Moving Back Home.....

I have Decided to Move all my Blogs back to One Place. My Manic Mom Blog is where you will be able to Follow Kaden's Journey!!! 
  


I Originally had only the Manic Mom Blog, But thought that I needed to Separate everything out.  Since then I have realized one Home is Enough!!!  :)  Hope to see You over there!

Bunny and an Imagination!!

What a month!!!  It has been a month crammed with sickness, moving, unpacking, sickness, sessions, adjustments and did I say Sickness????  It's been ridiculous around here.  We are a Family that hand sanitizes like it's a Religion.  We wash before and after we eat, take our vitamins and eat healthy.  What went wrong?  It is what it is, but it definitely was not fun.  And as I finally see the sick curtain start to fall to the floor I'm so excited to be able to enjoy our new house and get it unpacked and ready for the Holidays. 
Yes, I said it.....the Holidays are right around the corner!!!  We are so excited we may even put up our tree a week early.

So, what has Kaden been doing this month?  Well, he has settled himself in his own way.  At first kind of sticking close by, but now he feels familiar with the new house and ventures off all the time.  Our yard is much bigger and he loves digging around and bringing me treasure.  I tried to find my camera the other day because he looked so cute.  He had different colored socks on, a buttoned up shirt with a pair of PJ bottoms.  He had his backpack with two foam bats stuffed in it, with his calculator, an empty water bottle and a hat.  On top of all that he had this huge bunny that you can take naps on strapped over his shoulders.  He was walking all over the yard....he was having a blast, just the Bunny and an Imagination.....that's all he needed that afternoon. :)

Besides going on his little adventures he's been having sessions daily and school 3 days a week.  He's been studying Space still and learning about the weather.  Now, everywhere we go he tells us the different types of clouds we have looming above us. :)  He starts a Chemistry program in November, so I'm gearing up for that.  Please say prayers that he doesn't blow us all up.  He also started Art lessons and has picked up an interest in Poker, God help us.  He plays for hours and hours, between StarCraft and MineCraft.  
I notice his interests change frequently, but when he finds something he likes he dives down deep and soaks it up.  For instance right now we are learning about stained glass windows and the Art of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  He sat for 2 & 1/2 hours listening to a documentary on him and then completed his version of a stained glass window.  I will be posting his finished project on Our Homeschool Blog soon.

With Kaden's constant change in interest he keeps us all on our toes.  I'm thrilled anytime he steps away from the computer and dives into a good book or wants to learn something new.  I've found though it's all about balance.  Too much free time and not enough structure causes just as much of a Meltdown as it does when the schedule is too packed and he feels he's not able to have down time.  Finding that balance is key and hey....we're still working on it!  HAHAHAHAHA

New Autism Video Series with Kaden

Kaden has talked to me several times about wanting to help other understand Autism.  He said that it only takes 1 Kid to reach 1,000's of People and that he wanted to be that 1 Kid.  So, here he is in all his Glory.  The first video is really just a introduction to the camera for him.  But, the second one gets more into how his Autism makes him feel.  Hope everyone follows us on this Video Journey, he has a lot of Great Future Video Ideas!!!

Corn Pool for Christmas?

Corn Like you have Never seen Before!!!  I was a little leery on the whole pool of Corn thing.  But, Kaden on the other hand was not as Cautious.  Which for him was out of the Ordinary.  He is always Mr. Cautious and not sure of New Situations.  But, this was tooooo Darn Cool to Pass up! 

Corn was everywhere and Kaden jumped right in and made himself at home.  Of course Mahala immediately wanted to bury him in it.  Why is that the First thing a Sister wants to do to Her Little Brother?????

Anyway, I was Happy to see that his Sensory Need was being met and he was so into it, not even the Squeals and Occasional touch from the Other Kids Bothered him at all. :)

After almost an hour we were able to Drag his little body out of the Corn.  It took an emergency feeding to do it and the Promise of trying to rig something up at home that will Remotely Resemble the Almighty Corn Pitt.  Wish us Luck, because if You know Kaden at all, You know he has a Razor Sharp Memory.  HAHAHAHAHA  This Boy wont be Forgetting Our Little Deal at all!

The Sky's Limit?

