Not Super Mom and that's ok.

I suck at this sometimes!   ADHD is kicking my ass!   

My poor son must feel like some weird science experiment.  He has been through the wringer this weekend and it was a suppose to be a fun weekend.  A holiday weekend.   Thank God we were not traveling.    

A few months ago we noticed Alex's ADHD medication wasn't working like it should be...so we made adjustments. We saw some change but not enough.  I talked to his teacher.   She was frazzled but willing to work with me.   He was quickly loosing ground and not wanting to go to school.  The place he previously loved to go.   I back peddled and even went to school with him to see if I could see what was going on.  I observed him most of the day...and for the most part his teach said he was behaving as normal.   That was not good.  He was unfocused and disruptive.   He wasn't the only student...but he was my student and my only concern.   I'll pray that the other kids parents are as concerned as I am.   I talked to the lead teacher.   She is very supportive and offered great advice...things I had never ever thought to do.   She encouraged me to get Alex in some kind of therapy for his
ADHD and seek outside help not try and take care of it all on my own.  I shared with her my concerns that Alex might have some autistic tenancies and she gave me some advice on how to proceed with that in a small town in the middle of Kansas that doesn't offer much in the way of diagnostic and treatment.   

Finally it came down to we had to switch Alex's medication.   It has been a more successful transition that the last time we tried this transition.   There have been some set backs however...Alex is having some issues with the new medication.   It makes his stomach hurt...a lot.   He has spent two nights throwing up a lot...that was of four nights.  He has complained at every meal that he can't eat that it hurts...we have  tried everything to get him to eat just a few bites...even getting his favorites...cheeseburger and fries.  He just can't eat.   It really bums us out,,,dad especially gets upset because he things Alex is just not eating because he doesn't like what was made.   Truth is he can't eat...he has an upset stomach,   I'm up right now because I got to get up with Alex and clean up the mess he made in the bathroom at 2:30 a.m. oh well...I can sleep later.   He hasn't slept much either the poor little guy keeps waking up with stomach cramps and leg cramps.   Both are common side effects of the new medications...the worst part...I think it actually is working...He seems more focused and able to concentrate.   

LOL...why didn't we do this sooner?

Look what we found at the thrift store today...only $19.99
You  might notice that all of Alex's photo's are blurry and out of focus...yes I am horrible at taking pictures.   He also didn't stand still for a second...even when I asked him too...silly boy.   He was so busy bouncing that he couldn't take even a second to stop and take a picture.   This is AWESOME!   We have been looking for a way for take some of the steam out of this little boy...he's been all outta sorts since school got out.  He has had not much outlet for all this energy.   He is wearing himself out as I type this..and I am loving it!!!    One of my very wise mom friends had one of these on her back porch and she uses it to give her kids a time out...they have to jump though a time out...of course they love to jump, and it also getting out some much need energy.   Catie spent some time on it and yes she enjoyed it...but her time was up and she hasn't asked her brother to get back on it.  Now he's starving....this is awesome!


We might just have a mandatory period of jumping everyday...just to wear him out a little.   Oh wise friend...what other tricks do you have...
bottom line...best 20 buck we spent today!

two kids with food allergies...lol...your kidding right???

So dinner last night was suppose to be a celebration...My parents were celebrating Nathan's new job and my sister in law's new career.  She is graduating from college in a week and half from nursing school.  We were so very excited to go out and have dinner out at a place that serves sushi for Nathan because Catie wasn't going with us.  It was Stix...a Japaneses steakhouse.  A place we haven't taken her since we found out she has the shellfish allergy because the shrimp are flying through the air at people.  The protein she is allergic to is literally airborne so just to be safe we have stayed away.
Since Catie had that first reaction I have been very hesitant to give Alex shellfish and have only on rare occasions.  He will have Crab Rangoon here or Calamari there...but has never to date had shrimp that I am aware of...until last night.  I finally relented and said what the heck.  He's seven.  We have to know at some point if he has that food allergy...it's possible...but pretty unlikely.  So he gets the two appetizer shrimp on his plate...and looks at me quizzically.  "Can I eat those mom" he as asked me before he devours them.   I nod and watch in horror as I believe he is going to break out into hives and gasp for breath instantly, even though it takes Catie several minutes to feel any kind of reaction from shrimp.  I almost want to check him over a few minutes later for signs of a rash...nope I'm going to be easy and relax.  My husband even has a picture of me trying to relax...I am doing a pretty good job of faking it, but the whole time I am searching his little neck and face for a rash.
Then the fun begins.  The grill cook begins to flip shrimp into the dinner's mouths.  Alex is up first...the cook over shoots and the shrimp hits Alex in the eye.  He wipes his eye and says he's ok.  I think nothing of it and the cook moves on the someone else.  This goes on till all the shrimp are gone...oh thank God!  We finish dinner and we head home.   A great dinner and we had a great time...Alex learned to eat with Chopsticks and he ate shrimp and survived.  All and all a great night.
Until we get back to mom and dad's house and Alex comes running up to me.
"Mom, Grandma thinks I have pinkeye?!?!"
"what, let me see your eyes baby...they were fine at the restaurant and you didn't have any signs of pink eye earlier!"
"but my eye is all pink and swollen and drippy"
"OMGOSH!!!  Mom he's having an allergic reaction to the damn shrimp!!!"
Marsha and Dad ask if I am sure and how I can tell....
He had a hive right on his eye lid...
So he got a does of Benadryl...the clear kind because we don't want to mess with his ADHD.  I asked if his belly hurt or if he was having any breathing issues...nope he felt fine...just tired.  So off to bed he went.
I explained to Marsha the progression of a allergic reaction and what might happen and what might necessitate a trip to the ER.  I left it at if he throws up and I can't get it to stop we are heading into the ER for an EPI shot.   So sometime over night I heard a bunch of things being moved around and shuffling.  I figured dad was getting up to move to his chair in the living room because his hip was hurting.  Then a little while later Marsha woke me up.
"What was it that you said about throwing up?"
So at 1 I went up and checked his eye and made sure he was doing ok...I was really worried at this point but the throwing up had stopped and I gave him another Benadryl.  The next morning the swelling was mostly gone and the pink was almost all gone too.  I gave him one more Benadryl and hoped for the best.
By lunch the swelling was down and he was fine.  He mentioned at breakfast that the eye he was smacked in was the one that swelled way up...I'm guessing the proteins in the shrimp reacted with the membranes in his eye and it swelled right up.
All better now...but now I have two kids with food allergies and forevermore I will have an epi-pen with me always.

