4/30/15 OT/Speech Therapy/EI visit

     Wow full house today.  We don't always combine this many therapies, it just worked out.

     M. the Speech Therapist was scheduled to come at 10:30. C. the COTA was scheduled for 11:00.  My son has a lot of electronic toys and he would rather play with them than interact with the various people who come to see him and I am really frustrated by it.  He only has a year left with these services and I want to take advantage of them. I moved all his electronic toys from the living room to the hallway that connects the kitchen to his bedroom.  Ten thirty came and went which was making me nervous because M. was supposed to be coming.  Ten forty sill no M. so I checked my calendar because maybe I was wrong. Shortly after 10:40 M. knocked on the door. She said she saw C. outside  and was going to come upstairs with her, but after 10 plus minutes realized C. was just early.

     I told M. I hid all the electronic toys and she was really happy I did that. She said she would take the batteries out of her kid's electronic toys and then they were just toys.  My son would at first not engage with her and instead held on to the front of the couch and danced.  I asked him if he could dance with M.  M. picked up a puzzle and the two worked on that for a little bit. My son mostly wanted to walk around so M. kept distracting him.  Since he wanted to play on the couch, she picked up a ball and put it on the couch and rolled it to him.

     I did get to tell M. about "gotta go".  (http://momlovesscifi.blogspot.com/2015/04/my-son-just-made-more-progress.html) She was duly impressed.

     At 11:00 C. the COTA and D. a student arrived.  Sometimes EI/PT/OT/ST will bring a student. They always ask prior to the visit if it is ok.  I am pretty laid back and have never had a problem with students coming.  I do have a tiny apartment (about 400 sq. ft.) so we were kinda becoming a little tight in my extremely tiny living room.

     What I like about having multiple services is that they can double up.  It makes my life easier.  Although for someone with social anxiety is can be overwhelming sometimes, they are not here to see me so it makes it easier in that respect.

     When C. arrived we discussed how my son is doing with baths.  She had suggested in the past that he gets placed in the tub first, then draw the water with him in the tub.  I was sceptical at first, but it worked.  He was fine until his hair was washed, then he got upset.  C. asked if he ever got laid down in the tub to rinse off and no he hasn't only because the tub is so traumatic that baths are kept as short as possible.  She said laying him in the water will rinse out his hair and some kids have an easier time with it. 

     M. and C. played with my son with his sensory box and they played with puzzles.  M. noted when given two puzzle pieces my son chooses quickly and doesn't hesitate like most kids.   When my son got frustrated and was done, they made him use sign language to signal he was done.  He played with D. with his toy where you push the beads along on wires.  M. noticed he would rock from foot to foot and asked if he does it with shoes on.  I really couldn't remember because we primarily wear shoes outside.  I put his shoes on and he continued doing the same thing.  M. played with sensory balls, the kind with rubber spokes all over them, by rolling them on my son's head, neck, and back. He loved it. Since bath time is so awful, I asked if it would be ok to bring the ball in the tub and massage him with it in the water.  They said sure.  M. even suggested textured bath mats.  M. and C. then engaged my son by having him play ball with them.  M. said to create opportunities for engaging him like this.

     At 11:15 there was a knock at the door.  It was A. the EI coordinator.  She was late because she had an appointment in another town.

     My son was mouthing a lot of toys and C. asked how brushing his teeth is going.  It is going well, except now he likes to bite the bristles of his tooth brush.  She suggested getting an electronic toothbrush and just rubbing the outside of his checks to give him the oral stimulus he needs.  She asked if he has a straw cup or a water bottle because that does the same thing.  He does have a water bottle with a straw but I don't know how to teach him to suck. She told me to put water in it, then drip a few drops on his mouth by holding the bottle upside down. He should open his mouth for the straw and once the straw is in his mouth,  run my fingers along his check to facilitate sucking. We are definitely trying this.

     M. commented this was an incredibly successful visit and credited my hiding the electronic toys.

     I am glad of our progress and looking forward to our next therapy/EI visit.

My son just made more progress!

As I have posted,  my son is in Speech Therapy.  He used to have about 10 or 12 words until last August when he lost them all after an ear infection.

Well, lately he has been taking to saying "gotta go". He says this when he is tired of whatever is going on. Saturday night I hung out with some friends and I guess we were boring because he would say "gotta go" and then leave the room.

I am so happy.  He is saying a phrase with actual meaning, he knows what it means,  and he knows the appropriate action to go with it.  It is only one phrase, but this is pretty much the only thing he is saying.  Well he says "dog", but it doesn't always mean dog.

My son turned 2 on 4/19. This is such a huge leap forward.

Movie review: The Age of Adeline

     I must say my friend Cinema Chimp is a much better source of new movie reviews and news than I might be, but I actually saw a new movie in a theater yesterday.  Seeing as how the only movie I planned on watching this year was Age of Ultron, this really came as a shock to me. (I really want to see Star Trek: Renegades too hint hint).  

