Monday, February 27, 2017

Our little trailblazer!

Ever since Ashton was a little guy he loved to be outside!  Outside, especially in the woods are his happy place!  Yesterday he continued with his "trailblazing", using sticks and pruning sheers to blaze more hiking trails in the woods behind our house!  What an awesome boy!

I asked him yesterday if when he grew up maybe he would have a job in the forest service.....he was quite curious!

Monday, February 20, 2017

Daddy...the magic happy pill!

Daddy came home Saturday night and Ashton has been magically so happy since!  It's really nice to see him so happy!  Hope it lasts!

Sunday, February 19, 2017

February Blur

February has been one big blur!  I feel like we need a do-over!  Olav's sister Anne-Britt died unexpectedly and daddy had to leave for nearly 3 weeks.  Talk about chaos at home!  While daddy was gone, poor Ashton got the stomach bug two times.  One time so badly, I thought I was going to have to go the emergency room with him.  Thankfully after throwing up for 8 hours straight, he finally settled down!

Ashton continues to struggle behaviorally.  He's frequently angry and moody.  He can be aggressive and mean.  Lately he has been in a name calling mode.  Makes me so sad.  We did start with a new counselor at Brooklane and she seems much more in touch with kids his age, so I am hopeful that she will be able to help us!

We has an IEP screening meeting for him this past week at school and they've agreed to do Functional Behavior Assessment on him, and create a Behavioral Intervention Plan for him.  I am not sure it will work as I feel like we've done a lot of this informally, but it will be important in the long run for this information to formally documented. 

We will also be going to the pediatrician this week to look at ADHD and possible medication.  Still not sure how I feel about all this, but I am also aware things are not improving but seem to be snowballing.  We also have an appointment with a nurse practitioner at Brooklane who deals in other medication besides ADHD, should they deem it is something else.  I guess time will tell.

I'd really like to get him through this school year, start first grade with a new teacher and see if things don't improve....if not go to plan b.  But I also realize that his self-esteem/self-worth is on the line as well!

Things have been rough with his sister Lily. He seems to have taken a lot of his aggression out on her.  Trying to physically harm her. 

Even though he continues to do nothing at school, at home he shows signs of learning.  I've been informally homeschooling him at night and he is reading on an instructional C level.  He apparently hates math at school, but appears to like it at home.  He seems very bright to me.  He has a large vocabulary and enjoys writing words and letters.  He also continues to love arts and crafts.  He always is wanting to do a craft!

He was playing basketball, but it was short lived as he got hit in the nose with basketball.  I've been trying to get him to go back, but so far no luck.  Hopefully with daddy home, he will be encouraged to try again!

He continues to go to gymnastics and awanna which he always says he doesn't want to do anymore, but once he is there he doesn't want to leave!  Thankfully those are the two area where he actually experiences the most social success!  And of course he LOVES his kindle!!!!  It's like the great pacifier!