ABA Program

Oct 20, 2011
So I've begun a parenting course to do with ABA. The first night was last night. I have the oldest kid in the class. All the other kids are 7 and under. I feel a little out of the loop, but I was told that once we get further along it will make more sense, and there will be more geared towards older kids. They have grouped IBI parents and ABA parents for the first couple of sessions.

I did learn about more reinforcers that I could use with Rosy. I'm glad about that. I need to use them right away and they have to be quick things, to get the point across at first (then they can be longer things like playing video games), when she is showing that she can do the things we want her to do. I want the kids to come in and empty their backpacks and their lunches before they do anything. That doesn't seem to be happening, so I need to find a small, quick reinforcer that will work. I plan on using it with both the kids, even though Flash is considered "normal."

I also learned about pairing and that we should be doing this every day. Pairing is when you play with your child and don't expect anything of them (like getting them to answer math questions). Rosy is getting older, so I need to figure out ways to spend one on one time with her and not have an agenda. After this busy, crazy week, I will put more effort into it. I tried tonight, but she didn't want to join me on a search around the computer. Oh well. I can't force her either.

I will post more as the course goes on, as I'm sure any help that I get may help any of you.

Bye for now!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Family Life-Fun, Loving, and Special

Oct 12, 2011
As a member of S-O-S Research, I was asked if I could do a blog post to share with everyone. This is going to be part of their Best of the Best, Edition 11. Here is what we were asked to write about:
"I know all of the past issues are important and helpful.  But there is another side of autism/special needs families that I think is equally important.  The moments that make us laugh.  It’s not all therapy, schedules and methodologies.  There are the funny little moments in our day to day lives – that are just as significant.  When it’s not about special needs – it’s about just being a family and enjoying our children just as they are."
I have to say this kinda stumped me for a bit. I didn't know what I could write about. I seem to remember all the crazy things and none of the good things. Another reason for this blog is to get those things down, but again, I keep forgetting to get on here and blog about them. Well not really forgetting, just not making or taking the time to post something (would be easier if this silly thing would allow me to post things from my phone - tried and I can't get it to work). So on to what I want to write about...

Rosy makes me smile every day! She can be angry about something one minute, and the next she is smiling and laughing about something. It could be as simple as the cat meowing to her, and she will have the biggest smile. She did something wonderful the other day, and even though I'm not impressed about one part of it, the other part makes me happy. 

Saturday she came to me and told me that there were baby fish in her brother's tank. Now this is where I was unimpressed! She went into her brother's room again without his permission (he was at a birthday party, and she didn't have a chance to ask for permission). I went in to look at the tank and couldn't see any fish, and thought her working memory was causing her to believe that she saw a baby fish, so really I didn't believe her (I feel bad about that). Well, she insisted, and low and behold after watching for a few minutes, I did see a baby fish! I spent the next hour (and many times with her help) separating the babies and moving them to a beta tank that we have for sickies. Ten baby fish in all!

The reason I post about this, is her caring! She doesn't really seem to care for her brother much (do any 11 year old girls show love for their younger brothers, I ask?). This showed immense caring! She could have never told me, and all those babies would have been eaten by the mommy fish and the other fish in the tank (in fact I'm sure a few probably were). She even kept quiet when I asked her to (as I wanted to see if my son would notice the beta tank with water in it, since it was empty when he left for the party). She wasn't supposed to be in his room, but because of her impulsiveness, she was able to save 10 babies (mind you they may all die, we have to be prepared for that). I love her for that! I'm still trying to figure out ways to remember to ask permission before going into someone else's space (hard thing for an ADHD kid to learn).

So no, this is not about laughter, but we have shared many times with laughter. There has been joy in this house. Many tears too. We all need to focus on the good and positive things, or life will get you down. Thanksgiving for us (Canadians here), was this weekend. This is a good reminder for all the things we have to be thankful for!

Next blog post to be sooner, rather than later! Bye for now! Oh and here is a pic of the babies:

Dream Board Fun

Sep 30, 2011
So Rosy completed her dream board yesterday after school. She is very proud of her accomplishment! I am too! These are things she would like to do in the future, as well as what she would like to be. Rosy wants to travel around Europe, visiting castles. She wants to be a teacher and she wants to be a vet. She would also like to visit British Columbia, and go whale watching (she has loved orca's since she was two years old!). So what do you think? Would love some comments on her board, so I can share with her.

Have a great weekend! I am off to get some more stuff done around my house.
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New week, new schedule (maybe?)

Sep 29, 2011
So I got side tracked! Sorry!! Been so busy with the kids and work, that I didn't make time to post here. I would think about it, and then get doing something, and completely forget to post here. Some days I wonder, if I have ADHD?

Oh look, chipmunk on my deck.......LOL

Okay, not really. Not going to get sidetracked today. I'm quite please with Rosy's progress so far (in school). She is focused and staying on task, and is getting her homework done (there hasn't been much, thankfully). She is working on her dream board this week (it's due tomorrow). It's looking great! I think I will take a picture of it and post it on here for all to see. She was going to have a house (well mansion actually) that she wanted to own, and stuff like that, but has now changed it to what she wants to do in the future. A couple of jobs, and where she wants to travel, and do while she's travelling. I have never talked about it, but she wants to tour around Europe and check out castles, and that's what I have always wanted to do. Maybe we will have to do that when she gets a little older? I'm pleased that she is excited about this homework, and it will be fun to see how she finishes it tonight after school.

In terms of her ADHD, she still has a bit of an attitude in the evenings, if things aren't going her way. I saw her doctor last night, and she didn't really focus on the possibility of PDD-NOS (as the report says mild), so we talked about that a little. The doctor still feels she is just ADHD, and doesn't see the PDD-NOS. I have to check with the psychologist on that one. The doctor did prescribe Risperdal (small amount after school), and said that I could use it, or not. I'm planning on researching it a bit first and praying about it too. I will post more about it, when I get the chance to research (not planning on that today, as there isn't a rush).

So now, it's on to setting up a little bit of a schedule for myself. I really need to schedule my days better. Organization for someone else is fine, I can't organize myself! I want to spend more time in the Word, and in prayer, and then make sure to have time everyday for support stuff for YouVersion (something I'm going to do right after this posting). I found a blog about organizing stuff, and I think I'm going to spend a little time on it, seeing if there are any ideas for me there. The blog is: IHeart Organizing Maybe I can find stuff for Rosy there too. I really should search for organizational tools for kids with ADHD. Her room is much better, but it's getting her to stay on top of it and such.

Anyway, this is getting long. Post soon!

School's In!

Sep 6, 2011
Yes, I'm excited. I don't have to worry about how I'm going to get babysitting for the kids while I work now (I only work a couple of days a week, and it's too expensive to put them in camp for a full week.

Now back to routine, and me being able to post on here more regularly. Still want to post motivational verses from the Bible and how they relate to what we are going through. Will start that shortly (just wanted to quickly update you all).

Rosy is doing well. The last few weeks have flown by and she is doing well on her new meds (Adderall XR). She still has her attitude at times, but I'm thinking it may be her age. We are getting a referral for behavioral help and hopefully that will start soon. She is working harder to look after her bunny too. Rosy surprised the heck out of me this morning, and was able to get up and get everything done that she needed too (including having a shower), with time to spare (lots of it). In fact I allowed the kids to watch a little TV this morning, as a treat. I want to limit screen time during the week, and only allow it on the weekends (so I have to figure out how to praise (bribe?) her every day that she does this). I hope now to be able to post more on the things that she does too, so that this may help others somehow.

Anyway, we all need motivation! I was in need of some (still am, everyday!), and came across this blog post (love how God works): My Mom Life
Well, I decided that I would write down all the verses, and then post them here (and others that I find) with a little reason as to why it speaks/spoke to me. I will try and post this separately from the regular posts too, but wanted to get this started now (plus I have to work the next couple of days, and nights are busy with volunteering for YouVersion helping out with their BlackBerry/Web support).

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. This of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Hebrews 12:1-4

Well, I didn't mean to pick one of the longest ones, but it is one that jumped out at me. This one makes me think of the movie Passion of the Christ and how Jesus endured so much pain. I get so frustrated with Rosy, and she's not torturing me, or being as cruel as the people were to Jesus. Really, it's nothing compared to what Christ went through!! It makes me take more time and stop before I get frustrated (at least it did when I first read this). Rosy was shaking the bed, while I was reading this verse and writing some thoughts down, and I asked her a couple of times to stop (nicely). I choose not to get frustrated and didn't! Now to remember this the next time! Oh the joys of being a parent sometimes. She wasn't purposely bugging me, and I see that now. I have to remember this, and know that with her ADHD/PDD-NOS and her working memory issues, that she is not doing this stuff on purpose (well most of the time she isn't). We all need to remember what Jesus endured, and really think about the fact that we are not going through anything like that. He didn't get angry and scream and yell (or spank..lol...sorry seems a funny thought). We, as parents, need to take steps back and remember "it could be worse!"

