February .... and we thought January was cold!
G'day friends!
February was just brutal! In my 15 winters in Pennsylvania, this may be the coldest yet! Many days sub-freezing and/or near zero Fahrenheit, and a good lot of snow. Made for some fun tubing and playing in the snow though! The kids had their first full week of school for 2014 (no snow days, no holidays, no 2-hr delays ...) in the last week of February!
"T" had a fantastic winter swim season! I spent much of February by the pool ... unfortunately it was not at a luxury resort. Little Miss trains 3-4 days a week and there were four swim meets, including Divisionals (5 teams) & this year she made All Stars (top 16 swimmers in each age/stroke from 14 league teams!). Needless to say she came home with ribbons & medals galore at season's end!
"K" played what might well be his last basketball season. This was his fourth year playing, and whilst the game was migrating closer to the real rules, and the other players along with it, "K"was not. He has no concept of offense versus defense, and would get easily angered if another player pushed into him or stole the ball. He spent most of the games on the outskirts of the court, not at all eager to get into the action. So we will try something else.
Did you know there are different kinds of ADD? There are at least six distinct categories of ADD, of which "K" suffers from two - ADD Inattentive (can't stay focused), and ADD Ring of Fire (volatile moods). In addition to these, "K" also has DAMP syndrome: Deficits in Attention, Motor (fine-motor skills) & Perception. It's a recipe for a delightfully unique & quirky boy :) It is also a recipe for learning challenges, both for him and for us! He works so incredibly hard. Thankfully he gets lots of extra services at school. This amazing boy has been doing around an hour of homework, most weeknights, since Kindergarten. I am pretty sure he has already done more homework than I did in years 8 -12 (a.k.a High School) combined!
"T" had a fantastic winter swim season! I spent much of February by the pool ... unfortunately it was not at a luxury resort. Little Miss trains 3-4 days a week and there were four swim meets, including Divisionals (5 teams) & this year she made All Stars (top 16 swimmers in each age/stroke from 14 league teams!). Needless to say she came home with ribbons & medals galore at season's end!
"K" played what might well be his last basketball season. This was his fourth year playing, and whilst the game was migrating closer to the real rules, and the other players along with it, "K"was not. He has no concept of offense versus defense, and would get easily angered if another player pushed into him or stole the ball. He spent most of the games on the outskirts of the court, not at all eager to get into the action. So we will try something else.
Did you know there are different kinds of ADD? There are at least six distinct categories of ADD, of which "K" suffers from two - ADD Inattentive (can't stay focused), and ADD Ring of Fire (volatile moods). In addition to these, "K" also has DAMP syndrome: Deficits in Attention, Motor (fine-motor skills) & Perception. It's a recipe for a delightfully unique & quirky boy :) It is also a recipe for learning challenges, both for him and for us! He works so incredibly hard. Thankfully he gets lots of extra services at school. This amazing boy has been doing around an hour of homework, most weeknights, since Kindergarten. I am pretty sure he has already done more homework than I did in years 8 -12 (a.k.a High School) combined!
His diet is moderately modified — high in complex carbs; low in processed foods & sugar; higher protein; avoidance of artificial stuff, corn syrup & trans-anything; mostly cultured dairy; almond milk; added omega 3's & healthy fats, occasional vitamins. Thankfully he eats very well. All that to say — we are trying medication. Admittedly, I didn't want to, and I have avoided it for a year or two now. But I think I was denying "K" experiencing his full potential. It took a couple weeks to really kick in, but the teachers tell me he can focus much better now, and he now does most of his homework solo (I had to supervise every minute of it prior.) Interestingly, "K" has not perceived any change at all. Now, the meds have only improved his attention ... we're still dealing with all the other issues. One thing at a time...
I'm kinda done with Winter. I'm eager for some warmer weather.
Love, hugs & blessings,
Sandii
For more pics of our family adventures, visit peifferfamily.shutterfly.com
I'm kinda done with Winter. I'm eager for some warmer weather.
Love, hugs & blessings,
Sandii
For more pics of our family adventures, visit peifferfamily.shutterfly.com