HELP! Advice/suggestions needed!

How do you handle the constant lying??


I literally mean CONSTANT. It's like, this kid can't go a second without lying about something. Anything!! I know a lot of this has to do with his ODD, but it's about minor, insignificant things.

Just now, Gianna whined to me that he wouldn't let her wear it. I asked what "it" was, and he insisted it was the cat collar. I asked her if that's what she wanted, and she said no, and pointed to something under his lap. I asked him again, he insisted the collar. I asked again, he said he didn't know. I asked one last time, and told him "This is the absolute last time I ask. WHAT is it?" Once again, he insisted he didn't know. I told him to stand up, he refused. Again "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Now, stand up." I noticed his hands moving to his lap, and I told him to move his hands. When I started to get up, he shouted "FINE! She wants her headband." and threw it at me.

I'm seriously at my wit's end with him. Minor things turn to huge lies. I did spank him, though it doesn't do any good. And I also put him in the corner. I just don't know what to do with him any more. I am looking into a new therapist because his current one will likely laugh again when I discuss this incident with her.


So tell me, what do YOU do when your child lies?

It's been a month

And I'm still not really "into" blogging much. I'm trying to get back into it, I swear. I just get so busy that I forget to post. Or I just get so overwhelmed. So, let's try to see if I can collect my thoughts enough to form an update of sorts.


Sept 12-
My SIL treated us and the kids to a local skating rink. They had a BLAST!! They did need to use the guides, but it was so much fun! Anthony and I enjoyed it as well. We did laser tag as well, and it was amazing! Gianna got into it as well, even though she didn't hit anyone.

Sept 21-
We took the kids and the puppy to a park to enjoy one of the last nice days of the season. Running, jumping, slides, swings, monkey bars ... They played for HOURS!!

Sept 22-
I literally spent ALL day doing laundry and cleaning the playroom. I went through all of Gianna's toys and threw out broken ones, toys that were drawn on, and ones she no longer played with. I fixed her reading corner and put everything together neatly. When I say ALL day, I meant it. I started at about 10 in the morning and didn't finish until a little after 6.

Sept 23-
Gianna started school! She loved it! She claimed she was going to cry all day for me, but didn't cry once! We had a situation with the bus which caused us to be waiting outside from 7:15AM until 9:00 ... when I ended up driving her to school. There's a street in the next town over with the same name as ours, so that's where the bus went. We also had an incident with the monitor on the bus home. She wasn't very pleasant, and I brought it up with our Headstart family advocate.
We also had her 3 year well child check up this day. Her official 3 year old stats are 36" tall and 30.6 lbs! She did need one shot. She wasn't too happy with it. Especially since we weren't expecting it. It was quite the shock to her.

Sept 24-
Second day of school and the bus was late again. Went to the right house this time, but didn't come until 8:30. School starts at 8 for her. We also had yet another incident with the monitor. I spoke with our advocate about it once again.

Sept 29-
AJ lies all the time. Today, his lie was incredibly ridiculous and over nothing serious. He came home from school and all he did was eat, eat, eat. He is on quite a bit of medication, so I'm not surprised that he doesn't eat at school. After his 20 thousandth snack, I told him no more, as dinner was on it's way (pizza). He snuck in the kitchen and ate toast. When I asked him about it, he insisted it wasn't him. I honestly gave him no less than 15 chances to tell me the truth. He lied each and every time. I sent him to bed early that night because, even after FINALLY getting him to admit it, he lied once again. I had enough. Also, he started hitting himself when I punished him.

Sept 30-
I kept G home from school because she was complaining of a belly ache and pointing to where her spleen is. I would rather be safe and have her looked at, than be sorry and something be wrong that we missed. Doctor took her in, even with no open appointments, and looked her over. Said her spleen felt just fine, but ordered blood tests anyways, since haven't had any done recently and have no current numbers on file. Blood test came back the next day. Hemoglobin was 9.5 (previously 8.5), hematocrit up to 29 (previously 25)

We also had AJ's therapy appt this day. It was the absolute WORST visit ever. I got yelled at for being "late" (I was actually early). The therapist and I got into it, and I told her she was of no help to us. Because I told her that her "suggestions" weren't helping, and that they were already things we were doing, she called my husband into the room because I was being "irrational". She and I do not mesh well. She spends more of our appointment time on the phone with her grandkids, or talking to me about her grandkids. I'm sorry, but I don't care. Help my son. That's what we're there for.