Thanks for reading! Off to get the kids from their first day of school!

Another busy week

Aug 25, 2011
With school around the corner, things are getting busy here. This week was filled with work, a trip to Mont Cascades (a water park in Quebec, which is a ton of fun), and stuff around the house. Rosy seems to be doing okay, but I'm still worried about whether or not this is the right med for her or not. I don't know if she is supposed to still have a wicked attitude, or not. She notices that she can focus better, so that's a good thing. Oh the joys of figuring these things out.

My problem lately has been motivation. Motivation to do almost anything it seems. So I'm searching the Bible for motivational verses (and there are a lot). I'm finding them, and then reading them and trying to figure out how they apply to me and what is going on around here. Be prepared, as I plan on posting these on here, and will do so regularly. I hope they help others, as I know they will help me (as long as I apply them...working on it!).

I have been motivated to do one thing, that I'm really excited about! I'm now part of the YouVersion support team, for BlackBerries (or is it BlackBerry's?)!! Have you checked out YouVersion?? It is an awesome app for all phones, iPad's, iPod's, etc. Take the Bible (and many versions of it) with you! Plus it has awesome plans that you can sign up for and it will keep track of where you are (like reading through the Bible in a year, and many others). Bookmark verses, and even write notes, that you can share with everyone, or just keep it for yourself. Highly recommend this wonderful, free (always will be) app! Being a volunteer for the support team, is awesome! I'm having fun helping others. I know I'm weird (a geek, and I will admit it), but I really do enjoy figuring out how to help a person with their problem/issue and find it rewarding when it is fixed. So I am motivated to work on that (more so than my own "real" work, which that is another story, for another day). I just need to get motivated to do stuff around the house (which is the not so fun stuff). I will get there, I know I will.

Anyway, I better get some sleep, so that tomorrow I can get motivated to do some cleaning and laundry. Good night!!

Updating...

Aug 20, 2011
Well, it's been a while since I posted here. Sorry about that. The last couple of weeks have been a little busy. Hubby and I both had vacation time this week, so we spent some time visiting family, and just having fun with the kids. Vacation time is over, so it's back to the grind.

Rosy is sitting on the couch right now, going on about how she didn't play on the PS3 as long as her brother last night (only 5-10 min each at a friend's place). Oh and now her brother is an idiot, no wait, she is an idiot (that's what she is calling herself), and she's crying like crazy. She didn't get all the meds in today either (she had problems swallowing the pill this morning, so she pushed out all the little beads and managed to get most of them down with banana chunks. I keep reading about the meds, and how she should be acting, and now I'm second guessing this med, and whether or not it is working right for her. I will sprinkle all the beads tomorrow on something and see how she does. I'm going to have to go up to her room and see what the problem is.

Oh and she took her brother's DS and was hiding the fact that she was playing it today, and she wants to play on the Wii. Hmmmm, I don't think so. Oh the joys!

I'm going to check on her, and will have to post a little more later. Know that I haven't disappeared, just been busy. Can't wait to share more about our vacation time, and surprising my mother in law!

Bye for now!

Wordless Wednesday–Dragonfly

Aug 17, 2011

DSCN2678

Used the macro setting on hubby’s Nikon Coolpix 100.

Wordless Wednesday

Aug 10, 2011

Billards anyone

My daughter took this picture with her camera that she received for Christmas last year. I just love it!

Crazy Week Coming

Aug 5, 2011
So I thought it would be cool to have Rosy write something for this blog. Just her idea. Whatever she wanted. Well, that didn't go so well. As soon as I suggested it, she was worried about the boys at school finding out about her ADHD, and teasing her. Well, I have made this somewhat anonymous, even though most of my friends know about it. I don't see how they would find out, unless their parents were unkind enough to share the info.

So, I am left to posting again, and don't know what to post about. Other than it is going to be a crazy week, next week. I have work almost every day, and the kids are both in camp. Rosy is really looking forward to another week at the camp that she went to in July, and Flash is going to soccer camp. Flash is super excited, since it is British coaches coming over to teach them, all things soccer. He loves the sport, and is doing really well on his team. They are the underdogs, and are losing a lot of games, but you can tell they are learning to play as a team. It's great to watch.

Rosy is now on 15mg of Addarall, and it seems to be okay. She still has times where she cries about not getting what she wants, but I prefer that over throwing a major tantrum and hitting me, or throwing things. She is doing something funny, that I have never noticed before. When she picks cards off the pile in SkipBo, she counts them as she is taking them, and then counting them again. Funny in a good way, and something she didn't do before. At least she is making sure she is getting the right number of cards. I'm just glad that the meds are helping her. Makes for a less stressful summer.

So I did have a couple of things to talk about. But now I must go and get some ice cream (shouldn't really, but I will...lol). Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Aug 3, 2011

Busy Bees

Busy bees!

People with ADHD are different, but still...

Jul 30, 2011
So to promote special needs a great site has been started, and Saturday's are filled with postings about special needs kids.

Check out the Special Saturday website!

Taken from the about page of their site:

So what is Special Saturday?
Special Saturday is a group of people who want to raise awareness about children and adults with special needs. We aim to do this by devoting every Saturday to informing and spreading the news to as many people globally as we can about both the difficulties we face raising our children or by having special needs AND how amazing our special children are including their achievements.


This Saturday we are to either do a blog post, or tweet "People with ... are different, but still ..." I decided to add a post to my blog.

So, here goes. Children with ADHD/PDD-NOS are different, but still are children, like any others. I know my daughter can be strange when she acts like an animal when it isn't really called for. She can focus on one thing for a very long time (orca's have been her favourite animal since she was 2 years old). Her mind can wander and she may not pay attention when you need her too. School work is sometimes more difficult for her, because her memory doesn't work the way other kid's memories do. She doesn't really have any friends, because she doesn't act like her peers. Her anger can be worst than any adult I have ever seen. She can throw things, and scream and call me names, but she is still an 11 year old girl.

My daughter loves to have her nails done, and will sit quite still for that. My daughter loves books and movies, and can read for hours at a time. She loves having her hair done, and checking out the latest fashions. Rosy has a crush on a boy (well many actually, including Justin Bieber). She can kick your butt at some of the board games we have too. Rosy would be an awesome best friend, if someone would be there for her too (and not tease her when her back is turned). Watch out, cause she can pretend like no other (writing or play acting stories all the time). She has dreams to be a vet, or marine biologist, or an actress one day. Seems to me that she is very similar to most 11 year old girls out there! Just give her a chance to show how she can love like you can, play like you can, and pretend like you can. Yes, she is different in some ways, but she is the same in many others!

*This post was written as a part of SPECIAL SATURDAY which promotes awareness of special needs. Check it out on Facebook – Spec-sat bloggers, and on Twitter @SpecSat using the hastag #specialsaturday.

Will She Sleep?

Jul 29, 2011
Rosy had an awesome day and was able to play a game with us in the evening, and didn't have any issues. Evening time can be rough with her getting either really wired, or negative about everything. We played Life Twists and Turns (great, cause you don't have to keep track of the money), and Rosy won! I then asked her to take her bunny out and she had no problem with that and took him outside. Usually she says, no, or starts to get upset because she wants to play with her Barbie's or something. Tonight she was great, and said, "okay Mom," and got right to it.

So now the question is, will she get to sleep in better time than the last few nights? I'm hoping so. I have to get up there and see if the light is on or not. Off to do that now, but did you notice???...

Two posts in one day! I'm working on this! I would love to post here a little more often, and maybe get some posts about what we are dealing with, as well as some stuff about ADHD, etc. That's my plan anyway. I also hope to do a study of the Bible, and post my thoughts here too. Just have to figure out which study to do, and go from there.

Well, off to check on the light situation, and have a relaxing evening with hubby! Good night all!

Monday = Long Weekend!

Well, it's a long weekend! YAY! Hubby gets to stay home on Monday. Sad part is, he may have to work a little tomorrow. Oh well, it will only be a few hours if he does.

So I prayed a little and asked about the drugs that Rosy is on. I emailed the dr too. After talking to another mom, and reading the dr's email, I figured I might as well try another drug with her. We had to refill the other prescription, so why not try a new one. I, of course, would rather not to have her on drugs, but boy there is a big difference when she is on them. I can rationalize with her, and that's something I was never able to do. Today she started Adderall (10mg). She really wanted to use the Biphentin (I think she thought that she would have to swallow a pill). I opened up the Adderall pill to sprinkle the granules on something, and it turns out that the granules are really tiny (loving that). Rosy saw how small they are, and was excited. I put it on the spoon for her with a little sorbet, and she swallowed it all with no problems! The granules in the Biphentin are larger (3X more) and she always had to chase them down with a few gulps of water.

