I was going through my updates on Facebook today when I came across a petition from Change.org

LINK

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At a “special needs school” in Canton, Massachusetts, children and teenagers with autism and other disabilities are being administered electric shocks as a means of controlling their behaviors.  As a former Teacher’s Assistant, I regret having participated firsthand at this school - The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC).

The human rights abuses taking place at the JRC are well documented. The United Nations is aware of the JRC and has called these shocks “torture”, and says that “The prohibition of torture is absolute.” Yet the school continues to use a powerfully painful electric shock device on students to control their behaviors. These devices are reportedly much stronger than police stun guns and were created by the founder of the Judge Rotenberg Center.

The Judge Rotenberg Center must immediately stop its practice of shocking special needs students.

Rather than shocking students for only severe behaviors, student behavior plans at JRC dictated that we shock certain students for even the most minor of behavioral issues like closing their eyes for 15 seconds while sitting at the desk, pulling apart a loose piece of thread, tearing an empty used paper cup, or for standing up and raising a hand to ask to go to the bathroom. In some classrooms, very often students who observe their peers being shocked react in fear by standing up out of their seat, yelling or crying, or throwing down their task -- and are then shocked for these reactions.

A non-verbal nearly blind girl with cerebral palsy was shocked as part of her behavioral plan for making a moaning sound and for attempts to hold a staff’s hand (her attempts to communicate and to be loved).

In 2002, 18 year-old Andre McCollins was strapped down and shocked for hours at the JRC. He begged for the shocks to stop and when they did, he was left in a catatonic state for days which resulted in permanent damage. Video of Andre’s shock treatment was sealed until recently and you can view it here.

The JRC’s founder, Dr. Matthew Israel, resigned after being charged with misleading a grand jury by destroying video footage of other students being shocked.

Not only does the JRC need to immediately stop this practice but Massachusetts legislators need to make these shock procedures illegal. These students are among Massachusetts’ most vulnerable citizens and have no voice of their own to describe their pain. They need your help.

Demand that the JRC stop shocking students now!

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I find this practice completely barbaric. Please, take a moment to read about this and look at the video. If you come to the same conclusion as I did, I hope you'll sign the petition. Every signature counts. Electroshock therapy should only be used on consenting adults who want to have the procedure done. It should never be used on special needs children who cannot give their consent.

To you, the person who had the SWAT team out here the other night because you missed killing yourself with your shotgun...

I'm glad that you're alive. And I really, truly hope that you find yourself a therapist and support system to help you deal with whatever drove you to try to commit suicide in the first place. There is hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I may have never put a gun to my head but I have been -this- close to suicide before thanks to some serious post-partum depression.

It can be hard, when life seems to throw you an obstacle at every single turn. But I promise you it gets better. There is help. And there is hope. Hold onto that and seek it out. You are the master of your destiny.

*hugs*

I was perusing Facebook today when I came across this picture that was being shared:

I don't know who the genius was that titled this "Pregnancy Fail" but I would like to point out to everyone who doesn't understand how the military works that essentially every soldier that is deployed for a year gets two weeks of R&R. Two weeks of time home with the wifey.

Yeah.

So before people go and start calling this chick a "fucking bitch" and all of the other colorful language I was seeing on Facebook, I'm going to say know what the hell you're talking about before making an assumption. Sure, there are some rotten apples out there. But chances are she is just your regular, faithful military wife. When my husband came back for R&R over halfway through his deployment, I got pregnant with our second child. Even on the pill. But I guess that is something you kind of expect to be a possibility when you're having crazy sex for two weeks straight. TMI? Sorry. But it's the truth. If you had to live without the love of your life for a year, never knowing if he was going to come home or get shot, you would too.

/rant

I've been so busy lately with the kiddos running around to different parks, going fishing, at the Mall of America, grocery shopping, and the laundromat. When I get home, I'm always dead tired. And often times (because I'm me) I'm pretty cranky.

My kids are good kids but they go through their phases. The disobedient let's-see-how-far-I-can-run-away-from-you phase of an almost two year old and the whiny-throw-a-tantrum-and-scream phase of a three year old mixed with I'm-going-to-pout-and-talk-sassy phase of a five year old can really wear mommy's nerves. I get home from the grocery store and just feel like crying because my last shred of patience is gone. That does not make for a relaxing night. Or a happy mother and wife.

Tonight, once the kids were in bed, I sat down on the couch and lit one of those five dollar Gain scented candles from Walmart. I set it by the TV and watched the wick slowly burn down to the wax. And just sitting there, watching that flame and inhaling the sweet scent of my favorite laundry detergent (yeah I'm weird - I love laundry detergent)... I felt so much better. Relaxed. Calm. Words that I didn't even realize could still apply to me when I'm this worn out.

And it was nice.

Sometimes it is the simple things, the small things that make all the difference in your day. A cheap candle even.

This second installment is long overdo...

From My Five Year Old:

While looking at a house online, I turned to G and asked her what she thought. She looked at it and began to hop excitedly as she said, "I love this one! Look! This is where I can throw away my straws!"

I heard G telling K "Go slash A's face! Cut her!" and it worried me so I found them and I was like "What do you mean cut A's face?" K was carrying around G's dull plastic pirate sword and G smiled at me and said, "We're pirates. We're supposed to be bad guys and cut you up." She then whispered in my ear, "We're just pretending, mommy!"

After a haircut, G tells me "I miss my crazy hair." (a.k.a. too long, needing a trim curls)

From My Three Year Old:

The girls were asking me about glasses and I told them that if their vision ever seemed blurry or if they couldn't see they should tell me so I could take them to an eye doctor. 'A' spoke up right away and said her vision was blurry. I asked her what it was like and she tells me "In the dark when it's black, I can't see at night. Something is wrong with my eyes...I need glasses!" 

"If you catch the monster fish, you can rule the world! Whoever catches it is the Master!" (while out fishing)

"I want kid coffee!" This is her reference for hot cocoa

From My Twenty-One Month Old:

"FEESH!" (fish)  Which she loves to scream gleefully while we're at the MOA's Sea Life.

"Coo!" (I'm cool)  Usually comes up to me and says this after putting on her sunglasses upside down.

"Tickle!" (Tickle me)  She runs up to me, says this, and then runs away because she wants me to chase her.

"Dada!" This is what she calls me husband...and our pet bearded dragon. Still trying to figure out the connection