It's Fab Friday...or is it?

This is what happens when you let a six year old play up in his room when he promises to be good. That my blogging friends is baby powder a full economy size bottle of it. Even the poor gorilla was not safe. It has been a heck of a week in the cheerio household. Mainly all the daycare kids have been sent to me sick all week. Between teething and colds it has been busy. Isn't it funny how some parents insist their kids are "just fine" at home even though they are sick with you all day? lol. Apparently their kids only get sick at school and daycare...that is where they have all their fevers, green snotty noses, nausea. Once they get home their crabbies go away, their fevers miraculously disappear, and they are perfect angels for their parents. yeah right. I gotta get outta daycare soon lol.

Trix started with a new occupational therapist this week. The lady he was seeing was in a car accident over the summer and still has not recovered we are praying for her recovery. The new lady was great! She also had the patience of an angel since my regular babysitter was not here to watch my other two kids so I had to take them in addition to extra daycare kids in with us. So in I march yesterday with 6 ACTIVE kids in tow. She wisely directed us to the indoor gymn type room. I can tell this lady is going to be great!

I saw a nutritionist for Trix on Wed evening this week. We are going to try a few th ings but the first thing she wants to do is eliminate ALL dairy from Trix's diet. The doc and the ENT neglected to tell me that the chronic ear infections that led to Trix's tubes in his ears was a classic sign of a milk allergy. I had tried to take him off milk once before because I had found through some research that it can help calm down a lot of his sensory issues, but after about a week he was so obnoxious and frustrated and honery that we finally gave it back to him and he was fine. So I thought he needed it. He LOVES milk and after talking to the therapist I realized he also loves cheese. I started thinking aobut his favorite foods and almost all of them have some sort of dairy in them. She explained to me that he craved it because your body treats foods your allergic too like a drug. So basically my son is getting "high" off of milk...if this is what he is allergic too. She also explained the reason he was so obnoxious when I tried to take him off it before is that he was going through withdrawls. She told me for the next two weeks to keep him completely off dairy and then after that we will slowly reintroduce certain foods and see if we can pinpoint anything. I will say this lady is great! She told me the reason the docs never told me this before is that they are trained to treat symptoms but not necessarily find out why or what is causing it. I do not want to make it seem like i do not like docs though because I do. I just think that from a preventative side this is a better idea.

Otherwise we are deep into the school thing and getting ready for the holidays. :)

Yay it's Friday and a new post!

YES you are seeing this right a new post in under a couple weeks! lol Told ya I would try!

I am going to try and get back to posting about some topics again but here is another quick update.

The boys and hubs and I have a small tummy bug but nothing with fevers or anything just enough to keep us feeling yucky. Don't ya just love fall? New germs etc.? lol No seriously I am praying that we have a much healthier year then last year. About every 3 years or so we will have a bad winter when we are just sick all the time with colds,stomach flu, fevers, etc. That was last winter and part of spring and even into June. So this year i am hoping good will come out of it! Other then that we are pretty good. Hubs is getting ready to go out of town on business next week so this weekend is laundry weekend. yay...NOT. Oh well at least we will be inside snuggling with the kids in between loads. :) The kids alwasy look forward to "mommy daddy days". They have to share me the rest of the week with daycare kids so the weekends they love.

Anyway the subject I picked for today is more like a shameless plug. We are homeschooling this year again and LOVING it. However I heard about a program last year that I meant to do this year and that is called K12.com
I realize some people might not consider this homeschool as it is technically public school online. However there is different ways to enroll. You can retain your status as a homeschooler, and only enroll part time, OR you can enroll full time and although your status is public school...it is done at home under the teaching of the parent. We chose to do it full time this year just to get a feel for it. The best thing is if I decide it is too rigorous and don't like it then I can pull them out. They do all the testing etc. I get to talk to a teacher once a week by email or phone and go over anything I am having trouble teaching, my kids can ask her questions too. Even nicer...they send you all the materials and curriculum free because it is "public school" and run through a public school district. They keep all the records etc. I was a little hesitant at first but went ahead and took the plunge and so far it has worked well. It was like and early Christmas when the UPS man backed into my driveway and unloaded about 6 boxes full of stuff. When I say they include all supplies they really do...there was really nice magnifying glasses. 11 full bottles of tempera paint, compas, world maps laminated etc. all the workbooks and teacher guides too. I return some of it at the end of the year except for unreturnable stuff like paint , used workbooks etc. they pay the postage to return it. it is great. I log in every day to find out the days assignments and they walk me through what to do with the kids and how to do it..including teacher and kid tips. what I really love is that Trix has an IEP (individual education plan) or special ed thing where he can do a shared district meaning he stays enrolled in our district for his occupational and speech therapy, but is enrolled in this other school district for the rest of the stuff. (k12.com is only done through certain districts in the different states). Anyway there is my topic and plug for the day. For us it really works. :)

Have a great weekend !

