Mom is back!

My Mom is back in Los Angeles!

A few weeks ago, Mom spoke to my brother and e-mailed us her plane itinerary. My bro said to her, "Mom, it's only a one-way ticket...Does that mean you're moving back??" She said, "Well, actually...I'm not sure. I won't know until I get back to LA."

When I heard the news, I was like, holy snikeys! What a surprise! (If she does indeed move back.) Actually, my mind was racing -- what will it be like? What does it mean? How will things be?

When I was in my 2nd year of college, Mom called me at UCSD and said she was permanently moving to Texas. It was quite a shock. I think my bro and I did get to say good-bye, but under very strange and emotional circumstances. It has been 7-8 years since Mom moved to Texas.

I just called her and was so happy to hear her. She sounded really good. The first thing she asked me was, "Are you happy that I'm back?" I said, "Of course I'm happy." Then it donned on me that she was asking, Are you happy that I'm back for good? Yeah! I asked, "Are you excited to be back?" She laughed and said, "I'm not a kid; I'm old -- I don't get "excited" about things. But I am definitely happy to be back."

I am definitely happy for her, too. She never really said it was a bad thing (i.e., miserable) to be in Texas, but just now, she said, it is better for her to be back for health reasons, which I certainly agree. She said the weather is nicer and she can exercise more by walking around the temple. I think, too, that (God forbid) if her health condition gets more serious, at least there is much more accessible medical intervention and she is just a drive away.

It is nice for her to be back.

I liken it to how my Gramma and my relationship is. Gramma and I don't talk much (and I've come to accept this oddity) but just my mere presence is comforting and securing. Despite my mom and I rarely talking and seeing each other, it is comforting to know that Mom is in the same county (vs. half a nation away).

Beautiful Green Creature

I am usually wiped out and worthless on Tuesday nights by the time I get home after class. Last night, I decompressed by surfing one of my favorite bookmarked pages and came across the above picture in the photo gallery. I was absolutely mesmerized! (And jealous that the photographer got that close to such a beautiful and marvelous creature.)

Big Kid School

This week marks my fourth week in the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) program. I still can't believe I'm back in school. I've already forgotten what it's like to come home, veg out, and not have schoolwork to do or at least think about.

The program is time-consuming (therefore, exhausting), but I am really glad I am pursuing it. We are still learning about theories, concepts, and terminology, but just about everything that I have learned thus far has already been relevant to my work with my autism kiddos.

I have to say that I was a little bit intimidated by my cohort since the majority of them are psychologists, and applied behavior analysis (ABA) has traditionally been their fieldwork. I didn't think my background in speech-language pathology would be sufficient, but with every class, I continue to realize that I really learned a lot from my grad program.

My current classmates are all very sweet and talkative...but just not of the same caliber as my SLP girls. I really miss my grad school classmates. We had a GREAT (and intelligent) bunch.

I can't say I'm at the top of the class, but I definitely am still a huge nerd and trying to be at the top. I need a B in all of my courses, but I keep studying my butt off so I can get good grades on the weekly quizzes (10, 9, and 10 out of 10 so far). There are two main reasons why I'm still a huge nerd.

First and foremost, it's the thought of taking that huge BCBA exam at the end of the program that motivates me to study hard. A sub-reason and fear is that I won't get my ridonkulous amount of clinical hours done in time for the first available exam after I complete my coursework, and all the textbook knowledge will flood out of my brain by the next round of exams. My memory just isn't so great.

Secondly, I feel like I have to represent for SLPs b/c there is a huge "turf battle" going on between psychologists and SLPs over ABA. That's ironic to me b/c 1) are we forgetting that we are in this field for the kids? and 2) aren't we all supposed to be on the same team?

Re: (concocted personal) turf battle, I've caught inconsistent vibes from the prof over the 4 weeks. I am always nervous when I first meet psychologists -- since I'm all about me, I instantly think that psychologists are analyzing me from the second we meet. So last week at the beginning of a supervision meeting, I can't remember what (antecedent stimuli) I said (certainly nothing offensive, or so I think) but the instructor said in his huffy-puffy way, "Oh, you don't want me to analyze your behavior." I nervously laughed it off and wondered, what the deuce does he mean? Then I stopped laughing and said, "Actually, I do. What do you mean?" He either ignored me or didn't hear me (I suspect the former). For the entire 2.5 hour meeting, he didn't look at me even once, despite me sitting across from him. That was weird, considering I feel like he is always looking at me in class (possibly b/c I sit in the way corner to hide my compulsive e-mail and text messaging checking).

