Finally, we're all doing better- no more meds

We are finally antibiotic free at our home!!! The runny noses and coughing are subsiding more and more each day, and we are all sleeping better- thank God. It will take Paul and I awhile to catch up on sleep if there is such a thing. We can hope right?

George is definitely feeling better; it is wonderful to see the sparkle back in his eyes. He is everywhere and into everything. What a great little personality he has. His new thing is to climb up into the youth chair and show off. He has also learned that if he pushes it then he can reach the high stuff. Last night he took a tumble, and it is now in storage for awhile.

Pauly acquired a huge collection of Legos from one of Paul's employees. He has taken over the pool table as his Lego Land, but who can argue with a face like that.

Here's a little update on Pauly. At this time, we have decided against seeking a medical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (more specifically- Aspergers) but we are seeking an educational diagnosis, so that he can hopefully get services through the school district. We are learning a lot.

After a very thorough vision exam, it was determined that Pauly has some issues with his eyes, not prescription problems but with the muscles and the functioning of his eyes. Vision difficulties are very common for kids with Sensory Processing Dysfunction. The reason I ever had his eyes checked to begin with was because of his extreme resistance and difficulty with reading. Now we know why. His eye muscles are very weak and do not work as a team therefor he has trouble tracking and they are easily strained with tasks where he needs to focus. It also affects retention of what he sees which is another reason why reading is so frustrating to him. He began vision therapy last week. They will work on developing the part of his brain that controls eye function, and they will work on strengthening them and getting them to work as a team. We do daily exercises in addition to his weekly sessions.

Pauly also began speech therapy a couple weeks ago. The goal there is to improve his relational and communication skills. During his last session, his therapists goal was to intentionally frustrate him in order to teach him how to appropriately handle his frustration. A biggy around here; I'll let you use your imagination. He is already communicating better, and we are seeing progress.

He continues to go to occupational therapy where he is working on strengthening his large and small muscles, his motor planning, and maturing his nervous system. Basically, he is learning a whole lot about the hows and whys of what makes him tick, and teaching him safe and socially acceptable ways to go about meeting his need for physical input. His therapist has been an absolute answer to my prayers. She not only completely understands Pauly, but she is so patient with all my concerns and takes the time to teach me so that I can be better mom to him. He loves going, and he is really making huge strides; we are looking forward to the results from his reevaluation to see just how much he has improved.


Elizabeth and Olivia are both in piano this year. They love it, and by love it I mean they can hardly pass by the piano without stopping to play a song. Don't get me wrong, I love the music, but sometimes there's work to be done.

Gabriella and George are little buddies; can you tell?