The Good Old Days

Hosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click.

Just call me snap happy.

Tomorrow my daughter is off to Science Camp for four days and three nights. We parents have been encouraged to write letters to our children for them to read whilst they are away. Writing is not one of my strengths, or rather, legible writing is not one of my strengths. Hence she will be receiving the following enclose with a letter painfully scribbled by me.

Tuesday

1.





2.




3.

Wednesday

1.





2.



3.



Thursday

1.



2.



3.



Friday

1.


2.



3.






I drew them a long time ago before she was born but I think she'll recognize the characters even if we are a decade older and greyer.

Yes, I know, everyone hates skinny women but I try and play a supportive role.

Cheers Dears



This could be yours:-




So don't forget to add your name to the "original post list" and help spread the word for the giveaway, wouldn't like to miss anyone out.

Caught dead to rights

I flit around the kitchen with the phone clamped to my left ear.

Productivity is hampered without the use of my hand but the right one copes with the usual domestic tasks. After 22 minutes on ‘hold’ my patience wears thin. Supper is nearly ready.

The children continue to play Wii. We conduct a limited conversation roughly along the lines of “come see our video that we made,” v. “in a minute, I just need to finish cooking.” We repeat this exchange once every three minutes.

I sip tea from the second pot in the same time span, to whet my mouth for the silent curses of ‘hold.’ The musak on the telephone vies for my attention but the background musak from the Wii game, Swan Lake, massacred and digitally rejigged by the boys, is every bit as annoying, especially since the same musical phrase repeats approximately 6 times.

I love the Wii music game. It is one of the most effective therapy tools that we bought completely by accident. If we wanted a tool to practice eye hand co-ordination then we certainly found one. Of all the hand eye co-ordination tools that we previously purchased, none have been effective because they all lacked the magical quality of motivation. Now we have loads of motivation. I can’t put my hand on my heart and say that I have noticed any particular improvement in hand eye co-ordination but 30 minutes of daily practice over time, with this pleasant pastime, must have a positive effect..... eventually. As I sip the dredges of the 7th mug of tea my brain registers ‘full capacity.’

I peek at the boys and then slip into the bathroom. My son appears just as I sit down, as locked doors and privacy are an anathema around here, “now you are watch our video?” I look at him with the phone still on my ear, sitting and wait for him to play catch up.
"Wot?”
“Look at me dear!”
“Yeah……I am lookin.....you are not doing cooking now!”
The phone musak stops to permit a voice on the line, “hi, how may I provide you with excellent service today?”









So don't forget to add your name to the "original post list" and help spread the word for the giveaway, wouldn't like to dip anyone out.

Lookie, lookie, lookie!

Get the code:-
Cut and paste
from this little
boxy thing below

<a href="http://www.lighteningonline.com/"><img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q158/mmcewen/smiley-saturday-1.jpg" /></a>

Siblings not quite so rivalrous.

The influence of modern technology:-

Whilst the boys play 'club,' they require their sister to 'guess the password' to gain entry.

"Webkinz?"
"Nope."
"Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear?"
"Nope."
"Social worker?"
"Nope."
"Double Helix?"
"Hey! You only get three guesses. You chance expire. You get to try later. Hit reset password."

More fruitiness with our first home grown strawberry, in April!

This could be yours:-




So don't forget to add your name to the "original post list" and help spread the word for the giveaway, wouldn't like to miss anyone out.

Find your happy place

There are many occasions in life when is next to impossible to do the right thing. If you are forced to act in a manner in which you would prefer not to, then it’s a good idea to find a method of keeping your cool.

Some people are naturally calm, unflappable, no matter what life throws at them. They are people that I greatly admire but other lesser mortals, such as myself, are more easily ruffled.

Around here, a frequent occasion pops up in the form of car travel. The car has long been an aversive experience for the boys, but they have developed their own coping mechanism, namely circular little ditties and noises that help calm them. These phrases are not calming to either the driver, nor other passengers. For long journeys we have different strategies but for short trips it’s merely a case of grin and bare it. It is essential to concentrate upon the art of driving, remain unflustered and resolute.

