tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83767498242533613862012-02-16T08:35:56.431-06:00a blog for our childrencavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.comBlogger841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-39347759800326376722011-06-13T13:50:00.001-05:002011-06-13T13:51:58.874-05:00

I love this! It makes me want to pick up some duplos from the thrift store and some labels and just go crazy. I think it would really help Sarah and Rachel with sentence structure.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-38830356253241695232011-05-23T16:14:00.002-05:002011-05-23T16:27:07.471-05:00

Wow. I can't believe I haven't updated this in a year. Actually, I can. It's been a... very full year. We had a number of difficulties, but we're pulling through now. Very hopeful future.Can't spend a lot of time writing at the moment. I will say we're very impressed with our current doctor. My plan is to take the girls in to see him either sometime before the end of May or in the first

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-2772285261644394982010-05-28T18:04:00.002-05:002010-05-28T18:27:14.287-05:00

I'm truly amazed at how life works. Things are calming down with Stevie now. His treatment is going great. He's scooting around the house and trying out the sitting and spinning thingamajigger. I wouldn't be surprised if he's gained back the vast majority of progress lost by the time a year is up. I'm not going to expect it, but I wouldn't be surprised.I'm not going to mention the diagnosis.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-64287091573660236852010-04-15T18:03:00.002-05:002010-04-15T18:10:19.955-05:00

Don't have much time to post today, but felt I should say something.We have a doctor!That's right. We finally found one we're comfortable with and that shares our philosophies, the important ones anyway. So, we took Stevie in to see him and the search is on! At the moment, it looks like we're going to be going to the local Scottish Rite Hospital for an assessment... if they accept us. We'll

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-9044086916358484452010-01-05T11:50:00.003-06:002010-01-05T12:54:50.285-06:00

Not sure if I'll be going to this. We'll see. I'd like to, but actual therapy and other related items take top priority.However, in the spirit of sharing, Future Horizons, an Arlington-based publisher of literature relating to autism spectrum disorders, is putting on an Autism & Asperger's Conference in Austin, TX on February 5. Speakers include Temple Grandin, her mother Eustacia Cutler, and

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-23901918814074321262009-12-29T13:06:00.004-06:002010-01-05T11:50:31.938-06:00

Well, let's see. Where are we now?Rachel and Sarah got bikes for Christmas. It'll be interesting to see how that will affect their gross motor skills. It'll also be interesting to see the rules we'll need to put in place surrounding the bikes and going out on them. For now, the girls are only going to ride them when we can supervise, mostly because they have no idea how to ride a bike (or

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-10318718991739588862009-10-27T10:18:00.003-05:002009-10-27T11:19:24.411-05:00

No, I didn't feed her glass. The title was Sarah's comment after eating some sprouted blueberry muffins I made this morning. :)Sorry it's been so long. Nothing bad has happened. Nothing ecstatically good either. Just life. School has been taking up a lot of my time (it's going well btw) and I've just been focusing more on my home and family in general. With one exception, which I will talk

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-21692399389868700552009-09-14T10:39:00.002-05:002009-09-14T12:40:19.677-05:00

Life really pulled me away from the Internet.Summary of what's been going on since my last post.First, Sarah has been doing phenomenal. Her behavior has been improving and her flexibility has really started to increase (thank goodness). She's more willing to let go of things than she was in the past. She still has moments, but she's doing much better than she was before.Rachel's sensitivity

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-83436682690386736542009-07-30T11:14:00.003-05:002009-07-30T11:15:15.969-05:00

We're beyond this phase now, and I can see many arguments for screening. However, it's good to see the possible dangers as well.Article: Why Children Are Not For Screening

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-60643920864983164842009-07-29T10:06:00.003-05:002009-07-29T10:22:08.954-05:00

This week my goal is to finish the speech therapy evaluations, put together a list of supplies, and figure out which curricula I'll be using this year. I only have a couple of textbooks that are "must have". The rest I either already have or can get through the library.One thing I'm looking into is finding a way of organizing the kids records so that I can show they do indeed work on schoolwork

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-82506143980416749952009-07-21T11:08:00.005-05:002009-07-29T10:54:17.649-05:00

I wrote this as a reply to a friend's blog post regarding their little girl. Blogger told me I had exceeded the comment limit. :) So, I'm posting it here, changing the name of the child to protect privacy.I don't consider Stevie as "special needs" (and hopefully won't) but this kind of regression isn't good, especially now that I've realized the source.From comment:Wow. We're going through