It's now 2:00pm and she has a friend over. She seems to be doing fine, so we will see how the evening goes. That has been the harder time for us. She has had some attitude, but I'm thinking that is going to be "normal" with her. I think it helps that she has a friend over too. We will have to see how she is over the weekend.

So I hope those of you that have a long weekend this weekend, have a great one!

Wordless Wednesday

Jul 27, 2011
Just a quick word about this. It is my first wordless Wednesday, and I am posting two pictures of my kids:
Rosy and her Kobo
Sam and Kobo
Flash kicking the ball
Matt kicking ball

Another week of summer...

Jul 25, 2011
Well here it is, another week of summer. Today went pretty well. Rosy did get quite upset about a kid who was over playing with Flash. She blamed him for something, that he may or may not have done (of course, I was not in the room at the time). I was able to calm her down, but it was still hard to watch her get so teary eyed, and get so frustrated.

My problem now, is deciding about changing the meds. Well, we have to refill her prescription, or get her the other meds. That's something I need to decide quickly (4 more pills left). I'm still working out my prayer life. Some days I will pray, and some days, I seem to forget, or just don't. So I think this is something I need to pray about with hubby and I need to email the doctor again, to get her input on this. I'll let you know how that goes.

I'm still finding some issues with negativity too. Is that her, or is it the meds, or is it something else? Ugh...this is tough. Thankfully I have a friend who's son is ADHD, and so we chat about it a lot. It's been a real help. I really think an ADHD support group is needed in my area, but need to find out more info on how to start one. Another thing for my list of things to do.

Flash is now acting out a lot more too. I think he has seen his sister get away with things (cause I finally gave up - I didn't want to fight her anymore), and so he thinks he can get away with similar things. Oh the joys! He's learning the hard way, that we won't give in to him, and he doesn't like it. lol

So tomorrow is a new day, and I will pray and email the doctor, and just go where God leads me. I hope you are all having a good week so far. Will post more soon!

Blogging for Ayn

Jul 22, 2011
I am so saddened by this case, that I had to post something about. A little girl named Ayn has been taken away from her loving family and put in foster care. The problem is that she has autism, and the ministry felt that they were "helping" the family by taking her out of their home. The dad, Derek, is a loving father to three kids (two of which have severe autism). All he wants is his little girl home. You can read all about the story all over the internet now, but I wanted to add a blog post to help get the word out there.
Here is one of the best links to get all the info:
Blog for Ayn

I have had children's aid out to my house three times now, and hate that they have become involved in our lives. The first time, was when Rosy came forward about her sexual assault. It was important that CAS become involved, and I gladly accepted their help then. The second time, was for an over reaction on my part and for my lovely daughter imbelishing a story a little bit. I had tried to grab her out from under the bed, and had pulled her hair in the process (I didn't intend too, of course, but crap happens). When dealing with a child who didn't want to go to school, and was telling me off (and we didn't know about the diagnosis of ADHD at that point), well things escalated and we both were yelling at each other. It was a frustrating day to say the least. Well, CAS came and told us that we were not to spank our child, yada yada yada. She then quickly closed the case. Still you wonder what they are thinking and what they are going to do, and you get anxious and stressed, and it's just no fun.

The third time (just a couple of months ago now), CAS came out, because hubby had spanked Rosy on the bare bum (a neighbour must have seen it through the window). Now, before you get upset at him, he had witnessed a pastor friend of his do this with his children years ago, and they all turned out to be wonderful God fearing grownups. He was not doing it in anger at the time (he was angry, but had put that aside), and he was using it as a last resort with her. We had tried a few time outs and removing of privileges, and removing toys from her room, and to no avail. I can't even remember what the argument was about, but she was on her being very stubborn, and trying to get her way about something. The spank was enough to get her to finally stop yelling at us, and to calm down a bit, so that we could discuss things a little more rationally. Again, this was before her diagnosis of ADHD/PDD-NOS. Again, stress and anxiety big time goes along with the visit.

Now, I have to admit that they are being very helpful now, and even paid for a week of camp for each of my children. They are trying to get supports for us, and that has been amazing. Once they found out her diagnosis, things drastically changed. It was them against us at first, and now they on our side and trying to get whatever support they can get. I have to be thankful for that. I will be truthful, and say that I am a little frustrated that they are in our lives, but hey I have to look at the pluses right now, and not worry.

For this family, the stress they all must be going through....I just can't imagine! I pray that this is rectified very quickly and that little girl goes home very, very soon. I also pray that this doesn't affect her any worse than it probably already has. Taken from school, and not able to see your father for two weeks, has got to be awful. I just pray God's loving arms around her right now, and that He comforts her, when her father can't be there to comfort her. Help them all Father!

What can you do? Check out the above site, and make sure to sign the petition too!
Also, check out the facebook group
Check out the donation site too which was created by fellow blogger Kat Moody.

If you are here in Canada, think about emailing the Prime Minister and others that are listed on the site too. I am planning on doing so.

Here is the info for the Prime Minister:
Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Fax: (613) 941-6900
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

Help where you can, and pray for this family! Thank you!

Why Blog

Jul 19, 2011
I just read a post on Mrs T, Naturally's blog and it got me thinking about why I blog. 
Check out her blog here:


I did mention before that I was blogging to hopefully help others. I figured that if I post about all the issues that we have with our daughter, then someone out there may see the same things in their child, and be able to get help sooner than we did. I am finding that writing about things, has been therapeutic as well. I am not writing as much as I would like to (some days I really wonder if I have a mild form of ADHD myself), but hope to get on a better schedule soon (also would help if my work was a little more regular). Anyway, I'm still hoping that this blog may help someone (even one person) in getting help for their child. Thank you for reading it, those who do. I look forward to "meeting" you all on your blogs too!

To Change Meds or Not?

Jul 17, 2011

That seems to be the question around here. We have been making sure that Rosy is taking the meds, by swallowing all the little beads within a spoonful of sorbet (healthier than ice cream). She does seem focused, but we are still having a lot of issues with her negativity and over reacting to things. She still starts to tear up when she can’t get what she wants. The problem is that Rosy is now reverting back to stamping her feet, and yelling and hitting or throwing things if she doesn’t get her way. I don’t know enough about what to do at this point. I’m still reading lots on ADHD, and getting more input (Short Circuit was the best..lol), but still not knowing exactly how to put my knowledge to good use.

Seems to remind me of my walk with God some days (actually seems like most days). I have great knowledge (doing studies and such), but how to apply what I know is what I am finding difficult. I want to raise my kids with a love for God, and an amazing walk with Him (prayer life too – which is something I have to work on), but how can I help them, when I’m still trying to figure out everything.

Dr. O. gave us a prescription for Adderall, and for a lower dosage of Biphentin. Well I tried a lower dosage of Biphentin, and it seemed that Rosy was worse after camp was done, than any of the other days. So, back to full dosage, and she was a little better. This weekend, we have found it harder, since we have been inside a lot more (can’t have the kids out for too long in the heat wave we are experiencing). Rosy has a couple days of camp this week (which is a sports camp). She enjoyed it last summer, so we will see how she does this week. I will also email the doctor and see what she suggests too. Rosy did seem to get more sleep this week (but she was kept so busy at camp, that I think she was tired), but this weekend wasn’t good. She was up till midnight last night (making it a lazy day today, since I had to be at church early to set up for media stuff – I do the powerpoint stuff during the service on a Sunday or two a month).

Any of you have any ideas? Would love feedback!

Thanks so much! Have a great week all!

Timely Doctor Appointment

Jul 13, 2011

So, I have been waiting to get a phone call from the doctor’s office, as I was on the cancelation list. Monday morning, I got the call! YAY! They had a cancellation that day, and would I be interested in bringing Rosy in at 4:30pm. Of course I was! I was going to email the doctor that morning, but this was much easier and better. I okayed the appointment and then took Rosy to her first day of camp…

She started a camp that is geared for special needs kids on Monday. I was kinda concerned, because she was probably going to be one of a few high functioning kids, and the rest would be more “serious” than her (like down syndrome, and non-verbal autistic). I was glad she was going, because getting exposure to kids that are, hmmm how to put it…. well I can’t figure that one, cause I don’t want to offend anyone! I’m just glad she was seeing other kids, and was going to be able to probably make friends (“normal” kids don’t like her anyway). She has been having a blast! There are lots of counsellors, and only a few kids, so she is getting lots of attention. I’m just so happy. The kids all seem great, and the counsellors seem awesome too.

