Life with ADHD

Well, maybe I should say life with a child with ADHD. I used to think ADHD was just a label doctors gave children who had a bit more energy then usual. That medication was perscribed to the lazy parents who couldn't spare the time to address difficult behavior. The key word to that is USED TO. When Brandon was about 4 I remember thinking that the difference between boys and girls was so big. His energy was through the roof. When school started I remember asking his teachers during conferances if they thought maybe he had a touch of ADD. The answer was always the same. "Just a typical boy". We would hear that from doctors and teachers for years. The truth is ADHD is real. Its not something doctors just label..as we found out. Its not something that can just be ignored. Its a challenge, not only to parent a child with ADHD but its difficult to watch your child struggle with its side effects. I'm not ashamed to say that he has it or that he has to take medication everyday to help manage its symptoms. I have hope for Brandon that in time he will learn to manage his behaviors and of course go on and have a successful adult life. For now, hes my handful. 10 years old, full of life. Always keeping me on my toes and making sure life has no dull moments. Sometimes I wish this wasn't a struggle intended for us, but I'm always reminded that God gives his strongest soldiers the toughest battles. ADHD is not just a diagnosis, it has a face.

San Gennaro Fest

This past weekend we went to the San Gennaro Feast. The San Gennaro Feast is an Italian food festival with all kids of rides, food, bouncy houses and a petting zoo. It was a perfect family day, well, besides the fact that we spent $30 on an unlimited ride pass for Brandon and the poor guy was only tall enough to ride like 3 "cool" rides. Jeff and Alyssa rode everything. Some took a little bribing to get Alyssa on them, but she ended up loving them. I'm looking forward to the next one already!

I didn't eat the chocolate pudding...

Guilty! The evidence is all over her mouth (:

Gabriella

Finally its cooling off enough to visit the park. Gabriella, of course, had a blast. Shes such a social butterfly and quickly makes "friends". Its fun to watch her play and interact with other kids.

Las Vegas Academy

Ever since Alyssa was in elementary school she has always wanted to go to the Las Vegas Academy for high school. I remember a time when high school seemed so far away, like everything else in the last 14 years since I became a mom, high school came in the blink of an eye. Last November we submitted our application for her. They checked GPA, attendance, teacher recommendation and then, if you're still qualified, they set up an audition. She auditioned on January 21st with about 300 other dancers. The audition was the easy part. The hard part was the waiting to find out. We received her acceptance letter the first week in April. She was one of 50 dancers selected...wow! Now, we are about 4 weeks into her freshman year. She is enrolled in all honors classes and still participates in the dance intensive program at her home studio, dancing at a senior level. I think she loves the school. She has met many new friends all with passions of their own. LVA is an international studies and performing arts school. This includes vocals, piano, guitar, theater, of course dance, and creative arts. The kids that go to that school want to be at that school and you can tell. It’s a big change from just a "regular" school. I'm proud of her for applying. For breaking out of her comfort zone and moving away from kids she has gone to school with since kindergarten and doing what was best for her, both to pursue her love of dance and to get a better education. LVA was one of the only high schools in Nevada to receive the distinguished 5 star rating. They average a GPA of 3.6 with a graduation rate of 98%. This is where she belongs.

This is one of the main academic buildings known as main (seems like a fitting name) the campus itself is HUGE. much like a university campus would be.

Here is a map of the campus. Imagine having to go from main to the dance center. Guess thats why they have 7 minute passing periods.

Just a random post...

I thought this was cute. Brandon's very first time watching one of Alyssa's shows and the most recent show. (I believe it was also the first show he stayed awake for the entire time too) It's fun to see how much they have grown and a little sad too. Time passes much too fast

I have got to be better..

I miss the blogging world. I swear I say that every time I update after a few months. But really, I do. It’s like a journal of my life...hectic as it is. So here I am. In the time since I last updated we sold our house. Bittersweet. We had lived in that house for 12 years. Alyssa was 1 when we moved in. We, of course, brought Brandon and Gabriella home to that house. But the reality was...It was simply WAY TO SMALL! So now we have a beautiful new home, everyone has their own rooms! What a beautiful thing. I LOVE it. I love the location, I love the layout, I love the SPACE! Alyssa started high school! She was accepted into the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Performing Arts. So far she loves it. The work load is crazy and the kids attend school and hour longer than the average high school. Still, she is eager and has met a lot of great kids. All like minded, all as passionate about their major and all drama free. So far... Brandon is in the 5th grade. He also changed schools, but so far seems to really like his new school too. He rides the bus home and let me tell you, for Brandon, that is a BIG deal. Gabriella missed the cut off for school by 15 days so she still is home with daddy. We've been busy with dance (both girls are dancing now) and of course wrestling. It’s crazy and sometimes overwhelming but at the end of it all, it’s all worth it.