Out of School and Taking Medications

I have made the decision to keep Griffin out of school and do my best to get to North Carolina this summer so that he can attend school there in the fall. There is a reason why Griffin is not doing well in school but does fine when out of school. I spoke to the doctor yesterday and we decided to increase the Abilify by 2.5mg and so far it seems to be helping a lot. He had one meltdown when we were out buying at TV because he broke his so, I think that he didn't want a new TV; he just wanted his old one to work. But it didn't last long and he pretty much calmed himself down. Since being home he has done nothing other than use the computer and make crafts all day, being completely calm and focused.

His teacher, his shadow, his speech therapist and I are going to have an IEP meeting next week and I am going to request that he have a shadow when beginning the second grade. I just don't think that he is ready to go it alone in what might just be an overcrowded classroom with one teacher. I hope that by then we will have his meds all straightened out and that behaviors will be under control and actually I am hoping that he is either in a private school here or in North Carolina public school system by the beginning of school. There are 8 autism classrooms in the area where I wish for him to go in NC which translates to the fact that they are better trained and also have a great resource in the autism teacher if there were to be any issues in the mainstream classrooms.

I spoke to my dear friend in Alaska who was Griffin's very first therapist to work with him at age 15 months until the age of three and she has faithfully kept up with what goes on with him; she thinks that it is best for him to not be in the classroom because there are probably a lot of changes going on that is bothering him. She was a teacher for many years and told me that this time of year things are more lax, there are things be changed all around. This is true because Griffin was scheduled to not see his speech therapist and math teacher anymore. Even when the changes are small it still effects him.

That is one very legitimate reason why he could be misbehaving so badly. His doctor told me that the Focalin XR would show a difference immediately and that it is not like other meds that need to reach a therapeutic level. So since that didn't work then maybe the Abilify will. I like what Melissa H. said about the thoughts of taking a child off of a drug that helps them cope with their behaviors; she likened it to taking insulin away from a diabetic child. And it reminds me of when people tell me that there is nothing going on with me when I in fact have Bipolar Disorder and could not live without my drugs, yet they dispute that I need anything at all. Griffin is no different, he needs those meds to help him get through the day without hurting himself or somebody else. Without his meds he is angry, totally disorganized mentally/emotionally, and has absolutely no control of himself.

It is a shame when people do not realize how mental illness and instability completely wrecks any quality of life that one might otherwise have. I fought for years to not give Griffin meds for insomnia and it was pure hell for both of us for a long time. We were both a big mess, I had no patience, I was unstable and neither of us had much fun at all during those long months. That was just plain ole stupid! Neither of us need to go without sleep for very good reasons and we both need to be stable so that we can thrive and make progress in our everyday life.

I have to have faith in the medications because the alternative is absurd and I trust his doctors, the ones that he had in Anchorage and the ones here. The way I see it is that if a child of a young age can have chemo and live through it then taking low doses of medication is not going to harm them in the long run. The body is an amazing machine that can take a lot more than some people think that it can. I am a good mother and I feel that I am doing the best for my child concerning meds and the school situation.

We will get through it no matter what, one way or the other.

Griffin is Still Having a Hard Time at School

Melissa H. maybe you might have some ideas of what might be the issue here. Griffin is just flat out being obstinate at school and totally refuses to do anything that is required of him. They have tried all kinds of different approaches and nothing has worked. He has even started to ignore his PE coach whom he claims to like and his teacher he ignores even though he likes her too.

He is fine at home except when he has to take a shower/bath and most times he loses it but will ultimately end up giving in and going through with it. I guess that perhaps he is okay at home because it is his down time and there is not that much required of him except for homework. As far as that goes he does it willingly but usually has to be reminded constantly to stay on task.

My dear friend of mine thinks that maybe because he doesn't like his shadow that it could be stemming from that and just branching out to others. I am just so glad that there are only a few days left of school but what about next year? How do I get things straightened out before then? How can I prepare him for second grade where he will have no shadow to help him cope?

