A Walk in the Dark

Well it definitely wasn’t dark when we headed out after dinner, it was more like dusk. We just had so much fun strolling around the neighborhood we lost track of time. As we went along from street to street Hailey was fascinated with the STOP signs, of course we stopped at every intersection and pointed up at the sign. I said “STOP” and Hailey silently smiled with her pointer finger while thrusting herself back with excitement. It was a perfect night out, someone must have lit a fire because the smell of a burning fire place filled the air. When we approached a quaint little house with a beautiful garden, we couldn’t help but stop there and smell the pretty flowers. I also couldn’t resist picking an orange marigold for Hailey, it just matched her dress perfectly, she held on to that flower the entire walk. As a desperate attempt to go over her colors I thought it would be fun to point out the color of each car, as we walked pass them I would say, “see the blue car” and Hailey would respond in her sweet soft voice “aah” (her interpretation of car) a few steps later I’d say “Hailey look, there’s a red car” she would point to it and say “aah” and before I knew it she was navigating our way through the neighborhood pointing left “aah” then right “aah.” this simple game had become so pleasurable. Hailey really has taught me how to slow down, how to enjoy and appreciate the moment. We were having such a good time together I didn’t want the night to end.

Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA - ASL Song

I love this one! He looks like he is having so much fun!

Well This About Sums it Up!

You weren’t like other children,
And God was well aware,
You’d need a caring family,
With love enough to share.
And so He sent you to us,
And much to our surprise,
You haven’t been a challenge,
But a blessing in disguise.
Your winning smiles and laughter,
The pleasures you impart,
Far outweigh your special needs,
And melt the coldest heart.
We’re proud that we’ve been chosen,
To help you learn and grow,
The job that you have brought us,
Is more than you can know.
A precious gift from Heaven,
A treasure from above,
A child who’s taught us many things,
But most of all- “Real Love”

Author Unknown

Oil Painting Good Harbor Beach Gloucester

This is the 2nd of two paintings I have painted for a woman who wanted a couple of unique and personal Christmas presents for her family. This picture was taken at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester. They celebrated their daughters 2nd birthday there and now we've captured this picture on canvas. What a beautiful memory!

Collin Raye - She's With Me

ipad

Not a day goes by that I don't read something positive about the ipad being helpful tool for children with special needs. I read it on Nathan Charlan's Blog about his son Zachery who Has Cerebral Palsy. He and his wife Renee are completely sold, you can read more on that press here http://www.exceptionalfamilytv.com/blogs/producers/nathan/zachs-mac#comment-414 I have also heard about it being helpful for kids in the autism spectrum. You can read more about that press here http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-08-11/news/ihelp-for-autism/ I just thought I would put these out there for anyone who may be thinking about this or even for those who have not. Hailey has a Dynavox (pictured above) a $10,000. computer that she has been using to help her communicate. Thank God this was covered by insurance! Otherwise we would be going the ipad route for sure for about $500.00 From what I understand the ipad is much easier to carry around, not nearly as heavy, that's one up on the ipad, but the dynavox has a plastic guard on top that helps the children with motor skill issues make a more accurate choice. Can anyone else who has either of these two useful devices tell me some pros and cons about each? Thank you

I had lots of fun painting this ocean scene. What a beautiful day to be walking along the beach with your granddaughter. I am glad this special moment was captured on camera so that I could do my own interpretation of this special day on canvas. This painting is one of two that I am doing as a commissioned special I offered recently. This customer new a good deal when she heard it, a 16 x20 original oil on canvas for only $100.00 She ordered one for her parents and another for her husband as Christmas presents. Shop early this offer ends on August 31. For more information contact me www.harrold.janet@gmail.com

We had such a nice weekend with Hailey, I’m sure I sound like a broken record, I just enjoy her company so much, it is always my pleasure when she spends the night. We even got Grampy up at 6:00 a.m. to take us out to breakfast, even though he just went to sleep at 4:00a.m. Though she doesn’t really talk much, Hailey knows that all she has to do is give him that mischevious unbelievable smile of hers and he will do whatever she wants. She can play him like a fiddle. We spent the remainder of the day playing games and reading books, It is amazing how much Hailey still enjoys reading, after reading several books I would attempt to walk into the kitchen and start preparing dinner or cutting up fruit and Hailey will continuously follow me out there with another book in hand, her new thing is to get on her knees and thrust herself up on your legs.She totally wraps her arms around both of your legs, still holding on to that book and looking way up at you and smiling. After such effort and determination I have to stop dead in my tracks and bring her back into the living room and read more books. She can never get enough of them,and I can never get enough of her.
Last night when Christine came to teach us sign language, Hailey totally knocked her socks off. Of course Grampy was video taping us and she also likes to ham it up a bit. We mostly worked on our colors. We started with the book “Brown bear, brown bear what do you see” I narrated the book while Christine would show her each color in sign and Hailey would match each color inside the book with a small color square, she never even got one wrong! The high light of the night was when Hailey signed “Bear” each time she would sign “bear” Hailey would point outside, we had no idea what she was pointing to, at the end of the night, Christine brought the dogs inside (she brings two dogs with her each week, one dogs name is Lycos and the other is Teddy) The dogs come running inside very happy to be going home and Hailey smiled and
signed “BEAR” we didn’t get it that she was signing Teddy Bear! Now I wonder who is teaching who here?

