Life With Joey

• For My Mom

  Number of comments: 1
  Was it last year, or the year before? It must have been last year, Andy was in school. Mom called me, all excited- she was driving down the road, when she saw the Budweiser truck parked at a local farm. And lo and behold, there were the [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 10:16am EST
  by Joeymom

• Wordless Wednesday: Gingerbread House!

  Number of comments: 1
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 3:25pm EST
  by Joeymom

• Happy Holidays Are Here!

  Number of comments: 2
  
  Hello, Santa! Let the fun begin! [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 2:27pm EST
  by Joeymom

• Overheard at our house II

  Number of comments: 0
  "Andy, stop! You're scaring my skeleton!"
  
  "Once upon a time, there was a dinosaur and a ghost. And the ghost sneaked up on the dinosaur. So the dinosaur ate him."
  
  "I'm going to let Daddy sleep for EIGHTy HOUrs!" (We wish)
  
  "I’m made of yucky" [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2009, 10:40pm EST
  by Joeymom

• The Holidays Have Begun

  Number of comments: 2
  We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving at Grandma's. The boys got to eat lots of food, and Grandma had a big chocolate turkey for them. We watched the parade and Santa coming to town. Ah, tradition!
  
  We also had some new books' [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 8:52am EST
  by Joeymom

• Secrets, secrets

  Number of comments: 2
  "Andy is going to go to Grandma's and make something special for Thanksgiving."
  "Really? What?"
  "Apparently it's a secret."
  "It starts with P!"
  "Oooo... umm... parsnips?"
  *giggle* "No!"
  "Peppers?"
  "No!"
  "Potatoes? Parsley?"
  *giggle* "Nooooo! It's pie!"
  "Pie?"
  "Yeth! A P pie! Pie that starts with p!" [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 4:25pm EST
  by Joeymom

• Goldfish Lessons

  Number of comments: 2
  So we have our goldfish, Chris and Quille. And they are still alive, thank you very much.
  
  Unfortunately, goldfish was not what I was planing to have. I was thinking of some smaller, less territorial fish. But goldfish is what we have. And goldfish get big, they [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:52pm EST
  by Joeymom

• Entrance, Exit

  Number of comments: 1
  This time of year, I am often holed up on the weekends working, scoring essays for the GRE. One of the perks of the work is that occasionally boys saunter in for kisses.
  
  Andy pops in. He is bearing a number of small pieces of paper he has [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 10:23pm EST
  by Joeymom

• Wordless Wednesday: Harvest Concert

  Number of comments: 3
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 11:51pm EST
  by Joeymom

• A Day in the life.

  Number of comments: 3
  A little boy comes creep-creeping into my room. Beside me, JoeyAndyDad snores lightly. My feet are covered by a warm kitteh. The boy crawls up onto my bed and flops in the narrow gap between me and JoeyAndyDad, created when I rolled to see who was creeping in- as if [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 4:18pm EST
  by Joeymom

• All quiet on the holiday front

  Number of comments: 2
  As we embark upon the Holiday Season, I am glad to report that we are, for the most part, quiet here. Joey has had normal ups and downs, and is working well with his speech therapist, Ms. Leslie. Still no word about OT, but that's OK for now, because I' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 12:24pm EST
  by Joeymom

• Halloween

  Number of comments: 2
  
  Yes, the Big Night arrived: time for Trick or Treat! A little light rain didn't hold us back. Fleece washes. So Buzz Lightyear and the Purple Chipmunk were out and about to get their share of sugary comestibles.
  
  I will say' [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 7:09am EST
  by Joeymom

• Yes, here is your update: Unexpected!

  Number of comments: 4
  
  
  
  
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 7:19pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Unexpected

  Number of comments: 4
  Around here, we collect the unexpected. Somewhere I have a little list of "Things You Never Thought You Would Ever Say." Such as "Please don't hit me with a llama, I'm trying to eat." But you take these things in stride, because when you became a parent, you took a [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 8:15am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Happy Birthday, JoeyAndyDad!!!

  Number of comments: 4
  
  
  We love you! [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:07pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Good morning

  Number of comments: 2
  It's still pretty dark when the alarm goes off. Andy has finally gone back to sleep. Joey is not in bed, he managed to stay in his own all night. I miss him.
  
