Mr Destructo strikes again and again

Either Chris is being rude and not replacing the toilet paper rolls as they're used up or... insert light bulb -going on - sound here.....

"Um, Josh why have the toilet paper rolls been disappearing quickly lately? Have you been playing with toilet paper while you're on the potty?"

"Dima did it!"

" How would you know that if you two aren't in the bathroom at the same time?"

"Mama, I Wuv you!" -- Nice try at changing the subject. I did get lots of those around Easter-candy - dolling- out time

"I love you , too. Okay, so what are you doing with the toilet paper while you're on the potty - where are you putting it?"

"On the floor, then in the potty"

"Caught ya! I knew you were doing it, now I guess you can't have any privacy while you're on the potty cause you're goofing around with the toilet paper! Josh-ua!"

"Mom-ua!"

I'm telling you: that kid cannot be left alone even for a second. Do you wonder why I'm exhausted at the end of a day? He can have privacy when he's a teenager! He has access to plenty of books while he's - um... busy there so there's no reason he should have to look for something to do it's just his Mr. Destructo side coming out. I might add that he still has no pillow on his bed because he's destroyed those every time we've given him a chance! I guess we're the ones who need to learn from this stuff that this kid cannot be trusted even for two seconds.

Time Flies!

Looking at the calendar I realize we've only got two more weeks until Josh is finished with preschool! Dima has until next month but boy did the school year go by fast.

Last Friday Dima's class had a PJs and pancakes party in the classroom and I went in to help out. The kids were all excited about getting to eat at school and wearing their PJs . They made place mats the day before the party with utensil and napkin and cup outlines so they'd know how to prepare their place settings. They were allowed to smear their own butter on the pancakes and pour their own syrup it didn't turn out to be as big a mess as you'd imagine, most of them did very well - one little girl was REALLY loading on the butter and I was thinking I'd probably do that too if I didn't know how bad it was for you. I moderately butter mine compared to this kid. Since I was manning the eating table of the event I was the closest and I was amazed at how many of these kids didn't know how to cut their own pancakes. I mostly helped them out and tried to encourage them to try it on their own but some were not at all sure of what to do or confident that they could. A little praise was good for most of them to do it again once they got the hang of it.

Next week they're having a PJ day at Josh's school and he already said he doesn't want to go - Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking when he says stuff like that. This afternoon we had a picnic at Marsh Creek park cause I said we could if Dima had a good day at school and boy was it nice. The weather is great. Then as we were leaving Josh said he wants to stay in his bed all afternoon. I was trying to motivate them to go walking with me later and I think all he wants to do is "pway".

Josh will be the line leader at his school this Friday which means I'm allowed to stay in the classroom and of course it's the same day that I'm allowed to stay at Dima's for Mother's Day. I was thinking: of all the times through the year when I would have loved to stay at either class and had the time to do it of course they both have to have something on exactly the same day! Since it'll be Josh's un-birthday ( something that someone made up so the summer - birthday kids don't feel left out) I should probably go to that one. I already got some Rice Crispie Treats for his snack that day cause I remember taking those when I was little and you actually - Okay my Mom - had to make them with gooey marshmallows.

We went to a goat race - bock beer fest this past weekend and again Josh was the talk of the fest while he was dancing. We'll be going to a kid's fest in early June and I'm sure he'll have a grand old time there. It's nice that he's getting to know the dance group kids more and more as we go to practices and events and it's not a bad thing that each of them - Josh and Dima get in a little only- child time while practicing and going to their own events.

Since Dima will be going to "Camp Success" - kind of like summer school - we'll still have a pretty structured routine around here during the summer so we can all get up and out of here each morning to get him to school. I for one am already looking forward to the pool being open so we have that to do. This past Friday Dima saw a hot air balloon going up and so every time it's a nice day he keeps saying " it's a good day for a hot air balloon". I did see one last night as I left his hockey practice and I called them to tell them it was up. That'll get him moving when it's time to take the gear off and get out of the rink!

recent quotes

A mere day before his first -ever hockey game Dima asked "How do I know which goal to shoot it in?"

