A wee little catch up as I wait for Etta..................

 While I wait for Etta to head my way I thought I would do a brief catch up.  There is no way I can even remember what has happened these past few weeks while I have been away, it is strange once you take a break it is hard to get back in the blogging groove.  When I was at work this morning we got a notice school was being dismissed at 11:00 because of the storm.  I had to make a quick decision to pack things up and head back up towards my house to pick up Little Buddy.  I managed a quick trip to the grocery store and to the pet store for food.  I already had batteries and water, flash lights and candles ready just in case.  In Florida you have to be prepared.  This storm took me by surprise.  Last I looked it was headed up to the panhandle of Florida, I really did not give it a thought.  But now we are home anticipating some rain and some wind, nothing really crazy but it will be an interesting night.  Mr. 23 and Ms. L arrived with Luna this afternoon.  They live in a low lying area of St Petersburg and it is just safer for them here.  Plus we are fully stocked with food which is important to a 23 year old young man.  Mr. 27 (his birthday was on Halloween) and Ms. B headed up to Dayton, Ohio to visit her family today.  They got out before any bad weather started.  It was nice to spend some unexpected time with Little Buddy this afternoon although most of it has been completing work from school.  Thank goodness Ms. L is here to help, writing a comparative essay about Canadian Geese and Monarch butterflies and migration might have put me in the looney bin.  Yes, he is in third grade and apparently that is what they write about now.  I was ready to throw it all away and let him get a bad grade before she patiently stepped in to help.  Tomorrow is a hurricane day, the weather should be breaking but some of our county floods so it is not safe for kids, parents or busses to be out.  We have lots more work to do for school, but for now that little nine year old brain needs a break and so do I.

Hank and Bear have had a much needed haircut but I don't seem to have a photo of it.  Bear must have had his hair pulled while the groomer was brushing him because he literally almost chewed a hole in his leg after his appointment.  He has had a cone on for almost two weeks because he won't leave it alone.  Again no photos because along with no blogging I apparently can't take a picture either.  He is healing up although a big patch of fur is off his leg.  He doesn't even seem to mind the cone anymore, that is how long it has been on.

We are waiting the final copy on some educational testing for this cute boy.   His school is not understanding him.  Teachers are amazing and dedicated but they just don't understand the way his brain works.  It is frustrating for me to see assignments and tests returned with bad grades because of specific wording of the questions or because he did not complete the busy work on time.  

This is one of those examples.  The vocabulary word is compile.

Please compile a list of two items you would like on your ice cream.

LB:  Mom I don't like anything on my ice cream, I like vanilla ice cream and that is it.

Me: Okay, please compile a list of two items Mom would like on her ice cream.

LB: Mom you can't eat sugar, you don't eat ice cream.

Me: Okay, please compile a list of two items Dad would like on his ice cream.

LB: Oh, Dad likes Oreos on his ice cream, do you think he would like skittles?

Do you see the issues?  His brain just does not work like everyone else.  He would have been stuck on this problem and not been able to finish the assignment if he had not been at home and the problem was reworded.  He is unique and wonderful but not a neurotypical child and frankly the public school system does not do well with a non-neurotypical child in a regular classroom.  I am still searching out options for him for the rest of the year and frankly until he graduates from high school.

Just because I post this photo every year I had to post it again even though we are well past Halloween.  Little Buddy was a Minecraft Zombie but for some reason those photos did not download on my computer.  Imagine a 100% polyester zombie body with a big square mask that looks like a green cube and there you have it.  We were the only ones trick or treating in my neighborhood.  Most people had a bowl of candy on their porch or had their lights off.  Still my little boy thought it was fun to walk around in the dark and ring peoples door bells. 

I do have a finish to show you.  A gift for Mr. 27 and Ms. B for Christmas.  It is based on the Equinox Square with a few modifications.  I added many rows to each square to make it larger and joined as I went along.  Made with We Are Knitter's pima cotton in a beautiful soft gray although it looks green in the photos.  It is a big throw, size 51 by 65 inches and it is really soft.  I used a size J hook and I believe 2,600 yards of yarn.  After joining the squares I added a 4 1/2 inch border with a variation of double crochet and treble crochet clusters.  That is about all I remember because I appear to have not made many notes about this project.  I am on blanket number two for Mr. 23 and Ms. L.  It is made with smaller squares and I am really enjoying it.  I wish I could be working on it right now but since they are at my house that is not going to happen.

Okay time to go make tacos for all the family staying here tonight.  Hope you are all well. Hope you are recovering from all the election stress.  And here is a bit of a reminder, you may not agree with me or my beliefs but I am who I am and have never, nor will I ever shy away from my deep beliefs about voting for the greater good of all people, not just me.  If you do not like what I have to say I wish you well and good-bye.  If you leave me a nutty anonymous comment lacking facts I am going to ignore you and delete it.  Just saying.