Today was the first day of the increase in the Focalin XR up from 10mg to 15mg so I guess that we shall see as it gets to be at a therapeutic level. I feel so bad for him because I just think that he is feeling weird/miserable and that is part of the problem, he just loses control of his emotions. Goodness knows that I have been through that with my Bipolar ups and downs with meds that weren't right for me and needed to be adjusted.

Melissa, do you think that these symptoms could be from the Bipolar and that maybe we need to adjust his Abilify? Tina, what do you think about it? Do you think that any of this could be something other than a medicine issue?

I need some advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Figured it Out and it was So Simple!

I fixed the Blogroll, it was so simple and easy, all I had to do is to start a new one and go in there and put in 200 for the amount that could be displayed all at once. Silly me!

How do I Fix Blogrolling List????

The new site counter that I got wouldn't start at the amount that the old was at: 29,349. It only let me start at 50. so now I no longer have a clue as to how many hits I have had on my blog......unless I do the math each time of course. Oh well, it doesn't really matter that much, it was just kinda cool to know. Oh, and I am working on getting my blogroll back to the very long list that it used to be as a wealth of information on autism and my favorite blogs of all of my friends. When I updated my blog it totally got rid of a bunch of stuff, so I am starting from scratch. What I need to know is how to make the Blogrolling List work, it is not showing all the blogs and web sites that I have listed on the Blogrolling Web Site. Does anyone know how to do that????

School will be over in about 2 weeks and I will be so glad, I love to have Griffin home with me just like we used to have when we home schooled, he is so delightful........well, most of the time. Tonight he totally lost it when I told him that it was time for bath or shower so after an exhausting 20 minutes I told him that it was time to go to bed early and he was actually happy with that. Tomorrow, I told him, he is taking a shower/bath as soon as he comes home from school, no more nonsense!

If any of you have a comment to make on whether I should medicate Griffin over the summer, I would like to know. In one way it helps him to have a better quality of life with few to no meltdowns but on the other hand they are drugs and what are they doing to his liver and kidneys? I take several meds which I never ever miss and I can only imagine what my body thinks about it, in the long run. I have to have them and not having them is not an option. But for Griffin, I just don't know what to do. Please help me out!

Redhead....What do ya Think?

On a whim I colored my hair red because I used to be a redhead and had a lot of fun with it. I like how it makes my blue eyes stand out and all the great colors that I can wear to compliment it. Besides, I couldn't afford to go to the hairdresser and get my blonde hair highlighted so this was a very cheap alternative.

Griffin has been out of school for a couple of days due to the fact that he couldn't hold food down in the evenings when he came home. The problem was that the Focalin XR quelled his appetite and he hardly ate a thing for breakfast and lunch so by the time he got his appetite back in the evening, his stomach wasn't used to having food and subsequently rejected it.....all of it. So I took him off the medicine and slowly got him used to food again, although he vomited several times in the interim he finally has held down some yogurt and is back on track. I gave him half his usual dose of the Focalin XR this afternoon because we went to pick up his homework from the school and I wanted him to be able to focus in order to finish it all.

He spent a good part of the day at his NaNa's and PaPa's yesterday and at one point he laid down and asked her to lie down with him and he rested for awhile. The poor guy must have been exhausted from vomiting and diahrrea and not getting any nutrition for almost three days. Now he is in a great mood doing his homework and later I will try him on a bit of bland food to see if he can hold it down. I think that tomorrow I will try him on half a dose and see if he has an appetite or not. When they have lunch I will make his favorite food and take it to him to be sure that he eats something.

Oh No.....Meltdowns Again?

On Tuesday Griffin had a really hard time at school, so much so that his shadow called me and when he got home it wasn't any better and it has gotten worse with each passing day. He just loses control of his emotions and lashes out at whatever inanimate object is near. Yesterday afternoon he hit his TV and he flew to the floor, thank goodness it didn't break it. I just don't know what to do to help him especially while he is in the midst of a meltdown. Mostly because I don't usually know what triggers them.

I went to see his doctor today and we decided to take him off the Focalin XR for the weekend and see what kind of results that yields, I don't know for sure but I think it's going to be a rough couple of days. The thing about it is that no matter what we are doing or where we are he still has them even if it's something going on that he likes.

