Mini Vacation with Friends in TX :)

I mentioned to you on my last blog that Ron would be gone for 7 to 8 days and that we were working on a little surprise for the boys....

Well, we decided it might be a wonderful treat for the boys to bring them to Texas for two days so they can see Ron in between trips and school and the boys would also be able to have a play-date with their original first twin friends, Addie, Ren, Dylan and Ryan.

Now I knew school was going to be out but I did forget about Memorial Weekend a bit. The flights of course were all yellow or red which is not the best scenario when flying Non-Rev i.e. Standby. I still thought we had a decent chance however since we got this wonderful Atomic Clock that has never let us down when it comes to making the list exactly 4 hours before departure. So of course I was ready to get on my computer at 3:30 AM sharp when to my shock and horror I found our Internet service completely down. Trust me when I tell you as an Airline Family that fly’s Standby a lot this is not how you like to start your day :)

I got the boys up as fast as possible and we were in the car and heading for C-Springs at 4:23 AM. We made it to the airport and on the list just in time to see the 6 AM flight leave the gate. Now the next flight was at 7:30 AM and we talked to Dave, who is a most wonderful Gate Agent for AA here at COS and he said it did not look to good for us. For one we were number 14 to 16 on the Standby list and he said if we do make the flight we most likely would not sit together. Now this part did not upset me at all since my boys are true Airline Troopers and handle the not sitting together part very well .... there was however one scenario left that I had not considered at all.......

The Boarding process started and Dave came to me and said he does have three seats for us, two First Class Seats and one Coach Seat. Now I believe I should go down for some kind of great Mommy Award and if not that, at least for the bravest Mommy Award for the Day because without a thought I handed the boys the two First Class Seats, 5E and 5F, while I headed two rows back to coach at 7D (THANK YOU Dave for this setup!) I was so nervous once we all sat down and the one part that made me feel a bit at ease was me being able to see Alexander who was sitting in the aisle seat. I can promise you the boys were smiling the whole flight and the only times I was on edge was when they loudly counted down for the take-off when we started out on the runway '10, 9,8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ....LIFT OFF' !!!!! I am sure you can guess who taught them this but never in a loud voice like this!!! and then twice I was just in time catching Alexander before he could push the F/A button! Well, he told me he was aiming for the light button but it did not look like it from my view point :) My F/A friends will know that I did well in stopping him because to me that button get’s pushed in an emergency ONLY and not so my son can have help getting his tray table out - yeichssss.

Never less. we are almost ready to land now in DFW and so far so good. The First Class Flight Attendant was an Angel and served my boys in plastic cups not glass and filled them only 1/2 full with a straw in them. Bless her. So I know many of you have your own Airline Stories to tell and i am not talking as a AA Family here BUT the AA Employees today made the day for us.... they treated us wonderful in every way ....

Now we will be off for a day of fun at the pool and a movie in the afternoon!....

Okay ... we are now in the Hotel after a most precious and magical day with our friends, David, Heidi, Dylan, Ryan, Sonya, Addie & Ren. We all met when all of our twins were still small and we all connected right away. Those two families were the one and only reason our move from TX to CO was such a heartbreak for Connor and Alexander, not to mention me. The magic of today was the fact that even thought we are not in each others daily life our kids went right back to playing together so wonderful and before we knew it we had one of the longest play-dates in a very long time. Connor did amazing and you could not tell he has been as sick as he was. I am tempted to believe it was the part of our play-date focusing for a couple of ours of pool time. Connor loves the water and he moved so easily and so he was on the same level as all the other kids. I am sure he felt like an equal and this has not happened it about 6 months. I want to Thank Aaron & Sonya's family for opening their home to 6 kids and 4 Adults and have them taking over their backyard! and also a huge THANK YOU to David, Heidi's husband who braved a trip to Subway to pick up 10 Sandwiches and a list of 10 different kinds ... I know I would not have been tempted to do this!

We finished our afternoon with a movie at Sonya and Aaron's home and some more playtime. Connor came up to me after a couple of hours and said he wanted to go to the Hotel because he was tired. So we got a ride from the Tossell Family to our Home away from Home and we are now relaxing and truly slowing down.

Now we are just waiting for Ron to arrive from Las Vegas and our day will be happily complete :)

Thinking of all our Vet's this Memorial Weekend!

Hugs,

R A C A

Picking up Speed and having a great week .. but also some very sad news ...

It is Thursday today and not sure why but the sun has been shining on us as a family this week :)

Connor is about the same as last week which means pretty great. Right now as I am typing this he is on the swing while Alexander is playing Forest Ranger.