We did end up changing some medication. Not his therapist ... the RN at the clinic we go to. He is now on 40 mg of Ritalin LA (down from 60), still on 4 mg of Risperidone, .10 mg of Kapvay, and now we have added .125 mg of Seraquol. I'm not seeing much of a change. I am going to be sad when we leave, because I like her, but hopefully the next therapist we see will have an equally amazing RN.

Oct 1-
Got Gianna a new Nirvana t-shirt from Target! We love it!

Oct 2-
My birthday. Met a friend at Friendlys with the kids and we had ice cream. I am still not thrilled about being 30, but it's not too bad ... so far.

Oct 3-
I take that back. Being 30 is HORRIBLE. I was in yet another car accident. Some woman reversed into me at the SAME time I was reversing. I was 3/4 out of my spot when she hit me. It was entirely her fault, but I didn't feel like filing yet another claim this year. I did file a police report though, just to cover my bases. My car is scratched, the paint is peeling, I should have filed a claim so it could be repaired.

Oct 4-
Watched Annabelle with my husband for my birthday. Creepy!! It was REALLY good though!!

Oct 7-
Kids FINALLY have their Halloween costumes. Can't wait for Halloween!

Oct 11-
We took the kids to a local Pumpkin Farm. They had a blast!!

Today-
I think Gianna has Pink Eye. Going to take her to the walk in, and then get them ready for bed. It's been a LONG day today. (Now that I'm home, YES, she does have pink eye. No school for tomorrow. 1 drop every 6 hours in her eye until it's clear. Booooo)



Hopefully, I'll keep up with blogging!! I miss it! And if you're wondering, I have decided to file the claim against the woman who hit me. As most of you know, I am VERY much into car seat safety. Despite a minor accident like this, the manuals in my kids' car seats state that they need to be replaced. That is what I intend to do, so I will be pursuing the claim.

I Hate After School Time.

Let's just get one thing out in the open before I continue. Yes, I absolutely love my kids. No, I don't always like them. Do I have to like them? Absolutely not. That being said, I shall continue.


I see moms in all different groups I'm in saying things like "Oh, I'm not ready for little Johnny to start school yet!" or "Little Lisa starts Pre-K this year. I am crying so hard!" or even "I took Billy to school today. There were more tears coming from me than him. I don't know what to do with myself."

Meanwhile, I'm over here like "FINALLY. SCHOOL STARTS TODAY!" and "Oh thank God the kids are off to school." Not because I don't want to be around them. But, okay, well, maybe it's a little like that. Reminder, I do love my kids (reminder for you, or for me?!) but the nonstop fighting between them is enough to make even the sanest person lose it. I've tried ignoring them, I've tried redirection, I've tried punishments. Nothing helps. Especially not with AJ's problems.

Let me tell you, if you think that this is a discipline issue, then you are sorely mistaken. I invite any one of you into my home for a full day to see what we go through. Of course, I'm going to ask that you make yourself hidden because my kids are on their best better behavior when other people are around. The fighting isn't as bad. It stops the first time I tell them to stop it. They're more inclined to help out around the house. They don't bicker, or talk back.

Today, oh man. Today the advocate from Head Start came to do a home visit so that Gianna can go to school later this month. While I was talking to her, Sofia came home and immediately started acting up. She RARELY acts up. But sometimes, she just has to show off. And that she did. Immediately started being loud, being silly, and interrupting us while we were talking. Which then meant that Gianna had to start being loud. Eventually, I got them to calm down, but that was only the beginning.

Enter AJ. He comes home at 3:45. From that point on until bedtime (at 7:30), it's nonstop:
AJ, sit down.
AJ, do your homework.
AJ, what did I just say?
AJ, keep your hands to yourself.
Quit tattling, AJ.
Just be quiet for 2 minutes ... PLEASE!
AJ, stop yelling at Gianna.
AJ, stop chasing her.
Gianna, stop taking his toys.
AJ, stop yelling.
AJ! JUST STOP!!!!

