Help Wanted - Katie, call me! :)

Where do you find babysitters and "helpers" for your child with special needs? I've asked friends, neighbors, folks at church, people on facebook, parents of players on my son's baseball team, school staff, college professors, you name it, I've asked. Again and again.

I seem to be constantly looking for a "helper" or sitter. Agencies have been pretty useless.

Today, my homeschool princess (the child with an autism spectrum disorder) and I were shopping at a warehouse club after a family fun day event at a nearby university. The family fun day featured a gym full of bouncy thingies, a sensory room, an arts and crafts room, and tables of vendors and resources for all of us. (We skipped the swimming session.)

ANYway, the princess was tired, and she became cranky and a bit screechy at me in the warehouse club. (Her upset was partly my fault, because she wanted a handheld game cover and video game set, which I put into the cart, and told her she had to wait until Easter for it, and she began to tell me she would have it now. In the warehouse club, we tasted tested some brightly colored Sunkist fruit chews - I have to wonder if the dyes in the fruit chews set her off - they're high in phenols. We were having a good time, and then all of a sudden, my girl morphed into a cranky stranger about halfway through our shopping trip.)

The princess looks like a total brat when she does that - we haven't seen the brattiness in public very often lately. She a pain in the bottom when she behaves like that. I managed to stay calm and regulated myself today. (Yeah, me!)

So, a very nice lady pushed her cart past us and smiled at my princess and suggested gently that she not give her mother such a hard time.

The princess was startled. *giggle* (You should have seen her face. *grin*)

However, a suggestion from a stranger could go either way for her. It could jolt her into a moment of better self-regulation and calm her down, or it could send her emotions and anxiety soaring and make it worse.

Today, it did neither - my princess stayed in about the same "amount" of upset. (I was glad my girl's emotions and upset didn't escalate. As much as I despise those moments in public, I am glad to see my girl manage that, today. That's progress.)

So, to make my long story short, I told the nice lady that my girl has autism, and she told me that she has a family member who is studying to teach children with autism. I asked if she needs a job - community living support, respite, babysitting, etc - and I gave her my information to pass along to the young lady looking for a job. And I included my blog addy. Maybe she'll peek here.

I hope she calls me. Her name is Katie. Or if she's not interested, maybe she knows someone who is. Psst: Katie, call me! :)

RESOURCE: Homeschool Conventions offer info for all learners

Before I withdrew my daughter w/ autism from public school, we supplemented a lot at home. I had no idea that I was missing out on an entire world of wonderful resources that we could have been using at home. Homeschool convention web sites offer a wealth of information, whether you plan to attend the convention or not. I wrote about it last year here.

I have been browsing the speaker line-up at one of the "biggies" in homeschool conventions, and found a long list of speakers aimed at families with a child with a special learning need.

Take a look:

MARIE RIPPEL - How to Help Your Child Who Struggles with Spelling
JAN BEDELL - How to Home School Your Special Needs Child
MARTHA CHIODI - “Fingertip Books” and the Orton-Gillingham Multisensory approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling.
STEPHEN GUFFANTI, MD - Guffanti, you’d forget your head if it wasn't attached!
JANET FLEMING - Help! I don't know how to reach this child who learns so different from me!
CAROL BARNIER - What are you THINKING? – Learning Styles and Beyond
VINTAGE REMEDIES – The Sidetracked Child: How Botanicals and Nutrition Can Increase Concentration and Reduce Distractibility in Your Homeschool!
JENNIFER ROBINSON - Can You Raise Your Child’s IQ?
Dr. ECKENWILER - Does My Child Have a Learning Disability?
STEPHEN GUFFANTI, MD - Getting a Great Start in Reading
CATHY DUFFY- Choosing Curriculum to Fit Each Child – Identifying an Applying Learning Styles
CAROL BARNIER - If I'm Diapering a Watermelon Then Where'd I Leave the Baby?
CAROL BARNIER - Empowering the Shy Child
STEPHEN GUFFANTI, MD - Hands-on Teaching Tips for Hands-on Learners, and More!
JAN BEDELL - ADD/ADHD – A Drug-free Solution
JONI & FRIENDS - LABELS – WHAT A RIP OFF!
ANDREW PUDEWA - Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day!
CAROL BARNIER - HELP! How Do I Teach this Highly Distractible Child–Session ONE
JAN BEDELL - Dyslexia – The Untold Story
CAROL BARNIER - HELP! How Do I Teach this Highly Distractible Child–Session TWO
ATTORNEY CHRISTINE FIELD - Homeschooling the Challenging Child
STEPHEN GUFFANTI, MD - ADHD vs. Kinesthetic Learner: Which is it? (Part 1) (Special needs)
STEPHEN GUFFANTI, MD - ADHD vs. Kinesthetic Learner: Living Happily with Your Child (Part 2) (special needs)
SUSIE DIX JIVIDEN (Therapy Learning Center) – SPECIAL NEEDS
JULIE ANDERSON – Understanding Introversion / Extroversion (I/E) Level
(www.BrainPersonalityConnection.com)
KIM HOWE - Homeschooling Your Gifted Child



If you are not able to attend or don't want to attend, but would like to hear one of the presentations, you may be able to purchase that presentation after the conference. Last year, a company out of Kentucky called Rhino Technologies recorded almost every session and sold audio-CDs to those who wanted them.

