Monday, September 29, 2008

Math tips???

Max's teacher sends home a math problem every Friday that is due the following Friday. They are pretty simple problems- remember they are 1st graders! However, they are not simple for Max. I use manipulatives to help him "get it." In his IEP one goal is to have Max work X amount of problems using numbers 0-9 with the use of manipulatives. OK, so this weeks problem is pretty challenging for Max. First- I am going to have to change this problem for him- I know that. The problem is: J's family has 9 ears of corn. J's dad eats 3, J's mom eats 2 and J eats 1. How many are left? I cut out ears of corn using yellow paper and some scrapbook scissors (at least there are getting used!) I had Max count out 9 then told him someone ate 3, what should we do. I re-worded this different ways but he just would not do it. I have tired 2 different nights. Tonight he layed his head down while working on this and acted tired. I asked if he was tired -yes- so I layed down with him and he went right to sleep. Maybe he is not feeling well. Anyway- to my point- does anyone have any good teaching tips to help Max learn Math? I know a couple of my readers home school and may have some great tips to share. I emailed the local Ds group here and asked if they have any books about teaching Math in their lending library. They have a couple. So I will be looking at which one to check out and try.

I figured for this weeks problem I will break it down. 9-3; 6-2; 4-1; OR 3+2; 5+1; 9-6. That way, he is doing his math work for class but also working towards his goal for his single digit (0-9) problems.

On to a good note- Max got 4 out of 5 correct on his spelling test. After trying a few different methods for Max they figured one out that I think will work. The class has 10 words plus 2 bonus words each week. Max will have 5 words. each word will be spelled out correctly and also scrambled for him to circle the correct word. ie- allb, ball, llba. I wasn't so sure of this but he did great last Friday with this. I tired the night before trying to get him to circle the right word. After much struggle he finally would do it. I figured at school he would pitch a huge fit about it. The Para said he did fine though. Side note- he is getting a new para. the other one is gone so now it is everybody switching around to help Max out. Not really the ideal situation for him. He likes to test boundaries.

Any Math tips to share????

Thursday, September 25, 2008

She is so stylin'

This year school pictures were taken the day of Max's surgery. So he has not gotten his taken yet. Sam did have hers taken and I got them back last week. My hubby's parents watched Sam and Joe for me the day Max had surgery. I told my MIL that it was picture day, Sam picks out her own clothes but try to talk her out of anything that is too "clashy." I was'nt sure what she wore that day since she wears clothes only for shorts amount of time during the day before ripping them off, throwing them in the floor and getting another outfit to wear. I'm sure having to wear the same clothes for 3 hours at school just kills her! So last week all the kids are coming out holding their picture packages in their hands. Sam was not. Once in the car I asked her if she had her pictures. Yes. So I look in the backpack and find her lovely picture!! Take a look....





Oh my!! She claims that her teacher kept trying to move her headband! Uh, I think she was trying to fix it and put it on TOP of your head. She insisted that no, she (sam) would put it on her head and her teacher would put it back on her forehead. I don't think so. Years from now Sam will laugh at these pictures when she realizes what a goof she was.

Oh and the smile- she said the picture taker didn't want to see any teeth- I am guessing this was a 'trick' to make kids smile- well, the trick was on him/her- she did not smile, or at least have a normal Sam smile!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Temper, Temper!!

Ike is showing his temper more everyday! He is still a huge mommy's boy. He has, however, gone up to daddy a few times wanting to be held recently. GOOD- Maybe he will let go of my leg long enough for me to actually walk across the kitchen without him attached.

So the other day Joe built a "Cascar"- this is of course a Lego car that has a castle built onto it. Joe is creative. Ike either accidentally or on purpose knocked a block off Joe's cascar. Joe grabbed Ike's cheek and pinched it. As I was getting on to Joe for this, Ike reaches over to the Cascar and destorys it!! He rips that thing apart so not one block it still together. He was also yelling while ripping into it! Ike showed him!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

my Dog Ralph

Max continues to do well after his surgery. I don't think he snores as much any more. He still snores but maybe after a few weeks that will be gone. I just really hope that this winter he won't keep getting strep like last year.

