tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16456198749614161942024-02-21T11:34:15.725-05:00Momming it!A blog about life with three very different kiddos.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-12645991619119187822013-12-24T16:40:00.003-05:002013-12-24T16:40:31.662-05:00Our Christmas card to you!As I sit here on the eve before Christmas, it dawns on me that Christmas cards are just not happening this year. I could list a dozen reasons why but the truth is, it just didn't happen. Now before all of you black list me from receiving future cards, please know that I love and cherish every card I receive and next year I vow to get some cute darling cards out before Christmas. So this is my Christmas card to you!<br />
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2013 was an interesting year in the Murphy house. January started our year with renewed energy and determination for a year of fitness, good health and charity. Gary earned the title of Advisor of the Year at his work's national conference. If he earns that title again this year, they will send us to Hawaii so we are eagerly waiting for the news again this January. He has had a very prosperous year at his job reaching several personal lifetime goals. Gary has also found a passion for fitness through Crossfit and his results have been amazing (if I do say so myself).<br />
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I joined J & M Strength and Conditioning where I began working on healing some old injuries through strength training. Although I've spent much of the year researching treatments, doctors and natural ways of healing the disorders inflicting our children this year, I also started working toward a personal goal of starting a business in essential oils. I am looking forward to launching this business in January.<br />
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Brayden finished the school year in May by earning the status of Outstanding student in school. In Boy scouts he earned his Bobcat and made a winning derby car. <br />
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Brayden finished 2013 by winning the Reflections Art contest at his school in the area of Visual Arts.<br />
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Although Brayden's medical condition has left him homebound from school, he continues to make great academic progress. His love for art and reading have really flourished in 2013 and we look forward to seeing him meet his potential when his brain begins to heal.<br />
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Teagan enjoyed her year with girl scouts. I was the cookie mom this year so we had a room filled with cookies in March.<br />
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She continued to express herself through fashion.<br />
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Teagan finally joined chorus again at the end of the year. She sings all day long in our house and it was a big step for her to get over her stage fright and perform in the Christmas program.<br />
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Teagan also bridged to brownies in girl scouts this year. As you can see, she was thrilled.<br />
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For the first time, she was selected as a school winner in the Reflections art contest for photography.<br />
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Ellie turned three this year! It is hard to imagine that she is no longer a little toddler. She had an exciting year of YMCA classes, Gymboree classes and play dates. She is such an active fun loving girl and it has been so rewarding watching her grow this year.<br />
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In 2013, we had many fun excursions as a family. We took a break from the winter cold with a trip to a water park. We all loved the fun and exercise this excursion provided for us.<br />
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We took a day to go hiking with the boy scouts in the brisk winter weather.<br />
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Gary, Brayden, Uncle Dennis and cousins John and Daniel took their annual backpacking trip in the Smoky Mountains.<br />
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In June, we headed to the Outerbanks for a camping adventure of a lifetime. You can read about that trip starting with this post. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1645619874961416194#editor/target=post;postID=6499771748431410458;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=18;src=postname">http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1645619874961416194#editor/target=post;postID=6499771748431410458;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=18;src=postname</a><br />
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We spent the 4th of July in Knoxville, Tennesse, visiting my mom, along with my Aunt Liz and Uncle Al. We had a blast boating!<br />
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In August, we took our annual trip to Lake Michigan for what would be our last vacation in Lost Valley due to the sale of my in laws beloved lake front home. We were fortunate to have some friends join us for a day.<br />
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Of course there was a golf out at Old Channel Trail.<br />
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and lots of dune climbing.<br />
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Our final trip of the year was to Pennsylvania to see Aunt Julie and Uncle Dan. Ellie had a blast with Aunt Julie at the Crayola factory. The girls also had a visit to the Peep store.<br />
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As I reflect on 2013, I realize there were many good times, many trials and many firsts. We have had to face the the unthinkable with regards to our children's health. The road ahead of us is long and uncertain. One thing we know for sure is that we are stronger as a family, stronger as parents and strong enough to battle the unknown in our quest for health. <br />
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So although we did not send out Christmas cards this year, we hope you know that we are thinking about each of you that have touched our lives in 2013. Whether it was from a visit, card, or simple facebook message, we appreciate each and everyone of you. We wish all of our family, and friends, new and old, a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday and a safe and healthy New Year. <br />
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Love,<br />
The Murphy FamilyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-11189033377401305712013-11-06T13:23:00.002-05:002013-11-06T13:23:54.028-05:00A Dinosaur Tale by BraydenRecently, Brayden's homebound teacher asked that he write a story. His assignment for the week was to come up with the characters and the story's problem. I know it takes him a long time to develop a thought but after 20 minutes of trying to get him to name a few characters I about gave up. Then he started to twitch, grab his neck and follow a series of other compulsions and tics before spewing out this entire story. He apparently had to develop the whole story before he could name his characters. I thought it was really sweet and wanted to share. Here it is...<br />
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"Once upon a time, a Triceratops and a T-rex had a picnic. The T-rex brought meat and the Triceratops brought plants. They wanted to share their food but they ate different foods.</div>
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The next day, they both were searching for a friend who ate both things so they could share. They kept looking everywhere. Then they found a dragonfly and they wondered if it ate both things. The dragonfly just flied away.</div>
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They were in the forest and they saw something run up a hill so they ran after it to see what it was. They saw a dinosaur that had a long neck, was kind of small, with legs that could move fast. It was a Gallimimus!</div>
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The T-rex and the Triceratops said, "What do you eat?" The Gallimimus said, "I eat plants and meat." Then they asked the Gallimimus if he would like to have a picnic with them. The Gallimumus said, "yes". Then they all got to share their food. The End."</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-43908309571909858192013-11-04T08:01:00.000-05:002013-11-04T08:01:30.487-05:00An update!So last post I mentioned that we were headed to New Jersey to see an "expert" in PANS/PANDAS. The trip went as well as one can go and it was humbling to meet Dr. Trifiletti (Dr. T) and all the brilliance he brings to this disorder. For Brayden, he added another antibiotic and more lab work. For Teagan, just more lab work.<br />
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The results showed that Teagan had both a current and past infection to the Coxsackie virus, type B, and antibodies for a past infection to Type A. Type A is commonly known as hand, foot and mouth disease. Brayden had antibodies forming for Type B. It is interesting how the human body works. Neither of my children have ever had symptoms of either virus that I'm aware of yet their body is fighting it. Both were prescribed an antiviral to stop the process. <br />
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Teagan's labs showed again many "interesting" things that unfortunately required yet more lab work that is still pending. She continues to intrigue every doctor she encounters with her lab results and clinical presentation. Dr. T did a great job of explaining the possible connection to Teagan's fever disorder as a toddler and her current symptoms. Apparently she has an immune marker now that is common among children battling the fever disorder she had as a toddler. That is why you pay this man the big bucks, to find connections like that. His current theory on Teagan is called an "alternative fever response". Instead of battling infections with a fever, she develops untraditional symptoms to viruses attacking her body. I'm still learning about this "alternative fever response" hypothesis and hope to post more on it later. All I know is she doesn't get a fever anymore for any illness and that is not a good thing!<br />
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For now, this is all I can provide for an update until we have another phone consult with Dr. T. He ordered extensive genetic testing, lyme testing and many other tests. We talk again in 10 days. The wait never ends!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-82359739604401495442013-10-05T15:22:00.001-04:002013-10-05T15:22:46.634-04:00Where's the logic?All the doors in the house slam shut, all the blinds are shut and every light is turned off. This is a ritual I previously thought was a silly quirk until it disappeared. Now that it is back, the red alarms are going off. It is not Brayden, it is his sister Teagan. Our child that a neurologist recently termed as "scientifically intriguing". As a researcher, that is an exciting label, as a mother, it is terrifying. <br />
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I have spoke for the past few months about our journey with Brayden in battling PANDAs. He is stable at the moment. Not improving, but not regressing. He will see a "expert" neurologist in New Jersey on October 14th and until that time, we just hope each day continues without further regression.<br />
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As for Teagan, I haven't posted much about our journey with her mainly because she is "scientifically intriguing" which means the doctors do not know. She has been diagnosed with Pediatric Infection Triggered Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder (PITAND) which is a close relative of Brayden's PANDAS. Basically she has similar symptoms but we don't know the exact trigger all the time. For Brayden, it is strep alone, whereas his sister is triggered by any virus or bacterial infection. Her most recent trigger according to labs was a virus named CMV. This is a relative to Chicken Pox and Mono and gave her mono type symptoms, along with the OCD type behaviors. She was given an antiviral and all of those type of symptoms disappeared.<br />
