New Words for 2007 - hot off the press!NEW WORDS FOR 2007:

NEW WORDS FOR 2007:

Essential vocabulary additions for the workplace!

1. BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

2. SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.

3. ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

4. SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire ! day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.


5. CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.

6. PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.

7. MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.

8. SITCOMS: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What Yuppies get into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.

9. STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.

10. SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.

11. XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one's workplace.

12! . IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying, but you find yourself unable to stop watching them.

13. PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

14. ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.

15. 404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error Message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested site could not be located.

16. GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.

17. ! OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake. (Like after hitting send on an email by mistake).

18. CROP DUSTING: Surreptitiously passing gas while passing through a Cube Farm.

Humbled by the kindness of strangers...

I really have to take a moment and thank you Internets. You fine, wonderful folk, who take time out of your very busy days to email and post support. It is astonishing! Really, it is!

And -- I KNOW we will get through this. We will find the right blend of reading programs (anyone have any suggestions beside Spalding Method - the home schoolers favorite?), tutors, therapists and school.

And now it's time to go off the a week long vacation. Most excellent timing.

This post will stay up One Day...

We had Ryan's IEP meeting, his Triennial. This time, he had Many, Many more tests, including an DAS (an I.Q. type test) and a battery of physical, emotional and scholastic testing.
When I sat down for the meeting, I was surprised at the number of people there. Luckily, I brought our private SLP, who is a Director of one of a hospital therapy groups; she has gone back into private practice one half day a week to sharpen her skills. Ryan is her only patient. We grabbed all of her available time, at the urging of our former SLP.
The 4 main therapists and the school director did the talking at first. They hit on Ryan's strong points, which are many. During a pause in the conversation, I quipped "WoW! You guys are saying so many great things, but I have a feeling you're leading up to some big whammy.... ?"
With that, the school psychiatrist stood up. She went over the basis for the test, stating the range of errors, the fact that Ryan was three DAYS over 66 months so they had to use the 66-71 month age group for all his testing, which meant he was being compared to children much older than he actually is. She handed me Ryan's IQ test, and handed out 2 copies for the other groups to share. One of the therapists said "OH MY GOD!" I yelled "WHAT?! WHAT?!"

My little Ryan scored 138 on the nonverbal portion of the test.
My little Ryan scored 53 on the verbal portion of the test.
The school has never seen that wide a split in the 2 areas of testing.
Having a difference of TWENTY POINTS means a child has a learning disability.
Ryan has a split of 85 points.

The therapists quickly grouped together and talked. They quickly agreed, based on the results of weeks of testing, that he is hard wired for the DAS results. ie - he's not going to suddenly start talking like his peer group, even though he can read and write circles around them now. He is ephasic in alot of output. Which means, he was either oxygen deprived in utero or at birth; suffered a stroke at some point, or he was put together a bit wrong when his brain halves joined. Would an MRI point it out? Probably. So, we'll do a neural psych test and an MRI when he's nearer to 7.

The school district has no idea how they are going to teach him. He is going to suffer huge consequences as he's putting language together incorrectly - from his extreme visual acuity, not from phonemic awareness and correct building blocks. I am now researching like mad to figure out which school can best meet his needs. Or do I just figure out what learning method is best from him and hire tutors to teach him? I don't know.

I new there was a reason he was unlabelable in his learning disabilities. I just had no idea how huge it was.

When the boys are in bed, I have cried rivers. Not that I am sorry for myself - but for my beautiful, loving, smart son! What a cross he has to bear. At times like this, I question what kind of God would strike such a gentle spirit with such a mean blow.

And I am telling NO ONE here about Ryan's difficulties. He is what he is. I don't want parents alluding to the RainMan in our midst. We will just get him all the best help we can.

The most touching thing is how the Therapist Alert system went into overdrive. Every therapist we've ever known has called and come over to smooch Ryan and pat my hand. And tell me "Oh, He's going to be FINE! You just watch our Ryan go!" Which makes me sob tears of gratefulness, but the layer of fear on my soul is huge. I am never afraid, of anything. I have faced the Devil and won.
But this? This is our most difficult journey yet.
Please think good thoughts for Ryan. And maybe keep a teeny slice of your heart positive for him. He is so good, so kind, so very dear.

