Phone Call From Arion - Why Me??

Arion - "Hi Mom, It's Arion"

Mom - "Yeah Arion, what's up"

Arion - "This new medicine, I don't like it"

Mom - " Arion, you just started taking it today! Give it some time. When did you take it?"

Arion - "I took it at 9:00 am (it's now 12:30 pm). It's just not strong enough"

Mom - "Arion you just took it 3 1/2 hours ago. You have to give it some time to get into your system, like a week"

Arion - "Well I just think the Adderall works better"

Mom - "please just take it for a week and then I will call Doc and talk to him, but that means you will have to take something later in the day. Let's talk later"

This is my life. God help me.

The Long Drive To Delaware

Once again the boys and I took the long drive to the Neurologist in Delaware. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't see anyone else. This doctor is great and well worth the trip, but it is 1 hour down and 1 hour for the appointment (1/2 per child) and then 1 hour to get home. The visit was good. For Brandon there is no change in what we are doing. The weight is an issue once again. It doesn't help that he's not a big eater. The meds make it worst. Since our last visit Brandon has grown over 2 inches and only gained 1.5 pounds. I've got to get more weight on this kid. The meds are to stay the same for now. Doc is happy that he is making such progress at school and that the teachers and I are happy with how things are going. Arion is another matter. You see the first semester at college didn't go so good. If he is unable to pull his grades up he will lose his scholarship. Doc thinks he needs to get more organized. He wants him to talk to the student supportive services department when he gets back. He also is worried about his meds. One problem is that most of Arion's classes were late in the day. Arion was taking his meds later but it's not clear if they were working long enough. Not to mention that Arion got a lecture from Doc on him not being like the other kids. He can afford to party and think that he can pull this off. Doc also decided to try Arion on a new med. Arion had been taking Adderall XR. He is now trying Vyvance (?? spelling). It is supposed to be Adderall reformulated to absorb differently and last longer. Now the hard part. He has to start it today and not wait till he gets back to college. You see, when Arion is on vacation, he doesn't take his meds. He sort of takes a break. He also doesn't take it on the weekends. We both made it clear that he had to try it now and not wait till he was in class to find out that it didn't work. He is spending the next few days with his dad and I hope he follows through. I need to call Doc in a month and let him know how it goes. Not a problem since I have to call for refills to be mailed out anyway. So we are now set till June. Thank God I only have to make this trip twice a year.

Christmas - Not Bad

We had a fun Christmas. The kids had a great time and have been playing with their gifts. Lauren did still point something that Santa forgot. Of course Lauren had been coming up with new stuff everyday for the last 2 weeks. I kept telling her that she couldn't keep changing her mind. Still, he forgot her "mood" ring. Brandon seemed happy with every thing and I had a great time watching him sing along with his new CD player and his first CD. Of course it was the Jonas Brothers. Arion seemed happy with the one game he got, but no so enthused with the other stuff he got that he didn't ask for. You know, stuff for college like a printer, long underwear, new boxers. Stuff like that.

Things did get a little aggravating for me. Jim decided to be anti-social Christmas day for a while. I was left to entertain my sister and his mother while cooking Christmas dinner. After dinner he seemed pissed off that I left him to clean up. Considering that I had just spent over 6 hours working on dinner I really didn't feel sorry for him. Specially since he had the kids (Arion included) to help him. His Mom took pitty on him and helped with the drying.

Jim and the kids have this week off and today the kids are at my sisters so I can go to work and Jim can spend the day helping one of our neighbors. I just realized that I forgot to send Brandon's meds. Sorry Mary.

Happy Birthday Brandon

Today is Brandon's Birthday. I can't believe he's 7 years old. It seems like a couple of months ago that he was just a little boy toddling around the house. He was very excited this morning when I reminded him and of course wanted to be measured on the wall. He still doesn't get the whole age, height, and weight thing. So happy birthday Brandon. I hope you have a special day.

Santa Visit

I am glad to report that this years Santa visit was not the horrible mess it was last year. For those that don't remember, Brandon had decided that he would take the picture with his eyes closed. We had to trick him into opening his eyes and then snap the picture. Of course he was mad about the whole thing in the end. This year went very smooth. He smiled and even told Santa what he wanted. Now here is the problem. Lauren popped up with something new (that I have never heard of) and told Santa that was what she wanted and not any of the things we had discussed. Now I have one week to figure out what it is and where to get it. Of course it sounds expensive and if it is too much she will learn the hard way about Santa. We will see. The extra kid in the photo is my niece Lexie. We always take our photos together. Tomorrow I will be trying to pick up Arion. Of course there is supposed to be a big snow storm. Lots of fun.

The Glasses Are In

Last night we got a call the Lauren's glasses were in. At that point she started asking to go and pick them up. I had to work and hoped that Jim would handle it. OK. . . I know. But some part of me thought it might happen. So this morning as soon as I started to wake her up she asked if we could go and get her glasses. Before an hour was up she had asked me 5 times. I told her we would try tonight and knew that I would have to if I wanted any peace. So here is a picture of Lauren with her new glasses. If you haven't noticed, they are pink. Like they would be any other color.

One More Thing To Deal With

I guess the Lord doesn't think I have enough to deal with. You know, two jobs, trying to figure out how to get Arion home, Christmas and the like. Last week added to the mix. First I went to have my teeth cleaned on Tuesday (I know, me, at the dentist again). The good news was that the women said for not having my teeth cleaned for 13 years, they were in good shape. She expected them to be much worst. Her comment was that I must really brush and floss. So the cleaning wasn't so bad. Of course the bad news was that I need another root canal. That is now scheduled for next Thursday. Then on Wednesday Lauren came home and said she failed her eye test. I sort of tested her at home and it wasn't good. I was able to get her an appointment today and you guessed it, she needs glasses. Of course, Thursday and Friday were full of tears about going to the eye doctor and needing glasses. Overall the appointment went well and she picked out a great hot pink pair. One only thing she got upset over was the eye drops. While there I made an appointment for me. On Friday, while talking to Arion about finals and getting him home, he told me to set up an appointment with the surgeon again. He thinks the cyst on his tail bone is back. For those that don't remember, last Christmas Arion had surgery and had to spend 2 weeks lying on his stomach. Not fun. I'm hoping it's just scar tissue, but who knows. The doctor said he should go to the med center up there and get them to look at it. Depending on what they say, we will probably have to go back. Next week doesn't look much better. Between work and dentist and having to drive up to get Arion, I just hope something else doesn't come up. At least the house is mostly ready for Christmas. I have done some shopping but haven't baked any cookies. I guess we will wait for Arion to get the tree, unless we really get it together tonight.

