Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Public Education
You what it is sometimes that drives me crazy regarding people who knock public education? It's the people who automatically decide it's a bad thing, just based on their own experiences as a child. When you really think about that, it doesn't make sense.
It sort of falls in to the same category as defining what makes a good teacher. Of course there are obvious things that don't, but most of the time, if you were to define a teacher's "goodness" by the performance of their students? You'd have a tough time. Because guess what? Everyone is different. There are always going to be students who learn better by reading, others who learn better by doing, others who are very adaptable and can learn using any method, and still others who will have difficulty no matter what you do. Does this mean that because a student is failing the teacher isn't doing a good job? Maybe, but not necessarily.
Getting back to the original point, just because your experience in school may have been poor, does not automatically mean your child's will too. Personally, if I had really given a lot of thought to what my experience in school had been before sending my own children, I might not have sent them, and in the case of my children specifically? I think that would have been a big mistake.
Using Julia as an example, I do sometimes wonder if all of the extra help she is getting now and may need to continue with in the future is more of a hindrance to her than a help. It may not be a big deal now, but when she gets older, if she needs to be pulled from the classroom for whatever, will that bother her? I have no idea. But right now? By all accounts, speech therapy is not torture. It's fun. They play games, read stories and use different manipulative's (blocks, play dough etc) to initiate speech and language development. It's not like they sit there and just ask her to say specific words or ask her tons of questions to see how she responds. Same goes for PT and OT. Does this mean that all 4 year olds will love these therapies? Of course not, but it works for her.
The point? While we should take our own experiences in to consideration when making decisions, we should not allow that to be the deciding factor in whether or not we send our kids to public school. A little open mindedness can go a long way.
It sort of falls in to the same category as defining what makes a good teacher. Of course there are obvious things that don't, but most of the time, if you were to define a teacher's "goodness" by the performance of their students? You'd have a tough time. Because guess what? Everyone is different. There are always going to be students who learn better by reading, others who learn better by doing, others who are very adaptable and can learn using any method, and still others who will have difficulty no matter what you do. Does this mean that because a student is failing the teacher isn't doing a good job? Maybe, but not necessarily.
Getting back to the original point, just because your experience in school may have been poor, does not automatically mean your child's will too. Personally, if I had really given a lot of thought to what my experience in school had been before sending my own children, I might not have sent them, and in the case of my children specifically? I think that would have been a big mistake.
Using Julia as an example, I do sometimes wonder if all of the extra help she is getting now and may need to continue with in the future is more of a hindrance to her than a help. It may not be a big deal now, but when she gets older, if she needs to be pulled from the classroom for whatever, will that bother her? I have no idea. But right now? By all accounts, speech therapy is not torture. It's fun. They play games, read stories and use different manipulative's (blocks, play dough etc) to initiate speech and language development. It's not like they sit there and just ask her to say specific words or ask her tons of questions to see how she responds. Same goes for PT and OT. Does this mean that all 4 year olds will love these therapies? Of course not, but it works for her.
The point? While we should take our own experiences in to consideration when making decisions, we should not allow that to be the deciding factor in whether or not we send our kids to public school. A little open mindedness can go a long way.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Report
While we were gone, we got the detailed report from Julia's developmental pediatrician regarding her last visit. Here is what it said, in part.
On the Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills, Julia obtained a standard score of 91 on Vocabulary (mean 100 standard deviation 15). It was notable during the vocabulary testing that Julia was able to identify pictures when there was one picture present. When multiple pictures were present, she became distracted by the other pictures and would lose herself by elaborating on the first picture that came into her view, forgetting about the description that was initially presented. Julia became somewhat internally distracted by her own thoughts losing herself in her descriptions of unrelated pictures and losing her focus on the topic at hand. Julia gradually became less invested in the testing and was not compliant enough to obtain a standard score on the Numbers, Letters, and Words subtest, although by history this is a relative strength for her. Julia has continued to make developmental progress but continues to present with language/communication difficulties. Some of Julia’s communication difficulties may be related to internal distractibility together with difficulty understanding language pragmatics. Julia also appears to be overwhelmed in over stimulating environments, even in her classroom in the morning which prevents her from choosing an activity and taking action without intervention.
