I'm a "plunger"!

A what?!  A plunger.

If you're not confused then good for you! If you are confused I shall explain.

You see a "plunger" is someone who will be jumping into a freezing cold body of water during the middle of winter.

Why on EARTH would anyone do that? Well it is to benefit the Special Olympics. Specifically in my neck of the woods the Special Olympics of Illinois. This past June Shelby participated in her first Special Olympics Young Athletes event during the Illinois SOIL Summer Games. We were blown away. The atmosphere is amazing, it restored our faith in the world. The athletes, their families, everyone was there united. In today's world that was such an amazing feeling!! The Young Athletes is a part of SO for the younger kids, the pre-athletes you could say. It is designed for kids 2-7 to introduce them to the world of sports. Kids with intellectual disabilities and neuro-typical kids play side by side. The athletes are introduced to sports that give them a taste of what being an athlete in the Special Olympics organization would be like. I get teary just thinking of all the love, acceptance, and understanding I felt just by being there. Despite the heat Shelby had the time of her life!

Our team for the 2012 Polar Plunge is Shiverin' For Shelby. We will be "plunging" at Miller Park Lake in Bloomington, IL. Visit our team page here and consider donating to this wonderful organization that means so much to our family. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/shiverinforshelby/2012-polar-plunge-bloomington If you are local and would like to join us you are more than welcome to! Each "plunger" must raise a minimum of $75. Let's make this a great year and hopefully many more to come, that is if I ever thaw out!

Updates on other family happenings coming soon. Just gotta figure out what I'm gonna say...

Below are pictures from the summer games! Please excuse Blogger for distorting the colors...that is Blogger not me...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The R-Word

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, 

it will forever live its whole live believing that it is stupid."

~Albert Einstein~

     Would you EVER call that beautiful little girl above a retard? 

      That would be mean wouldn't it? I hope your answers were no and yes. However, I'm sure that you've heard someone say "you're retarded, she's retarded, that's retarded" and you didn't even blink. Heck, you yourself may have said it at one point or another. Or in reaction to something, have said or heard said, "RETARD!". These may just seem like words in everyday speech, another way to say "stupid". Well it isn't JUST a word. It's a hurtful, hateful, derogatory word. Special needs kids have to struggle every day to do the things "typical" people do with ease. Often times they do it with the biggest brightest smile on their faces. They have a way of restoring your faith in humanity, a way of showing you that life is what you make it, and they choose to make it GREAT! 

     Yes, the word retarded is still used, even in the medical community, however even that is being phased out. And let's be real. When someone uses the word retarded in their speech 99.99999% of the time they are NOT using it to describe someone's medical diagnosis. They are using it to degrade some one, some thing. They are using it to describe someone as the dumbest of dumb. They aren't being nice. Period. Just like the N-word, just like every other derogatory term used to describe a group of people based on color, religion, or heritage, the R-word should be phased out of our vocabulary and our children should be raised better. If you think the word is ok, then I challenge you to look at the picture above and call her a retard. Tell that innocent little girl, that does nothing but love people, she's retarded. Look at a picture of someone with Downs Syndrome and call them that ugly word, look at your neighbor down the street, still feel good about using it? I hope not. If you want to be a part of the change then make a pledge, right now, to erase that word from your vocabulary and to not tolerate it from others. Speak up, on person CAN make a difference! If you find the need, print my daughter's picture and next time someone challenges you about it, or says the word, show them Shelby and tell them to call her that to her face, with her mama around. Commit to being the change we need in this world. I will now post a popular PSA video and the link where you can join others in Spreading the Word to End the Word! 

From my family and from Shelby, we thank you!

Share this!

And THIS is where you take the pledge! Do it for Shelby! Click the image below to pledge! 

Please share this post with others. Let's make a change!

Wow...

I started this blog on the 1st of August.
In just over 2 months we now have...

978+ Page views

We have readers from 10 countries

United States 870 Canada 32 United Kingdom 6 Russia 6 Australia 5 Germany 5 Ireland 3 Israel 3 France 2 Greece 1

And I've made 10 posts! 


Thank you to everyone that takes the time to read our blog. I thank the community of A4cwsn for helping to spread the word! I look forward to watching it all grow!!

Mobile Education Store

Mobile Education Store is a huge supporter or Apps For Children with Special Needs (www.a4cwsn.com). They are an app developer with many apps aimed at helping children develop skills in the areas of speaking and writing. It is designed to help special needs children and those on the autism spectrum. However there is no reason it wouldn't also be beneficial to neuro typical children. So let me break it down for ya. I credit A4cwsn for reviews and app descriptions. For video demos of the apps and full reviews please check out the links after each one on the Apps For Children with Special Needs website! Most apps are in the $2.99-$5.99 range and geared towards but not exclusively for special needs children. Please check out MobileEd's apps and spread the word to your friends. They do amazing things and their generosity towards A4cwsn knows no bounds! Thank you Gary James and Mobile Education for doing what you do for our very special kiddos! Now, share this blog post to anyone and everyone. Facebook, Twitter, Cafemom, if it'll let you share this do it! lol Now back to my PTO stuff, Open House is tomorrow! Eeeek!