What makes something have a Limit Mom?
Just an example of one of Kaden's Bedtime Questions.  Don't you just love all the Bedtime Questions late at night when all you can think about is total silence and a night full of Zzzzzzzzzz's?  I LOVE his Questions, I honestly do.  It's just at 11pm after 2 hours of going back and forth sometimes my answers just don't come fast enough.  HAHAHAHAHA  I'll get back to the "Limit" question in a minute.......

So, ABA during Homeschool hours have proven so far to be a PLUS!  It's nice to have that extra guidance and I even get an extra set of hands to help with projects and activities.  Normally I struggle getting the next activity prepared and ready fast enough, before Kaden notices he's not being actively engaged.  Simple crossword puzzles, word problems or mazes do the trick 75% of the time.  But, the other 25% of the time is enough Stank to my day that it will make you move as fast as you can to try and avoid it. :)

We are still doing the Solar System for Science and he enjoys pondering on the possibilities of what can't be seen yet. Notice I said the word "Yet".  What is tucked away left to be discovered makes his little hands itch with delight!  And it makes me happy to see him so interested in something other then video games. :)

Anyway, we are still doing Geography and working on his handwriting through his journal entries and writing from a Dictionary.  Yes, I said Dictionary.....he loves it.  I introduced him to it this past week, he was floored and was determined to find a "missing" word.  Why does he automatically go there?

Today we canceled therapy and school time because he is sick with a cold.  But, our plans this week is to start introducing him to the Fine Arts and do a more formal lesson on Classical Composers.  He Loves Classical Music and likes to announce different instruments as they begin playing.  I know he may not remember all that is taught to him and I have heard from a few people that will remain nameless that this may be way over his head because he is on the Spectrum.  I hate when people put limitations on a person.  Here we go back to Kaden's Question.  Why give up before even trying.  How do You explain to a child that he has a limit of what he is able to learn.  I know this 1st hand, because Kaden's Brother was in public school untill 6th grade.  They told me he would never go past 4th grade math.  He would never make it to college and that I needed to come to terms with it.  Well, for EVERYONE'S info Skylar graduated last year and made it all the way to Calculus in Math.  He is currently attending College and working a full time job.......he's 19 years old.  Drumroll pleeeease!!!!  BITE ME are the words that come to my mind at the moment.

So you see I think they are all wrong.....Kaden's capabilities are endless, I don't know what his future holds.  But, in the here and now he needs and craves the stimulation both physically and academically.   Even if certain people think I'm wasting time teaching my Autistic Son about Mozart, Platonic Solids, how to find Prepositions and Reading The Hobbit with him, I'm not!  And as long as he is Happy and Interested then I will be Happy and Learning right alongside him. ;) He has BIG Important Things to do with His Life!!!

Bringing ABA into Our Homeschool Room

Art Project during our Unit Study of Japan

Having Kaden's ABA therapist over for a morning of Homeschooling was awesome.  She was able to see how a typical school day fits into our already busy day.  I have to say Kaden was on his BEST behavior in the beginning.  He did extra math and didn't complain when it was time to work on his handwriting.  I was thinking she should just pack up her bags and move on in.  :)  So, half way through her visit I pulled her aside while he was in the potty to let her in on the Gig he was pulling. ;)  She knew and figured that that's how it would be.  After the "Potty Accident" (a whole other story) she went into the front room to work on some paper work.  She probably was just settled on the couch when he started to walk around the table, looking all around, getting frustrated and basically not wanting to finish the project we had started.  Bingo, I found Kaden!!  :)

I started thinking, ok if he can behave and keep focused for an hour while she is here, why can't he do it when she isn't.  I mean I only do maybe 2 hours of school with him as it is.  It's all about the structure and he knows what she expects and what comes next when it comes to routine.  I'm not good with routine, especially with school work.  My goal this year is to become more routine oriented when it comes to his school day.

