tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42311133039530281452024-03-13T18:21:43.818-06:00Life with boysA story of life with boys, ADHD, & Anxiety...Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-57444480111336458922011-05-19T17:06:00.000-06:002011-05-19T17:06:14.527-06:00What Island are you on?As I was reading the lastest blog post on "a mom's view of ADHD" today, I could relate to each of the different islands described because at one time or another, I have been there, done that. Currently I feel like I am on Gilligan's Island and keep getting sucked back onto the island and just not sure when I will ever get off! Check out the article: <a href="http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2011/05/adhd-islands.html">The ADHD Islands</a>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-40589670323091686512011-03-20T15:01:00.000-06:002011-03-20T15:01:38.850-06:00Diet and ADHD<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is quite a controversial topic... </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are the results from a recent study conducted by INCA - Impact of Nutrition on Children with ADHD:</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2962227-1/abstract">http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2962227-1/abstract</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Their conclusion was that <b>"A strictly supervised restricted elimination diet is a valuable instrument to assess whether ADHD is induced by food."</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Does Diet really affect ADHD symptoms? Everyone has got their own thoughts and theories...</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://chaddleadershipblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/elimination-diets-for-adhd-not-ready.html%20">http://chaddleadershipblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/elimination-diets-for-adhd-not-ready.html </a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/new-research-confirms-adhd-caused-by-food/">http://www.foodrenegade.com/new-research-confirms-adhd-caused-by-food/</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> All I know is what I have experienced with my own son who was diagnosed with ADHD and I would say that it definitely made a difference for him. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's take a trip down memory lane... it's first grade and my son is having daily issues at school - he can't sit still, he can't focus, he is easily frustrated and melts down quickly when things don't go his way. He has regressed and is hiding under his desk when things don't go as expected. He is exhibiting behavior that clearly illustrates that he feels like everyone is against him. When something happens, he immediately moves into a "fight or flight" type reaction and is unable to reason or logic through any situation until he is given time to calm down. He is being suspended for his behavior in the classroom and no one at school is able to help us. We did want any desparate parent would do, we scheduled an appointment with the psychiatrist to get some answers. Originally it was not clear if the behaviors were related to ADHD or just anxiety or a combination of both. We tried anxiety meds first, but that didn't quite solve the problems... so we tried ADHD meds instead, but that didn't quite solve the problems either. We ended up using meds for both anxiety and ADHD and that seemed to be the magic combination for my son at the time. We had no reason to believe that he had food allergies or sensitivites at this point.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then my sister was diagnosed with a number of food allergies and in a quest to find a cookbook for her, I ran across a special cookbook for kids with ADHD. As I started to research this diet and the science behind it, it made sense to me. I started seeking out recipes and ran across several Yahoo groups and several wonderful blogs of parents who were already doing the diet and sharing all their converted recipes. I decided it was worth a shot to give it a try and so we started by eliminating gluten & dairy from my family's diet. I located a doctor in our city who was helping parents with this type of intervention for kids with ADHD, Asperger's and Autism and with his help, we discovered additional food allergies/sensitivities and eliminated all known problem foods. As part of this we also began making all our food at home which removes all the processed foods, preservatives, food colorings, etc. which can also cause problems for many kids today.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fast forward back to the present... my son has been on his special diet for 2 and 1/2 years now and it isn't very complicated, it has become second nature to cook differently and our entire family is healthier because of it. We make most of our own meals at home which saves us alot of money on eating out. We had taken my son of both of his medications the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade and he was doing well without them. My son ended up transferring schools this year due to a change in school boundaries and I think the stress of the changes affected him. We ended up taking him back to the psychiatrist because we were seeing some of those old behaviors and the doctor said it sounds like his anxiety has relapsed. We started him back on anxiety meds and he is a different child. His teacher is amazed at the change in him at school and I no longer get daily communications regarding problems from the teacher. The interesting thing is that he is not exhibiting the significant focus issues that he had in 1st grade. He is on the same anxiety med as back then, but there is no need for the ADHD stimulant medication this time. He is able to focus and complete his work at school. The only difference now is his diet. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we were first starting out with the food allergy/sensitivity discovery, I read a book that I highly recommend to any parent contemplating a change in diet. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Healing-New-Childhood-Epidemics-Groundbreaking/dp/0345494504">Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies</a> by Kenneth Bock. Doctor Bock explains the science behind the food sensitivities and how it can affect our children and their behavior.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you are thinking about taking the plunge and trying a removal of gluten & dairy from your child's diet, I highly recommend the book <span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Autism-ADHD-Diet-Step---Step/dp/1402218451/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300491442&sr=1-2">The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) and Other Interventions</a> by Barrie Silberberg. I wish I had this book when I first started, it would have made my life alot easier.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">With that all being said... I do not believe that diet is the ONLY thing that has helped us overcome the focus issues. He has gone to countless OT appointments to help with many different challenges. We have done Brain Integration Therapy which has helped in certain areas. We have done biofeedback. He receives assistance at school through interventions as needed. We are also supplementing key things that we found him to be low on like Vit D, B12, and Folate. Overall we have done many different things to help him be successful at school and home and his diet is just one piece of the puzzle. As parents of kids with ADHD, we have to have alot of different tools in our toolbox, and this is just one tool that I find useful in helping my son.