Anna Glendenning's commentsComments On: EverythingArticles Blogs Journals Photos created by: EveryoneAnna Sleep Disorder: Jeremiah's Story - Blog Entry10 Nov 2006 05:09 PM ...so, I looked up some of the info on RLS and as I thought I really didn't want to know that stuff--so much for thinking tonsils might be the end of my all-nighters! Seems RLS can wake a person up every few mins too... I suppose that is why the Dr wanted to go for the Apnea issues and then consider the RLS issue... Yippy! "I Don't Want to Go to Gifted School!" - Blog Entry10 Nov 2006 09:50 AM Sean and Tori (my older kids) had several different services during their school years. Due to funding issues the program changed now and then depending on the budget the schools were getting. During grade school they had a Pull-Out program where all the TAG kids left the main school and went to the High School two days a week for enrichment activities. This was awesome for my daughter because there was tons of Science ops. At that time their primary teachers were required to fill out a small novel of specific information every quarter--and provide advance ops in the general education offered. About 3 & 4 grade they were provided with a separate school program. Which made things easier because they were not seeing the other kids and then be taken away from the school part-time. Middle School they were in the regular school but separated into one wing with the other TAG kids. I think this was the most positive time of their education as the TAG kids mentored the special needs children by helping them to read, or learn concepts they needed. I found these years to be very positive and really make everything concrete as the best way to completely learn something is to be able to teach it to someone else (Girl Scouts 101) High School my son was really into the Social Scene and wanted to pay SAX in the Band so he decided to attend the Big High School and take Advanced Placement (AP) Classes. He also wanted to be with his guys so he could finish his Eagle Scout. Tori, sort of became a rebel in middle school and became a very dark cynical person and decided to take the Artistic route. She went to a Magnet High School for "Arts and Communication" which was a much smaller high school with some very strange teenagers. However, all the students in the program had to have an academic history of success and keep a 3.0 (B) average in order to attend. So she may have been around some punk-goth-whatever types of kids for those years but, at least they all did their homework! In high school TAG kids were mainstreamed, but each teacher again had to fill out the paperwork about how they provided special ops for the kids. The Gifted programs are actually a part of the same system that requires schools to meet the needs of the special needs children. I guess during the 80's there were demands made and requirements set in place that Special Needs included gifted children and efforts were made to be sure children on both ends had every chance to excel. The paper work is different then the IEP stuff--but, there are mandatory requirements for the school to provide proof they meet the needs... We also found that like most special needs programs it was hard to take the kid's names off the list once they were on it. There were some periods of time they both wished they could just turn in the half-rearened essays their classmates got an A for or just take basic math or have less stress and fewer expectations. But, we never managed to get them PULLED off the TAG list when they needed to just be regular kids...The next quarter there would be a new Education plan and usually, they would submit and get back to work. I didn't give them a choice either about their education until high school. I don't think I even gave them an option to make an opinion. Maybe because I was just a young mom myself at the time and felt so proud they did so well I just wasn't going to pass up the chance for them. Tori was Tested Out of Kindergarten and skipped it completely and I don't even remember asking her how she felt....My Bad! "I Don't Want to Go to Gifted School!" - Blog Entry10 Nov 2006 12:30 AM Things have surly changed in the last 15 years, but both of my oldest children were TAG (Talented and Gifted) and attended "special" schools and programs. Right now my oldest (23) is just about finished with his Masters in Computer Science and earned $15,000 in 11-weeks last summer on an internship program... and claims he can't even go to the job fairs anymore--because last week he had 4-offers with starting pay of over $65,000 a year... My daughter turned 22 last month and is waiting for acceptance into a PHD program back-east someplace... She plans to become a Psychological Research PHD and doesn't have one-red-cent of College debt, because of all the Scholarships she has been given... As a mother it has been delightful to pack their junk and send them off to University--and have them actually--just do it. I can't say for sure if it was the TAG program that inspired them to do as well as they have--but, I can't believe it was very negative! I will say, that during high school they were "Expected" by their teachers to achieve a much higher standard. And I do feel that in some ways, some of their teachers resented the TONS of paper work they had to do every term in order to "Prove" that they offered my TAG children the "special services" they qualified for. It really was a lot of work for their teachers. Both of my older children were TAGged in First grade. They did have some wonderful opportunities--but, they also dealt with some social issues over it. Any time someone is different kids can be very nasty...The fact the difference was Positive to the parents really didn't matter to my kids--the fact they were teased and considered "special needs" was often an issue. Either way--I don't think I am going to have to worry about them moving back home or ending up sitting around doing nothing with their futures... If I had to decide again today--I would still have them be TAGged...either the special services really made a difference--or I did, but it is the same thing because I was the one who agreed to let them be TAGed in the first place... Sleep Disorder: Jeremiah's Story - Blog Entry09 Nov 2006 01:53 PM We are home from the hospital. Everything went well. Jeremiah had a high pulse and blood pressure following surgery--so we had to stay a few extra hours... Surgeon. Said Jeremiah had the biggest tonsils he had ever seen in a kid that doesn't even weigh 40 pounds... They took his adenoids out too because the surgeon said they were also larger than normal....so far the pain medication doesn't seem to be putting him to sleep :( I had hoped we could take a very long nap together. Oh Well!!!!! Don't Duct Tape Your Warts - Blog Entry09 Nov 2006 12:58 AM I have a planters wart on my right middle finger PAD--it has been there for about 20 years and changed my fingerprint... I heard the Duct Tape story and have tried it... It did pull out what I call the "seed" after several about 2 weeks of using the duct tape... But, it returned. I am not sure if this kind of wart is different then an ordinary above the skin type--which I had many on my hands as a child--back then my mother basically covered me with Compound-W and that was horrible! Sleep Disorder: Jeremiah's Story - Blog Entry08 Nov 2006 11:18 PM Thanks for the good words.... I should Try to get some sleep the morning is going to be here very soon... But, mommy must be a little anxious.... One States Effort to Control Insurance Credit Scoring - Blog Entry08 Nov 2006 03:47 PM Well, considering all the results of yesterday's election and votes--I am very Happy to see that OREGON voted this one Down! So, if you are in Oregon Your GOOD Credit History will continue to save you money! Can A Family Have Too Many Kids? - Blog Entry08 Nov 2006 11:38 AM I come from the "Zero-Populations" culture. The attitude that a couple only reproduce themselves by numbers... This way the world is not over populated and our resources last longer.... So I have two children by birth and adopted two more because I like being a parent. My oldest are 23 and 22 and the youngest 4 and 8..... So in a way I have had two sets of two children and contributed to Zero-Population :) Help For Women Who Want Children Later In Life - Blog Entry08 Nov 2006 09:27 AM hummm interesting. But I am wondering how they know women return within 4-5 years because this option was not possible 4 or 5 years ago when we were doing IVF at that time we were told they had not developed a way to Freeze unfertilized eggs....so it seems they have mastered this now! I am still thinking I am happy we went the adoption route! Britney Spears Files For Divorce - Blog Entry08 Nov 2006 12:23 AM I feel very SAD for Britney I am sure she had all the same hope for her marriage that most of us have. The attention and stress someone with her fame has must be horrible. But, as my husband said, he thinks this happens when celebrity women marry less famous people...seems to be true when you look at the past very famous females. I just hope she can be a good mother for her two-little boys. |
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