Anyway, I will be out there rain or shine so come check out all the good we have to get rid of.
MOVING SALE
MAY 1st & 2nd
9:30-3pm
5645 Riverside St
Matsqui Village
Friday, April 30, 2010
Moving Sale
We are having a moving sale all weekend this weekend. When I originally picked the day it was supposed to be hot and sunny. Like 23 degrees hot. Now that I have signs up, ads in papers and have told everyone... the weather forecast has changed to cool with 60-70% chance of rain both days.
Anyway, I will be out there rain or shine so come check out all the good we have to get rid of.
Anyway, I will be out there rain or shine so come check out all the good we have to get rid of.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Kicks
So yesterday I took a sick day. It was much much needed. Due to the fact that I have an incredibly guilty conscience I do not take days off often. I have not been having and easy time this past bit with the pregnancy though and I needed a day to lie down and rest my very very sore body.
Nudge kicks all the time and punches and rolls. It is like he is doing Judo in there. However, the second I get out a video camera or someone turns on a ultrasound machine he stops everything and hides. I don't understand why this is. I can watch him kick me a hundred times over and then as soon as I press record he stops. So, after trying for like 45 minutes yesterday ( laying on the couch is boring and day time television sucks) this is the only footage I got. It's still pretty cool though.
Had a doctors appointment yesterday. Heart Beat is 120 so he is very relaxed. He may be too relaxed even because it seems as though he has dropped already. I had 2 different ultrasounds this morning and should know more by Monday. Doesn't he realize it is too soon? He is not full cooked.
Nudge kicks all the time and punches and rolls. It is like he is doing Judo in there. However, the second I get out a video camera or someone turns on a ultrasound machine he stops everything and hides. I don't understand why this is. I can watch him kick me a hundred times over and then as soon as I press record he stops. So, after trying for like 45 minutes yesterday ( laying on the couch is boring and day time television sucks) this is the only footage I got. It's still pretty cool though.
Had a doctors appointment yesterday. Heart Beat is 120 so he is very relaxed. He may be too relaxed even because it seems as though he has dropped already. I had 2 different ultrasounds this morning and should know more by Monday. Doesn't he realize it is too soon? He is not full cooked.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
MS Walk 2010
It was really nice that the sun decided to appear for a while on Sunday for the Abbotsford MS Walk. Rawley did awesome on his pledges. We set a goal of $400 for him to raise and he surpassed his goal and raised $445. He is usually quite shy about asking people for money but seemed to have no problem at Papa's birthday party. Of course most people there were my dad's friends and it was his birthday so maybe they felt compelled to donate. Either way it worked out great.
Despite Rawley's rough day on Sunday he did great on the Walk. He did not want to participate in the warm up however.
This year Rawley wanted to change his sign to not only read "My Papa" but "Bonnie"as well. Bonnie is a family friend who now lives in the states. She has MS quite bad and Rawley wanted everyone to know if was walking (in his case riding) for her too. He is so thoughtful.
I did not participate this year as rollerblading is not really a great idea at this point. I considered walking the 3 kms on my own but I just have not felt good the past while so instead I sat in a lawn chair and cheered everyone else on. I did do my part though, I donated $5 for a streak of red hair to show my support.
~The boys at the starting line waiting for the horn~
~And they're off~
~7kms later, they reach the finish line~
Despite Rawley's rough day on Sunday he did great on the Walk. He did not want to participate in the warm up however.
This year Rawley wanted to change his sign to not only read "My Papa" but "Bonnie"as well. Bonnie is a family friend who now lives in the states. She has MS quite bad and Rawley wanted everyone to know if was walking (in his case riding) for her too. He is so thoughtful.
I did not participate this year as rollerblading is not really a great idea at this point. I considered walking the 3 kms on my own but I just have not felt good the past while so instead I sat in a lawn chair and cheered everyone else on. I did do my part though, I donated $5 for a streak of red hair to show my support.
~The boys at the starting line waiting for the horn~
~And they're off~
~7kms later, they reach the finish line~
Good Job Rawley, You make me proud!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday's Stink!
My Monday has been hell so far. Work is crazy busy, but not in the good way that makes time fly by with ease but in the way that you think your head might spin right off.... Mind you if my head did spin off I would at least have a good excuse to go home or to the ER or somewhere where I could lie down as opposed to sitting.
Which brings me to my next woe. I have a feeling that working up to my due date is going to become a distant dream. For health reason that I am not overly fond of sharing. It has become my reality that sitting for any period of time over 30 minutes is near impossible no matter how much Tylenol I consume. The only time I am not in pain is if I am lieing down...which makes me miserable.
Why do Monday's suck so much? If you can believe it, my Monday actually started to go downhill last night already. We had a overly rough day with Rawley. I don't know what to blame it on....... Could a late night Friday not have effected him till Sunday or did he maybe drop his pill instead of taking it in the morning. I have no idea but holy cow.
So last night ended in tears, a missed bed time snack, some yelling and a few threats. However, having missed his bedtime snack I woke up to the following at 4:30 something.... "Mom, if I don't eat something right now I am going to throw up"
Happy Monday!!!!
Rawley went and had an oatmeal bar but never went back to bed. When I got up at 5:30 to get Ryan out the door Rawley was already feeling quite feisty and argumentative. Oh Goody. By 6:30 when I got up to get ready for work it was full on war at our house. Which has led to a grounding after school accompanied by many many chores he will have to do. Glad Ryan is home with him and not me.
I would have thought that Saturday we would have a rough day as Rawley was up quite late on Friday. I was so worried about swimming lesson that start at 9:30am. Yet, Saturday was easy peasy. Rawley was in a good mood and did wonderful at swimming lessons. Now we kind of lucked out because 4 of the 6 kids in his class didn't show and that led to extra attention from the teacher and a lot of extra practice.
After Swimming we went grocery shopping which also went well, then relaxed at home for a bit before heading to Rogers to get some movies. We watched G-Force with Rawley and then Old Dogs after Rawley went to bed. All in all it was an excellent day following a late late night.
~Rawley right after a front glide~
~Cute kid~
~Trying to hide from my camera~
At least Monday is half over.
Which brings me to my next woe. I have a feeling that working up to my due date is going to become a distant dream. For health reason that I am not overly fond of sharing. It has become my reality that sitting for any period of time over 30 minutes is near impossible no matter how much Tylenol I consume. The only time I am not in pain is if I am lieing down...which makes me miserable.
Why do Monday's suck so much? If you can believe it, my Monday actually started to go downhill last night already. We had a overly rough day with Rawley. I don't know what to blame it on....... Could a late night Friday not have effected him till Sunday or did he maybe drop his pill instead of taking it in the morning. I have no idea but holy cow.
So last night ended in tears, a missed bed time snack, some yelling and a few threats. However, having missed his bedtime snack I woke up to the following at 4:30 something.... "Mom, if I don't eat something right now I am going to throw up"
Happy Monday!!!!
