Leaving on a Jet Plane....well...not quite

A few weeks ago Scott left on a business trip for work. I'm not going to give exact specifics -- you know the whole internet security thing. Meli and I have been getting into a new routine since he left. We won't see him again for quite some time yet -- probably some time this summer after the school year ends. However, he's doing well but as you can expect is busy.

The night before he left was checked baggage drop off.

They lined up bags by type

Looks like some sort of organizational attempt

Carry-on bags lined up

Inspection by the fruit/veggie sniffing dog...those items were not allowed

Lining up to walk out

Away they went

The state of Hawaii is in a bit of a budget crises (who isn't these days?). They've been talking about salary cuts & furloughs (days of no work and no pay) for awhile now. Most state employees are already being furloughed two days a month or so.

The teacher's union has been under negotiations since this summer. They finally reached a tentative agreement that will be voted on tomorrow. If its ratified (and from what I hear its expected) it means 17 furlough days from now till the end of the year, which means about an 8% pay cut. They've already come up with the schedule and they're going to be on fridays starting with two next month. And the month of december? Nothing but 4 day work weeks. Supposed to save the union 5 million dollars every furlough day.

We as SLPs are not a part of the teacher's union here...we're a part of the hawaii government employees union. They have not completed negotiations with the DOE/BOE yet. So, who knows, but the likelihood of us getting furloughed is high.

I have my once a week kids on fridays -- not a lot of them, but enough to make me think about re-doing the schedule. That would mean I have to fit 50 kids in 3 1/2 days (they get out at 12:45 every wednesday). That means...pre-k class groups and higher numbers of kids in a group. Small groups are headed out the window for the most part anyways, but they'll be even higher. I don't know what we're going to do about service minutes as an IEP is a legally binding document.

In a way, the public schools are a business like any other. I know my kids are getting the short end of the stick. And there's nothing we can do about it. A few extra days off are nice I suppose, but its turning into quite a mess.

At least its Friday....

That's about the only good thing I can say about today.

It all started with one of my pre-k this morning. He was actually doing great -- trying to verbally imitate some words (open, pig, cow, duck, car, etc.) and attempting to sign open with a model...all things he's never done before. Until the last 5-10 min. He quickly climbed under the table and refused to come out. We eventually got him out and he really threw a fit when asked to sit. And the tantrum began. He cried and screamed, he hit, he kicked, he laid on the floor and cried...everybody was fine and safe until an inopportune moment when I was to close and let go of his hands...he promptly pulled off my glasses and then head butted me in the nose. That was a first. Luckily, I was fine. He, however continued to scream and carry on until he finally calmed and sat. 15 minutes past when his session was over. This child has no real words of his own and yet he knew he was choosing to not comply.

Let's say we have a couple different strategies to try next week. I really wish I had a rule book. How much is to much? When do you hold a child and when do you back off? When do they need physical prompting and when do they see that as a tool to escalate? Behavior, behavior, behavior....sigh You think you have a plan and then it turns out you didn't. But, I have one week till I see him again. So, we shall see.

That was enough, right? I'd say so!

But, it didn't stop there.

My next little one cried. That, I'm used to. She does it all the time. But, I'm starting to think our motto should be...send them to speech; where we make them cry and act out.

Next up is the K group after morning recess. Easy kids for the most part. Most K kids walk on their own in groups to us...however, that plan didn't work out today. The other SLP was absent so our communication aid was seeing those kids. She called for her K kiddo and the teacher started to send him and she left to go meet him. She must've JUST missed him somehow. Can you see where this is going?

Yes. We lost him.

We walked around for a minute and then had an ABP put out on the radio for him. Everyone from the custodians to counselors were looking for him.

Oh, they found him....in an ELL classroom with some other kids from his class. He was fine, but clearly needs to be walked from door to door from now on. My kids didn't get seen, but hey we practiced conversation skills!

The rest of the day went better. Thank goodness. Luckily there wasn't any fallout for us losing him; we are not....highly regarded individuals within our school community; by admin or some of the staff.

At LEAST it is friday. If it was Monday...I don't know what I would've done.

Happy Tuesday!

Is it wrong to be excited that pre-k has a field trip tomorrow and I won't have any kids till my K group at 10? That's almost half of my days worth of kids! (9 kids in 4 groups over 80 minutes; a little over 20 total on tuesdays)

That and NO meetings tomorrow!

Its all about the little things...

Overnight Guest

This weekend was quiet..and a little busy at the same time. The highlight was dog sitting for a friend till Sunday morning. Sammy the beagle came for a 2 night 1.5 day visit...and I'm sure she's glad to be back in her own place with some peace and quiet. Meli wasn't sure what to think at first, but soon spent most of her time trying to get Sammy to play...and Sammy spent most of her time avoiding/growling at Meli to leave her alone. No real fighting though and they even spent some time on the couch together.

I also tried to make pita bread. It turned out ok, but didn't puff up quite as much as it should have. Recipe here.

Sammy the beagle checking out the digs

(note Scott's green socks..he doesn't even have to be here for them to be all over the place!)

Meli laying on Sammy's bed...just trying to start something

Action shot...she's always bouncing off something or other....

You know you're grown-up when....

You find yourself telling second graders "I have eyes in the back of my head..."

HA!

My group of 4 second graders are a rowdy bunch on tues/thurs. They're SLI only and loooove to have social time instead of work time. One of them didn't have all 4 chair legs on the floor and as I was taking data I told him to put his chair down. He was amazed that I noticed. Another one asked if when you become an adult you get eyes in the back of your head. Good to know that you can still impress them when they're 7!

He Just Can't Stand the Dog

Raw & Unedited: Caught on Camera

I think I may have done it...judge for yourself....

I present the green flash!

You Might Be A Redneck: Hawaii Edition

You might be a redneck if.........

you put a kayak on top of a golf cart and take it to the beach...along with two beach chairs, two paddles, two kayak seats, towels, a cooler, an ipod & portable stereo, a camera and a dog!

view from the water

Meli's first adventure kayaking...and sporting a new life jacket!

checking out the scenery

chillin' on the golf cart

A fun afternoon was had by all...although we have a few scratches from Mel who wasn't completely fond of the ocean, but took it in stride. Luckily we had some help getting in the ocean as we almost flipped heading out. Meli even swam around in the water a little when we went in. She had a few other dogs to run around with as well. It seems everytime we go we meet someone else with a dog or two. All in all it was a great place to hang out on a saturday!

I walked in the backyard with Meli earlier this evening and a golf ball came hurling at me and hit the wall. I know we're close to the golf course, but not that close! I think someone either has it out for me or has quite a swing. Behind the yard is a road and there are houses facing that road. The golf course is behind those houses.

We often find golf balls while going up to the beach in the golf cart. Just this past weekend we found 6 in one trip! Definitely a record so far.

Below are pictures from this evening. Ignore the mess in the background. Meli's ears in the second one are huge.