Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings, the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Champions
It is a fantastic moment when the captain gets to lift the trophy for the first time. Can you see the joy? It has been a long nine weeks, and the road to the cup this year was a good one. If my team couldn't win, well, I'm glad it was these guys. =) Hmm... only four more months until hockey season begins!
I have been anxiously awaiting the day that Miss Jenny's AlphabeThursday meme would return to "A". I have gone through the A-Z cycle once before, and wanted to join in again.
Today is the day. Hooray! If you'd like to join the fun, pay a visit to ..off on my tangent... and link up!
A is a no brainer for me right now. Earlier this month, I went to see The Avengers Movie.
I had been waiting for what felt like forever, and yes, I was in the seats on opening day - a happy contributor to the #1 box office opening of all time.
The movie didn't disappoint. I know I will watch it over and over, and over again, and love it every time.
If you haven't seen it yet, and enjoy great action, good vs evil stories, and superheroes with a touch of humanity, I highly recommend treating yourself to this one while it is on the big screen.
The PG-13 movie is a fantastic blend of amazing cinematography, well cast actors, a great script, and the genius of Joss Whedon.
Fans can visit the site for downloads, like that cool picture I included in the post. (which belongs to Paramount Pictures and Marvel, and was offered as a downloadable image, which I took full advantage of.)
The DVD and Blu-ray release date is September 25th. I will definitely have my copy that day. :)
If you read my blog regularly, then you must know by now that my sons are both diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. The world has come a long way in terms of autism awareness. We all know that autism exists - but sadly, the rate of diagnoses is still climbing. Hopefully the many events and fundraisers will bring us closer to a day when autism no longer exists. Until that day, we also hope that awareness will bring about better understanding, even for kids like mine, who are high functioning.
When they were still in the public school system, I took special care to visit my boys' teachers before each school year began. I would get nods and smiles. I would leave feeling as though there was some sort of recognition, only to find myself back in at least one of the classrooms a few weeks later. This was the point in time when the teachers realized that Asperger Syndrome meant more than just a bright kid with a few lovable quirks.
This second session was used for explaining why my children find it nearly impossible to ask for help, that reading ability didn't equal comprehension, how the overall set up of a public school triggers sensory integration disorder, why it was hard for my children to make transitions, and more.
If I was explaining these things to educators with Masters Degrees, (who will be dealing with more and more autism spectrum students every year) it is certainly no surprise when most citizens don't recognize these traits as autism.
As young boys, the autism was much more obvious. They flapped their hands, they walked around in costumes, and the speech that they copied (called echolalia) was juvenile. It was easy to figure out that they were quoting something they had heard somewhere else.
Now they are pre-teens. They have traded flapping for nail biting, foot tapping, noise making,or hair twisting. They dress "cool", and their scripted speech comes from tween oriented television or movies, so they can often sound a bit sassy. (unfortunately, there aren't anymore Wally Cleavers on television..)
For us, the photo below is what autism looks like. They look just like ordinary kids.
For years, we have worked intensively on social skills. Their progress is very encouraging, but on difficult days their clear speech and good carriage will earn us looks of scorn because these boys don't "look" autistic. But, "autistic" doesn't have a "look". For every person diagnosed, it has its own manifestation. Even my own children, who are identical twins, can be autistic differently. And so we have endured many "tsk, tsks", sighs, groans, and other words and sounds of general disapproval when their behavior may seems immature or I look like a terrible mother.
Oh, yes, there's that. My parenting skills are often under the microscope. People who know us will either praise the wonderful job I am doing, or express their opinions about how shameful it is that I am depriving my children of all of the great socialization opportunities available in a public school. (That has a tendency to make me laugh)
Then there are those who don't know us. These folks will either be charmed by two young men with exquisite vocabularies and excellent manners, or they will be appalled that boys of their age are acting out over an unseen anxiety, or behaving poorly during a difficult transition.
Some of the Hallmark traits people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome share are delays in emotional maturity, anxiety, an unusual ability to memorize facts, problems coping with stress, and difficulty expressing emotions or thoughts. (This is why they use the quoted speech from movies and television so often.)
There is also a tendency to fixate on favorite subjects and become obsessed with them to the point that they interject that subject into every conversation, even when it isn't appropriate.
Usually, these kids will have the emotional capacity of a child two thirds of their actual age. My boys who are almost twelve have the problem solving skills of 8 year olds. This gap will begin to close in their twenties.
If the latest statistics of diagnoses are correct, and 1 in 88 children are being diagnosed with some form of autism, then it is nearly impossible to be alive and not have autism touch your life in some way.
