Homeschool Flow

So school has been doing actually pretty awesome.... dare I say.  Are we doing everything I want to do?  Is Kaden begging for more and we are skipping hand in hand in some meadow?  No, not even close.  But, we are creating a routine....a routine people. 

Here is what we worked on this week:

Hygiene

Math

Grammar

Life Skills

Reading

Hygiene has been so hard for him because he is extremely sensitive to tastes, touch and basically anything to do with his head so brushing teeth and showers are like pulling teeth.  But, I have found a tooth paste that he actually can tolerate that is not filled with a bunch of crap.  Burt's Bees fluoride free fruit fusion.  We have tried so many it's insane.  And bath time we have it down to every other day after lunch.  Which is a game changer if we are out and about and we have to do it in the morning or heaven forbid the evenings.  He has set rules in his mind that he finds painful to break and the struggle is evident when he has to work through a change in plans.
Math we have been using an online program and Singapore Math.  Grammar is on Khan Academy right now ...he loves Khan for all subjects.  Life Skills we did some baking, went to the grocery store where he helped pick out items from a list.  He loves to compare prices on anything....I mean LOVES it!  So, it's like a playground in there for him.  As long as nobody makes eye contact with him or heaven forbid try and talk to him.  He will straight up ghost you right there in isle 5, dropping whatever was in his hands.  Yes, this has happened.  Also for life skills we worked on making a schedule.  I love getting his input and he loves sharing his opinion on things.
As for Reading, it's been hit or miss this week and that's weird.  He reads all the time, but because we have a new schedule in place I noticed for him to find comfort he reads and rereads his special books, books he has read 10,000 times.  I haven't pushed him to read anything different because obviously he needs these specific books and I can live with that.
So, that's the low down....I plan to do this every week because I want to track our progress better.  And I will be adding more academics to his plate every single week.

Birthday Love

Kaden is 9 now....time has flown by.  I remember just months ago it seems like that he was fighting for his life with RSV at just 6 weeks old.  And when he was diagnosed with Autism finally at 4, the relief was huge.  He's been through lot's of life moments both good and bad in his 9 short years.  I'm so thankful for every moment I have with him......even right now as I hear him pounding on his bedroom wall.  This morning has been a bit difficult, but nothing we can't handle as a Family.

School is Back in Session Today.....

Normally we take the whole month of December off.  But, since I was having some health issues we kind of took off a little earlier this year.  We started relaxing a bit before Thanksgiving and our Family was honestly better off for doing that.  I've learned over the years that nobody learns a thing if we are all stressed and irritable.  It's better to do what your capable of maintaining instead of what you highly expect from yourself and others. 
So, we started back today slowly.  We started off with our Favorite Breakfast....Bagel Egg, Sausage & Cheese sandwiches and slowly dove into School Work.  Mahala ran to her room to work on Biology while Kaden and I sailed through our day downstairs, starting with Math. 

Blocks of Time

My Boy has been doing pretty well lately.  We have been working up a storm to set a routine in place that works for us.  Do you flip flop with your routine or schedule?  I do....it's a constant evolving list of rules, timelines, dates, to-dos and to-don't!!!  We are trying to find out what works and what can be changed at a moments notice with out Kaden going into a complete melt down.  Right now we are using Blocks of time instead of actual times.  

Exhaling Moments

Kaden the other day was practicing his Spelling words on a hand held white board.  As I was busy preparing the next subject he scrolled out this little precious moment and flashed it at me.  And just like that I melted back into my seat and exhaled deeply.  
I don't know about you, but I get so caught up in the busyness of life and lists.  I have to be constantly reminded to exhale and enjoy what God has so generously given me.  It's funny because with my other two Kiddos I can drill them right along schedule and not miss a beat.  But, Kaden being on the Spectrum is a total different story. 

