hide-n-(sensory)-seeking

So this was an awesome Pinterest find that I was able to put together in less than 15 minutes! I happened to have all the supplies already which made it all the more awesome! Supplies: 1 Clear storage container (the lid for mine was white, so I simply turned the container upside down.) 1 string of twinkle lights (I used white, but different colors would create cool different effects) A strip of wax paper the length of the container (this makes the surface opaque, which diffuses the light more evenly) White duct tape ( any color would do, I just like the cleaner look of the white.) Use small strips of tape to secure the twinkle lights evenly arranged on the bottom of the container, or in my case to the lid, since that was going to be the bottom of our light box. Leave the length of wire with the plug loose and make sure you have arranged the lights so as to have the plug where you will have ease of access to an outlet. Secure the lid onto the cont...

I may have seemed cool, calm, and collected, but inside I was writhing with anxiety. What if ... what if ... what if ... Four years old...five...six. Still in Velcro or zip-up shoes.  Other kids are supposed to know this by now!  Other kids DO know this by now!! We are falling behind! So what if he can read and do second grade math! He can't tie his shoes! I can't even get him interested! Seven years old. Another mom expresses concern about her own son's lack of interest and asks if it's something we are going to focus on.  "I'm not too worried. When he is ready he'll let me know. He won't be twenty and still not know how to tie his shoes." I was reassuring myself as much as her. Eight years old. "Mom, can I have some tie shoes?"  YES!!  Imaginary fist pumps in the air! "Of course you can."  Like many things, he only needed me to show him a couple of times, and boom, he got ...

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the lower middle grade book "Axel & Theo: My Dog is The Emperor of a Faraway Galaxy" by Amberly Kristen Clowe from June 22 to 28, 2015. This one is a great choice for reluctant readers!   About the Book     Title: Axel & Theo: My Dog is the Emperor of a Faraway Galaxy | Author: Amberly Kristen Clowe | Publication Date: November 15, 2014 | Publisher: Smooth Sailing Press | Pages: 44 | Recommended Ages: 6to 10 Summary: Theodore Howard wants a white flag. The kind of white flag that will show Riverwood Elementary’s biggest bully, Theo’s given up on ever surviving the fourth grade, and achieving his dream of becoming a real-life astronaut. But, Theo’s seemingly pathetic future gets a glimmer of hope in the form of a very talkative weenie dog named Axel. Theo learns that his best friend on four legs, is actually an alien from the planet Doglin, and just when he begi...

A little over a month ago we instituted a reading reward program here at home. We've always been avid readers here. The kids were not highly motivated however to choose many books outside their preferred favorites. "What is something that you really want?" I asked Grace. She answered without hesitation. "Roller skates!" "Ok, how many books do you think you can read to get roller skates?" "Um...I don't know, twenty maybe?" "Hmm...roller skates is a pretty big prize and you are a pretty fast reader. How about, forty books." "Forty! That's a lot!" "Yes. But...every ten books I'll give you a smaller prize. And six of each set of ten can be comic or graphic novels like Big Nate." She thought those were acceptable terms. Zak, also thought so. His desired prize being a remote controlled drone. Also, his limit for comic or graphic novels is only four for every ten. Zak has already reached his goal...

Hello friends! Meet Winston Uppercut Charlesworth III! He is Kit's new Autism Service Dog. He is a Goldendoodle, which, for those who may not know, is a golden retriever and poodle hybrid. They often inherit the poodle's non-shedding attribute, or at least shed much less than most breeds. He is four months old. He's still in training, but he has had a fantastic start thanks to the trainers at Puppy Steps Training who did a top notch job with his early socialization, desensitization, house training, leash training, and basic obedience and manners. They took a great dog, and helped him develop into an absolutely awesome doggie citizen! To do on our own, the kind of training they have done with a puppy, would have been insanely stressful and probably not even close to this successful just because of where we are at in this season of life and the many variables involved. Their trainers and training program have given all of us the best possible start ...

Hi friends! Wanted to share with you what looks to be a fun new book! Check it out and don't forget to sign up for the Giveaway! About the Book Title: Caterpillar Shoes | Author: Angela Muse | Illustrator: Ewa Podles | Publication Date: March 26, 2015 | Publisher: 4EYESBOOKS | Pages: 28 | Recommended Ages: 0 to 8 Summary: Patches is an energetic caterpillar who is trying to decide what activities to do. In the end, she doesn't put any limits on herself and lives her life to the full. Amazon * Goodreads   About the Author: Angela Muse Angela was born in California to a military family. This meant that she got used to being the "new kid" in school every couple of years. It was hard trying to make new friends, but Angela discovered she had a knack for writing. In high school Angela began writing poetry and song lyrics. Expressing herself through writing seemed very natural. After becoming a Mom in 2003, Angela continued her storytelli...

