Hurray for our kids!

Eagle: Keeps plugging away at her college courses. The end is near!

Dancer: Left for summer to work at a camp.

Fish: Helped with VBS this week

Bear: Lord help me.......cleaned his room.

Taz: Is finally slowly coming back down to the planet. He has his volunteer job at the library today.

Have a healing weekend~

My life in a NUT shell.

I am taking 3 classes this summer. Why you ask? Because I am nuts. I have also begun the work of looking for an internship to begin in January that is fairly close to home. Not easy when you live in a small town! Plus 4 kids are home for the summer. So my blogging will be slowing down. I will still try to post a couple of days a week. If any of you want to share concerns or needs I will try to gather information on that topic. I am working hard on finding internships that will benefit me as an attachment therapist so please pray for this if you feel so led!

Grief & Bereavement

I begin a new class this evening called Grief & Bereavement Counseling. I have been waiting all along for this class with great anticipation. Our children with RAD are grieving. They are stuck in a state of grief. I have 3 different books I am reading and am sure to get a boat load full of useful information. I will pass it along as I receive it.

We all know adults who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Maybe you have lost someone. I have lost a couple of key people from my life. Some people come back from it and go on. Others grieve the rest of their lives. They are stuck. Our children with RAD are suffering from a more complex form of grief but they have had great loss. They lost both parents and maybe some siblings. They lost their homes, pets, clothes, furniture. Think if you suddenly lost all those.

I have often heard the story told like this: Suppose some very nice people came to your door and took you suddenly from your home. They put you in the car and took you to a nicer home to a new family. They said "This is your new family." How would you feel? I realize you are not (well hopefully not) suffering neglect and abuse in your current home but even if our children were they loved those families.

So as we look at our little kiddos today. Let's look at children who are so sad ~ Grieving. Have a loving healing day.

What do you tell your kids about RAD?

Telling our kids about RAD and then talking about it is something to really mull over. They need to know where all that fear is coming from and why they have these big feelings. So going back and explaining the attachment cycle gives them head knowledge of what has happened. There are several things of which I think we should be careful.

1. Using RAD as an excuse or allowing them to use it as an excuse for hurtful behavior only deepens the belief they have that something is "wrong" with them. They need to know that while ,yes, this is what is driving the behavior it is something to work on changing.

2. They can heal. They need to hear it over and over.

3. They love as best as they can. We need to be careful not to tell our kids they do not love anyone. I believe they each love at the level they feel safe. It might not be much but it is the best they've got at the moment. So if they say "I love you" instead of allowing yourself to feel manipulated remember they love in an unhealthy way and it is better to assume they do mean it. Sometimes I say to them "I know you love me as best you can but your past has taught you something hurtful things about love. We are working on those."

4. They may see themselves as victims. Talk about how that may have been true in the past it is not any longer. Work on giving them situations where they can choose and have some control such as an activity, a meal and then give them as much opportunity as you can to make it happen. They can fill out the paperwork for an activity, look up the address in the phone book, etc. They really can make wise decisions and choices if we start very small. We need to tell them they can make wise choices often.

5. Realize that until they begin to heal that many of the symptoms we see: lying, lack of cause and effect thinking, nonsense chatter, etc. will not subside. We should carefully discipline for misbehavior in a loving manner. Failing to do so to me tells them we have given up.

And you know we never, never, never quit.

Lack of Conscience and RAD

There have been times I was afraid my boys have no conscience. I have been watching carefully and have noticed the same thing in both of them. Sometimes when their behaviors escalate it is because they have done something wrong and are feeling bad about it. They are thinking they are a bad person so they act even worse. With one of them this generally means I need to search his room and I will find something he has been doing that he knows he should not. With the other I can discuss it and ask what has happened he is feeling so badly about. Sometimes he says NOTHING! at first but he generally will come back within the hour to tell me.

Have a healing day!

