Our indoor decorations came down today. Outdoor lights will stay up through the 6th. I sort of redecorated for Epiphany by placing a different winter wreath on the door and changing out the olive wood nativity for the porcelain one... This way I get my fresh house for Monday morning school schedule without the burdensome thought of when we're going to clean up. ;) I'll take my King Cake and eat it, too. :)

It depends on what the budget allows, of course... But once a month, I love Greek/Lebanese. The garlic, the salad choices, the flavor... Mmmmm. And not too bad $$$. About once a year, I also must have Hooters chicken wings. (Hangs head). I can't help it. It's an itch that must be scratched. A date, but on a budget... I get the house white with escargot and a loaf of bread for soaking up the buttery garlic bits. Anniversary? A filet with bernaise.

I only remove the rind when making brie soup. Chunks of rind floating in one's soup isn't particularly appetizing! ;)

I third, fourth, and fifth the suggestions to look into Hopkins. You're right, local doctors are doing all the standard stuff... but neuro medical research is constantly on the edge of discovery. We spent 3 fruitless years working with local neurologists who knew their stuff, but their answer was always more medication (which is standard)... to the point that DH couldn't think. We headed to the NIH. DH was with them for 3 years, participating in a clinical trial and was eventually referred for neuro surgery. It's amazing what lengths doctors will go to when the facility, technology, and budget all support them finding an answer to your problem. Temporal lobechtomy offers one of the most succesful outcomes for irretractable temporal lobe epilepsy -- but no one was telling us that locally.

My DH developed seizures in his early 20s. He has temporal lobe epilepsy, which causes large seizures when non medicated, and smaller complex partial seizures when medicated. For us, medication is 80 percent of the answer -- it keeps those massive seizures at bay. But recording those smaller breakthrough seizures on our calendar showed a tendency toward Saturday seizures. Looking at our routine, I asked him to limit his coffee to one cup/day. It has made a tremendous difference in seizure frequency. So, for us, both diet and medication have proven incredibly helpful. Definitely record your DDs seizures on a calendar and keep a journal of diet (there are apps for that). For a long time, we asked our neuro, "Could ____ cause a seizure," and we were told "probably not." But it really is an individual thing. Finding out triggers that are unique to your DD is a very important part of eliminating seizures! Hormones can trigger, so definitely see if seizures are lining up in a specific week of her cycle.

I might be in the twilight zone. He read history and wrote his three sentence narration while I was teaching a violin student yesterday. ON HIS OWN. Solid phonetic spelling. Complete sentences. He read, he retained, he wrote. Can I wrap that up and put a ribbon on it? ;) :w00t:

In sheer frustration last Friday, and due to a bit of stress surrounding school, I announced a three week break over the holidays. And then Monday was horrible. Tuesday was worse. I made the observation, out loud, that DS does better with a schedule. And that's when DS made the suggestion we do no math -- just humanities -- until Christmas. I said, "That's a deal." So, schools back on, people... and it was my SON'S doing. Writing this down. I'll face math in 2015. :)

I'm a violinist and DS has requested I don't play certain things in church. "That music make me cry... it is so beautiful." It's an intense experience for him. He draws dynamite exploding in the pants of stick figures during the sermon, but drops tears during the music. ;) I love him.

*Cough* $4000? I was expecting south of $2000... preferably, deeply south. DH and I are going to meet with the university PhD candidate this Friday. She is going to go over the measures we completed regarding DS, as well as what she would suggest -- a general eval or comprehensive. I will ask questions at that point, too. I don't yet have info from a private clinician, but we have a lead and I'll be looking into it tomorrow.

This is very helpful... We literally started making phone calls this past week. Met a lot of dead ends. In sheer frustration, I grabbed the lead we had been given by the ped -- the university evaluation. I spoke with the PhD candidate who will be administering the test. She mentioned pretty much exactly what you stated. An achievement test, an eval for ADHD, and something else which I'm forgetting at the moment. In my very brief conversation, I got the feeling her questions pegged my DS as ADHD. I'm not resistant to that diagnosis, but my DS has a LOT more going on than impulsivity. Arcadia linked me to an explanation of overexcitability, and I see my DS falls strongly into 2 of the categories -- with a 3rd looking likely. Looks like I'll be calling around more on Monday. I think we need to see a neuropsychologist. Thank you FairProspects for weighing in on the IQ thing too... looks like I need to prepare myself for that. Thanks for the encouragement that this is the right thing. Your comment about how it helped you help your child... that's what I'm looking for. That gives me a great deal of hope.

