Gage was playing with a magnadoodle last night and started writing words. I saw jet, met, pop, pig, fat, hat… it was AWESOME. He draws faces in the letters, but it’s a start. I’ve heard stories of Autistic children who’ve never communicated verbally or with sign or PECS starting to write or type messages to people. Maybe writing will be Gage’s medium. I can certainly live with that. He HAS communicated verbally though, just not a whole lot. Since he’s been in this school though, he’s done more repeating. Not just a single word from a sentence, entire sentences. I find it encouraging. I’m thinking I might try taking Gage to Friendly’s this weekend, just the two of us. I think it’d be cool, and I want to see how he does. I can always get the food to go if it doesn’t go well.
I’m going to the Red Cross auto sales place tomorrow to look at cars. Here’s hoping I’ll find something that I can afford that is in good enough condition. My requirements are small. It must run, have all of the necessary parts, seatbelts are required. Heat is also required. It also must be able to pass inspection.
I love to keep a few good, unique gift ideas in my back pocket for when I have a really hard person to buy for, or when someone asks for a gift idea for their wife’s brother-in-law, that neither of them really knows. Things like the Flying Alarm Clock at Vat19.com, for example. I mean, even if it was never used by the recipient, who wouldn’t at least get a good laugh out of something like that? You know everyone you showed that to would ask for a demonstration. It would, of course, lead to other people getting one if they seemed particularly amused or interested in it. Or you could be bold and get one to actually use.
the kids had McDonalds today, courtesy of Grammy. It was really cool, especially since Gage took the McNuggets out of his box and ate all 4 of them before he touched his fries. Usually he eats the fries and it takes some convincing to get him to eat more than a McNugget and a half. Maybe I should invest in some chicken nuggets — he might actually eat them. I might also attempt some fish nuggets, might get lucky or something.
Work was good today. I had an amusing moment… one of the songs playing over the intercom was “Mr. Spaceman” by the Byrds. I was dancing a bit and a customer commented that I couldn’t know the song… so I started to sing along. She was surprised. What can I say, I love all kinds of music, even if it’s from many years before I was born. Just like the people who thought I was weird because I was singing along to Elvis. Elvis is awesome… he’s the man… or was. He still kicks serious ass, musically speaking.
Gage doesn’t have school tomorrow, so I’m home. Maybe I’ll break out the ceramic eggs for painting. He did some of the wooden shapes that Rob gave me, he LOVED it. He painted them pretty cool, too. A couple of stripey fish and some bunnies. I need to pull out a bigger assortment for him next time. Eggs should be interesting though, I got watercolors for them to be painted with, so they’ll probably turn out really pretty.
I’ve always wanted to take a cruise. I went on one once, sort of. It was a day cruise, so we left from some port in Florida at 7am or so and came back at like 8am. There were no stops, no ports of call, and not much fun. We swam in the pool for an hour or so and wandered around. At one point I recall standing outside the casino for a little while while my father went in and played a few slots. That was it. I’d like to go, someday, on a real cruise. The kind that takes awhile, visits nice places and is all around fun. Sometimes, when I’m in the mood for a little fantasy vacation planning, I check out the cruise specials at CruiseLocators.com. I think I’d most like to take a cruise to Alaska or somewhere in Europe. There are some very interesting sounding European cruises that aren’t to the standards like the Mediteranean — Baltic cruises, for example. Hawaii would also be nice, of course. There are some cruises to the Orient that would probably be a lot of fun. Cruiselocators.com even has specialty cruises, like a Lord of the Rings tour — which sounds really interesting.
Is it weird that I really love working at the grocery store? What can I say, I love the grocery store — always have. I could wander a grocery store for hours and never get bored with it. As a matter of fact, I HAVE done that. Someone I used to hang out with and I would drive around late at night, and sometimes would go wander the 24 hour grocery stores for awhile. It was fun. If I could find a job that allowed me to do grocery shopping for other people, it would be the perfect job. I know that it’s possible — stores that do home delivery or in store pick up have people who do the shopping for the orders. My store doesn’t do that, once they start, I’ll have to ask about changing positions — it would just be too perfect, you know?
