Special Needs Update

You know, I've been reading a lot about the ups and downs if parenting special nerds kids. So I will share about my two boys and what new with them.

Hezzie and Joaquin are currently in occupational therapy. We are waiting for openings so they can go twice a week. Hezekiah starts speech therapy twice a week next week. Joaquin is waiting on his physical therapy approval. He will be doing that twice a week. His speech therapy evaluation is in the next few weeks.

Joaquin is either pulling hair out it it's falling out. He has a male first cousin with alooacia who's hair looked similar when it first onset. I'll be calling his pediatrician on Friday.

Hezzie got his MRI results back. There's a small cyst with fluid showing. Nuerology appointment is in the next few weeks. Also, his audiology appointment.

Maggie goes to  genetics next week. 

Dexter at 14

My goodness! Where does the time go? It wasn't long ago you were a small right pound bsby at my breasts. It wasn't king ago that you were sitting on my lap as I read aloud to you, baby books, kids books and books I was reading. It wasn't long ago you were climbing on me as I wrote sociology papers and did algebra when I was pregnant with Joaquin. It wasn't long ago you were learning to read and to ride a bike. It wasn't long ago that we were eye to eye...then you passed me up. Your voice began to change and we started to laugh at uncomfortable subjects. Then you started reading banned books, babysitting and being more of your own person. It wasn't long ago that I looked at you and remembered that 14 years is your whole lifetime and yet, it's just a drop of what's to come. I love you Dexter.

-Momma

Where I Get Creative

I made the gathering room tv free. When all is said and done, it's going to be awesome. I'm really considering getting a gathering drum. The big tv I had in there is on the curb, I love using Craigslist. 

The dining room is now a sort of TV room. The TV is really small and can be moved anywhere. It's on a table under our home altar, and already we are using it less. Remembering where our hearts and minds belong is pretty awesome. 

The dining room table is my old desk table. It's more narrow and is in the kitchen. It is doubling as a moveable island if sorts. The kids love it, and Hezzie can drive his cozy coupe around everything. 

The kitchen table is now my desk. I'm

Working on getting my room the way I want it. Life is pretty good. Doing these things, really brings out my creativity and makes me happy. Funny, I know. But, that's me!

 

Last but not least. For Maggie, Jimmy became a Girl Scout. We are one step closer to having a troop.

What did you do today?

Tuesday is Zoom Day

I felt like I haven't been home all day. This is serious, usually I can watch 50 episodes of SVU in a day. Okay, not really. Joaquin had an AMAZING OT evaluation today. I'm beyond pleased, now waiting for approval for him and Hezzie. 

Then we had Hezzie had as speech evaluation. Which wasn't surprising since I kind of knew what they were going to say. So here is to hoping that this get approved fast. So then the hour drive home ended with picking up Dexter so he could go to Creative Writing Group at the Library. I picked up some groceries, are dinner and then went to the Girl Scout Volunteer meeting. Hip Hip Hooray I won the drawing for a free pie! 

^^^ That is the paint job for the Girl Scout House, oh how I love it! 

Tanni and Joaquin playing with Legos. Life is pretty grand today!

Make memories!

Monday

J

I'm really not feeling the love right now. I wish I could zip off in this cozy coupe with my kids flying behind me. I'm sick and when I'm sick I'm no good to anyone. My house is a wreck, and apparently that's not allowed.  

I hate that nagging thing that tells me I fail and everything is my fault. I know in reality I'm not a failure and yeah sure some things are my fault. But, come on EVERYTHING!?

You know, I'm not the most organized mom, too much organization messes with my own creative process. Clean it good, and my house looking colorful makes me happy as a clam. 

Tonight while the older boys were at Boy Scouts the younger kids played with Legos and we watched Scholastic videos. It was really quiet. 

 

It was quiet for a little bit....

Random Stuff

I

Hezzie is really into Iron Man. He thinks he the coolest guy ever. Well, at least right now. He wore this costume most of the day. Pretty awesome. 

This is what my night looks like right now. Hezzie and Maggie are doing sea animal stencils. It's pretty quiet. 

I hope I don't have this cold when I wake up in the morning. That would make my life pretty awesome. 

I am hoping to have a great week. Some minor plans like getting my eyes check and taking two kids to appointments. Maybe get to the park. 

What's on your agenda this week?

Dia De Los Muertos

I was rather sick yesterday evening, so I didn't get to blog. I didn't get to finish up all the projects with my kids, but that is okay. 

This is the first year we've celebrated. We paid honor to both my grandfathers. The landscape picture is my Grandpa Lara. He passed away when I was pregnant with my now seven year old son. I don't remember much about him before I was in junior high. But, after that I remember a lot. He lived with my nana and papa (actually they were my aunt and uncle). He liked sweet breads, coffee and minestrone soup. He liked to read the paper and western books. He liked to watch Perry Mason and old westerns. He was accepting of people just the way they are. He was greatly loved and before he passed there were five generations of Laras.

 

The portrait picture is my Grandpa Rios. He was a Korean War Veteran. He was in the Army band. He passed away when I was in 9th grade. I felt the moment of his passing, we were close. He liked to read, eat spicy food and like my Granpa Lara, work in his yard. He took me to get my first library card

I'd visit him in the summer. When he worked at Eisenhower Hospital we'd go and feed the ducks. He'd take me to to get giant dill pickles from the deli and ice cream at night.

I love my grandpas still.

Skulls were made by my daughter Maggie.

Who did you honor?

Learning Day by Day

We as unschoolers have many ways in which we learn. This month we are taking on the task of learning day by day. Meaning we have a calendar of the month, and all the "holidays" and "awareness" that goes on with this month of November.

Today we have celebrated and learned a lot.

Today is National Authors Day. So I shared part of one of my favorite childhood authors books.

It's also National family literacy day. So we took turns reading the above book aloud.

 

We made lists of all the "shoulds" on our lives.  Why? Because it's Give Up Your Shoulds Day. Yes, that's a real day.

We made paper maks for Dia De Los Angelitos. They are in preparation for Dia De Los Muertos. 

We did a worksheet on All Saints Day. This is from one of my kids who isn't artistic. His talents are in music. 

Now we are off to study about Prime Meridian Day.

Hope you have an amazing day! Whatever day it is to you.

Peace and Blessings, 

Momma