Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Homeschool Blog Carnival
The Homeschool Blog Carnival is currently being hosted at The Common Room, check out!
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Tools To Talk
My mom majored in deaf education for a short while in college, an education that may have seemed by some to be wasted entirely when she married my father and became a full time wife and mother.
In due time however, an adoption added to our family a beautiful young lady who had been born with cerebral palsy and profound retardation, she would never function at any higher level than a two year old and she could not speak. But she could sign.
So my family learned some basic sign language, nothing elaborate but the basics. And as we learned sign language for her it naturally began to transfer to the babies in the family, it is amazing how quickly they pick up on things. Eat, and milk, more. Please and thank-you and Mommy and Daddy, those are just a few of the signs that are both simple for an infant to learn and yet very valuable.
Infants develop the ability for receptive speech long before the muscles needed for vocalization have developed to the point necessary for speech, and this can often be a cause of frustration.
As Haydon has gotten old enough we have begun to introduce some basic signs to him. ("Dog" is his favorite, how could it not be when his mother's been brain-washing him since before birth to be in love with dogs?)
They ("They" being those anonymous experts that everyone refers to when they don't really know what they're talking about) used to say that if you taught a child to sign it would delay speech. They know they were wrong now, in fact quite the opposite is often true.
I don't know how they came to think that signing delays speech, but it seems to me that the fallacy had its roots in some common misconceptions about what communication is and how it is learned.
Vocalizing your thoughts into words, what we call speech, is the most common form of communication and the most recognizable. But in and of itself, it is not communication. Communication is a discussion, a taking of turns and a sharing of thoughts, sharing one's intentions with another for the purpose of feed-back.
While words are a very effective tool for communication, the mere use of words themselves does not constitute communication.
Consciously or subconsciously, we all instinctively realize this. How many times have you over-heard a conversation among a group of adolescents where there was a multitude of words and absolutely no communication? "He was all like, ya know, I don't know, and I just like, didn't how I felt about it, ya know?"
We all know that is not communication.
To claim that sign language will delay speech is essentially to claim that the entire deaf community does not have true communication, but we call sign language "language" for a reason. Oral communication may not happen, but communication itself does. (Infants born to deaf parents often learn to sign as early as three or four months old, incidentally.)
Teaching apes and monkeys sign language was all the rage several decades ago, and while it is possible to claim that the apes were taught to sign, to claim that they were taught language and communication is a claim of outrageous arrogance.
Simians already knew how to communicate, they already had a language of their own. Watch two monkeys in a zoo for a while and you will soon realize that without words of any kind they are still communicating their intentions to each-other. Apes and monkeys already had all the skills for communication that they needed in their own community. Watch dogs interact for awhile, you will see communication without words.
Communication without words is a world-wide and interspecies phenomenon, with no limits on age or ability.
My sister has a t.shirt that reads "Not Being Able to Speak is Not the Same Thing as Having Nothing to Say", and I suppose that is the crux of the issue.
Infants are born with things to say and as they grow and progress in their experience and understanding of the world at a rapid rate their desire to communicate their needs and interests grows with them. The coordinated abilities for spoken speech are in fact often months behind an infant's ability to understand the concept itself of communication.
They just need tools. Left to themselves babies will often create signs of their own, but these signs are tragically lost when the adults around them have their heads stuck in the sands of their own low expectations of an infant's abilities, when they're stuck in the rut of oral communication alone.
But when care-givers listen, when they pay attention, when (even better) they introduce new tools in the form of new sign words, the door can be opened for a rich wealth of communication between the child and the world.
The advantage of signing is that by the time the vocal cords and the muscles of the tongue and mouth have matured enough to the point of being capable of producing speech, a strong foundation of those things essential to true communication (turn-taking, the communication of intent, etc.) has already been laid down.
In other words, when the tools arrive the child is ready for them.
In due time however, an adoption added to our family a beautiful young lady who had been born with cerebral palsy and profound retardation, she would never function at any higher level than a two year old and she could not speak. But she could sign.
So my family learned some basic sign language, nothing elaborate but the basics. And as we learned sign language for her it naturally began to transfer to the babies in the family, it is amazing how quickly they pick up on things. Eat, and milk, more. Please and thank-you and Mommy and Daddy, those are just a few of the signs that are both simple for an infant to learn and yet very valuable.