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-63394880101239580102009-07-19T11:44:00.002-05:002009-07-19T11:54:17.011-05:00

So, while I was at my local health food store, they had a book there called Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Disorders. They had a section on epsom salts as part of the detoxification process.Being cheap, I decided to do the research online. Personally, I'm sold on epsom salt baths for my two eldest. I've been using them on Rachel and they've calmed her down immensely. We use them

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-67274910089637647272009-07-17T18:13:00.002-05:002009-07-17T18:30:13.140-05:00

So, I've been gone a while, eh? Too much to put into one post. Focusing a lot on home and family right now, just general maintenance.Ordered Pediatric Physical Therapy through Interlibrary Loan. It's mostly for one of my other children, but I'm sure I'll find some good stuff for Rachel in there. Will review at some future point.Started Rachel on Heavy Mineral Bugleweed formula from Dr.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-58919878974076556172009-03-16T12:19:00.003-05:002009-03-16T14:22:48.564-05:00

This amazes me. I'm hoping this is isolated and won't spread through the rest of the nation. Personally, I would rather see parents homeschooling their special needs but only as their choice. They shouldn't be forced into it by the public school system.Parents of Special Needs Students Clash on TruancyAddendum: I wonder if they'll fit them with ankle monitors.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-3903431649703590862009-03-08T19:54:00.005-05:002009-03-08T22:58:30.976-05:00

They were asking for more mashed potatoes. I gave some to Sarah and some to Rachel. Rachel asked for the salt. After she was finished salting her spuds comma she said to Sarah, "Here, Sarah. Here's the salt for you."I was so excited that I leaned down and started hugging her and said, "You speak so well! That was so awesome!" She smiled and giggled.***END TRANSMISSION(cavamil's note: This

Mr. Metallic Vincahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08125621581742614901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-37987262534424674812009-03-05T20:41:00.002-06:002009-03-05T20:47:21.200-06:00

I don't have much time to post this week... or the next... or the next. I'll do what I can but this is my marathon month when it comes to celebrations. Many commemorations, many parties, much to do for little ol' me and I feel lucky I'm getting in school during this time period.That said, I do want to post a small update. Rachel is now consistently using four word sentences and adding five

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-12296248927402242592009-02-26T10:30:00.003-06:002009-02-26T10:56:29.994-06:00

CPSIA effectively bans pre-1985 children's books from sale. I got the email from my homeschool group this morning (arti cle they sent). I'm not entirely sure what it all means, but the little research I've done says that this article is accurate -- at the very least regarding how used booksellers and libraries are responding.It seems the problem is that before 1985 lead was used in the

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-23702296357607687702009-02-25T13:43:00.004-06:002009-02-25T13:59:36.759-06:00

Well, I finally did it. I finally got the alarm set up on one of our doors. I've explained to the kids in great detail the horrible consequences of opening the door without permission, as well as why you shouldn't go outside -- once again, without permission.My goal with this is to eventually get our house to the point where I don't worry about having any difficulty getting outside quickly in

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-28444185493823393292009-02-19T11:48:00.002-06:002009-02-19T11:57:33.489-06:00

Yesterday, Granma and my brother came by to visit. All the adults were talking when suddenly I felt someone tapping my arm and turned to see it was Sarah. She said, with full eye contact, "Excuse me. It's my turn now." She then proceeded to talk to Granma and my brother. :)***This isn't really a conversation, but it touched my heart so I thought I'd share. Sarah got a copy of the Book of

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-15790233368026228072009-02-19T11:28:00.007-06:002009-02-19T11:47:37.881-06:00

Our church has a new website devoted to helping all its members in dealing with disabilities. On the left-hand side is a list of disabilities; autism has its own category.I really liked the overview they gave of the challenges/differences that characterize those with autism, especially the mention of sensory overload. Church has always been a struggle for us because of the noise and crowds.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-23087587498469702912009-02-18T08:05:00.002-06:002009-02-18T08:15:37.440-06:00

I've been focusing on my reaction to what the kids do and I'm seeing a difference already, the biggest difference being in my interactions with Sarah. By staying calm and talking slowly, it seems to help her keep from going into vapor lock when something upsets her. It also seems to help her be more reasonable when the answer is no. More about this on Friday.On a somewhat different note, the