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">I encourage you all to do your own research and decide for yourselves if diet will help your child. There are several different diets that can benefit ADHD symptoms. The one advice I would give is, don't give up too soon! If at first it seems that the diet isn't working, stick with it for several weeks and allow them to rid their systems of all the things that were causing a problem before you decide if it is working or not. Sometimes things get worse before they get better - kind of like an addict going through withdrawls. Keeping a food journal is also very helpful. Remember it can take 24-72 hours to see behavioral effects from a food that is eaten and with a food journal it will be easier for you to track down any behaviors related to food. Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span id="btAsinTitle"></span></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-84720573202763513902011-02-20T20:22:00.000-07:002011-02-20T20:22:09.040-07:00Tips for educating students affected by ADHDOh how I wish that I could share this very practical blog with every parent and teacher who has a kid affected by ADHD! If you are looking for practical ways to help your child, OR for that matter, ALL CHILDREN, then you have got to check out this blog.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_950947116"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://adhdteacher.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/help-my-gear-shift-is-stuck/">http://adhdteacher.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/help-my-gear-shift-is-stuck/</a><br />
<br />
Then when you are done with this entry, check out the other entries on the blog. It will be time well spent!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-338080967747586692011-01-21T17:38:00.000-07:002011-01-21T17:38:57.638-07:00Anxiety Sucks!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I just have to tell you that anxiety really sucks! We finally got in to see the psychiatrist and I took the following list of concerning behvaiors to share with him so that I wouldn't have to tell him all these "bad" things in front of my son and make him feel even worse about himself.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- Meltdowns when he doesn’t get his way. This can happen over the smallest of things. Little things get blown way out of proportion.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Impulsivity – no control over his actions when upset, will say inappropriate things or act out.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Lack of focus – has a hard time starting a task and staying on task – easily bored with school work. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Poor self image and lack of self confidence – will often feel like everyone hates him at school and when he gets in trouble at home, he immediately says we hate him when he receives consequences for his actions. Many times when he starts to get out of control, we ask him to take some time in his room to calm down, he refuses and then when we insist he go calm down, he escalates and yells and stomps up the stairs saying we hate him. Sometimes when he is really upset, he says he wishes he was never born or that he would just die.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Aggressive – He either tries to hurt a classmate or his brother or makes threats to hurt them. He has been suspended twice this school year 2010-2011 – first time for choking another child who was picking on him, second time for threatening to hit another child that was annoying him.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Homework is a daily battle – he doesn’t want to do it, takes forever to get it done, and requires a significant amount of redirection to get it done. It is often a source of frustration and meltdowns at home. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I also received feedback from his teacher with what they were seeing as his biggest challenges at school... "<b>We tend to see cycles of highs and lows. Days of extremes…a day in which he is respectful and on task, and then other days he is defiant and hyper-sensitive to others. So, we’re seeing emotional swings at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Academic frustrations don’t seem to be the root cause of the behaviors. We’re specifically concerned about interpersonal relationships and being accepting of consequences</b>."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The psychiatrist took one look at the long list of behaviors and said "<b>sounds like he has relapsed into an anxiety condition</b>". He suggested trying the same med that we used before for anxiety since it seemed to work well and it has little to no side effects. It was hard as a parent to accept the fact that he needed to take medication again, but we are so desparate to help him, we just had to do something! Anxiety sucks and I feel so bad for my son when it seems no matter what we try and do to help him, it just doesn't help.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I realized how bad the anxiety really was when we (the Special Ed teacher, his teacher and I) were all trying to be encouraging to him and tell him he can do it... it back fired and caused him to have an awful day after almost a week of really good days. It was like the pressure was too much and when one little thing went wrong, it just went downhill from there and he couldn't bring it around. The school has been fabulous at trying different things to help him and working with the teacher and supporting her as well.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Things are turning around now that he has been on the medication for a little over 3 weeks now. At home we are seeing less meltdowns and they are not as intense when they do happen. I also received a wonderful note from his teacher this week when I checked in with her... "<b>These past couple of days have been markedly better overall…he just seems more compliant and, overall, is following through on assigned task certainly much better than before. To me, he seems to be getting a general look of calmness in his demeanor…like he doesn’t look so aggravated to have to be sitting in school.</b>"</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am so relieved that the medication is working and helping him. He even told his teacher that he feels more focused and it is easier to stay on track. Anxiety has a way of making everything you do more difficult... who can focus and stay on task when you are worried all the time? Have you ever lost your keys and been fractically looking for them, feeling anxious about finding them, and you can't think about anything else? That is what it is like all the time when you have anxiety, you just can't focus on anything else than what you are worried about... anxiety sucks!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-83690639361758895012010-11-29T21:19:00.000-07:002010-11-29T21:19:26.346-07:00Groundhog day...Have you ever had one of those feelings like you have been there, done that, lived through something already? Just like the poor guy on the movie Groundhog Day where he has to live the same day over and over again. You know that you have done so much to make things different, make things better, fought so hard... and then to find yourself basically right back where you started is just agonizing! <br />
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This school year was going to be different, this school year was going to be the best one yet... and in a matter of days and weeks I feel like we are right back where we were 3 years ago when this all started in 1st grade. He is impulsive with his emotions and actions, he can't focus and doesn't care. All the accomodations aren't helping. He hates school, he thinks that everyone at school hates him. He is having meltdowns all the time and we never know what is going to set him off. Homework is our daily hour of frustration and tears. He throws a fit every time he doesn't get his way. He is rude and disrespectful and gets in trouble on a daily basis.<br />
