A Door Was Opened and So We Begin a New Chapter

It has been awhile since I have written in this thing and a lot has happened since then.  Things have literally been crazy.. Chad and I feel like we have been through a whirlwind.  We have been on the road a lot and it seems that we practically live out of a suit case.  Most recently, we have been anxiously waiting to see what would happen with my job and finding a place in Cullman to rent.  We found a place to rent and were so excited.  We were set to sign the lease and then got a call from the owner saying she no longer wanted to rent to us.  I was so upset and became even more frustrated when Chad called all of the reality companies in Cullman only to hear no one had rental houses.  The following Monday Chad and I went to the school to start setting up my classroom.  As we were setting it up, I got a call from a school in North Alabama wanting me to come and interview.  That put a damper on setting up my classroom and I became very confused on life.  I went to the interview that week and was offered a dream job.  I will be teaching Pre-K special education.  I had to take the job, it was a dream position.  Furthermore, taking a job in North Alabama meant that Chad and I could move closer to Skiers Marine North and our overall quality of living would improve.  Chad and I would spend easily 800 dollars a month on gas last school year.   We are so excited about moving and thankful that we will be leaving Cullman.  As far as leaving Pinson goes I am sad to leave the Unit and all my spectrum kids.  I am most sad to leave all the friends I have made.  I would not have been able to have made it without all of the love and support of you guys. 

Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month!  This month holds a special place in my heart and in light of the occasion I had the opportunity to attend the Midsouth Autism Conference in Tunica, Mississippi.  I am so blessed that I got to attend the conference and I am so excited about the information and material that I have come away from the conference with.  The conference was unlike any I have ever attended because it had big name people speaking and I am not just referring to the opening speaker Ms. Temple Grandin.  Yes, Temple delivered an amazing yet funny and sometimes awkward message, but all of the other speakers were just as phenomenal.  Most of the speakers were so called "Gurus" in the Autism community.  My personal favorite was Dr. James Partington, PhD, BCBA-D author of Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Delays and author of the ABLLS Assessment (The Assessment of Language and Learning Skills).  This man has been practicing ABA and working with students with Autism spectrum disorders since 1987 (the year I was born).  As I sat and listened to his lecture from 9-4:30 I just filled with excitement because I could not wait to get back to school and use some of his techniques.  Today, I heard a speech pathologist and founder of the ACCESS Group speak on language and the use of visuals.  She was amazing and showed so many examples.  I came away from the conference with so much but it also made me realize the public school needs to be doing so much more for these kids.  According to the Autism experts, children on the spectrum need 10 hours of speech a week!!  We need to be really focusing on increasing language and this should be a primary concern.  A great point addressed by both Temple and Dr. Partington was why spend time teaching a kid what a zebra or a bear is if they are not going to come in contact with it in every day life.  Why focus on theme based vocabulary if the child can not even tell you and describe his or her back pack, folder, house, family, school, self, etc.  They also stressed having children on the spectrum do more than just produce answers to questions.  It is great if a student can answer a question, but if the conversation can not go any deeper what good have we done.  Another thing that stuck out was using multiple words the have the same meaning when giving directions or having conversations with these students to increase vocabulary knowledge.  I am so thrilled about the knowledge I gained, but a little saddened by how far public schools are from adequately service children on the spectrum.  Public schools need so many more resources that there is not funding for.  The conference opened my eyes to many things  which I can include in my teaching to help these kidos better succeed.  I wish I could have gone to this at the beginning of the year because I think my kids would have made even more progress that they have this year.  The other thing that I took away from the conference was an added eagerness to go back to school.  I am so interested in the behavior analyst side of working with students on the spectrum and want to start school to become a BCBA.  Yes, I have been accepted to Penn State to start in the fall doing there online program, but everything with my job has to work out for that to happen.  The conference solidified my passion for working with kids on the spectrum and I really do not think that would be happy doing any other job. 

Chad and I continue to pray about our future as a family and where we will be living.  We pray I will have a job and the Skier's Marine will continue to succeed.  Furthermore, we pray for a place we can call home and an actual house.  The unknown is killing me, but I know God has a plan.

In other news it is my cousin Travis's birthday...Happy Birthday! He is my inspiration for me becoming a special education teacher and I am so thankful God put him in my life.

It is just the start of a long process

We met with the lawyer yesterday, and well let just say this process has just started and seems to be one that will go on forever.  It makes me so angry that I am having to deal with all of this mess. It just adds to the stress which I already have and is very much un-needed.  In the mean time it is a growing joke between Chad and I of where we will be living and what job I will have.  As we all know education is in trouble financially which is really scary.  Chad jokes that I will be working at Walmart.  In the meantime we continue to enjoy the beautiful view of Smith Lake and the laughter that living in the country brings. 

