Friday, June 22, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Follow-up
Long day in Madison, but not due to Allison's doctor's appointment. I squeezed in a meeting with the online program director, we swung by Toy's R Us to pick up a birthday present, and ate lunch at McDonald's (ugh).
But - good news for Allison - on her higher calorie diet she's gained 3 pounds and 2 cm in the last 5 months. That means she's now moving parallel to the growth curve rather than askew to the growth curve. Also, it's a pretty normal growth rate for her age (5cm/yr). This means, we keep pushing calories and watch and wait another 6 months. The doctor felt (based on her bone age scans) that she was going to hit puberty later than average, and there may likely come a time when we might use a low dose of hormone to stimulate growth. Growth flattens out slightly right before puberty/at the very beginning of puberty (and the growth system "weakens") - and we might try to keep her growing more during that period, which will likely be extended for her and late. Meanwhile her peers will be shooting up massively in height so that the differential height gets more pronounced.
But, my thinking is that even 5cm/yr for the next 6 years is going to add a foot of height. It's not WNBA tall - but it's not Snooki short either.
But - good news for Allison - on her higher calorie diet she's gained 3 pounds and 2 cm in the last 5 months. That means she's now moving parallel to the growth curve rather than askew to the growth curve. Also, it's a pretty normal growth rate for her age (5cm/yr). This means, we keep pushing calories and watch and wait another 6 months. The doctor felt (based on her bone age scans) that she was going to hit puberty later than average, and there may likely come a time when we might use a low dose of hormone to stimulate growth. Growth flattens out slightly right before puberty/at the very beginning of puberty (and the growth system "weakens") - and we might try to keep her growing more during that period, which will likely be extended for her and late. Meanwhile her peers will be shooting up massively in height so that the differential height gets more pronounced.
But, my thinking is that even 5cm/yr for the next 6 years is going to add a foot of height. It's not WNBA tall - but it's not Snooki short either.
Monday, June 18, 2012
News, news, more news
Summer is many things for the kids - relaxing, playing, camping - but it's also time to get in all the appointments that we never get around to during the year. Doctors and dentists and haircuts - oh my!
Thus far, Jacob has had his 7-yr check up. He grew three inches and gained 7 pounds this year - keeping pace with the 75%-line. There wasn't much else to say, and I've found myself sometimes at a loss in the doctor's office when I don't have more to discuss. The doctor's like "looks good - any questions?" and I have this moment of panic like: OMG I have no questions.
Allison has thus far been focusing on her teeth - but eyes and hormones are coming up soon. The check-up at the dentist yielded no new cavities (there are two spots they are *watching*) and she's finally got her 6-yr molars coming in. Good news. Bad news - the molars have something called an enamel defect, which is that they are brittle and didn't form enough of the tough outer coating to protect them. There are several things that can cause this - including a high fever or illness as an infant when the tooth buds begin - or it could be something generally related to overall developmental issues. We'll never know. They want to put fillings in/over (I was unclear) after her next appointment in 6 months and they said crowns are not out of the question for kids with this problem. Great. Luckily, there is no expectation that other teeth will have this problem, as teeth develop at different times and whatever stress that cause this was likely short-lived. More bad news - Allison now has special high fluoride toothpaste and she hates the taste (which is helpful in getting her to spit it out).
Today was the 6-month visit to / check-in with the orthodontist, who has also been waiting for the 6-yr molars to come in so that he can start the expanders. Unfortunately for Allison, this means more bad tooth news. We've been waiting for molars to make space and provide anchors for the orthodontia, but the molars are slow going. The molars are slow going because the next set of molars is forming against the current molars. Like plants - molars grow roots down and "sprout" upwards. If the molar does not move upwards, the root grows laterally and then the molar gets "stuck" because the root growth is not pushing upwards anymore. Her 6-yr molars have OK roots, the next set of molars is partially under the 6-yr molars and very close to the jaw bone - in essence - we've run out of waiting time. There are also 2 teeth in the top front and 2 teeth in the bottom front that have begun to grow at a goofy angle. Must make space ASAP. The orthodontist wanted a little time to make a plan, but basically said he'd probably go ahead and either make expanders that were removable, or anchor them to the baby teeth. Anyway, those brittle, slow, 6-yr molars aren't going to be the best candidates for a while anyway. We go back in 2 weeks to hear the plan, the cost (gulp), and set up a time table.
Tomorrow we go back to Madison to follow-up with the endocrinologist. I think she's gained about 3-4 pounds this spring, but height.... I'm not so sure. We'll have to see tomorrow. Hopefully, it's all better news than the tooth business.
Thus far, Jacob has had his 7-yr check up. He grew three inches and gained 7 pounds this year - keeping pace with the 75%-line. There wasn't much else to say, and I've found myself sometimes at a loss in the doctor's office when I don't have more to discuss. The doctor's like "looks good - any questions?" and I have this moment of panic like: OMG I have no questions.
