Thursday, September 17, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Just 12 Months Away!
I know, I know. I am am horrible blogger. It has been a crazy almost 6 months. I promise I will try to do better. But...
In just under 1 year from now, we will be in Xenia, Ohio and will have met and begun training with Jewell's service dog. I am beyond excited, especially after some of the difficulties we've experienced this Summer that I just know her dog will help make easier for her. I am so ready to be on that leg of our journey, but first... Fundraising for travel expenses!
We're located about an 8 hour drive from the 4 Paws facility. We have a smallish 4 door car that would make traveling that distance (especially coming home with a dog) uncomfortable. We've decided to add renting a SUV to our expenses to make things more comfortable (and avoid that mileage on our only vehicle). Rental SUVs tend to run from $800-$1000. Plus we have to think of the cost of gas, since it is 495 miles one way.
Then, training lasts 10-12 days depending on class size and training requirements. We are planning to arrive the day before training starts and not head home until the day after graduation. 4 Paws for Ability requires that we stay within a certain distance of the training facility, just in case a problem occurs that needs the assistance of one of the trainers. There are 2 recommended hotels for 4 Paws families to stay, Residence Inn or Homewood Suites. Both hotels are used to having 4 Paws families and their service dogs stay there each month and are very accommodating. The cost to stay at one of these hotels for the duration of training is about $1800.
Then, we have to think of the costs of food (Jewell is a picky eater), supplies for the dog, and any other incidentals. With all that in consideration, we've decided that $4000 would give us piece of mind for this journey. We have a yard sale planned to raise some of the funds, and I decided to start a You Caring page to crowd fund whatever we can get towards our goal.
You can check it out here. Please remember that any amount helps, and if you are unable to donate, sharing the link can help us too!
In just under 1 year from now, we will be in Xenia, Ohio and will have met and begun training with Jewell's service dog. I am beyond excited, especially after some of the difficulties we've experienced this Summer that I just know her dog will help make easier for her. I am so ready to be on that leg of our journey, but first... Fundraising for travel expenses!
We're located about an 8 hour drive from the 4 Paws facility. We have a smallish 4 door car that would make traveling that distance (especially coming home with a dog) uncomfortable. We've decided to add renting a SUV to our expenses to make things more comfortable (and avoid that mileage on our only vehicle). Rental SUVs tend to run from $800-$1000. Plus we have to think of the cost of gas, since it is 495 miles one way.
Then, training lasts 10-12 days depending on class size and training requirements. We are planning to arrive the day before training starts and not head home until the day after graduation. 4 Paws for Ability requires that we stay within a certain distance of the training facility, just in case a problem occurs that needs the assistance of one of the trainers. There are 2 recommended hotels for 4 Paws families to stay, Residence Inn or Homewood Suites. Both hotels are used to having 4 Paws families and their service dogs stay there each month and are very accommodating. The cost to stay at one of these hotels for the duration of training is about $1800.
Then, we have to think of the costs of food (Jewell is a picky eater), supplies for the dog, and any other incidentals. With all that in consideration, we've decided that $4000 would give us piece of mind for this journey. We have a yard sale planned to raise some of the funds, and I decided to start a You Caring page to crowd fund whatever we can get towards our goal.
You can check it out here. Please remember that any amount helps, and if you are unable to donate, sharing the link can help us too!
Friday, February 6, 2015
WE DID IT!
I received confirmation from Karen Shirk from 4 Paws for Ability today that we not only reached but exceeded our goal! We have raised $15,349 for 4 Paws for Ability and have been assigned to the July 2016 training class. That's right, in 17 months Jewell will get to meet her Autism Assistance Dog.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
A Jewell Never Forgets
Jewell suffers from seasonal allergies, which we have had under control by her taking two different medications daily, or at least until this past Friday. She has the stuffy nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and now it looks like the beginning of a double ear infection caused by all the sinus drainage. Tonight she requested her ear drops, in addition to her regular meds.
