Yesterday we took the boys to Imagine RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). Chris was worried that it would be completely over their heads, but I have friends on FaceBook who have kids the same age, and they rave about it. So we gave it a try, and I am SO pleased with how the boys did at the event.
Highlights include:
- Tristan (age 7), at the Death of a Giant Star exhibit, chats up an Astonomy student about the Jupiter moon called Io. He knew that it was a warm environment, and that its the only Moon in the solar system that has active volcanoes on it.
- Sebastian LOVED the Robotic Lego display. He was like "I can play with Legos when I'm in college too??"
- Emerson loved the Ice Cream station, made with liquid nitrogen.
- Tristan also love the Animal Exhibit. He held a gecko and petted a hedgehog.
- Tristan and Sebastian also loved the Kinect Musical Program -- the kids moved their arms to make musical compositions.
I always worry about Tristan and his ability to make friends. With Autism, it can be so difficult for kids to find a group that is accepting of the social quirks and differences.
With squinty eyes, I can almost see a college life. Being in the campus over the weekend, I remember how much different college was from high school. High school was such a pressure cooker of peer pressure and cliques. College -- you could find "your people," your group of friends that we just like you, who felt passionate about the same things you did. I can see Tristan finding his niche at college, finding his group of friends that will last a lifetime.
Now we've just got to get him there -- another 10 years to go.
And yet, I don't want him to grow up either. Stay my little boy forever, so I can protect you and keep you safe. I love you, my brave Tristan.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Money Well Spent
We try and get out of the Winter weather every March, money-dependent. And it happens almost every year, except when we have some sort of financial emergency come up throughout the year.
This year, we made it. And if we balk at the cost, I just look at these little faces and know its money well-spent.
Traveling with kids with Special Needs can be challenging. Believe me, every night on vacation, I would collapse in a heap in the couch after the kids fell asleep. I was often asleep 30 minutes after they konked out.
And we had more than our share of hiccups along the way...
Emerson got his toe caught underneath a door and ripped off skin before we had a chance to check into the hotel (the first time we had to ask for a First Aid kit). Emerson got a giant sliver shoved into a finger at the Fort Wilderness campground (the second time we had to ask for a First Aid kit) and the wonderful people at Disney were kind enough to seek medical attention for us.
This year, we made it. And if we balk at the cost, I just look at these little faces and know its money well-spent.
Traveling with kids with Special Needs can be challenging. Believe me, every night on vacation, I would collapse in a heap in the couch after the kids fell asleep. I was often asleep 30 minutes after they konked out.
And we had more than our share of hiccups along the way...
Emerson got his toe caught underneath a door and ripped off skin before we had a chance to check into the hotel (the first time we had to ask for a First Aid kit). Emerson got a giant sliver shoved into a finger at the Fort Wilderness campground (the second time we had to ask for a First Aid kit) and the wonderful people at Disney were kind enough to seek medical attention for us.
Tristan has Autism, so he had some difficulty regulating himself during the trip. For people who aren't familiar with someone with ASD, they can have a hard time with loud noises, crowds, and tight spaces. Waiting in lines can be a challenge. We did ok, but there were times we had to use everything in our arsenal of distraction and redirection to keep him from meltdown-mode.
With all of those daily hiccups, we still had a great time. I can only hope it can be repeated next year!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
End of Year Insanity
We are fully immersed in end-of-year activities!
We have picnics, field days, Cub Scout ceremonies, school open houses, and class parties. This time of year, I am so busy shuttling kids here and there, and finishing school projects (Tristan and I are currently working on a Bald Eagle diarama, featuring an awesome paper mache mountain, nest of babies eagles, and a river full of fish).
And yes, getting the summer activities set up for all three kids. Tristan has "Better Together" - a program for kids with Autism. They work on social skills, turn-taking, making friends, conversational skills -- all while on the playground. It's a great program, and its contained within our local town's summer playground kid for typical kids, so Tristan's little brother gets to go to the playground program as well.
And Emerson is signed up for half-day camp, which will be his first experience with camp. I am just really hoping he won't be completely misunderstood by his friends and camp counselors. His speech is getting so much better, BUT we still have a long way to go.
