Second Summer of Giving: Planning Teacher Gifts

I have been asked whether we will be doing Summer of Giving again (yes!) and I am excited to do it - then I realized that all my boys will be home in one week.  Zac's school wraps tomorrow and Kyle's last day is next Tuesday.  So summer starts soon!  I am definitely a procrastinator but I think our Summer of Giving will start today with teacher gifts.  

Photo Source

I have a hard time with teacher's gifts.  We have been so lucky to have such amazing teachers for the boys.  I wish I had millions of dollars to pay off their mortgages, or increase their salaries to the numbers they really should be getting (definitely 6 figures).  I wish I could send them on vacation or even afford to send them to a spa for the day.  But what I really want them to know is how incredible they are.  These women (they have all been women so far) have a huge place in our hearts and our lives.  They literally take my children each day and help them grow and learn.  I get all weepy just trying to think of what to say to them to express how much I appreciate them.  Between Zac with his autism and his intelligence that is a little hard to pull out, and Kyle who is also so smart but is a 6 year old boy who likes to play with his friends (at inopportune times), these teachers have helped us overcome obstacles and found new ways to approach problems.  They have taught my guys reading and math and social skills.  They have braved field trips and dealt with accidents and meltdowns.  They have the kids walk in lines, take turns, use iPads and Smart boards.  They somehow manage to do all this with a class full of children and then they go home to their own families.  They worry about an entire room full of children in addition to their own children.  I lose sleep and stress-eat just dealing with my three!  

So I want to thank my children's teachers - and all the teachers out there.  You get up each day and make a difference in the lives of your students and their families.  You will be the ones that are remembered long into life.  You aren't just teaching them from a book - you are taking them and helping them develop into their future selves.  You are making a huge impact and you are some of the most important people that will ever enter into our children's lives.  Thank you!

I will try and post pictures as we make the gifts today - the boys love doing it and I am excited too!

Brainstorming for the Summer and Bloggers for Birth Kits UPDATED

Oh things have been so busy!  I am so glad to finally have an empty day on my calendar today.  Which of course isn’t really empty – I am using today to catch up on blogging and planning meals and de-cluttering.  Lucky for me, I was spoiled for Mother’s Day.  I actually had 2 nights out at Vino e Formaggio last week – one night with friends from our MOMS Club of Front Royal and another night out with my darling sister, Suzie Robb, of Twitter and BBB fame.  And my Mom got me the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook so I can refresh our meals and get ready for summer vacation.

We recently had Zac’s IEP which went very well.  I am excited for him to start kindergarten in the SCCIP program and I am putting off any anxieties until school starts.  No use worrying about them now!  He has been playing on Zac Browser so much lately that he has started repeating French, Italian and Spanish words around the house.  I am having a hard time thinking of anything cuter!

We just had our Board Elections yesterday for MOMS Club of Front Royal and I am President for another year.  Most of the board stayed on and we have one new Board Member who I absolutely adore and I am excited for a new year with some amazing ladies.  We already have a really big, exciting service project – Clean Birth Kits which I learned of through Rants from Mommyland and Bloggers for Birth Kits.  A few of our MOMS will be meeting in the next week to start brainstorming fundraising and donations.

Photo Credit Adriel Booker, The Mommyland Memos

Here is a list of the items needed for the Clean Birth Kits:


1. Soap (for the birth attendant to wash her hands). Use a hotel-size soap or cut a regular bar of soap into 1/8-sized pieces. (Microwave the bar of soap for 30 seconds to soften it for cutting).
2. One pair of plastic gloves (for the birth attendant to wear).
3. Five squares of gauze (to wipe the mom’s perineum and baby’s eyes). Gauze pieces should be about  3×3 inches.  These need to be sterile and kept away from the soap. 
4. One blade (to cut the cord). You can buy individually wrapped sterile blades at the pharmacist or buy utility blades (much cheaper) at the hardware store. We teach the women to boil the blades for sterilization, so utility blades work just fine.
5. Three pieces of strong string (2 for tying the cord, 1 for “just in case”). String should be about 10 inches long.
6. One plastic sheet (for a clean birthing surface). Sheet should be approximately 1×1 yard and can be purchased at your hardware or paint store.
7. One sandwich-size ziplock bag (to pack the contents).

