Odd

Something odd happened today.  This afternoon I was going over some comprehension questions with Haylee and Hannah.  They had made corrections and I was going to finish it orally so they didn't have to spend a lot of time on the work.  We started going over the last few things and I noticed Hannah's eyes were extremely dilated.  I questioned myself about what could be causing the stress.  We had just started and we only had a few things to do before we were finished.  I wasn't stressed at all and she hadn't been in trouble.  Hannah was sitting to my left and Haylee was sitting to my right.  I looked at Haylee's eyes and back to Hannah's.  There was a huge difference in the dilation.  I asked a question and Haylee answered.  I didn't tell her if it was correct or not before asking Hannah the same question.  She was stuttering and closing her eyes.  I stopped and asked Hannah to come to me.  We were maybe a foot apart.  She came and I hugged her and told her I love her and she is safe with me.  What we are doing doesn't tell how much I love her or accept her.  I love her and she is my daughter and I am proud of her.  Haylee just giggled as she watched.  I had her sit back down and her eyes hadn't changed.  She could talk better, but her eyes were still dilated.  It was very odd.  She struggles with her words when she is the least bit nervous.  I guided her througth the answers because I knew in her state, she wouldn't be able to answer on her own.  I made it much easier for them and we finished up. 

I wonder what triggered this event?  The only time she has had the eye dilation before was when she was in trouble.  She had just come home from piano and played outside for a few minutes before we started. 

Is there any way to figure out what triggers these events or is it just trial and error?  This was a totally different situation than any in the past. 

Almost blew it...

but didn't.  I was working on math with Haylee and Hannah.  Hannah often gets mad at me when I tell her a problem is not correct.  Today we were working through some problems together.  She put an answer and I told her it wasn't correct.  She started the, "but Momma's" with me.  I knew she was getting mad at me.  I started helping Haylee and ignored her.  Eventually, she changed her answer to the correct one.  I told her it was correct.  I then asked her who she was mad at when I told her it was incorrect.  She said she was mad at me.  I told her that it isn't right for her to be mad at me when she can't figure out an answer.  I kept my big girl panties on and stayed calm.  Neither one of us got upset, we just discussed that it isn't me that doesn't know the answer and is frustrated, it is her. 

It is definitely a happier place since I stayed calm and didn't get negative.  We discussed it and moved on.

God is so good!!

Struggling...

Is it me or her? 

We have had a few difficult days around here.  Hannah is struggling and so am I .  I don't know if I am the problem or if I have a reason to be struggling.  She is holding her own in school.  She is doing well with old math concepts, but struggling with the new ones.  After about three days of reteaching, she usually gets the concept.  I am okay with that.  We have developed a pattern and it works.

We had a weird occurance a few days ago about a wash cloth.  I know that sounds really stupid.  I asked a simple question and it turned into something big.  Sometimes I wish I wasn't so in tune to what my kids are doing.  I wish I was just clueless at times.  She got really defensive about what she had been doing.  Anyway, what she finally told me she did was not very good hygiene.  The more I thought about it, I wondered if she was lying to cover something else.  I have thought about it for a few days.  I am not sure of the truth.  I questioned her again about the truth.  She begged me to believe her.  I want to trust her and believe her so bad.  I have an uneasy feeling about the situation.  The story she gave is so odd, I wonder if she is started lying to cover up what she really did and made a really weird story up as I questioned her. 

Her nightmares have become more frequent in the last few weeks.  Last night, the dream was pretty bad.  (What person allows their toddler to watch horror movies??)  I am trying to find a pattern to her dreams.  What is she feeling when she goes to bed?  How was her day?  Good or bad?  Did she get in trouble late in the afternoon or evening? 

I believe if you tell one lie, it gets easier and easier to tell more.  I wonder if she has started a snowball effect.  I wonder if she cracked the door for Satan and therefore the dreams are bad again.

