Amy has been doing so great this week. She has definitely had some icky moments, but her overall cooperation has really been great.
I think I feel like the NFB has given her a little "jump start" to growing up. I feel like we can have more mature conversations, that she is able to think more logically, and that she is able to solve her own problems.
For years, when Amy has encountered a problem, her immediate response is to whine and/or melt down. We have been trying and trying to teach her to pause and think when something unexpected comes up, but she just can't. This past week, however, I have noticed a change. For example (small thing, but big for us!) she wanted to watch a television program, but it was after her bedtime. She started to whine, stopped, and said, "Oh, well, can you record it for me?"
Sure we can. And that was that. Huh.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Better?
I don't know what was going on last week, but things seem to be better again. In the past few days we've had some good things, and bad things, but overall, Amy seems pretty calm. She's had fewer tantrums, and those she does have she is able to calm down faster. Incidents of note:
1) So we got a puppy. I know -- brilliant timing, right? So far, pup has been doing really well. We were (are) hoping that the puppy will help Amy with some of her sensory issues (she needs to be brushed regularly, played with, walked, etc). So far, Gwyn has done an awesome job at taking care of the dog, but Amy is VERY nervous around her. She is a 3 pound, super calm and gentle Maltese/Shih-Tzu mix. Puppies really don't come much mellower, but Amy gets very tense whenever the puppy comes close to her. It's kind of funny to watch, because she really loves the dog a lot -- she just loves watching other people play with her. Gwyn and Micah are happy to oblige. :) Of course, the question is, what is she afraid of? We can't figure it out, really.
2) It's Amy's birthday week. She has been begging me to tell her what her gifts are for days, because she can't stand the nervous feeling of not knowing. This isn't the same kind of hopeful begging most kids have. It is a tearful, afraid begging. She just REALLY hates surprises.
3) Amy seems like she is doing better, though. She's been playing much better with Gwyn and Micah. One problem we have been having is her sprawling all over the couch, and not giving anyone else space. She didn't like to sit in our living room chair, because the foot rest always slid away. We solved that problem by tying the footrest to the chair, moving the whole contraption to a more central place in the TV room, re-arranging the rest of the furniture (a little awkwardly, but, hey...), and declaring that her spot. I can't believe the difference that move has made! The flow of the family room is not so good anymore, but the peace is worth it.
So, overall, writing this I guess I'm realizing that we seem to be shifting from major problems that clearly need outside help, to normal kid problems. It's kind of hard to know the difference at this stage, and sometimes I feel like because we have had all these other issues that I blow "normal" issues out of proportion (like putting off doing her homework or not putting her backpack away).
Long post to say not much is happening. :)
1) So we got a puppy. I know -- brilliant timing, right? So far, pup has been doing really well. We were (are) hoping that the puppy will help Amy with some of her sensory issues (she needs to be brushed regularly, played with, walked, etc). So far, Gwyn has done an awesome job at taking care of the dog, but Amy is VERY nervous around her. She is a 3 pound, super calm and gentle Maltese/Shih-Tzu mix. Puppies really don't come much mellower, but Amy gets very tense whenever the puppy comes close to her. It's kind of funny to watch, because she really loves the dog a lot -- she just loves watching other people play with her. Gwyn and Micah are happy to oblige. :) Of course, the question is, what is she afraid of? We can't figure it out, really.
2) It's Amy's birthday week. She has been begging me to tell her what her gifts are for days, because she can't stand the nervous feeling of not knowing. This isn't the same kind of hopeful begging most kids have. It is a tearful, afraid begging. She just REALLY hates surprises.
3) Amy seems like she is doing better, though. She's been playing much better with Gwyn and Micah. One problem we have been having is her sprawling all over the couch, and not giving anyone else space. She didn't like to sit in our living room chair, because the foot rest always slid away. We solved that problem by tying the footrest to the chair, moving the whole contraption to a more central place in the TV room, re-arranging the rest of the furniture (a little awkwardly, but, hey...), and declaring that her spot. I can't believe the difference that move has made! The flow of the family room is not so good anymore, but the peace is worth it.