My Morning - Just The Typical Morning

My alarm goes off at 5:50 am. I finally get up at about 6:10 am. I turn on the light and TV to help Jim get moving and head into Brandon's room to wake him up and get him dressed. Of course he tells me he is tired and doesn't want to get up, blah . . .blah . . . blah. Finally we head down stairs and I ask him 5 times if he wants special cocoa (Carnation Instant Breakfast - hot) with his pop tart. Give him his meds. Ask him to eat about 10 times. Get his backpack. Pack lunch, snack. Check folder, communication book. Did I write?? No, Jim did. They have to know is he did anything over the weekend so they know what he is trying to tell them. Crap, it's Monday, he needs pizza money for Friday (Fridays, I need to remember swim stuff). Make me tea (thank God for Tea). Beg him to eat 5 more times. 6:45 am - Wake up Lauren. Discuss clothing for day and pull out for her. Go back down and pull out stuff for her to eat. Check her book bag. Not to hard since there still is very little communication and she buys her lunch. 7:00 am - Ask Brandon to go to his room and put on shoes. Follow him up stairs to make sure he's in the right room. Come back down to Lauren crying. Her shirts not sitting right on her shoulder. Definitely a crises. Get her calmed down. Brandon comes downstairs with no shoes. "Brandon where are your shoes, put shoes on". Yeah right. Brandon runs to shoe basket. "No Brandon, in your bedroom, put shoes on". Take Brandon upstairs again and show him shoes. Once that is done, help Brandon brush teeth. Great, he's ready. Take load out of dryer and move over load from washer. Get Brandon downstairs playing Gameboy. Tell Jim he's ready. Check on Lauren one more time and then take a shower. Run around like crazy to get ready. At the last minute I see a spot on my shirt. Too late to find another. Find necklace that covers stain. 8:05 am - Start car and read with Lauren (5 minutes behind schedule). 8:20 am - get her into car and go to bus stop. 8:30 am - Bus comes and I'm off to work.

Right now I'm looking at the clock and it's 3:50 pm. I'm tired, but thinking that at 5:00 pm I need to leave work, pick up Brandon, and get home in time to make dinner and be at Girl Scouts by 6:30 pm with Lauren. And tomorrow I get to do it all over again except I have to be at the second job by 6:00 pm.

Their Really Flying Now

While I was working yesterday, Jim took the kids to the helicopter museum. Santa was supposed to be flying in and he thought they would get a kick out of it. He ended up paying for them to take a helicopter ride. I don't think the kids realize what a big deal it was, but they both really liked it. I was kind of sad that I couldn't go with them. Sometimes I regret this decision to take on a second job. Unfortunately they had a long wait for the ride and when they got back the line to see Santa was really long so they didn't get their pictures done with him. I guess that can be something I can do with them later. Here are some pictures that Jim took.

Toothless Wonder

I went to unpack Brandon's backpack this morning and found a surprise. His class photo. It's a good one. Look Mom, no teeth.

Meeting with Advocate - Somewhat Disappointing

Today was the day I was supposed to meet with an Advocate for Lauren. I was supposed to meet her at my office before it opened. I got there early. Made copies of all the paperwork she wanted. And there I sat. . . and sat . . . . and sat. She never showed. I tried calling her cell phone and still haven't gotten a call back. Hopefully she will call back and we can reschedule. It did freak out her teacher, I think. I had taken Lauren's agenda book and told her to tell her teacher I had it. I got an email confirming that I "had it for a meeting". She also wanted to let me know about all Lauren's homework and about the test on Thursday. Funny, that's the first e-mail I have ever received from her. The frighting thing is that I also kept the communication book and have heard nothing from the special ed teacher. Maybe there will be something in her folder.

Thanksgiving - Normal Crazy

The last week was really crazy. Everyone was to meet at my brothers for dinner. We all have the things we always bring. Mine is the traditional rolls, cheesy twice baked potatoes and homemade applesauce. I stated cooking the weekend before. I finished the second batch of rolls early Thursday morning. The potatoes were made at Rick's. All together there were 21 of us. I think that's a new record. It was nice having Jim's Mom there. I hope my crazy family didn't scare the crap out of her. The teenagers are bringing their girlfriend/boyfriends. Scary how old that makes you feel. Arion spent more of his time at his Dad's. That was a little frustrating. I guess I'm the safe one. He knows I will always be there for him. Dad, well he has issues and Arion's security with him needs reassurance on a regular basis.

One bright point was that I got to spend some time with my good friend Shannon. She came up and spend Wednesday night and Saturday night with us. We would have gone shopping on Friday, but Danny, her youngest found someones pills and took one. Shannon and her spent the next 8-10 hours at the hospital. That was fun. Danny is fine now. Here are some pictures of some of the fun. Jim and I bought a new camera on Saturday. Yeah, I know. It's about time.

