Is it good? Is it bad? How do you know? I heard this quote tonight at the Stake Fireside while the speaker discussed ways to "Battle the Moral Challenge" in his talk titled "Helping Families Live Virtuously".
"Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself." - Robert Southey
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
No More Bagels . . . Ever. . . Really!
I have decided that all my future vacation will be to resorts that are all-inclusive or to Thailand where the cost to eating is so minimal it's ridiculous. The reasoning behind this is to ensure that I never ever have to endure another 8 day trip of eating bagels for lunch everyday - every freaking day! (and sometimes even breakfast as well)
When AH and I married we both agreed that some huge lavish wedding was not our style. We went simple and very inexpensive, as far as weddings go, in order to save money for our honeymoon and setting up our "home". In my efforts to save $$$ I managed to work out a deal for our honeymoon by going to Alaska for two weeks with free first class upgrades on all our flights, free housing for the first week (both courtesy of my employer who gave us the flight upgrades and who owned a condo in Juneau) and a free upgrade on our rental car. You'd think with my all my frugality's I'd want to skimp on meals, however, I hate to eat the same thing day-in and day-out and I never eat leftovers.
I thought that AH would understand this after a trip to visit him in college where I discovered he could eat for less than $100 a month by eating the same exact thing each and every day using the cheapest ingredients known to man, which included a cheese like substance (for daily his homemade egg McMuffin) that wouldn't melt no matter how long you put it in the microwave. At the end of that eye opening trip I pulled AH aside and in my ever-so-gentle way gave him the lowdown on our future eating standards once we were married; I only buy real cheese, expensive cheese, Tillamook cheese and thus I don't skimp on food - period. The customary foods in our future household would rise many notches compared to what he ingested into his body over the previous scholastic years.
6 months later my eyes were opened yet again as we packed for our honeymoon and AH included a suitcase just for the food we would be bringing. I thought to myself (okay, I also said this out loud as well), "Who packs food to take on an airplane for their honeymoon when they are not even camping?" Apparently AH does. Trying not to be too shocked I went along with AH's plan, or what I thought was his plan, to save a few bucks on food since we would be traveling for two weeks and were staying in a condo for half of the trip.
At this point it is probably not necessary to say, but I will anyway, that I endured two weeks of eating bagels with the most putrid chicken spread known to man. To add variety we also dined on tortilla chips with cream cheese and salsa as well. The only reprieve from this menu selection were the four nights we stayed in Juneau and I cooked dinner at the condo (lunch was still bagels and chips), the one night we stayed at a B&B in Anchorage and one night in Homer that we ate out at a local grease pit. I have not been able to stomach "chicken spread" since.
Fast forward eight years when AH and I took our first "no kids" vacation together to Mexico. I booked us in a fabulous (yet thrifty) all-inclusive resort. It was a wonderful vacation filled with adventurous morning activities, leisurely afternoons by the pool and all the food we could eat (to which I didn't have to plan or prepare any of). I was in paradise - it was a fabulous vacation.
Move forward two more years, our 10th wedding anniversary. I planned for us a romantic kid free vacation to Maui. We stayed in quaint Kehei, across the street from the beach and within walking distance of a wide selection of fun restaurants. We spent our days going from beach to beach, snorkeling, hiking and exploring the beautiful island that is Maui. We survived the road to Hana, walked a narrow path through a truly amazing bamboo forest, stood at the bottom of a 400' waterfall, swam with turtles and manta rays, stood atop a 10,000' volcano, survived Makena's "Little Beach" on a Sunday evening (think naked drum circle - more than any person ever wants to see) and even picked up two hitch-hikers as part of our "laid back" island style. It was fantastic, amazing, gorgeous and truly an island paradise.
However (you knew this was coming), AH insisted on cutting food costs down to the bare minimum. I had to remind him of a discussion we had months ago where I said I would negotiate on breakfast (cereal was fine) but not lunch and dinner - this was our 10th Anniversary trip after all and I wanted a vacation from cooking. AH's man brain kicked when we arrived in Maui and he failed to remember our discussion and so I thought, "okay, I don't have to be completely stubborn, we can negotiate here." so we hit Costco as we left the airport picking up some lunch supplies: bagels, a GIANT bag of plain Ruffles potato chips, a box of cereal, milk, Guava juice (gross – it was too sweet and full of pulp/grit for me), granola bars, a box of snack-pack cookies and Nips(100 calorie baggies) and cream cheese.
