New position at ASU

I am humbled that my alma mater, ASU, has asked me to be a part of their facilitator team in the program I graduated from (it's now split into 2 programs - I will be part of the Behavior Analyst program). I probably should become a Sun Devils fan now. And create more hours in the day.

It happenend again....more school disappointment

I am seriously at a loss for words. I see that my son, who is at the top of his class in math, gets a 61 on a math test and I can't help but be pissed. You know why he scored a 61? Because no one read him the instructions, which is part of his IEP! He has progressed to a 2nd grade reading level which is great, but I am constantly told "he loses focus." I have respect for teachers but I am struggling with the concept that they cannot see past their own noses and change up their teaching style for an exceptional kid. Trust me....my son is not the only one who needs help, but because he is the one with the dx, he is now labeled as "loses focus" and "hard to teach." As sassy as I can be, I have been patiently waiting for this to get resolved. The best part is when, in Joey's meeting, I am asked "Do you think you could help our Behavior Interventionist with other kids? She's new." Ummm no. Try helping my kid first. I guess I'm going to have to get loud and risk Joey not having his variance approved next year. But at this point, I don't even know if we'd stay at Parkridge. Feeling disappointed.

Game 6, the Sox, and the bloody sock all over again

Although today was the best day of my life 9 years ago, Eric Rodman had to remind me that it was also the day of the Bloody Sock, also known as Game 6 of the ALCS, Yanks vs. Sox and the Sox won! And tonight, the Sox won Game 6 again. But no bloody sock. Still traumatized. Link: http://www.thepeskypole.net/2011/10/october-19-2004-bloody-sock.html Wednesday, October 19, 2011 October 19, 2004: The Bloody Sock The greatest thing about Game 6 is how it still bothers Yankee fans. Yankee fans still refuse to admit that Curt Schilling had anything wrong with his ankle. They are convinced the blood was fake and Schilling was just creating the drama. As a Red Sox fan I love it, it shows just how much the collapse bothers Bronx Nation. The facts are the facts, Schilling only made 11 starts the following season because of surgery and had an ERA of 5.69. Schilling was not the same in 2005 and in reality was never the same after that incredible night in 2004. It was the ultimate sacrifice by Schilling, he went out there on one leg and forever changed the Red Sox franchise. He will always be remembered for it and it was the kind of thing that may just push the Cooperstown doors open for him. The bloody sock will live on forever and be a thorn in the side of Yankee fans as long as there is baseball. BOX SCORE The Schilling heroics were far from the only story line from this game. Bronson Arroyo and the Alex Rodriguez saga continued in the 8th inning. The saga actually got it's start back on July 24th when Arroyo plunked AROD on his elbow pad in a game the Yankees were dominating. This touched off the infamous bench clearing brawl with Jason Varitek giving AROD a picture perfect facial. The Red Sox woke up on that day and came from behind and beat the Yankees with a walk off homer by Bill Mueller against the great Mariano Rivera. The Red Sox would use that win as a rallying point and it transformed them from a team that wasn't looking like postseason material into a very dangerous pennant contender. With the Red Sox up 4-2 in the 8th inning they turned to Arroyo. The Red Sox bullpen was on fumes and Arroyo who served most of the season as the fifth starter was now asked to get three very big outs before turning things over to Keith Foulke. Arroyo struck out Tony Clark for the first out of the inning and then gave up a double to Miguel Cairo and a single to Derek Jeter. AROD was up with runners on the corners with one out in a two run game. Rodriguez had a chance to build a reputation right here as a true Yankee and a great postseason performer. Instead, he dribbled a ball off the end of his bat and then slapped the ball out of the glove of Arroyo.  As the ball was rolling free, Cairo and Jeter scored. Alex was standing on second base and the game was briefly tied. I was watching in utter horror. Jeter was pumping his fist as he touched home plate and I was contemplating throwing my television out my bedroom window. The umpires came to the rescue and for the first time in the history of postseason baseball the Yankees did not get the call. Arroyo got Gary Sheffield to pop up and the Red Sox dream was alive and kicking. AROD would go hitless in Game 7 and would struggle the next several years in the postseason. He would briefly redeem himself in 2009 but Rodriguez will be more known for his big game failures than for anything else and it all started with that at bat against Bronson Arroyo seven years ago tonight. While AROD began a personal trend of postseason failure, the Red Sox second basemen entered his name into Red Sox lore. Mark Bellhorn was booed incessantly by Red Sox fans throughout the 2004 playoffs. He hit just .091 against the Angels in the first round. Fans wanted Pokey Reese, but Terry Francona stuck with him, beginning a pattern that would define Francona's mangerial career in Boston. He always stuck with his veterans, it was a trait that angered many Red Sox fans but it was his style to the very bitter end. In Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS it paid off.  The Red Sox would win 4-2 and force a Game 7 thanks to a Mark Bellhorn three run homer and an incredible performance from Curt Schilling. Two of Tito's veterans stepped up when it mattered most making this 2004 team one to remember for the ages.

