Gimme A 'Q'

I'm all about a good quote. I try to change my daily quote, well, daily. There are so many great sayings by great authors. I loved my literature courses in college and tend to gravitate toward those "older" authors.

I have a giant wall in my living room. It's so big that our 9 foot Christmas tree could grow another 7 feet and it still wouldn't reach the ceiling. For years I've had this queen size quilt I made hanging there. Saturday I just got tired of looking at it and decided the wall needed a new face. So I used my new Cricut machine to cut out letters, put some sticker adhesive on the back and voila! A new and improved wall.

Say What?

Last night we spent the evening at a friend's house to watch the big Beaver game. Of course, that's not why I go. I go so I can have adult conversation. I could care less about watching a football game. So we packed up the kids, the DVD player, the food, Legos and a couple toys for good measure. The whole point is to leave stuff so you can go back, right?

There were about 8 teenagers and then my three (8, 6 and 3), plus all the adults. The host and I were the only hearing adults. The rest were deaf or hard-of-hearing. I've been in the deaf community for 18+ years. But I still can't get used to how the deaf "talk straight". That means that they just say what's on their mind. It's not meant to be offensive, but when you don't grow up this way, it always feels weird to have someone say something to you that any normal hearing person would only think! Holland was getting pretty rambunctious - wrestling with his brother, rolling on the floor with his sister and basically running around in circles while doing sommersaults. One of the men looked at me and signed "maybe you should think about cutting out his sugar." Just matter-of-fact. Not meant to be insulting, but with everything that's going on with Holland, I hate to have the obvious pointed out to me. I notice it everyday. I rarely need help noticing everything he does. I told him it wasn't sugar and he looked shocked.

So the next time you're ready to accuse some mother of letting her kid run wild, just remember this story. It's not always under a parent's control how her child behaves. But it is under your control how you respond to it. We don't need any more reminding of how crazy it is.

microneurosurgeon (that's a mouthful)

Well, we finally had our last appointment with the microneurosurgeon today. I was hoping to come away with more answers, but ended up with more questions. She asked more extensive explanations of details that I couldn't even remember. Everything's become a blur when you answer questions over and over. Many questions I can't even answer because I don't know the family history of diseases.

She tested his reflexes, in which he's always shown a weakness. He has a pidgeon-toed walk and can't bend down to touch his toes bending from the waist. She showed me his x-ray and where the Spina Bifida was. Also during the exam, she noticed a slight bend in his spine. Can you believe it? She thinks he has sciolosis on top of all this! We were sent down to diagnostics and he had another x-ray done standing to view his spine. And he also had a CT scan to check for anything that might have been missed up til this point.

I asked her what would happen if we didn't do the surgery. She said his bowel problems would continue and we could just treat it with Miralax and some fiber. There is not a 100% test to diagnose tethered cord. Only through surgery will she know if the tightness of his spinal cord is a problem. There isn't even a guarantee that having the surgery would clear up the problem if it turns out to be tethered cord. She said he has so many of the symptoms of tethered cord (spina bifida; possible scoliosis; pidgeon toe walk; little or no reflexes; can't bend down; back pain; bowel/urination problems) that it's hard not to think that's what is causing all his problems.

So for now we are waiting to see what she finds out from the x-ray and CT we had done today.

12 Days of Christmas

Deep Thoughts

Why do dogs like to hang out a car window, but can't stand it when you blow in their face?

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Here is Egypt's newest friend. At first she was frightened, but I kept telling her it was a nice spider. This is as close as I could get her to the spider.

And this is Molly, my 16 year old cat. I'm surprised she actually sat still for this. Egypt was putting her doll blankets on her to keep her warm. A few years ago, the cat would have scratched your eyes out if you pulled a stunt like this. She's mellowed in her old age. Her sister Millicent was more forgiving. When Holland was not even 2, I asked him where the cat was and he signed "cold". Having no clue what this meant, he led me over to the refrigerator, and yes, the cat was sitting on the bottom shelf.

The roller coaster ride

It seems weird to post about a boy in a good mood, but it really is a big deal. We've been dealing with either depression or severe anger. Holland's meds have been changed so much, which I just hate. Our trip in March to Hawaii was brutal. He was so depressed on that trip, which sounds impossible to do. It continued like this for 5 or 6 months. Meds were changed again and then he seemed so out of control, angry and got very physical.

Over a year ago, we had tried Lithium, which is a pretty common drug for bipolar. But it gets tricky in children, because there have been so few studies with that age group. Basically drugs are given according to a person's weight, so meds for kids are usually just proportionately reduced. I had never seen such an improvement in his mood and demeanor. At some point we had blood work done and he had developed hyperthyroidism. Our doctor didn't feel it was worth the risk to deal with a thyroid problem, so we dropped the Lithium.

A few days ago we were going through another medication change and I asked about going back to Lithium. Doc asked if I really had seen that much improvement. Yes, I assured him, it was the biggest change I'd seen. He's been on it for 3 days at about 1/3 the dose he will be taking and I cannot believe the improvement. He's more himself. He was cracking jokes in the car today; he didn't get angry when his sister was poking him; he didn't come unglued when I told him he couldn't download a game on the computer. He almost seems more rational, if that's possible. We may even get to do Christmas Eve/Day this year without leaving early.

We still have to monitor his thyroid, but the doctor thinks if it becomes an issue, we'll treat it with meds. We may finally see an end to the ever-changing drug cocktail.

Oops!

I've mailed out most of our Christmas cards. They went in batches because I kept getting interrupted and couldn't finish putting them together. Wonder why that is? My super-hero husband asked me where the cards were for his friends. I replied that I'd already mailed about half of them. It wasn't until I started addressing the other half that I realized I hadn't included his funny little letter. I made such a big deal about not wanting to include a letter. He's going to think I did this on purpose! Really, I didn't. I just keep getting distracted.

Doing a 180

Four months ago I couldn't even have pictured myself here. Romania was doing great with homeschooling and I loved our time together while Holland was at school. We picked our own curriculum, topics to study, extra activities and books to read. I'm about to throw all that out the window. I accepted the placement in the charter school. The only explanation I have is that God has opened this door that I have to walk through. I thought there was no way we would get in because it's such a small school. They never go over 22 students per class and there was only one 1st grade class. We have the remainder of the year to figure out if this is going to work. The other good thing about this opportunity is when Holland gets out of his special education placement, he's guaranteed a spot at this Charter school. They give preference to siblings, so they could both be going there.

It's going to be an enormous shift for me (and Romania as well - he won't get home until 4). I'm so used to making all the decisions about what he learns. I'm going to miss all the time I have with him. It wasn't as hard a decision with Holland because he had so many behavioral as well as academic issues to be addressed. There are going to be so many great opportunities for him at this school. We timed the drive this morning and saw this gigantic tee pee they were building right on the property. Every Friday is spent either on a field trip or working on some environmental science project.

