April 23, 2011
Journey to the Cross - On the Path of Autism
There are certain times of year when I always get introspective. Easter is one of them because it always seems to be a turning point for us. My 15yo was baptized on her first Easter and last year she was confirmed into our church on that day.
This year Jessie will celebrate Easter wearing jewelry for the first time - a Disciple's Cross, and I will be sitting next to her in church tomorrow wearing a matching one.
As usual, we will be surrounded by mothers and daughters in their Easter finery. I will be wearing mostly black, as per my usual eclectic self and I'll be lucky if Jessie wears khakis instead of jeans and a t-shirt.
So obviously this story is not about Easter dresses and fine jewelry.
It's about a journey, that keeps getting harder each year, no matter how hard Jessie tries.
Jessie has a dream she is determined to achieve and she has to jump through a great many hoops and over some really high hurdles to get there in only three more years - soccer in college on a scholarship.
A challenge for any 15yo, even one who's very athletic.
Totally daunting for a 15yo on the spectrum, who was nonverbal until age 6 and who still struggles with language arts in high school.
Last year I finally gave Jessie a word for why she struggles so hard to communicate with others - Autism.
This year Jessie started asking me why God made her autistic.
I tried giving her a logical explanation - genetics.
Today I found a better answer - it's all part of Jessie's journey.
If Jessie can achieve her goal, so can any child on the spectrum, and nothing will stand in her way as long as she's determined to follow the path God leads her on no matter how winding or how difficult.
Nianya
April 21, 2011
Some Parents Shell Out Big Buck For Prom
These stories make me glad I'm a special needs parent. I can sum up my special needs daughter's Winter Ball with just a few words: Silver Hat - $10, borrowed velvet pantsuit $0, a smile on her face all night. . .PRICELESS! https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/12JWzlUTbvlh8A92fjfP_g?feat=directlink
It doesn't get any better than this!
Prom Night Pressures Mean Some Parents Shell Out Big Bucks
Proms are rite of passage. Some parents are spending lots of money on their children's big event. Scott Handcock/Getty Images
Kimberly Gamcale is the co-owner of Diane and Company, one of the biggest prom dress retailers in the country. She recalled one girl's request.
The average couple will spend $800 for prom night and in $4 billion industry. But the price tag on that eye-catching dress? About $6,000.
Fifteen-year-old Caroline Noce's parents have spared no expense for their prom princess.
Read more at abcnews.go.com
Her dress was $1,700. The grand total for Caroline's prom was more than $3,000.
April 20, 2011
Report: iPhones track users’ every move
There's only one thing to say about that: DUDE GET A DROID!
Report: iPhones track users’ every move
Everyone loves their iPhone, and the super-popular device loves secretly tracking your location.
According to an article on the tech site O’Reilly Radar, the new Apple iOS 4 appears to log customer locations and timestamps to a file called “consolidated.db.”
The file exists on iPhones and the 3G iPad and is secretly copied to the owner’s computer when the two are synchronized.
Potentially, the unencrypted information stored on your phone or computer could be subpoenaed and used by law enforcement agencies.
Read more at blogs.ajc.comOr, as a commenter said on the O’Reilly site, it’s getting more difficult for criminals to have cool phones.