The Bath Room Is Done - Mostly

Here are some pictures of the bathroom. I borrowed the camera at work. The only thing left is the weins coat and chair rail. I think I posted after I got the fixtures in for the tub and shower. All I had to do was caulk. Well it sounded easy enough. I planned to do it at night after the kids were in bed. The first try went pretty good. I decided that I would do this right. That was my first mistake. I put down blue painters tape so I would have a clean line. I did that caulking and I looked great. Of course the phone rang just then and I got to talking and then forgot about the tape. You see, for those who don't know, you are supposed to pull the tape off before it dries. This leaves a clean line. The problem is if it dries than it does not come off when you remove the tape. I stays behind and kind of hangs in the wind. NOT PRETTY. The next morning I started removing it before I went to work. Later that night I finished removing it and grabbed another tub that I had around the house. I noticed it had a different consistency, but thought it was just a different brand. WRONG. The next morning it still hadn't dried. I spoke to one of my maintenance guys at work and he said that if the tube was ever frozen, it would do that. GREAT. That night (Friday night), after the kids were in bed, I began again. I used craft sticks to scrap out all the caulk and then got it all cleaned up. Then I caulked again. Thank God it worked. I had to pick up Nana on Saturday and I was determined that that bath room would be ready for her to use. Anyway. Enjoy the pictures.

Just so you remember, this was the before:

Then this after I gutted it.

Than this is with the new stuff.

This Week - Not What I Planned

When last we talked, I was trying to get ready for Nana. Well, I picked her up without a hitch and got her to our house. It was crazy but the house was ready, even though I had to caulk the tub 3 times, but more on that later. Jim got in around 9:30 pm exhausted from their 15 hour drive. The next morning things continued to go good. The truck was unloaded by lunch and we spent the rest of the day trying to get the apartment set up and some stuff unpacked. On Monday night I had parent teacher conference and Jim had a board meeting, so we didn't make it back to help. On Tuesday, we were SUPPOSED to go over after dinner to help some more but that's when things got off track. I got home first and started getting dinner ready. Jim called from the sitters and said to get ready, Lauren was throwing up all over the place. I got her bed ready, complete with bucket, and put her to bed as soon as she got home. She fell asleep before dinner was served and I started talking to Jim about which one of us would go to help set up the TV and then I broke my tooth. Not just broke, mind you, but half the tooth shattered into a hundred little tiny pieces. NICE. At that point it was decided that Jim would go. I had taken Wednesday off to show Nana around and help her out with some stuff, but that didn't really happen. I made her a doctors appointment, but wasn't able to get it for Wednesday. So, Wednesday morning Lauren was feeling a little better. I kept her home with me and we headed over to Nana's. I drove Nana around so she would know where the doctors was, the stores were, the closest banks, etc. We stopped for lunch and that set Lauren's stomach back off. At that point I took Nana back to our house and put Lauren back in bed. From our house we were able to make most of the phone calls that had to be made and then we all had dinner before I went to work. Thursday morning I took off sick, hit the grocery store and then went to the dentist. YES, ME. I went to the dentist. You see it's been 13 years since I have had a dentist work on my teeth. So I went and had a root canal. Not pleasant. Then I went to work. Today, my tooth hurts. I have had little sleep. The anti-biotic has my stomach doing the loop do loop, and I generally feel like crap.

Doom On You

Have you ever seen the movie "Ice Age"?? Do you know the scene when the Do Do's are preparing for the ice age. They say "If you didn't prepare for the Ice Age, then doom on you, doom on you." Of course they only had something like 3 melons. Well this phase was used over the past couple of days. Except we changed one part. You see Jim leaves today for Chicago. He will meet up with his Mom, pack her up and send her here on a plane as he and his brother drive all her stuff back here for her to live near us in PA. I on the other hand, I have been running around getting the house ready. She will need to spend the night with us for at least Saturday until we get her stuff moved into her apartment on Sunday. So here is the new saying . . . . "If you don't prepare for the Nana, then doom on you, doom on you." What do you think?? Too harsh??? By the way, I'm still cleaning up from the bathroom construction and the house is a general disaster from me not having enough time to clean while working two jobs. I guess that makes it "Doom on Me."

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

This statement has been said quite frequently over the years. Usually when I do something for the first time. These things are usually things that most women wouldn't be doing. I have always felt that I could just about anything if I just put my mind to it. Not that I haven't made mistakes over the years. But the important thing is that I recognize that I learn from my mistakes and not let the fear stop me. This was the case with the shower. I had the plumber put in the tub, but I did the tile and grout. It was then time to hook up the spout and leaver. This is not something I have done in the past. With the last bathroom I had the plumber come back and do it. This time I said that it was time for me to try. I spoke to one of my maintenance guys and then started the other night. I got the spout on no problem and then started on the faceplate and leaver. This was starting to give me some trouble and then Jim was calling me for help somewhere in the house and I gave up. This morning I tried again. I am happy to report that for the first time in 5 years we have 2 fully functioning bathrooms (that don't leak) in our house. I was like a kid at Christmas when I turned on the water and it came out and then the shower worked too. YES. By the way, the bathroom turned out great and when I get a new camera, I will post some pictures.

Sushi Man

Last night we went to Jim's favorite place - The Hibachi. He loves "all you can eat sushi night". Most of the time he goes alone or just takes the kids when I'm at work, but not so much with me. So last night I was off and we went as a family. Instead of going to the grill we went to the sushi bar and the kids wanted to sit at the counter so they could watch them make the sushi and talk to all the people. Things were going good. We have found that Lauren loves the shrimp and Brandon will eat the buttered noodles and sometime some steak. As they all know Jim real well, they just started making him sushi with out even asking what he wanted (they already knew). One of the first things they handed over was some Yellow Tail. Jim started eating and Brandon was really interested this time. All of the sudden Brandon said he wanted one. Jim gave him a piece and looked at me. You see Brandon is very picky when it comes to food and getting him to try something new is like pulling teeth. I remained quiet and calm, determined to see what he would do. He picked up the meat part and sniffed it and then took a little bite. Then he gave me the thumbs up sign. OH MY GOD, HE LIKED IT. Next he took a big bite and then he stuffed the whole thing in his mouth, rice and all. HOLY CRAP. Jim and I couldn't believe he did it. Without any prodding at all. At that point it was high fives all around.