To sign or not to sign THAT is the question

Well I guess we have been thinking whether or not it is a good idea for Hailey to learn more sign language. On ocassion Hailey sometimes says partial words, for example: When I ask her if she wants to read a book she used to comment “a boo” not totally finishing the word but everybody new what she was trying to say. Earlier on we learned a few words in sign language so that ultimately Hailey’s frustration level would be down a bit and also so we could open up the lines of communication, and to give her more choices. It seems since she has learned the sign for book, she no longer says “a boo”. This causes concern for my family. We have to ask ourselves if this is something we want to continue doing. We do not want her to use sign language INSTEAD of trying to use her voice.
Last night we had Christine come to the house, she taught us the alphabet in sign as well as a lot of different signs that might be helpful to Hailey. It was so much fun to learn (my fingers hurt). She has been working with children who have autism for over 10 years and she also had some great ideas to help with speech development and motor skills as well. Christine did such a wonderful job showing us how to sign and she even let us videotape her so that I could share it with all my blogger friends who have children that have a hard time communicating verbally. I hope that some of you can also benefit from these short clips.
In addition to learning sign I also learned that although we were initially nervous about signing preventing her speech development, research suggests very strongly that this is not the case. In fact the opposite occurs, as signing seems to positively encourage speech development.

Tell me your thoughts about American Sign Language and share your experiences with us.

I can paint your child

Well, as it turned out I have been getting many requests for painting children since my last post!
Partly because people like to see something that they can relate to, and partly because who wouldn’t want to take advantage of this special opportunity? But also because Caryanne from http://aboutthesmallstuff.blogspot.com/ was kind enough to write a post and put a link to my blog on her blog. Thank you Caryanne. One mother is ordering 3 paintings, 1 for herself and 2 for her parents for Christmas presents, what a great idea! Christmas in July, why not, it may take me that long to keep up with these commissions anyway. This picture is of Caryanne’s twin boys, Daniel and Ben. Ben also has Cerebral Palsy and those of you who know me well, know that I like to put a small green Cerebral Palsy awareness ribbon hidden somewhere in my paintings. This time I thought it would be appropriate to put the ribbon right over Ben’s heart. Thank you Caryanne.
If you would like one for your family, please email me www.harrold.janet@gmail.com

Stay tuned for videos of our sign language lessons. Christine has come to our house for the past two weeks to teach us sign language, because she has been working with children who have autism for over 10 years, she is pretty well rounded in child development and has taught us a lot of good ideas and tricks to help with motor skills,. She has given us lots of ideas to apply to everyday activities as well as encourage speech development. I can’t wait to introduce her, I hope you will find these videos of signing helpful. Please comment kindly about whether or not you think American Sign Language helps your child communicate better or if you believe that sign language will somehow hinder him from trying to vocalize. It is a question we ask ourselves everyday, any input with your experiences would be greatly appreciated.

"My Paintings of Hailey"

The weather has been so beautiful around here lately, there is no way you can stay indoors. Today I had the pleasure of going to the pond with Hailey and Natalie. Hailey really enjoys exploring and playing in the grass. I thought I would make her laugh, I said “watch Grammy, i’m going all the way to the top of the hill and I’m going to roll down o.k.” Hailey sat on her mother’s lap while she anxiously waited for me to get to the top. When I get there I said “ready, here I go” and as I begin to roll ( all the while hoping I don’t break something) I hear Hailey laughing. It is music to my ears. She is, as I expected laughing hysterically. She enjoyed my hideous attempt to roll down the hill so much that the little daredevil wanted to roll down the hill too. So, I thought I would humor her by bringing her just a wee bit up the hill and laying her down, but no, she’s not having it, I try and lay her down and she keeps pointing to the top. I’ll tell you, I can never get over on Hailey, she is a girl who knows what she wants. Before I knew it all 3 of us were rolling down the hill. My only regret is that we didn’t get any photos of this fun yet ridiculous act. Natalie did however get some nice shots of Hailey in the grass. They were so cute I just had to paint them.

