Family news

I wanted to post a quick note as it seems to be harder and harder to get around to updating the blog. I am working on saving up for a netbook to use at the library or wherever I can get the free Wi-Fi access. Until that time, I will not be updating the blog very often. I am estimating that it will take until early December for me to make that happen.

Joe is doing great with the trucking job. Tomorrow, he goes to a training class to become a trainer. He will then take newly hired drivers out with him to run as a team while he evaluates their abilities and helps to teach them how the paperless logs and such are worked.

The kids are doing well. Abigail is nearly a year ahead in math and is beginning to learn to read. She has been doing unit studies, the most recent being on the topioc of the "Little House in the Big Woods" book. She enjoyed it so much that I am going to look for thematic studies for the other Little House books.

Micah's therapy is beginning to have positive results. He is beginning to understand sign language. We are finding that there is a negative side to drawing him out of himself. The more he help him to not go inward, as autistic children like to do, the more he is aware fo the stimuli around him. This increase of awareness is causing him to have more meltdowns when in public or in the situations that trigger him to be over stimulated. He has also begun to wander off and I have to watch over him like a hawk. I am making little Jingle Bell bands to attach to his ankles. Basically sewing the bells onto small scrunchies. With his shoes on, these won't easily be removed. The sound of the bells doesn't bother him.

We are contacting dog trainers to find a companion dog for Micah. We feel strongly that if he has a trained dog with him, he will handle the stimuli better. It has been a proven method and autistic kids seem to have fewer meltdowns if they have their dog with them. The dog goes with them just as a service dog would do.

There is much more going on, but time is short this library trip. I am looking forward to not having timed sessions on the computer again.

May the Lord's blessings be with you.

Paula