Something my brother wrote

This is a story that my 13 year old brother wrote about his life so far as he knows it. Just so you all know, my brother has a form of kidney disease (Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis) and is under the autism spectrum. I just thought I would share it with you all! I am copying it right from his paper so please dont mind the grammar and spelling issues.
"My Life Story (by C***** F****)
This story begins practically when I was born. I had been diagnosed with Autism just recently. Although, the doctors say I am more Aspergers than autistic. When I was younger I used to have to wear a helmet because I used to crash right through fences and I really liked to run into things! I had also been quite sick for a while. Sick as in physically unhealthy like all puffy and really pudgy. My doctors hand just diagnosed me with severe kidney disease. I had to go to the hospital a lot from three years old to I think at least six years old. I had to get things called Biopsy's. They were these tests that doctors did to check to see how my kidneys were doing. To explain kidney disease a little bit more, kidney disease is some thing where my kidneys don't function normally. They don't filter the protein that it's supposed to keep in my body. And don't worry it's not contagious (I hate it when people ask me that)! Just so this story doesn't go on forever I'll skip a few years. I am now thirteen years old and have gotten better in understanding the differences that I have. Though some people think it's very childish (and I don't really care) I really like Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh I like to participate in tournaments for the Yu-gi-oh card game. I have also seen a bunch of teenage boys playing the game too. Back to my differences, in January 2007, I was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at the Rush University Hospital. I was there because I was so sick that one kidney in my body almost failed! For my future problems, my sister is getting married! I say it's bad because I think that at least two months after her marriage she's moving to Georgia for at least EIGHT YEARS! And that is sending me into a really deep depression. I just feel like I need to spend more time with my family and not go to school. Lastly, people keep asking me why I am so puffy these past couple weeks. Here's the deal, just last year I was diagnosed with the high end of dangerous kidney disease. The name is really long so I can't remember it. I have to take these really big pills and they make me look like this. I hope this has educated you and answered some questions."

I guess the reason this all means so much to me is that he is self-advocating. He has NEVER EVER done so! And also...we finally has a reason why he has been fighting my mom on going to school! I am going to start trying to make more time to spend with him before I move to be with Mishu!

10 Things you may not know about me. :D

I have been tagged by dayngr to go through the file cabinets in my head and figure out 10 things you probably don't know about me. So here we go!

1. I feel most comfortable with either children or the elderly. I feel most uneasy around my peers.
2. I didn't learn to swim in the deep end of the pool 'til I was 13, I was too afraid to before that. Now I teach special needs children to swim.
3. I am so afraid I will never be able to have children.
4. I get angry at parent's who call Autism a "curse." Yes it can be hard, yes it is life changing, yes depression sets it. Move on...you can't let it stop your life and you need to make the best of what you have. And yes I do have room to talk, I've been beaten on, bitten, almost had my nose broke, been glared at and yelled at in stores because the child was screaming and crying and having a melt down and we had to restrain him, I've been rammed into. And all this by my wonderful brother. I wouldn't have it any other way. You live and you learn and that is all you can do.
5. I am scared to move away from my mom and brother.
6. I have 6 piercings. ;) all above the waist.
7. I never really know the right thing to say, so I run the conversation in my head...and never say any of it out loud.
8. I have a huge super crush on Anthony Michael Hall. (I totally <3 geeks!)
9. I was so desperate to sleep with this one guy in high school, and when we did years later...it wasn't all I made him out to be. Isn't that usually how it goes?
10. I hate the color pink but it is one of the colors that looks best on me.

Freezin' for a Reason!

For the last two years, a handful of friends and I have done the Polar Plunge. It's actually called the IL Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge for Special Olympics...big mouthful, so most of us just call it the Plunge. :D What is it? It's a great time! It is a bunch of crazy people (believe me...get to know some of us and you will believe it!)raising money and jumping into freezing cold water to benefit the athletes of the IL Special Olympics. I personally got involved because of my brother, who is on a SO Swim team and the SO swim team I assistant coach. I love them all dearly and this is the least I can do to give back to them some of the joy they have brought me!
Keep your eyes open on here for more info.
Maybe I can get my soldier to do it with me this year! ;) He would have last year, but he was across the world, experiencing conditions that were the "polar" opposite of mine!
Here is the vid of us doing it from last year!
Look for the Polar Bears, that's my group! :D


Here is some more info about the Polar Plunge. The one I will be at is at Northwestern University's North Beach, Evanston. Not the Super Plunge, but the regular one. :D
"What is the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge? It is a unique and wacky opportunity to support Special Olympics Illinois ( SO ILL) athletes by taking a flying leap – a leap into the frigid waters of an Illinois lake! In 2009, there will be 17 locations (see below).