Several hours after writing the first two paragraphs, when I went to pick up Griffin his shadow and teacher told me that he did great today and that they think that maybe the meltdowns were caused by him having congestion that he no longer has today. So far, since he has been home for about an hour now, everything is okay and I haven't given him a second dose of the Focalin XR.

We'll play it by ear and see what happens over the weekend, maybe it was from him feeling a bit under the weather........who knows?

Griffin and His Dance Performance

I took a short video of Griffin at his dance performance at school but apparently it is too large a file 12.7 MB and on here I can only upload 11MB...Bummer! Anyhow, he did a great job, he didn't miss a move/step and kept up with the music and other children perfectly. They did two dances, his shadow was beside him on the first one but he danced with a classmate on the second one. My mom went with us and we first went to his classroom to see all of his excellent writing and artwork, his shadow had showed me the difference from before the new medicine and after and it was so incredible and creative afterwards. She said that he came up with the sentences all on his own, he even wrote a story or two all by himself. I am so very proud of him and all of his accomplishments.

The photo is of Griffin at bedtime with his Doodle Pro and his VHS tape, he has been drawing and writing like crazy and he has perfected a lot of what he does because he will write/draw them over and over until he is satisfied with the outcome. He seems to find it very relaxing because he does it throughout the day and into the night and he is always so mellow when he is using the Doodle Pro.

He had a major meltdown today, his shadow called me and asked if he had had his meds in the morning and he had. So I called his doctor and he said that we just don't know enough about autism to figure out what causes meltdowns sometimes but for sure it wasn't the new medicine causing it. If he does it again and it is so severe then we might consider increasing the Abilify for severe mood swings. He has been taking it for a year so it might be time for a change or it could have just been a sensory overload.

Griffin is lying down about to go to sleep so I am going to go tell him goodnight and see if he will let me snuggle with him until he sleeps.

Superstar Student for a Week

Griffin was the Superstar Student for the week which I thought was really cool. I took Chuckey Sue on Friday to show to the class and the teacher was amazed at how mellow she was. Chuckey Sue loves to be held and petted therefore she doesn't try to scamper away like most little critters. He seemed to feel so proud that his mommy and his pet hamster were there in front of the class and they had lots of questions to ask about her.

Each day is so amazing, Griffin is so much like a new guy all the time and it is due to his recent addition of the Focalin XR. He is like two different individuals when he is on and off of it, he is so relaxed and calm when it is in his system and he doesn't get frustrated with most anything at all. He stays on task and focuses on whatever (one) thing that he is doing and doesn't move from one project to another as he used to.

I went to a gathering of sorts to sell handmade soap and skin care products for my dear friend in Washington state but it was quite disappointing. The products sell themselves because they are so incredibly awesome but the only major problem was that there were so few people attending and there just wasn't enough traffic perhaps because it was so far out and there was a big event going on in the next town over. Oh well, maybe one of you would like to try some, just let me know because you will not belive how wonderful this soap and lotion and other products are. The soap is made with pure essential oils and goat's milk and it doesn't leave your skin dry and taunt. The lotion is my favorite because my skin loves it, I only have to use a small amount, it doesn't break my skin out but for sure my skin is softer and always feels moisturized after each application...I use it morning and night on my face, neck, body, feet, and it helps with that super dry skin that is on the feet and elbows. It is very healing especially for sunburn and many other skin conditions. Let me know if you would like samples and I will get them to you, you will just love it.

I made an "A" in my World Religions class and I loved every moment of it and learned a lot. I do look forward to the next class and learning lots more in English Composition. Did I write about that already? Hope not but it is quite possible....sorry if I have...silly me!

You are so Right Melissa H, Thank You my Dear Friend

I will no longer write to or concerning the anon individual who keeps posting and subtley attacking me about how I am being an overly sensitive mom and that the teacher from Griffin's past was "doing her best". No longer will I waste my energy on this, I have support from my friends who totally know the two of us and who know that I am a damn good mom to my son!!!!!