Starting the Fight Again

Here I go again. And let's not mention that I almost feel bad for the school for me doing it. I do guilt well. I have made a phone call to try to get Lauren retested for a second opinion. I am going to have a meeting with the two teachers on Monday and following that I will be requesting an addendum for her IEP. Not that they follow it anyway. The special ed teacher has written in her communication book all of twice since the beginning of the year. Her IEP says daily. Every time I get a note home from Lauren's regular teacher it seems a bit snotty. I try to ask Lauren if the teacher read her the test that she took and she can't remember. How do I handle this???? If she can't remember and they don't do it then how do I get them to do it. The agenda book is a disaster. She can't read what's on the board to write down. Copying it from the board is hard because of the working memory problems. All she does is write down WS every day and hopes it right. When I question her about it she just cries. More guilt. I sent the school psychologist a e-mail to which there was no response. What do I do now. Well here it is. I will meet with the teachers and tell what is up. Change your ways or things are going to get hot. I have been trying to get an advocate to go with me when I go in for the IEP change. Hopefully someone they find scary. Get her retested and get the specialist input as to what should be in the IEP. Find a way to be sure they are doing what they are supposed to. Maybe the special ed teacher should initial the test to show she saw it. I don't know. We shall see.

Arion's Change of Heart

Last night I finally got a hold of Arion. He had been avoiding me and I knew something was up. I called on his dorm phone so he wouldn't know it was me. We talked about his account being all paid up (we had a problem with one of the loans going through) and that he could now schedule his classes. I asked if he had thought about what he wanted to take. At that point he started to tell me that he was going to switch his major from nursing to psychology. He seemed hesitant to tell me. Wanted me to know that he had discussed it with my brother and sister-in-law who are doctors and he really looks up to. He said he even discussed it with the professors. I told him it was fine. I also told him as long as it makes him happy, I don't care what he does. I just wish he would discuss it with me. I guess it is him just growing up and trying to be more independent. The one thing that I found cool is Arion used to like to take the easy way out. Now he seems to be picking something that will require even more work. I guess he really is becoming his own person. What happen to my little baby.

Halloween Day

Yesterday was really a wild ride. I went to wake up Brandon and he didn't want to get up till I said "It's Halloween". At that point he sat up and said "Oh my gosh, did I miss it". He then started bouncing off the walls and didn't stop till I tucked him back into bed. He went to school where they had a parade. At home he was so excited that he could hardly eat dinner. When it was time to start, he was like a jack Russell terrier running in circles. He ran from house to house and I kept having to tell him to slow down. Lauren was excited, but figured that ladies and angels stayed calm. Cute, huh. He costume was very cute. She had a big hoop dress in cream with a halo and wings (angel) and Brandon was Spiderman. Both had a great time and were really tired when it was time to go to bed. Thank God. I was beat.

A Blast In The Night

It's late, or early, depending on how you see things. Lauren comes walking in and looks like she wants to crawl in bed with us. I say "OH NO, what is the matter". Can't sleep. GREAT. I tell her to use the bathroom and get a drink of water and go back to bed. Jim then takes her back to bed. When he comes back he tells me that her stomach hurts. I get up and get a pepto. I go to her room. She's in bed and crying. DOUBLE GREAT. I remind her that we will be seeing the doctor in the morning. More tears. I need to "change the channel". This is an expression we use for getting the kids to switch from crying or tantrum to something else. Preferably happy. What to do, I'm tired, what to do. Suddenly, the is a blast in the night. It's Jim, with gas. HOLY CRAP, that was loud. That did it. Now both Lauren and I are laughing. I leave her and go back to bed where, for once, I am grateful for Jim having gas.

Prayers Mother Never Taught You

There are days that I say prayers that I know are not the norm. I could soften them, but what is the point. I am trying to be honest. Here is what I am talking about. See if you too say them from time to time.

Lord grant me patience so I don't slap some idiot silly.

Lord help me to be a better mother so I don't crawl thru the phone and put this child through a wall.

Lord help me to remember to love my neighbor, even when they keep me up late at night making noise and being inconsiderate.

I guess I am just tired. I really am not an overly violent person.

Brandon, The Sun Worshiper

In Brando's World there are certain rules. One is that we should follow the sun. This does become a problem. During the summer, it's that it is still light out when I am trying to get him to go to bed. In the winter, it is that the sun comes up late. I need to have Brandon up by 6:15 am in order to get him to the sitters to catch his bus. This morning he realized that the sun was not up yet and his world was out of line. So now I will hear this for most of the winter. "Moommie, the sun not up, I not supposed to be up". Oh well, it is easier to put him to bed at night. What do I want.

Brandon to Start New Project

The other day we got some paperwork from Brandon's school about the "Olympics of the Mind". Very Cool. There are different categories that he can sign up for. It did explain something he was trying to tell us. He kept talking about building a boat to beat Quinn. One of the categories is a sailboat. He will be given a kit and he has to build it. It needs to be designed for speed and to be very creative. Brandon is already talking about a Spiderman boat with torpedoes to sink Quinn's boat. I guess I will need to buy a new camera so I can take pictures. Yup, we still haven't found the camera. I think all hope is lost on that front. I know it's in the house, but where is a mystery to all of us.

My New Work Pic

At work someone got the bright idea that they should do a work photo directory. Not bad when you consider that most of us hardly ever see one another. Example, at my office there is just me and two maintenance guys. At the 4 other apartment sites, it just about the same. No more than 5 or site at there site. Then there are the home sales and the corporate offices. I'm not so sure how I feel about the picture. I little stiff. Not too bad though. They then put all the pictures in a book that told you the name, site and position. What do you think?

Update On Brandon

I realized that I haven't really written about Brandon. I guess this is because he is really doing great. He is now writing his name in lower case letters. He is always ask how to spell something or have me read a word he sees on a box or whatever. The comments from school are really good. I really feel that him being in this special school it the best thing. Yesterday he asked me about writing a letter to Santa. I wrote and then had to read back several times because he wanted to make sure I was writing what he wanted. Then he drew a pictures to make sure Santa knew what he was talking about. Really cute. When Lauren came home he told her she needed to do the same. I can't wait to see the progress he will make this year.