Breakfast for Daddy

Kaden is still doing fine around here...knock on wood.  :)  We have been making little changes here and there and trying to be as consistent as possible for his daily routine.  We had a few extra things to do this week that wasn't in the plans...but, we were able to give enough notice to smooth right over the possible bumps and meltdown craziness.
One of the things we had going on this week was my Husband's Birthday.  Kaden was so excited about it and wanted to surprise Dad with an omelet breakfast.  Yep, he was the sweetest little helper and I must say he was focused and willing to participate in every area of the morning.

He cleaned and sliced mushrooms, made the spinach, shredded the cheese. stirred the eggs and poured them and flipped the omelet before he put it all on the plate.  He even walked it up while I brought the coffee and we served Daddy in bed.  I was so proud of him for showing love and compassion...he struggles with that.  But, today he was a super star and we all told him how proud we were of his hard work and participation in Dad's special day.  
Here are a few pics, I'll post more of that day later. :)

Sick Day for Little Helpers!

Another weekend of sickies and softball.  Thankfully my throat could handle homemade french toast this morning.  Yes, I have to have the flu or something really debilitating to keep me away from the breakfast table.  Breakfast is my favorite eating time.  There is absolutely not one thing on a breakfast menu that I don't like.  Most of my kiddos are the same way.  
I like to start the day with an iced or hot coffee.  Then I usually ask Kaden what he wants and the norm is sausage in eggs.  But, sometimes I can get him to entertain the idea of french toast, omelets or biscuits and gravy.  Mmmmmmm biscuits and gravy, sounds heavenly!!! 
I love having little helpers in the kitchen, Kaden is my sweet helper most of the time.  Since he's been sick, I've missed my little guy bumping into me in the kitchen.  Hopefully soon him and I can whip up something yummmy together. :)

Kid's Camp, Coffee and Dog Toys

Working with Mahala today one on one because Kaden is at Kid's Camp this morning.  He went last year and he did pretty good, a few meltdown moments here and there.  But, I'm expecting this year to be totally different and I'm optimistic that he will participate more this year.
Today was Glasses day....it's a Science theme this year and that makes him super excited!  When we pulled up he was jumping around just at all the balloons in the front entrance.  After we dropped him off Mahala and I enjoyed a coffee and a short trip to the neighborhood dog store for a few treats for Homer and Rocco.  I Love finding time separately with each of the kids.

We hardly ever buy anything for Homer because he tears everything up as soon as you give it to him.  I've seen him slice open Kong toys.  Yes, Kong Toys in his mouth sliced open.  And he's a service dog....Mahala said she wouldn't want to mess with him in a dark ally.  When we were at the store the lady suggested this Tuffy Toy......so we bought it, gave it to Homer.....and 20 minutes later we find this. 

Yeah, he's not getting anymore toys, an occasional bone maybe.  But, other then that we are going to be a dog toy free zone.  :)

Discovering Nature on Vacation

Oh what a fun exciting vacation we had!!!  We went to Malibu for 5 days and then spent 5 days at Disneyland.  We were greeted by familiar squirrels at the campground, it was like we had never left.  That's why Malibu is so magical to our Family.  We haven't been in about 5 years, I know sooooo sad!  But, for the 5 years before that we had went every single year.  I plan for us to continue now and to not skip another precious year. 

Since Kaden was like 3 the last time we camped there it was like a whole new world to him.  He was in his element that's for sure.  Not once did he say he wanted his tablet, computer, tv or that he was bored.  He climbed trees, played with sticks, found bugs and made friends with the squirrels.  He was on an adventure from the moment his eyes opened and he was usually the first to crawl into the tent at the end of the day.  That boy was worn out every single day!

Seeing him so engaged with nature and truly having fun with little to nothing I have been inspired.  I am going to try and bring the outdoors indoors.  It's hard, because we have no back yard at all, just a bunch of dirt, rocks and weeds.  But, that kind of describes the campsite too.  We just need to add some sort of shelter from the sun and we are going to be good to go.  I want to try and be outside more then inside, not counting night time though.  

