Special Olympics - Ethan Carries The Torch

Ethan recently participated in our county's Special Olympics Track & Field Events. We had not participated in several years because it was always a difficult day for Ethan (and his brothers, oh, and us) with lots of waiting and lots of transitions. But when he came home from school asking to train and compete, who was I to say 'no'? Shortly before the event, he was asked to carry the torch around the track for the opening ceremonies. We were honored and excited!

Greeting friends.

 

Pictures for the iPod.

Aunt Meg.

 

Ready for opening ceremonies.

Two handsome guys.

The wait.

The hand off.

Go.

So serious.

Three amigos.

Softball throw.

Medals.

Soccer clinic.

Run, E, run.

More awards.



Thanks, Sandy, for this awesome photo of my boy. Not an easy shot to get.

"Let me win, but if I cannot win,

let me be brave in the attempt." 

~ Special Olympics Motto



Special thanks to The Midland School for their dedication in training their athletes and making the day so meaningful for them. Thank you for the opportunity to see Ethan have this experience.

Washington, DC Wonders

Our recent trip to DC was our longest trip in the car and the longest we've stayed in a hotel - 3 whole nights! If you don't think that's a big deal, you haven't spent enough time with us :)

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express that worked really well for us. Big enough room, fridge, pool and an hourly shuttle to Union Station, which is really important to access the Metro or any number of tour buses. We availed ourselves of one of the bus companys, and although it was expensive, it was like hand-holding for the first-time visitor. The top deck gave us a fantastic view and the tour is narrated by guides to point out the famous spots. You can 'hop on and hop off' anytime to go and see the sights closer. And we did.

Our first stop was the National Zoo. The zoo was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmstead, who landscaped Central Park. It had a lot of animals that we had not seen before, but the most fascinating by far was the giant panda.

In the evening, we walked the Mall and visited the Washington Monument...

The World War II tribute...

The Lincoln Memorial....

Several sources mentioned that seeing these sights in the evening was particularly beautiful and I had to agree.

The view down to mall from the steps of the memorial.

Mr. Lincoln,

meet The Boyz.

 and The Vietnam War Memorial.

Everyone warned us that we would need to walk, and walk, and walk. And we did.

Ethan has been walking around with a Washington, DC guidebook for about a year. He kept it in his hand the entire time and matched up each of the pictures with places that we visited, usually recognizing where we were before we did. Of particularl help, was this little deck of cards we received as a gift.

We visited Arlington National Cemetary. It is really an emotional experience with impressive visual impact. Seeing the sea of graves of men & women who chose to serve our country with their very lives (and knowing that it was only a portion of them) was awe-inspiring. 

The most profound experience in Arlington is watching the guards at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. The very solemn and ceremonious 'Changing of the Guard' is so mesmerizing that we never even needed to tell the boys that they were to remain silent.

Although they tell you that you are on hallowed ground, no one really has to remind you once you're there.

We managed to get in visits to the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum and the Museum of Natural History. The kids did a lot of 'ooohing' and 'ahhhhing'. We saw the Hope Diamond! Ethan got to see the monkey from Night in the Museum 2!

We watched money being printed at the Bureau for Engraving and Printing. We walked through gardens and parks and threw coins in several fountains.

Whew! Washington DC offers and endless array of things to do and see and I have a list 10 times longer than this post of things I still want to see!

You know, for us, you never know how a trip like this is going to go. There is a lot to consider. We are a quirky and needy family - we've got a lot going on that can make travelling difficult. But when something like this goes so well, it gives me confidence that we are off to seeing more great things as we continue to expand our repetoire.

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Roadside America

From a very young age I have been drawn to the strange, odd, macabre, and weird. Imagine that! I have always enjoyed Weird NJ, Ripley's and other fantastical publications. During my high school years at my super-tight-behaviorly-controlled religious school, I was 'caught' with a version of this magazine by a crusty english teacher. She expressed her 'deep concern' that I was reading something like this and pulled in the guidance counselor in to speak with me. Really. They wanted to know if I believed everything in the magazine. I told them that I wouldn't bother answering them. I knew if I said, 'yes', I was in for all manner of 'interventions' and if I said 'no' the line of questioning would be about why I would read it. Neither discussion was palatable to me. I am sure some number of demerits proceeded my silence.

Moving on to today, I still really enjoy things that are off the beaten path. One thing that provides me with a lot of fun is Roadside America. No matter where you live or are visiting, it is sure to list some 'roadside' attractions like The World's Tallest Water Tower, in Union, NJ, where I grew up. This app has proved to deliver all manner of interesting desitnations.

If you peruse it long enough, and visit some of the places, you are sure to find the following pictures where you will be able to find varying combinations of Costello children.

Giant Steel Hockey Player

Toll Booth Collector - Vintage Toll Booth

Mass Grave of WWI Ammo Plant Disaster

The Big Duck

There are more pictures, but I'll leave it to you to find them! Get out and go :)

“Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how.”
―   Dr. Suess, The Cat in the Hat

Recent Ramblings

I really enjoy sharing the places we go. I hope you'll get out and go too!

As members of the Turtleback Zoo, we visit about once a month. We enjoy a few hours there and sometimes bring our lunch. There are plenty of animals to visit as well as a carousel and a play structure. The boys really like the reptile house and the train ride. I always enjoy the hilly walk and fresh air.