She got really frustrated because she couldn't get the TV to turn on to watch a DVR'd show.  We have shown her and shown her.  She went to her bed when she gave up.  She has a strong attachment to TV.  It is really odd.  I don't see it in any of my other children.  They all enjoy TV, but her interest is different.  I went by her room and saw she was upset and told her to rest in her bed to calm down.  She of course didn't like this.  She historically makes poor choices when she gets in this mode, so I was giving her time to regulate herself. 

Many little things are happening.  She it testing the boundaries.  It isn't big things, but lots of little things.  I tell her not to do something and she goes and does it.  ie: Stay here until after finish our time together (our group time in the morning to start school) before you start the dishes.  She walks to the kitchen and puts a glass in the dishwasher.  What?  I asked her why she did that.  She said because she wanted to.  Ugh!!


Please pray for me to have a clear picture of what is going on.  She struggles with attachment to me.  She appears closer to my husband at times.  I wonder if it because I am with her all day long. 

We are struggling now.  Please pray.  I love all of my children.  I love Hannah.  I don't know what is going on with us.  Why am I struggling so?

School

We started school again Wednesday. We are doing math, history, handwriting and reading. The mornings are going well. I tried to structure the morning to give them a window to get up, eat and dressed to start the day. So far, I haven't had to pester anyone to get ready and get moving. Of course, we are only on day 3. Everyone is finishing before lunch because of the light load. I hope the positive continues...

The girls all completed review math books this summer. I was thirty lessons of grade level review. There was no lesson, just review. It really challenged the twins, but I am so glad I had them complete the books. They are doing very well with their regular math. Of course, it is all very simple review right now, but they aren't struggling at all. I am so happy. Things that we really struggled with a year ago are very easy for them now. I am so glad!! The blood, sweat and tears are paying off!!

They are worth every bit of it!!

School is out for the summer...

Yes, we are finished with our "official" school year. The girls are all finishing their online history program for the year. They love doing it, so it isn't a problem. I purchased some simple math and literature books for them to complete this summer. I told them when they are finished with them, they are done until school starts in the fall. Morgan and Alex are doing well working through their books. I didn't expect any problems. Hannah and Haylee are working well, but struggling with the math. They have been taught the info, but when it is presented differently they struggle with "putting it all together."

Haylee has been off of her meds for over a week now. She did very well at first and I started wondering if she could stay off forever. Well, the longer she is off the more her symptoms resurface. She is struggling with the small amount of school she has and she can't sit still. She doesn't seem as hyper and wild, but fidgets all the time. I know they say this medicine doesn't stay in her body, but it sure seems like it took a while to totally be gone from her system.

The kids have enjoyed the cooler weather outside the last few days. It has given me time to complete grades and figure out and order school books for next year. I finally pushed the order button for the bulk of my books today. I have a few more things, but I can't wait on those.

Morgan goes to camp in two weeks. I can't believe it! What will I do? More importantly, what will the twins do? I guess they will learn to play together again. I wonder who will control who? Will it be like "old times" when Hannah took care of Haylee? Will Haylee stand her ground and be equal? It should be interesting.

I feel like Hannah, Haylee and I need to work on our attachment. When you have other children, it seems like the adopted children attach to them first. Well, Haylee has. I am not sure to whom Hannah has attached, if anyone. I think that will be easier when Morgan is at camp. I ponder attachment issues with Hannah often. They haven't mentioned Mother's Day. I think I may mention it to each of them alone and see if they open up to talk about anything. I am sure they thought of their birth mother.


Tucker and Alex finished their co-op classes with A's. I was very proud of them! As I helped Tucker review for his Biology final, I was really glad I wasn't taking it because I couldn't pronounce half of the words.

