The Crayon Box That Talked

by Shane DeRolf

While walking into a toy store the day before today

I overheard a crayon box with many things to say

"I don't like Red!" said Yellow and Green said "Nor do I"

"And no one here likes Orange but no one knows just why"

"We are a box of crayons that doesn't get along

Said Blue to all the others "Something here is wrong"

Well, I bought that box of crayons and took it home with me

And laid out all the colors so the crayons all could see

They watched me as I colored with Red and Blue and Green

And Black and White and Orange and every color in between

They watched as Green became the grass and Blue became the sky

The Yellow sun was shining bright on White clouds drifting by

Colors changing as they touched becoming something new

They watched me as I colored - they watched me till I was through

And when I finally finished I began to walk away

And as I did the crayon box had something more to say

"I do like Red!" said Yellow and Green said, "so do I"

And Blue you were terrific! So high up in the sky

"We are a box of crayons each one of us unique

But when we get together the picture is more complete"

Getting Older Can Suck It, but Sisters are Special

My sister, who is a measly two years younger than I am, thinks it's funny to send sarcastic birthday cards to me every year. I have heard her talk about how she will spend hours in the greeting card department in pursuit of the "perfect" card, laughing and carrying on as she reads each one.

Since today is my birthday, I've decided to share a few of them with you. I hope you find each card as amusing as she did. Enjoy.

Due Process Hearings (Reposted)

Beginning a new school year can be stressful for students and parents alike, but if you have a child with special needs, you may be dealing with issues that seem overwhelming and frustrating at best.

For this reason, I decided now would be a good time to link you to my post Due Process Hearings from the 2010 archive.

Hopefully your school district will work with you to create a positive educational experience for your child. However, it is nice to know there are options and a world wide network of parents who are willing to support and help in any way they can.

Deciphering Cody Jargon

Parents of children with ASD become very good at solving puzzles and interpreting conversations, whether we like it or not. In fact, I wonder if anyone has ever done a study to see if parents of autistic kids get Alzheimer's? I bet the numbers would be extremely low, due to the fact that our brains are working puzzles ALL THE DAMN TIME. Allow me to enlighten you.

Below are a few examples of my son's, shall we say, inarticulate sentences:

Cody said, "We can do double A after TURN."

What he really meant was... I want to listen to my iPod when I get home from TURN (his day program).

Get it? Double A = AA = AA batteries and iPods need to be charged! (If I was on Jeopardy and there was a category for crap brainteasers like this, I'd kick ass.)


Cody said, "That was the slowest girl I've ever heard."

What he meant was... That girl talked really slow.


Cody said, "I see what I was thinkin'. Do people see what they think?"

What he really meant...Oh! I get it.


Cody said, "I wish I could, but I don't have any money."

What he's trying to say, in a polite way is... NO! Now shut up about it and leave me alone.


and, my personal favorite ( He honestly said this. I can't make this stuff up.)...


"You smell like a bird dad. The kind you step on."


What he meant...You smell like bird sh#t dad."

Kindergarten Topic of the Day...

Cataracts.

I kid you not.

As the class was lining up for recess, one of the little girls near the back of the line asked Mrs. B., "How come you're wearing sunglasses?" Mrs. B. did not hear her but a cute little red headed boy did. He piped up and told his curious female classmate, "You gotta wear sunglasses or else you get cataracts." Then he said, "Do you know what cataracts are?"

(By this time, I am completely amused and trying not to crack up.)

Then, without waiting for a response from his new friend, he said, "If you get cataracts, the doctor will cut your eyes open." The little girl responded very seriously, "Oh! I don't want that to happen to me."

Then, not thinking twice about it, they went outside and played...without sunglasses. :)

Creative Birth Announcement

This is what my husband wrote in the lawn of the county courthouse (his place of employment at the time) twenty-seven years ago today...

It's a Boy

He figured since the baby and I were at the hospital sleeping and the grass needed to be mowed anyway, why not make a public announcement out of it? I suppose his theory worked because Chase's birth made the local newspaper.

That was in 1984. Here are some things that you may, or may not, remember about that year:


1) Ronald Reagan was President of the United Sates


2) Penthouse magazine published nude photographs of Miss America Vanessa Williams.


3) The Soviet Union boycotted the Los Angeles Summer Olympics


4) Mandy Moore and Avril Lavigne were born


5) Michael Jackson's hair caught on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial...probably wouldn't have happened had it been Coca-Cola. Just sayin' :)


6) Los Angeles Raiders won Superbowl XVIII


7) The Cosby Show and Who's the Boss premiered


8) The top films were: Ghostbusters, Beverly Hills Cop, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins and The Karate Kid

Happy 27th Birthday Chase!

