Do You Think It's Reliable?

This idea was coming from my sister in law, Deby. It caught my attention. Frankly, I had skeptical because I was not sure if this would tell you the correct information that I went to a graduate program. It was due to that writing was not my best subject (still is not my strength.)

Without a doubt, it left me a lot of pondering how the readability test knew that I actually graduated from a university; though I had a personal writing editor throughout my college years. My best guess is that it read my entire blog-- one of the posts mentioned about my career. That probably gave it away!

Or, when we all had to fill our blog out, it asked basic informations about us that include our educational background. Isn't that correct? What do you think?

So why not try to give yourself a test, and see if it matches to your background experience?!

http://www.criticsrant.com/bb/reading_level.aspx

A Day with Grandparents

A Day after Thanksgiving, we all decided to have some fun for the day while my hard working husband had to go to work.

Before we had our left over Thanksgiving for lunch, my mom, the boys and I decided to go out to a nearby Border's. Their eyes lit it up when they heard we were heading for bookstore. Yep, they loved to read books after my generous mom spoiled them by buying the books they wanted.

Dylan got few books especially his first series book, "Dinosaurs Before Dark" from Magic Tree House. Once he got a book from Grandma Jacobs, he was already hooked to the book. In fact, I never or ever dreamt that he would complete an entire book, 68 pages! Now, he wanted more of these new books. Apparently, he will have to get it more for Christmas, especially from Santa Claus. (Later, I found him tucking his book under his arm while sleeping in his bed.)

Ryan was also an avid reader. He read briefly to Grandma Jacobs, " The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat." Yep, he can read basic books on his own. But, he would rather to look/read at Trains Book, his obsession hobby.

After we got back from Border's, we all went out to Miniature Golf for the first time in our sons' life. Their eyes grew bigger when we walked in Boomer's Place. Both my mom and I tried to teach Dylan and Ryan on how to play golf. Actually, they knew what was the objective for the game. It took them a while to make into each hole.

Dylan was a challenge ones because he is a left- handed. We had to teach him the opposite way of how we used to swing our golf. He was being in a good sportsmanship throughout the game while teaching him the proper way to use the putter.

Ryan was doing pretty good at the game. He usually stroke the first ball, and then he would pick the golf ball up to be near the hole. He would make an attemption to get in each hole.

As for me, it was quite some time since I played miniature golf. I did play poorly at the first few holes. My average per hole was 3 until the last hole. I only swung once on my last hole. Too bad, I did not do the entire miniature golf game; otherwise, I would have beat my step father in law in the game !

Bruce, my step father was the winner. It was because he had the advantage of practicing the game in his home town where they have over 25 miniature golfs in that area !

The best part of was none of us had our golf balls in the man-made water! No matter who won the game, we all had a marvelous time ! Even better, it was a great way of getting to know each other.

In the evening, we had delivery pizzas in our home while we were able to sit and chat at the table ! The laughter had relax our day.

Zany, Blessed Thanksgiving

On a bright, early morning, David and I had a nervous wrecked to do all of the errands before our loving family coming out for our first Thanksgiving feast in our cozy home. Can you image we did our short errands: mowing our front yard, vacuuming, taking all of the ash dust out of our brand new BBQ and few other little errands that needed to be done within three hours?

That s right, three hours!?! Oh boy, we were freaking our minds out until our first guest, Linda Miller who arrived an hour before others coming in our home. She did witness David rushing his last minute errands including putting his first time Turkey in his brand new BBQ ! My mom and Bruce, who came all the way from South Carolina, showed up on our first Thanksgiving, too. Within only an hour left for the actual time, David sweat himself whether we were going to eat with or without a turkey on our first Thanksgiving. Luckily, we had several other guests (Uncle Doug, Richard and Bruce) came in to rescue David.

Our first Thanksgiving meal did not start an hour and a half late. All of the relatives were acting it out by facial expressions since they were starving. Who wouldn't blame them especially listening to our whining sons, Dylan and Ryan who begged for their meal, even serving them with a mini cheese ball ??? The heartfelt Aunt Pam were kind to offer these two boys for their tiny mini cheese ball before the real meal started. Still they were hungry, and continued to make facial expression. Know who started it? It was Cousin Becky and then Dylan started making face.

