It's Been A While....

I suppose to say that it's been a while is an understatement.  I was looking at when I blogged last and it was back in August!!!  Of course, in 3 and a half months, lots of things have changed.  

I can start with myself.  

I'm doing well.  Fell off the weight loss wagon directly into a bag of chips.  I swear, they are the worst thing in the world...for me.  I enjoy chips far too much.  My favorite are the no salt Ms. Vickie's potato chips, with jalepeno chip dip.  God.  Just makes me hungry thinking of it.  I am definitely a carb-o-holic.  I wish there were some support group for that.  Then I could go to the meetings and discuss it.  I'd probably never get a long term chip or anything for not eating chips for a period of time.  I'd probably leave the meeting and head right to the store to get more chips.  It's that bad of a habit.

I did stop drinking diet pop.  That was a big thing.  I didn't stop entirely, but I don't have it in the house all the time, I don't have a bottle with me all the time.  I found carbonated water.  A much better alternative.  Sometimes, I drink it plain and depending on the brand, that can work well.  Often though, I add some Crystal Light or some other flavoring, make it a bit tastier.  Either way, it quells the need for the pop.  I think the carbonation helps to make my brain think I'm having a diet pop.  

I'm getting back into the gym.  That helps my mood and focus immensely.  My husband bought me a treadmill for my birthday and while for some women that would be an insult, it was a huge help to me, especially before all my little boys were in school.  If I were having a rough day, I could hop on and walk as light or as hard as I wanted.  The gym is one of my favorite places because it's out of the house, away from the chores and temptation to nap.  I sure do love my sleep.

I have more kids now coming everyday.  I have two extras in the morning who come at 650 or so.  That's made a huge impact on my sleep and my day overall.  I get more done.  The house is cleaner, though it will never be the perfect Pintrest home (which took some work to get over) and until we have a bigger home, it will always seem cluttered and messy.  I'm okay with that now.  We have all the appliances working at the same time (finally!).  We needed to get a new dishwasher and my bargain hunter husband found a terrific one for only $15!!!  The parts to make it fit and work cost more!  There've been a few hiccups with it, but between my father in law and husband, it works great now.  My dryer is fixed too and I get more laundry done in less time!  It's amazing how much easier it becomes to get things done when I'm up earlier and the appliances I depend on work properly.

The ADHD is doing well.  Between good sleeping, better diet (kind of...still working on that) and everything working properly, my anxiety is down and my distraction is down.  I've taken up knitting again and made some lovely things, including two projects that I'm giving away this Christmas.  It's exciting to find something else to do that I'm not terrible at!  Of course, I'm still on medication but I haven't taken it in a few weeks and I'm thinking I'm starting to be able to cope with it on my own, medication free for a while.  I'll give it a shot and see.  So far, with all of the other medications I take, I'm doing well.  So why add another if I don't NEED it right now?

Now, for the kids!  

Logan is doing amazing.  He's thriving in his new classroom and has become a leader in his group.  He's had a bit of difficulty with the kids in the regular grade 5 class, because they tell him he's in the dumb class, but what many of the other kids don't realize, is that he's probably more intelligent than some of them.  I'm not bragging.  He's just a smart kid.  He's more confident, he's not sucking his thumb anymore, which means that his anxiety is down, he's happier in his class and he tells me about it all the time.  These are MASSIVE changes from last year.  He's on a medication which, besides the side effects, have made his life a lot easier.  He's happier, doesn't argue as much (though that's just inherent of my genes apparently...we like a good debate) and does things in a much more rapid time.  When I ask him to do  chore, there's not as much AWWW MOM! type behavior and even at school when he is asked to put something away, he's not getting upset anymore.  It's amazing what a little confidence and self esteem with a child can do.  

We've since found out that his ADHD is only part of his issues.  He also has a disability where he can't take words he's read and put the idea onto paper.  He can listen to the information and relate it to you easily, verbally.  But he can't get it onto paper without difficulty.  He's having difficulty reading but mostly in the comprehension part of things.  He doesn't read as fluently as most people do, and when he reads a sentence, from the capital to the period, if it is split on the page, he doesn't get the concept of the information given.

He's doing well in math and likes it a lot.  He's doing well in all other areas and that's encouraging.  

