Surmountable: Capable of Being Overcome

Ever have days when you feel stalked by sorrow?  I have been feeling this way lately. I wonder if it's due to the narrowness of my view? Its like I have the Mommy Blinders on and I have no Idea of the world around me. It was a HOT summer where we have been stuck inside. Now the weather has flipped and its cooler than normal and yet I'm still daily praying for rain, Oh where are the October rains??? Oh no wait it's November... So I keep diligently praying for rain. Who's idea was it to build a city in this arid landscape anyway?

Last Sunday I ran into a friend I used to work with on a daily basis. She was sitting outside on a perfect evening. I was feeling lonely and sad. I had totally messed up my schedule and had just completed a task I was supposed to have done hours before that I had forgotten about.  Yet here in Gods perfect timing was my friend.

She looked at me and said "It feels like 2 years since I really talked to you last." Oh how true that was!! She was so right it has been 2 years. My focus has been so turned into family, fixing the issues at home, healing Little M...... I mean Sweet Potato's brain.  Side note here: I have been lovingly rebuked (isn't it awesome to be Truly Lovingly rebuked :-) by a dear friend and as per her suggestion I am officially changing Little M.' moniker to Sweet Potato, but I digress.  So back to the story... Yup its been a good bit more than 2 years to bring about real change in her attitude, hurts, learning disabilities.  I'm still amazed at the flexibly of her brain and it's ability to change, grow and heal. I just love these Nuro typical days..... upon day, upon day, upon day...we are enjoying them so much.  It was wonderful to sit and talk to my friend about dogs, and the weather. To pass the time pleasantly in the company of  one who loved me even when I wasn't available. 

I feel like I have been under water for a long time holding my breath and now I can see the surface all sparkling in the sun. Soon I can burst forth from the water and breath again.  Only just a few more strokes for a clean full fresh breath of air. Ever dive really deep and look up, feel the pressure of the water actually propelling you upwards. Yup that is how I feel now, ever since the last evaluation at Little Giant Steps. Not that we don't have bad moments brought on by her issues. But now I suddenly feel confidant again they are surmountable.

It's been a season at home and it's been worth it. But today I so enjoyed a fuller day at work.  C. took my kids with hers to a petting zoo (woo hooo field trip I didn't have to chaperon!!!) And I got to go use part of my brain that hasn't been used in a good 5-6 years. Once I found where Adobe hid the tool I was looking for in Photoshop. I was able to then train a talented artist in a different way to silhouette... Old school style...cause lets face it... it's the only way I know how and that select tool just wasn't cutting it.  I swear my brain made happy juice as I was remembering how I used to do this. At one point I was bouncing back n' forth between tools.  I KNEW there was an easier way and of course once I stopped trying to actively remember, my reflexes took over. And bingo!! My fingers had not forgotten the key strokes even tho my brain had. I had the tools I  needed at the stroke of a key.  The Brain is Amazing!!!

Scared by Big Numbers

We continue to work on 2 step problems here with DD1.  She is still struggling.  We had very easy problems today. Even tho I had her act it out. I could see the sullen I'm so confused look on her face.  This is a different expression from the sullen I don't want to do it look.  Working with the problem  I rephrased it made it a line drawing tried again in a more Visual Math Method.  Once I did that consciousness began to dawn in her head.
Then she was able to actually understand what she is doing. (15 minutes per problem is a bit of a problem).  So we went on to the next problem.  yet again I got the blank sullen stare...

here it is in a nut shell you sell 500 hundred balloons 235 were yellow and 176 were blue, the rest were red.  How many were Red?
DD1: "The Rest."
Ha ha ha ha shes right
Mom: Ok how many were Red?
DD1:  I Don't Know!
this could go on for hours... I went into more detail but I could see. The learning train had left the station and she was not on it...

I tried it with pictures of balloons but she didn't want to wait for me to draw 500 balloons and have her cross out the various amounts... Then I had a memory flash in my mind of how scared I used to be of huge numbers Anything over 10 was HUGE so 235 and 176 were scaring her.
So I reworded it
you sold 5 balloons at the fair 2 were blue and 2 were yellow  how many were Red?
DD1: One Mom... yes!
Mom: Now you sold 500 balloons at the fair 200 were blue and 200 were yellow. How many were Red?
DD1: 100 Mom... ok what did you do
DD1: well 2+2 is 4 and 5-4=1 same thing for hundreds
Mom: so do that same thing on the BIG SCARY numbers...
DD1: oh add the yellow and blue?
Mom: YES!
DD1: And then take the answer away from 500 to get Red balloons??
Mom: YES!
And that is how she did her word problems today 35 min later she had only done 2,  two step word problems  but hey she DID THEM!