ball.)
5. You can explain socially significant things to Andy using words.
6. Lightsticks make great nightlights.
7. Children really will fall asleep during a story if the story is long enough. And is about girls, and they are boys.
8. In the time it takes me to put Andy's coat on him, Joey can be out the office door, out the building, to the van, and buckling himself into his seat.
9. If you need a toy to distract a child, go for the dancing, singing turkey. Seriously.
10. Even if the tinsel is only on the tree at someone else's house, not yours, and you go to visit that someone, tinsel appears at your house.
11. Tinsel does indeed go undigested through the digestive system of a cat.
You can take a little tour of my Christmas decorations here.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Need a notebook
Over the past couple of days, I thought of at least half a dozen things to blog about.
Now I have a minute and the computer, I can't remember any of them.
I suck.
Now I have a minute and the computer, I can't remember any of them.
I suck.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas!
We had a lovely, quiet Christmas. The boys were very happy to see those presents! Andy was ready to jump right in ad tear that paper off to get to all his treats. Don't worry, Santa brought him his dragon. 
Joey was a little more stand-offish, but he was very happy to unwrap that first present and find a large blue car- just what he wanted! Joey wears out faster, and after three packages, he retreated to the quieter kitchen to play some video games before coming out to open more gifts.
Andy was also excited to get this wonderful pirate ship! He has been playing with it, and when he got stickers in his stocking, he turned it into a dinosaur ship! 
Yarr! 'Tis a pirate ship, matey! The ship has sailed all over the first floor in search of adventure. It has been attacked by dragons, laid seize to a castle, and even sailed past the fearful Turkey of Death!
It is always fascinating to watch Andy play and make up his own stories to go with his toys.
Joey got his car, but he also got some other nice toys, like a rocket and the aforementioned castle, and lots of legos. 
I think he liked the rocket because Max likes rockets. The boys got personal DVD players from Grandma, and he's been watching himself some Max and Ruby! It was very calming for him, which is always a good thing. Joey did very well remember to take breaks and take his time. The self-regulation is coming right along!Mom and JoeyAndyDad and Grandma and Uncle Evan got some cool presents, too. Joey gave me a necklace, a ring, a potholder, and a candle holder; Andy got me a lovely winter decoration. Grandma got a salt and pepper shaker set from Joey, and tea towels from Andy. Andy got Dad a mug and a tie that plays Jingle Bells. I also got a cool iPod Nano, and JoeyAndyDad got some Apple gadget thing he wanted. It's not an iPhone, but its everything but the phone.
After the main presents,we had some lunch, then took our time to open up the stockings. They had small goodie bags in their rooms when they woke up, but stockings here are full of small toys, candy, and a clementine in the toe. The boys got harmonicas from Santa in their stockings. I have been informed that I am not permitted to complain about the cacophony.
Andy likes to perform for the singing, dancing turkeys. Perhaps he will be a musician! 
He also liked sneaking up on and pouncing on the turkeys, and preying upon them as a T-Rex. Diving at them and knocking them over so their little feet flapped helplessly in the air was also a popular passtime. Another popular toy was the shark fan Andy got from Joey's teacher, which also attacked the castle, ship, and Turkey of Death.
We also played a few rounds of the fishing games, and ate lots of chocolate. Oh, and cookies. And roast beef. And more chocolate. I need to bake more cookies next year.
One thing that Joey told us he wanted was snow. Until a couple days before Christmas, "snow" was the only consistent thing he asked for. Santa couldn't control the weather, so he brought Joey some snow in a tub- the kind you add water to. 
Andy's stocking also included a volcano and plenty of chocolate, a fishing game, and plenty of dinosaurs. 
The boys also got these tin lasers- no batteries required. Andy had a shoot-out with his Daddy. Old-fashioned toys are so cool- all the play value, none of the batteries (so they work better for longer!)Get him, Andy! Get that Dad!
Watching the guys play is one of the star attractions of Christmas Day. :)
Even Dad got something cool- this solid chocolate Santa! Yum yum yum! Who doesn't want a huge chocolate Santa for Christmas, after all? (yes, I did say "solid"!)Other hits of the day? The Ladybug game, the faux dissect-a-frog, the remote-control tarantula, and Hyperdash! I hope to get some batteries into Joey's lightning machine machine soon, and let you know what that's like.
Of course, Joey's favorites included the singing stockings- the reindeer and the puppy. As afraid as he is of regular dogs, stuffed toys are an attraction. He took the puppy to bed, singing Jingle Bells!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wordless Wednesday: Christmas is a-Comin'!
(Or, alternatively, Why are all these fat geese running around?)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Views from Joey's Camera
Coming soon: a good game of "guess what this picture is!" Joey likes all sorts of close-up textures.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Kickin' and Takin': Christmas Edition
So my mom so completely and totally rocks that she helps me pay for a person to come clean my first floor twice a month. Tomorrow is Cleaning Lady Day. I decided to take full advantage of this by getting a ready for Christmas as possible before she comes, so that once she cleans, the house will be "Christmas cleaned." This is two days sooner than I am normally ready for Christmas. I am often putting together my greens arrangements when the bayberry candle whiffs out on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning. But this year? I rock.
