Posts Tagged "Play"
Eshiva
Since I posted about the other two…
Shivie is doing great! She is loving dance class. We signed her up for school for next year. VPK covers 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, and an extra 50$ a week gets us the full day (7:30 – 3). She gets breakfast, lunch and a snack at 3. She’ll get once a week swimming lessons, they have a large outdoor play area, a huge indoor gym and they follow the High Reach curriculem. I need to do some reasearch into that, but it’s more than just “day care.” She is excited, and honestly, I am too! I already have plans to repaint the downstairs next August or September. It’s a good thing :-)
Read MoreDorian’s first sheet music!
Dorian has been playing his acoustic guitar non stop, and we picked up a book for his earlier this week on how to play and read/write music and what not. He is up to quarter notes and wrote this for me (he has no clue about what note goes on what line yet):
Updatey Goodness!
I haven’t updated in a while… lots to say! Let’s start with the good news. I sent this email to family a few days ago:
Just spreading a little fantabulous news, Malachai had his therapy evals last week, and he is done with PT! This is amazing, because not six months ago he would fall over standing still. No joke. Now he can balance on one leg so long he can’t count that high (ok, maybe he can, but it’s a long time!) He is still in speech and occupational therapies, but those are improving too. They will re-evaluate him in another six months. Maybe in the next six months he will learn how to sit in, and stay in, a chair ;)
Not only is therapy going well, but he only missed one word on his spelling test today (out of ten words) and he has been helping me read Coraline at night. His speech therapist suggested I talk to the school and see what kind of literature we can tie into his daily work to keep him interested. He reads like crazy for her, not so much for me. Apparently, I just hadn’t picked the right books. We’re reading The Tale of Despereaux next (Dorian’s choice). I think I will be moving a bunch of books down the shelf for Eshiva, and finding some more appropriate books for Mal & Dor.
Speaking of Dorian, he is doing basketball after school once a week and he loves it. I think we’ll continue to do it once it’s up. It runs in five week sessions and he started last week. I looked into the local rec center for something for both the boys to do, as our PT suggested Mal do some type of sport. I don’t know what, but we’ll find something. I think they are looking into karate (ok, I am pushing karate) but I am not going to push it if he’s really not into it. We were also thinking bowling, but the PT specificaly said sports that work the entire body. We need to increase (and maintain) his muscle tone, as it’s significantly “below age level.” Eshiva is going to be taking a dance class once a week in the mornings, and she is uber-excited about that. She wont stop talking about it, in fact.
Shivie is a little chatterbox, and thinks she’s a princess. She recently discovered dinosaurs (and I wish we lived closer to DC, because there are no decent dino exhibits around here that I can find) and barbie. She turns four on Feb 10th and woe be unto you if you try and tell her she’s three.
Everyone else is well. Dad and Michael and still employed (yay!) and I am still getting enough work to buy fun stuff by freelancing (also yay!). Michael and Sara are looking into the SAT and making plans and doing all that fun 17 year old stuff.
Ah… I think that wraps us up! I’m sure there is more, but it’s daily stuff. I was just so excited about Malachai! He is still having troubles, but there is a light.
and I posted this to PM’s yesterday:
Michael was given written notification today that the therapy place we go is closing on Friday.
Fucking economy.
They are going to try to farm everyone out to other locations, and we may be able to keep our OT if the other place she works can fit him in (and if they take our ins and if it’s in a reasonable drive). Our ST was an intern.
What really stinks is I really, really like our ST, and WTF giving us one weeks notice?
I know we can find someplace else (hell, maybe the place a few blocks down the street takes our ins and offers what we need) but this still stinks.
and I posted this today as a follow-up:
Yay!!! Our rockin speech gal called me up this morning and told me that she interviewed this morning at a place that is even closer and they are working their hardest to absorb all of the speech therapists AND their clients AND keep the same schedule!
She gave me the number of the new place, and I left a message around 10AM. She phoned me back around 5:30, apologized for it taking so long to get back to me, and told me what was going on. They do take our insurance, and are working to have the approvals transferred to them from our current place. She is hoping to start Monday!
We see Courtney tomorrow and Thursday and I am just thrilled it sounds like we won’t have a lapse, at least here.
I still need to find out where the place our OT works is located (she was split between the two places I guess), if they take our ins, and if we can fit in over there. I really like our OT as well – not like I like our ST, but she is awesome with Malachai. I’d hang out with our ST, not so much with our OT.
But wait, there’s more! We’re adopting a new puppy!
So, we’ve been thinking about getting a companion for Malachai for a while now. Therapy dogs are quite expensive, and the “free” ones take a lot of paperwork and legwork. No doubt they don’t deserve it, but it was more than we needed. It’s not like we were looking for a seeing eye dog or anything, you know? So, we found this little guy! We’re picking him up either Thursday or Sunday.
He’s been there for a year! I can’t imagine why someone didn’t want to take him home, but I am glad they didn’t! We drove down to Ft. Lauderdale on Monday and went back to meet him. He is so friendly, and energetic and playful. He jumped up on Eshiva, but did not knock her down. The gal who showed him to us said he gets along with all the other dogs/cats in the rescue, have never bitten anyone, and is healthy. Apparently he was purchased from a pet store, and then got sick. He had demodectic mange (yes, just like our Yorkie) but his fur is full and thick and I didn’t feel any scabs or anything on his body. They said nothing about meds or anything else, and he is neutered. This is good, because Sasha is so sick, putting her through surgery to spay her would be too taxing on her immune system (so says the vet).
He is a year and a half old, and is the perfect size. Yay!
