The Great Toy Round Up

Yesterday started the old toy round up. It's a thing I try to do a least once a year. I go through the toys and try to get rid of any broken toys. Get any that are just to young for them and put them aside for giving away. I decided to tackle Lauren's room. Her room was a disaster. It took 3 hours and I removed 5 bags of trash. I went a little crazy. I labeled different drawers of her toy containers. I am hoping that will help when trying to pick up. You know, Babies here, horses here, Polly Pockets there. I am hoping to get the boys room next. I may even hit the toy box downstairs. This is the only way I can fit in the new toys. If lucky I might even start taking down some Christmas stuff.

New Photos of Mom

Lately I have been e-mailing a cousin of mine. We haven't talked in years. He and his wife are starting to look into the family history. I am currently the keeper of these records for my family. Anyway, John is looking for a family bible that I never knew existed. Really wish I could get my hands on it too. The problem is no one knows where it is. The good part is that we have been exchanging old photos. He spent some time with my uncle and got some old pictures of my Mom. They are great and I now have a photo of my Great-Grandfather that died in the first World War. Here they are. And yes, this is Samuel Ashton with Martha and Grandma Hahs for those in the family. I guess it's time for me to get back into research.

Christmas Photos

Here are some Christmas Photos. I hate to say I really didn't take that many. I was just enjoying the day.

Lessons for Arion

I keep having to tell myself that Arion is a lot like me. Poor kid. He has to learn the hard way. After surgery he was given some pain meds. The bottle said to take 1 to 2 for pain. He was only given a 4 day supply. I told him to try to only take 1 during the day and save the 2 for sleeping at night. I told him this would make them last longer. I tried to tell him that they wouldn't be giving him any more. Do you think he would listen to me? NOOO. He went on taking 2 most of the time and then found himself with no more pills. He then wanted me to call and get him more. You hate to say "I told you so" but what can I do. I told him to take Advil and see how it worked. Next time I think he will try harder to save the pills. Still, he is my baby and I worry. I wish some lessons weren't so hard.

Merry Christmas

I know, a little late. We had a great Christmas. Jim says it looks like a toy wave hit the house. There are toys everywhere. Christmas Eve was really fun. We went to church (even Jim) and the service was good, except that it was late enough that Brandon's med were no longer working. When we got home I made a quick dinner. We had been watching Santa on the Norad Tracker. It was fun to show the kids where he was. Also made it easy to get them to go to bed. Got really crazy when he hit Canada. They started screaming that he was almost here. We ran around to clean up and put out reindeer food and cookies and milk. Then they went right to bed. Half an hour later I went up to check and they were both awake. Brandon was steady looking out the window and was asking where was he. I told them that he doesn't come till they fall asleep and that did the trick.

Christmas day I woke up first and sat and listened for them to wake up. They were so excited. Lauren woke up Brandon. It was so funny to hear her telling him he had to get up and see what Santa had brought. As we started opening presents Lauren kept declaring this the best day ever. Brandon was able to unwrap all his presents in one sitting. Other years he would have to take a break and leave the room. Silly, I know, but progress. Later we went to my sisters and I got to see Arion (who spent some time with his father). We brought all his presents and I got to watch him open them. Generally the day went great. I would show you pictures, but I can't find the camera. I will post when I do.

The best quote of the day was from Lauren. I was running around trying to cook my special cheesy potatoes and an apple pie and she said "Mommy, you just have to learn to relax". I started to laugh. She was right. Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

New Photo for Lauren

I finally got Lauren school retake photos. They look pretty good. Of course there is no class photo. I don't think they take one in the spring. Guess I will have to do without for this year unless I can find someone that has it and will scan for me.

Arion's Surgery

We are back now from Arion's surgery. All went well, except the bone head won't stay still. Larry is here and keeps telling him to stay put. Yeah, did I mention that Arion couldn't take his meds today. On Tuesday Arion gets his "cotton tail" removed. Until then he just has to keep it dry and clean. I guess you could say "it's all well in the END" HA HA HA HA.

Screams in the Night

Last night Brandon had a splinter. Jim spotted it at bedtime. Just a tiny one in the palm of his hand. I told him I needed to take it out. This is when it all started. I took him into my bedroom to get some better light. He started crying from that moment on. He didn't want me to look and didn't want me to touch. When I got out the tweezers he started screaming. I hadn't even touched him yet. Arion came over to help and try to calm him down. I swear he screamed loud enough to shatter glass and I still hadn't touched him yet. He started pleading with me that the splinter was his friend and he didn't want it taken out. I ended up having both Jim and Arion help hold him and was able to push up from the bottom to get the top up enough to grab with the tweezers. I got it out and am only slightly deaf in one ear.

Stress, We Don't Have No Stinking Stress

God help me if I make it to Christmas. I still have shopping to do for Jim. He needs shirts, but he only likes one kind (you know - polo man). I've been everywhere and now it means I have to go to the outlet. I'm at work now, wrapping an endless stream of gifts. I keep thinking of people I've forgotten. I still need to make more cookies. Arion's surgery is tomorrow. Jim's sister is still having problems after her surgery and he's just a LITTLE stress out. Last night I flipped out on the kids because they unpacked their swim back that I had specifically packed before I left for work so I won't have to worry about it before trying to get them to swim class on time. My house is a flaming sh*thole. I CAN'T STAND IT. I can't even make my special rolls because Brandon broke my bread bowl. I might try to rise to dough in something else, but if it doesn't rise right I just wasted time, energy and all that flour. Work is insane. Both sites have problems. Jim hates his job too and promises to look for something else after the holidays. Arion wants to spend some time with his Dad, which is fine with me, but his Dad can't get off work. He wants to spend Christmas morning with Dad, but Larry is house sitting, which mean they have to go back and forth. This might be a problem if Arion is still in a lot of pain. HELP.

Go to Hell for a Day Card

It ought to be a sin. On Sunday Mary and I stopped by the cemetery to give Mom a Christmas Wreath. I got there first and was straighting the wreath when Mary walked up. She then said "Where is Mom's Bunny?" Here we go again. Someone has stolen her bunny again. She is supposed to have a bunny peaking around the corner of the stone. My mother always loved bunny's so we put one (or shall we say several) at her grave to keep her company. This must be the 3rd or 4th one we have had stolen. As we looked around we saw one 3 graves down that looked just like it. Funny that. No we didn't move it back. Just in case, I don't want to go to hell, but they should if they did. At least for the day. And did I mention that it is near impossible to find a lawn ornament in the winter.

