tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45392976477802019522024-03-06T14:02:00.915-06:00Nathan's VoiceLorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-84285182035203800542023-05-15T19:59:00.010-06:002023-05-15T22:18:58.878-06:00Transforming Myself & Finding a Purpose in Life - by Nate Servati<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It is my pleasure to share the following post written by my youngest son, Nate, for whom this blog was named. Please welcome him as he shares what he has been doing since he graduated from high school. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Thank you for your continued support! -</span><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Lorrie</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGsRexed45xPXfredzQ3lhOZvkZtIIN8tHykc98I3HiKpKcU-EdSxWPPBPj-WvYfF0a03B6wEVmHPh0BUQDkjVTNtKd0nsVgmAQbSTB48r4Wj_n1DBAj21Y2R7OsAYCiQKHuDxzdTR3MKqMO-UAbGKAfMiZIrLYLE9CUPWBnE5EL7xNY1cGk-iUaxKw/s353/output-onlinepngtools%20(4).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin: 0.5em 1em 1em 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="353" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGsRexed45xPXfredzQ3lhOZvkZtIIN8tHykc98I3HiKpKcU-EdSxWPPBPj-WvYfF0a03B6wEVmHPh0BUQDkjVTNtKd0nsVgmAQbSTB48r4Wj_n1DBAj21Y2R7OsAYCiQKHuDxzdTR3MKqMO-UAbGKAfMiZIrLYLE9CUPWBnE5EL7xNY1cGk-iUaxKw/w200-h200/output-onlinepngtools%20(4).png" width="175" /></a></div>I think you should know how and why I became a nutrition coach. I almost didn’t even wanna write about this because I don’t like to relive this time in my life, but this is the truth about how things really were for me and I think you’ll learn a ton from this.</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s just start in 2020, shall we? Yes, I’m gonna bring up that </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">forbidden 5-letter word</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, unfortunately. This might be a universal reality for everyone, but I think </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">COVID</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> made EVERYTHING worse.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was a junior in high school looking forward to the next baseball season. It started off great, but the start was all I got because the remainder of the season was canceled. That was the start of what I consider to be the worst time in my life.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quarantine was in effect, so I also had no school for a decent stint. Therefore, I had nothing to do except sit around and eat anything I could get my hands on. I was binge eating to distract myself from reality, which we all know is NEVER a wise thing to do. But I guess that’s what emotional distress did to me, mostly because I let it.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A few weeks into the lockdowns and whatnot, around April and May 2020, I was at least trying everything I could to stay active, even though I didn’t really have much to stay active for. But it almost seems as if it wasn’t enough to undo the damage I was doing while binging. Just maybe.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After that, I gave up on trying to get in shape for quite a while. I was more focused on applying for college and trying to get scholarships. I was heading into my senior year, so I figured the priority was attracting scholarships, not self-care. I thought self-care was a complete waste of time because it wouldn’t raise my grade point average or allow me to play college baseball. Yeah…</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the start of my senior year (2020-21), I was top 5 in my class. It ended that way as well, but it came at a hefty cost. I was around 260-270 pounds because, at 17 years of age, I was in the </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">worst</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> health of my life…</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was basically trying to force myself to be either a software engineer and/or a cybersecurity analyst. That clearly was not meant to be. But if I didn’t attend a certain vocational school, I wouldn't be one of the smart kids. And if I wasn’t a smart kid, I wouldn’t get any scholarships. It was one of the very few things I actually had going for me, especially as a senior. It seems like I didn’t know any better because that mindset had been pretty much drilled into my brain by so many people.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believed that I had to be perfect to be seen as worth anything, constantly blaming myself for things I couldn’t control. That made it to where I was doing next to nothing to fix the things that I </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">could </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">control.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking advanced placement classes only amplified that. And COVID only amplified </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> tension more. My class schedule and assignment load sure did a number on me, it was terrible, to say the least. I was forced to take classes that were designed for students to complete in an academic year…not in a semester. The 1st semester wasn’t quite the best, but it wasn’t terrible. On the other hand, the 2nd semester was probably the most depressing 5 months of my life.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I felt as if stress is something I should just tolerate because I’ll be stressed for the rest of my life anyway. To express it lightly, I had </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">way </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">too much on my plate. It truly was a never-ending cycle of stress. As most people understand, that might lead to some stress eating. Just maybe.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This affected my performance on the baseball field. I didn’t do </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nearly </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">as well as I was hoping to. Nights </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">completely without </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sleep didn’t seem to help much either. But how could I sleep when I’m doing everything I can academically and I’m still 30+ assignments behind? It messed with me a bit.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I felt tired and lazy all the time, even though I was doing so much. There were nights after baseball games that I’d actually </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pass out</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> while walking due to my adrenals being so fried. My dad almost ended up taking me to the hospital. I wonder what would’ve been discovered if he had…</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I didn’t think I was strong enough to make it through the semester, and for good reason. I was to the point where I couldn’t even enjoy all the things that were meant to be enjoyed. I genuinely felt like quitting baseball and dropping out, and I had always loved the game of baseball. I was hiding all my pain and insecurity by being goofy on the field and during the games. I couldn’t enjoy my graduation all because I was stuck on hating the way I looked and being so heavily uncertain about my future. I just wanted all the “good” things to come to an end. Survival was the priority.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best part of all this is that I ranked top 5 in my class just to go work in a warehouse. Even after all that happened in my senior year alone, I felt like I had worked so hard for nothing. All that just for a diploma that says I made it through school and I can trade my time for and base my happiness on something that can be printed. There was no fulfillment whatsoever. Keep in mind that I was </span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">still</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the worst health of my entire life.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is something that I still deal with to this day that amplified all these problems, and it’s been quite a long time since I’ve publicly shared it. Very few people know this, but I have Asperger’s. I was diagnosed at the age of 4. The reason I haven’t told many people for a while is that I don’t EVER want people to think I use it as a crutch.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But I knew I needed to say something about it eventually because I know my story is one that can and will inspire. If I can find my way, you can, too.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Continuing on, the warehouse job was sort of a mess, literally. The warehouse was utterly disorganized and I felt like I was one of the only people actually trying to clean it up, while still fulfilling everything else that I had to.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was doing pretty well at this job, but I felt like I was failing at life. I knew that I had some kind of higher calling, but I had no sense of direction or any clue what it could possibly be. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was trying to impress enough people at work so that I could hopefully get a raise. I thought that might’ve been the way to magically become less stressed. This was obviously a flawed ideology, more of a theory than anything else. I was letting the thoughts of others dictate my attitude towards the work, just to not even receive the raise after my 90-day evaluation. So I used my 3 days of PTO and ended up quitting.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">However, there was a silver lining. I was </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">way</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> more active when I got that job, so I was able to get into better shape. I </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">severely</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> needed that for my health. I was still stressed, but not nearly as stressed as I was in high school and I felt better about my overall weight progress. I wasn’t collapsing anymore, I’d say that’s a plus. If I remember correctly, I got down to about 215 or 220 pounds in that 4-month span. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">But I still wasn’t fulfilled. In my mind, if I didn’t </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">truly</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> fix my life, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy what I’m supposed to, especially while I’m still young. I’d still see myself as a loser every single day because that’s how I saw myself. I was tough as can be, but losing. I had only been conditioned for failure up to this point.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Starting out in 2022, I knew that I could still improve my physique and figure out my life, but I had no earthly clue where to start. I wanted to have a career that allowed me to enjoy my life without having to work for someone else like I had been. I simply didn’t know what, though.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">So I guess I thought it was a wonderful idea to start binge eating again. It was like quarantine all over again, but I was able to manage my weight better because I was more active than when I was in quarantine a couple of years prior. This went on for the first 3 months of 2022, and I surprisingly </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">lost</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> weight. That was mostly due to gradually less binge eating while staying as active as I had been.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the sad reality was that I was still at square one regarding my career and aesthetic goals. When it came to finding a career, I was trying to be the jack of all trades and trying every idea I could get my hands on. None of those ideas fulfilled me whatsoever.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">So in April 2022, I took a break from trying to find my career. I wanted to find </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">myself</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">. I wanted to be </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">reinvented</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">. So I decided to climb stairs for 4 hours a day for 3 weeks straight. I believed that if I were to look better, I’d suddenly be happier. Yeah…</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Long story short, I became a cardio junkie. I cut it down just a hair and lost about 15 lbs in 3 months or so. I was so stoked that I bragged about it.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But because I became a cardio junkie, after those 3 months or so, I also became an adrenal/cortisol junkie. That basically means that I could feel good while working out for hours on end, which led to the point where I was no longer properly recovering so that I could keep making progress. My body was under too much stress.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And because I wasn’t making as much progress as I was beforehand, I started to develop a slight case of body dysmorphia. Sometime around June 2022, I started binge eating again. I wonder why. Maybe it’s because I felt like I was starving and I wanted to escape reality again. Who knows?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I said before, I had been conditioned for failure by so many people over the years; my mind had been influenced with all these adverse and false beliefs.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Now that I am a nutrition coach, I’ve started to see that’s the case with <i>everyone</i> </span><span class="s2" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">who have been struggling</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> to lose weight. The fitness industry has put out so much information, misinformation at that, with such little context that people are trying <i>everything under the sun</i> and wondering why it’s not working. <b><i>Then they blame themselves.