School & Testing

Joshua is getting Neurological testing.  (Yay!)  This is a good thing.  The more we know about how these munchkins mind's work...the better parenting! :) 

A few new's...

*Matt - KINDERGARTEN.  We swing back in a love-hate relationship.  He loves it when he gets there...he hates leaving mom's side to do so.

Jog-a-thon is today. :)  He's going to come home somewhat excited, if not exhausted!  Yay school!

He's in the CHIPS program Children immersed in print successfully - his fine motor skills are still considerably behind.  It hurts him to grip the pencil. :(  He struggles with it...therefore...he dislikes writing and reading. :( 

He loves to be read to though. ;)

We are talking to the Dr. about putting him on medication.  He struggles so much some days. :(  Anxieties, fears, anger.  It's heart wrenching at times. 

*Josh - Pre-school - back in action and going strong! 

Same pre-school, attending at different locale though.  He handles school well - when he's not Jekyll/Hyde-ing it. 

After the Neurological exams, there is a lot of talk about ADHD medication.  (answer to our prayers!)  We are crossing our fingers. :) 

That's the basics in a nutshell.  Stay tuned for pics and posts about birthdays that are just right around the corner! ;)

Updates!

It's been a long while, I know.

Lots of stuff has happened....like, Matt's ready for Kindergarten. {eek!}  Josh has transitioned to being the only one in preschool.  With amazing finesse, I might add!  The first day going all by himself, he gave me a big kiss, said "I do it myself, Mommy" (going to the bus himself) I asked if I could go out onto the deck at least - and he told me "Fine" as long as I didn't go down the stairs.

I'm super thrilled that he's getting so independent - and yet! - its like a knife to the heart knowing my babies don't need me around quite as much!

So...some pics of what we've been up to this summer....

Josh's first fishing trip....he caught his first fish...but he doesn't like eating them.  (But he loves the catching part - and is a natural!)

Matt considered himself a "pro" having done it once before....he caught the biggest fish of the day - a whopping 12"!  He ate it all by himself....and loved every bite!

Captain Daddy....steering the boat, coaching the kids...and just generally having a great time with all of us.

Our camping trip all alone....Josh is not happy...because he's currently being eaten alive by mosquitoes.  Like the rest of us were.  Smoke, bug spray, citronella, were NO DETERRENTS for these blood sucking fiends!!

More fishing.  Slight sunburns.  Not too bad, because we had a bimini!  The boys occassionally got bored and then decided playing superheroes up front was more fun than fishing at times...

It was a gorgeous day though!!!

So gorgeous we had to have a water fight....the boys found out you don't shoot Daddy...unless you want to start a war you can't possibly win. ;)

 But what fun!

What memories!

I took the boys on a 5 hour car-ride to Newport, with our good friends.  The boys love my friend Mindy's little boy Davis. :)  They're all great friends!  Like the 3 Musketeers...but with more of a penchant for making trouble than fixing it...

We went to the Aquarium....I'm all red in the picture because I just chased down Joshua....(that was the main activity of the day....chasing kids!)

See how I lock my fingers...its to keep them in one place for more than 30 seconds at a time. (ha, ha...sad but true!)

The character that is Joshua....

Yeah, he's a spaz...but we love him!  Matt was pretty much stuck to my side...or helping Davis' little brother, Jack. :)  He's a super-sweet, kind, caring helper!

Lots to see...lots to touch!!! 

The 3 Musketeers....taking a quick break, before we headed to the beach!

Matt wouldn't hold still for a picture...but Josh is more than willing to have his picture taken....

And then...we went to the park to celebrate some family birthdays....Matt loved his little blowey-thingy....!

Too cute, eh?!

Our 4th of July celebrations - were spent with some good friends. We watched fireworks, had a picnic - the kids got to throw some pop-its, (we're not big firework fiends...we're mostly content to watch...not buy) and the kids got to run around in a big field with their friends, play with some dogs and have a grand ol' time staying up to 11pm. Too bad they don't sleep in!

So updates on Development:

Matt has been tested for Autism & Aspbergers.  He has been found to have NEITHER. {Hallelujah!}  He does however show distinct facial features of a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome baby.  He also has been diagnosed with having:

*Disruptive Behavior Disorder

*Sleep Regulation Disorder

*Fine Motor Skill Disorder

*Speech Disorder

All of which are "fixable" to some degree.  We've been in counseling for almost 6 months.  He's got some signs of ADD, but he's not a classic case.  He's got a whole lot of stuff contributing to his disruptive behavior.  We're working a lot on adjusting his behavior...not reacting, but rather thinking things through.  Matt's major problem...he has no way to filter out outside stimulus (loud noises, too much activity, etc...) and that puts him in immediate overload...and he acts out.  He's super impulsive.  While there are medications to help, they would impede his development.  So...we need to wait.