  JoeyAndyDad is almost ready to go, but we're on a tight timeline. He cuddles Andy. [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 8:37am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Glimpse of the Future

  Number of comments: 3
  We had our department meeting tonight for one of the college I work for- the kind of meeting where everybody sits around and complains about students not doing any work and trying to figure out how to trick them into having to do some. I got a rather rude awakening [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 10:05pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Just what I needed: something else I want to do in life

  Number of comments: 1
  I'd really love to be able to do this.
  
  But I have to do this first.
  
  It's on my to-do list. Seriously. [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 9:08pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Tattered on the fringe

  Number of comments: 1
  So we had part of my high school 20 -year reunion last night. Very odd. Reunions are kind of like proms- you don't over-analyze, you just go. And funny enough, people are glad to see you- even if they had no clue who you were 20 years' [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 9:20am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Adventures in Living

  Number of comments: 3
  It is never a good day when it starts with your husband calling you to say, "The car is totaled. I'm fine, I was at my desk, it was parked, and the bus hit it." And wow, did they hit it. I'm glad no one was on the bus, and [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 3:16pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Sita Sings the Blues

  Number of comments: 1
  This is the coolest film ever. Seriously.
  
  
  Oh, we had a kinda weird day. My mom's been having trouble with low blood pressure, at least that's what we now think the trouble might be. A bit on the scary side. The boys have been incredibly patient, [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 9:51pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• What Saturday Afternoons Should Look Like

  Number of comments: 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Posted: October 11, 2009, 12:11pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Quick Meetings

  Number of comments: 3
  We had our second Andy Meeting today, but it became quickly apparent that this was not intended as a second eligibility meeting- the invitees were very limited. This was a meeting to say how wonderful Andy is doing in his class.
  
  Good teachers make a huge difference, and [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 9:41pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Introducing: Quille and Chris

  Number of comments: 0
  
  
  
  Our new goldfish. They have survived a whole week.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 5:16pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• The Ebb and Flow of Words

  Number of comments: 2
  I've been particularly drawn to my children and their use of words lately. Perhaps its because Joey has been using barking more than usual, so when he uses words, I take note. Perhaps I've been reading stuff about communication in a variety of settings lately, so I've been attuned to' [...]
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  Posted: October 04, 2009, 11:43pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Overload

  Number of comments: 1
  Ok, smack me upside the head and call me an idiot. This has been the Week That Ate Manhattan.
  
  I currently teach five sections as an adjunct, though the max is 4. Fortunately, the number of students I have did not max out, but it is still a [...]
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  Posted: October 03, 2009, 12:41pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Fair Day (Wordless... Tuesday?)

  Number of comments: 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 11:18am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Three Weeks In

  Number of comments: 6
  When we concluded Andy's eligibility meeting, we already set a date for returning to eligibility. We had a psychiatrist who was so sure he needed an IEP to address his focus, hyperactivity, and sensory issues that she wrote a letter on the spot and lectured me about how I needed' [...]
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  Posted: September 27, 2009, 12:02am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Chikkins

  Number of comments: 0
  Dear Miss Kitty,
  
  We were thinking of you today. Hope your chikkins are all doing great, as well as all the kittehs, the puppeh, and you. Stay dry. Rock on.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 11:07pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• The Way Things Get Said

  Number of comments: 7
  Autism Speaks has a new ad campaign out there. Its a video that starts as portraying autism as the Bogeyman, then tries to show families as the Anti-Bogeyman. What a great fundraising message: give us or money, or the kids get squished. Oh, and your marriage and finances, too.
  [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2009, 8:50am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Wordless Wednesday: Stybirde and Smiley Lolly

  Number of comments: 1
  
  Yep, there's Stybirde the cat (prnounced "Sty-bird") and Smiley Happy Guy, now called Smiley Lolly (pronounced "Smolly Lolly").
  
  ' [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 8:49am EDT
  by Joeymom

• School is going well?