So, overall, writing this I guess I'm realizing that we seem to be shifting from major problems that clearly need outside help, to normal kid problems. It's kind of hard to know the difference at this stage, and sometimes I feel like because we have had all these other issues that I blow "normal" issues out of proportion (like putting off doing her homework or not putting her backpack away).
Long post to say not much is happening. :)
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Never Mind...
The past few days have been pretty frustrating around here. It seems like all the progress Amy has made in the past few weeks has left the building. Since Saturday, she has had numerous tantrums (including a few where she was kicking, biting, hitting and pinching me or her sibs), she has had a lot of trouble controlling her squirminess, she has been very frustrated with everyone around her and even her good moods have a "manic" feel to them.
Grrrrrrrr.....
Gram (God bless Gram) is taking her to an appointment with the Good Doc tomorrow since I am teaching. I'll be there to pick her up, but she is not going to be happy about that.
Mike has noticed a few times where she has cleaned something up without a fight, or where she has shown some cooperation.
Most of our problems this week have come from transitions (straight from school to piano, getting ready for school) or personal space (unable to share the couch, can't sit next to someone without sitting on them, etc.)
So there's that.
Grrrrrrrr.....
Gram (God bless Gram) is taking her to an appointment with the Good Doc tomorrow since I am teaching. I'll be there to pick her up, but she is not going to be happy about that.
Mike has noticed a few times where she has cleaned something up without a fight, or where she has shown some cooperation.
Most of our problems this week have come from transitions (straight from school to piano, getting ready for school) or personal space (unable to share the couch, can't sit next to someone without sitting on them, etc.)
So there's that.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Critical Thinking
I haven't posted much this week, mostly because things have been running really quite smoothly. Amy had a treatment this morning, and when the Good Doc asked me how things have been going, I realized that I can't remember a single temper tantrum since Monday. So really, all week she has been pleasant, compliant, and calm.
He also asked what other differences I have noticed, and overall I could only say that she seems calmer. Her hyper "I'm so excited!!" mode has not been overwhelming, as it can be at times. When he asked Amy how she was feeling, she clammed up, though, and wouldn't talk. I really wish she would let me in on how she is feeling! Her behavior seems to be reflecting a much calmer inner attitude.
The temper tantrum on Monday was a result of a homework problem. This year in social studies she has to read a passage and then answer questions about what she read. Particularly, she has to answer "Critical Thinking" questions, where the answer isn't explicitly laid out in the reading.
Ha! The question she struggled with was, "Why do you think a person has to be 18 years old to vote?" Since she had no idea, she panicked, and no amount of talking her through a thought process was helping. Her only thought was "12 and 15 year olds can understand politics, so they should be allowed to vote!"
After screaming and rolling on the floor for about 1/2 an hour, she finally decided to write something down.
I can't wait for the next assignment!!
He also asked what other differences I have noticed, and overall I could only say that she seems calmer. Her hyper "I'm so excited!!" mode has not been overwhelming, as it can be at times. When he asked Amy how she was feeling, she clammed up, though, and wouldn't talk. I really wish she would let me in on how she is feeling! Her behavior seems to be reflecting a much calmer inner attitude.
The temper tantrum on Monday was a result of a homework problem. This year in social studies she has to read a passage and then answer questions about what she read. Particularly, she has to answer "Critical Thinking" questions, where the answer isn't explicitly laid out in the reading.
Ha! The question she struggled with was, "Why do you think a person has to be 18 years old to vote?" Since she had no idea, she panicked, and no amount of talking her through a thought process was helping. Her only thought was "12 and 15 year olds can understand politics, so they should be allowed to vote!"
After screaming and rolling on the floor for about 1/2 an hour, she finally decided to write something down.
