I'm laughing out loud thinking about what I saw earlier today...
I do laps once or twice a week to mix up the boring gym routine, and I saw the most peculiar thing today at the pool. I just finished my warm up and as I'm taking a break I see a larger young woman kind of walking around the pool with her flippers on. This was a bit silly. It's rather difficult to walk in flippers. I'm embarrassed to say that I was probably staring, but she was making me smile, so I looked on. So she has all her belongings in her hands: towel, goggle mask with snorkel attachment, a big bag, and... a pizza box? K, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt; she wants to keep all of her items with her, doesn't want anyone to steal the leftover pizza. Cool. Whatever. Then, however, she sits on the side of the pool with her flipper feet dangling in the water (and into someone's lane) and proceeds to open the pizza box and take out a big slice and eat it!!!! What on earth was she thinking?!?! I'm pretty sure she had Down syndrome, and the way her brain was wired made this a perfectly sensible thing to do. Doesn't everybody buy pizza and eat it on the side of an indoor lap pool?
...The look on the person's face who was swimming in that lane was priceless.
Stay Tuned..
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Fountain Incident
I thought I'd try to share a little humor in the midst of deep sadness..
I had a bit of a fountain incident with my extremely challenging student at school on Thursday. When I say a bit of an incident, I mean more like a total disaster. I have been working with our new student pretty much everyday, and sometimes all day because most of my peers in my classroom team are lazy or idiots who don't know how to communicate with kids with disabilities. (Rude of me, but true). Anyway, so I have been developing a very productive and patient teacher-student relationship with this student... She generally listens to me very well. And walking by the fountain the first 2 times she did a decent job avoiding the temptation of jumping in. (Water is pretty much her favorite thing. Ever. Besides chocolate pudding). I worked on my agility skills while she tried to bulldoze past me into the oasis.
Third time's the charm. We were returning to class and the temptation was just too much for both of us. She was more determined than ever, and I thought we were successful the first couple times passing, so I let my guard down. She is a keen girl and seized the opportunity to do what resembled a reverse whale dive past me and into the fountain. It basically was a back flop over the two foot edge. I think my heart stopped as I foresaw her cracking her head open on the concrete floor beneath the water. The special education gods thankfully somehow allowed her head to not smash into the bottom of the fountain. I don't know how because there was probably only six inches of water in there.
Anyway, she was having the time of her life. A- because she loves water. And B- because she knew how pissed I was that she was in there. She loovvves negative attention. Try keeping a neutral attitude in that situation. I tried my best. Plenty of other staff walked by and gave me sympathetic looks, had to turn their heads to laugh, or offered help. Eventually it took about 5 of us to pull her out of the water. We finally made it inside with her pulling my hair and hitting me off and on throughout our entire walk, her disintegrating diaper leaving a cotton trail behind us. It took us about 30 minutes to walk a total of about 50 yards tops. There are plenty of sights to be seen at my school, but this was a pretty good one. I don't mind her ridiculous behavior. It's better than having a boring job. And despite her little fountain victory I know I am great at my job. Plus, at the end of the day, when they are on the bus, ahhh the feeling is so satisfying!
Stay Tuned..
I had a bit of a fountain incident with my extremely challenging student at school on Thursday. When I say a bit of an incident, I mean more like a total disaster. I have been working with our new student pretty much everyday, and sometimes all day because most of my peers in my classroom team are lazy or idiots who don't know how to communicate with kids with disabilities. (Rude of me, but true). Anyway, so I have been developing a very productive and patient teacher-student relationship with this student... She generally listens to me very well. And walking by the fountain the first 2 times she did a decent job avoiding the temptation of jumping in. (Water is pretty much her favorite thing. Ever. Besides chocolate pudding). I worked on my agility skills while she tried to bulldoze past me into the oasis.