  Number of comments: 5
  Now back in the swing, we're having a mixed bag of getting back into the swing. Joey has been doing a lot of barking, his new anxiety behavior. Andy has apparently been holding together nicely for school; he's gotten Treasure Box every third day, like he's supposed to, so he's [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 4:56pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Small Adventures of Supermom

  Number of comments: 2
  School is here, and Andy has been enjoying himself, earning stamps and even two trips to the Treasure Box. This has resulted in two new Treasures: a frog and Smiley Happy Guy. SHG is a yellow bendy figure with a vague similarity to a Walmart nightmare, only with more character. [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 1:01pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• In the midst of life

  Number of comments: 3
  Yes, I know, no posts lately. I am sorry. I've been working, getting the boys settled, working, spending time with friends (!), hugging boys, trying to figure out the barking thing, trying to explain the barking thing to Joey's teacher, and standing in awe of my two wonderful little boys.' [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 3:29pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Week One: Almost Done

  Number of comments: 3
  We're almost through the first week of school. Andy came home with a prize from the Prize Box. Joey's didn't (he's been barking when anxious [pretending to be Scud from Toy Story] and he barked in the library.) Week one hasn't been too bad. We had some bus issues that' [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 7:03pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Wordless Wednesday: First Day of School

  Number of comments: 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Posted: September 09, 2009, 9:38am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Black Sheep in Snow

  Number of comments: 0
  Just as I often think of Joey as, well, Joey, and not as autistic or disabled, I often lose sight of the way people around me think. It comes as a bit of a shock that I think so differently from so many people around me- or more exactly, that [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2009, 9:09am EDT
  by Joeymom

• Water Water

  Number of comments: 5
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  There is no denying it, we've been having adventures all over, ad I have had little time to write about them. But' [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 12:17pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Life With Andy

  Number of comments: 0
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 11:41pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Wordless Wednesday: Beach Fun

  Number of comments: 3
  
  
  
  
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 12:58pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Proving it before the fact

  Number of comments: 5
  We're back from Eligibility. Special education is a funny thing. You have to provide huge amounts of evidence, and missing a single piece can mean the whole process is derailed, especially if the problem is not academics, but Everything Else.
  
  IDEA is now supposed to cover "functional skills"-' [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 4:16pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• A Tale of Two Classrooms

  Number of comments: 2
  I have a new comment on my initial post about Alex Barton. You can read the post from ablp3391 (using your AIM tag is apparently a new way of being “anonymous”, as you cannot email the person or find out anything about them) for yourself, and take whatever action [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 10:52am EDT
  by Joeymom

• We're back

  Number of comments: 1
  
  
  I'll get some posts up as soon as I can. In the coming attractions:
  
  We go to the Beach.
  
  We have a really rockin' and gorgeous time.
  
  The car dies.
  
  We make it home anyway, because people [...]
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  Posted: August 30, 2009, 6:48pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• To the Beach!

  Number of comments: 4
  Heads up, folks, we are headed to the beach for a whole week! We're very excited, we're looking forward to boys relaxing in the surf (especially Joey- he doesn't get much "time off"), and I may even read a book or something. But I'm not going to guarantee it.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: August 22, 2009, 11:12pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Goodbye to an old comfort zone

  Number of comments: 2
  There are three Walmarts in our area. A fourth is in the works.
  
  Walmart is one of those catch-22 things. when it comes to your area, the whole flavor of the place changes. Suddenly you find yourself in Anywhere, USA, and its as if everything implodes and all [...]
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  Posted: August 21, 2009, 10:23pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Wordless Wednesday: Charlefromage

  Number of comments: 1
  
  
  
  
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 4:58pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• As we suspected

  Number of comments: 1
  The guidance counselor who tested Andy this morning said he totally rocks. Well, actually they said, "There are definitely some skills there..." which we know in guidance-speak means "totally rocks." We knew this wasn't a "can do it" issue, but a "will do it" issue.
  
  Next: the BASC-2' [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 3:54pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Mama Bear on the Prowl

  Number of comments: 6
  I am just not getting the vibes about Andy's eligibility process that I want to be getting. I feel like no one is seeing the behaviors we are concerned about. They keep insisting on testing him the morning, when he is at his brilliant best, instead of in the afternoon [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2009, 6:30pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Round Three

  Number of comments: 3
  
  
  Stay tuned for more members of the Choir Invisible. As soon as we get the nerve up to take care of it. [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 7:30pm EDT
  by Joeymom

• Summer Fun

  Number of comments: 1
  
  With summer well underway, we decided to spend our free Friday at Colonial Beach. Fun!
  
  The boys love it, and when its not a weekend, its beautifully quiet.
  
  
  
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 11:43am EDT
  by Joeymom