Ok so today's post isn't really at all related to deafness (multifaceted remember :).
I'm at a point in my weight-loss journey that I'm noticing the scale not moving. It's actually been stuck for a month and half. I'm ready to tear out my hair and chunk it to the wind but instead I did some research and found out something quite accidentally.
Hypothyroidism.
Sure I've heard of it before but really didn't know what it was. Poking around and found a list of symptoms and was shocked that I have almost all of them! In fact- all the naggy things that have been tormenting me physically for the last say 5 or so YEARS are from that list! And all this time I thought it was a brain tumor or some wacky parasite caught from hanging out with little children or something :)
Since we're insurance-less and will most likely remain so (no thanks to Obama-don't-care), I've taken it into my own hands to try to come up with a homeopathic treatment. Now these steps aren't the true answer (only meds will really clear up hypothyroid symptoms) however I think I can at least give it a run for my money and a little bit of time and effort to TEMPT to feel better.
So today I'm starting my gluten-free and soy-free life. Wish me luck cause I'm going to need all of it. :)
Monday, October 28, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Deaf funnies
My son is almost 10 and always coming up with funny Deaf/hearing culture jokes. Thought I'd share them as they come to us.
Friday, October 25, 2013
ASL game ideas for teaching hearing students
For ASL class we got to do a review and game day. It was a LOT of fun :)
So today I want to share the awesome games we did. Some I took from various internet sites, some were favorites from back in the day of deaf college ministry, and some were totally made up by me.
Since we have 3 age levels I did 3 games per class. We used the vocabulary we had been learning however each of these games can be adapted to use whatever signs you are teaching or learning.
Enjoy!
Little kids class:
Colorful Balloons- This game is similar to "Four Corners" but with colors. Tape 1 balloon of each color in different areas (on the walls) of the room. Everyone except the caller- person who is blindfolded and standing in the middle of the room- runs to a balloon (hopefully not everyone goes to the same balloon but spreads out). The caller- - signs a color. Everyone who is standing under that color balloon is out. And so and so forth till there is only 1-2 left in the game.
ASL Charades- This game is just like it sounds. Because we were working with very young kids (some were not old enough to read) I went online and printed pictures of animals we had learned in ASL (if they are older kids you can print just the words). Then put all the pictures in a bag. Each child had to draw a card and act out the animal shown but without signing the name. Then all the other kids have to SIGN the name of the animal back (no voices!).
Grab Bag- This game focused on the Lesson about Foods but it can be adapted to just about any lesson. I printed off the internet pictures of foods we had learned (2 copies of each picture). Then put 1 copy of each picture into a bag. Then split the class into 2 teams and lined them up. On the opposite side of the room we had 2 chairs- each with a grab bag. When it was time to Go! 1 student would run up to the grab bag- reach in and grab 1 card- sign the picture as fast as they could- then throw the card off to the side and race back- tagging the next in line. Racing is the funniest part and you do need referees watching to see if they are signing correctly but it's neat seeing them try to remember the signs when under a time-rush.
For elementary age kids:
Who Am I?- Probably my favorite game and loved by all who play it- Who Am I? is so versatile that even Deaf people play a version of it. For ASL class we chose animal signs but you can adapt it for foods, or rooms, or family or whatever. First everyone sits in a circle (preferably on chairs) except 1 person (stands in the middle). Everyone (including the person in the middle) gets a sign- I let them pick their favorite animal but make sure everyone is DIFFERENT. Help them remember what animal each person in the circle is (no voice- only signs). Then after a lot of practicing and everyone feels familiar with who each person is- start the game. The middle person has a rolled up newspaper or magazine. Someone in the circle signs an animal name (not their own). The people in the circle as well as the middle person try to figure out who is that sign (like I say "alligator" and everyone looks for "alligator"). IF alligator realizes they have been called, they try to sign another person's animal name- i.e. "squirrel". BUT they have to call another's animal name BEFORE the middle person whacks them with the newspaper (leg not face). IF they call another's animal name before getting swatted then the middle person tries to find the second person "squirrel" before "squirrel" calls someone else's animal name. And so on and so forth until the middle person whacks someone before they can call a new name out. ONCE the middle person swats someone before they can sign a name, that person they whacked gets to become the middle person. This game is all about speed and memory.
Videophone: You all remember playing "Telephone" as kids right? Well Deaf can't use the regular telephone so we played "Videophone" instead. The basics is the same- everyone lines up facing away from the teacher (i.e all facing right). The first person (the teacher) taps the 1 student on the shoulder and signs a 2-3 sentence story. Then the student turns and taps the next student on the shoulder and repeats the story to the best of their ability. And so-on down the videophone line. The story always ends up much shorter and very interesting!
ASL Scavenger Hunt: I will include the clues I used but feel free to make up your own! Just like a regular Scavenger Hunt except substitute words in English for signed pictures of words you have taught. We did this after learning family signs and room signs. And of course- you MUST have a prize at the end of the hunt!
High School Class:
ASL Mad Libs: I printed off words we had been learning and put them in a bag. Then each student had to take 3-4 words and hold onto them without showing them to their neighbors. Then one student began a story. For example: "Sally went on a vacation." Then the student had to use their 3-4 words in the story (could voice the words they had not learned but had to sign the words that had been taught). Then the next student continues the same story but adds on using the words they pulled from the bag- again signing the words they knew instead of voicing them. In the end- everyone gets practice both signing words and reading the signs to keep the story going.
Finger Bridge: One of the first classes was fingerspelling ABCs. Students are encouraged to practice ABCs as often as they can to build fluency and speed. Since our high school class was pretty small this game was easy to do. Think like egg toss games- pair up partners and have them facing each other on opposites sides of the room. Make sure they are standing close enough to still see each other's hands :) One side fingerspells a word who's sign has also been taught in class, then the other side has to Sign the word back (i.e we learned family signs so one side fingerspelled "M-O-M" and the other side signed "Mom"). IF the person signing back gets the word correct they get to take one small step forward. IF after several attempts they can not figure out the word, they get a new word but the goal is whoever gets to their partner first- wins.
I hope each of my descriptions were clear. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions! Oh and each game could always use improvement- so feel free to make them your own :)
So today I want to share the awesome games we did. Some I took from various internet sites, some were favorites from back in the day of deaf college ministry, and some were totally made up by me.
Since we have 3 age levels I did 3 games per class. We used the vocabulary we had been learning however each of these games can be adapted to use whatever signs you are teaching or learning.
Enjoy!
Little kids class:
Colorful Balloons- This game is similar to "Four Corners" but with colors. Tape 1 balloon of each color in different areas (on the walls) of the room. Everyone except the caller- person who is blindfolded and standing in the middle of the room- runs to a balloon (hopefully not everyone goes to the same balloon but spreads out). The caller- - signs a color. Everyone who is standing under that color balloon is out. And so and so forth till there is only 1-2 left in the game.
ASL Charades- This game is just like it sounds. Because we were working with very young kids (some were not old enough to read) I went online and printed pictures of animals we had learned in ASL (if they are older kids you can print just the words). Then put all the pictures in a bag. Each child had to draw a card and act out the animal shown but without signing the name. Then all the other kids have to SIGN the name of the animal back (no voices!).
Grab Bag- This game focused on the Lesson about Foods but it can be adapted to just about any lesson. I printed off the internet pictures of foods we had learned (2 copies of each picture). Then put 1 copy of each picture into a bag. Then split the class into 2 teams and lined them up. On the opposite side of the room we had 2 chairs- each with a grab bag. When it was time to Go! 1 student would run up to the grab bag- reach in and grab 1 card- sign the picture as fast as they could- then throw the card off to the side and race back- tagging the next in line. Racing is the funniest part and you do need referees watching to see if they are signing correctly but it's neat seeing them try to remember the signs when under a time-rush.
For elementary age kids:
Who Am I?- Probably my favorite game and loved by all who play it- Who Am I? is so versatile that even Deaf people play a version of it. For ASL class we chose animal signs but you can adapt it for foods, or rooms, or family or whatever. First everyone sits in a circle (preferably on chairs) except 1 person (stands in the middle). Everyone (including the person in the middle) gets a sign- I let them pick their favorite animal but make sure everyone is DIFFERENT. Help them remember what animal each person in the circle is (no voice- only signs). Then after a lot of practicing and everyone feels familiar with who each person is- start the game. The middle person has a rolled up newspaper or magazine. Someone in the circle signs an animal name (not their own). The people in the circle as well as the middle person try to figure out who is that sign (like I say "alligator" and everyone looks for "alligator"). IF alligator realizes they have been called, they try to sign another person's animal name- i.e. "squirrel". BUT they have to call another's animal name BEFORE the middle person whacks them with the newspaper (leg not face). IF they call another's animal name before getting swatted then the middle person tries to find the second person "squirrel" before "squirrel" calls someone else's animal name. And so on and so forth until the middle person whacks someone before they can call a new name out. ONCE the middle person swats someone before they can sign a name, that person they whacked gets to become the middle person. This game is all about speed and memory.