After I talked to her a few days later, she had a list of things we could work on.  Number one thing is his independence.  I do everything for him, get out his pencil, hold the book, dress him, you name it he needs that attention or guidance.  The other day I let him put on his clothes by himself.  They didn't match and I was like whatever.  But, the shirt was inside out and backwards.  It was a collared shirt.  I was like Kaden!!!!  Isn't that uncomfortable with that collar flapping in your face?????  He said no it was fine and shrugged his shoulders.  :D  You just have to love him!!!  Of course I helped him turn his shirt around and he still wore the  outfit with one striped sock and one of his sister's that was bright white.  I figure you need to pick your battles and take one step at a time!  :)

Making a Japanese Zen Garden

I will start having a BT here with Kaden twice a week in the mornings along with all his afternoon care.  We will have a complete program and I am over the moon about it.  Homeschooling NT Kiddos is soooooo different then a Kiddo on the Spectrum.  I'm learning this just in time.  Reaching him academically is a challenge, he has a total different view of education and how he learns new information.   His mentality is do the important stuff first and get it over as fast as possible.  Nothing really captures him like a typical kiddo.  I made fossils with our dino study awhile back and we did a bone excavation.  He was excited to chip the dirt away and accomplish finding all the bones.  After that was accomplished it was soooo long Mom!  :)  And making the fossils was exciting for Mahala, but Kaden was more concerned about the sizes of each pieces of clay in proportion to each item we were trying to make a fossil with.  :P

The next 6 or 7 years will be very interesting!!!  I'm just thankful to have the ABA support to help me set a great learning foundation as far as his Learning Behavior.  I would strongly suggest if you Homeschool and have a Kiddo on the Spectrum, get as much ABA guidance as possible.  This is a 1st for the ABA Company we use, so this is all new for them.  But, they see the need and are very excited to learn new ways of therapy that they can offer.

Let's Stretch those ABA Hours

We are looking to get more ABA hours for the first part of each day during our Homeschooling time.  Not sure if they are on board to do it, but when I'm on a mission to accomplish something, dang it I get it done!  So today I sat and wrote out during our school time each problem area that I noticed.  Lot's of focus issues and staying in his seat.  Things that my other two kiddos I could say Hey....sit your butt down and let's get to work and they would actually do it.  Kaden, would look at me like I was crazy and probably go into a long explanation for the reason he is doing the behavior that I want to stop along with a lengthy meltdown.  Not such a fun thing, when you are on a tight schedule because you have to be ready for the ABA Team invasion to enter your house.

I would like him to use some of his ABA hours for learning how to be more independent, both with tending to himself and academically.  Now if it works great, if not then at least we tried.  We tried 7 months to get him to not eat with his hands.  Did it work?????  NO!  Do I care?????  NO, but at least we tried and when we go out he tries hard to use some sort of utensil, even if it's toothpicks.  Don't even ask..........

I have some great notes and will be making my point to the Team on Friday.  I hope we can get the hours, fingers crossed!!!  I know for them it might be hard to wrap their heads around the homeschool day setting.  So, watching it in action  should be all they need.

Kindness Makes MY World Go Around!!

Today I meet the Kindest Person in line at the Whole Foods Store.  She made a comment about the 20 containers of Rice and Almond milk that I had TOWERING in my cart. :)  I explained Our new diet changes and she asked how it was going.  And then she asked the reason for the switch.  I have to tell you after last weeks Episode of negativity from my fellow Sams Club shoppers I was a bit hesitant.  But, I was welcomed with a caring stream of questions and she even passed on some much needed encouragement and even a Kudos tucked in here and there.  I normally don't need my back stroked with indulgent Praise.  But, after last week a little Love and Acceptance goes a long way.  Here is My FB Post from the other day about what I'm talking about.  

 But, the other day we were at a store. One of the employees was coming into the store with about 20 carts. He was going over the bumpy surface that they had in front of the store. It was loud and annoying for me, for Kaden it was 10x worse. He covered his ears, dropped to the ground, started kicking and screaming to stop. I tried to pick him up and then I decided to let him work through it. Everyone was staring and shaking their heads. I felt bad for Kaden, because he's a great kid and I hated thinking that other people were sending out that negative vibe that he was anything other then the amazzzzing kid I know he is. Then this young guy walked by and said to his girlfriend or wife loud enough for me to hear that that right there is why he will not be having any kids. And older woman came to me and said back when you were a kid I bet you didn't get away with what he's doing, I know I wouldn't have let any of mine behave like this. I have 5 kids and 14 grand-kids. So, I stood there and waited fighting back tears until Kaden was able to get up and all he could say to me was van please. I don't have many interactions like this, but when I do Man do they effect me!!!


Have a Blessed Day!!!!