Finally, our first Turkey was on our kitchen island. David was so proud to show his very first Turkey off (Truthfully, it was half cooked, and other turkey half was not cooked) But Cousin Beth decided to show David the proper way of cutting/killing the turkey. We even had other meat, Honey baked Ham and Fillet as a back-up, if the turkey did not go well. But with a miracle, we had some luck to taste our first Turkey. It was not that bad enough to kill you!

Uncle Doug could not get enough of eating his own meal! He would rather to have it all to himself before anyone was allowed to have a mouth-watering meal. Again, after all we had our delicious meal, none of us were stuffed until we had a dessert: Custard, Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon Apple Pie, and Cheesecake with cherries on the top. Uncle Doug and Beth wanted to have something more tasty-- making a homemade whipped cream. It was too good for anyone to have one, especially Ryan who had his eyes bigger than his own stomach.

Boy, many of us became sleepy due to having so much stuff in our stomach. Some of them snoozed it off while National Football League TV was running on. That included my own mother who woke up at wee hours before arriving our house. The only person who did not fall asleep during the football game was Grandpa Jarvis. He adored football !!!

While not being snoozed off, David decided to give Cathy, my mother in law a back plus massage system. OHHH ,that was heaven for anyone, including Uncle Doug and Aunt Pam who were all stressed up got a massage. Grandma Jarvis just enjoyed relaxing and chatting with everyone she knew.

What a hectic day we have had! Still, we thanked for our first zany, blessed Thanksgiving !

Conferences

While there were no school for the boys, I attended both of parent/teacher conferences. Both of them inspired me with the positive notes.

I arranged the meeting with Ryan's teacher before meeting Dylan's teacher since they both attended two different school sites. As for Ryan's meeting, his special education teacher, speech therapist and I met together along with a sign language interpreter.

Ryan's Success:

1) has met his annual goal, required no prompts to initiate play, 100 % of the time.
2) writes his name and numbers up to 20 independently
3) recites all of the things he has learned since the school started
4) able to complete simple adding and subtracting problems using manipulates with teacher assistance.
5) is doing very well in his mainstream Language Arts with 3 adults and does the work properly
6) reads at the beginning of the first grade

Ryan's In the Progress:

1) learned to match 15/21 consonant sounds and 1/5 short vowel sounds at this time. (needs to make 17/21 consonant sounds- only two more to go and 3/5 short vowel sounds - again two more to go)
2) knew lots of categories: food, parts of body, clothes except he needs to work on furniture and appliances.
3) needs to attend to and participate in teacher directed non-preferred activities for 15 minutes. His average non-preferred activities is 5-10 minutes.
4) works on the patterns
5) only knew the front and back of the book. He needs to know the other part of the literacy: title, author, etc.

Before I left for Dylan's parent/teacher conference, both special education and speech therapist said the same comment, "He is a very smart boy. He is happy and we love him very much. He is so much fun to work with."

Getting comments from Dylan's 1st grade teacher was a positive ones, too. The first thing she stated, "Dylan is a very bright student, and has met all of the expectations."

Dylan's Success:

1) is reading at second grade level (7.0), the passing score is 4.0.
2) is in 2nd grade math level
3) is able to write lengthy essay.
4) helping others to complete their tasks since he tends to finish his work first.

Dylan's In the Progress:

1) needs to write more descriptive essays and different strategies in order to have the evaluators considered him as advanced instead of proficient.
2) needs to read a little bit slower; otherwise he'll mumble a lot
3) is learning to work on a complication in math.
4) Will work on buying more "The Magic Tree" series and work on reading reports
5) needs to release his tensions when it comes to "free time work" he thinks that he must finish

Now, it is time for me to roll my sleeves up to work both of my boys' education. All I can say for now is that I AM REALLY PROUD OF THEM!

Academic Award

Today, I attended Assembly Award at Ryan's school. While Ryan was waiting patiently to get his award, he beamed his smile when he saw me sitting near by him. He kept asking me to sit next to him. Unfortunately, I couldn't because the parents were supposed to sit at another place.

The other students had received "Friendship" award before the students got their Academic Award. Then, he was placed up in a front of the seats where the other students got their Academic Award only. He was really patient except seeing the Helium Blue Star balloon slipped off from someone's hand. Finally, his name was being called by his principal, Dr. Parson. He went up to get his new pencil and Academic Award certificate.

For those students received Academic Award, each teacher explained briefly about the student. His Special Education teacher, Mrs. Jacobson mentioned in a front of the audience, " I have chosen Ryan for the Academic Award. He has been working so hard to improve his reading and knows all kindergarten sight words! He is beginning to understand addition and subtraction and can count to 101 ! He is learning more and more each day! Ryan is an amazing thinker !"

