tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153095612012-01-31T14:55:16.743-05:00"Who are you?" my son asked me when he was five. I didn't have an answer for him. Join me as I attempt to figure this out.Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.comBlogger6451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-56985406366796359912012-01-14T23:11:00.000-05:002012-01-14T23:11:10.001-05:00

I'm trying to figure out the parental controls on Verizon Fios because I'm not at all happy with Noah's television viewing choices. I could go on a rant about Disney but I don't think I need to, because if you have kids and cable you probably already know the crap "tween" shows they are putting out. Since Noah has an inability to filter out the unreasonable from the reasonable the "humor" in

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-24826029043496896712012-01-09T10:00:00.000-05:002012-01-09T10:00:05.662-05:00

A couple months ago I was chatting on Facebook with my friend Laurie from Adopting Special Needs and she mentioned they were going to spend a couple days at Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland, NY.  I said that sounded like fun and that I was sure they would have a great time. Well, she said we will, and it would be even better if you came too. I was all, "oh yeah, but we can't afford a trip right

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-6363828587575223312012-01-08T22:49:00.000-05:002012-01-08T22:50:42.706-05:00

This is long, but powerful. I know that Noah has more going on with him than just attachment disorder. In fact, the new psych won't even acknowledge that it is part of him. It doesn't matter though, because I'm the expert on Noah, and I know with every fiber of my being that attachment and early trauma is part of what makes Noah  who he is If you are family or friend, or have followed our

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-39299287560277631932012-01-05T19:08:00.000-05:002012-01-05T19:09:59.447-05:00

Warning: If you are related to me (or Rich), work with me, do karate with me, or know me personally in any other way you need to click that X up in the top right corner of your screen and come back another day. Seriously. This is not the blog post for you. No really, I'm serious. I will know if you don't, especially if you can't look me in the eyes tomorrow! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Okay,

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-8553275930094125812011-12-31T01:53:00.000-05:002011-12-31T01:53:52.482-05:00

The candy cane seeds grew! All it took was a little magic from Santa. I like that they grow wrapped; similar to a banana. It looks quite festive I think. Brought back memories of a hammer, screwdriver and very frozen ground last year. My boys are spoiled. No doubt about it. Just waiting for morning to come!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-3522131962141025402011-12-24T14:28:00.000-05:002011-12-30T23:35:34.297-05:00

Noah started the day out in high style in his new car/bed/lounge chair. Who needs real furniture toys when you have a big box! We kept an exciting day of anticipation moving along by decorating our gingerbread house. I think it turned out quite festive! And just in case any evil elves sneak in with Santa it is well protected by some heavily armed Lego men. After the gingerbread

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-64300034392706177432011-12-23T01:38:00.000-05:002012-01-01T00:12:37.486-05:00

We have a few holiday traditions we've kept going since Noah was a baby. The hospital Rich works at always has a party for the employees kids and grandchildren. They have a magician perform, music, cookies, and of course Santa and Mrs. Clause with a few elves. Kiel isn't too sure about Santa. "I shy," he says. He got up his courage though and talked quietly with Santa and Mrs.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-69319602356688383572011-12-23T00:29:00.001-05:002012-01-01T00:47:46.680-05:00

I've seen a few blog posts about the Elf on the Shelf and the over achieving Mom's that are pissing off the rest of the Internets.  It just makes me laugh. I took a few of the ideas I saw on Pinterest, but the rest of the time Nelson was pretty tame. Except for the morning we woke up to this! The boys were practically beside themselves over this one. They were slightly less amused when a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-52501152824770213792011-12-13T23:07:00.000-05:002011-12-30T20:43:25.918-05:00

I found this in my drafts folder. Obviously I thought I posted it earlier in the month. These are pictures I took in November on one of our "photo shoot" days. I've been having so much fun playing with our new camera. I find my boys pretty easy subjects to work with as well, especially Noah. He loves to ham it up for the camera.   

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-54687625732694228692011-12-05T10:30:00.000-05:002011-12-05T10:30:01.698-05:00

I'm sure most of you know about "Elf on the Shelf." We have had our elf Nelson for a couple years. Definitely before they hit Target. (I like to think we were ahead of the trend.) So Nelson, our elf, is really a lazy ass elf. He doesn't like to move every night much like me when I get my ass comfy on the couch the way he is supposed to. And forget those fancy antics his brother and sister elves

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-89784666684828096052011-12-04T21:07:00.001-05:002011-12-04T22:10:16.205-05:00

We had a very pleasant day with the boys today! I dare say it was very close to the kind of day a "normal" family has together. And frankly, if it isn't, I don't want to know. We spent the early afternoon at the park where Rich and I sat on a bench and just watched the boys play on an "old school" merry go round. ("Old school" is Noah's new favorite term for anything he considers not new.) The

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-7577339265540117112011-11-30T19:42:00.001-05:002011-11-30T19:53:03.467-05:00

