Tough Times...handle with prayer

When the going gets tough, the tough get going...

...If something isn't working, change it up...

...We've had some hard things (or there continues to be hard things) but they continue to teach us valuable lessons. Bryce literally knocked me on my back today. We went to occupational therapy and when I squatted down to talk to him, he jumped on me and knocked me flat on my back. He has had two sessions of meltdowns and I just don't think it's worth it. So, I think we won't worry about it right now. Preschool is going well so I'm not going to pull him out on Wednesdays anymore. (While we were at Texas children, he went potty. Yay!)

Later today he had a big potty training disaster. While in the middle of it, Brielle came to me with a bloody nose. Yikes! Some days, you're just pulled in all sorts of directions. Parenthood isn't easy, that's for sure.

These pumpkins came out as an incentive for good behavior. It's a good reminder to put the focus on the good things. We're trying to help unwanted behavior disappear.

I've tried to have the kids in swim and have debated whether to stick with it. Today was a day of reckoning. The timing isn't right. There's too much going on. We have way too many doctor appointments, way too many things to catch up on. We need to keep it simple. I think we've missed more than we go. It's time to cut back.

Although things have settled as far as Bryce is now in full day preschool and it's a good break for him and a good break for me, there's much to be done. I'm playing catch up on bills, paperwork, learning a new language, enjoying a growing baby that's starting to get busy, researching cochlears and trying to decide on one of the 3 brands ( you should see the thick manuals we need to read, decide about a vaccine against meningitis ( cochlears increase your risk slightly), look into safety precautions for Bryce (we need to try and get a deaf child at play sign up) and also a possible handicap sign.

Bryce is considered legally blind with his optic atrophy. We still don't know the degree to what he's visually impaired but we know there's something.

Bryce is a tough one. He stumbles and falls a lot bc of his awkward gait. We're scheduled (in December) to see a GI Dr bc of his loose stools. His compromised vision also causes safety concerns and issues. (The school nurse called today to let me know he has a bruise on his head bc he hit a door post.) Then there's the bilateral severe hearing loss. All that he's going through is hard for him and hard (physically and emotionally) for me.

Brayden is quite as bad (slight, very slight optic atrophy). His hearing loss is about 50%. He's one amazing kid to do so well in school despite this challenge. His challenges also include behavior challenges. He's more frustrated and we see more aggression (much like we saw with Bryce). He's experiencing ADHD behavior and struggles to focus his attention. We notice this the most when we ask him to do things. We have to ask many times. He's still taking piano lessons but it's also a challenge to get him to use a metronome because of the hearing loss.

As we haven't heard back on the genetic testing, they are thought to have mitochondrial disease. I can't even pretend I understand it, much like I can't pretend to understand auditory neuropathy.

What I do know is somehow Heavenly Father blessed me with amazing kids. To see them struggle through their challenges is hard but to see them face them head on, is just inspiring. Sometimes I'm lacking in energy and endurance, time (I still haven't posted Braydens baptism pictures), optimism etc but I'm not lacking in motivation. Love for my kids motivates me to keep trying, one day at a time.