The World according to me

Kansas- You SUCK!

/ mysenkid / 1 Comment

Kansas, you know what? You suck ass balls. You suck great balls of fire. You just plainly SUCK at being you.  What is wrong with you? Seriously? What is it? Are you tired of the ever-famous quote, “We’re not in Kansas anymore”, being the only thing people remember you for? It sure is all I care to know about you- especially now. I could and would never live, let alone vote in a state where laws like yours are being passed in the House of Representatives.  Before I move forward Kansas, please take a moment and read my post on “LOVE”here. And while you are there, take the time to watch Ellen Page’s inspirational message about acceptance, or simply watch here if you are too damn lazy to go find it.

 Law 1: Discrimination at its finest

A law was recently passed in the House of Reps in Kansas that allows businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples & individuals if it interferes with their religious beliefs. The supporters of this bill believe it is not discrimination, but instead it is simply protecting religious beliefs. Hogwash. Utter Bleeping Hogwash. Isn’t the foundation of religion about loving & respecting all God’s creatures, whichever God it is? Listen, I was raised Catholic. I refused my confirmation because as a 12 year old, I didn’t believe what they were preaching. I will NOT be apart of any religion that demonizes another human being for whom they love. Just because it was all I knew, didn’t mean it was all I needed to know. I am better for not standing inside the heaping pile of hypocrisy of “love one another”, .  Through my research, I have found that they believe this bill will not hold up in the next phase, but the fact that it even made it this far, is upsetting & disgusting. Kansas- you win nothing.

Law 2: Spanking to leave a handprint

Yes, you heard me right. Spanking is allowed in Kansas as of now, as long as no permanent damage is done to the child. However, a new law being proposed allows parents, teachers & caregivers (with parents permission) to administer 10 strikes of the hand, with smacks hard enough to leave redness & bruising.  Are you kidding me? What The Hell is Wrong With Kansas? I will not even get into how many ways spanking is not an effective tool, instead lets focus on LEAVING A MARK ON YOUR CHILD! The thought of leaving a mark on my child on purpose or accidental puts me into a hyperventilation state. Supporters of this bill believe it will restore parental rights & ultimately kids will respect their parents more.  Let me propose something to you Kansas: How about an adult, any adult who fears lack of respect of another individual can smack them without fear of retribution. How does that sound? Because let me tell you, as an adult, if another adult were to put their hands on me I would not respect them, I would loathe them. Fear them. De-friend them (Facebook pun,HAHAHA). It doesn’t gain my respect, and nor would I want my child to respect anyone who demands respect by physical abuse. AGAIN KANSAS- YOU SUCK!

I could write forever on these topics, but they are toxic. Toxic to my brain, toxic to society and toxic for the children of the next generation. I only can say, this toxicity will come nowhere into my household. Side Note:  as a travel major and avid traveler, I will NOT be visiting Kansas.

*****Disclaimer- I will apologize if you are from Kansas. What I said was raw, honest and well, people just needed to know how bad Kansas sucks.  I am not sorry for throwing your state under the bus (and running over it a few hundred times), I am sorry that you are from Kansas.

Namaste~ people~ Namaste

Joy

 

Art Therapy – Wordless Wednesday

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Art Therapy: Art is an amazing thing. I could talk all day about the benefits of doodling, painting, crafting, sculpting and all facets of art. But- I will just show you how art transcends age limits, disabilities, handicaps: for it is a universal language. One you can interpret how you see fit. Landon had his Intro to Watercolor class today at the Warwick Museum of Art. He went this summer as well- the only 5-year-old in the program designed for 6+ and up. His artwork caught the attention of the instructor and she knew he would excel and take it seriously. He was back for more during February vacation! Here are his pieces that he named himself:

Dragonfly- Elanna's memory

Dragonfly- Elanna’s memory

Flower Brought to Life

Flower Brought to Life

Sunset over Waves & Rock

Sunset over Waves & Rock

I love Colors

I love Colors

 

 

 

Love is a human right not just an emotion

/ mysenkid / 7 Comments

This past weekend, Love was in the air. It was everywhere. First dates, new engagements, flowers, candy and other objects of affection were thrust upon us. For some, Valentine’s Day may have brought up memories of heartbreak or loneliness. For some, Valentine’s Day might have been a big reminder that they are not being true to themselves.