I've come to the conclusion that two things will happen while the boys are at school: my house will finally be put in order and I will be able to exercise every morning. I figure walking a trail near my home two days a week and swimming the other three. Maybe I'll even clean those window toppers I've been avoiding for the past 8 years.

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

This morning I got an email from this environmental school that I applied to for both the boys last year. If your child attended the first year (very new school), then they pretty much had a slot guaranteed. The rest of the openings were done in a lottery. We didn't get in, but Romania was pretty high up on the waiting list. Today we found out that Romania got in. I'm stumped as to what to do. Holland doesn't go a full day yet, so the bus schedule might be an issue since they are going in two different directions. I talked with Romania about it and he was excited to meet new friends and ride the bus. I think riding the bus was actually the higher priority.

A Day (actually a night) in the Life of Holland

I think I will have to return the video monitor I bought. I thought I was so brilliant to trade in my digital monitor for the video one. It has night vision so I'd be able to check on him in the dark. But if I can't turn up the volume because of static, the video is useless. Not only can he pick the lock on his door, but the enormous jingle bell wreath I hung on his door (Christmas decoration you know) didn't wake me up.

Here's what he did last night:
Picked the lock on his door and bypassed the jingle bell wreath.
Came downstairs, drank milk, ate walnuts and chocolate covered raisins.
Put in a Star Wars video.
Listened to my iPod.
Opened a new package of gum and took 4 packs.
Opened a new roll of Christmas wrapping paper, wrapped up videos, books and a hackey sack. Completed gifts with a bow and put under Christmas tree.
Opened a Bonsai Tree kit I bought from Scholastic and attempted to plant tree.
Took my Sidekick pager from my room and attempted to break the code to probably download more games. Found said pager in his bed this morning.

At this point I'd better check my phone bill for any suspicious calls to China.

Pager Games - Round Two

We got the bill for my pager yesterday. Apparently putting a numbered password on it didn't stop Holland from downloading Sonic the Hedgehog three times. At first the man of the house asked me why there were $30 in phone call charges. I didn't think I actually called $30 worth. Then looking at the summary, we see there are charges for a game downloaded three times. And they were either at 3 or 4 in the morning. I had already had a lengthy conversation with t-mobile via the internet to remove charges from a previously downloaded game. I cannot call again and tell them that my impulsive 8 year-old keeps swiping my pager and downloading these games. Now I have to find $18 worth of chores for him to do in 32 degree weather. No, putting up Christmas lights would not be punishment (maybe for his dad).

Hurry up and Wait

Today was supposed to be the day that we met with the surgeon about the final diagnosis for Holland. I got a call on Wednesday from her secretary saying they needed to reschedule. We have already waited three months for this appointment so I was a little disappointed that we had to wait longer. But when you hear that the reason for the rescheduling is a little boy with a brain tumor, you stop and think how blessed you are. We are not dealing with brain cancer or tumors or a terminal illness. Holland most likely has an ailment that can be fixed with minor surgery.

On a lighter note, I got a call from Holland's school again. She usually starts the conversation with, "We had an interesting day today." This means that he did something they've never seen before. I'm convinced he's going to be a lawyer (or a white-collar criminal). He showed up with $16 in cash to distribute among his classmates. Where is he getting this? I don't have that kind of cash. I can only guess he swiped it from his rich brother. I ask her if they've ever had to say this kind of thing to any other students. No. Holland's the first. But at least he's not throwing chairs, pushing tables over or running out of the room. So I guess we can work on the white lies (ever seen "Larry Boy and the Fib from Outer Space? I guess it's time to review that movie again).

The Power of the Mighty Dollar

Today at school Holland tried to buy himself some stars. That doesn't sound too bad. Except he wanted to buy stars to be able to "buy" something from the class treasure box. Stars are earned for good behavior, but Holland figured he could purchase stars for $5. He actually had five dollars (I still don't know where he got that from. He spends his money before it's burned a hole in his pocket). I asked him about it at home.

"Can you ever buy stars with money at school?"
"No."
"Why did you try to today?"
"I was just trying to come up with something creative."

So, obviously money is his 'language of love'. He can remember that he gets $5 for a blood draw to check a Depakote level, but he can't remember to put underwear on everyday.

Things a Mom Doesn't Want to Hear

"You look like you have your hands full." said after person sees your children misbehaving

"Are they ALL yours?"

"Mom, does paint come out of carpet?"

"Mom, Egypt is changing her diaper again!"

"Why should we clean when it will just get messy again?" hint: not said by children

"I thought these were dirty so I put them in the laundry." said by child when asked to clean up room. Clothes were not dirty. Just hadn't found their way into a drawer. It's so much fun washing clean clothes.

Don't Mop the Ceiling

Whenever there is a job to do around the house, I always think about mopping the ceiling. Since this only makes sense to about 3 other people, let me elaborate.

When I first got married, I lived in a small, but older house that had lath and plaster walls. They were very shiny and attracted lots of dirt. My sister was getting married and I decided to throw her a wedding shower. Anyone who plans a party knows it's not just getting the party stuff ready, you have a major overhaul cleaning of the house. On the day of the party I was in the kitchen getting last minute things ready when I looked up to the ceiling and noticed some dirt marks. Since I didn't have a step ladder handy, I just got my sponge mop wet and started to mop the ceiling. Big mistake. Huge. The dirt was actually the ceiling color. And I was now stuck with mopping the entire ceiling if I didn't want a big white streak mark in the middle.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I was just heading upstairs to go to bed (I'm trying not to go to bed at midnight anymore). I have terrible lighting in my room, which probably helps me ignore not just the clutter, but the dirt. I made these ruffle window toppers that are looking so sad and tired. I've been thinking about replacing them (which means new paint too, of course). There was this one part that keeps sagging, so I climbed up on the bed and started to fix the sag. I've decided not to mop the ceiling here. I couldn't believe how much dirt and dust had accumulated on that sag. Then I looked on either side of the sag and there was more! (Exactly how does dust acculumate on vertical objects?) So in the interest of keeping my sanity, I've decided that mopping the ceiling in this case will not benefit me one bit. I will not feel better if I wash those. But I will be wearing one of those dust masks to bed tonight.

Doctor, help me! I fractured my English!

A woman rushed into the lobby of a hospital and shouted, "I use an IOU and my husband has had a bisectomy, but I still think I'm fragrant!" Ultimately, she became three centimeters diluted and went into contraptions. Her baby was born with its biblical cord wrapped around its arm, and she asked if she could have it circumscribed before leaving the hospital.

-A medley of medical malapropisms actually uttered by patients, compiled by Richard Lederer.

Night Light

Here's my new favorite product. Egypt has been fussing when I put her down for bed because she wants the little light on (too bright); I say no and then she asks for the big light (asking in the wrong order here). I was shopping on costco.com buying a video monitor for Holland (there's another post altogether) and saw these cute rechargeable night lights by Mobi. The price includes shipping and you get two of these night light pals. I saw them on Amazon for about $24 each. They have an AC adapter that plugs into the back, so there's no messing with little battery doors. They stay lit for 12 hours before needing another charge.

