Quote of the Day!

As a society we must be able to admire ability, to support ability, to celebrate ability and to nurture ability. It must be as socially acceptable to support genius that is intellectual as it is to support genius that is athletic. – Michael Clay Thompson

SENG Group Facilitator Training

This past week I went to Dallas, Texas for training. The training was through SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) so that I can facilitate parents groups. Dr. Webb has a written a book called "The Parents Guide to Gifted Children". I am now certified to facilitate parent groups using this book.

The training was a wonderful experience. I met parents who understood the difficulties in raising a gifted child and school employees who understood the academic needs of gifted children. The support not only has me as a parent but also for me to bring training and a local support group for parents of gifted children was overwhelming. I thank all the ladies who attend this training in Dallas.

I am hoping that in the next few months I can arrange a meeting for the parents of gifted children in my area to see if there is a need or what do we as parents in this area want our group to be.

For more information about SENG please go to www.Sengifted.org

If you would like to purchase this book go to http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-Gifted-Children/dp/0910707790

Christmas 09 Blog Header

Here is the blog header that I designed for Christmas 2009

Happy New Years!!!!

We'll we are 9 days into the year 2010. The first 9 days hasn't been a good one for me. I have been sick. I have been sick to my stomach, no appetite, pains in my right side, and very bad headaches (Migraines). I have gotten shots in the back of my head for the headaches but that didn't work. On Jan. 6 I went to the ER but the diagnoses was laughable. I have started going to a different doctor and she seems more interested in finding out why I am sick rather than just treating the symptoms. She says that my x-ray shows an enlarged liver. I go next week to get an ultrasound.

Zachary has started the 2nd semester at TXVA. On the first day back he completed his Health subject. So, that is one less subject we have to deal with. He is about 50% finished with 4th grade math and should finish it and at least 3 other subject my the beginning of March if not sooner. I have emailed his teacher telling her that everything is coming really easy for him and nothing challenges him. I am worried that if this continues he will not know how to deal with a challenging situation when one comes about. I may have to talk about having him skip 4Th grade next year and go into 5th just to get material that is challenging at times and easy at times. However, not that all of it will be skipped b/c he will have completed 4th grade math. We'll see!

Brooke seems like she has grown up over night. She has a big girl room and big girl toys and loves them. She is no longer a baby but a toddler/preschooler. She knows her letters and their sounds completely and we are now working on putting letter together to read. She is also learning her colors and shapes. She can count to 10 easily and she use to count to 20 but we stopped doing that and either she has forgotten or is playing like she doesn't know.

In a week I will start a Biggest Loser contest at the local gym. However, with me being sick I have already lost 8 pounds. Not the way I wanted to start losing weight but I have to look on the positive side of things. I would love to lose 50 pounds and if I lose only 4 pounds a month that's 1 pound a week I can lose 50 pounds by the beginning of next year.

Christmas Eve 2009

This morning everyone slept in except for me, but I was fine with it because the house was calm and peaceful. Then once everyone woke up we decided to head to IHOP for breakfast. Yummy pancakes, sausage, eggs, hashbrows were enjoyed by all. The morning has just been lazy with wrapping the last few Christmas gifts. I started teaching Zachary a new computer program called GIMP. GIMP is just like Photoshop but it is a FREE program. He really enjoyed it. Mark went into work for a couple of hours and is now home. I have painted a little bit more on Brooke's mural but I have to wait until Mark can watch her and I can lock her out of her room. Zachary and I will be headed into town to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks the squeakeel. Sorry don't know how to spell that. Later we will do our family tradition of heading over to Mark's Grandmothers house to exchange presents with her and have a huge feast.

Tonight we will make cookies for Santa and put those out with some milk. Mark and I will put the kids to sleep and put out Santa presents and socking stuffers. Then snuggle up and sleep until the morning when we are awoken by the kids climbing into our beds and screaming "Santa came, lets open presents".

Brooke's Mural in her Room

I wanted to put a mural of an Enchanted Forest in Brooke's room on one wall. However, everything I saw was toooo expensive. So, I decided to do it my self. No, I have never done this before but I love to doodle. So, the day before her 2nd b-day I drew the forest on her wall in pencil. Friday of that same week I started painting it. I haven't finished but I wanted to post pics as it is coming along.

I'm not sure how it will turn out but someone told me "That even if it isn't perfect Brooke will love it". This is so true! Every time she comes in and I have more of it finished she squeals in delight.

Right Side of Wall (you should be able to see a litte bit of what I drew in pencil.)

Left Side of wall

Birthdays...

Well, both of my children has had their birthdays. My little boy is no longer a little boy. On Nov. 30 he turned 8 years old. He is starting to cook somethings for himself that needs to be microwaved or in the toaster oven. He can even reach the top of the refrig. It seems that just a couple of years ago he was just a little thing. For his birthday he got a microscope that really cool. You connect it to the computer and view the images on the computer. He also got the 3rd book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

My baby girl is growing up also. On Dec. 16 Brooke turned 2 years old. After getting her into her birthday dress and fixing her hair she looked so much older. She got a big girl doll house (it is taller than her), some dolls. She is learning so fast also. She already knows her letters and all their sounds. What a huge accomplished to achieve before turning 2.

After looking at my blog header I am going to have to change the pics. They no longer look like that anymore. Those pic are a year old. WOW! how time flies.