I had a meeting with the school via the telephone Thursday.
My middle child was being assessed as she does every year.
She was borderline learning disabled up until yesterday, now it is official, she has a learning disability with Math concept capability and Process thinking.

My assessment?
Okay, so now what?

See, I am the one that notified the school and doctors at the very beginning, before anything showed up in her medical and school records. I knew dyslexia ran rampant on both sides of the family, I kept an eye out for it right at the start.
When Ashli was born I noticed things right away. She could not stand to be on her back. She wanted to sit and she wanted nothing confining to her. A hat was more than she could bear. She never crawled, she scooted around on her bottom, and walked at 9 months(way too early). She used both hands and did not have a dominate. She couldn't follow more than one direction at a time. Plus so much more.
I knew what I was dealing with and although the signs were equally apparent in school they could not assess her because she was still in the developing stages. It was difficult at times because some teachers were frustrated with her because they thought some of it was her being stubborn, but it has finally shown to not be the case.
There is one wonderful thing about Dyslexia that they hadn't figured out yet and I already studied and Understand.

Dyslexia is a gift.

People with dyslexia do not over come, they THRIVE BECAUSE of it.
People with this gift do not fit in the 'learning box' that the school has established for learning.
Dyslexics have great areas of expanded learning that makes them creative inventors in their gifted fields.

(You can learn more on this site.
http://www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html#famous)

Ashli's art is incredible.
So, she is an 8th grader who can't tie her shoes or do a long division problem without the aid of a calculator and if given a watch other than the hours and half hours she can't tell you the time.
Yet the child draws and creates to the astonishment of her peers and teachers. She draws from the inside out and has 3 dimensional thinking well beyond her years. She is chosen continually for art projects and designed the bulletin and play bill for the High School Musical.
The school psychiatrist said her conversations with him were highly interesting and she is in the 97 percentile on creativity and yet the 22 percentile for processing.

He has never seen it before, well, he hadn't met Ashli.

All I ask of my children to do their very best. If they do that, then I don't worry what the grade records.
I ask my child to be reaching THEIR potential, even if it expands beyond or below the standard.
When the conversation was complete, we know that she will be able to proceed to earn her diploma and the school counselor stated, "I will be working with Ashli to help her figure out a career to help her in life". I laughed, already knowing Ashli's goal and not seeing anyone stepping in her way,I said, "Don't worry, she will fill you in." Upon hearing that, her teachers who now have her and the school psychiatrist who know and adore the child, laughed hard.

I hung up smiling because to me, They just woke up to Ashli.

Thanks to everyone who cared.
I made the journey, it seemed incredibly long while making it yesterday but I am here. I am still coughing and weak, but can tell I am on the upside now.
I really truly felt your prayers and love and so appreciated them.
Hopefully tomorrow I can come and play for a while.
Love you all.
~Whisper

Yes, I have become a statistic of the influenza epidemic.
I came down with it Thursday afternoon and have been bed ridden until today.
It has been a miserable journey and I take my drive monday morning.
I am on soft foods and still can't be up too long without coughing hard and feeling weak.
I want so bad to get to Maryland on time so I can be babied a little. Don't get me wrong the girls were absolutely wonderful. They made and I managed to eat some chicken noodle soup and applesauce.
My friends are awesome. They are calling and checking up on me and I am gaining some strength, slowly, but truly. I haven't been this ill in a great long time, I just can't wait to be well.
I just wanted you all to know that I probably won't be back here until after Wednesday since I missed 2 days of work as well and will be driving Monday, Lord willing.
I covet your prayers. Thanks!

It was a great time. My neighbors and I survived.

My mother has insight into things I thought were private!
She said she could tell my life was not only good with my girls but that I was having a great life with Matthew. Then she winked at me, twice! I knew then what she meant, Whit knows, it's that 'drive of all drives'. Mothers are scarey. I am 42 years old and my mom is hinting that I look like I am having great sex?! How does that display itself and why does she feel the need to wink at me! UGH!
I am sure my eyes widened, and my mom just grinned, like the cheshire cat and acted like we had a shared secret.
I am still recovering from that.

I learned that my nephew not only likes me but wants me to meet his 7 year old demand. The household did not get to sleep until midnight Saturday night. My nephew woke at 5thirty am, came to my room and asked for me to play Mario cart with him. After some mumbled conversation, I learned that there was no other substitue for him, it was only me that he wanted to race.
This would be a compliment at any other hour,but 5 am? I finally agreed and sat in jogging pants and sweatshirt racing on the game with stiff fingers, frozen brain and bleary eyes.
Did my little man-Nephew notice?
Did he find it in his heart to be careful with me?
Oh No, instead he jeered and shot my little vehicle and mocked me in sheer elation, but the coffee finally kicked in and I became the challenge!
I best get the "Aunt of the Year" Award!

