How we do SCHOOL!!

Before I share the BIG NEWS, I'll remind you why we decided to look into alternative schooling!  We went to public school and really never had any other thoughts regarding where we would send the kids!  That was until Jackson started reading at three and more of his Asperger symptoms became clear!  The more I read, the more I learned how many people with special needs, especially people with Aspergers Syndrome, struggled in a public school setting.  I was also discouraged with what I was learning for friends who had been teachers in the public school setting.  I set out to find an affordable alternative!  The idea of homeschooling Scared Me To DEATH!!  I don't think there is any reason to hide that school was not really my "thing", and figuring out how to teach my kids everything they needed to know just seemed impossible!!

I instantly fell in love with the UMS model (University Model School)!  The name gives away the idea; is like college!  The kids go to a classroom (or "school") a couple of days a week, and the rest of their studies is done at home.  The kids are put into classrooms based on their abilities instead of age and all of their lessons are laid out very clearly for us to follow!

We have been attending an AMAZING UMS school for the past four years!   We have all learned so much!  Jackson was able to start school at age four and has done wonderfully!  I am constantly impressed by how much the kids are able to learn with the smaller class sizes and one on one attention!  It's awesome to be a part of their education and witness it first hand!  Because UMS is a part time school, the cost associated with it is a fraction of what private school would be and the bonus is all the extra time we get to spend together, the extracurricular activities they get a chance to do, and more time we have to take advantage of all the cool things Austin has to offer!

OK!!  Here is where the BIG announcement comes in!!!

We are opening a NEW UMS SCHOOL- 

  When I say "we", I absolutely positively do not mean ME!!  I mean several amazing men and woman that are so much smarter than I am, are coming together to form something new and innovative in the way of a UMS style school, and I will be crashing the meetings! ;)

      This new school is completely different then any other UMS school in the area!   This school will not have a specific religious association.  Three Oaks will be an All INCLUSIVE school for everyone that is interested!   Our goal is to educate children so that they can be "of the world, not just in the world"!  We want to see families of all backgrounds, of all types, of all religious beliefs, and of all ethnicities!  We want to explore and share the beliefs and values from all over the world so that our children will be armed and able to make educated decisions, not to mention be ready to face real world problems and controversies with confidence and a strong foundation of knowledge!

The school itself will combine the best parts of all the instructive methods instead of being trapped in one particular way of teaching!   We want to stay on the cutting edge of educational research and allow flexibility for our children who each have very different learning styles.  We want the focus to be on each child as an individual; their strengths, their weakness, and their personal way of learning.  We want to provide an unparalleled education, while focusing on teaching our children how to really "Love to Learn"!!

Among the many things that will make this school amazing; making a difference and serving our community will be a focus at Three Oaks School-  
"To meet our mission of inspiring leadership for the public good, Three Oaks School engages in a required Service Learning program that empowers our students to experience the world in order to learn from it and to be of committed and substantive service to others. Working together, Three Oaks students and teachers learn how to serve productively with partners in Greater Austin, across the country, and around the world in settings that are often unfamiliar and challenging. While learning how to solve problems as they emerge and being exposed to complex issues, Three Oaks students expand their view of themselves and the world, build empathy, independence, resilience, and humility, and come to understand that through their individual actions they make a positive difference in the lives of others." 

At Three Oaks we hope to cultivate delight and wonder. Our goal is to challenge our students without exasperating them. While we maintain rigorous academic standards, we foster joy in learning through connecting classroom efforts with hands-on activities, real-life experiences, field trips, and special academic events. Every teacher at Three Oaks School works to inspire students to pursue truth and delight in wisdom. In short, we want our children to not only learn, but to love learning.

Do you want to join us? Three Oaks is currently looking for pioneer families who are interested in building a new and unique school serving the North Austin area.  We need families to help us finalize our school's philosophy and values; and will be looking for students, teachers, and staff that want to be apart of something new and exciting!  Let me know if you are interested in more information!  Everything is just starting to come together and we would love to see more families join us on this awesome adventure!  A great place to start would be to like the facebook page, so you can get updates and information as it becomes available!

Wish us luck, as we exclusively home-school this year while preparing for the The Oaks School launch in 2015!!

Pepper's story and training... begins!!

   Pepper and Elsa snuggled up under the heat lamp at one week old!

 What a crazy couple of months it has been!  The puppies will be nine weeks old tomorrow!

