In February, my husband and I decided to pull the boys from school and homeschool them. It was not an easy decision to make. I love the teachers, and the school environment. But I had to think of what was right for the boys.
The Autism classes work well for many students - it worked for mine years before - but I was finding myself more and more frustrated. I became concerned that the non-grading system in place would hinder them in later years. I was worried that, come highschool, the boys would flounder because they had no concept of tests, or any subject other than Math and English. The teachers are absolutely wonderful, but their hands were tied.
Our children can learn! It may not be in that pigeon-holed, 'one size fits all' way, but they CAN learn. More than that, they WANT to learn. They NEED to learn. And that applies to ALL Special Education classes in ALL school boards. The old ways of "Special Education" don't work any more. Evolve or perish!
Yeah, I could have pushed for full integration, I thought of that. But I knew (know) that Aaron would have had a hell of a time with it - it would have failed. Adam would have recieved no EA support. The boys would have struggled, continued to dislike school and, in turn, hate learning.
So what has happened since we started homeschooling? Well, in the four months we've been at it - the boys have completely caught up to their 'grade level' in the curriculum. We've gone on field trips and they've engaged the tour guides. They've asked questions and LISTENED to the answers. They are excited about learning again. They discuss the tour afterwards - at length.
Adam is no longer taking medications, and Aaron actually wants to play with his brother and neighbourhood children. They are relaxed and focussed. Aaron hardly ever needs to 'go thinky' and Adam is less 'clingy'. There are less tears and more laughter.
Do I plan on homeschooling forever? That would be predicting the future - and last time I checked I wasn't a fortune teller. Who knows what will happen in the future. They may well want to go to school. They may well be ready for the hustle and bustle. But I can guarantee that when and if they are ready to attend school again, they will be on par with their peers academically.
The school board has had meetings with the parents and the teachers and have promised to put changes in place to make the classes better. But we'll have to see what happens.
As I said previously, the classes work well for many students. It's a wonderful resource and the teachers are amazing. It just didn't work for mine. Not anymore.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Our Long Weekend and the Timmins Nine fire
For the long weekend, we went to my parents cottage. It was a great weekend! My eldest was home for a visit and it was nice to have the whole family together.
See? What a gorgeous family I have :)
On Sunday afternoon, we noticed smoke in the air.
Being Notherners, and accustomed to forest fires, we took it in stride. There were no flames, we saw no water bombers. So we thought it was far enough away and went on with our afternoon. But the adults kept on eye on it.
As the evening came on, we noticed that it seemed to be getting closer.
By now we were getting our evacuation plan in order. We did this out of earshot of the boys because we didn't want them to get scared. It was unspoken, but my mom and I decided that we weren't sleeping that night. We were going to keep an eye on the fire and see if it was getting closer.
At 1am, there was a knock on the cottage door. It was the police telling us that we needed to evacuate - that the fire was only 14 km away - FOURTEEN! That's a heck of a lot closer than we had anticipated!
The last picture I took before the evacuation notice
We woke the boys, grabbed our stuff and packed the cars. The boys were wonderful throughout the entire process. We told them that we had to leave because of smoke and the police wanted to make sure we were safe. They sat in the car patiently and didn't freak out at ALL. They did have a lot of questions, I mean who wouldn't, but they kept their cool. I am so proud of them!
When we tried to get my mother's cat, he took off - whether he thought we were playing or he was spooked, I'm not sure - and we couldn't catch him. He's still there, hopefully waiting for us to go back.
It wasn't until we got home that we realized just how big the fire was. We also learned that there had been a smaller fire IN town as well as another fire threatening a nearby city.
In fact, as of this posting, there are 46 forest fires in North Eastern Ontario. And because of the seriousness of it all, they've closed some highways and we are unable to get back to my parents cottage.
I'm still in a state of disbelief coupled with what-can-we-do-about-this-anyway. The only thing we can do right now is wait and trust that the firefighters will be safe and will save our land.
On Sunday afternoon, we noticed smoke in the air.
Being Notherners, and accustomed to forest fires, we took it in stride. There were no flames, we saw no water bombers. So we thought it was far enough away and went on with our afternoon. But the adults kept on eye on it.
As the evening came on, we noticed that it seemed to be getting closer.
By now we were getting our evacuation plan in order. We did this out of earshot of the boys because we didn't want them to get scared. It was unspoken, but my mom and I decided that we weren't sleeping that night. We were going to keep an eye on the fire and see if it was getting closer.