This is basically the conclusion we had come to in her office, and seems to be right on as far as what is going on with Julia.
On the Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills, Julia obtained a standard score of 91 on Vocabulary (mean 100 standard deviation 15). It was notable during the vocabulary testing that Julia was able to identify pictures when there was one picture present. When multiple pictures were present, she became distracted by the other pictures and would lose herself by elaborating on the first picture that came into her view, forgetting about the description that was initially presented. Julia became somewhat internally distracted by her own thoughts losing herself in her descriptions of unrelated pictures and losing her focus on the topic at hand. Julia gradually became less invested in the testing and was not compliant enough to obtain a standard score on the Numbers, Letters, and Words subtest, although by history this is a relative strength for her. Julia has continued to make developmental progress but continues to present with language/communication difficulties. Some of Julia’s communication difficulties may be related to internal distractibility together with difficulty understanding language pragmatics. Julia also appears to be overwhelmed in over stimulating environments, even in her classroom in the morning which prevents her from choosing an activity and taking action without intervention.
This is basically the conclusion we had come to in her office, and seems to be right on as far as what is going on with Julia.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Places We Plan To Visit While In NH
Just in case you were wondering!
...Santa's Village.
...The Flume Gorge.
...Clark's Trading Post.
...Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway.
...Whale's Tale Water Park.
...The Basin.
...Boise Rock.
...Santa's Village.
...The Flume Gorge.
...Clark's Trading Post.
...Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway.
...Whale's Tale Water Park.
...The Basin.
...Boise Rock.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Dual
One of the most exciting things about getting our van last year (besides the obvious having a car and all of that) was that it came with a DVD player. It was going to be perfect for long trips with the kids, and maybe, just maybe there would be no fighting in the back seats! The only thing it didn't come with was the wireless headsets that were needed so the audio wouldn't take over the whole stereo system and the only people that could here it were the people who could actually see it. We invested the $120 ($60 er set and we only got two, thinking that Julia wouldn't bother to keep them on her head and it would have been a waste to get the 3rd set) only to bring them home and have them not work. The only thing Ryun could come up with (after trying many different things) that something was wrong with the wireless transmitter thing that would have made it work. We returned the sets, got our money back and just listened to the audio of whatever movie was playing all the way up to NH, on whatever excursions we went on while there, and all the way back to MA. Ryun didn't really mind me? I listen to music while in the car and it was sort of annoying to hear the audio but be able to see the picture (even if one of the movies was Cars, one of the best Disney/Pixar movies ever).
Anyway, Ryun and I were talking last week, as we were preparing to go to NH again, and decided to look into getting a portable, dual screen DVD for the car. We weren't looking to spend a fortune, and in fact didn't want to spend much more than we had spent on the headsets. Our research showed us that the prices ran the gamut...from really inexpensive to "we would never spend that much money in a million years). We went with a Polaroid brand for $150. It came with everything needed to use and mount it on the seats of the car. All we needed were headsets for them to plug in to the units, which we have in abundance around here.
The kids are thrilled and for that matter so am I.
Anyway, Ryun and I were talking last week, as we were preparing to go to NH again, and decided to look into getting a portable, dual screen DVD for the car. We weren't looking to spend a fortune, and in fact didn't want to spend much more than we had spent on the headsets. Our research showed us that the prices ran the gamut...from really inexpensive to "we would never spend that much money in a million years). We went with a Polaroid brand for $150. It came with everything needed to use and mount it on the seats of the car. All we needed were headsets for them to plug in to the units, which we have in abundance around here.
The kids are thrilled and for that matter so am I.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Julia's Appointment
Last week, Julia had an appointment with her developmental pediatrician. As usual, I was very impressed with the doctor. She has a way of not making you feel like you are a complete idiot. It's a good thing.