I can't wait for the next assignment!!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Ups and Downs
We had a busy weekend, so it was an interesting experiment to see how Amy did. Overall, she is really progressing. When comparing this weekend to last weekend (remember the soccer game? Oy.), we are in a much better place. I keep finding myself shocked at little things she does, like compliment my hair, or help Gwyn with a project, or cooperate when I ask her to help out. She's even given some spontaneous kisses and hugs. Weird, I didn't really notice that she didn't do that often until she started to.
She's becoming fun to be around!
We did have a few incidents this weekend that weren't so good. She flew into a rage with her dad (who really wants his own pseudonym, so I'm going to call him Mike). I didn't quite catch what it was about, but she wound up in her room for a while. There have been some whiney times and defiant times, but almost all of them are resolved rather quickly. It's like she realizes it's immature halfway through.
Church has been a pretty squirmy place for Amy, historically. At our church, children sit through the service with the adults, and then go to Sunday School. Usually, by the end of the service, our pew is littered with crayons, bulletins, a doll, and a pen or two. She usually shifts from one end to the other end, takes a bathroom break halfway through, squirms on someone's lap for a while, and is generally very fidgety. Today, she wasn't slumping, lying down, squirming or restless. She just sat there. She followed along with the bulletin, and did the "Children's Activities". She was present in church, not just there, if that makes sense. That was pretty awesome. And I didn't feel like I had to do a clean sweep of our entire pew at the end...
This week we only have two NFB sessions. I have noticed that the further we get from the last one, the more her behavior deteriorates. That is supposed to get better as time goes on.
I think everyone around here has been feeling a lot of stress begin to melt away. Except maybe Gwyn who hasn't recognized the changes yet. She still gets angry at Amy quickly, because that is the way they have been interacting for forever... I need to have a little talk with her tomorrow, probably.
Overall, Yippee yay yay!!!
She's becoming fun to be around!
We did have a few incidents this weekend that weren't so good. She flew into a rage with her dad (who really wants his own pseudonym, so I'm going to call him Mike). I didn't quite catch what it was about, but she wound up in her room for a while. There have been some whiney times and defiant times, but almost all of them are resolved rather quickly. It's like she realizes it's immature halfway through.
Church has been a pretty squirmy place for Amy, historically. At our church, children sit through the service with the adults, and then go to Sunday School. Usually, by the end of the service, our pew is littered with crayons, bulletins, a doll, and a pen or two. She usually shifts from one end to the other end, takes a bathroom break halfway through, squirms on someone's lap for a while, and is generally very fidgety. Today, she wasn't slumping, lying down, squirming or restless. She just sat there. She followed along with the bulletin, and did the "Children's Activities". She was present in church, not just there, if that makes sense. That was pretty awesome. And I didn't feel like I had to do a clean sweep of our entire pew at the end...
This week we only have two NFB sessions. I have noticed that the further we get from the last one, the more her behavior deteriorates. That is supposed to get better as time goes on.
I think everyone around here has been feeling a lot of stress begin to melt away. Except maybe Gwyn who hasn't recognized the changes yet. She still gets angry at Amy quickly, because that is the way they have been interacting for forever... I need to have a little talk with her tomorrow, probably.
Overall, Yippee yay yay!!!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Getting There
Amy has been kind of funny the past two days or so. She keeps flip flopping between "old" behaviors and "new" behaviors.
She went to her appointment without fuss yesterday morning (even though she was late for school). She didn't want to get to her chair, and has to be cajoled every time, but the Good Doc pointed out that she needs time to warm up a bit. He was very patient. (Me, not so much, but I'm learning!)
Amy kept asking about how late to school she would be. I kept reassuring her that it would only be an hour, and that we have gotten the ok from her teacher, and that it will be ok. No panic fits, just repeated concern. As we were driving away she realized that she left her library book in the doctor's office. She got very upset, but calmed down pretty quickly.
