"wow, I never knew the back of my car looked like this," my mother said to me recently as I was helping her clean out her van.
Those words sparked a thought I hadn't considered before.
"Think of all the things we miss because of the idea that we're grown now."
The backseat of a van, the bottom or top bunk, sitting on the floor. These are all things our children do on a regular basis. Yet we don't do anymore. And then we wonder to ourselves what our kids are thinking.
How can we understand our children's point of view if we don't view things from their points? I realized that we as parents or "grownups" have the best of both worlds. YOu see, we can sit on the floor, watch cartoons, and eat PB&J. We can also reach that cookie jar, know where all the goodies are hidden, and push those buttons on "mommy and daddy's computer".
Taking the time to visit our kids in their world gives us a better understanding of what they feel, how they think, and ultimately who they are. Our children are more than diaper changes, juice boxes, homework, and video games. They are little people with minds, feelings, and interest all their own.
So, I urge you to take time and visit the world we once knew as ours, the world of toys, games, and unwanted nap times. Or if you have teens, play a video game or two, watch a tv show or share a book with your child. You know they grow up way too fast, so enjoy their company and share a moment that neither you or your child will soon forget.
Until Next time, GOd bless, & as always; Make it a great day!
Friday, May 18
Why We Sign & - APD And ASL
ASL stands for american Sign Language.
"Ok, so what do these things have to do with each other?"
I've written before about our struggles with my son's APD and how long it has taken to get a written diagnosis. Even with out the written diagnosis and through all of that time we were told that he needed visual clues such as pictures, or written word. (my son doesn't read fluently yet) I found that I could call his name and he would respond but couldn't follow my instructions.
During the summer 2010 we had gone to the library to check out books and I had remembered seeing Signing Time (a show from 2 Little Hands Productions) on TV and asked if the children's library carried DVD's. So, we checked out and returned the series all that summer.
Jump ahead to 2012 and after discovering that the signs we remembered from that summer passed are effective in helping son communicate and learn; we decided that would learn and use ASL as a tool for him.
So far; it works wonderfully. We have had success over the past few months and since we've started using ASL our lives have been much easier. And despite my blindness, we make it work. I speak and sign to him, and he talks to me. If we need to he can sign in my hands and has even been known to help a stranger communicate in a pinch.
If you have a child with APD or any other language or speech delays, I urge you to give ASL a try. I know I sound like a commercial but I promise I am speaking from the heart, I'm not paid to write this, (I may even get in trouble for mentioning the show) but I know what worked for us and I don't think that is coincidence. I love Signing Time because it makes learning fun for people of all ages and abilities and I love the songs Rachel Coleman uses to make the lessons easy to remember. However, there are plenty of books and other ASL resources you can check out at the library or contact your local hearing and speech center.
I know how much help this has been for us, and i hope it is just as helpful to you and your family.
Until Next time. God bless, and Make it a great day!
"Ok, so what do these things have to do with each other?"
I've written before about our struggles with my son's APD and how long it has taken to get a written diagnosis. Even with out the written diagnosis and through all of that time we were told that he needed visual clues such as pictures, or written word. (my son doesn't read fluently yet) I found that I could call his name and he would respond but couldn't follow my instructions.
During the summer 2010 we had gone to the library to check out books and I had remembered seeing Signing Time (a show from 2 Little Hands Productions) on TV and asked if the children's library carried DVD's. So, we checked out and returned the series all that summer.
Jump ahead to 2012 and after discovering that the signs we remembered from that summer passed are effective in helping son communicate and learn; we decided that would learn and use ASL as a tool for him.
So far; it works wonderfully. We have had success over the past few months and since we've started using ASL our lives have been much easier. And despite my blindness, we make it work. I speak and sign to him, and he talks to me. If we need to he can sign in my hands and has even been known to help a stranger communicate in a pinch.
If you have a child with APD or any other language or speech delays, I urge you to give ASL a try. I know I sound like a commercial but I promise I am speaking from the heart, I'm not paid to write this, (I may even get in trouble for mentioning the show) but I know what worked for us and I don't think that is coincidence. I love Signing Time because it makes learning fun for people of all ages and abilities and I love the songs Rachel Coleman uses to make the lessons easy to remember. However, there are plenty of books and other ASL resources you can check out at the library or contact your local hearing and speech center.
I know how much help this has been for us, and i hope it is just as helpful to you and your family.