Being one of those gals who is “well endowed” to put it politely, I often have a hard time finding bras and bathing suits that fit. Especially since the rest of me doesn’t really “fit” that particular proportion. I have a pool party for my nieces birthday to go to next month, and being able to find a Full Busted Bra to go with the bathing suit bottom I already have would be wonderful. The top I have now is ok, but it doesn’t fit my chest quite right. As a matter of fact, the fit is quite wrong — the top is stretched so much when I wear it that you can see white lines where the fabric is stretched to the near breaking point. It’s not attractive, and everytime I wear it I’m afraid that I’m going to end up doing some R-rated variation on the chest burster scene from Alien. Biggerbras.com has a huge selection of bathing suits and bras that come in appropriate sizes for me — I’m seriously in heaven browsing this site. Now I just need to find one that matches the bottom I already have.
So, it’s Valentines Day. Nothing special. Did some ceramics and bought a few things at WalMart today. Gave Gage a little heart shaped box of chocolates, and since Michael and Madison are going to be here this weekend (along with Gage and Kalina), I got some ceramic eggs for the kids to paint. Got water colors for them to paint with instead of regular acrylic paint — I figured it would be easier to clean up if it gets on the carpet. It’ll also be nice and light and give a “dyed egg” look to the eggs. They can keep their eggs or give them to Grammy to put into a basket for Easter decoration.
For Gage’s class, I got him some Pirates of the Caribbean valentines and special lolipops. They’re Winnie the Pooh Saf-T-Pops, with letters and numbers on them. I thought they’d be really cool for the class, especially since they’re made on dedicated equipment and so they’re not exposed to or made with peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs or wheat gluton. Which basically means that they’re safe for any allergies in his class (there is a peanut allergy) and any special diets (dairy and/or gluton free).
I’m working on putting together a small sensory kit for Gage. Just so he can have some “sensory time” at home. I’ve tried things like rolling him up in a blanket and stuff, he doesn’t seem to dig that. I’d like to get him one of those body sox — I think he’d really enjoy it, but they run about $45. Can’t afford that at the moment. So I got him a special ball, a groan stick and a glitter wand to start. I’m going to get some weighted stuffed animals and perhaps a small weighted blanket soon as well.
Nothing else really going on for <3 day. Although, mom did get me a little bear with a rose and some heart lolipops (she also got stuff for her grandkids), and one of my best friends got me a really cool omelet pan and spatula — the pan is square, so I can also do perfect eggs for fried egg sandwiches. Color me bizarre, but I think that’s a really awesome gift.
Internet access is up and running again, woo hoo. This is a good thing.
Work goes well. What can I say, I enjoy the grocery store. It’s cool to see all of the groovy things that people buy, and as weird as it may be, coupons make me happy. Getting a discount is nice too. Employees get a 5% discount. It’s not much, but considering the really low markup on groceries, it’s damn generous of the company to offer it. So it’s “only” $5 off of a $100 purchase, but it’s $5 in my pocket at the end of the day that wouldn’t have been in my pocket at the end of the day — at least that’s how I look at it.
Been getting some ceramic relaxation, too. Now I understand why my mom has always been such a fan of painting ceramics. It’s so relaxing to just sit and paint… to contemplate the color combinations, to mix unique colors for certain projects — just gotta remember to write down what you’re using for a particular piece, especially if it’s a custom mix. You never know if you mixed enough of a particular color. So far I’ve finished a turtle, a lighthouse and a fish. I’m working on a faerie sitting on the moon (almost done). I’m doing her in a mix of blues and purples, with lots of irridescent and metallics. I’ve also got a really cute treehouse I’m working on and a shark in the wings. When they’re done, I’m doing a goblet with a dragon on the stem. The goblet I’m going to do with glaze, so it can be fired and, if I choose, drank from. That one I probably won’t, because of the way it was poured. But I might get one later from greenware and ask them to pour it differently.