A FALL MEME

So I am still trying to post more frequently but things have been so hectic around here lately. Trix has been having a lot more seizures than normal so we have been dealing with that and schoolwork. :) Trix did have a checkup with his neurologist yesterday and they decided to up his meds dosage to see if that helps. I personally am not all that thrilled with the idea because it makes him super sleepy and his appetite decreases when he ups the dosage. I have that motherly instinct that i can help these seizures decrease or not occur at all by changing his diet. All 3 of the kids had checkups last week and they are all healthy but my pediatrician advised me against the ketogenic diet for trix because there is apparently a lot of side affects and it is very strict and hard to follow. He does not usually advise me against anything so instead I called a nutritionist. I am going to meet with her next week. I figure she studies foods and it's affects on people and maybe she could help me design something for trix tht would help not only his seizures but also his sensory issues. I know all the docs say it has nothing to do with it but there is far to many stories of success with changing diets and helping childrens medical issues go away or minimize to backup my instincts.

Anyway that is a brief update. Here is a fall meme that one of my most favorite blogs posted today. She made it up herself. I love this blog because it is such a comfortable cozy blog the way she writes it that it is almost like curling up with a good book and a cup of hot cider on a blustery day. Seriously she almost writes like "chicken soup for the soul" type. She is a homeschooler who has many great ideas. I always check there to see what neat project she has come up with. Oh and her kids are sooo cute!

Ok her is her meme:

When does fall begin for you? For me it starts around labor day. I start looking forward to it in August though.

What is your favorite aspect of fall? I love the falling leaves and letting the kids jump in them, the apple picking, the hot apple cider, and the new homeschool routine for me and the kids.

What is your favorite fall memory? it is always taking the kids to the pumpkin patch and apple picking.

What do you like to drink in the fall? I love cider, sleepytime tea, and starbucks carmel apple cider.

What's your favorite fall food? I would have to say the return of "comfort food" all the casseroles, stews etc. I love to make homemade applesauce, and pumpkin bread. Starbucks makes a yummy cream cheese pumpkin muffins.

What is fall weather like where you live? At the beginning it is crisp and sunny and pretty but towards the middle and end it turns rainy and colder, however I like that because I love to curl up inside with the kids.

What color is fall? different shades of orange: bright orange, burnt orange, mellow yellow, deep greens beautiful!

What does fall smell like? apples, cinnamon, hot cider (do you see a cider trend yet? lol), pumpkin spice, nutmeg, woodstoves burning

Holiday shopping in fall: yes or no? Yes I try, but I don't decorate till the day after thanksgiving.

If you could go anywhere in the fall, where would you go? I like it here but have always wanted to go to new england or vermont for fall. I hear it is unebelievably beautiful.

What is your favorite fall sport? none I am not a sport person unless it is spring and baseball.

Do you have a favorite fall chore? I like getting the school supplies organized for the year!

What is your least favorite thing about fall? the fact that before halloween has even arrived the stores have all their christmas stuff out. grrr. fall is my favorite season
What is your favorite fall holiday? Thanksgiving

What's your favorite kind of pie? Pumpkin pie or fresh apple pie with extra nutmeg.

What was your favorite Halloween costume? One year i was minnie mouse and my mom designe the costume it was fun.

What was your favorite Halloween candy? Candy Corn and snickers

What was your least favorite Halloween candy? black licorice YUCK

Which do you prefer, the Farm or the Fair? farm

Do you have a favorite fall book? no not really.

How about a favorite fall poem? no on that one too lol.

I tag anyone who wants to do the meme. Please sign my comments and let me know you did it so I can go read your answers:)

How was your weekend?

Hello,

Here is an update. Again I am still trying to get our new routine worked out lol. What do you think of my new look? I thought this new title was a good fit ha!

