Down In The Valley

Today was an awesome day for my sweet little kids. We went to a function here in the Roanoke Valley that was in support of autism awareness. The  Roanoke Valley Project Lifesaver and Autism Awareness Extravaganza  was a GREAT hit! There were kids and adults of all ages and all stages of autism there and they were having a great time. Josiah and Bethany LOVED the Llamas. They got to pet them, feed them and Josiah got to take one for a walk. They also got to pet a couple of goats. Josiah enjoyed telling the caretakers all about what the goats like to eat and what they like to do. Here are some pictures of their time with the animals: We were so very thankful for all of the free services provided, as well as the free ice cream and hot dogs, chips and water. The kids really enjoyed all of the free food and goodies as well. One of the best services there, as a mother speaking, was  The Virginia Child Identification Program . This was a f...

Have you ever heard it said that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit? What do you think? Do you think it's true??? Research is up in the air about this 21 days thing, but  here  is a link to a good article about some research done on making  and breaking habits. Well, I definitely think that there is something to making and breaking habits and 21 days. I don't necessarily think that you've got it made if you reach that 21 days, but I do think that the more and more you repetitively do something, the more it will be come second nature, and almost as if you can't live without it! At the beginning of this month, I set out to make some changes in my health and in my children's health. Here are the goals I made: Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Doesn't matter what kind of exercise, just do it.  Stay within my carb limits for meals and snacks.  No cokes No chips I am happy to say that today is day 21 of my goal setting and habit making/br...

 My Dear Sweet Bethany,       Today is your first day of school. When Daddy went in to wake you and your brother up this morning, you excitedly and repeatedly asked, "Is it time to go to school now?". You had a beautiful smile on your face and a great attitude all morning while getting ready. You were giddy and sweet, but a little sad that you wouldn't get to take a nap beside Josiah when the time came. My little girl, you are growing up. I can't believe in a few months you will be fine. I pray that this year is a great one for you. I pray that you enjoy your time at school and love to learn. I pray that you will be respectful and obedient to your teachers as we have taught you. We love you and can't wait to see you come home today and tell us about your day!  My Dear Josiah,      The first day of school is "old news" to you. You could write a book about what to do on the first day of school and include all of the times and dates of...

I'm feeling a little bit old and a little bit teary this week. Both of my kiddos will be headed to the local schools. Little Miss B will be starting preschool and Little Mr. J  will be headed to 1st grade. They are so excited. They will be going to two separate schools, but both schools are within a mile or so from our home. They will be riding two separate buses and they just really are excited. Bethany assures me she won't cry when I put her on the bus Monday morning, and is quick to tell me that I shouldn't cry either. Um, yeah, okay...we'll see how that one works out, okay? We have been through orientation at both schools with both kids. Their teachers seem nice, well-educated and eager for a new set of students. Josiah is very excited because this year the classroom will be using stability balls to sit on at their work tables instead of traditional desks and chairs. He also gets his own locker. Bethany is excited that she has her own nap cot and gets to take her ...

Hey, everybody! It's that time of year again when you are trying to get your kids and their things ready to go back to school. So, in honor of August, Back to School month, I have posted some new creations in my Etsy shop. I have adorable little hair bows that your girl will just love and the price has come DOwn...way DOwn! To get to my shop, click on the tab "My Etsy Shop" and it will take you right there! Prices and shipping are way down, so come and take a look around. I will be posting more and more over the next few days too, so keep coming back and checking things out. If you have any questions, please send me a message. And, by all means, please share this with anyone who loves hair accessories and hair accessory holders!

My goodness, I love setting goals. Is that weird? Well, if it is, then color me weird! Goals inspire me, motivate me and encourage me. I set goals ALL of the time. If I didn't, I wouldn't get anything done. I write almost all of my goals down on paper, because I love lists. I love to see my handwriting and I love to see lists. For the past few days, I have been looking at how I make goals and how I can set better goals for myself and I thought I might share some goal making tips here. The first thing I do when trying to set some goals is I get out one of my favorite pens and a notebook. To write your goals down is to make a statement of your willingness to accomplish what you set your goal to be. Some people then take their written goals and hang them up where they can be seen often, which is an awesome idea. If you are like me, though, a lot of goals are personal and I don't want to share them with others, so I keep them in my notebook and review my goals daily in order ...

Have you ever thought about how hard school might be for a young one with autism? What about how hard teaching children with autism may be? I admire teachers in general, but I really admire teachers who teach children with disabilities. Josiah had a wonderful pre-school teacher and kindergarten teacher. I admired the way they worked with several children who had one developmental disorder or another. This school year for Josiah is going to be very exciting. He is being transitioned from the special care classroom to a normal classroom. I am so excited to see how he works. I have so much faith in him and pray that this is just what he needs. Here are some school-related symptoms of autism that you may be seeing: School-Related Symptoms:    Using fine motor skills, such as coloring and cutting with scissors and is difficult or an inability. Ability to comprehend reading may not be good, even though answers can be quoted easily. Difficulty with...

