Wow how the time has flown!! I can't believe I haven't written in so long. Here is a quick run down: I have been sick, Connor has been sick and now Ethan is sick. Ethans competitions are over for the most part so he has been busy building a fort in the backyard. Matthew is busy with tennis and school and picking out his classes for his first year in high school and I can hardly believe it! Connor is hanging in there. The meds are helping...a very little...but better than nothing. Paige is her usual busy sociable self. She is big in to handstands and cartwheels!
I actually need to start having entries about our mischievious dog Bella. She chews on more things, whines for hours at night and is just general trouble. I am ready to give her the boot after only 4 hours of sleep last night because she would not stop 'crying'.
Paul just finshed giving 3 classes at work on finances and I know he is super relieved it is over and I believe it was a success!!
The weather here has been windy and cold. I am so ready for the sun and some vitamin D.
We have been watching a ton of Olympics as a family and it has been great hanging out each night with each other eating popcorn from our fabulous popcorn machine.
And I know this is showing a not so good side to me but I am curious: Is it going to be Vienna or Tinley????(Those of you who don't know what I mean, don't worry about it and those who are in the closet about this show, let me know who you think it wil be!)
PS I got a new haircut and boy is it different!!!!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Connor
I am always amazed how different my children are in personalities and appearances. They each come with beautiful gifts and struggles in this life. Our Connor is one of our kids who has the most struggles. I have to admit, I have struggled with him. He is so sweet and happy and easy going. Sure he loves to tease and do things to bug his siblings but that is normal. He is happy to play with anyone who wants to play with him, even if they are 2. He has such blonde hair and such deep blue eyes and the longest eyelashes. He is a handsome little man. He has a mischievous little smile and when he grins his whole face just lights up. He has a dimple in his chin which my brother Aaron has and my moms dad had.
All of his teachers assure me that he is bright and smart...he just has this one little problem. He can't stay focused. Year after year we struggle to get him to complete his school work. We spend literally hours on homework that should take no longer than 30-45 minutes. He misses lots of play time trying to get his homework done. After 3 teachers recommendations, we had him tested for ADD. I have to admit, I think it is over diagnosed and over prescribed. Even when the specialist we took him too, said that he had mild ADD and we consented to put him on a low dose of medication I was hesitant and reluctant. He has been on medication for 1 1/2 years and this Christmas, after thinking about it for several months, and talking with his teachers, I was thinking it really wasn't doing anything so I took him off. I saw a small difference. Even more unfocused, I noticed he was forgetting to bring home homework, he came home with a test he needed to do because he didn't do it at school. I asked him what he had been doing when everyone else was taking the test. He replied that he had been talking. He hadn't done one single problem on that test. I really thought I saw only a small difference, apparently, I was pretty wrong. The teachers saw a big difference.
I got his progress report at the beginning of this week and was beyond stunned. I guess the medication had been working more than I thought. His grades had plummeted. He hadn't completed assignments. His work wasn't good, and he grades suffered.
I took him back to see the doctor. I have to admit it has been hard depressing week. He is so sweet and so good that I hate to see him struggle. I hate knowing that the teachers call him out in class to refocus him and that he has to miss recess to finish classwork. I hate when he tells me he doesn't have a lot of friends and I wonder if its because the other kids view him as 'bad' because the teachers are always reprimanding him to keep him on task. The teachers threaten to hold him back or send him to the principle if he continues to not get his work done. The poor kid. But I get it now. He really truly can't help it. I sit by him when he does homework and I will see him staring at the paper but literally not seeing it. His mind is somewhere else. It must be so frustrating for him to know he needs to do it and wants to do but can't keep his mind on it. I don't like the other kids to avoid him because they think he is naughty when he tries but just can't do it.
I hope that this medication helps. I still think it is over diagnosed and over prescribed but I get it and the need for the medication. If helps Connor to focus so he can do better in school and maybe what it feels like to be focused, maybe over the course of time he will gain the ability to focus or recognize when he isn't and call himself back to the task. I don't know. I just hope this work and I really hope in a couple of years it won't be necessary...
All of his teachers assure me that he is bright and smart...he just has this one little problem. He can't stay focused. Year after year we struggle to get him to complete his school work. We spend literally hours on homework that should take no longer than 30-45 minutes. He misses lots of play time trying to get his homework done. After 3 teachers recommendations, we had him tested for ADD. I have to admit, I think it is over diagnosed and over prescribed. Even when the specialist we took him too, said that he had mild ADD and we consented to put him on a low dose of medication I was hesitant and reluctant. He has been on medication for 1 1/2 years and this Christmas, after thinking about it for several months, and talking with his teachers, I was thinking it really wasn't doing anything so I took him off. I saw a small difference. Even more unfocused, I noticed he was forgetting to bring home homework, he came home with a test he needed to do because he didn't do it at school. I asked him what he had been doing when everyone else was taking the test. He replied that he had been talking. He hadn't done one single problem on that test. I really thought I saw only a small difference, apparently, I was pretty wrong. The teachers saw a big difference.
I got his progress report at the beginning of this week and was beyond stunned. I guess the medication had been working more than I thought. His grades had plummeted. He hadn't completed assignments. His work wasn't good, and he grades suffered.
I took him back to see the doctor. I have to admit it has been hard depressing week. He is so sweet and so good that I hate to see him struggle. I hate knowing that the teachers call him out in class to refocus him and that he has to miss recess to finish classwork. I hate when he tells me he doesn't have a lot of friends and I wonder if its because the other kids view him as 'bad' because the teachers are always reprimanding him to keep him on task. The teachers threaten to hold him back or send him to the principle if he continues to not get his work done. The poor kid. But I get it now. He really truly can't help it. I sit by him when he does homework and I will see him staring at the paper but literally not seeing it. His mind is somewhere else. It must be so frustrating for him to know he needs to do it and wants to do but can't keep his mind on it. I don't like the other kids to avoid him because they think he is naughty when he tries but just can't do it.
I hope that this medication helps. I still think it is over diagnosed and over prescribed but I get it and the need for the medication. If helps Connor to focus so he can do better in school and maybe what it feels like to be focused, maybe over the course of time he will gain the ability to focus or recognize when he isn't and call himself back to the task. I don't know. I just hope this work and I really hope in a couple of years it won't be necessary...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
2 more books
My two latest books I have read are 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate. It was pretty good. It is not a vampire book and I enjoyed how the story unfolded. Good stuff! I also just finished 'Incarceron' by Catherine Fisher. This story was ingenious. The thought behind is extremely imaginative. She has a very creative mind. I think you will either love it or hate. I loved it! Very interesting and very different then the stuff I have been reading...and again, it has nothing to do with vampires!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)