Then last night, I finished the quiz in less than 10 minutes, which is rare. In all my years as a student, I have always been one of the last to finish exams. When I came back into the room, he said to everyone (and because I think everything is all about me, I felt like it was directed towards me), "Some of you are rushing through the quizzes and making mistakes. You need so slow down!" I was like, great, did I get less than a 10? (Especially since I was arrogant enough to finish the quiz, walk out, and text BF that I think I got a 10/10. Mind you, I am rarely ever that confident about grades.)

However, later on in lecture, he divided us into trios and my trio presented first on the text that we had just read. That sucked b/c I hate giving presentations regardless of whether I am prepared. It sucked even more b/c it was totally an improvised presentation on something I just read. It also sucked because I got left with the hardest concept to explain to the class (my two partners sounded like they were getting into a verbal cat fight, disagreeing about that concept...so they left it to me), but I went up there, blushed through the whole thing, and then blushed some more when the instructor said, "Wow, that was an excellent presentation."

Today at the meeting, he said to the previous cohort that I am one of the best students in my cohort. I was like, yeah! One for the SLPs! (And he commented again that I gave a good presentation. Two for the SLPs!)

But don't be impressed -- there are only 9 of us in this cohort (the previous one started off with ~50 and dropped down to 15).

Crazies

I know I'm crazy, but I don't think I'm seriously crazy-crazy.

I really think that at every workplace, there is at least one Crazy-crazy. Where I work, That Crazy Lady (TCL) is always introducing crazy hypotheses -- but when she talks, she sounds like she is sharing The Truth or talking about scientifically-proven theories.

Today's crazy antic from TCL is that JB's 1:1 is a meth addict. How in the world did she conclude that based on his absences? I just went along (e.g., eyes got big, incredulous, "really?!" followed by a lame remark of "well, you better watch your wallet.")


I remember when I was in junior high, the thing that ended my long-time best friendship was b/c she always stole my ideas and claimed that they were her own. I feel bad about that now...

Back to TCL -- she is also one of those crazies that takes the knowledge that someone imparted to her and throws it back at a person as if she was the first to learn it and then she shares it with you like you're an idiot. A few weeks ago, I explained to TCL that individuals with autism often see/think without the Gestalt effect (pieces do not form wholes; wholes are wholes, pieces are pieces) and she was absolutely mesmerized by 1) I used a big term and 2) the concept. I.e., JB eats oranges -- including rinds. One day, I de-rinded an orange slice and handed it to him. He looked at it like I had handed him something completely foreign and inedible, and he threw the orange wedge aside, grabbed an orange slice with rind, and popped it in his mouth like he typically does.

Today during his lunch, I started to de-rind his tangerine to see what would happen. He still requested for his tangerine (with a verbal prompt), but TCL said to me matter-of-factly, "Don't take the rind off. He won't eat it. He won't recognize it as an orange b/c they see things in wholes..." I'm like, okay, hello, I was the one that told you that! In my defense, JB actually de-rinded the tangerine and ate the pulp wedges...and then ate the rind separately (overanalyzing: perhaps it's b/c it was a tangerine and not an orange?).

She did that before when she stole her nemesis' knowledge that JB will run and wrap himself in a nasty bed sheet for a sensory break (block out visual stimuli and get a tactile stimulation). The crazy thing is that her nemesis had told me that a few weeks before, but TCL says to me one day, "I figured out why he runs off and wraps himself up! He's overstimulated and needs something to calm him!"

That is crazy talk. Is it bad that I do my best to stay on her good side b/c I don't want to deal with melodramatic craziness? The last thing I want is for her to spread the word that I'm a drug addict, too.

Early Progress Report

Thus far, my acts of clumsiness (defined as knocking things over, bumping into things, and breaking things) have not decreased much. On Thursday morning, I was especially sleepy thus contributing to several acts of clumsiness in a span of 10 minutes.

On my way to work, I had a revelation. It donned on me that there is a strong correlation between how sleepy I am and how clumsy I am. Feeling like I discovered a nugget of truth, I called BF up during a break and said, "I figured out why I am so clumsy!"
"Why?"
"I'm especially clumsy when I'm extremely tired!"
"Oh, is that so? [Half second pause] -- But hunny, you're ALWAYS tired!"

Dang it, he's right. Looks like this New Year's Resolution is bunk.