I got a real treat this week since I got to travel to Keller/Southlake, TX for a Girls Night Out and a Goodbye Dinner for my beautiful friend Sonya. I left early on Wednesday and I got back on Thursday morning. I know you all know this already but there is no Therapy in the world that is better then spending some wonderful time with Girl Friends. So I got spoiled starting my arrival with a trip to my favorite Store 'Central Market' and the Gelato is still as good as I remembered - Ha Ha. So 'YES' Sonya, I want to tell you different BUT you will miss Central Market when you move but the you will be 'only' 6 hours away - Ha Ha

Lunch with Heidi and Sonya was heaven and then there were about 12 Girls for Dinner at Kobeya Japanese Grill and Sushi. Trust me when I tell you for a Girls Day and Night Out it can not get much better then this .... and this brings me to my wonderful husband, Ron, who made it all possible. For one by being home and not having a trip scheduled and for another to take over being in charge of dispensing medicine to Connor. The boys also got treated to a Dinner and a movie (Mary Poppins) at the Lake George Pizza :):):) THANK YOU!!!

Now Thursday morning on my way home from the Airport I stopped by the Gateway School to sign up the boys for next years 1st Grade Cottage Online School Program. I met Mrs. Struble, Connor and Alexander's Cottage School teacher in her Class Room and I have to tell you I feel bad now for not mentioning her sooner on my blog. The boys had her for Kindergarten from August 2009 to December 2009 when Connor got sick and we had to take both boys out of school for the rest of the year. Mrs. Struble is 100% what the boys needed and need in a teacher but she is also exactly what I need and that is the part that is so rare :) Growing up I had way to many conflicts with teachers and it is hard at times to trust them when I recall constantly what I went through.

Anyway, I got to talk to Mrs. Struble for a little while and if you know that she raised twin boys, home-schooled them and even had one of her boys be as active as Alexander is, she truly is a match made in heaven! What really touched me was also her telling me that I can relax in regards to the boys reading skills and that she thinks they are very bright and that there is no worry for me in her eyes.

Connor and Alexander are now getting signed up for the Little Lincoln On-Line School Program for 2010/2011 and a possible part time Cottage School as well. I am beyond happy that everything is falling in place when it comes to the boys being set up for 1st Grade and all of it is due to the consideration, caring and compassion from Mrs. Struble. I am sure you know it by now but we so love her!

I also picked up the Yearbook, and the boys loved seeing their picture at the Twins Page and that they were included in a picture each of Mrs. Struble's Class lineup even thought they were not part of the whole school year. I am also in shock that we will receive a $600 Stipend to buy a computer for the boys so they can participate in the online program.

When I made it home I was so happy to see all three of my men who to my surprise were waiting for me with the Excursion ready to go and the trailer attached. I changed cloths quick and we headed to Breckenridge where my husband bought us another 4-Wheeler. This one has extremely well suspensions and is a 'touring' 4-Wheeler so the ride is exceptional smooth. This purchase is heaven send since we now have our freedom back for this coming summer. I already mentioned there is no way for us to travel at this point with Connor's Medical Schedule and I also want to steer clear from all the places that are going to be crowded with tourists. I love to hike but Connor is in no position to hike at this point and now that we have two 4-Wheelers we can travel our area to explore more of Colorado, we can go on day trips or 2 day trips and take the boys places they have not seen before or just go for a picnic somewhere. They both love riding on them and we are able to stay away from places that are overrun by people :) For a gypsy at heart like me this is very precious.

So as you see my week has been as good as I could have dreamed it to be. I feel like we are getting our spark back and everything is falling into place.

I also talked to someone at Memorial about Connor's continuing Therapies, OT, PT and ST and it looks like he will be evaluated end of July for OT, August for PT and ST. So I do not want to loose momentum on his progress but we are also happy to seem to get a bit of a break for him. He is happy about it and I just hope it won't set him back ....

The sad part for today was Ron leaving for the next 7 to 8 days but we are working on a meet up this weekend. We have not lost our sense for adventure even if it is more controlled :) The boys and I went for a Picnic in the National Forest today and were joined by Tasha and Apple who loved the exercise of running next to the 4-Wheeler.

