DuPage Mamas

Special Needs Resource Fairs

Farrah — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:14 +0000

If you are the parent of a special needs child or a child with some developmental challenges, there are 2 resource fairs in the month of February that you may be interested in checking out.

1)In the city:

Neighborhood Parents Network of Chicago (NPN) presents its first-ever Developmental Differences Resource Fair, dedicated to providing Chicago families with one-stop access to school programs, service providers, and nonprofits that serve children with developmental differences. The fair, which is free and open to the public, takes place Saturday, February 4, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Gordon Tech High School, 3633 N. California Ave., Chicago.

Chicagoland families who attend the fair will have the opportunity to connect with nearly 40 exhibitors from throughout the Chicagoland area, including the Sensory Kid Store, Leep Forward, Chicago PLAY Project, Tuesday’s Child, Rush University Medical Center, and more. Families will have one-on-one access to representatives from the Chicago Public Schools Office of Special Education & Support, the Archdiocese of Chicago, and other program options.

Free workshops during the fair will offer information about important topics:

• 10:30 a.m.: Understanding and Dealing with Health Insurance—Gail Borgerd, MedicClaim

• 11:30 a.m.: Setting Up Your Child for Success—Lorell Marin, Leep Forward

• 12:30 p.m.: Navigating the IEP Process—Susan R. Singerman, M.A., Speech Therapy

Parents of children with a range of developmental differences—sensory processing disorder, autism, ADD/ADHD, PDD-NOS, mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities, and more—are welcome to attend.

Sponsors of NPN’s Developmental Differences Resource Fair include Chicago Parent magazine, Leep Forward., Bellybum Boutique/Sensory Kids Store, and Marmalade Photography.

For more information, visit npnparents.org/expos/444

2) In the suburbs:

BY YOUR SIDE—GRAND OPENING EVENT: AUTISM PARTNERS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

BY YOUR SIDE, a unique therapy center dedicated to providing Speech and Language therapy, ABA therapy and occupational therapy to children, teenagers and adults with autism, invites families to a special grand opening event at their second location. AUTISM PARTNERS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, an open house featuring a variety of resources for families with special needs children, will be held on Thursday, February 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1920 Thoreau Drive, Suite 180, in Schaumburg.

Families will be able to tour the state-of-the art therapy center, which is set up in a comfortable home-like environment. Additionally, several other organizations and businesses that serve special needs children in the Chicagoland area will have booths at the event including Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA), The Schaumburg Autism Society, Discovery Toys, The Red Kite Project at Chicago Children’s Theatre, Right Fit Sport Fitness Wellness, Usborne Books & More, and Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery and Café.

For more information or to schedule an evaluation for either location, please call (630) 590-5571
or visit BY YOUR SIDE’s website at www.ByYourSideAutismCenter.com.

Valentine’s Crayons

Farrah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:25 +0000

I saw this idea on Pinterest (you may have seen it too) and felt glad to find something to finally do with the bucket full of broken crayons we have on our craft table. It was super-duper easy (if you don’t count taking all the papers off all the old crayons- that was the hardest part). We are giving these as v-day gifts to our friends and classmates. Although, we are of course keeping a couple for ourselves.

Simply peel the paper off old crayons then chop them into smaller pieces. Place different color crayon pieces in a silicone heart mold and bake at 230degrees for 15min. That’s it. Really. See, super easy!

If you want to give this a try, here are my little post-craft tips: Make sure you put a cookie sheet under the silicone mold. It makes it easier to put in and take out of the oven.

The colors that look the coolest (to me): reds and oranges and yellows. White looks really cool too. I think next time we will try doing warm/cool crayons and mixing only similar shades. The multi-colored ones are very cool too, but I think it would be fun to try it the other way too.

Don’t judge your crayons by how they look on the bottom. The tops are way prettier. Oh, and it is easier to pop them out of the mold if you do it before they are completely cooled. If they crack a little as you try to pop them out, just press them back down for a minute or so and they’ll be fine. I freaked out but it worked out fine.

It was a fun craft to do with my boys. A good indoor activity and a way to get into the Valentines’ day mode and recover from the post-Christmas slump. Happy crafting!

Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream

Farrah — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:14:01 +0000

We had the pleasure of attending the newest Disney on Ice production Wednesday night. This show, Dare to Dream, highlights three princesses who had the courage to dream big dreams. It was truly magical as we watched the stories of Tiana from Princess and the Frog and Cinderella and Rapunzel from Tangled unfold on the ice. The first half was a little slower for us simply because we were not as familiar with the story of Tiana. But the costumes and entertaining songs were still really fun to watch. The second half was mostly the story from Tangled, which my boys LOVE! In telling this story, they had some incredible choreography numbers where Rapunzel and Flynn were swinging high above the ice from her magical hair! It was unlike anything I have ever seen in any of the other shows. We literally watched in awe as the dip flips and spins and flew through the air with no safety harnesses or nets. It was magical! (Even my husband was super impressed.)

