Sunday, December 30, 2007

A Day with Dr. Cousin

Cousins Day was semi-extended but on a more intimate basis. :) I went to church this AM and then met up at Bro's to have breakfast at Overland Cafe with Dr. Cousin, FBIL, and Bro. I haven't had brunch there in years! Not since I lived at where Bro lives now.

Afterwards, the 3 of us went to the mall to window shop and make some exchanges. We stopped by Bare Escentuals so I could find a blush. Poor sales associate was trying to look for two shades for me and he ended up dropping one all over himself! I felt so bad...especially since I knew I wasn't going to buy anything. Of course he was so sweet about it. Secretly, I was thinking that that's something that would have happened to me FOR SURE if I were in his place...since I'm extremely clumsy. Perhaps I should make that as one of my new year's resolutions -- be less clumsy!

Afterwards, I came home to freshen up and rest a little bit. They picked me up for happy hour at the Daily Grill. Dr. Cousin treated us to many appetizers and drinks (although I stayed dry). We chilled a bit at Chez C&C and then they left to bring Dr. Cousin to the airport. She flies out tonight back to Connecticut. :*(

Tomorrow, we have plans to countdown with Lynnielovepoem, FBIL, and Bro. :) 3-2-1-woohoo!

P.S. I still love being on vacation and am already dreading the day I have to go back!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Cousins Day II

I can't remember when our first Cousins Day happened, but I think we went to an Auto Zone or Mini Golfing place. I don't think we actually mini-golfed...or did anything except eat.

So I guess we were intent on making our second Cousins Day a success. And it really was! All cousins, sans Lawyer Cousin who was busy signing house ownership documents (woo-hoo!), first met up at Lucky Strikes at The Block in Orange. Even future-cousins-in-laws BF and FBIL were present. :) It was their first time meeting half of our cousins. We waited almost an hour and a half for two lanes and then almost all of us bowled one game. I had the 2nd or 3rd lowest score despite having full gear and all...Boo! I haven't bowled in so long (not that I'm using that as an excuse, although I sort of am) so my form was completely messy and inconsistent. I didn't even break 80. :(

Afterwards, we headed to Captain Cousin's house. It was my first time seeing their new house and it is fabulous! I love the model home look and feel and that was exactly what it looked and felt like, even complete with fabulous Christmas decorations. We all just hung out, ate, and chatted. Most of the boys watched the football game and talked shop for half of the time and then half went upstairs to play video games. The rest of us just chilled, ate more, and caught up. Cousin-in-Law (who lives two doors down) joined us for a bit, too.

We all left around 10:00 PM and wouldn't you know it, I still ended up getting us lost despite having a GPS. I blame it on Elsa; her compass has mysteriously disappeared, which has sent me into a state of panic whenever I drive.

Nonetheless, BF and I were in extremely good spirits so we had a leisure drive home despite taking a slight detour. All in all, Cousins Day II was a success!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Sick as a Dog

For the past month, I've been knocking on wood every time I had to work with a sick student. Wouldn't you know it -- I think it was ultimately my BF that got me sick.

Every time I get sick, I inevitably hear one or more of the following from my family: You're sick again? Why are you always getting sick? You need to see a doctor to figure out why you're so unhealthy.

I really don't remember getting sick this year...and I really don't think I have since I still have a full batch of antibiotics and a full unexpired bottle of promethezine w/ codeine (aka The Good Stuff). Yesterday and today has been by far the worst of this battle.

For Christmas yesterday, BF and I spent it together in recovery. We missed two gatherings (in other words, we missed lobster and Honey Baked Ham!) and stayed home taking meds and drinking canned soup. FBIL and Bro stopped by and dropped off yummy desserts. To look on the bright side, we spent Christmas together. :)

Self-Commentary: My blog is far less exciting when I write about my own life as opposed to my experiences/interactions with my kiddos. Not to worry, I go back to work on January 7th and I go back to school on January 8th! Stay tuned.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Winter Break

Day 1 of Winter Break -- Thursday, December 20, 2007
Forget going to work! I started my Winter Break a day (or 2) earlier and hopped on a plane to Las Vegas! :) Bro dropped BF and I off at LAX. We were scheduled to depart at 8:51 AM but around 8:30 AM, they announced that our flight got canceled. Mayhem just about broke out, but since the announcer reminded us that "we are all going to be adults about this," people were upset but "being adult" about it all. In the meantime, BF hustled over to the next airline and scored us tickets on the next flight out. We didn't want to take any risks.

Our flight went just fine and we ended up meeting BF's parents at our usual meeting spot, Mandalay Bay. We went straight to Red Rock Casino, where we checked in and ate a brief lunch. We played a few penny slots before I went upstairs to rest and freshen up for dinner. Around 6:00 P.M., I started fretting b/c BF's Dad was picking us up at 6:15 and BF hadn't come up to the hotel room yet! When I got a hold of him, he said, "Guess what...I just won one thousand two hundred and twenty-seven dollars!!" Holy snikeys! Did I hear right?

I sure did! When I met him downstairs, he waved his W-2 form (yes, he received a W-2 form) and I took a picture of him in the lobby. :)

BF's Dad picked us up and we met his mom, sister, and aunt at Outback for dinner. I had 2/3 of my delicious prime rib special before sister got me all engaged in causal theories of autism. Afterwards, we went back to Red Rock and gambled a little more and had Ben & Jerry's. Shortly after, they left and BF and I gambled a little more. I got tired and went upstairs for a nice salt bath in front of a small plasma TV. After I fell asleep, BF came up shortly after.

Day 2 of Winter Break -- Friday, December 21, 2007
I got up and took another bath and then headed downstairs to lounge a bit, while BF slept in. We gambled a bit more (meaning I lost a bit more) and then I ate a quick lunch (in other words, 45 minutes for a burrito) while BF gambled some more. Eventually, BF's Dad picked us up and we went to his parents' place for a little get-together with his father's side. When we got there, I helped Tita from NY make a Waldorf salad (I learned how to make a fancy-sounding dish!). Afterwards, everybody went to Red Rock...where I finally won! I was down $100 and BF gave me another $100 that I lost...but then I won $100. :) Eventually, I retreated early again. BF said he'd be up soon, but he didn't get in until about 6 AM.

Day 3 of Winter Break -- Saturday, December 22, 2007
Since I knew BF would be sleeping in late, I got up and indulged in a yummy brunch buffet on my own. I really enjoyed it because it's rare that I can eat at my own slow pace and as much as I want. I out-ate 3 parties, I think. =P I lost another $15 before I retreated to the lobby and then got BF some Starbucks and went back upstairs. BF and I got ready for the family dinner holiday party and then headed downstairs to play some more...where I lost again. BF won another $200 right before his Dad picked us up. We got to the restaurant and helped set up a tiny bit. The party started between 6:30 - 7 and lasted until about 10:30.

BF's parents can sure host a party and his family can sure party! The event began with BF's dad giving a speech and then an uncle minister praying. We commenced dinner "Filipino style" and then Ate from SF played a slideshow. Later, a distant relative sang a Christmas song. Still later, the adults boogied down to a bunch of 70s and 80s songs. It was ridiculous in an awesome way. :) Throughout the evening, pictures were taken and printed and then gifts were given away to everyone. We all left and went back to Red Rock. I met BF's parents, Tita from NY, and SF Niece and partner at the Cafe to debrief a little bit over dessert. I had a drink or two, won a little bit, and quickly called it a night...

Day 4 of Winter Break -- Sunday, December 23, 2007
We woke up and checked out of our lovely room around 1 PM. We met with BF's family downstairs for a short hour before we hopped onto an airport shuttle. Since we got to the airport 3 hours early, BF and I checked out ALL of the stores. Along the way, I fell in love with the iSqueez from Brookstone. :) When it was time to board, wouldn't you know it, our plane was delayed for about 45 minutes. The flight was manageable since we had individual screens. I watched a bunch of nerdy medical stuff (e.g., neurosurgeries; procedure to stop PD tremors). Still, it felt like a long flight since both BF and I were sick. We landed in the Long Beach airport where BF and I got separated and I nearly had a panic attack b/c of the unknown territory and mass crowds. When I finally got outside to where the baggage claim was, I frantically asked the nearest smoker, how do I get like outside of this place?? He looked at me like I was nuts and pointed a few yards away. I totally felt like an idiot. Then I spotted BF a few yards away to the right "outside," in the usual spot where I pick him up. FBIL picked us up and we safely got home to our precious Lil F. Although Vegas was fun, there's no place like home, as they say.