As with social skills, persons with autism may have varying degrees of issues in the emotional part of their lives. Here are some sensitivities and emotions experienced: Emotional Aspects or Sensitivities   May be unsettled by changes in their environment, for example objects, new people or places. Emotional upsets can pass very suddenly or can be drawn out for a long period of time. Potentially calmed by external stimulation such as familiar soothing sounds, constant pressure or brushing. Emotional incidents may affect the attitude of  an entire day. May be overwhelmed with more than one verbal direction at a time;  multi-tasking is usually not possible Loud and sudden sounds may cause distress and severe emotional outbursts. Pain tolerance may be extremely high or extremely low. Possible inappropriate touching of self with no discretion. May desire items that bring comfort when upset, such as a stuffed animal, a blanket or a favorite toy...

Autism is different for everyone who has been diagnosed with it. The Autism Spectrum is very wide and vast and includes so many different symptoms. It is such a neat condition that I have thoroughly enjoyed studying and watching first hand. As most of you know, my six year old Josiah has been diagnosed with HFA [high-functioning autism]. I had a really hard time with this at first, mostly because I felt like I was a bad mother for not catching onto it sooner, especially when friends and family around me came out and said they suspected something, just didn't know what to say or do. There is a lot of information I have been collecting and researching and I want to share in several different segments. Josiah is mostly affected in the area of social skills, so I would like to start there. Social Skills affected by autism:    Difficulty answering questions about themselves or things they are not interested in. Difficulty creating and maintaining friendships, especially ...

In a recent conversation, the topic of the role of grandparents in a grandchild's life came up. I never really thought of it. Is there a particular role? Is it their role to spoil grandchildren, give them things they have wanted to a long time that the parents have denied them? Is it their role to buy needed items for the kids, like school supplies or clothes when the need presents itself? Is it their role to over- rule the parents authority and also make kids question their parents authority? Just what is the role of a grandparent in the life of a grandchild? These are my thoughts on this subject: A Grandparent can be a blessing. A blessing by: Praying for your grandchildren - you can pray for their health, pray for their well-being, pray for their relationship with their parents, pray for their attitudes, pray for them to know the Lord and love His Word. Encouraging your grandchildren - find out what they are going through and encourage them in any way you can. Encourage ...

Think back...when was the last time you  sent a "thank you" note? A "thank you" note on paper? A "thank you" note where the person would truly feel treasured and appreciated? Was it recently or was it a long time ago? I hope it wasn't so long ago that you have a hard time remembering it. I feel like thank you notes are almost becoming a lost art. Now a day, we have e-mail, text messages, Facebook and twitter, and people just don't feel the need to pull out the pen and paper anymore. Now, think back...when was the last time you received a "thank you" note? How did it make you feel when you got it? How did it make you feel when you opened and read it? Receiving and reading a thank you note simply makes me giddy inside. It makes me know that I am appreciated, I am thought of, and my kindness towards someone else was noticed and appreciated. Some excellent reasons to send "thank-you" notes: You visited some one's home an...

July has been full of nothing but rain and flash floods in our neck of the woods. This has brought out the fly swatters! I hate these suckers and they are everywhere! The kids, especially Bethany, hates them too.                                           "Die Suckers!"                                           "I got'em!"                                            ...

Have you ever seen the movie Temple Grandin ? If not, and you like neat, family-type movies, you will really enjoy this movie. Temple Grandin made me look at my children in a completely different light, and I am thankful for having seen the movie several times. Check out a review of Temple Grandin here .   Temple Grandin said: “If I could snap my fingers and be non-autistic, I would not. Autism is part of what I am.”    I understand Grandin's words, and I hope one day my little boy will share the same view of himself. I would not change Josiah if I could, he is my sweet little boy. Every oddity, every quirk, and every sweet little ounce of his inquisitive little head is a joy to us. In just a little over a month, Bethany will begin the long arduous process of autism screening. It doesn't matter is she is diagnosed with austism or not, our love for her will never change. For a long time, I have written off some of her oddities and quirks as copy-catting ...

Happy Summer, Dear Friends! Welcome to Down In The Valley, the new blog for the Hodges family. Why the new blog, you ask? Well, it just seems that times, they are ch-ch-ch-changing! I have a lot of new and exciting things coming to our blog and it seemed the best idea to start afresh. If you ever want to go back and read old posts about the Hodges Family, you may do so at www.thehodgeshappenings.blogspot.com  at any time. For right now, just wanted to introduce the new blog, announce some big changes coming with the new blog, and let you know The Hodges clan is fine and happy and enjoying the summer! Stay tuned for more from the Hodges in the days and weeks to come !