Visit to the Audiologist

Elijah went in to see the audiologist today for his yearly "check up" If he is not having issues, we go in once a year to just his map and see how things are going. Elijah did well and participated in the mapping session. He has not always been cooperative in the past. However, I did have to promise a "treat" on the way home (edible treat) in order to get him to cooperate. It does drive me a little crazy that I have to bribe a 16 year old.

Even with a bribe in the past, he has been known to complain and still not participate so it was nice to NOT have that happen today. The audiologist showed him his map and played a tone three times and asked him if it was too quiet, too loud or just right. He answered for each one and some of his answers were that it was TOO loud or TOO soft or NOT right, so he was trying. This is really huge for him. He did this for both the comfort level and threshold level for EACH ear. The comfort level is the loudest sound he can hear without it being TOO loud. The threshold level is the quietest sound he can hear, but not so quiet he can't hear it.

$160 for THIS battery rack

While we were there the audiologist checked his processor on his right ear, because it would not connect to the computer. There was some "residue" on the connector part of his processor piece. She cleaned it and got it working. When we put the battery cage back on it, we could not get it to turn back on. After some trouble shooting we determined that the battery cage was defective for some reason. She gave us one to borrow and I came home to order a new one ($160 OUCH). I will mail the other one back to her when our new one comes in. You can see the picture of it on the right.....this is just the rack, I have the cover that goes over it already...OUCH again.

The audiologist also told me that it is better to use rechargeable batteries, because when the air circulates through the disposable battery rack cage (not sure of the official name) it can cause issues with moisture and the processors. This may be why she had to clean the connector piece on his processor. For those who don't know what I am talking about the processor is actually two pieces. The top part is the processor and is the "computer" part of his "ear". The bottom part holds the batteries. These two pieces can be twisted apart, so you have two pieces. When we use the rechargeable batteries, that battery twists onto the processor.

Nucleus 6 processor
 

I called our insurance company and got some information on how to determine if they are covered. The gentleman in customer service was actually very nice and LISTENED. He finally understood what I was talking about and I provided him with an insurance code. They are considered durable medical equipment (DME) and he gave me the info for the doctor's office to get me a letter or assistance with pre-certification. We also have to meet a deductible, but he is actually CLOSE on his personal deductible. This is not my first rodeo, so I will see what I can do. I do prefer the rechargeable batteries to the disposable ones!

Making the Switch to Disposable Batteries

Elijah upgraded to the Nucleus 6 processor back in June 2014. Since that time, he has used the rechargeable batteries that came with his processors. I really like the rechargeable batteries because they last all day and we never have to worry about switching out batteries during the day. He has four batteries and we would switch them out every other day. About a month ago, one of the rechargeable batteries would not take a charge anymore when I put it in the charger. I had already been doing some research and had decided that I would switch him to disposable batteries. Purchasing two rechargeable batteries would cost about $400 and I would have to fight the insurance company to get reimbursed for that. The two rechargeable batteries would last about one year (four batteries lasted about 2 years).

I can purchase 60 batteries on Amazon for $18.25. This would mean I would need on average about 4 boxes of batteries each year for each processor, costing me $146...approximately. The disposable batteries last about 3 days for each processor. This is a lot cheaper than $400 a year. Now, when Elijah swims he has to use the rechargeable batteries if we use the waterproof coil and sleeve to put around the processor. I want to save the rechargeable batteries that are still functioning to use with swimming.

Now, we have used rechargeable batteries in the past, so I made sure to have a few packages of batteries in my purse. However, when we go into the recreation center or the library I usually don't take my purse in. So, there we are in the rec center today when one of the processor's batteries dies. Elijah had to go without hearing in one ear for about an hour. He survived and so did I. As soon as we got home, I made sure to put a package of batteries in my key ring holder!

Freedom Obsolescence Process

The Freedom Processor by Cochlear Corp. is in the obsolescence process. I received an email from them explaining the process.

