Sunday, August 27, 2017

DC's Musical Selections

When traveling or just going to the library or grocery store, the music selection is of the utmost importance...
Since he was a baby, music has always been important to DC (see: I got the music in me)
Fortunately for me, his favorites these days are not just strictly from Disney, but Disney does continue to pop in depending on the mood of the day.

So..... "Come right in. Sing along" with my favorite Facebook Statuses....


DC approved traveling music... #DoctorHorrible
(June 2016 - Vacation Driving)
Facebook Status



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(Text: Today's musical driving selection; Shrek the Musical. Today was also full of "That means?".
DC, reading the CD cover; "Overture - That Means." (He knows what it means he just wants me to explain it again.)
He moved on to song titles and asked "That means" for each and every song. 
Next: "Reprise: That means"
I explained that a reprise is when they play the same song again later in the show.
I was driving so I could not read the CD cover and I may be wrong but there seemed to be an awful lot of reprises on this CD. 
I think I'm being played.......
#BeKindRewind #SameSongOverAndOverAndOver )
Facebook Status (August 2017)

Speaking of Shrek the Musical, I once had a clip of DC singing "Morning Person" at Best Buddies Karaoke - Since I can not find it anywhere; here's the original version....





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DC's musical selection for the car today is "Bye Bye Birdie" (Grocery Shopping Music)
Facebook Status (May 2017)

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Today's driving selection - Good Morning Baltimore - for your listening pleasure.

Facebook Status - DC's version of Car Karaoke (August 2016)

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I love to hear him sing...
It's so rare to be able to catch him without him knowing - he seems to have radar for the camera and will really ham it up.
(I did show it to him afterwards and it is not being posted without his knowledge)


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(Text: Fb memories 4 years ago (not today) - this came up in my feed yesterday because one of his friends liked it. This was DCs birthday 4 years ago - DC singing along to "A spoonful of sugar" in honor of his birthday - at Ellen's Stardust Diner - NYC)


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Fb memories 4 years ago today. DC taking his bow after singing "Somewhere over the rainbow" at Best Buddies karaoke.


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Nothing like a sing a long to brighten ones day!


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Just came home from DC's Winter Guard Show/Ice Cream Social. I can say with some authority that it is possible to listen to "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" from Hairspray Live, 4 times in it's entirety on the way to the High School but only 2 and a half times on the way home (less traffic, I guess). This includes the time it took for DC to tell me "One last time" before each run of the song....
#ItsNeverTheLastTime


Facebook Status "Hair Spray"

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Over the Rainbow - Karaoke (edited version because ...... it's a very long song)



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One of my favorites - 'Till there was you... From "The Music Man"



(DC's version of Car Karaoke)

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This blog is used for short posts and also for longer Facebook statuses. Please visit my official blog site at: Taking it a Step at a Time
 






Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Registering to Vote and Selective Service



DC and I attended his 6 month IP review today (No "E"; he is out of school).

Every year since he turned 18 his case worker is required to ask if he is registered to vote and if not if he would like to register to vote. Usually when he asks, DC just does not answer him so I usually do the answering.

Much like requiring him to register for Selective Service, this always throws me.

Yes, I know..... always presume competence. I get that and I do, but in the midst of raising your child and knowing your child, there are things that occur to you and things that just don't. Registering to vote and registering for Selective Service are among the things I never gave a first or second thought about.

Yes, your child will receive a card/letter to register for Selective Service sometime after he turns 18. 

You will think that this is one of those things that must be a mistake and you can just dismiss.

Don't...

You must register. It is required. (see Selective Service web page regarding the disabled)

As for voting; DC does not know who the president is. In the past, I have always told him when we elected a new president and taught him the president's name (in the past), just so he would know it. When he was in school, I am sure it was discussed and he learned the president's name there as well as from me.. He did not always remember if asked. But he did know the name Obama and when asked who the president was, could usually answer "Obam-ma-ma" (DC-Speak), but that was because he memorized it, as I said and not because he understood what the president is.

I have tried over the years to explain that the president is in charge of, or the "boss" of the country; keeping in mind that he is not really clear on what "the country" is. He knows "United States" is the name of the place where we live, but much like when he was young and thought everyone had the same last name as we did, he does not always understand that there are other countries, other states, other cities and towns. Sure he has been to "others" in all of those categories listed but they are just different places to him - like Disney World is a place.

I do try to explain voting and elections to him when he accompanies me to the polls.

I do have to hand it to him today. He did not give his basic "Yes" answer to every question he was asked, so he must have been really paying attention.

Case Worker (CW): DC, are you registered to vote?

