Diverging Lives

Just in Time for Christmas

2024-10-25T21:56:00.004-07:00

Family and Friends,

Since we started our foster/adoptive parenting journey 20 years ago, we have discovered a lot about raising children with special needs. Countless hours in therapy appointments, numerous surgeries, way too many IEP meetings, and Special Olympics sporting events each season, not to mention running a household with a large family.

We decided to compile "all the things" that have made our journey easier or have helped our children, and open an online store. In going with the theme of our YouTube channel (& this Blog), our shop is also called Diverging Lives. You can find us on the web: Diverginglives.net

Since we are just starting out, it would be super helpful if you could check it out and give us some feedback. Are there items you would add/delete? The online store is ever-changing! If you have had a meaningful experience with any of the products we are offering, we would love to know that as well. You can reach us by email at Diverginglives@gmail.com.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that there are no shipping fees on anything!

Thank you,

The DeLeon's

Homeschool Helps: Equivalent Fractions FREEBIE

2023-11-27T18:41:00.001-08:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted. Life is crazy, as usual. We are back to homeschooling two of our children this year. Because of their learning differences, I have been creating more tools to help them. Our daughter really struggles with math so I have been making a lot of graphic organizer tools for her.

Today while teaching our 5th grader how to make equivalent fractions, we began by using fraction tiles. This is really helpful for her to be able to "see" math. I try to use math manipulatives as much as possible, especially when introducing a new concept.

Then we transitioned to the white board. I was writing each problem down, and describing the process while we solved each problem. (Repetition, repetition, repetition). I like the visual of the large "1" and writing the fraction inside it, but I became tired of drawing it over and over. So I came up with the idea of creating this graphic organizer. We slipped it inside a page protector and used a dry erase marker to write directly on it. It worked fabulously!!! She was able to make equivalent fractions on her own in no time at all.

I know I might be a little crazy, but when I find something that helps, I want to share it with everyone! If you think this might be a useful tool for your student(s), please feel free to download below. I would love to hear your feedback as well. Please feel free to leave a comment.

The Best Cheesecake

2020-05-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe is time consuming, but well worth it! The texture and flavor are perfect. Make it with or without the topping. (Picture above is without the topping.)

Crust

40 single graham crackers, finely crushed or 11oz. of graham cracker crumbs
8 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted

Mix all ingredients. Press and pat into bottom and two inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. (A measuring cup works well to press mixture into springform pan.) Refrigerate.

Filling

3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature (very important or your cheesecake will be lumpy!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Cream sugar and cream cheese until light. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat at low speed in an electric mixer for 30 minutes. If beating time is shortened and sped up, the cheesecake will not be smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. (Tip: Use a cookie sheet or foil underneath to prevent melted butter from dripping onto bottom of oven.) If no topping, bake an additional 15 minutes. If topping, remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.

Topping:

1 1/2 cups sour cream (3/4 pint)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix ingredients thoroughly and spread on cake. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Serve with your favorite fruit topping or plain. It is delicious either way!

IEP: How-to's and Organizing a Binder

2020-01-24T10:30:00.002-08:00

Well if having six children on IEPs (Individual Education Plans) doesn't make you go insane, it makes you get organized. It was much easier to store it all in my brain when we only had 3 kiddos on IEPs. I want to share with you some tips I have embraced to make my life easier.

The first thing, and most important, is to have an IEP binder for each child. I use a 3-ring binder, size according to the amount of records, and personalize it with the child's name. This is where you will keep everything IEP related: IEP requests, assessment plans, assessment reports, meeting notices, progress on goals, behavior notices, and report cards.

Then I found it extremely helpful to have a Table of Contents which lists the dates of each IEP, notes, services, etc. at the front of the IEP binder. I am providing a copy for you to download FREE.

I also scan each IEP and components (assessment reports, etc.) into my computer and save on an external hard drive. Each child has a folder on my external hard drive. I save the documents first by year, then by name and date. This way I have easy access to the records if i am looking for a specific documents. I also have them available to e-mail or make copies as needed for their Alta worker or medical providers.

In case you are wondering if your child qualifies for an IEP, here are the 13 categories in which your child may qualify. These specific categories also must be adversely affecting their educational performance. For instance, if your child has ADHD they might qualify under Other Health Impaired, but only if it is adversely affecting their educational performance.

If you would like to have your child assessed for special education services, you MUST put your request in writing and give it to the school. It has been my experience that it is best to also give specific examples of why you think your child needs to be assessed. The school district has 15 school days to respond to your request. They will provide you with an assessment plan which states the areas they would like to assess your child and are asking your permission. Please sign this form and return to the school district as soon as possible.

The school district then has 60 school days to assess your child. During this time frame they will also schedule the IEP meeting. Most school districts are accommodating to your schedule, within reason. They will provide you a Meeting Notice, which you then sign stating whether or not you are able to attend.

Here is an example of the IEP Process from CAHELP (specific to California).

I also have a video IEP How-to's: A Parent's Perspective on our YouTube channel: DivergingLives. Feel free to check it out!