Infants develop the ability for receptive speech long before the muscles needed for vocalization have developed to the point necessary for speech, and this can often be a cause of frustration.
As Haydon has gotten old enough we have begun to introduce some basic signs to him. ("Dog" is his favorite, how could it not be when his mother's been brain-washing him since before birth to be in love with dogs?)
They ("They" being those anonymous experts that everyone refers to when they don't really know what they're talking about) used to say that if you taught a child to sign it would delay speech. They know they were wrong now, in fact quite the opposite is often true.
I don't know how they came to think that signing delays speech, but it seems to me that the fallacy had its roots in some common misconceptions about what communication is and how it is learned.
Vocalizing your thoughts into words, what we call speech, is the most common form of communication and the most recognizable. But in and of itself, it is not communication. Communication is a discussion, a taking of turns and a sharing of thoughts, sharing one's intentions with another for the purpose of feed-back.
While words are a very effective tool for communication, the mere use of words themselves does not constitute communication.
Consciously or subconsciously, we all instinctively realize this. How many times have you over-heard a conversation among a group of adolescents where there was a multitude of words and absolutely no communication? "He was all like, ya know, I don't know, and I just like, didn't how I felt about it, ya know?"
We all know that is not communication.
To claim that sign language will delay speech is essentially to claim that the entire deaf community does not have true communication, but we call sign language "language" for a reason. Oral communication may not happen, but communication itself does. (Infants born to deaf parents often learn to sign as early as three or four months old, incidentally.)
Teaching apes and monkeys sign language was all the rage several decades ago, and while it is possible to claim that the apes were taught to sign, to claim that they were taught language and communication is a claim of outrageous arrogance.
Simians already knew how to communicate, they already had a language of their own. Watch two monkeys in a zoo for a while and you will soon realize that without words of any kind they are still communicating their intentions to each-other. Apes and monkeys already had all the skills for communication that they needed in their own community. Watch dogs interact for awhile, you will see communication without words.
Communication without words is a world-wide and interspecies phenomenon, with no limits on age or ability.
My sister has a t.shirt that reads "Not Being Able to Speak is Not the Same Thing as Having Nothing to Say", and I suppose that is the crux of the issue.
Infants are born with things to say and as they grow and progress in their experience and understanding of the world at a rapid rate their desire to communicate their needs and interests grows with them. The coordinated abilities for spoken speech are in fact often months behind an infant's ability to understand the concept itself of communication.
They just need tools. Left to themselves babies will often create signs of their own, but these signs are tragically lost when the adults around them have their heads stuck in the sands of their own low expectations of an infant's abilities, when they're stuck in the rut of oral communication alone.
But when care-givers listen, when they pay attention, when (even better) they introduce new tools in the form of new sign words, the door can be opened for a rich wealth of communication between the child and the world.
The advantage of signing is that by the time the vocal cords and the muscles of the tongue and mouth have matured enough to the point of being capable of producing speech, a strong foundation of those things essential to true communication (turn-taking, the communication of intent, etc.) has already been laid down.
In other words, when the tools arrive the child is ready for them.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Shadow Man
I am a murky shadow of the man I used to be
I do the shadows of the things I used to do
While recalling murky shadows of the things I used to see.
Some witch's spell has wasted all my mind and memory
Now I'm haunted by confusion and a sense of dimming light
Knowing once I was a man, a man still strong and free.
I am troubled by the murmurs of all memory turned to dust
Knowing things I used to know, not knowing what they were
How can I search for answers when its the questions that I've lost?
Now I'm waiting for the ending when the shadows shroud the pain
I am a Shadow Man
Dementia is my Name.
I do the shadows of the things I used to do
While recalling murky shadows of the things I used to see.
Some witch's spell has wasted all my mind and memory
Now I'm haunted by confusion and a sense of dimming light
Knowing once I was a man, a man still strong and free.
I am troubled by the murmurs of all memory turned to dust
Knowing things I used to know, not knowing what they were
How can I search for answers when its the questions that I've lost?
Now I'm waiting for the ending when the shadows shroud the pain
I am a Shadow Man
Dementia is my Name.