I wished everyone's week was as good as ours but I have some very sad news as well. You will remember my post about Steven, the boy who had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma? Melanie, my wonderful Twin Mom Friend from TX told me after I asked how he was doing that he lost his battle and has since passed away. One more child dying for no reason at all ... Gosh how it saddens me and frustrates me to no end at all that one more child was lost and one more family is suffering the worst pain imaginable. I never met the family and only heard about Steven from the post Melanie had on FB but I don't feel you need to know someone in order to send prayers and thoughts to this family. So as you know of now I am asking you to include them tonight and the coming weeks and months if possible.

Hugs,

R A C A

Back to 'Normal' & Stair Video

I am thinking that I have not been very specific on my blog on how much progress Connor is making. I thought I was :) BUT I realize by the comments I get from everyone that has seen Connor the last few days that they were all quiet surprised and even shocked how well he is doing.

So I am trying to say how mobile he is getting. He is running in his little funny way. Not as fast as other kids and no long distances but never less he does a good job. In the last week he went from me guiding him up and down stairs to walking stairs completely independent. He holds on to the railing but he is in the habit now to going back downstairs to play in his playroom. I am not ready to move all the toys back downstairs or move the classroom back to the loft schoolroom but we are getting very close.

I truly in my heart felt the first huge change in Connor when he had his first IVIG. He had three so far and we are scheduled for a fourth on June 3 and I can not wait to see what happens next.

Here is my IVIG buildup:

The 1st IVIG got him out of his wheelchair trying to walk.

The 2nd IVIG got him to sit on the floor and be able to get himself up again without another persons assistance (at first he pulled himself up and now he can get up independently unless he gets tired)

The 3rd IVIG had him climbing stairs and running.

So you can guess what the options are after his 4th IVIG :):):)

I am going to try and see if I can make a video and attach it.

Before I sign off I want to say THANK YOU to Miss Shelly, Miss Clare and Alexander for coming over yesterday. They got to see Connor, Alexander and I at our best - NOT. We had scheduled a playtime and some fun Girl Time for me and after busy days on Friday and Saturday we were so exhausted and Alexander and I were like Oil and Water. So you know your true friends when they come to your home and see us all stressed out and still tell us on the way out that they had a good time ... oh, now that I think about the real proof will be if they come back someday - Haha

Hugs,

R A C A

Hiking, Friends!!! and a 1 K Fun Race :)

If there is one thing I can say (but then you know I always have more to say then one thing :) then it is that we had a very busy last three days.

On Thursday, after Connor had his Solumedrol and Methrotrexate Infusion, the boys and I thought we go for a little ride on the 4-Wheeler so Apple and Tasha could get some exercise. We ended up at our DG (Decomposed Granite) Pit and the boys had fun playing in the dirt and playing with the Girls. It is amazing to think that Apple and Tasha and one year of age are out weighing the boys now by over 20 lbs. I can promise you however that this does not intimidate Connor or Alexander who handle the dogs without a care in the world :)

So and yesterday, Connor and Alexander had their first official Play-Date in 6 months! We spend almost all day outside and it went really well. Alexander was so happy and excited to have friends here who he could run with, Jump on the Trampoline with and go on a Hike with. Connor tried to keep up as good as he could but of course had the handicap of not being allowed on the Trampoline. There was this split second of consideration for me to make the Trampoline off limits for all the kids but as I said that thought lasted for less then a second. This was a time that I wanted Alexander to enjoy and so many sacrifices have been made by him in order to accommodate Connor. Connor of course was sad a few times until Papa came home and then his day got another huge lift because he clued himself to Ron who then took the time to take him for a long ride on the 4-Wheeler while the 5 of us went for a small hike. So I am very grateful to Caroline, my wonderful friend, for bringing over her boys and also giving me a wonderful Girl Time. I think we talked almost non-stop for about 4 hours... :)

Well if you are a Mom you also know that this day yesterday paid of extremely well because our boys were asleep in a heartbeat when we put them to bed at 8 PM :)

I have to mention also a simple gift you can give one of your children if you have twins or multiples. When you have Multiples most of the time you put your children to bed at the same time and two days ago Connor was so tired from his infusions and being out in the fresh air afterwards that he fell asleep on the sofa around 7:45 PM. Ron carried him to bed and when Alexander got himself ready to go to bed Ron told him that he could stay up late. The face he made and the 'Thank You's' and Kisses we got afterwards were absolutely priceless!!! I actually went to bed at 8:30 PM :) so Ron stayed up with Alexander until Alexander laid down on the sofa to go to sleep. Before he closed his eyes he said to Ron if he could please sleep on the sofa all night. Ron said 'yes' and our son fell asleep with a smile on his face 10 min later. What a peaceful night this was for us and we made our youngest happy at no cost to us at all :)

So and today Connor's little JDM Mentor and Inspiration, Emma, was participating at a 5 K Fun Run Fundraiser at her Elementary School. Emma is 8 years old and has fought a brave battle with JDM since she was 5 years old. I wish I could explain what the last 2 to 3 years were like for our friends but just to put it into perspective that at one point Emma was not walking at all and today she finished a 5 K and then decided to also run the 1 K in which she got second place for the girls ... This is more then amazing!!!! So Emma if you read this or your Mom and Dad please know how proud we are of you!!!!

