Is it time to blog again??

You know, I often forget this is here. And it's not really because I'm too busy to remember. It's just not something I think of. Maybe if more people followed my blog, I'd be more inclined to post. I think I'll start telling people it's here...

Ethan went in for his ADHD evaluation a few weeks ago, after his doctors appointment and our parenting crash course. After reviewing the information the teacher and I provided, and talking with him, and asking Ryan and I questions, the doctor decided she wasn't positive it was ADHD. She said she thought he wasn't openly defiant for the sake of defiance, but rather he was acting out in situations he was uncomfortable in. She recommended an autism evaluation, so we go again on Dec. 11th. I'm not surprised, but I'm still not sure where all of this will end up. I predicted that he'd be diagnosed with some combination of the two, both mild cases. We'll see if I'm right. If I am, it still leaves me with the "what to do next" question. Or, on the other hand, she can say he has tendencies towards both but doesn't qualify for either (that's what I think really is the case), and I still have the "what to do next" question. Hopefully she'll have productive answers for me.

I'm constantly thinking about the foster care situation. I feel guilty that I've pushed it aside. The strangest thing came shipped to my house last week: 2 cans of baby formula! It reminded me that God's calling is still there, even if I'm reluctant to follow. Prayer for this would be huge. More along the lines of prayer that I get up off my lazy butt and just do what I need to, to finish the mostly done paperwork and send it in.

Anna recently got another academic award. This time in Mathmatics. She's mastered her times tables really fast. She's so proud of herself. We did decide to go ahead and have her take her SCAT's for John Hopkins. She was really disappointed when she found out we weren't planning on doing it. I see the advantages though. So we've started preparing for the tests in February. But I worry about how much stock she takes in her intelligence. She expects total perfection in everything, and won't accept anything less in herself. She cried this grading period when she got 4 G's (sort of like a B grade) on her report card. She wanted all E's. She also got very upset when she didn't think she was getting an award, she expected it so much. I don't know how to get her to be proud of doing her best, regardless of recognition. In preparing for the SCAT's, she's been doing higher grade level work.. I watch her doing 5th grade work and see how easy she can grasp the subject matter and do the work. It amazes me just how intelligent she is. I'm blown away by her every day. I just wish she saw herself in a more positive light and wouldn't be so hard on herself. Anyone know how to convince her that she's awesome, even without her giftedness and talents?

Christian is becoming the most annoying little brother ever. I suppose it's to be expected, aren't all little brothers notorious for tormenting their older siblings?? Boy, does he ever know how to torment them both. He's also becoming very melodramatic and has such a flare for comedy. I saw this personality coming out last year in preschool, always the class clown. Lives to make people laugh. I'm very curious to see how he grows and changes in the coming years. I think he might wind up being an even bigger handful older, than his siblings were younger. But maybe it's a trade off? Horrible preschool years means better teenage years? Or am I just deluding myself??