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So why is she suddenly regressing? On Friday, I received a call after school that the boy she sits next to left school early due to suspected strep. He had left school the previous day ill as well. Teagan does not have any strep symptoms but she was exposed to it so her body naturally develops the antibodies. So those antibodies start attacking the brain and there you have it. The doors all have to be shut. Everything has to be done in a particular order that makes no sense to anyone else. She screams in anger and throws anything that gets in her ritualistic way.<br />
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Therefore, we are not just taking one child to this expert neurologist, but two. We are so hopeful that this man will give us the answers we desperately seek and the solutions that will put both our children on track. So hope along with us as we look forward to finally seeing a doctor that can find the logic in this chaos!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-26552294591440195272013-09-28T11:18:00.003-04:002013-09-28T11:22:12.609-04:00MissingI've debated whether to post this story. It is extremely emotional moment for me. After reminding myself that my purpose in posting about PANDAS is the hope that just one person will recognize the signs earlier than we did, I decided to post it. So here is the story.<br />
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This past Monday, we were told to discontinue Brayden's newest antibiotic as it wasn't giving us the results we had hoped for. By Wednesday, his behaviors were gradually getting worse. He would cry for 30 minutes straight simply because he couldn't find something to do. He couldn't do his math homework. He started needing the bathroom all the time. By Thursday, his tics had returned. He was swishing at his neck, clearing his throat continually and sucking on his fingers all day. He was talking like a toddler again. We were in a full regression.<br />
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On Friday, I had three errands to run. The library, boy scout store and Trader Joe's. All enjoyable outings for Brayden and he agreed that he was eager to go on them and get out of the house. I was just hoping that his little sister avoided aggravating him in public and knew that he generally kept it together in public.<br />
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Here's where the story really starts. We arrived at the library. Brayden and Ellie immediately were drawn to the fall market stand in the kid's section and eagerly began playing with it. I went to the nearby movie rentals to grab some for the weekend. Eventually, Ellie aggravated Brayden by not giving him what he wanted. One thing you have to understand about Brayden is that normally he is a very good big brother that gives his little sister anything she wants without thinking twice. When he is inflamed with PANDAS, he loses this rational thought process and has no emotional tolerance. I reminded him to be patient with Ellie and that he could have his turn with the play food in just a minute. Well, he did not like that answer and stomped off.<br />
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Brayden is a rule follower. He knows to stay in the kid section so I never thought twice about where he stomped off to. I proceeded to check out our movies in the kid area and suddenly had this panic over me that he was not present. I looked around and no Brayden. I grabbed Ellie and quickly looked down each isle. No Brayden. I checked the bathrooms, the car, the adult section. He was missing. <br />
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My motherly panic set in as my brain tried to think like him and I feared he might be walking home. He had tried to run away for the first time the night before, stopping at the front door with fear of the dark. He had never left my presence in public but I quickly reminded myself that PANDAS behavior is so incredibly unpredictable. The child you think you know is no longer there.<br />
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I immediately alerted the librarian and they manned the doors and started searching the library. I dragged Ellie through the perimeter of the library while they paged his name. I was about to call the police when I saw him. Huddled up against the end of a row of books. In the kid section. Crying and rocking.<br />
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I went from feelings of joy to anger to sadness to relief. I told the librarian he had been found and within her earshot told Brayden he was grounded. I reprimanded him for hiding in the library when he knows better. He told me nobody loved him and he wishes he was dead. What? I immediately reprimanded myself for feeling the need to punish him in front of the librarian just so I could redeem myself as a parent. This poor kid is never punished or grounded. He is a good kid. He doesn't do stuff like this. PANDAS does. I followed through with his grounding but he didn't care. He sobbed at home curled in a ball for the next hour asking to die. I was heartbroken, he had never hated life so much. He let me hold him. We talked about how this horrible PANDAS is making his brain make bad choices and feel so sad. I told him how much we loved him and everything he brings to our family.<br />
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I decided after that moment that I am no longer on my doctor's agenda of wait and see. The conservative approach is obviously not the right approach. If I have to drive across the country to get the help he needs, it will be done. PANDAS will not win!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-54325743704624583452013-09-19T21:57:00.001-04:002013-09-28T11:21:55.198-04:00Where it all began...Brayden's PANDAS storyThe more I read about PANDAS, the more I learn where this all started for Brayden. He has always been a sweet gentle child with great insight into the world around him. A deep thinker, he would be seen by others as quiet and a loner. His sensitivity made him a good friend to a few select people, a careful eater, and a passionate reader. The question I keep asking myself is when did this all change?<br />
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Now the answer is clear. The first month of kindergarten, Brayden developed strep throat. By February, he was so sick that he became malnourished and stricken with anxiety. We went to doctor after doctor visit only to be told that he would be fine. His food restricting became so severe during his malnourished period that we enlisted the help of an occupational therapist. Still with no success, we started investigating physical possibilities.<br />
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In July of last year, he had his tonsils and adenoids removed as his ENT informed that they were chronically infected and blocking 70% of his airway sitting up. We thought this was the answer and waited for that miracle cure. We also discovered many food allergies at this time and removed all those. We waited. We had progress. Then it was gone. The school anxiety crept back in and he started excessively eye blinking. We took him to an eye doctor. Nothing wrong. He started repeated rap rhythms all the time. We then realized he had tics.<br />
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When food chaining therapy didn't work, we switched therapist and found who I call our little angel, Emily. She taught us so much and developed a genuine loving concern for Brayden. She strengthened his weak core and aroused his nervous system that had been "sleeping" for years. We saw some progress until February came and strep showed up again. This time is was tricky though. It showed as an ear infection, the first one in over 6 years. It was quickly treated only to immediately return undetected. He cried and cried over going to school. He wouldn't eat more than 3 different foods at a time, none of them healthy. Emily begged us to see a bio medical doctor, a Defeat Autism Now doctor, who would look for physical reasons for his problems. I made the appointment with a four month wait!<br />
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The light bulb started to go off when I brought Brayden to the doctor for a cold. They automatically did a strep test even though he didn't have a sore throat. It was positive. This time, the antibiotics made a huge difference. He stopped crying about school, he started eating a little more, he was a happy kid for 10 days. Then the script was done and everything came back again. I was counting the days until we would see the bio medical doctor. When I talked to Emily about his anxiety coming back she asked me if I had heard of PANDAS. Since it was suggested that Teagan may have had that with her fever disorder as a toddler, I was quite familiar with it but had never considered it. The light bulb went off. I was convinced he had it but knew so little about it. <br />
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School ended and we began our summer with the July 8th bio med doctor appointment in the backs of our mind. A week before that appointment, Brayden developed tooth pain from a cavity that was scheduled to be filled the following week. The dentist prescribed Amoxicillin and we took off for our 4th of July visit to Tennessee. The night before we were to see the bio med doctor in Nashville, TN, Brayden complained of a sore throat. Since he was on Amoxicillin, we didn't worry about it. At the visit we discussed his eating problems, sensory challenges and the possibility of PANDAs. Labs were ordered and supplements prescribed.<br />
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Two days after Brayden took his last dose of Amoxicillin, he began having rages of fury. This caused his sister to have rages of fury. I played referee for weeks, sprinting through the house at the sound of his voice for fear he would hurt someone. He was overly anxious about school and everything else. He wouldn't eat but a couple of the same foods every day. My sweet calm boy was no longer himself. I knew this was not right. Then the labs came back with his strep titers. This measures the antibodies our body produces to attack strep. It should be zero if you don't have strep but up to 170 is considered normal. Brayden's was 1030! These are left over antibodies that don't go away after a strep infection, rather they start attacking other parts of your body. In Brayden's case, his brain.<br />
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He was prescribed Augmentin and within in two days, we had a new boy. School was only weeks away, yet he had no anxiety. He started eating foods he hadn't ate in years. He started devouring chapter books for the first time ever. He was calm and never agitated. For the first time ever, he no longer had nighttime accidents. The changes were just short of miraculous and continued daily.<br />
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Then school started. When I picked him up that first day, he looked like he was in shock. His eyes were blinking rapidly and he was quiet. I knew starting school would be hard but by the weekend we had loss all the progress from the previous weeks. This continued each week. They increased his meds, ran more labs. His strep antibodies were high and it seemed like cases of strep were popping up every week at school.<br />
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We tried to work through our local pediatrician only to be told he had rheumatic fever and needed a lower dose antibiotic. We tried the lower dose and he got even worse. She refused to change his antibiotic. I called his bio med doc frantic and begged them to move his next appointment up. We were lucky and they accommodated.<br />
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After meeting with this doc, he looked straight at us and said "you have to take him out of school". The meds were changed, many were added and we were sent on our way with a homebound application and hopes of having our boy back.<br />
