Aftercare bounce house with my Friends! Jan.19.2009

Valentine's and classmates...She saw them two weeks ago when they first 'hit the market'...the newest and the coolest Valentine's to pass out in class! I didn't want to buy them then...but who could resist her pleas for them...NOW!!! "Pleasezzzz mom" ..."Sponge Bob mom..."

I think I said no a couple of times and even put them back up on the shelf where they were displayed, but everytime they found their way back into our shopping cart. Mariah just wasn't going to take no for an answer so easy this time. She wanted those and only those and she just had to have them the week they came out! Ok..ok..we can get them! Oh my goodness the HAPPY look on her face, the joy she had in my letting her get them NOW...why did I even think we didn't need to get them NOW..what was I thinking?!

It was such a little thing that MADE HER DAY! She was so excited to carry the bag that held them to the car. In the car she could only think of giving them to ALL HER FRIENDS at school! Valentine's Day was two weeks away, way to early to need to sign her name to all 21 of them! I put them in a special place so she could see the box everyday for the whole 2 weeks just waiting till it was time to write her name on each of them. The list of names from her class came home right around that time too. I put that nice list of names that was all neatly done so she could copy each and everyone of her friends names onto her new Sponge Bob Valentine's. Do you know that wonderful list of names could be nowhere to be found on the eve of Valentine's Day!

At Brownies tonight everyone made Valentine's Day cards and decorated colored paper with all sorts of goodies that Ms. Tina brought to the meeting for the girls to work on. Gotta remember Girl Scout COOKIE money was VERY IMPORTANT to get counted up and everyone to turned in their money tonight, as GS Council needs to be paid for all the cookies soon!

When we got home and ate a Turkey burger with cheese and a glass of iced tea, it was time to open the box of those Sponge Bob Squarepants Valentine's and finally put her name on them and 'set them up'. They are the folded kind that holds an individual CRABBY PATTY! Yummmmmmy!!

Valentine's Day is probably Mariah's most favorite day of the year! She loves thinking of all her friends and looking forward to the time she is able to share giving out and receiving all those colorful and yummy sugary sweets from everyone! She LOVES to LOVE!!!...and she LOVES her FRIENDS! One can never have too many friends!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

5 years old

Found this the other day...and just had to post it!
She rides painted horses too! This was taken at God's Little Acres.

Little Girls & Birthday Parties!

Little Girls & Birthday Parties!

Mariah was invited to a Birthday Party of one of her classmates yesterday. No big deal...but it IS A BIG DEAL! There was about 20 girls there, all are Mariah's classmates either they are in Mariah's GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM or attend the AFTER SCHOOL CARE Program with Mariah. Mariah is PART of both those "groups" and is INCLUDED with her peers in school and out of school.

We arrived to the party ready to celebrate and have fun and 'do make-up and paint nails' as the theme was for the party was for all the girls to have a SPA DAY! Everyone is between the age of 8-10 years old. When we walked in everyone shouted, "MARIAH!" ...that made my little girl feel very WELCOMED for sure and it gave me a happy feeling to know that Mariah is really part of this nice little CIRCLE OF FRIENDS!One little girl quickly came up to her and took her hand and directed her to come sit at the table and asked her if she wanted to put on some make-up! Mariah was so willing to have everyone make a 'fuss over her', several started helping her with 'hair and make-up'! They used pink and blue HAIR CRAYONS to create streaks of fun hair colors in their hair! It was obvious to me to see that she truly does have girlfriends that help her be part of what everyone else is doing.

Mariah seems to be the 'quiet one' of the group, going along with what the others are doing, but seems to need a little extra encouragement to fully participate in what everyone else is doing. She can be content to sit back and watch or to lag behind the others and do her own thing...especially if the TV has SPONGEBOB on...I saw her sitting in front of the HUGE SCREEN TV-with bigger than life Sponge Bob on so I tried to get her to go back outside to be with the others, but Mariah was content to watch TV...because it was on! ugggghh

The party had all sorts of 'stations' for doing things...the NAIL SALON was in the living room with loads of different colored nail polishes displayed on the coffee table. The JEWELRY store was on another table along side the hallway wall, where they could pick out all sorts of beaded necklaces, earrings, pins and bracelets to wear. There was a rack of CUTE PROM DRESSES and DANCEWARE to try on and wear during the party. Hannah Montana was there!...really....as a stand up cardboard cutout where they could have their picture taken standing next to her! This was part of the goodie treat to take home...a picture was taken to go into a little Hannah Montana picture frame that was included in the Hannah Montana little goodie purse filled with all sorts of surprises.The Birthday song was sung, the cake was cut and eaten...they were all served some BUBBLY in plastic Champange glasses...this was of course Sparkling Apple Cider!