Bring on the summertime fun!
We have picnics, field days, Cub Scout ceremonies, school open houses, and class parties. This time of year, I am so busy shuttling kids here and there, and finishing school projects (Tristan and I are currently working on a Bald Eagle diarama, featuring an awesome paper mache mountain, nest of babies eagles, and a river full of fish).
And yes, getting the summer activities set up for all three kids. Tristan has "Better Together" - a program for kids with Autism. They work on social skills, turn-taking, making friends, conversational skills -- all while on the playground. It's a great program, and its contained within our local town's summer playground kid for typical kids, so Tristan's little brother gets to go to the playground program as well.
And Emerson is signed up for half-day camp, which will be his first experience with camp. I am just really hoping he won't be completely misunderstood by his friends and camp counselors. His speech is getting so much better, BUT we still have a long way to go.
Bring on the summertime fun!
Monday, February 20, 2012
February Break Day #1
O.k. today starts February Break 2012.
I'm going to rate my Sanity Levels every day this week and see how I do.
For those of you unfamiliar with us, we live in Upstate New York, which doesn't have the greatest weather in Winter. Usually, we are up to our armpits in snow. This year, we've been fortunate to have a mild winter, and I can actually see grass outside right now. But it's still 32 degrees outside, so its not like the kids are throwing on their sandals and playing outside much. Whenever I send my boys outside, I bundle them up (which takes 15 minutes) and then end up playing in the cold for approximately 7 minutes before begging to come in again for some hot chocolate.
So school breaks can be ...A CHALLENGE.
Three young boys, 7 years old and younger, two with Special Needs, cooped up in the house for a week.
Now, I'd love to take them out places every day and Do Stuff with them, but everyone in the area (and their brothers) flock to the few indoor places to play in the area, so each place is jam-packed with kids and covered in germs. And for kids with sensory issues, crowded places and lots of noise in not always welcome. I've seen my sons cover their ears and look for quiet corners to take a break in places like these.
So we avoid the popular places during breaks.
So, my sanity levels during these school breaks take a hit. We usually do well for the first three days. The kids find it novel to play together at home, playing games and making up games and forts to play in - but then we start to lose it on Day #3. There is a lot of "He's copying me," "He's touching me," "He's being mean to me," "He hurt me," and so on.
(Rating scale: 10 - Completely relaxed and with it. 1 - Need an immediate dose of chocolate or alcohol. Or both.)
So - Sanity Level, Day #1: Rating - 10. No immediate stress. Kids are watching Phineas and Ferb, having eaten breakfast. Getting dressed soon, and running a few errands with them this morning. Possible play date with friends this afternoon.
Perhaps I should do End of Day Updates as well, to check Sanity Levels then...
End of Day UPDATE: Sanity Level Day #1: 2. Day was going well until the trip to Target for new sneakers. I had one kid running the aisles, one kid being ungrateful and cranky, and one pretending that no size sneakers would fit his feet. And then I accidentally bonked him in the head with my elbow while trying to get the shoes on his feet. Lots of tears, some by me, but all was fixed with McDs Happy Meals on the way home. I was hoping Little Man would take a nap in the afternoon, but NO.
By the time Husband got home, I was close to losing it. A hot bath at the end of the day helped me recharge a little. I put my head under water and listened to myself breathe for a bit, for my Zen-;like moment....
I'm going to rate my Sanity Levels every day this week and see how I do.
For those of you unfamiliar with us, we live in Upstate New York, which doesn't have the greatest weather in Winter. Usually, we are up to our armpits in snow. This year, we've been fortunate to have a mild winter, and I can actually see grass outside right now. But it's still 32 degrees outside, so its not like the kids are throwing on their sandals and playing outside much. Whenever I send my boys outside, I bundle them up (which takes 15 minutes) and then end up playing in the cold for approximately 7 minutes before begging to come in again for some hot chocolate.
So school breaks can be ...A CHALLENGE.
Three young boys, 7 years old and younger, two with Special Needs, cooped up in the house for a week.