Thank you veterans

The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. ~Benjamin Disraeli

Random thoughts on RAD

I was reading some of your comments last night and it really made me think....you guys are awesome by the way.

If I KNOW that change is difficult for my kids and then they go back in to fight/flight/freeze mode when change occurs why am I making the change more difficult????? Yes. We have a set schedule. That has been good. But I already have activities planned for afternoons. Remember when the kids first come to your house? We work hard at making their world's very small. We want them to know we are different than other people so we keep them home with us as much as possible at first. I'm thinking that should have been my immediate plan for school letting out for the summer. Stay home the first few days and adjust. Yes. They would still be explosive but it is much easier to work on their anxiety and fear at home then out and about. I'm thinking there would be less of it. I think we will spend a great deal of time at home the next 3 days and consider this the adjustment period.

They need constant reassurance. "You are safe." "I am not leaving." "No one is taking you away." "I love you forever." They need boundaries. "That is not OK to say to your brother. It hurt his feelings. You'll need to empty the trash for him today to make it up to him." That sort of thing. Go to the library and get them a boat load of books. Pick one to read together! Play basketball in the driveway. Go on walks around the neighborhood. Clean together. Plant a garden. Play board games. Together is the key and close to home, in my humble mom opinion.

If you do not yet have an oasis, for many years my oasis was the bathroom. It is the only place I could go lock the door for a few minutes and breath. Take a magazine and a cup of coffee. Light a candle and take a bath. It may be a small oasis but it can still be one.

Hurray for our Kids

This week:

Eagle has a job interview this coming week!

Dancer is home for a few days.

Fish has helped me out with Taz a couple of times when I needed it.

Bear is dong his chores without complaining.

Taz still has those sweet moments when he comes back to me.

Have a great memorial day weekend!

Teen RAD

If you have a young child do not put off professional treatment for RAD. It does not age well. The older the child becomes the longer the brain has had to work on the incorrect thinking and the harder it becomes to change the brain works. We ALMOST had attachment therapy when our kids were little. I was in touch with one over the phone and was working on it but she was not returning calls and I gave up. If I knew then what I know now I would have been much more persistent. MUCH MORE. Now we have one teen with RAD and one with a weak attachment and possible other mental health issues thrown in. What a life. It is hard to keep teens with RAD busy and it is very hard not to let them disrupt the entire family. Taz has been a screaming yelling mess this morning. Laughing hysterically at every ones discomfort. I have been calm so far. He has done a lot of jumping jacks, a few at a time. I finally had him come kneel next to me and I hugged him and prayed about his fear. Of course, he said he doesn't have any but I told him that good moms can tell. It is OK to be a 14 year old boy and be afraid. I told him about our outing this afternoon to the library and then to a park/monument activity this afternoon. I hope he can go with us. We will be going either way. He may be sitting at dad's office in a chair while we are gone. We will see what he chooses. Our morning schedule is chores, working out and studying. He must accomplish those to join in the afternoon's adventure! Have a healing day! Go into expecting a miracle!

Sharing memories and RAD

On the way to our outings today I talked about some of the boys old photos. This lead to words they said incorrectly such as Flumb for thumb when they were little. We also talked about funny things that happened when they were younger. They loved it so much they kept asking for more after we ran out.

If you have the chance dig through the photos of when your kids first came and reminisce about when they were younger. It was a good time of laughter.

Have a healing weekend. And thank you to any veterans out there on this Memorial Day weekend for what you have done for us. I do so appreciate the freedom we have in great part because of what you have done.

Using your families past to heal RAD

I have been sorting photos. It is time to start working on some scrapbooks for Bear and Fish. I have started but I am a long way from done. It is not one of my favorite activities. I am not crafty. Anyway while sorting I came across photos of when the boys were little. We began visits with them on Labor Day almost 11 years ago. They moved in on Dec. 4. They were 3 , 6 and 6 at the time. They were soooooooooooo cute.