Videophone: You all remember playing "Telephone" as kids right? Well Deaf can't use the regular telephone so we played "Videophone" instead. The basics is the same- everyone lines up facing away from the teacher (i.e all facing right). The first person (the teacher) taps the 1 student on the shoulder and signs a 2-3 sentence story. Then the student turns and taps the next student on the shoulder and repeats the story to the best of their ability. And so-on down the videophone line. The story always ends up much shorter and very interesting!
ASL Scavenger Hunt: I will include the clues I used but feel free to make up your own! Just like a regular Scavenger Hunt except substitute words in English for signed pictures of words you have taught. We did this after learning family signs and room signs. And of course- you MUST have a prize at the end of the hunt!
High School Class:
ASL Mad Libs: I printed off words we had been learning and put them in a bag. Then each student had to take 3-4 words and hold onto them without showing them to their neighbors. Then one student began a story. For example: "Sally went on a vacation." Then the student had to use their 3-4 words in the story (could voice the words they had not learned but had to sign the words that had been taught). Then the next student continues the same story but adds on using the words they pulled from the bag- again signing the words they knew instead of voicing them. In the end- everyone gets practice both signing words and reading the signs to keep the story going.
Finger Bridge: One of the first classes was fingerspelling ABCs. Students are encouraged to practice ABCs as often as they can to build fluency and speed. Since our high school class was pretty small this game was easy to do. Think like egg toss games- pair up partners and have them facing each other on opposites sides of the room. Make sure they are standing close enough to still see each other's hands :) One side fingerspells a word who's sign has also been taught in class, then the other side has to Sign the word back (i.e we learned family signs so one side fingerspelled "M-O-M" and the other side signed "Mom"). IF the person signing back gets the word correct they get to take one small step forward. IF after several attempts they can not figure out the word, they get a new word but the goal is whoever gets to their partner first- wins.
I hope each of my descriptions were clear. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions! Oh and each game could always use improvement- so feel free to make them your own :)
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Cochlear Implants and Deaf Identity
For as long as there has been cochlear implants (CIs) there has been the debate on whether CIs are wonderful or evil. Are CIs the beginning of something terrific or the end of Deaf Culture as we know it.
Recently I got to sit with a high school student and talk about cochlear implants and Deafness.
Recently I got to sit with a high school student and talk about cochlear implants and Deafness.
Here are some ponderings.
1. Are you opposed to cochlear implants?
Answer: No. I'm opposed to many things- Abortion, lying, cheating, stealing, etc., but an innate object is not one of them.
2. Do Deaf cultured people outcast those with cochlear implants?
Answer: For as many Deaf culture people that I know who loudly proclaim cochlears are evil, never have I actually met a Deaf person who literally refused to talk to someone with a cochlear. And yes I know MANY deaf with cochlears and yes most of them are my friends. Now I'm sure there is someone somewhere out there who has shunned a cochlear implant recipient but its not the norm.
3. So do YOU want a cochlear or would you get them for your children?
Answer: NO... and that's a loud NO.
4. But you just said you weren't opposed to Cochlears?
Answer: I'm not opposed to a cochlear implant HOWEVER I am opposed to something much deeper. It's the mentality that CIs make a deaf child hearing. I despise this idea. Words can not convey how much I hate this idea.
5. But what about hearing aids? You allow those right?
Answer: A. Hearing aids are not major surgery on your child's head. Which is not, for the most part, removeable, replaceable, and carries enormous health risks that are rarely disclosed but are much more common that many believe.
B. We treat hearing aids as tools but we do not elevate them- I hate the idea that hearing aids can make you hearing with the same blinding passion as with CIs.
C. I've never forced our kids to wear their aids. One child loves them and the others hate them. 90% of the time they sit in a drawer. I let me kids lead because they are not vital to our lives nor do they dictate our ability to communicate with each other.
6. So what about adults getting CIs?
Answer: I view born deaf and late-deafened as two separate beasts. I think for someone who was born hearing, they have the capability to use CI very successfully. They were once hearing- they aren't being "changed" into something they never were before. I think if the person is old enough to make the decision for themselves and they fully understand the risks, then CI is a valid option.
Now that being said- this is MY opinion and MY conviction. But I know many parents around me who give their babies CIs. Does this mean I hate them and never want anything to do with them and I'm secretly judging them in my head? Judge judge judge!! Bad bad bad!!! Hmmm no.
Yes I might be sad but I still want to be your friend and I hope you'd want to be mine even if we chose not to get CIs.
In the end its never been about the cochlear implant. It's about how parents or individuals approach Deafness. If you feel like deafness is inferior and a problem to be fixed; something less than normal- then we're going to have issues. But if you are a loving accepting parent that most parents tend to be- you just might be A-okay in my book.
10 annoying habits of hearing people
This is an article posted by a UK Deaf writer. Funny and accurate stuff :)
http://limpingchicken.com/2013/05/20/charlie-swinbourne-the-10-incredibly-annoying-habits-of-hearing-people/
To be fair he does a "10 annoying habits of Deaf people" which is equally funny and true.
http://limpingchicken.com/2013/07/10/annoying-habits-of-deaf-people/
http://limpingchicken.com/2013/05/20/charlie-swinbourne-the-10-incredibly-annoying-habits-of-hearing-people/
To be fair he does a "10 annoying habits of Deaf people" which is equally funny and true.
http://limpingchicken.com/2013/07/10/annoying-habits-of-deaf-people/
Saturday, October 19, 2013
My 1st 5K- The Color Run!
I am BEYOND EXCITED!
Today (yep- at the crack of dawn) I get to pick up my teammates and head to my very first ever 5K- The Color Run!
Sure I know it's not about running a real race (they don't time and there's too many people to ever consider running :) BUT that is not what this race is about.
It's a REAL goal accomplished.
It's tangible. It's visual. It's something I can taste and smell and physically be immersed in. I MADE this goal!
It makes the last 4 months of despair and worry just melt away and know I AM doing this. I AM making good decisions with my health even if the scale never moves.
I seriously can hardly wait!
Be back later with the after pictures :)
Today (yep- at the crack of dawn) I get to pick up my teammates and head to my very first ever 5K- The Color Run!
Sure I know it's not about running a real race (they don't time and there's too many people to ever consider running :) BUT that is not what this race is about.
It's a REAL goal accomplished.
It's tangible. It's visual. It's something I can taste and smell and physically be immersed in. I MADE this goal!
It makes the last 4 months of despair and worry just melt away and know I AM doing this. I AM making good decisions with my health even if the scale never moves.
I seriously can hardly wait!
Be back later with the after pictures :)
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Weightloss Wednesday: Mountain top reflections
I've found in this journey there are several key moments or Ahha! times were the thickness of the clouds and despair I feel clears away and leaves me standing there realizing I'm on the mountain.
Yesterday I had one of those moments.
It was all so sudden. Driving to the gym and realizing this is dedication. When you get up and go to the gym and ride a bike for 6 miles but never leave the room... even when every muscle in your body is screaming NO!!!!!.... yep- dedication. It's like fire in the bones.
Then it hit me. All those despairing moments, all the frustrations, really are just a cover for the true state of it all. I'm climbing the mountain.
Sometimes it's painfully slow. Sometimes I'm stumbling over rocks and crawling with skinned up knees but I AM climbing that mountain.
Sometimes things look great and sometimes the sun is covered in clouds. But it's ok. Cause I'm climbing on.
The point of weight loss isn't about great leaps and bounds. It's about small and steady change. If I keep up eating the right things, if I keep up exercising even if it's not officially a day in the gym (just a walk around the backyard with the kids works), if I keep tracking calories/carbs/etc, if I keep getting and giving support... then I AM climbing!
This month's weight loss motto for me is from Abraham Lincoln. He once said, "I walk slowly but I never walk backwards." Amen and Amen.
So I just wanted to say- keep climbing ya'll. It sounds cliche and maybe I'm a little mountain happy from the altitude but for now I'm just enjoying the moment.
Yesterday I had one of those moments.
It was all so sudden. Driving to the gym and realizing this is dedication. When you get up and go to the gym and ride a bike for 6 miles but never leave the room... even when every muscle in your body is screaming NO!!!!!.... yep- dedication. It's like fire in the bones.
Then it hit me. All those despairing moments, all the frustrations, really are just a cover for the true state of it all. I'm climbing the mountain.
