Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Sorry!
I just wanted to say sorry to those that check this blog regularly. We have a lot going on right now and I haven't been able to sit down and write a blog post. I will try to set a time aside more often to write.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Sensory Processing Disorder
I just want to talk a little about Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD. My two year old has this, and it's a little hard to explain, just because I don't know a whole lot about it. I've been doing research to better explain what goes on with my son.
One article said that SPD is usually noticable in the preschool years. The toddler can have an unusual aversion to noise or light. They can be clumsy and have difficulty with fine motor skills. They can also be very picky about things, like shoes being too tight or clothing being too itchy. The hardest thing, is when they have meltdowns over things like getting water splashed on their face or even getting dressed. Another thing is them crashing into people or objects, and putting inedible things, like rocks, dirt, etc in their mouth. A child who has SPD has difficulty integrating information with their senses. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/children-sensory-issues_n_1506341.html)
The article then talks about the meltdowns. This is what they said, "What parents often notice first is odd behavior and wild, inexplicable mood swings. For instance, a first-grader may do fine in a quiet setting with a calm adult. But place that child in a grocery store filled with an overload of visual and auditory stimulation and you might have the makings of an extreme meltdown. These kids' tantrums are so intense, so prolonged, so impossible to stop once they've started, you just can't ignore it."
Another response to being overwhelmed is to flee. If a child dashes out across the playground or parking lot, oblivious to the danger, that's a big red flag that he may be heading away from something upsetting, which may not be apparent to the rest of us, or toward an environment or sensation that will calm his system. This "fight-or-flight response is why someone with SPD will shut down, escape the situation quickly, or become aggressive when in sensory overload," she says. "They're actually having a neurological 'panic' response to everyday sensations the rest of us take for granted."
I found this interesting while reading the article. Did you know that there are more than just the five senses that we know about? There are actually seven. Along with touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight, there are two internal senses that help us, proprioceptive (body awareness) and vestibular, (movement.) With kids with sensory disorders, it's like a traffic jam inside their head with conflicting signals coming from all angles, that you just can't make sense of it.
You see, Damien has always been a completely normal child. It wasn't until recently that I noticed things about him, like why would he continually eat rocks, dirt, dog food, when he knows that he's not supposed to? Why would he have a meltdown over going to an indoor trampoline play area? Why would he run from the room and go hide behind the rocking chair in his brother's room? It was difficult and I truly felt like no one understood. Luckily, my sister-in-law, who has 2 kids that have SPD, has been a huge lifesaver and finally said that she thought he has a sensory disorder.
Most parents don't want to hear, "Hey! Yeah, somethings wrong with your kid...." or get a look from other parents while you kid has a meltdown that you can't stop. Because most of the time, she's about ready to have a meltdown too.
But what I've learned from all this is, there is help. If you have the slightest worry about whether or not your child could have a sensory disorder, go to an occupational therapist and ask for a sensory profile to fill out. That's all it takes. Then the OT will evaluate your child. I had someone come to my house to evaluate Damien and they shrugged it off as the terrible twos. Honestly, that upset me so much! It's like they didn't listen to a word I said! But after I took matters into my own hands was I satisfied. Luckily, the day the OT came was the day that Damien was having meltdown galore! I was so happy that he was able to witness what I have been dealing with for months.
Some of the things that help my child:
A baby brush. The therapist said to use that and brush his arms, legs, and back. (Do NOT brush the tummy/chest area. It can cause internal problems!) This simple technique calms him down pretty fast, and there have been a few times where I see him brushing himself. ** I usually have to start this right away when I notice he is on the verge of a meltdown, otherwise the sensation will just make it worse**
A bean bucket. I was told to buy a tub and just dump a bunch of pinto beans in it. I bought 12 pounds of beans. :) Some won't like the sensation, but D loves it. I hid stuff in ours to help him dig deep and play around in it more.