I've been sorting through pictures for the yearly photo projects and I came across these gems. These were taken during a kids day event at the Philadelphia Phillies. It was for season ticket holders only (my boss gave us the tickets to this event). They were able to eat anything they wanted, go in the club house, locker rooms, run the bases, use the batting cage, etc.  Obviously, Rich took

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-10408322908596585932011-11-29T22:52:00.001-05:002011-11-29T23:13:22.709-05:00

Rich took advantage of early Black Friday sales at Kohl's last week and purchased an early holiday present. At least that's what we are calling it. He bought a Dyson at a great sale price. A really great sale price. But then he found another coupon, which would make it an even better sale price. Problem? It was too late to cancel the first order. So guess what we have sitting in our

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-38990297015381913772011-11-28T21:43:00.001-05:002011-11-28T22:11:07.104-05:00

I feel like my head collided with the snot truck. The brown one, not the yellow or green one. According to this article, my brown snot means I'm a smoker. I'm not. I just spent half an hour looking up what the color of snot means. Apparently I have a cold. Or an infection. Or I'm dying. It's a bit unclear at the moment. I do know that I didn't go to work today and took a four hour nap after

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-48422057644442896222011-11-27T21:47:00.001-05:002011-11-27T22:05:15.417-05:00

Noah played in a soccer tournament today. They played against other local soccer clubs. The teams were created from the top players of the U10 teams from the fall season. I assume that the top players of his team were not able to make it to this tournament and that is why Noah was invited. He played great. His focus was better in the first game than the third. During the third game he spent his

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-10149043848773197952011-11-26T21:48:00.001-05:002011-11-26T21:49:06.671-05:00

to tell you that I am sick. Again. Ughh. I'll be back tomorrow.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-62264144459012105102011-11-25T21:33:00.001-05:002011-11-25T22:08:41.536-05:00

Well, I think that title is a good example of the importance of the comma. Today I installed a new garbage disposal. Easy mount it said. Hah! First we let the disposal age properly in the box in our dining room. After determining this afternoon that it had aged the minimum required amount of time I decided today was the day. No freaking way I was going to pay someone $450 to put it in for me!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-81672268622859332772011-11-24T10:13:00.000-05:002011-11-24T10:13:00.532-05:00

I hope your Thanksgiving is as satisfying!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-7710941173564797492011-11-23T20:58:00.001-05:002011-11-23T22:02:11.006-05:00

What is the day before Thanksgiving? Why, It's PIE DAY!  Apple Pie cooling on the windowsill. (OK, not really, it's on the counter.)  Pumpkin Pie baking in the oven! Every surface in the kitchen, including the floor and the front of my shirt, covered in flour. Where the hell did that house keeper disappear to? Last year I gave you the recipes for my favorite pumpkin pie and pie

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-24271244793036034692011-11-22T20:21:00.001-05:002011-11-22T21:11:30.898-05:00

Lies and Beemommy, thank you for putting a big smile on my face with your comments! (Lies, thanks for telling me how to pronounce your name, too!) And GB's Mom, you know how much I love you! Comments are the chocolate butter-cream frosting on the cake of blogging. I love cake, like really, love me some cake, but it is always better with some frosting on top! I blog because I love to write, but

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-81869031560017378022011-11-21T22:50:00.001-05:002011-11-21T23:46:32.164-05:00

NaBloPoMo is getting kind of old. I really don't have enough angst in my life to make it worth writing every day, unless it is about poop. Or "blow farts" as we are calling them these days. I probably have enough comic material to write every day, but not enough talent to put it out there consistently. So now you are stuck with the blow by blow of my days, for at least another nine days

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-28627919237549892512011-11-20T23:00:00.001-05:002011-11-20T23:31:10.320-05:00

Kiel had a great birthday. I think short of getting to ride in Lightening McQueen itself, it was everything his little 4 year old heart could want. The party itself was perfect. Since it was a karate party the kids had plenty of opportunity to run, jump, kick and punch. Most of the activity was set up around an obstacle course, and Kiel was able to lead the pack when he wanted to. This is the

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-61763805018648660082011-11-19T23:21:00.001-05:002011-11-19T23:47:29.984-05:00

A few pics of Kiel's birthday party. Noah was a "helper." Kicking X-ray targets. They make a great noise! Punching! And more punching. At one point he came at the target head first like a bull. Hysterical! Love this picture!   pizza Cake from Wegman's. It was yummy! Making sure Noah doesn't blow out the candles. Hoping Kiel doesn't fall

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-4024982207391330202011-11-18T21:26:00.001-05:002011-11-18T21:27:37.946-05:00

Kiel's birthday party is tomorrow and I am nervous! Not about the party itself, or about the kids having fun, or Kiel having fun. I'm nervous about how Noah will behave. I wanted to get our awesome baby sitter to do something with him during the party, but everyone else thought he should be at his brothers birthday party. I want him at Kiel's birthday. I do. But I also want Kiel to have a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-14769319827535756522011-11-17T20:23:00.001-05:002011-11-17T21:03:18.935-05:00