</i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">So in July 2022, I found it within myself to fix that issue. I hadn’t started pursuing </span><span class="s2" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">nutrition</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> coaching just yet, but I wanted to have a career in fitness. I was exploring my options.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">In August 2022, I started </span><span class="s2" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">working towards</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> my </span><span class="s2" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">nutrition</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> coaching certification. I ended up learning about <i>everything</i> I was doing wrong in the next couple of months. It taught me that more is not always better and that physique progress is not any more important than self-care practices. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">It still took me until February 2023 to actually start feeling better and making solid progress again because my body was so stressed and beat up. I was also still hitting reps until I couldn’t hit any more up until about mid-January. That’s when I realized I can actually </span><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">get more from less</b><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">. I received my nutrition coaching certification in February, as well.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTG72mJV4onEFaTLUakLSptZvtsFFjw6zoraWeAaLlLZcCjGIrkLMwEt-U_hEaa-SMhi7ydxDOClGImo1QWtM1AJp7yl7dsteUUPrHn7hVvEzmJt_W9lFbT2Xy8aMnbiYucJ_IBjng_7xO5ByETekKRnkj3-dHN9qyoMTLoK6Tnr4qHmZ8Q89FZcD7A/s7289/InCollage_20230421_155827244.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7289" data-original-width="4096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTG72mJV4onEFaTLUakLSptZvtsFFjw6zoraWeAaLlLZcCjGIrkLMwEt-U_hEaa-SMhi7ydxDOClGImo1QWtM1AJp7yl7dsteUUPrHn7hVvEzmJt_W9lFbT2Xy8aMnbiYucJ_IBjng_7xO5ByETekKRnkj3-dHN9qyoMTLoK6Tnr4qHmZ8Q89FZcD7A/w360-h640/InCollage_20230421_155827244.jpg" width="360" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithgOE8QOqpkxZnectEX-wIPfSr9BocnlWunewpV735oJ8HaWkfrYasu3dC5aDfahLdyBuPVQxukr1njJqCCOGMXkaMtsA_LNBKj1YMyLpcu_OuBgZYxAeKSOujjJRsCtLug4xn04xU-tr4Fn58ByrEh69usTSQmXr4iY_QTthITCf-9hd5G6TafmlHw/s7289/InCollage_20230421_173735832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7289" data-original-width="4096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithgOE8QOqpkxZnectEX-wIPfSr9BocnlWunewpV735oJ8HaWkfrYasu3dC5aDfahLdyBuPVQxukr1njJqCCOGMXkaMtsA_LNBKj1YMyLpcu_OuBgZYxAeKSOujjJRsCtLug4xn04xU-tr4Fn58ByrEh69usTSQmXr4iY_QTthITCf-9hd5G6TafmlHw/w360-h640/InCollage_20230421_173735832.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">As I’m writing this paragraph, it’s currently April 2023. I’ve gotten all the way back up to around 195-200 lbs; </span><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">I look and feel better than I did last April.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><b style="text-align: left;"> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">2023 has been quite the year so far. I think what changed everything for me was believing that if I trust God and follow his master plan, </span><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">everything else will fall into place.</b><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> I believe that I’m now on the path that the Lord is wanting me to take, and he’s guiding me to a life of creating impact and canceling false narratives that live in people’s minds about themselves.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><span class="s1" style="text-align: left;">If you think that’s something I can help you with regarding your fitness </span><span class="s2" style="text-align: left;">goals</span><span class="s1" style="text-align: left;">, I highly and greatly encourage you to friend me on Facebook via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/N8SFit?mibextid=ZbWKwL" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><i>N8SFit</i></b></a>, </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">reach out to me via messenger, and</span><span style="text-align: left;"> check out my <b><i><a href="https://nateservatifitness.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4000ff;">website</span></a></i></b>.</span> </span></p>Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.7128918.780006163821156 -130.869141 65.400473836178847 -60.556641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-85189778964063439882022-08-19T10:00:00.003-05:002022-08-19T12:52:25.756-05:00It’s Back: A $250 SONIC® e-Gift Card and more is up for grabs!<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbTOir8QhH6iISgM9v_DPiWbYk2wpWkaqBFvDwjz_RIvaJr3Fw9mSnoKrqtGMLEcl9cUM6lXgiVT4Ih331jAnb4m3IF5szaQna0recxtePnwHOXd8-ZteA8xCaStPLUeuHo-vP2gXfFooW3sz9FS6srAuC-5_GHTiwStl1oqr8RP1toXWcYkebQtH_Q/s949/Screenshot_20220819-112513_Chrome.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="718" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbTOir8QhH6iISgM9v_DPiWbYk2wpWkaqBFvDwjz_RIvaJr3Fw9mSnoKrqtGMLEcl9cUM6lXgiVT4Ih331jAnb4m3IF5szaQna0recxtePnwHOXd8-ZteA8xCaStPLUeuHo-vP2gXfFooW3sz9FS6srAuC-5_GHTiwStl1oqr8RP1toXWcYkebQtH_Q/w151-h200/Screenshot_20220819-112513_Chrome.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><span><div><span>Hello! </span>With how hot & humid it has been over the last several months, I'm sure that you are doing everything you can to keep cool and hydrated!! I have some good news for you, especially if you like Sonic Drive-In for quenching your thirst!!</div><div><span><br /></span></div></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.quikly.com/sonic/s/lEnBqzGW?utm_content=blogger">Sonic</a> Drive-In is giving away a range of e-gift cards to help you and your loved ones to stay cool. Just click on the above link to enter yourself in the giveaway, and share it with everyone you care about, to have a chance to Win a Sonic e-gift card!!</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Good luck and I will post again in the near future!</span></div>Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-26167760060083407582022-08-13T12:00:00.012-05:002022-08-13T12:22:31.153-05:00Sharing Recent Accomplishments & Research<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Greetings, Friends & Followers!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">I want to share what my family has accomplished since I last posted over two years ago. Many of you remember that I have four children and four grandchildren. I recently celebrated 22 years with my loving and supportive husband. Both of my youngest sons graduated from high school during the covid pandemic; one of which experienced a YouTube virtual graduation ceremony when he was not able to walk in a traditional graduation ceremony due to the covid restrictions during the height of the pandemic. While I was working at the high school from which I graduated, I returned to college to finish my undergraduate degree after taking one year off and graduated Spring 2021 the same year my youngest son graduated from high school in a more traditonal ceremony. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Just before acquiring my B.A. in Psychology, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had been accepted into the graduate program for school psychology. I have since finished my first year in the graduate program towards becoming a future school psychologist. While completing various research projects, I have created several easy-to-understand PowerPoints and have decided to share them with my followers who are interested in learning more about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). I will be sharing these informational PowerPoints individually in future posts. If you are interested in more information on any of my research topics, please contact me via email: <a href="mailto:ldservati@gmail.com">ldservati@gmail.com</a> with your request and any questions you have related to my research.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Thank you for your continued patience as I juggle working full-time, carrying a full-time graduate coursework schedule, and spending as much quality time as I can with my family! </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Lorrie</span></p>Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-45398764008001484422020-07-23T21:21:00.000-05:002020-07-23T21:36:36.132-05:00Volunteering at "Feed The Children" Benefits NonProfit Organization & Student<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since the beginning of June, my youngest son, Nathan, and I have been volunteering 1-2 times a week at the Feed the Children Distribution Center in Oklahoma City, OK to help them send food and essentials to families across the United States. Nathan has almost finished his thirty-two hours of community service through Feed the Children that he will need to complete his Senior Capstone Project as a Senior at Southeast High School. If you live in the greater Oklahoma City area and your high school senior needs #HighSchoolCommunityServiceHours for his/her #SeniorCapstoneProject, please contact Meagan Taylor by calling (405)949-5168 to learn more about how YOU and YOUR TEENAGE SON or DAUGHTER can begin volunteering with Feed the Children to make a difference in your community and across the nation!</span></div>
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Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-68399597173214306102020-07-22T19:45:00.000-05:002020-07-22T19:57:16.972-05:00We Are Still Waiting For The Insurance to Settle Our Claim On Nate's 1st Car<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For those of you who are not aware of what happened to both of our teenage sons last Wednesday, let me bring you up to speed! My husband and I spent the last six months looking hard to find our youngest son a car to drive himself back and forth to the technical school and high school this fall. We finally found a vehicle that our youngest son, Nathan, would be able to operate and proud to drive. We came up with a substantial down payment, financed the balance, and Nathan was finally able to take his 1st car home the Friday before last. It was a beautiful/handsome 2008 Automatic Ford Mustang GT until it was hit and totaled in an accident by another driver last Wednesday! The driver of the truck made a left turn into oncoming traffic in front of our slightly older son, who was driving his brother's car, deploying both front seat airbags. Both of our sons were in the new car coming back from working out at the VASA gym near our home, less than a mile from the house when the accident happened. Thankfully, neither one of our guys were injured. They were both considerably shaken up afterwards, but are both doing fine now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am stepping outside of my comfort zone to ask for your assistance in locating another Ford Mustang GT owned by an individual, with as low of mileage as possible, and under $10,000 in the state of Oklahoma. Nathan was becoming discouraged before we found the 2008 Silver Automatic Ford Mustang GT that we only had for five days, and I want to locate another vehicle for him as soon as possible! If you, or anyone you know, has information about a Ford Mustang GT with an automatic transmission that is available for purchase in the state of Oklahoma (preferrably by an individual), please leave a message for me in the comment section below this post. The more pictures and information that you have to share with me, as well as how I can contact the owner of the vehicle will help us make an informed decision about which car to buy. I know that this is an unusual request presented in a blog post, but this momma would like to find a replacement car for her son as quickly as I can after the insurance has settled the claim on his totaled 2008 Ford Mustang GT!</span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I appreciate the time that you spent reading this post and any assistance that you can provide our family in locating a replacement car for Nathan. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future if you have knowledge of such a car, multiple photos of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and contact information for the seller. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Respectfully,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lorrie Servati</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Creator & Author of "Nathan's Voice",</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">as well as Mom to Vincent & Nathan</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-1927897934048128722020-07-16T22:03:00.001-05:002020-07-22T18:32:26.072-05:00Just Say With Me "I Will Survive 2020" Breathing In/Out "I Will Survive 2020"<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This year has been full of so many changes to which we have had to adjust our expectations. It started around Spring Break, then we were required to shelter at home and only go out if we needed to pick up necessities. Our Easter traditions were then drastically altered, just as our Mother's Day and Father's Day celebrations were during these uncertain times. High School and College Seniors across the nation experienced a much different Graduation Ceremony than students in the past. High school students, like my son Vincent, who received a virtual graduation got to hear their names announced in a YouTube video that they had to watch at home. Some high school students were lucky enough to be in a district that will be holding a delayed traditional high school graduation ceremony where they will be able to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Parents began working from home while their children finished off the 2019-2020 school year online through hastily-created educational platforms designed by each school district, and have been spending their summer social distancing away from their friends. We then experienced a Memorial Day and a 4th of July that is much different than in the past, and it could be some time before we can eventually reclaim our most cherished traditions of celebrating with extended family, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. We are now supposed to send our children back to the brick-and-mortar schools wearing face masks so that they will be able to learn in a traditional educational setting. Unfortunately, their attention will be on how they look in their face masks, and not on protecting themselves from the virus that has had them isolated from their friends, dependent on technology to connect with them, and with the desire to go shopping at the mall!