Calm Down, Relax, Deep Breath

How many times a week have I said this. I have lost count. It doesn't take much to get Lauren upset. It can happen when I ask if she did her homework. Her face turns red and the tears well up. All this because she forgot it and doesn't want me to get mad. Then it happens the next day when the homework it too hard. That's really the big problem. Once she get overly emotional you have to stop and calm her down before she can do the homework. You see, working memory problems are made worst when someone, anyone really, gets upset or anxious. The question is . . . how do I stop the anxiety attacks from happening. I make a point of constantly telling her to just tell me, I won't get mad. I really try to not even raise my voice with her. If anyone has I hint, I am all ears.

Long Weekend and Still Recovering

I know I haven't written for a while. It was a long weekend and I still hurt. Lauren and I went cabin camping with her girl scout troop. We left on Friday. The trip was great and the kids had a great time. The one problem is no one told me about the hill. You see you park you car in the parking lot at the bottom of the complex. Then you are supposed to get the "carts" and take your stuff to your site. There are different kinds of sites for different levels of campers. We were the full cabins with a full mess hall (including stove). Our cabins were even supposed to have heat and air, although our air didn't work. The problem was to get to this site you had to go up a very large hill. So picture this. 7 girls, 15 if you add the other troop we were with, and 5 adults, 7 with the other troop, trying to get all our gear and food for the weekend up a steep hill. Some of the girls were having serious problems. We did make it and things were good until Sunday when it was time to go back down and get the carts to reverse the process. Of course I volunteered to take some girls down to get the carts and drag them back up.

Other than that, we took the girls on a 2 hour hike on Saturday. Worked on several badges. The funny thing about the weekend was the grub worms. You see I was talking to our group about different habitats and we were discussing food. We had gathered some acorns to leave out to feed the "wildlife" and I noticed that one of the acorns had a hole in it. I opened the acorn and showed the girls the worm that was inside. They were fascinated. After I was done the girls started looking around for more acorns and started opening the acorns and collecting all the worms. They literally were at it for over 3 hours. Every once in a while you would hear one shout that they found a baby or one was giving birth.

It really is amazing what will hold the interest of 7-15 girls, 7-9 years of age. Sorry, no pictures. I still haven't found the camera. I will try to get some pictures from one of the other Moms and post them later.

And The Answer Is. . . .

I got a note back from Lauren's Teacher. She didn't seem very happy. She says that "Lauren is Wrong." According to her Lauren has been taking all test and quizzes in the special ed class and Lauren must be remembering the review sheet she worked on in class. I wrote her back and thanked her. What does she want, we are talking about a memory problem here.

More IEP Concerns

OK, here is the newest problem. Last night I was checking Lauren's backpack. Inside she had a folder with two tests that needed to be signed. One for a map test and the other was a math test. The grades were 70% and 80%. I asked Lauren where she had taken the tests. You see her IEP says she is supposed to take all tests in the special ed. class so they can be read to her to ensure that she understands the questions. She told me she took the math test in the regular class. I looked at the questions she got wrong and they were word problems. I asked Lauren to read me the sentence and that wasn't happening. I thought so. It was not an easy sentence. The words were pretty big for a kid still reading at a first grade level. I wrote the teacher a note in her agenda book asking if the test was given in the special ed room or did she read it to Lauren herself. I thought I would give her the benefit of the doubt. I sort of know where this is going. For the past several days I have had a printout in Laurens special ed folder that has not been touched, so I don't think the teacher in there is paying any attention. I have a feeling this is going to require a visit to the school. Why does this have to be so hard. Why can't they just follow the IEP and give a damn about if this kid is learning or not.

From Unicorn to Klingon

On Friday night I got home about 9:45 pm. The kids were still up and Jim mentioned that Brandon had been bit or stung on the forehead. He went up to put them to bed and yelled for me to come look at Brandon. I went up and he had a pretty good sized bump on his forehead. I went to get the Benadryl and gave him the maximum dose. I thought by morning that my little unicorn would be better. Saturday morning came and my hope for a quiet morning was blown away when Brandon got up I realized that he now looked like a Klingon. The swelling had continued down his face and know not only was his entire forehead swollen, but his eyes and upper checks were now puffy. I called the doctor and made a quick trip to his office. Brandon is know on steroids for the next 3 days. I hope it works. Right now he is with my sister. Jim and I had to go to the football game with my Dad and didn't get home till very late. I took pictures, but now I can't find the camera. Maybe later I can update the post.

Update On Arion - He Loves Me

Last night I realized something. I was talking to him on the phone and we went to end the conversation. Usually I say "I love you" and Arion says "I love you too bye" at brake neck speed. I mean even an auctioneer would have trouble understanding him. I understand, it's not cool to say I love you to your mom. Last night it was different. He said "I love you Mom" slow and meaningful. Of course I didn't say anything to him about it but after I got off the phone I realized that he really does love me and he is really growing up.

Trying Something New

As we know, I am currently having problems with Lauren and some of her school work. The agenda book is an issue and Lauren seems to forget a lot of stuff. Go figure for a kid with working memory problems, right. I tried writing the teacher and talking to the special ed teacher to see if she could intercede and explain the problem. I also sent an e-mail to the school psychologist to see if she could help or change the IEP. I was going to call the school and bitch, but I decided to try one more thing. I printed out some stuff on kids with working memory in the classroom and how best to deal with their short comings. It really was set up for teachers to understand what changes they could make for the child's benefit. Not big changes, mind you, but small things that would help cue the working memory and ease the load on the working memory itself. I thought that maybe if I could get the teacher to better understand what she was dealing with things would go better. I'll let you know. I know she has it, the trick now is if she reads it. In another week I will write her an e-mail and see if she did and what she thought. What can it hurt, right. I guess this is my softer side (not generally seen).