Almost a week ago I took Griffin to his pediatrician and the two of us agreed that we would try Focalin XR for Griffin's attention difficulties and by George..........it is working like a charm! He has excellent reports from school that his behavior is stellar and he is progressing again as he once was. Since it is an ADD med then I thought that he has ADD but the child psychologist that we went to see yesterday explained to me that he does not have multiple diagnosis, that those behaviors and challenges are part of being autistic, even the once thought of...bipolar disorder. I had no idea of this even though I have spent years and years researching and studying all about autism. I guess that some docs do give multiple diagnosis and that's okay, as long as the child is getting what he/she needs.

I am noticing fewer meltdowns, virtually none, and a much happier young man who is the happy-go-lucky little goober that he once was. No longer is life a big fat challenge where making a simple decision is a major ordeal. And what's really great is that he is responding well to the lowest dose possible, he is not even up to the theraputic dosage.

Another thing that I learned from the child psychologist is that there is a list of things to do and not to do in order to help one's child become more independent and the first two are the least intrusive thereby causing no meltdowns (or at least fewer) and the others are most likely to cause emotional disturbances and create a more dependent child. It goes as follows:

eye contact least intrusive most independent

visual aids more intrusive less independent

verbal cues more intrusive more dependent

tactile help most intrusive most dependent

So if you can get the message across through eye contact then it is ideal and visual cues are most effective in that they teach the child to be more independent (like PECS or even pointing to the task) or for Griffin I just write on a piece of paper and make a visual schedule for him (now I do). To verbally give instructions takes away independence and frustrates the child because he/she is not doing things on their own. Of course helping a child with hand over hand or leading them to where the task is to be executed is the most intrusive. And I am so guilty of doing that. I used to lead Griffin to the bathtub to take a shower and every time he would have a meltdown so now I just point and he is fine. Isn't it amazing how simple things can be?

One Must be Familiar with the Circumstances in Order to Form an Opinion

http://thisschoolmistreatedmyautisticchild.blogspot.com/

This link is for Anonymous who says that she is a teacher and to not blame the teacher for what has happened to Griffin. If you only take the time to read this blog you would know where we are coming from. You are apparently not familiar with what has happened and if you are and you are still saying that then something is very WRONG.

Just take a moment and read what I have written and the written material that his past teacher sent home with him and keep in mind that my son is autistic not Down Syndrome and not an Neuro-Typical child either.

Sharing What Works for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with Behavior Difficulties

Amanda left a comment on this blog and I found my way to her blog, it looks as though she just started it but it is awesome. Check it out it is called: Learning to be Buddies and her first post is about Body Language, Empathy, and Facial Expressions....it is so informative and fantastic. She is a teacher in Australia and has a very open mind and appears to be quite intelligent and loving.

How 1 Young Autistic Man Runs a Business

Joe Steffy is off to Overland Park, Kan., this week to do a PowerPoint presentation on his business, Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn. He's a 23-year-old small-business man with a goal of $100,000 in sales by 2012. Joe also has autism and Down syndrome and is nonverbal. When he gives his talk, he will push buttons on an augmentative speech device to deliver the words. His audience will be parents who fervently hope their own special-needs children will be able to work, too.

Joe's parents, Ray and Janet, of Louisburg, Kan., didn't agree with the assessment of the school district in which they lived previously, which had said Joe would never be able to work or live independently. "I'm one who can easily get ticked off," says Ray. "That ticked me off. We saw more in Joe than that. We set out to prove to the school that he had capabilities." They came across kettle corn while on a trip to Alaska and realized that all that popping, scooping, and serving suited Joe's love of work.

The path to Joe Steffy's success was not an easy one; Ray Steffy worked closely with Dave Hammis, an advocate for self-employment for people with disabilities in Middletown, Ohio, who trains business owners, government employees, and parents on how to make use of state and federal programs. The Steffys wrote up a business plan and helped Joe secure $25,000 in grants from programs like Social Security Administration'sPlan to Achieve Self-Support program (PASS).

In 2005, Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn was born. Sales have grown from $16,000 in 2005 to $50,000 in 2008, both from selling at festivals and from delivering popcorn to local outlets. Joe has five part-time employees, and his parents help out with driving and other tasks. "Pop and everyone that works with him knows whatever Joe wants to do you let him do, because he's the boss," Ray says. "If he wants to pop, he'll shove Dad out of the way and pop."

