THANKYOU KON....by Sarah N Jepsen

Our old and faithful Percheron went to horse heaven....here is a tribute...

"Thank you to Kon who lived for 78 horse years (26 man years).  For 21 years he provided faithful service to the community.  We're grateful even though he was French and Canadian.

Kon (named after Koncarhope, a famous French stallion) died on June 20th, 2010. 

It sure seems like Tony is saying, "Thanks Kon, you've served us well.  Sleep well."

The IEP Raisin Test...and other good reads...

http://carmellamiller.com/category/the-markie-stories/

Learnig From Peers and Demanding the Best

Posted by Carmella Miller on June 21, 2010

When Mark was two, I took a leave from my teaching job to stay home and co-ordinate his speech, physical and occupational therapies. We had hours and hours to practice and he needed that! The following year, when I returned to work, he went to a “regular” daycare instead of the county special education preschool. I had learned that the most precious commodity to help Mark learn was any crowd of non-disabled peers. They spoke well, behaved well, and dragged him all over the playground to learn social rules. And they matched him punch for punch literally. We helped with ideas, but the kids were the best with common sense and  “learn it or you can’t play with us” attitude. Yes, they changed game rules often to help him stay in a game, but most of the time, they kept the standards’ bar as high for him as each other.  We tried to never overprotect him from those real world lessons. His teachers and other parents often thought we were heartless, but we trusted his peers to do the right things. So he learned and learned and learned.

Consequently, against our school districts initial refusal for a full time educational aide for Mark in kindergarten, we sent him proudly and trusted him to do  “regular” kindergarten class alone. He had been in “regular” pre-schools with most of his peers anyway. The year went well, with kinks along the way.  Mark would not tolerate crowding or loud, chaotic noise, such as when the bell rang for recess. In a crowd, he would straighten his arms out and swing them. Unfortunately, some of his classmates would get clubbed in the head at times. This did not go over well with the other parents!  So, we simply informed the children why Mark did that and asked them for solutions. They suggested that at lining up time, everyone would stay a few steps back from Mark.  For our contribution, we took a field trip to Open House Day at Beale Air Force base for a noise desensitization experience.  We had no idea it would prove embarrassing and slightly cruel! Mark sat on Steve’s shoulders and when the jets screamed overhead, Mark screamed onto Steve’s head for half a day. Everyone stared at us. But we stayed until Mark realized sound could not maim him. It worked. Steve, however disagreed.

However, Alleluia, even after a few more kinks, apparently because of a few kinks in his program, the district agreed to hire the instructional aide full time for the first grade to assist with activities in general and modify the lessons when necessary; which was always.

Mark loved school, and learned most of life’s lessons from his peers in “regular” public school.  A friend of mine with a daughter with Down syndrome had said, “ If our kids go to school with friends who don’t talk, or know social rules, how will they learn to have a conversation or do the right things?” She had a point, so we stayed with “regular education.” But behavior was an issue. A few times throughout the school year, our school psychologist would visit with Mark’s class while he went on an errand with the teacher, and the kids could tell her their “Mark stories.” This was an excellent way for the students to cathart; ask questions about Mark and Down syndrome, etc. Once, they all drew pictures of their positive and negative experiences with Mark. The teacher laminated each page and bound it together for us. Mark loved looking in that book. He got the idea that the other kids had opinions about him, what they liked and didn’t like. He truly cared what they thought and that year he began to improve his own impulse controls. Sort of.

As Mark moved through the school system, an educational aide assisted him and the classroom teacher. Mark was more like his peers than different, but in speech and language, rate of cognitive development, learning styles, and some maturity issues, he was different.  We needed a TEACHER and the wonderful classroom teacher could not “do” Mark alone. So Steve and I went to an IEP war and got Mark a one-to-one aide. This person was not to mother Mark, She was to teach him what he needed to know, and I would be on the interview team. It was a no mercy program for Mark. No pity allowed. And I had learned by second grade to be a “bitch mother.” These mothers know school law and are not afraid of school administrators. We bring cookies and cold sodas to IEPs and we never sign the IEP until we get what we know our kids need. We shamelessly blurt out “I don’t care how much it will cost, find the money!”  Because Mark grabbed that raisin at six months old, I knew his spunk and determination would be worth the energy and every cent the school district put into educating him. Even though I behaved very badly as a bitch mother at times; I even screamed profanities at a principal once and got thrown out of his office, (remember that Stan?) we all learned a lot about how to fully include special needs kids into their programs. And we learned and we learned and we learned.

