ADHD

Well, I realize that I've not posted in a long a$$ time. WOW. After Dustin started Kindergarten we took him to the doctor and had him diagnosed with ADHD. Most everyone I spoke with regarding this step in his life was against medication. However, I take antidepressants and have been on them since before he was born. So, I take medication every day. If it helps... why should we have to suffer through it. I always view medication like having an epidural during labor. I know that I can give natural child birth... I know I can withstand the pain... how do I know this? Women have been giving birth since the dawn of time... and I've been pregnant and delivered children. This stands to reason that I could also handle the pain... i.e. I wouldn't die from it... but WHY? If there's a better option... an easier route if you will... why would I needlessly suffer? That makes no sense. That's like having the means to buy warm clothes during the winter but deciding to wear shorts or something just to prove you can. It's dumb... this is just my opinion. Anyway, I digress... we put Dustin on medication... despite all of the people that gave me odd looks that told me they thought it was a bad idea. But, the beautiful thing about being a parent... is I get to call the shots... :) Even my hubby disdained the idea that we put him on medication. Guess what?... it's a little under two months later and he's on board... why? Because Dustin is responding to it beautifully. I say he's like night and day... but that's not true... it's more like dusk and night. Meaning... he's still himself... it's just softer. My best example is his coloring... okay... before now he would color all over the page and it was hard to follow what was going on... now he colors in lines... he takes more time... he's calmer... more focused. So, to me this means that he's able to do things he wasn't able before... like pay more attention to school work... and let's be honest... with his speech delay... he really needs to be able to focus during school. I'm thrilled with his progress. He's such a bright boy and he loves school. I'm not sure if he'll have to repeat Kindergarten again because I believe his ADHD inpaired his ability to learn but I suppose I'll make that decision closer to the end of the year. I want Dustin to feel equal with his peers... so if we're going to hold him back... Kindergarten would be the time rather than in 3rd grade or whatever. Bug is such an amazing little guy. He's got such a big heart and he really is so smart. I hate that he has to battle such things at such a young age. It's hard but I'm doing my best to try and shelter him from the stigma of being behind.

Kindergarten

Well we survived the first week of school. Monday was exceptionally brutal... probably more so for me than Dustin. Although Dustin did cry and that ripped my heart out. I think it was more the reality that my baby is really going to grow up and leave me eventually. It's just one step closer to the time when he's no longer mine. I know he's not really mine, it's more like God let me borrow him temporarily to watch over him until he's able to do so himself. So, that reality is always such a let down to me. Because they are my babies and my angels. (Of course as I write this Dustin is torturing Dakota so he's been screeching all morning which is wonderful). I wish they could always be mine because I'm selfish like that. I think when you become a mother you fall so much in love with your children that over time it becomes difficult to let them grow up. It's traumatic for the mother or is in my case. Luckily Tuesday went much better as did the rest of the week. Dustin actually seemed to be enjoying it and doesn't seem to mind it anymore. I'm glad I decided to be the one to take him for the first week. It was important to be there to support him emotionally. Now that he is more acclimated I believe it should be fine for Darrell to begin taking him next week. Of course it turns out that Darrell left Tuesday night to go visit his brother near Waco so I would've had to take Dustin to school regardless. But, I'm just glad it had been my plan all along. It was good for me to see what his schedule/surroundings are like. I'm glad I was able to meet his teacher and see what his classroom is like with all of the kids there. (Dustin and I had attended meet the teacher night.... but being there during the first week of school was different). Dustin has collapsed every night after school because it is such an adjustment to his previous schedule. So, he's definitely been going to bed without us turning his TV on. What's funny is last night I let him have the TV on because it was Friday night but he passed out in like 20 minutes because he was so exhausted from the week's schedule. So, we made it through week one... luckily I have some time before my other two babies go to Kindergarten.

Everything to Everyone

Do you ever feel so stretched sometimes in so many different directions it's difficult to keep track of all the threads? That's sort of how I feel at the moment. However, it's not the number of threads and directions that has me irritated... it's my ability to perfect them all. I feel like I've been "stubbing my toe" in certain areas and have not mastered everything that I should have already workwise and it's bothering me more than I could say. I feel like having to basically be CEO of a household (remembering everything for everyone) and maintaining all the little details (couponing, cleaning, paying bills), etc. have prevented me from being as productive as I want to be in other areas. I feel like I've done so much better in recent weeks in terms of budgeting and watching our spending. I've spent a lot of time couponing and doing other various activities to save money now and in the future. I've seen some small changes and it's been good. I started working out 5-6 weeks ago... haven't seen any changes there... but I feel better so that's good. My house has been in pretty good shape for weeks now (let's not talk about my car). But, I do this one process at work and it started a few months ago. It's not perfect and I'm not perfect at it and that drives me freaking bananas. I sort of want to pull my hair out in frustration with myself. I know that I should have a little more patience with myself perhaps... but I'm sort of beyond that. I'm told that I have a lack of empathy and that definitely includes myself. Meaning I'll give anyone a little to a lot of wiggle room in some areas... but there comes a point when excuses (I'm new at this) or whatever are enough. So, this month better be different or I'm going to vote myself off my own island.

