Hope all of you can read this. I am reading some old Avengers comics while I am sick and came across this gem.
Remember to always reverse the polarity.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
Hearing Test 05/18/2015
This was a pediatric hearing test done at the Rhode School For the Deaf. M. the Speech Therapist suggested we get a hearing test done to rule out hearing problems as a reason for delayed speech. A. asked if we wanted her to go. Since she is my son's Early Intervention Service Coordinator, I feel she should come to all our specialist appointments. Not only is she an advocate should we need one, she is also an impartial third party. She would definitely ask us how the visit went, but I feel that I would give her opinions, not just facts and she needs facts to add to my son's record.
When we met the Audiologist we gathered in his office. He asked who we all were and why we were there. He then had me and my husband take our son into a sound proof room and sent A. into the lobby. My son sat on my lap and the Audiologist gave him a stuffed animal to play with. With my son distracted, he checked his ears and said they looked fine. Being nervous, I asked how can they look good with all the potatoes growing in there? He said a few potatoes were fine. He then did a small test to check the anatomy of the inside of my son's ears. The scan was fine. He then conducted the same hearing test given at birth to all children born in the state of Rhode Island. My son passed. The next phase of the hearing test was the Audiologist left the room and went into a room directly in front of us. I was reminded almost of a sound recording booth. There was a large sheet of glass in front of us. We could see him, but could not hear him unless he activated a microphone. He could hear and see us. In our room there were three speakers. One if front of us, and two to the sides. There were also three light boxes in the room. One directly in front of us with Mickey Mouse, one on the left with Donald Duck and one on the right with a third Disney character. My son was still clutching the stuffed animal. The Audiologist would activate the microphone for the speakers in turn, then flash on and off the light box. My son was totally unimpressed and ignored everything except for the stuffed animal. The Audiologist then asked if I could take the toy away. My son took that opportunity to toss the toy on the floor. The Audiologist proceeded to say my son's name at different volumes through the speakers. For about half a minute, my son was responsive. Then it was all over.
We went into the lobby to join A. and wait while the Audiologist prepared the results. When we gathered in his office, he asked what my son's developmental age was. A. said her agency does not assess developmental age, but stated my son scored 5 out of a possible 35 on his communication assessment at our annual review. That assessment was based on an average 2 year olds developmental level. The Audiologist said the results were inconclusive. Because my son's ears are anatomically fine, he doesn't believe there is damage to the ears, but my son was incredibly unresponsive to the stimuli. He said if I want to 100% rule out a hearing deficit, we can sedate my son and then do a brain scan. I am not even a little ok with that. I think at 2 years of age sedation for an unnecessary procedure is totally not ok. I know for a fact my son isn't deaf. When he is deeply napping, when I go to wake him up I rap loudly on his bedroom door. He immediately gets startled. I believe there could be some pitches he might not hear, but I don't think he is deaf. The Audiologist suggested we come back in a few months for another hearing test, no sedation. He then gave us copies of the inconclusive results for the Neurologist, the Speech Therapist and the Pediatrician.
My mom has been reading up on autistic children and autism in general. Based on several of the behaviors my son displays, I think he may have autism. This is not a bad thing, but I think if he has it, then in order to help him succeed we need to mold his therapies around his abilities. My mother is currently reading The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin. One of the topics discussed is hearing and autism. Some people who have autism can only hear vowels, other only consonants. Other people with autism can only hear certain tones and pitches. Other people with autism are so into their own mind, or activity, they can't hear you. I asked A. if she feels my son might be displaying some of the symptoms of autism. She danced around her answer. She finally said we can discuss my concerns with the Neurologist or if I can't wait until August to see him, we can call a different one. I told her I understand she can't diagnose, but based on her experience does she think I might have an autistic child. She was quiet and hesitant and then finally said she has not worked with enough autistic children to give an opinion.
I know my son has sensory processing disorder. Maybe that is all we are looking at. But I want him to succeed and to live the happiest life he can. Although I think we are into labels, if I knew what we are dealing with, I feel I could better help him succeed.
When we met the Audiologist we gathered in his office. He asked who we all were and why we were there. He then had me and my husband take our son into a sound proof room and sent A. into the lobby. My son sat on my lap and the Audiologist gave him a stuffed animal to play with. With my son distracted, he checked his ears and said they looked fine. Being nervous, I asked how can they look good with all the potatoes growing in there? He said a few potatoes were fine. He then did a small test to check the anatomy of the inside of my son's ears. The scan was fine. He then conducted the same hearing test given at birth to all children born in the state of Rhode Island. My son passed. The next phase of the hearing test was the Audiologist left the room and went into a room directly in front of us. I was reminded almost of a sound recording booth. There was a large sheet of glass in front of us. We could see him, but could not hear him unless he activated a microphone. He could hear and see us. In our room there were three speakers. One if front of us, and two to the sides. There were also three light boxes in the room. One directly in front of us with Mickey Mouse, one on the left with Donald Duck and one on the right with a third Disney character. My son was still clutching the stuffed animal. The Audiologist would activate the microphone for the speakers in turn, then flash on and off the light box. My son was totally unimpressed and ignored everything except for the stuffed animal. The Audiologist then asked if I could take the toy away. My son took that opportunity to toss the toy on the floor. The Audiologist proceeded to say my son's name at different volumes through the speakers. For about half a minute, my son was responsive. Then it was all over.
