Today was just one of those days...I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, another 30 minutes of laying around would have been amazing, and yet, we just didnt have that time in our day....so instead, we have all paid for my frustration throughout the day. Yep today was one of those mom days when the kids could do very little right....
Now, before we let the kids COMPLETELY off the hook, please know that there was plenty about today that I had every right to be frustrated by.....let me detail it all for you....
1. It is not cool to wake up and find your 8 year old eating doritos on the couch.
2. It is really not cool to find your 8 year old eating doritos on the couch and knowing he shouldn't
3. It is not cool to find your 8 year old eating doritos on the couch, knowing he shouldn't because you did a fun eating healthy foods project the night before, which has now obviously taught nothing.
Fast forward 3 hours:
1. It is not cool to try to grocery shop for Passover foods in a ridiculously crowded grocery store.
2. As you leave the grocery store and announce to the kids that you are stressed and tired, and your 3 year old is crying, the 8 year old should not choose that moment to announce that he has drawn with a pen on the seat of the car.
3. The 8 year old should really have a better reason for drawing said house on the car seat than, "I didn't have any paper"
As punishment for said drawing project, I decided it would be a great idea that we would CLEAN the car----however, sadly, when I choose to clean the car, that almost always means taking the seats out, emptying the entire vehicle and really deep cleaning the car.....This project took an hour!!! As we went through this hour, in the same hour, we had a toilet overflow, and the battery on the car died....
So, it really wasn't my day, it really wasn't my fault. You will all understand why when that same 8 year old decided to use qtips to again clean his ears, that I had told him this morning he is NOT to use, and also NOT to flush down the toilet, I lost my cool.
Good night 8 year old, let's try for a better day, but let's also stay away from q-tips, pens, cars, grocery stores, doritos, and me when I am in a cranky mood......
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Frustrations in the key of life
I want to focus on the good and not the bad...but sometimes it is just impossible.
I really wish that if people did not understand me or my boys that they would either take the time to research epilepsy in children or fetal alcohol syndrome, or pick up the phone and ask questions...but to simply jump to your own conclusions truly can have intense effects.
I realized this weekend that the parenting part is not the hard part of my life, it is the "other stuff" that comes with parenting. For example, I have no problem being with the kids all day, but being with the kids all day and THEN having to do the toy clean up is hard. The other thing that is hard is not having that person who you can check reality with. You know if you have a partner in life, that if something upsets you, you can chat with them about it and either they make you feel better, tell you to get over it, or take action with you.
As a single mom with so much daily shit, there is no one at night who's job it is to share the stress or the worry. there is no one who I can say, "your turn" I am not calling doctors tomorrow, you do it. Or, hey hun we have a CSE meeting and it is going to be intense, when you see me getting upset,will you please jump in and form rational thoughts so that they will listen to you.....
So here is my list of things I wish everyone knew....
1. My boys are MY BOYS. They found my family for a purpose and I would never, ever for a minute wish anything differently. Even when life has been the hardest, my boys are mine and I am thankful. And even if it is not what you hear, I am truly, truly blessed...but people don't walk around saying how blessed they are...wouldnt it be cool if that was the NORM? Rather, you are likely to hear when something is hard or stressful....but in all honesty, I cherish my life, I cherish the little moments, and I laugh often, that is a good life!
2. Brain damage is an intense thing to live with. Life doesnt make sense for children with brain damage, and they can look like they understand, and completely and totally DO NOT understand. And they can look out of control, and truly be doing well, or vice versa they can look like they are fabulous and only be 10 seconds away from a true nightmare.
3. Doctors do not know much about brain issues. Every person with a brain disorder is a unique individual, and the parts of their brain affected are different. Brain issues for my boys change daily, minute by minute. So, if you think you have a new strategy, I likely have already tried it. If you think I am doing something wrong, talk to me about it, you might be surprised at my answer. On the other hand, I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTION and reminders! But be kind, be gentle and approach me privately, away from my boys.
4. It is not possible for 1 person to police any child with special needs all the time. It is REALLY NOT POSSIBLE for any 1 person to police 2 children with special needs and a toddler at one time. But I am doing my best. If you have a suggestion for how to better do something, please let me know. But if I suggest that the an unsafe item go away, it is probably because there is a really good reason. I have to have a safe environment surrounding my child becuase it is like having 3 18 month olds at times, I am responsible for creating a safe world because the boys are not always able to make their own world as safe as other children their own age. Their interest and desires outweight their ability to follow rules.
