Biggest Loser Princess and Tinker Bell 2011 and 2012 -- OLD please see NEW thread

[lisah0711]

Good morning Princesses!

Rose, so excited to hear about the W&D! You've been doing so well with your running and have lots of time to train. Was it just last summer that you were getting ready for your first W&D? And a family 10K on the 4th sounds like fun! (don't you think the Dis needs an Uncle Sam smilie or something?) for the other stuff but it sounds like your summer is shaping up.

Taryn, hopefully your instructor will decide you people don't need anymore busy work because she has to grade it all! When things get wild and crazy, just think of your happy place and that you will be there soon, no matter what. I hope that Brad's employer can figure out a way for him to help and still qualify for unemployment -- surely they keep that in mind for their employees. Take deep breaths, it will work out.

Lindsay, woo hoo on the new job title and the possible salary increase. I think your conditioning will come back more quickly this time as you get back to training regularly -- at least that is what I am hoping for both of us! Nice job on the loss after all your hard work!

Corinna, nice to see you! Have fun on your trip! Come back and tell us all about it!

Maria, glad that you are feeling better. Getting that recommited plan in place is a big, big help. I need to take a page from your book. I think that you are going to have a fabulous summer and be all ready for the Providence 1/2 in no time!

Kathy, Galloway has some 1/2 plans on his RunDisney site. I'm using one of those for my training for my September 1/2. That is one of the things I need to get started on this week. I'm so glad that you had a great 5K and survived your crazy, busy week. Now you just need to get through those last few days of school and it will be summer!

Nancy, hope that you had a nice week-end!

Hello to the other princesses. That is one of the nice things about Facebook, it is a little easier to see how people are doing if they aren't checking in on the boards.

This princess needs to pull herself together this week, especially if she doesn't want to post a gain three weeks into this new challenge. Being off plan really isn't as fun or satisfying as I remember it being. More like watching something bad happen that you can't seem to stop.

So I have my newly minted training plan ready and a brand new page in my journal. I hope by this time next week I will be patting myself on the back and seeing nothing but blue skies and clear roads ahead.

In the meantime it is the first day of DS's summer camp so I have to make sure that he has what he needs. We are trying to make him be more responsible and letting him be home in the morning instead of going for early care. We'll see how that works out. That concept of if you want more independence you must show more responsibility and reliability is not going over too well but I'm sure this will happen soon.

Have a great day Princesses! (sorry the smilie police tell me that I have reached my limit)

 

[mikamah]

Good morning, princesses!!

I sort of realized this morning, that my alone time in the morning is over next tuesday when school ends, so I got my butt out for a good run/walk and need to make the most of this week.

Lisa- Good luck with robert's new independance. I am sure it's so much easier to do it all for him and make sure he has everything he needs, but ya gotta make them learn the hard way sometimes. I think that's where the adult beverages in the evening will come in handy for you.
It's hard when you're off track, and can't control it, but you've had a busy week with mom visiting and all, and I know you will get back on track, and see all good things in that journal. You can do it!!

I felt pretty good running this morning, and was thinking a lot about Rose and Corinna and your journeys' and how successful you have been, and feeling like I can do it too. I have done it before, and this month is tough emotionally, but I'm doing ok, and I plan to keep my focus and kick some of this dang weight to the curb once and for all.

I let michael buy the white powdered donuts yesterday, and ate 2 of them, then he put them in baggies for his snack through the week, and I told him if I ate any of them, I would give him 10 dollars. They aren't even calling my name.

Have a great day!!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

So to go to the grocery and not bring home junk will give me another good week. I can do it.

thanks for the advice with Ryan. Yes it is difficult because I dont know how the other kids are. Everytime I have been in ryan's room to observe or volunteer he seemed to be behaving fine. I would say its because I was there but in history that always seemed to make him misbehave so who knows. I think I will mention it to the DR since I work here otherwise I probably wouldnt make the call yet. We are going to try to work hard with him over the summer on listening/paying attention/etc. although I feel like with him we have been doing this since he was 2. Maybe this time it will click.

Im so glad you had a good week to. I know you can definitely do this. I am rooting for you.

Lindsay - We waited until after 3rd for AK's meds. I wish I had done it for 3rd, but she handled it okay until then. Honestly, 1st is such a huge reading year. I would base my decision on how he does in the reading dept. If he's reading okay, I would let it slide. If he struggles with reading, he'll always be behind, at least in our area, because 1st is the big grade to teach it.

He knows all of his sight words...do you know what that is? Im assuming the same style of curriculum is used all over but have no idea about this. We read almost every night and I point to the words and read the ones he doesnt know and I let him read the ones he does. As we get a few pages into the book it takes him longer and longer to say the words. He brings up other things about the pictures or about what we are having for dinner the next day. So I dont know if that is normal for his age 6 1/2 or if he just cant pay attention. Should he be able to read a whole early reader book on his own by now? The teacher sent home a few paper books that have like 4-5 pages with pretty much the same words or sayings on each page except the last word of the sentence changes. He can usually read those pretty well. So I am just not sure exactly what he should be able to do. He did get mostly 3's and a good handful of 4's on his report card which leads me to believe academically he is ok. This is has been so stressful on me.

I am so sorry you guys are having a rough time. I think disney is just what everyone needs. You definitely have to convince brad that part of the girls acting out is the fact that you guys are so busy and thats what kids do when they dont have the parents undivided attention. I know you barely have anytime now but maybe try for either you or brad taking a short time each day to spend time with the girls individually. Also when driving places try to have a quality conversation. It is often one of the moments that other than driving they can have your undivided attention. If it helps to know my kids do the same thing when we are so busy. Once I realize whats happening I try to focus on it and it seems to get better. Hang it there!!!!