I gave myself lots of self talk in preparation for the coming meals. "Okay, take a deep breath, you can do this. You don't have to eat out every meal of every day, bagels will be okay." WRONG! How quickly the traumatized mind remembers those experiences which have lain dormant for over 10 years. After the very first bagel my body knew that this wasn't a onetime deal, this would be 8 days of repetitiousness for 2 of the 3 meals per day. I literally felt my mind, throat and taste buds go into full reject mode as I stared down at that noon-time, dry as the Mojave Desert sandwich alternative.
I did do it. Daily I choked down one of my worst nightmares and I will say the only thing that kept me going was dreaming about dinner each night. Had I not had that I think I truly might have lost it on multiple occasions (luckily our dinners were so good it was worth the wait each day). As it was on our final full day my mind refused on all accounts to ingest any more, instead I opted not to eat "lunch" that day, choosing a couple of granola bars to tide me over until dinner.
In my husbands defense I will say he told me before we got married that he doesn't really value "food" and in his mind any food is fine. I thought he was nuts at the time (okay, I still do think he is nuts) but he really and truly will eat just about anything (and the leftovers too). In addition his financial restraint is important especially traveling when eating out can quickly cost more than the airfare and hotel combined. I appreciate all these qualities in him. However, I cannot do bagels every day ever again. . . period. We are going to have to work on a new meal plan for our next trip. I have some ideas: 1) budget more for food (have AH sign a contract prior to booking the tickets), 2) hire a personal chef to cook for us or 3) travel to Thailand where the average person can eat like a king on less than $5.00 per day and/or we can hire a personal chef to cook for us for less than $10.00 per day, food included.
Here's a photo AH took of me at Twin Falls along the road to Hana. I must say that at 36 I am mighty pleased with this image. (I'll post more images from my own camera soon.)
When AH and I married we both agreed that some huge lavish wedding was not our style. We went simple and very inexpensive, as far as weddings go, in order to save money for our honeymoon and setting up our "home". In my efforts to save $$$ I managed to work out a deal for our honeymoon by going to Alaska for two weeks with free first class upgrades on all our flights, free housing for the first week (both courtesy of my employer who gave us the flight upgrades and who owned a condo in Juneau) and a free upgrade on our rental car. You'd think with my all my frugality's I'd want to skimp on meals, however, I hate to eat the same thing day-in and day-out and I never eat leftovers.
I thought that AH would understand this after a trip to visit him in college where I discovered he could eat for less than $100 a month by eating the same exact thing each and every day using the cheapest ingredients known to man, which included a cheese like substance (for daily his homemade egg McMuffin) that wouldn't melt no matter how long you put it in the microwave. At the end of that eye opening trip I pulled AH aside and in my ever-so-gentle way gave him the lowdown on our future eating standards once we were married; I only buy real cheese, expensive cheese, Tillamook cheese and thus I don't skimp on food - period. The customary foods in our future household would rise many notches compared to what he ingested into his body over the previous scholastic years.
6 months later my eyes were opened yet again as we packed for our honeymoon and AH included a suitcase just for the food we would be bringing. I thought to myself (okay, I also said this out loud as well), "Who packs food to take on an airplane for their honeymoon when they are not even camping?" Apparently AH does. Trying not to be too shocked I went along with AH's plan, or what I thought was his plan, to save a few bucks on food since we would be traveling for two weeks and were staying in a condo for half of the trip.
At this point it is probably not necessary to say, but I will anyway, that I endured two weeks of eating bagels with the most putrid chicken spread known to man. To add variety we also dined on tortilla chips with cream cheese and salsa as well. The only reprieve from this menu selection were the four nights we stayed in Juneau and I cooked dinner at the condo (lunch was still bagels and chips), the one night we stayed at a B&B in Anchorage and one night in Homer that we ate out at a local grease pit. I have not been able to stomach "chicken spread" since.
Fast forward eight years when AH and I took our first "no kids" vacation together to Mexico. I booked us in a fabulous (yet thrifty) all-inclusive resort. It was a wonderful vacation filled with adventurous morning activities, leisurely afternoons by the pool and all the food we could eat (to which I didn't have to plan or prepare any of). I was in paradise - it was a fabulous vacation.