My new Royal Title:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Viscountess Victoria the Cannibalistic of Buzzcock Lepshire Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

GUESS WHAT?!

It's Friday!
Did It SNOW today?
NO!

It
Is
Going
To
Snow --



Wait for it...




Saturday, Sunday AND Monday.

And it's cold and miserable.
What is that; six weeks in a row of snow? I'm done counting.

It better not be miserable and cold in Florida when we got there next week... Rain I can take. But ice storm or snow?
I Will Be seriously PISSED. (which is 'mad', not 'drunk' for all you English or Aussie folk out there)

January Catalog Lust:

No, it's not gardening catalogs, although that's a good guess.

It's

DrumRoll....


Spring Break Opportunies for Parker and Ryan.
For those poor stuck-at-home youngsters who don't get to travel to Mexico or Vail for Spring Break, Boulder Valley School District offers a huge smorgasboard of choices:

Theatre, Dance, Art, Sports, you think?

NO!

Anime: Japanese Manga Illustration
Build Your Own Character
Glass Fusing Made Easy
Math Patterns and Sequences
Diorama Building
Studio Graffiti Drawing
Chinese Mandarin Introduction
Abrakadoodle's Young Masters Workshop
Cartooning for Kids
Impressionist Workshop
Writing without Rules
Intro to Rock Climbing
Multi-sensory Reading for Kids

Gees! I was hoping for maybe some fingerpainting or ball kicking. Now I'm sitting here, wishing I was 6 again -- What to suggest to the boys?!

Another Friday-Another Frickity-Frackin' Snowstorm.

It's beyond old and tiring. It's going to bankrupt our little town. All this clearing and plowing and sanding and salting - it costs alot. We've had over 70" of snow already this winter, all of it in the last four FRIDAYS.

Our town has applied for Federal Disaster Assistance. If we don't get it, there goes our summertime charm - you know, the events that make living in a small town enviable?

In our case, at risk are:
The beginning/end of summer ice cream socials at the pools.
The 4th of July parade and pancake breakfast (never mind that the pancakes are like hockey pucks - these babies are made to be air borne as our local police and fireman flip them dozens of feet into the air and even occasionally catch them and then - yes! - serve them!)
The 3 or so evening Concerts in the Park
Free swimming pool usage
Chili Cook Off
and other fun things

But the worst?
Our town will not have the money to do the extensive annual garden plantings that make our community worth traveling to just for floral photo ops.

And, really; compared to areas in Colorado that have really suffered losses (ranchers in particular have suffered huge losses of livestock, is this small beans? And should we all just suck it up and suffer? Probably. But, it is still hard to swallow.

I stand corrected; the winds were 115 mph here!

I think that rates a
HOLY SHIT
and an examination of the manse all around the outside today. I'm taking binoculars so I can check the roof tiles; noting where there are separations and nail pops, checking connections to the electrical box (just visually - no screw driver involved so relax!), making sure all vent pipes are present and accounted for, etc.

I know they build these houses with hurricane clips and engineer for them for Cat 3 hurricanes. Now I see why; we just went through one yesterday.

A wind gust of 93 mph just hit - UPDATED!

and they are expecting gusts of 100 mph.
It's almost 11 p.m.
The high wind alert will go through 5 p.m. tomorrow.
The back of the house is shaking - kind of vibrating.
The boys are in bed with Ken, in the safest room in the house right now. The guest room. You can't even hear the wind in there.

I can actually feel the wind whistling through the house. If the house makes it through this without losing half the roof or gutters or something, I will be amazed.

This is spooky. The bed is actually shaking now. I've put survival type stuff - shoes, winter coats, snow pants -- by everyone. You know, in case the house blasts apart or something. And we have to make a run for it. And no way I'm sending the children to school tomorrow.

Life in the Rocky Mountain Foothills - it's everything it's cracked up to be. And so much more. I just hope this isn't a Dorothy experience for us. I'm completely out of red shoes...