I was pleased with the results (the pictures don’t really do them justice, I can never seem to get them without a glare). Anyway, if you think that these are just so cute that you might like me to paint one of your child, now is the time. Since I am painting to raise money for Hailey’s Conductive Education Fund, for a limited time I would be happy to paint a 16”x20”’ oil on stretch canvas for $100.00 Typically I would sell these any where from $500.-$700. For information please contact me www.harrold.janet@gmail.com I would be grateful if you would post a link to this blog on your own blog or facebook status. Thank you for your continuous support.

Hailey crosses the finish line!

It's been awhile since my last post, I am just so proud of Hailey! Not only because she is doing well with her gait trainer but also because she is really enjoying showing off her new set of wheels and playing with the other children. In the video you can see and hear the reactions from the other children at the park. At one point she seems to be the envy of a curious little boy (we'll call him George). He thinks what she is riding is like an airplane! He comments that he has never seen a bike like that. He is asking all kinds of questions and at one point he asks why Hailey isn't talking. Another curious girl was just staring quietly at Hailey. I realize that this is probably something that Hailey will have to face her whole life, and at some point she will probably be picked on or even treated mean. I am not quite sure how to handle this, I was not quite sure how we should have answered George's questions. I find it hard to explain to children in a way that they would understand, and at the same time being sensitive to the fact that Hailey is listening to everything that is being said. I'm sure that it is natural for George to be curious about Hailey not being able to walk and talk, but at the same time Hailey must be curious about why everyone around her CAN walk and talk. Educating adults about Hailey's disability is hard enough, not an easy thing for adults to grasp. Talking to children, Hailey included, it's difficult to know the right thing to say. I hope that with today's school system having more inclusive classrooms it will help typical children to understand how to talk and act and play with their peers despite their ability.
(click on the video below)

With the summer here and more things to be done out doors I haven't had much time for painting, but I do have some work hanging at The Mud House. So if any of you are in the Dorchester area, stop by The Mud House 389 Neponset Ave. They serve the best coffee, sandwiches and pastry fresh daily. Thank you to all who purchased Cerebral Palsy stained glass ribbons, and remember we can make any color awareness ribbon that you would like to support.

Cerabral Palsy Awareness Ribbon made of stained glass

A good friend of mine and fellow artist June Alexandra creates custom stained glass. http://www.alexandraglassart.com/contact.html  I recently asked her to design a green ribbon for me. It is by far the most precious piece of art I own. I hang it in my kitchen window and every morning when I make my usual cup of tea, a little piece of light shimmers through and it makes me smile. It reminds me of Hailey. It gives me a bit of hope, it also reminds me that I need to continue my quest to raise awareness about C.P. (Thank you June) Not only to make people aware that there is a condition out there called Cerebral Palsy, but that the people who have C.P. and other disabilities are very important people, just like you and I. I must admit that before Hailey was born I had no idea or clear understanding about life as a disabled person....how would I, why should I, how would you? I didn't care about taking the time to understand. I was far too busy for that. Then suddenly it stopped me dead in my tracks. Bang! You have absolutely no choice in the matter, and your priorities are now crystal clear. There is not a single thing in the world that is more important to me.

June has so graciously offered to help not only raise awareness of C.P. but to help raise money for Hailey's Conductive Education fund. She will make a ribbon fashioned out of stained glass so that you too can let the light shine in your window as well as raise awareness and show support for Hailey and many other people like her. To remind people that we will never stop fighting the fight.

For information about purchasing your stained glass ribbon for $20.00 plus shipping, please contact me, harrold.janet@gmail.com

If my special needs blogger friends wouldn't mind copying this post to your blog I would really appreciate it. Thank you

I am The Child

I Am the Child
I am the child who cannot talk. You often pity me, I see it in your eyes. You wonder how much I am aware of -- I see that as well. I am aware of much -- whether you are happy or sad or fearful, patient or impatient, full of love and desire, or if you are just doing your duty by me. I marvel at your frustration, knowing mine to be far greater, for I cannot express myself or my needs as you do.

You cannot conceive my isolation, so complete it is at times. I do not gift you with clever conversation, cute remarks to be laughed over and repeated. I do not give you answers to your everyday questions, responses over my well-being, sharing my needs, or comments about the world about me. I do not give you rewards as defined by the world's standards -- great strides in development that you can credit yourself; I do not give you understanding as you know it.

What I give you is so much more valuable -- I give you instead opportunities. Opportunities to discover the depth of your character, not mine; the depth of your love, your commitment, your patience, your abilities; the opportunity to explore your spirit more deeply than you imagined possible. I drive you further than you would ever go on your own, working harder, seeking answers to your many questions with no answers. I am the child who cannot talk.

