Change

Every time I return home, more of the hometown that I remember has disappeared.

The east side of the court square is gone, completely razed, in order to erect a drug-store chain.

Another reminder that I'm growing older, that things change, and I have to work to preserve the pieces that I want to keep the same.

A Great-Grandmother's Wisdom

My grandfather died when my children were too little to remember him. And my wise grandmother wants to make sure her great-grandchildren know about their great-grandfather.

He had a little workshop and tool shed in the back yard where he made the most marvelous things, and he could fix (repair) anything!

While we're on our "field trip", she asked us to come over so that my children could choose something from that shed to keep.

So, we headed over there on a sweltering August afternoon and she spent a good hour in that shed with two of my kids. The third wouldn't go in -- too cramped, hot and crowded, I suppose, very overwhelming. (I didn't want to go in, either, after we opened a door and discovered a snake skin right at the threshold!).

There are lots of nails, screws, nuts, and thingamajigs that hold stuff together in there. I enjoyed watching all of them search the shed and make discoveries. My grandmother told them about a lot of the items the kids picked up to examine, sharing memories of my grandfather with my children. She gave them more than a tool. She gave them a precious gift of memories, a piece of their great-grandfather. The sibs chose a tool for the princess who refused to enter the shed so that she would have something.

Chicken Catcher Fan Club Member

Kevin Skinner is becoming a household name, and not just in western Kentucky. The excitement is HUGE when a hometown boy makes it big on a TV show like "America's Got Talent". A Google search of his name yields lots of hits of video clips of Skinner singing.

Local businesses all over Skinner's home county have messages of encouragement to Skinner on their marquees.


















Hawkins Screen Printing in Mayfield, Kentucky, hometown of the "Chicken Catcher" Kevin Skinner from "America's Got Talent" has printed three shirt designs for folks to support the hometown singer. You can order one HERE. Yes, I bought one (and I called in quite a few times to vote for Skinner, too). My mother bought shirts for my kids, too. :)

Meeting Superman in Metropolis

Yes, there is a REAL Metropolis, home of Superman! (The kids and I are on a long distance field trip -- can you tell? *grin*)

The Superman statue gave us a free show -- seems an officer from the sheriff's department was returning four yellow-clad prisoners to jail as we were at the courthouse for our photo-op with the big guy.

My TOS tote bag, Toteianna, really wanted her picture made w/ the Superwoman cutout. I need to learn to squat so that my head rests on the neck of the cutout! lol

The younger princess could not stand behind the cutouts for a photo op because the sun was too bright there, and because the sun was too bright there, she refused stand with the statue across the street for a photo, too. Late last night, when we were looking at the photos I uploaded to the computer, she told me the sun hurt her eyes as we were taking those pictures.

***

Metropolis is home to more than one super statue:

Big John stands in front of his supermarket

Fort Massac

The kids and I visited historic Fort Massac in southern Illinois. I figured we'd walk to it, take a snapshot or two, and leave, but this place is set up for kids (and grown ups) who like to explore. We spent a long time there on a hot August day.


We had a scary an interesting moment inside one of the buildings. My girls scampered up a ladder to the second floor of one of the buildings before I could stop them, and my younger princess, the one diagnosed with autism just after her second birthday, could not get down the ladder.

She peered at me from the square opening in the ceiling of the first floor, trying to walk down that ladder facing forwards, as if she were descending a flight of stairs. She was terrified to turn around and come down facing the ladder.

At one point, she asked me if she could jump. *GASP*

I understood her fear. She uses her VISION to tell her where she is in space. In order to descend a ladder, you need to know where your feet and legs are in space, and be able to lower yourself, in part, at least, without looking at your feet or looking at where you're headed.

She is using her proprioception a lot more since she began figure skating, but I suspect that she doesn't realize it.

We coaxed her into turning toward the ladder and I held her foot in order to guide it to the first rung. Once she started down, she didn't need me any more. (!!!)

