Anxiety, ADHD, and My Son: June Update

It's been two months since we had an update about Carson and his emotional struggles. He's been on medication for the anxiety since January, and the ADHD since the beginning April.  We've noticed a difference. We notice in the evenings when his medicine has worn off, we notice days that he hasn't taken it. For us, for him, medication is necessary, but that's another post in itself.

Carson has done well on medication. He is able to sit and pay attention to a task, he doesn't bite his fingernails until they bleed anymore. His emotions are more stable. Being out of school, we have noticed a slight change in his behavior. He smiles more. He wants to hug us more. He seems more relaxed. It is a very welcome change from where we were a few weeks ago, and especially from where we were a few months ago.  We are constantly working with him on how to express himself in a healthy manner when he is frustrated or angry. We are trying to stop the behavior of yelling at us, threatening bodily harm to us, throwing things, and the such. It will take time, but we are trying.

I have to share a little bit of our success with you...A couple of weeks ago, Chris took Carson out of town for Father's Day.  A weekend away, with just the two of them. I was worried the whole weekend that Carson would act up, and they'd be miserable the whole trip. Much to my happiness, Chris said that he couldn't have asked for a better child while they were gone. Carson was polite, well behaved, and listened to him!  I'm sure it was no easy task as they were 6 hours from home, at a NASCAR race. I was so happy to hear they had a great trip and enjoyed being with each other.  Not that long ago, they couldn't stand to be around each other for more than 15 minutes! My heart swells with content when they are able to enjoy time together.

Hopefully, we are on an upward trend and have worked out the kinks for Carson for now. 

Tips for Surviving Summer Heat

It's hot here in the midwest....and humid, extremely humid!  In light of this, I thought I would share a few of my tips for surviving the summer heat with little ones.

1)  Plan outdoor activities for the morning or evening. Generally speaking, the heat here reaches its peak mid afternoon. We try to go outside to play early in the day (before 11am) or later in the evening (after 6-7pm) to avoid the heat as much as possible.

2)  Dress in cool, "heat wear" clothes. You can purchase "heat wear" shirts for children just about every where now days. Shirts with UPF (similar to SPF sun protection) and shirts that wick the moisture away will help maintain body temperature and keep you or your child cooler.  If you don't want to spend the money on "heat wear", wear cotton clothes. Polyester and non "natural" fibers hold the heat in more than cotton and natural fibers will.

3) Have water play.  Let's face it, what kid wouldn't love to play in the sprinkler, or splash in a kiddie pool? Combining a child's love for playing with a way to cool their little bodies down is a double win in my book! Remember to keep these things in the shade when possible to avoid sunburn.

4) Keep blinds and curtains closed.  While in the house, keeping the blinds and curtains closed will help eliminate some of the heat produced by the sun shining through your windows.

5) Stay hyrdated. The biggest thing you can do to help survive the heat is to drink plenty of non-caffeinated fluids. Water, juice, decaf tea are all good options.  A good general rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water for every 20 minutes of heat exposure.

Have fun and enjoy your summer, but be smart in your heat exposure.

Eight Years

Eight years ago today, I married my love. We've had our share of ups and downs, but stuck together through it all. He's my rock when I need it. My comic relief at just the right moment. My best friend always.

Happy Anniversary Chris!

PS - Oh my goodness we look young in those photos!

Friday Free for All

It's Friday! Friday the 13th in fact. Oh, and a full moon! I'm not superstitious about it at all though really. I will say that the full moon does explain some behaviors in our hour this week though.

Jonathan has had his ups and downs this week. He actually slept from 11p-6a twice this week, which was awesome! The other nights though were brutal. He was up most of the night on Monday and Tuesday. I think he had a stomachache. I was at my witt's end by 10pm on Wednesday. He finally went to bed at 11 and stayed down until 6:30am! I was very thankful for that. We both needed the rest.

He bit Carson for the first time this week too. Apparently Carson went to the bathroom at my mom's house and Jonathan went in there with him. Jonathan bit Carson's arm at some point while Carson was trying to use the restroom. Carson was fine by the time I got off work you couldn't even tell where Jonathan had bit his arm.

Carson has had a pretty good week this week. He's consistently getting his medicine at the same time (shortly after I drop him off at my mom's) every morning and it shows. He is being nice, loving, and respectful! He's super excited to be traveling to Michigan with his daddy this weekend for a boys' weekend. They are going to the NASCAR race on Sunday.  Jonathan and I will be staying behind.

The weather here this week has been cool and rainy. It's quite a change from the 90s and sunshine we had last week, but I'll take it! Perhaps a little less rain would be nice though.

Summer reading programs started last week and so far Carson has read 15 books to either myself, Chris, or my mom. He's doing awesome with expanding his reading skills. He has a new found love for "Walter the Farting Dog" books. They are funny and cute at the same time.

Next week is a big week for us. Father's Day Sunday, Chris' birthday on Monday, our 8th Anniversary on Tuesday, and the local town festival (which I help plan) on Saturday!

I will have a few posts next week too, so stay tuned for sappy love stories!

I Run...

I run.

 I am a runner.

 It's not about finishing first. It's not about speed.

It's about me, the pavement, and the time.

I run.

For my sanity. 

For my health. 

For the natural high. 

To forget the day.

To forget the troubles. 

To spend time with my family. 

For fitness. 

To clear my mind. 

Because it's cheaper than therapy.

To get away from it all.

I run...because I can!

Kindergarten is Over

Last week, Carson finished Kindergarten. Now if you have followed my blog for a while, you know that we have had problems with his school working with us on his behavior and emotional problems. I would love to say that we ended the year with a plan in place and with the school working with us. That's not the case. In fact, my last email to the principal went unanswered for over a week! Now this is the guy who preached how we needed to communicate better when we had our meeting just a month prior!

I have shifted my focus to providing the best school year possible for him next year. I am exploring our other options for schooling.  So far all the other options are quite pricey. By pricey, we're talking $2500-10000 per year! The $2500 doesn't bother me, and really I would have no problem taking him to that school except it is a 30 minute drive, the opposite direction from my work. It would be a stretch for me to get him there and get back to work in time then get back there to pick him up each day. So for now, we are sticking with the school he currently attends. I have already arranged to meet with his teacher for next year prior to the year starting so that we can work out a plan for him. If that doesn't work, I will go up the hierarchy again...ugh!

On a more positive note, Carson completed Carson with great remarks in all academic areas. He really excels in Math. He got his Kindergarten diploma last week and was so excited that he is now a first grader! Only 2 months until it all starts again!

Comparison of first day of school and last day.