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It is not my intent to pass judgment on parents whether they choose to keep their children home to learn online through virtual means provided by their local school district, or to send their children back to learn in a traditional educational setting. It should be a personal decision and one that involves considering how best to protect their family's health. With some parents transitioning from their work-at-home offices back to a similar, but not the same, office workspace, it will be challenging for them to keep up with how well their children transition into the upcoming school year. School days will start and end later due to guidelines and restrictions that will allow schools to implement safe social distancing protecting their students, teachers, and support staff. Until parents find a way to coordinate these changes, it will temporarily create unexpected chaos between parent schedules, those of school-age children, and other family obligations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We can and will survive these uncertain times. Our attitude and flexibility towards these changes will affect how well our children adjust and adapt to these changes. If we choose to accept the changes with a positive attitude and flexibility, the experience will prove to be a smooth transition for us and everyone around us. We have to identify what we do and do not have control and accept those situations in which we cannot control the outcome. It took me many years to realize my limitations when it came to how well I could control the outcome of situations. We cannot afford to waste energy and worry about something that we cannot change! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My two teenage sons were recently in an accident. The other driver hit my son's car hard enough that both of the front airbags deployed. We had only had the car for five days, were waiting to receive the title so that we could put tags on it, had not even made the first payment on it, and the insurance company has totaled my youngest son's first vehicle. As much as I would like for the events of a few days ago to not have happened, I know that I cannot change or control every situation. Even though my sons did not get injured in the accident, they jointly experienced the destruction of a piece of machinery that could have taken their lives is something that they will each remember for a long time. I would have done anything to prevent that from happening to them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To help my family survive what 2020 has dealt us, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone to ask for your help. It took my husband and me at least six months to locate a vehicle that our youngest son, Nathan, would be able to operate and proud to drive. Nathan was beginning to become discouraged before we found the car that we only had for five days, and I want to locate another vehicle for him as soon as possible! If you, or anyone you know, has information about a Ford Mustang GT with an automatic transmission that is available for purchase in the state of Oklahoma, please leave a message for me in the comment section below this post. The more pictures and information that you have to share with me, as well as how I can contact the owner of the vehicle will help us make an informed decision about which car to buy. I know that this is an unusual request presented in a blog post, but this momma would like to find a replacement car for her son as quickly as possible!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I appreciate the time that you spent reading this post and any assistance that you can provide our family. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future if you have knowledge of such a car, multiple photos of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and contact information for the seller. Thank you, again, for your time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Respectfully,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lorrie Servati</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Creator & Author of "Nathan's Voice",</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">as well as Mom to Vincent & Nathan</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-71386127139727602302020-04-22T22:32:00.002-05:002020-04-22T22:32:53.990-05:00Recognizing & Cultivating Your Superpowers As A Parent - Part 4 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the final of four posts that originated from the Practical Parenting Tips section of an article that I wrote for an online parenting community several years ago. I have chosen the acronym <b><i><a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FLY</span></a></i></b> to wrap up this four-part series on how parents can use their superpowers to help their children. By connecting with other autism families in the community, parents are able to get the support that they need so that are prepared to help guide their children's journey through the spectrum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">F</span></i></b>ind an autism support group to receive and share with other families. There is something to be said about having other parents who have children with similar needs share and exchange information about available services and educational rights. Support groups can be an excellent resource when it comes to finding out which therapists, Special Education Case Managers, and Advocates are best qualified to meet the needs of your child.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">L</span></i></b>ocate respite care for your child by asking other families about local resources. You will want to find area Respite Care Services for your child. Ask about qualifications, experience, and for references before making an informed decision about which respite care is best for your family. You have a right to be able to have some time to yourself or with your spouse but you will also want to make sure that your child is being taken care of by someone who is qualified. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Y</span></i></b>ou and your family are a priority; make sure that you include family time on your schedule! It is important for your family to get together for fun and stress-free activities, but sometimes that is easier said than done!! Keep it as simple as possible, be somewhat flexible on behavior, and have FUN!!! Our favorite family activity is watching a movie together and having a snack that we enjoy. Since I wrote the original article, our family's favorite game is now "<a href="https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/games/board-dice-games/what-should-you-do-a-game-of-consequences/p/HH346/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">What Should You Do?</span></i></a>" a game of consequences. We have even started creating our own questions and consequence cards!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that all of the information I have shared with you will assist you in using your superpowers to help your child. The full article, <a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;"><b>Autism "How-To" Guide For Parents</b></span></i></a> has so much more to offer, if you are interested! If you enjoyed reading this post, please <i><span style="color: blue;">#share</span></i> it in support of <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwarenessMonth</span></i>. Thank you for your time and continued support of my efforts to raise <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwareness</span></i> throughout the year, not just in April!!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your friend,</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lorrie</span></span></span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-33199890117054415112020-04-21T23:35:00.000-05:002020-04-22T01:45:05.119-05:00Recognizing & Cultivating Your Superpowers As A Parent - Part 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlpfcoqoSKYoCW90GBa3CVNoizkj78cw1vq9aMVqobfqS9j165ruRqHI-FXbxwIqKUAZXETZJgH7MTLhIFQNfwSHaBjoXLhBUa-jgs2TvmgW7Njv5UjsduJosN1AW_kekutmwoqWpW7nW/s1600/Superheroes+ready+to+save+the+day+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="526" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlpfcoqoSKYoCW90GBa3CVNoizkj78cw1vq9aMVqobfqS9j165ruRqHI-FXbxwIqKUAZXETZJgH7MTLhIFQNfwSHaBjoXLhBUa-jgs2TvmgW7Njv5UjsduJosN1AW_kekutmwoqWpW7nW/s200/Superheroes+ready+to+save+the+day+image.png" width="250" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am sharing the third post in a four-part series that is originally from the Practical Parenting Tips section of an article that I wrote for an online parenting community about eight years ago. I have chosen to use the acronym <b><i><a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">ENACT</span></a></i></b> for this particular post. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This image depicts a team comprised of female and male superheroes who are ready to use their superpowers to the people in their community. YOU and I are also superheroes, but it is not a superhero outfit or a cape that empowers us to use our superpowers for good and save the day from disaster! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>It is up to YOU to do the following:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">E</span></i></b>xpand on what interests your child. What are your child's strengths and weaknesses? If your child is particularly good at something, find a way to use what he or she is interested in an good at to focus on helping him or her to make progress in other areas that need help. You can make a game of it! My child used to love <i>Pok</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>émon </i>when he was younger and when he would have difficulty with something, I would use </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Pok</i></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>émon </i>stickers, trading cards, and other related items as a tool to help him focus and stay on task.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">N</span></i></b>egotiate the best routine for your child. Before the nationwide order to shelter at home, you may have had a routine that worked for your child and your family. That schedule was most likely turned upside-down and inside-out! Children are trying to complete school through distance learning, therapy sessions are being conducted via telehealth, and parents are working from home. It may take a while to find a routine that works best for your child, and that routine may change according to your child's needs. Be patient; the schedule will eventually find a rhythm that meets the needs of your child.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">A</span></i></b>ssist your child in repetitive learning. If your child is </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">having difficulty mastering a specific skill, you will need to find a creative way to help him or her achieve this skill. Think "outside the box" to provide your child with a simple modification to help him or her complete an activity or task that he or she might have not been able to accomplish otherwise. The best way to begin is by taking small, repetitive steps to assist your child in accomplishing his or her goals. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Try not to overthink or complicate the process; sometimes, the simplest solution to the problem is just waiting for us to relax and find it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">C</span></i></b>oordinate productive activities for your child. Choose a variety of activities that will provide your child with the chance to improve specific skills. For example, if your child needs improvement with motor skills, playing <i>Hokey Pokey</i> or <i>Simon Says</i> will be fun and educational. Your child may need to work on how to hold and use scissors to cut art projects out. You can plan a family collage or a special gift for someone and ask your child to help you with the project. If your child has difficulty with matching everyday objects to one another, you can cut out pictures from magazines and play a game by grouping flowers with gardens, appliances with kitchens, silverware with dining room tables, etc. Enjoy this time with your child! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">T</span></i></b>ransform behavior with positive reinforcement. I have found that my youngest child responds to frequent small rewards and praise, especially when he chooses the correct or appropriate behavior in a difficult situation. It can be a hug or a tickle preceded by verbal praise, special sticker related to something that interests him or her, a small piece of candy that he or she likes, or a short break so that they can enjoy time on their tablet or iPad. It is important to give your child an explanation of why he or she is receiving the reward. This will help your child to understand that this specific positive behavior is what you expect and appreciate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I hope that you will use your superpowers to help your child to learn to regulate his or her superpowers. The full article, <a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;"><b>Autism "How-To" Guide For Parents</b></span></i></a> offers so much more! If you enjoyed reading this post, please <i><span style="color: blue;">#share</span></i> it in support of <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwarenessMonth</span></i>. Thank you for your time and continued support of my efforts to raise <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwareness</span></i> throughout the year, not just in April!