Conversation Builder:

ConversationBuilder™ (Pat. Pend.) is for elemetary aged children to help them have multi-level conversations with their peers in social settings. For a full description, reviews, and a video demo here is the link to A4cwsn  a great place to get information on apps! 

http://a4cwsn.com/2011/04/conversation-builder/

 Language Builder:

Language Builder offers a rich and fun environment for improving the ability to create grammatically correct sentences. View video demo and complete description by A4cwsn here. http://a4cwsn.com/?p=2115

 Question Builder

Question Builder is designed to help elementary aged children learn to answer abstract questions and create responses based on inference. View video demo and complete description  by A4cwsn here. http://a4cwsn.com/?p=2185

 Sentence Builder

Sentence Builder is designed to help elementary aged children learn how to build grammatically correct sentences. View video demo and complete description by A4cwsn here. http://a4cwsn.com/?p=137

 Story Builder

Story Builder is designed to help children accomplish the following educational goals: 1) Improve paragraph formation; 2) Improve integration of ideas; and 3) Improve higher level abstractions by inference. View video demo and complete description by A4cwsn here. http://a4cwsn.com/?p=131

 Speech Journal

Speech Journal is a customizable voice recorder that you pair recorded messages with your own imported images and image sequences. View video demo and complete description by A4cwn here. http://a4cwsn.com/2011/08/speech-journal/

Check out all of them together HERE! http://a4cwsn.com/mobile-education-store/

Legos, not just for building things!

I know I know I know, it's been too long since I've posted. Back to school has been crazy. I thought once I had all three kids in school I'd have some free time, but oh no! Let's just say our flexible spending account is looking like Paris Hilton on a shopping spree. Oy vey. Yes this has NOTHING to do with Legos.

So, I was cleaning on Friday and it was nice so I had the curtains and windows open letting the fresh air in. For ONCE it wasn't too hot and before long it will be too cold. Yes, I know STILL not talking about Legos. Well, because I had the curtains open (normally have them closed to keep the heat out) I noticed, geesh those windows are nasty! Between the dogs and Shelby they never stood a chance. So, I know that it is going to take some serious scrubbing and scraping to get that crap off, but I couldn't find my straight blade. Then I spotted it, a bright orange Lego on the floor! Aha! Flat edge, but not dangerous to leave around like a straight blade, well not dangerous to children anyways. I'm sure many of us has stepped on one of those suckers at the wrong time! And wouldn't you know, sprayed that window down, scraped my Lego, and presto chango, clean windows. I was so stinkin' thrilled with myself for thinking of that I wanted to say go you, but nobody was around for me to brag to, hence the blog post. And you know what? It's about time those suckers started earning their keep, I might think twice before throwing the next one I step on away!

Planned upcoming blog posts (to hold me accountable)....
1) Doctors, blood draws,IEP's, OH MY!
2)Organized Chaos

I've posted before and I'll keep posting about it until everyone in the world knows and loves Apps For Children with Special Needs. Please go to http://www.a4cwsn.com and look into supporting the campaign to get 50 ipads/ in 50 states/ for 50 special needs children!

Favorite app of the week: Injini!!! Yes it is a pricey app but SOOOOOOOOOOO worth it. It's like a dozen apps in one with more add ons promised to come. They now have a lite version so you can try it out before purchasing! Read more about it through A4cwsn!

And now a new "Shelbified" pic....No I did not give my dog highlights, that would be my lip gloss.

So far, so good...

Shelby now has three full school days under her belt. She tends to be getting tired in the afternoon but is trudging through it and will hopefully adjust. I can say this, bedtime has been a BREEZE! Normally she comes out of her room at least a dozen times to ask for a drink, to go potty, to get a dog to come lay with her, and so on. The past three nights have been a dream! Goodnight Shelby I love you, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. LOL
     So, have I been enjoying my time off? Well, Monday yes was nice and relaxing. Tuesday my middle child had a dentist apt. Run to town, do the apt, get him back to school, then curriculum night, yay! Today had to take Shelby to the Pediatric Ophthalmologist 45 minutes away, 2 hr long apt(which went well btw, no changes), then back for my oldest daughter's curriculum night. My husband asked if I had a day where something didn't need to be done and I had to look at my calendar. I'm happy to report Thursday and Friday look good. We'll see! All three are liking their teachers and liking school, I'm counting my blessings, now ask me again once homework really kicks in!
     A few things I've noticed without the kids here. When I clean something it stays clean, I mean, who knew?! I have a mini panic attack when I can't find Shelby only to remember she's at school. And there are not NEARLY as many funny things happening now that Shelby is gone for a good portion of the day. So now, I think I will find new and creative ways to torture my husband for my own personal amusement, he works second shift ;) So, ideas on how to do that?! *insert evil laugh here* This is what he gets for not reading my blog. And don't any of you that know him give him a heads up either! That'll learn him! Tehehehehehehehe!


