Seventeen days

in seventeen days...in seventeen days the world as i know it..will change. in seventeen days i will embark in a time honoured tradition..in seventeen days..two very distinct and independent personalities will merge into one very small, very cluttered apartment. in seventeen days... boyfriend is moving 200 kms with all his earthly possessions, giving up all he knows..his job, his friends...to come and be with me. "why am i not freaking out..shock maybe?"

you see boyfriend and i have been long distance dating for about 8 months now and obviously at minimum..43 days ago..we decided that long distance wasn't going to cut it anymore. so..we took the plunge. it has been a bit of a rocky process but i think we're both doing ok now...so seventeen days from now..i will have a roomy, a live in lover, partner in crime, com padre, a common law husband "ok boyfriend..relax..its ok..breath, BREATH!"

now down to the nitty gritty. boyfriend is awesome! sweet, understanding, accepting, smart, funny, thinks only of my happiness, looks at me with those eyes...those eyes tell me everything i need to know. he's handy, a talented writer, hard worker, spontaneous, easy going, relaxed and i love him to bits. i love all of those wonderful parts of his personality and "no the nitty gritty doesn't include anything else, those are private talents and attributes ;)." so your probably thinking..ok get on with it..get to the point girl.

my point is..OMG there are some parts of our personalities that are completely different...i'm hyper organized and he is not..not even close lol. i love structure and routine and he loves to fly along quite nicely with the breeze. i love..LOVE lists and well...to him a good list is a list of all the things were gonna do after dark ;) "that's not such a bad list" i believe that big things are made up of the little things and he does a 180. these thoughts have been roaming through my brain..worming there way deep in to my grey matter. causing both of us to be wary at times.

so now that it is only seventeen more days..i'm starting to get excited...and excited to me means...figuring out every detail, making lists, moving things around, purging my apartment, making phone calls and obsessively talking about it to him on the phone every night he calls. for me..this is fun, this is me continuing to maintain control over my world..and for those who have kept current..you know this aspect of my personality. for him...torture. he won't admit it but i'm sure it is very uncomfortable. "sorry doll face"

so this is my official declaration that i will try..try to not be so OCD, to not drive you insane before your underwear has hit the floor, to not organize the hell outta this move..i'll try

Did I mention? I love to rant.

ok..here's the rant. i have yet to rant on here so i think its high time that i did. DRIVERS..ahhhh i know that everyone complains about other peoples driving but never notices their own defects when it come to negotiating the roads. i will fully admit that there are times i'm a bad driver..i speed, i sometimes do the rolling stop thing and i'll text/talk while driving...which i know is illegal now "which i don't do anymore coz the b/f would kill me" but i have to shake my head in disbelief at some of the things that people will do when on the road.

for example..driving to work this morning..its been a full year now since i moved out of a small town to a reasonsably bigger city and "i find it hilarious that it takes me 30 minutes to drive 11 kms, when i used to drive 50 kms in 45 minutes" but that's neither here nor there..we're talking about dumb drivers right now so quit trying to change the subject lol

as i was saying..driving to work this morning was interesting to say the least. it has been 2 days since we have had any significant amount of snow and yet there was this guy...with 6 inches of icy snow on his roof and back window. needless to say he went whipping around a corner and it dislodged...slid down his windshield, impeding his vision enough that he swerved into the other lane cutting off another car. can you say DUMB and DANGEROUS! not to mention illegal!

changing lanes without looking, running stop lights, wishy washy turns and stops "i mean...make a decision man!",reading the newspaper, applying make up (OMG get a life), juggling coffee..cig and make up all at the same time. these are just a few of the things i see everyday on my morning commutte..DRIVES ME BATTY!

so how bout you tell me what makes you batty...drivers, bad servers, noisy neighbors etc. fill me in so i don't feel so alone in my insanity.

