31 for 21 Day 31 Happy Holloween

 Me and  Princess  before we  go beg for  Candy.   October 2005

  Happy  Hollween  guys.  I hope you guys have  enjoyed  31 for 21.  Its  been a lot work but very fun. 


  Mid night tonight is also the  last day to enter the drawing  for  Who's  the Slow  Learner, Leave a comment on day  6 and tune in  Wednesday for the winners to be announced



 What are your  kids  for  Halloween.  Let me know in the comments  below.

Talking and understanding are not mutally exculsive

                        Lets  say  a genius  who  spoke  Latin  were to come to  the United States.  Now  lets   just say  for the sake of the argument that  there was  no one elese  who spoke  Latin.    Is the  genius  still a  genius.    Of  course  many  people would say   he just  needs    needs to  learn  English.       Well  what if there was  a  person  who  could not speak  at all  and  had  no device,  could he  be  a genius?
`  
It  angers  me as a person living with a speech  delay  when  I hear  someone  who has  no  speech  due to  disabilities,  especially  CP,  and do not have any  device  and  are  placed   as  limited  intellecual  ability.  It  really   angers me    because   the person does not have a  opportunity to  prove  there intellengence one way or the other.  Why am  I pissed  off  let   me  tell you  my story.

 bookgal  princess  and  az We were so cute 

          I was  born   September   1991   a month  prematurely   resulting in mild Cerebral Palsey.  As  a newborn  I could not suck  from a bottle  to well  a feeding tube was  placed  though my thoat so  I could  eat.   When  my parents  took me   home  I  had a  hard  time  breast feeding and my  mom had to pump her milk out  and put it in a bottle.  My  mussles  were soo  weak that   feeding took  forever.




 When  I was a  toddler   I had diffculty communicating. I leaned sign langue  to comincate. I  remeber saying and  signing  craker  in the kitchen.  Useing  signing  I was  able to  express  my wants  and  needs  until my speech   came  along.




 With me and  my  speech  imparment  repeating  words  is   frustrating  espacaly when  no one  understands  me.    I  hear myslef  specaking clearly, My  mind   makes  the ideas  and  the words   that come out   are   fuzzy.   I  rember  saying answers  in class being  told  I was  wrong and   someone said the  same thing  and got it right.      That means that I  got  the anser  right.  


  Now  for me  I have a voice . Its  not  the best  but its  a  voice. As  frustrated  as I must  feel  it must be  ten  times more frustrating  for  people  without a voice.  I feel for those  people  and   can not igmane  being inside  and  not having  a  way to  commicate  and   because of  not being able to comincate  getting  llabled as  worthless.    Having the school system  write  you  off being  isolated  from your peers.  Being  talked to in a high  pitch  voice  every day when  you  are not a  kid. Then  because of  your phiscal limitations  being  labled   as  being as  smart as a  toddler.  That is not  fair  nor is it  right.  I  know  all about  history   understand  spainsh and  english  have a  talent for writing   can  play chess    yet I can not  say the  L  R   K   G sound   esaly.  Does  that  me   not smart  no. Now  igmane   if  i could not talk or  had a device yes  I would not be able  to   write  read and play chess  not because  I   was  not smart  but because i  had  not had  the oppertunites  to  learn.     If  you are reading this and have a child  who can not communicate  my  advice  is   to  go to the ends of the  earth  for your kid, Buy the i pads   the dynvoxs help your  child  find their voice.   If your  the  parent   or  know  someone  whoes  older  who can not commmicate   do the same thing.  The sonner  you  get it the better but do not give up on an older   person in fact you need to get  the information them faster to make up for loss time. In the  meantime  contiue talking to   the person   as  would with   a person as  there  cronolical  age. ( So obsouly  talk  to a baby  like  a baby
 All pepole deves  a chance to connect with others.  It  does not  matter how smart they are everyone  wants  to connect  with  others.    Think about  it  this way   if the person  is  said  to have an intellecual disablity  and you  talk to them about  stuff that  is  to hard for them  then  they it will be  to hard, but if   the child is smart  but has not fond their  voice they will  obseve  it like a sponge.  Please  remeber  speech  is  very  conplex  and hard but   the   spoken word  is   the end result.   The  process  may still be in place.








 

2011 Year in Review

 

   It seems  like  yesterday I  did a  2010  year   in  review  now it is  time to  do  it for  2011  and  before you  know it  will  be time  for a 2012  year in  review.  I  honestly love  doing these it is  a chance to  reflect on all the  great  things  that  happend    during the  year  so  without  further  delay  here  it is.