Jan 30, 2016 Dear Cochlear Family Member, Our promise of “Hear now. And always” means we strive to bring you improved sound processor technologies and services designed to help you hear moments that matter most to you.  Did you know the Cochlear™ Nucleus® Freedom® Sound Processor has been in the market for nearly eleven years?  This means that the sound processor is reaching its end of life; hence, we begin the obsolescence process. Our records indicate that you may currently use a Freedom Sound Processor. Please make note of the following milestones:  End of Sale – Effective immediately, the sound processor and associated service plans (extended warranties) are no longer available for purchase.  Aftermarket components and accessories such as coil/cables will remain available for purchase contingent upon supply levels until December 31, 2016. Warranties for new products purchased will end on December 31, 2016. Trade-In – Through June 30, 2016, Cochlear will give a $2,000 trade-in allowance for the Freedom Sound Processor when upgrading to the Nucleus 6 Sound Processor and using the self-pay option. Repair Services – Cochlear will continue to repair the sound processor through December 31, 2016. All repair warranties will end on December 31, 2016. End of Life – The sound processor is no longer supported after December 31, 2016. This means that if your Freedom Sound Processor stops working, Cochlear cannot repair it. Or if you lose a part or accessory, Cochlear cannot replace it.   Elijah currently has two Nucleus 6 Processors that are about 18 months old. He also has four Freedom processors that are not being used. I am going to call SunMed tomorrow and see if he can get two new Nucleus 6 processors since the Freedom processors are going obsolete. I figure it is worth a shot. He upgraded to the Freedom processors back in 2006 and then his body worn processors went obsolete about 2 years later and we were able to trade those in for two new Freedom processors. We shall see what happens.

Our Christmas Break

Elijah and I are off for two weeks for Christmas break and Jacob will be home for a whole month. My hone still has to work, but has the next three days off! We have actually gotten to sleep in a few mornings and we are enjoying the nice weather.

I completed my Master's Degree in Special Education from Texas Tech University this month. I am not a certified Educational Diagnostician. I am still waiting for my diploma to arrive in the mail! I can't wait to get it. I was able to print my certification out on the TEA website, and that definitely made it feel more real. I can't believe I have my master's degree! Jacob has only one more semester left in school and he will graduate with his associate's degree in May of next year!

Elijah is doing well. We went to see his doctor for his Tourette Syndrome, OCD and ADHD. She got to see a lot of his impulsivity at this visit. He was persistent at trying to get his way when she tried to talk to him. We are changing his medication a bit, and will go back in about six weeks. She mentioned a genetic test that might help pinpoint which medications would work best for him. The interesting thing, is this was mentioned at the Tourette Support Group meeting we attended back on Dec. 12th. I called the genetic company, and our insurance is not on their list yet, but I was assured the out of cost for me would not exceed an amount that I am willing to pay. I am going to take him next week for a cheek swab and then see what we can find out. The family at the support group meeting said that when they had the testing done, they learned a lot about the medications that would help their son and it has been very helpful. The doctor wants to possibly change his ADHD medication, but it is hard to know what to change him too, but hopefully this testing will help. I am excited about it, but don't want to get too excited

We are very excited about Christmas. Elijah got a new bed, which my hone, Jacob and I put together yesterday. Elijah helped some, but it was a small room and we needed all the room we could get to put the bed together. He did run some things back and forth for us and keep an eye on our progress. He was so excited to get his bed. Jacob's big gift is the car he is now driving. I have a few surprises for both boys. All of my other shopping is pretty much done. I have a few more things to pack. My honey and I want to go shopping and look at some jewelry. We just aren't sure if we want to fight the crowds tomorrow.

We have also been busy baking. I have been making snow ball cookies and will be making pralines later this week. We have also been making truffles! Jacob and Elijah love to help make truffles.

TRUFFLES

 My honey and I roll out the truffles and then put them in the sprinkles. The boys are in charge of making sure the truffles are covered in sprinkles.  They then put them in the mini muffin cups. Every 10th truffles requires a taste test for quality control and we each take our turn testing the truffles. We let them know what time we will be making truffles and the boys make sure they are there, or they know they miss out. We have fun as we make the truffles and it is a nice time to talk! We have made several batches of truffles.



Jacob and Elijah making truffles.

Today my nephew and niece came over and we made Christmas cookies. This is something else I enjoy doing this time of year. We had a lot of fun and the kids got to cut out cookies, bake them, and then decorate them. We use sprinkles on the cookies as well! My honey also has some Christmas favorites she likes to bake. We have been baking for several months. Elijah takes treats to all of his teachers and I hand treats out to my staff.


I am looking forward to 2016. I can't believe how much has happened this past year!! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!


