Samantha Pierce

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . This has nothing to do with this post except that it generated the following thought. The Death of Taxes is a Discworld character that I would love to see Terry Pratchett write.

With the kids home for the week and my folks here I almost forgot what day it is so before I go to bed, today I am thankful for/that: Isaiah properly pronounced the word "fish." Usually when he says it the entire word sounds like the /CH/ sound in Chanukah. He was a bit bemused by how excited we were at his utterance of the word. Sophia looking out an upstairs window to see if spring was here yet. Ethan had a nice conversation with the nurse who gave him his new cast on Monday. She asked him good questions (very few yes or no questions), waited for his answers, and was able to pick up on his soft replies. The grimy bright orange cast is gone, replaced by a so far not as grimy red cast.The orange cast was a bit rough on the eye. I saw Isaiah drag Ethan into his (Isaiah's) room so they could continue playing together. Isaiah still likes his quiet time away from his rowdy brother and sister but he's starting to enjoy their company in a more typical fashion complete with ...

I've been inspired by Obama's speech in Texas tonight. I've been inspired to make up a new drinking game. Every time Obama, or any other candidate, mentions the words change, hope, or the phrase "yes we can" take a swig of your favourite beverage. See how long it takes you to pass out/run for the potty.

The following has been making the rounds among autism bloggers. The American Academy of Pediatrics is looking for parent spokespersons to present a different face of autism to what we usually get in the media. I thought I'd do my part and pass it along as well. It doesn't really need much comment from me. Plenty of folk on the Autism Hub have provided commentary already. Here are just three of the many: The American Academy of Pediatrics versus antivaccinationist hypocrisy Myth, Science, and Autism: A Message from the AAP AAP needs help of rational parents If you're interested in being part of the new science based face of autism in the media you can email Ms. Martin by clicking here . From: Susan Martin Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:29 PM To: SPOKESPERSONS@LISTSERV.AAP.ORG Subject: parent spokespersons Hello, As part of our ongoing response to media stories regarding autism and vaccines, the AAP communications department is compiling a list of parents who support ...

Well now, today I am thankful for/that: Ethan ended up at our family doctor's office sooner than was recommended by the ER docs. He sent us to an orthopedist who had Ethan's arm in a cast in about an hour. Ethan seems to be handling is first (and hopefully only) broken bone quite well. We have to keep dodging his cast though. He doesn't seem to realise that that thing really hurts when it makes sudden contact with unsuspecting body parts. Isaiah wasn't the one who fell off the jungle gym and broke his elbow. Ethan was just upset by the whole process. Isaiah would have been terrified. Modern medicine. There's been at least one person sick in the house since the beginning of December and we would have all been up a creek without the wonders of modern medicine to diagnose, treat, and/or cure our symptoms. Spring time. Sophia has been asking lately when it will be coming. All I can tell her is that it will come eventually. Central heating. I shudder to think of the time...

Rough week but I'm thankful for/that: While the house is a complete mess it is not a pile of kindling. Despite various doctor and ER visits we are all alive and more or less in one piece. I saw Isaiah walk down the hallway at school without holding a grownup's hand and without running off in the wrong direction. Sophia: Mommy I have to get my bear. Me: Where is your bear? Sophia: In my safety violation pile. Still loving that hot water bottle. What are you thankful for?

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . From Wrong Planet.net : 1. Autism is not new. Any problem parents of autistic children have now others have dealt with them in the past. This means you can use what others have learned about autism to help you. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. 2. Autistic people contribute to their communities in many ways, no matter what constellation of obvious abilities and disabilities they demonstrate. Autistic people are valuable as they are. They don't have value only if they can be transformed into less obviously autistic people. 3. The very wiring of an autistic brain means that the autistic person is likely to have significant and unusual abilities. Those abilities won't always be make us employable, but autistics usually have excellent memories for facts accompanied by a drive to collect them. These abilities shouldn't be seen as disabilities or freakish "splinter skills" just because they are less common among n...

