IEP tomorrow

This is how I feel. Please wish us luck and that our son get what he needs.

Weekly Dinner Menu June 5

Being a single parent, in the SF Bay Area of a child who requires outside therapy, I'm on a budget!

One of the things that helps me save money is meal planning. I give myself a grocery budget, then I take stock of what is in my pantry, then create a menu, then shop for the things I don't have. It usually works.

Here is my weekly dinner menu for the week of June 5

Sunday
Sirloin roast with roasted potatoes and asparagus

Monday
Thai curry chicken, rice and peas

Tuesday
Homemade salmon cakes with homemade french fries

Wednesday
Green salad with tri tip beef

Thursday
Spanish style chicken and rice

Friday
Spaghetti with homemade sauce (I made the sauce last week; freezes nicely)

Saturday
Cajun salmon and spinach

I try to make things simple, tasty and quick (and gluten free)

You put what where?

Last night, I was working on the computer and DS walks in and says,
"Mommy, I have a pencil stuck in my ear".

Rapidly, I jump up and on initial inspection, he has nothing sticking out of his ears. As I'm firing questions at him... "OMG... Are you okay.... What happened.... How did a pencil get in your ear... Why did you put a pencil in your ear...." I'm grabbing the tweezers and the flashlight and peering inside. I see nothing. I ask him to tell me what he did. Remember, he has Autism and his communication skills can be limited.

I conclude that while he was drawing with his colored pencils, he just decided it would be interesting to put a pencil in his ear; I'm thinking the point was loose and fell inside.

I attempt to flush it out. Nothing.

It's about 6:45pm and I'm trying to make a quick decision. Go to the emergency room (on a Friday night and endure a 2 hour visit) or find a doctor to see him in the morning. I didn't want to wait. Due to his language, I was wondering, was it in fact still in there, or was he just in pain and just telling me what happened.

Immediately, I google after hour care clinics and find a pediatric after hour care clinic not far from my house. We get in the car and go. The whole time DS is happy and fine and just saying his ear hurts.

No one is in the clinic... yay! (Very nice place too~I must yelp about it) I tell them what happened and the doctor exclaims, with a chuckle... "What?! A Pencil!?" We go into the exam room and he checks his ear and yes, she sees something green. We all kinda laugh, like wow, DS... a pencil is really stuck in your ear.

I'm shocked. In 6 years, this little boy has never stuck anything anywhere, not even a sandwich in a DVD player.

So they try to take it out with tweezers, but it was too far in. They then flush it out and it comes right out.

We were all so happy. He's fine. We will go over a social story that I'm going to write about 'Keeping our Body Safe and Healthy'.

Here it is; yes I asked to save it. I want to remind DS when he gets older. LOL.

Life without a microwave

My microwave conked out a few weeks ago. I thought it was going to be a hardship, but it's really been great. The only problem I encountered was popcorn!

Then my mother reminded me of the days before microwaves. She suggested popping kernels in a pot. I was like, why not!

1/2 cup of kernels, 3 tablespoons of oil and we have wonderful popcorn. My pot has a clear lid, so DS got a kick out of watching the kernels pop into popcorn. It was DEE---LICIOUS!

Almost Friday....

I need to plan our weekend.

I think Friday we will take in a movie, Kung Fu Panda 2. Then Saturday I need to work with my student and DS will spend the day and evening with his dad. I'm not sure what I will do that night, I may go meet a friend at my favorite cafe. Sunday, is bridge day!!! I need to check the weather forecast, because it's been raining. But we'll walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and then head to Sausalito and sit in the park and watch the sailboats.

Today I have to organize myself, which includes making my to do list (live by it) and planning our menu (saves time and money) and running a couple of errands (Costco and the dollar store for some toiletries).

Have a Terrific Thursday!

Email in Kindergarten

I just got an email from my son's classmate--addressed to my son, but sent to me (all parent's emails are listed in school directory, so that is where he found it). I opened it up and his friend John wanted to know if he got his yearbook.

Sometimes I can be behind the times, but do 6 year olds have email accounts now?

Took off 4 minutes on my walk/run

I didn't work out outside yesterday due to rain. I did run/walk on the same trail today and I got my time down. Tomorrow, I'm going to do a flat trail around a soccer field. I also changed my eating drastically, not cheating as much ~ dropped 3 pounds! I'm at my ideal weight, just need to loose 2 inches off my waist.