Also lots of for yesterday. I hope you are feeling better today. Im sure your daddy is looking down on you right now and feeling so proud of all you are doing for yourself and your family.

This princess needs to pull herself together this week, especially if she doesn't want to post a gain three weeks into this new challenge. Being off plan really isn't as fun or satisfying as I remember it being. More like watching something bad happen that you can't seem to stop.

I was just saying yesterday how great I feel again and why my brain lets me fall off the wagon. It really does make you feel crappy both physically and mentally. It is hard to stop it once you get started but you can do it. I think with your new plan you are ready and you will do great. You will get your conditioning back...it just takes a week or two and you will be back in the groove.

I let michael buy the white powdered donuts yesterday, and ate 2 of them, then he put them in baggies for his snack through the week, and I told him if I ate any of them, I would give him 10 dollars. They aren't even calling my name.

Have a great day!!

Now that is a great idea.

*********************************************************

This was the first weekend in a very long time that I weighed in less than I was on friday. It was only .2 less but either way you look at it its less.

I ran on saturday night and it was my first run that I felt like I was getting back into a groove. I still am running a bit slower than I had been but I dont have any races planned until sept so I am ok with that. I am just working on getting out there and moving again after a month of just vegging. I plan to run tonight again.

Not much else going on here. I kind of like it this way.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Lindsay you are kicking this challenge's butt! Nice work!

Taryn bIgs hugs to you. I'm sorry things are so stressful now. Don't let hubby cancel that trip!!!

Lisa oh boy more responsibility! I forget, how old is DS? 12? What kind of camp is he going to? How is your visit going with your mom?

Kathy you can totally kill it in this challenge! Seeing other people's success stories is so encouraging isn't it??

Maria I'm on the recommitment bandwagon with you!!

Rose awesome news about the wine and dine! I would love to do that one day. Though starting a run in the evening would be very hard for me!!

We had a nice weekend here. One of my best friends had a little boy on Saturday! She lives in LA. I wish I could go see them!!

I ran another 5k today and walked a mile after that. Felt good to get the workout in. For Thomas's birthday we are having pizza and ice cream. My aunt Mary and uncle Eddie and my other aunt Mary and uncle John and their kids might come over.

I'm watching my friend's 5 year old today. My friend has to go to court to get an order of protection on their neighbor! Yikes!!! I don't mind watching her but I did have things to do. Oh well.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

didn't want to put this on the main thread but wanted to share. i had every intention of taking belly pics every week or so but kept forgetting. you can see i'm filling out pretty much everywhere! still in regular clothes but i think their days are numbered

 

[lisah0711]

Lisa- Good luck with robert's new independance. I am sure it's so much easier to do it all for him and make sure he has everything he needs, but ya gotta make them learn the hard way sometimes. I think that's where the adult beverages in the evening will come in handy for you.
It's hard when you're off track, and can't control it, but you've had a busy week with mom visiting and all, and I know you will get back on track, and see all good things in that journal. You can do it!!

I felt pretty good running this morning, and was thinking a lot about Rose and Corinna and your journeys' and how successful you have been, and feeling like I can do it too. I have done it before, and this month is tough emotionally, but I'm doing ok, and I plan to keep my focus and kick some of this dang weight to the curb once and for all.

I let michael buy the white powdered donuts yesterday, and ate 2 of them, then he put them in baggies for his snack through the week, and I told him if I ate any of them, I would give him 10 dollars. They aren't even calling my name.

Have a great day!!

Woo hoo for a good run, Kathy! You've got plenty of time to get yourself where you want to be for your half.

Yes, adult beverages will be needed no doubt although everything went very well this morning. They do rise to the occasion if you let them!

thanks for the advice with Ryan. Yes it is difficult because I dont know how the other kids are. Everytime I have been in ryan's room to observe or volunteer he seemed to be behaving fine. I would say its because I was there but in history that always seemed to make him misbehave so who knows. I think I will mention it to the DR since I work here otherwise I probably wouldnt make the call yet. We are going to try to work hard with him over the summer on listening/paying attention/etc. although I feel like with him we have been doing this since he was 2. Maybe this time it will click.

This was the first weekend in a very long time that I weighed in less than I was on friday. It was only .2 less but either way you look at it its less.

I ran on saturday night and it was my first run that I felt like I was getting back into a groove. I still am running a bit slower than I had been but I dont have any races planned until sept so I am ok with that. I am just working on getting out there and moving again after a month of just vegging. I plan to run tonight again.

Not much else going on here. I kind of like it this way.

Woo hoo for getting in the groove and starting Monday weighing less than Friday, Lindsay!

Have you had Ryan's eyes checked? DS started wearing glasses when he was in the first grade. We also tried hard to keep up with reading, writing and math in the summer to avoid brain drain. It's no fun but it does pay off in the fall.

If it makes you feel any better, even as they get older it seems like it is hard to figure out whether something needs to be done or not. DS pulled a D and C- on two finals and still got B's and B+ for his grades. Apparently there was a big time freeze and panic on those tests -- we decided it is better to have that happen now than in high school.

Lisa oh boy more responsibility! I forget, how old is DS? 12? What kind of camp is he going to? How is your visit going with your mom?

Woo hoo, Nancy, for getting out there and doing your run today! Your belly pics look good -- I still see abs. I think that with baby number two things probably pop out faster than they did the first time around.

DS is 11 and turning 12 in July. He is very mature for his age so sometimes I need to remind myself of that. Poor guy has had a lot of physical changes this year -- he is taller than me, his voice has changed, has hair everywhere. It's hard to be the guy who will need to shave soon in the 6th grade. He really is a good guy and we are very proud of him.

