Have I Mentioned I Love My Job?

I've been working at River Hills for 6 years now. Every day is a new adventure for me. Not only do I get to work with kids who have severe and profound mental and physical issues, I also get to learn from them as well. These awesome kids have taught me to be patient beyond what I ever thought I was capable of. Every little thing they learn to do is a celebration of how far they have come. I've worked with kids that 3 years ago had behaviors nearly everyday and now they are so very gentle and loving that it makes my heart so happy. I've learned that using a gentle and soothing voice can work wonders and teaches them to be the same way. I've learned to "read" their faces to see what sort of day they are going to have when they aren't able to verbalize this to me because they literally are not able to communicate unless they have a Dynavox to talk for them. I still suck at sign language but I try my best. Sometimes I will forget to do something for the next day and the kids will remind me to do it! Funny thing is they can "read" me as well! It is so cool!
Now, if I can only learn to be as patient with Em as I am with these kids! I'm working on it. We are both a work in progress! I love you to the moon and back again Em.

ADHD really isn't all that bad...um, OK.

The day started out pretty well today. Em got ready quickly and without too many reminders. My day at work went great too! Love my job and the people that work at River Hills. Someone said something today that made my day even better. It made me smile pretty much all day. I wasn't sure that my blogging was making a difference to anyone else but me and I am so glad to know that it is.
I know so may people who are dealing with so much more than I am or that Em is right at the moment. My heart goes out to them. I thank God every single day that I have my little girl to hug and to hold even though we have our struggles to deal with. There are some days that make me crazy! I am not going to lie about that. I have sleepless nights wondering if Em will be OK down the road. She is easily influenced which is scary. I know that all I can do is keep trying to teach her right from wrong and just keep loving her for who she is: a fun-loving, talented and special NOT so little girl who has big dreams and a bigger heart.
It may seem silly to some of you that I feel just a bit over-whelmed at times...especially in the mornings. But seriously, most mornings are hard for both Emma and me. Neither of us are morning people. :) It is by the grace of God that we make it out the door on time and that we are both sane.
We are just going to keep taking it one day at a time. That's all anyone can do.

Sorting DVD's

A couple of years ago I decided to put all of my DVD's into a great big CD/DVD case so they didn't take up so much room in the closet. The problem with this system is that even though I tried to keep them in alphabetical order I had to redo them every time I bought a new DVD. So, yesterday I decided to put them all back in their original cases so I could visually see what I wanted to watch. We literally have 100's of DVD's. Thank goodness that Emma was around because she took over the task and worked for at least 3 hours getting them put back in their cases. We only came up with one missing DVD and where the heck it is I have no idea. I know it isn't in a wrong case because I checked them all before putting them away. Sigh. Oh well. It was one that only cost $5 so I guess I could always re-buy it if I want it. This task must have been really interesting for Em because she only took a couple of 5 minute breaks in 3 hours. It confuses the heck out of me how she can do something like this for 3 hours or sit and work on a puzzle for at least 3 hours even when she isn't on her meds. but otherwise she is quite a busy and extremely active pre-teen. Sitting down for more than a few minutes at a time is a challenge for her most early mornings and evenings. Kind of sounds like her mom in that way. I literally feel like I could crawl out of my skin some days if I am not constantly moving or doing something while I am at work. I love my job and thank goodness it gives me the option of moving around a lot! Hmm. Going to have to ponder this one. :)

A Crazy Week or Two or Three...

As many of you already know I suffer from migraines. They can get pretty intense. Needless to say, when Em's tourette's acts up, I need to find a quiet place away from the noise. Thankfully the past 2 days and nights have been migraine free because Em's tourette's has been a little more "active" for the past day or so. I wish I could figure out what triggers it. Stress can be a factor but not always. I do notice that when she is really concentrating on something such as putting together a 1500 piece puzzle she doesn't have any symptoms. Hmm.
Today Em told me that she really, really, REALLY wants to be in ALPHA next year when she goes to Holmes. She has all of these fantastic ideas for what her end of the year presentation will be if she gets in. Usually a teacher has to suggest you for the ALPHA program. I believe that Em has the intelligence and the talent to be in ALPHA. I just have to convince the programs director that she does. She has overcome a lot in her almost 12 years to be the person that she is. It took switching her to her current school in 3rd grade for her to realize that not all kids are cruel and mean and will taunt you because of something that you have no control over. I thank God for the teachers that she has had at Lincoln for helping Em to realize her full potential. She is one smart cookie!! I am proud of her. :)

