Update on Aiden's update

Picture is from the beginning of 2009. He looks so small.

Anyway.

Today we saw a child psychiatrist to try to change Aiden's meds some.

We are adding a non-stimulant to his list of meds. (Intutiv)

The doctor is hoping that it will "smooth" out the times when Aiden's stimulant has worn off.

It should also help with his sleep or lack thereof.

Hallelujah!!!!!

I also met with his new behavior therapist.

He will see him in addition to the licensed social worker he already sees for therapy.

Finally, after almost a year of trying to get services for Aiden things are starting to fall into place.

I hope. :)

Weekend plans

*I need to finalize all of Aiden's IEP paperwork (the top two are books that I use to help me, the second one is actually a legal book. My parents always told me I should be a lawyer.) The next one is the binder of Aiden's school work, I use it to show progress or no progress whichever is relevant. The bottom binder is Aiden's most recent medical reports, IEPs, etc. It doesn't even hold all of it as I have a folder overflowing with other documents that don't fit in this binder.

*I hope to head to the beach by the house to pick out some rocks for a project I want to do.

*I need Chris to build a shelf for me. And also sand down one, possibly two, of the cabinets.

*We need to clean out the garage.

*I need to pay bills if I don't get to it today.

*Figure out what I'm going to do with the boys home on Spring Break all next week. Yikes!

*The usual stuff. Aiden has tutoring, we have church, etc.

Have an awesome weekend everyone! 

(Can you believe I've posted 4 days in a row???? Go me.)

real time pics

A friend asked for some pics of the house.

Here are some real time ones. Taken just minutes ago with my phone.

The kitchen.

Sigh.

See the torn floor?

We had finally saved enough cash to replace it.

Had a contractor picked out.

Tile picked out.

And Izzy tore her right hind leg ACL.

Sigh.

$1200 for surgery.

Good bye floor.

Hello Robopuppy.

Hence the cone collar on the counter.

The corner cabinet and the 12 inch one next to it are my "too bad, so sad" prize.

Before there was a blind corner cabinet there. (I hate those)

So for $135 we replaced them both. (Chris is still working on the doors and a few other trim pieces and then I will paint.)

And the cabinet on the far left....we removed the doors. The counter makes that cabinet very awkward but the kitchen is so small it is a needed cabinet so we took off the doors. Now I need to paint in there too.

I promise before and after-ish pictures soon. Maybe next week? I seem to be on a roll posting.

Here's the "office" It's supposed to be the formal dining room and I would love to knock out some walls and have it be more open but for now it is a box with 2 narrow doorways.

The picture is of the desk that Chris made me for my birthday. It is actually pretty clean at the moment.

The other side of the office.

A $10 dresser that Chris and I rebuilt. Projects laid out on the floor awaiting some attention.

I owe you a before and after of the office too.  Maybe the kids will be super good next week while on Spring Break and I can post that too???

Probably not :)

Update on Zach

Here is the promised update on Zach. 

Like Aiden's update the pictures aren't in any particular order.

Zach on the Disney cruise at Christmas. He was sick for most of the cruise. (See his flushed face--despite this picture he spent most of his time in the cabin) Poor boy.

We convinced Zach to wear some birthday streamers too.

He's at such a hard age.

10.

He's a kid but still needs us.

Makes for some hard learning experiences.

Zach is all about karate right now. This is from the break-a-thon in January. He did an awesome job. I'm so proud of his dedication.

Playing chess on the thanksgiving cruise. (Yes we know we are super blessed to be able to enjoy such wonderful vacations with family.)

Zach is great at chess.

Not so great at the losing (which rarely happens.)

Not so great at the winning, either. (needs to learn not to be so braggy about it)

I won't play him anymore. But Chris does. Doesn't "let" him win anymore. Zach is too good for that.

At Disney. Some 3-D ride. Star Tours maybe.

In Cozumel. Getting eaten by Piranha Joe. So glad that he can still be silly with us.

We don't embarrass him.

Yet. :)

Random picture from May 11th 2005. We had just moved to Cinci. He was a few months shy of 4 years old.

Time flies so fast.

He may be growing up but the attitude is still the same. :)

Being silly with my phone.

Doing homework in Tampa on Thanksgiving break. He's such a responsible student.

And he loves school.

I'm so thankful. He hated 3rd and 4th grade so I'm glad things are turning around for him in middle school.

Pizza at a diner in Clearwater.

Best pizza ever.

The boys still talk about it.

Not sure we will go back since Whitney and family don't live there anymore.

Bummer.

This boy is always eating.

Always.

Never stops.

He's just an inch or so shy of being my height (5ft 4in)

(side note:see the kitchen in the background? Yeah. doesn't look like that anymore. We tore out a few of the cabinets and replaced them.)

Zach is part of the STORM (Special team of Role Models) team at Lund (his karate studio). Because of this he was able to perform at the local children's museum. See him? He's one of the tallest? He did running side kicks to break a couple of boards.

I didn't get pictures of that part.