At 1am, there was a knock on the cottage door. It was the police telling us that we needed to evacuate - that the fire was only 14 km away - FOURTEEN! That's a heck of a lot closer than we had anticipated!
We woke the boys, grabbed our stuff and packed the cars. The boys were wonderful throughout the entire process. We told them that we had to leave because of smoke and the police wanted to make sure we were safe. They sat in the car patiently and didn't freak out at ALL. They did have a lot of questions, I mean who wouldn't, but they kept their cool. I am so proud of them!
When we tried to get my mother's cat, he took off - whether he thought we were playing or he was spooked, I'm not sure - and we couldn't catch him. He's still there, hopefully waiting for us to go back.
It wasn't until we got home that we realized just how big the fire was. We also learned that there had been a smaller fire IN town as well as another fire threatening a nearby city.
In fact, as of this posting, there are 46 forest fires in North Eastern Ontario. And because of the seriousness of it all, they've closed some highways and we are unable to get back to my parents cottage.
I'm still in a state of disbelief coupled with what-can-we-do-about-this-anyway. The only thing we can do right now is wait and trust that the firefighters will be safe and will save our land.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Happy Mother's Day
When I think of Mother's Day, I think of two women. These women have shaped me and taught me how to be an adult, a woman and a mother.
Memere
My grandmother was the type of woman who didn't just talk about what she wanted to do - she just did it. She was 4 foot 10 but she was a force to be reckoned with. She didn't take crap from anyone but she was enough of a lady to 'tell it straight' in a way that wasn't demeaning or insulting. She taught me how to be honest without brutality, how to be forceful without mowing people down, how to assert yourself while remembering people's feelings.
She was an excellent card player. She never let me win by default - I had to win on my own merit. Memere taught me the life wasn't easy and that you had to work hard to get what you wanted. But she also taught me that what I earned would be sweeter because of that hard work.
Memere was loving, wise and gentle. She always had time to spend with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She never talked to us as though we were children - we were treated as equals. She was always 'straight' with us, never holding back and never 'dumbing down'.
Memere taught line dancing, played bridge and volunteered at the hospital until she was in her 80s. She had endless energy and loved life. When she turned 85, she started feeling ill. She spent her 86th birthday in the hospital where she found out she had cancer in her bones. Memere turned down chemo because she wanted to spend the time she had left with her family. She told me that she had a good, happy, long life. She died the way she lived - on her terms, in her way - with grace, with love, with family, with peace. I miss her every day.
Mom
Mom is also a very strong woman. She spent her life working hard and raising her family without expecting anything in return. She fought the schools when they wanted to put my brother in a 'special class' because of his hand writing and vision issues (by the way, he graduated top of his class and went on the college, finishing with his accounting degree - just sayin'). Mom is the definition of mother bear - cuddly and warm but will tear you a new one if you mess with her kids. But she was never a 'bubblewrap' mom.
She taught me to be independent - to do for myself. That, by not expecting the world on a platter, I would feel what true accomplishment is. And she's right. Mom also taught me the value of educating myself - that learning never ends.
Mom taught me that there is nothing more important than family. She taught me that our children are NOT an extension of ourselves, but their own individual beings - that it's not for us to decide who they will grow up to be. It's up to us to give our children the tools they need, to teach them how to decide for themselves - but that decision will ultimately be theirs.
My mom had eight surgeries in the span of five years. She's battled many health problems and is just now starting to recover. But that has never stopped her from getting up in the morning and doing what needs to be done. She gave me great advice during my depression years: "Angel," she would say, "you need to force yourself to get up. You need to force yourself to get dressed and you need to force yourself to move. Then it will get better." And she was right, it did. That's advice I still use to this day.
She is always there for us if we need her - but she won't push her way in. She lets us live the lives we want, supports us always and never once told us what we should do.
Mom loves her grandchidren with all her heart, always thinking of new ways to engage them, new ways to entertain them, new ways to educate them. She's always ready with a joke, a riddle, a puzzle, a game.
When I became an adult, my mom became my friend as well as my mom. And I love her for that.
------------------------------
These women taught me so much, it's incalculable. Because of them, I can say for certain that being a mother is not a sacrifice - it's a blessing.
I view my battles as hurdles that I WILL overcome if I work hard enough.
It's up to me to decide if these hurdles are life lessons or something to be bemoaned.
That there is always something new to learn, and it's exciting.
Laughter is the key to happiness.
Hard work is it's own reward.
Family is the real treasure.
