A Breakthrough on a Snowy Day.

For as long as I can remember our school librarian has speared headed the private school applications at work. (Shhh....The librarian is my Bestie Roxy.) After winter recess is when she sits down and sees which students are the elite in our school. They have to be a great students as a whole. Good grades are a starting point. These students are given a chance to apply and take entrance exams for De La Salle Academy, Prep for Prep and TYWLS. For the last 10 years we have at least one student go on and attend these elite middle schools or make it far in the selection process. Becky was lucky enough to be apart of the selected children. She was very close to not being picked because of the drop in her 4th ELA grade but her Math and Science grade were to awesome to pass.

Picture from our first middle school fair

For the last couple of week I have work with Becky on her De La Salle application. When we were done with the front of the application she started to kind of shut down. She stopped clearly answering the questions. I felt that I was forcing her to do something she didn't want to do. I don't want her to feel this way. She is at the age where she can have very little input to what is going on in her world. I asked the librarian to talk to Becky. I wanted to know if she really wanted to do they or is she going through the motions just to make mommy happy. She said an spoke to her and Becky told her that she feel like she does have any time. She feels rushed. This is understandable since with school, after school, ballet and online tutoring on her plate. She want to do this private school admission progress.

Becky and a handfull of other students were set out to take their entrance exam on Saturday De La Salle is located on Amsterdam & West 97 street. Of course the first snow storm on the winter season was set for SATURDAY!! Just our luck! The weather man said the storm was going to start in the afternoon....LIES!! The snow started at 2am! So when we woke up it was a winter wonderland. Good thing we dropped Big and Little Al to Titi's house the night before. It would have been a nightmare if we had to drop them off first. Plus there was no way they would have sat and waited for Becky to finish her test without driving me NUTS!

We finally made down to the school after a lot of snow, cold toes & fingers and hot chocolate. I was not surprised by the amount of people there. I quickly said my goodbye kisses and off she went to the lunchroom and I was in the parent holding tank, the auditorium. In the holding tank when were getting an orientation on the the admission progress and an open Q&A with some staff. This part of the Q&A I knew about because I have watched many our students complete this progress. I was patiently waiting for the student Q&A. I want to see what other students had to say about the school not just our former students. The biggest question from the parents was about transportation. How safe are these students traveling on their own on public transportation from the city and even outside the city. Each student said they have no problem on the train. They stick together with their friends that have become their brother and sister in no time. My nerves were relaxed when a small boy with a high voice stated that he has been travelling alone since October with no problems. He was very cute and tiny. Those kids were just like my Becky....Awesome! The whole time I was texting Roxy the play by play. There are only 35-40 seats for 6th grade and about 300 families apply. It's very competitive. They don't pick the child only for the grade they got on the test they look at the whole child. That doesn't mean Becky is a show in...I hope her paperwork tells Becky's story enough so that she is picked.

Once the Q&A was done all we could do was wait until the test was over. As time went on so did my battery power on my iPhone..curses! I was forced the listen to loud conversation happening all around me. Next time you know the first set of kids came out. Then the next and the next. When each group came out I saw a student from our school. They all looked happy to be done with the three hour long test. One parent who was a former student came down with one group and told another parent that their was a little girl crying upstairs because she didn't finish her test. So course my heart starts racing because all our students came down and Becky was no where to be found. I started pacing. She came down with the last group all smiles. I was so proud of her. She came out last because they grouped the kids according to their lasts names...She was in the T,V,U,W,Y& Z group.

She said that the test was very difficult. She breezed through the math expect for a few concepts that weren't covered yet. She had a middle school break through. Before Saturday she was very still nervous about the change to middle school. She said on our way to the train station, "If I get into De La Salle Academy or Emolier Academy I am going to do great... Plus I know kids in both schools!" This was like music to my ears. Finally a positive outlook on going to middle school.  I don't know what happened during that test but something click.

Are You Ready?

I just finished writing an email....
I can't go into details about the content if this email.....

I can say this is the first email of many....

I can't keep filing 311 reports....

I need to send an email with my name written across.....

She had her chance to step in front of my daughter....

She has fail.....

This mother is angry.......

They will  not like what is going to happen next.....

I have to protect what is mind......

That child sitting in front of you have a mother standing behind her that is your worst nightmare!

Little Things Big Deal - "That Boy Can Dance!"

Many people thought that I was crazy putting Big Al in dance back in July 2010. His has global development delays, why would you put him in a dance class? His is wearing leg braces, why would you put him in a dance class? Doesn't he get physical therapy, wouldn't dance go against that? He is a boy!

I wrote about his first day of summer session in the post We're The Dancers. My gut told me that this was the right thing to do. Time and time again we get the stares and nasty looks when I place his ballet shoes on his feet.

The almost all girl environment helps him focus on the task at hand. He was able to focus on the dance so well that he was able to successfully participate in the June Show Flippin' Channels.

Every Saturday I fight him to put his dance clothes on. He tells me time and time again that he doesn't want to go and that he wants to stay home and play. Sometimes I feel bad that I drag him out the door to but other times I remind myself, this is the boy that has major transitioning issues. Of course he will give a fight to go to class because it's a change from being home from not being home. He fights and cries up until we get to the studio. He smiles and quickly changes his shoes to run off to class. I never get to see his week to week improvements. The studio doesn't have a glass wall where parents can see. The teachers close the door as soon as it's time to dance. All I can do is listen in the wall at the music and the teacher's instruction.

When class is done he is smiling, red face and sweaty. I can only assume that he did a great job. He can now tell me that he had fun but he doesn't want to show me any of his moves.

This past weekend wasn't any different. He did the same I don't want to go song and dance. After dance as always sweaty red smiles. The one thing that was different was a parent stopped and told Big Al how much of a great job he did.

