A Day at the Beach

The forecast was for 100 degrees. I don't do 100 degrees. We decided to surprise the kids and head to the beach for the day. We had most everything packed the night before, so they wouldn't know what was going on. It didn't take them long to figure it out.

I packed a ton of food for snacks and lunch on the beach. We headed to one of my favorite beaches on the Oregon coast, Cannon Beach. It's becoming more popular, so it's hard to get parking and finding a spot on the beach without a lot of people right at your feet is also getting more difficult. But it's so pretty there. There is Haystack Rock with tidepools, perfect wind for flying a kite and no bugs in the sand! Take a look at the slideshow for some great pictures of our day at the beach. We also bought taffy at Bruce's Candy Kitchen - THE only place to buy taffy. You can watch them make it right in the front window.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sports Camp Week

This past week the boys spent 3 hours every morning attending a sports camp that our church sponsored. Romania had participated last year, but Holland missed out because of summer school. I really wanted him to be able to do all the fun summer stuff, so we opted out of summer school. He had such a good time! They did a different sport each day, learning the rules and basics of 4 sports. Friday was spent cooling off with a water day.

During the week, the kids worked on memorizing two verses. They would earn a special pin if they could say the verse to a "coach" at the end of the week. Romania had no problem memorizing it. He worked by himself, jumping on the trampoline while he said it. I had worked off and on with Holland during the week but hadn't really sat down and listened to his recitation. Last night, I spent 40 minutes with him while he worked so hard to memorize it. I actually didn't think he would be able to say the whole thing. He kept switching words around, leaving big chunks out. His brain just doesn't hold on to information. I tried doing hand motions with him, but he got irritated and said it distracted him. I tried feeding him one word to get him going. If he made one mistake, he would start all over again. I wanted him to get the flow of saying the whole thing. After 40 minutes, we stopped and said we'd try again in the morning. I felt so bad. He can see that Romania has no problem memorizing. But I have to say, that I am so proud of Romania because he is Holland's biggest cheer-leader. He has never once made his brother feel bad for not doing something that comes easily for him. He cheers Holland on, gives him pats on the back and tells him what a great job he did. If we didn't have that, the tension around here would be horrible.

So this morning, I had the boys recite what they could. Holland was actually able to say most of it before breakfast and just had a few little missteps. Then on the way to sports camp, he said the entire thing with only one word prompt! We all cheered and he had the biggest smile on his face!

He got his pin.

Happy Adoption Day!

Nine years ago, we went into a courtroom, stood in front of a judge, and were declared the legal guardians of Holland. Every year, we celebrate this anniversary. We've usually done big family activities, but this year we had a low-key outing at a pizza joint. We talk about how special each child is and how important he or she is to the family. This is another way to recognize the uniqueness of our family and how God joined us together.

Come on. The other knee?

We just went in to see our rheumatologist a week or so ago. He checked out her right knee and said everything looked good. Checked other joints and didn't seem to be any problem. Now, the last three mornings when she's woken up, she's complained of her knee hurting. I ask her which one and where and it's the left knee. I really hope this hasn't spread to the other knee. I'm waiting for a call back from the doctor to see if we wait it out for the three month check or come in now.

Follow-Up on Injection

Today I took all three kids up to the hospital where Egypt had her injection 3 weeks ago. Doctor likes to check on progress, range of motion and to see if other joints have become affected. He says she's moving well. She's very active, so he didn't recommend physical therapy. I told him that she has recently had two different viruses and asked if I should be concerned. I thought maybe this meant her immune system was weak and she would be susceptible to more infections. He said no, that she just was one of those kids who picks up everything.

I also asked about her knee still looking swollen. I thought the initial swelling took longer than a week. He said the inflammation from the arthritis has caused her bones to grow quicker. She has a bigger bone mass on her right knee than her left knee. This also means that the bone is lengthening faster and her right leg is a bit longer. He showed me by laying her on her tummy and extending both legs out. Sure enough, I could see the length difference. You could also see it when he bent her knees up and the right knee extended farther than the left. Hopefully when (if) the arthritis goes away, it will correct itself.

Just glad that things are pretty normal (I'm not even sure what that looks like anymore. Normal for us is doctor appointments every week).

Show Me The Money!!