Christmas Eve in SM
Today, I woke up and actually went to Costco. I got in and out of there alive, despite two people trying to yank my parking spots. After I gathered my things, I headed over to SM to meet my Medical Relatives, Genius Relatives, Daddy, Gramma, and Best Bro. We had a delicious potpourri of Chinese and American foods and desserts. Bro and I left around 9 PM since I wasn't feeling so well. Plus, I hadn't heard from BF all day, which made me nervous. Turns out he had slept a whopping 21 hours total, in his fight against his cold! Despite both of us being sick, it is nice that we got to spend Christmas both with our families and with each other. Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Happy birthday, Turtle
Happy birthday, Turtle
Happy birthday, dear Turtle
Happy birthday, Turtle!

Today, Lil F is 3 years old! This morning, when I picked her up to feed her, I actually sang the birthday song to her. I think she enjoyed it...along with an extra helping of Hikari sticks.

After work, I stopped by Lil F's favorite store, Petco, but sadly, I walked out with no birthday gift for the usual reasons (that seemed worse today). Not to mention, I stood by the rosy red minnow tank for almost 10 minutes and after two unsuccessful calls for assistance, I left. Hopefully, Lil F will forgive me.

She's happily basking. BF often asks if the Turtle was the best (free) gift ever. She totally is. She brings us joy everyday. Three years later, we are still basking in her silliness. We still stop by her tank everyday to gaze at her. We still call each other and ask what the turtle is doing. We still say hello and good-bye to the Turtle whenever we come home or leave. She still surprises us with new crazy antics and makes us laugh like the first day BF brought her home.

I love my turtle!

Friday, December 14, 2007

SPAM

I think my yahoo account got infiltrated...Apologies to anyone who received a spam message saying I bought all these great things from wherever (jerks!).

Happy holidays... =P

On the other hand, I received an "early" Christmas gift from BGF and Hubby in the mail yesterday! And yes, I actually opened it before Christmas...b/c I didn't know it was a Christmas gift. Not to mention, this year, BF and I are bypassing a real Christmas tree. Well, there's still time. :)

Off to yet another training!

Friday, December 07, 2007

Update - News Alert

Okay, homies, call me crazy, but I may begin a certification program to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in January! It's not that I can't get enough of school, but this unique opportunity has presented itself.

The only thing really holding me back is the idea of having schoolwork again (which I guess is the reason that holds anyone back!). Ugh. It's going to be graduate level coursework. {{shudder}} Whatever will I do without my girls? Especially when I am the only SLP in the class...

I guess it's my duty to represent!

Friday, November 30, 2007

Holla at a Homie

Sometimes, I think my kids get a little too comfortable with me.

(I have one that constantly passes gas. It's so gross and makes all the other kids upset b/c then he blames his neighbors!)

I have this one kid (the "Holla atcha later!" kid) that I was really hoping would test out -- just for his sake. Unfortunately, he didn't...meaning I get him for another year. I don't mind b/c he is great comedy relief. (He also perplexes me; it's like he has dysnomia or something...but I'm not sure if I really believe in kids having dysnomia/anomia). Anywho, the kid swears we're like homies and stuff.

Today, he was talking about how he gets on MySpace. I played dumb and asked, "What's that?" For a hot moment, I started panicking, wondering if he's found my page (which is set to private) b/c he was talking as if he found my page. I asked him if he knew what my first name was, and he quickly looked around. Phew, he didn't know (nor was I wearing my badge). Dude, the day my kids ask me to add them is the day I need to start tying my jean hems with my shoelaces (what is up with that ridiculous fad? And WTH is it called so I can talk more trash about it?).

At the end of the session, the kid asked me for a ride home, since it was pouring. WHAT?! "No, I cannot give you a ride home!" "C'mon!" "No!" "WHY?" "Do you want to stay until 5?" "Oh, never mind." Crazy kid!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Pre-Thanksgiving Feast

Today was a busy day of delicious eating. It's like I was ramping up for tomorrow. :)

First things first -- it is nice to have the day before Thanksgiving off! I remember the days when I'd work half a day on the Wednesday before, and even that half a day was a half a day too much. I woke up early to go to Costco to pick up a ham, Parisian Salads, and chocolate cake for tmrw (although the chocolate cake is traveling with his parents to his father's side for dessert). BF forced me to get a car wash, too, since his parents were coming into town and Elsa would be transporting us. I didn't mind so much b/c for whatever ridiculous reason, Elsa is the target of many sea gull business ventures...if you catch my drift.

Shortly after, bro and I met up with Dad at Zip Fusion for a delicious lunch. It was nice to have a peaceful lunch with them. I tried the Honey Roll, a new addition to their menu. It was soOOoOoo good (anything with seafood on the inside and tempura on the outside is worth trying).

Afterwards, bro and I stopped by the Cheesecake Factory to pick-up lunch for FBIL. I also got a Kahlua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake and tropical iced tea. The cheesecake was incredibly delicious for a sweet-toothed coffee junkie like me.

Next stop was the dry cleaner's to pick up BFs stuff. I got his suit dry-cleaned in anticipation/hopes of him being my wedding date for this weekend. Last night, he finally committed to going with me. I was getting a little bit worried (and desperate). I think I convinced him to go when I said, "Maybe I can ask [gay friend] to go..." (to which he asked, "Why don't you ask [BGF] or [BSILF]?"). It's just that he's been ridiculously busy and even though he told his clients that he's out of commission this week, it looks like he won't be.

I bum-rushed home just to veg out a little bit before we met his parents in Culver City. They hit so much traffic so we ended up sitting in the hotel lobby for over an hour. I couldn't believe how sleepy I was; I was practically falling asleep. We checked them in and then came back home to rest and primp.

Our last stop was dinner at Charthouse. It was delicious! Sometimes, I take BF's dad's lead and order what he gets b/c he usually orders really delicious entrees. Tonight, he chose a promotional/seasonal item that was absolutely amazing. BF got his usual...and later said that he should've ordered what we had. His mom ended the dinner wisely by ordering the signature lava cake. :) When we were dropping them off, we stopped by Rite-Aid and his dad surprised me with a box of Ferrero Rochers. Yummers!

They'll be stopping by tmrw morning for some coffee and to pick-up a few things so I'm off to bed. Gotta rejuvenate myself for the real big day of eating. :D

Happy Thanksgiving, homies!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Proud SLP

I've had an awesome week with my kiddos. Although I didn't see everyone I was supposed to (due to meetings and Veteran's Day holiday), I was soOoOOO proud of many of the ones I did see. The huge difference was seeing some 1:1 or just with one other student.

This week, one of the Study Skills lesson topics was on coffee (how it's grown, the different types, history, etc.). The first time I did this lesson, I wasn't prepared to discuss all the vocabulary in it. I also happened to be seeing one kid 1:1 (whom reminds me of a chipmunk, b/c he is so cute -- round cheeks with bigger front teeth). I don't usually see him individually, but the circumstance presented itself. I was so amazed with how the session went! It made me realize even more how 1) students really can benefit from individual sessions but unfortunately, that is impossible for every child; 2) sometimes my job is really about helping these kids make that connection between word knowledge and world knowledge. One of my favorite parts about working with these kids is when I help them make that connection and their eyes get all big and that proverbial light bulb goes off above their head (sometimes, I get the accompanying exclamation, "Oh!! (I get it!)"

Yesterday, I had VTW see the groups while I chimed in here and there. It's actually quite interesting to see how different our styles are. She has observed me for 2 days out of 3-4 weeks, and I felt comfortable about her seeing all the groups (especially since she saw them all last Friday due to my incident). I laid out my lesson plan for her step by step, including all the vocab I wanted them to discuss, definitions, and examples. I kind of felt bad for my kids b/c she has a different presence so she makes everything sound like a test (even though I always assure my kids that in our sessions, they are never being graded nor tested, but I sure as heck look for improvement to get them out of here. I say that so that they are not afraid to participate and ask questions.). After reading about why grinding coffee a little bit at a time is better, she asked, "What does 'grind' mean?" One of our crazier kids said, "Oh! I know!" We should've expected what came next, but I sure didn't. "It's like the dance!" DUDE! AH! I was grossed out! Haha!

On the other hand, I was pleased that at least he participated b/c on the outside, him and his bro act like they're too cool for this and don't care, but when it comes down to it, they try harder than the rest of the group. They are some of my favorites as well (although I shouldn't really have favorites). Really, it's not hard to impress me and become my favorite. It's simple: 1) don't touch nor steal my stuff, especially after I've asked you to sit down and you don't listen; 2) ask questions and participate with a decent effort; 3) don't come in with a funky attitude and disrespect everyone.

Perhaps I should replace my class rules with those qualifications.