Tucker has an opportunity to go to Alaska for the Teen Pact Survival camp with some friends of ours. She and her dad are going. He can fly with them and participate. They used frequent flyer miles, which is great for them. However, for me to get him on the same flights, it is twice the cost of other tickets. We are praying about what to do. My husband and I think maybe it just isn't the right time for him to go. Flights went up today from yesterday. If it is meant to happen the cost will change or God will show us the way, I have no doubt. There is something wrong with paying for an airline ticket for one person when our entire family could travel somewhere for that amount closer. We are praying...

Math and Baby Talk

Well, the twins have finished their math program for the year. It was a long, long hard road. We spent a LOT of time each day on math. They really struggle with time and money. I know this goes with FAE, but I guess I was hoping we would overcome. Don't get me wrong, they have come a LONG way this year. Hannah got a B in math and Haylee got an A. I am very proud of their work in math this year.

However, today we were doing some practices to prepare for our standardized testing next week. I do reviews with my kids because they think they are fun and to get them used to the format. Well, they both missed the time and money problems. One missed 4 our 6 problems in one section. We have done each of the problems many, many times. It wasn't presented exactly like we do it, so she was clueless. After she tried the first time, I marked them wrong. She got upset and angry. I told her it was break time and to go play outside during break. She always wants me to do it for her instead of her thinking. She came in and said that she was ready for me to do the review book with her. I told her she needed to try with a fresh brain and I will check them again. Well, after one chance they have to explain how they got the answer so I can tell if they understand and are not just guessing. She was able to do 2 of the 4 on her own and explain them to me. The time and money problems were left. I think she got the time, but not the money. We are going to have to start playing store a lot around here to learn this concept. We must know how to make change in life.

I was so discouraged after they did the math sections today. I just have to know that they will take longer and I can't make up for eight years in one year. When you make an A or a B do you go on to the next level when they can't apply the concepts very well. I guess I will move on because the program we use is very repetitive.

Also, Haylee has had baby talk issues since coming to our house. She improved a great deal and then she slowly worked her way back into baby talk. We know she can talk very well because she had an ear infection a few weeks ago and came to our room in the middle of the night. She spoke clearer than I have ever heard her. It was amazing. My husband commented on her clear speech as soon as I took care of her and came back to bed. We need suggestions. We have prayed with her about it and asked God to give us wisdom in how to handle the situation. The last few days she has had to sit in her bed when she talks that way. Any ideas?

Difficult

Hannah is struggling in math. I don't understand. She is faster than Haylee when we are working together. She is faster with math facts, oral and written. However, she gets confused, she shuts down and tunes me out. This happened three times today. If I tell her something, she tells me it isn't right. Our math took forever today because she would get mad at me and shut down. Later, I asked why she was mad at me. She said because she couldn't get the answer. I asked her how that was my fault. I was teaching her and trying to help her and she wouldn't listen. She was to busy thinking about how I wouldn't give her the answer. She can memorize facts, but has trouble applying things she learns. Word problems stress her out, unless they are exactly what we did together. Haylee on the other hand, moves slowly, but does great work. We all get frustrated. However, they both made A's on their math test Friday. So, the info must be sticking. We are going to keep plugging along and finish the school year. They will take the SAT10 in May. I hope their scores improve from last year. They are great girls!! (I can't get my paragraphs to stay separate. I fix them and post, and all of the sentences are back in one paragraph. Sorry!)

Hard time...

I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been struggling lately. I have not blogged about it because I hate to be a whiner. I am just having a hard time getting everything done I need to get done. I only have five kids. So many people have so many more. I feel like I can't do anything well because I am just trying to survive. I am trying to find my "happy heart," but I am struggling. I am trying not to lose it with anyone around here because this is my problem. I keep telling myself to get it together. God has blessed me with SOOO much. Why am I struggling so? With school, doctor appointments, dance, swim team, coop classes, boy scouts, etc it is just nuts around here. I have been trying to get our taxes done and I finally have them ready to mail tomorrow. Good news!! Yeah!! Since we have to paper file because of the adoption, who knows how long it will take to get our refund. It is going in the mail tomorrow, so I can check that off my list.

