So I Was Just Thinking

It is that time of month again…the time when my friends and I come together virtually for our discussion on the words of the year. This month we are using an animal to describe or word or ourselves. I choose the ant. The ant has received a bad rap throughout history as a pest, a nuisance, an annoyance. While in Puerto Rico, I would often be surprised to find ants in my sugar, but no one else would be surprised. In Texas we are known for a more ferocious type, the fire ant - certainly not a little creature to be reckoned with. While thinking about this critter, I began to realize the one thing no one has ever called an ant is lazy. When you see ants, what are they doing? Moving, carrying, building, preparing for whatever may come. If you destroy their home, the very next day they have set up shop just on the other side of the sidewalk. Which brings me to my story... In a field one summer's day, Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing gleefully. Ant passed by, bearing alo...

Thanks for all of the kind words to my daughter about her post. And NOW back to my regularly unscheduled post. Every time I see my daughter dance I am impressed. I think back to her earlier days around age 3 when I put her in a group called Texas Stars. They were a singing/dancing/tumbling group. At that time, we didn't know about her Asperger's . She was just a quiet girl who kept to herself. We used to have to call her by her first and middle name just to get her attention, and we used to have to do it several times. I would take her to class and sit in the lobby that was only divided by a thin curtain. I am sure her teacher was overwhelmed by Caitlin. Every class was filled with repeated calls to "Caitlin Rose, Caitlin Rose." (Be sure to add an annoying lilt to the call.) Despite the disastrous classes, when the group would attend grand openings and the like, Caitlin would pull out all the stops and shake her sparkly red pompoms, dance to Zippidy Doo Da or sign the...

Hi! It's me, Caitlin. I've taken over my mom's blog for a little bit and thought I should show you something. I made this little necklace at my aunt's house yesterday because I was bored. I just grabbed a bead from each color section in a little box of beads. When it was done, it was a little rainbow. While I was wearing it, I realized it goes well with almost anything. If you like it, I'd love to know. Mom said I can take a jewelry class sometime. This is my first step to becoming a fashion designer. I will make more jewelry, so try and keep up with them. Later, Caitlin

As promised, I have devised a plan to help Caitlin remember to do homework that has been assigned and turn in work that she completes (oddly enough, a very hard thing for her to do.) This binder looks normal enough. Most kids can put things in it and make it to and from school without much difficulty. Unless the inside of the binder looks like this: So today, went to the office supply store and looked for something a little more durable. I also pictured in my mind clear pockets with tabs so Caitlin could see that she had papers to take home or to turn in. Imagine my surprise when they had exactly what I wanted. I was also at Michael's next door a little earlier and found this: A pad of weekly calendars I put these things together like this: The idea is for Caitlin to be able to write the assignments she receives each day on the pad and place any worksheets or works in progress in the clear pockets. Once she completes them, she can place them in the pockets that have been labeled fo...

I am listening to James running around the house singing We Will Rock You while he waves around a leaflet that for the life of my can't figure out where it came from. It has coupons for Doritos and adverts for board games and video games. There's no telling in this house. Anyway, what's amusing is listening to him sing and describe the ads telling me what he wants for Christmas. "I have this one. I need this one. I don't know this one." After awhile the chattering gets a little daunting. Then I think back a year and a half ago when he was hardly talking and what he did say was unintelligible. I am thankful for speech therapy. I am thankful for my chattering chipmunk. I am thankful for earphones. Heehee. I will be back later after a little shopping to share my new organization strategies for my other wonderfully scatterbrained child. (I can't imagine where she gets that.)

Look what I got! My friend C sent me an adorable little purse. The great thing about it (other than the wonderful purple color) is where she got it. There is an organization, Eternal Threads , that is "dedicated to improving the lives of women and children most at risk of extreme poverty, trafficking and other forms of exploitation by providing sustainable livelihoods through income generating projects." It is quite serendipitous because just this weekend I was on some tragic movie trip and one of the movies was one about children who were destined to live the rest of their lives in the brothels of Calcutta, India . The movie left me with questions: What happened to the children since this movie's debut in 2004? What was the purpose of this movie? If you show people a desperate situation and don't give them any productive way to act on the ideas that are running through their mind, have you really made any social change? At least with Eternal Threads and other fair t...

I am so beyond frustrated. Everyday, I pick up my daughter from school because she forgets some assignment. Chalk some of it to defiance and some of it up to her Asperger's fog that she walks around in every moment of her life. Regardless, I refuse to let her fail a class due to not doing an assignment. I get out of work at 3:15 and drive over to her school in time to catch her coming out the door at 3:50. Each day is the same routine (learned only by trial and error.) I open my laptop and look at the scheduled homework assignments that the teachers have posted on the website - when they remember to post their assignments. My daughter and I go through her day, her homework and her binder to ensure she has every workbook, textbook and worksheet that she needs for the evening. Inevitably, she will have forgotten something, so I send her back into the building to retrieve said item. (I am hoping she will get tired of having to go back into the building and remember her things.) Today ...

I am of the mindset that when it is your birthday, you celebrate it for as long as you can. My children benefit from this because their birthdays land on Spring Break every year so we have fun on all the days surrounding their birthdays. This year year I was going to do the same for myself by going out with my husband and kiddos on Friday and having a Girls Day/Night Out on Saturday. Well, as they say, "The best laid plans of mice and men." Thursday's events put a damper on things, leaving me to postpone James' dental appointment to Friday. What transpired from there turned into an all day ordeal that ended in root canal for the little tyke. Needless to say, there was no going out for dinner for us. Saturday, however, went off without a hitch. I took my mom for a day at the spa which she ended up treating me to. We went home relaxed and refreshed, and I prepared for my girls night out. Usually, events that I plan have an uncanny way of falling flat, but this one went...

Hi! I have hijacked Annemarie's blog just to say Happy Birthday and to leave a couple of her favorite YouTube videos as a gift. Come on over to MY BLOG to hear more about my adventures in Texas. The trip is almost over. If you want to know what she is saying (I must admit I had to look) check out the lyrics here. She is a geek at heart. And now we shall return to the regularly scheduled blog.

Yesterday there was an orange moon. As we were driving home tonight, James said the moon was orange. I was surprised, so I asked Cait what color the moon was, and she said it was white. Then James said it was green. I laughed and said the moon can be orange, but it can't be green. We then entered a discussion of the colors the moon could appear to be including orange, white, gray, sometimes even bluish. James then said, "God can make it green." I said, "Yes, God could make it green if he wanted." James in turn prayed, "God, make the moon green." A moment passed and he then said, "God is talking to me....He said he would make it green." So if the moon turns green, you know God did it, and he did for James. My friend Georgia loves to hear stories about James. She is a friend I have known for as long as I have been married. We lost touch for many years, but reconnected about 2 years ago through the internet. As you know, I have a wonderful circl...