Boy, he was so proud to show it off in a front of the camera ! (That's rare of him for willing to take pictures of him.)

Truthfully, I would agree with his special education teacher about watching him learning more and more new things daily. One thing I have to tell you is that it is the best thing I have ever done placing him in my work/school district instead of our home school district ! Apparently, he has passed all of his I.E.P goals: addition and subtraction, cutting and writing the letters. (Click the pictures to make it large)

Writing words on his own
but with help in spellings

Writing Numbers on his own

Before I sent him to this school, he refused to practicing writing on a paper or even cutting the paper. Now, he loves it even in his mainstream Language Arts class with an aide. I met his General Education teacher for Language Arts briefly at the assembly. She just briefly stated that he is doing awesome, even only started this class a week ago. Let's wait and see how he goes by the end of the school year.

As of right now, I could tell you how proud of Ryan in his overall performance in academics!

Tupperware Box

Just before I ordered my sons to take a bath, I found them playing with a large tupperware box in our living room. It is like their early Christmas gift.

A Bunk Bed

As a mother, I was afraid that the tupperware box would be ruined and had to spoil their playtime with their new toy. Dylan obeyed my rule by going upstairs to take a bath before their bedtime. But not Ryan! He insisted to take this box and carried it all the way to upstairs by himself. Boy, he sure has strong muscles yet stubborned!

Ryan's New Toy

Helping Hands

I strongly believe with or without disability should learn at least something do at a young age. I did learn to do the work at a very young age.

1. Cleaning and doing the yard work such as learning mow the lawn and trimmed the ivy (thanks goodness there was no garden snake), I had learned to save the money for the trip to Colorado River.

2. Washing our van and truck.

3. Cleaning all of doll hair that I left in the bathroom (age 6)

4) Cleaning the toilet paper up that I left it all over the bathroom (age 2)

Once I became a mom of two kids, I vowed myself that my children would learn to be responsible at young age. Frankly, I know they can be stubborned when they don't listen to my instruction even if it means they don't get allowance for the PEZ or Thomas collections. I guess I have to stay on the top of them !

Dylan has learned to clean up the mess from the table, floor and dressing himself. He especially often complained that he had to dry himself after taking a bath or a shower. The only he does not mind to help if he earns a small amount of allowance for his PEZ Collection.

One night, he had a high energy to help me out by preparing for dinner. Who knows he will be the next prominent chef? I personally think he got a hereditary from his dad, who loves to cook.

On the same day, Ryan saw me starting to wash both of our cars before we returned from a 3 day weekend. He wanted to learn to wash the Jeep. He really enjoyed washing especially having the water sprinkled all over his head. Seeing him giggling and continuing to help me for the afternoon had brighten my day.


I was impressed that he learned quickly to wash the car carefully ! Knowing that he loves to clean anything that has liquid, but soon enough I will need to be tougher when he needs to clean his toys up ! He loathes do whatever he was told.

In a long run, I hope teaching them at a young age will pay it off; even though, if they don't like being told. I currently am hoping to find a way to have them do it without earning any money even one cent ! If you have any better idea on how I can convince my sons to accept the responsibility, please advice me.

Egghead forehead

Last week, I received a message on my pager from Ryan 's school. It said, "Ryan injured his forehead after falling off from sliding down. He has a big egghead bump on his forehead. He is resting with an ice pack."

After corresponding with the staff, she stated that Ryan told the staff, "I feel better. I wanted to go play." They had insisted him to stay and rest his forehead. My husband David came to pick him while I was teaching an American Sign Language after school. He informed me that it reminded him when Dylan, at age 18 months old, ran toward to the McDonald's pole and got a real nasty bruise on his forehead.

Dylan on the left side of the picture

By the time I arrived home from teaching after school activities, David was right that he did have an egghead on his forehead just like Dylan when he was young. Ryan ran up to me telling me that " I fell down on the slide." Even he told almost everyone he knows at school about what happened on his forehead.

Who Has Been Tagged?

It is me who has been tagged by my sister in law, Deby. I have been tagged before, but not on blog. In the past, I have run away and broke the game rules. She left me a guilty trip if I had run away for not doing this game. But this time, I wanted to get it off my shoulder, and get some good night sleep!

Here are seven things you will learn more about me.