We went into the lobby to join A. and wait while the Audiologist prepared the results. When we gathered in his office, he asked what my son's developmental age was. A. said her agency does not assess developmental age, but stated my son scored 5 out of a possible 35 on his communication assessment at our annual review. That assessment was based on an average 2 year olds developmental level. The Audiologist said the results were inconclusive. Because my son's ears are anatomically fine, he doesn't believe there is damage to the ears, but my son was incredibly unresponsive to the stimuli. He said if I want to 100% rule out a hearing deficit, we can sedate my son and then do a brain scan. I am not even a little ok with that. I think at 2 years of age sedation for an unnecessary procedure is totally not ok. I know for a fact my son isn't deaf. When he is deeply napping, when I go to wake him up I rap loudly on his bedroom door. He immediately gets startled. I believe there could be some pitches he might not hear, but I don't think he is deaf. The Audiologist suggested we come back in a few months for another hearing test, no sedation. He then gave us copies of the inconclusive results for the Neurologist, the Speech Therapist and the Pediatrician.
My mom has been reading up on autistic children and autism in general. Based on several of the behaviors my son displays, I think he may have autism. This is not a bad thing, but I think if he has it, then in order to help him succeed we need to mold his therapies around his abilities. My mother is currently reading The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin. One of the topics discussed is hearing and autism. Some people who have autism can only hear vowels, other only consonants. Other people with autism can only hear certain tones and pitches. Other people with autism are so into their own mind, or activity, they can't hear you. I asked A. if she feels my son might be displaying some of the symptoms of autism. She danced around her answer. She finally said we can discuss my concerns with the Neurologist or if I can't wait until August to see him, we can call a different one. I told her I understand she can't diagnose, but based on her experience does she think I might have an autistic child. She was quiet and hesitant and then finally said she has not worked with enough autistic children to give an opinion.
I know my son has sensory processing disorder. Maybe that is all we are looking at. But I want him to succeed and to live the happiest life he can. Although I think we are into labels, if I knew what we are dealing with, I feel I could better help him succeed.
Occupational Therapy 05/14/15
Sadly, this was another short visit. My son had a low grade fever and was just miserable. I thought he could hold it together long enough for his OT visit, but he only lasted halfway through.
This visit, we saw C. the COTA and D. a student. My son just loves D. She is very patient and funny. I hope D. goes on to work with children because she will be outstanding.
This visit focused on functional play and attention.
I got very excited because C. brought a bag full of toys. Then I got even more excited because she had a parachute that she pulled out. I do not know if kids today have gym class, or if said gym class uses parachutes but back in the 80s you knew gym was about to get awesome if a parachute was on the floor. C. and D. tried to engage my son in playing with the parachute with hand over hand play. At first he was very hesitant. He wanted to walk on the parachute and C. was worried about him slipping and falling. (The last time C. came over he accidently hit his lip on a toy and bleed a little. She felt incredibly bad about it.) C. helped my son climb onto the parachute and set him down. She and D. then flounced up the edges making waves. They then both stood up, securing the sides and swung my son gently side to side. He did not like that at all. They picked up some of his stuffed animals and put them on the parachute with him, and made waves again. Then they took him off the parachute and swung just the stuffed animals. After he saw that nothing happened to his toys, he allowed himself to be swung again. He was feeling sick so he expressed frustration at this point and C. and D. took a break.
C. asked me if I thought the session had to come to an end. I said that I think OT is very important and I would like to try to continue. I gave my son some water and pulled him up on my lap to remove him from the activity. I told her about my son's new habit of eating non-food items.
We have a pussy willow tree outside and he ate a bud off the ground. It must have tasted as delicious as it looked because he promptly spit it out. We went to visit a friend who has a dog, and my son petted him. He came back with a large tuft of fur. The same thing happens when he pets our dog so I thought he would drop it on the ground. Instead he tried to eat it. The fur had to be wrestled out of his mouth. We went to my mother's house and she has a gravel driveway. My son was walking up and down the driveway, then he sat down to play. Boys play in dirt so this was ok with me. I was talking to my step-father then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my son's hand go up to his mouth. I went to go investigate and he had all sorts of goodies in his mouth. He had sand, pebbles, bits of twigs, and bits of plants. She said to try to work his mouth the electric toothbrush. She asked if he could have been hungry or thirsty when he did this. I know when he ate the dog fur he had just drank two cups of water, but for all the events I could not remember how long it had been since he last ate. She suggested instead of using these events to give him a snack, maybe just add an extra snack into the mix everyday and make sure he is hydrated.