Another thing to watch for is if they are picky eaters. Damien has always loved food, but when all the changes started taking place, his appetite went down. So the OT gave me a sensory food chart. The items range from things that need to be sucked to chewed, hot or cold, etc. There are things like ice cubes, jolly ranchers, gum, different types of candy like lemon heads, hot tamales, atomic fireballs, warheads, etc.
I about died when I saw the list! Come on, who would give their kid a fireball?? I don't even like them! But I had one in the house and the OT was there and persuaded me to give it to Damien to see how he would handle it. That day he was pretty sensitive. But the kid loved it. He licked that ball clean of the cinnamon taste and was in such a better mood. However, hot tamales didn't work, in fact, he got bad diarrhea from them.
There are all sorts of little things to do to help kids with SPD. But my only advice to you is, don't judge the parents or the child. If you see someone standing in the hall at church while their child is having a major meltdown, just leave them alone or offer to help if they have other kids, because frankly, I bet that mom is on the verge of tears herself.
One article said that SPD is usually noticable in the preschool years. The toddler can have an unusual aversion to noise or light. They can be clumsy and have difficulty with fine motor skills. They can also be very picky about things, like shoes being too tight or clothing being too itchy. The hardest thing, is when they have meltdowns over things like getting water splashed on their face or even getting dressed. Another thing is them crashing into people or objects, and putting inedible things, like rocks, dirt, etc in their mouth. A child who has SPD has difficulty integrating information with their senses. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/children-sensory-issues_n_1506341.html)
The article then talks about the meltdowns. This is what they said, "What parents often notice first is odd behavior and wild, inexplicable mood swings. For instance, a first-grader may do fine in a quiet setting with a calm adult. But place that child in a grocery store filled with an overload of visual and auditory stimulation and you might have the makings of an extreme meltdown. These kids' tantrums are so intense, so prolonged, so impossible to stop once they've started, you just can't ignore it."
Another response to being overwhelmed is to flee. If a child dashes out across the playground or parking lot, oblivious to the danger, that's a big red flag that he may be heading away from something upsetting, which may not be apparent to the rest of us, or toward an environment or sensation that will calm his system. This "fight-or-flight response is why someone with SPD will shut down, escape the situation quickly, or become aggressive when in sensory overload," she says. "They're actually having a neurological 'panic' response to everyday sensations the rest of us take for granted."
I found this interesting while reading the article. Did you know that there are more than just the five senses that we know about? There are actually seven. Along with touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight, there are two internal senses that help us, proprioceptive (body awareness) and vestibular, (movement.) With kids with sensory disorders, it's like a traffic jam inside their head with conflicting signals coming from all angles, that you just can't make sense of it.
Most parents don't want to hear, "Hey! Yeah, somethings wrong with your kid...." or get a look from other parents while you kid has a meltdown that you can't stop. Because most of the time, she's about ready to have a meltdown too.
But what I've learned from all this is, there is help. If you have the slightest worry about whether or not your child could have a sensory disorder, go to an occupational therapist and ask for a sensory profile to fill out. That's all it takes. Then the OT will evaluate your child. I had someone come to my house to evaluate Damien and they shrugged it off as the terrible twos. Honestly, that upset me so much! It's like they didn't listen to a word I said! But after I took matters into my own hands was I satisfied. Luckily, the day the OT came was the day that Damien was having meltdown galore! I was so happy that he was able to witness what I have been dealing with for months.
Some of the things that help my child:
A baby brush. The therapist said to use that and brush his arms, legs, and back. (Do NOT brush the tummy/chest area. It can cause internal problems!) This simple technique calms him down pretty fast, and there have been a few times where I see him brushing himself. ** I usually have to start this right away when I notice he is on the verge of a meltdown, otherwise the sensation will just make it worse**
A bean bucket. I was told to buy a tub and just dump a bunch of pinto beans in it. I bought 12 pounds of beans. :) Some won't like the sensation, but D loves it. I hid stuff in ours to help him dig deep and play around in it more.
