Sea Ranch: A New Favorite!

I think we have a new favorite house at Sea Ranch... the most amazing views from every window and the coastal path goes behind it so the privacy is amazing. We had an amazing time!

Here's the house, it's called Sunset Point.

View looking North from the bluff

View looking North from the tide pools below

View looking South from a different peninsula

View from the driveway before you're out on the point with 270 degrees of ocean

Inside there are lots of glorious places for sitting with a view (and the internet was the best we've ever had at Sea Ranch... full video-connection stable!)

When creating a feast in the kitchen bellow, my husband occasionally got spied on by my mom from her office above... but maybe it was the smell of duck!

That does seem to invite one to share food photos of Andrew's masterpieces next... duck, rabbit, Beef Bourguignon... fancy sides like artichokes and rosemary potatoes... glorious!

The spring flowers were especially glorious this year leading to the first of two favorite photos of the trip... so pretty!

And more flower lovelies:

And then there are the views from the trail and beaches full of birds and sparkling ocean and cozy logs to rest on when you want to just ponder the loveliness. The last one of this group gives me a special smile... my mom made a footprint heart in the sand :) 

And, there's my love of the tide pools... especially finding sea urchin shells! Squee, so much fun!

Finally, there are the views from the point itself which were an unending delight and... my second favorite photo is the final one here. Sharing the beauty of this place that nourishes me every time.

Last IEP. A Crossroads.

After fourteen years, I've completed my last IEP qualification meeting and it feels kind of strange. We'll have brief tweaks, but I won't have to go through the process of providing data and advocating for him to receive an individualized education. That piece, that huge piece, is done. 

He is seventeen and will soon be done with his sixth semester of college. He's been delaying graduating by leaving one requirement untaken, but intends to just finish next semester. In December he'll get his high school diploma and his associate's degree and then...

We've been chatting about jobs and four year colleges and choices open to him. He will be a legal adult when he graduates, but the asynchronous development is still a powerful challenge. I'd guess he's roughly five years from the maturity level to live on his own... and he currently has no interest (including no interest in college dorms).  

So, a new challenge will soon present itself. How to help my son gain maturity when he's a legal adult, a college graduate, a brilliant and quirky person who doesn't have a clear path he wants to take. So far, our thoughts are a part-time job and part-time college classes in math because it's currently the subject he's most likely to turn into a career. But, he doesn't have the maturity/skill yet to drive a car and struggles so much with social skills... could he get a job, keep a job? If not, are those the best opportunities to suggest for learning?

I'm just pondering now. We've got a good six months before I get to figure out that gameplan of balancing support and letting reality be the excellent teacher it is. It's just odd to walk out of an IEP meeting knowing that the huge roll of coordinating his team is coming to an end... I will never be in another triannual going through the details of an Autism diagnosis point by point so he can qualify for services. He won't have a team. Honestly, I think he's ready to tackle more complex academics and advocate for himself independently... the rest of real-world independence, I feel a new era of trial and error is about to begin.