Move forward two more years, our 10th wedding anniversary. I planned for us a romantic kid free vacation to Maui. We stayed in quaint Kehei, across the street from the beach and within walking distance of a wide selection of fun restaurants. We spent our days going from beach to beach, snorkeling, hiking and exploring the beautiful island that is Maui. We survived the road to Hana, walked a narrow path through a truly amazing bamboo forest, stood at the bottom of a 400' waterfall, swam with turtles and manta rays, stood atop a 10,000' volcano, survived Makena's "Little Beach" on a Sunday evening (think naked drum circle - more than any person ever wants to see) and even picked up two hitch-hikers as part of our "laid back" island style. It was fantastic, amazing, gorgeous and truly an island paradise.
However (you knew this was coming), AH insisted on cutting food costs down to the bare minimum. I had to remind him of a discussion we had months ago where I said I would negotiate on breakfast (cereal was fine) but not lunch and dinner - this was our 10th Anniversary trip after all and I wanted a vacation from cooking. AH's man brain kicked when we arrived in Maui and he failed to remember our discussion and so I thought, "okay, I don't have to be completely stubborn, we can negotiate here." so we hit Costco as we left the airport picking up some lunch supplies: bagels, a GIANT bag of plain Ruffles potato chips, a box of cereal, milk, Guava juice (gross – it was too sweet and full of pulp/grit for me), granola bars, a box of snack-pack cookies and Nips(100 calorie baggies) and cream cheese.
I gave myself lots of self talk in preparation for the coming meals. "Okay, take a deep breath, you can do this. You don't have to eat out every meal of every day, bagels will be okay." WRONG! How quickly the traumatized mind remembers those experiences which have lain dormant for over 10 years. After the very first bagel my body knew that this wasn't a onetime deal, this would be 8 days of repetitiousness for 2 of the 3 meals per day. I literally felt my mind, throat and taste buds go into full reject mode as I stared down at that noon-time, dry as the Mojave Desert sandwich alternative.
I did do it. Daily I choked down one of my worst nightmares and I will say the only thing that kept me going was dreaming about dinner each night. Had I not had that I think I truly might have lost it on multiple occasions (luckily our dinners were so good it was worth the wait each day). As it was on our final full day my mind refused on all accounts to ingest any more, instead I opted not to eat "lunch" that day, choosing a couple of granola bars to tide me over until dinner.
In my husbands defense I will say he told me before we got married that he doesn't really value "food" and in his mind any food is fine. I thought he was nuts at the time (okay, I still do think he is nuts) but he really and truly will eat just about anything (and the leftovers too). In addition his financial restraint is important especially traveling when eating out can quickly cost more than the airfare and hotel combined. I appreciate all these qualities in him. However, I cannot do bagels every day ever again. . . period. We are going to have to work on a new meal plan for our next trip. I have some ideas: 1) budget more for food (have AH sign a contract prior to booking the tickets), 2) hire a personal chef to cook for us or 3) travel to Thailand where the average person can eat like a king on less than $5.00 per day and/or we can hire a personal chef to cook for us for less than $10.00 per day, food included.
Here's a photo AH took of me at Twin Falls along the road to Hana. I must say that at 36 I am mighty pleased with this image. (I'll post more images from my own camera soon.)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Laugh A Little - Pee A Little
Today, while talking with my Urologist during a pre-op visit, I voiced to her that I think every high school sex-ed class should include a segment where she (the Urologist) comes in and gives girls the real deal talk about what happens to your internal organs (namely your bladder) during and after pregnancy. You know (or now do), the leakage that happens daily as you laugh, sneeze, cough and exercise (sometimes even more frequent than these scenarios) as a result of having baby squash your bladder for 9 months and then literally flattening it as he/she is pushed out through that narrow passageway at the time of birth. I guarantee that if each girl were to experience just a little bit of the discomfort any woman with stress incontinence experiences the teen pregnancy rates would drop dramatically. I predict that during those hot and heavy moments each girl would reign-in her hormones and say, "Stop! There is no way I am going through the rest of my life peeing on myself every time I need to sneeze!" - end of story.
In addition to the joys of stress incontinence that is experienced by millions of women postpartum there are the joys of treating the stress incontinence as well. Today, for example, my bladder strength was tested (to make sure I really do leak - you don't want to perform a procedure on someone who doesn't really need it) and, oh joy, I was filmed internally via a tiny camera. The camera part didn't really bother me much. In fact it was an interesting experience to know that my bladder was studied, especially after this past year with AH's dad having been diagnosed with Bladder Cancer and going through treatment for it (it's all good - he's healthy now) - he and I now have many more embarrassing things to discuss with each other. No, what really bothered me was after the procedure when I was finally able to relieve my bladder (that had been filled during the scope in order to test the strength), and what came out was very cold water. That, indeed, was a very odd sensation I could live without experiencing again.