Since Kaden has very little interest in things he tends to sit in corners and read or play on his tablet.  The tv is kind of new to him, some time late last year I was flipping through the channels and he saw Spongebob.  Life has never been the same, he can recite every single episode......oh the horror!!!  So, in order to give him another look at like I really want to bring him away from technology and back to nature and all things unplugged.  We will see how it goes....say some prayers.

Accepting Life for What It Really Is

I don't know if it's because I'm older now....just turned 40!  But, I am so content with my life right now.  Things don't have to be perfect, clean, tidy, over planned or even planned at all.  Life is life and life was meant to be enjoyed.  Not to be avoided and dreaded.  

My sweet Kaden, oh how I LOVE him soooo much, but I know for many nights I laid next to him and begged God to take away his Autism, make life easier for me.....Please!!!  I would struggle with his stims or his milestones not being met.  You know what Kaden....eat with your hands, giggle and laugh as you twirl around, touch our faces until you feel safe and calm, whatever you need to enjoy Your life.  I'm so proud of all that he has accomplished in the 8 years of his life.  I want him to be proud of who he is.  I still pray for his safety because he still has uncontrollable anger through out the week.  But, when I look at where he was 4 years ago and where he is now there is soooo much improvement with his social skills, communication and his ability to take care of himself. 
We have been working a lot on daily life skills.  Like keeping himself clean, cleaning up after himself and making healthy food choices.  He loves helping in the kitchen and coming up with new food creations.  He's working on a new strawberry lemonade recipe right now.  I love his enthusiasm for life, he wakes up happy every single morning no matter what kind of night he's had.  He attacks the day like I've never seen before from anyone I've ever known.  I can learn a lot from him....I think I already have!  Thank You Lord for my Sweet Kaden!!!!

More then Half my Life

 




















So, it was another Birthday for me.....yay me!  I am thankful the Lord has given me 40 years and that 21 of them I have been a Momma!!!  We had a great celebration together, especially since my oldest was born on my Birthday.  We both hit milestones this year, I turned 40 and he made it to 21.  Here I am with my Sweet girl who just turned 15 not too long ago.  They grow up so fast and before you know it those late nights don't seem like such a big deal anymore.  I would do anything to be able to go tell my younger self to relax more and enjoy the kids.  No, I take that back!  I did do that and that's why my Son was out with his Family on his 21st Birthday.  Because I did take the time to stay up late and talk with them.  I did play board games, make cool art projects and decided to Homeschool them to tailor their education and be able to spend quality time with them.  We have made cookies just because it was Tuesday and have spent many afternoons dancing in the rain or basking in the sun.  These last 21 years have been the Best years of my Life.....I Love My Family!!!

Living with the Tiger we call Autism

Life with Autism is kind of like living in the house with a wild Tiger.  There are moments where you want to just sit back and enjoy the majestic beauty as it frolics along playing quietly.  You are careful not to disturb the Tiger because if it's taken away too soon from what it's interested in you could be in trouble.  If the Tiger is annoyed or startled you could be in for a loud outburst and thrashing of anger is what will eventually tucker the aggravated tiger out.  You never know what it's thinking, you just have to carefully pay attention to his body language, activity and the way it sounds.  

This is life with Kaden, we have had a good several days, but we know we can never just let our guard down.  We can't just relax completely and forget what truly lurks inside our boy.  He is the sweetest child I have ever known.  He is caring and can be gentle and is so smart.  He hears things and never forgets them, he just adds it to what he already knows.  His mind is brilliant the way he works with numbers and figures things out before the question is even finished.  It is easy to forget the Tiger he has within him.  It's easy to let your guard down and slip into a routine destined for failure.  