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What changed? What happened? Where did we go wrong? I have been racking my brains trying to figure out what is different now than just a couple of months ago - why have we regressed so far back? He knows he should make a different choice and is very remorseful after an incident, but he can't stop himself in the moment - his impulsiveness cannot be controlled. It is as if he has no control... something is not right in his brain and it is just not working the way it should. When I talk to him after an incident he is upset because he is out of control and he can't stop himself. My heart just breaks... I can't imagine feeling so out of control and how scary that must be for him. <br />
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We are going back to the basics... retesting his neurotransmitters to see what is out of whack and needs to be adjusted. I have even thought about medicating him again to bring him back to a baseline so that he can cope through this situation and get things back on track. There are a couple of things I am going to look into this time... chiropractic sessions, a special Doctor of Osteopathy that has some different methods to help, and probably will go back to doing biofeedback to help him get in touch with his emotions and triggers and how to handle situations differently.<br />
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I know that everything happens for a reason and this too will work out in the end. I have faith that God will bring the right resources at the right times to help us through this rough spot. I am just hoping and praying that tomorrow will be the day that I wake up and don't have to re-live my own "groundhog day" again.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-80609185994513536632010-08-05T14:26:00.000-06:002010-08-05T14:27:30.527-06:00Starting the school year off on the right footI recently attended a training session on IEP's put on by the PEAK Parent Center and I had a big "ah-ha" moment. I realized that too often when I approach a person who will be working with my son, I basically start with the laundry list of challenges that he has or the negative side of his ADHD and basically give them the impression that my child has alot of issues and problems. If I was my son's teacher, I would be dreading having him in my class and assume that he is going to be a problem child. I have sabotaged him so many times without even realizing what I was doing. I guess I just thought it better that the teacher know everything so they can respond appropriately to help him. During this training, the speaker asked what we would tell other people about our best friend? Would we talk about all the bad qualities of our friend? NO! We would talk about all the good qualities of our friend and so we should do the same about our children.<br /><br />I decided to put together a "Profile" for my son with ADHD. This is a concept that I had read about last year in an article in the CHADD Magazine, where you give your child's new teacher something that helps them to get to know your child better and states what works well for them.<br /><br />The point of the "Student Profile" is to give the teachers a proper view of all of our child's strengths and then positively state effective strategies for the areas where they need help. What a difference that might make in our children's school lives if we begin to approach things in this manner! So I would like to share with you the "Profile" I put together and have given to my son's teacher.<br /><br />At the top of the one-page Profile you can include information like your child's name, age, grade, date of birth. Names of the parents and siblings. Any basic information that the teacher might find helpful.<br /><br />-------------------------------------<br /><br />Areas of Student Strength/Interest:<br />- Andrew is friendly and outgoing and has a great sense of humor. He is intuitive and enjoys helping others. He makes friends easily and loves to be part of a group. He values strong relationships with adults.<br />- Andrew is very bright and typically scores high on assessments. He enjoys a good challenge and friendly competition. He works well with a schedule and warnings for transitions.<br />- Andrew knows a lot about dinosaurs and animals. He loves the outdoors, camping, fishing, and anything related to nature. He takes very good care of our garden at home.<br />- Andrew loves science and hands on experiments. He likes to understand how things work.<br />- Andrew is very creative and loves to tell stories.<br /><br />Successful Learning Strategies/Modifications/Accommodations Needed:<br />- Planner & Homework reminders help ensure that work is completed and handed in on time.<br />- Transition warnings are helpful when moving from one task to another.<br />- Have students work in pairs or groups when possible.<br />- Use peer supports.<br />- Give subtle cues & reminders to maintain focus: touch shoulder, gentle tap on desk, ask him a question.<br />- Ask him to be a helper with the class assignment or another student.<br />- Give him time to calm himself when frustrated or upset.<br />- Have him restate the objective of an assignment.<br />- Wait 10-15 seconds after giving a direction before repeating and use touch the second time.<br />- Give movement/heavy lifting breaks when needed – errands (box of books) to the office, library, other teachers, etc. <br />- Allow him to take tests first thing in the morning.<br /><br />Communication Strategies:<br />- Email works best for communication, phone calls are always welcome. Frequency based on an as needed basis – recommend at least once a week to ensure that Andrew is being successful.<br />- Andrew is most responsive to parental coaching when he can remember what happened and we prefer to talk to him that same day.<br /><br />Positive Behavior Support Strategies:<br />- Andrew responds well to a token rewards system and parents are willing to provide rewards and motivation as needed.<br />- Encouragement and positive praise in the same way as given to others.<br />- Springs Ranch Psychologist had lunch with him once a week to check in with him and reinforce his successes and provided guidance in challenging areas.<br /><br />Grading and Assessment Accommodations:<br />- Andrew sometimes needs extra time for classroom tests and CSAP testing.<br /><br />Important Family/Health Information:<br />- Andrew has food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, citrus, garlic, almonds. These are NOT anaphylactic type reactions, but can cause an upset stomach, and behavior issues.<br />- We enjoy spending time together as a family going on bike rides, camping, fishing, watching movies, playing games, and always try to eat dinner together each night.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-224191808511662822010-04-03T16:24:00.005-06:002010-04-04T21:51:09.509-06:00Jiffy Potatoes - Allergen Free!Jiffy Potatoes is a recipe that my Grandma Peterson used to make at all our holiday dinners... it is the creamiest potato casserole you have ever tasted and you can make them up in a jiffy! Since we have food allergies now, I wasn't sure we could EVER eat Jiffy Potatoes again... but thanks to my Vitamix blender, we are now able to eat Jiffy Potatoes (Allergen Free) for our Easter Dinner tomorrow.