When I rescued Chloe and Sunshine I had no idea what I was getting into! (But that is Always the case when you do stuff like that!)  When I say that Chloe had nine PERFECT puppies; I am not exaggerating!   For a momma that had been fending for herself for a while, and barely looked pregnant due to lack of nourishment... it's nothing short of a miracle!  They are all healthy, happy and with their forever families now; all of them, except Pepper!
    Pepper is going to my Uncle Scott who is having surgery next week and will need some time to recover before he takes on his new puppy.  In the meantime, I have begun her training.  Some extra attention is going towards Pepper and getting her train because it is our hope that she will become a service dog!  I have no doubt that between the two of us and other professional dog trainers (plus, all the advice/help I can get from my awesome dog trainer friends!), Pepper is going to make an AMAZING and stunning Service Dog!!
    My Uncle Scott was injured in the navy and now suffers with a very painful nervous system issue in his arm.  I'm not going to pretend to know exactly what it is, but I know that if anyone touches, bumps, or even brushes against it, it is EXTREMELY painful!!  
    Eventually, our hope is that Pepper will be a service dog for Uncle Scott!  Trained to be able to go everywhere he goes and always stay at his hurt arm, preventing people from getting too close! 
    Having a service animal in our family- My son's Autism Service dog- Angel, I know first hand how they can change your life and the lives of everyone around you!  Uncle Scott and Aunt Erin are already HUGE dog people (literally, they have had a house full of NEWFOUNDLANDS!!) and I just couldn't be more excited about all of this!!

    To top it off, my Uncle Scott told me a story from when he was a boy!  I just have to share because it completely confirms that it's all meant to be!!-

                          When I was like 5. I used to go up the street from my 
                     house and take the neighbors dog. Her name was Pepper!!! 
                    And when they started calling her I would put her in our 
                    mailbox. Then they would walk down the street and say 
                    Scotty, have you seen pepper? I would say no, and then they 
                    would tell me to bring her back home when I was done 
                    playing with her!!


Here is a little snip-it from today's training session!   At only nine weeks old... she's a smart girl, I tell ya!

Puppy time!!!

Finally, here are the individual puppy pictures I have been promising for weeks!   I will continue to update this post with who is available and who has already found their forever family!
If you are interested in adopting one of these sweet puppies, please shoot me a message!  There is an "application" to fill out, and we ask for an $80 donation to the J.P.W. Rescue Ranch account at Block House Creek Animal Hospital (which can be paid with cash, debit, or credit) to help cover at least part of the vet costs for our rescues!

The puppies were born on Sunday April 13th, and should be ready to go to their new homes once they are six weeks old.  At that time, we will make sure everyone is doing great, have their first round of puppy shots done, and evaluate whether or not they are ready to leave Chloe.  Chloe is a very young mom that we picked up after her owners abandoned her.  She is also available for adoption once all the puppies are weaned and she has been spayed (her puppies are beautiful, but one litter is more than enough for her!!).  I'll be sure to get her pictures up here soon!  Chloe is a small black lab mix and it is believed that the male dogs in her area were Catahoulas, but we are not 100%!

These sweet babies are just absolutely precious!  I've never seen such a unique litter before!

Lucky - aka Chubs!  Male,  Black with white on his chest,   AVAILABLE
Lucky was the first puppy born!  We named him Lucky because of that, but Dr. Curl has since warned me that "Lucky" tends to be a very unlucky name for a dog!  Since he has gotten so sweet, furry, and chubby, we have started calling him Chubs!!  He is mostly all black like his momma with a little bit of a white stripe down his chest!  He is one of our three pups that have long, soft, snuggly hair!  He feels like a little black bear cub!  Lucky is very laid back and quiet.  He is very comfortable being held, even like a baby!   

 

Elsa -  Female, White with a small amount of black,    AVAILABLE

Elsa's is our pretty white puppy with coal black eyes!  She has the cutest little half-black, half-white booty and she LOVES to play!!  

Eeeva - Female, Black and white with a little tan!  ADOPTED by the Guajardo

Eeeva (pronounced like Wall-E's girlfriend) is the sweetest little thing!  She is the littlest puppy right now, but she may have the biggest heart!  Eeeva loves to be held and will snuggle into your neck for as long as you will let her!

Midnight - Male, black and brown!  AVAILABLE
As his name suggests, when he was born he was ALL black!  The brown coloring showed up later and made his name seem a little funny!!  When looking at all the boys, Midnight looks like the smallest, but we were surprised that he was actually the heaviest puppy at the vets office!  Midnight's colloring and build makes us suspicious that he may have a different daddy than the other puppies.  He looks like he might have some Rot or German Shepperd in him!  He is a solid little guy with lots of energy!  He is already really good friends with some of our other rescued full-grown dogs, but he doesn't seem to notice he is the size of one of their paws!!