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-64586303523438170522009-02-17T10:44:00.005-06:002009-02-17T11:02:48.269-06:00

... I shall direct you, dear reader, to these pretty flowers. We're going to make them tomorrow as a belated Valentine's Day present for Granma. She's been fantastic helping us out recently and I'm very grateful for her sacrifices. I mean, really, her time raising a family is over and yet she's willing to use her day off to help me out while I get some issues taken care of.I hope she likes the

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-32586523567823875542009-02-15T15:03:00.003-06:002009-02-15T15:23:36.046-06:00

So, we ordered another copy of What You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Child With Autism (hereafter referred to as WYC) by Jonathan Levy, since we loaned ours out and it hasn't come back yet.In re-reading it, I was surprised at the information I remembered and the information I'd forgotten or put at a low priority. #1 on his list, for example, isn't eye contact. It's summed up in the title of

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-1571078048368993652009-02-15T14:37:00.006-06:002009-02-15T14:59:44.223-06:00

The other day I was talking to Rachel. Or, rather, she came up to talk to me."What you gonna make?" she asked. It's her way of asking what the next meal is going to be and, though sporadic during the day, always shows up around bedtime. This happened to be near bedtime."I don't know. Probably oatmeal.""No, Mom," she replied calmly. "No oatmeal.""Hon--""I hate oatmeal. How about muffins?"A

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-6662700575350722562009-02-13T11:46:00.002-06:002009-02-13T11:48:39.738-06:00

Just found this blog and thought I'd share. I will also be putting it in a permanent spot on this blog because I find this author so awesome.Name: Lots of Kids and Special Needs

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-73807484345746991192009-02-04T11:57:00.004-06:002009-02-04T12:17:42.279-06:00

Another illness is going through our neighborhood. A friend of mine had to cancel a visit today because of it. One of my kids is kind of sick, but they all seem to be staying healthy so far.Rachel is now at the syllable level for the sound "ng". I've also put our speech therapy goals on 3x5 cards for both girls so that I can integrate all of them into daily activities. It's a lot to remember

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-28675606117774661922009-02-04T10:53:00.005-06:002009-02-04T12:23:11.508-06:00

Have I mentioned this website yet? I've found it very helpful when it comes to information.PROVEThe full name is Parents Requesting Open Vaccination Education. They're based in Texas.While I'm on the subject of vaccines and education, I'll go off on a major tangent and talk a little about a completely unrelated topic. There's a meeting coming up in my area, sponsored by AAPS, and it's about

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-23511934316463846702009-01-28T09:47:00.003-06:002009-01-28T10:07:41.845-06:00

Sarah's doing very well. She's been handling stress better for the past week. She's communicating enough now that I'm realizing I need to stress the difference between fantasy and reality (which means she's at a preschool level there). It's not a big deal because she's starting to learn the difference, which is awesome!I had an interesting conversation with Rachel this morning. For the first

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-76389959403804489322009-01-28T09:45:00.001-06:002009-01-28T09:46:51.579-06:00

For those who are interested, and for those who might know someone who is, here is a link.Drawspace.com

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-43985699810230095902009-01-26T16:38:00.005-06:002009-01-26T16:56:55.374-06:00

It seems that someone in the UK has figured out a possible pre-natal screening test for autism. (I apologize in advance for the biased website... it's where I got the info and I'm too busy/lazy/whatever to look it up elsewhere... feel free to look the info up in other sources.) It's still very new and relatively untried. However, it's making some people very nervous... and with good reason.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-32794195969888087382009-01-21T10:14:00.003-06:002009-01-21T10:35:03.765-06:00

I decided to put a link to these on my blog because the SR program has a couple of big strikes against it. One is confidence. There are many parents out there who, in spite of any evidence to the contrary, feel experts know their children better than they do. This doesn't mean experts aren't helpful, it's just that I've seen too many parents hand their special needs children to the experts

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-84575513380026057872009-01-10T14:48:00.003-06:002009-01-10T14:55:32.342-06:00

Just a quick note to say that the kids have barely watched TV today. We had a movie going this morning but no one was watching it, so we turned it off. We did watch a collection of animated music shorts this afternoon but that has been it for TV watching today. And even during that the kids danced and played to the music... they didn't actually watch TV.I wonder if they might enjoy listening

