by beagoodmom on July 6, 2009
We went to the 4th of July parade with Grandma V, Papa, Bean, Uncle JB, T-man, Baby Belaina, and Aunt Kel on Sunday. As always, it was alot of fun. We have settled into some nice patterns. We always do the 4th of July parade with my parents. the Pumpkin parade with BAGD’s and the Festival of Lights Parade by BAGD’s grandma. One in July, one in October, one in November. That is our thing. The kids have come to like the routine and enjoy going back to the same events year after year. Geetle remembers certain floats each year. Pookie knows that anytime we park the car and walk along those streets, we are going to a parade. We get to see the family and do something exciting. Its a win-win.
Geetle loves to catch the candy; and they throw alot of candy in this parade. Of the 3 parades we go to a year, this is the only one that throws candy. And they do not just throw candy…they throw beads, ice pops, cartons of milk (it is Wisconsin, after all), bumper stickers, frisbees, little flags, baseball cards, etc. Geetle loves to stand and wave at the floats, then dash after the prizes.
She is a chewy-candy type of kid, loves tootsie rolls, airheads and things like that. So, the kind of thing they throw at parades is right up her alley. She enjoyed sitting on the blanket, playing with her cousins and family while she waited too.
Pookie is not a true *fan* of parades, but he participates. In his mind, why would he wait by the curb for the chance that someone might throw him a tootsie roll, when Grandma has a whole bag of Cheetos right here that she said he could eat? Pretty smart, when you think about it. But, we want him to be exposed to this sort of thing, and the tradition behind it. Just like always, he is a trooper and does his part. Maybe he is only doing it because he thinks its expected of him, but that right there is a great social skill for a boy of his special needs to have. 
I did get him to catch some candy, but he was just doing it because I wanted him to. Another reason parades are not his favorite thing is the noise. But, he wears his headphones and does fine. In fact, as we were walking to our spot (in front of Uncle JB’s High School Basketball coach’s house) he asked for his headphones. The parade did not start for over an hour, but he knows his weaknesses and takes precautions. He is a smart boy. 
This was Giggles first time participating in the parade-viewing. Last year we kept her in the stroller and I think she might have even napped. This year….no way. She is one of the triplets, you know. She had to get out there and catch candy in her little bucket.
She danced to a few of the bands, waving her hands like a conductor. She did not like the fire trucks (duh) but was very excited about the horses. 
She also petted a clown’s pet parrot and a dog from the animal shelter. I think she would say it was a good day.
After the parade, we headed for home. We stopped for pizza on the way and took out time with it. BAGD and I have figured out that on big days like this, is best to get home RIGHT AT BEDTIME, or as close to it as we can manage. Sometimes it means taking our time driving home, but its easier in the end. If we get home at 4pm the kids all wander around the house, grumpy, tired, unsure of what to do for a few hours. They pull out all the toys, play with none of them, complain about anything and everything, pick a fight and then we send them to bed, usually in a bad mood. Then BAGD and I have to spend the night cleaning up all those toys. If we wander home slowly and pull in around 6:30pm or later, we can send them right upstairs, take a bath, read some extra stories and then lights out. They are always tired enough to fall right asleep then. And there was no messes, no fights, no grumps.
So, that is what we did on Sunday, and it worked great. Pookie and Geetle are off toe Summer Camp today, another reason to get to bed early last night. Its Park and Rec day camp; monday thru friday this week. They were happy to go off this morning. I am waiting for the full report when they get done at 4pm today. I can’t imagine that it was anything but Super Fun. They get 2 days at the pool and lots of games, crafts, etc. But that is another post…as soon as they get home and tell me what to write about.
by beagoodmom on July 6, 2009
We have decided to send Pookie to the district’s new Autism classroom. Its probably not called that…it probably has a slick name…but essentially its for children on the spectrum who need moderate to high level support. Its the first year, but it seems like it would not be for Aspergers, since they would probably be mainstreamed or in the Modified Learning program Pookie went to for Kindergarten.
The way we understand it, this new Autism classroom is a side step from the Modified Learning Program he was in last year. In the Modified Learning Program, Pookie’s classmates came from (or could have come from) a variety of diagnosis…bipolar…Down’s…brain trauma…ASD…emotional needs…etc. The theory behind grouping these children together was that they all needed something other than the traditional teaching style. In Pookie’s case, it was visual supports, structure and schedules. His MLP classroom had these things, but the Autism classroom is supposed to have them even stronger.