Anyway, the doctor gave Julia the same test she gave her last year. Basically it's a book full of pictures. It starts off with simply asking Julia what a single picture is. It goes from there to a multiple picture page and she asks Julia to find something specific ("Where is the red fire engine?"). It progresses further to asking Julia to show her the "girl that is crying" or "the people who are sharing." It goes even further to a blank page, in which the doctor asks Julia to come up with something without a visual aid, only verbal. An example would be, "Tell me what is black and white, lives on a farm and makes milk?" Anyway, as is the case at school, it is quite clear that Julia does not understand what is being asked of her sometimes, and is also prone to being distracted by her own internal workings. She either loses focus (but not in an obvious way, like looking around the room or whatever) or becomes slightly fixated on whatever she might have been talking about before.
It was noticeable enough that the doctor actually called it a "receptive language disorder," which means that while her speech and expressive language are clear and age appropriate, she does not understand what is being said to or asked of her all of the time. When I told the doctor about some of the social concerns I had for Julia, she told me that I would be surprised how much a language disorder can overlap in to many areas of one's life. She said that Julia could be intuitively smart enough to not place herself in social situations of age appropriate nature simply because she recognizes that she has some difficulties around social language skills and knows that it may not be a comfortable situation for her. She recommended presenting Julia with smaller social settings (like going out for ice cream with just one other friend or whatever) so that she can "practice" these skills. She also noted that Julia did a good job of "hiding" the language issues because most kids with these types of concerns are no where near as chatty as Julia is.
Anyway, I am looking forward to getting the detailed report that she always sends to Julia's regular pediatrician and us, in which she details her findings, impressions and recommendations.
Anyway, the doctor gave Julia the same test she gave her last year. Basically it's a book full of pictures. It starts off with simply asking Julia what a single picture is. It goes from there to a multiple picture page and she asks Julia to find something specific ("Where is the red fire engine?"). It progresses further to asking Julia to show her the "girl that is crying" or "the people who are sharing." It goes even further to a blank page, in which the doctor asks Julia to come up with something without a visual aid, only verbal. An example would be, "Tell me what is black and white, lives on a farm and makes milk?" Anyway, as is the case at school, it is quite clear that Julia does not understand what is being asked of her sometimes, and is also prone to being distracted by her own internal workings. She either loses focus (but not in an obvious way, like looking around the room or whatever) or becomes slightly fixated on whatever she might have been talking about before.
It was noticeable enough that the doctor actually called it a "receptive language disorder," which means that while her speech and expressive language are clear and age appropriate, she does not understand what is being said to or asked of her all of the time. When I told the doctor about some of the social concerns I had for Julia, she told me that I would be surprised how much a language disorder can overlap in to many areas of one's life. She said that Julia could be intuitively smart enough to not place herself in social situations of age appropriate nature simply because she recognizes that she has some difficulties around social language skills and knows that it may not be a comfortable situation for her. She recommended presenting Julia with smaller social settings (like going out for ice cream with just one other friend or whatever) so that she can "practice" these skills. She also noted that Julia did a good job of "hiding" the language issues because most kids with these types of concerns are no where near as chatty as Julia is.
Anyway, I am looking forward to getting the detailed report that she always sends to Julia's regular pediatrician and us, in which she details her findings, impressions and recommendations.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Happy Birthday...
...to Miss. Julia May, who will officially be four at 9:22 this evening.
Four. Crazy. I suppose this would be a good time to share the "when I am four" story. You see that's her answer for everything that she doesn't want to do.
"Julia, would you like to try going down the slide in the pool?"
"No, I will do that when I am four."
So from today forward? Julia is going to...
...go down the slide.
...jump off of the diving board.
...sleep in her own room by herself (oh please God, make this one come true)
...say hi to all those people she said she would acknowledge when she turned four.
...sing every preschool song she has learned.
...ride the school bus to school.
...and about a million other things that I am not remembering!
Anyway, Happy Birthday Julia!
Four. Crazy. I suppose this would be a good time to share the "when I am four" story. You see that's her answer for everything that she doesn't want to do.
"Julia, would you like to try going down the slide in the pool?"
"No, I will do that when I am four."
So from today forward? Julia is going to...
...go down the slide.