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Your friend,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Lorrie</span></span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-13231518098004028462020-04-20T23:21:00.000-05:002020-04-21T22:34:34.966-05:00Recognizing and Cultivating Your Superpowers As A Parent - Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79jdreby5AJIH-MBDrpN_UE4fve5MQq7Wuof5wb7n2stRp_ZMLxDBhRo3lFjzuiNqf6S8fVekW0grdcRpMbOpRj0mIupWhYNQQd0rgvPDpVOsWI4wh9uWPn9Px74EIsw0A1OqPj8WlGCN/s1600/Toy+Story+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1.75em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79jdreby5AJIH-MBDrpN_UE4fve5MQq7Wuof5wb7n2stRp_ZMLxDBhRo3lFjzuiNqf6S8fVekW0grdcRpMbOpRj0mIupWhYNQQd0rgvPDpVOsWI4wh9uWPn9Px74EIsw0A1OqPj8WlGCN/s200/Toy+Story+image.jpg" width="200" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tonight's post is the second in a four part series that is originally from the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">Practical Parenting Tips section of the article that I wrote for an online parenting community a few years ago. The acronym for this particular post is </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>SOAR</b></span></a>. </span>You</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> most likely recognize Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the heroes from the Toy Story movie series, pictured on the left soaring through the sky and high above everything to get back to their owner Andy. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As everyday superheroes, we find various ways to rise above the obstacles that we encounter throughout our daily routine. What might work for us in one situation will not always work for us in another; incentives and consequences alike. As parents, we have to be extraordinarily creative to stay one step ahead of what we might encounter at any given moment!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You need to <b><i><span style="color: blue;">S</span></i></b>earch for signs of non-verbal communication that your child may be using to tell you how he or she feels. Watching your child's facial expressions, listening to the particular sounds he or she makes, and how he or she uses hand signals when tired, hungry, or frustrated will help you recognize when your child is communicating his or her needs. Your child can tell you what he or she wants or needs without saying it in words. Pay attention and you will learn to pick up on your child's non-verbal signals.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You should watch to <b><i><span style="color: blue;">O</span></i></b>bserve the reason behind the behavior that you want your child to stop displaying when not getting his or her way. When your child gets upset or begins to act out, it could be because he or she has been feeling misunderstood or ignored. Is acting out your child's way of trying to get your attention? Consider that your child could be frustrated with you because you are not picking up on their non-verbal signals.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is YOUR responsibility to <b><i><span style="color: blue;">A</span></i></b>rrange fun and simple playtime for your child. Autism is a diagnosis and just <i>part</i> of who your child is. Remember that your child is still a kid. Everyone needs to take some time off from school, therapy, and even work! Play is a very important part of being able to cope with our daily schedules. Choose ways to have fun together with activities that you both enjoy. Spending stress-free time with your child will be a beneficial part in learning to relax and enjoy each other's company whenever possible.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You should use a journal to help you <b><i><span style="color: blue;">R</span></i></b>ecord and <b><i><span style="color: blue;">R</span></i></b>emember all possible triggers in your child's behavior. Many things can serve as triggers to a child with autism. Children with autism can have <i><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-shape-traits/201810/what-is-hypersensitivity" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hypersensitivity</a></i> or the opposite - <i><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-trauma/201511/sensory-sensitivity-can-strain-parent-child-relations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hyposensitivity</a></i> to certain sights, sounds, smells, movements and things that they come in contact with. The same stimulus can lead to positive behavior in some children and trigger disruptive behavior in others. It is our responsibility to understand what affects our children, give them a sense of security, and prevent the undesirable situations we can avoid. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope that you will now be able to use your superpowers to help your child to learn to regulate his or her superpowers. You can access the full article <a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i>Autism "How-To" Guide For Parents</i></b></span></a> if you would like to read more! If you enjoyed reading this post, please <i><span style="color: blue;">#share</span></i> it in support of <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwarenessMonth</span></i>. Thank you for your time and continued support of my efforts to raise <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwareness</span></i> throughout the entire year, not just in April!!</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-74428006805156595182020-04-19T22:01:00.000-05:002020-04-20T21:23:40.704-05:00Recognizing and Cultivating Your Superpowers As A Parent - Part 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiuL5fhzMMPxfzDpMKa1DPAl1J0kAtA7ShnU5txAiDLFlWxwzGdtbsjX4BPbkM1-zpm2KQQWUer2BsGjxrKETA5Q5yprYdM88yE8QXHR15BYYvDdqno-zaD8BkWd6fhSXiswYxftkMm3N/s1600/Male+and+Female+Superheroes+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5m; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="612" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiuL5fhzMMPxfzDpMKa1DPAl1J0kAtA7ShnU5txAiDLFlWxwzGdtbsjX4BPbkM1-zpm2KQQWUer2BsGjxrKETA5Q5yprYdM88yE8QXHR15BYYvDdqno-zaD8BkWd6fhSXiswYxftkMm3N/s200/Male+and+Female+Superheroes+image.jpg" width="200" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In an effort to bring you the information from the Practical Parenting Tips section of the lengthy and informative article that I wrote for an online parenting community, I have chosen to present it to you in four shorter posts starting with this one in the form of an acronym: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">CAPE</span></i></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the image above, a female and male are shown as everyday people whose shadows insinuate that they each have skills or superpowers to help other people. Regardless of who we are, or what our strengths and weaknesses are, we can all be superheroes, and we do not have to wear a superhero outfit or a cape to use our superpowers for good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can start by <u><i><span style="color: blue;"><b>C</b></span></i></u>reating a consistent environment as you possibly can for your child. Help your child to create inner consistency so that he or she can develop the confidence and the ability to adapt to various environments, social situations, and with different people who they may come into contact with through daily or occasional interactions. This is the best way to reinforce learning and encourage your child to transfer or generalize what he or she learns from one environment to another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will want to <b><i><u><span style="color: blue;">A</span></u></i></b>void unwanted disruptions in your child's routine. Your child needs a structured schedule or routine for them to function at his or her best. It's important to offer your child a consistent schedule for eating, therapy sessions, going to school, playtime, naps, and bedtime, as well as build an alternative schedule for occasional outings such as visiting relatives, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">going to church, or venturing out into the community to do errands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You need to remember <b><i><u><span style="color: blue;">P</span></u></i></b>raise your child for displaying positive behavior, regardless of how big or small! Reinforcing good behavior and recognizing when your child learns a new skill is important to his or her progress. Make a conscious effort to tell your child every time why he or she is receiving praise. This will help your child to understand what the reward is for and teach them to repeat those specific positive behaviors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your next responsibility is to <b><i><u><span style="color: blue;">E</span></u></i></b>nsure proper boundaries for your child. It is up to you to designate a specific area in your home where your child knows that he or she can relax, feel safe, and have solitude. Coordinating and setting up clear boundaries is essential to helping your child understand which areas are off limits to him or her. Child-proofing your house is something you should consider, especially if your child has frequent meltdowns or has injured his/herself in the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope that what I have shared with you will assist you in using your superpowers to help your child to learn to regulate his or her superpowers. The full article, <a href="https://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.msg93554#msg93554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;"><b>Autism "How-To" Guide For Parents</b></span></i></a> has so much more to offer, if you are interested! If you enjoyed reading this post, please <i><span style="color: blue;">#share</span></i> it in support of <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwarenessMonth</span></i>. Thank you for your time and continued support of my efforts to raise <i><span style="color: blue;">#AutismAwareness</span></i> throughout the year, not just in April!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your friend,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lorrie</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-75379170008640024492020-04-18T19:31:00.000-05:002020-04-18T19:31:58.156-05:00Make Sure to Nurture the Relationship That You Have with Your Spouse <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBM1SeCVdxF7pz1DQs3Jvo7pgJHHLhU5HEP2_MxSd8kZYz6nnsTTwdUCIQcB3phh57RA9SSy-Vl0AnvIGjqTtnArPjsv-H-qTrj1JbOyCKp2OSSRnaJxX91nD1JXKmjFlcSwPc3HL1zR2/s1600/Relationships+last+long+not+because+they%2527re+destined+to+last+long.+Relationships+last+long+because+two+brave+people+made+a+choice+%25E2%2580%2594+to+keep+it%252C+fight+for+it%252C+and+to+work+for+it..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBM1SeCVdxF7pz1DQs3Jvo7pgJHHLhU5HEP2_MxSd8kZYz6nnsTTwdUCIQcB3phh57RA9SSy-Vl0AnvIGjqTtnArPjsv-H-qTrj1JbOyCKp2OSSRnaJxX91nD1JXKmjFlcSwPc3HL1zR2/s200/Relationships+last+long+not+because+they%2527re+destined+to+last+long.+Relationships+last+long+because+two+brave+people+made+a+choice+%25E2%2580%2594+to+keep+it%252C+fight+for+it%252C+and+to+work+for+it..jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Your child is a blessing and having a child with autism will undoubtedly broaden your horizons; however, you may want to consider that the time, financial costs, physical and emotional demands, and logistical complexities associated with raising a child with autism can translate into stress on the relationship you have with your spouse. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Staying connected as a couple can be challenging, but each of YOU can make it happen by showing your support for each other!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of all of the relationships that we have, we need to make sure to nurture the one we have with our spouse. Remember to communicate and spend time with him or her to let them know how important they are to you. Be sure to let your spouse know how much you appreciate their support. Also, try to set aside time for a weekly or monthly "date night" for just the two of you. This will go a long way in communicating how much you value your spouse, as a partner and a parent!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another way that you can show your spouse that you value him or her is to put your phone down while spending time with them. No one wants to have his or her partner on their phone while trying to connect with him or her. Make your time together "phone free" so that you can focus on each other. After spending quality time with your spouse, each of you can always return phone calls, reply to text messages, and play games on your mobile phones. Do your part in staying connected as a couple!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Off to spend time with my loving husband...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Your friend,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Lorrie</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-27452836717994316572020-04-17T00:53:00.000-05:002020-04-18T01:00:11.467-05:00#Autism Awareness Should Be All Year Long, Not Just in the Month of April<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsCrmXZUYfDc7GZzrWRl_zaPSc66bddzZb2-HK4JpMPmQA5OetLNeoJlxozqyI9SU_3Irf-C4dm9J2ldui5uSyT_MU2n0eVmqfGVgSY9UlzVmchYdtcFGTWVb6jvP6kzQcuWRf4OrtSnL/s1600/Spreading+Autism+Awareness+around+the+World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 2.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="753" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsCrmXZUYfDc7GZzrWRl_zaPSc66bddzZb2-HK4JpMPmQA5OetLNeoJlxozqyI9SU_3Irf-C4dm9J2ldui5uSyT_MU2n0eVmqfGVgSY9UlzVmchYdtcFGTWVb6jvP6kzQcuWRf4OrtSnL/s200/Spreading+Autism+Awareness+around+the+World.jpg" width="215" /></a>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If there is one thing that I want people to remember me for, it is that I am the Parent and Advocate of a child with #Autism. I want to be known for how well that I was able to achieve awareness in my surrounding community, as well as how successful I was in raising a similar amount of #AutismAwareness around the world through social media platforms. I knew that I love being able to #share what I have learned over the years, but I did not realize how much I had missed writing so that I could share that knowledge and experience with everyone!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I have had the pleasure of writing articles and contributing to several online parenting communities and special needs sites over the last decade, one of which is Special Happens. Please take a few minutes to <a href="https://specialhappens.com/the-many-challenges-of-an-autism-parent-returning-to-college/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">read</span></a> my article in support of #AutismAwarenessMonth and #share it with someone you know who may benefit from reading it themselves. Thank you for your continued support!