Sometimes it's painfully slow. Sometimes I'm stumbling over rocks and crawling with skinned up knees but I AM climbing that mountain.
Sometimes things look great and sometimes the sun is covered in clouds. But it's ok. Cause I'm climbing on.
The point of weight loss isn't about great leaps and bounds. It's about small and steady change. If I keep up eating the right things, if I keep up exercising even if it's not officially a day in the gym (just a walk around the backyard with the kids works), if I keep tracking calories/carbs/etc, if I keep getting and giving support... then I AM climbing!
This month's weight loss motto for me is from Abraham Lincoln. He once said, "I walk slowly but I never walk backwards." Amen and Amen.
So I just wanted to say- keep climbing ya'll. It sounds cliche and maybe I'm a little mountain happy from the altitude but for now I'm just enjoying the moment.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Helen Keller
Today in our ASL class, Mrs. Tamara was talking about Helen Keller.
One of Helen Keller's less famous quotes was, “Blindness separates us from things, but deafness separates us from people.”
What a profound statement.
It's so true. Blindness separates us from things (objects in life, what we can't see, colors, light). However Deafness separates us in a much more intimate way. It separates us from people, from relationships, from communication.
Blindness as a disability is very obviously seen by outsiders. You can physically SEE that someone is blind most of the time. Either they have a seeing eye dog, or a white cane, or read braille. It's an "obvious" disability most of the time.
However Deafness is not. You can't just look at someone and know they are Deaf or hard of hearing. I could talk to you on the street and unless I TOLD you I was Deaf, you'd never know.
Some Deaf (especially late-deafened) talk perfectly. Some Deaf lip-read well enough to "fake it". With some Deaf it's more obvious than others. So the "recognition" part is sometimes missing.
It leads to misunderstandings.
Growing up people at school would say I'm snobby because I wouldn't answer them when I simply didn't hear them. Even today people think I'm offended when I "ignore" them, but I just didn't hear the comment in the first place.
And what about those that are obviously Deaf. Even though they are in and of themselves absolutely 100% NORMAL, their Deafness creates a chasm that many do not want to take the time to overcome. Deafness can (though not always) builds a wall between mother/father and Deaf child, Deaf parent from hearing child, Deaf siblings from brothers/sisters, and Deaf from the Hearing world. It is the harshest of realities that come with not being about to hear.
But all is not lost.
You see when Helen Keller said she'd rather be blind than deaf, I disagree. I'd rather be Deaf than anything else in the world.
Why? Because Deaf people overcome. Parents, siblings, children CAN learn to sign. Language can be learned, people CAN communicate.
It just takes time, patience, and a lot of understanding.
I hope if you are reading this today- you commit to bridging the gap. Break down that wall.
Don't let Deafness separate us as people.
One of Helen Keller's less famous quotes was, “Blindness separates us from things, but deafness separates us from people.”
What a profound statement.
It's so true. Blindness separates us from things (objects in life, what we can't see, colors, light). However Deafness separates us in a much more intimate way. It separates us from people, from relationships, from communication.
Blindness as a disability is very obviously seen by outsiders. You can physically SEE that someone is blind most of the time. Either they have a seeing eye dog, or a white cane, or read braille. It's an "obvious" disability most of the time.
However Deafness is not. You can't just look at someone and know they are Deaf or hard of hearing. I could talk to you on the street and unless I TOLD you I was Deaf, you'd never know.
Some Deaf (especially late-deafened) talk perfectly. Some Deaf lip-read well enough to "fake it". With some Deaf it's more obvious than others. So the "recognition" part is sometimes missing.
It leads to misunderstandings.
Growing up people at school would say I'm snobby because I wouldn't answer them when I simply didn't hear them. Even today people think I'm offended when I "ignore" them, but I just didn't hear the comment in the first place.
And what about those that are obviously Deaf. Even though they are in and of themselves absolutely 100% NORMAL, their Deafness creates a chasm that many do not want to take the time to overcome. Deafness can (though not always) builds a wall between mother/father and Deaf child, Deaf parent from hearing child, Deaf siblings from brothers/sisters, and Deaf from the Hearing world. It is the harshest of realities that come with not being about to hear.
But all is not lost.
You see when Helen Keller said she'd rather be blind than deaf, I disagree. I'd rather be Deaf than anything else in the world.
Why? Because Deaf people overcome. Parents, siblings, children CAN learn to sign. Language can be learned, people CAN communicate.
It just takes time, patience, and a lot of understanding.
I hope if you are reading this today- you commit to bridging the gap. Break down that wall.
Don't let Deafness separate us as people.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
How to save on PhotoBooks and much more
Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.
My oldest son turns 10 in November and so this year we wanted to do something extra extra special. We created a birth-10 photobook from Shutterfly for one of his gifts :)
One of his (and my) favorite night-time games is called "Remember when..."
We often sit on his bed and just talk about memories from his childhood. I know he will LOVE this book :)
Shutterfly can have amazing deals. Since this was my first time on Shutterfly, I received a coupon for 50 free (4 by 6) prints. ALSO I bought a Groupon for $20 off an 8 by 8 book.
My total for 68 pictures (I took myself and edited on Picassa) for Christmas gifts to grandparents, for myself, and aunts/uncles, plus (1) 8 by 8 book for son's birthday was originally $53.-... After discounts and Groupons- $13-. Add the $10 I spend on Groupon- $23 all together for amazing pictures and a gift that will last a lifetime.
I'm very pleased!
Learning the sites that save you money is worth the time.
Places like Groupon, Half Price Depot, Living Social save you money on gift cards, restaurants, events, and more.
Places like RetailMeNot give online coupons.
Places like Shutterfly give great picture and memorbilla discounts.
And my new favorite- Shop.com combines NewEgg.com, EBay, Amazon, Groupon, and more all in one place.
Check them out and enjoy saving!
My oldest son turns 10 in November and so this year we wanted to do something extra extra special. We created a birth-10 photobook from Shutterfly for one of his gifts :)
One of his (and my) favorite night-time games is called "Remember when..."
We often sit on his bed and just talk about memories from his childhood. I know he will LOVE this book :)
Shutterfly can have amazing deals. Since this was my first time on Shutterfly, I received a coupon for 50 free (4 by 6) prints. ALSO I bought a Groupon for $20 off an 8 by 8 book.
My total for 68 pictures (I took myself and edited on Picassa) for Christmas gifts to grandparents, for myself, and aunts/uncles, plus (1) 8 by 8 book for son's birthday was originally $53.-... After discounts and Groupons- $13-. Add the $10 I spend on Groupon- $23 all together for amazing pictures and a gift that will last a lifetime.
I'm very pleased!
Learning the sites that save you money is worth the time.
Places like Groupon, Half Price Depot, Living Social save you money on gift cards, restaurants, events, and more.
Places like RetailMeNot give online coupons.
Places like Shutterfly give great picture and memorbilla discounts.
And my new favorite- Shop.com combines NewEgg.com, EBay, Amazon, Groupon, and more all in one place.
Check them out and enjoy saving!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Deaf History: ASL class Week 1
This week is the start of our Homeschool ASL classes. I've teamed up with my Deaf friend Tamara over at Silent Heart Ministries to assist her in teaching American Sign Language to the homeschool community in north/northwest Charlotte.
I wanted to share as we work together on this project because as anyone who has ever taught a class knows- 99% of the work is done behind the scenes. Teachers hours and hours of prep before they ever step into a classroom.
Tamara has worked on the power points and vocabulary aspects of this class. You can look at her PPTs as well as find sites for practicing online on her blog (here). She will be adding lessons as we go along.
I wanted to share as well my efforts in compiling ASL related games, activities, and history/culture lessons. Hopefully week by week I will add as we go as well.
For today- check out this site on Learning ASL and Deaf History!
And be sure to come back often and check on our progress :)
I wanted to share as we work together on this project because as anyone who has ever taught a class knows- 99% of the work is done behind the scenes. Teachers hours and hours of prep before they ever step into a classroom.
Tamara has worked on the power points and vocabulary aspects of this class. You can look at her PPTs as well as find sites for practicing online on her blog (here). She will be adding lessons as we go along.
I wanted to share as well my efforts in compiling ASL related games, activities, and history/culture lessons. Hopefully week by week I will add as we go as well.
For today- check out this site on Learning ASL and Deaf History!
And be sure to come back often and check on our progress :)
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Just one of those weeks (months)
It's just been one of those weeks.
You know how it goes... running like a crazy person, cramming so much into the schedule you think the schedule will burst.
Rushing so much that you have to air dry your hair by rolling the windows of the van while going 70 (ish) on the highway.
In such a hurry you don't notice your skirt is inside out till you're half way to church.