 January 2011:   I  had a   my  first  long  winter break  and  started taking college level  classes   at  my local  community college .  Book gal   started  her last semester  of high school.

 C, me and R  2/2011

February 2011 :    I  made  a  buzzer  short  my  cousin  came to vist
 March  2011:    The  college  thing  just  clicked  for me.   It  took long enough


 April 2011:       I   actually  aced  a  college   essay.   I     competed  in the Menlo  Games .Book Gal gets  accepted  to UMass Boston.


May  2011:  Book Gal  turns   18. I  go to a job   intake  but  it did not work  out  yet I  had  fun  in the process. .

My  Dad and I  fourth of  July 2011

June 2011:  Book Gal  graduates  high school  we  celebrate with  friends and  family,.  My grandma comes   up and  My  parents  grandma and  me    take a  day  trip to   Monterey.  I    became a  Hope Solo  fan   watching the Women's world Cup.


July 2011; Celebrated    our country  independence   day  in  sacramento  with my   mom's   family Book  gal  leaves  for  college .  My  big  brother turned  27  and my  dad  had  his  b day as well

   "Sexy" minni mouse Halloween  2011  

 August 2011:   I  saw  my  old aid in the park,  Princess turns   17 and starts her senior year .   I    begin my  second year  of  college.
  September 2011:  I turn   two  decades   old   how   did that  happend


 October 2011 :   I  met  Steve  Wampler and   rocked out at  the 25 annual  bridge school   concert.     I also attended  my  first buddy walk


  November2011:      I  got  to be a goalie in  the  special olympics  tournament   and watch   power soccer at the Ability  expo  in  san  jose .  Princess   became  the  first     African  american   to win  homecoming    at  her high school


December   2011 :  My parents  celebrate 21 years  of  marriage . My  dog has been  in our family for seven  years  Christmass  eve   I enjoy  Mario  games on my  three Ds.  My mom and I had   a Comical  Costco  trip.


 

  Me and  Santa  at the Christmass  tree farm   December 2011 

Disability Awareness  post  that  you  do not want to miss

   Having  CP  is not the end  of the world
    Value of  my  Life 
    My  name is  AZ not  az








 Happy New Year  Everyone
   



 Got  image  from :
ehttp://www.2dolphins.com/images/blogpix/snoopy_happy_new_year.png

A little different but it is still normal to me

    First and  foremost  today is  Princess's 17 b day  happy  b  day  princess.


   One of  Princess's  friends called  last night   to  ask  my mom  to   have a surprised  b day  party.     So  my day  was  spent   getting  ready for the surprise  b day  party.   Throughout the course of  the day I  talked  to  book gal  (who is  doing well thank you  very much)  and  i mentioned to her    it would be  cool  for me to have a surprise b day party. But then I  thought about it.  I do not have many of my own  friends and social situations are  hard.    Princess's  friends   and her  went out   to do stuff  I have yet to  learn how  to drive.    I have  average  friends, flocks without disabilities, but   for me it seems   to hard.  I  can  really  be  myself more around  my peers  with disabilities and  adults.


 Flash forward to  shopping for a card for princess. I found one that said   that sisters  know each other best.  I picked it up   because my dad and I (Mom is in  DC hope u  are  reading this mom ) had a lot to do.   The  card said  that sisters  know  each other best.   Yeah   maybe   typical sisters  know  each other best and  have  the same friends but that is not me. That is  book gal and   Princess  they are inseparable  and   their  friends   are  friends   too.   I know  about their   relationship  because they now  always  fb  each other  I am happy for them  but sad  at the same time.


  The  actual  party   the  girls    let me surprise them  and  cake  was  nice.  I  thought  I   had an allay in one of the girls  who does not come  over here that much.  I  told  her  jokingly that I  had a crush on  Mr.T (they  went to the same high school I   graduated from ) and  she  told the others  and they  laughed.  I get so confused  socially I mean  do  i make fun of myself on  purpose to fit in   Do I talk about boys?    I do  not  know  it is  soo  hard on me.

 After   they kicked me  out of   Princess's room   I  went to my neighbors house   and brought back  my  friend D  (who has  Autism and is 24)  and  we played  Lego  Pirates of  the Caribbean on the wii.   I  enjoy playing  wii  with D   and  it  showed    me   this  I may  have  a disability and  not a lot of  average  friends but  I have  lots of friends    on Facebook and    among the disability com minty. My life  may  be different then a typical  teenager  but  it is  my  normal.  Stay  toon  for more

Happenings at home

 hay  guys  so   I  have not been   blogging  for a while so here is whats up 

1  My   sister ,  book gal,   is  graduating from high school and will be moving to Boston.  The  ceremony is  tomorrow  and    we have a house party    on Saturday.

