Diagnosis: Tourette's and Erin Brockovitch

Recent news of famed activist Erin Brockovitch getting involved in a bizarre case of "tourette's" like-symptoms in several students in a New York High School caused me to reflect on my third son's diagnosis of tourettes/ADD in the first grade.


This video represents one of his tics--turning his head and looking back.

He struggled with this tic for several years prior to completing a habit reversal therapy, one of the many treatments we chose to participate in.

No matter what the cause of these tics for these high school students, the painful reality of the effects leave a victim and their families to seek whatever means necessary to gain answers. Judging one's motives to seek assistance from medical, environmental, scientific, or otherwise may not be helpful to a positive outcome for the sufferer.


Familial support and assistance to relieve the patient's struggles is crucial to surviving with the tics until relief is assured or a positive change from the symptoms is revealed from whatever research is provided. Hope is very necessary throughout treatment.


Sharing our experiences with tics/tourette's/ADD may not offer all answers for those experiencing uncontrolled movements, however, gaining knowledge and other's experiences was vital in managing this rare and curious condition. 


For our family, medical science, research, philosophies, and associations proved to be the best choice to help our son be his best self and live with incurable symptoms. After seven years, we have seen remarkable improvement in managing his tics. He is thriving within his own skin.


In the next week, it is my goal to share our journey managing this syndrome with our son.

If you want more information, contact me:

Teen drivers and BLACK ICE: a parent's Top Ten survival guide

Winter temperatures wax and wain from year to year in the region I live in. Vivid memories of gripping a Costco cart's ice-soaked push bar while trying to keep a baby's knit hat from blowing off it's head are now replaced with shoppers in flip-flops, Capri's and sunglasses.


Also seared in my mind is this image of our FIRST grey Honda Odyssey 2002 van.
Recent winter driving video's posted after Seattle's fluke weather pattern will lead you to learn how my beloved "friend" got to this state. (I was NOT THE DEMISE of this relationship)!


TEENAGE DRIVERS and BLACK ICE!
       ---Top Ten Rules for Parents---

1.  Registration papers in the glove compartment not only should be replaced yearly, but explained their purpose to teen drivers.
2.  When both spouses are "prompted" to get their kid from work instead of letting him drive home in questionable weather, DO NOT ignore.
3. After a parent receives a panicked call stating an accident has occurred and a ride home will be necessary, grab some winter weather accessories and load them in the car.
4.  Expect that if you offer the teen the above accessories he will deny that he is cold even though his lips are blue, his hands are stiff, and his hair has frozen icicles in it
5.  Expect that if approaching the scene of the accident that your teen will NEVER take blame even though it is obvious who was responsible.
6.  Whomever else is involved in the collision, even a professional NFL football player, will show up to give assistance even though said person was not driving.
7. Above said person will take the heat away from an intense situation and keep your teen occupied while you grapple with the police issuing a ticket. Person will also prevent parent from "hurting" responsible party in front of law enforcement.
8.  While retrieving the vehicles remaining valuables while stored at the insurance car lot, don't forget to google "how to retrieve a new $1,000 timing belt" before the vehicle is totaled.
9.  During the next available snow storm, encourage, motivate, force, bribe, threaten, etc. your second teen driver to get out and practice driving in ice and snow.
10.  MAKE your teen pay back the money used to replace the car and ticket issued for the accident just like you MADE your teen fix the hole in the bathroom wall the exact size of his fist.

If you are a detail reader, skip to the "jump" to get more of the end of my "friend".

Field Trips: to sign-up or not to sign-up?

Volunteering to attend a child's school field trip when you have youngsters is rarely met without a challenge. Inevitably,

   •  your carefully arranged babysitter gets PINK EYE the night before the trip

   •  a toddler's melt-down is conveniently timed directly before a morning shower

   •  a healthy baby poops "up her back" on the car ride to the sitter

Bumping along in a yellow box down the highway hearing the delighted screams of frenzied 1st graders releases brain toxins that can cause severe pain. A mother popping pills may not set a very good example, however, neither would popping a kids'  head! And then there are the SMELLS in the air that a bunch of elementary students invite-- never pleasant.


"The aim of this research is to observe the subject in its natural state and possibly collect samples". (from wiki)


For me, overcoming logistical set-backs were worth the one-on-one experience with my student and his peers. A parent can observe a child:

     •  interacting with friends (or not)!

