Within the Kitchen: Easy Raspberry-Lime Freezer Jam

Within the Kitchen: Easy Raspberry-Lime Freezer Jam: Easy Raspberry-Lime Freezer Jam Who knew making jam was so easy??? To be honest canning scares me - boiling bottles, sealing yada, yada,...


yum!

New Book Provides a Faith-Based Approach to Living with Autism and Asperger’s

New Book Provides a Faith-Based Approach to Living with Autism and Asperger’s

Absolutely love this idea! Now I just need to get a copy of the book for myself!

2010 Already!

Hello again ..... as you can see, I have not been faithful to my blogging as I had hoped when I last entered an update in September 2009. However, much has been accomplished since my past post!

We are just about to finish up another productive morning of home school and college so I thought I would pop in to write an update. I found the CHENL blog today which I was not even aware existed here. I knew about the yahoo one, which I didn't really like due to the confusing format of yahoo. So I look forward to following the new site and have just become an official "follower"!

This week I am working on my final assignment for Macromedia Flash and will be starting a new text book soon! Only 2 more books and I graduate! How time flies!

Jonathan continues to put in fairly productive days for home schooling with guidance and lots of positive redirection when needed. He continues to amaze people when they realize how knowledgeable he is about some topics that most 11 year olds are not even interested in. Having Asperger's Syndrome, though it presents many challenges, has it's advantages. God has a purpose and he will continue to teach us as we allow him to do so.

My oldest son, Barry, continues to live in St. John's. Although things have not been easy for him, or our family in that matter, I continue to trust that God also has a plan for him as had been prophesied numerous time during his early childhood. We just have to wait patiently and continue to have faith!

God is good ........... all the time!

Updates

Well, as you can see, I am not very good at blogging, or keeping a diary for that matter. This was my attempt to keep track of my experience returning to school as an adult.

Nearly two years have passed since I began this journey, and I have since graduated with honors (97%) from my previous course in Graphic Design and Web Page Development. And since I survived that experience, I have decided to go back for another trade. This time ... Multimedia and Animations.

I am hoping that I am more faithful to this blog than I was for my previous course. The reason I have decided to return to this blog posting business is to help keep me on task, encourage me when I go through difficult times, and [I guess] accountability.

I am currently having one of the worst days of my life and I need to do something to help turn this cycle around. I am extremely behind in my college course, my life appears (to me anyhow) to be in complete disarray, and my mood is lower than I can ever remember feeling.

SO! I am going to pull up my socks, commit myself to completing one assignment tonight before I go to bed at a decent hour, and then rise up early tomorrow to start homeschool with Jonathan before proceeding on to complete another assignment tomorrow. I will check back tomorrow evening to report my progress!

Happy times ahead!

Another "Bad Weather - No School" Day?

Well, we got up this morning and it was raining. Big deal! So it's only January 29th and it's raining .... freezing rain. Not enough to look bad, but enough to cancel the schools in our district. The bad news is, I study via distance education ..... so, for me, it's STILL a school day.

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Question:

What do you do with a 9 year old special needs child, who, insanely, got an umbrella in his stocking at Christmas, and is now pleading non stop to go out and "break it in" so to speak?

Answer:

Let him go out, the novelty will wear off - one would hope.

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So, I sit here with my herbal tea cold remedy in hand, a box of kleenex, and a "now dry" child in the next room, trying to determine if my mind is clear enough, and whether I am brave enough to write an online timed exam. Negative. I think I will wait for another day and just work on one of the 6 assignments that await my attention. No doubt the Battleship, Chess, and Checkers games will be on the docket of things to accomplish today as well ..... gotta keep the munchkin happy too! Thank God we have competed the 14 model sets received at Christmas!!! However, I prepare myself for the begging .... "When am I going to get to do my two plaster of Paris kits, Mom?" ..... but for now the race track which takes up the better part of his massive therapy/bedroom and the "A Fish Tale" movie is occupying his time nicely ..... so .... Off to school I go!!

Have a GREAT day!

Until next time ....

The School Girl Returns!

Well, I never thought that at the age of 38 I would be a school girl again!! Never say never is all I have to say about that!

In the spring of 2006 I saw a commercial on TV about completing an online college course, getting a diploma and starting a new career path ..... and Lord knows, I need a new career path! So, I quickly dialed the number and signed up to receive the information package. About a week later, SURPRISE! There it was!!! College info ..... in MY mailbox ..... in MY name!! Wow!

After a full year of ups and downs in my personal life, I refocused again on this crazy idea of the distance education package that had been sent to me ..... and since the very friendly and patient admissions people were STILL calling me after a full year of me saying, "My life is too crazy yet to start something like this!" I thought .... y'know, if I don't MAKE my life calm down .... it NEVER will. So I did!

I am NOW officially a college student! I'm taking a Graphic Design and Web Page Development course through MacTech Distance Education (www.homeed.com). I am into my 3rd book of study and managed to pull off two very good marks on my exams (high 90's) ...... so I'm pretty excited about that!

Anyhow .... I'm learning about blogs now, so I figured ..... "what the heck! Let's start a blog!" And here we are ...... so ...... tune in next time to find out what happens next.

Until next time ..... keep your feet on the ground, and your head high in the air ..... and never, ever lose sight of where you've been .... or where you're going!!

Peace out!

Jules