First Day Back from Break

Whew! Spring break was very enlightening for us! Spawn was bored three days into vacation and I realized summer vacation this year is going to be very, very long. Eeps!


We're working on finding some activities for the summer. So far, we've settled on season passes for the pool and possibly an environmental ed day camp at one of the local state parks. He needs to be doing. Relaxing is not his style. ;)


Spawn has a lot of trouble relating to his peers now that he's so focused and understands his needs. He gets upset with kids who are loud or scream because it's so distracting and - in his opinion - unnecessary. He finds regular loud, impulsive children of his own age distracting and difficult to understand. While he's probably less mature than them, he seems more mature because he prefers quiet and calm to the usual boisterous behavior of his peers.


The question is - do I force him into a playgroup where he views his peers as immature "babies" that he can't relate to or continue to let him gravitate to older kids that he doesn't talk down to and views as intellectual peers because they're less impulsive, calmer, and easier to relate to?


I have no illusions about my little boy. He's incredibly bright, but due to his condition, even he realizes he can't relate to his peers. He prefers the company of older kids because they're quieter and more thoughtful and he can't focus his thoughts and quiet his mind around children his own age who kind of do everything out loud. :/ Who can fault that reasoning? He has a habit of hugging kids his own age and younger because he thinks they're loud because they need attention. So he hugs them! LOL! :D That little habit makes it even harder for him to relate to kids his age. ;)


I so wish there was a support group in the area for parents of kids with ADHD. I never know if what I'm doing is right for him. Just kind of bumbling my way through it and doing what feels right for him. :/


Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Spring Break!!!

Today is the start of Spawn's first spring break. I don't think I've ever looked forward so much to spring break even when I was in school. :D I've been sick with this nasty coughing crud the last 5 days and now Spawn is getting it. We really need a few days to recuperate. I love the way Spawn's school worked out spring break. We're off from today through Easter instead of 2 days on either side of Easter weekend. 9 whole days!


Spawn's been learning a lot of great new stuff - pennies, nickels, and dimes, morning, afternoon, and evening, and he's going to start learning how to tell time to the hour after the break. :D


The elementary ed staff implemented a new program called Imagination Station a few weeks ago. It's a Language Arts computer game program that adapts to the student's needs and adjusts its programming to work on the concepts where they need more help. Spawn loves it. It's a great addition to the curriculumn! We'll probably play some iStation games even during the break to keep Spawn in the game. ;) I'll try to get another pic of the week up during the break. Otherwise, see y'all on the flip side of break!


Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

What I wanted to blog and what I am blogging - Two Entirely Different Things!

I have a half-finished blog to wrap-up the week and the pic of the week that I failed to post this week, but...ugh...just this once, I gotta say - I'm tired. Down to the bone tired. We have an insane week coming up. I go to great lengths to keep our schedule as light as possible because Spawn has swimming, speech therapy, and karate every week during the school year. That's 3 out of every 5 school days that we do only the basic subjects and use the other 2 days to make-up work. This week is completely over-booked and I'm kicking myself for doing this, but I had no choice. All are necessary evils. Gotta just pull up my big girl panties and get through the week.


Monday: Swimming 4:00
Tuesday: Speech Therapy 4:00
(Also my dad's birthday today.)
Wednesday: Pediatrician for ADHD med follow-up: 4:00
Thursday: Karate 4:00
Friday: PALCS DEIBEL Testing (at the library in town - at least they come to us for this!) 2:45


Notice how most of the appointments are scheduled for 4:00 pm? Spawn needs that routine. Friday is really going to screw him up. :( I still have to do a full day's lessons every day this week and even double up on some so we can work ahead and take off all of spring break week. The meds Spawn takes cause mild insomnia, so he only sleeps a few hours a day and goes to bed some time between 2 and 4 am. He's not even able to pull himself together to start his school day until after noon most days. If I could make all those classes and appointments 2 hours later, my life would be so much easier. :/ Then again, his meds only last about 5 hours, so his classes would be a write-off. I just haven't figured out how to cram a day into 5 hours yet. I'm worn down to a nubbin trying to cope with less than 6 hours sleep most days. I wonder how other parents of kids like Spawn cope. ???


You know those backpacks they make for long-distance runners? The ones that hold like 2 quarts of water and just have a straw that runs up the strap to the runner's mouth? Can I get one of those filled with Jack & Coke? I'll just curl up in a fetal ball and suck down the sauce from my backpack the rest of the weekend. Gawd I'm tired. :I


Chrissi, Cyber School Mom
(who's finally admitting to having a rough day)