Great weekend

I can't believe it's all ready Tuesday evening. Friday we went to dinner with the Southards and then to the movies to watch Horton Hears A Who. The kids absolutely loved it! And considering that we had 7 kids in all they were all very well behaved. I think my favorite part of the whole movie was the end when they started singing. I was laughing hysterically because the first thought that popped into my mind was Dave and the kids and I playing the American Idol game and singing. We got home at about 8:30 and had their 3 oldest girls spend the night. You know that smell when you walk past a nail salon? That was my living room, you figure 5 girls doing each other's fingernails and toenails, the smell got pretty bad.

Saturday Dave taught diving all day and got home around 4pm. The kids and I did some chores and just hung out the rest of the day. After Dave came home and showered we headed out to the Fischer's house for a get together. Elijah was in all his glory because they had a bounce house, where he literally spent the whole evening, except when we made him come out for dinner. The girls liked jumping a lot too, but they also enjoyed running around the yard with the other kids.

Sunday morning we left the house at 8:30am for church. We stayed after church for a fellowship meal, which was a good by to Lisa's son who is leaving for boot camp this week. After that we went straight to the Kites for Wishes at Asan beach, to benefit Make a Wish society. Elijah's cub scouts met there to make a newspaper kite to fulfill one of their electives. While we were there we saw a bunch of really neat kites, the kids each got to purchase a kite and they also jumped in the bounce houses. I don't know how they could want to bounce more after the night before but they literally begged me. I never realized but the kids had their first sno-cones that day, which they loved.

Monday was pretty uneventful. I watched Mim for Jennetta so she could go to physical therapy. Other than that I did some cleaning.

This morning I spent 2 hours getting my hair colored. I'm not 100% pleased with the final color, hopefully it'll calm down a bit after a few washings. Then we had Junior Girl Scouts this afternoon. Jennetta is teaching the girls about first aid so they can earn that badge. At next weeks meeting we will hand out the badges and patches they've earned since we had the investiture ceremony. Then tonight Kerrie and I scrapped, I finished a cute project that I'll upload when I get it photographed.

Not much going on tomorrow just grocery shopping during the day, then Hannah has Girl Scouts in the evening.

Cubscout Blue & Gold

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World Thinking Day

I did it!

I said I wanted to make a project this week and I did. Dave was teaching dive class last night so I parked myself in front of the tv and put this together.

More Questions....

Monday's doctor appt. went well. She had a ton more questions for us and needed us to fill out another survey. I dropped that off today and she thinks she's ready to do her write up. I'm figuring we'll hear something in the next 2 weeks or so.

Me

I've let too much go lately. Between Girl Scouts, Dr. Appts. and School Meetings I haven't done anything I enjoy. It's been months since I've scrapped or taken photos just because. I want to get started on at least one project this week. I don't even have to complete it, just start. I so need the creative outlet, way too much stress lately.

Dr. Day Again

Tomorrow we'll find out the results of Elijah's testing. I really hope by some gift of God that the test was enough and she's ready for a diagnosis, and we don't have to do any more testing. Mostly for him, I just want him to start getting the help he needs.

Interesting Meeting

We had a very interesting meeting at the school on Tuesday concerning Elijah. It all started Friday after school when the Guidance counselor called and spoke to Dave, she said "It's time we sit down and see what we can do to help Elijah." Of course our immediate thought is NOW IT'S TIME? It wasn't time last year, or the year before when we asked for help and were told we were looking for a problem that didn't exist. We were so angry Friday, but we thought about it over the weekend and decided that we need to just bite our tongues. It isn't about us it's about Elijah and rehashing the past isn't going to help him, it'll just put us against them. For a little assurance I decided that we would record the meeting, since noone remembers last years meeting the same way Dave and I do. Of course I had to let them know my intentions and stopped in Monday morning to let them know and also smooth over the angry responses we had on Friday, I really wanted to set us up to succeed in this meeting.

Did I mention over the weekend we tried to buy a mini tape recorder? Uh, it you only need the tapes, no problem the Navy Exchange carries those, but no recorders. We ended up using the girls MP3 player with a desktop microphone attached. I was worried about the quality, since the only microphone I could find was a cheep $5.99 one, but it cam out very crisp.