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-52660477537231364532009-01-09T11:09:00.004-06:002009-01-10T14:48:49.521-06:00

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. And what's crazy is that the kids are doing great without the TV. My husband has noticed their focus has increased and they're calmer. Even my firstborn son has settled down. And yet, I'm really looking forward to turning the TV on tomorrow. I have no idea why.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-20977065913667792882009-01-09T10:41:00.005-06:002009-01-10T14:56:40.857-06:00

I'm going to post this on Homemaking Cents as well (Monday from the way my schedule looks). It makes more sense there, I know, but I'm posting it here because many kids in the spectrum struggle with immune system problems.Flu in U.S. Found Resistant to Main Antiviral DrugI'm a bit cynical about this article because I've read other articles that question Tamiflu's abilities as an antiviral in the

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-6440424580892260252009-01-07T10:48:00.004-06:002009-01-09T11:09:20.965-06:00

Now the withdrawal begins.Sarah has been asking all morning for a particular movie. Everyone seems a little jittery, as if they aren't quite sure what to do. Thankfully, Becky and Sarah were resourceful enough to go play pretend with their dolls.Ironically, the one who is having the worst time is our toddler firstborn son. He's been more sensitive than usual, more likely to act aggressive, and

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-54539385186503721502009-01-06T15:57:00.004-06:002009-01-06T16:14:49.119-06:00

Well, today is the first full day of no TV during the week. I seem to be having a harder time with this than the kids. I swear it feels like there's something physically wrong in my head.The kids are doing great. After I finished my morning routine and we had all finished breakfast, I got out the books and we read for a while. Then, I worked on laundry. Thank goodness because one of my (

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-30156403451021946592009-01-05T10:17:00.004-06:002009-01-05T10:55:23.130-06:00

It has been quite a weekendOver the weekend, after a binge at the local library, I was reading a book called The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet by Marilyn C. Agin, Lisa F. Geng and Malcolm J. Nicholl. It's a pretty good book overall. Its strength is in apraxia, but there's also some really good information on autism spectrum disorders as well in it: many of the

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-49321414926895836332008-12-31T09:07:00.007-06:002008-12-31T10:56:29.137-06:00

I was going to do a year in review until I realized that I had only started the baseline for this year in July so any official before/after will only reflect half the year. And anything before July isn't detailed enough to warrant a full post unless you go back to 2007 and then it isn't really a "year in review" anymore.And then I thought why not do a "future goals" post? But by the time I'd

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-34693147922709833342008-12-29T10:04:00.004-06:002008-12-29T10:29:41.423-06:00

Christmas was nice this year. We got a wonderful present for the whole family (our baby) and everyone had enough presents and food to satisfy but not enough to make people sick. :) I think the key to my happiness this year was chanting "Christmas is like any other day," over and over until I really didn't care if things were perfect or not. More on that on my other blog.As for therapy, I'm

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-17943663549733660052008-12-08T09:20:00.003-06:002008-12-08T10:24:07.510-06:00

Yup. We have a new little one in our house. If I haven't already contacted you, please email me for details. My life is more than a little chaotic at the moment... I don't mean to be rude.Thank goodness for my priority list. I would be very overwhelmed right now if it weren't for that. That and routines. Priorities and routines. Very good things. :)Posts will be rare for the next month.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-9500581580723442752008-11-27T10:47:00.014-06:002008-11-27T10:59:58.299-06:00

Don't have much time, but I just wanted to give a quick update.I'm still working through The Explosive Child. My goal is to have it done by the end of the weekend so I can give it a review. So far it seems to be pretty good. It definitely fits Sarah and has given me new insights into her behavior and what seems to be wrong. More later.One of the girls, for the first time, took a shower

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-77964105219115810992008-11-17T11:20:00.004-06:002008-11-17T11:28:34.245-06:00

Busy, busy, busy.We have a baby coming.Rachel and Sarah had quarterly evaluations and that took up more time than I thought (we do them at home with a digital recorder and a number of forms). In case anyone is wondering, they're doing very well. I've been able to zero in on some problem areas that wouldn't have appeared before if I had been doing this on a more informal basis. We're also at

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-27169930359094572332008-09-24T12:39:00.005-05:002008-09-24T12:57:04.464-05:00