He goes to a church summer day camp four days a week. This is an exciting year because he is considered a "teen" and gets to be in a different part of the program. They get a little more freedom so he was looking forward to it. It will be interesting to hear how he likes it since the kids get to do a scavenger hunt today but the teens are learning about how Christians are persecuted in China. He can go there this summer and next and then we will have to come up with a plan B. He could be a camper in training there. We will never let him stay home for summers as he would like -- memories too long for that!

It's 1 pm and everything has been tracked and logged and I'm all set for a totally OP day. One day at a time!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Nancy! -- How cool is it there is an entire human being in there?! Awesome! So glad you posted. And those abs were lookin' mighty good before Mr. Baby started paying rent! to Thomas! June babies rock! I hope the 5 yr. old wasn't too much trouble.

Lindsay -- So glad you're feeling that running groove kicking in! It is wonderful to feel like you're in charge and making progress I think because boys are just so much more active than girls, sometimes it's hard to tell what's a real issue and what's a teacher not recognizing that. Kudos to you for going the extra mile to try to figure out what Ryan needs. That's what he needs most -- Mom who's intent on doing the very best for him

Kathy -- Well, it's a good thing Michael isn't as insidious as Ben -- he would be placing the donuts in my path, talking about what a little treat there were, really, and telling me this batch just seemed so much better than usual If there was a chance of him getting money, all bets for mom's health would be off!

Lisa -- I know this is going to be a great week for you! That loss is just around the river bend! It is a continual challenge with these little man/boys. They want to do it themselves, but they also want that safety net. It's eerily like when they were toddlers

Taryn -- it sounds like that vacation can't come soon enough...hang in there, I know you can do this!

Rose -- You are going to have so much fun at W&D! I hope they have a gluten-free booth just for you!

Corinna -- Why do I have the feeling that you are enjoying a quick trip to a quiet, peaceful place with lapping shores and a laidback pace? Maybe it's because it sounds so good!

Okay, AFM:

My 8M Saturday felt really good. It helped me greatly with my resolve, and I'm so glad I did it. Yesterday was a rest day, and after Children's Sunday at church Dennis took me to see "West Side Story". It was a decent production. It was dated, of course, and I thought some of the cast was too loud/vibrato, but what the heck, they were singin' to Maria!

Tonight is the first test of my new resolve. I couldn't run this morning, so I have to do it when I get home. I actually feel ok, it's just been a really stressful day at work, and I've had almost no time to DIS -- I have a deadline for a big application, and it's all I can do to stay ahead of it. The run will be a great opportunity to de-stress, even though getting in my bed also seems like it could work

If Kathy and Nancy are having a great running day, I want one, too! Thanks for inspiring me!

Ok, gotta finish something up so I can leave when dh gets here...

Maria

 

[Rose&Mike]

So I have been trying to just keep swimming. Some days are better than others. My knees are doing great. Still getting sore but not until 4 miles or so. But remember the ankle sprain/strain from just before we went to wdw? Well we ran 7 yesterday and my ankle was pretty swollen last night. Mike is starting to question whether is is a stress fracture. It's feeling ok today. I am choosing to ignore it for now. Did you know that De Nile is a river in KY?

Lindsay--here's my take on the adhd thing. We have questioned whether Tom has had adhd since he was little--and obviously he did. But other than a few minor behavioral issues at school he did ok. Actually he graduated from high school with a 4.0 and was a national merit scholar. Could he have benefitted from the medicine, sure. We spent a lot of time on him in high school and it was stressful on Mike and I at times.

Having said all that, I think there is a time and a place for meds. I think if it were my kid it would be worth looking into whether there were other non-medical therapies that might help with things. If a child needs meds to get through the day, then by all means they should have them. That is the point Tom is at now. He can't do his work--the volume has gotten too much and he just can't sit through a class and stay focused. I've seen him try to work at home and he will make it about 15-20 min and that's it. He was missing appointments last semester and really things got a little ugly. He was starting to feel bad about himself. So now it's time for some help. Would I have medicated him before now, nope. And that's what he would say to. There is no right or wrong answer and it's a changing thing. Just cause you decide to go one direction now, you might change your mind and go a different direction later. I definitely think it's worth talking to someone. Hang in there. It's hard to be a parent sometimes.

****
So speaking of DS, we have an appointment with our family doctor on Friday to talk about the ADHD stuff. If she is good with writing the prescription he will stop seeing the psychiatrist--there's some issues there that happened over the last week. This guy helped him. DS is feeling much more organized and feeling ok with the fact that this is just something he has to deal with. So that's good. But he wants him to keep seeing him for an unlimited period of time and Tom is not good with that. And I don't think he needs it. He just needed to be turned back in the right direction. He has another appointment on Thursday and we're trying to decide if we should cancel it or wait until after we see the primary care doctor.

Taryn--I hope you make it through the next couple of crazy days before your trip!

Hello to everyone else. Sorry I haven't been responding too much. Just feeling a little overwhelmed right now. Hopefully things will settle down after this week.

 

[liesel]

I just got back from my road trip last night and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the main challenge thread right now (over 20 pages while I was gone, holy cow!) but I wanted to at least pop in and say hi to everyone. I also wanted to let you know that before I left:

I registered for the Tinker Bell!

It seems much more real now that I've paid the fee! A little scary too. I haven't run that consistently since the kids got out of school (I need to figure this out) and DH and I are considering doing a 4 mile run on July 4th that we haven't had much time to train for in the last 2 weeks. Congrats to all of you for being on track after the Princess, I hope to catch up soon!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I registered for the Tinker Bell!

