And We Have Another One!

As I have been preparing for my next treatments and appointments, I have been trying hard in these good days to help the kids crank out extra school work. Today, Colton and I came upon an art assignment that had a project attached to it. The goal of the project was to create an artwork that showed examples of focal point, contrast, and emphasis. It is funny that in the whole assignment, every example given was of photography, and not any other form of artwork. It shouldnt have surprised me when Colton asked if he could use photography for this assignment. The directions indicated art materials would be required, but knowing his teacher so well, I went ahead and sent a note off requesting using the camera vs paints and papers and such. Colton was thrilled when we got the OK.
While my dear friend Christy did a LL with the little ones, Colton and I spent a blissful 30 minutes outside with my camera. At first he was unsure about using the camera (and so was I), but after just a few minutes, he was very comfortable with holding it and following instructions. He had a very keen eye in finding subjects to photograph, and pointed them out very quickly to me. I had the fun of teaching him about perspective and angles. I pretty much let him do the rest. I have to admit, some of these are as good as I have done after years of practice. He is going to be a natural, just like his big sister!

I wanted so much to get a picture of Colton taking Kels' pict, but ended up peeking over his shoulder to get her to smile and laugh for him. Even though we had a dry day, the leaves and ground were still really wet. We ended up using an old towel and folded it up small underneath her to sit on. She was a great sport to let Colton take her pict, even though they both decided it was too freezing to be out there after all :)

I have to share about this image. Colton was working so hard to try different angles and just when he was ready, a whole flock of geese flew by overhead. Kels was enthralled with those geese and wouldnt look at Colton for anything, so I told him to go ahead and take her pict anyway. I think it is one of my favorites, esp when she sees this pict and can tell me why she wasnt looking at Colton. Gotta love that.

When we got the OK for our assignment, my brain just started churning out ideas for contrast images. I really wanted something striking that would show off the difference in color of the leaves outside. They are all dark and faded now, so I knew something bright and shiny would be needed. I nearly ransacked the upstairs trying to find anything that would be bright and season appropriate. In the midst of my destructive forces Christy had quietly sneaked home and gathered a bunch her Fall silk leaves. They even had a small bit of glitter, and ended up being the perfect thing! Thank you to Christy for many things today, esp for coming to the rescue of all the kids art projects today! Love ya, friend!

One of the examples in Colton's lesson was of a winter tree scene. Our weather today was ideal for a similar image. Colton had a lot of fun, and once he got the hang of things, he just kept shooting. For some of the tree images I told him we were going to lay on the ground and shoot from there. He gave me that look of "I dont think so". I put down an old towel and lay down and slowly he got down and lay there with me. At first he didnt think it was too cool, but he quickly relaxed and was happy to shoot away. This top image is one of my faves too. Mostly because of the funny story behind it. We were laying on the sidewalk between our tree and the neighbor's Magnolia tree. I told him that the Magnolia would be a great subject and he informed me he couldnt take the pict because we were upside down. I told him to go for it anyway, and I am pretty sure he thought I was crazy, but he tried anyway. I told him how to hold the camera, and then just let him have at it. He got this one on the first try. It was upside down, which he thought was hilarious, but thanks to technology, we got it turned around for everyone to enjoy.

I think that Colton enjoyed the editing process almost as much as the photography. I let him pick which images he wanted for his project and then I let him tell me what he thought needed to be done to give the images a bit more contrast for the assignment. He knew just when to ask for more light or more dark to make the trees stand out. I think for one image, he even decided he like the B&W the best (yea, for having another one like B&W images!)

I was so proud of him that I knew I had to get picts too. I told him to stay put and ran in and got my phone and took picts of him taking picts. He was so busy shooting that I am pretty sure he didnt even know I was taking these.

