Frustrated...

We had Matt evaluated for ADD and the results are inconclusive. The doctor said that it's really difficult to diagnose really bright kids because they don't have the problems of keeping up in school. Last night I went to a seminar about the differences between boys and girls relating specifically to gifted children. I got a lot of information out of it, but the biggest thing I got was that most of the boys were very high energy, impulsive, etc... Well, that seems to be the general description of ADD as well. The parents of boys who were there were also complaining that the schools were trying to label so many of the gifted boys as ADD, but the parents didn't truly believe that they were. It's just so strange because Matt show some signs of ADD such as getting easily distracted, not finishing work, fidgeting and not sitting still. However, he excels at spelling, reading and math, which ADD kids don't tend to do. We're not ready to medicate him, but our pediatrician didn't have any other suggestions of where to get additional help. It's so frustrating to not have a direction to even look to get help. My game plan is to check with the school counselors and see if they have any suggestions and to do a lot of reading.

On the other hand, I've been practically holding Adam during all his waking hours for the past 3 days. He caught some sort of stomach bug and it's just really doing a number on him. It started Monday night and seems to come and go. Today, I thought he was getting better - he was hungry mid morning and ate some saltines, almost a full waffle and a bunch of nilla wafer cookies and managed to keep them down. Tuesday and Wednesday, the only things he could keep down were popsicles, so I thought this was a great improvement and was thinking that the end of the tunnel was in sight. This evening, he had no appetite again, drank some sprite and then got a really bad tummy ache. Then he managed to lose everything in his stomach, which wasn't much, thankfully. I don't know how, but he's managed not to get dehydrated, thank God! I felt so terrible when his stomach was hurting, though. It lasted a long time and practically had me in tears because I was helpless to do anything to make it better. Lee tried to help with Adam, but the little guy wanted Mommy and there was no changing his mind. He was exhausted, so now he's sleeping peacefully - I hope it lasts all night, at least. We both need the rest. I hope that tomorrow will be another improvement.

Rambling...

I recently "ran" into someone I used to know when I was growing up. I ran into her on an online scrapbooking forum and we got to chatting - I asked her if she was Lithuanian and then we figured out that we knew each other. It was pretty wild to run into someone like that.

It got me thinking, however. I had told her that I left for college and never went back, which is really what happened. She's still active with the Lithuanian community and so are her kids. She's very active in scouting, which is part of what I miss in my life here. I have so many good memories of my younger years in scouting, especially camping. Things changed quite a bit, though, as I got older. There weren't many girls my age for some reason and I got grouped with some girls who were a year older than I in scouting. To make a long story short, they made my life uncomfortable and I never have figured out why they didn't like me. The only thing I can think of is that one had a crush on a guy I dated, but I can't imagine that could be the only reason, but who knows. Anyway, after chatting with this other gal (we knew each other, but she was my older brother's age), I got to thinking why I never felt like I wanted to move back and a big part of it seems to me to be these experiences in my teen years. Now, don't get me wrong. I had some great friends in high school, just not in the Lithuanian community like my parents would have wanted. I had a lot of fun in high school and had a good overall time. I never felt like I didn't fit in anywhere - I always had some good support and friendships. I just knew that there were some places I didn't fit in, but that was ok with me for the most part.

I think we all want to be accepted and valued - it's part of human nature. We tend towards activities and groups in which we are accepted and appreciated. I guess that the friendships that I made later in my life (I did have high school friends that I kept in touch with through college) were stronger. Well, that and I met dh while in college and he had no desire to move north.

I just found it interesting that we all seem to find or make a place for ourselves in which we're comfortable. I'm very happy with my life - I love my dh and boys, I love where I live, my neighbors are great and I've got some great friends, although not all are local. It's just interesting to take a look at how I've arrived at where I am.

Friday, finally?

You know, I've been thinking since Wednesday that it's Friday, lol! I think it's a combination of having a lot of stuff going on this week and the time change. My body is protesting this time change - there's just something wrong about getting up so early, lol!