Ah, the joys of womanhood - it truly is a mystery; well, not so much anymore. I can't wait until I turn 40 and get to start having mammograms, I've heard they are the best womanly experience of all.
PS - I would have included an image with this post but I couldn't find any of a woman standing with her legs crossed and bent over at the waist while she sneezed.
PPS - My urologist assured me that she will NEVER give birth vaginally (nor any of the other doctor's in her office) after having her job. :-P
In addition to the joys of stress incontinence that is experienced by millions of women postpartum there are the joys of treating the stress incontinence as well. Today, for example, my bladder strength was tested (to make sure I really do leak - you don't want to perform a procedure on someone who doesn't really need it) and, oh joy, I was filmed internally via a tiny camera. The camera part didn't really bother me much. In fact it was an interesting experience to know that my bladder was studied, especially after this past year with AH's dad having been diagnosed with Bladder Cancer and going through treatment for it (it's all good - he's healthy now) - he and I now have many more embarrassing things to discuss with each other. No, what really bothered me was after the procedure when I was finally able to relieve my bladder (that had been filled during the scope in order to test the strength), and what came out was very cold water. That, indeed, was a very odd sensation I could live without experiencing again.
Ah, the joys of womanhood - it truly is a mystery; well, not so much anymore. I can't wait until I turn 40 and get to start having mammograms, I've heard they are the best womanly experience of all.
PS - I would have included an image with this post but I couldn't find any of a woman standing with her legs crossed and bent over at the waist while she sneezed.
PPS - My urologist assured me that she will NEVER give birth vaginally (nor any of the other doctor's in her office) after having her job. :-P
Monday, September 28, 2009
Garage Sale Jackpot
I love it when I stumble upon a garage sale goldmine like I did last week. While waiting for Beeb during her art lesson I had an hour to peruse some sales, most of which didn't have anything I wanted. Then I found the mother load! I walked away with pots (which I needed for a church activity), Hannah Montana stage (looks brand new) for Beeb, really nice flippers for Mr. B (he can hardly wait for next summers swim season) and what I consider the best of all, walkie-talkie watches.
It is all the rage in our neighborhood (with the 1st graders) for the kids to have walkie-talkies so they can keep in touch with their parents as they relocated from house to house during play time. Inevitably the walkie-talkie gets set down and then left behind and a few hours later the "hunt" begins for the missing communicator. For $3.00 (LOVE garage sales) I got a brand new set of walkie-talkie watches that Mr. B doesn't take off because it doesn't hinder his play time and have up to a 1.5 mile radius so I can reach him next door or down the road (depending upon who's house is the host house that day).
Smart designs and cheap prices like these make me a happy momma.
It is all the rage in our neighborhood (with the 1st graders) for the kids to have walkie-talkies so they can keep in touch with their parents as they relocated from house to house during play time. Inevitably the walkie-talkie gets set down and then left behind and a few hours later the "hunt" begins for the missing communicator. For $3.00 (LOVE garage sales) I got a brand new set of walkie-talkie watches that Mr. B doesn't take off because it doesn't hinder his play time and have up to a 1.5 mile radius so I can reach him next door or down the road (depending upon who's house is the host house that day).
Smart designs and cheap prices like these make me a happy momma.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Beeb - The Artist
A friend of ours has started offering art classes for kindergarten aged kids and when I heard about it I quickly signed Beeb up. Today was her first class (because we missed the earlier class this week) where she learned about and practiced drawing different kinds of lines; horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved, zig-zag, solid, broken, rough, smooth and a contour line with horizon line (who knew there were so many different lines outside of a cheap bar?).
When I picked her up Miss Kori (the teacher) gushed about Beeb's concentration and methodical style. Then she showed me Beeb's squash still-life master piece:
(I added the white canvas and wording)
The challenge was to do this drawing using one continuous line! As I stared at the image MY five year old daughter created I got all choked up and started to cry - it is such a beautiful picture!
As we drove away I couldn't help but think of all the artistic talent Beeb has to inherit from her two great-grandmothers (both artists), my mother and well from me too (though only a little from me). I am so overcome with emotion to see a little bit of my Grandma and Mother in my daughter. That's the best kind of genealogy there is!
When I picked her up Miss Kori (the teacher) gushed about Beeb's concentration and methodical style. Then she showed me Beeb's squash still-life master piece:
(I added the white canvas and wording)The challenge was to do this drawing using one continuous line! As I stared at the image MY five year old daughter created I got all choked up and started to cry - it is such a beautiful picture!
