The Angel Forever

Finding Dory in November 2015

Posted on April 4, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Often times, I have to just keep swimming and I try to channel my inner Dory to remind myself of these powerful words. It should be no surprise that I was thrilled to learn that there will finally be a sequel to Finding Nemo and this time it will feature a popular and funny blue fish that we all know and love.

Yes, you read that right. On November 25, 2015, Nemo and friends will be back in Finding Dory. This time around, the story will be centered on Dory.

According to Stanton, “Finding Dory” takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life.

I know I can not wait to see Dory and all of the other old and new friends. Of course, while we wait, we can all watch Ellen announce the big news on her show. I love how excited she gets about her love for Dory.

So, will you be going to see Finding Dory when it comes out? I would love to hear about your Finding Nemo memories and what you look forward to seeing in the new movie.

It's Me

Disclosure: None! This was news that I received from Disney and simply wanted to share. As a long time Dory fan I wanted to pass along this fantastic news.

Categories:
Disney Movies

Rainy Memories at Disney

Posted on April 3, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

April showers seemed to come to mind for me when I was thinking about my April Disney calendar photos. We have been lucky and, during our April trip to Disney, did not encounter any rain. Of course, this was not true during other visits. So, in the spirit of the rainy days ahead, I am sharing some rain filled memories of visits to Walt Disney World. Some were from JSL’s 2nd birthday during our stay in May 2009 and the other February 2010 when the boys were stuck in a major downpour while I was at a conference. As you will see, they met a lot of interesting characters trying to stay dry.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney family travel

Today is World Autism Awareness Day

Posted on April 2, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Not only is today World Autism Awareness Day, but April is National Autism Awareness Month and it feels very different to me this year.

This year, we know that our son has Asperger’s Syndrome. For many years, I suspected that my son was on the spectrum. Almost a year ago, we found the one medical professional that really got to the bottom of everything that was going on. She listened, watched, observed at school, and tested our kiddo. She knew that this was a topic that upset me. You see, for many years we had people say yes and no over and over again. It wasn’t necessarily that the diagnosis of autism bothered me, it was the how. As an educator I am told not to judge people too quickly. Yet, several times, so-called professionals would meet my child and diagnose him within ten minutes. They didn’t talk, play, or interact with him during that time. They were talking with me and made the call on nothing else.

Autism Ribbon This year, I am an autism advocate and warrior. I am on a mission to make my son’s life better and to help others to understand him. He may be an Aspie, but it is not who he is. Thanks to an amazing autism community in the Capital Region and beyond we have found resources that have been beyond helpful, met fantastic friends, and educated ourselves and others.

The truth is we know NHL best and we are the ones that are going to battle to get him what he needs to be as successful as he can. His autism diagnosis has not been a bad thing, it helped us to finally have answers. It has allowed us to better understand our son and also TechyDad. You see NHL’s diagnosis actually opened his eyes to what he had been living and dealing with his entire life.

Yes, the geek that I fell in love with and married almost 12 years ago is also an Aspie. It explains a lot and has helped our family. TechyDad has been able to explain to NHL things that he has done in his life to learn how to relate in certain stressful social situations.

My biggest wish for all those living with Autism in their lives is to find acceptance. Too many people judge, point fingers, and blame. Rather than do this, talk to families and friends you may know who have members on the spectrum and get educated. Do not look at the media for answers because they often sensationalize too much and are not always honest about things. If you find yourself with an autism diagnosis for your child, it can be overwhelming. I had time as we sought answers to learn to accept things. Still, it was hard to know where to turn first. My advice is to quickly look for support groups in your area. Find other parents and families that you can work with and who can help you learn the system. Knowledge is power and so is being part of a very supportive community.

If you take one other thing away from this post please remember that autism is a neurological and not psychological. People with autism are wired differently, not worse.

It's Me

Posts about autism written by TechyDad can be found here including Asperger’s Syndrome Resources. I have linked to some of my previous posts about autism above, but others can be located here.

Disclosure: The World Autism Awareness Day logo came from Autism Speaks and other materials can be found on their website. The Autism Awareness ribbon icon above was created by Melesse and comes from Wikimedia Commons.

Categories:
health awareness parenting PSA Special Needs

Capital Region Canstruction at the NYS Museum

Posted on April 1, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Imagine walking into an art exhibit that not only is visually appealing, but will also help to feed families within your area. This is the reality of the 3rd Annual Capital Region Canstruction at the New York State Museum. Canstruction is a design competition that has been taking place all over the country. In the Capital Region, local architects, engineers, contractors, and students participate in this event where the goal is to create imaginative art that is simply made of canned goods.

The exhibit will be on the 4th Floor of the New York State Museum (free) from March 28 to April 11. Once the exhibit is closed, all of the food will be donated to the Food Pantries of for the Capital District. If you decide to go, please bring some cans with you. Part of the fun is voting for your favorite structure. Each display has a bin in front of it where you can donate a can as a vote. The one with the most donations will win the Community Choice Award.

Let me take you on a tour of the festivities. When you enter the New York State Museum, a display is within the lobby area. It was made by Tech Valley High students and faculty members and contains 3,814 cans. As you will see, each display has a board explaining the inspiration, who designed it, and what cans are included. This display was the Community Choice Award winner last year.