Anyway, back to the appointment, that was perfectly timed. I had a friend take Flash for a bit (hubby was to pick him up after he finished work), and I headed to the appointment with Rosy. The doctor was on time this time, and we only had to wait about 10 min. No biggie. We talked about the tears, and the lack of sleep. Dr. O. weighed Rosy and measured her height. Well it seems that Rosy has stretched out a bit and has lost weight. No biggie, except I have noticed that the last couple of days she hasn’t been eating very much at all. Dr. O. gave me a prescription for a lower dosage of Biphentin, and also a prescription for Adderall. She talked about Strattera as well, but she doesn’t really like that one as much. Rosy was also chewing the granules too much, so we are to put all the granules on a spoon with ice cream and she is to swallow it all.

So now it’s on to trial and error again. It seems that Rosy is getting to sleep at a better time, but her lack of appetite concerns me a little more now. I have to make an appointment with our family doctor too. I plan on giving it a couple more days, and maybe knocking off some of the granules tomorrow to see if a lower dosage still helps, and if her appetite comes back. Oh the fun of meds!

Have a good one! (Still have yet to figure out a signature for this thing….) Hope to work on that this weekend.

A Crazy Couple of Days

Jul 7, 2011

Well, school has been out for over a week now, and the craziness has begun. I made it through last summer, by just flying along and seeing what would happen next. This summer, I’m hoping to do the same. Yes, no “set” routine for Rosy may not be a good thing, but I’m not one for routine, so how can I get her on a routine. I tried to have someone come and look after the kids on Monday, so I could work (I only had one day of work to do this week – the advantage of my job, the disadvantage, is I’m not making enough to really help). Well, the sitter was not available.

“What to do?”, I thought and probably said out loud, as the phone rang. My sister wanted to know when I was coming to visit. She had taken Monday and Tuesday off (Tuesday for a special reason, and Monday to be with us). Well, that made up my mind. I got the kids packed up and we drove to my sister’s place (2.5 hour drive). The kids were great for the drive (as they always are). The only problem was when Rosy wanted to play on the DS (they have to share one, which is another long story that I’m not going to share at this time). Rosy started to cry, because she wasn’t getting her turn on the DS. I told her that it takes about 2.5 hours to get there, and said that she had to a certain time to wait, and then it would be her turn. She calmed down after that and read a bit. I didn’t understand the crying though…more on that in a minute!

Tuesday came, and Rosy was doing well. My sister has a pool, and my fish..oopss I mean daughter was in the pool for most of the day. My sister spent time with us and on the phone arranging a boat, for a few of us to go out on the lake and throw our brother’s ashes out on the lake (my older brother – well technically half-brother, died in April of this year, and his birthday would have been on the 5th – Tuesday). We had a great day, with a trip into the city to pick up my nephew, and more time in the pool for Rosy, and then a celebration of my brother’s life, with dinner and then a trip out on the lake, and everyone got a chance to throw some ashes out on the lake.

My only concern, is that over the last couple of days, Rosy has been prone to crying when she doesn’t get what she wants. Weird for her. She is also getting very negative and rude (especially to her brother) in the afternoon, evening. I have to tell the dr. about this, I know. I am hoping to get an appointment soon. I will be calling tomorrow to see about getting one. She has been sleeping okay, but I did notice that she tosses and turns a lot (the joy of having to “sleep” in the same bed with her at my sister’s). So we may be needing to change the dosage of the meds, or changing them all together. Should be interesting.

Anyway, this is getting very long. Have a great week! I hope to post more in the coming days.

Signature?? Still have to figure that out as well. Bye for now.

Summer Vacation is Here

Jul 1, 2011
Rosy was feeling a lot better on Wednesday and was able to go to school! I'm so glad. She had a blast, and got soaking wet during the water gun fight. Oh, they had special rules for that too. The kids had to bring the guns in bags, and put them at the teacher's desk first thing. They weren't allowed to play with them in any way, until the "fight", or the gun would be taken away. Plus the janitor was the only one allowed to fill them for the kids. It seemed to go off without a hitch too. I got to the school to get the kids, and found that they were all still wet (Rosy had brought extra clothes, and a towel, thankfully, so she was dry).

So on to yesterday. Our first day off. Rosy didn't want to eat all of her sandwich, it had her medicine sprinkled on it, so she didn't get in all of her meds. I was worried about that. She spent most of the day acting like she was the only one who knew anything. Boy I hate that! Plus staying on the same subject, that has been exhausted is also very frustrating. The kids were talking about ducks and their ears, and that quickly moved on to whales (her favourite subject) and their ears. She was right on all things whales, and pour Flash was wrong. He couldn't be right, so he was dumb. I finally got it all settled, and then it was on to something else that she had to go on and on about. I'm thinking she didn't get enough meds into her, or something else was going on in her head. I'll be able to tell today, because Rosy ate her full sandwich, which means she got her meds (it would be nice if she would just swallow the pills).

Today is a new day, and so we will start fresh. Thankfully hubby is home too, as it's Canada Day! Happy Canada Day, to any Canadian readers! Don't have a lot planned at this point. Flash just asked to go see a movie (Cars 2). We will see. We are not going into Ottawa today though. I would love to get to see the royal couple in person, but it is already really crazy there, and I'm not even dressed yet. We would never get to see them close enough (easier to watch on TV).

So it's off to figure out the day. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Report Cards…

Jun 28, 2011

Well, I was going to post sooner, but had my Dad here visiting, and didn’t get a chance to post. Rosy seems to be doing well on this med, and is home sick today. Second last day of school, and she is stuck at home (I’m sure she is missing out on some fun stuff, since they aren’t really teaching anything anymore).

I’m quite happy too! Rosy got her report card yesterday, and I have to say she has improved! There are still lots to work on, but I know that it is a process and I’m sure after the summer of getting her meds figured out, she will have an amazing year next year. She had one D, which I was kinda expecting, and only two C pluses, and the rest were As and Bs. I have to admit, I was expecting more Cs, but I’m very proud of her. With an IEP next year, I’m sure it will be better for her. I have to get out tonight and get some thank you cards for the teachers, as they worked so hard, to work with her and with us.

Well, I’m off to cuddle with her now. You can tell she’s sick when she wants to cuddle!

Will post again, later this week.

Have a great day!

Awards and Garage Sales

Jun 18, 2011
I mentioned that Rosy was getting an award. She got it yesterday at school. They have a Positive People Assembly a couple of times a year, and when the child get's an award they don't know about it until the assembly. Parents are called ahead of time, so that they can show up and be there to see their child receive an award. For two weeks I kept the award a secret! Rosy was thrilled to see us there, and assumed that her brother was getting an award (sad, but true). She was equally thrilled with getting her award! The award was for Personal Responsibility. The teacher told me that she was receiving it for how well she did in the last month. I am very proud of her! Sad part is the video that hubby tried to take didn't work! Oh well, I have the memory!

Okay, is it true that ADHD kids are pack rats? I know mine is anyway! We had a garage sale this morning, and I told Rosy that if she sold some things of hers that she was not reading or playing with, that we could get more books for her Kobo. Well, nope, she was not selling anything. "But I'm going to read those books," she said! Yeah, when?? Not something to fight over, but very frustrating! Her brother was the complete opposite and brought a ton of things down to the sale, and managed to sell about $26 worth of stuff. Money for him, since he stood out there and sold it.

So now it's quiet in the house, and I'm writing this blog. Gotta like it when hubby takes one out and the other is playing with a friend outside. I should get some things done around here. Have a great day everyone!

Why Romans 8:28...

Jun 15, 2011
I just thought I should share a little on why I have Romans 8:28 on the top of this page. On August 25, 2007 (I have it written in my Bible) I was reading Romans 8 and was reflecting on some things going on in our lives. Romans 8:28 stood out big time. So I highlighted it, and prayed that God would show me what that means with the situation we were dealing with at the time (an alcoholic in the family was slowly killing themselves, and it was very scary to watch). Over the last four years that verse has come up many times (I can't count the number). It's almost like God is hitting me in the head, saying you need to remember this, as you have seen in happen, and will see it again and again!

So two years pass (it's now 2009) and this person who is drinking themselves to death has a revelation of sorts and finally cleans up! This person has now been clean for almost two years! The sad part is how close to death the person came. I'm so thankful to God, because this person's ability to get free of that addiction is, in part, thanks to prayers from many people. I'm sure of that! So God worked all things together for good!

I'm now seeing the assault on my daughter is also God working together all things for good. If she hadn't been assaulted it would have taken a lot more time to get her assessed, and to find out that she has ADHD and PDD-NOS. She was already in counseling and all it took was a phone call and few weeks later we got to meet with the psychologist. Going through the system without her counselor would have taken a lot longer (the sad part of all these "systems" is the length of time to get kids the help that they need), possibly a year or two. Don't get me wrong, I hate the fact that she was assaulted, but I am glad that there was a small sliver of a silver lining to it happening. She is doing so much better in school right now! In fact she is getting an award on Friday (she doesn't know about it yet). I will share more about that in another post. I'm just so happy to see all the progress she is making now that she is getting help.

