It's Me, Not You (Follow Up to Notes In C-Minor)

Despite what I feel were my best efforts, this morning I was still in the same place I was last month.  The struggle with the school system to accommodate my daughter in school was annoying.  I had the perfect opportunity to have my daughter tested for ADD but the forms completed by the teacher painted a different picture than our one on one conversations.  According to her reports there was nothing out of the ordinary about my daughter.  She was fine.  This in turn suggested to the people that were considering testing my child for ADD that she was not an optimal candidate.  While they believed she did have some traits, they were not strong enough to warrant testing and inclusion in their study. 

Those words cut deep.  So basically I am at square one.  As tears streamed down my face, I questioned why I felt alone in this struggle, and why I had to prove to people that my child could benefit from a little bit of flexibility and assistance during school.  

I sat in the car, in the drive way of my youngest daughters daycare, and just cried.  I felt defeated and exhausted.  Then I started thinking about other things that made me sad, and I was a mess.  Things that had absolutely NOTHING to do with the current issue began racing through my head. I started making decisions that I wasn't going to do this anymore, and that I wasn't going to do that anymore, and basically people could kiss my butt, because I am tired of helping people with their problems as I struggle through my own.  

But just as quickly as the anger and pain came, it went away.  I started putting things into perspective.  I realized that there was nothing WRONG with my daughter.  She learns differently.  Cool.  Address that! I don't need a diagnosis to get me a piece of paper, to demand a subpar school system, to force their subpar school to make the subpar principal create an EIP or 504 plan for my child.   I've had conversations with teachers about her being off track more times than I care to remember, but just realized that they will NOT put anything in writing.  Maybe it's to protect them, the school or the County. I don't know.  

I just need to know what works for my little girl and go that route.  That includes keeping the focus on school this summer.  She's enrolled in engineering camp this summer. I am hoping that will help her see what's out there for her when she graduates school.  I am also working hard to find an alternative school for her.  I have a feeling we won't be able to enroll her next year because deadlines have passed and we aren't financially ready to send her.  I hate the fact that she will be in a school that is teaching to pass state tests to prove the teachers can teach the state test material, but hey, my hands are tied right now. I have no other options.  I can only plan ahead.  

I've committed myself to stop chasing a diagnosis.  I know what I know.  I'm her mother, and I knew this child was cut from a different cloth the moment she first kicked in the womb, I am satisfied with my diagnosis....Everything about this beautiful child is perfectly RIGHT.  I will encourage her to continue to ask questions, speak her mind and explore the unknown.  It's her world!   And I cannot believe that I was struggling to put society's standards on her, like she was the problem.   She has already taught me a thing or two, and I absolutely adore her for this life lesson!

Honey Nut GMO's

There has been a lot of buzz in the news recently regarding marriage equality for same sex couples.  And while I believe the landmark decisions made out of this very high profile case will have a tremendous impact in our history, there was something else going on right in front of our faces. 

President Obama signed H.R. 933. 

  

*clears throat* I was the blue bubble.  Well not really, but I had no clue what the Monsanto Protection Act was, and I didn't know that it happened until folks on my FB timeline were discussing it.  The bill was introduced to the House on March 4th, and even with a petition with over 250,000 signatures demanding more research on the effects of GMO,  it was made into law on the 26th of March.  

Read More About The Act

http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-bill-blunt-agriculture-006/

I try my best to protect my kids and husband from the "evils" of processed food, and when I heard of GMO's a while back, I tried to stay clear of that as well, but the truth of the matter is, I didn't know how to effectively protect myself from the GMO monster.  I had no clue where exactly he was hiding.  I wasn't sure if he was a brightly colored, tap dancing monster, or if he was like a creepy ghost.  Came to find out GMO is a little of both.

You can't protect yourself from things you don't know exist.  So now I am back to the drawing board, ensuring that the majority of what we eat is organic and GMO-free.  I give major props to my girl, Tanya, who is really trying to start a revolution.  Because it's easy for me to switch and buy the good stuff so easily, but for those in poorer neighborhoods where those options aren't easily attainable, it's extremely hard.  Tanya recognizes that, she understands it because she is living testimony of the food inequality going on in her own community.  A pack of hotdogs cost 99cents, but a piece of lean organic chicken can run you $8.00. It's not fair, it's not right, and it shouldn't be tolerated.  Tanya is doing something about it....she's not just talking the talk, my girl is walking the walk too!! Support her efforts and possibly be inspired to not only donate to her cause, but to also duplicate her efforts in other communities.

Support the Veggie Mobile Market

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-veggie-mobile-market

My kids and I are starting a veggie garden in the back.  Now I have a certified black thumb when it comes to horticulture.  I've tried everything.  My mother in law on the other hand can take the corn kernel stuck in the back of your tooth, plant that joker and have a full garden by the end of the harvesting season.  I am pretty sure that if my garden flourishes the way I want it to, that I will have more than my share of produce, and I will commit to selling or donating to those that find it hard to obtain in their community.  

I'll post pictures of my garden.  If the pics suddenly stop, that means I wanted to spare you countless pictures of dirt (because my crops didn't grow).

Please share this post with others.  Not for me, but to share the efforts of Tanya!!  And thanks to those on my timeline who keep me in the loop.  I don't claim to know it all, but I am grateful for the folks I surround myself around who push this knowledge in my face.  

Check out this video:  

~EITB