After my son had a good rest, C. and D. played with him with nesting/stacking cups. He tolerated that for about 5 minutes. He doesn't always like being guided in play and he doesn't like stacking. He likes knocking over stacks. He started flinging cups over his shoulder which upset me. That is another thing he started doing recently. He flings toys backward, over his shoulder. He walks around the room doing that. He just paces and picks up toys and flings them over his shoulder. He does it with all toys though, and he has hit me a few times with wooden toys and some of the electronic toys I am worried he will break. Once he breaks a toy, it is going to be all over because I am not replacing toys simply because I don't have the money to do so. I asked C. why he is doing this and she said he gets some stimulus out of it. She also said it is his signature move and she doesn't see any other kids doing it.
C. then pulled out moon sand. My son was hesitant to touch it, then he gingerly plucked a small amount up with his thumb and forefinger. He loved it. They played with it for almost 15 minutes when he then attempted to eat some. The only problem was, all the moon sand went on my rug and I have a cat and a dog and a toddler so our rugs no matter how much we vacuum are always covered in something. The moon sand had a melange of animal fur and my fur and crumbs in it. I felt really bad and that stuff isn't coming out of sand. I asked C. if she wanted me to buy it off her because of the fur and she said no it was fine. Then I think she thought about it and then she said we could just have it. Since she gave it to us, we have played with it outside on an old sheet.
The visit came to a very grumpy end after the moon sand was done with. Hopefully the next session can be full length.
This visit, we saw C. the COTA and D. a student. My son just loves D. She is very patient and funny. I hope D. goes on to work with children because she will be outstanding.
This visit focused on functional play and attention.
I got very excited because C. brought a bag full of toys. Then I got even more excited because she had a parachute that she pulled out. I do not know if kids today have gym class, or if said gym class uses parachutes but back in the 80s you knew gym was about to get awesome if a parachute was on the floor. C. and D. tried to engage my son in playing with the parachute with hand over hand play. At first he was very hesitant. He wanted to walk on the parachute and C. was worried about him slipping and falling. (The last time C. came over he accidently hit his lip on a toy and bleed a little. She felt incredibly bad about it.) C. helped my son climb onto the parachute and set him down. She and D. then flounced up the edges making waves. They then both stood up, securing the sides and swung my son gently side to side. He did not like that at all. They picked up some of his stuffed animals and put them on the parachute with him, and made waves again. Then they took him off the parachute and swung just the stuffed animals. After he saw that nothing happened to his toys, he allowed himself to be swung again. He was feeling sick so he expressed frustration at this point and C. and D. took a break.
C. asked me if I thought the session had to come to an end. I said that I think OT is very important and I would like to try to continue. I gave my son some water and pulled him up on my lap to remove him from the activity. I told her about my son's new habit of eating non-food items.
We have a pussy willow tree outside and he ate a bud off the ground. It must have tasted as delicious as it looked because he promptly spit it out. We went to visit a friend who has a dog, and my son petted him. He came back with a large tuft of fur. The same thing happens when he pets our dog so I thought he would drop it on the ground. Instead he tried to eat it. The fur had to be wrestled out of his mouth. We went to my mother's house and she has a gravel driveway. My son was walking up and down the driveway, then he sat down to play. Boys play in dirt so this was ok with me. I was talking to my step-father then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my son's hand go up to his mouth. I went to go investigate and he had all sorts of goodies in his mouth. He had sand, pebbles, bits of twigs, and bits of plants. She said to try to work his mouth the electric toothbrush. She asked if he could have been hungry or thirsty when he did this. I know when he ate the dog fur he had just drank two cups of water, but for all the events I could not remember how long it had been since he last ate. She suggested instead of using these events to give him a snack, maybe just add an extra snack into the mix everyday and make sure he is hydrated.
After my son had a good rest, C. and D. played with him with nesting/stacking cups. He tolerated that for about 5 minutes. He doesn't always like being guided in play and he doesn't like stacking. He likes knocking over stacks. He started flinging cups over his shoulder which upset me. That is another thing he started doing recently. He flings toys backward, over his shoulder. He walks around the room doing that. He just paces and picks up toys and flings them over his shoulder. He does it with all toys though, and he has hit me a few times with wooden toys and some of the electronic toys I am worried he will break. Once he breaks a toy, it is going to be all over because I am not replacing toys simply because I don't have the money to do so. I asked C. why he is doing this and she said he gets some stimulus out of it. She also said it is his signature move and she doesn't see any other kids doing it.
C. then pulled out moon sand. My son was hesitant to touch it, then he gingerly plucked a small amount up with his thumb and forefinger. He loved it. They played with it for almost 15 minutes when he then attempted to eat some. The only problem was, all the moon sand went on my rug and I have a cat and a dog and a toddler so our rugs no matter how much we vacuum are always covered in something. The moon sand had a melange of animal fur and my fur and crumbs in it. I felt really bad and that stuff isn't coming out of sand. I asked C. if she wanted me to buy it off her because of the fur and she said no it was fine. Then I think she thought about it and then she said we could just have it. Since she gave it to us, we have played with it outside on an old sheet.
The visit came to a very grumpy end after the moon sand was done with. Hopefully the next session can be full length.