Thirty Million Words

Thirty Million Words is a book I just bought about a month ago. I read a Facebook post about it and it looked interesting. It is written by cochlear implant surgeon. It is an amazing book! I have only ready the first few chapters and can't wait to read more. It is not about cochlear implants, but more about how very young children learn language. It does discuss cochlear implants and I am telling many parents about this book. These are parents of not just deaf children, but also hearing children.

I look back at all of the hard work that went in to making sure that Elijah would speak and have language. His articulation is still iffy on a few sounds, but overall he is an oral communicator with a huge vocabulary. Just yesterday, while helping his brother take out the trash he used the word PHOBIA. He freaked out when he saw a dead bug in the garage. His brother told him to get over it and just bring out the trash bag. I then hear Elijah yell, "I have a PHOBIA!!!" I later asked him what a phobia was and he said it was when a person is scared of something. He got most of the definition correct. He then told me he has a phobia of bugs. He then told me that arachnophobia is when you are scared of spiders. WOW! You would think I would stop being amazed by him, but he still amazes me on a daily basis. All of the hard work that we put in at the beginning of this journey has paid off. It has not been an easy journey, and it still isn't over yet, but we are definitely on the right path.

Thirty Million Words is being sold on Amazon and it is less than $20. Parents should be giving their children the gift of language....hearing or deaf, please talk to your kids. I learned to narrate my life when Elijah was in auditory-verbal therapy and I still do it to this day. It doesn't cost anything to talk to your kids!

Memories

Elijah

Elijah and I attended a Cochlear event today in the Dallas area. He wears the Cochlear brand cochlear implant and they sometimes have events in our area. We have not been to an even in several years as it always seemed to fall on a day when we had other plans. We were both very excited to go and it was fun.

We walked in and the first table we went to had all of the Nucleus 6 items, so we walked to it first. I heard the Cochlear employee talking and I thought, "I know that voice." We stood at the table and the woman looked over at me and said, "I know you." I said, "I know you too, Jennifer. Do you remember me and Elijah?" Her jaw dropped as she looked at us and said, "THIS IS ELIJAH". I grinned and said "YES!". She then said, "He is so tall. The last time I saw him he was such a little guy." Jennifer was the audiologist who turned Elijah's first cochlear implant on. She was also there when he got his second implant. She had not seen us in nine years! Seeing her brought back so many memories of his activation and all of the things we did to make sure that Elijah would hear!

We spoke for about 10 minutes and then more people came up and she needed to speak to them. Elijah and I visited several more tables and we got to see the wireless accessories that he can use with this cochlear implant processor. I got to ask lots of questions about which accessory might work best for him. He got his face painted and he also got some balloon animals! They served us lunch and we ate with some very nice people who also had cochlear implants. Of course, everyone thought Elijah was too cute as he ate his chocolate chip cookies and then asked for more!

I got a picture of Elijah with Jennifer later and she and I spoke again for a bit. She showed me how the scan technology works on his implant processor and how to use the remote control with it. It was pretty interesting to hear about the different settings that his processor can use to SCAN the room and change his settings for him to have optimal hearing. He got to meet other adults with implants. There were a few kids there, but most of them were younger than him.

Overall, it made for a very fun day! I got to pick up some "freebies"--Cochlear bag, microphone protectors for his processors, some magnets and some pamphlets! I hope we can go to another one if they have it near us!

Elijah and Jennifer

 

Snow Days!

Elijah, my hone and I have all been home for the last two days due to the ice. School was cancelled for both Elijah and I. My honey cancelled her classes, because she didn't want to drive out in the ice and I don't blame her! I just found out that my school district has a two hour delay tomorrow morning. Now, being home has been nice. We have slept in and made a nice dessert today. I even got a nap and also got ahead on several grad school assignments.

However, being stuck home with a child who has OCD and tics can be a challenge. Elijah was determined he was going to play outside yesterday. First of all, it was ICE not snow and secondly HE has a nasty cough. He got breathing treatments every three hours yesterday and today. He would NOT drop it yesterday and kept trying to sneak out. He just had it stuck in his head that HE HAD to go outside and play. The tics have not been too bad, but there were a few times I had to ask him to go to his room to watch TV. I could only take the noise for so long and my computer is in the den where I do my grad school work. This only happened once yesterday and once today, so overall it wasn't too bad. I also limit his time with electronics (iPad, Nintendo DS and Wii-U) so he was BORED quite a bit. I played with him some, but there is only so much we could do!

