Hello, I 'm Baaaaaack!

Hi, I'm home. What's for dinner?

My goodness it has been a long time since my last post.... sorry about that. The summer was fun... and hectic. Now we have two kids in college and to celebrate I picked up a second job. It's just a few hours, and it's for an advocacy agency helping with a writing project. All this means that my time and my writing mojo were all being absorbed for a while.

It seems now that I am adjusting to my new schedule because I want to read again and I am having ideas I want to explore and express beyond my project. This makes me happy--I enjoy the project, but I like doing my own stuff too.

I hope you all are well. I have missed you!

He Did It!

It has been a hectic month--mostly fun... maybe a little bittersweet as well. Tom is set for better and for.... adventure...

Yeah, that's what we'll call it.

Gotta admit after reading this post by Bill Peace I have my fears. We did the best we could to set him up to succeed as himself. He knows himself--strengths and needs. He self-advocates and understands that there might be processes for getting things done (he has been at his IEP meetings since 5th grade.) He has the benefits of technology at his disposal and there is a disability assistance office on his campus who may have some ideas for him in a pinch, but this is the big leagues....

Overall, I am optimistic. He is, for the most part, a secure and resilient individual. He is undeterred by other people's attitudes. And he's a good guy, he looks out for others.

I'm very proud of him.

And I miss the towheaded toddler with the blue football tucked under his arm who bowed deeply after banging away on his toy piano as if our family room were Carnegie Hall...

Goofy kid--it's been a pleasure!

(I tried to upload a video for this... it says it failed yet still appears to be loading??? We shall see!)

It Doesn't Go Away... But That is OK

I talk to a bunch of parents whose kids are diagnosed with NVLD (or NLD) and because my son is 18, and because he was diagnosed when he was young (which makes us experienced), and because he is pretty successful with his accommodations in place, there are a lot of parents who see him as "cured."

Well, he's not. (And he has given me permission to tell you so.)

We went to visit a college last week. Yes, this is late, but not as late as the visit we will make this week! (The decision must be made by May 1.) We were riding in the car and started talking about the Autobahn... and, thinking I was being cute I said, "Not to be confused with Audobon..."

"Audobon?" My son asked.

"Yeah, he was an artist in the 1800s. He painted birds."

There was a really long pause...

"I... don't understand," my son said.

"You don't understand paintings of birds?"

Then he got hysterical.

Yeah. He was imagining painting ON birds.

Too funny!

He can still be a bit literal (I say this knowing that that phrase will really bug him... one of the joys of motherhood!)

And organizational skills and processing time, and handing things in, and a few other things are still a big part of the way he is. The beauty is that he knows this and has a bunch of strategies that he knows how to use to help himself.

I expect he will have some struggles related to his diagnosis at some points in his life. I also expect that he will approach them with his trademark good humor and analytical processes. I expect he will take the things he knows and apply them to the things he needs... I expect he knows how to self-advocate and will ask for help sometimes. I expect some times he will muddle for a bit. And I expect he will figure out his own way in the world...

With his disability.

This phase of life is an adventure for everyone. He does have some different issues to contend with...

And he will be fine.

Picture from here.

Love This

Oh wow! I just saw this video on this blog. And I just LOVED it. Must share!!!



So, what do you think???

Childhood Expressions

Barbara at TherExtras is hosting this Blog Carnival inspired by William the Bear who has lived in Barbara's room since her daughter moved him in there. I had to join because I have a Lambchop doll who moved into our room one afternoon who will never leave either!

Childhood expressions are some of my favorite memories of my children. When my kids were little I had one earnest friend who chided me for not immediately correcting my children and allowing their immature understandings become part of family lore. Nearly 20 years later both of our kids are finishing up high school or headed to college and no one could tell which of our kids has silly family stories in their backpack...

(One of my children, however, hated to get anything wrong so some favorite stories will not be included here...)

Here are some of my favorites:

Bowl-hat: Is it food storage or a wardrobe accessory? At our house, both. Then we would wash them in the sink with mountains of suds. Still, a sanitizing dishwasher was good to have.
Ladies and Gempimum!!: An announcement made before feats of danger and derring-do--wise mother wears sneakers at all times and starts running before the end of the word 'ladies.'
Oh Poor Jeffer: this was another announcement that required mother to run. When baby Jennifer cried my son would say those words and then throw her the toy he was sure she was craving--a truck, a bowling ball... whatever... Her life would pass before my eyes every time.
Diamond Room: Dining room (it has a chandelier.) I kept this because we were the only family on the street who had one...
Ball Room:  aka the living room... went well with the Diamond Room and the 'our home is our castle' meme--would have been even better if it wasn't because we had a ball pit (and a mini-trampoline) instead of furniture in there.
More Jesus Please: This was a signed request... hilarious because what she wanted was more Cheez-its.