Speech Therapy 5/13/15
My son was very grumpy/upset today.
We got a visit from M the speech therapist and A the EI coordinator. M and A played with puzzles with my son. He got grumpy very quickly and A happened to touch his head. She noticed he was warm, so I took his temperature. 99.5 degrees, not enough to be worried but enough of a temp to make him miserable.
I had some concerns about my son eating clearly not food items. We have a pussy willow tree outside and he ate a bud off the ground. It must have tasted as delicious as it looked because he promptly spit it out. We went to visit a friend who has a dog, and my son petted him. He came back with a large tuft of fur. The same thing happens when he pets our dog so I thought he would drop it on the ground. Instead he tried to eat it. The fur had to be wrestled out of his mouth. We went to my mother's house and she has a gravel driveway. My son was walking up and down the driveway, then he sat down to play. Boys play in dirt so this was ok with me. I was talking to my step-father then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my son's hand go up to his mouth. I went to go investigate and he had all sorts of goodies in his mouth. He had sand, pebbles, bits of twigs, and bits of plants. Of course I took him in the house and cleaned his mouth out. The speech therapist said he is looking for input so I should give him something to eat. Something crunchy, or cold, or spicy, or sweet to give him input. I think this a good way to teach him to ask for snacks. He doesn't get many non-fruit based snacks due a possible tree nut/pine nut allergy so its mostly fruit or fruit and peanut butter or Cheerios for snacks. He does however eat a very well rounded healthy diet that includes crunchy, and cold, and spicy, and sweet
My son responded well to the back and forth play and had a higher level of eye contact. What we need to work on is back and forth play, then withholding a turn until he does something to indicate he wants to continue.
I also was the randomly selected parent of the month to do a survey. As I have no complaints or problems with any of the services or service providers I think that should be pretty smooth and easy.
The visit was cut short due to my son being sick.
May 2015 Bluum box 25 month old boy
Hi all.
I have been extremely under the weather yet again. Same as before, a high fever and can't talk. This time; however, I can't swallow either. Of course the fever hit 102 and I lost my voice around 11:00pm on Saturday night, the night before Sunday, before a holiday. If I still can't talk/swallow tomorrow, I am going to get this checked out. This is why posting has been light as of late. I have had an extreme sore throat for the past several months that comes and goes and I have been feeling stressed out and fatigued.
Because I can't talk, there again won't be a video unboxing. Hopefully next month.............
I have been extremely under the weather yet again. Same as before, a high fever and can't talk. This time; however, I can't swallow either. Of course the fever hit 102 and I lost my voice around 11:00pm on Saturday night, the night before Sunday, before a holiday. If I still can't talk/swallow tomorrow, I am going to get this checked out. This is why posting has been light as of late. I have had an extreme sore throat for the past several months that comes and goes and I have been feeling stressed out and fatigued.
Because I can't talk, there again won't be a video unboxing. Hopefully next month.............
Could they have stuffed this box anymore?
This box looks really exciting. Let's dive right in.
This seems pretty cool. We haven't started toilet training yet, although my son has been put on the toilet. Actually starting next month when it will be hotter, and he will be wearing less clothing, I was going to start introducing the potty with more frequency.
Green Sprouts Disposable Compressed Wipes--I added this item to the box. We got this item last year and I absolutely love it in the summer time. They are compressed wipes made from plant fibers and are naturally antibacterial.
This says it it suitable for ages 2-6 on the box, but my son is developmentally disabled. He sadly won't be able to play with this for quite a while. I like the concept though.
I added this to the box as well. Melissa & Doug My First Sidewalk Chalk Set. Since activities based on age don't work with my son, we go for activities based on ability, or activities that will enhance motor skills and/or help with sensory processing issues. I like the grips on the chalk because if he doesn't like the texture of it, he can hold the grip. Also, since he has small hands, I think the grip will make using the chalk easier.
We can always use more ice packs. Actually, I like these because they are small and a regular ice pack takes up a lot of room in my son's small cooler. Also, space ships!
This is another Paragon Book! Dear Bluum, please keep sending Paragon Books! As I have stated in the past, I love this publisher.
This is an adjustable wide brimmed hat. Sadly, me and my husband do like camouflage print. This will end up being a gift to someone. I would have loved this hat in any other print.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Review of Star Trek Renegades
This is the post that I was very excited to put up. Hope you enjoy the review, and the movie itself.
After watching Renegades a second time, I had a little more to say about it.
This is a spoiler free review.
“Always be true to yourself and the rest will follow.”
–Pavel Chekov
The full cast and crew can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2621446/fullcredits/
The website can be found here: http://startrekrenegades.com/home/
I have seen the trailers and although they looked amazing, I
was very wary of Adrienne Wilkinson’s acting. She seemed to overact in all the
trailers. It was a very pleasant surprise that watching those scenes in context
her acting is very strong and powerful, not over the top. Manu Intiraymi reprises his role as Icheb,
and he has been through some things. I
did not always enjoy Voyager, but I really always liked the character Icheb.