Of course, now Elijah is determined that there will be NO school tomorrow. He is even arguing with me about it. I have remained calm and reminded him that the decision has not been made and we will get up in the morning and see what the news has to say. The school district will call me if there is a late start or cancellation. I am hoping he just doesn't argue with me in the morning and then have his bad attitude carry over into school. At least there are only three days left this week.

Turkey Bacon

When Elijah was very young, I worried the child would be TOO skinny. He just never seemed to gain any weight or to grow taller. I took him to an endocrinologist and he was behind the curve when it came to growth, but the doctor thought we should wait and see if he would catch up to his peers. He did and is finally growing TALLER.

 Unfortunately, many of the medications the takes for Tourette Syndrome, OCD and ADHD have cause him to EAT, and now that he is 14 he is really EATING. We got him walking over the summer and started counting calories, and he lost 10 pounds. Overall, he is doing well and we monitor what he eats. However, when he is very hungry he eats and eats whatever is around. He has been known to eat a whole package of luncheon meat or a package of pepperoni in the fridge. We recently bought a small box to lock up a few things in the refrigerator, for two reasons. He cannot just EAT all the time, or he will really gain weight and he has to learn some self control. We also keep the freezer in the garage locked.


Some of you may think I am a mean mom! Well, my honey found an empty package of TURKEY BACON in the fridge today. There had been about 3 slices left two days ago. He stated that he had eaten it. Upon further questioning, I learned that he ate it RAW. OH GROSS....that is all I have to say to that. Later tonight I was putting clean sheets on his bed when I reached down between the bed and the wall to grab a few stuffed animals. I found two bowls, several dried up orange peels and CHOPPED PECANS. We found the empty bag in the fridge when we went to look. Somehow he had grabbed the bag of pecans and spilled all of them between the wall and the fridge. We had not even noticed they were gone, because we use SO many pecans during the holidays for baking that we can't keep track of them between us. I found a LOT of pecans under his bed and we are going to flip the mattress off tomorrow to see what else we can find. Pecans are expensive, and he didn't even eat them, he wasted them. I also don't think he is hungry most of the time, but thinks he is hungry due to the meds. The doctor told me kids like him on these meds will eat trash out of a trash can. I didn't really believe him, until Elijah ate RAW TURKEY BACON! YUCK!

Everything is Awesome!

I don't know that I would say EVERYTHING is AWESOME, but things are going pretty well. I selected this title because Elijah has been walking around singing this song from the LEGO movie for the last hour. Elijah has always enjoyed music, but he never really gotten into music. This changed about two months ago, when he realized he could find songs that I had on my iTunes account. He has several songs that he likes, but this is his favorite song right now. In fact, he just stood up to go to the kitchen and started singing it AGAIN. After another few days, I may be sick of it, but right now I think it is cute. It also amazes me still how well he does hearing with his cochlear implants. They are amazing devices.


He is acting like a typical teen more and more everyday! However, he still likes to sit with me on the couch and watch TV and holds my hand when we go for a walk. In fact, I am going to go and sit with him right now and watch the LEGO movie! I guess it is better than another episode of Myth Busters or Scooby Doo!

Camp, Grad School, and Jacob

We have been busy the last few weeks! My honey and I took Elijah down to camp a few weeks ago. This is a camp for children with Tourette Syndrome! We drove down on Friday and arrived in Brenham around 12:30. We made it down in time to tour the Blue Bell Creamery Factory and see how they make their ice cream. I spent about $100 in the gift shop buying some Christmas presents and of course a shirt for me! The tour was awesome and we got to have a HUGE scoop of ice cream at the end. We got to chose from 16 different flavors. Then for another $1.00 we could get another scoop if we wanted. Well, of course, Elijah and I had to sample another flavor, so we each got another scoop!




We checked into the hotel and then took Elijah to camp. He was SO ready to be there and didn't even look back when we left. My honey and I had an awesome dinner that night and then crashed at the hotel. We spent the next day shopping in Brenham and at some other places between Waller and Brenham. We visited our first Buc'ees gas station. We ended up there on two different occasions and dropped some money there! It really was an interesting experience!




We picked Elijah up on Sunday and participated in the closing ceremonies. He had an awesome time and can't wait to go back in March. Jacob had come up to stay at the house that weekend while we were gone, but we didn't get to see him. He had actually come home the weekend before and we enjoyed his visit. He is REALLY liking college and I think he likes being on his own. His financial aid FINALLY came through this week and we were able to figure out how much he will have between now and January. I was able to put some money back into his savings account and pay myself back for the books and other things I had fronted him the money for. I think we were both relieved to finally have the money arrive! He is coming home next weekend. I do think he misses us and I know he misses his girlfriend AND the cats!




