Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 62

It's a Book Baby

 Congratulations! It's a bouncing book-baby!

Name: At the Boardwalk

Date: March 1, 2012

Weight: 32 pages

Proud Parent: Kelly Ramsdell Fineman ( kellyrfineman ) and Monica Armino

Godparents: Tiger Tales

From My Mail

I spent this week answering kids' mail so I can go back to my novel. Here are some lines that made me smile or touched me. 

I've read Rules four times and still find things that I missed before that.  --Josie

Do you have another job?  --Matt

I really relate to the story, because my brother has autism, too.  --Olivia

You use great author's craft! --Julianna

Do you think you could get me a guinea pig? I want one so bad. --Summer

When you wrote this book, how old were you? How old are you now?  --Alexis

Do you wear rubber duckies on your nails? --Lauren

The first time I picked up your book, Rules, my eyes could not stop reading the words. --Michelle

I used to have two guinea pigs. One was named Squeakers and the other was Pepe La Pew (Pepsi for short) --Hanna



Now when I see someone making fun of a child with a disability, I try to stop it, not let it happen and be a witness. --Brynn

I have read two of your books, Touch Blue, which I read in Maine with my uncle, and Rules I read at school. --Francie

Do you have a middle name? If you do, what is it?  --Marli

I first read your book in the 6th grade, and I can still remember the details so clearly. I could not help but feel as if the book was almost about me.  --Alicia

I am a new person to your books. But next time a book comes out, I'm definitely getting it!  --Grace

It makes me think of my brother with cerebral palsy. He can't walk, talk, or see, but he can hear like a hawk! --Abby

When I saw Touch Blue in my school library, I was so excited to read it. Your books are the books I really get into. --Meghann

If you had one wish what would it be? Mine would be to meet you. --Lauren

March Events

Southport Island, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Thursday, March 1, School visit, Woolwich Central School, Woolwich, Maine

Tuesday, March 6, School visit, Long Island Community School, Long Island, Maine

Thursday, March 15, School visit, Phippsburg Elementary School, Phippsburg, Maine

Tuesday, March 20, School visit, Hebron Middle School, Shepherdsville, Kentucky

Thursday, March 22, School visit, Glenburn School, Glenburn, Maine

Thank you, Crestline Elementary School!

  On Friday, I visited Crestline Elementary School in Mountain Brook, Alabama.  I came as part of the school's Celebration of Writing. There were four authors and two musicians presenting, and the kids cycled through our programs.  This wonderful racetrack greeted me outside the auditorium. 

  I love seeing the kids' hot rods!  Simms made a number hot rod.

  Annabelle likes polka dots!


  And Frank is all about the flames!

Around the corner was a wonderful display for Rules.

  This one made me smile.

  There has to be a story behind this one!

  Good point!  Bringing a walrus to class is never a good idea.

  :-)  Yes. 

The Civil Rights Museum, Birmingham, Alabama

On Wednesday, I flew to Alabama to spend time with three dear friends before my school visit. I wanted to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, and my friends took me there. 

  It was a wonderful museum--fabulously designed and very moving.  I'm so glad I had the chance to go. 

  The museum is right next to the 16th Street Baptist Church.  On September 15, 1963, the Ku Klux Klan exploded a bomb here during Sunday services, killing four young girls.  The museum has shards of broken stained glass on display from that event.  Seeing those scattered and broken pieces of colored glass was very powerful for me.

But one of the most powerful symbols of that time I saw was a piece of sculpture in the park across the street.  During the first week of May 1963, Birmingham police and firemen attacked civil rights demonstrators, spraying them with firehoses and using attack dogs. Many of the demonstrators were children.  The walkway takes you through this. . .

Giant Lobster Dropped Off At Maine Aquarium - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland

 
Pemaquid, Maine. Photo by my husband, John


Giant Lobster Dropped Off At Maine Aquarium - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland

Aaron in Touch Blue would be pleased to know this big lobster is going back to the ocean after a brief visit at the aquarium. 

Singing Songs About the Southland

  I'm at the Portland Jetport, waiting for my flight to Alabama. I have a school visit in Mountain Brook, AL on Friday, but I have some dear friends who live in Alabama, so I'm flying in a day early to spend time with them!  

