autism, chris, colleen, college, residency, Ryan, transcription

Seems fitting to attend a great barbecue the week before school!

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Sometimes it’s challenging to get through the summer easily trying to keep two rambunctious boys happy and safe in the heat.  But all in all I think we all accomplished this this summer.  We have worked as a team – Chris stays at his paternal grandparents’ still (while we await, seek, and research the appropriate placement) and Roger stays over there a lot to watch him.  Chris is very astute and is trying his best to learn the ways of unlocking doors so he can get some freedom outside.  However, their safety (Ryan will escape and run off as well) is our highest concern so we do have some fancy key locks on the doors at both houses.  So it is up to us to get them out as much as we can for their activities and exercise.

 

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So all and all we were pleased with their summer programs – next year I would like to get Ryan to Chris’s camp even more days – we got a grant this year for him to go 6 days but if we can get three grants then next summer he can go 18.  Chris went all summer from June 22 or so until this coming Friday the 20th.  This is where they met for camp – we started taking Ryan there a bit a few days this summer:

 

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It was very nice and also had a wood path.  The boys would walk with their class in the morning on the wood path.  Then by afternoon they’d usually visited another place and ended up swimming in a big pool across the county.  Really nice program.

 

Colleen stayed busy with different friends, often attending anime events and swimming. 

colleen and friends

Rog and I worked, and went out of town for business in June.  We’re going again the first week after school starts.  I also made it through computer class and Algebra 850 – intro to algebra.  I just finished that about 2 week ago and was happy to have passed (it was hard!).  On a break now, working on some transcription but not tons and going to be trying to get the house in shape before work and school again (school starts week of August 30 for me – biology and intermediate Algebra).  0809101226 Speech therapy and certification in autism and deafness is still the goal, Kent State.

 

Working with Congress at this point with several liaisons to try to find away to get Chris into the program at NDA.  We sure hope and pray it works. 

(2020, as I said before, program was closed in 2014 for abuse.  Sad.)  Watch the video about NDA’s autism/deafness program.  (2020 no site)  I just feel so excited that this could be the right program for Chris.  (nope)

children, life, organizing, work, work at home, writing

Trivial and important often reside together

As a person who has always been not so good at multi-tasking, I have had to learn to become quite good at it!

The important things in my mind always are:

  • Taking care of our children and the family’s basic needs.
  • Roger and I getting our work done.
  • Us getting our schoolwork done when we’re in school (Rog from ‘99 to ‘01 and possibly going back next year, me since January of 10).
  • Colleen getting her homework done, trying to get some entertainment/learning activities for Chris, and supervising Ryan in his education pursuits (He’s rather like me where he’s obsessed with school items and loves his alphabet and learning to spell, so that helps – he creates his own educational hobbies!)
  • And just keeping enough clothes to wear to be clean and dishes washed to be sanitary!

So I would always try and do these things first – still am!

But it’s amazing how many other things pile up when you do this.  Things you feel you never have time for.  More dishes that you just can’t get to.  Filing (started that last week as far as cleaning out the file cabinet!).  Grass that needed cut that Rog had been too ill to do (he’s outside now finishing it, and our friends helped us with it last week (pictures coming). 

Then things arise like 500pp of printing needed printed out for various agencies.  Like in one week (happened to me in April).  That means you run out of ink, and have to buy it.  Then you have massive phone calls on this, that and the other.  Every day is full of interruptions.  Necessary interruptions, unnecessary ones, and sometimes annoying ones!  Sometimes pleasant ones!  Sometimes a spontaneous trip to the park is a tremendous treat (hopefully soon!)!

All in all, I’m trying to learn, that it’s not always the important all the time.  Sure, I’m working on getting out my deadlines of the week for work, and do my homework, and cook dinner.  But I don’t want to be a once a year or once every six month blogger any more.  And I want to be spontaneous.  Enjoy Chris today who’s at the house as he didn’t get to go back to school yet after his hospital stay.  Enjoy the trivial.

 

Blessings!

 

college, organizing, transcription

A week off!

Mostly – ha ha.

To do —

  • Take transcription test for Allegis insurance today (step 5 of the application).  Trying to add another backup contract as my favorite backup contract lost their whole department last week and we all lost our contracts.  Don’t want to have less than three eggs in the basket . . .
  • Do just 40 minutes of audio by Thursday – yay, that is SO like a week off!
  • Spend a great day with Chris tomorrow – want to make him a great dinner!  Hope to have Rog visit too – he should be home VERY soon!!
  • Play with Ryan at the park today where I’m dropping off Colleen for her “Otaku Picnic” – it’s not one we go to a lot so Ryan should love it!
  • Clean office this weekend and finish going through files (haven’t gone through them since 2008).
  • Monday and Tuesday CLEAN MY BEDROOM THOROUGHLY.  It has been a long time since I did this – I won’t say how long (not even sure!)
  • Wed. Ryan goes to Cleveland for dentist – special needs clinic.
  • Thurs. Drs. appt with Chris

Things are going fairly well – enjoying the spring weather – hope it’s not immediately 90 degrees as I’m really enjoying 60s and 70s.  On my break from school this week too.  Should have my grade from Spring semesters (which was my first back) by next week — Enjoyed presenting on music and religion yesterday in class.  Did powerpoint and word document.

summer – first algebra class and computer class, both online.