 2 Princess is a senior .  She   took the SAT's  on Saturday.  I  felt kinda bad for her because her  first week of summer break  was spent  taking a  SAT prep course.  The same one  I  took    but never  used   i   now  to go  CC  sigh 

3 I  got a job at  a basketball camp.  Note   it is  not a special needs  basketball  camp,  A  regular basketball  camp.  My mom  tried  to  get me connected to a job coach for adults with disabilities  but  I  wanted  to  get the job on my terms. I  was a camper  at this camp  in middle school and loved it.  Their philosophy is  to teach  campers  how to be  better  people  using sport as a vehicle. ( sounds  familiar   right think Special Olympics ) One of my memories of camp is   having  to  ask to go to snack  using magic words  and lots of high fives ( again special Olympics)     I am supper excited.  I will be blogging about it as   I  get more info on it ,

4 My mom  had a birthday yesterday  Happy b day mom

5 My dad's mom is here for the  graduation  tomorrow  this  is really cool as she is in Texas and we do not see her that often.   Yesterday  My parents grandma and I went to see X Men  great movie  more info about that soon

Sunday Grains of Gratiude

 Another  week  has   come and  gone so  now  is the time for grains of   Graditude.

1    That i had a mini vacation from school as my  teacher  was  sick  and in collage there is no  such thing as a subsitute  teacher.

2   that  i had a good  dentist appoment.  I have a new favorite person  who  cleans my teeth  who has  the same birthday as  me. I have to go in for surgery though so that is  not   good. (note  it is not surgery  but I have to go  to sleep  so  to me it is surgery)

3  My cousins  came  down  the  last weekend in febuary.  C and  R    I  have  not seen them for a while    C  is a gymnast   now at  seven and   R  is   five  year old  who will go to kindergaten   in the  summer(serously they  start school in  July   man that is  early).

4    I  enjoyed  reading    a book for  English  class.  It was  A gathering of  old men it  was a perfect book to  read  because it  is  about African American men  and  we read it during February,

5 For  Film  class  I like  the  teacher and  I get to learn more than   Mr T  taught me.  I get to handle the  camera.   Yes they have  let  me rent the  thing from the  collage.    I am  working on shot projects  and  I   am almost done with shooting.

6 Princess and  book  gal   did great in the v ball tournament so they are now in  Bronze insted of colors

The Sick Valintine

  please comment before you leave
    you guessed  it I am  the  sick valentine today.  I have been around a lot of sick people  the past week  including both  Princess and book gal  who are  mending but still feel bad.   I thought  I would come out of this complety fine ( as I have a good immune system)  but on Saturday night my nose began to clog and  the coughing began. Sunday I slept all day   and am   taking the morning  off  from classes  but will go to the  night class (  which is tonight    it is my film class   and  important lectures will happened and   I need to be there)

 I hope  everyone   is  not  sick like  me 

Sunday Grains of Gratiude

   please  comment  before u leave

  anyway grains of  graditude 

1.  My flim class is going  well and so is english  and history of my country
2.    My basketball game went  well yesterday I got a buzzer shot  and another shot. I am not sure if the videos will get up here anytime soon   If any one is friends  with me on fb  the  link is up on my wall.
3.    The wheather  has been nice  this week  it makes  walking to school   much easier  and   although it is  winter  ( no snow ever falls here  much to my dismay.
4.    For  plants vs  zommbies
5.   My sisters  did well in volleyball
6.   that the   packers won the Superbowl.  I actually watched  more of the game then usal  and was glad that the packers won because my brother is a huge packers fan

Year in Review

    2010 was defiantly a eventful year  for me.  It was not a great year , it was  hellish for meany months, but   I got though it and  hopefully 2011 will be better . now  here  comes the changeling part    finding something positive to say about every month.    

 Me  (in white) handing the ball off to E( in purple

   January 2010:    I met  E, my best friend,  at basketball and   got second in the MLK  writing  contest

 February : I  played knockout in my high school rally and was  ball girl  for my high school.

 Me signing the pledge  March 3 2010

  March  : My cousin has her baby  girl. My school did Spread the word to end  the word  via the  club . I got to speak in Mr.T's classes and he signed the pledge.   I signed up for my high school track team and    joined the special Olympics track team  for the first time.

 April :  I  got honorable mention for  a poem and got dressed up and went to prom

 May :  Book gal turned 17.  Had DDAC's first ever end of the year party.   I graduated high school at 18  with  an award  for community service    I also enjoyed  the senior Activity day  even though it was wet.  