I hate that movie, but the title is appropriate. I had a conversation with the District Rep for Holland's IEP on Monday. What it comes down to is money. The school he is at now doesn't want to give up a full-time slot because they wouldn't get the funding. The Charter school doesn't want a part-time student in a slot that they could get full funding for (which is only 80% of public school funds). So there you have it. Everybody wants the money. Maybe nobody should get it.

I also brought up the academic part of his IEP and said I didn't think that his current school was meeting his goals (or his learning style for that matter). He actually was surprised at this. Well, that's because you have this tiny little box that you've stuck your head in and think "this is what education looks like". And when a child doesn't succeed, you assume it's him and not you. Everything is behavior driven. So, forget that he needs motor activities to help him pattern and make sense of things. He's bored. He's not interested in the endless worksheets that don't connect him to the learning. It's all his fault because he can't learn how you're teaching him. He needs someone who can teach him to see how he thinks. If he takes in information differently, then it makes sense that it's the teaching that needs to change.

Why is everyone afraid of taking a chance on this? I'm so sick of hearing that his social and behavior needs are more important than his academic needs. If he's invested in something, if he's interested in something, then the behavior will follow. When does a kid act out when they're enjoying something?

Good Clean Jokes

Today was Romania's last day as a 1st grader. His teacher gave each student a pouch for Field Study days with a sketch pad, colored pencils and a magnifying glass. He also printed out all of the 'joke of the day' he did throughout the year. Here are a few of my favs:

What did the baby corn say to his mom?

Where is pop corn?


Why did the banana go to the doctor?

It wasn't peeling well.


What do sea monsters eat?

Fish and ships.

How could a cowbody ride into town on Wednesday, stay two days and ride out on Wednesday?

His horse is named Wednesday.

Time with Dad

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Tomatoes-Tomahtoes

We have been working so hard on our yard. Super hero dad loves to work in the yard and has so many projects lined up. He finally finished our fence. It covers the entire backyard and there are gates on either side of the house. This is so exciting because now I can leave Egypt to play in the back and not worry that she will go into the front yard. Kids in - deer (and dogs!) out.

Today Romania and Egypt and I went over to my uncle's house to borrow his rototiller. I ran into him yesterday when I went to my mom's to feed her cat. (My sister and I have vowed not to kill the cat. Last time they went on a trip, we barely remembered to feed the cat and wondered how the thing managed to survive). So when Egypt and I got there, my uncle was mowing the strip of grass down their gravel road. I said something about wanting to til an area in my yard to plant vegetables and he said he had one. Great! After all the craziness died down today, super hero dad was able to finish the last part of the gate and install it. He even tilled the vegetable area and offered to put the boys to bed so I could plant my tomatoes. Then I stayed outside extra long so I could water all my plants and just listen to the silence. The kids are extra excited (not about the tomatoes) but about the three ginormous blueberry bushes we have. Last year we picked probably 10 to 12 cups and we have that and maybe a quart more. My favorite thing is to watch them just eat them off the bush.

The 12 Lives of Miss Molly

I felt I needed to post an update on our cat Molly. She has bounced back yet again, defying the odds of a cat who is 16 and possibly has cancer. I've been giving her amoxicillan and an anti-nausea medicine twice a day. The couple times I forgot, she threw up on my floor, so apparently it's working. She is eating all the time, so I'm hoping she'll gain some weight here and weigh more than my sister's Yorkie.

Day of Fishing

Today we went out to a park near Estacada for a day of free fishing. Parks all over the state offered free day use and some even had free fishing clinics for the kids. They had park rangers to help with setting up poles and free bait. They even had poles you could borrow.

The little pond was cute, but very muddy. I had a hard time getting down this steep embankment that had been travelled so much it was basically a big mudslide. We got down to the bank and got the poles baited and tried to cast, but it was so crowded, we spent a lot of the time pulling hooks out of tree branches and untangling lines with our neighbors. The kids had a good time. They even got hot dogs, chips and pop for their efforts.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We ended up moving to the other side of the pond and fished near my sister and her kids. Holland even won a raffle prize - a book flashlight. We all ended up pretty muddy but the kids didn't seem to mind that they didn't catch anything. Oh well. Maybe we'll head out again on a less drizzly day and try again.

