Christmas

Christmas was relatively painless this year.  Once again, we were able to put up the tree.  In past years, Todd pulled the down the tree so much, we always gave up and just put it away.  He was like a cat, just couldn’t resist climbing up in there and timber…

This year the tree stayed up.  He was tempted by the lights a few times.  He would stare at me with his finger moving in slow motion toward the lights.  Sometimes he stared at me with his open mouth in slow motion moving toward the lights.  Electrocution would have really put quite a damper on Christmas, but my disapproving return stare was enough to deter him.

Both sides of the family have gotten good at getting Todd-proof gifts.  No small chokeable pieces, nothing with stuffing that he can rip open and eat, just sturdy heavy-duty stuff and touch screen electronic toys that light up.  Nothing that makes too much noise – not that it’s a sensory overstimulation for the kids – it’s a sensory overstimulation for Daddy. J

Todd’s class went to Orland Square Mall to see Santa.  His teacher told me Todd quietly sat on Santa’s lap, touched his cheek very gently and smiled.  Sean’s class also visited Santa and both kids were sent home with the sweetest photos of Santa with their class.  They did the same thing last year.  Last year, Todd’s class photo with Santa showed Todd freaking and turning away from the camera.  This year, he was calm and posed, smiling nicely.  Like I always say, little things mean a lot, especially with ASD kids!

message from school

This morning, I received the following email from my kids' school:

**The Elim Christian School community offers our thoughts and prayers for the families of Newtown, Connecticut. We grieve with that community as colleagues, as parents, and as fellow Americans as they try to deal with this senseless tragedy. Like many of you, I’m sure, I cannot make any sense of this horrific situation. I’m confident we will hear more details about the how and why of this tragedy, but there is no real way to come to an understanding of this. And while I can’t understand it I can call on our God in heaven who promises in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

I also want to let you know that the safety and welfare of your children, our students, is our top priority. We have crisis policies and procedures in place, and we practice lock down drills twice yearly. In the next few weeks I plan to review our procedures with the administrative staff and with the local law enforcement agencies to make sure we are doing everything possible to keep students and staff safe. If your child has questions or concerns related to this incident please let us know and we will have one of our counselors speak with them.

Many of you know that Elim has a trained comfort dog named Abbi. Mr. Griffin, assistant principal for Crossroads, went with Abbi to Newtown so that Abbi can do what she is trained to do, and that is to comfort some of the people impacted by this tragedy. Please pray that Abbi will be a blessing to those who need her and pray for the children and families impacted by this terrible and violent act. Pray that somehow they might rest in the knowledge that our God is there with them in their sorrow.**

 

I'm sorry we live in a world where it is necessary for our children to practice lockdown drills.  I'm also glad the boys' school did what little they could to help an enormous situation. Little things mean a lot, as we continue to pray for those who continue to suffer and will continue to suffer for some time from what happened last week.

Special Needs Movie Event 12/22/12 in Orland Park-Monsters, Inc.

Ability On The Go!  presents:

 

Monsters Inc in 2D

 

Who:  Children and Adults with Special Needs

(Family and friends are welcome, too!)

 

Where:  Marcus Theater in Orland Park, IL

(16350 South LaGrange Road. Orland Park, IL)

 

When:   Saturday, December 22nd @ 10:00 a.m.

(NO PREVIEWS - movie begins promptly at 10am)

 

Cost:  $6.50 for ticket and popcorn

(Purchase tickets at the counter upon arrival – cash & credit cards accepted)

 

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Enjoy a new-release movie with your entire family in an understanding environment

without the worry of possible disruptive behavior causing a scene. 

 

SENSORY CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDE:

·      Reduced volume of movie (please note:  there is an uncontrollable burst of noise at the very start of show; volume is able to be adjusted once movie begins)

·      Dimmed lighting (not completely dark)

·      NO PREVIEWS!

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Registration is not required, but an RSVP is greatly appreciated to plan accordingly for staffing and accessibility for all movie-goers.

 

Please e-mail Jennifer Koller: slpjen@gmail.com by Thursday, December 20th

Good article regarding news sources linking violence to Asperger's

http://www.autism-society.org/news/autism-society-no-linkage.html

Chula Vista - Wisconsin Dells

Traditionally, we spend Thanksgiving with my father’s side of the family.  The cousin who usually hosts went out of town this year to Myrtle Beach.  We thought, why don’t we go out of town, too?  We spent Thanksgiving this year in Wisconsin Dells.

 

Wisconsin Dells is like Vegas for little kids. There’s even a main strip and old downtown area.  Many childhood family trips were made to the Dells, as it is only a four hour drive from Chicago.  My husband and I have brought the kids to the Dells several times. 

 

This year’s Thanksgiving trip was exciting for my brothers who had not been to the Dells since childhood.  We had two first-timers – my sister-in-law, who is from San Diego and my six-month-old nephew.

