Animal Magician

On early Friday evening, we attended the Animal Magician show at Dylan and Ryan's School. Lots of parents and kids were there because we thought it would be interesting to the see the live animals along with the well-known magician, John Abrams.

Before the show began, many of the kids were all over the place where the parents and I were able to see our kids. Pizza, salads and a bottle of water were offered for a dinner. Knowing it was a junk food, but would you be able to argue that it was only $ 3 dollars per dinner. I was stuffed from eating salad and could not eat the entire once slice pizza. In fact, I gave the left over pizza to my husband, who was definitely FAMISHED!

While we were waiting for the exciting show began, Dylan went out to try out for a temporary tattoo. He decided to go out for "Mario" from the DS Ninento Games. One of the classmates, Justin tried out for a FROG. Getting a temporary tattoo was FREE! Dylan and his friends were exchanging on what they had got on their arms. Actually, they were fortunately to get this done before there was a VERY LONG LINE!

Ryan did not want to get one of the temporary tattoo. I guess he is a "clean cut" and not to get anything on his body, except he is flirting a new girl from his class. In fact, he introduced me to her. After he introduced to her, I caught him holding Emily's hand. OH NO, aren't we getting into trouble??? Don't tell me that I have two boys who are starting to liking girls at this early age!

Finally, the Magician show began. It last for forty five minutes. While he was demonstrating the shows, he brought us so many laughter, amazing exotic animals facts and giving us how he did get the "Rain Forest" animals coming out of from nowhere. Dylan was one of the volunteers. He had the opportunity to rub the Chinchilla's nose. It tickled him and other kids. (Sorry, I don't have any picture of him because my battery from the camera was completely dead.) He even demonstrated from nothing inside of the brown sack to alive snake! I held my breath while he was showing the snake. Good grief, it was not close to me, or I would NOT be kind to the Magician.

From my point of view as a teacher and a mother, I thought it was an awesome educational show. Little I knew that he has traveled all over the Southern California: 400 shows per year! He even does come out to a birthday party. That is not for children. He does know how to entertain adults as well. This show definitely will bring you a lifetime memory.

Sizzlin' Dinner

Whether you are having friends or family over for a backyard cookout,outdoor dinner party, casual cookout, patio party, wine party or summertime gathering, it is always nice to invite someone you enjoy accompany. This time we didn't but we will do when we are well prepare with the surprise decorations. Oh that would be FUN to do and share your creative!!!

Looking at these two websites gave me two fine ideas for the next special events: Creative Parties and Invitations.

Since we did NOT inviting our friends or family, we ended up eating our own patio during the sizzling summer dinner. Though it was a very poor and last minute creative, we managed eating our late dinner (7:30 P.M.) at 85 degrees. It was still warm enough (80 degrees) to have an ice cream at 8:30 P.M.

Without a doubt, I will share my own creativity with my friends and families for the next time. Being creatives are MY THING!!! I must live with my creatives, or you will have to suffer my lousy dinner due to my inability to open my true personality.

Combo Classes

This past week, my school site is heavily talking about having combo classes between first, second and third grades. All of these teachers are giving Reading and Writing assessments for each student, and find out which classes are the most appropriate for the students. It applies to my sons, Ryan and Dylan.

We will not be able to know whether it has been approved by our Superintendent on Friday. He currently has been investigating whether it would to the students good or harm. Apparently, it will give many advantages for the students and teachers as well. It has nothing to do with me, even I teach one of the first grade students.

While we do not know the finalize answer, Dylan's 2nd grade teacher approached to me during my lunch hour. She has asked me how would I feel about placing my son, Dylan in a high second grade and low third grade class. Her comment was, "Dylan is the highest in my class, so I am hoping you would agree with me to place him in 2nd and 3rd grade instead 1st and 2nd grade class. " Personally, I thought it is far much better than skipping the grade. This will give him the preparation to know what to expect in a third grade class. Also, I don't want to cause any of his emotions if he just skips the grade without combing with the second graders. I would know how he feels if he skips the grades (it won't happen to him) because I remember myself being emotions when I skipped from Pre-school to first grade.

As for Ryan, the Reading Specialist already assessed him. She mentioned to me in a front of an interpreter, " I have not finished testing Ryan. However, he has completed two stories on his own. He does show that he has a very high skills in reading. He is at Stage 2 (meaning he is at a second grade reading level for a first grade boy.) It shows that he is a very smart boy." I then questioned her about his reading comprehension because most autistic kids do have a very poor reading comprehension. She stated that, "Since he is reading very well, his reading comprehension is at the grade level. He was able to answer mostly Wh's Questions." I was pleased to hear this because I sure have WORKED VERY HARD on his reading comprehension from last year's I.E.P. The only thing I don't know whether he will remain in a combo class for high first grade with low 2nd grade class, or just in low first grade class.

I will know the actual answer when the principal makes tons of phone calls to the parents about whether they approve their child's placement. Since I am working on the same school site, I will be getting a straight forward answer from my boss, the principal by tomorrow, September 5th. All I can do is to wait and find out what's going happen next week.

Priceless Mini Vacation

Is your life hectic and chaotic? Many of us leads lives to do our personal projects, taking care of our loved ones, and job demands? This also creates us burden our financial responsibilities, parents challenging,and of course don't forget being aging affect our health. Wouldn't that be nice that nothing had occurred in our life? While we couldn't avoid the realities in life, we decided to pursue for a mini get-away vacation by seeing one of our close friends up in Central California.