5. Just because you can't see their disability doesn't mean it doesnt exist. For M and D their disabilties are hidden but impact all of their lives in every aspect. If they looked more disabled, it would be easier. If they looked more disabled we would all have a constant reminder of their needs. Instead, I am the constant reminder, I live life constantly reminded of their limitations. Please don't fight with me over my rules, they are an important part of our life!
6. I need as many people in my corner as I can get. I treasure the times that friends have taken one of my boys for some alone time...what a treat for M, D or J to have 1:1 time with an adult. I treasure the people in our world who love us for who we are! If you get to know us, we are bound to impact your world....definitely we make an impact, my hope is that it is a positive impact!
Thanks for listening!
I really wish that if people did not understand me or my boys that they would either take the time to research epilepsy in children or fetal alcohol syndrome, or pick up the phone and ask questions...but to simply jump to your own conclusions truly can have intense effects.
I realized this weekend that the parenting part is not the hard part of my life, it is the "other stuff" that comes with parenting. For example, I have no problem being with the kids all day, but being with the kids all day and THEN having to do the toy clean up is hard. The other thing that is hard is not having that person who you can check reality with. You know if you have a partner in life, that if something upsets you, you can chat with them about it and either they make you feel better, tell you to get over it, or take action with you.
As a single mom with so much daily shit, there is no one at night who's job it is to share the stress or the worry. there is no one who I can say, "your turn" I am not calling doctors tomorrow, you do it. Or, hey hun we have a CSE meeting and it is going to be intense, when you see me getting upset,will you please jump in and form rational thoughts so that they will listen to you.....
So here is my list of things I wish everyone knew....
1. My boys are MY BOYS. They found my family for a purpose and I would never, ever for a minute wish anything differently. Even when life has been the hardest, my boys are mine and I am thankful. And even if it is not what you hear, I am truly, truly blessed...but people don't walk around saying how blessed they are...wouldnt it be cool if that was the NORM? Rather, you are likely to hear when something is hard or stressful....but in all honesty, I cherish my life, I cherish the little moments, and I laugh often, that is a good life!
2. Brain damage is an intense thing to live with. Life doesnt make sense for children with brain damage, and they can look like they understand, and completely and totally DO NOT understand. And they can look out of control, and truly be doing well, or vice versa they can look like they are fabulous and only be 10 seconds away from a true nightmare.
3. Doctors do not know much about brain issues. Every person with a brain disorder is a unique individual, and the parts of their brain affected are different. Brain issues for my boys change daily, minute by minute. So, if you think you have a new strategy, I likely have already tried it. If you think I am doing something wrong, talk to me about it, you might be surprised at my answer. On the other hand, I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTION and reminders! But be kind, be gentle and approach me privately, away from my boys.
4. It is not possible for 1 person to police any child with special needs all the time. It is REALLY NOT POSSIBLE for any 1 person to police 2 children with special needs and a toddler at one time. But I am doing my best. If you have a suggestion for how to better do something, please let me know. But if I suggest that the an unsafe item go away, it is probably because there is a really good reason. I have to have a safe environment surrounding my child becuase it is like having 3 18 month olds at times, I am responsible for creating a safe world because the boys are not always able to make their own world as safe as other children their own age. Their interest and desires outweight their ability to follow rules.
5. Just because you can't see their disability doesn't mean it doesnt exist. For M and D their disabilties are hidden but impact all of their lives in every aspect. If they looked more disabled, it would be easier. If they looked more disabled we would all have a constant reminder of their needs. Instead, I am the constant reminder, I live life constantly reminded of their limitations. Please don't fight with me over my rules, they are an important part of our life!
6. I need as many people in my corner as I can get. I treasure the times that friends have taken one of my boys for some alone time...what a treat for M, D or J to have 1:1 time with an adult. I treasure the people in our world who love us for who we are! If you get to know us, we are bound to impact your world....definitely we make an impact, my hope is that it is a positive impact!
Thanks for listening!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
punishing asthmatics for not breathing
that sounds logical doesnt it? How about punishing a diabetic for not managing their blood sugar appropriately? Ok, ready, how about punishing a child with epilepsy for acting impulsively and not responding during a seizure?
Yep, that is what is going on with D at his school. Poor little man lost "treasure" 2 days last week because he was being impulsive and not listening to the teacher. Now I could care less about the treasure itself. What I care about is the fact that he knows he didn't earn treasure but has no idea why. He has no control over his impulsivity these days, and is a maniacal ball of energy....or to say it another way, he is the D that lived with me for 3 years BEFORE seizure meds.
