OH MERCIFUL HEAVENS! IT'S GONNA SNOW!
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DOOOOOOOO???????
One thing's for sure, I probably won't be canvassing. Or going to the NARAL holiday party. But I hope I'll be doing both.
How's about you, pixies? Especially Elizabeth, whose idea this was.
Friday, December 18, 2009
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Thanks, Liz. Both the family that was going to come over for latkes tonight and the people hosting the party we were going to attend tomorrow have canceled already. And I'm working from home today. So I sent T out to buy milk and makings for chili soup, and I'm prepared to enjoy this. We live on a pretty steep hill, and I'm told it's primo sledding ground. Feel badly for anyone who was supposed to fly tomorrow though.
photos! wishing everyone well with the white stuff.
The Sweet Baboo and I are going out to enjoy the sunshine, which has been MIA for a couple of weeks. So long that I'm not above gloating while the rest of you are suffering the Snowpocalypse, with its attendant weather-person panics.
Stormageddon!
we don't get snow here at all; frost is a big deal. but daughter reports snow since monday at her campus in akita, japan! her snow boots are conveniently located right here in my home office. she says, "mom, i have sneakers. it's OK. it's not that much snow." so, that's the international angle.
The Post is saying 16-24 inches for the DC area, which is just mindboggling. This is an area where 1/2 an inch can shut the schools down.
I've got a dusting of snow! That is anti-whine just because it looks so pretty and doesn't impede my driving in any meaningful way.
Future anti-whine: I'm so glad it snowed a ton in DC in December because now that I am in our nation's capital here in late January and have to walk around, it is beautiful out.
Hi, Pixies. Sorry stupid work is keeping me away. Having the spousal unit here isn't helping since he is now in a major depressive state and does not function. He did hie himself to the nice med dispensing head shrink but I don't think it is working. We are having my brother, SIL, niece, and SIL's family (they invite us for seder, we invite them for Christmas) and my house is a sty with nary a decoration in sight and I work M-W next week. I'm getting scared about pulling this off.
Get the food catered and have your guests help decorate as part of the festivities. Order all gifts pre-wrapped from amazon
Liz, I like your thinking! I used to get this Lebanese sampler platter that was always well received but the owners ran into some problems with the Feds but I am sure that there are other options.
The kids are trying to help today. I had a screamfest with the one with severe depression and now he's up and about. I also told him he couldn't dump any of the work on the children since he had all week to get this all done. I am not a screamer so now I have a headache.
I really love Christmas. I love the gifts I got my children this year. I love how a good chunk of them came from award points I earned from my peers at work. I love entertaining but, my goodness, I am about to crawl in a hole for two weeks at the thought of dealing with that man and his problems.
Miranda, I know what you mean, and I'm so sorry (a) the medication didn't work; and (b) that you have to deal with the resulting blahs. You have my sympathies, for sure.
"A National Weather Service meteorologist said that the snow could rank in the top 10 of winter storms."
So there you go. Officially Snowpocalypse! I hope everyone is snug and warm.
((Miranda))
I'm here looking at a pickup truck trying to get up our street and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere. For me, the snow is mostly fun and exciting, but I do worry about anyone who needs to get to a hospital or something today.
We have rain and relatively warm weather here.
I keep missing Wednesday, because I have had stuff like dental appointments and service dog training sessions lately. But I have been meaning to stop in and tell you all that AJ's new therapist is 200 times better than the old one. She's been doing so much better the last few weeks, and she's finding his input quite helpful.
At our last session he gave me "The Out of Sync Child" to read. I knew I would find a few things here and there that applied to AJ. I did not expect to be completely blown away by how much of it seems to be written specifically about her.
At our next session I am definitely going to be talking to him about evaluation and intervention for sensory integration disorder. Don't know yet if this will be along with or instead of the OCD-spectrum diagnosis.
I think making a priority to get her "sensory diet" where it needs to be and doing exercises that help her develop her sensory integration skills is going to make a huge difference for her.
Oh, and the reason her sensory issues didn't seem like that big of a deal to us, or seem that obvious, is because she is sensory-seeking, not sensory-avoiding. At least in most areas (though she is extremely sensitive to smells).
So a lot of what you commonly hear about sensory issues doesn't fit for her. She doesn't have issues with tastes, textures, sounds, etc. and she will eat anything. She no longer avoids being touched (although she did when she was younger) and rather can't get enough sensory input.
She always talks loudly, loves things like being rolled up in a blanket and sat on, climbs on and clings to people, and is often too vigorous in both her emotions and her physical contact.
more hugs to miranda. my understanding is that the meds take a while to kick in, so hopefully things will be in a calmer and more productive zone soon. xoxoxo
i do not know snow. when people go to the mountains here -- the snowy places -- tire chains are often required for snow. do people carry chains in DC?