Spending times with other kids and adults, chatting each other throughout the day and night, sleeping at a cozy home are certainly priceless. Even many of us in today's society are in tight budget, we did find our ways to reduce spending the money besides paying only $80 dollars gas for a round trip. Not a bad price.

Just savoring our anxiety over the money, we went to the Sea Breeze Harbor park where it has tons of sailboats, breezing and park. That was priceless. The boys enjoyed riding their bikes and playing at the playground. David and Ward enjoyed chatting over the nearby Harbor while Ginny and I were busy taking "priceless, cherish" pictures of them and the boys.

Not only going to the Harbor, we enjoyed watching the boys using their wildest imaginations. They pretended using BBQ (from the icebox) and used Legos as Hot dogs for dinner in their tiny table. Who ever thought about using alternative things to use the pretend food items? Watching them playing patient and client were the fun things to do. Ryan especially liked pretending being a patient. As for adults, it was so relaxing for all of chatting over inside and outside of the house.

Even though we managed to stay on our budget, we were very fortunately to be invited to attend one of Davon's classmate birthday party. At the party, we attended "Pump It Up" where it had eight huge inflation jumpers. The children and adults giggled over two hours of a party. Of course, adults went in and jumped along with the children. David and Ward played boxers with the young children. Believe it or not, the children worn them out by knocking themselves out.

On the day before we headed for home, we visited one of our acquaintance friends who lived in the same town as our close friends. The boys enjoyed playing with their young boys as well. What else can complain for an entire Labor's weekend without costing us so much money?? The best part of the vacation was spending all of us together. Thus, you ought to take a vacation – even in your own backyard or wherever you are. A vacation is a state of mind, not a destination. Without a doubt, you will feel a whole lot better and you would truly come home being sanity.

Celebrity Alike?

After a long drive, from Ventura County, I decided to do something silly after I saw the wonderful and funny Morpheus Photo faces from one of my friends on Face book. Then, I thought it would be fun to evoke ourselves what we would have look like the year we were born.

Laura

David

Now, I am leaving it up to you to figure it out who do we look alike??? Have fun figure it out since my mind is all fried up from the driving.

A Close Call

Blinking lights?

Two Policemen?

What has anything to do with the blinking lights and two Policemen? It has nothing to do about getting a moving violation ticket. Two policemen and blinking lights were facing in a front of our home at 11:30 P.M !

A night before we headed for a mini get-a-away vacation to Ventura County, David noticed there was a BRIGHT blinking light facing Dylan's bedroom. He was puzzled and decided to take a peek out of window. Seeing two policemen and two men in a front of our home startled David. He then managed to go downstairs and to go outside to find out what was happening while the boys and I were sound asleep. Yes, that's right our two hearing sons did not even hear the sirens or seeing the bright flashing lights. It amazed us even Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) did ignore the noisy environment.

While we were asleep, David discovered that the two men reported to two policemen that one of the person tried to steal our TREK bikes from our locked van. It startled David and left him wondering how the world a " close call" thief opened our back of the van's tailgate door even it has an alarm inside of the van. However, we were very fortunate that the alarm had scared the thief away and was unable to steal the bikes.

Unfortunately, the two witnesses were unable to recognize the thief's face, but did make a report about the incident to the two policemen. The policemen asked David if anything was stolen or any damage from our van that we were packed for our mini get-away vacation. That was blessing from an guardian angel for protecting us not to have any valuable bikes being stolen, broken windows or damage the keyholes.

Later, we learned from my father in law, who is the manager of the car dealer, telling me that the thieves do find a way to play with the remote control. But there are no way of making the alarm remaining quitely. Doesn't that make you feel nauseous there are many ruthless people out there???

At the end, all we could say we were blessed for this time for not having our bikes or damaged in our van. Let's hope it continued to this way when we get home from our mini get-a-away Labor's Weekend vacation.

Running

Have you ever seen a child with a T-shirt saying, "I ran 100 miles?" I haven't either. We, the staff, came up with the ideas to keep the kids busy instead moping around the campus before the school starts. At the school site, we do have a certain area with the recess supervision who keeps the records the numbers of the students running around the laps in the morning. Throughout the year, we will have announcement of students who earns 50 miles or 100 miles. Thus, it will keep the kids busy before the school starts. Isn't that a brilliant idea ?

I found an excellent Internet. You need to check it out in order to help the youngsters click this: Kids Running.

Ryan's teacher has already started the activity in the mornings. It is not really hot in the morning. Well last week, he only ran once . The rest of the time Ryan kept whining to her, "Oh, I don't wanna to run." Then, he would just cry and cry. Lame excuse to get the sympathy from his teacher ? NOT me, I am a tough mom. Good thing, she told me what happened; otherwise, I would not have known about this incident.

After I discovered Ryan disobeying the teacher, I asked Dylan to be his role model to run around school after I finished my meeting. Ryan had a slight tear on his cheek. My words were, "If you don't run around the lap, you will not play with your computer! Dylan, if you run around the lap with Ryan, then both of you will get an Icee." Isn't that pretty clever of me??? Shortly after my comment, they soon ran around the lap without saying any further word. It is a win-win situation: I get satisfaction to see both of my sons running around the school. They got an Icee from 7-11.