I am the child who cannot walk. The world seems to pass me by. You see the longing in my eyes to get out of this chair, to run and play like other children. There is much you take for granted. I want the toys on the shelf, I need to go to the bathroom, oh I've dropped my fork again. I am dependant on you in these ways. My gift to you is to make you more aware of your great fortune, your healthy back and legs, your ability to do for yourself. Sometimes people appear not to notice me; I always notice them. I feel not so much envy as desire, desire to stand upright, to put one foot in front of the other, to be independent. I give you awareness. I am the child who cannot walk.

I am the child who is mentally impaired. I don't learn easily, if you judge me by the world's measuring stick, what I do know is infinite joy in simple things. I am not burdened as you are with the strifes and conflicts of a more complicated life. My gift to you is to grant you the freedom to enjoy things as a child, to teach you how much your arms around me mean, to give you love. I give you the gift of simplicity. I am the child who is mentally impaired.

I am the disabled child. I am your teacher. If you allow me, I will teach you what is really important in life. I will give you and teach you unconditional love. I gift you with my innocent trust, my dependency upon you. I teach you about how precious this life is and about not taking things for granted. I teach you about forgetting your own needs and desires and dreams. I teach you giving. Most of all I teach you hope and faith. I am the disabled child.

- Author Unknown -

Hailey "gets it" I know she does!

It's springtime here and there are so many beautiful trees in bloom right now. A nice time to share this story with you. On Wednesdays I take Hailey swimming and on our ride to the pool we usually sing and clap to a custom C.D that a friend made of children's favorites. Last week I turned the music down and pointed to all of the different colored trees that currently line the city streets, (also a nice way to review and learn colors with Hailey) pink Cherry blossom, white Dogwood, Flowering crab apple etc.etc. Because Hailey can't always take part in the same things that other children are taking part it, I think it is important for her to notice the simple yet beautiful things that mother nature has to offer. Sometimes while talking or explaining something to Hailey, she smiles with acknowledgement and other times Hailey has less expression on her face and seems to be in a daze or she just looks right through me. I'm never quite sure if she understands me or not.
This Sunday while my husband and I were taking Hailey to the Trailside Museum, I noticed out of the corner of my eye Hailey casually lifting up her right hand, her arm stretched towards the front windshield (because Hailey is non verbal she typically points in the direction of what she wants) I look back and see her smiling, but still i'm uncertain of what she is trying to say at this point. Another minute goes by and Hailey extends her left arm, (I'm still oblivious) Hailey then lifts her right arm again, this time I get it. Hailey is telling me to look at all the pretty trees. I just smile from ear to ear because I know that Hailey gets it, she really gets it!

"Cafe World"
30 x 40
oil on canvas
for purchase information
email harrold.janet@gmail.com

"Anxiously Waiting"

8 x 8 oil on panel
$50.00

A few people have e mailed me asking why I haven't posted any new paintings recently on my blog, It seems as though I may have a few separate audiences, 1 audience follows my blog for my art work and another for Hailey's progress, and some of you enjoy both. Well I don't want to forget that I am painting for a cause so I painted an 8x8 panel for your viewing this morning, you should know that when I am not working, I like to spend quality time with Hailey and when I am not with Hailey, I am probably painting. I recently finished a commissioned piece (a sailboat) as well as a rather large painting of chef's that will hopefully be hanging among some of my other work at "Ledge" a fairly new restaurant in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester. This will probably be hanging some time next week for 4-6 weeks. If your in the neighborhood stop by and have a bite to eat. The menu at The Ledge features mostly traditional American cuisine and pub grub. I am also working on 2 other commissions from a couple of co-workers. So believe me I have been busy. People ask me where I find the time to paint. Well, I find myself painting late at night and sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, If I weren't painting for such a worthy cause, I would probably give it a break, but "where love is deep, much can be accomplished" as long as people are willing to help out either by purchasing a painting or by letting me get my work out there on the walls of businesses, I'm going to get it done. Enough about art. Let's talk about Hailey...this morning (after I finished my painting) we brought Hailey to her doctor's appointment, that is never, ever an easy task, she absolutely hates it and fears it, crying the whole time, I really wish we could ease her anxiety. (If any of my fellow bloggers have any tricks on making these visits easier please comment below) After that we went for a walk in Olmsted Park, part of the Emerald Necklace. Hailey likes to walk there, Natalie says she likes to see the damn and the geese, so that is where we went today and on the way back home we had to walk past the playground and Hailey extended her arm and pointed towards the slide. The little dare devil that she is, she gets mad if Natalie goes down the slide with her. So with Mama up at the top and Grammy playing catcher, down she goes with a grin from ear to ear. My heart skips a beat, but Hailey just signs for more.