Because I have a child that has a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder, I’m always interested in learning about the latest therapeutic and technological innovations available for treatment. Advanced Brain develops interactive software to improve memory, attention and academics. Auditory training is something my son responded to positively in therapy once before and it was very interesting to watch.

The Listening Program® (TLP) is a music-based auditory stimulation method that provides engaging brain stimulation to improve performance in school, work and life.

Children, teens, adults can use the program in the home, classroom or workplace. Completely portable and easy to use, The Listening Program fits easily into anyone’s schedule and only requires 15 to 30 minutes of daily listening.

The Listening Program is a fusion of beautiful art and sound science. The Listening Program’s psycho-acoustically modified music and patent-pending production techniques are designed to stimulate or “exercise” the different functions of the auditory processing system. This enables the brain to better receive, process, store and utilize the valuable information provided through the varied soundscapes in our lives such as music, language and the environment in which we live.

If you’re looking for a listening program or need help finding a local provider of ABT products and therapies, the website can also help you locate a provider free of charge.

I have everything and nothing to say, so I thought I’d lay it all out here in one giant ramble for all two of you who care. My life is not normally so bustling with activity, so I feel all, “Call my secretary and make an appointment to speak to me”-ish. Only, I’d never actually tell someone that.

1. I have a bridesmaid dress to pick up and pray it fits. Next weekend is my cousin’s big day! We are all so excited AND my E.B. will be wearing a tux for his debut as ring bearer. I’ll probably just eat him up right then and there because I can only imagine the cuteness will be too much to stand.

2. I also volunteered to help teach the Pre-K class for VBS at church. Why yes, I am a little insane, thankyouverymuch.

3. E.B. will be getting one of his immunizations tomorrow that he needs before school starts. If you hear screaming clear across the Mason-Dixon, that would be my kid. I’m armed and prepared with Dove chocolate and a trip to the Dollar Store to buy some consolation cheap plastic crap to make it all better.

4. It’s freakin’ hot here.

5. I can’t remember #5, but I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that school uniforms still need to be ordered and holy cow, my kid has totally grown out of everything this summer.

And that’s about all, folks. It may be several days between posts from here until the first of August, or I may post like a madwoman out of sheer adrenaline and nervous energy because I have a trillion things to do and procrastination is my specialty. *ahem*

Oh, you didn’t think I was going to NOT blog about this, did you?

I don’t have a whole lot to say on the subject, except that the video below is how I want to remember him. Before the cosmetic surgeries, the legal battles, and the weirdness that made him headline news. Just the music, the glove, and the moonwalk. Because at 10 years old, that’s all I cared about.

After almost losing sight in my right eye when I was 13 as the result of a corneal ulcer that wasn’t responding to treatment, I always vowed to stay on top of my child’s visual health right from birth. Are you aware that:

An estimated 200,000 children are born each year with visual deficits.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), vision disorders are the number one childhood handicap.
Only 21 percent of children in the United States have their vision screened before kindergarten.
72 percent of children with vision deficits go undetected until after the window for effective treatment expires.
More than one in 50 children have amblyopia, a serious vision disorder, which can lead to blindness in one eye.
Amblyopia is poor vision in an eye that otherwise appears normal. It occurs when the brain does not recognize the sight from that eye. It is very difficult to detect Amblyopia.
3.8 million adults are legally blind in one eye or visually incapacitated due to amblyopia.

Thanks to the Enfant™ Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System, detecting vision problems in small children is now easier than ever. The test is non-invasive and recommended for children ages 6 months and up in order to detect visual deficits such as strabismus, optic nerve disorders, and severe refractive errors, which could lead to amblyopia.

If you are concerned about your child’s vision, start here by taking a free online assessment and then visit Enfantvision.com to learn more.

How does this:

turn into this?

And why does it have to happen so fast? What I wouldn’t give to pinch those chubby little cheeks and legs again!

When we receive special product orders at work, it’s often my job to call people to let them know that what they ordered has arrived and they can come pick it up. The part I love about this is that some people are so excited to hear that something they’ve had to wait on is finally in that they act like I’m with Publisher’s Clearing House calling to say they’re instant millionaires. It’s good to feel needed like that.

Then there are those. Those. Those that I must leave a message for on their voicemail. I don’t mind talking to a machine, but some people have taken their right to creative telecommunications to epic levels of FAIL. It always starts out with me calling them only to have to listen to a personalized ring tone. Instead of a regular ring, I have to listen to several lines of the popular Christian song of the minute, usually something by Casting Crowns or Third Day, before I get their voicemail. Then the fun really starts.

Yesterday I called a woman’s number to be greeted by a nice enough voice telling me to leave a message. She then went into a tyrade about how the only way to become a Chistian is to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. Ok, I’m down with that. Then she went on and on in the message basically repeating the same thing until I guess she finally ran out of recording time. What should have took at the most 30 seconds to say took over 2 minutes. 2 minutes to leave a message at the tone. I was pretty mad after listening to all of that and not because I didn’t agree with what she was saying, but that was 2 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

Some people feel the need to sing their recorded message, which is fine if you can actually sing, which is not the case 9 times out of 10. Then there are some that have their children record their message, which is cute assuming I can understand them. (Say it with me, Class!…”Which is not the case 9 times out of 10.”) And my favorite? The message that says, “Hello?” when it answers and you start to say “Hi, this is Mommy Cracked from__________ Bookstore. I was just calling to tell you that…” and then the voice starts cracking up saying “You thought it was me!! You fell for it! Now leave a message and I’ll call you back!”

Har. Har. Har.

In conclusion, if I have to call and leave a message for someone I prefer to do just that and not be subjected to annoying performances of what a person thinks is funny or entertaining. Because I’m all about business like that.

What say you?

If you’re looking for a fantastic way to keep your uploaded photos organized online, share them with friends and family, AND turn those pictures into fantastic keepsake products, then you’ll definitely want to check out Multiply.com,

Multiply offers users so many great solutions for all types of media.

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I found the site very easy to navigate and the auto uploader made uploading my pictures a breeze. Even if your pictures are already uploaded on another site like Facebook or Photobucket, they can easily be transferred. I was also highly impressed with all of the photo products they offer, especially the holiday photo card line. You can skin your Multiply page with different themes and they look almost like mini blogs. I was also relieved to see that there is a privacy level you can control to choose who can view your pictures. The site is very family friendly. I’m sold and I know you will be, too!

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