Yeah- THAT kind of busy.
As I get (ah- hmm) wiser (older), I notice life goes in various phases. Sometimes I'm in the place where everything is still, calm. And other times life is spinning almost out of control on the brink of chaos.
Sometimes I love the calm. And sometimes I love the chaos.
But in it all I want to be one thing- content.
Content that in the calm or chaos God is in control.
And He has a plan bigger than me.
And He loves me and wants the best for His people.
....
So for now, I'm loving the craziness. And holding on for dear life.
You know how it goes... running like a crazy person, cramming so much into the schedule you think the schedule will burst.
Rushing so much that you have to air dry your hair by rolling the windows of the van while going 70 (ish) on the highway.
In such a hurry you don't notice your skirt is inside out till you're half way to church.
Yeah- THAT kind of busy.
As I get (ah- hmm) wiser (older), I notice life goes in various phases. Sometimes I'm in the place where everything is still, calm. And other times life is spinning almost out of control on the brink of chaos.
Sometimes I love the calm. And sometimes I love the chaos.
But in it all I want to be one thing- content.
Content that in the calm or chaos God is in control.
And He has a plan bigger than me.
And He loves me and wants the best for His people.
....
So for now, I'm loving the craziness. And holding on for dear life.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Speechless Sundays: Jesus Loves Even Me
This week we have Vickie doing "Jesus Loves Even Me". She's so energetic- I love it!
This hymn was written by Major Whittle in 1870. I'm so glad that Jesus Loved each of His people enough to die on the cross for us!
Enjoy!
This hymn was written by Major Whittle in 1870. I'm so glad that Jesus Loved each of His people enough to die on the cross for us!
Enjoy!
Friday, August 23, 2013
New School Year! Homeschool off and running...
Hi all! Sorry it's been so long since I've sat down and written anything other than a Speechless Sunday posts.
We are officially in the new school year! I now have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, a Kindergartner, and a Pre-K (plus the 18 month old Curious George!).
And surprisingly the first week went well. The only thing is.... 1. The curriculum I bought for the second grader is the wrong box/grade level (can't find the right one on sale and don't have $400 for a new curriculum), 2. I started the year without cleaning my homeschool room (opps), and 3. There's still not enough time in the day to do everything I want to teach (because I get over zealous and want to teach everything there is to know all at once).
So this weekend will be a number of things- 1. Clean my school room. 2. Break out a calendar and actually organize when we will "tentatively" cover subjects I want to cover. 3. Keep hunting on ebay for the right curriculum and praying hard it goes on sale.
All this goes along with preparing to assist in teaching my first ASL class to homeschoolers, keeping up with my fitness goals (training for The Color Run- my 1st 5K in October!), Lego League for oldest son, dance for 2 girls, karate for middle daughter, American Heritage Girls for 1 daughter, AWANAs 4 out of 5 kids, church commitments, and a million other things.
Can we just skip to summer now?
I promise to back soon with some tips on organizing and how we actually teach our Deaf daughters- SOON!
Blessings to you-
We are officially in the new school year! I now have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, a Kindergartner, and a Pre-K (plus the 18 month old Curious George!).
And surprisingly the first week went well. The only thing is.... 1. The curriculum I bought for the second grader is the wrong box/grade level (can't find the right one on sale and don't have $400 for a new curriculum), 2. I started the year without cleaning my homeschool room (opps), and 3. There's still not enough time in the day to do everything I want to teach (because I get over zealous and want to teach everything there is to know all at once).
So this weekend will be a number of things- 1. Clean my school room. 2. Break out a calendar and actually organize when we will "tentatively" cover subjects I want to cover. 3. Keep hunting on ebay for the right curriculum and praying hard it goes on sale.
All this goes along with preparing to assist in teaching my first ASL class to homeschoolers, keeping up with my fitness goals (training for The Color Run- my 1st 5K in October!), Lego League for oldest son, dance for 2 girls, karate for middle daughter, American Heritage Girls for 1 daughter, AWANAs 4 out of 5 kids, church commitments, and a million other things.
Can we just skip to summer now?
I promise to back soon with some tips on organizing and how we actually teach our Deaf daughters- SOON!
Blessings to you-
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Speechless Sundays: Views of a Medical Home
Hey everyone! This week our family had the honor of being part of a video being made to promote Deaf Awareness in NC. Strangely this isn't the 1st video we've done for NC on Deaf Awareness :chuckle: and hopefully not the last.
I'm hoping that I don't get in major trouble for posting this clip since I don't own it BUT since we're in it and it's for information only purposes maybe it'll be ok (if I call from jail you know why)!
This is a throwback from 2008 if you can imagine. And before we had our last 2 babies and before we knew Ayrianna was indeed Deaf as well.
Enjoy!
For correct crediting this video was made and produced by: NCPH (North Caroline Public Health), DHHS (North Caroline Department of Health and Human Services) "Views of a Medical Home: Six Families Share Their Stories" distributed in June 2008. This is a clip of 1 of the 6 families featured.
I'm hoping that I don't get in major trouble for posting this clip since I don't own it BUT since we're in it and it's for information only purposes maybe it'll be ok (if I call from jail you know why)!
This is a throwback from 2008 if you can imagine. And before we had our last 2 babies and before we knew Ayrianna was indeed Deaf as well.
Enjoy!
For correct crediting this video was made and produced by: NCPH (North Caroline Public Health), DHHS (North Caroline Department of Health and Human Services) "Views of a Medical Home: Six Families Share Their Stories" distributed in June 2008. This is a clip of 1 of the 6 families featured.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Speechless Sundays: Children's songs- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Jesus Loves Me
Hi all! It's been crazy as usual around here and that means less busy on the blog than normal. Since I've missed a few Speechless Sundays I thought I'd make up for it a little today by posting not one but TWO videos! They are children's songs we all know and love-
"Jesus Loves Me" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Now the Jesus Loves Me I actually did twice- once with voice and once without so you could see the major differences in visual and conceptual understanding. Without voice is MUCH better ASL in my opinion. And my voice is...well.... scary- so sorry! And another note- not all Deaf people can sing like me- I was late-Deafened (after age 10) so keep that in mind ok :)
Enjoy!!
Jesus Loves Me
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
"Jesus Loves Me" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Now the Jesus Loves Me I actually did twice- once with voice and once without so you could see the major differences in visual and conceptual understanding. Without voice is MUCH better ASL in my opinion. And my voice is...well.... scary- so sorry! And another note- not all Deaf people can sing like me- I was late-Deafened (after age 10) so keep that in mind ok :)
Enjoy!!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Speechless Sundays: "Magnificent God"
Today I'm signing a song that is one of my favorites- "Magnificent God" by Big Daddy Weave. I actually had the pleasure of seeing Big Daddy Weave just last year and got to meet the Big Daddy himself :)
So here is the song! Enjoy!
So here is the song! Enjoy!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Protecting the vine
Every Thursday I host a deaf ladies bible study in our home. I love this time since it incorporates my 3 favorite things: The Word of God, Fellowship, and Food.
Today's study was so interesting and so fascinating to me that I just had to share a part of it with you.
The book we're reading is called "A Woman's Walk With God" by Elizabeth George.
Song of Solomon has a verse that says "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." (2:15)
To many times in our lives "little foxes" slip in trying to destroy our vines. These little foxes mess with our fruit-bearing process. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23 These little foxes want to strip away and spoil each of these Godly qualities in us.
What are these "little foxes" anyway? They are thoughts, actions, or attitudes that are contrary to God's character. Surround by the world and the flesh, there are plenty of little foxes out there we need to defend our vineyards (lives) from.
Selfishness spoils love.
Discontent spoils joy.
Anxious thoughts spoil peace.
Impatience spoils patience.
Bitter words spoil kindness.
Indolence spoils goodness.
Doubt spoils faith.
Pride spoils gentleness.
Love of pleasure spoils self-control.
So how do we make sure the little foxes do not creep in? Well three things need to happen.
1. We need to recognize the little foxes.
What are the things that are stealing our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
2. We need to capture the little foxes.
At the times we notice the little foxes slipping in, we need to immediately capture those thoughts, actions, or attitudes.
3. We need to kill the little foxes.
It sounds brutal but the only way we are going to keep those sneaky foxes out of our vineyard is to kill or do away with them. When we recognize, capture the little foxes or attitudes, actions, and thoughts in our lives that are unGodly we need to quickly remove ourselves from the temptations. Come to God and confess our sin and make it right before God.
It's a hard life-long process but one that does get somewhat easier with practice. So ask God today for the wisdom and strength to remove the "little foxes" from your "vineyard".
Grace and Peace,
Erin
Today's study was so interesting and so fascinating to me that I just had to share a part of it with you.