As we drove away I couldn't help but think of all the artistic talent Beeb has to inherit from her two great-grandmothers (both artists), my mother and well from me too (though only a little from me). I am so overcome with emotion to see a little bit of my Grandma and Mother in my daughter. That's the best kind of genealogy there is!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
R-E-A-D = Read
We hit a new milestone this past week; one that I had been worried about but wasn't prepared for when it finally happened. Mr. B is READING!!!!!
A few nights ago AH came out of Mr. B's room after putting him to bed and told me how Mr. B had read to him that night. He described how he picked out some Bob Books to read and then insisted on being the one to actually read them. AH described how well he sounded out the letters to form words. I was shocked. This was a huge, gigantic step for Mr.B.
The next night it was my turn to put Mr. B to bed and sure enough he had his box of books from which he selected two to read and then just started plugging away. I barely had to help him. At the end of the second book he looked to me and said, "I love reading. It is fun!" - I cried, literally. There is no greater joy than seeing your child succeed.
Last night after having a fun evening down at the lake Mr. B, completely exhausted, fell asleep in the car on the way home. Despite his exhaustion he still insisted on reading a book before going to sleep in his own bed. He LOVES it. We are so excited!!!
Way to go Mr. B!
A few nights ago AH came out of Mr. B's room after putting him to bed and told me how Mr. B had read to him that night. He described how he picked out some Bob Books to read and then insisted on being the one to actually read them. AH described how well he sounded out the letters to form words. I was shocked. This was a huge, gigantic step for Mr.B.
The next night it was my turn to put Mr. B to bed and sure enough he had his box of books from which he selected two to read and then just started plugging away. I barely had to help him. At the end of the second book he looked to me and said, "I love reading. It is fun!" - I cried, literally. There is no greater joy than seeing your child succeed.
Last night after having a fun evening down at the lake Mr. B, completely exhausted, fell asleep in the car on the way home. Despite his exhaustion he still insisted on reading a book before going to sleep in his own bed. He LOVES it. We are so excited!!!
Way to go Mr. B!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
AH Interjects . . .
AH has posed a question for those who read this little blog (all 5 of you) regarding my MOO brain and his "Man Brain":
"So then...I pose a question to your readers...what is worse your MOO moment brain or the man brain discussed earlier in your blog?" AH
Well LADIES, what do you think? I know my opinion. . . :-)
"So then...I pose a question to your readers...what is worse your MOO moment brain or the man brain discussed earlier in your blog?" AH
Well LADIES, what do you think? I know my opinion. . . :-)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A MOO Moment
This afternoon I had a true Momentarily Out of Order (MOO) moment. After spending the morning at the doctors office with Beeb (we both had doctor issues today), a quick trip to the grocery story and then dropping Beeb off at school I got home and opened the back of my car to bring the groceries into the house. The milk made it into the refrigerator and then my MOO brain got distracted.
Fast forward 4 hours later.
The kiddo's get home from school and one of the neighbor boys comes by and wants to ride bikes with Mr. B. Being the proactive person I am I open the garage door from the kitchen knowing Mr. B's bike is inside and he will need to get it out. (aren't I so smart! - don't answer that.) I don't bother looking outside as I do this and so it is a few minutes later when I glance out the window and see that the garage door is not all the way up. Being the super smart person that I am I hit the remote again and the door goes down, I stop it and hit it again to go back up. Again, the door stops before it is all the way up so I head out to see what's the issue.
What I learned is that it is impossible for the door to extend all the way up when the rear hatch of my car is up blocking the door. Luckily (and I mean really really luckily) it did not scratch my car up.
So to my dear husband, who will read this, remember our recent discussion about my "out of site out of mind" brain - here is yet another fabulous prime example. Doh!
Fast forward 4 hours later.
The kiddo's get home from school and one of the neighbor boys comes by and wants to ride bikes with Mr. B. Being the proactive person I am I open the garage door from the kitchen knowing Mr. B's bike is inside and he will need to get it out. (aren't I so smart! - don't answer that.) I don't bother looking outside as I do this and so it is a few minutes later when I glance out the window and see that the garage door is not all the way up. Being the super smart person that I am I hit the remote again and the door goes down, I stop it and hit it again to go back up. Again, the door stops before it is all the way up so I head out to see what's the issue.
