Fun!

We had a great long weekend at the beach with another family. We all stayed in a four bedroom house together. Four adults and nine kids. There weren't many quiet moments. All in all, everyone behaved pretty well. Of course, after we got home tonight, Beth lost it and was yelling at Ann. I sat in my office and listened for a while. It was her time of day. We had been in the car all afternoon. I went to their room and told them I didn't know what was going on but I heard Beth yelling for way too long. I told them to go outside and jump on the trampoline or swing. I knew they need to get some frustration out. They did and Beth seemed to be better when she came back inside.

The girls loved the beach. This is only their second trip to the beach in their lives. Beth asked me how many times Daddy and I had been to the beach. I said we have gone at least once a year since we have been married, so at least 15 times. She was so surprised. Wow, the difference in the lives of our precious children. Beth sat out the first time on the beach this weekend for disobeying. She had to miss out on the initial fun. However, she obeyed pretty much everything after that. She didn't want anymore towel time.

Thanks!

I have received many suggestions about how to help Ann with ADD. I am going to try a few things this week. If I don't see improvement, I am really considering talking to the doctor about medication. She is really struggling. I can see it really upsetting her and causing frustration. I have a few friends that have sent me messages that I want to call this week.

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?

Thanks!

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! Believe it or not, it helps to know that others can relate and that I am not alone, or crazy. Well, I guess on days that could be questionable.

Going to teach...

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.

Things

We have been pretty busy around here. We went to my parent's lake house for two days. Everyone did great. We have a lot of baby talk going on, but gentle reminders and they would be back to their normal voices. I think this must happen when they get insecure or are experiencing something new. I wonder if it is when they are processing and learning things as a younger child. No person argued about wearing life jackets to the pier or boat house, they just wore them. Yea!! We were very happy! The girls rode the tube behind the boat for a long time. The fear is gone. We were talking about how far they have come. Beth was terrified the first time she went behind the boat. This time she was standing on the tube...amazing!! She even fell off and cried a minute and got back on and continued riding. God is so good!!

Morgan's best friend was baptized this morning. What a precious memory!!

The men in the church prayed over all of the single females in the church. They prayed for their husbands and that they would be equally yoked with them. They prayed the girls would be patient and wait on the man God has planned for them. Don't make it happen. It was great!! I am not sure our girls totally understood, but they received it on their level. I wish I had understood this many years ago.

I often feel led to hold them and pray over them as I sing and worship our Lord. It is an amazing time of bonding, healing and being filled each time it happens. I believe God can heal my girls. I believe he is greater than any diagnosis. We serve an amazing God!!

I believe our Consent to Adopt papers are in the mail. Hopefully they will be in our hands this week. If so, I can get them to the attorney and get a court date. I can't wait!!