Looking through the old photos was good for me for a couple of reasons. It really brought back the warm fuzzies as I looked at them sitting on my lap at various holidays and family events. I realized what a long family history we do have with them.

Then I wondered how much of the time do I talk about this. I need to talk about "remember when..." fondly with them. "Remember our family trip to Minnesota and we went to the zoo and saw the koalas?" They need to hear we value those times. Yes. I know. I know. They sabotaged many family times over the years. We can still find events that were meaningful and talk about them.

Tomorrow we have some outings planned. I will stick the camera in my purse and take photos when I can. They need to know I value time together. Taz and Bear will fight. They will try to aggravate. I will say "Cheeeeese". Building memories with our cameras, making scrapbooks and reminiscing. Very bonding for them and for me.

Finding your oasis from RAD

First of all, it is very important to not let your child's illness, RAD, become the main focus of your life. If you feel that happening step back and look at how you spend your time, thoughts, and energies. A large portion needs to be spent on healthy things. Mom's of children with this traumatic of an illness can develop PTSD, depression and anxiety. The most important part of "mom health" to me is not letting RAD become your life.

• Spend time with the healthy relationships in your life. Do something fun with your husband, friends or healthy kids and do NOT talk about RAD.


• Develop at least one oasis for yourself in your house ~ a restful spot where you can be alone to meditate, have a quiet time. Mine is my deck pictured above. Obviously other people in the family use it, but not in the morning. I love to go out there in the morning with my cup of coffee.
• Exercise~ this is a huge release for stress. I have been walking but have started adding back in running again. I'd like to do a fun run by the end of the summer. Your body produces endorphins that bring a feeling of well being when you exercise rigorously. If you feel you can't leave home, buy a set of hand weights and keep them under the couch. I used to walk in place during the TV show and do floor exercises during the commercials.


• Pick back up an old hobby or develop a new one. I love taking pictures of flowers. Maybe I'll add some of those photos above as well. I also do some scrap booking but am currently reorganizing the whole big mess of scrap booking supplies and photos.


• Build your support. One of the worst things about RAD is the feeling of being alone. I have a therapist that I see when ever things become to much. I have a couple of close friends with whom I can talk about RAD. Be careful about dumping on your husband every day. Your relationship has to be about other things too. Mainly about other things. Look for adoption support groups in your area. If there isn't one consider starting one.
  
• Develop your spiritual life. Every Sunday as I stand in our church singing songs of praise I feel my mood lift. The words of the pastor or teachers give me other things to think about. Things I need to think about. They encourage and challenge me. I also find a large group of supportive friends. If you feel criticized or condemned in your church, which some of you have mentioned; venture out to try a new one. Not all are that way, believe me.

I am not talking about self indulgence here. I am talking about having a heart that is willing to serve others. When you take basic care of yourself then you CAN take care of others. If you don't do this you will wear down and run out of gas. Any time I begin to feel overwhelmed I take a step back and look to see where I am not caring for myself. I look at my spiritual, emotional and physical self care. Have a healing day. Sometimes it needs to be "Physician heal thyself!"

Last Week of School

Our school gets out Wednesday at noon. Taz has been in a lot of trouble at school. He gave a teacher a hard time and when I went in the poor frazzled man verbally let me have it. I stood my ground but did not make a big deal of it. Taz can take down the strongest and the desperation was all over the poor man's face. I recognized myself in that look!

I am already packing the rest of the week with a WWII museum and strawberry picking which will then lead to making strawberry preserves. Keep those hands busy!

One of the more humerous quotes in one of James Dobson's books (I don't remember which one) is about his mother. She came and spent the day watching his children when they were young. When he and his wife arrived home she said "If you let those kids get bored you desreve what happens to you." : ) I try to remember that! Have a healing day!

Hurray for our Kids!

It is graduation weekend in our little town. Congratulations Seniors!!

This week was mega tough. I am determined to keep doing this.

Eagle: has a job interview Monday! YEAHHHH!

