Camp Recap!

Andy, Colin and I hiked up to Bear Rock Lookout. you can see CT, NY and MA - when the valley isn't so foggy anyway...


the boys spent a LOT of time at the beach with their cousins. this is Andy, Ryan, Owen, Evan, Jake and Jessica playing on a float. (Jeremy was too old and Colin too young to hop on..)


Camping themed party favors for the cousins!


relaxing before the party


The Birthday Boy!


The campfire cake had a meltdown in the 90F (32C) degree heat.

obligatory cake face pics...



Present Time!



Todd caught a fish...

...we could go home... but not before leaving a partial deposit for next year - full week!!!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY COLIN!

My little monkey is one! where has the time gone? it has been a busy year with lots of bumps and twists in the road, but here we are with an amazing toddler!

not what I was expecting... but I'll take it!

so we had both visits with the Developmental Pedi. She is FAB. took plenty of time to talk and address our concerns. She spent quite a while with Andy too..

once she was done with Andy's testing, she told us:

• he intelligence scores were "significantly higher than normal" - his "quirky" behavior and lack of social skills can be attributed to the fact that he can't relate to his classmates.
  
• His speech/developmental delays and disconnection are/were attributed to PTSD (aka "the Fire").
  
• She saw NO red flags for ASD - of course he wasn't stimming while he was there
  
• What she did see was ADD/ADHD
  
• since Todd has ADD, each of our children is at least 5x more likely to have it than the average child.
  

so, for now, we'll get him the 504 at school to make accommodations for him. we'll give it a month or so, then see how he is doing in school and decide if we want to use medication or not. Todd's BFF and his DW are both pharmacists, so we have a call in to them for their opinion on the different med options. If we go the drug route, I am leaning toward the patch. we'd have more control.

TOTALLY not what I was expecting, but good news in any event... who'd think ADD/ADHD was good news! But I think it is an overall better prospect for life. she asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and why. He told her he wanted to be a family doctor and she said his explanation sounded like an essay from a med school application. crap.. better start saving for med school!

You're supposed to hit the ball- not the oponent!

So we had FREE box seats to Tuesday night's Bluefish game. I love Harbor Yard. Every seat has a great view. Good prices - well - relatively. ample parking and it is close by. Great place to take the kids for a ball game. usually. Thanks to Jose Offerman, it wasn't very family-friendly.

Other than this little incident - it was a great game!




Slide show: http://www.connpost.com/breakingnews/ci_6631730?source=rv#

Story: http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/herself75/diapers/100_0437.jpg

And now he is saying he was set up? was he at the same game I was?

TAG! I'm IT!

In case you hadn't noticed the button on the right, I am playing Dish Rag Tag. The team box arrived at my door yesterday.

lovely cotton yarn, a BEAUTIFUL jewel-tones dishrag and the CUTEST tape measure I have EVER seen!

I whipped up a crochet dishrag with the yarn from the box. I used a textured stitch to help make it scrubby. I am, of course, assuming that the disrag will actually be used for dishes....



I packed up the box and sent it on its way this morning!


GO TEAM POST knITS!!!!

Captain Mullet and Mohawk Man

they chose their new haircuts....

Rescue Pack

So I FINALLY finished my Ergo-esque MT. not all that comfy as a front carrier, but I suppose that just takes getting used to - like the sling. BUT is is VERY comfy as a backpack!! I think it is going to get a LOT of use at camp! I had an epiphany at about midnight Friday (yeah my exciting Friday night was spent with a glass - or 3 - of wine and my sewing!) . I was thinking about how to pad, attatch and adjust the sraps. I was looking at Andy's old back pack to look at the construction of the straps when I thought.. "Why not just uses these straps??" so I did (SSSHHH dont tell! he wasn't thrilled about getting rid of his old backpack.) I just finished quilted the pannel on Mom's machine.. certainly a learning curve there, but it turned out OK.

I used it while making dinner last night. he was THRILLED to be close to me and I wasn't afraid of burning or cutting him. he loved it when I was dancing with him!

I also used it to/from church today. comfy for both of us on the walk.

