Cracking the whip

I started taking a parenting class a few weeks ago. I saw a flyer for it and called to inquire. It's technically the class one would take when the courts order it so you can keep your kids or get them back. I told the woman why I was wanting to take it and she said it could do me a lot of good so come on in and give it a try!

The reason I wanted to take it was Joshy was  kicking my rear on a daily basis with his bad behavior. It seemed like nothing I did for discipline worked. He would literally come off a time out and go immediately back to what he was put on time out for!

At the first class we had to take an assessment. Wow, what validation I received! The 2nd class, after she'd scored the assessment she told me that I tested better than any other person she's ever tested, even better than her own score (she's like Carol Brady, three hers, three his for a total of 6 in the household). Boy did that make me feel good.

The next class we had to hand in homework, the family rules. I made mine more for the adults to be able to follow. It gives the rule, how many warnings they may or may not receive, the discipline and restitution. She shared it with the class as to how excellent it is (though not kid friendly) to help keep us consistent. I've always said our problem is lack of consistency. While discussing this she told the class that I am a really good parent, I know what I'm doing and what needs to be done. My problem is that I've been inconsistent and I know it. Once I get consistent, things will fall into place. Wow, what a great feeling. I might add that this is a small class and all but one person is there on their own accord for reasons such as my own (wanting to better themselves as parents and/or get ideas on how to handle a situation that is not getting better).

Anyway, last week I was cleaning the house and after I cleaned a huge mess of dirty out of the bathroom (they play in the dirt then get it all over the bathroom when they go to wash their hands/face) they messed it up again with dirt and water all over the floor. They took out all my towels and wash clothes from the cabinet and had them all over the dirty wet floor.

They were made to clean it all up, all three of them and then go on their time outs. I took pictures of my slave labor :)  LOL

Jackson update

It's amazing how often you can ask for help and just as you say it or they arrive, you don't need it anymore!! Jackson was ordered physical therapy for his low muscle tone that we knew was due to his small size and low nutrition. I called early intervention to set this up back in June and all in all it took about 2 months for his first true appt with Angie, his PT. His goals that were set up were to be able to sit without assistance. He turned 9 months and still was not sitting unsupported and his time sitting with support was limited. He is to get on his hands with straight arms, knees and crawl. He is to pull to standing and take a few step unassisted and more steps while holding onto someone's hands.

Angie seems to be a magical wand as every time she has come over, he does something he hasn't done before!!

Yesterday was his first appt. Already he is sitting up by himself, clapping his hands, he's not crawling but both arms are extended now and he's getting up and rocking on his knees. He's also attempting to pull himself to standing!! Angie was impressed, way to go Jacky!!!

Can we all just say a collective OMG?!

Sonquest Rainforest VBS

Last Sunday I was checking the message board on my playgroup and saw that vacation bible school was starting in the morning at a local Baptist church and no pre-registration was required so just stop on by. It's from 3yrs - 6th grade. I was psyched that Joshy could go so that next morning, we were up, dressed, fed and to the church by 9am. It was a huge hit! The boys loved it. Wednesday was a little rough on Josh for some reason. He didn't want to leave home, then didn't want to get out of the car and then didn't want to go into the building. I dropped him off into his room and he screamed for less than 15mins and was fine the rest of the time and for the final 2 days. For him we called it school and that in itself I think did the trick.

Tonight was their end of the week program. My mom and sister came down to see the kids perform and oh man, they both did GREAT! I have video of their performances. The end song was all the kids K-6th grade but I had Josh go up too. Every day I'd pick up Josh first then go into the church where all the rest of the kids (K-6th) were practicing their songs...Joshy picked up on it and loved it so he was able to join the bigger kids and I think he did amazing given his age and limited exposure to the song/movements :) To see the lyrics and original movements you can click here The original recording of the songs are here

Here they are coming into church...

The opening song:

Here's Joshy's song

Here's Joey's song


The grand finale both boys...

Summer is fast coming to an end

July was hectic to say the least. Every day there was something going on with Joey and during the week of the 12th it was two things every day. It was tiring and I'm glad it's over, but I miss it too. I'm sad that we've only got a month and a few days before school starts and my life changes forever. It will never be the same once Joey starts all day kindergarten.