So Dave and I go there on Tuesday, I was nervous about the outcome of this meeting. It was kind of like entering the twilight zone.It's amazing what a difference having a teacher on your side can make. Suddenly everyone was seeing everything that we've been saying for the last few years. The special ed teacher, who's Elijah's teacher has been getting ideas from this year, tells us that she's been watching Elijah since Kindergarten when she had an encounter with him during an evacuation drill. We even had the Principal in for the meeting. We were told more than once that we're doing the right thing, that we were our son's advocate, blah blah blah. It was a total 180 degrees from last year. Suddenly everyone in the room could see a diagnosis of Aspergers fitting him very well. Although they did have to cover themselves and say that because Elijah is so intelligent and can do his work, just not in the time they provideed or without redirection, that it's not a obvious as some children that he needs help. Of course I didn't bring up that that was why we brought it up the last two years in a row, whatever.

So basically here's waht it all came down to. We're supposed to let them know as soon as we have a diagnosis from the Dr. The Special Ed teacher made them concede to saying that no matter the diagnosis they were sure there was something they could do to help him. They gave me a copy of all kinds of things out of his record, lots of things that I hadn't seen or heard before.

Girl Scout Week

Girl Scout week is the week during which March 12th falls every year because that's when Juliette Gordon Low registered the first Girl Scout Troop in 1912. This year we are celebrating 96 years of Girl Scouting in the USA. We kicked it off this Saturday with a Girl Scout 5K, put together by one of the troops on island, around Paseo Loop at 6am. Nobody in my house was very happy to get up at 5am, but we did it. We didn't complete the entire 5k, but we did 4 of the 6 laps which was 2 miles, not bad for our first 5k.

Today is Girl Scout Sunday, so the Girls wore their uniforms to church this morning. They're the only Girl Scouts at our church so they enjoyed telling everyone why they had on their uniforms.

In medical news today....

Dr. Taimanglo did her testing with Elijah last week. I just brought the evaluation from his teacher to him and scheduled our next appointment for March 11th. So we'll find out then if there needs to be more testing or if she's ready for a diagnosis.

Drum Roll Please

Well, the LDO results are finally out and.......................................................................................................................................................................Dave was selected. I honestly didn't know what to expect, he was sure he wouldn't get selected his first time, but he was very wrong. Yeah!!!! Well, I'm glad we already had plans for the family to go out for dinner, now we have something to celebrate. I know the next big question, how does that effect our orders to NY, honestly I don't know yet, and probably won't for a couple weeks at least. If I read the message right he will be commissioned November of this year, so we'll see what they want to do with him this last 9 months or so. Chances are we'll probably end up staying here :( I was getting so excited to come home and see everyone, but this is really great too!

Elijah's got a girl friend

Elijah received a specil valentine from Kayla. She gave him a cuddly Koala Webkinz. I kind of gave him a hint last night that soemone had a special valentine for him and reminded him to thank her. So he says, "What if I forget mom?" I told him I'd help him remember, so he felt better about it. I forgot to mention the part that she wanted to be his girlfriend, that kind of caught him by surprise this morning.

God's Loan

"I'll lend to you for a little time,
A child of mine," He said,
"For you to love the while she lives
And mourn for when she's dead.

"It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you till I call her back,
Take care of her for me?

"She'll bring her charms to gladden you
And should her stay be brief,
You'll have these precious memories
As solace for your grief.

"I cannot promise she will stay
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.

"I've looked this world over,
In my search for teachers true.
In the crowds that throng life's land,
I have selected you.

"Now will you give her all your love
Not think the labour vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take her back again?"

It seems to me I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, thy will be done.
For all the joys a child shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.

"We'll shelter her with tenderness,
We'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we've known
Forever grateful stay.

"And should the angels call for him
Much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand."


"Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them;
for such is the Kingdom of God." Mark 10:14

Right direction?