...jump off of the diving board.
...sleep in her own room by herself (oh please God, make this one come true)
...say hi to all those people she said she would acknowledge when she turned four.
...sing every preschool song she has learned.
...ride the school bus to school.
...and about a million other things that I am not remembering!
Anyway, Happy Birthday Julia!
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Evil Gas Station
About a week ago or so, I stopped with the kids to fill the tank in the van. I said to them as we were pulling in, "Don't be alarmed if Mom starts crying when we're done here." Heh.
So a few days later we drove my that gas station, and Katherine said, "Hey Mom, look it's the evil gas station. I can't believe they made you pay $72 for gas."
Emily said, " Yeah really, that's criminal."
I couldn't agree more.
So a few days later we drove my that gas station, and Katherine said, "Hey Mom, look it's the evil gas station. I can't believe they made you pay $72 for gas."
Emily said, " Yeah really, that's criminal."
I couldn't agree more.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Fabulous Finds With Ryun
Sounds like a good name for a tv show doesn't it?
Ryun has been working at an apartment building that is being completely remodeled, despite it having been done just a couple of years ago. The building is vacant while the work is being done and, in some cases, it looks like the occupants just up and left without packing.
So far? Ryun has brought home a practically brand new microwave (ours was on the fritz), a tv stand that looks never used for my office, an entertainment center for the living room, a new shower head, a new shower hanger thing to put soap on etc, and a paper towel holder.
I was very happy to get the tv stand because now, since only one of the three shelves is being used, I have more storage. More storage is never a bad thing. The entertainment center is a little bigger than I would normally like, but it's nice and has a few cool features that will make it worth it (sliding doors, a sliding and pivoting shelf for the tv to sit on it and lots of room for the game systems etc).
Ryun has been working at an apartment building that is being completely remodeled, despite it having been done just a couple of years ago. The building is vacant while the work is being done and, in some cases, it looks like the occupants just up and left without packing.
So far? Ryun has brought home a practically brand new microwave (ours was on the fritz), a tv stand that looks never used for my office, an entertainment center for the living room, a new shower head, a new shower hanger thing to put soap on etc, and a paper towel holder.
I was very happy to get the tv stand because now, since only one of the three shelves is being used, I have more storage. More storage is never a bad thing. The entertainment center is a little bigger than I would normally like, but it's nice and has a few cool features that will make it worth it (sliding doors, a sliding and pivoting shelf for the tv to sit on it and lots of room for the game systems etc).
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Gone
We are leaving tomorrow bright and early (well, not actually leaving til 10 or so but up and loading the car early). I have managed to write 6 of 7 or 8 posts that I wanted to. Not bad. They will appear here beginning tomorrow and concluding on Friday. I will return on Sunday with an update, and no doubt pictures to share.
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
Today
...Packing, packing and more packing.
...Swimming for the afternoon with the girls and my sister heather at the pool.
...dinner with Julia and Ryun (Heather is keeping E and K overnight and taking them to get manicures...how cute).
...last minute shopping for our camping trip (bike rack, toiletries etc) at target.
...back home for more packing and sleep.
...Swimming for the afternoon with the girls and my sister heather at the pool.
...dinner with Julia and Ryun (Heather is keeping E and K overnight and taking them to get manicures...how cute).
...last minute shopping for our camping trip (bike rack, toiletries etc) at target.
...back home for more packing and sleep.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Busy
The next couple of days will involve major packing(we are leaving for our camping trip to NH on Sunday), swimming at my parents, and general house cleaning. I am happy to say, that despite my total lack of motivation this past week, I have actually managed to start the packing process, and, I have written three scheduled posts which will show up here on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of next week, around 12:30pm. I have a few more posts in my head that I just need to find the time to compose, so if time allows, I may have some more scheduled for the rest of the week. Some topics I want to post about include Julia's appointment with the developmental pediatrician and what the doctor has officially diagnosed her with, Some concerns I have regarding Emily, a few education-related posts that will end up over at the education blog, and probably a few other things that are escaping my memory right now.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Where In The (online) World Is Sharon?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Test
This is to test the "scheduled posts" feature recently introduced by Blogger.
