Brian & Kory

Two of the clients I get to work with every week.
I love these sweet guys.

Trees at Group

I took Heidi's idea to group and my guys loved making edible Christmas trees! I love making crafts or being creative with my groups, they respond so well.

Jerry

Eric

Brian

Work

I really do love my job. Just planning group....

Disability Awareness Walk

My sweet family (- our Tim who was camping with his troop) came with me to the Disability Awareness Walk. 

I love my job. It works out so well with my stay-at-home-mom-writer gig. I love the people I work. And I loved having my family meet them!

Me and Tuffy

 Cinnamon

Roy is the manager over NowCap. He's from Evanston and I knew his little sister. He and Jeff knew each other too. :) 

He gave a great opening speech and talked about how we all have abilities to celebrate!

Kory

Kory used to be a Scout. He doesn't speak and he only has use of one of his hands. He's also in a wheel chair.  A couple of weeks ago, one of Tim's old Scout leaders told this story and it was about Kory. It was so cool. She told the boys a little about Kory and then she told them how she took him on a campout. And when it was time to clean up and leave she found Kory. He had climbed out of his wheel chair and army crawled to her tent and with one good hand he pulled out the stakes. It made me cry. Kory wanted to serve, he wanted to help and he found a way.

Brian and Jerry

Loving my job

I love my job.

It just makes me happy.

The people that I work with make my day! They are so good to me.

A while back I taught them a lesson on appropriate affection. We talked about how you can hug a friend, but it's not okay to kiss a friend. :) It was a good lesson. Then before I left they all had to hug me goodbye... because we're good friends, ya know. :)
 

A few weeks ago William was gone and I was teaching by myself. One of my favorite guys, Tuffy, said he wanted to go to Hawaii one day. I thought that was pretty cool and I told him I wanted to go too! He said I could go with him as long as I left my husband home. I laughed so hard, it was hilarious. The next lesson he was supposed to tell us a time that made him proud and he said it was the day he met me. :) So sweet.
 

Wednesday, we were making books about ourselves.Several of them needed help. William told me later every time he tried to help one guy he'd point to me, he wanted me to help him. haha.

I love helping these people. I love their sweet spirits and kind hearts.

Work

It feels strange saying things like- "When I get home from work..." or "Not today, mommy's working..."

My job isn't a huge one, but still my kids know that I'm working. At first I never called it work. I'd say things like- this little job I'm doing. I think I felt guilty and... I don't know, not qualified enough to call it "work". Silly, I know. But I'm a fairly silly girl.

With all that said, I'm getting used to it. And I actually love it. I get to help these really great people. I get to befriend them and let them know that they're important.

It's pretty awesome. :)

A New Job :)

I haven't worked, for someone other than myself and my family for 13 1/2 years...

At the beginning of this month I started a little job. It's actually perfect for me and I feel really blessed to be doing it. Our friend William is a counselor at the High School. He also counsels special needs adults after school. He runs two groups to help them learn life skills. When he decided he needed a partner his wife and one of my very best friends, Fara, thought of me. :)

Thanks Fara.

I studied Special Education in school and loved it dearly.

The hours are perfect and the extra money is going to help too. :)

It's only about 3 hours a week and it's when my hubby or my big boy can watch the kids.

I have been loving it. It's fun and rewarding and gets me out of the house for a bit.