This is a pict of a plant in our front yard. It is amazing to me the things that we have that seem to have color or bloom year round. Colton knew this had all of the things that his lesson had talked about and had to photograph it.
We went back inside after poor Colton decided he had had enough of the "cold" (if the boy would have any fat at all on his body, he would have realized how nice it was) :) He really still wanted to shoot though, so I gathered some misc objects and told him to put them together and then photograph them so only the subject was in the view window. This is what he put together all on his own! He got some hits and misses on making sure he got only what he wanted to photograph in the window, but I was so impressed at his creativity and making something fun out of just whatever. Ky also got in on the act and even took some from the floor angle that I didnt even think of!

When I called and told Preston of our adventures of the afternoon, he teased that we need to teach the kids some cheap hobbies.... like folding paper airplanes....Hahaha. He was excited that the boys and I had had so much fun. When I asked him about using the PP program for Colton's project, he reminded me that when it came time for the techy stuff of the project to be sure to ask my big girls for help. ;) He was back to teasing today, and that was a relief to me that even though he is still feeling crummy, that if he is well enough to tease, that he is going to be ok. Hopefully this dumb cold wont keep him down long. Thanx for all of the well wishes in his behalf, I know they help tons and mean so much!

COLTON + WASP = OUCH!

We FINALLY got a sunny day - warm, no wind, perfect. I sent the kids out to the driveway to play with the sidewalk chalk. I was just getting ready to join them when the boys came in with Caiden saying something about a yellow jacket and Colton starting to go into hysterics. I pulled off Colton's sweatshirt to reveal large welts across his shoulders and his skin looking like a bad sunburn. I finally got the story from Caiden that somehow a yellow jacket had flown into Colton's sweatshirt, and by the time he saw it fly out that it had nailed Colton FIVE TIMES.

I felt so bad for him, and knowing the severe allergies that run in Preston's family, started checking Colton for breathing concerns, excessive swelling, etc. Thankfully, other than the stings, he seemed to be ok. It was all I could do to get him to lay down so I could help him. We started going through Kaeli's wallet looking for very old pennies. For any who dont know, the original, all copper pennies react to the venom in bee stings and somehow neutralize it. Kaeli found some and held them on Colton's shoulders while I made a baking soda paste.

We got that on and got him mostly settled - until we tried to go back outside. He went into complete hysterics again. There was no way whatsoever that he was going back outside. The whole experience really threw him, esp that he is already my extra sensitive one, and my emotional one. His special needs seem to heighten every experience he has. This did so in a very negative way. I had to talk with him to calm him, promising that he would be safe and that I wouldnt let anything happen to him. I finally got him to come outside with me and sit on my lap for just a few minutes. Ever since then, he has jumped at every little thing that brushes past him, flips out over every single bug, even the ones that he usually enjoys and knows cant hurt him. I think it is going to be a very long time before he will settle down. It could be a really challenging Summer....

On a good note, his karate instructor gave him THREE red stars for courage. Normally, the kids will get 1 for showing valor or courage outside of class. Apparently his instructor dislikes bees and such so badly (maybe personal experiences) that he was really empathizing with Colton and gave him extra rewards for being courageous for going back outside after everything happened. Colton was very happy and proud.

Tie A Shoe - Win A Prize!

I take Colton to Philomath (1 hr, 1 way) for his OT every week. He has made some huge progress in the last couple of weeks and it has been great to see him moving forward. Last week we had the fun of having a student assistant helping Colton's specialist. They played one of Colton's favorite games - blowing a puff ball across the "field" to get a goal. The exercise is the fine motor control using blowing actions. They had a great time. Colton was also successful with his handwriting (which earned him a gold star at karate) and making eye contact while talking with adults (another earned star) This week, one of his exercises was still working on tying shoes. This has been an ongoing battle and something he seems to just struggle with all around. This week he finally did it! And not only once, but 3x in a row! His specialist is so patient with him and just sticks right with him. Wish I would have kept the camera out for just one minute longer to capture the big "high 5's" and the huge smile on his face. He was so proud!

His specialist was so impressed with his successes that she got him a prize out of her special box. He thought that was really fun. We are so blessed to have such amazing medical help for Colton. I dont know where we would be without them!