This is a really great show! The finale brings all the princesses and their princes out onto the ice to celebrate the happy endings and dreams-come-true for these three brave princesses who dared to dream for something bigger than what they could see. Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream is a fun show for the whole family!!

You can catch this show with your family at the Allstate Arena all weekend. The show runs there until Jan. 29th then moves over to the United Center February 1-12.

Get 4 tickets for $44 on weekday shows — or Save $4 on weekend shows with code MOM. (Weekday shows include any performance Monday through Thursday. Weekend shows included any performance Friday through Sunday.)

Dare to Dream

Farrah — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:21:22 +0000

Come join us for Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream!

Opening at Allstate Arena January 25-29 then moving on to United Center February 1-12.

Celebrating Dr. King

Laila — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:06:28 +0000

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is special for my family. I am taking my 5 year old son to his first Prayer Breakfast honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King. I’m not sure why I waited until now but it seems like the right time to start having conversations with my son about Dr. King’s message. He actually asked me about ”King Day” when I mentioned that he didn’t have to go to school on Monday. My response was “What do you know about Dr. King?” He surprised me by saying “He changed the country”. So true.

In Dr. King’s 39 years he gave so many mesmerizing speeches about the ills of inequality, but he also gave us a vision for a world that has yet to materialize. That vision is something I want to share with my son. I will be honest and say that I think Dr. King’s vision has been simplified into his famous “I Have a Dream” dream speech. While this is a powerful speech, his message about love was far more moving.

“I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.” Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967

I want my 5 year old son to grow into a man who exemplifies this type of love in his interactions with others. I want my son to be proud of all of his identities but also love the diversity of all humanity in the way that Dr. King describes. Next year I hope to participate in a day of service with my son. I strongly believe that Dr. King saw service as a way to show love to humanity. And not just on his birthday but on a regular basis to show our appreciation for all that God has given us.

Looking for something to do with your children on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? Check out the DuSable Museum of African American History for fun and educational activities

The Magic of Shakespeare

Farrah — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:21:27 +0000

**GIVEAWAY ALERT!!**

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is performing a special show called “Witches, Wizards, Spells and Elves: The Magic of Shakespeare” on January 21st and 22nd only in their beautiful Navy Pier theater.

Theatrical magic and musical masters blend to draw young audiences into the performing arts in an hour-long family concert. Chicago Shakespeare actors and The Chicago Chamber Musicians bring together theater and classical music to create an interactive concert, giving children the opportunity to discover, up-close, the excitement of live performance.

Recommended for children ages 5 and up. They have 10am and 11:30am showtimes on both days. At 11:00 a.m., also on both days, performers will be available for autographs and pictures in the lobby, while young musicians demonstrate and answer questions about the featured instruments.

If you have never seen a show in this theater, you must check it out. The room is not super big but the seats surround the stage on 3 sides and have multiple balcony levels so everyone feels like they are right in the middle of the action. We saw Pinnochio there last summer and my boys and I were just wow-ed!! I’m sure this show will be pure magic too!

Wanna see for yourself? Tickets are on sale now for all 4 performances and I’m sure they’ll sell out quick. Also, DupageMamas has been given 4tickets to giveaway to one lucky reader. Simply comment here to be entered and make sure I have an e-mail address where I can reach you if you win. Winner will be chose on Sunday January 15th and will be contacted via e-mail. I will connect you with the theater staff so they can hook you up with 4tickets to the performance date/time of your choice. Hooray!! A fun family-friendly activity!! Love it!

Protect-A-Bed: A Healthy Solution

Farrah — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:05:06 +0000

Have you ever seen a bed bug? Hopefully the answer to that is no, for your benefit. Thankfully, I have never had them in my home or apartment. But I have seen one, and it is not pleasant.

I recently had the honor of attending the grand opening for Protect-A-Bed‘s new offices/warehouse up in Wheeling. And while the magnitude or their new space was impressive, it was the showroom that captured my attention more than anything. They had real bedbugs on display ( in sealed cases of course) and it was disgusting. Really, really gross. And the thought of that being in my bed… can’t have it.

Protect-A-Bed is a premium line of waterproof mattress and pillow covers that offer the highest level of protection against bed bugs and dust mites and other allergens that might be making you and your family sick without even knowing it. Just thinking about all the things that could be plaguing us makes me queasy. It seemed to me like a natural decision to choose Protect-A-Bed covers for our beds for simply that reason. But there are so many other reasons too.

