ADHD Thursday

Our 6yr old son was diagnosed at the age of 3 with "severe ADHD". Over the past 3 yrs we have Incorporated many dietary changes, behavioral strategies and the like to help W. Through all these "experiments" (cause really...it is always a trial & error strategy), my heart goes out to W....even when I have felt frustrated and at my wits end.

Yesterday was no exception. In regards to my heart going out to W.

School was a challenge for W yesterday. He was just full of life....the hyperactivity and silliness was taking over....so it was hard to stay focused, sit still and not goof around in class.

This resulted in some time in the Break Out Room and even the hallway and heavy jobs, carrying,  in an attempt to slow his engine down. During the job or task, he was fine and could complete it....but as soon as it was over...well, the goofiness, distracting others, being silly, etc surfaced strong and fast.

The saddest part of all this. W DOESN'T like being this way. He knows when his engine is fast and can't get it to slow down to Just Right.

Because I was volunteering in the classroom I was able to witness some of this and talk quietly & privately to W about working hard to slow his engine down, that it's not his fault...his body just takes over, and that he can do it and have a good afternoon at school.

And he tries! He chooses to stay at his desk when the others are in Circle Time because he knows he can manage better at his desk. He tries to self regulate but that hated hyperactivity takes over.

Did my heart stretch and throb when he asked to come home with me? Requesting to NOT stay at school even if it meant missing a cool outdoor Science Experiment and afternoon art project.

Yes!

Did I feel like the meanest mom ever when I advised he must stay at school because at home meant nap time? Only to see his sad little face fall even further?

Yes!!!

Did he stay and have a successful afternoon?

Yes!

W in August. Photo by Blue Lilly.

Do I absolutely LOATHE hyperactivity?

Yes!!!

What would you have done? Do you have any "new" strategies for hyperactivity?

What I Wore Wednesday ~ Plus Size!

WIWW is a popular blog topic  in the blogosphere.  Have you seen it before?

I'm always interested to see what style people portray and how they put it together. However it also frustrates me that there is a small representation of "plus size" ladies. Most WIWW gals are slim and trim and I am oh so jealous! {{wink!}}

Sooooo.....rather than be frustrated, I am going to join the masses. Sort of. To start with I will only blog about WIWWednesday....not everyday of the week. Frankly, I'm just not that organized or put together to show what I wear everyday. Having said that....I imagine you all would get a good laugh or gasp if you saw what crazy hair and outfits grace this girl more often than not!

Not only is this a shortened version, a Plus Size edition, but it's also a Canadian edition. Whoot! Whoot!

Please excuse today's photography skills....or lack thereof....as I seemed to have misplaced my camera card (ahem....little boys!) and used my IPOD which means crappy pic. Oh well, the jist is there!

WIWW Plus Size Edition!

Red beads - my fav beads - from Winners
Watch - Fossil...purchased in Las Vegas last winter
Polka dot top, white tank, and skinny, stretchy jeans - all from Penningtons
Love the flowy, chiffon-ish polka dot top. So comfy.
Volunteer Day in W's Grade 1 classroom.

Here's a little Linky-Love that I've linked up to. Feel free to peruse their blogs for more stylin' attire.

I'm linking up with the Pleated Poppy!

I'm linking up with Momma Go Round

TSC Tuesday - Program Unit Funding

A New Year and a New Beginning in many ways!
This week R starts pre-school with Program Unit Funding, PUF, which is granted through Alberta Education. It took a few months, many hoops, and a tear or two on my part to get this in place.

Thank heavens for PUF Coordinators, the Director of I'm For Kids Team and the Preschool Director believing in Bup and our family!  The Director Ms.J literally spent all day on the phone, the week before Christmas, presenting Bup's case to the AB ED. Now, this is a Christmas present!

One would think that a Moderate Speech Delay, Moderate Fine Motor Delay and Severe Gross Motor Delay, a little brain surgery, the unknown future of TSC's effects, would be enough to grant PUF. Nope.....all this and it still took additional letters from the behavioral Pediatrician and an all day phone call.

What is PUF you ask? For those of you who are not familiar. This funding is granted until the age of 6yrs and is all about early intervention for children with delays and disabilities.  For R, it means he will have a Special Needs Assistant in the classroom with him and the SNA will also be in our home on the days Bup does not have scheduled class, for the same amount of hours as his class time. He also receives Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Physio Therapy. His parents...c'est moi!... receive Family Oriented Programming. FOPS. Topics range from here to there....anything that is education or behavioral related to assist us with caring for R and helping him to excel in the classroom.

