I take it you're excited about the movie?

Come on Sophia! We want to hear about your first smile!!

You have NO IDEA. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite animated movie and Maleficent is my FAVORITE VILLAIN EVER!

Originally Posted by steelmagghia

That sounds so frustrating Elmira! And with no real police force, there just isn't much you can do about it. *hugs* Good luck!

Ah! I should do a cheer for her!
"Come on Sophia you can do it! Let's get born!"

I may squeal every time the commercial for Maleficent comes on. Every. Time.

Originally Posted by Elmira Swift

I take it you're excited about the movie?

Come on Sophia! We want to hear about your first smile!!

Thanks both of you! We're doing cheers and bribes and all that we can think of here.
You name it, I've probably started trying it. xD LOL!

Haha, just promise you won't do the cod liver oil business. That will just give you diarrhea.

That is very good to know - now I definitely won't.

Haha, yeah, the crazy things people tell pregnant women to do kill me sometimes. I'm like o_0

Even I'm not that mental, well I might be, but I don't think I am! XD

Haha, I hope you're not.

Today's cranky:

So -- a friend's ex-girlfriend(someone I do not like) is apparently going to Otakon this year. Okay, this is all well and good; with 35,000 people, the chances of me even seeing the shrew are minimal.

BUT! She found out about the Saturday night Soul Eater gathering, and now she wants to go.

UGH.

It almost makes me not want to cosplay at ALL at Otakon this year.

There are benefits to having an extreme bitchy resting face. I don't even have to try to look unapproachable.

Go to the event and IF you encounter the cretin, ignore her or tell her to get lost. No sense in being polite. Will you be there with other friends?

don't let one stupid person ruin your fun. I like Elmira's advice :)

Originally Posted by onsenmark

Today's cranky:

So -- a friend's ex-girlfriend(someone I do not like) is apparently going to Otakon this year. Okay, this is all well and good; with 35,000 people, the chances of me even seeing the shrew are minimal.

BUT! She found out about the Saturday night Soul Eater gathering, and now she wants to go.

UGH.

It almost makes me not want to cosplay at ALL at Otakon this year.

God, I'm sorry. That's always so freaking miserable. Does she not realize that no one really wants her around?

Originally Posted by Elmira Swift

There are benefits to having an extreme bitchy resting face. I don't even have to try to look unapproachable.

Go to the event and IF you encounter the cretin, ignore her or tell her to get lost. No sense in being polite. Will you be there with other friends?

See, I really WISH I had a resting bitch face. Instead, I have a resting "I love everyone!" face. Which has gotten me into a lot of horribly uncomfortable situations.

What's totally bizarre is when I smile, my whole face lights up. Like 0-60 happy face. When the song "Sarah Smile" came out, my life was hell - bitchy resting face and it would prompt people to sing that ditty to me. It can come in handy, in fact, I have a meeting with Otto's teachers at the elementary he'll go to next year. We had major issues with them while Soki went there, so I am trying to remain calm.

Haha, poor Elmira!

Are they the same teachers that Soki had, or just the same elementary. Things can change a bit. What kind of problems did you have? YOU CAN TOTALLY TELL ME TO SHOVE IT IF I'M BEING TOO NOSY!

They refused to do any testing for her autism or anxiety disorder. Right before her dad died, we lost our insurance and her pediatrician wouldn't accept medicaid after Tom died. So, I couldn't get a referral. TWO years of me begging the psychologist there, her being put back a grade for very clear autism-related issues (she was moved ahead a grade in private school so she was moved back to age level), and so on. TWO years of them saying they were not allowed to test her. One summer I was talking to a friend of mine who is friends with one of Soki's pediatricians. She called the pediatrician on the phone and the doctor agreed to grandfather Soki back to their practice. One 15 minute conversation later with the pediatrician, I walked out with a prescription form and the phrases "suspected high-functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome". The school psychologist handed me some forms and questionnaires and I contacted the specialist the pediatrician referred us to.

The private specialist tested extensively and determined Soki has Aspergers, chronic anxiety, and hypotonia - required speech therapy for pragmatic speech, OT for balance issues, and PT for fine motor skills. The school psychologist refused to issue an IEP or any therapy through the school district - who contracts those services to one of a handful of private practices locally. They do not have a team of therapists here. During this meeting where they school psychologist refused to do anything more than provide Soki with more time to take tests or to excuse herself if she was overwhelmed in the classroom environment, she looked me in the eye and said "I suspected Soki/Lily has Aspergers from when I saw her in Mrs. XYZ's classroom 2 years ago".

The school counselors and vice principal had to restrain me - gently - because I got out of my chair with thoughts of introducing the bitch's face to the top of the conference table. This refusal to do more established a pattern for Soki when she went to middle school. Zero intervention at all. At least with Otto, he's been involved in early intervention for autism and hypotonia (low muscle tone) since he was 2yo and I will not have them eliminate an IEP until I have it approved by a private specialist.

I will also sue their butts for this. Soki CANNOT function in a classroom, cannot be left at home alone so I can work, is not up to speed maturity-wise to her peers and I can point to this school as a huge factor. I know the only counselor who tried to do anything is still there. Some of the Kindergarten teachers are as well. Not sure about special ed because we never dealt with them. I think the psychologist was transferred to a different school because I have a friend who went through the same junk with her daughter - pretty sure it's the same school psychologist.

So, I had to prepare Otto's pre-K teacher and the director of his program in advance of tomorrow's meeting because I know if that woman is there I will go ballistic. This time Otto will be in school. I just had him right before this meeting for Soki, so he was in a baby carrier and I didn't want to risk going to jail. Yes, his dad will have his phone handy.

Just more reasons that public elementary schools are terrible. If I ever decide to have kids, they will be home schooled for at least those years. I am NOT willingly going to put children through that hell.

Oh my god, that is AWFUL! Jesus, I think I would have murdered her! What the hell kind of person is that awful? God I wish I could afford private school FOR you.

Soki's anxiety is so severe I could only consider a very small private/homeschool scenario where she could go part time to the school with fewer than 15 students - entire student body - but we had to move. The good news is we are focusing more on social interaction and life skills this year. She loves reading again (which she loathed because of testing) and is finding her groove with other subject areas. The downside? Without an IEP I can't have her sit for standardized tests - can't force the testing sites to provide accommodations. Still thinking about the K12 program here, but it's a longshot without an IEP.

Oh, do NOT get me started on standardize testing. It is so awful!

Just one of the many things wrong with our education system >_< So much emphasis on Standardized Testing.

I'm actually wickedly awesome at standardized tests and I still think that they're terrible.

I have a friend who is the Common Core guru for her area in San Diego. She thinks it's amazeballs. I find it disturbing.

She...LIKES....Common Core?!?! I have never met a single person that likes the Common Core. Ever. Every single person I know who has any experience with it absolutely LOATHES Common Core.

I think sleep deprivation has made her completely insane.

That makes me laugh more than I should.
Although, I'll grant that the stated GOALS of Common Core make it sound pretty awesome. But nothing else about it does.