Writing Breakthrough

I wish my scanner worked. Then I could show off what Holland did tonight. After talking with my friend in special education, I took her suggestion of reading to the boys. Living books is the way to go. I think I'm going to use the Charlotte Mason philosphy. Holland had a huge success tonight.

We started reading "The Tale of Despereaux". While I was reading, I had both boys just start to draw what they were listening to. Whatever picture came to mind. After about 5 chapters, I stopped reading and asked them to describe their drawings. Holland had a great picture that included several ideas on one page. He even had word bubbles for two characters with something funny they said. Then I asked him to write just one sentence to describe his drawing. He asked how to spell the mouse's name and I showed him the book. He completed the first sentence without even asking for more help. I said he did a great job and said I would start the next chapter. He said he had another sentence he wanted to write. So I sat back as he and his brother each wrote 5 sentences on the back of the drawings. I have never seen him so excited about something he did. He had the biggest grin on his face. I told him we would be doing this all summer and he yelled "yea!"

I feel even more confident now in making the decision to school him at home. If he's not going to be able to attend the charter school and get the kinesthetic learning I feel he needs, then he will blossom at home.

IEP placement meeting

If I would have written about Holland's IEP placement meeting right after I got home, it would have looked something like this:

The district rep and the principal both felt that a placement at the Charter School was not a good fit. The district rep is worried about Holland's behavioral issues; the principal is concerned they won't be able to meet his academic needs. I brought up Holland's current school behavior, how he's not the one throwing chairs, running out of the room or needing physical restraint; he's the only student in his class that qualifies for the summer program based on academics and not on behavior. They are worried about withdrawl when he is frustrated with the academics (his withdrawl looks like him putting his head down on the desk and not working. What kid NOT on an IEP hasn't done that?). The principal said that the teacher would most likely not be able to adopt a whole new curriculum for just one student.

I basically get no support from his current school. If I decide to pursue placement at the Charter School, they will not help me. The district rep wants to keep him at his current program. I do not want him around kids with that kind of behavior. I do not want him doing busy-work. I don't want him doing a sight-based reading program that takes every word out of context. The placement I want, they don't want; the placement they want, I don't want. It was suggested that he could do a transitional program in the mornings and then go to the charter school in the afternoons for the hands-on activities. But after considering this, I felt the settings would be so different that he wouldn't be able to adjust to such opposite expectations.

This afternoon, I emailed a former co-worker about my situation. When I taught at a deaf school, she was the special education teacher there. When her kids were born, she quit teaching and now homeschools her two children. She started up a program that links homeschooling families with the local science museum. She also helped write a charter for a school in our city that pairs the idea of homeschooling within a structured school setting. I asked her what she thought I should do. She thought with Holland's special needs that he was in a program that wasn't addressing his current learning abilities and also wasn't recognizing his need to build and create. The whole reason I want him at the charter school is for the hands-on approach; the whole body learning experience. What she made me realize, is that once again, I'm the one who can provide what he needs. Now that his mood is regulated, we can focus on the learning part. I'm hoping to supplement homeschooling with classes at the homeschooling charter school. If we got in full-time, it would mean being able to meet with an educational support person weekly to monitor progress and help with the academics.

I know that his current program is not going to like me pulling him out of there. They think he needs the socialization (what public school doesn't frown upon the 'socialization' needs of a homeschooled child?) and that he would get more benefit out of a transitional program. I do not feel that way. I want him in a place that he will be able to move about, and explore and experience nature and science. So for now, I will keep Romania at the environmental science charter school, homeschool Holland and use the homeschooling charter school as a supplement program.

This next school year looks nothing like what I pictured last year. I will again have two kids in two different locations, getting out at two different times. Oh, the craziness of education.

My Nice Quiet Afternoon

Ha ha ha ha! I am laughing just reading my own title. When does a mother ever have a nice quiet afternoon? After getting Holland on his bus and taking Romania to his school, Egypt and I ran some errands. I needed to get a portable CD player for a new audio program we are trying out through Holland's OT. I also stopped at Toys R Us to look for a stroller that can carry a child weighing more than 40 pounds. I've been thinking I will need to have a larger stroller on hand when Egypt's arthritis flairs up again and she can't walk. Then I stopped at the bank.