My brother dozed out while dad read our National Geographics while in charge of the little ones and the girls and I were off doing the Birthday thing with my oldest. The rest of the weekend was a quiz session of the articles from my dad. I did not know that I needed to read for study, I will be better prepared next visit.

We all had a great time. Mom scrubbed the apartment down before she left. It really wasn't bad but she likes to feel like she was a help so she vaccuumed all the rooms, and laundered all the towels that were used. Bless her heart. She even washed the plastic throw away plates and cups that we used for Pizza Saturday night.
So much for convenience.

Anyways, Make sure you check out the interview Rita B conducted on me on Lucy's blog. It was a good time. I like that gal! And despite being a bit nervous, It was fun to be in a spotlight for a bit.
"Sun so bright I have to wear shades!"



http://tryinotocomeundone.blogstream.com/

This week has been frantically busy and interestingly snowy.
We (Hope Unites) sent 4 teams to the Gulf Coast to work on disaster relief, one to Binghamton NY to help with flood relief and one to Buffalo to help with deep snow damage.
(We boasted 18 inches (in one day), and though it created havok to our little hamlet, it paled in comparison to Buffalo's 11 feet of snow. )
I caught some evil bug that played with my system for three days.
It put me to bed for one whole day and created the oddest of dreams.
I caught some day time tv that I have been missing or not missing, that may have contributed to the odd dreams.
Today we had to wrap some loose ends for the teams. The girls had a half day of school so I waited, took them to school, and then picked them up before heading to work.
Oddly enough I had put my make up on ONE eye only and my girlfriend who is the Executive Director and should conduct herself with dignity, laughed so hard she bent over double. To top it off, she would not sober when I explained I was going to be coy and wink all day.
We had purchased a new printer, scanner, fax machine and to our wonderful ignorance it did not come with the standard USB cable.
So now I understand the sale!
I was not amused either when it had claimed that it came with ink, but that was only the colored ink, the black had to be ordered. Nice! This is new to me, to order your plug and cables seperately from the purchase, neat trip Hewitt Packer, you earn the 'slick deal' award.
Anyways, Mom and dad, brother, sister and kids are here for the night to celebrate Sarah's big 19 day tomorrow.
Mom, Sarah, Robyn and I are going out to eat and mall shop. *makes soft gagging noises*
While the guys watch the kids and wait for the pizza delivery.
In which I will return to see the kids running wild, the house littered with Juice packs and the guys dozing in recliners.
*chants*
I will survive this...I will survive this...

Anyhows, I shall be catching up with you all Sunday night.
One good thing, All this family action should drum up a good post.

It's Friday and a week since I have been here. I have certainly not been bored, I have been extremely busy but I hate not getting here occasionally. I have been able to read and comment but have told you nothing as of late. I have been shopping for Birthday presents. My oldest Baby girl is turning 19 this month. She wanted "stuff", not clothes. After figuring out what 'stuff' she wanted I headed to the stores to obtain.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, 'Where's the self-help section?' She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

Work has been keeping me very busy. We have spring break coming up and a couple of colleges are sending students to the golf coast to work. There is a lot of pride in knowing you are sending students to help build and construct and not just become a self indulging binger and decadent to society for a week or two.
The store has needed me, as well as home, and not to mention the time I spend on the phone with my kids to stay in touch, I forever feel pulled in many directions, but this is the life I lead and I like all the participants, so I must keep on doing what is best.

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

My oldest had a situation on her hands that I dealt with as well, she gave me a hypothetical question that threw me for a loop. Trying not to panic or reveal if it truly is a freind I confided that I could help her more if I knew for sure it wasn't her. She reassured me and told me it was a friend at work. I won't reveal the whole situation just in case, because I was held in confidence, but everything is doing fine now.

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

We need to have the bathroom worked on and they can finally make it out here tomorrow morning. It will be around 9 am, that means I don't get my usual Saturday sleep in, instead I will wake early shower and reclean the room. I will get to enjoy the new sink, vanity, and medicine cabinet for 18 to 20 hours before I leave on Sunday. *sighs* Oh well.

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Well Peeps, I have to get changed and hit the road. We have been invited to my brother and sister in laws home. This is always fun, my hubby and brother have very similar humor and Jewel and I can only chime in when they get going. It will be a fun nite tonight.

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.