Winnie the Pooh is a treasure to read to my children, but I never realized how much some of the quotes would mean to me as a mom of kids with special needs. Pooh, coincidentally, is Nicolas’ favorite toy these days. Here are a few to ponder..
“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we’re apart.. I’ll always be with you.”
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”
“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
“You can’t help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn’t spell it right; but spelling isn’t everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn’t count.”
“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
“Those who are clever, who have a Brain, never understand anything.”
Posted in: Down Syndrome, Learning Disabilities, Special Needs.
Becoming the parent of a child with special needs changes the course of your life. For me, it’s been a bend in the road, not the end of the road. I never get tired of reading and hearing about other families’ experiences. It helps me to know that there are others out there like me, with the same feelings and experiences. I know that I’m not alone.
Family Life is running a three part series about disabilities. Joe and Cindi Ferrini share their experiences and challenges as they’ve raised their son, Joey.
Posted in: Uncategorized.
Family Fun Magazine is a must have magazine for families. Over the years I have found it to be an endless source of ideas for last minute ideas for birthdays, holidays and back to school as well as craft ideas. I also enjoy the travel section (I can dream, can’t I?)
Amazon is offering an amazing deal…one year of Family Fun for $5. Don’t know how long this one will last so be sure to order yours today!
Posted in: Uncategorized.
Things sure don’t get any easier as the 40’s progress! Still, I’m happy to report that I’ve lost 10 lbs. as of this morning in two months. I’d love to say it was more but 10 lbs. lost is better than 10 lbs. gained 
I’m sure I’ve gained a few pounds of muscle with my frequent workouts. Another cause for excitement is I’ve had no back pain since I started! That’s a huge motivator to keep on moving.
We got a new Vitamix last week and I’ve been using it several times a day. I squawked about the price but I can see it actually saving money over the long run if I stop buying iced coffees and smoothies outside, make my own nut butters and tahinis and ice cream.
Posted in: Tackle It Tuesday.
Why has doing anything online become so difficult the past few weeks? (insane in the membrane…insane in the brain!) The blasted Florida heat and humidity frying my brain? Now, I have been making good on my commitment to get to the Y three times a week for spinning and weight lifting and that FEELS GOOD! It definitely doesn’t get easier in my 40’s but it is doable. Just takes longer!
And, it’s just hard having Nicolas home from school. Harder this year. Maybe because our pool isn’t running and I can’t send him outside. I take him to the Y for swimming and we are going to try to hit a few of the summer free movies. His behavior is downright tough to deal with. I finally broke down today and printed some PECS cards from Mrs. Riley. FAB site! First place online I’ve been to that makes PECS understandable and simple to implement.
At the end of the day I’ve just been DONE.
Posted in: Special Needs.
No profound thoughts here but I loved the Jackson Five as a kid and had many of the old ’45s. Their music was part of the soundtrack of my childhood. I’ll Be There, Dancing Machine, Thriller…he rocked and there was nobody who could move like him. It was sad to watch him deteriorate in his adulthood and my kids have only regarded him as an out of touch weirdo.
And Farrah, well…I idolized her. I wanted her hair! My hair has more or less been inspired by hers for most of my life. Not so fluffy now, but still layered. I watched the sad documentary about Farrah’s brave battle with cancer. She was a gutsy, courageous lady. I hope she found peace with God before she died.
There is no amount of money or technology that can buy us longer, healthier lives is there? Truly, our lives are in God’s hands. Every day is a gift.
Posted in: Uncategorized.
My last attempt at taking my younger two kids to the movies by myself was a few years ago. That’s how long it has taken for me to even consider it again! At that time my son was barely walking and my daughter couldn’t see where she was going and became disoriented in the dark theater.
Our local theater is offering free movies for kids in the mornings. After several days cooped up because of illness, I was stir crazy enough to attempt an outing. Things have gotten easier in some respects. Rebekah’s vision is better and she was able to navigate the steps by herself.
Nicolas still has a lot of trouble with the stairs. The seats really freaked him out and he had to sit in my lap the whole time. He weighs about 50 lbs. now so my leg was falling asleep about halfway through the movie! On the whole, it was a better experience.
Neither of them freaked out over noises and Nicolas managed to keep his hands to himself. It was definitely a day of small victories!
Posted in: Special Needs.
This whole fiasco lasted over two weeks. I now have a Battery Backup to safeguard against any lightning strikes. That is the longest time I’ve ever been without my computer! Just fast email checks on the family computer. I spent quite a few aggravating hours at the Mac Store on Thursday and Friday. I am going to complain in writing about the whole things - two logic board failures in six months and then dealing with their awful customer service.
Summer brain fog has set in and I’m struggling to find motivation to get blogging again!
Posted in: Blogging.
We’ve had some computer woes for over a week. First a lightning strike destroyed our router and then I lost the logic board on the “Mom” computer. It’s a little hard to get on the family computer and compose my thoughts so I’m calling it a summer break!
Posted in: Uncategorized.
Have you ever wondered how other homeschool families manage their schedules? How on earth do they do it all? “How I Homeschool” is a candid collection of essays by twelve homeschool moms that describe how and why they homeschool, their day to day routines and their ups and downs.
As I read through the pages of this e-book, I was was struck by the fact that no two homeschool families are alike. Some moms are early risers, some do not get up until 9! Some moms have to work but are able to structure their days so that they can continue to homeschool. Some have large families and some are small. Some moms are very organized, while others claim to be totally organized.
Some of the common threads I observed are that all of the families value their children’s walk with God more than any other subject and so devotions and spiritual training are a priority. Many of the families use a Charlotte Mason/eclectic/relaxed approach and shared that “school” often doesn’t look like school. The most beneficial learning happens while they are living out their lives as they are cooking, gardening, helping out around the house and following their interests.
If you’ve ever struggled with discouragement, you’ll find that you are not alone. Several of these moms freely share that though at times they struggle with discouragement, they continue to seek out God’s leading through His Word. This e-book will encourage you to continue on.
Posted in: Homeschool Reviews.