With the kids recently coming home last Saturday night from their Missions Trip it changed up the schedule just a little too much.  We allowed a little more video game time for Kaden then normal, less school work and structured time.  We let him stay up longer, get off of his diet and didn't give all the physical stimuli he needs in order to release the energy inside.  So, now I sit here Tuesday morning with the walls shaking from his screams.  As he bounces his body off of the walls, trashes his room and blurts out things Mommas don't want to ever hear her kids say.  I can restrain, I can yell, I can cry, I can do a million things right now, but nothing will stop his behavior.  We have had the therapy, we know what to expect and we know what to do.  We wait, we pray, we stay strong and the storm will pass and he will end up at my feet making little puppy sounds.  I will wait until he touches me, which indicates it's ok for me to touch him.  I will hold him and he will hum and make noises.  Now that we have a service dog, he comes and helps.  He weathers the whole storm usually right beside him unless I'm afraid he may get hurt in the whirlwind of Kaden's meltdown.  After Kaden is limp in my arms or beanbag for several minutes he will normally cry softly and then get up like nothing has happened.  If it was very physical like it was today he will need to sleep it off after several glasses of water.

As I write this sentence he is putting on his essential oils and sipping water.  And now he's grabbing the basket ball to roll and kick up and down the stairs.  It's constant pressure and stimuli that his Body needs.  He needs education and essential oils to engage and sooth him Mentally.  He needs sleep and silence or soothing music to repair and rebuild his Mind.  And of course the Lord and Prayer to calm and fill his Soul.
Everyday is an adventure, just some are more enjoyable then others.  Pray for us all!

Sibling Education Takes Flight

You know those days when you think the only thing holding you upright is your bones, some invisible heavy duty string and the good Lord's firm grip?  Yes, well, I've been having one of those lifetimes.  Ok, probably only the past 5 years or so, but seriously.  Enough is enough already.....I am turning 40 in a few months and I am going to be working super hard to take back my health, both mentally and physically.  

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

For now I am going with the flow, getting things done when I have the strength and loving on my Kids.  That's the most important thing to me.  I have learned so much this year about the importance of loving on your kids, giving them an environment that supports them and nurtures them.  In our school Bible time, Math, Reading and Art are the important areas we work on in some way every single day.  History and Science usually comes in the form of reading and experimenting.  We actually do a lot of History through art also.

Last week Kaden was talking about an aerodynamics class he took last year.  We decided to dig around and find his old notes and pictures.  There is so much out there to learn.  I Love this about homeschooling....anything can be turned into a learning experience.  We looked online and learned about flight patterns, airplane construction and we even added weather into the mix.  Mahala was also able to join in and since she is much older she brought a lot of additional questions, knowledge and project ideas that enhanced learning for both of them.  Sibling Education rocks, when you have a few of your kiddos working together not only does it make learning easier and fun, but it also promotes a close Family Bond.  They will not ever forget the times they had growing up and learning side by side.

 

After a few hours of researching and recording what they had learned in their Journals we decided to paint some airplanes and fly them at the park.  Kaden was going for a war plan look while Mahala went the more cartoon character look.  I can't believe I don't have a picture of hers.  :(  She liked her plane so much she decided to take her second plane that wasn't painted yet to the park so her painted plane wouldn't get messed up.  Kaden tried to reassure her that the battle scars would give it character, but she wasn't buying that. :)  

When we arrived at the park we realized that it was extremely windy and flying these Styrofoam planes was going to take an act of God.  Sure enough after 2 tries they took flight alright, but they flew straight to the back stop of the ball field.  They were Not coming down anytime soon, but of course the kids both had to try jumping and rattling the fence.  We gave up trying to get them down and played a game of Frisbee and tag.  When we went back an hour or so latter they were still hanging on.  Mahala had an idea to toss the Frisbee up to knock them down.  After several tries between Kaden and Mahala we walked away owners of two wind beatened airplanes.  HAHAHAHA  

Fun times Homeschooling in the Mainc House!

Birthday Boy for the 8th Time

 

Kaden is now 8 years old....that's so crazy to me.  Where does the time go, I mean come on.  It seems like only a few years ago I was bringing him home from the hospital.  Life with Kaden has been anything but boring.  He has kept us on our toes since day one.