What I learned is that it is impossible for the door to extend all the way up when the rear hatch of my car is up blocking the door. Luckily (and I mean really really luckily) it did not scratch my car up.
So to my dear husband, who will read this, remember our recent discussion about my "out of site out of mind" brain - here is yet another fabulous prime example. Doh!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Weekend Warriors
I had a fantastic start to this past weekend when I finished up a HUGE job for a client that only took 3 months to complete. I was so elated I went out into my driveway and shouted, "I'm done! I'm done!" for my neighbors to see. It is such a relief to not have that work over my head anymore.
Saturday I had the ultimate "girl's day" with my MIL and two SIL's as we all went to see Wicked.
(all images blatantly stolen from my SIL's blog. Thanks Queen!)
It was a great play - worth the price of admission. The story was very easy to follow and sucked you in right from the beginning and the music was fantabulous! We followed up with dinner at PF Changs and I came home to a nice, quiet, clean house. It's hard to top that!
Sunday we were enlightened during Stake Conference when we received some great messages from church leaders and the Prophet. There was some good food for the soul during the 90 minute session and it gave me much to ponder on this week. Afterwards we did a family bike ride and enjoyed the amazingly beautiful day!
It was a wickedly delightful weekend that I wouldn't mind repeating again (very soon).
Saturday I had the ultimate "girl's day" with my MIL and two SIL's as we all went to see Wicked.
(all images blatantly stolen from my SIL's blog. Thanks Queen!)
It was a great play - worth the price of admission. The story was very easy to follow and sucked you in right from the beginning and the music was fantabulous! We followed up with dinner at PF Changs and I came home to a nice, quiet, clean house. It's hard to top that!
Sunday we were enlightened during Stake Conference when we received some great messages from church leaders and the Prophet. There was some good food for the soul during the 90 minute session and it gave me much to ponder on this week. Afterwards we did a family bike ride and enjoyed the amazingly beautiful day!
It was a wickedly delightful weekend that I wouldn't mind repeating again (very soon).
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
It's FINALLY Beebs Turn
Beeb started kindergarten today. She was so so excited in the morning she even let me do her hair without complaining! She got really nervous just before the bus arrived but quickly found her seat and buckled herself in. My big girl I am going to miss you each day!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
My Cup Runneth Over
Today I had an interview with a member of our Stake presidency. While we were talking he asked me about my testimony and as I answered I was overcome with emotion and started to cry. I am so so blessed. The experiences in my life have given me such strength and solidified my testimony that it overwhelms me at times like today when the reality of it is spoken.
These past few years have, at times, been very hard for me as I tried to figure out how to best parent my ADHD son. Repeatedly I have prayed and prayed for the right path to the right services to help us and repeatedly my prayers have been answered.
Our pediatrician noticed the ADHD symptoms first when Mr. B was quite young. He didn't panic me but just said to "keep and eye on it" since he was only 18 months old at the time. I didn't think much of Mr. B's high activity level, thinking he was "just being a boy." I am blessed to have such a wonderfully understanding pediatrician who listens, takes my concerns seriously and refers us to only the very best experts when necessary. Mr. B was diagnosed with ADHD after 4 months of study by Children's Hospital at the age of 3.
As Mr. B grew and our patience was tried repeatedly my SIL guided me to our school district which ultimately led me to Encompass NW and their PCIT program. Mr. B and I worked closely with Michelle and after 14 weeks were successful graduates of the program. Because of our success I knew Mr. B's ADHD could be managed mostly through behavior modification vs. ADHD medications, which at the time I strongly opposed.
As Mr. B got older and presented some new challenges for us in preschool and at home I looked for more answers as I knew this was an ongoing issue and we needed ongoing support, indefinitely. I joined several ADHD support organizations and regularly attended meetings. It was at one such meeting that we (AH and I) heard a national ADHD expert and MD (who also has ADHD himself) talk about medications as a important step in helping a person with ADHD. He was able to answer many of my personal questions and concerns regarding medications, though I still did not like some of the side effects. It's a very hard and personal decision when a parent looks at medicating their child. To be put into a position of having to weigh side effects (such as stunted growth) with overall life success is exceedingly difficult.
At the time we were not coping well at home and decided maybe it was time to give the meds a try (though deep down I still did not want to go that route). We tried 4 different ADHD medications with no success. Each one made AH manic, altered his fun personality and ultimately we decided was not a viable option for us.
