Love and Lollipops: Favorite Blogs Tour

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Smiles and Visitors

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Teacher Appreciation Gifts

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Do It Yourself Directions

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Carrie Communication Cards

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Welcome Bailey Jo!

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Meal Planning!

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Meal Plan: 9/19 - 9/25

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Howdy Folks, I'm Big Tex!

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It's Fall, Y'all!

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Nursery Rhymes Tot Series {free printables}

To contact us Click HERE

So do I think Tots (2-3 years olds) need school?! NO! But I do think sometimes as parents we get busy and have lots of good intentions that never happen. I am doing this Nursery Rhyme Tot Series to be INTENTIONAL about playing with my own tot!

My plan is to share a Nursery Rhyme sheet weekly beginning in the fall. We will do several interactive activities, sing, etc. I plan to post on our Tot fun and share our activities with you too! I have in the works to make a Classic Stories Tot Series too =-)

{free} Nursery Rhymes Tot Series has 3 parts:

• 11 Pages, each with a new Nursery Rhyme – Use this to read with your tot. I highly suggest laminating or putting in page protectors. You can also use Bingo markers and have Preschool/Kindergarten children find certain letters in the rhyme.

• Nursery Rhyme Worksheets - There are worksheets to go along with each nursery rhyme in the pack. These are great for 4-6 year old children who want to participate too. There are activities to reinforce: making letters, shadow match, counting, which one is different, shapes, telling type, colors, math, follow directions, rhyming, and more.

2) Nursery Rhyme Lapbook – I am so excited about this lapbook! It is an interactive, reusable, and FUN way to play with your tots! Kids can play with the Nursery Rhymes again and again reinforcing concepts such as colors, counting 1-12, shapes, sequence, and more. 

Here are some close-up examples of what you will find in the lapbook. There are lots things to move & interact with! Take a look below:

Note: Clipart paid for & used with permission from Scrapbook Factory, free web images, and Scrappin Doodles Hey Diddle Diddle & This Little Pig packs.

Please feel free to print and use this for your own personal use. Please do not sell or host files anywhere else. You are welcome to link others to my website, but please do not share or link them to the download file directly. Thanks!

Ready to download?

• 11 Nursery Rhymes & Coordinating Worksheets (30 pages)
• Interactive Nursery Rhyme Lapbook (17 pages)

 

I’d love it if you took a few seconds & left me a comment!!! I love knowing if my printables are helpful to other families. If you blog about any Nursery Rhyme activity please feel free to link up your post below.

Symbol and Photo Sets and Programs to Use Them

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Free Picture Symbols

• Alexia
• ARASAAC 
• PECS for All
• Bo Symbols
• Do2Learn
• Mulberry Symbols
• PECS for All 
• Northumberland LEA
• Picol
• PRC Icons
• Scelra Pictos
• PECS for All
• Slater Symbols/PixWriter (free and $)
• Syd Speak Talk to Me Symbols
• Tech/Syms (AMDi) 
• QuickPics

Commercial Picture Symbols

• Bliss Symbols  
• Boardmaker Add-On
• The Grid

• Clarity Symbols (formerly called LibSyms, currently avaliable on PRC Devices) 
• Dynasyms
• Boardmaker Add-On
• Dynavox Devices 

• Imagine Symbols

• Basic Communication Board Picture CD (scroll down)
• Go Talk Software
• Imagine Symbol Directory
• Inclusive Pictures 
• Ispeek Symbols
• Kid Access Eye-Cons
• Language Images
• Makaton
• Mayer-Johnson Picture Communication Symbol
• Boardmaker, Boardmaker Plus, Boardmaker SDP
• Dynavox Devices  
• The Grid

• Metacom
• Mrs. Riley (web-based subscription)
• Overboard Symbols
• Parler Pics
• Pictograms
• Pictos/PictoCOM

• PRC Icons 
• used on PRC Devices
• download free for use in other programs

• PiCs Symbols/Pogo Board Symbols (subscription)
• Pixons
• Slater Symbols/PixWriter (free and $)  
• SoftPics
• SymbolsStix 

• Go Talk Software
• Matrix Maker
• The Grid
• Tobii Communicator
• Jabbla and Tellus Devices
• Pogo Boards (subscription)
• Proloquo2Go
• SymPrint Overlay and Design
• SymbolMate
• SymbolStix Online
• See Full Product List Here