Josh is waiting to start the diagnosis process.  He's a whole different kid.  He's our "Jekyll/Hyde" one minute he's happy-go-lucky, the next, he's in a rage and cannot be persuaded to calm himself.  It's exhausting, but we're hopeful for some answers and other help in the next few months as we go (again) from doctor to doctor and get a diagnosis.  He too attends counseling with us.  Most of his sessions begin with a 40 minute calm-down (he doesn't transition well) and then 15 minutes of therapeutic play, with a 5 minute good-bye.  It hasn't varied too much. 

Things are promising...exhausting, but good.  I'm super glad we have excellent resources and information available that hasn't been available to us before.  :)  We're making it though...! Slowly but surely.

I'm really sorry it's taken so long...but I've been in school for about a year...and this is my first 6 week vacation!  So, I've seized what little available time I have to post! 

The boys are healthy, happy and progressing well.  We thank God for them everyday. :)  Hopefully these posts help....and we'll continue to update as we find out more information!

All our love to you and yours!

Family Vacation #1...

First off...Let me start off by apologizing.  I meant to have our Family Pictures by the end of our Vacation.  But I kai-boshed that idea.  On July 21st, I contracted Bell's Palsy.  Half of my face was paralyzed - and while since then, I have regained MOST of the function and control of my facial muscles, I did NOT have control of them while we were in Utah.  So we DID NOT take formal family pictures.

SORRY!

Blame my vanity.

However...we did take a lot of different shots of the boys - while they were playing and enjoying other outdoor activities!!

This is at Stann's Great-Aunt's home in Utah. :)

Boys will be boys....

Joshua taking a turn sitting on the sprinkler.

Stann, Aunt Pat, Gigi, Aunt Bertie, Liz (me)

Joshua & Matt

In front of the Bountiful LDS Temple

The boys...behind the fence at the Bountiful Utah Temple grounds.

At the ranch....enjoying some of the amenities....Like...TRACTORS....

Joshua...trying to get the horsies to "come" to him....Matty...just bein' cute.

Matt found a tractor at the World-Famous Idaho Potato Museum....

Josh found a plow....he tried to move it...but...it didn't work. (Thank heaven!)

Pictures of an old-time 'caboose'....Daddy with his boys. :)

I think I might want one of these as a play structure...(ha, ha)

Joshy. Part-monkey....I'm sure of it!

The beautiful Salt Lake LDS Temple.

The angel Moroni, atop the Salt Lake City Temple.

We visited Temple Square and the Visitors Center....

The Fountain at Temple Square...the boys LOVED this...I had to do some fast talking to keep them from jumping in....it was really hot though! I can't blame 'em for trying!!!

In the North Visitors Center.....

There is a statue called "The Christus".

It is one of my favorites.  To see the Savior - with His arms stretched out wide...the prints of the nails in his hands and feet....while looking at all the stars and worlds in the heavens....

It humbles me.

We also toured the LDS Conference Center.

This is the water feature atop the Conference Center....there is 4 1/2 acres of land atop the conference center - in the Parking area!! (WOW!)  But we were only impressed with the water features....

;)

This is at the Hogle Zoo.

Matt's starting to like Elephants like his Mama. ;)

We had a blast...family pictures will come sooner or later...whenever I regain full functionality of my face that is....But I thought you might want to see how big they are getting!!!

We go on our next vacation next week to the Coast.

We'll post more pics of these cutie pies then!!

Updates...

News on the boys....

Matt and Josh are doing well. Our recent move (In with my Mother-In-Law), while we cope with this crummy economy - and all that its doing to our business....while re-vamping our current employment situations....is going pretty normal.

(that's aka...Living with Mom while goin' BACK to School....)

The kids are ADJUSTING. Slowly.

During the past few months, we've seen a couple of different behaviors (that have exhibited themselves AFTER the move)...