Mouse - Female, gray and white!  ADOPTED by the Moye Family (with Rusty!!)
Mouse is our precious little gray girl with piercing blue eyes!  She is uniquely beautiful and a very playful little thing!  She is very interested in the world around her and is ready to explore and play with her new family soon!

Magic - Male, black and white and tan!  AVAILABLE
I think Magic's name fits him perfectly!!  Look at that precious, handsome, fluffy boy and those magical blue eyes!  He is like his brother Lucky and has longer fluffy soft hair, and reminds me of a tiny little bear cub!

Pepper- Female, black and white and tan!  ADOPTED by the Ridenour Family!!
Sweet little Pepper was the last puppy to be born! We thought Chloe was all finished when out popped Pepper.  She almost looked like a dalmatian when she was born!  Her black and white markings are definitely more like spots, and she is absolutely beautiful with her sweet face and one dark eye and one crystal blue eye! 

Rusty - Male, white and tan! ADOPTED by the Moye Family! (with Mouse!!)
Rusty is a very unique little boy!  His eyes are two very different shades of blue!  I can't wait to see what he looks like full grown!  His uniquely light brownish coloring combined with his bright blue eyes are going to get him a LOT of attention!!

Little Foot - Female, black,white and tan!   ADOPTED by the Puterbaugh family!
Sweet little foot is our "in the middle" puppy!  She is not the smallest and not the biggest!  She doesn't have the short hair that some of the puppies have or the really furry longer hair that her two brothers have!  She's not the quietest puppy or the loudest puppy!  She is as sweet as she can be, and it's no surprise she was born right in the middle of all nine puppies!

 Didn't get enough pics of everyone, but don't worry, more to come!!
 

Vegas reuined our Service Dog!!

Ok..... that's a little harsh, it's actually The Tournament of Kings that ruined our service dog!!

Having Angel in Vegas was Awesome!  Have you ever been?  Just in case you are unaware, there are a LOT of people in Vegas!  Some of which you don't want to have anything to do with.  A not-all-that surprising benefit to having a "giant breed" service dog is that she is easily noticed.  Whether we are here in Austin, at a mall, or walking the streets of Vegas; Angel can part a crowd like Moses parted the Red Sea!  No need to weave through crowds of crazy people because even the drunks stumble out of our way when Jackson and Angel are in the lead!

Angel did great in Vegas!  She walked through the casinos like she owned the place and sun bathed at the pool like she was on vacation!  She was an awesome celebrity attraction for me at the All Baby and Child expo (which is why we were there), and went back and forth on the monorail like a champ!  We went to multiple shows, restaurants and hotels and she tagged along like always being very attentive and protective at first, and then relaxing and waiting patiently once she felt comfortable there was no threat in the area. 

I've pointed out the difference between Angel (an Autism Service Dog) and a typical service dog for someone that is hearing impaired or blind many times.  Angel NEVER STOPS WORKING.  When we get somewhere new, Angel takes a while before she relaxes enough to nap or lay down completely.  She will table (meaning- go straight under a table at restaurants and stuff) right away, but she won't lay down and relax till she has scanned the entire room and all the people in it.  I swear she makes a mental note of the emergency exists, what route she would take, and who she will take out first to get us to safety if need be!  (You know, like a good, very efficient, Aspie dog will do! ;) )   We have all adjusted and grown patient to this.  We know that it is because of her loyalty and commitment to her job, and her boy, that she does it.

AND THEN WE WALKED TO THE TOURNAMENT OF KINGS SHOW!!!    :/

If you don't know already, The Tournament of Kings is a dinner show!  It's one of those cool medieval shows where you cheer for your assigned knight while eating a traditional renaissance dinner with just your hands!   But of course we are in VEGAS, so it's not just jousting, singing, and eating.... it's fireworks, screaming, fire breathing dragons, fair maidens dancing on your table, sword fights, fake blood, smoke, bombs, lightening!!  It's really a very cool show!!

We were in the front row, dead center of the arena!

Walking down the stadium to our seats everyone was excited and then.... I realized where Angel was going to be! :/    The seats were set up where every other row was a table where your food was served and of course since we were in the front row there was a solid black wall on the back of our table that kept all the dirt and such from the horses from flying up at us while we eat and enjoy the show!  That black dark pit of an area was where our service dog was going to need to lay down and she wasn't going to be able to see ANYTHING.  It was a tight squeeze, but she has dealt with way worse!  The tight quarters were not the problem; you won't believe

the small spaces she can squeeze her giant white self into!  

The problem was the dark.