In a couple weeks I'm going to have to start getting up about the same time as hubby leaves for work in the morning, 5-5:30am. At that time I can have some quiet time to myself, shower and get dressed for the day. Make Joey's lunch and start breakfast for the boys. Get Joey up by 6:30am, fed, showered and dressed. The other boys up around the same time and at least diapers changed and get them dressed appropriately for taking Joey to school. They can eat with Joey or when we get home, doesn't really matter.

Joey's dropped off at school before 8am then we come home. My time now to clean, do laundry, get the kids dressed that aren't already, get Josh ready for school, serve lunch, get Josh on the bus. Wednesdays Josh is home all day and Joey is home at 11:30am or 2pm depending on school's schedule. Tuesday we have PT for Jackson, Thursdays ST for Jon and Jackson. Friday morning grandma comes to care for Jackson and Josh in the morning while Jon and I go to Mommy and Me preschool. Joey is then picked up at 3pm and Josh gets home, on the bus, at some time around 3:20pm I'm guessing.

The days that my bff has to work I will also be bringing her daughter home with me so I'll have 5 kids for awhile. On Tuesdays she's going to come home with me and then she and Joey will be going to swimming class. Wednesdays though September only I have a class from 3:30pm-5pm. I don't have a clue how that's going to work? Joey wants to play soccer again this fall. Gotta find him a team (probably the YMCA).

I'm just exhausted thinking about it all and yet excited to have a schedule to run my life. I'm praying that this schedule will be only for the good for all of us.

Until then we just have to enjoy the great weather when we can. I'm not complaining, I love the heat over cold any day. However, the humidity here has been atrocious. The kids are red and sweaty after only 15-30mins of play some days. I can't breath outside!  LOL I am not looking forward to winter. I think the driving the kids to and from school in the winter is going to be a nightmare but I am looking for a slight cool down, at least in the humidity.

At Jackson's 9 month well baby check up he was .... 13lbs 8oz and 25" long. I have a very old 4 month old! He's healthy though, just needs to bulk up the weight and we're using solids (no teeth) to do that. Poly-Vi-Sol with Iron too, she's sure he's anemic. Nothing serious though thank you God.

Preschool and glasses!!!!

I just have to start with an OMG... what a week and it's only Tuesday!!!

Yesterday morning was nothing but then at 12:30pm I had to pick up BFF's daughter and take her and Joey to safety school by 1pm. Came home then picked up Joey and Kasia at 3pm. Stopped at Walmart to price check SpaceBags then home. Got Kasia ready for ballet and dropped her off there at 4pm. Came home, searched high and low for Joey's T-ball tee shirt then got him dinner and to T-ball before 6pm. Met up with BFF and Kasia, kept Kasia while Bff went to Pilates. Watched Joey's T-ball game then BFF picked up Kasia and we went home. Got the kids into bed and I read a couple chapters before falling asleep about 9:30pm.

Jim woke me this morning to tell me he was leaving early so the kids won't hear him and wake up, so I can sleep in. I couldn't sleep in though, had to get up and get out the door before 8am as Joey had school. Jon woke up under the weather so I gave him some Motrin since I don't have time for a sick kid and proceeded to vomit it as he was going to the table to eat breakfast! Got Joey to school about a minute late. Lucky for me the principal and another teacher?? were still out there waiting on stragglers so I didn't have to get everyone out of the car and walk him in. I got home after dropping him off and cleaned up the house a little. Bff got here at 9:20, I finished cleaning some then took Jon and Josh to pick up Joey and the 3 of us went to the evaluation for Josh. He has a speech articulation problem and I was getting him tested for speech therapy. After the initial interview I was told his bad behavior might not just be terrible 2's and horrible 3's so they brought in the school psychologist too.Turns out he is a very bright little boy (figured he was probably bored and NEEDED school for stimulation!) His speech tested within normal limits for his age but his articulation was delayed. The ST who did the eval was Joey's ST when he was in Early Childhood. She said it's funny how all Josh's artic problems are the same ones that Joey had. I had told them that initially, that he picked up Joey's bad habits and wasn't correcting. While he was working with the ST and EC specialists I went off with the school psychologist and discussed his behavior issues. Turns out his behavior is NOT normal 2-3yr old stuff and more than qualified him for the EC program. This is GREAT news because now he can go to school 4 days a week and get help in dealing with his anger/behavior issues instead of me sending him to private preschool that won't tolerate his behavior and is only 2 days a week. One major issue though is it's the afternoon class and he's out of school at 3pm (so is Joey!) Great thing is the school he's going to has an integrated 4K program so if he still needs services next year he can go to their 4K program AND get the services he needs. If he only needs speech then they can do that at what will be his regular school in their 4K program!