As soon as she saw it, she called it her "purple guy". I think it's so funny that she names everything. So the room can stay dark and you still get a nice glow when you check on the kids.
The costco.com price of $34.99 is good until December 10th.

Let's Read

Dad took the boys to the library tonight and appropriately, Egypt wanted to read in her room. So up on her bed, she gathered about 15 books and all her dolls and animals so they could listen, too. And she actually read to me! I was shocked at how many of the words and phrases she could remember. She even read me the titles! She read "Red Big Barn" (Big Red Barn), "Not the Hippopotomus" (which she even pronouned right!), "Polar Bear, Polar Bear", a Mealtime Prayer book (which she basically described all the animals' activities) and "Much Too TV" (a Bearenstain book called 'Too Much TV'). It was the greatest way to spend time with her. All by ourselves just the girls!

Clean Up! Clean Up! Everybody, Everywhere

You never want to have to post about puking. But I've succumbed to reporting everything that happens. And I'm up, so I might as well.

It started off with Egypt waking up from a great nap and us playing. We're downstairs and I hear this gush and turn around and she's projectile vomiting all over the floor. I set her down in the kitchen with a big bowl and clean up the mess. While giving her a bath, dad comes home with the boys from an afternoon of playing basketball and raquetball. First words out of Holland's mouth are "Romania threw up in the car!". Well, of course he did, I thought. Murphy's Law says you can't have just one kid sick.

Hardly anyone ate any dinner. We get all three kids in bed and at 10, just before I'm heading to bed, I go to check on Egypt. Smell hits me right away. She had puked all over herself and her comforter. Get her completely cleaned up, sheets changed and I'm heading back down the hall and Romania is in the bathroom. "I threw up on my bed." So have another set of sheets to change and clothes to change. The smell is the worst. If any smell would make me want to puke, that would be the smell.

I only have one more kid. I think he's up on deck ready for the pitcher.

Brothers

This morning for breakfast I made scrambled eggs and bacon. The bacon will get all three of my kids out of bed. Egypt only eats the bacon now. She's sitting at the table eating Holland's leftover bacon and Romania comes up and says "you know, you're eating Wilbur" (her stuffed pet pig). Brothers are so helpful, aren't they?


This is Egypt on her 3rd birthday with Wilbur. She named him after the character from Charlotte's Web. He oinks and moves his nose. We even have another stuffed pig that she calls "Wilbur's Dad".

The Customer Is Always Right

How many times have you actually encountered this sentiment in a store you've visited? I've called stores before, and asked about a specific item and when I get there, the item either isn't there or doesn't exist. Then when you ask someone about it, they look at you like you walked into Garden World instead of a paper store.

A recent experience put this motto to the test. Back in July, I had to replace our digital camera. The little door where the batteries go had a broken clasp on the inside. Turns out it would cost almost as much to buy a new camera as it would to fix the little door. So I bought a new one. It wasn't actually new; they only had a floor model and this particular sale was ending. The guy told me if I wanted to, I could buy the floor model and they would call me when a new one came in to exchange it.

On Thanksgiving, planning our shopping strategies, my sister found my exact camera on sale $50 cheaper than what I paid. And it was the same store where I bought the camera in July. I was never able to get back out there and had just forgotten about it. Hard-working guy that my husband is, offered to hit a few stores and pick up some bargains. He suggested trying to get the camera replaced. So I wrote a note explaining the situation. Since DH is deaf (and I'm not being sarcastic here; he IS deaf), it was easier to have it written down. Unfortunately all he came home with was a new warranty paper. They had mistakenly written down a different model number in July. I was annoyed because I just wanted it taken care of. We happened to be out again that night for dinner and he suggested me trying to fix it myself. So I explained to an employee what happened. She took a brand new camera off the shelf and put it on hold for me. She even said she would ask her manager about giving us a deal since we had so many problems.

Last night, DH came home with the brand new camera, $50 returned from the purchase price and someone even noticed that we had been charged a warranty for a higher model camera and refunded that as well! I couldn't believe how great they were. They didn't have to refund any money and we never would have known about the warranty mistake.

So the next time you're treated like you walked into computer store and actually wanted a ficus, keep the faith. Somewhere, someone out there actually knows what customer service is.

Amazing Grace

If you haven't seen this movie, you need to! It was a wonderful movie about William Wilberforce, the English reformer trying to abolish slavery in early 19th century Great Britian.

His mentor is John Newton (the author of the song "Amazing Grace") and follows William's repeated failed attempts to convince Parliament to condemn something that would end Britian's liveliehood. I so enjoyed the movie, that I checked out the book from my local library (by Eric Metaxas). There is so much more detail about Wilberforce's life and especially his childhood. You get an amazing picture of who he was as a person and also a better understanding of his desire for spiritual contemplation.

The Christmas Letter

Oh boy. I'd better get my Christmas cards put together. My hard-working husband loves to write up a letter every year. But I end up proofing, editing and condensing it. I caught him this morning starting to write it. He had even added a picture of us in Hawaii. Now, having a picture of our family in Hawaii isn't bad, but Holland wasn't in the best of moods on our trip (he cried almost the entire time. And not mad crying-sad crying.) So this wonderful trip turned into a really depressing experience because he was so gloomy the entire time. The one family picture we have, he's standing there in a wet suit, staring down at the sand. I really don't want to send this picture out. I'm hoping to include a short typed message on a 3X5 piece of cardstock. I already ordered the prints and will just need to assemble them.

We went to the park to try to get some pictures for Christmas cards. My kids cannot not be goofy. I finally said "just make a silly face and let's be done with it." Which can be seen in the last photos. I think I'm using the sepia picture. I'm making my own because I never get to be creative. And if I didn't make them, DH would make me edit a 2 page letter to send out. I think a picture says it all.

Flying High

I just had to post this picture of Egypt on her new trampoline.
It's foldable and fits right under her bed. Romania will set it up for her and he does the "sports" (Egypt's word for splits) while she cuts her "begtables", these wooden velcro vegetables. Then they switch jobs.

The mommy monitor

I think I've finally figured out a way to "watch" Holland without him knowing and without him escaping from his room. Let's see. So far I've: put a hook lock on his door. He ripped that off. Tried a sensor door alarm. The door jam isn't flat, so the beam doesn't connect. Changed doorknobs to a push knob lock on the outside. It took him a couple months, but he finally figured out how to pick the lock. The first few months, he would get out of bed and knock on the door if he had to use the bathroom. Seemed very polite and orderly. He went from polite and orderly to sneaky and methodical. He used a pencil to poke in the hole and unlock it. I've even had him sleep next to me on the floor. I never hear him get up - it's like he's some sneaky snake (Tom T. Hall)

So I went out and bought a baby monitor. Yup. Paid 60 bucks for a digital monitor (this way the neighbors can't hear all the great stuff I have to say in the middle of the night!) The tricky part was finding a place that wouldn't be discovered. If he realizes that I'm listening to him at night he'd probably take apart the baby monitor or hide his unit. I stashed it underneath a bookshelf right next to his bed. Now I just have to keep the parent unit camouflaged so he doesn't try to plug it into anything. Maybe a bell to hang above his door so I can hear that, too.