The book we're reading is called "A Woman's Walk With God" by Elizabeth George.
Song of Solomon has a verse that says "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." (2:15)
To many times in our lives "little foxes" slip in trying to destroy our vines. These little foxes mess with our fruit-bearing process. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23 These little foxes want to strip away and spoil each of these Godly qualities in us.
What are these "little foxes" anyway? They are thoughts, actions, or attitudes that are contrary to God's character. Surround by the world and the flesh, there are plenty of little foxes out there we need to defend our vineyards (lives) from.
Selfishness spoils love.
Discontent spoils joy.
Anxious thoughts spoil peace.
Impatience spoils patience.
Bitter words spoil kindness.
Indolence spoils goodness.
Doubt spoils faith.
Pride spoils gentleness.
Love of pleasure spoils self-control.
So how do we make sure the little foxes do not creep in? Well three things need to happen.
1. We need to recognize the little foxes.
What are the things that are stealing our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
2. We need to capture the little foxes.
At the times we notice the little foxes slipping in, we need to immediately capture those thoughts, actions, or attitudes.
3. We need to kill the little foxes.
It sounds brutal but the only way we are going to keep those sneaky foxes out of our vineyard is to kill or do away with them. When we recognize, capture the little foxes or attitudes, actions, and thoughts in our lives that are unGodly we need to quickly remove ourselves from the temptations. Come to God and confess our sin and make it right before God.
It's a hard life-long process but one that does get somewhat easier with practice. So ask God today for the wisdom and strength to remove the "little foxes" from your "vineyard".
Grace and Peace,
Erin
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Speechless Sundays: Daniel in the Lions Den
Today we have Tamara with Silentheartministries.WordPress.com. She is a dear Deaf friend who wears many hats- she is Deaf Dance Teacher to our girls, ASL teacher to local parents of deaf kids, Volunteer with school systems, Missionary Worker with Deaf in several countries, and sooo much more!
Currently she is teaching "Sign Me a Story" at our church on Tuesday nights and I thought it'd be fun to video her (without her knowing till later :) doing her Daniel in the Lions Den story.
Well- she did GREAT! But I didn't :blush: The video quality is horrible, the angle is bad, and MY 1 year old kept walking into the screen :double blush:!
However- there is a neat story to be seen and hopefully next time I'll do better on the video (and leave the 1 year old home with Grandma :)
Enjoy!
Currently she is teaching "Sign Me a Story" at our church on Tuesday nights and I thought it'd be fun to video her (without her knowing till later :) doing her Daniel in the Lions Den story.
Well- she did GREAT! But I didn't :blush: The video quality is horrible, the angle is bad, and MY 1 year old kept walking into the screen :double blush:!
However- there is a neat story to be seen and hopefully next time I'll do better on the video (and leave the 1 year old home with Grandma :)
Enjoy!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Concentration Fatigue in Deaf
I read a very interesting article recently and thought it would be a good topic to bring up here- Concentration Fatigue in Deaf. You can read the original article here:
http://limpingchicken.com/2013/06/28/ian-noon-concentration-fatigue/
The fact of the matter is that concentration fatigue is very real for Deaf whether signing or lip-reading.
Personally I think lip-reading is even worse since the brain has to fill in the gaps where with ASL you don't necessarily. Only 30-40% of the English language is visible on the lips (less than 1/2 !) So there is obviously a LOT of guess work and filling in the spaces with lip-reading. Not only does it cause tiredness, but also headaches, eye fatigue, and other physical pain. Lip-reading is not a very friendly mode of communication, even if you get "used" to doing it- it becomes like squinting when you don't have glasses. Even for people who have hearing aids or cochlear implants, there is still a measure of language that has to be matched with lip-reading. Obviously the more "loss" you have the more work at lip-reading you will have to do.
All of this work leads to- you guessed it- Concentration Fatigue. With adults- we just brush it off and count it as another long day. But with kids... different story.
We need to be mindful with our Deaf/ Hard of Hearing Children about concentration fatigue. In school (public or homeschool), in every day life, and especially after playdates, conferences, and events. There is so much visual going on and they have to take it all in through the eyes.
We need to be sensitive to our kids needs even more during these type of days. Maybe that "bad attitude" is fatigue. Maybe that "I'm tired" is true.
I'm not saying they can get away with murder (or even sassy attitudes) but we need to be mindful.
Anyway- my random thought of the day :) Join us tomorrow for another guest on Speechless Sundays- Mrs. Tamara! She is signing a kids story- Daniel in the Lions' Den. See you tomorrow!
http://limpingchicken.com/2013/06/28/ian-noon-concentration-fatigue/
The fact of the matter is that concentration fatigue is very real for Deaf whether signing or lip-reading.
Personally I think lip-reading is even worse since the brain has to fill in the gaps where with ASL you don't necessarily. Only 30-40% of the English language is visible on the lips (less than 1/2 !) So there is obviously a LOT of guess work and filling in the spaces with lip-reading. Not only does it cause tiredness, but also headaches, eye fatigue, and other physical pain. Lip-reading is not a very friendly mode of communication, even if you get "used" to doing it- it becomes like squinting when you don't have glasses. Even for people who have hearing aids or cochlear implants, there is still a measure of language that has to be matched with lip-reading. Obviously the more "loss" you have the more work at lip-reading you will have to do.
All of this work leads to- you guessed it- Concentration Fatigue. With adults- we just brush it off and count it as another long day. But with kids... different story.
We need to be mindful with our Deaf/ Hard of Hearing Children about concentration fatigue. In school (public or homeschool), in every day life, and especially after playdates, conferences, and events. There is so much visual going on and they have to take it all in through the eyes.
We need to be sensitive to our kids needs even more during these type of days. Maybe that "bad attitude" is fatigue. Maybe that "I'm tired" is true.
I'm not saying they can get away with murder (or even sassy attitudes) but we need to be mindful.
Anyway- my random thought of the day :) Join us tomorrow for another guest on Speechless Sundays- Mrs. Tamara! She is signing a kids story- Daniel in the Lions' Den. See you tomorrow!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Speechless Sundays: Have faith in God!
Sorry its been slow around here on the blog! I wanted to make it up with a special Speechless Sunday with a guest we've had before- Vickie! I love seeing Vickie do her songs not only because she's very gifted with insight on ASL translations, but because she is 100% Deaf and that blows my mind! She signs all her songs without EVER having heard them in her life! Amazing!
Proof to me that Deaf can and do worship God in song :)
So without more words-
Enjoy!
Proof to me that Deaf can and do worship God in song :)
So without more words-
Enjoy!
Friday, July 12, 2013
Booth testing (an experience)
Recently our 5th kiddo had a check-up hearing test. I talked about what made me suspect a loss yesterday and wanted to talk about the test process today.
He had an ABR when he was 4 months old (since he was born at home there was no at-birth test). His first ABR test showed "something" but the audiologist was not sure if it was loss or fluid or a fluke.
Fast forward to the end of June. Caleb is 17 months old and I just KNOW something is up.
So we go in- do a booth test. Not my first choice since ABR is accurate and booth tests are... well... not. But as with most "professionals" the parents have no say.
We get into the booth and if you've ever been a booth test with a small child you know how it is. They first put tubes in each ear, play some sounds, call the child's name, then flash a picture on a screen on either side of them (train and condition). Once they feel the kid understands how this works (like Pavlov's dogs), then they start the test. Usually one audiologist in the booth with mom and child, and one out of the booth administering the test.
Once the test starts the audiologist outside of the booth will play a sound, wait a second and see if there's a response (either the child looks to the screens, looks up, or pauses whatever game he's playing), then they flash a picture on the screen as a "reward".
Here's the problem I have with booth testing at this age- the audiologist inside the booth is suppose to be engaging the child. Not so much that the child is distracted from hearing sounds, but enough that the child isn't looking at the screens BEFORE the sound goes off.
That's a challenge. So normally what the person in the booth ends up doing almost out of habit is stops when there's a sound, looks at the child, and says or face shows this question- "Did you hear a sound???" Ok- some kids might not pick up on this subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) mark. But some kids are actually bright. And kids with hearing loss are often times much or visually aware then hearing kids so they pick up these marks very easily. They end up being conditioned to something other than sound= picture on the screen. They learn- funny face= picture on the screen.
Therefore booth tests are pretty often invalid.
Just as I'd suspected. Our outcome was "I think there might be hearing loss in high frequencies but I'm not sure so let's schedule an ABR in 2 months".
All in all, we don't care either way. Sure having another deaf child would be nice, but we're happy no matter. And I know without her telling me, Caleb has some loss so at this point it's more about what type of loss and how much.