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So now today, the new meds aren't working. We see glimpses here and there showing us that they are trying to work but he just isn't coming back today. He eats the same three things every day. His rages are few and far between but he gets mad easily. He can't do math calculations and he is tired of taking medications. Who can blame him? So we email the doctor and wait the two days it takes to get a reply.<br />
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This is the journey of PANDAS. So hard to treat, so hard to watch and so hard to wait. Wait for the next message from the doctor, the next lab results, a new medication, another opinion. It is always waiting but with hope that you will see that sweet boy again soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-54487404239069318852013-09-15T08:05:00.002-04:002013-09-15T08:06:18.979-04:00The world is gross!I wrote this last week and forgot to post it:<br />
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It started with my usual good morning wake up, only this time Brayden grumbled "I can't go to school, the school is so yucky and dirty" I knew at that moment, he was worse. It then progressed to his breakfast was yucky after a few bites. I reluctantly shipped him off to the "yucky" school with hopes that he would survive his day without too much anxiety. <br />
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After school, "Brayden, why didn't you eat your lunch again at school?" I'm really not sure why I ask this question because I know the answer. "The cafeteria is so gross, even the peanut table was gross, so I couldn't eat it" This is the same kid who a month ago ordered his first healthy meal at a restaurant. I then inform with excitement that we are going out for frozen yogurt to support his schools PTA. "Mom, I have to go potty and the bathroom there is dark and yucky. We have to go home". Ughh, this time I essentially tell him no, I'm not ruining it for the girls and he manages to do his business and enjoy the yogurt. Later at home, my youngest is trying a paleo treat that arrived in the mail. Brayden gets site of it on her face and freaks out "get her out of here! She is gross, get her away!" This is OCD.<br />
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Obsessive compulsive disorder is a crippling disorder for everyone involved. It causes a person's mind to have unwanted feelings or thoughts that often lead to compulsions. Brayden's OCD was mostly limited to food. Food has to be perfect or there is something wrong with it. The only perfect food is processes food which is horrible for a growing child. I have been told by doctor after doctor that he won't starve. We put this to the test several times and found that yes, he will starve. When he actively has OCD, there is no way to get Brayden to eat anything but perfect food. Our current doctor understands this.<br />
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I actually thought Brayden did not have complusions although the psychologist in me knew they had to be there somewhere. When I finally explained OCD to Brayden, he thought for a moment and said "you mean like how I have to darken the lines on my assignments at school without my teacher seeing?" Wow, that poor kid makes more work for himself than anyone knows. How many other compulsions does he have that no one is aware of? Often these rituals are seen as funny quirks or not even noticed at all but for the child, they are completely exhausting. As Brayden has become sicker this week, I noticed he has stopped playing the iTouch that he previously could play for hours on end. As we talked about OCD, he mentioned that he has to rub the screen of the iTouch repeatedly while playing the iTouch. Again exhausting.<br />
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Unlike most cases of OCD, Brayden's is almost completely absent when his PANDAs is controlled. He starts exploring new foods, leaves the house without anxiety and acts like a normal kid. We just started a new course of treatment and here is hoping we have our kid back in the next few days!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-28240246929994032882013-09-07T21:23:00.000-04:002013-09-07T21:27:48.880-04:00LostI sit on the bench enjoying conversation with a friend as our kids run and play. Inside I'm really on edge wondering if Brayden can hold it together for this play date. I see Brayden heading my way looking defeated. I give my friend the look and she knows this is the end of our play date. My 8 year old, normally confident and fun loving son starts sobbing "nobody likes me. I want to go home" There is no use negotiating or telling him otherwise. He has lost all mental flexibility this week and the way he views our world is the way it really is in his mind.<br />
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I want to say "suck it up" but my heart tells me that won't go well. That darn strep monster is eating at his basil ganglia again. The part of the brain that controls emotion is being attacked. My son doesn't have a strep infection. He is actually very healthy at the moment. Instead, his brain is being attacked by the left overs from an infection months ago. The antibodies that his body made to attack the strep infection have become confused. Those antibodies now think that his brain is what needs attacking. I really wish they would stop. Weeks ago this same kid would have to be pried off the playground in the middle of some game he created with his friends. But today, nobody wants to play with him because there are no games. There is no creativity. He can't even come up with a conversation. He is lost.<br />
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So we head home. He fights with his sister the whole way and our night begins...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-33017642268599337352013-09-06T09:24:00.000-04:002013-09-07T21:27:48.882-04:00Your brain is on fire!There is a wonderful book called Brain on Fire about a terrible neurological disease not all that different from Brayden's PANDAs. But this post is just a glimpse into how PANDAS effects Brayden.<br />
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"Mommy, why can't I get to sleep anymore? I used to but now it's like I'm not even in my own room anymore. If I can't hear anyone out there it's like I'm the only one home. My legs itch, I feel sick and I just want it to be morning. Please don't go to sleep before me. Why I can't I fall asleep?"<br />
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I want to say "My dear Brayden. You can't sleep because the strep monsters have your brain on fire. These monsters are not under your bed. They are not in your closet. They are in your brain. They are attacking your basal ganglia and depleting the dopamine your body needs to help you fall asleep. They are messing with your emotions and behaviors. They are making you think that all food is gross so that your little tummy is growling right now with a hunger that I can't take away. We are trying to fight those monsters but it takes time. Your mainstream doctor doesn't see those monsters. Your other doctor who knows about those monsters is too busy helping other kid with monsters. So my dear Brayden, you can't sleep tonight because of strep monsters and unlike other monsters that kids have, a spray bottle of monster eliminator will not get rid of them. But I promise your mommy will not stop trying to get rid of them and one day you will sleep soundly in your own bed safe and secure."<br />
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But I don't say any of that. I say "Little buddy, mommy has made you a comfy bed in our room right next to our bed." I get a big smile, and within minutes, he is asleep. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-51632978426922681242013-07-21T20:16:00.003-04:002013-07-21T20:33:09.642-04:00The Outerbanks - Previously undisclosed photos!I thought I would wrap up my Outerbanks series with some photos that I didn't include in previous posts. If you enjoyed this series and know of someone you want to share it with, please do! I enjoy seeing my audience expand. Most recently I reached China! You just never know who is reading.<br />
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Anyway, let's start with a close up of what the fisherman brought in. We think this is yellow fin tuna but feel free to correct me if you know your fish.<br />
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A close up of an exhausted Ellie.<br />
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Brayden thought he was such a comedian taking this picture. You know kids, they are all about saying the word "butt"<br />
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Approaching the island.<br />
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This little creature stole our heart. He washed up on the shore determined to make it to land. We desperately wanted to help him but we could tell there was nothing we could do. We frequently went to visit him and would comfort him with talk. He seemed to like hearing our voices. He only lived for about 24 hours.<br />
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Closer view of the hermit crab. They look nothing like the ones at the mall.<br />
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Here is a very majestic looking crane.<br />
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The view of our camp site while standing in the ocean.<br />
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Teagan was such a happy girl on the beach,<br />
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Brayden was always in deep thought and<br />
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Ellie thought it was a big playground.<br />
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The beach can be an eerie place to be at night.<br />
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Our camera did not do the beauty of the island justice.<br />
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Someone was sad to be leaving the island.<br />
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"Look mom a whale!" "No dear, that is just a log"<br />
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There was plenty of fun to be had off the island.<br />
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And a beautiful drive home<br />
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This vacation definitely left a lasting footprint on all of us.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-82754023217048907142013-07-17T16:33:00.000-04:002013-07-17T16:33:29.365-04:00Outerbanks - The final dayI almost forgot to tell you about our final day! It started like any other day with breakfast and getting ready to head out. We planned to start the day at the Emerald Isle pier. It was so windy we felt like we would get blown off it! Brayden still was not drinking much so he got a little something special to share with his sisters. There were lots of fisherman but no one was catching anything.<br />
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After lunch we headed to the pool for a much needed cool off.</div>
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Brayden really wanted to head back to the ocean but Teagan was ready to leave the sand forever. So daddy, Ellie and Brayden headed to the ocean while me and Teagan took some last minute shots of the view from the concession area.</div>
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That is Gary waving in the picture above.<br />
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Storm clouds quickly rolled in so the beach visit didn't last too long. Since we were leaving the next morning, we decided to pack up everything except the sleeping tent. That meant no cooking for me so I'll admit, we had subs and pizza. As we were finishing our dinner, a man with his son rolled into the spot next to us. We were quickly drawn to their cute dog despite the rain that was now falling. They mentioned they were going to Dairy Queen and we decided that sounded better than packing in the rain. So Dairy Queen it was.</div>
