Pumpkin Carving

Can I first just say - how totally wonderful are those pumpkin carving kits with the little saws?! Where were these when we were kids hacking away at our pupkins with kitchen knives, while I am sure our mothers prayed we didn't cut our fingers off? Plus it is so awesome to let the kid's do for themselves. Such a sense of accomplishment!

Last night we finally carved this year's pumpkins. It has been way too warm to even think about it, lest even that these things would rot to nothing in a day or two in the warm air. Finally chilled off enough to get them, and it IS the weekend before Halloween. Our dearest friends in the world have never had their girls carve out pumpkins, always painted them. The oldest is 11, so there is no way I was letting this year go by without letting these girls carve pumpkins. They had such a blast! Their youngest went at it with gusto!! Not afraid of the squishies or anything!
It has been a very stressful week here, and it was so nice just to have a nice dinner, and classic family time with such great friends. Finished off with a nice glass of wine, and a soak in the hot tub, and all is well again!



As K and C are getting older, their pumpkins are getting bigger! Our rule is you have to be able to carry it to get it. Made carving K's a bit challenging when it had three inches of flesh!
As you can see by the intense concentration on J's face and the tongue out, it required a lot of focus and muscle!


I am really so glad that this is one tradition that they seem to be taking longer to out grow. We look forward to it every year.

And even though I searched and searched the internet for pumpkin/fall/autumn related inspirational quotes ( did you know you can search for produce quotes on line!? yes sir-ree! I still marvel at the things I find in a google search) But alas, no wonderful awe inspiring wording to be found - so I leave you with a joke!

Q: What do you get when you divide the diameter of a jack-o-lantern by it's circumference?

A: Pumpkin "Pi"

PS I hate the lighting in my kitchen and really really need to learn how to play with some of the settings on my camera. I will post "glowing" photos of the pumpkins tomorrow.

One of the most beautiful

We went to the most beautiful wedding over the weekend. It was a second wedding. Outside in Lenape Park in Perkasie. The weather was just gorgeous. 70 deg in October, breezy and nice. These two are genuinely in love, faithful christians who have endured trials and trials to get to this point in their lives. The wedding was a perfect display of their love for each other and their faith in God. Now they will combine their families, to include 8 children!

It was so nice to sit and reminisce about our wedding, as well as marvel over how far we have come. Neither of us anticipated any of the things that have happened over the last 16 years. If nothing else it has all taught us to appreciate the here and now, enjoy what we have and be grateful for it. I think this is the first family shot in a long time that I just love. I had a hard time figuring out what to wear, consider the time of year vs the temperature and my weight. Frustrating.
LOVE these two.
This was a terrific old bridge at the wedding site. So cool. I actually also love this picture.
My guys. They melt my heart.
and need I say more?

Progress!

What on earth is that you say?

Well that would be the results of a QEEG - or Quantitative EEG - essentially you are getting a look into the electrical activity of K's brain. This was her repeat and compared to her intital test in Jan. I could launch into extensive descriptions of frequency and wave types, beta's and thetas etc.....all of which I am finding more and more fascinating, esp when the therapist shares some case studies with me. The problem solving scientist in me loves it!

Anyway I digress.....esstentially all you need to look at is the color. The one on the top......top two rows are Jan, bottom is August. Basically each little "circle" is a "map" of K's brain at a different frequency, and all of the EEG points. In short - red/orange is not good, green is good, and the shades in between are graduated....notice how much more green is on the bottom!?!?! YES! That is progress! The next picture is a different "view" - I laid the pages left to right. Left is Jan, right is August. See all the GREEN on the right!?!? The second row on the right is the most impressive. She basically was red all over, ALL OVER people, and now has a nice rim of green!! she noticed the butterfly shape right away.

Experimental therapy my @ss.

We were quite pleased and just does reinforce the behavior and social changes we have seen. Don't get me wrong, she does have a way to go but it is working. We quickly learned in January that many of her problems were way beyond typical ADD. We are noticing a decrease in her sensory problems, decrease in her anxiety(directly related to all of the "red" she had in her brain) - she is so much more socially accepted, her friends are calling, she is just so much more comfortable in her skin for lack of a better way to put it. School is coming along. She was actually complaining last night that she doesn't day dream anymore! Can you say more focused!?! The biggest issue right now is getting to be more confident with herself, and not to give up so easily. She has gotten into so many bad habits of not trying - if you tried for years and got no where wouldn't you give up too? Focus is still short but at least there, and she requires a lot less redirection. So we are well on our way!

