Spencer and His Stampylonghead Pumpkin

Pipe Tobacco

You know how they say scent memory is your strongest? I just remembered the smell of my father's pipe tobacco. When I was a little girl I loved his big bear hugs when he got home from work. He always smelled like the pouch of pipe tobacco he kept in his coat pocket. This Thursday would have been his 68th birthday. I can't believe he's been gone for almost 8 years. I want to run out to the store and get a pouch of pipe tobacco just so I can remember what it was like to hug him.

Spencer's Parent Teacher Conference

I had Spencer's parent/teacher conference this past Thursday. His teachers and therapists are very pleased with how he's doing. Last year he was having trouble putting thoughts into complete sentences in writing. Now he is writing amazing essays. His handwriting still needs a lot of work, but he is remembering to use his finger for spacing and is slowly getting neater. We need to work on his math skills, too: he still counts on his fingers for simple one digit addition. His teacher told me about a website Spencer loves, coolmath.com, so we're adding that to his daily schedule at home. Socially Spencer is doing better, too. His class is a good group of 3rd and 4th graders, many of whom share his love of Legos. They play outside together and sit in a circle and talk on the playground. I'd love to see that. The best news I got is that my little bookworm is reading and comprehending on an 8th grade level!

Choices

When one of my boys, particularly Alex, is having trouble doing something I've asked him to do I say "Make a good choice." The meaning behind it, which they know well, is if they don't make a good choice there will be consequences. Usually it means a reduction in or loss of time to do something they really enjoy. They know "If I make good choices, good things happen." It's simple. It's all about the choices, every little choice we make each day. I'm working hard to help them learn this. It's time I learn it myself.