The mini-victories

I had an awesome day at work. :)

On the contrary, I thought it'd be a blah day. I started it off a little behind schedule so that put me in a mini funk. My alarm went off at 5:30 and -- this rarely happens -- I snoozed without even realizing it until BF came in to check on me. He asked, "What time are you supposed to wake up?" "5:30." "Um, it's past 5:30..." "What?! Did I snooze and not realize it?" "I don't know." But then I laid in bed for another half hour (or 2 snoozes) until I finally forced myself to get up. I got to work around 7:20 and proceeded to finish my triennial report for an unconfirmed IEP meeting (note to BSILF: it took me probably 10 minutes to compose/edit the first 2 pages; I just had to fill in the assessment results this AM). Fortunately, I had first period to work on it; Hump Days have turned into my "day off" with the 320s. I switched my usual morning 320 session with his occupational therapist and right after that, they all leave for their Community Based Instruction -- they get to go out into the community every Wednesday to socially interact. They're so lucky; they go to the mall, library, etc.

During second period, I couldn't find two of my students so I called my usual Tuesday 2nd perioders -- DA and CV. Unsurprisingly, they barged in like a hungry pair of wolves, asking for food. At first I lied and said I didn't have anything. They whined about how hungry they were so I lectured them again, and then said that IF they worked hard, then I would give them a granola bar at the end. They whined some more about how they were starving so I told them to give me a good reason as to why I should give it to them before. "Because it gives us strength." "And it's good for our brain." (Actually, it was more like this: DA yelled, "strength!" and CV paused and said, "Brain?") So I gave them my yummy Nature Valley Yogurt bars. =P They munched away so I snuck in some 'boring' tx.

I was quite proud of my logic behind it, though. Both boys need a lot of help with their language (grammar, vocabulary, reading, and spelling). So I decided that every session, I would introduce two pairs of homophones -- and make sure they knew how to spell the words and use them in a grammatically-correct sentence. Of course they didn't know what a homophone was so I explained and then snuck in a side-mini-lesson of prefixes. Being typical middle-school aged boys, they laughed when I said, "homo." I didn't care -- I flat out gave them the taboo example (homosexual) and explained it further. =P They begged to stay after the bell ring...which meant funny business. Turns out DA was trying to avoid running in P.E. I promptly kicked them out.

Later on, I saw my Blackjack boy (all he ever wants to talk about is cell phones and other electronic gadgets. I can't count how many times he has begged me to ask BF for the Blackjack that he already gave to his parents). Blackjack boy is in speech simply for a severe lateral lisp. But it's not such a simple thing for me to help him remediate. For crying out loud, I've been seeing him 1:1 since September (and finally changed his service time to group at his IEP this past week). I've tried all kinds of prompts and cues and read this and that but I hadn't been effective. But today, I tried a crapshoot move. I told him to do what one of his previous SLPs told him to do (i.e., roll his tongue up) but try to keep it behind his teeth and keep that tongue "skinny". Note: I can't even do this; how horrible is that?! Well, for the love of God, he produced the /s/-phoneme!!!!! I made him do 10 x 3 sets (with breaks in between). The poor guy was so tense doing them.

I often feel sorry for my lateral lispers -- they've been in therapy for at least 5 years and they still sound like they haven't gotten anywhere. One speaks so softly...and my guess is that he is embarrassed. As for Blackjack boy seriously doesn't have any friends. I wouldn't've known that at all, considering how he is one of the best conversationalists on my caseload. I know counseling is not within my scope of practice so I just leave all that alone. But I still can't help but feel for them.

My last bunch were the rowdy bunch of boys. I had promised them that I would alternate seeing them, but I haven't kept up to my promise so I finally did today. I think we had a pretty successful session, despite the slight change in group (replaced 2 boys with a girl and my other lisper).

With a job like this, you gotta do a mental song and dance for the small victories.

I am so going to get fired!

I got a text message this morning from my bro that said, "OMG! Heath Ledger died today."

Since I haven't been religiously reading my celebrity blogs, I couldn't remember who Heath Ledger was. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't recall a face or movie. So of course I Googled him while at work (at a public school, mind you). Being a loyal Wikipedia reader, I clicked on the Wikipedia link that came up in the search.

So the page loads up and suddenly, there is a huge picture of a schlong on my screen! I completely freaked out (can't remember if I screamed), closed the window, erased my viewing history, left a frantic VM on my bro's phone, and then sat there with my heart pounding, waiting for technology or an administrator to call me and terminate me.

My bro called me back and in his classic carefree manner said, "Oh, don't worry. If anyone asks, just blame it on [Grad School Assistant]."

Too bad she is only with me on Mondays and Fridays and not Tuesdays!!

I am still mortified. Thankfully, my door was closed, and I was alone.

P.S. May Heath Ledger rest in peace...

Semantics: effect vs. affect

When I was in grad school (I make it sound like it was so long ago when it really wasn't), one of my profs used to give us heat every time we mixed up "i.e.," with "e.g.," and vice-versa. It was her biggest intent that we get it right before we graduated...and I would like to think that we all did. I, at least, learned the difference from her (amongst more important neurological concepts).