The presents were opened with everyone oohing and ahhing what the Birthday girl had received from everyone! Oh my the elegance and the girlie-girl SPA treatment they all experienced today! The GROUP PHOTO was taken in the backyard with everyone all dressed up and 'made-up' with their nail polish and jewelry on...everyone had a great time and showed true friendships towards each other...INCLUDING my little girl!

Today at this little Birthday Party the TRUE MEANING OF INCLUSION was happening naturally!This is WHY Inclusion in the classrooms has to happen...everyone wants to be accepted and liked...and of course INVITED TO THE BIRTHDAY PARTIES!

Thank you Kylee for inviting Mariah to your 9th Birthday Party, you will never know how important it is for her and how much it means to me as Mariah's mom that people like you ACCEPT Mariah into your CIRCLE OF FRIENDS! I am so happy you all like her and help her be part of the group! Everyone needs and wants friends!...and that includes those that are a little 'different'!

It was a FUN DAY!

"I get to ride the BUS home now mom?"

"I get to ride the BUS home now mom?"

This is what Mariah is saying to me and is so gosh darn happy to now be able to RIDE THE BUS HOME from school! My goodness this girl of mine and 'riding the school bus'!! Riding the school bus is a SPECIAL EVENT for her! Befoe she would only get to ride a school bus only during ESY aka Extended School Year for a few weeks over the summer. But know she is riding the bus both to school in the morning and being the first one to dropped off in the afternoons! She is now home by 2:10PM at the latest so far!

When she started riding the bus each year during he summer program (ESY) a few years back...The PAT - Parents As Teachers Program taught me: How to make little books using ZIP-LOCKS as page protectors, colored construction paper and the different photographers of her. These little homemade books were for her and I to read together, with her as the main character 'riding the bus'...we made these little books together she LOVED making them and they were HER BOOKS!! I would take a picture of her WAITING for the bus and then LOOKING down the street waiting the bus, then WALKING UP to the bus door, and GETTING ON the bus and of course if the 'nice' drivers would 'allow me' to step up on the steps, I could actually get a picture of her SITTING ON the bus with the biggest SMILE ever! She was the happiest girl in the whole world riding the bus for about 21 -28 days during her ESY summer school program. When the BUS would arrive home I would do the pictures all over again but as she was getting OFF the bus and WAVING good-bye to the bus and then with the bus in the background of the picture of one happy little girl that got to ride the bus two times in one day!

Over the years we have always taken her to school ourselves even though the bus transportation service could have been provided because she has an IEP and Special Ed services, we didn't 'trust' it for our little girl...but now that she is able to talk more and tell us more about her day and who was there or not and who helped her or who was mean to her...she is better able to tell us now more details of what her day is really like. Amazing what a few years will do in the way of her talking and communication skills! INCLUSION WORKS IF EVERYONE WORKS IT!

She and I have the nicest little conversations with no limits on what we can or can not talk about...it is so much fun to listen to her share with me about how her day went at school...she tells me when someone isn't there and frequently it seems to be her teacher! I love it that she can now finally TELL me who, what, when and where questions!! I am so proud of her and glad she is finally able to 'tell me so much more' about her day!! She talks to me about EVERYTHING...the sky's the limit and I see her wings are taking her to new heights! I get frustrated when people ask me what she just said and they don't fully understand what she is saying...to me people just need to TALK LESS AND LISTEN MORE! Because if we all practiced that those that don't speak up enough would be heard and those that talk too much would actually find out more about what's on the other person's mind. ...how did I go here?...

No more Aftercare!!

Mariah has been attending our After School Care Program at her elementary school for the past 6 years since she was just 4 years old! This school has the PLACE program aka Preschool Learning And Classroom Experience for 3- 5 year olds with developmental or speech delay. Mariah had been attending 2 other little preschools one was a typical church pre-school that LOVED her so much and everyone there did all they could to help her learn new skills that most 2 year olds should do. My son and daughter were the only 'toe-heads' at this most wonderful little day care! I wish i could back in time when 'school was FUN and things were simple' and the teacher REALLY CARED about her...oh how I wish I could go back into time and be with all those that made that such a wonderful time! THANK YOU for loving my little girl and taking such good care of her there! I didn't want to ever leave that time period!