This Weekend


This weekend was very busy. Jim took Lauren and Brandon to the movies on Saturday. He thought he would give me a break, but all I did was run around. I had to make a cake, cupcakes (Brandon's Birthday) and cookies. I got it all done but now I'm exhausted. We had a small party on Sunday. Today we have Brownies. We made cookies together and Brandon watch me ice his cake. Mary, Brie and Lexie came over and we made mini ginger bread houses. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Arion's Photo

Since Arion is a senior this year we have a lot we have to do. He had his senior portrait taken and now comes the part where we, or rather he, picks the one for the year book. Not as easy as one might think. You see when we had the photos done, Arion didn't want to smile. He really doesn't like to have photos done. We started joking around and he gave one of his famous crazy smiles. Well the photographer took a photo. It really captured the true Arion. Not bad, but not your normal straight laced photo. When we viewed them on line, Arion loved the crazy smile. He wanted that one in the year book. He said it fit his personality. I discussed it with his Dad and Jim and we decided that it was his choice. In 20 years it was his problem, not ours. So I e-mailed that photo place and told them what one to put in the year book. Not so easy. Today I got a phone call. They wanted to double check my choice. I explained to her that I felt it was his choice and that he felt it more depicted the true Arion. She understood but said she didn't think they would allow it. I am now debating if I should call the school and fight for the picture or let it go. Any thoughts?????

Brandon's Numbers

Last night was truly one of those nights when you want to say "Who are you and what have you done with my son". I came home from work and Brandon WANTED me to get down the pens and stencils to color with. OK. He usually doesn't want to color or draw. So he's making a picture, very cute and then he turns over the paper and starts another one. Next thing I know he asked me how to make a 5. WHAT. I looked at his paper and he has written 1-4 and has a line for 5. I helped him with the five and showed him on Laurens ruler the other numbers. Next thing I know he has written his number up to 15. HOLY CRAP. Let's consider this my early Christmas present. Not only has he learned his numbers, but he is now able to write them. And he did it on his own without anyone asking. It just blew me away. Please try to understand. Until a couple of months ago you couldn't get him to pick up a pen or pencil and now he WANTS to color and is writing his numbers. The progress since September is staggering. Here are the pictures and numbers. If your looking for 12, it's up by the boat.

Superman Goes Tree Shopping

What's that they say . . . you have to pick your battles. Well, last night was not going to be one of those times. Brandon had on his cape when I got home from work and did not want to take it off to go look for a tree. OK. So we put it on over his coat. You should have see some of the stares we got. Kind of funny and cute. We ended up going to 4 places and still don't have a tree. I swear we're going to get an artificial one. We go out again this weekend and hope to find a good one or we might just settle and get something cheap.

Forms for Lauren

Last night I got the forms from the school for Lauren. There was one for permission to test (OK, I sent in a letter requesting the testing, isn't that enough). There was also two questionnaires. I was up till 11:00 pm filling them out. Some questions were easy like what do I think is wrong but others I had to think about. Also wanted a full medical history. I'm sure there will be more to come. I like how they don't start counting the 60 from the date of my request, but the date I return the permission form that it took 2 weeks to get. Can we say dragging their feet. I also received the form for the Neurologist from the teacher. I hate to be mean, but this woman must pay no attention to what happens in her class. In the emotion section she made no notes about Lauren's crying or getting upset and frustrated. Her teacher last year always made a point of mentioning it when we talked. I can't imagine it's changed at school since it still happens at home. I mean come on, she crys when Brandon gets in trouble. She did mention that Lauren is easily distracted, has trouble staying on task and stares off into space. Funny. When I asked her if she thought there may be signs of ADD she said no. What does she think ADD is.

Jim's Back and Lauren's Ears

Thank God Jim is back. Jim got back from Chicago on Sunday. Brandon and I went to pick him up while Lauren went to a play with Grandpop and Gram. He was really glad to be back and the kids were really glad to see him. Lauren sat on the couch when she got home and wouldn't let go. She said she needed to make up for missed snuggle time. Very cute. Don't have the pictures, but will try to get on tonight to add.

Other activities of the weekend included Lauren getting her ears pierced. She has been asking for some time if she could. I kept trying to warn her that it hurt and that we would have to clean and turn them often. She was fine with it. So we went to the mall. At the store I asked them if they had 2 ladies with 2 guns. I told her she was only going to get one shot. They did and we did it. The look on Lauren face was not good. She immediately broke out into tears and cried. "That really hurt" was her comment. Yeah. That's what I told her. Guess she thought I was kidding. 5 minutes later all was fine and their doing good so far. At church she kept tucking her hair behind her ears and leaning her head so everyone would see. It was kind of funny.

A Very Good Day

Wednesday was a very good day for us. It was the day of Jim's sister's surgery. We were very fearful about the results and how she would do. Late in the day Jim called to say that everything went very well. They were able to fix everything that was wrong with her heart and say it is now 100%. Truly a miracle. I was hoping to hear more yesterday but Jim never called. I can't reach him because they are not supposed to used the cell phones. The second reason it was good was because of the house we bid on back in September. We went to an action for a house and didn't win. Two guys started bidding way over the value of the property. Well I got a call from the auctioneer and he said that the buyer walked away leaving his $42,000 deposit. They want to know if we want to make an offer on the house. OH MY GOD. So, do we want to? There are many pros and cons to the deal. The bedrooms are small, but that can be fixed. It's on 2.3 acres so you have plenty of room. It has everything that Jim and said we wanted in the next house. It even has a barn. The bad part that can't be fix is its by a major highway. I told Jim and he was freaking out. He was supposed to call me to discuss again yesterday. Still no word. The last thing is that Larry's Dad (Larry was my first husband, we're still friends) had surgery on his leg and things went well. I hope this good streak keeps up.

Single Mom

This week Jim had to go to Chicago for spend time with his sister. On Wednesday she has heart surgery. We are very hopeful that all will go well and her quality of life will be improved. She has a hole in her heart and several other problems. Back at the ranch I am alone with 3 kids and the dog and fish and hamsters. Tonight was girl scouts. Lauren was not herself. She seemed depressed and cried a little on the way home. I hope it gets better as the week goes on. The dog will take a couple of days. She probably won't come upstairs tonight and will wait by the door for the night.

Circus and Santa

This weekend was kind of busy. We went to Jim's company party, which was a circus and on Sunday we went to see Santa. The circus was small but fun. The kids loved it. We had to sit in the back and ended up looking at every one's butts. The kids didn't see to notice and had a great time. They loved the Magician and the elephants best. On Sunday we went to see Santa. Brandon got into a mood and it was kind of tricky to get a good picture. He had decided that he wanted his eyes closed tight. No, I don't know why. It was purely Brando's World. The woman final tricked him by telling him to open his eyes and she would count to 4 and take the picture. He was to close his eyes on 4. Of course she then snapped it at 2 and he was shocked after. I did get him to tell Santa what he wanted and now I just have to go and get it. Lauren, of course, looks great. The other child is my niece, Lexie.

New School Picture

Thought you might want to see Brandon's new school picture. It turned out pretty good. Lauren never turned in her money and now we won't get her's.

