In So Many Words

Since my last WOYN post, I have finished 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 98. Wow – I didn’t realize there were so many until I counted them up for this!

I guess you can tell what I’ve been doing with all of my free time. Part of the additional reading can be attributed to the fact that I have increased my hours at work. Counter-intuitive, I know, but the change means that I am now taking a lunch break, otherwise known as reading time with no husband or child trying to get my attention!

I didn’t pull pictures for all of them since there are more than usual, but I tried to group them a bit so people can find what they are most interested in. Hopefully there’s something for everyone in this list!

WHAT I’VE READ THIS MONTH
(click on the title for my review)

Contemporary Fiction
Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister
Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge
Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax
The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax

Fantasy
The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey

Inspirational Fiction
Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer
Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer
Learning by Karen Kingsbury
The Judgment by Beverly Lewis
Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

Mystery
Spider Web by Earlene Fowler
New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

Newbery Winners
Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Non-Fiction
Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Young Adult
Turning Point by Melissa Luznicky Garrett

WHAT I’M PLANNING TO READ NEXT

Fiction

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander
Remembering You by Tricia Goyer
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (2008 Newbery Winner)
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (2007 Newbery Winner)

Non-Fiction

Asperger’s From the Inside Out: A Supportive and Practical Guide for Anyone with Asperger’s Syndrome by Michael John Carley
The New Social Story Book by Carol Gray
How Do I Teach This Kid to Read?: Teaching Literacy Skills to Young Children with Autism, from Phonics to Reading Comprehension by Kimberly A. Henry
Autism and Reading Comprehension: Ready-to-use Lessons for Teachers by Joseph Porter

So, what’s on your nightstand?

To read more posts or join in yourself, visit What’s On Your Nightstand? at 5 Minutes for Books.

I don’t know if it’s because spring is coming or if I’m just glad to be over the horrible cold I came down with recently, but I am finding all kinds of blogging stuff to get involved with lately. So I thought I would share them with all of you in case you are feeling the same way.

First things first, the March edition of Best of the Best is now up over at Help! S-O-S for Parents. This month’s topic is on Family Life (siblings, marriage, single parenting, vacations, finances, etc.) as it relates to invisible special needs. My post on Figuring Out What *I* Need is a very personal take on the theme at the moment, and I am pleased to be included in the carnival.

Also, the April edition of the carnival is going to be the Best of the Best Biggest Blogger Book Review and Giveaway. Contact Danette for details on participating and keep your eyes open for some amazing book reviews and giveaways on her site as well as a bunch of others, including mine!

Next, for all of you readers out there, Katrina at Callapidder Days is once again hosting her Spring Reading Thing. This reading challenge has a very simple and straightforward goal – “sharing some reading goals with all the other participants and doing it in a way that works for you.”

You can read all of the details at her Coming [VERY] Soon post if you would like to join in, and you can check back here on Sunday for my own reading goals.

Of course, I can’t talk about reading without mentioning the What’s On Your Nightstand? monthly linkup over at 5 Minutes for Books. I started joining in on this one again in January after a long break and have really enjoyed sharing what I’m reading and getting ideas from other people.

This one takes place on the 4th Tuesday of each month, so it’s coming up next week. I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading – I’m always looking for suggestions!

Last, but definitely not least, April 1st-8th is the absolute can’t miss blogging event, the 5 Minutes for Mom Ultimate Blog Party 2011!!

Trust me when I say you don’t want to miss this one–there will tons of bloggers to visit, lots of awesome prizes to win and much fun to be had by all. This is one party that just gets better and better every year.

Also, it sounds like they are going to split up the link lists a bit more so it will be easier to find certain categories of blogs, which will be great since the participation seems to grow exponentially.

Hope to see you at the party!

For a compilation of some of the best posts on social and play skills related to children with hidden disabilities, visit the S-O-S Best of the Best, Edition 2: Social & Play Skills.

There are some amazing bloggers represented in this list, both parents and professionals, and I am honored to be included among them with my post about the playgroup Michael attends.

You can also find information on the next two topics and details on how to submit a post for consideration in an upcoming Best of the Best at Help! S-O-S for Parents blog.