Four!!   How did this happen?  Wasn't it just last year that I was anxiously waiting for you to decide to make an appearance? Didn't you just turn one a few months ago? And two last month? And I know it was only last week you turned three. I guess I can't stop it from happening. On Saturday you turn four! Tomorrow you will treat your friends at preschool to pizza and

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-39070500126123256022011-11-16T23:00:00.001-05:002011-11-16T23:02:38.611-05:00

Noah's progress report came home today. As Rich said, it could be worse. It could be all "not meeting goals" and "unsatisfactory." I hate this feeling that I get. Defeat.  I don't know what else to do for Noah as far as his education. I don't know how to teach him. I think the school is trying. I think they have his best interests in mind. I just don't think they are the right place

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-40361306265911844792011-11-15T21:11:00.001-05:002011-11-15T21:31:55.712-05:00

It's hump day for NaBloPoMo and I am struggling a bit for something to blog about. I still have a nasty cold and my booger filled head is not very conducive to deep thoughts. So to prove that I'm really digging deep to find something to write about, I'm going to tell you about my dream last night. It was a flying dream. As in I could fly. Like a bird. Or Superman. And it was one of those

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-72630570638719625262011-11-14T20:45:00.001-05:002011-11-14T20:45:43.269-05:00

Did I mention that the toilet in the kids bathroom has been plugged up for a while? Noah's turbo turds can plug up just about any toilet I think. Add the turbo turds to the assortment of other stuff he has flushed down and it's no surprise the toilet backs up. This time I was pretty sure we weren't going to be able to salvage it without help. I tried plunging and nothing was moving (kind of

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-28476981525274530572011-11-13T22:21:00.001-05:002011-11-13T22:21:36.966-05:00

When we were told that Noah has a pervasive developmental disorder our dreams for him shifted. When we were told that he has a mood disorder our hopes for his future shifted again. When we were told he has a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder our dreams for his future plummeted. ~~~ When you see your child struggle in every part of his life - socially, educationally, behaviorally, you

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-11874360416691182062011-11-12T20:50:00.005-05:002011-11-12T20:53:44.912-05:00

It's play-off weekend for Noah's soccer league. He had two games today (they won both) and at least one tomorrow. If they win the game tomorrow it looks like they will be in the finals. Noah does surprisingly well on the field; even if he does have a compulsive need to do a somersault as he runs down the field, and a flying leap here and there as he runs for the ball. I'm OK with those

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-52337565999617127282011-11-11T20:41:00.001-05:002011-11-11T21:01:10.676-05:00

I have a yucky cold. Rich and Kiel have it too, although I was the only wimpy one to stay home in bed today. I'm jealous of Kiel's cold, because his boogers come in ice cream flavors. Last night they tasted like chocolate, tonight like vanilla. Just to be clear, that's what he told me. Despite his generous offers I have not tasted them. And because I feel icky, and Rich wants to watch a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-25944756182565752662011-11-10T20:40:00.001-05:002011-11-10T21:10:40.424-05:00

Stephen Colbert does a pretty good job explaining why I am incredibly disappointed in my home state of Michigan right now! The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The Word - Bully Pulpit www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogVideo Archive       

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-42533951535458722002011-11-09T22:30:00.000-05:002011-11-10T13:00:55.767-05:00

Occasionally I am lucky enough to read a book that grabs me from the very beginning, and then stays with me. That haunts me for days after I read the final page. Sometimes it is because the story is so entertaining, and so well written, that I am captivated by it, drawn into it, entranced. Sometimes a book makes me think differently; it opens me up to new ideas. It makes me question myself,

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-63852248330482305982011-11-08T21:55:00.000-05:002011-11-08T21:55:41.187-05:00

Thank you for your thoughts on yesterdays blog post, both here and on Facebook. I'm still thinking about everything that was said during the session and trying to figure out what is my issue/sensitivity and has nothing to do with Noah, and what is important for us to move forward to help him. Please keep commenting, it does help me! Rich worked last weekend, so I was alone with the boys both

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-42760554166237528972011-11-07T21:55:00.000-05:002011-11-07T21:58:03.534-05:00

Literally. There is an elephant in the room. And apparently it is ME. According to Noah's psychiatrist (TNP) anyway. OMG I say. I had no idea! I had no idea I am fat and need to lose weight! Thank god we are paying her the big bucks, right? Ummmphhh....I'm so frustrated after our appointment with her today. It's only the second time Rich and I have had an appointment with just

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-64788508189816255402011-11-06T20:00:00.000-05:002011-11-06T20:00:02.062-05:00

This really isn't about Halloween.  Or poop.  OK, maybe it is a little bit about Halloween.  But just the candy.  We like candy in the MNT family. We really do. But not a one of us really needs candy. Nope. So after the big night, we put the candy away and the boys can earn a couple pieces of candy after dinner if they have exhibited good behavior.  The reality is that after a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-66657748293805912602011-11-05T23:25:00.000-04:002011-11-05T23:25:15.600-04:00