I also have to mention that Emma is NOT in remission, not in a long haul and she is still on daily medications like Connor. Methrotrxate Injections once a week and gets IVIG once a month.

I wonder at times if those around us that do not have much experience with JDM ever wonder if we as parents are overly dramatic or if they think we try to get attention for us and our child because when you look at our kids and they start to do better then it seems what is the worry?

On the outside, Emma, might look almost as healthy as the next child BUT this is where it is sometimes hard to explain what it takes to get our kids to move and to try to be a part of a 'normal' life. Everyday is a mystery from when your child wakes up to how they will feel, what mood are they in and what will their little bodies be able to do that day. Unless your child is in remission we all start our day with a big collections of Medications. You always have the worry in you mind what might be able to cause another flare up. Before your child leaves the house you make sure they are covered up and are wearing sunscreen (the sun can cause a flare up just like that ... one sunburn and you might be back to zero....

So as always I got sidetracked :) We spend almost the whole day with our friends and we arrived at Emma's school at 9 AM to see the 5 K runners take of at 9:15 AM. While waiting their return we got to spend some time at the playground, which I think shocked Emma's Mom, Dawn, a bit because she was not prepared to see Connor climbing and running :)

We then went to the finish line and got the most beautiful view of Emma running at full speed to the end and then withing about 5 minutes it was decided that not only would Emma run the 1 K as well but now Connor was begging me to run in the 1 K. Alexander of course wanted to run it and I gave in because I figured if I take Connor in his Wheelchair then it would still count for something.

This then taught me once again to never underestimate my boys. We started out the 1 K and while Alexander ran a bit ahead of us I pushed Connor in his wheelchair. All went well until we were about 200 meters out from the Finish Line and it was all in Grass. I told Connor he would have to walk because there was no way I could push the wheelchair and his weight in this grassy area. He walked really well with Alexander on his side until about 30 meters out when they got a clear view of the end. All we had to say was 'run' and they both took off. I am so grateful to Dawn and Kent who ran ahead to take a picture of the finish line :) I of course was a bit behind pushing an empty wheelchair through the grass :)

After the race we all went to our friends house for some yummy Pizza, and treats. The boys thought they hit the jackpot with Popsicles AND Cup Cakes for Dessert :)

I will finish today's Blog on a note of Gratitude. Connor received a package yesterday from a very precious friend of mine, Brenda. Brenda and I met almost 17 years ago in the small town of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. She became my first family away from my own in Germany. She was and is a sister to me. Anyway, to give a bit of background, Brenda has a Brother who is just a bit older then her and they were extremely close as children. When Brian got older he choose to join the Army. He went to fight in Desert Storm and to Brenda and her Families heartbreak he was killed in Iraq. I only know Brian by her telling me about him but she truly brings him alive each time she does so that I feel I know him very well. Yesterday the package arrived and inside was a Star Wars Book that looked well loved. I opened the cover and inside with a child's writing was the name 'Brian Scott'. The following note was attached and I truly hope Brenda won't mind me sharing parts of it:

To Connor,

many Years ago my Parents gave this book to my brother. It got lots of attention because both of us loved Star Wars. I have seen on your Mom's Blog that you love Star Wars, too. So I was thinking there is no one else I would rather give this book to then you, but there is one condition.... You share with your brother like my big brother shared with me. With all my Love, Brenda Scott

Brenda, I know you read my Blog and I hope you realize you had me in tears. Not an easy thing to do!!!! Talk about a gift from the heart ... Love You so much!!! and 'yes' I will keep trying to reach you by phone :)

Hugs,

R A C A

In our thoughts tonight......