Rawley went and had an oatmeal bar but never went back to bed. When I got up at 5:30 to get Ryan out the door Rawley was already feeling quite feisty and argumentative. Oh Goody. By 6:30 when I got up to get ready for work it was full on war at our house. Which has led to a grounding after school accompanied by many many chores he will have to do. Glad Ryan is home with him and not me.
I would have thought that Saturday we would have a rough day as Rawley was up quite late on Friday. I was so worried about swimming lesson that start at 9:30am. Yet, Saturday was easy peasy. Rawley was in a good mood and did wonderful at swimming lessons. Now we kind of lucked out because 4 of the 6 kids in his class didn't show and that led to extra attention from the teacher and a lot of extra practice.
After Swimming we went grocery shopping which also went well, then relaxed at home for a bit before heading to Rogers to get some movies. We watched G-Force with Rawley and then Old Dogs after Rawley went to bed. All in all it was an excellent day following a late late night.
Now that I have whined A LOT... Here are some pictures of Rawley at swimming lessons. Where he is doing the front glide very very well. Starting to get the front and back float and able to be under water for long periods of time without freaking out. Good Job Rawley!!
~Rawley right after a front glide~
~Cute kid~
~Trying to hide from my camera~
At least Monday is half over.
Happy Birthday Dad
Friday was my dad's 58th birthday...along with 4 other people's birthdays. His friend Mary-Ann had a huge party for everyone at her place. The guys started a huge bonfire just outside the double bay garage that kept everyone warm (for the most part). It was a pot luck so there was no shortage of good food to go around.
My dad is pretty sick with an awful chest cold right now on top of an MS attack so he has been pretty miserable lately. He didn't really want to go to the party but I think it was best that he did. He seemed to have a good time chatting with everyone, enjoying the tunes the DJ was playing, sitting by the fire, and eating all the great food.
It was a super late night for Rawley. We didn't end up leaving until about 11pm. He did get to play air hockey with a few people. He also brought his Nintendo DS and got to play on other people's IPhones. It was kind of a bummer that it poured rain most of the night, but it didn't seem to damper the party at all.
~Ryan, Ken & Bart~
~Ingie & my pops. I think I scared Ingie~
~Rawley's new iphone racing partner~
The huge bonfire. Most people use a regular car or truck rim for this , but when you are out in hick ville you must form to the hick ways. This was 4 foot Tractor rim we used. The fire was huge (after much convincing to start) and very toasty.
My dad is pretty sick with an awful chest cold right now on top of an MS attack so he has been pretty miserable lately. He didn't really want to go to the party but I think it was best that he did. He seemed to have a good time chatting with everyone, enjoying the tunes the DJ was playing, sitting by the fire, and eating all the great food.
It was a super late night for Rawley. We didn't end up leaving until about 11pm. He did get to play air hockey with a few people. He also brought his Nintendo DS and got to play on other people's IPhones. It was kind of a bummer that it poured rain most of the night, but it didn't seem to damper the party at all.
~Dad's friend stretch~
~Ryan, Ken & Bart~
~Ingie & my pops. I think I scared Ingie~
~Rawley's new iphone racing partner~
The huge bonfire. Most people use a regular car or truck rim for this , but when you are out in hick ville you must form to the hick ways. This was 4 foot Tractor rim we used. The fire was huge (after much convincing to start) and very toasty.
Happy Birthday Day! Glad we could be there to celebrate with you.
Friday, April 23, 2010
My Thankful List
~Sky outside my office~
1. I am thankful that it is a beautiful sunny day and my office is full of huge windows.
2. I am thankful that it is Friday. That means that it is Tim Horton's for breakfast day AND it is the last day of the week before a much needed weekend rest.
3. I am thankful that I slept well all night and only had to get up once to pee.
4. I am thankful my hands are not too swollen to where my wedding rings.
5. I am thankful that in 9 weeks and 2 days (if Nudge is on time) I will be able to reach my feet again.
6. I am thankful it is my dad's 58th birthday today and we get to celebrate with him tonight.
7. I am thankful that I am alone at the office and can sit back and relax a little bit.
8. I am thankful it is a pro-d day for Rawley and that he is back at his old daycare location. When I told him this morning where he was going to jumped up and down with excitement.
9. I am thankful for Jovana's phone call this morning and that she has a calling plan that allows her to call me free from the states because she has been my major supporter, confidante, source of information and cheerer upper the last few weeks.
10. I am thankful that I got to tidy the bathrooms a bit this morning because the maintenance man is coming to inspect the showers for leaks. As for the rest of the house.....meh..he can just close his eyes.
Happy Friday Everyone!!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
That Extra 30 minutes
Last night was about our 8th late night in a row. I usually like to be in bad and ready to sleep by 10, but lately it seems that we are not getting to bed till 11. Then last night I heard Rawley get up just after 3 am. I went to check on him and he was just going to the bathroom. After kissing him goodnight but before leaving his room he asked me for a towel. Apparently there was a huge puddle of drool in his bed that was totally grossing him out.
At this point I would like to mention that numerous times we have had an argument with Rawley about the fact that he drools in bed. When Grandma & Grandpa were here visiting Rawley would go to sleep in their bed and then get transferred to the couch when the adults went to bed. I would not let him use their pillows and it made him so mad. I tried to explain that Grandma & Grandpa do not want to come sleep on slobber pillows. He was so certain that he did not drool in his sleep.
So, this morning at 3am when he was so upset about the drool in his bed I really really wanted to say, "See, you do drool in your sleep, so next time we have that conversation you cannot yell at us and tell us you do not."
BUT I felt so bad for my poor little boy at 3am, who was so disgusted by his own drool that he did not want to go to bed that I just got him a towel and kissed him good night. Being right didn't matter so much anymore.
Last night I also forgot to set the alarm clock to get Ryan up in time to for work. Opps. I woke up exactly 30 minutes after I am suppose to get up to get him on his way.
I know 30 minutes is not much, but I feel really good this morning. Despite the late bedtime and the middle of the night wake up call....I feel like I actually got enough sleep.
Not only that but this morning Rawley and I did not get into a single argument, we made it out of the house 1 minute early as opposed to 4 minutes late AND I even had time to take these pictures of him wearing my glasses and showing off his big bruise.
That may not sound like much but I think that we have only managed to accomplish a fight free on time morning once or twice before....ever....
So I feel pretty good about the that.
At this point I would like to mention that numerous times we have had an argument with Rawley about the fact that he drools in bed. When Grandma & Grandpa were here visiting Rawley would go to sleep in their bed and then get transferred to the couch when the adults went to bed. I would not let him use their pillows and it made him so mad. I tried to explain that Grandma & Grandpa do not want to come sleep on slobber pillows. He was so certain that he did not drool in his sleep.
So, this morning at 3am when he was so upset about the drool in his bed I really really wanted to say, "See, you do drool in your sleep, so next time we have that conversation you cannot yell at us and tell us you do not."
BUT I felt so bad for my poor little boy at 3am, who was so disgusted by his own drool that he did not want to go to bed that I just got him a towel and kissed him good night. Being right didn't matter so much anymore.
Last night I also forgot to set the alarm clock to get Ryan up in time to for work. Opps. I woke up exactly 30 minutes after I am suppose to get up to get him on his way.