James' Cleft Lip Surgery

2019-04-01T10:01:00.004-07:00

James came into our home days after his first birthday. He was scheduled to have his cleft lip surgery 3 weeks later. The doctors would also be performing surgery on his nose (rhinoplasty) to help make it more even, as babies with cleft lips have flattened nares on the the side of the cleft. And they would be inserting ear tubes to help prevent the multiple ear infections that cleft babies are susceptible to having. We didn't have any experience with having a baby with a cleft lip (& palate) so we learned as we went. We asked many questions! Some questions we asked, the doctors couldn't answer.

(Link to swing here.)

One thing is certain, we quickly came to love that toothy grin James would flash us. Since James also was experiencing developmental delays, we had weekly physical therapy, occupational therapy, feeding therapy, and other early intervention services. Even though he was 12 months old, we were still working on him sitting up independently.

(Link to similar play keys here.)

We discovered a special bottle, called the Haberman feeder, that is a must for cleft babies. The nipple is elongated and has a special one-way valve to regulate the amount of formula/breastmilk released. We also used PediaSure for extra calories and added infant cereal to thicken it. James quickly went to pureed baby food, but he had quite a bit of nasal regurgitation. Since he was already a year old, we also let him finger feed very soft foods, like Cheerios.

The surgery is mostly a blur in my memory. I was really anxious and didn't know what to expect. This was our first rodeo, as far as surgery with a foster child. (As a foster parent, you cannot give consent for surgery so there needs to be a court order, which is a process in itself.) Prior to his surgery, I remember the surgeons telling us the cleft lip surgery tends to be harder on the parents than the palate surgery because the sutures are all external.

On the day of surgery, we had to arrive at the hospital very early in the morning. James was a little grumpy because he couldn't eat anything. The surgery was relatively short (in comparison to some of his later palate surgeries). I remember James having difficulty waking up from anesthesia and fighting it. He had to stay in the hospital overnight to make sure his breathing was fine. I stayed at the hospital with him while Daniel took care of everyone else at home. I remember meeting several of the nurses who cared for him while he was in the hospital after he had been placed in CPS custody. They couldn't believe how great he looked and how much weight he had gained.

This picture shows James with all his sutures and wearing "no-no's" to prevent him from grabbing at the sutures. He was still happy overall.

This next picture is immediately following the suture removal. James is still smiling.

And then as the incision starts to heal.

We would have to wait about 6 months for the first surgery to repair his palate. Mind you, all of James' surgeries were performed behind schedule as he didn't come into our home until he was 12 months old.

In Case of Emergency

2019-01-28T09:10:00.003-08:00

Our Adoption Journey: Meet Johnathan

2018-11-06T17:02:00.002-08:00

Alex and James came to us on April 29th. At our first visitation for Alex & James we discovered their biological mom was pregnant and due in 2 weeks, but by the next visitation she had already had the baby. Johnathan was born on May 5th, 2005. He was placed in another foster home straight from the hospital. Daniel and I had some discussion on what we would do if we were asked to have Johnathan join his brothers. Ultimately we decided that if the county allowed us to have both James & Johnathan in our room (in cribs) that we were willing to take him. After all, our family grew from 2 to 4 children overnight. What's 1 more?

Our room with 2 cribs.
Link to crib here.

Once it was decided that Johnathan would move to our home, things moved rather quickly. James was already scheduled for his cleft lip repair so we all decided it would be best to wait until after that was done. Johnathan was 5 weeks old when he joined our family.

He had already been diagnosed with allergic colitis due to a milk allergy and was on prescription formula. We were able to have this formula shipped directly to our house. He continued to have difficulty with vomiting and diarrhea, as well as being very fussy.

Johnathan-3 months, James-15 months

Link to double stroller here.

In many aspects, having James and Johnathan was a lot like having twins. Even though they were 12 months apart in age, James was behind in development and growth. James had multiple in-home early intervention therapies: occupational therapy, physical therapy, developmental therapy, feeding therapy, and eventually speech therapy too. Johnathan was able to benefit from these services as well.

Johnathan-1 year, James-2 years
Link to high chair here.

The boys had weekly visitation with their biological parents until the end of the year. The family court case continued, with the plan eventually going from reunification to adoption. We were identified as prospective adoptive parents since we had filed for defacto parents early-on. Alex & James were on a different timeline than Johnathan, since he came into care after they did. The boys also have Indian heritage so that required extra steps (tribe notification of court dates, possibility of tribe taking jurisdiction or placing the children with an Indian heritage family).

And we began looking for a BIGGER house!

Sensory Processing Disorder

2018-10-15T17:39:00.002-07:00

Since I have several posts about the various areas involved in Sensory Processing Disorder, I decided to make a "home" page where you can find all of the links to the posts. Have fun searching!

Our Adoption Journey: Meet Alex & James

2018-10-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

The county social worker had described the boys as: Alex is a very quiet 2 year old with curly red hair and big blue eyes and James is 12 months old and was born with a cleft lip and palate.

We arrived at the other agency and waited until the other foster mom came in with Alex and James. Alex was really quiet and just walked around the room, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. The foster mom handed James to my husband and there was an instant bond. She spoke mainly Spanish and since Daniel was also fluent in Spanish she gave him the instructions. James ate from a special bottle and could only eat pureed foods. She also gave us the file that she had on the boys with the upcoming medical appointments and any information she had collected.