God is working all things together for good in all the moves that we have made too! Writing this stuff down is really helping me see that too. We moved from Barrie to Windsor (5 hour drive) for my hubby's work, and we met lots of great people down there. We then moved from Windsor to a place near Ottawa (which we now call home), which is an eight hour drive. Only my sister is close by (but still almost three hours away), and all the other family is at least five hours away. Church has helped, and we have great neighbours, so making some friends has been easier, than if we had moved to another location near family (I found we hung out with our family more than with our friends). Now we spend quality time with family when we are together. It's still hard (the loss of "free" babysitting sucks), but I think this is where we are supposed to be (even my Mom said that to me, and I'm sure it was hard for her to say).

I still get reminded regularly about this verse (on the radio just two weeks ago, and during a recent Bible study), and so I have to keep reminding myself about all the things that seem to work together for good, so that I don't get too stressed out. It's difficult some days, when Rosy is acting out and I'm about to rip my hair out, but I'm still learning to walk with God through this mess we call life.

Is there a verse that stands out for you? I would love to read about it!

(Next on my list is to figure out a signature for these posts....)

Quiet Birthday

Jun 11, 2011

Today Rosy turned 11! I still can’t believe it has been 11 years since she was born. Time really does fly.

We had an awesome day! Rosy and I went to the theatre to watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was great to see it on the big screen, and to be able to take Rosy to see it. She was a little young when it first came out. She really enjoyed herself. We left the theatre and I noticed a ferris wheel in the distance, and made the mistake of showing it to her. She wanted to go and told me that it was her birthday, so we should go. I calmly told her that we couldn’t go, and that it wouldn’t be fair to Flash. “But we can call them,” she said. I told her that it was too far, and no we needed to go for lunch. She was fine about it! This is a huge step in the right direction. Normally she would have had a fit in the parking lot, and then again in the car, repeating over and over that it is her birthday and we have to go. For her to mention only twice that it is her birthday and we should go, is wonderful for me! I hated when she got going about one thing for such a long period of time. It got so stressful having to go over and over that she wouldn’t be able to have that thing (or do that thing). I’m still kinda shocked about it.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing around the house, because of the weather. It looked like it was going to rain any second, even though it didn’t do much. Oh well. She had a great day and that’s what counts.

Rosy also got sleep last night, and that may have helped things too! I gave her 5mg of Melatonin instead of 3mg and she was asleep before 10pm! What a huge relief for hubby and I. We have told her that starting now, her lights out time is 9pm, and she is really excited about that. I think being able to read/relax a little more before going to sleep will help her even more. She will still have to be in bed at 8pm, but the extra half hour might be what she needs.

My next step is to get her swallowing the pills, and waking her up a little earlier to just have the pill and then letting her go back to sleep so that she can wake up ready to go. The last week has been awful in the mornings. She doesn’t want to get out of bed at all. One baby step at a time. Need her to get the sleep she needs first, cause if she isn’t she can’t get up (a merry-go-round we need to get her off of quickly).

So this is getting long! I will sign off for now. Hoping to post some more funny stories soon (gotta write them down as soon as they happen, or I forget…lol).

Who Wants An Outburst?

Jun 7, 2011
Not me! Well, we got a few tonight! Wow. All because I changed my mind and said Rosy couldn't watch TV! Oh, but I had told her that she could. No, I told her she might be able to. She fought about getting things for her bunny done, and that did it for Taz (hubby). He told her that we were getting rid of the bunny then, since she wasn't doing much to help care for him (it is supposed to be her's, and we help out, not me doing all the work). Well, that brought on another outburst from her, and then the one track mind about the bunny. Oh how I hate how she gets when all she can think of one thing. I finally got her talked down by gently talking to her. WOW! That's a big thing for me, as I usually start yelling back at her.

Emailing the doctor in the morning, as I don't know if this is the right drug now, or not. Will have to wait and see what she says.

Off to watch a movie with hubby and hopefully have a better night. Have a good night world!

Funny Happenings

I thought it would be a great idea to write down some of the funny things that happen around here (only so I don’t forget them…)

My Mom was visiting us last week. On our way to Flash’s (son’s “name”) soccer game, my Mom jokingly said, “What’s that bright yellow ball in the sky called?” (Turns out my Mom has been sun deprived over the last little while – it seems like clouds are following her). Flash looked over at her and seriously said, “Did you forget what the sun is, Grandma?” May be that this was a had to be there moment, but it was too funny. He was so serious, almost sounding concerned.

Okay, so that is only one, and I’m sure I could write more, but I should get the kids up and ready for school. Now that I have started, I better keep this up, and add some of the funny moments with Rosy too. She can get very negative, but also has a comedic side too.

Have a great day!

Wondering Why, and Being Thankful....

Jun 6, 2011
Well, Rosy has been on Biphentin for a week now. I emailed the doctor about her being up so late, and she told me to give it a week to settle down. She is still up quite late, but I plan on giving it a bit more time. The meds seem to be helping during the day, for sure! She had a wonderful week of school and did quite well every day.

This weekend she did awesome too. Helped that she had a new "toy." My Mom, Dad and brother all got together and got her a Kobo E-Reader for her birthday (her birthday is not till this coming Saturday, but what's a week?). She read so much over the weekend. She finished one book, and then I told her about the classics that were on the reader. Well, she decided she was going to read Peter Pan, and that's what she is doing. There was the odd issue with her being negative or having an attitude, but all in all it was a great weekend.

Now, I bet you are wondering about the title of this post? Well, I am wondering why God allows some of the things that he does! I just chatted with a cousin of mine, and her son has been diagnosed with DMD Muscular Dystrophy! I took a few minutes to read up on it, cause I didn't know what it was (we were chatting on facebook, and I didn't get a chance to ask more about it). Now I'm very sad and frustrated! Her beautiful son has an awful disease that will ultimately lead to his death in his late teen's or early twenties. And here I am dealing with my ADHD/PDD-NOS daughter. I understand that God gives us only so much that we can handle, but that is a tough one to handle, I'm sure. To know that your child is going to die in 15-20 years, really just sucks! I'm sitting here in tears writing this, because I'm so sad for my cousin and her family. I just don't know what I would do. I want to help, but how? Prayer, I know. But what to pray for. I want to pray for complete healing, but don't know if that is God's will. Ugghhh....

When I was a kid, I wanted to be older and be a mother and all that. Now, I would rather be back there, as a kid with not too much to worry about. My niece tells me she is stressed at 16. Well, I'm sorry, but stress at 16 is nothing! Yeah, I'm sure it is a little stressful, but I would take that stress over all the stress that I have lately, any day. Oh, and I know that I am supposed to be laying all my worries at Jesus' feet, and I try too, but hey I'm human.

I do have to be thankful though. I have two kids, that are wonderful, and I love dearly. I have a wonderful husband who is very supportive, and very loving. I have some awesome friends too. So, I do have a ton to be thankful for. So, thank you God for all you have placed in my life. I pray your blessing over my cousin and her family, and I pray your healing touch on that adorable boy who should not have to be dealing with such an awful disease! In your mighty name, Jesus, I pray. AMEN!

New Drug… New Name

May 31, 2011

I was beginning to think that using dd (dear daughter) was too impersonal. I don’t really want to use her name either (at this point). So I think I will use Rosy for her name. I have to figure out a nickname for my son and hubby too then, I guess, but this post will be about her so I will have time to figure some out..lol

Rosy started a new drug called Biphentin yesterday. It is in a pink and white capsule that I can pull apart and pour onto food. Yesterday it was ice cream! I know, ice cream for breakfast? The cold numbs the tongue and I knew she would eat it all. Now to figure out something healthy to put it on! Today will be ice cream again, and just a small amount again.

The question of the day…Does it work?? Well, I’m not going to say yes right away! I did that with the Concerta, and we know that it didn’t work after all. I told the doctor about her staying up till 10pm one night and then 11pm the next, and she said that Rosy should go on something else, as it is keeping her up way too late. I completely agreed! I need sleep too, and can’t when I know that one of the kids is awake.

I do think that it may be working, as she had her best day ever at school! The teacher wrote in her agenda, “She had an awesome day! She worked so hard today. I am proud of her.” YAY! I’m so happy for my little girl! She seemed to be a little different after school too. I just haven’t figured out if it is a good different or just different. I know it will take a couple of days to see how it works for her.