If the business stays on track, it should be grossing more than $100,000 in three years, and the Steffys are seeking a business partner who can work with Joe to manage the business. Joe is no longer on Social Security disability payments; instead, he pays state sales tax and state and federal income tax. He rents his own house and is helped by caregivers who are paid by a state program.

"It's been hard work, from the standpoint of physical work," says Ray Steffy, who is 67. "But a parent with a child like Joe has a choice. You can either kick in and do this kind of thing, or you can sit and fret emotionally with the amount of energy, worrying about what's going to happen to them."

The payoff for that effort, as far as the Steffys are concerned, has been priceless. They see their son make a local popcorn delivery, accept payment, fold it, and put it in his pocket. When he walks out, his dad says, Joe looks 3 inches taller than when he walked in. 

US News. Written by Nancy Shute

Spring Break

Griffin's behavior since he has been out of school has been simply wonderful, no meltdowns at all. He cleans up and does his chores without any flack and he has been just perfectly polite using his manners at every turn. Don't know why he is being so difficult at school but he has been fine at home. I asked his OT yesterday about his behavior and she told me that yes, he does tell her "No" but she is firm with him but at the same time she gives an inch and in return he gives a mile. Maybe that's what needs to be done at school. I don't know if his teachers and his shadow have experience with autism or any kind of training but I do plan to ask during the BIP meeting next week.

I had thought that this week would be a challenge but we have had lots of fun together and I am pleased with his behavior. I made an A on my research essay that I wrote about "Wicca Today in America". The professor gave me a 29.5 out of a possible 30......WOO HOO!!!! My next challenge will be the final exam in 2 weeks. But so far so good!

Yahoooo!!! Somebody Sees My Side of Things and Tells the Truth

Anonymous wrote: (see what I wrote in the previous post about this comment)

Please stop blaming his past teacher. As a teacher of children with autism this will do you or your child no good. Educators may make mistakes but are not the cause of your child's behavior. When I see this with parents who have children with behavioral issues it is so frustrating and really helps noone.

April 05, 2009 11:12 AM

 Anonymous said...

To clueless Anon.- what is frustrating are "teachers" who are teaching kids on the spectrum who have NO CLUE. If you read closely regarding this case in particular that teacher had no behavior plan for this child, no clue how to break down skills and teach in an errorless manner using positive behavior practices (which is required by FEDERAL LAW) and she used extremely reactive and punishing procedures. "Teachers" such as that should stop pretending to understand how to teach kids on the spectrum and should STOP denying the kids FAPE under IDEA. Furthermore, there is an old saying in good ABA teaching in particular (and in all methods of teaching kids on the spectrum)--when a child is having problems "look to the teaching, not the child" meaning it is up to the teacher or therapist to have a complete understanding of behaviors and erroless teaching and be delivering it in a way so the child is successful. Teachers who have no clue to the extensive needs of autism spectrum children end up increasing their behaviors and then who do they blame? The child of course. Really, do the kids a favor and get out of the industry. You are destroying the kids who need experienced instructors.

April 05, 2009 2:13 PM

To clueless anon. Please read the other message I posted and get the hell out of the industry if this is your attitude towards parents and their children on the spectrum!

My Child is NOT to Blame and YES the Teacher is to Blame

 This post is just a reply to a comment left on my last post stating that I should stop blaming his old teacher for his behavior issues in the present. And that teacher's make mistakes but they are not to blame for his behavior issues now. 

What I have to say to that is that , yes teachers do make mistakes and quite often they make a lasting impression on their students, I remember things that my elementary school teachers did to me and how they have effected me over the years and still do to a certain extent. So how is it that a teacher scorning a child for making mistakes does not leave a lasting impression? Pray tell.

I believe that teachers have to own what they do and don't do to their students to take responsibility for their actions and words used in repremanding a child, they should think twice about what they do before saying or doing something because the memories do last forever.

I Think It's Time For A BIP

I got a long typed out letter from Griffin's shadow today and apparently he is having some major setbacks as far as behavior goes in all areas and times during the day. He has a really hard time making choices which I think stems from the teacher who was abusive to him nearly 2 years ago. She belittled Griffin when he made mistakes and now he is afraid of getting things wrong and making choices. 