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By then it was getting late so Gary took the kids to the playground so I could pack the car. You have to understand that I love packing. I know, weird huh? I think I missed my calling in life because I love trying to fit those pieces into the car best utilizing every bit of space. I like packing groceries too. In fact I'll avoid stores that don't have self serve simply for that reason. Enough of my weird joys in life and back to our night.</div>
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We finished our night like all the rest with writing in our journals. I happily read my book until about 10:30 pm before deciding I was too exhausted to fight sleep anymore. By then, everyone else was already sleeping. </div>
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At about 11:30, things took a turn for the worse. I was awoken by what sounded like a freight train running through our tent only to see that the side of the tent where Teagan was lying next to Brayden was being blown off the ground. I leaped out of bed as if I wasn't just entering that deep stage of sleep and held the tent off of Teagan. I quietly called "honey! honey!" with no response so I had to use that "something bad is happening" tone and promptly woke Gary just in time to find the other part of the tent caving in. We both stood there holding the tent as if we were built in tent poles and looked at each other with a "what the heck?" kind of look. It wasn't even raining out but the winds were stronger than any we had previously encountered. Gary looked at the radar on his phone and saw a very large red cell just south of us. Given its size and location, we were certain it was coming our way.</div>
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At that point, still exhausted but with adrenaline running high, we made the decision that we couldn't stay in our tent through this storm. We packed up every remaining bit we could without disturbing the kids before lifting them into the car. Brayden and Ellie promptly fell back asleep while Teagan was excited for whatever adventure had awoken her. By then it was midnight and we said our farewell to the ocean. </div>
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Now at this point one might think it best to just drive all the way home with sleeping children. Historically though, our children do not sleep well in the car. We discussed all our options of where to go. We really didn't want to incur the cost of another hotel as the campground itself had already changed our planned budget for the trip. We drove for a bit in silence and then we found that red cell. It was a horrible storm of thunder, lightening and torrential down pour. Driving was hard and fatigue quickly set in. It took us two hours to find a hotel en route as we were just passing through small towns with nothing to offer.</div>
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Exhausted, we all collapsed in the fluffy white beds and slept soundly. Ellie promptly woke us at 7 am and we were ready to go. We went to the free breakfast offered by the hotel, gathered something for everyone and returned ready to go. The clock just ticked away as Brayden and Teagan slept soundly. Finally at 8:30 we could wait no more and we woke them.</div>
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The drive home was slow and long. Our beloved DVD player cord had broke at our arrival the week before and we had planned to replace it right before leaving in the morning. Now there was no where to buy a cord and the whining was worse than ever. About five hours into our drive, we hit a long construction delay for all of 300 feet of construction. Some people just don't know how to merge. Right after that we made finding a cord our priority. At about 7 hours into the drive, we finally found a store to buy our cord. We fueled up, fed everyone and hit the road. </div>
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As we closed in on the Kentucky state line with excitement, the traffic suddenly stopped. Not even a crawl, just stopped. We found out there was an accident and the road was closed. It was at this point that we agreed we were done with long drives for a long time. We made it home without any further incidents but boy were we exhausted.</div>
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We are still cleaning up the sand that we keep finding from our trip. It was a very eventful trip but with lots of fond memories. The kids constantly talk about their time at the ocean so we know we made that lasting footprint in their memories. </div>
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My plan for an intervention with Brayden's eating failed miserably with respect to increasing his hunger. It was a success however in teaching me more about why he can't eat and what we need to do next. I hope you enjoyed hearing about our trip and I hope to post a few more previously not seen pictures in a future post. Happy Summer everyone!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-19724338468502837392013-07-12T21:54:00.001-04:002013-07-12T21:54:29.768-04:00Outerbanks - Day 4We woke up on the morning of our fourth day finally a bit refreshed. We still battled some winds at night but not having sand everywhere really made a huge difference. We were back on track with our diets as we started the morning with bacon, eggs and for the kids, pancakes. I'm pretty sure our neighbors were jealous.<br />
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The kids were eager to get to the beach as were we, so we packed our very portable sun shelter, towels, books and snacks to spend the morning at the beach. It was heaven! For the first time I was able to relax. Me and Gary alternated between watching the kids and reading. Brayden quickly learned to catch little fish and was set on spending his time doing that. The girls were all about the wave jumping.<br />
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After getting cleaned up from the beach, we decided to head into town so that Teagan could get another taste of shrimp for lunch. We were shocked to find a gluten free nutella and marshmallow sandwich on the menu! Brayden agreed to try it so we ordered that $6 sandwich only for it to arrive on a very grainy bread that looked like someone had mashed up a bunch of corn and oatmeal. Needless to say no one ate it but Teagan loved her shrimp again and made this face.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teagan's I love food face<br /></td></tr>
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After lunch we decided to enjoy some time in the pool. We had forgotten how fun it was to swim without sand in your bathing suit.<br />
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After a few hours of swimming, we headed back to camp for the long process of cooking a healthy meal. I'll be the first to admit that grilled chicken and broccoli did not sound appetizing after a lunch at a seafood restaurant. Determined to not let the rest of our meat go to waste, I cooked us a healthy dinner. Now cooking without counter space and organization was extremely frustrating. Add in wind with sun heat and it was down right miserable. <br />
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I fed the girls first and was so happy to see them as they took a bite of broccoli. No sooner did Teagan get that bite in her mouth and big gust of wind blew her plate over her head onto the street next to our camp site. She was in tears and I was frustrated as Ellie battled to keep her plate. I handed her a bag of cheese puffs and vowed not to cook another camping dinner. Of course I still had to make Brayden his pancakes.<br />
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At this point I was very hot and frustrated and declared it time for ice cream. We decided there was not a noticeable difference from removing dairy from Bray's diet and it made no sense to have him eat pancakes all day when he could be enjoying ice cream. We headed into town and found a Ben & Jerry's! Yummm. After that we still had time for another swim in the ocean.<br />
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We then roasted smores over our camp stove before calling it a night. It was so nice to have a day without too much hassle. A plate of chicken and broccoli flying seemed like small potatoes compared to what we endured on the island. In fact our day was so enjoyable that we decided to add another night to our camping time at the Holiday resort. Was that a good decision? Stay tuned to find out!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-78898375109439647932013-07-11T09:53:00.001-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.646-04:00Outerbanks - Day 3Well Monday night was a difficult night with strong wind and storms. I woke many times wondering if the tent was going to spiral down the beach with our family in tow. You can see in this video the side of the tent being pushed in from the morning wind. This was the "calm" part of the day.<br />
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When I woke Tuesday morning, I was again greeted by the pleasant calm of an ocean morning. The morning cup of coffee was just the icing on the cake and tasted better than any Starbucks I could recall. Perhaps it was because of the time and labor it took to brew a good cup in a coffee press without the morning conveniences. Or perhaps it was the tranquil calm of a cool morning on the coast with a steaming cup in hand. Either way, I treasured the moment.<br />
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I began my morning ritual of making Brayden's pancakes. By that day I was convinced that he would not eat bacon this whole trip and frankly there was no time for it if we were to make our ferry on time. In fact there was barely time for pancakes and if you wanted food anytime in the morning hours, gluten free chocolate chip pancakes were your only option. <br />
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Packing up proved to be a greater challenge than ever anticipated. Everything was blowing around. You couldn't set anything down, like a chair bag, without it blowing down the beach. The process was slow and tedious. We had to leave by 9:15 am to make the ferry in time and we were stuffing things in at the last minute including our three children. Beach driving is not something you do in a hurry. Here is a small sample of driving in the middle of the dunes, the quickest way to the ferry.<br />
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We arrived just in time and drove right onto the boat. It was a bitter sweet ride back.<br />
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Brayden was invited up to the captain's chair to drive the boat. They even offered him a salary of $2.00. I know deep in his heart this was something he would love but his anxiety got the best of him and he couldn't do it. He retreated to the car for the rest of the boat ride. It was a sad mommy moment. He still insists though that he wants to be a fisherman when he grows up.<br />
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By the time we arrived on land, settled our account, loaded ice and reached civilization, it was well past noon. Our kids were beyond hungry, thirsty and in Brayden's case, very lethargic. Our first order was to get anything in their bodies. In fact, we bought Brayden a soda pop at the ferry dock (a big no no in our family), just to get liquid and sugar in him. At this point Brayden was still on his dairy free diet so there was not a restaurant food out there that we could buy him. The girls on the other hand were all too happy to indulge in milkshakes and chicken nuggets from McDonalds. I felt horrible that Brayden couldn't have a milkshake. Me and Gary searched frantically for the nearest Starbucks for ourselves!<br />
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We headed back to the town of Morehead where we knew there was a visitors center with possible campground information. We decided we would continue to camp but with the amenities of a civilized campground. We had a brochure for "Camp Forest" on Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The man at the visitor center told us there was only one other campground and it was right next to "Camp Forest". This one was termed "Holiday", but there was no brochure. We were given the directions of crossing the bridge to Emerald Isle, turning left and we would find it on our right. Given that Emerald Isle was just another island, we figured it would be easy enough to find. Here are the girls at the visitor center.<br />