Late Birthday Posts - Colton I

Colton had the extra special treat of being baptized the day after his birthday. We do stake baptisms here now, and there was a big crowd that day. The program ended up being extra special for us. A friend who used to be in our ward gave a talk, and our home teacher had been asked to give the other talk. The big girls, Valerie & I sang and signed "When I Am Baptized" for the special musical number. After the baptism Colton's primary teacher also gave a talk and gave him a special gift. It really was a wonderful day for our family, and esp for Colton.

I got the chance to take picts before the baptism. I just played with lots of different ideas, trying to capture the feelings of this special day. These are just a few of my favorites....

Late Birthday Posts - Colton II

Our friend Elizabeth makes the most wonderful, the most delicious, and the most amazing cakes ever! I knew that with health concerns and having back-to-back parties that I would not be able to get to cakes this year. It was extra important knowing that the kids had big birthdays. This is the amazing creation that she came up with for Colton's baptism/birthday.
The outside edge of the cake said "I Belong To The Church Of Jesus Christ" - it was so WOW!

We had family friends, grandma, grandpa and cousins spend the day with us. We had a big dinner and cake, ice cream and presents. It was a great way to celebrate his birthday.

More Medical Updates

It has been a really crazy week here. We have had lots of challenges and some new info to update for me and Colton.

The beginning of the week started our family with the cold/flu thing that is currently circulating in our area. Caiden and Kels have both struggled with high fevers and Caiden has been very sick the whole week. Kaeli, Preston & I have also had varying symtoms, though not as extreme as the younger kiddos. Preston stocked up on all the med helps we could and added them back into storage. We are keeping our hopes up, that as school starts again next week, that it might miss the rest of the kids.

Yesterday, Colton & I both had extra appointments to see specialists. He did pretty well at OT and made some really good progress. Jeannie wanted to see if he could jump rope to practice strengthening some core and fine motor muscles. At first he didnt quite get it, but then it clicked. His face was beaming (and so was I) as he jumped 30x in a row! He has never been able to jump rope before. It was a great accomplishment for him. The extra large motor activity really helped him focus on his handwriting too. He also practiced tying his shoes again. This is a very difficult small muscle activity for him, and he got frustrated quickly. Jeanie is so patient with him though, and her encouragement and talking in funny voices (arnold swartz/rocky balboa/etc) kept the stress from gaining and he was able to get both shoes tied. This is an on-going trial for him, but he is making good progress one baby step at a time.
We will be in holding pattern now for awhile though. Jeanie has to send in a progress report to Dr Shawn and TRICARE to keep insurance coverage updated. I am hoping that things will go more smoothly this time, and we wont have to wait too long to get him back on her schedule. Last year we missed 2 whole months, and then some, because insurance stuff didnt fall into place well. He is doing so well, I am hoping we wont lose ground while we are waiting.
On a side note for Colton, I had a phone call from Dr Shawn yesterday too. He had finally been in contact with the psych specialist Preston & I visited with several weeks ago. We had a very long conversation about what she is recommending and what future concerns may be. One good thing will be that she is willing to finish Colton's evaluations and between her and Dr Shawn we will most likely confirm a diagnosis for ADHD. This will be one tiny piece we are working through right now, but it may be enough to take to the school to update his IEP again and get some more medical stuff attached to it. Things that should have been there since Sept...I am hoping that we can also get an outside speech eval done as well, so that we will also have that piece to take to the school. It has been very challenging and frustrating to have reports from specialists confirming what Colton needs, only to have the school IEP team totally dismiss all his reports. We have known for months that Colton needed updates and that there will be more in the future, and to have the school almost retain total power over his IEP and what they will/wont do. There is much that should be on his IEP that isnt yet, and I fear with our continued battle that we may not see it finally there until it is too late for this year to do any good. Thankfully, we have Dr Shawn and others who are willing to help us fight for what is best for Colton. We will be talking more with the new psych specialist and with Dr Shawn about seeking out a medical "case manager" that would help us better coordinate and seek out the appointments and help Colton needs, even with the school district. It is just brainstorming for now, but hopefully by Feb we may have some more pieces and people in place to help.