Why Don't They Speak Up

OK, no one would say I'm soft spoken or one to hold my tongue. I'm a little on the boisterous side. So why aren't my kids. OK, that's not fair. Arion speaks his mind (some times more than I want) and Brandon is at an unfair advantage. It's Lauren that's the problem. Yesterday Lauren said her shoes were tight. So, as a good Mom I take her shopping this evening for shoes. Then I get a good look at the shoes she's wearing. Not the outside, I've seen that. The inside. HOLY CRAP. A little tight. That's an understatement. She was wearing a 3 and now she wears a 5. That's right, my baby girl, my little nooky, at the age of 7 is wearing a 5. Take a look at the picture. These were her shoes. Take a look at the one on the right. That would be her longer foot. The one is a full size bigger than the other. Take a look at the heel. My poor baby.

Brando's Brain - Part II

Last night Brando told me he had a head ache. I asked him where it hurt. He said "In my brain". Then then proceeded to tell me that I burned his brain and that it was hot. A little Advil later and his brain was better. I find it funny that whenever he has something wrong with his head he refers to it as his brain. Not sure where he picked it up.

Curse You Shannon

OK Shannon, I know your out there. You gave me your cold. Lauren and Brandon are sick too. Lauren is having trouble sleeping and has an upset stomach and Brandon has a runny nose. My nose is running like a faucet, even though I am taking cold medicine. I will get you back for this.

School Meeting for Lauren

Today was the meeting at Lauren's school. Seems I do have the school psychologist on my side. I brought all the papers I have been collecting. Good thing I did. Her teacher didn't really have anything. She brought her journal but nothing that really showed what we were dealing with. The teacher also seemed evasive when asked several questions regarding Lauren's performance in class. The reading specialist seemed to be concerned regarding her reading. She has been working with Lauren since the beginning of the year and said her phonological awareness score had not increased from September to November. She also mentioned that Lauren's fear of being singled out or not failing can be at time debilitating. She said in one case, it took Lauren 2 days to get back to normal. I have requested a broad spectrum of testing be done to help identify the problem and told them that I am looking to have an IEP written when we are done. They hope to meet again in 1 month with the results and an action plan to move forward.

Brandon's New Way to Communicate


Brandon has discovered that he can communicate by writing or drawing. This is something new for him. Before holding a pencil, crayon, or paint brush was not something that he wanted to do. He has problems with the grip. Lately he has been getting much better at holding a pencil or crayon and is more willing to try. I LOVE THIS NEW SCHOOL. The other day Brandon was building a card house with some cards we have from a game. He wanted the house to look a certain way, but he was having problems getting us to understand exactly what he wanted. He then went to get a piece of paper and pencil and drew a picture to express himself. I was floored. Jim then helped him build the house. I consider this a major step for Brandon. Way to go Buddy.

Lots to be Thankful For

This weekend has been very active. First we spent the day with my family. We all got together and cooked a great meal. All kids hung out and had lots of fun. It was nice to see both of my brothers and their families.

On Friday my friend Shannon came over and spent the night with some of her kids. It was great to be able to spend time with her. We barely see each other since she moved to Georgia. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Brandon's Family

At school Brandon was talking about what he was thankful for. At the back of the book he was supposed to draw a picture of what he was thankful for. This picture is what he did. It's his first attempt at drawing his family. Kind of cool. The coolest part for me is that he is not fighting using the pencil or crayon as much anymore. With the help from school he is now trying new things. He used to try and get frustrated and stop. This time he completed the whole thing with all the members of the family including the house.

Neurology Appointment

We had the appointment today. Things went OK. First the boys - Brandon is doing great. Doc was happy with the progress Brandon is making. He thought he was much calmer and more focused. So with Brandon it's keep doing what we're doing. Arion is doing great, as we know. They met in private because he is getting older and I dealt with the kids while they met. Arion did discuss the headaches a bit. Doc thought that they might be from him not taking his meds for extended periods of time. The weekend is OK but if he goes off for longer he needs to work his way down. Now Lauren. We discussed the toe walking again. He retested her for the other reasons that she could be toe walking and found nothing. Her feet seem to be a little over-sensitive, which may account for some of it. Just need to keep an eye on it and let him know if she starts getting back aches. Otherwise, looks like were back to therapy (when the hell am I going to fit that in). We also talked about the dyslexia. He looked at the papers I have been saving and gave her some verbal test. He agrees that she should be tested. The cool thing was he told her he was dyslexic. He wrote a note for the school, requesting that they test for reading and problems with sequencing. He also wanted a phsyc work-up done. He told me if they refuse that he will give me the name of a place to get it done on my own. All and all I feel good about what he had to say.

Hoping for Answers

Well here we go again. I'm taking that long drive with the kids tomorrow. We go to the neurologist about an hour or so away. I once again I have great hopes that he will once again "pull a rabbit out of the hat". This time it's Lauren. I remember how desperate I was when I took Brandon there last November. I almost felt like it was my last chance to figure it out. This time it's not that bad, but I still have great hope that he will be able to offer some help. If not, I will attack the school on my own. I plan to demand that she be given a broad spectrum of testing. I plan to have it include tests for dyslexia and sensory disorders. My hope is to have an IEP in place within a couple of months. I think I will call the school and talk to the guidance department again. Wish me luck.

Ivy League Champs

Big day yesterday. Princeton won in football yesterday. I sat in the cold bleachers with Arion, Dad and Jan. It was the last game of the season. It was a good game, but very cold. Dad takes each of us once a year. Sometimes you get the warmer games and sometimes you freeze. Princeton won 27 to 17. This win gave them the Ivy League Championship. The reason it was a big deal is that my father went to Princeton back in the 50's. Even more, my great-great grandfather, Carl Langlotz, wrote the Princeton song - Old Nassau. Way to go Princeton.

Way to Go Arion

Last night was parent teacher conference night. Jim took the kids to Lauren's and I went to the high school for all of Arion's conferences. It was really great. Arion is doing so well. I think he is even trying to get straight A's this year. Almost had it. I really like all but one teacher. Maybe because he's not doing as well in that class and maybe because she seemed to be a bit of a "wet noodle" to me. Arion says she's fine. The teacher had said that Arion was not taking her class seriously. OK, so you've met Arion (and most teenagers). What does he take serious. She said that after she spoke to him he seemed to be doing better. Most teachers said he was doing great. Active in class. Does all his work. English even said he was one of the best students and was reading ahead of the class. Sometimes I feel like asking if we're talking about the same kid. I really liked the Biology teachers comment about Arion having a very unique sense of humor. For the family, here are the grades: English - 95, Calculus - 97, Child Development - 95, Biology II - 93, Psychology - 85. I didn't met with the ROTC teacher, but it should be good. After 4 years with the same teacher, they should know when to kick his butt.

Lauren's conference didn't go as well. Jim did not like the teacher. He said she seemed very cold and uncaring. Jim mentioned the dyslexia and was pretty much told that she wasn't doing anything extra unless she had an IEP. OK, time for B-mom to come out. She want to play that way, I'm an expert. I told Jim that after the appointment with the Neurologist the school and I were going to have a little talk and they were in for a surprise. She will have an IEP by the end of the year. You can bet on that. Otherwise she only reads at a 1st grade level and is having problems keeping up in class. The teacher also seemed to harp on the fact that she writes sloppy. She should see Arion's writing.