I ended up driving home because the moment Daniel met the boys, it became "real" to him and he was overloaded with emotions. During the car ride home, the only word Alex said was "car" as he was pointing to the other cars passing by. James was completely silent and I kept checking on him because I had never been around a baby (or 1 year old) who didn't make any sounds.

We came home and met with our social worker in the afternoon to go over the paperwork and the folders, which was all new to us. We had to log whatever items came with the boys (mostly clothing), but I remember it wasn't much. We would have to schedule the boys for physicals within 30 days and have the physician fill out the necessary paperwork. We were given the information on visitation, which was ordered for 2 hours a week. The social worker would contact us to schedule it once he was in contact with the biological parents.

Since it was our son's (DJ) 13th birthday we enjoyed a small family celebration that evening. DJ commented, “They’re not leaving us. We’re going to keep them forever.” I reminded him that although we were hoping for that, nothing is certain with foster care and we needed to keep an open mind. Boy was he insightful! Looking back, I remember it being a very emotionally draining day. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the boys.

Within the first few days, the boys started bonding with us. Alex became more comfortable, and even began calling us “mommy” and “daddy”, probably because he heard our older children call us that. We were getting accustomed to James’ feeding and sleeping schedule, which reminded me more of a 6 month old than a 12 month old. James began physical therapy and the therapist gave us exercises to start at home. We also had an appointment with UC Davis’ Cleft Palate Panel and James was scheduled for his first surgery to repair his lip and insert tubes in his ears. We were given information on several resources as well.

We went to the first visitation and, to my surprise, found out that their biological mom was pregnant and due within 2 weeks. However, by the second visitation a week later, she had delivered another boy, Johnathan, who had also been placed in foster care. My husband and I had several discussions regarding whether or not we could take Johnathan if one of the social workers asked. The only way it would work for us was if we could have the 2 babies in our room. We decided that if we were allowed to have them both in our room, that we would agree to take him. No one contacted us so I decided to bring up the question with our social worker. It took several weeks, but it was agreed that we could have Johnathan join his brothers in our home (after James' cleft lip surgery). By that time, he was 5 weeks old. Overall, he was healthy, although we were told that he had allergic colitis due to lactose intolerance.

Preauricular (Ear) Pit

2018-08-25T11:49:00.001-07:00

If you're anything like me, you read the title and thought, "What is an ear pit?". I had never heard of it either, until Amada. When we went to the hospital to pick her up, I noticed a small hole next to where the ear attaches to the face. It almosts looks like a piercing. I asked the nurse about it and she explained it was an "ear pit". I did some research, then asked the Pediatrician at her 2 week check up. I was reassured that most of the time they don't cause any problems.

Sorry this picture is a little blurry, but if you look closely you can see the pinpoint hole. Amada did have some issues with ear infections, and eventually had to have tubes inserted around 2 years old, but that was unrelated to the ear pit.

Around that same time, we also discovered that she had an abnormality with her bladder/kidney, called vesicoureteral reflux. Basically what happens is when the person urinates, urine flows back up the ureter to the kidney. This can cause frequent bladder/kidney infections. Amada was prescribed a low dose of antibiotics to be taken daily. She eventually went on to have surgery in 2013 to repair this defect.

A couple of years after this, we began noticing pus leaking from her ear pit. It was only a very small amount so we continued to monitor it. This continued on an almost daily basis. We made an appointment with her ENT doctor. She recommended surgery to excise the sinus tract of the ear pit that is under the skin. This would close the hole and prevent further infection. We proceeded with the surgery, but had some issues with infection afterwards. She had to be on a couple different types of antibiotics but her incision ended up healing.

Incision site as it was healing (2016).

Fast forward to July 2018, more than 2 years after this surgery. One day Amada wakes up complaining of ear pain, except it's not inside the ear canal. It is at the site where her ear pit had been removed. I was shocked! I didn't think we would ever have to worry about an infection coming back to that site. I immediately took her in to urgent care where they confirmed it was an abscess. They recommended making a small incision to allow the infection to drain out. Amada was not about to let that happen. I asked if we could start antibiotics and let me try to get a hold of ENT. In the mean time, we were also giving her Motrin for the pain and doing warm compresses.

In the middle of the night she was unable to sleep because the pain was worsening so we took her to the Emergency Room. Once again they recommended opening it up to let it drain. Amada kept saying she wanted to be asleep for the procedure. The ER doctor recommended intranasal Versed to sedate her. Unfortunately she didn't like the idea of that either. It took 4 of us holding her to get the medication in her. She was able to rest for a while. When the ER doctor came back in she decided to do a needle aspiration instead. Even with the pre-medication in her, Amada became extremely combative. Again it took 4 of us holding her in order for the doctor to perform the needle aspiration. We didn't want her or anyone else to get hurt, but she was NOT going to hold still at all. She ended up pulling away from the needle, but the doctor was able to extract some pus which she was able to send for a culture.

After the needle aspiration.

For the next 24 hours she had some reprieve from the pain. Then it seemed the infection was spreading, as the pain was radiating down into her jaw. Thankfully I was able to get her an appointment with ENT. Again they recommended making an incision to drain it. Amada was NOT going to let them touch her in the office. They were able to add her on to the surgery schedule for the next morning however.

