It's been awhile....

I'd use the excuse that it's summer but really this week is the first that actually feels like my favourite season. Hot, Humid, Sticky, Yeah baby bring it on!. Winter is way too long in this country so I welcome the sun with open arms.

It feels as though I have been trapped under a mountin of things that need to be done and I never have enough time. Really who wants to hear me complain about all that anyways. I actually have something to talk about.

Today was our second appointment at McMaster Children's Hospital and after 3 hours of testing we recieved the official diagnosis. My Fey Princess has Asperger's Syndrome. Not a big shock since we have suspected this for a very long time. To be honest I didn't want an official diagnosis. My fear being that some jerk will tell her she can't do something. I never want her not to try because she has Aspergers.
BUT (and it's a big BUT)
I can't get her the help she NEEDS from the school board, without the diagnosis. Hello Mr Rock and Mr Hardplace. She is going into highschool in a few years and without any extra help she will quicky fall through the cracks and be lost. That's a risk I'm not willing to take.

We spoke to her about it and while she doesn't completely understand what it is, she is happy to hear that she will get more help in school and that she isn't the only person.


Famous Aspergerians

Albert Einstein, Alan Turing
Al Gore, Andy Kaufman
Andy Warhol, Bill Gates
Bob Dylan, Carl Jung
Hans Asperger, Henry Ford
Isaac Asimov, Isaac Newton
Jane Austen, Mark Twain
Michael Palin, Mozart (could be ADHD instead)
Nikola Tesla, Thomas Jefferson
Vincent Van Gogh, Woody Allen

Aspergers characters in film and TV series:

Commander Data from Star Trek Next Generation
Mr Spock from Star Trek Original Series
Rodney McKay from Stargate Atlantis
Seven-of-Nine from Star Trek Voyager
Chauncy Gardener, played by Peter Sellers in Being There is a particularly good portrayal
Jerry Espenson from Boston Legal (and also possibly Tourette Syndrome)

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Thankfully the rain held off today and we actually got a few bits of sun. Took the kids and dogs to Lowville and visited the trails and played in the river. it was a lot of fun and reminded Chris and I how we used to do stuff like this all the time when the kids were young. Sadly we have gotten very lazy about going anywhere now that we have a house with a pool. Pool is great but I had forgotten how much we enjoy heading out somewhere and have fun.

So we all decided that we are going to do our 'Sundays' again and actually go somewhere else other then the backyard.

I try not to speak ill of the dead.

It seems like everywhere I look today there are tributes to Michael Jackson. I know I'm not going to be popular in my views but really does the general public that this short of a memory.

This was a man who was just not right, and was probably more messed up then anyone ever knew.

Does mean I am glad to see him dead? No, of course not. Having a person's life end when they are only half way through it, is sad. On the other hand, the world is short one pedophile and his children might have a chance at a normal life. As long as there isn't some sort of long drawn out custody battle. Anyone else remember what happened to Anna Nicole's daughter? At least that little girl wasn't old enough to understand, the Jackson children are much older then that.

But to see everyone carrying on about his death like they are? There was a time when he was a talented musician, who I hope enjoyed his life and his music. Long before the plastic surgery, and extreme behaviour. He was the SELF-APPOINTED king of pop, it's not like he won a contest or anything.

To carry on like the music business will never be the same again? I think that's insulting to all the musicians out there that are incredibly talented, and don't rely on outrageous behaviour to bolster their sagging careers.

GOLD!!!

The kidlets last competition this year was on the weekend, in Oshawa. She did so awesome!

1st place Vault

2nd place Bars

3rd place Floor

7th place Beam

1st place Over-All

Want to know what is really amazing. She woke up that morning with a pounding headache, fever and throwing-up. She was a wreck but cried when we said that she might not be able to compete. She napped all morning and we finally got the fever down. She perked up and we decided to let her go.

It's over an hour drive there and when we arrived she was spiraling downhill again. Took another Tylenol and she sat on my lap and snuggled. At that point, she was changing her mind. I told her to go a head and do her warm up and see how she felt after that. Hoping that might take her mind off how she felt. It worked and once the adrenaline started pumping she did fine. Although she looked green/gray and ready to hurl when the judges weren't looking.

She crashed in the car on the way home and slept right through till late the next day. I still can't believe that she got through it all feeling the way she did. Man, she is one tough kid.

A cause close to my heart.

Many of you already know that I have a child with special needs and recently posted about finally getting an appt with Mac after waiting a year. The frustrating part is, once the kidlet is formally diagnosed I face more waiting lists in my future. Every year there a fewer and fewer programs out there to help kids with special needs. If you don't live in the GTA you could be double screwed because you have even less avenues to find help.

I got this from the OPSEU website. Send an e-mail to Premier Dalton McGuinty and Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services. If they get enough pressure from us then maybe, hopefully they will do something about it. You know that whole 'squeaky wheel gets the grease' saying. If we don't make noise then we could be facing ever longer lists.



Send email to: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
cc: dmatthews.mpp@liberal.ola.org
bcc: ghamara@opseu.org


Subject: Restore funding to Children’s Mental Health Services – Now!

CUT AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:

Dear Premier McGuinty/Minister Matthews,

In Ontario today more than 600,000 children and youth struggle to cope with mental health challenges.

Since 1993, successive governments have “put off until tomorrow” investment in our children and youth’s future. For 14 out of 16 years, core budgets in Children’s Mental Health Services have received a zero per cent funding increase, despite a 31 per cent cost-of-living increase in that same time period.

Flat line core budgets result in operating deficits. That means programs are cut or reduced to their bare bones. Staff are laid off and vacancies go unfilled.

“Tomorrow” has caught up to us. Today, more than 11,000 children and youth now languish on waitlists. As you know, those lists are growing longer each and every day.

I urge you to give these children and youth the hope they need that there will be a healthy tomorrow: restore funding to Children’s Mental Health Services today.


Sincerely,

Name: (Insert your name here)

Mailing Address: (insert your full mailing address here)

Flananas

Ryleigh and I have been baking and came up with a fun recipie using my flower pans. She dubbed them FLANANAS. I have a feeling these are going to be a common treat around here.



1c brown sugar
1/2c white sugar
1/4 butter

2eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2c mashed bananas
1t vanilla

2c flour
1t baking soda
1t baking powder
1/2t salt
1t cinnamon
1/8t ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix your dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, cream your butter and sugar, and mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. Then fold the dry into the wet. Fill greased flower shapes, heaping but not overflowing.

Bake for 10 minutes, let sit for 1 minute and then put them on a wire rack to cool. Makes 36 flowers
Enjoy!

(If you use all the batter in a loaf pan, bake for 50 min)

One of the best Mother's Day prezzies...

How perfect it this!? I love it. Scarcasm and skulls and it fits a large double double from Timmies. Combined with a gift card to Chapters and a blow up chair I can use in the pool this summer, I got spoiled.