Thursday, September 29, 2011

Don't Let the Super Committee Eliminate Programs for Kids with Disabilities

There's still one more day to tell your member of Congress: don't let the Super Committee cut programs for children with special needs. Send your letter by TOMORROW!
We're only 4,381 messages away from our 10,000-letter goal! These are the programs that will help children with disabilities learn, play, and grow – just like every other child their age. Many of these programs are already underfunded, but if they're cut entirely, vulnerable children will fall further behind in school.
Kids are depending on us to speak up for them – please don't let them down. Send your letter today.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Yesterday's Lesson for Mommy

I know my son.

I am familiar with his limitations.  In many ways, as Riley grows life has more challenges; for one reason, his muscles cannot support his growing body and continually meeting goals is not his reality.

So, yesterday being a rainy, dreary day here with lots on our schedule including an evening meeting for Riley to set through and have me feed him his dinner during presentation... I simply went through the motions and brought only the supplies I had to have, which being special needs means plenty of stuff must be on hand.

The camera was given passing thought but left behind.  I have lugged it every riding lesson for months on end and did not plan on getting it wet for no reason.  Riley has not sat well for a horseback riding picture in some time.  Naples Equestrian Challenge is currently getting a good turn out on volunteers and once again this fall I had the pleasure of watching from ringside.  Watching without my camera as Riley performed the best he has on a horse in the past year!  Riley pushed with everything he had to sit up tall on Pick A Spot's back, he turned at the sound of his sidewalkers Rhonda and Deb, and laughed when they trotted and he responded over the low jump.  Was it the cool weather? Was Riley simply pulling it all together?  Did having a PT as his sidewalker (Deb usually circulates the ring) help him maneuver into place?  Does in matter?  Riley worked hard, he interacted, he had fun and I got to witness it.

Yes, my son can have really great days and I never know when they are coming.  Carry that camera Mom!

No, I have no picture to share his hard work with you!  Or to remind myself how hard Riley works and that he can still improve.

I can show you a link to Parenting Special Needs for for helpful files to download including a SMILE poster for your classrooms and workplaces.



We are all special... by Stacie Wiesenbaugh

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Flight Platform Living: Alex is Transferred!

Flight Platform Living: Alex is Transferred!: Alex has been transferred! This horrendous reality is all I can think about this weekend! The beautiful Joanna over at 'Asking With Faith' ...

Thursday, September 22, 2011

New potentials: Rethinking disability through my sister’s eyes

New potentials: Rethinking disability through my sister’s eyes

Wednesday Morning

My little cell phone sits beside me.  I am ready to take Riley's next emergency.  I can handle them.  What bothers me is that Riley is on his own.  Will the person beside him during his moment of need comfort him?  Will he feel safe or will he be frightened.  Sending him off to school is a comfort for me.  He enjoys it, I can tell.  He returns smiling.  Yet, he is alone.  More alone than any of us can understand.



Below is an article found on www.sengifted.org.  As I consider the education of both my special needs child and typically developing child, I am reminded to watch that both are being prepared for their future while enjoying their childhood.  Their school education may be worlds apart but the goals are the same.

boating with Freedom Waters Foundation
http://southernboating.com/blog/category/editors-blog/