Amada cuddling Marty, the therapy dog, at the Surgery Center

Her ear was healing up nicely after the procedure until she finished her antibiotics. The swelling and pain returned. The ENT gave her a refill of antibiotics so she could remain on them through the weekend. She had another follow up appointment on Tuesday and found out the infection remained and she would need to have surgery again the following day. Wednesday was supposed to have been her first day of school. Not just her first day of school, but her first day of public school.

This surgery did not go as smoothly as the last one. There was no therapy dog available and Amada's anxiety was over the top. The anesthesiologist ended up having to give her an injection of Ketamine and Versed to get her back to the operating room. The actual surgery itself went well. The doctor reported there was still quite a bit of infection present and some scar tissue from the original surgery. She gave Amada a different antibiotic again. The recovery from this surgery took much longer due to the extra medication that had to be given prior to surgery.

Amada was to follow up with her doctor in 2 days to change her bandage, but the doctor was concerned with the amount of anxiety Amada was having. We were able to consult with her Pediatrician who gave us a prescription of Ativan for Amada to take before her appointment. Even still, she was a fighter.

We continued to go to the doctor daily for wound packing and dressing change for 10 days. We even had to learn to pack her wound with gauze at home. Amada definitely tolerated it better as time went on. Of course rewarding her for cooperating (aka bribery) helped also!

The wound is finally closed. The doctor has ordered an MRI to check for any cyst remnants. We are hoping that Amada will not need any future surgery on this, but if she does, we will manage.

You can also watch the video I created Amada's Journey: Preauricular Ear Pit on our YouTube channel.

Our Homeschooling Journey

2018-07-15T22:37:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, we have been homeschooling for the past 16 years, in some form or another. We began our homeschooling journey when our oldest children, DJ and Adriana, were entering 5th and 3rd grade respectively. We chose to homeschool through a local charter school and it was a good fit for us. In 8th grade, Adriana decided she wanted to go to public school and we agreed. Our neighborhood was opening a brand new high school the following school year and our schedule was getting increasingly busier with the addition of our three boys. Adriana attended public high school and went on to graduate from there, while DJ graduated from the charter school. Both were the right fit for each of them.

DJ graduation 2010

Adriana graduation 2012

Since our younger boys all had special needs and required a lot of therapy, they were all enrolled in public school for preschool and their early elementary years. We went on to adopt again in 2008, this time a baby girl. In 2010-2011, we were having a lot of IEP meetings with the school district to communicate the needs of our boys. There just seemed to be a lack of understanding from the administrators and the particular teachers that year, as well as denial that any of what we were saying as parents could be true. The boys would come home from school so overstimulated that we would end up dealing with behaviors until bedtime. For one of our boys, we were finally able to get more supports by the end of the school year, but we were told those supports would be scaled back the following school year. We had enough and decided to homeschool the boys the following school year. We felt that it was important to let the boys finish out the current school year, as they only had a couple of weeks left.

In the Fall of 2011, we began a new journey of homeschooling. We decided to homeschool our boys independent of a charter school and filed an affidavit with the Board of Education. In our state (California) we were required to keep attendance. Of course I kept all of their school work too in case there was any question of if we were really “doing school”. We began by exploring themes and creating projects as we were learning. Lots of hands-on fun! You can check out our posts on the ladybug life cycle, the solar system, ocean diorama, fun with flubber, ocean diorama, killer whale costumes, and much more! We also did a lot of practicing our social skills, from learning how to order meals at a restaurant to exploring local museums. We concentrated on toileting skills as none of the boys were toilet trained yet. Yes, even in grades 1st, 2nd and 4th. We also found a great program called Autism Center for Excellence (ACE) for children who are on the autism spectrum. It was at Sacramento State University which was only 30 minutes away from our house and Alex began attending 3 days a week. Since James still had an open cleft palate despite 3 surgical repairs, he required intensive speech therapy. We had him attend the Maryjane Rees Language, Speech and Hearing Center at Sacramento State University for a semester. Unfortunately he was also diagnosed with selective mutism and anxiety, so he would not speak outside our home or to unfamiliar people. It's incredibly difficult to do speech therapy with a student who refuses to speak!

Early days of homeschooling.
Link to white board.

During that first year of homeschooling independently, we happened to move. Since our boys still required additional therapy, we sought help from the new school district. We went through the IEP process and were granted services under an ISP (Individual Service Plan), since we elected not to enroll the boys in school. We found this to be very helpful and I accompanied the boys to speech and OT at the local elementary school. That only lasted a year as we moved again.

Then came the educational experience of a lifetime...a cross country trip during the summer of 2013. We were on the road for 2 months and were able to visit locations such as Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the arch in St. Louis, Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., Myrtle Beach, Disney World in Florida, the Riverwalk and Alamo in San Antonio, TX, and the Grand Canyon. During the school year prior to this trip, we studied US History so the kids would have some background information. We even took part in a postcard swap where we sent 49 post cards from our state (California) and received post cards from a family who had been assigned to each of the other 49 states. As each post card was received we colored in the state it was from on a map of the United States. The kids looked forward to checking the mail everyday for a new postcard.

We continued homeschooling for the next 2 years as our family expanded again. This time with a girl and a boy! Social worker visits, doctor appointments, family visitation, and more therapy for the youngest 2 did not leave much room for homeschooling.