Manu Intiraymi flawlessly slips back into his old role. I don’t want to give away too much, but he
appears to have had some upgrades. There were several cameos Trek fans will
enjoy including Gary Graham as Ragnar, the shape shifter first seen in Of Gods
and Men. Another cameo of note was Clint Carmichael who played a Nausicaan in
the TNG episode Tapestry. He again plays a Nausicaan, Moordenaarr, in Renegades. It was actually a nice moment when I
remembered him from his previous character. There are a few established
Hollywood actors in the movie as well. Edward Furlong is excellent as Fixer,
the mechanic. All I could think while
watching him was how much he reminded me of Kaylee from Firefly (which is
fitting since the Icarus is the same set as Serenity). I really would have liked to have seen more
of the character on screen. The entire cast delivered a powerful performance. One
nitpicky question I had was, were Sean Young’s Dr. Lucien’s glasses an
affectation, like Picard’s books or an anachronism? Either way, as a glasses wearer who will
never get LASIK or wear contacts, I thought they looked cool.
The special effects are outstanding.
There are plenty of well done space battles. The CGI on Icheb’s tech is
incredible. Looking at the special
effects it is hard to believe this was done on a small budget. A scene I especially liked was seeing Icheb’s
hands take on what I can only describe as a Green Lanternish effect during a
climatic fight scene. The only thing I
thought was, although the makeup is relatively flawless, some of the masks are
incredibly rubber looking. One more
brief thought on the makeup is that Larissa Gomes plays T’leah a Romulan, and based on
her makeup, her race had to be pointed out to me. It isn’t poorly done, but I did not recognize
her as a Romulan.
This movie was done by the same team that brought us Of Gods
and Men. They stay true to the feel of
Star Trek, but this definitely doesn’t have the heart that Of Gods and Men
had. This movie is decidedly darker
toned, which is not a bad thing. There was a blink and you miss it tribute to
Leonard Nimoy that was added post production that will resonate well with fans.
I think that as of today the future of Renegades is up in the air. Will it be a
TV show, a web series, or a stand-alone film? As a show pilot, it works, as a
fan film, it lacks something. As a stand-alone TV movie it has potential. You can tell that the production team put a
lot of hard work into Renegades.
The story is excellent.
Who are these so called Renegades? Who has infiltrated Starfleet? Who is
Lexxa Singh? What is Sean Young’s Dr. Lucien hiding? What does Fixer finally
understand? What will be the fate of
Admiral Paris? It seems that the main suppliers of dilithium crystals are
getting harder to find. Planets are being engulfed with a mysterious energy
that cuts them off from the rest of the universe. Will the Renegades accomplish their secret
mission or will Starfleet be torn apart?
Will Earth be destroyed by an evil the likes of which we have never seen
before? Who can you trust when anyone could be a double agent?
As I said, this movie does have a very dark tone. It almost
has the same dark tone as Nemesis. There
are some violent scenes and implied sexual violence against one character. I would use discretion when allowing young
children to watch this movie. This movie
only gets 7 out of 10 stars from me. It
was good, not mind blowing. Definitely see it if you get the chance because it
is good, and fan films need our support.
This movie is far better than anything from JJ Abrams.
And to the production crew, I am but a humble blogger but if
there is ever anything I can do, I am a fangirl. It has been my lifelong dream
to contribute to my favorite fandom. I would love to contribute in any way I
could to this or any future projects, as most fans would.
After watching Renegades a second time, I had a little more to say about it.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Super fun thing happened that I can't discuss yet
Tee hee. I have a secret...........wait till Sunday. I don't think I can hold it in that long. Exciting post Sunday morning first thing.
And I hate secrets. I have a HUGE mouth so I want to tell all of you about this GREAT nerdy thing that happened to me, but I can't. Until Sunday morning. So Sunday morning around say 12:01 am, I am going to post probably my favorite post ever.
Let me just say I am super happy to share what happened with all of you, and I wish I could do it today, but please stick around for Sunday morning ok?
And I hate secrets. I have a HUGE mouth so I want to tell all of you about this GREAT nerdy thing that happened to me, but I can't. Until Sunday morning. So Sunday morning around say 12:01 am, I am going to post probably my favorite post ever.
Let me just say I am super happy to share what happened with all of you, and I wish I could do it today, but please stick around for Sunday morning ok?
Physical Therapy 05/11/15
This was not a good session. Totally not on the part of T. the Physical Therapist, but because of the two year old boy who decided to throw tantrums and push his limits/show off in front of a stranger.
He decided he would toss wooden blocks as hard as he could all over the apartment. T told him that is not good for a big boy to do amd made him put the blocks away. He did not like having to follow directions. The good thing was they played a bit and he stirred the blocks with a spoon for gross motor work.
I feel it has been a while since we had PT. There have actually been several updates we had for her, including that he now goes up and down stairs either with use of the railing or by holding hands.
The next thing for us to work on at home is climbing. I am nervous about this, but he need to learn how to do it. I am to assist him climb as necessary.
Our next visit will be at a playground, which I am looking forward to.