We were reluctant to send him to this new classroom because he seemed to be doing fine in MLP. We were also concerned about where Pookie fits in on the spectrum. He is pretty quiet…physically speaking. He does not stim much. He is not a flight risk. He is verbal, although highly echolalic. When paired with peers who are a bit more physically chaotic, Pookie gets upset and agitated by their physical movements. We were also very eager to have him stay in MLP because this year, for 1st grade, MLP was in our home school. The same one as Geetle. A glorious 8 minute bus ride.
We decided to talk to the district’s Autism guru, who just so happened to be Pookie’s preschool teacher when he was 3 1/2-4 1/2. She no longer teaches, she coordinates the Autism programs for the district. But she remembers Pookie and had observed him before they recommended him for the new classroom. She answered our questions and told us she believed the Autism classroom was the best for him. She said they will be very structured, very visual, and very proactive about good and bad behaviors. They will also have 1 teacher and 2 aides for no more than 8 kids, grades K-3. Unfortunately, the bus ride will be long again. The school chosen for the new classroom is 22 minutes from our house, by car. I am not sure what that means for a bus route.
When we spoke to the guru about some things we did not like about MLP or Pookie’s performance last year in Kindergarten, she said alot of those issues would be addressed in the Autism classroom. We told her Pookie used to rip his morning worksheets in half, every day. Cleanly down the middle, so that they could be easily taped together, clearly expecting the teacher to do so and then make him do the work anyway. She said, sure, that’s because he thinks they are dumb and boring but does not know how to express it. No one made him understand that worksheets are part of the deal…the things you have to do before you get your reward/fun activity (which might just be opening song or story time…nothing elaborate). We told her that he used to rearrange the order of the things on his schedule board, because he wanted to skip Literacy Center and go right to Computer Center. She said, sure, that is because the structure in the room was the goal but not the practice. With 11 kids all with different needs, it was hard for the teacher to keep them all on their own tracks. In the Autism classroom the structure would be concrete and the same for everyone.
I will know more about the program soon. Pookie is going to attend the model classroom in mid-August, so that the teachers can get to know the kids before school starts. The Autism program coordinators will be there too, so that they can help the teachers develop specialty strategies for each child right away. There will be a parent’s panel too. I hope to attend that as well.
We think this is the right decision. We only regret that we came so close to getting Pookie on a local bus to a local school. The long bus rides are stressful for him (and us), and they add to the length of his day. His long school day makes us reluctant to sign up for afterschool activities like martial arts or dance. Things Pookie really needs exposure to. But we do it anyway, and just curse that damn bus ride. In the end, we know that the classroom is more important than the bus ride.
by beagoodmom on July 5, 2009
Just a few pictures to catch up on things,
Here are the girls, enjoying the day Pookie was diagnosed with Strep Throat and I let them all eat lunch in front of the TV.
Here is Pookie on the same day
Other than the Dr. Scooby Doo sticker he got from the nurse, you would never know he was sick. That’s usually true about Pookie. He is not a complainer.
Here is Giggles doing Nukkie tricks. 
Here are the kids at what we affectionately call “Fish Park.” 
Here are the recently discovered gray hairs in BAGD’s beard. Geetle says they are not gray, they are white. So he’s got that going for him. 
Here are 5 cute kids at the zoo. 
Here is what happens when BAGD and BAGM want an ice cream cone and find themselves alone in the car with just Giggles, who is the 3rd child and is being raised with a very limp and noodley iron fist. 
Here is Pookie in hover-mode, skimming over the surface of the Kiddie Pool in Aunt Shel’s back yard. 
by beagoodmom on July 4, 2009
We went to Wisconsin on Friday for Baby Belaina’s 3rd birthday party. On a whim, we decided to invite her and T-Man to our house for a few nights, to be returned Sunday morning when we went back to WI for the 4th of July parade in my hometown. Sure enough, they accepted.
Friday night we did not get home until about 9pm, because it takes a full 90 minutes from WI to our house. And we had to stop and say hello/goodbye to Uncle JoeJoe and get apple juice at the gas station (…..to make some of us feel better when we realized that we were getting farther and farther from home). We sent them all right to bed when we got home. Giggles in her room. Pookie in his bed. Geetle and T-man in Geetle’s bed. Baby Belaina on a cot next to Geetle’s bed. So, if you are counting, that is 2 six year olds, a 5 year old and a 3 year old in one room. Yipes.
Pookie fell right asleep, because NOBODY messes with Pookie’s bio rhythms. Nobody. Geetle is a good go-to-sleeper but its hard when its a slumber party, and T-man and Baby Belaina have their own night time rituals. But after a few glasses of water, a few trips to the bathroom and a few reports about fireworks outside…they all fell asleep relatively easy. Pookie and Baby Belaina woke each other up at 3am, both unhappy that the other one was crying, but we handled that quite easily too.