The babysitter, who is has done amazing with for months now, is struggling and cannot get him to respond, he is a maniac on the bus, and now he is also "not listening" at school. Do we think the teacher might want to tell his mom? Do we think we might want to give mom information so she can touch base with the doctor? NO, of course not, let's just take away the boy's treasure and see if he does better.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I truly wonder why life ALWAYS has to be hard....can the Bloom boys please catch a break?
Yep, that is what is going on with D at his school. Poor little man lost "treasure" 2 days last week because he was being impulsive and not listening to the teacher. Now I could care less about the treasure itself. What I care about is the fact that he knows he didn't earn treasure but has no idea why. He has no control over his impulsivity these days, and is a maniacal ball of energy....or to say it another way, he is the D that lived with me for 3 years BEFORE seizure meds.
The babysitter, who is has done amazing with for months now, is struggling and cannot get him to respond, he is a maniac on the bus, and now he is also "not listening" at school. Do we think the teacher might want to tell his mom? Do we think we might want to give mom information so she can touch base with the doctor? NO, of course not, let's just take away the boy's treasure and see if he does better.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I truly wonder why life ALWAYS has to be hard....can the Bloom boys please catch a break?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
anxiety in the form of meetings and a court date
I am glad that I had everything scheduled on the same day, however what a day it was. My morning started off with a pre-cse meeting for David. Basically this was an opportunity for me to meet with D's teachers, and OT, PT, and speech teacher to determine where his skills are right now, and what kind of classroom he should be in for next year.
All in all it was a decent meeting, although there were a few frustrations. I wish that he could have more OT and PT in the Fall. I really think that his motor skills are his major delay and he will need intensive therapy to meet these needs. However there are limitations that define how much therapy a child can receive, and so we are stuck within those limitations.
Secondly, it seems as if D's teacher sees a totally different child at times than the rest of us... in her world he counts to 10. In my world we are lucky to get to 3...however him counting to 3 is amazing to me. It is more than I had thought and should be celebrated.
I will have more fighting to do as we go into his cse meeting next week, but for now, all is quiet and I feel like he is in a good place.
Meeting number 2 was M's CSE meeting. I love his teacher. She "gets" him. She wrote a great report, explained wehre he is at, what areas he could show growth in, and has presented a thoughtful plan for him for next year that sounds right on target! It was wonderful to spend over an hour hearing about how he is doing, and learning about her plans for him.
Then it was time for the BIG COURT DATE. For those who have not been on this road with me all year, D was expelled from the YMCA after school program after attending the program for 3 short days....I was with him the majority of the time...however when I wasn't there apparently he struggled or should I say THEY struggled.
Anyways, because there was so much of a struggle to enroll him in this program, and the fact that he was dismissed after 3 short days, I filed a suit with the Division of Human Rights, as I feel he was dismissed from this program because of his developmental disability and his diagnosis of epilepsy.
We spent almost 3 hours in questioning as information was gathered regarding D's behavior at the program, and the process of dismissing him from program.
All in all, I was able to leave feeling like I believe he and I were discriminated against due to his diagnosis of epilepsy. I am not sure whether or not that will be the finding of the case. However, whether or not the case is found in our favor, I believe that the YMCA did not offer him appropriate support and did not allow him enough time in the program to determine whether or not he could succeed. For this, I will always believe that the Y failed my child, and failed children in general.
Children are young, and need support and love from all the adults in their lives. The YMCA caused hurt and pain to D and treated him unkindly. That is not the purpose of any after school program, and for that there should be something that can be done. Even if all that changes is that the YMCA becomes more aware of how children with special needs can be accomodated in their program, I will consider that a win, and for that I will be very, very proud.
The results of this portion of the case should be determined by the end of April. Keep your fingers crossed that the YMCA is made to take notice that kids are kids, disability or not!
All in all it was a decent meeting, although there were a few frustrations. I wish that he could have more OT and PT in the Fall. I really think that his motor skills are his major delay and he will need intensive therapy to meet these needs. However there are limitations that define how much therapy a child can receive, and so we are stuck within those limitations.
Secondly, it seems as if D's teacher sees a totally different child at times than the rest of us... in her world he counts to 10. In my world we are lucky to get to 3...however him counting to 3 is amazing to me. It is more than I had thought and should be celebrated.