I finished up 5 diapers and about a dozen wipes. some for us and some for a client.

I recycled a fleece jacket I no longer wear into a pair of pants for Colin. they work just like longies!

Last - and probably least, I whipped up a bag for wet clothes/towels for the beach bag.

not too shabby for one weekend!

I do want to make another swim diaper or two for Colin and eventually I want to make a little mini diaper bag to go with hte carrier in the same fabrics with the other butterfly block.

The Bandit

I took this a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to post it! This is Colin's cat.. The Bandit! and yes... he was napping on the changing table. In fact, he probably is now too...

2-wheelin!

we don't need no stinking training wheels!




My little stunt man....

ok- well this guy still needs at least 3 wheels...

Need some quilting/design help

I framed the quilt block and made the outer pannel. The batilk is what I am using for the inside and straps as well. I'll attach the shoulder straps, turn and quilt, then add the bottom straps. What I am wondering is if I need to frame the whole pannel in black, or maybe use the black for quilting, or maybe something else... remember, this won't have a binding like a quilt.

I'd appreciate any thoughts/ideas/input in the comments.. maybe a prize for the "winning" idea..

eta- I've added a Poll to the sidebar!

MYC Centennial Outing!

yep - busy weekend! this was sunday at the club!

they brought in a "safari" show for the kids

Devon Day

Before & After

I miter be knitting....

I've been intreaged by the miter blanket. But I make baby socks with my leftover sock yarn and well, I have more than enough afghans. Perhaps a baby blanket in the future...




Wendy's miter sweater is stunning.. maybe converted to a cardigan... but would I wear it? probably not.. I'm looking for more fitted styles. Perhaps a baby/toddler jacket in the future..


So, what miter this be??? a suprise!!! For who? not tellin! Pattern? nope... it is all in my head... I'll publish eventually. I may submit it for publication.. If I get denied, then I'll self-publish here. either way, if you are patient, the pattern will be free!

I will tell you that I am using some of the FABULOUS wool MIL picked up for me at a fair in the Highlands of Scotland on one of her trips to visit the family. I have MILES of this stuff and I just LOVE working with it. It is a little rough, but loaded with lanolin, so my hands are so soft! the "roughness" washes out and with a little conditioner, it is soft as can be...

It's all in the details...

I found out last night that Colin (and Todd and I) were exposed to TB while at the hospital last week... great... the risk is minimal, but still, it is there.. Colin goes for a TB test next week just to be safe. Guess we should too....

In the mean time... I will distract myself with pretty pictures from my new camera! It has a "flower" setting!


and then there is my sewing...


this block will be the central pannel on my new carrier. the pannel will be quilted. the straps padded.... and perhaps have buckles instead of ties... we shall see...

better

after more puking thursday and friday, the dr call in a perscription for more anit-puking meds. he is off of them now. no puking since friday. more or less back to normal diet. I tried feeding him pureed squash last night.. he grabbed a hot dog off of the plate! I think he has had it with the bland diet. he is also teething and I'm sure he wants something to bite into. good thing too. he is down about a pound now.

got the new camera yesterday. batteries are charging. prepare for photo overload!!!

my day..

I intentionally avoid discussing my day job here... but today.. well...

ER knitting

Colin took a turn for the worse yesterday. kept NOTHING down.. not even a small amount. so, we took him to the er. We ended up being there almost 12 hours. he is so tiny and so dehydrated, they had a VERY hard time getting an IV in him. they did get blood for his labs and a heel stick for blood sugar. his bs was 47 when we got there and 76 when we left. I don't know what his electrolyes were, but they were bad... 6 nurses tried 2-3 times EACH to get the IV. in the mean time, we were trying to hydrate orally. they gave him some Zofran(?) to settle his stomach. he ate red jello. spit out yellow jello. pushed away the orange popcicle (mommy ate it :) ) and nursed. we tried hiding pedialyte in apple juice. He did drink 1/2 of it before he cought on to us. FINALLY the nurse from Pedi came down and got the IV on her 2nd try. they gave him a half liter of fluids and sent us home. As much as I HATED putting him through all of those needles (and the bruises - oh!) if she didn't get it in, he would have been admitted... as in checked in for the night.