Have a great day people...the ranter has left the building

The "Other" Job

so its saturday which means its part time job day. yes..i work another job other than my dream day job. i'm a waitress at a local restaurant and while i have been waitressing off and on since i was 13 this is the first time i have ever really don't like it. not to say that its terrible..its just no fun. my last serving job i was a "pub wench"..now that was enjoyable. and a lot more interesting than where i'm headed in about 10 minutes. you could socialize with the staff and customers alike. here..its gett'm in and gett'm out. quick as lightening. quantity vs quality. ick! i'm a quality girl..like to get to know my tables, joke or exchange information. (makes for better tips that way) but also because these people share the planet that i live on. why wouldn't i? *to be continued*

so anyway..i started writing this before i went to work and now its...after work lol i ran outta time to finish it earlier. * attempts to look sheepish * so, as i was saying. getting to know a wide variety of people is awesome...the tidbits of information you get from your customers is astounding..and the regulars! oh the regulars are cool..for the most part..sometimes not good. i loved to see the same people whenever i worked...weekends mostly. you knew them and what they were doin..they knew you and what was goin on with you. it was cool. i recently had a regular..a fav of mine ..die suddenly. i had moved away just shortly before his death and i felt horrid that i didn't see him before it happend. we called him chick. i miss him. here's to you chick!

boy did i ever get off topic...all in all..the point is..that i like to give good quality service with a healthy does of human connection thrown in for good measure. maybe i need to quit this job? hmmmm.

Angels in the snow

it is snowing like you would not believe out there right now..i don't know about you but i love snow (hate the cold) but snow i love. makes me want to make snow angels...i haven't done one so far this year..still only mid novemeber so i have loads of time to bundle all up...got outside..find a patch of pristine snow...and SPLAT! i turn, look up at the sky and let myself go. knowing that the soft snow will catch me. do you remember when we used to trust like that? never believing that your going to die or get hurt? growing up has its perks but getting older doesn't lol...you know, now that we've been talking about it..i think tomorrow will be a good time to make the first snow angel of the year..we are certainly getting enough of it.

so here it is..i challenge anyone out there, that is the vicinity of snow..to go outside and make a snow angel and than come back and tell me how it felt. k? oh come on...don't sit there and say "yeah right lady..no freakin way" well i say...just do it! you secretly wanna anyway...:)

25 Great Things About Being ADD/ADHD

25 Great Things About Being ADD/ADHD
1) Lots of Energy
2) Willing to try New Things
3) Ready to Talk and can Talk a lot
4) Gets along with Adults
5) Smart
6) Can do several things at One time
7) Need Less sleep
8) Great sense of Humour
9) Very good at taking care of Younger kids
10) Spontaneous
11) See Details that others miss
12) Understands quite well what its like to be Teased or in Trouble, so are more Accepting of others
13) can Think of many different ways of doing things
14) Volunteers to help others
15) Happy and Enthusiastic
16) Imaginative and Creative
17) Articulate - can say things well
18) Sensitive - compassionate
19) Eager to make new Friends
20) Great Memory
21) More fun to be around than most kids
22) Courageous
23) Warm and Loving
24) Charming
25) Care a lot about Family

Compiled by Learning Summer Camp 1992

Functions of Behaviour

Functions Of Problem Behaviour


The Function of GETTING;


★ SOCIAL REINFORCEMENT e.g. response from an adult/peers for calling out
★ A TANGIBLE REINFORCEMENT e.g. access to a preferred activity


The Function of ESCAPE or AVOID;


★ AN AVERSIVE TASK e.g. a difficult, boring or lengthy assignment
★ A SITUATION e.g. social interaction with certain people or events


The Function of BOTH;


★ to GET the attention of adults or peers and to AVOID/ESCAPE a boring lesson

The Function of COMMUNICATION;

★ to COMMUNICATE e.g. that they do not understand the lesson or doesn’t want to speak in front of their peers

Motivating factors for the function can be; internal, external or a combination of both


In Addition;

the person may find engaging in one behaviour to accomplish one purpose may lead to the realization of a completely different function. E.g. a student who fights to escape teasing could find the excitement of the fight reinforcing.

What is Behaviour?