Another thing to watch for is if they are picky eaters. Damien has always loved food, but when all the changes started taking place, his appetite went down. So the OT gave me a sensory food chart. The items range from things that need to be sucked to chewed, hot or cold, etc. There are things like ice cubes, jolly ranchers, gum, different types of candy like lemon heads, hot tamales, atomic fireballs, warheads, etc.
I about died when I saw the list! Come on, who would give their kid a fireball?? I don't even like them! But I had one in the house and the OT was there and persuaded me to give it to Damien to see how he would handle it. That day he was pretty sensitive. But the kid loved it. He licked that ball clean of the cinnamon taste and was in such a better mood. However, hot tamales didn't work, in fact, he got bad diarrhea from them.
There are all sorts of little things to do to help kids with SPD. But my only advice to you is, don't judge the parents or the child. If you see someone standing in the hall at church while their child is having a major meltdown, just leave them alone or offer to help if they have other kids, because frankly, I bet that mom is on the verge of tears herself.
**I'm still learning about sensory disorders. So please be patient with Damien and me. **
Monday, April 15, 2013
10 Things I'm Grateful For
With everything going on right now, I need to focus on the things I'm grateful for... It takes the stress away.
10. Pinterest
Yes, I'm grateful for pinterest. It's a nice little "getaway" while the kids are sleeping or playing nicely. Plus, it's given me ideas for recipes and projects.
9. Books
I love to read and my sister-in-law Kelli has kindly lend me some in the past. Ryan is known to surprise me with a bunch of books that I have on my list to read.
8. The Weather
The weather here has been nice lately...except for the day I planned on going to the zoo with Damien. It's been nice to go play outside with the kids.
7. My Van
I'm grateful for my van, just to be able to go places.
6. Friends
Yesterday at church wasn't the best. Damien was having quite a few meltdowns, Brody was so tired, but wouldn't go to sleep, and Kayleigh was unhappy with not being able to sit right next to her cousins... But I'm grateful for the friends that offered to help with the kids, to sit by us in the future, or just send text messages to see how I'm doing. It's great to see people care.
5. Our Therapists
I'm sooooo grateful for our 4 therapists our kids see. Gail, who is Kayleigh's speech therapists, is amazing and we have seen so much improvement in her. Stacey, Brody's physical therapists, is so kind, and amazing. She has so much patience for a baby that wants to move instead of just laying there being picked on. Steve and Jeff, Damien's speech therapist and occupatinal therapists, are our life savers. Steve has so much patience with Damien and his speech. I know how hard and frustrating it is to get him to talk or just repeat a word, but he doesn't seem to mind, and Jeff was so kind to take Damien on and show us how to help with his meltdowns. Who knew a baby brush and fireballs would be something so big in his life?
4. Kelli Call
My sister-in-law and really close friend. Her husband is gone now too, and I'm so glad that we can hang out alot and talk every day... She's always great for advice with Damien, willing to watch our kids, and just make me laugh. Love you Kelli!
3. My Parents
I'm so grateful for my parents, always there if I need to talk, vent, cry...etc. Always willing to skype with us, and come visit. I can't wait for this summer to spend time with them.
2. Kayleigh, Damien, and Brody
These monsters are my life. No matter how much I want to pull my hair out with frustration, lock myself in a room, or just have a meltdown myself, they also bring so much laughter and joy to my life.
1. Ryan
The main man in my life, my rock, my best friend. I'm so proud of him. He's willing to work away from home to support his family, even though it may be hard. I love you, Ry-guy.
10. Pinterest
Yes, I'm grateful for pinterest. It's a nice little "getaway" while the kids are sleeping or playing nicely. Plus, it's given me ideas for recipes and projects.
9. Books
I love to read and my sister-in-law Kelli has kindly lend me some in the past. Ryan is known to surprise me with a bunch of books that I have on my list to read.
