The Biggest Learner!

So, school is back in session for most of my kiddos. I say most because my oldest little monkey had a last minute change in school. Finding the right school placement for him has always been a challenge. Luckily, I have been blessed to live in a state that offers great funding opportunities for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This will be our second year of "homeschooling" my son. Homeschooling a child with autism is a completely different game than homeschooling a typical child.

In a few weeks, I'm back to hitting the books myself. Since I lost my job about a year ago, my kids have grown accustomed to seeing me in blue jeans and t-shirts instead of heels and suits. They love having me home when they are finished with school, but they have learned to steer clear of mommy while she is glued to the computer or buried in a textbook.

This quarter is crucial for me. Out of over 150 applicants, I was chosen as one of 8 participants in the school's reality series, "The Biggest Learner". Much like the show, the "biggest loser", there are 2 teams and they are trying to get the highest GPA. Each student from the winning team gets $1,000 scholarship! Wish me luck!

http://www2.cscc.edu/subjects/biggest-learner.shtml

Needless to say, it may be quiet around here at the end of the month. That doesn't mean I don't love all my fans. Stay tuned for some goodies....

As if I don't have enough to do...

As if I don't have enough to do, I thought I would add a few more items to my to-do list. This is actually an exercise in becoming organized and lifting up  my spirits a bit. As many of you know, I am a student and a mom to 4 beautiful children and 4 awesome step - kiddos (to be). This week marks the end of my summer quarter and one full year of school! Woo Hoo! I'm super excited about having one year of school under my belt. One(ish) more year to go and I will finally have my associates degree. This is huge considering all the adversity and challenges I have faced from the first time I stepped foot in a college classroom fresh out of high school. When I say fresh, I mean I had just graduate high school a couple of weeks before jumping into college. (And I won't tell you what year that was...)



Over the past few months, I have been making props for photographers and filling orders (slowly) for customers, and every time I sit down with my hooks and yarn, my girls ask me, "are you making a hat for me"? So when Scotti from the Inner Hooker shop posted on her Facebook page a crochet along, I figured it was an excellent opportunity to start on some goodies for my girls while keeping me on track! Well, at least one of them will have something special.



Another little project, is to highlight fellow crafters and mommy-preneurs (and a few dads too) that have been inspirational to 8 Little Monkeys. A few months ago I highlighted Crochet My Love Designs,  (I love reading that post!), and I think it's time that I spread the love to all the folks I have met on this journey. I am surrounded by some wonderful folks who have great talent. Through their work and their words, they have kept me going. I hope that you will all join me as I celebrate other talented artists and parents.

Many of you know, that I am the mother of two children with Autism. The past few months have been a bit of a challenge for our family for a number of reasons. I will be sharing more about my journey, struggles and triumphs with autism in some future posts as well.

 There are a few more things "cooking" that I will share once things develop!