October update!

I can't believe that it's been a month since I last posted.  I keep thinking about posting, then get busy doing other things and then I forget!!!

We finished up our canning fruit.  This year I did peach jam, bottled pears and peaches, and made salsa.  Salsa was a first time for me.  My sisters and I did the salsa together one Friday.  It was fun!  I think we are planning on doing salsa again next year.  Hopefully my garden boxes will be in place next year so I can plant tomatoes and do pizza and spaghetti sauce also!!!


The primary children had their program last Sunday.  That is one reason I have been so busy since I get to write program (with the help of the children) and organize the practices, etc.  I'm so glad it's over!  The kids did great!!  We teach them a song in ASL each year.  I always hope that C will start signing along with them.  This year he did sign more during the practicing.  But he was being stubborn the day of and wouldn't even stand up when the other kids did for the songs.  But he did say his part.

The song the kids leaned in ASL this year was "I Know That My Savior Loves Me."  It's a beautiful song--both sung and signed.


We are trying to get back into a decent schedule for homeschooling.  We tend to start later than I want to in the morning and end up working until 4:30 in the afternoon on our school work. 

K started orchestra last week.  She wanted to take orchestra at the junior high this year.  But we found out that she needed at least a year of either private lessons or orchestra at the elementary school.  So, we compromised and K is taking orchestra at the elementary school.  Next year, she'll be able to enroll in orchestra at the junior high.  She'll probably take a couple of other classes also.  She is keeping busy with skating also and is really enjoying it.


C is progressing in his math!!!  It's so nice when he understands a concept.  We started over in Saxon Kindergarten and he is whizzing through most of the book.   C is still struggling with shape names.  But he likes to look for different shapes around the house when we talk about the shapes.

C hasn't been able to wear his hearing aids for a while because he's had an ear infection.  Friday he had surgery.  He had tubes put in both ears.  He also had tubes placed in his tear ducts.  His eyes are always watery and he is constantly rubbing them.  We brought Raine with us to the hospital.   She was with us in the waiting room, etc.  The anesthesiologist was very impressed when Raine opened the door to the operating rooms. 

Raine, of course, couldn't go back to the operating room.  We had brought a lap top and had turned on "Cars."  So the anesthesiologist took the laptop back with him.  That worked well, since later a nurse said C didn't even notice when they put the mask on him and he fell right to sleep without any fighting.

DH took Raine when he had to run home, so she was not in the recovery room right after the surgery.  C was very agitated, hitting the nurses and trying to rub his eyes (he wasn't supposed to).  All he wanted was his dad, and kept signing for him.  DH made it back in time when they transferred us out of recovery so Raine was there.  Caleb got to have her up on the bed with him and between her and "Cars" he was a lot calmer.

N and J are working hard on their reading and math.  This year they are doing Zoology 3 .  They are excited about the experiments.

M is constantly asking, "Can I do my preschool box?"  She is also doing a few workbooks to start practicing tracing.  She is right there during school time listening and soaking everything in.

DAY ONE...

Well, it has been a long day.:)  We started at 9am.  There are twelve teams training.  Most of us are skilled companion dogs.  There are 7 children here, including C.  That's nice, since C has some friends to play with.  C and one other girl were the only two that would need breaks from the room.  The other kids are happy playing/coloring next to their parents.  One of the girls also has Down's syndrome.  She is a few months older than C, but a good head taller!

The morning was spent in team orientation and canine orientation.  We also got to work with "carpet dog"  They were teaching us how to discipline the dogs when they don't respond to commands.  C was with us for the first 30 minutes, which was good.  It gave Nanny S a chance to hear the rules, such as don't go near the kennels and stay out of the other training room (where they train the younger dogs), etc. 

C spent the rest of the morning playing with one of the work boxes I had brought with S.  They had fun playing with the play dough I think.

A side note on the work boxes.  I brought 5 half size file boxes full of different small games (such as UNO, Go Fish, etc) coloring books, paints, play dough, beads, bubbles etc with us.  These are actually boxes that I have made for M, my 3 yr old.  She gets to use one of these boxes each week, while I do school with my other kids.  C also, plays with them when he is done his other school work.  M loves these boxes and asks to do them every day.

Back to CCI---

After lunch (which was delicious by the way, the volunteers brought in Mexican), C got to meet all the dogs.  There are 14 dogs.  So two won't be place this session.  And that's if we all graduate (crossed fingers here).
There are 5 black dogs and 9 golden ones.

Next we had our first rotation of dogs.  This is when the trainers would bring out a dog for each team and we took turns telling the dogs to sit and down.  And we also didn't the don't command.  One team would work with a dog, and then the trainers would get a new dog for the next team.  So each dog was only out once.  The first time dh and I worked with Dog #1.

After the break, we did a 2nd rotation.  That time, we worked with Dog #2.

After C met the dogs, he stayed awhile in the room during the first rotation, but then S and he left and went to play with the Wii.  He is actually, a good tennis player.  We should try him out on a court when we get home.

 Then, we were basically done for the day.

We do have to take the quiz still.  Hopefully, C falls asleep soon, so that dh and I can work on it together.  Right now, C is watching "Dinosaur".  It's one of his favorite movies, but he keeps having us fast forward to the parts he likes.LOL