We'll see... in August :)
He had an ABR when he was 4 months old (since he was born at home there was no at-birth test). His first ABR test showed "something" but the audiologist was not sure if it was loss or fluid or a fluke.
Fast forward to the end of June. Caleb is 17 months old and I just KNOW something is up.
So we go in- do a booth test. Not my first choice since ABR is accurate and booth tests are... well... not. But as with most "professionals" the parents have no say.
We get into the booth and if you've ever been a booth test with a small child you know how it is. They first put tubes in each ear, play some sounds, call the child's name, then flash a picture on a screen on either side of them (train and condition). Once they feel the kid understands how this works (like Pavlov's dogs), then they start the test. Usually one audiologist in the booth with mom and child, and one out of the booth administering the test.
Once the test starts the audiologist outside of the booth will play a sound, wait a second and see if there's a response (either the child looks to the screens, looks up, or pauses whatever game he's playing), then they flash a picture on the screen as a "reward".
Here's the problem I have with booth testing at this age- the audiologist inside the booth is suppose to be engaging the child. Not so much that the child is distracted from hearing sounds, but enough that the child isn't looking at the screens BEFORE the sound goes off.
That's a challenge. So normally what the person in the booth ends up doing almost out of habit is stops when there's a sound, looks at the child, and says or face shows this question- "Did you hear a sound???" Ok- some kids might not pick up on this subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) mark. But some kids are actually bright. And kids with hearing loss are often times much or visually aware then hearing kids so they pick up these marks very easily. They end up being conditioned to something other than sound= picture on the screen. They learn- funny face= picture on the screen.
Therefore booth tests are pretty often invalid.
Just as I'd suspected. Our outcome was "I think there might be hearing loss in high frequencies but I'm not sure so let's schedule an ABR in 2 months".
All in all, we don't care either way. Sure having another deaf child would be nice, but we're happy no matter. And I know without her telling me, Caleb has some loss so at this point it's more about what type of loss and how much.
We'll see... in August :)
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Suspecting a hearing loss in your child
Ever since having our 5th baby we wondered if this one would be hearing, hard of hearing, or deaf. His first ABR test when he was 4 months old showed as the audiologist put it "something".
By the professional's suggestion we went ahead with tubes in case "something" was just fluid in the ears. We'd been down that road before with daughter 2. Her fluid caused monthly ear infections which lead to her complete hearing loss so we decided to be pro-active this time and do tubes early.
Caleb had tubes put in when he was 6 months old. Let me tell you- not fun.
As he grew so did my speculations. As we approached the age of 1 (the same age as when I realized our first daughter was deaf), I noticed the tell-tell signs.
They are subtle. Hard to notice if you aren't looking for them.
1. No response. Even though Caleb does respond to sounds, he doesn't respond to all or even a majority of sounds. So vacuums, loud voices, even regular pitched voices he notices, but not quiet sounds or high pitch sounds.
2. No understandable spoken language. When other babies are starting to say words, Caleb is still babbling. And even though kids develop at all different ages, this was a different kind of babbling. For example- some kids just are not talkers. They make very little sounds at all. Only Caleb was making lots of sounds. But it was more like he was trying to speak another language all together- say Chinese not English. And even the words that we could understand (Mama) sounded like certain letters were missing or changed.
3. The scare factor. This one is interesting. Caleb would be fine with loud noises as long as they were not near him. However if I was holding him or sitting next to him and called for someone he would start looking around frantically or cry, or both. He'd almost dive into my lap to get away from whatever that big scary sound was. My thoughts is that sound to him were not constantly surrounding him and when they were amplified (from being close up and loud) they were too surprising for him to handle. This was the biggest indicator to me that he had hearing loss since all 3 of my girls did this.
4. The silent mouth. Daughter 2 has always been really big on this one and Caleb started doing this so it made me wonder. He will move his mouth like he's talking but there's no sound- like an old silent film.
5. Very visual. Everything has to be seen to be understood. If I sign a word, he picks it up in a flash and heads for the door or to the fridge for whatever I signed but when I just use my voice- nothing.
I'm sure there are more signs that I just haven't put into words. There were just too many to ignore and something tugging in my mind/gut saying he's hard of hearing. Not deaf but definitely hard of hearing.
When in doubt- go with the gut feeling. It's almost always right.
Tomorrow I'll tell about our audiology appointment. Join us for the next post to hear "the rest of the story"!
By the professional's suggestion we went ahead with tubes in case "something" was just fluid in the ears. We'd been down that road before with daughter 2. Her fluid caused monthly ear infections which lead to her complete hearing loss so we decided to be pro-active this time and do tubes early.
Caleb had tubes put in when he was 6 months old. Let me tell you- not fun.
As he grew so did my speculations. As we approached the age of 1 (the same age as when I realized our first daughter was deaf), I noticed the tell-tell signs.
They are subtle. Hard to notice if you aren't looking for them.
1. No response. Even though Caleb does respond to sounds, he doesn't respond to all or even a majority of sounds. So vacuums, loud voices, even regular pitched voices he notices, but not quiet sounds or high pitch sounds.
2. No understandable spoken language. When other babies are starting to say words, Caleb is still babbling. And even though kids develop at all different ages, this was a different kind of babbling. For example- some kids just are not talkers. They make very little sounds at all. Only Caleb was making lots of sounds. But it was more like he was trying to speak another language all together- say Chinese not English. And even the words that we could understand (Mama) sounded like certain letters were missing or changed.
3. The scare factor. This one is interesting. Caleb would be fine with loud noises as long as they were not near him. However if I was holding him or sitting next to him and called for someone he would start looking around frantically or cry, or both. He'd almost dive into my lap to get away from whatever that big scary sound was. My thoughts is that sound to him were not constantly surrounding him and when they were amplified (from being close up and loud) they were too surprising for him to handle. This was the biggest indicator to me that he had hearing loss since all 3 of my girls did this.
4. The silent mouth. Daughter 2 has always been really big on this one and Caleb started doing this so it made me wonder. He will move his mouth like he's talking but there's no sound- like an old silent film.
5. Very visual. Everything has to be seen to be understood. If I sign a word, he picks it up in a flash and heads for the door or to the fridge for whatever I signed but when I just use my voice- nothing.
 |
| Caleb taking in the world around him |
I'm sure there are more signs that I just haven't put into words. There were just too many to ignore and something tugging in my mind/gut saying he's hard of hearing. Not deaf but definitely hard of hearing.
When in doubt- go with the gut feeling. It's almost always right.
Tomorrow I'll tell about our audiology appointment. Join us for the next post to hear "the rest of the story"!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Weighloss Journey: The Beginning
I've been busy with a new phase. Ok so that sounds horrible but reality is I know myself. If I try to get all "This is the new me!" I'll be lying through my teeth. The best I can hope for is this is a phase and I sure hope it lasts.
For the last 3 weeks I've been back into South Beach Diet mode (did this in 2010 for 3 months and lost 30 lbs till I got pregnant with baby number 6, then 7, then baby 8- yeah it was a hard year so you can see why I gained all of those 30 lbs back in 2011).
Since baby 8 came (living baby 5), I've lacked the motivation to really get back on track again even though the knowledge of how never left. I had a good thing once and I knew what to do- it's just...well...doing it.
So finally in June I decided to just go. Just do it!
And here I am 3 weeks later and already 18 lbs lighter :woot: But it doesn't end here. I have a LONG road to walk. For those of you that know me I have a good 100 lbs to lose.
So pray with me. It's isn't necessarily harder for a Deaf person to lose weight but in some ways even in weight loss Deaf do have a disadvantage. I can't just run to a church near by and sign up for a free Zumba class. Any organized gym classes in fact would be pretty hard to follow when you can't hear the teachers. So it's entirely up to me. I have to read, research, learn how to use weights over again (high school was a long time ago after all), learn what to eat, etc. Everything all on my own since communication is pretty scarce.
But most of all I just need encouragement I think. Just like anyone else. I think I can therefore I can!
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Excuse the mess
Yep it's been another crazy week! First we had sick kids, then we had sick mom (and anyone will tell you THAT'S not good). Then we had a 50th anniversary party to throw for a wonderful deaf couple in our church. That was AMAZING!
Now this week is Fourth of July week and we're having a party so that means cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.
But hopefully next week we will back to our regular blogging schedule. And back to video posting. I might even have a special guest in the next week or two!
So for now- though things are slow, we haven't disappeared- just missing in action for a few days so bear with us and excuse the mess ;)
Now this week is Fourth of July week and we're having a party so that means cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.
But hopefully next week we will back to our regular blogging schedule. And back to video posting. I might even have a special guest in the next week or two!
So for now- though things are slow, we haven't disappeared- just missing in action for a few days so bear with us and excuse the mess ;)
Monday, June 24, 2013
World News: Brain Stem Implant- Good or Evil?