I often think of her when I get annoyed at how many people misuse "effect" when they mean "affect" (verb form, not noun form). I know it's lame to get annoyed at that, but it's like misspelling a word. Well, yeah, in a sense, I guess that really is what it is.

Thank goodness my textbook is using them in the right sense. Despite all the intellectual writing, the authors would lose ALL credibility if they mixed that up...

Back to the readings...just taking a brief moment to procrastinate.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Happy birthday, Daddy! (cha cha cha)

It's hard for me to believe/accept that my dad is 58. I still look at him like a big kid. I really think that's where my bro and I get our silliness and sense of humor from. I can clearly remember when we were younger, my dad playing practical jokes on us and telling the most comical stories of when he was a youth...playing practical jokes on his siblings.

I also remember when he would wake my bro and I up at like 5 or 6 AM to surprise us with a mini-family ski trip to Big Bear. He loved to surprise us...also because he knew that if he told us the night before, we would be too excited to sleep (or that may have been moreso my brother). I remember, too, the early mornings that Dad would drive an hour to drop us off at school. We always made a morning stop to get a donut (or holes) and chocolate milk (at least for me).

What I love about my Dad is that he has always openly shown his love for us. I remember thinking one day about how he defies that Asian stereotype of not showing affection. Ever since I can remember, Dad has always hugged and kissed us, and had us sit on his lap (until we outgrew that). To this day, he tells us he loves us when we end a phone conversation. And when I reciprocate, "I love you," he always says with emphasis, "Thank you." Thank you for your love.

Today, Bro and I wanted to do something extra special by bringing Dad out to dinner. We have been talking about bringing Dad to one of our favorite restaurants, Porterhouse Bistro, for so long now so I finally made reservations a few weeks ago. Now, Dad is not the type to go all out for things...he is always looking out for our well-being; translation -- he wants us to save as much as we can. So when I told him that we are going to Beverly Hills for dinner, he was really hesitant. I told him that we had already made reservations and besides, we've wanted to bring him here for a while, so he acquiesced. (What a fancy word, huh?)

We met at the restaurant around 5:30 with the Birthday Dad and honorary guests, Ama and Aunty Joanne. :) We had a really great time, enjoying the meal and company. Somehow, the 5 of us couldn't finish the meal for 4! At the end of the meal, we sang "happy birthday" to my Dad and he blew out the candle in the cotton candy.

To walk it off, we dragged Dad to the Beverly Center so we could find Ama's very belated Christmas gift. Our first stop was the pet store...which my dad apparently frequents often. Bro was going to find the men's room when he came back and said, "look, under the stairwell -- it's Adam Sandler!" I was all star-struck! I kept sneaking peeks at him, as he sat there all scruffy-looking with a stroller in front of him. At one point, a lady and her little girl stood next to me to look at the adorable labrador retriever puppy and I had a strong hunch that they were Sandlers. Later on, I saw the three of them walking away. I was still star-struck, even after they left my sight.

To end the evening, we were successful in finding Ama a new pair of Gucci shades at Bloomies. Like my dad, she was hesitant in having us spend that much, but my bro, being the natural salesman that he is, gave his usual pitches ("There's no price on looking stylish"; "if you wear it all the time -- wherever you go -- you get the value back"; "Gramma, you wear things for like 10+ years so to buy one pair is totally worth it"; "You look soOOoOOooo stylish in them Gramma") and away we walked with a Small Brown Bag. We could tell Gramma really liked them b/c she kept taking them out to look at them and trying them on. She was funny, though; she said, "With such expensive shades, Gramma better not get kidnapped!" LOL
(**I've always found it interesting that Gramma refers to herself in the 3rd person when she speaks to us. I'm not sure why. Is it a Taiwanese elder thing? I'll have to ask Aunty Joanne, mother of Genius Cousins.)

Soon after, we came home to Gramma's and Dad went home. All in all, it was a great evening.

Happy birthday, Dad! I love you!

Crazy Kids

DA walks into the Speech Room and glances at the materials on the table in front of me. With his typical defiant tone, he says, "I'm not doing that!" and walks out. CV comes in and reports that DA is walking farther and farther away. I pretend to not be phased -- in fact, I don't even get out of my chair. For all I know, DA and CV are probably in cahoots. I calmly tell CV, "Well, I'll call his teacher if he doesn't come back." Next thing I know, DA rushes in. Instead of sitting down, he goes to my dry erase board and starts drawing the following.

As soon as he finished drawing, he asks me,"Hey! You know what that is?"
I'm thinking, how cute, he drew a happy face inside a travel pillow. "No, what is it?" I naively ask.
DA says, "A face wrapped in butt cheeks!"

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

Where in the world do kids come up with this stuff?? The saddest thing is that I actually think that was funny!