<br /><br />Here is the original recipe (in case you don't have food allergies)<br /><br />Jiffy Potatoes - Original Recipe<br />2 lbs frozen hashbrowns (country-style diced) - thawed<br />1 cup milk<br />1 cup sour cream<br />1 can cream of potato soup<br />1 can cream of celery soup<br />minced onion<br />parsley<br />shredded cheddar cheese<br /><br />Combine all ingredients in a 9x13 pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and melt. Serve and enjoy!<br /><br />Here is my NEW and IMPROVED ALLERGEN FREE recipe:<br /><br />Jiffy Potatoes - Allergen Free<br />2 lbs frozen hashbrowns (country-style diced) - thawed<br />2 1/2 cups milk substitute, divided (I use unsweetened original hemp milk)<br />2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes<br />2 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />2 Tbsp butter substitute (I use Earth Balance - soy free)<br />4-6 stalks celery, sliced<br />1/2 onion, finely diced<br />6 mushrooms sliced<br />1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped<br />2 tsp onion salt<br />Daiya Cheddar Cheese (<a href="http://www.daiyafoods.com/">www.daiyafoods.com</a>)<br /><br />1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2) Saute celery, onion, and mushrooms in butter until soft (approx 10 minutes) stirring occassionally.<br />3) While the celery, onions, and mushrooms are cooking, drain and rinse the raw cashews and place them in the Vitamix blender. Add 1 cup milk and blend until smooth (approx 2 minutes).<br />4) Leave the cashew mixture in the blender and add the celery, onion, and mushrooms to the blender and blend slightly to break up the veggies and incorporate them into the cashew mixture.<br />5) Combine cashew mixture, 1 1/2 cups milk, apple cider vinegar, fresh parsley and onion salt.<br />6) Spread potatoes out in a 9x13 pan and pour mixture over them - stir slightly to coat.<br />7) Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour<br />8) Top with Daiya Cheddar Cheese and melt. Serve and enjoy!<br /><br />Note: You could try this recipe with another type of blender or a food processor, but I found that it doesn't quite make as smooth of a cashew mixture. If you are not using a high powered blender like a Vitamix blender, I would soak the cashews longer or overnight to make them softer to work with in your food processor or other blender.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-66965042107237694682010-03-10T15:47:00.005-07:002010-03-10T16:25:27.985-07:00Teaching Kids with ADHDIf I had a dime for everytime I heard one of these phrases... I would be a millionaire by now!<br /><br />"He has shown me he can do it, he just chooses not to."<br />"He can do it if he wants to."<br />"He has a hard time getting started."<br />"He has a hard time staying on task."<br />"He keeps getting up and walking around, touching things he shouldn't be touching."<br />"He isn't paying attention and looking around."<br />"He is playing with <insert> instead of doing his work."<br /><br />and the list goes on... I am sure you all could add a few to the list of things that teachers say when they just don't understand.<br /><br />Then, because the teacher thinks that the child has control over the situation at all times, they see it as a behavior that they must eradicate and the negative consequences begin. The teacher is convinced if they are just firm and swift with consequences, they will just snap out of it!<br /><br />The snowball effect takes over and picks up speed as it goes down the ADHD hill... the child is very intuitive and starts to believe that the teacher doesn't like them, or thinks that the teacher thinks they are stupid. They give up trying at school, because after all, what's the point? They are getting in trouble for something they can't control and it affects their self confidence. They want so badly to please the teacher and do what is right, but they just can't control it 100% of the time.<br /><br />This is a scene that is played out every day for so many kids around the country. It breaks a mother's heart to know their kid endures this kind of treatment at school. They try and stand up for their child and request that the school make accomodations for their child to help them be successful. Sometimes they are met with willing participants and many times it is a no win battle. As a parent, we can never give up and we must persist until the school does what is right for our child. I have lived through this far more times than I would like to count (and my son is only in 3rd grade!) I know that the battle will continue for many years to come... but what if teachers were better educated? What if they understood what ADHD means for a kid in the classroom? What if they could implement effective teaching styles that would help ALL kids learn better in the classroom?<br /><br />Who is going to do this educating of the teachers? Who is going to stand up for our kids and make sure teachers understand? It is our responsibility as their parents to educate the teachers. It shouldn't be this way, but unfortunately it is. I decided to go searching for information on how to teach kids with ADHD in an effort to help my son's teacher understand better how to help him. I found that there is not much information out there about teaching kids with ADHD... lots of documents on identifying ADHD, possible accomodations for ADHD kids, but what about classroom strategies that help? I did find one document on the Department of Education's site that would help a teacher get started.<br /><br /><a href="http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/adhd/adhd-teaching-2008.pdf">http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/adhd/adhd-teaching-2008.pdf</a><br /><br />It talks about Academic Instruction, Behavioral Interventions, and Classroom Accomodations. The great thing is that it gives teachers practical things they can implement in their classrooms to make it easier for kids with ADHD and all the other kids in the class.<br /><br />There is another website that I think all teachers should go through that helps them understand what it might feel like to have ADHD... I would highly recommend sharing it with your child's teacher. It is a site put together by PBS called "Misunderstood Minds".<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/intro.html">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/intro.html</a><br /><br />On the left hand side there are different areas where ADHD kids struggle - ie. Attention, Reading, Writing, Mathematics. If you click on each of those, there are examples and simulations of what it feels like to be a kid with ADHD. It was very eye openning for me, and really helped me better understand what it feels like for my son.<br /><br />I have thought about creating a 30 minute talk about ADHD, what it means for a kid, and practical things that teachers can do to help... then setting up a "Lunch & Learn" for teachers during their lunch break or staff meetings to start educating teachers on ADHD. If I could just help a couple of teachers understand, imagine how many kids I could help! <br /><br />"<span class="extitle">When you're a kid, school is your career. And if you go out of business in school, if your business goes bankrupt, if you're not having any success, you're left with almost nothing. You are poverty-stricken. Where do you go from there?"<br />--Dr. Mel Levine (Founder of All Kinds of Minds)<br /></span>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-79672017692238457812010-03-07T17:15:00.004-07:002010-03-07T19:05:54.417-07:00The day that changed our lives...I will never forget the day that my son was diagnosed with ADHD. It was a day that changed our lives forever... and I would like to think that our lives were changed for the better.