Training Opportunity for WI - TRANSITION

Youth in Partnership with Parents for Empowerment

A Leadership Development Opportunity for Youth with
Disabilities and Their Parents to Learn About the Transition Process in a Unique Way

WHEN:

September 24-25, 2010
November 19-20, 2010
January 28-29, 2011
March 11-12, 2011
April 15-16, 2011

WHERE:

Wintergreen Resort
& Conference Center
Wisconsin Dells, WI

WHAT:
YiPPE starts at 5:00 p.m. Friday and ends by 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Youth, along with their parents/guardians, must attend ALL five weekend sessions.

The YiPPE Program assists youth, ages 15-20,

• to learn how to make decisions for themselves throughout the transition process,
• get involved in their school and community,
• learn how to be as independent as they can,
• learn more about self-advocacy and self-determination,
• prepare for work and/or college,
• learn what the future could hold for them,
• get to know other youth,
• make friends and have fun.

The YiPPE program assists parents to plan for their youth’s future:

• improving their leadership,communication and social skills
• learning about transition issues such as health care, employment, education, inclusion, legislation, and adult services
• learning about national, state, and local resources that will help their youth make a smoother transition
• become a part of a network of parents who have children with disabilities
• and, enjoy time with other parents.

Youth and their parents will hear from speakers and take part in hands-on activities in parallel
programs. While some topics may overlap, parents will be able to enjoy their own sessions
while their youth are learning similar information in a youth-friendly format.

WHO:
Who Can Sign Up?

Youth (ages 15-20) and their parent(s), foster parent(s), or grandparent(s), are
eligible for this program

Youth must be receiving special education
services

Those who have attended a Transition PIP
are not eligible to attend YiPPE Space is limited to 25 families

HOW:
To Register
Contact….

Brenda Yager
WSPEI
CESA 5
800-862-3725
Ext. 260
yagerb@cesa5.k12.wi.us

For more
Information
Contact….

Martha DeYoung
WSPEI
State Training
Coordinator
800-862-3725
Ext. 255
deyoungm@cesa5.k12.wi.us

Wow. I can't believe that we're in the middle of May already! Time just flies, doesn't it?

It's raining again. Since we've been in drought conditions for the last 5 years I guess I'm glad but I sure do love my sunshine.

Ryan is doing better. I was able to drive yesterday and fit my bod into my compact car. Bending the hip that much was a little bit of a panic but it went better than I thought it would so I was happy.

I took Ryan to lunch and we shopped a little. He loved it and I saw his delightful smile as we did some of the things we used to do before surgery. My heart sang. He's stopped regressing and caught back up almost entirely. His bounce back has been wonderful.

I just realized that my column is due soon and I'm thinking about topics. Anyone got any good ideas for me? I'm always open to suggestions for subject matter.

If you have a Deaf or Hard of Hearing child under the age of 8 I have some games that are like new. I'll try to post pics later today. I'd like to sell them for a small amount so Ryan can reap some profits to buy something for himself. Check back later.

Much love and joy,
Karen

Happy Manic Monday!

Mondays are always so full of things we need to do, aren't they? This is a photo I took of Ryan in the underpass at Beaver Creek Game Reserve. We were walking over to the observatory last summer (when I was still walking well ... I'll get there again!) Isn't it wild how the light and shadow work together for a cool effect?

Speaking of cool, Ryan decided suddenly this year that he likes hard boiled eggs (right around Easter, of course!) This morning he peeled his first one. He did very well. The eggs are fresh so are harder to peel than those that have some age on them. Part of the appeal of the egg, I'm sure, is that I have an egg slicer and he loves using it.

We planned on running to the greenhouse today but Friday looks like the weather will be nicer ... 68 and partly cloudy. We like to go to Klinger's Farm Market just north of Chippewa Falls so we wait for a beautiful day so we can spend extra time wandering their many many greenhouses. I think I heard they have over 20 on some commercial. (Don't quote me but it seems that way!)

I need to deal with Ryan's fiscal agent today at some point but being Monday I always think I should avoid it. Everyone else is calling too and that makes for a long time on hold and a little less attention as they field multiple calls.

God blessed me in a big way last evening. A young woman in Wisconsin e-mailed me that she'd like to design my Stampin' n Scrappin' with Karen blog for me! She's a demo too and has a son with disabilities. She's had her share of health issues and is a person of faith. God brought us together and I'm so grateful for her help. It'll be amazing!! I'm so excited to see it when she's done. I hope I'm not a total idiot as far as providing what she wants to make her job easier.

No real topic today, just rambling by a mom. Take care and know that I'm praying for you and your special someone.

