Chugga Chugga...

Yesterday, Julia came running in to the kitchen saying, "Mama, come look at the choo choo train."

This is what I found:




Pretty impressive, huh?

The Catch-All Update

In list form out of sheer laziness:

1. Julia (insert drum roll please) ate broccoli last night. This may not seem like a huge deal but for Julia? It's a HUGE deal. Getting her to eat something other than yogurt and toast? It's big news people, big news. Cutest thing in the world: She saw the bowl of broccoli on the table and said, pointing to it, "Mama, I need some flowers."

2. Katherine is driving me up the wall and back down again. Without getting in to too much detail: I think I should just buy her all elastic waist pants that have no belt loops. No matter what I say, or how tight her pants are, they are NEVER tight enough. EVER. The only time she doesn't complain? When she is wearing sweatpants. Oh and can someone tell her that she doesn't need to scream like she's losing a limb every time someone does her an injustice (AHEM EMILY)? Thanks. Oh, and if you could also tell Emily that she really should find something more productive to do than pushing her sister's every button, that would be good too. Sisters...ugh.


3. I need to learn how to sew. Yeah, I don't even know how to sew a button. I have pretty much no desire to learn but necessity and all that.

That's it. For now anyway.

Miracle of Miracles

I made a list, last night, of the things I wanted to get done today. In a shocking turn of events, I actually managed to cross everything off the list and mark it as "done." The list wasn't long...it only consisted of 4 things but seriously people, completing a "to do" list is an almost unheard of task for me. I am what you would call a "slacker." Of course, the list, although completed for today continues to grow at a pace that I just can't keep up with.

One day at a time and all that.

You know your husband sucks at air hockey...

...when he proceeds to kick my butt and asks me, in all seriousness, "What did you do? Let me win?"

LOL. Apparently, I was off my game. Not only did he actually win, he shut me out!

Katherine and Julia: Doctor's Appointment Updates

Last night, Julia and Katherie had their 2 1/2 year and 7 year checkups.

Here's the low down.

Julia: She's a peanut. She weighed in at 26 lbs 13 oz. She was in the 15th percentile for weight, and the 39th for height. We talked a little bit about my concerns mentioned in a previous entry but as I suspected, he was not the right person to talk to about this. He himself recommended I talk with her developmental pediatrician as she specializes in these types of things. He did offer some suggestions regarding the feeding problems. She had the flu shot as recommended by the doctor and was good to go.

Katherine: Overall, it went well. Her strep throat has cleared up ( not even sure if I mentioned she had it). She also had the flu shot. He was very concerned about her weight. Awhile back, (at her 4 year check up ) she had gained 11 lbs in the year. We switched to skim milk, cut soda (except for the occasional diet soda) and limited her juice intake to 1 8 oz glass per day in the morning with breakfast. For the next 2 years, she gained 5 and 3 lbs respectively. This year, she gained 10 lbs. Nothing else has changed in the way of what she eats or what she does or doesn't do. So, he was concerned. He gave a me a few suggestions which included increasing her regular exercise (she plays soccer during the spring and fall months but I was thinking of adding swimming lessons for the in between times which, aside from the obvious exercise benefits , she could use anyway). I also brought up with excessive urination at night. She still has to wear a pull up to bed because she wets the bed every night. She doesn't wake up to go, or to get changed if she is wet and doesn't have a pull up on , and she goes a lot. Her pull up is saturated just about every morning. We don't give her anything to drink after dinner (which is usually about 6 or so) so that can't be it. He recommended some alarm thing which actually would go in her underwear and sound if it got wet which would be fine I guess, but what about the actual amount she goes? So, I think I am just going to bite the bullet and call her endocrinologist and see what he has to say. I have a sneaking suspicion that this could somehow be related to her blood sugar issues (she has ketotic hypoglycemia, although she has not had an "attack" in a while). In the mean time, I am going to start testing her sugar every night right after dinner and about an hour or so later. So, we will see.

Conference

I am happy to report that I will be attending the Visions Of Community Conference sponsored by the Federation For Children With Special Needs again this year. I found last years conference VERY informative.

I have chosen the following three workshops for this year:

Executive Functioning Strategies For Use At Home And School: A discussion of how executive function skills impact the day to day life, social and academic activities of students. Strategies will be provided to assist parents and educators to increase the independence with which a student can: initiate tasks, self regulate, and organize information and materials.