• Tango/PCS Persona Symbols 
• Universal Icon Maker (Enabling Devices)
• Widgit Literacy Symbols 
• Boardmaker Add-On
• The Grid

Free Photo Sets

• Pics4Learning

Commercial Photo Sets

• Ellie Cards
• Go Talk  
• Goosie Cards
• Language Maker 
• Life in Focus Software 
• Mrs. Riley (web-based subscription)
• Photo Sentence Maker 
• Pics for PECS
• Picture This Series  
• Boardmaker Add-On

• See Sense
• The Grid

• Teaching Pix

Tactile Symbols

• Object Symbol Resources
• Talking My Way by Adaptivation
• see also Tactile Symbol Directory

Free Board Making Programs

• ARASAAC Board Generator
• ARASAAC Tico
• Pecs for All
• PhotoSYMS  
• My Own Worksheet
• Tech/Syms (AMDi) 
• SEN Teacher Photo Cards
• Visuals Engine

Commercial Board Making Programs

• Basic Communication Board Picture CD (scroll down)
• Boardmaker, Boardmaker Plus, Boardmaker SDP 
• Language Images Design Your Own
• Language Maker  
• Matrix Maker
• Parleri Online (subscription)
• Photo Sentence Maker 
• Pics for PECS
• Picture This Series  
• Pogo Boards (subscription) 
• SymbolMate
• SymPrint Overlay and Design
• Teaching Pix
• Universal Icon Maker (Enabling Devices) 

Free Online Switch Activities - Updated

To contact us Click HERE

This is an update of the post listing online switch activities for learners with multiple or significant special needs. The activities listed are chosen because they can be used with switches, they are simple and they are enjoyable. The activities listed are free. Some activities may require set up by an assistant before switch use. Although care has been taken not to include switch activities with any violence or graphic images teachers and others still need to check activities for age and general appropriateness before use.

Update: Owlie Boo one button activities and ePlayground have been added to the list

Cause and Effect (and Press to Play):

• Bugs, Transportation and Musical Monkey  (set switch to tab)
• Help Kidz Learn*
• Hiyah*
• Kneebouncers*
• Priory Woods Videos Revamped*
• Learning Tools (scroll down)*
• Owlie Boo* (any of the activities under "Pressing Keys" with switch set to space bar or enter)
• Rock Paper Scissors
• NGFL Snap Matching Activity (teacher must set up, but arrow over the "Snap" button)
• Silly Books (look for the "click through books" and set mouse arrow over "next")
• Special Bites*

Single Switch Scanning/Timed Single Switch Response (sites may include some cause and effect games as well):

•  A Sliding Puzzle for Helen (download)*
• Bullseye
• CBBC*
• CBeebies*
• Cow Jumped Over the Moon 
• ePlayground (four completely accessible games)
• Help Kidz Learn*
• Jack Be Nimble
• My Switch Games by Scott McKay*
• NGfL Switch Coloring*
• Papunet*
• Priory Woods Kids Only*
• SEN/Switcher*
• Shiny Learning *
• Special Bites*
• SwitchedOn Games Bowling 
• Switch Music 
• Tar Heel Typer (online switch keyboard) 
• The Great Fish Race (download only)

Two Switches (unless otherwise noted you must click in the area of the game and then use tab and enter to play):

• Accessible Book Launcher*
• Bug Memory
• Fruit Memory
• Space Memory
• Sensory House (tab and enter)*
• Special Bites* 
• Tar Heel Typer (online switch keyboard)

Subscription Sites with Free Trials

• Busy Things is a switch accessible site for young children out of the UK.  You can try it out for free for two weeks.
• Switch Climber* (costs $14.95 a month and you can "try-before-you-buy" with a free two week subscription.) 

Also be sure to check out Game Base and One Switch for other (usually more advanced) switch games.

*Those sites with a star have multiple activities to try out!  Wednesday's With Sam lists these by activity instead of website if that is useful for you.

Your Photos Needed

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One of my awesome readers, Rhonda, sent in this picture at my request in the revised version of the, "Melted Crayon Art with Switches" post.  Isn't it beautiful?  She and her student used their switches to make it.