It's now 10ish a.m. on Monday - and the winds have died down for a bit. I'm letting the boys sit at the kitchen table (a block of west-facing windows and an 8' high sliding door that shimmies and shakes like a go-go dancer on crack when it's windy.

And, thanks for your concern! It was very touching to log in today and read the comments. If things really go To Shit, I will set up shop in the Media Room. Which is bordered on the west by a 16 step stairwell, and on the east by concrete foundation walls. It's windowless, reinforced (with the special soundproofing) and my father called to remind me to go to an area that 'has a void' in the event of catastrophe.

Another Day - Another Blizzard

Another foot of snow on the ground, the wind is howling and the snow, she continues.

Enough, already!

It's a Wrap - Christmas 2006

Tree with obscene amount of gifts, Christmas Eve after Santa arrived

Back deck with drifts (3rd refrigerator area)

Our new coat/backpack rack!

Anne-Marie with Ryan and Parker

Play Structure flocked for Christmas Day, 2006

Putting the tree up after Thanksgiving means that by December 30th, one is DONE with the Christmas decor. And I'm about ready to insist that all the loot 'find a place'. Where? Who knows. And who bought the children all this stuff?!

Star Wars stuff remains the big hit of the season. Parker wakes up, and instead of crawling in bed with us, stumbles around the house until he finds his light saber. He is literally weaving around, bleary-eyed and barely awake, wielding the thing. Ryan, however, is still my smoochy pooch. He faithfully flings open his door and trots down the hall to leap into bed with us and park his frosty feet on me; burrowing me out of my warm spot.

And snow! Yes! We have snow - 3 feet of it in places, and more on the way. My sister and her fiancee were thrilled to be here for 3 days and be able to snowboard in the neighborhood (Yes! We have big hills here! With rocky gorges at the bottom that will crack your very tailbone if you land on them v. sailing over them - just ask my future brother in law!) But after shoveling 2 feet of snow off your driveway and then having it snow another 15 inches a few days later? Yeah; we're Over It. I'm just glad the children are off school so we don't have to risk life and limb by getting out in this. And of course, having 15 people in the house for 5 meals means we have plenty of grub - 2 refrigerators full. With the overflow being stored in snow banks on the back deck! In fact, I parked steaming pots full of ear-popping hot green chili in drifts; boxes of meats from Petit Jean; plopped cartons full of bottles of wine/eggnog and other libations right out the back door so they'd be handy and chilled for the meals on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Happy New Year

I'm optimistic about 2007.
I think those who have alot, will share.
I hope those who are passionate about their religion, their views of government, their views on human rights, their views on consumption of resources; will have an epiphany and take a moment, a long moment, to see the opposing view.
And that may make all the difference.

Fairly quivering with exitement!

In the true Spirit of the Season, I am going to harass the hell out of a telemarketing outfit that is calling our DO NOT CALL listed, UNLISTED home phone number. Tonight they made the fatal mistake of being rude and then hanging up on me when I requested a supervisor. BIG Mistake.

Have you heard the call played on a radio station from a clever person, interrogating a telemarketer? It's WonDerFull. The callee pretends he is a detective with a police department, investigating the scene of a murder. Which has happened at the home of the phone number the telemarketer has called, and who is now embroiled in the crime. The 'detective' quickly obtains the telemarketer's name and address. You can hear the panic in the telemarketer's voice. Insisting over and over he is a telemarketer, doesn't know the victim etc etc. The 'detective' quizzes him on the number the caller is calling from (I did a *69 and got the number when they called tonight, so I know they are an outfit out of Manhattan) and says "Yes! That's the one - we've got dozens of recorded calls from that number to a local pay phone and the murder victim's phone, setting up drug drops and even murder for hire - we've notified local law enforcement and they are on their way to your location right now (talking over shoulder to a pretend police officer about making sure a 210 was called in, etc). He repeats "Do NOT hang up - it will just be worse for you if you run! I may be able to help you if you just hang on..." and then goes on to give him gruesome details, requesting the 'coroner' to notice this and that stab wound, "Gosh, I can't believe somebody would gouge out eyes!" etc.