      Normally, I do not like romantic movies.  I like classic movies, action, and comedy primarily.  Romantic movies are usually too formulaic.  Two people meet, then the thing happens, they don't talk, then either the secret is revealed or they find the thing, they think the other person is with someone else, it rains, they met up in an unexpected or sudden manner, all is well and ride off into the sunset.  This movie although it is a romantic movie, it also has an unexpectedly good story.

     Adeline (Blake Lively) is not your typical woman. She also seems to know  an awful lot about San Francisco from its history to a highly detailed street map in her head.  It turns out she is in fact probably the city's oldest resident.  She has a close family member (Ellen Burstyn) who she does not want to leave behind when she moves to Oregon in a few weeks.Adeline is also a women of secrets. Her story is told via voiceover narration that is reminiscent of Stranger Than Fiction.  Before she is set to move Adeline falls in love with a man who jumps into her elevator.  She is hesitant to enter a relationship with him based on her past.  She agrees to visit his parents with him. His father is played by Harrison Ford.  How does her boyfriend's father fit into her past?

     This movie is excellent. One of my favorite scenes is a clever play on words. Adeline is given a gift of "flowers" Henry James's Daisy Miller, Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, and Janet Finch's White Oleander. I would love for a man to give me a bouquet like that. To understand Adeline's secret and how deeply it haunts her, there is a scene where she loses something very close to her.  She looks through a photo album to ease her pain. When you see just how much she has lost you realise how long she has been living with deep emotional pain.

     I also like the theme of running from life rather than divulge one's secrets.  No matter how terrible the secrets we hold are, do we think those who love us will be frightened of them?  Adeline must decide whether or not to share her deepest and darkest secret with a man after she decides she is tired of a lifetime of  running.

     This movie honestly was incredible.  I cannot say enough good things about. I deliberately did not reveal Adeline's secret because it is a good one.  The story unfolds through use of newsreels and flashbacks.  There are some mild sex scenes so be mindful of younger viewers.  This is a great date night or even girls night out movie.  

     The full cast and crew are listed here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655441/

Bates and Barrows Lightsaber duel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=56Zc8dKeDFk

     I love Downton Abbey. I love Star Wars. I love fan films. I love British people being silly.

     Guys, seriously check this out. I can't even describe this more or I will give the whole thing away.

      This is best thing you will watch today.

"Rise of the Empire" (Star Wars) fan film

     First of all, thank you Beth Vickers for letting me know about this amazing project.

     I just found out about an amazing new Star Wars fan film serial called "Rise of the Empire".  The website is here http://www.riseoftheempire.net/.  You can find them on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/riseoftheempirefanfilm?ref=hl. It is being hailed as the ultimate fan film.  The trailer looks incredible.  I am very excited and will definitely be reviewing and watching this every week.

     What I like about the look of this is the producer believes in practical photography, using sets and live locations instead of green screen.  I actually really miss the feel of movies like the original trilogy that use actual locations and sets. The just look better.  The production team wants to film in Death Valley in the same locations the original trilogy was shot at.

    The episodes should be available in the fall.

     Being a fan film they do need funding, which can be done here:
 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rise-of-the-empire-the-ultimate-fan-film--2

Exciting news!

    I have to apologize, we are still a little behind here with regular home stuff which is why posting has been light. Going away for a weekend and being sick for a month slowed me down. 

     I spoke to local author S. C. Harvey who has written and will shortly be releasing a follow-up to her first book Sand Castles and Seahorses (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sand-Castles-Seashores/123809614371872?pnref=story).

She has granted me an interview in preparation of the release!

I will be doing a review of her first book shortly. I am so excited to have my first interview.

First Speech Therapy visit 04/15/15

     What a week for us! Monday was the first OT visit, and today was the first Speech Therapy visit.

     If you want to know why we added speech therapy some reasons are here  http://momlovesscifi.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-speech-therapy.html.

     A. who is the EI coordinator came with M. the Speech Therapist today.  My son just loves A. so much. He gave her a big hug again as his custom. We never met M. before so he was a little shy with her.

     Since this was the first visit M. told us what we would be doing today. She did not do a formal evaluation as my son is too young to really be able to evaluate. Also, given that he has been receiving services for a year now, she can base where he is based on the assessment of her coworkers.  In addition, the neurologist recommended her services.   She said she will do one later, unless I am really looking for her to asses him, but based on the background that she is aware of, we qualify for services so it is not really needed.  I told her I agree and we can do the official evaluation when she feels it is appropriate.  M. asked me what my primary goal is and I would like my son to identify at least one object. We are not shooting for the stars here, I like to set reasonable goals.  I would really just like to say, "Get the ball." for example and have him get it. Or at least look at it.  M. asked if he has had a hearing test and other than the one given at birth, no he hasn't.  She said she likes all her parents to get their children's hearing tested and gave me some numbers to do that.  A. did say that my son had a nasty ear infection last year and before that he had about 10-12 words he said. After the ear infection, he lost all his words. Actually, after the ear infection it was a source of major concern because my son lost all his skills. He wasn't walking yet, but he stopped crawling, he stopped being interested in a sippy cup, he had a major regression.  He had the flu earlier this year, and after he recovered, he didn't want to walk, he didn't want the sippy cup, and his language regressed even further.  M. suggested the hearing test will see if maybe he has fluid in his middle ear. She thinks he can hear fine, but if he has fluid in his ears, he may need tubes put in. Basically the fluid can alter how children hear sounds which affects language development.  She also wondered out loud (this is not her area) if fluid in the middle ear can be affecting his balance, if there is any, and that is why he doesn't want to walk after a sickness.