So, we've been working with Rachel on her speech, both structure and pronunciation. Yesterday, I realized in doing her pronunciation work that she has moved from one level (isolated sound) to another (syllables with sound).This is only one sound ("K") and there are many, many more we'll be working on in the future, but still it shows progress. As a side note, she has been asking "why" a LOT more

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-58995712839182867212008-09-24T12:29:00.004-05:002008-09-24T13:00:36.093-05:00

So, yesterday we got our order from LifeBalm: two Kid-e-Mins, one Kid-e-Mune, one bottle of echinacea extract for Rob and I (just in case) and one bottle of Dr. Christopher's lower bowel formula (again for Rob and I).As soon as we got the package, I broke out some orange juice I'd been waiting to pass out once the tummies were all settled (it seemed like they never were) and we gave the kids

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-61278256078108596372008-09-22T12:37:00.005-05:002008-09-22T12:55:20.913-05:00

I got this from the library the other day. I'd been looking for something to help with Sarah's meltdowns. She doesn't have them as often, but I was wondering if there was something the SR program didn't cover that maybe this book might help address. Or maybe some insight that will make it easier to do what I already need to do.I'm thinking it will because already in the first chapter they've

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-33272109252785897912008-09-22T12:34:00.002-05:002008-09-22T12:37:51.757-05:00

I laughed so hard when I read this. This is what my day is like, and it's nice to know that someone else has the same experience.From Heavenly Homemakers: Hellooooo! Is ANYBODY Listening?!

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-47035488496531712082008-09-19T15:02:00.006-05:002008-09-19T15:25:23.956-05:00

Okay, I don't have my initial blog idea up and running yet. But I do have the secondary one going. It's focus is on frugality and is called Homemaking Cents. I'm working on the layout bit by bit as time goes on. It's not a blog I want to spend a whole lot of time on, but it does give me a chance to talk about some things that I don't think will fit on the other blog.Good gosh, now I have two

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-88868774564439834052008-09-15T14:54:00.003-05:002008-09-15T14:58:46.092-05:00

Bad news. We found out my husband is allergic to our dog. And we can't have him outside for reasons that I don't think I should mention. Suffice it to say, we have an indoor dog or none.Which leaves the option... none. So, we're looking for a home for our dog. If you happen to know of anyone who wants one, please let us know and soon. There's a deadline looming on this. For sure, he's got

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-19177662444039729922008-09-10T09:41:00.007-05:002008-09-10T10:51:04.271-05:00

Toast on the Ceiling posted about potty training, and as I read about her struggles, I remembered my own with my kids. So, I've decided today to blog about those times.Warning: get some healthy snack before reading... this is going to take a while.Rachel wasn't potty trained until she was four, and then it was very much a literal hit or miss. We started potty training simply because I was

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-44039243962964720862008-09-08T13:05:00.002-05:002008-09-08T13:08:59.808-05:00

We found out over the past few days that Rachel has been using the newspaper to practice copying letters. She has no idea why they're important, at least from what we can figure out, but she knows Becky and Sarah write letters and it's something they practice a lot. She doesn't want to be left out, I guess. What's neat is that we now have all these disaster-related words in her handwriting. /

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-8175444911905020182008-09-02T13:15:00.005-05:002008-09-10T09:55:28.819-05:00

Today is our first day of school. I cannot begin to tell y'all how nice this change of focus is for all the kids and me. I won't do this every day, but just to give you a glimpse of how things have changed, I'll give a quick run down of my day so far:Did the morning chores, including feeding and walking the dog.Mowed one fifth of the lawn.Took care of various sundries around the house.Made sure

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-10010464148799106552008-08-27T17:15:00.003-05:002008-08-27T17:19:13.283-05:00

All of Dr. Christopher's formulas are on sale right now at Life Balm... 45%. We're stocking up on the kid stuff and possibly some cayenne tincture. We'll see.These formulas and Dr. Christopher's general view toward health have really helped my family quite a bit. In fact, I think Rachel and Sarah wouldn't have made nearly the progress they have if it weren't for the information from Dr.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-4598085474595784442008-08-26T08:29:00.006-05:002008-08-26T08:50:26.286-05:00

This is kind of about Rachel and Sarah's journey and kind of not. This ties into the goals I was discussing back in June.I've been thinking a lot about setting up another blog, one that I'm going to try to use to generate money. Not sure if it will work but hey, it's worth a try, right? I've looked over Crystal Paine's series (there's more than one in that previous link but I'm sure y'all will