 

On my last visit to the Dells in April, we had a buffet dinner at Chula Vista.  It was fabulous and the kids actually behaved!  The resort is off the beaten path – you keep driving and driving deeper into the woods until you think you must be lost and then there it is.  Actually, about a mile before you reach Chula Vista, there’s a sign by another facility that says, “Chula Vista one mile,” leading me to believe they must get a lot of travelers who believe they are lost.  My brother determined they had a suite big enough for the whole family (9 of us), so we decided on Chula Vista.

 

Two experiences I want to report – the mother of two (twin) classmates of my boys reported to me that when her family stayed at Chula Vista this past year, the pullout couch-bed smelled like urine.  She was given attitude by the staff, especially the housekeeping staff.  Those were her only complaints and the rest of the visit was positive. (We didn’t have any dealings with the housekeeping staff, as we were staying in a condo, which is only cleaned upon check-out.)  My husband’s aunt spent New Year’s Eve at Chula Vista a few years ago with a group of friends and had a fantastic experience.

 

Our road trip to Chula Vista was uneventful and our cell phone GPS was accurate for once.  The condo was beautiful.  Cathedral ceilings, nice kitchen, roomy living and dining areas, three bedrooms, two with en suite bathrooms, one with a balcony, one community bathroom off the dining area.  The living area had a fireplace – the flickering flames were a hologram and a vent just above the flames blew out warm air.  There was a large flat-screen tv right above the fireplace and tvs in each bedroom. 

 

The balcony was in our room, but the balcony door was camouflaged by heavy curtains.  The kids thankfully didn’t discover it was there until the last day.  The only criticism I had was the lack of child locks on the doors.  The balcony door easily opened and the front door had a bolt/bar lock, but it was down low enough that Todd was able to open it.  We had issues with him trying to escape out the front door.  When we stayed at Disney World over the summer, the doors were much more secure with child locks up high. 

 

Chula Vista has an indoor water park.  This was very kid friendly.  When we stayed at Mt. Olympus this past April, there was only a small kiddie area and the non-little kid friendly areas were close to the little kid area and not cordoned off well.  At Mt. Olympus, Sean kept taking off and trying to jump into one of the pool areas restricted for older and more experienced swimmers.  The Chula Vista park is entirely kid friendly.  The kids can run around and not easily run into any danger zones.  It consists mostly of water slides.  Sean went on every single one.  There is one that is a water slide-rollercoaster combo, one where you go head first down the slide on a mat – he tried everything.

 

There is a spa on the lower level of the resort.  The spa primarily specializes in massages.  My sister-in-law and I got pedicures.  They did a good job!

 

As usual, we really enjoyed the food at Chula Vista.  Thanksgiving dinner was done very well.  The turkey was juicy and tasty – not easy to do when cooking for so many people.  There were many other meat options – chicken, beef and pork.  There were kid options like chicken nuggets and mac & cheese. There were fish options, a ton of sides and a huge dessert table.  Everything tasted great and was well-prepared.  The only criticism I would have would be that the reservations could have been staggered better.  We waited in line for quite a while, even though we had a reservation.  This was tough, as waiting is so difficult for autism kids.  About halfway through our meal, the restaurant was empty.  Then when we were leaving, we saw an even bigger line for those with reservations, this one about a block long.

 

We usually end a trip to the Dells with a trip to the Tanger Outlet Mall.  Since this time we were visiting over Thanksgiving, I took a pass.  Much as I love shopping, I hate crowds, so I am definitely not a Black Friday shopper!  I prefer ordering gifts from my computer and having them delivered.  

 

On the drive home, we made the requisite stop for Wisconsin cheese.  My kids love cheese curds.  My husband won’t touch the stuff – I think because the name sounds gross, but it’s really just globs of yellow cheese that taste like mozzarella.  My Todd could eat the whole bag in one sitting – I have to cut him off. 

 

Overall, we had a lovely visit to Chula Vista.  We enjoyed having a destination Thanksgiving.  This may become a new tradition! J

follow on Twitter

I am sorry I haven't been posting much lately - so much going on between shows, work, trips and the holidays.  For those who do the Twitter thing - I am on Twitter as @snippygirl66.  I post links to articles and sites that are relevant and interesting to me and those like me :)

