Luv'N Lambert Life

A blog about living with Epilepsy, IBHS, Homeschooling and so much more

adhd

Finally Focused {Blogging for Books Review}

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Finally Focused

Little known fact:  Not only are we an Epilepsy family but we are also an ADHD family as well.  My oldest has always had issues with ADHD and this, along with our younger three’s seizures are one of many reasons why we chose Homeschooling.  I’m always looking for new ideas to help him and my other two children who have ADHD as well, find things to manage this disorder.  Finally Focused by James Greenblatt, M.D, and Bill Gottlieb, CHC, peaked my interest immediately.

To be honest, in my research, I’ve found that ADHD and Epilepsy mirror each other a great deal.  One child gets overwhelmed or stressed and seizes.  The other becomes hyperactive and can’t stop themselves or shut down.  Both have end results that need assistance.

Finally Focused helps you to find balance.  It shows you ways to restore attention.  It helps you find ways to minimize your child’s hyperactivity and it helps you eliminate drug side effects when necessary.  As a family, we don’t medicate for ADHD but some of these ideas were helpful for our Epilepsy medication side effects.

I’m a believer in treating the disorder naturally with simple and natural methods as much as possible.  This book will help you to make that happen.  Routine, rest, good diet are all contributors and all discussed within the pages of this wonderful book.  You’ll find tons of ideas to use in your own home with your own families.

Finally Focused is available through Harmony Books as well as other retailers.  The book sells for $12.99 on Kindle, or $11.55 in paperback on Amazon.  This is a must read for all families with an ADHD child.

Homeschooling On The Down Days {Homeschooling} {Epilepsy Awareness}

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5 Days of Homeschooling With Epilepsy and Other Issues:
Homeschooling On The Down Days

Some days we wake up and lead a normal life.  We do normal things like eat breakfast together, read books, watch a movie.  We feel like a normal family.

Some days we wake up and our life is far from normal.  We are accosted by migraines.  Children don’t feel like eating breakfast.  We need a little more sleep before we get out of bed.  Cuddles are a must.  We are far from normal.

These are the down days.  The days when it feels like life is barely holding it together.  The days when the Seizure Monsters strikes before we’re even functioning good.  The days when snuggles are a must and extra sleep is needed to fight a monster we cannot see.  The down days happen more often than any of us like.

On these days, homeschooling is hard.  There’s no time to think through what’s on a schedule.  There’s no plan because you simply cannot plan on the days when life is in full chaos.

Over time, we’ve developed our own way of life and doing things, since Epilepsy and Involuntary Breath Holding Spells, ADHD and Sensory Issues leave us incapacitated and unable to complete even the simplest tasks.  Still learning must happen and life much continue as needed.

Every day when I awake, I check on each of my children.  I evaluate who needs what done.  Does my daughter with Epilepsy need just a bit more sleep?  Does my oldest need to take his allergy med or need a few minutes to figure out his plan for the day?  Does my older daughter need a few minutes to wake up before she dives into her daily schedule?  Does the baby need a little cuddle time before he has breakfast?  The list goes on and is different for each child.

Sometimes cuddling tops the list of things to do.  Sometimes a seizure happens and I must rush to the ER and leave the bigger kids to care for the littlest one.  Sometimes there’s just a seizure lurking which can be fought by resting and cuddling and napping with one another.

After we get through our first hour after waking, I usually know how my day will go.  If it’s a down day, we will relax, watch educational movies, read quiet books, draw, color and do minimal activity.  And this is okay because what’s important is getting better and getting back to what’s normal.
Some down days allow for a little more activity.  We can play, do small activities, and learn but still be ready if we just need a break.  It’s a lot of watching and having patience for all of us.

Some of our favorite activities when we are down are:
Movies, Reading, Math games, Playing, playdoh, baking together, listening to audio stories, chalk drawing, and just being together relaxing.

All of these allow us to learn while not overdoing it and we can break as we need to.

Each day I go through the same evaluations and make decisions based on what our morning holds.  This is how we’ve been able to homeschool from the beginning with multiple special needs children.  This is why we homeschool year round, so we can have more days to fit learning in even when we are down.

Homeschooling when you have down days is feasible if you make it work for you.  Having a relaxed homeschooling day or sometimes even week is never a bad thing.  Learning is inevitable if you provide the materials for your child to do so and can happen even on the worst day.  It’s also okay to just stop and take the day off from learning all together.  You must do what’s best for you and your family.

God bless,
Dana Lambert-Hodge

This post is part of the 5 Days Of Homeschooling… Blog Hop from
the Homeschool Review Crew!

5 Days of Homeschool Annual Blog Hop - 2017
To Read more…

Random Thoughts… {Thoughts From Me}

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Random thoughts.  Do you get those?  Totally random things popping into your head at any given time?  Usually with no rhyme or reason as to why.

