I apologize for the brief delay in posting today. I will blame it on re-entry issues from our wonderful, but routine-zapping camping trip. That and the start of school just a day later seems to have put my schedule (and my brain) in a blender on high speed. Meanwhile, I picked the child up from…
Category Archives: Skill Development
New year to begin…
I know what your thinking…NEW SCHOOL YEAR? How many days till school starts??? I have a friend that started counting the minute summer started. I enjoy our homeschooling time together. I love the beginning of a new year…the goals for the year, the dreams of what you want to work on, the reality of what…
Conversational Carousel
The other day I took the child to a nearby amusement park. We enjoyed our mommy-daughter outing with one of her friends and her mom. One of the rides we most enjoyed was the 100 year old carousel. It was truly beautiful. The horses had hair tails instead of painted ones, and there were even…
Trusting Our Kids to Live Their Strengths
Sometimes, I’m amazed at my own craziness. Like when I plan to go to the store at the last minute before dinner with hungry kids and a child with SPD who forgot her jacket. Or when I go hiking in flip-flops…. “Mom! Are you okay?” My 4 year old yelled over the rushing water that…
Playin’ Hooky From Summer School
Four weeks into Summer school — aka: Extended School Year (ESY) — and I’ve only brought The Boys in for 2 1/2 days. Bad Mama? OR, Bad Mama! Our contained class experience this past year included My Boys’ adopting some negative behaviors from a few of their peers with special needs. As such, I’ve been working this…
Three Little Fishies in an Itty Bitty Pool
104 degrees! Luckily, I have a nice, little, hard-walled backyard pool — 15′ round by 3 1/2′ deep — that we put up and take down every year. And every year, Sarge wants to set it up at the curb instead of in our yard. He hates our little pool! He wants a BIG, semi-in-ground pool. Yeah, me…
Raising Cheerleaders
I am about as introverted as people come. I am also chronically clumsy, and average looking at best. I was never cheerleader material. I wasn’t even interested. It never mattered until a couple of years ago when my husband and I were blessed to sit in on a behavior management class, which we desperately needed….
The Bright Spot
Yesterday was rough all over. I’m still recovering from our trip last week – behind on everything. My semi-chronic neck pain is back with a vengeance thanks to the long hours of driving. I barked at the kids about little stuff but didn’t have the energy to keep them occupied and out of trouble. I even…
Would you let your child scale a mountain?
She grabbed the rock above her and pulled herself up. The water rushed cool and quick over our soaked shoes. Steadying herself, my 5 year old reached for the next rock a few feet above her. In the high altitude, we both breathed hard, but her determination pushed us farther as we climbed the waterfall…
Strange Milestones We Have Met
Something strange has happened to my perception of childhood milestones. Perhaps because it took my daughter a little longer to meet many of them, I’ve sort of made up my own list along the way. It’s not that I’ve given up watching for the standard markers, it’s more that I appreciate events that other parents…