Ecto vs. Blogger = Frakked up Fundraising

Ecto vs. Blogger = Frakked up Fundraising

I do not know why Ecto and Blogger have chosen the Leelo fundraising post as the one in which to alternately refuse to post and then delete each other's posts. I don't know why they couldn't have gone buggy on ANY OTHER POST.

*sigh*

If you got here somehow and are looking to contribute to Leelo's campaign, please click on the Helping Leelo's Local Friends "donate now" link in the Dropcash badge in the left hand sidebar. Or go directly to the campaign.

And many, many thanks to Blaize, Whump, Kari, Mary Tsao, and Brianna for being so quick to drop that cash and help Leelo's friends!

Update: More thanks to Lara, Minnie, Sage, and Jill! We are more than 25% of the way there.

Update again: I am astounded by your generosity! Amy F. Lisa B., TLF, and JP--thank you all so much. We're almost halfway there in less than a day!

Update YET again: On bended knee: Jo Spanglemonkey, Dee, J-L K, my deepest gratitude. We've hit 50%.

11/16/06 Leelo's Friends RULE! We're at 62% in less than three days. A (prompted) thank you from Leelo to Jenijen, Carol, Alsuin, and Jeremy!

Technorati Tags: autism, autism awareness, autistic, fundraising, Leelo, parenting, special needs parenting

Help Leelo's Local Friends

Leelo's special ed department/occupational therapy department (i.e., special needs motor work) has no money to buy the kind of equipment they'd like; the kind that would really make a difference not only for autistic kids like Leelo but for all the kids in our city who rely on school district--i.e., public--support for their sensory and occupational therapy needs. Specifically the department would like to buy a scooter ramp as it will perform about fifty different functions in one compact space.

I said that I'd help. I said that if I invoked the power of the blogosphere, and got enough people to skip a latte or two (or five), there would be no way we couldn't raise enough money to get those kids their ramp.

So, feel like doing some good during this upcoming holiday season? I am trying to raise $757.90, which includes the ramp's purchase price and shipping. If we can raise the money by 12/20/06, it will be a lovely holiday gift for the special ed department. In fact you can even print out this page and tell your friends that you made a donation in their name instead of getting them a cluttery, tangible gift. A skipped latte's $2.50 is more than welcome.

Straight donations are great, of course, but I am also selling handmade Leelo coloring books at $20 each. The books feature the bold lines and simple rhymes that Leelo and his friends enjoy, plus scenes that will make any parent--but especially parents of autistic children--chuckle (or sigh) in recognition. All proceeds will go towards the ramp.

If you want a coloring book, go to the donation page, and click on the "contribute" button. You'll be redirected to PayPal. Put "coloring book" in your PayPal subject line, and don't forget to include your shipping address.

You can also help by ordering Leelo shirts and gear. A $10 donation is part of their purchase price. You can get Leelo gear at GoodStorm (t-shirts only) or CafePress (t-shirts, stickers, mugs).

I will add a further $10 donation from my own pocket if you send a picture featuring your Leelo gear to me at aba_help AT yahoo D0T com.

Here is the scooter ramp's description:

"This ramp incorporates a climbing feature with the addition of bilateral hand rails in addition to the rope attachment for hand-over-hand climbing. The ramp can be adjusted to 2 different inclines. Both ends of the ramp are beveled where the ramp meets the base and floor to give a smooth ride. Assembly consists of 4 wooden pieces held together with wing knobs. No tools ever needed. Easily disassembled and compactly stored."

Again, our deadline is 12/20/06. Leelo and his friends say Thank You! And please feel free to spread the word.

Technorati Tags: autism, autism awareness, fundraising, occupational therapy, special education

My Principles vs. My Ass

My Principles vs. My Ass

The incomparable photographer (and Bad-Ass Dad) Barak Yedidia came by yesterday to take our family's annual holiday photo. Being nimble and deft, he managed to capture many excellent shots including the flighty and unpredictable youngest members of the Rosenberg quintet. My husband looks gorgeous, Iz and Leelo look typically button-cute, Mali looks as funny yet darling as she always does, and I look like a dumpling.

No fault of Barak's. Several years of inattention have left me rounder than I'd imagined. I don't consider this to be a moral failing, nor do I have a complex about being skinny, or being able to fit into my pre-Iz wardrobe. When I look at the models on magazine covers, I often think that it would be nice to look like them, in the same way that I think it would be nice if my children were put in statis to avoid puberty, or if I could ride a wooly mammoth. But I do like the profile of my neck and chin to resemble the legs of a right triangle more than its hypotenuse.

The solution is straight-forward: eat less and exercise more. Eating less is generally a matter of paying attention when food is around, and specifically of keeping the cocaine-laced brand of kettle corn out of the house. Simple, if not necessarily easy.