This is something that i adapted from various reading material and research. I wanted to be able to give people/teachers etc the right information without all that jargon. This section one of five..more to come later. i can't give ya'll everything all at once..lol you must have a reason to come back and visit. :)

What Is Behaviour? How To Assess It.


REACTIVE approaches such as punishment fail to teach the person acceptable REPLACEMENT behaviours and may reinforce the inappropriate behaviour

The success of an intervention hinges on;

1) understanding WHY the person behaves in a certain way;

2) looking beyond the behaviour and replacing it with a more suitable one that serves the SAME purpose (or results in the same outcome)

Remember the WHY; driven by 2 principles

All behaviour serves a PURPOSE; it allows them to GET something desirable; ESCAPE or AVOID something undesirable; or to COMMUNICATE some other message or need.

Behaviour occurs in a particular context; certain SETTINGS, certain CONDITIONS, certain ACTIVITIES

They will only change their existing behaviour if another behaviour will prove more effective in achieving the same goals

Holiday Stress Tips for Kids and Parents

Holiday Stress Tips for Kids and Parents

Signs of holidays stress in children can include...

Tears for seemingly minor reasons.

Nervous behaviors ( nail biting, hair twirling)

Complaints, such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, diarrhea

Regression to younger behaviors: bed wetting, eating with hands.

Withdrawal from school friends or siblings.

Any behavior that your child doesn’t normally do could be a sign of Christmas anxiety

If your child is experiencing holiday stress symptoms there are a variety of strategies you an use to help them through it.

Know your child’s limits. Being in the spot light with friends and families only adds to the general heightened anxiety of the season. Combining groups of people decrease the travelling and number of parties too attend.

With all the holiday "junk" out there, encourage your child to make good choices when eating.

Drink lots of water and get them outside for some daily exercise.

If your staying over at a strange home, take along items that the child will derive comfort in such as a blanket or stuffed animal.

Spend good quality time with your children. Go tobogganing, snuggle up and read a book, or watch a movies with hot chocolate. Volunteer to help the less fortunate, encourage them to think of those in need of help and good will.

Practice and model positive relaxation techniques. Express your feelings openly, use self talk, and meditation.

And don't forget..have fun..be a kid right along side your chilren. you'll have a much better time..trust me.

Got behaviour?

ever since i joined up to this site 3 days ago..i have done nothing but think "blog"..what will i write today..what should i write today..should i even write today. i find my self being hyper aware of feelings and experiences just on the off chance it might be interesting enough to put into blog format. "can you say OBSESSED?" there are a million other things i should be thinking about but..no....blog thoughts burst in and erase everything else. "sigh"

now i'm sure "more like hoping" that most bloggers start out that way..frantically blogging daily for the first few days, weeks or even months before the novelty wears off and you can go back to functioning like a normal, blog free-ish human being. "oh please tell me its true coz if its not..i'm in serious trouble." but i really can't see it wearing off anytime soon.."another sigh"

so..on my way home this afternoon..i got to thinking. " how can i spend so much time blogging and still feel good about it?"PING, lightbulb goes off* I've got it! "why don't i incoperate my "work" into the blog?" i can fullfil the need i have to blather on about anything and everything and help people at the same time. "cool!...well i think so anyway." so now your probably wondering..."god, what does she do that could possibly help me?" "ah ha!" well what i was thinking was this...i have worked with kids ages 4-12 for 10 years. the first 2.5 were spent working with children with developmental delays, the next 2.5 were spent teaching literacy to JK/SK students but now..for 5 years i have had the honour to be working the job...my, dream job. i am a behavioural consultant. people come to me for advice on how to help children with their behavioural challenges..you know...all those kids with acronyms behind them..ADD/ADHD, OCD, PDD, ODD, FASD, mental health, broken homes, academic delays, bullying, hunger, communication disorders....you name it..i have probably have seen it. i do love my job though....even when it is heartbreakingly hard work, that has been and will continue to be a complete pain in my arse "and i'm not talkin the kids here" i'm talkin the people that surround the kids....its the parents, teachers, EA's, peers and political bull crap that they deal with everyday that are the real problem..and problem sounds harsh..let's say "snag" instead. now in most cases its not from lack of wanting to help..its the frustration of not knowing where or to whom to to for help.