Two year pictures/Portraits by Pisano
I don't post much about my son other than his developmental delays, but let me share some of our two year pictures with all of you. They were taken in Mendon, MA and we used a family friend /Portraits by Pisano. If any of you live in MA, RI or nearby CT, she was very kind and patient. She has really a good eye. As happy as I was with the session, I was even happier with the way the pictures came out. She edited them in a beautiful way. Thank you for the lovely pictures :)
My son's EI annual review and OT 05/06/2015
Hard to believe my son turned two on 4/19/15. It honestly feels like yesterday I held my sweet boy in my arms for the first time. I love my son more than I love anyone else and I am so glad he came into my life
Even harder to believe, it is time for our last annual review with EI.
This visit we had A. the EI coordinator, C. the COTA, and D. a student.
The annual review is a long, long visit. Lots of questions are asked. Lots and lots and lots. Also a lot of paperwork. Basically you have to revisit the objectives made at the last review, decide if they worked, decide if you need new goals. The last review, my son was not walking, using a sippy cup, or eating on his own. Thankfully, all of that has changed. Our new goals are to have him talking, at least one word where he can identify an object/idea and use it appropriately. I made the goal, maybe I am aiming too low, but I want him to succeed because that is my primary goal, not to fail.
While I was talking to A. about goals, my son was playing with C. and D. They did functional play, but honestly I missed about 98% because there were a ton of questions regarding my son's development. Not surprising, he got 5 out of 35 for communication. At least I was not surprised by the results but to see your child get scored can be very discouraging.
I did get educated about RIPIN (http://www.ripin.org/) and will get to meet with M. a parental consultant.
One thing I did get to discuss with C. was the fact that I bought the electric toothbrush she wanted me to buy. I have anxiety and I always worry I am going to mess things up, even simple things. I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest generic toothbrush I could find, because I was told the brand doesn't matter. As a toothbrush, I think this is an excellent toothbrush. As a mouth stimulant so my son can get sensory input, not so much. It is loud. Like really loud. I think the sound scares him. The first time I used it, I ran it over my cheeks and hands, then my husband's, then my son's. He flipped out. We use it sometimes on his cheeks and hands, but he doesn't like it for long. C. suggested to use it on his stuffed animals to show nothing bad will happen. I tried it with his stuffed Woodstock.......he was a little more receptive to using it on his cheeks, but not lips yet.
Suggestions for things to work on, using the toothbrush as a redirect from mouthing toys and fingers, and offering support in play.
Even harder to believe, it is time for our last annual review with EI.
This visit we had A. the EI coordinator, C. the COTA, and D. a student.
The annual review is a long, long visit. Lots of questions are asked. Lots and lots and lots. Also a lot of paperwork. Basically you have to revisit the objectives made at the last review, decide if they worked, decide if you need new goals. The last review, my son was not walking, using a sippy cup, or eating on his own. Thankfully, all of that has changed. Our new goals are to have him talking, at least one word where he can identify an object/idea and use it appropriately. I made the goal, maybe I am aiming too low, but I want him to succeed because that is my primary goal, not to fail.
While I was talking to A. about goals, my son was playing with C. and D. They did functional play, but honestly I missed about 98% because there were a ton of questions regarding my son's development. Not surprising, he got 5 out of 35 for communication. At least I was not surprised by the results but to see your child get scored can be very discouraging.
I did get educated about RIPIN (http://www.ripin.org/) and will get to meet with M. a parental consultant.
One thing I did get to discuss with C. was the fact that I bought the electric toothbrush she wanted me to buy. I have anxiety and I always worry I am going to mess things up, even simple things. I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest generic toothbrush I could find, because I was told the brand doesn't matter. As a toothbrush, I think this is an excellent toothbrush. As a mouth stimulant so my son can get sensory input, not so much. It is loud. Like really loud. I think the sound scares him. The first time I used it, I ran it over my cheeks and hands, then my husband's, then my son's. He flipped out. We use it sometimes on his cheeks and hands, but he doesn't like it for long. C. suggested to use it on his stuffed animals to show nothing bad will happen. I tried it with his stuffed Woodstock.......he was a little more receptive to using it on his cheeks, but not lips yet.
Suggestions for things to work on, using the toothbrush as a redirect from mouthing toys and fingers, and offering support in play.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Grace Lee Whitney RIP
Last night before I went to bed, I found out that Grace Lee Whitney passed away at 85.
Yeoman Rand, I will miss you. The void you left on the Enterprise was never able to be filled. You had the class to handle Kirk, yet the nerves of steel needed to stand up to Charlie X and walk away unscathed. You had beauty, and the best hair in the Star Trek universe. You worked your way up to in rank and were there for some of the best moments in Star Trek history.
I really enjoyed watching your friendship with Uhura and Sulu. You brought a lot to a character most people relegated a glorified background character.
We lost Spock and Rand in the same year. May she be remembered as fondly as he was because even if she wasn't on the show as long as he was, she was also a central part of the bridge crew.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron (As spoiler free as I can make it)
I saw this movie today. Yesterday morning my son and I watched this: https://youtu.be/AHPn5d7wRtk because obviously he is way too young to see the actual movie.