Until Next time. God bless, and Make it a great day!
A Little Elbow Grease Can Save a Lot Of Money
By making your own things, up cycling or repurposing used containers, and cooking from scratch; a family can really save a pretty penny. I buy what i need in bulk put it together and store it as best I can in the space I have. An added bonus is that bread or cookie mixes, spice combinations, pasta and dry ingredients, etc. placed in pretty containers (even up cycled containers) make great gifts.
Here then are a few things I either up cycled or repurposed recently
1. An old face cleanser pump bottle: I took the label off using baby oil to clean away the sticky residue and filled it with my dish soap. It sits on my sink ready to dispense the right amount of soap and is much more pleasing to the eye than a big bulky gallon bottle.
2. old candle jar: I've done this one several times before and it's always a success. I take a jar cantle that no longer has a wick or is out of wax, and set it in a sauce pan filled with water about half way to the top of the jar, then I heat it until the wax becomes liquid. I pour the wax on to a paper plate or into a smaller jar (a wick can be added to create another smaller candle), wipe the rest of the wax away with a paper towel, and wash with dish soap. these jars make great candy dishes, pencil holders, hair tie holders, or you can even set small flowers and colored rocks or water in them to decorate a room or office.
3. Toilet paper rolls: Once the toilet paper has been removed completely, I do 1 of 3 things, I have the kids color them and write their name and year or date on them, then they select a few paintings or other papers to keep, we roll them up and slide them in the roll for safe storage. I slip hair ties around the outside and place a brush in the middle to keep my or my daughter's hair items organized. Last but not least; I cut the roll in to several 1inch rings, decorate them and use them as napkin rings for a special event such as a theme birthday party.
4. clothing: There are a large number of options for clothing. Here are just a few. Cut linen or T-shirts with pinking sheers (this prevents fraying) in to squares and add solution to make wipes (i.e. Cleaning wipes, baby wipes, hand and face wipes) these can be washed and reused over and over again. Jeans make great purses, coin purses, or even water bottle cases. Use a pillow case to make an apron or dress for your little ones. The possibilities are truly endless.
5. Cereal boxes: If you cut a cereal box from the top diagonally leaving 2inches from the bottom, cover it with either fabric or paper, and add embellishments; you have a place to store homework papers, books, or office documents to be attended to on your desk. Use smaller boxes such as gelatin boxes for things like paper clips, macaroni boxes for envelopes, or a square shaped box for pencils and scissors. YOu can leave them as individual holders or tape them together to create an all-in-one organizer. empty food cans make great organizers as well, just remember to place a strip of thick tape over the opening to cover any sharp edges. A tuna can for small items, soup cans make great pencil holders, and papers can fit in a large coffee can; don't forget to tape or paper the bottom as well so as not to scratch a desk or other surface.
These are just some of many different things you can do to upcycle or repurpose the "would be garbage" in our houses. But there is another often over looked benefit to these projects. I have to say that elbow grease makes
a great confidence booster. If you teach your babies to do things like cook, sew, and even household tasks; they will take pride in having worked to accomplish these things, and that skill will be something they take with them when they inevitably leave the nest. And these projects are a great way to teach resourcefulness and build great memories as well.
What lessons do you make an extra effort to teach your babies? I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time my friends. God bless and Make it a great day!
Here then are a few things I either up cycled or repurposed recently
1. An old face cleanser pump bottle: I took the label off using baby oil to clean away the sticky residue and filled it with my dish soap. It sits on my sink ready to dispense the right amount of soap and is much more pleasing to the eye than a big bulky gallon bottle.
2. old candle jar: I've done this one several times before and it's always a success. I take a jar cantle that no longer has a wick or is out of wax, and set it in a sauce pan filled with water about half way to the top of the jar, then I heat it until the wax becomes liquid. I pour the wax on to a paper plate or into a smaller jar (a wick can be added to create another smaller candle), wipe the rest of the wax away with a paper towel, and wash with dish soap. these jars make great candy dishes, pencil holders, hair tie holders, or you can even set small flowers and colored rocks or water in them to decorate a room or office.
3. Toilet paper rolls: Once the toilet paper has been removed completely, I do 1 of 3 things, I have the kids color them and write their name and year or date on them, then they select a few paintings or other papers to keep, we roll them up and slide them in the roll for safe storage. I slip hair ties around the outside and place a brush in the middle to keep my or my daughter's hair items organized. Last but not least; I cut the roll in to several 1inch rings, decorate them and use them as napkin rings for a special event such as a theme birthday party.