The Unknown

I do not like not knowing what is in store for me in the next couple of months.  Chad and I have no clue where we will be much less where or what we will live in.  I hate not knowing if I will have a job or if I do have a job where it will be.  Chad and I are having to be very open minded.  We find ourselves tossing back and forth between we can do this we can keep commuting to there is no way we can continue to drive 2 hours each a day.  It all lies on where I will have a job or if I will have a job which is so scary.  At the end of the day we have to continue to remind ourselves that it is all God's plan and we have to just trust in the Lord.  We pray each day that I will have a job and I pray that I will be able to continue to working with the students I love to work with most and that is those who are on the Autism Spectrum. 

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

When I was in college I could not wait to get out and start living life as an adult but now I would do anything to get to go back to having no responsibility.  Being an adult really stinks sometimes.  This week Chad and I were hit with some really bad news about his truck.  We have to pay nearly 2,000 dollars to fix things that have to be fixed because it is a safety issue.  On top of that this is the first month I had to start paying my loan for graduate school and now because of the situation I am in with graduate school we have to pay lawyer fees.  So we got hit by a bus this week! We are so thankful that we are living in the lake house and do not have a mortgage payment on top of all of those expenses. 

Chad and I have definitely come to the conclusion we are not built for country living.  Do you know how many bugs there are in the country?  They are everywhere and somehow find there way in the house.  Chad killed over 20 flies in one day.  When I drive home it is like I am in a scary movie because it is pitch black and no one is around.  Not to mention there is nothing around and we have no friends or neighbors.  Chad and I said last night that God was really teaching us a lesson of how to live simply because we have nothing at the lake and can not just run out and get stuff.  It is the little things I took for granite being able to do- the lake house does not have an ice maker so I am making ice using ice treys.  This gets so old and really irritates me early in the morning. It would make it worth it if we had a sunny weekend to enjoy the beauty of the lake, but that has not happened yet.  We will definitely be looking for a house close to civilization.

It Is Official I Now Reside In Cullman

That is right... Chad and I have officially moved.  As of last night at 10:00 we were officially residents of Cullman.  Although I am happy to now be living with Chad during the week, I am going to miss the conveniences of 280 living and I can sure tell you that Chad and I do not fit in with the neighbors.  On the bright side, it is so beautiful to wake up to Smith Lake.  It brings a since of peace over you.  I am looking forward to the days being longer and being able to come home and sit out on the pier, wakeboard, play with the dogs and just enjoy the lake. 

Today I am writing you from Skiers Marine North... Chad has left me in charge to hold down the fort.  This is a very scary thing.  Thank goodness the only person that has come by thus far has been a very scary truck driver delivering a boat.  I say he is very scary because he snuck in the back door and scared the daylights out of me.  I was not expecting someone to enter from the back.  So today I am working on a Saturday and fulfilling my good boat wife duties.  I love it here in Athens.. the farm land is beautiful and I almost feel like I am on vacation seeing the TN river. 

Last week I had a birthday party for one of my students.  I asked him what kind of cake he wanted me to make him and he said "no need no need.  You go to walmart and it is the one with the sprinkles."  I laughed and said "what kind?"  he said "white cake and white icing."  So I got him just what he ordered.  Wed. afternoon we put on birthday hats, sang happy birthday, and eat walmart cake.  It was grand and his face was priceless.  He said "Mrs. Tyler this is the best birthday ever!"  It is little things like this that make me love my job.

13.1 with Team413

On Feb.13 I ran my second 1/2 marathon in the Mercedes 1/2. I ran for team 4:13.. I ran wearing a shirt stating "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillipians 4:13. Although it was just a shirt the verse really spoke to me around mike 10 when my feet hurt so that they were numb and it was tough to just keep running. The verse helped me preserver and push though. Not only did it help me, but I had other runners thanking me for wearing such an inspiring shirt. Other inspiration came from the constant pictures of special needs babies hanging from Bell Center shirts worn by those running on the Bell Center Team. These pictures reminded us all that we were not just there to run for ourselves or set a record, we were there to raise money for a wonderful organization that reaches those with special needs and there families. It is now the night after the race and I can feel the pain. I feel like an old woman and my knee hurts more than it ever has. Although there is pain, I am ready for another. Running is addicting. The since of accomplishment and freedom it gives you is unlike anything else. Whether running or not, I Truely believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.