Before I talk about the actual plot, let me just say Joss Whedon, I love you. I have been a fan for a long time now. Dollhouse, Firefly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., you are the man. I understand you must move on from the MCU and I am going to miss you. I look forward to your next project. Thank you for the fun ride.
It's actually sort of hard to review this movie because I don't want to spoil anything. I will digress one more time to discuss the twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. I think their superhero names are alluded to with visual clues more than once although I don't think they are ever actually said. I like the rebooted storyline for them, but they will always be Magneto's children to me. Scarlet Witch has always been my favorite Avenger. I will admit her "Hex power" is the ultimate deus ex machina, but it is an awesome power. I don't like later in comics where she becomes an actual witch like character. Ever since the first Iron Man movie I have been waiting for her to be onscreen. Her character was excellently portrayed. For those of you not familiar with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, they originally started off as villains of the X-Men where they were working with Magneto. It was revealed he is their father. The two then join the Avengers, then they find out their father is the true villain, and eventually join the X-Men. Scarlet Witch though, she was just too cool when I was a kid. I wanted to be her. She was not as straight forward as Wonder Woman, who I also liked. She had some baggage. Also, her and Vision have some interesting adventures in the comics. It was hard not to giggle when she first sees him. I wonder if Elizabeth Olsen was aware of this and tried to convey it on screen.
Second diversion, while I was watching this movie I had a few side thoughts. I again realized why I like comic books and superheroes so much. We all have our strengths, but we all have our secrets, or in other cases our weaknesses. In particular I thought about Reggie Lewis. There are of course, several other examples. Stephen Hawking comes to mind as well. He is awe-inspiringly smart, but suffers from ALS. Some of us have suffered losses so great that they are like millstones around our necks to us, but we keep moving. It is extremely hard to see Captain America on screen and not think of soldiers affected with PTSD or other afflictions. Maybe we don't have green giants impervious to pain in us, but maybe we live with guilt over ways we have brought pain to others in the past. The comic books touch upon this, but these new movies really bring it home to me. Superheros are just like us. They are people who have been through the fire, or carry secrets, but still do good.
Disclaimer: I am not terribly familiar with the Ultron storyline or Ultimates storyline. I am going to try to keep this as focused just on the movie as I can. I have read Avengers and Nick Fury Man from S.H.I.E.L.D comics as well as watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. If I stray too far off course, please forgive me, and if I don't come close enough please also forgive me.
Let me not keep you guys in suspense, I loved this movie. I have read mixed reviews of this movie and went in with a negative outlook. I have read reviews that rated this movie from okish to skip this movie. I loved the banter, the action, the storyline, the costumes, the everything. What I thought was lacking was the fact that there is a few cut scenes and you can tell where the scenes where cut. It is almost distracting. There should have been more background given as to what happened then just "Avenger disappears, then is somewhere weird doing a strange thing, HEY look now he is back!" There are some scenes that are definitely rushed and/or oddly edited. It is not very distracting, but it is noticeable. All in all though, the main plot progresses in a timely pace. There are some surprises which is always nice. There are some cameos of characters from other movies, but then oddly some probably key side characters are missing. Again, not distracting, just noticeable.
Tony Stark wants to use technology to help improve the world around him. Sometimes our actions however noble they seem can be quite detrimental. Tony Stark inadvertently creates Ultron who quickly goes from a global peacekeeping system to "KILL ALL HUMANS". This is a familiar trope, but always entertaining. There are shades of a division, an internal war almost, between the team, but they manage to fight together against Ultron.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has shown us that Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker who we saw in the mid credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been experimenting on people. Oddly two people volunteered, and survived his experiments. They are Russian twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. As Maria Hill states "He is fast and she is weird." They work with Ultron to defeat the superhero team.
I am not sure what direction the MCU is headed in, but we see the Mind Stone, one of the Infinity Stones. We saw the the Space Stone in Captain America and the first Avengers movie. The Reality Stone was featured in Thor:The Dark World. The Power Stone was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy. We have not seen the Time Stone, or the Soul Stone yet..............or possibly have we? Are these a McGuffin or essential plot point?
One more note, there are an insane amount of in jokes. If you are a comic reader, or watched the other movies, or the TV show, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Some references were over the head, under the feet for me, but some I got.
In a very fast paced movie filled with satisfying action sequences and witty fast paced banter as both sides seek to reach their goals. The movie is incredible. I can see why some won't like it, but I loved it and will watch it again as soon as it hits Netflix. I deliberately left a lot of the plot out of this review because sometimes the internet is too spoilery. I can tell you there are a few things you will be disappointed if I come right out and say. I will not address the deaths that I heard about myself before seeing this movie because only one is sort of on screen, but I have frankly seen worse injuries in action movies. If you like comic books, witty banter, action movies, Guardians of the Galaxy or the X-men, I highly suggest this movie. There are scenes of violence, as well as mild language so use caution with allowing young children to see this movie. 10 out of 10 stars.