Anywho, we had another group and both of us were dreading calling in one particular kid (he has the ultimate funky attitude). For whatever reason, he didn't show up, and we had an AWESOME session between two kiddos. One is my 1x/month consult kid with a lisp, whom I had honestly just about given up on for several reasons (K3, see the forum), and my other kiddo is a smarty-pants who makes other people feel dumb but she is slowly letting down her guard. First, it was nice to see that the girl was actually having fun, more relaxed, smiling, and not making the other kid feel dumb (also b/c he was equally as smart as her). What really made my day was seeing the consult kid. I seriously almost teared up b/c my lisper whom I had just about given up on, has been working soOOoOoOOO hard since the last time we met! There was such a noticeable difference! I couldn't believe my ears! (And he was so cute b/c when he came in, he said, "I've been working really hard on my 's'.") I am still glowing off of it. :) Okay, I doubt I did much to help him (except keep drilling into him why he needs to step up to the challenge), but something made the difference. His previous 2 SLPs had said in all sincerity, dismiss him due to lack of motivation and progress after more than 5 years of working on his 's,' and I seriously almost did. And then he shows up making significant progress since the last time. It's beautiful.

As my bro said, "What a great way to end the work week!"

Friday, November 16, 2007

Friends Forever

Remember back to elementary school when you'd sign yearbooks, "FF"? I wonder how many I've written "FF" but didn't remain in contact with...and those whom I have never promised FF but really do remain FF. (That sounds like the penultimate paragraph to a Friendship forward.)

Tonight, an old friend IM'd me. We go waaaay back. Like to JH. Actually, let me rewind. Last night, I was IM'g another old friend (going waaaay back to the summer fresh out of HS). I was telling him how crazy JH kids are nowadays, which prompted me to reflect on how I was in JH. I thought about 97, my 2nd "boyfriend." I thought long and hard about whether we really did anything -- like even hold hands. I couldn't remember anything scandalous (by 1990 standards)...which is probably why 97 and I laugh about us even calling each other BF/GF. It was truly a pure and innocent crush.

Well, years come and go and as I've always been, I don't keep in touch (very well) with people.

Tonight, 97 IM'd me, after several years of no contact, and we got to chatting about the past, present, and future. For the record, he corrected that we did do something in JH. He said, "Yah, we hugged ONCE." And it was on the day we "broke up." LOL

After a short session of IMing, he proposed that I call him up (since I didn't sound so promising about every meeting up with him...call me asocial!). Dude, I felt like I was in JH again. I was all nervous, moreso b/c we hadn't spoken in years (and I just don't like talking on the phone!). On the other hand, I know myself. I may not like answering the phone or picking up the phone to call someone, but once I am in a telephone conversation with a friend, I so enjoy it.

So, 97 and I talked for about an hour, just catching up. I truly feel like we are FF, despite not keeping in constant touch. I've always felt that my best friends are those with whom I can just pick up where we last left off. And that's how it is with 97. It was great talking to him and catching up.

After giving him a brief synopsis of my life since we last chatted, he said one thing that really captured the essence of my life at this very moment -- I have stability in my life.

And it's a wonderful thing.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

My 5 cents

Everyday at work, I crack up over the same thing -- I have kids that are not even on my caseload, stopping by or yelling across the hall, "Hi Miss Ling!" (few students really say my name right; the majority don't even try to remember my name; I've gotten tired of trying to teach them). Some know who I am b/c I call their friends or classmates in. Some stop by to ask why they don't get called in. The best is when my own students stop by to ask when is the next time I'm going to call them in (I was floored today when one kid that I least expected to do that, did. I totally think I bore him in our 1:1 sessions; I feel sorry for my 1:1s -- they get me all to themselves...and I work them hard and don't play games). The SDC kids are always begging me to call them in (pretty much to get them out of class though). In a way, it's all flattering.

Today during my lunch period, a kid who is not on my caseload stopped by. Background info: last week, I made the "mistake" of letting him stay during a tx session; I was a sucker for my SDC girls so when they begged to let this boy stay, I figured, what the hey -- any kid could always benefit from more language stimulation. Well, boy was I wrong. This kid, whom I will call CTE, was such a nerd! He knew all the answers with his extensive vocabulary. The funny thing is that I have never had such a serious session with this group (they are usually soooo rowdy but I guess they were shy with the newcomer). And two of my girls were vying for his attention (one was Barrettes Girl who comes to school in frickin midriffs!). So Barrettes Girl started getting all jealous that Jay-Z (another girl who told the psych that I am her friend) was getting all of CTE's attention. (At one point, Barrettes Girl yelled across the table, "You only like him b/c of his eyes!" It was totally random, funny, and catty.)

Anywho, so today, CTE stopped by during lunch period. He lingered around and chatted up a storm with me, asking me the typical curious questions (what do you do in here? Why do you see certain students?). Actually, it was a very fascinating conversation. He told me how he's a vegetarian and other relative background info on that change in lifestyle. We got onto the subject of family (it stemmed off of our discussion about food -- which was a rather detailed discussion about our favorite kinds of pizza from different places). Then he poured his heart/sentiments out about his family situation. It was really crazy...moreso b/c I am still constantly surprised at how candid kids are with me about their thoughts and situations. It makes me want to talk, advise, and console them like I would to a friend. I don't really though b/c I often feel obligated to say cliches (unless I really feel strong about something).

So CTE told me about his home situation and how he came to the decision of living with his dad, which was really mature I might add. He poured his heart out over his mom's situation and what he hopes to do in the future to help her out. As if I wasn't impressed enough with this kid, he spoke about how he wants to make enough money to help his mother out of her situation and not spend his hard-earned money on drugs b/c he sees how people waste their money and life on drugs. He's going to stay drug-free because he knows that he has to be clean to be a professional athlete (I wasn't about to corrupt his dream and tell him how twisted that whole lifestyle could be).

Sidebar: I was so shocked when he told me Barrettes Girl is the sister of one of my favorite students! They must be half or step-siblings though (different last names). I was astounded b/c her brother is such a sweetheat; he is soOoOoOOoo polite and considerate, and he works really hard (kids totally get brownie points when they try/work really hard). Barrettes Girl bullies other kids, makes false sexual harassment allegations, and does other crazy things (like wear midriffs to school). I would never have guessed in "many centuries"** that they were related!

CTE stayed until the end of his lunch period. When he left, I was floored. It mystifies and fascinates me how random kids like to just come in and chat with me. It's like I'm a pseudo-psychiatrist off-hours (or during lunch periods).

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The funny thing is that Jay-Z (who is very sweet but needs a lot of attention) saw me after school and hounded me, "you know that boy from last time?" "M-hm." "I saw him in your room during lunch. What were you guys doing?" The was the first of like 10 questions: What did you guys talk about? What did he ask you? What did you say? I must have still had my pseudo-psychiatrist hat on b/c I totally gave vague answers to protect confidentiality. Ha! Well, I was honest with a few things (like how he asked what we did in therapy). She wouldn't let up, but since she had to go back to her after school program before she got in trouble, she ended with, "Okay, well, we'll talk more tomorrow." WTH? I walked away laughing at how nonchalant and mature she sounded with the promise to get back to me tomorrow to dish more about her boy.

...Who really does have nice eyes.

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**I asked one of my kids today what he thought "centuries" meant. He responded, "a million years!" I was cracking up. He totally got me, though, when he asked what A.D. meant (as in A.D. vs. B.C.). I couldn't remember for the life of me what the PC way of saying/explaining "B.C." was. So I told him the un-PC definition but gave him the disclaimer (e.g., religious people who believe in Jesus Christ might say B.C. b/c...).

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Semantics and Other Blabberings

The majority of my kiddos have goals in the area of semantics (vocabulary), but I am still constantly amazed at how much (or little) they know. Today, I continued with identifying the main idea/topic. After asking a bunch of Wh-questions, I threw out, "Who can tell me what 'hollow' means?"

I really think my kid was just messing with me (b/c they'll do that) but in any event, he said: Oh! I know! You mean like, HOLLA!!!! Like you holla at someone!
Me (LOL): No! What you're saying is 'holler' -- spelled 'h-o-l-l-e-r' and colloquially -- or in conversation -- 'holla' as in h-o-l-l-a. I am asking what 'hollow' h-o-l-l-o-w means...

So I explained to them what hollow means and the crazy kid redeemed himself by saying, "Oh, like when you carve a pumpkin and you take out all the guts and it's hollow inside?"
Me, proud that he understood my definition, exclaimed, "Exactly! Great example [Kid]!"

We continued on for a few more minutes. After I signed their call slips, I said, "Okay, gentleman, I'll see you next time!"
Kid: Alright! Holla atcha later!