September Back-To-School Suggestions
By Wenda Sheard


SENG’s vision is a world where gifted, talented, and creative individuals are supported to build gratifying, meaningful lives and contribute to the well-being of others.
How can parents best support their gifted, talented, and creative children at the beginning of the school year? I offer three suggestions.
Teach Children Philosophies of Education
I suggest that parents discuss with their children the purpose of education. Exposing young children to what great philosophers have thought about education not only teaches children history, philosophy, and education, but also helps them to create their own educational goals—goals that may differ significantly from the goals of other children.
When exploring what great philosophers have thought about education, children might notice three main purposes of education:
  1. Education serves the purpose of preparing children for adult life, including preparing them to support themselves as adults. Accordingly, the United States Department of Education’s stated mission is: “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”
  2. Some philosophers emphasize that education should prepare children for good citizenship. Plato (circa 400 B.C.) and John Locke (1632-1704) advocated virtue and good citizenship as the aims of education. Plato wrote: “And we must remember further that we are speaking of the education, not of a trainer, or of the captain of a ship, but of a perfect citizen who knows how to rule and how to obey.” Locke wrote: “Learning must be had, but in the second place, as subservient only to greater qualities.”
  3. Education also serves the purpose of providing children with an enjoyable childhood worth living and remembering fondly. John Dewey (1859-1952) felt strongly that education should respect childhood: “[The best teachers] give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking or the intentional noting of connections; learning naturally results.” Maria Montessori (1870-1952) similarly advocated happy childhoods: “Education is not something which the teacher does ... it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”
Once children understand the purposes of education, they have tools to articulate whether, and how, their own educations meet those purposes or might be tweaked to meet those purposes. Sometimes the only tweaking necessary is a change of perspective—perhaps a child will understand that even if school currently is not sufficiently rigorous in the “heading to adult life” sense. Perhaps the child can find ways to enjoy childhood until rigor appears or reappears. Or, better yet, perhaps the child can find ways to introduce rigor into his or her own education. Child-introduced rigor might include education that will lead to employment and/or good citizenship in future years. Some children spend time excelling in computer programming, gaining marketable skills at a young age. Other children spend time volunteering in ways that make a difference in the world, foster virtue in the child, and later impress college admissions officers and employers.
Explain the Necessity of Knowledge, Communion, and Expression
Another way that parents might support their gifted, talented, and creative children at the beginning of the school year is by reading P. Susan Jackson’s article "Bright Star - Black Sky: A Phenomenological Study of Depression as a Window into the Psyche of the Gifted Adolescent (see the end of this column for the online link). I recommend that parents read the article first before deciding whether, when, and how to share the article’s excellent insights with their children.
In the article, Jackson explains that gifted teens have an absolute need for knowledge of themselves and of physical and spiritual phenomena, for strong emotional or spiritual communion with others, and for expression of their emotions and feelings. Reading the article at the beginning of each school year might help parents and children (if sufficiently mature) to understand that beginning a school year is not a simple matter; each school year presents new opportunities and challenges for finding the knowledge, communion, and expression that Jackson found critical to the lives of gifted teens.
During the first weeks of the school year, parents and children can consider how the school year will affect all aspects of each child’s life. Will the child have sufficient opportunities for knowledge and for self-knowledge? Will the child have time at school or elsewhere to interact with true peers, not just age-mates? Will the child have time and methods to express emotions and feelings? Parents and children should consider finding non-school times to fill whatever gaps might exist in a given child’s school hours.
Offer Social and Emotional Hints
Most parents understand that the acquisition of knowledge is a small part of any school experience. Most teachers are keenly aware that the school day involves not just knowledge, but also social times and emotional events. In this last section, I offer three hints that parents might offer their gifted, talented, and creative children at the beginning of a new school year.
The first hint comes from Benjamin Franklin, who realized that by asking someone a favor, you endear yourself to that person. Counterintuitive, yes, but it works! I suggest that you and your child research what’s known as the Benjamin Franklin Effect. Your child might then decide to try out Franklin’s idea at school as a way to build friendship and respect.
Another friendship-building hint that I have shared over the years with new students is to look around the room and find students who look lonely. Then, with a smile on your face, go up to each of those children, ask them about themselves, and listen well. Smiling is a fantastic way to gain friends. Helping others who look lonely is an excellent way to exhibit and to build a generous spirit. Asking people about themselves and listening carefully to their answers is a social skill that even many adults could improve.
Sometimes a gifted, talented, and creative child will spend a school year without true peers in school. When this happens, parents can share yet another hint—encourage the child to approach the school year with the lens of an anthropologist.
Yes, that’s right—teach the child about the field of anthropology and engage the child in studying the culture of the school. Learning about anthropology and applying an anthropological lens, at the child's level of understanding, to the school experience will help the gifted child learn about and reflect a great deal on people, social structures, and child development. Parents who spend the time necessary to guide their budding anthropologist will benefit from increased and honest communication that might lead to better understanding of the child’s school experience.
Conclusion
For more hints and suggestions, I recommend the book A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children (Great Potential Press, 2007). That book, which is the core of the SENG Model Parenting Groups, well explains the nature and nurture of gifted, talented, and creative children.
If there is a SENG Model Parenting Group starting in your area, I highly recommend that you join the group. If no groups are currently available in your area, I recommend you consider being trained as a SENG facilitator. The next SENG Model Parenting Group Facilitator Training will be October 7-8, 2011, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Wenda Sheard, J.D., Ph.D. is an emeritus board member and past president of SENG. She currently teaches near London, England, and serves as a trustee on the Council of Management of the UK's National Association for Gifted Children.
References
Jackson, P. Susan, "Bright star -- black sky: A phenomenological study of depression as a window into the psyche of the gifted adolescent," Roeper Review. 1998 Feb 20(3) 215-221, available online at http://sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Jackson_BrightStarBlackSky.shtml

Monday, September 19, 2011

Seize the Day! Literally

5:00 am From his hospital bed I hear the familiar intake of breath as a muscle spasm begins.  Switching on the light I discover Riley in a clonic seizure.  Grabbing him up, talking to him, massaging his limbs; the seizure subsides in moments.  Four years ago, this episode could have lasted for hours.  Now with all the anti-seizure drugs he is often able to cease without intervention.

