Matty’s dentist appointment

I was so proud of Matt yesterday afternoon.  The dentist is always very traumatic but he did so well.  We still had to put him on the cradle board.  And he still puked all over the dental assistant.  But he let the dentist do what he needed to.  He talked to the dentist.  I was amazed.

When we got into the room Matty sat on the very edge of the dental chair.  When the dentist came in Matt tells him, “I want to go home.”  Dr. dH was so good to him.  He told Matt that he could go home as soon as he made sure there weren’t any cavities in his teeth.  The dentist then asked if he was ready to sit back on the dental chair.  Matty tells him, “I want to sit in that chair!”  He then walked across the room to the chair in the corner and sat as far back in it as possible. 

I have to say that at this point I am in total awe that my shy quiet child, around strangers, is talking to this man.  He is TALKING to him!!!

The dentist left to get the two assistants and the cradle board. Dr. dH put the board on the table and asked Matt if he was ready to go.  Matty actually climbed up there!!  I had to help a little since his balance isn’t so hot but he went on his own.  We told him we would put him in a snug blanket, so he didn’t fight it when we cinched the straps.  What eases me is that the straps are velcro, so if he really wanted out he could get out. 

I stood at the end of the chair and rubbed his legs and talked to him while the dentist did his work.  Matty had no problems letting him brush his teeth.  He even kept on talking to the dentist.  He talked about going home.  He mentioned the tv on the ceiling a couple of times.  He asked about Lauren twice.  He asked where I was about 10 times because he couldn’t see me.  He gagged a few times but after telling him to swallow he did fine. 

He did so well that the dentist told one assistant to put away the big suction hose.  They wouldn’t need it.  Talk about counting the chicks before they are hatched!!

Next up was counting the teeth and making sure each one was looking good.  This is when that gag reflex balked and up came the puke.   The doctor asked for the big suction hose and apologized to the assistant for having her put it away.  Even though Matty was intermittently puking he still did extremely well.  And the vomit was projectile so it didn’t get him at all.  The dentist was also washing his face a little with a cold rag while counting teeth in the other hand.  We had no choice but to put a clamp in his mouth to hold it open so he could do this. 

It wound up being a 15 minute check up.  We skipped flouride so as not to traumatize him further.  Plus he didn’t really need it.  His teeth look fantastic.  He has 5 baby teeth left.  One is loose right now.  I’m sure he’ll eat it with the rest of the ones he has lost.  I’m so jealous that he only brushes once a day for less than a minute and has amazing teeth. 

The dentist congratulated us on a good healthy set of teethers and told Matt he could go home.  Matty ran out the door

Usually after the dentist Matty breaks out all over in hives but this time he didn’t.  He just got those red spots from nerves (like heat rash) across his shoulder blades.  This morning he even asked to use the toothbrush from the dentist instead of his Surround toothbrush. 

So he is good until next year!!

Mad Angry!

In Matty’s words, I am mad angry!!  Tomorrow was the perfect day.  I had Matt’s IEP at 9.  Rachels at 11.  Then Matt’s dentist appointment at 2.  BOTH IEP’s have been cancelled.  I know there will not be any wonderful magical system when they get rescheduled.  So I have to go into work now.  I let Lauren take the whole day off to experience IEP’s but now she doesn’t get to.  I don’t even have any money to go birthday shopping for Matty until the 1st.  Grrrrrrrr!!!!

Survey

I get an email from our local ARC on various things happening locally and nationwide.  This was a survey that I thought a lot of my reader’s could be interested in participating in.  I’m a little saddened that fragile x isn’t on there but I think I’ll be okay
VanderbiltKennedyCenter Online Survey

This survey is about the positive side of parenting a child with a disability.  

Eligibility requirements are as follows: 

• The parent must be 18 years or older,
• the parent must have a child between the ages of 8 and 25
• Children must have a diagnosis of one (and only one) of the following: 
  • Angelman Syndrome,
  • Autism or PDD-NOS,
  • Down Syndrome,
  • Prader-Willi Syndrome, or
  • Williams Syndrome.

Surprisingly there are almost no studies that look at the ways the experience can strengthen people, while there is plenty of research that looks at negative outcomes for parents.  This study will provide for a more balanced understanding of how having a child with a disability can change a person’s life.   Benefits of the study include an opportunity to reflect upon the positive psychological growth that you may have experienced following the birth of your child with a disability.   

The survey will take approximately 45-60 minutes to complete and consists of a series of questionnaires about you and your child.  At the end of the study you will have the opportunity to write your thoughts in an unstructured format. 

The survey will be online until July 1st, 2008. 

For further information, you may contact Teresa Ulman by email at Teresa.ulman@vanderbilt.edu or by phone at 615-414-9665 or 888-322-5339. 