 Because of the wall dividing us from the arena and the extravagant dark lighting of the show, Angel was stuck down into a black hole where she could see absolutely nothing but our feet, and she could hear EVERYTHING!!   She was immediately nervous that she hadn't had a chance to scope out the environment and I was immediately wishing I had spent another $60 on a seat just for Angel!  I tried bribing her with pieces of food she would NEVER get anywhere else, but once the screaming people, the sword fighting knights riding around on horses, the maidens yelling to be saved, the fireworks that made everyone jump and the loud dramatic music of the show started.... I knew we were in trouble.  Not only was Angel freaking out with what she was hearing, and couldn't see, but she could also tell that her boy was stressing out too.  Jackson did a great job.  He could feel Angel at his feet and that is almost always enough to keep him from going into full on sensory overload, but he had his fingers in his ears and I know she could tell his little heart was pounding. 

The next thirty minutes were rough.  Angel was a nervous disaster.  She was trying so hard to get out of her dark hole.  She was shaking like a leaf and drool was pouring out like a faucet.  She was pawing Jackson's legs to tell him "it's ok" while also pushing with all her might against me to say "I WANT OUT!  I CAN'T PROTECT ANYONE DOWN HERE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WORLD WAR III IS HAPPENING THREE FEET AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!!"

We ended up moving her to the top of the seats, as far away from the arena as we could get.  Our "fair maiden", that was assigned to our section, was kind enough to let us know that the end of the show would include a giant fire breathing dragon that also set off an unbelievable amount of fireworks that could light up a stadium, let alone an indoor arena.  However, it was too late.  Angel was in her own full on sensory overload breakdown and when the show was over she literally DRUG all of us out of that casino faster than we can even remember walking!
She wasn't satisfied with being out of the casino either.  She didn't stop pulling until we were safely on the other side of the bridge that took us over the big bright Las Vegas Strip!!

Poor Angel was so traumatized by the Tournament of Kings show that when we would leave the MGM Signature (the hotel we stayed in) and go sightseeing she would absolutely REFUSE to walk up the stairs that led to either of the bridges that took you towards the Excalibur Hotel!   And when I say "refuse", I really mean REFUSE!!  She went from 90 pounds to 1090 pounds.  She was a stone statue that wouldn't budge no matter the pulling, yelling, bribing or threatening!  We had to walk several Vegas blocks out of the way to get where we needed to go.  If we were even pointing in the direction of the Excalibur Angel was not happy about it! 


I bring up the crazy Vegas show experience because this weekend we were reminded of the terror we put our poor broken service dog through! ;)  It was my baby girls first dance performance of the year.  We were in a gym, there was stadium seating...  Angel and the boys were sitting next to me and she was refusing to lay down.  I was embarrassed by her lack of obedience, but too excited to see the sweet smile of my Jovie-girl!   I decided to give Angel the time she needed to scope out the environment before I gave her the "mom look of death" which would make her lay down and chill out!  But...

Then the music started!!! :/

I'm pretty sure Angel went into full on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because the shaking, drooling, and pushing with all her might started right away.  I was holding her lead so tight as she pulled that my knuckles were turning white; all the while snapping picture after picture of my sweet little dancer!
Eventually, I gave into her fears (Jackson's therapist would be very disappointed!  I can hear her saying- "every time you give into his fear it will be 1000 times harder to help him get over it").   It was one of those "choose your battles" times and I chose dance!

My dog with Aspergers Syndrome could wait!!

I sent the boys and Angel up the elevator to the balcony and decided we would deal with it later!

Here's the problem (and the reason for this giant random rant)!  For the next three weeks my ballerina has her very first dance competitions and because I attempt to stress supporting the ones we love, Jackson and Angel should also be in attendance!   THIS. IS. A. PICKLE!!

Stupid Tournament of Kings Show!!!!! .\/. 

The vicious "Pitbull"....

Ok, someone I love VERY MUCH has got some Seriously WRONG information on this amazing breed and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, so I just needed to share some of this!!  

As most of you know, over the summer we rescued 11 "Pitbull" puppies and Duchess their amazing Momma, from being euthanized at a shelter in Galveston.  They had been saved from a HORRIBLE person who was abusing Duchess by hiding her in a box under a wood pile and breeding her over and over again for financial gain. (If I ever met one of these people face to face.... I can't explain to you or want to admit what would go down.  It would be no different than meeting someone that had or wanted to hurt one of my children.)