Third time's the charm. We were returning to class and the temptation was just too much for both of us. She was more determined than ever, and I thought we were successful the first couple times passing, so I let my guard down. She is a keen girl and seized the opportunity to do what resembled a reverse whale dive past me and into the fountain. It basically was a back flop over the two foot edge. I think my heart stopped as I foresaw her cracking her head open on the concrete floor beneath the water. The special education gods thankfully somehow allowed her head to not smash into the bottom of the fountain. I don't know how because there was probably only six inches of water in there.
Anyway, she was having the time of her life. A- because she loves water. And B- because she knew how pissed I was that she was in there. She loovvves negative attention. Try keeping a neutral attitude in that situation. I tried my best. Plenty of other staff walked by and gave me sympathetic looks, had to turn their heads to laugh, or offered help. Eventually it took about 5 of us to pull her out of the water. We finally made it inside with her pulling my hair and hitting me off and on throughout our entire walk, her disintegrating diaper leaving a cotton trail behind us. It took us about 30 minutes to walk a total of about 50 yards tops. There are plenty of sights to be seen at my school, but this was a pretty good one. I don't mind her ridiculous behavior. It's better than having a boring job. And despite her little fountain victory I know I am great at my job. Plus, at the end of the day, when they are on the bus, ahhh the feeling is so satisfying!
Stay Tuned..
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Not Everyone Really Lives
Everyone dies... Not everyone really lives.
I just wish he didn't have to be the one to die. Not yet. There was no way that it was his time.
There is so much running through my head right now that my thoughts are in no way making complete sense.
My heart goes out to the entire LaDuke family. Saying that John LaDuke will be missed is a drastic understatement. My Uncle John would put a smile on your face- guaranteed, make you feel welcome, and encourage you to have as much fun as he was having. You could see the life exuding out of him. He was such a joyful person to be around. I can see him right now doing some action like pointing at me with his head cocked and slightly down, slight grin on his face, with eyes that were saying "I'm watching you... your parents might not know... but I do" Haha.. I feel like that must have had to happen more than once. For sure. He was the young one- he knew what was up! I remember going to hockey games just to watch him referee, then going out to dinner with the refs that just did a college game- I felt really cool. These refs are real people and I'm out to dinner with them. The last time I had the pleasure of seeing him was at Christmas. Christmas 2010. I loved talking to him, as always. He was hanging by the drinks and apps counter :) Of course now, knowing that that would be the last time I would see him, I wish that I talked to him more, taken something specific away from the conversation, lingered a little longer...
It's funny what memories stick out.
Like the time when I was little (who knows.. 5? 8?) and the Joliats and LaDukes had a big slumber party at an early LaDuke home. Of course the sleep over wasn't exactly planned, but as a kid that was the best part! John and Bridget gathering blankets for everyone. Good times.
I wish I made it to Zack's graduation party. I wish I could be with Bridget, Ryan, Zack, Allison and Abby right now. Not that I would be able to make them feel better, fix that there dad is no longer physically with him, or work some miracle to reverse whatever happened late Tuesday night. But to just be with them. To somehow try to take an ounce of their sadness and attempt to carry it for them. Our family, the Cavanaughs, are blessed with good fortune, health, wellness, happiness... tragedies have kept their distance from this clan. There must be some mistake. This isn't right. These things don't happen to us.
Apparently they do.
My cousins are some of the most beautiful people on the inside and out. They are intelligent, athletic, faithful, loving, funny, and stand out individuals. I am honored to be related to all of them. I have no idea what it would be like to go through some of the most challenging years without my dad. John was a stand out patriarch. John did everything for his amazing children and it shows... They are fantastic young adults. He provided the best for his kids, demanded honesty and hard work from his kids, and loved with all his might. I wish he would be there for the transitions into adulthood, into college, into high school.
It still doesn't seem real.
For now I send thoughts and love to Bridget, Ryan, Zack, Allison, Abby, and Johns parents, siblings, and everyone else who is mourning the loss of this irreplaceable person.
Stay Tuned..
I just wish he didn't have to be the one to die. Not yet. There was no way that it was his time.
There is so much running through my head right now that my thoughts are in no way making complete sense.