Very Interesting

My friend Shannon sent me an article on Hyper Sensitivity in people with ADHD. It was very cool. Although it did have a lot of stuff that we see in Brandon, what I found very interesting was the things that I deal with that I never thought of being a ADD issue. You can read it here http://www.add.org/articles/hypersen.html. The whole web site is very cool. If anyone is looking for info on ADHD or ADD, this is a great site.

Life and Lauren

Things have been kind of crazy (imagine that). Working 2 jobs does really cut into my blogging time. I keep saying I will post at work and then work is crazy too. I barely have time to e-mail.

This week I hit a road block with Lauren and school. Not sure how big a deal to make of it, but I am trying to address it before it becomes a problem. There's the deal. When we did her IEP last year, homework was identified by a paper sent home every Monday to let you know what would be due all week. This took the guess work out and you always knew what she needed to do. This year they have switched her to a agenda book. In this book she must write down any homework and tests she has coming up. About Tuesday, she got upset that there was homework she hadn't done, and she couldn't remember what it was. I checked her book and nothing was listed. I wrote a note to the teacher asking her what it might have been and if she could insure that Lauren writes down all her homework. I didn't think this would be a big deal because she checks it every day to make sure WE sign the book. The response I got was that it was Lauren responsibility and not hers. OK . . . not the response I had hoped for. I sent an e-mail to the school psychologist regarding the problem and that it will be OK if Lauren is coping the information from the board, but not if the teacher is telling her what to write. You see, children with working memory problems have a terrible time taking notes. To the point that they can't do it. It requires them to hear, use the memory to spit it back on to the paper. This action requires working memory. I really don't think it's that big of deal to ask a teacher that is already looking at the book everyday to initial it and make sure she has everything written. I mean really. As of this point I have received no reply to my e-mail. I will give it a week and then continue on with the e-mails and send another note to the teacher. I think I might also send in a copy of one of the paper I read this summer to help the teacher better understand the problems working memory deficiencies cause. We'll see.

Update On Bath

In keeping with the "get the bathroom done" line, I purchased the border tile on Wednesday and did the tile last night. Now all I have to do this those 2 stupid tiles around the soap dispenser and I can grout on Sunday. I also have decided that I will be putting up weins coat. I bought some with the tile to see how it looked and I like it. I think it is the little extra I was looking for. I will take pictures after the grout.

Mad Mondays

Mondays are never easy. The kids hate getting up early to get ready for school. Today was no exception. Brandon was very tired and just wanted to go watch TV. When I told him he couldn't until he was ready for school, it set him off into a mood. When Brandon gets mad, he generally just grunts and won't talk. The challenge is the "change the channel". This means to distract him long enough (sometimes only a few second) and then he forgets that's he mad. I was able to accomplish it this morning by going through his backpack and finding a picture he colored at school and complimenting him on the colors and how he stayed in the lines. In 2 seconds he forgot the TV and started eating his breakfast. I later realized that it just isn't the kids that have trouble on Mondays. While getting ready this morning I sprayed hair spray under my arms. NICE.

Plum Line . . . Why Do You Mock Me So

OK, I know I have been putting off finishing the hall bath, but in my defence, I have really been busy. I got tired of looking at it half done and put it on my "Almighty List". You see, I'm a list person. My life revolves around lists that I make and need to get done. If a project gets put on my weekend list, there is a good chance it will get done. The bath room tile was on the top for this weekend. I started where I got pissed off, the cuts on the edges. Me and the cutter don't always get along and I start breaking tiles in the wrong spot. After so many I have to walk away. Of course, to make things worse, there really is not a plum line or wall in my house. This makes the cuts that more difficult. I must report that I have all the tile except for the boarder (which I haven't bought yet and the two hardest cuts. The best part was when I ask Brandon to hand me a tile and he ended up learning and trying to do all kinds of stuff. There was a problem in the end. When I came to the last corner, it didn't match. I was 1/4 inch off. It doesn't seem like much, but it really looks bad. Oh well, if the next people don't like it, they can ripe it out and try there luck with these walls. So what do you think???

Height, Weight, and Age - What a Concept

This concept is one Brandon is still working on. Try as I might I can't get him to understand the difference. This morning was no different. As soon as we came down stairs, this was what he said.

Brandon: "How old are I, measure me".

Me: " You mean How tall am I"

Brandon: "Measure me"

I measure him on the wall.

Brandon: "look, I'm a 40 pounder"

Our First Comment

I'm sorry for not posting in a while. Things have been crazy around here. Seems like there just isn't time. Yesterday Lauren got her first note in her communication book. Not much, but it was a start. I did like Mama Rose's comment that I should make up sheets. That way I find out about what I need to know. Maybe if I make a check box section and then a comment section I will find out more. If I have time today I will make one up.

It's Just Sad

I know you all are waiting with baited breath to find out if we got a communication book. Well the answer is yes, but the story doesn't end there. First, we got the book on Thursday night. It was empty. The was a general note that stated that she would be writing in it once a week. OK . . . The good part was it was in a marked folder. There was a sticker on the front that was SUPPOSED to have Lauren's name on it. The last name was spelled WRONG. If you remember, she had her last year. Even if she didn't remember her from last year OR summer school, didn't she have a list. I told Lauren to point it out to her and she corrected it. I check and she didn't even bother to remove the old tag, she just put the new one on top. NICE. CLASSY. Of course I checked the book Friday night and it still was empty. So much for good communication skills. I don't mean to be really mean, but Brandon has had his communication book since day one and it has been written in EVERY day. So now I wait to see if she will write next week.

Should I Get Pissy Yet

So the question of the day is how long do I wait before I call the school to bitch. Subtle right?? You see Lauren has been in school for 2-3 days and I see no communication book in her backpack. OK, day 1 she didn't go to the special ed class for language. I'll give them day 2 because I'm trying to be nice. If I don't see one by tomorrow I think I will start my e-mail campaign for the year. You see last year she had one and I couldn't get anyone to write in it. The IEP says I'm to have "daily" communication. I am going to start this year off right if it kills them. The new regular teacher seems nice. She answered my e-mail before school even started and said that not only had she read Lauren's IEP, but had discussed it with the special ed teacher. I'll let you know how it goes.