Anyway, I am headed to bed...

Very Busy Lately

I haven't posted in so long!! I have posts in my head all of the time, but finding the time to sit down and record them is the problem.

Things are moving right along. I can't believe the girls have been with us almost ten months. They have changed so much during this time.

A few updates...

Haylee's meds are working well. Her school is completed timely and very well. She has a hard time in the late afternoon with her attitude. She is really struggling with pouting when she is corrected or has been in trouble. We have started telling her to go to her room and find her happy heart or go get in the bed. It is her choice. Haylee even read her grammar lesson before I was ready to teach it this week and completed the exercises perfectly. I was thrilled!

Hannah is struggling in school. I purchased some dividers to remove the temptation of cheating. It is now taking her forever to complete her work. I retaught her rounding for the sixth time this week. I thought the magic number was three times, but not anymore. I wondered if she was looking at Haylee's work more than I realized, but for so long she was finished before Haylee. Haylee loves the dividers. I believe it has relieved the stress from both of them. Hannah doesn't like the dividers, but I really don't care. I think she realizes she is having to think totally for herself and that is sometimes difficult for her.

Four of my children got new glasses this week. Thank goodness Haylee and Hannah have state insurance as secondary insurance. Glasses are very expensive. They have a different selection of glasses to choose from and they aren't the same quality as the glasses I had to buy for Alex and Morgan. However, the state insurance will replace the glasses if they break.

I have heard about people being treated differently with state insurance, but hadn't experienced it until I took Haylee and Hannah to the eye doctor. The doctor and his wife knew our situation and were very nice. However, the front office person and the lady that tested their vision treated me like an idiot. I guess they forgot I had already had two children in the office in the last two weeks that I had to pay out of pocket for and did. The lady at the desk didn't give me the new paper to fill out. She sat behind the counter and asked me questions and wrote it down. She wasn't very friendly. It would have been much easier if I could have done it myself. The lady that tested their vision wasn't much better. She treated me like I had no idea what we were doing and that they didn't either. I was having to bite my tongue. Before we went, I explained to the wife of the doctor, she runs the office, our situation. I took the girls separate so they would never know that they didn't go to the same room to pick out their glasses. Haylee has very poor vision. The doctor told me that we would try to use the state insurance, but they may want her glasses to look like coke bottle glasses. They are thick, but are okay. When she gets older, we may have to do something different.

I am debating about whether to call the wife and let her know we were treated differently than when I had my other children in the office. It is really sad how people are treated differently for insurance reasons.

Better Day

Today has been a better day...

I have been saying repeatedly in my head...

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

and

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you." Jeremiah 4:13

Also, if I could tell Hannah was struggling with something I was teaching, I would stop and reteach it a different way. I didn't give her any opportunities to lie today. If I felt like an opportunity for a lie existed, I would answer the question for her or change the question so it would be very difficult to lie.

Haylee is taking forever to finish her school work again. I don't know what to do. I set a timer and it just beeps and she has not moved any faster. The plus is, she does it very well, so it is hard to complain.

Due to the weather, all of our afternoon activities have cancelled. I am happy about this because it will give everyone time to finish their school work and get ready to watch the National Championship game tonight. Alex is a HUGE Auburn fan. He is counting the hours until the game.

How?

How do you teach a child that gets mad and tells you they know how in a "not so nice" way?

I had made the decision to be a lot more patient with the girls during school. I told myself if I had to teach something three, six, or twenty times, I would. I wouldn't just help with the problem at hand, but would start from the ground up again.