Anyway, I have to find the script for this. I found it on somebody's site a while back and laughed myself wheezy hearing it. I promised myself I would use it on the next rude telemarketer. We have an unlisted number, are on every do not call list, and take great pains to put DO NOT DISTRIBUTE/DO NOT SELL on everything in which we have to release a phone number. So I kinda feel well within my rights. I'm going to call and report this outfit too, as the fools are also calling after 9 pm.

Now that I've vented, who knows if I'll have the chutzpah to actually do it. I may type up a quick script in word, just to further vent my spleen.

Ah, can you tell I'm avoiding boring chores?

I am painfully polite to telemarketers. Most immediately remove our number, returning the courtesy of my tone and reasonableness of my request. But ones who don't? I'm loaded for bear and have a script! I should record the call...

List of Haven't Dones:

Haven't Done the Christmas Cards.
Because?
I haven't Done The Photo. (The copying of it, that is)
Maybe I'll send out New Year's Cards...

Haven't Done the Ornaments on the Top of the Tree.
Because?
I'm scared to get on the TALL ladder.
Maybe we'll finish it Christmas Eve, when there's 20 people here...

Haven't wrapped the gifts.
Because?
If the kids are in bed, so are we.
Maybe I'll do it Christmas Eve with my sisters...

Haven't done the Christmas baking.
Because?
If I get any fatter, I won't fit in my clothes!
Maybe I'll bake with Anne-Marie and her sister and my sisters...

Haven't plugged in some of the exterior lights.
Because?
I keep forgetting to buy outside-rated extension cords.
Maybe we'll buy them this week...

But you know what's funner?
My list of HAVE DONES!

We have:
Gone to a party every single day since Thursday of last week; and *gasp* - one was even called a CHRISTMAS PARTY! With Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and a few Christians, too!

Hosted a couple of fun dinner parties, where people actually honored my request to NOT BRING ANYTHING! Thank You!

Taken videos of fun things with Parker and Ryan;
Like sitting on Santa's lap;
Hunting for that naughty Runaway Gingerbread Boy, and the principal of Parker's school had caught that Gingerbread Boy;
Santa Claus (and a Really Good Santa Clause! With a nice dog named Holly!) reading The Polar Express to Ryan's class, and handing out sleigh bells and Christmas books;
Parker and Ryan making Hanukkah drawings for our Jewish neighbor, Frank. And Parker even actually gave Frank his drawing! Ryan decided to keep his menorah, but we needed one anyway...

Made ornaments for teachers and family with those iron-after-assembled bead thingys! And - well, we had a disastah on the ironing board in that Dear old Mommy plunked one down and it UnDid! All over the floor! And the boys were good sports and helped Dear Old Mommy put it back together...

Poaching in lots of bubble baths, and sitting in front of the fires, and lying in bed playing with babies, and having conversations and lovely, relaxing times.

Reading lots of Christmas books. And will continue to read the books and fall asleep in puppy-like heaps.

Obtained the movies for Christmas viewing:
Christmas with the Cranks
The Santa Claus
and
Love, Actually (with a nod to blackbird for reminding me how very wonderful that movie is).

This has been a very good Christmas season for us.
And it's only going to get better!

Meeting Santa's Helper

Ryan with Santa's Helper. This is a photo I never thought I would capture a couple of years ago; maybe even last year. Ryan not only sat on the dude's lap, he talked to him! In a normal, conversational voice. Understandable, and everything.

Ryan and Parker. Ryan doesn't like loud noises or lights. So, he shuts his eyes for any posed photo. But, all in all, not a bad shot! Again, me with the thrill of seeing the boys sitting on the lap, and no screaming and flailing.

Parker with his first face painting. "I'm not washing my face for a week, Mommy!"

Parker on the Big Guy's lap. Much discussion of the gift requested, a blue light saber with noises. I hope that's what Santa got.

The boys playing with Nana's entry decorations. They spent 15 minutes giving everything a good workout.

Unexpected enthusiasm.

Parker wanted to have some children from his class over during the Christmas break. I decided he could host a 'winter social' and limited him to 4 girls and 4 boys from his class. With Ryan and Parker, that would be 10 if all attended. Definitely Do-Able. Especially with the help of Anne-Marie, our college babysitter who will be on break from university; an athlete and a no-nonsense Amazon type of girl.

