Thursdays are usually “park days” with either the local Christian homeschool group or my new group of friends. I am lovingly beginning to think of us as the park rats. {G}
I woke up yesterday knowing that if we were going to make the park, I’d have to get school done, and run to Wal-mart and Sam’s club before noon. We’d then zip to speech. Somewhere in the middle of making that plan work the flu hit. I decided I did NOT want to go to the park – but we needed to work the plan through speech.
During breakfast clean up we noticed that we had a YARD FULL of doves…
we also spotted a blue jay and one furry creature who loves our yard was content to eat with all the birds. Jamin, Cy and I call it possessed the little ones have named it as it’s hung around for months. He doesn’t show up clearly in the picture… Look to the left side of the shadow from the eve to see the squirrel…unfortunately many of the birds flew off when I approached the window.
I did couch school with Arielle and Nolan. The older three boys progress fairly independently – and I schedule an hour a day, usually right before lunch, to answer questions, provide input etc With couch school done, and the four little ones watching a Veggie Tales movie from the library, Cy and I ran for Wal-mart. He needed to buy a pair of black shoes and black socks before work! Yippee! A new phase of growing up for our 17 year old! I decided it would be a good time for the dreaded “sock and underwear” stock up. My very own version of a “white sale”. One of my nameless sons is very embarrassed to go with me when I do this – says people look at us strange with a cart full of socks and underwear – so I did it while out alone with Josiah. I haven’t pointed out to lately that people look at us strange no matter WHERE we go or WHAT we’re doing…so why sweat it? We finished at Wal-mart and headed to Sam’s Club for milk, formula and a couple of other things. I resisted temptation and did not stock up on produce because I knew that FRIDAY we’ll be getting lots of fresh produce from the co-op.
Back at home I grabbed Nolan and we headed for speech. I usually have 1 – 3 others with me at this point but left them home so that I’d be free to fully observe speech and have another discussion with the therapists. I observed. Totally cool that Nolan didn’t know I was there. As I expected (and the therapist knew I was watching and so was trying) the “bed-side” manner has got to be the difference. She is just a “no nonsense” type and he is used to our wonderful, peppy, FUN Tracey from AK. She had listened to me and was NOT teaching Look Say reading yesterday. I observed what she was doing and it will be very simple for me to do it at home now. I’ve been asking for ideas to use at home since November. I noticed that they were doing NO exercises whatsoever for his flaccid face. Afterwards we had another talk. I asked about exercises for the flaccid face. Oh – she hadn’t NOTICED. I know this is her very first job out of college….but moms at the park have noticed this. {sigh} I then asked when they were going to schedule the hearing exam and told them AGAIN about the family history with deafness. She apologized and said “This is my first client and I didn’t do his eval so I didn’t know we had these issues!” ARGH – I wanted to say READ THE FOLDER!!!! But I didn’t. I was very polite but firm. It helped that they knew I was ready to call the district special ed supervisor and tell her they don’t have the tools to fulfill the goals on his IEP…..they knew that because I told them that on Tuesday. I’m finally learning how to fight for the kids {g}. She stated that the sounds he is having difficulties with are all on a certain tone and maybe he IS having trouble hearing that tone….da duh! She asked me what I was working on in phonics so that she can work with me…..great idea huh? She is going to research and have exercises for him by Tuesday that we can use at home as well. I’m going through my copy of “Books Are for Talking To” by Jane Gerber and finding books that isolate the sounds she is working on at speech. I’m simply going to have to make it a point to observe once a week or so and to keep communicating with her. Part of the trouble is obviously that she is asking him to communicate about things he has no CLUE about…so when he doesn’t communicate much or not at all she has deemed his response “inappropriate”. The supervisor dislikes homeschoolers. They have sort of fallen into the “ah – this is a homeschool family – not teaching blah blah blah”. I dealt with that issue head on. I explained that I know she is trying to get him to communicate to observe his speech in normal conversations….but asking him “What is your favorite cartoon?” “What rock group do you like?” etc isn’t going to get her places. She then asked him about the park and couldn’t shut him up. {bg} I think she learned not to quickly label kids but to try another approach.
Adrienne called while I was stealthily observing speech. She had called my home and the kids told her we got all the work done but couldn’t come to the park because I wanted to throw up. She wanted to know if I would let the kids go to the park, and she would bring them home. Nolan told me “Mom, I think you need to work really hard when you feel good and lay down when you feel sick”. I thought that was sage advice. Pretty smart 7 year old! That was my plan. Of course, having the large family I have, all the park moms are now speculating on if number 10 will arrive in the winter. {vbg}
I ran home, picked up kids. I dropped Josiah at work. I planned to take Jared, Arielle, and Nolan to the park. Zander still doesn’t trust people quickly and so wasn’t going. Ah – Adrienne had a son like Zander and so is patient and understanding when he has a major melt-down or freaks out because someone TOUCHED him. I had printed up some forms for the lady who is organizing the produce co-op and needed to drop those off after dropping of Cy and before dropping the others at the park. She lives by the park so I swung by there. I’d printed the wrong forms. She wanted to follow me home immediately and reprint them. I couldn’t drop kids at the park until Adrienne arrived…so off home we went. Heather printed her forms, then took my kids to meet Adrienne. I finally went to lie down…..