Now, I'd love to take them out places every day and Do Stuff with them, but everyone in the area (and their brothers) flock to the few indoor places to play in the area, so each place is jam-packed with kids and covered in germs. And for kids with sensory issues, crowded places and lots of noise in not always welcome. I've seen my sons cover their ears and look for quiet corners to take a break in places like these.
So we avoid the popular places during breaks.
So, my sanity levels during these school breaks take a hit. We usually do well for the first three days. The kids find it novel to play together at home, playing games and making up games and forts to play in - but then we start to lose it on Day #3. There is a lot of "He's copying me," "He's touching me," "He's being mean to me," "He hurt me," and so on.
(Rating scale: 10 - Completely relaxed and with it. 1 - Need an immediate dose of chocolate or alcohol. Or both.)
So - Sanity Level, Day #1: Rating - 10. No immediate stress. Kids are watching Phineas and Ferb, having eaten breakfast. Getting dressed soon, and running a few errands with them this morning. Possible play date with friends this afternoon.
Perhaps I should do End of Day Updates as well, to check Sanity Levels then...
End of Day UPDATE: Sanity Level Day #1: 2. Day was going well until the trip to Target for new sneakers. I had one kid running the aisles, one kid being ungrateful and cranky, and one pretending that no size sneakers would fit his feet. And then I accidentally bonked him in the head with my elbow while trying to get the shoes on his feet. Lots of tears, some by me, but all was fixed with McDs Happy Meals on the way home. I was hoping Little Man would take a nap in the afternoon, but NO.
By the time Husband got home, I was close to losing it. A hot bath at the end of the day helped me recharge a little. I put my head under water and listened to myself breathe for a bit, for my Zen-;like moment....
Sunday, February 19, 2012
It's All About the Money, Honey...
So our town is going through a financial crisis and there are major budget cuts being made in the schools. Gone is the Music program for elementary schools, gone is the Gifted and Talented programs, gone is some of the advance placement programs, gone are at least 37 teachers, gone are a serious list of electives, and gone are some of the programs for kids with Autism and Special Needs.
Sigh.
Ok. Here it is: I feel like our community is setting up our kids to be Medium. You can't reach for greatness, because we don't offer that. But don't have learning needs either, because we don't offer that either.
I'm in a unique position to see more than one side of the issue here.
I have one son with Autism, and his needs are significant. Currently, he's in an integrated classroom with a General Ed teacher and a Special Ed teacher, co-teaching for many hours of the day. He also shares an Aide with another student, for support, redirection, help with transitions, and with focus on his lessons. He's "on grade level" for most areas of study, but below with Math.
This plan has worked, for the most part, for this past year. We've had problems with focus and attention, with some socialization issues on the playground during recess, and with keeping him motivated to complete his class work and home work. I was hoping that, because its been working, we would say something like "Let's stay the course" at his next Annual Review.
BUT, then the budget crisis happened.
Last week, I found out that the Integrated Class program has been suspended. It's no longer available.
Now, it has always been my hope that my son would be mainstreamed into a General Ed class at some point, but no way did I think it would happen by the 3rd grade.
HE'S NOT READY. But because of budget cuts, he's "ready" whether we like it or not.
So into the General Ed class we go next year. AND it's a new school for him. AND we've heard that 3rd grade is fairly challenging, academically. AND I'm unsure if we will be able to keep his Aide for next year - his teachers have been trying to prep us for the fact that he may lose her at some point.
So 3rd Grade for a student with Autism - with no supports.
That doesn't sounds great. At all.
Now - on the other end of the "spectrum," so to speak, I have a 5-year old typical son in Kindergarten and a 4-year old son with Childhood Speech Apraxia, going to Kindergarten in two years.. Both show signs of being above-average in reading and the 5-year shows the signs for Math as well. (The 4-year old is already reading most of the things that the 5-year old brings home from school!)
I would like to see both boys challenged in these academic areas at school, but with the budget cuts taking out the Gifted and Talented programs, it won't be possible. They can only rise to grade level and not advance any further. This, again, I think is a huge mistake.
