eSpecially Ben

This post could have been written many weeks ago, but I have not been able to get my head wrapped around it. I have gone through emotions ranging from disbelief, shock, guilt, optimism and then shock all over again. I was hesitant to share the news if it was untrue. But there have been enough people involved in this process that I think it okay to make it public. Ben can read . I mean really read - sight words, sentences and short paragraphs. We have not tested further than that yet, but I am certainly determined to see just how much he knows. It started again with the NOVA Chat (I swear I am not a paid endorser) and testing Ben on sight words. It appeared that he knew them all, even when I added ones that I used with Sean. The speech and occupational therapists asked Ben questions based on books and videos. A couple of times, he answered without anyone reading the question to him. A fluke, right? It happens a few times and you say, "What the hay, let's give him a sente

Ben's former physical therapist sent this article about a new  Multi-Sensory Room  opening in Charlotte.  It is connected with Easter Seals/UCP and will be available to children who have sensory issues. There will be a fee to use the room. We may have to bring Ben here to check it out. I will write more about it then.

Logan came home a few weeks ago talking about a Class Dojo and I had no idea what he was talking about. He kept asking, "Can we do it for us - me, Sean and Ben?" He mumbled on and on about points and jobs. I shook my head a few times, mumbled back and hoped it would go away. While volunteering in Logan's class yesterday, I was able to see the Class Dojo in play and asked the teacher how to find it. Basically, it is a point system on the computer with cool looking monsters. Each child gets a funny looking avatar. Depending on what jobs, tasks or areas the teacher or parent puts in the system, a child can get points for doing something, displaying a certain behavior, etc. A reward for gaining a certain amount of points in a specific amount of time can be put in place. For Logan's class, when he reaches 20 points in one week, they get to do two less "works" (Montessori system) on the Tuesday following. Points may also be taken away. I am not sure how

After eating delicious zucchini patties at Ruby Tuesdays many months ago, I decided to make them on my own. Sometimes recipes are available online so I did a search and found one on a site called, Beth's Journey .  Impressed with the recipe and the very delicious zucchini patties, I read through the blog. Since she was a child, Beth has struggled with her weight. Her blog is about her efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. Since 2009 she has lost a significant amount of weight through Weight Watchers and exercise. I liked her style of writing - honest, open and helpful, so I signed up to receive her posts. Her most recent post is about a contest that begins this Monday, March 4. The contest, also called Social Dieting , is run through  Diet Bet . The basic premise is that participants pay an entry fee into a pot, then over the course of 4 weeks each participant tries to lose 4% of their body weight. All who succeed split the pot. I am always a sucker for a fun way to lose weigh

I had a working lunch meeting today at one of my old haunts near the university. I arrived early and immediately realized that the only other people in the cafe were a group of adults with special needs. I said hello, grabbed a menu and quietly watched the group and its staff from my seat by the window. Not many minutes later, the group started to leave and one of the two staff members yelled to a group member who was walking out the door, "Don't you want to get a magazine? Take whichever ones you like." Then he pulled another member of the group toward him, gave him a hug and said the same thing about the magazines to him. His voice was loving and gentle, and I was overwhelmed with some emotion I cannot begin to name - happiness, gratitude, relief? While I had been observing this group, I had been judging too. I thought I would "catch" the staff say a mean word or act inappropriately with their special group. Just before this staff member closed the door to

Ben did not want to be left behind. This is a very rare photo: Ben with a hood on. Ben saw the falling snow as just one big snack, free for the taking. And there goes the hood.

On a day when there was no school, I took the kids to the YMCA to play basketball while I worked out. Cameron, our newest community worker and also a gift from God, was with us. It was her first time experiencing the YMCA with Ben and his celebrity status. It was also her first time seeing him throw a tantrum. When it came time to leave, Ben decided he did not want to leave. He successfully threw himself on the floor and refused to be lifted into his walker. At almost 65 lbs, he can decline to move his body, and we have to oblige. I was frustrated with him. The other kids were waiting outside, and we needed to be somewhere else soon. I told Ben we were leaving and I watched hidden, behind a column as he pulled himself into a chair and sat very nicely. He did not care one iota that his family had left. At this point my frustration subsided and I realized he wanted something and was determined to get it. I took out the NOVA Chat and quickly plugged in a few feelings buttons. When a