So it’s on to day two, and we will see how she does. I will be going in after school to talk with the teacher too, just to see if she notices a difference or not. The fun part is, that she has two teachers (one for A days and one for B), so I will have to talk to the teacher that taught her yesterday, tomorrow. It gets a little crazy, but it has worked well for them. I like both teachers and they have worked hard with me to help Rosy to do her best.

Since I’m up in great time this morning, I figured I would get this post up. Now it’s time for me to start getting ready for the day. Have a great day!

I Over Reacted Again!

May 25, 2011
Last night was not good! DD, DS and I went to the store after school. I picked up ice cream sandwiches for dd, for school (her reward for her behaviours). We get home and she was angry, because I had also picked up a game for the family and she didn't like it, and wanted me to buy her another one. I told her that no, the other game is for younger kids, and I didn't want to get it at this time (way more expensive too). DS and I had an ice cream bar, as she had one right after school and DS didn't. Well, she was mad about that too. It just escalated from there! I could not get her to sit for a time out, and then I tried to have her stay in her room too. She started kicking the wall, me, throwing things. I tried holding her for a time out (a trick that used to work, but not any more, she is too strong for that now), and I admit that I did spank her.

To top it off, she ran out the door without her shoes! Thankfully my friend down the street knows what we are dealing with, and she sent Sam walking back my way. Did I do the right thing?? NO! Did she do the right things?? NO!! I regret over reacting to it, but man it got so frustrating! I had those stupid thoughts too! You know the ones: "If only I didn't have her as a child, or if only she did run away" Man do I feel awful for thinking those things! I love her to death!! I would never want her to leave/run away!

Oh and the meds, I don't know if they are the right ones. She was up till 11pm last night! She could not sleep at all. She didn't even take the meds this morning. She couldn't swallow them, and I figured it was not the fight that I wanted then. Thankfully the doctor's office called, and I told the secretary what was going on. The doctor is going to be calling at some point soon, so hopefully she will have some info for me (new drugs or ways of Sam swallowing the drugs that she has...I just don't know). I was praying that the first drug would be the right one, but now I'm praying that we just find the right drug quickly. I know that we may need to try out a few things to find the right one, but I don't want to be doing this forever. We all need a break! DD needs to be able to see how much the meds can help her.... ugghhh... is how I feel.

Off to find out when the doctor may call, and then maybe head to the store for a break from the house.

Great Long Weekend!

May 24, 2011
We upped the dose to 36mg and it seems that it is what dd needed! We played Monopoly as a family yesterday and it was the best game ever! She didn't get too crazy during it, and didn't get too upset when she didn't win. She was winning for part of it, and didn't gloat about that either. She has also been spending a lot of time in her room writing a story. Using the Adventures in Odysey story about the kids and parents switching places for a base. It will be interesting to read when she is done.

The only drawback is that she doesn't go to sleep again! We had this problem before we found out about Melatonin. She has been taking Melatonin for a few weeks, and we noticed a huge improvement in her sleeping patterns. Now it's back to square one! ugghhh....

Going to call the doctor's office today to talk about all this, and to get a prescription filled for the 36mg dose. We are are still having problems with her swallowing the pills too. Have to talk to the doctor about that too.

Anyway, just a quick update for now. More later!

Movie night

May 21, 2011
A wonderful day outside and in! Had the normal issues with my daughter, but took it in stride today.

Started with laundry time! Asking her to put her laundry away, is like pulling teeth. She tried to fight me, and I told her that I would take away her radio. She said that life in this house was unfair, and I reminded her about her friend visiting today (a family that lives close by that we get together when we can, and their daughter is also ADHD, and has the same name as dd). She worked on her laundry and got it away.

I wanted her to take her meds, and she said she wouldn't, and then said no. I came downstairs and tried to figure out a way to hide her pill in something, and couldn't figure something out (hubby bought very green banana's, so not a good thing). Hubby then walked in the door and when I asked him, he suggested the Dare Real Fruit Gummies. I had dd come down, and I think because hubby was there she tried the gummie. It worked! Yay, something else to use!

Then it was on to cleaning the house. I asked dd to vacuum her room, and she told me that I needed to find a radio station first (she wanted to listen to Adventure's in Odysey), and I told her that I would after she vacuumed. She tried to fight for just a couple of minutes, and then finally took the vacuum. That was easy!

Cleaning up the bunny cage was next, and I was half done by the time she came downstairs (after hubby having to start counting), not so good, but she finally worked on it.

I then asked her the dreaded question! Would you please have a shower? She kept saying that she wouldn't but shortly after I asked her, and reminded her that she needed to, for her visitor, and low and behold she took her shower.

Interesting thing to happen, was having the doctor calling today! A Saturday?? WOW! I'm impressed. I had called on Friday to mention the lack of change, and she was away. She called today and okayed us upping the meds to 36mg from 27mg. We will start that tomorrow, and then I will call her on Tuesday and get a prescription filled for the 36mg, as we only have enough 18mg pills for 8 days and that will take us to next weekend. Still very impressed that she called!

Then on to movie night. The kids watched part of a movie, and we then had dinner. The kids went off to watch another movie (they didn't finish the other one at all), and the adults watched a movie (Inception). All in all a great day!

Day Seven...

May 20, 2011
So it's not as common for girls to have ADHD. I find that interesting. I don't know why, and I'm sure the doctor's don't really know why either. Oh well, we have a beautiful little girl, who God has trusted to us. We are trying our best to raise her and of course there are tough days and great days, and so we are taking them one day at a time!

Speaking of days, it's now day seven, and there hasn't been a lot of change in my daughter. Have to check with the teachers after school today to see if they have noticed any difference. I even called the doctor's office today, and the doctor that we saw is not in until next Tuesday (Monday is a holiday here in Canada). The doctor who did answer, took down all my info and either she or our doctor will call. I'm glad about that. Maybe we will see some changes over the long weekend?

I had dd clean up her room last night, so that I could vacuum it today. She didn't want to, because she was "playing" with her polly pockets. Finally got her to, and then she decided it would be fun to pull out all her costumes and put them on (one at a time, mind you). Fun for her, but what did she do with the costumes after she was done? Leave them on the floor of course! I know, when it's out of her mind, and she is on to something else, I have to be prepared for the mess. Oh well, she gets to vacuum her room tonight then.

I have to admit my house is not the cleanest on the block, but it frustrates me on how messy dd can get. Problem is her working memory is not great (so it means constant reminders until it literally sinks in - long term memory). I think the problem is, she doesn't have enough structure, and I know I have to work on that. I know I posted about the organizational chart earlier, and I think we need to really incorporate that into her day. Thankfully it's going to be a yucky day on Monday, so I'm thinking that will be the day to work on that. Now to find the chart that will work!

Well, I'm off to have lunch with friends. If you are a reader from Canada, have a wonderful long weekend!

Leave Her At School?

May 17, 2011
Well, I'm thinking the Concerta is out now, I would think that after four days I would see an improvement of some sort. Nope, in fact she was really bad after school. We got home and she had to go to the bathroom, and so did ds. She went in first and he said that he would wait, well she told him no, he should go upstairs to use the bathroom (which he could have, but he chose to wait). Well, she leaves the bathroom and proceeds to lock the door on the way out! Wow, something I never would have thought of!

Then came the fun of telling her to sit on the bottom step for a time out, in which she told me no, and to get out of her room. I took her necklace that was on her bedside table, and she proceeded to scream and then she pushed at me and hit me (and Children's Aid wonders why I would spank my daughter...). I walked away down the stairs and told her to sit on the bottom step, which she finally did. She wasn't quiet though, and decided it was the best time to talk about her problems at school. A girl asking her to swear, and another one calling her an a**hole. Oh boy, and how am I to deal with this?? Leave her at school, comes to mind!!

I'm thinking I better call the dr and see what she has to say. I want to know how long it will take before we can see some type of difference.

Speaking of doctors, I've been told that I should take her to a chiropractor. I don't know. More research to do!

Off to do that now!

Day Four...

Well on to day four of Concerta. DD is still having problems taking the pill. Tried a trick with her that I read about getting her to practice with tic tacs, and that was working, I thought. She could swallow the tic tacs, but not the pill. Do I enjoy a pill being spit out in my hand? Not so much! Finally got it down with banana (healthy choice). Oh and we upped the dose to 27mg.

Have I noticed a difference? Not really. I have noticed that she gets really crazy before bed..oh that's right, she did that before! Hmmm...

She doesn't show any side effects, and that's a great thing, and something I prayed about. Thank you Lord! Guess I will find out today after school, if there is any change. I found out they are charting her behaviors with her, and she really enjoys that! Oh darn, that reminds me, I need to get some ice cream sandwiches for them to give to her as a treat if she gets eight checks on her chart. She gets rewards right away (15 min of extra computer time and stuff). DD didn't bug the boys as much yesterday, so that is a huge plus.

