Saturday, May 21, 2005

Another Saturday morning and I ain't got no-bo-dy

Ok, the kids are killing each other in the living room, supposedly watching a movie but how they can watch anything and beat the living daylights out of each other I can't begin to guess. Hubby is sleeping, his favorite thing to do. It's the only day besides monday he really gets to sleep in so I don't begrudge it. Me, I can't sleep in usually on Saturday, having gotten up by 6:30 every other day, I just don't adjust so quickly. That and I usually get enough sleep during the week so I am not starved by the weekend.

My son tried the medication the Dr ordered for ADHD, but it really upset his stomach, and made him feel really cranky; he begged me to stop it. I don't mind, it didn't seem to make a big difference with him, not like it did with his sister. He is still an over reactive, motor mouth, with a very sweet disposition, but who really needs to learn to relax. Maybe I should just get him into sports, then he'd have no energy left to drive us all nuts. Oh, that and the piroutettes he dances down the grocery aisles, that needs to stop. Taking him shopping is always a gamble, is he going to take out some old lady with a walker before or after he sends some display crashing to the floor? And asking him to stop and stand still does no good, he stands there, looking like two cats fighting in a bag full of jello and says, with complete sincerity "I am standing stil!l". Yeah, right.

Daughter on the other hand is doing better. I had a talk to her counselor about my difficulty with the schools helping, she said they told her (just as I told her several times in the previous 3 months) that they couldn't do anything for her in terms of a special plan because she isn't learning disabled. I have said this to her from the beginning, this is my problem. I wonder if she heard me at all, because when she relayed this incredible insight into the minds of the school she said it as if it was the first time she had ever heard this revelation. Why do I bother to talk at all, perhaps I should just nod and smile. Anyway, I explained to her that I really didn't want an IEP, I just wanted them to give her some flexibility in her assignments, as deadlines are a real hurdle right now. She is getting the work done, that is a huge improvement over the past 5 years. We used to fight just to do the work. But because she was not turning it in on time, she was still failing, even though she was doing everything else they asked. I could see her beginning to get discouraged, why bother when you aren't going to get any credit for it anyway? I can understand that. So all I asked was if her teacher would give her some flexible deadlines, and gradually bring those down to his usual standard. He agreed, and voila, she began getting passing grades.

Daughter stepped up to the plate and got her three gold slip, albeit at the LAST flippin minute (outdoor school is on MONDAY!) and can attend outdoor school. I really had not counted on her going, and had payed little/no attention to the stuff she was bringing home, had to shoot off an email to her teacher who responded in time and let me know she had gotten her third gold slip and so could go, and when and where she would need to be. There was much rejoicing in the household.

I'm still waitng to hear back from the Dr about son and his meds, whether to try another or just wait and watch. We'll see.
Take care all, have a great week!

*******Addendum********
Forgot to mention, to give the school credit, they even helped out with the tuition for outdoor school, which I thought was mighty kind, and we needed. I think they think we are destitute, everytime my daughter comes home with a story about how the counselor said they could help with this or that or some other thing, I wonder, what is she telling them? I have a daughter who needs new shoes every time hers get scuffed and I tell her, truthfully, we don't have the money to buy you new shoes (every time you want them). Over in Vancouver, she came home from school with a new coat, and said the counselor had given it to her because she told her that her mom wouldn't/couldn't buy her a new one. I won't, I get her coats from Goodwill, mostly because I refuse to pay 50-100 dollars for a coat just to have her lose it in a month. Then there was the eye exam, she told them mom couldn't get her eyes checked because we didn't have the money. What really happened was I made an appointment, missed it, and just hadn't gotten around to rescheduling it, I think she just assumed it was because of money and told them that. So I get a call saying she needs an eye exam and the school can help her if we need it. This is the same kid who told grandma we were going to have to move out of our last rental house because the landlord was making us move (I know this because I got a call from grandma asking why we were having to move). I have no idea where that one came from, she hears bits and pieces of a conversation and strings them into a complete fabrication. Assured the she is the keeper of all truth, proceeds to tell everyone, with complete confidence, her story. I think the kid has a future as a novelist, or a reporter.

3 Comments:

Blogger Patty-Jo said...

Ain't kids fun!

Your son sounds so much like my son. He had a horrid reaction to ADHD meds too. The doc tried a few different ones before I said NO MORE! The stimulant types made him irritable and edgy. When they tried a non-stimulant (Strattera) it didn't affect him at all. They were treating him for ADHD but he was really Bi-Polar.

If you give someone with bi-polar disorder a stimulant med it usually triggers a manic episode. New studies have found that a lot of kids that are diagnosed with ADHD are actually bi-polar. The symptoms are very similar, but the treatment is not.

I'm not saying your boy is bi-polar, I have no way of knowing that, but I think it might be worth checking out.

I've been praying for you and your family. Hang in there.

Friday, May 27, 2005 12:19:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My precious God-child will become a Pulitzer prize winner for some rag like the Oregonian. Make her Godfather proud of her :)

Friday, May 27, 2005 2:51:00 AM  
Blogger Sharon said...

Your children sound highly intelligent. I think your daughter has a great future ahead as a writer...

Sunday, May 29, 2005 2:54:00 AM  

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