I handed the camera to my daughter so she could snap a few pictures while I stayed in the position of spotter as she lowered herself.

She made a discovery: "I'M DOING IT! I'M DOING IT!" she exclaimed as she made her way down.

Nikalas Catlow's "Do you doodle?" -- at Costco

I found "Do you doodle?" from Nikalas Catlow at Costco over the weekend, for about eight bucks. There are similarities to Taro Gomi's "Doodles" and "Squiggles", where children of ANY age do more than just color.

I love the addition of thinking and perspective taking -- they're especially useful with children on the autism spectrum.

Nikalas Catlow has a web site with samples that allow you to peek inside the book.

Grilled chicken breasts

From the recipe box

I used a variation of this recipe this week. This one is so old, I can't remember where I got it. Probably Bon Appetit magazine in the early '90's. Here is the recipe, exactly as it is written (I would not use the marinade to baste twice during grilling.) We have used different spices -- rosemary is good, too.

GRILLED CHICKEN
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf, crushed
4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

Combine first 7 ingredients in a zip-top heavy duty plastic bag. Add chicken, and marinate for 20 minutes; remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium coals 8-10 minutes on each side, basting twice w/ marinade. Yield: 4 servings

PS from Penny: Baste w/ that marinade at your own risk, particulary toward the end of the grilling time.

It's a 10

For those of you with daughters who

a) hate to brush their hair because it is painful

and/or

b) have LOTS of tangles,

let me tell you about a product that the sweet friend who does our hair introduced me to. It's called IT'S A 10 MIRACLE LEAVE IN PRODUCT, and it WORKS ON TANGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bought this at the salon, but a google search indicates that it is available via the internet, too. I gasped at the price, but Jeri promised that it works miracles, so I plunked down the money. And yes, she's right. It WORKS. Amazing.

New skates

With the help of our wonderful coach and an expert fitter at a super skate store, we found new skates tonight. They offer the flexibility and support the skating princess needs at her level, and they are a lot like sneakers on blades. ;)

Grapevine Studies: A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

I am homeschooling a child who does not learn like the "norm" on the bell curve of learners. My learning style is different from my child. Teaching a child whose learning style is different from my own is a learning experience for me. I find myself slipping back into the mode where I am trying to present information in *my* learning style, and when I forget my daughter's style, I set us both up for frustration and failure. We are learning how to learn together, and I am very much a work in progress.

I have known for years that movement is importing in learning, particularly for a wiggly child on the autism spectrum. Finding resources that incorporate movement are a special kind of prize for me, and Grapevine Studies is one of those prizes.

The company web site explains that "Grapevine Studies provides an easy to teach and effective Bible study curriculum to disciple students ages five to adult." There's a drawing component that brings the movement piece to the learning piece that makes this study a prize in my eyes. The company slogan is "Stick Figuring Through The Bible".

Yes, you read that right. "Stick Figuring Through The Bible." I didn't know what to think when I read that the first time. Stick figuring? In a BIBLE study? Yes indeedie. And it is fun and it works.

Sign up for the Grapevine Studies e-newsletter to see for yourself -- Dianne Wiebe sends free eLessons to newsletter subscribers.

The first lesson of every study is an overview that uses a timeline, providing a "big picture". Lessons go in chronological order through that timeline. Most lessons are short enough to not be overwhelming while delivering just enough information, and the lessons are easy to split up over more than one day if you need to do that for a student. Story parts are meant to be drawn during the lesson, stick figure style. The teacher's guide contains drawings to go by if you need some hints.

My first impression was "adorable" and I quickly realized that "adorable" is not a good word choice. Adorable implies, at some level, "fluff" or "cute", and these studies are not "fluff". They are solid.

When my children saw me looking at the Grapevine Studies web site, each one mentioned a different study they'd like. So, we received in e-book format, the student guides and teacher books for Biblical Feasts and Holy Days, Esther, and The Birth of Jesus.