I literally mean, nonstop. Shortly after he came home today, he started his homework. That involved him cutting pictures out of a magazine for school. He needed to cut out things that he liked. Gianna sat next to him, just watching him. She did not touch him, nor did she say anything to him. He, all of a sudden, started screaming about her being there. He threw the scissors down, and stormed off. Gianna grabbed the scissors and set them back down on his magazine. He then flipped out because she touched his scissors (they were actually Sofia's scissors). He threw his arms in the air, and started stomping all over. After that little fit, he came back to finish his work. When he finished, he asked me to close the ziploc baggie with his pictures in it. While I was doing that, I asked him to pick up the pieces that he cut out and won't be using. Gianna helped him pick them up, and then he flipped out about that. He didn't want to walk allllll the way to the kitchen by himself (a whole 10 feet). So he decided to throw the little papers on the floor and then throw himself down.

After that episode was over, he picked up his mess, all while muttering nonsense. I ignored him. He started playing with his toys after that- Trio Blocks, wrestling figures, and his toy sword. When he turned around to ask me something, Gianna touched one of his Trio blocks. Because she dared touch it, he started flipping out, screaming at her and stomping around. She handed him the block back, and he snatched it from her. Which then hurt her, and made her cry. Because she started crying, he started yelling at her for crying, calling her a cry baby and a liar (denying wrongdoing is common with ODD kids). Since he chose to hurt her, intentionally or not, I made him put his toys away and sit on the couch. At that point, he started throwing his toys in the toy bin. Fine. At least they're being put away and he isn't hurting anyone. Once he realized I wasn't letting him up, he started with the name calling and attitude again.

I'm horrible. He hates me. He wishes he never came home from school (the feeling is mutual at this point, buddy!!). He's never coming home again (can I pack for you??). Blah blah blah. My only response to all this, is a very unenthusiastic "Okay. I'm sorry you feel that way. I still love you." After a few times of me repeating that, he eventually calms down. It's like something clicks in his head Oh, she still loves me. Maybe I should stop. It's like he's not getting the reaction he wants (he gets great enjoyment out of seeing me cry and beg him to please stop) so he just gives up. Or maybe the rational part of his brain kicks in to snap him out of his ODD rage.

What ever is going on, school seems to exacerbate it. He has recently had a med change, yet again, and is only taking them in the morning. It started as him taking Ritalin LA 40 mg and Risperidone 2 mg in the morning, and Ritalin LA 20 mg, Risperidone 2 mg, and Clonidine .10 mg after school (around 3:30 during the Summer). But he took them all at once one morning during the Summer, accidentally. It worked well, so the RN at the therapist suggested we continue. Since he's taking all those in the AM, they work for a few hours. So by the time he comes home, they've worn off, and all his pent up frustration and anger from the new school year come out. He lashes out at me and who ever is in his path. Which is why I hate after school time. My anxiety kicks up around 3:30. My shoulders and my neck tense up. I KNOW I'm in for a battle royale.

Our next therapy appointment isn't until the 30th of this month. I'm not so sure I'll be able to last that long. I feel every muscle tensing up when I know he's about to come home. I feel every bad feeling you could possibly feel, creeping up. It's just not a good feeling. The worst thing is knowing that I can't help him. His therapist doesn't do much for him. Unfortunately, she's the only therapist around that we can see. She has these "ideas" on how to help him- 1-2-3 Magic for disciplining (laughable, at best). Taking things away as punishment (he doesn't care). Redirection ... All things we have tried!! This is an ongoing problem, and I feel like I'm drowning in meltdowns and tantrums.

In the meantime, I'll just plug along and hope things get better. Or at least that the newness of school wears off and he calms down.

How has the first day been for you? Any meltdowns? 

Happy THIRD Birthday, Gianna!!

Wow. I cannot believe my baby is THREE YEARS OLD now!! THREE!! Where has time gone? 

From my teeny tiny 5 pound 7 ounce, 18.5 inch long, badly jaundiced newborn:

To my chunky 21 pound 4 ounce, 27 inch long one year old: 

To my independent 27 pound, 33.5 inches tall two year old:

And now my (unofficially) 31 pound 8 ounce, 35 inches tall three year old:

She has come a longggggg way. She can count to 10 (and sometimes higher) with assistance. She knows her ABC's and loves to sing them with her BFF Anna. She loves the Frozen movie, and we spent quite some time watching it 5 times a day! We are currently down to once every week, if that. She loves to color with crayons and markers. She is fully potty trained during the day (has been since 18 months old), and we are currently night training her. She will be starting her first year at Head Start this September! We are very excited!! Oh, she also has mastered the scissors quite effectively. See??