I know 30 minutes is not much, but I feel really good this morning. Despite the late bedtime and the middle of the night wake up call....I feel like I actually got enough sleep.
Not only that but this morning Rawley and I did not get into a single argument, we made it out of the house 1 minute early as opposed to 4 minutes late AND I even had time to take these pictures of him wearing my glasses and showing off his big bruise.
That may not sound like much but I think that we have only managed to accomplish a fight free on time morning once or twice before....ever....
So I feel pretty good about the that.
And Rawley gave me his 'free coffee' winner for my 'free donut' winner so I even got to stop at Timmy's for a mocha to start my day. Mmmm.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
This morning I am waiting for a call from Rawley's school.
Monday morning I received a call from his Principal. She decided that we should talk and asked Ryan, Rawley and I to all come in for a meeting that day. I was happy that she seemed more concerned but unsure what had set her off.
I skipped lunch and left work early to make the appointment that day. Over all I am not sure how I felt about how it went. She had received a call from either the Ministry of Education or the School Board (I am unsure which one) but said that is not why she has decided to help. Someone had informed her that I write a blog and in it was a lot about my frustration with the school. Over the weekend she read my blog and felt bad about what was going on.
I have mixed feeling about this. In her defence my blog is public and I am well aware of that, which means I have to accept that anyone can read it at there own pleasure. In my defence I think it crosses a line of our professional relationship, me as a mother her as my child's principal. Even if she had read it, it may have been best to keep that information to herself. Now when I write about what is happening with his school I have to keep in mind that she is probably reading it and that is awkward for me.
I am, however, trying to see the good in it as some of my friends have pointed out. Something is being done now about the situation so I should be happy. Because I want the best for my child and I am tired of sitting on the sidelines watching his education and social development suffer, I will put aside my personal feelings on the subject and rejoice that the ball is now rolling.
The meeting with Rawley's principal was up and down. She did understand we wanted change but seemed to want to me tell her what exactly to do. The trouble is I don't know what to do. I know I want Rawley assessed and I want an IEP (Individual Education Plan) set up. I am not sure that she was really hearing that from me though. There was a lot of talk and I was busy trying to make all my points but I think somewhere along giving too much information I may have lost her. She apologized for letting the issue go so long and admitted that she could have maybe done more. She also said that she didn't really know what else to do...I have a hard time hearing this though because she has an entire school board above her that she could turn to.
Anyway, there were main point that upset me and main point that made me feel good.
One main point that upset me was that the school had noticed a few months ago that his meds were maybe not working anymore, but no one bothered to call us and tell us. The communication is so poor. We could have had him to the doctor sooner and he could have suffered a lot less bad days. WHY DID NO ONE CALL ME?
After thinking over the meeting I became more concerned. The following day there was a school board meeting and Rawley was on the agenda. I started to panic because this might be our one chance at being heard and I was not entirely sure that she was our best advocate. So, I made yet another call.
There is another individual who works at the school. I was told that she would be dealing mostly with us at and after the meeting so I thought I would give her a call in advance. I just explained that I was not trying to go behind the Principal's back, but I just felt I needed two different people to know what I want when that meeting starts. I just wanted to increase my chances that what we are looking for is what is going to get discussed. I explained my concerns to her and she was so wonderful. She also asked why I had not gone to her in the first place. To be honest I didn't know it was an option.
So attending yesterday's meeting were people from the district that had received my message through the ministry of my frustration. There was the principal who had heard what we were looking for, read my blog and seemed to have cared a lot more than before. And there was our second advocate from Rawley's school who had a better knowledge of the system, knew me as a child, and seemed to really understand my frustration.
I was told going in that the chances of an assessment this year is slim to none because their school is only granted 3 a year and all three have been done for this year. However, I still have some hope that something good can come out of this meeting.
Now sit and wait, sit and wait, sit and wait.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Oh The Leg Cramps
After a blissfully quiet Friday night, (Thank you Auntie Merry for having a sleep over with Rawley) Saturday morning I woke up to a very painful leg cramp in my right calf and as I jumped up quickly to grab my leg to stop my muscle from exploding I got a cramp in the left calf. OH MY GOD. I mean I get leg cramps every once in a while and they have occasionally brought me to tears, but both legs at the same time... That's just awful. There was no way I could pretzel my body to hold both legs at the same time so I just rolled around in bed cursing and crying. My left calf muscle is still tight causing me to walk with a limp.
After the rude awakening we managed to have a very productive weekend. Saturday, after Rawley's swimming lessons, we spent most of the day at my dad's house going through things we left there when we moved out and stuff we have stored there because of lack of room at our house. After much categorizing we ended up with 2 huge garbage bags full, a ton of recycling, a bag of clothes for the MCC and 2 rooms full of stuff for our moving sale.
Now I have a week and a half to go through everything at our house and take what we do not need down to my dad's house for the moving sale. Moving sale is May 1st and 2nd in case anyone wants to come check us out. Everything from toys to furniture will be for sale at a very reasonable price. We need to get rid of many things before me move.
I may have worked a little too hard on Saturday with the bending and cleaning and lifting and moving. My body is not happy with me still 3 days later.
Sunday I tried to relax but we had a lot to do. Between grocery shopping, Rawley having a friend over, going to the new park at Mill Lake, playing Uno, having Owyn, the cutest nephew in the world, over for a couple hours, then watching America's Funniest Videos, I did manage to lay on the couch for an hour or so. Not all at once, but over the course of the day that sounds about right.
Once 8 rolled around I was sure I was going to get to to relax at least for a bit...then BANG SMASH BOOM. Before I could even get up to yell at Rawley for farting around the crying started. After much cuddles and crying and a lot of prying Rawley finally told me what happened. He was leaping from one end of the bed to the other and landed on his pillow then bounced/slipped off his bed head first into his table.
I gave Rawley a bag of ice and some Motrin and he layed back down. However, I couldn't stop worrying so I checked on him at least 4 times through the night.
Rawley is now sporting a larger but not quick as profound goose eggs that is purple, green & some form of yellow.
After the rude awakening we managed to have a very productive weekend. Saturday, after Rawley's swimming lessons, we spent most of the day at my dad's house going through things we left there when we moved out and stuff we have stored there because of lack of room at our house. After much categorizing we ended up with 2 huge garbage bags full, a ton of recycling, a bag of clothes for the MCC and 2 rooms full of stuff for our moving sale.
Now I have a week and a half to go through everything at our house and take what we do not need down to my dad's house for the moving sale. Moving sale is May 1st and 2nd in case anyone wants to come check us out. Everything from toys to furniture will be for sale at a very reasonable price. We need to get rid of many things before me move.
I may have worked a little too hard on Saturday with the bending and cleaning and lifting and moving. My body is not happy with me still 3 days later.
Sunday I tried to relax but we had a lot to do. Between grocery shopping, Rawley having a friend over, going to the new park at Mill Lake, playing Uno, having Owyn, the cutest nephew in the world, over for a couple hours, then watching America's Funniest Videos, I did manage to lay on the couch for an hour or so. Not all at once, but over the course of the day that sounds about right.