(((( PK )))) oh, i'm so glad things are working out better with the new therapist! how amazing to find a book that just makes sense for you, too.
No, people in DC don't have chains, or snow tires. 1/2 an inch can shut the schools down. Monday is going to be... interesting.
We're too far South the get the snow, so instead, we've had the! incessant! rain! of! DOOOM! Our weather people say that we're having the wettest December on record. And, if it were any colder, that rain would almost certainly be snow.
I would dearly love to have snow for about 10 hours. Then, I think I'd be done with it. I just want the opportunity to make a snow angel and a snowman larger than a Darth Vader figurine. I think I would also like to go sledding and/or snow tubing. Skiing didn't work out so well for our family, so no skiing.
"a snowman larger than a Darth Vader figurine" LOL, KLee! Don't forget the grass and mud sticking out of said figurine, too!
(P K) I am so glad your family found such a good therapist and that you feel less alone because of the book.
School cancelled. Winter break starts Wednesday so no school until January
Hey, it's snowpocalypse here in Edinburgh, too! We always get like a day of light dust sometime around mid-january, but this year we've had 4 days of pretty much non-stop snow or wintry mix.
AW: The buses are all still running! I don't have a car to dig out of the snow!
W: Hosea is definitely less than thrilled with the snow. He won't pick it up in his hands or sit in it, but he likes crunching around in his wellies and looking at it out the window.
Miranda, I hear you on the depressive spouse; boy do I hear you. Matt's well-medicated and seeing a good therapist, but it's *still* hard.
leftover lemon shortbread for everyone, and some Irish coffee to keep away the chill!
Canvassing cancelled yesterday. Party postponed until January 2. Street unplowed. Still must work tomorrow.
Liz -- what, are they sending rescue dogs to sled you in??
I only have a quick minute, but I want to offer this title to PK:
Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues
I really liked this one as well as The Out of Sync Child and The Out of Sync Child Has Fun.
My daughter is hypersensitive to a bunch of things, but ultimately did not score on the Sensory Integration scale. Borderline. And yes, how they rate and in what areas they seek or avoid can change. It sounds like PK's daughter likes deep touch. If that's true, consider a weighted blanket. It's like a quilt with weights sewn into it so that it weighs, well, a ton on you. It's very soothing to a bunch of kids who are sensory seeking.
FWIW, we also tried Therapeutic Listening. It didn't work for us.
I'm so glad you feel like you're getting somewhere, PK!
More later...
AW: sledding, hot chocolate, picture perfect crescent moon over the snow, coffee w/ kalhua, husband who dug out the entire driveway
W: no sign of a plow -- if my meeting tomorrow isn't canceled, I think I'm going to have to hike out of the neighborhood and try to catch a bus.
Oh, another AW: met nice family up the street who shared their sleds with us. Their son is a bit older than D, and it looked like they were hitting it off well.
AW: meeting canceled so I can sit in front of the computer at home...
W: Shoveled out part of the garage with no help (borrowed neighbor's shovel).
AW: Hired neighbor boys to shovel out the rest.
W: They didn't do path between garage and back door. Sigh.
Oh, PK -- I am not an expert by any means, but one of the autistic children I work with has Sensory Issues as well, and he REALLY likes a compression vest. It's like a velcro belt that goes around the torso, and has suspender-like straps that go over the shoulders. Maybe that might be an idea?
Our occupational therapist gave us a bunch of neat things that have really helped us lately -- resistance bands that we tie on the legs of the chair so he can get stimulation by hooking his feet under the bad and kicking away. (I used to come home each day bruised black and blue from all the kicking, so this is GREATLY helpful) and we made him a Sensory box full of pinto beans and small toys. He's resisting touching the beans, but he likes finding the toys, so he participates somewhat.
Hope everyone isn't snowed in or under! Sending you all my extra warm weather to help melt all that snow!
For PK:
Sensory Avoiding and Bean Bin
http://thetextureofthings.com/?p=78
Sensory Seeking and Bean Bin
http://thetextureofthings.com/?p=83
If you do beans or rice (I recommend beans -- easier to clean up), get a very large bin. Since your daughter is generally sensory seeking, she'll no doubt want to climb in and take a bath in beans. Be glad she's not in diapers anymore, ha!
KLee - I saw that at the Occupational Therapist's office, and I wondered if there were kids who really used it. One thing that helped the tot was this chair with a platform that raised and lowered to meet their feet, so they always felt secure in their seat. I had never thought about it, but I hate it when my feet dangle, too.
i've been trapped under a sleeping boy for two hours. he's sweating like a frat boy during finals, and he smells like one too.
at least i'm caught up on reading MLIA now.
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