Menopause, Three Round Knock-Out

Lately, me and my hormones have not been on speaking terms. Every month it seems to be something new. One month it's trouble cramps, next my boobs hurt like crazy. Then it's cold flashes. This month my ankles and feet look like something out of "The Elephant Man" movie. Not only does it look oh so attractive, but it really is uncomfortable. Last night was a real joy. Shannon was over with Danny, and Danny was "supposed" to be sleeping in Lauren's room. At about 12:30 am Danny woke up and started yelling for Mommy. I went in, swollen ankles and all, and then carried her down to Shannon. After I came up stairs I realized that I should have taken the sleeping bag and pillow down as well. On my way up stairs from that I started to feel really hot. Oh yes sports fans, Round Two, I had a ringer of a hot flash. It took about 15-20 minutes to get cooled back off and comfortable again. About a hour later, Ding Ding Ding, you guessed it, Round Three. LEG CRAMP. Holy Shit it hurt. I jump out of bed and spent the next 10 minutes trying to stretch out my calf muscle. This morning, for some reason, I feel really tired.

The Things You Hear . . .

You ever hear things and think, that's not something you hear everyday. That's how it was last night. This is what I heard.

Shannon - "Danielle, you can not pee like Brandon, you don't have a penis"

. . . .Yeah, like that.

Oops, My OCD is Showing

Last night when I got home from work Jim told me that my friend from Georgia called and would be over tomorrow night for dinner. I look around the house. It is a Disaster. It is late, my feet were swollen, so I just went to bed. This morning I started my plan of attack. You see it was beaten into my head at a young age that if someone was coming over to your house you cleaned. "You don't want them to think you are a slob, do you??". Now . . . if anyone knows I'm a slob, it is Shannon. We lived together for 3-4 years. But, for some un-natural reason I was running around my house this morning cleaning the bathroom, the kitchen and vacuuming the downstairs. I then run to the grocery store and still make it to work by 10:00 am. I swear I must be nuts.

Big Fun at the Circus

Yesterday was our big family fun day. My work bought tickets to the circus for any employee that wanted and so I signed up for tickets. The seats were high up, but the kids didn't seem to mind. We did it up right with cotton candy, snow cones and all kinds of junk. The cotton candy came with silly hats that lasted about 10 minutes and then were handed over to Mom. They really seemed to like all the acts. At one point when they were leaping from long sticks to other long sticks Brandon looked at me and said "Look Mommy, he didn't got dead". It was too cute. Lauren seemed to love the horses. On the way home we stopped for a small dinner and ice cream. By the time we got home they had sugar crashed and I put them to bed. All in all, a really great day.

Holes In My Brain

This morning I was asking how Brandon's new medicine worked. How he felt. He told me good and that he told his sitter and teacher about the "holes in his brain". OK. My fault. Crap. You see yesterday was the first day for Brandon's higher dosage of meds. The pills are a different color so of course he noticed. He wanted to know why they were different and I tried to explain that he was bigger now and needed a different pill for older boys. That started the discussion of why he needed to take the pills. We really hadn't gone into it great length I guess. Partly because I was afraid that he wouldn't understand. Imagine that.

Thinking back to similar discussion with Arion I remembered how the neurologist had explained it to him and decided to try the same analogy. He had told Arion to think of his brain like a colander and the water and spaghetti as the stuff he sees and hears (information). In his colander there were too many hole and too much stuff came though. The medicine helped to block the holes and keep stuff in the colander or brain.

I did my best to use the same analogy to help Brandon understand that the medicine made his brain work better and clog up the holes. In my defense, he did seem to understand what a colander was and what it did. I guess I just forgot how literal he is. More so than Arion ever was.

The funny thing is I just don't know what to say now. It should be an interesting weekend.

Impulse Control

Yes, today's discussion is about impulse control. Not everyone understands it, and not everyone associates it with ADHD. I DO. You see this was Arion's biggest problem. He had/has no impulse control. You see, most of us stop and think before acting. There is supposed to be a pause in the brain, where you think. One example is when a teacher asks a question. Most students that know the answer, stop and raise their hands. A child with lack of impulse control just yells it out. Another example is when Arion was young, Shannon would put him on the bus. Everyday, she would stop him at the door and say "go to the street, STOP, look both ways, and then cross". Every day Arion would leave her and walk right out into the street without looking. Yes I know, part young child, but part lack of impulse control.

Why may you ask is this the topic of the day. Not because of Arion. Love you son, but I'm so used to you it's not funny and your not due home till next week. Today would be due to one of my co-workers. He, shall we say, has issues. He came into my office to discuss light poles and with 10 minutes of seeing my ipod on the desk (I had just charged it), had me on-line, helping to buy one for him. $300.00 later, can we say LACK OF IMPULSE CONTROL.

The Battle Goes On

After picking up Brandon I asked him if he was good on the bus. He started smiling. I asked if his friend had behaved and my answer was that she had called him a "Poopy Princess". When I told Jim, his response was that he wasn't a "Princess". That's helpful.

The Battle On The Bus

Yesterday, when Brandon got on the bus, he walked past one of his bus mates and whacked her on the back of her head. Jim scolded him and asked the bus driver and bus aid what was going on. Turns out the two of them have been feuding for the last two weeks. When Jim asked how it started, he was told that she got mad that Brandon's stop was before hers and pitched his butt as he exited the bus. Since then they have been taking pot shots at one another. You have to understand, these two have had issues before. Last year they were in the same class. They seem to have a love/hate relationship. Not sure what to do. I'm just glad that it seems to be on a small scale and not a real blow out.