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Your friend, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lorrie</span></span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-6252664597576352712020-04-16T23:34:00.000-05:002020-04-16T23:34:51.182-05:00Recipe for a Homemade Balloon Stress Ball - A Great Family Project!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A stress ball is a tool that can be used to help calm nerves, anger, anxiety, and more in both adults and children. Stress balls can be used by individuals at home, school, work, in the car, or whenever needed to help relieve stress. I thought it would be a great project to share since the majority of us are either working from home (WFH) or distance learning (DL) for school to finish the current academic year.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu_-TFwMli8wb5QKjY_2NafAbw0DRxcvMmQQtSYVIS28z_J0UxFTIBNxb3VUWHiTPhxq1fo-nifPyUviapgbBRnwxAF1KebDOpe0_ZAxeMoaNfay1qDbNHIvzq1KZK18fcP-QfN4XopUO/s1600/Finished+stress+ball+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="867" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu_-TFwMli8wb5QKjY_2NafAbw0DRxcvMmQQtSYVIS28z_J0UxFTIBNxb3VUWHiTPhxq1fo-nifPyUviapgbBRnwxAF1KebDOpe0_ZAxeMoaNfay1qDbNHIvzq1KZK18fcP-QfN4XopUO/s200/Finished+stress+ball+image.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is an easy project that you can complete in under an hour, depending how many members of your family will be making a stress ball. You most likely already have most of the items that you need in your home, too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Homemade Balloon Stress Ball</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For each stress ball, you will need:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 (9 inch) balloons of the same color</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 - 2/3 cup of flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">small or medium-sized funnel</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">teaspoon or small scoop to put flour into funnel</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">popsicle stick or pencil to push flour through funnel</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">permanent marker</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">yarn to create hair</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">scissors for balloons & yarn</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 1</b> - Carefully stretch and inflate balloon #1 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">like you normally would, but do <u>not</u> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">twist or tie </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">into a </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">knot. Slowly release all of the air from the balloon. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Repeat step 1 before moving onto step 2.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 2</b> - Carefully insert the funnel into the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">opening of the balloon that you have stretched. Spoon/scoop small amounts of flour into funnel </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">until enough flour has filled the balloon to form </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">a stress ball that fits comfortably into the palm </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">of your hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 3</b> - Carefully holding balloon #1 in one </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">hand, stretch it just enough to remove the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">neck of the balloon with scissors. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 4</b> - Carefully stretch and inflate balloon #2 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">like you normally would, but do <u>not</u> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">twist or tie </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">into a knot. Slowly release all of the air from the balloon. Repeat step 4 before moving onto step 5. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 5</b> - Carefully remove the neck of balloon #2 with scissors before slowly stretching it over the opening of balloon #1.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 6</b> - </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carefully stretch and inflate balloon #3 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">like you normally would, but do <u>not</u> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">twist or tie </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">into a knot. Slowly release all of the air from the balloon. Repeat step 6 before moving onto step 7. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 7</b> - Carefully stretch the opening and neck </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">of balloon #3 over the opening of balloon #2. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, twist the neck of balloon #3 and tie it </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">into </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">a knot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Step 8</b> - Decorate your stress ball by using the permanent marker to make a face on it. You can also, use yarn to make hair and tie it around the knot end of your stress ball.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most of the DIY</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">*</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> instructions that I found for making a balloon and flour stress ball want you to funnel the flour into a dry 20-ounce water bottle, then attach it to the balloon. If you desire visual instructions, <a href="https://snapguide.com/guides/make-a-stress-ball-9/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: yellow;"><b>here</b></span></a> is a site that offers a step-by-step process, similar to my written instructions for you to check out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">*Do-It-Yourself</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-40730528904933765962020-04-12T20:21:00.001-05:002020-04-12T20:21:45.923-05:00We Are Going on a Trip and We Want YOU to Join Us!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I hope that you are interested in taking a few FREE virtual field trips to locations around the world! I can now say that I have toured the U.S. Space and Rocket Museum in Huntsville, AL; been to the planet Mars; visited the Great Wall of China; and seen The Louvre in Paris, France! You can choose which links that you want to check out, or you can visit them all!! Enjoy your virtual field trips and be sure to share which was your favorite in the comment section below! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Your friend,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Lorrie</i></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;"><b>#CelebratingAutismAwarenessMonth</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "poppins" , sans-serif; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre;">(Click on colored text for links. Safe Travels!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The</span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: lime;"> </span><a href="https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">San Diego Zoo</span></a><span style="color: lime;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">has a website just for kids that offers an </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">alphabetical listing of animals, amazing videos, activities, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">and games to check out. Enjoy the tour!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbFWxSnYdFZF-orPFrXpA18donwEmaEudS-rUXUO9dm_C6Z4NHZtXt5no_dxRVWSvy77Ja7QAJTdtqbonp5quJvO9bHKL9Ia3h4e4ik-1XCUJettA2vzsPFDyBoyycqGreJZplYEC2yP_/s1600/Yellowstone+National+Park+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="231" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbFWxSnYdFZF-orPFrXpA18donwEmaEudS-rUXUO9dm_C6Z4NHZtXt5no_dxRVWSvy77Ja7QAJTdtqbonp5quJvO9bHKL9Ia3h4e4ik-1XCUJettA2vzsPFDyBoyycqGreJZplYEC2yP_/s200/Yellowstone+National+Park+image.png" width="125" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit the Yellowstone National Park<b style="color: #38761d;"> - </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/yell-mud-volcano-trails.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mud Volcano</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">,</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <a href="https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/yell-mammoth-hot-springs-trails.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Mammoth Hot Springs</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and so much more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tour</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b><a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: 700;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Yellowstone National Park</span></a>!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM9IG0_U5Whj9ecuWEantxAYfIBEWAnJkM40OIYUz1V2PlcUZ1VkbhC_85KsoR1c2VnCBQ9RciUiKKt8uqARUOPaPE40HaoWxzg88uKaGqBpS-JCisij0_eX73lO7M_ekF1KjsQNtSMRy/s1600/Mars+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="583" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM9IG0_U5Whj9ecuWEantxAYfIBEWAnJkM40OIYUz1V2PlcUZ1VkbhC_85KsoR1c2VnCBQ9RciUiKKt8uqARUOPaPE40HaoWxzg88uKaGqBpS-JCisij0_eX73lO7M_ekF1KjsQNtSMRy/s200/Mars+image.png" width="125" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Curious about life on another planet?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Explore the surface of Mars</a></b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on the Curiosity Rover. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are updating from WEBVR to WEBXR now, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">but </span><a href="https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>360 Mode</b></span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"> offers a digital view!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G9NdtQ_JA7cN_kUBhWcql_htnEDbjOyjwrrc-P7ztMnKQy_Azz39E6vOigCAmpitGbdtxkADw8Yvgjpw4_VH1c5dA_XK3Z1Vh2h6y70nmmOXXX0AR476CPtjIB_2wBCiUnKyTuUY32hW/s1600/Animal+Critters+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="869" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G9NdtQ_JA7cN_kUBhWcql_htnEDbjOyjwrrc-P7ztMnKQy_Azz39E6vOigCAmpitGbdtxkADw8Yvgjpw4_VH1c5dA_XK3Z1Vh2h6y70nmmOXXX0AR476CPtjIB_2wBCiUnKyTuUY32hW/s200/Animal+Critters+image.png" width="125" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Live Cams at the San Diego Zoo</span></a> <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams</span></a> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://zooatlanta.org/panda-cam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Panda Cam at Zoo Atlanta</span></a> <a href="https://www.houstonzoo.org/explore/webcams/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">6 Animal Cams at Houston Zoo</span></a> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/beluga-whale-webcam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Georgia Aquarium</span></a> </b>has<b> </b><a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/jelly-webcam/" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">Jellyfish</span></a>,<b> </b><a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/beluga-whale-webcam/" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Beluga Whales</span></a>,<b> </b>and<b> </b><a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/indo-pacific-barrier-reef/" rel="nofollow" style="color: orange; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">more</a>! </span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDYGi5yyWHrQ1zp8vQCsm6__-wHXUWA3xuO_T0q9z5gDPsbweLhr4sV37e3Rss60WM8_Yd_8hwsd8yLFhyphenhyphenVP5yc8ynLNju6LX7mkl_7BORSkM6zobMBestD_TDQ3rop6HXNggIgifNVto/s1600/Farm+Food+360+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="70" data-original-width="216" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDYGi5yyWHrQ1zp8vQCsm6__-wHXUWA3xuO_T0q9z5gDPsbweLhr4sV37e3Rss60WM8_Yd_8hwsd8yLFhyphenhyphenVP5yc8ynLNju6LX7mkl_7BORSkM6zobMBestD_TDQ3rop6HXNggIgifNVto/s200/Farm+Food+360+image.png" width="125" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out this Virtual Farm Tour - </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This Canadian site <a href="http://www.farmfood360.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b>FarmFood 360</b></span></a> offers <a href="https://www.farmfood360.ca/?utm_source=domain&utm_campaign=www.virtualfarmtours.ca&utm_medium=redirect" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>11 Virtual Tours</b></span></a> of </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Museum in Huntsville, AL -</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">See the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qe5RqyMNhc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Saturn 5 Rocket</span></b></a> on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qe5RqyMNhc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">YouTube</span></b></a> and more on this tour </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">thanks to a real father/son outing.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips - A few of the field trip topics </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">include <a href="https://www.discoveryeducation.com/learn/tundra-connections/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Polar Bears and the Tundra</span></b></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.soarwithwings.com/videos/virtual-field-trip" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><b>Social Emotional Skills</b></span></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.boeingfutureu.