"Ten Ways That Confirm You Are a Parent Of a Child With Sensory Issues" from Ed Chapman

1. Instead of lists to organize your schedule, you start doodling Mayor Johnson pictures.

2. A statement like "Our OT ordered AIT, ASAP, to help with SI" makes perfect sense to you.

3. You order at a restaurant not necessarily what you have a taste for, but according to food color and texture.

4. You go new clothes shopping at second-hand shops (no breaking in necessary!).

5. The barber tools required for your child's haircut includes sedatives, a flashlight or night vision goggles, and a scissors silencer.

6. You break into hysterical fits of laughter when the doctor sends in only one nurse to give your child his immunization, and she exclaims "It will only take a second!"

7. Seven different meals need to be prepared for your family of four.

8. The thought of your child's upcoming dental visit gives you anxiety attacks that require medications and therapy.

9. You do a dance of victory after dry-kissing your daughter and she doesn't wipe her mouth afterwards.

10. You start wearing your socks and underwear inside-out because it really does feel more comfortable that way.

:) Too Funny!

Taken from: http://edchapman.tripod.com/SpecialLaughs.html

SID and Therapy

H.D. saw Karen his Occupational Therapist for our only summer session. Between vacations, ours and hers, we had about one time that worked for all. Poor guy really needed it. I was noticing more and more how "disorganized" his system was. Two of the many issues that H.D. struggles with are spatial awareness and sound. We were discussing how he does not seem to have any awareness of his own sound level, shouting and screeching around when he is excited or just constantly making noise, but how noises made by other people are really bothersome, disturbing, and sometimes frightening to him. Karen suggested we work more on the sound piece with Harrison. I am looking for special headphones and cds on the internet to support his need. While I was searching I found this really informative article about SID that I thought might be of interest to those of you trying to understand my kiddo, or might help someone who stumbles upon my page.

Awesome Slam Poet

Vacation was AWESOME!!!! While I wait at the mercy of my family to share pictures *hint hint* (our camera is TOAST)...I thought I would give you some "Toast" to think about.

Dan Leamen comes to our school to present his (edited) poetry to students. He has an amazing talent for poetry and specifically SLAM poetry.



Two cool sites to check out.
SLAM POETRY and OMAHA HEALING ARTS POETRY

Peace
d

Book Suggestion

This is a great book if you are interested in social justice, or human rights. It is very basic and scratches the surface, but for a basic understanding and "eye opening" pick it up. Change...IT all starts with us...



Excerpt from Uprooting Racism Book Review by Denise Wegener

Marian Wright Edelman first female African American lawyer and founder of The Children’s Defense Fund once said,

If you as parents cut corners, your children will too. If you lie, they will too. If you spend all your money on yourselves and tithe no portion of it for charities, colleges, churches, synagogues, and civic causes, your children won't either. And if parents snicker at racial and gender jokes, another generation will pass on the poison adults still have not had the courage to snuff out.

Edelman’s words echo Paul Kivel’s message in Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. Kivel’s book breathes new life into a much debated subject; racism and how we, as a predominately white society, should deal with the complexities that face us as members of a unique country. Kivel makes it known that though we have no control over the past and racism’s hold on our history; we do have control over the future. Additionally, Kivel’s scope of discussion is not limited to a specific group of people of color and includes Native Americans, Latino/as, Asian Americans, Jewish, African Americans and at times he discusses virtually every ethnic group that has inhabited the United States of America.

An Amazing Poem

This is a poem shared with me by a new friend. It is one of his favorites, and now one of mine...Thanks Ian.



THE CINNAMON PEELER
Michael Ondaatje

If I were a cinnamon peeler
I would ride your bed
and leave the yellow bark dust
on your pillow.

Your breasts and shoulders would reek
you could never walk through markets
without the profession of my fingers
floating over you. The blind would
stumble certain of whom they approached
though you might bathe
under rain gutters, monsoon.

Here on the upper thigh
at this smooth pasture
neighbour to your hair
or the crease
that cuts your back. This ankle.
You will be known among strangers
as the cinnamon peeler's wife.

I could hardly glance at you
before marriage
never touch you
--your keen nosed mother, your rough brothers.
I buried my hands
in saffron, disguised them
over smoking tar,
helped the honey gatherers . . .

When we swam once
I touched you in water
and our bodies remained free,
you could hold me and be blind of smell.
You climbed the bank and said

this is how you touch other women
the grass cutter's wife, the lime burner's daughter.
And you searched your arms
for the missing perfume
and knew

what good is it
to be the lime burner's daughter
left with no trace
as if not spoken to in the act of love
as if wounded without the pleasure of a scar.

You touched
your belly to my hands
in the dry air and said
I am the cinnamon
peeler's wife. Smell me.

Ballooning...

Today...in Colorado we are partaking of a hot air balloon festival. I hope that we have some beautiful photos like the one taken above by Paul deBerjeois at the 2007 Balloona Vista Festival.

