Becca is really into cheering on the Olympians. However, she believes doing so should be a team sport. She kept calling for her dad to come see this or come watch that. No breaks allowed for us while she was watching the games. She has even verbalised that we must watch as a team. It was interesting to see her understanding of competition during the Nordic combined. I watched as her body tensed up while she watched the end of the race and cheered loudly. Yeah USA!
Archive for February, 2010
Go! Go! Go! US Olympic teams!
Sunday, February 14th, 2010Red Light, GreenLight
Friday, February 12th, 2010Do you remember that childhood game?
I do!
When I was twelve my brother counted up all the kids on our street. In one block, on just our side, there were fifty three of us from birth to eighteen years old. Back then there were no fences and the backyard ran from the top to the bottom of the block. We had a six house stretch of lawn in which to play red light green light, red rover, kick ball, dodge ball or anything else we could dream up with fifteen to twenty players per game. The best games were hide and go seek at twilight. With porches on the fronts and backs of all the houses, alley ways in between, the car lot on the corner and a huge ten foot high bushy hedge running three quarters of the block at the back of the yards there were hundreds of places to hide. We only had three restrictions; you could not cross the street, you could not go around the corners and you could not go inside the houses. What a way to grow up. I can still hear my mother’s solution for sibling squabbles ringing in my ears “Go outside and play! You are driving me crazy!” We were more often than not outside.
Wow what dredged up these forty year old memories? Becca did. I picked her up today to take her to FTEA for her equine therapy session. Two blocks down the road she pipes up with “Nancy, the green light means go”. So of course I ask about red lights. Then remembering that she had mentioned playing red light /green light the night before my brain fires and catches on to the thought “ohhh teachable moment”. So off goes my mom/chauffeur hat and I plunk on my mom/speech therapist hat. I have a twenty minute drive ahead of me with stop lights every five blocks a topic initiated by my daughter (unheard of) and of such interest to her that she did not clam up the minute I tried to engage her in conversation. Trust me I got all the mileage I possibly could including the concepts of top middle bottom, left center right, continuity of where the red and green lights are placed (you see we are not sure that Becca is not color blind) even engine revving tire squealing and brake noises. It actually was a fun drive.
FTEA helped us out by ending today’s session with a game of “Whoa” & “Walk on” to red and green cards. Before coming home we stopped at Costco. The second time I stopped the cart Becca pipes up again with “red light” and again with “green light” as I started to move again. Then came the request to play red light /green light. So I took off the mom/therapist hat and pulled out my plain old mom hat, true I had to dust it off (it was thick with dust because I haven’t used it in so long) but I plopped it on my head and began to play and laugh. We had a good time stopping and going while calling out red light /green light all through Costco to the amusement of many of the customers and sample ladies. Two women we know caught us playing. I think they were more than just amused they actually enjoyed seeing our game. My heart was thrilled to be interacting with my daughter and having fun doing so.
Spelling it out.
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010At least one person has commented on not being able to understand the post on FTEA & New hairstyle equalling increased confidence.
If a person has never been exposed to the handicapped population and has no handicapped people among their friends and acquaintances I can imagine that they might be confused. It is difficult to understand any topic if you have not had the chance to learn the basic underlying facts. Frankly, life for handicapped people is different than what the rest of us experience and as uniquely different for each one of them as their handicaps vary from each other. Lately I have been trying to help people see, feel and understand what is it like to live life in my daughter’s shoes. I want you to understand. Forgive me if I have not expressed myself clearly enough. I will continue to try and increase my clarity.
Handicapped people are no longer hidden away in family homes or in institutions. They are out in public places. We see them in stores and restaurants on a regular basis. Let me tell you now they also see you in all your varieties. They and their families clearly see and feel the bad manners of many “normal people”. They see the people whose bodies visibly recoil when they look at them. They see the noses wrinkle up in disdain showing disapproval and a (false in my opinion) sense of superiority. Eyebrows that knit together and eyes that darken in disapproval at the voices that are perceived to be to loud, at inappropriate and untimely comments, at the disoriented behavior or weird clothing/color choices they happen to be wearing. There are usually medical reasons for these “strange” behaviors. Things they have absolutely no control over. It is so sad that the above responses coming from “normal” people do not have equally valid reasons for being publicly displayed.
