Blog Title: Whitterer on AutismA wry dry expat perspective on American family life, a gentle tease rather than a dig, oh, and a couple of autistic children too. DetailsNumber of inbound blogs: 115 Number of incoming links: 329 ATOM: ATOM feed Author: madeline mcewen-asker Last update: 2007-06-09 05:58:42 GMT Estimated value: $222,920 Analytics :: http://whitterer-autism.blogspot.comIncoming clicks since last reset: 224 Outgoing clicks since last reset: 834
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The Ghost of Garfield?
 I stand in the middle of the kitchen listening to NPR tell me that my brain, just like everyone else?s brain is incapable of multi-tasking. I happen to agree with them even though my behaviour betrays me. The implication, is that people positively choose to multi-task, rather than having multi-tasking thrust upon them. Personally, I can think of few things finer than having the luxury to devote all my attention to just one thing. Maybe I should pass the message on to the next generation. I know he likes to read these........  I know he likes to ride this.........  But rarely have I seen the two combined so determinedly.  *  Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below Opposites attract - a snippetMy ?silent? son has a sudden burst of chat. I beam as he chats, as it?s one of those monologues that I don?t want to staunch. Interruption generally equates to stall. I know more facts about Pokemons that I could ever once imagined. I am so impressed with his ability to sit stationary on a chair whilst his legs pump beneath him, a performance worthy of any cyclist on the Tour de France. As he chats his fingers shred the paper on the wax crayons and snap their little necks into fragments as the words flow in an endless stream. My facility of speech seems positively feeble by comparison. If any parts of my anatomy were as busily frenetic as his, I should have no choice but to remain silent. Thursday 13 - 165 Spotting the evidence
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It?s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen ParticipantsWordless - Special Exposure Wednesday Do the math! Who needs words? 1  + 2  = 3  I do have some words over at my other site, "Alien in a foreign field" called "GMT" If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power. Tackle it Tuesday ? freshen up
 Several kindly persons have seen fit to remark about the vast quantities of art work that bedeck the walls of our family room, but to all things, there is a season.  Every summer at the end of school, I remove them all, pack them up into a bundle for each child and pop them in the attic. This is why the attic is not only a fire hazard but in danger of collapsing in upon us all. Hence, I decided that the room was in need of a makeover, an inexpensive one in line with my frugal Scottish heritage. Some me time in August the art work was subject to the annual bundle and my naked filthy walls were revealed. The tide line above the L-shaped sectional couch was all too obvious. The art work was first attached to the wall to hide the original tide line as well as multifarious cracks and holes. I had no choice but to get busy with the 409, a scrubbing brush and a Mr.Muscle Eraser for the truly desperate. Once the wall were clean, or at least cleaner, they also seemed stark and cold, not an ideal vision for a family room. However, as always, Target came to the rescue with a dozen dollar box frames. I slipped a new art project into each one and mounted them on the walls with push pins at strategic points. Strategic points are perfect for achieving that ecletic look and far easier than attempting a straight line. Because they are so light there was no need to fight with tools and ?beam detectors? buried in the garage or hidden with spurious spousal care. So have a go and transform a dingy wall. Here endeth the tackle.  Here starteth the true tackle. It was my children?s habit to run along the top of the sofa, before leaping onto the trampolene and then back onto the sectional for another circuit. Should anyone be wondering why any sane person should permit such disgraceful behaiour in their own home I would respectfully point out that ?self regulation? is a beautiful thing and infinitely preferable to any number of far more egregious behaviours. This wasn?t behaviour I was anxious to curb, merely contain in one room. No, the true tackle was the transition. Which transition? The removal of their art work, the change in the appearance of their tatty but homey, family room. They had coped well with their sister?s "bedroom transformation," but the family room would be more personal. Those walls were buried but it started innocently enough. Bear in mind that the boys both abhorred anything remotely resembling a writing tool and one loathed the texture of paper. As a result the half a dozen pictures on the wall were my daughter?s cheerful enthusiasms. A delightful collection of sunny days and cute animals. Nothing from the boys. This is why their first tentative efforts, not matter how mangled, no matter how babyish, years later than might have otherwise been the case, were works to be celebrated. Not art but real tough graft. At first there were only a few but as the weeks and months passed there were more. What started with the occasional and reluctant daub, became more frequent. Each and every one was added to the wall. Layer upon layer, it grew and grew and so did they. I could tell you about the first time my son accepted a genuine compliment from me without a meltdown. I could tell you about the first time he gave a genuine compliment to his brother, without prompting. So many tiny huge steplets piled higher and higher. Over time, they too began to appreciate their efforts and take pride in them, as we did. Hence to strip it all away would be a monumental transition. I had warned them about the plan when they left for school. I had warned them that when they returned it would all be different. I dreaded bringing them home as I feared that this would be too much and too soon, that I would be unable to repair the damage. Many of our fears are exaggerated, as experience has taught us to expect the unexpected from the ordinary. Many of our fears are unwarranted, but we have learned to be hyper-vigilant ourselves, to anticipate pitfalls and adopt a whole host of coping strategies. It is to their credit that the change was adopted, welcomed and celebrated. An over protective parent may seek to wrap up their children in cotton wool, but next time I think I?ll try wallpaper.   Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below Best Shot MondayPlease scroll down for Magic Marker Monday Hosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click. Just call me snap happy.