I will make no claims as to understand budgets or money or the legality of the issues that the Board of Education is facing in our school district. (I personally think I have dyscalcula, a math-form of dyslexia) I'm sure there are issues I'm not factoring in here.
BUT
I can say that these cuts are AT LEAST restricting students, and AT THE MOST setting students up for failure by not supporting them in the way they need to be supported.
How is this acceptable?
Sigh.
Ok. Here it is: I feel like our community is setting up our kids to be Medium. You can't reach for greatness, because we don't offer that. But don't have learning needs either, because we don't offer that either.
I'm in a unique position to see more than one side of the issue here.
I have one son with Autism, and his needs are significant. Currently, he's in an integrated classroom with a General Ed teacher and a Special Ed teacher, co-teaching for many hours of the day. He also shares an Aide with another student, for support, redirection, help with transitions, and with focus on his lessons. He's "on grade level" for most areas of study, but below with Math.
This plan has worked, for the most part, for this past year. We've had problems with focus and attention, with some socialization issues on the playground during recess, and with keeping him motivated to complete his class work and home work. I was hoping that, because its been working, we would say something like "Let's stay the course" at his next Annual Review.
BUT, then the budget crisis happened.
Last week, I found out that the Integrated Class program has been suspended. It's no longer available.
Now, it has always been my hope that my son would be mainstreamed into a General Ed class at some point, but no way did I think it would happen by the 3rd grade.
HE'S NOT READY. But because of budget cuts, he's "ready" whether we like it or not.
So into the General Ed class we go next year. AND it's a new school for him. AND we've heard that 3rd grade is fairly challenging, academically. AND I'm unsure if we will be able to keep his Aide for next year - his teachers have been trying to prep us for the fact that he may lose her at some point.
So 3rd Grade for a student with Autism - with no supports.
That doesn't sounds great. At all.
Now - on the other end of the "spectrum," so to speak, I have a 5-year old typical son in Kindergarten and a 4-year old son with Childhood Speech Apraxia, going to Kindergarten in two years.. Both show signs of being above-average in reading and the 5-year shows the signs for Math as well. (The 4-year old is already reading most of the things that the 5-year old brings home from school!)
I would like to see both boys challenged in these academic areas at school, but with the budget cuts taking out the Gifted and Talented programs, it won't be possible. They can only rise to grade level and not advance any further. This, again, I think is a huge mistake.
I will make no claims as to understand budgets or money or the legality of the issues that the Board of Education is facing in our school district. (I personally think I have dyscalcula, a math-form of dyslexia) I'm sure there are issues I'm not factoring in here.
BUT
I can say that these cuts are AT LEAST restricting students, and AT THE MOST setting students up for failure by not supporting them in the way they need to be supported.
How is this acceptable?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year!
Ok. I've made three resolutions this year, and I am making myself stick to them.
1) Be healthy. This means exercising and eating healthier. Stopping eating so much CRAP. I lost 30 pounds and have put 7 pounds back on in the past 4 months, just because I haven't been paying attention to myself.
SO
2) Pay attention to MY needs sometimes. My need to be healthy. My need to be sane. My need to have something for myself every once in a while.
and
3) Keep writing. It's what I was born to do. When I was 4 years old, I said I wanted to be a writer. I need to do this. And now my 7-year old son wants to be an author of scary stories. By watching me write, he will see that its possible and sometimes a necessity for some people to put their thoughts and words on paper. Or on screen.
And however his words come out, I will cherish them always, because they are his. A window into his heart and amazing mind. Autism or no, I am so proud of that boy.
1) Be healthy. This means exercising and eating healthier. Stopping eating so much CRAP. I lost 30 pounds and have put 7 pounds back on in the past 4 months, just because I haven't been paying attention to myself.
SO
2) Pay attention to MY needs sometimes. My need to be healthy. My need to be sane. My need to have something for myself every once in a while.
and
3) Keep writing. It's what I was born to do. When I was 4 years old, I said I wanted to be a writer. I need to do this. And now my 7-year old son wants to be an author of scary stories. By watching me write, he will see that its possible and sometimes a necessity for some people to put their thoughts and words on paper. Or on screen.