Happy 9th Birthday Joey!

Happy 9th Birthday to my sweet little pepper! How wonderful to hear you joke with your friends (you have friends!), hear your belly laughs, and know that you are just like the other boys. There is no difference, no standing out. You understand my sass and give it right back to me! Hard to believe that a little more than 6 years ago, you spoke less than 20 words. You amaze me everyday! I am definitely going to annoy you and cry today because half your childhood is over. In the first 9 years, you learned to walk and talk, enjoy Italian food, and ride a bike; you started school and learned how to make friends; you learned how to complete your morning and night routines by yourself; and you learned what it meant to care about someone else. In the next 9 years, you will learn how to drive, go to high school, and become a young man. I can't wait to see what is in store, but know you will always be my little man. "You are the best thing that's ever been mine." I <3 you!

Favorites from your 9th year:

Games:  Skylanders, Sonic Colors

Food:  Noodle soup, oatmeal cream pies, Sidekicks shakes, vanilla shakes, Lunchables, Crunch bars, hot dogs

Sports to play:  Soccer (in your 3rd season now!)

Friends:  Connor (play time every week), Chase, Donovyn & Tristyn, and Xavier (all of whom were at Guys Night)

Clothes:  still anything soft but we're slowly working into itchy clothes territory!

Joey's Hope Blog is 5 years old!

To commemorate the 5th anniversary of starting this blog and documenting our journey, I decided to repost the very 1st post. My, how far we've come.

Joey's Journey in Silence

Joseph was born October 19, 2004. He was by all means a pleasant baby. He was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. He reached all his physical milestones early or at the appropriate time. He even had his full set of teeth in by his 1st birthday...yet he barely said a word. At his one year check up, his pediatrician asked how many words he spoke and he barely said ten.

During his second year, Joey was noticeably quiet. As friends' children the same age were advancing with their speech, Joey was not. He was more advanced than other children when it came to everything else so I wasn't worried. As his second birthday approached, my Mom voiced her concern that he wasn't repeating after us. I spoke to his pediatrician who ordered a hearing test and a consultation with an ENT. The audiologists were concerned and wanted to see him back for a retest when the middle ear fluid cleared up, while the ENT thought it was too soon to put tubes in his ears. The audiologists also hooked me up with a program through the state to get Joey started with speech therapy, which I started shortly after Joey's 2nd birthday.

I had Joey's hearing retested in March '07 and again I was told to bring him back when there was no middle ear fluid. He was prone to ear infections but was not having one at the time of the test so how was I to know when the middle ear fluid was present? I brought him back to the ENT, who finally agreed to place tubes in both ears. Joey had his surgery a few weeks later and on the very same day, he started repeating after us!

The ENT said Joey had "glue ear" because the middle ear fluid was solidifying. He heard everything as if he were underwater. I can't imagine what that was like and feel terrible for not catching it sooner. When your children don't have a voice, parents need to be their voice and I failed my son by not being his soon enough.