 Dad and me  on Mount Tam

 June   Climbed to the  top of mount tam.I began my collage career at  CDS  2010. I  enjoyed  it and made a lot of friends.

 My fourth of  July  face paint  I got from a carnival

July Celebrated  fourth  of july  by getting   my face painted

 August: Princess turned  16 and got her liscence. T  left our family . I  started  comminty collage

September  I  turned 19 .   my team won gold in softball.  I  did the Joe Jonas fun run and  helped raise money for Special Olympics.  I celebrated the first ever EKS Day

 Lauren Potter and me October 2010

October :  I pet Lauren potter from Glee  I craved a pumpkin for Halloween  but did not  trick or treat. I also moved  the wii  into T's old room.

November  watch book gal win CCS   and make it to state. Celebrate  Thanksgiving  and helped  cook for the first time.

 December  Mom became vice chancellor of diversity at  UCSF.   Mom and  Dad  had their 20th wedding anniversary. I went to the Alumni soccer game.  We had a great Christmas (see below), I  bought presents for the first time  this  year   Zoe  got  a rabit and  she celebrated    her sixth b day

  

 I hope everyone  has  a  happy new year and  a great 2011

 

 I love this photo of my dog    and the thing is  that I  took this fall 2010

 ps  here are  some disability Awareness post that I like that I wrote in  2010

 Life as an adult

   passed ap  but aged out of speech

 It should not be a  fight

 Life as a collage student 

Christmas Recap

the tree  before presents on X mas morning

  Hi  blog readers   I am so behind in blogging   so  I will  try to catch up starting with Chrismas recap.

 New this  year I  bought presents for everyone so I had   a try at wrapping  presents.  They did not turn out so well  wrapping  wise  but  that is a whole  other post i will  try to put up in the next three days

  On Christmas eve  my  parents and i  went to Christmas eve  mass  and    looked at Christmas lights. When we got  home  my mom told me that  we did not have Christmas pj's   It was  disappointing  but then she surprised me  (thanks  mom)\

    I got some video games closes   movies   on Christmas morning  I then proceed to play   one of my video games, Donkey Kong Country Returns, until we went to our friends house for dinner. 

Christmass Card 2010  i

 

  Like I said  I have lots to blog about so stay with me  I hope everyone had a happy holiday and a great new year.

Happy Halloween

  Today marks the last day of  Get it down 31 for 21 and I am proud to say I posted every day.  I am glad I made it    and glade  not to have to worry about posting every day.   Happy Halloween here are some pics from  past costumes  I am nothing this  year   it shows that I am  growing up.

Halloween 1991

Halloween 1999

Halloween  2000

Halloween 2009

              

The I Phone family

 Our Family is now an official I phone  family.    Princess got the first  i phone  for Christmas a while back then  Dad ,  and Mom joined  in.   Book gal and laid back athlete  got theirs this past summer.  I had my first full day with it  today. It is sooo coool

Happy Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day

Me Running the 200 hundred in the Special Olympics in  Spring 2010  I am the one in the middle

Today is the first annual Eunice Kennedy Shriner Day As a Special Olympics Athlete and as a friend who is officer to best buddies for two years now.( You rock LM are u doing it again senior year) It was a important day. This morning I went to the Young Athlete Day and they had lots of stuff to try out more than in others past. They had golf basketball bowling trike dancing and crafts as well as soccer softball hockey an obstacle course I had a lot of fun today. I also might be attending the bay area buddy walk for the first time this year. Book gal and Princess had V ball and Princess's team won second.

Before I go I will leave u with what I blogged about last year

8/11/2009
Got some good news some bad news and something to bringing it all together
Bad News : A big disability advocate died today. Well this morning Eunice Kennedy Shiver died . She was 88 years old. Eunice was the founder of the special Olympics. She believed in all people even those with disabilities could succeed. She made it possible for the good news.
Good news; I have my drivers permit today one of my summer goals archived .
I am vary lucky to have been born in the 90's . In the 90's Life Goes On was teaching people that people with disailitie had more abilities then people give them credit ADA was passed.

 Me and my sisters  1995 left to right  pricess,

A

z and bookgal

Let's imagine for a minute that i was born in the 60.'s In the 60's most people with disabilities were locked away in intuitions or kept at home. ( my dad 's friend's brother had DS ) No one thought they could do much and could not contribute in a manful way. Imagine a disabled teenager from the 60's without IEP the chance to mainstream to be independent. Then you can understand what Eunice saw and deiced to do something about it thus the Special Olympics was born.
As a special Olympics athlete and a disabled advocate (in training ) I have a lot of respect and thankfulness for the work Eunice did. Special Olympics use sports to change the way people see people with disabilities as people (as Clayton puts it ) with different abilities I am glad I was born in the 90's and have been given chance after chance to be the best person I can be .