5:02 am On with the day.  After rearranging him repeatedly throughout the night, this meant falling back to sleep and oversleeping.  John and Ronan always rise by 5:40 am.  Oddly, they oversleep as well.  This is very strange. I cannot explain Ronan oversleeping.  John however has been working non-stop and just started trying Valerian Root Tea to help with his insomnia: it appears to actually work.

8:00 am Riley is off on the bus with a new assistant, Antonetta.  Assistant Liz had to cut back on her hours; we are very disappointed.  John and Ronan have already headed in their separate directions.

8:05 Plan for my day: dishes and laundry, desperately needed class at the gym, paperwork, sell some Arbonne, collect Riley from school by 2 pm, Integrity Biofeedback appointment for Riley and myself, pick up Ronan, oh - did I get Riley back into Dr. Stohler's chiropractor routine, riding by 5 pm (we missed last week), is the shower set up for Riley, do I have everything Ronan will need for homework at the barn, are tomorrow's appointments set up, is dinner planned for the late return.... then start it all over again.

8:35 am Phone call from Lee County Transportation.  Riley has suffered a seizure on board the bus and EMS is with him now.  Then EMS/Bonita Springs Fire-Rescue is on the phone.  I must sign in person for the bus to be released from the roadside.

8:40 am Heading somewhere in the vicinity of Old 41 and E. Terry.  How do I handle this now.  Seizure's are part of our life.  Riley has quite a lot of drugs in his system to manage this disorder.  The last neurology appointment, I was instructed to administer Diastat after the next cluster seizure - this must qualify.  However, that window has come and gone.  Riley is ready to go on with his day.  Stimulation is better for him than coddling him.  Yet, Riley is a "hot potato."  Everyone who gets him in their arms tosses him back to mom or dad as quickly as possible.  Do I just take him home to humor everyone else?  No thank you.  Riley needs to live a life.  I need to get a life.  On the way I talk to school's nursing office: I love that office, let him have his day - what do ya'll think the big green frog backpack hanging from the wheelchair full of Diastat  and medical and contact information is for! (no one touched it by the way)



9:00 am I have found them, bus, EMS, ambulance. Screeching the jeep into a tiny little used car lot, I am there.

Camera in hand.  Yes, I have my camera.  These are the moments to record as far as I am concerned and I have missed plenty of them.  EMS spies the crazy woman in ripped gym clothes, uncombed hair, red backpack purse and camera slung around the neck climbing aboard the bus.


I am greeted by a concerned driver, Louis... he spoke at least 20 words this morning, he must have been really nervous.  Welcome to bus 27126 Antonetta!  And then three rather serious EMS technicians.  Loosen up guys, perhaps you've encountered seizure disorders before.  Then of course Riley, still seated in his chair is smiling, laughing, and kicking - just like the last time I tracked down the bus and ambulance.  Good times.



9:10 am.
Sign some papers.
Kisses for Riley. 
Big "Hi" for the little girl across the aisle tugging on my arm.  "Hi" again.  Yes, "Hi, Sweetheart."
Merry waves from the boy ahead in the bus for the men in uniform.
Riley laughs.
Uniformed man stands up straighter and pulls in his chin.
Ambulance drives away.
"HI!"
BIG WAVE!
More seriousness... more laughs.
On your way please school bus #27126.
Oh yeah, swing by the pharmacy for Leviteracetam.  Say yes to drugs.
Where was my day going?  Seize your day, Stace!

We're gonna have our day, darn it!  Stacie Wiesenbaugh

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Week of Success and Childhood Heartbreak

Success
The fundraiser Friday at Chico's The Company Store for Naples Equestrian Challenge was a great success!  I gathered my carpoolers and arrived a few minutes after 4 pm to discover the warehouse hopping.  Our participants were serious shoppers.  By the end of our allotted time the check-out line snaked back around the clothing racks and everyone had armloads of loot.