     •  devoting oneself to an educational task (or not)!

     •  engaging in hands-on learning (or "licking" in the case of my third son on a 1st grade field trip!)

"The purpose of the trip is usually observation for education, non-experimental research or to provide students with experiences outside their everyday activities." (from wiki)

You tell me WHO is learning more by participating in the "Field Trip"---Mom or child?

--Do whatever you have to that is LEGAL to show up to "research" your kindergartener, 1st, 2nd, 3rd grader, etc! 


I guarantee you your teenager won't allow any "educational research" on his first date. 

I have plenty of photo evidence of my research observing my children in their natural habitat while on these trips. Behold my evolution as a Field (trip) researcher since the '90's:

BEWARE: Priority Mail security alert

2 months ago, I mailed a package. 1 month ago, it came back to me and asked, 

"We regret that your mail was not collected or is being returned to you due to heightened security requirements. All mail that bears postage stamps and weighs more than 13 ounces MUST be taken by the customer to a retail service associate at a Post Office."

Which I did and the government employee put the STAMP of approval on the box and sent it again! NO PROBLEM!

Today, the package came back to me AGAIN with the SAME message!

Can a keychain made of metal cause such a problem?

P.S. Do you think I should offer the pumpkin bread to my children for an after school snack?

ABC--Awesome Blog Content--Award

Thanks to Stories of a Mom for awarding me the Awesome Blog Content Award. Receiving new readers who appreciate my content is rewarding itself, however, the blogging platform allows users to recognize the contribution's of writers on different topics more efficient than ever imagined. And I thank Stories of a Mom for including me in this honor.

For the last 5 months, I have engulfed myself in learning about "successful" parenting blogging and the sentiment of "good content" resonates clearly in my research. Therefore, for a stranger to reveal that my blog contains "awesome content" gives me motivation to continue to write.

I’m told that as part of my “acceptance speech” I need to tell you seven things that you might not know about me. Here’s what I managed to come up with…


1.  I don't like toothpicks.
2.  I have never been to North Dakota.
3.  I will watch runners in a marathon race (someday).
4.  I drove past the ER and ALMOST checked myself in. The next day I had my         
     appendix out.
5.  I want to sit on an ottoman.
6.  I hope to see Jim Gaffigan in person.
7.  I wear fuzzy socks and so does my 13-year-old.

I extend my well-wishes for more ABC's to the following blogs:

1.  Crash Test Dummies
2.  A Cultivated Nest
3.  Suburban Correspondent
4.  Life In Grace
5.  Adventures in Parenting

A no "PIN" situation

Last week, I posted this video of my 17-year-old son in a wrestling match with a girl opponent. As stated, I am offering my feelings toward this moment and as I honestly reflected, I felt that "my" feelings were not what was important, but my son's! 


During dinner, laptop on table beside my pancakes and bacon, I hit the "play" button and asked the introverted teen to tell me how he felt. I "shushed" all the others up and allowed his thoughts to develop into words.

(My IPhone 4s video function recorded the conversation)

Teenage-boy wrestler's perspective:
1.  CRAP--This is gonna SUCK!


2.  She is a girl wrestler--she is not cute. (response from my son when teammates teased him that the girl was pretty cute)


3.  Coach gave me a choice to NOT wrestle--no one wants to do that.


4.  If you win you are a JERK, if you lose you are a WIMP


5.  It is just wrong for a girl to go out for wrestling.


6.  She wasn't stronger than me, but I was shocked at how ridiculously strong for a girl she was. That made me want to beat her faster.




Wrestling a girl may just be a "No PIN" situation and to a teenage boy, he simply wants to move on from the situation and drink some gatorade! A willing woman could take a valued lesson from these sentiments!

FYI:  My son is a JERK in this video!!!!!

Venting, Wonderment, Science Projects: are these relatable?

Recently I read a sentiment on a parenting blog commenting how social media has changed the way Mom's choose to "vent" their frustrations concerning parenting and have reflected on it as it relates to me as an "OLD" mom.

"I wonder if the bee in their bonnet is less about other moms having these (venting) thoughts, and more about their resentment that this new generation of moms is daring enough to vocalize our frustrations, instead of bottling them up."