We drive to the restaurant, a party of seven, with the boys independently perseverating in their own unique ways.
“Shut up already!” bleats my daughter, sandwiched between the pair of them.
“Don’t worry dear, we’re nearly there, just tune it out.”
“But I can’t,” she wails.
“Just take yourself to your happy place and lock the door.”
“But I don’t have a happy place.”
“Everyone has a happy place you just have to find yours, remember?”
“I can’t think about anything with all this din, it’s torture.”
“I think your current happy place would be a barrel full of darling Webkinz, up to your neck in them, all soft and fluffy……muffling the sound. You just need to imagine pulling the lid down over your head, turn the key in the lock……or are you too old for Webkinz now?”
“I can’t I just can’t.”
“Hey…….Mom!”
“Yes dear?” Ooo a chink in the chain, a brief pause.
“Dya wanna know where is being my happy place?” This, though he didn’t appear to be listening, seemed to be tuned out.
“Ooo yes please!”
“Tribe.”
“Tribe?”
“In dah jungle wiv all my Spore friends.”
“Ah. Of course.”
“Me!”
“Yes dear, where’s your happy place then?”
“Er…..my happy place is…….nest.”
“Ooo of course. How you love eggs still.”
“No……not eggs……..video games.”
“Sounds a bit uncomfortable and pokey to me!”
“Heaven mom, pure heaven!”



This could be yours:-




Don't forget to add your name to the "list" and help spread the word for the giveaway.

p.s. should you happen to have a free mo about your person, you may wish to nip on over to "Kristina" at "Change.org" where you might want to consider signing the petition to encourage President Obama to fully fund IDEA as that would help make a lot of people very happy.

p.p.s. it is, of course, a very polite letter.

Cheers dears

A circuitous route

If you had asked me a year ago, I would have been pretty categorical about quite a few things:-
He will not go outside willingly
He has a close affinity with cats and is fearful of dogs
If it’s not yellow or golden it is less preferred
He has no interest in plants or gardening
He only eats 7 to 13 food items
He is obsessed with Pokemon and electronics, and has no interest in anything else
I am always hunting for motivators

Whilst these points are more or less true, at the time they seemed quite overwhelming. It can be difficult to see the big picture when you’re concentrating on the minutiae. However perspectives alter as children grow, and all children grow even when they exist upon such a narrow and restricted diet.

All to often something unexpected clicks into gear and we shoot off in an entirely new direction.

I am mid conversation with my son in law Mr. B, as we paw over the seed box. We debate which seeds would be most suitable as a gift for his mother in Brazil, her colour preferences, the climate, custom restrictions, when my youngest son interjects himself, “I am love!”
“Yes indeed. What do you love dear?”
“Dah seeds,” he oozes with exaggerated ‘z’s.’
“Really? Which ones? The yellow Marigolds?” I guess as I waggle the seed packet before his nose.
“Noooooo,” is the breathy response. His finger tips walk through the paper packets, tentative and brave.
“Deez are the ones I am wanting.”
“Carrots? You don’t like carrots! You certainly don’t eat them!”
“I am grow carrots……pleaz?”
I step towards the door to the garden but his skips ahead and charges outdoors clutching the packet in a perfect pincher grip. Together we spend a thoroughly pleasant ten minutes in soil preparation and sowing. Yes, I said together. He is compliant at every step and there are lots of steps. Not only is he compliant, he is amiable and mysteriously motivated to perfectly complete a whole new task. But of course this is not enough for me. I just have to know.
“So……….why carrots?”
“Coz den my family will be eating dem.”
“Why do you want your family to eat carrots?”
“Den everyone will be seeing in dah dark, jus like me is doing.”
“You can see in the dark?”
“Meow.”

I do so love being proved wrong, narrow minded and overly pessimistic.




This could be yours:-




Don't forget to add your name to the "list" and help spread the word for the giveaway.

Talking of giveaways "Sue Klein" at "Model Me Kids" is also having a giveaway but the difference here is that you can enter to win for your child's "teacher!" and you know how I love teachers.

Lastly but by no means leastly, for anyone who feels that they are also miserable old skeptics like me, then go and watch this "video" on "U-tube" where Brits are at their very best.

Cheers dears

Monarchs in the Republic

If you want to be noticed at the annual Bunnies and Bonnets Parade........



Motivation? If you're 'noticed' you are more likely to win the candy being distributed by the generous parade goers.


This could be yours:-




Don't forget to add your name to the "list" and help spread the word for the giveaway.


If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power.

On another note, if you have a spare mo perhaps you may be able to help the "Fresh Air Fun," which seeks to let inner city children experience time out in the wilds as you can see at their "website" where there are other videos about this non-profit venture, but this video below is my favourite = wordless!