 A grey reflective day, but only for some! Magic Marker Monday From the little girl:-  And the big girl:-  See more "here" or have a go at the competition yourself, "here." It's on my 'to do' list. Cheers dears all dogs have ADHD by Kathy Hoopmann - A Review
Strategic Planning and banned words, SOOC Like many parents, my life is lived through laundry. It sprouts from every corner of the house in various pending files; the hampers of clean laundry waiting to be put away, the colour sorted piles awaiting washing, the random discards in between. Considering how rarely anyone is suitably attired for any occasion, it is a complete mystery why this should be such a full time job. I nab him as he flits by, ?excuse me young man! What do you think you are wearing?? He hops in place, anxious to move on with several armfuls of trouser gathered at his waist. ?I am be wear pant.? ?I can see that.? He looks at me blankly whilst trying to free his feet from several yards of surplus fabric. ?They?re not yours dear.? ?Not???? "They?re huge! Look!? "Dey are be soft." "They're mine!" ?Er??..we are not be use dah ?mine? word.? ?Yes but..? ?You are not be a good sharer wiv me?? He skates away without a backward glance at my de-hoisted petard. I give up. At least he?s clothed in a manner of speaking.  Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below Lunch with Love
Warning! Not for the squeamish Graphic material follows We eat in the garden as the ?outside? campaign continues before the Fall puts the campaign on the back burner until next year. I present him with his 'Burrito,' a tortilla folded and positively engulfed in Nutella, more of a chocolate crepe if truth be told. The price hike from $2:79 to $4:89 for the only type of bread he will eat, makes diet expansion a priority. He examines it closely but makes no attempt to eat it whatsoever. As usual, I adopt my 'not interested nor anxious' expression. Whilst he makes rooster noises at the end of the table, I encourage the others to eat their more conventional versions. "You didn't put cheese in it didya Mom?" asks the intolerant one. "Not in yours dear." ?Mom?? ?Yes dear?? ?If ya kiss more dan one girl???.. d'ya get poisoned?? ?Um?..no I don?t think so??.but?..er??nevermind, we?ll talk about that later. Now eat up your Burrito.? I make a mental note to follow up on any number of possibilities from blind alleys and cul-de-sacs, to faithfulness and fickleness. ?I??don like??dah???guaca yuk.? ?Guacomole! It?s very good for you. Just remember?..green is good.? I contemplate the age old difficulty, his inability to say the word ?green,? although he has no difficulty whatsoever with any other hue from Emerald, all the way through to Myrtle and British Racing. ?Mom?? ?Yes dear?? ?Whats zis?? ?Dill and Basil. All fresh, highly nutritious.? ?Mom?? ?Yes dear?? ?Praying Mantises.? ?What about them?? ?Are dey??..vegetarians?? ?Mainly, although they?re not averse to the odd bite of cannibalism here and there.? "What's for dessert?" "Er.....I've not thought that far ahead yet." "Do I have to eat all ofit Mom?" "Yes, every scrap." "Can I still have dessert if I don't?" "I'm afraid not." "Doesn't matter anyways. I expect desserts summat disgusting too." "Actually.......we'll be having........." I troll through my mental image of the fridge contents. I have decided to have it tattooed on the inside of my cranium........ "er......strawberries." "Cream? Do we get to have cream too?" "Possibly." "Can I check if we've got any?" "When your plate is empty." My 'image' is hazy. I can't quite get the cream into focus." ?I am a good sharer.? ?Indeed you are.? ?I?m gonna share ??.my Burrito??..with love.? ?Ah. That?s so delightful. Very thoughtful but I think maybe you had better eat it yourself, build you up a bit.? ?But she is having??only???..a teeny tiny appetite.? ?Um??who has a teeny tiny appetite?? ?Love.? ?Er????? ?I am give my pet a name.? ?A name? Which pet?? ?Look! ..... Here she is. ....... Mom,...... meet Love.?   Thursday 13 - 164:- how to plan a successful date night