Tree up. Garlands up. Bannister garland up. New shelf displayed with my paper village and bottle-brush tree collection. Dining room table cleared and set with past Santa photos and a plate for Santa's cookies and a mug for Santa's milk (or Crown Royal...) Buffet cleared and set with Three Kings collection display. Mantel done. Greens arrangements done. Kitchen table cleared and Christmas tablecloth on. Kitchen (mostly) cleared. Boys' presents, husband's presents, Evan's presents, and Grandma's presents wrapped, except for the couple I just found hiding in the guest room.
Yes, folks, we are totally kickin' and takin' tonight. We'll just ignore the sore throat.
Tree up. Garlands up. Bannister garland up. New shelf displayed with my paper village and bottle-brush tree collection. Dining room table cleared and set with past Santa photos and a plate for Santa's cookies and a mug for Santa's milk (or Crown Royal...) Buffet cleared and set with Three Kings collection display. Mantel done. Greens arrangements done. Kitchen table cleared and Christmas tablecloth on. Kitchen (mostly) cleared. Boys' presents, husband's presents, Evan's presents, and Grandma's presents wrapped, except for the couple I just found hiding in the guest room.
Yes, folks, we are totally kickin' and takin' tonight. We'll just ignore the sore throat.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tis the Season
I wonder why the boys seem to be out-of-sorts.
There is a large, sparkling and blinking tree in the living room. Over every portal in the house is a garland of sparkly, glittery objects. The kitchen is trimmed with lights that have 15 different settings for how fast they blink. The familiar knick-knacks are all packed away and the surfaces crowded with unfamiliar objects in bright colors and glittery highlights. Furniture has been re-arranged. The usual TV shows have been replaced by Charlie Brown, the Grinch, and variations on a story about a greedy old guy who seems absolutely clueless about other people and life in general, until a dark spooky figure scares the crap out of him. Life seems to be moving from party to activity to party. The kitchen is also set up to be an ornament factory and bakery, and the house is filled with the smell of cinnamon, ginger, and clove, until I spray it to add the smell of orange, pine, and balsam.
Can you say "stimulation overload"?
There is a large, sparkling and blinking tree in the living room. Over every portal in the house is a garland of sparkly, glittery objects. The kitchen is trimmed with lights that have 15 different settings for how fast they blink. The familiar knick-knacks are all packed away and the surfaces crowded with unfamiliar objects in bright colors and glittery highlights. Furniture has been re-arranged. The usual TV shows have been replaced by Charlie Brown, the Grinch, and variations on a story about a greedy old guy who seems absolutely clueless about other people and life in general, until a dark spooky figure scares the crap out of him. Life seems to be moving from party to activity to party. The kitchen is also set up to be an ornament factory and bakery, and the house is filled with the smell of cinnamon, ginger, and clove, until I spray it to add the smell of orange, pine, and balsam.
Can you say "stimulation overload"?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Lost Shoes
We missed the bus this morning.
If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is to not be able to find a pair of scissors. I am so bad at losing scissors, I buy them regularly. I was at an estate sales once and bought ten pairs. When I grandfather died, one of the things I claimed was a pair of scissors. I just bought two new pairs last week.
I have no idea where any of them are.
I have unfortunately passed this talent for losing important things to my son. This morning we needed to find Joey's shoes, like every morning. This had become such a problem over the summer that we designated a spot next to our front stairs for shoes. I have a bench in the front hall, the kind with three cubbies with baskets for holding... well, toys for us. Shoes go next to it. Of course, its been moved a little so I can fit the tree table and stand (the hall opens nicely into the living room). So I head over the the bench to grab Joey's shoes... and no shoes.
Under the couch? No shoes.
Under the kitchen table? The trampoline? The dining room table? No shoes.
Bathroom, bedroom, upstairs hall? No shoes.
Joey only really has one pair of shoes. I buy him good ones form Stride Rite. The good thing is he knows his shoes, and we don't have to worry about wanting one pair or another. The bad thing is if we lose them, they have to be found.
Joey's visual scanning and other skills he needs to find objects in a jumble are not good. I-Spy books frustrate him. He quickly figured out that his shoes were missing... and that I was quickly growing frantic trying to find them. This just made it worse, of course, and we were soon in full-meltdown (level 2). Asking Joey to please find his shoes only escalates the problem; if I can't find them, why should he?
So we tried some questions. Where did you take your shoes off? Where did you put them? When we came in from bike-riding, where did you go? I got nothing but more screaming and random pointing.
And then the bus horn beeped.
With no shoes, I had to send the bus on, which sent us to level 3.
It was another ten minutes before I found the shoes. Where were they?
Jammed behind the bench. Remember I said I moved the bench? He had put his shoes where they would be if I hadn't. Only the bench was now in the way...