5 years ago today

It's hard to believe 5 years ago, we had our 1st appointment at the Melmed Center (Joey was dx'd later on 9/11). Who knew how much our lives were about to change...

And on August 19th, it will be 5 years ago that I started this blog!

This is what my Mom wrote on Facebook in response to my status above:
August 18th has always been an important date in my life -- 41 years ago I lost my father and my life was changed forever but it became a happy date when we bought our house on LI 36 years ago and all our lives changed for the better. I knew it would be another important day when we took Joey to Melmed 5 years ago -- I'd like to think my father has been watching over Joey and helping with the phenomenal changes that have taken place these last 5 years -- thanks Dad!

The first week (and a half) of 3rd grade

We have survived our first full week (and 2 days)!

The first day went well. We got there 24 minutes early and just in time to snag the last parking spot. New classroom, no familiar faces, and he says he doesn't remember his teacher, who is the mother of a classmate from 2nd grade / former t-ball teammate. I annoyed him with my usual pictures. He was anxious just to get into his classroom. I told him to unpack his backpack and he said "You do it." I knew he was feeling anxious so I helped him unpack and showed him how to organize his desk.

This was the first year I didn't pick him up from the first day - my dad  did - so I was anxious to find out how his first day went. When I got to my parents house to pick him up, I asked "How was your first day?" His response?  "Horrible." Why? Because he says it made summer vacation end.

The second day went better and he came home telling me that his day was "good" which was an upgrade from "horrible." But it didn't start out good. We arrived on the playground like we did everyday last year. I waited with him for the bell to ring and for him to line up with his class. But today was different. I totally forgot that it was a new year and a new grade, which meant a new line to find.

When the bell rang, I asked him if he knew where to go. He said "Yes" and ran off. As I turned to leave, he ran over to me with panic in his voice and said "I don't know where to go." We walked over and when we weren't sure, I asked Mrs. Yanez. She said her line was right in front. When I got Joey in the right line, he said, "This doesn't look like my class. I don't know anybody." I assured him it was the right class and pointed out Kayla from 1st grade. He was still visibly upset. I was so worried about him that I drove up to school between appointments in S. Phoenix to have lunch with him and make sure he was having a good day. When I got there, he introduced me to Samuel and Leland. Samuel is the boy that earlier that day, Mrs. Yanez told me Joey was playing rock, paper, scissors with on the 1st day and resulted in him having his desk moved. When she told me, I couldn't believe my ears. My son got in trouble for socializing! Music to my ears! Words I never thought I'd hear!!

The third day started without a hitch and ended with Joey and Connor walking out together and asking if they could have a play date. I had a feeling this might happen and I'm glad it did. Connor had asked the day before if they could have a play date soon and on the way to pick Joey up from school, Connor's dad had texted me about the possibility that afternoon.

Monday started the first full week of school. It also was the day he was ok with me leaving him on the playground before the bell rang! We got into the groove of daily homework and a new way of taking a spelling test. He forgot his folder on Monday and we had to run back to school. He knew I was upset and said "I'm very sorry. Is there any way I can make it up to you?" He promised he wouldn't do it again. My boy is growing up.

By Wednesday, it was time for Grandpa to pick him up again and I guess there was an issue on the first day. Well, there is always confusion on the first day, but I found out through Mrs. Yanez that he told her he was an am/pm kid and so he was there instead of at Jamba Juice. When we were trying to coordinate where Grandpa would pick him up, he was visibly frustrated. I know it was because he gets confused and is starting to feel frustrated about it. Another thing to show he is growing up. I tell myself that we can work on it. As a mom, I just never want him to feel anything other than happy.

The first full week ended with Connor coming to our house for a play date. Unfortunately, at 2:45p.m., I was called by the nurse because the teacher sent Joey to the nurse because "he smelled. He smelled yesterday but it was worse today" (that's what the nurse said the teacher said). It was a bump in the road that we've been working on and it has improved, but that incident was a reminder that we still have some work to do.

On to full week #2 and a wonderful year of growth, new friends, new experiences, and overcoming learning obstacles. I love my sweet boy!