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It?s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen ParticipantsWordless Special Exposure Wednesday Is tactile defensiveness a thing of the past! I'll check my 'generalization of skills' log book before I say anything rash. For anyone keen on words, I have a new note from "Nonna" called "Telescopic or Micro?" If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power. Tackle it Tuesday - menu plan
Formulate Plan A In these financially stricken times, we need to tighten our belts and plan ahead. One way to get to grips with dwindling money supplies, is to stock up, stand up and design a fool proof menu plan for the week ahead. This should prevent marketing mishaps in the store. The easy bit is to make the plan. The difficult bit is sticking to the plan.  One way to stick to your plan, is to publicize it by sticking it somewhere prominent, such as the fridge door, either written in stone or alternatively on a disposable, wipe sheets with magic markers. Magic markers ensure that everyone is briefed in advance, but if you accidentally find that you have scoffed all the potato salad whilst the children are at school, you can easily substitute ?green? or ?rice? salad and no-one will be any the wiser. You of course will be much wiser, but possibly penny foolish. As the pounds pile on together with the potato consumption, you may well find that you may benefit from shedding a few surplus purchases from your weekly shop. I make it a habit to check my receipt at the check out. If any item cost's more than $10, then I make a mental note to refrain from buying that item ever again. This is why we currently out of toilet rolls. Ideally you should plan to shop immediately after consuming the potato salad. Make sure that you visit a shop with a restroom, so that you may take advantage of their copious supplies of toilet paper. Psychological studies have shown that a shopper with a full tummy is much less inclined to shop under impulsive, although possibly under the influence. Other studies have shown that if you are full of potato salad, there is a much higher incidence of tummy cramps, which is directly related to one?s ability to push a trolly ladened with groceries. Further studies indicate that these same shoppers are far more likely than not, to be ?basket? users, if not basket cases. Basket cases usually restrict their purchasing power to one sack of potatoes, so that they are better able to repeat their mistakes and go completely off their trollies. Hence, these few little steps may assist, the props and prompts of menu planning. 1.  Multi purpose, re-usable and self re-inforcing. 2.  Use a permanent marker for the title and days of the week. For the details use an Expo. 3.  Sometimes it is possible to be extra sneaky and slip in some therapy on the side.  Although this kind of a challenge is not for the faint hearted. Be careful to ensure that nose pegs are freely available for all participants. 4. Under the current democratic rule, everyone is encouraged to take responsibility.  When you consume the last item in the box, add to the shopping list. Be independent! Take full responsibility as a participating member in the clan. 5.  Colour co-ordination may help with eye tracking to deliniate different 'parts' of the meal. There are a great number of fringe benefits to this system. First and foremost, the numerous enquiries from every living breathing member of your household:- What's for supper/dinner? This is swiftly dealt with by directing their attention to the plan. This is especiallly helpful if you exist in a swarm of butterfly brains who forget the answer only seconds later, only to then repeat the same question at 20 minute intervals thereafter. Beware of self expression!  and editing!  It is important to clarify the difference between 'wants' and 'needs.'  I am now off to formulate plan B. Maybe I should have done that first? Cheers dears Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below Best shot Monday / Manic Monday PridePlease scroll down for Magic Marker Monday Hosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click. Just call me snap happy.