Much love and joy,

Karen

Happy Mother's Day!
Ryan got me flowers for Mother's Day and I thought I'd share them with you. Aren't they awesome? I put his six month pic next to them. Every year, like clockwork, he buys me the most original bouquet he can find. G'ma takes him after church.

We decided to cook out today. Making untradional Mother's Day fare like brats, potato salad, baked beans, cucumbers and strawberries. We'll cook them at about 1:00 and save the rest so we have leftovers for supper. Less cooking.

I'm getting back to the festivities. Happy Mother's Day!
Much love and joy,
Karen

More on Horticultural Therapy

Man! I just spent about 10 hours messing around with a temporary file that was causing a blue screen crash on my laptop! Talk about time consuming!!!! ERG! I finally got things back under control and ran full scans on everything I could. Honestly! I can't keep up!!

So much of what we do is on line anymore and, as a caregiver, I don't have time to stay abreast with the latest and greatest. Prayer comes into it a lot of the time. Nothing else explains how I get all of this done!

I took a movie with my digital camera of Ryan weeding and prepping his horticultural beds for seeding. I think he got every single weed! They look great and I was so proud of him. Unfortunately, our neighbors have a lot of garbage etc in their lawns that shows up in the background. We're putting up a privacy fence this year and that will help tremendously. Ryan says he doesn't feel safe out there and insists that he won't go out there alone unless there's a privacy fence. We all have our little pecadillos so ... the privacy fence will go up in the next month or so.

I want the backyard to be Ryan's private refuge, a place where he can be as disabled as he needs to be, you know? He wants a swing and a paddling pool too. Both have to do with sensory stimulation as well as just getting outside and "playing." It'll be sooo good for him to get outside and move a little. Since my hip went wonky on me I had to quit walking and when I'm not walking neither is he. Seems like we've both gained weight. Blech.

Hope your Saturday is filled with fun, friends and family.

Much love and joy,

Karen

Horticultural Therapy

It's cold today. Here it is May and we're looking at a possibility of snow. Yeah, you heard me, snow. It's not a big deal, it'll melt right away but what a mess. Yuck! I hope it doesn't hurt the trees and plants.

Happy Friday, everyone! TGIF! We'd planning on brats for supper tonight but brrrrr. Guess we'll eat leftovers and hope tomorrow is warmer. No point in watching the weather really ... it's either bad news or wrong news ... am I right?

Ryan raked up his horticultural therapy beds yesterday. We built (compliments of IRIS) some amazing raised beds for him to garden in. He's so excited he can hardly wait to start planting. He raked up the soil, picked weeds and put a tiny scarecrow in one of them. I was proud of him. Of course he went out and retrieved the scarecrow before bed last night and put it in his room. He was afraid it would get ruined. We'll talk later. For now, I just said fine and wiped up the dirt.

I did a feature article on the benefits of horticultural therapy for my column in Family Times a few years back. (I still can't believe I've been writing that column for over 10 years! Where does the time go?) The benefits are staggering. Hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities find the evidence indisputable and are putting in gardens as well.

Ryan wants to plant organic vegetables and I'm all for it. The one thing he wants, that he can't grow, is corn. He just doesn't have the room. At any rate ... on Monday it's off to the greenhouses to buy some seeds and onion sets. He's so excited about it. It opens up all manner of common language for him. He can talk to employees about what to grow, chat with the men at church about "farming" albeit on a small scale and in general have stories to tell. All are perks of horticultural therapy.

The beds were made to be accessible for Ryan, as it turns out they'll be better for me too now with the new hip. Isn't God awesome? He worked it out for both of our benefits.

I'll let you go. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget that there is blog candy at stake here! Contact me by the end of the day to enter the drawing!!!

Much love and joy,

Karen

Security

Hi there,
I had a great visit with my younger brother yesterday and didn't think about my to-do list once. He, however, was mad busy. He's key man in a security firm and in the state for business. Even on his days off his boss calls, his employees call, he needs to make sure things are happening the way they should. If I thought I had a full time job as a caregiver ... well, let's just say I get the occasional Disney movie time off!

Since I've been healing from my hip replacement Ryan has been doing better. He really regressed when he was worried and, of course, that worried me. Last night, he said G'nite and told me he'd tuck himself in. Since I was sick and in the hospital in January and then with the April hip re-do he's been asking me to tuck him in. I'm sure it helped to make him feel secure. He's starting to act like his old self, getting the dog's food on his own, making his bed and doing the other chores he was doing as well as smiling more. For a while he truly lost his smile and nearly broke my heart. He has a wonderful smile and I missed it.