After the evaluation I was supposed to pick up BFF, Kasia and Jackson and take Joey to get his glasses. However, the eval took two hours instead of one so we didn't have time for that. We all got lunch then dropped Joey and Kasia off at Safety school. I went home, let Jon nap until we had to pile back into the car to pick up Joey. After getting Joey we went up to pick up his glasses!!

OMG he's so happy and so excited about them. As soon as we got into the place he went up to these two older ladies who were customers sitting with a sales person and told them all that he was there to pick up his glasses! LOL Here he is trying them on... Josh is tired, I had to wake him to bring him in with us.

 

So proud of my big guy!!

 

So tired after his very long couple of days!!!

Inadvertent trouble

Joey and Josh are by far my biggest climbers. They have no fear. Ok, well Joshy does until he's comfortable with his surrounds and/or ability then he's fearless. One of their worst things right now is the back yard. We have a 6' privacy fence around all of it except for the deck area. They started to squeeze though the posts on the deck (Bosco was too!) so I used screen and wove it around the posts. That worked just fine until this year. they started to pull the screen off and we used plywood and just nailed it up. No squeezing though a solid piece of plywood! Then, since that was now useless to fight they got really brave. The opposite end of the deck has a bench seat built into it. They climb onto the bench and just climb over the railing using the bench for footing, then the deck floor is the next step then the landscaping is freedom! It's a major PITA and daddy needs to rig something up to put a stop to it...

Today things went really wrong. I went outside and yelled for Joshy to get back inside the yard. He starts climbing up the deck, gets to the bench seat and is screaming, holding on for dear life and trying to protect his face... yelling at the bugs to leave him alone. I take a closer look and he's being swarmed by wasps! I surmise from him that he was stung in or on the eye and it's hurting him unbelievably. I run over to him and with all my adrenaline lift him over and away from the wasps. Yell for Jim to grab Jon and get him into the house as well. I noticed at some point they had a nest above my bedroom window on the soffit.

Now I'm scared. Did they get him in the eye or just on it and even on it, is it dangerous? Do I need to take him into the hospital (it's 6pm) or do I just call the on call pediatrician? I finally get him to let me look and see a mark on the middle of his eyelid and it's starting to swell. Jim got me some ice and a cold wet rag and I get Josh to put that on his eye while I call the pedi. He tells me no need to take him in, nothing they can do that I can't at home. Give him Benedryl for the swelling/reaction, Tylenol or Motrin for the pain and cold compress. He said it will swell up big and fast then go down fast too.

It did swell for sure but not as big as I'd feared it would. He could still open and use his eye thank God! I think he got stung on the forearm as well. He said it hurt and there was a mark there just like the one on his eye but it didn't swell at all. He took his medicine well and held that ice on for a good long while. Now I hope after a good nights sleep he will be good as new in the morning.

That's the worse it got all night. I sure hope it's not swollen shut in the morning or anything!

4th of July

We don't usually do a whole lot for the 4th. Having a husband with PTSD as severe as Jim's is makes it difficult to enjoy. This year however I got the kids some Pop-its (those things you throw on the ground and they make a noise) Jim said they didn't bother him and the 3 older boys LOVED them! I got them some sparklers too but we've not broken them out yet (7/7) as they've been in bed way before dark!! I also took Joey to the fireworks display here in town. I was going to take Joshy as well but that one fell asleep on the couch around 6:30 and slept though the night.

Joey and I had a great time. The trolley is free and it takes you down to the beach. They light the fireworks over Lake Michigan. We missed the trolley, waited around for a bit then started walking. The trolley caught up to us just as we got to the park we were going to sit at to view the fireworks! Joey was so excited about the trolley that he opted to stop sitting and walk to the trolley so we wouldn't miss it. The driver was nice enough to let us watch the display from inside the trolley so we had great seats and no rush.

The idiots in his town just amaze me. Getting the trolley to actually move on the track was ridiculous as the people were pulling out in front of it, stopping on the tracks. It was just, RIDICULOUS, that's the best I can come up with.


All in all we had a good time and I'm looking forward to taking Joshy with us next year. This will be a mommy and the boys thing unless and until Jim can handle it and join us.