I will have more fighting to do as we go into his cse meeting next week, but for now, all is quiet and I feel like he is in a good place.
Meeting number 2 was M's CSE meeting. I love his teacher. She "gets" him. She wrote a great report, explained wehre he is at, what areas he could show growth in, and has presented a thoughtful plan for him for next year that sounds right on target! It was wonderful to spend over an hour hearing about how he is doing, and learning about her plans for him.
Then it was time for the BIG COURT DATE. For those who have not been on this road with me all year, D was expelled from the YMCA after school program after attending the program for 3 short days....I was with him the majority of the time...however when I wasn't there apparently he struggled or should I say THEY struggled.
Anyways, because there was so much of a struggle to enroll him in this program, and the fact that he was dismissed after 3 short days, I filed a suit with the Division of Human Rights, as I feel he was dismissed from this program because of his developmental disability and his diagnosis of epilepsy.
We spent almost 3 hours in questioning as information was gathered regarding D's behavior at the program, and the process of dismissing him from program.
All in all, I was able to leave feeling like I believe he and I were discriminated against due to his diagnosis of epilepsy. I am not sure whether or not that will be the finding of the case. However, whether or not the case is found in our favor, I believe that the YMCA did not offer him appropriate support and did not allow him enough time in the program to determine whether or not he could succeed. For this, I will always believe that the Y failed my child, and failed children in general.
Children are young, and need support and love from all the adults in their lives. The YMCA caused hurt and pain to D and treated him unkindly. That is not the purpose of any after school program, and for that there should be something that can be done. Even if all that changes is that the YMCA becomes more aware of how children with special needs can be accomodated in their program, I will consider that a win, and for that I will be very, very proud.
The results of this portion of the case should be determined by the end of April. Keep your fingers crossed that the YMCA is made to take notice that kids are kids, disability or not!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
IEP week
For those of you who do not know the complete Bloom boy story, I will catch you up before I go ahead with today's blog....all of my boys were adopted, and all of my boys were "typically developing" as far as I was aware at the time of their adoption. It wasn't until M was 15 months old that I realized hmmmmm something is just "off" here. Before then, I was in awe at my "amazing parenting abilities". He happily went to everyone, oohed and ahhed at everyone, was an easy baby etc..... Until he didnt babble, and never went through a "stranger anxiety" phase, he was the perfect baby, and I was happy living life as "the perfect mom".
I figured I had parented him so well that of course he wasnt afraid of people, that was because I did such a great job making his world feel safe. I figured he let anyone hold and comfort him because he was completely and totally secure that I was his mom, and therefore didn't need to act anxious because he wasn't anxious.
At around 15 months I realized there may be a problem and at 18 months he received special ed, speech, OT and PT. However, he was over the age of 3 before my parents, or others close to us recognized or agreed that he may be developing differently than other children. He was over 2 years old before he ever said anything close to mama or mom.....and he has never gone through those "typical" phases all kids go through no matter how amazing their parents are.
So I have always been a mom with my eyes wide open, and I have never missed a problem developmentally for D or M. However, receiving M's draft IEP from school yesterday still hit me like a punch in the stomach.
When my children were in preschool, I knew every step of their development, where they were in relation to their peers, and how they were gaining skills etc.... Now it is harder, I am not in touch with typical 8 year olds, because M has no friends and therefore we have no typical 8 year olds around for me to compare him to. We are around a lot of 5 and 6 year olds, and I am well aware that many of his skills are lower than their skills in different areas. However, being aware, and actually reading the facts on paper are 2 very different things.
M's attention and M's ability to focus are horrendous. He struggles in school across all areas. In some areas this year he is actually functioning lower than he was last year because he has been struggling behaviorally and has lost ground.
I know for the teacher's these things are not surprises. I konw in my heart of hearts that we have plateaud in some areas. However, it will never feel good, it will never be ok for me to read these things, and it will always break my heart.
I know in the upcoming week I will receive a similar report for D. I am more aware of what skills he is missing and where he struggles, but I konw it won't be any easier to read these things on paper in relation to him.
I have to go through the grieving process for the boys I thought I was adopting, and the reality of the boys I have adopted....there are no better boys out there, and absolutely positively these boys belong to me and were meant to be in my family and for that I am so thankful. I just wish their lives were a little easier. I wish there was a recipe book so I knew what would help them to grow as little people.