Egypt and I came home, colored, read and ate some lunch. She then set up her pillow and blankets on the couch downstairs and decided to nap. I've let her do this before, but she never sleeps. Today she actually slept. So it was no surprise with a quiet house and a sleeping child, that the phone should ring and someone from Romania's school would tell me that he was throwing up and having diarrhea. Holland would get out of school in 30 minutes so I had to call them and tell them not to put him on the bus. Then I had to wake up Egypt and pack her in the van, drive to pick up Holland and then drive over to Romania's school. His face was ashen white and he was sitting in front of the boy's bathroom with a garbage can in front of him in case he needed to throw up again. Poor guy. It took him all of 5 minutes to fall asleep in the car.

He woke up when we got home and asked if he could play. I told him he needed to rest and once on his bed, all snuggled with blankets and "The Cricket in Times Square" audiobook, he fell asleep again.

What was I going to do today?

Our Molly

Today I took our cat Molly to the vet. Back in January, I thought she was a goner for sure. She hadn't eaten in four days and I just figured it was kidney failure like Millicent 1 1/2 years ago. I fed her through a syringe for a week and gave her medicine three times a day for 10 days. She actually perked back up. We were all shocked. She looked healthy. She started sleeping on the end of our bed. Super-hero dad said he thought she was a different cat. Of course, that's one of the legendary 9 lives of cats. Her personality changed when her sister died, but this was different. It was like we invited a new cat to live with us.

Well, it's happened again. She was eating a little each day, but throwing up every couple of days. It's just awful to see an animal suffer. Today the vet said she had lost 3 pounds since he saw her four months ago. He felt her abdomen and said there was a walnut sized growth. They could biopsy it, but whatever it was, they would have to do surgery to remove it. I can't do that. She's 16 years old. I don't want her to be in pain. So, we are saying goodbye to Molly this weekend and I will take her in next week.

I can't believe I will be animal-less.

All Gone

The "cupcakes" were devoured in less than two days. So today I made a cake. It used a regular cake mix and then you throw in 1 cup of pumpkin. Isn't it great? Now my kids eat vegetables.

A Shameless Ploy

So how DO you get vegetables into kids? All three of my kids used to eat anything, and I mean anything I put in front of them. Then, at whatever age, they would decide they didn't like something. A food they had just eaten yesterday was suddenly 'gross'. What is up with that? Romania used to eat Green Chili Enchiladas. He loved them. Now, food cannot touch any other food on his plate. Thank goodness great-grandma gave him a food tray with separate compartments so no food is contaminated by another food. I have already explained how it all gets together in his stomach. No dice. He's also the worst vegetable eater on the planet. He kindly answers "no thank you" when something new is on his plate. Well, at least he's polite.

Holland is getting better (shock!) about eating new things. I made a delicious chicken with proscuitto ham and provolone cheese wrapped around it. Romania cried when he saw what was for dinner. I knew things had taken a turn for the worst when someone asked "what are WE having for dinner?" when they saw what I was cooking. I just say "see you at breakfast" when they don't like what I've cooked.

Today super-hero dad took the boys to the lake cabin. He's looking for flat rocks for our neverending backyard landscaping project. It's raining here (what else would it be doing on a holiday?) and I didn't feel like debating our outdoor activities with Egypt, so we stayed home. There's a lot to do when the weather's good there. But not much for a three year old in the rain. We've had a great day. I did some sewing, a little laundry, we did puzzles and read books. But my greatest achievement came while she was sleeping. I checked out a book at the library by Jessica Seinfeld. She wrote this cookbook about how to sneak veggies into your kid's food without them knowing. I know. I know. Horrible that you have to resort to sneakiness. But at this point, I really don't care. As long as I can get it in them, does it really matter if they know it or not?

Last week I made frozen yogurt pops for them. They loved them. Easy enough because they drink the fruit smoothies I make with blueberries and strawberries. So I had a can of pumpkin puree and had bought yellow squash. I'll admit. It's not my favorite vegetable. But it's less scary than say, spinach or beets. I thought I'd better start with a dessert to ease them into it. By the time Egypt woke up from her nap, she smelled what I had baked and asked about it. I said, "get some clean clothes on and come down for a cupcake!" She was so excited. She helped me add the chocolate chips to the last bunch of mini cupcakes to put in the oven. The larger ones were cooled, so I gave her one. Yes, they're quite orange. But kids usually don't turn their noses up at pumpkin. The squash was an added bonus. There's even a recipe for cream cheese frosting - mine came with that. I cannot believe how good they were. No eggs. There's probably enough binder in the squash and pumpkin. And just 1/2 cup of brown sugar. We'll see if the boys like them, but I'm pretty sure they'll be fooled, uh, I mean, they'll love them.