Rissa working with PT.
Link to balance blocks.

Then Joey received a diagnosis of autism and ABA (Applied Behavioral Therapy) sessions were added multiple times a week, in addition to speech, OT and feeding therapy.

Joey working with ABA therapist.

James began receiving services for speech and OT through our local school district (different school district). Alex and James attended a social group once a week (separately). Before Rissa turned 3 we had several meetings with our school district about her transitioning to preschool and we decided to also enroll the boys in public school. We worked with our new school district to assess all three boys and conduct IEP meetings. Alex was now in high school, James in junior high and John was in his last year of elementary school.

We decided to continue homeschooling Amada due to her anxiety, but with the support of a charter school. We soon found out that the grade level curriculum, especially for reading and writing, was too difficult. We requested that Amada be tested for an IEP. Right before Christmas break it was determined that she qualified for an IEP and would begin receiving speech and resource support. We began using curriculum more geared towards her level and needs. Because school was much more challenging now, it became increasingly difficult for Amada to focus and actually complete her school work. We debated having her attend public school the following year, but she was adamant that she did not want to.

The boys were adjusting well to public school for the most part, with the exception of Johnathan's behaviors. More IEP's and the addition of a mental health counselor who came to our home were necessary. Despite being turned down for Alta California Regional Center at least 3 times, we persisted and had Johnathan tested by a Neuropsychologist. This testing revealed that Johnathan had an intellectual disability, just like Alex and James, and was eventually deemed a client of the Regional Center.

The following Fall, Rissa began attending Center Preschool, a full inclusion preschool. After several months it was apparent that her anxiety was worsening, so we decided to keep her home until after the Winter Break. Then when she returned, I attended with her to give her some security and share clues about her with the instructors. We also began seeking treatment from The Attach Place in the form of neurofeedback. Her anxiety began improving!

In the Spring, when Joey turned 3 and also began attending Center Preschool. I was no longer able to attend with Rissa because of Joey's behaviors, but he became her security person. It was also decided that he needed to have an aide that would work him 1:1. This worked out nicely and I was able to dedicate more time to working 1:1 with Amada at home. We decided to continue with the charter school another year.

Fast forward through an entire school year which brings us to the present. With Rissa entering Kindergarten in a couple of months and Amada needing much more support than I can give her, we decided to enroll them both in our local elementary school. This will be the first time in over 15 years that I am not homeschooling in any capacity! And can I say that I am looking forward to it. I realized this summer that there is no need to scour curriculum, get my ordering done early in order to be on top of the planning, etc. and it is marvelous! I will however be attending a lot of IEP meetings throughout the year since all 6 children (currently living at home) require them.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I will gladly answer them.

DIY: Lavender Bath Bombs

2018-05-10T08:04:00.002-07:00

Do you love to use bath bombs, but don't want the expense of buying them? (I can't be the only one who thinks they are crazy expensive?!?) I can make my own with all natural ingredients for a fraction of the cost. Plus my kids love them too! When I make them for the kids, it's fun to hide a small toy inside for a fun bath time surprise. Or make really small bath bombs for a relaxing foot soak.

Ingredients
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup epsom salt
3/4 cup corn starch
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp oil of choice (I use sweet almond oil)
2 Tbsp water
40 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (I use Young Living oils)
Liquid coloring if desired
Dried Lavender flowers if desired

Instructions
1. Combine the dry ingredients (baking soda, citric acid, epsom salt, & corn starch) in a bowl and mix.

2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, water, essential oil, and liquid coloring. Mix well.

3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients a few drops at a time. Mix well with hands. Add dried flowers if desired.

4. Mixture should hold together when squeezed without crumbling. You may need to add a small amount of additional water to achieve this.

5. Quickly push the mixture into molds. Press in firmly and let sit for at least 24 hours or until hardened.

6. When dry, remove and store in air tight container or bag. Use within 2 weeks.

These also make great gifts! When I am giving them as gifts, I like to include a card with the ingredients just in case someone has allergies. I am including a FREE download of this to you. Just click on the picture below.

Recipe: Potato Salad

2018-04-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

This is the only potato salad I've ever made. It's that good! Sorry guys, no exact measurements. I eyeball everything, then add what's needed to taste.

Ingredients:
5 pound bag of potatoes
1 stalk of celery (I use ~ 4 pieces off the stalk)
4-5 Kosher dill pickles
6 eggs
2 heaping serving spoon size scoops (probably ~1 cup) Best Foods mayonnaise
Drizzle over the top (~2 Tablespoons) French's mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Boil until soft enough to poke with a fork. Rinse with cold water. Boil 6 eggs until done, about 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water. While potatoes and eggs are boiling, chop celery and pickles. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise and mustard. Stir. Once eggs are cool enough, peel and chop. Mix with celery and pickles. Once potatoes are done, add to mixing bowl. Stir all ingredients and add salt & pepper to taste.

You can make this ahead of time and store in refrigerator. I usually make mine several hours before I want to serve it so it has time to cool off. Enjoy!