The IEP Raisin Test

Posted by Carmella Miller on June 16, 2010

A child who will have physical or cognitive special needs is entitled to special education.

Their educational needs are determined by a team, who creates a plan called an IEP or Individualized Education Plan. A team of teachers, parents, psychologists, therapists, and school administrators work together to help formulate this plan. The IEP becomes law, and is reviewed yearly, and changed/amended as needed to suit the child’s needs. These meetings can be quite convivial or have highly contentious power struggles between parents and other personnel who disagree about proposed services. This is usually the parents vs. their school district administrators who may or may not have the funds or capabilities to provide the services necessitated by the special needs student, but by law, they must.

Mark’s first IEP occurred when he was about 6 months old. There were excellent Infant Stimulation teachers and therapists available for Mark, but we had to have an IEP to determine precisely which services, and whom Mark might need. He could still barely sit up. We went to the county school for special needs kids and sat with a nurse, psychologist, and school administrator. There, the nurse examined him for reflexes and degree of poor muscle tone, etc., the administrator cooed things like, “Mark is so lucky to have you for parents,” and “God chose you to take care of this special baby…”I wanted to scream and run out of there!

Quite suddenly, the psychologist announced it was time for the” raisin test.” The mood downloaded to somber. A great intensity crept over everyone as the psychologist extracted one tiny raisin from a small box and placed it in on the table in front of Mark. He was in Steve’s lap and I was across the table facing them both. The object was to test for curiosity (intelligence) and fine motor skills.

I knew Mark had never even seen a raisin. I was frantic. I wouldn’t feel this way again until seventeen years later when ouroldest son went to take his SATs for college! But Markie zeroed in on the raisin visually for quite some time while his baby arms stuck straight out and took swipes at the raisin, getting no where close enough to pick it up. It seemed that everyone was holding his or her breath. I was a lousy mother for not teaching my child to pick up a raisin. The suspense and overpowering, quiet was agonizing. No one was oversmiling anymore.

This had become a serious undertaking that would somehow give us an idea about what kind of character Mark possessed at six months old. But determined he was! He made some weird baby noise and slammed his right fist on top of that damn raisin! More seconds crawled past, and then his little fist shot up with the raisin in a perfect pincer grasp. I knew at that moment, that nothing would keep us from progressing. What ever the point of the test was, the result was profound. I would forever encourage and let Mark take his raisin tests, fight his raisin battles, and trust he would find his way.

Bonanza and The Hot Dog Man

 A BLOG BY CARMELLA MILLER ON RAISING A SON WITH DOWN SYNDROME. THIS ONE IS HILARIOUS. READ ON!!

http://carmellamiller.com/2010/06/07/shopping-down-syndrome/

Bonanza and The Hot Dog Man

Posted by Carmella Miller on June 7, 2010

Shopping for groceries with Mark took courage, endurance, and patience a mile thick. Large grocery stores were getting to be just out of the question. He always disappeared. However, he was predictable. It just took time. He could be found behind the meat counter, the restroom, or helping to bag groceries. But once, I found him riding in someone else’s cart!   After convincing him to come with me, as if I was the stranger, I decided I could not shop like that anymore. The following week we went to the smaller, local Bonanza market. Of course it was more expensive than Albertsons, but my nerves could handle a market with two aisles and nowhere else for Mark to go. No matter how many times he turned a corner in Bonanza, he always bumped into me.

A sweet Chinese couple ran the Bonanza market. Gene was the Bonanza meat butcher as well. He was most helpful in assisting me with Mark. His solution was brilliant. Every time I went in to Bonanza market, Gene would give me the “knowing smile” and ask,” He like hot dog?  He want?” He would be dangling a weenie the size of Mark’s arm and enough to keep him busy for the duration of the time I needed to shop.