Thanks to Adriel Booker of The Mommyhood Memos for all this amazing information and receiving the birth kits.  

Local Giving:

I am ready to brainstorm for this Summer of Giving which is approaching quickly!  I obviously want to continue helping out C-CAP as they give back so much to our community.  We have tons of clothes ready to donate and I plan on another food drive.

Liam and I will be working at the 4H Vegetable Garden next week and I am really excited.  Mostly because my plants have come back this year so I feel a little more comfortable and don't think I can destroy their earth and any chance of things growing.

I will be contacting the hospital to see what kinds of things we can donate to patients (books, magazines, homemade cards or sun-catchers).  I also wanted to get in touch with some of the retirement homes.  Kyle's school collected donations for seniors and we donated some new blankets.  Their wish lists included other items such as toiletries and large print books.

I was excited to join the Front Royal Women's Resource Center and someday I will make a meeting.  They are so amazing and I was disappointed to miss out on their Annual Dare to Dream Breakfast this year.  They awarded over $8500.00 in grants!   I look forward to contributing to this group as much as possible. 

Save a Life: 

I almost forgot that I was on the Bone Marrow donor registry until I received a letter from them asking about further tissue typing.  I called to authorize the tissue typing and was actually a little disappointed that they did not have a potential match!  Bone marrow donation tends to have a lot of people worried about donations (ever see Dr. House take a bone marrow sample without anesthetizing?).  But in reality - the donor is in a hospital and under general anesthesia and most report lower back soreness after donation.  Another, more common method of donation is called peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation.  This is done at a blood center or hospital and is also outpatient.  These donors receive injections for 5 days to increase blood forming cells.  The blood is taken from one arm, passed through a machine to separate our the blood forming cells, and then returned to the patient through their other arm.  All in all - a little discomfort to save a life.  According to Be The Match, about 70% of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant will not have a match in their families.  The Be the Match registry could be the patients only hope.  BeTheMatch.org has lots of information on how to get on the registry, donate, or spread the word. 


Another way to easily help save a life is to donate blood.   Our area regularly has blood drives through the Red Cross and I try to arrange child care so I can donate.  I don't eat animal products so I try to pay attention to my iron intake during the 24 hours before donating, but as long as I remember to eat my levels are usually fine.  I am O- so my blood type is universal.  Its amazing to know that something so simple can help 3 lives!  Check out redcross.org for blood drives near you. 

Touch a Life:

The World Needs More Love Letters is one of the cutest ideas ever.  I love the idea of leaving a random note somewhere for someone to find and help brighten your day.  (Kind of like our Rock project last summer).  You can also nominate someone to receive a batch of love letters and sign up to be a letter writer where you will get an assignment sent to you to help touch a life.  I have received assignments for a Mother whose son was in the Middle East and a nomination from a girl whose stepmom was in the hospital with cancer, after having cancer several others times.  I have a hard time writing these notes - but I hope to find one that flows easily onto paper so I can help.

Milkshake is a great site that finds products and events that give back globally.  It was through Milkshake that I learned of The World Needs More Love Letters and Pure Vida (adorable bracelets) and a number of other causes.  If you are like me and want your shopping to do a little more, definitely subscribe to this site as well as Milkshake Kids.

Liberia Orphan Education Project is an amazing program, run locally, that helps provide education support and development to teachers and school supplies and books to orphans and vulnerable children in Liberia, West Africa.  It is a strict not-for-profit and has no overhead cost.  To learn more about this incredible organization, and how you can help, check out their website here.  

I am hoping to include more organizations that I adore - but my cluttered brain only let 3 squeak out.  Do you have any organizations you would like to share - globally or locally?

Puppies need home! UPDATED

A friend of mine has recently under gone a tragedy in her family and she has asked for help in placing the 2 new puppies they have.  They are 20 weeks old, rottweiler/pit bull mixes, and have been raised around and are good with children and other animals.  They are currently located in Linden, Virginia and placement is needed.  If you are interested in fostering or adopting - please contact me at katie.carr.29@gmail.com, on twitter @KatieCarr29, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/katiecarr29.