I'll spare all y'all from another poop post tonight. Just know that everything is moving along as we had hoped. *snicker* I intended on writing about this a couple days ago, but some shit got in my way. Literally. *snort* Anyway...I wanted to comment a bit on Halloween. Overall, it was fun.  Kiel was adorable and sweet. And so excited! And as always, my sunshine. It didn't hurt that

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-68252850207152127092011-11-04T19:48:00.000-04:002011-11-05T21:20:48.271-04:00

The enemas have arrived. They are sitting in a bag on the dining room table. Neither Rich nor I are verbally acknowledging their presence. Maybe if we ignore them long enough one will magically insert itself up Noah's butt.* Until then, I think we may have ourselves a game of enema chicken going on right now. Just another Friday night in the MNT household. *And maybe the toilet will

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-30405920317016500632011-11-03T18:14:00.000-04:002011-11-03T18:14:49.181-04:00

Today Noah saw a pediatric gastroenterologist.  It was no surprise when she told us he was full of shit.  Well, maybe she didn't use those exact words.  He has "functional constipation." Also, no surprise. We have been dealing with this for years.  So the plan is to really clean him out, which means 3 to 5 days of daily enemas, plus oral stool softeners and stimulants, in

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-633016434687324322011-11-02T20:43:00.001-04:002011-11-02T20:43:57.453-04:00

Poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop  shit  poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop poop

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-45090468791005395812011-11-01T21:55:00.000-04:002011-11-01T21:55:34.331-04:00

What a fun Halloween this year! Noah was a ninja and Kiel was a knight. "I a KNIGHT!"  Kiel has been so excited that he wore his "helmet" all weekend. He barely took it off to sleep. My fierce boys! I think he's a little excited to get started with the trick or treating! Don't get in Ninja Noah's way! Happiness! Brotherly adoration. Trick or Treat! Checking out

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-7799588901428898532011-10-23T00:58:00.001-04:002011-10-23T00:58:30.886-04:00

I inadvertently uncovered my Christmas present from Rich's secret hiding place.  His secret hiding place in the back of the van. The van full of kids toys, balls, lawn chairs, etc. that I had to get out of the van so I could put some boxes full of donations to Good Will. I found a Target bag with a box in it that looked like a shoe box. I took it inside and looked to see which boy he

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-87465728656214508082011-10-16T23:25:00.001-04:002011-10-16T23:25:14.020-04:00

I have had some big thoughts rumbling around in my brain lately. Blogworthy thoughts. Hopefully dialogue provoking thoughts. I think tonight I'm going to start with the least provoking one. It is about compliments and acknowledgement. I often hear or see written very supportive comments about the challenge it is raising Noah. Things like "you are amazing, I could never do that ," or "I don't

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-42373335845180284852011-10-13T11:13:00.000-04:002011-10-13T11:13:00.345-04:00

Yesterday I wrote about Noah slipping into mania and that we restarted his mood stabilizers.  What I haven't written about is why he wasn't on them. You may recall we are working with a new psychiatrist (TNP) who came very well recommended.  She spent the summer getting to know Noah. She has also been trying to get Noah off some of his medications. It didn't go very well, and at the

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-16280981939107391162011-10-12T22:39:00.000-04:002011-10-12T23:15:49.624-04:00

Last week I was working with a client in Philly. I got up early and caught the train to the city. For some reason it reminded me of this book. specifically this page: Except, I'm definitely not Daddy's kitty.* But still, it makes me feel all grown up and shit, like I'm play acting. Which is kind of crazy considering I have very grownup responsibilities and I'm not play acting

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-82653243972288963282011-10-02T23:01:00.000-04:002011-10-02T23:01:18.916-04:00

I give my parents a lot of credit for teaching me how to be a good person when I was growing up. I remember lots of conversations with my mom about making the right decision and doing the right thing. It was from my mother that I learned to give to charity. She helped me tape my quarters and dimes to a card to send to Easter seals. She took me with her to donate blood. She told me that I could be

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-89923763005940633592011-09-22T22:41:00.000-04:002011-09-22T22:41:07.987-04:00

I guess if there is one good thing about insomnia it at least has me writing this week. Well, writing at night on my blog, less so at work were I actually have deadlines and shit. Don't expect too much though. I don't have my glasses on so I can barely make out the letters I am typing. Add to that the pharmaceutical helper I just took and you never know what I'm going to say. So anyone think I

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-46185377345308938212011-09-21T00:44:00.001-04:002011-09-21T00:44:16.870-04:00

It's 12:15am and I'm wide awake, despite the Ambien I took an hour and a half ago. Insomnia is fucking kicking my ass again. Despite that, I wanted to post something good on here, since I know it has been a while. A couple good things actually. First, Noah's tic has subsided dramatically, especially the head movements. He still has the throat clearing (verbal tic), especially when he is