Dancer: Had her summer job confirmed and is doing some training this week.

Fish: Is being very responsible about letting me know which graduation parties he is attending, when and where.

Bear: Has a summer job lined up through a special program for kids with an IEP!

Taz: Is signed up to help with the summer reading program at our library and is excited about it!
Have a healing weekend!

Summer Activities for the little RADlets

I sometimes forget that most of you still have little ones in the house. Our youngest is 14 years old and our oldest is 23 so our summer activities will be much different than what some of you will need. So I am going into the cobwebs of my mind to pull out or old summer activities.

Finger "painting" ~ using an old cookie sheet use shaving cream or pudding and let them "paint" away on the cookie sheet or paper placed on the sheet.

Painting~ Give them a bucket of water and a paint brush and let them paint outside whatever they like. Most kids are fascinated by this.

Play dough~ Make it yourself. It is much softer and doesn't dry out like the store bought kind. Plus you can make your own colors! The recipe is at the link if you click the word Play dough

Bubbles~This site has several bubble recipes. Look for things to use to make different shapes and sizes of bubbles such as the plastic rings from a 6 pack of pop, string tied in a circle, straws, etc.

Plays~ My kids loved acting out stories. Read a fable or short story and then let the kids perform it for you.

Dress up~ Go to your local second hand shop and buy dress up clothes of all kinds. Dig out old Halloween costumes you aren't going to use again. Put them in a big box and let them pretend.

Tea parties~ Fix strawberry short cakes and tea and have a "grown up" party.

Here are some other resources:

Family Fun Magazine's site

Preschoolers Today

Babies and Toddlers

Wondertime ~ click at the top under activities

Lest you think any of these websites sound to young for your kids, remember that they are emotionally delayed and that they may enjoy these activities for younger kids! Have a healing day!

Does a child out grow RAD?

This question had been googled and was on my stat counter last week.

I'm not a professional but my mom answer is no. RAD has to be treated. There are varying degrees of attachment. If your child does not have full blown RAD you may see the symptoms of a weak attachment fade as they grow due to your hard work as a parent. It takes specific work on the part of a parent. This doesn't mean just "love them more". That you are not parenting good enough. It means these kids need to be parented a little differently.

I would begin attachment style parenting with a snuggle time each day. This is a time of snuggling on the couch. If your child will do it I would hold them on your lap. You can tell jokes, share stories, and you need to end with you telling them how much you love them. Human touch is very important during this time. If you can, wear a tank top or something so their cheek can be against your arm. This was very effective with Taz and he really snuggled against my arm. Then you feed them caramels or vanilla ice cream from your hand to their mouth. This activity to me is one of the most important things to do in the beginning. When my boys became too big I had them lay on the couch. I sat on the side of the couch and draped an arm across them. Eye to eye contact is important during this time.

At night I would rock them and wrap them in a soft fuzzy blanket. Before you become alarmed after looking at our photo, they were 3, 6 and 6 at the time. We would play a game where I would sing a short song. Eye contact was very hard for them in the beginning. I'd sing a non threatening song like "Row row row your boat". We would play a game where I'd see if they could keep eye contact while I sang the first phrase. If they could it was met with high fives. If not, I'd laugh and say "Oh...too bad. Try again." I gradually added lines until I was singing the whole song. Then I went for the big stuff and begin singing love songs or lullabies.

These two activities are a great place to start.

If you are starting out, read everything you can. Treatment for RAD has changed greatly in the last few years. Read judiciously and glean from each book what you think you can use and would work for your family. Generally the more loving the approach the more likely it is too work, in my opinion.

Give importance to spiritual development. Teach your children to pray. Take them to church. I believe learning that God loves them and that there are real spiritual reasons for right and wrong are important. I'm not telling you what church attend, but please go.