Our Adoption Journey: Pre-Placement

2018-04-11T14:21:00.001-07:00

We originally answered the call to be foster parents in 2005. I know God had been working on my heart for a while, but I kept coming up with excuses as to why we shouldn’t do foster care. For one, I was on permanent disability, suffering with joint pain and chronic headaches from a meningitis infection I contracted in 2001. I was also home schooling our 2 biological children and wasn’t sure how it would effect that. Daniel was working nights at a local grocery store. We were really involved in the recovery ministry at our church, both teaching classes on a weekly basis. God was relentless though. It seemed like everywhere I turned the subject of foster parenting or adoption came up, including a dream I had one night. And then a friend I hadn’t talked to in years called to announce the adoption of their son through foster care.

I finally approached Daniel in January 2005. I told him about this burden on my heart to become foster parents and that I wanted him to pray about it. I would only move forward with the certification process if we were both in agreement. Within a week, he came back to me and said that he felt this was the direction God wanted our family to take. We knew the foster agency we wanted to work with because they were a faith based agency and we had some friends we attended church with who had previously been foster parents with this same agency, then went on to adopt. I scheduled an appointment for our orientation and we attended. At this orientation, we ran into another friend from church and knew we were in the right place. The facilitator at this orientation said so many things that touched us.

We turned in our application and were very motivated to begin the certification process. Daniel had just undergone surgery on his feet and was off work for 8 weeks. We had our fingerprints and background checks done. Attended CPR/First Aid class. We began getting the house ready: installing child safety locks, hanging fire extinguishers, locking up medications and cleaning supplies, and completing all the paperwork. We readily passed our home inspection. Because Daniel was off work, we were able to get through the entire certification process in 6 weeks! We received a call before we were officially certified, wanting to know if we would be able to take 2 children. They were placed with another family within the agency, but the foster mom was having health problems and they needed to be moved. We made the necessary arrangements and the social worker finished writing our certification report. Then we received another call stating that the children ended up going to live with relatives. We were so disappointed. {This was only the beginning of all of the ups and downs that we now know are part of being foster parents.}

We were ready and willing to take a sibling group, and knew that would be most likely. Our only parameters were that the children be under 3 years old. Since we were homeschooling, we didn't want to deal with school enrollment, etc. We had scoured garage sales and bought tons of baby/toddler clothes for boys and girls. We bought convertible car seats, a crib, playpen, swing, and lots of toys.

Another week passed and we were getting anxious for a placement. {I can look back and laugh at the absurdity of that. Wow did we have a lot to learn!} Then we received a call from a county worker that she had 2 boys who needed to be moved from their current foster placement. She described Alex as a very quiet 2 year old, with red hair and big blue eyes. Then she said James was 12 months old and that he had been born with a cleft lip and palate. I told her that I did not know much about the care associated with a cleft lip and palate, but that we would be willing to take the boys. I had a background as a medical assistant and figured that would help with taking care of James. We made arrangements to pick up the boys in 2 days, which was our son's 13th birthday. In the mean time, I did a lot of research on children with a cleft lip and palate to educate myself about the necessary care associated with it. {That researcher in me has come in handy on numerous occasions. I truly believe that knowledge is power.}

We were excited and nervous all at the same time, although we didn’t know quite what to expect since this was our first placement.

Joey's Journey: Strabismus Eye Surgery

2018-04-10T18:58:00.004-07:00

Joey suffered from a right sided head tilt from the time he came "home" at 2 months old. The medical term for head tilt is torticollis. We did exercises with him and eventually physical therapy. He didn't tolerate physical therapy very well because he did not want the therapist to hold him or touch him. Some sessions he would scream the entire time. This was prior to Joey receiving his autism diagnosis, but I was beginning to suspect it.

Then his in-home Occupational Therapist recommended having his vision checked. We saw a Developmental Optometrist, but at the time it was extremely difficult to perform an exam on Joey. She did however suspect that Joey had strabismus. (I reported that when Joey was not upright, his left eye would roll upwards.) This would need to continue to be followed. We were eventually referred to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. It was then that the diagnosis of strabismus was confirmed. Again, the exam was difficult. In fact, the doctor performed the exam with Joey in the backpack carrier that we used on a daily basis due to Joey's extreme sensory processing difficulties.

When we returned to her office around the time of Joey's fourth birthday, he was much more cooperative with the exam. The Pediatric Ophthalmologist said that it was more apparent on exam now that he has strabismus. She gave us the options of waiting and continuing to follow up on an annual basis, or surgery to loosen the upper eye muscle to help balance the eye.

We opted to proceed with surgery. In the case it was altering his vision, we thought that correcting it sooner rather than later would be better. Also, if we could correct the torticollis before it became worse or caused permanent damage that would be an added benefit.

Joey did great through the surgical process! The hardest part was keeping him on "low activity" for a week following surgery. We made a YouTube video documenting the process. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Disneyland Tips & Tricks

2018-03-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Since we are nearing the end of our Disneyland Season Pass year, I thought I would share some tips with you. We generally travel as a large group, with multiple children who have special needs, so keep that in mind. One thing I found to be helpful is to plan in advance. Think about the items you or your children use throughout any given day, then make a list. I am including the list I use for you to download if you'd like.

