Breakthough

Over the past couple of months, James has become more interested in playing with other boys from his class. This is an exciting first.

First I heard the boys' names from James at home. I asked his aide, who told me I was hearing their names properly and that they were good kids who played football at recess. James watched them as the weeks passed. I heard when someone got "hit" and someone ran after the ball.

Then James moved closer, onto the field. Once of twice, they boys got carried away with their game and "hit" him as they bumped into him.

Today I heard that today, James chose playing with his classmates with some touch football over computers.

One of those sweet breakthrough moments that I intend to savour.

Planetarium Field Trip

Last week I got to help chaperone an honest to gosh field trip with James' third grade class. We visited the local JC's planetarium and sat through their show on our solar system and galaxy. Although the show is dated (Pluto is still a planet in a video), the venue is easy to get in and out of and a great place to be introduced to astronomy.

There was lots of oohing and ahhing, especially when they showed pictures over the constellations in the ceiling. James sat still through almost the entire show, which means he was interested.

I am trying to remember if I've been on a field trip with James and the best I come up with is a field trip to the pumpkin patch in preschool and kindergarten. Having me show up at James' classroom used to throw James off his routine to the extent that it would tank his day, so I haven't done one of these class activities in a while.

James is having some regressive behaviours. It's been a very stressful time outside of school and likely will be for a while longer. His reading regrouping teacher and case manager is going out on leave. His case worker from the Regional Center left and we have not yet been assigned a new one. I am working with his aide and teacher to keep him on track with practicing good behaviours and choices. We have putting leaves in the mouth, poking self with pens, and not focusing. Then on the good side, we have this on a field trip:

Planetary Project

James came home with an unusual homework assignment: choose one of the planets in the solar system to study and report upon. Mmmm hmmmm. Well, we did okay with the ostriches, so let's go planets! How to do this as a real study project? I grabbed my laptop.

James bounced right over "Can I do Decoration Hunt? I want to watch Lazy Town!"

He settled in with me on the sofa and we selected (courtesy of Google search) the following:

1. Martha Stewart creates a mobile!
   James' first choice
2. A "Solar system mobile in action"
   Our second choice; no noise - he was hooked
3. "The Solar System HD"
   James liked the HD; I loved the music. Just the perfect pacing to observe and have the chance to ask questions and talk.
4. "Our Solar System: A poster and index of best available planet images,"  by Dr. Steuard Jensen for the Alma College planetarium;
   this is the image that James used to pick his planet: Saturn
5. The Solar System - Tour the Solar System on Sea and Sky;
   fun to click through, and another eye-catching view of the planets in our solar system

Extra credit: National Geographic Live! Solar System Exploration: 50 Years … Too much talking (and some of it VERY fast) but still a good viewing. Learned some new facts myself.

Right now I am replaying The Solar System HS ... I really am enjoying the music (and the Star Trek connection).

It's really interesting to see how a different approach to starting a report project (more visual than verbal instruction) makes this more interesting to us both.

Courtesy of NASA and Cassini

Using Our Parks Pass

The big holidays and James' sister's birthday have come and gone. We're all In a bit of a letdown.
Finances are still tight but the weather is gorgeous, especially compared to the rest of the country. A kind of Christmas present to the family was an annual parks pass to our Regional Parks. So far we've been to the ocean twice, but today I wanted to be closer to home yet really get outdoors band unplugged.

We came to Riverfront Park. After some initial grumbling, it was great. We waked 10 minutes in the shade of the redwoods and emerged at pond#2. Clear skies and no wind in a protected shore meant temps at almost 70°.

It was quiet too. Far from the background noise of the rods and leaf blowers that had sent James into our back bedroom closet earlier.

For close to an hour now they've been happily busy digging in the moist bank with sticks for rocks to throw. We'ved been visited by ducks, horseback riders, dads teaching daughters to fish, and walking groups. For the most part, it's us in the outdoors: sun on our faces, and simple pleasures.

It's 2014 ...

And I've been offline.

Things have been happening again, and bottom line is I have been taking a time out to regroup. I have been online AWOL and am still getting a grip on things.

However, New Year, new perspective, new round in this thing we call Life.

I like this message:

Because:

And I will try harder to remember, in times of panic:

Because as long as I can have faith and hold on to that, the sucky things won't win.

Here is my reminder, at the bottom, in red:

A Sincere Pumpkin Patch

James' sister asked when we were going to visit a pumpkin patch for Halloween. This weekend seemed an ideal time. Sonoma County is a great place for agricultural events, so we have a nice range of choices for pumpkin patch experiences.

Because we don't want to take the time to drive to Petaluma, and brave paid parking and crowded, dusty, noisy places, we usually try our side of the Petaluma grade. We've tried a local farm about 3 miles from our house. This year, however, they are not doing a patch. Our favourite place has been Grandma's in Healdsburg.

This weekend I really wanted to keep it simple, as James was having a fussy day. I had noticed a Pumpkin Patch sign along a country lane that ended into my work commute. So I piled the kids in the car and we headed there. I am so glad I did, because we discovered the newest, sweetest little pumpkin patch ever.

There were barely 2 dozen pumpkins left on the hay-strewn patch of ground. Growing beds flanked the pumpkins and the sprinkler was spritzing away at them. A few cheerful decorations were set up, and the man who had been spinning the pumpkin sign at the entrance hurried up the lane to greet us and explain that this was their first year selling pumpkins.

A large black truck had followed us in. When the driver heard this new patch did not have a bounce house, hay rides, or a corn maze, he turned right around and headed back out. This left us free to roam about and explore what was there. It was like having our own, personal pumpkin patch. It felt very down home, and sincere.

We ended up buying a pumpkin, a small pumpkin, and a gourd. Joshua, our sales guy, thanked us for coming, made a good push to sell us some Indian Corn, and finally invited us to come back in December, when they would be selling Christmas trees. He was quite funny about uses for the gourd. My daughter has plans based on his ideas.

I think we'll be back. Great Pumpkin, if you are looking for a Sincere Pumpkin Patch, make sure you stop by Shiloh Road!

They have a wonderfully quirky sense of humour!

Morning Glory

It's Fall. Summer foliage and warmth have been slowly slipping from us. Just this past week, nighttime temps started diving. I added a blanket at night and in the morning, the leaves responded with new bursts of colour.

On Friday, I came out the front door as the sun cleared the hills in back of our house. The light flared the trees into vivid colour; their fallen leaves blazed up and glowed from the ground below. It was breath-takingly beautiful.

Halloween is this week -- the kids are so excited!