Saturday, December 10, 2011
Christmas Ornaments
I posted this on Junior's regular blog so will post it here as well since Junior was using his ipad during our activity.
Today Junior made a couple of Christmas ornaments during his stander time. The idea came from this blog, be sure to click on over and see some of the other awesome ideas found on the blog.
These are called I Spy ornaments. Junior had a blast making them and has been playing with them all afternoon.
Ready to put the "snow" in his ornament(actually colored epson salts)
Checking out what he has added so far
Telling me what to add next
Yelling for me to look at his ipad
Was having a really hard time getting a good picture of the ornaments, I kept getting a glare.
One of them on the tree, though it won't stay there. Junior likes playing with it too much.
Today Junior made a couple of Christmas ornaments during his stander time. The idea came from this blog, be sure to click on over and see some of the other awesome ideas found on the blog.
These are called I Spy ornaments. Junior had a blast making them and has been playing with them all afternoon.
Ready to put the "snow" in his ornament(actually colored epson salts)
Checking out what he has added so far
Telling me what to add next
Yelling for me to look at his ipad
Was having a really hard time getting a good picture of the ornaments, I kept getting a glare.
One of them on the tree, though it won't stay there. Junior likes playing with it too much.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Snow
Snow is not something we see where we live and one of these days I hope to take Junior to experience the real thing.
He absolutely loves to play in the insta snow so today at the end of his school we made some snow then talked about snow and cold weather. He was using his ipad to answer questions about snow. He kept giving me a funny look when we talked about it being cold, his snow is not cold.
Amazing that such a small amount of the insta snow powder grew to this amount when we added the water.
Answering a question about his snow
After playing in the snow I asked what he wanted to do next. Since he had done a good job during school and not complained we had more time then usual before his treatments.
Junior decided he wanted to draw on the window with his window markers.
We used some stencils to draw Christmas things. Kind of hard to see in the pics but he wanted Christmas trees, snow flakes, and a gingerbread man.
Junior was in quite a goofy mood today and every time I asked him something he would respond with "maybe"(ipad). He then thought he was just so funny and would break out in giggles.
All that activity wore him out
This post was from a few days ago and at the moment Junior is sick. Please keep him in your prayers for a quick recovery.
He absolutely loves to play in the insta snow so today at the end of his school we made some snow then talked about snow and cold weather. He was using his ipad to answer questions about snow. He kept giving me a funny look when we talked about it being cold, his snow is not cold.
Amazing that such a small amount of the insta snow powder grew to this amount when we added the water.
Answering a question about his snow
After playing in the snow I asked what he wanted to do next. Since he had done a good job during school and not complained we had more time then usual before his treatments.Junior decided he wanted to draw on the window with his window markers.
We used some stencils to draw Christmas things. Kind of hard to see in the pics but he wanted Christmas trees, snow flakes, and a gingerbread man.
Junior was in quite a goofy mood today and every time I asked him something he would respond with "maybe"(ipad). He then thought he was just so funny and would break out in giggles.
All that activity wore him out
This post was from a few days ago and at the moment Junior is sick. Please keep him in your prayers for a quick recovery.
Monday, November 14, 2011
School Work
With Junior's health issues lately school has taken a back seat. Today it was time to attempt to get back on his regular schedule. Of course the day had to start with a seizure but Junior recovered quickly and we went ahead with school work.
Bible time, he is answering catechism questions
Time for reading
Doing the work but not exactly excited about it. I need to get his new readers enlarged and laminated. I think these are just boring for him. He had no problem matching the correct picture to the sentence and acted like it was horribly boring.
The smile when I tell him it is his last sentence
I asked if he was ready for math and he told me "NO"
Moved over to the the ipad for some math and suddenly he decided he was ready to focus and work.
We hadn't done a lot with measurement so I wanted to make sure he understood the concept before we went further in our math curriculum. I pulled up the measurement app and then just touched the answer he gave me(the app read the question to him). He didn't miss one so he is most definitely ready to move on to the next thing.
Which thing is heavier
We didn't do a long session but it was a good start. I pray that his seizures stay away and the weather behaves so he will feel good and be able to have some great school days before the holidays.