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The drive seemed long after an already exhausting morning. We were quickly feeling that each segment of the day felt like a full day in itself. By the time we crossed the bridge to Emerald Isle, it was around 2 pm. We finally found Camp Forest after stopping to ask someone and quickly wondered where they found the inspiration for it's name. This "campground" was more like a mobile home park. It had what appeared to be a total of five tent sites with the rest full of RVs and mobile homes. There was not a tree in sight and everyone was crammed in together. It bordered the entrance to the beach but other than that, it had zero attraction.<br />
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We were quickly getting discouraged, tired and frustrated. We found a kind looking lady and asked her for directions to "Holiday" as it clearly wasn't next to the Forest. She told us there was a camp type place left at the gas station up ahead. We took those directions for a good 30 minutes before deciding it was no where to be found. We pulled up to a corner gas station only to find the sign "Holiday Resort". Resort? Could this be the campground?<br />
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There was a beautiful swimming pool, several stores, an arcade, go-carts and a gated community. We decided to check it out. We were so relieved to find that it was indeed a campground and there were openings right next to a large playground and very clean bathroom/shower building. We hurried to our site and finally felt like we had the "Hilton's" of camping. The bathroom blasted cold air and required a key to get in. The playground had everything our kids would need to work off their car jitters. The pool was a welcomed retreat from the sandy beach.<br />
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By then it was approaching 4 pm and we had the daunting task of setting up camp again. Given that we were still right by the ocean, the wind quickly reminded us that it was here to stay. We set up our camp and were completely exhausted. Our intentions to make a wonderful Paleo dinner were quickly being influenced by the thought of convenience and relaxation. We caved in and pizza won the vote. I still had to make Brayden his pancakes but it was much quicker than a full dinner. <br />
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Camp fires were not permitted in this campground and we were surprisingly happy about this. There was no smell of smoke or late nights. We all headed to bed early. While the kids wrote happily in their journals, I picked up my book for the first time that trip. The sounds of the campground activity reminded us that we were no longer on our secluded island but we had come to terms with our decision at that point. I was certain our next few days would not be quite as exciting as the first few and that is just the way I wanted it!<br />
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Stay tuned to hear a bit about Emerald Isle and in a few days, the dramatic end to the Outerbanks!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-63233099982531514152013-07-09T21:32:00.003-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.642-04:00Outerbanks - Day 2The morning of day two seemed to come so quickly. The kids slept well all night while I awoke at times to the roar of the ocean and the pounding of periodic rain storms. The wind would make a ripping sound through the side of our tent making us wonder how long it would hold up. Although it was hard to climb out of bed in the morning, the peace and calm of the ocean made it worth getting up.<br />
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For Day 2 we had planned to explore the beaches at the lighthouse and hopefully climb to the top. I started the day with bacon and pancakes for my little man and much to my delight, he ate pretty good. Unfortunately that was really the end of eating good for the day. We immediately headed to the lighthouse planning to make a day of it. When we arrived, we found a path to walk before arriving to a little gift shop that opens when the ferry arrives. At this point in the early morning, the sun was hot and I hoping this shop would open soon. Once it did, we found some relief from the air conditioned store whose only refreshments were water. Very cold water!<br />
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We headed to the beach and Brayden immediately jumped in the still water. After dealing with large waves since our arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the other side of the beach had calm waters with essentially no waves. We came across this little fellow in his shell and the kids enjoyed playing with him a bit before returning him to the waters.<br />
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We enjoyed this beach and finally felt like we were relaxing for quite awhile that morning. Unfortunately our visit here was cut short, literally. Ellie somehow managed to step on two seashells at the same time which created a vertical cut down her foot. Since our emergency kit was at camp, we had to abort our lighthouse visit and head back.<br />
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We tried and tried that late morning to clean her foot and keep it covered but if you've ever wore shoes in the sand, you'll know what I mean when I say it was impossible. We wrapped it in gauze and tape, put socks and shoes on her only for her to tell me there was sand in her socks. This was her playground and there was no keeping her out of it.<br />
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Lunchtime came and went and Brayden was not able to eat much at all. Around early afternoon it occurred to me that I never saw him use the bathroom. I asked and sure enough he had not gone all day and had no urge to. He was also incredibly lethargic. We forced water into him but he had no desire to drink. It was around this time that we decided we needed to head to land. This was not an easy decision.<br />
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I will admit that we were quite miserable at this point. I would make someone something to eat only for them to tell me there was sand in their food. Our tent was caving in and we didn't know if it would make it another night. We were hit again by more rain which would send us on a frenzy to cover everything up. Below is a picture of our tent from the daytime wind.<br />
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Making the decision to leave the island was very humbling. We both had to suck up our pride and admit that our plans had failed. Teagan was thriving here but the other two were just not doing well. Ellie whined constantly about the foot pain. Brayden was so tired that we were certain heat exhaustion was setting in. We were both exhausted from the constant battle of the winds and rain. We called the ferry that afternoon to see when our next opportunity was to leave. Given that we were leaving 4 days early we feared the worse but were lucky enough to snag a spot on Tuesday's 10 am ferry. Until that time, we planned to make the best of it.<br />
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Our first stop was to a little pier on the opposite side of the island from our camp. Although the width of the island is quite narrow, half of it is covered in vegetation making it impossible to get to the other side. This spot was a rare clearing. Once we got there we were so surprised at what we found. Hundreds upon hundreds of crabs of all different sizes.<br />
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Each crab seemed to have a very long claw. Some were so big it was as if they dragged it everywhere they walked. We also found this guy dragging this huge shell. The shell looked beautiful but it was his home so it stayed.<br />
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After the pier, Brayden was begging to go back to the lighthouse. He was beyond upset that we were leaving the next day so we decided to indulge his request. Rather than go through the hassle of making dinner (and believe me, it was a hassle), we packed sandwiches in a cooler for a picnic dinner. It was at this point that I gave up my paleo ways for convenience. I don't eat bread or wheat typically but at this point exhaustion got the best of me and well, I'm human. So back to the lighthouse we went, with Ellie all bandaged up again.<br />
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We had a pleasant evening of chasing seagulls, watching sheepshead fish (also known as convict fish) off the pier and looking for salamanders. Brayden explored the waters, at least until he saw how big the sheepshead fish were by the pier. <br />
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Interestingly, the teeth of these fish resemble that of humans giving them significant crushing power. Pretty scary huh?<br />
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But they can be pretty too...<br />
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Before leaving the lighthouse, we spotted one more thing of interest.<br />
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The horses of Shackleford Banks (our original destination you may recall). Even though we see horses every day in Lexington, there was something intriguing about wild horses roaming on an island.<br />
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We left the lighthouse just in time to roast more smores. This was a very brief roasting as the wind was really picking up.<br />
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This time Ellie joined us for the ghost crab hunting. We found several interesting ones.<br />
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This late night venture ended quickly though after one scurried across Teagan's foot. The poor child was terrified. We then started to see them everywhere! Big crabs, little crabs crawling out of holes. Not just near the water as they had the previous night but right on our site. It was very hard to convince three little ones to take a final restroom break with crabs crawling everywhere.<br />
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We were lucky that none of them crawled up through our little potty. I don't think our kids would have recovered from that one!<br />
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Reflecting at the end of Day 2 was tough as we second guessed our decision to leave. We had so many adventures that day but the night proved that we made the right choice. At least we ended our last night with this beautiful sunset.<br />
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So where did we go next? Did we head home or out for another adventure? Stay tuned to find out!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-84438721763634482842013-07-07T08:36:00.002-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.648-04:00Outerbanks - Day 1Cape Lookout National Seashore is approximately 20 miles long. It ends with a beautiful lighthouse and a passenger only ferry.<br />
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As we drove down the beach, scouting out areas to set up camp, we noticed dark clouds rolling in (see below). Driving at 15 mph on beach sand takes some time and we wanted to make sure we were at least halfway to the lighthouse.<br />
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We finally chose an area to set up camp and we were left to debate whether to set up camp or wait out the storm. It was approaching lunch time and my first packing error came to mind. I didn't have a specific lunch plan and all our food was buried in ice packed coolers. We had three coolers with us. One for meats which was only to be opened once per day. One for dairy and lunch meats and a third for beverages, mainly water. Trying to find something in an ice packed cooler is like fishing for a key you dropped in the snow (yes, this is from experience). Your hand freezes as you guess the contents of the cooler and only hope you pull out the right item. We eventually settled on lunch meat and cheese but we needed somewhere to prepare our lunch and chairs to sit and enjoy them in. <br />
