Empathy

We are making our Christmas gifts this year. I am sewing! I know.... I honestly feel the 7th grade Home Economics course I took has been the most helpful class! It all comes back to you. Except for one thing..

My neck and shoulders are killing me from being all hunched over at the sewing machine. It's really painful. Now I have sympathy AND empathy for sweat shop workers. Almost the exact same circumstances, huh?

If I were in a beauty pageant, I would wish for world peace and daily neck massages for those who sew all day long and such as.

Testing, Testing

Is this thing on?

Well, today was Brad's evaluation. It was a 3 hour long test. She was looking not just at Aspergers, but the Dr. told me this was a wide angle test to cover just about everything.

First of all - we had to fill out these huge information packets. His teachers were given two to complete. They did. I read their answers. I'm going to vent here and then let it pass. I've been told (by his teacher) that he's just a strong willed child that is just playing me. Their answers tell a different story. Surprising to me when I ask and "everything's fine". The end.

The meeting starts with the Dr. and open free play in a toy room. She asks him questions to which he pretended like he didn't hear her. She plays with him and makes comments to which he pretended like he didn't hear her. He's in his own world. Quickly moving on to object to object.

We move to another testing room. Boring white room with no distractions. Three chairs and a table. A two way mirror/window right next to the table. Another assistant comes in to complete the test. She gives Brad a computer "game" to play and then walks out of the room. He quits the game after 20 seconds. He randomly pushes the buttons, pushes other buttons, and turns in the chair. The 5 minute game is over and we move on to several other tests. Listening, matching, writing, rhyming, spelling, counting, building....

Brad checked out 10 minutes into the test. He would just randomly answers some things and just repeat what she said the other half of the test. At one point I was hiding my face from laughing. Brad decided just to repeat everything she said and wouldn't answer her. He threw is finger at answers when I KNOW he knew what was being asked of him.

There were several questions not at his age level, so I'm guessing it was to see where he was on intelligence. Because he could not, choose not to focus, I know he missed 90% of the questions asked of him. He would randomly answer hard questions correctly, but would say "I don't know" "It's too hard" "I'm tired" when he was asked to count to SIX! Please, the child counted to 31 when he was 2!

I have no idea what they are going to conclude from this evaluation. My gut feeling is for sure ADD. At home he plays for hours and watches long movies, he plays outside and with his brother all day long, but watching him trying to complete a small task was painful. My heart hurt for him.

So that was a long couple of hours. We go back in a couple weeks for the results of the evaluation.

Signing off to bathe the children....

10,000 Cole's

Have I ever mentioned what a good kid Cole is? He is great. I never worry about him. I pray for his future and his protection, but I'm not worried he won't make friends, or find something overly difficult. I'm not worried that he won't do well in school, or not do well on his team. Things come naturally to him.

He's also sweet. He's so great with Brad. He has a friend that calls all the time for a playdate. Cole has never even asked for anyone to come over to play (or to go to someone else's house). He is perfectly content playing with his best friend Brad. They play from the moment they wake up to the minute they fall asleep. He watches out for his little brother and shares all his toys.

If something goes wrong, I know Cole will be the easy kid to change his plans/toy/direction. He just goes with the flow. I find him terribly quick witted

I adore my Colby. If I could have 10,000 of him, I would. He's that much fun.

Getting Somewhere!

Today Brad had another appointment. Last time I went in with so many questions and came out with none answered and 1,000s more floating around in my head. (sidenote: God Bless Hilary for listening daily to every last one of them!)

I had zero expectations about our meeting today. I turned in the in depth information packet and talked some more about Brad's good days and his bad days. Her recommendation:

He displays Aspergers tendencies and she wants to have him fully evaluated. I feel relief. Odd. I was expecting to cry or for her to tell me I was crazy. The sense of guilt was lifted because today has been a good day. A hidden answer for "bad days" could be in sight. A reason other than bad parenting of a strong willed child could be the root of all this....

I'm relieved. I am hopeful for answers. I am ready for whatever challenges or battles I need to fight for/with my baby. I do reserve the right to my cry moments, just not today.

Wishy Washy

Another yea me - I mean, us moment....

Cole's school did a reading for ice cream program with Braums. (Ashley, it's the store with the big sno-cone looking signs) For every 6 books you read you get a free treat working up to 6 free treats. This program started at the beginning of school and this week I just turned in the last papers for it. Meaning: we've read 36 books together since school's started. That's not that great, and I was terribly embarrassed it took this long! That's not even a book every two days! Guess what....

He was the first one finished in the entire school and won a special prize! His name was announced over the loud speaker and everything.

I'm really proud of Cole, but seriously..... what are these parents doing? I'm HORRIBLE at reading everyday to them and we still won? Our country is in trouble, but great job baby!

Also, random thought worth recording in this little baby book.... Cole seems to think if he holds his pee, his balls will get bigger. ((SIGH)) Honestly, where does he get this stuff? We're going to have to have an Anatomy lesson full of bladder location, what's really inside the scrotum (pop question Aunt Kimi), and possible consequences to holding your urine for so long.