Once 8 rolled around I was sure I was going to get to to relax at least for a bit...then BANG SMASH BOOM. Before I could even get up to yell at Rawley for farting around the crying started. After much cuddles and crying and a lot of prying Rawley finally told me what happened. He was leaping from one end of the bed to the other and landed on his pillow then bounced/slipped off his bed head first into his table.
I gave Rawley a bag of ice and some Motrin and he layed back down. However, I couldn't stop worrying so I checked on him at least 4 times through the night.
Rawley is now sporting a larger but not quick as profound goose eggs that is purple, green & some form of yellow. Just for comparison reasons... Here is Rawley's goose egg from last summer when he was hit with a wooden racket.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Feeling Defeated
I am feeling defeated by life. I swear I am trying to see that half full glass but it is just so damn hard.
The situation at Rawley's school has me at my witt's end. I have tried and tried to do what I can from my end and they refuse to do what they can from their end. The sad thing is they have plenty more resources than I do yet they don't seem to care enough about Rawley to use any of them .
They tried to move Rawley back into the classroom for lunch but it didn't even last one day. His friends don't want to eat in the hall with him so he is left alone again. The other day he was kicked out of class and didn't even get to bring his lunch with him therefore he did not eat. My heart is breaking for my boy. How awful can he be feeling. The teachers, lunch monitors and principle are all teaching him that he has a problem and he cannot ever be successful in a group. His friends don't want to sit with him so he is lonely.
The whole school is sending him the message that you are bad and we don't want to deal with you so go away. They are teaching him that they don't care about him and I am so mad I could cry.
Today I take matters into my own hands. I have made a call to the ministry of Education. I am waiting for a call back from the Special Education Department.
Thanks to help from my friend Joey I have found many good resources on line, Such as the Special Education Policy and Guidelines that states that Behavioural Needs are considered a special need. The school keeps telling me that assistance is not available for Rawley because he is too smart and just have behavioural problem...... They are wrong or lying to me.
A child with Behaviour Problem demonstrates negative behaviours that are disruptive to the classroom, disruptive on his social relations and personal adjustment. He has been demonstrating these behaviours over an extended period of time, in more than one setting with more than one person. AND he has not responded to support provided through the normal school discipline and classroom management strategies..... That is out on the Ministry of Education : Special Education Services Manual of Policies, procedures & Guidelines......
Rawley fits that description to a tee so why is no one willing to help him. Why won't they get him assessed? Why don't they care?
Well I can tell you this they are going to start caring really soon, If I have to take my lunch every day at 3pm to go down to his school and talk to his teacher & principle they will soon start to care. I am so tired of all their BS. This is a child that needs help, therapy and guidance on a higher level or he will not be able to succeed socially or academically and he is entitled to that help.
Can you imagine how many children with ADHD would be more successful if someone took the time to care about them... The help them out, to guide them.
This is our future generation. We are expecting them to grow up and take over the world yet we will not even give them a fare chance a social or academic success. What is wrong with us?
The Ministry of Education has called me twce today since I wrote this blog this morning and it seems that more action will follow on Monday when Abbotsford School District gets involved. This is a start in the right direction.
The situation at Rawley's school has me at my witt's end. I have tried and tried to do what I can from my end and they refuse to do what they can from their end. The sad thing is they have plenty more resources than I do yet they don't seem to care enough about Rawley to use any of them .
They tried to move Rawley back into the classroom for lunch but it didn't even last one day. His friends don't want to eat in the hall with him so he is left alone again. The other day he was kicked out of class and didn't even get to bring his lunch with him therefore he did not eat. My heart is breaking for my boy. How awful can he be feeling. The teachers, lunch monitors and principle are all teaching him that he has a problem and he cannot ever be successful in a group. His friends don't want to sit with him so he is lonely.
The whole school is sending him the message that you are bad and we don't want to deal with you so go away. They are teaching him that they don't care about him and I am so mad I could cry.
Today I take matters into my own hands. I have made a call to the ministry of Education. I am waiting for a call back from the Special Education Department.
Thanks to help from my friend Joey I have found many good resources on line, Such as the Special Education Policy and Guidelines that states that Behavioural Needs are considered a special need. The school keeps telling me that assistance is not available for Rawley because he is too smart and just have behavioural problem...... They are wrong or lying to me.
A child with Behaviour Problem demonstrates negative behaviours that are disruptive to the classroom, disruptive on his social relations and personal adjustment. He has been demonstrating these behaviours over an extended period of time, in more than one setting with more than one person. AND he has not responded to support provided through the normal school discipline and classroom management strategies..... That is out on the Ministry of Education : Special Education Services Manual of Policies, procedures & Guidelines......
Rawley fits that description to a tee so why is no one willing to help him. Why won't they get him assessed? Why don't they care?
Well I can tell you this they are going to start caring really soon, If I have to take my lunch every day at 3pm to go down to his school and talk to his teacher & principle they will soon start to care. I am so tired of all their BS. This is a child that needs help, therapy and guidance on a higher level or he will not be able to succeed socially or academically and he is entitled to that help.
Can you imagine how many children with ADHD would be more successful if someone took the time to care about them... The help them out, to guide them.
This is our future generation. We are expecting them to grow up and take over the world yet we will not even give them a fare chance a social or academic success. What is wrong with us?
The Ministry of Education has called me twce today since I wrote this blog this morning and it seems that more action will follow on Monday when Abbotsford School District gets involved. This is a start in the right direction.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Almost A Big Brother
Time is ticking down till Rawley becomes a big brother. I have no idea how it is going to go having kids 8 years apart but I have a feeling it is going to be wonderful. I know deep down I was hoping for a little girl, but seeing how much in love Rawley already is with his little brother makes me very thankful.
Rawley takes to Nudge more than Ryan or I do. Every night at bed time Rawley doles out a kiss & hug for Ryan, me and Nudge. Then he has to tell Nudge a story every night. Usually something really short and cute like what he did at school or if we bought Nudge something that day. One night he told Nudge, "That's mom that yells all the time, when you are born you will see she is loud out here too". :)
If he has a funny joke to tell he tells it to my belly. When I drop him off in the morning he kisses me good-bye and then kisses Nudge good-bye. Almost everyday when we sit down to write about what we are thankful for that day he says, "that nudge will be born soon". Although I don't let him use the same one every night I think it is cute that he says it.
Despite Rawley's ADHD that comes with all sorts of complications like arguing, impulsiveness, noise, constant movement.......he has to be one of the most loving 7 year old boys I know.
When Rawley was 4 he asked for a doll for Christmas and of course he got one. He named his doll Pat after Grandma Walker. He loved that doll for a really long time but then it kind of got left out of the picture. About 4 months ago we came across it and since then it has been in his bed every night. I am not sure if there is any connection to me being pregnant that he decided to care about his doll again, but it seems so. Last night we discovered that Nudge is about the same size right now as his doll. He thought that was really cool. (I on the other hand held the doll up to my stomach and thought, no wonder I am so damn uncomfortable.)