Now we have two Tinkerbelles -- or should I say Lisabelles?! Fantastic, you guys are going to have so much fun!

Lucky you, running an inaugural race -- I can't wait to hear all about it, and see the cool merchandise!

But first you have the fun of training, and all the great breakthroughs as you get ready -- awesome!

Maria

 

[liesel]

Now we have two Tinkerbelles -- or should I say Lisabelles?! Fantastic, you guys are going to have so much fun!

Lucky you, running an inaugural race -- I can't wait to hear all about it, and see the cool merchandise!

But first you have the fun of training, and all the great breakthroughs as you get ready -- awesome!

Maria

Thanks so much, the Lisas are going to rock this race! I thought for a minute there I killed your thread!

Taryn-Good to see you posting! I saw some of your WDW plans and it looks like fun! We didn't do much TS on our trip, but Boma is definitely my favorite. We also really enjoyed Biergarten, both the food and the live music. They put on several shows throughout the evening, I think you can find the times on allears and the Epcot times guide. My kids were tearing up the dance floor, much to the amusement of the band.

Nancy-definitely some rockin' abs going on there! You will see them again soon!

Hi to Rose, Kathy, Lindsay, Lisa, and Corinna! I'll try to catch up on the main thread. Its a really great group, I'll try to learn all the new people!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Our two lisas are doing the tinker bell!!! How exciting!!! I can't wait to follow along with your training. I'm having a brain fart and can't remember when it is so I'm going to look now! How cool to do an inaugural race. It will be interesting to hear what you "tink" of it

I'm typing this on my fancy iPad and realizing that I just want to go back to my laptop. Don't tell DH. For some reason none of the smilies are showing. They are all showing up as little question marks.

I really need to go out for a jog today. It looks like the weather may be potentially crummy for the rest of the week so I better get outside while I can. I'm being weighed down by last night's pizza and ice cream cake though. Ick.

Remember how I'm hoping to go to Disney in September? Well it is still up in the air. Boo. John still needs to ask for the extra week off. I really hope he boss will just give it to him. He's the Director of his department for goodness sake and is glued to his computer and phone 24/7. Give him another week. He will be checking emails constantly anyway!! He left early this morning to fly to San Diego for one night. Stinks. That's a long trip. Hopefully the meetings will go well and he can ask afterwards

 

[lisah0711]

Kathy -- Well, it's a good thing Michael isn't as insidious as Ben -- he would be placing the donuts in my path, talking about what a little treat there were, really, and telling me this batch just seemed so much better than usual If there was a chance of him getting money, all bets for mom's health would be off!

Yep, I was thinking there would be a lot of active "helping" to fall off the wagon if that was the deal at our house.

[Lisa -- I know this is going to be a great week for you! That loss is just around the river bend! It is a continual challenge with these little man/boys. They want to do it themselves, but they also want that safety net. It's eerily like when they were toddlers

Thanks, Maria! Hope that you had a great run last night! Kudos to you for running at home after work on a Monday. I just don't workout on Mondays -- I've made it one of my rest days because I have a very hard time making it happen and it starts the week off on a bad note otherwise. I'll definately be getting a run in today.

So I have been trying to just keep swimming. Some days are better than others. My knees are doing great. Still getting sore but not until 4 miles or so. But remember the ankle sprain/strain from just before we went to wdw? Well we ran 7 yesterday and my ankle was pretty swollen last night. Mike is starting to question whether is is a stress fracture. It's feeling ok today. I am choosing to ignore it for now. Did you know that De Nile is a river in KY?

Sorry that you are feeling overwhelmed, Rose. I'm glad that you can do some running as I know that helps you feel better! It sounds like Tom is doing a great job being proactive on his treatment and how he feels about things. In the meantime, just keep swimming! :swim:

I just got back from my road trip last night and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the main challenge thread right now (over 20 pages while I was gone, holy cow!) but I wanted to at least pop in and say hi to everyone. I also wanted to let you know that before I left:

I registered for the Tinker Bell!

It seems much more real now that I've paid the fee! A little scary too. I haven't run that consistently since the kids got out of school (I need to figure this out) and DH and I are considering doing a 4 mile run on July 4th that we haven't had much time to train for in the last 2 weeks. Congrats to all of you for being on track after the Princess, I hope to catch up soon!

Woo hoo for the Tink, Lisa! It's going to be a lot of fun! Some of my best memories from the Princess week-end was hanging out at the W tent with the WISH'ers.

I'm glad that you had a great time on your vacation. It is hard to train during vacation, although some people do. You've got lots of time to work on your base before the training for the Tink will start probably in October -- I haven't looked at a schedule to figure that out yet. I have a half on September 18th so I figure I will just start a week or two after that on the Tinkerbell Schedule.

And don't worry about killing this thread -- it is just a bit quieter than the big thread! You are welcome here anytime!

I'm going to take a page from Maria's and Kathy's books and go for my run this morning before work since I got up at 3:45 am -- it's run or do housework so I'll pick running!

 

[mikamah]

Now we have two Tinkerbelles -- or should I say Lisabelles?!

or Princess Lisabelles! I'm so excited for both of our Lisa's.

liesel- Congrats on registering for the Tinkerbelle. You will have such an amazing time, and meeting other wishers was one of my favorite parts of the princess weekend. I am so excited for you, and plan to live vicariously through you and Lisa.

Rose- Bummer on the ankle, and there is De Nile river here in MA too, and sometime you just need to float down that river for a little while, and regroup. Hang in there sweetie.

Lisah- Hope you got a good run in today. 3:45 Way too early for me. Maybe you can sneak home for a nap later. How did ds like his camp yesterday?