Shark infested waters

This week’s tackle is mammoth and unexpected as my boys have hit the Houdini stage of development. As with all special needs parents, vigilance is our watch word and when that doesn’t work we use padlocks, deadbolts and trip alarms. After that, the ammunition possibilities are a little limited.



I shall keep this brief as the children are on Spring break and I’m writing whilst they are asleep. I think my own sleep schedule is now officially canceled. I had another post entirely planned but this is more important.

I returned home today from the passport office to find both the boys in the front garden where they had climbed over the five and a half foot wall to avoid the locks on the door. Oh yes, well done boys, I am so impressed with your climbing skills, co-ordination skills, spatial awareness, teamwork, landing safely skills without splitting your respective noggins open on the concrete floor.






A wee while back “Mama Mara” suggested that I use my broken pots for mosaics, however, I have another and MUCH better idea. Jagged, shards of pottery shall henceforth be cemented to the top of every wall on the premises above a moat full of sharks. Well…….......maybe if I had a little more time. Hence meanwhile I shall be using the lovely Spring Break to teach my children compliance.






Don't forget to check out other "tacklers" as well as "Trish" and the "freebie list" at the end of last week's "tackle," giveaway either in the box or as a comment. You don't need to have a blog to enter, merely a postal address.

One time Rule

Hosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click.

Just call me snap happy.

Yes the holiday is upon us. Mayhem ensues. Entertain, play and fun are the order of the day but pretty soon that can dissolve into chaos, at least around here in any case. I am actually writing this a week ahead of time so that I am prepared for the onslaught, especially after this evening,s excitement. Excitement comes in many forms, be that a general over stimulation or the frenzy of anticipation. Whatever it is, we experienced it tonight, a collection of whirling Dervishes.

I knew matters had reached the pinnacle when I said goodnight to them. We have a little night time ritual, different for each one. I won’t bore you with the mushy details but suffice to say that once I had finished my little luvvies and stood to leave, my son asked why we hadn’t had the long version of the luvvies? As we had just finished the long version of the luvvies, I was less than impressed. My words hadn’t registered at all. Not one of them. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘whispering sweet nothings.’

It made me think, think hard. It made me think that if I am to single handedly survive 11 glorious days with my children, 24/7, I need a little more ammunition to guarantee survival, if not sanity. Hence this is what I came up with. It’s a deal. A deal between me and them. I ask once, they respond. Yes, I can hear you cackling from all the way over there. You know I am a rule obsessed goal freak, but in this particular instance I have an ulterior motive. The motive is to remind myself to first obtain the attention of the child to whom I wish to speak, before I speak. Yes I know it’s step 101 but all too often I find that I slip up on the basics and am thoroughly surprised when I’m haring around the house nagging three smallish individuals many multitudes of times. It’s exhausting, for them and for me, as well as being completely pointless. Far better to do it once, properly, for everyone’s sake.

I’m sure that many of you have already survived the Spring Break but if you have any tips, I’m all ears. Interestingly, the circle still stinks of permanent marker four hours later after I’ve tidied up. Smell-aversion should certainly grab everyone’s attention!



So here I am with my reminder. As yet I haven’t decided whether to make it into a pendant, a mask or a head band, but I’ll keep you posted.


Don't forget to add your name to the "list" to the giveaway and help spread the word.

Something sweet for the weekend

My pal at "Life with Joey" drew my attention to an interesting "video." If you have a mo, nip over to "Joey's Mum" and read "her" words before you watch it.

Do not be alarmed that your computer has broken, the sound track has been disabled which I might just have noticed if I'd cleaned my bifocals first.


Don't forget to add your name to the "list" and help spread the word. I have a terrible feeling that I'll miss the opportunity to test USPS by sending it abroad. I need more foreigners. Know any foreigners? I wonder if it's because I'm using the wrong word? Do foreigners know what a giveaway is? Foreigners! Foreigners! Calling all foreigners! It's a freebie!

Cheers dears

Down tools

Get the code:-
Cut and paste
from this little
boxy thing below

<a href="http://www.lighteningonline.com/"><img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q158/mmcewen/smiley-saturday-1.jpg" /></a>

Work paused temporarily due to bad tools.

It should be like this....

But sadly it's like this.

Yes I know, a bad workman always blames his tools

Don't forget to add your name to the "list." if you've not done so already.