What are the things that you do with your child with special needs that make them feel safe? Ryan and I always pray together each evening before bed. That seems to really ground us in what's important.

CHeck out the poll to the right of this post and vote. It'll be interesting to see how many us feel that volunteering is important.
Take care and see you soon.
Much love and joy,
Karen

NTD Day (Non -To-DO)

Here I am on my NTD (Non-to-do) day. My to-do list is safely filed in my room. I put a roast in the crockpot for supper and have two letters on the table to be mailed. That's it. I even looked at the letters and thought, "maybe tomorrow."

My younger brother arrived last night and it was fun to listen to all of this stories about white water rafting, shrimping, crabbing and all the other fun things people do in the pacific northwest. Makes me feel an urge to do some of that myself. WIth my brand new hip, however, I'll probably just listen to stories and try something mild like belly dancing or recumbent biking. I can't wait to be mobile again. Ryan and I haven't even been to movies in years because my hip was so screwed up. It's time to reclaim my life.

We need to break out of our rut. We go on photo safaris along the Mississippi River or Irvine Park. We visit the Farmers Market at Phoenix Park. We're looking for ideas if anyone has some. As soon as I can drive and motate out of here we're starting our summer early. Let me know if you have fav spots to visit. I need to plan my first vacay without Ryan too. But that's a post for another blog.

Take care and see you soon,
Karen

To Do Lists

Good Morning,

I was just checking my eternal "to-do" list and lamenting the number of items on it and how time consuming each one was. Yuck.

I'm a list maker and have been since I was old enough to write. I love to sort and prioritize tasks ... doing them is another matter altogether. My list making is almost a serious issue these days. No cutsey-wootsey post-it lists for me! Mine are bulleted on legal pads that take multiple pages. I highlight them as they are completed and it's almost the same high you get when you hear your pickle jars pop as they seal.

It seems, however, that I get half way down the list only to find that those tasks at the top of the list need doing again and I've not even reached the big jobs. Often times I use my respite hours to get things done, something I resent.

It's important for me to remember that respite is important and there for a reason. As a person of faith I can literally enter into the "rest of God." I can sit and trust that my health and restoration is more important than that of my to-do list.

Eventually, each task will get done. I need to schedule lunch with a friend and let the chores sit until I'm refreshed and ready to do them. Honestly, if I'm exhausted I stand a worse chance of getting anything done!

So, tomorrow I am planning on not looking at my to-do list at all. My brother will be in town from Everett, WA and I'm going to spend the entire day enjoying his company instead of sweating the tasks that will be there when I'm done having a day to myself.

Do you use respite to get things done? Or do you actually relax and enjoy the feeling of no responsibility? What do you do during your respite?

Have a lovely day. It's supposed to be 75 degrees and sunny. Can you say grill?
Take care of yourself and God bless,
Karen

TV Viewing

I'm a bad mom. Ryan is up and watching his second movie of the day, Mr. Limpet. Remember Don Knotts? It's the one where he becomes a cartoon fish. Typically, one movie is all he gets unless it's a weekend. Just like it's harder for Ry to learn, it's more difficult for him to process all those visual images before he goes to bed. Really, it's not good for any of us.

I hate to give in on extra television but I get a little me time and honestly, we all do it. I think the trick is to limit the viewing and allow exceptions. It's not like he's a young child and I know he doesn't watch as much as a lot of other kids but tv isn't always the best influence on him.

I'm not anti-tv, just cautious. Ryan is hard of hearing and relies heavily on visual input. Just like anything else overindulgence isn't healthy. Do you limit your kid's watching? Do your children have tvs in their bedrooms? How much tv is too much?

Take care of you. G'nite and God bless.
Karen

Here it is another Monday morning. Ryan slept well last night, a blessing since he was almost at that over tired, over stimulated point from all the weekends wild activities. That meant that I got some rest too.

It worries me a little the way Ryan is always uncovered at night. He kicks the covers off then freezes. I tried turning the heat up but then neither one of us can breathe. Kind of wishing for the old days of blanket sleepers. I even tried a lightweight velux blanket only when the heavier weightier ones didn't work. Sigh. He doesn't wake up either and recover himself. He just lays there freezing. I guess the answer may be for me to find him some real heavy duty long underwear or PJs, right?

Hey, I found a recipe I thought I'd share for a quick lunch on the go. Here it is:

TURKEY WRAP Or (as I like to call it) 1000 Turkeys in a Garden

Spread 1 T Thousand Island Dressing on a whole wheat wrap
Add 2 ounces of deli turkey
2/3 cup shredded iceburg lettuce
2 thin tomato slices (I actually dice mine but the diced fall out more)
6 cucumber slices, halved (I dice these too and they fall out also)
Roll up tightly and place on a cutting board, seam side down
Cut in half diagonally
Wrap and GO!
Easy peasy, huh?