The exercise one is a doozy. I despise exercise for its own sake. I enjoy hiking and cycling, but the opportunities are limited for the former as I've still not yet found a toddler-carrying backpack that fits my torso, and the latter involves too much gear and too much training before I can even think about riding the hills around my house without walking half the time and exposing myself to the jeers of my neighbors (not that they would--I just don't want my friends to see me walking my bike).

But guess what is right around the corner, next to our brand new fancy local grocery store? A Curves. It is on my way to everywhere. And it is supposed to take only 30 minutes. It seems lame, but is also seems like a convenient opportunity to get healthier. I could always wear a mask so my friends don't see me geeking out on the equipment.

Workout anonymity is not my real concern with Curves, though. The real issue is that the company's founder is an ardent pro-lifer, and funder of such efforts. However the franchise owner is not. I see many of the most fiery local liberals I know exercising there. I will ask them how they came to decide to join, but in the mean time I am interested in hearing opinions from anyone else on this matter, or indeed from anyone who has any experience with Curves at all. Thanks.

Technorati Tags: Curves, politics, principles

Goodbye, Five-Year-Old Boy. Hello, Six-Year-Old Boy.

Goodbye, Five-Year-Old Boy. Hello, Six-Year-Old Boy.

Yesterday our sweet sweet Leelo turned six years old. Unimaginable.

We were to celebrate with cupcakes at school, then lunch at Sewerage, and then a park afternoon with a bunch of friends. But Leelo got barfy and so none of that happened. Instead Mali and I stayed home and played Doing Laundry while waiting on/for him to feel better and vomit less.

Today we partially made up for yesterday's lack of festivities by taking Leelo to dinner at Sewerage. We were joined by JP and family (including my Auntie Cranky, JP's MIL, who is visiting). There Leelo got to have a Lassi and all the naan bread he wanted, and we sang him Happy Birthday twice--which was insufficient according to the boy being feted but would have to do as the restaurant was very busy. But I love that Leelo loves for us to sing to him. Tomorrow at his for real birthday party we will all sing him Happy Birthday as many times as he wants.

I am so impressed by all the many ways he is becoming a big boy and taking care of himself. He can now get slip-on shoes on without help, and his putting on underwear-pants-shirt routine is a slick one.

His language is improving, too. Not so much in length of sentences; more in naturalistic voice tones and affects, and in language use. He has a nice, bright, LOUD, "Hi, Daddy!" (or whomever he's greeting) that was frequently absent during the whispery Adderupp stage. If you ask him what song he wants you to sing, he'll reply with the song title, e.g., "Frosty!" (AIIIGH) instead of saying, "I want you to go sing Frosty, Mommy." Also general requests are met with, "Yes, Mommy," instead of "I want to XX on the XX, Mommy."

His potty training has been going really well, too. He hadn't had an accident for weeks until today when I was sitting with Dr. S in her office telling her how great Leelo has been on the Fukalin XR, how one example was how he hadn't "...had an accident in...OH FUCK, he's peeing on your chair, I am so sorry!" No matter, I am still going to keep him in underwear from waking until 3:30 daily, and when we have breaks from routine such as spending all morning at Sage's son Big A's birthday party in a jumpy house, we will decrease his potty interval from 90 to 60 minutes (his accident happened at about 70 minutes).

I am zonked but the point is that Leelo is a sweet dear spaceman who is trying very hard to adapt to our Earthling ways but doesn't always understand why but even so is doing so very well. It has been 3+ years since we realized that our theoretical Leelo and our resident Leelo are two very different boys. But I no longer care. I love who he is, not who he could be. He demonstrates frequently that he loves us as much as we love him. We are all in very different places than we were at that time. I like this place better.

Technorati Tags: adhd, autism, autism awareness, autistic, Leelo, parenting, special needs parenting

I Lied

I Lied

Power went out and the kids went nutso and refused to entertain themselves. Will try to post for real tonight.

Keep Watching This Space

Keep Watching This Space

I will post something meaty this afternoon when I have more than five minutes to gather myself together. I don't know why, but for some reason I am crying at the least provocation, which then makes me furious, which then makes me depressed and uninterested in writing. But today the kids are off and as a result we've fifteen fewer errands, which should help.

I either need more coffee, or less of it.

And, Veterans, I am thinking of you in gratitude and awe.

Technorati Tags: Veterans' Day

Happy Birthday Leelo!

Happy Birthday Leelo!

Whoever could have possibly imagined that our boy would turn six years old?



Sweet snuggly boy, Happy birthday to you.

---

Addenudum: Barfy Birthday to You! Seymour just called to say that he's coming back home from school with Leelo as our birthday boy just barfed all over his car.

