Trick -or-Treating

Last night was Beggars' Night, and we headed out with several of the neighborhood kids. Here they are in their costumes... (Brennan is the Clone Trooper in the middle)
And some other pics from the night...

Jack-o-lantern

Tonight our neighbor knocked on our door to invite us over to carve pumpkins. Her father was in charge of the carving, and the kids did everything else. They were pretty excited about it.

She's a Strange Girl

Today Cara was in the bathroom for quite awhile, and I could tell she was just messing around. When I went in to check on her, this is what I found:

Preschool Halloween Party

Here is Cara's preschool class the day of their class party. Cute kids, cute costumes. Cara right in the middle - she went as Tinkerbell.

She was quite serious about decorating her little candy basket.
She was also serious eating her pumpkin cookie.And even more serious making her pumpkin.

Vocal Concert

Here are a couple pics of the elementary vocal concert that was on Monday night. It had a Disney theme, and 3rd grade did Mary Poppins songs. During the "Supercali..." song, Brennan got to do the slide whistle. He was the hit of the show, I think. Everyone loved the sound and started laughing.

Riley's 2 Favorite Sleeping Spots

On top of my camera bag:

Next to Mason:

Quick Update to the Last Post

Well, I'm feeling much better. That Mobic is great stuff! It's amazing how my aches and pains seem to be gone. Arch supports are doing their job as well!

Mason starts the partial hospitalization, day-school program again tomorrow. Things escalated to the point where the doctor needed him there to see what is going on with him and hopefully will be able to make some adjustments that will help him. This is most definitely not an easy thing for me as a parent. I think this time M understands it better - that this is to help him, and it's not a punishment. He'll be home at night just like a normal school day. Please send prayers his way.

What I Know and Don't Know

I know I have joint pain. The blood tests came back normal with the exception of CRP, which is a C-reactive protein. Basically I have inflammation. Somewhere. Caused by something. Hmmm. So I was prescribed Mobic, which if you google it, it's taken for arthritis. Okay, but which kind I ask? Who knows. I go back in a month to the doctor to see what step to take next.

I know I have plantar fasciitis. So, I finally tracked down the right type of arch supports - HyVee is the only one I could find that carried the prescribed type. I wore them half of the day yesterday. Definitely an improvement. My feet didn't hurt at the end of the day. This could also be because of the Mobic - because my thumb joint wasn't hurting either.

I know Mason is diagnosed with mood disorder - NOS. NOS is the worst - Not Otherwise Specified. Basically it's a big - I Don't Know. However, the medicine he's recently been prescribed (both the one that caused the anaphlactic shock/overdose symptoms as well as the new one as of last night) - Abilify - if you google that it's for bipolar disorder. Which I've been suspecting for at least a year and a half due to his cycling. Hmmmm, but do I know for sure? No. Do the doctors know for sure? No. He's really too young to be 100% sure. Therefore, the NOS label.

I know bipolar disorder for kids has been big in the last year or so in the news media. Is it really real? Can it actually be diagnosed accurately? Is the medication safe? I don't know. All I do know is that life is hard for Mason, which makes it hard for everyone around him. And when I say hard - I really mean something much more than that. Google (my info source for everything) bipolar disorder for kids. Read this ARTICLE. I just bought a book last night to read more on it.

Medical Updates

Update pertaining to Mason: He started a new medicine last week. He took it 3 nights in a row, and then was to add in a morning dose on Saturday, which we did. Unfortunately he had a bad reaction to it - anaphlactic shock. It was one of the scariest things I've had happen to one of my kids. I managed to reach his doctor on his emergency line, and he told me to give him Benadryl and it should knock it out. It did after it a little while, but he went through all kind of stuff before then. We got lucky that his airway didn't close before the medicine kicked in. So, his doctor said to not give him the morning dose anymore that it must be too much in his body, but to keep doing the night one since it had been fine before. Well, I did that Sunday and Monday night, and then this morning, 13 hours after taking it, he starting having the same symptoms! I gave him Benadryl immediately since I knew what was happening this time, and after 15 minutes he fell asleep and then woke up 15 minutes later just fine. After talking with the doctor's nurse today, we are discontinuing that medicine - I would have fought it if they hadn't said that - and are taking a week off to let it get out of his body. Then it's try, try again for a new med that will help stabilize his moods.

Update pertaining to me: I've been having joint pain for quite awhile, but it's become increasingly more painful in the last few months. It's mostly in my feet, some in my hands, and possibly even past back pain could have been related to all the same thing. I saw my doctor today, and for sure I have plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the bottom of the foot between the ball of the foot and the heel. Also, she is suspecting that I have arthritis. I had blood drawn so she could hopefully rule out an inflammatory type of arthritis. If I don't have that, then she thinks it's osteoarthritis.

The joy of doctors, medicine, and pain.

Fave Weekend Photos

Most of the photos are from a pumpkin farm visit that included this little old school house. The kids had a blast. Other photos are random from the last couple days, as well as a few from my great-grandma's 108th birthday party. The hands are all the females across five generations on my maternal side.

Happy 108th!

Yep, that's right! My great-grandma Hazel is 108 today. Amazing, isn't she? We're going to visit her on Sunday to celebrate. Here's an older pic I took of her hand and Cara's hand.

Too Cute

Cara typically never wears anything in her hair. One good reason is because she hardly has any. The other reason is she doesn't leave anything there. However, I found these cute barrettes that are no-slip grip, and they work well. I knew she would love the spider webs! I may have to keep shopping for more... you know, once the saving thing is over. :)

Cyclical Behavior

Yep, it's happening. Mason is cycling through the same behavior pattern again. And while it's just as hard to deal with, I feel somewhat detached. Like - been there, done that. Find something quickly to stop the rages, and let's keep on living. While I do feel detached, I feel trepidation at having him at school. Seems just easier to keep him at home, although I can't just do that. Thoughts or prayers are much appreciated.

Just Because...

I love this photo. This is a neighbor girl who is close to Cara's age. She is beautiful, isn't she? She and her family are moving in just a couple weeks, and I think Cara's going to have a hard time with it.

*Spending/Saving Update... So I'm Not Too Good At This

At least, at the updating thing... Mostly I've spent money on a Pepsi a day and then some gas (which I'm happy about since the cost is going down). A few other things here and there. It's getting hard for me... I know, poor me... I want to spend and buy. But I do realize the things I'm thinking about are not necessities, for the most part.

Sweet Relief

Tonight was the first class of the year for religious education for the boys. I'll be honest and tell you I've been dreading it. Mason attended part of the year for 1st grade, but we had a respite worker with him each time just in case. It didn't get set up in time this year, so I would be taking him and leaving him there alone.

Today he said at different times, "Why do I have to go?... "I hate CCD."... "It's going to be so boring."... "An hour is such a long time."..."I'm not going." Now, for Mason, talking about something all day usually means his anxiety is escalating, and there's just no chance he's going to do whatever it is. Somehow, and I don't know how, he walked in and stayed in the room by himself. I went to find the coordinator to make sure he/the class would be checked on, made sure he had my cell number, etc. Finally I left, imagining a phone call at any point.

He made it through the whole class while I agonized. He came out smiling, gave me a big hug, and said, "I had fun!" like he couldn't even believe it. Whew!!! Next we picked up Brennan and he said he liked his class too.

Seriously - I am relieved. Maybe I won't have to fight a battle each and every Wednesday night! I'm going to celebrate by eating ice cream and reading a book!!