autism, college, deafness, writing

Revising and tagging, and studying

Of course in the middle of fall semester (perhaps exactly in the middle?) and that is keeping me very busy!!  I tend to do algebra at the beginning of the week mostly and biology at the end.  Then I tuck transcription in usually Wed/Thurs (job due today, so nothing different there).

In the few evening hours I’ve had and sometimes early morning I’ve been going through ALL my blog posts here, starting ins 2003.  They all needed tagged and categorized.  I don’t even really understand the difference between that so I’m doing both – tagging and categorizing, mostly the same titles.  Ha.  If that causes trouble I suppose I shall find out somehow- but at this point it seems fine.  Also adding the pictures back in where I can where they were ”lost” going from Livejournal to wordpress.org then to wordpress.com then to blogger then back to wordpress.org. 

My goal is to have this blog ready for real publication, where I post it on autism sites, etc., and really try and get some help and recognition for autism and deafness.  Chris needs a lot of help.  I DID get a comment https://criscollrj.com/2010/05/23/the-brick-wall/ from a person at the National Deaf Academy, who found my blog online, and I was thrilled about that.  If I can just get all the tags done and the blog totally organized, and then keep trying to add to it, perhaps it can get top recognition and the boys can really get some help.

So then, of course this with studying, working, and everything else I’m doing, challenging, but it should be SO worth it!

 

life, music, writing

The Fun List

I spend so much time making to-do lists and doing budgets and work checklists and homework checklists I need a break from that!!  So here’s a new kind of list I thought would be refreshing to make!

  • Play lots of Wii with RJ and Chris too – and if Colleen will agree to play she should come right along!  Ryan and I played for 1 hour last night and had a lot of fun!
  • Try and write on here once a week or so.
  • Proofread my posts going back to 03 and get everything categorized and tagged.
  • (2020 finally proofread all posts from 03 to now, it’s taken MONTHS.  Haven’t checked categories and tags AT all.  Need to read all comments also….)
  • Scan in my old pictures bit by bit and get them on Flickr (and renew Flickr for a year to the pro version!)
  • Plan what colors I want to paint all our rooms and post them on here.  I already have three!  I’ll post soon as they’re in my purse – it’s apricot or mint green for either kitchen or living room (not sure) and a slate blue for my bedroom.
  • Play guitar twice a week and do some Youtube videos for fun!
  • Do a wild and crazy Youtube video with Rog of us playing guitar with whatever brave children want to appear with us.
  • Plan to someday do a great long walk on a hiking trail with the family and maybe even have a picnic along the way sitting on a big rock by a forest 🙂
  • (2020 – having the boys from mid March to end of November, we hiked SO MUCH!  every season!  Can’t wait to get back to it as when we’re well we have them every weekend (we have been sick, you’ll hear about that soon enough).
  • Paint a picture!
  • Decide if I’m going to ever finish my book from 1981 or if I should just start a new one (maybe copying some of the great material from that one into the new one).
  • (2020 – ugh.  Boy would still love to do that.  I still have the book, and it’s online on my www.line-bright.com site — you have to ask me for password.  It’s still in same shape it was in the 90s but IS in html format!!!)
  • Sleep for many extra hours.

Ahhh, cathartic just to write – remains to be seen if I do most of it. 

 

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children, life, organizing, work, work at home, writing

Trivial and important often reside together

As a person who has always been not so good at multi-tasking, I have had to learn to become quite good at it!

The important things in my mind always are:

  • Taking care of our children and the family’s basic needs.
  • Roger and I getting our work done.
  • Us getting our schoolwork done when we’re in school (Rog from ‘99 to ‘01 and possibly going back next year, me since January of 10).
  • Colleen getting her homework done, trying to get some entertainment/learning activities for Chris, and supervising Ryan in his education pursuits (He’s rather like me where he’s obsessed with school items and loves his alphabet and learning to spell, so that helps – he creates his own educational hobbies!)
  • And just keeping enough clothes to wear to be clean and dishes washed to be sanitary!

So I would always try and do these things first – still am!

But it’s amazing how many other things pile up when you do this.  Things you feel you never have time for.  More dishes that you just can’t get to.  Filing (started that last week as far as cleaning out the file cabinet!).  Grass that needed cut that Rog had been too ill to do (he’s outside now finishing it, and our friends helped us with it last week (pictures coming). 