I was LMAO! Which reminds me, last time my other kid said to me, "Peace!" and flashed the deuces at me. Which also reminds me that my kids actually let me call them by the nicknames that their friends call them by. I offer to call them by their "real" name, but they just shrug and say I can call them by their nicknames. I feel so special sometimes. :)

Anywho, there's more. The real adventure came at the end of the day. I got to participate in my first fire drill. Thankfully, I didn't have any kiddos; otherwise, I would have had no idea where I was supposed to line up. I found the SDC class, who was teacher-less (long story), so the kiddos clung to me and we all moved over to where they were supposed to be. I cashed in on another "teachable moment" and explained to one kiddo what a fire drill was/meant and the purpose of it. All the while, I stole glances at the next line over b/c FFB was in that line. I felt sorry for him, though, b/c he is soooOOOOoOOo anxious when it comes to fire drills.

Okay, last story: today at the SPED meeting, the psych asked all the teachers if FFB looks at their feet. One said no but another said, "Yes! Just recently, he was standing right next to me and stared straight down at my feet...and said, 'Miss [Teacher with open-toed heels], you have webbed feet!'" LOL

Kids...{shake head!}

Monday, November 12, 2007

(School) Holiday

It is so nice to have a long weekend (working in the public school rules!). Today, I ran some fun errands. On my way back from Target, I "honked for the writers" in front of Sony Studios in Culver City (thinking about K3's latest entry re: the strike and how it ultimately may affect her hubby).

I also went to the mall to look for a bridal shower gift, but you know how that usually turns out -- I left the mall with 2 items for me and 0 for bride-to-be. First, I stopped by Bare Escentuals to play around with more make-up (but didn't buy anything), and then I picked up a free pair of panties from Victoria's Secret (woohoo! I love free panties! Well, new ones of course.). I also hand-selected a pound of See's candies. Yummers. I'm waiting for BF to come home so that we can indulge in it together. Come to think of it, I doubt he'll want any when he gets home. Oh well, his loss is my gain!

Anywho, I thought I'd blog about my adventures of the evening (can "blog" be used as a verb?). I've been a technological disaster tonight. I actually went to the gym for a brief walk (after months of non-gyming), but then my iPod froze for the first time. I am completely worthless at the gym without my music. After attempting weights, I left with my frozen iPod. Thankfully, resetting it worked just now! Phew!!

The other tech disaster has to do with my laptop, which I probably live by more than my nano! It's been acting up lately, but for the first time, when I re-booted, I got a black screen with the message: Operating System not found. I completely went into panic mood. Thankfully, it's up and running, and I just backed everything onto my flash drive.

I'm afraid to touch anything else...

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Alarmed

Yesterday was quite an adventurous day. My day started off with a run to the new Starbucks down the street. I was really excited to see that the holiday season has officially begun. They have brought back my favorite coffee, the Christmas Blend! I left with my alternative-splurging-order in one hand and half a short Christmas Blend in the other (a generous sample from the enthusiastic barista that even spelled my name right).

I got to school in no time, quickly getting into the groove of things. As I prepped for the morning, I started cramping up (sorry, TMI). By the time my VTW showed up, I wanted to curl up into a ball (a.k.a. the fetal position), but instead, I popped an aspirin (which I rarely do under these circumstances) and off we went to see the 320s.

The pain got progressively worse with a side order of nausea. I noticed that I was yawning a lot...not from being tired, though. I should've taken that as a hint (as in gasping for air as a precursor to what lay ahead). To add insult to injury, the 320 I was working with whacked me upside the head about 3x. That was about all I could handle. I briefly ended the session, and we headed back to my room.

We were about 5 yards away, when I felt REALLY gnarly. Uh-oh, I think I knew what I was in for. When we got back to my room, I said in my calmest tone, "I hope you don't mind if I look crazy and lay down on the [disgusting!!!!] floor, but if I don't, I'm going to faint." I was already starting to black out.

For the next half hour, I laid on the DISGUSTING floor, curled up, profusely apologizing and trying not to scare the poor girl any more than she already was. As I lay on the floor, I called my bro with my cell, "Um, can you pick me up? I'm laying on the floor, about to faint."

My poor bro, who has dealt with my dramatic spells, dropped everything and rushed over to pick me up. I was still on the floor when he came. I was so embarrassed, not wanting to make it a big deal, but of course he topped the drama by getting me a wheelchair to transport me to his car. That alarmed the whole main office so that was even more embarrassing. When I asked my VTW to call my administrator up to see what she should do since I was leaving for the day, my administrator asked, "Should we call an ambulance?" I practically yelled from the floor, "O, no, please don't! I'm okay! Really!" I really did not want to draw any more attention to this (even though I am blogging about it now).

My bro dropped me off at home to BF (who had just woken up from working an all-nighter) to rest. I ate and slept for the rest of the day.

Today, my bro brought me to pick up my car. When we got there, we went to my room so that I could pick up a few things. We walked in, but as soon as we hit the light switch, the alarm went off. Of course it would go off! Why would I not think that the school is alarmed? I started panicking, wondering what we should do!

We ended up leaving the scene of the crime to go down the street for a yummy dinner at El Pollo Inka. After that, I came home and spent the night with Lil F (cleaning her tank) and waited for BF to come home so I could tell him all about my adventurous day with my bro.

I really feel awful that my bro worries so much about me. I've fainted on him or with him more times than I can count. Poor guy. BF's been "lucky" in that he has only dealt with it 1x...and I was in a casino with his parents. Not exactly a place where I could quickly lay down on the floor.

Not to worry, people; I'm going to see the doctor as soon as I find a new PCP!

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Out of My Element

Today was a funky day. I was totally beating myself up over ridiculous things.

First, when I was getting ready for work, I tried to "fix" my BE blush. I gingerly picked up the sifter with the loose powder...and then dropped about $15 worth of precious minerals all over the sink, freshly vacuumed bath rug and carpet, my pants, and purse! The only good thing is that it didn't fall on my turtle; I had just let her loose to walk around. I was so annoyed at how clumsy I was!

After, I drove to school in a sleepy daze. When I got to work, I wasn't in the mood to deal with Foot Fetish Boy. After two disturbing dreams about him, I've been completely creeped out by this 14 y/o. So ridiculous of me, I know. Anywho, so I usually leave my door wide open, but today, I left it open about 8 inches to send the message of "I'm busy but if you (as in adults) absolutely need to come in, fine." I had my back towards the door b/c I was (finally) posting up class rules on the bulletin board. The first person who 'snuck' in was the custodian. I was laughing out of relief b/c I thought he was FFB and was glad he wasn't. The second person who 'snuck' in was a teacher that I get all awkward around (she has asked me for advice on her quieter students and when I give her advice, she smugly responds on how she's tried it all. It was nice of her to stop by to invite me to a crafts fair where she will be selling jewelry that she makes!).

Then FFB snuck in. I was completely freaking out b/c not only did he peek in to see if anyone else was in here, but then he walked past my kidney table that bisects my room, squeezed through the 12 inch opening b/t the kidney table and my desk, and entered my tiny 6' x 5' sanctuary. Talk about claustrophobic moment for me; I felt so violated!

"Hello Miss [Speech Lady]. Oh, [grunt, mumble] so, why are you wearing those shoes?"
"Because I'm wearing these pants." (As a grown-up, I still give lame non-responses. One advantage to being an SLP is that people think that I am always speaking sensibly.)
Then I just about lost my composure. Chanel totally took over the conversation: "[FFB], it is inappropriate for you to look, comment, or ask about my shoes. AND when my door is closed like that, that means I'm busy. If you want to say hello, that's fine but you cannot come in just to see what shoes I'm wearing!"
"Okay Miss [Speech Lady]. See you later."
What? That's it?

I was all out of my element for the next half hour. I got a quick 10-minute therapy session from my neuropsych-SLP buddy who said, I absolutely have to set boundaries pronto.

So I called him in a few periods later to finish Tri-testing. Beforehand, I had changed to my New Balances again. When he came in, he asked, "You changed already?" I asked flatly, "Changed from what?" as if I had no clue what he was asking about. "Um, never mind." Then he did his usual manipulative thing of reaching down to his backpack but really trying to sneak a glance at my feet again. "YOUR EYES NEED TO BE UP HERE [FFB]."

After testing, Chanel took over the conversation: "Do you remember what we talked about this morning?"
He looked away and said, "yes..."
"LOOK [FFB], until you stop looking, asking, and commenting about my feet or shoes, you are NOT allowed to come in here to say hello. The ONLY time you are allowed here is when it is your designated therapy time. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
My heart was racing unbelievably fast. I couldn't believe I was saying all that, including the 'check for comprehension.'
"Yes."
Oh, but there's more: "And when you are here, I expect you to be looking up here at me, not down there. I will be watching where your eyes look even in therapy."
"Okay Miss [Speech Lady]. So, I'll see you on Friday then. So, when does this period end? Should I go back to class now?"