Darts! Experience success!  Although I take a great many snaps, I can use very few of them, because my children are rarely dressed appropriately. The skill of dressing, is an art form. When a toddler first manages to dress themselve?s independently, parents rejoice in their success. Pride in achievement doesn?t seem a sin but something to celebrate. It is a huge step to master snap fasteners, zips and laces. All of those tasks are too difficult, textures are aversive, fine motor skills are poor, weak and unpracticed, and anyway you?d prefer to avoid the whole clothing issue entirely. Despite all this, there comes a time of realization to that child:- the things that other children, littler children achieve without effort, are way beyond their own reach. When this notion takes hold of a youthful mind, many begin to lose their sense of self worth. A child as young as 5 or even 3, may suffer depression. Unlikely as it may seem, sadly, it is true. This is where tiny huge incidents of success may help address the imbalance. Small experiences of positive feedback can help re-build their fractured self esteem. A sense of pride in a task completed, becomes a tantalizing goal. It can?t be faked. It must be real to be of worth. A dart board is fun for many a child, and adults! But the needle end would be dangerous for many and truly scary for others. Hence these magnetic darts fit the bill. Despite shortcomings in some realms of fine motor, co-ordination and eye tracking, other skills may be unusually enhanced. They may help compensate. It is important for me to note that at the time of that photograph my son was in the 'Thomas the Tank Engine' developmental stage. He has already passed through the 'dinosaur' stage. Many people describe autistics as having obsessional interests and sometimes compulsive too. This may be a fair shorthand. It is often true that the interest pervades their lives to the exclusion of everything else. They do not stop to eat or to meet any other of their basic needs. I can see why it's described as obsessional. However, I sometimes think that an alternative view would be 'single interest.' They have a current single interest but it can change to something else without warning. In our case it was on Christmas day. No more Thomas, so no motivation to open any presents at all, even if we ignore the tactile issue. If you take a child with an obsessional interest to a toy shop, they will seek out their preferred toys. If you take a child with a single interest to a toy shop, when the single interest has gone, there is nothing at all to entertain them. I know that this is very difficult for people to understand. It is the very opposite of the 'kid in the candy store.' Name any 'thing' or 'toy' you can think of, but to entice a child to engage, is often an insurmountable hurdle. It's like a secret club where no-one will share the password. This is not to say that you couldn't have more than one 'single' interest:- dinosaurs, Thomas and insects simultaneously. I could be interested in reading, knitting and gardening or motor cycle maintenance, art and stamp collecting, but anything else? Well it's just off the radar, perhaps? However, it may well be possible, with a dollop of luck on your side, to find just the right password, and hit the bulls eye. It isn't really a secret, it's just patient, persistence or obstinacy in my case. And yes, that glint is a twinkle of pride in his eye. Brought to you via "It's a Blog Eat Blog World." What a lucky combination!  Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below p.s. I amended 'Peanut Butter Bumpkins to include the recipe.' Magic Marker MondayFrom the little girl:-  And the big girl:-  See more "here" or have a go at the competition yourself, "here." It's on my 'to do' list. Cheers dears Peanut Butter Bumpkins
Stage one We make them together, although she has the impression of independence.Her creation would fail most nutritional examinations but it a triumph of visual delight. Stage two She reveals her handiwork to the boys for their approval.We have already discussed her presentation in advance. On no account should the ?trigger word,? peanut butter be mentioned. ?Ta dah!? she beams! ?Dey are being pumpkins?? ?No they?re candy. I made em for ya! All by myself!? ?You are being dah awesome chef.? ?You?re gonna love em. They?re made of?.....?.food colouring, frosting, butter and?........confectioner?s sugar. Mostly sugar really. A whole tonne of sugar.? ?Sugar! I am love the affectionate sugars.? Stages three and up Touch, smell, lick??.. well, you know the drill. Addendum - Recipe and book review  The recipe comes from this book which I would wholeheartedly recommend as it has lots of fun ideas, especially if you?re a foreigner and not very good at Halloween. The Book is called ?The Big Book of Halloween ? Creative & Creepy Projects for Revellers of all Ages by Laura Dover Doran. It is thoroughly suitable for children as there are ?easy? projects too. I think I could have done with this book a few years ago. I think we will be able to use it again next year. I love all hobbies and crafts but I?m in the minority around here. It is attractively illustrated without too many surplus words, or rather there are lots of surplus words but they?re arranged in such a manner that you can tune out the full page of text and concentrate