A little history about these two kiddos. I secretly really enjoy seeing them because I know I'm always in for a good laugh. It wasn't always this way, though. I used to dread seeing DA because he was soOOoOOoOo difficult to work with in a group. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he has ADHD or ED (but he doesn't; he's in for language impairment). So I started seeing him 1:1, like all the other kiddos of mine that exhibit challenging behaviors in a group. I like to think it's like punishment for them, but on the real, I think they kind of enjoy it because they can be themselves and not have to front like they know more than they do (and feel lesser if they make mistakes). Ironically, ALL of the kiddos that I've "punished" have turned out to be my favorites to work with. It's just so different and usually pleasant to work individually with a student.

Since DA was doing really well 1:1, I introduced CV into the dynamic. Well, turns out these two rascals are homies. These two fewls clown around so much that the first time I saw them together for therapy, I made them promise that as long as they really work when they're with me, then I will keep them together. I had never seen DA soOoOo serious and compliant. So far, it has worked out incredibly well.

My history with DA: he is the only one that openly defies me. He still tries, but we always get past it. It's like a routine every time, but I don't really care b/c it's really just a battle of wills and I always win anyways. =P

About CV: he likes to speak to me in Spanglish, just to test me and see how much I know. Much to both of our surprise, I usually know more than we both expect. He is also the one that I am constantly feeding. Actually, they both come into sessions "starving," and I, being the sucker, feel bad for these growing boys so I end up giving them healthy snacks if I have any (with the usual, "Dude, you HAVE to start eating breakfast! Don't expect to get fed when you come to speech!"). CV is ALWAYS asking if I can go to Taco Bell for him. Totally cracks me up. Last week, he told me how he sold his $25 Toys R' Us gift card for cash...and then he busted open his velcro wallet to entice and bribe me to go to Burger King or Taco Bell for him! CV is also the one that is always messing with me about MySpace; i.e., telling me that he sends messages on MySpace to my BF and that BF tells him about how bad I treat my BF! Crazy kid!

I don't know how we get any work done, but we really do. If I've learned anything about scheduling for group therapy, it's that putting the kiddos with challenging behaviors with a buddy proves to be really effective; somehow the chemistry creates the right amount of healthy competition and motivation.

Vision Update

I went for my 1 week post-op follow-up yesterday, and I am looking well! (Pun intended b/c I am sOOooOO dorky!)

Right eye is seeing at 20/20 and left eye at 20/30. Woohoo! It is still amazing and unbelievable to think that it has only been less than 2 weeks since I went under the knife. It is such a blessing to wake up and be able to see (and to sleep that extra 5 minutes since I no longer go through the contacts routine).

(I can say what I'm going to say next b/c BF doesn't read my blog, but don't tell him that I blogged this!) BF said, "Wow! Now you can really see the handsomeness!" Of course referring to himself. And he is so right. :)

After the appointment, I rushed back home to clean and help BF prepare for our dinner guests. We rarely have people over so anybody coming over is a big event. Our Special Guests Bro and FBIL came over for a yummy dinner of grilled steaks and veggies, "Dexter," and a belated ice-cream cake (tradition that Mommy started). We really had a great time as always. After they left, I thought about how Bro told BSILF that a company he interviewed for was looking for a position in Chicago or NY; BSILF said to me, "OMG, I can't imagine what you would do if your Bro moved away!" And she is so right! I don't know! He is looking into a place out south of Mid-Wilshire, and I'm already panicking about how "far" that is.

I can't imagine how much more needy I would be towards my brother if I didn't have my handsomest BF...!

Bro's 31st Birthday

Yesterday, my bro celebrated his birthday with several close friends. Funny because I recall my brother saying last year that he wanted FBIL to plan a huge event, like a mini-trip with a bunch of people. But as his day drew nearer, what he wanted most was a chill evening with his closest friends.

We started off with Korean BBQ at Cham Sut Gol (a.k.a. The Cave). It was kind of a mini-China-Trip reunion, since most of us haven't seen each other since August. (My, how time flies) BSILF and Hubby came, too, which we were all excited about! :) After several platters of meat (Mommy would be so disappointed in us!), we had delicious birthday cake from JJ's bakery. Afterwards, we promptly left for our karaoke reservation at Rosen.

We got to Rosen around 7:30 and got right down to business. BSILF asked if I was going to sing and I told her honestly, "Only if my bro makes me...which I'm sure he will." Sure enough, he did...but it was fun and nice. The first song we sang together was Mr. Big's "To Be With You." I was thrilled! I haven't heard nor thought of that song in at least a decade! We didn't score 100, but we sure sang our hearts out. ;) We were definitely not leaving until somebody scored 100...and the dynamic dual that won it all was none other than BSILF and FBIL with Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach."
The funny thing is that we were all home pretty much by 10 or 10:30, yet I know I felt like I had a full night out! Man, I just can't hang like I used to. Heck, I haven't been able to hang like when I was 21, since I was 21!

