Apple Picking Time!

After the boys got home from school, we went in our backyard to pick some apples! The boys always love this activity because they get to climb on ladders or even climb the tree branches! This year there was an added bonus....our neighbor's horse was nearby so we fed him apples as well! Love it! Here are some photos of Logan...Carson's photos will be posted soon! Enjoy!

Wonderful evening with the boys!

Silly Mom & Logan  (Carson is photographer)

 So, for those of you who missed it, I recently quit my job as a pharmacist and became a stay-at-home mom to our two crazy boys! To be honest with you all, I was scared to death to have quit my job...I was in tears! I knew it was the right thing to do, but I was very scared...scared that I would just be a crazy, screaming and hollering kind of stay-at-home mom. Our boys have had their own set of behavioral challenges and I was afraid that I wasn't up for the challenge.

Silly mom & Carson (Logan is photographer) 

It has been 5 weeks since my last day of work and I am happy to report that I am LOVING my new job!!  I am getting tons of stuff done (I've redecorated and painted Logan's room, re-stained the outside play structure, helped to add additional wood chips to the play area outside, yard work, touch-up painted the entire interior of the house, cleaned out the garage and computer room, donated to Goodwill and have gone to the gym about 5 times a week (and have lost 7 pounds....YAY for me!)), am here for the boys before and after their 1/2 days school programs and became a soccer mom (with 4 days of either practices or games a week between the two boys)!!  WOW....that's a lot of stuff for 5 weeks!

This past summer we started working with a behavioral therapist through The Institute for Family Development (recommended by our developmental pediatrician) to tackle some of the boys' behavior challenges.   When we started, I was depressed and very down on my parenting abilities and was completely overwhelmed on how to even begin to tackle these issues.  After some hard and persistent work with the therapist, I have become more confident in my parenting abilities and now have a better plan for how to handle the boys.  This is HUGE and it has made a significant difference in my ability to happily be home with the boys.  I am very thankful for Hannah's help! 

Our home life has become more organized and relaxed and you can really see a HUGE difference in the boys and in our home!

So, one thing that I started doing (idea from our therapist) was giving the boys poker chips for doing certain things that I WANT to see (not peeing their bed, brushing their teeth WITHOUT complaining, staying in their room at bedtime and for any little things that I see throughout the day that deserve recognition).  The boys collect their poker chips in a small jar and when the jar has been filled, they get to go to the dollar store and buy ONE item.  Pretty simple, huh?  Well, let me tell you, the boys are bending over backwards for poker chips!  They are picking up each other's clothes off the ground, being nice and helpful to each other (most of the time) and helping mom when asked to help!  And....it "costs" me ONE DOLLAR!  YIKES...I should have started this eons ago!  Amazing...

So, tonight I made dinner and dessert (I rarely make dessert).  The boys gobbled up their dinner and were anxious to have some of that yummy chocolate dessert that mom made.  But, I got clever....there were dishes all over the kitchen and dishes in the dishwasher that needed to be put away.  I told the boys that if they help me with the dishes then they could have some dessert.  They BOTH say, "OK mom!"  Hmmm....really?  You're going to help me?  You guys ROCK!  So, we all started tackling the dishwasher and before I knew it, Carson was hand washing some pots and pans and Logan was spraying down the counters with 409!  OMG!!  I was in heaven!  All over dessert?  Really?  I ought to make dessert more often!

After the boys helped clean the kitchen and ate their dessert (and Carson even hand-delivered a bowl of dessert to dad BEFORE he served himself...are these really my children??), we had to pick out Logan's clothes for school pictures tomorrow (he really wanted to wear his tie...he's going to be so cute!) and then we hung out in Logan's room and read books.  The boys went and got the big cushy pillows from the playroom and we put them on Logan's big bed and we all contentedly read books and talked about tractors and dinosaurs!  It was so much fun!  In one of the books I was reading them, it said something about the "United States" and Logan pipes in and says, "of America, mom!"  Is was so cute!  Then before I knew it, Carson puts his hand over his heart and starts reciting the Pledge of Allegiance!  It was all very priceless and it was by far one of the best evenings I have had with the boys in a long time!  Loved it!

So, if you need to change some of your child's behaviors, I recommend poker chips and chocolate...it works for me!

Time for Carson's IEP Re-evaluation

It's time for Carson to be re-evaluated for his IEP (individualized education plan), which by law has to be done every 3 years. I have been extremely anxious about this whole thing for a number of reasons.