Before I talk about the actual plot, let me just say Joss Whedon, I love you. I have been a fan for a long time now. Dollhouse, Firefly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., you are the man. I understand you must move on from the MCU and I am going to miss you. I look forward to your next project. Thank you for the fun ride.
It's actually sort of hard to review this movie because I don't want to spoil anything. I will digress one more time to discuss the twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. I think their superhero names are alluded to with visual clues more than once although I don't think they are ever actually said. I like the rebooted storyline for them, but they will always be Magneto's children to me. Scarlet Witch has always been my favorite Avenger. I will admit her "Hex power" is the ultimate deus ex machina, but it is an awesome power. I don't like later in comics where she becomes an actual witch like character. Ever since the first Iron Man movie I have been waiting for her to be onscreen. Her character was excellently portrayed. For those of you not familiar with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, they originally started off as villains of the X-Men where they were working with Magneto. It was revealed he is their father. The two then join the Avengers, then they find out their father is the true villain, and eventually join the X-Men. Scarlet Witch though, she was just too cool when I was a kid. I wanted to be her. She was not as straight forward as Wonder Woman, who I also liked. She had some baggage. Also, her and Vision have some interesting adventures in the comics. It was hard not to giggle when she first sees him. I wonder if Elizabeth Olsen was aware of this and tried to convey it on screen.
Second diversion, while I was watching this movie I had a few side thoughts. I again realized why I like comic books and superheroes so much. We all have our strengths, but we all have our secrets, or in other cases our weaknesses. In particular I thought about Reggie Lewis. There are of course, several other examples. Stephen Hawking comes to mind as well. He is awe-inspiringly smart, but suffers from ALS. Some of us have suffered losses so great that they are like millstones around our necks to us, but we keep moving. It is extremely hard to see Captain America on screen and not think of soldiers affected with PTSD or other afflictions. Maybe we don't have green giants impervious to pain in us, but maybe we live with guilt over ways we have brought pain to others in the past. The comic books touch upon this, but these new movies really bring it home to me. Superheros are just like us. They are people who have been through the fire, or carry secrets, but still do good.
Disclaimer: I am not terribly familiar with the Ultron storyline or Ultimates storyline. I am going to try to keep this as focused just on the movie as I can. I have read Avengers and Nick Fury Man from S.H.I.E.L.D comics as well as watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. If I stray too far off course, please forgive me, and if I don't come close enough please also forgive me.
Let me not keep you guys in suspense, I loved this movie. I have read mixed reviews of this movie and went in with a negative outlook. I have read reviews that rated this movie from okish to skip this movie. I loved the banter, the action, the storyline, the costumes, the everything. What I thought was lacking was the fact that there is a few cut scenes and you can tell where the scenes where cut. It is almost distracting. There should have been more background given as to what happened then just "Avenger disappears, then is somewhere weird doing a strange thing, HEY look now he is back!" There are some scenes that are definitely rushed and/or oddly edited. It is not very distracting, but it is noticeable. All in all though, the main plot progresses in a timely pace. There are some surprises which is always nice. There are some cameos of characters from other movies, but then oddly some probably key side characters are missing. Again, not distracting, just noticeable.
Tony Stark wants to use technology to help improve the world around him. Sometimes our actions however noble they seem can be quite detrimental. Tony Stark inadvertently creates Ultron who quickly goes from a global peacekeeping system to "KILL ALL HUMANS". This is a familiar trope, but always entertaining. There are shades of a division, an internal war almost, between the team, but they manage to fight together against Ultron.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has shown us that Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker who we saw in the mid credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been experimenting on people. Oddly two people volunteered, and survived his experiments. They are Russian twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. As Maria Hill states "He is fast and she is weird." They work with Ultron to defeat the superhero team.
I am not sure what direction the MCU is headed in, but we see the Mind Stone, one of the Infinity Stones. We saw the the Space Stone in Captain America and the first Avengers movie. The Reality Stone was featured in Thor:The Dark World. The Power Stone was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy. We have not seen the Time Stone, or the Soul Stone yet..............or possibly have we? Are these a McGuffin or essential plot point?
One more note, there are an insane amount of in jokes. If you are a comic reader, or watched the other movies, or the TV show, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Some references were over the head, under the feet for me, but some I got.
In a very fast paced movie filled with satisfying action sequences and witty fast paced banter as both sides seek to reach their goals. The movie is incredible. I can see why some won't like it, but I loved it and will watch it again as soon as it hits Netflix. I deliberately left a lot of the plot out of this review because sometimes the internet is too spoilery. I can tell you there are a few things you will be disappointed if I come right out and say. I will not address the deaths that I heard about myself before seeing this movie because only one is sort of on screen, but I have frankly seen worse injuries in action movies. If you like comic books, witty banter, action movies, Guardians of the Galaxy or the X-men, I highly suggest this movie. There are scenes of violence, as well as mild language so use caution with allowing young children to see this movie. 10 out of 10 stars.
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