I was like, WTH? All of this didn't even phase him! It was so bizarre. I guess I expected more of a response since he completely loses it when other adults confront him.

Anywho, for the rest of the day, I was even more clumsy than usual and still feeling out of my element. When I got home, BF said, "Whatever you do, do NOT touch anything."

I think I should just call it a day...a big day for Chanel. At least I can laugh about all of this tomorrow...and in 10 years!

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Last night, BF had a super, superstar client over and she saw the autism books on our shelf. She asked, "Does somebody you know have autism?"
"Nah, my girl's a speech-language pathologist who works with kids with autism."
"That's a great field to be in. It must be really hard working with those kids though."
"Yeah, it's hard, but she likes it. I like it, too, because she comes home and tells me these hilarious stories about her kids. Like she has this one kid who has a foot fetish..."

Imagine them laughing at my expense. Well, I laugh at myself everyday anyways!

Monday, November 05, 2007

Transitioning

Today, I bum-rushed out of work to meet BSILF! We met up at Sbux to briefly catch up over delicious lattes. BSILF also gave me a pair of gorgeous earrings for my birthday! They are soOOoOOOOOo cool and unique! I knew they'd be a great gift because all jewelry that I have received from friends and family are essentials to my appearance. I don't buy jewelry for myself because I never find anything; however, for some mysterious reason, others find the perfect pieces for me. BSILF gave me a pair of earrings from Dopamine Jewelry that showcases the chemical elements of a substance under a microscope. That substance, caffeine, has been with me through thick and thin. :D Thanks BSILF!

BSILF and I then rushed to our alma mater to guest speak at the NSSLHA meeting. We were both equally thrilled at this opportunity to come back to speak. For me, it was a wonderful experience for many nerdy reasons. I mean, these people actually wanted to hear from me as a recent graduate transitioning into a professional (or lack of transition?). Secondly, I remember how much I appreciated and admired ALL of the guest speakers we invited, when we were officers. Dude, we even had ASHA's president at that time speak! Not that I'm at that caliber, but just to not be a student any more was a statement. ;) Lastly, it was rewarding to go back to share my thoughts and experiences thus far, as a pay-it-forward type of thank you to the professors who have helped me get where I am today.

The people asked some really good questions, ones that I wasn't necessarily prepared for but had self-reflected on for some time. One person asked what we considered a "good" day. For me, a good day is when 1) my kiddos don't ditch (although I didn't say this) and 2) my kiddos are motivated and actually participate. It really does get me excited when my students try. That's really the biggest thing that I ask from them.

Do we have typical days? Definitely not, and that's one thing that I love about this job. My schedule usually changes from day to day; the 'inconsistencies' keep me going though. I love the flexibility and control I have over my schedule, too. Not to mention the 320s REALLY take me on a whirlwind on any given day. There's a high level of satisfaction and excitement because the days vary so much.

One thing's for sure -- I am sooOoOOoOOOoOoo glad to be done with school. Working in a school is such a different story. :)

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Infield Par-Tay at Oak Tree

Today, we went to Oak Tree at Santa Anita Race Track! Since Bro's company was a sponsor for California Cup XVIII at Oak Tree, we got to be his exclusive $80 guests (and scored Illuminated Glass California Cups).

I started the morning pretty anxious. Yesterday afternoon, Gramma asked if I could pick her up (up until that point, I didn't know they were going). When I got home, I told BF that my family would be at the event...but he better still go b/c my bro invited him and each ticket costs $80 (Total Classic Liang Guilt Trip laid on the poor guy). He didn't seem phased, which was a good thing; instead, he said, 'of course I'll still go.'

Then this morning, my Bro dropped another bomb -- FBIL wasn't going any more. So Bro said, give BF a heads up b/c if he doesn't want to go any more, then Lynnburger will need a ride from someone else. I said with a Total Bro Liang Directive, "FBIL isn't going any more, so can you pick Lynn up from her house?" "Oh, okay."

20 minutes later, BF asked, "You couldn't tell me earlier that your family was going too?" "I just found out yesterday afternoon." "Okay." I couldn't believe how well he was taking everything. :)

Shortly after, I met Genius Aunty down the street to pick up Gramma, and we headed to Oak Tree. There, we met up with Daddy, his roomie, Cousin Yees, Bro, Janet, Parker, and Nancinator. I was giddy seeing how big the gala was. Bro said there would be a seafood buffet, but it was more than that! There were jumbo shrimps and grilled veggies (my fave!), sushi, the most delicious corn beef that any of us had ever tasted, other carved meats, ice-cream bars galore, a loooooong glamorous dessert table (Bro and I picked chocolate sea shells off of coral candied art), and many other ethnic foods. Not to mention, open bar! (Although I had about 3 oz. of lite beer and then just drank soda and water.) We felt like celebrities!

We got there during the 2nd race and sat with Tita Dina and her best friend and husband. Tita Dina, her best friend, and BF bet on a couple horses throughout the day. BF won a whopping $2 while Tita Dina won $4! :) BF and I also tried the Pick 6 million dollar win. I found him under a screen, and I asked if he had picked his 6. He looked all bummed and said, "I only have a dollar left." So I grabbed his picks, sprinted to find my bro to borrow a dollar, bro glanced up and said, "Mei, hurry! We only have a minute left!" Ran to the windows (lady said, "you better hurry and give me your picks! There's less than a minute left!") and then I got our Pick 6. Dude, we were out of the win by the first race (our pick for the 1st race out of the 6 didn't come in first). Still, it was fun. :) (Lamely, I later remembered that I had $16 in my cosmetic bag.)

Shortly after, people started leaving. Gramma and Dad were about to take off so I grabbed BF and said, you need to say hello now! So he said hello to Gramma and my Aunt's family. (Yay BF for having the courage!)

After most of our group left, Bro and I left with Tita Dina and Co. On our way back, Bro and I took a detour to Downtown for happy hour. My bro missed out on "Santa Anita's widely acclaimed buffet" b/c he was busy hosting.

We ended up at the Daily Grill (amongst a bunch of USC kids). We ate, chatted, and relaxed. He philosophized about nature and life while I spoke about my crazy kiddos. It was really nice to end the day chillaxing with my bro. We talk almost everyday, yet it's still nice, rare, and different to go out with him for a meal.

Then we went home to our BFs. :) The end.

Cousin Gnat and I...or as the "John Travolta" impersonator called us, "Lucy Liu and her partner."

Monday, October 29, 2007

Knock on Wood

I've been knocking on wood whenever I say that I haven't gotten sick from the kiddos...but my immune system finally relented. I woke up this morning officially sick with a cold. I was probably sick before then, but I was in denial for 4 days, thinking it was just allergies.

Nice thoughts that got me through the day:
  • Good thing I bought Costco-quantity of Emergen-C.
  • 320 sessions went relatively alright.
  • Rite-Aid brand cough drops are 2/$1!
  • I actually have my first "normal" week! No IEPs, trainings, nor meetings during tx time (although I am skipping one right now).
  • I got my dna ball! I hope this is reinforcing for my NV 320...

Saturday, October 27, 2007

It's Raining

I wasn't expecting it to rain today (nor 2 nights ago), but it was a pleasant surprise. I told BF, "it's raining," but rather than saying it in my excited tone, I said it with a flat tone, reminiscing about one of my 320 kiddos.

I found out on Wednesday that when my 320 boy with unquiet hands is sad (or experiencing any negative feeling), he says, "it's raining" with a soft, flat tone. (Teacher says that this kid is scared of rain so when he says that it's raining, it means he is sad.) I'm not sure how true it is since attaching meaning or communicative intent is hit or miss, but to her defense, we had a tough session that day and the little big kiddo kept alternating every few minutes between, "It's raining" (when he was clearly upset and crying out of control) and "It's not raining" (when he calmed down/temporarily stopped crying). So it did seem appropriate.

I also thought about my very first 320 kiddo (in on-campus clinic). One time, he was scared out of his mind. He heard a vacuum in the distance and completely freaked out, grabbing me tightly out of fear. Vacuums were his worst nightmare incarnate. BF often wonders about him, as do I.

Autism is such a mystery that only God understands.