Differentiated Instruction: What Is It And What's It Got To Do With Special Education: Differentiated Instruction involves a variety of strategies designed to maximize each student's individual success within a given classroom. The presentation will provide an overview of Differentiated Instruction and explores how it relates to and supports special education.

No Child Left Behind: What's In It For Families: The workshop covers the major portions of this significant federal education law, such as the school report cards, school choice, and supplemental Education Services. Parents learn how to use the information about the law and school data to ask questions, advocate for additional support, and generally get more involved with their child's school.

I am realy looking forward to it!

Chocolate

One thing Julia has no trouble communicating?

Her "needs."

Take this morning for example.

There I was, sitting at my desk, minding my own business when she came in and said demanded:

"Mama, I need chocolate. C'mon, get up. Walk."

She doesn't just want chocolate people, she needs it.

I am sure we (we being all women of the world ) can relate to that, can't we? Even me, who addmitedly is not a huge fan needs a little chocolate once in a while.

Kids

Sometimes I wonder if I ever laughed before I had kids. I know I must have. It's just hard to imagine that anything could make me laugh like they do. Everyday something they have said or done makes me laugh.

Today is no different.

I found this note crumpled up on my desk this morning.

Dear Casey,

We need to talk. Meet me at the fountain outside Mr. C's room."


Today's laugh comes courtesy of none other than my teenage wannabe daughter Emily.

I laughed outloud when I read it. I thought it was funny, funny in an "Oh my God" kind of way.

Potty Training: Bye Bye Diapers Edition

I finally decided yesterday to start potty training with Julia. Not surprisingly (given all the signs that she was ready), she did remarkably well.

The count went like this:

9 successful trips to the potty

2 accidents

2 "oops I am not supposed to pee in my pants so let me go the rest on the toilet" events

For the record, I don't think she really has to go to the bathroom 13 times in a day. I am just one of those people that doesn't use pull ups to train. I use you know, actual underwear. Anyway, when she wasn't telling me she had to go (which she did do a few times throughout the day) I was taking her to the bathroom every 1/2 hour or so. She went just about every time, even if it was just a tiny bit.

I set up a sticker chart on the bathroom wall and every time she goes she gets a sticker for her chart and a sticker on her hand. It seems to be working very well as a motivator. Another great motivator that appears to be working is watching your mother make a complete fool out of herself by acting like a total goofball when there is a successful trip to the potty.

Day two is off to a good start.

YAY!

Three Things

1. Regarding the Patriots loss tonight: Can we say GO BEARS? Sure we can.

2. My new favorite quote(and quite appropriately timed) "Faith is taking the first step, even when you can't see the whole staircase." ~Martin Luther King Jr.~

3. Sirius 8: Big 80's: it "siriusly" rocks.

HSM

Every summer, the The Burtwood School Of Performing Arts sponsors the Summer Arts Festival. The program runs for just 4 weeks from July-August. They rehearse, construct the scenery and get the costumes together in this short time period and usually during the first week of August put on this amazing show that seriously ends up looking like it should be on Broadway.

Emily has considered auditioning in the past. The cost was high and the commitment was huge (5 days a week for 4 weeks, 8:30-12:30 everyday) and she never seemed interested enough to make it worth it. She was also a little young I thought, to be so intensely involved with something.

Anyway, she had asked about it back in October and I told her we would have to think about it, and that we should wait until the show was announced before any decisions were made. The announcement was made last week.

The musical the staff has chosen for this summer's festival?

High School Musical...Emily's all-time favorite DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) ever (mine too, not that it has any relevance here). Upon hearing this fantastic news Emily said, "I am so auditioning for that." She then proceeded to sound quite teenager-like when she asked, "So practice would be everyday from 8:30-12:30? Ok so we can still hit the beach after that, right?"

Yup. We are so in for it. If she's saying things like this at the age of 9, I don't even want to imagine what might be coming out of her mouth at the age of 15!

YAY though for High School Musical!

