It's been a fun ride, but can I get off now?

Good news with Mike's shoulder - no surgery needed - at least not yet.  He is still trying to talk me into letting him play soccer?!?! He doesn't consider it a contact sport and cannot understand why he can't play while going through physical therapy.  he's almost 17, and you know, they know everything at that age. He is struggling with Spanish (poor kid is like me and couldn't pick up a second language if it would save his life), but the rest of his classes and grades are doing really well!  Finally!

Kaitlynn has "prominent" adenoids and although we haven't gotten the monitoring results back, her Dr already referred us to the ENT (ears nose and throat) Specialist to look at options.  That appt is on the 27th.  Her bangs are growing back at a snail's pace and I am highly doubting that they will be normal by Xmas pictures LOL! But she is developing some amazing critical thinking skills that have blown us all away these days... she can look at the situation and come up with what's going on in an incredible way!  It is so fun!

Max's aide has figured out that I might just know how to be a good parent and I might actually know more about Max than she does. She was also reprimanded for her breaking policy by restraining Max to begin with.  She also figured out the hard way, that when it comes to my kids, BACK OFF.  We went to the ER almost 2 weeks ago for a spider bite on Max's foot that swelled up his whole foot, stayed hot to the touch, and was bright red for an entire afternoon into the evening.  Antibiotics and Benedryl and he was all better in just a day. He is talking SO much better.  It has been a lot of pressure and tension dealing with him when he is frustrated by not being able to communicate, but lately it has been 200% better!

I have straight A's in school right now, but this is the easy part - Anatomy and Medical Terminology are where the hard stuff will come in.  If keyboarding doesn't kill me first.  I have an A, but I have to type 55 words per minute to graduate with my certificate.  UGH

Matt has kept himself busy with a few remodel jobs going at the same time.  He is still called to help John and Mae with their apartments now and then as well.  Thanks to that, we haven't sunk financially.  Times are definitely tough, but we are surviving. As soon as I finish school, we'll be in like Flynn!

We are looking forward to the family trip to the Pumpkin Patch next week.  Then we will have a Pumpkin Carving Party and also celebrate Uncle Kelly's big 4-0.  Then Halloween will be too much fun as well!  Max will be a cowboy and Kaitlynn will be Snow White, wig and all.  I can't wait to take a million more pictures of them!

Here is a link to the pictures from our Boat Trip weekend before last.  We had a wonderful time and the kids love the boat just like their Daddy does.  Me, I love being ON the water anywhere, not in it, but on it.  A Mango Mimosa in hand while on the boat = Heaven!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2063075&id=1105426864&l=41086b7252

Update on the Kids

MAX - Classroom teacher will be monitoring the interaction Max has with the aide in his classroom. We all know Max is a handful, but there is no situation that warrants completely holding him down and restraining him. I have made my point very clear to the aide and she chose to disregard my wishes along with district policy anyways. The lead teacher and I have discussed this and believe it is the reason for the negative behaviors with this aide. When he is not being supervised by the aide, he is a very happy, sweet boy who easily follows the flow of the classroom and is eager to learn. I know the teacher is required to report this to her supervisor, so they can take it from here. I will continue to advocate for my child and will not be a bad example to him by decking the aide the next time she decides to lay a hand on my son.

He wont go naked in the water, and he won't wear a swim diaper....

KAITLYNN - Has had the xrays done on her neck and face to determine the size of nasal passages, tonsils, and adenoids. Last night she slept with a monitor on to record the level of oxygen she was in-taking throughout the night. We should have these results back by the end of the week. Kaitlynn is a heavy mouth breather like her father and I have observed the breathing during her sleep to pause for a few second that suggests she has sleep apnea like her father as well. Depending the results, we have a few options to decide from to help this not become a serious problem if it is even bad enough at this time to need any procedures at all. Although we are hoping for no need of procedures, we are realistic that they will more than likely be necessary. We are hoping she will only need a less invasive procedure instead of a full surgery.

One of the last pics we have before she chopped her own bangs off to the scalp.

MIKE - The MRI was read by the Sports Medicine Doctor who has referred Mike to the Orthopedic Surgeon with 90% surety that he will agree in Mike needing surgery to fix his shoulder. The cartilage ring inside the shoulder has pulled away from it's seal on the bone and also appears to be torn. The surgeon will have the final call, but torn cartilage does not repair itself and no amount of rehabilitation is going to fix it. We are confident the surgeon will agree that surgery is needed and will discuss that with him on the 14th. Mike has started becoming depressed over not being able to continue on the football team, and I am thinking the surgery is quite daunting to him even though he acts like the tough guy. We are also seeing a counselor to help with this. I think once the surgery is done and the healing is complete, he'll be back to his old self!
 (Mike refuses to let you take a decent pic of him.)


So for those on Facebook who have seen my recent posts about taking deep breaths and calm and collected taking one step at a time... this is why. We are handling each child's crisis one day at a time and making the decisions that are in their best interests for them both right now and in the future. Each of these situations is manageable and will be overcome with the right attentions, faith, patience and love. I remind myself 80 times a day that this is not going to have any lifelong, let alone long term effects on any of them... just maybe me!! Plans change daily when a necessary appointment comes up, or when someone brings home a cold from school. The stress of all three at once in crisis is, at times, overwhelming, as most of you know what a Momma Bear I am about my kids, so all good thoughts, hoping, wishing, and praying is most welcome!!