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Sequel
It was Saturday night. The air was cool and clean. A girl was out walking her baby and her dog. The baby in a stroller was talking quietly to himself, the dog was on a leash sniffing politely here and there.
The dog found a bush. He became excited, startling the quiet of the night with his barks and lunges. A creature emerged from the bushes and ran down the road with the dog tearing after him, having ripped the leash out of the girl's hand.
The girl, recognizing the imminent danger but lacking the presence of mind to simply turn and flee, ran after the dog who had now cornered the terrible beast and forced him to turn his back end to the girl.
"Zeus, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she cried. But she cried too late. A moment later....
Well, a moment later I called my husband (at work, for crying out loud) to rant and rave, knowing full well he could nothing at the time. "THE DOG JUST RAN AFTER A SKUNK AND I GOT SPRAYED AND ZEUS GOT SPRAYED AND NOW THE DOG HAS RAN OFF BUT I DON'T CARE I COULD KILL HIM AND STOP LAUGHING, THIS ISN'T FUNNY."
Then I called my mother, to rant and rave some more. The dog came back. I yelled at him to stay away, stay far away.
The rest of the walk home is a blur of ranting and raving and stench, but somehow I arrived by my front door. One of the Rescuing Aunts (Rebecca, in this case) was on her way to take Haydon while I bathed Zeus and then myself. Being unwilling to pick up my son in my current state, I rocked him in the stroller until Rebecca arrived.
Out, out I bravely went to give the Zeus Dog what would be the first of his many tomato, vinegar, and baking soda baths.
Riddle me this. I smelled like skunk. You would have thought this would have been a natural mosquito repellent. In fact, I was eaten alive and with each new splash of skunk-drenched water from the dog and each new bite you could hear my nerves snap audibly.
"GOOD GRIEF,' I cried to the moon and stars in general, "SKUNKS AND MOSQUITOES, I HATE NATURE!!" (Hardly a typical thought for me, but we all have our moments.)
The bath hadn't done much for Zeus, but I was done. I ran into the house and threw my clothes in the washer and showered and showered. I had no idea how my hair was going to look the next morning, I just grabbed anything that looked promising and smeared it into my hair. Witch Hazel, Mary Kay satin hands exfoliant, baking soda, etc....
By this time Haydon was at the end of his rope as well, so I took Haydon and fed him while the Rescuing Aunt departed. (And she needed a shower too, by then, having walked through the haze of aroma that followed the dog and I wherever we went.)
Jeremy picked up more vinegar and Baking soda on his way home from work and upon his arrival he took Haydon and I began the preparations for Zeus's second bath. Tomato sauce, vineger, and baking soda all went into a tremendous bowl and being in a tremendous hurry and more than slightly crazy by this point, I promptly whisked it all together. (It sounds oh so very stupid when I write it down like that.)
A moment later, a volcanic torrent of tomato sauce was spewing and frothing all over the countertops and running down to the floor. And that towel? You know that towel about which I said "No Jeremy, please don't use that to smother the fire in my microwave?"
It was the first one to hand to stem the tomato sauce tide.
That was the end for me. I sat down on the floor with my head in my hands and announced my resignation.
Haydon and I went to bed, Jeremy gave Zeus yet another bath that didn't do him any good. We had at first intended to leave him outside for the night, but with a tornado watch and a horrific thunderstorm we couldn't exactly do that in good conscience.
Lacking a proper garage, we tried the vacant upstairs but the storm was driving Zeus crazy and nobody was getting any sleep anyway.
So down he came.
Well, I could go on. But no doubt you've had enough gory details for one reading, so suffice today that by yet another tomato bath and a few days later, we faced the sad facts and clipped the poor dog. He looks most unmanly.
But the real tragedy? Every once in a while, when the wind is just right, you can still catch a whiff of skunk on him.
The dog found a bush. He became excited, startling the quiet of the night with his barks and lunges. A creature emerged from the bushes and ran down the road with the dog tearing after him, having ripped the leash out of the girl's hand.
The girl, recognizing the imminent danger but lacking the presence of mind to simply turn and flee, ran after the dog who had now cornered the terrible beast and forced him to turn his back end to the girl.
"Zeus, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she cried. But she cried too late. A moment later....