This quiz might be an entertaining exercise for some of you. Who is your presidential candidate? Hat tip What if? .

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . Super Tuesday is finally here. For months now the country has been atwitter over the historic convergence of Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. Everyone wants to know, will Americans vote for a woman for President? Will they vote for a black man? I've heard/read umpteen news stories about how black women are conflicted over which one they should vote for. Then there are the news stories where someone will emphatically declare that they will vote for Hillary because she's a woman or vote for Barack because he's black. This leads me to one question. If it is unacceptable to refuse to vote for someone because of their race or gender why is it acceptable to vote for them because of their race or gender?

Details may follow after a good night's sleep but for now, I suppose I should be thankful that we have yet to show up at the ER with one of those problems that gets you seen right away. It was Ethan this time and he spent about six and a half hours there today. He was ready to go home after the first two hours. Anyone who tried to talk to him was firmly told that he wanted to go home. By the end hubby and I were exhausted. Ethan was quite happy to go back to quoting from The Incredibles (which he got to see twice over the weekend and was still very excited about) once it was clear that he was actually leaving the ER, Isaiah had flashbacks of his visit and wouldn't let anyone in scrubs anywhere near him, and Sophia thought is was all a great adventure. Her voice echoed through the halls as she carried on her sometimes one-sided conversations with the rest of us. I think I'm shell shocked.

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . The blogosphere is abuzz with the news of the recent bombings in Baghdad targeting a pet market full of children who had the day off from school. The fact that children were the target is not what has people up in arms. We've grown all too familiar with that terrorist tactic. What has everyone aghast is the possibility that the female bombers were mentally disabled and unaware that their lives would be sacrificed for the terrorist cause. Mentally Disabled Women in Baghdad Bombing The Despicable Nature Of Our Enemy Reality Check: Al-Qaeda in Iraq Sinks to Ghastly New Low Report: Al Qaeda uses mentally disabled women as suicide bombers I found this essay on the bombings from NPR's Scott Simon particularly moving, A Tragedy in Baghdad . The subdued but shocked tone of his voice really grabbed my attention. I'm not surprised by the possibility that the women in this bombing may have been mentally disabled. Using the disabled to carry...

We went on a family visit to the family doctor today (the boys had a snow day so they got to come along). Turns out that I've very likely got strep throat courtesy of Isaiah and the adventures leading up to his ER trip . Doc took a throat culture just to be sure. In any case I'm quite miserable with headaches, neck aches, and congestion. I can't believe Isaiah went through all of this without any fussing! My poor baby, that kid is a rock. Doc told me that I shouldn't be taking ibuprofen during my pregnancy. That was a real blow since it was the only thing that would take care of the aches and pains. Tylenol is soooooo not cutting it! My head feels like it's going to fall off. I can't stop thinking of how miserable Isaiah must have felt before we figured out what was wrong with him. (Of course he really didn't appreciate any of his visits to the doctor or the trip to the ER or the saline I used to wash out his nose.) Until the antibiotics kick in and give my ...

Today I am thankful for/that: Nap time. It helps me catch up on some of the sleep I have been losing because I've been coughing all night the last few nights. It also keeps Sophia from turning into the cranky three year old from outerspace. Cough drops. Although I'm getting to the point where I can't stand the taste of the things I'm glad I have them when I need them. Clean water. Ice cold to soothe a parched throat or steaming hot to chase away the chills, it's wonderful stuff. The humidifier. Hubby and I would probably sound a lot worse than we do if we didn't have that thing. Dry indoor winter air is a beast. The hot water bottle. Far away friends. The latches on the doors leading to the kitchen have encouraged Isaiah to try out that whole asking for what he wants thing. Somehow, "I want bagel" always comes out sounding like, "I want bacon." I know he actually wants a bagel because he's usually pointing at a picture of one when he says...