Nancy - Love the belly pics, and I think you look amazing, and just so you know, my belly is still bigger than yours. Maybe I should take a pic and see how many months it will take for you to surpass me.

Maria- did you get your run in last night? Hope it went well, it wan't too hot here. Funny about ds. Michael did tease me a little, but I think he was happy he was going to get to eat all the donuts, not wake up and look for them and realize I downed the whole bag while watching criminal minds. Hope you get some dis time today at work.

Lindsay- I know what sight words are. I when I volunteered in k and 1st, that's what I did with the kids. I think ds is doing great to know all of them. I remember the huge range of ability, some kids knew them all the in september, and other at the end of the year were still at the beginning. You are aware there might be an issue, and I think that in itself will be a big part of dealing with it if he does have adhd. Hang in there. You're a wonderful mommy.

Hi Corinna. How's vacation?

Michael wanted to go see our friends baseball game last night, so even though michael's done, we still went to the park. lol. Much lower stress for me though, just to visit with my friend.
They're replacing the water main on our side street for the next 2 weeks, so it's a pain to have the windows closed up to keep the dust out. I'm just hoping it's done and paved before our july 3rd party since our yard is so tiny, and the side street is so quiet, we hang out there too.

Have a great day princesses and tinkerbelles!!

 

[flipflopmom]

We are going to try to work hard with him over the summer on listening/paying attention/etc. although I feel like with him we have been doing this since he was 2. Maybe this time it will click. He knows all of his sight words...do you know what that is? Im assuming the same style of curriculum is used all over but have no idea about this. We read almost every night and I point to the words and read the ones he doesnt know and I let him read the ones he does. As we get a few pages into the book it takes him longer and longer to say the words. He brings up other things about the pictures or about what we are having for dinner the next day. So I dont know if that is normal for his age 6 1/2 or if he just cant pay attention. Should he be able to read a whole early reader book on his own by now?

Okay, first on the reading. Knowing sight words is really, really good. First grade will focus more on sounding words out, spelling them, making word families (mop, top, stop, drop, etc). Sounds like that's what the readers were he had? Early reader can be at many levels, so I hesitate to say where he should be with those. Plus, grade level expectations can vary from state to state, so I don't wan't to get you worked up. I had a child transfer to my room from NC, very bright kid, but he was waaayyyyy behind just do to expectation differences in the states. Reading with him is GREAT. You are building vocabulary, etc. If he wants to talk about the pics, let him. Kids are curious, and want to know more than what the author is telling them. Talking about the story will actually help him be a better reader, as it will help him clue in to the things readers do (make mental images, connections, predictions, figure out things that are implied but not spelled out, etc.) If he gets too distracted by the story to want to read words himself, let him do other activities to work on his own reading skills. Starfall.com is a GREAT website to work on this starfall. I would suggest the first 5 lessons on this page. Also some great games, video clips, and stories here between the lions. I know I am addressing the reading more than the attention issue, but it will help him to stay on top of reading.

Attention span, especially in boys, is tricky. A lot of times the very activeness in boys is mistaken for ADHD. This link help4adhd is to a GREAT adhd site. I hope I have linked directly to the page with symptoms. This is what we had to fill out and the school had to fill out when we first started working with AK. Be sure to read the critieria on how many should be present, and the fact that it has to cause difficulty in two or more settings. EVEN IF you suspect ADHD, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT HIM ON MEDS! Remember that. You don't even have to tell the school that you suspect, or have the diagnosis. I also want to share this. (Sorry for the book, but reading and ADHD are two of my "causes"). I've made it fairly obvious that I have ADHD. I have thought many times about medication, but just can't bring myself to do it. I handle it with caffeine. Yes, caffeine. Goes against EVERYTHING you think of with caffeine, I know. But ADHD meds are stimulants. ADHD has some lack of blood flow to the brain associated with it. Caffeine increases that blood flow. I've read story after story of kids behavior with ADHD and no meds improving with caffeine. In fact, our former guidance counselor used to keep soft drinks in her fridge to give to kids if they were out of meds, etc. I personally drink 5 or 6 cups of black coffee, and many glasses of unsweetned tea a day while trying to do things like write papers. Now, the trick is to find a caffeine source that does not contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc. AK will drink coffee with a bit of milk and a 1/2t. of sugar, or a glass of straight up unsweetened tea if I brew it with mint. It makes a huge difference in her behavior. How does Ryan react to caffeine? I've also heard of people that tried to up their kids caffeine to see if it helped before going to the dr. (Reasoning, if the caffeine made it worse, wasn't true ADHD because the stimulant had the opposite effect and hyped them up instead of calming them down). Just a thought........ Again, sorry for the book and if it was TMI.

didn't want to put this on the main thread but wanted to share. i had every intention of taking belly pics every week or so but kept forgetting. you can see i'm filling out pretty much everywhere! still in regular clothes but i think their days are numbered

How absolutely adorable! Please keep sharing!!!!

DS is 11 and turning 12 in July. He is very mature for his age so sometimes I need to remind myself of that. Poor guy has had a lot of physical changes this year -- he is taller than me, his voice has changed, has hair everywhere. It's hard to be the guy who will need to shave soon in the 6th grade. He really is a good guy and we are very proud of him.

I had forgotten how close in age he and AK are. She'll be 12 in Sept. She's got the opposite end - last to get.... developed and hairy. This age is soooo tough. (For them and us!) Adult beverages...... ahhh.... lapu lapu in my future!

