#DisneyPlanes Coloring & Connect the Dots Pages

I don't know about your kids but The Boy is really excited about Disney Planes!  August 9th cannot come fast enough. But for now, we'll have to settle for some cool coloring pages. Click below to print out yours.

The Boy had a blast coloring his!

Catch a sneak peek of Disney Planes

This is not a compensated post. All opinions are my own.

"I Love You To Pieces" Help a Special Ed Teacher with an Art Project for her Class #BlickARA

I remember when The Boy was first diagnosed with autism, he couldn't clap his hands or point his finger let alone hold a crayon to color or a pair of scissors to cut.

Suddenly art became part of his therapy, something that needed to be taught. Something that was work. And in the beginning, coloring wasn't his favorite thing. Cutting was frustrating. And let's not even get started on gluing.

And then one day all of that changed. Art became fun for The Boy. He started asking for crayons. He started coming home from school and was eager to show his art work. As for cutting and gluing? I have to hide the scissors and glue. 

Art allows The Boy to express himself in a way he can't do so verbally. He takes pride in his work and his creations bring him both joy and satisfaction.

      
So I am thrilled to partner with The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials to help The Boy's former teacher, Kiley, raise funds for art supplies using Blick's Art Room Aid program.

The Art Room Aid was created in 2009 by Blick Art Materials. A company that focuses on educational and professional art supplies, Blick has also consistently supported arts education in diverse ways. Whether sponsoring art scholarships or creating lesson plans that address national standards of learning while easing the burden on busy educators, Blick understands just how important collaboration is. 

Blick continues to nurture that deeply rooted investment in the arts and in educational communities with Art Room Aid. As the world becomes increasingly linked, skills like visual communication and creative problem-solving are more important than ever. 

If you’re an art educator, Art Room Aid provides the tools to easily share your dreams and funding needs without complicated applications or fees that take away from contributions. If you’re an arts advocate you can quickly locate a project that resonates with you and make a high-quality contribution that will go directly to a project in need. 

For more information check out the "help/FAQ" is a great resource: http://www.dickblick.com/ara/help/faq

An art major in college, Kiley - now a special education teacher - understands the importance of art, especially for children with autism. Kiley believes "art builds independence, imagination and creativity. It also gives our students a new way to communicate and express themselves when sometimes words are not possible." 

Kiley was eager to set up her Art Room Aid program to create her wish list of supplies for a Valentine's Day project: I Love You to Pieces. Kiley will use puzzle pieces and have students color them for their parents, she will assist her students to write "I love you to pieces" on them.

If you would like to support Kiley and help her student give their parents a gift they will cherish for years to come, please visit Kiley's wish list here - http://www.dickblick.com/ara/lists/2700/home. Every little bit helps and is always appreciated.

Kiley's favorite picture about art

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way. 

#BlickARA Twitter Party to Raise Money for School Art Materials

I have yet to write a post about The Boy's current school but it's truly a special place. And I'm excited to be a part of this program to help the teachers at The Boy's school raise money for art materials. Art is critical for all students - especially kids with special needs. They help imagination, fine motor skills, planning, socialization and so much more. But supplies can get expensive and budgets are constantly being cut. Too often, teachers are digging into their own pockets to purchase the supplies they need. And this is where Blick Art Materials wants to help.  

#BlickARA Twitter party details

What: Do you believe art is an essential part of your child's education? Then you already know how important art education is — and how schools are struggling to keep their art programs alive. That's where Art Room Aid can help! A program of Blick Art Materials, Art Room Aid is helping teachers across the country enlist the aid of parents, families, friends, and other art advocates to fund their art projects and keep creative learning going.  

Interested in learning more? Join this Twitter Party to find out how you can support art education, make sure art continues to play a role in your children’s lives, and spread the word about Art Room Aid in your community. We'll be discussing projects you can do with your own kids, and sharing sources of inspiration.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #BlickARA hashtag to track the conversation. See this Twtvite for more info and to RSVP: http://twtvite.com/BlickARA

Hashtag: #BlickARA

Prizes: We will give away five total prizes - two $25 Blick gift coupons, two $50 Blick gift coupons, and one $75 Blick gift coupon.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Check out Art Room Aid here: http://www.dickblick.com/ara

Blick Art Materials website: http://www.dickblick.com/

Disclosure: This is a compensated post sponsored by The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials. All opinions are my own.

On This Thanksgiving I Am Grateful...

For the warmth of my humble apartment. There are so many still without heat.

To have someplace to go tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner. There will be many who will be alone.

The Boy who has not yet discovered that I am not perfect. To him, I am close enough.

I have a husband who knows that I am not perfect. He loves me anyway.

I have family and a handful of friends who I can count on - no matter what.

I have a job. It's not the dream but it pays the bills. 

The Boy has made SO MUCH PROGRESS. Every single day, I am amazed. I haven't really had a chance to write much these days. But I am so very proud.    

I got one whole hour to myself today. I was completely alone. I ate my lunch in one sitting. I watched Parenthood on Hulu without pressing pause once.

My gratitude list could go on and on. But I'll stop here. Click HERE and visit my post on Parents.com/ToTheMax and find out what some of my autism blog friends are grateful for. 

The Boy made this at school. I cannot take credit for such creativity. I just don't have it.

We Don't Ride in Helicopters and The Boy Can't Draw the Skyline from Memory Either.

I don't what it was about last week but for some reason this Stephen Wiltshire photo was making the facebook rounds. For those who don't know, Stephen Wiltshire is an autistic savant and The Boy - obviously, hence this blog - is autistic too.

Someone tagged me in this photo. Two or three posted this on my wall. Someone sent it via facebook message. And someone else emailed it to me.

There captions were all pretty much the same: "WOW!" "OMG!" or "AMAZING!"

I know why they sent it. It's sweet, they are thinking of me.  Of us.  

And while I really really really do appreciate the thought, I kind of want to say two things:

1. The Stephen Wiltshire story came out in 2009 (maybe earlier). I've seen it.
2. The Boy is not autistic like Stephen. 

Stephen is a savant. And The Boy is not. And The Boy's art work looks more like this:

"Over the Rainbow" 2011

Norrin's "House" 2011

"Gumballs" 2012

And for me, The Boy's art work is just as WOW worthy as Stephen's.

So thank you to all who shared Stephen's art with me but The Boy's autism is not like Stephen's.  

Check out other autism myths & misconceptions I've heard by clicking HERE, for my lastest Autism Hopes post Parents.com blog post on To The Max. 

“He Doesn’t Look Autistic” and Other Autism Misconceptions 

    

  

Toy Boat Workshop @MaritimeAqua

a Father n Son project