Wow...it has been over a year since i posted here, that is crazy. I havent been too busy really, i guess it is more of the fact that i have been lazy :p Everytime i think about posting, there are so many things to say that i just cant think of the best way to say everything so therfore i write nothing. It has been quite a year, thats for sure. Elijah passed his 1 year mark living as a type 1 diabetic and i guess now i have to go update his diabetes blog with that info.
So what have we been up to this year?? Caity was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome this year and we have been working with therapists and doctors to help her learn about her unique way of seeing the world and helping her learn about some basic life skills that will help her succeed in life. There are many additional struggles that we and she face in life and it has been an...adventure. She has been doing well and progressing in gymnastics and has finally decided to get more serious about it. She finally competed as a level 4 and will be moving on tho level 5 this fall.
William is doing quite well in school and has already skipped a grade (one more benefit of homeschooling). He also competed as a level 4 gymnast this year and will be moving up to level 5. He recently broke his arm at practice...blech...so he has been in a cast for almost a month now and has been going crazy not being able to do tumbling and stuff at practice. He is in a special program called future stars for young male gymnasts who show extreme promise in the sport. He has been identified as having possible Tourette's syndrome and has several motor and vocal tics that manifest especially when he is tired or anxious. He isn't bothered by them too greatly at this point but is sensitive to people noticing them when he cant control them. We are not seeking any treatment unless they get so bad that he can not deal with it anymore. He has learned ways to mask the tics so far and seems to be coping well.
Nathaniel loves soccer, gymnastics, baseball or just generally jumping around and just finished his first year of public school. He was officially diagnosed with ADHD this year and in addition to his ODD he always keeps us on our toes. He struggled with behavior and academics but managed to pull it out in the end and get promoted, after attending summer school which is currently in and hates !! Hopefully next year will go by without us needing to medicate him, which we really want to avoid if at all possible.
Isabella will be starting kindergarten in the fall and is super excited but a little nervous as well. She has blossomed over the last year mostly due to involvement in dance and gymnastics to help her get more coordinated and relieve some of her hypertonia. She has gotten much stronger and more flexible. She still struggles but not near as much. She is already writing her name and is becoming quite the big sister. She has become an avid gymnast herself this year, progressing from tumble bunnies to a class called hot shots. I worry about her getting picked on in K but she assures me that she will tell me if anyone bullies her :)
Elsie has been accepted into a high risk preschool in the fall, due in part to the fact that she would not speak to the evaluator. She is incredibly shy and we have had a horrible time getting her to venture out an try anything because of it. They call it selective mutism because she talks non stop at home but chooses to be mute at other times. I do see improvements over the years but she has a long way to go. Maybe being at school each day for a few hours will help. She is an incredible athlete, loves running and gymnastics. We finally got her to go to a gymnastics class as long as Elijah went with her and he coaches want to move her up becasue her skills are so advanced but they can not do it because she does not talk to the coaches or participate in the stretching and warm up. Makes me sad to see her miss out on something she is good at because of that.
Elijah is my sweet little man. He is dealing with his disease admirably. It is a hard life to be diabetic at 4 but he sees it as normal now. He is being out shined by his brothers and sisters in many areas at this point but i know he has a special talent out there to be developed. He loves to play with leggos, trucks and his big brothers. He tells me when he grows up he is going to be a monster truck driver!! He has developed a nasty habit of sneaking food, especially sugar, early in the morning so we have had to lock up alot of our food. Now he is climbing up in the cabinets and learning how to get into the fridge and freezer. he is very resourceful!! Unfortunately this can be deadly for him and it does scare me at times.
We are getting ready to go camping this upcoming week and the kids are very excited. I have a feeling by the end of the week we are all going to be sick and tired of the pool!!!
Have a great week!