Julia: Developmental Update

I continue to be impressed with Julia's progress, especially when you look at it comparatively (where she was and where she is) but there is still something, something that I can't quite put my finger on that just isn't "right." I've recently been around 3 other two year olds (2 that are going to be 3 at the end of March and one that will be 3 at the end of May). It's probably not a good thing but as a mother, I can't seem to help looking at them in comparison to Julia. Perhaps this is a normal thing to do when you have a child that is developmentally behind, I don't know. The point is, I know that all children develop differently and in different time frames but when it comes down to it, there is a pretty specific order in which things "should " occur and they should occur within the relatively same time frame. For example, an "average" kid walks between the ages of 11 and 15 months. If a child walks at 16 or even 17 months, it may not be a big deal, but when a child doesn't walk until they are closer to 21 months...it's pretty evident that there is something going on. So, when looking at these other kids, who, at her same age (give or take a few months which admittedly can make a big difference when they are this young) are saying things or acting in a way that it's hard to imagine Julia ever doing , let alone doing it in a few months time when she will be at the ages that these other kids are now, it puts things in to perspective a bit. So, I have been thinking about this...a lot. I decided to come up with a list of behaviors, things she does, or doesn't do, and just general observations of what it is exactly that concerns me.


-Avoids messy activities such as finger paints (while I haven't actually exposed her to finger paints, she does have to have her hand and/or face wiped immediately if something of the same consistency as finger paint gets on her)

-Tends to withdraw from a group (when we are at playgroup she will play with a toy by herself but will not play with other children...if another kid comes over and wants to play with her and whatever toy she has, 99% of the time she will just give them the toy and walk away instead of trying to either share or tell the kid it's hers or whatever).

-Enjoys getting in to an upside down position.

-Has difficulty climbing or descending stairs and/or hills.

-has a language delay ( she has many words and sentences but does not answer ?'s appropriately Example: Do you want to play with your blocks or your piano? She says, "Yes.")

-feels loose and/or floppy when I pick her up or get her dressed.

-has trouble turning knobs or handles that require pressure.

-resists friendly or affectionate touch from anyone besides parents, siblings, or grandparents.

-is distressed by dirty hands or face.

- is a picky eater. Only eats certain foods and textures, resists trying new foods.

-may refuse to walk barefoot on grass or in sand. (this has improved but is still a slight concern).

-continues to mouth objects after age two (she frequently puts things in her mouth that don't belong( random things like small toys, lint, paper)

-disliked being on stomach as an infant.

-fearful of going up or down stairs or on uneven surfaces (fearful I think because she physically can't...has the low muscle tone)

-has a "floppy" body ( has head control and stuff like that but is very "loose" otherwise...floppy limbs etc)

-poor or delayed gross motor skills (can't climb or descend stairs can jump in place but not off of a small ledge)

-may only eat soft or pureed food after 24 months ( either eats soft foods like yogurt or applesauce or really crunchy foods like toast but not much in between)

-often stuffs her mouth with food, either gagging on it or spitting it out if her mouth becomes too full)

-does not interact reciprocally with peers or adults (again with the language...will say anything but has trouble with actually having a "conversation")

-occasional "hand flapping" which most of the time seems to occur when excited by something but since she can talk I feel like she should be able to communicate her excitement verbally)

-sometimes seems overwhelmed in certain situations (for example at family dinners(family meaning the extended family...grandparents etc) we will all be talking and eating and Julia will burst in to tears for no apparent reason. This also happens when she is around people she may not see on a daily basis.



Putting it all down on paper really makes things a lot clearer for me. When you look at each individual thing, you may just think, "Yeah, so that's the way she is." When you look at it as a whole , it becomes apparent, at least to me, that there is something going on here. It's like a puzzle...all of these little pieces come together to form a bigger picture. It's clear that she has sensory and motor planning issues, some of which are a result of or in conjunction with her low muscle tone. It also seems clear that while she can talk and has many words and sentences, she has some sort of a language or communication delay. It most definitely seems that she has some sort of social anxiety type thing as well.

These things don't happen all of the time, but with enough frequency to make it a concern. I can't remember where exactly I read this but I saw it somewhere: "Inconsistency is the hallmark of a neurological disorder." So, it makes sense that sometimes she will communicate effectively, or eat well, or any of the things listed above.

We have a number of appointments coming up that will be a good platform in which to address these issues. The first one is her 2 1/2 year check up with her pediatrician that is scheduled for next Thursday night. Shortly after that (about 2 weeks later) she has her 6 month regular check up with her developmental pediatrician. Then, at the end of February, we have the beginning of her public preschool assessment in which the public school coordinator from Early Intervention will come out and get the necessary paperwork filled out to get the ball rolling. In between all of that, we also have a few visits with Early Intervention planned, so I can address those issues with her PT as well.