And, Cole's new favorite thing is to buy lunch at school. They have it set up more of a cafeteria style where he can pick and choose what he wants. He stole a $1 out of his own birthday money to buy an orange. Then I gave him $2 yesterday and he bought: chicken nuggest, a cookie, ice cream, chocolate milk, and kiwi cut up like an orange "so yummy" Who is that kid?

Random Brad story: He's taken a liking to wearing tinted swim goggles to school. He wears them all day long and God Bless his teachers for letting Brad be Brad. So when I picked him up from school the first day he asked me loudly "Do I look like a small black boy?" WHAT? No Brad, you look like Brad, quit saying that. He then asks again "Do I look like a small black boy? Everyone looks black today and I want to look black too" Oh my, Brad. No, you are not a small black boy, people just look that way because of the tinting on the goggles. He asks "will you just call me small black boy?" Nope, can't do that either baby.

Same said glasses gave him a little case of pink eye, but I can't keep them off his head. Worth mentioning: His teacher told me that Brad just plays me and I'm the problem. She said I should give him a choice and if he doesn't pick one, then I choose and take him to school. Then she added if the fit continued at school, she would just call me and send him home. He'll learn that if he wants to go to school he will make up his mind. WHAT? Is that your way of fixing the problem and helping us? Ugh... she's not my favorite. Besides, he doesn't even like going to your class! I'm having to dress him up in semi-disguises to get him to walk through your door! News Flash: He would love to stay home!

I got the forms to fill out for his ASD/Behavior testing. They are so in depth. I think it's taken about an hour to complete. We go Dec 2nd. I'm nervous. I bought two new books to read and it's a lot to "chew" on. I'm done talking/thinking about all that for a bit.

Oh... I got all my Scentsy stuff in! Yummy. In true Chamness fashion, I might have went a tad overboard, but my house smells great.

Also, our little business is booming! Oh, did I mention that we started a side business? I think so. We've done several homes in the area and are in the black! We're thinking of just rolling all the profits into an IRA so it's not taxed instead of drawing a paycheck. I really should have paid better attention in school. Do you hear that kids?! One day you really might need to know all that! Until then, anyone know of a good tax accountant/bookkeeper?

Another long story short: I am driving around a disel truck. It's huge and I kinda feel like a Pioneer Woman climbing up in that thing and driving down the road. I'm big and tough so WATCH OUT! It makes me want to put boots on and haul some hay around. Until... I went to the grocery store today and I had to put all the groceries in the back. That sucks. I miss my mini van. I should have Mike Victor back tonight!

I better put all the groceries up before I head back up to get Brad.

YEA ME... I mean US!

So, I signed up to be the room mother for Cole's class. It's a bit more in depth that I thought, but we're making it work.

The entire school had a fundraiser of selling cookie dough. The class that sold the most receives a $50 gift card to buy items for the classroom. Guess who's class won?! Ms. Hitt's!!! Yea!!

The school also collects box tops for education. They had a big push in October with the class who turns in the most receiving a ice cream party. Guess who's class won?! Ms. Hitt's!! Yea!!

I know i really only had 1/22nd to do with the winnings for the class, but as room mother... WE WON! I love winning. I mean it's great for the kids and all..

Thank You Mr. Bagger at the Commissary Man

I really am not very "crunchy". I recycle, but still love me so preprocessed food. It all started with Seymour Johnson AFB. (did you know that I didn't get the see-more-johnson joke for the first 6 months we lived there? slow on the pick up)

We had to recycle while we lived on base. There was a prison on base and the prisoners would have to separate it all and pick up our trash. Hey, there's always a catch for free lead based paint filled houses with all the 66* air conditioning you can stand. Prisoners were worth it. Then we moved to Idaho, and I kept up with the recycling kick much to Keith's dismay. Sometimes I asked him to take it to base and do it for me. I'm almost positive he dumped it all in the dumpster.

Next pit stop was Korea. They took recycling to the extreme. Did I mention this before? They even recycled food scraps. Along comes Wichita Falls.

For the love... do you know how difficult it is to recycle in this town? I only knew of this little spot on base that would take plastic/newspapers/ and aluminum cans. The city will pick up only organics at our curb (newspapers/cardboard/grass clippings). To recycle tin cans and glass you had to take them to the city drop off out by Wal-Marts.

Honestly - it was a pain in the REAR. I even admit that I started throwing some of it in the trash because there was so much effort involved.

Today I met Mr. Bagger at the Commissary Man. He told me of the recycling mecca on base. "Have you been to the spot out by the Heritage Center by the Missile Gate?" Why no I haven't. I'll check it out. MECCA! This is by far the nicest and more organized recycling center I've ever seen. A one stop drop off for ALL - tin, aluminum, plastic, cardboard, colored paper... ahhhh...

Life just became easier again. So, if you don't recycle, you totally should. Just for one week look at how much plastic alone you throw away.

Now, I'm off to finish my day of car shuttling. Next topic: "What DO you actually DO during the day"