I also had another appt yesterday. I saw my sleep specialists and we talked for quite awhile about all the options out there. He still feels that we have not exhausted all the non-meds possibilities. He is referring me to a cognitive-behavioral sleep specialty team. They will help me be able to know/physically do things to help me get some kind of sleep pattern back in place. It will be more appts for me to travel to Corvallis, but hopefully will be successful. The other plan, for now, is for me to aid that process a bit until I can get those appointments going. I came home sporting some new "shop" glasses with amber colored lenses and some dissolvable melatonin tablets. The glasses help to block out all of the blue light waves, simulating late afternoon/evening light. Trying to tell my brain it is the end of the day and time to get ready to sleep. The melatonin, though in almost miniscule amounts, helps my brain to try to also go into sleep mode by helping what my body is not able to do for itself. I have to have both, starting at 5pm every night. Last night, I was zonked on the couch with Kels by 8pm. Not sure if it was the new stuff, not sleeping hardly at all during this whole last week, or a combo of both. The bummer was that I woke up long enough to have Preston put me to bed, and then lay there for IDK how long before I fell back asleep. I slept off and on for awhile, but finally was laying there with a headache long enough that I just got up.

I am going to try to keep some more consistent records to be able to take back to next dr appointments. Will just keep trying to move forward and try to be as patient as I can. Even though it seems like we are just spinning our wheels, we are knocking out major things and finding answers, even if they are the right ones yet. Maybe this year will help Colton & I both find more answers to help us regain some health and learn new things that will help us both better meet the challenges that are ahead. We both have lots of good people to help us, and that is one thing that can make all the difference.

All Finished

It is almost 6pm and they just brought Colton out to me. He is still totally zonkified. Dr Milzcuk came and talked with me a bit ago and he said everything seemed to "just fall into place" and surgery only took about 2 hrs vs 3+ like last time. More tender mercies.

I have talked in detail with the nurses left on the floor - one of them was the nurse we had over at the other building where we started out. They seem to understand what we went through last time and they are willing to release him to go ahead and go home, even if he doesnt show as much as he did last time as far as being awake and stuff.

I am going to start packing things up and get ourselves ready to go. If we can get back down to the bottom before 7pm, the valet will go get the truck for us vs us having to go track it down. More tender mercies if that will also be put in place for us.

It has been a very long day, but so many blessings that have come. It will be good to get us both home and settled and know that we are good for the night. Esp knowing that we have another very long challenging day ahead of us tomorrow. Will be sure to post about all the tri fun, or not-so-fun, will see which it will be. All I can do is try my best and do what I can.

Very thankful for all that has been given to us, and to Preston and the kids today while we have all had so much that has been going on. Truly we have been very blessed.

Just a little PS - Colton was great in the wheelchair on our way back down on the tram. We made it back down with just a few minutes to spare to get the valet to get the truck vs having to track it down. Colton felt a bit nauseous at first, but never got sick thankfully, and snoozed the entire way home. When we arrived home, Colton was very alert and awake - even to the point of asking for, and eating his doughnut and juice - and noticing that his other tooth was missing. He almost bounced off the walls and was still awake when I headed for bed. He has recovered very quickly and is eating and drinking everything. I have only had to give him tylenol and motrin 1 time each and those were pretty spread out. Again, many more tender mercies extended to us to allow many more wonderful things to happen, and to alleviate many concerns.

Colton Surgery #2

This post will probably be a combination of all of our adventures today before I post it...

UPDATE #2 -
Heavenly Father sends many tender mercies - our day has been filled with them.