I am curious though as to what you think. Obviously, most of you only have my observations to go by as you haven't seen her in action but I feel like I have given an accurate profile of where she is.

Comment away!

Update On My Grandmother

She is in a lot of pain. The cause seems to be arthritis in her lower back and legs. They have her on pain meds and she appears to be doing better, but is still not able to walk unaided. She will probably be in the hospital for a few days, and then go to a rehab type place for physical therapy. I am glad she is not "sick" per se.

She really does remarkably well given her age (80). She still lives in her own home, she still drives (although probably not as much as she used to) and she is a sharp as she ever was. Arthritis stinks, but it's almost like a fact of life when you get older, isn't it?

Back

Its been a hectic few days around here, hence my absence. Emily and Katherine had both Friday and Monday off (Friday was a Proffesional Development day for the teachers and Monday was in observance of MLK Day). Friday night was the monthly crop at the Mitchell Club and Saturday night I spent over at the Ryan homestead babysitting Nate and Jackie.

My father in law came over Sunday to give the kids their Christmas presents (he bought Emily a "real" guitar...real meaning not a toy one which she was ecstatic about). While he was here, I got a phone call from my mother (who was spending the weekend on the Cape with my father and friends) saying that my sister Heather was in a car acident and was on the way to the hospital via ambulance. It turns out that she was ok (just bruised and battered) but the accident itself was bad enough to deploy both airbags, smash her windshield, basically remove her right front tire from the car, move the frame, and smash the right front headlight and car body. Both the rearview and passenger side mirrors fell off as well. She was on her way to work at Chili's (for those familiar with area the accident occured at the intersection of 228 and 53 in Norwell which is one of the worst intersections I have ever seen) and someone just pulled out in front of her. The someone was a sixteen and a half year old driver and his father. We are unsure about whether or not he had his license or permit. Let me just say I feel bad for my sister but that just SUCKS for the kid. Even she thinks so. Totalling someone else's car is just not a good way to begin your driving career. Thank God that she's ok, and can I just be a little jealous that she's getting a 2005 Chevy Malibu? Thanks. Anyway, I spent the day driving her around (from the hospital to her apartment to the Hingham police station to the autobody shop where her car was towed and finally, home to Carver where she spent the past couple of day recuperating). Ryun was supposed to go to the movies wth his father and the oldest two girls but due to the circumstances, Julia took in her first official movie at the theater, Happily N'ever After. Ryun said she was pretty good and basically sat through the movie with little interuption.

On Monday I took Katherine to her asthma and allergy doctor for a regular checkup. I also also told him about the cough that she seems to get every year and basically lasts from November to April. It basically only happens at night but she coughs so frequently and so intensely I was really beginning to think that she literally might cough up a lung. Since it was only happening at night, and standard cough syrup did nothing, on my own, I decided to to start giving her Claritin once a day. My thinking was that the cough seemed like a post nasal drip type of thing given the it only happened when she was lying down and an allergy medicine would work better to control that. I was right. The cough is still present but has been dramatically reduded in intensity and frequency. The doctor agreed with my diagnosis and prescribed Nasonex. He told me to continue with the Claritin as well but if the addition of the Nasonex seems to erase the cough completely, that I can try going without the Claritin. In the mean time, he wants her allergies re-tested and highly reccomends she get allergy shots. He reccommended Emily do the same thing (Emily is allergic to almost every enviromental thing there is and cats and dogs to boot) at her last appointment. The thing is the commitment is HUGE. Once a week for 15 weeks, every two weeks for the rest of the year, then every three weeks for another year, and then every month for another year. I will probably do it out of sheer guilt if I don't but it's just another thing to add to the list, you know? If it means no more medication and that overall, they will feel better, than it will be worth it. In other news, the doctor is fairly confident tht Katherine is outgrowing her asthma and has reduced her QVAR inhaler to once a day.

This morning brings news that my grandmother is in the hospital, with an unknown cause of severe pain in her back. It sounds like sciatic nerve but after multiple medications not doing anything to ease the pain, it appears that there could be another cause. My mother is on her way up to the hospital now so I am hoping to have more information later.

On that note, I leave you. Back later...

Pictures

Before I go to bed...a random sample of pictures my sister took on and in the days surrounding Christmas.

Ok so have you ever seen anyone so cute?




Katherine, looking all gorgeous!



Emily and Katherine pose for the camera while cousin Jack looks on. Would you look at the red hair on Jack? So cute!