1) As much as I would love for Carson to not have an IEP, my gut tells me he still needs one. He is coming from a special ed preschool classroom with about 20 students, 2 teachers and 4 para educators to a Kindergarten classroom with 20 students, 1 teacher and 1 special education teacher available (not in the classroom all the time). This makes me very nervous...nervous for how my little boy is going to do in this environment. Is it too much for him? Can he hold himself together AND still learn?? Of course his requalification time is by his 6th birthday (in October) and he's been in the classroom for all of about 1 month...and this is all of the observation time they have had to make decisions on whether he qualifies or not? I'm sure he's just getting warmed up with the teacher, the routine and the expectations....and hasn't begun to show his true colors yet! How is he going to handle himself when the work gets tougher?? or when the classroom becomes too overstimulating for him?? or when he can't sit still in his chair??

2) I just went through a big battle with the school district last year to get Logan qualified for preschool and to be honest with you, it took a lot out of me! I was ready to take them to court over the issue and to be honest, I don't want to have to fight that hard every time there is a battle (or re-qualification).

3) School is only going to get harder, don't boot him out of having help now! And, he is only in 1/2 day Kindergarten and requiring 2 1/2 to 3 hours of nap every afternoon. What's life in his world going to be like when he's in 1st grade and isn't able to take a nap?? YIKES!! Wanna see some behavior, wait til then!

So, having had all of these worries going into my day today, Carson had an appointment today at the Autism Center at Children's Hospital today (and many, many thank you's to my friend Mary who watched Logan so I wouldn't have to take both boys with me!) and I was asking the doctor about the IEP requalification process. Carson was given a diagnosis of PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder...on the autism spectrum) and ADHD about 1 1/2 years ago. Did we have to reprove our diagnosis again when it is IEP requalification time? She said that when you are given such a diagnosis, it goes with you for life (it might impact you differently throughout life, but it's still their diagnosis)...you don't have to prove it again! Ahhh, sigh of relief from me! See, with a PDD diagnosis, you automatically qualify for an IEP...Ahhh, another sigh of relief!

As luck would have it I also got a phonecall from the school psychologist. After asking a lot of questions about what's involved in this "re-qualification", it sounds like they are preliminarily (nothing's for sure til I see it in writing) wanting to continue to serve Carson with an IEP...Ahhh, yes another sigh of relief! They just need to figure out how best to serve him, which would be the purpose of the testing and observations that will take place in the coming weeks.

I sure don't need an BS'ing on this stuff. I just want them to be straight shooters and give my son the help he needs and deserves!

So, having started my day with a lot of anxieties about this process, I have some relief that it will all work out! Will update more as it occurs...

Logan's New Room

I finally got the energy to redecorate Logan's room! His room has been the nursery theme (mint green with pastel Winnie the Pooh) ever since he was a baby. And, Logan isn't a baby anymore (will turn 4 years old next month)!! Several months ago, I was checking out stuff at Value Village and I came across all 6 of these pictures and I grabbed them! As a matter of fact, I just went into the store to look for an old microwave to replace a play microwave at daycare that Carson broke (another story) so I didn't even grab a cart! When I saw these prints, I grabbed them as quickly as I could (yes, 6 of them) and I could barely carry them to go grab a cart! But, you know how it is at thrift stores, if you don't grab it when you see it, it might not be there when you get back! It was a pretty funny sight watching me waddle my way to a cart, but darn it, I wasn't putting them down! LOL!! So, then I started looking around the store for other things that might match the prints. Before I knew it, I had a dust ruffle (King size which I altered to be a Queen size), a bedspread (a duvet cover which we'll just use as a bedspread for now), a curtain (another duvet cover, which I altered to become curtains and a cute little pillow sham)! And, the best part??? I spent UNDER $50 for all these items! I was so excited! Unfortunately, his mint green paint in his room just wasn't going to cut it, so his room had to be repainted to this light blue (which I did all by myself!! YAY Mom!).

These pictures are super sturdy...Super sturdy is what we need in our house!

After I painted, I went around the room and stamped these transportation themed vehicles onto the wall (I already had the stamps, so no money spent there!) Aren't they cute??

Here are the altered curtains! I had to use a spring loaded curtain rod because Logan has a track history of pulling the curtains down (yep, nails in the wall and all!...holes in the wall don't make momma too happy)

We still have Logan's crib in his room (converted to a daybed) which he still sleeps in until he quits wetting the bed (much easier to wash crib sheets, etc., than a queen size bed full of sheets, mattress cover, etc). It's in his room in case we have any guests who are brave enough to sleep in Logan's room with him!

I was super excited with how the room turned out! Logan was excited too! Now let's hope that Logan can take care of it! (a mommy can hope, right??)