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: red;">STEM</span></b></a> <b><span style="color: lime;"><a href="https://www.manufactureyourfuture.com/VirtualFieldTrip/US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">manufacturing</a></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Experience<b> </b></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">The Louvre - Travel to Paris, France to see the</span></span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">amazing works of art at <b><a href="https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">The Louvre</span></a></b> with this virtual field trip!</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Visit the Great Wall of China - This <a href="https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Virtual Tour</b></span></a> of the </span></span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Great Wall of China</span></a></b> is beautiful and makes history come to life.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvyu8oF9zbXxpHz5_l38RU3Hgiu14eJf5I_h3tkVhAG_Bz6-c0Lm4t1unZXL_WIsP-6F6-KScG3wVrve4IQaqjeyDaTRTeSewyWltk1AZJg2is3Hel9B2G37rYtym-3Ixt9qIhiYKByuA/s1600/Boston+Children%2527s+Museum+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="79" data-original-width="209" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvyu8oF9zbXxpHz5_l38RU3Hgiu14eJf5I_h3tkVhAG_Bz6-c0Lm4t1unZXL_WIsP-6F6-KScG3wVrve4IQaqjeyDaTRTeSewyWltk1AZJg2is3Hel9B2G37rYtym-3Ixt9qIhiYKByuA/s200/Boston+Children%2527s+Museum+image.png" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Check out the Boston Children's Museum - Walk through the </span></span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/museum-virtual-tour" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: purple;">Boston Children's Museum</span></b></a> thanks to Google Maps! </span></span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/museum-virtual-tour" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: purple;">This</span></b></a> virtual tour allows kids to explore 3 floors of fun.</span></span>Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-73467543858742892722020-04-11T23:31:00.000-05:002020-04-12T00:51:40.676-05:00May You and Your Family Enjoy a Blessed Easter Sunday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwernG1sPjQtJycCfe-eh7oFHkOA85Rlsx-OpUcb9oq4ofoLJWB-2W5V_KT70r-Ly0tjJL-NwCsbcvPNClfbonInaF7MqZKF46BT1uphprywq3VbIlfxrtSciyg9g4BeC8IoW1s4ucGiX/s1600/%2521%2521%2521.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.15em; margin-right: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwernG1sPjQtJycCfe-eh7oFHkOA85Rlsx-OpUcb9oq4ofoLJWB-2W5V_KT70r-Ly0tjJL-NwCsbcvPNClfbonInaF7MqZKF46BT1uphprywq3VbIlfxrtSciyg9g4BeC8IoW1s4ucGiX/s200/%2521%2521%2521.gif" width="225" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">There is no doubt that this Easter will be different from any other we have experienced prior to this health crisis. Even though we have to celebrate from our homes, we can still offer our gratitude and praise for God sending His Son, Jesus Christ, down to Earth to die for our sins then for Christ's Resurrection on the third day, no matter where we are! We can choose to make new memories with our families, possibly starting a new family tradition, as we celebrate our Lord's Resurrection!!</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-78245584571264928042020-04-10T22:39:00.000-05:002020-04-11T01:11:45.020-05:00Do YOU Have Pockets of Patience?!?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ev6-Ukh-o6iD7GYyAS5PfMRTxfXFh7MbGX6CP7-OWecl7MKizj0Uof2wYaHxwdY3a7H18Ql24wKwnpdKID5MP4MAhf5YpQazTpHwQifC4c-4U_cZXoALjfLxvAXOodt9FXUEx1GiDJ-d/s1600/EmptyPocketsGirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="506" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ev6-Ukh-o6iD7GYyAS5PfMRTxfXFh7MbGX6CP7-OWecl7MKizj0Uof2wYaHxwdY3a7H18Ql24wKwnpdKID5MP4MAhf5YpQazTpHwQifC4c-4U_cZXoALjfLxvAXOodt9FXUEx1GiDJ-d/s320/EmptyPocketsGirl.jpg" width="151" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Hello! I can imagine what you are thinking. You just clicked on a link to read my next post and you arrive to only find a few lines. In an effort to spend some quality time with my own family this evening, I decided that I would share a post that I wrote several years ago during #AutismAwarenessMonth. Please enjoy reading <i><a href="https://nathansvoice.blogspot.com/2012/04/PocketsOfPatience.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Pockets of Patience</b></span></a></i> and #share it with a member in your family, a friend, or someone you met in an online parenting community who can use the encouragement to hang in there. Thank you for your continued support!</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-50768176576305465642020-04-09T23:26:00.000-05:002020-04-09T23:26:07.476-05:00Making Time for Self-Care is Important for Your Mental and Physical Health<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Hello, friends!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>I promise to keep this post short, sweet, and simple. I hope that you will enjoy it and #share it with someone that you know on social media in support of #AutismAwarenessMonth. Thank you!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Lorrie</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Take Care of Yourself</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Make time for yourself. Self-care is an important part of happiness and health, and a happy, healthy parent can care for a child much better than a stressed-out, overtaxed parent. You will need a family member, close friend, or available respite care provider that you can depend on to take care of your child so that you can have some time by yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Being a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorders, or any other special needs, is extremely difficult work, very stressful, physically taxing, and emotionally draining. Do not be afraid or hesitate when asking for help! Everyone needs to be able to take a break and enjoy some "me time" to ensure their mental health needs are being met.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">As you learn what routine works for your child, you, and the rest of your family, things will eventually become easier for everyone. A few hours or an afternoon once a week will give you the opportunity to focus on your needs and the ability to stay in contact with the world outside the new one that your child lives in. You will learn to appreciate being able to do simple things such as drinking a good cup of coffee or tea on the patio, catching up on your favorite television series or drama, working a puzzle or a crossword challenge, or enjoying a much needed afternoon nap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">You might also want to consider joining a local autism support group or an online community that offers parent advice, support, and friendship. Please let me know if you need assistance locating one in your area. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Take care of your self so that you can continue taking care of your family! I am going to enjoy my favorite cup of orange-flavored tea, before telling each son and my husband that I love them, and get a good night's sleep. There will be no alarms set in my household to wake us up in the morning because our teenage sons do not have distance learning on Fridays! #CelebratingTheSmallThingsInLife :)</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-41166634695202072842020-04-08T23:30:00.000-05:002020-04-09T03:05:58.552-05:00Sharing How Our Journey Started in Support of Autism Awareness Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcLL6cr4zfWQ0rLFtuUxFnmPIN1-1IKBrWgZ9ki0RPsWs0CtTQ1V2go_-cpYYMWHhiTGoacmejtCIME07uGcZ0xdRyPVuUJZxZVbijWVqgM9ZZ_Fdb_qfABFit_9nmn5n637M1RAruGS5/s1600/Nathan%2527s+Voice+New.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="129" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcLL6cr4zfWQ0rLFtuUxFnmPIN1-1IKBrWgZ9ki0RPsWs0CtTQ1V2go_-cpYYMWHhiTGoacmejtCIME07uGcZ0xdRyPVuUJZxZVbijWVqgM9ZZ_Fdb_qfABFit_9nmn5n637M1RAruGS5/s320/Nathan%2527s+Voice+New.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Nathan was almost five (5) years old when he was finally diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). That was twelve years ago, and Nathan could have received a diagnosis several years earlier if our pediatrician had only given us the referrals to specialists that we had requested. Shortly after Nathan turned eighteen months old, he started exhibiting symptoms of not responding to his name, wanting to go off to play with his toys by himself, and using a very loud voice when he decided he wanted something. He was barely two years old when he had to have his second set of ear tubes put in due to his first set of tubes falling out too soon. My husband and I were confused because even though we knew that our pediatrician was helping to resolve our son's ear infections, he would casually offer excuses such as "it's normal for a boy his age to be distracted with a toy that he's playing with" or "he will outgrow that behavior in time" whenever we expressed our concerns about our son's behavior. We tried to accept his quick explanations, but we knew that there that there had to be another explanation for our young son's behavior. </span></i></span><br />
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<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Nathan's slightly older brother, Vincent, had done well in PreK-2 and was a very attentive student in PreK-3 when Nathan started PreK-2 at the same private church school. Nathan was easily distracted by everything around him, wasn't able to focus for more than 15 minutes at a time, and would run around in circles laughing at everything that was said to him. He had a very understanding and patient teacher who would let me come in to help with arts and crafts to give her a break once in a while. It was even more difficult when he started PreK-3 the next year. I am not sure why the private school let his PreK-3 teacher keep her toddler son, who was younger than Nathan, in her class. It was a combination of her being a young mother, no teaching experience, and having Nathan "performing" for the class constantly that made it difficult for that class to get anything accomplished. He spent a good percentage of his time in my classroom next door. I had just been hired six weeks after the school year had started to split the PreK-4 because the enrollment was over-whelming for the one teacher they had in place for that age group. I was ecstatic about being near both of my young boys during the day. Working with the 4-year-old students was a bonus, but having Nathan in my class was a distraction when it came to the students trying to complete class assignments. I couldn't understand why she and a few other teachers were always telling me he was "bad" or that I needed to "discipline" him more. I was concerned that because he was different than his classmates that they would hold it against him instead of trying to work with him. We barely made it through the remainder of the school year. </span></em></div>
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<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I tried to talk with my pediatrician about the way that Nathan was behaving, but he convinced me it was the ear infections that were his only trouble. The poor child had to have a third set of ear tubes to allow his ears to function properly against the unruly seasonal allergies that he inherited from me. His older brother, Vincent, had just had to have his first set of ear tubes. I tried to believe what the pediatrician was saying to me but, something was telling me that there was more to why my son was reacting to certain situations the way he did. There was a child with autism that went missing that Father's Day from the trailer park located next to our church. He was about Nathan's age and many of us church members were out searching for him in lieu of attending the Sunday morning church service. I did not know much of anything about autism except from watching a movie called Mercury Rising that I had watched almost 10 years ago. I did an internet search on autism and what I was reading made me start to cry. The missing boy was found safe later that day but, the concerns that I had expressed to the pediatrician were at the surface and stronger than ever.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">I felt as if I was repeatedly hitting my head against a brick wall with my son's pediatrician. He was a well-trained professional in the medical field and had proven himself to our family repeatedly when it came to resolving the ear infections with both boys, as well as with Vincent when he needed to see a Urologist later that winter. What I couldn't quite understand was why my 4-year-old son wasn't adjusting to school or anything else that we tried. What was I doing wrong and what could I do to help him? He was actually getting worse. I sometimes couldn't take him into a store, regardless of the size or type of store, without him screaming and hitting himself. The looks and comments that we would get, from people around us when he would start doing this, were unsettling. It would range from "is your little boy okay, did he get hurt" almost in an accusing tone of voice to "you should really try to make your kid behave" like I was the type of parent to let my child do whatever they wanted with no regard to society. It made me mad that someone who didn't even know my family, or how different my son was from anyone they knew, could give me advice on my child! I knew very well that Nathan was like no other child that I had known but, I hadn't been able to figure him out.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">We tried PreK-4 the next year but, he spent most of the time back and forth between my classroom and the office where his teacher would send him when he was "bad". I was having a hard time concentrating on my class knowing that my own child was suffering because he couldn't find his place in our world. I decided to give my notice of resignation so that I could spend the time needed to focus on getting Nathan whatever he needed. The school was far from understanding and made us find another school for our Kindergartener, Vincent. It was a difficult adjustment for our almost 6-year-old son to change schools and make new friends but, he did quite well. While preparing for the holidays that fall, I spent a lot of time on the phone and the computer looking for answers to Nathan. I knew that our family needed to find out what we could about what was bothering Nathan so that we could help him and it needed to be quick! With him needing to be ready for Kindergarten in less than a year, it would take a miracle.</span></i></span></div>