Sending Happy Thoughts

Walrilla is in need of your prayers. He has been yet another frequent read of mine that I need to add to the blogroll.


Via Elisson and Livey.

Who are you?

I am Sharon. I am Mom. I am Shazzy/Shaz. I am a wife. I am a lover. I am a sister and a friend. I am a daughter and an aunt. I am loyal. I am shy. I am a good listener. I am dedicated. I am smart. I am a lover of the color green. I am a Girl Scout Leader. I am a parent volunteer. I am a PTA chairperson. I am an advocate for educational funding. I am a hater of standardized tests that are the sole determination of whether or not a student graduates. I am growing more conservative with age. I vote for whoever I like, regardless of which political party they align themselves with. I am a firm believer in personal choice. I think the government has way too much power. I think NCLB is a good idea mostly, but only if the peeps in charge are going to shell out the cash that will pay for the programs to insure the standards are met. I am a lover of family. I am happy with life right now. I am an avid reader. I read all kinds of books...from romance...to sci-fi...to self help. I am busy. Sometimes too busy. My most important "job" is being Mom. If "being Mom" the only "job" I will ever hold, I can honestly say I will die happy. I was made for this. I am protective, sometimes perhaps overly-so. I am a "scrapper" and a fanatic about taking pictures. I am proud...of myself and all I have accomplished in life thus far. I am inspired by and in awe of my children. I am easygoing...perhaps a little too easygoing. I am not the aggressive type. I need to be a little more assertive. I am a peacekeeper. I believe in the 6th sense. I believe in ghosts. Most of the time, I believe in God. I wish I believed more in the power of prayer. I am thankful. I am hopeful.

I am me.

Via the straight white guy, Eric.

Katherine: the first spelling test

She got 5 out of 10 right...which was actually better than I thought she was going to do. After many frustrating nights of trying to get her to spell them out loud, during the last couple of nights I had her write them down as she was sounding them out and that method seemed to work out a little better for her. One thing that became very apparent when doing this is that she is a phonetic speller. She spells it as it sounds, which, we all know, isn't always the way it is. I am going to continue with the "writing it down" method with this weeks list and see how that goes.

In my quest to find some help for her (outside of what I can do) I decided to visit the Middleborough Public Schools website to see if there were any helpful hints and or websites there that may be of use. I found this. I decided to try it out and play some of the games to see if I liked it. While I was doing that Katherine walked in and said, "Hey this is the site we go do when we do computer lab at school!" I will definitely be able to reinforce what 's going on at school using some of the same tools her teacher uses so this will be great.

Overall, I am not too worried about it. I think with practice and help at home, she will catch on and be doing fine.

Quiz Time

You scored as Existentialism. Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism You choose the meaning and purpose of your life. “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.” “It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.” --Jean-Paul Sartre “It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth.” --Blaise Pascal More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page... Existentialism 95% Hedonism 95% Justice (Fairness) 80% Utilitarianism 75% Strong Egoism 55% Apathy 40% Kantianism 30% Nihilism 25% Divine Command 0% What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com

Via Jay.

Results

As posted previously, today was "results day" for Emily's Neuro-Psych Testing. The results were...well, exactly what I thought they would be, and perhaps a little bit more.

To sum it up briefly, Emily's overall IQ was 116. It stands to reason that someone with an overall IQ of 116 would perform at a level compatible with that score. Therein lies the "problem." Her peformance IQ was just below what would be considered average (49th percentile was what the doctor said, she didn't give me an exact number).

Why the huge gap?

It all in the executive functioning. Though I have mentioned executive function many times, this article provides a very nice description of what it's all about.

She can summarize a story that she reads or one that is read to her, almost verbatum. However, when she was given a list of 15 unrelated words and asked to repeat them back, she was only able to come back with 4? Why? Because the words had no connection or organization to them. Organized thinkers would find some way of connecting the semmingly "disconnected" words (say the words were cat dog house tree...someone may remember by saying "I drive my car and pass a tree on the way to my house to see my cat"). Disorganized thinkers don't see any connection at all and don't have the ability to make one. Summarizing a story generally comes easy at the story is already connected, having a beginning, middle and an end. This area of concern also manifested itself when she was asked to write a page long story. The sentences and paragraphs were completely disconnected, there were spelling and capitalization errors, and overall, the story had no "flow." For someone who the doctor said is testing at a 7th grade reading level and an 8th grade spelling level, this obviously made no sense.