Sunday Best is a collection of my favorite links from blogs I have read in the past week (or sometimes a bit more if I get behind!) Posts may range from thought-provoking or challenging to instructive or informational, with a dose of fun and light-heartedness thrown in occasionally for good measure.

Autism Specific

Good Finds! Free Autism Webinar by Friendship Ministries at the Inclusive Church – information about a free 34-minute webinar on autism and children’s ministry from a national organization dedicated to special needs ministry.

A Message from Autism Biomedical Expert Karyn Seroussi at Age of Autism – an update from Karyn Seroussi on what she’s been involved in lately, including a free download of part 1 of her recent book on the Kindle.

Carnival of S-O-S Announcement at Help! S-O-S for Parents – The first Carnival S-O-S is scheduled for December 15th and will be on autism and traditional and nontraditional treatment options. Visit the post for more details on how to participate; the deadline to submit a post for this one is December 13th (tomorrow).

Inspirational

Broken or New? from Callapidder Days – a thoughtful piece inspired by her son’s reaction to a broken toy from a fast food place.

Get Inspired from zen habits – an inspiring post from a great blog, this includes video of a flash mob singing the Hallelujah Chorus in a food court last month. Very cool!

Please feel free to share your favorites from the week in the comments – I’ll be sure to check them out!

This Autism/Asperger’s Blog Hop was just started by Sueberry Lane, and I learned of it from Autism Learning Felt.

I haven’t used this type of link-up tool before, but when you add your blog, it will show up everywhere this particular one is posted. Pretty cool, huh?!?

Anyway, this is the original description, so please feel free to join in if it applies to you:

Please list your Autism / Asperger’s Syndrome Blog here.

Autism Advocate sites and stores are welcome also.

Even if your blog is not an “Autism Blog” but you have children on the spectrum I’d love to have you join the blog hop. This is a great way to connect with others that can relate to your story and lend a kind ear.

Have fun visiting the linked blogs and hopefully finding some new resources…and friends!

I have been meeting a bunch of new bloggers lately, and one of them is a fun lady named Super Mommy. In addition to posting reviews and freebies, she has also started sharing about her two kids, one of whom has autism.

For the blog hop, she is asking us to tell what our blogs are about, how we got started, and how long we have been blogging. So here goes…

I published my first blog post on January 26, 2008, so as of right now, I have been blogging for a little over 16 months, and it has been an exciting adventure. I started out just wanting a place to express my thoughts and “find myself”, and then I discovered this amazing community of mommy bloggers and parents of special needs children who want to connect with and support each other.

Tomorrow I will have been married to my husband Bob for 17 years, and we have one son, Michael, who is 7 years old and getting ready to start first grade in a regular classroom with behavioral support. We live in South Central Pennsylvania and attend a wonderful non-denominational charismatic church where I am involved in the special needs ministry.

I work part-time in the promotional products industry (anybody need any mugs or pens with their logo printed on them??) and spend the rest of my time juggling housework, errands, and sleep with being Michael’s case manager and advocate.

A rare picture of the three of us together

Our Two Kitties

Feel free to look around a bit and let me know what you think. I am always thankful for feedback on how the site looks and works for you. Here are some of the highlights (in my opinion, anyway):

• A couple of my favorite posts are Where to start? and LIFE is the Puzzle.
• I am also very proud of the resource posts I have written (something good has to come out of all the hours I spend reading!)
• You can learn more about me on my (appropriately named) About page or in my 38 Things list.
• You can also check out who I like to read on my Blogroll

Thanks so much for stopping by! I’d love to know you were here, and you can subscribe to my feed or follow me on Twitter if you’d like.

Check out Super Mommy’s Blog Hop post to meet her and join in, and her Melamine Snack Set review to enter a giveaway.

It’s that time again – time for the Ultimate Blog Party from 5 Minutes for Mom! I participated a little bit last year, but I was still learning my way through the blogosphere and it also took place right around my son’s birthday, so I found it all a bit overwhelming. I’m so glad Janice and Susan were thoughtful enough to start it after his birthday this year.

I’ve been getting things ready for the party, trying out a spiffy new layout and making sure my family had lots of videos to watch while I blog hop for the next week! Speaking of family, let me introduce you to the cast of characters.