this is where i come in. so i have decided to dedicate part of my blog over to informing and helping "you" and your kids be more successful in school and at home. i will be posting various strategies that can help you , help your child to be more successful. i will post links "once i learn how to do that" to other sites..pointing you "hopefully" in the right direction if i don't have what you need. and because i will soon be a relaxation therapist as well..i'll post stress and anxiety information along with strategies to help your reduce your stress levels. i think its a fair trade. i blog all i want and my consious is free to feel good about it. "sweet"

so..if you have any questions, suggestions, or want to see something specific..let me know k.

cheers
s

In the beginning

so anyway..i was crusin around here today and i have to say that i was rather intimidated by the size, depth and content of some of the blogs on here. i mean, wow! blogs about jobs..or designing, how to get organized..and recipe ideas. quite surprising.....i should explain. you see..while i'm not new to blogging (or my versions of blogging) this is the first blog site that i have ever been in or visited. "so where did you blog sandra?" you ask. well..since we are going back to the beginning..it seems like a good place to start. it all began with a trip to Plenty of Fish..aka POF. oh yes..you read right..its a dating site. lol for awhile there....i was living the single life...oh my goodness it was fun! being on a dating site definitly increases your chances of getting dates..and when your cursed with the "no fly zone" (men would not walk up to me and ask me out) i mean ..it was the darndest thing..frustrating as all get out but it did lead me in the direction of internet dating...which then led me to blogging. see...there is a point to all this gibberish. i always get to the point in good time..no..not yet...hold on i'll ge there :)

so there i was..in the giant pond that is called plenty of fish..eagerly awaiting the next email from some "gent"..finding out what he's all about..what made him tick. surfing the profiles..bugging people...being bugged. now if any of you have been on any of these types of sites..you know that you have to fill out a profile. this profile contains all the information your willing to disclose to others in the hopes of finding that "perfect" someone. a daunting task isn't it? how do you sum up who and what you are..dreams..hopes..foilbles...not to mention, you have to sum everything you want in that other person to. (holy crap!)

so i took this as a challenge...my job was to project as much of myself onto a computer screen as possible so that those gentlemen would know or pretty much know who and what i was. so the blogs began. i worte about everything..my day at work..people that cheesed me off...the weather...my evening run. as a result my values, morals and beliefs were right out there for all to see. it paid off in so many ways. 1) i found a wonderful man 2) i met some really good people and 3) i made people think. which is all i ever really want to do. so i intend to continue this little quest...here. and yes..i'm getting to the point.

my point is..be exactly who you are. show the world what you can do. even if its just a little blog...even if only makes one person smile..what you get in return..could make a real difference
cheers
s

And So It Begins. Are you ready?

i swore and i vowed...i tried to be disiplined keep the priorities right out there in front of me, but alas..i was weak. i told myself i wasn't going to start this blog until i at least cleaned the bathroom..but here i sit..in front of my computer..lotus style of course doin the exact opposite of what i said i was going to do. oh well..the bathroom isn't going anywhere and neither is this blog but isn't that the whole point of blogging? to say something, anything? get our word out there. make a mark of some kind even if it is only the hand print from someone smacking their head after reading this gobbilty gook or as i like to call it..verbal diarrehea?

now because i am an expert at verbal diarrehea..it only stands to reason that i'd be an expert blogger lol now that's not my ego oozing out of my ears...i have this gift...yes..a gift. i can talk about nothing and i have an opinion on everything...:) just call me a women lol

so here i sit...comfey clothes on...warm and toasty with the snow falling in gimongous flakes behind me...preparing to share a small piece of my world with you...to anyone that would listen...to anyone that might hear and think because of some of the things i have say...someone that will keep an open mind and stretch the limits of their thinking...get out of that box! tell me....are you ready?