Apparently the last time she needed ear drops was before I found the Eric Carle Alphabet picture that currently hangs on her wall. 
Prior to me finding this picture there was a 3 piece picture of a cottage with green grass. About 10 minutes after I administered her ear drops she becomes hysterical because those pictures are no longer on her wall. They've been gone for months and we already went through the meltdown from the change then. It took about 20 minutes or so to get her calmed down, and we may have bribed her with the promise that we will look for new "3 pictures of a house and grass" tomorrow, after she sleeps.
Prior to me finding this picture there was a 3 piece picture of a cottage with green grass. About 10 minutes after I administered her ear drops she becomes hysterical because those pictures are no longer on her wall. They've been gone for months and we already went through the meltdown from the change then. It took about 20 minutes or so to get her calmed down, and we may have bribed her with the promise that we will look for new "3 pictures of a house and grass" tomorrow, after she sleeps. Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Knoebels Amusement Park
Saturday, June 7th, we went to Knoebels Amusement Park. We were supposed to meet up with family for Jewell's twin cousins', Ersel and Gemma, birthday party. My cellphone had zero reception, which made meeting up with the family difficult to the point that we never did find them. We did end up having a great time and Jewell got on some rides that she had never tried before, plus even ate some chocolate soft serve ice cream!
Instead of going into a winded description of everything we did, I'll just post pictures!
Instead of going into a winded description of everything we did, I'll just post pictures!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
4 Paws for Jewell Jamberry Nails Fundraiser!
I am hosting an online party through Jamberry Nail Wraps independent consultant Bobbie Mauss. Jamberry Nails will donate 10% of all purchases to 4 Paws for Ability, and Bobbie has offered to donate 15% of her commission as well! That makes a total of 25% of each purchase being donated to 4 Paws for Ability in honor of Jewell! How amazing is that?
They have a design to fit everyone's style, and it's so much cheaper than going to the salon. They even have Junior sizes too! Check them out here.
They have a design to fit everyone's style, and it's so much cheaper than going to the salon. They even have Junior sizes too! Check them out here.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Possible Future Author
Over the last couple of months, Jewell has been creating stories that she types up on Google Translate. It started out as her typing a few sentences so that she could translate them into different languages (Russian is her current favorite), but it has morphed into her typing longer and longer short stories. Most of the stories are adaptations of stories she is currently obsessed with. The bonus of her using Google Translate is that she can have it read back to her and fix any errors if it doesn't sound quite right. Her sentences are getting better (although she still has trouble with of, a, the filler words) and her stories are getting longer.
Here is what she was working on this evening:
"Moby. I get books. Hey. What is an Eric Carle? The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? The Mixed-Up Chameleon. The book called. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. What is The Very Hungry Caterpillar? One Sunday morning the sun came out and, pop-out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. He started to look some food. On Monday. He ate through one apple. But he was still hungry. On Tuesday. He ate through two pears, but he was still hungry. On Wednesday. He ate through three plums, but he was still hungry. On Thursday. He ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry. On Friday. He ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry. He built a small house called a cocoon. He in stay more than two weeks. Then we nibbled a cocoon pushed and way out and. He was a beautiful butterfly! Awesome butterfly. The book called. Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? What is Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? I see red bird looking at me. Green frog, green frog, What do you see? I see a purple cat looking at me. Teacher, teacher, What do you see? I see children looking at me. Children, children, What do you see? Roar! The book called. The Mixed-Up Chameleon. What is The Mixed-Up Chameleon? The chameleon saw a zoo. It had never seen so many beautiful animals. The chameleon thought. How small I am, how slow, how weak! I wish I could be big and white like a polar bear. And the chameleon's wish came true. But was happy? No! White."
Her current obsession is Eric Carle books. I copied the above exactly as she had written it. A lot of it is from her memory and is from her 3 most favorite books at the moment.