I'm thinking about shopping for a publisher. I'm sure someone out there could use a few pointers on how to keep tabs on an impulsive bipolar kid.

Let's Play Bunco!

Tonight I got to indulge in my one guilty pleasure for the month. I got together with 11 other girlfriends and played Bunco. If you've never played, you're missing out on some great action. Lots of yelling, laughing and of course food (the main ingredient in these fun nights). This same group of gals has been getting together for over a year now. We rotate homes and hosts and leave our husbands and kids alone to fend for themselves for a few hours. I can tell you, I come home refreshed and full of new insight into my friends' lives. Getting 12 women together is a hoot and we all have plenty of stories to share from the previous month.

Even though I didn't win anything tonight, I came home to a quiet house with all three kids asleep! That's prize enough!

Update on the ebay lie

I got a call from Holland's teacher about 3 minutes before he was to arrive home. She wanted to warn me that I had a battle ahead of me. Uh-oh. They determined that he bought the cards for $1 from a boy on the bus. (that's why he came up with the buying lie). Holland was given two choices for what to do with the cards: he could give them to the teacher or give them to me to give back to her. He chose to give them to me, but she called to warn me that he wasn't happy about either decision. She told me the future lawyer came up with many good arguments as to why he should keep them.

So when he walked in the door, I was armed and ready for battle. "Mom, Nicole wanted me to give these to you."
Coolly, "Oh, great. Thanks." Shock waves flying through my brain. I immediately call Nicole to tell her the good news. More shock (and awe, ha ha). Then a phone call 30 minutes later. Turns out Holland convinced (more lawyer moves) another teacher to make photocopies of the cards! (brilliant!) so he could color them and calm down. Wow. He IS good. He gave me the 'fake' cards and had the real ones in his pocket! He tries to convince me he didn't know I wanted the real cards. I told him I didn't ask for any cards; he offered, so he must have known what he was doing.

Now, if he could just harness that power and use it for good....

The ebay lie

Today I got a call from Holland's teacher asking me about some Pokemon cards and Yu-gi-oh cards that Holland had at school. He told them some great story about buying them on ebay. It was such a believable story that she had to call and confirm it with me. As you've probably already guessed, he didn't purchase them on ebay. But he's smart enough to know that he's: 1. not allowed to have them, and 2. not allowed to trade things with other kids on the bus or at school. So in his bright little memory-impaired brain, he came up with a story about buying the cards online. The good news is, the teacher told me it's a pretty impressive lie for someone with Holland's impairment. Oh- I'm so proud!

Remembering to Learn and Learning to Remember (Dr. Mel Levine)

I'm currently reading two books by author Dr. Mel Levine (well, it's actually more like 4 by various authors. I can't seem to do one thing at a time). I was introduced to his work by a former supervisor where I taught school to deaf kids. I still stay in contact with many of my co-workers and get helpful information about different areas of interest.

Most of the research I've done or the information I have been given has been one-dimensional. It's either from a doctor's point of view or an educator's point of view. Both pieces are very important, but I have learned so much in the few chapters I've read so far. Dr. Levine is a learning expert and also a pediatrician. So he's coming at the topic from two angles. In his book "A Mind at a Time" he discusses different learning patterns in children and how the current public school system still holds to the one-size-fits-all philosophy. In many of the children whose stories he shares, I can see my own son. I've never been able to pinpoint exactly how his mind works. In all the testing that's been done or the diagnoses we've received, I always felt like we didn't have a full circle view of his learning patterns.

One of Holland's main learning issues is his working memory. This is explained beautifully by Dr. Levine: "Active working memory accomplishes four specific duties: 1- providing mind space for the combining or developing of ideas; 2-offering a mechanism for holding together the parts of a task while engaged in that task; 3- making available a meeting place where short-term memory can get together with long-term memory; and 4- serving as a place to hold multiple immediate plans and intentions." So it's easy to see why kids with working memory difficulties cannot complete a task while holding on to additional information. It's like asking Holland to retrieve something upstairs, but on the way, his attention is diverted by the toy in the hall. Suddenly, he's consumed with playing with that toy and he forgets the original goal. This is very useful information to have - I rarely give him more than one job to complete.

Many kids probably look like they are day-dreaming when they are actually trying to retrieve information and holding on to what the teacher just said. It explains why Holland has difficulty reading and writing. He cannot string sounds together because that involves storing that first sound while reading the remaining sounds. It's incredible to think that any of us can complete a task when you imagine all the parts of our brains that are engaged. Another issue related to working memory is sequential processing. There is a never-ending requirement for sequences in short-term memory everyday.

I'm so blessed that I have people around me who are supportive and share information that I can apply to my own situation. So now, I'm passing on what I've learned to you! And hopefully you can use some of the bits of wisdom here and continue on your own information-gathering journey. Check out the books listed in my educational links.

The library and the zoo

Egypt has decided that it's not good enough to just have stuffed animals or books in her room. They have to be IN her bed. Ever since we gave her Holland's bed (don't worry - he has a bed. He's not sleeping in his closet or anything.) she puts a truckload of animals and books on her bed before naps and bedtime. Before she transitioned to a twin bed, I made a comforter cover for an extra down comforter we had. I was glad it was ready to just pull out of the closet and plop on the bed. It took her a few days to get used to it. But now she brings about 10 books into bed with her and all these stuffed animals and dolls. And she has names for everything. (The boys never named things. So it's quite funny to hear her refer to her animals by name). There's "faffe" (giraffe) and baby girl with the bottle (has to add that bottle part so I don't forget to include that), little rabbit (she won at the harvest party), Wilbur her pink sheep that grunts, the sheeps (there's only one), and of course don't forget to give her the "picmick" blanket. She's got a "purple horse" that's actually a unicorn. But why correct it? She would tell me the sky is green and would argue her point. She also has a "thinking chair" for those of you familiar with Blue's Clues (it's not bright red, either. It's stripey). She will set up the animals on the picmick blanket and read to them. I have to sneak a look because she will stop reading and look at me sideways.

So for now she's crammed in a twin bed with all her zoo friends and reading material. Which actually takes up more room than she does on the bed. But all this keeps her occupied in the morning while she waits for me to get her up. I'd never dream of squelching a new reader's enthusiasm.