We all had a pretty good weekend. Honey Nut and Trix both grew out of their pants, and jammies so this weekend was a shopping weekend. I was wondering...how come it is that they get to a certain size and the price of their clothes DOUBLES or TRIPLES? I used to be able to get my daughter several pairs of jeans for 10 bucks, this weekend it was 20 dollars ON SALE!That was for jeans that looked like jeans. Is it just me or are the new look of the jeans "dirty looking" I think the "worn" look is what they are going for.. but personally as a former owner of acid wash jeans(come on you know you still wear them or at least own them in the back of your closet...how about a pair of parachute pants?) I feel more then qualified to judge the jeans they are wearing nowadays and to be honest these jeans are uglier then the pre- ripped jeans that were so popular. I was looking at these jeans that were on sale for the bargain price of 48.50 per pair, and finding myself trying to keep from gagging. Ok at the risk of sounding like a valley girl..."Like Gag me with a silver spoon","as if", "I am so sure" these jeans flat out looked dirty and dingy. In fact in my younger much more immature days my friends and I used to secretly make fun of the kids wearing jeans that looked like that...it meant that they were poor, or just dirty. Ok so obviously I don't do that anymore and am apalled if I catch anyone of my children making fun of another child...but I cannot believe that people would wear these jeans let alone pay for that. Oh well I guess I am offically old.

Trix is at an akward fitting stage where one size does not really fit ..it is either too big or too small. he needs an in-between size. Poor kid.
Other then shopping and spending way more then I wanted to this weekend...we had a nice one. Hubs and I thought it would be fun to do a "Fondue night" on Saturday for dinner. The kids had a blast dipping their dinner, and dipping their fruit and chocolate fondue dessert. Plus we let them eat in the family room while watching a movie...this is never allowed. So this was a big treat for them.

In other news. Church was great on Sunday and the big news is that Trix who has been having trouble with his sensory issues and behaving in class finally filled his sticker chart enough to earn the right to move up to his big sisters sunday school class! He has worked so hard. I prayed and prayed all through church and even though there was about 5 or 6 numbers that I saw come up on the screen his was NOT one of them! He was so proud! Bless his little heart. He is finally entering his easier time of the year. He has a hard time with spring and summer. Fall and Winter is his best time for attitude, senses not going on overload, and for his learning. He does most of his learning this time of year. :) I concentrate hard on his schoolwork now. Plus all his occupational therapy is starting up again. My goal this year is to get him up to a level where he can start the online school program I just started Honey Nut and Lucky Charms in.

To that note and I know this is getting long but I will try to wrap up. The new schooling program I am using for homeschooling is virtual school online where the district sends me all the materials I need and instructions and I do the teaching and the kids send their work into cyberspace. Because it runs through a public school district there is no cost to me except for some of the extra supplies. It goes the way i feel public school should go in that "I" decide what level the kids are at, and they take an assessment as well when they are ready to move up. They do not move to the next level until THEY are ready too...not when the "school" says they should lol. So it is kind of the best of both worlds for me. Hubs is happy because the records are all through there and even though he supports me in homeschooling more then last year lol. He is no longer asking me every month if I still want to homeschool and he is seeing the positive effects of bringing the kids home and how they are much better behaved, closer, and less stressed. It has been a postive thing for all of them but especially for Trix and his sensory issues. I am able to work at his pace and not force him into situations he is not ready for and here he is not labeled a "resource room child" or a "sensory behavior problem child".

Ok well this is what happens when I wait so long to post I have to put so much into it that it takes forever to read lol. If you read this far here is a cyber cookie, brownie for you...it is fat free for those on the "tales from the scales" diet lol.

6 kids, naptime, a broken stroller,and a trip too urgent care....

That is the recipe for the hectic disastrous day I had today! lol So it did not go as I had planned. The day started out normal enough, the kids had a good breakfast, did their chores, and I had just finished up some laundry and was going to get started on schoolwork at quiet time with my daughter after lunch. I just put all the little ones down for nap time when Lucky Charms offered to help me clean the kitchen. I joyfully said sure here throw away this empty tin can that the peaches were in, oops...mistake...he agreed but also picked up the lid for it as well and on his way to the garbage can 2 steps away he accidentally dropped the lid which consequently sliced his little foot wide open. :( Of course blood started splurting out everywhere...the floor, my clothes etc. I put a gauze pad on it to stop the bleeding and investigate. Problem was he soaked and I mean SOAKED through 3 of those gigantic Gauze pads immediately and the split second I did see the cut I could see that although it was not terribly deep it was really wide and long, and bloody...anyone walking in that second would have thought they were walking into a war zone.
So new plan everyone back up from quiet time, no problem I am still remaining calm and I proceeded to pack SIX kids in the minivan. This is not easy since they are all in carseats or booster seats. But hey I got it done in less then an hour so I was pretty proud of myself. I was thinking this will be ok we will just go to the urgent care up the road no problem. Yeah right.
I got there and there was already an hour wait and they were giving me a hard time about having 6 kids with me. Like I can help that. lol Oh well I wound up packing all the kids back into the minivan and collapsing the stroller and heading to a differen Urgent CAre and they were so much nicer and more helpful and very patient. The kids all and all were pretty good considering the time of day it was.I discovered there that my double stroller was broken and there was a huge screw missing which is why it was leaning to the right and very hard to turn. They wound up stitching up Lucky Charms (liquid stitches this time) and then because they did nto want to risk him reopening they wrapped it with so much gauze that he wound up looking like he was in a cast.
The kids put up with a lot so I got them ice cream from DQ on the way home as they all slept in the car.