      A. read and played with my son while M. observed and asked questions. M. asked what toys my son likes to play with.  Basically he likes all the electronic toys, and all the other toys we have discussed here on this blog already. She also asked if he likes books. I told her he adores books. She said that is great.  She also asked how he interacts with other children. I told her that he doesn't even when he is around them.  She asked if there are any food textures he avoids and I told her not at all. He eats everything.

     I did ask her about television watching.  We only watch maybe two hours of children's television per day divided between Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger and Dinosaur Train.  The television doesn't hold his attention long and with all our appointments I try to get his play time in as more of a priority.  Also, now that the weather is nicer we go for walks in the mornings.  I basically wanted to know if television viewing is detrimental to a child with language delays and/or how to make less detrimental and what should we avoid.   She did answer my question, but first gave the disclaimer of not to add to his viewing habits based on what she said.  She also said that studies show children who learn from a traditional teacher and teacher on an electronic medium, like an I-Pad, the traditional teacher model is still more effective. I think that is interesting since so many schools want to veer away from traditional teaching.  Then she said shows like Sesame Street or Dora The Explorer actually use good language models since there is so much repetition and that is how we learn language.  She said to avoid shows like Curious George that the main character uses sounds not words.  She said except Curious George, most PBS shows are not detrimental to children with language delays.  Again, I am not using the TV as a babysitter, nor as the primary way for him to learn speech, I just use it for a little entertainment in the mornings when I am still waking up a bit.  She said music is a great way to learn language and some of her parents have enrolled their children in music classes. She also hinted that music classes would also be a way for my son to interact with other children.

    Speech therapy will occur three times a month.  Most of the visits will overlap with other services.
    For us to work on for next time, when reading, I am to point out some picture on each page and point to it and repeat what it is.  The hope is in time, he will point to that item when I say "Where is the x?".  Also, we are going to work on naming physical objects, like a ball or a cup.  So I will hold two objects, and name them, then ask him, "Where is the x?".

   I think this service is also going to help us greatly.

   

First Occupational Therapy Visit 04/13/15

     Mom fail, I completely forgot OT was coming yesterday. We went for a nice long walk, ate a late lunch and then my friend called. I was putting him down for a nap and chatting with my friend when someone knocked on the door. It was A. the Early Intervention coordinator. I was kinda surprised and let her in and then she said C. the COTA was on her way and should be here shortly.

    While A. and I were waiting for C., we discussed my son's weekend. Friday we went to the park with a friend and her daughter who is roughly six month older than my son.  He engaged in some parallel play but was far more interested in the wood chips on the ground than the little girl.  We did try the slide, but he wanted to lay down, not sit so I went down with him. He was laughing his head off.  We tried the swings but it got bad fast so we stopped that.  Saturday he went to the park with my husband while I scanned 173 old photos for a family tree project. He just wanted to walk around mostly.  Sunday, we went to the park as a family. He loved the slide, but the swing he is now deathly afraid of.


    When C. arrived, we discussed my son's history with A.  My son walked around, picking up a toy, looked at it, tossed it, repeatedly.  We have the Fisher Price Stride to Ride Puppy and my son played with that and one of those wooden activity cubes.  He also played with this A's help.
     (image from ebay)

A. read him The Very Hungry Caterpillar about four times.  My son loves turning pages and after each reading he would just sit and turn the pages.

    C. and I discussed my son's sleeping habits.  C. suggested giving him milk before bed as opposed to at supper which I meant to try last night, but fell asleep my self and messed up his night time routine. (I have been not feeling well at all for the last two weeks.)  C. also suggested writing down my son's schedule and scheduling in two snacks a day.

    We also discussed the sensory issues my son has. I discussed the terror inducing swing experience of this weekend. C. suggested taking my son to the park and having him help me push and empty swing to get used to how it works.  She also said taking a toy and putting it in the swing and showing him nothing bad happened to it.  She also suggested us sitting together on a regular swing and slowly working up to swinging together.  We also discussed bath time. My son shrieks in terror while having a bath. I am not using hyperbole. It is not the whiny cry kids use when they don't like something, it is full on blood curling shrieking and howling.  He clutches at you when you try to bath him and he tries to angle every part of his body out of the water.  She asked what temperature bath he gets and if we adjust it. We have tried everything from freezing to lukewarm baths.   She asked if we adjust the depth of the water. We have tried from a tiny puddle up to enough to float boats around the tub in an effort to make him play in the bath. It didn't work. She suggested not filling the tub prior putting him the water. She said put him in an empty tub and then put the faucet on. She also suggested showering with him, or turning the shower on when he is taking a bath. I will try all her suggestions and write about how things go.