DC:

CW: DC, do you vote in the elections?

DC:

Me: He is not registered.

CW: DC, would you like to register to vote?

DC: No

CW: You don't think you would want to go and vote in the elections?

Me: DC remember the times you came with Mom to the Art Place....

DC: (Perking up a bit) Art???!!!

Me: No, not to do art. Remember all of the times you came with me to vote at the Art Place? We waited in line to get my election paper (ballet) and went to the booth to color in the circles of the people I wanted to vote for.
Do you think you would like to go and vote for the President some day?

DC: No. I do not.

CW: Are you sure you do not want to vote?

DC: (Getting pretty stern; not angry but wanting to make his point)
I REALLY THINK THAT I DO NOT!

I'd say that is clearly a "No" vote on the whole voting thing.





("I really think" must be from a Disney movie or show; not his regular way of speaking)



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This blog is used for short posts and also for longer Facebook statuses. Please visit my official blog site at: Taking it a Step at a Time
 










Friday, August 18, 2017

DC's Restaurant Stories & Etiquette


DC loves nothing more than going "out to eat". 

As he will tell you himself, he usually does a "good job".

Below are a few Facebook statuses on eating out with DC.

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At the restaurant on the way home yesterday..

Waiter: Hello, My Name is "Blank". 

I'll be your server today. 

Can I start you off with some drinks?

DC: Hello there, I burped!

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One of those out of the clear blue sky statements: 
DC: DC will open a restaurant of my own
Me: Really? What will be on the menu?
DC: pizza and wings and garlic bread
(I can't believe he won't have burgers on his menu!)


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No Turkey Legs at the carving station but the restaurant walls lined with books help ease the pain 



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We went out to dinner earlier tonight. 
DC: "Mom, I did a good job at eating
As if eating is ever a big concern....

#FishingForCompliments

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Waitress: how do you want your burger
DC: Good!


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Going to have lunch today with DC at his
"job". He's excited because he knows he 
gets to have a cheeseburger....... should 
I be upset that I don't rate as highly as a cheeseburger?

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CODE RED!!!! Cheesecake Factory ran out of ....
Wait for it.... CHICKEN WINGS!

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Text is difficult to read: Stayed to have lunch with DC after his IP (no E) 
meeting yesterday. He started asking for my chips early on...
DC: (ordering) I want #19, hamburger
#21, bacon
#22, cheese
#25, French fries 
and share Mom's chips...
(There's never any sharing, he takes them all😃)

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We went out to dinner tonight and as he does - DC, as soon as he is finished announced that he had to use the restroom.
Now, he does this all of the time. He's done eating and has nothing left to do. It does not matter if anyone else is still eating. He sees a restroom and he has to use it. Period.
Doug was just about finished eating so I asked DC if he could wait a few minutes until Doug finished, so his food would not be sitting there getting cold as DC spends forever in the restroom singing show tunes. He agreed and went back to editing his book. 

The SECOND Doug put down his fork, DC called the waitress over (I did not know why because I told him that since he had a whoopie pie waiting at home, he was not going to be ordering dessert).

"Excuse me! May I go to the bathroom please?" 

Oy!

To add insult to injury Doug says, "His mother wouldn't let him go so I guess he figured he'd ask you."

#GottaLoveTheseTwo


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We went to dinner last night at "Chill's" (DC-speak - Chili's).
With no discussion beforehand, he called to the waitress:

"Excuse me, Miss?"

She stops - "Yes?"

DC: "May I go to the 'restroom' please?"

I guess he decided to just skip over us entirely this time and go right to the top.

I am hoping this does not become his new thing....



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This blog is used for short posts and also for longer Facebook statuses. Please visit my official blog site at: Taking it a Step at a Time




😃

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Is it hot in here or is it just me?


It was very early in August and I could not believe that DC seemed to be getting excited about the last day of camp as if he was willing it to be over. He loves camp and I did not understand why he wanted it to end so badly.

He started saying "This week, the last day of camp? Camp is over?" on Thursday the 4th.
I told him he had the following day and next week left.

"Next week, last day of camp? Camp is over?"

Yes, You went today and you will go tomorrow then Thursday and Friday next week. Next Friday is the last day. 

I was confused because he loves camp so I tried to get him to tell me why he wanted camp to be over. Wasn't he having fun?

"Yes, DC is having fun with my friends"

So I gave him a choice...

DC would you rather to to ARC (work) or Camp?

"DC want to go to Camp, see my friends"

Do you like camp? You don't have to go if you don't like it any more.