If your child does have full blown RAD, if you are not sure, or just plain need some help please find an Attachment therapist. There is a listing to the right of therapists for each state. You may say you have tried many therapists and they are a waste of time. We tried 8 therapists before finding an attachment therapist. This is different. Just talk to one over the phone and get a feel for if he/she is right for you. RAD can not be out grown but it can be healed.

Never, never, never quit.

RAD Webinar

There is a Webinar coming up next week about parenting RAD children. It will be given by Katherine Leslie. I don't know much about it. I read one of her books long ago. I do remember I gleaned some important info from her book. You are probably not going to agree with everything every psychologist tells you. So my advice with any book, seminar, workshop, etc is to go into looking for things that will work for you. You are the expert on your child. You know how your family works. Here is the info.


May 18th. 10 AM to 11:30 AM CST. $30.00 Grab all your fellow Radical mom's, invite them over for tea and split the cost. Continuing education credits will be issued if you need/want them.

Parenting from the Trenches
Do you have a child who lies, steals, sneaks, stalks, hordes, chatters non-stop, or urinates in places other than the potty, etc? In this webinar Dr. Leslie will teach you essential, sensible, safe and effective solutions to your child's behavior problems that can also increase positive behaviors in your child, create an attachment friendly environment, simplify daily life, reduce family conflict, and even get some of your parental needs met. Dr. Leslie will weave lecture material around questions from the audience.

AGENDA
This is a 90 minute Webinar

Quick overview of attachment and brain facts

What children are supposed to give to the parent-child relationship

What do you really want from your child?

Preventing negative behaviors

Rehearsing positive behaviors

Punishment vs consequences: What's good for you?

https://www.meds-pdn.com/continuing_education.php?seminar_id=2442

Mother's Day Carole

Ghost of Mother's Day Past: Scene opens with 2 angry boys getting out of bed. Neither mentions it is Mother's Day but begin yelling at Mom over any discomfort or problems they had during the night or with breakfast. They fight each other and begin punching and hitting. One or both of their glasses are broken. Taz stomps off to kick the walls in his room. Bear begins to yell about what a mean Mom I am when I ask them to stop fighting. He stomps off to his room and isolates himself. Picture mom walking off with tears in her eyes thinking how much she hates Mother's Day and wondering what she can do to help with their fears. She tries talking about their feelings about thinking of birth mom on Mother's Day which is met with mocking and angry laughter.

Ghost of Mother's Day Present: I am greeted by each immediately with Happy Mother's Day!! Bear gives me a paper he drew of the words Happy Mother's Day Mom written in little time consuming trees. He did this because he knows how much I like trees. Side note: that may sound weird but I really do like trees. They are very excited about my gift which ends up being a small bistro set for the deck. Taz and Dad spend some time putting it all together for me. All of the boys decide to sit together as a family for Mother's Day at church. Usually Bear and Fish sit with the youth group. We get home and Taz builds a fire in the fire pit. We roast hot dogs and make smores. Hubby and I decided to go to Star Trek. I go to get in the car and he is in the little one.....I thought the whole family is going. He says "Oh well, which ever way you want." I normally LEAP at the chance for alone time with the hubby, but this time WANTED the boys to come too. We went together to watch Star Trek and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ghost of Mother's Day Future: "I know the plans I have for you,says the Lord. Plans for hope and a future."....the future is as bright as our imaginations folks. Never, never, never quit!

For the love of a mother

For the love of a mother, there is no other, it's just the greatest in the world.

Always there always caring, always there always sharing, mother's love is known around the world.

Honored on this Mother's Day, for loving all in every way, thank you mother for all your loving care.

Always there always giving, she makes our life so worth living, mother's love gives comfort when she's near.

Through the day our thoughts are with her, through the night our heart will miss her, mother's love is with us everywhere.

Honored on this Mother's Day for loving all in every way, thank you mother for all your loving care.

For the love of a mother, there is no other, it's just the greatest in the world.

Always there with hands of healing, always there to share our feelings, mother's love is filled with tender care.