Today, I was helping Hannah with a problem. She had done it incorrectly and was trying to redo it. She asked for help. I asked her some questions and figured out quickly I needed to start over on the topic, so I did. No big deal. I started over. I would say something, then ask her a question about what I just said. She wouldn't answer my questions, but "no so nicely" said, "I know how to do it, I know Mom." Anyway she was not happy with me and I just left the room to stay calm. I believe that by the questions I was asking and she was answering she figured out the answer to the one problem. (We were drawing line segments using cm and mm.) She wanted to finish the work and didn't really care if she learned the concept. I let her finish. When she finish her school work, I gave her five segments to draw using mm and cm. Well guess what...she missed them. I was correct, she didn't understand. So, I taught the lesson for the fifth time. Maybe she got it this time. When I told my husband, he said, "disobediance, respect..." He named the rules she broke. I didn't push the issue...

Cheating and Lying

I praised how well the girls were doing, then we take steps backward. Well, this hasn't been a good week for Hannah. I can ask her a question which I know the answer to and she will flat out not tell me the truth.

Yesterday, it was about a grade on a test. I already knew the grade. Today I caught her cheating. I saw her and she denied doing it. So now, we have to deal with cheating and lying. None of which is tolerated at all in this house, by anyone!! Ugh!!! The punishment was the same today as yesterday, plus a bunch more!! She is writing lots and lots of scripture today. She is also not allowed to play at all. Her free time will be sent sitting by herself at the dining room table. She chose to pout at lunch and not eat. The timer was set for ten more minutes and then she was finished. She did eat enough for her to be okay until dinner.

It is so hard not be plain mad and frustrated. The issue is getting worse and not better. God gives us grace, and we also do to our children. It is still so difficult some days. I am over being frustrated. I am so sad for her. However, she made her choices and she must take the consequences.

Do you have any suggestions for any other scripture? Below are the scripture she is writing:

Stealing the answers -

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor,

working with his hands the thing which is good.

Ephesians 4:28

Lying-

Lying lips are abomination to the Lord:

but they that deal truly are his delight.

Proverbs 12:22

Disobedience-

Children, obey your parents in the Lord:

for this is right.

Ephesians 6:1

I also reminded her that we once again have a trust issue. Both times, she wouldn't have been in trouble. For the bad grade, she would redo the lesson and quiz again, which she did. Morgan also had to redo hers. No big deal. This is the beauty of homeschooling. If they don't do well, they do it again.

Today I was teaching her and she just plain didn't want to think. She wanted me to be finished. She wanted to finished with school so she could play. Well, that won't happen today.

We are really working on the baby talk and it is getting much better. Yeah!!

Friends

How do you help a 9 year old girl develop friendships? Hannah wants a friend so bad she smothers them. I don't know how to help her. We have a friend over today and I reminded her before the girl came to not invade her personal space and to not be pushy or demanding towards her. Well, we weren't home 5 minutes and I had to call her from the room and have a discussion wth her. Haylee doesn't struggle with this issue. It makes me so sad for Hannah. I don't want her to not be able to develop friendships.

Overall things are going pretty well in our house. I had a busy but nice break with the girls at my parents for two nights. The first thing Haylee said to me when she got home was, "We didn't get in trouble." Well, I guess she heard our repeated warnings before they left. My parents said they were super. I am so happy that they did so well. Hannah even said she wasn't scared at night. This is huge for her!!!

Both girls are doing okay in school. Hannah is completing her work more accurately and Haylee is doing her work quickly and accurately. I think her meds have leveled out and we can function on this dosage. She is transitioning better in the afternoons. She is usually at swim team or dance during that time and I believe that has helped. Morgan is regressing some in her diligance. I guess the newness of being the big sister has worn off. She is slipping back into her baby mode in some ways. I have to say, I was glad some of those days were behind us. Hopefully they won't last long.

We are having my family here for Thanksgiving. My parents and my brother and his wife and their new baby will be here. I am excited about them coming. They will all be here for two nights. I think the girls will do okay. I am going to have to make an effort to make sure they get enough sleep. Our issues are much worse without sleep.

I was talking with the girls about the menu yesterday and Haylee's requests were cranberry sauce out of a can and pumpkin pie. I am not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I guess I will make one for her. I am excited for them as we celebrate this first Thanksgiving and Christmas with them.