She just seems to be developing a better perspective on problems. Hooray!
After school she came home and crashed on the couch as usual. We drove to the Noodle place, because I wanted to see how she would do at a restaurant, and because her dad just got back from being out of town for a few days.
And because I didn't feel like cooking...
Anyway, she screamed at Gwyn and Micah for being too loud in the car. She kept saying she was trying to take a nap and that she was really tired. Very grumpy.
Once we got some food in her, though, she cheered up and was <mostly> pleasant the rest of the night. She did her homework quickly and then she and Gwyn decided to play "Dance Class" and she taught Gwyn and Milo the grapevine step. They weren't too happy with her bossiness, but from what I can hear, Amy was behaving gently towards them (even if she was being bossy).
She's trying!
She went to her appointment without fuss yesterday morning (even though she was late for school). She didn't want to get to her chair, and has to be cajoled every time, but the Good Doc pointed out that she needs time to warm up a bit. He was very patient. (Me, not so much, but I'm learning!)
Amy kept asking about how late to school she would be. I kept reassuring her that it would only be an hour, and that we have gotten the ok from her teacher, and that it will be ok. No panic fits, just repeated concern. As we were driving away she realized that she left her library book in the doctor's office. She got very upset, but calmed down pretty quickly.
She just seems to be developing a better perspective on problems. Hooray!
After school she came home and crashed on the couch as usual. We drove to the Noodle place, because I wanted to see how she would do at a restaurant, and because her dad just got back from being out of town for a few days.
And because I didn't feel like cooking...
Anyway, she screamed at Gwyn and Micah for being too loud in the car. She kept saying she was trying to take a nap and that she was really tired. Very grumpy.
Once we got some food in her, though, she cheered up and was <mostly> pleasant the rest of the night. She did her homework quickly and then she and Gwyn decided to play "Dance Class" and she taught Gwyn and Milo the grapevine step. They weren't too happy with her bossiness, but from what I can hear, Amy was behaving gently towards them (even if she was being bossy).
She's trying!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Spaghetti
A few really good things today, after a rocky start.
Mornings are icky. I'm not a morning person. None of my kids are morning people. Yuck. This morning I have to get kids out the door by 8:15. Micah is up by 7:00, begging me to play "Super Mario Galaxy" so he can watch. Sorry bud, that's not happening!
I'm still trying to get the girls out of bed at 7:45. Gwyn is having an especially hard time this morning and keeps yelling at anybody who comes too close, not getting dressed, not eating breakfast, yadda, yadda, yadda. Mornings are prime scream time for Amy, and she kept sneaking back to bed after being dragged out. Nobody was happy this morning when the bus showed up, but the girls managed to get off to school, and Micah finally talked me into playing "Super Mario Galaxy".
After school was MUCH better, however, and we had a number of good things happen this evening.
1) Amy's third NFB treatment went smoothly. She doesn't like the gel they use to stick the sensors to her scalp, and at first refused to cooperate. Her defiance wasn't the same tearful, angry stubbornness that we have seen, however. It was more of a playful, "I dare you to make me" type of attitude. Still not really great, but not bad either. She sat through the session and did really well.
2) I told her as we were leaving that tomorrow we had to come back for a morning appointment, so she would be late to school. She does NOT like this plan. One of her big anxieties is getting behind at school, so to miss is embarrassing and problematic. She threw a temper tantrum in the car that lasted...
...until we got out of the parking lot. That's it! No 30 minute screaming fit! I was shocked.
3) Afterwards, we went to Gram's (God bless Gram) for spaghetti. She watched over her 1 year old cousin responsibly, was in a good mood, ATE all of her spaghetti without complaint, and when I asked her to pick up the toys so we could leave, she didn't throw a fit. She just...did it.