Honored on this Mother's Day, for loving all in every way, thank you mother for all your loving care.

All the things you've said and down, untold love for everyone, mother's love is meant for you and me.

Giving all the gift of life, father daughter son and wife, mother's love, there's nothing to compare.

Honored on this Mother's Day, for loving all in every way, thank you mother for all your love and care.

Hurray for our Kids!

A few words about mothering on this gorgeous Mother's Day weekend: Everyone deserves to be loved as they are. Everyone....especially children by their mother. Some days we are so angry with them. So days we are emotionally hurt...but we know we still love them down deep inside....Some days we might be afraid we don't love them any more. We just want them to get away....and yet if they are endangered, sick or hurt by some one we are instantly there....because we know we still do love them.... A Mother's love is different than all other loves. I'm so thankful I am a woman and get to experience this precious gift of Mother love.

This week:

Eagle: Is on her last stretch of college! She should be a graduate by 4th of July. Woot Woot. Any one need to hire someone in their business department?

Dancer: Thought she had her summer job all lined up and has hit some bumps and may not. She has a great attitude!

Fish: Sing in the spring choral concert last night with the high school concert choir. Great job!

Bear: Displayed some of his artwork in the high school art exhibit last night. Awesome!

Taz: Is continuing to raise his grades. He is down to ONE D+. He has a week and a half to get it to a C- and I think he is going to make it!

Radilicious summer!

We have a week and a half until summer vacation...Here are our tips for keeping summer sanity.

SCHEDULE-SCHEDULE-SCHEDULE!!

I think this is key. Our schedule will look something like this:

Get Up: 8:00 am. Keeping sleep patterns the same is very important.

8-9: breakfast~chores

9-10: worksheets from workbooks, on-line on a variety of subjects. When complete my go outside and ride bikes, etc.

10-11: Journaling about feeling of the morning and how they hope their afternoon will feel, and then draw, Lego's, clay or other sensory activities we keep in a basket.

11-12: lunch and then read

In the afternoons I try to pick an activity we do together for each day some of these include:

Swimming
library
museum
YMCA to work out
go to neighboring town for activity

Getting out of the house and getting them moving is important. They really need to burn off energy!!!

Evenings:

Dinner
board games,
sit together out on deck and talk
watch very little TV
play out side with parent (according to child's age: blow bubbles, skate in driveway, play basketball, draw with chalk, ride bikes, go on a walk, hula-hoop, jump rope, play in sprinkler)
read a book together

Keep a regular bedtime that is appropriate for your child's age. We have an hour of reading before bedtime as well. We go through a ton of books in the summer which I think is great!! Change is tough for kids with RAD. I think a schedule is key to having a fairly smooth summer!

P.S. While I do believe it is important to maintain structure please do not mistake this for authoritive rigid parenting. I believe the kids should have choices as often as possible. They choose which chores to do first, they choose their outdoor activities, they choose which school work to do first. As long as their choices don't infringe upon the rights of others they are able to choose.

As for the different ages and abilities of the kids, we have five kids. You have to do what is right for each child. They need to be parented individually. Fair does not mean the same.

Happy Celebrate our Abuse and Trauma Day!!

Every year I dread Mother's Day. In fact if you look back you will see I have written a post similar to this before approximately one year ago. I thought about just posting the same one again but I thought I should be so much more mature after another year of parenting children with RAD my post would be better................uh oh........

Several things to remember if Mother's Day blows up:
1) Don't take it personally. Plan ahead on it being a tough day and then if it is good, well nice surprise! : )
2) I imagine to them it is like celebrating all their past abuse and trauma. Acknowledge that and let them know you understand they are hurting and reminded of their past by this day.
3)Where is birth mom now and why didn't she want me? There are a variety of ways our children were taken from their homes. There are birth mom's who give up the rights to their children out of love and hope for them. Many of our children were removed by the state because of abuse and neglect or abandoned by the roadside in a foreign country. I also wonder about birth mom and how she is doing on Mother's Day. Talk about that and possibly say a prayer together for her.
4)Take the focus off of the whole Mom thing and just do some fun activities at the park or watch a DVD together.