*Update* And it works! YAY I am going to try and write a post for each day of next week that we will be gone, which is quite ambitious for someone who has not been doing a lot of blogging lately. We'll see what happens!
*Update* And it works! YAY I am going to try and write a post for each day of next week that we will be gone, which is quite ambitious for someone who has not been doing a lot of blogging lately. We'll see what happens!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Middleboro School News
Of note to local readers...
The Middleboro School Committee is looking at saving energy costs. YAY! More money for the kids and green living...works for me!
And, perhaps even more exciting than that...
The School Committee has decided against pursuing the extended learning time initiative.
The Middleboro School Committee is looking at saving energy costs. YAY! More money for the kids and green living...works for me!
And, perhaps even more exciting than that...
The School Committee has decided against pursuing the extended learning time initiative.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Julia and Sleep
A History:
Of the three kids, Julia has always been the "worst" sleeper. In regard to many of the horror stories I hear regarding kids and sleep, by comparison, she isn't that bad. As an infant she slept "appropriately (waking and sleeping at normal intervals for her age, would go to bed in her crib awake, without crying and manage to fall asleep etc)." At about a year and a half to two years or so she went through this thing where she was waking at night, screaming and inconsolable until she finally worked herself in to such a frenzy that she would just drop. That lasted until about 2 and a half or so I think. At about 3 and a few months, she suddenly refused to go to bed in her own room. She ended up falling asleep on the couch and one of us would bring her up to her bed (which she was now in as opposed to a crib) where she would spend an uneventful night and sleep right through. It wasn't an ideal situation but it worked. Also during this time we started the nighttime potty training. She caught on immediately and had barely any accidents, maybe two or three if that. About two or three months ago, she started waking up at night, sometime between 12-2, screaming in sheer terror and was only consoled by being brought downstairs to spend the night with us, in our bed. This meant that both she and I (mostly me) would get a crappy night's sleep (Ryun sleeps like the dead). This (not only the poor night's sleep but also the going upstairs to get her every single night without fail) has been so wearing that we have recently (last week) succumbed and have started letting her sleep in our room from the start of the night, only on the rug with a bunch of pillows and blankets for a bed, as opposed to in our bed. She has been sleeping soundly through the night since we started this so at least that's good but now? She's started wetting the bed , maybe 3-4 nights.
It's obvious she has some sort of night time sleeping insecurity thing going on between the waking up every night, refusing to sleep in her own room, and now the bed wetting. I have no idea what to make of all this really.
Thoughts? Anyone? I am open to any and all suggestions, as long as they don't ridicule me for letting her sleep with us, not that I think any one here would do that.
Of the three kids, Julia has always been the "worst" sleeper. In regard to many of the horror stories I hear regarding kids and sleep, by comparison, she isn't that bad. As an infant she slept "appropriately (waking and sleeping at normal intervals for her age, would go to bed in her crib awake, without crying and manage to fall asleep etc)." At about a year and a half to two years or so she went through this thing where she was waking at night, screaming and inconsolable until she finally worked herself in to such a frenzy that she would just drop. That lasted until about 2 and a half or so I think. At about 3 and a few months, she suddenly refused to go to bed in her own room. She ended up falling asleep on the couch and one of us would bring her up to her bed (which she was now in as opposed to a crib) where she would spend an uneventful night and sleep right through. It wasn't an ideal situation but it worked. Also during this time we started the nighttime potty training. She caught on immediately and had barely any accidents, maybe two or three if that. About two or three months ago, she started waking up at night, sometime between 12-2, screaming in sheer terror and was only consoled by being brought downstairs to spend the night with us, in our bed. This meant that both she and I (mostly me) would get a crappy night's sleep (Ryun sleeps like the dead). This (not only the poor night's sleep but also the going upstairs to get her every single night without fail) has been so wearing that we have recently (last week) succumbed and have started letting her sleep in our room from the start of the night, only on the rug with a bunch of pillows and blankets for a bed, as opposed to in our bed. She has been sleeping soundly through the night since we started this so at least that's good but now? She's started wetting the bed , maybe 3-4 nights.