I am so excited to discover the results and want to hear everyone's experience.  Thank you Chico's!

Heartbreak

Three years ago Ronan entered Bobbi Noonan's VPK.  As the year went on, one of the other Dad's, Don,  and I set up regular playdates for the boys to give each other some child free afternoons.  Ronan and Ethan became inseparable and adored each other from the start, even asking for sleep overs.





SWFL has been particularly hard hit by the economy and Ethan's parents have decided to relocate to Florida's east coast where businesses are significantly busier and his mom has already found a great new position as interior decorator extraordinaire.  We are all so happy for the family for making so many positive changes in their life!  We will miss them dreadfully, however.  Ronan has taken his loss very hard.

"Can we move to Fort Lauderdale too?" he asked through tears last week.

"No, for now we will stay here but you will still be friends." I tried to comfort him.

"But, I love him!"  Now I was heartbroken as well.

 
Friends forever pose with their teacher, the beautiful Miss Lauren.

Always the sweetest and most considerate child I have ever met outside of my own.  Ethan considers Riley his next best buddy.  Riley has a friend!  And he's leaving...
Smiley
Ronan sobbed all the way to school that morning, heartbroken.

We will still have playdates!  Better gas up the car.






Early Thursday morning after the last sleep over Ethan heads out the door to Fort Lauderdale with his new lion webkinz, "Mr. Ronan."


Late that evening a picture came through my cell from the amazing Ms. Maija.  Ms. Maija is Riley's other friend forever as well.  Ethan held his new buddy tight and hasn't let go since.

Yes, Ethan you are still part of this family.  We all love you.

We are all special... by Stacie Wiesenbaugh


Saturday, September 17, 2011

MIXIT TV

Remember today is International Coastal Cleanup Day!  Get to a cleanup site near you if possible this morning, you may need a shower afterward but you will feel great for being part of it.  Unfortunately, Riley's cold persists so we will have to clean up on our own another day... I promise.
 Free Smilies courtesy of www.GreenSmilies.com

Produced by and for people with disabilities.
New television program in England.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Living with Logan: Jackson's Smile

Living with Logan: Jackson's Smile: There's something about a child's smile. The look of wonder and delight all over their face that makes you smile in return, and feel better ...

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Overfilled

http://blog.friendshipcircle.org/2011/09/14/11-special-needs-novels-that-will-touch-your-heart/Overfilled is how I feel emotionally and timewise.
There just is not enough of me to get to everything I want to do. Free Smilies courtesy of www.GreenSmilies.com

Riley's cold from Labor Day weekend just cannot be shaken.  Poor little thing really needs to get a good clean breathe.  This week he has been sent home from school and lost out on horseback riding.  PT was "messy" but he got through it.  Good thing we've got drugs:-) But they wear him out too.

Great big thank you to all who have signed up for Friday's event at Chico's!  If you don't hear from me personally to remind you (big oops if you don't), please contact me.

Sharing today because that's what I do and I just can't help myself

I have taken to devoting one post at the end of each month to share the very many special needs blog posts which speak to me... this one will not wait because she speaks to my today where my head is:
The Irritating Factor

Hero horses: Sarah Bombard won strength and confidence from Naples Equestrian Challenge

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/sep/05/hero-horses-cerebral-palsy-victim-sarah-bombard-wo/

Sheryl Soukup of Naples Equestrian Challenge is in the business of changing lives

For the Love of Blogs started a group for Parenting Special Needs, hop on over and link your blog up.

11 Special Needs Novels That Will Touch Your Heart from The Friendship Circle.

We are all Special... by Stacie Wiesenbaugh

Friday, September 9, 2011

Raising RSV Awareness

Riley and I had the pleasure of being interviewed yesterday by Stacey Deffenbaugh!  Stacey anchors NBC-2 News at Noon and The Healthcast report at 5:30pm.  She also contributes court stories from state and federal court.

We discussed raising awareness of Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV.

Ms. Deffenbaugh and her cameraman, John, were a pleasure to have in our home and share Riley's story as well as his cause of protecting vulnerable children against respiratory illness.  Fortunately, Ms. Deffenbaugh was incredibly patient with my random thought pattern and our slightly chaotic lifestyle.  This experience certainly shows me that I need to polish my speaking skills and reign in my focus.  I suspect however that she will have no problem working around us as she prepares to get the word out.