I wish they played with stuffed animals the way J does, I wish they had told me "no" when they were 3 like J does, I wish life for them was easier. I wish, I wish, I wish, and yet the reality is right there, in black and white on paper by the professionals.
I figured I had parented him so well that of course he wasnt afraid of people, that was because I did such a great job making his world feel safe. I figured he let anyone hold and comfort him because he was completely and totally secure that I was his mom, and therefore didn't need to act anxious because he wasn't anxious.
At around 15 months I realized there may be a problem and at 18 months he received special ed, speech, OT and PT. However, he was over the age of 3 before my parents, or others close to us recognized or agreed that he may be developing differently than other children. He was over 2 years old before he ever said anything close to mama or mom.....and he has never gone through those "typical" phases all kids go through no matter how amazing their parents are.
So I have always been a mom with my eyes wide open, and I have never missed a problem developmentally for D or M. However, receiving M's draft IEP from school yesterday still hit me like a punch in the stomach.
When my children were in preschool, I knew every step of their development, where they were in relation to their peers, and how they were gaining skills etc.... Now it is harder, I am not in touch with typical 8 year olds, because M has no friends and therefore we have no typical 8 year olds around for me to compare him to. We are around a lot of 5 and 6 year olds, and I am well aware that many of his skills are lower than their skills in different areas. However, being aware, and actually reading the facts on paper are 2 very different things.
M's attention and M's ability to focus are horrendous. He struggles in school across all areas. In some areas this year he is actually functioning lower than he was last year because he has been struggling behaviorally and has lost ground.
I know for the teacher's these things are not surprises. I konw in my heart of hearts that we have plateaud in some areas. However, it will never feel good, it will never be ok for me to read these things, and it will always break my heart.
I know in the upcoming week I will receive a similar report for D. I am more aware of what skills he is missing and where he struggles, but I konw it won't be any easier to read these things on paper in relation to him.
I have to go through the grieving process for the boys I thought I was adopting, and the reality of the boys I have adopted....there are no better boys out there, and absolutely positively these boys belong to me and were meant to be in my family and for that I am so thankful. I just wish their lives were a little easier. I wish there was a recipe book so I knew what would help them to grow as little people.
I wish they played with stuffed animals the way J does, I wish they had told me "no" when they were 3 like J does, I wish life for them was easier. I wish, I wish, I wish, and yet the reality is right there, in black and white on paper by the professionals.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Stims and perseverations!
Ok anyone who knows a child with autism or an autism spectrum disorder can relate to this- a stim or a perseveration is basically the "thing" your child gets stuck on for a period of time. I am not talking about a brief period of time, and I am not talking about something that occupies your child for a little while....i am talking about that thing that is ALL ENCOMPASSING, that thing that OVERRIDES all else!
Right now both D and M have perseverations going on and both are about to DRIVE ME CRAZY. For M the question of the month is "is this a busy road?" I have tried to get him to define "busy road" I have tried to ask him to give me the answer. I have defined "busy road" for him....none of it does any good- it is a question he HAS to ask, and apparently a question I HAVE to answer at a minimum 100 times a day.
Now D's perseveration is moderately funny to me, but I think it is mostly because it is making M nuts- which is more funny because M is konwn for asking repetitive questions, so for him to get mad because someone else is doing it cracks me up!
But D's question of the day is "is it funny" asked about everything, and followed with a little high pitched chuckle. Unfortunatley, most of the time he asks the answer is NO! OF COURSE IT ISN'T FUNNY. Is a heart attack funny? Is hitting your funny bone funny? Of course it is not funny! But when he does that little chuckle and giggle, it becomes funny and so I laugh, thereby encouraging him to ask again!
We have survived 8 days of total togetherness! We have now cleaned the play room AND the family room and I cleaned up the dining room....however, if I have to hear "is this a busy road" or "is it funny" more than 10 more times each, I might really lose it!
Please, can I go back to work! Please can the boys go back to school- back to the structure and routine they love! Back to the world of other adults who can tend to their needs for a little while each day?
One more day...1 more day of togetherness and then we are back to routine for a month! And, I am sure as they get back on the bus on Monday morning, I will miss hanging out together for lazy mornings, and watching them play together and just being together the 4 of us....but I can say for certain, as M asks the bus driver if the road is busy....that will be something I DONT miss!
Right now both D and M have perseverations going on and both are about to DRIVE ME CRAZY. For M the question of the month is "is this a busy road?" I have tried to get him to define "busy road" I have tried to ask him to give me the answer. I have defined "busy road" for him....none of it does any good- it is a question he HAS to ask, and apparently a question I HAVE to answer at a minimum 100 times a day.