Tonight is the first test of my new resolve. I couldn't run this morning, so I have to do it when I get home. I actually feel ok, it's just been a really stressful day at work, and I've had almost no time to DIS -- I have a deadline for a big application, and it's all I can do to stay ahead of it. The run will be a great opportunity to de-stress, even though getting in my bed also seems like it could work

You need that balance of sleep and exercise. I hope you got it in!

So I have been trying to just keep swimming. Some days are better than others. Mike is starting to question whether is is a stress fracture. It's feeling ok today. I am choosing to ignore it for now. Did you know that De Nile is a river in KY?

So speaking of DS, we have an appointment with our family doctor on Friday to talk about the ADHD stuff. If she is good with writing the prescription he will stop seeing the psychiatrist--there's some issues there that happened over the last week. This guy helped him. DS is feeling much more organized and feeling ok with the fact that this is just something he has to deal with.

PLEASE take care of you!!!! Please? For me? Don't float down DeNile so long you do permanent damage. And don't stay away for fear of not wanting to vent, that's why we are here! Got it? As for Tom, sounds like the psychiatrist has down what he needed to do. Time to move on. Glad Tom seems more accepting now. I remember AK saying after we first addressed it with the doctor "You mean I'm not just crazy?" Broke. my. heart. So that sounding board of acceptance is important.

I just got back from my road trip last night and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the main challenge thread right now It seems much more real now that I've paid the fee! A little scary too. I haven't run that consistently since the kids got out of school (I need to figure this out) and DH and I are considering doing a 4 mile run on July 4th that we haven't had much time to train for in the last 2 weeks.

YAY!!!! I am here because of the pace of this thread. I have too much on my plate to commit to the challenge, but realized I need the support! How exciting!

Now we have two Tinkerbelles -- or should I say Lisabelles?!

Love it!!!! very southern!

Taryn-Good to see you posting! I saw some of your WDW plans and it looks like fun! We didn't do much TS on our trip, but Boma is definitely my favorite. We also really enjoyed Biergarten, both the food and the live music. They put on several shows throughout the evening, I think you can find the times on allears and the Epcot times guide. My kids were tearing up the dance floor, much to the amusement of the band.

Thanks for the vote of confidence on Biergarten. Our 11 year old is freaking out because she thinks we are taking her to a bar!

How cool to do an inaugural race. It will be interesting to hear what you "tink" of it

You guys are killing me now!!!! Sending ppd for Sept!

I'm going to take a page from Maria's and Kathy's books and go for my run this morning before work since I got up at 3:45 am -- it's run or do housework so I'll pick running!

We could have chatted. That's the time I get up every morning.


As you can tell by this lengthy post, I am in a better place. I only have one assignment for the paper guru, and 2 for another class to finish in the next 9 days. DH talked Disney all night (I'm sure it was to distract me from my imminent mental breakdown!) He's helping someone plan a trip at work, he's the Disney guy there! Ak is better, Sophie is not, but that's okay. We'll get there. `I am going to take the rest of the day off of classwork adn work on stuff for the trip and housework. I think. We'll see how long that resolve lasts!

Thanks for the ppd. It worked!
Taryn

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

I'm watching my friend's 5 year old today. My friend has to go to court to get an order of protection on their neighbor! Yikes!!! I don't mind watching her but I did have things to do. Oh well.

wow thats crazy. Glad you were there to help her out. I hope you had a good day.

didn't want to put this on the main thread but wanted to share. i had every intention of taking belly pics every week or so but kept forgetting. you can see i'm filling out pretty much everywhere! still in regular clothes but i think their days are numbered

This is totally awesome and seeing that cute (very fit) belly bump just warms my heart. You look wonderful. Dont forget to share more as you continue to grow. I love baby bellies!!!!!

Have you had Ryan's eyes checked? DS started wearing glasses when he was in the first grade. We also tried hard to keep up with reading, writing and math in the summer to avoid brain drain. It's no fun but it does pay off in the fall.

If it makes you feel any better, even as they get older it seems like it is hard to figure out whether something needs to be done or not. DS pulled a D and C- on two finals and still got B's and B+ for his grades. Apparently there was a big time freeze and panic on those tests -- we decided it is better to have that happen now than in high school.

Ryan had his eyes checked at the doctor and passes so I am assuming that is ok. Thanks for sharing your stories about Ds. Definitely helps.

Good luck with that running plan. and yes one day at a time

[Tonight is the first test of my new resolve. I couldn't run this morning, so I have to do it when I get home. I actually feel ok, it's just been a really stressful day at work, and I've had almost no time to DIS -- I have a deadline for a big application, and it's all I can do to stay ahead of it. The run will be a great opportunity to de-stress, even though getting in my bed also seems like it could work

Just keep telling yourself how good you will feel if you run and how much better you will sleep. You can do it. Im glad you had a great run this weekend and got to see a play too.

But he wants him to keep seeing him for an unlimited period of time and Tom is not good with that. And I don't think he needs it. He just needed to be turned back in the right direction. He has another appointment on Thursday and we're trying to decide if we should cancel it or wait until after we see the primary care doctor.

I hope your PCP will be ok with ordering the meds. Yes I agree tom probably does not need a constant rolling appt. Maybe just an occasional visit. Our peds docs do this for the kids. We do meds or behavioral intervention and then see the children every 3-6 months depending on their control. We see kids up until 22yrs. So I would assume the PCP would do this too. The only thing is some Family docs dont put as much focus and time on talking to the patient about it. So he may still feel better following up with a counseler not necessarily a psychiatrist.