 

college, health, organizing, transcription

Thanks, my Facebook Friends!

Since with new wonders of Facebook, my blog now appears in my profile when I update, I just wanted to thank you all for being on my friends list.  Many of you have joined recently and I haven’t been able to personally write you, but I thank you for being in my circle of friends and family.

I do have some prayer requests at this time.

  • Roger continues to heal from his gall bladder surgery, but has hit some difficulty here and there along the way.  He had to have a more complicated surgery than normal due to a cyst he had, and I believe that is why it’s taken longer to heal.  The doctors have also been watching another cyst he had in another area of his pancreas, but it was not prudent to work on that at the same time as the surgery so they were waiting and watching.  He still had it as of last week at his CT scan, so they will be watching it another 6 weeks.  If it is not gone they most likely will have to do another surgery to drain it.  This also may explain why Roger has had a slower recup time and extra nausea and pain.  Lately, however, he has had more good days than bad so we are grateful to God for that.
  • We are in prayer that he can resume work slowly and get back to normal.  Whether he has to have a second surgery will determine how fast that will happen.  We would also like him to get home SOON (he’s at his mom and dad’s house) but with Ryan being rough in his affection for his daddy we were afraid to have him stay at home yet all the time.  Ryan talks to him every day on the phone and gets so excited when he gets to see him sometimes!
  • My paperwork load has been very heavy but I’m trying to get through one project at a time.  It has been harder to keep up on my paid transcription work with the hundreds of pages I’ve recently had to scan and fax and mail and drop off to various agencies lately with different updates the agencies had to do on our kids, etc.  They all came up at once, and multiplied with just trying to keep up on calls in regard to hospital bills and just keeping up the checkbook and filing and all the items one has to do, it has been a little overwhelming!!  I am now trying to get ahead of my transcription a little this week, and am hopeful the largest part of the paperwork elephant is now behind me.  There are still some things left to do though, and I’m trying to keep track of them.
  • Christopher’s placement.  We had a meeting at Christopher’s school Friday about how to help him progress more and learn more and learn to self-regulate with some aggressive behaviors and his not sleeping still, often.  We all agreed that we need to contact the autism school I mentioned in my last post, in Florida, and I will be doing that this weekend.  I pray the Lord’s will will be done in that area, and that we know the best thing to do for Christopher.
Thank you for prayers.  We are all just trying to get through all this the best we can, and still enjoy the spring with the blossoms, and enjoy the family when we can all get together and communicate as much as we can.  Rog and I had our first Facebook chat last night!  That was fun 🙂  And I’m going over there and visiting a few times a week – Friday after my school has become a tradition.
I only have 3 classes left of my first class in 23 years.  I still have 4 papers to write to catch up on my homework, but I will do it.  It’s a good thing I love to write.  Then I have a final paper to do along with a power point that I plan to do on music and religion (it’s a religion class).  Next semester I am taking two online classes, first summer session computer introduction, and second summer session my first remedial algebra class.  So I shall continue to be busy.

 

 

autism, chris, college, residency, transcription, travel

Completely overwhelmed, but still soothed by nature’s glory


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Originally uploaded by

criscollrj

I’ve noticed that nature greatly soothes me as well as prayer. And also just being with family and laughing.

But things are crazy, and I just have never any time for blogging, etc. I often think lately that I’d just like to totally quit working so I can catch up on pretty much everything and spend more time just hanging out with my kids and hubby. But I love my work, and right now it’s necessary. So I continue to get up at 3 to type and have toothpicks holding my eyes open most of the day —

  • 97 minutes to get out, proofed, by tonight – I have 6 minutes done – so why am I here? I’ll be quick!
  • Chris is officially discharged from his group home Oct. 1. However, they’re still keeping him while they look for more homes for him. I believe he’ll be home here and G & C along with us will share his care.
  • Chris’s school is going very well and they have him in a new language program that is helping him a lot!
  • We are unable to get Chris’s waiver yet as there’s still a huge huge wait list – like 15 more years maybe.
  • Ryan has a new teacher this year as well as a new autism coordinator in his school. He is doing well but won’t eat lunch or wear his hearing aides – sigh. Sunchips are my friend . . .
  • Colleen is working hard at school and enjoys times with her friends –
  • They’re all growing up so fast.
  • I am seriously seriously considering going back to school in the spring to become a speech therapist, and need to apply for my financial aid. This of course means a little cut in my work but I need to try.
  • We’re going back to the Maryland mountains Tuesday as part of our business trip and I’m going to meet my good friend Pat from a transcription board I’m on!