8. The Weather
The weather here has been nice lately...except for the day I planned on going to the zoo with Damien. It's been nice to go play outside with the kids.
7. My Van
I'm grateful for my van, just to be able to go places.
6. Friends
Yesterday at church wasn't the best. Damien was having quite a few meltdowns, Brody was so tired, but wouldn't go to sleep, and Kayleigh was unhappy with not being able to sit right next to her cousins... But I'm grateful for the friends that offered to help with the kids, to sit by us in the future, or just send text messages to see how I'm doing. It's great to see people care.
5. Our Therapists
I'm sooooo grateful for our 4 therapists our kids see. Gail, who is Kayleigh's speech therapists, is amazing and we have seen so much improvement in her. Stacey, Brody's physical therapists, is so kind, and amazing. She has so much patience for a baby that wants to move instead of just laying there being picked on. Steve and Jeff, Damien's speech therapist and occupatinal therapists, are our life savers. Steve has so much patience with Damien and his speech. I know how hard and frustrating it is to get him to talk or just repeat a word, but he doesn't seem to mind, and Jeff was so kind to take Damien on and show us how to help with his meltdowns. Who knew a baby brush and fireballs would be something so big in his life?
4. Kelli Call
My sister-in-law and really close friend. Her husband is gone now too, and I'm so glad that we can hang out alot and talk every day... She's always great for advice with Damien, willing to watch our kids, and just make me laugh. Love you Kelli!
3. My Parents
I'm so grateful for my parents, always there if I need to talk, vent, cry...etc. Always willing to skype with us, and come visit. I can't wait for this summer to spend time with them.
2. Kayleigh, Damien, and Brody
These monsters are my life. No matter how much I want to pull my hair out with frustration, lock myself in a room, or just have a meltdown myself, they also bring so much laughter and joy to my life.
1. Ryan
The main man in my life, my rock, my best friend. I'm so proud of him. He's willing to work away from home to support his family, even though it may be hard. I love you, Ry-guy.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Kiwi Crate
This week, I made the discovery of kiwicrate.com It's a website that has TONS of ideas of crafts for your kids.
This one is send a hug. It gives step by step instructions and also tells you how messy it is, the age range, and how long it should take you to complete.
Tin Can Lanterns has a low messiness level. Has an age range of 5 years to 9 years, and should only take about 30 minutes to complete.
I love this site because you can browse by category, age, etc. You can even sign up and have 2 crafts of your pick sent to your doorstep each month. The cost for that is $20 with free shipping.
But what I love most about this website is that the ideas come from other moms! And you can save ideas you like, kinda like pinterest, and you all know that I love that site. :)
So head on over and check out some fun crafts to do with you kids!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Simple Dessert and Drink Recipes
Yesterday we went to a BBQ at my brother-in-law's place. I was asked to bring a side salad so I just made a green salad with a ton of veggies. I also ended up bringing dessert and drinks. I made Key Lime Pie Cupcakes and Oreo ice cream cupcakes along with homemade cherry limeade.
Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
These are good...so good in fact, I made them twice in one week!
The recipe is simple.
1 1/2 Cups crushed graham crackers (about 12 squares)
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 Stick butter
3 egg whites
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
3/4 Cup lime juice
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1/3 Cup plain non fat greek yogurt
Crush graham crackers and add sugar and melted butter. Mix until blended. Put in cupcake holders, about 2 Tablespoons each. Pat down with a spoon to make a nice crust.
In a bowl, add egg whites, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, and yogurt. Mix well until all is combined.
Add about 1/4 cup of mixture to the graham cracker crust. It should be about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes.
Allow to cool and add a dollop of whip cream and garnish with lime slice if desired.