Allison has thus far been focusing on her teeth - but eyes and hormones are coming up soon. The check-up at the dentist yielded no new cavities (there are two spots they are *watching*) and she's finally got her 6-yr molars coming in. Good news. Bad news - the molars have something called an enamel defect, which is that they are brittle and didn't form enough of the tough outer coating to protect them. There are several things that can cause this - including a high fever or illness as an infant when the tooth buds begin - or it could be something generally related to overall developmental issues. We'll never know. They want to put fillings in/over (I was unclear) after her next appointment in 6 months and they said crowns are not out of the question for kids with this problem. Great. Luckily, there is no expectation that other teeth will have this problem, as teeth develop at different times and whatever stress that cause this was likely short-lived. More bad news - Allison now has special high fluoride toothpaste and she hates the taste (which is helpful in getting her to spit it out).
Today was the 6-month visit to / check-in with the orthodontist, who has also been waiting for the 6-yr molars to come in so that he can start the expanders. Unfortunately for Allison, this means more bad tooth news. We've been waiting for molars to make space and provide anchors for the orthodontia, but the molars are slow going. The molars are slow going because the next set of molars is forming against the current molars. Like plants - molars grow roots down and "sprout" upwards. If the molar does not move upwards, the root grows laterally and then the molar gets "stuck" because the root growth is not pushing upwards anymore. Her 6-yr molars have OK roots, the next set of molars is partially under the 6-yr molars and very close to the jaw bone - in essence - we've run out of waiting time. There are also 2 teeth in the top front and 2 teeth in the bottom front that have begun to grow at a goofy angle. Must make space ASAP. The orthodontist wanted a little time to make a plan, but basically said he'd probably go ahead and either make expanders that were removable, or anchor them to the baby teeth. Anyway, those brittle, slow, 6-yr molars aren't going to be the best candidates for a while anyway. We go back in 2 weeks to hear the plan, the cost (gulp), and set up a time table.
Tomorrow we go back to Madison to follow-up with the endocrinologist. I think she's gained about 3-4 pounds this spring, but height.... I'm not so sure. We'll have to see tomorrow. Hopefully, it's all better news than the tooth business.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Used School Supplies Anyone?
Now that school has been out for a week, I find myself cleaning and sorting all the "treasures" that the kids have brought back from their desks. I place usable things in a large rubbermaid tub (along with former usable things from past years) to be gotten out when we are in need of them. Which is.... never.
The kids are not necessarily "colorers." They never really have been that interested in sitting down for a stretch of time with markers and a picture to fill in. Those workbooky things - sure, they love those - but you can do a whole workbook or word search with about two pencil sharpenings.
And pencils - holy crap do we have a lot of pencils. Pencils are the new candy when it comes to birthday treats, holiday give-aways, or good behavior prizes. They could stop manufacturing pencils TODAY, and we'd still have enough for a lifetime.
We also have tons of glue. Allison got out 5 bottles of glue yesterday to use as pretend "ingredients" in her cooking. I just found 4 more in their backpacks from this year. Glue sticks, on the other hand, we can always use more of. The kids prefer glue sticks to glue bottles in approximately the same ratio that dentists recommend using toothpaste.
But what bugs me most about unpacking the end-of-year used supplies is the waste. Jacob had two notebooks that were about 90% unused (I set aside for doodling this summer). He has 4 folders in perfectly good shape, save the permanent marker that has been used to designate the owner, classroom, teacher, and subject (thus making it difficult to justify their reuse next year). Allison's crayons, calculator, and one marker set came back home in October because they were "too distracting" for her in her desk. So, she didn't need them? If she didn't need them, why were they on the page-long list of school supplies typed in 6 point font that we received at the beginning of the year?
I get that it's easier for kids to bring everything at the beginning and then it's "done." But the growing pile of useable stuff that returns each year leads me to believe that I send way more than they need. What if markers one year were donated to the class the next year? Could we maybe buy one three-subject notebook rather than three single subject notebooks? And please, loosen your stranglehold on the Ticonderoga pencils. I know - they probably ARE the best, but I have this backlog of lonely Happy Halloween pencils that are just waiting to be used!
The kids are not necessarily "colorers." They never really have been that interested in sitting down for a stretch of time with markers and a picture to fill in. Those workbooky things - sure, they love those - but you can do a whole workbook or word search with about two pencil sharpenings.
And pencils - holy crap do we have a lot of pencils. Pencils are the new candy when it comes to birthday treats, holiday give-aways, or good behavior prizes. They could stop manufacturing pencils TODAY, and we'd still have enough for a lifetime.
We also have tons of glue. Allison got out 5 bottles of glue yesterday to use as pretend "ingredients" in her cooking. I just found 4 more in their backpacks from this year. Glue sticks, on the other hand, we can always use more of. The kids prefer glue sticks to glue bottles in approximately the same ratio that dentists recommend using toothpaste.