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . NPR has just finished up a week long series Exploring the Status of Muslim Women in Europe . I found it to be an interesting look into the clash of cultures in Europe. Issues for Muslim Women in Europe Evolve In Europe, Muslim Women Face Multiple Issues Muslim Women Behind Wall of Silence in Germany Muslim Activist Critical of 'Multicultural Mistake' Many British Muslim Women Embrace Political Islam British Warn of Growing Female Islamic Radicalism French Muslim Women Forge New Islam, Activism French Activists Fight Female Genital Mutilation You can read the text and/or listen to the audio at the links above.

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . The following article appeared in Sunday's Parade Magazine: Autism Changes Everything For a while, we mourned the loss of the little boy we knew and all we hoped he would become someday. Our grief evolved into feelings of anger and, eventually, determination. We’re now playing catch-up as we try to stem the tide and ultimately eradicate autism for the sake of future generations. If we continue our current trajectory, we’ll get there in my lifetime. (Hat tip Autism Vox .) When my first born was still a baby a friend asked my husband and I what hopes and dreams we had for his life. I thought about it for a while and realised that when I looked at my son's future I saw a grey unshaped mass. I had no plans for his future because I had no idea what the future would bring. At most I hoped that he would grow up to be a happy, responsible, upright citizen. Too often I had seen people suffering under the burden of the plans their parents had...

Today I am thankful for/that: Isaiah chose to pour the Dayquil into a cup and then dump it onto the kitchen floor rather than drink it. He came home from school early because he was sick. He apparently found the bottle at the very back of the highest shelf in a kitchen cabinet. I didn't even know it was there until I found him standing in the puddle. What are you thankful for?

For the third time in my life now I have witnessed the phenomenon of thunder snow . Thankfully I've been indoors for all of them. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Today I am thankful for/that: The prayers of friends near and far. God knows we need them! The gift of an answered prayer that you didn't even know was said on your behalf. The people that God uses to answer our prayers. Isaiah and I had a relatively brief sojourn in the ER this week, a little over two hours. Me: What do you want for dinner? I want... Isaiah: Gum! I want gum! I want gum! I want gum! He happily skipped into the pantry expecting that I was going to give him gum for dinner because he used his words. I think I gave him an apple and a pb&j sandwich instead. It was nice that he asked for what he wanted. Hubby has been helping Ethan with is homework. It's a toss up who dislikes homework more, me or Ethan. I'm feeling well enough to get back to doing the household chores. Wait a minute... Peg of What if? and this post . What are you thankful for?

I was trying to avoid it but I ended up in the ER with Isaiah today. The ER staff were all quite understanding when I told them what I suspected the problem was. They all smiled kindly each time I told our story. It's oh so common and they see it all the time but it was the first (and hopefully last) time I had ever had to deal with it. Isaiah has had a rather stubborn sinus infection for a few weeks now. Turns out that that sinus infection was being aided and abetted by some foreign body he had managed to get stuck up his left nostril. If I hadn't been so sick recently I probably would have noticed before now but Isaiah seems to have a very high tolerance for discomfort (unless you're trying to comb his hair or remove the foreign body that he's got stuck up his nose). Anyway, it took myself and three members of the pediatric ER staff to hold him and fish the thing out of his nose. We're not sure exactly what it was but there was a lot more of it than I would have e...

Cross posted at Say Anything: Reader blogs . Rather than blog about the various interesting reactions to the recent news that removing thimerosal from vaccines hasn't had the expected effect on rates of autism or to the new studies that have identified different genes involved in autism I decided to browse the galleries at HubbleSite . A much more relaxing, up lifting, and perspective correcting exercise. I call this image the Cosmic Zit. NASA calls it, Outburst from Comet Tempel 1 . " In a dress rehearsal for the rendezvous between NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft and comet 9P/Tempel 1, the Hubble Space Telescope captured dramatic images of a new jet of dust streaming from the icy comet. The images are a reminder that Tempel 1's icy nucleus, roughly half the size of Manhattan, is dynamic and volatile." They call this one the Cat's Eye Nebula . That's a fanciful enough description for me. " Observations suggest the star ejected its mass in a serie...