We didn't get to the organizational chart or popsicle stick things like I had hoped to on the weekend, so I can't tell you about that. Hubby thinks the popsicle stick idea wouldn't work, cause she would want to play with them instead. I think he might be right. So on to the next idea...don't know what that is yet.

Well, I better get some lunch in me, since I am behind a little. Been reading some great blogs today. Have a wonderful day!

A New Day...

May 14, 2011
We started Concerta this morning for dd. She had major problems swallowing it, so I had her take a bite of banana, and then a spoon of nutella with the pill in the nutella. It worked! She has never been one for medication, even if she is feeling really sick, she would rather go without. 18mg of Concerta in, and praise the Lord, there have been no side effects! She ate lunch and dinner no problem, and even said how hungry she was. She is now in bed, and took her Melatonin first, so I'm assuming she will be asleep in no time.

Did I see any change?

I have to admit, that I didn't see a lot of change. She did kind of help me with cleaning up the rest of her room (I am hoping that with me re-arranging it, and organizing it more, she will be able to keep better care of it), but had times where I had to remind her to stay on task, as per normal. I did notice that in the afternoon she was more focused on a job that she was doing (of her own liking, so that it probably why). Oh and we went to the book store today (Chapters is the best place to go on a rainy day), and she did well there (again somewhat "normal" for her). She picked out two books about horses (her new obsession), and I got a couple of books on ADHD. One for hubby and myself, and one with worksheets in it for her to work on many things (from making friends to behaving at home). It will be interesting to see if the worksheets help her at all.

Now on to the next task! A chore chart.... I have been searching for some, and found lots, but any that we have tried with her don't seem to work. Well, I may have found something to help! I stumbled upon this site Make It Sparkly Mama from this site: ADD Student

Check out what I can do for dd!

I'm thinking that the visual plus having to move the chore from one can to another, just might help (or not). I will have to create them (with her help) and see how it goes. I hope to work on them tomorrow afternoon, since it is raining, and will post if they help or not.

Just went to check on the kids, and they are both trying to stay up late. It's now 9:00pm, and they both should have lights off (they were both reading). Lights off at 8:30pm during the week, but weekends can be a little later. DD's attitude was getting worse too (I just noticed her negative attitude wasn't as strong as normal..hmm). Hard to say if it was things going on today or the medication. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow and Monday at school.

Off to spend some time with hubby before crashing.

Ta ta for now!

Hair Brushing

May 13, 2011
People with ADHD usually have some type of sensory issues as well. My lovely dd has always had a problem with tags, and things fitting "just right." It's not as bad as it used to be, but is still there. She also hates brushing her hair (but doesn't want it too short). While searching around for ADHD things, I stumbled across a site that talked about the Knot Genie. Well, I was interested, to say the least!

But would it work?? I researched it by going to a bunch of different blogs and review sites, and found nothing but good remarks. I had to order it! I came across a Canadian site that was selling it for less than the manufacturer's site, and I always want to support Canadian sites, so I ordered one on Wednesday. It arrived today! LuvMum is fast. (It is a online clothing shop for Canadian families living with tactile sensitivities)

So I'm sure you are wondering if it worked?

I opened the box right away (with my keys), and sent it on back to my dd, who was sitting in the back of the van. She brushed her hair and never said ow, and seemed to do a very nice job. We got to the store where we were picking up hubby, and I brushed her hair with it myself. She had gotten all the tangles from the day out of it!! I used it again tonight and she never said ow, or even tried to run away. In fact, she asked me to keep brushing it (which I sadly had to say no to, since it was getting close to bed time and she needed to get ready for bed). The big test is tomorrow morning, after sleeping (and tossing). I will let you know!

Ta ta for now!

Doctor Appointment/School Meeting

We had the doctor's appointment on Tuesday. She said that dd, has ADHD there is no doubt. DD was all over the office (classic ADHD..lol). It was a good meeting, and dd was very good throughout the whole thing (considering she was an hour behind, which she apologized a few times about). The doctor mentioned that dd may not be PDD-NOS, as the symptoms are similar to ADHD, so after taking the medicine, she may just stop showing signs of PDD-NOS (I'm not sure about that one yet). She prescribed Concerta, which we will start tomorrow. I'm praying that dd doesn't have any side effects from it, and that it works, as I would rather not have to go through many drugs (even though I am prepared to do so). It will be interesting to see, that's for sure.

We then had a meeting the next night at the school. The LRC, teachers, principal, counselor, psychologist, and the CAS worker were all present. It was a great meeting, and the school is doing their best to help dd in any way that they can. The psychologist had some great ideas for them, and I look forward to seeing how she does. They will be starting an IEP for her as well! Yay! The kids were in the computer lab for the hour and a half meeting and did really well. I was surprised when we went to get them, as they were sitting right beside each other (I thought they would be sitting in different parts of the room).

All in all, a great week. It ended on a high note too! DD came home today and she was so excited because she got to get a sticker and recognized over the PA for getting perfect on her math test yesterday! I'm sure it boosted her ego a bit!

Well, off to get some ice cream for the kids.

Ta ta for now!

It's Official..Now What?

May 6, 2011
Well, we met with the psychologist and the counselor and dd has been diagnosed with ADHD and PDD-NOS. Now what happens??

DD and I are going to the pediatrician next week, and she specializes in ADHD, so we will get more info there. Then we I will meet with the psychologist, counselor, teachers and principal to go over what can be done at school. I understand this is going to be a long process, but I'm looking forward to getting things going. A friend said that I might get upset that this has happened (that dd has been diagnosed with something), but I'm not feeling that at all. Maybe because we have been dealing with this for a long time..who knows?

I got some more info on PDD-NOS, and will have to post more on the symptoms too. I think my previous post on them was a little long and convoluted.

At the meeting we learned some interesting things too. One major thing is the fact that dd has trouble at times remembering how things happened. She will remember parts of what happened, but it may be in the wrong order, or it may have things added to it that didn't actually happen. Makes it interesting to figure out if she is lying or if she is telling what she remembers. I know there are times that she is really lying, and that's so she won't get in trouble, but there are other times where I'm going to really have to evaluate things. I'll give a quick example, as this may help. DD was taking the cat, Shadow, out on the back deck (she is an indoor cat), and I had her bring the cat back in (it was starting to rain too) twice. She didn't go far on the deck, just a couple of feet away from the door. About 20 min later dd was playing a game with her brother, and she told him that she had taken the cat out and had her all the way down the stairs, and that the cat got spooked, because of getting dripped on, and that she (dd) had to chase Shadow back up the stairs and into the house (I don't have the exact rendition, but it was pretty elaborate). I let it slide, and I'm glad I did, because I now know that, that story may be what she "remembered," even though it didn't happen. Funny how our brains work!

Anyway I'm off to bed. I have a mother-daughter date with my dd to get make-overs at the Shopper's near by. Looking forward to that!

Assessment Coming Soon!!

May 2, 2011
I'm excited, and scared at the same time. Hubby and I are going to be meeting with the psychologist and dd's counselor on Wednesday evening to get the final assessment for dd. I'm excited, because it will mean that we are that much closer to getting her the help that she needs. I'm scared, because she could easily say that nothing is for sure, and that dd will have to go through more testing, or that there is nothing wrong at all (which I doubt at this point, after all that I have read).

This past Saturday was brutal, as dd didn't want to do her homework properly. She was to write five paragraphs about ancient Egypt, and she only wrote three and a list of things. I told her that it wasn't correct, and that I would sit down and help her. Well, that's not what she wanted at all. She figured she didn't care, then she said that she would quit, and then she just fought us about everything. Hubby was getting so frustrated, and taking away things from her room (radio, special pillow, etc.) wasn't working either. I finally got her to settle down and sit down so I could talk with her (calmly talking to her over and over). I explained that we needed to work on her homework, and she finally agreed (almost an hour later). We sat down at the computer and I showed her how to do some research and we then got to work on her paragraphs. I just can't wait to get help with this kind of thing. We can only take so much! It's affecting our ds too! He was in tears, because he was worried about how everyone was being with each other (especially his sister yelling at mom and dad). Thank God we were able to get things on track again.

Better get some dinner started. I'll post again soon!

PDD-NOS Symptoms Now

Apr 28, 2011
Hah! I found it! A list of symptoms for PDD-NOS. After searching for a while, I found it by looking up characteristics instead of symptoms. Oh well, time was not wasted, just more input for me (Short Circuit anyone? lol)

List of Possible Characteristics of a Person with
Asperger's Syndrome (AS), High Functioning Autism (HFA) or
Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

NO ONE WILL HAVE ALL THESE CHARACTERISTICS! These are POSSIBLE characteristics! Some of the characteristics may also be seen in conjunction with other diagnoses such as Noonan Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, etc.