Life is beautiful.
Memere
My grandmother was the type of woman who didn't just talk about what she wanted to do - she just did it. She was 4 foot 10 but she was a force to be reckoned with. She didn't take crap from anyone but she was enough of a lady to 'tell it straight' in a way that wasn't demeaning or insulting. She taught me how to be honest without brutality, how to be forceful without mowing people down, how to assert yourself while remembering people's feelings.
She was an excellent card player. She never let me win by default - I had to win on my own merit. Memere taught me the life wasn't easy and that you had to work hard to get what you wanted. But she also taught me that what I earned would be sweeter because of that hard work.
Memere was loving, wise and gentle. She always had time to spend with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She never talked to us as though we were children - we were treated as equals. She was always 'straight' with us, never holding back and never 'dumbing down'.
Memere taught line dancing, played bridge and volunteered at the hospital until she was in her 80s. She had endless energy and loved life. When she turned 85, she started feeling ill. She spent her 86th birthday in the hospital where she found out she had cancer in her bones. Memere turned down chemo because she wanted to spend the time she had left with her family. She told me that she had a good, happy, long life. She died the way she lived - on her terms, in her way - with grace, with love, with family, with peace. I miss her every day.
Mom
Mom is also a very strong woman. She spent her life working hard and raising her family without expecting anything in return. She fought the schools when they wanted to put my brother in a 'special class' because of his hand writing and vision issues (by the way, he graduated top of his class and went on the college, finishing with his accounting degree - just sayin'). Mom is the definition of mother bear - cuddly and warm but will tear you a new one if you mess with her kids. But she was never a 'bubblewrap' mom.
She taught me to be independent - to do for myself. That, by not expecting the world on a platter, I would feel what true accomplishment is. And she's right. Mom also taught me the value of educating myself - that learning never ends.
Mom taught me that there is nothing more important than family. She taught me that our children are NOT an extension of ourselves, but their own individual beings - that it's not for us to decide who they will grow up to be. It's up to us to give our children the tools they need, to teach them how to decide for themselves - but that decision will ultimately be theirs.
My mom had eight surgeries in the span of five years. She's battled many health problems and is just now starting to recover. But that has never stopped her from getting up in the morning and doing what needs to be done. She gave me great advice during my depression years: "Angel," she would say, "you need to force yourself to get up. You need to force yourself to get dressed and you need to force yourself to move. Then it will get better." And she was right, it did. That's advice I still use to this day.
She is always there for us if we need her - but she won't push her way in. She lets us live the lives we want, supports us always and never once told us what we should do.
Mom loves her grandchidren with all her heart, always thinking of new ways to engage them, new ways to entertain them, new ways to educate them. She's always ready with a joke, a riddle, a puzzle, a game.
When I became an adult, my mom became my friend as well as my mom. And I love her for that.
------------------------------
These women taught me so much, it's incalculable. Because of them, I can say for certain that being a mother is not a sacrifice - it's a blessing.
I view my battles as hurdles that I WILL overcome if I work hard enough.
It's up to me to decide if these hurdles are life lessons or something to be bemoaned.
That there is always something new to learn, and it's exciting.
Laughter is the key to happiness.
Hard work is it's own reward.
Family is the real treasure.
Life is beautiful.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I Believe
I believe
-in the goodness of others
-in the power of a smile
-that charity should be done anonymously, without expecting a pat on the back
-that acceptance is the starting point of happiness
-that our children are most precious and our responsibility to and for them is to be taken seriously and willingly
-that we should show our appreciation to others as often as possible
-that "I love you" is a phrase that should be shared openly and often with friends and family
-that if I have a roof over my head, food in my cupboard and my family safe, warm and happy, then everything else is a bonus
-that empathy works both ways; you have to give it to receive it
-that respect works the same way
-that I may not always get what I want, but I always get what I need
-that whatever I 'put out there' in sent back; goodness attracts goodness
-that I will try everyday to be the best person I can be
-in the goodness of others
-in the power of a smile
-that charity should be done anonymously, without expecting a pat on the back
-that acceptance is the starting point of happiness
-that our children are most precious and our responsibility to and for them is to be taken seriously and willingly
-that we should show our appreciation to others as often as possible
-that "I love you" is a phrase that should be shared openly and often with friends and family
-that if I have a roof over my head, food in my cupboard and my family safe, warm and happy, then everything else is a bonus
-that empathy works both ways; you have to give it to receive it
-that respect works the same way
-that I may not always get what I want, but I always get what I need
-that whatever I 'put out there' in sent back; goodness attracts goodness
-that I will try everyday to be the best person I can be
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Him Hat
When I was thirteen, I was in love with Ralph Macchio. Sigh .... Ralph. I had a poster of him on my bedroom ceiling so he would be the last thing I saw at night and the first thing I saw in the morning. Yeah, I was sappy (still am, but that's a secret).