Technorati Tags: Leelo, Happy Birthday

Vote or Die

Vote or Die

Why should you vote? Because I will ban your IP address if you don't. Because you're an asshole if you don't.

KQED's Democracy project for kids has a simple write up on why voting is so important, summarized in a way that is not entirely inappropriate for many adults I know. Do not take your right for granted. Even if you disagree with me and my politics.

Here are some sites that helped me make decisions:

http://www.peterates.com/props-1106.shtml

http://www.noon85.com/

http://www.plan4ourfuture.org/

Our own dear Badger

If you haven't had time to do the research, then all you have to do is go through my list of propositions below (read the links, too), and then vote Democrat on everything else.

Here is my opinion on the California State Propositions. (The titles and some of the links were swiped from Pete.)

• 
  1A NO Gasoline sales tax (Sales taxes go to the GENERAL fund. They shouldn't be earmarked. This is a bad bad precendent.)


• 
  1B YES Transportation bonds


• 
  1C YES Housing Bonds so people can actually live in California ($2.85 billion)


• 
  1D YES School & University Construction Bonds ($10 billion)


• 
  1E YES Flood Control Bonds ($4 billion) Prevention is expensive, but much less costly than disaster relief and reconstruction. Just ask the people of the Gulf Coast states.


• 
  83 NO Increasing Punishment of Sex Offenders. Even Orange County conservatives oppose this one.


• 
  84 YES Drinking Water & Flood Control Bonds ($5.4 billion) While I am conflicted because of some overlap with IE, 84 is backed by almost everyone I respect.


• 
  85 NO Parental Notification for Minors Getting Abortions. NO. Let's not further fuck up the lives of at-risk teen girls.


• 
  86 YES Cigarette Tax Hike to Fund Health Services. Sure.


• 
  87 YES Oil Production Tax to Fund Alternative Energy.


• 
  88 YES $50-per-Parcel Tax for K-12 Education. Undo some of the damage of Prop 13, with respect to education.


• 89 YES Public Financing of Political Campaigns. Duh. Not even bothering with a link.


• 
  90 NO Limiting Regulation of Private Property. Complicated, but basically Prop 90 "...will make land use regulation in California so expensive that it will simply cease." Please read the whole link.

And of course, if you live in this area, please vote for Iz's hero Ira Ruskin for state assembly. He is pro-environment, pro-choice, and seems to actually have principles.

Technorati Tags: democracy, voting

Watch Long and Prosper

Watch Long and Prosper

It is time to start Iz's Star Trek indoctrination campaign. I figured the best way would be to start at the beginning--pre-Kirk, even--and then progress through ST and ST:TNG chronologically (as produced, not the actual chronology). Local video store, here we come, right?

No, not right. The local video store doesn't really stock videos anymore. They are a DVD emporium, and they refuse to stock the astronomically expensive original series DVD's in their fancy communicator-style box sets.

I guess I can see if the library has the videos. But this is irritating, this blatant milking of the fan base.

----

11/9 Update: TVLand is showing all the episodes in order, starting this Saturday 11/11! Thanks for the heads-up, Nevermind!

Technorati Tags: Star Trek

Well Now, Hit Me Over the Head With a Roll of Toilet Paper

Well Now, Hit Me Over the Head With a Roll of Toilet Paper

Mali declined tonight's bath with an imperious, "Go pee pee and poo poo in the potty, Mama." (!?)

So Seymour tossed the potty seat downstairs, said insert was placed upon the throne, and Mali ascended. She didn't actually produce anything, but she sat there for a good long time chattering about her theoretical output and also demonstrating that she has observed exactly what TP is for and how it is used:

Originally uploaded by Squid Rosenberg.

I must admit that I am not exactly thrilled about the thought of potty training her right now. Leelo is just getting into a good groove with his own toileting efforts (he spends 7:30 to 3:30 daily in underwear--weekends too, now--with no accidents for weeks), and I don't want to jinx him by having his little sister edge into the potty spotlight.

Not much we can do, though. If Mali wants to start using the toilet, it's best for us to go along with it. And I will just have to hope that this was a one-off effort, and that she'll forget about it for another six months. At which time she will train herself within 24 hours. That I can take.

Technorati Tags: potty training, toddler, toddler milestones

Serious Sleep Snafus

Serious Sleep Snafus

I am starting to realize that Miss Mali has absolutely no idea how to put herself to sleep without the assistance of a car ride, stroller, boob, or utter exhaustion. She is only getting about 8 hours total (naps included) of sleep per day. This seems not only undesirable but unhealthy.

What we need to do is not just transition but totally retrain her. Anyone with experience in post-weaning sleep training of a strong-willed insomniac toddler who still sleeps in her parents' bed because there's no place else to put her--or indeed anyone with half an idea of what might help--please chime in. Please!

Technorati Tags: sleep issues, toddler, weaning