* There's a lot more chasing of Grandma's cats Ernie & Belle. They like the reaction the cats give them....and unfortunately, they're none to gentle when they "catch up". I've talked with the boys' teachers....because, honestly, I wasn't sure if it was malicious or not - some things they've said have disturbed me - in regards to the cat....but their teacher has assured me in her conversations with the boys....they're out for a reaction - they want the cat to LOVE THEM back....however, no amount of persuasion on our part has convinced them that chasing them through the house IS NOT an acceptable practice of love. :/

* We had Matt and Josh's IFSP's with the school. BOTH have met their goals (school wise) that we set - as far as development and behavior! {YAY!} We've set really great goals for next school year. As of now, they're probably going to be seperated come the Fall - into different classes. But we'll re-examine our tentative decision - based on the boys' needs then. A LOT can change between now and then....

- Matt's needs tend to still linger around the developmental areas. He desperately needs help with his socialization - however, he's not on the same level as the kids in the social class. Once he gets his communication and listening skills up to par - he'll be switched into the socialization class. However, he's really good at "tuning us out" and has a hard time responding to even his name being called....(over and over and over....)

- Josh's needs are right on developmentally. His needs are now primarily socialization and he will go on to the next level - learning the socialization skills he'll need with his peers and using the communication skills he's learned. The socialization class (is the same one we hope Matt will attend soon - once we get his skills learned) places the children in "set" situations....for example, there are 8 kids in the class, they're planning on doing an art project for the day - they deliberately set out only 6 brushes. How're the kids going to solve that? It's learning the "give and take" that we take for granted.

Both boys are doing great - health wise....we've just caught some nasty cold bug, and we're fighting it off....all of us. :( It's triggered Josh's asthma a bit - but we've been able to keep everything under control!! (So far this year....!) The allergies have been AWFUL. For all of us. Josh especially, Matt's affected a little - so we keep him on a low dose of Zyrtec, but Josh's full blown on Zyrtec and Singulair through out the summer months.

Both boys are progressing normally - both are in the 50th percentile ranges for height and weight. Both boys have turned into "beanpoles" overnight!!! They don't weigh a whole lot - but they sure are tall and skinny!!! LOL

*Some new faves:

- Matt will only eat "RED" sandwiches as he calls them. It's just a jelly sandwich. Occassionally he'll ask for peanut butter - stating that "he needs a little protein to make his muscles get bigger" (no joke) and every once and awhile he'll let me add a little cream cheese to the other side of his sandwich....but mostly....his sandwich of choice is a grape jelly or homemade strawberry jam sandwich. (Also his preferred snack before bedtime....) ;)

- On the opposite side....Josh will only eat peanut butter sandwiches. No jelly. No "red stuff" as he calls it. (LOL) It's like the ying to Matt's yang...! These are his favorites. I'm lucky if I can get him to even add bread and make it a sandwich....as more often than not, I find him sitting on the chair at the table, eating peanut butter on a spoon, straight from the jar!

- Josh is a very picky eater....! If he were given his druthers, he'd eat gum, candy, plain slices of bread, bacon, milk and macaroni & cheese - all day, every day!!

- Matt is his opposite. He'll try ANYTHING once. :) I'm amazed that he will eat (and likes!) salmon, tuna, shrimp and every other "meat" item we may throw at him. He's amazing!!!! :D

Both boys are doing well....adjusting - albeit - SLOWLY to this new phase of life. We're working on the "acting out" portion of their behavior....and the communication portion too.

They've recently learned how to make their own beds - and can do so unassisted! Hooray!!! They have their chore/schedules posted in their room (complete with pictures drawn by yours truly...MOM!) that they adhere to - and it's helped A LOT - as far as the cleanliness of their rooms....

If I could only depict some of the more "creative" messes they've made.....but ugh....that's one I'm saving - should I ever write a book on motherhood - AFTER - I survive to ages 12 and 13... ;)

We're making progress....we'll be visiting family and friends in Idaho and Utah during the next month and we may be looking into prospects down there....as far as schooling and jobs go. We're none too happy with the way things are being run here - and have thought maybe, just maybe, things may be a little better in states that are typically more conservatively run. Maybe.

But - when we go - a friend of ours is taking photos of the boys...that I'll upload (down there even...!) and post as soon as I get them from her.

I look into the faces of these wonderful boys - and can't believe the changes that are taking place before my eyes. I look for the fluffy blonde down...that used to be my Matty's hair....and all I see is a shaggy mop of darkened blonde hair....that covers the most mischievious pair of twinkling brown eyes I've ever beheld.....and the younger! Oh my! The smile on this imp - even in his restless sleep - when did my baby get to be such a charmer?!