Mater on Mars

We had a blast last week, Kaden, Skylar and I went on a mission to Mars.  Mahala had to practice for softball and there is an area out by the ball field that has reddish colored dirt.  And since he gets so board and no matter how hard we try to entertain him he always runs out onto the field and I just know he is going to get popped in the head with a ball.  :)
So we decided to go on a little adventure to gather rocks and to examine the land.  He said it was an expedition, I call it almost 2 hours in the sun with very little water.  But, what can I say, it was fun and anything I can do to put a smile on his face makes me happy.

It started out slow, he was a bit overwhelmed with the wind, so he kept spinning and flapping his arms around.  Most of the time I just let him go, I know he needs this to feel centered and calm.  But, that day I did say a few hundred times to be careful. :)

On our little exploration we talked about Mars and the similarities and differences between Mars, Mercury and Earth.  He loves to debate, so no matter what I shared he had something to say about it or correct.  Just another conversation with my sweet Kaden.  :)  I love how his mind works.  He is filled with so much information that sometimes he can't even express it without getting frustrated just searching for the right way to word it perfectly as it is in his own mind. And then on the other hand he is still so innocent and childish.

By the time we made it back to the car Skylar & I had our hands full.   Kaden had full pockets and a shirt full.  Afterwards he ran to catch up with Dad and Mahala to throw a few balls.  He wants to be a pitcher.  I think one day he just might, but today he's my little Rock collector/Explorer!!!

Kaden's New Adventure

 Over the weekend Mahala went out and practiced 
for an upcoming Softball try out.  She is very excited and takes her softball v-e-r-y serious.  

Kaden has basically grown up with it all around him.  And naturally he would pick up on the rules and terminology.  So, guess what he wants to do?  Play baseball would be the correct answer for that question.  

 



And to be honest, he is actually very good.  He throws far, catches the ball with the right part of his glove and can remember most of the rules.  Now if he can just do all that while other people are on the field and a dozen or more sets of parents screaming from the bleachers.  :)  We will see, only time will tell.

I tried to get a video of him playing catch with Dad, but something happened to the picture it was all fuzzy.  I will try next time we go out.  He has the cutest stance out on the pitcher's mound. 

The New Blank Free Diet

Well, I think there is going to be a change around here....a BIG change!  I think it's time to take a look at Kaden's diet, our whole diet really.  Of course I have heard about all the Miracle GF, CF, SF and all they other fill in the Blank Free Diets out there.  And I always thought well I guess that works for you, but obviously that's not going to be our Gig.  As a matter of fact I think I have read probably 20-30 blog posts and articles that all started just like this one right here that I'm writing now that you are reading.  And after the 1st paragraph or so they hit you with their Revelation of the Blank Free Diet that has now changed their life. 

Now look at me, I feel like a broke down mule.  Because guess what........I have a story to tell.....a darn Revelation.  :)  I have nothing else to try, I have flipped over a lot of stones.  Now I'm flipping the Diet Stone.  

 I always go against the rules, I have my whole life.  You say pink I say light fushia.  You say rewind before returning I grin as I slip it into the drop box knowing I stopped it at the beginning of the credits.  Okay, maybe I haven't done that since I was like 20, but still.  :p  Point is I fight the current and in my life that has always benefited me.  It's what kept me strong and alive, but when it comes to my kiddos sometimes you have to break down and try things you necessarily wouldn't normally try.  

I stand firm when my Mother's instinct rears it's head.  But, with Kaden and his journey with Autism I have floated by on a raft made of dried up leaves laced together with hopes and fears.  I don't always hear the instinct in my head, I second guess myself....way too much.  

We have seen an increase in his aggression and a decrease in language off and on during the day.  He will revert to only making sounds probably 1/3 of the time he is awake.  Our whole family is involved in his ABA and social skills class, so the next logical step to me is diet change.  The Big reason I decided to give this a chance was because we figured the only real difference in his diet lately has been Crystal Light the past few weeks.  We are a water and milk family, sometimes iced tea.  So, I'm thinking it might be the artificial sweetener & dye.  

I have to admit it's overwhelming looking around online!!!!  I flipped out just with the amount of products available and weeding out all the crazzzzzies.  Sorry, if you are one of the Crazzzzzies, I'm legally Crazy, but not Crazy into this Blank Free Diet Stuff......YET!