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This is when I realized my second packing error. The tents, shelter, and table were packed first meaning everything else had to be unloaded onto the sandy beach to get to them.<br />
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As we emptied our SUV onto the sandy beach, the rain started to come. We quickly popped up our wonderful Lightspeed screen house and scrambled like mice to put things in it and back into the car. At this point the kids were happily playing in the dunes and quite upset when we told them to take shelter in the car. Still hungry and tired of car snacks, we waited out the storm. <br />
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The sun eventually appeared and we scrambled to pop up our sleeping tent. This is where mistake number three of the day became apparent. We had invested in a new screen house, several coolers, a stove and several other items but never considered how our tent would withstand the winds. In fact when we researched our screen house, we intentionally purchased one from Lightspeed because they are made for the beach.<br />
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Trying to erect our tent was like trying to wrangle a bucking bull. We had to put our coolers inside of it just to stake it down. We then had to inflate my mattress (what'd you think I slept on the ground?) using our car outlet all the while keeping it from blowing down the beach. I'm pretty sure the scene was quite comical although it felt like anything short of a comedy. We continued for several hours battling between rain showers and gust of wind until our camp was set up. As you can see from below, we had our sleeping tent and then directly behind it was a play tent for the kids. We has a screen house and then a sun shelter, both Lightspeed tents in the bottom picture.<br />
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At this point we felt like we had been there for several days and we were quite exhausted. I battled through the fatigue and managed to cook us a hot meal on our new stove. We then enjoyed the beautiful beach waters before making an early fire to roast marshmallows and make smores.<br />
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The night was lovely so we decided to wear off the sugar by taking a leisurely long walk down the vacant beach.<br />
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Just as we turned to head back, another storm approached soaking us all. Since they can produce some dangerous lightening, we were forced to sprint back the 1/2 mile or so to our car for shelter. At this point we looked at each other and said "what the heck were we thinking?" Storms often passed as quickly as they came and I was able to tuck an exhausted Ellie into bed before enjoying the beach a little more.<br />
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As dark approached, we took Brayden and Teagan out hunting for ghost crabs. Armed with their buckets and flashlights, we scanned the beach looking for movement. We eventually found this cute little guy who we visited with briefly before releasing him back to the ocean.<br />
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After ghost crab hunting, we crawled into our tent exhausted from the day's activities. I was expecting two excited children who suddenly realized they were in a tent and would get to sleep with mom and dad. It happens every time. They are overwhelmed and excited rendering them sleepless. Unlike many other parts of the trip so far, I was fully prepared for this moment. I handed them both brand new journals and pens. I asked them to draw and write about their day by the light of their lanterns. This quickly became a tradition each night that they looked forward to as much as we did. It worked like a charm and they easily fell asleep after writing about their day.<br />
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After a busy day of unpacking, we were ready for Monday to be a relaxing day two. But was it ... ?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-85500663908719114092013-07-06T08:38:00.000-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.650-04:00Outerbanks - The arrivalWe woke up early Sunday morning with an eagerness only experienced when one faces a new adventure.<br />
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Our car was packed to the brim with jugs of water, bundles of firewood, groceries and of course three excited children. The 30 minute drive to the ferry felt more like a trip to a corner gas station after the previous day 10 hour drive.<br />
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The Davis Ferry is a locally owned family business boasting with warm hospitality, Southern drawls, and ocean vibe. Inside we were greeted by a beautiful retriever mix and two fur ball cats that quickly earned the affection of our kids.<br />
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We waited as the receptionist finished her phone call. Apparently a mother, son and dog wanted off the island immediately after the previous nights storm ruined their first night on the island. I remember thinking to myself "Seriously? One night? They must be first time campers." I quickly learned the error in my judgement. I was just so excited for our five night/six day venture despite the predicted "scattered" showers. I have never been one to fear a little rain...<br />
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After the formalities, our Pilot was loaded on the ferry with another couple and their one year old daughter.<br />
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As prior visitors to the island, we quickly engaged in conversation which flowed easily for the duration of the boat ride. They gave us many tips and advice that was greatly appreciated. Midway through our conversations, we learned that the husband, an orthopedic surgeon, and the wife, a child psychiatrist, took this trip each year, although this was their first with their child. Based on their advice, we decided we didn't need to deflate our tires like the park authorities had suggested. Interestingly enough, they later got stuck in the dunes and had to deflate their tires, while we navigated the beaches without much trouble.<br />
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It was a beautiful sunny ride to the island with dolphins jumping in the wide open ocean waters. Our excitement increased as we neared the land and saw the sprawling beach we were about to drive on. We stopped immediately upon driving off the boat and Brayden quickly found his favorite shell. He immediately saw it for the cool mask it has become.<br />
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So here we were! Off on a long peaceful drive down the beach to find our home for the week. Stay tuned as I tell you more about our eventful first day!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-41862819087253049112013-07-04T07:48:00.000-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.639-04:00Outerbanks - the departureIt was hard to believe the day had finally come. We had planned for so long that it hardly seemed possible that we would ever get to start our vacation to Cape Lookout National Seashore. On Saturday, June 22, 2013, we began our adventure at 3am! It was a 10 hour drive to the Outerbanks and we wanted to arrive in time to enjoy an evening on the coast. Our kids were troopers when we woke them. Ready to go they barely slept at all on the drive out there. We kept them busy with random prize times for good behavior and of course their beloved electronics.<br />
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We planned to stay at a hotel the night before so we could finish our grocery shopping and catch the early morning ferry out to the island. We enjoyed a great evening in the fishing town of Moorhead. As many of you know, Brayden's life ambition is to be a fisherman so this was just amazing for him despite the sleep deprivation. Here he is watching them unload their day's catch.<br />
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We also enjoyed a seafood dinner at a restaurant on the water. Teagan had her first taste of fried shrimp and was instantly in love!<br />
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The restaurant had a peer where the kids could feed the seagulls. They loved how eager these birds were to eat their food!<br />
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We ended our first day with lots of memories and an early bed time to prepare for the next day's departure. <br />
Somebody didn't quite make it to the hotel!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-30976795536077059792013-07-03T11:52:00.000-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.637-04:00Outerbanks- The detailsSo in the weeks leading up to our adventure to the Outerbanks, we consulted with Brayden's occupational therapist on how to get protein in his body since that is the main food item he was lacking. During this time we also faced the daunting task of removing dairy from Brayden. This was his main source of food so it was very scary to implement. True to his food jagging (fixating on one food), Brayden switched from daily yogurt drinks to Trader Joe's veggie chips. That was just about all he would eat. At this point, our OT came up with a plan. In the past, rewards have failed with Brayden. He would just become upset that he couldn't eat the foods he had to eat to earn his reward. He loves rewards so we knew this was just a matter of not being capable of meeting our demands. His OT started even slower. She made a small booklet showing what happens to our body if we don't eat protein. She then showed what happened to our bodies when we do. She then asked Brayden what reward he would most like. He replied "Ninjago legos", his favorite. They went through and made pictures of what would constitute a "meal" for purposes of this chart. Each meal had to include a protein. Bacon is the only protein Brayden would agree to so every meal had bacon and that was either paired with pancakes or applesauce pouches. If he ate two meals per day, he received a check mark. After one week he would get his lego set. This was incredibly hard for Brayden. He also had a picture page that showed what to do when he felt like he couldn't eat. That showed that he had to eat 8 bites to get his check mark. Well, I'm happy to say he made it.<br />
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So guess what we packed a ton of on our trip? Bacon! He has another reward chart to do while we are there which includes trying ham (the other meat he was able to eat last year). So that is our plan for feeding him. He will have high protein pancakes in the morning with bacon. Bacon for lunch and dinner, along with his veggie chips, fruit strips, and applesauce pouches. We are hoping he will try more of the healthy foods we are bringing. <br />
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Now as many of you already know, me and my husband primarily eat primal foods on a daily basis and we wanted to maintain this diet on our trip. Packing enough meat for 5 days seemed like a daunting task. We went to our local butcher the week before, chose our meats, deep froze them and stored them in brand new coolers we had purchased. These were five day coolers that weren't meant to stay cold for at least five days. We then froze a bunch of water bottles and layered them in between the meat. We added ice up until our ferry departure. We then had a separate cooler to hold dairy products and the days meat. The meat cooler was only to be opened once per day. <br />
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In addition, we bought an awesome screen house from Lightspeed tents. I already owned a half dome sun shelter from them and just love the quality of their products. So the finally detail was well, a bit personal here. The potty! With a three year old, squatting can be a bit difficult to teach. I insisted that she needed to be able to sit to go. So this is what we rigged.<br />
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It's simply a 5 gallon bucket with the bottom cut out. The top is a toilet lid especially made for these buckets. After you go, you scoop sand over it. Just like a litter box! So how did it work?<br />