I think when I’m done with what I’ve already got on my itinerary, I’m going to start doing some seasonal stuff. The shop I go to has seasonal items (for all seasons) on display all year round. So I could do some Halloween and Christmas stuff if I want, or I could do some stuff for upcoming holidays. There’s a huge selection of really cool pieces for all the various holidays. I can also get some ceramics that I’ve had in need of firing for several years fired soon. That’ll be nice. I can finally get them painted. One of them is a Christmas tree and one of them is a ceramic Christmas card that I’d wanted to give to Carrie for Christmas. When it’s painted, I’ll be sending it to her. I have to take those out and clean them, actually.
I weighed myself the other day, and I’ve lost a couple more pounds since December. My goal is to be down to 130 or so by May or June, and a little more toned. I have no objection to walking or riding a bike to work, so that’ll be helpful towards that particular goal. I think I’ll wait for slightly better weather though. The cold would leave me hacking up a lung while I’m working, that wouldn’t be a good thing.
It’s been awhile… we’ve been having some ‘net issues. They should be completely resolved by the end of next week. Till then internet access is rather spotty.
Once the access is back, I’m going to start doing a series of computer courses, most of them web-based. Then I’ll be getting various certifications. Joe is helping me get into that. In the meantime, I’ve found part time employment at my favorite store… the grocery store, he he. No, I’m serious. The grocery store is my favorite store. I love the grocery store. It’s money. I’ve also started going to a local ceramic shop with Rob every now and then while Gage is at school. It’s relaxing to just sit and paint and chill, Rob and his mom are great company, we have lots of laughs. So far I’ve painted a turtle, a fish and a light house. Gage claimed the turtle as soon as he saw it, the fish was for him, and the lighthouse was for mom. I’m working on a faerie sitting on the moon, and I’m contemplating a tree house at some point. It’ll be more detail than I’ve ever done, but I think I can do it… As I said, very relaxing. Everyone should try it sometime.
Gage is doing really good in school. He’s doing his lessons and picking up a lot of stuff. He came home and announced “I am a boy.” He’s been using this site online called Starfall.com. His teacher mentioned it to me and I checked it out. It’s really cool. He’s doing the pre-reading lessons now, and he handles the mouse really well. He clicks where he’s supposed to click and clicks and drags what he’s supposed to. It’s pretty cool to watch him.
It was not a perfect New Year’s eve, that’s for sure. Sisser was at the hospital with her daughter. It was scary, to say the least. She had an infection on top of an infection, which resulted in something called Ataxia. It was a frightening experience, to say the least. One minute she was perfectly normal. The next minute, she was stumbling all around. Within an hour, she couldn’t stand or sit up on her own. So she spent a few days in the hospital. It took a neurologist (believe me, just the WORD scared the hell out of all of us) to tell Sisser what it was. She’s pretty much back to normal now, still a little off balance sometimes, and she needs constant supervision for a few more days. She can go back to day care next week. There are bruises all over her face from stumbling and falling. I think what scared me the most was how fast it hit. It’s not contagious though, which is a good thing.
I have always loved to shoot pool. It’s a great game combining luck and skill. More skill than luck, of course — I’ve noticed that people who are really skilled at geometry tend to be very good at the game, maybe I should have paid attention at school, eh? I’d be a better player, at least. There’s a special place in my heart for pool tables. Someday, when I have a house of my own, there will be a pool table, maybe two. My parents used to have a table. It was just an old bar table that they bought somewhere. The coin accepter was a little iffy, but we were still able to get the balls out and play a good game. There were many hours spent as a family playing. My step-dad is really good at the game and when you play him you have to call your shots, not just take anything that goes in. The times when my parents were away, my sister and I would be up for hours, sometimes all night, playing pool and laughing. Some incredibly good times were had around that pool table. I’m a firm believer in the idea that having a pool table and a set time every week for everyone to play a little tournament would make a great family activity. My sister and I made up all of these really funny “house rules” that we wrote on a piece of posterboard and hung in the room with the pool table. Everyone who read the list was amused, there were many references to Happy Gilmore. My parents got rid of the pool table about a year ago, I was very sad to find that out. They still have their really good pool cues though, which is nice. They plan to get a new table eventually, a good quality billiard table, I believe. That would be a good thing, I always wanted to get my step-dad a set of NFL pool balls, Redskins vs Cowboys. Personally, I’d like to get the swirled balls for myself someday.