A Really Good Day

Yesterday was a really good day for three reason. It started in the morning. Brandon brought me his doodle monster. He had written 4 letters in it's arm and put a heart around them. This in itself was pretty big. The letters were pretty neat and I didn't know he could draw a heart. He then told me that it said "I love you Mom". I almost broke into tears. I also realized that he now understood the concept that the letters together made words you could read.

I later went to Brandon's Parent-Teacher conference. He really seems to be make great progress. The teachers (all 5 that I talked to) had seen definite improvement in his willingness to try to do things that would be hard for him. In the being, he would try to hide under the table or get away, now he is trying and getting better and better. They think his confidence is really improving. He will be starting the individual OT next week but has improved just based on the group OT that the class receives. The speech teacher said they were going to start upping the antie and making things harder because he was doing so well. I left there thinking that this is the first year that I really see progress. Between the meds and this school I feel I can relax for the first time and let things take there course.

After a quick dinner out we had a make up swimming session at the Y. Lauren and Brandon have new teachers for this session. I think it will be good. Lauren's teacher is not falling for the "drama queen" act. By the end of the class she had jumped in the pool 4 times by herself (a first for her). No one had to pull, push or drop her in. The one time I thought we were in trouble because she went under pretty deep. She came up almost laughing because she had touched the bottom with her feet. She then got out and did it again. She had a big ear to ear grin the rest of the night.

Grandma Joyce



I have a picture of my mother in my dining room. This is not the picture, but an earlier one. It is a large picture from just before she got sick. My mother passed away several years ago. To help keep from missing her I often talk to the picture. In fact when Shannon (my best cooking buddy) and I used to make bread or jam together, we used to yell at the picture to include Grandma Joyce in the cooking process. Kind of like "Did you see that Ma, she's making a mess". She would have loved it. Tonight I was helping Lauren with her homework and Lauren started complaining to "Grandma Joyce" about me clicking my pen. That I was annoying her. I started cracking up. Yes, I have now passed on my insanity to my children.

Worst Parent Award Winner

Yes, that me. Well, according to the dentist I just took Lauren and Brandon to. She didn't say it, but I got the look. Lauren has cavities and needs a root canal on the tooth that fell apart. I had seen it and that's why we were there. Brandon has a cavity. They wanted X-Rays of Brandon. OK, think about this. Brandon, X-rays. Not happening. They sort of got the one you just stand for. But it was a little fuzzy. The dentist wanted more. We tried, but he didn't want that thing in his mouth. I was pretty impressed that they were able to clean his teeth with only a little help and hand holding. Lauren is the bigger problem. The assistant really gave me the look. She told me if I had to hold her down to properly brush her teeth, I should. That sounds pleasant. Lauren is also missing a permanent tooth. The baby tooth hasn't fallen out yet but when it does, there is nothing to take it's place. So we go back for more torture on December 1st. All in all they said they weren't' scared and it didn't hurt. Thank God there is no fear about going back. Well, on their part anyway.

That Selfish Time of Year

Normally I am not a selfish person. I help out my neighbor's kids by taking them to church. I give to charities. I always offer to help people at work with any projects. I would do just about anything for my friends and would do without for my kids to have what they need. OK. That being said, there is one thing I hate to share. Early in November Edy's comes out with their Peppermint Ice Cream. It is the best and my favorite. I always buy several and hide it in the big freezer. When I move a contain to the kitchen freezer I always hide it in the back and I only eat it after they have gone to bed. Tonight Lauren asked my about having dessert. I told her to go and have a POPSICLE. I said a Popsicle. Brandon came and ask for half an ice cream sandwich and I said yes and got up from the computer to go and get it. What do you think I find. Lauren eating my ice cream. I started yelling (just joking with them) "What are you eating". I yelled that it was MINE and I didn't want to share. MINE MINE MINE. They thought this was very funny and ate all that was left in the container. Time to go shopping.

More Like a Bend or a Hiccup Than a Corner

Well, so much for turning a corner. Last night I put Brandon back to bed at least twice and still woke up with him there. I am so tired. When I asked him why he kept waking up he said he had bad and good dreams. Turns out him and Kahona (from Baby Genius) were fighting Ivan Ooze (from the first Power Rangers Movie). I personally think it had something to do with the rain last night. It is always louder in his room then mine. I guess my dreams (ha ha ha) of having a good nights sleep for a while are just that - dreams. One day I will sleep uninterrupted, one day.

Turning the Corner on the Night Time Thing

Last night was kind of different. I woke up to a little boy laying next to me. Nothing new there. But as I was trying to decide if I could get it together enough to get him back to bed and he says to me "It's time to go back to bed, I had bad dream, scare me. I'm fine now, time to back to bed". Well that woke me up. I wanted to ask did I hear him right. I got up and he lead the way back to his room and climbed right up into bed. God, could this mean we might get him to stay in his bed soon. It's too much to think about.

Is There More I Should Be Doing???

This is the question that haunts me night and day. I know it comes from my childhood and my basic fear that I won't do everything possible and my children will end up like me. I understand that my parents did their best. People didn't know that much about dyslexia and ADD back then. They believed schools when they said "she's just lazy". I swore I wouldn't do it to my kids, that I knew better and what to look for.

Now to my point. I was reading several blogs today and wonder if I should be doing more. The more I read, the more I realize that dyspraxia, dyslexia and ADHD are all associated with one another. I know it's genetic and that I am the carrier. I am now reading more and more about Omega-3 and fish oils and wonder if it's all true. I am also reading about how certain exercises or karate can help with dyspraxia or "clumsy child syndrome" which may be what is effecting Lauren. God knows she clumsy. Always tripping or falling. I always blamed it on the toe walking, but maybe there is more to it. I hope to know by the end of the month when we go back to the Neorologist. BUT I WANT TO KNOW NOW. Yes, I'm being impatient. I know there is more going on with Lauren. Part of me says I should stop doing research on my kids. I feel like a hypochondriac. Whenever I read more about how the three issues are linked it sounds like my kids.

No Sleep in Sight

Here we go again, with one difference. Last night was the second night that Brandon was back in my bed. This probably means that I will be chasing him back to his room for another week or two. Thing were great for about 2-3 weeks there. I was getting sleep and he stayed in bed. Last night it wasn't only him that kept me up half the night. Our dog, nellie, kept having nightmare and waking me up making noise like she was running or barking in her sleep. I had to keep waking her up. After I finally thought I had her settled down, Brandon came in. After 30 minutes I got it together enough to take him back to bed. By then it was 5:00 am and I really didn't get back to sleep.