Well, a moment later I called my husband (at work, for crying out loud) to rant and rave, knowing full well he could nothing at the time. "THE DOG JUST RAN AFTER A SKUNK AND I GOT SPRAYED AND ZEUS GOT SPRAYED AND NOW THE DOG HAS RAN OFF BUT I DON'T CARE I COULD KILL HIM AND STOP LAUGHING, THIS ISN'T FUNNY."
Then I called my mother, to rant and rave some more. The dog came back. I yelled at him to stay away, stay far away.
The rest of the walk home is a blur of ranting and raving and stench, but somehow I arrived by my front door. One of the Rescuing Aunts (Rebecca, in this case) was on her way to take Haydon while I bathed Zeus and then myself. Being unwilling to pick up my son in my current state, I rocked him in the stroller until Rebecca arrived.
Out, out I bravely went to give the Zeus Dog what would be the first of his many tomato, vinegar, and baking soda baths.
Riddle me this. I smelled like skunk. You would have thought this would have been a natural mosquito repellent. In fact, I was eaten alive and with each new splash of skunk-drenched water from the dog and each new bite you could hear my nerves snap audibly.
"GOOD GRIEF,' I cried to the moon and stars in general, "SKUNKS AND MOSQUITOES, I HATE NATURE!!" (Hardly a typical thought for me, but we all have our moments.)
The bath hadn't done much for Zeus, but I was done. I ran into the house and threw my clothes in the washer and showered and showered. I had no idea how my hair was going to look the next morning, I just grabbed anything that looked promising and smeared it into my hair. Witch Hazel, Mary Kay satin hands exfoliant, baking soda, etc....
By this time Haydon was at the end of his rope as well, so I took Haydon and fed him while the Rescuing Aunt departed. (And she needed a shower too, by then, having walked through the haze of aroma that followed the dog and I wherever we went.)
Jeremy picked up more vinegar and Baking soda on his way home from work and upon his arrival he took Haydon and I began the preparations for Zeus's second bath. Tomato sauce, vineger, and baking soda all went into a tremendous bowl and being in a tremendous hurry and more than slightly crazy by this point, I promptly whisked it all together. (It sounds oh so very stupid when I write it down like that.)
A moment later, a volcanic torrent of tomato sauce was spewing and frothing all over the countertops and running down to the floor. And that towel? You know that towel about which I said "No Jeremy, please don't use that to smother the fire in my microwave?"
It was the first one to hand to stem the tomato sauce tide.
That was the end for me. I sat down on the floor with my head in my hands and announced my resignation.
Haydon and I went to bed, Jeremy gave Zeus yet another bath that didn't do him any good. We had at first intended to leave him outside for the night, but with a tornado watch and a horrific thunderstorm we couldn't exactly do that in good conscience.
Lacking a proper garage, we tried the vacant upstairs but the storm was driving Zeus crazy and nobody was getting any sleep anyway.
So down he came.
Well, I could go on. But no doubt you've had enough gory details for one reading, so suffice today that by yet another tomato bath and a few days later, we faced the sad facts and clipped the poor dog. He looks most unmanly.
But the real tragedy? Every once in a while, when the wind is just right, you can still catch a whiff of skunk on him.
Friday, June 4, 2010
I Can Burn Coffee. Can You?
It so happens that Jeremy has taken to making my coffee in the last few days just to be nice and he makes it iced just the way I like it and it is so yummy, in fact, that I haven't yet worked up the courage to ask just exactly how much sugar goes into the stuff anyway.
But yesterday I thought I'd do the wifely thing and make my husband's coffee for him as he got ready for work. The coffee pot had already cooled a bit so I poured it into a proper mug to heat in the microwave and then Jeremy said "No, don't bother" so I poured it into a travel mug and proceeded to the cream and sugar. But the cream wasn't dissolving so I said "Dear, your powdered cream isn't dissolving" and he said "Ok, go ahead and heat it up."
And I'm an impatient and ditzy sort of person in the mornings so I thought to myself "I'm sure this cup will be ok in the microwave for just a few seconds."
The BOOM that followed shortly thereafter suggested otherwise, as did the warm golden glow that followed the BOOM.
I made a funny noise and opened the microwave and watched as a few flames spluttered gently around the rim and handle of the mug.