iPads through Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks: announce that through the generosity of Sevenly.org and the James W. Pickle Foundation, 625 financially disadvantaged individuals with autism and schools will receive an Apple iPad 2! Eligible applicants are individuals who: - Have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder by a licensed professional, - Reside in the United States, - Have limited income and cannot afford to purchase an iPad. Note: If you already submitted an application for the iPad 2 grant in February 2012, you must re-apply to be considered for the new round. Technology Grant Timeline December 3: Online Application Opens December 7: Application Closes December 7-14: Review Committee Selects Recipients December 17: Recipients Announced and iPads sent out!! How to Apply Applications must be submitted by the person with autism, an immediate family member of the person with autism, or a licensed teacher, social worker, or therapist. The Technology Grant Review Committee will review eligible applications based on established criteria and select the iPad grant recipients. Some applicants will be contacted by staff for follow up information. All applicants selected to receive an iPad 2 will be contacted on December 17. Others will receive an email informing them of their status. Visit the AutismCares website to apply! You must create a login and select Autism Speaks iPad Grant. Note: Please DO NOT complete the application entitled "AutismCares Application" if you are applying for an iPad. Only those applicants that complete the application entitled “Autism Speaks iPad Grant” will be considered. Note: Only applicants in the United States will be considered. We cannot accept applications from outside the United States. Earlier this year, Autism Speaks was able to award 180 iPads to families across the USA. Read more about it here! Questions or comments? Contact Serena Selkin, Family Services Grants Manager at sselkin@autismspeaks.org or (917) 475-5059.

Other Autism Resources: Blogs Books Catalogs of Products Manuals and Tool Kits Video Tools and DVD's Websites for Families Quick Links: Autism in the Workplace 100 Day Kit Local Resources Community Connections Participate in Research Studies School Community Tool Kit Autism Video Glossary With your support, we can help families in need.

Aut

ADHD in Young Children: Unlocking the Secrets to Good Behavior

This is a great article - raging ADHD behaviors are so common with ASD kids...I checked out the website - several other interesting articles.

ADHD in Young Children: Unlocking the Secrets to Good Behavior

Special Kids Day 12-5-12

This looks great - we will try to make it out there...

http://specialkidsday.org/events.htm

Music Man

I am once again blown away by the kindness and tolerance directed at my child in yet another show, "Music Man," performed with the Beverly Theatre Guild.  My husband and I know too well that Sean can be hard to understand.  The theatre community is the polar opposite of our neighbors. Theatre people “get” him better than the general public. When he exhibits "behaviors," they don't judge and he works through what he needs to work through.  I think those with artistic abilities exist on a different level and that level is closer to the wavelength autistics are on.  He has fit right in as a kindred spirit with the theatre crowd. His teacher sent me a note asking if he was in another play because he was talking about rehearsal.

 He had a line this time.  This is a new concept for him.  I actually thought he wouldn’t get it and the line would just be assigned to another child.  That is sort of the case – it was made into a cute bit where each child says “good morning, Mayor Shinn” and the mayor is annoyed by all the attention.  Sean was initially set to say the line first, but was re-set to be last. He got it right every time and projected his voice nice and loud.  I’m very proud of him.  Baby step victories.

 

He's become quite comfortable having his photo taken.  Lots of photos are taken during the production of a show.  I received a phone call from his school asking if he could be videotaped as a demo to show other students how to have their picture taken.

 

He was fascinated with the technical aspects of the show.  During tech rehearsals, he was mesmerized by the lighting, sound and set activities and the communications between the individual crews.

We have so far been lucky in shows to have young people willing and able to “Sean wrangle” when my husband and I are on stage or changing costumes.  The other kids, especially the teenagers, are wonderful to him.

Sean was hilarious on the ride home.  During both “Wizard of Oz” and “Music Man,” he sang songs from the show in the correct key, a cappella, in the car.  He would imitate solos exactly the way the actor in the show sang them – even if they were off-key, he would sing the exact wrong notes that they sang.  He also chose different characters to act out at home – one day Mayor Shinn, the next Charlie Cowell, then Marcellus, Harold Hill.  Spot on imitations there, too.

He’s developed a better sense of sequence through both school and theatre.  A member of the costume crew was asked to help him with a costume change.  She came backstage, saying he wouldn’t let her change him at that point.  Turns out, she was told the wrong time to change him, it wasn’t time yet, he was correct!

There was a section during the “76 Trombones” dance break where he was center stage.  Sometimes he would do the dance, sometimes dance while looking at other dancers’ feet behind him, sometimes just stand there and grin at the audience.  When he would just stand there, the conductor and orchestra would encourage him to keep dancing.  The last few performances, he just broke out and did his own freestyle dance at this point in the number.  That got a good reaction from the crowd!  The smallest cast member can get usually away with stuff like that.

As in “Wizard of Oz,” a big group of teachers and therapists from Sean’s school came to see him perform.  I was so happy for them to be there, not just because it made Sean happy, but I’m glad they could see Sean up on stage.  When he came to Elim School, he could barely speak a few words and was so easily distracted he couldn’t focus on anything for longer than a few seconds.  He was lost in a fog.  Now, several years later, he’s able to sing, dance and act in a show.  The staff at his school had a lot to do with that.  They work very hard with him and what a lovely result!

 The show ran two weekends and he was so upset on the days all he had to do was go to school.  “I don’t want to go to school!  I just want to sing and dance!”  He’s officially a theatre kid!