Thank you!  Please share with anyone you think might be interested.

Thanks for all your help in spreading the word.  The puppies have found a wonderful new home together!

Front Royal is Quietly Amazing

I really adore our little adopted hometown of Front Royal.  But it can be sneaky in its ways!  You have to do a little searching to find out about the great events that happen here.  Luckily, my friend Andi Robinson keeps posting suggestions on her blog, http://thefroroiknow.com/.  Between her blog, the newspapers, discoverfrontroyal.com, Front Royal Women’s Resource Center newsletters, and Facebook status updates, I am starting to feel like I have a sense of what’s going on around town. 

The Front Royal – Warren County John Marshall Speaker Series kicks off Tuesday April 24^th at 7pm at the Warren County Community Center.  Their first speaker is Holocaust survivor Marcel Drimer. Check their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/JohnMarshallSpeakerSeries.  I cannot begin to express how much I am looking forward to attending this event and listening to Mr. Drimer speak with us.   

I am also excited to help out the Front Royal Women's Resource Center's group during the UNITED WAY OF FRONT ROYAL-WARREN COUNTY DAY OF CARING on Friday April 27th from 8am to 4pm.  Volunteers work together to paint, haul trash, prune, and plant flowers among other jobs. Skilled volunteers, including carpenters, electricians and plumbers are especially needed.  As a thank you, sponsors and volunteers are all invited to attend our annual dinner that evening. Beer, wine and lots of good eats!  For more information contact the United Way office: 540-635-3636 or info@frontroyalunitedway.org 

Setting off on Fox Hollow Trail

It's National Park Week!  Free admission to all 397 National Parks from April 21st to April 29th.  We happen to have a pretty amazing National Park just down the road, Shenandoah National Park.  There are plenty of hikes whether you are looking for one that it easy, or one that is more challenging.  You can hike to a waterfall (like Dark Hallow Falls), do a stroller-friendly hike (like the Limberlost Trail), or a hike that isn't far up on the Drive (like Fox Hollow). 

Take some time out to enjoy our town this week!

Spring Cleaning for Good

Bluebells blooming along Luray Avenue

Spring always brings to mind a new beginning.  The weather turns from cold and unforgiving to warm and welcoming.  The grass grows lush and green and trees and plants start blooming.  The days get longer and everyone from the bugs and birds to children and adults enjoy it.  People get out their bikes and start riding.  Gardeners get their hands in the dirt and start making magic happen.  We will soon see the reopening of farmer's markets and the grills will start up for the season.  Spring also brings to mind some not so pleasant things.  While I have no cure for your allergies:  Spring cleaning can be made a little more – well – clean. 

First step is always de-cluttering.  I love to get rid of things.  But I have a hard time getting rid of the kids' stuff.  Something about taking their toys or books and getting rid of them makes my stomach ache.  What if they want to play with it again?  It’s easier around Christmas and the birthdays to start purging because I know more will come in.  But toys multiply faster than rabbits and it’s easier to say goodbye to items when you know they will be doing more good outside of your home than in.  Our MOMS Club of Front Royal does a SWAP table at our monthly meetings.  Everything from clothes (both MOMS and kids) to toys, dishes and books find their way to the table. Anything a member doesn’t want to take home gets donated.  

Decluttering for Spring by Kevin Sharkey

We donate clothes to C-CAP and toys and household items go to Second Chance Thrift Store.  There are a lot of thrift stores in our area but Second Chance benefits Harmony Place Women’s Shelter and so that is usually our pick.   Books can go to any number of places:  Check your local library (I donate my books to Samuels Public Library).  Also check doctor’s offices and hospitals and your local schools.  A great place to donate blankets and towels is your local Humane Society.  They even take washers and driers!  Here is a great article about other places to donate used items to help those outside your community:  Milkshake Spring Cleaning with a Purpose.  

Before just piling stuff in your trunk and hauling it to a thrift store – you should call ahead if you have any large items and also inventory all items for tax purposes.  My receipts totaled around $600 last year from all our donations.  And I didn’t inventory well!  Now I make notes and then staple it to the receipt and file it in our tax folder.  It should save me and our wonderful tax people at MRS Tax Services time this year.  They even let us send in receipts before our appointment to take less time while we are actually in the office.  