Come on in and make yourself at home. If you need a little break from all the partying, grab a book from the shelf, sit down and put your feet up for a while. Goodness knows, you’ll find me with my nose in a book just about any time I’m not at the computer!

Besides blogging and reading, my other great passions are stamping/scrapbooking and, on the more serious side, autism awareness.

I am a total information junkie and love sharing what I have learned with others. This obsession interest led me to create a series of Autism Resource posts and also opened the door to be part of the writing team at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Currently, I am posting at 5MFSN once a week as the host for the Try This Tuesday meme. It is a blessing and an honor to be part of that special community of people.

So that’s a bit about me and my little blog. If you’d like to learn more, you can subscribe to my feed, and I would love it if you would sign the guest book (i.e. leave me a comment) before you leave! Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t invite you to all the other great parties going on this week. Psst, one last thing. If you are a Twitterer, you can follow me here.

PRIZES I WOULD LOVE TO WIN

1. INTL 36 – Custom Blog Design by Sara*s Pixel Studio.
2. INTL 1 – Custom Basic Blog Design from Sweet ‘n Simple Design
3. 19 – $50 Gift Certificate to Target Stores from Shoot Me Now!

My other choices would be 21, 26, 68, 91, 113, INTL 61, USC56, USC47, USC15 (yes, I know, they are all gift cards – that’s my favorite thing to win, other than a blog design of my very own!)

For the first Beyond Ordinary Blog Carnival at 5 Minutes for Special Needs, I am pulling out something from my archives. This was originally published on March 24, 2008.

LIFE is the Puzzle

Since entering the world of autism spectrum disorders in December 2004, I have often heard autism referred to as a puzzle, and I have spent the last three-plus years trying to put that puzzle together. Every therapy, every service, every strategy and every treatment has added something to the picture, but instead of getting closer to finishing it, I find myself farther away.

The reality is that, for each of us, LIFE is the puzzle, and it is made up of many pieces–our jobs, our families, our friends and our enemies, our hobbies, our passions, our strengths and our weaknesses, our past and our future, our calling and our mission.

And so I find myself slowly coming to the place where autism no longer defines the size and shape of the final design, but instead is just another piece of the puzzle.

Angela @ Becoming Me is someone whom I admire, partly for the eloquence of her writing, but even more for her willingness to talk openly and honestly about issues of the heart. So when she asked her readers to define their blog mission, I decided to take the challenge to look inward at my motivations and desires.This has been such a good experience for me – to sit and really think about what I want for my blog and, by extension, for my life. I have become aware that I need to find a better balance between my other activities and blogging, which is a great outlet for me but can also become an escape from daily responsibilities. Here is what I have boiled it down to.

Well, there you have it. Thanks for reading and, if you would like to join in on the Blog Mission Tour, simply post your mission on your blog by July 18th and link up to the post at Becoming Me. Even if you don’t participate in this event, I highly recommend taking the time to figure out your blog mission and to consider sharing it with your readers at some point.

I don’t know about you, but I found the Ultimate Blog Party to be just a little overwhelming. I only managed to visit about 100 of the 1499 blogs, partly because I am still new to all the ins and outs of blogging, and partly because the entire week was also taken up by various festivities for the Little Guy’s birthday. I do plan to visit more of them, but in the meantime I wanted to say a big…

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO MY PARTY!!

• Busymama Karen at Busy Mamas
• Dawn at Sweet Pea Cakes, Etc.
• katef at picklebums.com
• That Chick Over There at Jason. For the love of God…
• girlymom4 at Hey! What’s With all the Pink?
• BrineS at Comfort Joy Designs
• casey at daily randomness
• Tawny at AidenElyMama
• Deb at Mom of 3 Girls
• Becoming Me at Becoming Me
• Kelli at Ponderings of a Pastor’s Wife
• Plucky Moms
• Denise at A Woman with Hobbit Feet
• Susan at Our Little Corner of the Upstate
• Michelle at #!/usr/bin/mom
• KC at Mindless Chatter of a Busy Mom
• storyteller at Small Reflections
• Wifey at Wifey’s House
• Janne at Janne’s Jabberwocky

I appreciate all of you for stopping by and saying hi!