And a gentleman, too, I might add....he insists on holding open the doors for Mommy and shutting them too....helping me in with the groceries....! Land sakes...! The boys got the makings of a southern gentleman...at 3! :D

I enjoy watching them grow....even during these uncertain times....there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of:

I love being their Mom. :)

Their new thing.....

Their newest thing...

*said in the most crankiest of voices*

"No Thank you Mom!"

Ugh.

Can I have my sweet little boys back?!

I supposed I should be glad they're at least polite while they're totally coppin' an attitude....

But, latest updates:

Matt has grown all out of the Toddler stuff. He's now in 5/6. {EEK!}
Josh is in 4T and 4. {Double EEK!}

Matt can write "M" and we're working on the rest - "att" LOL. He can identify about 1/3rd of his alphabet. He can count up to 12 without mistakes. We're still working with him on his "teen" numbers. He gets really confused and doesn't understand...He can identify all his numbers - just not the combinations of "3 and 1" making "31". Again...still working on it! LOL He has a hard time with 6's and 9's. He mixes them up sometimes. But he's shown remarkable progress and he's just plain ol' smart. Mr. Smarty Pants I call him. :)

Josh can write a "J" and "O" (technically...it's just a circle...but still!) We're working on the "sh" now. He really likes to draw and has more of a knack than Matt. (Matt's definitely delayed in the "fine" motor skills side). He can count to 12 too. He skips "6" sometimes....but he's doing great otherwise. His development is neck and neck with Matt's. Josh is having some SEVERE temper tantrums. We're working on nipping those in the bud. They are so intense that at times, we have to restrain him - so he doesn't hurt himself or others. :( We're just trying to get through the "terrible 3's" with him - and teach him the necessary skills to cope....

They are both sooooo sociable. They love the park. They love to wrestle. They love to laugh, swing, climb, paint, draw, sing, play and dance.

We took them to the Children's Museum the other day....a first for all of us. Each had their favorites; Matt liked the building room and Josh liked the water room. (Go figure...LOL)

They're just amazing boys. They progress a lot - and then sometimes we have set backs....but for the most part, they are happy, loving, NORMAL little boys.

And we LOVE them!!!

Updates...

The boys are doing awesome! :D

Matt is currently in a growth spurt and is about 75th percentile all across the board. He's so tall and skinny it makes my heart ache.....mostly wondering what happened to my perfectly chubby-dimpled baby boy?!

Josh is plumping up (the precursor for his growth spurt) nicely, and is growing so quickly that I feel like I have to hang on to something....for fear they'll spring up as mid-life adults before my very eyes - especially if I blink!

Both boys had their birthdays....they did so well! We had family over for them to see and play with - much cake and ice cream was consumed, and as mentioned before I'm sure - I've downloaded the pictures from my camera to the computer, only I can't get them to download to this website! ARGH!

So, please believe me when I say they are growing and healthy and thriving! :D

And one of these days I'm actually going to drag my brother-in-law down from his comfy-cozy home and have him fix all that is wrong with my computer!!! :P

Joshua is now attending pre-school with his brother - and he LOVES it. He does so good - he made me cry a little his first day - he didn't want to go without Mommy - on the bus - but brother Matt helped him through it and he came home wearing the biggest smile!!! :D I LOVE THAT!

And now I'm left twice a week - wondering what to do with myself for those 3 hours?

Nap? Shop? Run?

Still not sure, but I'm looking forward to the adventures I'm sure I'll have - trying to fill the gap while my boys' are at school.

Hope your holiday season is one full of gratitude and merriment!

Picture Updates of the BOYS!!!

Here are some updated pictures of the boys!! :D As you can tell, they are getting sooooo big!

Matthew is 3 1/2 now - a very precocious 3 1/2 I might add...!

Some new info....we're currently having the boys tested by the county - we've had just a few incidents with Matthew - that we're trying to help meet his needs for learning and development. He's recently shown some anger/aggression/frustration in response to some of his peers - and family - enough that we're trying to find ways to help him cope with the world around him - so he'll be better prepared once he's of age to enter kindergarten.


Joshua will be tested by the county as well - for speech. Although he speaks very well for a 2 1/2 year old boy - he speaks (at most) 2-3 words at a time. He will repeat what you say - but only the last 1-2 words of what you say. His pediatrican says his hearing is fine, but we'll know for sure after the second phase of testing, July 7th.