Check online for places to recycle items you would normally throw away.  I check sites such as Earth911 to find out what we can recycle, where and how.  Some items, such as the microwave that shoots sparks, tend to stump me.  I can’t donate it because it isn’t safe but I would hate for it to just end up in a landfill.  Other items such as the computer that died can be taken to Goodwill and will be recycled.  It takes a little GoodSearching but in the end it feels better to know that your items are not going to be harming the planet or cluttering your home. 

Are you feeling up to a little cleaning?  If you aren’t on Pinterest (seriously – you aren’t?) then there are plenty of places to find recipes for natural cleaners.  One of my favorites is Vinegar and I use it on everything from glass to the drain to the microwave to the coffee pot.  I even poured vinegar in a carpet cleaning machine rather than super strong chemicals.  Some other items you can use to clean are lemon juice, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Here are some links to check out:

http://simplehomemade.net/easy-recipes-for-natural-homemade-cleaners/

http://www.finelyground.net/2012/03/one-day-challenge-spring-cleaning.html

http://thegreenbacksgal.com/green-your-clean-how-to-make-non-toxic-household-cleaners/

If you aren't up for making cleaners there are two green cleaning lines I love:  method and seventh generation.   

And remember the essentials!  Two items out for every one in (fight clutter before it starts!).  Take your shoes off at the door.  And make sure that everything has a place!  Baskets are a common find in thrift stores and can help corral everything in your home.  Another big clutter item is paper and if you follow the "one touch" rule you will find that paperwork is more manageable.  Once a paper comes into your home - whether mail, school papers, medical documents - handle it immediately.   You should decide to recycle, shred, file, or take action on it as soon as you touch it.  I tend to print on the back of any one-sided school paper that comes home.  

Now that I have finished this post - I guess I should get started on my own spring cleaning.  But first . . . another cup of coffee.

IEP's and Why being Autistic is more accepted at Monkey Joe's than the hospital

When I was preparing for my son Zac’s first IEP (Individualized Education Program) – I did what any Mom would do: I researched until my brain hurt.  I looked at the Commonwealth’s special education laws; I read through IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act); I researched IEPs on Special Education sites; I talked to others through online social networking sites; I read books.  I heard and read so many negative things about the Big Bad School vs. the helpless, meek Mom.  I read that I would need to come prepared to the IEP meeting, loaded down with documents and research and evaluations, and ready to fight for my child.  I told my husband, “We will not sign.  We will not decide anything today.  We will take this home and have it reviewed.”  I needed to repeat it over and over to make sure I was entering the IEP meeting as a Mama Bear, ready to protect my young.  This IEP meeting would determine my child’s education, his future, and my status as a Special Ed Mom.  All this for preschool.

Well – I couldn’t have been more wrong about how the IEP meeting went.  It was wonderful.  Everyone was warm and welcoming and asked questions about Zac.  I had written a letter about Zac in order to remind us all that he is an amazing, loving child – not just “moderately autistic”.  They loved the letter and I adored them all immediately.  We determined the conditions of the IEP and I was excited with what they hoped Zac to accomplish in his first year of preschool.  And yes, I signed the IEP.  It took everything I had not to add a huge smiley face after my signature.  I was so happy with how it went – I was talking a mile a minute in the car on the way home.  Tim teased me about signing at the meeting but really I don’t think it could have turned out better.

Lining up cars at Target

Our IEP for Zac’s second year of preschool went just as well (only with much less stress on my part).  My preparation this time was reviewing his previous IEP and baking a breakfast cake to bring in.  We had the meeting in Zac’s classroom so he and the boys could play.  It was so easy, I didn’t even think of it as an “IEP meeting”. 

Zac has had his ups and downs in preschool.  He is not verbal enough to tell me why he doesn’t want to go to school some days but he is a great speller and reader.  He is counting to almost 100 and saying things like “milk” and “banana” when he wants one.  This is huge!  He is dressing himself and loves playing with his brothers. 