"Yes, like camp. Fun with friends"

Let me just break here to explain that although DC understands the seasons, he cannot always tell you that July is summer or September or October is fall. Summer is HOT. Winter is COLD - so if we happen to be in Florida in January, it is summer - in his mind. He knows the seasons and the months that go with them by memory, not by understanding. They do not always make sense to him and when he is not concentrating or has something else on his mind he goes by the weather, period.

This week he started asking me about the last day of camp again and added "Summer is over".
I told him that camp would be over on Friday but summer would not be over for a few more weeks.

He looked very disappointed by that.

It was then, as he stood there staring at the air conditioner and looking forlorn about summer not ending on Friday, that I realized what was going on in his head.

Someone at camp must have mentioned the end of summer. DC got it into his head that summer was over on the last day of camp.

DC hates the air conditioner. He thought he would be getting rid of it earlier this year because he heard and believed that the end of summer THIS year would be the last day of camp.

He must have been excited thinking he would be getting a break earlier than usual. As per the conversation we had before someone mentioned camp being the end of summer - he was looking at October as the end of the air conditioning. No wonder he looked so disappointed when I told him there was still more summer ahead...

<From Facebook Status 8/1/17 (before his end of camp/summer assumption)>




I know the air conditioner bothers DC but I usually don't hear about it after the first few weeks after it goes in (it went in, in April) - Today is August 1st aka #CalendarFlipDay and after flipping all of the calendars, DC said...
DC: My 'Hair-dish-on' out in October
Me: What?
DC: 'Hair-dish-on' out at Halloween. 
Me: (wondering why he is talking about Halloween)
I don't know what you mean.
'DC: 'Hair-dish-on' FAN out at Halloween!
Me: Ohhhhhh, the Air Conditioner! October or November, okay?
DC: October
(He's hoping that the air conditioner is out by Halloween. He knows that removing the A/C is NOT a decision I make lightly or early.) I guess even though he might stop talking about it after the first few weeks after it goes in; it still bothers him.
He's looking for the light at the end of the tunnel - and even if it's two months away; he wants to know it's coming.
#WishfullThinking #IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe


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I really do feel for him but I can't take them out early. I can't do it... I just can't:

<From Facebook Status >

I can't say "shopping for a bathing suit" is on my list of  "Seven Things I Hate About Summer" because I just don't do that..... haven't owned one in years..

Number 1-7 for me THESE DAYS are:
1. IT'S HOT! 
2. It's too hot
3. Why is it this hot?
4. I can't take this heat!
5. Holy S&%#! I am not going out there!
6. I AM ON FIRE!!
7. IT'S Too #$&%in' HOT!

#IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
(you can pretty much count on hearing all of the above year round from me, though)


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<Facebook Status >

DC: Mom, Fan, Flapping, whoo, Mom, Flap like bird. 
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(DC pointing out that my "I'm sweating to death" episodes include some of my very own "Flapping" .... Seriously, that's kind of amazing that he's made that connection...) 
#IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe


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<Facebook Status>

#IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe enough said...

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<Facebook Status >

Dc wakes up in the middle of the night (yes, it's 50 degrees and yes, I have both air conditioners running at the coldest temperatures) -
DC:"Mom! The Fan is Freezing!" - from the boy who never seems affected by heat or cold. 
DC: "Mom! Turn it off!"
Me: "DC, I'm sorry but I can not do that. You will have to use another blanket"
I will do just anything for this child, except turn the AC off.
#IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe

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<Facebook Status>

DC just came home from his Dad's. It's 9 bazillion degrees (to me anyway) so yes I have the AC on. He just came down stairs with his long pink and mauve pajama bottoms (the same PJs that he had to have in Niagara Falls), his big Doctor Who Robe, Doctor Who slippers and a stick on mustache. Who says we lack any fashion sense? 
#IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe
 #TheMustacheMustKeepHisFaceWarm
oh.... and the teal Cookie Monster shirt.

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<Facebook Status>




I wonder where he gets that?? (A reenactment, of course) 
#IsItHotInHereOrIsItJustMe

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As you can see, this is not an issue that is new and does not look as if it will be resolved any time soon (unfortunately for the both of us).... 

I am very soon off to bed armed with ice pack, my cooling pillow and the A/C set at "ultimate freeze" ~ Have a great weekend and Happy August. Here's to looking forward to the "end of summer".






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This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. This week’s sentence is "It's August, and I can't believe..."
Finish the Sentence Friday is a link-up where writers and bloggers come together to share their themselves with a particular sentence. If you’d like to stay ahead of future sentences and participate, join our Facebook group.  

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This blog is used for short posts and also for longer Facebook statuses. Please visit my official blog site at: Taking it a Step at a Time