If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is to not be able to find a pair of scissors. I am so bad at losing scissors, I buy them regularly. I was at an estate sales once and bought ten pairs. When I grandfather died, one of the things I claimed was a pair of scissors. I just bought two new pairs last week.
I have no idea where any of them are.
I have unfortunately passed this talent for losing important things to my son. This morning we needed to find Joey's shoes, like every morning. This had become such a problem over the summer that we designated a spot next to our front stairs for shoes. I have a bench in the front hall, the kind with three cubbies with baskets for holding... well, toys for us. Shoes go next to it. Of course, its been moved a little so I can fit the tree table and stand (the hall opens nicely into the living room). So I head over the the bench to grab Joey's shoes... and no shoes.
Under the couch? No shoes.
Under the kitchen table? The trampoline? The dining room table? No shoes.
Bathroom, bedroom, upstairs hall? No shoes.
Joey only really has one pair of shoes. I buy him good ones form Stride Rite. The good thing is he knows his shoes, and we don't have to worry about wanting one pair or another. The bad thing is if we lose them, they have to be found.
Joey's visual scanning and other skills he needs to find objects in a jumble are not good. I-Spy books frustrate him. He quickly figured out that his shoes were missing... and that I was quickly growing frantic trying to find them. This just made it worse, of course, and we were soon in full-meltdown (level 2). Asking Joey to please find his shoes only escalates the problem; if I can't find them, why should he?
So we tried some questions. Where did you take your shoes off? Where did you put them? When we came in from bike-riding, where did you go? I got nothing but more screaming and random pointing.
And then the bus horn beeped.
With no shoes, I had to send the bus on, which sent us to level 3.
It was another ten minutes before I found the shoes. Where were they?
Jammed behind the bench. Remember I said I moved the bench? He had put his shoes where they would be if I hadn't. Only the bench was now in the way...
Monday, December 15, 2008
Buying in bulk
I wrapped the gifts for Joey's and Andy's educational teams. We had seventeen to wrap for Joey, and four for Andy. How do we do it?
We buy in bulk. When we see a good deal on something, we buy them. Lots of them. I had gotten used to the concept when I was young, and Perrygo Christmas drew near. My dad has a sister and two brothers, and each have multiple children. To get through, we hit all sorts of sales and outlets to get the best deal for our dollars. My mom is a pro at seeking the best deals.
This year's deals were through Williamsburg. We got real Lenox dishes to fit our budget. We ordered 25 of them. I think the folks at the shop were a little freaked out. We also stocked up on some other items on sale for future presents- after all, the boys are going to be in school for a while. The storage problem is solved by keeping everything at my mom's office. I thought about keeping a blog of where the deals are, but then you'd all buy everything out and I'd not get these awesome gifts for my people. ;)
A few years back, Ross Simons was the most awesome site to get gifts in bulk. When Overstock first opened, it was also uber-awesome. Both of these sites are now too big for their britches, kind of like "outlet malls" which are now just retail strip malls, not "outlets." When I was very little, we would drive to Reading , Pennsylvania to go to the real factory outlets, like Carter's- but I wonder if they are still there, or have the factories all gone to China?
One of the tricks is to find websites of companies you like, and look for the online outlet. Decide how much to spend per person. Then stick to that. If they don't have stuff in budget, look for another good site. Most catalogue companies have websites now. Saves you gas an frustration of shopping, too.
Now I need to turn my attention to wrapping for the family. Woo-hoo!
We buy in bulk. When we see a good deal on something, we buy them. Lots of them. I had gotten used to the concept when I was young, and Perrygo Christmas drew near. My dad has a sister and two brothers, and each have multiple children. To get through, we hit all sorts of sales and outlets to get the best deal for our dollars. My mom is a pro at seeking the best deals.
This year's deals were through Williamsburg. We got real Lenox dishes to fit our budget. We ordered 25 of them. I think the folks at the shop were a little freaked out. We also stocked up on some other items on sale for future presents- after all, the boys are going to be in school for a while. The storage problem is solved by keeping everything at my mom's office. I thought about keeping a blog of where the deals are, but then you'd all buy everything out and I'd not get these awesome gifts for my people. ;)
A few years back, Ross Simons was the most awesome site to get gifts in bulk. When Overstock first opened, it was also uber-awesome. Both of these sites are now too big for their britches, kind of like "outlet malls" which are now just retail strip malls, not "outlets." When I was very little, we would drive to Reading , Pennsylvania to go to the real factory outlets, like Carter's- but I wonder if they are still there, or have the factories all gone to China?
One of the tricks is to find websites of companies you like, and look for the online outlet. Decide how much to spend per person. Then stick to that. If they don't have stuff in budget, look for another good site. Most catalogue companies have websites now. Saves you gas an frustration of shopping, too.
Now I need to turn my attention to wrapping for the family. Woo-hoo!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Ten Years.
As I put up the ornaments and wrap the gifts, write the cards and hunt for a bayberry candle, I do think about that last telephone call. You just never know when something is going to be the last.
Here's hoping that it wasn't.
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