I will post our photos once we get home!

Have a beautiful and relaxing Saturday where ever you are.

Peace and Love
D

Happy Friday...

Photo of Nebraska!

As you are reading this...I am sure we are on the road! It is Vacation Time.

Oma and Papa (my folks for those who don't know) are taking all kids and grandkids to a cabin/house in Colorado outside of Buena Vista in a town called Fairplay.

This is what the colorado.com has to say about Fairplay...

If you picture a Gold Rush miner as a grizzled old guy leading a burro, you might still see that today in Fairplay! Especially during its annual World Champion Pack-Burro Races and celebration. There's also an annual Mountain Man Rendezvous, where you can watch re-enactments of Colorado's earliest days.

And speaking of early days, it doesn't get much earlier than this: at the nearby Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area outside of the nearby town of Alma, you'll see trees that were seedlings roughly 2,000 years ago. Twisted and gnarled, these ancient conifers were shaped by the ceaseless winds that blow across the mountaintops.

In Fairplay itself, be sure to visit the South Park City museum. It has a main street flanked by 30 or so historic buildings brought here from the surrounding area including a trapper's cabin, a saloon, general store, blacksmith shop and other businesses that thrived in the late 1800s. This amazing collection is only open during the summer months and is run entirely by volunteers.

Fairplay has also been called the fishing capital of Colorado. Anglers, be sure to bring your tackle, as you’ll want to throw a line in any time of year.

Sounds like FUN!!!
d

P.S. I know that my adoring audience could not possibly survive without their daily dose of "D" so I have set up some pretty cool blog enters for auto-publishing while I am gone!

Don't miss me too much :P

Peace and Love from the Mountains....
D

For Sharon...

I love Celtic Woman, and my dad's cousin Sharon needs a little love, and encouragement.

We love you Sharon.

Two beautiful songs for everyone to enjoy.
d

Trying...

Ok...So we are preparing for the big family trip. We are leaving Friday EARLY, much to Scott's dismay. Actually he will probably be the most awake because he requires the least amount of sleep between the 3 of us. I offered to take the first shift of driving though. I think I will let HD stay up until he makes the decision to go to bed...he may sleep a lot in the car that way.

So first let me start off by saying that I had 2 meetings yesterday, and was gone until about 5:30-6, took HD and signed him up for swimming lessons. We got back and got finished with dinner around 7. The Stanley Cup Playoff started at 8. I am rooting for the Pittsburgh Penguins, so of course I had to watch that, and because it is intense I could not concentrate on anything else. The game went into triple overtime, and then the Penguins won it at about 11:50 pm.

The night was shot.

So today, almost noon and I am blogging. Made a tasty breakfast of eggs, bacon, coffee (for me), and blackberries (for me). HD is newly addicted to bacon, he at almost an entire package alone yesterday. Crazy.

Internally I have a sense of urgency about all of the things that I need to get done by Thursday night, but wow...getting motivated to do it, that is another story.


Inspiration to get it all done.

P.S. Happy Birthday Dan. My big lil' bro turned 29 yesterday! :) I can't wait to see you in a few days! I Miss You and Love You.

And...

Super Sad...Bo Diddley Died Yesterday!

Poem for Kelli

I wrote a poem inspired by a photo that my friend Kelli took. The poem is a rough draft, first go, but it is about the picture and Kel.

Rough draft style, but...here she goes.

Ode to Kelli
By D. Wegener

I am here.
I stand alone.
My nature draped gently around me.
All the while observing the heady aromas.
Their arrogant cheeky display of loveliness surrounding me.
A royal and spiritual dance unfolds in the breeze.
My beauty less showy, but equally important.
My exquisite uniqueness is magnified by their prosaic sameness.
I stand alone.
I am here.

Kelli said...

I LOVE IT! And this is weird, but...it totally reminded me of an experience I had the other day; it describes me with in a situation I was in.

7:21 PM

Denise said...

I am glad. I was inspired by the picture and YOU!
miss you...love ya
D

Funny Sunday

Tonight we went for a drive... a leisurely drive. We tooled around the Blair area then on Highway 30 by the Loess Hills in Iowa. We are looking for good Earthship territory. Okay, well I was staking out Earthship territory and Scott was tolerating my silliness.

We saw a doe and fawn, various red wing blackbirds, and other such birds.

It makes me wish more and more for a windfall or lottery so that I can buy the digital SLR I have been lusting over for months. I really want to get back in to photography. I have some very pretty pictures I took with a point and shoot in my teens and in France. I think I could have some masterpieces...and a damn good photoblog. :)

Well off to make lists for our upcoming trip to Colorado. I am going to try the post dating option on my blog so that I can provide you (Whoever you are) with my quick wit and amazing blogging skills *sarcasm* even while I am gone!

Peace
DW