<br /><br />First, let's back up a few months... to see where it all started. Andrew had some problems in Kindergarten but after working with the teacher, he seemed to do better in school. Then first grade came and we switched him to a charter school because they were supposed to teach to the multiple intelligences. I had done alot of research and reading and knew that my son needed to be taught in a different way in order for him to completely engage in a subject. I thought this charter school would be the answer! I was wrong. <br /><br />After the first week of school his first grade teacher said that I might want to have him tested for ADHD. I was shocked and in major denial - how dare she suggest that my son have ADHD? Things got worse for Andrew and the immature teacher did not help the situation. It got so bad that they had put Andrew in his own desk with a box of tape around the floor surrounding his desk - to help him "stay in his space". Poor classroom management led to meltdowns for my son in the classroom and he would crawl under his desk and retreat from the scary classroom situations. Of course this was "disruptive" and "distracting" for the other kids, so the administration would try and remove him from classroom and of course he would not go willingly. The teacher ended up leaving the school but things did not get better. My son had learned behaviors in an effort to try and cope with situations where he didn't know how to solve his own problems. <br /><br />After being suspended a couple of times due to the charter school's "no tolerance" policy, we realized that something had to change. There was little to no support at the charter school and in an effort to find out what was really going on with him, we put him back into the public school and scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist thought that it was most likely anxiety but since the teachers were pushing us to look at ADHD, we started with ADHD meds and a thorough evaluation by a psychologist. <br /><br />After filing out alot of paperwork for our visit, Andrew and I spent an entire day at the psychologist's office where he took many different tests. I was convinced that my did NOT have ADHD and these tests would prove it! After all, he could sit and play a board game or something that interested him for hours - with no signs of inattention or hyperactivity!<br /><br />Then that day came... and my husband and I went back to see the psychologist to get Andrew's test results. I was nervous, but I knew that we would finally have some answers! They were not the answers I was expecting... I remember looking at the impulsivity test results and coming face to face with the fact that Andrew scored very high and there was no more denying the fact that he had ADHD. I remember the fear and uncertainty that I felt - "Now what do we do?" At least we had an explanation for the behaviors that we had been dealing with.<br /><br />The psychologist recommended a book to get us started... Driven to Distraction by Ed Hallowell. That began my plight to read everything I could about ADHD and learn all I could so that I could support my son. We have tried many different things to help him be successful in school, some worked, some didn't... but we still keep on looking for anything that might help. I have come to realize there is no "cure" for ADHD, but that I have to have many different tools in my toolbox. It takes a combination of interventions to help my son.<br /><br />As I look back and think about how far we have come, I wouldn't change it for the world. I prefer to look on the bright side. Yes, my son has ADHD but that does not define him. Andrew is so fun and creative. He is outgoing and fun-loving. He is funny and sweet. He is the kindest kid you will ever find. He has a HUGE heart for others. Our life will never be "normal" as some would define it... but it is "normal" to us.<br /><br />How did your child's diagnosis change your life?Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-74130170468548858922010-02-24T21:43:00.003-07:002010-02-24T21:46:39.195-07:00The words I would say...My absolute favorite song right now is by Sidewalk Prophets... The words I would say. I sing it to my kids every time it comes on the radio. They know all the words and sing it right along with me!<br /><br />Three in the morning,<br />And I'm still awake,<br />So I picked up a pen and a page,<br />And I started writing,<br />Just what I'd say,<br />If we were face to face,<br />I'd tell you just what you mean to me,<br />I'd tell you these simple truths,<br /><br />Be strong in the Lord and,<br />Never give up hope,<br />You're going to do great things,<br />I already know,<br />God's got His hand on you so,<br />Don't live life in fear,<br />Forgive and forget,<br />But don't forget why you're here,<br />Take your time and pray,<br />These are the words I would say,<br /><br />Last time we spoke,<br />You said you were hurting,<br />And I felt your pain in my heart,<br />I want to tell you,<br />That I keep on praying,<br />Love will find you where you are,<br />I know cause I've already been there,<br />So please hear these simple truths,<br /><br />Be strong in the Lord and,<br />Never give up hope,<br />You're going to do great things,<br />I already know,<br />God's got His hand on you so,<br />Don't live life in fear,<br />Forgive and forget,<br />But don't forget why you're here,<br />Take your time and pray,<br />These are the words I would say,<br /><br />From one simple life to another,<br />I will say,<br />Come find peace in the Father,<br /><br />Be strong in the Lord and,<br />Never give up hope,<br />You're going to do great things,<br />I already know,<br />God's got His hand on you so,<br />Don't live life in fear,<br />Forgive and forget,<br />But don't forget why you're here,<br />Take your time and pray,<br />Thank God for each day,<br />His love will find a way,<br />These are the words I would say <br /><br />******************************<br /><br />What words would you say???Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-1817057540284922282010-02-24T21:32:00.002-07:002010-02-24T21:39:49.765-07:00Back in the Saddle again!Well after taking a couple months off from our ADHD Parent Support Group while I was looking for a new place for our meetings... and dealing with some family "stuff" (long story that I might share one day when it isn't all so fresh in my history)... We are finally back on track with meetings scheduled through the end of the year! YIPPEE!!!<br /><br />Here is our schedule - we will meet the first Tuesday of each month - 6:30-8:30pm:<br />March 2nd, April 6th, May 4th, June 1st, July 6th, Aug 3rd, Sept 7th, Oct 5th, Nov 2nd, Dec 7th<br /><br />Our new meeting place is at the Stetson Hills Division Police Department Community Room at 4110 Tutt Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO - just east of Powers between Barnes & N. Carefree.<br /><br />I have even secured a special speaker for April 6th meeting from Learning RX to help explain to parents how kids brains work on a different level and the areas that most ADHD kids tend to struggle with and what you can do to help... without medication! We recently had my son evaluated and are trying to figure out when we can begin his special training to help him "Train his brain" to be more successful at school!<br /><br />Still looking for other special guest speakers, so if you know someone who would be willing to speak to the parents, please let me know!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-71527142873710461212009-11-01T21:32:00.010-07:002009-11-01T21:45:58.822-07:00SleddingSledding at Mueller State Park... it was a beautiful day! It was 65 in town and 55 in the mountains. The sun was shining, the snow was glistening, and the sledding was awesome! We had the sledding hill to ourselves.