Participants raise at least $75 in donations from friends, family and co-workers in exchange for jumping into the icy waters in the middle of winter. Each plunger receives an official Polar Plunge sweatshirt and entrance into a Post-Plunge Party, plus the chance to win additional prizes for raising more money. All proceeds benefit the more than 21,000 athletes of SO ILL!

Get involved and take the Plunge!

In 2009, Polar Plunges will take place from Feb. 27 to March 21 in 17 different locations around the state:

Friday, Feb. 27 & 28 (tentative):
*SUPER Plunge at Northwestern University's North Beach, Evanston

Saturday, Feb. 28 (tentative):
*Northwestern University's North Beach, Evanston

Sunday, March 1:
*Miller Park Lake, Bloomington
*Lakefront Park, Fox Lake
*Lake Storey, Galesburg
*Twin Lakes, Salt Creek Park District, Palatine

Saturday, March 7:
*Rend Lake, South Sandusky Beach, Benton
*Carlyle Lake, Carlyle
*Lake Springfield, Knights of Columbus Hall #4179, Chatham
*Lake Decatur, The Beach House, Decatur
*Lake Sara, Effingham
*Sunrise Beach, Lake Bluff
*Manteno Lake, Manteno
*Moorman Lake, Upper Moorman Park, Quincy
*Olson Lake, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford

Sunday, March 8:
*Loon Lake, Silver Springs State Park, Yorkville

Saturday, March 21:
*Lincoln Lakes, Private Beach Access, Lincoln
*Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, Mahomet"

I am so sick and tired of College bullshit!

I am just so freakin' aggravated right now. I was supposed to get a call from my adviser at WGU at 3:15. I put off everything else I had to do so that I could have some quiet time to talk to her. I didn't get any calls until 3:50 (this is not the first time this has happened) and it wasn't even my adviser. The assistant called me to tell me that my adviser left early and she had rescheduled me with another adviser but that one left early also. So I'm not very happy about that right now, and she tells me that one of my transcripts did not make it in yet (I had them sent rush two weeks ago) and they had a meeting today to drop me and she didn't have the results of the meeting. I delayed entry last month due to some of my other colleges dragging their feet on sending the transcripts.
Now, I am also attending one of the community colleges in my area, finishing up my last two classes before I graduate. I enrolled now because I was told by the adviser that I could do so and transfer my AA when I finished it.
Well...come today I was told by her assistant I cant do that. I need to finish the classes I am taking now or they wont count. I dont understand that. What if I earn education credits at the job I have. Will those not count???? Ugh....I am so aggravated now. At least I got confirmation from the assistant that my application fee wont be effected and I wont have to pay it again. Looks like I wont be starting my BA in Special Ed until at least January. I just cant even explain how upset I am right now. :\

First Day

Today was my first day at my new job. It was really cool. It was basically me taking a back seat to observe the classroom. The in's an out's, what to do, what not to do, how to lift, how to feed.
I work in a classroom with children who have almost no independent movement and are non-verbal. As the days go on I will take over more responsibilities in the classroom. I truly think I will enjoy this. :D I will update more on this as time goes by.
I talked to the company I was looking at to do the video and DJ'ing for the wedding and we have him reserved! :D That means nearly major thing is taken care of for the wedding! There are a couple more things that need to get taken care of, but it's mostly the stuff I know nothing about, like Mishu's uniform, the Honor/Color Guard and the tuxedo rentals for the guys.
:D

Show me the money!..and other stuff

:D I got the job! I can't wait! I go get fingerprinted tomorrow morning and then I have to finish filling out all the paperwork for health care and retirement fund crap. :D I am so excited though! Tomorrow afternoon, I go and observe the classroom I will be in. Then I start full time on Wednesday morning! :D I am finally gainfully employed! Wheee! Yes! Yay!

I'm really getting annoyed with the swim lessons I teach. Just over half of my students showed up last week. Some of them had legit excuses, some had questionable ones. I mean, people, you pay a certain amount of money for these lessons, I teach your children how to swim, I give you a 30 minute break from your hectic life. Please give me the courtesy of SHOWING UP! I love my job. I love what I do. I love the children, believe me if I didn't I wouldn't still be doing this. I would have found a job that pays more with more hours. Hell, I probably wouldn't have left a good paying job just so that I could continue TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN! I need to figure this out soon, because I am still getting more students but if they don't show up this isn't going to be worth my time. I am saving for a wedding, I am trying to get myself out of debt. I'm trying to live day to day without pulling mty hair out about money. And when I could be making a mice bit of change and they don't show up...needless to say...this gets me a bit perturbed.