   We also discussed me playing hand over hand with him, which I already do.  We discussed our weekend with his cousins and she suggested I play with the kids to try to engage my son. I told her I did that. I got on the floor and played with the toys with the kids to show my son how much fun it was, but he walked away.  I told her we do hand over hand play with all his toys but when he is done playing with something, he is done.  I showed her a sensory box we have:

She likes this because everything has a different texture. She suggested mixing up what is in it. Adding tissues and scarves for example.  I am going to do this several times a week. I will add/subtract items.  On her way out she saw this puzzle in a stack of toys I want to get rid of

She said this is a good sensory puzzle.  Instead of getting rid of it, we will keep it now.


   All in all this was a great visit,  I think working with C. is going to help us a lot.

April 2015 Bluum box, Twenty-four month old boy.

     Last month, I did a video unboxing. My voice still isn't really back yet and I don't want you to hear me wheezing and croaking so I will just do a written review.

     This month's box cost a little more than usual because I added an item to the box. I added a book that you will see below.

This month's box looked really good. I could see there were two books which got me all  excited, and there is another Melissa & Doug puzzle. As you know, I kind of like Melissa & Doug products.

Price: $10.00

These look adorable. They are EZ Sox. I don't know what your toddler is like, but mine always needs new socks. These socks have handles so a toddler can easily slide them up. I am not sure if that makes socks any easier.  Given my son's delays, I think these will just be another pair of socks.  I think they are cute, but I think $10. is pricey for two pairs of toddler socks.

Price $6.99

This book just looked adorable based on the cover so I added this to the box so my son could have something a little extra since he will be two this month. I really like Paragon books so this was worth it to me.  The illustrations are amazing.

That is taken from the middle of the book. I think this is going to be a much loved book.

Price $6.99

This is another book from Paragon.  You can't tell from the illustration, but the underwear on the little boy are actual cloth.  I like little touches like that. I am so excited for this book. Potty training is probably about six months off but I wanted to pull our potty out and let my son see it.  With the help of this book, we can start talking about the potty.  

Price $9.99

This is a water wheel tube from Toysmith.  This looks like fun. I don't think we will get to use it in the bath only because my son flips out at bathtime.  I think with summer coming, and my mother opening up her pool, this may be a pool toy.  I think once my son realizes what this is doing he will like it a lot.

Price $7.99

Have I mentioned I love Melissa & Doug products? (http://momlovesscifi.blogspot.com/2015/03/in-praise-of-melissa-doug.html)

I love Melissa & Doug products. We have a wooden puzzle that we can use for sensory play, fine motor skills, learning colors. I am so happy for this puzzle. Thank you, Bluum!

Total cost:$41.96  I paid $20.00 for the box plus the 6.99 for the Adventures book because I added it on. In love with the box as usual. Totally happy.

Interested in Bluum? http://bluum.me/16QJhAC

Today's NaBloPoMo topic: Do you think it's a good idea to help kids set future expectations for when they grow up? Why or why not?

     I think we all need to have dreams.

    When, if not childhood, is the best time to have dreams?  When you are a child you can be anything from royalty to a fireman to a professional butterfly catcher.  This is the perfect time to start down the path of what one wants to be.

     Of course, not everyone is going to become what they want to become, but why make children face that hard reality when they are still figuring out how to tie their shoes?  I absolutely believe we need to help set kids future expectations.   Maybe we can help set those expectations in reality as the child ages, but childhood is magical and it is when you need to cultivate dreams.  

     

Star Trek Renegades Trailer!!!!

HOLY COW!! This looks so good.

I am having a hard time waiting to see this. Every trailer builds my excitement. I am so glad that this has been put together and is looking amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjeX5drV9ms

Today's NaBloPoMo topic.....If you're not working the job you listed yesterday, how do you feel when you look back on your old goal? If you are, what would you go back and tell your younger self?

     I am most definitely not working at the job I listed yesterday.  Right now, I am staying at home with my developmentally delayed son and trying to make sure he makes all his therapy appointments.  The goal when I started this venture was to get a night job. Unfortunately, the night job I got was as a CNA and I injured my back pretty bad.  Then a "friend" offered me a work from home job on the provision I taught myself HTML, CSS, Java basics, and PHP. Well, I did, but he never reviewed my work, and then decided to stop talking to me and when I asked what was going on, he answered that it was none of my concern.  I have been relentlessly looking for work but to no avail.  To keep myself busy, I started this blog.  I feel like my mind is stagnating which is awful. I am a fairly intelligent person and I despise not feeling productive.
 