Going to an unfamiliar place is difficult enough, but when it's filled with crowds and new sights/sounds it can be overwhelming. If you are not familiar with Disneyland, I would recommend that you sit down with a map of the park prior to your arrival. We also had our younger children watch videos of Disneyland on Youtube so that it would not be completely unfamiliar. I created a social story for our son who has autism. You can find that video here:

We recommend downloading the Disneyland app seen below onto your phone prior to your arrival also. It will give you park hours, showtimes, wait times for attractions at Disneyland and California Adventure, locations of characters/dining/shops/restrooms/guest services, as well as you can link your pass to get FASTPASS vouchers loaded directly on them.

We are naturally early risers since our children wake up early every day. That is very beneficial when visiting Disneyland. Get to the park early and beat the crowds! We have found that visiting the park opposite of the one offering the "Early Morning Entrance" is a best bet also. For the more popular rides, you will want to get your FASTPASS vouchers first thing to ensure that your ride time isn't at the end of the day. If you are traveling with a child who cannot ride and need to have 1 adult wait off the ride with them, you can ask for a rider switch which will allow the adult who was waiting off the ride to gain entrance through the FASTPASS entrance once the remainder of the party has exited the ride.

If you are traveling with a guest who has a disability, you can check in with guest services at City Hall or any green umbrella throughout the park to have a DAS (Disability Access Service) added to their pass. This will allow the disabled person and their party to obtain a return time for that attraction. This is helpful as you don't have to actually wait in the line while you are waiting. You can use the restroom, get a snack, or even enjoy another ride!

Feel free to comment with any questions and I will respond as soon as possible.

We're on YouTube Now!

2018-03-23T09:49:00.001-07:00

Kids Bowl Free

2018-03-14T21:56:00.001-07:00

I am sharing a resource that our family found incredibly useful last summer. You can register your family at KidsBowlFree.com and your children will receive 2 FREE games of bowling everyday from April 17 through September 8, Monday thru Thursday 8am-8pm and Friday thru Sunday 8am-6pm. On their website, you can choose which bowling alley you'd like to use.

You can also add a family pass for $29.95 so that up to 4 additional adult guests may bowl during the entire season. You will also need to rent bowling shoes if you do not own a pair.

I highly recommend this as our family loved it last year and definitely got a lot of use out of it. If you have participated in this event, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

Major Update

2018-03-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted in several years and there is a good reason. Our family has grown to abundance! The picture above was taken in November 2016 at the California State Capitol. Our family was being honored as Adoptive Family of the Year by our foster/adoptive agency, Koinonia Family Services. Wow, what an honor!

Our oldest son, DJ, is pictured on the far right with his girlfriend, Ashley. Our oldest daughter, Adriana, is pictured in the back with her husband, Richie. He's the tallest of the bunch! My mom and Michael are on the left, behind me. Daniel, my husband, is in the center, which is very fitting. Of course there's James, John, Amada, and Alex. AND... the youngest 2 in the stroller are Joey and Rissa. Their adoption was finalized in 2016.

Advent Activity {and a FREEBIE}

2013-12-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

Last year, prior to December, I found this really cute advent calendar at Target.

We used it last year with our Truth in the Tinsel curriculum and the kids absolutely loved it! I set up our curriculum in a binder, then went to work gathering what we needed for each day. By the way, Amanda has included a list of supplies as part of the curriculum. It definitely helps as you are gathering/buying supplies.

As part of the purchase, you receive small picture clues to hide in your advent calendar or make a paper chain. I hid ours in our fabulous new advent calendar. Then we did our story to go along with the picture and made our ornament. I love how the ornament went along with the story each day. I am always looking for "hands-on" curriculum and this definitely fit that boat. Plus we had lots of fun!

Even though we had tons of fun last year with Truth in the Tinsel, we decided to change it up a bit this year. Since most of our kiddos are visual learners, we decided on an advent activity of Christmas symbols. I found the Unit Study online from funschooling, but wanted little pictures to put in our advent calendar. So I created them. I am making them available as a FREE download {click on the picture below}.

It's not too late to start an advent activity this year! If you are doing a different advent activity with your children, I would love to hear about it. Just leave a comment with a link.

Blessings,

Nicole

Six Flags America

2013-11-10T15:52:00.003-08:00

While we did complete our cross country travels at the end of August, I did not complete the blog posts. We have been busy settling into a rental house and resuming our homeschool routine. More on that later. :-)

After the day we had at the Smithsonian Museums, we decided to visit Six Flags America (Baltimore/Washington, D.C.).

Although this is a smaller park, here are a few benefits that I noticed:

The park was not crowded. It could have just been the day we visited, but nevertheless, it was nice.
The park was very clean.
There were a lot of beautiful flowers, which attracted TONS of butterflies!

Two large kid's areas with lots of fun rides!

Several thrill rides including Apocalypse (a 10-story stand up steel coaster), Batman's Batwing Coaster (my husband's personal favorite), Superman: Ride of Steel (a close second favorite at 20 stories high), and ROAR (a wooden coaster).

ROAR

Superman: Ride of Steel

We listened to patriotic music and enjoyed the displays throughout the park.

We witnessed filming for Fright Fest.

We were able to get through the entire park early enough to get back to the campground and go swimming. It was a fun family day. If you are in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, I would definitely recommend a day trip to Six Flags America. Tomorrow we will re-visit the National Mall.