We shopped at Bonanza until Mark was much more grown up and would stop in occasionally for emergency items. Even until Mark was in high school, just seeing Mark, Gene would happily charge over to offer Mark a hot dog. I assured Gene we didn’t need the hot dog anymore, but he would be crest fallen. “He want?” he implored of Mark.”  “I want!” assured Mark. And there would be this short high school kid walking around the store eating a hot dog. “He happy,” Gene would say, “He happy now.”

Gene and his family spoke Chinese and/or very broken Chinese/English. Mark was always mesmerized when Gene spoke to us.  Mark had and ear for English, which he nonetheless articulated poorly. He had had speech therapy his entire life. Poor kid could barely make half the sounds in the alphabet, and his rate of speech was so fast it wouldn’t have mattered. Another time, when he was in middle school, we had begun to tease him when we could not understand him; we would say. “Slow down and speak English please.”

Mark loved engaging other people. Once, in Bonanza, Gene had friends visiting. They were speaking rapid Chinese when we got there, and Mark must have felt something twitch inside and he loudly blurted out, “Slow down and speak English please!” They gave me horrified looks. I froze with embarrassment, and did what I always did when Mark did his things like he did. I swallowed my pride and gently tried to explain he had Down syndrome. They looked blank, so I did the really bad thing. I’d point to the side of my head and say he was retarded and didn’t know any better. ”Ahh so!” they mewled with more “knowing smiles.”

When Mark was a baby I swore on his baby blankets I would never sell him out like that, but it felt better to do it then, than to admit I was a crappy racist parent who let my kid insult people of different nationalities. Soon, everyone was smiling and bowing. After hearing Mark’s apology, I think they finally realized what was so funny! His English sounded like it came from Jupiter.

DOCTORS ORDERS: 5 HOURS OF PEACEFUL BLISS OUT ON THE LAKE...FISHIN"

Back from a lovely peaceful day on the lake with big Pat and Robin. Rob actually caught the biggest
 rainbow trout I have ever seen, over 14inches...and he wasn't even trying, he was so excited between
him and his dad they almost lost it...I was taking pictures! There was no shutting Rob up after 
that...ha!
Dad caught the next one and we lost a nice one, again, guys getting too excited about it...and making
the wrong moves...
trout breakfast tomorrow...I WANNA LIVE IN  A LITTLE CABIN BY THE LAKE...so lovely, cool 
but no mosquitos and idyllic...TOTAL BLISS!...
We were out a total of 5 hours...can you believe it!
Here is a link  to more pics...


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52566&id=1585591801&l=db239f4a22

ROBIN IS ENJOYING HIS SUMMER CHORES!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE MORE PICTURES!...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51466&id=1585591801&l=e40705f52d

HUMMING BIRDS IN HER BACKYARD...

 From my friend Eileen Brado...TO ALL YOU HUMMINGBIRD LOVERS!!

THANKS EILEEN...

This is something I have  never even heard of or seen before.   This woman lives in a Hummingbird fly zone.  As they migrated, about 20 of them were in her yard.  She took the little red dish, filled it with sugar water and this is the result.

The woman is Abagail  Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she had been studying them daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder (with water in it) into her hand.  Since they had gotten used to her standing by the feeder they came over to her hand.

She says in touching they are as light as a feather.  Abagail also said, 'if she had known her husband was taking pictures she  would have put on makeup.' 

These pictures are amazing.   I hope you'll send these pictures to your Friends and  family 

 

WET AND SOGGY SUNDAY...

Good morning all!  We’ve had nothing but rain since the last time I wrote.  Well, we had two afternoons with enough sun that we could do some mowing.  The other night at 11 pm, it hailed and rained so hard that I thought our roof would cave in.  And, last night was a gentler bur unrelentless rain.  The weather bug is putting out flood warnings for the 99737 area. 

Tony and his boys have planted all the fields.  Now they’ve successfully fertilized all the fields and now all our grassy areas.  I guess we’re going to plant the runway with oats.  Tony had us go out there the other night to pick out the big rocks out of the field.  We worked until 8 pm.  It actually was a good family time; plus we had Kimberli’s three kids out there to regale us with antics. 