     I do not want to not stay at home with my son though.  Daycare runs 1200-1700 dollars a month here, so I can only work second or third shift because I cannot afford daycare plus rent. I know  this because I tried it for a year.

    When I look back on my old goals, I know me being a Doctor honestly would never have happened.  I really don't like telling people bad news, nor hurting people.  When I was a CNA, I went kind of slowly when bathing people and dressing them because I didn't want to somehow cause discomfort.  Also, I don't have the skills to be brutally honest like Doctors have to be.  If I had patients who were not taking care of themselves properly it would hurt my heart to see them constantly make bad decisions.

     As for writing, I am still hoping that takes off. I am only 35, going on 36. There is plenty of time to become a writer. I actually really hope that in some small way this blogging hobby will lead to some time of writing career, even if only articles.  I really want to get published and I no longer care about the medium.  My Uncle was a sports writer for newspapers for years and he was really good at it.

     I actually regret one thing, not getting my Radiology degree. I simply don't have the money right now. No seriously, I have $40.00 in the bank.  I want to finish up that degree so I can help people which is what I love doing.

     As for not working, I don't have any major regrets. Within two weeks of staying home with my son, he started crawling at 15 months. At 20 months, he started walking. Because of the research and hard work, and help from his Physical Therapist, and Early Intervention, I have seen him grow. I have been able to help him.  He is my greatest accomplishment, and I might not ever have another child. Not for lack of trying, I have had two miscarriages.In 15 years of marriage, without being on birth control, I only had one successful pregnancy.  I think the law of averages might be working against me.  I know I will return to the business world one day, but for now, in my heart, I know I am doing the best work I could be doing.

PT/Early Intervention Co Visit 4/6/15

     Because of the sheer number of therapies my son is in, it is easier to have the visiys combined so we do not have 10 individual hour long visits a month.  I like the people that are working with us, but it is daunting sometimes.

     T. is the Physical Therapist and A. is the E.I. coordinator.  I told them both about the visit with the cousins we had and how I was concerned. (http://momlovesscifi.blogspot.com/2015/03/thoughts-on-this-weekends-trip.html)T. said that I should discuss my concerns with the Pediatrician and if needed, her and A. could recommend some specialists,  but to take my time and think about maybe if it was an anxiety thing and not necessarily a developmental issue.

     My son has a bit of a cold so it was even harder to engage him than usual.   We have been working on the "W" sitting and got to show T. our progress.

     Because my son is starting Speech Therapy on the 15th, we discussed M. the Speech Therapist. She works closely with T. so they will make several co-visits.

     A.  gave me the phone number of the pedatric optomitrist H. recommended on the OT evaluation.

     The next time we see T. will be at the park because the weather is nicer. Hopefully it doesn't rain.

     It was a kind of off visit only because my son was sick and tired and grumpy,  poor little man.  Hopefully Speech Therapy on the 15th will be more productive.  I am very excited about starting speech.

Today's NaBloPoMo writing prompt: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

     When I was younger,  I wanted to be so many things. 

     The first dream career was to be a Doctor.   I loved the idea of lots of school and big thick medical books.   Unfortunately,  when I discovered that Doctors encounter lots of things that are usually beneath the skin.  Also,  I didn't want to hurt anyone or have to tell a family bad news. Or even worse,  tell a patient bad news.

     Then, I realized people get paid to write.  Bingo. I identify with the written word and it has always been a comfort.   I have a hard time relating to people,  but to book characters I have a kinship.  The real world is so disgusting and cruel, but Lucy Maud Montgomery,  Joanna Swift, Madeline L'Engle, and countless others created magical landscapes I can visit anytime.  Even when sad things happen, it is still largely ok. I knew I had stories in me. I started writing actually around four years old. Obviously,  these were not literary masterpieces,  bit they were practice.  How can I write characters who leap off the page? How can I be descriptive without being repetitive? I practiced writing how people spoke. I wrote short stories based on actual events in my life. As I wrote before, my mom encouraged this and would either ask me elaborate or give me a magazine article to write about.   What also appealed to me was the magic of writing.  I could sit outside with my notebooks during the day and by night transcribe my work with a typewriter.  No office would hold me prisoner. My workplace would be on a blanket under trees on a blanket of soft moss.

     I never envisioned having a family.   I wanted at least a boyfriend.   I definitely never saw myself as a mother.  I am not patient.   Also, although I can entertain myself, keeping someone else constantly engaged is a daunting task.  I did want a large group of diverse friends.  I am kind of weird as anyone who reads this blog should be discovering.  I liked Mark Twain,  but I also loved My Teacher is an Alien.  I didn't exactly fit in at school.   I wanted to outgrow my weirdness and have cool friends.  

  I wanted to be beautiful like Whitney Houston.   I wanted a house like Heidi, a simple cottage surrounded by fir trees in the mountains.  I wanted to be content in my own skin and happy with my life.

