Linguistics

Parenting a child with ADHD (that is, trying to do all the right things for their specific needs) is a little like living in a family where you must speak one language to one child and a different language to all the others.  You've been learning the language all along, but sometimes you are so tired that you just want to communicate in your native tongue.  Everyone else around you can speak it?  Why doesn't this kid just hurry up and learn it already??

It's not an exact comparison, but there are times in working with my children that I vividly remember a night when Todd and I were having dinner with several Brazilian families.  At the time I understood Portuguese fairly well.  All of my piano students at the time were Brazilian and Todd spoke it beautifully still, so I was exposed enough to pick up on a lot.  As the dinner wore on and it got later and I grew more tired, though, it was as if somebody switched off something in my brain and all of a sudden I couldn't understand anything that was being said around me anymore.  It was just gone for that night.

There are times when I would like to be able to speak in  my native tongue to all my children.  But the Lord seemed to think I could handle learning a new language.

There are times I do not agree.

This Week

*Benjamin is off at his first ever sleep away roughing it scout camp.  They are sleeping in tents, bathing in rivers, and getting rained on every day.  My father in law is with him.  I'm grateful that he was able to share in this adventure with Benjamin and I'm excited to have the both home tomorrow.  From the sounds of things, though, we should maybe just burn all the clothing they took with them.  When I was "helping" Benjamin pack for Scout Camp, I had the thought that he is going to to be just a little bit further away from childhood after this week.  It makes me sad to think that, but happy at the way he seems to be growing up.

*It's been fun to hang out with Nathaniel without Benjamin around.  However, I never realized before how much he talks.  I pretty much zoned out for all of dinner last night because I couldn't. listen. to. one. more. word!  Benjamin apparently does a lot of listening so the rest of us don't have to absorb it.  Last night I pulled out the silent game just so Todd and I could get a word in edgewise.  Nathaniel is about to teach me how to play Mario Cart on the Wii.  I've never played.

* We discovered with our huge elimination diet that Caleb is very sensitive to wheat.  When he has a lot of it, ADHD symptoms are significantly worse for him.  We also discovered on our diet that when we took away much of the hyperactivity we were left with other things that need work.  I'm grateful that we are in a position to help him work on the things that we need and that there are resources out there for Todd and I to learn how to be the kind of parent he needs.

*Lilyanna is a climber.  She has scaled the piano and dining room table this week.  Chairs and couches are not high enough for her.  I'm considering a large kennel for her when I need to do something where I can't have my eye on her directly.  ;)

*I am buying new running shoes next week and hitting the pavement asap!  I had to give up my 3 exercise classes a week with all the kids home this summer and boy does it show!  It's not just that I've put on a couple of pounds.  It's that I don't feel good.  I actually need to exercise to feel like I have any kind of energy for the rest of the day.  Without it I feel bleh all day long.

How's your week going?

Tony's 2011

I didn't watch last night because I was sure that NPH couldn't possibly be as funny as last year.  I mean he was great at both the Tony's and the Emmy's last year.  It just didn't seem statistically possible that lightning could strike a third time.  I was wrong.  And last night's opening number?  SOOooo much better than the monstrosity that was last year's number.   

And could anything have been more fun than watching Daniel Radcliffe dance??  My boys are going to be excited to watch this number.  It's not my favorite song from the show, but the energy in it is great!

But back to Neil Patrick Harris.  Again with the very funny and talent showcasing numbers!  This time with Hugh Jackman, who I didn't love as a host to be honest, but that's just me.

It looks like it was a great show, and I may need to see if I can watch the whole thing later.  

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Dress Rehearsal 2011

I mentioned the broken camera, right?  Here are Benjamin and Nathaniel's dress rehearsal videos.  They're not great, but you get the idea.  Nathaniel's dress rehearsal (he's the one in the blue shirt) was good considering it is his first time dancing on stage, but he did GREAT in the actual show.  (which we're not allowed to record, so you'll just have to trust me.  ;)  )  I'm so impressed with how far he came in the few short months that he's been taking dance.  He's all fired up to do it again next year!  Benjamin is adding Jr. Tap Company to his Jr. Hip Hop Company AND dancing a duet for next year.  He's very excited.  (I'm mostly excited that we've worked it out that I only have to be at the studio twice each week as opposed to four times!!!  Although, then I might have to start cleaning and/or cooking again...)   You may recognize Benjamin's dance as being the same one from the talent show but this time with the rest of his class.  He was going to do his own choreography to another song, but since it was the thick of competition season, he went with something he was already working on.  And here are my dancing boys!

Showtime 2011

This is Warren singing "Stars" from Les Miserable at his high school's pops concert.  He was in a quartet that was fabulous also, but unfortunately, my camera is not functioning properly and the recording was unwatchable.  :(  Enjoy this one, though!