Then Mariah turned 3 years old and life took me on my new ADVOCACY JOURNEY to a nice little school that was just 3 blocks from our house and was pretty much just for children with Special Needs and brothers and sisters. She started going there almost the day she turned 3 years old, because that's the age children with special needs are FUNDED thru the Department of Education to start attending 'real' school. The name of this little school was UCP, she attended here till she turned 4 years old. Then I felt it was time to move her to the elementary school that her older brother was in Kindergaten at...this school was considered 'her neighborhood school'...a school where she would attend if she DIDN'T have a 'disability'...*Disabled - I HATE this word to identify someone! People are not broken...to me that's what the word disabled means! A DISABALED car on the side of the road is a broken down car!! Why why why do we call people 'broken'?

So Mariah has been going to the same school for 6 years now and attending their After School Care Program for 6 years also!!! Having her in the After School Care Program was 'my respite'...it was A GREAT PLACE for her to be to make even more friends at school!! She does have alot of people that like her at school, friends...and friendships...they SHOW THEIR TRUE COLORS if they really are your friends over time...I pray Mariah will always be surrounded with the nicest of friends that will always be there to help and protect her! INCLUSION WORKS IF EVERYONE ALLOWS IT!

This week was her last day going to the After School Care Program because of our own family BUDGET CUTS that we are experiencing with our household income...everyone is being affected by the economy today and well...my husband has never really understood why I kept her in that program for as long as I have...he did not like paying for it each month all those years! It was a bargain for Child Care for sure! Why did I keep her going to After School Care Program for so long?...because it's a SAFE place to be, she made and has lots more friends on campus, she was competely accepted and LOVED by many! She was kept busy and they ran around outside playing! I would pick her up anywhere between 2:45-4:45PM depending on which day of the week is was and what activity was on her agenda! She keeps me busy!

For Mariah to not go to Aftercare right now, is a sign that she is growing up and maturing...I have her so busy 3 days a week with her FUN STUFF she enjoys going to dance, horse riding, Brownies and let's not forget the 3 THERAPIES she still needs for her Handwriting, her Speech and for Physical Therapy...she has been receiving PRIVATE OT-PT-ST since she was just 4 months old without ever a STOP in services! Amazing I have been taking her to therapies for 10 YEARS now! Amazing!!! I used to take her 3 times a week when she was a little baby, then 2 times a week for 3 therapies. Once she started 'big girl school'-Kindergarten, I cut it down to one time per week with all 3 therapies plus I have always had her riding a horse since she was 2 YEARS OLD! She has been up on a horse EVERY WEEK for 8 years now too! OMG...I have been one busy 'therapy mom' over the past 10 years with her!...and loving every moment I have with her! I am one lucky and BLESSED MOMMIE! I love my little girl so much and taking her here and there and wherever she needs me to take her...I will take her to the moon if she needed me to!

So...with her now not attending the After School Care Program she gets to RIDE THE BUS HOME NOW!!! She is so happy to NOT be in Aftercare! We have so many things to do already anyway and now I will be bringing her home do get her READING ABILITIES back up to speed and to allow her more time with her favorite COMPUTER READING & PHONICS PROGRAMS this is something I have always done as her own HOMESCHOOL PIECE - for her life time of learning! MARIAH LOVES BOOKS AND READING!! Last year in 2nd grade she was on a 1.5 reading level and now I am discovering she isn't and hasn't been getting much in the way of READING INTERVENTIONS! *Do you think this upsets me? *Don't get the momma tiger upset!

She is so happy to be coming home ON THE BUS now, she has more time to relax and do what she wants and allows me more time to get her ready for whatever 'activity' we have planned and are doing that day!

Her new ride home bus driver bought 3 boxes of GIRL SCOUT COOKIES yesterday and then today she bought 3 more boxes! Mariah was very excited to sell them to her! The afternoon bus drivers are MORE FRIENDLY and actually TALK to me! What a switch in people! What's with people today that they don't talk, smile or be a basic friendly with others?! I don't get people that can't be FRIENDLY and at least say HI once in awhile...how hare is it really to BE NICE AND SAY HI to people?!

Mariah gets to now RIDE THE BUS HOME because she is no longer going to the Aftercare Program...she is SO HAPPY THIS WEEK!!

What does she want to do now that she gets to come home on the bus?...relaxin in front of the TV first thing with a snack! Of course!! Mariah...you go girl...you deserve your little snack and TV break! I am so proud of you!

The Sky's the Limit for my little girl!!