My heart goes out to the entire LaDuke family. Saying that John LaDuke will be missed is a drastic understatement. My Uncle John would put a smile on your face- guaranteed, make you feel welcome, and encourage you to have as much fun as he was having. You could see the life exuding out of him. He was such a joyful person to be around. I can see him right now doing some action like pointing at me with his head cocked and slightly down, slight grin on his face, with eyes that were saying "I'm watching you... your parents might not know... but I do" Haha.. I feel like that must have had to happen more than once. For sure. He was the young one- he knew what was up! I remember going to hockey games just to watch him referee, then going out to dinner with the refs that just did a college game- I felt really cool. These refs are real people and I'm out to dinner with them. The last time I had the pleasure of seeing him was at Christmas. Christmas 2010. I loved talking to him, as always. He was hanging by the drinks and apps counter :) Of course now, knowing that that would be the last time I would see him, I wish that I talked to him more, taken something specific away from the conversation, lingered a little longer...
It's funny what memories stick out.
Like the time when I was little (who knows.. 5? 8?) and the Joliats and LaDukes had a big slumber party at an early LaDuke home. Of course the sleep over wasn't exactly planned, but as a kid that was the best part! John and Bridget gathering blankets for everyone. Good times.
I wish I made it to Zack's graduation party. I wish I could be with Bridget, Ryan, Zack, Allison and Abby right now. Not that I would be able to make them feel better, fix that there dad is no longer physically with him, or work some miracle to reverse whatever happened late Tuesday night. But to just be with them. To somehow try to take an ounce of their sadness and attempt to carry it for them. Our family, the Cavanaughs, are blessed with good fortune, health, wellness, happiness... tragedies have kept their distance from this clan. There must be some mistake. This isn't right. These things don't happen to us.
Apparently they do.
My cousins are some of the most beautiful people on the inside and out. They are intelligent, athletic, faithful, loving, funny, and stand out individuals. I am honored to be related to all of them. I have no idea what it would be like to go through some of the most challenging years without my dad. John was a stand out patriarch. John did everything for his amazing children and it shows... They are fantastic young adults. He provided the best for his kids, demanded honesty and hard work from his kids, and loved with all his might. I wish he would be there for the transitions into adulthood, into college, into high school.
It still doesn't seem real.
For now I send thoughts and love to Bridget, Ryan, Zack, Allison, Abby, and Johns parents, siblings, and everyone else who is mourning the loss of this irreplaceable person.
Stay Tuned..
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Change
I'm not one for blogs, in fact I've tried to start them many times before, and they have been epic failures after a few short entries. My main reasons for starting blogs before are actually quite similar to why I'm choosing to write one now. I am somewhat removed from the people who I care about most… my family and friends. Although that is soon to change, I have recently removed myself from the typical social networking site such as Facebook, so I am going here to write my thoughts, and I'm throwing them out there in case anyone is interested in reading them.
I've been going through a lot of changes in the past couple years: the typical graduating college, moving away, first "real" job, etc. I suppose you can call my recent adventures real jobs. They have taught me more about myself than I knew there was to discover. Most people know I moved out to Colorado to be an adaptive ski instructor. I walked a mile downhill to arrive at the ski office, study up on my lesson for the day (which includes figuring out specific details of a certain disability, and the motivation- mostly lack of- for your student's desire to ski, and gathering adaptive equipment to get your student down the mountain safely), then I'd be on the hill basically from 9-3:30, and after the office was cleaned I would walk the mile back uphill to arrive at my semi-rustic cabin. I'm tired just thinking about it. Needless to say, the winter was long, and a bit too long for my liking. After I completed the season, and returned to Michigan to graduate from CMU, I packed up once again to return to "Colorful Colorado".
A few short months later my amazing mom and dad arrived with a Uhaul full of saved belongings for the moment when one of their children needed some help furnishing a place. It was pretty comical when my parents arrived… The yard (if you want to call the beautiful plot of endless weeds with a few blades of grass) was reaching almost waist height. My dad couldn't believe the belongings he was passing down to me were going to be housed under this crooked yellow roof that wasn't exactly cleaned appropriately before our lease was to begin. Like the supportive parents they are, Paul and Marietta helped mop, scrub, dust, vacuum, sweep, mow, plant, water… etc. etc. etc. It's crazy that I have been in this place a year.
