Haleakala Hawaii

After much technical difficulties, I'm calling this thing done.

I used a photo for reference. I added flowers to make it more colorful.

Just a little vent

"So, how do you spend your time these days?"

I hate that question.  It makes me feel worthless. The boys are in school most the day so I should be doing something worthwhile. I guess most people don't value a clean and organized house. They think I'm crazy. " That's it?  Clean and play with Sean?"

" I draw and paint when I get the chance." 

Hmm, draw and paint? how long could that take?

ha! HOURS!! DAYS! and if I have the patience WEEKS! There's the glazed look, like wow you sure do waste your time.

 And the other  look, like I'm the most boring pathetic person in the world. It is worthwhile to be able to have clean clothes to wear?, or to have the bills paid?, not sneeze because I vacuumed up the rabbit hair, how about making sure everyones homework is done and turned in on time?

Here's some more. "Do you cook?" "Everyday!?" "From scratch!!?" yes, yes and yes.  They just can't believe it. I understand a lot of people just can't cook. That's fine.  It just makes me really sad. Cooking has become a lost art. It's  seems like nowadays if you want good cooking you have to go to a nice restaurant or your grandmother.

Both my grandmothers are good cooks. I especially like grandma B's cooking. She can turn the most simplest meal into something so mouth watering! it's amazing! I wish I could have her recipes. But like most good cooks she most likely doesn't have any. :(  You go by intuition. I know how that works. You start to follow a recipe but then something just clicks. Such and such would go well in this. Before you know it you've totally redone the recipe making it your own. It's just a shadow of it's former self. It's such a thrill when that happens and someone says, "Wow! you made this?"

Back to my tangent. "So you don't go anywhere?"

"No. Not really."  

  I don't "go anywhere"  because I don't have a car. I'm homebound. Even when I say that it doesn't register. It's like it's just bounces off their head. How can someone not have a car?

How in the world do I answer these questions? I'm so sick of "the look."and that worthless feeling. 

 Sounds like I need to eat a bowl of Miso soup. Maybe sit in front of  the fireplace and listen to the snap, crackle and breath in the soothing aromatic scent of burning oak. :)

Work in Progress part 2

A New Work in Progress

Right now it's just a mess of paint blobs. :)

Zachary's Progress

We had a good meeting with Z's teachers and other people of the IEP team. Basically we all discussed what further evaluations he needs to be able to put an IEP together. In Academic Achievement his  weak area is math. He doesn't participate in guided reading. He seems to be bored. It's hard to tell if he understands the subject and is bored or if he doesn't and is bored. When he reads to himself he almost has a photographic memory. They were impressed with his skill on the word processor. He will type an answer along with a comment like "this is boring" and then erase the comment before the teacher gets to the second question. 

In Functional Performance- he won't ask for help. He does very well if he knows the routine.

Cognitive function- he has normal to above normal intelligence.

Communication Status- He has difficulty with expressive communication, very limited initiating with other children. The speech Pathologist is going to try and do an assessment. Obviously this will be very difficult, because he won't speak much. He mostly gives one word answers.

He's going to have a hearing and vision screening test. Just because they do it for all new students.

They were impressed with his health. All the other kids have been sniffling and coughing. He hasn't.

His gross motor abilities are fine. In fact they commented on others mentioning how fast Z is.

His fine motor skills need work. They finally have an OT now. So she will be help Z with his grasp.

The social worker will be helping him to initiate friendships himself.

He has a friend who he will talk a little with and laugh with.  The kid is very sweet and helpful. He's in Mrs. E's class too.

Anyway they have 60 work days to get all this going, and have more info, before he gets an official IEP. So something like the end  of January we'll have another meeting.

Oh! and both his teacher really love his sense of humor. They said he really has a high level understanding of sarcasm. 

Peter and I have a meeting with Z's school this afternoon. We'll be discussing his IEP.

Ok, so what does this mean?

Peter has been working late lately and has been drinking  an Amp energy drink to help him stay awake. He drank one 16 oz. can around 5 pm and was still wired and talkative at 1 am. lol I'm falling asleep while he talks and talks and talks about his day. lol.

Anyway, today I was feeling really sluggish. We had stuff to do so Peter suggested I try one of these drinks and see if it helps. Sure, why not. So I drank the whole thing minus a sip. What do you think happened? Do you think I was bouncing off the walls? It worked for a man more than twice my weight why not me? 

Nope. No bouncing. In fact I was more tired!!! I felt like I had just taken a sleeping pill. We thought maybe it needed time to get into my system. I've been dragging all day! At Walmart I had to lean on Andy a few times I was so tired. I had a slight whooshy feeling in my head too. I usually only feel like that when I've taken some kind of allergy medicine. The whooshy feeling only lasted a few minutes. But, even now I'm so tired.

So what in the world does that mean? 

Tagged

I've been tagged for a book meme by Babystepper at Still Taking Babysteps

Here are the instructions - 

Grab the nearest book.
Open the book to page 56.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions.
Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
Tag five other people to do the same.

Ok, so my computer is in my art studio. The nearest book is Complete Drawing Course by The Diagram Group.

A simple shape such as a pencil can be turned into a fascinating drawing if you view it imaginatively.

Most homes contain hundreds of small objects of a wide variety of shapes, materials and conditions. 

Some are new, some are old, some common, some unfamiliar.

I tag:

llama Momma

Sarah

Janeva

Claye

No worries claye I don't expect you to do this. I just don't know many bloggers.