Vicarious Story telling

One of the many advantages of two generations of children is that family stories are re-hashed and regurgitated. There are obstacles to be overcome with such story telling. If one generation of children grew up in England and the newer generation grow up in the States then there are a great many discrepancies between the two factions. Their experiences differ greatly.

This becomes all too apparent one night at the dinner table when rowdiness rules the roost. She turns to me and rolls her eyes over the din. She slumps back in her chair to observe her younger siblings raucous, unbridled and ever so ever so loud shenanigans. “Hey!” she bellows with large accompanying arm movements.
“Wot?”
“I want to tell you something.”
“Wot?”
“When I was little……about your age,” she adds as she glares at each one of them in turn, “I used to be loud too.” None of them says a word, either because they find it hard to imagine that their big sister was ever their age or because they are all different ages or because they cannot imagine her being loud or all three.
“One day mum went to meet her friend at a pub for lunch and I went too.”
“Pub! Pub? Wot is it being ‘a pub’?”
“A pub is where you go to drink.”
They look at her in confusion so I nudge and whisper “that probably wasn’t terribly helpful.”
“Right. A pub is where you go to eat, and drink alcohol, a bit like a restaurant or a diner.” Three pairs of eyes widen at the trigger word ‘alcohol.’
“You are drink alcohol when you was being a kid?”
“No I drank orange juice but that’s not the point. The point….” Her tale is cut short as the conversation is now stuck firmly in the mire of ‘just say no.’ They would only be slightly more shocked to hear that she drank rat poison. The din grows louder as they perseverate over the evils of drink but she reins them in to pursue her tale.
“ANYWAY!”
They pause and return their attention to their big sister. “Anyway, as I was saying……we were in the pub……eating…….and I was being very naughty.”
“Naughty?” they chorus.
“Yes…..so mum’s friend told me a secret.”
“A secret?”
“Yes…….mum’s friend told me that she used to have noisy naughty children too, just like me…….” She pauses to brilliant effect.
“So what do you think happened to her children, those noisy naughty children?” I am suddenly more than a little worried where this is going as I am the one who will have to deal with the fall out, probably for some considerable period of time, but she’s on a roll and there’s no stopping her now.
“Well……mum’s friend told me that her children were so naughty and noisy that she left them in the pub, went home and she never saw them again.”
“She losted her children?”
“Yes she did.”
“Yur kidding right?”
“Dat is way bad.”
“England" is evil!”
They scatter to the four winds before she has the chance to finish.
“Great! Did you have to tell them that?”
“They didn’t give me a chance to finish.”
“You know we’re going to "England" in less than two months?”
“So?”
“Well I was looking forward to the odd pub lunch here and there, maybe.”
“Do you think that’s going to be a problem? Just from what I said?”
“Believe you me, that little nugget of information is boring a hole into their brains to lodge there quite firmly until hell freezes over.”
“Better get some take out menus "then.”


Don't forget to add your name to the "list."

More rare than gold

Special education teachers often get a bad rap although that’s not my personal experience. There are some real gems out there, underpaid and undervalued but nonetheless still giving of their best.

Here in California when over 22,000 pink slips have been issued, I think it’s important to pay tribute to those who work in special education, the professionals we trust with the care of our children, both teachers and aides because it’s all about teamwork. Not only do they need to teach the curriculum and cater to each of the differing special needs of their charges, they also need to deal with the unexpected. I can think of no better way to illustrate the unexpected than to demonstrate the unexpected with an example.

This is of course hearsay as I wasn’t there myself at the time.

My son and his pals enjoy the addition of a new play fellow in their classroom The new chap has a lot of catching up to do because he is in a new environment. Like most ‘new kids,’ he has lots of questions that need lots of answers, ordinary questions, such as the rules. Most children want to know the rules but many children are of a very literal frame of mind, which means that the rules are taken quite literally. Hence the other children half listen to the conversation between the teacher and the new boy as they complete their worksheets.

New boy: “are pets allowed in school?”
Teacher:- “no I’m sorry to tell you that no pets are allowed in school.”
New boy: “are dogs allowed on the school grounds?”
Teacher: “no I’m afraid there’s a strict rule about allowing dogs on the premises, we have to be careful.”
New boy: “are cats allowed on the premises?”
Teacher: “sadly, cats aren’t allowed on school grounds either.” The last sentence is my son’s cue to stand up, walk to the wall to collect his backpack and head towards the exit but his teacher intervenes, “what’s up my friend?”
“Meow!”
“Oh dear. I was forgetting. Of course! You are part cat!”




