Christmas memories

Any body remember this song from grade school?

Deck the halls with gasoline,
Fa la la la la la la la la
Light a match and watch it gleam,
Fa la la la la la la la la
Watch the school burn down to ashes,
Fa la la la la la la la la
Aren't you glad you played with matches?....

You get the point.

Don't teach your kids this. They'll probably get arrested if they sing it at school.

About Gratitude

Grace took a big tumble down the stairs today, and came out with nothing worse than a little bump under her left eye.

Jacob is the poster child for all the child safety warnings you see on just about everything.  He wraps cords around his neck, he falls headfirst into nearly everything with an opening big enough to fall in to, and he eats and drinks things that to most people would be poisonous.  Not to mention running with sharp objects.  You would think we haven't baby-proofed at all with all the things he does to get into trouble.

Joseph climbed up on to the roof the other day, and was amusing himself by running up and down the slope of it on the North side.  I bribed him with chewing gum to come down, because if you try to go after him, he runs away and thinks it's funny.  In case you're wondering, no, we do not leave ladders leaned up against the house, but the deck railing out back is just level with the garage roof, so he climbed up that way.  Joel took a box of screws and stuck them all along the railing so that it would be too painful to climb.  If that doesn't work, then, yes, we will get barbed wire.:)

Emily just goes to school.  That's danger in and of itself, what with all the lockdown drills, bullies, and bad words that she reads on the bathroom wall.

I have to say, though, that even with all the near misses (that happen daily, no joke), we are a healthy, happy family.  We live in an exceptional neighborhood, in our chosen State (for now), in the US of A.

I look at Google Earth from time to time, just to see what there is out there, and I often wonder how I got to be so lucky.  To be where I am, with all my needs met is really humbling, because it seems that circumstances like mine are the exception rather than the rule.

So even when I have to save my children's lives every day, or see the negative headlines, or hear the latest conspiracy theory that Joel has heard on Coast to Coast, I'm grateful that my part of the Earth is still right-side up. 

It's been awhile...

Something that really shows the sign of the times are the 'lockdown' drills they have for all the schools in Alpine School District.

I picked Emily up the other day, and she told me about the drill they'd had that day.  The instructions were for everyone to run into the nearest classroom and lock the door.  Then they were to turn out the lights and be very quiet.  She was really scared at first, because she didn't know it was a drill, and was afraid that there was really someone with a gun in the school.

I have to admit it was hard for me not to get choked up over that.  The very thought of my daughter cowering in a dark room, hiding from a gunman was way too easy to imagine.

For Joel and I it brought back Cold War memories-- 'duck and cover', among others.  But back then we were hiding from enemies in other countries, not unknown enemies in our own neighborhoods.

It's only been a couple of years since a plan for a shooting spree was prevented at Uintah High in Vernal, where I attended so long ago.  And I'm sure that for some of you who are reading this post, all I have to say is 'Trolley Square' to bring back memories of headlines from Salt Lake City; some of those victims are still in the recovery process.

Would it be a terrible thing to screen kids for difficulties before they reach for the trigger?  Would it label a person for life to know that they are 'at risk' for becoming a murderer?  What if, someday, I have to face the fact that my own children may dream of taking others lives?

How can we help these kids?  Preferably before they turn into criminals?

For my children, I hope that love and prayers and bedtime stories are enough. 

Emily is a very determined young lady. Last Saturday, the Heatheridge 9th Ward had their 2nd annual Fun Run. The course was only two miles long, but for an 8 year-old with no previous experience, she did very well! She finished the whole course and was far from last. This made her consider the possibility of participating in future events. Go Emily!!

The Decision...

After much thought, soul searching, and prayer, Joel and I decided to give medication a try for Joseph.  We gave him a first dose yesterday  right before church.  After only an hour we knew we had made the right decision.  The part that affected me the most was to have him look me straight in the eyes without that thousand-mile stare.  It seemed like his mind and body were actually in the same place at the same time.

I did a lot of 'homework' and asked a lot of questions before we tried this.  Ritalin is still only in the process of being studied in preschool aged children, so it is considered an off-label Rx for him.  There are potential side effects, too, to watch for, and we are on high alert for those.  But we read the results of a 10 year study done by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on children with ADHD.  In a nutshell, they did scans of their brains and discovered that those treated with meds actually showed more normal brain tissue development, while the untreated group had less total brain volume, and less white matter.  This study, as well as reassurances from our doctor, helped us decide to try.

Reactions to Joseph's diagnosis

ADHD is a controversial subject, to be sure, but I have been surprised at the strong feelings it has stimulated regarding Joseph.

Funny-- we haven't decided yet whether or not he needs medicine, but we are already in the doghouse on that subject.  There are folks who feel it is abusive to do it under any circumstances, and if there was a scarlet letter, we would already be wearing it.  

I am sympathetic to their feelings, though, because I've had similar feelings in the past.  You can't help but ask a parent (silently to yourself) if they are just having a tough time dealing with a highly energetic kid.  And that is a valid concern, because giving medicine to someone who is too young to choose it is a big deal.

Joseph is highly energetic.  He is also very intelligent.  However, he is four years old now, but still can't ride a tricycle.  He has trouble enunciating words, and still can't totally dress himself.  He has other developmental delays as well, but that would make a really boring post!  If we decide to medicate him, it won't be because we think he's annoying, but because we love him.

It has been, and always will be, about him and his opportunities. 

One of THOSE days...

I'm sure every mother has had a day that starts out as 'one of those days'. Your 'roosters' wake you up at the crack of 5am. Then one after the other, they start throwing up.

I discovered today that if I didn't want little throw-up puddles all over the house, then I needed to stay where the boys were at all times. If I was in another room, and one of them had to vomit, they would come to where I was, say "Mommy..." and then SPLAT!!

I was reminded today, though, that I have a lot to be grateful for. I love any excuse not to do housework, and this was a good one. I am grateful for washers and dryers, dishwashers, and any other gadget that helped me through the day. I'm most definitely grateful for Joel, because he just quietly rolls up his sleeves and gets to work, even though he has a million good excuses of his own.

At the end of the day, Joseph and Jacob recovered completely. They ate enough food at one meal to make up for the ones they'd missed. Grace is always throwing up anyway, but she's healthy. And Emily missed most of the fun because she was at school.

Joel and I will laugh about this tomorrow-- as long as it doesn't happen again.

Here are a few photos from events that have happened in the last year.  Enjoy!

Joseph has ADHD.  We had him tested on Monday because he has some significant developmental delays.  The test result was not a surprise to me, but it is still somewhat traumatic to have your suspicions confirmed.  He's still the same cute Booboo, though, and I am profoundly grateful that there are solutions out there for him.  The members of the assessment team were all very kind and encouraging, and his preschool teacher is a very loving person as well.  I have no doubt that he will progress in her class.

I hope for his sake that he will have many kind people to influence him throughout his life.  The hardest thing to watch has been the frustration that people have in dealing with him.  It's hard to tell if he senses that rejection or not, but I sure feel it for him.  I don't blame people for their initial reactions-- human nature is part of all of us.

Welcome to the Wegener Zoo.  This website features the Wegeners in their natural habitat.  Some of the photos may feature graphic images of children feeding, as well as violent sibling rivalry.  Viewer discretion is advised...