The new year has begun, most people make resolutions that they intend (conciously or sub-conciously) to break… I’ve done that before, myself. Last year, I kept at least one of my resolutions… to lose weight. I have to admit that I was a little surprised to find when I stepped on a scale a few weeks ago (for the first time since February) that I’d lost about 30 lbs last year. So weight loss is one of my resolutions for this year…
Lose 20 lbs (hopefully by May)
Tone my physique a bit (again, hopefully by May)
Try Gage on the glucose-free diet, with doctor’s support and the many glucose free alternatives to pasta and bread that the store sells (if it helps him, it would be well worth the expense, I think)
Get some form of job training/marketable skill
There are other things I want to do, but those are the things that I’m bound and determined to do this year. My list of resolutions. Woo hoo. Are you thrilled? I knew that you would be, lol. So what are your resolutions for this year? I’d put “eat better” and “exercise more” but I think they kind of go hand in hand with “lose weight” and “get toned.” No need to be redundant. Yes, there will be more salads. I’ll also be moving around more, since as of January 12, I’ll be a cashier at the grocery store up the road.
I decided to do 3 pictures of the week this week. I’m probably a little late, and I’m sorry about that if you’re keeping score. These are Gage and my niece Kalina playing with the dogs. The dogs are Tonka and Shelby — my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Mark’s dogs. Tonka is a Lab/Husky mix and Shelby is a Lab/Doberman mix and they are gorgeous. When they came over, Gage and Kalina went wild. They were in hog heaven, running around chasing the dogs and playing with them. Gage laid down with them several times and just cuddled. I almost got a picture of the two of them trying to “herd” the dogs out of the foyer one night, but just missed it. Imagine if you will though… These kids aren’t tall. 2 1/2 to 3 feet or so tall and the dogs are pretty damn tall themselves. It was a funny site. Kalina is cuddling with Tonka in the one picture, and the dog in the foreground of one of the others is Shelby.
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Gage has been doing pretty good in school, he’s enjoying going in and seems to like his teacher and his class. I’ve talked to his teacher and she seems great. The class focuses on the applied behavior analysis technique, which I’ve heard a lot of good things about. As a matter of fact, I remember seeing a kid interviewed on The View earlier this year who had been treated using that technique and was living a very normal life. I think it’ll help Gage quite a bit. He’s already said a few more words and done more repeating — Joe asked him “how are you?” last night and he repeated it and when Joe said “I am good.” Gage said “Are you good?” followed by “I am good.” It seems like there’s already been some progress, which is nice. He’s sleeping good and seems to be getting accustomed to the new people. He even stopped pushing Kalina, although Tammy was told by someone who works with Autistic kids that that’s often a way of acknowledging other peoples presence and showing affection. But he does still pat her on the back and sit with her when they watch a movie together.
Joe is gonna help me get some computer stuff as far as job training goes. Licensing certification and stuff like that, which he says I could quite easily do and make a good amount of money at. Some other training, too, like share point and some other stuff that I forget the name of.
I’ve always been a big fan of natural medicine. In my experience there are fewer side effects and bad flavors from natural or alternative medicine. Personally, I’ve used it to treat bronchial issues, colds, and stuff like that. But it can be used to treat more serious conditions – I know people who use natural medicine to help control their diabetes or to help ensure that they’re getting good nutrition. Natmedtalk.com is a nice place for those who are fond of natural medicine – it’s an alternative medicine forum where you can discuss alternative medicine options and information. There are a number of forums on the site, categorized by whatever it is that you want to discuss on the subject. A good set up for finding the information you want or getting advice from people who have tried and true natural medicine remedies and techniques. Checking out the site, I found a lot of good information that I didn’t know before, I even think that some of the stuff on the forum could help me control my hypoglycemia. So if you’re interested in learning more or giving natural medicine a try, it’s worth the time to check out the forum and asking a few questions.