Bible time, he is answering catechism questions
Time for reading
Doing the work but not exactly excited about it. I need to get his new readers enlarged and laminated. I think these are just boring for him. He had no problem matching the correct picture to the sentence and acted like it was horribly boring.
The smile when I tell him it is his last sentence
I asked if he was ready for math and he told me "NO"
Moved over to the the ipad for some math and suddenly he decided he was ready to focus and work.We hadn't done a lot with measurement so I wanted to make sure he understood the concept before we went further in our math curriculum. I pulled up the measurement app and then just touched the answer he gave me(the app read the question to him). He didn't miss one so he is most definitely ready to move on to the next thing.
Which thing is heavier
We didn't do a long session but it was a good start. I pray that his seizures stay away and the weather behaves so he will feel good and be able to have some great school days before the holidays.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Junior's 2011 Update
Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since our last post. Things have been so very busy. Junior's asthma has been bad and he has also been dealing with a sodium issue and will soon see the endocrinologist. This is a tough time of year for Junior with all the weather changes.
A couple weeks ago the ipad had a major crash and I thought it was done for. I had hooked it to the computer for the latest update to IOS 5. After the update I picked up the ipad and turned it on. Everything was gone as if the ipad was new, not one app remained. I had to redownload everything and start over(though I had gone through all the same steps I took in the past to ensure it is backed up and saved all was gone). I still don't have his communication app fully back to what he needs but at least it is set up enough for him to communicate his needs.
Recently at a visit to Shriners Junior discovered yet a new way to activate the ipad.
We were waiting on the orthotist and playing Snakes and Ladders on his ipad. Junior wanted to roll the dice himself so I put it up next to his face and he would turn and touch the screen with his chin to roll the dice. Its all about finding a way to make it work for you.
Last night I emailed out Junior's yearly update so thought I would share it here as well.
Update 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
It is hard to believe that Junior is now 13. He has had quite a busy year with many ups and downs but overall is doing well. He continues to inspire me with his determination and love for life, his joy bubbles over in all that he does. I am blessed and honored to be caring for Junior and thank God for placing him in my life.
I wanted to write a quick update on how things are going but wow that is not an easy thing. Just so this doesn't turn into a book I will only hit on the highlights from our year.
First off Junior continues to amaze us all with his communication using his ipad. He can not only tell you what he wants/needs but even use it to talk on the phone, or joke. The school district recently got him a switch interface for the ipad so he is learning to use his head switch to activate it. This allows him to use the ipad with much more independence. The ipad has changed his life in so many ways and has given him a voice.
The highlight of our summer was the gift of being able to attend the Joni and Friends Retreat near Santa Cruz. A huge thank you to those who made that possible. This was an experience we will never forget and we all had a wonderful time. We walked away feeling like we had experienced just a little piece of heaven here on earth.
On the health front Junior has his typical asthma struggles but fights through it like a champ. There are always those bumps in the road and things that make me nervous but for Junior thats just part of life. He doesn't want me to get bored. He started using the AVAPs(a more advance bipap) at night and his oxygen need has dropped considerably. He also continues to be oxygen free during many days and even some nights(miracles really do exist).
For several months he was dealing with a huge amount of stomach pain and discomfort. After being at a loss to figure out what was going on I spoke to a friend whose child was on a blended diet. At this point we were desperate so decided to give it a try. We started by introducing a few foods with his formula and quickly saw a change for the better.
After discussing it with his GI and getting the all clear to move to a completely blended diet(the same foods we eat just blended so they can go through his J tube) we stopped all his formula. Within 24 hours his stomach pain had completely disappeared. After a month he no longer needed any meds for his bowels and for the first time in years his protein levels were normal. I am noticing a higher energy level and a quicker bounce back after illnesses. I never could have guessed that taking him off formula would make such a drastic difference in his health.
Junior has been getting PT weekly for the past few months and absolutely loves it. His favorite thing is the special gait trainer which fits over the treadmill. He also loves riding the therapy bike. After hearing for so long that he was "too old" to progress we are finding that, that was so very wrong. He is making slow but steady progress and showing everyone what he is capable of with a little help and encouragement.
His most recent struggle is low sodium levels. Increasing his intake has not helped the problem so we will soon see an endocrinologist to get this figured out. Please keep this in your prayers. A seizure from low sodium is a very scary thing, something Junior can tell you from experience.