It was really a fun night and most importantly, my brother had a blast.

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Today is the best of the best of the bestest big brothers birthday! Happy birthday, Guh!

He is the type of guy that gets along with anyone. He has sisters that he has only met once, thanks to me. :) Just this past Monday, CJ asked, "how's our brother doing?" Haha. :) People want to be around him (or related to him) because he is an all-around stand up guy.

I love my brother with all my heart. With the priceless wisdom gleamed from the fabulous and not-so-fabulous life experiences, my bro has always been the best brother, counselor, therapist, psychoanalyst, executive assistant, accountant, advocate, cheerleader, Hello Kitty's surgeon, story-teller (before I could even talk), playmate, meal provider (from elementary school when I had to borrow lunch tickets to a working adult with a paycheck), and most of all...best friend to me.

Happy birthday to my dearest Guh. I love you!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Today is BSILF's Husband's birthday!

Mark is truly a noble, honest, compassionate, and all around amazing man. I knew I would like him even before I met him in person...possibly because he was so forgiving with his wife and I having a secret "affair." ;) Even after meeting him, I appreciated him even more. I can still recall his encouraging voicemails telling me that we (BSILF and I) are going to do fine with the Praxis...and then our first day of work.

I really appreciate Mark as a friend (and BBILF). He and BSILF moved to LA in 2005 to fulfill their dreams. I couldn't be more happy for them with their successes and achievements. Mark's amazing talent as an animator has led him to contribute to big gigs including big screen theatre and IMAX movies! I know that there is so much in store for him as he is currently pursuing an advanced degree in animation.

Warmest wishes to you Mark! We are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

(How crazy is it that his birthday is the day before Bro's?)

First Week Back at Work in Review

It almost feels like I didn't have a two-week vacation. =P My week in review:

Last weekend

I rested my eyes...and got bored. I didn't realize how addicted I am to the internet until I was off-laptop-limits for at least 72 hours.

Monday

First day back at work and uncharacteristically, I took my time getting to work and arrived around 7:20 AM. Later on, I found out that a few RSP and SDC teachers started freaking out when they didn't see my door open before 7. That cracked me up. Monday quickly got dramatically heartbreaking when one of my angels broke down crying about her current situation. In short, Mom told baby girl that she doesn't even "like" her. How does a mother tell her own child that she doesn't love...much less like...her own? It nearly broke my and CJ's heart. I'm not much of a counselor, but I wasn't about to just send her off back to class so I tried to comfort her. Hopefully, I did more good than damage. In the process, it made me reflect once more about how fortunate I am to have a big brother who has always been there for me. We have been through a lot in life together which is why I believe we continue to be best of friends.

Tuesday

I attended a triennial for one of my kiddos. A little background: I see this kiddo 1:1...and I really enjoy working with him. He asks great questions, carries on a great conversation, and puts in a good effort (he is in only for artic). What throws me off is when I see him during passing periods; he is always alone. He is one of the few that often pops in to ask when I will call for him again. Fast forward to present: I had the biggest shocker when the psych reported to his mom about his anger management problems. Mom broke down crying and shared how he is so angry at home and lonely at school. He barely speaks to his Mom at home and gets into physical fights with his sisters. I felt guilty knowing that he often talks to me (mostly about typical junior high kid stuff -- cell phones, video game consoles, etc.)...when he doesn't communicate (much/effectively) with his family. Perhaps that's a typical middle school phase that I've forgotten about? He always asks what I did (holiday, weekends, etc.). I'm not quite sure what to think about all that. More than anything, it is an eye-opening reminder that kids often need someone completely detached from them to talk to (even if it's about impersonal topics) and to cry to...or look for when they're hungry.

...I saw two other boys that I like working with. It's always comedy with them. I asked one to open up a blister package for me while I set up for them. It took him forever and when he finished, he asked, "So are we going to play this game or what? How do you win?" I abruptly stopped explaining when I heard him mumble, "Well, maybe if you didn't talk so much we could finally get started." What?! In an ever-so-mature tone, I quipped, "Well, maybe if you didn't take 20 minutes opening up that package, we could be done by now!" Afterwards, the other one tried to bribe me to go to Taco Bell for him! They left after snarfing down one of my bananas.