The first few weeks was normal, nothing to crazy except I had a huge kidney infection that landed me back in the hospital.  But, when he was about 4 weeks old he started getting sick.  After being shot down by the Dr. and hearing how it's just leftover amniotic fluid in his lungs I insisted on x-rays.  I then was told he had pneumonia and we started an antibiotic only to later that night rushing him to the emergency room.  He was admitted and given the diagnosis of RSV.  At almost 5 weeks old that was a very scary diagnosis.  
Weeks after being in 2 different hospitals his little body was giving out.  I was so terrified and mentally exhausted.  My heart was so heavy with anxiety and fear.  Between the continuous high fevers and the tubes and wires that kept our little boy's life going I had this constant battle in my head for his survival.  It just couldn't be any other way, he had to heal and recover. 

Homeschooling on the Spectrum is Colorful!!!

I'm asked all the time about homeschooling Kaden.  What's it like to keep your Kiddo with Autism home all day long?  Well, first of all it does take patience.  Not the kind of patience that you need while your on an 8 hour flight in front of a defiant youngster that has the lungs of an Opera singer and feet like sledgehammers.  Or the same kind of patience you need while you wait for your tax return to come in while your juggling a few late bills.  You just need your normal Parent Patience, nothing God didn't equip you with.  Yes, things will get ugly from time to time.  There may be days, even weeks where you only think about getting out of your night clothes.  But, even on those days, with the right systems in place and support you can do it.  

We felt like it was the Best thing for our little guy to stay home.  I wont get into it on this post, but, Kaden has never been to public school like my other two and we plan on keeping it that way.  
So, how do I keep going even through the bad days?  Here are a few ideas that we use daily.

The Bandage Has Been Ripped Off....and It Hurts!

There is a lot of this going on in our house lately.  Life has been a bit overwhelming without the band-aid of video games.  We are sticking to a new rule of no video games during the week and only when time permits on the weekends.

A little back history....Skylar grew up with that same rule and so did Mahala until Kaden developed an interest when he was 4.  Skylar, almost 21 attends college and has a successful job working with children on the Spectrum.  Mahala is still at home learning with me and like Skylar doesn't seem to have any real challenges on or off the computer.  Kaden on the other hand has a problem.  Let me explain what we have seen.

In the beginning we just thought he was so darn cute in the big office chair.  The headphones were so huge and they squished his little checks together and made him have a fishy face.  At that time he showed no real interest in people, his toys or anything else for that matter.  But, all of a sudden our boy literally emerged from behind the couch to see what the Big fuss over this box with a screen was all about.  We were happy he wanted to do something "typical".  

At this point he had just started ABA therapy.  He wasn't potty trained, wouldn't let you hold him, never focused his eyes on your face, he was repetitive with movements and with talking.  Kaden was a toe walking, twirling kid running scared of any little sound or movement.  I remember when his days consisted of numbers and sequences all day long.  The fear of water and physical touch was a nightmare to navigate during bath time.  He was totally disconnected with the outside world.

So, A few hours a day of Video games became a little bit of heaven for not only me, but the whole family.  It became the only reinforcement that worked during his 30 hours of therapy a week.  We used it as a reward for participating in therapy and for doing things that were way outside his comfort zone.  A few hours turned into 4 or 5 hour each day and slowly increased over the course of 2 or 3 years to the present.  Now he is almost 8 and would spend most of the day playing.  When he wasn't playing he was talking about playing.  And when he wasn't doing that he was very aggressive to himself and property.  Now before you ask, no he didn't play violent, crazy games.  Minecraft was his favorite and only game.  It was okay for him for about 15 minutes and then he would get frustrated or overwhelmed about something regarding the game.  One time he misplaced something in a chest and we spent 3 days going through all of his hundreds of chests looking for the item.  Even though in the end it really was only important to him, not really important in the game itself.