Rhonda's kind email with the photo got me thinking.  I took down quite a few pictures and posts in my revision to get back online.  If other readers also sent me pictures of things they created based on something they saw here then some of the posts could go back up!

So get out your cameras and do me a favor?  Send along any pictures you have related to:

-work boxes (aka work tasks, voc boxes)
-adapted games
-theme units (particularly The Wizard of Oz theme unit I did last summer)
-step-by-step pictures of switch adaptions

-anything else you created because of something you read or saw here!

Email things to:

Coming in September 2012 - All Accessible iPad from Ablenet

To contact us Click HERE


(below is directly from the Ablenet website.)

Keynote™

Enabling the iPad for everyone.

Product will be available September 2012
AbleNet’s Keynote access solution unlocks the power of the iPad mobile device for users with significant physical disabilities. Keynote provides cutting edge accessibility, brilliant sound and exceptional design to create a one of a kind solution for the iPad.

• HiFi stereo amplified sound output
• Wireless and wired switch access with scanning capabilities to control the iPad and apps supporting VoiceOver controls
• Sleek outer casing protects against moisture and impact
• Integrated battery, charging and iPad syncing
• Updatable firmware to add new features as they are available
• MSRP $349.00

Repost: Other Mothers

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With the move and the new baby, I've been a major slacker this year for Mothers' Day.  I haven't gotten anything ready for my kids' birthmoms...or for my mom (who's also celebrating her birthday today) or my mother-in-law...or any of the other wonderful mom figures in my life.

And I also don't have an inspiring Mothers' Day post either...so I thought I'd go ahead and repost the one I did for last year, because even though I've been a mom for the past 7 Mothers' Days I remember how hard Mothers' Day was when we didn't have our kids yet...

So here's to all you amazing Other Mothers...

...I'm thinking of you.

Especially my kids' birthmoms...who gave me the ultimate gift...their most precious treasure...

I'm so glad they're a part of my life and my kids' lives.


I'm thinking of all you other birthmoms out there who get to see or hear from your child...
And I'm thinking of you birthmoms who wonder...where they are and who they've become...
I'm thinking of you who considered adoption and chose to single parent.  And I wonder how that little baby is...
I'm thinking of all you foster moms...

And single moms...

And moms who have angel babies waiting for you in Heaven...

And all you who desperately want to be moms, but aren't yet...

And all you moms who love your children who struggle...
Mother's Day used to be hard for me.  Not just because I didn't have kids...but because I didn't know if I would ever have kids. 
Seven Eight years ago for Mother's Day, Eric and I told our parents that we had started paperwork to become approved for adoption.  Six Seven years ago, I celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mom.
I.   AM.   SO.   BLESSED. 
If Mother's Day is hard for you...I'm sending a hug...and thinking of you. 

Nuclear Physicist - Radioactive Baby Nerdy Outfit

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Okay...so neither the baby nor the outfit are actually radioactive...although he does radiate some cuteness.

Before Anson was born I got on a roll and made a whole bunch of nerdy baby outfits.  (Like the Little Pi Guy and Fresh Baked Pi onesies.) When Anson was wearing his Nuclear Physicist outfit...

...complete with a radioactive bum...

... and matching radioactive bum pants, I snapped a few pictures to share.

Anson's diapers are really not bad yet, but I thought the joke was funny.  (Now Becca is really the one who needs pants with a radioactive symbol on the bum.)

The pants themselves are made from a thrifted T-shirt.  I'll share the pattern soon.  They're pretty much the same as my typical knit pants/shorts/capris, but have the cuff that keeps them from creeping up this little legs.


To make the outfit I used an old onesie and did some freezer paper stenciling.  I don't have a printable pattern on this one because there really wasn't much to it.  I used Berlin Sans FB Demi as the font.  (It's an easier one for cutting out by hand.)  I just did an google image search for the radioactive symbol.

Just make sure you double check your spelling...you might remember the first version I made...OOPS!

As funny as I thought the outfit was before...it's so much more fun with Anson filling out the outfit.
 
Thanks for putting up with all the pictures of our little guy.  This one is a favorite...I feel like it gives a glimpse into what he'll look like when he's older.

(And how do you like that mohawk he's sporting.  For some reason he and Becca both grew them naturally.)

I'll share the other onesies sometime soon hopefully...but here's the whole set I made to spark your nerdy creativity.


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