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-16824966961564082542011-09-04T13:53:00.002-04:002011-09-04T13:54:35.418-04:00

The thing is, I'm in a kind of grey space right now. Stress is high, coping is low. There isn't much joy** in life right now. I actually realized this a few weeks ago, when I started thinking I would want to be taken in the first wave. You know, the first wave of the alien attack* (or maybe the zombie attack?). No sense making it through the first wave, or the second wave, and joining the

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-25261465690906870482011-08-30T08:05:00.000-04:002011-08-30T08:05:01.009-04:00

Rich and I have been trading off staying home with Noah the past two weeks since camp is over and school starts this week. One day last week Rich went upstairs to do something; he said he was only up there about ten minutes or so. He came downstairs and Noah was outside playing. And then he noticed all the butter/table knives were missing from the utensil drawer.  We have slowly been losing

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-64499595238173369212011-08-28T23:40:00.000-04:002011-08-29T00:07:52.441-04:00

Noah is afraid of the vacuum cleaner. One day a couple weeks ago he told me the vacuum scared him. Now he's never liked the noise of the vacuum, and he makes sure it doesn't get too close to him when it is on, but he has never shown actual fear. In fact, over the past couple of months he has helped me vacuum and earned some money doing it. He was proud of himself that he could do it and do a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-64501664718671631622011-08-14T00:09:00.001-04:002011-08-14T00:09:55.072-04:00

 I watched The Backup Plan with Jennifer Lopez tonight and it is fucking hysterical. This bit though made me stop and say "wow, yeah, exactly." It's awful, awful, awful and then something incredible happens. And then awful, awful, awful, awful, awful...and something incredible happens. Well, I don't know what it is like in a normal family with normal kids, but that is what it is like with

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-79401485448974441572011-08-10T23:08:00.000-04:002011-08-10T23:08:27.271-04:00

Despite the tone of the last two posts, we really have had a good summer. Actually, I should say Noah has had a good summer, so we all have had a good summer. Noah is at a different summer day camp than he was at the last two years. This one has two parts - a special needs part and a "typical" kids part. His group is a bit of a hybrid between the two sides. The staff is well trained, and mostly

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-16911752013210835522011-08-05T22:44:00.000-04:002011-08-05T22:44:10.626-04:00

Monday. Twelve days ago. Noah came home from camp and I noticed he was jerking his head. It was bizarre. His head moved one way and his eyes the other. I asked him if he was OK. If he felt OK. He said he was fine. And asked me why. Noah had karate class that afternoon. During his class I worked with one of the instructors in the back room. It has a window that looks out onto the main studio

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-28870231781192407272011-08-02T22:30:00.001-04:002011-08-05T21:38:29.276-04:00

I need to write. I need it to soothe my soul. Yet what I need to write about is so difficult, so emotional, so painful for me, that I find myself doing everything but writing. We have been seeing a new psychiatrist since mid-June. She is horrified by the amount of medication Noah is on. She wants to try and pull him off everything so she can see what his baseline is. She says it will be a long

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-27291983113492267372011-07-12T22:55:00.001-04:002011-07-12T22:56:55.352-04:00

I was a bit of a science geek in school. I capital L-O-V-E loved MacGyver. I didn't have normal crushes on normal teen idols, oh no. Once I moved past Shawn Cassidy and Donny Osmond, it was pretty much MacGyver all the way. And just to prove he still sets me all aquiver, I just wasted an hour at this website dedicated to the series. Anyway...I could write an entire blog post or twelve on why I

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-90777629860650019202011-06-15T10:51:00.000-04:002011-06-15T10:51:00.155-04:00

Like all guys, Kiel loves his Woody.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-86698032538768654372011-06-14T22:59:00.026-04:002011-06-14T23:20:13.677-04:00

Today was one of those days with Noah that was perfect. He was absolutely delightful to be with. Accepting. Patient. Helpful. We had a developmental pediatrician appointment this morning, and they were running an hour late. Noah didn't fuss, and he asked nicely if he could go play fuse ball in the lobby up front, so he and Rich went to play up there while I waited. When the doctor was ready

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-7650721521322947672011-06-12T16:43:00.141-04:002011-06-12T17:53:04.371-04:00

I can't even begin to express how lucky I am to have my "Soul Sisters" behind me. The amount of support and love they have given me is immeasurable. I have no doubt that we would not be moving forward with Noah as we are if I had not met them. One of the best sources of support for our group is that we have a private place to chat with each other. The only place many of us can really let it all

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-29471078754946311942011-06-08T22:49:00.115-04:002011-06-09T08:31:33.913-04:00

I'm still moving between anger and sadness and doing. Wash, rinse, and repeat. I think I forgot to mention fear yesterday. The fear that I won't be enough for Noah. The fear that nothing will be enough for him. The fear that he will be a statistic no matter what we do. And also the fear that if we can't learn to manage his rages in the next several years, especially important before he hits

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-55101043616610105592011-06-07T20:37:00.167-04:002011-06-07T22:40:21.009-04:00