His behavior at home has not been stellar to say the least, he pitches fits when he doesn't get his way and starts screaming and crying then just loses control of himself. I am firm with him and tell him not to yell at me and that he needs to calm down before we can discuss his choices. Usually he will calm down but it takes him at least a good 30 minutes to do so.

So, I think that it is time for us to have a BIP in place so that he will know what is in store for him if he misbehaves. I put a note in his folder for his teacher and shadow. His shadow tells him as Griffin is about to go home from school that he needs to go straight home and do his homework and not to give mommy a fuss about it and it works! He hasn't given me any grief about homework at all, he sits there and does it all on his own and most of the time without asking questions of me.

I believe that if we have a Behavioral Intervention Plan in place and it is used across the board then he will straighten up. He has been really good at pushing buttons and it is time for the buttons to be moved around and have new consequences for his bad behavior.

It has gotten so bad that he can't even make choices for what he wants to eat during lunch and at home he is stuck on fish sticks and french fries and seldom wants anything else unless it is macaroni and cheese. If I suggest anything else he loses it and it is just ridiculous. I don't know if any of this comes from his Bipolar Disorder or not but I plan on asking his doctor if he thinks that his meds need to be tweaked or not. His shadow just thinks that he is just being a stubborn (my word) obstinate (my word) 7 year old. She is so incredible and does such an awesome job with him she is sweet until it is time to be firm and she is great at both.

I made an 84 on my midterm so I still have a 91 (A) average but have to do well on my 8-10 page essay that is due next week. This week we are studying Judaism so I am excited to learn all about it.

Griffin's Swimming has Vastley Improved

If you watch the video you will see how well Griffin is swimming and it has improved so much just in the past few months. He is actually using his arms and legs at the same time! I am so very proud of him.

The challenge that his teacher and shadow have at school is that Griffin is being stubborn about learning to listen to the teacher and not expecting the shadow to give him all of his cues. Our goal is for him to be independent and go into second grade without the shadow. Regardless of that he is doing very well academically and he is doing all of his homework without me around, I watch him from a distance and he stays on task until he is done.

I made an A in my first class online! And I made an A on my first essay for my current class, World Religions! I love this class and all that I am learning about religions even though I am agnostic I still find it fascinating. All the different beliefs and what they dictate for their societies is so interesting. I am on Hinduism right now and have Buddism next. I am writing my final essay on Wicca and it's growing popularity in the United States and the effects that it will have on our society. I love to write so doing essays is a welcome challenge for me.

Griffin is Now the BIG 7 years old!

 We had a great time in NC visiting my sister and then staying with some very close friends of mine, talking, crying, and laughing all night long. Griffin loves to stay there because he has all the things that are precious to him: his DVR, all of his characters, all of his DVDs and DVD player and lots of doggies to play with and watch. We took Abby with us and she had a blast because she had a huge backyard to play in and run around like a puppy.

Well, I have good news about my health...I don't have to have surgery on my ankle but the ortho doctor told me that because I have Fibromyalgia it could take up to a year for it to heal, that part's no so great 'cause it still hurts like heck.  Been having some manic episodes lately which totally sucks! Actually it's more like rapid cycling which is even worse but I see my doc on Wednesday and I trust that he will fix me right up with all the right meds. He is by far the best doctor that I have ever had--bar none.

I've been brushing up on reading hands/palmistry again, I used to do it many many years ago all the time but have forgotten a lot of it. It is so fascinating and I love it. Doing great in school, just finished my final essay 2 weeks early because I was so excited to do it, I just love to write. Hope I did as well as I think that I did.

Griffin has a pretty bad ear infection and vomited last night, don't know why unless he caught some stomach flu as well....poor little guy. I feel so bad for him but to see him you wouldn't be able to tell that he is sick because he just continues on with life and doesn't let it get him down. Did I mention that he is in the accelerated reading program? Yep, and he is doing excellent!

