Another catch up attempt

So I hope to have a few minutes

and 

the moment I start to type the Little's start whining. 

We shall see how this goes. 

A lot is going on...

We had all of our duct work torn out, 

a new furnace and air conditioning unit. 

That took two weekends of work. 

And a lot of cleaning. 

We have new register vents downstairs

and

have a few ones to put in upstairs 

over the next couple of months

all of those will be replaced. 

They are round vents and cost more than a typical 

floor vent. 

My dizzy spells are better and the constant 

congestion of the Boys has dwindled 

now that we don' t have leaky ducts 

that are full of 40 years of dirt, dust, grime

and 

mold. 

We learned that people's chaseways are not usually replaced. 

Ours however, was rusted out
 and
 at one point

was duct taped together. 

When checked out, it was no longer connecting the 

two air returns.
 Instead of pulling air through the 

filters, it was pulling air from inside our walls

and
from our upstairs main attic. 

Mmmm...

Logan began potty training willingly at school

and 

after a week we took it over at home. 

His Teacher has done it this way before with much success. 

He is doing really well, honestly!

#2's are not but he is dry most every night

and will even stop playing (even if outside!)

and go pee!

It has been a few weeks. 

I have sent out questions on the Special Needs message boards, 

researched books, tips, anything. 

His bowels are not regular so some of our structured teaching 

tips we received the other year was on the "schedule"

so from what I see at times kids like him can take 

1-2 years for the bowels or maybe never. 

We shall see. 

We had his IEP meeting it went pretty well. 

There is a difference from county to county

and 

I questioned about a few things. 

That requires a post on it's own don't know

when I can get that done. 

Aidan turned 6!  

I cannot believe it!

A hand full and now starting the second. 

He is doing pretty well. 

I got his room situated and cool weather clothes exchanged

so he is doing better. 

He doesn't function well in the disorganized mess

of change. 

Once things get uncluttered

and

clear he does much better. 

Especially, in the comfort of his bedroom. 

He says he likes this house, he does miss the old one. 

I asked what did he miss. 

(Since he would complain about how hot the back yard was.)

He misses his neighbor friends.  

Totally, understandable. 

I have been in touch with their Mom

and 

over winter break hope to meet up. 

In the midst of striking some poses..he was being a goof!

Our Sweet Baby D is loving school

and 

the new backyard. 

Today is Day 7 of him potty training!

I really wanted him started before he turned 3. 

We tried sometime this year.  I don't remember when exactly it was. 

I want to say June, when he was 2.5 like Big Bro Aidan. 

It just did not seem like his time. 

So, here we are and he is doing great. 

By Day #2 all on his own he did a #2 in the potty!

Now, he is similar to Aidan and a bit timid on 

the big potty and prefers the little ones. 

He has also become an example to Logan of how 

we mean "pooping in the potty."

There has been some potty competition

by their choices 

but it has only brought more motivation for them to go. 

We will go with it unless they get mean

but so far it has only seemed to bring them 

closer together. 

The Little's are really interacting more 

and 

have conversations with each other. 

It's beautiful well, until they start getting mad at each other. 

D's food sensitivities have become worse. 

I am wondering if it will calm after the nasty from the old duct work

subsides. 

Our big dog Cooper has had some problems too. 

He went to the vet just over a week ago.

After a long list of medications 

and 

a bath to help soothe his skin. 

He is doing better.
The vet has called to check up on him. 

And he seems to all of a sudden

fit into the the hypoallergenic 

state of our family and/or not typical reactions

to medications. 

He is on a steroid which usually makes people/animal gain weight/retain water

he has gotten skinnier. 

The vet and us are on the fence if this means

his skin was that swollen (and very well could be)

or 

if he is having a bad reaction to the steroid. 

Andrew's Thanksgiving days off, turned out to him being at work

every single day of the break. 

Working late at night to early morning 

just so he could be a part of Aidan's Birthday

and 

take care of what needed done at work. 

I ran another 5K.  I did not train for it

and 

with the move have not been as active as I was. 

And the worst part I walked a small portion of it...

I need to find the way it works to maintain what I was 

doing before 

and /or 

more. 

I did however get things more organized. 

Our office is not unpacked

and 

a large table is my sort. 

BUT I am able to sort!

I also have been able to some checkbook balancing

and

bill pay. 

This is what I did since babies were born. 

We do it together

but I do the data entry

and 

put things where they should go 

and 

make it all work. 

Andrew has been doing this since well 

before March because I hit a point

where I just could no longer do it. 

And by recommendation from my 

neuro-psychologist that I was not ready for that 

and it would come with time.

So, 8 months later I am working on it. 

Funny thing is, I think I saw her at Target just this past Monday. 

I am not sure and could be totally wrong

but it was  a woman who looked like her. 

19 days until I meet with my neuro-oncologist and get my next MRI. 

I have had a lot more headaches and a WONDERFUL (sarcasm)

migraine. 

I am also in the process of battling our insurance company with 

Logan's gene mapping. 

It came back with nothing showing any "reason"

for his blood sugar issues, odor-ific atonic episode, his eye

flitting into the back of his head, his grey face tone in stress

and 

limp moments with no odor. 

It turned into his Geneticist facing me

and 

concerned with me. 

He does have some off genes from me. 

Two with no real known significance 

and 

one that they know causes issues.

It won't become an issue until later in life. 

After a series of questions she asked me, 

then she informed me of the gene

and

then told me I must notify all of my 

doctors immediately. 

My family practitioner wants me to see a hematologist 

So, that is in the works.  

It is a rare disorder that some people with the mutation do 

not have any issues. 

Others do. 

It answers a lot of issues I have had. 

It also has a very long list of medications that are not safe 

and 

that I can have a bad reaction to. 

Quite a few medications I have pointed out to Doctors 

before knowing anything of this

are on that list. 

So, like I have had the 1-3% reactions

yup, that would be where it came from. 

And issues I have had for years 

with no answers only a few hopeful suggestions

from a few good doctors. 

Now, it seems there are answers. 

So, I think this covers it. 

Yet another long post. 

Never boring, never dull. 

We did get our tree up 

and 

more Christmas decorations to come. 

And having some wonderful interactive moments with 

our Boys with each other

and 

all of us together. 

Three years ago, just before D's big eventful arrival

we never could have guessed where 

we would be right now. 

We have had a lot of big down hills in our

roller coaster of life, 

but we are here together

and

 getting to enjoy all of our 

ups together. 

No matter how  little they may be at times

they are indeed ups.