It was at this point that my husband came out of the bathroom and began to speak in the quiet, patient tone he uses when I'm being particularly stupid.
"Ok, dear. Now what we can do?"
"Um," I said, "I can throw water on it I guess?"
"Or you can do this," he said as he reached for the hand-towel on the stove right next to the microwave and prepared to smother the flame. Having resolved to be dithery this morning however, and since I was doing so good this far I protested "But Jeremy, not that towel!" I began to rummage through the drawers for my rags. (I knew about the Sock Monster before I married, but I wasn't prepared for the Cleaning Rag Monster.)
"Hurry up, please" my husband continued, calm and patiently as ever. "You're going to burn the house down."
I took his point and just handed him the first towel I came upon, with which Jeremy promptly smothered the flame and set the cup and towel together in the kitchen, holding our 8 mos. old all the while.
Crisis averted, I asked him cheerfully if he still wanted his coffee. He politely declined Smoked Coffee, thank-you very much.
As he was on his way to work I got curious, and not being one to waste coffee I poured it into a different cup and iced it all properly.
It was quite delicious. I called Jeremy to tell him so, the carmelized sugar added some zing and the gentle smoke flavour gave it all just the right Hint of Araby.
My husband laughed and said "Yeah, and I bet the aluminum gives it a bite too."
"Oh."
My enthusiasm somewhat daunted for a moment I said "I hadn't thought about that."
But I finished the coffee cheerfully anyway, because it sure was delicious.
But yesterday I thought I'd do the wifely thing and make my husband's coffee for him as he got ready for work. The coffee pot had already cooled a bit so I poured it into a proper mug to heat in the microwave and then Jeremy said "No, don't bother" so I poured it into a travel mug and proceeded to the cream and sugar. But the cream wasn't dissolving so I said "Dear, your powdered cream isn't dissolving" and he said "Ok, go ahead and heat it up."
And I'm an impatient and ditzy sort of person in the mornings so I thought to myself "I'm sure this cup will be ok in the microwave for just a few seconds."
The BOOM that followed shortly thereafter suggested otherwise, as did the warm golden glow that followed the BOOM.
I made a funny noise and opened the microwave and watched as a few flames spluttered gently around the rim and handle of the mug.
It was at this point that my husband came out of the bathroom and began to speak in the quiet, patient tone he uses when I'm being particularly stupid.
"Ok, dear. Now what we can do?"
"Um," I said, "I can throw water on it I guess?"
"Or you can do this," he said as he reached for the hand-towel on the stove right next to the microwave and prepared to smother the flame. Having resolved to be dithery this morning however, and since I was doing so good this far I protested "But Jeremy, not that towel!" I began to rummage through the drawers for my rags. (I knew about the Sock Monster before I married, but I wasn't prepared for the Cleaning Rag Monster.)
"Hurry up, please" my husband continued, calm and patiently as ever. "You're going to burn the house down."
I took his point and just handed him the first towel I came upon, with which Jeremy promptly smothered the flame and set the cup and towel together in the kitchen, holding our 8 mos. old all the while.
Crisis averted, I asked him cheerfully if he still wanted his coffee. He politely declined Smoked Coffee, thank-you very much.
As he was on his way to work I got curious, and not being one to waste coffee I poured it into a different cup and iced it all properly.
It was quite delicious. I called Jeremy to tell him so, the carmelized sugar added some zing and the gentle smoke flavour gave it all just the right Hint of Araby.
My husband laughed and said "Yeah, and I bet the aluminum gives it a bite too."
"Oh."
My enthusiasm somewhat daunted for a moment I said "I hadn't thought about that."
But I finished the coffee cheerfully anyway, because it sure was delicious.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Welcome to the Hopper Family Files!
The Plot:
A family of three (so far) navigates through the Maze of Life by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their sense of humour. (They'd use their sense of direction as well if they had one.)
The Cast:
Jeremy: 28, the Lord of the Hopper Castle
*Iraqi War Veteran
*Going to St. Joseph College in the fall to major in Business Management
*Works at a local deli where his fabulous people skills make him quite popular
Hobbies Include: Music, singing, playing games, watching movies, taking walks with the dog and spending time with the family.
