When your child has special educational needs, you'll fight to make sure he gets the best education possible. When I was in school, too many years to count, schools were starting to address learning disabilities and special needs. Schools were still a one size fits all method with an emphasis on written analysis of a child's knowledge. Today there are so many options and various programs for children with a vast array of learning disorders.
In Alberta there are so many schools to choose from that I found it a little overwhelming. French Immersion, German Immersion, Spanish Immersion, International French, Science focused, Math focused, traditional, for gifted students, for sports students, and what we finally choose - Fine Arts based.
I wanted to make sure my son got the best education for his special needs and I finally found it. Since birth he was always ahead when it came to developmental milestones by months. In kindergarten and grade one his teachers were amazed by his reading and verbal abilities and mentioned that he may be gifted. In grade 2 his teacher noticed that although he was very skilled verbally and read at a grade 4 level, his writing was below his age level and he was having problems staying focused in class.
The teacher suspected ADD - don't they all! Thankfully the school administration is very proactive in assessing children's needs and didn't just arbitrarily label him ADD because the psychologist was able to discover that he was bored and had a hard time processing what he wanted in written format. Granted he does have a huge imagination and spends a lot of time in it, but he doesn't have ADD.
I am very thankful that there are so many options out there for families who want to offer their children an education that is different from the one size fits all type. Although my son's former school did everything they could to meet his needs and provide him with help, it was limited because of the number of children with different needs. Last year he was different, the only one in a class of over 20 that needed a scribe and had special computer privileges. Now there are 10 kids in his class who receive a photocopy of the class notes to help them follow along and he's not the only one who can't get his written journal done. This has improved his self esteem because he doesn't feel alone or special anymore. This school is amazing and I am grateful that it is available for children like my son.
Finding a School for a Verbally, Visually Gifted boy with a Processing Disability
Getting Organized for Healthy Lunches.
When it comes to making the kids lunches everyday it can be a challenge to keep it healthy, quick, easy and affordable. I've spent the day grocery shopping, baking and making snacky food for lunches. I am always looking for new ideas to make lunches fun. What is your fun lunch ideas?
I always have granola bars (bought and homemade), cereal squares (homemade), fruit, crackers, cheese, and a treat in easy reach. It takes all day to grocery shop, bake, and organize the snack box. Packing all the food into snack sized baggies and making jello, pudding, canned fruit and yogurt in small ziploc containers. Keeping fruit washed and in snack baggies in the fridge to make it easy to put lunches together quickly. Organizing everything for lunches in the pantry and fridge so they are grouped together and make it easy to throw a lunch together.
My favorite thing to make is mix. I use the last little bit of cereal in the boxes, junk cereal like fruit loops, raisons, craisons, and chocolate chips. I fill snack baggies for lunches.
Recipes:
Rice Squares: over low heat 3-4 on the stove melt butter 1/2C butter and 40 large marshmellows. Stir while melting and as soon as the marshmellows are melted then remove from heat and add rice crisp cereal.
Options: add chocolate chips to the melted mixture just before adding the rice cereal.
Options: add multi colored marshmellows just before adding rice cereal for extra chewy squares.
Puff wheat squares:
1/2 C Corn Syrup
1 C Sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/2 C chocolate chips
Melt the ingredients together on mid low heat and just as it bubbles remove the pot from heat and stir in puffed rice cereal stir to coat.
Always cut up into individual servings and wrap keep on hand for lunches.
Do you have a favorite receipe for lunches?
I Hate Going to the Hospital the Wait is Way too Long
My son woke up this morning with pains in his chest that were coming and going. When after 4 hours the pains were still coming back I took him to the emergency room at the local Children's Hospital. The pain stopped completely an hour later yet we waited 4 hours for a docter to see him. The doctor had no idea what the problem was but ensured us it wasn't anything serious, well after 3 hours of no pain I kinda figured it wasn't.
I expect to wait, heck even if you make an appointment you still wait. This was the first time in 9 years I'd taken him to the emergency room and I forgot how tedious it was. I can't imagine if I'd had a sick child that need to run to emergency on a regular basis.
I don't know the logistics behind an emergency room but there has to be some way to make it better. If I triple booked and made prospects wait even 5 minutes I'd loose the sale, yet we only have the choice to wait for a doctor. I rarely go even when sick because they usually just say they can't do anything and send you home.
My day was blown and then when my son was eating dinner the pain came back - Joy.
What is a Mother? Defining What a Mother is and Defining 'Self' in the Process.
I am a mother, great but what does that mean? I have a lot of roles in my life, the largest one at this moment and the most life altering one has been that of mother. The question was asked of me tonight, who are you? or more appropriate, who am I? At first I had no answer but then I opened my mouth and out popped, I am a mother.
It occurred to me though, what does that mean? That I popped out two kids and now I feed cloth and tell them what to do. It has to be more than that, what is a mother?
When my son was born I was a new mother and with that came a whole lot of change and upheaval. For 24 hours a day I was at his beck and call, feeding him, dressing him, changing him, rocking him, entertaining him, and loving him. Then as he grew older my role changed he learned how to talk, walk and use the toilet. He dresses himself and makes his own friends separate from family friends.
My role as a mother changed when I went back to work the first time and then when I stayed home after my daughter was born. Now it has changed again as both are in school full time and I'm back at work.
The role changed in that I was not needed to do the same types of things for my children, but that still doesn't answer the question what is a mother? What does that mean? I am a mother.
I teach them to be independent of me and figure out things on their own. I encourage them to love each other and take care of each other. I am in essence working myself out of a job, soon they'll make their own money and provide for themselves. So what is a mother?
What is it that makes someone a mother? Any woman can have a baby or raise a child but what makes them a mother? Does the answer to this question really matter? Does my 'self' or identity really center on the role, or does the statement I am a mother mean more then just the role of mother? Do I exist outside of my role as a mother or is being a mother who I am and everything I do I should do as a mother. If so what is that?
Just a question, a thought, a glimpse into the insanity of identity. Who are any of us really? I am but an extension of my upbringing, an extension of my mother, my grandmothers, my heritage and now an extension of my children. So does it really matter who I am? I am a mother.
Well the Weight Loss thing Isn't Going Too Well
I really want to loose weight, I want to change the way I eat and exercise more but I just can't get motivated to stay with it. The one thing that gets in my way more than anything else is fatigue. I am mentally and physically tired most days even when I get lots of sleep. I feel like my body is missing nutrients even though I take vitamins and extra iron, for example hold your breath and run up two fights of stairs, how do your muscles feel? Mine feel like that most of the time without holding my breath.
I going to try something new, I've wanted to but didn't have the cash now I have the cashflow so I have no more excuses. If it works and improves my energy level then I am hoping that my motivation to change my lifestyle habits will too. I'm going to try zija because it is an all natural liquid drink made from the Moringa Tree and has over 90 different nutrients. This is different because right now my vitamins are chemically made nutrients in pill form. I've heard good things about Zija and it's benefits on health by providing the body with natural nutrients.
Posts