Now D's perseveration is moderately funny to me, but I think it is mostly because it is making M nuts- which is more funny because M is konwn for asking repetitive questions, so for him to get mad because someone else is doing it cracks me up!
But D's question of the day is "is it funny" asked about everything, and followed with a little high pitched chuckle. Unfortunatley, most of the time he asks the answer is NO! OF COURSE IT ISN'T FUNNY. Is a heart attack funny? Is hitting your funny bone funny? Of course it is not funny! But when he does that little chuckle and giggle, it becomes funny and so I laugh, thereby encouraging him to ask again!
We have survived 8 days of total togetherness! We have now cleaned the play room AND the family room and I cleaned up the dining room....however, if I have to hear "is this a busy road" or "is it funny" more than 10 more times each, I might really lose it!
Please, can I go back to work! Please can the boys go back to school- back to the structure and routine they love! Back to the world of other adults who can tend to their needs for a little while each day?
One more day...1 more day of togetherness and then we are back to routine for a month! And, I am sure as they get back on the bus on Monday morning, I will miss hanging out together for lazy mornings, and watching them play together and just being together the 4 of us....but I can say for certain, as M asks the bus driver if the road is busy....that will be something I DONT miss!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Vacation week fun
As a single mom, often knowing that vacation week is coming is cause for concern. That means that 24/7 I am going to be ON. Unless I hire a babysitter, it will be me and the boys all day, everyday during break.
Over the past few years, my anxiety level for vacation weeks has not completely skyrocketed due to some good friends entering our lives, but as we headed into February vacation week, I was still moderately anxious.
See in Upstate NY the weather greatly impacts what you can do with 3 children. Assuming an endless amount of money, and the world is our oyster, but sadly our money has a limit, and so that has to be taken into account when planning for a week full of activity.
Thankfully one of our favorite programs, Project Link, was up and running this week. Project Link is sheer genuis- you take any children with special needs and their families and open up an indoor gymnastics studio complete with trampolines, balls, cars, trucks and an art room, and you have 2 hours of fun and entertainment. Add to it that this program is free and is held for 3 days during the week and you have one happy mom and 3 ecstatic little boys!
Additionally, this week we were lucky enough to get a little snow and also to have some decent weather so we have had 2 full afternoons of project link followed by sledding which creates the perfect recipe for exhausted little boys!
Now as I wrap up Wednesday night, we are in the home stretch and heading back towards routine. Tomorrow is the final day of Project Link and all of our good friends are bringing their children. So not only will the boys have a great time, but I will also get some quality mom time in! Then we end the day with a birthday party for one of D's little kindergarten friends!
I need to plan activities for Friday, Saturday and something calm to get us back into the routine for Sunday, and we can end this vacation week on a high! A trip to the library, maybe another day of sledding, and possibly a visit to an indoor play area and we will all head back to our routine and structure with good memories, and positive energy!
Over the past few years, my anxiety level for vacation weeks has not completely skyrocketed due to some good friends entering our lives, but as we headed into February vacation week, I was still moderately anxious.
See in Upstate NY the weather greatly impacts what you can do with 3 children. Assuming an endless amount of money, and the world is our oyster, but sadly our money has a limit, and so that has to be taken into account when planning for a week full of activity.
Thankfully one of our favorite programs, Project Link, was up and running this week. Project Link is sheer genuis- you take any children with special needs and their families and open up an indoor gymnastics studio complete with trampolines, balls, cars, trucks and an art room, and you have 2 hours of fun and entertainment. Add to it that this program is free and is held for 3 days during the week and you have one happy mom and 3 ecstatic little boys!
Additionally, this week we were lucky enough to get a little snow and also to have some decent weather so we have had 2 full afternoons of project link followed by sledding which creates the perfect recipe for exhausted little boys!
Now as I wrap up Wednesday night, we are in the home stretch and heading back towards routine. Tomorrow is the final day of Project Link and all of our good friends are bringing their children. So not only will the boys have a great time, but I will also get some quality mom time in! Then we end the day with a birthday party for one of D's little kindergarten friends!
I need to plan activities for Friday, Saturday and something calm to get us back into the routine for Sunday, and we can end this vacation week on a high! A trip to the library, maybe another day of sledding, and possibly a visit to an indoor play area and we will all head back to our routine and structure with good memories, and positive energy!
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