The Esther student e-book (30 pages) and teacher e-book (66 pages) are sold individually and both are priced at $9.95. The study contains nine lessons and is a multilevel study designed for students age seven and up.

The Birth of Jesus student e-book (44 pages) and teacher e-book (64 pages) are sold individually and both are priced at $7.95. The study is five lessons long and is designed for multiple age/developmental levels.

Biblical Feasts and Holy Days is priced at $14.95 (each) for the student e-book (50 pages) and $14.95 for the teacher e-book (82 pages). It is a teen through adult study with 13 lessons.

The teacher's book contains stick figure drawings (as suggestions, not as absolutes) and an answer key to the review questions. There is a review at the end of each lesson and a final review at the end of the study. (In Biblical Feasts and Holy Days, there are short reviews at the end of each lesson, plus two lessons inserted between lessons about feasts that are reviews, plus the final review.)

A page at the back of the multi-level studies outlines how to customize the study for different ages and developmental stages.

I took the Esther and Birth of Jesus studies to an office supply store and had them printed in black and white and the two student books bound for approximately $25. Binding adds a lot to the cost of printing. (Note to self: Stock up on inexpensive 3-ring binders during back-to-school sales in August.)

There are other expenses involved. You'll need pencils or markers and paper for drawing. If you choose the e-book format, there are costs associated with printing and binding, although there are ways to minimize them. Get a discount or club card at your local office supply store and watch the ads for sales or coupons. If you want to save money, you can print fewer pages or none at all, we discovered, and use paper for drawing while using the e-book at the computer. (Note to self: watch for those printing sales and coupons!)

Some Grapevine Studies studies are multi-level, meaning you can use them with a kindergartner and a high schooler, which saves the family money. Teaching one subject to everyone at once is a time saver.

I was glad my children were interested in different topics. Summer is a great time to do a study with each of them, one-on-one. As we got into the lessons, I changed my mind. Having them on the same study would have been less work for me. As the teacher, I need to familiarize myself with the lesson, the scripture passage it comes from, and look over the vignettes to draw.

Sitting down with the daughter on the autism spectrum for this study was intimidating for me. I should not have started with this child, because I wasn't familiar w/ the layout of the lessons by beginning with with her. And she had been moody that entire week, which adds to the challenge. I guess I wanted to get the beginning out of the way. It worked, actually, but looking back, I wouldn't have begun with her.

She chose Esther. We began the first lesson, the timeline, sitting on the floor in front of our white board. I gave her several choices. She could draw with me on the big white board, or she could draw on a small white board (8 x 10 from a dept store), or she could draw in her student book, or she could draw on the back of paper from our recycle bin, or she could sit and watch and choose not to draw. I had pens and markers and colored pencils and crayons within reach.

Her anxiety grows with anything that looks like "school" to her. Her anxiety grows with anything that looks like it has only one "right" way. And it grows when she senses I'm trying to force her to do something. So, I gave her a whoooooole bunch of choices. I did not care WHAT she DID, really, so long as she stayed with me and engaged.

And she did stay with me. I did not know if she understood the concept of a timeline. So, I began not with Esther's timeline, but with HER timeline, the year she was born through 2009, and we put some big events on her timeline between then and now, with little girl stick figures to represent my daughter. Then, we began Esther's timeline and began stick figuring, with me drawing on the white board and she drawing in her student book. At first, she drew ghosts instead of people, and then turtles instead of people, which are symptoms of anxiety. She wanted to test me, to feel me out and see how much I wanted to "get" from her. Unknown expectations can send her anxiety soaring. So, I ignored the ghost king with a crown on top of his head, and the turtle with a crown, and soon, she was drawing stick figure PEOPLE with me, and occasionally writing a key word. I let her do what she wanted. I didn't want pretty pictures. I wanted her to join me (engagement) and I wanted some of the material to stick.

She stayed engaged, listening, and asking and answering questions.