Next I'm going to try baking some doughnuts (with pumpkin and sweet potato), blueberry lemon muffins (with squash), baked egg puff (with squash) and chicken nuggets (with sweet potato). I may actually have to purchase this cookbook.

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis information

You would never guess by looking at her that Egypt has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. The injection yesterday has given her complete use of her knee again. The swelling is still apparent, but she is active again and very happy. I've felt the need to give out more information about JRA, because whenever I've explained to people over these past few weeks that my daughter has arthritis, they look at me like I'm nuts. "That's an old people's disease!" they declare. "Are you sure your doctor didn't mean bursitis?" So here is a link to more information about how many children (an estimated 300,000children in the U.S.) are affected by some form of arthritis or rheumatic disease.

There is also a Race for CARRA (Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance) coming up on June 8th, if you're in Portland, Oregon. The doctor treating Egypt is on the board of this organization. Find a link to CARRA's website here and here's a link to the fundraising race/walk on June 8th. The cutie who is the "grand marshall" this year was diagnosed with systemic arthritis 3 years ago. It affected her entire body within three days of onset. Please consider either joining the race/walk or donating to this very important research.

First Injection a Success!

Today was the big day. Going to the hospital for Egypt's first cortisone injection. My mom came over at 7.30 this morning to come with us. Egypt couldn't have anything to eat after 3 this morning (do they even realize what they are saying? What. Am I going to wake her up to feed her something?) But she could have clear liquids up until 7. I went in to her room just before 7 to check on her. I didn't want to wake her up, but if she was awake I wanted to give her some apple juice to tide her over. Luckily, she was awake. She never asked for breakfast (phew!) and just seemed a little sleepy on the car ride over.

Parking was a breeze. Must be because we were there at 8.30 in the morning! I knew right where to go because of all of Holland's previous doctor appointments and surgery back in January. I filled out paperwork and then we were called back to the little waiting room to get weighed, temperature taken and heart rate checked. The anesthesiologist was very nice. He explained the possible side affects and told me he didn't want me in the room where they would do the injection. He said if kids have a bad reaction to being put under, the last thing he wants them to see is mom standing there doing nothing. So we hugged and kissed and she was handed to a nurse. The doctor said the whole thing would take 10 minutes.

True to his word, he came out to the atrium 10 minutes later and said the injection went smoothly. He was, however, disappointed that he was unable to remove any fluid from the site. This means that the swelling is due to soft tissue inflammation and will prevent the swelling from going down right away. We were able to go right back and see her. She was pretty loopy from the anesthesia and she kept asking for food. I was able to rock with her for a few minutes and then we were kicked out. That was the only negative thing about the whole process. There was another family scheduled to come in right behind us. There was barely 10 minutes of "recovery" time. I had to hurriedly put her pants back on and get out. The next time we do this, I will be asking for a few more minutes, or at least another room we can go sit in before we have to jump in the car and drive off.

She could still have other joints become affected so I am to watch her other knee and also her ankles. We're praying for another three to six months of pain-free living. She was walking pretty tender on it for a few hours (the injection itself can cause discomfort) but by early afternoon, she had come to me and showed off her new ability to walk without limping! Praise God! I can't believe how fast it took. Before long, she was running around the house and yelling at the boys. Great to be back to normal.

A 7 year-old's worldview

Yesterday I took Romania and Egypt to the dentist. He didn't have school because the kids were to do a community service project. (More on that later). They were able to squeeze us in this morning.

The dentist said that he would be doing an x-ray of Romania's teeth. He showed Romania the little white squares, explained how to bite down and showed him the machine that would take the picture. Romania asked if he should smile for the picture! Classic.

We also got into discussing our state's recent Primary election. The hygenist jokingly asked if Romania had voted and we were all surprised when he said "yes." She went along with this and said "Who did you vote for?"
His reply? "Obama!"
"What? How do you know who that is?"
"Some boy on the bus was talking about a woman named Clinton and he said he liked Obama."

Doesn't God give great teachable moments?