We were able to get here to the hospital with little problems (other than the crazy people on the freeway going way too fast) We were able to drop off our car to the valet parking that is available to patients. If we are later than the parking lot is open they promised to move the truck and the keys to the exit booth for us so we can just load up and go. We rode the tram up to the main building. That is always Colton's favorite part - he stares out the window and I make sure and keep my back to the window so I dont barf all over the other passengers :)

When we came up on Monday for Colton's post-op appt we stopped by the little snack shop and got doughnuts. They had Halloween ones already, but since I only had $1 we got one to share. Today we made a point to stop by again and got his orange Halloween doughnut to save for after his surgery.

Then we walked up the big hill to the day-patient building. All of the staff was great. They even had a cute gal who was an official greeter and escort for families to get through the hallways. We were taken back to get Colton all set up and ran into a couple of snags. The monitoring equipment was on the fritz, but the cute nurse was great and so patient. We pulled out Colton's homework to help fill the time. As we were working I overheard a nurse answer a phone call and heard him say "we are moving colton to the main hospital?" My ears perked up then, and I realized as I listened to the rest of the conversation that we were going to be moved. Shortly after that Dr Milzcuk came and found us and the conversation went something like this "Hey, bud, how are you? I wanted to let you know that we are going to move Colton back over to the main hospital. Without going into all the logistics and circumstances, just thought you would like to know and wanted to let you know that this is going to really work out for the best. Will meet you over there soon. K, bye" - This was a HUGE tender mercy for us as where we were at that time was going to make things a bit complicated to get back to the tram and car and such knowing that Colton would probably be unconscious...

We were met by another nurse who escorted us through the maze of hallways over to the main hospital. On our way we saw our cute little nurse who Colton had 3 weeks ago. She remembered us and was surprised to see us. She was on her way to her lunch break, but we found out just a bit later that she would be our nurse again for the afternoon. That was another tender mercy. Colton did so well with her last time that it was good to know that she would be with us again. We also got to chat about how things went last time. It was fun to laugh at her reaction as I told her what happened once we were home and how long Colton slept after the anesthesia.

We are still hanging out waiting for our turn and it is now 2pm. We were told that Dr Milzcuk is still in surgery for another case that is taking longer than expected (we were supposed to be in surgery 1 hr ago). We have met with the anesthesiologist, who seems really great too. She finished up and left, only to return about a minute later. She has informed us that because of Colton's loose tooth that he will most likely be visited by the tooth fairy during surgery....I told her to go for it since it is barely hanging on now. Colton will be excited that it is gone. He is looking forward to the tooth fairy bringing him more dimes to get more Hot Wheels cars from the store.

We were just visited by Dr Milzcuk's surgery assistant and another anesthesiologist. Looks like it shouldnt be too long now. Dr Milzcuk wasnt kidding when he told us earlier that we would be cared for with more staff to meet all of the needs for Colton's surgery. We just met ANOTHER nurse who will be with him for all of surgery. That is Dr Milzcuk, 2 anesthesioligists, at least 2 nurses, the surgery assistant, plus our cute floor nurse. WOW!

Well, they just came to get Colton - he was not quite under yet from the pre-surgery med, and he wanted me to carry him. They allowed me to and I took him down to the surgery room and then handed him off to them. It was harder this time for me to take him down there. I am going to try to go get something to eat and just read or walk for awhile. We are behind schedule quite a bit. It is almost 230pm. Will make sure and post again when Colton is back here with me.

UPDATE #3
More tender mercies - I just got back from the cafeteria where they are having Pasta Friday! I got a HUGE bowl of corkscrew pasta with sauce, chicken and shrimp AND fresh squash and veggies. I am pretty sure one of the squash chunks was pumpkin - just tasted like it to me...it added interesting flavor to the pasta. I also got fruit, juice and powerade to help me get through tomorrow. I didnt think I would eat the whole bowl, but I did. My body must know that I am trying to "bulk up" for the race tomorrow. Hoping I can still get more in me throughout the rest of the evening.
I did just get a short visit and have heard conversations going on that tell me that Colton's surgery is making better progress than expected. It may not be too much longer until he is actually out of surgery. I am hoping to get an update soon. Will be sure to post when I know more.

The Countdown Is On...