Tornado House

If you're ever wondering why my house is such a mess, don't just think it's because I'm lazy and don't clean up. Here's why my house refuses to stay clean. For several weeks now, Holland has been obsessed (that's what bipolar will do to you) about finding this old pager that DH used to use. We don't have phone service on it, but the games still work. One night after I put Egypt to bed, I was downstairs playing a game of Rummikub with Romania and dad. Last time I had checked, Holland was upstairs playing with Legos. So I left him alone. When the game was over, I started to walk upstairs and Holland was coming down. He said, "I kind of made a mess upstairs." I said, okay. Where, in your room? "No, kind of all over." It was even worse than I could have pictured. The whole hallway was strewn with dirty clothes, clean clothes, toys, books, games. My room had baskets of laundry dumped out, drawers pulled out of my dresser, boxes taken off the armoire, books everywhere. This mess didn't even include his room or his brothers. Toys, legos, clothes, boxes out of the closet. It literally looked like a tornado had swept through the house. I just sat down on the bed and cried. It was 8 o'clock at night and I was exhausted. And looking at this mess, I knew it would be awhile before I got to bed. It's so hard not to be mad at him. Anything you say will send him into orbit. I asked him to help me clean up and he just starts yelling at me and ran screaming down the hall.

So, I did the only thing I could do. I told my husband that I was leaving and could he please help Holland clean it up. It was awful, but I just couldn't look at it and not think how angry I was. This sort of thing happens every day. He doesn't just make a project or try to invent something. He goes to extremes emptying drawers trying to find what he's looking for. Or uses up an entire roll of tape trying to put two things together that have no business being together. He takes supplies out of the school room (I bought him his own supplies hoping it would solve this problem. It didn't). I'm out of two boxes of pencils and it's only November. He staples everything together. He mixes things in the sink in his bathroom and a couple of times on the floor in his room.

Raising a kid with bipolar is about extremes. It's not just about extremes of mood; believe me, he can do that, too. It's impulsivity. I remember when he was being evaluated, the doctor was asking me about his behavior and if he was impulsive. I told him about this time when Holland made greeting cards to sell to people in the neighborhood. It's a great idea. But he did it at 6 in the morning. He walked door to door trying to get money for his cards. He was probably just 5 years old and we didn't even know he'd left the house.

I'm learning (not through with this lesson yet) about patience. It's a very exhausting existence to keep correcting these extreme behaviors. So the next time you see me at the mall, it's probably because my house has had a tornado blow through and I'm surveying the damage from a safe distance.

Update on the Shoeboxes

Today we dropped off the Shoeboxes at church. The kids were really excited to bring them in. We decorated 2 cards and wrote a short note for each child. This whole process was especially hard on Egypt. In the store it was hard to keep her focused on choosing things for other kids. After the boxes were wrapped, I saw her walking around with a stuffed dog she had kidnapped from one of the boxes. We put it back in and she kept saying she wanted to say goodnight to it.

You still have one week left to get your shoebox together and take it to the nearest drop off location. Go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/default.asp and type in your zip code to find the closest location to drop off your shoebox. You can also make a donation online to help cover shipping costs.

Shoeboxes

This morning we went to the store to buy items for our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Holland was off from school today, so I thought we'd do something productive. The boys and I decided to do one box for a girl age 5-9 and one for a boy age 5-9. We made a list of things we wanted to look for so we wouldn't get side-tracked. I kept reminding them that we were doing something for someone else and there was to be no asking for things in the store. (They did pretty good here. It is really hard to look at toys and not want them!) They picked out great stuff for each child. We filled the boxes when we got home and I wrapped them in Christmas paper. The collection is November 12-19th so we are all ready to have these shipped off to some faraway place.

It's great to have opportunities to share with others. Hopefully my kids are learning about doing something for others and being thankful for what they have.

Check out the short video at the end of my blog and put together a shoebox today for a child in need!

The fort-building disaster

I figured it would have been one of the boys who ended up in the ER some time during the first 6 or 7 years of their lives. But nope. It was the 3 year old. The same little person who yells when there's a bug in her line of sight. Who should have been terrified of climbing up on the top of a bunk bed. Holland was building her a fort in his room and about 10 minutes of them being upstairs, I hear this huge thud and then screams (which is exactly what you want, so says the ER nurse. Then you know they've never lost consciousness). All I could see was lots of blood and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I took her to the ER and she had a nice little hole in the back of her head. The doctor said because her hair was long, he could just use that to close up the wound. (Loved it - no stitches). So he tied little knots in her hair and put some glue on it as well. Before he came in, the nurse had turned on a tv to distract her. Well, during the whole process of tying her hair, there are two nurses and me holding her down, plus the Dr. doing the procedure. She's crying the entire time and in the middle of her sobbing, she says "I can't see the TV". We all laughed. She got a grape popsicle and some princess stickers afterwards.

Holland felt so bad. He told me he cried for an hour. She had fallen off backwards and hit her head on the corner of a desk. While we were gone, the desk got moved. So hopefully she won't climb up on the desk to get to the bunk. At bedtime, we prayed and thanked God for protecting her from more serious injury. She just smiled and said "a hug and a kiss". I love a good ending.

What's my prize?

Today we saw a Urologist. The first thing he asks the doc is if he gets a prize. Why are kids so embarrassing sometimes? You'd think they had barn animals raising them looking at their manners.

Down to just one more doctor before we find out what's going on with Holland. This doc had more information than the others (tests sent to him) and he's really leaning towards tethered cord. When we started our conversation, he said there were about 5 red flags for him. The fact that he has spina bifida and that he's reverted back to enuresis is not a good sign. He has gaps in his spine in two different places. If it's tethered cord, he said the surgery is pretty simple, just an overnight stay. It would be wonderful if it is that easy to fix. I'm supposed to get him to the toilet every 2 hours. (Is he crazy? It's like telling a sick mom to rest!) I'm supposed to buy this $50 watch (which I'm sure will last a whole day here) that vibrates to remind him to go. It would probably become some science project.

I Heart School

Ok. One more thing to post today. I was going through Holland's school notebook. I have to sign a paper every day. Basically it's just communication between the teachers and myself. They also may tell me how his day went. Once in a while, they put some school work in there so I can see how he's doing. Let me just say right off - he's normal in this area. It's one of those fill in the blank pages. You know, the type that ask you your favorite, food, or animal. Here's how he answered some:
"I think my favorite subject will be" and he wrote "lunch".
"My favorite school lunch is", "pizza".
"This year, I really want to do this in school", he wrote "bus".
"My favorite place in school is" and he wrote "no where"
"This year I want to learn about", (here's the kicker,) "nething"

Wow! He's just like any other typical kid making his way through the trenches of school. Yipppeee!