Grad school is going well for me. I am staying at least one week ahead if not more! I have even turned in two large projects that aren't due for at least another month. This time next year I should be doing my internship and preparing for graduation! That is really hard to believe. I am ENJOYING being back in the classroom and the kids are awesome. One of kids told me that I am a FUN teacher and he likes learning. That really made my day!

Using Sign Language to Communicate

Elijah hears very well with his cochlear implants, but there are times when I use sign language to communicate with him. Of course, when he is not wearing his processors I use signs to communicate. This is usually when he is dressing or bathing! There are other times though, that I do rely on sign to communicate with him.

Yesterday, we went to the recreation center for archery tag. This was in a huge gym, that was split down the middle and there was a lot of NOISE. All of the kids got to practice shooting with the bow and arrows and then the game started. He had to wait with the older kids while the younger kids played first. I was about 20 feet from him walking to try to get my steps in (I wear a Fitbit and am trying to lose weight) and he would whine and say he wanted to play. I was able to sign to him "wait, stop" and threaten to take away his iPad later....all in sign language. Later when he was up playing with his team, I was able to sign to him "good job, stop" and a few other things. Even with his processors, in a LOUD environment it can be hard for him to hear.

Even today I used signs with him again. We were at a loud restaurant for my brother and soon to be wife's after rehearsal party. He was at the kid's table with his cousins and I was able to sign ask him if he wanted his iPad later, and he voiced yes, and I signed for him to stop whining. My brother looked at me and said, "I wish my kids knew sign so I could speak to them quietly like that." Elijah really does understand sign language, even though he voices back and doesn't sign to me. I am glad that I have this way to communicate with him either due to background noise or distance!

Losing Weight

When we got Elijah's bloodwork, back and it showed he was susceptible to diabetes, I made the decision to put him on a diet. I also added walking to his daily routine. I also decided it was time for me to lose some weight and change some of my habits. Elijah's cholesterol was also a little high for his age so we are working on that too.

He is now eating a cup of Cheerios, a bowl of strawberries, an egg(made with egg beaters so no cholesterol) and a half a cup of milk(to drink) for breakfast. There is also a half a cup of milk with his cereal. Lunch varies depending on the day, but he likes to have a ham or turkey sandwich with an apple most days. Dinner also varies, but thankfully we had already added vegetables to his routine so we didn't have to worry about trying to get him to eat vegetables. He is averaging between 1200 to 1600 calories a day. His snack in the afternoon consists of half a cup of Greek yogurt(no sugar added) with strawberries, blueberries and sometimes pineapple. At night he usually eats a Skinny Cow no sugar added ice cream sandwich. I found them on sale and stocked up! He usually has a cup of milk too!

He lost 1.2 pounds the first week and then at our second weigh in today he lost another 2.6 pounds! You can really see the weight loss in his face and his stomach seems to be shrinking some. He is also walking between 1-2 miles a day with me. I am averaging 2-3 miles walking, with another 2 miles during the day doing housework or daily activities. My FitBit keeps track of that for me! I have found that measuring and weighing food makes a HUGE difference for both of us. A cup of milk really isn't a whole lot of milk and both of were probably drinking twice as much as we are now. It also helps that I am off this summer and have the time to walk and keep track of calories.

Elijah really hasn't complained too much. He sometimes doesn't want to walk, but he usually can be coaxed easily to come with us. He earns more time on electronics when he walks! He is really enjoying the fruit and LOVES pineapple! He could eat it with every meal I think. Hoping for a good weigh in next weekend!

Nucleus 6 Turn On

Today was the day that Elijah's Nucleus 6 processors were turned on. It was a very good visit and Elijah cooperated very well. He sat and listened to the tones and identified the quietest tones and then it was quite obvious when the tones  were loud. He actually winced a few times, but thankfully did not get mad. Once it was all done, he sat and listened with both of his new processors. He liked it and said that they "felt good", meaning on his ears. The audiologist then showed us how to turn the telecoil on, and explained how to change programs. For now, he has only two programs, one new one and one from his Freedom processors. The audiologist also gave me a tutorial on the remote system. It is pretty cool, and will change settings on both processors at the same time!