My dog Ralph is reaching pretty old age. He is sick right now. I have 2 dogs, Ralph and Baby. They are brother and sister. I have had them since they were in their mommy's tummy. The mom (pookie) had bladder cancer and had to go to dog heaven about 6 years ago. She was roughly 12 years old. Ralph and Baby are 15 years old. Almost 15 1/2! Ralph acts his age and is pretty much deaf, moves slowly and does pretty much nothing. The last visit to the vet I was told he had fluid around his heart (congestive heart failure) and asked if he coughed much. At the time, no I didn't notice that. Well of course ever since then I notice he does cough! Thursday night he starting making a strange sound. This has continued since. It's kinda a bark/howl/moan sound. He does it while resting. I was 90% sure it was "his time" if you get what I'm saying. So Saturday morning he is not better. My parents are in town to help us with expanding our deck. So we leave the kids with them and go to the vet. I was already crying just thinking about having to send him to dog heaven. The vet, which I had never seen this one before, said he sounded great and the physical was fine. He may have cancer but she didn't feel any internal masses. She sends us home with arthritis medicine to try for him. He also will not eat anything. He hasn't since Thursday or somewhere around then. I'm sure the vet office (along with Pete) thought I was crazy for being so upset. I have had him for half my life you know! Still, I'm pretty sure his time is coming soon. However, I have been saying this for years now!

Joe took a nap this afternoon/evening so he will now be up till around 1 or so. I will be trying to get him to sleep much sooner! I am so tired tonight. Joe has gotten this habit of taking a nap when I pick up the kids from school and them staying up WAY too late. I'm sure you know who stays up with him! I then get up at 6:45 to attempt to wake Max for school. School starts at 8:30 but Max is a slow eater, slow dresser, slow everything in the morning! I try to get him up around 7 but it usually is about 7:30 before he finally gets up. Anyway- just saying I am tired!


And now a picture of ralph from his 15 birthday....

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Max is doing fine!

Max was tired on Thursday but after that he seems pretty much back to normal. Saturday I only gave him pain meds in the morning then regular Tylenol at night. Today he has had nothing-- except for his antibiotic. He is currently picking on Sam and acting like Max to me! He has been asking for OJ a lot. He is not sopposed to drink it for 2 weeks. I don't think we will last that long. He has eaten pizza a few times already. That is his favortie thing to eat. I have all sorts of cold thing to eat but he still prefers pizza!

I do beleive he will be going to school Monday!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Home from surgery

We are home. His surgery went fine. He was drinking like a champ right after surgery. Then he took a nap and has not drank anything since. His oxygen levels kept dropping, usually when he was going to sleep. He had to have oxygen blown in his face. He hates that so if he was awake he hit it away. He would drink but not swallow anything. The pain meds were a pain getting in him. He does not want to swallow at all. We were pretty close to staying the night. The doctor left it up to me. We could stay or go. But he needed to drink. They told me it is fine to go home, if I felt comfortable with it, but to try and have him drink. We got home a little after 8 tonight. He has drunk only a few sips. I got his pain meds in him-- and that was no fun! So now in 4 hours I have to wake him up and make him take more. It will be a fun night. He sounds croupy so hopefully that doesn't get worse. The nurses said he had a breathing treatment as soon as he woke up from surgery because he sounded pretty croupy.

I did ask for versed, like Shannon suggested, and he got a little before going back. I don't think it helped much but maybe a tad. The doc didn't want to give him too much because it would affect the waking up afterwards.

I hope tomorrow he feel better and not worse. Oh and- no OJ for 2 weeks!! That will kill him! He lives on OJ and pizza. Poor Max!!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Surgery for Max

Wednesday (the 10th) Max is having surgery. He is getting his tonsils out and new tubes placed in his ears. Hopefully we will not be staying over night but the hospital told me to pack a bag just in case. If he is drinking, keeping it down and handling his pain then he can go home. Send good vibes his way!!

He will be out of school the rest of the week. I have told him he is having surgery on his ears and throat and tried to explain it to him. He gets upset and says NO! He will know what is up as soon as we arrive there at 8:45 in the morning. He has remembered what goes on there the last couple of times. When the time comes to say goodbye and give kisses he gets very clingy and upset. Understandably so! I will bring Ike with me. He is very attached to me (saying it lightly!) plus he still nurses. I just really think he would give the grandparents a hard time if he stayed home with them. The grandparents are here to watch Sam and Joe for as long as I need. Hopefully only Wednesday though (as I hope to be home by afternoon)! The surgery should take about an hour then recovery 2-4 hours.

Think of Max on Wednesday!!