In 1992, while raising my babies and toddlers, our "venting" took place at McDonald's play lands as our children climbed on germ-“infested” slides and ended up at the bottom of bouncy balls laced with hypodermic needles! “Venting” often required a shower, a little make-up, packing up the kids in car seats, coats, sippy cups, and $10!

Connecting face-to-face most likely filtered some of our more colorful words, however, sentiments and frustrations were no different than those expressed on mommy blogs regarding raising children, toddlers and husbands 

Supportive, caring, women gathered weekly to reflect on the positive and relate to the negative and offered hope for a better tomorrow! We drank a lot of “free-refill” diet coke as well.

“Resentment” is not a word I would choose to describe the new generation of  blogging Moms, but wonderment! Mothering is certainly not a NEW phenomenon as one can simply visit a retirement center and know that these lovely beings had mothers who fed, nurtured, and cleaned-up after them with no thought of FB, Twitter, Pinterest or posts posted or read.

Wonderment: curiosity about something. A state of awed admiration or respect!

Mommy bloggers of all types are redefining the marketing and advertising industry by their “venting”. “We” all feel we are experts and want to gather our flocks via FB, Twitter, Pinterest, etc, to share our wealth of knowledge in hopes of creating a better future for our children, RIGHT?

Although our core tells us to be nurturers and non-judgemental to other’s choices, we desperately want to succeed and compete in the re-defining industry and not be LEFT BEHIND!

Although not in agreement with the style of some of the venting using social media, I do recognize Mothers and their deep admiration for children and never have, never will JUDGE another “science project” in the making, just simply wish you the best day possible with those lovelies abiding in your home!

Parenting is a Science Project! Perhaps the greatest Science Project in the Elementary School of Life.

Wrestling: how I feel about my son "challenging" a girl?

My two-older son's, although not particularly athletic, challenged themselves during high school participating in the wrestling program. Committed individuals, they attended ALL the practices "healthily" and performed in the matches and duals as directed by their coach.


Admittedly, they were NOT the stars, but I was proud of their determination and resolve to perform THEIR best.


How do I feel about a match between my son and a "girl" opponent?

Don't let your January be like stores closing in the mall

Less than two weeks ago, the American icon, the "Mall," was filled with excited crowds searching for gifts that would certainly bring joy. Consumers eagerly ready to swipe their plastic, buried consequential thoughts of minimum payment, interest rates, and scissors with jubilant smiles, praise and hugs from their beloved gift receivers.

Store fronts and managers sparkling red and green, welcomed these customers in anticipation of January profits twinkling in front of New York's corporate boardroom.


Valet parking was a necessity, but not now! 


This was the mall yesterday.


And now a word of caution.

.....Don't let your January's be like stores closing in the mall!!!!!!!!

Empty  ••  Bare  •• Lonely  ••  Bleak  ••  Quiet

1.  After you "sweep" up the mess and empty the "garbage" of your holidays, MAKE A PLAN and write it down!


2.  Before you dive in to the PLAN, give yourself a chance to relax. These are my top 4!


The Red Queen   ••••  Downton Abbey  •••  Walking  •••  Clearance!!  •••

2.  Embrace your PLAN and stick to it no matter what the temperature outside is or if you have to wear yoga pants everywhere your PLAN takes you.

3.  Your PLAN should include some line items to begin working on planning your next family gathering, Spring Break, or excursion. 


4.  When you accomplish parts of the PLAN, cross off the items and reward yourself with a little "gift." (mine is 12 mint M&M's leftover from the holiday candy stash)


5.  Lather, Rinse, Repeat..............

...and avoid your own January's "Store Closing" ...

My grandmother would be proud

With the holiday decor stored safely in 25 colored bins, I channel my limited creative prowess to "reds" ... "silvers" ... "hearts."


Opening the "Valentine's" box delighted me as I found this picture of my beloved Grandmother and my 2-year-old son (now 17). Nothing reflects love than the bond these two shared when Grandma Hilda was alive and living her last 5 years in my parents home. Our daily visits brought joy, gladness, and chaos into my grandparents quiet and confined existence. I like to think that my two small boys learned lessons as well that shaped their character during these short years with their great-grandparents.


Pictures like these can bring to remembrance what is now lost, but always felt!


Happy Valentine's decorating!