Yes, Ralph from the Karate Kid. BUT he also was in a movie called Teachers. It was a good movie. I mean, it had RALPH in it - of course it was a good movie. Most of all though, I remember the hat he wore in the movie. I remembered that I SO SO wanted a hat like that. So much that I asked my mom for one. Bah, asked? More like begged, annoyed, bothered, talked nonstop about it.
Now this was before internet and Google were around, so imagine if you will a very excited, hormonal teenage girl babbling to her mother about a hat that she saw some actor that was only important to that one girl in the house in a movie that only the girl had seen. My mom, wanting very much to make her only daughter happy, asked me what the hat was called. Pfft, I didn't know. I looked at my mom straight in the eye and said "it's a him hat".
If you read this blog post, you'd understand where my sarcasm came from.
My parents did try and find the hat for me, but let's face it I didn't make it easy for them. Who the heck would know what is meant by a "him hat". Needless to say, I didn't get a 'him hat' for Christmas and I quickly forgot about it.
Skip forward 27 years:
My mom called me on the phone this past week, giggling madly. All she would tell me was that I didn't need to worry about what I was going to wear for Hallowe'en, that she would give me my 'gift' on Thursday. Now I was worried because my mom has a wonderful sense of humour but is also a bit prankish. I spent four days wracking my brain trying to come up with what the heck she got for me. What the heck was it?!?!?
Then Thursday came. And we were at our knitting club. And I was patiently waiting to see what 'gift' she would give me. Ok, not so patiently - but still waiting.
Finally, she brought out a bag and a poem:
Many many years ago
A young lady was watching a show
She pined for the actor and an item he wore
And asked for the item till our ears were sore
The year was 1984
The parents went to every store
But alas nowhere could it be found
So we kept hearing the Boo Hoo sound
Even though the years went by
We would still look low and high
She did not ask for it anymore
But we still looked when in a store
While shopping at the Dollarama
We almost yelled "Eureka"
Lo and behold will you look at that
We finally found a HIM HAT
YAY!!!!! I now have a HIM HAT!!!!
Now I want to watch Teachers again.
Yes, Ralph from the Karate Kid. BUT he also was in a movie called Teachers. It was a good movie. I mean, it had RALPH in it - of course it was a good movie. Most of all though, I remember the hat he wore in the movie. I remembered that I SO SO wanted a hat like that. So much that I asked my mom for one. Bah, asked? More like begged, annoyed, bothered, talked nonstop about it.
Now this was before internet and Google were around, so imagine if you will a very excited, hormonal teenage girl babbling to her mother about a hat that she saw some actor that was only important to that one girl in the house in a movie that only the girl had seen. My mom, wanting very much to make her only daughter happy, asked me what the hat was called. Pfft, I didn't know. I looked at my mom straight in the eye and said "it's a him hat".
If you read this blog post, you'd understand where my sarcasm came from.
My parents did try and find the hat for me, but let's face it I didn't make it easy for them. Who the heck would know what is meant by a "him hat". Needless to say, I didn't get a 'him hat' for Christmas and I quickly forgot about it.
Skip forward 27 years:
My mom called me on the phone this past week, giggling madly. All she would tell me was that I didn't need to worry about what I was going to wear for Hallowe'en, that she would give me my 'gift' on Thursday. Now I was worried because my mom has a wonderful sense of humour but is also a bit prankish. I spent four days wracking my brain trying to come up with what the heck she got for me. What the heck was it?!?!?
Then Thursday came. And we were at our knitting club. And I was patiently waiting to see what 'gift' she would give me. Ok, not so patiently - but still waiting.
Finally, she brought out a bag and a poem:
Many many years ago
A young lady was watching a show
She pined for the actor and an item he wore
And asked for the item till our ears were sore
The year was 1984
The parents went to every store
But alas nowhere could it be found
So we kept hearing the Boo Hoo sound
Even though the years went by
We would still look low and high
She did not ask for it anymore
But we still looked when in a store
While shopping at the Dollarama
We almost yelled "Eureka"
Lo and behold will you look at that
We finally found a HIM HAT
YAY!!!!! I now have a HIM HAT!!!!