So much has changed.
It's a full year later. Our ridiculous landlord conned us into a 13 month lease in this house that I'm pretty sure is rotting around me. I am single for the first time in 3 1/2 years, although I use that term annoyingly loosely… I think the recurring friendship/ relationship/ break-up is going on about 6 full months now. I'm attempting to learn how to take care of a vehicle on my own. I'm paying the bills- with my own money. I've held my first "real" job going on 9 months.
I am not, however at work on a Tuesday morning, because I am concussed. For those of you who don't actually know what my job has been over these past months, I will attempt to explain it to you now. I work at a school for children with disabilities. In order to be admitted to the school you must meet certain criteria. The criteria includes: having an IQ below a certain level (cognitive disability), having a dual diagnosis (add on psychological disability), and significant behavioral issues as a result of the dual diagnosis (potentially very physically aggressive kids). So. There is a lot going on with my students. My particular class that I teach (thank god with a one-to-one ratio of staff to students) is comprised of kids ages 14-21. Big kids, mainly. Big, strong, mostly nonverbal kids. I love it and hate it simultaneously, everyday. So back to being concussed- my classroom is one of the more "violent" ones. On Thursday a student punched me in the back, while head-butting me, sending me slamming into a wall sinking in desperation for my coworkers to rescue me from my powerless position.
I wish I could say this is abnormal. It's not. The worst is when another student becomes scared or upset in a crisis situation such as the one i just mentioned, and there are 2 students "going off" at once. Staff from all around the room, run to try to put the 2nd student in a physical restraint while the first student is being escorted out of the room. Inevitably there is not enough staff for the simultaneous situations, so "ASSIST" is yelled, and more staff from other classrooms come running. I have become quite accustomed to crisis management and implementing behavior support plans that attempt to provide positive coping mechanisms for my students and allowing crisis situations to be minimized as much as possible. Like I said, I love and hate my job. Sometimes making it though the day is an epic success- for both the staff and students! Soon, though I will be putting in my two weeks notice, which will be a happy and sad day. I know a lot of people think I am insane for actually liking aspects of my job, but at the end of the day, I like to think that I make a difference and improve the lives of my students in some capacity. And hey- at least I'm not bored… it's always, always, interesting.
On September 6, 2011 I will be attending new student orientation at DePaul University. I know this move is necessary for me on many levels. I will be taking classes to earn a Master's Degree in School Counseling. I am excited for this new adventure, and can't wait to have the skill set to help individuals on a large and small scale. I am nervous to move to the city. I like space. I like the mountains. I like camping on the weekends, and backpacking when possible. I like to rock climb and ski. And I love Denver weather. But I know- Chicago is a great city and I am lucky to have the chance to live there with my sister- who I have more love for than words can begin to express. Everyone talks about the great food, night life, and of course the water. I'm excited about finally having good friends and family back in my life on the regular. Most importantly, I am looking forward to focusing on me… change is healthy and I am craving one. For now, I'm trying to enjoy my time in Denver, hang out with the friends that I'm going to miss, and do Colorado type things… white water raft, trail run, hike, camp, and wear my chacos sandals with it being a popular style decision by most people in the city! For now, I'm going to share some of my favorite Colorado photographs.
Stay Tuned..
I've been going through a lot of changes in the past couple years: the typical graduating college, moving away, first "real" job, etc. I suppose you can call my recent adventures real jobs. They have taught me more about myself than I knew there was to discover. Most people know I moved out to Colorado to be an adaptive ski instructor. I walked a mile downhill to arrive at the ski office, study up on my lesson for the day (which includes figuring out specific details of a certain disability, and the motivation- mostly lack of- for your student's desire to ski, and gathering adaptive equipment to get your student down the mountain safely), then I'd be on the hill basically from 9-3:30, and after the office was cleaned I would walk the mile back uphill to arrive at my semi-rustic cabin. I'm tired just thinking about it. Needless to say, the winter was long, and a bit too long for my liking. After I completed the season, and returned to Michigan to graduate from CMU, I packed up once again to return to "Colorful Colorado".