 

health, residency, transcription, work

Almost August and I haven’t even been swimming yet!


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Originally uploaded by criscollrj

We took this back in June when we did take Colleen & her friend to the beach for a while. We haven’t been back. I didn’t go in that day and neither did Ryan — Ryan has been afraid of the “different” lake water and this is the closest he’s ever been to it! It was the first time he ever played in the sand.

So we’re hoping to possibly go Saturday — it’s supposed to be 83 and sunny so I think it sounds like a good day for a picnic lunch! We’re also taking Ryan to the free screening of Veggie Tales in our area.

After working 4-5 weeks at the office and most of the time blending that with transcription fairly seamlessly, this week got fairly rough! I decided in the future I will either work at one job or the other and not try and combine them. Of course that will involve having plenty of notice for the out-of-the home job — I imagine it will be a few months now before they call me in again. I love working there though — it’s like family (worked there before 88-94 & again 02-03).

I FINALLY got some sleep last night and have one more day of work today– if I have time at work I’ll start some of my transcription due next week but at least it’s thankfully not something due today! I also am working on sorting all the papers that have stacked up the last 6 weeks or so.

Got Chris’s guardianship and trust papers all done and am in the middle of filing them. These are papers we had to do with his becoming an adult. He may be coming home soon — we’ll find out for sure on Tuesday. I am very nervous about this but have to have faith, and know that 99% sure he will now get 24-hour care with his being discharged. Our eventual family goal with Rog’s parents is to have our own small group home for him and some other individuals.

Please stay in prayer for Rog’s dad who has been very ill, and doctors are still doing tests to see what is wrong.

 

transcription, work

Being led home…

… and I didn’t even leave 🙂

Typing

Wow, after 3 months, I’ve decided to quit looking for a job. I made this decision on Sunday, after 3 months of no-gos and dead ends, and not really being able to give transcription my all because I’m always looking for jobs or going to interviews (only 2) or talking to people and finding out the job is the wrong hours, etc. etc.

So this morning I found out a trans job I did briefly over the summer, that put me on hold because they got slow, have added me back on! So I’ll have 5 active contracts again.

God is Good! And it’s nice to feel at peace about this….

Now if one of the 100 or 200 jobs I applied for actually CALLS me for an interview, that will be another story but we’ll see …

 

children, God, sleep, work at home

All things are possible

Things have been rough in a lot of ways lately – Chris has been staying up all night just about every 2-3 days lately, and there’s been continuous illness it seems with the kids.

But we have a new situation coming up where we will have 40 hours a week of help for the kids. A new aide already started last weekend for Ryan – Her name is Debbie, and her and our other aide Doreen made a good team with us to care for the boys and get a lot of cleaning done!! They will be here 7 days a week 40 hours a week (roughly) each starting next Monday (just 5 more days!). I feel things will greatly improve then – even though we may still be exhausted and sleep deprived.

Work is going fairly well though lately I hadn’t had time to do enough of it!! I have had about 15 hours of audio since early March that I’ve been working on for local clients. Rog is still doing court research and also helping me with transcription and doing some for Rapid Text as well.

We have a lot of plans for more house repairs with problems we’re having with the sewer system in the basement. It’s 95% better than it was three weeks ago though, but need more work.

I’m tired…

I am really hoping NOW we can get back to church – our helpers are coming Sunday mornings now so I can’t see why we can’t…

Now what is amazing that this song came into my head, and I instantly found after that in the list. God is that way for me – songs are my inspiration. Thank you Lord!

 

children, health, sleep, work at home

Spring and smoke are in the air!


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Originally uploaded by

criscollrj

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Our first bonfire of ’08. We and the boys enjoyed the some hot dogs and a beautiful 60 degree day – Colleen and her friend came over later and had fun by the fire. Damp though – we didn’t keep the fire going as long as we will later in the summer, but got some papers burned and just did something different than run errands or sit inside the house.

Work is going slow – not because I don’t have it — I have A LOT — but kids have been sick and life is just so crazy. Probably by the time school’s out they’ll all be healthy and ready to all attend school – heh.

 

birthdays, chris, colleen, transcription

A very strange birthday —

Still fighting continuously sick kids.

Here’s yesterday, and a schedule of my madness….(from my transcription board)

This was my day yesterday — (below)

Today I’m just going to try and catch up a little, do some dishes and laundry and pick up, and do a schedule so I can get all my work done (I’ll attach that too!)

I hope you guys have a super day today!


You guys probably saw my worklist and event list on Thursday when I typed it out.  I have not had one that long before.  Grateful for it – boy, do we need the money – but I need to buckle down and focus on everything.

Then yesterday was a horrible day – well, I guess not HORRIBLE, but very trying.

Continue reading “A very strange birthday —”