RSV
 

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, is a common, easily spread virus that almost all children catch at least once by the time they turn 2.

RSV disease usually causes moderate-to-severe cold symptoms.  However, for some babies, complications from RSV disease can lead to serious lung infection.

Babies at most risk for developing severe RSV disease are premature babies - those born before 36 weeks gestation.

Premature babies have underdeveloped lungs and fewer of the vital antibodies needed to stave off infections, so they are not so well-equipped to fight RSV as full-term babies.  Other risk factors for RSV include: low-birth weight (under 5.5 pounds), certain lung and heart diseases, and situational risk factors such as attending day care, having preschool or school-age siblings, or exposure to tobacco smoke.

It is recommended that you call your baby's doctor if your baby has any of these problems:
Coughing or wheezing that doesn't stop
Fast wheezing or gasping for breath
Spread out nostrils and/or caved in chest when trying to breathe
A bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
A fever (in infants under 3 months of age, a fever greater than 100.4 degrees rectal)

Prevention
    • Cover coughs and sneezes
    • Wash hands frequently and correctly with soap and water for 15–20 seconds
    • Avoid sharing their cups with others
    • Refrain from kissing others 

Supporting Siblings of Children with Disabilities, Webinar

Baby Shower Gifts


Wondering what to bring to your next baby shower? Let our Top 10 list guide your choice.

Top 10 Baby Shower Gifts

No matter how formal or informal the baby shower is, you still need to bring baby gifts to the future mom. Choosing a great gift for a baby shower is a matter of knowing the mom well and of getting something thoughtful, personal and useful. Here are our top 10 baby shower gift choices.

Children’s books

There’s nothing more wonderful for a baby than to grow up being read stories to. It opens up the imagination and it helps develop listening and eventually reading abilities. If you are literary-minded, getting children’s books is a great gift.

Baby shoes

Babies’ feet grow super fast and they will need a constant supply of baby shoes. Some great designers like PediPed are making practical AND fashionable shoes for babies. You can’t just buy one pair!

Baby tub

Baths are too big for babies, and toddlers quickly grow out the kitchen sink (ew!). So why not give a customizable baby tub that will last until your baby’s big enough for the bath? And it’s hygienic, too!

Bouncy seat

The classic bouncy seat is always a great choice if you’re not really sure about what to get the new parents. Bouncy seats keep baby safe and occupied while mom and dad go around preparing dinner or cleaning the house. Choose one with colourful, interesting activities.

Baby sling or carrier

Baby slings are hot these days, with celebrity and ordinary moms alike using them. It’s not only practical for mom and dad, but also fashionable (some great fabrics out there) and it helps strengthen the parent-infant bond through close body contact. We love them!

Baby sleeping bag

Blankets can be dangerous to babies if they get it around their necks, so baby companies like Halo have come up with armless sleeping bags to keep your baby cozy and safe at night. Be original by choosing funky colors!

Travel kit

Everyone knows a parent who forgot something at home while out with baby. With a baby travel kit, this won’t happen again: a diaper bag, some diapers, extra clothes, a bottle and some baby formula, small toys and cleaning wipes are all you really need.

Play mat

Like the bouncing seat, the play mat is a great way to keep baby busy. Choose one that will last for a while through many different activities that will gradually interest baby as it grows up.

Nursing pillow

The nursing pillow is kind of new in the baby care landscape, but it’s definitely a relief for mom’s tired arms. Fits in any lap, keeps baby stable while mom feeds him and it comes in various styles and colors. A welcome addition to any new mom’s kit.

Car seat

A staple of any baby shower, the car seat is definitely a must. Choose from a reputable company that produces safe and sturdy seats like Graco.

There are many other gifts available: a gift card for baby clothes, hand-knitted booties or hats… Just use your imagination and you’ll give a great gift!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The romantic life of a couple with a disabled child


The romantic life of a couple with a disabled child.
(I, John Buck, being of  relatively sound mind (yeah, who am I kidding) take credit for this contribution.

THE NAUGHTY NURSE:  Yeah after a kid with a disability, the whole nurse/doctor role-playing thing will never be the same.  Instead she is the b*tch  who critiques you on how you handle being a parent and not making the mark.  Unlike a spouse who will never criticize you for not making the mark :)...  esp. when s/he is overtired, stressed and covered in XX (fill in the blank but it always originates with Riley).