For the past year we have been going through a Family crisis I guess you can say.  Game time became like a band-aid, because we could find time to deal with what was going on in the Family.  Between therapy, the older kids and video games Kaden was taken care of while we healed from trauma that we were going through.  During all this we would take away his game play all together because of behavior and within a day we would see an incredible decrease in negative behavior.  He would have little fits of rage, but after several days he was a new person.  And then we would give in again after having a few weeks of such amazing behavior.  We would think he deserved a little break, only to be slapped in the face with cold reality that video games have this negative effect on him.  Now, we have tried several kinds of games and he doesn't seem to get worked up over them.  It's the computer games that seem to do it to him, unfortunately it's his favorite game...Minecraft.

Now we are focused and on the road to Family recovery so that means getting Kaden healthy and happy too.  Which is why we took the no video games during the week and only for a few hours on the weekend approach.
What we have found after a few days of rage was that he has this major need for physical activity.  He's been riding his bike, using the trampoline more and goes outside just to look at stuff and explore he says.  He has played with play-dough, painted, actually build with his legos and just snuggle.  Here is an example, we had our weekly review with the Therapist we worked with when he had ABA therapy.  She was amazed because for the first time in 3 years he sat with us at the table and talked about random stuff from the week.  He shared an upcoming movie trailer and even invited her to a game of chess.  Who was this kid???  And how can I keep him out here with all of us?

I'm not going to lie, the past few weeks have been some of the hardest to get through.  He has soooo much energy that sometimes he just runs around the couch screaming or talking about a subject that we have no idea about.  He is in a constant state of motion and silence is something I have not experienced except when I drift off to sleep finally.  But, at least he's not in a coma in front of a screen.  I'm not saying all kids are like this, but mine is.  And I want him to be alive and awake....feeling all that the world has to offer him.  And our Family will huddle around him as he experiences life in a whole new way.  :)

Painting Pumpkins with Purpose!

Little Man is so thrilled to do pumpkins this year.  And even though every time we get out the paint I have to do a touch up job on the walls, wash curtains and toss whatever clothes he has on in the trash....it's still worth it to me.  We went yesterday to the Pumpkin Patch, I'll post about that tomorrow.  We had several hiccups throughout the day, but we made it through in one piece.

So, today in order to get ready for the Start of Holiday Season we started with painting pumpkins.  We are saving the Big Guys for carving.  Kaden is a very messy, but purposeful painter.  Every action is not wasted, he has a purpose for everything.  From the napkin under his pumpkin all the way to every stern smile he gives his little masterpiece in order to make it just so.  I Love how he makes his messes, truly I'm not kidding.  I'll tell you why....He enjoys every second or every project.  The feel of the cold squishy paint in his little fists give him pleasure and reminds him of all the other fun times he's had with paint.  As he smears it across the table, paper or even his clothes he gleams with the excitement the different textures tells his little brain.  He doesn't just look at his painted pumpkin and think job well done.  He looks at his painted pumpkin and sees a symphony of possibilities.  He sees a masterpiece of sounds, feelings, vibrations and visual stories all woven into a blissful mental retreat.  Yes, a retreat because there are no rules for him during art.  He can be and do what he wants here, there is no worry for him to stay between the lines.  I know so many times and activities, like the pumpkin patch yesterday we try to make our Spectrum guys look and act more Typical.  Why do we do that?????  Literally, I'm asking myself that right now!

Anatomy of a Meltdown

We had to put the breaks once again on the video games.  I hate to do it, but Kaden gets so overwhelmed and can't process his emotions during and after he plays.  So, now we are back to no Minecraft or Autcraft.  We did this a few months ago and we saw an amazing improvement.  He is sad and flipping out, but I know that after a few days into his game fast his behavior will improve and he will have better control over his emotions.

Last night, for nearly 3 hours he was banging his head, punching the walls and threatening because he lost his place in the game.  He wasn't able to save when the server went down.  I know that is pretty frustrating for any Kiddo to go through.  But, to Kaden it was over the top traumatic to him.  And when he reaches the point of Domesday you have no leverage with him at all.  Typically you could threaten a child with grounding or the loss of a favorite item or activity.  But, with Kaden that means nothing because right now he is already on the Titanic just waiting to drown. 
 