Anyway, I took these pictures the other night and if Rawley knew I was posting them (or even took them) he might kill me. Lucky for me he doesn't read my blog. I love my little (7 year old) boy and can not wait to see him as a big brother.
I am not sure why Pat is not wearing clothes. I think we will have to locate them soon.
Rawley takes to Nudge more than Ryan or I do. Every night at bed time Rawley doles out a kiss & hug for Ryan, me and Nudge. Then he has to tell Nudge a story every night. Usually something really short and cute like what he did at school or if we bought Nudge something that day. One night he told Nudge, "That's mom that yells all the time, when you are born you will see she is loud out here too". :)
If he has a funny joke to tell he tells it to my belly. When I drop him off in the morning he kisses me good-bye and then kisses Nudge good-bye. Almost everyday when we sit down to write about what we are thankful for that day he says, "that nudge will be born soon". Although I don't let him use the same one every night I think it is cute that he says it.
Despite Rawley's ADHD that comes with all sorts of complications like arguing, impulsiveness, noise, constant movement.......he has to be one of the most loving 7 year old boys I know.
When Rawley was 4 he asked for a doll for Christmas and of course he got one. He named his doll Pat after Grandma Walker. He loved that doll for a really long time but then it kind of got left out of the picture. About 4 months ago we came across it and since then it has been in his bed every night. I am not sure if there is any connection to me being pregnant that he decided to care about his doll again, but it seems so. Last night we discovered that Nudge is about the same size right now as his doll. He thought that was really cool. (I on the other hand held the doll up to my stomach and thought, no wonder I am so damn uncomfortable.)
Anyway, I took these pictures the other night and if Rawley knew I was posting them (or even took them) he might kill me. Lucky for me he doesn't read my blog. I love my little (7 year old) boy and can not wait to see him as a big brother.
I am not sure why Pat is not wearing clothes. I think we will have to locate them soon.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Concerta
Our doctor's appointment with Rawley went well yesterday.
His doctor, who is amazing, was very understanding about our concerns and reasons for wanting Rawley on an extended release form of Methylphenidate as opposed to the multiple dose a day situation we are in.
He tried to get us a generic brand but because Rawley is a on such a small dose it is only available in Concerta. I am very thankful for medical through my work at this time because when we went to pick up his medication last night is was $140.00. Yikes.
Hopefully if Rawley reacts well on the medication and puts on a few pounds in the next few months we can put him on a generic brand that is a 2ml higher dose a day.
I am both happy and worried about starting Rawley on a new medication on a school day. I am happy because even one more day of worrying about whether he is getting his medication on time at school is too much for me. and I am happy because Rawley will not have to experience any ups and downs as one pill wears off before the next one is administered. However, I am a little worried as it is a new medication, technically the same drug but in a new form, and I am not there to monitor him and make sure all is well.
I will post tomorrow about how his first day went. Hopefully all good news.
His doctor, who is amazing, was very understanding about our concerns and reasons for wanting Rawley on an extended release form of Methylphenidate as opposed to the multiple dose a day situation we are in.
He tried to get us a generic brand but because Rawley is a on such a small dose it is only available in Concerta. I am very thankful for medical through my work at this time because when we went to pick up his medication last night is was $140.00. Yikes.
Hopefully if Rawley reacts well on the medication and puts on a few pounds in the next few months we can put him on a generic brand that is a 2ml higher dose a day.
I am both happy and worried about starting Rawley on a new medication on a school day. I am happy because even one more day of worrying about whether he is getting his medication on time at school is too much for me. and I am happy because Rawley will not have to experience any ups and downs as one pill wears off before the next one is administered. However, I am a little worried as it is a new medication, technically the same drug but in a new form, and I am not there to monitor him and make sure all is well.
I will post tomorrow about how his first day went. Hopefully all good news.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Adventures in Steveston
Regardless of the fact that Ryan has an awful cold and I have a cold and what is now a sinus infection....we went to Steveston Village yesterday. Really I wanted to lay in bed all day and watch tv with my eyes closed, but having done the for most the day on Saturday Rawley was climbing the walls with boredom. He was so frustrated with me on Saturday night saying, "Today was such a nice sunny day and we missed our chance to go for a bike ride".
We tried to explain to him that we are both feeling very sick, but when you are a 7 year old boy with lots of energy I don't think you care much.
I had heard that Steveston was a great place for bike riding. What I did not know was that is was a huge tourist place with lots and lots of people walking as well. I also did not know I meant to go to Grey Point Park and we ended up riding on the trails around the outskirts of town along the river. This is not the best for Rawley. Rawley is a really good rider but gets distracted easily. While riding along one of the back roads Rawley looked left and veered right. Out onto the road in front of two cars, one going either way. I always ride behind Rawley so I can keep an eye on him, but there was nothing I could do at this point but yell at him to get off the road. My heart actually stopped beating. I was so scared. The car coming towards us was far enough away but the one coming up from behind us was too close for comfort. The driver was luckily paying attention and not going that fast, but OH MY GOD RAWLEY WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
Anyway, in the end we found Grey Point Park but Ralwey did not want to ride any further on the gravel and quite frankly an hour and a half of bike riding was enough for me too.
Steveston is a beautiful little village and I would love to go back one day. One day when I do not feel as though my head is exploding from a sinus infection. One day without our bikes. One day when we have more time to walk around and take it all in.
Here are some picture of our attempt at a wonderful family day that didn't quite pan out.
We tried to explain to him that we are both feeling very sick, but when you are a 7 year old boy with lots of energy I don't think you care much.
I had heard that Steveston was a great place for bike riding. What I did not know was that is was a huge tourist place with lots and lots of people walking as well. I also did not know I meant to go to Grey Point Park and we ended up riding on the trails around the outskirts of town along the river. This is not the best for Rawley. Rawley is a really good rider but gets distracted easily. While riding along one of the back roads Rawley looked left and veered right. Out onto the road in front of two cars, one going either way. I always ride behind Rawley so I can keep an eye on him, but there was nothing I could do at this point but yell at him to get off the road. My heart actually stopped beating. I was so scared. The car coming towards us was far enough away but the one coming up from behind us was too close for comfort. The driver was luckily paying attention and not going that fast, but OH MY GOD RAWLEY WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
Anyway, in the end we found Grey Point Park but Ralwey did not want to ride any further on the gravel and quite frankly an hour and a half of bike riding was enough for me too.
Steveston is a beautiful little village and I would love to go back one day. One day when I do not feel as though my head is exploding from a sinus infection. One day without our bikes. One day when we have more time to walk around and take it all in.
Here are some picture of our attempt at a wonderful family day that didn't quite pan out.
A Very Happy Boy
Rawley has been asking for a Nintendo DS for over a year now. He was so sure he was going to get one for Christmas and did not. Partially because I told everyone I did not want him to have one. What does a 7 year old need with one anyway? He has a Leapster that he still uses. Also I can't stand it when everywhere you go you see these unsociable children with their noses stuck in a video game. Children are becoming walking robots. We see families out for dinner while their kids play video games, I have even see kids play them at church.