I woke up to ^^that^^ right next to me in my bed. And the following on the floor:

This is our end result. Those little ringlets you see on floor in the previous pic came from each side, and those long locks I woke up next to are from the front. She has a baby mullet. 

I seriously spent 20 minutes crying over it Thursday morning. I was sick to my stomach over it. I put the scissors away, and even covered them, just in case. Gianna is more determined than my other 2 combined. She knew I was unhappy and didn't make a sound while I bathed her after discovering her new hairstyle. She didn't whine when it was time to come out. She didn't cry, but she didn't smile either. I genuinely think she understood I was upset. We did get it fixed today, so it looks better. Of course, there is nothing we can do about the mullet in the front, because it's so incredibly short, but at least the rest of her hair is even with the sides. 

Gianna definitely gives us a run for our money, and keeps us on our toes, but we wouldn't change it for a bit. She is healthy, happy, and brings us great joy. She is finally sleeping through the night (in her own bed even!) and she has weaned a little over a month ago. Roughly the same time she started sleeping through the night! Oh, and she is still rear facing in the car with no plans to turn around any time soon. Yay ERF! It has been an awesome 36 months thus far. I can't wait to see what the next hold for us! Though, I could do without the scissors. I don't think her clothes appreciate it much, either.

Happy Birthday, Captain Destructo! We love you so much!!

Munchables Chewable Jewelry **REVIEW & GIVEAWAY!!**

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are 100% my own.

As a mother to a kiddo with Sensory Processing Disorder, I know how important it is to have things on hand that my child can chew on. Preferably, something other than his fingers and clothing. AJ will chew on his fingers until they bleed, and he puts holes in his clothes. Neither of those are things I want him to do. Clothing isn't cheap, and as for his fingers? It hurts! Enter Munchables.

Munchables is a WAHM company, located in Canada. This mom set out to provide affordable teething jewelry for moms, that is aesthetically pleasing. But, she not only offers necklaces for mom. She also offers pacifier clips, bracelets, and even children's jewelry. We received a necklace for my son for review purposes.

I messaged Munchables, and soon Laura and I were in discussion for the perfect necklace for AJ. I told her what colors he liked, and she came up with this beauty.

These beads are food-based silicone, dishwasher safe, BPA free, and exceed safety standards. The clasp is designed to snap open in an instant so as to avoid choking risks. The beads can certainly take a lot of chewing, and hold up fabulously. As soon as it came in the mail, it was in AJ's mouth. And there it stayed for the majority of the day. While was chewing, he said it was a weird, but pleasant feeling. It didn't hurt his teeth, like chewing on his shirts sometimes did. He wasn't harming himself, like he did while chewing his fingers. I didn't have to worry about germs getting into his mouth, like I do when he gnaws on other items. Because this necklace doesn't touch the floor, it stays relatively clean. Since I don't own a dishwasher, I hand wash it every so often. Just a quick wipe down with a soapy hand gets the job done.

There are a TON of different beads to chose from, styles, lengths, designs, etc! The possibilities are ENDLESS!! The best part of this company, in my opinion, is the excellent customer service. Laura is so kind and easy going! I am VERY indecisive, and couldn't decide on how I wanted his necklace to look. As I said above, all I did was tell her the colors he liked, and she put together his necklace. It may be simple, but it's perfect for my boy. A big bonus is that they replace the clasp for FREE for the first year of ownership! AJ has a habit of chewing the clasp, and I have to remind him often that it's not made for chewing, but so far we have no issues with it opening and closing.

Added these pics 8.18 as I failed to do so earlier. As you can see, only the clasp has any signs of wear and tear after being heavily chewed on for over a month.

If you have a teething baby, or a child with SPD, please consider Munchables!! You won't be disappointed! One lucky reader will win a Munchables item of THEIR choice! All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pout Pout Fish book FLASH GIVEAWAY!!