On to Middle School

The very last day of Elementary School

The ClapOut ...a fifth grade tradition!

wait let me take a selfie #Ilovethesekids!

last day of first grade and last day of fifth grade...tears

oh wait I better pull myself together I have a long way to go.

Catie receives the Presidential Gold Award!

WooHoo!  Go Catie!

Last play day!  Enjoy it girlie~

. 

Go Mustangs...trying so hard to be all
grown up...this is the high school and
middle school sweat shirt.

 A FEW THROW BACK PHOTOS

Catie and Alex near his first birthday.

Catie's Second visit with Santa was with Aunt Beth at Bass Pro Shop...Catie didn't like that Santa.   She loved Aunt Beth though.  This was in 2004.

This was Christmas that same year 04 Ryan is pictured here...lol...he just graduated from high school.

Catie's first Best Friend Cadence sitting on Sesame St on the stoop.  

This is Catie with her Great Great Grandma Ruth.

And great grandpa Larry

Grandpa Tim and Uncle Adam

My girl scout is highly awarded...she spent a lot of time working on her badges this year and short of saving a life can't has received the highest honorer for being a Junior scout.  She earned her Bronze Award this year and I could be prouder...she almost right away started talking about how she was going to earn her Silver and Gold Awards.  

She loves basketball and has played for 4 years!

We started learning to cook this year and have been very successful!

She loves her Red Roo...and he loves her too!

They almost never play together.

First American Girl Doll at age 10.
I hope it's the last...damn those things are
expensive!

Catie and Dad go and sleep under the stars
at the Kansas Cosmosphere 

I <3 this girl!

and her art!  someday it's going to be
sold for lots of money!

Every Princess needs a Knight!

She also learned to play bells this year...
not a huge stretch since she played chimes for 4 years in Illinois.

She also went bald to raise money for cancer research...I freaking love this kid!

She sure does love art like I do..This is the centipede at Wichita

And she loves her Kansas Jayhawks...that's almost a crime in Salina...but she does it anyway!

Oh and she's a dare devil...she will ride any ride...nothing is too high...nothing is too fast.  

She loves frozen custard...you don't see that wild cat on her shirt...I made her wear it...
she had a girl scout event and I couldn't find a shirt that was white except that one..so I bought it and put her insignia
pin over it she nearly had a cow...the big black and white spotted kind...she never wore the shirt again.

This is the event that Catie earned her Bronze Award for...she collected food for three weeks for a local lunch program at Christ Cathedral called Feed the Hungry and then her whole troop went and assembled lunches and passed out lunches one Saturday.  They have gone back since and volunteered again.  I love this organization.  I really love my daughter and how great she really is!

Happy `0th Birthday Catie!

This is Catie and her 5th grade teacher...Mr Weikle...she gave him so much crap all year long...he gave her just as much crap.   They were pretty evenly matched...but the rest of the class never even had a chance with Catherine she is so far beyond where they are.   

Catie's birthday at home!

cousins time

Funny faces

First Day of School 2013/2014
Catie fifth grade Alex first grade...the last time they will ever
be in the same school.

She loves to cook and show off

Rusty needs a selfie...wait no he doesn't
want one...wait not Alex doesn't want one.

Me and my girlie!

Summer fun at the pool 2013

This was the last time Catie ate her favorite food  Salmon...she's allergic to salmon and
her doctor told us she could try it but it was likely going to cause a reaction ...it did...she was pissed...that was the last time she smiled with salmon on our table.