However, when Ryan's mom asked me what I thought about them getting Rawley one for his birthday I caved.
Hey, I am the one that has to drive from here in Manitoba with him in 3 months... I need something to keep him occupied.
Having said that.... we have very strict rules for Rawley's DS. Rules for where, when and how long he can play it. It certainly will not be a daily thing nor will it accompany every trip in the car. I am very thankful for it though because Abbotsford to Manitoba is going to be a long long long drive. Specially with a 1 month old baby and a very active 8 year old boy.
~Rawley opening his early birthday gift from Grandma & Grandpa~
Grandma & Grandpa sure made this little boys day. He loves his DS.
However, when Ryan's mom asked me what I thought about them getting Rawley one for his birthday I caved.
Hey, I am the one that has to drive from here in Manitoba with him in 3 months... I need something to keep him occupied.
Having said that.... we have very strict rules for Rawley's DS. Rules for where, when and how long he can play it. It certainly will not be a daily thing nor will it accompany every trip in the car. I am very thankful for it though because Abbotsford to Manitoba is going to be a long long long drive. Specially with a 1 month old baby and a very active 8 year old boy.
~Rawley opening his early birthday gift from Grandma & Grandpa~
Grandma & Grandpa sure made this little boys day. He loves his DS. To be honest it has come in handy 4 times already. Twice he has played quietly while I have napped. A nap that was very much needed. Twice we have also used it against him in a , "If you do not change your attitude we are going to take your DS away for...(a certain period of time)" and it worked.
So...Nintendo DS is now my friend.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Thankful List
So, I may be having trouble finding my half full glass, but Rawley is doing a great job. This is my favorite list he has done so far.
1. We looked at the science fair today.
2. Both our school teams made it to the final hockey tournament.
3. I didn't have toe jam today
4. We had gym today at school
5. Mom played monopoly with me tonight.
6. We didn't have corn with dinner tonight.
I think these are all awesome. Although not 10 things as our goal is set at, 6 really awesome things.
Rawley you rock!
1. We looked at the science fair today.
2. Both our school teams made it to the final hockey tournament.
3. I didn't have toe jam today
4. We had gym today at school
5. Mom played monopoly with me tonight.
6. We didn't have corn with dinner tonight.
I think these are all awesome. Although not 10 things as our goal is set at, 6 really awesome things.
Rawley you rock!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
A Change Will Come
I am so angry with Rawley's school right now. I am also angry with his meds and the system we work on.
ADHD is such an awful thing and so many kids have it now. What is causing all these children to have these problems? I have read about food colouring being a cause, possibly chemicals in food, home life......they have a million ideas of what might cause it but no one is sure.
Right before spring break Rawley got in trouble at lunch again and was told he would have to eat by himself in the medic room until spring break. Then after spring break he came home and said he will be eating his lunch in the medic room until the school year is over. That is 3.5 months of eating alone. At first I didn't really know if he was accurate. So I waited it out a week then emailed his teacher about my concerns. After another week of not hearing back I went to Rawley's school to talk it out. I was sure Rawley had misunderstood. I mean 3.5 months of discipline for a 7 year old is a little extreme.
Rawley was not wrong. I sat and talked with the principle and his teacher about my concerns and they assured me that yes that was the new arrangement. I was speechless. They explained that Rawley is in trouble at eating time 6 times out of 10 and gets removed from the class anyway. He can never keep his voice down and refuses to sit in this chair at his desk.
I understand these frustrations they are experiencing because Rawley has these problems at home. The fact is he is not "refusing" to sit still.....HE CAN"T SIT STILL. He has a hyperactive disorder that is not being treated right and he can not control himself.
I expressed to them both my concerns of having Rawley alienated from his classmates for the next 3+ months. They told me they understood how I felt but they had no more ideas of what could be done.......
I would like to note that never in all their frustration have they ever tried to contact Ryan or myself about Rawley's behaviour or his discipline. They removed him from his class for over 3 months because they were out of ideas yet they never once thought....'Hey, let's call Rawley's parents, have a conference and see if all together we can not come up with a better alternative.' What is wrong with them?
They have no problem writing me a note home because Rawley broke another boys pencil and will now have to forfeit one of his own to the other boy, but remove him from class for 3+ months and don't tell me????? Do they have their priorities right? I think not.
Anyway, I talked with them both and explained that Rawley needs to receive his medicine at a certain time everyday and that if he doesn't they are setting him up for failure. By missing his meds by even 15 minutes they are chancing having Rawley be disruptive. This is hard on Rawley, all his classmates, his teachers and ultimately the principle too.
Rawley's meds are a 4 hour release (give or take a few minutes) and once he misses a dose or takes it late his body almost goes into withdrawl and his behaviour is worse than if he did not take it all, then they give him his meds late and he has to readjust. That is a big shock to a little system and it was happening everyday at school. He was taking his meds anywhere form 30 minutes to 2 hours late regularly.
I told them that I feel no one cares enough or thinks it is a big deal. If he had a life threatening illness they certainly would not forget his meds but because is it ADHD they don't think it matters. She understood what I meant and almost even agreed with me but said that they just can't promise it will happen everyday. So, the solution was that Rawley gets a watch with an alarm on it. Once the alarm goes off he has to quickly quiet it than asked be be excused to go to the office and take his meds. This leaves the entire thing up to Rawley. Not the greatest solution but I was willing to try anything. A good reliable watch was bought over the weekend.
As far as Rawley being separated from his class to eat... they finally decided that they would try to integrate him back in. He could have 2 friends sit with him outside the class and eat for a week, if he could sit quietly in his chair the entire time than they might try to move him back in. The friends had to be two friends that do not rile him up but help him remain calm.
This morning I talked with Rawley about how well things worked yesterday and this is what I found out. He missed the alarm on his watch because they had gym at that time and he didn't want to wear his watch during gym class so they had him set it down on the benches where he could not hear the alarm go off. He missed his pill again by 45 minutes. Now a better solution would be for him to hand his watch to his teacher and have her listen for the alarm or have someone else watching out for him because he is participating in gym and he is only 7 and he should not have to do it all. So now I have had to tell Rawley he can not take his watch off at all for anything at school.
Then while Rawley and his 2 friends were eating their lunch at the hall table where they were suppose to be the lunch monitor came and split them up because she thought they were all in trouble and when you are in trouble you cannot sit together. Maybe just maybe the teacher or the principle should have given the lunch monitors a heads up on the situation. Rawley tried to explain it to the lunch monitor but you can only imagine how well that would have gone.
Because Rawley missed his pill he had a very unsuccessful day full of loud impulsive behaviour. Speaking out of turn without raising his hand is his main problem. He ended up with 7 minutes of detention yesterday and I can't help but think that may have been avoidable if only they cared enough to make sure he was on track with his meds.
I understand the teachers frustration, I really do. We have that same little boy at home with us and it is exhausting. All this past weekend we have played with Rawley's meds a bit. Instead of just taking his meds in the morning and before noon we also gave him it late in the afternoon. We had a few incidents but our weekend was fairly calm and manageable. Rawley did not argue as much, he did not interrupt as much, he did not run, jump and fiddle so much. He could sit down and have a normal conversation without just yelling or walking away.