1) My youngest Aunt Lori and I are the only ones in the family can shake our eyeballs. I discovered my genetic talent at age seven after Lori showed it to me. Seeing my eyeballs shaking leave a lot of people errie feelings.

2. I skipped a grade from Pre-school to first grade. On my first day of school, I was feeling devastated, watching all of my "former" classmates playing in their pre-school/kindergarten playground by looking through the chicken coop.

3. During my junior high school year, I ordered my classmates to be my body guards. Pretending to be Nancy Drew, I used my bobbin pin to open one of the teachers' classroom door during the Snack Time. I found a carton of cigarettes and flushed ALL OF THEM in the girl's toilet without being seen by teachers.

4. While I was traveling with a classmate's family for three weeks in the Midwest, I discovered the fireflies for the first time in my life. I automatically knew how the light worked, but my classmate didn't. She asked me how the fireflies got their lights. Without a doubt, I made my own story up by telling her that "Humans put the hearing aid batteries in the fireflies' bodies." Boy,she bought the story and ran up to her mom. At the end, I got a scold from her mom who was not pleased for making this story up to her daughter.

5. I once saved a deaf woman's life, who was in early 80's. On that night, I was playing UNO with deaf parents, and deaf friends. The deaf mother became weaker and weaker, so I questioned about her symptoms. I automatically knew it was a sign of having a stroke. From there, I called 911 through by Telephone Device for the Deaf. At first, they hung up on me. I had to tell them over the speaker to use the TDD and ordered to have fireman and an ambulance to come. When the firemen came, they thought I was wrong. But my instinct didn't stop me, so I was being bold and told them to take her to the hospital where they had a sign language interpreter. By the time, she arrived in a hospital where the doctor and interpreter were waiting for her. In a few minutes later, the doctor told the fireman in a front of me that I was right!

6. I was one of the Keynotes for my High School graduation in a front of approximate 600-1000 people. ( It took me five months to practice on my speech without telling anyone except for my parents and speech therapist.) After giving a speech, some of the strangers came up asking me, " Is it true that you are completely deaf?" Boy, I felt so good about that for all of my hard work.

7. Last, I am very good at sensing something is not right.(That was my husband David says so.) From my husband's point of views, he sees that my talents that I can observe a person's need and to help from there -- mostly in education field. When it has nothing to do with educating someone, I once in a while wake up in the middle of the night and sense something wasn't right of someone I know.

I'm tagging, Ginny, "Medications of the Pany Family, " and Mom, "C and B Scene." I couldn't bare to dare to tag to the people I don't know. That's the only thing I am bending rule number three except I did state 7 new things about me.

The guidelines are:
1 Link the person who has tagged you
2 Tell seven true things about yourself
3 Tag seven new people
4 Leave a message with the person you have tagged so they know about it

Under the Weather

Yesterday, I started feeling drowsy with full of head colds and chest pain. While trying to stay on the top of everything, one was taking care of Ryan's head injury while he was at school (I will explain on the next blog when my head isn't foggy.) But later on that night, I couldn't take any longer because my physical prevented me from doing any more energy as I normally do.

But Dylan had a soft heart in him. He lent me a dry washcloth to ease my chest pain because he thought it would take my chest pain away. Isn't that sweet of him? Second, he volunteered to read a book to Ryan, "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, and Blue Fish" because I had a very heavy nasal voice.

The next day, I'm feeling like a lady in a commercial with a sinus headache blowing it up. I was pretty bummed because we were supposed to go out to spend an entire weekend with one of my good friends up in Ventura County. I hope this dear couple would forgive me for taking a rain check.

One thing, I could not complain for having this flu now because I would feel a lot better in time for Thanksgiving. I would not want to give my husband's family a repeating flu that the family got it while visiting Deby's and Ginger's last Thanksgiving.

When I have enough energy, I will fill more news including doing the Tagging Game that my sister in law, Deby did to me.

Locked Out

Have you ever had any experience having your own child/children locking you out? It happened to me a couple of times.

A night before my sons went to bed, I asked Ryan which clothes he would like to wear for the next day. So, he picked the clothes out and put it on the top of the linden. The next morning, I put Ryan's clothes on. Unexpectedly,he was unnerved to find his "white" top even though it was his choice. He ran downstairs and locked himself in a guest bathroom's door!