Today a bit out of the blue I read on Facebook from two Twin Mom's (who do not know each other but are both amazing friends) the need for some Help. So my Blog tonight is, for a change, not about Connor or us. I am asking my friends, family and those that follow our Blog to please send some prayers, positive vibes and thoughts to the following people....:

My precious friend Caroline has a friend who has stage 4 breast cancer that has spread from her breast to her liver and bones. The biggest concern right now is a large tumor on her spine. This friend of hers has 4 year old twin son's and a daughter who is in Kindergarten. The one thing I am grateful for when it comes to this Mom, that I have never met in person, is that she has one of the most amazing people on her team. My friend Caroline is the epitome of an Angel. If you believe in Angels then one of them would have her face.

The next one comes from another Twin Mommy friend, Melanie, and here is the post she left on Facebook:

Steven (my friends' son) is suffering from
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and many complications that have arisen from it.
He needs prayers NOW!!! Just saw an update from his mom Denise that his
liver is shutting down from a Sepsis infection....its not looking good
that he will survive this without DIVINE intervention .....so that's just
whats going to happen....lets pray...

Sometimes the part that upsets me the most about myself is how oblivious I was to the pain families and children went through around me. I think it is sad for me to admit that it took Connor and his JDM to open my eyes to how much sadness there truly is all around us and how I wish I had the power to change it all...

Love,

R A C A

Bears and making progress :)

So now I realize I went from posting once a day to averaging now once a week .. maybe :)

Well the problem is that I started this blog to journal Connor's journey with JDM and not much is happening at this point other then the huge fact that he is slowly but surly getting better :)

Our life of course is never boring in my eyes so I will try to write something to keep you all in the loop - haha

Connor is finally getting to the point were he does not want to accept he is sick and he is doing everything in his power to prove to us that he is well. This of course is leading to tiny discussions about us bringing his wheel chair with us when we go somewhere to him being self conscious about parking in disability spots. Ron and I of course know his limitations fairly well and if we let him push himself to far then he gets tired, cranky and very moody.

One part I thought I would not have a problem dealing with this year might still be a factor. I was hoping to get around any season passes for either the Zoo or the North Pole and I just know that sooner or later my boys will realize that the North Pole is open now and they will want to go. In the last couple of years we always got the season pass and we would go to the North Pole about once a week and the Zoo about once a month. I am skittish about the North Pole due to the kiddie rides and Connor's ability to go on them with his weak neck. Then the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo of course is beautiful but as the name reads it is set on the site of a Mountain. Extremely steep in places for Connor to walk but maybe a great exercise for me pushing a wheelchair? :)

You all know by now how often I point out the differences in looks my identical boys are having but I will still give you an up-date on where we are now:

Connor is about 2 inches shorter then Alexander BUT about 5 to 6 lbs heavier. He has hair growth most balding men or women would go crazy for. The Cyclosporin he is on has given him a hairy back, hairy legs and arms but also a hairline that is almost touching his eye brows and mentioning eyebrows he is close to sporting just one big uni brow. His whole hair structure has changed as well. Before both Connor and Alexander had fine straight hair and now Connor's is thick and wavy.

So if there ever is a run on the drug Cyclosporin then I know why. Hair transplants would be a history as long as people are ready to overlook the side effects, well at least those that don't really need their kidneys ....

Most of my Facebook friends already know that the Bears here in Colorado have come out of Hibernation and that we had our first visitor for the year. He or She decided to take our 2 yard dumpster apart on Friday Night so our whole family had a fun bonding time yesterday picking up and collecting Garbage again. It was a great learning tool for the boys and us since we learned that the specimen that visited us does not like Lettuce, Carrots, Celery or potatoes but loved Yogurt and sweets plus some ham. The sad part is that we once again have to be careful about letting the boys out to play in our forest and even thought the dogs are with them the risk is just to much right now. Ron fixed the Container and he secured the lid very tight and this morning we woke up to no garbage flying around :)

I hope that all of you are well or as well as can be expected. I have been repeatably told I seem tired lately and I will not disagree with that assessment. I do feel tired and a 7 day vacation somewhere in Hawaii would sound like heaven right now. So see, no worries here since I am still alert enough to dream :)

Hugs,

R A C A

Happy Mothers Day!!!

How can I truly explain that this years Mothers Day was hands down the best I ever had? Granted I always thought the 'first' one would be the most memorable one and it still is but this year how could I not look at our boys and be so deeply deeply grateful that we did not loose Connor in January. How can I put in words how much more I cherish each day with my kids and NEVER take another day for granted!