And now we approach kindergarten.  The biggest question we have had to ask ourselves is whether to put him at his home school (where Kyle will be in 1^st grade) and attend regular kindergarten or to keep him in the Special Ed program at his current elementary school.  We have to decide how much change to give him and how hard to push him.  He is smart.  He can do the kindergarten work easily – but he does get anxious and he does regress with change.  So right now we have decided to keep him in the SCCIP program at his current school.  He has been in the same classroom with the same teachers for 2 years, so a new classroom and new teachers will be big change.  It should push him forward and that is what I love.  I know I will have to continue facing these decisions each year and there will come a time (hopefully sooner than later) when we will decide to “mainstream” Zac.  

And that is what brought me to write about this now – getting a phone call from Zac’s teacher to check out some kindergartens and an article I read in Parents Magazine “The Play’s the Thing” (Parents magazine, April 2012, page 106).  It’s about the Wolf Performing Arts Center, which is a non-profit theater program in Philadelphia.  What struck me most is what the program founder Bobbi Wolf says of their program, “Wolf PAC is not a theater program for children with disabilities.  We’re a theater program that includes children of all abilities.”  The article goes on to talk about “inclusion” rather than “mainstreaming”.  The hardest thing for me as a special needs parent is not isolating Zac because of his autism.  But we do it at his school.  And at this point I think that is what he needs.  I can’t see putting Zac in a class with 17 or 18 other 5-year-olds and all the drama that is inherent in kindergarten classrooms.  This is the year lots of kids start school if they didn’t attend preschool.  And they need to learn how to be in school for 6 or 7 hours.  They need to learn how to wait in line and eat in the cafeteria and raise their hand and then wait to be called on.  There is one teacher and one assistant teacher responsible for all those children and if Zac decides it’s too loud in the hallway or that he needs to use the bathroom – he could very well melt down and they would have a crisis on their hands.  I worry about his social skills and I don’t want it impacting the kindergarten work he will need to do. 

Hands on House in Lancaster, PA

Autism is hard because I don’t want it to be an excuse – but it does present a different set of problems and concerns.  When taking Zac to the doctors and hospital recently I kept saying “He has autism.”  Each doctor or nurse or X-ray tech said “That’s okay.”  I lamented on Facebook afterward because I wasn’t apologizing for Zac – I was explaining.  You don’t look at him and think he won’t answer your questions or will cringe from your touch.  So instead of an awkward exchange – I start to explain to them and they automatically say “That’s okay.”  I think I should have prepared a speech ahead of time because I never had a quick comeback until after leaving the hospital. 

Interestingly enough – the best people to deal with Zac have been teenagers.  Whether we are visiting Dutch Wonderland or bringing the kids to play at Monkey Joe’s or the Sportsplex, teenagers who work at these locations have always been awesome.  I don’t tend to automatically tell people Zac has autism but sometimes the situation presents itself if he is going to be touched or not responding to someone else’s directions.  Teenagers have always been helpful, smiling, understanding, and open to suggestions.  Sometimes they even give me helpful suggestions!  I wish I could let them know how great they are – and how they should never grow up because someday they might be saying “That’s okay” instead of just being awesome.

Zac at Dutch Wonderland

Are teenagers more accepting of disabilities in children because not long ago they were children themselves?  Being a teenager is hard so maybe they are more likely to remember that sometimes being a kid can be hard too.  What is it about being an adult that we suddenly have to be able to handle everything? 

Front Royal Preschool Fair!

I haven't blogged in a while - this winter has brought mild weather (yay for hikes!) and lots of viruses that won't go away.  But it is March now and spring is in our midst.  It is also time for our:   

 MOMS Club® of Front Royal, VA
3nd Annual Preschool Fair

Are you planning on enrolling your child in preschool for fall 2012 and don’t know where to start?  Do you wish you knew what preschools were available and what they have to offer your child? 

 

The MOMS Club® of Front Royal is hosting a gathering of preschools in the area. This is a great way to get information on many of the preschools and programs for young children in the area while only visiting one place.

Come join us at Samuels Public Library, White Meeting Room in Front Royal. The Fair is FREE and open to the public. 

Saturday March 3, 2012 from 10am-12pm

For more information or to participate, contact us at FrontRoyalPreschoolFair@gmail.com