more doctor visits

Ethan had an adverse reaction to his ADD medicine (he has been SUPER emotional lately), and it did not actually help him at all. I have been watching him closely, and researching, and I have realized that I was probably wrong in discounting the autism diagnosis. I had thought that in order to have Autism or Aspergers you had to have the majority of the symptoms, but I guess you can have several of the symptoms and still have it. His doctor thinks it is very likely he has high functioning autism, or Aspergers, rather than ADD, and I think he is right. He said that high functioning Autism actually often looks like ADD and is misdiagnosed as such. I had put off taking him to specialists, because I had wanted to try out the ADD route and see if that was what it was. I will go ahead and get him into a pediatric psychologist in Salt Lake, if I can. I am worried about what this all means, but I know that he is such a sweet, smart boy, and everything will work out.

And.... the poor kid has a dentist appointment tomorrow. His 6 year molars came in with zero enamel on them, probably caused by when he was really sick and had the febral seizures around 14 months old. So, they are rotting and will eventually need to be pulled. The dentist is going in tomorrow to see how bad they are, and if they need to be pulled now or if they can wait. Ethan is not happy about seeing the dentist, because he knows they are going to be giving him shots in the mouth. I'm trying to help him prepare and not be upset and scared, but it isn't working so far. fun stuff.

Pictures

Fishing and picnic trip we took this morning up in the mountains. It was very hard to take pictures of Violet, because she is never still long enough, and she almost always refuses to look at the camera. She was very happy collecting sticks and rocks, and Ethan had fun fishing with Dad. You can click on each picture to see it more clearly.

 

such a good day

Yesterday was such a good day, that I wanted to post about it. It's random things, much like the majority of my blog...

• Ryan called from work to say that since he had been working so hard, and doing much better than even his boss had expected, that he would be getting a significant pay raise. Now we will be able to handle the new medical bills showing up in the mail. I am so proud of him for how hard he works, and I am happy that he has found a job he finds fulfilling.
• I found a job, quite by accident and without intending to get a job. I will be watering a ladies lawn this summer, as they are living in Colorado and trying to sell their home here. They have a nice sized yard with a small creek running through it, a tree house, a waterwheel, park benches, lots of large trees, and they are completely okay with me bringing the kids with me. This is a huge tender mercy. I honestly probably would have done it for free because of how much benefit I will get out of it, but it is nice to get paid. We had been sad about how the kids can't play outside at our apartment, and I just felt horrible about that. I grew up climbing trees, building forts, and constantly being outside and I feel it is necessary for children to have that experience. So, for at least four hours a week all summer long (or until their house sells) I can take them over, they can play to their hearts content, while I set the sprinklers and then draw in my sketchbook or even set up my easel and paint. I am seriously very happy about it.
• I am getting paid $50 a week to water this ladies yard!!! So, that will help pay for our yard in Idaho to be taken care of. This is a huge weight lifted off my mind. Part of the money will also go toward medical bills.
• Last night I was contemplating ideas for a painting I am wanting to do, and with the help of a comment from a friend, and inspiration that I feel came from the spirit, I suddenly found myself with an idea so brilliant, that it will actually provide me with artwork for an entire art show. This is the kind of subject matter and concepts and style that I want to do for a career, and I am seriously in shock at how brilliant of an idea it is. Well, I feel that it is brilliant. And so does Ryan. And my sister Heather, lol. She promised not to steal it for a photo shoot idea, because it would make a seriously awesome photo series. I have made the decision not to give out details on the painting, because then I obsess and overly question myself, and have others critique it etc., to the point of never completing it. So, I will spend the next several years (it will honestly take that long) developing this series of paintings, and when it is all completed I plan on finding an agent and getting my work in a show. If I can pull off the work like I see it in my mind, this will honestly be career changing. One of the paintings will be entered into the international church contest this fall, so if it makes it in everyone will get a sneak peak at my series. I'm so stinkin excited. Now I just need to find myself models...
• I FOUND MY MEDICINE!!! well, technically Ryan found it. It had rolled out of my purse and under the seat in his car. I remember thinking I needed to check under the seats... but of course promptly forgot to do so. I also found the prescription for when this medicine runs out.

So, seriously this all happened in ONE day. Out of the blue. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude at the tender mercies, because I had been struggling lately with sadness and anxiety, and home sickness for our home and friends in Idaho. I had a hard week, when I had started to move to a different apartment only to find out that the landlord and the owner of the building were not communicating with each other, and the owner had someone else sign papers to move into that apartment. I went from excitement at getting out of a dark, moldy basement into an apartment with tons of light--to never mind, back to the basement we go. And that was after I had scrubbed that new apartment down with bleach, vacuumed, and moved a lot of our stuff up.  I have hope today though, and I am optimistic about the future. And I am seriously so incredibly excited about these paintings hahahaha.

I made it

I am so proud of myself, I got through the entire P90x program. And it was/is hard. I have to modify, but I have been really pushing myself to do the entire workout whenever possible, or something as close to it when I can't do what they want. For example, I can't do one-handed push-ups, so I do planking (with pauses every so often cause I can't plank for that long) during that part of the workout. And I've lost 12 lbs! I will start the thing all over again starting Monday, and we will see if it is possible to get rid of my post-baby tummy. I still have about 3-4 lbs to lose, but even more than weight loss I want to be stronger and more in shape than I ever have been... which isn't hard since I've always been scrawny and pretty weak... I was the kid that broke my arm from losing my balance (with the help of someone else) and falling in my bedroom, which was carpeted, two years in a row. Exercise won't really make a difference with my brittle bones, but it is helping in other areas. I took before and after pictures, but I don't really want to post them, though I might if I can actually get rid of my post-baby tummy just to show it's possible.

putting the milk in the cupboard type moment

You know one of the things that sucks the most about having ADD? Losing the expensive medicine that is supposed to help you not lose/forget things. Obviously the medicine wasn't working, at least not on that front. It was sort of helping with focus--iv'e been getting more accomplished. I made it 2 or 3 weeks of putting it immediately in my purse after taking it. Then one day last week I got distracted somewhere between the kitchen and my purse,  and I do not even remember getting distracted, or what I did with the medicine. *sigh* I have looked everywhere.  We are moving upstairs to a different apartment the next couple of weeks so I am hoping that it will be found. And that I didn't absent-mindedly throw it away.  Because I could see myself doing something like that. I told the doctor today, when we were there for Ethan's appointment,  and he seemed to find it pretty funny. You gotta admit that it is pretty funny asking a person with ADD to not lose or forget to take meds that help them not lose or forget things.