All in all, they are doing great!!

Update

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. It has been really busy around here.

Haylee is still taking the meds for ADHD. It has helped her stay focused more during school, but she is very slow in her work. The great news is that she is doing GREAT work!! I am very happy about that!! Though it is still slow, she finishes much earlier than she was completing her assignments. We are still on a pretty low dosage and I am hoping we can stay there. She shakes some in the mornings about thirty minutes after taking it, but it does go away. She has a hard time around 4-5:30 as the meds are wearing off. She has a few little fits during that time, usually at Hannah. She has been pretty ugly to Hannah a few times lately. She is sneaky about it, but I can read between the lines and have called her on her comments and actions.

Hannah on the other hand works way too fast in school and ends up having to redo most everything because she just doesn't pay attention. She then gets angry and shuts down. The crying everyday is getting very old and frustrating. She is really struggling with fractions. She can understand if you have four pieces that are all one fourth. However, if you have a shape with 1/2, 1/4 and 1/4, you lose her completely. I am stepping back from the topic for a few days and we will try it again next week, another way.

Everyone is happy that the adoption is final. I believe the girls are adjusting to the fact that the adoption isn't the talk all of the time. They are having to learn that the world doesn't revolve around them. They are doing really well overall.

Sugar Pill?

Is it really medicine or just a sugar pill? We are back to square one. Ann is eating fine and taking forever to finish her school work.

Beth had no tears during school today!!! Yea!! Praise God!!

Only one good day...

Today wasn't a bad day by any means. However, Ann struggled in school again today. It is almost 2 pm and she isn't finished with school yet. She has been moving slow all morning. Beth has been finished for about 45 minutes. I will give the meds one more day, but I am probably going to call to have the meds increased. I was hoping we could stay on the low dose, but I guess not. She has started not wanting to eat now. She didn't want a snack this morning and I had to make her eat some lunch. How do you deal with this issue, especially after we increase the meds?

We did sign the papers today. The attorney said he would file with the judge today or in the morning.

What to purchase?

I am going to order some of the "tools" to help Ann and Beth with sensory and ADD issues. A blogger friend mentioned that Beth's anger in the afternoon could be due to overload. I have pondered this today. All summer long we had swim team in the late afternoon. That would help her unwind and she didn't really have the anger issues at night. Now that we haven't been swimming regularly she has had more trouble with outbursts. We have also started school and she pushes herself very hard. She is very diligent in school. However, tonight the girls were complaining about noise when they were trying to go to sleep. They said it was Ann. After she lied to me about it and said she wasn't doing anything, she told me she was hitting and biting her pillow. She was mad because Morgan had told her to be quiet and go to sleep. Well, at this house, after you are tucked in, you are to hush and go to sleep. I told her Morgan was right to tell her to go to sleep, but the larger issue was her lying and her anger management. Ann and Beth are both having difficulties right now with lying immediately and then realizing they were not honest shortly after. What "tools" should I order to help them unwind as well as the ADD?

I am looking at the bumpy cushion for the chair, some squeeze balls, some timers, and a weighted stuffed animal. Any other suggestions?

Tough Days

I have had a few rough days. It is very difficult homeschooling five children. Beth and Ann do not catch on to things very quickly. I knew this was going to happen, but living it is difficult. My heart breaks for them. I may back up a year in grammer and do second grade. I just don't know that any of us can survive it.

I have decided Beth has a kind of "witching hour" like babies. She is tired and doesn't control her anger very well. Maybe she has been holding it in all day and just can't do it anymore. I didn't notice this before school started back, but the pattern is there now. It is almost like she needs a nap. If she naps, we have terrible nights. What is the answer?

