Thomas the Train

A few weekends ago, I went with my friend and her three children to Cincinnati, OH to see Thomas the Train. We made this a big weekend for them considering that they are toddlers and besides swimming in the hotel pool, staying in a hotel for the night, and the quick drive down, we also visited the aquarium. It was awesome to see the sharks and to actually be able to touch them. After an exciting Saturday it was time to see Thomas the Train. The tickets are a little pricey but if you have children under 2 they are free. This includes a ride on the train that is pulled by Thomas, free bounce house, play tents that include tattoos, meeting Sir Topham Hatt, story time, a maze, and playing with toy trains. The train ride is about a half hour and it is loads of fun, they play the theme music to Thomas and they make it really exciting for kids. I would definitely recommend trying this if you have kids that are into trains. The railroad that put this spectacle on also does other fun kids rides throughout the year and we are already considering doing another one.

Walk Now for Autism Speaks 2010 Kick-Off Event

This year there was yet another fabulous kick-off event. An audience of autism advocates and some local celebrities in the autism world got together for two and a half hours to kick off the event for us to meet again in 10.10.10 to walk for Autism Speaks. It was extremely exciting to learn that Columbus, OH was the Top Walk event by beating our money raised in 2008 in 2009. What an astounding honor and I can say that I am a proud Central Ohioan and am really excited for 10.10.10 :)

Job Search

Since being a post graduate, finding a job can be difficult. I was on the hunt before I graduated and now am on the hunt again. The position that I took right before graduation only lasted the summer and now I am looking for a job that will last longer than a few months. I would love to hold a day job that worked around my class schedule and not a job that requires night and weekends, but I will have to see.
While looking for jobs and updating resumes I decided to give a few tips and hints to how I went about looking for my job and continuing to look for a job.

The first step is to get an updated resume including current references. I have never had a potential employer call my references but it smart to have an updated list for them to call just in case. For me, I have multiple resumes, an employment one, a childcare one, and one for all my experience with autism. Sometimes I think this is too many but at other times, I think it is necessary because one resume may not represent my experiences in that field. So suggestions from you, should I combine them all or should I leave it to multiple resumes handed out to appropriate employers?
After my resume was updated and completed, I started the search, mainly by asking friends and family if they knew anyone hiring and looking in the local newspaper, but I wasn't getting anywhere. So I decided to hit craigslist.com and it has offered me many interviews and many job offers. It is important however to make sure the ad is reputable and not a scam. I decided to decipher the ads based on the detailed information given. If the ad was generalized in the description and asking for a name, resume, and number I turned it away. It if offered a detailed description of the job, where the job would take place, the salary, and a reply to the post then I would send my information.
Besides craigslist.com, I also went into retail stores and filled out applications. I think it is important to fill out the application right then and there so that the store knows how interested you are and that you are willing to fill it out right away. I found that if I took it home with me, I did not fill it out and it stayed on my desk.

My last advice, apply to anywhere and everywhere. You many never know what you find.

Good Luck and happy job search.

New Puppy

My family and I recently got another dog, and to many this is a surprise. If you knew our family you would know that is a big step but we did it anyways. We got a seven week old mix of Rhodesian Ridge-back, Lab, and Shepherd. We decided to name her Riley (even though it should have been Grace since she is very graceful). My sisters and I have been taking turns keeping her at night since she is still little and is in the process of being trained. Our biggest fear was introducing our puppy to our other dog, which is a twelve year old pure bread beagle. She has ran the house since we got her and the little one was not taken likely by her. After about a week, our older dog jumped on board and now they like each other. She had her first vet appointment yesterday and we found out she weighs 8 pounds. She starts Puppy Preschool on Saturday. :) She is also scared of everything and anything; plastic bags, trash cans, cars, black shoes (really anything!).

Movie Review: Despicable Me

An absolutely adorable movie that every family should see. Besides the quirky and fun one liners (i.e. It's so FLUFFY!!!!) there is an honest and cute story underneath. Despicable Me is about a Super Villain who is trying to come up with the best hijacking out of all super villains (he is trying to one up the other villain). He decides to steal the moon with a shrink gun, but he has to steal it from the other villain. By making a plot that involves his cute little yellow minions and adopting three little girls he successfully achieves his goal but realizes that family is more important. My only downside to this movie is that it was in 3D. I am not a big fan of 3D and think this movie would be just as good in 2D. I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Happy Birthday America!!

I and the rest of the United States just recently celebrated the Nation's birthday on the 4th. It is one of my favorite holidays and this year was very eventful and fun. We basically did the exact same schedule that we did last year just with more family and friends! On the 2nd, my family and I went downtown to watch Red White and Boom one of the best firework shows in the Midwest. Following the best fireworks finale along with an awesome soundtrack, we slept in the next day and attended my dad's company picnic that ended in another awesome fireworks show. Sunday was family day where we had a major cookout, water balloons, slip n' slide, and fireworks! Besides my dad burning himself on the hand during a fireworks mishap (note to self do not sit while lighting fireworks) we had an amazing time. Monday was the closing of a fabulous weekend by spending the day at the water park.

Sensory Recognition

Working in Occupational Therapy and dealing with kids with special needs, there comes a time when not only do you start recognizing the child's sensory issues but your own. It has only recently come upon me and it is interesting to see how sensory integration can really affect you as a person and how you deal with things throughout your day. We are all sensory seeking individuals, we may just not know it.

There are many types of sensory inputs, tactile, visual, and taste are a few to name. For me, I seek tactile input, but can also experience other inputs to regulate my body. When I talk about regulating the body it is not a physical regulation, but a mental regulation.

Tactile refers to touching objects or being touched, I am not one for the being touched but seeking surfaces that are different than smooth help me a lot. I noticed that I was like this after volunteering for two OT's this past school year (one in a clinic and one in a school) and noticing that when I walk down particular hallways that I have to have my hands on the wall. The hallways that appeal to my sensory system are hallways made of cement or bricks. I like anything with a surface on it and that I can feel. I will hopefully be making a sensory board to keep for when I become an OT but I know that it will be beneficial to not only me but the kids that I work with now.

Figure out what you seek or try to pay attention, do you like listening to music (if so, what kinds), do you like to eat, what type of foods (salty or sweet). Do you like visual cues, does TV calm you down, or looking at pictures. Once you have this figured out you will know what your body desires and what your sensory needs are.