The Older I Get

Gramma is always telling me not to shop (which I really don't) or get suckered into fashion trends since they tend to die down quickly. On the other hand, she advises to save the old stuff b/c in a couple of years (or decades), the trend just might come around again (i.e., she gave me a cute new pair of wedges that she never wore; unfortunately, they were too small for me). Although I don't always listen to Gramma's shopping advice, I do try to pay attention to her sense of fashion. Gramma can definitely dress herself up prim and proper. :)

As long as I can remember, Gramma's been a big brooch fashionista. I remember when we were younger, she'd have us help her pick out brooches (at the mall or from her collection). She has got a couple of nice ones...and a couple of crazy ones ("JESUS" in rhinestones). Over the years, I find myself unable to resist scoping out the huge displays of brooches whenever I shop. The question is whether I'm scoping them out for her...or for myself. Sometimes, I'm not so sure any more!

Last week, I finally relented and bought one for myself! I keep cracking up about it because I can't believe I've "turned into" Gramma. I like that it makes me think of Gramma throughout the day, though. :)

Point of clarification: I wear it to "close" my (new) black wrap across the middle of my chest vs. wearing it on my left upper chest area.

P.S. Daddy came home yesterday from China!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Pick Me (but not for more services ;)

I think I'm more stressed than I am conscious about. Lately, I've been dreaming A LOT about my kiddos and/or workload. Last week, I had a dream that one of my kiddos who transferred away, came back onto my caseload. =P Since that night, I have had a few dreams about my kids every night. It's just hard for me to not think about my kids and what I want to and/or wish I could do to help them. I wish I could do so much more with them.

What I have been doing is leaving my door open all the time (even when I need some quiet time), and I'll snatch my kiddos for quick tx whenever I can. Those poor innocent victims. Mu-hahahaha....Yet they keep coming back! You'd think that after one body-snatching, they won't come back unless they have to, but they still come by during their recesses. It's a bizarre phenomenon. I don't know if it's ethical to provide tx during their recess time, but honestly, I doubt the parents will complain if I take away from recess. In fact, at least half of the parents have requested at IEPs for me to service their kiddos more, but I've been standing firm on not giving additional time (quite frankly, my spiel has gotten really convincing; not to mention, I have my open-door policy). One of my girls has been coming in a lot, and I was so encouraged today to hear her asking me so many, "what does ____ mean?" :)

Today, VTW observed a few good sessions...and a few busted ones. I have to admit that I am horrible at learning new board games. I have to read the instructions at least 2-3 times...and I will still end up proclaiming, "I don't get it." Well, I decided to wing it today with a new game (even though I had read the instructions 2x) and the first attempt was a disaster. After lunch, I told VTW that I was going to chance it again. She said, "Oh no, Cheryl, not again! Wasn't that one session enough?" OMG, was it really that bad? =O Fortunately for me, it went much smoother the 2nd time around. :)

My last group of kiddos was a lot of fun, too. They are all so adorable. We played a round of Go Fish with Wacky Cards, and they had me busting up. "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!" followed by "Is it my turn?" every few seconds. They asked VTW at least 20x (no joke), "What's your name again?" It was driving her bonkers. LOL Well, I guess I shouldn't laugh too loud b/c they still don't know my name!

Random Update

Yesterday, Bro and I helped Genius Aunt and Uncle unpack a little bit in their new home! They moved on Saturday (but left poor Cookie behind for now). It's a lovely home. They have offered Younger Genius Cousin's room for me to take over (haha!). Boy, I love new homes complete with fancy "smart" appliances; I got to load and set their new dishwasher that has all these cool features like an anti-bacteria setting, delayed start setting, and countdown clock! I also got to set up their new smart Brita filter. :) (I can't believe I get a kick out of doing that stuff.)

Other randoms:
  • On my way home, I stopped by Albertson's to pick up some drinks for BF. He totally considers Tropicana Fruit Punch and Hawaiian Punch as "real" fruit punch. Never mind that I always point out how little real juice they consist of. Tonight, I stood in the aisle and compared the nutritional value of both. I was floored when I saw that Hawaiian Punch has 5% real fruit juice...and Tropicana has 3%! How could Hawaiian Punch have more real fruit juice? Craziness!
  • I cannot believe that it is going to be a high of 91 degrees today. My kids and I are going to sizzle in my room! :(

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Busy Bee

This week has been exhausting. Aside from seeing as many of my kiddos as I can in a day, I was out a total of 2 days for trainings and meetings. On Tuesday, I was out all day for a County training (and had a snazzy, yummy candied walnut 3-berry salad at the Nordstrom Cafe) and then I had two IEPs and a District meeting on Wednesday. On Thursday, I attended another District meeting; come to find out, it was training on a program that I had previously received 3.5 hours of training for through the County.

One thing (maybe the only thing) that I don't like about working for the County but acting as if I work for the District is that there is a lot of confusion on policies, and I end up going to trainings...on the same things.

Yesterday was my VTW's first day with me, so she observed me trudge through my pulling-teeth-sessions. I'm not too confident she'll learn kosher therapy techniques from me. I find myself cashing in on "teachable moments" every few minutes while throwing in a potpourri of cognitive therapy, just b/c my poor potatoes need so much language stimulation. Luckily, she was MIA for my disastrous 320 session. It was so bad that two aides and the teacher kept intervening to help me get the student to sit with me. Not to mention, the head honcho 320 teacher specialist was there to observe...so I got lots of constructive criticism (translation: lots of homework for me this weekend). Needless to say, I felt like the worst therapist.

On the other hand, the feelings I've had between yesterday and today are similar to this one time in my grad program when Former Dept Chair cracked down on me hard about how I am capable of doing better and he expects nothing less (not that I was slacking off; I tried my darnedest to get an A in his class and couldn't). So, after a total of 14 hours of sleep (I took a nap this afternoon), I am feeling revived and mentally ready to tackle my workload in preparation for next week.

Despite having a disastrous day with the 320s, I still enjoy working with them. The thing is, it's like they are so forgiving. They have their off-days, just like any of us (only, we can communicate that to others effectively). But when the sun rises the next day (or on Monday), we all start anew and put the past events behind.

P.S. I am having a blast shopping for sensory toys for my other 320 kiddo that I am starting PECS with.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Taboo

I am loving my new career. :) Despite all the chaos and cramming days into minutes, it is rewarding and fun. Not that I've made any life-altering changes with my kiddos, but there have been small things to celebrate.

For my regular S/L caseload, some of the kiddos come in a real funk and/or cop a real attitude. Although I am secretly nervous and praying to God that it doesn't show, the sessions usually turn out all right in the end, thanks to Hasbro! It's amazing how Cheryl's Language-Building Version of Taboo can really break barriers. My kids are having a blast (as am I). E.g., I was totally surprised when two of my stoic kiddos in two separate sessions actually wanted to do one more round! Yesterday, the younger brother of one of the stoic kiddo's stopped by my room and actually asked, "Hey, when are you going to call me in again?" This was coming from a kid who asked to close the door the first time we met, likely b/c he didn't want anyone to know that he was coming into Ms. Liang's Speech Room.

As for the kiddos on the other end, I've made some leaps from a behavioral POV. I've quickly learned that with these kiddos w/ severe autism, I have to go through hazing with almost every one of them. It's not fun, but it's absolutely necessary. I am fortunate to say that after 2 sessions, Baconnator (he perseverates on "bacon" when I do DTT with him) has stopped whacking me upside the head. It was pretty scary when that happened. I had flashbacks of when I was in Downtown LA and a random girl clocked me really hard on the side of my head and then ran off, yelling, "stop following me, b!tch!" As for Happy Hands, hazing was relatively quick, too! His 1:1 was so shocked (yet pleased) that she high-5'd me the other day and hugged me the next day. I only had to chase him the first time. The next 2-3 sessions, he stayed put. Today, his mom snuck in and fortunately, we had what I hope is a "normal" session from hereon.

The sad news is that Mr. Where the Wild Things Are has transferred out. I am still getting updates since my friend is now working with him.

Okay, this blog post is called task-avoidance. I need to get going on updating tx goals and writing an assessment report. I know I'm not supposed to work from home or work OT, but that's impossible until I get some assistance. The good thing is that my assistant should begin in 2 weeks or so!

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Busy Weekend

Yesterday, my bro picked me up. When he saw my big-@$$ nerdy tote cart of stuff, he asked, "Why are you bringing all that home? We have a busy weekend!" Actually, it was a very busy and very fun weekend!

After he picked me up, we went to meet Dentist Aunty for some business stuff. Cousin Gnat and I were just there for the ride, but bro was needed since he moonlights as a real estate agent. That was probably the least fun part of the weekend, since we were there for like 2.5 hours. I ended up sitting in the car and reading a few pages of the PECS manual before I dozed off. Afterwards, bro and I zoomed home to Gramma.