Tuesday afternoon, I went to the first class of the BCBA program. The idea is very exciting, but the actual content is not yet. During the introductions and campaign talking, the administrators also informed us that this cohort will have more rigorous assignments and expectations from the International Board. It's not exactly the news I want to hear, but I guess I am not surprised considering this is a relatively new, up-and-coming field. I am reading about all this scientific theory and it is some heavy, thick, circular stuff. It took me like 3 days and at least 20 attempts to get through a research article. Fortunately, I found out it's not just me...

When I got home, I received yet another fabulous belated Christmas gift. Wrapped up in "fake" turtle wrapping paper was an iPhone!! Best cell phone EVER! What is the best feature yet? Endless internet, said the internet junkie with the best BF ever!

Wednesday

BF and I have been extra careful about my eye recovery. This is love -- BF washed my hair!

Thursday

I have been so relaxed about going to work that it's not even funny. I rarely ever iron my shirts...so it was especially uncharacteristic of me to iron a shirt in the morning before work! Not sure what possessed me but I really wanted to wear a collared shirt despite not having any meetings.

I took Elsa in for some service after work. Evidently, two weeks ago, my compass disappeared off of my MFD. I have been soOOoOOo lost without it. I swear I am the only person who can still get lost despite using both a compass AND a GPS (my Garmin Nuvia). (Yes, I give female names to objects.) On Tuesday, my wiper fluid light went off and then yesterday, my low tire pressure gauge light went off. What a perfect time to bring Elsa in...! I waited at the dealership and tried to read some more of my text, but only got through like 2 pages in 1.5 hours.

Friday

It has been a long, full week. Going back to work at the start of the new year has been interesting. As mentioned, I've been much more relaxed about work this week. I also feel that I have been a lot more confident this week with my students, especially the 320s.

Perhaps a little too relaxed considering I have hours of reading ahead of me for the weekend...

And that's a wrap!

The Great Escape

After a year, Lil Fawker finally figured out that there may be a way to escape! Our baby's growing up!

That also means it's time to upgrade her tank. Plans are underway as a belated birthday gift to our baby girl. Lil F's Daddy is ordering a stand that's fit for a 75-90 gallons. He wants to keep Lil F in a 75 gallon...but Lil F's Mommy says, the bigger the better!

I figure Lil F's had a growth stunt for the past year b/c she's max'd out in her current tank. As they say, the bigger they come, the more to love!

Countdown to Cosmetic Surgery

Okay, so it's cosmetic surgery in its technical sense. I don't NEED perfect vision, but I WANT it. So bad. I've wanted it for a couple years now and at some point early on in my graduate studies, I vowed that once I finished school and paid off loans, I'd get lasik surgery.

Plans kind of got jumbled but in a good way. Last November, BF said, "Hey, if you want it so bad, why don't you do it already?" Then early in December, he said, "Giving you new eyes will be your Christmas gift." That kind of laid the pressure on me to pay off school loans (but not really), so around mid-December, I sent a huge payment. It was a little anticlimactic (otherwise, I would have blogged about it the day of); it was either I put a big payment on Elsa or school loans and since the interest on my school loans was almost twice as high as Elsa, it was an easy decision...that is, after I consulted my personal financial adviser (a.k.a. Bro) for validation.

So tomorrow is the big day! A walk down memory lane:

• As a Freshman in HS, I realize I need to get my eyes checked. Optometrist reports that my eyes are -.50 (R) and -1.75. Ama and the saleslady pick out a very pink frame to "match" my rosy cheeks. I absolutely HATED them so much that I refused to wear them in the hallways. I sat at the back of class so that nobody saw me with them. Looking back, I can't believe I even wore those huge pink things IN class.
• Junior year in HS, I was fortunate to get contacts. I think then it was -.75 and -2.25.
• In college, I thought I was stylin' with my pair of gold Armani frames. What was I thinking? I don't even like to wear gold jewelry! I think I had enough sense to not wear them in public. The tiny spectacles didn't compliment my round face very well at all.
  
• Post-college/first time with vision insurance, I get a classy pair of frameless glasses. :) I think they're like -1.75 and -4.50. Dude, I really think the doctor lied to me, though. I paid for thin lens and when I got them, I asked with disbelief, "Are these the thin lens?" He said, indeed they are. Then why is it that whenever I wear these glasses out in public, I get people saying, "DAMN! That [left] lens is thick!" Needless to say, I didn't wear these out very often, either.

Come to think of it, I can't believe I've only owned three pairs of glasses in my ~15 years of imperfect vision (and that I still have them). When we came home from our New Year's Eve celebration, I took my contacts out and then pranced (albeit a little tipsy) over to BF and exclaimed, "I just wore contacts for the last time!"

Since then, I've been wearing my not-so-thin-glasses in preparation for my operation tomorrow. I'm quite excited about it...(despite it marking the last weekend before work and school begins!).