Elijah quickly turned on the telecoil, plugged his music links into his iPad and started playing. The audiologist and I visited for a bit and reviewed a few things on the new processors. She wants to see him again before school starts and do a hearing test, so I set up that appointment for August. We left and took some pictures. For some reason, I cannot post pictures on this blog, but I will when whatever glitch gets fixed.


We arrived home and took out his colored covers and put a blue one on one ear and the orange on the other ear. The audiologist labeled his processors on the coil, with an R for right and an L for left. There really is no other way to label them. He will be using rechargeable batteries, so he won't be using SkinIts right now. I am thinking of ordering him a few more colors. I am hoping the Aqua+ Pack comes in soon, so he can wear it and swim with his processor!

Elijah's Nucleus 6 Processors Arrived Today!

I was quite surprised to hear my doorbell ring this morning. Elijah and I were getting ready to leave to go to the local rec center for his Lego Robotics Camp, when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to the FedEx man standing there with this HUGE Cochlear box. SunMed had said the processors would ship in 5-7 days, and today is only day 4. When I had talked to Cochlear they had said 6-8 weeks.

 

It also never fails that I miss anything that needs a signature from Cochlear. I always have to drive in to the FedEx office to pick up the shipment. I should have run out and bought a lottery ticket today! We had to rush off to the rec center so we didn't get to take a look at anything until we got home, 3 hours later.

 

We looked at all of the tiny little boxes in the two big boxes, and then left it all alone. I tried to snap the processor and battery together, but could not get them together. I decided to leave it alone, because there was probably something I was missing and I didn't want to break them!

 

I got an appointment for Elijah for Monday at 3:30! I am very excited for him. I will be sure to post pictures.  Here is a picture of him with the cool boxes his processors came in.

 

 

Update on Tics!

Elijah's new tic is still around! He seems to be experiencing a LOT of tics lately, both vocal and motor. He has also been more argumentative with me at home and teachers at school. He has had more issues at school too! We had already increased one of his medications by 0.5 mg in the morning, but I went ahead and called the doctor after another phone call from the school. He is now taking 1.5 mg of this same medication three times a day. Overall, this is an increase of only 1 mg per day. Overall this seems to have helped with his behavior and with tics.

We go back to see this doctor around the middle of January. I am hoping things stay stable between then and now. It is amazing to me how his behavior is tied to his tics, but I know his tics get on his nerves and drive him a little crazy. I know when I have the hiccups for a long period of time, that I am a little snappy with people, so imagine having tics constantly. I also think his tics tend to increase around the holidays, because he is excited about them. He is also out of his routine, which is  never good.

I took him to the movies today and he had several loud tics during the movie. Thankfully, they were spread apart and didn't all happen at once. He does pretty good and I tap his leg so he knows he is being a little loud. Here's hoping these tics calm down for him when we get back into our routine after the holidays!

Memories!

We have been iced in for three days, so I started my Christmas baking a little early. Today we made a FULL batch of Christmas Sugar Cookies and decorated them. We even got fancy and used some decorating gel to fancy them up a bit. Jacob even helped decorate them! Elijah really got into it and my honey even sat down and helped out a bit.

This is a recipe that my sister got from her mother-in-law and we instantly fell in love with it. The cookies are not too sweet and the icing adds just enough sugar to the cookie, but again, not too much. I usually make 5-6 batches of cookies each Christmas. I take some to school with me and my itinerant kids and I decorate them. It is a good language activity!

My dad remarried and I have a brother and sister that are now 25 and 22 years old. They were eight and five when Jacob was born. Every Christmas, I would keep them over the break and we would make cookies. I have so many memories of making cookies with them. When Elijah came along, he joined in. Now my niece and nephew come over to make cookies with us over the Christmas Break. I try to take pictures and make it memorable!

Next weekend, I will be busy making the Sugar Cookies, Snowball cookies and a new recipe of mints that I recently found. As I get closer to Christmas I will start making pralines. I send a lot of this to Jacob's and Elijah's teachers as well as some of Jacob's friends. I also make them for the teachers I work with.

It has been nice to have this extra time to bake and not have to rush. It also gave us something to do and something to EAT! These cookies are awesome with a BIG glass of milk!

