BRAKE BRAAAAKE!

Has anyone seen the movie “Unstoppable” with Denzel Washington?  We went as a family this past weekend.  It’s a movie about a runaway train that is you guessed it - UNSTOPPABLE.  Timmy was too funny throughout the movie.  You could tell he was frustrated by the people in the movie by his gestures.  He would slap his knee with his hand and give a good ARGH sound.  Wrap his arms around his legs and rock back and forth.  Oh and all the solutions that he tried to tell us on how to stop THAT train.  And the funniest was his outburst of “BRAKE , BRAAAAKE’.

Focused on What Matters

As a family we spent this past 4th of July at the nursing home of Timmy's great grandma.  It was a great day - music, food and 4 generations of my husbands family.

While we were around the table eating our celebration chicken, burgers, corn on the cob Timmy was focused on Granny.  Talking to her and holding her hand.  When her blended food came Timmy turns to Granny and says; "Do you want your daughter now".  He said this in the softest voice I have ever heard come out of his mouth and the senserity was overwhelming.  He was so gentle, thoughtful and aware of the moment.

Timmy was focused on what mattered at that point in time.   And that was that family matters.

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Rebranding ADHD kids

                          

                            Always

                            Doing Something,

                            Happy & 

                            Distinctive Individuals

I have always been on the receiving side of peoples comments about my son. Many not said out loud, but an expression says a thousand words.  I want to express that kids with ADHD are unique, not always appropriate, but have a love of life that should not be ignored.  These kids live for the moment and we all should step back and see what they have to teach us from their point of view, versus point out all their flaws.  

Always Doing Something - they have no regrets and take risks

Happy - they live for the moment

Distinctive Individuals - they are unique characters that distinquish themselves from others

My son is an ADHD kid!

Coffee Timmy Style

Coffee on a weekend morning - there is nothing like it.  The coffee aroma that seeps into the bedroom, the rush of caffeine the swirls in your head, and the social atmosphere and relaxation. Just the way I like it. I love weekends.

Even my 8 year old Timmy knows how to make me a cuppa.  But sometimes he tries to make it better - in his mind. One time he thought maybe extra sugar would be better.  This morning he proudly brings me the coffee he fixed. I looked inside and saw brown floating flecks swirling around the creamy light brown coffee. I had to stop myself from yelling - I really wanted that cup of coffee.  "It has more flavor now" Timmy was trying to explain.  Coffee with grounds.

From his ramblings, while trying to screen out the grounds in my last cup, I got an insight on his next coffee version. Why not mix the grounds, sugar, and creamer from the start.

Coffee with Love!

Timmy @ 2

While on holiday in America,Timmy's babysitter Sabina was telling a flashback Timmy story.  I had forgot all about it.  Now I have my blog to remember.

It was early in the morning, the day after Halloween.  I had already gone to work (that would be about 5:30am to miss the traffic in Northern VA, yuck) and Sabina,who graciouslly came over the house in the dark,was sleeping on the couch when the doorbell rang.  Our neighbor Nancy, who lived across the street, was standing there with Timmy and asked; "Do you want this?"

Nancy explained how she also woke to a doorbell and a little boy with his hand held out saying; "Candy, Candy!"

We knew then that there was something about Timmy.

Ramblings from an 8 year old

Just got back from a holiday in the America.  Lots of recorded Timmy stories. 

TIMMY SAID;

1. "Santa Claus is real but the Simpsons aren't real because there are no yellow people.  There are black and white people and tan people, which are like white people."
2. "Pasta and pizza baby!" A phrase said over and over again throughout the whole holiday with conviction.)
3. "Do you know where I came from?"
   What he asked the father of the kid he had been playing with all day while at Stone Harbor beach in NJ.
4. "Holy Camole, Holy Camole!  Shouting from the top of his lungs while running in the house to inform everyone of the big shark caught by his Uncle Curry.
5. "Mrs Smith is my fairy godmother, because she looks after me more than any other teacher."  Mrs Smith was his 1st grade teacher.
6. I overhead a conversation at Splashdown waterpark between Timmy and a little Indian boy wearing a bathing cap covering his turban.  It started with a pointing finger;

Timmy;  "What's that?"
Indian boy;  "Its my religion"
Timmy; "Let me see!"
Indian boy;  "I can't get it wet"
Determined Timmy; "Get on the snake - then show me"  ..snake was floating in the middle of the pool.
Indian boy; "I can't show it to anyone"  ...yeah that finally satisfied Timmy's curiosities.

Before and After

All those years since he was two I kept waiting for our Timmy to just grow out of it. I'm not sure I can explain but I felt I always had to;

• follow him around like a two year old to make sure he was understood
• guide him to a more appropriate way to handle a situation
• intervene quickly before a catastophe happens
• make sure other kids were not taking advantage of him
• make sure he wasn't doing too risky a feat

The it we found out was ADHD.  Now Timmy has been on medication for a whole month. It would be great to have an assessment from the school teacher on a before/after but unfortunetly the teacher became very ill the week after he started medication and has not returned. He had a couple of different teachers during those weeks. One of the relief teachers said he was doing good. Not sure what that meant but I do know that I didn't receive any school calls so I guess I can assume all is good.

It would be nice to have a spot the difference picture -like the ones in those puzzles books where they have the two pictures side by side. 

Picture Before                               Picture After
*Timmys lone desk                         *Timmys desk grouped
   with a masked tape boundary          with the other desks
*Timmy fidgeting in his seat             *Timmy seating still in his seat
*Timmy blurting out whenever         *Timmy raising his hand

 The term is over and he is suppose to be getting a new teacher next term.  So maybe we can start over again. I keep thinking about his lone desk. I would love to go in there and move it into one of those small group of desks and rip the masked tape up from the ground.
             
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