If you'd like to read more about Chase and how he keeps me and everyone around him entertained, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. Oh yeah, there's one more here.

Two Dogs Having Lunch

I had to post this. It's too funny to pass up. :)

Chillaxin’

This cat belongs to one of Chase's friends. Cute, huh?!

A Little Mating Humor

Chase was at the house yesterday and the two of us were watching a program on PBS about whales. When the narrator started talking about how the male whale will follow the female around for a year until she's ready to mate, this is what Chase had to say..."Well THAT sucks. Waiting around for a year to mate? [short pause] Sounds like my life." 



Hahaha. Very funny Chase. :)

I'm Just His Mom. What the Hell Do I Know?

As you read this post, keep in the back of your mind that Cody hates being outdoors. He also loathes flies and bees and doesn't care much for dogs or cats either.

Katelyn spotted a frog on the sidewalk the other night so she popped her head in the door to notify us. As Don and I headed outside, Cody jumped up from his chair and wanted to come. That alone is extremely out of character for Cody, but what he did next was even more unusual.


Don, forever trying to get Cody out of his comfort zone, said to him, "There's a frog out here Code. Do you want to hold it?"

Then..., you guessed it, Cody surprised us all and answered "Yes!"

Check out these photos...

It was cute. We had to keep reminding Cody not to squeeze the little amphibian, but he thoroughly enjoyed holding it.


Just when I think I'm an expert at figuring Cody out, he goes and does something like this to prove that I really know nothing at all about what goes on in that head of his.

Feeling Fortunate

Do you remember Caleb, the child from hell  that was in our Kindergarten class last year? He's the one that went to time out multiple times every day, spent more time in the Principal's office than any 5 year old I have ever known and had to sit in a desk away from the other children because he talked nonstop and stole from his classmates? (If you need to refresh your memory, read these posts: Oh Crap! and The Worth of Child .)


Anyway, I was working in the classroom today and looked up to see Caleb peeking in the door. He was holding an ice pack over his eye, so I asked him to come in and tell me what happened. (He said he fell off the monkey bars at recess.) I gave him a hug and told him I was happy he came to visit, but he needed to go back to his class, which, I'm sure, is exactly what the ladies in the office that gave him the ice pack had already told him.


After he left, I looked at Mrs. B., the teacher I work with, and said, "I'm actually glad Caleb came to visit us." She looked at me like I was crazy and I explained, "It just makes me feel soooo grateful that we don't have to deal with him this year."



His poor first grade teacher. Two days down, one hundred seventy eight to go. ....

I Don't Want a Mail Order Bride for a Daughter in Law

My sons, Chase and Casey, are in their twenties and don't live with us, but they come to the house a couple of times a week. I'd like to think they come because they miss us, but I have a feeling it's mostly to use our computer and washer and dryer.


Anyway, last night I went to turn the computer off before climbing into bed, glanced down at my desktop calendar and saw that Chase had left his mark again. (If you are new to my blog, you may want to click on Playful Prankster and Wittiness and Whiskers to read what I'm talking about.)

Take a look at what he wrote...

August 23rd is his birthday. I had already written Chase's name on the calendar; he just expounded on it.

Once a jokester always a jokester, I suppose.

Misunderstood Conversation

It's summer and the temperature is in the triple digits where we live. I didn't feel like cooking dinner over a hot stove/oven last night, so I asked Cody ONE simple question. Who knew it would turn into this?...


Me- What do you want to eat Code? I can make you a Tuna Sandwich, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or microwave some leftover Pasta and Chicken.


Cody- Mac and Cheese!


Me- Mac and Cheese wasn't an option.


Cody- It wasn't adoption?


Me- No. Not adoption Code. AN OPTION.


Cody- It wasn't the auction?


Me- Never mind. I give up.



Some days are just better than others.

11 Things I Know For Sure

11) Swedish massages are delightful.

10) Tomatoes taste better straight from the garden.

9) The playground phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is not true. Words can hurt.

8) Funerals suck.

7) Glitter and confetti are only fun if you're partying at somebody else's house.

6) If someone offers you a stick of gum, take it. It may be their way of saying your breath stinks.

5) Some people just shouldn't have children.

4) It is perfectly O.K. to say "No" sometimes.

3) The quote "When mom's not happy, nobody's happy." is spot on. 

2) Enjoy every phase of your life. There is truth to the Trace Atkins song Your Gonna Miss This.



and most importantly...


1) Having a child in the family with special needs is a blessing, not a curse.

Nominated as a Favorite

Snippets 'N Stuff has been nominated as a Favorite Autism Blog on Babble. Please support me by clicking here to vote. One note- Somehow I've been nominated twice. Please "like" the Snippets 'N Stuff with the most votes. Last I looked, it was number 60 something.