I feel so blessed that we started this therapy. It has been costly. It has been time consuming. It has been stressful at times when K didn't want to do it. It was a HUGE leap of faith. But honestly if you told me standing on my head in a corner for the rest of my life would help her, I would have done it. When her meds didn't seem to be working even though we went higher and higher and she got thinner and thinner - there was just this nagging "voice" in my head last Dec that kept telling me to research, look farther, find another way. I did a websearch and just prayed I would see the answer. I researched and read, and researched and read. Neurobiofeedback just kept coming up, over and over. There it was. Our answer. Than to find a provider 30 min away(extremely rare where we live!) , and then finding out when we arrive he is one of the leading researchers/educators on the therapy and a Christain based therapy office to boot - divine intervention! My prayer now is somehow somewhat my nephew is able to get the same opportunity. I know it will work for him too.

Biofeedback

I am planning on a long update post on K's therapy next week after we get the results of her retest. ( I had a small peek the other day and the results were good. )But in the meantime, a friend shared this with me...and I wanted to "log" it here....this is the therapy we are pursuing with K. Guess you could say we are on the cutting edge,eh? The difference any of the literature fails to mention is this - studies 20 years out on patient's that have done the biofeedback show that the changes the biofeedback causes are permanent. Meaning - cure. Little if any regression. No pill will ever do that. Nor can any of these articles tell you that there is a large number of kids like K. who did not and never will benefit from the medication, and the only thing that told us that was the EEG......so I thank God every day he has set me on that path when he did. I can honestly tell you it has the best thing to happen to all of us in a long time. K is happier and healthier than she has ever been. She has a ways to go yet, but will well on her way.
~*~*~*
Hot Research

Researchers from Washington State Toxicology Laboratory reviewed the literature on Electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, also known as neurofeedback, to assess its promise as an alternative treatment for patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). (EEG biofeedback therapy rewards scalp EEG frequencies that are associated with relaxed attention, and suppresses frequencies associated with under- or over-arousal.) This review reports that in large-scale clinical trials, the efficacy of EEG biofeedback for AD/HD is comparable to that of stimulant medications. Many different EEG biofeedback protocols for AD/HD are available. In particular, single-channel protocols developed by Lubar and inter-hemispheric protocols developed by the Othmers are widely practiced and supported by large-scale clinical studies.
Citation:Friel PN. EEG biofeedback in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Alternative Medicine Review. 2007 Jun; 12 (2): pages 146-51. Pat.Friel@wsp.wa.gov


This is exactly the kind of research that we need to get the insurance companies and the doctors to FINALLY realize that this is a viable and payable treatment option for these kids. "Supported by large-scale clinical studies" and Blue Cross has the nerve to tell us they won't pay since they still consider the treatment "experimental". But they'll pay for her prescription for the 15 years!

Quick Hi

Just a quick hi! for family who has been coming here every day looking for new pictures! And the only one I have is this one...edit*which BLogger has decided not to post* ARGH....

Anywhooo...this will be short. I am still not typing well. Had a mole removed from the back of myhand about a month ago, and it came back "suspicious" so - the plastic surgeon had to go back in and literally take another hunk of my hand ....about 1 1/4 long and 1/2 or more wide, and probably about that deep. I felt scrapping and really did not want to know....then he pulled all that together into a nice little incision...can you say tight! Swollen. SORE! I poopoo'd the pain med prescription when they handed it to me. She said, you will want to have just in case. Well, yup. There I was sending J. out Sat to get it. Thankfully only needed it Sat and Sat night...I did not think it would hurt that much! But it was a constant throbbing, with sharp pain every time i tried to use it or move my wrist. Yesterday I could get my fingers together, just not exert any pressure on them, today I am actually squeezing a tiny bit. So progress is made! I tried to take a picture, but the steristrips are flesh colored and it didn't show up. I still can't twist it too much or make a fist, or pull up jeans and button them, so elastic it is!

Ok - it is telling me to stop, so I will. Pray that this sample come back clean, or they will need to take more. I don't have any more flesh on my hand!

Hawk Mountain continued

For some reason - these wouldn't load.
And yes - that is my ol' lard butt hiking up that "moderate difficulty" rock trail. LOVE IT! I used to love to push myself. Feel my muscles. move. Hike. Makes me feel so alive. How I can forget that feeling so often anymore baffles me.

This is the three of us at the top. K. wouldn't climb it. reminded me. I am strong. I can push myself.

I love where I live. I am sure there are more beautiful places. But for us. This is home (or near home anyway) I will take this over the city any time.

Headed back Nov 10th for a golden eagle demonstration, and to hike again. This time pack a lunch and take "the long way" to the overlooks.

What we did today

Hawk Mountain

Unfortunately, and fortunately, this is the only hawk we got to see today. A beautiful red talk teaching bird. She has an injured wing. C. asked to sit in the front row and I am very glad we did. Also got up close and personal with a barred owl.