In the end, Sean once again had a terrific theatre experience.  I don’t believe our director or music director have a background dealing with special needs children, however, they were absolutely wonderful to Sean.  They saw past his difficulties through to his abilities and spirit.  Our second to last performance, he came offstage after curtain call, threw his arms up in the air and shouted, “I LOVE THIS PLACE!”  I think that sums up his experience.

Our next show is “Scrooge & Marley,” with Opening Night Arts Group, to be performed at Trinity College in Palos Heights, Illinois the first weekend of December.  Sean will be one of the Cratchit children.  I will be playing Mrs. Cratchit, so if he calls me Mama on stage, no biggie, I am his mama in this show. I have been working with him on his line: “The goose has arrived to be eaten.”  So far, he says, “The goose is here and we eat it.”  Close enough!  Either way, I’m sure the line delivery will be received well.  More theatre posts to come!

Helping your special needs child understand the difference between reality and fiction at One Place for Special Needs

Helping your special needs child understand the difference between reality and fiction at One Place for Special Needs

Halloween 2012 Part 2

You know those moms who meticulously plan every detail of their child’s costume starting in September?  I’m not that mom.  I wish I was that woman who handwrites lovely thank you notes in a timely fashion and brings appropriately-themed hostess gifts to every gathering.  I’m not and neither was my mother.  Those women must know about a secret eighth day of the week that the rest of us don’t know about and that’s where they find the time to be all Martha Stewart.  Sean wore a Spiderman costume for his first Halloween that I bought online.  Second year, Todd joined us and the boys were the Scarecrow and Lion, costumes bought online.  Next, Sean was Thomas the Train (bought on the Thomas website) and Todd was his engineer – found blue and white striped overalls, a red bandana for his neck and a blue cap. 

 

The following year, I was way ahead.  Every August, we go to the Day Out with Thomas at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.  Nearby, there is an old-school theme park called Wild West Town.  Those cheesy low-budget theme parks are a rarity these days and that’s a shame.  I was sad when Kiddieland in Melrose Park, Illinois closed.  At least I got to bring my kids to Kiddieland once.  Anyway, in the gift shop of Wild West Town, they had little Civil War uniforms.  I bought one gray and one blue.  On Halloween, I just drew makeup mustaches and beard stubble on them and that was that.

 

This year, Sean decided he wasn’t afraid of Halloween and wanted to dress up at about 9:00 p.m. on October 30^th.  I was still skeptical, knowing he could easily change his mind by the time the bus arrived at 7:30 a.m. on October 31^st. 

 

Thank God for my friend Julie who gave me a bunch of costumes and accessories that her children outgrew.  This was in the summer of 2011.  This collection has saved my butt in providing me with costume options for my kids two years in a row now.  Yes, I put together their costumes Halloween morning.  Last year, Sean was also afraid until Halloween morning and Todd was having texture issues in regard to clothing.  Last year, Sean agreed to be Woody from Toy Story at the last minute and in the costume collection, I also found a soft gown, hat and a wand, so Todd was Mickey the Wizard from Fantasia. Back to this year.  First, I made sure Sean was still up for wearing a costume.  He was.  Yay!  I found a velvet jacket, black knickers, a pirate hat and a hook.  Captain Hook!  He was thrilled because he currently loves “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” on Disney Junior.  He also said his teachers would be “so excited to see my costume!” Todd was amiable to a costume as well.  I found bits and pieces of pirate wear and pieces of what appeared to be a Mulan costume, so Todd was a pirate-ninja hybrid.  He’s non-verbal, but was in high spirits – giggling and flapping all the way to the school bus, so I know he was happy.

 

Even if they weren’t going to wear costumes, I bought four bags of candy to send for the school Halloween party.  I also bought festive-colored baggies and sticker tags to put together gift bags.  I was so tired the night before and since we were throwing costumes together that morning, I just put the unopened bags in their backpacks.  I felt like such a terrible non-Martha Stewart mom! 

 

They had a great party at school and went trick-or-treating around the school building to different classrooms and offices. 

 

Tim and the kids picked me up at the train that evening.  They love watching the train pull in and then see me getting off the train.  When my train leaves our station, Sean says, “the train is now taking the nudders to their home, then going to sleep at Tidmouth Sheds.” 

 

They had a motherload of candy.  They were allowed to eat some and the rest was hidden to be doled out gradually.  Sean has a habit of literally eating (anything, not just candy) until he makes himself sick, so you need to cut him off.

 

After dinner (pizza and tater tots, two of their favorite things), we all watched “Addams Family Values,” “The Simpsons” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”  The kids think that Snoopy is hilarious and especially enjoyed the Red Baron sections of that tv special.