Now I want to watch Teachers again.
Friday, October 14, 2011
It's NOT an Excuse
There was a time when we suspected that Adam had sleep apnea. If I'm to be completely honest, I was hoping that he did because ADHD symptoms will present themselves in children with sleep apnea. Take care of the sleep apnea, take care of the ADHD symptoms. Yay, right?
We went to the doctor, who referred Adam to the sleep specialist, who set up the appointment at the hospital, who called us and set up the date. When the hospital called, I went into automatic mode (you know what I mean) and said my much used prepared speech about how Adam has Autism and will need to know everything that is happening and why and it would be useful if they showed Adam the equipment beforehand blah blah blah. Okaydok, they said and a time was set.
Adam and I got to our appointment and everything was going great. The nurses were wonderful, showing Adam all the equipment and going through what will happen. Adam asked a million questions that the nurses answered them ALL patiently. They really were wonderful. I wanted to take them home and keep them.
Then came time to put the wires on his head with that gloopy gluey stuff. He wasn't upset about that but he was jumping up and down off the chair. It really was making it difficult for the nurse to put the stuff on and she was going as fast as she could. So I said "Adam you have to sit still so the nurse can get you all set up". Adam replied "It's ok mom, I have ADHD".
You could have heard a pin drop.
Then I replied "Umm, you might have ADHD but that's no excuse for not trying. Take a deep breath and try to sit still for a minute". And he did. And the wires got finished. And the rest of the test went well (except I slept on a really crappy cot while my son got a nice double bed).
I spent the night thinking about what Adam said. I don't want my children using their diagnosis as an excuse not to at least try. I know that Adam wasn't being a smartbutt about it and that he was just stating a fact, but I had to nip this in the bud. I was not about to let them get away with things just because of their diagnosis.
They have Autism. Ok. Adam has ADHD. Ok. It still doesn't mean that the rules don't apply to them also. It might take a little longer to reinforce the rules, we might have to get a little creative and imaginative. But they will get there. Ok, we might have to repeat ourselves a few dozen times - but isn't the definition of parent "broken record" anyway?
There are certain rules that we have that are non-negotiable - no hitting, no rough play, no invading personal space, no running into traffic, no throwing the keyboard/toys/bags/etc to name a few. And that didn't come easily. We (meaning the teachers and us) repeated and reinforced and came up with rhyming reminders, social stories and whatever else we could think of - still today. But they are NOT going to use Autism/ADHD as an excuse to get away with not following those rules. They are not going to use their diagnosis as an excuse not to TRY. They have to at least try!
Because if we start using their diagnosis as an excuse now, if we let things like rough play and invading personal space slide now, what will happen when they are adults. When they are struggling at their workplace or at a social function, will they start throwing stuff around because they are overwhelmed and then use their Autism as an excuse? I should hope not. Will they get into fights because they were upset and then get charged with assault? Will they not be able to have friends because friends can only take so much aggression?
When we told the boys about their diagnosis, it was so that we could be honest with them. It was so that we could explain to them what it meant and what hurdles they would have to jump, with our help. We never said "you have Autism so you can't do this or that". We said "you have Autism and you can still do this and that but we just have to go about it in a different way". We explained to Adam what ADHD is but we never said "so you can't sit still ever again".
Now when they're children, it would be easy to let them get away with rough play and throwing toys and invading personal space and just brush it off. It's damn hard to keep reinforcing the same rules over and over until you're dreaming about them. Gosh, it would be so easy to just let it go. But we can't. We can't because children become adults. And adults need to understand these basic social skills in order to function in this world - like it or not. And the simple rough play of today could become the assault charges of tomorrow.
Oh, and it turned out that Adam did not have sleep apnea. But he did get some cool stickers.
We went to the doctor, who referred Adam to the sleep specialist, who set up the appointment at the hospital, who called us and set up the date. When the hospital called, I went into automatic mode (you know what I mean) and said my much used prepared speech about how Adam has Autism and will need to know everything that is happening and why and it would be useful if they showed Adam the equipment beforehand blah blah blah. Okaydok, they said and a time was set.
Adam and I got to our appointment and everything was going great. The nurses were wonderful, showing Adam all the equipment and going through what will happen. Adam asked a million questions that the nurses answered them ALL patiently. They really were wonderful. I wanted to take them home and keep them.
