❤️

This is the approach I take. When I ask, almost always they say they really want me to ask questions because they don’t tend to think of them, and that’s why they want me there. If they said otherwise, then I would sit quietly and be support.

When my oldest was walking weirdly as a small kid, his pediatrician gave us a list of shoe stores that the healthcare group knows offer shoe advise service. The podiatrist would probably have a list too.

I would very seriously consider sending the 7th and 9th graders to public school. I have a friend who faced a similar situation when her kids a year older than each of yours- same genders. Youngest thrived in PS, oldest finished with lots of DE, and the middle one had started high school at home- it was very hard because in our state, public school are often all or nothing for high school. He went to a small private homeschoolish school, doing the next level of programs they used at home, online DE, and eventually at the college campus. I think putting him in public school would have been a much easier option for all involved. She was in a similar situation, knew they were splitting, but still wanted to homeschool. I get that, and its hard when life doesn't turn out thecway we had imagined. Homeschooling means you have a lot invested in their education, and its hard to put them somewhere else. I would pause for a bit and consider how the next 5-7 years will play out and what would be the best way to balance everyone's needs. Be realistic, not best-case scenario. Do you really think you can finish the 9th graders high school? If Dad isn't making them do the work now, is that going to change? For the 11th grader- what are her goals? If DE is an option? If not, what credits does she still need? Do you have any private Homeschooling type options in your area?

Thank you for sharing this update.

Thank you! I was thinking of her yesterday.

Thank you so much for sharing and to whoever was able to make contact. It’s good to have an update.

Aww thank you for sharing that from her.

I don't have Facebook but someone else here does and tried contacting blsdmama through messaging. She replied, hooray! She gave permission for this to be shared with all of you: I'm sorry for the MIA. Around late summer/fall, it became apparent my ALS progression had sped up. I've been experiencing more bulbar symptoms, voice softer and much more garbled. Legs about the same but I've lost 2/3 of the strength in my hands. I began using a vent at night. It's been a lot. I needed to be more present here and TWTM is a place where can fall down a rabbit hole and "step away." At the same time, I was finding myself becoming mildly resentful of folks fussing over minor bumps in their roads and that wasn't okay for me to feel that way. I didn't want be that person. And, if I'm very honest, because it's an online forum, we voice thoughts in our heads we'd never say aloud. It made me wonder, "How will this person really feel/think if I say _________?" I was becoming very inhibited in my real life. It became necessary for me to draw back, be present and intentional here. Aside from that, medically, we're having a PEG: tube and suprapubic catheter put in next week. It should simplify my care here. So far, as long as I'm upright, I don't need the Trilogy (bi-pap/ non invasive vent) during the day so that's good. I'm tired more often but most days are still great and I'm able to be in the kids' lives. We have our 14yo's play tonight and while it will be awkward because people will be caught off guard by my inability to chit-chat, I'm so grateful to still be here and go to these things! You are free to share the update and thank you so much for thinking of me. ❤

Congrats!!!!!🎉 Almost all of my kids’ friends at UCLA turned down Berkeley. One even turned down a Regents there!? I went to Berkeley in the 90s and that would have been unheard of. The tide has definitely turned!!!

I don’t know of any local shoe stores in my small city. I’ll keep my ears open though.

I’m a 44 year old white woman and a lawyer. I had a sign the document consenting to drug testing and promise not to sell my prescription to get my ADHD meds. It’s just standard procedure. (I didn’t have to jump through diagnostic hoops, my doctor had already diagnosed my non-ADHD condition. The same drugs are used for other neurological conditions.)

I am so relieved for you! I also couldn't find words having kids in this age range. I was so concerned for you and your precious son. Sending the smoothest and safest of recoveries.

Thank God. I didn’t even have the words before the update. That is wonderful. Keep us updated.

Thank you for the update, I hope he has a smooth recovery.

I'm so happy to read the update! I got on checking for your post to see if you had updated. I will continue to pray that he will heal and the doctors will know how to treat him most effectively. What a scare!

Praise God! I hope they can piece together what happened and get everything sorted going forward!

@silver if you want to get a TI84 so that it can also be used for AP Calculus, wait for back to school/college sales. Walmart and Target would take turns to bring the sale price to about $100 and sometimes $80. Also, a cheap (under $20) scientific calculator that runs on battery and solar is always a good backup to have. My kids had classes at community college that do not allow graphing calculators for exams. They do have scientific calculators for loan on a first come first serve basis. My husband brought home a TI scientific calculator but my boys didn’t like it. They rather share the Casio one. My oldest brought the Casio one with him to college so we’ll get my younger one one too. It is $16.99 at Amazon and Target https://www.amazon.com/Casio-fx-115ESPLS2-Advanced-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B086Z79HXS

My young adult son with ADHD and ASD technically has really good EF. For him it’s about attention, but it’s still a series of hoops that do not necessarily go smoothly that he has to coordinate for and ask off for, and then sometimes there is shortage of the the med. It’s hours of his life, often. For my other younger kid, EF and black and white thinking are going to be problematic, and he is going to have to manage multiple specialist appointments per year, none of which are on the same interval and some of whom don’t have hours at the same hospital. He has a med that requires regular adjustment for dosages and tons of communication and labs to do so. Asking him to add hours and hours per month to his schedule to locate ADHD meds on top of all this is insane. He didn’t ask to be neurodivergent in several ways and have three rare diseases, two of which are life-threatening (and the third could become so eventually).

I buy the quills at the local Asian Mkt. You can buy from an Hispanic store. I don't buy it ground but buy the quills and grind myself. My little Cuisinart coffee bean/spick grinder was $40 and each package of ceylon was maybe $3-4. One package yields 5-6 quills. Grinding 2 quills equals maybe 1/3 c. or a small bottle so well worth it for me to grind. Takes seconds. If you buy Ceylon look for the "large" and loosely wrapped quills. That's ceylon. Cassia is hard and wrapped more tightly - smaller circumference.

Continuing to pray for full recovery! Thank you for updating us.

Thank you for taking time to update. What a huge relief! Prayers continue for a full recovery.

Added a few more displays. Need to do some painting and lots of signage, and more interior walls, but physics, space, and tech are all moving forward.

That's wild.