I forgot to update after Dr. day. Elijah's primary care provider has been a fantastic help to us this year on our journey. She agreed wholeheartedly with us that Navy Medical just wasn't meeting his needs and gave us a referal to a Dr. out in town. What a relief! Our first choice was Dr. Bellis he came very highly reccommended, unfortunately because he's so good he's also so busy he's not accepting new patients. His office reccommended Dr. Taimanglo. We saw her for the first time yesterday morning and I'm fully convinced she's God's answer to our prayers. She started he career as a teacher for 13 years, then went back to school and is now a psychologist, even better she's a liscensed school psycologist. So she knows both sides of the issue. Not only can she work with Elijah, she also knows what the school is required to do to help us, what paperwork they have to make available to us etc.

I went in yesterday with the decision that I wasn't going to tell here what I thought was going on, kind of here's what I think prove me right or wrong. I wanted to hear what her conclusion was just based on what we told her. Dave and I gave her a lot of background, things that have went on in the last few years, the lack of formal testing etc. And she looks at me and says, well have you looked into Autism? I said I had, but that not everything described him. Then she asked what about Aspergers? Which of course is the conclusion I had come to with all my research. It was so nice to finally have someone really really listen to us and not make us out as parents who just want something to be wrong with their child. And to hear her validate what I've bben thinking this whole time was very refresshing. She was incredulous that all through this whole thing, there has been nothing more than a little time watching him in class two years ago, never any formal testing. To make a long story short, she'll be testing him in a couple of weeks. Sometimes it amazes me that this whole fight can drag out for so long then suddenly the wheels are in motion and things are happening rapidly. Then the Dr. thought I was upset that there might be something wrong with him. I kind of laughted, because I was very emotional, like I always am, but never have I been upset or not wanting to admit that Elijah has issues. I've fought for this child his own life to make him healthy etc, my anger is that it has taken this long to find him the help he needs. I was angry that so many people will gloss over the probelma nd not try to help. I was also angry about parents who deny diagnosis or help for their kids because they can't admit that their child isn't "perfect". What these parents don't realize is that God makes every single one of us, and all of us are perfect, just because someone's brain works a little different than theirs doesn't make them any less perfect. God has huge plans for Elijah, I just know it, we just want to help him prepare himself for those plans.

It's doctor day

Yup, I get to go argue with some more doctors about my son. Please note the air of excitement in the air, as if. I look forward to these days hoping that this time will be different, but it rarely ever is. Last time the Dr. was all ready to diagnose him PDD, but then changed his mind and was convinced it was ADD. So we gave in and let him give him the medication, which had no good side affects and basically made him miserable. He was easily angered or would cry over everything. He was yelling at me, something that really just isn't Elijah. So the first reason for todays visit is to get him off that stuff, and hopefully get a referal to a civilian Dr., I've just lost my faith in the Navy Drs. right about now. I've pushed and pushed to get this kid help for over 2 years and they fight me every step of the way. The poor kid is barely holding his head above water in school, and what happens when we get back to the states and the curriculum is harder? Well, we'll see what happens today. Any prayers would be gladly accepted.

Up to my ears in....

Girl Scout cookies. We ordered an extra 44 cases of cookies, on top of what the girls sold in presales, for booth sales. That's 528 extra boxes of cookies sitting in my living room, not to mention Caitlynn and Hannah's orders that haven't been delivered yet. Can you say crazy? I guess it wouldn't be so bad if we weren't in this itty bitty house. I could've done this in the Georgia house, which has the same square footage by the way, and not even noticed. That house was just much better laid out I think.

What else is new? Tonight is Tommy and Shawntelle's wedding and I'm so excited for them. The kids have been hilarious asking all kinds of off the wall questions. Like, "How come Ms. Shawntelle lives in a house by herself, if she's not married shouldn't she live with her mom?" My personal favorite was "Are they going to live together after they get married?" Nah, they just figured they'd see each other at work lol! The girls are real excited because they've never been to a wedding. Not that I have much more experience, I was of course at my own wedding, and also at my mom's when I was 12, that's it for me.

Have I mentioned that we have orders to New York? I am just so excited over that, of course because we want to go there, something will happen to change it. None of the kids remember living in Saratoga Springs, and there will be so many fantastic things to do there with them now that they're older. Not to mention going to Boston and NYC for visits. Even better, the Cartwrights will be in Baltimore, not all that far away. And of course there's my family and friends from school who will be a short 2 hours away. Who could ask for anything more?

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