First time flying 10/31/15

The local airport had a program that allowed children who experience flying. They took you up in a small aircraft for about 20 minutes or so. You and Mikayla had such a great time! You got to fly over the top of our house and see our house from up in the sky. You were so excited!

When you came back down, they gave you certificates...

10/25/15 - You plucked your eyebrows

Bless your heart! You went into the bathroom last night and you got a hold of my red tweezers and you decided you would pluck some eyebrows out. When you pull up the few eyebrows they look uneven so you plucked a few more and a few more and so on. You came out of the bathroom looking like this. 

So I colored eyebrows on you to go to school today so that the kids wouldn't make too much fun of you. But in last. Someone finally said what happened to your eyebrows? To which you grinned at her and said "you don't want to know"

10/24/15- Our trip to Cades Cove

We had such a good time going to Cades Cove Saturday.we got to see a baby bear playing in a tree with his mama looking. The trees were so beautiful and we were able to stop and look at a few old houses that had been built hundreds of years ago. I enjoyed spending the day with you!!! You were both so thankful and talked about how it was a great trip!! I was so thankful for your gratitude that I cant wait to do more adventures with you. 

You took your own selfie while I freaked out that you were too close to the edge. Story of our lives. LOL

Did I mention I was too scared to death of you falling?

Fear is not in your vocabulary.

But oh the pictures are so worth it!

And of course who could forget Elijah Wilborn making you carry Yoda Stitch in the car with you to the restaurant when we met up with the later....

9/26/15 - bronchitis

So this week you had bronchitis. You hate this machine because it forces you to sit still for about 10 to 15 minutes couple times a day. Torture I tell you! But you are surviving! Thank God you're healing up.I love you!!!! 

4th of July 2015

You guys are growing up on me so fast! This weekend, we went to Muddy Pond Mennonite community and got lots of bread and goodies. 

Then, we went to Darren and Victoria Ford's house to hang out with them for a couple hours.Josh played dress-up with the kids 

and Mikayla took piano and guitar lessons from Darren. After that, we went to Jim and Heather's house and ate her chicken enchiladas for dinner and shut off about an hour and a half worth of fireworks.

Josh really loved being a fire guy with daddy! The next day you went to your dads house and hang out with your brother Michael until he left and then We came and picked you up and we went straight to first Baptist where we watched their firework show. It was supposed to storm and we weren't sure if they were still going to be able to do fireworks or not, but Look at what God did when we prayed.

So we got to see all the fireworks!!! It was a great weekend!

FIRST TIME MOWING TODAY 6/15/15

Today was the first time mowing the yard,(with a riding lawnmower). You had about half the yard to mow and when you were done with half of that you thought you were done and started to put the mower up. When daddy told you the area behind granny Flos still needed to be mowed, you got sad, but you sucked it up anmd got er done!

So proud when you work hard. I pray you learn to work hard and get jobs done so you can always be a responsible young man. I love you! 

GRADES FOR THE YEAR (6th grades)

Josh,

 

I am proud of your report card.  It’s not been an easy year for you.  We have worked hard to get all your assignments made up and you tried really hard on the TCAPS and it shows.  You brought your grades up on most of your subjects and so you ended up having Cs for the yearly grade.   

Next year, in 7^th grade, you will work hard and you will see results.  Don’t give up! You are a very smart young man and you can do anything you decide to do. I am adding a picture of your grades for your 6^th grade year so that this will be a reminder of how far you have come when you are in high school making straight As.  I love you and I am so proud of you!

 

I LOVE YOU IN SPITE OF BEHAVIOR

I love you even when you fail. You are WORTH LOVING!! Here was a note I put on Facebook today

SHAME FROM ADHD -From ADDitude Magazine

SHAME/GUILT

Shame Is Not Guilt

Shame is one of the oldest known English words that originally meant to “hide or cover up.” As such, shame is the hardest thing to deal with since it tends to be hidden and never addressed. Feeling shame is different than feeling guilt. Guilt focuses on what one has done. Shame focuses on who one is.

Feeling Separate and Unequal

For ADHDers, shame arises from the repeated failure to meet expectations from parents, teachers, friends, bosses, and the world. It is estimated that those with ADHD receive 20,000 more negative messages by age 12 than those without the condition. They view themselves as fundamentally different and flawed. They are not like other people.