I'm calling Kaden's the Blank Free Diet.  I'm going to 100% cut out the Gluten & Dyes.  I'm also thinking of less Casein, so I have him on rice milk & cheese.  He hates the cheese, so since it's one of his favorite foods I may need to find a better alternative or just pray less Casein is better then no Casein.  :)  I figured we would slowly make the change, but really it has been pretty easy.  I say that right now of course after just a few meals.  I worry about variety & flavor!

So far we are on Day 2 of our Diet Adventure!!!  Fingers crossed we will start to see results in a few weeks or so.  If you have any favorite recipes or websites feel free to leave them in the comments.

Building a Bridge for Kaden

Have you ever had something happen to you and you just KNOW it is a Direct Gift from God?  I have been fortunate to have had this happen to me several times in my life. God has been a Huge part of my life and I can safely say that I would not be here today if he was not walking along side me every single day.... many days carrying me.  

You can go back and look at some of my past posts to see what I mean exactly.  

Today I have to share with you the little Miracle that God did for me and my Family just a few weeks ago.  My Sweet Kaden is on the Spectrum and with that comes his literal thinking.  If he can't physically see something or figure it out on paper with a pencil then obviously it's a sham.  Over the years we have tried to go to church, but we can't stay more then a few minutes and then out the door we go.  So, as a Family it's been a few years since we have walked through the church doors together as a Family.  

That said, we read the Bible and Devotions weekly and pray every night.  But, the hard part is no matter what we say or do Kaden Questions the fact that God exists or that there should even be Religion.  Kaden has always been fascinated with Religion, different cultures and the way they pray to their God.  He needs concrete evidence.  The Bible is a book of stories and God is a character in it to him.  For me, that crushes me, it separates me from my Child.  I can't find an avenue for us to at least meet in the middle.

And then there comes the Miracle.....and it came in the form of a Review.  A review on a Book from Apologia, How Do We Know God is Really There? by Melissa Cain Travis.  Are you kidding me?  I was so excited I was beaming from ear to ear, I knew in my heart that this little book was going to be that avenue to reach Kaden so that he could connect the dots.  A lot was riding on this book....a lot!

When we got it I wanted to read it ASAP.  But, he said we needed to wait for book time, which was right before bed.   HAHAHAHA

Then I figured that it was probably best, so I read through it.  And I loved the story, I will not go into detail because I don't want to ruin it for You or your Kiddo.  But, I will say it was simply Amazing. The Art work is Colorful and eye-catching, even my 13 year old enjoyed reading it. Even though it is geared for younger Kiddos, the story can be enjoyed by the whole Family. 

Kaden read the whole book, straight to the end and asked a lot of Questions and had a loooooooong Discussion......2 hours almost.  

But, I will say that the night we read How Do We Know God is Really There an Avenue was built for my Son and I.  And I am so Thankful for this Miracle. 

This is the first in an exciting new series of picture books designed to introduce kids to important questions of the Christian faith in terms even pre-readers can understand. Read this aloud with your family, and you’ll come away knowing that “the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1). 

 Apologia publishes homeschooling curriculum and resources, and hosts online classes to help families learn, live, and defend the Christian faith.

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
 

Don't Judge Our Side of the Spectrum

This post is hard to write.  I love my Sweet Kaden, anyone who knows us or follows us on our journey knows how much he means to me.  But, sometimes the pressure of having a Child on the High Functioning end of the Spectrum can be so hard to deal with.  I feel so much pressure for him to get well or to snap out of it, yes I have heard those exact words spoken to me.  And I also feel guilt for my Son being HFA.  This side of the Spectrum can be so lonely.

 I know he taught himself to read at 2 and he can figure out simple equations in his head , but he is still developmentally behind by 2 years.  He has so many obstacles to climb over every single day.  And you know what, most of the time it takes the whole family to get him over them.  