Happy Halloween

Tonight was fun. Jim came home early to carve pumpkins. We were supposed to do more last night but that's another bad story of me getting mad at Jim. Tonight he made up for it. When I got home he had the pumpkins carved and pizza ready to be eaten. The kids got tired early. Got to love that. They had enough candy anyway. Here are some pictures. Lauren was a cat and Brandon was Superman. Hope everyone has a great and safe night.

Dad's Big Day - 50 Years as a Priest

This weekend was definitely big for Dad. On Saturday we had family come in and everyone was getting ready for Sunday. I finished the poster of pictures. Mike (my brother) came to town with a video presentation for all to see and the cake was made. All the teenagers went to my sisters to party and spend some time together. Sunday started very early for me. I needed to pick up the cake and get to church by 8:30 am to make sure someone was making coffee. All went well during the service, which was special to honor Dad. He was asked to preach and celebrate. Everyone liked the cake with his picture on top and the poster with all the pictures from the last 50 years of work. Later we went to the party that my Step-Mother threw and had a good time. It was great to also be able to celebrate his 75th birthday, even though it was a little late. In the end we went home and were exhausted for the rest of the evening. Congrates Dad. Can't wait for the next party, at what . . . 60 years?

Nature VS Nurture

I've been thinking about genentics a lot lately. I was going to do a entry about who the kids look like and that the boys look so much alike. Just can't get the photos to load. Will try again later. The thing is, what do we teach our kids and what is just in them, you know, just who they are. I had to laugh this morning. Brandon has been sitting on the counter a lot lately. At times it drives me crazy. Funny, I used to do the same thing to my Mom. Maybe it's just her revenge. She once said that my kids would be her revenge. And I thought she was kidding. I used to sit on the counters while she cooked and talk to her. As I got older I used to sit in the center bar in the double sink. I even remember doing it in high school. Anyway, the point is I don't remember teaching Brandon to sit on the counter unless you count if he hurt his knee and I had to put something on it. So, where did it come from; are we genetically disposed to sit on the counter. I know, I'm really losing it. But look, it came from somewhere.

This Weeks Ups and Downs

This week is turning out to be a real roller coaster ride. On the one side we have Dad celebrating 50 years as a priest. This is a major accomplishment. There is a celebration at church and a party later in the day. My brother is coming to town and that is always good for the spirits. I hate that we don't live closer. On the other side we have bad news from Jim's sister. She needs heart surgery and the doctors at the hospital are refusing to do it. They say its to complicated but the real reason is her insurance. We are now hoping to find another hospital that will take on her case but don't know how it will go. You just don't how to feel at times like this. One side of the family is happy and looking forward to a big celebration and the other side is depressed and stressed out. I hope next week goes better.

Genes Can Really Suck

When you think about it, we pass a lot on to our kids; our looks, our temperaments, and a lot you wish would just disappear. After talking to my oldest brother I really see how genetics has effected our family. Out of my 2 brothers and 1 sister, we have 9 kids: 5 girls and 4 boys. Out of these we have 4 with ADHD and 3 (if you count Lauren) have dyslexia. This number can grow depending on Brandon later being diagnosed with dyslexia. All the boys have been effected in one way or the other. Three are being treated for ADHD and 2 are dyslexic. The one boy that isn't treated for ADHD does show signs of mild ADD but it's not bad enough to treat. But he is one of the dyslexics. Out of the girls you have 1 being treated for ADHD, and I'm pretty sure Lauren is dyslexic. And then theres Brandon who has a Language Disorder (dyspraxia of speech). All these are forms of sensory disorders. Oh, and don't forget, I now suspect that Lauren's toe walking is caused by a sensory disorder. Funny when I was having my 2 younger kids my main concern was what they could get from Jim's side, but turns out that wasn't genetic. All this comes from my side. After explaining this to my oldest niece of 16, she said "great, that means I'll pass it on to my kids". I couldn't lie. She will, just as I did. Kind of depressing. At least she will know more than we did and will be aware of what to look for.

Sensory Profile is In

We got back the sensory profile from the school. Kind of confusing. I'll give you the short and long of it so if you just want the gist of it you don't need to read the whole thing. Basically it said that Brandon does have issues and that he will be getting 30 minutes a week of OT.

Now the long version. The areas of definite difference were Auditory, Modulation of Sensory Input Affecting Emotional Responses and Activity Level, Emotional/Social Response and Behavioral Outcomes of Sensory Processing. The areas of Probable difference was Visual Processing, Vestibular Processing and Multi-sensory Processing. After this (which means very little to me) there was a pretty good description of Brandon's behaviors that we had noticed both at home and school. They also gave a list of intervention and recommendations. They are as follows.

Provide opportunities for vestibular input throughout school day e.g., bumpy chair cushion, resistive theraband on chair legs, trampoline, opportunities to run.

Provide frequent sensory breaks in quiet area of room.

Reduce visual/auditory distractions e.g., a work corral placed on table, position desk away from busy doorways or facing windows, keep only those items needed for task in sight; sit near teacher/develop cue to refocus back to task.

Break down tasks into smaller steps to assist with motor planning.

Praise/rewards for trying tasks perceived to be difficult especially those involving fine motor planning and sequencing such as planning strokes to form letters and sequence letters of his name.

Visual cue to assist with behavior regulation.

Trials with adaptive pencil grips to facilitate dynamic tripod grasp.

I find some of this as "your just now figuring that out" kind of thing and others as "ok, I get it". Part of me is really mad that when I ask his early intervention teacher to have him evaluated for OT that they just blew me off and said the OT person said he was fine and part of me is glad that Vanguard did the one that will be in his file because it really seems that it will really address the problem. I guess somethings work out for the best.

Sugars and Boogers

Jim likes to say that Brandon's diet consists of sugars and boogers. He's always saying "you have to eat something besides sugars and boogers". Well, this morning Brandon had a runny nose and as I got him out of the shower with Dad he started to sing "sugars and boogers" over and over. You know, that's not something I want my son going around singing. Although it was kind of cute.

It's In, Barely

It's in. The new frig is like a frig on steroids. There is no extra space. We used it all. This thing is huge. The delivery guy looked at us like we were crazy when we said it would fit. We were right. You should have seen him re-measuring the space.

New Frig Today

Today is the day my new frig comes. We can't wait. I have skipped church to make sure I'm here. I still need to clean it out and limit the amount of stuff I will have to move. It kind of silly, but I am so excited that for once in my life, all my kitchen appliciance will be the same color. The kitchen will really be transformed. It looks so much better with the new floor, the frig will be the topping on the cake.

Big Test Day for Arion

Today is the day Arion has to take the SAT test. I know we are a little late. I'm not TOOO worried for him. He usually is very good at taking tests. I just hope he takes it slow and does OK. He bought his own cell phone this week so I don't have to worry about when he's done. I have to get him there at 7:45 am. Man he's growing up fast. I keep looking at the photos by the computer of when he was young. He looked so much like Brandon. He was such a cutie. GOOD LUCK ARION

New Family Photos and Work Really Sucks

The church is putting together a picture directory. This means every is supposed to get their picture taken and then you can buy some is you want at an outrageous price. So were suckers and got some. Not too much. Their not great but not all bad. I guess I have a bad attitude right now. I found out that my co-worker has been searching my office to find the key to my desk and then searching my desk and making copies of some papers. I hate this guy. I really wanted to tell my boss to "f*** off" I was so mad yesterday. The thing is, he know I can't complain about him anymore, so he can do what he wants.