This is the face that watched me pack yesterday, though. . . .Don't be sad, Milo. It's only a couple of days this time. 

Wordless Wednesday

Photo by my husband, John

Autism / аутизм

This is a photo of my beautiful boy, one of the lights of my life, around the age he was diagnosed with autism. 
Это фотография моего красивого мальчика в возрасте ему был поставлен диагноз аутизм.

Last Wednesday, I spoke at the US Embassy in Minsk to parents of children with autism, teachers, and some doctors. Before I even gave my morning presentation, one mom started talking to me in Russian. I was looking in her eyes and smiling warmly at her, waiting for her to pause so Olga, my translator, could begin, and as the woman talked, her eyes filled with tears.

There is value in telling your story to someone who understands. I gave that to those parents, and they gave it back to me. And the parents had the chance to meet and talk to each other--which was a wonderful thing, as well. At the end of my talk, I said to the parents, "My heart knows your heart," and they smiled and nodded. 

Culturally, Americans tend to hug each other more quickly than people in Belarus, but finally at the very end of the day, one mother was crying telling me how her 12-year-old son doesn't speak and she doesn't know how to help him and she was holding a little tape recorder, so they she would have a tape of our conversation.
I said to Olga, "Would you ask her if I can hug her?" The woman nodded.

She showed me photos of her son, and I gave her the best advice I could and wrote down some websites that she could translate with Bing. But even though I gave everything I had, it felt so little.
I'll admit that evening, I had a good cry myself in my hotel room having seen how much they need services for children and adults with disabilities in Belarus. I remember that terrible place of feeling helpless to give my child what he needed. I saw lots of tears from mothers and fathers who came up to show me photos and tell me about their beautiful children. It profoundly moved me, and I made a nice connection with some parents who are activists in autism. My connection at the State Dept. in Washington told me that if any emails came in Russian and Bing didn't seem enough to me, she would be happy to translate them for me.

It changed me to go to Belarus. I came home feeling grateful for all I have access to and the freedoms we have in the United States, but I have great love for the people I met in Belarus. 

I know that some parents I met in Belarus already read my blog.  So here are a few links to organizations you might find helpful. Вот несколько ссылок, которые могут оказаться полезными.

Autism Speaks/ Аутизм говорит
http://www.autismspeaks.org/ 
Аутизм говорит (the same webpage translated with Bing into Russian / переведена на русский язык):
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=ru&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autismspeaks.org%2F

Autism Web: A Parents' Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders / Руководство для расстройства спектра аутизма родителей
http://www.autismweb.com/index.htm 
Руководство для расстройства спектра аутизма родителей (переведена на русский язык)  http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=ru&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autismweb.com%2Findex.htm

100 Useful Sites, Networks and Resources for Parents of Autistic Children / 100 Полезные сайты, сетей и ресурсов для родителей аутичных детей 
http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/blog/2009/100-useful-sites-networks-and-resources-for-parents-of-autistic-children/
100 Полезные сайты, сетей и ресурсов для родителей аутичных детей (переведена на русский язык) 
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=ru&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mastersinhealthcare.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F100-useful-sites-networks-and-resources-for-parents-of-autistic-children%2F
 
Autism Community For Parents / Для родителей
http://www.autism-community.com/resources/for-parents/
Для родителей (переведена на русский язык):
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=ru&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autism-community.com%2Fresources%2Ffor-parents%2F
Autism Resources for Parents/ Аутизм ресурсы для родителей
http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com/resources.htm
Аутизм ресурсы для родителей (переведена на русский язык)
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=ru&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maximumpotentialkids.com%2Fresources.htm

Hen Cam!

I always find Terry Golson's, webcam soothing. I like to watch her chickens, goats, and big bunny. Especially since I get to watch them and don't have to do any of the work! :-)  

Today, they all just look so happy to be outside in the sunshine. http://www.hencam.com/

Terry lives in Massachusetts, and she has a wonderful children's book, Tillie Lays An Egg , and a great page of ideas for teachers and homeschoolers, too.

I was joking that we should have a webcam for our dog, Milo.  We could call it "The Couch Cam," because that's  where he spends most of his time!