 

His fears, obsessions, sensory processing dysfunctions, developmental delay and lack of social ability stops him in his tracks all day long.  And even though we are blessed at how verbal he is that doesn't make the meltdowns any better, because he is either shouting hurtful, negative things, screaming, making odd sounds and humming. 
 The other day at the park after his therapy he was playing having a good time.  What does he do that's fun?  Rolling around in the bark, and the slide.  Up and down, up and down, he loves the slide. :)  


  After almost an hour of dodging other kids, because remember he will not socialize and if he does it is usually awkward enough that the other kiddo has no interest.  Sometimes we have real good days where we find a child that he mixes well with.  I love that!!!  
So, it was time to go, I needed to get dinner started.  And then it began.  Now, please I don't need anyone to comment about discipline, because this is not a tantrum.  He was upset and repeated over and over that he was never coming back here.  He couldn't leave, because we were never coming back.  I tried to calm him down and reassure him that we would be....it's 1 block from our house. :)  Nothing was working, he was rocking back and forth, screaming, hitting and took his shoes off and managed to hit Skylar in the face with the shoes.  Honestly it sounded and probably looked like we were kidnapping him.  I was terrified, it is so scary whether it is your 1st or millionth meltdown to go through.  

He was throwing himself on the ground, hitting his head and trying to hide from us.  At this moment I know he is thinking of running, not safety.  A fairly busy street was about 15-20 yards away.  Only bushes between him and the street.  So, keeping him calm enough to not run that direction is the only thing on our minds at that moment.  This is why I never like to go alone with him anywhere.  Unfortunately, he was off and running in a minute and Mahala basically leaped off the top of the play structure and tackled him down by grabbing his legs.  Thank the Lord that she didn't break her legs.  I'm also thankful that both my older kids would not hesitate one minute when it comes to Kaden and his safety.  
 

 The two oldest carried him to the car, allowing everyone to see the show.  I shutter to think what was going through their minds as I pull up to the curb with my van and we stuffed him in as he's screaming he will never be back.  I was fighting the tears because I needed to remain in some kind of control.  

I had to go to the drug store to get something for Skylar's eye and Kaden reached for the door to jump out.  Screaming how he wanted to die then to be with us.  The hurtful things that stab you in the heart are the worst.  But, deep down I know he is the one in the most pain. 
When we finally made it home he was wild flinging his body, he refused to get out of the car, so we took turns staying with him.  Then all of a sudden like someone flipped a switch he started crying out in pain.  He had cuts all over his hands and legs.  I'm assuming from the bark, even his pants had holes from dragging his knees on the play structure.  He was Kaden again, not meltdown Kaden.  He apologized and didn't even remember why he was so upset and when we reminded him about how he was worried about never going to the park again.  He thought that was silly.  And he sat down and explained to me how his brain worked differently then ours.  It almost feels like we live in a Prison and when meltdowns occur, especially outside the home we are on High Alert, sirens, flashing Lights and all.  But afterwards it feels like we just return to normal, doing whatever we were doing or want to do.  The lights and sirens can all be turned off for now.
I will share his talk with me about how Autism lives inside his brain tomorrow, because his ABA session is ending now.  Pray for Our Sweet Kaden!!! :)

The Scrappy Side of Bento

Kaden's Pretty Breakfast

 I just thought it would be funny to show what happens to all the pieces from Kaden's Bento Boxes.  People always ask me what I do with all the left overs and don't I hate wasting food.

The Answer is obvious in the following Pictures.

At least Mine came with a Big Iced Coffee!!  Can't complain!

Kaden had Flower shaped sponge cake with chocolate and sprinkles with Strawberries!

Mom's.......Breakfast

Just Pedal that Peddle Cart!

Kaden was riding all over the neighborhood the other night in his Peddle Cart.  I find it sooths him being so close to the ground and he can actually handle it, unlike his bike.  He has a hard time still staying upright on his bike.  He has training wheels still and he rides the left one like mad.  Basically he rides on his front tire and left training wheel.  He reminds me of Forrest Gump.

Speaking of Forest Gump....I love that restaurant!!!  Anyone else been there before?  If you ever get a chance to go...RUN....RUN to it and order your self the Bucket of Trash.  It's so yummmmmy!

Anyway, back to the Peddle Cart.....

He was just about to turn off of the sidewalk to cross the street when all of a sudden the steering column broke.  He was so sad.  :(  Honestly I was afraid he was going to have a melt down.  But, he surprised me and just skipped along home while his older brother drug it back home.

Now we need to get the parts to fix it, would hate to go too many weekend without one of his favorite toys. :)

Not too Busy to Bento

 Kaden say Hello!!!  Been Supper Busy Lately, trying to get to a place to begin our Summer schooling!!!!  YAY!  I like to make Summer School more Fun and Interest Based, so I have been Busy Planning. 
Here are a few of Kaden's Bentos from this week.....He actually helped me make these three!  He's such a little Helper. 