Then came time to put the wires on his head with that gloopy gluey stuff. He wasn't upset about that but he was jumping up and down off the chair. It really was making it difficult for the nurse to put the stuff on and she was going as fast as she could. So I said "Adam you have to sit still so the nurse can get you all set up". Adam replied "It's ok mom, I have ADHD".
You could have heard a pin drop.
Then I replied "Umm, you might have ADHD but that's no excuse for not trying. Take a deep breath and try to sit still for a minute". And he did. And the wires got finished. And the rest of the test went well (except I slept on a really crappy cot while my son got a nice double bed).
I spent the night thinking about what Adam said. I don't want my children using their diagnosis as an excuse not to at least try. I know that Adam wasn't being a smartbutt about it and that he was just stating a fact, but I had to nip this in the bud. I was not about to let them get away with things just because of their diagnosis.
They have Autism. Ok. Adam has ADHD. Ok. It still doesn't mean that the rules don't apply to them also. It might take a little longer to reinforce the rules, we might have to get a little creative and imaginative. But they will get there. Ok, we might have to repeat ourselves a few dozen times - but isn't the definition of parent "broken record" anyway?
There are certain rules that we have that are non-negotiable - no hitting, no rough play, no invading personal space, no running into traffic, no throwing the keyboard/toys/bags/etc to name a few. And that didn't come easily. We (meaning the teachers and us) repeated and reinforced and came up with rhyming reminders, social stories and whatever else we could think of - still today. But they are NOT going to use Autism/ADHD as an excuse to get away with not following those rules. They are not going to use their diagnosis as an excuse not to TRY. They have to at least try!
Because if we start using their diagnosis as an excuse now, if we let things like rough play and invading personal space slide now, what will happen when they are adults. When they are struggling at their workplace or at a social function, will they start throwing stuff around because they are overwhelmed and then use their Autism as an excuse? I should hope not. Will they get into fights because they were upset and then get charged with assault? Will they not be able to have friends because friends can only take so much aggression?
When we told the boys about their diagnosis, it was so that we could be honest with them. It was so that we could explain to them what it meant and what hurdles they would have to jump, with our help. We never said "you have Autism so you can't do this or that". We said "you have Autism and you can still do this and that but we just have to go about it in a different way". We explained to Adam what ADHD is but we never said "so you can't sit still ever again".
Now when they're children, it would be easy to let them get away with rough play and throwing toys and invading personal space and just brush it off. It's damn hard to keep reinforcing the same rules over and over until you're dreaming about them. Gosh, it would be so easy to just let it go. But we can't. We can't because children become adults. And adults need to understand these basic social skills in order to function in this world - like it or not. And the simple rough play of today could become the assault charges of tomorrow.
Oh, and it turned out that Adam did not have sleep apnea. But he did get some cool stickers.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Thank You
A couple of weeks ago, I entered a contest held by Nathan's Voice (great blog). I never expected to win - I'm just not one of those people who win stuff. But I did! I WON! The prize was a book written by Seven Yuckmouths' (another great blog) Yuckmouth Daddy (aka Roy A. Ruiz).
I got the package in the mail just before the boys got home from school so I left it on the end table for them to find when they got home. And find it they did :)
They ripped open the package and wanted to read it RIGHT AWAY. And they LOVED IT! The story was easy for them to understand and they loved the pictures. More than that - they could read it themselves.
Ever since, I've seen them reading it alone, laughing at certain parts (I'm not giving away the story) and enjoying it. The Adventures Of One Sock has now joined our collection of 'read every night' books.
Thank you, Nathan's Voice for hosting the contest. Thank you, Mr. Ruiz, for writing this book.
We can't wait for the next adventure of One Sock.
*This post should have been written a week ago. Life has a way of sometimes sneaking days by you without notice. It doesn't excuse me, I am sorry.
I got the package in the mail just before the boys got home from school so I left it on the end table for them to find when they got home. And find it they did :)
They ripped open the package and wanted to read it RIGHT AWAY. And they LOVED IT! The story was easy for them to understand and they loved the pictures. More than that - they could read it themselves.
Ever since, I've seen them reading it alone, laughing at certain parts (I'm not giving away the story) and enjoying it. The Adventures Of One Sock has now joined our collection of 'read every night' books.
Thank you, Nathan's Voice for hosting the contest. Thank you, Mr. Ruiz, for writing this book.
We can't wait for the next adventure of One Sock.
*This post should have been written a week ago. Life has a way of sometimes sneaking days by you without notice. It doesn't excuse me, I am sorry.
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