Open Letter to the Woman who Got Noticably Mad when my Husband used WIC checks at the Store

Dear Woman in Line Behind My Husband at the Store,

     Hello.  You don't know me, but you were shopping at Dave's Marketplace a few weeks ago.  My husband used WIC checks to pay for groceries for our two year old son. You sighed audibly,  rolled your eyes and grumbled.  I am so sorry that you were inconvenienced because he choose the same line you did.

    You see, it is actually my fault we are on WIC. I failed to research the high cost of daycare before I got pregnant. I did not realize daycare cost 1200 to 1700 per month, this does not include crib sheets (I needed six for the daycare alone) and food.  I was making about 1200 at my old job per month so you can see where this was a problem. Also, I worked about an hour commute from my apartment so I needed a daycare my son could stay late at, at an extra charge to me of course.   I actually got quite fortunate for a while. I found a daycare that was 980 per month.  Between the cost of daycare and gas, I netted about $25.00 per month for diapers and formula and with my commute I saw my son for about an hour a day. 

     I also needed to take about 5 days out of work per month for my son's various therapies and weight checks.  You see, his daycare was not in the state we live in so the program could not visit him at daycare.

     It was with a heavy heart that I had to resign from my job. I just could not afford to work. When the daycare closed, we could not at all afford a more expensive one which would have been our only choice.  I actually did look for several months for another job, but interviewers didn't believe that I loved my job, it was only due to daycare issues I needed a night job.  

     My husband was nice enough to get a second job, but I was the main bread winner.  I have been looking diligently for an evening or night job, but you see it is hard for a middle aged woman to switch careers.  Perhaps you are a hiring manager and can give me a job? I am quite a hard worker,  but I can only work evenings or nights so I can make all our son's appointments.

     It soon came down to paying bills or feeding our son. I can eat bread sandwiches but you see my son was so underweight we had the state sending a nutritionist out to the apartment.   The decision to sign up for WIC was actually hard. We budget but we just can't make ends meet. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have to have people know you can't afford to feed your kids? Can you imagine how it would feel to have strangers judge you? Oh wait.....

     I am not asking for pity.   I have worked since I was 17. My husband has worked since he was 15. Has your life turned out exactly how you planned? Did you ever need someone's help? There are definitely people off worse than us and they don't want pity either.  They want the same as you, to be treated fairly.

     Again, I am so sorry that my husband choose to inconvenience you, but you see my husband didn't have time to tell you our story. It is really embarrassing having a store manager double check the groceries we are going to feed our two year to make sure we didn't select the wrong state approved foods.  

     The next time a parent inconveniences you in this manner,  think what would happen if you lost your job, or if your life changed in an unexpected way.  How would you feel if all you wanted to do was feed your child?

Thank you for your time,

Mom Loves Sci-Fi

Classic Movie Review: Witness for the Prosecution (1957) (No NaBloPoMo writing prompts on the weekends)

     I was born several decades too late.  It is not ok how upset I get about this fact sometimes.  Modern times confuse and astound me. I am like Seven of Nine trying to adapt to life on Voyager.

    This movie is one of my favorites for several reasons. First of all, I adore Agatha Christie, and the movie is based on one of her plays. A common mistake people make is that her mysteries are always predictable. Her books are not formulaic. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd  has the unreliable narrator, and then we have The Murder on the Orient Express where they all did it for example. The butler never did it, except for one mystery, but he wasn't really the butler.  Billy Wilder, one of the best directors of the twentieth century is at the helm for this courtroom drama.  The cast includes Tyrone Power, in his last full length movie, Marlene Dietrich, who does a fantastic call back to the sultry singer of her early movies, Norma Varden, who was delightful as Lady Beekman in the Marilyn Monroe comedy "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes",  and the husband and wife team of Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. Ruta Lee, who is still alive, and Ian Wolfe play small but pivotal roles in the movie.

     I know many people feel that black and white movies are not as edgy as modern movies, but Billy Wilder was actually quite modern for the time. Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester's delightful verbal sparring make this movie work. The effort needs to put in by the viewer. They do not give away the secret to the punchline. You must listen to the between the lines dialog.  The same for the meaning behind Tyrone Power's real agenda. If you don't pay attention, you miss most of the story. For me, I like how Charles Laughton behaves in court. Really watch his acting.

     There is a delightful twist on a twist on a twist that ends the movie.  It really is a delightful courtroom drama and a terrific who-done-it.  I suggest this movie to anyone looking for something different. If you enjoy it, which I am sure you will, look for other Billy Wilder movies. You won't be disappointed.

Since there is no writing prompt on weekends, here is what we did today.

http://www.valleybreeze.com/2014-07-23/cumberland-lincoln-area/monastery-trails-are-treasure-heart-town#.VSBs2fnF8wM

    I grew up in Cumberland, RI and do not live that far from there now. One of my favorite things to do was to walk on the grounds of the Cumberland Library. The library now sits on the former site of a monastery that burned down in 1950. The town converted the ruins to house a playground, and walking trails.