with ALL of the poking, prodding, sticking, rectal temps, etc, he did scream and cry - but only 1 tear! he is cutting 2 teeth, but we didn't notice b/c there was NO drool. he did have 2 wet and 1 VERY poopy diaper while we were there. he is at the pedi for a follow-up now.

while we were there, waiting and waiting between needles, I picked up my knitting and started a new project. It involves miter squares, a gift, and possibly crochet trim... may also be a candidate for publication if it comes out in wool like it does in my head... I just bought a new camera on-line, so once I get it, I'll post extreme close-ups.

On the Mend

I'm feeling a bit better now. My jaw still hurts, but I'm pretty sure I'll live.

Colin got a tummy bug. poor kid! he can't afford to lose an ounce! he hurled everything the last couple days - except Mommy Milk. and yes - I am enjoying that! we were worried about dehydration 24 hours and only 1 wet diaper. the dr said to bring him to the hospital if he didnt' have another by morning. he had "morning diaper" when he finally woke up today. he was so wiped out last night, he didn't even want Mater!! he just sat in my lap wimpering. he is almost back to his normal self. only problem is, his appetite has returned, but his tummy is still sensitive.

Ryan hasn't injured himself in over a week!

Andy is having a great time at Camp!

what a waste..

two perfectly good days off down the tubes... why? b/c one of my wisdom teeth (finally) became impacted and HAD to go... I knew they all needed to come out several years ago. they never bothered me much - or often. and since I didnt' have dental insurance, I didnt think it was worth it to suffer the agone of having them removed AND pay out-of-pocket.

I now have dental (YAY!!!) but there is a waiting period on "major procedures" (BOO) but this just wouldn't wait. the insurance did cover everything BUT the actual removal.. the exam, the x-rays - even the meds. so it could have been worse. I have to go back in a month and get more x-rays, full exam and we'll discuss a plan for the removal or the rest and some other work I need done. the billing lady said she'll contact the ins. co. and work the waiting periods into the "plan" so that I can get it all done and not have to pay it all out of pocket.

to be honest.. I am NOT scared of the dentist .. it is the billing lady that frightens me!!

oh- the irony... Andy lost a tooth at camp yesterday!! that thing was worn down to a nub!!! gotta talk to his dentist about that... oh yeah.. we need a new pediatric dentist.. our current one isn't on our plan. :(

Did anyone get the license plate on that weekend???

for a weekend that started out wiht no plans.. I sure am wiped OUT!



Friday night- Andy and Ryan both tested for their new belts. Ryan is now a Gold belt and Andy is an orange belt!! YAY! for my guys!! they are going to go 2x a week for the summer. can't wait for Andy to finally get Camo, maybe by the fall...



Saturday- dont remember what I did except go grocery shopping, get propane, and BBQ... well, I did all the dishes and gave Colin a bath in the kitchen sink too. He then decided that that would be a GREAT time to finally pull up... mommy didnt agree. and since I was home alone with a baby STANDING in the sink... I couldn't get the camera for pics...



Sunday- went to the Barnum Festival Great Street Parade! had a great time as usual! saw a bunch of friends. the boys got a wave from "Mack" or well.. his voice anyway.... so they were excited! then we went home, the boys played in the yard and I trimmed the hedges..

Monday morning - I HURT!

Sold the 'Stang

..sigh...

mom car here I come....

Any one else see the irony in this...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3299377&page=1

thanks for the hype... how about some HELP!

Updates all around...

Andy:
about 6 weeks ago, I posted this....
we are trying to get [Andy] into a "multiage" class which is 1st and 2nd graders combined. great place for a kid with great academics and not so great social skills. they are explicitly taught in the MA class! as well as having older peers in the room! we visited the class after the PPT. the teacher was SO excited to be teaching these kids (with only 1 moth left f the year!) and the kids were VERY excited to show off what they could do! the kids are taught at their own level and encouraged to work together! they like to put siblings together too, so there is a possibility that A&R can be in the same class in a couple years!

