Bday card

Quick birthday card for a friend. Used my Copic markers again. The scan bleached the color a little. Present and sentiment is Purple Onion Designs and confetti on background is Eat Cake Graphics. Also used some Stickles glitter glue. TFL.

More marker fun

Don't ya just love that blue egg? The marker is correctly named Robin's Egg Blue. I think it's my favorite to date. Little bunny is Eat Cake Graphics, sentiment is Purple Onion Designs, egg is Stamps by Judith, and notecard is Amuse. Also used some Stickles glitter glue on the eggs and around the scallop.

Also have a couple cards in the current issue of RubberStampMadness. I'll post them later. They also used me on their website which is kinda cool. Mine is the third card from top shown here.

Stay tuned........

Quick little Easter card

Had to use my new Copic markers again. Love these! I will continue to collect a few here and there. They are alcohol based. They flow so nicely and leave no stray streak marks. Thanks to Michele for turning me on to these amazing markers. Stamp and notecard are Amuse Art Stamps. Bought the stamp because it's so cute just like my little gal Taylor. TFL. I'll be back soon with tons of layouts. I've been busy and I have tons of things to scan and share.

Much to say----not much energy

For those of you who still continue to check this blog I will be back soon. I am vowing to post something within the next week. Lots of Taylor news, scrapbook layouts, and more to share. Lots of stuff goin' on. Good stuff.

For now I must go to bed. When Friday rolls around I'm just TIRED.

Enjoy the weekend!

Children's Stories theme

Here's a couple cards that didn't make it into RSM a while back. The theme for the issue was children's stories. It was a bit difficult coming up with submissions.

I am making it a point to submit a card per issue. I just feel I need something to try to preserve my sanity.

Grandchildren

Made this for my MIL for Xmas. Just getting around to posting. I think changing all the photos to black and white made a huge difference. Heidi Swapp bling and flower, Lil Davis chipboard and some paper scraps from my stash. I think the paper is My Mind's Eye. TFL.

GPP Crusade No. 16--Journal Your Blog

The title says it all---basically journal your blog on paper. Simple yet something I haven't done.

In under the wire again. As soon as I read the theme for this month's Green Pepper Press Street Team crusade I knew the exact post I wanted to put down on paper. I don't keep a journal so I thought a scrapbook layout would be the next best thing. This is a simple layout but it is exactly what I want Taylor to realize years from now. She is so smart-so ahead academically yet challenged in other areas. We are working through so many issues and we are both learning lessons along the way.

The post which inspired this layout is here. I decided to focus on the most important point of that particular post. I do not know where life will go from here for her/us and I don't feel like writing down in black and white the obstacles she had/has to overcome. I fully intend those obstacles to be a part of our past. NO----they will be part of our past. I know people out there are thinking I'm crazy for saying so but we will and are beating this. I am damn determined.

Daddy and Taylor

Two posts in one night. Blow me down.

I love this picture of Taylor and Mark. He really tries with her. Being her Daddy is not the easiest at times. I'm sure she feels like being our kid isn't the easiest either. lol.

Gold leaf stickers and decorative tape are Martha Stewart. My friend Kris sent me the tape as a secret sister gift and I am totally loving it. Stamps are Purple Onion Designs.

Thanks for looking. We are all still alive in this house but 20+ hours/week of therapy doesn't leave much time for anything or anyone else. That's just life. Ya just have to make the best of it I guess.

Valentine

One of my submissions that didn't get picked up this time. Lady is Character Constructions. Catherine Moore also has a new line of stamps out that is just amazing. It's called Queen of Tarts. Great collection.

The light is coming on

Oh, my baby, we will prove them all wrong. It can be done. It will be done. We will take one another to places never thought possible.This little light of mine I'm going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine I'm going to let it shine
Hallelujah
This little light of mine I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

My miracle child

Just look at that happy face.

Miracles do happen here and will continue to happen.

I am full of emotion today. I am tired of people coming into my house and telling me things I don't want to hear or need to hear. We have worked so hard. In August of this year Taylor had lost almost all her words. Pretty much silence. In 4 months she is requesting her favorite foods with words, saying hi/bye/night night appropriately, doing puzzles, building with blocks, swinging, sliding, climbing on the balance beam, laughing, tolerating playdoh for a minute or so, responding much better to (quiet) strangers entering her safe house, playing Mr. Potato Head, crafting with foam stickers, etc. Not to mention she knows most of her ABCs, numbers 1-10, colors, approximately 30 animals and has every book in this house memorized. I can give her 2 or 3 puzzles at once, dump out all the pieces and she will sort through and do them all. She is also acquiring labels naturally- without being formally taught each one through discrete trial. In formal terms this is called generalization and she is very capable of doing this. We didn't have to teach generalization which means she is slowly moving to learning the way "typical" kids learn. Socialization with other children is still one of our toughest obstacles but she is still very young. She can't stand loud kids. Well, I'm not very good at that either so we have something in common.