Then last night we went back to his normal schedule and I could not believe my eyes. Rawley could not practice his spelling words with out yelling some letters, whispering some, climbing the couch, sliding off the couch, twirling, jumping, interrupting himself......and it was only 12 words. He was asked to sit at the table and write them out but his printing was huge and messy and all over the page, he swung his legs and bashed his hands on the table, he twirled his pencil, and folded his paper at the corners. He sat backwards in his chair, talked about other things, made popping noises with his mouth. He just could not handle the task. And each time I asked him to sit nice and write out his words he yelled, "I am!"
He was right in a sense. He is trying.....but no matter how hard he tries he cannot do it, not the way a normal child can. It is tiring and exhausting for us and him. Then we get angry with him so a night that could be spent doing a lot of stuff quite happily turns into a night of doing only one thing with much anger and aggravation. It is not fare to us or Rawley.
So, Rawley has a doctors appointment next Monday and we are going to talk to the doctor about switching meds. I would like to try him on Concerta extended release. It is a once a day extended release pill. This means that he will not have to remember to take it at school, it will slowly release throughout the day and into early evening so he can manage himself at home and at school and it has less side effects on his sleeping pattern.
The medicine he is on now is not suppose to be taken after noon because it keeps him awake at night. Although many other people we talk to have their kids on the same stuff at 3 doses a day and then a sleeping pill at night. (Gravol or other) I am not sure I want Rawley taking a sleeping pill every night. Sometimes now when he struggles at night we give him melatonin to help him go to sleep and that is okay with me, but it is not a daily thing and it is not a drug.
My concerns with Concerta is that it is only approved for 6 year olds and up and because of Rawley's size they may not approve him to be on it. Rawley is only in the 7th percentile for weight and he is below the 3rd percentile for height. If he does not meet the required size he may not qualify.
Other than that I am out of ideas for what to do to help Rawley. I have looked into natural solutions but come out lost. I am not sure what direction to go with it, how much testing is done? Who is going to pay for it? How do I know it will work?
I have asked over and over to have extra help with Rawley at school but because he is so intelligent they will not even try to get help for him. They only supply aids to children who have mental disabilities, not behavioural. I was told that even even they were able to get someone to assess Rawley at school nothing would happen because they would just see a bright student who is badly behaved. They do not see that as a disability. They do not see that as something that required any sort of assistance.
From all the research done and all the things we know about ADHD you would think they would want to help the kids in other ways than just medication. A little help at school could change their lives.
"When children and adolescents with ADHD go untreated or are inadequately treated, they can be at risk for developing poor academic performance and poor social skills which can lead to more significant consequences later in life, including unemployment, criminal behaviour and substance misuse."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29124.php
also a good one
http://www.concerta.net/children/adhd-treatment-index.html
I want Rawley to have the best chance at a happy successful life.... I don't think that is too much to ask. I am hoping and praying that we find some solutions at the doctors office next Monday.
If anyone out there in blog land has any information, ideas or possible solutions I would love to hear them.
ADHD is such an awful thing and so many kids have it now. What is causing all these children to have these problems? I have read about food colouring being a cause, possibly chemicals in food, home life......they have a million ideas of what might cause it but no one is sure.
Right before spring break Rawley got in trouble at lunch again and was told he would have to eat by himself in the medic room until spring break. Then after spring break he came home and said he will be eating his lunch in the medic room until the school year is over. That is 3.5 months of eating alone. At first I didn't really know if he was accurate. So I waited it out a week then emailed his teacher about my concerns. After another week of not hearing back I went to Rawley's school to talk it out. I was sure Rawley had misunderstood. I mean 3.5 months of discipline for a 7 year old is a little extreme.
Rawley was not wrong. I sat and talked with the principle and his teacher about my concerns and they assured me that yes that was the new arrangement. I was speechless. They explained that Rawley is in trouble at eating time 6 times out of 10 and gets removed from the class anyway. He can never keep his voice down and refuses to sit in this chair at his desk.
I understand these frustrations they are experiencing because Rawley has these problems at home. The fact is he is not "refusing" to sit still.....HE CAN"T SIT STILL. He has a hyperactive disorder that is not being treated right and he can not control himself.
I expressed to them both my concerns of having Rawley alienated from his classmates for the next 3+ months. They told me they understood how I felt but they had no more ideas of what could be done.......
I would like to note that never in all their frustration have they ever tried to contact Ryan or myself about Rawley's behaviour or his discipline. They removed him from his class for over 3 months because they were out of ideas yet they never once thought....'Hey, let's call Rawley's parents, have a conference and see if all together we can not come up with a better alternative.' What is wrong with them?
They have no problem writing me a note home because Rawley broke another boys pencil and will now have to forfeit one of his own to the other boy, but remove him from class for 3+ months and don't tell me????? Do they have their priorities right? I think not.
Anyway, I talked with them both and explained that Rawley needs to receive his medicine at a certain time everyday and that if he doesn't they are setting him up for failure. By missing his meds by even 15 minutes they are chancing having Rawley be disruptive. This is hard on Rawley, all his classmates, his teachers and ultimately the principle too.
Rawley's meds are a 4 hour release (give or take a few minutes) and once he misses a dose or takes it late his body almost goes into withdrawl and his behaviour is worse than if he did not take it all, then they give him his meds late and he has to readjust. That is a big shock to a little system and it was happening everyday at school. He was taking his meds anywhere form 30 minutes to 2 hours late regularly.
I told them that I feel no one cares enough or thinks it is a big deal. If he had a life threatening illness they certainly would not forget his meds but because is it ADHD they don't think it matters. She understood what I meant and almost even agreed with me but said that they just can't promise it will happen everyday. So, the solution was that Rawley gets a watch with an alarm on it. Once the alarm goes off he has to quickly quiet it than asked be be excused to go to the office and take his meds. This leaves the entire thing up to Rawley. Not the greatest solution but I was willing to try anything. A good reliable watch was bought over the weekend.
As far as Rawley being separated from his class to eat... they finally decided that they would try to integrate him back in. He could have 2 friends sit with him outside the class and eat for a week, if he could sit quietly in his chair the entire time than they might try to move him back in. The friends had to be two friends that do not rile him up but help him remain calm.
This morning I talked with Rawley about how well things worked yesterday and this is what I found out. He missed the alarm on his watch because they had gym at that time and he didn't want to wear his watch during gym class so they had him set it down on the benches where he could not hear the alarm go off. He missed his pill again by 45 minutes. Now a better solution would be for him to hand his watch to his teacher and have her listen for the alarm or have someone else watching out for him because he is participating in gym and he is only 7 and he should not have to do it all. So now I have had to tell Rawley he can not take his watch off at all for anything at school.
Then while Rawley and his 2 friends were eating their lunch at the hall table where they were suppose to be the lunch monitor came and split them up because she thought they were all in trouble and when you are in trouble you cannot sit together. Maybe just maybe the teacher or the principle should have given the lunch monitors a heads up on the situation. Rawley tried to explain it to the lunch monitor but you can only imagine how well that would have gone.