"It could be a bear" said Dima while helping Papa look for the reason our electric dog fence isn't working followed quickly by "No, then we would have to see a cave"

While smelling a red tulip " it smells .... red" per Josh.

While looking at a tick on his sleeve " it's a sticker bug" Dima said between screams.

While smelling a yellow tulip " it smells ..... yellow" Josh again.

"They're better than the beginner adults I know who were just playing their first game not too many years ago" Mama said while watching Dima's first game. " These kids can go backwards - on purpose!!"

"When do they go in the water? "Josh asked while watching "Riverdance".

Eureka!!

Dima went to school for the first time on his medication today and he earned his sticker for the day!! The drug he's taking is supposed to help him rest well at night and to calm down during the day. We started him on it last Wednesday for night time use only until we had a weekday to monitor him during daytime use. I did notice that on Saturday after having a noontime dose he was playing very nicely on the porch and not running from thing to thing like he usually would have done. Yesterday we stayed around the house while the Flyers were on TV and then I took the boys to the rink to watch Chris play. It was hard to say if or how it effected him there cause Josh was acting up by then - I regretted letting him skip his nap - and I've noticed in the past that when one of them acts up the other usually kind of sits back and watches and stays out of whatever the other is up to, Thank God! I made a deal with Dima that if he gets all of his stickers this week we can go get a pizza on Friday. We drive by the pizza place on the way home and they always make some comment about it as we go by. As Dima got into the car today and told me that he had his sticker he asked if we could go to the restaurant today - Nice try, but I'm not negotiating on this one, he's got a short term attainable goal and he'll feel good about himself when we get to stop for the pizza on Friday.

If by chance your almost 5 year old picks up a crossword you've been working on and sits there while he's spending time on the potty looking all cute while holding the pen to his lips in a way like you do and scribbling on the paper you might be inclined to laugh with him. Then, when you walk away you should probably take the pen along with you since the little Mr. Destructo might write on his own face and legs in the two and a half seconds that you're out of the room. Yes, this really happened - Josh had scribbled up and down his legs and on his chin. At least he didn't get as far a writing on the wall!!

cheap fun

While the boys were in school a friend and I went to Five Below - this store has pretty much everything and all kinds of neat -to -have stuff that we really don't NEED but ...
I got a pack of little whirly - helicopter rotor on a stick toys ( 3 for a buck) and rewarded Dima's third sticker in a row with the toys. They were inspired to eat their lunch in record time so they could get out to play with them and now they're out running around like madmen trying to use them. At times they're getting whacked in the face and sometimes they're doing better than I did with them. It's only a matter of time before they'll have them flying all over the yard. I also found beach towels and a bocce set that I might save for Josh's birthday. That should be a good family game that's also good for their eye-hand coordination. Josh'll have that mastered in no time. We've got a great yard for that stuff and they need something to do while they count the days til we can get out the baby pool and Slip and Slide. Josh is now asking for a new color of helicopter thingy since he can't flick that one
Gotta go out an help him.... to be continued

The last segment was while we were home between school and skating lessons.

Meanwhile back at our house... Josh is resting in his bed and thinking about NOT jumping on his brother anymore... something he got a time out for doing just yesterday and then he did it this afternoon from pretty high up on the jungle gym. Since both boys behaved well at skating I decided to reward them with a trip to our - ok my - favorite park so they got to play on the jungle gym and while there were climbing and sliding I was thinking back to just after we moved here and Josh was so little that I had to follow him around to spot him and be sure he wouldn't hurt himself today he was whizzing up a rope ladder where he used to just pull himself up on the first rung and kind of go sideways to the next opening on the thing and at the time he thought that was great - it's amazing how quickly the time flies.

During our excursion to Five Below I got Josh an alarm clock and made a picture schedule so he can get into the same routine that Dima's in first thing in the morning. Dima's really good about turning off his alarm, getting out of his P.J.s to put on the clothes that were laid out the night before and coming downstairs on school days. Lately Josh has been whining for me to help him and I think he's big enough that he can start to do more for himself.