 

The upside of not putting up decorations this year is I don’t have any to take down today.  On to Thanksgiving.  I refuse to put up anything Christmas until Thanksgiving is over.  I refuse to skip over that holiday.  What a wonderful holiday that’s all about gratitude for the blessings in our lives!  Since I didn’t get to decorate for Halloween, I may go a little crazy with turkey and Pilgrim decorations this year.  We are spending Thanksgiving in the Wisconsin Dells this year at the Chula Vista Resort.  Since we will be eating at a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, I will be cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at our place Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

 

A blessed November to all!  I will continue to post on events as they occur! Thanks for reading! J

Halloween 2012 Part 1

Well, here we are again in November.  Where do the months go?  Yesterday, I reflected on Halloweens past.  When I was a kid, my mom would make my costume.  She loved the fact that whatever character I chose to be, I wanted the glamour angle.  If I was a witch, it had to be a glamorous witch.  If I was a gypsy, I had to be a beautiful, glamorous gypsy.  I also loved girly-girl choices like can-can girl, princess, queen, Princess Leia, ballerina.  All three kids in my family were bunnies for our first Halloween.  Mom would just sew a puff tail on a blanket sleeper and sew ears onto a hat.  Done!  We’re still in our condo that won’t sell, so we never have any trick or treaters.  There’s also no sidewalk on most of our street, so we have to drive the kids to trick or treat, usually to the homes of family and friends. 

 

Last year Sean was scared of some things Halloween.  This year he was scared of all things Halloween.  He wouldn’t let me put up our usual decorations and orange lights.  I tried to tell him wearing a Halloween costume is no different from when he wears a costume in a play.  Nope.  Couldn’t even bribe him with the promise of candy and other treats.  He has, however, been enjoying the Halloween-themed episodes of his favorite shows on Nick and Disney Junior.  He even enjoyed a series featuring a ghost named Spookly (reminiscent of Casper the Friendly Ghost) and his friend the Square Pumpkin.

 

This past weekend (and this coming weekend, stay tuned for shameless plug to follow in another post), my husband, Sean and I were (are) in a production of “Music Man.”  After the Sunday matinee last week, there was a Halloween-themed cast party.  I was worried.  We got there and Sean was completely mesmerized by the decorations.  “Mommy, look at this place! I love the Halloween party!”  All of a sudden, Halloween was okay.  That is, until we got home.

Curious about this play...

Came across an article about this show, "Falling," currently playing Off Broadway.  If I don't get to New York soon, I'd love to see this come to Chicago. I like the angle that it's not the sanitized version of autism - it's a reflection of the reality of it all.

http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/10/falling-a-play-about-autisms-less-fundraiser-worthy-side-.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ageofautism+%28AGE+OF+AUTISM%29

The show's website is:  fallingplay.com
 

Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

http://www.budgettravel.com/slideshow/photos-haunted-theaters,12550/#anchorTop

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/americas-haunted-restaurants-and-hotels?xid=DISH102912AmericasHauntedRestaurants

http://www.flavorwire.com/341493/an-essential-stormy-weather-reading-list?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Day%201%20%28Monday%29&utm_campaign=Unified%20Mailer#2

Forum for Parents of Young Adults w/Developmental Disabilities this Monday in Naperville, IL

One of my fellow ACE (my boys' school) moms is on the panel for this informative forum:

NapervilleWorks presents:

“Make the Day Matter”

A Forum for Parents of Young Adults

With Developmental Disabilities:

Scheduling Life Beyond Transition

Come to hear from families in our area about the activities their young adults with developmental disabilities are engaged in. Also, get tools and techniques for developing a positive and purposeful schedule of activities for your student after transition.

Monday, October 22, 2012

12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

City Council Chambers

Naperville Municipal Center

400 South Eagle Street Naperville, IL 60540

napervilleworks@gmail.com

napervilleworks.webs.com

630-842-7634

Eeeeeeee, just another day!

My kids are so loud, it makes me thankful for my hearing loss.

I no longer like the letter E, as it is screeched all day long.

Things must be thrown behind things, such as beds, couches, cabinets, dressers, tvs and the desk I am attempting to sit at.

Toilet water must be splashed everywhere regardless of what nastiness is in the toilet.

 

The kitchen must have an inch of water on the floor.  Little guy is in his room while I can mop the kitchen.  Surprised Peeping Paula (our nosy neighbor who looks like Paula Deen, no offense to Paula) isn't hanging out her window on the phone, pointing in our direction.

Wow, the door kicking just got quite loud.  Wonder if the neighbors will call the police because this accomplishes...?

I have my questions prepared for the next time the police are called:  And they called you because...? Your coming here will accomplish...? Your being here solves what problem, how? Of course, all done in the snotty voice of the David Spade character who worked for, I think, Dick Clark...and he would know you from...?

 

But I won $1 in the lottery today! Woohoo!

Stimming on Saturday!