I have been awake since before 5am, trying to fill my time constructively and to keep me as calm as possible. We are on the countdown for Colton's 2nd surgery today.

Both Colton & I got special blessings last night (a 2nd one for me) to be ready for today. I will be going up with Colton by myself, which I am trying to not be worried about. This last 2 weeks have been crazy with appts trying to get ready for today. Preston will be working from home with the kids to try to get them caught up on all their school work and back on track with lessons and things.

Colton has been a trooper this last couple of weeks. We fell into a pretty good routine with his meds, bandages, etc. He has been counting down every day until he saw Dr Milzcuk on Monday, and was more than happy to tell everyone he was going in for surgery again.
He has also been excited to show everyone his mouth - he lost another tooth on Monday and will most likely lose a 2nd tooth in the next few days (or less). He has been thrilled that the tooth fairy is so generous and he has been able to get some new Hot Wheels cars from the store that he has been able to pay for all by himself.

He is taking all of this upheaval to our schedule in stride and looks forward to his time with all of his specialists. I am not taking it so well, though I know that we are very blessed to have such wonderful people caring for Colton and our family for medical and educational needs.

Since he had eating/drinking restrictions for the later surgery time, he and I stayed up until midnight having snacks and drinks and watching a movie. He also got a real bath and a haircut last night from his dad, knowing it will be a couple of weeks before we can even attempt a "spit" bath for him, and a hair cut wont happen until the bandages are completely off again.

Someone yesterday asked me if things will be "done" after his surgery today. This someone doesnt know us quite yet and I had an interesting time explaining that we have added stuff back into our schedule vs taking things away. Hopefully, though, all the appts will become more consistent. We can just plan to take one day, or even one week at a time, and go from there. I know I am going to be away alot more, and that may be tricky and harder for the big kids to make sure their school work is done. We will just keep doing the best that we can, and be sure to keep in constant contact with the kids' teachers. So far, everyone has been really great to understand and to work with us to keep the kids working well and to help them be successful in the things they are completing.

Well, guess that is all for now. Will plan to post more throughout the day. For now, I need to go eat and finish packing so we are ready to go in an hour. Thanx to everyone for your thoughts/prayers for Colton and our family. It really means so much.

Colton's Surgery II

I hadnt taken my camera with me, so thankfully Preston had his new phone and the camera on that to capture some memories of our morning.
Here he is just hanging out, all comfy with his blanket and Disney Channel. We didnt have a very long wait by the time all his prep stuff was done. By about this time, the nurse had brought his surgery meds and he was getting pretty sleepy. This is the cute little nurse, named Kaydi, who was with us for the whole day. She was so good with Colton and so patient. She sat and talked with him and answered all the questions he fired off at her about all the prep. She was really great This is Colton when they brought him out to us after surgery. He was wide awake and ready for popcicles and juice, but within about 2 minutes he was totally out again - and we never did get him awake again while there. Colton was coming around from anesthesia in spurts - they came and got us and told us he was awake - only for us to go back to see him and have him not be awake. Then 5 minutes later, the nurse wheeled him out and he was totally awake - she told us after we left that he had about bolted out of the bed because he had to go pee, she said it was pretty funny. Literally 2 minutes after they brought him out to us, he was out cold again and we couldnt wake him. We chatted with the nurses about him being stable enough to send home, even unconscious. We talked with them in depth about potential concerns, and even chatted with another anesthesiologist about his condition. Knowing that he just is extra sensitive and probably wouldn't come around, they felt secure he had shown them what they wanted and we bundled him up and came home.

We came home late this afternoon. Thinking he was still totally out, Preston got him tucked in on the sleeping couch in my room and left to get his meds. I was in the bathroom for less than 5 minutes and came out to find colton had ripped off all of his bandanges and was just sobbing. I had to really talk with him and get everything re-wrapped. He was just finally coming around and didnt understand anything except that he hurt. I sat with him for quite awhile and explained everything about our job to help him get all better. I got him re-settled and cleaned up and then he and I took another long nap.