We only reached San Marino when bro spotted a sign that signified that our elementary school was having a special event. After he guessed it was the annual school fair, we couldn't resist checking out the haps so we parked at the Junior High, walked down memory lane (a.k.a. the hallway from Huntington to Valentine) and even passed by the Kindergarten gate where my bro used to wave hello to me while I rode the tricycle. We finally ventured out onto the playground where the fair really was happening! We checked out several booths and reminisced about the good ol' times. Although lots has changed (Wolfgang Pucks was catering! WTH?!), some things still remain the same. The Cake Walk still takes place around the same location (and the cakes still look the same!). We quickly hopped back into Dad's car and straight shot home to Gramma's.

On our way home to Gramma's, I played with my newest techy toy. My dad and bro got me a Garmin Nuvi 650! This thing is AWESOME! More importantly, I so need it. I embarrass myself with how directionally-challenged I've become. With each aging year, my sense of direction decreases exponentially. Thankfully, Elsa came standard with a compass. Even more thankfully, my bro had the greatest sense of finding this for me!

Rewind: So earlier in the week, I spoke with Gramma who said, "Since it's your birthday, I will treat you out to dinner when you come home this weekend." I said, "No gramma, it's (finally) my turn to treat...especially since I got my first paycheck!" She laughed and then said, "Oh! Okay." :)

So when we got to Gramma's Saturday afternoon, we picked her up for dinner. Bro made the excellent suggestion of the Melting Pot, which neither gramma nor I have ever been to. Unfortunately, we found out when we got there that reservations were usually required for the busy weekends, and it seemed like many of the people were dressed nicely. Luckily, the assistant manager finagled a spot for us (basically, if the 5:00 RSVP didn't show up by 5:30, then we could get their table). We got lucky; we were promptly seated at 5:30.

We went all out and ordered the Big Night Out. Our dinner began with the spinach artichoke cheese fondue where we dipped breads, vegetables, and green apples. Shortly after, I had a spinach and portabello mushroom salad which I promptly switched with my bro for his California salad. Next, we had the Coq au Vin Fondue Fusion. Lastly, we had the Flaming Turtle chocolate fondue. Bro and gramma also had white wine and champagne. The entire meal and experience was wonderful!

I was just really happy to finally bring my bro and gramma out to eat. I was also really glad that bro suggested this place. :)

Afterwards, we stopped by Home Depot (the 2nd least fun part of the weekend for me) and then we were home. I was knocked out by 10:30 or 11.

This morning, we rushed out to Santa Anita Oak Tree (Race Track) for the Breeders' Cup Challenge Day. This was my 3rd time at a horse race and even though I don't bid, it's still really exciting to watch and cheer (especially when there's an upset during the last few seconds). Dentist Aunty's family met us there and we watched a few more races. Dentist Aunty picked 2 horses...but sadly, both came in last place and 2nd to the last place for that one race. Haha. :) We parted ways then and Bro and I picked up some Chinese food for dinner (and for our S.O.) before we headed back home.

Now, Lil F and I are waiting for BF to come home. He spontaneously flew out to Vegas yesterday to visit his parents and best friend and to watch the Pacquiao vs. Barrera match (funny, random thing is that he ran into his rapper cousin and other cousin last night at a club).

What a busy but fun weekend!

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

How old am I?

Sometimes I forget how old I am. I turned another year older yesterday, so of course I got a few cracks at my age. There was the expected "Dang you're old!" and a few, "How old are you now -- 21? 22?" The funny thing is that I feel young (again). I go through these phases of feeling old, then young, wash, rinse, spin, and repeat. Maybe it's b/c I still sleep w/ my Hello Kitty. Maybe it's b/c I still like kid's stuff. Maybe it's b/c I work with such fun kiddos that make me feel young.

I took the day off yesterday, which was sooOoOOoo nice (since there are no school holidays in October). BF and I went to the Aquarium of the Pacific and checked out every exhibit. Unfortunately, we didn't know to do the behind-the-scenes tour until we were done (and I was starving). We saw beautiful aquarium life -- fish, sharks, sting rays, anemones, poisonous frogs, etc....and of course a sea turtle! It was an Olive Ridley. It was totally knocked out, but the nice thing is that I got a good glimpse relatively closely. We saw some adorable sea otters, too. :)

Before we left, we stopped by the gift shop, and BF bought me a sea turtle! I opted for the juvenile one (as opposed to the adult one that's like a foot big). I love it! I think I'll call her Mango...after the sea turtle that I want to adopt.

After the Aquarium, we ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp since it was conveniently located next door. I have never had it before and I love shrimp, so it was perfect! :) BF ordered Shrimper's Heaven; contrarily, I had Boat Trash. Both were delicious!

We went home and rested a little bit before I freshened up w/ my new Bare Escentuals kit, generous compliments from BF. The night before, BF brought me shopping, but all I really wanted was to hit that store. It was my first time, but I definitely felt like a kid in a candy store! I got a Getting Started kit and then he threw in an eye cream kit, iQuad shadow kit, and I chose a nice blush that doubles as eye shadow. This is all part of the "I am no longer a poor student, but a paid professional who should look like it" transformation.

After I freshened up, we went out to do the "we are paid professionals who need to have some fun sometimes" thing and met up with Bro, FBIL, and BGF and Enterprise Fish Co. for happy hour. This time, I managed to have about maybe 8-10 oz. of beer. Much better than my weak 4 oz. consumption last week.

Afterwards, BF and I went to my bro's to meet up w/ Lynnie for some kahlua cream cheese pie (my fave MC pie!). At the end of the night, I was so exhausted but all smiles (and a few sappy tears). It was a really nice birthday filled with wonderful wishes and thoughts from all of my loved ones. Thanks everyone!

P.S. Even Lil F got a treat b/c it was my birthday. She got extra turtle pellets for breakfast. :)

Monday, October 01, 2007

Semi-update

I worked through most of the weekend, yet I still found the weekend to be pretty relaxing. I think it's that residual enthusiasm associated with not being in school any more.

On the other hand, I had a split-second thought tonight of -- why did I work and study so hard in the grad program? I'm sure my employer (and possibly others) would have hired me in a heartbeat, regardless of grades (as long as I was above LOW). Heck, even when I go to trainings where it is clear that I am already employed by the same beings, other administrators will still say, "Darn! I was going to say that you should come work for my District/SELPA." =P

I am still struggling to accept my role as a professional (albeit a newbie). It's a weird transition to go from struggling student who seeks guidance and reassurance from every professional within 3 feet (and e-mail) to suddenly being the one that professionals are looking to for clinical judgments and decisions. This entire weekend, I've been perseverating, if you will, on making a clinical executive decision for 2 of my more severe kiddos. Fortunately, I have a great mentor to consult with, who has 14 years on me. Yesterday, she said something that really made me feel empowered. She said something to the effect of, "[Autism Teacher Specialist who has 20+ years of experience] does know a lot about autism, but she does not have a degree in SLP and sometimes, she may unknowingly cross those boundaries. You are the expert whether you feel like it or not...Trust your own judgment."

That's probably one of the hardest factors in this transition -- learning to trust my own clinical judgment, but thankfully, I have many great professionals around me to consult with. Just weird to call them my colleagues when they are leagues ahead...


