New Look

You have probably noticed things looks a little different. :) I love our new template, Falling Maple! Maples are one of my favorite trees and this time a year in north Georgia is incredible! When I saw this blog template, I knew I had to have it! I am working through the ins and outs of this new template and will hopefully have it completely functional by the end of this weekend. It comes from an awesome designer, Lena, who owns Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates. If you are a blogger who has to rely on the generosity of freebies, check her out!! She is amazing!!! She also has very inexpensive customizable premades, Premades with Purpose, to help raise money for their adoption expenses. Go read her story and buy a template, even if you don't need one! :)

Undershirts Under the Jammies!

My latest stress saver is having Music Man and Farm Boy put their undershirt on after their baths at night. Living in a older farm house with no central heat means mornings are chilly! The boys often complain about having to take off their warm jammies even after we heat up the room to change clothes in. We save time, stress and whining by putting their jammies on over an undershirt at night. It keeps them warmer on chilly nights and I don't have to listen to "I'm coold!!!" We personally love the Hanes Tagless. One Hanes Place has great prices too!

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a day we can remember those babies gone from our life too soon. Please light a candle in your time zone at 7:00PM to remember all babies who were lost before they got a chance to live.


If you are in the Monroe, GA area, please join us at the Historic Courthouse tonight as we gather to pay tribute to our little ones.


Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Historic Courthouse

Monroe, GA

7:00PM


*Rain or Shine!*

The Zoe Foundation Charity

I had the pleasure of speaking with an incredible mother the end of last week. Out of the grief of losing her daughter, Zoe, she formed The Zoe Foundation Charity which will be providing funeral expenses to families who lose babies at or before birth. They are still in the beginning stages of developing their website, but they do have their first fundraiser planned for this coming Friday night in Savannah! If you are in the area and would like to participate, please contact them directly.

Zoe Foundation Charity

Pregnancy Loss Remembrance Day Service

Photo by natalicek

The public is invited to remember all babies lost at or before birth on

Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Remembrance Day
Candlelighting Service

Thursday, October 15, 2009
Historic Courthouse Square
Monroe, GA

Remembering Your Baby
www.rememberingyourbaby.org
770.207.1443

Homestead Academy: Calendar Math

We are beginning with the very basics of math (well, of every subject really!) Here is Music Man helping me organize our newly laminated calendar. He is putting them in number order and we will add them to our calendar later today.

FOM Dance - Dance Therapy for special needs children, Athens, GA

Noah is loving his dance therapy! They meet on Monday evenings from 4:45PM -5:30PM at Freedom of Movement Dance Academy in Bogart. Dance Therapy is offered free of charge for individuals with special needs! It is such a blessing for the kids and their families! Not only do they have a fantastic teacher, each student has their very own helper/assistant!! Please check them out if you are interested in dance classes of any kind!

FOM Dance - Dance Therapy for special needs children, Athens, GA

School-school

You may hear me talk about school-school occasionally. This is our term for public school. When we began exploring the idea of homeschooling, our boys would say things like "are you talking about real school or homeschool?" I had to quickly nix that line of thought and coined our new way of talking about public school. I did not want them to think of homeschool as not real or even pretend school. This comes, I guess, from the fact they both started in public school. *sigh*

Woo Hoo!!! We're back!

We finally have internet access again! I am so completely thrilled!!! I'll be blogging again regularly! So much has happened that I haven't blogged that I don't really know where to start. I'll begin sorting through posts and get them up as soon as possible. Jason has also started a blog.

Save the Date: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day Oct 15

I have reserved the Historic Courthouse in Monroe, GA for our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day Remembrance Service. Remembering Your Baby has hosted a service for the last two years in Hernando, MS. This year I will be hosting it in Monroe since I live here now.

If you are in the Hernando/Memphis area and want to volunteer to host the service, please let me know ASAP! I would love to see it continue to be help there!

All Heart Photography: The Chandler's

We had pictures done in July when one of our closest and dearest friends came for a visit. Here is a link to the full session (on her blog!)

All Heart Photography: The Chandler's

Happy Birthday to My Little Sis!

Today is my little sister's 34th birthday! Happy Birthday, Gyp! You are a wonderful mom, a dedicated daughter, loving aunt and awesome sister! I love you so much!

Two Weeks Down and 36 to Go!

No, I am not talking about a pregnancy!! We are two weeks into the school year and it has been a challenge already. My challenge is mainly due to Farm Boy being in public school while Music Man is at home with me. Music Man and I are doing great, (though he still asks (a lot) if he can go play while we are supposed to be doing our schoolwork.) I’ve been reading a lot about homeschooling and the consensus is, for those who do not homeschool from the beginning, that it takes one month (or more) for each year that a child was in public school to de-school and get into homeschool mode. Homeschool is so different. It is not stressful though patience is definitely something I am learning! Music Man thrives on routine so though we do not have to have every minute planned out like a classroom in public school, I do attempt to follow a schedule so he is in a routine. (I think I've found a great system - to be posted early next week!)