The Weeks Events

Been awhile. I've been so busy I haven't been able to write. Last weekend we went pumpkin picking. Thought I would post some pictures. It went very well. Kids had lots of fun.



In my life, I have decided to step down from the church vestry. Something had to give. We have become so busy that their just isn't time. I still have some things to finish up.

I guess my biggest problem is a need a new job. I don't want to leave. I like my job. I like the company. I even like most of the people. The problem is they gave me a new maintenance guy several months back. His last manager left because she couldn't get them to do anything about him. He is so lazy. He either sits at his computer and plays games or sits in a vacant unit and reads that paper. I have tried complaining. The problem is they don't care. I'm not sure if its that he's on the baseball team or if he has a friend somewhere up the ladder. Last week they pretty much told me that if I don't stop complaining about him I will get fired. ME. The one doing her job. So, it's either shut up and live with it or leave. Anyone that knows me knows that shutting up is not my strong point. I talked to a head hunter yesterday and things aren't so bad. We'll see.

Frig Features

Funny how things happen. Jim and I decided we should start looking for a new frig. I don't know . . . something about having a soda explode in the frig or the carrot that we a little extra crunchy. The one we have has got to be 12 or more years old. We first thought it was just Brandon playing with the controls. But even after they were turned back we were having problems. When we started looking my biggest concerns were which kind and how big could we fit. While we were in the Sears I started to see that some of the feature would be very useful in our home. You know, . . . I love my kids, but they do keep you on your toes a lot. Seems like you always have to be one step ahead. Lauren even buys the line about eyes in the back of my head. Sorry, I digress. The features. Yes. This one frig had some features that really caught my eye. First it had a door alarm. If the door was left open an alarm would go off. That would be great for when Brandon go in for yogurt and leaves the room without closing the door. The second was that you could lock the controls to the cold settings. That way Brandon couldn't change the temp in the frig and freeze the soda. Third, they have a lock for the water and ice dispenser. That way Brandon couldn't unload all the ice on the kitchen floor. The person that came up with this thing must have had lots of kids.

What the Hell have I done???

I swear you would think I was my sister (sorry Mary). I feel like I spend all my time running one kid here and another there. First swimming then girl scouts and now karate. If I'm not running around than I need to the shopping or clean the hampster cages or fish tank. Oh and don't forget picking up Arion from work. Each night I feel like we are rushed. I guess that's what I get for having 3 kids. Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that the kids are learning to swim and Lauren is now in the girl scouts. It is great for their self esteem. Arion taking karate will be great exercise. His work is going great and he is keeping grades up so far. The only thing is it's going to get worst in the future. What about when Brandon starts cub scouts or Lauren want to do something else. I think I just need to stop some of my activities and concentrate on them.

No New House But I Did Get My Floor

Well the auction was very depressing. No new house for us. The final bid was $425,000. Crazy. Zillow says that the place was worth $300,000. We were hoping for a lot less. Chalk that one up to experience. We will probably wait till spring now. Spend the time fixing up the house to get the best money. Our neighbor is having problems selling her house so maybe its a good thing. I have to believe there is something better out there for us. Anyway we went ahead and put in the new floor in the kitchen. I have been wanting a new floor in there for years. I hated the old ones. It had little holes all over it. The new one totally changes the room. We are thinking of continuing it around the breakfast bar and through the dining room. Think of the easy cleanup. I am forever cleaning the carpet in there. It would look great with the tile and a little rug under the table. Oh well, that is for another day.

One More Day Till Auction

We have one more day until the auction. We have been approved for our mortgage. Kind of scary to think about doubling our mortgage. I will let everyone know if we win. You might be able to hear me screaming from where ever you may be.

Lauren had a big accomplishment at her swimming lesson. She jumped off the starting block without help and came out smiling. Last week they couldn't get her to do it. She was terrified after they helped her in the week before. This time she was laughing and happy. She even said it was fun. It might have helped that Jim and I had told her that she could have candy out of the machine if she made the jump. Brandon starts his swimming lessons at school today. I hope they go well. The biggest shocker was Arion. I may not have mentioned it before but Arion is a bit of an agoraphobic. He really is hard to get out of the house. He doesn't even go to friends houses. He has started working and I think it is helping. We have been dragging him with us to the YMCA for the swim lessons. On Tuesday we were going to race but they were using all lanes. Arion went to the locker room to change back and met the teacher for the karate class. When he came out he decided that he wanted to sign up for TWICE a week. I checked the price and I think it's not so bad. Just need to get him off work on those two days. Now if I can just get him to drive, we might make some serious progress.

Life, Stress, and Total mayhem

Life here is hit full throttle. Total craziness. Brandon is over his cold (or hot as the case maybe). He is back to BRANDON and not BARNDON. I wait for the next Brando World issue to deal with. Lauren had her first Girl Scout meeting last night. Lots of fun and should be good for her. I met a woman who's daughter had a sensory disorder. It was fun talking to her and exchanging experiences. Tonight is swimming lessons. Jim and I are looking to go to a auction this weekend to possibly buy a house with over 2 acres. This caused us to freak about how our house looks and we started to do things to fix it up. If we win we have 45 days to find a buyer. On top of all this Jim's sister needs surgery again. We are very worried about it and pray for her improved health everyday. When they schedule the surgery, Jim will need to head out and be with his sister. This leaves me to hold down the fort and continue with the planned (and some unplanned by Jim, HA HA HA) projects. I feel like were running in circles. I am so glad that I feel comfortable that I don't have to worry about Brandon at school very much. He seems to have settled in and enjoying his class and new friends.

An Interesting Comment

This morning I was talking to Brandon about school and his friends. We started talking about one of the boys the teachers say he plays with a lot. I asked him if he like this boy. His comment back was "He listen to me." I find this interesting because I guess in general people don't listen to Brandon. Probably because he take some time to get what he wants to say out and it doesn't always make sense the first time. I'm so used to repeating back and clarifying what he is saying. In general, this is not done, if you can't say it fast and get to the point, people probably blow him off. Especially kids his age. I am so glad that he has found a friend that takes the time to listen and hear him.

Is it Cold or Hot

For the last two days Brandon has been sick. I was kind of worried about the fever. It started Sunday night. He didn't want to eat dinner and by bed time he was feeling hot. I gave him some medicine and put him to bed. By 5:00 am he was burning up and I could tell I was staying home for a day. Later that day I decided to take him to the doctor. He was miserable and just laid on the couch. You know he is sick when he just lays there. This being opposed to running across the living room so he can do a running head stand on the couch. So we go to the doctor and he checks him out. No big deal, no ear infection and lung are clear. He tells Brandon you just have a cold. Well, you know Brandon, that just didn't make sense. So Brandon says "No I don't, I have a hot". In the grand scheme of life this is not the time to argue. So we agreed and said "your right, you have a hot".