And however his words come out, I will cherish them always, because they are his. A window into his heart and amazing mind. Autism or no, I am so proud of that boy.
Monday, October 3, 2011
It's Been So Long!
Gah, I just realize that it's been over a month since my last post! What have we been up to? Let's see...
1) Finished up with the summer craziness. I don't know if it's just us or all families have this problem, but summer kicks my ass! With three kids and different activities, I was driving kids here and there and everywhere, making sure Em was getting to all of his therapies and prepping kids for school.
2) The last week of summer, Chris took off from work and we spent three days hanging with the kids, going to the water park, the zoo, the playground, going to school orientation days, and just playing around. And then --
3) Chris and I got away for three days BY OURSELVES! We dropped the kids off with Chris' parents and flew down to Orlando for a few days or rest and relaxation. We went out to dinners, napped in the middle of the day, and rode roller coasters like crazy kids. It was wonderful - we had a great time but I missed the kids like crazy too.
4) Kids started school two days after we got back.
a) Sebastian had a hard time transitioning to all-day school. For the first two weeks, he would come home and cry for no reason. I'd ask him why he was upset and he would say, "I DON'T KNOW!" But he seems to be getting over the inital shock and getting into the routine of things and is really enjoying it.
b) Tristan eased into 2nd grade without too much trouble. BUT -- because of his disability, he's having some trouble focusing in class and keeping on task. I'm working with the teachers to set up a reward system for staying on task during lessons, so we'll see how that goes...
c) Little Em started preschool and he LOVES it. We kept him in the same school where he went to Developmental Group, so he feels like the big kid, showing the new kids around. I was worried that because of his speech apraxia, he would be lost with all of the typical kids, but because he's so comfortable with the class, he seems to be holding his own with the other children.
5) Tristan, Sebastian and I all had our September birthdays. The boys had a great Star Wars party with Darth Vader cupcakes and they got lots of cool boy toys like Hex Bugs, lightsabers, and Legos. I had a quiet birthday - shopping with my Mom (without kids, what a treat!), lunch with Mom and Em, relaxation time during afternoon nap, dinner with the fam, and then I saw "Jane's Journey" in the evening.
OK. Time for bed, more later...
1) Finished up with the summer craziness. I don't know if it's just us or all families have this problem, but summer kicks my ass! With three kids and different activities, I was driving kids here and there and everywhere, making sure Em was getting to all of his therapies and prepping kids for school.
2) The last week of summer, Chris took off from work and we spent three days hanging with the kids, going to the water park, the zoo, the playground, going to school orientation days, and just playing around. And then --
3) Chris and I got away for three days BY OURSELVES! We dropped the kids off with Chris' parents and flew down to Orlando for a few days or rest and relaxation. We went out to dinners, napped in the middle of the day, and rode roller coasters like crazy kids. It was wonderful - we had a great time but I missed the kids like crazy too.
4) Kids started school two days after we got back.
a) Sebastian had a hard time transitioning to all-day school. For the first two weeks, he would come home and cry for no reason. I'd ask him why he was upset and he would say, "I DON'T KNOW!" But he seems to be getting over the inital shock and getting into the routine of things and is really enjoying it.
b) Tristan eased into 2nd grade without too much trouble. BUT -- because of his disability, he's having some trouble focusing in class and keeping on task. I'm working with the teachers to set up a reward system for staying on task during lessons, so we'll see how that goes...
c) Little Em started preschool and he LOVES it. We kept him in the same school where he went to Developmental Group, so he feels like the big kid, showing the new kids around. I was worried that because of his speech apraxia, he would be lost with all of the typical kids, but because he's so comfortable with the class, he seems to be holding his own with the other children.
5) Tristan, Sebastian and I all had our September birthdays. The boys had a great Star Wars party with Darth Vader cupcakes and they got lots of cool boy toys like Hex Bugs, lightsabers, and Legos. I had a quiet birthday - shopping with my Mom (without kids, what a treat!), lunch with Mom and Em, relaxation time during afternoon nap, dinner with the fam, and then I saw "Jane's Journey" in the evening.
OK. Time for bed, more later...
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