I am glad to have grown up in the 90's and 200s a time where it is possible for a person with a disability to go to mainstream school, play sports, discover new sports and use them to mainstream into typical sports at there high school, go to collage , and even get there driver license. Thank you Eunice shrive for working so hard to befit people with disabilities rest in peace.

Collage Carrer comenice again

   This  time  I  took the bus .  This  time     four  eyes   ( two  people)  were  wet. I had a  meeting with the assertive  tech   gal  who  is  nice  than  I  had   APE  which  I  hated as well  due to the fact that   the   guys  could not understand me. I   went   off campus to  buy some  McDonalds  had  Math  and English  than walked  home. I   hated   the day  today  I  do not feel  ready and really wish I  was  still in high school.  What will tomorrow  bring    I will  let you  know.

  In  other news   Princess got her diver's  license and    she  has    Mr.T's wife and  my good pal  Mr.C.  She  began    school on  Monday.  Book  gal  starts   next week  

 

Happy Birthday Princess

 Today  Princess  is  16.    She will not be having a sweet 16  party  but   she  got a car. The  type  is a Subru. She will  take  AP  Us  history  this  fall   ( like  I did)  along with  her other  Junior  classes. I can not believe    she   is a  Junior.    It seems  like  yesterday  that I  was a  junior and she was  a Freshman  Happy b day   Princess

Enjoying the sun on a Sunday part one

On Sunday my family got up early and drove to Marin to go to a mountain play on mount tam. We were going to see Guys and Dolls which ed started one of the people who works with my mom. The weather was beautiful( even though as we were driving though San Fransisco I thought it would be cold due to the clouds. Even in the heat it was a nice outing. Now here are some pictures

    Save the  souls was    repeated  throught the day.  I think  this   was good since it was after all a Sunday

 

   Is it me or  dose the  Monkey look  like   Curious  Geroge 

book  gal and me   waiting   for the show to start  my mom  made us sandwhichs  and we  had a picnic before the show  began.

 Watching the show  you  can  see  princess  in the   top  left Conner she will be a junior  next year   man    it seemed  like  yesterday  it was the  summer before my  Junior   year of  high school.

The lady in   pink was a sign langue  interpeter. I  sat down  by her  a lttel  bit during the seconed  half.

                       

I had a  fun  time   and   I wish we would have  been to these    starting  when I was younger then    this  year  being my  first time at 18.  ( they  have been  doing these  for almost 100  years  now0).  Be sure to stop  by   tomorrow   for   part  two.

Happy Easter

laid back athlete dad and me 1994

AZ book gal princess in matching dress at
Grandma's house

my mom dad my sisters and I

From my family to yours and do not forget to wish Brady happy birthday I am just waiting for my mom to come home from Chaigo so we ( princess , mom and me) can begin the celebrations.

Wow it has been a while family update

Mom: diet and traveling a lot what is new.
Dad : diet and working
Laid back athlete : has the opportunity to play on a independent baseball league
AZ : OCD is bad had a bad week so I am on the mend today, My club is doing spread the word to end the word.
Book gal : Now playing softball for her school ( her and P are on the same club v ball
Princess : will fallow in my footsteps doing AP US history and got her permit.



will get back to blogging soon

My friend is hurt

My favorite four legged friend is hurt. That would be my dog zoe. When book gal and mid sis gave her a bath tonight they asked me if I had noticed the limp earlier. i did not see the limp when I took her on a walk this morning. It is so bad Zoe is a very active little dog so limited mobility is going to be hard for her. If you can send her some prayers these next few days My family and I will greatly appreciate it thanks

School update

IEP: went really bad enough said..

In other news i have been acting well in English class. Four days in fact last Friday -through Thursday (Friday we went to a play about AIDS) It was part of days of respect which happened at school last week. the secret is simple Mr T is my favorite teacher this year and when he talked to me about relaxing and giving up being the center of attention it cliked thanks to a song. i have frond that I learn better too if I let the Info come to me thanks (Disney if y do not understand look below) and do not raise my hand . This has not yet transform into other classes yet but it has to start somewhere right?.


On Thursday my club the DDAC was a part of a school wide fair for Days of respect week. I did not get videos on my filp because it was so hectic. We set up two games or simulations one was blindfolding a person stick there hand into a paper bag and trying to see what the object was and the other was doing a puzzle with your fingers tied. Ido not have pics but will post about the simulations soon with what I have from the night before next week some time.


(Pic is of Princess , book gal , Balu, and me from our last time in Disneyland Summer 2006)