Making headlines these days is an adorable deaf boy named Grayson from where else but Charlotte, NC. Not only have I read the news, many well meaning friends and family members have forwarded articles to me on Facebook, email, and more. I've not responded till now.
First of all, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Is he a cute, absolutely adorable kid reacting to something new to him- sure!!! Are his parents evil for choosing for him have surgery at such a young age- naw. Does everyone want what's best for young Grayson? Surely.
But still it irks me.
I don't know if it's my self-defense of American Sign Language that jumps in, or loyalty to Deaf culture, or something deeper. It's not even my child, so ultimately I have no say so. Still, I think the thing that bothers me is not that he had the surgery but how much the media eats up this kind of thing. "Deaf kid hears parent's voice for the first time!" (automatic tear-jerker right?)
Ugh.
Don't get me wrong. Being about to hear isn't a bad thing. But any time this type of article comes up, I automatically wonder- will the parents stop signing? Did they even know to sign with their child from the beginning? It all boils down to: IS VISUAL LANGUAGE AVAILABLE?
Again and again, people think- "Awwww... he has a cochlear, he has a hearing aid, he has a (insert devices/surgery).... that means he's hearing now!" NO NO NO NO. Devices are imperfect, hearing aids break, surgeries can fail and even then the exterior part is not wearable 100% of the day. I'm not here to make people cry but reality is your child will NEVER be hearing. This is what bothers me- that people keep trying to make their child something they are not- hearing.
Now back to the story of Grayson- his parents use cued speech. Not the same as ASL but at least it's better than no visual language. I hope that Grayson grows to be a charming young man and still has visual language available at all times in addition to his new brain stem device. And MOST of all- that he is loved for who he is- not for what he can and can't do.
First of all, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Is he a cute, absolutely adorable kid reacting to something new to him- sure!!! Are his parents evil for choosing for him have surgery at such a young age- naw. Does everyone want what's best for young Grayson? Surely.
But still it irks me.
I don't know if it's my self-defense of American Sign Language that jumps in, or loyalty to Deaf culture, or something deeper. It's not even my child, so ultimately I have no say so. Still, I think the thing that bothers me is not that he had the surgery but how much the media eats up this kind of thing. "Deaf kid hears parent's voice for the first time!" (automatic tear-jerker right?)
Ugh.
Don't get me wrong. Being about to hear isn't a bad thing. But any time this type of article comes up, I automatically wonder- will the parents stop signing? Did they even know to sign with their child from the beginning? It all boils down to: IS VISUAL LANGUAGE AVAILABLE?
Again and again, people think- "Awwww... he has a cochlear, he has a hearing aid, he has a (insert devices/surgery).... that means he's hearing now!" NO NO NO NO. Devices are imperfect, hearing aids break, surgeries can fail and even then the exterior part is not wearable 100% of the day. I'm not here to make people cry but reality is your child will NEVER be hearing. This is what bothers me- that people keep trying to make their child something they are not- hearing.
Now back to the story of Grayson- his parents use cued speech. Not the same as ASL but at least it's better than no visual language. I hope that Grayson grows to be a charming young man and still has visual language available at all times in addition to his new brain stem device. And MOST of all- that he is loved for who he is- not for what he can and can't do.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Speechless Sunday: Deaf VBS
Not a lot of posts this week- and for good reason! The past week was so much fun at our Deaf VBS (Vacation Bible School). We ended up having (8) kids all together, split between different nights. We also had a larger number of Deaf adults who wanted to watch (and help :). Altogether it made for a wonderful week.
So this Speech-less Sunday I thought I'd do a short video clip with pictures from Deaf VBS. Enjoy!
So this Speech-less Sunday I thought I'd do a short video clip with pictures from Deaf VBS. Enjoy!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Sign Me a Story Event
A dear Deaf friend of mine Mrs. Tamara will be teaching a "Sign Me a Story" class this July. I am sooo excited about this since it's hosted at our church Charlotte Deaf Mission at First Baptist Church AND I get to teach crafts (woot!!). We hope everyone will come. The love offering is not mandatory and goes toward Mrs. Tamara's mission trip coming up in October to Haiti! Everyone welcome to come and learn the signs- Deaf, Hearing families, of or just curious people. See you all July 9th!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Testimonial Tuesdays: Deafness and Music
"Music is an outburst of the soul."
~Frederick Delius
As you might have noticed, I love music. Which may be considered strange knowing I'm Hard of Hearing and Deaf cultured.
However I have something truly shocking to tell you.
Many Deaf people love music too.
It's true! Now right off let me say- "many" does not mean "all". But "many" does in my opinion indicate a majority.
Why? How?
Well as we learn about hearing loss, we find that most deaf people (even culturally Deaf people) do have some level of hearing left. Or they were hearing or hard of hearing before becoming totally deaf.
Even some stone deaf people like music. The beat, the feeling of a bass.
"Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends."
~Alphonse de Lamartine
Music, much like poetry, has the ability to convey one's deepest feelings. Music is often called "the language of the heart". It has the ability to change our moods and even our actions. So why would hearing loss change that?
With any type of hearing loss, the sounds one hears is vastly different. Even people with similar losses can "hear" differently based on the way the brain has assimilated and interpreted the sounds.
When loss is from birth or close to, a person with hearing loss truly believes what they hear is "normal". They never missed out, their hearing has always been what it was. It IS normal.
For someone with a later loss, they remember songs they used to listen to.
For stone deaf individuals, the sense of vibrations is most of the time heightened a great deal. A bass drum can be very fun to "listen to" (feel).
With songs and deafness, trying to create artistic translations and interpretations of music is exciting. It's not an easy task, but it's similar to creating a new poem or a new skit. First we ask ourselves, "What is the basic meaning of the entire song?" "What message is being conveyed?"
Then we consider ASL structure (assuming you're doing an ASL interpretation vs. SEE or other). Since ASL has its own syntax and word order, we must carefully rearrange words from English to ASL.
Idioms are especially tricky. Again we rely on the general meaning of the idiom to guide us.
Lastly we work hard to incorporate ASL poetic signs. After all, just like in English, there are everyday words you just would not find in a song. The same is true in ASL. Some words should never be in translations for songs. And ASL has so many beautiful poetic signs! Hearing people play-on rhythms and rhymes. ASL plays-on visual cues, ABCs, and handshapes. As long as it makes sense conceptually and is clear to the message, poetic signs can and should be incorporated into ASL music.
"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
~Berthold Auerbach
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Speech-less Sundays: Father's Day tribute
Happy Father's Day!
Today for Speech-less Sunday I recruited my husband and 2 of our kiddos :)
Excited to share since we're also doing this song together for church today- Father's Day.
Enjoy- Sanctus Real "Lead Me"
Today for Speech-less Sunday I recruited my husband and 2 of our kiddos :)
Excited to share since we're also doing this song together for church today- Father's Day.
Enjoy- Sanctus Real "Lead Me"
Friday, June 14, 2013
Frugal Fridays: Special Occasions
So today the hubs and I are celebrating 11 years of marriage! Wootwoot!
Since we're really broke (just bought a house and all that jazz), I've been trying to figure out a way to celebrate but minus the money.
Here's my frugal tips for special occasions :)
1. Always look for coupons
Restaurants.com, Living Social, Groupon are just a few great places to get food half off or more. We like trying new places and coupons are a wonderful way to go. And usually they are just enough to feed two.
2. Look for rebates and special offers
We wanted to see a movie but there's nothing we like out on theater. Plus the thought of tossing away $25 on movie tickets, plus popcorn and sodas, etc. just kills me. For 2 hrs of short lived entertainment- ouch. So we found a wonderful deal on Disney MyMovieRewards. $7 coupon off a movie we've been waiting to come out on DVD, snatched it up AND it comes with a free theater ticket for another movie we want to see. $20 on 2 movies- not bad. PLUS it give me just enough MyMovieRewards that I can get a free season of Zorro. Triple win!
3. When no coupons are available- look for specials
If you're not lucky enough to find a coupon for dinner, trying a place that does a 2 for $-- deal. Sometimes you can save money just by getting a 2 for 1.
4. Do something unique but free
Sometimes a date doesn't have to cost a ton. We have several nice greenways, parks, etc. within driving distance that we LOVE to go to even without the kids. Take a bike ride, go fishing, just walk together and enjoy each other's company. Bookstores, museums, art shows are some of the ways we've enjoyed our anniversary for free.
5. Ditch the card and go homemade
My hubs HATES cards. Admittedly so do I. What a waste of trees. However if you are a card person, how much more wonderful is it to get a homemade one! It's super special simply because its lovingly made and one-of-a-kind.