Jingle Bell

To keep track of Holland, we've had to install a lock on his door. Oh, I know, I know. Not safe. But what's worse? Having him leave the house in the middle of the night? (not kidding - he went over to my neighbor's house at 3 in the morning. They kept bringing him back, but he kept returning. X-box, you know. They finally kept him the last time and then called me at 6.30). So, I think a little lock is a good trade off for knowing where he's at. Well, the little smart-aleck figured out how to pick the lock. He found some small screwdriver and jiggled the knob from inside and has been able to open it. So, last night I was trying to figure out how to be able to hear him when he jiggled the knob. I found a Christmas jingle bell and hooked it between his door and his brother's. At 5.30 this morning "jingle jingle". I went down the hall. His light was on and he was trying to maneuver that knob. I told him through the door to get back to bed. He wasn't happy and after another go at it, he finally did go back to bed. He's very persistent and can have a one-track mind sometimes. It's like he develops tunnel vision for whatever he's working on and even if you tell him it won't work, he still has to try it out for himself. He's working on a tunnel in the backyard....

More downloads

Holland owes me $6. When I was checking my calendar on my Sidekick, I saw an icon for Sonic the Hedgehog. Apparently that night he stashed my pager, he downloaded a game. Dumb thing cost me $6. I was able to delete it, but still have to pay for it. So far he's managed to download 2 ringtones and a game. Don't you ever wonder how your kids find time to do the things they do? Where am I when these things happen? It's not like I'm visiting a neighbor when this happens. I'M HERE.

What's for lunch?

Today my 8 year-old packed his own lunch. Only a crazy person would let her 8 year-old pack his own lunch, right? Well, my 3 year old woke up covered in soupy diarrhea. Holland went upstairs when he heard her wake up. Her bed, sheets, blankets, taggies and pajamas were soaked with this goop. I can't believe she slept through it. What is it with my kids sleeping through raucous bodily functions? Romania slept right through a bout of vomiting the other night. So we got her into the bathroom, stripped her of the mess and popped her in the tub. This was at 8.10 this morning. Bus comes at 8.30. So in the middle of stripping her bed and getting her and her pajamas cleaned up, I told Holland he needed to get his lunch made. He was in heaven, I'm sure. I have no idea what he packed. He hates sandwiches. I pack string cheese, but apparently I bought the wrong kind of string cheese. My mistake. I thought all string cheese was the same. So I have an opened package of string cheese in my fridge that no one will touch. I think he said something about 2 juice drinks (good, now he's hydrated) and some crackers. His teachers are probably going to think I'm some kind of nut packing 2 juice drinks and crackers for a growing boy's lunch.

Well, now I need to go retrieve some Halloween candy from the diarrhea girl. I guess she thinks candy will cure what ails her.

Where's my brain?

Today I was supposed to take two of my kids to a homeschool co-op. I forgot. It must be my age. That's the only excuse you can get away with now. We didn't even get to bed later than normal (for a Halloween night). But I did have to wake up Holland for school. The bus pulls into our driveway at 8.30. I had to wake him up at 8. Actually, Egypt took care of most of the dirty work. I've had her wake him up before and she usually does a pretty good job. (She tells me I'll be very gentle"). Today she took it upon herself to go wake him up. When she was going up the stairs, I told her to be quiet. "I'm just looking at Molly (the cat) under your bed." Seemed plausible enough. A few minutes later she comes downstairs and complains "Holland won't wake up!" I went up to his room to check it out and he was still curled up on the floor. He still seemed pretty sleepy. But, why shouldn't he be? He had been up at 3, gotten a glass of milk and found my $200 pager which he took up to his room. I pulled it out of his pants pocket (yes, he'd even dressed himself at 3 in the morning). He had switched screen colors and been listening to ring tones. He actually downloaded something before. I didn't find out until a charge for a ringtone showed up on our monthly statement. I told him if he did that again, he'd have to pay for it.

So, you see, I was pretty distracted by all this. Trying to get him ready to go anywhere takes much longer than the 30 minutes we had. Telling him to hurry only aggravates him, sends him into orbit and defeats the whole purpose of getting him ready to leave the house. So, when my phone rang at 9.30 and I saw my sister's cell phone number pop up, I wondered why she wasn't at home responsibly teaching her kids. (my bad) We skipped co-op, stayed home and actually got some school done. I figured it wasn't worth it to get everyone ready (mostly me: sweat pants, no make up, wet hair. Not a pretty picture). Luckily, Egypt was still having diarrhea, so I can always use the excuse that she was still sick and I was just thinking about the other kids in her class. :-)

The Butterfly

It's a Great Pumpkin Miracle!

We didn't even have to confiscate any candy. I never would have believed you if you told me she would actually put on the butterfly costume. But I have the pictures to prove it! While I was helping the boys to get ready, I brought the costume up to iron it. She followed me up and when she saw the wings, said "ooh, my bootiful butterfly wings!" I just acted like she hadn't refused the day before. She let me put it on and then ran around to flap the wings.

The kids had a good time playing games and earning candy. Both Romania and Egypt won cakes in the cake walk. Romania was very persistent and played for about 30 minutes before winning.
It was a nice family evening and not a truckload of candy. We even got home at a reasonable hour and I was able to read to the boys from the Frank Peretti book we're reading.

The pretty butterfly

It's official. My three year old hates her hand-made costume for the Harvest Party tonight. I showed it to her yesterday and she looked at it and said "yucky". Mind you, this is the same little person who kept bugging me to make her a butterfly. Making this costume involved three trips to the fabric store, one trip to the hardware store and many late night hours working on this. I've made costumes for my boys the first 5 or 6 years of their lives. We only had one cow incident. I'm telling my husband about her refusal to wear my handiwork. And he says (this is good) "We'll just tell her she can't get candy unless she wears the costume!" Oh- brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?? That will definitely work on a 3 year-old. We'll just confiscate all the candy she gets playing games tonight.

I'm not sure what I'll do with the costume. Maybe I should enshrine it as an example of hard work gone awry. Maybe I should sell it on ebay. I'm sure as soon as I get rid of it, she'll ask where it is.

The numbing effect

Today I had to brave a dentist appointment. I don't mind a good teeth cleaning, but today I had to get fillings down near my gums because the root was becoming exposed. After swabbing the surface to make it numb, I had 4 shots to numb the entire right side of my mouth and jaw. You forget how much you need your tongue when you're trying to swallow without using it. After grinding the teeth with a little buzz saw, he gave me a break and let me spit (which just dribbled down my chin and onto my pants. Remember Kramer after his dentist appointment?) So they put everything back in place and start on the bottom. Immediately I felt pain shoot down my jaw and neck. Everything comes back off and another shot to numb that one stubborn nerve. Have you ever seen that movie "Dumb Luck" with Martin Short? He's allergic to bee stings and happened to get stung while in a small plane. The camera pans over to him and his entire face has swelled! It's the most hilarious thing because you aren't expecting this giant balloon face.
That's what I feel like. My sister said I was talking normal, but it feels like I have something hanging off my face. Half of my tongue is numb, too. THAT'S a weird feeling. I wonder if this is what Botox injections feel like? I'd rather have thin lips.

The gang's all here!