Kristin: 25, The Queen of Everything
*Proud SAH, breast-feeding, sling-carrying, playing-in-the-rain-with-the-baby, au natural Momma
*Proud homeschool graduate, future homeschooling Mom
*Independent Usborne Book Consultant
*Writer
*Equestrian
*Former Employee of the Jasper County Animal Shelter
Hobbies Include: Reading, writing, horses, dogs, fishes, philosophy, literature, games, nature, komodo dragons, cooking, thinking deep thoughts outside in a thunder storm, listening to music, walking, scrap-booking, and etc.
Hobbies Do Not Include: House-cleaning or Gardening. She'll do it when it becomes unavoidable.
Haydon James, 8 months.
*Also Known As the Pirate
*Signs Dog, Eat, Please, Mom
*Is Obviously the Cutest Baby in the World
*Is Very Much a Morning Baby
Hobbies Include: Taking baths, playing with the dog and cats, visiting the horse, listening to his favorite book read alound, taking naps.
The Zeus Dog, 7ish.
*Labrador Retriever Mix
*Shelter Rescue
*Does Tricks for Food
*Best Dog in the World in Spite of Certain Defects
Hobbies Include: Taking long walks with the family, playing in the creek, chasing the outside cats, jumping through screen windows, tearing apart the kitchen if his family is ever rude enough to leave him behind.
Chester and Boo, Who Knows.
*The Outside Barn Cats
*Both Neutered
*Haydon's Buddies
Hobbies Include: Hunting, napping, and avoiding the Zeus Dog.
Sky, 7ish
*Tennessee Walker Gelding
* English Trail Horse
*Hobbies Include: Chasing his buddy the goat, getting into the tack room, avoiding work when possible.
Unnamed Goat, Unkown Age.
*Alpine in Origin
*Pasture Management
*Sky's Bosom Companion
*Hobbies Include: He's a goat. All kinds of mischief.
And that about wraps up the cast of characters. Stay tuned!
A family of three (so far) navigates through the Maze of Life by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their sense of humour. (They'd use their sense of direction as well if they had one.)
The Cast:
Jeremy: 28, the Lord of the Hopper Castle
*Iraqi War Veteran
*Going to St. Joseph College in the fall to major in Business Management
*Works at a local deli where his fabulous people skills make him quite popular
Hobbies Include: Music, singing, playing games, watching movies, taking walks with the dog and spending time with the family.
Kristin: 25, The Queen of Everything
*Proud SAH, breast-feeding, sling-carrying, playing-in-the-rain-with-the-baby, au natural Momma
*Proud homeschool graduate, future homeschooling Mom
*Independent Usborne Book Consultant
*Writer
*Equestrian
*Former Employee of the Jasper County Animal Shelter
Hobbies Include: Reading, writing, horses, dogs, fishes, philosophy, literature, games, nature, komodo dragons, cooking, thinking deep thoughts outside in a thunder storm, listening to music, walking, scrap-booking, and etc.
Hobbies Do Not Include: House-cleaning or Gardening. She'll do it when it becomes unavoidable.
Haydon James, 8 months.
*Also Known As the Pirate
*Signs Dog, Eat, Please, Mom
*Is Obviously the Cutest Baby in the World
*Is Very Much a Morning Baby
Hobbies Include: Taking baths, playing with the dog and cats, visiting the horse, listening to his favorite book read alound, taking naps.
The Zeus Dog, 7ish.
*Labrador Retriever Mix
*Shelter Rescue
*Does Tricks for Food
*Best Dog in the World in Spite of Certain Defects
Hobbies Include: Taking long walks with the family, playing in the creek, chasing the outside cats, jumping through screen windows, tearing apart the kitchen if his family is ever rude enough to leave him behind.
Chester and Boo, Who Knows.
*The Outside Barn Cats
*Both Neutered
*Haydon's Buddies
Hobbies Include: Hunting, napping, and avoiding the Zeus Dog.
Sky, 7ish
*Tennessee Walker Gelding
* English Trail Horse
*Hobbies Include: Chasing his buddy the goat, getting into the tack room, avoiding work when possible.
Unnamed Goat, Unkown Age.
*Alpine in Origin
*Pasture Management
*Sky's Bosom Companion
*Hobbies Include: He's a goat. All kinds of mischief.
And that about wraps up the cast of characters. Stay tuned!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
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