ASN

Autism Support Network recently announced the launch of its free online support community available at www.AutismSupportNetwork.com. The online service – rapidly growing with already thousands of members around the world – connects families and individuals touched by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for treatments, strategies and therapies. Key features of the community include matching those members seeking similar support with one another, the ability to create appointments virtually or in actual locations between members, community groups for open sharing of information, user blogs, chat and capabilities for members to host and share personal photos and documents. The Autism Support Network also includes resource listings across the United States, Canada, England and India. “Parents frequently feel paralyzed and isolated when they discover their child has autism. Those adults who have autism themselves also frequently find it difficult to engage socially with others for support,” said Brian Field, co-founder of Autism Support Network. “Whether you’re a parent whose child has autism, a medical practitioner or someone with autism, our global community was created to facilitate an exchange of ideas, help and interactive discussion. Those dealing with ASD needn’t have to ‘re-invent the wheel’ – they can find others here that have likely experienced what they’re going through and can help provide personal guidance.” Today 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, with a new case diagnosed every 20 minutes and is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States today. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Boowa and Kwala : The cleaning up song

Luck of the Draw -- i Should go buy a lottery ticket!

So Davis has decided that he can climb all over the couch and that its okay..... (he truly is all boy!!!) and for weeks have caught him over on the couch climbing onto the end tables just all over the place!! Well last night was his lucky night he climbed up on the couch and onto our coffee table and within SECONDS!! you know what i mean the lamp was shattered into a million pieces onto the floor....Of course his dear dad wasn't happy to hear the news and made a comment to the effect of "well you might as well let him knock over the other lamp and take care of it too" (eye roll here) LMAO today as i returned home from my Saturday coffee (alone no kids (shock here!) ) i settled in to get myself motivated to clean as well as get Kennedyanne ready to go with her gran, When i yet again heard that familiar sound of shattering glass upon the floor (ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!??????) YEP but Davis was not the guilty party, Older sister Kennedyanne wanted to grab the plastic chair that was over in the corner, of course the cord to the lamp had to be caught on one of the legs of the chair and as she pulled the lamp fell and as they say now you know the rest of the story..............We have one lamp left in 1 piece the standing lamp in the corner and if by chance it goes today i'm definitely buying a lottery ticket.....WELL GOTTA GO!!! Kennedyanne just asked about a cord caught by the lamp in the corner!!!!!!

Kids say the Darndest things and HERES PROOF!

Kennedyanne is my oldest, soon to be 5 years old (in February) and she has come up with some real doozy's over the years. She hasn't embarrassed me in public YET still waiting for that day to come! She has said a few things that let you stop and remember that kids will say anything and sometimes what's said brings you full circle!!!

Kennedyanne was only about 21 mos and we had stopped over at my parents house to say hello, shortly after we arrived my dad who was in the kitchen as he had just finished baking a loaf of bread, gave Kenendyanne a slice of the bread...... Kennedyanne had been wandering around the house for several minutes content eating her slice of bread, in the meantime i had gone to the kitchen and grabbed a cookie. Went back to the living room where we all were enjoying the conversation, TV etc..... When Kennedyanne laid bread down on the coffee table, i then set down my cookie a few short minutes later and picked up her bread to try. As i was testing out the bread Kennedyanne had appeared back at the table ready to take her bread and finish it off When she noticed something quite different on the table that wasn't her bread she had left there minutes ago AS SHE SCREAMED OUT FOR ALL OF US With Sheer excitement in her voice "SON OF A B*&^$H!! it's a cookie!!! (thank you Papa!! lol) Unfortunately we were all laughing sooo hard to the pureness of her that she thought her slice of bread had magically turned into a cookie that she never was scolded for saying SOB............actually if memory serves right Papa was the one we all pointed the finger at. LOL Definitely a story to remind us all that kids will say the darndest things and ohhhhhh what an imagination!!!!!!

How are you???

How are you, A question we've all been asked, sometimes several times a day. Depending on who we see and where we go it's a question asked over and over.....Unfortunately when asked "How are you??" Most people don't want to REALLY know how you are, because that would mean committing to the story you would be prepared to tell the baggage that you'd lay out for them to have to pick up and accept, Most do not want to commit to the possibility of really hearing what "How are you" would be..... "How are you" is our way of opening up conversation to say "hello", "good to see you" ( "hope all is well.....BUT if not really don't have the time so please don't tell me the truth" ) Think about it---How often has someone Said "How are you?" and You answered the quickest most bland answer "fine", "Good", "doing okay" anything else but really how you are......and in the back of your mind your shaking your head and thinking to yourself "only if you knew" Why have we disconnected ourselves, we've told ourselves no one really wants to hear what's going on good or bad, the thought of having to pretend to care is way too much work and no one wants to take the time to really hear what you have to say, so we continue to cater to those around us and answer so matter of fact That we are fine, i dare you the next time someone asks "How are you???" Turn to them and say "Got about an hour? and i'll tell you how i am"...........and then watch them stammer with a great excuse to be able to turn away and RUN!!!!!!!!!!

THERE SHE BLOWS!!!!!

So i'm settling in and getting comfortable.....preparing to watch The Election 08 coverage, WHEN!!! My oldest Kennedyanne (4) COMES SCREAMING!!!! MOM! MOM! MOM!!! QUICK THE TOILET!! IT WO-O-N'T STOP!!!! I jumped from my seat and ran into the hallway just to see the toilet water quickly rising and then to hear a big SWOOSH!!!!! As the water crested over the top of the bowl, down the sides and onto the floor, now the flood waters are rushing through my hall and into my bedroom!!!! Oh and forgot to mention i was on the phone with my sister and quickly told her goodbye as i rushed to the kitchen for the plunger!!!! After several PLUNGES into the toilet the water started to drain.........PHEW!!!! and so i mopped up the remaining water shut the toilet and bathroom door, and now as i sit i've come to realize it was my very 1st catastrophy as a single mother, and yet not a HUGE FEAT by any means but still in the end was one thing that made me smile after having a toilet water bath!!

Spread the word!!!!!

Obama 08

My love of photography

Christmas 1992 i was surprised receive a Cannon Rebel!!! WOW What a camera (for 16 years ago) i was 15 and in heaven, had worked for a local photographer for the past year and had fell in love with it......The creativity working with people it didn't take long and i was taking picture's of everything!!! Friends, family, still life snapshots of roses kissed with water droplets, the sunset, and experimenting too!! The sunset and double exposures for an artistic flare, SO MUCH FUN!!! Before i knew it i had done several Senior Portraits, family portraits and a few weddings EVERY subject a new adventure......the excitement what did i do that was new what worked what didn't what would i make sure to re-create!!!!! MY LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!!! and so i had Kennedyanne my 1st precious angel, and WHAT A Delight the pictures i took and the fun i had! AND then my camera 16 years old had seem better days finally let me know it was time to call it quits :( so 4 years have passed that i have not been able to pick up my camera and embrace myself in the creative person that i once was, as time goes and responsibilities overcome the urge to go and splurge on the camera of my dreams i know for now its not an achievable reach, but my dream has not vanished and my love for photography will never fade because i know that someday, sometime somehow i will yet again be able to freeze a moment into the hands of time with the click of a little BLACK BUTTON!!!!

Diving in Head 1st!

Out of everything else I do, Mother of 3, cook, housekeeper, accountant, etc....... I am now trying my hand at blogging!!! LOVE TO CHAT!! and love to write! And thought what a great way to combine the 2!! Here we go! SO from doctor's appointments. preschool, dance class to home I will chat about This and That!! And hopefully you'll join!!