He just used his alarm to get up from nap - got his pants on without help and is downstairs on his own. He's looking for a toy that he had this morning and he's walking around in the playroom saying "I'm getting warmer". Funny, funny kid!!

our visits to Dr. Wiley

Almost a month ago we had a consultation with Dr. Peter Wiley and AD/HD specialist at CHoP to investigate the possibility that Dima has AD/HD . The more I read about it and talked to other people about it the more convinced I was that it would come to this. Once I read about kids who have it lacking the inner voice that tells most of to stop things that get them in trouble I could imagine Dima's picture in the book next to that entry.

The first visit was for testing and for Dima to be interviewed. Some of it was done while Chris and I were in the room and a major portion of it was just him and the people who were interviewing him. He had several breaks while they were together and it lasted at least four hours.

Since seeing Dima’s dr yesterday – yes, he does have mild AD/HD - I’ve been copying his reports for Dima’s teacher and the therapists at school because he thinks that Dima would benefit from speech and occupational therapy and so I have to get that ball rolling. I also faxed a copy to his pediatrician to see if she could prescribe medications for him but, no of course it couldn't be that easy, now we have to find a doctor who psychiatrist who treats kids to do the prescribing.

Dr Wiley was very thorough and he went over each test that he did and explained the results and what they mean as well as noticing trends in how he's learning and where he's lacking. I liked his approach with explaining the pros and cons of the medications with out saying that we HAVE to use them, just providing information to allow us to make an informed decision. The pediatrician and Dr. Wiley have both said that they've seen results with behavioral therapy combined with the medication.

So many people have a bad impression of what the drugs do but the way he explained how they work is different from anything I’d heard and it really made sense. Plus there are different things to try depending on how they affect him to see what works the best and at what dosage. After reading up on AD/HD I had a feeling it was coming to this. I should have recorded the visit yesterday cause it was just filled with information.

After yesterday’s appointment my mind was just swimming! In a way it’s just the beginning of more doctors and more therapies but I feel closer to an answer to helping him get a grip on himself. The bottom line is that with no one to talk to him and to nurture him and to really take care of him until he was almost three profoundly effected the formation of his brain and so his functions differently than others especially in terms of impulse control.

When I brought the kids home today I gave Dima a pair of heavy duty scissors to go out to our forsythia to trim some to bring inside - when you give him specific instructions about something like that he can do very well as long as he's not already wound up. He very carefully went out into the yard carrying the scissors the right way and being sure not to run it was kinda funny to watch him walking back with scissors in one hand, branches in the other using almost a tight -rope walk type step. Now he checks on them every few minutes to be sure the cats aren't chewing them or just obsessing over whether we should give them more water or take them out of the water because he knows you're not supposed to over water.

He got two stickers so far this week and if he can get two more I told him that he and I can go out to a restaurant of his choice on Friday night when Josh goes to see the Reading Royals game with his Papa. I'm going to try to set reachable goals for him so that he doesn't feel like he'll never accomplish the ones that are set too high.

Josh: the star of the show

Our German dance group held their Spring fest on Saturday and Josh was a huge hit. They tell me that even people from the bar were coming into the hall once word spread that he was out dancing with the kid's group.
I know I'm biased but he was really cute. Our friend taped him and I figured we better put him on youtube before someone else does. Even after he was done dancing he was going around the room and people kept complimenting him and high-fiving him all night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_NAbgYrjJI

There's potential for America's Funniest Videos too, maybe we should send it in - could potentially add to his college fund. He had a good time running around the place with his friends before we had to slow him down as people started coming in. We stayed in a hotel near the fest and Josh always likes doing that. The boys had another late night last night with going to a Reading Royals game - again Josh became the center of attention for a while as the "Funny Guy" -the mascot came over to play around with Josh and his new long purple plastic horn that is quite a bit like an alphorn and he is actually good at getting notes out of it.

His busy weekend certainly caught up this morning when he was throwing himself on the floor refusing to get his coat on to go to school - then I was regretting allowing him to go to the game on a school night. He actually wanted to go back to bed - why can't he do that on a day that he can sleep in?? I would have gladly let him go if I could have or brought him into my bed and we both could have gotten some rest. I'm hoping that naptime goes well and he gets caught up on his rest, partly because I'm pretty tired too after two late- late nights.