He is doing much better now and has held down some liquids and solid foods. Meds are helping him stay comfy. Tomorrow and Monday are just going to be quiet rest days and we are going to have some work the next 3 weeks to keep bandages changed and stay on top of restrictions. Bandages are going to have to be changed often, maybe even multiple times a day for this week. He wont be allowed to have his hair washed for at least this week - and then we are going to have to be creative with his baths/showers. He is not allowed to do any swimming for the next 2 months at a minimum. He will have a post-op appt in about 3 weeks and we will know then what else will be on his plate. His next surgery will most likely be scheduled sometime in Dec. We may wait and just do it and the beginning of winter break so we wont have to miss any extra school time for the kids. We should have it on the books when we go to his check up.

He is doing very well, and I know that we have received many blessings today and appreciate so much everyone's thoughts, prayers and love in his behalf. Thanx to all of you! Esp thanx to Heavenly Father for the endless blessings we have received for Colton for all of the wonderful care he has received today and know that he will continue to receive many blessings throughout the challenging weeks and months ahead.

Colton's Surgery

We are at OHSU for Colton to have some reconstructive surgery on his right eardrum to repair the permanent perforation he has received from so many ear infections. The dr is hoping that this surgery will be successful in repairing the hole, preventing further hearing loss, and will hopefully heal enough for some hearing to be restored either with just the repair itself or with implants that may be needed later. We just have to keep him healthy enough to have future surgeries (left ear will probably be scheduled after Thanxgiving) Colton's specialist is hoping to get both surgeries completed and healed before the thick of the winter season (Nov-Feb are Colton's worst times for infection)
Our one concern is that Colton's ear canals have not physically developed or grown as he has gotten older. There is nothing that can physically be done to resolve that. These surgeries are not a sure fire guarantee that he wont get future infections that could rupture the surgery sites. We are hoping for the best. Colton's specialist has been with us since his birth, so we know he is being well cared for.
When we got here, they got him all set up in a bed, complete with Disney Channel on the TV. He was mostly cooperative with the nurses and responded to them well. His cute nurse gave him a sedative med which made him pretty loopy and unable to talk well. That was when we had our one battle, I really had to coax him and turn it into a game to get him to drink the 1 tsp of stuff they had mixed together. He was trying to talk to me, and then he got a bad case of the hiccups due to heavy meds on an empty tummy. His eyes got very heavy and he just wanted me to hold his hand and stay with him. It is times like this it is hard to see him so vulerable. We fight and battle every day, and then we go through these times again when he seems so little and fragile. I have been fighting tears all morning. I know it is a mixture of stress and very little sleep.
Surgery was supposed to last 2-3hrs....I will try to post again when he is out of surgery.

KINDERGARTEN OR ART SCHOOL?

One of colton's lessons today focused on writing poems. Seems a big task to give kinder kiddos but we got through it. Colton's lesson have what are called "Brain Pops" - short videos with characters that tell about the day's lesson. Today both the little boys couldnt wait to watch Annie (girl) and Moby (a robot) tell about writing poems. They liked it so much we watched it TWICE!
After watching Annie and Moby tell about all the different kinds of poems Colton was assigned to write one of his own. He really liked the idea of a "shape" poem - where a poem is written on a cut out shape. They used the example of a horse in the video clip, so that is what Colton chose too. I wasnt too sure that he would understand how to write a poem - but he sure surprised me. He had really listened to the video and came up with this all on his own. I did the writing for him today as he did ALOT of writing on his own for his other assignments.
I will write here what the poem says since the pict isnt too clear. Pretty good for an almost 7 year old:

A horse says "Neigh, neigh." Giddiyap, giddiyap! Fast is fun! Yee Haw! Fast IS fun! Whoa, horsie. Walk. Stop. Let's go get an apple for our snack.