Thank you so much for sharing your history with tom. It is so difficult and I commend you for working through it with him. That is why I even hesitated to think about even an eval since his academics were ok. Its just one of those things that I have worried about with him for a few years now. He has always been my difficult child, high strung, cries (loudly) if something isnt going his way, anger...like when I put him in his room if he is being "bad" he will scream and throw his bedding around and kick the door. I just ignore it. My dh has a hard time ignoring it but I did the same thing as a kid so I guess it doesnt bother me as much. Anyway thanks again for the advice.

I registered for the Tinker Bell!

Horray that is so exciting and I like the name for you ladies.... Princess Lisabelles.

Remember how I'm hoping to go to Disney in September? Well it is still up in the air. Boo. John still needs to ask for the extra week off. I really hope he boss will just give it to him. He's the Director of his department for goodness sake and is glued to his computer and phone 24/7. Give him another week. He will be checking emails constantly anyway!! He left early this morning to fly to San Diego for one night. Stinks. That's a long trip. Hopefully the meetings will go well and he can ask afterwards

Sending Pixie dust to your dh's boss because with a little disney magic in his blood there will be no way he can say no.

They're replacing the water main on our side street for the next 2 weeks, so it's a pain to have the windows closed up to keep the dust out. I'm just hoping it's done and paved before our july 3rd party since our yard is so tiny, and the side street is so quiet, we hang out there too.

Have a great day princesses and tinkerbelles!!

That stinks. Why is it they always pick the most inopportune time to do things like this. Like the summer when you want to be outside relaxing or feeling the breeze flow through the windows.

As you can tell by this lengthy post, I am in a better place. I only have one assignment for the paper guru, and 2 for another class to finish in the next 9 days. DH talked Disney all night (I'm sure it was to distract me from my imminent mental breakdown!) He's helping someone plan a trip at work, he's the Disney guy there! Ak is better, Sophie is not, but that's okay. We'll get there. `I am going to take the rest of the day off of classwork adn work on stuff for the trip and housework. I think. We'll see how long that resolve lasts!

Thanks for the ppd. It worked!
Taryn

Yay. Im so glad to hear that you feel better and that dh is back on board. I think out of anyone I know you and your family need this trip the most. You will have such a great family time. You have been through so much this year with worries about dh's job, AK and gymnastics, school, so forth and so on.....you really deserve a break from reality.

**********************************************************

Let me just say to everyone thank you so much for your comments about Ryan. It means so much to me that you take the time out of your busy day to give such detailed feedback and share your experiences with me. I appreciate it so much.

You know when you have kids no one ever told you on top of being a mom you will also need to be a teacher, a doctor, a nurse, a seamstress, a coach, a police officer, a security gaurd, etc. Im sure I could think of a bunch of other duties that a mom does for our kids. note to Nancy(the police officer and security gaurd is a must when you have two boys in the house)

Anyway....

I got a great run in last night again. It has been so nice running at night. I go out after the kids are in bed and still have plenty of daylight. Today we are having a first day of summer picnic luncheon at work but since I have started the biggest loser challenge at work the girls are all bringing in healthy things. Everyone is doing so well. We have 5 staff weighing in and so far in 4wks we lost 23.8lbs as a group. I think at the end of the challenge if we have continued success I will send our story into our networks healthy you magazine and see if they want to do a story on our office getting healthy by inspiring each other. I think my staff would really love that.

Well ladies enjoy the first day of summer today!!!!!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Taryn--thanks for sharing about the caffeine. I'm going to google that and see what I can find. it's interesting cause tom has always said that caffeine does not effect him--in that it doesn't make him hyper (but it does raise his blood pressure). We decided he will go to the psychiatrist one more time on thursday and then that will probably be it. If he needs a counselor we will find one in SC. Glad things are calming down.

Nancy--I forgot to say yesterday--love the baby bump.

I just got back from my road trip last night and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the main challenge thread right now (over 20 pages while I was gone, holy cow!) but I wanted to at least pop in and say hi to everyone. I also wanted to let you know that before I left:

I registered for the Tinker Bell!

Too exciting! Glad you could join us!

Remember how I'm hoping to go to Disney in September? Well it is still up in the air. Boo. John still needs to ask for the extra week off. I really hope he boss will just give it to him. He's the Director of his department for goodness sake and is glued to his computer and phone 24/7. Give him another week. He will be checking emails constantly anyway!! He left early this morning to fly to San Diego for one night. Stinks. That's a long trip. Hopefully the meetings will go well and he can ask afterwards

I really hope you can work your trip out.

I got a great run in last night again. It has been so nice running at night. I go out after the kids are in bed and still have plenty of daylight. Today we are having a first day of summer picnic luncheon at work but since I have started the biggest loser challenge at work the girls are all bringing in healthy things. Everyone is doing so well. We have 5 staff weighing in and so far in 4wks we lost 23.8lbs as a group. I think at the end of the challenge if we have continued success I will send our story into our networks healthy you magazine and see if they want to do a story on our office getting healthy by inspiring each other. I think my staff would really love that.

Well ladies enjoy the first day of summer today!!!!!

That's really cool Lindsay! Probably makes it much easier to stay on plan when others are on plan too!

******
Hi to everyone else--oh and Lisa 3:45, goodness! That is early!

I am icing--my knees and my ankle. Went for a run on the treadmills at the Y. They got new really cushy treadmills and it was pretty nice run. No knee pain and the ankle is only a little swollen.

I wish the PC doctor appointment was before Friday. I will be glad when that is over. The whole family is going to the appointment. Actually Tom wants me to go and I want Mike to go. I wish our pediatrician treated kids until 22--that is so cool whoever said that--things would be much easier!

And we are still waiting to hear about both jobs. It's one of those hurry up and wait things. I would love an out of town weekend so I keep hoping for an interview so that we can take a trip! Melbourne would be nice--I could definitely make a trip to see the mouse for a day, I think!