Check us out on FB! Stuck On Shelby!

Back to school!

Shelby goes back to school tomorrow. Her first FULL day of school. She's done half days for the past two years but this is new. Same class, new teacher, new routine. Lots of old, lots of new. Shelby is my third child, my baby, my last. With the other two the first day of school was like an adventure to see what they'd learn, what they'd do next. There was no anxiety, no fear, no worry. Just happiness at seeing another milestone take place. It must be the baby thing. Now that Shelby is in school all day I have no more babies at home.
     You add that with the challenges Shelby faces and it just makes it harder. I've always been there for her. I always know what she is up to and for the first time I won't. From 8:15am-2:50pm she will be living a life separate from mine. Weird. Will she have enough energy, will she get upset she can't go home, will she wander, will she do good at lunch and recess with all of those kids? I KNOW it will be ok, I KNOW she'll do great, I KNOW she'll have the best year yet but still I'm her mommy!
     OK, enough pity party. Let's focus on what fun I can have with this. First, I can enjoy the house staying clean for a good portion of the day. I can take a shower with NO interruptions. I can watch any show I want. I can go to the bathroom in peace. I can take a nap if I am tired. And then to make my husband happy I'll search for a part time job ;)
     Now, something good I'd like to share. The other day I said to my husband, "man my back HURTS". Shelby then said, "Go lay down on the couch, it'll stop". *insert jaw drop here* This may not seem like a big deal to parents of "typical" kids. But, this is the FIRST time I can ever recall Shelby hearing something and giving such an appropriate, empathetic response! This was awesome! HUGE! So proud!

OK, why does it smell good in here?!

Now, typically a room smelling good would not be a bad thing right? Well, if you have a "typical" kind of house it may just be a good thing. Here however, not so much. Now unless I have my spray bottle in my hand while I clean or I just dropped some Scentsy cubes in my warmer I'm inclined to have a mini panic attack at any overwhelming scent. So a note to future visitors, if you like to wear strong perfume or randomly spray stuff to see what it smells like, give this mom a heads up k? lol
     So, back to why good smell = bad. A strong scent usually indicates Miss Shelby has gotten into something. I cannot tell you how many bottles of cleaner I've been through. I'll be cleaning, turn my back, grab another cleaner and forget the one currently being left unattended and next thing I know...*sniff...sniff, sniff, sniff* "Shelby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Do NOT worry, these are non toxic and environmentally friendly cleaners. *informercial voice* "I'm not only a customer I'm also an advertising rep!" No, seriously I am! So it's only costing me money to have Shelby "help" it is not a call to poison control! lol Anyhooo THAT is the cleaner scenario.
     Then we have the mystery smells. The "mmmmmmm I love the smell of hubby's deodorant, wait a minute...SHELBY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Or "mmmmmmmmm my perfume smells good, can't believe I can still smell it that....SHELBY!!!!!!!!!!!" Or "That clean fresh powder scent is ni.......gosh darnit SHELBY!!!!!!!!!!!".  At this point you are probably thinking, put your stuff up woman! Well I would if...1) I didn't have the memory of a mom and forgetting my name half the time. 2) Everyone else didn't have the memory of a fly. 3) I wasn't constantly distracted when I have stuff out by a ringing phone, screaming child, or a grown man child needing assistance finding his stuff. And finally 4) The fact that even though you "think" you've found a Shelby proof spot, eventually she proves to you just how silly that idea was.

So I leave you with pictures from an incident a few weeks ago, she sure had fun! I knew something was wrong when I smelled it, I confirmed it as I turned the corner and saw this...

 

Shelby...you are so busted little girl.  

Who? Me?

Like this blog? Check us out on Facebook and share with your friends :)

Stuck On Shelby

We're also on Twitter @StuckOnShelby

Please also check out the website Apps 4 Children With Special Needs!

Annnnnnnnnnnd Good night folks!

iPad, oh how I love thee...let me count the ways.

