Being an American

The Fourth of July is, hands down, my favorite holiday of the year.  It is smack dab in the middle of summer. Many people have off from work (I recall my days in retail when that was not so!).  There are fireworks going off everywhere.  We take a moment to really reflect about our country and what patriotism really means.

I am openly critical of the government in my country because the government is set up to protect my speech.  I am allowed, whether my opinion is deemed "right" or "wrong," to criticize.  That does not mean I am not a staunch supporter of the United States.  The little face up above is why I would not want to live anywhere else.

In the public school system in my country, my son had the opportunity to enroll in school at age 3, as he was presenting developmental delays due to his autism disorder diagnosis.  He was not speaking.  He was not communicating well.  We were working with him, but he needed a jump start.  He was presented with that opportunity.  We slowly but surely progressed through Early Childhood, into Kindergarten, and through Grades 1 and 2.  He made tremendous gains.  He speaks.  He holds conversations.  He can read and write and complete math problems.  He can be a part of a class and, with the help of an aide, merge socially.

While Max's story is kind of a big deal, we have "big deals" happening all over public and private schools in our country.  Teachers who find that magic balance...the pixie dust...that allows a child to bloom at just the right time.  There are other countries who do not have this.  There are other countries where students with disabilities are marginalized and treated as less than they really are.  In the history of our own country, we have come a great distance in the area of teaching the developmentally delayed.

So, on this July 4, 2013, I feel particular pride in our country.  We teach each and every child.  We train teachers to treat children with dignity and respect, despite their backgrounds or abilities.  I am part of this educational system, and I feel fortunate that my children are as well.  With all of the system's flaws, we are definitely doing some things right.

7/4

July 4th is awesome. Our country celebrates its birthday and its freedom. It's mid-summer--some is behind us, some is in front of us. Usually it's warm weather. I love the 4th of July.

This weekend has been filled with quite a few interesting happenings.

On Thursday, we visited with Miss April from PLAY Project. We watched some interesting video from our last visit, she did some modeling, and we set up some additional suggestions for the month:
1. Play dumb. Make him show you or tell you what he wants. Make him work to show you what he wants. Use playful obstruction in play. This is a goal that I find interesting, as we have become so accustomed to "reading" Max that we really haven't done too much in allowing him to tell us what he wants.
2. Use rewarding/reinforcement. When he initiates a response (called "opening a circle"), reward him with a tickle, rub, or rough housing. Give immediate reward or sensory motor play. April pointed out the proprioceptive need he has relating to pounding his feet. After we PLAYed a great deal, he did a lot of jumping on the concrete (made me cringe) over and over, fulfilling a sensory need for pressure on his feet.
3. Use simple pretend play. Give things feelings or personalities (talk through the toys). Use slapstick humor. Use theme and variation in play. This was interesting, as during her visit he started to play on the PC. I thought for sure he was "done--" focused on his game and the rest of the world was shut off. She initiated play with a stuffed animal, as if it was playing the game, too. He engaged in this play. I guess I underestimated how much he could be drawn from his game time.

On Thursday, I also made a trip to the dentist, as, while flossing, I broke off part of my tooth. A crown will come on Monday, alas.

On Friday, after Zumba, I finally went to the podiatrist. I needed to be fitted for custom orthodics for my feet. No fracture. But the way I walk messes with the tendons on my feet (I have now messed with tendons on both of my feet due to exercise), and he felt the orthodics were necessary so I could avoid tearing a tendon, which would require surgery to fix (no thanks).

After that appointment, we headed to Rochelle, IL, to the Rochelle Railroad Park. This is a crossroads for many railroad tracks and is one of the busiest crossings in the country. Man, was it noisy, too! We then stayed in a hotel (Hilton Garden) with a very cool pool in Rockford. On Saturday, we visited the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union, IL. Great time, although way too much for Max in one 24-hour period.

Today, we started the day off with church. The whole family went, and Max was extremely well-behaved. He knew we planned to head to the car wash, one of his favorite things in the world at the moment, and that brings out the inner angel in him for sure. After the car wash, we had a series of storms, and I completely sacked out. What else do you do when it rains, right? We barbecued some tasty marinated pork chops, had some couscous, and corn on the cob, and the all-American strawberry shortcake desert. Now, we are patiently awaiting heading to the fireworks (yeah, I forgot to get sparklers this year... bummer). It's all good. :)

There are many other photos and videos on Facebook, for the ever-so-curious. My personal favorite is the car wash video... a must see!