Here is another piece she worked on earlier in the evening:
"The Spring. Hi. I'm Bonnie. Pat-pat-pat. Clever's patting. Darla's patting. Ed's patting. But more help. Fast. What's this? It's a butterfly. The butterfly flies in the flower. What's this? It's a frog. The frog jump. It was not me. What is a sound of the spring? A bird. Right. Everyone say. Flap flap flap. Flap flap flap. One more time. Flap flap flap. Lower. Flap flap flap. We didn't"
And another from before that:
"The Birthday Party. Art by Edward Hicks. And. Music by Jonathan Sebastian Bach. Hi. I'm Darla. Ready. Set. Go. Birthday pieces map. First. We need a turning piece. Next. We need a clapping piece. And the end. We need an up and down piece. Balloons. Gifts. And cake. What is the holiday? Birthday. Right. Pat-pat-pat. Darla's Patting. Froggy's patting. Sally's patting. But he was pat. Faster. Turning piece. Does a turning piece? Yes. The library. The books. What is a sound of the birthday party? A party horn. Right."
This one seems a bit inspired by "The Little Einsteins".
She doesn't always finish what she was working on before she scraps it and starts with a new train of thought. I don't care that they aren't perfect. What I care about is getting to see a bit of what is going on in her head after all this time of not really knowing.
Here is what she was working on this evening:
"Moby. I get books. Hey. What is an Eric Carle? The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? The Mixed-Up Chameleon. The book called. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. What is The Very Hungry Caterpillar? One Sunday morning the sun came out and, pop-out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. He started to look some food. On Monday. He ate through one apple. But he was still hungry. On Tuesday. He ate through two pears, but he was still hungry. On Wednesday. He ate through three plums, but he was still hungry. On Thursday. He ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry. On Friday. He ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry. He built a small house called a cocoon. He in stay more than two weeks. Then we nibbled a cocoon pushed and way out and. He was a beautiful butterfly! Awesome butterfly. The book called. Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? What is Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? I see red bird looking at me. Green frog, green frog, What do you see? I see a purple cat looking at me. Teacher, teacher, What do you see? I see children looking at me. Children, children, What do you see? Roar! The book called. The Mixed-Up Chameleon. What is The Mixed-Up Chameleon? The chameleon saw a zoo. It had never seen so many beautiful animals. The chameleon thought. How small I am, how slow, how weak! I wish I could be big and white like a polar bear. And the chameleon's wish came true. But was happy? No! White."
Her current obsession is Eric Carle books. I copied the above exactly as she had written it. A lot of it is from her memory and is from her 3 most favorite books at the moment.
Here is another piece she worked on earlier in the evening:
"The Spring. Hi. I'm Bonnie. Pat-pat-pat. Clever's patting. Darla's patting. Ed's patting. But more help. Fast. What's this? It's a butterfly. The butterfly flies in the flower. What's this? It's a frog. The frog jump. It was not me. What is a sound of the spring? A bird. Right. Everyone say. Flap flap flap. Flap flap flap. One more time. Flap flap flap. Lower. Flap flap flap. We didn't"
And another from before that:
"The Birthday Party. Art by Edward Hicks. And. Music by Jonathan Sebastian Bach. Hi. I'm Darla. Ready. Set. Go. Birthday pieces map. First. We need a turning piece. Next. We need a clapping piece. And the end. We need an up and down piece. Balloons. Gifts. And cake. What is the holiday? Birthday. Right. Pat-pat-pat. Darla's Patting. Froggy's patting. Sally's patting. But he was pat. Faster. Turning piece. Does a turning piece? Yes. The library. The books. What is a sound of the birthday party? A party horn. Right."
This one seems a bit inspired by "The Little Einsteins".
She doesn't always finish what she was working on before she scraps it and starts with a new train of thought. I don't care that they aren't perfect. What I care about is getting to see a bit of what is going on in her head after all this time of not really knowing.
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