It's obvious she has some sort of night time sleeping insecurity thing going on between the waking up every night, refusing to sleep in her own room, and now the bed wetting. I have no idea what to make of all this really.
Thoughts? Anyone? I am open to any and all suggestions, as long as they don't ridicule me for letting her sleep with us, not that I think any one here would do that.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Julia Swimming
I took this video with my cell phone yesterday. You can hear her singing some made up song about swimming and who taught her how. Too cute.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Random Thoughts
...I was thinking earlier, after Katherine was obviously angry and jealous when Emily won an award at VBS tonight and she didn't, that it must be hard living in the shadow of Emily. I don't really know how to describe in words exactly what I am trying to say but it's something like this: Emily has the luck, skill and confidence that practically makes her succeed in everything she does. Katherine, while she has the skill, is more like me: luck and confidence are not on her side. It's a hard thing to balance; being excited for Emily and at the same time trying to understand and sympathize with Katherine. Because dude, I can totally understand the unluckiness and lack of confidence. They both need to understand (Katherine more so) that nothing is ever a competition between them, but rather, that each person has their own unique skills and talents.
...Talking about Julia tonight made me realize that not everyone is going to fit some specific mold that is set forth by the powers that be. She's unique, she's "different," and she's special and that's ok. Forcing a square peg into a circle will only strive to make her even more uncomfortable than she already may be. Give her the tools she needs to find her own level of "comfortableness," even if that doesn't end up being what's considered "normal."
...there could be something quite powerful in putting your faith in to something or someone that you aren't even sure exists. Shhh, don't tell, but I am thinking seriously about joining a bible-based church. I know, right? Who'd have thunk? I haven't made any decisions yet but at least I am thinking about it .
...And I think that's all for profound thought tonight, folks. Time for me to hit the proverbial sack. Peace it.
...Talking about Julia tonight made me realize that not everyone is going to fit some specific mold that is set forth by the powers that be. She's unique, she's "different," and she's special and that's ok. Forcing a square peg into a circle will only strive to make her even more uncomfortable than she already may be. Give her the tools she needs to find her own level of "comfortableness," even if that doesn't end up being what's considered "normal."
...there could be something quite powerful in putting your faith in to something or someone that you aren't even sure exists. Shhh, don't tell, but I am thinking seriously about joining a bible-based church. I know, right? Who'd have thunk? I haven't made any decisions yet but at least I am thinking about it .
...And I think that's all for profound thought tonight, folks. Time for me to hit the proverbial sack. Peace it.
Random Pool Pictures
Emily was being a good sport letting Julia pour the bucket of water repeatedly over her head.
That would be my nephew Jack there with Julia. It's no wonder they have been mistaken for twins.
Julia quite happily displaying her treat from the icecream man. Poor Sponge Bob was minus an eyeball for this shot, thanks to Julia. And look, a bug decided to jump in for the picture too (right arm).
Monday, July 7, 2008
On The Medical Front
Today was Katherine's 8 year check up at the doctor. We were a little behind (she should have gone in January which would have been a year from her last appointment) but late is better than not at all. She gained 5 pounds and grew 4 inches in a year and a half. We talked a little bit about the bed wetting because, despite my best efforts not to let this happen, she continues to be embarrassed and concerned about it. Based on her history with blood sugar issues he recommended a urinalysis and culture and the girl who can pee at the drop of a hat? Couldn't go. So, we brought it all home for her to do here, and I will just bring it back. The doctor was as charming and humorous as usual. The sad news is that he will be retiring in September. I am a little sadder about this than I would be under normal circumstances, I think because he was my pediatrician as a kid from the age of 2 on. I am going to specifically request that my kids files get passed right on to his son, Dr. B the second, who we have seen a few times and really like.