It is very painful to watch....basically you wait it out and try to keep him safe.  Safety is the main concern and at midnight we all need to be careful not to fall down the stairs.  :)  After almost 2 hours of violently kicking and self harm he balls himself up and hides under something, which signals to us that the worse is over.  Thank You Lord!!  Now he needs pressure of some sort....his weighted blanket, his service pup or wrapped up in our arms.  Then comes the talk portion where he tries to reason with what just happened.  When he was younger, he's 7 now.  This part of his meltdown would be him on the floor organizing toys or objects by size or color.  Now, he uses his words more, but after really tough episodes he will remain silent except for his humming and still sort things.  I find it is soothing for him and helps him make sense of what just happened.  As we head to the 3 hour mark he will ask for water and his bed.  I know he is exhausted right now.  Energy used up during a Meltdown can be compared to a Marathon for a young child.  In the past I would ask questions about his behavior and why he behaved the way he did.  Now, after years of meltdowns I know that it's useless to even try.  

And I know the next morning he wont even remember what happened.  If the meltdown was earlier in the day he may be able to talk about it at bed time, but more then likely not.  

He has explained it to me many times that having a meltdown is like playing 4 or 5 of CDs at the same time on the loudest setting.  You can't distinguish the individual songs playing.  You may catch a word or two, but not enough to make sense.  This is why what he rants about during his meltdown hardly ever make any sense.

For now we deal with it, and try our hardest to keep him safe.  Every day I thank God for my Kaden, our Family would not be what it is without him....
If you have a Kiddo with Autism how do you handle their Meltdowns?

Little Hands Big Hearts

 There is hardly a time when I don't have all of my Kiddos with me, or at least one of them.  Honestly I miss them when they aren't with me.  Maybe I've just gotten so good about tuning out the not so pleasing behavior or I'm just in love with being a Momma.  I think it's a little of both.  :) But, I truly enjoy being around my Kids.....even on the bad days. 


Don't get me wrong...I have my days, when I just don't know what will help Kaden stop screaming and banging his head like a mad person.  And the teenage hormones can send Mahala from being little Miss Sunshine to Cruella Deville.  But, I expect those days to come.  And when those days are in the here and now I try real hard to imagine the day they wont be making a trail of cracker crumbs from the kitchen table to the tv.  There will be a day that Skylar, Mahala and Kaden will have their own families and I will hopefully be a Grandma just begging for her Grandkiddos to come over and bake a mud pie with me.  When I think about that it makes it a little easier and then I'm able to stop rocking in the corner praying Hubby walks in at any moment.  And I can try to enjoy whatever glimmer of happiness I can find in any situation.

I pray a lot, I pray every day for patience and strength with a glimpse of my child's heart.  Sometimes if we look at life through our Kiddo's eyes, we see their heart...their intent.  We can see that their goal wasn't to take us down piece by piece.  You will be able to find glorious opportunities to teach and love them to greatness. 

Having a Friend or group of Friends is always important too.  I have my Sister and if she wasn't there for me on those days that I want to just cry because I don't know what I can do to help Kaden through his meltdown I don't know what I would do.  Hubby and I have also been making date night a major priority too.  We let it slide the past few years, because we were caught up in therapy with Kaden.  We now have remembered our relationship needs to come first, right after our relationship with God.

What helps you get through those trying days?  Give us your Secrets.....

Psalms 127:3-5  

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Pluck and Toss!

This look should say it all...Kaden has lost so many teeth that he literally just plucks them out and lays it on the table and walks away.  My other two Kiddos would make this huge production, talk about what they were going to do with the money.  Even show of their prized tooth to everyone that dared to walk within 20 feet of them.  Three teeth were tossed in the trash before I even got to see them.  Luckily I caught this one in time!!!!  So, I had to share...my Boy is growing up way to fast!!