So these therapists come into my home and tell me Taylor's delays will always be with her. WHAT?!!! She is so on-target if not ahead academically. Yes, we have social things and communication to work on but come on people. They talk of group homes, etc. They have NO idea where we started and what road we have taken. I try to explain and they look at me like I'm talking a foreign language. They don't believe me. I'm in the process of making them a movie of what Taylor was doing 4 months ago. I feel compelled to prove it to them. I tell them the puzzle completion started with me doing one piece (my hand over hers) and then rewarding her with an M&M after each piece. Yes, it was hard at first. Yes, she screamed, hit me, and threw herself around like a wild animal. BUT, guess what?! Her puzzles are now one of her very favorite things. And it was really never about the puzzles. It was all about getting her to focus long enough to complete something - focus long enough to learn. Some days I think we have a little ADHD mixed in all this but that's okay too. The typical therapists have no idea how ABA works but seem to not want to learn. The key is ABA needs to be done properly in order to work. There were days we did formal sitdown sessions on and off ALL DAY LONG. That's what the professionals mean when they say intense 1:1 therapy. They don't mean do a couple things and then let her stim for 15 minutes. We do no stimming around here. It is ALL redirected. ALL OF IT. Yes, I'm tired but my kid needs saved. Who the hell else is going to do it?

Basically it's going to work like this. With direction from our ABA therapist Taylor WILL be saved. ABA is what gave her a strong foundation to learn. If any person involved in her life doesn't want to jump on board well then back off----my little girl and I will run you over.

Peace.

RubberStampMadness Jan/Feb 2008

My "King Ribbit" card made it into the latest issue of RubberStampMadness. Had a lot of fun with this one. It's pretty much straight forward stamping with a spotlight drawn in with chalk.

Frog is Eat Cake Graphics. Chair is Character Constructions. Grass, flowers, and alphas are Purple Onion Designs.

Thanks for looking!

Merry Xmas!

Just a quick post to wish all of you a Merry Xmas.

This card was made for my secret sister. We had each other's names and she totally spoiled me! You know who you are. :)

Character Constructions Xmas cards

Thought I'd revive this blog for a moment by posting a couple Christmas cards. Only had time for a couple. Doll parts are Character Constructions and sentiment is Purple Onion Designs.

Hope you are having a peaceful holiday season.

Crusade No. 14 - Who/what is your muse?

This month's (I'm barely making it) Green Pepper Press Street Team's topic is Imaginary Friends. Basically who/what is your muse? What inspires your artwork?

Well, since I don't consider myself a true artist I really haven't given this topic much thought until now. I had some trouble with this one and then one day it just dawned on me.

Stress--- stress---and more stress.

Maybe it's not a typical muse but I've created most of my published cards/projects under stress. When I am worried about someone/something I can throw myself into my paper, ink, stamps, etc and forget all about it for a brief time. Therapy for Momma. :) Pretty simple really. Maybe it should be called an escape instead of a muse but it works for me.

I'll leave you with a little creation for my ABA therapist. She does totally ROCK. Stamps are Green Pepper Press. Sweet stamps, huh?

Let's talk about the system

It stinks.

Okay----here's how it goes. You get referred for a complete developmental evaluation. You wait 4-6 months for your official appointment to diagnosis your child (sometimes longer---I've heard up to a year in Philadelphia). Birth-3 comes earlier but these kids need intensive therapy. It's not near enough.

You wait longer to get wraparound services. You have to have all these meetings, pick an agency, etc.

So basically you wait over 6 months to get intensive therapy started. So if we hadn't met a gal who knows Lovaas ABA we'd still be in a state of complete panic.

I've said it before. We got lucky. We have made huge strides and it's because of ABA.

So what is wrong with this picture. The typical family has just wasted 6 months of CRUCIAL development time. Time to remap the brain and get on that upswing.

This is the time you hear parents talk about---the time they see their kids "slipping away."