4. clothing: There are a large number of options for clothing. Here are just a few. Cut linen or T-shirts with pinking sheers (this prevents fraying) in to squares and add solution to make wipes (i.e. Cleaning wipes, baby wipes, hand and face wipes) these can be washed and reused over and over again. Jeans make great purses, coin purses, or even water bottle cases. Use a pillow case to make an apron or dress for your little ones. The possibilities are truly endless.
5. Cereal boxes: If you cut a cereal box from the top diagonally leaving 2inches from the bottom, cover it with either fabric or paper, and add embellishments; you have a place to store homework papers, books, or office documents to be attended to on your desk. Use smaller boxes such as gelatin boxes for things like paper clips, macaroni boxes for envelopes, or a square shaped box for pencils and scissors. YOu can leave them as individual holders or tape them together to create an all-in-one organizer. empty food cans make great organizers as well, just remember to place a strip of thick tape over the opening to cover any sharp edges. A tuna can for small items, soup cans make great pencil holders, and papers can fit in a large coffee can; don't forget to tape or paper the bottom as well so as not to scratch a desk or other surface.
These are just some of many different things you can do to upcycle or repurpose the "would be garbage" in our houses. But there is another often over looked benefit to these projects. I have to say that elbow grease makes
a great confidence booster. If you teach your babies to do things like cook, sew, and even household tasks; they will take pride in having worked to accomplish these things, and that skill will be something they take with them when they inevitably leave the nest. And these projects are a great way to teach resourcefulness and build great memories as well.
What lessons do you make an extra effort to teach your babies? I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time my friends. God bless and Make it a great day!
A Word Is Like a Latter
On a daily basis I sit with my 2nd oldest son and listen as he does his best to read the books on our shelf. For a long time, I'd have him spell a word he was stuck on and then give him the answer. Until I figured out the easiest way to explain the process of sounding out a word.
"remember, a word is like a latter. you have to step on every rung of a latter to get to the top. Likewise you must use every written letter to sound a word out properly. Even if that letter is silent or blended, it still counts for something."
These words proved to be gold for him. He now understands and practices his phonics much better than he had in the past.
Teaching my son to read has proven to be a bit of a challenge but I know with time and diligence we will get there sooner rather than later.
Learning to work with APD, is a slow process but with God's blessing, we are making progress everyday. I hope this helps you and if you have any other ideas for teaching and learning with APD I'd really love to hear from you.
Until Next time, take care, God bless, & as always; Make it a great day!
Back online
Hello Friends,
This is just a quick note to say a big thank you to John over at Apple support. In February My sweet hubby bought me a new mac computer and Up until now I had been struggling with the site I use for this blog. Not because they did something, but because I couldn't get my new screen reader to work with the programing. So, anyway, I am back and this next few hours I will be posting all the blog entries I hadn't been able to post since then.
Thanks for your patience and I apologize for the inconvenience.
And as always, God bless and make it a great day!
This is just a quick note to say a big thank you to John over at Apple support. In February My sweet hubby bought me a new mac computer and Up until now I had been struggling with the site I use for this blog. Not because they did something, but because I couldn't get my new screen reader to work with the programing. So, anyway, I am back and this next few hours I will be posting all the blog entries I hadn't been able to post since then.
Thanks for your patience and I apologize for the inconvenience.
And as always, God bless and make it a great day!
Unschooling our way
Have you ever wanted to spend a day at the beach, in the park, or just watching TV?
I think we all have days like that. but what if days like that could be center of your child's education?
In September I posted an article about our homeschool schedule, but since things have been so hectic around these parts lately; I have sort of dispensed with the schedule and watched what happens.
WHat happened truly was a surprise.. My children continued to learn, grow, and they actually enjoyed it. Instead of setting times and tasks (which meant fighting to keep everyone's attention), I simply put on educational videos, set out art supplies, and even some story books. I can't even tell you how shocked I was to see them all playing with the same playdough
set, listening as "big Brother" read a story, and discussing amongst themselves just exactly how it was that an egg is like the layers of the planet Earth.
I am hearing that there is a name for this; it's called unschooling? I don't know if this type of learning falls in that category, but it is working for my bunch of babies.