From the rescue site:
More About Patches/Atos: Patches was purchased from a puppy store. He is a sweet fellow who is good with other animals including cats. He is waiting for a forever home with lots of playmates or toys. Walks in the park or just around the block. Nice yard to play in but not totally necessary. Patches loves his toys!
Oh, he’s a beagle/basset mix. Cuteness!
Anything else? Probably not. I am sticking with good news right now.
Read MoreCPSIA isn’t the only problem. Apathy is as well. Do something
Redistributed with permission from Immature Couture: http://immaturecouture.blogspot.com
The following happened today when I had to go out and grab some groceries for the kids and I. The past couple of months have been a whirlwind for me as most of you know. I ended up giving Kimi a few things and she was happy that she got one of the Gothic Lolita inspired outfits she helped me make/design. I wanted to share this blog with you because it really fucking hit me today… this is going to have an insane impact on so many things. We ALL as parents are going to be affected. Not just those of us that are running businesses. Take some time to read about what is going on with the CPSIA and decide for yourself if you think this law is beneficial. I personally want my kids to always be able to go into libraries, buy handmade goods that are not mass-marketed and appreciate the extra touch of a handmade blanket.
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“Your outfit is absolutely adorable!” I heard a woman say behind me and my daughter replied with, “Thank you! My Mommy has a clothing business!” and I sighed. Sighing is not my usual reaction when I get a compliment for my work. The woman and her sister were very polite and had no idea that they had just brought to surface so many terrible feelings with their compliments, “You made her outfit? It’s amazing! You really have talent and I’ve never seen anything so adorable.” They didn’t have kids but talked about how they almost wished their biological clocks started ticking simply to shop for my line of clothes. I was completely flattered but almost muted because of the recent decision to close up my Immature Couture shop. When they asked where I sold my clothes I didn’t have the energy to explain what was going on so I simply said “Online.” thanked them and went back to grocery shopping with the kids.
I want nothing more than to know that the toys my children play with are safe and will not cause them any harm. I understand the urgency to protect the children of this country from high levels of lead and stop the ridiculous recalls. What I do not understand is why these new regulations were passed with such carelessness that it requires testing for products that have virtually NO risk of lead contamination! Products like clothing, blankets, wooden toys and books! The CPSIA is essentially causing many small businesses that make products for children under the age of twelve to close up shop because of their haste in passing regulations that have an insane amount of loopholes. Congress decided that a problem caused by ridiculous and irresponsible mass-market toymakers should be solved with a solution that sucks in various other industries that are completely unrelated to toys!
Later on when the kids and I were checking out the two women approached me and asked for my business card because they wanted to tell their friends about my clothing line. I smiled and tried to explain to them as plainly as possible that as of February 10th I would be officially closing up shop because of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act . Shockingly they were outraged that they hadn’t heard of it. That they felt their rights as consumers were being taken away. That the deadline is so close and there isn’t a media outrage over it. That more small businesses are being shut down and allowing the big companies to triumph. We exchanged information, I gave them my card and they said they would be writing whoever they needed to and be in contact with me. They weren’t business owners who are effected by this nor were they parents but they were as equally outraged as most of us that have to close our shops.
The apathy that I have seen from the general public and even those that own small businesses and are not effected by the new regulations have saddened me until I spoke with these two women. They were absolutely right! This does not just hurt my business. This hurts everyone no matter if they have children or not. No matter if they have a business selling products to children under twelve or selling something that, thankfully for them, does not have to be burdened with the CPSIA. Why don’t more people care?
I loaded up the kids, put my groceries in the trunk and at that moment it finally hit me. Something I started as a side business for extra cash in hand and as a creative outlet was taken from me. Just when my business started to take off it was ripped from my hands, discarded and no real explanation for it. I sell clothes. Not jewelry. Not toys. Not anything that has been manufactured overseas or injected with lead. I design, cut, iron, serge, stitch and package every item of clothing myself. To comply with these regulations each product I made would have to be tested which means each individual component of the garment would have to be tested for lead. A 15$ onesie now costs 400$ to make simply because of the testing fees! I put sleepless nights into marketing plans, helping Etsy teams and writing blogs to help the handmade market. There is no reason for so many of us to be swept out of the way because some major corporations wanted to cut their overhead costs and put MY children in danger. I stood there and cried in the parking lot. There is no reason why so many handmade artists look away at the pain so many of us are going through simply because they are not in the same boat.
Do something. The children in this country need to be protected but by regulations that target only the products that can cause potential harm. If you don’t do it for yourself and your business, or your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or friend’s kids then do it for the sake of what’s right and stop being silent and a doormat in our society.
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
Read More02 August 2007
I’m back with my lists!
- Eshiva, because she just told me “Yay Mommy! Yay Mommy! You opened it!” because I opened her bagel. Then she told me I am a genius, for the same reason.
- my new jeans from Old Navy, because they aren’t “low-cut” and I don’t feel like a fat ass in them
- my new dog, because she really did “come” paper trained (unlike the last one we had that was supposedly trained)
- my laptop (ok, this is my favourite everyday) because I can work from bed. Naked!
- our Wii, because it has everyone in the living room playing together, which is pretty cool (unlike the other gaming systems we have/have had in the past)
I really think #1 wins lol What’s on your list today?
I have to take the twins to the doctor this morning, then run their forms over to the high school to get S registered.
Michael is going to take the dog to the vet (along with the kids… maybe I will take one of them with me…) if I am not home in time to do it myself.
I have some work to do today. I want to spend some time with the kids too. I feel like I am already running behind, and it’s barely after 8.
Read More