Please take advantage of the educational opportunities being presented all month long. The ribbons, walks, auctions, and blue lights are amazing, and I am grateful for them - coupled with knowledge they are even better. My greatest wish is that my boys someday see a cure, but for today, I will take compassion and understanding.
Now that the holiday season has passed, I have some time to write about the fun we had at Universal Studios, Orlando.
From the first moment that we told the boys that we would be going, they couldn't stop thinking about two things: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and trying ButterBeer.
They were so excited when we got to the park. Although it was a busy, touristy time of year, the lines moved quickly and efficiently. Every employee that we dealt with, from the time we stepped out of the car, until we left to go home was helpful, cheerful, and seemed sincerely committed to helping us have the best experience possible. I'm a big fan of fantastic customer service, and Universal Studios theme Park gets a five star rating from me.
Once we were inside the gates, both Boy One and Boy Two could barely stand to wait another minute. They needed to get to Hogwarts, or they were going to burst! We could see where it was, across the water, and we quickly navigated our way across the park. If you could have seen my boys faces as we got closer.. it really is an impressive sight!
We crossed over the bridge, and it really felt like we were plopped onto the set of a Harry Potter movie!
The Castle was to our left, and Hogsmeade was to the right. As you can imagine, we had two boys who turned left without even hesitating.
Hogwarts - The Forbidden Journey
If you decide to visit Hogwarts, be aware - it is, without a doubt, the most popular area in the park. The wait to get into the Forbidden Journey (the attraction inside the school) can be quite lengthy. If you are better at a long wait while the day is new, it's a great first start. Some children might do better if they have already experienced some exciting activities, and then wind down a bit as they wait on the line to get in.
I wish I had spent more time inside Hogwarts. As we walked through, there were props from the movies, and so many things to see. The attention to detail was fantastic. Take your time and enjoy the show.
Boy One went on the ride, Boy Two declined. We took advantage of the "Child Swap" area so that we could facilitate this. This is where one parent and any non-riding children wait, when the parent who is on the ride disembarks, they switch places without having to wait on the line again.
Some need to know facts: There are a few semi scary moments during the ride, where things pop out at the passengers, and there is a 48 inch height requirement. The ride is a bit of a bumpy one, and all loose articles must be secured in the free lockers available. You'll "fly" with Harry and his friends. There are twists, turns, and a visual show, almost all of the senses are engaged.
Once we were back outside we got to see the Hogwart's Express:
Hogwarts Express
The Flight of the Hippogriff was fun, and we rode this several times. It's a rollercoaster, and has some dips and turns, but it is pretty tame as far as rollercoasters go, and definitely kid friendly. There is a 36 inch height requirement, so most children who want to will be able to ride.
Don't forget to look around, there is a great view of the village, and the ride took us around the pumpkin patch and right past Hagrid's Hut.
Finally, we decided to have some ButterBeer. It comes in a cold, or Frozen form. We tried both. It is sweet, like butterscotch and butter cookies. I think we all preferred the Frozen version, but the cold has more of the thick, creamy foam on top, which was fun, and left a "mustache" on our faces.
You can see the foamy top here, as Boy Two has his first taste.
We spent some extra dollars and got the souvenir mugs. I'm glad we did. they are used every day and are a fun reminder of the great time we had.
Here I am enjoying a frozen mugful:
Hogsmeade has all of the shops you would want to visit. Olivander's also has an exhibit, where one lucky guest is chosen to participate.
Below is a picture of the boys with the Frog Choir. Some of the Hogwarts students and their singing frogs come out and perform a few times each day, and then stay for a short photo session.
We stopped into Honeydukes,and being the consummate tourists for the day, bought some chocolate frogs, and some Bertie Bott's every Flavour Beans.
Next door is Zonko's Joke Shop. Fever fudge, Screaming Yo-Yos, Nosebleed Nougat and Extendable ears are just a few of the fun jokes and sweets you'll find inside.
Dervish and Banges has a large selection of magical, wizardry items, and Fitch's Emporium is the place to find Hogwarts uniforms, Quidditch clothing, house banners, and other uniquely Harry Potter gifts.
We did not ride the Dragon Challenge, which is a high speed, intertwining rollercoaster. It looked like a lot of fun, and the boys meet the 54 inch height requirement, but we were content to stick to the Flight of the Hippogriff this time. The Dragon Challenge is another ride where loose articles must be stowed in the lockers provided.
There is a Tavern, The Three Broomsticks, located in this area of the park. It serves English fare, such as Shepherd's Pie, Fish and Chips or Turkey legs, buffetria style.
We had so much fun, but it's back to the Muggle life for now,
