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Category Archives: Thankful

Thanks Giving

04 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Ann Kilter in Achievement, Asperger's syndrome, Autism, Disability, faith, Thankful

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

asperger's, autism, giving, Thanks

Giving thanks saved my life.

During the 1991-1992 school year, all three of my children were placed in special education. As upsetting as this was, it took two years for me to descend into depression. The practice of thankfulness helped me to come out of it. Here is that story in more detail, Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks:  https://annkilter.com/2011/12/13/rejoice-pray-give-thanks/

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”(I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Every year, at Thanksgiving, we make a practice of telling each other what we are thankful for. Many of my friends on Facebook are posting what they are thankful for. This is good.

Lately, I have been thinking about giving thoughtfully in response to my gratitude. In  the past, I have given to homeless shelters, the Salvation Army, and food drives. Every year, my church has a Thanksgiving Eve potluck and service. During the service, some members of the congregation will share how God has blessed them in practical and spiritual ways. At the end of the service, an offering is taken and we give in response.

This year, I think I would like to give more, thoughtfully and frequently.

Thanks. Giving.

We have been blessed by Easter Seals therapy programs, equine therapy, our school marching band. When the opportunity arises, I want to practice more thanks giving.

Aaa

Pretend Play

01 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by Ann Kilter in Asperger's syndrome, Autism, Thankful

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

asperger's, autism, fun, pretend play, trick or treat

Halloween is one of those great holidays that brings out the child and the memories in all of us. Ralph took them out trick or treating every year that they went out.

Will couldn’t stand a lot of “hard” clothing or costumes, so one year I sewed big round dots (very loosely) on his daily wear of sweatshirts and sweatpants, along with a headband with ears attached. He was a very cute dalmatian dog.

Take every opportunity to pretend with your kids.

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Pancakes

12 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by Ann Kilter in Achievement, Asperger's syndrome, Autism, Disability, high functioning autism, Independence, Thankful, Transition issues

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

autism, church cookbook, cooking, easy recipe, independence, pancakes, simple recipe

Will posted the following on Facebook last night…

“I am very grateful that Ann Kilter taught me how to cook. These pancakes are delicious!”

Then he told me that he is planning to make one of Trinka’s recipes: Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Last spring I gave him one of our church cookbooks. He must have been reading through it last night. Church cookbooks (or Junior achievement cookbooks or Women’s club cookbooks) are a gathering of favorite recipes by the members of an organization. Our cookbook is a treasure not only because of the wonderful, ordinary, simple recipes, but also because they are the favorite recipes of people that Will has grown up with. Now that he is living away from home, it is nice to have that connection with his home church.

Last night he made one of the recipes I contributed: Grandma’s Waffle Recipe. My mother is one of those cooks who throws ingredients together without measuring anything. This method of cooking has resulted in some spectacular failures, but the great majority of the time, her cooking is highly praised.

I, however, am  not that kind of cook. For the most part, I closely follow the recipe. When I was nine years old, my mother was in the hospital for 10 days. My dad was left alone to fend for himself along with me and my three younger siblings. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was helpless in the kitchen. So I cracked open one of the many cookbooks my mother kept around for inspiration, and cooked dinner every night. My mother was shocked that it was me doing the cooking, and not my younger sister (by one year), because I always had to be dragged away from my books to help out in the kitchen. She bragged to everyone about how it was Ann that did all the cooking while she was in the hospital. She asked me how I managed to cook all those dishes. I answered, “I can read, can’t I?”

My mother always made wonderful pancakes and waffles, so over the years I repeatedly begged her for the recipe. She would say, “I don’t have a recipe. I just throw everything together.” Finally, during one of the times she was staying at my house, I said, “Let’s measure everything as you mix your pancake recipe. That way, everyone in the family can have this recipe.” So we measured at every step, and I wrote it down.

I never feel bad about serving this recipe because, for pancakes or waffles, it has a lot of protein.

pancakes

Grandma’s Waffle Recipe

5 cups flour; 1/2 cup sugar; 4 heaped plastic teaspoons baking powder; 2 level teaspoons salt (sparse); 4 cups milk; 1/4 cup oil; 3 large eggs.

Mix together  until roughly smooth (add a little milk if it is too thick. Stir in.) Use in waffle iron or cook as pancakes. This recipe is very easy to cut in half. (Use two eggs).

This recipe makes a lot of pancakes; so if we have any batter left over, I put in the fridge for pancakes the next day.

I am strongly considering having pancakes for supper tonight. 🙂

P.S. – As I am mixing the pancakes up, I am realizing that I left out a few important instructions. 1) You need two bowls. Mix the dry ingredients together in large bowl, and the wet ingredients together in another bowl (put the eggs in first and whip them lightly with a fork. Then add oil, mix, then the milk). Then make a well or cone shape in the dry ingredient bowl, and add the wet ingredients, and mix until mostly smooth.

When cooking pancakes, you need a flat pan…I use a large flat frying pan, although if you have just a frying pan, you could cook one at a time. My mother used a griddle. Grease the pan with margarine, shortening, or bacon fat. I am going to use margarine tonight. Turn the heat on medium low. After the pan is greased, then ladle about half a cup of batter where you want each pancake. (As you can tell, words fail me in these instructions). Spread the batter a bit with your ladle so that it is flattened out a bit. Let the pancakes cook until you see bubbles on the top it is not as shiny. Then flip the pancake to the other side. Check underneath with your spatula to see if they are brown. Then flip quickly with your spatula. Then cook until  the pancake is lightly brown on the other side. I always peak under the pancake with my spatula.

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And here is the sweet reward.

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Speech Practice

10 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by Ann Kilter in Achievement, Asperger's syndrome, Autism, diagnosis, Disability, high functioning autism, Thankful

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achievement, asperger's, autism, labor, valedictorian

Will’s voice echoed in the empty gymnasium as he practiced his valedictorian speech to a large empty room with chairs set in long rows, 20 deep. I sat in the last row, along with his speech therapist, social worker, teacher consultant, one of his English teachers, and his younger sister, Patty.

graduation

Will needed to get accustomed to microphone feed back. His words echoed, as he labored over them, sometimes sing song, at times too loud or too soft. The rhythm of his speech was off. He patiently endured our suggestions and started again. And again, and again. We spent five afternoons after school in late spring, helping him  get ready to deliver his speech.

He put up with the practice because he had labored long and hard to be the valedictorian of his small class. He was identified as gifted in the fifth grade. Although socially awkward, loud, skinny, tall, and sometimes bullied, doing well in school was gratifying. Something he could depend on. Something he knew how to do.

Looking back at this time from six years later, from success in college, and now a good job as a computer programmer at a large corporation, I sometimes forget his labor, his hard work to get where he is now. Continue reading →

Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by Ann Kilter in Achievement, Asperger's syndrome, Autism, diagnosis, Disability, faith, high functioning autism, Support, Thankful, Transition issues

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

asperger's, autism, children, disability, Regrets

When Mary was five, six, seven, I  used to talk to my mother on the phone about Mary’s developmental delays. I needed my mother’s support, her empathy. I poured out my worry, sorrow and despair about Mary’s test results.

One day I realized suddenly that Mary was very quiet, listening on the other side of the door. An uneasy regret settled in the pit of my stomach. Continue reading →

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