Thank You!

Autism Awareness Blog Hop

Created to help raise awareness about autism.

The rules are simple.

1. Go to Accepting and Embracing Autism and add your blog title and URL.

2. Follow Accepting and Embracing Autism  and Featured Blog (Snippets 'N Stuff) with Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs and/or Facebook and Twitter.

3. Grab the Autism Awareness Wednesday button.

4. Follow any other blogs you wish.

5. Make sure you leave a comment so that you’ll get a follow back.


*Each week Accepting and Embracing Autism will randomly select one of the blogs listed in the Linky to be the feature blog for the next week.*

My Soapbox About Texting

Over the years, I have tried to teach my children that communicating with their boyfriends/ girlfriends through texting is not always good. It is easy to misinterpret something that is being communicated to you if you cannot hear emotion in a persons voice or see the expression on their face.

The reason is that the left side of the brain is primarily concerned with logical thinking...words, numbers, language structure (texting), while the right side is expert on physical matters and creative thinking...sports, dancing, singing, making love, feelings (emotions).

In other words, the right brain FEELS and the left brain TELLS.

It is helpful to understand which side of the brain does what. For example, if you are dancing, playing a sport or making love, you have to let the right-brain do the work and keep the left-brain out of it. (If you let the logical left-brain get involved in sex you are on a sure path to disaster. Just sayin'.)



Too much logical left-brain activity is not good. It is important to have balance and use our creative right-brains regularly by engaging in sports, dance, etc. and showing our emotions. Yet I wonder if, over time, the social networking our generation is caught up in (facebook, twitter, instant messaging, texting...) will cause instability within our brains?
 
I think it would serve us well to communicate by talking into the phone whenever possible instead of always texting. When we speak into a phone, the person on the other end can hear emotion in our voice (cheerfulness, anger, frustration, disappointment, regret, etc.) and misunderstandings that come from written words can be avoided. 

Roger Sperry, a neurobiologist, received the Noble Prize in Medicine in 1981 for discovering the aforementioned "split brain" functions. He said it best when he concluded his speech by saying, “The great pleasure and feeling in my right brain is more than my left brain can find the words to tell you."     (nobleprize.org) 

Ponder on that for awhile. :)

The Dentist and Medically Fragile Children

Did I ever tell you about Cody's first experience at the dentist? On second thought, maybe I should reverse that. Did I ever tell you about the dentist's first experience with Cody?

Dr. Lax, an assistant professor of pediatric dentistry at Oregon Health and Science University, works with "medically fragile" children. Cody's first visit with Dr. Lax was memorable if nothing else. Cody was tactile defensive as a child and getting into his mouth was a chore for me, let alone a stranger. Don and I knew we would need to hold Cody's arms and hands down to prevent him from grabbing, shoving, hitting or pushing the doctor's hands away. What none of us saw coming, however, was Cody's right leg shooting straight up and kicking Dr. Lax in the head.

The good news is things only got better after that! (The only thing I can think of that might be worse than a blow to the head would be throw up.) Although Cody still isn't fond of people getting inside his mouth, he is able to make it through routine cleanings without his dad holding down his arms and legs. To read about Cody's coping techniques, click here .

The following information about toothbrushing and tactile defensive people was written by Jim Bubenik, a dentist who works with special needs patients in St. Louis, MO. I think those of you who have young children with special needs may find this of interest:

TOOTHBRUSHING FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

"All people with teeth need brushing. Brushing followed by flossing is better if possible. If your child will not let you near his mouth due to fear, unfamiliarity with the brush or tactile defensiveness around the face, here is how you systematically desensitize them: Start with just some wet gauze or a washcloth wrapped around your finger and move it around the lips until the child will accept this. Use a massaging motion. Put something sweet on it to give him extra incentive if needed. When he gets accustomed to this and seems to like it (this may take quite a few sessions), start to go inside the mouth. Back teeth seem to be less sensitive than the front ones on most tactile defensive people, so start on the back ones. Be patient. Don't worry if he clenches; you are making progress and he'll open later. When this has become routine, start putting the brush in the mouth to do the cleaning. If he doesn't like the bristles on the brush, just use the other end (the handle part) to desensitize him to the feel of that. Use a soft or ultrasoft bristle brush. Heat the bristles in hot water to soften them if needed, anything to get the child to take that first step. Stop if you are gagging him. Give him an old brush with something on it to make it taste good and let him play with it and chew on it by himself before or after the tooth brushing session. Expect that this systematic desensitization program will take several weeks but it is well worth the effort. Do it at the same time and in the same place every day. Give him/her a reward after the session is over.