In walks Adrienne, her kids and my kids. JaNae (2) had hit her face on a park toy…an airplane that goes back and forth. She was oozing blood from her mouth and nose. They hadn’t been able to see the damage yet. Her boys (4) went to play in the back with my boys. She slings her baby like an expert! He was quiet and content and I introduced JaNae to those frozen sugar-water popsicle things. Muhahahaha…..then of course she let her older boys have some too. I’m watching the boys today while she runs to a nearby town to get produce so I’m hiding all the popsicle things this a.m. They of course LOVE my house!
I suddenly realize it is 5:30 and Mike isn’t home. I am so glad I’d pulled two Chicken Pot Pies from the freezer in the a.m. NO – not Swanson – I’m a
30 day Gourmet. This has saved me so many times. Adrienne watched in horror as I pulled salad out of a BAG (ugh) and I told her I had something even more disgusting in my freezer….and smugly pulled out the “griller” breakfast sandwiches from Sam’s club. They taste like the ones at McDonald’s for breakfast…..I LOVE Adrienne. She has strong convictions (as do I for that matter) but doesn’t mind that our convictions don’t always match. She’s had 5 “supernatural births” and said the key is to get in a place where you believe for pain free etc. I told her I was in a place to believe for an epidural this time. :::snort::: She eats totally healthy…no sugar, preservatives, boxed Mac and Cheese….but laughs at my patterns…we eat “healthy” lots of fruit and veggies and such but I DO eat sugar and chocolate and have a box of sausage sandwiches in my freezer for quick mornings. She’s a jewel of a friend. She has a 15 year old daughter that I can’t wait to introduce to my girls this summer. The funny thing is that she has a baby just a month younger than Stacia. OH….funny from the Park on Wed. Adrienne and I are sitting under the shade. Another “play date group” was there. The moms were talking. They were very chic, very preppy, young and "together". They emphatically were condemning a “friend” who had decided to have a THIRD child. They would NEVER have more children because you can only adequately watch ONE child…maybe they’ll have TWO but NEVER EVER three…..and there we sit….with 16 children between us. I snorted…Adrienne was more dignified in her delight.
Mike got home and Adrienne realized her husband needed a call. She left to pick him up and my phone rang. I had forgotten to pick JOSIAH up at the mall from work. He had been waiting an HOUR.
We had dinner. Somewhere along the line I quit being nauseated and so ate for the first time that day. Family worship was great…Luke has some VERY long chapters. Adrienne dropped off a co-op catalog. I want Wheat MT Prairie Gold wheat but may have to get Hard White Wheat instead. I can’t find it here. I also can’t find a 7 grain mix and may have to make my own….I can’t find triticale but I could have a 6 grain mix.
Jamin has begun a second book.
Krista called. What a wonderful way to end the day! Mike and I were both able to chat with her. She was very excited to talk with us as we’d not heard from her for a couple of weeks. Someone had scraped the military sticker off her windshield and we stressed how important it would be for her to call Fairchild and let them KNOW that and to see how to get more stickers. I’m not sure if she can since the car is Mike’s…..but she needs to get on BASE to pick up meds. Great conversation…late to bed.
Today is sure to be calmer.
We did buy him a few paint ball accessories that he can use when they play at the Base paintball field. Zander promptly got his arm stuck in the “quick loader” (for paintballs). 
So far so good.
This stuff is really pretty good – Stacia attacks the spoon. 
OK Dad….ENOUGH PICTURES – Let a girl EAT! 
He was feeling well, Mike got home at 9 p.m. and we figured we’d better seize the day before the ORI begins in the a.m. Here are a few shots from the event. Zander cracked us all up when he grabbed a gift and ran it to Jamin. If you’ve been following our blog at all you realize that Jared’s birthday was in January and three of our boys had birthdays during this past week. Jamin’s is still a week away. Apparently, Zander had been noticing more than we thought. He ran the gift to Jamin and said “I think this is for JAMIN’S happy birthday”. We thought it was sweet. We tried to explain but he is very concerned for his “other brother Jamin”. It seems that Cy is “his brother” and the others are all “other brothers”. {bg} Every time he says it he reminds me of the old Bob Newhart show…”this is Darryl and my other brother Darryl”.