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-72582808373340324632008-08-22T10:46:00.004-05:002008-08-22T11:49:15.243-05:00

Well, another school year is almost upon us. I'm phasing in school gradually so that we don't have a sudden change in schedule. I'm using the leftover math lessons (i.e. the ones we didn't get to finish because of various reasons... there aren't that many so it's a good review) and the science reader. I'm also going to start reading aloud at least once a day since the kids seem to really like

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-2000635571887387932008-08-22T10:36:00.003-05:002008-08-22T11:52:32.353-05:00

Every night we read a little from the scriptures. Because we're Mormon, we have four canonical works, but the ones we focus on mostly with our kids are the Bible and the Book of Mormon. For the Bible, I use simple readers for now but I've found that with the Book of Mormon it's best to just read the scripture itself and explain the passages as best I can.Last night, while I was talking about a

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-87234335109222266622008-08-21T12:13:00.002-05:002008-08-21T12:17:26.210-05:00

Sarah and I have been working on "what if" questions for the past month or two. I ask her a question, sometimes answer it myself, sometimes prompt her to answer it. For the first time yesterday, she asked me "What if we didn't eat dinner?"No prompting, and she was actually interested in the answer. :) Her first "what if" question. Too awesome.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-28252666799665808242008-08-21T12:08:00.002-05:002008-08-21T12:13:05.186-05:00

So, we've all been taking turns being sick for the past week. Today is my turn it seems, though as any mother knows, being a mommy means you aren't sick. At least, you can't be sick if you want the house to stay halfway organized instead of looking like a hungry pack of little monsters ravaged through your house with nothing more than hungry stomachs and an intense need to color walls.Thank

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-38581772247142329522008-08-15T10:24:00.003-05:002008-08-15T10:28:56.433-05:00

That's right. Summer's just about over. I know it's over when I see the lists of supplies at my local Wal-Mart for each school district. That's one of the nice things about homeschooling: you don't have to buy all your supplies at once. It's nice (and can really save a chick some money), but next to impossible to gauge how much coloring, cutting, etc. you'll be doing during the year. So, the

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-2831340911498801312008-08-12T10:27:00.004-05:002008-08-15T10:23:59.599-05:00

I bought Mad Libs, the card game version, a long time ago as a possible "date night" idea for my husband and I. (You know, the kind of "date" where you put the kids to bed early and just talk or goof off for an hour or two before you finally crash from exhaustion.)Well, in our church we have a family event that occurs (mostly) every Monday night called Family Home Evening. When the kids were

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-32673285588412211902008-08-11T08:37:00.006-05:002008-08-12T10:27:08.161-05:00

This past weekend, my husband watched a BBC DVD the Autism Treatment Center puts out called "I Want My Little Boy Back" and he was struck my how much things have changed. When we first got involved with the SR program two years ago, Rachel and Sarah threw fits much like the boy in the documentary. Just like the boy, it was impossible to take them anywhere because of the meltdowns that would

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-30136411204324730422008-08-06T11:39:00.004-05:002008-08-06T11:56:38.603-05:00

There's a really great series going on right now at Money Saving Mom about blogging. I'm considering blogging as a possible way to bring in some money. It won't be much. Money, I mean. But it would be nice to bring in some extra.The beauty of this series is that Mrs. Paine makes it clear that you can't just set up a blog and expect money in a few days. It takes time to link, advertise,

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-11504966579606602932008-08-04T10:33:00.003-05:002008-08-04T10:41:39.113-05:00

So, we have a dog now (I think I mentioned this) and we weren't sure for a while there if we were going to keep him. That has recently changed. Why?Dog food.I kid you not. We originally had him on Purina Puppy Chow and he was one hyperactive, crazy little pup. Now that he's not so little anymore, we got worried. Well, I took a good look at the ingredients, compared brands, got Iams Puppy

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-62429965736050559702008-08-04T10:09:00.002-05:002008-08-04T10:33:15.075-05:00

Well, I've finished with the curriculum/IEPs for my kids: lots of life skills stuff, not as much academic right now. We'll see where we are in December.I'm a bit torn right now. Half of my books are going to come directly from the publisher, but another half can be found much, MUCH cheaper on a particular homeschool discount site.Here's the problem: when people order things through a discount

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-60079148492563086522008-07-30T11:24:00.003-05:002008-07-30T11:28:50.063-05:00