I've tried to flatter him to come out by offering his breakfast meal, hugs, picking him all the way to the van (though he is able to walk to the van most to himself), etc. It didn't work. Dylan just interpreted what he had said to me, " Ryan is laughing, " "No, I don't want to come out!" "No, I don't want a breakfast!" But he was behaving in an ambivalent mood!

Of course, I had an extra key for the keyhole. Frankly, I am not very good at it. I had hoped Ryan would open the door (he knows how to lock and unlocked the door.) It took us forty five minutes for him to come out, and we were already late for work and school!!!

For the first time, we were tardy for school/work since the school began. I had to call the schools. They both thought it was hilarious, but not me!

Yet, it was not the first time it happened to me.

1) Dylan locked our master room door when he was 20 months old with a shower and toilet while I had Ryan, who was five months old. I was nervous wrecked, but fortunately the next door neighbor had a son who works for Locksmith.

2) Both kids locked me out in the backyard while they were in the house, laughing at me in a front of the sliding door! It took them a while to open the sliding door. (Dylan was 3 and Ryan was 1 1/2)

3) Not only having kids locking the doors, I accidentally locked my husband out in the dark until 11 PM. Good thing, it was only twenty minutes after I figured why David was not in the house. It took him a while to unfastened his anger toward me!

Our Newest Singers

During our dinner time, Ryan sang a song out of blue. I wish I knew the longest song he had sang for us without a video. But knowing that both of them had learned basic songs at school.

But this time, I had to bribe them by offering one small candy if they were willing to do in a front of a video. It worked! Be sure to turn the volume up and listen to their cute voices.

Ryan sings, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars"

After Ryan finished singing a song, Dylan eagerly wanted to be in a ham in a front of a video. Who knows he will be a prominent young man?

Dylan sings, "Row, Row Your Boat"

Admittedly, they sang a song far much better than me. I never or ever memorize a single song ! I'm not joking.

Halloween Tricks and Treats

Weeks before Halloween came, I questioned my sons what they wanted to be for Halloween.

Do you want to be Blues Brothers? NO!

Do you want to be Siamese Twins? NO !

Do you want to be Super Heroes? NO !

I gave it up by suggesting my ideas for Dylan and Ryan. So, I asked them directly, "What do you WANT to be for Halloween? " The answer from the boys never crossed my mind.

"A GHOST !" declared by Dylan. Ryan followed the same comment, "Yeah, a ghost !"

That was so easy and cheap, right? It only cost us five dollar bucks for the white sheet. Then, I thought it would be awesome to have unique color ghosts. Dylan made a "hesitate" comment that "It would be a fake ghost ! The real ghost is WHITE !" Ryan overheard his comment and followed his determining decision.

Well, on Halloween night, we were anxious to put the really simple Halloween costume on them, so did the boys. However, by the time we put it on them, it only lasted for five minutes!

Dylan sobbed, "This is the WORST, WORST, Halloween costume I EVER HAD!" Then he rushed to the bedroom,shut the door, and pouted. Ryan decided not to wear a ghost costume either.

What shall I do at the very last minute costume?? My frustrated INCREASED, but I had to calm myself down before I talked with Dylan who was lying on a bed, pouting ! In a very short time of amount of creating a last minute costume, I gave Dylan a choice: either stay home helping his dad passing the candies out or come up with the Halloween costume.

As a team, we worked together. Ryan was pretty easy because I found Dylan's last year costume: Car Racer. He accepted this outfit this time without a struggle. Whew !

Wonder what about Dylan??? Well, he was yet stubborned. After a couple of minutes deciding what to wear for Halloween, he ended up being an Outback Camper ! Finally, no more frustrating, whining and fighting ! He was satisfied with his last minute outfit ! He told me that he preferred to have a different costume, and NEVER wanted to be a Ghost again ! Sigh !














Before we left for Trick or Treat, they both had their best smiles on their last minute Halloween costumes!

After an hour of going out for a trick or treat, we returned home finding David watching a portable DVD movie while passing the candies out! Ryan decided to help his dad out to the remainder children coming by our home. Dylan followed Ryan's positive footstep.

Just before their bedtime, they pleaded me to have more candies! Who would want to put it up with their high energy level? Not me or even David ! We both were too exhausted to have any more left-over energy with them. So, they were told to wait for only one candy for their next day's lunch!

No more hearing any whining or groaning for the rest of the night!

But let's hope next Halloween would be a lot easier, yet expect to spend more extra money! You'd better prepare for me to be really poor for the next Christmas gifts or donate us the money for the boys' Halloween costumes.