I Like to Pretend

Yep, that's me, the pretender. I like to pretend that I'm crafty. I'm really not. I try everything...and then usually get bored before I get good at it. I tried beading about a year ago and made several little girls bracelet and necklace sets. I enjoyed doing it and they became Birthday presents for my son's friends. Then I started blogging and saw all the great beaders and their works of art and I gave up on that, knowing I could never compare and feeling silly for the pieces I had given away.
I tried scrapping. I have 3 pages in my son's "album". It goes up to 6 weeks, he's almost 6. I just look at the pages and wish I had more creativity, and now there are a ton of scrap booking blogs that point out how untalented I am.
When I got married I did my own Thank You notes. Those turned out okay. It was almost 10 years ago and I don't have a copy so I like to believe they looked really nice. I also did my son's birth announcements with photo and catchy little phrase (while I still thought I could pull of the scrap booking thing). I don't remember ever sending them out though. Hopefully no on has one of those laying around. I am of the belief that having a son or daughter is the most wonderful time in one's life and should be announced properly. I also think that those of us less talented in this area should use a company like Doodlebugs Designs to get that message out. Who needs to be worried about baby announcements when all we really want to do is stare at our new bundle of joy?
I enjoy doing chocolate suckers and make them for my son's class and the neighbor kids at Halloween. It's easy to impress 5 year olds...and they're chocolate, so you can't go wrong. I also posted them on etsy and recently made my first sale. The order was rated before it was received so hopefully the purchaser was happy with the finished product. I may never know, but no refund has been requested.
Oh, and I also do my kids birthday cakes. Again, it's something I enjoy doing for them. I'm not trying to sell any, but the kids think they are great and that's all that matters...to me.
Are you crafty? Or a pretender, like me?

Teaching our Children about Disabilities

My children are fortunate to be healthy and free of any disabilities. I do not take this for granted and hope that they do not either. As of yet, they have had few questions about disabilities in others. When Boog was younger he questioned why Grammy uses a cane and I explained that she has MS and her legs don't work all that well so she uses a cane for balance. He seemed good with that and accepts it's part of who she is.

Now in Kindergarten, he has 2 friends in his class (part time) that are deaf. He seems excited to be learning their language and often comes home to show me the new signs he has learned. He wanted to know why they can't hear. I explained that it could be for a variety of reasons. Some children are just born without the ability to hear and others may have had an illness causing the loss of their hearing. In order to get a better idea of his relationship with these two boys I asked if they played in his group at recess. He replied "no." I was concerned and asked "why not?" He said "I would like to play with them but they do not go to recess at the same time as us."

I love that these boys are a part of his class and he does not see them as any different than himself. He understands that they can not hear and use alternate methods of communication but other than that, they are just little boys who should be on the playground with him.

CVS Caremark - All Kids Can is a $25 million trust that is making life easier for children with disabilities in our local communities. They are committed to supporting non-profits that provide innovative programs for Children with disabilities. They also are increasing awareness with local schools about the inclusion of these students and push for barrier- free playgrounds so all the children can play in a safe, fun environment.

All children should be able to play and learn together. Thank You CVS Caremark - All Children Can for recognizing this issue and taking steps to remove the boundaries that exist so that all our children can benefit from these wonderful programs.

Dogs for the Cause

I've mentioned Paws in previous posts but after my visit home and seeing first hand what a help My Step-Mom's dog Colonel is to her, I felt an urgent need to revisit this very worth while foundation.
Paws is celebrating 30 years of training and placing assist dogs with individuals of varying disabilities and each dog is trained specifically for their owners own needs. I had been told how helpful Colonel is, but it took seeing him in action to fully realize what a magnificent job Paws has done in their training of this dog.
My Step Mom has Multiple Sclerosis, and has pretty much lost all feeling in her legs, but she refuses to give in and is determined to walk for as long as she is able. Due to the lack of feeling and her unwavering stubbornness, she frequently loses her balance and falls. Colonel places himself staunchly in front of her and allows her to use him as a brace to lift her off the floor. I personally witnessed this on 2 occasions and it was amazing.
Colonel is also trained to retrieve fallen or out of reach objects, which proved to be a challenge...for me. Anything at eye level or below is to be picked up and taken to his owner. Upon our arrival, I set my purse on the floor and went to retrieve the rest of our luggage from the car. I came back into the house only to realize that my purse was gone. Colonel had dutifully picked it up and had taken it to "mommy". This went on all weekend. While changing Puddin Pop, I would have to wedge her PJ's between my legs so they would not instantaneously be picked up and taken to grammy. I finally caught on. While cooking, if a utensil is dropped, Colonel is right there to pick it up. He also retrieves a ringing (or not) phone, opens and holds doors and on top of all that, is one of the sweetest, most loving dogs I have ever met. I should have pictures, but neglected to take my camera. I will post picks as soon as I receive the ones others took during our visit.
Thank You Paws for a Wonderful Assist Dog and allowing My Step-Mom her independence.
Thank You Colonel for being a loving and very helpful addition to the family.

For more information on Paws with a Cause or to make a donation to this very worthy cause click the logo above.

Thanks