    When I was younger there were horses and one of the walking trails had "exercise stations". Sadly, the horses are gone and most of the exercise stations have disappeared.

    There is a bit of history in the woods as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Men%27s_Misery
I do have to say I know nothing about this war. I do have a very exciting looking scholarly tome that talks in depth about the war, but I haven't gotten to it in my reading pile yet.

     When I was younger, my mother used to take me and my brothers there in the summer and we were allowed one VHS movie each week. This was such a treat. I am eight and ten years older than my brothers and most of the movies we owned were "baby" movies. Of course, I was not allowed to rent say "Hellraiser" but this afforded me the opportunity to see movies that I would enjoy more than say watching "101 Dalmatians" for the 5555th time.  ("101 Dalmatians" is a fine film. But when you are 12 and you have watched it so many times you realize that Pongo has about four more spots than Perdita and you can recite the whole movie because you watched it 4 times a day for the past five years, it grates on you.)

     When my husband and I started dating, I took him walking on some on the longer trails. Now, it is a solo experience. I used to take my dog, but she had to have back surgery and can no longer do the trails.  I love walking for hours deep into the woods. It is so incredibly peaceful. You actually can walk out to a point where you cannot hear cars or see houses. It is so therapeutic to leave your phone behind and just walk with your water bottle and enjoy clean air.  I cannot wait to take my son out on some of the shorter trails this summer.  You can see rabbits and turtles, which for a kid who lives in the city, are pretty exotic. I have never seen deer, but you can hear animals running away from you as you walk and I imagine deer are watching us.

     This is where we went today. I was hoping we could actually walk, but there is a storm brewing off Cape Cod that made it quite windy in Cumberland today.

     Instead we went to the Cumberland Library. Well, first we went to the Friends of the Library Bookstore. We got quite a good haul.

Some of the books are for me. Wilkie Collins and Agatha Christie are for me to pour over and relish. I figured he can "grow into" The Little Prince, Bridge to Terabithia and Trumpet of the Swan. The Golden Fleece is to fuel his imagination. The Paddington book of course, is for now. No book is over a dollar and they have quite a good selection of books.

     Walking around the library was more of a chore than it should have been. He decided after the bookstore that we were kinda done.  I knew that I wanted to read some Kate Morton books so I took all they had. We went to the children's section where I selected, Is Your Momma a Llama, Daddy Kisses, and What's Wrong Little Pookie (I love you, Sandra Boynton). My son was going to get a DVD, although the library still has a healthy selection of VHS tapes, I want to restrict use on my VCR. I don't know if I can still buy head cleaner for it.  At the moment I tried to shepherd him over to the movies, he spotted some table toys for kids. He thought grabbing Lego bricks and hurtling them to the floor was a fun activity so we had to cut our visit short.

    We actually go to the library a lot. We try to go every three weeks because that is how long you can take out books for.  I like that in the winter it is a safe, quiet place that my son can walk around.  We just haven't been to the Cumberland Library in a while because it was a nasty winter and we have libraries closer to the house. Do you take your children to the library?

The Hunt For Gollum Review. Another great fan film.

     Offical Website for the movie.

     The cast list: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323925/

     You can watch the movie here: The Hunt for Gollum on YouTube

     This fan film serves as an unofficial prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think it very nicely bridges The Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings, more so for those not familiar to the story. As someone who read the books as a teenager, this is a loving tribute to Tolkien.

     I do have to note that Adrian Webster who plays Aragorn bears an uncanny resemblance to Viggo Mortensen. His acting style is very similar to how Mortensen portrays Strider the Rider as well.

     This movie takes place before the events of the movies, and we see Gandalf and Aragorn discussing a particular piece of magical golden jewelry and a fallen hobbit who had it in is possession for some time.  Gandalf worries that Gollum may tell those who seek the ring about another hobbit who may have taken the ring from Gollum during a game of riddles some time ago. Aragorn agrees to search for Gollum. Along the way, he encounters friends and foes alike. Will his quest prevail, or will Sauron prevent him from achieving his goal?

     I know many took their children to see Peter Jackson's movies. Although there were many fight sequences not many of them were up close violence. There are a few scenes that may be a little violent for people who don't like violence or younger children.
   
     Besides Adrian Webster's striking resemblance to Viggo Mortensen, I really liked the make-up in this movie.  It was really well done. The orcs and elves look amazing.  

     For no other reason to see this movie, see it for the cinematography. This is a British movie and it was shot in North Wales, Epping Forest, and Hampstead Heath. I loved the scenery. What convinced me this was a fantasy story more than anything else was the surroundings.  Whoever scouted the locations, hats off to you. 

     All in all, this movie was great. I definitely suggest it. It is short, about 40 minutes. Whether you are familiar with the books or the movies, or both, you will enjoy this film.