HE GOT IN!!

we also ran into one of the teachers at the Karate picnic on Saturday and got a chance to talk to her a bit. both teachers are open to any and all suggestions on how to make their lives easier! with or without an IEP!!! so I hope to have some suggestions from the DP and the psychologist by then. I debated on sharing his dx (assuming he gets one). but I think it is certainly in his best interest to do so. he should not be ashamed of having ASD. it doesn't' make him a bad person and it doesn't define him either. he should know that it means he thinks differently and he'll need to develop strategies to deal with this as he gets older. We'll also need to tell the school b/c he gets diddly without it!

Ryan:
we got Todd a pair of dumbbells for Fathers Day (at his request!) Ryan found my old 1# weights from step class and decided to work out with dad.. great.. until.. he dropped one on his toe!! fortunately it isn't broken. there was a LOT of blood under the nail and they burned a hole through and drained it. he is fine now.. went to karate that night! after it happened, Todd called me and I came home to bring him to the walk-in. Todd gave him ibuprofen and an ice pack and he was out cold before I got home.. narcolepsy anyone?

Colin:
he is really chunking up! he is trying to pull up and walk. he is at the stage where he is bouncing his butt while he tried to figure out how to get the legs to go... he is SO darn cute!! and SO happy now that he can eat breathe and the allergens are out of his diet... he is in LOVE with the new kitten... yes we have a new kitten "Bandit".

in case anyone was wondering...

You Are 100% Feminist

You are a total feminist. This doesn't mean you're a man hater (in fact, you may be a man). You just think that men and women should be treated equally. It's a simple idea but somehow complicated for the world to put into action.

Are You a Feminist?

Autism

Kids Count of Milford hosted a talk on Autism last night. when the flier came home from school, I though it would be a good idea to go. I was wrong - it was one of the best ideas I have EVER had!

The speakers were from ASCONN. I have mentioned this organization before. The proceeds from Andy's book are being donated to this FABULOUS organization. Before I continue on the talk, I should note that the pages in Andy's book are printed upside down. I was going to fix that, but after thinking about it.. it seems appropriate. It works, but not the way a typical book does...

So, anyway, they presented a program on the basics of Autism, what it is, how it is diagnosed and available treatments. I know a lot about Autism itself - too much IMO. but when it comes to treatments.. I don't know diddly. I have NO clue where to start! I don't think the schools do either. IMO- that is why they chose to do NOTHING about Andy's behavioral issues. I don't want to go back to them and say "do something!". I want to say, "Here are some things I think we can do to help him out." and have list in hand (I like lists!).

The talk turned briefly to Sensory Processing problems. The light bulb didn't just go on, it was a flashing red light! I knew he had "sensory issues" he covers his ears when he gets yelled at. he says he hates loud noises - yet he makes a LOT of them. If you pat his bottom (football pat - NOT spanking) he says "OW! that hurts!" and I suppose it does... he HATES having his hair brushed or cut. we have FINALLY gotten him to take showers (as opposed to baths). That stuff I knew. BUT I never realized that in addition to the 5 senses, it includes your sense of the space around you and your sense of where you are in space. everything just started to "click". his fear of heights, his lack of "personal space", his clumsiness, how he never seems to be paying attention to what he is doing or where he is. his falling on the floor for no apparent reason. Even the hum and flicker of florescent lights can bother him... now that I am recognizing things for what they are, I can try to figure out how to help him cope in the world around him. I think 99% of his behavior issues are due to sensory integration problems. we still need to teach social skills and appropriate behavior, but he is smart. he will learn!

There were handouts - a LOT of handouts! I was overwhelmed with resources. I had NO idea the services available. there really is a lot... but they do NO good if people don't' know about them. so I am going to be reading brochures and googling treatments/programs for the next few days! I finally feel like I have a place to start.. now I need to figure out which direction to go...

"maybe they are right and the rest of us are screwed up."

***UPDATE***

I spent my lunch on the phone and we have an appointment for the DP at the end of Aug!! AND I also found out that my ins will cover OT - even w/o a diagnosis!