on the insert box, the main event. The instructions are simple and numbered. There are several unusual, home made and cheap costumes too. The models are ordinary, friendly, pleasant people rather than intimidating super models. It is well organized into easily recognizable chapters. Peanut butter Pumpkins Combine 115 grammes / four ounces or 1 stick of melted butter with 340 grammes / 12 ounces of peanut butter and 454 grammes / 16 ounces of icing sugar / powdered sugar / confectioners sugar. [see how tricky it is to translate these things!] Smoosh everything together. I would add the sugar gradually as it?s a stiff work out for the muscle challenged. Add the orange food colouring early and it will lighten the more sugar you add. It?s really hard to add the food colouring at the end as the dough is like cement. You do have to add all the sugar or otherwise your pumpkins won?t hold their form [too soft]. Roll the mixture into little balls. You can mark the sides to make them look like pumpkins but leave that step out if cocktail sticks are lethal weapons. Add a trail or stalk of livid green icing / frosting to complete. They taste better after chilling for an hour. The recipe says that the yield is 15 to 20 pumpkins but we had 34! So ours must have been considerably smaller. My daughter ate two and said that was more than enough to last her the next 24 hours as they?re very rich. Don?t be so snotty!I chat to my eldest daughter in the kitchen surrounded by devastation, evidence of a successful play date. ?Blimey! What a mess!? ?Yes I know. I?m just having a quick breather whilst I decide where to start.? ?No fights?? ?A couple of near misses, but all in all, I?d say that they all had fun.? ?Eeeow. What?s that on your shirt?? ?Where? Oh tomato puree, a few smears of peanut butter?....the usual.? ?No. There!? ?Oh?.....I must have missed that bit. I?ll just get a tissue.? ?Is it snot?? ?Yes, I think so.? ?Eeow, you are slipping.? ?It?s not mine. It?s his.? ?Eeeow gross! That?s even more disgusting.? ?Hmm?. I didn?t know you were so squeamish considering how you?re willing to handle Banana Slugs! I must have missed it during the bathroom debacle.?  ?Bathroom debacle?? ?Three people cannot use one toilet at the same time, even if they all happen to be boys.? ?Sounds like a new rule?? ?Verily.? ?You?ll have to start a new campaign. A snot campaign. You can?t become the snot repository.? ?Actually the snot campaign has been on-going for some while now. This is actually evidence of great progress, the culmination of months of hard work.? ?Pull the other one, it?s got bells on!? ?No really. Before they?d just wipe it on whatever happened to be handy, walls, furniture, anything that removed it from their persons and parked it somewhere else.? ?Vile. So how is this progress then?? ?Well they come to me, theoretically to tell me that they need help.? ?Couldn?t you train them to just go and get a tissue?? ?I tried that but somewhere in-between the realizing that they needed one, a tissue, and locating the tissues, they?d come into contact with something else. This is sort of my pre-emptive strike, intervention, so that I can them take them off to the tissue box to practice sterile nasal practices.? ?So?? ?Well sometimes I?m not quick enough in the ?anticipation department? and sometimes they?re a little slow in the ?explanation in words department.? ?So as the words are coming out, they?re physically in the act of using you as a hankerchief.? ?Hmm??......like I said, it?s work in progress.? ?I know! Hang on a minute??????????..There you go! That should fix it!? ?Ooo I could patent that you know!? ?Yet another new fashion trend!?  ?Maybe not. I think it?s already been invented.? ?What?? ?The "pinny.? Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below Road Trip
From a couple of balmy weeks ago If I do not go to the shop today we shall all starve. Glorious Summer Holidays But that?s the real trouble with holidays. If push comes to shove, and it might, I may be able to drag something out of the freezer, kicking and screaming. But if they won?t eat the defrosted victim, I shall be no further forwarder. What good are hot dogs without any buns? No. A trip to the shops is a must. A trip to the shops with all my lovely children, and Nonna will be a bust. There are the usual calculations to be made. Interesting shop where I might be able to contain them or boring shop where everyone will run away. A shop with electric doors will ensure that I?ll be able to find one escapee. A shop without strip lighting, as the flickers lead to fleeting. A shop with no freezer section because the buzz drives one batty. Then there?s timing. Sufficiently after breakfast so that they?re not too hungry. Not too late in the morning, so as to have a better chance at a curb side parking slot, to minimize the chance of death by traffic. One list for each child. One list with three essential and preferred items each. Ensure that my handwriting will pass muster for the perfectionist. If it?s cursive, make sure it is sufficiently curly not zig zaggy. Who in their right mind would hold a piece of paper with those jagged angled zags? I really need an aide memoire, a little check list pinned to the door for all essentials. Mustn?t forget the huge blanket this time. I certainly won?t make that mistake again, the fire dance in the car park! 20 minutes shopping with the car parked outside in the heat. A toasty little furnace. A metal box absorbing heat atoms. At the height of summer, in California, in America, airless and still. How could we survive without a thick fleece blanket? Not only do I need to remember to take it, I need to remember to cover the seats. Forget the dogs:- no-one wants hot buns!  Thursday 13 | |||||||