Our garden has become a challenge as well as what is left of it is ripening quickly and ready to be “put up.” Then there is the challenge of getting my night owl up for school, snuggled (hope he doesn’t grow out of that for a long time!) fed, dressed and to school on time while getting Music Man ready for our day as well. I can’t very well visit Farm Boy’s school in my pjs so I also have get myself somewhat presentable before we leave the house in the morning.

Farm Boy has to be at school no later than 8:25AM. We try to get out of the house around 8:00AM so he has a little time to “visit” before school starts. Music Man and I get back home around 8:30AM and try to start school about 9:00AM. I would love to start sooner, but usually we have to finish up a few chores before we can get started. We work until noon and then break for lunch. He usually wants to lay down after lunch and naps until we have to get Farm Boy from school. Music Man reads to me and we review in the car on the way to get Farm Boy and then they snack in the car after Farm Boy gets in. I give them a bit of free time when we get home. Farm Boy has the option of joining us at 4:00PM for afternoon reading time (he usually does) and then we break about 5:00PM for the evening. Occasionally we have to working a little longer in the afternoon depending on start time in the morning.

We will soon be adding our extra activities to the schedule: Upward Soccer for Farm Boy, Dance Therapy for Music Man, small group and hopefully drum lessons for Music Man – we are still working on that one. Anyway, that is an update in a nutshell.

New Code Names in Blog

I have decided to make my blog a little safer for my family and keep them a little more anonymous to the outside world. This also negates the need for password-protecting my site and allows people I do not know the opportunity to read it without having to subscribe with permission. For those who have been following my webpage-turned-blog since my oldest was a baby and we kept everyone up-to-date on his accomplishments, it may be a somewhat of a challenge to get into the code names I have chosen. Hopefully the picture key will help you keep up with who is who though I think they are pretty self explanatory if you really know my kids. :)

So without further ado, I introduce you to:

Music Man


Farm Boy

For ~Joeli~ on Her Sixth Birthday

Butterfly 2
Originally uploaded by Cupcake Land by ShamsD

Do not tell me she is in a better place -
Her place is here with her mother.

Do not tell me that God needed her -
God made all the angels he needed before time began.

Do not tell me you know how I feel -
You have not buried a child.

Do not tell me to get over it -
You never get over losing a piece of you.

Just tell me you love me.
That you remember her.
That you are here for me.
That you wish there was something you can do to ease my pain.

There is nothing you can do but it helps to hear you say it and to know you care.

Introducing Music Man

This blog is about my homeschool adventures with my special kid, Music Man. He has FG Syndrome, a rare genetic syndrome characterized by heart defects, low muscle tone (hypotonia) and developmental delay along with many other nondescript anomalies. He has been in a center-based program since he was three and has always received good services where we were (first in FL then in MS.) However, after we moved back home to GA, we were unable to get the support he needed. So our homeschooling adventure began. My only regret is that we did not do it sooner. The difference in Music Man has been amazing. He is reading - phonetically!!! He LOVES math. All this coming from a kid we were told would never walk or talk. He is super-focused on school and is able to get his work done without the distractions that plaque a regular or SPED classroom. He also has time to do other things like dance therapy or drum lessons! He only takes a nap a few times a week rather than everyday like he used to. He enjoys co-op and Homeschool PE through local groups. We have a blast eating lunch together every day, visiting the library once a week and park days with friends. It is truly amazing to see how this kid has changed. It was an adjustment for us. But one so worth it!

Summer is Sailing By!

Sailing into the susnet
Originally uploaded by Swamibu

We are still without internet access at home so my blogging has been sporadic. It has been two months since I blogged and I miss it!!

We are a mere two weeks (!!) away from school starting. I am so unhappy with that, let me tell ya! We had exactly TWO MONTHS, just eight short weeks for summer break. Walton County is leaning more and more towards year-round school. There are periodic breaks throughout the school year called Intersessions and they come a week at a time with a longer one at Christmas and sometimes the traditional Spring Break we grew up having.

All that being said, we are planing to homeschool Noah this year. We have had summer school throughout the summer and we are working well together. He is learning again. We are enjoying spending time with one another and having a great time writing, reading and creating things! I am struggling with sending Adin to kindergarten. I have really enjoyed having both of them this summer. I would love to have both of them home this school year well. The plan right now is to send Adin for kindergarten so I can focus on Noah and then re-evaluate at the end of the year.

I am still looking at curriculum options and deciding what Noah needs. I will update you all on that closer to school starting.

