Samantha Pierce

Today I am thankful for/that: The company that makes the communication device we want to get for Isaiah called yesterday to ask what colour we wanted them to send us. This is the first indication we've had that he was approved to receive the device. The wide variety of birds that I heard singing this week. It may not always feel like it but they know that spring is coming. A helpful teacher who was willing to go to the dentist with Isaiah to try and make the process more bearable for him. It totally didn't work but at least she was willing to give up a few hours of her day to do it. If you know of a dentist in Syracuse who sees kids and will sedate them let me know. What are you thankful for?

Exodus 14:13-15 (English Standard Version) 13And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." 15The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. *** Psalm 37:6-8 (English Standard Version) 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil *** Psalm 46:9-11 (English Standard Version) 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spe...

I need to stop listening to the political and economic news. The temptation to snark is near overwhelming. I'm trying to maintain on overall respectful attitude towards our elected officials but they sure don't make it easy. I heard parts of the soundtrack from Slumdog Millionaire on the news this morning. I like it. I may have to acquire the soundtrack. Unfriendly government workers who have apparently been instructed to find any excuse to refuse to help the people that they are supposed to be helping are annoying. Hubby and I now have the pleasure of requesting a fair hearing to keep our health insurance because our caseworker can't or won't understand the concept of fluctuating income. What is with the obsession with vaccines and autism?! Those crack pot theories have failed to stand up to rigorous scientific scrutiny time and time again. Go away already. Nation of cowards indeed. Does that include black folk who refuse to go somewhere because they just assume all ...

Today I am thankful for/that: Reinforcements. My parents are in town for a couple of days. Music, it makes life more interesting and bearable. Dancing, because see above. Books, because see above. After winter must come spring. The birds know it and have been singing off and on in preparation for its arrival. Grandma's anointing. Sometimes it works to calm a cranky kid. In part, I think, because they are stunned that Grandma just pulled a bottle of olive oil out of her purse and slathered them up with it. What are you thankful for?

1 Corinthians 13 (English Standard Version) 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a chi...

I'm home alone with all four kids today. We have already had hilarity ensue. While I was kneading the dough for the pizza we just had for lunch Isaiah dumped all of the goldfish pellets into Julia's tank (the goldfish had to be separated because Julia was having issues with sharing). Speaking of Isaiah. It's too quiet. 5 Minutes Later Well the half pizza that was left is down to less than one quarter. There's still one whole pizza that I didn't cut into so dinner is safe. I bought a couple minutes of non-inquisitiveness with some fruit gushers I bought in preparation for this week. Now I've forgotten what else I was going to write. Maybe it will come back to me after bed time.

These memes have been making the rounds on Facebook. I swiped this one from a post at the house of osh . **** 25 things to know, Autism-Style IF YOU HAVE A CHILD OR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND TAG YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE FELLOW PARENTS. YOU KNOW THE DEAL! 1. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? New York 2. WHAT IS YOUR CHILD'S NAME, AGE AND DX? I've got two, Ethan about to turn 8 and Isaiah, 6. Both are autistic but in very different ways. 3. WAS YOUR CHILD PROPERLY DIAGNOSED? Yes for both boys. 4. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU FIRST LEARNED YOUR CHILD HAD AUTISM? Lots of things, with Ethan surprise that it took the peds neurologist so little time to make a diagnosis and annoyance that we had to wait so long for a detailed evaluation after the diagnosis. With Isaiah annoyance that we had to wait so long for a detailed evaluation and diagnosis. Over all relief that we could put a name to what we were seeing in our kids. 5. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT HAVING A ...

This is what comes of constantly harping on how awful autism is and how awful life is for you with your autistic kids and how your kids were poisoned and damaged by toxic vaccines and so on and so forth despite all evidence that such is not the case. From the comments section on this article : vaccines & autism People with autistic children are desperate, with good reason. It is spectacularly difficult to get good help with these children in most school systems. I have met many parents of autistic children, and it is gut wrenching. But something I also discovered, many of these people had autism in their family history. I don't know if there's a genetic test for these disorders (there are many disorders under the autism umbrella, so probably not) but it seems to me that we are getting more autistic children simply because our society manages to help people become mainstream who in past generations would not have been educated and would have been unlikely to end up married. ...