So, a friend of ours asked if he could bring his horse by so our kids could get all teary-eyed when it was time for the horse to leave. :) All the kids had a great time and Rachel and Sarah adored riding. We're definitely doing the equine therapy now.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-4380893955310800702008-07-22T14:59:00.003-05:002008-07-22T15:12:34.362-05:00

Too much has been said about this. I mean, come on, this is Michael Savage Savage Nation Have You Read My Book You Red Diapah Dopah Baby You Don'wanna Talk About It You Don't Want Me to Talk About It Okay I'll Talk About It (thanks to my husband who came up with this fantastic string of words based on the few times he listened to Savage's show back in the early aughties... it's really neat how

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-60654187412966182642008-07-22T11:14:00.009-05:002008-07-22T11:56:11.195-05:00

Right now in speech therapy we're working on getting Rachel to follow a daily routine, i.e. chores and basic self-care. I'm seriously considering writing out routines for a couple of processes Rachel struggles with since the morning routine seems to be working out pretty well so far. However, one of the side-effects of this is that Sarah, who already pretty much follows a routine, got even more

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-44343585448267407812008-07-09T14:16:00.002-05:002008-07-09T14:54:32.620-05:00

We looked into chelation years ago. My husband and I both didn't feel right about it for several reasons, some of them specific to us, and some of them concerns about the treatment in general. Instead, we decided to pursue an herbally based program with a heavy focus on nutrition and proper preparation of foods (soaked grains, etc.) combined with interaction/play-based therapy.That said, I've

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-80188925280304250142008-07-08T16:34:00.003-05:002008-07-08T16:48:33.837-05:00

Horse therapy won't happen. First, it's the summer and way too hot. Second, the waiting list is incredibly long (I know, I know, that's weak). Third, we need a reference from a medical doctor and we've been having a hard time finding a medical doctor since most are gung-ho about vaccinations (can you tell we aren't?). A lot of the parents I know (mostly online) either go with DAN! doctors (we

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-27150067010101025872008-07-08T15:20:00.005-05:002008-07-08T16:32:40.344-05:00

Well, I guess when I want to get things done, I should say I'm resting. :)Warning: This is going to be a long post.I've thought long and hard about the Son-Rise program. I love it. The principles are wonderful and the playroom is a great idea that has worked very well for us when we've been able to use it. I love their loving, accepting approach to autism and the way they focus on

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-85556197738066519962008-06-16T09:00:00.003-05:002008-06-16T09:04:43.628-05:00

Just wanted to add that, although I don't agree with the FLDS, I am very glad the Texas Supreme Court said CPS had overstepped its bounds (the decision said there were other options they hadn't tried yet... not that the raid was illegal... wanted to make that clear because the news keeps getting it wrong). I'm also glad this brought "standard policy" into the open. What CPS did didn't surprise

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-82521595593062210142008-06-16T08:38:00.006-05:002008-06-16T09:05:36.701-05:00

This weekend has been a bit busy (I say that a lot don't I?) so I didn't have a chance to blog like I'd hoped on Friday. Soooooo, better late than never.I did all right with trying to stay calm. Pregnancy hormones didn't help, but remembering to talk slowly helped keep me calm for the most part during a very stressful week, what with Sarah and Rachel still freaking out about the puppy. Rachel

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-57811506026985909722008-06-06T12:42:00.007-05:002008-06-06T13:37:27.869-05:00

It's been a long three months. I found out I'm pregnant, we acquired a puppy, a close relative of mine gave birth and I was involved in the festivities and gifting, and this on top of homeschooling, therapy, and trying to figure out how to get our SR program off the ground, not to mention the daily grind of watching over 6 kids and helping out my husband.It's been two years and we still don't

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-71851785081433166422008-03-12T09:25:00.011-05:002008-03-12T13:24:58.169-05:00

First, the update... yesterday, for the first time ever, Rachel gave one of her sisters a piggyback ride. In fact, she gave several. :) I'm thinking it's an herbal formula we've been using the past two months called (this is just something we've found works for us and may not work for others) Complete Bone and Tissue Formula (syrup form). It's from the Christophers. We've liked it so much

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-13907554038372687922008-02-29T15:14:00.002-06:002008-02-29T15:36:02.713-06:00