Fortuanately such ill mannered persons are increasingly in the minority.
Most people just go about their business paying as little attention to the handicapped as they do to anybody else moving about the mall or other public places. They do no harm and even allow handicapped and their families a sense of being no different than anyone else.
Then there are those of you who blessedly still practice good manners. You do simple things like smile and say hello. You hold doors open for us even though it means waiting for our loved ones to navigate steps or the door way. You nod and say things like “that’s nice” when you are enthusiastically given information that makes no sense. You may even take a few minutes to hold a conversation about an appropriate topic like; “what are you shopping for or what are you eating.” We are blessed by your kindness to us.
Added an “About” page
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010In my effort to organise and update my site I have added an “about” page.
Thank you for your comments
Friday, February 5th, 2010For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet I do not belong to the computer generations. Your comments, however, are making me aware of things that could make this blog better. Things like figuring out how to use categories in posts. I need to work on labeling the past posts by catagories rather than just by the date order they were written in. You also have me looking at templates. I at least found were they are. A few months ago I couldn’t even wrap my mind around what a template was let alone consider changing it. Not trying to ignore you just trying to figure out what you are talking about, who to respond to and how to respond. Figuring it out one term and one click at a time.
Four Benjamins
Friday, February 5th, 2010I believe I wrote somewhere in my posts (I need to figure out how to catalogue them better) about a family who has been choosing a cause each Christmas and donating to them the collective money they would have used on those small gifts that adult siblings give to each other. Last night I was handed an envelope with Four Benjamins inside. My eyes popped. Personally I may see one Benjamin every few years. I am far more familiar with Andrew Jackson.
Thank you Eileen & Dan for asking your family to consider us this year. Eileen I am glad it was your choice this year. We are so grateful and so honored. Have to decide if it will go towards finishing the fence or our lodging during training.
To date we have received $458.60 and a promised x large dog crate towards all the things we need to get and do.
Now only a ??? days to wait.
Thursday, February 4th, 2010??? days left and guess who is getting scared? Not Becca! I have been thinking about having to care for an animal which will likely be as big as my daughter. Just thinking about it is overwhelming. My mom always said having a dog is like having a two year old forever. Becca’s baseline is about three years old. Whoa boy! Two beings the size of small adults and with toddler minds. Yeah!
Following is something I wrote tonite for the 4paws family network decided to share it with all of you as well.
OK everyone think: “Whistle a Happy Tune” from The King And I
(Mom’s verse)
When juggling all the balls
that make up my crazy life
I think about adding a dog
And I just want to run and hide
How will I ever manage
To control a dog that huge
can I ever pass certification?
Will my disaster make the six o’clock news?
My daughter needs this S.D.
Of this I am convinced
But will I survive, so disorganized
Oh God is it to late to quit?
Oh someone give me a hug
And the strength to carry on
For August here I come
The days and clock just keep ticking on.
(Child’s verse)
When ever I feel afraid
I think of my new friend
And make my funny noise
And (s)he is there to calm me down
When walking in the mall
I no longer get lost
My tether keeps me tied
And safe beside my mom while she shops
The result of this connection
Is very strange to tell
For while I get independence
My mom gets some as well.
So , I travel with my S.D.
And my S.D. watches me
And life is getting easier
Because I have a friend who walks with me.
And Yes I write when I need to get something out of my system.
And Yes I am stressing about being disorganized and the size the SD will need to be to tether my adult daughter.
And Yes I am trying to stay upbeat thus the catchy tune and the second verse that was actually written first. Figured I might as well be real and write the mom’s verse too.
Since my hubby laughed out loud when I shared it with him I’ll be brave and share it with you.
Nancy Tally
August Hot Dogs 2010
