The Colorfully Long Entry ;)

Tyler Jones:
Tyler really loves Harrison Ford, or as he calls him, Han Solo. So, when he saw the previews for the new Indiana Jones movie, he was going nuts. He also really loves photography and taking photos when we are on field trips. So, it wasn't surprising when he decided he needed me to film him and Evan making a new movie called "Tyler Jones." ;) They used jump ropes as their whips, dressed up in cowboy costumes in lieu of "real" Indiana Jones costumes, and practiced for the filming. My guy is QUITE the little director. When he realized that all his direction was caught on film, he was a bit upset and wondered how he could get it out. So, up we came to the computer where he got his one and only lesson on the editing software we have. And that was all she wrote. That kid was up here for hours every day, cutting and splicing and putting scenes together. He LOVED it. And I am so impressed, I can finally brag about having one of those really cool, smart kids that does stuff above and beyond his age level. I always read about other homeschooling parents whose kids are above average and now I have one. Thanks Tyler! Hehe. Not that I have the first thing to do with his talent or interest, but it still makes me gleeful with pride. LOL His next endeavor: Tyler Potter.

Sensory Processing Disorder:
As far as dealing with Tyler and his sensory issues, I am on top of things these days. We are back to being food nazi's and avoiding all sugars and dyes, to the best of our ability. We had our yearly check ups last week with a new ORGANIC doctor, a little bit up the road from us. Everyone is healthy and the doctor is going to do a blood test on Tyler to check him for over 200 food allergens! And this is covered by our insurance, woohoo! I didn't know you could check allergies in the blood, and what I really had no clue about, is that there is a blood test to check on how the neurotransmitters are functioning. Can you believe it?? I was mentioning that we are dealing with sensory issues and from what I have gathered, it is a neurotransmitter problem in the brain. Well, right away the doctor starts asking about whether my insurance covers lab work, etc. and explaining how there is a test for this. I am going to do a bit more research, but our next appointment is on the 8Th and I am ready to see the results now! It would be great to avoid all the evaluations and other things that I can help but think of as "tests" that Tyler and I both have to pass or fail. If something comes back off, we can go right into the right occupational therapies for it, or remove the foods that are the triggers right away. This definitely is easier than hours of developmental tests and an elimination diet! Or at least, I hope it will be easier. Cross your fingers and send up good thoughts that Tyler will do well with the needle in his arm long enough for them to draw enough blood to do the tests. At last years doctor visit, he almost passed out after the finger prick for his iron test. Which we didn't do this year because our new doctor doesn't believe in testing for things unless something is wrong. AAAHHH, what a breath of fresh air.

Speaking of Air:
Ours hasn't been working for over a week. We are under a 1 year warranty with the company that installed the unit, and good thing too! They have been out here once a month, at least, since April. Each time they are adjusting the level of coolant and hosing down the compressor. I am finally at the point that I believe we just need to get the whole thing replaced, and of course they are waiting till my home is as hot has hell to do that. Which it was close to this week, with the vents blowing out 85 degree air!!! Needless to say, we've been crabby in this house. This evening is the first time it's been blowing out actually cold air for probably a couple of weeks. We just checked it with the laser Ed borrowed from a guy at work, and it is finally coming out at 65! Yay!

Muscle Aches and Fevers:
To top it off, Philip has been fighting a virus, that got sort of confusing because it was coupled with neck pain due to the way he is sitting to watch t.v. at home and on the road. I was pretty worried at one point, 2 days AFTER the very healthy and normal doctor's visit, so ended up calling our insurance nurse line. Crazy people don't have a protocol list of questions for pediatric problems, so she went down her list and ended up suggesting that my son might have hypothyroidism. Said we needed to get to an urgent care center right away. ROFL! I kindly thanked her and hung up and called my doctor's office, which was closed. I didn't want to talk to an on-call doctor, which is why I called the nurse line. Ends up, he was on call for himself and recommended simply giving Philip some Motrin and letting him rest. He's really still not himself, so my mission tomorrow will be to find yet another Chiropractor, since the last one didn't work out for us. Last night Tyler had a slight fever and we're dealing with that using homeopathics. I'm giving both of them arnica rubdowns, since they are both complaining of neck pain now. I do wonder what this could be, but since they are still playing normally in between complaints, I am trying not to let myself get too worked up.

The Garden and Evan:
Our sunflowers are taller than I've ever seen. My tomato bush is giving us wonderfully juicy tomatoes, perfect for chicken salad sandwiches or sprinkled with balsamic vinegar by themselves. The lettuce is flowering, hehe. I guess I am not quite the salad girl I thought I was. The strawberries are not giving much at all, but I've heard that can take a couple of years. The basil is petering out, which is no good since Philip and I have gotten really spoiled with tomato basil pesto on our pasta on a weekly basis! I took the dog outside today to hang out with the neighbor who was mulching his garden all day. He ended up jokingly asking the boys to help him rake his mulch and Evan happily obliged and raked with him for about 15 minutes before the mosquito's forced him to come back inside. It was really sweet, but I wasn't quick enough to get my camera out.

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon:
Another great field trip we made it to on Friday! Coincidentally, (honestly!) Philip and I had just finished reading about the Boston Tea Party and that boy was obviously impressed with himself for remembering his studies during the tour. And of course, his teacher was impressed as well. ;) Tyler enjoyed finding little stuffed mice and photographing them. I'll get pictures up later. Evan's favorite part was decorating a wooden, spinning top, as this was what the kids of that day and time sometimes played with. I would've liked to have spent more time perusing the whole place, reading the framed historical documents, etc., but this was one of the days Philip wasn't feeling his best, so we headed home. We intend to go back though, as it was a hit with all 3 of the boys.

The Olympics and The 4TH:
In this house, the Olympics, Summer and Winter, are a big deal. Philip and I are gearing up by watching Beijing on Demand on our cable network. We missed the gymnastics trials, and perhaps other trials, but we were able to catch some of the track and field and swimming last night. We are excited and ready to cheer on the U.S. teams! We have plans to spend the evening with friends at a party close to our house for the 4TH. Neighbors have already started shooting off fireworks in preparation for the big day. I can't help but wonder if they know as much about our freedom and how it was won as I recently have been made aware of, in my studies with Philip and Tyler. I think it is quite an amazing thing, and we've lost sight of it recently, especially our leaders and government. I do hope change is coming!

I hope you have enjoyed this colorful installment, long as it was, and just so you know, it was not caffeine induced. Our new doctor has recommended I go off of caffeine, including chocolate, along with getting my cholesterol re-checked now that I am not nursing anymore. I told him that just wasn't possible, at least not the chocolate part, but I would try to eliminate the rest. We'll see....