Rocky Blogs Halloween

This is a great family I've found. Food and water are always available. I have lots of the rawhide chew bones that I love, and that Kong thing - Wow! Never knew such a thing existed, but when my two-legged mom fills it with peanut butter, I could sit and lick/chew on it for hours. But I have noticed one strange thing about this family - all the furry, four-legged members are trying on their costumes for Halloween. I was worried that I wouldn't have a costume, but my two-legged mom has come to the rescue. She had three for me to try on.

The first costume was me as a surfer dude. Not bad, but might be a little cold for nightime trick or treating.



The next was mom's Princess Pink costume. Yea right...



But finally I found the perfect one - my Superdog costume!! What do you think?

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful...

• that this post is my 500th! Who would have thought I have that much to say? Okay, okay - just about everyone who knows me.


• for the positive and productive IEP meeting I had earlier this week. Yes, it was only concerning one small thing. Yes, my complaint with the state Department of Ed is still pending. Yes, there are still LOTS of issues. But Monday's meeting worked.


• for hot cocoa on a cold rainy night


• that Rocky the dog has finally settled on his Halloween costume. Check back tomorrow for the great reveal!


• that the price of a gallon of gas dropped below $2 this week! The kids and I may actually take a short road trip this weekend.


• for the pumpkin cheescake one of my co-workers brought in yesterday - pure Heaven sheathed in a zillion calories


• for flannel pajamas, and the fact that I have no significant other to complain if I want to wear flannel pajamas to bed every night


• that Ashley's school has finally caught up with her red obsession. Today was red day at school.


• that Cloris Leachman finally was ousted from Dancing With The Stars


• that my boys both seemed to like their birthday presents and their birthday dinners. I just can't believe they are now 18 and 16 years old.

Great After School Program

My local news station ran a great story this morning about a group of New York school children learning sign language after school. I tried to find the video they ran because the children were quite charming, but I couldn't find it. I did find a written piece about the program and it is shown below. I really wish more school districts would consider this. Everytime I have heard of such a program the thing that impresses me the most is that the children love learning sign language.

New York school kids learn unique life lesson
October 29, 2008 10:06 AM


When you think of after school programs, things like sports, music and art probably come to mind.

But some children in New York City are involved in a more "hands-on" type of activity.

7th grader Stephanie Arbelaez has already used what she's learning in her after school program sign language.

"I was walking in the street and I saw this man and he was trying to get help because he was elderly and he couldn't ask for help. So I told my mom he was saying he needed help, so I told my mom and she helped him cross the street," said student Stephanie Arbelaez.

This is a different kind of after school activity once a week.

Students at St. Sebastian School in Woodside, Queens learn to sign with a volunteer sign language interpreter from the Little Angels Foundation.

On the day we visited, the kids were also working with hearing impaired young people, trying out what they've studied.

"I said, 'hi my name is Conor.' and I said, 'what's up," said student Conor Hurley

It's a chance for these children to learn something new but also something larger.

"Respect for people, all people, deaf people certainly, but all types of people. That's what this program promised to do and that's what it did," said principal Joann Dolan.

The kids started with some basic expressions, the alphabet and numbers.

But as time goes on, they're learning to say all sorts of things.

Special Exposure Wednesday

Why, oh why, did you bring that HUGE dog into our home - excuse me, my home? You knew I was the 'top dog', well, 'top animal' in this family. Now you've upset the entire balance with this new, BIG dog. I am NOT happy....signed, Winky the Cat.

What Do You Value?

My brother, Carl, showed me a website last weekend called The Foundation For A Better Life. The Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the values that make a difference in our communities. They create public service campaigns that model the benefits of a life lived by positive values. By doing so, they hope to inspire people to make values a part of their own lives, and then to communicate the benefits to others.

The website is packed full of positive vibes, especially the videos of the TV spots they have created. I've included my absolute favorite one below, and love the message that sometimes looking at a situation in a different way can yield wonderful results. I suggest that you visit to find your favorite!

A Family of Clean Butts!

A while back, I told you about the wonders of the new BidetSpa toilet seat that was installed as part of my bathroom remodeling. And then, the BidetSpa company so graciously agreed to provide one of its BidetSpa products for a giveaway contest on the other site where I write – 5 Minutes for Special Needs. We had a lot of really amazing entries for the contest, but the team at 5MFSN chose Sara as the winner. Here is a snippet from Sara’s prize winning comments:

I have a developmentally disabled daughter who will be fourteen at the end of October. Happily she has been using the toilet successfully for 7 years but has not been able to learn the complexities of properly wiping. Unless an adult is present to do it for her she "skips it" altogether. I'm always worried about my daughter's hygiene. It's difficult enough to be different than your peers when you are a teenager, but if you also smell it really has a negative impact!

Sara’s name and contact information was sent to the Bidetspa company, and they immediately shipped out Sara’s prize. Here is the email she sent me upon receiving the product:

I just wanted to let you know I received the BidetSpa on Thursday. Here's the story of its arrival: Jamie had just come in from her school bus, the respite worker had just arrived and then the phone rang. It was my neighbor. "Hi Sara, I just wanted to see if you were home because I have a package here for you, (giggle, giggle)" "What could that be?" I answered. Her reply was muffled, probably because she was trying to hold back her giggles, but it sounded like: mmmrrfflspa from ffrflbutts.

"What?!??" I asked. She said she'd bring it right over leaving me puzzled as to what she was talking about. When I opened the door and saw her with the box I burst out laughing. "It's my toilet seat!!!"

We all gathered around and opened the box and I told her the story of how I'd won this prize. The box contained a lovely note from Paul J. Sochacki of the CleanButt Company.

My 19 year old respite person wasn't sure about the name CleanButt but she was very impressed with all the functions of the toilet seat. She thought we might have trouble getting people to leave the bathroom! My neighbor, who also has a special needs child, took one of the promotional DVD's with her to watch with her husband.

It is going to take us several weeks to get the bathroom ready to install the seat. We have to get the new toilet and linoleum installed as well as an outlet put in that will be closer to the toilet. I'm very motivated to get this work done so I can try that seat out!!! I'm hoping to have it working before Thanksgiving when my extended family (14 of them) is coming over.

Thanksgiving at Sara’s house sounds like it is going to be a blast!!

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Yes, Ashley can be quite the enigma at times, but even then, her unpredictability is predictable.

But drinking coffee? Never would I have predicted that.

Drinking unsweetened iced tea? Nope, not that one either.

Then on Wednesday she walked into the house clutching a paper sleeve of Ritz crackers, only half full because she had eaten the other half. Ashley doesn’t eat crunchy things other than Cheetos. She is a mashed potato, mac and cheese, pudding kind of girl.

For dinner last night, she ate minced pork barbecue. She doesn’t eat meat and especially not something minced.

So who are you and what have you done with my daughter?

Also, for the last week, whenever she comes home from school, she insists on changing her shirt and the new shirt must be red. And, she will only sleep in something that is red. Is red the color of uniform your people wear?

So, I ask you again, who are you and what have you done with Ashley?