Homeschool in the Woods Maps, a TOS Homeschool Crew Review

Activity Paks - that's what I associate with Home School in the Woods, because I reviewed one of their activity paks on the last Crew voyage.

I was a really new homeschooler last year, and had not heard of Home School In The Woods -- and I learned really quickly that HSITW is a popular company among homeschool circles.

I didn't need long to learn why the company is so popular - their products are thorough and children like them, and prices are affordable, too.

**This Crew voyage, I was given in order to review a download for the new Home School in the Woods set of Olde World Style Maps that include World Maps and United States Maps. I was given the download at no cost; I received no other compensation. I am not required to provide a positive review.**

We live more than 600 miles from family. When we make a road trip, the drive takes all day. Traveling that far in one day means we hear many many times, "How much longer 'til we get there?" I am looking forward to printing a set (for each child) of the maps of the states we cross on our drive, perhaps with our route highlighted in some way. Home School in the Woods gives me three choices and I have to decide whether to use the outline, the no-label version (with geographical features pictured but not labeled), or the labeled version (state capitol and geographical features are labeled). I'm leaning toward the labeled version - and I can use stickers to mark cities we pass on our way so the children will have a visual to show them how far we've gone and how far we have left to travel.

There are notebooking pages included with each set.

I like the versitility of the map sets. I can use them now to learn a few facts for a developmentally appropriate unit study, and I like the ability to print a couple at a time. We can color some, print and cut out the picture of the state flag, identify the state by shape. Later, we can use the same maps for a study that is more in-depth. And I can print the same states again and again as we travel to and from the place where I grew up.

I think the "Olde World Style" maps would be beautiful printed on cream or taupe paper. I can imagine them in a picture frame (especially my beloved home state). ;)

The World Map set gives us both Ancient and Modern style maps. We haven't done much world history (a little bit of Egypt last year) - and I wish I'd thought during the Olympics to print some of these in order to look at the home countries (or states) of some of the athletes. (Would you believe she refused to look at the figure skating competetion on TV? I can't explain that one yet.)

My homeschooler has asked more questions lately about places in the United States and places in the world, and as her interest grows, I will feed it. And I have the perfect framework with these map sets. I predict we'll get a lot of use from them. It's another product that I wouldn't have put on a list to purchase - shortside of me, and now I know better. The download (or CD) gives them a longevity that a workbook of maps does not have.

A peek inside both sets and free samples are available here.

The map sets are priced as a download at $18.95 each; on CD at $19.95 each.

The two-set download is available at $28.95; on CD, $29.95.

To read the reviews of my Crewmates about the map sets, go here.

Band Concert (and things that make me go "hmmm")

An amazing sibling performed tonight

6th and 7th Grade Band Concert

Things that make me go "hmmmm":

I know that today is St Patrick's Day,

but this tall green hat at the band concert is ridiculous.

SKATING: ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

One year ago today, my skating princess stepped onto the ice for the first time.

MARCH 17, 2009:

ONE YEAR LATER:

VERY FIRST INTRODUCTION TO A FIGURE 8 TODAY
(and a rare fall - she caught her toe pick in the ice and fell hard)

She's FINE. See?!!!
(looked like a hard fall to Mom,
yet the princess got right up and skated away!)

Recall: Gluten Free Naturals Mixes

FYI

Gluten Freeville on facebook

posted this link

today

http://glutenfreeville.com/research/fda-recalls-gluten-free-naturals-mixes

The Owl Box

Live barn owl nest cam
http://www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Live_Owl_Nest_Box_Cam.html

Homemade Coconut Milk (WHO KNEW?) and a giveaway

Homemade Coconut Milk

(who knew?)

and a giveaway

Click below for details:

http://homestead.delightfullearning.com/2010/03/homemade-coconut-milk-macaroons-and-a-tt-giveaway/

The skating princess has an anniversary this week - she began skating lessons a year ago. Coach said she worked really hard today. Here's a clip:

I'm not sure why the skating princess insisted on wearing her hood underneath the safety helmet - that would have driven me bonkers.

The camera operator needed a little help today. Her video is dark and jiggly. Sorry 'bout that.

"Siblings, You're Stuck with Each Other, so Stick Together" book review

Siblings, You're Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together, by James J. Crist, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Verdick is a book for (obviously) siblings.

Siblings is handbook sized (it would easily fit in my purse), big enough to hold a lot of information, but not so much that it's overwhelming or a turn off to children.

The authors use everyday language and talk to and with children in a way that is engaging and interesting. There are fun illustrations that offer visuals along with the topics.

My older children read the book - both liked it very much. Sometimes, Mom (I) think they think some of their challenges are related to autism, when, in fact, the challenges are common in all families where there are at least two children. This book helps them to begin to recognize that.

There's a section on having a sibling with special needs, and my son tells me that the authors understand what that's like and he says that section is helpful.

I like the book - the authors are real, authentic, not preachy, and I am able to use it to start some conversations at my house about all things siblings.

Free Spirit Publishing sent me a copy of the book at no charge so that I could review it here on my blog.