***My findings- The first time I made this, I used regular limes with lime juice in the bottle. The second time I made this I found actual key limes at the store in a bag and they even had key lime juice. I preferred the one made with regular limes and lime juice. The key limes and key lime juice made it a little tart. Either way, it was still good and a couple people had 2 or 4 :)
Also, make sure you add the lime zest. It really adds a flavorful kick to the cupcakes.
Oreo Ice Cream Cupcakes
Originally I was making these for the kids, but everyone, including adults at these. They were good. Make sure you keep them frozen until you are ready to eat them! I took them out about 10 minutes before we were going to eat them and they were a mess. We ate them outside!
What you will need:
1 Bag of oreos
1/4 Cup melted butter
vanilla ice cream
cool whip
Hot fudge sauce
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Assembling:
Line cupcake holders with cupcake liners. Put oreos in ziploc bag and crush, smash, etc. Do whatever you have to do to make them into crumbs! I wouldn't recommend the mega stuffed oreos, there are more cream then cookie. I used double stuffed oreos and they worked out really well.
Add the melted butter to the oreo crumb mixture and mix. Add 2 Tablespoons of the oreo mixture to the liners and press firmly in to cup bottoms. Reserve some for later!
Now take the vanilla ice cream and add a scoop on top of the oreo mixture. Take a spoon and smooth it out. Place some of the leftover crumbs on next. Add a little cool whip and spread it out over the crumbs and ice cream. Now place these in the freezer while you make the hot fudge sauce.
For the sauce, it's pretty simple. Just add all 4 ingrediants and stir while the chocolate chips and butter melt. When all is melted, take off burner and allow it to cool for a little bit.
Once slightly cooled, add some to a ziploc bag. Not all of it! and cut the tip off the bag. Go ahead and add some hot fudge sauce over the top of the cupcakes. Once finished with the hot fudge, add the rest of the oreo crumbs to the top. You're all done!!!
Put them in the freezer until ready to serve. You can keep the leftover hotfudge in the fridge for a couple weeks. Just heat up and serve over ice cream!
Cherry Limeade
All you need for this simple drink is:
1 cup lime juice
1 cup sugar
1 jar of maraschino cherries, juice and all
1 2-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda
fresh limes
!!!You will need to chill all the ingredients thoroughly before using. Everything needs to be cold!!!
Add the lime juice to a pitcher or glass vat. Next add the sugar, then add the lemon-lime soda. After that, dump in the cherries, juice and all. Finally add the lime slices and stir. And you're done!
These are the cherries, in case you didn't know what they were. They can be found in the canned fruit aisle at the store. I used a 16 ounce jar.
Enjoy!
Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
These are good...so good in fact, I made them twice in one week!
The recipe is simple.
1 1/2 Cups crushed graham crackers (about 12 squares)
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 Stick butter
3 egg whites
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
3/4 Cup lime juice
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1/3 Cup plain non fat greek yogurt
Crush graham crackers and add sugar and melted butter. Mix until blended. Put in cupcake holders, about 2 Tablespoons each. Pat down with a spoon to make a nice crust.
In a bowl, add egg whites, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, and yogurt. Mix well until all is combined.
Add about 1/4 cup of mixture to the graham cracker crust. It should be about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes.
Allow to cool and add a dollop of whip cream and garnish with lime slice if desired.
***My findings- The first time I made this, I used regular limes with lime juice in the bottle. The second time I made this I found actual key limes at the store in a bag and they even had key lime juice. I preferred the one made with regular limes and lime juice. The key limes and key lime juice made it a little tart. Either way, it was still good and a couple people had 2 or 4 :)
Also, make sure you add the lime zest. It really adds a flavorful kick to the cupcakes.
Oreo Ice Cream Cupcakes
Originally I was making these for the kids, but everyone, including adults at these. They were good. Make sure you keep them frozen until you are ready to eat them! I took them out about 10 minutes before we were going to eat them and they were a mess. We ate them outside!