The doctor mentioned noticeable changes in Emily's energy level. One minute she was ready to go, the next she would be yawning in her chair. Apparently, this too is related to executive function, which I did not know. She asked about Emily's bedtime schedule to see if there was any correlation between the two, and I explained that she is in bed by 8:30-9 every night but generally does not fall asleep until 10. Basically, the doctor was looking for consistency which is there so she ruled this out as an explanation of her energy level fluctuations.

One of the things that she said was very obvious to her as a concern was her attention span. She just could not stay on task, even in the one on one situation she was in with the doctor. She would be in the middle of something and just start talking about something completely unrelated, or lose track of what she was doing and needed to be reminded about what she was supposed to do. She basically agreed with Emily's neurologist's diagnosis of ADHD: Innatentive type.


The doctor commented that based on some processing tests she did, Emily's processing speed is a little slow. Basically this is literally how fast she can take information in and spit it back out again. She showed me one of the test she did and it was basically set up like this: There was a list of letters, all of which had a symbol underneath it. Below it was a list of just letters and, using the chart above it, Emily had to write the correct symbol under the letter. She was only able to complete 2 rows. An average 9 year old would complete four and five rows.

One of the tests she did was really interesting. She showed Emily a picture which in a nutshell was a square, with various shapes and lines building off of that and asked Emily to draw it(while looking at it). The way the doctor explained it was that an organized thinker would see the square as the basis of the drawing and build in order from there. Emily started drawing in a random spot and when she was done, the picture varied quite a bit from the picture that she was copying from. Lines were going in the wrong direction and an arrow was pointing in the wrong direction. There were others differences too that don't come to mind.

Something that came as a surprise to me (and this was basically the only thing that did) was that the doctor had concerns about Emily's fine motor skills. She had Emily put pegs in a peg board, and told her to do this as fast as she could for 2 minutes. Usually, a right handed person might not do as well with the left hand and vice versa. Emily was slow with both hands. I had never noticed this before, except in relation to her hand writing which could use some improvement. I just thought she was writing too fast, which is probably part of it but the doctor had some real concerns about this so who knows.

Whew. I think that's it. It was alot to take in, but nothing I wasn't expecting hear. Her reccomendations are going to be that Emily be pulled from the classroom 2-3 times a week for writing organization and help with time management and materials organization. She will also be reccomending that Emily continue to sit in the front of the classroom and that her teacher specifically check her bag everyday to make sure she has her agenda and everything esle she needs. There were other things that I can't remember I am sure but this was the jist of it.

I should get a report from her within 6 weeks that I can actually bring to the school when we have her team meeting (which will be held sometime within the next 6-8 weeks). Her testing at school will be done by 2/5 and we will go from there.

Oh, and unrelated, blogger spell check isn't working so apologies if there are any spelling errors and/or typos!

Below: the tests that were given.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children: Fourth Edition
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test: Second Edition (Numerical Operations, Spelling)
Test Of Written Language: Third Edition
Gray Silent Reading Tests (Form B)
Automatized Series
Boston Naming Test
Wide Range Assesment of Memory and Learning: Second Edition
Beery-Buktenica test of Visual-Motor Integretion
Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test
Repeated Patterns
Grooved Pegboard
Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System
Children's Depression Inventory-Self Report

Me: New and Improved

For the first time in the two and a half years since Emily was diagnosed with seizures, and the myriad of other issues that have arisen since then (abnormal EEGS, abnormal MRI's, ADHD, Tuberous Sclerosis diagnosis, medicine increases, etc) I am not freaking out about getting the results of a test.

In the past, I have been a doomsayer...thinking of all kinds of horrible scenarios (some of which actually came true), fearing the worst instead of hoping for the best, never even giving any consideration to the fact that, well things could possibly turn out ok. Partly, it was my personality and I am sure the fact for quite a while, every test did come back with less than perfect results didn't help.

I think I am finally at a point though where I can just say, no matter how the results come back: "Nothing could ever change Emily and who she is."

It might mean extra help at school with organization and time management, it might mean that she needs an increase in her current medicine (or an add-on of another medicine), it might also mean nothing at all.

Either way, it doesn't matter. She's still my girl and that 's all that really matters.