     A blog reader suggested I watch this movie.  I love watching movies, whether they be fan films or studio releases. Please, if you have any suggestions/recommendations, let me know. You can reach me here on the blog by commenting, or here on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.

How do you make a friendship grow? (Today's Writing Prompt from Blogher)

I spent a lot of time thinking about this.  When I was younger,  I went to summer camp.  I got letters from some of the kids, and I always wrote back because my mom said you have to send a letter to get a letter.  I haven't heard from any of my camp friends in years.  I seriously doubt that we have anything in common now though.

I don't necessarily think any more that continued contact makes friendships grow. I think it is love. With out mutual love, you won't keep in touch and you won't share.

With my closest friends it is not just the things we have in common, or how often we see each other. It is we truly care about each other.

What do you all think?

Is it possible to age without growing? Why or why not? (Today's writing prompt from Blogher)

Side note--I am excited about this topic.

When I was younger in the long ago of the early 80s there was a clear distinction between adults and children.  Adults dressed differently, they talked differently, and they certainly had different likes. Being mature was a goal.

Now I seem to be constantly surrounded by contemporaries who are immature child adults. People seem to enjoy being older, but with as little personal growth as possible. It seems to be hip and cool to be in your thirties and relish watching television shows geared toward preschoolers. Doing actual work at work is such a waste of time. Why work for your check when you can play games and text all day? The idea of actually getting into an adult relationship where you settle down and raise little ones seems almost extinct. But then again, how can one raise children when one is a child themselves?

My generation seems to be stuck in this weird way of thinking that remaining childlike and immature is acceptable and we are passing this on to the next generation. 

I am going to touch on an example of this. What does "I don't have a filter" actually mean? Does it mean that there is an actual impairment that prevents you from adhering to the social code? Or does it mean that no matter how offensive and crude something is you absolutely have the right to say it and no one can be offended as long as you preceded it by saying "I don't have a filter"?

It makes me sad that the majority of people are not only aging without growing, but are fine with it. Hopefully, we can stop this downward trend and all seek actual personal growth in a positive way.

April Writing Prompts from Blogher; Theme is "Grow"

http://www.blogher.com/nablopomo-april-2015-prompts

When I saw this, I had to do it.  Think about it, my blog is primarily about my son and his success and journey through all this therapies. Our main goal is to help him "grow", to help me "grow", to help our family to "grow" and hopefully to help anyone going through what we are going through "grow".

I am super excited to get started doing this. Hopefully you all enjoy reading this month's little project.

It's a redux of my mother's exercises, but with a larger audience. Since this is supposed to be a  cathartic writing experience, I think this will also help my writing "grow".

Comfort Food Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

I wanted to share a modified version of one of my favorite foods. My mom makes this a lot and when I was younger I thought it was gross. When I became a teenager and had a more sophisticated palette,  I appreciated it more. This recipe is not the sane that you will find in most cookbooks. Full disclosure,  I don't measure when I cook. I eyeball everything.  I have been cooking a while now and it is a bad habit I fell into.

You will need beef or chicken.  I made it with both. I use stew meat or stir fry beef but you can use any kind you want. The other ingredients are sour cream (16 ounces), mushrooms (I prefer to mix 12 ounces of crimini with 12 ounces of button but I have also used shi take and oyster), one yellow onion,  butter, one pack of onion soup mix (I experiment with regular,  beefy onion, mushroom and onion.), thyme and garlic to taste, 1 pound egg noodles,  and flour, oh and water

Cook the beef, mushrooms,  and onion to your preference. Cook the noodles, drain. Now comes the complicated part. Put 2 or 3 tablesppons butter in a saucepan over low heat.   Add the onion soup mix. Add a few tablespoons of flour,  and a cup or two of water. Add thyme and garlic to taste.  You are making a sauce. The more flour,  the firmer it will be, the more water, the juicier it will be. Stir, I prefer to whisk, the mixture until it boils. Let simmer a few minutes, then remove from heat.

Mix sauce, noodles,  sour cream, meat, and vegetables.  Enjoy :)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D "One Door Closes"

Sorry for late post. My son decided no naps yesterday so I was exhausted by 10 pm.

The story was told by alternating present day with what happened the day S.H.I.E.L.D fell.

In the flashbacks we see the "real" S.H.I.E.L.D born. The founding members decree  to be a democratic organization and the time for secrets has passed. 

In the present,  Skye gets a visit from the man with no eyes. She tells him that she doesn't need or want his assistance.  He tells her she will one day and he will know where to find her. The "real" S.H.I.E.L.D think she good be dangerous and go looking for her.

Back at the farm, Coulson confronts Mack about Lola's alterations.  Mack denies any wrong doing.  Meanwhile,  Mae discovers Bobbi stealing Fury's toolkit. This brings Mae's ire.

The episode had a lot of action and the strory did not drag. Next week we should see Hunter back with Coulson and the real S.H.I.E.L.D should stand up.

This episode was good, but I was too tired to get into it sadly. It is definitely better than last week's episode.