Things that Should REALLY be on a BABY Registry

Okay, so when I first found out my boss was carrying her first child I threw together these pictures of things that should really be on a baby registry because I thought there was some element of truth for those of us with children already and because it amused the hell out of me.

Valium... for us or for them... either way works.

Four foot tongs... you're going to need these to handle anything nasty... so you'll need these a lot with a new baby.

A "play pen" If CPS swings by you may want to say this is for the dog. This is more convincing if you actually own a dog.

This is self explanatory... also helpful if you actually own a dog.

A Hazmat suit... so many uses... not enough space to list them all.

Ear plugs... for when they just won't "shut up"

"Bottles" I don't drink... but if I did I would probably have a lot of these. :)

So, that's my twisted sense of humor.

The Things we Forget

I always think about the things my children do now that are so adorable. However, due to the passing of time I'll undoubtedly forget. Such as the fact that my middle son, Dakota, calls pancakes "cancakes." Or the fact that my youngest son Daxton rocks himself in his car seat on his own. Earlier this weekend I sad a bad word and my eldest, Dustin, looked me right in the eye and said, "Excuse you." Of course this is what I say to him when he says something he's not supposed to. So, I forced to apologize because that's what you are supposed to do when you say something you aren't supposed to. :P This 4th of July weekend was full of plenty of things I'm probably going to forget and all of it was so wonderful. Dustin and his Uncle Gerald cavorted in our mini pool and had water fights. I even jumped in on this full clothed in sweat pants and all. We did smores for the first time as a famiy and tonight we did fireworks and Dustin and Dakota held sparklers for the first time. Obviously my Dad and I held their hands as well. Earlier today I took all 3 of my boys to our friend JT's house for a massive fourth of July AA blowout. My kids and I were out there for 5 hours. I kept dousing them in water to cool them off. Eventually their shirts came off. There was a bounce house. They were covered in sand, sweat, chocolate, cheetos, soda, and anything else you can imagine. They pitched a fit when it was time to go but passed out in the car on the way home. I did hose them off before we got in the house due to their dirty state of being. It's 11:00 p.m. and they are down the hall barely in bed because we did fireworks. Of course Dustin had to use the restroom five minutes ago and so they are both awake. Daxton JUST passed out beside me. And my house is only half clean. My house has paid the price with all the fun we've had this summer. The house cleaning has completely fallen by the wayside. :P I've had so much fun spending time outdoors with the boys. I believe they've also really enjoyed it as well. Happy 4th of July everyone.

The World According to Dax

Life rules when you wake up and party with Mom on a Wednesday night. Dax woke up and we hung out. He's got it so rough... hang out with Mommy, cuddle with Mommy, play with brothers. He lays on the ground in what I call his sphinx pose and watches the world around him. You can tell that he's anxious to get up and join the fun of his older brothers. I have to say that of all my children Dax is probably the most spoiled and yes it's because he's the baby. I never really believed that until I had my own 'baby' of the family. But, just like my other babies, he'll get away with murder cause I'm a push over. :)

This is an ultimate favorite...


If you see this guy, run, he's armed and dangerous.

I'm contemplating what to do next.

Oh yeah... smile

This Week So Far: NO Casualties of War

So, I have to tell this story because it was out if left field. I was too aggravated last weekend to really discuss this on my blog because I would not have had anything nice to say. So, last Friday my husband thought that the cat was looking a little under the weather (later found out she was probably a little dehydrated) and he decided that it must be fleas biting her that is making her look sick. So he grabbed the DOG flea medication and put it on the cat sometime Friday during the day. DOG flea medication? Yes, that's what I said... anyway around 10 p.m. I was looking at the cat and she was drooling uncontrollably. I thought she had an infected tooth because when I inspected her mouth she kept pulling her face away like she was in pain. Anyway, about 2 hours later around midnight I heard something pound on my bedroom door. So, I went into the hallway and my cat was foaming at the mouth. A few moments later I saw her having seizures. I freaked out (my husband was at work at this time). I rounded up the kids (barefoot and still in diapers) and threw them in the car. We went to the ER vet and ended up spending $500 to correct this blunder. I was so pissed I couldn't even see straight. Now that the cat is fine I can find some humor in the situation. However, I would NOT recommend this as a way to get on your wife's good side.


Dakota also left his mark twice this week by pooping in his pants after I put him to bed and then proceeding to stick his hands in it and then smeared it all over his bed. Then second time he did it he got a spanking. He also threw and entire bag of crackers into my briefcase all over my work laptop. That was awesome.