Then things arise like 500pp of printing needed printed out for various agencies.  Like in one week (happened to me in April).  That means you run out of ink, and have to buy it.  Then you have massive phone calls on this, that and the other.  Every day is full of interruptions.  Necessary interruptions, unnecessary ones, and sometimes annoying ones!  Sometimes pleasant ones!  Sometimes a spontaneous trip to the park is a tremendous treat (hopefully soon!)!

All in all, I’m trying to learn, that it’s not always the important all the time.  Sure, I’m working on getting out my deadlines of the week for work, and do my homework, and cook dinner.  But I don’t want to be a once a year or once every six month blogger any more.  And I want to be spontaneous.  Enjoy Chris today who’s at the house as he didn’t get to go back to school yet after his hospital stay.  Enjoy the trivial.

 

Blessings!

 

autism, deafness, writing

Thinking of how to share most with this blog–

 

I know I need to update my resource pages and do more research on what could help people most on ideas for autism spectrum and deafness.

I think I may also type more of the kids’ histories in here and what happened at certain ages. I think also going back and proofing my posts may be good (sometimes in blog transfers you get strange font characters in the switchover, and I know I did see some at place). I also need to tag.  (2020 – glad I’m at least proofing finally every post!!)

I have really enjoyed sharing through blogging, now for 6 years, and would like to do it to its best purpose and to be a help to others.

 

chris, life, work, writing

Missing writing, missing an important part of me!

I need to take more time to write here. I do feel my life is kind of taking on a pace all of its own that half the time I feel I have no control over!!!

First of all, Chris is doing great — dsc00342 We went out to eat with him today and he was very happy. Ryan also had a plate of spaghetti dsc00343

Continue reading “Missing writing, missing an important part of me!”

autism, children, deafness, life, NaBloPoMo

The dreams of children

 

The dreams that we hold about having our children… and the reality given and the new dreams held

Dreams of all my life
The children we always wished for
Years go by like lightning
But the expectations soar

Wanting perfection
Working day and night for our bread
Trying to observe each smile,
accomplishment, and word said

When the progression is difficult
than the way you thought
it can be easy to despair;
when the child doesn’t speak, you doubt

The deafness and the silence, and even times with speech,
yet centered in their self fulfillment,
yet merged with our duty and responsibility
can make you wonder where meaning went

Others don’t understand
the way our lives progress
only in humor can we survive
The surroundings can appear a mess

and the heart, indeed, can be torn
as the love is strong as fire
burning in fierce protection
knows how their odds are dire

Chasing a boy, so active and bright,
running in glee
before he breaks the dishes
and plugs cords into electricity

The older child, a man,
yet speechless he is
locked in his world, caught,
yet we glory at each new task taught

We watch for each new joy
yet fight for rights unknown
the road is full of mire
but the Light of God is shown

copyright criscollrj.com dori 11/24/07

 

health, NaBloPoMo

NaBloPoMo who?

What?

Ha ha. I’ve seen this but never checked what it is. Now I know. Get some new readers and make some new friends by joining this group that is for posting every day in November. Cool idea!

I just noticed too that I posted already 3x in November and didn’t even realize it, after being absent for a while, so — that’s a good thing!

Now, to get here every day, while I have kids sick at home tomorrow being day 11 straight and finish how many more minutes of my hearing? Probably about 45, which I really need to do tonight and may be just too tired to do…

So off of here I go — I guess I COPY this over there?

clueless—

 

writing

Poem

It’s been so long since I’ve tried to do this…

I see the light, I see the path.
Though the gnarly branches in the way
are enough to trip us up,
I can still see the light of day

Can you see it too?
That the vision is clearing, it is truth.
Through the obstacles we run
and we will be stronger than we were in youth.

The light is dim and eyes can’t see.
It seems the shards of glass
of obstacles cut through hope,
but they sharpen our vision; this will pass.

I saw the heavens in my dream
and you were there with me.
I lost you for a moment
but then we were in eternity.

A vision given of hope
That the One who made us is there always.
Though we be sin-full and pride-full
He’s always there to lead us through the maze.

dh – 6-14-06