Family Summer Vacation with my special boy and our family.

Inclusion...As it should be.

My child has mental health issues. They do NOT have him, though. He may have his quirks and his ways of viewing the world around him. But when you get down to the brass tacks of it all, he is just your average, ordinary, everyday kid who loves, loves to be loved, plays hard and loves to play with others (most of the time).

Also, we got his SOL (Standards of Learning) scores back from taking them for Reading and Math. He placed Advanced in both. One of them (Reading) was a 2 hour to 2 1/2 hour test. He was able to go to another area to take his test and have as much time as he needed. He felt less stressed and anxiety-ridden, and felt more at ease at knowing that he could just take HIS time and not feel any pressure.

We are now officially out of school for the Summer. But we are getting B in to the Day Treatment Camp. And I already have his new Homeroom teacher lined up for next year. She is the ONLY one of the three in the 5th Grade Unit Special Ed. certified and is already acclimating him to be with her. In fact she started it MONTHS ago, seeing as they are only three doors down from one another. I love H's (now former) teacher!

     (My niece who is going to be a Senior in HS and B at the family reunion)

     (Five...yes, F-I-V-E generations of my husband's late Grandfather's side of the family. 7 kids, 16 grands and 32 great-grands, and 1 great-great grand. NOT all pictured here, but includes spouses/significant others, with my son in very front in red shirt and blue shorts.)

                (B in the school's Field Day race this past Thursday.)

Wordless Wednesday (McD's, A Picnic & A Party)

Spring Break I can see will be breaking me.

I can only afford to do so much with the kids. It's not like I'm rich or something, ya know.

And having a child that can't seem to sit still or NOT not be doing something can pose quite the challenge for a mom who has her kids home for a week on Spring Break. And if you think I'm going to be nuts by the end of this week, just you all wait for Summer Vacation.

So far, I have planned to take the kids up to the school at least twice, once at the end of the week to meet up with some of my mommy-friends from my daughter's Kindergarten class. Of course siblings will be there, too, for a picnic/play date.

And being that we have a $1.50 theater, where movies about to go to Blu-Ray and DVD are viewed one last time in the theater. Of course, with cheap admission, comes overly priced popcorn, drinks and candy goodies. But it's worth it. We want to see "Gnomeo And Juliet".

Also, thanks to having a local Minor League Baseball Team, the Lynchburg Hillcats, I would like to try and take the kids for one or two home games. We love going to see the team play. And you never know when the team mascot, Southpaw will come over and give the kids a high-five or a hug. Or dance.

Add in that Bryce (and his sisters accordingly) love to play out in the back yard and ride their bikes, they will have something to always do, as long as the weather holds, of course.

But still, keeping an ADHD child busy can be serious business sometimes. This week isn't for sitting on my laurels and relaxing. It's housework, keeping kids in line and busy in one way or another, and having some serious fun.

Now, off to do the dishes, start laundry and clean our Bearded Dragon's cage.

Spring Break...And Teacher Not Returning. Blog Hop LINK-UP, too!

Bryce told me on the way home from getting his sister from her track meet yesterday that after today, his Homeroom Teacher will not be returning.

She is nine months pregnant. Her first baby. And she is due on Bryce's old due date (how cool is that??). He's a bit bummed by it, but understands. Although I'm worried for the Substitute Teacher about to fill in after we get back from Spring Break, which is all of next week.

There's not much we can do next week, but maybe take them to Putt-Putt Mini Golf and maybe a picnic lunch at the school playground once or twice. And of course, on the beautiful days, it's going to be VERY little DS playing, and MUCH more OUTSIDE playing for all three brats.

Do you have a Spring Break coming up, had it, or don't get one?

And be sure to link your blog up (BELOW) and have a GREAT Friday! I will..I'll be with the wee ones in Kindergarten having fun egg hunting and having a "Spring Party" (gotta be PC, ya know!).

Wordless Wednesday...All About My Lil Man!

Find New "Fab Friends" over at For The Love Of Blogs TODAY!

Friday. I love it. And I loathe it. Especially on mornings such as these where the kids don't wish to get along.

If you haven't done so yet, stop on by For The Love Of Blogs. It is a WONDERFUL community of bloggers. Vic, Ashley and the crew are awesome ladies (and guys, too!) to get to know. And the community is VERY organized and supportive.

Click on the Fab Friends Friday button below, and see what I'm talking about. And feel free to become a member of FTLOB and join in the Fab Friends Friday Hop.



To read my latest blog entry titled,"Three kids, a minivan and one parent" ,click on said title and it will take you right to it.

Also over on Twitter, For The Love Of Blogs is hosting their first-ever Twitter Party! Everyone is invited to join in the Twitter-ific fun. The party begins at 12 PM, EST on March 5th.

Use the hashtag #FTLOBPARTY when answering or asking questions to make it easier for @taylordates, @scenicglory or @ashley_plus3 to keep up.

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Sometimes I feel Alone In Parenting. Now There's A *GROUP* For Us!

I know that there are MILLIONS of parents that have to care for children that are not what society views as a "normal" child. We are of a unique "breed" of parenting. We are parents of children that have a disability of one kind or another.

Some of our kids have just one disability to live with and battle. Some of us have a child or even more than one child in our home that have a multitude of disabilities.

And for most of us, while the diagnosis may be the same in comparison, the way our lives and theirs, their severity of disability and how each individual home decides to "deal with it" may greatly differ.

There are times, especially when Bryce is having a really bad "off" day, I feel so very isolated and alone. Like no one truly understands what he goes through, or that I do as his mother. At times, I think that no one really CAN understand.

But then after the storm passes, I then know that indeed, I am NOT alone. There really ARE other parents out in the world like me that live daily with the struggles of having a disabled child. May the child be physically, mentally, or even emotionally or behaviorally challenged.

Now, thanks to Vic, Ashley and Danielle over at For The Love Of Blogs (FTLOB), us parents that are raising children that are considered "Special Needs" will have a group/place of our own to come together and talk and get/give support.

Most of the time, Special Needs Parents are shut out from the rest of the world. We are considered "taboo", as are our children and their medical problems. And it is such a shame, seeing as our children can teach the rest of the world more than us "normal" people can of how to give UNCONDITIONAL love, support and acceptance.

If you wish to also join the group and get to know other parents of Special Needs kids, just click on the link I provided and follow the instructions.

And you can also join a host of other groups that the FTLOB family is putting together. I cannot say enough about this EXTREMELY wonderful and supportful community, where both fellow bloggers, as well as those that just love to read blogs, can come together as one and support each other, and form some wonderful friendships.

Hope to see you join me there soon!

Let's Get A-Hoppin'! It's Magical Monday. (blog hop)

Another week has started. What better way to kick it off on a Monday that to participate in the Magical Monday blog hop, courtesy of For The Love Of Blogs!

But before you run over there and see who all is participating, feel free to also ADD YOUR LINK HERE!

But, before you do...

please LEAVE A *GENUINE* COMMENT here on my page to show that you have read it. Not a copy/paste thing or a "I followed you/follow me back" comment... I am okay with people stating if they came from another blog hop and found me. But I don't play the "followed you/follow me back" game.

**If you cannot abide by that one simple rule for linking on my page, I wish for you to NOT link it at all, nor even leave a COMMENT on my page.**

Now, be sure that BEFORE you head over to..



...to add your link (below) in my link-up tool area! Have a great Monday, everyone.