But what bugs me most about unpacking the end-of-year used supplies is the waste. Jacob had two notebooks that were about 90% unused (I set aside for doodling this summer). He has 4 folders in perfectly good shape, save the permanent marker that has been used to designate the owner, classroom, teacher, and subject (thus making it difficult to justify their reuse next year). Allison's crayons, calculator, and one marker set came back home in October because they were "too distracting" for her in her desk. So, she didn't need them? If she didn't need them, why were they on the page-long list of school supplies typed in 6 point font that we received at the beginning of the year?
I get that it's easier for kids to bring everything at the beginning and then it's "done." But the growing pile of useable stuff that returns each year leads me to believe that I send way more than they need. What if markers one year were donated to the class the next year? Could we maybe buy one three-subject notebook rather than three single subject notebooks? And please, loosen your stranglehold on the Ticonderoga pencils. I know - they probably ARE the best, but I have this backlog of lonely Happy Halloween pencils that are just waiting to be used!
Friday, June 15, 2012
9 going on 3
During the writing of the below blog post - the following events were occurring downstairs:
A girl was dousing her hair and her doll's hair in detangler spray, "refilling" the windex bottle with Cascade dishwasher cleaner (like Jet-Dry; same color), proceeding to wash the back door glass with "Windex/Cascade", and doodling/smudging hearts all over the neighbor's Get Well card. I think I made it calmly through the first 4 - but released an exasperated "Allison!" by the time I got to #5. Mainly because it involves having to get/make a new card.
This much "getting into" at home is a little unusual and hopefully due to the new summer schedule changes and perhaps the need for a little more sleep. Or, she's honestly trying to be more proactive in getting stuff done (hey - I'll wash the windows!) but still needs some work in the judgement area (cascade not equal to windex). See all that smeary stuff? - not the correct look.
A girl was dousing her hair and her doll's hair in detangler spray, "refilling" the windex bottle with Cascade dishwasher cleaner (like Jet-Dry; same color), proceeding to wash the back door glass with "Windex/Cascade", and doodling/smudging hearts all over the neighbor's Get Well card. I think I made it calmly through the first 4 - but released an exasperated "Allison!" by the time I got to #5. Mainly because it involves having to get/make a new card.
This much "getting into" at home is a little unusual and hopefully due to the new summer schedule changes and perhaps the need for a little more sleep. Or, she's honestly trying to be more proactive in getting stuff done (hey - I'll wash the windows!) but still needs some work in the judgement area (cascade not equal to windex). See all that smeary stuff? - not the correct look.
A boy turns 7
Jacob turned 7! It's been what - a week? Yeah, can't really remember what we did that day - but it was busy. Jacob truly lucked out because it was school field trip day - when all the classes leave and let the kindergarteners "run" the school. Jacob's field trip - Chuck-E-Cheese and the park. Well, now he can't complain that he's never been to Chuck-E-Cheese on his birthday!
After school he went to play at his friend's house, then we picked him up to go out to dinner at the new-ish pizza buffet in town. It's name is Salt-N-Grease.... oh wait, no, it's SteviB's. They have an arcade, and I actually had some left-over tokens and a coupon - so rock on!
We got home LATE and then Jacob insisted on decorating his own cake with chocolate chips and M&M's. Here it is:
I'll take guesses now and post an answer key later. By the time we had cake, both kids were in their pj's and it was after 9pm. For pjs for Jacob - that means underwear. So, I finally get a good cake-picture and he's half naked. Figures. I'll let Jacob introduce you to the newest member of the Douglas family and Jacob's birthday present on the kids blog next week (hint - his name is Quickie; mom and dad could not persuade them to choose another name, 'Fastie' was already taken by the caterpillar). He's really looking forward to making his rockets this summer and will be saving his birthday money for an ipad - or a trampoline - whichever is cheaper. Since he saves about $80 a year, I think by the time he can afford an ipad, I'll be OK with him having one. PS - no one tell him what a Kindle Fire is, ok?
After school he went to play at his friend's house, then we picked him up to go out to dinner at the new-ish pizza buffet in town. It's name is Salt-N-Grease.... oh wait, no, it's SteviB's. They have an arcade, and I actually had some left-over tokens and a coupon - so rock on!
We got home LATE and then Jacob insisted on decorating his own cake with chocolate chips and M&M's. Here it is:
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Last Day of School
MAP test results came home too (which is the district-wide testing). Allison's scores rebounded from her poor winter performance (bad test day?) back to 50th percentile in both math and reading. She's plugging along where she's supposed to be, but honestly I question a test where kids can go from 60th to 20th to 50th percentiles over the course of a year. Jacob scored very high in math and high average in reading. I'm hoping that he'll score high enough in 2nd grade to qualify for the 'TAG' programming because I think that's the only way to get a more challenging math program for him.
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