Here is the recipe if you want to give them a try.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 cup of butter softened (2 sticks)

2 eggs

3 TBS of buttermilk

1 tsp of baking soda

¼ tsp of salt

1 tsp vanilla

All purpose flour

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, salt, vanilla and flour together. IT WILL BE VERY RUNNY! Once it is mixed, start adding flour. There is no set amount to put in, you just keep adding it until it isn’t so sticky and runny. Then put flour down where you want to roll the dough and spoon about 1/3 of the dough out onto the flour. ADD flour again this dough and KNEED it until the dough is ready to roll out and NOT stick to the surface. Roll it and cut your cookies, then roll again and cut until you are out of dough. Then start again with the next part of the dough in the bowl.

Bake for 8 minutes or until the bottom is brown.

Let cool and then icing.

New Tic

Elijah has a new vocal tic. It is a sound I cannot even explain. His "clearing throat" tic is also back. I wish I could explain this new vocal tic. It is a tone that is at a high pitch and the tone changes. It starts as a low pitch wound and then gets higher. Like a "aaa AAAAAAAA". It is actually a little louder on the second part of the tic along with the higher pitch. Thankfully, this is not a tic he does ALL day. It does come and go. The throat tic also comes and go, but I hear both daily right now. His chewing tic is also pretty intense right now. He actually got his chewelery and used it the other day, with no prompt from me.

The tics don't seem to bother him, as far as I can tell. Right now, the tics aren't bothering me too much. I can usually tolerate them, unless I am under stress, and then the noise just seems to bother me more. I think he has been excited about the holidays and this has caused his tics to increase. All we can do is just keep on keeping on! That is life with Tourette's!

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I got up this morning and made the Schwan's apple pie that we bought a few weeks ago. We will go off to my mother's house later to eat. I am thankful for my family this morning! Jacob has to work today at the grocery store, but he doesn't seem to mind. He gets Holiday pay and we will bring him home some food.

I am especially thankful for all the doctor's who have helped Elijah through the years. Since birth he has seen his pediatrician, developmental pediatrician, pulmonologist, audiologist, endocrinologist, neurologist and psychiatrist. He still all of them except the developmental pediatrician and endocrinologist. I am also thankful for his cochlear implants, his Auditory Verbal Therapist, audiologist, and the medication he takes. All of these things have helped him to be a productive student and citizen. I am also thankful to all of his teachers through the years. He has had some great deaf education teachers, special ed. teachers, regular ed. teachers, principals, and behavior teachers.

We still take it day by day, but overall we have more good days over bad. I am also thankful for Jacob! He has grown into such a fine young man. I am also thankful for my honey, who supports me and helps me be a better mom.

I hope everyone has a great day today!

It's Cold!

It sure is cold here in the Dallas area, and across most of North Texas! We are expecting freezing rain some time after midnight tonight and may be stuck at home all day tomorrow. The boys and I are out for the whole week of Thanksgiving, so we don't have to worry about playing the "is school closed" game tomorrow morning. Jacob has to go to work at 6:00 pm and I'll be watching the weather all night until he gets home! He has to work to 11:45 pm, but he said that if the weather gets bad the managers said they will send people home early.

We have heard this weather was coming for a few days, so we got groceries yesterday. We don't have too much planned for this week. I am supposed to do some mystery shops tomorrow, but will cancel or get an extension if needed. Jacob is having his Senior pictures taken on Tuesday, so we shall see how that goes, but the studio is very close. I don't see the ice sticking around too long!

We have Netflix to occupy us if we get bored and I am watching the Cowboy game now!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and y'all be safe!

Grammar Graphics!

I very rarely write about work, but I wanted to write today about a workshop I attended. It was about Grammar Graphics! This is a short explanation from their website:

Grammar Graphics is a sequential language program which bridges the gap between identifying the parts of speech and writing. It was developed to make language fun and skills easy to remember. Learners are verbally, visually, and physically engaged in a non-threatening, active language experience.

I have to say, it was one of the best workshops that I had been to in a LONG time! It was a very intensive workshop, but the two presenters were awesome. They kept the discussion moving, and I was eager to learn! I have been using some aspects of Grammar Graphics with my students, but I learned so much more today. I may even start using it with Elijah! I think it would really help him with his writing. Of course, he will see it as work, but I think I can make it fun! That is what is really neat about this, it can be FUN. Believe me, I am not into diagramming sentences, but this is so much more than that. The workshop explained so much about the program and how to implement it. I have a week off work, and I wish I could get back sooner to try some of this out. I will spend some of the next week preparing to go back to work to implement this program!

Here is a link to their website: Grammar Graphics