A few short months later my amazing mom and dad arrived with a Uhaul full of saved belongings for the moment when one of their children needed some help furnishing a place. It was pretty comical when my parents arrived… The yard (if you want to call the beautiful plot of endless weeds with a few blades of grass) was reaching almost waist height. My dad couldn't believe the belongings he was passing down to me were going to be housed under this crooked yellow roof that wasn't exactly cleaned appropriately before our lease was to begin. Like the supportive parents they are, Paul and Marietta helped mop, scrub, dust, vacuum, sweep, mow, plant, water… etc. etc. etc. It's crazy that I have been in this place a year.
So much has changed.
It's a full year later. Our ridiculous landlord conned us into a 13 month lease in this house that I'm pretty sure is rotting around me. I am single for the first time in 3 1/2 years, although I use that term annoyingly loosely… I think the recurring friendship/ relationship/ break-up is going on about 6 full months now. I'm attempting to learn how to take care of a vehicle on my own. I'm paying the bills- with my own money. I've held my first "real" job going on 9 months.
I am not, however at work on a Tuesday morning, because I am concussed. For those of you who don't actually know what my job has been over these past months, I will attempt to explain it to you now. I work at a school for children with disabilities. In order to be admitted to the school you must meet certain criteria. The criteria includes: having an IQ below a certain level (cognitive disability), having a dual diagnosis (add on psychological disability), and significant behavioral issues as a result of the dual diagnosis (potentially very physically aggressive kids). So. There is a lot going on with my students. My particular class that I teach (thank god with a one-to-one ratio of staff to students) is comprised of kids ages 14-21. Big kids, mainly. Big, strong, mostly nonverbal kids. I love it and hate it simultaneously, everyday. So back to being concussed- my classroom is one of the more "violent" ones. On Thursday a student punched me in the back, while head-butting me, sending me slamming into a wall sinking in desperation for my coworkers to rescue me from my powerless position.
I wish I could say this is abnormal. It's not. The worst is when another student becomes scared or upset in a crisis situation such as the one i just mentioned, and there are 2 students "going off" at once. Staff from all around the room, run to try to put the 2nd student in a physical restraint while the first student is being escorted out of the room. Inevitably there is not enough staff for the simultaneous situations, so "ASSIST" is yelled, and more staff from other classrooms come running. I have become quite accustomed to crisis management and implementing behavior support plans that attempt to provide positive coping mechanisms for my students and allowing crisis situations to be minimized as much as possible. Like I said, I love and hate my job. Sometimes making it though the day is an epic success- for both the staff and students! Soon, though I will be putting in my two weeks notice, which will be a happy and sad day. I know a lot of people think I am insane for actually liking aspects of my job, but at the end of the day, I like to think that I make a difference and improve the lives of my students in some capacity. And hey- at least I'm not bored… it's always, always, interesting.
On September 6, 2011 I will be attending new student orientation at DePaul University. I know this move is necessary for me on many levels. I will be taking classes to earn a Master's Degree in School Counseling. I am excited for this new adventure, and can't wait to have the skill set to help individuals on a large and small scale. I am nervous to move to the city. I like space. I like the mountains. I like camping on the weekends, and backpacking when possible. I like to rock climb and ski. And I love Denver weather. But I know- Chicago is a great city and I am lucky to have the chance to live there with my sister- who I have more love for than words can begin to express. Everyone talks about the great food, night life, and of course the water. I'm excited about finally having good friends and family back in my life on the regular. Most importantly, I am looking forward to focusing on me… change is healthy and I am craving one. For now, I'm trying to enjoy my time in Denver, hang out with the friends that I'm going to miss, and do Colorado type things… white water raft, trail run, hike, camp, and wear my chacos sandals with it being a popular style decision by most people in the city! For now, I'm going to share some of my favorite Colorado photographs.
Stay Tuned..
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