For those unfamiliar with autistic lingo, "stims" are stimulating behaviors, which are a common feature of ASD.  These can manifest in many ways.

 

My younger son likes to line things up.  He can literally do that all day long.  He likes to open and close doors and cabinets, fridge, oven, dishwasher, as well as kick same and pound walls.  We have a big hole in our laundry room door and a hole in the drywall in every room.  One of the kitchen cabinets finally broke off.  I've been trying to think of a creative, crafty way to make it look half decent, since redoing the entire kitchen isn't an option right now.  Even if we could afford it, he would just destroy the kitchen again anyway, and that would really suck.  Murphy's law, it's never the thing on its last legs they break - it's the new thing, like my new stove. :)  The past few weeks, it's been water - turning the kitchen faucet on and off and on and off and eventually filling cups and bowls with water that is subsequently dumped on the floor.

 

 

Right now my older son is looping the preview that "Barney is coming up next."  I don't know what's more annoying, the Barney preview looping or the actual Barney show. :) My husband is thankfully at work.  If he was here, the repetition would drive him IN-SANE! I have a much higher tolerance for annoying sounds.  Anti-depressants are a beautiful thing. :) He also likes to loop You Tube videos, most recently videos of the show outside Cinderella's castle at Disney World.  He found video of the exact same show we saw this summer.  Watching him re-live it again and again is actually kind of charming. :) Brings a little tear to my eye to know how magical that trip to Disney truly was for him. The Disney music goes through my head all day at work, "find your dream, find your dream..." He also sings the same phrases over and over.  This changes daily.  It isn't so bad because he has a very nice singing voice.  Well, not bad for me.  That sends my husband over the edge, too.

 

 

My youngest brother, who does not have autism, used to love to repeatedly loop videos on the VCR when he was the same age.  He told me years later when he was taking film-making classes at Columbia College in Chicago that this came in handy for film editing.  In class, they had to repeatedly watch video loops and listen to sound loops to detect subtle differences when editing material.  Maybe he has a future in film production?

 

 

Anyway, back to our day...right now we're looping, "here on sproutonline.com..." nope, just switched, now we're watching Chica on Sprout do a finger painting over and over...definitely spending some time outside later!

Archie's Market

The link below is to the website of the mom of a classmate of my sons.  She has been selling unique autism items for years and has recently launched her new website!! We’re so happy for her and hope you will all visit the site soon! Congratulations !!!!!!! J

 

http://www.ArchiesMarket.com/ is FINALLY Launched. (many years...blood, sweat & tears). Check it out & please pass on to your contacts. We are offering a discount to celebrate the launch.. Use Coupon Code: WelcomeAboard & save 20% on your purchase. We also have a "local pick-up" option to save on shipping costs. We can deliver items to your school/business too (within 15 miles from Oak Lawn/Evergreen Park). Check in often, many new & unique products for the holidays & even more exciting is our upcoming FORUM. A place to discuss current issues, share information or simply escape. Thank You & God Bless, Michele (Shelly)

Peeks Through the Window

Todd's thing this morning was turning on the kitchen sink, pouring water into cups and bowls and subsequently dumping the water onto the counters and floor.  On the up side, the kitchen is now quite clean.  While I was mopping, I had Todd go to his room.  He was mad, so repeatedly kicked the door to show his displeasure.  This door and wall kicking is a constant source of the police being called. 

 

When I finished mopping, I went to Todd's room to try to redirect him to stop kicking the door.  I saw our neighbor across the courtyard hanging out her window, on the phone and pointing at Todd's bedroom window.  I think she fancies herself a neurology expert.  My husband calls her Peeping Paula because she looks like Paula Deen, no offense to Paula, who I understand is a lovely woman.

 

I really wish my neighbors calling the police would make my kids stop having autism.  Is that what they think?  The police have magical powers to stop repetitive behaviors and stimming?  I wish they did.  Oh no, that's right, they call the police simply because I'm a bad mother and I could easily stop the kids from being autistic at any given time.  I wish I had those magical powers!

 

In the meantime, Sean peed on my bed and two of my pillows, of course, my expensive memory foam pillow was the one most soaked. Sean is consequently suspended from computer privileges as a result.  So now instead, he is playing with his trains and making a high pitched train whistle sound over and over.  At least Todd is in his room being quiet.  I caved and gave Todd a chewable melatonin.  I try to dole those out conservatively because I don't want him to build up a tolerance.  The dose he gets is pediatrician-approved, 2 tabs to go to sleep, 1 tab as a chill pill.  I usually love Dr. Oz, but the hubs and I were annoyed by a recent episode about melatonin, how bad it is.  Just think relaxing thoughts and you'll go to sleep!  While perhaps and probably there are many people out there who take it too much and give their children too much, sorry, it's been a Godsend in this household.