The one part of Mother's Day I could have done without was being bit by a Spider while the boys treated me to a two hour nap :( wicked bite that put me on Antibiotics for a few days plus some potent cream to stop the burning and itching. So from now on we do not sing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' at our home ... we have free hunting season now - ha ha

Connor is making progress each and every day and it is amazing how ambitious he is and how much he pushes himself. I was told so many times now that it is important for him to go slow and not to stress his muscles but I am faced with a huge obstacle of trying to slow him down. We are still taking the Wheel Chair everywhere but he truly tries to make the best effort to walk as much as he can.

Ron bought the boys a 14 foot Tepee as a surprise and we decided to put it up this last weekend. We told the boys they could play in the forest around the playground as long as Apple and Tasha were always close by. The only limitation we gave Connor was not to climb up on the Playground House that leads to the Slide. Well can you guess where we found him within 15 min of starting our project? I know I am pointing out now how well he listens to me but truly he has no idea how to stop doing the things he so loves and has not been able to do for months now.

Alexander has been a sweetheart as well but it is still a challenge to get him to focus most of the time. He seems to be making more of an effort when we have school. I am now debating to have school throughout the summer since we missed a couple of months when we were in the hospital plus I am aiming to stay away from crowds as it is. I know I repeat myself BUT it is so important to not expose Connor and it is already hard enough to try and keep the immediate family healthy that I can not picture taking the boys to to many public places once school is out.

I did receive a couple e-mails from the Lady that is working on Connor's Make a Wish come true. I think we might be looking at a possible trip for late summer or early fall :):):)

I hope that all of you had a wonderful, peaceful but Fun Mothers Day Weekend! This was the first one we stayed home the entire day and I enjoyed every minute of it.....

Love,

R A C A

At TCH for Connor's 3rd IVIG :)

See what happens when we are not in the Hospital full time anymore? you get a break from my posting everyday - Ha Ha :)

Today we are back at TCH for Connor's 3rd IVIG and he is scheduled for 5 more in the future. We had to leave the house at 5:50 AM and we made it to Denver by 8:10 AM. The drive went really well until we got into Denver when we always hit the morning rush hour. Everything from the time of our arrival went extremely well. First we got front row parking which is not an easy thing to do even when you have a disability pass. Those handicap parking slots are in high demand when you park at a hospital ... wonder why - :) just kidding...

We then signed in and found out we got Connor's first choice when it comes to which Nurse he likes at the Infusion Center ... Miss Amy!

We also got a private room this time which is a nice treat only because Alexander is with us today. I definitely do not mean this in a bad way at all but when you have one boy whose energy level is at 200% at times it is nice to get a break like this :)

The next highlight was as soon as Connor was hooked up a lady who does arts and crafts came in the room and played with Connor and Alexander with some clay. They LOVED it! So and then my biggest surprise came in the form of Connor's IVIG. He already finished his Steroids and then when he got switched to the IVIG I was told it will run for 4 hours!!!! That is so much quicker then what we were used to from the previous two. It looks like we might be leaving TCH before 3 PM. What a treat :)

Overall both of our babies are doing well. Connor is making progress when it comes to his Therapies and he is even down to one OT per week. He still has PT twice weekly but this is no surprise since his feet and legs are still the weakest. We unfortunately had to let the Speech Therapist go since we could not justify Connor having therapy that left him in tears. I don't want to speak badly about her qualifications at all but it was just not a good mix when it came to personality compatibility. We are now trying to see how we can find a new therapist since she is the only one in our area that did In Home Care. It was interesting to me however when one of Connor's Doctors stopped by this morning and commented on how well his speech is doing. I have to admit it felt good to hear since his last therapist told me he was speaking on a 3 year old level :(

Alexander is doing okay but we definitely have to come up with a game plan to work with his ADD and ADHD diagnosis. One of the things the Psychiatrist told Ron was to limit is TV and Game exposure and if we do let him watch or play to keep it for the morning hours. It seems when you play games or watch TV it uses the right side of the brain and this is the part that is hard to slow down again. Oh, all the things we learn :) The best part however when I think of Alexander is the fact that he might have a hard time to slow down BUT he is still the most cuddly and affectionate little boy ever. He still has the 100 Watt smiles that just melt your heart :)

I hope that most of you realize that we think of our family and friends a lot and I am truly sorry that it has been hard for me to make an effort to be in touch as much as I would like. I think with spring and summer in the air we will be making more of an effort to get out but still will be extremely selective as to where we bring the boys. Obviously crowded places or very public places will be a no go as long as Connor's immune system is suppressed. I already had a nightmare worrying about his health when we flew to Chicago and back. You know how germy I think those airports and airplane are - Ha Ha

Love & Hugs,

R A C A