Ok, have a nice evening!

 

[flipflopmom]

Taryn--thanks for sharing about the caffeine. I'm going to google that and see what I can find. it's interesting cause tom has always said that caffeine does not effect him--in that it doesn't make him hyper (but it does raise his blood pressure). If he needs a counselor we will find one in SC. I am icing--my knees and my ankle. No knee pain and the ankle is only a little swollen.:I wish the PC doctor appointment was before Friday. I will be glad when that is over. The whole family is going to the appointment. And we are still waiting to hear about both jobs. It's one of those hurry up and wait things.

The "research" on the caffeine is still kind of up in the air, some docs recommend, others are unsure, etc. I go by lots of testimonies, and personal experience. When we took Ak for the first appointment, we had made lots and lots of notes. I had already talked to the dr. over the phone, and he focused all his attention for the first 30 minutes on her as if I weren't in the room. That was really important, she trusts him now. So if you feel ignored in the beginning, it's a good thing.

One thing to keep in mind and ask about, IF you decide to go the meds route, is that this is a controlled substance, and as such, (at least in VA), you can't just get a refill on a prescription at the pharmacy. You have to call the dr's office each month to request refills,can only be refilled every 30 days, and the doctor has to write a new paper prescription each month to take to the pharmacy. This is something to check on and see what the dr. suggests. I don't know how this would work to get it to SC. Pretty sure you couldn't mail it, don't know if the dr. could call it in (ours can't, we have to pick it up, but that might just be a time saver for the office and they would make an exception), or how it would all work. Don't start stressing now, could just be a VA law, but be sure to ask! Just something I thought about.......

We do meds or behavioral intervention and then see the children every 3-6 months depending on their control. I think out of anyone I know you and your family need this trip the most. You know when you have kids no one ever told you on top of being a mom you will also need to be a teacher, a doctor, a nurse, a seamstress, a coach, a police officer, a security gaurd, etc I got a great run in last night again. It has been so nice running at night. We have 5 staff weighing in and so far in 4wks we lost 23.8lbs as a group.

Aw. Lindsay There is something weird in my genetics that appreciates validation of trials. Sometimes, it just feels like I make mountains out of mole hills.... I want to add to your list : maid!!!!, chauffer, counselor, fashion advisor, chef, life coach and organizer, personal assistant. Kinda sounds like my kids walk all over me, huh? So glad you had a good run and are back on track!

Okay, here goes:
1. Brad finally DOES get to be off next week, someone that wasn't eligible for unemployment wanted to work. They had figured out that he would lose about $200 working next week, based on how much they wanted him to work, unemployment, etc. I know that sounds AWFUL, especially since he's been off w/o pay every Friday for about 2 months now, that he had a chance to work and didn't take it. Unfortunately, it's all about the $$!!! So he can help or do the packing, etc.

2. He also said they are starting aBL competition at work, winner gets a paid vacation day. He's at a disadvantage, b/c he's VERY overweight and they are going by percentage, BUT this means 2 things: 1. He'll be healthier. 2. He won't be bringing chips and other bad stuff home to tempt me, and we'll be in this together! I am sooo excited!

Hoping to knock out part of a paper today, although my heart's not in it yet. Taking the girls to the library at 11 for storytime (Ak insists she'll just look for books instead), and then sending them to Mom. I think I will clean out the toxic waste dump that is AK's room, b/c she's lost her portable DVD player!

Have a wonderful day!!!!!!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Taryn I missed this important piece of info along the way but...what are you in school for? I'm about to start an online course in search engine marketing. Hubby wants me to take it in hopes that we can build our consulting business. When you business partner is your hubby it's hard to get on the ball! Lol! Anyway, how did your paper turn out?

Lindsay I just wanted to offer support with what you're going through with Ryan. I'm not there yet with my kid(s) but I can only imagine how frustrating it is to have to deal with it all

Rose how's the icing going? What's next on the treatment agenda? How frustrating to want to just run and have to be sidelined after every workout with swelling and pain. Hrrmph.

I got through half thebpeople on here but little man is up and yelling from his crib. Must get him and get ready to go to party city for enough party supplies to choke a hungry hungry hippo!

Have a great day!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

One thing to keep in mind and ask about, IF you decide to go the meds route, is that this is a controlled substance, and as such, (at least in VA), you can't just get a refill on a prescription at the pharmacy. You have to call the dr's office each month to request refills,can only be refilled every 30 days, and the doctor has to write a new paper prescription each month to take to the pharmacy. This is something to check on and see what the dr. suggests. I don't know how this would work to get it to SC. Pretty sure you couldn't mail it, don't know if the dr. could call it in (ours can't, we have to pick it up, but that might just be a time saver for the office and they would make an exception), or how it would all work. Don't start stressing now, could just be a VA law, but be sure to ask! Just something I thought about.......

I just have a sec before work to comment but since this is what I do I figured I would chime in. This is a law everywhere in the US because it comes down from the DEA. So Taryn you are exactly right. You have to pick up your scripts on paper because they cannot be called in or faxed in to the pharmacy. Well you can fax it but you have to than mail in the script to them...not all pharmacy's will do that.

Some physicians will give you 3 scripts at a time with each of them having dates a month apart. This usually is only once they know the patient is on the right drug and right dose and most times that takes awhile to be sure.

What can happen Rose if tom does do the meds is that you pick up his script and then mail it to him at school for him to fill at a local pharmacy.

It is a bit of a hassle with these meds but with reading all the crazy things that go on with them I am sure you can understand.

Now I am off to work!!!! I need to be more productive today. I slacked a bit this week and am lacking motivation.