Please pray for us as we embark on this journey of homeschooling. I am very excited but it is a lifestyle change for us. It will also be a little difficult having Adin in school and following a rigorous schedule dictated by the county and Noah and I being able to live while learning and learn by living.

Our Thought-Provoking Ideas about Socialization by Tammy G.

~From the Weird Kids website.

(1) Children with moderate to severe autism (like our daughter: she's
moderate--maybe high if her language ever gets close to catching up) are usually pigeonholed in special ed. They are not usually grouped with peers who provide good role models for social skills and are often lumped in with emotionally disturbed children.

Homeschooled children have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities with good social role models in smaller inclusive settings like church, youth groups, lessons (music, sports, art), etc.

(2) Children with autism usually have hypersensitivity to sounds, making inclusion difficult even for the most capable children. A classroom with 22 kids is anything but quiet, hindering their ability to learn.

Homeschooled children can have peace and quiet when it's time to learn. They can be exposed to stressful noisy settings in small doses so they can figure out coping mechanisms as they mature.

(3) Children are usually required to sit at their desks most of the day and are discouraged from socializing for most of their classroom time. School is a great place for meeting large numbers of children. But it does not always provide many chances for quality socialization with 1:1 interaction with people who share common interests (not common labels or ages).

(4) Most schools allow to some socialization during PE, recess and lunch, which are absolute disasters for some children with autism due to the noise, lack of structure and chaos. Homeschooling can allow parents to carefully select social settings which minimize distracting factors and maximize the child's strengths (a talent or keen interest of the child's).

(5) As adults, WE do not socialize only in groups of 22 or more people exactly our ages. Adult autistics will probably socialize like us, with people of a variety of ages with whom they share common interests or meet at work. Homeschooling offers more socialization opportunities in situations autistic children will more likely face as adults (shopping, church, interests, libraries, family gatherings, etc).

(6) Peers do not necessarily provide appropriate models of socialization for imitation. Ignorant teachers don't either (not all teachers are ignorant: wonderful teachers are treasures). In the worst case situations, autistic children are ignored, physically and mentally abused, singled out and teased by ignorant, uncompassionate people.

Because children are lumped by age, autistic children stick out so much sometimes they end up being magnets for bullies. Homeschooled peers are less aware of subtle differences between what is cool and uncool because they spend more time with children of a variety of ages and a variety of abilities.

The Bottomline on Socialization for Our Family:
I would much rather have a child who looks forward to spending time with peers, who may be a bit rough on the edges, than a child who's so afraid of messing up they feel major stress and self-hatred. Our daughter used to avoid being around other children at school and went to the opposite side of the room as much as possible. She no longer does that in a group. When we first started homeschooling, she had a very hard time joining a group craft activity during story time! Now she sits at the table and watches what other children are doing to get ideas for art. She's really blossomed in the past four years. More importantly is her reaction when co-op is cancelled: our daughter gets very upset because she looks forward to her classes. And, now if she sees a classmate at church or at the store, she smiles at them. And, yes, she has attended their birthday parties, slumber parties and other common events in a typical child's social life.

In a nutshell, gentle introduction into society in tolerable doses avoids the trauma of prolonged exposure to noise, chaos and occasional abusive treatment in traditional schools. Having the desire to socialize due to low quantity but high quality social experiences may help more in the long run than killing the desire due to high quantity but low quality experiences!

Tammy G.

"A parent's love perceives no limitations."
Copyright 1999 Tammy G
http://www.weirdkids.com/autism/socialization.htm

Blog Name Change

I think I must have been pregnant when I created our website name, The Chandler Family Web Home." It is long and cumbersome and just sounds like something I would think was catchy when I was pregnant. It reminds me of the Christmas tree I created in ALL red and white decorations while we were in Florida and I was pregnant with Adin. It was all red and white.

EVERYTHING.

Red balls. White lights. A red and white paper chain made from scrapbooking paper. Oh yes, I thought it looked good. I don't think it really had any ornaments on it except for candy canes. And we all know what color those are.

So I have decided to change the name of my website after many, many years. We'll try this one out and see if it fits. Let me know what you think. Post em here or email me.

We love you all!


Dawn

First Lost Tooth

Last night while I was getting out of the shower, I heard some commotion in what should have been a very quiet house. The boys had already gone to bed and Jason was packing for his trip to Mississippi. I heard Jason tell me to put a robe on so Farm Boy could show me something. They came in and Farm Boy screamed "I wost a toof Mommy!" He then attempted to show me the hole in his mouth but every time he opened his mouth so I could see, his bottom lip would cover his teeth making it impossible to see anything. This went on for a good thirty minutes as I tried no less than ten times to take a picture. The one above was the last one I took and you can see my thumb in it. He loved showing it off today as we went to Jason's parent's house and then at school all day. I still can't get used to it. I cannot believe how big he is getting!!