First Day of School

Yesterday was the kids first day of school. It seemed to go well. Both kids were excited and made new friends. Lauren will go to her special ed class today. Brandon was disappointed that one of his good friends moved on, but seems to be making friends with some of the new kids. There are one or two that are there from last year. After school Lauren had a dentist appointment, so she really didn't have a good night. Here are pictures.

A Day at The Farm

About once a year we try to go to this farm run by the parks service. The kids love to see the animals and the small pond is always good for fishing. This year they also added a butterfly house. It was really cool and Lauren really loved it. Jim was even excited that the pig had about 13 piglets running around. Jim loves the pigs. After the farm we stopped for ice cream and then went swimming. It really was a fun day. Since it was my I day off I really enjoyed all we managed to do.

How Much Is A Kid Worth

This is an interesting question. Apparently, in Georgia they are worth $1,700. Let me explain. I have a good friend Shannon that lives in Georgia with her husband Tim. Except Tim is now in Iraq. They have one child together (Danny-2) and three others by other people. Shannon has Emory (15) and Tim has Justin (17) and a little girl (about 4) that I can't remember her name. Last year Justin came to live with them because his mother is a BI*CH. I met this woman once and decided that she was in line for the worst parent award or hall of fame. She's a high school drop out, very selfish, does nothing for Justin's self esteem and constantly berates him. Things were going OK, but with Tim going to Iraq, Justin's Mom decided that Justin needed to come back and live with them. You see, Shannon is only a step parent and they did not file for legal custody and child support. Shannon and Tim were trying to work it out without going to court and things getting ugly. After Justin went back he started calling Shannon and asking if he could come back. Shannon has no problem with this, but his Mother won't allow it. Last week Justin called very upset and begged Shannon to come get him. In the background Shannon could hear his Mother, cusing and screaming at him. She was also calling Shannon every name in the book and saying that Shannon couldn't help him. At the end of the phone call, Shannon called the police and asked if there was anything she could do. The officer told her that at 17 he could leave and she could pick him up. Trusting this man, Shannon made plans to pick up Justin, when the crazies weren't there, and off they went. Pickup went fine. Shannon told Justin to call his Mom and let her know he was OK. He didn't. Next thing Shannon knows there is a cop on the phone telling her she was miss informed and could be arrested for kidnapping. Shannon now has no money or gas to take the boy home. The cop works out that he can stay the night and they will work something out in the morning. Next morning Justin's step father calls and says that she can keep him if she pays for all the stuff they just bought him. The total $1,700. They even have a way for her to pay it off. Just continue to pay child support. All she has to do is sign a paper and the kid is hers. NICE. What loving parents. Let's look at the stuff she needed to pay for. Glasses, she would have had to pay for half anyway; dental work, same thing; clothes; a new bed, of course Shannon doesn't get the bed, just gets to pay for it. So Shannon signed the paper and will be getting a lawyer. She still has to get him registered at school. They had blocked that before and now need to undo that. Shannon has found cases were custody was given to a non-parent. Shannon you are a great person. Justin is much better off with you.

Getting Ready for School

So now I have the other two to get ready for school. I have already e-mailed Lauren's new teacher. I am really hoping that this year goes good for Lauren. We really didn't make much progress last year. She did get the teacher I requested. I just hope she's as good as everyone has said.

I still need to e-mail Brandon's teacher, but it's the same teacher he had last year, so she has an advantage. She does need to know about the lying. He's been doing it more and more.

We have Brandon set to pick-up and get off the bus at the sitters and Lauren will go to a neighbors after school. The child care bill will be back. Not quite as bad, but still more than when Arion was here to watch everyone. Jim and I are still trying to work out how things will go with the kids and us. I have started my part-time job and I hope it helps with saving for Arion's tuition and the extra child care. Of course this leaves Jim with more work at home. I hope he gets it. I will really need the extra help. I guess only time will tell.

Unable to Post

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I have been unable to post due to a virus on my computer and it is driving me crazy. It won't let me log in. I have found that if I leave a comment on someone else's blog that it will then let me in. If anyone gets a unnecessary comment on your blog, it may be why.

It has been a crazy week. I drove Arion to college on Friday. We left at 4:30 am in able to get there on time. Once we got there it was check in, unpack, ID, books, eat and I was off while he when to the first meeting. I could tell the whole time he was very uneasy. Really not like Arion. There were some funny moments. While Arion was waiting in line to get his ID, I saw all these parents going and getting the pre-ordered books for their kids. I thought "I could do that". No Biggy Right??? So I tell Arion to give me his room key and I will get the books while he waits in line. OK, back up. All the other parents were walking away with a box that was about 6 inches tall and 18 inches long. None of them looked to be straining. I walk over and tell them whose books I need and after the guy looks him up, he tells me to wait, "That's a big one". CRAP. . . The next thing I know, he comes out with 2 boxes. The 2 must have weighed 50 pounds. So I hitch them on my belt and take the trek over to Arion's room. Not a short walk. Boy does he owe me.

On Saturday I was up at about 6:15 am. I can't stand it. I can't sleep late anymore. I take my time and shower, pack, go eat the hotels breakfast and still it's way to early to do anything. So I went to Walmart to pick up some stuff for Arion that he needed. After I was done and had wasted about as much time as I could I started over to the college. I called on the phone and then waited 5 minutes for him to call me back. At his apartment, he was the only one up. It was 10:00 am. We sat in the living room and talked. After a short time I left for home. He did give me his first real hug in years. I didn't cry, but I think we were both a little choked up.

I have talked to him several times since them. Once was me checking on him and the rest were him calling me. He has had a couple of things to work out, but I think things are going better. On Wednesday I talked to him and he told me he was going to spend the long weekend at a friend house. He sounded like the old Arion again. At that point I relaxed.