Because Rawley missed his pill he had a very unsuccessful day full of loud impulsive behaviour. Speaking out of turn without raising his hand is his main problem. He ended up with 7 minutes of detention yesterday and I can't help but think that may have been avoidable if only they cared enough to make sure he was on track with his meds.
I understand the teachers frustration, I really do. We have that same little boy at home with us and it is exhausting. All this past weekend we have played with Rawley's meds a bit. Instead of just taking his meds in the morning and before noon we also gave him it late in the afternoon. We had a few incidents but our weekend was fairly calm and manageable. Rawley did not argue as much, he did not interrupt as much, he did not run, jump and fiddle so much. He could sit down and have a normal conversation without just yelling or walking away.
Then last night we went back to his normal schedule and I could not believe my eyes. Rawley could not practice his spelling words with out yelling some letters, whispering some, climbing the couch, sliding off the couch, twirling, jumping, interrupting himself......and it was only 12 words. He was asked to sit at the table and write them out but his printing was huge and messy and all over the page, he swung his legs and bashed his hands on the table, he twirled his pencil, and folded his paper at the corners. He sat backwards in his chair, talked about other things, made popping noises with his mouth. He just could not handle the task. And each time I asked him to sit nice and write out his words he yelled, "I am!"
He was right in a sense. He is trying.....but no matter how hard he tries he cannot do it, not the way a normal child can. It is tiring and exhausting for us and him. Then we get angry with him so a night that could be spent doing a lot of stuff quite happily turns into a night of doing only one thing with much anger and aggravation. It is not fare to us or Rawley.
So, Rawley has a doctors appointment next Monday and we are going to talk to the doctor about switching meds. I would like to try him on Concerta extended release. It is a once a day extended release pill. This means that he will not have to remember to take it at school, it will slowly release throughout the day and into early evening so he can manage himself at home and at school and it has less side effects on his sleeping pattern.
The medicine he is on now is not suppose to be taken after noon because it keeps him awake at night. Although many other people we talk to have their kids on the same stuff at 3 doses a day and then a sleeping pill at night. (Gravol or other) I am not sure I want Rawley taking a sleeping pill every night. Sometimes now when he struggles at night we give him melatonin to help him go to sleep and that is okay with me, but it is not a daily thing and it is not a drug.
My concerns with Concerta is that it is only approved for 6 year olds and up and because of Rawley's size they may not approve him to be on it. Rawley is only in the 7th percentile for weight and he is below the 3rd percentile for height. If he does not meet the required size he may not qualify.
Other than that I am out of ideas for what to do to help Rawley. I have looked into natural solutions but come out lost. I am not sure what direction to go with it, how much testing is done? Who is going to pay for it? How do I know it will work?
I have asked over and over to have extra help with Rawley at school but because he is so intelligent they will not even try to get help for him. They only supply aids to children who have mental disabilities, not behavioural. I was told that even even they were able to get someone to assess Rawley at school nothing would happen because they would just see a bright student who is badly behaved. They do not see that as a disability. They do not see that as something that required any sort of assistance.
From all the research done and all the things we know about ADHD you would think they would want to help the kids in other ways than just medication. A little help at school could change their lives.
"When children and adolescents with ADHD go untreated or are inadequately treated, they can be at risk for developing poor academic performance and poor social skills which can lead to more significant consequences later in life, including unemployment, criminal behaviour and substance misuse."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29124.php
also a good one
http://www.concerta.net/children/adhd-treatment-index.html
I want Rawley to have the best chance at a happy successful life.... I don't think that is too much to ask. I am hoping and praying that we find some solutions at the doctors office next Monday.
If anyone out there in blog land has any information, ideas or possible solutions I would love to hear them.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
All Good Things Must Come To An End
We had a wonderful extended Easter weekend while Ryan's parents were out visiting. Time off work to enjoy family was wonderful. I unfortunately didn't take as many pictures as I was hoping to take. I always have the plan to take them and my camera is always in my purse, yet so often I forget.
Wednesday night we didn't do too much. I made stir fry for dinner and we relaxed and visited.
Thursday Rawley went to school, much to his disappointment, while Ryan and I took the day off to hang out with his parents. Ryan's mom had never been to an IKEA so we took a trip to Coquitlam and spent over an hour there. We followed that up with lunch at Sammy J Peppers and a visit to Rawley's school.
Thursday night Owyn came to visit them. We had dinner and then most of the adults played Wii. Owyn played toys on the floor and watched the adults flail their bodies around. He thought it was pretty funny.
~Owyn, the cutie, laughing at them all~
Wednesday night we didn't do too much. I made stir fry for dinner and we relaxed and visited.
Thursday Rawley went to school, much to his disappointment, while Ryan and I took the day off to hang out with his parents. Ryan's mom had never been to an IKEA so we took a trip to Coquitlam and spent over an hour there. We followed that up with lunch at Sammy J Peppers and a visit to Rawley's school.
Thursday night Owyn came to visit them. We had dinner and then most of the adults played Wii. Owyn played toys on the floor and watched the adults flail their bodies around. He thought it was pretty funny.
~Mom & Dad playing tennis~
~Ryan vs. Mom~
~Rawley did pretty good, but I don't know who won~
~Owyn, the cutie, laughing at them all~
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Nudge is Shy.
Yesterday we had our 3D Ultrasound. we had gone about a month ago and baby had both hands and both feet in front of his face so they rebooked us to come back. Yesterday baby also had both feet and both hands in front of his face for the most part.
I had a large hot chocolate and 7 timbits right before the appointment. Once baby was not cooperating they gave me more chocolate and made me walk the stairs. This did not really help. He seemed to move one leg down but left 2 arms and a foot in front of his face.
This makes it really hard to get good pictures. Even if they can get a picture without the feet and hands in front, the shadows from them make the pictures very blurry.
Over all I was very unhappy with the experience. They show you all the wonderful pictures they have taken but don't really let you know that yours may turn out like garbage. Most of the time in the appointment was spent shaking my belly back and forth and jabbing me with the wand trying to make the baby move. Out of the 122 pictures that they took, there are only about 4 worth sharing. The rest are all blurry and shadowy.
~Big Yawn~
~Laughing at us~
I had a large hot chocolate and 7 timbits right before the appointment. Once baby was not cooperating they gave me more chocolate and made me walk the stairs. This did not really help. He seemed to move one leg down but left 2 arms and a foot in front of his face.
This makes it really hard to get good pictures. Even if they can get a picture without the feet and hands in front, the shadows from them make the pictures very blurry.
Over all I was very unhappy with the experience. They show you all the wonderful pictures they have taken but don't really let you know that yours may turn out like garbage. Most of the time in the appointment was spent shaking my belly back and forth and jabbing me with the wand trying to make the baby move. Out of the 122 pictures that they took, there are only about 4 worth sharing. The rest are all blurry and shadowy.
~Just chilling out~
~Peace Sign~
~Big Yawn~
~Laughing at us~