We haven't decided on all the diversions yet, but there will be a clue-driven treasure hunt for the craft materials followed by a working-on-craft flurry, and a movie and popcorn in the theatre room.

The children will bring their own brown-bag lunch, and I will serve a brunch for the parents (Menu TBD.)

I expected the invitees to be excited about it. But what has surprised me, and touched my heart a bit, is the enthusiasm of the parents! Turns out they have all been looking for an opportunity to get to know each other.

Any ideas for the craft? I think they are mostly Christians, one Jew and a Hindu. For a send-off, we're going to do a variation on a Buddhist theme -- The children write 3 things on a small piece of paper: 1) The persons they love the most; 2) Their wish for the World and 3) Something they are wishing for. We will tie this to a helium-filled balloon (one for each child) and then do a simultaneous release.

I've got quite a few days to plan more. I'll have Anne-Marie bring a friend to help her, so I will get to visit with the parents.

Dry as a Bloggy bone, here. Nuttin' to say

Lots going on, but I'm spending much less time on the computer.

Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HANUKKAH in the meantime. I'll be back.

I think.

I got De Blues Tonight.

The LAST of the Big Stuff for Baby is sailing out of the house. Tons of books, toys, clothing (except for the cherished stuff from Foster Mothers, Arrival Clothing -- three beautiful outfits, each time, PLUS a formal one-year birthday Hanbok -- and other special baby clothing that has been washed and preserved in special boxes). Lovely things that we all loved and used. It's going, going, gone.

I've done well with all this General Purging.
Until Today.
Today, I sold the Mountain Buggy Urban Double.
The Cadillac of jogging, all-terrain strollers.
My lifeline to the outside world for years, with 2 toddlers 11 months apart in age.
It is detailed and shined up, even the tires have been armor-all'd, for it's next owner. A lucky young mama who is expecting her 2nd baby in a few months.
I was just downstairs, ready to wrap her up carefully in her original shipping materials and carton. And I started to cry.
I am done with babies now.
And even though I'm sure we're done (come on, I'm 53 and Ken's no Spring Chicken, either!), it's sad to turn the lock and hand over the key.

I'll Be MEME for Christmas

It's going around, this Meme...

Hot chocolate or eggnog?
Hot chocolate, and eggnog lattes, Thank You.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Oh my Goodness! He is a Wrappin' Fool!


Colored lights on your tree/house or white?
White lights on the indoor trees and on the house. Colored old-time lights on the outside decks and patios. Colored lights on the big 2 dimensional train display outside.

Do you hang mistletoe?
Mistletoe is a SCOURGE in this State. It is strangling our pine trees and conifers up in the high country. *spit* MISTLETOE?! *spit*

When do you put up decorations?
Thanksgiving weekend. The trees are almost fully decorated. Don't have exterior lights up yet, but tomorrow IS another day...


What does your favorite christmas meal include?
Eggs benedict and waffles for breakfast.
Cold cut buffet for luncheon.
Standing Rib for dinner, with twice-baked spuds, different baked vegetables, and chocolate cream pie.

Favorite christmas memory from childhood?
The year I got my Raleigh English racer. We were in Okinawa. I think I was 8.


How do you decorate your christmas tree?
With ornaments from my grandmother, mother, in-laws and out-laws; with ornaments collected from every trip; with home made ornaments that family or I have made; Parker or Ryan's hand-made goodies from over the years.

Snow! Love it or leave it?
I love snow and cold weather.

Can you ice skate?
Yes, very well forward. Not so well backwards.


Do you remember your favorite gift?
Getting Parker Christmas of 2000, and then Ryan Christmas of 2001.


What's the most important thing about christmas for you?
Being with the people I love.

What is your favorite christmas tradition?
Having the entire family at our house, usually overnight.

What tops your tree?
Our ceiling.

What is your favorite christmas song?
hmmmmmmm

Around here, lately

Parker in his new vest from his grandma in Florida

And the back of the vest - Just As Nice

Trimming of the house; note the train track going in under tree

The bannister with its red bows.

The creche. The boys are giving Baby Jesus 'some private time'.