My Little Guy is Growing Up

As you can see Griffin lost his first upper tooth and it is so bittersweet because he is growing up so fast and although I am proud of him it is still kind of sad. Lately he has shown more and more need for independence and having his own space, much more than ever before. So mommy yields to his desire and often it nearly brings me to tears. 

Yesterday Griffin had in his backpack a note from a little girl in his class that had been put in his cubby apparently. She wrote: Dear Griffin I like u Yvonne with a picture she drew of a little boy and girl holding hands...............for sure that brought me to tears! I can't believe it, that he has already gotten his first love letter and he has only been in school for 2 weeks! His shadow told me that he likes another little girl named Brittany and I asked why he had singled her out and she said that "She is very pretty and has long brown hair". But when I asked what Brittany thought of Griffin she replied that she didn't think that she noticed him but I truly doubt that he really cares.

Griffin has been getting nearly all 100's on all of his school and homework and his handwriting has improved 10 fold just in the past week. When we do homework he tries really hard to make sure that it is correct and that he stays in the lines. He is really slow and careful but that is a good thing because the speed will increase over time.

I have been "in school" for only about 3 weeks now and I am at the point where I sometimes get overwhelmed and I am only taking one class. I guess that I just need to get used to it and figure out how to pace myself. I find that I need frequent breaks or else I end up just starring at the screen while attempting to read and accomplish nothing. It is very good for me to be using my noggin once again and to have that intellectual challenge that I have been missing for so many years so I love it! Next month I will begin World Religions and I am very excited about that. For the better part of adulthood I have been fascinated with spiritual beliefs and how they all seem to have a common thread. Especially after reading Joseph Campbell which has made me more aware of not just religion(s) but also of my own spirituality. Even though I am agnostic I do consider myself to be a spiritual individual, it is something that is very personal and private.

My health has not been too good lately. About 2 or 3 weeks ago I began having episodes in the evening where my head would tingle and my skin would crawl really bad. Then I feel foggy and disoriented but had no pain. I noticed that only if I lie down it would lessen but as long as I was standing or sitting the symptoms would not go away. I went and am still going to see the neurologist for tests: EEG, MRI, sleep study, and a test for my circulation to my head. So far all I know is that my circulation is okay but we haven't ruled out seizures or having something else going on in my head. I will find out on Feb. 4th. 

Griffin Is In Regular Ed Class

Yes indeed Griffin is going to school again, back to the first school that he went to over 2 years ago when we first got here. I had home schooled him for almost a year before we moved into our apartment because I refused to make him go back to where he had been abused but now he is in his original school and so far he is doing absolutely fabulous! He is in the 1st grade in a regular ed classroom and I couldn't be more thrilled!!! 

He has a "shadow" who stays with him all the time and she is so wonderful and so delightful, Griffin has really taken a shine to her and he really seems to adore his teacher too. His teacher is young and simply gorgeous, her personality really shines through, it is obvious that she truly cares about Griffin. Griffin's speech path. is so energetic and so compassionate, she said that he did a great job on his first day with her. I am so excited for him and that he is getting along with all the adults so well but now I just hope that he makes some new friends as well............in time I think he will.

In the morning Griffin wakes up and gets dressed and out the door with no protests whatsoever. He eats breakfast at school and he understands that we leave without eating so that he can participate in eating at school. When it is time to do homework he does so willingly until it is finished, once in awhile if there is a lot of it he does ask to take a break.

He is so far beyond all of his 1st grade peers in reading in fact, he reads at just about the same level as I do...........no kidding! It was obvious to his teacher that his weakness is in math therefore, he will be taking math one-on-one with the special needs teacher (whom he also adores) that he used to have when he first went to that school. She is a doll and I know that she will treat him with the utmost respect and complete kindness as she did in the past.

I have started school on-line and so far it is going great, I even worked ahead a little bit and I have already finished my paper that is due at the end of the week. Taking this class is really helping me to become more familiar with learning on-line and after this semester I am sure that I will feel much more confident and will be able to take more than just one class at a time.

So, everything is going great even though my foot/ankle are still pretty messed up. I go to see the orthopedic doctor on the 23rd to see if I am going to have to have surgery or what. All in all I have no complaints............Life is Good!!!!!!!!!!!!