"Papi, you have some great moves." He looked at her and said, "Thank you."

"Mami, that boy can dance. He was showing her his moves in class today."

I was speechless.

I guess she got a sneak peek in the middle of class when the traffic is low in the studio hallway. This very brief exchange was a very big deal. She saw what I see in my son everyday.....Greatness.


This post is apart of Little Things Are Big Deals over at AutismWonderland.

Ten Top {Tuesday}: Anger

While searching for Tuesday blog prompts on google, I found Top Ten {Tuesday}. Since I am a great big fan of lists I had to give this a try. Here is my first Top Ten {Tuesday} list.

Top ten reasons NOT to be so angry/ upset all the time:

10- With three beautiful children living in our very own home what is there is be upset about?

9- Hugs are free & fun!!

8- You catch more flies with honey.

7- The world will in fact pass you by.

6- Cookies make the world a better place.

5- Happy wife, happy life.

4- It's a waste of time.

3- The kids will FOREVER be scare of you even if you are happy.

2- Angry ages you quickly.

1- Life is too short!

Joining over at Oh, Amanda.

Little Things Big Deal - Brother Back Rides

For many years I have always worried about Big and Little Al's social skill acquisition. In the past the words Let's Play for the Als is hard to grasp sometimes, especially for Little Al. Being children of Autism Spectrum Disorder poor social skills comes with the territory. Unlike Becky who learned her social skills by simply being in social situations. Like hanging out with her cousins, (Back when there were only two kids between my sister and I.) attending family events and the playground. Big and Little Al have it tough. They have each other but they both have poor social skills and their older sister is gone for the weekends to spend time with her family......hmmmm what am I to do? I model for them and the awesome service providers at Easter Seals model for Little Al and have given Big Al lots of the skills needed to simply, play.

Those barriers are slowly melting away.

Every weekend when it's just the Als, I sit back and listen.....

"Al-la-son, Let's play!"

"Allllright! YEAH!"

Playtime usually ends up with Little Al climbing on Big Al's back for brother back rides.

Laughter from self started playtime is music to my ears.

This post is apart if The Little Things Are A Big Deal #2 over at AutismWonderland.

Mommy's Give-a-way: Resolve To Be Ready!

Typical New Year’s resolutions are geared towards lifestyle changes like exercising more, quitting smoking, recycling, etc. While you prepare to make positive changes in the new year, also consider preparing for the unexpected. Emergencies, from fires to water main breaks to winter storms, happen every day in New York City. Resolve to get your family ready for emergencies in 2012.

If you haven't figured out by now I have a small OCD about safety. (Well, maybe it's not so small.) So when the AdCouncil asked me again if I would like to help my readers Resolve for Readiness I had to say yes. We are giving away another awesome Go Bag.

One of my lucky readers will win one (1) Prize pack includes: Go Bag, Pocket Radio, Flashlight, First-Aid Kit, Batteries, Worker’s Gloves, Light Sticks, Emergency Blankets, and more! ($50 value)


To win you must do ALL three of the following:

1- As the City continues to rebuild and plan for the future, New Yorkers can learn to take action and prepare now by interacting with Ready New York’s Readiness Challenge tool. The Readiness Challenge takes New Yorkers through an online emergency that forces them to make quick decisions at every turn
Use the Ready New York's Readiness Challenge tool and post a comment below telling me that you used it.

2- Submit an email to aguobadia@aol.com. The email MUST included your online user-name AND your real first and last name.


3- Go over to The Awesome Mom Facebook page and click like

Here's the legal stuff:


- Prize: One Go-Kit Bag, Pocket Radio, Flashlight, First-Aid Kit, Batteries, Worker’s Gloves, Light Sticks, Emergency Blankets, and more! ($50 value)

- An outside provider will handle the fulfillment and mail the kit to the winner
- Giveaway is Open to US Residents only
- The giveaway is being provided to Mom but the thoughts and opinions are Mom's and are not influenced by the prize or prizing.

Contest ends Friday, January 20th, 2012 @ Midnight. Winners will be picked Saturday, January 21st 2012.

Good Luck!!

Poopie Happens.....In The Tub Too

Yes the title of this post pretty much explains it all. Since we know that Becky and Big Al are both completely potty trained, that only leaves one people that this post can be about....Little Al *dramatic pause*

Everyday I have my hand full when it comes to a lot of things and potty training the youngest is almost always at the top of the list. Little Al has seen and done a lot of the routine required for potty training. Sit, pulling, pushing, flushing etc. Little Al show me that she really is paying attention.

While Big Al was working on his homework I put Little Al in the tub. I figured two birds with one stone right? That also meant that I was going to jetting back and fourth from the bathroom to the kitchen many times to help Big Al with parts of his homework. This isn't that much of big deal because my apartment is super tiny so I can do the in between and Little Al is still safe in the tub.

During one of my trips to the kitchen table I smell something....

I hear the lid of the toilet close....

I hear Little Al singing the potty dance song....

Oh no I thought to myself. I walked in the bathroom and I see Alyson with her finger spread apart mumbling. Of course....she had poo on her hands. Why did she have poo on her hands you say? Well thanks for asking...Because I've watched WAY too much Law & Order I can take the clues that she left behind and figure out what had happened. The course of events are as follows:
-Mommy walks away
-Little Al stands up and grabs tub playtime pile
-Stand and/or sits on pile
-Does the "cookie"
-Grabs the cookie
-Throws it into the toilet
-Does the potty dance
-Mommy walks back in and sees cookies on her hands

I cleaned her and everything else up.......

Potting training never stops to amaze me.

I am happy that she put the poo in the toilet. She knows that's where it goes.... now if only I can get her to sit and do it....baby steps.