I've had to make some explanation (though I know I don't have to, I want people to understand without judgement) as to why Logan is on medication.  Some people believe that medication is a cure-all.  That it's a way to make them sit and listen in school, follow the rules.  It isn't.  I can give him the medication and he can find some improvement, but what many adults seem to forget is that these kids grow up and will one day make a decision as to whether or not they want to remain on medication.  In the case that he decides not to remain on medication, through therapy and the special class he's in, he will have strategies to help him maintain his attention and move forward, thus becoming successful in his life in whatever he chooses to do with his life.  

He's a smart kid.  He's a sweet kid.  He's a compassionate, kind, loving kid.  And I want him to stay that way.  I'm so proud of him, it's amazing.  

Olivia is doing amazing.  During her parent teacher interview, basically they told us to just keep doing what we're doing.  She's in the top of her class and I've been told she's "a dream to teach".  Those words went right to my heart and made is soar.  She's a terrific kid.  

There are a few issues with her that we need to work on. 

She gets anxious easily.  There was a stealing incident with Logan back in October, which we nipped in the bud something fiercely.  Olivia knew there was something wrong and that I was going to be very angry and she freaked out.  She had to go upstairs so I could talk to Logan.  It wasn't pretty.  It affects her deeply.

She has also been "over achieving".  She sees me talking to her brother's teachers almost every day, to see how they are doing day to day.  (I'm blessed to have that option) And I've had to grab her teachers so she can see me talking to them and understands that I'm as concerned about her education and how she's doing as I am the boys.  And I am concerned.  I'm her mom and I want her to succeed.  But I don't HAVE to talk to her teachers as much as I talk to the boy's teachers.  But I've explained why I do it and her teachers understand and appreciate it.  

She's a bit twitchy and shows some signs of the ADHD that appears to be in our bloodline.  I'll keep an eye on her, but for the time being, she's doing fabulous and I worry less about her than the boys at this point.  It could change.  Girls manifest ADHD in different ways than boys, so we won't know until something comes up.  

Grady.

Oh Grady Grady Grady.  My little spitfire.  He's an amazing little kid.  So loving, so funny, so energetic.  Such a hellraiser sometimes.  He's in prekindergarten and he's thriving.  He needed this very badly.  I needed this badly.  I needed the break.  As a stay at home mom for ten years now, it was time for me to have some "me" time.  Up until last week, though, I didn't get that time because one of my little charges didn't get into school until then.  

Since he's been in school, his tantrums have lessened, his attitude towards being told no has changed for the most part and he's just more congenial.  He understands that sometimes he needs quiet time and will remove himself to come for some rest.  Sometimes that involves A LOT of screaming and telling the other boys he doesn't want them to follow him, but we've been able to see some big differences. 

In school, he's doing well.  He listens, he participates and he's ready to learn to write.  His teachers think he's awesome.  I've seen him in class, look a little overwhelmed and he takes a second to gather himself up and then he can get back into the flow.  His teachers and I wonder if he won't wind up on the Autism spectrum to some degree.  He shows signs of overstimulation in some sensory areas, but doesn't have issue with social relationships or other things that can come with Autism, so we expect he may turn up on the Aspbergers side.

All of my other kids (yeah...I've started to consider them mine to a degree) are great kids and add to our lives in wonderful ways.  I have five that care for on a regular basis and I love each and every one of them.  They are all so different and handle situations differently, but I find that my ADHD is a benefit when it comes to this.  It keeps me open to different ways to handle situations and different ways to think about each kid and who they are as people.  That's another thing adults forget.  Kids are people too.  

Overall, life is going right at the moment.  We've had a few hits, such as illnesses (God, my body hated me for the first two and a half months of school), a loss in Jeff's family of a good man, but I can't complain.  I have a great life with a marvelous husband and terrific kids.  

I have more time on my hands now, so I'm hoping that I can maintain this blog better now.  With my three, and the other five I care for, it gets a bit hectic and in my quiet moments, I like to enjoy the silence and not think.  I think plenty during the day.  

Okay.  So I think it's time for breakfast.  

Have a wonderful day!!!  I'll probably blog more later on.  I have many ideas I'm needing to get out!