Today I am thankful for/that: Bedtime! Stillness. Hope. Redemption. The image of God in each and everyone of us. We've still got power and noting in the neighbourhood below down. I have so far failed to kill the goldfish, named Ruffy* and Julia. What are you thankful for? *Spelling changed as per hubby's comment.

I got hooked up with a reporter for the local CBS affiliate station who is doing a story on local parent reactions to today's ruling by the autism omnibus. I'm hoping that I won't be the only parent he interviews who agrees with the ruling. The story will air during the 5:30 PMEST broadcast. I made sure to leave out the copy of Autism's False Prophets (excellent book I have a review in the works)that I got from the library as well as some of the Valentine's Day stuff that the kids have been bringing home from school this week. We had to bribe Sophia with markers and a colouring book to keep her from jumping in front of the camera. She is such a ham! The reporter got some shots of the boys school pictures (they're still at after school program), our messy bookshelves, and the copy of Autism's False Prophets . Update 6:16 PMEST: Well the 5:30 broadcast was short but to the point. For the 6:00 broadcast the anchor woman botched my name and misrepresented wha...

That's my senator y'all! In the words of Luke Skywalker, I care. Just one question though. Am I one of the "chattering classes" or am I one of the American people? Technorati Tags: schumer , stimulus , chattering classes , new york Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Court says measles vaccine not to blame for autism A special vaccine court ruled against parents with autistic children Thursday, saying that vaccines are not to blame for their children's neurological disorder. The judges in the cases said the evidence was overwhelmingly contrary to the parents' claims — and backed years of science that found no risk. "It was abundantly clear that petitioners' theories of causation were speculative and unpersuasive," the court concluded in one of a trio of cases ruled on Thursday. The ruling, which was anxiously awaited by health authorities, was a blow to families who have filed more than 5,000 claims for compensation through the government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The claims are reviewed by special masters serving on the U.S. Court of Claims. Emphasis added. Can we move on and discuss something relevant to autism now? Something like how the current budgetary crisis in many states are going to affect services f...

That's how much fat has been trimmed from the fat sandwich known as The Stimulus. That makes me feel so much better. How about you? Obama's economic recovery plan on track in Senate President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan is on track to pass the Senate after a handful of moderate Republicans and Democrats forced more than $100 billion in cuts in programs that wouldn't create many jobs right away. But the group backed away from a confrontation that threatened to kill the legislation altogether after White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel weighed in to urge Democrats make a final round of concessions. Architects of the compromise included Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who represented a broader group of moderates unhappy that so much money went into programs they thought wouldn't create jobs. Eventually, every Republican except Collins and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., left the talks, which finally produced a deal with the White House late Friday aft...

Does having 16 senators holed up somewhere deciding how to spend $800 billion in taxpayer money sound like a good idea to you? Hat tip Wizbang .

Yes! The Strategic Plan—the document which outlines how the HHS agencies are supposed to conduct autism research in the next few years—has been seriously delayed by repeated attempts to insert vaccine language. The Plan is basically ready to be finalized. Months later than it should be because, well, people (read: Lyn Redwood) keep monopolizing the time for the meetings to discuss vaccines. Would you like to see autism research move forward? Would you like to see the Combating Autism Act money actually appropriated and spent? Or, would you like to see future meetings continually monopolized by this one question? If you are like me, you would like to see good research start. I’ve listed some of the initiatives that are stalled below. Good stuff. If you would like those projects to start sooner rather than later, send an email to Dr. Tom Insel, director of the NIMH and chair of the IACC. Let him know that it’s time for the IACC I'm almost finished with Autism's False Prophets by...

Today I am thankful for/that: The sun is still above the horizon at 5:00PMEST. Spring is on the way! I have yet to succumb to the stomach bug that has hit everyone else in the family. It has been a whole year with no new trips to the ER . Central heating. At a time when the radio weather guy has to specify negative or positive for the temperature I am really glad for that particular technological advance. What are you thankful for?