Did you remember to thank your teachers and aides today?


Don't forget to add your name to the "list."

Meet Aqua

Spring has sprung and we out hunting down new pets for free.









If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power.

Don't forget to add your name to the "list."

p.s. someone with a jolly big brain pointed out to me that "Etsy" has an RSS feed, so if you’re really interested in the pi bowls you may wish to consider subscribing to that feed because I rarely write in real time which means if / when the pi bowls are ever ready they’ll be posted to the "Etsy site" way before I get around to mentioning it here.

Just another old skinky day

This blue tummied Skink is a relative of the lizard family. In our family they are more valuable than jewels and far more iridescent.





Naming ceremony to follow shortly.


If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power.

Don't forget to add your name to my GIVEAWAY.

Reasonable People can agree to differ

As some of you may already know, "April" is "Autism" "Awareness" month. Whilst this is a "controversial" "matter" I would like to help people understand that an autism diagnoses does not mean that my ‘real’ children were not stolen nor is it worse than cancer nor death. These perspectives are a great dis-service to people, "parents and children" who struggle with those real tragedies. Autistic people and those with special needs deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect that we offer everyone else on the planet.

As I am now on "Etsy," I am offering this bowl, shipped for free anywhere in the World, as my small contribution.







It's about six inches across and just over two inches high carved in forest green slip, my son's favourite.



Some people are "autistic," "adults," "young people" and "teens," some are "parents" or "single parents" of "autistic" children, there are lots of boys "as" well as "girls," our neighbours and friends. Although you may not be directly affected I am quite certain that you already know someone who is autistic, even if you don't know it. I would encourage you to add your name to the list either for yourself of someone you know. No matter where we are on the spectrum we all basically want the same thing, a better future for autistic people and those with special needs.


We may never achieve awareness but we may be able to encourage people to think differently.

Sorry it’s not a pi dish but the kiln at the studio is backed up and I cannot predict when they might be ready nor how many will come out in one piece.





There are lots of other giveaways available at "Melanie's" site called

"Bloggy Giveaways,"

that may also tempt your fancy.


Best wishes

The Walking Wounded

Hosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click.

Just call me snap happy.

Nothing broken thank goodness but with a splint on the left and a sling on the right she only has two other functioning limbs.


The boys teamed up. One issued verbal instructions and the other complied, two things we don't experience very often.



In the meantime someone fiddled with my American message:-



Although I suppose either one works:-



I wonder which one it was?

Which would you choose?

Cheers

Not Adorable

They lie on the floor of the waiting room whilst their sister has her second batch of x-rays. A middle aged woman like me, peers at a magazine through her bifocals with the cord dangling. Each of my boys has a Pokemon toy in each hand. The receptionist and her assistant exchange files behind their desk. The Pokemons chatter together quietly in their own language, assisted by my sons. An elderly gentleman rests his hands on his stick as he waits for his wife to return. It’s a long wait. Two high school girls wait for their father. A couple of youngsters saunter in with rucksacks straight from school with their Dad. They sit close by as their father completes paperwork, concentrates on filling the boxes. My boys continue to play, quietly. This is the first occasion that I have ever been able to manage them all without incident in a waiting room, but of course I’m not really managing them at all, they’re managing themselves. If they were between 3 and maybe six years old, no-one would turn a hair, but of course they’re so much bigger. I could actually do what other people do, things like read a book whilst they play, but I don’t as for once, ironically, even though I could, I’d rather watch instead.

It’s a diary moment, a milestone, just a little bit later than some other people. The familiar tune of a Nintendo DS game twinkles and sparks attention. My boys prop themselves up on their elbows to look across at the back of the open game console, in somebody else’s hands, “d’ya wanna play wiv us?” he offers in a thoroughly unprecedented socially appropriate manner. The gamer and his brother flash glimpse over the console, sneer and resume gaming. “Oh well,” he sighs as they continue to Pokemon, no meltdown, no reaction, no bitterness, a competent acceptance of a casual, commonplace rebuff. I think to myself, because I am biased, ‘go on, have a go, how can you resist, they’re so adorable!’ It’s just another one of those occasions that I never imagined we would ever experience, when I know that everything will be just fine.



Yes, I'm on "Etsy" now:-

If you require shipping to anywhere other than the United States you can contact me with your location so that I may provide you with the price of shipping for your consideration in advance.