Jim stayed home with him today. Fever was back at 2:30 am and took to 3:30 am to get him back to sleep. According to Jim he is feeling much better and back to trashing the living room with no problems.

BRANDON OR BARNDON

Welcome to the next edition of Brando's World. Yes sports fans we got over the tea pot. No more yelling and screaming every time I have tea. We are all very grateful that it is over. Now the next problem. Brandon has decided that his name should be spelled BARNDON. If we argue with him he gets VERY upset. Temper tantrum extraordinare. I guess it started at school. They sent a note home on Friday, saying he was getting upset and not writing his name correctly. Now, you must understand, Brandon has been working on writing his name for about 9 months. It's not something new. But in typical Brando style he just decided that he wanted to change it. In church today he threw a major wingy because he wanted to write BARNDON on the envelope and not BRANDON. In hind site that was not the place to fight him, but I was helping and we made the R and he went ballistic. I'm hoping this one doesn't last long.

I Think it Time to Make a Double, A Triple

The other day I had to fill out a Sensory Profile assessment Form for Brandon. Kind of interesting. About 5-6 pages of questions. Not unlike some of the forms I fill out for the ADHD assessment, but different questions. As I fill out the form I start to notice that some of the questions apply to Lauren. Yesterday I went back to the internet and did some more checking. I find it funny that under some of the pages on sensory disorders they list both dyspraxia and dyslexia. And to make me more worried they also asked questions about toe walking on the assessment. So here is my question, if Brandon has a sensory disorder and trouble processing in his brain, is it to far fetched that Lauren would too, but not as bad. Is it possible that this is the reason that she still walks on her toes. I mean we did the physical therapy and stretched her calf muscle out, but it never helped. They kept saying that once she got the muscle stretched out she would be fine. Are her feet just having a problem with the sense of feel. Is this the reason for the dyslexia. Well, I think it's time to turn it over to the expert. I am calling the neurologist and try to change the boys double appointment to a triple and ask him. Lauren saw him in the beginning and he said if the physical therapy didn't work to call, guess now I have to call.

Lauren's Big Jump

Last night was swim lessons. They both were doing great and having great fun. Brandon's teachers says not to worry, he is doing the best in the class and tries everything he is asked to do. See I didn't need private lessons. Now for Lauren's big moment. You sure could tell we went in over the weekend and worked on a couple of things. She was much more confident and seemed to be a little braver. At the end of the lesson they were having the kids jump off the starter mounts. Well, Lauren gets nervous jumping off the wall when I hold her hand. I saw this and thought, yeah, good luck. I have to give them credit. They didn't let her give up. It took about 3 minutes just to get her standing on the block. She looks so scared. Finally they had one teacher in the water to catch her and one on the side to hold her hand. The one holding her hand said she would count to 3 and they would go in together. OK. . . . 1 2 3 and she pulled Lauren off the block and into the water. The other teacher brought her up. Everyone was cheering. By the time they got her in, everyone was watching. At first she had a big smile on her face. Once she got out of the water and over to us she was crying. She had got water up her nose and was doing the drama queer routine. It did really scare her. I told her we would come back over the weekend and work on jumping off the side in the deep end.



These pictures are from last summer, but they are some of my favorite pictures of her. Next week I'm bringing the camera.

DING-DING-DING

Yes, I was right. Ok, as usual, when confronted with a new thing with Brandon I looked on the net and figured it out. Dyspraxia is a subtype of a Sensory-based motor disorder. This is a subtype of a sensory processing disorder. Actually one of three subtype of sensory processing disorders. That didn't take long. So what they found is what the neurologist had found and put in the diagnoses. You know. . . everyone had kept asking me why he had put that in Brandon's diagnoses. I guess this is why. Anyway I am thinking of adding some links so if anyone wants to know where I come up with this information they can see.

OT Screening - And the Research Continues

The school started Brandon's Occupational Therapy Screening and sent the report home yesterday. They noted that he is able to cut but has problems holding the pencil. Not sure I understand all they noted. One thing in the reports states: "Brandon appears to have difficulties with sensory processing which may be influencing his ability to attend to tasks, grasping his pencil for writing tasks & to write with adequate pencil pressure." OK this is a new one. I guess I'm back in research again. I wonder is this is more of the Dyspraxia coming into play. I guess I will find out later. The recommendation is for Further Assessment: "Sensory Profile and informal assessment of fine motor dexterity skills for classroom & self-care tasks."

If anyone understands this, I would appreciate comments.

What a Weekend

This weekend went lighting fast. So much to do and so little time. Saturday morning I went shopping (a little alone time) for some house stuff. After I got back Jim decided he was going to take the kids to McDonalds for lunch. This gave me and Arion time to go out to buy shoes. Now this is not as easy as it sounds. Arion wears a size 14. So we went to Kolh's and worked our plan. This plan has come from trying to buy him shoes before. We go in and gather every pair we can find in his size. This amounted to 4 pairs. Luckily, 3 were in the brand he likes. We finally agreed on a 14 wide. Thank God we didn't have to go the specialty store and order a pair. Later I took the kids to the pool to practice their swimming (kicking). Hope this helps them do well.

Sunday was the day of picnics. We went to church and they had a picnic for Sunday school registration. He had fun but couldn't linger because Brandon's new school was having a back to school picnic. That turned out to be great. Brandon and Lauren both got balloons made for them and got to watch a magic show. Jim and I got to meet the teachers and therapist. We also got to meet some other parents. All in all a great time.

Trip to Holland

This is something I picked along the way. It really helps describe the feeling you have when you are dealing with children with special needs. I don't remember who the author is. Hope it help everyone to understand.

I am often asked to describe the experiences of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this....

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland!"

"Holland?" you say. "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rambrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they've bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

The pain of that will never go away, because the loss of that dream is very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, very lovely things about Holland.

My Top 10 Things You Should Know About SN Kids

This is something my brother requested I write.

1. Putting kids on meds does not make you a bad parent.

2. Each child learns differently, even if they don’t have special needs.

3. All children have gifts – you just have to look for them.

4. An IEP can be changed or adjusted at the parent’s request.

5. An IEP needs to be updated every year or it expires.

6. Testing for your child HAS to be preformed by the school if you request it (and there is a time limit – PA is 90 days). Best to do it in writing so you have the date requested.

7. If you don’t agree with the findings from the test, you can get outside testing that they (the school) are required to pay for.

8. The schools, family and friends are not always right. Follow your gut.

9. Special needs kids qualify for medical assistance that pays for extra therapy and the schools can also be reimbursed for therapy they provide. (At least in PA)

10. Keep all copies of IEPs, diagnoses, therapy prescriptions and any other paperwork needed for your child. The schools always seem to misplace their copy. Always take your folder of papers to each appointment for when they do.

