hide-n-(sensory)-seeking

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...

Hi everyone. Sorry about just sort of dropping out of the blogosphere for a while there. I don't want to go into the details of the last month, suffice it to say I've been bled of all energy and the demands for it have only multiplied. Blegh! So I had to let things go in order to better focus my energies on the things of highest priority, my family. That included blogging for a while. I hope to get back to it it more regularly soon, but for today, here is a recipe that I originally found on Pinterest, but tweaked, and I think improved. We call them Indoor S'mores, and they are amazing! Here are the ingredients: Non-stick Muffin Tin Ready to bake Sugar or Snickerdoodle cookies. We prefer the Snickerdoodle. A package of these contains 24 cookies, so you could either make just a few, or the whole batch if desired. Nutella Marshmallows , little or regular size both work. I've used both and I prefer the large ones as they stay in the middle of ...

I recieved a free pdf copy for the purpose of review. I have not been otherwise compensated. All thoughts and opinions expressd herein are entirely my own. Ginnie West leaps before she looks when the school bully Pierce Owens tries to pick a fight with her twin brother. Besides getting suspended for fighting, and the consequences that brings from her dad, her brother is less than happy at her chivalry. Not to mention how angry Pierce is after being bested by a girl in the middle of the cafeteria. Ginnie and Toran come face to face with some big choices. What makes a bully? Can a bully change? Do they deserve a second chance? I like the character development in this second Ginnie West Adventure, all the main characters are faced with difficult choices, and navigate some very harsh realities. There are some intense scenes between Pierce and his dad. But, this book can be a really good way to open up a dialogue between kids and parents/teachers about subjects like violence, bullying, and...