One Of Those Weeks

Tomorrow:

Results of Emily's Neuro-Psych testing
lia sophia central meeting at 6:30

Wednesday:

Early Intervention at 11 (you know, if she shows)
Girl Scouts at 4:30
PTA meeting at 7

Thursday:

Scrap at Kelly's
meet Suzanne for dinner

Friday:

kids have no school
Crop at the Mitchell Club

Saturday:

babysit Nate and Jackie

Somewhere inbetween all of this:

2 major school projects with Emily

Obviously, I Have Nothing Else To Post

You Are Internal - Realist - Empowered

You feel your life is controlled internally. If you want something, you make it happen. You don't wait around for things to go your way. You value your independence and don't like others to have control. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you... But you do your best to try to make your own luck. You have a good deal of power, but you also know the pecking order. You realize that working the system does get you further. You know who to defer to and who to control. When it comes to the game of life, you play things flawlessly.

The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

Personality

Your Personality is 59% Addictive

You may have an addictive personality, but you have it mostly under check. Just don't start any new bad habits, okay?

Do You Have an Addictive Personality?

Radical, Dude

You Are 40% Politically Radical

You've got a few unusual political ideas, but overall you're a pretty mainstream person. Chances are that you're turned off by both the radical right and looney left.

Are You a Political Radical?

Haven't I Seen This Somewhere Before?

You Are 80% Psychic

You are so very psychic. But you already predicted that, didn't you? You have "the gift" - and you use it daily to connect with others. You're very tapped into the world around you... Just make sure to use your powers for good!

Are You Psychic?

Another Weird But Good Side Effect Of Eating Healthy and Exercising

And yes, I know this is TMI.

It's that time of month and...

my mood is good...

my back is not in pain...

I am not ready to kill the next person that talks to me!

Sweet!

I might just have to keep this up!

Silly Stuff

The girls and I, along with karaoke, were being extremely silly last night. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Look, she does have horns! I'm kidding, people, I'm kidding!

Her "model" pose...as she called it.

Something was apparently very funny.

Extra close up of Katherine showing off her pearly whites.

In mid jump off of the toy chest Would you look at that hair?!?!

Yes, she's a goofball.

Karaoke With Katherine and Julia

This was shot last night. The lighting in my livingroom stinks you can still see it, I think. I took this originally to capture Julia shaking her little bum but Katherine jumped in with some silly singing and dancing making it that much better.

The Alphabet

I saw this hanging in the waiting room while Emily was having her last round of neuro-psych testing last week. I loved it and wanted to share it with you all...

"Children Are"

Amazing. Acknowledge them.
Believable. Trust them
Childlike. Allow them.
Divine. Honor them.
Energetic. Nourish them.
Fallible. Embrace them.
Gifts. Treasure them.
Here now. Be with them.
Innocent. Delight with them.
Joyful. Appreciate them.
Kindhearted. Leanr from them.
Loveable. Treasure them.
Magical. Fly with them.
Noble. Esteem them.
Openminded. Respect them.
Precious. Value them.
Questioners. Encourage them.
Resourceful. Support them.
Spontaneous, Enjoy them.
Talented. Believe in them.
Unique. Affirm them.
Vulnerable. Protect them.
Whole. Recognize them.
Xtra special. Celebrate them.
Yearning. Notice them.
Zany. Laugh with them.

Life Without The OC...

...is like a sundae without a cherry on top. It just won't be the same.

Damn you FOX. I so love my weekly dose of Ben and Adam.

Katherine

Katherine came home this week with her first official "spelling list." She also went to her Girl Scout meeting and came home with her Girl Scout Cookie Order Form, which has absolutely nothing to do with the spelling list. The point is, she's growing up.

Anyway, the spelling list is 10 words long, all words beginning with "a." Now I know part of spelling is memorization but it seems like in order to spell them, you should be able to sound them out and read the word as well. Katherine is having major trouble in that area. She can make each letter sound in the word but can't blend the sounds together to actually form the word. I am not sure if this is normal for her age (4 months in to 1st grade) . She knows most of her sight words which really was memorization.

I can't remember Emily ever having trouble with this. I remember just asking her to spell a word and, well, she just did it. She really isn't a good example of the way it should be as she always seemed ahead of the game with reading and spelling.

I am planning on checking with her teacher as well. I also need to check up on what ever happened with her speech eval, as I never go the final word.

So I am asking all of you, especially anyone who has kids that are at reading age level or beyond, should I be concerned?