You may begin participation in the study immediately by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=9PcSEcLZbbEXiYGmlWussw_3d_3d

 

Not Friends

English is going to drive me insane.  I would rather be on a short bus surrounded by autistic children having severe meltdowns that doing English.  This class is going to drive me batty.  I’m typically a straight A student.  I’m annoying that way.  But check out these grades:

Ch2;8-A HW (Out of 100)	89
Ch3; 8-B HW (Out of 100)	85
Ch. 4 & 9-A (Out of 100)	90
Ch. 5 & 9 B&C (Out of 100)	87
Ch6; 9-D HW (Out of 100)	—
Ch7 HW (Out of 100)	—
Ch10 HW (Out of 100)	—
Ch. 2 & 8-A Test (Out of 100)	95
Ch3 & 8-B Test (Out of 40)	40
Ch4 & 9-A Test (Out of 100)	79
Ch5 & 9-B&C Test (Out of 100)	84
Ch6 & 9-D Test (Out of 99)	87
Ch7 Test (Out of 100)	84
Ch10 Test	—
Ch2 & 8-A (Out of 100.00)	—
Ch2 & 8-A Test (Out of 83)	—
Ch3 & 8-B (Out of 100.00)	—
Ch. 6 & 9D (Out of 100.00)	—
Ch. 7 (Out of 100.00)	—

Out of 10 things that my professor has graded only 3 are A’s!  I know I will get a B or even a C for this course.  I’m doing my best but I’m horrible at it.  HORRIBLE.  I always use the excuse that English is my second language but we all know that it’s a cop out.  English is technically my second language.  My mother is Puerto Rican.  But once my dad got out of the Navy, and he moved me to his family, I was 100% immersed in English.  I was 3.  I should have gotten it by now. 

I was grouching about doing my English yesterday to Lauren.  It was kinda funny. 

Beth:   Me and English are not friends.  I can’t wait for this class to be over next week.

Lauren:  I can tell Mom.  Because it is “English and I aren’t friends.”

I’m being corrected by a 15 year old.  And a blonde, ditzy one at that. :lol:

Grounded!

Pretty much every child in our house is grounded in some way or another.  Grounding always seems like a good idea at the time.  But during the children’s groundingthey follow the mom around with bored little eyes begging for some sort of input.  That eventually drives the mom insane and she is either committed or shortens the grounding terms.  But I will stay strong and try to be creative in how I keep them busy.  And there is always dog poop to clean up.

Lauren isn’t really grounded.  She just got some stuff quashed because she is a sneaky little turkey.  When she gets home from school she has to hand over her cell phone until the next morning.  If she doesn’t she kills us in texting minutes.  And I mean killsus!  Then she was going for walks with the neighbor girl and calling me from the school telling me she was over there.  Over there doing what??  I’ll never know.  So walks got squashed.  Then she was just going to the neighbor girls house without asking.  She already tried to be sneaky and set up a myspace account over there.  So that got squashed too.  Darn sneaky teenage girls. 

Austin has his life taken away during the school week because his grades are seriously suffering and we only have about 4 weeks of school left.  Instead of doing his homework he was playing video games and watching TV.  He would tell us that he didn’t have any so we didn’t say anything about.  So until the end of the school year he doesn’t get the TV or the Playstation 2.  Before bed on Sunday he has to bring us the Playstation 2 and unplug his TV.  Saturday morning he gets them back for the weekend.  Kevin thought we should give him it on Friday night until I told him that he had homework on Fridays.  Kevin wasn’t aware because Austin told him that he never had homework on Friday’s.  Heathen.  He survived one week of this punishment but I can tell it is driving him a little loco.  Maybe next year he will do what he needs to do or I’ll have to implement my evil plan again.

Rachel is also grounded.  Hers is because of behavior problems.  She has been very hateful to people.  She also stomps away when people are talking to her.  So instead of strangling her we made her hand the TV remote over for the week.  She starts counseling on the 5th so hopefully some of this stuff will start working itself out soon. 

Matty is the only one not grounded.  Though if Matty ever did anything we would be in total shock.  And I don’t know what we would ground him from.  We can’t take the dogs away from him and that is what he lives for.  Usually with Matt his punishments have to be immediate and a time-out suffices.  You would think that we took away his best friend when we put him in time out.  He HATES it. 

It could be a long week with my two non-electronics children.  I might need a trip or two to the library this week!!

Do you Pogo?

One of our favorite things to do in my family is play video games.  Right now, Austin and his cousin are playing a game in his room.  Kevin is playing a game while the other three kids watch him.  I’m playing Sims 2 while I surf the net.  Gaming is everywhere here.

When I was married to Rachel’s dad, I had a stepson who loved to play on pogo.com. He showed me all the games on the free version so I signed right up.  That was Christmas 2002. 

Two years later I met Kevin.  He was also plugged into the Pogo community.  But he had a subscription to Club Pogo.  I started playing on his paid membership and was instantly hooked.  How easy I am lured in.

Pogo has weaved a web in and out of our lives.  The first time Kevin told me he loved me was in a chat room on a pogo game.  Sadly, I don’t remember what game it was in.  I want to say Tri-Peaks but that could be wrong.  I was just shocked that he said that he loved me first.  It was after 9 at night when he told me that.  Then he drove 30 minutes to my apartment to tell me in person, which is the way he really wanted to tell me.  It was too cute. 

I half expected him to propose on Pogo but he didn’t.  I think he felt guilty about expressing his love online that he didn’t want to propose online.  I don’t know why he shouldn’t have.  We met online! (not on Pogo though)

Pogo has become an excellent stress reliever.  I always have a game up at work.  I’ll do one or two tasks and then take five minutes playing on Pogo to reenergize my brain. 

We recently got the kids a joint account on Pogo.  Rachel loves it because it is helping her with her spelling.  In time I think I can get Matty on there and have him play Poppit.  It’s a game that just involves popping groups of balloons.  It’ll help him with his OT and a few other things. 

So do you Pogo??

WTG Lauren!!

Lauren has been auditioning for a solo in the spring concert this past week. 

And

She got one!!

She called me during her lunch yesterday and squealed in my ear.  She is very excited. 

Lauren has a gorgeous, high soprano, voice. It will be fun to hear her sing her solo.  The concert is about 2 weeks away.  She’s has lots of work ahead of her .