I just took a shower a few hours ago, but now I feel slimy and sticky.  I woke up with a sinus headache, now I can barely see.  Thank God for coffee.  This season in the Midwest has been terrible for hay fever.  I haven't had sinus pain like this in decades.

 

Yesterday afternoon, I had an awful headache.  I started to doze on the couch.  My husband insisted I go into the bedroom, but Todd just cried outside the door the entire time I was in there.  I just gave up and went back to my day.  In the future, I hope he just lets me be on the couch.

 

We have rehearsal at 2 this afternoon for Music Man.  Theatre has proven to be very good for Sean.  He's very musical and the structure of being in a play really helps him as far as behavior, social skills, focus.  I feel bad about leaving Todd at home, but he can't handle it at this point.  I hope someday he can in some capacity.  Older autistic children of other theatre friends have helped backstage, helped with raffle baskets, tickets. Thank the Lord for Dr. Theatre!  Better than any prescription or therapy we could ask for! 

Caffe Baci

This a chain with several locations in the downtown Chicago area and has been one of my favorites for about 15 years.  There is a location in the building where I currently work and I could seriously eat both breakfast and lunch here every day if my wallet and waistline could afford it.

 

The breakfast menu has the usuals: omelettes, bacon, sausage, sweets.  My favorite is the veggie fusion: egg whites, veggies and low cal cheese.  You can substitute fruit salad for the side of potatoes if you’re feeling extra guilty (or not) that day.  The yogurt, granola and fruit parfait is a old standby or just fresh fruit salad in a cup.

 

For lunch, there are a ton of sides available.  You can order three sides as an entrée.  The side salads include fruit salad, tuna, chicken, couscous, pasta, vegetables and bean salads.  There are lettuce-based salads, too.  Their Caesar is a favorite of mine.  The sandwiches are some of the best in the city, in my opinion.  My two favorites are the JoJo Special and the Classico.  The JoJo Special has prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, basil and tomatoes.  The Classico is filled with Italian meats: salami, mortadella, capicola with provolone, tomatoes and giardiniera.  All the sandwiches are excellent.  The individual pizzas are baked to order.

 

I’ve ordered catering from here for various office events in the past.  The food is always consistent with the vegetable lasagna as a stand-out.

 

There are daily specials.  The specials are not always Italian, but always good.  Sometimes there’s a Thai special, or Spanish or Mexican.  There’s also a pasta special, pizza special, two soups of the day (the pasta fagioli is my personal fave) and a ½ sandwich and soup option.  The soup and ½ sandwich special is worth every penny, as the soup is usually so filling, I eat the sandwich for another meal and get two meals for the price of one.

 

For dessert, there are cookies, tiramisu, dessert bars and the best lemon bars I have ever had.  There’s also gelato prepared in-house, usually about 4 or 5 different flavors available.  The coffee is very good, too, just the right combo of bitter and smooth.

 

Caffe Baci has been around for a long time.  The food and service have always been consistently high quality.  Once I wrote a review for a credit card points program and the only criticism I had was that the website didn’t state when they stop serving breakfast.  Within a day, I received a personal email from management telling me I was right and they would correct this.  That’s an example to me of how much they care about their business and a reflection of why they have survived all this time.

 

http://www.caffebaci.com/
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Ghosts at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse is a dinner theatre in Rock Island, Illinois where I performed in a production of “Singin in the Rain” for about five months circa 1990.  The theatre is an old vaudeville house, beautiful, albeit somewhat rundown when I worked there.

 No sooner did the show open, I started hearing stories about the ghosts.  Years later, I tried to find information online to see if any of the said tragedies really happened, if these stories were local urban legends or rumors, etc.  I found absolutely nothing except one blurb from an Iowa paper mentioning the actors and waitstaff tell stories of ghosts.

 As a cast and crew, we experienced some “things.”  To this day, I can’t decide if these things were coincidence, our imagination or…?

This one is the story that most sounds like an urban legend.  Allegedly there was an engineer who worked in the building – the time frame was never mentioned to me.  Apparently he died in an explosion in the boiler room and his spirit is apparently angry about this.  Techies claimed to hear a voice in their ear telling them to “jump” when they were up on the catwalk or on ladders.  One evening, one of our leading ladies was complaining and complaining until suddenly a big blob of grease landed on her head.  Could have been a coincidence, but it shut her up and the rest of us found it quite funny.  I never personally experienced anything related to the creepy boiler room guy.

The female dancers’ dressing room was on the second floor and the costume shop was on the third floor, directly above us.  One night, I was lingering in the dressing room after everyone else left for the bar across the street.  I was almost at the end of a good book and wanted to finish it.  I heard the loveliest soprano voice singing upstairs.  I went up there to see who was singing.  Nobody was there, nor was there a recording or radio playing.  The next day, I talked to our costumer about what I had heard.  He said that legend had it that the costume shop used to be a dressing room in vaudeville days.  There was a fire and an actress/singer died up there.  He said he heard her all the time.  Were we both imagining that?  I don’t know, honestly.