Weird And Good Things That Happen When You Decide To Eat Healthy And Exercise

So you know, I have started diets a million times without success. I have either ate well and not exercised, exercised and ate like crap, or just altogether quit before having given the diet a chance to work. I have never, on any of those occasions gone at it as hardcore as I have this time. I realize that it has only been a few days, but I haven't even thought about cheating, or quiting for that matter. This is a record for me. That's kind of pathetic really but you can't change the past and all that. Besides, I am really proud of myself which is way overshadowing the guilt of past mistakes.

Anyway, I am happy (literally) to say that "those people" that say eating right and exercise will make you feel better just by doing it are right! I have lost 4 lbs so far but I honestly feel physically, emotionally, and just all around better, as if I have lost 40. I haven't been following a really specific plan. I have way increased my vegetable and fruit intake to the 4-6 servings recommended by the Biggest Loser Gurus and have been drinking more (though still not enough, but I am getting there) water. I have been eating breakfast everyday (which is a totally new thing for me...I used to eat it every once in a while but that was about it) and eating lunch which has usually consisted of some kind of sliced fruit or veggie and piece of toasted Ezekiel bread with peanut butter on it. Water has been the drink of choice, except for at breakfast in which I drink a cup of juice. Yesterday, as mentioned earlier, I even made an omelet with egg beaters. Egg beaters, ok people?

The only thing I haven't given up and don't plan to, like ever? My large extra extra coffee from Dunky's. A mom of three couldn't possibly live without this, could she? Besides, I don't have it everyday...only on the days in which I need to leave the house. Admittedly, this is usually at least once a day everyday but hey, I deserve at least one splurge and I figure if I am doing everything else right, I am doing ok.

The only complaint I have about the whole thing really? My sleep has gone to hell. I wake up for brief periods of time all night long. Falling back asleep hasn't been an issue which is good and even better? I don't seem to be feeling the effects of the interrupted sleep during the day. In fact, I feel somewhat less tired than I usually do. I don't see how the dieting and sleep loss could be connected but it seems awful strange to me that they would coincide.

Thoughts?

New Year's Party Pics

I took over 30 so I picked out the best of the best...at least in my opinion. Drinks were had, stories were told, games were played, fun was had. As usual, the Utley's did a fantastic job!

Old Man Winter...

...are you feeling ok?

I'm just wondering because my buddy Pete is forcasting temperatures in the 50's and 60's for the remainder of the week.

It's winter.

In New England.

In January which is usually the coldest month on record in these parts.


I'm not complaining, I am just hoping that you aren't playing some kind of cruel joke which involves blizzards in March and April. Going out with out a coat has been kind of enjoyable actually. Not freezing my butt off while watching the kids get on the bus has been fantastic.

If you are just being kind and have decided that we have suffered enough in winters past, well that's just fine.

But, if you are just holding out, then can you please let it loose now...before it's too late?

Thanks.

A Little Recognition Is Nice...

...even better when it comes from your 9 year old daughter.

Of course, typical Emily said it quite humorously too.

She came downstairs yesterday morning and saw me eating oatmeal and a banana.

This morning she came down and saw me making an omelet with egg beaters and chopping onion and green pepper to go in it. She noticed that I had my sneakers on and asked why. I told her that I was planning on doing the treadmill.

She gave me hug and said, "I am so proud of you. You're trying really hard to lose weight. And I know I sound like a mother when I say that."

Thank God for Emily...she can even make dieting fun!

Vacation Review

Emily and Katherine went back to school today. Overall, I'd say they had a nice break!

Last Saturday, Ryun took them bowling so my slacker self could get wrapping. The of course there was Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, both of which were spent at family gatherings which my kids still love attending. On Tuesday, Aunty Suzanne took them to see a movie, kept them over night and then went out to lunch with Unlce John the next day. Thursday we went to the Dunkin Donuts Center to see Disney On Ice. Friday was a "hang around the house day" in which they spent ample time playing with their new toys, some of which included video games and movies. My parents had gotten them tickets to see the Rockettes in Boston so that's where they spent Saturday. After the show, my parents took them here for lunch. The girls were appropriately impressed. On Sunday night they had a sleepover with "baby Jack" at Mimi and Papa's house, so Mom, Dad and Aunty could attend the Utley's 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Bash. On Monday, our long standing tradition of New Year's Day at Adam and Jean's continued.

It was a busy but fun week, as you can see. I have to say, I am a little sad to see them go back, just a little though...ha ha ha.