And, drumroll please.... our family's all time favorite childhood expression is:

Can't Like It: This was (and often still is) my daughter's response to negative experiences... love this and use it all the time.

Too many chores, too little time and me the only one home to deal with it?

Can't like it!

Balance... Yeah, It's a Problem

It is ironic that the first post I am writing after not blogging for nearly 2 months is on balance... Because the reason I didn't write for so long was indeed the lack thereof.

Ahhh well.

What can I say? Life is hectic. There is just so much going on: school, kids meetings and activities, work, life-maintenance and more. Disability, of course, adds to this--sometimes more and sometimes less. Truth is, when things get really out-of-hand my favorite things get thrown into the back seat and buried until I finally clean some stuff out, or until I just can't stand it anymore.

This is NOT a recommended method.

Not. At. All.

This is true if you don't have any disability issues to contend with... and more true if you do!

It is far better to establish some routines for the necessary things in life like laundry, meals and sleep, to set some boundaries around the consuming things in life like projects, activities and uproar, and spice things up with enough of your faves to keep yourself from becoming a dull boy/girl...

Yes, that is definitely the best way.

But, sometimes I forget... until, like now I realize that I am spinning my wheels. I am tired and cranky and tasks I usually find reasonable feel like tremendous burdens. Yuck.

You know? No one really likes me this way. Least of all me. And EVERYTHING gets harder in these seasons...

Time for some reading, some writing and some socializing. Not much of any of them (at a time anyway), but some. In my hectic life--not once I'm no longer busy. Because they just aren't as frivolous as they seem.

My kids are nearly adults... and I am learning this again.

No matter what your daily life consists of add in something you love: bake some awesome cupcakes (and share them with me!), color your nails, write down all the birds that land in your yard... whatever! Fit in a bit of what you love--investing that time pays off in energizing you for the rest!

Remind me of this next time I fall off the earth, would ya??

Heartbroken

You may remember Baby Oliver. I am so sorry to tell you that he passed away this week.

He had heart surgery, and did ok in the surgery. His parents got at least one good report and then something went horribly wrong.

Please hold his devastated family in your thoughts and prayers.

Post # 200

OK, I just have to get this post over with. I have put so much pressure on myself that I can't post at all because my 200th post should be SPECIAL, don't-ya know?

Forget it! I can't be that special. So here is a picture taken after my son's play this weekend.

This costume kills me. All weekend long I told him he reminded me of a turtle... so I found this picture of the turtle I meant:




He looked at it and said "Duck and Cover!" just like they did in the movie.

He's seen the movie.

In Social Studies.

Yes, my childhood is now being taught in history...

This is just wrong.

(Wikipedia says this movie was produced in 1951--I was not alive then, yet I remember seeing this cartoon as a child... strange.)

A couple of other bloggers have celebrated blogglestones recently. Congrats to Terena at Gravity Check who celebrated 111 posts this week, and to Louise at Output, Comprehension and Visualization who is celebrating her 1st!

Picture from here.

Glory Day

Saturday was a quiet day at home--boring in my estimation. But when we sat down to dinner my daughter said, "Today was a Glory Day!!"

A Glory Day?? Really? "What made it a Glory Day?"

"I got to listen to my music, watch a movie, read my book, play some games, do the dishes... I like it."

Well, her positive attitude was contagious. I smile every time I think about it.

I guess it was a pretty good day after all!

Morning Musing

I have been doing some reading this morning. Are these three posts connected? Or is it just me?

Post 1: Dave at Rolling Around in My Head.

Post 2: Al Powers at Changing Aging.

Post 3: Laura Rose at Change Starts at Home.

It is a crisp fall day here--enjoy the weekend!

Astounded by Grief

Keith is in front on the right. My husband is front left. Family camp... Breakfast.



Our family friend, Keith--young, in shape, healthy--was away on a business trip and died. My heart is broken. He leaves a wife and 3 young kids and loads of friends and family who are stranded in the land of faith and pain.

Keep us in your thoughts, won't you?