What you will need:
1 Bag of oreos
1/4 Cup melted butter
vanilla ice cream
cool whip
Hot fudge sauce
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Assembling:
Line cupcake holders with cupcake liners. Put oreos in ziploc bag and crush, smash, etc. Do whatever you have to do to make them into crumbs! I wouldn't recommend the mega stuffed oreos, there are more cream then cookie. I used double stuffed oreos and they worked out really well.
Add the melted butter to the oreo crumb mixture and mix. Add 2 Tablespoons of the oreo mixture to the liners and press firmly in to cup bottoms. Reserve some for later!
Now take the vanilla ice cream and add a scoop on top of the oreo mixture. Take a spoon and smooth it out. Place some of the leftover crumbs on next. Add a little cool whip and spread it out over the crumbs and ice cream. Now place these in the freezer while you make the hot fudge sauce.
For the sauce, it's pretty simple. Just add all 4 ingrediants and stir while the chocolate chips and butter melt. When all is melted, take off burner and allow it to cool for a little bit.
Once slightly cooled, add some to a ziploc bag. Not all of it! and cut the tip off the bag. Go ahead and add some hot fudge sauce over the top of the cupcakes. Once finished with the hot fudge, add the rest of the oreo crumbs to the top. You're all done!!!
Put them in the freezer until ready to serve. You can keep the leftover hotfudge in the fridge for a couple weeks. Just heat up and serve over ice cream!
Cherry Limeade
All you need for this simple drink is:
1 cup lime juice
1 cup sugar
1 jar of maraschino cherries, juice and all
1 2-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda
fresh limes
!!!You will need to chill all the ingredients thoroughly before using. Everything needs to be cold!!!
Add the lime juice to a pitcher or glass vat. Next add the sugar, then add the lemon-lime soda. After that, dump in the cherries, juice and all. Finally add the lime slices and stir. And you're done!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Easter
I love Easter. It's tied with Christmas for my favorite holiday. I love the spring like weather, the egg dying, the easter baskets, but most importantly, I love the meaning of Easter. I love being able to teach my kids that Jesus Christ died for us. He loved us soooo much that he was willing to die for us, so that our sins could be forgiven. It's simply amazing to think about. The love that Jesus has for us, His children.
Ryan bought me this picture a while ago and I love it. There are two more like it and I can't wait to add them to my collection... but the reason I'm posting them is because everytime I look at it, I can't help but see my kids when I look at them. The tender way He holds them or smiles at them, just makes me smile and frankly, I can't wait for the joyous reunion!
This year I did something different. I wanted to teach my kids about random acts of kindness. I'm hoping to do more this year. It's awesome. This year, I found a free printable and decided this is what we would do to our families that lived here. The kids had so much fun!
It says- You've been egged. We have hidden 12 eggs in your yard!. Enjoy the hunt but don't be discouraged when you find the empty egg. It's a simple reminder of Jesus' empty tomb... for He is risen!
So we hid eggs in their yards and a easter basket on their front porch with the sign taped to the door.
Here are some pictures of the kids leaving eggs. Damien found out there were jelly beans in some of them and managed to open one and eat a few. :) They also loved dying eggs and seeing what the easter bunny left them.
We had a great Easter weekend and hope you did too!
Ryan bought me this picture a while ago and I love it. There are two more like it and I can't wait to add them to my collection... but the reason I'm posting them is because everytime I look at it, I can't help but see my kids when I look at them. The tender way He holds them or smiles at them, just makes me smile and frankly, I can't wait for the joyous reunion!
This year I did something different. I wanted to teach my kids about random acts of kindness. I'm hoping to do more this year. It's awesome. This year, I found a free printable and decided this is what we would do to our families that lived here. The kids had so much fun!
So we hid eggs in their yards and a easter basket on their front porch with the sign taped to the door.
Here are some pictures of the kids leaving eggs. Damien found out there were jelly beans in some of them and managed to open one and eat a few. :) They also loved dying eggs and seeing what the easter bunny left them.
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