Mechanical (electric or sonic) toothbrushes are all right only if your child will accept something like this in the mouth and they have learned to accept a regular brush first (NOTE: Children with seizure disorders should consult their physician before using any electric or sonic toothbrush as in some cases this may trigger seizures). Use toothpaste sooner or later in this series of steps but remember it is supposed to feel and taste good, so don't use anything that will turn your child off. The only real value of toothpaste is the fluoride in it. Use only a pea-sized drop of toothpaste. My all-time favorite flavor of toothpaste for kids is Oral-B Bubble Gum Flavor. Use water or fluoride rinse if they won't use toothpaste. Don't feel bad if your child never gets accustomed to toothpaste, it is not 100% essential. Most people with significant physical or mental disabilities need someone else to brush and floss their teeth for them. This may sound funny to you but I thoroughly recommend it after seeing many disabled people show dramatic improvement in dental health when a competent person takes over this part of their self-care."

You can find more information about Dentistry for the Disabled Child and Adult on www.our-kids.org .

Are You a Facebook Narcissist?

Narcissist Defined-

1. self-admiration: excessive self-admiration and self-centeredness

2. personality disorder: in psychiatry, a personality disorder characterized by the patient's overestimation of his or her own appearance and abilities and an excessive need for admiration.

I came across an article, which claims you can tell how narcissistic a person is by their Facebook profile. The researchers at the University of Georgia conducted a study on this. They got over a hundred FB users and had them answer personality questionnaires. They also asked random people to comb through FB profiles and rate how narcissistic the profile owners were. 

A couple of the tell-tale signs of facebook narcissism are:

1. “Quantity of social interaction”

In other words, do you have a lot of stuff on your wall or not? Apparently, the more stuff you have on your wall and the more ‘friends’ you have, the more narcissistic you are. They said, and I quote: “This is similar to how narcissists behave in the real world, forming numerous but shallow relationships with others.”

Well, that just made me feel a whole lot better about only having 116 Facebook friends. :)

2. “Degree of self-promotion in your main photo”

Apparently, most FB users post simple snapshots of themselves while narcissists post really glamorous pictures. So, if you have a photo of yourself wearing diamonds, faux furs or false eyelashes, you are a narcissist for sure. (hehe)

To find out if you are a Facebook narcissist, read the article in it's entirety at Science Daily. Just click the folowing link:


Facebook Profiles Can Be Used To Detect Narcissism

Fathers Against Daughters Dating: Top Ten Lines to Scare Your Daughter's Boyfriend

This guy considers his blog the "Dear Abby for fathers with daughters". He wrote the following laugh-out-loud article:

Fathers Against Daughters Dating: Top Ten Lines to Scare Your Daughter's Boyfriend 

Please read it, especially if you have a daughter. :)

If You Can Read This Without Getting Emotional, You're Either Heartless or Know Nothing About Baseball :)

Sensitivity, self-esteem, and acceptance are all values found in the following story about Shaya, a boy with learning disabilities, and his classmates. The story, told by Shaya's father, is called Perfection at the Plate and is found in the book Echoes of the Maggid by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, a friend of Shaya's father.

One Sunday afternoon, Shaya and his father saw his classmates playing baseball. The game was in progress and as Shaya and his father made their way towards the ball field, Shaya said, “Do you think you could get me into the game?”

Shaya’s father knew his son was not at all athletic, and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya’s father understood that if his son was chosen in, it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.

Shaya’s father approached one of the boys in the field and asked, “Do you think my Shaya could get into the game?”

The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, “We are losing by six runs and the game is already in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning.”

Shaya’s father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field, a position that exists only in softball. There were no protests from the opposing team, which would now be hitting with an extra man in the outfield.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya’s team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded and the potential winning runs on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shaya was told to take a bat and try to get a hit. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible, for Shaya didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so that Shaya should at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya’s teammates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shaya.

As the next pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate swung the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game.

Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far and wide beyond the first baseman’s reach. Everyone started yelling, “Shaya, run to first! Shaya, run to first!” Never in his life had Shaya run to first.

He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher’s intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head, as everyone yelled, “Shaya, run to second! Shaya, run to second.”

Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran towards him, turned him towards the direction of third base and shouted “Shaya, run to third!”

As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, “Shaya, run home! Shaya, run home!”

Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit the “grand slam” and won the game for his team.

“That day,” said the father who now had tears rolling down his face, “those 18 boys reached their level of perfection. They showed that it is not only those who are talented that should be recognized, but also those who have less talent. They too are human beings, they too have feelings and emotions, they too are people, they too want to feel important.”