Well, I suppose from this post you can guess that I do.  I go completely off track with my thinking and I feel that my brain is constantly going 100% all of the time.  I am always thinking of something and yet of nothing at all.  Not of importance at least.

Then there is the forgetfulness.  Sometimes I think so much that I forget mid-sentence what I was just thinking about.  For example, today I was talking to Donald, asking him about his day.   I was about to ask him something specific and mid-thought I completely forgot! 

Now this isn’t a big deal for something small but forgetfulness and randomness because an issue with bigger things.  Like forgetting to call in a medication script for my daughter.  Or forgetting to write out a blog post for the week or for a review item.  Forgetting you made an appointment for Thursday. (Yes, I did that one this week!  Eek!!)

I often feel that my blog posts are random as well.  I’d like to find a way to make them more structured and more focused but how can you do that when you have trouble focusing yourself?!  I contribute it to my undiagnosed ADD.  Or is it ADHD?  I’m pretty sure I have one of those and I know my poor kids do as well.

So how do you manage to keep your thoughts in order and stop being random with them?  How do you create posts that are structured and more organized?  Any tips you have for  me?  Feel free to leave me any ideas you may have in a comment below.  I look forward to all of your suggestions.

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Random sky pic from a few months back.

On an additional note we’ve reached 700 blog posts at Luv’N Lambert Life and have many more to come!  This particular post is my first written and posted with Open Live Writer.  So far I’m loving this blog writing software and look forward to using it for my posts from now on.  All the ease of blogging with a format like a word processor program.  Added benefit is that there is a word count tool built in too! (So far this post is at 389 words and counting.)  You can even link up and add images to your posts right from Open Live Writer.  Awesome right?

Well that’s it from me tonight.  Hope you all have a blessed week!

Dana

Blessed Again {Epilepsy Awareness}

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I am blessed.  Utterly and irrevocably blessed.  I have four beautiful children who are the light of my life.  I could NOT imagine anything better.

These kids bring joy to my day.  They fill my heart.  They smile and my soul melts.  Each one brings something special into my life.

God knows, people.  God knows exactly what He is doing.  God knows every second of His plans.  We are here to glorify Him and my children are His blessing to me.

I’ve been down a lot lately.  It’s hard having 3 kids with Epilepsy, 2 that have ADHD, one that’s a definite Pre-teen.  I could go on.  It’s hard to be a Momma at all but when you had health issues, it’s even more stressful.  Somedays it is hard to see the happy happy, joy joy of it all.  But I am trying.

And today, in this moment, I see God’s blessing and His plan in it all.  I don’t know how our lives will turn out but I have faith that we are being led into the path God wants us to be.  That my children are being molded into what He wishes them to be.

God blessed me with three children with Epilepsy because He knew I am the Momma for this job.  He entrusted me with His children’s care.  I do not fail him.  I may be weak but I am weak and loved in every single moment.  So are my children.  Loved by God and blessed by His grace.

When you feel down, know it’s not the end of the world.  God has a plan even when we don’t and He will lead the way if we only let him.

Thankful for Winston {30 Days of Thankfulness – Day 5}

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I’m am beyond thankful for my son, Winston.  He is such an inspiration to me and a huge help.  He rarely complains about anything asked of him and he does most things with a joyful heart.

When he was born, I was so thrilled to be having a baby but I was disappointed because I really wanted a girl.  I knew God had his reasons for giving me this sweet little boy but I did not realize those reasons at that time.

My sweet boy and I had two fun, learning years with just me and him together.  He was such a joy in those times, always wanting to be with me and always loving me regardless of my lacking parenting skills. 

When he was two, his baby sister was born.  I remember when I came home from the hospital, Win had to have a bandaid on his tummy so he could be like Mommy with her incision.  He was and still is the most adorable boy.

As his sister and he have grown, they have become best friends.  They don’t always get along but they always love one another.  Their love for one another also inspires me and thrills my heart.

By the time baby sister, Laycie, came along, Winston was a pro at being a Big Brother.  He’s been so helpful with her and loves the time he gets to spend with her when he does help take care of her.  She loves him and her sister too.

My boy isn’t perfect by any means.  He was a whiner for a long time, whining when he was upset or frustrated.  He also has ADHD, though I’ve never had it officially diagnosed.  We’ve been able to manage this, along with his sisters’ health, with routines, structure and plenty of rest.  Homeschooling helps to provide these things for all three of them.  He has days where he’s overwhelmed and frustrated with things but he’s always quick to get over the humps life throws at him. 

His spirit is warm and loving.  He’s very shy and struggles with school due to ADHD but he always tries hard.  He does his work and helps out with a smile most of the time.

I know now why God gifted me this sweet little man first.  He has shown me love like no one before him.  He has encouraged me to be a better Momma.  He increases my faith in the Lord above. 

I’m thankful for this boy of mine, for all of his love and encouragement.  For his strong, yet meek spirit and his faithful love.  He’s proof to me that God really does know what he’s doing.

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