When we went upstairs, we circled around the exhibit. I spent some time sending out Instagram photos, while the boys and TechyDad looked around. Our first stop was In Our Dreams which was made by Price Chopper. This had 4,000 cans of soup, 200 bottle of white grape juice, 48 cans of chunk light tuna, and 48 cans of albacore tuna. At first glance, we missed that the brain actually lit up. This was a very fun addition to the structure. Thanks to the extra feature, it won JSL’s vote for favorite and a can was placed in the donation bin.

From here you could quickly see the focus of the next display. Look carefully for the peace sign. Yes, this display was called CAN You Imagine World Peace? and was made from 5,778 cans of tuna.

One of the most colorful displays was next. Lucky LepreCANS – Catch them if you CAN had 7,500 cans. At the bottom of the rainbow and pot of gold is an outline of New York State made with cans. I’ll let you in on a secret – this was almost my favorite.

From here, we walked back around to the other side of the 4th floor to check out The Volumizer. This won the “Best Meal” honor and when you look carefully you will probably understand why.

Next up are some fun little fellows that you will likely recognize from Despicable Me fame. The Minions are part of the Minion-Mize HUNGER that had 5,450 cans including tuna, macaroni and cheese, instant bouillon, black pepper, cherry gelatin, chocolate pudding, Slim Jims, and roasted coffee. This was also the structure that captured NHL’s vote for favorite.

Across the way from the Minions was another very famous critter. Yes, Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar was the focus of The Very Hungry CANerpillar. This colorful creature, who stole my heart, was made up of 5,770 cans. As a teacher, the nod to literature and creativity on so many levels won my vote as favorite.

Heading back around the corner, we dove into some 8-Bit Mario game nostalgia. The game stats for SOUPER MARIO BROS. was very impressive. It included the following cans: 924 chicken broth, 777 tomato sauce, 414 corn, 380 tuna, 211 black beans, 144 green beans, 20 wax beans, and 110 boxes of spaghetti. I almost think the skillfully hidden question mark for a power up may have been what made it TechyDad’s favorite.

As we followed the yellow brick road along the exhibit area, we came to We’re not in CANsas anymore… which won for structural integrity. This fun recreation of Oz is made up of over 3,000 cans of tuna, green beans, dices tomatoes, pink salmon, jello, split peas, and sardines.

The last of the structures that we saw won for the best use of labels. When you see this, it is not hard to understand why. Can You Imagine an End to Hunger? features the face of Albert Einstein. When you stand back it blends beautifully together to look like the picture. Also note his famous formula underneath – I missed that when there.

We really did enjoy our visit to the 2013 Capital Region Canstruction exhibit. I know that the boys learned a lot, had fun, and so did we. We look forward to going again next year. Oh and be sure to look at #Canstruction on Instagram and Twitter because the events all over are fun to check out.

Categories:
local event PSA

Verizon Lifestyle Blogger

Posted on March 29, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It’s hard to believe that it has only been about a year since I entered the wonderful world of owning a smartphone. TechyDad and I held out for as long as we could. It really was a matter of trying to be frugal, but then we realized opportunities that we missed thanks to not having a more functional phone. I look back now and cannot imagine life without a smartphone. My phone allows me more freedom.

This is where I am honored to share that I am a Verizon Lifestyle Blogger. Yes, I was asked to participate in their program to try new phones within my life and share how I use them. As a long time Verizon Wireless customer, I can stand behind the customer service that we have had and continue to have with this company. Now, I am thrilled to be working with them as a blogger.

Part of MY World

Using apps are a daily part of my life. There are at least a dozen that I use each and every day without fail. This includes my e-mail apps, Facebook, TweetDeck, Pinterest, Chrome, Fitbit, Out of Milk, Add Watermark, Instagram, PicsArt, Kindle, and GoodReads. I also use the app for our local library to renew, request, and locate books. With a cup of coffee in one hand, I can sit down and get some work done right from my phone.

Never too Connected

Some people may think that being connected all the time is a bad thing, I do not. I am able to put my phone away and do things with my family. At the same time, thanks to my phone, I am able to respond to business on the go without worrying that I will not be at my laptop for hours. I do not think of it as making me too connected. My phone helps me as a wife, parent, writer, educator, and advocate. Teachers know that they can call or e-mail me at any time. If I am walking out of school, I can sit in my car and write a quick note to alert them. When in a meeting with someone, I can pull up a document, website, or other resource to share and make a point.

Mom is Almost Always Prepared

I am far from perfect, but my phone can help me in a pinch. Thanks to technology, the cameras within the phone allow me to snap photos on the go and not worry about getting my point and shoot camera if I am in a hurry. The video capability also is a wonderful perk that helps me to record milestones when I forget my regular video camera. I can set up my phone to be synched with a calendar to remind me of doctor visits, conferences, or other important event.

Of course, my phone has helped when I have gloomy kiddos waiting in a doctor office complaining about a wait, test, or other item. In a pinch, I can find something new on the go to keep them occupied, happy, and ease anxiety. Eeyore moments melt away for my Aspie son who has a routine when waiting. Yes, my smartphone could be considered therapy at times since it keeps him calm and happy in stressful situations.

So if you see me out and about, chances are my smartphone is very close to me. Like my original Droid Bionic, my new RAZR HD has become a part of who I am. It does not make or define me, but allows me to be a more organized version of myself.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Blogger program, I am testing out different devices and sharing how I utilize them in my life. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. We have been long time Verizon Wireless customers.