As I explain this there is a slight anxiety in my heart.....about introducing yet another team of people to R. Change is hard for anyone, especially Bup.  Plus, there's the scheduled life we will now lead. HAVING to be home on non-school days for therapy time with the SNA.  Invaluable time...but now, not "my time".  {{sheepish smile}}

So, there ya have it. More than just 2012 for us. It's a PUF New Year!

Breakfast Ice Cream

....or in our case, for dinner tonight!

W is increasingly fussy about fruit. It cannot have a spot or softness in the tiniest form at all or he refuses to eat it. Lately, it seems as if apple slices and raspberries are the only fruits he enjoys, so here's a sneaky way to increase his fruit intake.

Yum!

To Tell or Not to Tell....That Is Thy Question.

Opinions please....

Those who are close to us know all about R's Tuberous Sclerosis diagnosis and struggles. The seizures, the surgery, the meds, the speech, fine motor and gross motor delays and all that comes with TSC.

Most are understanding, sympathetic and encouraging.

The question is do I explain and tell others? IE: gymnastics coaches.

 I don't know why I'm hesitating to do so.

But I feel I need to...yet don't want to. I want the coaches and others to see how great he is doing....to realize he has anxiety and needs extra encouragement...that when he hangs back and doesn't join in, he's scared and needs help....that the fact that he can do a somersault  and balance on a low beam is amazing.

That his funny baby calf let loose jumps on the trampoline is a big deal!

 That he just learned to stand on one foot and cross his fingers on one hand over the Christmas break and is SO PROUD! 

That he needs smaller, shorter, simpler directions.

B would tell. B the D...the awesome dad. HE keeps a pic of R from ICU, post surgery, and has been known to show it to people....like the PUF Intake Coordinator and R's coach last session. I don't have said pic on my phone. I keep it in.

Yet, part of me doesn't want to keep it in. I feel like I'm making a big deal of something....attention grabbing or something....I just don't know....

What do you think you would do if you were me?

Mixed Blessings

This little sweetie has stolen our hearts. Yes she has. Especially mine and Bup's. Bup tells people that he has a "special baby" and that "she's all mine." He loves to kiss her head and insert her "toque" ..... um, aka soother!.....when she's sad.

Happy girl....smiles for W.

Little Miss S is now almost three months old. She smiles and coos and chats and giggles. Sometimes she is so loud! It's hilarious. She loves to be snuggled and is completely at home in the sling. And now! Now she sleeps from 8pm - 4am straight through. Wuhoo!

Prayers have been answered as Miss S's momma is out of the hospital and doing really well. Amazing!  The time will come soon when Miss S gets to go home to her "real" family, her birth family. This extended family that loves her will be so sad (and THRILLED) to see her go home. The thought of packing up her clothes already makes me a little sad. Maybe that's why I'm avoiding it. And then there's R. He just loves her. This morning the first thing he said was "I just love Baby S. I want to see Baby S." ****sigh****I know he'll be fine, but it's sad for me that he won't see her so much anymore.

A complete mixed blessing. We are all so relieved and thrilled and in wonder that she is able to be with her family. Words don't even come close to expressing this.

Miss S...sleeping sweetie.

Yet, at the same time.....boo for us! She's such a doll and we'll miss her dearly when the happy day arrives.

Happy Birthday Sister!

Sister A was the New Year's Baby of her time. 1963. Noted in the local newspaper and received special gifts and all. Famous at birth!

We always celebrate her birthday by going for breakfast/brunch. Over the years we have brought babies with us, dined at the Teahouse at COP, breakfasted at home (too many small kids to go out), laughed, been asked to leave the restaurant to make room for other diners and now her daughter babysits my boys so that we can dine sans enfants. It's wonderful!

The last two years we have found a delicious, amazing brunch at a hotel that is akin to breakfast on a cruise with animal shaped butter and such. We love it! And go alone! Even better!

This year will be no exception.

However the highlight for me, besides spending time with Sister A, is the gift. This year her gift is completely heartfelt and unexpected. Not the heartfelt part, but the actual gift.

It's a long complicated story that requires a two page genogram, as we only share the same birth father, not the same birth mother, however were raised by the same parents including my birth mother as my sister's mom died when Sister A was 18mths of age.

Anyway....

Found, thick with dust, in a long forgotten cupboard at Mom's, was the wedding cake topper from my father and his first wife's wedding (1960ish)..... my sister's mom. So, I brought it home, washed it and have displayed it in a shadow box with blue-grey glitter in the bottom as the dress Miss M wore when she married my father was bluey-grey. (I know that dress is about somewhere and want to find it too!)

Hopefully, Sister A loves her gift. It is heartsy and filled with a history that we know little of, but out of that past I received a sister who is also a dear friend.

Happy Birthday "Lala"!

Cake Topper from A & M's wedding. Circa 1960~ish.