Under the Sun

 It was suppppppper hot the other day and we decided to finish up a lesson we had started a few weeks ago about the Sun.  We did many experiments that afternoon before therapy.  I have asked for afternoon sessions, because it's much harder to get him to focus in the later part of the day then first thing in the morning.  I am happy to report that we are now officially afternoon!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

I'll post some more pics tomorrow along with our experiments.  Here is a glimpse of an Exhausted Kaden lounging in my lap after a long morning under the Sun.

Memories Now will be Memories Later......

I Lost my Dad to a heart attack when I was just 11 years old.  And my Mom died barely a year later.  All I had as I was passed from foster home to foster home was a bag of pictures.  They are very important to me, but I don't know the story behind the smiling faces.  Scrapbooking wasn't a thing 25 years ago like it is today.  Even though we were an extremely close Family those Special Memories they had were never passed down to me.  Who would have thought they would have left me at such a young age????  

You can bet I document everything and have made a ton of scrapbooks for each one of my children.  Honestly, I think about my Parents a lot and wonder what life was like for them.  Especially on Holidays or when something monumental happens.  Like my oldest is Graduating our Homeschool this year.  I wonder what it was like for my parents when they graduated.  I bet they had some crazy after party and what about all the anticipation of the future?????  I have nothing at all to pass done to my kiddos about their Grandparents.  Makes me sad, but when I heard about this Innovative Program I have to admit I squealed with delight!!!  

So, the past month or so I was given the opportunity to use Saving memories Forever.  It's an App/Internets site program that allows you and loved ones to record your stories and treasured memories from the past.

Here’s how to get started.  Visit the Saving Memories Forever website or your app market and download the app.  You can get an account for free or pay $3.99 per month or $40.00 per year.  Honestly, You Can't put a Price on Your Memories!!!  Once you are signed up you are ready to go, it's pretty easy and user friendly. Here are some extra Helpful tips.

Don't forget to go check out how Saving Memories Forever came about, thanks to Harvey and Jane Baker.  You can stop by and say hello to them on Facebook or Twitter.

Sign up right now, You have Nothing to Loose only Cherished Memories to Pass on to your Kiddos and Grandkiddos!!!  You wont regret it.... 

 

 

Horse Therapy Rocks for Autism!

 Kaden has been back in the Saddle for a few months now.  We took a break over the Holidays and Winter months.  The place he rides also had to close their doors for awhile, thankfully it was during the Holidays and cooler months last year. 

His riding skills have improved so much.  I have to say, I was a little doubtful on the whole horse therapy idea.  But, I am super glad that we gave it a try.  We first heard about it from a friend that has MS.  She had been riding there for awhile and she had seen kiddos out riding too.  I called them and they had a great, affordable program for Kiddos with Autism!  Yipeeee!

I think it has gave him confidence and something positive to look forward to each week.  And it helps with coordination, core strength and social skills.  A riding day has not come up that he wasn't ready to go with a BIG Smile on his face!!!

Amazing Spanish Program for Kaden!

 

I have to start my review of Spanish for You! with a back story.  It is a story that my Family has yet to let me forget about and when they found out I was asked to Review this Spanish Curriculum they expressed their condolences for Debbie Annett and her Spanish Curriculum.  Okay, now for the back story....  In college, I needed a foreign language and there was a Spanish class open at the perfect time between my other classes.  The teacher was amazing....I loved him.  We had themed lunches, outings as a class and the lectures were never boring.  The only problem was that I could never seem to pass the class.  I took it not once or twice, but threeeeeeeeee times.  Close to the end of the 3rd semester my Spanish Teacher took me out to lunch and said that maybe I should give Spanish a rest.  He loved me in his class and could see I was trying, but knowing two languages is not for everyone.  I mean who has that said to them!  Only me, HAHAHAHAHA

My Sweet Family has never let me forget that.  And when I brought up the review they kind of laughed about it and I was a little intimidated.  I know it sounds silly, but I was.  I wasn't sure how this was all going to go down.  To my SURPRISE though after getting everything organized, cut, printed and put into folders it seemed doable.