  1. Cognitive Learning
    1. Excellent rote memory in certain areas
    2. Unregulated fears; difficulty judging situations that create fear - may be overly fearful in safe situations, yet fearless in dangerous situations
    3. Very detail-oriented
      1. difficulty seeing overall picture or situation
      2. applies same level of detail to every situation whether appropriate or not
    4. May have exceptionally high skills in some areas, but very low skills in others, i.e., splinter skills, savant skills, or special talents
    5. Prefers concrete, rather than abstract, concepts
  2. Language
    1. Pronoun reversal
    2. Excellent vocabulary; may sound like “The Little Professor”
    3. Conversational language may appear stilted
    4. Speaks with stock phrases or phrases borrowed from other situations or people
    5. Makes honest, but often inappropriate observations
    6. Has difficulties adjusting volume and speed in speech
    7. Problems with prosody; irregular accenting and inflection used in conversation
    8. Literal language: difficulty understanding figures of speech, similes, parodies, allegories, etc.
    9. Speech may have started very early in development or may have started then stopped for a period of time
    10. Repeats last word or phrases several times (echolalia)
    11. Difficulty understanding some language, i.e., directional terms easily confused
  3. Emotions
    1. Rage/anger/hurt may all be expressed in unexpected ways
    2. Perfectionism
    3. Easily overstimulated by sound, crowds, lights, smells
    4. Inside feeling not matching outside behavior
  4. Motor Skills
    1. Difficulty with some skills requiring motor skill development
      1. Gross motor skills - riding bike, swimming, crawling
      2. Fine motor skills - handwriting, tying shoes
    2. May have some advanced, age-appropriate skills while other age-appropriate skills are delayed, i.e., tying shoes before climbing stairs
    3. Unusual walking gait or clumsiness
    4. Difficulty with motor skills that require visual perception accuracy, i.e., walking through a parking lot, revolving door or turnstiles, participating in sports, guiding a shopping cart
  5. Perseveration - “The tendency of an idea, experience, or response to persist in an individual.” Webster’s New World Dictionary
    "per sev er a tion ( ... ) n. Psychology. Continued or repetitive activity or actions: 1. the uncontrollable repetition of a word, phrase, or gesture. 2. The spontaneous recurrence of a thought, image, phrase, or tune in the mind”
    American Heritage Dictionary
    1. Obsession - the fact or state of being obsessed with an idea, desire, emotion, etc.
    2. Compulsions - an irresistible, repeated, irrational impulse to perform some act
    3. Fascination with rotation
    4. Many and varied collections
    5. Redirection very difficult (changing focus or thinking from one activity or idea to another)
    6. One emotional incident can determine the mood for the rest of the day; can’t let emotions pass quickly
  6. Social Cues
    1. Difficulty reading facial expression and emotion in another person
    2. Difficulty understanding body language
    3. Difficulty understanding the rules of conversation
    4. Difficulty understanding group interactions
    5. Too much or too little eye contact
    6. Difficulty understanding others’ humor
    7. Problems recognizing faces out of the usual setting or known context (face-blindness or prosopagnosia)
    8. Stand-offish or overly friendly
    9. May adopt others’ behaviors, speech or dress habits to aid in more fluid communication and social adaptation
  7. Senses 
    1. Very sensitive or undersensitive to light, pain, taste, touch, sound, smell
      1. May have injuries of which they are not aware
      2. May experience physical pain from oversensitivity to light, sound, touch
      3. Very picky eater, both in selections of foods and in the way they are presented on the plate
      4. May crave specific touch, taste, smell, sight, sound, lights
    2. Over-sensitive to change in surroundings, people, places
    3. Over stimulation may result from too many verbal directions or instructions
  8. Comfort Skills 
    1. Desires comfort items to produce calming effect - blankets, stuffed animals
    2. May need external (outside) stimulation for calming - brushing, soothing sound, rotating object
    3. Comforted by minor motor stimulations - rocking, humming, tapping fingers, toes, sucking, rubbing fingertips in circles or on seams of clothing
    4. May need separate space or area to decompress
    5. Unusual attachment to object
    6. Self-stimulation i.e., rocking, tapping, humming, etc.,to increase concentration and attention or to calm down and relax
  9. Neurological Function
    1. Erratic neurological function
      1. Attention difficulties
      2. Irregular sleep patterns
    2. Understanding and working with time concepts difficult
    3. Sensory processing disorders (how the brain processes information it receives from the sensory organs)
      1. Visual processing disorders
      2. Auditory processing disorders
      3. Sensory integration disorders
New Situations, Patterns, People 
  1. Rule-oriented
  2. Prefers known patterns with little unexpected surprises
  3. Prefers familiar places, clothing, people
  4. Difficulty with transitions when changing activities
  5. Difficulty making and maintaining friendships (especially peer friendships); more successful with adults than other children or young people
NO ONE WILL HAVE ALL THESE CHARACTERISTICS! These are POSSIBLE characteristics! It is suggested that this document be used as a check list to mark the past and present characteristics.
The “List of Possible Characteristics of a Person with Asperger’s Syndrome” is included in the book, Tap Dancing in the night. Copyright 2001 by Martha Kate Downey, published by Phat Art 4 Publishing.
The “List of Possible Characteristics of a Person with Asperger’s Syndrome” may be photocopied as desired; however, it must remain in its original form with credits included.

From: http://www.mkdowney.com/characteristics.html

There may be more here that I can highlight, still. I'm going to wait and see what the psychologist has to say as well.

More Symptoms

Okay, so when a child is sexually abused, there are many symptoms that may come up. I am going to mark the ones that she has displayed and still displays in bold.
There are various lists of possible physical and behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse, some of which are:
  • Waking up during the night sweating, screaming or shaking with nightmares.
  • Masturbating excessively.
  • Showing unusually aggressive behavior toward family members, friends, toys, and pets.
  • Complaining of pain while urinating or having a bowel movement, or exhibiting symptoms of genital infections such as offensive odors, or symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease.
  • Having symptoms indicating evidence of physical traumas to the genital or anal area.
  • Beginning wetting the bed.
  • Experiencing a loss of appetite or other eating problems, including unexplained gagging.
  • Showing unusual fear of a certain place or location.
  • Developing frequent unexplained health problems.
  • Engaging in persistent sexual play with friends, toys or pets. She has done this as well, but it would not be considered persistent at all.
  • Having unexplained periods of panic, which may be flashbacks from the abuse.
  • Regressing to behaviors too young for the stage of development they already achieved.
  • Initiating sophisticated sexual behaviors.
  • Indicating a sudden reluctance to be alone with a certain person.
  • Engaging in self-mutilations, such as sticking themselves with pins or cutting themselves.
  • Withdrawing from previously enjoyable activities, like school or school performance change.
  • Asking an unusual amount of questions about human sexuality.
(By Kathy Smedley, Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist, and Program Director for the Northeast Texas Children's Advocacy Center.)
Found on this site: http://www.protectkids.com/abuse/abusesigns.htm

The person that did this to her, acted like they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and I think that is why she hasn't shown a lot of "symptoms." She felt like she "loved" him and sometimes she still does. She is in counseling, and will be for a while, I'm sure.

If you notice any of these signs with your child, please ask them bluntly if someone has touched them where they shouldn't. Make sure to talk to your kids about good touches and bad touches, and that it is okay to come to Mommy and Daddy if they are touched by someone who isn't supposed to. We did discuss good touches/bad touches with dd, but I don't think we mentioned it enough times. My regret in life, is that I didn't ask her questions when I found her masturbating on a pole (rubbing up and down on it). She was only 8, and shouldn't have been interested in doing that at all, but I didn't know.

Now on to a post about PDD-NOS. Gotta find the right info first (the fun part).

Symptoms, Symptoms

I figured I would post the symptoms of ADHD, PDD-NOS and sexual abuse. I was curious as to what dd fit, and what she didn't. Also I've been wondering if there are similar symptoms for each. I am going to bold all the ones that dd fits on this.

Here we go: ADHD

Predominantly inattentive type symptoms may include:[30]
  • Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
  • Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task
  • Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable
  • Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new or trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
  • Not seem to listen when spoken to
  • Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
  • Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
  • Struggle to follow instructions.
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include:[30]
  • Fidget and squirm in their seats
  • Talk nonstop
  • Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
  • Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
  • Be constantly in motion
  • Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities. - She doesn't seem to fit any of these, except this one on occasion.
and also these manifestations primarily of impulsivity:[30]
  • Be very impatient
  • Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
  • Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games

I think I will do a new post for PDD-NOS. Have to search for it though, as there aren't a lot of sites that have a list like the one above.