Hi, all... Just to introduce myself since I'm new to this board... My lovely DS is 8. I have found third grade to be a reckoning ground. Those "he's just a kid" issues are getting harder to categorize in such a manner. And, DH and I have come to realize that even with all of our researching, consistency, and accomodating in certain areas, our efforts aren't really "life giving." DS continues to melt down, beat his head with his fist, and says he stupid stupid stupid. The figurative dam broke this week when I began seeing signs that DS's friends are growing irritated with him. In our co op class (which I attend with DS), DS is still bouncing off the wall while his peers (kids he's been at this with for 2 years) just get frustrated with his behavior. That's a first, and it was my wake up call. I've also seen DS grow a bit reticent this year in areas he has been very strong. So I picked up the phone and called our pediatrician, who suggested a neuropsychological eval. To my questions: 1). Which eval path should be pursue? Our pedi referred us to her clinic's child psychology dept for this testing (there isn't a NP in our area). The neuropsychological evals are administered/scored by psychology PhD candidates from our local state university. There is PhD oversight, but I won't be seeing a PhD. Pros are cost, convenience, and being seen quickly. Option 2: There is a Pediatric NP in a town about an 1-1/2 hours away. She is highly qualified, experienced with children, and has 2E specialization. Obviously, that will be more costly -- how much, I'm not really sure. Cost is an important consideration for us... but if the difference in care was significant, I think we could make it work. 2). What specific evaluation measures did you find most useful? What I don't want is an IQ number. For so many reasons. (Please share with me your thoughts, if you think that's important). I want to understand his strengths and weaknesses, learn how to best work with him, and move on from there without the baggage a number. What types of evaluations might I be looking for? I guess that's a good place to start. Thank you for your help, in advance!

Thanks so much! I will look in over on the other board! I'll ask more over on the other board, but your comment hits on a concern of mine regarding the place to which we were referred.

I did that at about the same age... I was JUST thinking about that this week, wondering how I would handle it. I had a burgundy wrist watch and a sweater with a scotty dog on it under the tree. My mom "discovered" our trespass somehow, and called us out. She then told us she was giving EVERY gift to a charitable organization, which brought much wailing. Only, she didn't... we had our gifts Christmas morning and were delighted. If my DS did this, I would be disappointed, but I would let him experience the disappointment instead of calling him out. Natural consequence of peaking. Kind of sad, but part of growing up. :0 Stella

DS is in 3rd grade and I'm realizing I need help helping him. I suspect gifted-ness and impulsivity, which may indicate a bit of ADHD. The poor guy feels like a failure, but he's so fantastic and wonderful. What kind of questions should I ask at the parental intake interview, besides the ones specific to our family? What measures would you hope for in an evaluation? I'm not sure I want IQ info as much as I want a general indication of where his strengths/weaknesses are... and recommendations for how to help him, given his proclivities. Thanks in advance for the help... feeling lost, but hopeful that this will give us hope for the future. :)

We do video games... DS needs goals. It's really nice on video game days to say, "If your work is finished, games can start at 5:30." DH has also been insistent that when we say it's time to turn off the system, it needs to be done without drama. If we get drama, we know video games are becoming a little too important -- time for other activities for a bit. We've been doing this since DS was 6, and I really think it has helped him internalize that he can go days without video games and be ok... His life doesn't end when a screen goes off -- we do other fun things. I really do think this lesson has transferred to other situations where we have to end something fun... DS may be bummed, but he isn't moaning and groaning... He seems to have a general acceptance that activities end, and we move on. Video games have also facilitated growing a friendship with a boy next door. He does really cool stuff in Minecraft, and DS runs to invite him over for video game time many evenings. Neighbor boys mom says she's never seen her son finish his homework so quickly so that he can be available. Minecraft has also given DS a general peer connection with kids his age, and social situations with peers are difficult for him. It's definitely expanded his little circle. The cons... On the Saturday DS happens to get more screen time than normal (TV/games), I see a huge shift in his behavior. He's surly and discontent. If you have the flu, it might be worth it. But Generally speaking, a limit to 45 minutes at most works best here. I don't really see the slippery slope thing -- but I know family dynamics, gaming spouses, etc can make it harder to set boundaries. Here, video games just aren't that critically important to DH or I, so there's no hesitancy to pull back when we see undesirable screen specific behaviors ramping up. Hth!