Kaden who is 6 and 13 year old Mahala Boo did it with me.  Yes, I took the challenge on myself because I figured even though it's geared for 3rd-8th grade I probably fall into that category. :)  After the 1st lesson we were all excited with our handful of new words we had learned.  By the 2nd week I had recalled things I remembered back in college.  I was planing on just doing it 2 days a week, but the kids were so into it that we ended up doing a lesson just about every single day, even on the weekend.  The kids LOVED the artwork and hearing the audio clips in both non and native tongue.  I loved the playful and simple approach.  I was not intimidated teaching it even with my bad experience in college.  The kids also enjoyed doing the extra Activities and Games that you can find Here.

My kids are sad that we have went through the whole book almost and are dying to get their hands on the next one.  So, you don''t have to wonder at all if we will continue this program.  Because the answer is Yes!!
                                

Spanish for You! is for kids in 3rd-8th grade, but my Kaden is 6 and Loving it.  This Program is designed to effectively build speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as grammar knowledge. And your Kiddos will have fun while doing it!!  Here are some Highlights:

• Self-study, family, or class use
• Affordable - an effective, quality program to last an entire school year at a price you cannot beat!
• Flexible - Go at your own pace.
• Easy to use - Just follow the lesson guide & go!
• Time Saving (and More Money Saving) - Use one package with students of multiple grades at the same time.
• Fun - Uses simple games and activities to engage students

To purchase your very own Spanish for You! Curriculum click right Here!   You will not be disappointed, you will only become Bilingual....and that's the point!  :)  Debbie Annett is so Amazing and thoughtful that she even offers Free Mini lessons and Worksheets on her website.  Thank You Debbie!!

 

The Happy Scientist

Kaden went to a Birthday Party last week.  It was his first Birthday Party ever to go to, so it was exciting for all of us.  The Birthday Person was having a "Mad Scientist" Party", complete with a "Mad Scientist"!!  Kaden was a definite No from the moment he found out.  He handed the invitation back to the kiddo and said no thanks.  Thankfully the Birthday Kiddo is in Kaden's social skills class so the Mom didn't give much thought about Kaden's refusal.

Cool thing about the party was the fact that they were having it at the center.  YAY!!!  That meant there would be helpers to get all the kiddos through the party.
On the day of the party Kaden still didn't want to go.  Everyone had explained to him that "Mad" didn't mean that he was angry and wanted to hurt him.  We ended up being 30 minuted late, because we literally had to drag him into the van and across the parking lot once we got there.

When we opened the door the lights were out and the "Mad Scientist" had flames coming from one hand and the smell of burnt hair filled the room.  This was not a good 1st impression.  Zooooooom, there went Kaden!!!!  Thankfully the staff was ready and he was safe, just scared.   Kaden kept asking why they can't be called the Happy Scientist.  That he would like that more. :)

After a nice, comforting conversation and the help of a Staff sidekick we got him in the room to enjoy the last half hour or so.  He was able to answer a few questions correctly about electricity and lightning.  And then he saw how fireworks were made and at the end he was able to make glow in the dark slime.

The important thing was he was smiling by the end of the party.  I was proud of him for trying so hard.  I know some people might think, come on it's a party for gosh sakes.  He is 6 years old, cut the cord!!!  But, the difference is the look of fear in his eyes is real, imagine being sent to a huge volcano to plunge into or being trapped in a burning building.  It is a true fear for him to be in social situations.  The noisy, smells, activity, even just the thoughts of a social environment becomes so overwhelming.  It will take time, but he is one step closer. 




I remember when he was almost 5 and we went to this amazing event at a local church.  They had turned it into Bethlehem.  Kaden was so overwhelmed by the music, amount of people and all the different pictures and scenery that he had a full on breakdown.  It was tragic the way he was shaking and rocked his head back and forth while screaming so loud with his hands over his ears.  It was like he was on fire, he looked terrified.  When he wasn't screaming he was calling out numbers and hitting himself.  It took all we had to get out as fast as possible.  This was before we knew a diagnosis.  This was when people said, he's just a boy, he'll grow out of it.  He looks normal to me!!!!  Well, after all we have been through as a Family....I agree!!  He is normal, maybe not "Your Normal".  Or what the World thinks is "Normal".  But I wouldn't change this little guy for all the money in the World!!!!