LOTS OF MOANING: With a disabled child in the bed 7 feet away you will constantly hear moaning during "the moment"... move to another room and the baby monitor will provide the background "music."  The best part is when the diaper gets really full, you are "in the moment"/almost at the end and there is a huge giggle/laughter in the background.  Nothing says romance like laughter in the background.

A THREESOME : frequent breaks "in-between" to put a pacifier back in the mouth; change a diaper or lift a drooping head.  Trust me, a threesome is TOTALLY OVERRATED.

BEING CATHOLIC:  yeah with a disabled kid you don't get that much and probably every 2 months you get your virginity card back.  One more card and I can apply for canonization.  

THE CRYING SCREAM:  Back molars are coming in and no matter what you do, cries of pain come out.  The cries are nothing like the people in "the movies."  Even "the Hedge Hog" would have backed away from that one.  But, when you are the parents of a disabled child, you plow though!  Take your chances/"Embrace" the moment (and for those of you who do know get the joke/ Do not Google "hedge hog movies adult."

A THOUSAND AND TWO USES FOR A BURP CLOTH:  Yeah, we are trying to keep this blog PG-13.  You fill in the blank.  (Legal claimer:  Any profit made for using the burp cloth in this way will be forward to >>>> :)

COULD HAVE BEEN TWINS:  My FAVORITE  story... Ronan was conceived while my mother-in-law watched Riley for 30 minutes.  Considering it took 10 minutes to get to the room.  Ten minutes to get back.  Five minutes to remember what the hell we were doing.  We had 5 minutes to enjoy.  His joke:  Had we had 10 minutes it could have been twins!

 
I SHAVED FOR THIS?:  When you have a disabled kid you will be happy that they just showered (in the past 3 days).

YOU'RE DONE ALREADY?:  As a supportive/contributing husband, I took 7 minutes and wrote the above.  When I told Stacie I was finished.  She replied "you are done already?"  Again, it is amazing what you can/will/DO accomplish with a disabled child!  Even without a disabled child, in the context of this blog, it still fits!

by John Buck
aka The Shark Tooth Guy

Link

Monday, September 5, 2011

Enter the Between: The Silent, Priceless Gift of Blood

Enter the Between: The Silent, Priceless Gift of Blood: Donating blood? What have you got to lose? One pint, actually. The average person has between eight and twelve pints of blood, plen...

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Blogging Worldwide

 Found the a wonderful surprise in my email this morning:

Riley's Smile

Mary Rebecca created the adorable new Riley's Smile Button for her Blogging Worldwide project.
Isn't it great?


The boys and I are on our own again this morning.  John is working yet another Sunday and sees this Sunday morning only project going through next summer.  I am missing my husband and the boys definitely miss their Dad.  Ronan is being a very understanding six year old.  He rose as usual before 6 am, got out of bed on his own, dressed and came downstairs and entertained  himself (or rather cared for his herd) on Webkinz allowing me to focus on Riley.

Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day Weekend.
Stacie

If you stumble by my post today - Please link up with me at the sites below






Enter a Giveaway

simple-homemaking

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Another Saturday

Created for Special Needs Kids and Young Adults
Ballet and Tae Kwon Do at Special Kids Dance & Performing Arts is new in Fort Myers, FL

Annie saw this and thinks he looks like Ronan!!!

Your Ideas for Topics from Disability.gov

Each month, White House staff who work on disability-related policies host a public, live-captioned conference call to keep the public better informed about important developments on many different disability issues. These calls also connect you to leaders in the federal government who work on these issues. Over the past several months, monthly conference calls have featured discussions on accessibility, employment, education, technology, emergency preparedness, transportation, healthcare and the federal budget.
The White House is now offering the opportunity for you to suggest topics you'd like discussed during these calls. Send in your ideas about subjects for discussion, as well as the federal officials you'd like to hear from on these subjects, by visiting https://www.disability.gov/WHQuestion

Today's Creative Outlet
Give it a try at http://www.drawingforkids.net/how-to-draw-the-crab-step-by-step-for-kids/





Friday, September 2, 2011

The Best Way Out is Always Through Movie


Hope you enjoy the video's and gallery. Riley and I are taking a sick day. No worries, his temp is back down and he's already back to enjoying his food. Stacie


The Forget Me Not Gallery is a favorite visit for me each Friday.  Please check it out.

The Best Way Out is Always Through Movie: The Power of Perseverance! We all have doubts, fears and dissappointments in our lives. During those times, we look for shots of inspiration and encouragement to get us through. That's what this little movie is all about!