1) From the first time we borrowed you from a friend we had tears in our eyes. Seeing our 5yr old, developmentally delayed child, complete her first 7 piece puzzle we were hooked. We stopped just shy of robbing a bank to get one ;)

2)Shelby has been able to show us that she has absorbed a lot more than what we thought. Through apps like "Spot the Dot" by Ruckus Media she has shown she knows several colors and can even find them in a "busy" background. "Shape Puzzle HD" has shown us our little girl LOVES puzzles! "My Play Home" by Shimon Young, has allowed her to explore a house and what all you can do in it without making an actual mess of mine! lol She can run as much water as she wants, "cook" things on the stove, and open and close curtains without pulling them down! And all I have to do to clean her "house" is push a button, where can I get one of those, hmmmmmmm? There are sooo many more that I love so I'll just show a pic of our faves! I've got stuff to do and this Signing Time episode is only so long!

4)When in doctor offices, restaurants, grocery stores, or anywhere a child is expected to be quiet and sit still the iPad is a parent's dream come true!

5)While Shelby is verbal the iPad gets her talking about things and showing you all the cool stuff it does. I can only imagine how this device opens up a world for a non-verbal child!

6)The iPad has given me something to be passionate about. I want to see the special needs world explode with the iPad. Speech therapists, teachers, special ed classrooms, doctors, therapists, insurance companies everyone should know what this amazing product is capable of and what a life changer it truly is.

7)The iPad allows Shelby to accomplish things she normally hasn't been able to do and to see the smile on her face when she completes something is worth so much more than words can say!

And NO I did not get paid or asked to mention any of the apps and developers listed.

I want to feel like a grown up!

Now, I'm...dah dah dah dah, 28, yep, 29 by the end of this month. I should definitely have my feet solidly on grow up ground. Well when you spend your days surrounded by kids you can loose that grown up feeling. Somewhere between NickJr and Teen Disney it all just gets lost. Some days I'm lucky if I've got a bra on by noon. Imagine my panic if someone comes knocking before then. No, solicitor, I'm not that p.o.'d I just have my arms crossed to keep my knockers from smacking you in the eye. I'm doing you a favor, for realz.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, lost grownupiness. So tonight after a particularly stressful bedtime I'm thinkin' what can I do to make myself feel better, feel adult like? Well, I could drink like a fish, there is that half bottle of tequila that has been collecting dust since my anniversary or there is that Miller Lite that has been in there for months as well. Hmmmm ok, I talk about drinking quite a bit, wishful thinking? lol I don't like alcohol much. I envy the moms that can talk about wine like they've grown up around vineyards. I can't do that, I think most wine tastes like vomit, YES I went there. I can just envision the wino's shaking their glasses at me. Sue me. lol Don't really though cause I'm broke, can't get milk out of a rock folks.

And again I was where?

Oh yeah, so here is a trick I've discovered. I can put ANYTHING in a wine glass and feel more sophisticated, more adult, less mommy, more me. It's silly I know really I'm just tricking my brain but you know what? It works! Try it! Right now I've got a strawberry kiwi drink in mine but you can try milk, juice, tea, pudding(yes pudding), water, whatever floats your boat. And if you really want to have fun put something that looks like booze in your wine glass and start throwing 'em back. Pretty soon your significant other will get all wide eyed and wonder what has got into you and will they be able to take advantage of "drunk mom". It's hilarious when they can't figure out why you're not smashed. This will work better if you have an empty booze bottle to pour it from. OH want to have even MORE fun? Do this around friends, family, or the in-laws! Bottoms up!

You're welcome! lol

Pay no attention...

Shelby has no problems being naked. However up until this point she really has kept it to trying to keep from getting dressed after a bath. Today however she decided that after she went to the bathroom this was the time to  go sans clothes. We were sitting outside when she went in to go potty. She came back out naked. After attempts to get her to go back inside on her own failed I tried to get a hold of her and escort her back inside. She took this as the opportunity to go streaking through the yard. Try keeping a straight face as you are chasing a naked child through your yard. Yeah, it's not so easy. Finally I can't remember what I threatened to take away but whatever it was got her inside but she was now contained. Perfect timing, let's take a bath and get your jammies on girly. Practice for spring break college edition is OVER! lol I then proceed to throw the naked minion over my shoulder, up the stairs, and straight into the bath! Score one for mom! Let us hope this was a rare occurrence and she doesn't discover the joy of being nude.

I'll keep it short tonight with a conversation I had with my oldest(9yrs old) earlier today...

Me: Grace, would you like to get your hair cut short?

Grace: Why?

Me: Because you don't like to brush it and scream when I do it.

Grace: Sure, if I get cancer it will grow back eventually!

Me: *insert confused wtf look here* Uh...............

Yeah I couldn't think of what to say after that. Grace is interesting because you honestly never know what will pop out of her mouth. The child remembers EVERYTHING! Any conversation, any event, something she saw on tv and these random memories pop out when you least expect them and confuse the tar out of you. I suspect this was what led to this gem of a conversation. Oy, kids!