This team has been awesome for him. He teaches once a week (with a paid instructor), they are teaching the kids the 7 habits of highly effective people, he will be helping the owner of the studio at a bullying class for the elementary class. (how to defend, not how to bully :), and many more exciting events. This team has helped him gain so much self-confidence. In a good not annoyingly boastful way.

He has found "his" sport.

Another pic of his break-a-thon break.

Told you they weren't in any order.

You can't see it in this picture but one of those black belts in the background has his name on it. The studio orders them and displays them so the kids can see what they are working for. Zach hopes to earn his by the end of summer.

They are making God's eyes at school.

Zach.

My first born.

My little peanut.

My Zach-a-boy.

I'm so very proud of the young man he is becoming. So very, very proud. 

He is sensitive, smart, caring, friendly, works hard, and he's a great student.

He makes my heart smile.

I know we have a bumpy road ahead of us now that puberty has entered the picture but I hope he comes through it with very few scars.

Update on Aiden

It's been a month? Wow! Time flies. 

Aiden has a lot of stuff going on and so I thought I'd give an update. This post has a ton of pictures but they aren't necessarily in date order but they are all cute :)

(Aiden chowing down on mac and cheese on our Thanksgiving cruise to celebrate by in-laws 40th anniversary)

I have no idea where to start with an update on Aiden so this might not make the most sense.

Today Chris and I have an appointment with his psychologist to discuss strategies to dealing with his outbursts. He can be aggressive, especially when told no.

Hitting.

Kicking.

Spitting.

I wish they weren't a daily occurrence.

(At Disney, they put streamers on our table to celebrate Aiden's birthday. He is wearing a PJ shirt-not a battle that is worth fighting)

Last week I filled out paperwork for Aiden to attend a Summer Treatment Program. It is a medical based program for kids with ADHD so although it will involve all sorts of fun activities for Aiden (swimming, sports, field trips) it will also include counseling, and daily work on organization, listening, following directions, etc. He attends for 8 weeks 8am-5pm M-F. The only excused absences are ones that we get a doctors note for. Good thing we weren't planning any vacations this year.

 
(At Disney-high fiving Phineas.)

Aiden's IEP meeting is coming up on April 11th.

Sigh.

I have sent our requests to his learning support teacher but won't know whether they are approved or not until the 11th.

I am preparing for a fight, gathering data from his tutors, past and present, looking up what we are entitled to based on the laws, reading other IEPs and recommendations from other moms who have been through it already.

Aiden is my full time job.

(Enjoying ice cream on the Disney Cruise with my parents at Christmas time.)

One of the things we are asking for is that cursive not be required for Aiden.

He still struggles with print.

He is dysgraphic. **Dysgraphia is a transcription disability, meaning that it is a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting, orthographic coding (orthography, the storing process of written words and processing the letters in those words), and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required to write).**

They are teaching 3 letters a day. Each day.

He loses his recess if he doesn't complete his cursive writing in class.

(In Cozumel, part of the T-giving cruise)

Speaking of taking recess away. Why do teachers do that to ADHD kids? I'm not saying that ADHD kids shouldn't be responsible for their behavior but at the beginning of the year I always give the teachers a list of "heavy work" that Aiden can do to help him calm down.

Instead of losing recess he could move books from one room to another, push the TV cart to another classroom, help load/unload something.

At least have him run laps instead of sitting there.

GRRRR.

(self-portrait with my phone, he loves to take pictures of himself)

I love this child. In all his uniqueness.

I wish I could make things easier for him.

For me.

For us.

(One afternoon after a particularly rough day at school, curled up next to me on the couch)

He is so trusting.

So forgiving.

For that I am thankful.

(Catching snowflakes after a field trip)

He has been waking up super early lately.

And being naughty.

Doctors are talking about a sleeping pill.

(Aiden is taking a break from karate-he would cry before class. He is starting to miss it though so perhaps next school year we will try again.)

Speaking of medications.

We go on Friday to meet with a psychiatrist to start Aiden on some new medications (stimulant and anti-depressant). His PCP won't change his meds and we've been waiting since we moved for this appointment.

Hoping for good things but I know it's a bunch of trial and error and a lot more paperwork. On the good side though this Doctor is supposed to be one of the best.

(Opening Christmas presents from Nana and Papa in Maine.)

His favorite "toy" right now is clay.

And anything he shouldn't be playing with.

Tools.

Liquid nails.

etc.

Oh and his bike. He loves his bike but he's allowed to play on that. :)

(Aiden with the stud finder while we were working on a bedroom project.)

He loves to help around the house and when he's supervised Chris doesn't mind including him. He drills, hammers, puts things together. He will make some woman very happy when he grows up. He's not afraid of work.

(We bought Aiden a pressure swing-the blue thing in the right corner. He also has a regular swing that he plays on)

I still think he should join Cirque du Soleil.

This was taken on March 7th.

His favorite shirt (Tom and Jerry)

His favorite pants (because they are silky)


Aiden needs a lot of support right now but I console my self with the thought that someday he will invent something really cool and thank his mom and dad for always supporting his "creative" side. But even if he doesn't I will still adore the person he is.

(Tomorrow I will post a Zach update--I will start writing it right now :)