Unexpected Snow Day

This photo is for Dad - who asked the other day if we had any snow.  I am still slightly amazed at my new perception of what constitutes "a lot of snow."  The kids had a snow day today and it took me completely by surprise.  Like - "it's 8am and the kids are putting on their snow pants to go to school and I just happened to see an e-mail" - kind of surprised.

We did not get a snow day when we got 9 inches of snow.  This was a measly 4 with about 2 more to come.  Not only that, at 8am it was practically not snowing at all.  So, yeah, unexpected.  I think maybe the school district was like "you know - we do have this extra built in snow day and it's almost March, so what the hell?"

We spent the morning hanging out with friends and the afternoon cleaning (me), making a huge mess (Allison), and playing video games followed by playing outside (Jacob).  At least my school was cancelled too - though it's totally going to throw a wrench in my schedule. 

Breaking up with the therapist

So, I think it might be over.  Our relationship with the therapist, that is.  It's been almost a year since we got this current therapist; more than a year since we lost the good therapist.  I think I'm ready for a break.  And I'm not even going to pretend "it's not her it's me."  Because - it's totally her.

Granted, I LIKE the therapist.  She's nice.  She's energetic.  She's willing to play hide and seek.  Allison loves her.  But, sometimes love is not enough. 

She's young.  She's inexperienced.  She doesn't push, and what's the point of therapy if you aren't doing at least a little pushing?  Therapy should take a little of the hard work off the shoulders of the parents.  There is an added benefit of the outsider's perspective.  If you don't have those things, why bother?  You're just sucking up two nights of my week that could be better spent doing other things.  The most recent goal you've added - "cleaning up her room," which seems to be part skill building, part dig at what we allow for room status; but mostly just Not-Our-Top-Priority.

I recently found a new social group for autism spectrum kids aged 7-10 in the Appleton area.  I'm now on the mailing list.  I want to find someone to teach us sign language (I think a kinesthetic language would help her).  I want to investigate doing the program at the horse stables that she's visited during day camp the last two years. 

We need a change.  Play therapy and social stories are not working anymore.  Maybe it's a little bit "me."  But now, I just need to tell her. 

Piano Recital

Allison did really well at her first piano recital.  Her teacher held it at the library, and though there were 22 students, the whole thing was less than an hour.

Jacob's concert.

Let's see if I can add this video.  Jacob is in the top row - second from the left.

I don't know who Jacob was staring at the whole time.  Neither did he.

Stupid things

You know what's dumb?  PE homework.  Last week, Allison had to log all her physical "activity" for a week and hand it into her PE teacher.  The goal was an hour a day or a total of 420 minutes that week.

With childhood inactivity/obesity rising, I can kindof see the value in encouraging kids to be active.  Still - I'm opposing this assignment.

1) Did anyone else notice it's FEBRUARY in WISCONSIN?!!  The school deemed the weather too crappy for the kids to be outside for 3 days last week.  The high one day was -2 degrees.  So.... other than having the kids run around the house in circles for an hour.... I don't know what you expect.

2) Oh yeah, you expect me to take them somewhere for an organized activity.  Something on the list, perhaps?  Maybe this worksheet will be just the kickstart I need to take Allison to the YMCA for some weightlifting.  Weightlifting?!

Allison doesn't do sports, and doesn't like being out in the cold.  She likes to read, play with her Monster High dolls, do puzzles, and watch SpongeBob Squarepants.  I'm totally cool with that.  She's not a couch potato.  She's not obese (in fact, she needs to gain weight - but frankly if she were obese, I'd still take issue with this assignment).  She plays when it's appropriate to play.  And her physical activity doesn't fall neatly into these "bins."  She watches TV while dancing and hopping.  She chases her brother around the house.  She jumps up and down while playing air hockey.  How do I log those minutes?  They aren't soccer, basketball, gymnastics, or weightlifting.

Shouldn't we be encouraging activity and not "sport."  Organic movement rather than structured activities which require travel, parent involvement, and a set place and time.  Wouldn't kids be more likely to continue activity for life if it wasn't dependent on schedule and payment?

Needless to say - even after my "creative" accounting, Allison didn't make a full 420 minutes.  You know what - I'm totally OK with that.

Pinewood Derby

In addition to the last day of basketball, last Saturday was also the Pinewood Derby.  Jacob was a bit more involved in the creation of the car this year (the black blur that was Darth Vader in the green lane below).  

 He placed third in his den, which means he got a trophy, though we think it was a very close race between third and fourth places.  Jacob stuck around for the finals with all the dens (top three race again) but alas he did not place in the overall. 

The boys in his den who got 1st and 2nd also got 1st and 2nd overall - so there were some fast racers in his group.  I think his stellar performance last year had him assuming that he'd place again this year, so it was nice for him to get a trophy in his den and also nice to experience not winning overall (ultimately, he said he placed 10th). 

Crushed

Jacob's team was soundly defeated in basketball today.  It may have been that the other team was (on average) 6 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than Jacob's team.  It may have been more that Jacob's team had some weird aversion to passing the ball - choosing instead to shoot at the basket over 6 arms of kids who were 6 inches taller than they were.  It may have been that they rarely won a rebound.  It may have been that they were missing their best shooter.  But they entered the third period without having shot a basket.

None-the less, Jacob enjoyed playing basketball.  Today was their last game.  These were not pictures from today, though.  This was a team they were a bit more evenly matched playing.  Not that anyone was ever keeping score (except EVERY kid on the team).  No surprisingly, they "won" almost every game.  Except, it was more like 50%.  Don't tell them that.