Despite cramming 48 hour days into 24, I am enjoying my new career. :)

~~~~~~~~~~

Bro and I visited Genius Aunty and Uncle this afternoon. (Hi Younger Genius Cousin!) They are getting ready to move in a few weeks. Both seemed quite happy (albeit exhausted from packing). I also visited their adorable doggie. I was cracking up b/c poor Cookie had some nappy fur! I'm happy to report that she, too, will eventually be moving with them...after her home is newly landscaped!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Happy Birthday, Rose!

Today was an interesting day in many ways that I cannot fully get into. I will share one thing that was pretty funny to me. I tested this kiddo that I think is so adorable (and sadly, so clueless). He waves hello to me every time I walk into Collaboration (b/c he confuses me with someone else). He also asks the same questions over and over again (like every few minutes). I brought him to my room and during testing, he asked me at least 10 times, "is it lunch time yet?" He asked me many other questions. The best, however, was when he looked at me thru his cute little glasses and asked, "Are you Chinese or French?" I totally thought I heard him wrong b/c he mumbles a lot. "Did you ask if I was Chinese or French?" "Yes." I thought that was so funny and random, especially coming from this small potatoe.

Anywho, I saw some more kiddos and then met w/ my supervisor (who unknowingly prompted me to change my MySpace profile to private again. Which I will do right now.)

Afterwards, I rushed home to change. I received quite a pleasant surprise when I got home. BF's been working like no tomorrow recently, so I was shocked to see 3 new bookshelves built and stocked w/ my crap in my bedroom/office! :D Let me repeat that -- not only built, but also loaded w/ my crap! BF is the best!

Shortly after, my bro picked me up for Rose's 80th birthday dinner! Rose is the nicest, sweetest, coolest neighbor friend anyone could have (although our current neighbor is a close 2nd). Rose has a long history with our family; she has been a neighbor to Lawyer cousin, Doctor Cousin, BF, FBIL, my bro, and I. She comes to many of the gatherings and parties that FBIL and bro host and prepares the most delicious dishes. She taught us how to make empanadas. She sends me delicious home-made milanesa. She always thinks of us in many ways. We love her for many reasons (in addition to food-related reasons). So Lynniechang, FBIL, bro, Rose, and I went to Enterprise Fish Co. for dinner. It was so delicious, relaxing, and fun. We ate on the patio and ordered just about every appetizer on the menu (along w/ 2 entrees). I shocked FBIL by ordering a Stella...of course I handed it over after I drank about 4 oz. and got a buzz off of that. Weak! At the end of dinner, my crazy bro said, "Hey! Let's go to Bloomie's now!" And off we all went.


Our main stop was at the eyeglass counter. I've been wanting a new pair of shades for forever and have been lazily looking (I don't like shopping). I've had the same pair since '01 and y'know the trends have changed so much that my pair is like vintage. When I told Lynnie that I've had the same old pair (smaller lens-style), she teased, "What like John Lennon style?" So at the counter, my bro helped me pick a pair and surprised me by paying for it!! I (sort of) can't wait to wake up just to wear them. That's how cheesily excited I am! (On the other hand, I can definitely wait to wait up. I am so tired and wish that the new Starbucks by the freeway entrance was open already for mornings like tomorrow.)

I kept thanking him and at the end of the night, he said, "There's no price on being/looking fabulous!" Ha! Whatta fabulous statement said by my fabulous brother. Speaking of looking fabulous, Rose looks so fabulous. She may be 80 but she is so full of love and life and it shows. Happy birthday, Rose.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

**Runner-up for coolest neighbor knocked on our door around 10 PM tonight and handed BF 2 fresh, home-made strawberry cream puffs! So sweet!
***Rose shares the same name as my favorite stuffed animal that I still sleep with...my raggedy, loved 20-something year old Hello Kitty.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Where the Wild Things Are

I am ever so slowly beginning to see my kiddos. It's been a hoot with most of them. I am working on collaborating with one teacher and almost all of the kiddos have been really welcoming. Many of them are so curious that they keep asking what my name is or stealing glances or smiling at me.

On Friday, I introduced myself to all that were listening, "My name is Ms. Liang." One cutie-patootie said ever so sweetly, "Don't you have a shorter name?"** I almost changed my name on their account, but stopped shortly and said, "Hey, there's no cheating here! My name is only 2 syllables! I'm sure you all can learn it!" The kids erupted in laughter like I said the funniest thing in the world. That was awesome. :)

**Most of the class and 1:1 aids are called Mr./Ms. [first name initial].

Today, I jumped between the collaborative classroom (hereon deemed "Collaboration"), the severe autism class, and my own kiddos. I was exhausted by noon, when I hadn't even done serious tx. :(

I was a little sad to hear that one of my kiddos with severe autism will be transferred in November. This kid is funny (when I am an observer). The first time I interacted with him was last week, when I was poking around the room, looking for files. He tore through the door (without his aid). He looked me dead in the eye and asked, "Where have you been?" I said, "I was in my own room this morning." He continued, "I've been looking all over for you!" "You have? Well, I just got here." "Let's go to where the wild things are!" That's when I realized I got suckered into one of his echolalic monologues! He had perseverated/was reciting from the children's book, Where the Wild Things Are.

Today, when I saw him, he looked me in the eye again and asked, "What's your name?" "My name is Ms. Liang. What's yours?" "My name is [Mr. Where the Wild Things Are]. I've been looking all over for you!" I was like, "Hey, we've had this dialogue before!"

The rest of my day was pretty comical, too (now that I'm at home, reflecting). All of my regular S/L kiddos got lost b/c no one knows where the "new" Speech Room is. I had about 3 adults call to ask if I was missing some kids.

My last group was pretty fun. I was really pleased to see that even though 1 kid didn't know the other 3, who already knew each other, they all got along just fine (just talk about sports and video games and anybody can get along, I suppose). The sad part about that session was how it was dragging forever and a day for me. It was my last session and it was supposed to be just half an hour, but I figured it was pointless to send them back to Homeroom for 10 more minutes. Unfortunately, I embarrassed myself within those 10 minutes. At the beginning, I spoke to them about my expectations. In particular, I expect them to remember my name, and to greet me and their group mates. Of course I completely blanked on one kid's name by the end of the session.

Anywho, I've got 2 I.E.P.s and a tri tmrw and am supposed to go to a workshop in the afternoon. Who knows when I'll have time to actually provide therapy...

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Ownership

I finally got my office key! :D

Now, if only I could get my degree and Credential to post!

Monday, September 17, 2007

One Day at a Time

This new job has kept me really, really busy. I know it'll get better as I get established and accustomed to routines. My goal is to work 7 hour days by the end of this year. (Perhaps I should set short-term objectives?) I.e., By December 31, 2007, I will work 7 hour days, including a paid non-working half hour lunch, with 100% accuracy in 5 out of 5 attempts as measured and observed by myself and BF. (I know that doesn't make sense but honestly, my brain has been on overdrive. I.e., I tried to call BF today to ask him something and I was so surprised to hear my own voicemail message.* Duh, I dialed my own cell!)

*I've gotten a few comments on my new VM message. Normally, I never change my VM greeting but since people have been contacting me on my cell, I changed it to a professional greeting. It's pretty ridiculously over-articulated. I figure that since I'm referring to myself as an SLP, I better say my name clearly to avoid misnomers -- Sharon, Sherry, Michelle, Shaniqua...

This job is also making me confront myself about how disorganized I can be. I am such a paper-piler and pro-shuffler. But it gets really embarrassing when I do that with other people waiting on me. I bought a bunch of file folders and stuff to help me, but my office is still a war zone during the day. The nice thing is that since I'm in The Circle, lots of people stop by (and every time an adult visits, I apologize profusely for the mess). I've even got 2 kiddos that greet me every so often. One is the little faux T.A. that stops by to ask if I need help. The other is a little social butterfly 6th grader. He comes in to shoot the breeze right before his breakfast. It's nice to start my day with little friendly kiddos.

Just about everyday, my CF supervisor tells me, "Remember -- one day at a time." Although I have been taking it one day at a time, my daily to-do list keeps piling up. Today, the psych stopped by and after we discussed logistics, she glanced at my to-do list (check boxes and all) and commented, "Hm, it looks like you don't have very much crossed off." I looked and sure enough, out of 24 items, only 3 boxes were checked off.

One day at a time. :)

Thursday, September 13, 2007

First I. E. P.

Today, I held my first I.E.P. I was a little bit nervous earlier b/c I hadn't really prepared for it and didn't expect my day to be so hectic. My morning began with lots of administrative stuff (i.e., asking in my ever-so-passive-aggressive way that I needed admin access NOW to 3 programs) and meeting one of 2 County SLPs whose specialty is (severe) autism over at the Autism Class. She was wonderful, walking me through an assessment* with one of my kiddos. Afterwards, she showed me other useful things like filling out forms. Tomorrow morning, she's going to show me some therapy activities to do with the kiddos since I have close to no experience with children with severe autism (and wasn't so successful with the kiddos with moderate to severe either).

*I have to find this assessment like ASAP. Unfortunately, our big vendor discontinued selling it. When I did a quick search, I found one site that was selling it for $995! Holy snikeys! That's outrageous! No wonder/no joke BF keeps saying we gotta create our own material, patent & copyright it, and sell like a mofo.

So we spent the whole morning together. After she left, I panicked at the lack of time and quickly prepared for my meeting. Before I knew it, I was running off to another staff meeting. I thought it was going to be just a quick one but it turned out to be a super long one. It was 2 hours long and left me a 10 minute break before my meeting. The good thing out of it is that I met a few more teachers and got adopted into one of the Teams (Go Team Georgetown!).

Fortunately, my first I. E. P. meeting (and as case carrier) went smoothly. Two general ed teachers even stopped by! That was really encouraging, especially since I left a note this morning, not expecting anyone to show up. For the first time, I felt and talked like a professional (I think). It was also extremely helpful that the parents are uber sweet. I got all of my forms signed -- out of compliance, thinking I had covered all of my bases.

I walked the father out, chatting about how "spoiled" we are thinking anything above 80 degrees is "so hot." When I got back to my room, I realized that of all documents, I forgot to have him sign one thing. The dang I. E. P.!!! Of all of the docs, that's the most important one! For crying out loud, it's called an I. E. P. meeting for a reason! Good grief.

I don't think I'll ever forget this total newb mistake!