It has been YEARS since I have been there. I love to hike. Love nature, the woods, love walking outside. Used to do a lot of it, but in the last year, year and half have really not made the time for it. So I decided we were going today. You would have thought we were dragging K. to the gallows, but she wound up having a good time. C. was thrilled to climb the rocks and see how high he was. He had a blast. K.'s anxiety got the best of her and she would not venture out too far. Nor would she do the rock climbing trail with us.

I myself could just perch on the highest rock, farthest out and stay for hours. How anyone can look out on this beautiful scenery and think that any of it could be random and anything short of divine creation I am not sure.

Post to be continued ........since my other two pictures will not load in this post.

S'all good

I know there is a reason I keep these kiddos around.

Earlier tonight, K. saw my new Biggest Loser DVD's sitting on the counter. (as yes, I have embarked yet again on this "weight loss/be healthier version of me" journey) And she comments, "I don't know why you think you need that mommy. I think you are fine the way you are." And then C. adds his two cents, "Yeah. You look beautiful to me". *sniff* He has been all about the hugs and kisses lately.

So , I did explain to them that Mom is just trying to be healthier, and this is one of the things I am doing to accomplish that.

C. was also sitting here just a second ago, asking if I ever had a paper boy standing on the corner yelling, "Extra, extra" and handing out papers. I reminded him that no, that is more of a city thing, and most paper "boys" have stands, and dont' yell anymore. I said, "I am not that old", and he says, "You aren't old in my book!"

Think I'll keep them around a little longer.

It is just what I needed today after a long rather emotionally stressful day.

Oh man

Since K. got her contacts, she immediately has started begging for sunglasses. Her friend from up the street wanted to go with her to the mall. So when my sister called yesterday and we figured out that we were both thinking of taking the girls to the mall, we decided to go together. What fun right?? K. and I have never gone shopping "at the mall" together. We have gone as a family and picked up a few things here and there, and stick with Kohl's etc. Up until now, I have mostly been able to pick up things while I am out and bring them home for K. I know her taste pretty well, and keeping her away from the mall and some of the goth/acid head stores in there is all the better. Well I headed off yesterday with high hopes for a fun day! K was allowed for the first time ever to go off by herself with her friend, so hunt down previously mentioned sunglasses. They did a great job. I called them and had them meet my sister and I at Deb to look at some tops I found. well let's say - my niece gave my sister a HUGE run for her money and headache with her attitude and choice of clothing. K. started out ok, and proceeded to throw a major tempertantrum because I wouldn't let her buy a new dress for a dance that is a month away and is a costume party. She did settle down and we did wind up having a more pleasant time. But I do believe I just got a glimpse at the future. Let's say my hopes for happy skipping holding hands while shopping in the mall images are never going to happen (Not really but hey I can exaggerate a bit!) As my sister yet one more time told my niece to pull her pants up-Yes, she loves to wear the wasit band barely covering her, um, private parts, and telling her under no uncertain terms that she would not be buying one of the mini skirts unless the shorts were attached inside. Even though J. swore she would wear shorts underneath them (yea - so you can take them off in the bathroom at school?! - she seemed shocked that my sister and I would figure that one out, even when she insists she wouldn't!?) But above all for me, the shoe store was the worst. K. of course does not like any of the ballet flats that are so popular,a nd my neice keep saying they were too flat, when she was flapping around in flipflops all day!! What is flatter than a flipflop!! K. couldn't see why I wouldn't pay $23 for a pair of sneakers with a heel that I KNOW she would never tromp around all day in school with them on....

I am happy to report we did manage to clothe them all, and everyone got a pair of shoes. So it's all good. But, we won't be doing it again, anytime soon! I think I realized where the tshirt slogan we saw on vacation originated from...a mom at the mall. "I parent, therefore I drink"

Notice??

Anything different??

Got it yet??

Look closely.

No glasses!

Went to the optometrist today (which K. loves! honestly - she does) - and he ok'd contacts. She has been BEGGING! So they taught her how to put them in and out. She worked it like a champ and came home with them in! (the left one may have to be changed to a more expensive lens, but that will be assessed next week) She is beside herself with joy. [Only slightly makes up for the fact that she is mad at me because I won't let her go to the East/West football game tonight. I will not be home. J. does not want to go, and I do not trust the parent she wants to go with. So, she is not going. Period. ]

So that is the big news for today! Oh - and when I came over here to post the picture, I found C. and his friend, in true boy fashion daring each other to eat dog treats. Thankfully, the "real" food ones from Petco. Boys.

The excitement never ends here!

Meet.....

Rapper Gangsta' Zo.....
That is what K. called her.
see...this is what we do around here when we get bored! LOL! She actually walked around for quite awhile with the hoodie on. Til she got one of her paws stuck in a sleeve, then she had had enough. She loves these kids and I think you can even see her smile in one of the pictures.