I imagine everyone has moments in time that are permanently etched in their memories. Snapshots. Perfect memories. Memories that are so strong you still have every detail of them.  The first time I realized people actually had sex on purpose. The first time I realized that I just might kick ass academically in high school.My first real make-out session.My first break up.Finding out I had

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-49513769076056076242011-06-06T22:21:00.084-04:002011-06-06T23:11:08.249-04:00

One wall of the karate studio is entirely mirrored. Today after Noah's class he didn't come to me like he usually does, so I was looking around for him as I spoke with another mom. In the mirror I saw him in the little alcove by the front door, where they have a cooler full of water and Gatorade type drinks that they sell for a dollar. Noah was crouched down in front of it with the door open.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-72577007808630041452011-05-13T23:59:00.000-04:002011-05-13T23:59:42.501-04:00

Tonight my heart is breaking for Noah. It feels like the demons in his head are winning. I don't know what else to do to help him fight them. Nothing is helping right now. I caught him walking out of the house with a table knife in his pocket. He doesn't know why he had it, just that he felt like he needed it. There is no sense in it. We were on our way to meet Rich and Kiel for dinner. Asking

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-51438629942511751562011-05-03T22:40:00.079-04:002011-05-03T23:09:25.534-04:00

I've not nurtured friendships very well since I got married. When I first moved here to be with Rich I didn't need anyone but him. I didn't care to be with anyone else. I missed my best friend in Michigan, I still do, but getting ready for the wedding, starting a new job, and living with my future and then new husband consumed me. There wasn't anything I couldn't share with Rich so between that

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-85806675497344804222011-04-23T22:09:00.000-04:002011-04-23T22:24:20.610-04:00

Take weeks of trying to get Noah off one med and onto another one so he's not really controlled on anything yet and is riding a thin line of mania mixed with mean and nasty. And then add in a good dose of Mommy and her fucking hormones because apparently my normal level of craziness isn't enough, so we had to add in perimenopause. Then throw in a pinch of Noah deciding to take two packs of

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-79932331186338623312011-04-18T00:32:00.002-04:002011-04-18T00:32:00.299-04:00

LEOPARD Fast and powerfulBlack spotted bodyHunting with sharp teeth. Quietly stepping on the groundSearching for my feastHungry for a meal.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-54867525551995757672011-04-17T11:44:00.001-04:002011-04-17T11:44:00.238-04:00

We looked at a new day camp today for Noah. It's a part special needs, part typical kid  camp. The special needs part is mostly MR and autism, but they offer a program for other special needs kids that is a small group with more support that interacts with the regular camp. The director assured me that Noah would be with kids that are cognitively OK but have more problems with anxiety and other

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-7569103684395336062011-04-16T23:44:00.000-04:002011-04-16T23:44:29.432-04:00

I'm trying to look at the positive here. I mean it does show an awesome amount of control and balance to hover like that. And he did get it all in. And it is pretty funny in a wrong sort of way. And probably way funnier if it isn't your own kid. So yeah, anyway... Noah pooped in the litter box today. I'm so proud! confused amazed proud bewildered not ready to put this in our Christmas letter

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-74993086018039270562011-04-11T10:17:00.000-04:002011-04-11T10:17:33.567-04:00

One-Who-Helped-Another Good day. My name is One-Who-Helped-Another. If you listen, you can hear the sound of my breathing on the day I got a new name. Whew! Whew! I was almost out of breath. I had been running in the woods. Whew! Whew! I was breathing so hard I couldn't bear to stand anymore. I was speeding through the large forest. I couldn't stop thinking about my sick mother waiting for me

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-63761696575443391892011-04-06T08:47:00.001-04:002011-04-06T08:47:00.478-04:00

Yesterday while on our way to Noah's vision therapy appointment I had to pull off to the side of the road. Because of a cookie. A cookie I wouldn't give Noah, even though he was starving! and needed! that cookie.* So Noah had a temper tantrum. Like a two year-old, but in an eight year-old body. A screaming, trash talking, spitting and throwing, kicking my seat temper tantrum. While I was driving

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-72808682650092165252011-04-05T14:22:00.000-04:002011-04-05T14:22:58.349-04:00

Two things you might want to know about me: 1. I love food. All it takes is one look at me to know that I love food. And as the old joke goes "food loves me, too." I love going out to eat. Fancy restaurants. Not so fancy restaurants. Mom and Pop places. As long as the food is good. And especially if the chef is inspired. Unfortunately, our opportunities to go out to eat have been severely

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-2601136074377684242011-03-27T21:19:00.000-04:002011-03-27T21:19:31.361-04:00

So help me Noah is going to school tomorrow if I have to sit next to him in the class room and poke him all day long to keep him awake. He missed four more days of school last week. He made it on Monday, but then woke up with a fever again on Tuesday and was home the rest of the week. I was trying to remember how many days he missed the week before, but that was two weeks ago peoples and I've