It took over our lives for several months.  (Literally, my daughter and oldest son didn't even have birthday parties this year because of all the house guest that needed every ounce of our time, energy and funds.)  It was more work than I could have ever imagined.  It was hard and sad and we were tested over and over.  Parvo stole three of their lives from us, but we fought back with everything we had (literally) to save the other nine.  My kids gained so much and lost so much at the same time.  I believe their characters were shaped by what we went through saving these animals and the sacrifices they made in order for it to happen.  It took a really long time and we were uncharacteristically judgmental and picky about who was going to get to take one of these babies home.  However,  the pictures and stories I'm getting from the families of the puppies we saved (most of which have small children) are amazing and heartwarming and make every single moment and dollar worth it!!  The three that we still have here could not be more loyal, sweet, or tolerant with the kids.  It breaks my heart to think that anyone would feel anything but respect and joy for these animals.



We are getting ready to start Duchess (the Momma we saved!) on her journey to become a certified therapy dog.  She will be visiting hospitals, nursing homes, daycare's, and schools to spread love and joy and snuggles to people and children because she has lived and survived a terrible life from horrible people and she is so incredibly grateful that you can literally feel the power of the love she has for anyone that will touch her.  Everyone that meets her feels it.  Everyone that meets her loves her. 

No one should be afraid of these animals.  Everything you read will tell you about how in the early 1900's "Pitbulls" (which isn't even an actual breed but a label used to describe many breeds with the same features) were the #1 family dog, also known as "the nanny dog" because of their tolerance and gentle nature towards children.  It was after the wars when men had fighting and violence on their minds that the Pitbulls reputation got truly messed up.  It was only because they were the popular dog of the time, so there were Many around, and because of how strong and loyal they are that some people now fear the breed.  

Uuuugggghhhhh, I could go ON and ON!!!   Having an unnecessary fear of these dogs, and even worse spreading it to children, is a heartbreakingly sad and dangerous (for both the dogs and people) thing to have. 

READ THESE, Educate yourself, and then come over and meet some of my babies!  I promise your life will be changed forever!!!----




http://pitsisters.org/facts-about-pit-bulls/

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/myths-and-facts-about-pit-bulls/

"Why the Bad Rap?
Sadly, the pit bull has acquired a reputation as an unpredictable and dangerous menace. His intimidating appearance has made him attractive to people looking for a macho status symbol, and this popularity has encouraged unscrupulous breeders to produce puppies without maintaining the pit bull’s typical good nature with people. To make matters worse, irresponsible owners interested in presenting a tough image often encourage their pit bulls to behave aggressively. If a pit bull does bite, he’s far more likely to inflict serious injuries than most other breeds, simply because of his size and strength. A pit bull bite is also far more likely to draw media attention. Many dogs of other breeds bite people, but these incidents almost always go unreported. They’re just not exciting enough fodder for television and print.
Despite this bad rap, a well-bred, well-socialized and well-trained pit bull is one of the most delightful, intelligent and gentle dogs imaginable. It is truly a shame that the media continues to portray such a warped image of this beautiful, loyal and affectionate breed. Pit bulls once enjoyed a wonderful reputation. Some of the most famous dogs in American history were pit bulls. A pit bull named Stubby, a decorated hero during World War One, earned several medals and was even honored at the White House. During duty, he warned soldiers of gas attacks, found wounded men in need of help and listened for oncoming artillery rounds. Pit bulls have been featured in well-known advertising campaigns for companies such as Levis, Buster Brown Shoes and Wells Fargo. The image of a pit bull, which was considered a symbol of unflagging bravery and reliability, represented the United States on recruiting and propaganda posters during World War One. Many famous figures, including Helen Keller, President Theodore Roosevelt, General George Patton, President Woodrow Wilson, Fred Astaire and Humphrey Bogart, shared their lives and homes with pit bulls.
Modern pit bulls can still be ambassadors for their breed. Some are registered therapy dogs and spend time visiting hospitals and nursing homes. Some work in search-and-rescue. Tahoe, Cheyenne and Dakota, three search-and-rescue pit bulls from Sacramento, California, worked tirelessly at the World Trade Center during the aftermath of 9/11. Others, like Popsicle, an accomplished U.S. customs dog, work in narcotics and explosives detection. Still others serve as protection or sentry dogs for the police. The majority are cherished family members. Pit bulls become very attached to their people, and most love nothing better than cuddling on the couch or sleeping in bed with their pet parents (preferably under the covers)!"

 Pit Bull Myths-
 “Pit bulls have locking jaws!” This is patently false. There is nothing unique about the anatomy of pit bull jaws. They do not “lock.” The pit bull’s fighting style, like that of other terriers, usually involves grabbing and shaking. Perhaps because of their hunting and bull-baiting history, some pit bulls also have a tendency to grab and hold on with determination. This does not mean that they can’t or won’t let go of another dog or person if they bite."