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<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I finally decided to contact our public school system Board of Education for any ideas on what I could do if I thought my son needed testing. They informed me that they could test him, but it would be sometime after the first of the upcoming year before they could get to him. That was still better than what I had been able to get up to this point on my own. I just had to be patient, and continue working with Nathan just like I had been all along. It gave me hope that we might finally receive the answers we were looking for to help Nathan, but it seemed like the next two months took forever to pass. As I hurried to get everyone ready for school on the morning of our appointment, I was overwhelmed with the anticipation of not knowing what to expect. I was a bundle of raw nerves, and I had a side of "I don't know what" bouncing around, holding my hand as we entered the Board of Education for our appointment that day. It would be safe for me to say that the wonderful people whom we met that day weren't quite sure what to think of this frazzled, but very protective mom and her young rambunctious son.</span></em></div>
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<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">At the first of three appointments, we were asked a lot of questions about how he acted, reacted and behaved in general to certain situations. His eyesight was tested, and when they brought Nathan back into the room, they said that the test was "inconclusive". They weren't sure what to make of it, but Nathan would need to be examined by an eye doctor that specialized in the testing of young children before the Board of Education could finish their testing on him. I was so frustrated that all I wanted to do was cry! What was wrong with my baby? Surely he wasn't blind because he wasn't bumping into things. So, of course, I made the appointment to get Nathan's eyes checked immediately. After the optometrist was finished testing him, we found out that Nathan couldn't see up close or far away, and the prescription lens that he needed for his eyeglasses was very thick, almost like the bottom of a glass soda bottle! That explained why he always came back frustrated when we would ask him to go get his shoes or bring something to us. He could barely see what was in front of him! I ordered the glasses before leaving the specialist's office, and they told us that we would have them in about a week because they were being made as a special order for Nathan. Then, I called the Board of Education to let them know so we could set the next appointment to continue with Nathan's testing. It would be approximately five (5) weeks before we would be able to start getting any answers. During that time, I was given a form that Nathan's pediatrician needed to complete and fax back to the Board of Education. It asked questions of Nathan's behavior and what had been observed by the pediatrician. It was not completed, as requested, even with me dropping it off in person, and checking back on its status, every week before my next scheduled appointment for Nathan's testing with the Board of Education. This was the only reason that they turned us away and why we had to re-schedule for almost a month later. As Nathan and I were walking back to the car, the pediatrician's office called to say that the completed form had just been faxed, more than half an hour after our appointment was scheduled for! By this time I was livid, my heart was racing, and all that I could think about when I looked into Nathan's eyes was that we were almost there...the answers were in our grasp, and the wretched doctor had caused our appointment to be postponed, but we weren't going to let him win!!</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Our final appointment came and on that morning, we got ourselves ready for what we knew would be the beginning of a new journey as a family. We would finally have something to work with...an answer to what it was that made Nathan unique. I suspected it might be autism, but when I heard them say it aloud, it was hard for me to accept. The school psychologists explained that even though Nathan was extremely intelligent, he had problems with social skills and that we would have to work with him. The individuals that evaluated Nathan explained to me that he was "high-functioning" and that I should look up Asperger's Syndrome because it would better describe his disorder, as opposed to the generalized term of autism. I spent the rest of the day playing with Nathan until we picked up his brother, Vincent, from school. Then after dinner, I spent the entire evening researching on the internet. I was finding out that 1 in every 150 children was diagnosed with a form of autism spectrum disorders, something like 1 out of every 70 boys were being diagnosed with autism, and every 20 minutes a parent was being told that their precious child had autism! I eventually ended up back on a website called Autism Speaks, which offered a </span></em><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">100-day kit</span></em></a><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> to those families with someone they loved recently diagnosed with autism. Even though it took several days, or longer in some cases, for our family and friends to come to emotional grips with Nathan's diagnosis, we had already started our journey to becoming a stronger family.</span></em></span></div>
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Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-21695807842751203112020-04-07T23:26:00.002-05:002020-04-07T23:26:56.262-05:00How Are You Keeping Track of Your Time at Home During This Health Crisis?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8rmj-sXojBYHZTa450dqTRIziFohaXt0T_u7os2lW3pUErpfYSI5_K2fOqYcYu34lEIYfvB7jl2TElIGY0JqRDDmz8UdNMhGT8ep0MPYKa5k__lVYg2yWpdxlAhbPiRyx2-mKVJW9u8p/s1600/Keeping+track+of+experiences+while+sheltering+at+home+for+COVID19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.75em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8rmj-sXojBYHZTa450dqTRIziFohaXt0T_u7os2lW3pUErpfYSI5_K2fOqYcYu34lEIYfvB7jl2TElIGY0JqRDDmz8UdNMhGT8ep0MPYKa5k__lVYg2yWpdxlAhbPiRyx2-mKVJW9u8p/s320/Keeping+track+of+experiences+while+sheltering+at+home+for+COVID19.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">How did you keep up with your schedule before it was abruptly changed by the health crisis? Whether you previously used a calendar, day planner, or your phone to guide your day, you should allow yourself the opportunity to shake things up since your schedule has drastically changed! There are a variety of ways that can help you keep track of your sheltering in place experiences such as keeping a journal, starting a podcast, or blogging as a way to share with family and friends. Just like any other decision, you have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each option. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">If you prefer to write things down manually versus looking at an electronic screen while typing your thoughts, writing in a traditional, book-like journal will most likely suit you best. If you do not live by yourself, you will want to keep your journal in a secure place when you are not writing in it to ensure that no one has access to your private thoughts. If you have a roommate, you will definitely not want to leave it lying around for him or her to pick up and read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">If you are comfortable sharing your thoughts, advice, or expertise with others, you may want to either start a podcast or a blog. You will want to research which platforms offer what you are looking for, check out an online demo, read any available reviews, and eliminate those that want you to pay monthly or annual fees. You should not feel that you have to make a decision right away, especially if you are not sure if this is what you want to do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I chose <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Blogger</span></a> when I started documenting our family's journey nine years ago, and I wish that I could dedicate more of my time to posting helpful information on my site. I enjoy advocating for individuals who have autism spectrum disorders by sharing what I have learned through personal and work experience, as well as the knowledge that I have acquired through the college psychology courses that I have taken. It has also been very therapeutic and beneficial for me to be able to document my son's challenges, what helped him to overcome them, and the wonderful progress that he has made since he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders twelve years ago just before he started kindergarten; and using <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Blogger</span></a> is free!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">You have to decide which option works best for you by weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Whatever you decide, you can choose how often you want to share your experiences and how much time you want to set aside to share, record, or document them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Browse my site to check out the layout and contact me if you have any questions. I would be glad to set a Google (Hangouts) Meet session with you so that you can see how everything on Blogger functions. If you are interested, please private message me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/NathansVoice" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>@NathansVoice</i></span></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I want to thank you for taking the time to read this post. Please join me in #CelebratingAutismAwarenessMonth by #sharing this post with your family and/or a friend. I appreciate your support and always look forward to hearing from my readers when they have time to leave a comment below. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Stay well and safe!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Your friend,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Lorrie</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-77497291180344234072020-04-06T19:35:00.000-05:002020-04-06T19:35:27.545-05:00Recognizing, Accepting, & Supporting Individuals/Families who have Autism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb28mrcABzVWgMJFESVIrgAioRR9qifX7ExMlxQVKW-4lkFZygKWh21GEkE5YCnWLq6ptS-X5wvZIeMzSrMitFidALSS-HBQLCOf88JFBpbufQWBhNdsZS7TjiKFjiHfF3QsI3Sh8Nysg/s1600/OurParentingSpot+ADJUSTED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="214" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb28mrcABzVWgMJFESVIrgAioRR9qifX7ExMlxQVKW-4lkFZygKWh21GEkE5YCnWLq6ptS-X5wvZIeMzSrMitFidALSS-HBQLCOf88JFBpbufQWBhNdsZS7TjiKFjiHfF3QsI3Sh8Nysg/s200/OurParentingSpot+ADJUSTED.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A little over eight years ago, I had the privilege of writing a</span></i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i> </i></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Featured Guest Article for</i></span></span><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </i><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Our Parenting Spot which is an outstanding online parenting community that offers advice, support and friendship to everyone. Due to this article being quite lengthy because it is packed full of information, you will want to read it in sections so that it will not be too overwhelming. Please visit </i><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Our Parenting Spot, either as an anonymous visitor or you can join the community, to read through <a href="http://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=7668.0" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Autism "How-To" Guide for Parents </span></a>and share it </i><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">with someone you know. YOU never know if a family may have </i><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">just </i><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">had their child </i><i style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">recently diagnosed with Autism, or they might know someone else who thinks their child needs to be evaluated! Thank you for your support and I hope that you enjoy the article. I always look forward to hearing from anyone who takes the time to leave a comment below or on the Our Parenting Spot community where my Guest Article is </i><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">featured!</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></i></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Please remember to be accepting and supporting of individuals and families who have Autism, or look/behave different than what you are accustomed, because they will appreciate it more than you know. Not understanding the daily struggle that our special needs family experienced when our son was younger, individuals were extremely judgmental when he would have a meltdown in public. We were already dealing with more than what we could handle, and we did not need to explain why our child was screaming and hitting himself in public (i.e. "Did your son get hurt and is he alright?" or "You should be ashamed for hitting your child; I should report you to DHS!"). They obviously had no clue what challenges that I encountered while trying to help my son learn how to use his words to communicate how he was feeling, what he needed or wanted. </i></span></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">#CelebratingAutismAwarenessMonth</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Enjoy your evening and stay home to stay safe!</i></span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Your friend,</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Lorrie</i></span></span></div>