Valentines for his buddies

Valentines for his buddies

What do you think “True Love” is? Do you believe it is the soul’s recognition of its counterpoint in another? Do you believe it is the willingness to give your life for someone? Do you believe it is the purest form of unconditional love? Do you even believe in True Love? I do. But maybe it’s not in the way you think.

After this weekend, and Ellen Page’s vulnerable & honest speech, I realized what I view as True Love. True Love is the ability to love yourself for who you are. That is how I see it. Without fear of judgement, fear of ridicule, fear of the unknown. True Love allows your mind, heart and spirit to be one with each other. Having no inner conflicts allows you to experience life & love in a way you never imagined. Once you love yourself, you are capable of love and to love fully & wholeheartedly. Everyone deserves to love who they wish. Everyone deserves to be loved in return. Love is a human right not just an emotion. 

Of course, there are the moments in your life that you are not all pleased with yourself. Whether it is a weight gain, medical issue, a bad decision, these are all non-factors of loving yourself. I am talking about the fundamentals of your inner core. Who are you? Do you accept people for who they are? Do you wish for peace & happiness? Do you try your best with your loved ones? Are you an active member of a community? These are the factors that I am talking about. If you can gather these together and truly be happy with the person you are, then I my friends believe you are a prime example of True Love. It must start from within and go onward and upward.

Let your heart speak. What do you hear?

Namaste~

True Love is rocking no makeup & jammies because your son was a photo op!

True Love is rocking no makeup & jammies because your son was a photo op!

Joy

A day in the life with Sensory Processing Disorder

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Nov 19th 2007 Landon's Birthday

Nov 19th 2007 Landon’s Birthday

Let’s start with some fun info on Landon.  For starters, Landon was born full term on November 19th 2007. He was almost 9 pounds and 21 1/2 inches long. Not a small baby by any means. He was born healthy despite me having Maternal PKU and having a very high risk & difficult pregnancy. He just beat the odds from the beginning. I know he will continue to do so throughout his life.

Landon’s favorite things:

Landon loves many things. He develops obsessions to things very easily, just like his momma, who has her own obsession with Coke and her 15 year old pillow! The pillow is just so damn comfy and Coke – well it is the best thing in the world (next to Landon of course-Lol). At this time, Landon loves Curious George, trains, bedtime stories, his blanket, chocolate milk and swimming. Sounds like your typical 2 1/2 year old boy. I am sure in a few months- he will add onto these and the list will be in the double digits!

Landon’s typical weekly schedule:

Landon is a very busy little boy. We have been working with Early intervention through the city of Warwick since November 2009. We attend many programs at the center as well as home based therapies every other week. We are currently enrolled on the wait-list for the Brown Center for an evaluation appointment for his Sensory Processing Disorder and his intellectual gifted abilities.

Mondays- Landon has Talking Explorers class from 11-12:30pm.  It’s a child only class and has worked wonders for Landon’s separation issues. Every other Wed- Landon has his Occupational Therapy and a Parent Educator come to the house. Every other Thurs- Landon has in-home speech therapy. Starting soon- Landon will be in a communication/behavior class on Tuesdays while Mommy is in a behavior seminar for 11 weeks. This new behavior seminar is based on “time-ins” and communication rather than “time-outs”. I am eager to learn more. As you can see, Landon & I have a fun, packed schedule during the week.

Landon’s personality, behaviors & physical attributes

Landon is a very happy boy. He is very outspoken (with the words he does know) and also with his babbling! He will try and talk to anyone regardless if he has met them in the past. You can say he is a people person. Landon also signs many things on a daily basis.    Landon is very tall for his age. He is in the 95% percentile for height and 75% for weight. He is 41 inches tall and weighs just about 35 pounds. He has long, curly auburn hair and fair skin. He is just the cutest thing ever!

Landon is going through some challenges with children his own age. He sometimes finds himself hitting or pushing to communicate because most children his age are past his verbal abilities. But, for the most part he apologizes right away and we are working to help him communicate better – even through learning more sign language. Landon has a schedule everyday and we try not to deviate from it as this is when certain “uh-ohs” may occur. He is a great sleeper,  but poor eater. These issues I will address as the blog continues.

Landon John Friedman

Landon John Friedman

 

For now, I think most of you have a pretty good sense as to who Landon is. I look forward to showcasing our activities, challenges, rewards and everyday life of being a mother to A Sensational Kid! If you ever have any questions about SPD, Landon in general or just a nice “shout-out”, please post it here or feel free to email me.

Be real,

Joy