This review and giveaway is hosted by A Fulfilled Mommy. All opinions are her own. However, I don't promote what I don't agree with. Please check it out and enter to win!

Disclaimer: I received these books for free for review purposes only.

Our family has had the chance to read a lot of great books this last month. Here are the titles that made the top of our list.

The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School

The Pout-Pout Fish is a cute little character who helps children ease into going back to school. Written by Deborah Diesen, children can follow Mr. Fish through anxieties most children face when starting school. Writing their name, learning their shapes, and learning how to count...however will they learn it all?! 

At the bottom of this post, you'll find a Giveaway Tools form for a chance to win a copy of The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School! 

Sunne's Gift

Sunne's Gift follows a young girl who becomes a victim of bullying because of her difference in appearance. Although this book features an ethnic theme, children from all walks of life can relate to this book as bullying is unfortunately so common these days. Children can learn about loving themselves in this wonderful story. Learn more about Sunne's Gift.

Baby's First Block Books

If you have an infant, these books are really cool! These books are shaped like blocks and feature contrasting colors that are great for an baby's developing eyesight. It also helps them learn to focus. I wish I would've had these when all of my kids were super tiny! I think Baby's First Blocks would make a great shower gift.

Enter to win a copy of The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School!

Entry-Form

I sold my son to the Circus

No, not really. Although sometimes, I wish I could! Unfortunately, the circus isn't taking any new people, though.

AJ has been acting even worse than ever. Once school ended, he just wasn't happy. He's been miserable, mean, and actually physically hurting people on purpose. Specifically, he was targeting Gianna because she's smaller than him. He would pinch her when he didn't think anyone was looking, smack her, etc. Just the other day, I caught him pushing her off the chair. It's gotten out of hand. I brought in the big guns for his most recent appointment with his therapist. I scheduled it so that my husband could join me. I needed the support.

While our concerns weren't ENTIRELY addressed to our expectations, it did go better than if I had gone alone. AJ's medication was increased, so we are giving that a whirl. He is now on 40mg Ritalin LA and 2mg Risperidone in the AM, and 20mg Ritalin LA, 2mg Risperidone, and .25mg Clonidine between 1 and 3:30 PM.

It took a week before we could try this combination out. Only because our son is the only one in his area on Ritalin, apparently, and NO pharmacy had them in stock. They had to order them. So, we went a full week with NO medication at all. That was fun ... not. He was mean, hurtful, rude, impatient, violent, and so on. His words were hurtful, and he made me really wish I could sell him to a circus. Or even just give him away!

We have since tried the new dosage, and I'm still not seeing a huge difference. He's still argumentative, mean, violent, and just can't. sit. still.

However, we may have found something to help him. We've noticed that he's the only one in the house without an electronic device of his own, and he seems to have a hard time with that. He's constantly stealing Gianna's Kindle, or just snatching it out of her hands. Anthony and I have talked about this briefly before, and the agreement was that AJ had to prove to us that he could treat a tablet properly- no throwing toys, slamming them into the wall, floor, etc. Personally, I don't think his behavior warranted a tablet. He did not show that he could be responsible, as he has broken a few more toys this past week. But at this point, I'm desperate for some peace and quiet from him, some sense of normalcy, even though our life is anything BUT normal!

This poor little guy was seen Friday afternoon because of his eye. Turns out, he has a sty.

Fortunately for him, my laptop quit working. What that meant was, I needed a new laptop ASAP. I headed to our local rent-to-own store, and rented a computer. Long story short, I found a better deal with a laptop + tablet combo, so I took the original rental back. Since everyone else has their own electronic device, AJ will be using the tablet. He spent a whole half hour wrapped up on it. He put it down when I asked him to, and was actually polite when speaking to me and his sisters. He's like a different child. I'm not sure if his acting out was because of jealousy, or if the tablet is just a brain-suck and this is just a zombie of a child, too wrapped up in the tablet to notice his surroundings. This is only the first day he's actually had it, so I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Being without a computer was hard- I am VERY behind in some reviews that I needed to get. I find myself being committed to many reviews, when that is not the original purpose of this blog. I will be taking a massive step back to get this blog back on the track I originally had for it. I intend to post more about my children, namely my son, and how our lives are constantly on the go. And who knows? Maybe I'll stop seeking out a zoo to sell my kid to.