Please pray that there are no complications...and that I don't come out with crusty eyes like Homer Simpson!

New Year's Resolutions 2008

So, I'm not posting last year's resolutions...but for the record, I did meet most of them! :) The one I am most happy about is going to church (more) regularly. In other words, I go when I am here in West LA.

Drum roll please....[ba-da-da-da-da-da-da-da....]

For 2008, I resolve to:

1. eat healthier by eating fish at least once a week, at least one serving of fruit daily, and more fresh fruits and veggies.
   

2. walk at least 20 minutes twice a week.

3. cook 2 times or more per week.

4. keep AMEX bill under $500/month (seriously).
   

5. somehow be less clumsy.

6. be more proactive with work, which includes reading more research and treatment techniques and being better prepared for my students (but not going to the extent of creating lesson plans and task analyses!).

7. call family at least once a week.

8. leave work by 4 P.M....and not feel guilty about it!
   

Since I've started working, I truly appreciate "measurable" goals and objectives so I tried my best to keep my resolutions measurable. No. 5 and 6 are a little tricky but do-able.

2007 was a great year, but 2008's going to be even better. I can feel it. :)

Happy New Year!

To friends and family (and random blog readers)~
May your year be filled with much happiness, joy, success, and love!
Best wishes for 2008!

New Year's Eve Celebration

This year, BF and I didn't go out with a "big bang." We almost did go to Giant...but in light of us being sick for forever and a day, feeling too old for massive crowds in cold weather conditions, spending a lot for Christmas (and not wanting to spend more on Giant tickets), and CBnR staying home to watch Godson and Faux Godson, BF and I joined in Bro and FBIL's plans. :)

The day was quite relaxing. BF capitalized on his last opportunity to meet one of his 2007 resolutions of bowling 200. Six games and one ring finger blister later, he relayed with much disappointment that this would be a 2008 resolution. We came home and chilled until FBIL and Bro came over with delicious pizza and mojos! We watched an episode of Dexter (can't wait for the next season!) and then they left. For the next hour, we primped and prepped for our NYE par-tay at Lynnie's. I made a successful batch of brownies** and then they picked us up around 9PM.

**I am clearly not the brownie maker in this relationship, ever since I made a batch -- years ago -- that "tasted like feet." The culprit ingredient? I substituted... olive oil for vegetable oil. I have never been able to live this down! Thankfully, Christy felt for me...she can't live down the time when she made meatloaf...and substituted iceberg lettuce for celery!

We started getting our drink on right when we got in...and we ate some more! There was a nice spread of appetizers in addition to Bro and FBIL making delicious empanadas. Christy joined us around 10 and brought a ridiculous amount of fried chicken. We chilled, talked, and recapped about how our year went. Around 11:50PM, we started Creative Hour...everyone started drawing, coloring, or folding origami! Most of us drew the one thing or scene that we "always" drew when we were little. So of course I drew my random collage: tree, clouds, "m" birds, rabbit, bird, house, and Farmer Bob. Sadly, it really does look exactly like it did when I drew them as a 4 to 7 year-old! (Even more sad was that at that age range, I wanted to be an artist when I grew up!)

Bro had a little origami session going at one end of the table so he taught FBIL how to fold tulips and Christy how to fold a camera. I told them how when we were little, we used to draw "photos" and stick them in our "cameras" and take pictures. What happened after sent everyone over the edge -- Bro and Christy cut out pictures from magazines and took pictures of everyone. It was awesomely cheesy and hilarious. :)

Sometime in between, we counted down with KROQ for the last 10 seconds of 2007. Happy new year wishes, hugs, and kisses went around. Although only some of us had a good 2007, the general consensus was that 2008 will be better. It will be a good year.

We continued on with our Creative Hour (I think the ETOH had a big influence on Creative Hour beginning and continuing on), and I plugged away at a jigsaw puzzle for about 2 hours. I absolutely love doing puzzles and can sit for hours. I got a lot of, "how do you do it?" and really, the only thing I could think of is that I must have autistic tendencies (by proxy). I can find a piece and envision/know that it's the interlocking piece between two others. If I could, I would do puzzles all the time.

Random: BF keeps asking if I miss my kiddos and which are my favorite. I have a couple favorites, but my 320s take the cake. He constantly asks if I have a favorite 320...and I really don't. I love all five of them. Although I am not looking forward to working again, I am looking forward to seeing my kiddos, 320 or "regular special ed."

Shoot, I did tell one of my favorite regular SPED kiddos that one of my new year's resolution would be to be better prepared with therapy techniques and materials -- in his case, it means reading a book on how to remediate a lateral lisp. I better get going...

Happy new year!