This new world

We have met SO MANY new babies since the start of 2010. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but the boom of births really amazes me. Even more peculiar, all of them have been little girls! Every last one...thank goodness one of my dearest girlfriends, Karah, brought me the news of her 2nd baby boy to be born in October! I was beginning to worry for the future generations of males.
Anyhow...there has been our church friends' twins (Gwen & Grace) born around new year's eve followed by cousin Reagan Joanne, dear friend Elizabeth Grace, my boss's daughter Zoey Grace, and our NIECE, Alyssa Faith!

The photo shown here is of my Uncle Rick and his new granddaughter, Taylor Sue. She is a lovely, long little girl who already prefers being outdoors to inside. I think what hits my heart about Taylor is how her tiny presence has affected our family, like a ripple on lake water. She is my slightly older cousin's 1st child & 1st grandchild to Uncle Rick. Her birth has been a huge highlight in an otherwise rough summer for my grandma (her great-grandma). I also simply adore both her parents...they are down to earth and oh so much fun to hang out with. It will be a great joy to watch these family members grow along with tiny Taylor.

In other news...Summer is chugging along here in the Ohio River Valley. It is hot...HOT...and humid here. Work is...going...its busy and hot sometimes...and full of incredible moments with incredible kids/co-workers. I know there are a lot of *opinions surrounding ABA Therapy, but I have seen amazing accomplishments in kids we work with. I love being involved in helping kids make those accomplishments. It rocks.

Matthew has been working part-time for the reception hall this month. He has also been making gains on our "home projects". The garage has been rearranged, the bushes trimmed up, the bench my Dad made for us is stained a beautiful cedar color...we are pushing forward. Matthew & I also bought our 1st newer, nice car this month. I get to drive it most and I LOVE it. Its funny though, how hard it was to say goodbye to old Ethel...my 94 Toyota Camry. I had her for many years...that car got me thru IU. She will be missed...as much as a car can be missed, I suppose. And now I drive a 2009, green Corolla named Lilo. I love her! Matt thinks I'm silly. I love him too.

Now - I could continue on to tell you the horror stories of our baby boy pup turned adolesent pup...but I think I'll wait for another time. I'll just say this...he ate nearly a full roll of toliet paper today. sigh. Confetti all over the bathroom. Until next time, peace!

Southern Indiana Summer

Summer seems to have rushed itself upon us here.
My workplace, Meaningful Day Services, has been prepping for our annual Summer program. We run a very structured day camp for our ABA Therapy clients for about 8 weeks of the summer. Our 1st day is THIS Monday. woot! Our director is on maternity leave with her 1st child (so happy for her!) and our lead therapist has been doing all the crazy work to get our staff ready for this coming week & the rest of us have been trying to help out as much as possible...meaning lots of heavy work days + trainings + organizing the church facility we rent. I must admit I am super proud of MDS this year. Our Summer staff is ahhhhmazing :) and all really great to work with. Our company is growing and changing SO much right now & I am enjoying being here for all that goes with that...even the "growing pains" (I like problem solving *sometimes).

Along with all the craziness at my job - the school year ended for Matthew. He graduated from his Master's program this May !!!!!! and is working a part-time catering job for some of our friends who own a reception hall in New Albany. The good part...extra cash!...the bad part...he is gone for 6-10hrs almost every Saturday.

Hmmm...this is sort of a catch all post I guess. It seems like we've been busy since...the 1st weekend in May!? YES...it is true! nuts.
Since that last fast catch up its been...Uncle Bob in town, Memorial weekend + Sarah and Tom and Lena in town. Parker met Lena and loved his doggie cousin. Memorial weekend cookout at my parent's house with Schaffner fam. Major rain = flood = hilarious moments & the chance to splash in the gutters with my 7yr old cousin, Ella! We even sprung Grandma from the rehab joint for the cookout and Uncle Keith was there with his new, working heart valve! Hooray for answered prayers. Jenn comes to town. I made the Oreo Truffles for work party. Work party = great fun tye-dye tshirts, cornhole, and sunshine. Swimming at cousins house. Parker meets his cousin, Sophie dog. My cousin Lisa brings new baby Taylor to see us! yay! Jenn back in town with Evan this time. She met Parker and fell in love, as most people do ;) WEEZER concert at Horseshoe Casino last night. Really great band at a great venue. So much fun. Today was the big fundraiser yard sale for MDS parents raising money for field trips this summer. Tomorrow = huge church picnic at Highland Community Church.