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-83567224286381412022011-03-17T22:05:00.000-04:002011-03-17T22:05:05.088-04:00

Noah has been sick on and off for the last month. This past week he has been very lethargic. No fever, a little cough and congestion. He looks washed out. Sunday evening he almost fell asleep at dinner, and that was after sleeping over 13 hours the night before. Sunday night was spent weighing the options. Send him to school since he doesn't have a fever and hope he makes it. Or take another day

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-46050519335395444802011-03-14T08:05:00.002-04:002011-03-14T08:05:00.496-04:00

One of my  SOUL sisters, Integrity Singer, wrote an amazing post about layers of loss on her blog Peace in Puzzles.  If you want to understand me better, read it. If you are considering adoption or fostering, read it. If you parent children of trauma yourself, read it. Thank you Integrity Singer for letting me share this!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-76360605880625213192011-03-13T20:05:00.000-04:002011-03-13T20:05:07.407-04:00

One of the things I got out of last weekend was some much needed perspective. While we go through some crazy shit with Noah, we could have it much worse. So much worse! I had to be careful actually, as I listened to everyone's story, that I didn't project their reality onto Noah's future. Believe me, some of the tears I cried last weekend were because of my fear for his future. The truth is we

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-70278066322049630132011-03-12T19:08:00.000-05:002011-03-12T19:08:54.278-05:00

Last weekend I attended the 2nd Annual Early Trauma and Attachment Annual Meeting. I spent three amazing days with 67 other "trauma mommas" who are now my "SOUL sisters." It was one of those experiences that is impossible to describe for someone who either wasn't there, or doesn't have children like ours. For the first time since Noah was a year or so old I felt like other momma's "got it." No

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-3755322288028645222011-03-07T18:19:00.000-05:002011-03-07T18:19:05.614-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it is that motivates some people to do what others would consider impossible? We all have dreams right? Some people though, they have a drive that amazes me. Like the main character Jack Rosenblum in  Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, by Natasha Solomons. From Publishers Weekly: Screenwriter Solomons's debut novel is the pleasant, ripped-from-the-family-archives

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-7239622441350402842011-03-06T22:28:00.000-05:002011-03-06T22:28:46.501-05:00

I'm trying to pull myself back from the land of suck. Fortunately, I'm spending the weekend at the 2nd Annual Early Trauma and Attachment Annual Meeting in Orlando and have been amazed and inspired by 67 other moms! Thank you so much for all of your kind and supportive comments! You have no idea how much they meant to me and how much they helped.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-41006794353784552352011-02-18T20:02:00.000-05:002011-02-18T20:02:54.820-05:00

Things here really suck. I haven't written in a while because it was just too much. Too much shit to put out in the universe. But that doesn't seem to be helping, so maybe I do need to write. Life with Noah sucks right now. It's hard not to resent the hell out of him for creating such chaos in our family. I know it's not his fault, but that rarely makes it easier to live with. His meltdowns

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-19845763792532832212011-02-03T23:29:00.000-05:002011-02-03T23:29:16.798-05:00

I vividly remember riding in the car with my grandmother when I was a toddler and listening to music on the car radio. While we listened and she drove, she taught me how to feel the beat of the music. And how to count it out. 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4  From there she taught me about rhythm -  4/4 and 2/4 and 3/4.  And how whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes combined to create the melody

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-64131161945026648682011-01-11T23:33:00.001-05:002011-01-11T23:36:36.722-05:00

The subject of mental illness has been heavy in my thoughts recently. And this is one of those posts that I've started and restarted several times. It's an inspired post for the From Left to Write book club for The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. In this book club we don't review the books, but instead we write a post that is inspired by the book. As with many of the books we read for

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-28829753462897214052011-01-10T10:14:00.002-05:002011-01-10T10:44:23.476-05:00

I find having good, solid rules in our house work best.  Rules like: No TV or computer before homework is completed. If you don't pick up your Lego's before I vacuum I will suck them up. Love your brother, he's the only one you have. Don't ride the cat like a horse. And now - No cutting off of fingers. Last week Noah tried to cut off Kiel's thumb with a cigar cutter. Kind of like this one.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-58631546177470210332010-12-12T23:24:00.000-05:002010-12-12T23:24:20.690-05:00

Remember when I wrote this post last week about how fast Noah's mind and body were going? Well, it's taken me some time to be able to come back and tell you about the aftermath. I needed some time to process, and to decide if I should be writing it here or not. That part I'll discuss a little later.* Noah was in what I believe is a manic state, or perhaps a hypomanic state. Everything was

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-76430313553669980502010-12-05T21:14:00.000-05:002010-12-05T21:14:43.653-05:00

If you have kids and a Christmas tree, please answer the following poll. When decorating your Christmas tree you: A.  leave everything exactly where your kids hang it, even if 2/3 of the ornaments are on the same 1/7 of the tree. You would never do anything to stifle their creative nature, right? B.  let your kids have their fun then go back and rearrange things when they aren't looking. You

