Mission Statement

To provide a place for parents and family members to meet and share experience, strength, give hope and awareness, to other families who have similar experiences raising children with ADD/ADHD, SPD, Anxiety, ASD, mental health diagnosis, developmental and behavioral challenges. Through sharing in this experience of raising these hard to raise kids, we grow stronger and more resilient.

Easy to Love is a 501 (C) (3) Non-Profit Organization

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Summer Planner

My computer is finally working, yay! . Anyway- this is the summer planner...  I am pretty happy with how it is coming together.
 I have a "home management binder" that I love. It is huge though and includes family information, contacts, finances etc.  After realizing that summer was going to be crazy busy I decided to do a more tailored down one. I wanted something smaller {I used a 1" binder} that I could grab and take with me if needed.
I also wanted it to be cute so I added a few scrapbooky pages here and there.
Here are the Categories: 
I have a zipper pouch with a couple pencils & pens
Emma's Summer goals are right at the front

     Schedule
 Calendars for June, July & August {I just used WORD to create a simple one}
 I also typed up a page with each of the summer programs we are doing day/time & their contact information & addresses

       Menus
  Summer menu planning is so different for me. I avoid the stove and oven at all cost & usually need quick & easy dinner plans. I also decided to do a "Lunch menu" separate from the dinner menu because almost every day we will be eating on the go or somewhere else but home. I wanted to make sure everything is planned so I can make sure I have everything I need.  Click HERE for the cute lunch menu from an awesome website called Anything But Perfect- LOVE! Again I used WORD to create a simple weekly menu/grocery planner. I also keep a running list of "Family Favorites" and their recipes in this section.

       Community Resources
 I keep our Easy to Love Summer resource list at the front of this tab {email me if you would like me to send you a copy!} and then a blank print out to write different events {what, cost/info, deals/coupons}.
      
  Bored Bucket
 I will keep the bored bucket in my kitchen and use it when needed. I am going to try to keep most of the supplies needed on hand. In this section I have a document with each activity in the bored bucket & what supplies are needed. I posted a picture of the bucket. On each stick is an activity, on the back is the website or directions.

       Trip Tuesday
 Tuesdays will be our "Trip days". I am still working on scheduling the activities. when I do I will add them to my print out with all the information {address, cost etc} and if there are any deals/coupons for the activities.

       Memories
 I decided to make this section to keep track of photos, pamphlets and other things to remember our summer. I have a "What we did this month" page for June, July & August to fill out and extra plastic pages to throw things in. At the end of summer I will organize them in each of the kiddos photo books. Click HERE for the "What we did this month" printable - it is part of a huge free printable pack. If you just want the memory page email me and I will send you a copy.

Anyway, there's the summer planner. We have a crazy summer that is full of both special needs activities and lots of plain old summer fun! I am SO excited for summer this year! I feel like I have a plan and am ready for anything! ;)

Lindsay

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Come visit me on Pinterest!

Due to some computer technical difficulties the "Summer Planner" post is on hold.. grrr. But I did want to do a quick mention that I have added a link to my Pinterest {I am sort of addicted!} I have a lot of fun boards. How does this relate to you? Well if you love pinterest as much as me you can check them all out for fun, but mainly because I have started a "Special Needs" board and am currently working on adding my ideas, fun ideas that have worked for us and ideas I want to try with Miss Em! Let me know what you think... or if you're pinning too!!
Lindsay

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Summer Goals

Every season change I set new goals for Miss Emma {with the exception of winter... i slacked in all areas and it shows yikes!}
Anywho, I thought I would share what we will be working on. I am a very visual person and like to have a 'plan' for as much as I can. I have had to give up a lot of my planning with Em... but I will never stop making lists!! :) Emma will be 4 1/2 this summer and so I tried to set goals both educationally & behaviorally.

* Letter & Number Recognition
* Writing grip
* Work on appropriate social skills
* Get anxiety & sleep under control
*Increase calories during the day to avoid waking in the night hungry
* "Stranger Danger" & Private parts
Side note did you know that 1 & 4 girls are sexually abused & 1 & 6 boys are? Special needs children are more at risk than "typical" children.
* Asking for things that she wants without screaming and waiting patiently.

I know this is a lot of goal for her and I understand that we may not "pass off" all of them. But having an idea where we are really works for us!

* Lindsay

I will be sharing my "Summer Fun Planner" next week on the blog!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Craziness!

I finally decided to sit down and write a little blog, and I am going to finish this time! Things have been a little nuts around here. We got into a good routine during the winter, good schedules, good moods and mostly regulated. It's like life knew I was feeling a little to comfortable so it decided to stir things up. Emma started having major stomach issues again. In the past this was a huge issue (feeding tube, hospitals etc) things over the last year and a half had mellowed other than a sensitive stomach. Suddenly we were dealing with refusals to eat and drink, diarrhea and horrible stomach pain. We found out she had C. Diff and a massive yeast overgrowth in her digestive track. Although yeast is something that she has chronically struggled with from the beginning, I wasn't expecting C. Diff and have no idea how she got it. Then she got an ear infection, sinus infection and a staph infection. This all happened in the course of 2 months. Needless to say we have been spending a lot of time in the doctors office along with a trip to the ER for a rash that spread over her entire body - blech. We keep going in a vicious circle - get rid of the yeast and C. Diff then she gets an infection and needs antibiotics which then causes yeast and effects the C.Diff.
Another major side effect of being so sick is it obviously and understandably effects her mood and behavior. She was all over the place.
We are still dealing with stomach issues as of now, her GI thinks that C.Diff spores are still looming. She is being retested this week and will possibly need another round of the medication. She is also not back on track as far as moods (lots of ups and downs) and she continues to be SO un-regulated in the sensory department! I know some of the issue is I have been lax on the schedule (which she thrives on) because of the illnesses. I am hoping that because we SEEM to be getting her health back on track {KNOCK ON WOOD!!} we can get our schedule back on track. Hoping life cooperates!!
On a happy note, the beautiful weather = LOTs of time outside. Emma loves it! She could live in our backyard!!
Photo is from a trip to Wheeler Farm with her buddy (& uncle) Ethan. Emma LOVES animals and had fun seeing the baby cow, sheep & goats!


*Lindsay