Tommy, Andy, Kevin, Jonnie, and Kerri went to the fish wheel this weekend, thanks to Gerimo from Sapa farm.  Kevin called on Friday afternoon and they’d gotten 95 salmon and were going out to see what they had netted for that day.  They will be home later today or tonight.  I guess that means we’ll be cleaning and packing fish in the rain (we like to do it outside to save any buildings from all that fish mess!).

Paul Baltrum is up from Immokalee to visit his children in Fairbanks.  Liz B. Woerhing brought Paul (and Michael, Charity’s 4 yr old) out to visit us on Thursday.  Because Paul hadn’t been here in six years, he didn’t recognize most of the children.  It was a lot of fun.  Michael was trying to convince me that he’d lived here before (I think because he has heard so many stories from his family about here).

Bill Hill is in Delta visiting so he came out on Friday to visit the farm.  He came down to have tea with me and show me his photos from South Africa.  He has spent several 2 – 3 month stints in South Africa.  Bill Hill has been living in Juneau with Rena and Lenny Sims.  He visits George and Freddi Young inSitka a couple of times per year.

JoAn Maurat has gone to visit her children in various places for several weeks.  Early in this week, Andy and Sarah Jane will leave to visit relatives in the states for a couple of weeks.

Ann should be coming home today.  I think Merlin’s parents fly in for a visit around the same time that Ann comes home.

Bradie Cox got very sick with some sort of bug.  Jo had to take her to the doctor for antibiotics.  Bradie is finally beginning to feel better.  Very strange!  I sure hope that Jo’s bees are doing well with all this rain!

Bro John Jeffreys will be here this morning to preach.  He will overnight with us before driving to Haines tomorrow morning. 

Pat called from a lull in the fires. He was happy to be with Beth and Uncle Tim for a bit. They both sounded happy and well. Beth's leg is still in a cast but slowly getting better. We are praying for complete healing to take place.

Rob is doing well with his summer chores. This is something his therapists have been suggesting for a while now. It's called LIFE SKILLS. Hopefully helping him to become more independent the more he knows how to do things on his own.

He has a house keeping day with me where we clean and tidy up the public buildings, and fold laundry. A DD or domestic duty day with Chris Toby where he hangs around the community kitchen and makes himself useful as a gopher, mopper, sweeper. Hopefully he will get the hang of these things. Chris is a patient teacher. 

He also has a chicken day where he helps feed, water and collect eggs.  

Then 3 days of morning summer school with me. I am trying to get him ready for a grade 3 curriculum in some areas like Science and Soc. Studies. Looks like I will be teaching him all morning next year and most of the afternoon. I am using the Bob Jones curriculum and will be taking it slower. Its early days yet...but that is the plan. Found a great Science kit that goes with the gr. 3 BJ curriculum, everything comes in a box ready to use, so one does not have to go hunting for this or that...whoever put this together was thinking practicality! I cld hv done it myself, but glad that somebody else thot of it first!

Well, no more for now. Enjoy the rest of your week end.

Signing out

Gri

SOME SUMMER NOOS FROM THE LAND, DRY CREEK ALASKA

Well, it’s been a busy week.  

As is the tradition here at the farm, after school grad is over, the next week end we do cleanup. All the trash and treasures that hv accumulated during the winter and have been (thankfully) buried under  the snow, come to light! and so...

one....

must...

DO CLEANUP!

So that's what we did... 

Clean up day went really well.  I don’t know all that was done; I helped clean up around the tab around.  I know the old water ram by the spring and bridge was taken down.  A couple of the crews went out to the gravesites and cleaned up those areas a little.  They still need some help, but at least they got that going. 

It was burning hot  till we decided to plant the garden.  A wind blew up bringing a lot of flying dirt, but, later it brought a soft drizzly rain which we needed for the garden.  We’ve had cloudy weather ever since with a small amount of rain.

Bro Rus and Wendy and Kathy Casey passed out six pack after six pack of flowers one afternoon.  I planted a few of my flowers today and hope to finish some another day...girls want more flowerbed  problem is, they’ll forget about them after today.  Guess who will get to water them?

  

Garth and Kim went to Sapa for the weekend. 