First thing this morning, they all played in the basement for a while, then we decided to do a drop in on our other grandparents, so that we could see Lucy, the dog. 
We never like to see Lucy empty handed, so we stopped to get her a toy at Petsmart. It was a hit.
We knew there was a newly remodeled McDonald’s by Lucy’s house so we planned to have lunch there. Most of us *did* have lunch there and play in the new playground. Some of us *did not*.
After we got back home, more playing. Then we decided to walk to the grocery store and get hot dogs for dinner, per Pookie’s request. Yes, it was raining, but T-man and Baby Belaina live in the country so we like to do some city things when they come to visit. Walking to the grocery store and jumping in puddles along the way is just the sort of thing.
When we got back home, we were soaked, as you might imagine. So the kids all took a bath before dinner. Pookie got in by himself later. He is too smart to squeeze in as the 5th person in a 1 person bathtub. 
We all picked a movie we wanted to watch and wrote its name on a slip of paper. Then we had Giggles pick on piece of paper to decide our movie for the night. It was Curious George. We ate Hot dogs, Mac n’ Cheese and Donuts while we watched. 
Its 8:43pm and I wish I could tell you they are all asleep, but that would be a lie. Giggles is. Pookie is. But the others are hovering. They are all in bed, but it takes them a while to settle in after a big day. Tomorrow, we get up and get out. Heading for the Parade. Taking 5 to WI, coming home with only 3. But we had a lot of fun today. Lots of laughing. I think Giggles had the most fun, because she loves big kids and she had an extra 2 around all day. She tried so hard to keep up with every one, daring from kid to kid, laughing. Geetle and T-man played Legos, some sort of rocket ship game with helmets and football. Baby Belaina played blocks and in our pop up fort. Pookie spent most of the day trying to keep Belaina out of his bowling alley, but he really liked our time at the McDonalds Playground. BAGD and I just kept counting 1…2..3…4…5, they are all here….1…2…3…4…5…they are all here, etc….especially in the pet store.
Oh, and for those of you that have not spent more than 30 seconds with Baby Belaina, you might wonder what is up with the title of this post. The rest of us are getting tired of being called Hookie Baby.
Ok. Not really, its pretty cute when she she does it. As Baby Belaina might say….Happy 4th of July, Hookie Baby!
by beagoodmom on July 1, 2009
Our ceiling fan broke the other day. Oh great. At least $100 for a new one, I thought. Then BAGD decided to take it apart and poke at the innerds. He found what broke and took it over to Home Depot. $2.89 later, he returned with some electric doo-hickey that he promptly replaced. Fan fixed. Hooray for us!
We have 2 giant windows in the basement. Real sun-magnifying windows, “raise the temperature 25 degrees in the summer’ windows. They are covered in really cute curtains I bought at IKEA a few years ago. The whole theme of the basement walls and their murals comes off these curtains. Plus, I really like them. Problem is that they are paper thin and they do nothing to block the sun, even when closed. So, I bought 10 yards of light blocking curtain liner at Fabric.com and sewed giant panels to the back of each curtain. Just attached the panel at the top and let it drape behind the window. The liner was $5.98 a yard (free shipping) and I bought too much. But I think if I had measured better the whole thing could have been done for $45-50. They really work, the basement is very dark when the curtains are drawn. Its been cool here for a few days, but I cannot wait to see how they do on a sunny day. I priced new light blocking curtain panels on Amazon and they would have been at least $150 for the set of windows.
Its so easy to throw something out when its “broke” or “wrong”. It makes me proud of us when we take the time to stop and think about how we can fix it, or make it do. I am trying to do that more.
by beagoodmom on July 1, 2009
I am already sick and tired of these billboards, and Summer just started.
How about we make a deal? I agree that everyone who uses the public streets and highways should be kept safe. I agree that we all need to respect other drivers. I agree that we all should drive defensively, with less personal arrogance.
So, when can I expect to start seeing that from the motorcyclists? And before you go off on me because you are a safe and courteous motorcyclist, know that I am a safe and courteous Minivan driver, yet somehow there are people out there who aren’t as nice as you and me. I meet a few bad motorcyclists; I am sure you meet a few bad car drivers.