In my opinion, they just seem to learn better when they take an interest in what is around them. Even the times when I start a project I'm almost certain they won't care about, the cherubs are eager to help mom and they learn a skill or 2 in the process.
"How do you teach the basic academic skills then?"
After phonics and basic addition, subtraction multiplication and division facts are memorized (usually via flash cards) I don't have to. THe basics come from reading labels, signs, and even captions from the TV. *Close caption or subtitles are a huge help* Math comes from working out everyday problems, such as grocery shopping, table setting, recipe measuring, and household inventory. History comes from discussion, film, and book reading (silent or listening). Field trips such as, zoo, museum, and other places after time spent on a particular subject give the kiddos a great memory to go with the spark of interest that started it all.
Now, don't think I just let it go and let them wander free. i set out materials according to what they need to learn, and let them discover them for themselves. They just don't know that part. lol
WHile this may not be ideal for every family, it's what works for mine. And if you happen to spark an idea from it; then my job was done right today. :)
I hope this post has helped you in some way, but now I have to go feed some hungry tummies.
So until next time, as always; Take care, God bless, and Make it a great day!
Back burner blog
Hello again friends,
Over the passed few months this blog baby of mine, has been set on the back burner to make way for Birthdays, broken bones, and blessed holidays. After that, surgery, recovery, and that has lead the Pineda family 5 right in to the final week of the 1st quarter of 2012.
While all this has gone on I've not had much of a chance to keep in touch with friends or extended family, to do what I had planned for the "new" year, or even to keep up with house chores and other obligations. It's been a bit of a roler coaster ladies and gents. But, over the passed week, things have finally come together. And I am caught up (ok, for the most part) with my house work.
I successfully decluttered my kitchen, bedroom, living room, and even my linen closet.
*I'm so proud of me. :)
I am a beginner bloger I don't have give-aways, advertising competition, or even readers that comment on my posts; but I write from the heart, and from my life. No, my grammar isn't perfect, my wording isn't always right, but I share my stories, experiences, and knowledge with those who are interested in the hope of offering some person out in weby land a sense of "someone else' has been there too."
so, here I am, on this Sunday Afternoon, writing my 27th post, and I wanted it to be a better one than just me raving on about these passed couple of months. So, what i will share with you today is; How I Decluttered Our 2 Bedroom Apartment after my recovery.
To begin my tale of tasks unwanted, I had some complications at the beginning of this year that lead to an operation in the 3rd week of February. Supposably it was only going to be 2 weeks recovery but when all was said and done, it was a full month before I felt myself again. This meant that I had laid/sat on my bum for 4 straight weeks. This also meant that my house basically sat on it's bum for the same amount of time; except for hubby's help with laundry and dishes. *can we say ugh?
So, as you can probably imagine; it was going to be no spring picnic to get us ship shape again.
I began with what was around me and just had 2 containers, a find a place, and a trash container. What ever didn't belong where i was got tossed in either one of these receptacles. Once they were full, they got emptied. Trash of course went in the trash, and other stuff found it's proper place. If it didn't have a place, it went in a "bye-bye" bag. (This has yet to be taken to the local church but is in the works)
And, so has been my passed week, but over all it had to get done, and it did.
Confession: I've never been a super cleaner, I always just did what I could get done perfectly with the time and energy that I had, (a mistake as I would learn because to quote the FlyLady, "even housework done incorrectly blesses your family") but more importantly I learned a valuable lesson; that less really _is more. The less I have to pick up, fix, or just deal with; the more time I have to spend with my family. And kids _really _do grow up way too fast.
On a personal note; I learned another very valuable lesson, and that is in all the years I've been married, my husband has given me everything in his power, and what he asked of me I had completely missed. I had asked him many many times what it was he wanted most, and each time he had no materialistic want to be fulfilled, but almost everyday he would ask me to clean our room/kitchen/etc, and I would find some reason not do what he asked of me. Now, I see that his desire isn't the hottest app, the newest big screen, or even the smallest camera; it's a clean and comfortable home. What I don't know is why it took me so long to see what I should have known from the beginning.
The only answer I have at all is, that God moves in His own time. Thanks my sweet hubby for being so patient with me through all these years.
Well folks, I've shared what I have for this week, and God willing I'll be back next week to share something else with you.
Until next time, God bless & Make it a great day!
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