Nicole

{FREE} Fall Math Fact Families

2013-11-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

I am sharing another great math activity I created which can be used with students who have fine motor difficulties effecting handwriting. All you need is do-a-dot markers or crayons.

Click here to download: FREE Math Fall Fact Families

If you find these worksheets to be helpful, I would love to hear your feedback.

Please leave a comment to let me know.

Nicole

Easy {FREE} Math Worksheets for Fall

2013-10-20T11:53:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share with you some math worksheets I made for our son with cerebral palsy. He has a difficult time with handwriting and can't write his numbers on his own. Since he is able to compute the problems, these worksheets were the perfect solution! There is a set for addition and subtraction. Just click on the image to download.

If you have found these worksheets to be helpful, please leave a comment so I know. I love sharing what I make!

Nicole

Washington D.C.

2013-08-28T23:48:00.001-07:00

We rode the KOA shuttle bus into Washington, D.C. The ride took approximately 45 minutes, but it was the weekend so there wasn't much traffic. Daniel enjoyed not driving and it was nice getting dropped off and not worry about parking.

We were dropped off in front of the capitol building and decided to walk to as many of the Smithsonian museums as we could. We made a list of the museums we wanted to visit in order of importance because we knew we wouldn't make it through all of them.

We walked through the outside gardens at the Botanic Garden as it was not open yet and we were in search of a restroom. Our first stop was the Natural History Museum. I figured the boys would like it since it has dinosaurs. I think they were a little bit scared. I couldn't get them to turn around and look at me so I could take their picture with the triceratops. I kept saying, "It's not real, only pretend." Yeah, they still wouldn't turn around.

There were so many various displays offered. We tried to walk through both floors catching a glimpse of some of it. One display we found intriguing was Genome: Unlocking Life's Code. You actually get to figure out your genetic code based on traits you either have or don't have. We also ate lunch here as everyone was hungry. They offered a wide variety of food choices, but were a little expensive.

Next stop was the American History Museum. The display of the Star-Spangled Banner (almost 200 year old flag) and the story of how Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the song are awe-inspiring. There is no photography allowed to help preserve the flag, but the museum has shared some pictures via flickr.

We also enjoyed the America on the Move display which showcases all modes of transportation in chronological order. Check here for learning resources if you are planning a visit. The first cross-country car trip was in 1903. The map and typical car/conditions are pictured below, along with the first travel trailer.

This picture above of Daniel and the kids was taken as we were leaving the museum and is a true depiction of what was happening. We were losing the kids. What in the world were we going to do for the next 3 hours until the shuttle bus came to pick us up? Here's how we managed to kill some time.

We walked by the Washington Monument, which is closed for repairs due to the earthquake in 2011.

We had an ice cream snack while sitting on a bench in the shade in front of the Smithsonian Castle.

We watched a street performer play the drums on a bunch of buckets & shopping carts.

I think we found the world's smallest McDonald's. It was too cute not to take a picture of it.

We visited the Air & Space Museum. This was by far the most crowded of the museums. We didn't really walk around and look at much because all of our feet were killing us. Since there is a planetarium and an Imax theater we figured we could all sit and relax while we watch a short Imax movie. It was about the astronauts and followed them on a mission in space. Once we were done with that it was time to start walking back to where we would be picked up in front of the capitol.

On the map all of these museums appear to be rather close together, but when you are walking to them with small children they seem miles apart.

Here's a nice picture I captured of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial and the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

We found a bench and waited about 10 minutes for the bus to arrive and wouldn't you know it, as soon as we boarded the bus it started pouring down rain. I am very grateful it held off until then.

At bedtime, no one had any arguments about going to sleep.

Sweet dreams,

Nicole

P.S. I wish I had known about this when we went, but there is a junior ranger program available at the National Mall. If you print out the handbook before you go maybe the kids will stay more focused, plus they can earn a junior ranger badge.

Maryland & Beyond

2013-08-26T22:47:00.001-07:00

Upon leaving New Jersey we crossed the bridge into Delaware, then continued on to Maryland. We are staying at the Washington DC/Capitol KOA for 5 days. Our campsite is extremely roomy and private as we are located at the end of a row. There are tons of trees which is nice for shade, but Daniel was unable to hook up the satellite dish. I'm sure we'll be much too busy for watching tv anyways.

When we arrive at a new campground the kids love to explore. This particular campground is really busy...but it probably didn't help that we arrived on the weekend. They have the usual amenities, but they also offer outdoor billiards, ping pong table and giant chess game.

At the pool there is a lifeguard on duty and parents are required to be present with their children. This is the first time we have seen a lifeguard at a campground. Every hour the lifeguard blows the whistle and everyone has to clear the pool for 10 minutes. The lifeguard also checks the chemical levels and adds chlorine if necessary.

The staff in the office are extremely helpful and friendly. When traveling in an unfamiliar area you tend to rely on the advice of others and the advice we received there was definitely helpful. There is a nice selection of goods for sale in the office too, including tickets for the trolley tour of National Mall.

Tomorrow we are taking the KOA shuttle into Washington, DC which means we have to be up and ready by 8:30am. Daniel is excited because he won't have to drive and maybe he can enjoy some of the sights.

Get your mobile devices ready by downloading the Smithsonian Visitors Guide & Tour app.

See you early in the AM,

Nicole