As if having 2 kids with messes to clean up wasn't enough, the third got in on the act. I was sitting on the couch reading to the boys (we took the day off from "real" schoolwork!) and Egypt came into the room with an obvious odor. I asked her to please go upstairs to get a diaper. She obliged and went up to her room. A minute later, she comes back down the stairs, completely naked, holding her dirty clothes and a new diaper! What a thinker! So I go back upstairs with her and realize it's not just regular poop. It's diarrhea! She actually did a pretty good job cleaning herself up, but decided a bath was the best way to get all the gunk. Luckily, all three of my kids took naps today. Hallelujah!

Where's the plastic tarp?

It was one of those nights. Holland was up in the middle of the night again, roaming the house. There was a half empty glass of milk downstairs and he woke me up to tell me he was wet. But he wasn't just wet, my bedroom floor was wet, too. In his half-asleep stupor, he had taken off the pull-up and laid back down on the floor to sleep. So we got him back in another pull-up and back into bed (with me so I could monitor his sleep). After my shower, I tried to wake him up for school. I turned on the tv, shook him gently and talked to him. Nothing. Ok. Not going to school today.

I was on the computer checking email when Romania came downstairs. He had on his bathrobe and something orange smeared down the sleeve. We went upstairs to investigate. Sure enough, he had thrown up on his bed in the middle of the night. Didn't even wake up. So, now I have a wet floor and a vomit filled comforter. So far this morning, I've played Uno, Sorry and done 3 loads of pukey laundry. Can the day be over yet, please?

The Science Museum Experience

Today I took my two youngest to a science museum in our area. I had planned to meet a friend from a homeschooling co-op, but she had an ear infection and her daughter had "junk" coming out of her nose. We're rescheduling.
But I had already told mine we were going, so on we trooped. For anyone with more than one kid, you know how taxing it can be to watch two kids who want to go in different directions. One wants to play in the ball area and the other wants to play in the sand. Unfortunately, these two activities aren't even on the same floor. When we got to the second activity, my son was already getting bored. But he roamed around the younger kid area and found something to crawl in and some fake acorns. Actually, he found "someone else's" acorns. He walked up to a little boy (probably around 2) who had a bunch of these rubber acorns stashed in this fake tree stump. Now you have to understand, these kinds of places are like open territory for any object, inanimate or otherwise. Just because you're playing with it, doesn't mean that someone else won't come along and claim it. Which is no big deal to me. I've seen enough interaction among my own three to know that nothing is sacred and everything must be shared. So, when my son took several of them, the little boy's father said (mostly for my benefit, I'm sure), "I agree, he should have asked you to use your acorns". I had to just laugh in my head. Obviously this guy was only parenting ONE kid. Otherwise he would have realized the insanity of his comment. Since when does anything belong to one kid. Even if you gave it to one child, you can bet that all the others (and even some neighbor friends, if you're lucky) will lay claim to it at least once.

I kind of felt sorry for the guy. Even after his kid socked my daughter in the arm for doing the same thing my kid did to his. I didn't even say anything. Just directed her to something else. But how sad that his son may never know the joy of sharing with a sibling. It's not easy raising kids. But I would hope that we're all sane enough to know that kids are a work in progress. That's why they're the kids and we're the parents. (I am reminded of this when my oldest yells at me and calls me 'bossy'. "Hey, just doin' my job").

All in all, it was successful. No one came home bleeding and we didn't leave with anyone screaming. Score one for mom!

The Rokenbok Dilemma

If you don't know what this is, it's a very cool remote control toy. Lots of ways to set up to lift, pour, scoop, transport. Different kinds of vehicles to operate, a monorail system. A creative kid's dream come true. So when we had failed to get Holland on a bathroom schedule, the Rokenbok toy popped to mind. Of course it didn't help that his father had left the basement open where it was stored for Christmas. Or that he never covered it up. (I forget, are our kids blind?) Or that he couldn't just say we were storing it for our cousins. (A tip for new parents: be quick on your feet. Be able to think AHEAD of your child) He became so obsessed with it, I couldn't see me surviving until Christmas. So it was decided that he could earn parts of the Rokenbok for a successful stretch of ten days for staying on his bathroom schedule.

It might as well have been 10 years. He complained; he yelled; he refused to sit; he fibbed about sitting; he said he was bored; he said he didn't have to go; he said it was stupid. Get the picture? I even replaced the cold, hard toilet seat with a nice soft, cushy seat. So when the 11 days were up (I added another day in for poor attitude), he was very excited. I even had one of his cousins help me decide which pieces to give him. We bought a huge assortment off of Craigslist. (Romania called it "dad's list" thinking it was his father's). We're all excited about the accomplishment. He played with it for 2 days. He also hooked it up to anything else electronic with extra holes. Two days after earning this, he informs me that "You can keep the rest of the Rokenbok until Christmas". I asked why? "I don't want to do the 5 minute schedule anymore." Wow. So the prospect of a new toy doesn't motivate him enough to just sit for 5 minutes.

the one about the fish

I was telling someone this story about my son's fish that ended up on the floor. She asked if I'd thought about writing a blog.
I asked "what on earth for?'"
"You have so many stories that are funny"
Well, not many people have read my stories, but it sure is nice to write things down. Then you can look back and laugh at all the crazy things that happen on a daily basis.

Take the fish. Holland was at school and I was downstairs with Romania working on school. Egypt was upstairs, up to her usual no-good. I heard noises, but it sounded like she had dropped books. I didn't think twice (first mistake) and continued working on school (second mistake). About an hour goes by and Holland comes back from school and is upstairs getting ready for a doctor appointment. I'm on my way upstairs and he comes running down, "the fish is in the sink! I've put water in there!"
"what??"
"I found my fish on the floor, water everywhere and I put him in the sink"
I ran upstairs to find, yes, a betta fish in the bathroom sink with water running. First thought is this thing has to be dead. I figured hot water was running all over him. As if the trauma of flopping around on the floor wasn't enough, he was being tortured with tap water. As all this is going on, my mom walks in the front door as I'm yelling to get the fish net and the drops to neutralize the water so the poor thing doesn't die. No one was paying attention. They were too happy to see gramma!

I figured out that Egypt had tried to pick up a very heavy fish bowl and dropped it. I never figured out how it survived. There was no water in the bowl - it was all over the floor, and the bed, and the big stuffed horse. Tiny little fish rocks everywhere.

The fish survived. I have no idea how. He belongs on some fish survival reality show. He's like Nemo, finding his way back home. Doing all he can to survive, so Egypt can feed him pieces of bread and cat food. I keep rotating the fish bowls so she can't find them. Romania had a frog last year. He only lasted a week. I wonder if Egypt had something to do with that....

I guess when you have kids, you have to expect the fish to put up with a lot.