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Let's see...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-64997717484314104582013-07-02T07:53:00.000-04:002013-07-12T09:04:57.644-04:00Outerbanks trip - the planBack in the chilly days of winter, we began talking about our summer vacation in an attempt to ward off those winter blues. We had big dreams of Disney Land, the California Coast or renting a beach house for a week. My husband had worked really hard this year with long hours and weekends where he would rather be playing golf or wrestling with the kids. We wanted that dream vacation.<br />
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Also during this time, our concern for our eight year old increased as he continued to refuse healthy foods and basically get his fuel from yogurt drinks and gluten free processed sweets. We were continuing his weekly therapy, playing tough love, bribing, coddling, trying peer pressure. Nothing worked. So I sat and thought to myself, when is he most hungry? When is he most at ease? When is he just a boy without the anxiety, OCD, and constant search for food that is palatable? My answer was easy. When he is one with nature.<br />
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That answer formulated our trip to the Outer Banks. Initially we looked for back country adventures at places like Land Between the Lakes and Lake Cumberland; however, there was nothing novel about that for my 8 year old backpacker of a son. That was when we decided the ocean was the place for us. Just about that time, my husband read an article in Backpacker magazine about Shackleford Island in the Outer Banks. It seemed perfect! A ferry would drop us off and we would camp among ocean creatures and wild horses. Here is a picture of Shackleford Island with a horse roaming that I took from our ultimate destination.<br />
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As the school year ended and we began to solidify our plans, we had visions of horses trampling us at night and my husband spending the first two days lugging our gear from the drop off to our site. It was at that point that my husband discovered Cape Lookout National Seashore. It seemed to have it all. We could drive our car to where ever we wanted and have everything we needed. There would be few people during the week in such a remote location. You have to take a car ferry to get there so we would be without everyday conveniences. No more running to the store to fuel my son's latest cravings. So there it was, Cape Lookout.<br />
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Now that we had a place, we needed a plan. You see our theory was this. My son has severe sensory processing disorder. In every day life, he can't filter the constant changing stimuli that invade his senses. He becomes overwhelmed and anxious trying to meet the demands of an 8 year old's life. When he is in nature, those demands are no longer there. Although nature is ever changing, it is also constant in the stimulus that is provides. There are always waves crashing, birds chirping, crickets singing and fresh air filling your nostrils. There is a certain comfort with the predictability of not having to engage in the social aspects of life that are overwhelming. There is also the stability of knowing that there will be no transitions. Dad won't be going to work and mom won't be dictating the day's activities. All of my son's sensory needs are met in nature. So our theory was that if we could provide those sensory needs consistently for more than three days, Brayden would better be able to filter the sensory overload of his oral senses. If we only provide nourishing foods during those days, then he will have to eat them to fuel his hunger caused by the constant stimulation of nature. By day five, we believed we would be able to show Brayden what he was capable of eating without vomiting and therefore break his viscous cycle of not eating.<br />
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So what do we plan to feed him on those days? How will we pull this off? Stay tuned for more details...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-33821694992359201522013-06-05T22:36:00.000-04:002013-06-05T22:37:43.133-04:00The Spy in my Child's BrainSo I recently read a book that has left me thinking for literally weeks now. I then started following the author's blog and now I'm pretty convinced this is a person with many answers. The book, Finding Kansas by Aaron Likens is about "Living and Decoding Asperger's Syndrome". If any of you have been following the news lately, you might know that Asperger's syndrome is no longer considered a diagnosis as it falls on the Autism spectrum and in the future will be labeled as such. Anyway, the author Aaron Likens, was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome as a young adult. This means he went through his entire childhood not knowing why he thought differently then others.<br />
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When Likens received his diagnosis, his father handed him a journal and told him to start writing about it. Finding Kansas is basically those journal entries. I think what I found most interesting about this book was the raw emotion and insightful discoveries he made as he learned about his thought process. There were so many references that really lit a light bulb for me in explaining some of my son's behaviors. Here are just a few.<br />
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In his book, Likens talks about this pop can that sat on his television for the longest time. It has been left there by a friend and Likens never moved it because it reminded him of that time he spent with his friend. One day his mother tidied up his room and removed the can. He was so distraught over this little can because for him, it tied him to his friend. Perhaps this explains why I can not remove a single thing from Brayden's room without asking him first. The times I have removed them, he has spouted off some remote connection to that item that I ruined by discarding it. Now if he makes the decision to remove it, that is a different story because he can decide if he needs it for that memory. This is why I am certain that his aquarium ticket stubs from three years ago will never leave his room.<br />
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On his blog, Likens talks about how calming a road trip was for him. Brayden is our best traveler and always has been. The only time he complains is when we stop and make him get out. So why does Liken's enjoy these trips? Because he knows his parents will be there from start to finish. They will not have to go to work, run to the store or leave the house for some other obligation. Everything is stable and consistent in a car traveling to a destination. There are no transitions in the car. Makes total sense.<br />
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A third connection from Liken's writings that I found interesting was how he interpreted his inability to socialize. This has always been a huge area of concern with Brayden. He is a totally different child at home than he is in a social situation and there are very few people that he can actually have a conversation with outside of his family. Likens experienced this same frustration growing up. In his words, he found it difficult to engage in a conversation because of how fast his mind work. He over thinks everything. So in conversation, he has to think about what the person is saying and then his response and then predict what the person's response will be to his response. If you add another person to the conversation...well, you can just imagine all the thinking that goes on. This would completely explain why Brayden only listens in social situations.<br />
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Along this same line is probably one of the most interesting aspects about Likens that appears to be similar for Brayden. Likens is a well known speaker for Autism. Yes, he is a public speaker who speaks to thousands of professionals, parents and students. He describes himself as an actor playing out the role. When public speaking, there is no conversation. It is almost always one way. You speak about what you know most about. We have found that Brayden has no trouble talking in front of his class or speaking in his school play. This has puzzled those who have labeled him as "painfully shy". If I look at it from Liken's perspective, it makes total sense.<br />
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I have only read the book once and given all the insight it has given, I think it deserves a second glance. What do you think about my connections? Reading this book almost made me feel like I have a spy in my son's brain who might be able to help me understand him better. What do you think?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-83244021916748244242013-05-12T18:15:00.001-04:002013-09-07T21:30:17.921-04:00Paleo Almond Joy CookiesHappy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. I've been doing so well staying Paleo and today I was craving a little sweetness on Mother's Day. These cookies turned out so delicious that I had to share them with you. You can easily double this but since I really don't want them hanging around for long, I made this version.<br />
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Paleo Almond Joy Cookies<br />
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1 1/4 cup almond flour (I use Trader Joe's)<br />
1/4 tsp salt (I use sea salt)<br />
1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (room temperature), honey or agave (I use syrup)<br />
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl. Mix wet into dry until combined. I use a spoon for all my mixing. Fold in chocolate chips. Take a taste, it's yummy raw! Drop by the spoonful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-19717896618729349622013-04-28T12:29:00.002-04:002013-04-28T12:31:10.685-04:00The end of my Whole 30 or is it?As you may recall, it was almost 30 days ago that me and my husband began the Whole 30 journey together. In the beginning, it was really hard as I struggled with my cravings for comfort foods. Somewhere during week two though things turned around and I began to feel really good. Our plan was to finish on April 30th and just continue to eat an 80% Primal diet with some cheat days. We decided to end on April 27th so we could celebrate my husband's birthday.<br />
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Now my husband has a major sweet tooth at times but he also has good self discipline. He decided awhile back that he was going "all out" on his birthday. Personally, I didn't really feel like indulging in a bunch of junk but I agreed to his dinner request for pizza. In addition, I sampled a few of the sweets he brought into the house on this "binge day". Wow, we were both miserable and the sounds and smells coming from my husband were unpleasant to put it politely. We both agreed that we enjoyed how wonderful we felt on the Whole 30 and with the exception of adding some organic dairy, we plan to continue.<br />
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Here are just a few of the benefits I encountered:<br />
1. I lost 7 pounds all the while gaining muscle!<br />
2. My hair changed. It is really odd but the texture became very flowing and shiny.<br />
3. My complexion cleared some<br />
4. My bathroom schedule was very predictable (I know TMI)<br />
5. I had close to zero stomach issues. My only issue was if I ate eggs every day<br />
6. I never caught a single virus that my kids brought into the house (and they brought several)<br />
7. I learned how often in the past I would just sample my kids foods or finish their plates when they were done. All of this really added up as I fought off my temptations in doing so.<br />
8. My toddler ate almost all Paleo foods and has no more stomach problems<br />
9. I no longer felt the need to eat any more than four times per day. Previously I was hungry every 2-3 hours.<br />
10. I just felt wonderful!<br />
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So how can I not continue? Me and my husband both agree that if we really crave something, like ice cream, we will do it only once per week on a work out day. But the way I've been feeling, I doubt I'll be craving much!<br />