Sam Geyer’s mother in law is out visiting Geyers for the weekend. Rob is enjoying their little boy who has a head of bright read hair, reminds me of myself when I was that age!. Pity none of my kids have the red hair gene...oh well, mebbe it'll turn up in my grandkids.

Ann VanderHart went to Ohio for 10 days to attend her nieces graduation.  She left Merlin and Cathy Purdy and her dad caring for her three boys.  They do seem to be faring okay! 

There are some pictures of the school picnic and of the clean up day at these links, if you are interested.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=169822&id=674561568&l=4116af8aa8

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=170332&id=674561568&l=7c31cb3606

 So far this week it has been raining quite a bit. We put in the garden but it was nasty and gray. I guess the rain has dampened down the fires somewhat. 

PatLou and Beth called. Pat  on his way back from the large Toklat fire outside of Nenana. Both sounded upbeat and happy. Said he was gonna have a few days off and see Beth and then go out again. Probly out of state too. Praying for safety as always.

Have set up the pool outside and Rob has been enjoying it with Annie. She now sleeps in the tent she sets up in the backyard, which has become a tradition with her every summer. I cannot sleep with that much light!

Summer school has started for Rob and am hoping to get him through his Science, Social Studies, Math, Reading and Typing. Hoping for a Grade 3 curriculum next year using Bob Jones which he seems to do well with.

My sister Karenza Hanson who has lived in Gibraltar and Spain for the last few decades is finally making her move back to the US. More opportunities and financial openings for her. She will be moving to the Tesis' place in TX. Praying for a smooth transition for her. Her heart will always be with the Spanish speaking brethren so I know it is a hard move for her.

May has thoroughly dived into her life here at the farm. After 5 months away galivanting around Europe with her aunt (my sis K) she is enjoying her new nitch here. Nothing big is planned as far as I know, she is just filling in where needed as is her custom.

A Fire chopper Bell2 212 landed on our air strip. There was too much electricity in the air for their liking. Of course the pilot, an older man and a Christian, invited all the little guys to climb into the chopper and explained how it worked. Rob was actually the first one there cause I was working at the school and saw the 

chopper flying down, it was so low I thot it was in some kind of trouble and was gonna crash on the school roof or something! Anywayz the boys esp. had a grt time and the fire crew was pretty nice to Rob, giving him MRE's (yuk!) and generally being friendly an open with him....shaking hands, etc. which is something he really enjoys...

Blessings to all.

Gri Buongiorne at The Land 

signing out

ARROGANCE?

it is worth remembering all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Our European arrogance in alphabetical order 1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne , France.. A total of 2289   2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes ,   Belgium   A total of 5329   3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France A total of 4410   4. Brookwood ,   England  American Cemetery. A total of 468   5. Cambridge , England .. 3812   6. Epinal ,   France  American Cemetery. A total of 5525   7. Flanders Field  , Belgium .. A total of 368  8. Florence ,   Italy   A total of 4402   9. Henri-Chapelle  , Belgium . A total of 7992  10. Lorraine , France . A total of 10,489  11. Luxembourg ,   Luxembourg. A total of 5076   12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246  13. Netherlands , Netherlands . A total of 8301   14. Normandy , France . A total of 9387   15. Oise-Aisne , France . A total of 6012   16. Rhone , France . A total of 861  17. Sicily ,   Italy. A total of 7861  18. Somme , France . A total of 1844   19. St.. Mihiel , France . A total of 4153   20. Suresnes , France . a total of 1541   Apologize to no one. Remind those of our sacrifice and don't confuse arrogance with leadership. The count is 104,366 dead brave Americans.  And we have to watch an American elected leader who apologizes to Europe and the Middle East that our country is "arrogant"! HOW MANY FRENCH, DUTCH, ITALIANS, BELGIANS AND BRITS ARE BURIED ON OUR SOIL, DEFENDING US AGAINST OUR ENEMIES? WE DON'T ASK FOR PRAISE ... BUT WE HAVE ABSOULUTELY NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE!! PLEASE---- DO  NOT  DELETE,  DO THINK ABOUT THIS.    THANK YOU. I hope you remember this when election time comes around again..