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399359808309580322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5hI3zQUiI/AAAAAAAAAKg/2VPJ0jx8tnk/s400/PICT0231.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399360776367714626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5iBOGTMUI/AAAAAAAAAK4/qlD-p8m5ld8/s400/PICT0219.JPG" border="0" /> <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5iYtp6B3I/AAAAAAAAALI/Mg07s5qnO7o/s1600-h/PICT0250.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399361179975550834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5iYtp6B3I/AAAAAAAAALI/Mg07s5qnO7o/s400/PICT0250.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5iPwgx4ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/CT3t0Eg9EdI/s1600-h/PICT0247.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399361026123751826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5iPwgx4ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/CT3t0Eg9EdI/s400/PICT0247.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />And then a snowball fight broke out... Daniel & Andrew against Dad! <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399361544131302866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5it6PZ1dI/AAAAAAAAALQ/aKWpoUf6IWE/s400/PICT0194.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5hvKGSIwI/AAAAAAAAAKw/FEANJtePJto/s1600-h/PICT0203.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399360466056258306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5hvKGSIwI/AAAAAAAAAKw/FEANJtePJto/s400/PICT0203.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5hnfwY1jI/AAAAAAAAAKo/mwY0FbCUUd8/s1600-h/PICT0200.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399360334431049266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5hnfwY1jI/AAAAAAAAAKo/mwY0FbCUUd8/s400/PICT0200.JPG" border="0" /></a> It was a fun time and we were sad to see it end... we will be back again soon!</div></div></div></div></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-75043419686639079632009-11-01T21:22:00.007-07:002009-11-01T21:49:56.107-07:00Pumpkin CarvingsMy very talented husband created a fabulous display of pumpkins for Halloween. It was the boys favorite part of the whole weekend! They worked hard to clean out their pumpkins so that Dad could carve them up. Andrew picked a spider, Daniel picked a puppy, Mom picked Frankenstein, and Dad picked the last one... We got lots of compliments from all the trick-or-treaters! Dave only has a few cuts on his hands to show for his work.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5fTK0d6tI/AAAAAAAAAKY/HhbVOeKB__8/s1600-h/PICT0154.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399357786190375634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5fTK0d6tI/AAAAAAAAAKY/HhbVOeKB__8/s400/PICT0154.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5fKc3ZSfI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/0D2tvtk78fU/s1600-h/PICT0158.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399357636415670770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5fKc3ZSfI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/0D2tvtk78fU/s400/PICT0158.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5ezGQvEQI/AAAAAAAAAKA/TsAUOW-qqhc/s1600-h/PICT0164.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399357235210948866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5ezGQvEQI/AAAAAAAAAKA/TsAUOW-qqhc/s400/PICT0164.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5erseDZ4I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/qLm31-Osr28/s1600-h/PICT0165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399357108028401538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5erseDZ4I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/qLm31-Osr28/s400/PICT0165.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-55684103262376898972009-11-01T21:15:00.008-07:002009-11-01T21:22:37.515-07:00Pumpkin PatchWe took a trip to Diana's Pumpkin Patch in Canon City to pick out our Halloween Pumpkins this year. They also had a corn maze which the boys really enjoyed. We wandered for about 15 minutes before finding our way out.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399355170937303778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5c68Pi8uI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/m-xZIBaWiOo/s400/PICT0047.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5djmv4k7I/AAAAAAAAAJo/_ewQK31Eo8o/s1600-h/PICT0075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399355869541995442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5djmv4k7I/AAAAAAAAAJo/_ewQK31Eo8o/s400/PICT0075.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399356049609142658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5duFjPMYI/AAAAAAAAAJw/MXS9y1It2oU/s400/PICT0054.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5dENXU6II/AAAAAAAAAJY/OjwjkZeABLA/s1600-h/PICT0050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399355330152163458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5dENXU6II/AAAAAAAAAJY/OjwjkZeABLA/s400/PICT0050.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-79613242736936477082009-11-01T21:05:00.006-07:002009-11-01T21:14:06.270-07:00Breakfast BuddiesSome mornings I struggle to get the kids to eat breakfast... so we started making fun faces and designs with their food. They love to come up with new designs and make different faces and because they make it themselves, they are inclined to eat their masterpieces!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399352551241805042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5aidHd7PI/AAAAAAAAAI4/y_7_2lq_b_4/s400/PICT0029.JPG" border="0" />Mouth - Banana cut in half lengthwise, Nose - Grape cut in half, Eyes - Shelton's Turkey Sausage Patties with Vital Zymes (digestive enzymes), Eyebrows - Apple slices<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5ao0M6XEI/AAAAAAAAAJA/hXQrrevZV6k/s1600-h/PICT0030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399352660517870658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5ao0M6XEI/AAAAAAAAAJA/hXQrrevZV6k/s400/PICT0030.JPG" border="0" /></a> Mouth - Banana cut in half lengthwise, Nose - grape cut in half, Eyes - Shelton's Turkey Sausage Patties with Vital Zymes (digestive enzymes), Eyebrows - grapes</div><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399352793861283458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5awk8dXoI/AAAAAAAAAJI/0LnRyWWk04M/s400/PICT0035.JPG" border="0" /><br />Cantaloupe, frozen red grapes, Applegate Genoa Salami, Hormel All Natural ham - design by Daniel<br /><div></div></div></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-46778176300014119642009-11-01T20:56:00.003-07:002009-11-01T21:04:54.869-07:00Bluebirds<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399350487942293634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/Su5YqWuh6II/AAAAAAAAAIw/vpAvGPQuH3A/s400/PICT0031.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Andrew had to do a special science project on a forest animal and he chose the bluebird. He loves all animals and nature and was very passionate about this project. He collected tree branches, sand, rocks, grass, etc. for his diorama and it turned out great. He was so proud. He even dressed up for the special day. This project allowed him to showcase the positive sides of ADHD... creativity, love for nature & animals, sharing with others and his outgoing personality.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-56463019190862928832009-09-29T18:27:00.005-06:002009-09-29T19:35:08.952-06:00Tater-Tot CasseroleThis is an old family favorite that I converted to meet our dietary restrictions... YUMMY! I ended up doubling the recipe because my kids used to eat it all several years ago and they eat more now! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tater-Tot Casserole</span><br />1/2 cup tomato sauce<br />1 lb ground beef or buffalo<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />dash pepper<br />1/2 tsp crushed oregano<br />1-2 Tblsp minced onion<br />1 can cream of mushroom soup (I made my own - see below)<br />1 small pkg tater-tots<br /><br />Combine the tomato sauce, ground beef, salt, pepper, and oregano and put into a 9x9 baking dish. Cover with minced onion and top with 1 can cream of mushroom soup. Cover top with tater-tots. Bake uncovered at 375 for 45 minutes.<br /><br />Cream of Mushroom Soup<br />3 Tblsp butter (Earth Balance soy-free)<br />1 small onion diced<br />12-14 baby portabello mushrooms<br />1 tsp thyme<br />1 tsp onion salt<br />1/2 tsp savory<br />1 tsp basil<br />salt & pepper<br />2 1/2 cups chicken broth<br />1 cup cashews (soaked for 30 minutes)<br />1 Tblsp potato starch<br /><br />Heat butter, onion and sliced mushrooms in pan and saute for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth, spices and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. While this is cooking, take the cup of cashews and the remaining 1/2 cup broth and puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Add the broth mixture into the blender and pulse a few times. Return to pan and heat to simmer again. Add potato starch and stir to thicken slightly. Adjust spices, salt & pepper as needed.<br /><br />You won't need all the soup on the casserole - one can of soup is around 15 ounces I think - which would be almost 2 cups???<br /><br />Note: If making real cream of mushroom soup for eating, I wouldn't add the extra potato starch and would probably add another cup or two of broth to make it more of a liquid soup. I wanted mine thicker to mimic the cream of mushroom soup right out of the can.<br /><br />After it came out of the oven, I realized that the buffalo shrunk and the soup went around the edges and drowned the tater-tots. I also think I used too much soup, but it was a hit and everyone had seconds! Glad I doubled the recipe!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-20600219727017403372009-09-23T14:06:00.002-06:002009-09-23T14:13:22.200-06:00Totally ADDWonderful new documentary on ADD!<br /><br /><a href="http://totallyadd.com/">http://totallyadd.com/</a><br /><br />There is a link on the first page where you can view the documentary online until September 25, 2009 so go watch it right away!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-52344490282896415772009-09-23T09:06:00.004-06:002009-09-23T09:28:02.693-06:00working on a project...Last week I got the opportunity to hear Rhonda Anderson - founder of Creative Memories - speak at a local hotel. She is so down to earth and her passion for telling stories and leaving a legacy is contagious. She has recently come out with a book to help you tell your stories and I ordered it as fast as I could. I have been wanting to do something for my kids that tells them how special they are and how much I love them. The lightbulb went off and I can't wait to find some time to get started on this project.<br /><br />Our world is so full of negativity that our kids have got to feel defeated on a regular basis. I try to lift them up and encourage them, but sometimes the negative world has taken over their self-talk. I hear my kids say things about themselves that just aren't true, but are clearly the result of living in this world... I am stupid, I don't have any friends, no one loves me, etc. I think that having ADHD makes it harder to fight off the negative self talk.<br /><br />So here is my project... I am going to make a small album (if I can keep it small) about each of my kids... to tell them how special and unique they are, how much their parents love them, and just celebrate their personality, ADHD and their life! I want it to be a comfort to them when they have a bad day. A reminder that they are special and loved. AND hopefully begin to combat the negative self talk and replace it with positive statements about themselves.<br /><br />I have begun making a list of all the positive qualities of my kids, and notes about stories that help demonstrate some of these qualities or their fun personalities. I will post a link to my album online once I finish it. I am doing it all digitally online, so it should be quick and easy!<br /><br />Anyone else want to join me in celebrating their child's life? If you need help getting started, email me at <a href="mailto:beckypeal@hotmail.com">beckypeal@hotmail.com</a>. I would be happy to help!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-14620032836325767502009-09-17T14:20:00.000-06:002009-09-17T14:27:35.073-06:00Do they know?The other day, as I was watching all the kids get on the school bus outside our front door, I dreamed about having a "normal" kid... a kid who gets themselves ready in the morning without 100 reminders or redirections... a kid who does their homework without complaining and completes it in a normal amount of time... a kid who doesn't have a meltdown every time he doesn't get his way... and the list goes on and on.<br /><br />Then I wondered... <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Do they know?</span><br /><br />Do the other parents know what we go through on a daily basis, just to get ready for school?<br />Do the other parents know what we go through every night when we have to do homework?<br />Do they realize how good they really have it? Do they appreciate their kids?<br /><br />I love my kids with all my heart and I wouldn't trade them for the world... but some days I just wish for some semblance of normalcy. What is our "normal" you may ask - here are just a few glimpses of what it is like to be a parent of a kid with ADHD:<br /><br />- Simple tasks like getting dressed, making a bed, or brushing their teeth require numerous reminders and redirections and it takes 10 times longer than it should.<br />- Sometimes I just help them get dressed, eventhough they can do it by themselves, just so that it won't take so long.<br />- Decisions like what to eat for breakfast become a long drawn out discussion and are a cause for frustration and meltdowns because they can't decide what they want to eat.<br />- While eating any meal, keeping them seated in their chair is next to impossible... they get up to look at something or get involved in other activities going on around them. There is always at least one trip to the bathroom during each meal. When they are seated, it is not on their bottom, there is a knee above the table or they are sitting on their knees.<br />- Homework requires chewing gum, an exercise ball, a timer, and at least one parent.<br />- The mention of the work homework causes pain for both kid and parent.<br />- Every time the phone rings while the kids are at school, I pray it is not the school calling and if it is the school calling, my heart falls into my stomach.<br />- I know all the special ed teachers, counselor, psychologist, school administrators on a first name basis.<br />- A simple email communication between parent & teacher normally has the principal & vice principal cc'd on the email.<br /><br />There are so many more - but it is making me tired just thinking about it all!<br /><br />Then on the flip side, there are all the benefits of having a kid with ADHD...<br />- Endless amounts of energy!<br />- Creativity<br />- Empathy beyond understanding<br />- Caring and loving unconditionally<br />- Endless amounts of energy!<br />- Determination<br />- Love of nature and animals<br />- oh and can't forget... Endless amounts of energy!<br /><br />Today when your kids get home from school... give them a big hug and tell them how much you appreciate them!<br /><br />Feel free to share some of your family's "normal" ADHD routines.