Okay folks, comments are up at the new blog and we're pretty much moved over, except for the archives. I'll work on those, but all new information and updates can be found at our new home at http://home.attbi.com/~kelseychronicles

See you there!

...--Alli

Okay, I just removed the YACCS comment system from this blog to see if that will help them work correctly on the new blog-- since I'm trying to convert over the same account.

...--Alli

Boy, I'm having a blast over at the new site, and learning tons everyday!! Most of the links there are working now, but I'm still rummaging around for a comment system I can get to work-- I'm trying to convert my YACCs account over but I'm not having much success, and most of the other systems I'm finding want PHP support, which my ISP doesn't have. I'm working on it though, and appreciate your patience.

The archives from here will eventually land over at the new site, but exporting each entry and recoding the new Blog so the date stamp on the post is correct will be a rather long and labor-intensive process. Bear with me, and if you need to search back through posts, your best best right now is to use this site and rummage through here if the post occured before the new site was up. TIA!


...--Alli

Okay, the original post is back up and posted on the new KC site for your reading pleasure!

A few notes: Yes, I know that none of the links are working and there are no comments or counters on the page yet. Bear with me, they're coming, but I'm just thrilled that I can post and it looks like a Blog for the moment! You can comment here for now or email me if you need to, 'kay? Thanks!!

...--Alli

ummm, I think I may have nuked my previous entry, you know-- the one I just linked you to? Hang in there with me, and pardon my futzing, okay? I'll retype it for you, I promise!!

...--Alli

pssst-- it's very plain at the moment, but take a peek at the new home for The Kelsey Chronicles!


...--Alli

Today we had Izzy's 'friend' birthday party-- Monday is the family party, on her actual birthday. Here is where we had it, and boy did they have a blast!! (scroll down to the botton of the page and look at all the cool things there are to do there!) We could have easily spent another couple of hours there, they had so much cool stuff to do! It was a huge hit and, best of all, it wasn't in my house and I didn't have to cook or clean up after it. It doesn't get much better than that for a seven-year old birthday party!

We left Kelsey home with Respite, since I knew she'd over-stim in the first five minutes we were there and be miserable the entire rest of the time. Monday she'll have a chance to celebrate with Izzy under much quieter, calmer circumstances.

...--Alli

'morning, folks! Two quick things for now...

First, thank you SO much for all the great suggestions on finding pretend money-- I got to Walmart and found the perfect things there, just as you all described! So far so good... Izzy missed the bus again yesterday but made sure to call me and let me know where she was, because she knew if I had to come get her without her calling it'd cost her 20 cents, but if she called me to tell me where she was, she's only have to pay me 10.

Secondly, there's a new email addy you can send comments and questions to: click here to get in touch with us. I think I've found a way to host the KC on my own webspace that comes with my IP, but I'm still working on getting it set up, so stick around here for now and I promise I'll make sure you know how to find us! More later.

...--Alli

I think both girls are feeling better by the day, but niether is really "up to snuff" yet, as we say in my family. I got really sick over the weekend and was grateful that I got my own script for antibiotics on Friday and had a headstart before things went supernova on Saturday night/Sunday day.

Kelsey has actually had a couple of really nice days in a row now, hopefully the report will be good when I get her off the bus in about half an hour ::knocking on all wood in sight::

I am noticing something with Kels that makes me wonder if she's struggling with some dyslexia issues on top of everything else, and I'm not sure if it's one of those "developmentally appropriate, goes away on it's own in time" things or something we should be working on. For example, we have this LeapFrog electronic alphabet toy she likes to play with. About half the time, she'll play with it upside down, and if I turn it right side up she'll put it upside down again before continuing to pick out letters. She also very consistently identifies a lower case "D" (d) as a "P" (p), for example. What do you guys think, do I add it to the worry list or not?

I'm drowning in forms and appeals and paperwork over here, they're trying to screw over Kelsey's SSI benefit once again and so I'm having to fight a never-ending battle on that, which really stresses me out. Today I got a call from the Met Life lady, who has been working for 2.5 years now to convince medical insurance companies to drop their lien against a trust fund they are trying to set up for Kels. There were leins totaling way more than 200 thousand dollars! She finally convinces them all to back down and allow them to try and set up some long-term protection for Kels, and now Medicaid has swooped in and is demanding every penny of the trust fund towards their expenses. [insert smoke coming out of Alli's ears here]

Now we have to get our own attny to try and fight Medicare for the monies in the would-be trust fund, and set it up in such a way that it will not eliminate her from continuing to qualify for Medicare benefits, since they are paying for everything right now and her needs will continue to be great for a long time to come.

Sometimes it seems like it never ends, KWIM? Some days I feel as if Kels needs her own personal appt secretary who can keep track of all the paperwork and call and badger/bully people to get out of her way and get her access to the things that she needs!

...--Alli

I'm in the process of setting up a reward/consequence plan for Elizabeth, where she'll earn "x" amount of money as a base allowance, just for being a kid in our family, but she'll have the opporunity to earn more based on completion of chores and follow-through on promises.

For example, if she arrives at the place she's supposed to be after school-- the after-school program or home on the bus-- then she could earn 20 cents, let's say. Conversely, if I have to go pick her up and bring her home because she's not where she is supposed to be, I could 'charge' her 20 cents for having to go get her. If she misses the bus but remembers to call me and tell me where she's at, then perhaps I'd only charge her 10 cents instead of 20, KWIM?

She would then have the chance to buy things with her money, like a date with me to the movies on 50 cent movie Wednesdays at the local dollar theatre, or candy or whatever. If Rosie needs something like a new toy, then I could tell her that she'd have to pay "x" amount of the cost out of her own money and then I'd pick up the tab for the rest.

The goal is to give her a sense of independance and freedom but attach very tangible consequences for her choices. It also will just about completely eliminate our now almost-constant power struggles. Now, I can ask her to hang up her coat once for free, and then tell her that she can either choose to hang it up for a dime, or I can charge her a dime to have to do it myself. Simple.

Anywho, the point of this post is that I'm having a really hard time finding pretend coins to do this with. I want to have something I can put in a jar on the countertop, a tangible visual reminder of where she stands vs what she needs for whatever she's working on buying at the time. We need to have $.5, $.10, $.25 and $1.00 to make it work, I think.

Does anyone know of a place where I could get some pretend currency like I'm describing? I've checked grocery stores and local dollar stores, to no avail. Maybe a local school supply place? Zainy Brainy? Where do homeschooling folks who are introducing the concept of money buy their supplies? I'd welcome any ideas or suggestions. TIA!

...--Alli