Gotta Love 'Em

First and foremost I love my family and my friends. By family I mean my brothers, sisters, Mom, Dad, in-laws...you get the picture. I said this blog would be about advice that I really, truly do not need in order to raise my happy-go-lucky daughter. I know they mean well so I take everything that they say with a grain of salt. And, if truth be told, some of it is very good advice and I have used some of it now and then!
Hmm. OK. There are different degrees of ADD/ADHD. Em just happens to be at the very high end of the scale. Her mind doesn't work the same way as someone who doesn't have ADHD. She isn't able to sort all of the thoughts that are going around in her head at a million miles an hour out into separate thoughts. She's very impulsive and obviously distracted very easily so things don't hold her interest for long unless she is on her meds. Her meds. are a necessity for her. They help her be herself but controlled so she can concentrate on what she needs to concentrate on. She is very bright and has no problem keeping up in school. A lot of kids with ADHD are extremely intelligent. That is a definite positive. What I am trying to get at here is that Em needs her meds. Please don't tell me that she would be better off without them. She feels better with them. She wants to feel in control and she doesn't without them.
Em is very healthy and on track for her height and weight at this point. No, she isn't very tall but she isn't the shortest one at her school that is her age. YAY! I think she'll end up passing Allison in the height department. So, please don't tell me that she is too skinny. Her doctor has been monitoring her height and weight regularly and we are both pleased at where she's at. She looks great!
As most of you know I had a hard time deciding whether to work summer school this coming summer. I didn't want to leave Em alone for 6-7 hours everyday but I didn't want to send her to a day care either. My other 3 children always had each other to rely on during the summers. I know that she probably would have done OK but who at 12 years old wants to be by themselves all day, everyday? And like I said earlier, kids with ADHD are impulsive and a lot of times will act before they think so I am taking the safe route on this matter. I thank my friend Jill for "making me see the light." I'm not exactly sure how she put it but it went something like this: When you're older will you regret not working summer school or will you regret not spending time with Emma when she is still young? No brainer. I want to spend time with my daughter. She's fun! Yes, I realize I could be making extra money but money isn't happiness. Money is money. Emma is happiness. I can't wait for summer! Adventureland, here we come!
To those of you who offer your advice.... I love you but if I want your advice I will ask for it. And I DO ask for it sometimes. If you still feel you need to offer it that's OK. I won't get angry or hold it against you. But beware, I may not follow it. <3

A little bit about our family

Before I actually talk about our family, I should probably let all of you know that there are different forms of tourettes. Emma doesn't swear or shout out at odd times. She doesn't bark either. I've actually seen that. Em's takes the form of a very high pitched squealing which can go on for minutes or hours. Fortunately it has lessened and it doesn't last long now. She also has a couple of tics that are very subtle so people tend not to notice them. I will probably focus more on her ADHD than the tourettes anyway.
I've decided that you may want to know about our family. Guess I'll start with Emma. She likes to be called Emmy for some reason. I've called her this for a few years. She actually has a few nicknames: Emmy, Em, and Emster are the main ones. Em is 11 years old going on about 16. She plays piano, is a ballet and jazz dancer, and also is involved in the theatre. She loves school and has a few good friends who accept her for who she is. She has a huge heart and will not tolerate anyone being mean to anyone else. She tends to stand up for others even if it means she'll be treated badly. That's just Em.
Allison is next. She is 19 and a sophomore at UNI. She is majoring in mathematics and actuarial science. I am NOT a math person at all so this amazes me. As I tell most people, she is scary smart.
Laura is 24 and is a junior at UNI I think. I say this because she already has a degree in media arts and animation from the Art Institute and decided to go back to school and pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She is married to Josh. He's a great guy.
Daniel is 26, almost 27, and he is an assistant librarian at Cedar Falls Public Library. If I want to know anything about homeopathic stuff I ask him.
Mark is Em's dad and my husband. He works at Cedar Falls Utilities and has for many years.
Then there is me. I'm just me. I already talked about myself in my first blog so I won't bore you again. :)
I guess I should also mention that we have a dog and 3 cats. I know. We're crazy.
I plan on keeping my blogs kind of short so I can blog more often. I think the next one may deal with family and friends who really need to learn more about ADHD and not try to give advice when they know nothing about it at all. Of course I know they mean well but until you've walked a mile in my shoes (or spent a week dealing with a child who has it) please keep your thoughts and advice to a minimum. Thanks!

And so it begins...

I am completely new to the adventure of blogging. I guess it can be theraputic. A friend suggested I start blogging to help relieve the everyday stress of having a child with ADHD and Tourettes Syndrome or as the doctors like to call it a "Tick Disorder." For some reason they don't like to call it tourettes because it labels the person that has it.
Emma was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 7 years old. Of course I knew she had it by the time she was 3. It took 4 years before anyone would believe me. I can't really blame them. When she was 3 we found out that Em was deaf in her left ear. The doctors attributed her hyperness and lack of focus and control on that. I forgive them.
Those of you who have a child with ADHD understand the daily struggle of actually getting them to cooperate in the morning BEFORE the meds. kick in. She really does try to listen and focus but it is so difficult for her. Of course then I turn into a "grumpasaurus" as Em puts it. I can't believe that we actually get out of the house on time in the mornings. Bribery can work wonders. Donuts are a great bribe. Yes, I do resort to bribery some mornings. Other mornings I pray like crazy!
Em is in 6th grade and through the grace of God is doing very well in school. She loves it. She is actually in the highest math class and gets to skip 7th grade math next year and go straight into pre-algebra. That's pretty cool. I worry about her going to junior high next year. She is really excited about it but I just hope she isn't overwhelmed by it all.
I work at River Hills School which is a school for severe and profound mentally/physically handicapped children and young adults. I work with kids that can range in age from 13-21. I love my job and the kids too.
I think I'll quit for tonight. :)