The boys are growing like weeds!!! Most of our summer days are spent outside, if we can help it!! Matt is fast approaching the no-nap phase - which makes me so sad! No more 'Me' time! LOL. Our days are spent in the family garden, which has phased from a place to try and grow plants, into a full blown dirt pit for Tonka Trucks & Haulers. LOL. I may not grow vegetables, but it looks like Tonka has sprung out of the ground! :P

Other parts of our day are spent going for walks to the park, up to cousin's house to play, ride bikes, swim in their pool, run through our sprinkler, swing and slide on our playhouse and wrestle with Mommy and Daddy complete with declarations of "You're goin' down!" Very, very cute when coming from our blonde dandy and little brown boy....!

Both boys are 'firecrackers'....you never know what they're going to say - or how they plan on saying it...Matt's logic is infallible, if a little misguided.

Mom: Matty, lets change your diaper son. Get up on the couch, please. (thinking this will be slightly more comfortable than the hard floor)

Matt: No, Mommy! I can't! Not on the couch!

Mom: Whyever not?!

Matt: If I get up on the couch, I'll roll off! If I roll off, I'll fall on the toy! If I fall on the toy, I'll cut my pee-pee off! And if I cut my pee-pee off, I'll be a girl!

I don't wanna be a girl, Mommy!!!

Can't fault logic like that!

Matt is still extremely loving with his brother - when he's not pushing him down the slide, "tagging" him (pushing extra hard to let brother know he's 'it'), or dragging him around and making him do what he wants to do and play what he wants to play.

LOL.

So, needless to say, he's a normal, fairly well-adjusted, older brother....

Joshua is a pip! His favorite thing in the world is gum. Chewing gum. The only problem is, he chews it for 2-4 minutes, swallows it and then throws the worlds hugest tantrum to try and get another piece of gum.

I hate to admit it, but there are select times when I give in. Namely public places, that require a little more decorum, but other than that, it's a pretty hard, fast line of 2 pieces per day. We're working on the communication barrier of why gum's not good for our tummies.

Both boys are absolutely 100% Daddy's Boys. I'm only needed for kissing cuts, scrapes, bruises, making snacks and lunches, tucking them into bed and singing lullabies. :D

These boys are real Boys' Boys.

Though they both have the sweetest, most tender hearts....!

Joshua cried during Little Einsteins - Melody the Music Pet - when she had to get on the pet train ('cuz I'm sure you wanted to know the in's and out's of the storyline...lol) and could not be comforted. He kept crying, wanting me to hold him and he just kept repeating over and over again...

"Sad. Sad."

It took ten minutes, including three rewinds - to convince Josh that all was well in the Einstein's world. At least enough so, that we could all go to bed!

Life is challenging raising these boys, I have to admit! There are days they give me a complete and total run for my money....like the curious incidents of the fridge being broken into (there are 3 child locks on there - that the boys either 'muscle' their way into - or in Matt's case - undo!) and added incidents of more eggs being broken through the house, soy sauce on the stairs and through out the house (just follow the puddles....! It was a Costco size bottle!) Adding dirty diapers to the washing machine - 'cuz they wanted to get them clean - cooking oil on my piano and the coffee tables and all over the hardwood floors....you name the mess, or the ingredients, and they can come up with several hundred different ways to 'create' a mess. LOL.

All in all, I still wouldn't trade them for the world!!! :D It's been my greatest reward to see Matthew say the blessing and prayer, during family night and every other night - to talk with him and Josh about Jesus, to teach them to be kind and loving, and to love them so much - and see that love reciprocated in every look, every touch - every breath I see them breathe, as I watch them sleep at night....

They are such a joy. Their faces say it all when they light up as they see us walk into the room.

And I'm just so overwhelmed and overjoyed, that we get to be their teachers and parents through this rollercoaster ride of life. :D

Hope you enjoy the pictures....a friend of mine took them, so she could practice her craft. She's an amateur photographer - and I must say, she did an excellent job! :D

We'll have some family photos taken here pretty soon - the boys' Uncle David is preparing to leave for a church mission to Brazil....and it'll be our last opportunity to have the whole family appear in one photo - for about 2 years. :D

I'll try to be better about posting - but I can't promise anything - as Tonka gardening takes up a lot of time. LOL.

Much love to you and yours....

Liz, Stann, Matt & Josh