Kit does not do well with abstract ideas. She never has. This lack of abstract thinking is not limited only to Autistic minds. The concept of time is a good example. Toddlers and preschoolers in general have a very limited understanding of time, and that is part of what makes waiting so hard. Waiting is scary when you can't tell the difference between five minutes and forty, so everything feels like forty! But what about an even scarier abstract concept? One where people go away and never come back no matter how long you wait? You might not think death to be an abstract concept. To most adults the concept seems quite factual and concrete, at least the understanding that the person is no longer there with us and that they are not going to be back. But to young children, it might just be the most abstract concept they have ever encountered. To many young kids, death can seem scary. To some, their only exposure to the concept is in terms of technology. Our cell phone "died...

The problem with a long absence is trying to figure where to pick back up and what needs caught up. It's far too overwhelming to go into detail the events of the past few months, so I will fill in the most important gaps.  First off, Victor's dad passed away at the beginning of February. It was sudden and unexpected, but peaceful, for which we were grateful.  Obviously, adjusting was an interesting process. As was how to go about explaining the concept to Kit. I will write a separate post on that.  While it was sad, there is also a relief that comes when you know a person is not going to continue to deteriorate in health, body and especially in Grandpa's case, mind.  Kit struggled for a long while with the change that comes when a person who was in her life every day is suddenly not there any more. She was not especially close to Grandpa, they sort of lived around each other in the same house rather than together. He was a constant presence nonetheless, and some of...

It's been a while since I made a new busy bag. But I have several ideas still swimming around in my head that I've just not had the time and/or energy to sit down and make. However, Thursday Kit was sick, and had moments of the day where she was feeling more mellow, so I took advantage of one of those interludes to put this Busy Bag together. I call it Clothespin Counting, but there is a lot more happening in this little bag than just counting. First, I outlined some shapes on construction paper and cut them out. Next, i used a permanent marker to write numbers, starting with one in one corner and then progressing clockwise. On the back, I wrote the name of each shape. On the circle, I numbered it like a clock. Then I laminated the shapes. Next, I selected 12 clothespins and wrote a number on each one, 1-12. When we sat down to play with them together, we first talked about the shapes, and identified each one. Then I showed Kit how each number ...

Scene: Kit insists on accompanying me to the bathroom. She walks by the toilet, balancing the tablet precariously in one hand uncomfortably close to said toilet. Me: Sweetie, please move the tablet away from the toilet. I really don't want it to fall in. Kit: Will it drown? Me: Yes.

Grace loves egg salad. Really loves it, as in she would eat it every day most likely. So it was no real surprise that one of the things she wanted to learn to make during our cooking sessions together was egg salad. So that is what we did. There are about as many ways to do egg salad as there are condiments and spices and herbs in the world. So there is endless variety when it comes to flavor, which I happen to think is awesome. This is our basic recipe. Supplies:  Eggs Mayo Mustard Step One: Grace filled a saucepan a little over halfway with water and then gently set the eggs in the pan. Make sure there is enough water to cover the eggs with a little room to spare. Put the pan on High heat, we want the water to boil. When the water reaches a boil, turn off burner. Let eggs sit in the hot water for 8-10 minutes. Step two: While the eggs rest in the hot water, fill a medium bowl with ice and just enough water to come to the top layer of ice....

I have multiple things I'm working on and attempting to get out of my head and into posts, but this is slow going and often interrupted. I am deep in the midst of Burnout. Have been, to a greater or lesser degree, for the last two years in fact, but this time feels worse than the others. It's much slower digging out, and the hole feels much deeper this time, but I'm slogging away at it nevertheless. One of the things I have been wanting to do is to re-post some of my older posts. I know not everyone has the time, energy, or desire to read through two years of archive posts. So I will, over the next few weeks, re-share some of my favorites. Reading back over these, it's amazing both how close and far away these days feel. We've made much progress in so many areas. Others were better back then, but prove challenging right now. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy reminiscing with me. The following piece was originally posted September 30, 2013, while we were still primari...