If the motorcycling community wants me to be more aware of them in the Summer and make the roads safer for their mode of transport, how ’bout we agree to the following rules which are important to me and my kind. We do not have a billboard or any bumperstickers, so I will have to lay our case out here:
1. A Motorcycle is ONE vehicle and is not automatically connected to any adjacent motorcycle by a thread visible only to other motorcyclists. If 2 or more motorcyclists choose to travel together, they must remember that they are not physically connected. If I let one motorcycle merge in front of me, I am not required to let his “bro” merge in too. Similarly, when a gaggle of motorcycles comes to a 4 way stop sign. Its one car, then one motorcycle, then one car, then one motorcycle. NOT one car, 15 motorcycles, one car. What is the worst thing that would happen if you got separated from your “riding buddy?” Its like when a gaggle of teenage girls all try to squeeze into the same slot of a revolving door as they leave the movie theatre. It will be OK if you and your friend get physically separated, I promise.
2. Just because you are outside in the elements, living life, you still need to act as if your motorcycle has an invisible Popemobile dome around it. No reaching up to drag your hand thru tree branches. No dropping your foot to kick a misfit shoe in the middle of the lane.
3. If you want to socialize, buy Wii Motorcycling and stay on your couch. Driving side by side is not necessary. I thought you were all loners anyway.
4. Don’t you dare pass on the shoulder or between lanes. If you do, then you are forfeiting any right you have to a safe environment where cars and motorcycles live in harmony. I don’t care if, technically, you can fit. That’s not the point. Those little yellow and white lines are all that keeps us from anarchy and mass chaos. We are living in a society people!
5. Finally, I am going to go out on a limb here and make a personal declaration. I am doing so, just in case you care, but realize you probably don’t, or won’t admit it. I do not think motorcycles are cool. I do not get heart palpitations and R- rated tingling whenever I see a man on a motorcycle. Maybe some people do, but not me. Please ask the other women (or men, whatever you are into is cool with me) on my block for their opinions. If there is a clear majority who agree with me, I ask you to respect it and stop driving down my 400 foot long street at 45 miles per hour. No one is impressed. Clearly you do it to impress someone, since you make such an effort to get up to 45 miles per hour and then squeal to a halt at the stop sign a block later. Who is it?
So, there you go. I will start “seeing” motorcycles, when they start “seeing” me.
by beagoodmom on June 30, 2009
Thank you for the giant loaf of bread Dennis (and all the other reasonable sized ones). You probably intended for us to make sandwiches, which we did with the smaller loaves. But when we see a giant loaf of bread on the table next to a tiny little girl, only one thing comes to our minds……..Time for a Humorous Photo Shoot!
by beagoodmom on June 30, 2009
Just a cute story…
BAGD and I were feeling pretty good about ourselves; the laundry pile in the bathroom had not been out of control for a week. Then today….oh my gosh! How did it pile up so quickly!?
As I picked thru it, trying to lug it into a basket to take downstairs, I am shocked at the clothes I am pulling out of the pile. Sweatpants….flannel shirts….fleece pajamas….corduroy jeans….where did all this come from?!
Then I realize. I go looking for the perpetrator. He confesses.
Pookie took all these clothes out of the hutch I use for winter storage, so that he could play inside the cabinet.
At least he was tidy about it. Every piece of that clothing was stuffed neatly under the bathroom counter, in our laundry basket.
Instead of putting it back, I bagged it up and will try to find room for it in my closet, so that he can play in the cabinet again tomorrow. Silly Pookie.
by beagoodmom on June 30, 2009
BAGD has Strep Throat too!
Isn’t it nice to know that we are a family that shares?
by beagoodmom on June 29, 2009
Me= Strep throat diagnosed on Saturday, feeling better, no longer contagious.
Giggles= tested today, no strep throat.
Geetle= tested today, no strep throat.
Pookie= tested today, STREP THROAT! Just started antibiotics and will be contagious until noon tomorrow.
BAGD= came home from work to help me keep the sickies and the wellies apart. He feels a little sick, is going for a test at 2:30.
On a related note, Pookie hates medicine. Hates it. But deep down, he is a good boy, so he will take it if we tell him he has to. We try to work with him and get the chewable tablets, because he prefers them. They discontinued the chewable version of the antibiotic he got for his Strep, so he had to get the good old fashioned pink liquid amoxicilan. 1 and 1/2 teaspoons! Instead of forcing him to drink it, BAGD sat him down and told him all about what it was and why he had to take it. Then he let him sip it a half squirt at a time. After each sip, Pookie shivered and looked like he was turning into the incredible hulk, but he got all the way thru. Then they made a 10 day medicine chart so we can put an “x’ in each of the 20 boxes, until we are done. Hopefully that will help Pookie understand the process.
That BAGD. Sometimes I forget how important it is to have 2 collaborative parents. I am more the “hey, is that a kangaroo over there?”/squirt the medicine in their face while they are not looking sort of parent. Luckily, he is not. Its good that he takes control in these sort of situations.