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Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-87162032653686332712020-04-05T23:46:00.000-05:002020-04-10T00:16:45.614-05:00Attention Parents of Students Who Are Tasked With Distance Learning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RkWYwFMf-WN6SkAChOylAWz8a_hSkCigeZE2hIYekuAMb0NPHaMs7oyHP814l3gqADwWbx5fFxkYnsMi6lvFTspeP3i_gW8igcW2jeLSYMN_EEnktRhDRrYRhYxcnBqwYB9yXmAK-pM3/s1600/distance+learning+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 3em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RkWYwFMf-WN6SkAChOylAWz8a_hSkCigeZE2hIYekuAMb0NPHaMs7oyHP814l3gqADwWbx5fFxkYnsMi6lvFTspeP3i_gW8igcW2jeLSYMN_EEnktRhDRrYRhYxcnBqwYB9yXmAK-pM3/s200/distance+learning+image.jpg" width="140" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">If you are a parent of a school-age child who been on an extended spring break due to the health crisis, you have most likely been doing everything that you can to help everyone in your family to settle into the new normal routine for your household. My family is preparing for both of our teenage sons to start their distance learning tomorrow morning. We were told that over the next month the students will mostly be reviewing what they have already learned, as well as complete assignments that they might have not turned in before spring break, allowing each of them to bring their current grade up before the end of the school year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I have used my previous experience of taking online college classes to help my guys organize and prepare the space they will each be using for their distance learning. I think what will be most challenging for them is that they will have to go to bed early enough so that they can be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every morning for their distance learning adventure. My son who is a senior in high school is the one who is complaining the most about how late he can stay up at night. He thinks that he is a man because he turned eighteen years old a few months ago. smh😏 I cannot wait until he has children of his own! lol</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">So, if your family is also facing distance learning, hang in and remember that this school year is almost over. If he or she is taking AP classes, and possibly concurrent classes at a technical school, distance learning will also let him or her see what it is like to take online college classes. It will also make him or her responsible for setting aside the appropriate amount of time each day so that that he or she can get their assignments in on time. If he or she can master the skills associated with time management related to distance learning, this experience will prove beneficial to him or her especially if they ever have to work from home (WFH) by future employers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Your student(s) can do this because they have YOU to support them in this adventure! This pep talk is for me as much as it is for you. 😉 Make sure that you set aside some "me time" each day while you are trying to maintain what resembles homeostasis in your household because your mental health is just as important as your physical health. If you have not already called it a night, you should get some sleep before your children have to be up to start their first day of distance learning!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Your friend,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Lorrie</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-57092915336684477132020-04-04T15:33:00.000-06:002020-04-04T15:33:08.266-06:00Baking Can Alleviate Stress and Bring Families Together<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBham-4JQZeFfIPRik4kdKXc59jsaIMoX6UxuRz_P0IWOcLz04UcArOnXqzUXOppmX6m_hB-0XlacxQbTZeyHW45Dg9NcLRfKl__8rEgYEkCF2LZn92qvrhpTs7gwMq1tx964xgxqsISvZ/s1600/Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Crispy-Bars+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBham-4JQZeFfIPRik4kdKXc59jsaIMoX6UxuRz_P0IWOcLz04UcArOnXqzUXOppmX6m_hB-0XlacxQbTZeyHW45Dg9NcLRfKl__8rEgYEkCF2LZn92qvrhpTs7gwMq1tx964xgxqsISvZ/s200/Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Crispy-Bars+image.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">If you have been looking for something different to do for family time, try picking a recipe to bake together. You might be surprised how willing your family is to making something sweet to enjoy after finishing their lunch or dinner! I have included a recipe within this post that you may want to make together, as well as the link to check out the video on Taste of Home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Enjoy and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">let me know how much fun your family had making this recipe! Please #share this post with someone you know in your surrounding community. Thank you!! #CelebrateAutismAwarenessMonth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your friend,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖊</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<b><a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-peanut-butter-crispy-bars/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Chocolate </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">&</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> Peanut Butter Crispy Bars</span></span></a></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h2>
<ul class="recipe-ingredients__list recipe-ingredients__collection" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; height: auto !important; list-style: none !important; margin: 0px 0px 28px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: start;">
<li style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 18px; list-style-type: disc; padding: 5px;">1 package fudge brownie mix (13x9 pan size)</li>
<li style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 18px; list-style-type: disc; padding: 5px;">1-1/2 cups chunky peanut butter</li>
<li style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 18px; list-style-type: disc; padding: 5px;">2 cups semisweet chocolate chips</li>
<li style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 18px; list-style-type: disc; padding: 5px;">1 cup creamy peanut butter</li>
<li style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 18px; list-style-type: disc; padding: 5px;">3 cups Rice Krispies cereal</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 class="recipe-directions__heading" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h2>
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<li class="recipe-directions__item" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>Step 1</b> - Line a <a data-analytics-metrics="{"link_name":"13x9-in. baking pan","link_module":"ecommerce links","link_pos":"embedded"}" href="https://amzn.to/2ZIu4TG" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #005278; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">13x9-in. baking pan</a> with parchment, letting ends extend up sides. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions, using prepared pan. Cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.</span></li>
<li class="recipe-directions__item" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>Step 2</b> - Spread chunky peanut butter over brownies. Place chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until melted; stir until smooth. Stir in Rice Krispies cereal; spread over chunky peanut butter layer. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes or until set.</span></li>
<li class="recipe-directions__item" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>Step 3</b> - Lifting with parchment, remove brownies from pan. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.</span></li>
<li class="recipe-directions__item" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><ul class="recipe-time-yield" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-grow: 1; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<li class="recipe-time-yield__item" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; list-style-type: none; padding: 10px 0px 10px 10px; width: 240.188px;"><img class="loading" data-was-processed="true" src="https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/themes/tmbi-theme-v3/images/clock.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: 21px; margin-right: 10px; max-width: 100%; width: 21px;" /><div style="box-sizing: inherit;">
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Total Time</h5>
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Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min. + chilling</div>
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Makes</h5>
<div class="recipe-time-yield__label-servings" style="box-sizing: inherit;">
2 dozen</div>
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Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-81014680691641263672020-04-03T17:48:00.000-06:002020-04-03T17:48:16.610-06:00Challenging Times Brings Out the True Measure of Dedication<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKweSFypdiLYpoX3o1t9ceTDaPSh7N1ujWUe_Blm19rxkBXoXml00YDIL1ijyztRQxzv_q0WbTo5rWg1rpVlKpBIsxTQtpNh_E8HvvwmrsyRNUALFfrYF61qRBYkimKxzuE11TV6yduy8n/s1600/learner%2527s+permit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKweSFypdiLYpoX3o1t9ceTDaPSh7N1ujWUe_Blm19rxkBXoXml00YDIL1ijyztRQxzv_q0WbTo5rWg1rpVlKpBIsxTQtpNh_E8HvvwmrsyRNUALFfrYF61qRBYkimKxzuE11TV6yduy8n/s200/learner%2527s+permit.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Today, a friend who works at my son's high school contacted me with information that proved very helpful. She went above and beyond the duties of her job description to get my youngest son the letter that he needed to document his reading proficiency and that he was currently enrolled in high school for the 2019-2020 school year. Even though my friend had her daily routine abruptly disrupted and is having to work at home, she still made it a priority to help my son and other students that are trying to maintain as normal of a life as possible and move forward towards a goal they have set for themselves in the near future. This is exactly what we should be doing...living life and helping those around us do the same!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Enjoy your weekend and remember to reach out to someone by phone, email, or other way to let them know that you are thinking of them during our current health crisis. It will brighten their day and show that you care.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Talk with you soon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Your friend,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Lorrie </span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-4350770485421353272020-04-02T18:01:00.001-06:002020-04-02T18:15:53.223-06:00Thank Goodness for Communication, Connections, and Technology!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfgjSMP5UXhK2x2nakaHmoBhTwwiJk6tFBf5K3hPfqvjDXikj_uvtcX2eOJ8CCeL1D9KMxTLxq3foJhyeK3WAlEW2s6EURFkuFCnMJuL2TOKSwC-9qjd9n6P1fO0MPisEiJtipjjgBv_K/s1600/cartoon+me+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.75em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="80" data-original-width="67" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfgjSMP5UXhK2x2nakaHmoBhTwwiJk6tFBf5K3hPfqvjDXikj_uvtcX2eOJ8CCeL1D9KMxTLxq3foJhyeK3WAlEW2s6EURFkuFCnMJuL2TOKSwC-9qjd9n6P1fO0MPisEiJtipjjgBv_K/s200/cartoon+me+revised.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Have YOU spoken with someone recently that made you appreciate the technology that allowed you to communicate with one another? I had the privilege of speaking with a wonderful woman earlier today that helped me to find a resolution to a situation for which I needed assistance. This makes me very appreciative that we can connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime, and in a variety of ways due to the technological advancements that have been made over the years. It is important to have contact with individuals outside of our homes, especially during this time of uncertainty. If we did not have the ability to communicate with anyone other than those that reside within our homes, it could adversely affect our mental health. I am grateful for everyone with whom I can connect while the "stay at home" order is in effect. So, this is an anonymous "shout-out" to my newest acquaintance and helping me to maintain my sanity! Thank you for conversing with me, not just once, but twice this afternoon!!</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Stay safe and make the best of a challenging situation by talking with an old friend or having an open mind when talking to someone new for the first time!</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Your friend, </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Lorrie</span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539297647780201952.post-513751018258179262020-03-25T22:17:00.001-06:002020-03-25T22:24:16.743-06:00Making the Best of an Unexpected Change in our Normal Routine<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I hope that each of you is staying healthy and are enjoying the unexpected time with your families. If you live in a state where a "stay at home" order has been issued after having almost everything around you already shut down, please know that this challenging situation will not last forever. Even though it is inconvenient for most of us, having to "stay at home" might actually be what we need to realize that our chaotic schedules have us so busy that we do not spend enough time relaxing and making memories with our families. As an in-home ABA therapist, I always have a variety of board and card games on hand to utilize in my sessions. So, I will be reallocating these resources to engage my husband and two teenage sons in a few family-friendly games to keep our brains active while we are all enjoying our unexpected stay at home. Of course, there will be instances where each of us will want some solitude to play a particular online game, read a book, or contact a friend to see how they are managing to survive during this challenging situation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Be safe and enjoy making new memories with your family!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Your friend, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Lorrie</i></span></div>
Lorrie Servatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05168371890672541070noreply@blogger.com0