The largest exhibits are the gibbon enclosure, the brand new "Big Cats" display and the very impressive Wolf exhibit. There is a barn with all sort of 'farm' animals, an 'Outback Experience' with Australian animals, and an all-New Jersey section. Sea Lions are coming soon! We love it and I think you will also.

We paid a return visit to the Miller-Cory House (circa 1740) for their 'Sheep to Shawl' demonstration. We watched as several sheep were sheared the old-fashioned way with large, hand held shears. We vistited for a long time with the ladies in the house who were spinning yarn, knitting and using the loom to make cloth. The docents were very eager to share their craft with the kids and entertained questions.

Visit on some upcoming Sunday afternoon and you will most likey find the ladies there cooking over the open hearth in the outbuilding.

Another place we visited was a labyrinth, located in a private garden in Warren, NJ. We were invited by a mom who was kind enough to facilitate a few moments of meditative thought before we entered the maze. I did not expect the experience to be as meaningful and spiritual as it turned out to be.

The kids ran and played and wrestled while several moms shared their struggles and desires and ultimately encouraged each other. This walk peaked my interest in labyrinth walking and there are more in my future.

Another place we frequent is The Somerset Patriot's minor league baseball stadium in Bound Brook, NJ. Tickets are reasonably priced and the game is so kid friendly - there are even 'lawn seats' available where you can spread out and watch the game. Firework nights are our favorite.

That is where we've been lately. Where have you been?

Are Your Children at Grade Level?

Are your children at grade level?

It is a common question I get asked from family members, doctors, librarians, friends, and various adults my kids are exposed to. I think to myself - I hope not.

Let me explain. The inquirer usually means do I have a curriculum that is in step with the local public school and am I able to teach it to them in a way that produces a child who knows what those kids know. They want to know whether I am working hard to keep my kids within certain parameters. I am not interested in that for my kids and that is why my answer would still be - I hope not.

I purchased curriculum for Gavin for Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grades. He enjoyed them. In 2nd grade he blew through the Math and other portions and at times it seemed that I was having him do things just to 'get them done' or because it was 'what was next' or I 'thought he should'. Other parts of the program intersted him somewhat, but occassionally seemed rote. It took up a portion of our day and some days we scrapped it altogether to pursue other activities, books, classes and trips. I noticed that these other things were what yeilded the truest, most meaningful learning. We slowly morphed away from 'school' at home, to what I like to call "interest-led, life learning". We cover math and english, science and social studies, art and music, (need I say gym?!), spelling and vocabulary, current events - but it can't always be catagorized into neat, organized topics by 'grade level' in a linear, planned curriculum fashion. If you've read this blog at all, you can see that trips lead to books, books lead to documentaries, documentaries lead to classes, classes lead to projects and more books! It's all there, it's just not as neatly packaged.

Gavin was interested in Geometry in 3rd grade - tons of it. He was fascinated by it and pursued it up into higher 'grade levels'. But, he was not interested in the things that 2nd graders were 'supposed to be doing'. He got around to them eventually. If you tested him on measuring objects, he may not have been any good at it. At times, he has expressed interest in The Iditarod, The Oregon Trail, the human body, Egypt, electricity and China. We 'studied' these when he was interested, not when someone else told us to. He reads voraciously, and often shocks people with his selections. (I don't assign reading).It's just where his own time and talents lead him.

I re-used the same curriculum I bought for Gavin with Mikey. It became clear that he was struggling. Mikey has significant learning disabilities that make processing and recall very difficult. It takes Mikey many times longer to grasp certain concepts - but when he does - he has awesome 'a-ha' moments! There were other things that he grasped readily and easily and provided smooth sailing. Mikey does best with hands-on, experiential learning. The more he can see, touch, hear, and do, the better he does. I don't want Mike to have to be able to produce some skill simply because someone else says that he should, or else he can't move on, or he'll cause test scores to be too low. I don't want anyone implying that Mikey is 'behind' - you can only be behind if you compare yourself to someone else.  I want him to have all the time he needs to absorb information, processes at his speed and apply it to his experiences. I want him to do this in an environment that does not pressure him or make it clear that he is 'not keeping up'.

When kids are not developmentally ready for a certain skill, you can drag them through all the exercises you want, but you will not change where they are. (Could you have made your baby walk any earlier than they did? Did you look for 'remedial walking classes'?) Presenting concepts in alternative ways is important, but so is the child's innate developmental stage. It is something to be respected. It is perfectly acceptable to learn slower and differently than a large portion of the popluation! Schools will lead you to believe very differently.

We kept the boys home from school because we thought we could do better for them. By 'better', I mean slower, or faster or different. I mean pursuing what they are interested in for as long as they like. I mean allowing them the freedom to study what they like, as it surfaces in their world, not in a textbook. We homeschool because we don't believe you have to learn certain subjects, in a specified order, at certain times whether you enjoy it or not.

When you ask my kids 'what grade are you in?', they might give you funny looks or funny answers like, "I would be in 3rd Grade" because they just aren't in a grade. They are living and learning and the world is their classroom.

"Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners." ~ John Holt