Sad, huh? No not sad------------------horrific.

President veto

You can check it out here.-----I guess some still don't view this as a crisis.

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2007/11/veto-impacts-au.html

It's official

We are offically on the spectrum---PDD-NOS to be exact.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise specified----translated into "we know there's something up with your kid but we don't know what exactly so we'll put her in this catch-all category." The good part is we do have the label so we will possibly qualify for more services.


I really don't feel like sharing my emotions today. There are some days I'm just overwhelmed and don't feel like explaining everything. Today is one of those days.

The psychologist will recommend 15 hours of wraparound therapy done in our house (in addition to the 4 therapists we have already). The psychologist seems to think we will be denied and will have to appeal to get the therapy. Joy. Isn't that sweet? I guess in Washington county they don't like to approve services for kids under 3 years old. By 3 years old it's so much more difficult to "catch up." So unfair.


We make strides every day but until you've had a child with these challenges you'll truly never know what it feels like to be part of that 1 in 150--to watch your kid struggle with things that come so easy for other children.

She is just such a smart and sweet kid.

She doesn't deserve this and it sucks.

Tomorrow----it ain't no big thang really................

Tomorrow is our official evaluation with the Child Development Unit of Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. I look back at all the emotions surrounding this appointment and I'm finally in the correct state of mind. I've been all over the place emotionally with the appointment----everywhere from panic to dread to apprehension, etc. When we were first referred I couldn't wait for tomorrow to arrive. Then we met someone who has forever changed our lives. An amazing person who truly cares about kids and will go above and beyond. She literally trained me to be an ABA therapist to my daughter. WE GOT LUCKY. We were in a very dangerous place. You know that place you hear about on talk shows---"she was slipping away right before our very eyes"-----you watch any talk show about autism or any developmental disorder and you'll hear those words and dear God do I feel for those people. It was quickly happening here. I know Taylor's mind was making misconnections daily. I'm absolutely positive that was happening. We caught it in time and we are remapping as we speak and folks guess what?!!!! It's working. It's working. I know there are some people who think if we wait and see she will just come along in her own time. WEll, this momma can tell you that would've never happened and that's one risk in life Mark and I are NOT willing to take. Mothers ALWAYS know. ALWAYS. Her behavior was alarming and made me uncomfortable inside. If any mothers out there are experiencing the same feelings then you push your pediatrician to refer you on-----you PUSH like you've never pushed before. Your child is counting on you to do so.

I think back to filling out all those daunting blue forms we were sent when we first made THE appointment. I think about all those questions I answered. I am taking a different kid tomorrow. We have plenty to work on and many obstacles but they are being checked off one by one. I remember Early Intervention coming and asking me how I wanted our family social goal to be written----I simply replied, "I just wanna go out to a restaurant or store without a huge screaming struggle. I just want to be a family." That's it. Simple, right? Well it took a lot of work. We have been successfully out to eat twice in 2 weeks and to Walmart twice in 3 days. We have conquered the grocery cart----along with the sliding board and swings and trampoline. HUGE sensory progress folks. We will continue to work on playdoh, elevators, hair dryers, strangers, vacuum cleaners, loud environments, etc.

ABA therapy (done correctly) has changed our lives. Seriously. It is working for Taylor. It may not work for all kids but it is working here. She is feeling success. That is what it's all about -- her success which has quadrupled her confidence. She is so much happier now. Less frustrated with daily life---still frustrated with trying new things but we can work through it. She is so proud of herself when she makes progress. She knows. We still have a few bad days here and there but we won't focus on those right now. She's only 2 years old.

Soooo---this family still struggles and does tremendous amounts of therapy but we also trick-or-treat, go to the grocery store, do puzzles, read, jump on the trampoline, write, play chase, eat popsicles, watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, do more puzzles, hop, eat in restaurants, and many more typical family things.

So ya see tomorrow won't be a day to remember-----August 21, 2007------now that's the day to remember. That's the day we began ABA therapy and the day my child turned a very important corner----the corner of SUCCESS.

YIPPIE!!!!!!!!

Today Taylor was nearing the end of her yogurt and she looked at me and said "help" as plain as day!

Yesterday she went to the kitchen and said, "wa wa."

We are getting past the sensory blocks day by day with the trampoline and tunnel and bean bag and brushing and on and on. She is learning incidentally after I repeatedly say the same word in the same context day after day!!!

Yep----we are gonna be okay eventually. Okay is good. It's gonna click.