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-48234633139606451552010-11-30T21:53:00.000-05:002010-11-30T21:53:07.728-05:00

NaBloPoMo - I posted every day in November! I'll be back to my regularly infrequent posting again soon. Tonight I'm burning the midnight oil trying to make a 3am deadline to get photo books done and submitted so I still get the discount.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-45263458110968890622010-11-29T20:53:00.000-05:002010-11-29T20:53:10.287-05:00

I woke up this morning covered in little boy pee. Damn diaper failure. At least it wasn't my own though! The bus was early, but she waited for us. The bonus was I had a few extra minutes to myself before I had to leave for work. Too bad I didn't take that time to remember to put my laptop in my briefcase, because as soon as I arrived at work and turned on my desktop I realized that the project

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-2836195145743257142010-11-29T00:30:00.001-05:002010-11-29T00:31:58.876-05:00

I nabbed this from Dooce. It made me laugh.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-89204799366088508482010-11-28T22:44:00.000-05:002010-11-28T22:44:11.876-05:00

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-87027571454622728392010-11-27T23:17:00.000-05:002010-11-28T00:45:43.514-05:00

Both boys were in desperate need of a haircut, so Rich and I each took one with us while running errands this morning with the plan of meeting at the kids haircut place at some point. They don't take appointments there, and I wasn't going to be anywhere near there, so I took a chance and called my stylist to see if they could fit Noah in.  His hair has changed so much in the last few months that

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-2316439647392301502010-11-26T19:30:00.003-05:002010-11-27T15:06:50.894-05:00

Happy Fall Colors FallUnique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.View the entire collection of cards.Despite their outward lack of excitement, all of us in the MNT family wish you a happy holiday season.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-47593956961027449282010-11-25T22:08:00.000-05:002010-11-25T22:08:02.696-05:00

Tara at Feels Like Home shared her favorite pumpkin pie recipe with me a few years ago. I made it the first time and haven't used any other recipe since.  Gourmet Pumpkin Pie1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell (see recipe below)   3 2/3 cups pumpkin puree 1 egg 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 cup sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp ground cloves topping 1/2 cup packed brown

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-73312296808601535922010-11-24T20:44:00.000-05:002010-11-24T20:44:47.577-05:00

Noah doesn't have school this week so Rich and I are taking turns staying home. He had two awesome days this week, yesterday with me and Monday with Rich. Today he had a horrible afternoon with Rich. Like he was a completely different kid than he was yesterday. Maybe there were some warning signs yesterday. Or maybe there is no warning and it just is, like a switch is flipped. To the right =

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-39827690861258972392010-11-23T22:22:00.000-05:002010-11-23T22:22:53.063-05:00

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-45096192103046325092010-11-22T23:38:00.000-05:002010-11-22T23:38:49.712-05:00

Tonight was Noah's parent-teacher conference. Not surprisingly Noah is struggling academically and behaviorally. Two years ago we thought his problems were only behavioral, that academically he was strong. It's hard not to feel discouraged after meetings like this. My discouragement is shifting though. Instead of all of it focusing on Noah and his struggles, some of it falls on the educational

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-13057927877660159722010-11-21T21:48:00.002-05:002010-11-27T14:59:12.365-05:00

 Cupcakes at school.What you can't see are the kids on each side of Kiel who are both going "ohhhh."  Birthdays are a exciting! Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.  Noah and I decorated with lots of balloons.  Including some big Thomas the Train ones.  I think Kiel was surprised! I know Noah and Thor were excited! Cake time. Here is Noah being a good sport and wearing his train cap for Kiel. Noah was

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-54128991155520792632010-11-20T23:03:00.000-05:002010-11-20T23:03:29.427-05:00

1. All four of us were able to sit through a movie together today! We saw an advanced showing of Tangled. It was so good. Definitely worth taking the kids to when it opens. 2. At three years and one day Kiel has started asking why. I thought we had another year or so before the "why" stage started. I guess I don't remember when Noah started asking questions like that. 3. Noah spontaneously

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-41923963581254422982010-11-19T19:58:00.000-05:002010-11-19T19:58:02.946-05:00

Presents opened and cake eaten. A happy boy is ready for bed. Pictures up tomorrow!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-9374848034597659932010-11-18T21:46:00.000-05:002010-11-18T21:46:00.439-05:00

I came downstairs this morning and walked through something gritty. In the approximately 20 minutes Noah was alone down here to eat breakfast he took a packet of powdered lemonade and spread it all over the dining room floor. Apparently he felt like it. Despite a rough day at school he did great this afternoon. He was focused doing homework and his vision exercises and didn't give me any grief

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-33646590633678753122010-11-17T08:33:00.003-05:002010-11-17T08:33:00.134-05:00

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15309561.post-68239926767615781952010-11-16T02:30:00.001-05:002010-11-16T02:30:00.452-05:00

to enter  5 Minutes for Mom's Christmas Giveaways!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401725929395230941noreply@blogger.com0