...soooOOOooo... you all STILL do this.

At the dinner table two months ago. That initiated a LOT of questions, which I now usually field in the car. Last week's question was if people die during sex, and if that's awkward. I love my job. ;)

We are doing grades in math for the first time this year... DS needed an objective way to evaluate his performance. To him, 1 or 2 problems/words missed resulted in self loathing and talk of failure. A percentage gives feedback on the work done well, and he really needed to see that in order to put his mistakes in context. Stella

My first one died before a year was up... I had cleared everything, swept, etc and was so mad when that thing didn't work! Instructions said you could use tap water (we have soft water). (Someone may've added a drop of essential oil to the water as well). When I called to pursue the warranty (which they honored), they told me to use distilled water only. I've had the replacement mop for over a year now, use nursery water only, and no problems. If this one dies, there will not be another. Sorry about yours... That's a bummer.

Coming back to amend my suggestion re new instrument for note reading. Insert "Youth Orchestra" at the level she's note reading... which is what you said already, OP! This thought hit me in the middle of the night... It will require note reading in a new context (exciting), surrounded by peers, on her chosen instrument. For a six year old who isn't ready developmentally to apply or appreciate note reading, I think that's a winner. You were right!!! (How often do you get to hear that?) Write this date down. ;) Stella

:iagree: I think the real struggle here is going to be bridging her note reading/performance disparity. Without knowing your daughter/family, I would guess slowing her down for the sake of catching up isn't an option... it would kill the joy for her. As long as conservatory instructor understands this is the situation, and has experience with young children, I would go there. And then, to help in note reading... instead of slowing her down in violin, it may be worth introducing a new instrument with an emphasis on note reading for progress (you said you were a pianist, right?). ;) Stella

Thankfully, I know families doing it. But I do remember when Essentials meant both Foundations and Essentials--it was spelled out that way on registration forms and the tuition reflected it. Registration forms now present Essentials and its tuition separately from Foundations, which makes for a much friendlier number (1/2 of what it was). While the formal recommendation is to do both programs, it seems the contract now grants families/ directors the option. Sorry, OP for slight topic derail. Stella

I've read Love and Logic for Early Childhood at least twice. I think it can be a breath of fresh air for parents who grew up in punitive homes. In trying on some of the suggestions, I saw "something else" work. Big revelation, even though there were aspects of the book I strongly disagreed with. (Use of sarcasm in examples was one). This book is the one I most commonly suggest to friends with young children because it was such a practical help. Stella

You've described my DS (8-1/2). ;) I still sit at the piano with him. Midweek I leave him to play songs through several times, but I'm still in the background -- Moderato, please! Good job... Dynamics this time! I found SWB's audio on independence very helpful for tweaking my expectations... http://peacehillpress.com/index.php?p=product&id=125. DS needs me at his side for math, but I'm able to hover at a distance in 10 minute segments while he completes Latin, cursive, and spelling. Reading is entirely independent. When I take it apart like that, I see the progress. But when I'm stewing in my own worries and frustrations, it all feels like a mess. Be kind to yourself. Definitely rescue him from himself when he asks. DS's issues have caused me to consider that self sufficiency is highly overrated... The fun, the beauty, the joy is all in the context of honoring the relationship. I default to expectations of self sufficiency, so this is largely an external operation for me. But the relief I see in DS's face when I pick up a pencil and write for him to keep a subject from going long, or cutting the goal for the day in 1/2 when I can see the glazed look is setting in, is really rewarding. I'm seeing a gradual improvement in his attitude about school too... Best of luck to you... Definitely more normal than you think! Stella

The cycles are to be repeated. Children who start at age 5 or 6, will be exposed to roughly 3 full repetitions of the 3 year cycle, with Essentials added on around 4th grade. We don't move into Essentials until next year, but even then, the idea is that you continue doing the Foundations cycles until Challenge levels. This is where we are departing from the script a bit. We will pursue Essentials at our CC community, but will drop doing the Foundations program there in favor of reviewing it at home. Stella