Doctor, Doctor

We are now more than half way done with all the doctor visits before we see the surgeon in December. Holland was recently diagnosed with Spina Bifida. It's been a whirlwind diagnosis. He had an x-ray at our pediatrician's office because he had been so constipated. This has been an ongoing problem. We thought it was just from all the meds he's on to treat his bipolar, but it's not clearing up. My very thorough ped. doc sent the x-ray to a radiologist who confirmed her suspicion: spina bifida occulta (which means "hidden" in latin.) He doesn't have all the outward signs of the more serious spina bifida. It's also possible he has tethered cord. That's what all these doctor appointments are for. He's had an MRI, another x-ray, an abdominal scan, seen a GI doctor. It's exhausting just listing them all. We also see a LCSW every week, a chiropractor once a month and a psychiatrist once a month to monitor his meds. We have to see a Urologist to rule out kidney and bladder problems.
Sometimes I wonder why he was given so many things to deal with. It must be because God has some great plan for him to minister to someone. One day, one person will be so affected by all that he's gone through, that that person will turn his life over to Christ. I so want this to be glorifying to God. He has so many things going against him; but he has the most important thing going for him: God's love and committment to him as His child.

the birthday girl and wilbur

The birthday

Today I had 2 girls over to celebrate Egypt's 3rd birthday. Her actual birthday is next Tuesday, but I thought it would be fun to have some friends over. A real guest list! She looked like a big rock. She sat there looking at her butterfly sugar cookie. The other girls both went to town frosting their cookies. She did eventually go up to her room and showed the other girls her animals and books. So, all in all it was successful. She got a little pink pig that oinks and moves its nose. She calls him "Wilbur". Her favorite movie is "Charlotte's Web", so it's very fitting! I see qualities of care-giving. She will be a good mom someday.

The new bed

We set up a new bed for H. the other day. We got this great (free!) wooden bunk bed, complete with two mattresses, no less. We actually got it this summer, but weren't ready to switch the 2 1/2 year old to a twin bed yet. I like my sleep, so keeping her in the crib was for my benefit, not hers! She could crawl out, but rarely did. She just yells at the top of her lungs "help me! help me!". You'd think some huge bug was ready to crawl into bed with her. So, the bunks stayed hidden in the basement until we (meaning I) were ready to deal with one more kid who could get out of bed at 2 a.m. The other night, hubby took apart H's bed and transferred it to our daughter's room. Why aren't doorways wider? He slept on the floor a few nights, which is nothing to him. He's been making his sleeping arrangments in his closet. We've emptied his room. Mostly because I'm so sick of stepping on a gazillion toys in the dark. So, he crammed a big pillow and a sleeping bag, a giant stuffed horse and he was set. Now he's on a mattress on the floor and lovin' it.

Mr. Holland loves to invent things

He loves to try to make something new out of something old. He took apart a ViewMaster and tried to attach something else to make it battery operated. Sounds so creative, doesn't it? Until he does that with things like computers, DVD players, hand held video games and a new Rokenbok toy.

He's on medication to help him sleep. Prior to this, it was a battle of the wills. I almost always lost. He would just NOT go to sleep. It could take 3 or 4 hours for him to settle and fall asleep. It made me nuts because I was exhausted by this time and just wanted to crawl in bed myself.
Aparently, the meds wear off after a certain amount of time. Wouldn't this have been useful information prior to giving him this? It helps them fall asleep, but what they don't tell you is it wears off. Be prepared to wake up at 4, they should have told me. So, he's on a med that wears off and I'm aware of lights on downstairs. As I'm bumping into walls, I keep finding evidence of his presence. Half-empty milk glasses, crackers on the computer table, an attempt to access the internet (I had to lock it with a password because, even tho' the guy can't read, he could figure out how to navigate through websites. scary stuff). Then I see the cords everywhere. An opened portable DVD player with wires and the 2 screens. Cords from tv video games plugged into the tv AND the DVD player. He's also managed to lug down this toy called Rokenbok. It's this remote controlled series of toys that do cool things like dump and pick up and transfer. It's a creative kid's dream come true. Only now it's hooked up to all those other items. He's asleep on the couch. The attempt to build a new X-box (yup, that's what he told me) has worn him to a frazzle and he fell asleep.

Maybe tomorrow he'll invent something really cool.

The Run-Down Family

I use that title because doesn't it feel like that sometimes? Some days I feel like a Mack truck hit me. Here's the low-down on our family:

I've been married to the same man (incredible, I know) for 16 years. We have 3 children; two boys and a girl. Each of their stories is different, and yet each one is an amazing gift from the Creator.

We had been married for several years and I was teaching at a Deaf School. Our attempts to start a family were unsuccessful, so we turned our attention to adoption. During spring break of 1999, we flew down to San Diego to pick up our new little son. My students had a huge shock when I didn't come back from the break, but instead showed up with a newborn to show-off.
(Some of my students never let me live that one down. "Why didn't you tell us??" "You abandoned us!", etc, etc.) Did I mention they were dramatic middle schoolers?? But, when you're dealing with infertility and all the emotions that go along with it, you become very guarded as to what you share with people. My teaching career ended and motherhood began. It was an easy transition for me. I loved being at home with him. He was a very sweet baby and I was in love.

Fast forward 2 years later. Son #2 comes along. And not in the same manner as before. Shock of all shocks, we got pregnant. I know, I know. You're saying "I've heard that so many times. People always get pregnant right after they adopt". Here's my sarcasm: It had nothing to do with adopting first. It had everything to do with trusting God's timing. I was actually at peace that I wasn't going to have biological children. And like Emeril Lagasse says "Bam!" Got pregnant without the aid of any drugs, in-vitro, etc. He was truly a miracle. A 9 pound, 14 ounce miracle.

Here's where husband informs me that we are done. (Hard thing to wrap your brain around when YOU'RE not done). So, we adjusted to life with two and went on our merry way. What do you think happens next? That's right. Pregnant again. We're talking, I used no birth control our first like 5 years of marriage. Funny how that happens. You've got your whole life planned out and then God steps in and says "Whoa, there Nelly". (insert horse neighs here)

In the midst of all this, our oldest son was having trouble in social situations. Picture being kicked out of a private preschool because your 3 year-old cannot control himself. I was called back to school so many times to come pick him up because they couldn't control him. So, many years and doctors later, we find out he's Bipolar and possibly FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). So, basically, I'm going to be writing about my daily life with a bipolar son and all the chaos that ensues. Hope you come along for the ride.

Ugly templates

Why are all the templates for blogs so ugly? I searched and searched (it's now 12.32 am) and I'm sick of looking, so white it is. Plus, hubby is upstairs snoring and I can't sleep. More on that problem later.

"Postcards from Holland" refers to the writing by Emily Perl Kingsley titled "Welcome to Holland" about raising a child with disabilities. (Check out her piece here: http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html) We have three lovely children, all with their special idiosyncracies. Since we moved to "Holland", we also have two other children; Romania and Egypt. So you see we are basically the United Nations living under one roof.

Since it's so late (or early depending on what time zone you're in), I'm going to bed to listen to more snoring and figure out how I'm going to get up to get a kid on the bus and two more out the door for homeschooling co-op. Wish me luck!