Well, that's it for me this morning. Make sure you sign up as a follower after you read the blog. I'm feeling a little lonely with only one follower. Sniff. sniff. (Think Donkey singing outside of Shreks house) I know you've seen it!!
God bless and have a wonderful and wacky Monday!
Much love and joy,
Karen

ps. Don't let those IEPs get you. Make a decision today that you will NOT stress out over them. Take a deep breath and give it to God.

Sleep and worry

Ryan had another Best Buddy event this evening, an end-of-the-year Potluck. He said he had a good time and he loves tacos which is what they ate I guess so he's happy. Tired, but happy.

Speaking of tired ... you ever hit those days when you're just plain pooped? That's me the last few days. Why I started a blog when I was so exhausted is beyond me. Honestly, sometimes I just need to be slapped. As if I don't have enough to do! I love writing though, it relaxes me to chat to you. End of the school year is usually tiring as well. Seems like all of Ryan's activities come to an end and everyone wants a final hurrah. I don't begrudge that I just don't have a whole lot of energy. I love to see the smile on his face when he's been busy thought, it warms my heart.

He's asking for bed early tonight however. I want him to stay up until about 9:00 so I've got a movie in and he's laying in bed watching. Otherwise he'll be up at 3:00 a.m. Just like the rest of us! I have to admit we have a finely tuned schedule. With meds, bedtimes, get up times etc. Ryan sleeps better. Actually, I heard somewhere that we should all be doing that. Sometimes I put off sleep just because I'm not ready to face the next day. I'm not dreading it or anything, just not ready. There aren't enough hours in ONE day. I keep remembering the Bible verse, "Don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough worry of its own" So true, don't you think. Check out Matthew for that whole section on worrying. It really helps when you're feeling overwhelmed. Which, when you are a caregiver, is most of the time. Am I right?

It's time for me to fly ...
Love, joy and Good nite,
Karen

Sunday Morning Blues

Hi everyone,

Ryan's Best Buddy Golf outing went well. His team won first place. I guess Sam and his dad are pretty experienced. Ryan held his own though, considering. He's mainly interested in driving the golf cart. I bet that's a trip.


I'm bummed that I still can't handle church. Ryan is going with his G'ma this morning and I'm stuck here. Nuts! The only issue I have left is sitting down and getting up from the pews. There aren't arms for me to grab so I either have to twist or lean too far forward to get up, both are no-no's for new hips ... especially hips only three weeks old. Oh well, it is what it is, right?

I can watch Joel Osteen tonight and that'll help. Anyone else a fan of Joel Osteen? He's a preacher out of Texas who spreads hope and empowerment. He's on BET at 10:00 CDT or 11:00 CDT on the Family Channel usually. I watch as many Sundays as I can just because he preaches taking joy in the place where you are. Worth a look see.

Prayers for all of you. May you notice all sorts of joyous moments in your day today!
Much love,
Karen

Best Buddy Golf Outing

Ryan has a charity golf outing today with his Best Buddy, Sam. For those of you who are not familiar with Best Buddies, it's a group started by one of the Kennedys (I forget which one) when he was in college. It pairs a college "buddy" with a community "buddy" (an adult with special needs). It's supposed to foster a relationship between the two. It's also about "seeing" the other person.

Once each month during the school year the college buddies schedule a group activity. Then, during the rest of the month the buddies call each other, do outside activities together and in general get to know one another.

Some years we've had buddies let us down but for the last four years we've had Sam. Sam and Ryan have gone to movies, bowling or just played Wii together. Last year Sam's parents came from his hometown and they formed a foursome for the first Best Buddy golf outing. It was such a success they are doing it again this year.

At first, I was a little nervous. What if Ryan is standing in the way when someone swings the club. {shudder} What if he swings and someone else is standing in the way? {erg!} What if he never hits the ball? {a real possibility} What if ... but then I stopped. I told Sam to make sure that no one was in the way for either scenario and let it go! Honestly, we can sure worry ourselves up! They had a great time! Ryan took his camera and came back full of stories and great pics.

Today they go again. The forecast is sunny and 70 degrees. There's a raffle, Famous Daves is catering ... all in all ... it sounds like a day made in heaven! This year I had IRIS pay for both Ryan's and Sam's outing fees and I hope they have an awesome day. This year I'm heading out to the golf course for the dinner and raffle portion of the festivities.

I recommend Best Buddies if your adult with special needs wants to join a fun and meaningful activity. See you soon!
Karen