Just over 10 years ago Junior became part of my family. At times it is a roller coaster ride with many twists and turns and some scary drops but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Junior continues to teach me so much and has changed my life more then I could have imagined. Junior has taught me to seize the moment, and find the joy in the smallest of things. Life is a gift, never take one second for granted.
God's richest blessings on all of you.
Love, Heidi & Junior
Here are a couple pictures from Junior's recent photo shoot with The Maple Leaf Mission
A couple weeks ago the ipad had a major crash and I thought it was done for. I had hooked it to the computer for the latest update to IOS 5. After the update I picked up the ipad and turned it on. Everything was gone as if the ipad was new, not one app remained. I had to redownload everything and start over(though I had gone through all the same steps I took in the past to ensure it is backed up and saved all was gone). I still don't have his communication app fully back to what he needs but at least it is set up enough for him to communicate his needs.
Recently at a visit to Shriners Junior discovered yet a new way to activate the ipad.
We were waiting on the orthotist and playing Snakes and Ladders on his ipad. Junior wanted to roll the dice himself so I put it up next to his face and he would turn and touch the screen with his chin to roll the dice. Its all about finding a way to make it work for you.
Last night I emailed out Junior's yearly update so thought I would share it here as well.
Update 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
It is hard to believe that Junior is now 13. He has had quite a busy year with many ups and downs but overall is doing well. He continues to inspire me with his determination and love for life, his joy bubbles over in all that he does. I am blessed and honored to be caring for Junior and thank God for placing him in my life.
I wanted to write a quick update on how things are going but wow that is not an easy thing. Just so this doesn't turn into a book I will only hit on the highlights from our year.
First off Junior continues to amaze us all with his communication using his ipad. He can not only tell you what he wants/needs but even use it to talk on the phone, or joke. The school district recently got him a switch interface for the ipad so he is learning to use his head switch to activate it. This allows him to use the ipad with much more independence. The ipad has changed his life in so many ways and has given him a voice.
The highlight of our summer was the gift of being able to attend the Joni and Friends Retreat near Santa Cruz. A huge thank you to those who made that possible. This was an experience we will never forget and we all had a wonderful time. We walked away feeling like we had experienced just a little piece of heaven here on earth.
On the health front Junior has his typical asthma struggles but fights through it like a champ. There are always those bumps in the road and things that make me nervous but for Junior thats just part of life. He doesn't want me to get bored. He started using the AVAPs(a more advance bipap) at night and his oxygen need has dropped considerably. He also continues to be oxygen free during many days and even some nights(miracles really do exist).
For several months he was dealing with a huge amount of stomach pain and discomfort. After being at a loss to figure out what was going on I spoke to a friend whose child was on a blended diet. At this point we were desperate so decided to give it a try. We started by introducing a few foods with his formula and quickly saw a change for the better.
After discussing it with his GI and getting the all clear to move to a completely blended diet(the same foods we eat just blended so they can go through his J tube) we stopped all his formula. Within 24 hours his stomach pain had completely disappeared. After a month he no longer needed any meds for his bowels and for the first time in years his protein levels were normal. I am noticing a higher energy level and a quicker bounce back after illnesses. I never could have guessed that taking him off formula would make such a drastic difference in his health.
Junior has been getting PT weekly for the past few months and absolutely loves it. His favorite thing is the special gait trainer which fits over the treadmill. He also loves riding the therapy bike. After hearing for so long that he was "too old" to progress we are finding that, that was so very wrong. He is making slow but steady progress and showing everyone what he is capable of with a little help and encouragement.
His most recent struggle is low sodium levels. Increasing his intake has not helped the problem so we will soon see an endocrinologist to get this figured out. Please keep this in your prayers. A seizure from low sodium is a very scary thing, something Junior can tell you from experience.
Just over 10 years ago Junior became part of my family. At times it is a roller coaster ride with many twists and turns and some scary drops but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Junior continues to teach me so much and has changed my life more then I could have imagined. Junior has taught me to seize the moment, and find the joy in the smallest of things. Life is a gift, never take one second for granted.
God's richest blessings on all of you.
Love, Heidi & Junior
Here are a couple pictures from Junior's recent photo shoot with The Maple Leaf Mission
Friday, September 30, 2011
Having Fun Today
Finishing up his craft today(still needs to paint the center orange).