The boys have started soccer games. We went to the field tonight. Beth needed to go to the bathroom. I sent Morgan with her because the last time my husband let the twins go by theirself, they talked some strangers head off. How do I know this? The stranger told me tonight how cute they are and how they talked her ears off in the bathroom. Ugh!! This lady is probably as safe as can be. However, not all people are safe. I tried to explain this to them and they don't understand. Anyway, back to tonight. I had Morgan take Beth to the bathroom. To get there you must cross a small driveway type road that goes by the soccer fields. I saw Beth hit Morgan. When they returned I asked Beth why she hit Morgan. She said because Morgan grabbed her first. When I asked Morgan what happened she said Beth was going to cross the road without stopping to look for cars. Beth said that was correct. I told her I would have done the same thing if I was Morgan. She should not have hit Morgan. I told her I couldn't trust her to go to the bathroom by herself for two reasons now. She sat in time out a few minutes then was able to play again. I hate that the girls have these struggles. I hate having to treat them differently than Morgan. I have no choice.

This journey is so hard. It is getting harder in a lot of ways and easier in a few. It is exhausting. I wrestled with God this morning for about 1 1/2 hours before getting out of the bed. I kept hearing, " The joy of the Lord is my strength." I prayed to have joy today. I prayed about Ann's ADD and what to do. I prayed for the future of my family. It worries me sometimes when I think of the future for my family. I worry way too much sometimes about the future of Beth and Ann. I pray that God connects every synapse in their brain and heals their hearts. I questioned God about the journey He has us on. I am tired and behind on everything and I don't feel like I will ever catch up. I am not sure if I can do this. I worry the state won't fulfill the things they have told us. I feel like I have too many hats on my head. I know I can do everything with God. That is the key. He is pushing me to be totally reliant on Him. I need Him more than ever. I am sorry to complain. God has been so good to me and my family. We are blessed to have Beth and Ann in our family. We are blessed to be able to go to the beach this weekend for a short trip. We are blessed to be able to go to Disney during the end of September. (I wouldn't have planned these two weeks apart, but my husband really wanted to go to the beach for his birthday, so we are going.)

Tomorrow is a new day. Today was better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today.

Sorry to complain. I just know that so many of you understand. It is so hard for my local friends to really get. A few are compassionate and helpful. Others are just nosy.

Attention issues

I need suggestions on how to help Ann stayed focused during school. She has been diagnosed with inattentive ADD. She is not taking any medicine. It takes her forever to do her school work. I let her move around, take breaks, work outside, etc. She did tell me today that she used to get in trouble in school for making noises and moving around in her desk to get comfortable. I received a magazine with sensory items to help them. There are so many choices and I am not sure what to choose.

It was suggested that we try an all natural soda called Ze*ia. It is made by Ste*ia. It tastes awful. It has natural caffeine. I was told the ADD meds have caffeine which helps them calm down. She drank a half can this morning. She didn't like the taste at all. It may have helped a little. Is there another natural form to give her?

I feel sorry for her because she wants to be done, but she isn't. She has to finish. My husband took everyone to the pool except her. I hate it, but I don't know what to do to help her. She has a hard time staying focused when I am talking to her one on one.

Sorry!

I will get the baptism pictures posted soon. I just haven't had time. Well, I started one time and loaded five pictures and then they disappeared. I haven't started again. I have some precious pictures.

We started school yesterday. T, A, and M did well. Ann and Beth struggled some. Beth is doing great so far today. She has "turned her brain on" today. It sure makes things easier on everyone. Ann is not focused today. We use office chairs in our school room so the height can be adjusted for each child. Well, after too many warnings, she lost hers because of the constant spinning and twisting. She almost ended up in her bed after I took it away because of the pouting and tears. Later, she was lying on the table...ugh! She got it together enough to make it to break. I am about to go teach more so we will see how she is acting. She will not get it back until tomorrow.

Please pray for us, we have some spiritual warfare going on with Beth. The world calls it something major, but we believe she has a music or praise and worship calling on her life and therefore we are having to fight for her. Please intercede for her and me as well as we fight with and for her.