Get home and let the kids outside to enjoy their icecream as it was sunny and hot today anyway. I was just starting to pat myself on the back that I managed to hold my cool, and stay patient with everyone involved in this minor crisis including the snotty lady at the first urgent care who was inquring if there was "anyone who could pick up some of my kids" so they could do their work. When I heard my daughter say "Mommy Trix was watching the golfers and he fell over and is laying in the beauty bark and he is sick!" I go out to investigate and sure enough he had thrown up which I thought was odd because he seemed to be fine all day and had eaten normally. I went to pick him up to standing and help him into the house when I realized that his whole right side was paralyzed and he kept falling over and he was trying to talk to me to tell me he did not feel good but not all of it made sense. Great...I realized he was having a petit mal seizure! So I got him into the house and cleaned him up a little and held him until he was through , after I gave him the diastat that I got from the hospital the last time he had a major seizure. Even though this was not a grand mal seizure it is still upsetting to see your child lose total control and not be able to move one side of his body. while he was in the middle of this I hear "mommy!" oh great what else? My daughter informed me that the school bus was there and my special needs charge had arrived and the bus will not release him off unless I am out there. Crud. So I ordered HOney Nut to stay with her brother and I sprinted out to the bus at the end of my LONG driveway and grabbed the daycare charge off the bus and carried him (he is 6 and not light but he takes too long to walk) all the way up the driveway. My daughter helped get him downstairs and turned on blues clues for him and kept an eye on the little ones while I got Trix through the rest of his seizure and he finally went to sleep and so I set him up in my room and switched with my daughter who came up to sit next to her brother and let me know if anything happens so I could tend to the daycare kids.

Finally everyone left for the day and hubs came home, Trix woke up from his nap and had no memory of it and was fine and happy and back to his old cute self. I am tired and need to put the kids to bed. But I will say I did not once lose my cool today, and did not wind up owing the cuss jar any money so I guess it turned out ok. I think I am going to go put the kids down and medicate myself with M&M's and a good book.

How was YOUR day?

Till next time
The cheerio queen :)

9/11....We will never forget

I don't think there is any need to post words today just watch the video. As for me I will hug my family a little tighter and say prayers for those affected.

FINALLY a new post!

Okay okay so i keep saying for sure I am going to start posting more but then..well...life happens. lol Hubs and I were working with an organization called Vine Maple Place which is a place for single parents who are trying to restart their life can go and get back on their feet, what a great thing...they get to get help with finding a job and aquiring skills to get a good job later, they teach them how to pay bills etc. anyway hubs and I were helping move furniture into the apt for a single mom with two boys...Hubs decided to see how heavy one of the recliners were and as he bent he heard and felt a loud crack and pop...not good, he now has to see a chiropractor for the next 13 weeks 3 times a week to fix it, it seems his hip was tilted and it is pinching a nerve so instead of 3 kids I now have 4. Last week I started a few new daycare kids bringing my total including my own kids during the day to 10! although they come at different times, some are only before or afterschool, one is new full time, and two returning kids will be coming during naptimes for the little ones so it is not so bad. Yes we are still homeschooling we are entering our 2nd year and love it so far! Last week was all about figuring our our new schedule, I am still slowly implementing it, it may take another week or two to iron out all the kinks in it. So if I am slow posting again you will know why. :)
This weekend I took the kids to our state fair that is the biggest one around here. We had so much fun except we missed having hubs with us. While we were there the kids got to see Dora (well honey nut is too cool and old for that she said but the boys were thrilled) as we were waiting in line we heard an announcement for an interactive show (like a small play) where they were asking kids if they wanted to join in. The kids all wound up joining. ! Rather then bore you with a bunch of words and also because I have not had my morning devotion time yet I am going to let the pics do the talking. ;)

Trix and Dora!



The kids on the dragon coaster!





Lucky Charms and Dora!





My Lil' Farmer!



My Lil' Germ Police!




My Lil' Onion Princess!