It was right around this time that I found Brain Health NW. I took AH in to meet with Dr. Pomeroy to discuss what his clinic might offer us. Due to Mr. B's young age there wasn't much Dr. Pomeroy could offer that we hadn't already tried. It was near the end of our appointment when the doctor brought up medications. He knew our history with them and in no way pushed me into pursuing more medications but he did bring up another medication that had success with certain ADHD patients without the harmful side effects. Guanfacine is a blood pressure medication that has had success in clinical trials for the treatment of ADHD and is currently being investigated by the FDA for approval as an ADHD medication.
"It has been shown that guanfacine, the active ingredient in INTUNIV, binds selectively to alpha 2A adrenergic cell receptors located in the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain associated with executive functioning, i.e., working memory, behavioral inhibition, regulation of attention, distractibility, impulsivity, and frustration tolerance. The selective alpha-2A agonist strengthens working memory and prefrontal cortex neuronal firing. This research supports the use of guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD."
Because of its known history and the non-side effects (though it can cause nuisances like drowsiness if too much is taken) we decided to give it a try. It took a few days to get the right dosage but ultimately we have had tremendous success. The medication has the exact effect I was looking for without the guilt. It helps Mr. B to have a calmer body that allows him to have better impulse control and judgement. It does not alter his personality or change the great kid we know into child we don't recognize.
At this same time, through a friend, we found out about a study being offered through the UW Parenting Clinic for "children who are difficult to parent" (I love how they put it!). After a quick phone interview it was determined that we definitely qualified and would be apart of the study. The Incredible Years program was a true answer to my prayers. During our weekly session (we met for 20 weeks - 2 hours per session) Mr. B went off to "dinosaur school" and AH and I went to our own class. While we parents learned, practiced, encouraged and studied better parenting skills our children learned, practiced, encouraged and studied to be self aware, verbalize their feelings, self sooth, and coping techniques. I can honestly say it was a life changing experience for our family (in the very best way).
So in moments like today, when I think of my answered prayers that have helped to build and shape my testimony, how could I not be overcome with emotion. I KNOW my Heavenly Father lives. I KNOW He knows ME personally and that He loves me without end. I am truly blessed and lately, as I count my many blessings, I can't help but feel as though My Cup Runneth Over (Psalms 23:5) and sometimes right out of my eyes.
Thank you to all the wonderful teachers in an exceptional school district, incredible friends, amazing primary teachers, in-laws who support support and support us (thanks for all the articles, babysitting, and especially love) and everyone else who has touched our lives during these past years.
Thank you to everyone - thank you so much, and don't mind me if on occasion I break into bouts of tears, I'm just counting my blessings.
These past few years have, at times, been very hard for me as I tried to figure out how to best parent my ADHD son. Repeatedly I have prayed and prayed for the right path to the right services to help us and repeatedly my prayers have been answered.
Our pediatrician noticed the ADHD symptoms first when Mr. B was quite young. He didn't panic me but just said to "keep and eye on it" since he was only 18 months old at the time. I didn't think much of Mr. B's high activity level, thinking he was "just being a boy." I am blessed to have such a wonderfully understanding pediatrician who listens, takes my concerns seriously and refers us to only the very best experts when necessary. Mr. B was diagnosed with ADHD after 4 months of study by Children's Hospital at the age of 3.
As Mr. B grew and our patience was tried repeatedly my SIL guided me to our school district which ultimately led me to Encompass NW and their PCIT program. Mr. B and I worked closely with Michelle and after 14 weeks were successful graduates of the program. Because of our success I knew Mr. B's ADHD could be managed mostly through behavior modification vs. ADHD medications, which at the time I strongly opposed.
As Mr. B got older and presented some new challenges for us in preschool and at home I looked for more answers as I knew this was an ongoing issue and we needed ongoing support, indefinitely. I joined several ADHD support organizations and regularly attended meetings. It was at one such meeting that we (AH and I) heard a national ADHD expert and MD (who also has ADHD himself) talk about medications as a important step in helping a person with ADHD. He was able to answer many of my personal questions and concerns regarding medications, though I still did not like some of the side effects. It's a very hard and personal decision when a parent looks at medicating their child. To be put into a position of having to weigh side effects (such as stunted growth) with overall life success is exceedingly difficult.
At the time we were not coping well at home and decided maybe it was time to give the meds a try (though deep down I still did not want to go that route). We tried 4 different ADHD medications with no success. Each one made AH manic, altered his fun personality and ultimately we decided was not a viable option for us.