Matt started his classes in the gifted program this week and we had two meetings in the evenings in relation to that - one a parent orientation and the other a presentation on what they'll be working on for the rest of the year. The program seems fantastic. I guess it should be - it's gotten all kinds of awards nationally. I picked Matt up Wednesday and he talked all the way home about his day (this was a half hour car ride). He never talks to me about his regular class this way. It's nice to see him so excited about something at school. We also had parent teacher conferences with his regular teacher as well this week. He's doing really well academically, but has trouble with being able to sit and finish work if he's not interested in it. Matt seems to really like something until he feels he's mastered it and then he doesn't want to do it anymore. I guess he gets bored.

Adam and I went swimming (more like splashing) yesterday after I worked out. He's been in swim lessons and really doesn't want to get in the water, so I thought this would help him out. He loves getting a noodle and kicking his feet while holding on to it. We spent about an hour in the pool before I got too cold to stay longer.

Adam told me yesterday that he doesn't like kisses anymore. :-( Hopefully, this is just a phase. Hugs are still good, though. It's funny that I don't want Adam to grow up. I always expected Matt to be more mature. I guess it must be something to do with Adam being my baby, lol! I don't know if it's because I don't think I'll have more kids or because he seems so much younger than Matt that I think he should stay little for a bit longer. No wonder there's all this psychological theory with respect to birth order. Much as we try, I don't think we can treat our kids in the same manner. That's a good thing, though. Each of our kids is an individual and should be treated as such. Sometimes I need to remind myself of this and give the boys the time and attention they deserve. It just seems so easy to get bogged down in the not so fun details of daily life (cooking, cleaning, etc) and forget why I'm staying home.

The doorknob caper

So, this morning, Adam's not listening to me. I'm trying to get him dressed so I can go work out and he's not cooperating. He shut himself into my old office (soon to be his new room) and locks the door. Nothing I say or do convinces him to open the door or even unlock it. Me, I'm royally pissed. I go down and get my screwdrivers and try to pick the lock. I checked every @#%#$#$ doorjamb in this entire house and no key for the door. Picking the lock doesn't work and Adam's still not unlocking the door. So, I look and see that the screws to the doorknob are on my side of the door.

I unscrew the doorknob and take it off the door. Still can't open the door because the other part of the whole thing is still keeping the door closed. Of course the operable part of the doorknob is now in the room with Adam... I called my neighbor to see if she had any suggestions and she had none, but was going to come over to take a look anyway (and probably see if she could make me see the lighter side of this whole fiasco). Just as I get off the phone with her, I hear a door opening upstairs and closing again.

The little stinker just put the doorknob back in the door, unlocked it and opened the door just to show me that he could. I finally managed to get him to open the door again. Of course, he comes out of there so proud of himself for opening the door after I took everything apart. He's got this grin on his face. Good thing he's so dang cute! It sure makes it easier to get over my temper, lol! I got to the gym, though, and had a great workout - it's amazing what some anger can do. Hopefully, I won't be too sore tomorrow.

Woodpecker!

I finally managed to get a good pic of one of the woodpeckers that visits my suet type feeder! It's the smallest woodpecker that I've ever seen. The other has a red patch or stripe on its head, so I figure that this one must be the female. Sure is pretty!

Splat!

So, I'm making spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight. I finished making it and needed to transfer it to a saucepan because I have to use the pot for the pasta and while I'm doing this, the saucepan starts getting heavy. I put it onto the counter, or so I thought. I put it half way on the counter and suddenly everything in the kitchen is covered with spaghetti sauce. I mean everything - me, the floor, the cabinets (some upper cabinets, too), the cat. Poor Miss Cuddles was in the kitchen with this happened and got splattered as well. She didn't get hit too badly and got to have some people food, but she does have a couple of orange spots that weren't there before... I think that I might even have some in my hair. Good thing that I had jeans on. If it were warmer and I had been wearing shorts, I'd probably have a few burns, since it was hot.

I think this one tops the barbecue sauce incident in which I shook a bottle of barbecue sauce that had it's lid on, but not screwed on. This was during Adam's birthday party and one of the guests placed the cap back on the bottle without twisting it on. Sure surprised me!

So, since things come in threes, I'm wondering what's next for me. So far these have been messy, but not serious - no one got hurt. I'm hoping my luck holds...