By the way...I tried giving Parker a bath outside this weekend. I thought using the garden hose and being outside where its 90 flipping degrees might be easier. Wellllll it was less clean up but perhaps not worth the public FLOGGING I am sure to get by the animal rights people. We live in a neighborhood...with small lots...one where you can watch your neighbor's flatscreen from your own patio. Parker squirmed and wiggled and twisted himself out of every grip I got on his leash. When I tried holding his body, he would yelp and squeal like a dying piglet. Some of the sounds he made today in our backyard I have NEVER heard from him or any other living thing. All I wanted to do was spray him, lather, and rinse. It took forever and our next door neighbor actually came out to check that he hadn't been left out on his cable and gotten wrapped around something. He could hear Parker's calls of distress from INSIDE HIS HOUSE NEXT DOOR. Oh puppy...why won't you just take a bath !?

After tortuing the puppy, I set up my favorite blue chair in the yard and fell asleep in the sun. Parker, soaked and exhausted... laid down next to me & rolled on the hot patio until he dried off too. It was nice & I finally got some sun. Now I have the whole evening because hubby is working. I have felt like such a hermit lately.
I've been enjoying just getting things done at home and walking Parker and reading books. In fact, I think I'll go do those things now.

xoxo

So there it is.

Over the past ohhh saaayyy 6 months or so...heck, even further back than that...I have received some questions about my job/career. This makes sense and I apologize for not really ever addressing them. You see, its hard to explain what you're up to when you really don't know what you are up to. I spent a couple years trying to decide where and what I wanted to be and I have "worn a lot of hats" as they say...

I worked as a medical secrectary in an outpatient surgical center for 2 years. The nurses, my fellow clerks, and support staff were amazing people who were extremely hard for me to part with . The nature of the surgery biz, many patients, + the doctors and their god-complexes made it much easier to leave. Somewhere in those 2yrs, I came in contact with the Louisville FEAT group. I began working on weekends for them in the SIBSHOPS program. Sibshops is bascially a workshop for children who have a sibling with developmental disabilities. These workshops give the kids a chance to share their feelings and spend time with peers who might be going through similar things that they are.
After about a year of doing Sibshops, I was hired to work for Dreams with Wings of Louisville. Another fantastic organization I would reccomend checking out or helping out! I worked at their summer camp for teens with Autism and stayed on as a Direct Support Staff for the fall. In my 2 years there I also worked as a job coach for Supported Employement. In my time at Dreams, I was also hired by a different company to provide ABA therapy for a family in Southern Indiana.

A few twists a couple personal references and I came to find out that Meaningful Day Services of Indianapolis, IN had a new ABA Therapy department branching out to the Southern IN area. And after a long transition period from Dreams (it was SO hard to leave my clients & coworkers there) HERE I AM :) I am a full-time ABA Therapist for Meaningful Day Services.
Now...even with the background that may not mean a lot to you guys. So here is the gist of it, along with some links if you are really jazzed about knowing this stuff.

A typical week for me looks like this:
Anywhere between 8am and noon I either pick up a client from school or meet them at the Ymca. The local Y's have been allowing my company to rent space from them until we can buy our own office for therapy. From the moment we meet up until the end of our session I use ABA techniques along with sensory intergration and any other GOOFY SILLY WACKY ways possible to keep the kid interacting with me, communicating verbally, and learning. We also keep data on all programs. For some kids, its more like a specialized academic program and for others it is truly behavior intervention and life-skills 101. Most days I see 2-4 children and am typically done by 6pm. Sometimes the hours are choppy...and there is drive time involved. Lots on some weeks, less others. Sometimes we shake it up and take the kids for Community Outings or group them for play/social dates. A Community Outing can be anything from goin to lunch at McDonald's to bowling or the park. There are good days...like I can't believe I am getting paid to play in the park on a perfect spring day days...and there are days when I come home with scratches & a head full of frazzled hair that's been pulled at all day. The thing I love most: there is always the possibility of something great happening.

http://www.meaningfuldays.com/aba_about.html

http://www.featoflouisville.org/