This is the child whose reading comprehension is delayed. She has auditory processing problems that can make an auditory lesson seem like a foreign language. She's got performance anxiety -- what will her mother expect of her? Sitting to learn using my way of teaching and learning is a challenge for this kid -- and I'll say it again -- we are learning how to learn together. Seems like the material was made for a parent/daughter team like us.

Fast forward several nights, she and I went to get hair cuts, and I told our magician at the salon, Jeri, about stick figuring through the Bible, and Jeri asked my daughter about Esther. And yes, my girl had indeed been engaged -- she told Miss Jeri that Esther was beautiful and she was a queen. (she's very literal, too, can you tell?)

I was SO proud of her! :)

My biggest challenge for the child with autism is staying within the zone where she is able to feel competent with both the interaction with ME and with the details of the story. With her, I try to avoid quizzing her, because the anxiety of answering questions is aversive. I have to remember that for her, less is more.

HINTS: If you have a child with fine motor or visual challenges, you can draw the stick figures ahead of time and have your child finger trace them. You can outline the figures in school glue, let the glue dry, and your child will have a raised surface to trace with his/her finger or to use for a rubbing. For a gross motor component, you could make the figures ahead of time on butcher paper and hang the paper on the wall or on an easel, for finger tracing or as a model for air writing.

MORE HINTS: I would suggest inserting a colored page (perhaps a piece of construction paper) after the last page in the current lesson as a visual end point for your student. They can see that this lesson is not going to go on and on and on -- it has an end point and it is only a few pages long. I also wish I had chosen pale blue paper for her study. When we use colored overlays for reading, my daughter (on the autism spectrum) always leans toward a pale blue. The e-book format allows parents to print the studies on any color paper they can find, which is a plus for children with visual processing problems.

My eldest child had gone to visit grandparents 600+ miles away, for several weeks, so I sent her the Biblical Feasts and Holy Days study via e-mail. Nice advantage of the e-book, for sure! :) She began the study by working independently at my mom and dad's house, stick figuring on paper while doing the study at their computer. Not exactly how the study is intended, but for the short term, it worked. She excitedly told me all about Purim over the phone. Since she's been home, (which has not been long, because she went to fine arts camp right after going to her grandparents'), she has told me about Passover, First Fruits, Sabbath, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. She told me the review lessons are really helpful, too. When we quit traveling, I want to do some lessons with her at the white board. Now that I understand the framework of the lessons, I can use the teacher's guide on the laptop and print the current student lesson for my daughter to use. Do I recommend a self guided study for a middle schooler? No. But it can work in a situation like we've had this summer with the happy summertime interruptions of vacation time, grandparent time, and fine arts camp.

My son chose Birth of Jesus and his reaction to the first lesson left me with a smile. He thought it was going to be dry and boring. And it wasn't. His comments and questions made this lesson much longer than I think it was supposed to be, and we actually went more in depth on that timeline than was intended (because he had so many questions), and he was hooked. He loves to draw, too. I gave him the same paper/whiteboard/crayon/marker/pencil options I gave his sister -- he doesn't need all of those options, but I wanted to see what he'd choose. We studied the map together and I was able to introduce a Bible dictionary and a concordance (mostly the dictionary for vocabulary words) to him during our time, and he got to practice finding books of the Bible as he looked up verses.

I suspect that the studies would be a really good option for churches who are working to be inclusive for children with special needs, because the format of each lesson stays the same and provides a structure, the stick figuring adds a kinesthetic piece, and the lessons can be tailored to different attention and learning levels. For churches who find success in separating special learners from the regular classes, Grapevine Studies would be an option, also. Some of the studies are longer than others, and a church could choose a longer study and stay with it an entire year.

Grapevine Studies id offering you a 30% discount on all our books from April 19th to September 15th, 2009. To take advantage of this offer, use the coupon code crews.

A little bird told me that Grapevine Studies will have a study of the book of Ruth available in the fall of 2009. I'm looking forward to that one!

For reviews of this product by my Crewmates, click here.