The balcony of the theater was closed.  It wasn’t safe and at the time, the theater didn’t have the money to renovate it.  One night, while tapping in “Broadway Rhythm,” I looked up at the balcony and saw a woman in a long dress with a Gibson girl hairdo sitting in the balcony, smiling and enjoying the performance.  Several other dancers saw the same thing.  We were later told that was the third-floor soprano who died in the fire.  Were the locals playing a practical joke on us?  Maybe, but I don’t know.

 Ghost stories are fun to hear and tell.  I’m open to all possibilities while being skeptical at the same time.  The imagination is a powerful thing.  That said, I always had the creeps in that theater and I was relieved to not have to go  back there once the show closed. J

 

 

Bayside Market, Miami

We had some time between checkout time at our hotel (Madarin Oriental on Brickell Key, can't repeat enough how much I recommend that hotel) and our flight.  We drove around Miami, went past the Bayside Market and decided to kill some time there.  http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/  There's also a beautiful outdoor walkway with a lovely view of the Bay.

 

It is your typical big city mall with many of the shops you would find at any mall in a major city (i.e., Bath & Body Works, Claire's, Disney Store, Perfumania, you get the idea.)  There are also many Miami-themed shops.

 

We had a frozen adult beverage at Sharkey's.  You can sit in the bar or in the mall area.  The mall seating area has a beautiful view of Biscayne Bay.  The frozen drinks come in a souvenir plastic cup.

 

Before heading to the airport, we stopped for lunch at Bubba Gump's.  http://www.bubbagump.com/ This is a chain restaurant found in many cities, but we had never visited Bubba Gump's, even though we have a location in Chicago.  We got a seafood sampler.  It was so tasty and the seafood was very fresh.  It came with several dipping sauces.  It was the perfect light meal before traveling home.

 

A local mall is a good place to kill time when traveling and I definitely recommend this one. :)

Rachael Ray's Look & Cook

I'm a long-time fan of Rachael Ray and own several of her cookbooks.  When this one was released, I didn't really have an interest - I figured I had enough of her recipes in my repertoire and didn't really like the idea of the step by step instruction pictures.  I'm confident enough in my cooking that I thought I didn't need that.

 

I received this cookbook as a gift.  I was pleasantly surprised.  A lot of good stuff.  Many new recipes I hadn't tried that weren't just slight spins on previous recipes she's written, not to mention the fact that my husband likes these new recipes.  I've written before, he is a tough person to cook for - very picky and specific with his likes and the things he doesn't like. 

 

The majority of this cookbook is devoted to the new recipes along with the corresponding photo instructions.  There is also a 30-minute meal section, a section of sides and starters, desserts, simple sauces and one of my favorite features of her tv show - bottom of the jar sauces.  The bottom of the jar sauces are practical and perfect for someone like me who likes to get every penny's worth out of the things I buy.  For instance - peanut butter.  There's some left at the bottom of the jar, not enough for a sandwich, but the remaining peanut butter can be turned into a Thai peanut sauce or dressing.  (Except the time I made Thai peanut dressing, clearly relabeled the jar "Thai peanut sauce" and my husband inadvertently dumped it on toast, splashing it all over the kitchen.:)  There are ideas for bottom of the jam or marmalade jar, mustard, you get the idea. It's a fun concept to get creative with on your own.  (Fun to me, anyway:)

 

My mother taught me how to cook.  I have many happy memories from days shared with her in the kitchen.  She always encouraged me to be creative.  I remember once I made "fruit soup" for my dad.  I must have gone heavy on the lemon juice judging by the way his face scrunched up when he tasted it.  My mom said, "It's wonderful, he loved it!" and quickly whisked me back to the kitchen. Rachael Ray was just starting to become popular when my mom died.  My mom was a huge Food Network fan and I often wonder what she would have thought of the shows I follow on the network today.  I think she would have liked Rachael.  Rachael's ingredients are accessible, there's rarely an item you can't find at any grocery store, the recipes are easy, tasty and quick, and often she teaches you a method, not just a recipe.  Once you learn a method, your imagination can take over and create many more recipes.  That was definitely my mom's style.  My older son, who is on the autism spectrum, has developed an interest in food preparation and with these easy recipes, there are plenty of steps he can help me with.  My boys also stray from their addiction to chicken nuggets to eat some of these recipes-mostly those involving chicken, but hey, it's a change of pace!

 

In summation, this is a cookbook I had no intention to buy that was bought for me and is now my current favorite go-to cookbook for dinner.  It is available on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Rays-Look-Cook-Ray/dp/030759050X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348342921&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+ray

 

or at the Food Network online store:  http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Rays-Look-Cook-Ray/dp/030759050X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348342921&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+ray