4) On our way home, Gwyn was singing in the backseat while Amy was trying to read. This usually sparks major problems. There have been many times I've had to pull over to let everyone in the car cool down, because I couldn't drive safely with all the fighting in the car. Today, Amy asked Gwyn to please be quiet. When Gwyn continued to sing, for the most part, Amy IGNORED HER. This was also shocking. I could tell by a few squirmy sounds coming from the back that she was annoyed, but she didn't scream or panic. She just dealt with it.
5) Finally, since hubs is out of town for a few days, I had to help with homework at the same time Micah had to go to bed. Gwyn is learning some first grade spelling words, and we were having such a pleasant night, I thought, "Why not?". I asked Amy to please help Gwyn with her homework. She said, "Sure!" and when I checked on them a little while later, Amy was in full blown teacher mode, working patiently with Gwyn and helping her write her letters the right way. Neither of them were frustrated.
So -- good day!
Here's the insanity:
I called the Good Doc's office today to get all 17 of Amy's remaining treatments on the calendar. I thought we might have a few weeks of during school appointments, followed by mostly after school sessions. Nope. Every single opening they had available until mid-October is during the school day. Her teachers are going to LOVE me. Yikes.
Mornings are icky. I'm not a morning person. None of my kids are morning people. Yuck. This morning I have to get kids out the door by 8:15. Micah is up by 7:00, begging me to play "Super Mario Galaxy" so he can watch. Sorry bud, that's not happening!
I'm still trying to get the girls out of bed at 7:45. Gwyn is having an especially hard time this morning and keeps yelling at anybody who comes too close, not getting dressed, not eating breakfast, yadda, yadda, yadda. Mornings are prime scream time for Amy, and she kept sneaking back to bed after being dragged out. Nobody was happy this morning when the bus showed up, but the girls managed to get off to school, and Micah finally talked me into playing "Super Mario Galaxy".
After school was MUCH better, however, and we had a number of good things happen this evening.
1) Amy's third NFB treatment went smoothly. She doesn't like the gel they use to stick the sensors to her scalp, and at first refused to cooperate. Her defiance wasn't the same tearful, angry stubbornness that we have seen, however. It was more of a playful, "I dare you to make me" type of attitude. Still not really great, but not bad either. She sat through the session and did really well.
2) I told her as we were leaving that tomorrow we had to come back for a morning appointment, so she would be late to school. She does NOT like this plan. One of her big anxieties is getting behind at school, so to miss is embarrassing and problematic. She threw a temper tantrum in the car that lasted...
...until we got out of the parking lot. That's it! No 30 minute screaming fit! I was shocked.
3) Afterwards, we went to Gram's (God bless Gram) for spaghetti. She watched over her 1 year old cousin responsibly, was in a good mood, ATE all of her spaghetti without complaint, and when I asked her to pick up the toys so we could leave, she didn't throw a fit. She just...did it.
4) On our way home, Gwyn was singing in the backseat while Amy was trying to read. This usually sparks major problems. There have been many times I've had to pull over to let everyone in the car cool down, because I couldn't drive safely with all the fighting in the car. Today, Amy asked Gwyn to please be quiet. When Gwyn continued to sing, for the most part, Amy IGNORED HER. This was also shocking. I could tell by a few squirmy sounds coming from the back that she was annoyed, but she didn't scream or panic. She just dealt with it.
5) Finally, since hubs is out of town for a few days, I had to help with homework at the same time Micah had to go to bed. Gwyn is learning some first grade spelling words, and we were having such a pleasant night, I thought, "Why not?". I asked Amy to please help Gwyn with her homework. She said, "Sure!" and when I checked on them a little while later, Amy was in full blown teacher mode, working patiently with Gwyn and helping her write her letters the right way. Neither of them were frustrated.
So -- good day!
Here's the insanity:
I called the Good Doc's office today to get all 17 of Amy's remaining treatments on the calendar. I thought we might have a few weeks of during school appointments, followed by mostly after school sessions. Nope. Every single opening they had available until mid-October is during the school day. Her teachers are going to LOVE me. Yikes.
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