6. Swap childcare with a friend
Now we are super duper blessed to have a wonderful live-in Mother-in-law who loves us and is occasionally willing to watch our kids. But I'm also lucky to have friends who are willing to swap childcare and sometimes friends from church who are just nice enough to watch our kids because they love us. When we can't find someone though we include the kids. Yes is less of a date but still can be fun as long as we are together.
7. Find a frugal gift
Along with that homemade card, do some homemade gifts. They can be as simple as a coupon set made to order- like "free massage redeemable anytime", or "free pass to the disc golf course".
Since we're really broke (just bought a house and all that jazz), I've been trying to figure out a way to celebrate but minus the money.
Here's my frugal tips for special occasions :)
1. Always look for coupons
Restaurants.com, Living Social, Groupon are just a few great places to get food half off or more. We like trying new places and coupons are a wonderful way to go. And usually they are just enough to feed two.
2. Look for rebates and special offers
We wanted to see a movie but there's nothing we like out on theater. Plus the thought of tossing away $25 on movie tickets, plus popcorn and sodas, etc. just kills me. For 2 hrs of short lived entertainment- ouch. So we found a wonderful deal on Disney MyMovieRewards. $7 coupon off a movie we've been waiting to come out on DVD, snatched it up AND it comes with a free theater ticket for another movie we want to see. $20 on 2 movies- not bad. PLUS it give me just enough MyMovieRewards that I can get a free season of Zorro. Triple win!
3. When no coupons are available- look for specials
If you're not lucky enough to find a coupon for dinner, trying a place that does a 2 for $-- deal. Sometimes you can save money just by getting a 2 for 1.
4. Do something unique but free
Sometimes a date doesn't have to cost a ton. We have several nice greenways, parks, etc. within driving distance that we LOVE to go to even without the kids. Take a bike ride, go fishing, just walk together and enjoy each other's company. Bookstores, museums, art shows are some of the ways we've enjoyed our anniversary for free.
5. Ditch the card and go homemade
My hubs HATES cards. Admittedly so do I. What a waste of trees. However if you are a card person, how much more wonderful is it to get a homemade one! It's super special simply because its lovingly made and one-of-a-kind.
6. Swap childcare with a friend
Now we are super duper blessed to have a wonderful live-in Mother-in-law who loves us and is occasionally willing to watch our kids. But I'm also lucky to have friends who are willing to swap childcare and sometimes friends from church who are just nice enough to watch our kids because they love us. When we can't find someone though we include the kids. Yes is less of a date but still can be fun as long as we are together.
7. Find a frugal gift
Along with that homemade card, do some homemade gifts. They can be as simple as a coupon set made to order- like "free massage redeemable anytime", or "free pass to the disc golf course".
Any way you celebrate, the most important thing is that you are together and Christ is center.
Here's to a happy 11 years and many many more to come!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Deaf people get crumbs
Boy is my husband right. His most common phrase to use is "Deaf people get crumbs".
And that's no joke.
I know I just wrote about deafness and restaurants so this week seems to be the week of revelations for me.
This week we (kids and I) got to go to a local museum and I realized something for the very first time. Maybe it had been hidden in my subconscious all along but I'd repressed it. Maybe accepting the truth was too painful. Or maybe I just never knew. But apparently museums have free classes! What?!
Yeah I can hear all you hearing people say- You never knew that? ---NO I didn't!
I always thought that man standing with the iguana was just standing there. And that lady with the sea creatures you can touch- who knew that she was actually telling the kids interesting facts about them!
Deaf people get the crumbs.
Even though ADA has been around since 1990, so few places actually are ADA accommodating. And I understand why but still.... Deaf people get crumbs. Think of all the things we learn by incidental learning. Overheard conversations, or lectures, or classroom settings, or speeches at the museum. The world is swimming with information. And almost none of it is accessible to Deaf people. It's SAD. It's a shame!
Honestly I don't know how to make things better. But with technology something needs to be done. The world has no excuse. It's time to say No more crumbs for Deaf.
And that's no joke.
I know I just wrote about deafness and restaurants so this week seems to be the week of revelations for me.
This week we (kids and I) got to go to a local museum and I realized something for the very first time. Maybe it had been hidden in my subconscious all along but I'd repressed it. Maybe accepting the truth was too painful. Or maybe I just never knew. But apparently museums have free classes! What?!
Yeah I can hear all you hearing people say- You never knew that? ---NO I didn't!
I always thought that man standing with the iguana was just standing there. And that lady with the sea creatures you can touch- who knew that she was actually telling the kids interesting facts about them!
Deaf people get the crumbs.
Even though ADA has been around since 1990, so few places actually are ADA accommodating. And I understand why but still.... Deaf people get crumbs. Think of all the things we learn by incidental learning. Overheard conversations, or lectures, or classroom settings, or speeches at the museum. The world is swimming with information. And almost none of it is accessible to Deaf people. It's SAD. It's a shame!
Honestly I don't know how to make things better. But with technology something needs to be done. The world has no excuse. It's time to say No more crumbs for Deaf.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Testimonial Tuesdays: Drive-thrus and Deafness
WARNING: Mini rant ahead
Seriously how hard is it to understand the words "I AM DEAF" ????
Okay- so restaurant ordering and deafness seem to be in opposition to one another. The quality of service tends to go down exponentially based on the prices on the menu. Upscale restaurant I might get a nice enough waiter willing to write on a notepad or gesture some. For example waiter signs "you? drink?" (which always is the sign for "alcohol"... poor ignorant hearing people).
But once we get into fast food all bets are off. Usually I get a blank stare or some fool repeating themselves 100 times as if the "I AM DEAF" I just stated evaporated into thin air before hitting their brains.
Now add that to the fact that I have 5 kids and sometimes I would like to just use the drive-thru like everyone else. HAHAHA (can you sense the sarcasm?)
So one day I'm driving through the local chain burger joint. I do the "I AM DEAF" and give my order the best I can (I speak well, just can't hear). They start up the fool thing. 100 repeats of whatever-the-heck- question. I just repeat the I AM DEAF and pull up. Now at the window, if I haven't managed to tick them off (this time I'm lucky), I usually sign while I talk to make my point about the I AM DEAF. So this cashier says- "Oh! I see your hands moving and I know it's not English. Are you speaking Spanish?"
Now sadly- this is NOT the first time I've been asked this EXACT same thing. Still I did get a little shocked and tickled all at once. I managed to hold my laughter till I get at least an inch out of the drive-thru to try to not hurt her feelings. Trust me- if I was speaking Spanish you'd be even more confused... if that was possible.
Ahhh I love restaurants and deafness. o-O
Seriously how hard is it to understand the words "I AM DEAF" ????
Okay- so restaurant ordering and deafness seem to be in opposition to one another. The quality of service tends to go down exponentially based on the prices on the menu. Upscale restaurant I might get a nice enough waiter willing to write on a notepad or gesture some. For example waiter signs "you? drink?" (which always is the sign for "alcohol"... poor ignorant hearing people).
But once we get into fast food all bets are off. Usually I get a blank stare or some fool repeating themselves 100 times as if the "I AM DEAF" I just stated evaporated into thin air before hitting their brains.
Now add that to the fact that I have 5 kids and sometimes I would like to just use the drive-thru like everyone else. HAHAHA (can you sense the sarcasm?)
So one day I'm driving through the local chain burger joint. I do the "I AM DEAF" and give my order the best I can (I speak well, just can't hear). They start up the fool thing. 100 repeats of whatever-the-heck- question. I just repeat the I AM DEAF and pull up. Now at the window, if I haven't managed to tick them off (this time I'm lucky), I usually sign while I talk to make my point about the I AM DEAF. So this cashier says- "Oh! I see your hands moving and I know it's not English. Are you speaking Spanish?"
 |
| What?!? |
Now sadly- this is NOT the first time I've been asked this EXACT same thing. Still I did get a little shocked and tickled all at once. I managed to hold my laughter till I get at least an inch out of the drive-thru to try to not hurt her feelings. Trust me- if I was speaking Spanish you'd be even more confused... if that was possible.
Ahhh I love restaurants and deafness. o-O
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Speech-less Sundays: "All My Worship" by Vickie
We have a guest signer today on Deaf-FiningLife blogspot!
Vickie is an amazing profoundly Deaf lady who attends our church. She has agreed to be a guest signer on the blog and will pop up every now and then. I'm so excited to share her song today.
This is how Deaf Worship. Hope you enjoy!
Vickie is an amazing profoundly Deaf lady who attends our church. She has agreed to be a guest signer on the blog and will pop up every now and then. I'm so excited to share her song today.
This is how Deaf Worship. Hope you enjoy!
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