Spent so much time on the update, I don't have anything more for this... but this is huge! I know the language is just ambiguous enough to avoid actually making a concession; however, for the government to change its defense like this says a LOT. For the sake of time, I'm just going to link to this great article on what this concession means.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-49332423203675201092008-02-29T14:46:00.005-06:002008-02-29T15:14:13.202-06:00

This is going to be the first of two posts today.Rachel has been showing a lot more interest and a lot more frustration with academics. She loves school and got upset with me this week when I didn't immediately have everything for school together right when she wanted it. :) Considering that last year she couldn't have cared less if I was teaching her numbers or letters, I'm very happy.Also,

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-14039445442489394492008-02-26T09:06:00.004-06:002008-02-26T09:33:58.925-06:00

Nate Tseglin is a seventeen year old autistic boy, removed from his home because his parents actually did what their doctor recommended they do. No, wait. He was removed because his parents didn't want to drug him. No, wait...I'm really not sure what to make of this one. The stories I've heard from people around me who have had dealings with CPS make me think that it's just a department

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-83541332892905401122008-02-26T08:50:00.005-06:002008-02-26T08:57:44.546-06:00

So, this past Saturday was not the most fun. I've been dealing with very little sleep (teething infant) and trying to get my "interview" planned out so that as soon as I get a list of doctors I'll know what to ask them (heard some interesting stuff on that score that makes me wonder if I should go with a D.O.) and a birthday party planned and... it was a long day.The point? I wasn't doing as

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-38032595292743748522008-02-20T14:43:00.004-06:002008-02-20T15:01:59.888-06:00

The Autistic Spectrum Parents' Daily Helper, a workbook by Philip Abrams and Leslie Henriques, is designed for high functioning children in the autistic spectrum. It consists of two parts. The first is for the parent, filled with tips on interacting with a child in the autistic spectrum and teaching basic life skills. It also has tips on helping others understand your child as well as tips to

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-71919901777805195532008-02-19T13:34:00.003-06:002008-02-19T13:37:54.338-06:00

I'm pretty sure I've completely lost all my readers. But just in case anyone reads this, I just wanted y'all to know that we're back online and I'll be adding content tomorrow. I've got a writing schedule worked out and everything.In the meantime, I will be hiring a babysitter to watch my other kids during the day while I work with my two eldest in the playroom. Any suggestions (finding,

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-47855227292121425012007-11-21T13:23:00.000-06:002007-11-21T13:25:43.484-06:00

Hopefully not too long before I can post again. A very close family member was involved in a car accident. Everything's pretty much okay... some whiplash... no hospitals stays.But it means I'm going to need to be away from the computer for a couple of weeks to help out this family member.So...I'll be back in mid-December with more info. Until then, Happy Holidays, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-37583500638879544622007-11-13T10:01:00.000-06:002007-11-13T10:19:57.070-06:00

That's what the headline to this article says.To sum up, the study this article is talking about says that, although drugs like Ritalin may work well in the short-term, in the long-term (3 years by this study), they "brought about no demonstrable improvement in children's behaviour". The drugs also "could stunt growth".Why am I putting this in a blog devoted to autism spectrum disorders?

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-24897350272820122282007-11-12T15:38:00.000-06:002007-11-12T15:52:55.510-06:00

It's been a busy weekend and it's a busy day today as well. This week our focus is on fine motor skills and finding a way for me to do therapy during the day. One option is hiring a babysitter for a couple hours, twice a week, in the afternoon. Has anyone out there had any experience with this? Any thoughts?No daycare. I've heard too many stories. I'd rather bully my husband into working

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-52867422556196689222007-11-08T14:04:00.000-06:002007-11-08T14:27:07.029-06:00

We've been using Saxon Math 1 for our math curriculum this year. So far, I'm highly impressed with the approach and the teaching materials. Each and every lesson builds on what's come before, even more than most public school texts. For example, in Math 1, they teach the idea of "balance" inside an equation through apple seeds. It's done almost as a side note to the main lesson... at first.

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376749824253361386.post-11468228773034131762007-11-06T15:50:00.000-06:002007-11-06T16:15:58.423-06:00

A long time ago, I said I'd create a blog so that others could keep up with what we're currently doing in our home-based therapy for our two children, Rachel and Sarah.Here it is. :)My goal is to write something in this every day, even if it's fairly small and apparently insignificant. I've been learning that the small things matter more than we think they do. Topics will include the current

cavamilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428903505573971522noreply@blogger.com0