Wow. Thats it. Wow.

The IEP was very successful. The school proved to me just how smart Chase really is. Some of his skills are at the high school level while others are right at 3rd grade level. None of those tests or assessments meant anything compared to the comments from everyone that attended the IEP. School psychologists, therapists and social workers were all SO impressed with Chase's improvments that have happened since the last emergency IEP in March (when we were talking about Residential placement.). I don't even know how to put in words the genuine smiles that were all over the conference room. No one is in the "dark" as to how bipolar disorder interferes with a childs life, but it would be ridiculous not to celebrate the leaps and bounds of progress that Chase has made.

Today was eye opening for me. Chase was teetering (is that even a word?) on the edge of raging nearly all afternoon. He even was taken to his room but was safe enough that I could sit in his room while he threw cards around and pounded on his bed. HIS BED! Not the wall, someones face, a window or any other scary objects. He used a coping skill and was able to avoid a rage! Within 5 minutes he was sitting on my lap talking about Halloween costumes.

He also completed 4 pages of homework with minimal fuss.

With so much improvment since the med adjustment, maybe I can pull our lives out of the temporary stand-still that i've put us in and start going places again and having people over. That would be nice.

homework and dating

We are hanging in there. Chase is definetly struggling but he hasn't been raging. His IEP is on wednesday. The main issue I want to address is the amount of homework he gets and his punishments at school if he doesn't complete it. He generally has about 2 pages of spelling/writing and 2 pages of math and has to read for 20 minutes. As ANY parent of a bipolar child can probably tell you, there are good days and bad. Days where his homework gets done with no problem and days when he can't focus or even complete a single page. The teacher is great but has been really hard on him about his homework. He tries, we try, its not as if we are just too lazy to sit with him and work on it for an hour. So if ONE night a week or so it doesn't all get completed I think the teacher needs to understand that. Instead, he gets bad marks the next day, has to stay in for recess AND comes home the next night with the missed homework and the new homework. Imagine Chase opening his homework folder and seeing 7 pages of work that needs to be completed. Thats overwhelming for any 8 year old, even neurotypical ones. Ok I'm done ranting. Maybe.

On another note, I decided not to let my A$$hole exboyfriend ruin my outlook on love or relationships. So I've gone on a few dates with a few different guys. Having gone from a 10 year relationship directly into another relationship left me as a 28 year old that has never gone on a REAL first date. So I decided to jump out of my comfort zone and go on some dates! Dating is funny though. If the date is crappy, you end up with a silly story to tell your friends about being so bored that you ordered a Cosmo and laughed at the guy when he had a panic attack about bird poop on his car. And if its wonderful, you come home with butterflies in your stomach like I did last night...

please pray

I don't have a lot to say right now except please pray for Chase. His stability is slowly disappearing and I'm afraid that his current behaviors could cause him to be hospitalized again soon. We are really going through a rough time around here. I may have to have Aimee stay with my mom for a few days, while I'm at work, so I know she is safe. But my mom leaves for China on Oct. 4....and then what do I do with Aimee when Chase is being violent or scary? I'm really nervous for this upcoming month.

Pics

Just a few pics from this weekend. Lots of fun with my kids!

Reunion

I am so thankful for your kind words and support through this crappy time. Thankfully this "crappy time" has NOTHING to do with Chase. The kids are doing great.



I'm really hurt by what the A$$ did to me but I've been through worse. I can get through this.



I went to the casual night of my high school reunion last night. It was nice to see old friends and even people that I didn't talk to in high school. I feel like the oddball with my career being in probation while so many others are involved in computers or business. And so many people in my class smoke cigarettes! Yuck. After watching my dad die of lung cancer, smoking pretty much makes me want to vomit. The "cool" people still stuck with the "cool" people but I didn't have any interest in chatting with them anyway.



Tonight is the actual reunion where there should be a much higher turnout. We have to wear name tags and everything.



There are definetly some people from high school that I would like to get together with and keep in contact with.



I'm going to enjoy my day off and play with the kiddos.

cheater

No more boyfriend. Once again I have been cheated on and torn apart.

tv show, IEP

So far so good. Nothing major happening around here. And in Bipolar Land, nothing major is fantastic! Chase made it through an entire week at school with no incidents. Aimee has had a nasty cold all week. She's SOOOO whiny when she's sick.

Chase's THREE YEAR review of his IEP is this year. Its hard to believe that three years have passed since we started this journey with the school district.

FYI Sept 13 and 14th the Bipolar Mysteries show featuring Chase will air again on the Discovery Health Channel.