SERIOUSLY, 2011 was the last entry?????

I have thought many times about updating this blog. Sometimes I did not post because I was "too busy" or I did not know how to get the thoughts out. Well, recently I have been helping families and attending new groups. One is Families Supporting Each Other, an I was asked to do a parent story to be shared with professionals and other families. I loaded the blog about 2 weeks ago and took a trip down memory lane. I laughed (I am one funny chick), I cried (seriously, I did), and I processed. I started the blog for mental therapy. I needed a safe place to be with my thoughts.

Well, as you can imagine, there have been numerous changes, milestones obtained and missed, and physical changes too.......they can't stay small forever!

School's In Session!

Well, it is that time of year. Brooke is in the 7TH grade, Logan is in 5TH, and Abigail is in Pre-K.

We met with the kids teachers in August and they all seemed to be very nice and the kids were happy. Abby continued school during the summer (what a slacker, lol). She is in the ILP, which is the Intensive Learning Program. She did really well. We just had her PPT and some changes were made, hopefully for the better. She is receiving PT, OT and speech through the school in addition to private OT. Our main concerns were with her SLP (speech language pathologist) because she was not on board with supporting things that have been working at home. Well, as it turns out she has a new SLP and they were together during the summer. YIPPEE!!!! Lots of goals have been set and so many seem attainable. She is blossoming so fast. Different sounds and occasionally a word :) Today she said car while playing all alone with her Barbie car!

Brooke and Logan are both playing soccer and now are both doing archery. They are amazing kiddos and prove that daily. It just stinks that they are not young enough to trick anymore, lol. They understand sarcasm and use it on each other. Oh boy, those teen years are coming!!

Eric's job is still horrible and I am still working part-time at the Pediatric Center. Things are crazier than ever with kids going in opposite directions almost everyday but we would not trade it for the world!

You go girl!!!!!!!!!

Just found out today that Brooke was selected for National Junior Honor Society!! She worked very hard for this. B-Dogg also had 2 soccer games on Sunday and played awesome!

Memorial Day by Brooke Gustafson

OH ABBY ABBY.............

Well, there are so many things to report about Miss Abigail. There have been so many changes since my last post. Let's start with.......SHE IS WALKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hard to believe that day has come. Her PT was able to see heer get up and walk unassisted right before her 3rd birthday. Abby was involved in a program called Birth to Three and I cannot sing their praises enough. Since Abby was 6 months old she had PT, OT, Speech and a Special Education teacher coming to our home and working with her and our family then at day care whn I returned to work. Since March, Abbby has attended preschool to get her services. She goes on the bus and loves the bus ride. She has been ill quite a bit lately so she has only been going 1-2 days a week. The transition is still hard for her and takes such a toll on her body. She tends to take much longer naps in school days.

We still no not have any diagnosis for Abby but even if we did nothing would change how we provide care or services she would receive. She is still non-verbal but understands simple directions and signs. We actually just got back from an inpatient stay at CCMC once again. I had to call 9-1-1 for her on Wed. am. I wonder why Eric and I have gray hairs!!!

Everyday we can see her doing more and more and she is the luckiest girl in the world to have a brother, sister and daddy like she has!!!!

Her specialists these days are: Neurology, ENT, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, urologist, pulmonologist, orthopedic, Shriner's hospital, nutritionist. pt, ot, and speech at school and private OT and craniosacral. Need to give a shout out to Noreen Wallace and her son Jeff at Therapeutic Enterprises in Woodstock, CT!!!! She is on a gluten casein free diet.

Abby has overcome many sensory issues recently. She LOVES music, reading, watching Yo Gabba Gabba, building blocks and she is awesome with puzzles.

So What Is Logan Up To Now?????

Logan is now in the 4th grade and loving school. He is an honor roll student and really does well in all subjects. He is an avid reader these days and does a lot of journaling. He is still involved in The Young Marines. He was promoted to Private First Class Gustafson and just received Young Marine of the quarter. He has earned numerous ribbons (they are worn on the uniform) for various activities and community service. Above pics are him being promoted and the tin foil is food he had to cook at a cold weather encampment in March. It got down to 17 degrees that night. All food had to be cooked in the fire. Logan had hamburger for lunch and dinner was Fillet wrapped in bacon and corn that he had put lime and butter on. He had to tend to fire watch that night and construct a shelter. He is playing baseball this year. He broke his collar bone last June playing soccer so he has decided to try something else for now. He is into classical music and loves to take pictures on his MP3 player. He would like to do an act in his school's talent show this year so he is learning magic!!

It Has Been Way Too Long.....Brooke Update

So time flies bye so fast and so many things have happened. First let's Brooke.....

Brooke is now in 6th grade and an honor student. She just submitted an application to NJHS (national junior honor society). You must be selected just to fill out the application. She had a 300 word essay to write and we will know in June if she has made it or not. She is still playing oboe and singing. She was selected to sing a solo for jazz ensemble. She has made the QVSA travel soccer team. She was selected in the fall as a B player but had been brought up on a few occasions to play with the A team. She continued to play soccer during the winter indoors. Spring soccer has proven to be great so far. She is now a member of the A and B team. She is playing in the CT State Cup and has been playing so hard. She will be playing 5 games over Memorial Day weekend. She also played basketball for the school team this past fall, she was so excited to have made the team! She is also an avid archer. Eric's dad has gotten her completly addicted to archery and we have been told by many people that she is a natural. She has won medals and trophies and often beats the men!! She has learned to sign and can sing and sign many of Abby's favorite songs. She sews, knits and makes cakes. Abby's 3rd b-day cake is above.