It was right around this time that I found Brain Health NW. I took AH in to meet with Dr. Pomeroy to discuss what his clinic might offer us. Due to Mr. B's young age there wasn't much Dr. Pomeroy could offer that we hadn't already tried. It was near the end of our appointment when the doctor brought up medications. He knew our history with them and in no way pushed me into pursuing more medications but he did bring up another medication that had success with certain ADHD patients without the harmful side effects. Guanfacine is a blood pressure medication that has had success in clinical trials for the treatment of ADHD and is currently being investigated by the FDA for approval as an ADHD medication.
"It has been shown that guanfacine, the active ingredient in INTUNIV, binds selectively to alpha 2A adrenergic cell receptors located in the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain associated with executive functioning, i.e., working memory, behavioral inhibition, regulation of attention, distractibility, impulsivity, and frustration tolerance. The selective alpha-2A agonist strengthens working memory and prefrontal cortex neuronal firing. This research supports the use of guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD."
Because of its known history and the non-side effects (though it can cause nuisances like drowsiness if too much is taken) we decided to give it a try. It took a few days to get the right dosage but ultimately we have had tremendous success. The medication has the exact effect I was looking for without the guilt. It helps Mr. B to have a calmer body that allows him to have better impulse control and judgement. It does not alter his personality or change the great kid we know into child we don't recognize.
At this same time, through a friend, we found out about a study being offered through the UW Parenting Clinic for "children who are difficult to parent" (I love how they put it!). After a quick phone interview it was determined that we definitely qualified and would be apart of the study. The Incredible Years program was a true answer to my prayers. During our weekly session (we met for 20 weeks - 2 hours per session) Mr. B went off to "dinosaur school" and AH and I went to our own class. While we parents learned, practiced, encouraged and studied better parenting skills our children learned, practiced, encouraged and studied to be self aware, verbalize their feelings, self sooth, and coping techniques. I can honestly say it was a life changing experience for our family (in the very best way).
So in moments like today, when I think of my answered prayers that have helped to build and shape my testimony, how could I not be overcome with emotion. I KNOW my Heavenly Father lives. I KNOW He knows ME personally and that He loves me without end. I am truly blessed and lately, as I count my many blessings, I can't help but feel as though My Cup Runneth Over (Psalms 23:5) and sometimes right out of my eyes.
Thank you to all the wonderful teachers in an exceptional school district, incredible friends, amazing primary teachers, in-laws who support support and support us (thanks for all the articles, babysitting, and especially love) and everyone else who has touched our lives during these past years.
Thank you to everyone - thank you so much, and don't mind me if on occasion I break into bouts of tears, I'm just counting my blessings.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
1 Down 1 To Go
Mr. B, having great fishing success in Montana this summer, brought his fishing pole down to the river last night as we celebrated our last day of summer. His previous success was chalked up to fishing a high altitude lake that was over populated with our fine gilled friends (he caught 10 fish). This time we worried he would walk away upset since it was a fast moving river he was attempting to lure (pun intended) the fish from.
FIRST CAST and he caught a little Steelhead. I think the kid is a natural and we should start entering him into fishing tournaments. :-)
Today, I put Mr. B on the bus for his first day of school. He is now gone all day and I am feeling a little lost. It is similar to how I felt when I first left my full time job to be a full time mom. It is so strange to know that I don't have to rush to do my grocery shopping and other "mom" errands within a 2 hour window; I can take the entire day if I choose!
Though he claims to not be excited for the new school year, I know he is excited for 3 recesses and to eat lunch in the cafeteria (is there anything more fun than that?).
I am proud to say I didn't cry, but will add to that - yet. Next week it is Beeb's turn as she enters Kindergarten. She is super excited and I am so not. I imagine the confusion I feel today will be amplified next week - oh joy.
FIRST CAST and he caught a little Steelhead. I think the kid is a natural and we should start entering him into fishing tournaments. :-)
Today, I put Mr. B on the bus for his first day of school. He is now gone all day and I am feeling a little lost. It is similar to how I felt when I first left my full time job to be a full time mom. It is so strange to know that I don't have to rush to do my grocery shopping and other "mom" errands within a 2 hour window; I can take the entire day if I choose!
Though he claims to not be excited for the new school year, I know he is excited for 3 recesses and to eat lunch in the cafeteria (is there anything more fun than that?).
I am proud to say I didn't cry, but will add to that - yet. Next week it is Beeb's turn as she enters Kindergarten. She is super excited and I am so not. I imagine the confusion I feel today will be amplified next week - oh joy.
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