Can't believe it has been over a week since I wrote anything. Guess, keeping my head above water has been more important. Nothing special to write about. Between the kids, my grandmother and I - in the last two weeks we have been to every form of doctor/orthodontist/dentist there is! Pair that with an over loaded work schedule, and school meetings, and youth group activities and meetings....I have not been home much more than to eat and sleep for awhile! Some days not even to eat!

But I am not whining. No whining. This is the good life. We have errands to run because we are blessed with a full life. Most of the doctor things have just been regular check ups and scheduled things. With the exception of me, and that is another post. I have been stressed with starting C. at school with no meds. He is struggling a bit but we are giving a few more things a try before we medicate. He does not want to go back on it. Doesn't like the way it makes him feel. Can't say I blame him.

So that is it.
Life.
Our busy happy life.
We are blessed and lucky.
Remember that every day.

Smile

In light of the impact of today's date....a light hearted post.

C's teacher told him in her welcome letter over the summer, that one thing he needed to bring to school every day was a smile. So he drew this on his water bottle sock. Great likeness, not?

He even drew, big smile with teeth, and small smile no teeth.

This other one is a shot of the kids with their only cousin in J's side of the family. Took it while we were visiting over Labor Day weekend. She is 5 years older than K, and 7 years older than C, but tolerates them well and plays with them when we visit. C and K have decided we need a pool table in the basement.

And I leave you with a quote that has been sticking with me since I read it on another blog a few times. Think about it. I know I distinctly remember quite a few encouraging comments made to me, that made my day/week or even life, and I am sure the person who said them doesnt' even remember...

“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.”

Dale Carnegie motivational author

Hold your families close today. I am praying for the peace of heart for all those still experiencing the pain and loss of today's events 6 years ago.

First Day of School

I can remember the excitement of the first day. Back then, you know when the dinosaurs walked the earth, we actually did some extensive school shopping in late August, because then it didn't stay warm until October! Then, picking out that "perfect" new outfit. Many a September day I can remember sweating in my new courdoroy pants! We always went to Sears and got our new Roebucks shoes. How embarrassing in my late elementary years. I am sad there are no pictures I know that exist. I wish their were. Now - the kids can wear their summer things through most of Sept, so no real "new" clothes, but they did each pick out an outfit to wear. C. chose his "no homework" t-shirt. He felt it was fitting. K. yielding to peer pressure, wore a skirt she got a few weeks ago. While we really didn't go clothes shopping we did have to go for supplies. Folders and binders. Oh the choices!
Both up before the crack of dawn. This is C. ready with new backpack and new sneakers (no flip flops at school) sitting on the couch watching tv, an hour before the bus was due!! He is nearly in men's sizes! Those shoes are as big as you can get in boys, but they look huge to me. He is getting so big.



Since it is the second day of school when I am posting this, I can say the shoes are now rubbing him and he is complaining, although he was up early enough again today, as was K - a BIG feat around here. K. doesn't want to eat breakfast again this year, causing some friction here considering she has SIX of her 10 classes before lunch, which is not till noon, this year. She can not go on an empty stomach. So maybe it was the yelling this morning that got C. up!! She barely made it out for the bus, and I did hear her calling to her friend up the street that the bus was coming, and the girl next door called becuse she missed the bus this morning. So today was not quite as smooth!


And this picture tells it all - Zoey is miserable. When I called her in as C. walked to the corner for the bus - she dropped her ears, and walked ever so slowly. My heart went out to her. She is a little better today considering I am home, but she was still not happy to see them go again today.

So begins another year. J shocked us all, and announced we were going to dinner last night to celebrate the first day of school. We didn't argue! I love that we did it, becuase the kids chatted up their day much more than they would of had we stayed home. They chatted non-stop. Literally. Honest. Believe me, non-stop. K. still contending that 8th grade ROCKS, and every single teacher she had is cool. She also got an Open Art Room elective that she is thrilled about, as well as Scrabble club. C. was a *bit* less enthusiastic but chatty. We did discover he has a little crush on the girl across the street. His first crush! ACK! Neither of them medicated this year. Trying not to be tense and hold my breath about it. K. won't go back on it, but it is an option for C if we absolutely decide he can't function without it. Have to watch him closely.

Home Again Home Again

Jiggety Jig!! Home again home again, jiggety jig!

And we couldn't be more excited.

I never want to drive 20 miles out of or way to use a scanky fast food restaurant bathroom and squat over a gross toilet for as long as I live!

Love J's family, and had a great time on vacation, but three out of state trips in three weeks has been a bit too much time in the car for all of us. Coming home Sunday was almost torture. I BEGGED to come home Sunday instead of fighting traffic Monday. Besides, the kids and I needed yesterday to chill and get ready for the first day of school today!! Will post about that later.

For now I am going to go enjoy an uninterrupted cup of coffee and Regis and Kelly without someone whining about it!

J's mom is doing great by the way! Waiting for some test results to decide if any more treatment is necessary. She is certainly and walking miracle so far!