Colton's schedule seems to be filled with art projects that go with just about every lesson. We started a "homework wall" for the kids' projects thinking we would fill it up eventually - except that colton's projects just in the last 3 months have filled up one whole wall already! It has been fun to see his progress through his projects. His handwriting has really come along in the last month especially and he is getting much better with all of his fine motor skills in many areas. I am not sure where we are going to put colton's projects for the rest of the year. We may have to keep things up one quarter at a time and just do a big pict like this at the end of each term. Will have to figure out something soon.....

Thanksgiving Salad I

One of Colton's Social Studies assignments for school was to make a Thanksgiving salad. He has lots of fun assignments this month with the holiday coming. We are trying to get him finished in time to receive the 2nd set of his Kindergarten cirriculum early, so we are having fun and flying through all of his holiday assignments.
Here Colton has all of his ingredients ready to go. He was very excited to get to "cook" all by himself.
Colton loves using the nut chopper to "crunch things" - he did his best, though his arm strength isnt quite there yet. He tried hard and did a good job!

He added lots of nuts to the salad. Normally he doesnt like nuts at all, but he sure liked them in this salad.

One of Colton's favorite snacks is mandarin oranges - esp when I let him eat them right out of the can. This salad called for them, and boy was he excited! He had fun "sprinkling" in all of the chopped ingredients.

Thanksgiving Salad II

I have to admit, this is becoming a new favorite snack at our house. We had never even heard of craisins before a friend brought a yummy dinner with a salad that had craisins and nuts - now we are eating them lots! Thanx Allison for bringing such a yummy dinner and a yummy new snack to our house!
The tradition continues....I am notorious for snacking while cooking, so do my kiddos....who am I to fuss though, when the snack and meal are healthy! Colton really loves apples, so this was a fun salad for him to make with some of his favorite things!

Adding the last ingredient - yummy Cool Whip

Colton was SO excited that he made this salad pretty much all by himself. This pict doesnt show it very well, but it really is a pretty salad with all the colors

Thanksgiving Salad III

Colton couldnt wait to get his first taste of his homemade salad.
Colton never eats anything with a regular spoon - he always chooses a serving spoon - as you can see that bite is WAY more than he can fit in his mouth -

That never seems to hinder him at all though....

And he is always VERY proud of himself when he shoves it all in. Plus he was very proud and excited that he had made a salad all by himself!

We discovered that we liked the salad so much that it didnt last long at all. In fact, we are making another one today....it is fun that we have found something yummy and easy and mostly healthy. Here is the way easy recipe if you want to try some yourself -

Craisins (1/2 cup-ish), 2 cans mandarin oranges (drained), 2 chopped apples (we did 1 red and 1 green), chopped nuts (we used pecans, but anything would work), small container of Cool Whip. Combine all ingredients, serve immediately for best results. We did have some last overnight, but it got a little runny with the oranges diluting the cream - still way yummy, just didnt look as pretty. Enjoy! I know we will!

ENJOYING ALL THE ROOM.....

Colton enjoyed using his new "school" room to be able to complete his drawing for his science class. For part of his assignment we went on a "looking walk" I bundled Ky, Kels and Colton into the wagon and we went for a walk around the block looking at everything outside. We talked about homes (bees=beehive, people=houses, etc) and plants, flowers, sounds, etc. Then when we got home Colton's assignment was to draw pictures of the things he heard and saw. He is getting really good with his drawings and he wanted me to take a picture of his artwork. We have also started a "Show & Tell" wall in the new school room for everyone to put up their special projects. It is growing quickly. I will have to be sure to take a pict of the wall when it is full before we trade out for new projects. The new space is really working well for everyone and that is esp helpful as we are working our way through our new home school adventure

KINDERGARTEN MUSIC PROGRAM

Colton's kindergarten graduation started with a cute music program of all the kids' favorite songs. The kids enjoy them so much because the words are silly and have silly actions....

Been To The Zoo....and we're gettin' kind of sleepy
I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and binini's - bininis?

Not sure what song this was, but apparently Colton thought it was pretty hysterical....

First you put your 2 knees close up tight....(Ball & the Jack)