Behavior Autopsy

You may ask "What the heck is that", but it is a very effective tool for changing behavior. I learned it at a CHADD meeting back when Arion was very young. I find that I am again using it with Lauren now. You may want to use it too. Here is how it goes. Lets say your child does something wrong. You sit down and discuss the behavior. The thing is you don't get mad or yell or even discipline. You just discuss it and pick it apart in a non-confrontational way. You have three main areas to discuss.

1. What they did wrong
2. Why it was wrong
3. What would have been a better choice.

The point is to help them understand what happened and how it effected the people around them. The thing is, kids with ADHD and other sensory disorders rarely mean to hurt their friend and mainly do it because of a lack of thought. They just do and their brains miss the step. By discussing it and giving them a better way to handle the situation, you can help to change the behavior the next time. Who knows. It helped with Arion and I hope it will help with Lauren and Brandon.

Girls Night Out

Last night was Lauren's Scout Troop Camp out. Well, our regular camp out was supposed to be back in May or June and we canceled due to bad weather. We ended up in the troop leaders back yard. It went very well. We had 7 girls and 4 adults. The girls had a good time and for the most part were pretty good. We are going cabin camping in October. Here are some pictures. This is our camp site.

Here are the girls learning to whittle with soap and plastic knives.

Here they are hanging out by the fire.







Making smores

Crazy Milestones

Watching Brandon the last couple of days has really made me realize all the progress he has made in the last year. Just the fact that he picks up and pencil and starts to draw is a big one. Brandon never drew before. He hated to just hold the pencil. But it's more than that. There are so many things that are new this year. The big one is the lieing. Before this summer Brandon didn't lie. Or maybe it would be better to say he couldn't lie. The concept just wasn't there. At times it was helpful. The baby sister knew that if she ask Brandon if he hit someone he would say "yes" if he did and if he said "no" that the other kids were lieing. If Brandon was in timeout and I ask if he was ready to be good, sometimes he would say no. This just let me know he needed more time. This summer things started to change. I don't think I will ever forget the day he passed gas and blamed it on Lauren. It took me a minute and then I said "you lied". Of course he just stood there smiling. I also remember telling the sister and us discussing what a big milestone this was. Over the last month or two the frequency of lieing has increased. Not a lot mind you, but when you start with nothing anything seems big. I guess I really need to remember to tell his teacher.

Spelling with Brandon

Last night was kind of cool. During the last several weeks Brandon has been asking me how to spell things. Last night he actually got a pencil and was trying to write what I said on a paper. One problem was he wasn't sure how to make more letters. It started with the word boy. He got the B and the O but couldn't figure out how to make a Y. I had him come in from the kitchen and I would show him what it looked like. I think it was the first time he had really tried to write words on his own.

I Just Can't Win

You know, whenever I think I am making progress, someone tries to cut me off at the knees. Arion got a call yesterday from the school. They are sending the medical papers back. They say the results are incomplete and still need more. They also say that he needs another booster. All this before the 24th when I take him up. On the brighter side, he now knows who his roommates are. 5 other guys, 2 are twins. I made him try to call them and talk about what they were bringing. I don't think it was a long conversation, he really didn't learn much about them. I can't believe we only have a week left.

The second thing is now Brandon wants to go to school. For the whole month of summer school he fought it every day. He would claim to be sick and not want to go. The one day he really had me laughing. He said "my stomach hurts, my teeth hurt, I'm sick & I have a feber". I started to say "if the bus comes you have to go". Last night he kept asking if he was going to school. Kill me know. This means I'm in for about 2 weeks of "I want to go to school".

Truth is Funnier Than Fiction

Today was pretty funny. I had pulled into our banks drive-thru. The nice man turned on the mic and asked me what I needed. I told him and then after prompting from Lauren and Brandon, asked for 2 lollipops. I then realize that I had failed to tell Brandon to brush his teeth.

Anne - "Brandon, you didn't brush your teeth this morning did you??"

Brandon - "No"

Brandon - "I was wasting my time"

Anne - "you were wasting your time?"

Brandon - "yeah"

At this point I am starting to crack up. I then look over at the nice man in the bank. I then realize that he had left the mic on and was laughing too.

New Rules for Lauren

First, it is so nice that I am not running around like crazy. Summer school is over and I can relax in the morning. OK, Lauren got a CD player for her birthday. Nothing special. I gave her some CD's that Jim's sister had for her to have and listen too. The one is Christina Aguilera's first album. Lauren has decided that she loves the song Genie in a Bottle. It really is kind of funny. I showed her how to repeat the song or go back. So she has been playing it over and over and over. The funny part is she sings along with the music. My poor baby is a little tone deaf. Of course because of the ear phones you only hear her singing and she doesn't sing all the words, just some. The new rule for this toy is that I shouldn't be able to hear the music. At times she has it blaring.

The other big new rule is regarding computer time. One of the other toys she got was a Webkinz horse. If you don't know what these are, they are stuffed animals that you go on line and create a world for. Kind of like a neopet. You can earn money to buy stuff for their room and food for your pet. Kind of cool. The problem is she wants to be on all the time. On Saturday she got very mad when I said she was done for the day after 3 hours. She ended up being sent to her room for attitude problems. I guess she really isn't a little girl anymore.

Finally Got Some Work Done

Yes, I know I have been really lazy about finishing the bathroom. There just wasn't enough time on the weekends or I was missing something. After work I kept saying I was going to get going and then after I got the kids in bed, I be too tired. Well, enough is enough. Sunday was going to be my day. I think it is looking great. The back wall is now done except for the pieces that need to be cut. Here are some pictures of the progress. Tell me what you think.

This is me hanging the shelves and soap dish.

Here is the first side. I am really starting to like the 6 inch tile. Much faster than the 4 inch.

This is what I got done while Jim had the kids at the pool.

I got the top done after the kids were in bed.