In other sort of medical-related news I went ahead and sent in the E2 form to the Autism Research Institute based on my observations of Julia. They score it free of charge which was nice, and I just figured it would give me a baseline to go by. The results were exactly what I thought they would be. She scored a -26. What this is means is that it would be unlikely she would be diagnosed officially with autism, but that she would be described as "autistic-like." Not quite sure what the difference is but I think it means that she displays some, not all of the traits of an autistic child. The exact description said this: "Children who score -16 or lower on the E2 form are generally not regarded as truly autistic, but instead are typically described as "autistic-like," has many autistic characteristics," etc. The lower the score, the less likely the child is to be diagnosed as autistic. Please note that most "autistic-like" children will also benefit from the highly structured educational programs that have proven beneficial to autistic children. Form E2 should not be used to exclude children from appropriate education." It was interesting to have the form scored professionally regardless, and it will give me something to share (beyond what I have planned already) with her developmental pediatrician at her appointment next week.
In other sort of medical-related news I went ahead and sent in the E2 form to the Autism Research Institute based on my observations of Julia. They score it free of charge which was nice, and I just figured it would give me a baseline to go by. The results were exactly what I thought they would be. She scored a -26. What this is means is that it would be unlikely she would be diagnosed officially with autism, but that she would be described as "autistic-like." Not quite sure what the difference is but I think it means that she displays some, not all of the traits of an autistic child. The exact description said this: "Children who score -16 or lower on the E2 form are generally not regarded as truly autistic, but instead are typically described as "autistic-like," has many autistic characteristics," etc. The lower the score, the less likely the child is to be diagnosed as autistic. Please note that most "autistic-like" children will also benefit from the highly structured educational programs that have proven beneficial to autistic children. Form E2 should not be used to exclude children from appropriate education." It was interesting to have the form scored professionally regardless, and it will give me something to share (beyond what I have planned already) with her developmental pediatrician at her appointment next week.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Conversations With # 1 and # 3
With Emily:
Emily: "Mom, are we Democrats or Republicans?"
Me: "Well Emily, you can be whatever you want to be, but I am registered as an Independent."
Emily: "Hmm, maybe that's what I'll do when I am 18. That way I can just vote for whoever I think is the best as far as Presidential material goes."
With Julia (who demonstrates a clear understanding of who's in charge...imagine that from a 4 year old!)
Julia (to me):"I have to follow my Mommy's rules or I will have to go in a time out, right Mommy?"
Me: "Right, Julia."
Emily: "Mom, are we Democrats or Republicans?"
Me: "Well Emily, you can be whatever you want to be, but I am registered as an Independent."
Emily: "Hmm, maybe that's what I'll do when I am 18. That way I can just vote for whoever I think is the best as far as Presidential material goes."
With Julia (who demonstrates a clear understanding of who's in charge...imagine that from a 4 year old!)
Julia (to me):"I have to follow my Mommy's rules or I will have to go in a time out, right Mommy?"
Me: "Right, Julia."
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Julia
She fell asleep on the couch last night and, at one point, while sleeping, managed to sort of step off of the couch and end up in this position.
I left her there long enough to grab this photo, then moved her back up.
I left her there long enough to grab this photo, then moved her back up.
Book Meme
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Hmmm
Here's an interesting article linking sleep apnea to bedwetting. Katherine does have some symptoms of sleep apnea including frequent snoring, mouth breathing, night-time coughing (not all of the time)and night sweats. It might be an interesting avenue to explore any way.
Speaking of Katherine, she was a little under the weather all day yesterday and ended up throwing up right before she sat down to dinner. It was kind of strange really because while she was kind of "blah" she didn't actually seem sick per se. She was fine for the rest of the night and today so I am guessing it might have been weather-related...like maybe she was slightly dehydrated? Who knows. She seems better today regardless, and I have been doing a better job of making sure all of us keep hydrated.
Speaking of Katherine, she was a little under the weather all day yesterday and ended up throwing up right before she sat down to dinner. It was kind of strange really because while she was kind of "blah" she didn't actually seem sick per se. She was fine for the rest of the night and today so I am guessing it might have been weather-related...like maybe she was slightly dehydrated? Who knows. She seems better today regardless, and I have been doing a better job of making sure all of us keep hydrated.
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