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So I'll leave you with a few more pictures of some meals I made.<br />
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This was a quick and simple lunch. I stir fried the chicken with coconut oil and fresh pineapple. I baked the sweet potatoes with cinnamon and coconut oil and the broccoli was just steamed.<br />
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This was grilled chicken with BBQ sauce (homemade), grilled zucchini and pan fried basa. We weren't sure we would like the basa but we loved it! I just breaded it with almond flour, italian seasoning and salt. I dipped the pieces in egg, flour and then pan fried them in oil. It was fabulous!<br />
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I think I woke up extra hungry this day. I fried some eggs in the bacon grease and then the zucchini, mushrooms and turnips in the remaining grease. It was really good.<br />
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So there you have it! Today is the day after our little binge fest and I am so happy to be eating healthy again!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-41657499252465695202013-04-18T21:47:00.000-04:002013-04-19T20:48:16.916-04:00The answer to the misery of mathToday I'm going to take you back to that puzzle I'm working on with figuring out my kiddos and how to best meet their needs. I was recently given another piece of the puzzle to tackle and that piece happens to involve math. You either love math or hate math, in my opinion. <br />
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Since the beginning of the school year, Brayden has been in tears over math. It is the main reason he states for "hating" school. Yet, none of us could figure out why because he can rattle off math problems in his head. He scores high on his quarterly test for math. He never had a problem with it until the double digits with borrowing reared their ugly heads.<br />
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Both of my kids fell apart with this little twist in their schooling so I ran to my expert, their occupational therapist (OT). For Teagan, the answer was so incredibly simple. She has a severe bilateral coordination deficit. She has trouble crossing the midline of her paper. She is a child that writes up the side of the paper because her brain doesn't tell her to go to the next line. So our OT did a double digit problem with her by highlighting one column so she could see the separation and placing an "X" so that even the single digits were double. I was shocked. This simple change made everything click for Teagan and that kid can knock out her math like a whiz.<br />
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Brayden's another story. When you do double digit math, you are no longer just counting, a basic skill learned early on. There is a process or praxis in solving this type of math. As his OT explained it, this process starts with an Ideation (picture), then there is the Motor component (plan and organize) followed by the Execution. So Ideation-Motor-Execution. Brayden has no problem picturing things but when it comes to planning and organizing, he is at a deficit. He has difficulty planning what to do and how to do it. So for him, he can't figure out which side to start with. Then he can't figure out when to borrow. If you tell him this planning part, he has no problem doing the actual math.<br />
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Dys-praxia, basically difficulty planning what to do and how to do it is essentially what frustrates Brayden with school. His two biggest struggles are math and writing. Writing requires the same process. You have a picture in your mind of what you want to write but then you have to plan and organize it before you can execute it. He can verbally tell you an answer but he struggles at putting it in writing.<br />
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So how do you fix all this? Well, that is the million dollar question. How do we get him the help he needs to tackle these two areas of school? Basically we are back at the first step of more evaluating by the school in hopes of getting more help...ughh!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-78421827386972327572013-04-17T12:33:00.001-04:002013-04-19T20:48:42.834-04:00Whole 30 Update and Menu ideasAs you may recall, I began another Whole 30 meal plan (I hate the word diet) on April 1st and I thought I'd update you on my progress and show you some of my yummy creations.<br />
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My first week was very very hard! My son had his 8th birthday and it was torture to bake and frost cupcakes for him but I did it without a lick. That first week I lost 4 pounds! I know most of that is water but it was so nice. My body fat barely budged so I was disappointed with that.<br />
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I just finished week 2 and it has been much easier. Me and my husband both agree we feel so much better eating a whole diet. I lost 2 more pounds and my body fat percentage went down almost 2% so I was very excited with that progress. The other benefit for me has been noticing all the times I finished my kids snacks or just had a small treat throughout the day. It really adds up and I notice now that I can't have those things. Another benefit has been that Ellie now asks for carrots, cucumbers and apples for her snacks. She rarely eats junk because its not around during the day. <br />
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So I've taken a few pictures of some of our meals for you all to see. I have to use my iTouch right now so I apologize about the quality but I think they still look yummy!<br />
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Here you have two ground pork burgers seasoned with cinnamon and salt. At he advice of a dear friend, we placed them on top of a lightly grilled red pepper and that was outstanding. The greens are spinach and avocado.<br />
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Here you have two eggs over medium with sweet Italian sausage stir fried with orange, red peppers and asparagus. A very tasty breakfast.<br />
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This is my quick go to lunch. It really only takes about 10 minutes. I stir fry a little chicken in coconut oil and then add tons of veggies with some coconut aminos. Today, I added pecans and shredded coconut at the end and it was heavenly.<br />
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And last but not least is a simple delicious salad. I have mixed greens, avocado, cucumbers, blueberries and bacon. I topped it with some oil and vinegar. It was really simple but delicious.<br />
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Hope this gave you some healthy ideas!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645619874961416194.post-54126673561186536752013-04-04T20:30:00.002-04:002013-04-19T20:50:17.534-04:00Why your not getting an iPad - A letter to my son on his birthdayDear Brayden,<br />
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I realize you requested a $500 iPad for your 8th birthday. I am writing you this letter so that someday you will understand why your parents chose not to get you an iPad today.<br />
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1. Instead of an iPad, we chose to buy you a $30 digital drum for your birthday. You are such a talented artist and we can't help but wonder if you have musicality within in. For years you have always hummed a tune or had a rhythm coming from your lips and now it is time for you to see if that same rhythm comes from your hands.<br />
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2. Instead of an iPad, we chose to buy you a Nerf semi automatic gun. Now I know the grandmas in our family aren't going to appreciate this one but you come from parents who believe in teaching their children how to respect a weapon. There may come a time in your life where you won't be allowed to have a gun but there will always be Nerf. I think this Nerf is the perfect tool to teach you that you never point a weapon at anything you don't intend to harm. I also want you to learn that you should never put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to pull it. You will notice that no one else in your house has a Nerf gun as your mother does not believe you are of an age where combat play with other armed people is appropriate. You must first learn to respect a weapon for what it is. So for now, feel free to take this "toy" outside and pretend those trees are Ninjas.<br />
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3. Instead of an iPad, we chose to buy you Legos. Now I know an iPad can teach you hand/eye coordination but there is something about three dimensional objects that really reinforces this skill. You have the mind of an engineer so your teachers tell me. I feel as your mother I need to provide you with the tools to reinforce this ability. Frankly my sweet boy, your hand writing needs some work too. I thought Legos would be much more fun than writing your name 50 times on a piece of paper. Given the creatures you've produced today, I'd say it was the right call.<br />
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4. Instead of an iPad, we chose to buy you a table top foosball game. We realize you don't like team sports. We have no intention of forcing those upon you. We do however feel that you need to learn the benefits of playing on a team. This game will teach you the rules of this sport while affording you with more hand/eye coordination learning opportunities. So feel free to play golf all summer but know that you must still learn team sports.<br />
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5. Instead of an iPad, we chose to buy you and your best friends foam swords to practice your Ninja moves in the backyard. Any toy that can get you to move that much is worth every penny!<br />
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And most of all,<br />
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6. Instead of an iPad, I chose to spend time with you. This one will be hard for you to understand at the young age of eight but some day you will get it. You see, if I buy you an iPad for your birthday, then I have to buy your sisters an iPad for their birthdays. Before I know it you will turn nine and expect the next newest and greatest thing. <br />
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Three years ago when your sister was born, I made the choice to spend time with you rather than buy you things which I was so guilty of doing when I worked full time. You see, I could have continued to work and let others aid in raising you, and spoil you with the latest and greatest. But dear Brayden, mommy missed you and your sister. So I hope you don't mind that the selfish mommy in me has decided to stay home and raise you rather than buy you an iPad.<br />
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So on your eighth birthday Brayden, you did not get an iPad. Instead you got rhythm, games, and ways to build your hand/eye coordination. You got exercise with your friends and family. <br />
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What you may not realize is that you also got a mother who could join you at lunch during long school days, volunteer for field trips and help at class parties. You got a mom who could pick you up from school every day and have hot muffins waiting on the table when you came home hungry. You got a mom who could nurture you back to health when you stayed home sick from school. You got a mom who could spend every day of the summer exploring, teaching and playing with you. And finally, my sweet Brayden, you got a mom who will give every moment of her free time researching, learning, and advocating for what you need to be the most successful young man you can be. So no, you did not get an iPad, but from the looks of things you don't really need one.<br />
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I love you little buddy,<br />
Mommy<br />
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