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Things I should have avoided whilst pregnant There?s many a parent raked by guilt with sleepless nights full of ?what ifs? and ?if onlys.? Here are a few of those thoughts. 1. I should have rigged up the microwave with crime scene tape. 2. I should never have knitted that baby blanket. I?m sure I poked something crucial. 3. Hair dye and vanity, that?s all I?m going to say on the subject. 4. I knew that cell phone was a mistake. Surely I fried every functioning brain cell too. 5. Orders to ?rest? should be accompanied with a free pass to a baby sitter. 6. They did warn me about Caesar Salad but I couldn?t resist the craving for anchovies. 7. I should never have drunk the water and breathed the air in Silicon Valley. 8. I blame the blue cheese myself although I swear it was only a crumb or two. 9. I should have made him swear that the fruit punch only contained fruit and no hidden punches. Can you trust anyone these days? 10. I blame the YMCA. It was a mistake to take that Aerobics instructor course. 11. I should have had those metal filling ripped out pre-pregnancy but hindsight is always 20-20. I wonder why it wasn?t covered by my medical insurance? 12. Alternatively I could blame the hospital. How stupid to give a warning about carrying heavy objects! What newly born object doesn?t want to be carried! 13. Yes, regrets, I have more than a few. If I had my time over, I would do things differently. For my baby shower gift I?d have fessed up and asked for a "laminater." So nip on over and "click" to do you little "bit." I'm always happy to complain about "food" but in the great scheme of things, I for one, should know "better." Although I usually benefit hugely from a jolly good moan. Cheers dears Wordless - Special Exposure WednesdayIf this continues, I shall sell his bed! It is white wood.  A cheap trade in return for a very obvious free fall drop in tactile defensiveness. I also have a few words to share on my "Alien" site called "A Glut of Starving Brains." Tackle it Tuesday - Teeny tiny
Get the code:- Cut and paste from this little boxy thing below Best Shot MondayHosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click.
Hmm......I wonder if there's a theme? I should have checked to see if there's a theme. I'll just go check............ Dear me, the "poor woman" will think she's being stalked or possibly lurked? That doesn't sound quite right? Can you use lurk as a verb? Lets try it out. I lurk You lurk He/she/it lurks. There you go! Faultless logic. Now....where was I? Ah yes! Themes = Rockin possibly? Would that be rock in or rock out do you suppose? Does it matter what you put your rock in or out of? Maybe she's referring to the colloquial American dancing variety or perhaps the chair variety or the geology option? Oh I don't know this is much too difficult. Oopsie 'difficult' is a banned word. So much more of a challenge than I thought! I can feel grumpiness creeping over me. What's the point? It's nearly bed time now. Monday is nearly over. I wonder if you get spanked if you post at 12:01 when we pop into Tuesday? Hmm. What else? There again, now I come to think of it, the picture was of her daughter. Maybe I could post a picture of a child doing something that isn't rockin? How about 'Surfin?'  It that American enough? What a coup d'etat! Is it cheating to skip the water and waves? Can't be too careful, there are always so many rules! Snip, snap, snip!Please scroll down for carnivals  My sons have both developed an interest in photography because we gave their sister a camera for her Summer Camp trip. They 'steal' my camera rather than hers because mine is silent.  When he skips into the house I catch him red handed. I flip through his latest batch with a frown. "I am be foto dah dead fings." Against my better judgment I must conclude that this is a "good thing."  I dash outside with the kitchen scissors and cut off every offensive crispy brown head I can find. The newly rigged up "irrigation" system is extremely irritating, intermittent and generally unco-operative. Behind me, since I am never really alone, my son hovers in the door way as he clutches Piplup to his chest, close to his heart. ?What you are do?? he asks without prompting. ?I?m just giving this plant a haircut!" As I reply, I am simultaneously aware that my words have another interpretation, "nothing screams neglect more than an untrimmed bush!? He runs inside yelping, ?don neglect me!? Although to be honest, my mind was somewhere else entirely. For more words, I have a new post up on "alien" called "All Frightfully Chummy" and a "note from "Nonna" called "Leaf Location." Magic Marker MondayPlease scroll down for Manic Moody Monday Posts  The boys still struggle with tactile issues, which nip back to bite us every so often. I promised to show case the girls today so here it is:- Little Girl  Bigger "Girl" 
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