He took the TOVA test again this morning. He was very anxious before the test and was crying, but by the time we got there he felt better. Someone sat with him while he took it and apparently everything went great. We won't have the results from his testing for two weeks, but he is so happy it is all over for now. On a side note he complained about his eyes hurting again after the test. My next step is to look into a developmental optometrist. Thanks again for the advice.

Some beaches in California are better suited for swimming while others have strong waves and are better suited for surfing. I would do a little research before you go and try to find a beach that is better for swimming and that has life guards. I would also suggest being near a life guard stand as they will always tell everyone if there are especially strong waves or rip currents that day. Then I would get in the water with them and have fun. The water is colder out here, so they might not want to stay in very long anyway. After swimming for a while go exploring. To me that is the best part of the beaches out here. :)

I also thought it was strange that he was left alone especially with his anxiety issues. Hopefully at the re-test the doctor will stay with him.

Thanks for the advice. He has not had his eyes checked yet, but I will look into that. He often complains about his eyes hurting (straining?), and we had them checked with a regular eye doctor who said they were fine. Maybe it is time to investigate this issue further.

My son went in for testing today and about ten minutes into his session he walked out to the waiting room with tears in his eyes. He was taking the TOVA, and apparently it was so boring to him that he started crying and felt like he had to leave. At that moment the doctor was in another room and didn't see him walk out. I was able to calm him down and get him back in the office at which point the doctor noticed he was gone. She talked to him for a while, and they decided together to skip that test and move on. He was fine with all the other tests, and he ended up working with her for an hour and a half. After the testing I talked with her, and she stressed that she would like him to come back and try the TOVA test one more time. I agreed we could try, and he has a follow-up appointment on Thursday morning. He is stressing about the test now. He said he would try, but it hurt his eyes and made him so bored. He only made it through a minute of the first test, and I am worried the second try won't go much better. I am wondering how essential this test is? Do you think it will make a huge difference either way? Also I am thinking that his inability to even take the test would tell the doctor a good deal about him. Would you agree with that? A little more background - This is follow up testing to testing he did a year ago. He is gifted, has a very low processing speed (7%), and has a great deal of anxiety. I am mostly thinking out loud and wondering how necessary the TOVA test is to getting a complete picture of my son. Thanks for any help.

The kids and I live in a very small apartment. Our living room is the biggest space in the house, but I divided it up into a bedroom for my youngest and a smaller living room. I lined the walls with bookcases and got an L-shaped couch. I am surprised by how much the space is working out for us. All the kids can spread out on the couch and watch tv, and all our books have a dedicated space. It's small but cozy. It took me a while to figure out how to work the space. I rearranged the furniture numerous times because I had such trouble visualizing it beforehand. Maybe you should try a few different setups before you decide. :) ETA: You can see pictures of our space on my blog.

I watched these a while ago. Between these videos and his latest books (for me it was his language art books that he claimed were high school level) I have decided to leave Fred behind.

I would recommend The Paradise (a few of the same actors are in it) or Cranford.

My twins love Mr. G's French class too. He' s a great teacher.

My son was quite young when he got his, and he had a terrible adjustment period. He lost over five pounds because he couldn't figure out how to eat. My daughter also had one, but she was a teenager when she got it. She had a little pain for one or two days and that was it.

I would give him time with the psychologist for a while and see what they have to see. If he does have anxiety it could be causing him to physically feel bad. In addition I would follow up with OT for the sensory issues. I think you might be surprised by how much OT can help kids who are highly sensitive. In the meantime hang in there. Your sweet boy is not lost, he just needs some help.

My oldest brother's name is on this list. He was named Harold after our grandfather. I always liked the name, but I have only met one other person with it. I don't see the name ever making a comeback, but you never know. ETA - When my brother was little his favorite book was Harold and the Purple Crayon.

My great grandmother was named Zuba. I don't think that name will ever be revived.

Congratulations!!

I have to agree with this. My daughter is a gifted writer, and one of her biggest problems is that she can't reign it in. WWS has helped her immensely with this.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Very cool. I may have to use some of these resources with my son. :)

That's great!!

It looks great. Congratulations!!

I would also get a second opinion. With the scoliosis and the other bone issues I would wonder if there might be something else going on. My son has bone issues too, and what I found out is many of these problems get worse with puberty and growth. It is better to know what is going on before it progresses.

Has The National Atomic Museum been mentioned? It is worth a visit while in Vegas although little kids might not enjoy it. It is close to the strip and quite educational.

My mom goes to Starbucks every morning for her cup of coffee. She literally cannot start her day without it. She also has a very small cup of red wine every night. Are these addictions? Maybe, but I choose to see them as life's little pleasures. She is almost 70, and I figure she deserves these pleasures. As for you I would not call your one cup of coffee a day from Starbucks an addiction, and I certainly wouldn't feel bad about it.

I don't think it is unrealistic for some 3-year-olds, but for others it is. If I had a wiggly one I would probably avoid situations like that until they were older.

Thanks for sharing this information.