Feeling Bad About Oneself

It is especially painful when well-meaning people in an ADHD person’s life point out that he has failed or fallen short. ADHDers are accused, directly or through implication, of being lazy or willfully disobedient—as if they set out to fail. It’s hard not to feel bad about yourself. In fact, one expert believes that “low self-esteem” should be one of the criteria for diagnosing ADHD in adults.

Anger for Those Who Criticize

Those with ADHD who feel shame withdraw into themselves—or hide behind a rage at the perceived source of the negativity. This may explain why people with ADHD fear letting others get to know them intimately or to see how they live. The ADDer harbors two horrible secrets: Their future is uncontrolled and uncontrollable and life can inflict wounding shame just as easily as it engenders success.

Problems with Trying to Be Perfect

Shame causes many ADHDers to try to be perfect. A person thinks: “If I look and do everything perfectly, I can avoid shame.” An ADHDer who holds this belief is constantly evaluating everyone in their lives—friends, family, children—to see what they approve of and value, and gives it back to them. The person with ADHD forgets what he genuinely wants from his own life.

Just Giving Up

Many ADHDers who feel shame stop trying to do things—at work and at home—unless they are assured in advance of quick, complete, and easy success. They do not have the ability to sustain effort for long if they are not succeeding completely. This is often misinterpreted as laziness, leading the person to feel more shame and more misunderstood. This is one reason video games are so popular. If you fail, only you know. You reboot and move on, as if nothing happened.

Shying Away from Help

Shame gets in the way of ADHD adults and kids asking for help. For many people with ADHD, telling a doctor about their failures and asking to receive medication to help them succeed is unthinkable. They have tried everything, and it hasn’t worked. Many children would rather flunk than ask the teacher for help. This is why many parents feel blindsided when they discover how badly their child is doing in school. Their child didn’t tell them because it was so shameful to admit it.

Blaming Others

Many with ADHD equate blaming someone else for their failures with fixing the problem that caused them to feel shame. Once they have found someone to blame, they wash their hands of responsibility and accountability for correcting the mistake. The goal of breaking the cycle of shame is to adopt financier George Soros’ view: “There is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.”

LAUGH AWAY THE SHAME

For the ADHDer, humor is one of the best weapons against shame. Laughing at a situation that has gone wrong or a mistake you have made brings more self-acceptance and softens the often-harsh attitudes he developed about himself in childhood. Humor takes away shame’s power over us.

Accept Yourself—Warts and All

Although people who feel ashamed are intensely focused on how the outside world sees them, the first step in combatting it is self-acceptance. Unless a person with ADHD is able to accept and value herself, even though she is not perfect, she can’t really believe that others can love her just as she is.

Find a Cheerleader

Having someone—a friend, neighbor, coach, or grandparent—who accepts and loves a child or adult with ADHD, despite his faults and shortcomings, is vital in overcoming shame. This is the opposite of perfectionism, in which approval is contingent on what the person has done lately. The accepting person acts as a vessel that holds the memory of you as a good and valuable person, even when things go wrong.

Strength in Numbers

An ADHD support group can be a welcome island in an ADHDer’s world. Finally, the person is understood. The other people in the group have been in his shoes and know the shame of failure and being different. The group sees the person as he is and corrects the distortions that result from hiding in an inner world of shame. What’s more, self-help groups set ADHD-specific goals that are more realistic and loving.

Uncover the Truth

A doctor and therapist need to be vigilant for signs of shame because most ADHDers hide it from the world. It is key to proper diagnosis and successful therapy that therapist and patient are aware of the emotional intensity that is part of the patient’s life. A lot of patients attempt to hide this emotional component, fearful of being wounded further if the truth were known.

Playing Chess with dad for the first time

Last night was the first night you played Chess with dad. He is teaching you and challenging you with brain games. It was so neat to watch you be passionate about playing. I wish I could keep up.:) You are so smart! Your brain works so hard! I am so thankful you have such a great dad who loves you so much! 

JUST DANCE WITH YOUR SIBLING

 just thought you'd want some pictures of you guys playing "just dance" together. You were dancing to the song "I've had the time of my life" and were having a blast. You will look back on these moments and cherish them the rest your lives.

I