Welcome to My Father's World

Popcorn story

Some days it takes a sense of humor to homeschool in my real world.  Well, ok, every day needs a sense of humor to homeschool no matter what your real world is.
 
My youngest has autism. She uses a lot of echolalia (repeating scripts) to talk and babble and communicate.

One day I was trying to work with my Oldest on math.   It was a day that I could hear David Hazell’s workshop routine about worksheet police echoing in my brain.  Do Your Worksheet Do Your Worksheet, you can’t eat till you do your worksheet!

I could hear it because I was saying it to my Oldest. (No! you can't have a snack until this one problem is done!)

Then Youngest needed attention.  She had been playing quietly in another room and was ready for a snack.  She came to me and said  “Eat Popcorn Please?”

Ok, This is great! My severely language delayed child just asked for popcorn. It’s  Time for popcorn.   Youngest asked me “HELP Open please.”  It was music to my ears to hear my youngest using a 3 word sentence without her PECS cards. 

She had watched us many times using the microwave.  I was happy that she listened to my instructions to press 3 zero zero start   She was learning life skills in the kitchen (well sorta).

This is great.  She followed my instructions.  She was obeying me and receiving the blessings of that obedience.   I felt so happy!   We’re making progress. The timer ended and she got her popcorn.

I forced, uh,  strongly encouraged, uh, gently guided my Oldest  in the one math problem that needed help.   Then we went upstairs to check on the youngest and hopefully eat some popcorn.

I hear from behind a closed door Youngest repeating lines from a Fisher Price Little People video: It’s raining popcorn. Hurray! It's a popcorn field!

No. No and No. it can't be. I  wondered if I should open the door to the room or just go get the broom now.  Sure enough, she had made a popcorn field and was tossing it in the air and watching it fall to the floor while repeating the video.

Then Oldest was upset.  I had of course told her she could eat popcorn after she finished her math problem (singular).  So, we made another bag.   

Then the lesson became how to use a broom to sweep the popcorn field clean. And life goes on.

But we count it all joy, because it represents so much progress across so many skills levels!    It shows that Jesus "Reigns" even in the Popcorn Fields.

hi!

6:31 PM, Jan. 13, 2008 .. Posted by byourlove1

I bet she had a blast! What a great story! Its so great she is making so much progress! Praise God!

Angela

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8:01 PM, Jan. 13, 2008 .. Posted by H0MEFree

Hazell. Did I already know you are a MFW user? Probably! I am kind of out of it today. LOL!
Very cool, by the way!

What a sweet story

2:35 AM, Jan. 15, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

Your attitude was precious. (((Crystal)))

Its great that your daugher is making such progress. Good for her!
Love,
Jenileigh

Hi

11:25 PM, Jan. 22, 2008 .. Posted by lyntley

I found you while googling around. I know there's a MFW blogroll somewhere but I can't seem to find it.

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6:29 AM, Jan. 24, 2008 .. Posted by mfwfriend

The MFW blog roll link is up in my Links area. sorry I didn't use the fancy graphic as part of the link.
MFW blog roll is over on Training Hearts
http://www.traininghearts.com/blog/?page_id=347

hth
crystal