Now that you know the details, here is why I really love our Protect-A-Bed covers: They have deep sides which means they don’t come off the mattress no matter how squirmy my boys are when in bed with me. I love that they are 100% waterproof, protecting my bed (and pillows) and my boy’s beds from the occasional accident or spill. They top part is a cushy terry cloth that is actually very cool and comfy to sleep on.

Protect-A-Bed offers a special set of mattress covers for potty training. It comes with 2 mattress covers and a pillow cover. They do this thing called “crib lasagna” where they layer sheets and mattress covers so that in the case of an accident you just peel off one layer and don’t have to re-make the bed (‘cuz it usually happens in the middle of the night) because the second set is waiting underneath, perfectly dry and clean because the Protect-A-Bed cover has kept it perfectly protected. Brilliant. They also offer other kits for students (dorm mattresses??) and kits for the most complete allergy or bed bug protection.

I have two young boys who still occasionally have nighttime accidents. My husband has a sweaty head. We also have a dog and I’m a bit of a germ-a-phobe. Plus bedbugs and dust mites really creep me out. Can you think of any more reasons why I would need good mattress and pillow protection? I am grateful for the healthy protection Protect-A-Bed offers. And for helping me extend the life of our mattresses too. What are your reasons? Whatever they are, I know Protect-A-Bed has solutions perfect for you and your family’s needs.

Disclaimer: I was given mattress covers courtesy of Protect-A-Bed to try for our family in exchange for my honest opinions and testimonial regarding the product. While I was given the product to try at no charge, the opinions expressed here are purely my own with no influence from the company or their representatives. I purchased the pillow covers myself.

Kid-Friendly Movies

Farrah — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:33 +0000

My family and I just spent a week in Florida with my parents. It was so wonderful to have some downtime and lots of sunshine (and 70degree temperatures!!). During our downtime, we had the chance to see a couple movies (with the kiddos and without them). So if you are in the market for a movie during this holiday week, here are a couple I can recommend:http://www.dupagemamas.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

We Bought A Zoo: In theaters now- Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

Based on the true story of a man who lost his wife and then spent his life savings on a run-down zoo out in the country, this movie is truly one of the best I have seen in a long time. I cried through at least half of it, but I am a bit emotional these days and it struck a chord with me on the issues of loss and letting go. Our entire family went, ages 3 to 61, and we all loved it. It is heart warming and funny and deeply touching. I can’t recommend it enough, for all ages. And seeing Matt Damon as a loving daddy who would risk anything for the well-being of his kids and who deeply misses his wife whom he adored… that is worth seeing the movie right there!

A Dolphin Tale:

This one we got on-demand (not still in theaters, but maybe on Netflix or Redbox). Harry Connick, Jr. and Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman.

Another emotional movie involving animals… seemed to be my theme for the week. Also a true story, the movie is about a shy young boy who finds an injured dolphin on the beach. The two become instant soul mates and help each other heal in different ways. This is another one that my whole family, all ages, just loved. Also emotional and touching, but mostly just a really sweet movie with a good ending. Another highly recommend!

Other recent favs:

Soul Surfer- This is that movie about the girl who lost her arm in a shark attack a few summers ago (see… another emotional animal-related movie). I was skeptical because the whole thing had the potential to be very lame. But I was pleasantly surprised. It did have lame, predictable moments when she was re-learning how to surf and finding the courage to see life from a new perspective. But overall, I really did think it was inspirational and a good story. My 5yr old was fascinated by the idea of a shark biting a girl’s arm off but actually got the message of courage and not giving up when things are hard (BONUS!). A decent rental if you are in that kind of mood…

Bolt- Cute story about a dog whose undying devotion to his little girl lead him on an adventure across the country. He thinks he has superpowers (which my little boys loved!) but quickly realizes he needs his friends to help him get back to the little girl he adores. It came out in 2008 but we just saw it a few weeks ago ( I guess we are behind the movie-curve a bit). Very cute and not lame.

Winnie the Pooh- The one that came out in theaters this summer just came out on DVD. We saw it this summer and the boys got it for Christmas. It is classic Winnie-the-Pooh, the gold-standard for kids movies in my mind.

What are your recent favs? Anything good to add to our list to get us through the winter?

Holiday Tips for Families with Special Needs Kids

Farrah — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:27:15 +0000

The holidays can be busy, challenging days of us. There is lots to do, places to be, fun to be had. This time of year can bring stress along with the joy and good times, but this is especially true for families with special needs children. Today’s guest post is from Julie Martin, center director of BY YOUR SIDE. A unique therapy center dedicated to providing speech and language therapy, BY YOUR SIDE provides ABA therapy and Occupational therapy to children, teenagers and adults with autism. Julie offers parents advice on making the holidays special and stress-free for their special needs children.