Other than that, Mishu is doing some kind of training, some sort of medic thing that he does not want to do but has to do any way. It looks like he wont be able to call me for a few days and that sucks...but hell, this is the Army. I should be used to this by now! I know I am definitely going to need to get used to it, hell, we are going to be in this for the long haul. At least 8 or so years from now. Grr! But at least he will have a marketable job when he gets out. Or we could stay in longer and have an even more marketable job...and a pretty nice pension. So the long and short of it is we dont know how long we are going to be in for, but he says he wants to make it a family decision when we get to that point. It will basically depend on where we are in our life together, where I am in my career and where we are with children.

I should probably say that Mishu is my fiance, my heart, my soldier.

WOOHOO!

Wow, so I got a call this morning from the assistant to the district superintendent to the district that I had an interview with. They want me to come in Monday for the final interview! :D This will be great! I really can't wait! I really need this job and OMG I can't wait! :D

Hi! I feel Craptacular!

I still have no solid job. This is really wearing me out. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. I've decided tomorrow morning I will put my resume out to as many places as I can find on Craigslist. I'm not having any luck finding anything in the education field. So I'm now reaching out to anything I can find. :\ Anything from clerical and customer service work to dog walking and telemarketing. I'm 'bout ready to pull my hair out...this is stressing me out so much! I just need to earn some money, I need to save up for my wedding and I need to pay rent. I need to pay for college. I need to pay my bills. I need to buy food and I need to buy gas for my car. And what sucks even more is that this economy is only going to get worse before it gets any better. I just wish things were easier, were more simple. Wrar!

Commence with the flooding!

So we got a shit-ton of rain today. Sucked big time! All my laundry got flooded as well as all my X-mas boxes. I decided I didn't want to examine the exact damage tonight, I will wait 'til later to see what will need to be thrown away. I just got really upset about it earlier and I just don't need that right now.
The problem is...the rain is supposed to continue through tomorrow. Sucks again.
I'm hoping the raid doesn't effect the attendance for my lessons tomorrow. The reason I'm worried is because the storm drains couldn't handle the water flows today and ALOT of roads flooded past the point of passage.
Still no job. This sucks the worst. Really really badly I might add. :)
That is all for now.

About me...

I'll start my first post by saying who I am and what I'm about.
My name is Corinne and I'm a 24 year old perpetual student. I love learning and I love school. That is...until I'm actually in a required class. :) Yes, I love learning but when I have to take a class, well, I'm not the happiest person.
I'm almost done with my A.A. degree, having been in college since August of '02. Basically I've been going to school part time, paying my own way mostly (other than taking out a loan here and there) and working full time. It kind of upsets me that it's taken me so long to get this far but I just have to look back and see how much work-place experience I have gained where most people my age might just now be getting into the "real world." So this next December I will have finished my A.A. degree and this October I am starting at WGU online to earn my B.A. degree in Special Education Teaching. This should take me anywhere from 2-3 years depending on how quickly I can move through it. It's all competency based, so basically, I can't pass on to the next section or class until I prove I know what the last section taught me. I'm really looking forward to this.
The reason I am moving from a traditional college atmosphere (which I currently in) to an online college is because I am getting married to the most wonderful man in my world...who is a soldier in the United States Army. Our wedding is in June of '09 (only just over 9 months away!) and I am so very excited about it! It is going to be in the town where I live. After our wedding we are going to go to his hometown, in NY, and celebrate the wedding with the rest of his family and friends who will not able to make it to the wedding. Soon after that, I will be moving from my home in IL to the Army base he will be at in GA. That is probably the most scary thing to me since I have never lived away from family or away from the area I was born. But hundreds of thousands of other men and women have done this, I can too.
About what I do? Well, I'd like to be a teachers assistant right now, as I was last year, but I am stuck trying to find a job right now. I've put out many applications but I'm fully at the mercy of what the school districts need. I do have a job teaching swim to special needs individuals and it is a job I love but lets face it, it isn't a job that pays the bills or rent or anything else. I'm adding even more students, but it still isn't enough to make ends meet.
Um...that's about all I can figure for now. :)