First Day of School and Swim Lessons Too

Yesterday was Brandon's first day of school. Was a little crazy in the morning. Going to have to get used to it. Shouldn't be as hard as I first thought. We have buses at 7:00 (Arion), 7:30 (Brandon) and 8:30 (Lauren). The only problem is Brandon bus. Yesterday it was 1/2 hour late because the driver got lost. When it was time for Arion to pick them up, it was supposed to be: Lauren's bus at 3:45 and Brandon's at 4:00. Right. Arion left the house at 3:35 (good boy) and as he left the house he noticed Brandon's bus pulling up at the stop. He ran down to catch him. Then they had to wait till 3:50 for Lauren's bus. Otherwise the teachers note said he did pretty well for his first day. Only 1 time out when he got mad in the PM. Could have been more emotions from the meds. It's been getting better, but still have some problems.



Last night was our first swimming lesson. I was good. I told the instructor to show him and not count on what he told him getting in. It was good until they switched teachers mid way because one of the girls couldn't deal with the man. I had to kind of yell to the new teacher when she was having some problems. All in all he did very well. Lauren on the other hand seems to be needing the most help in her class. She was very scared before we got there. She was sure she was going to drown. They worked with her and I think she will be fine. The best part was Brandon yelling "Look, I'm swimming" as he floated out on a noodle.

Microwave and Emotions from Hell

Well we gave up the idea to wait till pay day till we get the microwave. Just can't do without. Funny how you get attached to those crazy things. So, CHARGE IT, and about it later. Actually found one just as big and $50 dollars cheaper. Later in the shopping trip Brandon had a fit because I would buy him a shirt he wanted. I know what your thinking, I should have just bought him the shirt. If I had it would have just made it worst the next time. I had told him we needed long sleeve shirts and he found a short sleeve with some figure on it with a toy. I just think he wanted the toy. I saw some long sleeve with other figures but he wouldn't change his mind and didn't get either. Big fit, fists, tears, but would talk to me. He later fell asleep in the car and then it was over.

He wasn't the only one having problems with emotions. Later that night my emotions started to go nuts again. It started with a movie. Sort of made me want to cry. OK not to bad. Well then I said I was going to be and asked Arion to kiss me good night. I try this all the time, but you know, he's big now and kissing your mom is not cool. He usually just turns his cheek so I can kiss his cheek or gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. Last night he kissed me on the mouth. Not sure if he meant to. Well that started it. I started to have tears run down my face. He's such a good kid. I have three great kids. Yeah for the next ten minutes I just sat in my bed with tear and couldn't stop. Jim probably thought I was crazy. He just doesn't understand this menopause stuff very well.



By the way. The pose the boys are in is just another thing Arion has taught Brandon. Cute except it's hard to get anything but this pose when they are together.

To Sleep, To Dream, To Get Brandon Out of My Bed

God I'm tried. Brandon is back to sneaking into bed with us every night. He says he's having bad dreams, but I'm not always sure. Just think he wakes up some times and comes in. Sometimes I can tell is he scared. Oh well, eventually he will stop, right?? This weekend really is not what it was supposed to be. We were supposed to go to the beach. Well the hurricane took care of that. Jim tried to let me sleep yesterday. He even locked me in the room so the kids couldn't get to me. Well it was a good try, until Brandon found it. He just yelled at the door "Mommy, the door is locked. Mommy, why you lock the door? Mommy, open door, it's locked". Nice try.

After shopping for a good portion of the day, we came home to a dead microwave. Damn thing is only 2-3 years old. Now we have to wait till Wednesday to get another because we spent most of the money that we would need to buy a new one. Guess that's how it goes. Now I'm trying to decide if I should be good and go to church or stay home. Guess I'll go. I'm up now anyway. God I'm tired.

The Good and the Bad of Brandon's New Meds

We started Brandon on his new meds today. We are switching him from Adderall to Adderall XR. Hoping it will last him through school so he won't need to go and take pills halfway through the day. We decided to start before the new school in case we had any side effects. Good thing we did. Boy did he have some. First, sitter call and was worried about Brandon. Brandon was being very emotional. Not usual for Brandon. He was balling in the corner on the floor in the play room. He ended up cuddling with one of the helpers on the couch until he calmed down. Said he missed his dad and something about hearing his voice. Not sure. Very hard to understand what was going on. I know that being overly emotional is a side effect for the initial period. We'll see how it goes in the next few days.

OK, now for the good and bazaar. We had dinner. You know, that crazy active sport I discussed a few days back. Brandon sat through dinner. HE ATE ALL HIS DINNER. I don't think I can stress this enough. HE ATE AND SAT AT THE SAME TIME. He cleared his plate. Ate everything. Did you hear me. I didn't say "Brandon sit down and eat". Not once. It wasn't a fight. He finished with us, not 15 minutes later. Jim and I almost died when he said he was done and was and picked up his plate to CLEAR IT.

I hope this med works out. I could get really used to this.

IEP Review

OH MY GOD. Who would of thought that the district would be better then the IU. Not me. I went ready for a fight. I ended up getting more for Brandon than I thought possible. We talked about the speech therapy and I said I wanted it to be individual and they had no problem. They also said that if it wasn't enough they would add another (number 3) in a group format to help with modeling. I have been trying to get OT for Brandon for more than a year. The IU said they had him evaluated (but never did) and said he didn't qualify. The evaluator this time recommended that he be evaluated and they said that SINCE the doctor wanted help with writing they would try to get it. They had it in the IEP and it was just who was going to do it. OH MY GOD. Where were they a year ago. The IEP even mentioned the full diagnoses from the doctor. The final eval stated it as OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT. No problem. They even have in there to evaluate him after X-mas break to summer coverage. That would mean I wouldn't need child care in the summer. He would have summer school to help him from going backwards. I came out of the meeting in shock. The biggest part was I was talking to one of the ladies after the meeting while they were making copies and I mentioned that I was so happy he was going to the special school and I just didn't think he could have handled regular school. She looked at me and said "Oh no. He couldn't go to regular school. He'd get lost and never make it". What???? They agree with me. I'm not crazy. I was right. HOLY CRAP.

Lauren's First Day of School

Yesterday was Lauren's first day of school. She was so nervous when we got to the bus stop. Did not seem like her happy self. Looked totally miserable when she looked out from the bus. She did survive and find her new class. Sometimes she is so unsure of herself. On a lighter note, she wore her favorite color. Oh boy did she. She had her pink camo shirt with her pink pants and pink boots. To top things off she insisted on having her new pink and gray jacket. She kept telling she was cold and needed it. It did go great with the outfit.

Today I have Brandon's IEP meeting. I hope this goes well and is not much of a fight, but I guess I'm not really counting on it. Anyone who's been to one knows that they try to put the minimum in so they don't have to do as much. I am hoping it will be better because they can dump it all on the new school.