Ways to be proactive:
1) Don't make a huge deal out of the day if it is hard for your kids.
2) Plan a day away from home without the kids. You can even plan a day away by yourself if need be: shopping, at a spa, visiting a friend or go visit your mom.
3) Don't talk about Mother's Day far in advance. Wait until the day of, and then let other's bring it up.
4)Tell them up front: "I know today is a hard day for you (if they have demonstrated this in the past). It is OK. If you need to talk about it I'm here for you. I'm so glad I'm your mom and today I am just going to be happy about that and I'll take care of your hurting."
5) Focus on your own mom and mother-in-law! Make it about them.

Oh...and Happy Mother's Day. You are extraordinary.

End of school year RAD

The end of the school year is always EXPLOSIVE at our house. Always. I worked as para in our grade school off and on over the years and May is tough. The kids are excited about summer vacation. It is hard to keep them on task with the sun shining and the outdoors whispering their names over their books. They are talkative and many are ornery and hyper. A child with RAD feeds off this energy and takes it several steps further. Here are a few things we do to help.

Regular bedtimes: As the days get longer it gets tempting to let the kids stay outside later to play. A regular bedtime routine gives them enough sleep and the structure they need.

Healthy foods: Try to avoid sugar and a lot of processed foods.

Down time: Have time at home where they sit or lay down to read, do puzzles or some quiet activity.

Homework: Have a quiet place for homework at a scheduled time. If they refuse to do it do not become emotionally involved. I just tell mine that it is their decision they will sit there the allotted time. Do not get sucked into drama. Stay calm and let it be their problem.

Teachers: We start getting a barrage of calls. I support the teachers as much as I can but I cannot make my child behave at school.

Fun times: Right now it is hard to do fun activities at home because of the level of hyperactivity. Outdoor activities like walks, basketball or picnics seem to work the best.

Remember school will be over soon. Do not say or do anything that will damage your relationship with your child. It just isn't worth it. At the same time they should not be walking all over the family. If need be give them a nap time to rest until they can compose themselves or extra chores to burn off energy. Mine seem to love the rhythmic activities of raking, scrubbing floors or sweeping. Something about moving their arms back and forth seems to calm them.

When their behaviors escalate remember to care for the caregiver more intensely at well. They can wear you down. Have a healing day!

Top 10 Ways I bug my kids

Three of my kids are teens. Two are in college. I sometimes bug them. My top 10 reasons for bugging my kids are:


10. I make the mom face when I dance.
9. I make up words like "attitudenal".
8. I use a lot of phrases such as Peachy Keen.
7. I listen to Mozart.
6. I expect the work to be done before they can have fun.
5. I am sentimental.
4. I don't know what some of their slang means.
3. I don't care about any of the above and have no interest in changing it.
2. I hug in public.
1. I will never, never, never quit.

So deal with it.

Strength will Rise

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,
wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,
wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our strong deliverer.
You are the everlasting God,
The everlasting God.
You do not faint,
You won't grow weary.
You're the defender of the weak,
You comfort those in need,
You lift us up on wings like eagles.
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,
wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,
wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our strong deliverer.
You are the everlasting God,
The everlasting God.
You do not faint,
You won't grow weary.
You're the defender of the weak,
You comfort those in need,
You lift us up on wings like eagles.
You are the everlasting God,
The everlasting God,
The everlasting God,
The everlasting...
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,
wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,
wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
(child speaking)
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The creator of all the Earth,
He never grows weak or weary,
No one can measure the depths of His understanding,
He gives power to the weak, and strength to the powerless,
Even youth will become weak and tired,
And young men will fall in exhaustion,
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength,
They will soar high on wings like eagles,
They will run and not grow weary,
They will walk and not faint,