Playing animal sound memory(this app is called Animal Sound Chaser).
Junior is really good at this game. You match the sound to the correct animal.
This evening he was using his computer to chat with grandma and David(the older of my two little brothers)
Playing animal sound memory(this app is called Animal Sound Chaser).Junior is really good at this game. You match the sound to the correct animal.
This evening he was using his computer to chat with grandma and David(the older of my two little brothers)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
App Party
Starting tomorrow there is a party going on over on FB so be sure to check it out. A4cwsn is throwing an app party. You could get some great apps and will be supporting an amazing cause. A4cwsn is working to get ipads into the hands of special needs children across the US and even in other countries.
If you are looking for appropriate apps for your child be sure to check out their website
http://a4cwsn.com/ . There are videos of many, many apps in action to give you a good idea of what will or won't work for your child. Their site has saved me a great deal of money by allowing me to see apps before buying them.
No post is complete without pics of my happy boy and his ipad, busy day so haven't had time to download new ones. Here are a few of my favorites from the past month.
Combining technology. Playing baseball on the computer with his head switch and using the ipad with his eye gaze to tell me whose turn it is and when he is winning.
Using his ipad during a craft project in school
Using his head switch to activate an app on the ipad for the first time. Sounding board is the app he is using, he loved being able to tell me he wanted to watch tv all by himself. He didn't need me to "read" his response(the cord is from his speakers, the switch is connected by blue tooth).
If you are looking for appropriate apps for your child be sure to check out their website
http://a4cwsn.com/ . There are videos of many, many apps in action to give you a good idea of what will or won't work for your child. Their site has saved me a great deal of money by allowing me to see apps before buying them.
No post is complete without pics of my happy boy and his ipad, busy day so haven't had time to download new ones. Here are a few of my favorites from the past month.
Combining technology. Playing baseball on the computer with his head switch and using the ipad with his eye gaze to tell me whose turn it is and when he is winning.
Using his ipad during a craft project in school
Using his head switch to activate an app on the ipad for the first time. Sounding board is the app he is using, he loved being able to tell me he wanted to watch tv all by himself. He didn't need me to "read" his response(the cord is from his speakers, the switch is connected by blue tooth).
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Ipad Saves the Day Again
This morning our weather is doing what it does this time of year and changing yet again.
For Junior this means asthma and the dreaded sinus headaches.
He was a mess this morning, very unhappy and crying and telling me "ow, ow, ow". One of those moments I am so very thankful for his ipad. Prior to having it this could have taken a very long time of yes/no answers as we tried to figure out what hurt.
Instead I grabbed his ipad and he quickly looked at "Upset", which took us to his board which lists things that might be making him upset. He looked at "I hurt" to get to his boards so he could show me what was hurting him.
Amazing how quickly he calms down when he knows I know what is going on. He waited very patiently while I went to fix his tylenol
The big smile when I came to give him his medicine
A few pictures from earlier in the week.
Using his ipad during a craft project
Just so you can see what he is working on.
A couple weeks ago we visited the Grape Festival and Junior got the biggest kick out of these big murals made from grapes, nuts, grains, and other foods grown in our area. So we decided to make our own using dried beans. Ours is nothing like the ones we saw at the festival but Junior is having a great time.
For Junior this means asthma and the dreaded sinus headaches.
He was a mess this morning, very unhappy and crying and telling me "ow, ow, ow". One of those moments I am so very thankful for his ipad. Prior to having it this could have taken a very long time of yes/no answers as we tried to figure out what hurt.
Instead I grabbed his ipad and he quickly looked at "Upset", which took us to his board which lists things that might be making him upset. He looked at "I hurt" to get to his boards so he could show me what was hurting him.
Amazing how quickly he calms down when he knows I know what is going on. He waited very patiently while I went to fix his tylenol
The big smile when I came to give him his medicine
A few pictures from earlier in the week.
Using his ipad during a craft project
Just so you can see what he is working on.
A couple weeks ago we visited the Grape Festival and Junior got the biggest kick out of these big murals made from grapes, nuts, grains, and other foods grown in our area. So we decided to make our own using dried beans. Ours is nothing like the ones we saw at the festival but Junior is having a great time.
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