1. Create a visual calendar with pictures representing special events and time off school. Special events may include visitors coming to the house, decorating for the holidays, traveling, and visiting family and friends. Anything that changes in the daily or weekly routine is helpful to incorporate into this calendar. Pictures can be found in Google images, Boardmaker, newspaper clippings, drawings or personal photographs. Be sure to cross off each day when it has passed.

2. Create activity schedules for special events, especially things that include multiple outings and times of waiting (i.e. go to see Santa and then go to Aunt Sally’s house). Do this by writing a checklist or using pictures to represent the sequence of events (drawings, photos). Be sure to include a way to check off when the activity is completed. If possible, use a timer on a phone or watch for things that include waiting or a dedicated amount of time.

3. Opening presents can be the most exciting part of the holidays, yet all of the excitement can be an assault on the sensory system for some individuals. Try to find some fun ways to bring structure to gift opening (i.e. take turns by pulling names out of Santa’s hat) and have a safe place in the room (i.e. a pillow fort or a tent) where the child can comfortably participate. Most importantly, be aware of signs of stress from your child and give them a choice to remove themselves to a less stimulating activity.

4. Share information by creating an “About Me” worksheet with your child. Include things your child likes and dislikes (this is helpful for gift ideas), things that are funny, and even things that are upsetting. Send the completed sheets to relatives and friends who will be part of holiday celebrations. You and your child can also use the same sheets to learn about members of the family (include pictures) so your child can become familiarized with them before the visit.

5. Structure down time with activities and events that are special needs-friendly. Many holiday preparation activities can easily become a structured learning opportunity such as baking cookies, wrapping presents, and decorating Christmas cards or envelopes.

BY YOUR SIDE is a center for children, teens and adults with autism in the Chicagoland area providing both group and individual therapy in a comfortable home-like environment. These strategies coupled together have helped individuals with autism and their families develop better communication, social and behavioral skills. BY YOUR SIDE offers a number of programming options to address the varying needs of the autism spectrum. Frequency and intensity of the program is unique to each individual and determined by the therapy team which includes the family as an important member of that team.

With hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, BY YOUR SIDE accommodates a variety of schedules. They are currently located in Burr Ridge but have another location opening in Schaumburg this March.

For more information or to schedule an evaluation for either location, please call (630)590-5571 or visit BY YOUR SIDE’s website at www.ByYourSideAutismCenter.com.

A few things from under my tree.

Catherine — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:03 +0000

Tis the season…for publishers and toy makers to send free stuff for bloggers to hopefully love and write about just in time for their readers to buy for Christmas. I too have accumulated a small pile of items that I liked enough to include under the tree (just wrapped all my presents this morning!).

MEGA Bloks Blok Squad!

My son received his first Block Squad set for his birthday and couldn’t have been more excited. He loved setting up the three construction trucks the set contained and then playing with them for hours. To be honest, though the manufacturer says these toys are made for kids ages five and up, my five year old is just on the cusp of readiness for this. Ready enough to love the idea, love putting it together, love playing with it – but not yet ready to put it together himself or actually keep track of all the tiny pieces at clean up time. Which of course means some work (or, play) for mom and dad. I think five is a smidge too young for these admittedly super-fun bloks…but then again, I must confess…he’s got the Fire Patrol Rescue set under the tree (shhh! don’t tell!)

Franklin Goes to School

Who doesn’t love Franklin? This book isn’t strictly under my tree because it is actually on my Kindle – I have the ebook from Open Road Media. Franklin is so classic he almost transcends review – but my boys love him and I’m sure this will come in handy when my sons begin new schools next year.

Song of the Stars

I’m always looking for good children’s books about Christmas to add to our collection because we have an Advent tradition of hiding one Christmas books each day, finding it, and reading it. I don’t actually have enough to make it through to Christmas (which, frankly, is fine since I forget as often as I remember) so I’m always excited to find a good one. This super sweet book is very close to the top of the stack, in my opinion. It tells the Christmas story from the perspective of nature – the world God made preparing to welcome Him at his birth. I love both the illustrations and the writing. Love this one!

Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas

If you know me, you know that I’m liable to break into song at least once in any conversation. And honestly, it would be a lot more often if social convention didn’t keep me quiet. I also love to expound upon unusual points of trivia so I was excited to read a book which claimed to give the background to the best loved Christmas songs. To be honest, I was a bit dissapointed – I was hoping for carols and hymns and the book mostly covers…hits. Which is my own fault since I did not in fact order “Stories Behind the Greatest Songs of Christmas” – which was written by the same author. So with that minor misunderstanding aside, I am enjoying adding to my cannon of obscure facts to blurt out the next time I belt out a Christmas song.

Disclaimer: each of these items were set to me for review at no cost. The decision to review them and my opinions are my own.