It's All In Your Perception

This morning was one of those morning that I was trying to convince Brandon that he misunderstood someone. We have these very often. He gets very mad and upset when I push his perception of what he hears.

This morning he told me that his friend had "100 pa seaweed" in his juice and it made him healthy.

Seaweed?. . . . .

OK, think about it.

Come on, you can get it.

Got it. I did.

100 percent vitamin C.

When I tried to explain what was really in his juice he did not want to hear it. And don't even get me started that he wanted "seaweed" in his juice too. I did get him to understand that "pa" was percent, but that was all he would concede. In the end I gave up and let it go. Man, I wish he didn't get his stubborn side from me.

Brandon's IEP and Testing

I had a phone call on Friday that the school wanted to set up Brandon's IEP. I love how this school is so much more organized than Lauren's. With her school I have to call and push to have it done on time and with Brandon's they call a month in advance to set it up. So it's set for May 20th in the morning. They also asked for permission to re-evaluate. It hasn't been done since he started at this school 2 years ago and I am interested to see the progress he has made. One very cool thing is they have started talking to him about moving to the "lower school". You see, this school is broken up into sections; Lower, Middle, and Upper. The Lower school has the Primary section (where Brandon is now) and the regular Lower section. Primary consists of two classes of 5 each with a teacher and teachers aid. I think the classes in the Lower school are pretty much the same. There are no grades at this school. You progress by age and skill level. The good thing is Brandon knows that his buddy will be going too. I hope they will be in the same class. He also knows that some of his friends from last year are there. He seems excited to go. I really think he is ready.

Brando's World Revisited

Saturday morning seemed to be a very "Brando's World" morning. It all started, funny enough, with Brandon making a comment at breakfast. Jim had made pancakes and bacon and we were all sitting at the breakfast bar. At one point Brandon looked up and clear as day said, "welcome to my world". Jim and I looked at one another and totally cracked up.

Later in the morning I asked Brandon to go and get dressed. This is something new we are working on. On Saturdays we are having him pick out and dress himself. Progress has been good, but sometimes it may take an hour. I was cleaning and heard him run down stairs to Jim and say "Look how big I've grown". My thoughts were "how cute". What I didn't know was he was naked and pointing to a certain lower part of his anatomy.

Later, I found him in the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror. He was naked and stretching and flexing his muscles. He saw me and started to show off more. "Look Mom, look how long my arms are. Look, I can touch my foot to my butt." After about ten minutes of coaching I finally got him back to his room to try getting dressed again.

Great Poem

I read this great poem today on one of the blogs I frequently read. I thought I would copy and post it.

The Misunderstood Child

Kathy Winters

I am the child that looks healthy and fine
I was born with ten fingers and toes.
But something is different,
somewhere in my mind.
And what it is, nobody knows.

I am the child that struggles in school,
Though they say that I'm perfectly smart.
They tell me I'm lazy - can learn if I try -
But I don't seem to know where to start.

I am the child that won't wear the clothes
Which hurt me or bother my feet.
I dread sudden noises, can't handle most smells,
And tastes - there are few foods I'll eat.

I am the child that can't catch the ball
And runs with an awkward gait.
I am the one chosen last on the team
And I cringe as I stand there and wait.

I am the child with whom no one will play -
The one that gets bullied and teased.
I try to fit in and I want to be liked,
But nothing I do seems to please.

I am the child that tantrums and freaks
Over things that seem petty and trite.
You'll never know how I panic inside,
When I'm lost in my anger and fright.

I am the child that fidgets and squirms
Though I'm told to sit still and be good
Do you think that I choose to be out of control?
Don't you know that I would if I could?

I am the child with the broken heart,
Though I act like I don't really care.
Perhaps there's a reason God made me this way -
Some message he sent me to share.

For I am the child that needs to be loved
And accepted, and valued too.
I am the child that is misunderstood.
I am different - but look just like you.

I Love Being the Cool Parent

In my house, I am NOT the cool parent. I am the parent that assigns the chores and tells them to clean their rooms. I'm the one that yells and disciplines. I am not the one that takes them to McDonalds, Rita's or Dairy Queen for treats when Mom's at work. Last night I had my revenge. It was time for bed. Jim started heading everyone up and Brandon was NOT happy. I stayed down stairs for a while and waited, trying to give them time to get ready for tucks. I went up a little while later and Jim was standing in the hall and I didn't see the kids. I asked Jim where they were. His reply was Lauren was brushing her teeth and Brandon was sulking in our bathroom. I headed to our bath where I found one very pissy Brandon. I took him into our bedroom and sat down with him on my lap.

Mom: What's the matter, why are you mad?

Brandon: I want battle. My turn.

Mom: Oh, your mad because you didn't get time to play on the computer?

Brandon: Yes (very mad voice).

Mom: What if Mommy promises you will get time to battle tomorrow night?

Brandon: OK (still very mad)

Mom: I'll tell you what. If you go to bed nice and say sorry to Daddy, I will give you computer time in the morning when you are all done getting ready for school.

Brandon: Yeah!! . . . . . Sorry Daddy.

And thus I am the cool parent for one night, and Brandon went to bed with a smile on his face.