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-91424785791239392172009-09-11T09:03:00.003-06:002009-09-11T11:27:03.465-06:00feel the rushing windIt is really windy today... storm must be moving in. As I sit here watching the big trees in my back yard being tossed around like twigs, I can empathize with the trees. I have felt like the wind of life is just tossing me around in the storm... I feel windblown and run down. Living with two kids that have ADHD can really drag your branches down. It is almost as if it is so much I can't hardly hold my branches up some days.<br /><br />I have several good friends who are also going through a hard time in their lives and it is so easy to get discouraged. I had lunch with a good friend yesterday who shared some of her struggles with me and as I was getting in the car to drive away, this song came on the radio and I wanted to share the part that gave me comfort in my life's storm.<br /><br />"When you see the rushing wind, feel the pouring rain<br />hear the thunder now as the clouds roll in<br />and you’re blinded by the lightning<br />do you also hear that still, small voice saying<br />It’s okay, you’re not alone, you may be scared to death,<br />But I won’t let you go<br />You may think the sky above is falling<br />But can you hear Jesus calling"<br /><br />- Excerpt taken from the song Jesus Calling by 33 MilesBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-68099919575981683362009-09-11T08:57:00.002-06:002009-09-11T09:02:55.949-06:00Easy EssaysI stumbled upon this site this week and it has been a huge help to my older son who is not formally diagnosed but has mild ADHD symptoms. He really struggles with planning his thoughts and getting started on writing. He is in 5th grade this year and they are doing weekly essays - yeah more work for mom! I had a discussion with him yesterday about needing to do his essay before soccer practice and he complained that it would take too long and there was no way he could get it done before soccer... but when I got home, the essay was completed thanks to this wonderful FREE site! He said he did it in less than 30 minutes and it was the first time the essay actually flowed properly. Three cheers for The Easy Essay website!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theeasyessay.com/">www.theeasyessay.com</a>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-11784250674890884962009-08-31T22:10:00.003-06:002009-08-31T22:14:32.777-06:00growing up... glasses<div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/SpyfK2-mspI/AAAAAAAAAIo/UDza7pWXze0/s1600-h/PICT0187.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376347064079135378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wHcN2KiJUwQ/SpyfK2-mspI/AAAAAAAAAIo/UDza7pWXze0/s400/PICT0187.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Daniel is growing up so fast... he got his first pair of glasses today. </div><div align="center">They make him look so much older!</div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-63021908262539401542009-08-14T21:25:00.004-06:002009-08-14T21:36:02.179-06:00just brush the teeth you want to keep...Is it just me or do other mom's have to remind their kids over and over and over again to brush their teeth? I tell them... "You just have to brush the ones you want to keep!" It always feel we are running out of time before the bus arrives and I have to quickly send them upstairs to get their teeth brushed before they head out the door. For once, it would be nice if they just went upstairs and did what they were asked without playing, distracting each other, or getting into a fight! Ah... Life with boys!<br /><br />Today my youngest son (who has ADHD) decided he was going to put on a show for me when I asked him to brush his teeth. He was being just plain silly! Being the mom that I am... I told him to stop playing and start brushing! Then afterwards... I thought, why are we always in a hurry? My son has the right idea... to add some FUN to a boring every day activity! Why do we just have to brush our teeth... it is soooo boring! Why not liven things up a bit? Normally I have them hum a tune like "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" or something while they are brushing their teeth, but we have gotten out of that routine. It gets them to do it longer than 20 seconds and they have fun while they are brushing.<br /><br />We all should take a lesson from my son... why live your life just going through the motions? Why not mix things up a bit and take an every day activity and make it FUN? What are you going to do to have some FUN today?Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4231113303953028145.post-54421027833594004472009-08-12T22:52:00.005-06:002009-08-12T23:31:47.353-06:00just can't go there again...Do you ever feel like... you just can't go there again. You have been there before and you know you don't want to go back there... all the pain and heartache... all the fighting for what is right... feeling like you have no control, but yet desparately seeking someone who understands... someone who can make a difference.<br /><br />Every new school year, there is a new teacher for your ADHD kid and you sit on pins and needles waiting to see how things will turn out. Will there ever be a year when the teacher actually understands? Will there ever be a year when your kid actually enjoys going to school? Will there ever be a year you don't have to fight to get your child what they need?<br /><br />You think this year is going to be different... only to have your hopes dashed within the first week of school. You want to scream and yell - "You just don't understand!" "He is different and you can't treat him like all the other kids!" "Haven't you read his IEP?"<br /><br />I recently read an article that talked about the reason that teachers resist... and it all boils down to behavioral vs. academics models of disability. Source = CHADD Parent to Parent Workbook - Article "Why Teachers Resist - Understanding Teacher Attitudes about ADHD"<br /><br />In the behavior model, the teacher observes the student to have a behavior problem and that it is linked to their motivation. They believe that the behavior is deliberate which leads the teacher to try and eliminate the bad behavior with consequences - sometimes severe. It suggests that the student is the one that must do the changing. The focus is on stopping the behavior instead of teaching them new skills. They feel there is no need to make special accommodations for a kid with ADHD. <br /><br />In the academic model, the student is observed to have a learning problem and the teacher understands that it is related to a neurological issue. They believe the student would do better if they could and thus the circumstances are beyond their control. The teacher works to help the child fix their learning problem. In this model, the educational system accepts responsibility for the student's change and the focus is on building new skills and positive reinforcement will be used to reinforce their progress.<br /><br />I know that as a parent of a kid with ADHD, I even find myself applying the behavioral model with my son and get upset with him for things that are beyond his control. I can completely understand how a teacher might come to the conclusion that it is a behavior problem that needs to be dealt with... because I fall into that trap as well. <br /><br />I just pray that God will give me the right words and that the teacher will be open when we finally get to meet so that we can work together as a team to help my child be successful.<br /><br />I am the parent of an ADHD kid... and it is my job to advocate for him. It's just life with boys... and ADHD.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16861750702823372476noreply@blogger.com5