The Fisch Tank: August 2009

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Monday, August 24, 2009

Which Way Is The Mall?

Aubrey and Reagan 14 months old.

We spent the weekend at birthday parties for some special little people in our lives.

Any time we are in the car it is flooded with non-stop questions!

These moments happen to be during the brief moments Todd and I turn the radio off.

WHY do we turn off the radio? you ask.... ??

Well, we can only take so much of the Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus cd, sometimes we seek just a touch of silence. But, during our tween listening experience we repeatedily need to turn OFF the music to answer the little questions the seem so URGENT to ask above the already 'turn it up' volume level that has been requested. Flipping chaos I tell ya!!! Off, on, off, on, turn it up, turn it off I have a question.....boggles my mind that I can even drive in a contained auditory overload!

Not all of our responses are kicked back at us with the 'why' question anymore. It's a sequence of open ended questions THEY team up on us and ask. They (the questions) require more than a yes or no answer.

We can't just shut the door on thier thought process by simply answering with yes or no. Usually I try to answer thier questions matter of factly.

I used to get away with using the simple anser : 'magic' for those tough to answer questions that I don't feel they were really ready for the answer to. Like 'how did you make us, or how did we come out?' Well, they don't go for the 'magic' response anymore.

So, instead of drowning them in endless detailed responses that will only create MORE questions I see how far I can go with one, two, or three word answers, the door is open for conversation...and panic!!

On one URGENT run of questions Reagan presented us these:

Do you need a key for all cars? yes

How do you drive? steering and pedals

Which pedal makes the car go? the little one

Which pedal makes the car stop? the big one

Which way is the mall? it's the other way.......(WARNING!!!! WARNING!!! BEEP BEEP, BELLS, WHISTLES!!! ) RAY! Let's stop right there and talk about car safety!. This was a very direct response that was peppered with exclamation points and the rules, regulations, dangers, of cars!! Todd and I looked at each other bewildered and got right back into the dangers of cars! We made them repeat countless times to never get into the front seat! (which I've been adamant about since they could climb in themselves. It's been one of my biggest Danger speeches since day 1. No way is this a toy!!!) We know mama, we know mama...Can you put Hannah back on please?

Edie Update

Since birth Edie has had countless ear infections.

November 2008 Edie had a ruptured ear drum.

April 2009 Edie failed her first hearing test and was diagnosed with chronic fluid in her ears, it was recommended she get 'tubes' to alleviate the fluid and better evaluate her hearing issues. She was hearing her world as if she were under water all the time.

May 5, 2009 Edie had bilateral myringotomy tubes put in (tubes).

Two weeks later at her post-op she showed improvements, but to our surprise had a blocked tube! We would have to flush the said ear, and if it were still to be blocked at her next ENT appointment we would have to schedule that ear to be 're-tubed'.

June 11, 2009 She had a well child check at her new pediatrician and she also confirmed the tube was STILL blocked. We followed her directions on how to 'flush' the blockage and kept our fingers crossed until her next hearing test at the ENT.

July 26, 2009 post-op hearing test. She 'passed' her hearing was withing normal limits and NO BLOCKED TUBE!!

July 6th, 7th and 13th, Edie was evaluated by the Elementary School.

Day 1 she was administered:

Peabody Picture Vocab Test III A
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 2

Day 2 she was administered:

Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development II
Domains: General Knowledge and Compensation

The following week we had a conference and she was 'coded' with a severe articulation disability. An IEP was drawn up and she was to start school the end of August M-Thurs mornings! The twins were to go to a diff school M-Wed afternoons! Well, Paint my car yellow and slap a 'school bus' sticker on it please!

She tested above average on her Day 1 testing. But Day 2 she was difficult to understand in her response to some questions. Choosing and pointing she did great, ask her use the word of what it was, or have her use the noun, it took her a long time to process, and when she did try to imitate the word she just imitated the syllables. She could not use language to respond to the questions and she couldn't 'build' the words. :( She did however use her sense of humor and kept both evaluators laughing with some of her animated responses!! Those of you that know her, know what I mean! She is a comedian.

We have an open house tomorrow, and I will do my best not to cry when we drop her off on Wednesday...sniffle, sniffle....... I'M OKAAAAAYYYYYY!!