Noah's review of a Wii game

Dear Noah.........reflecting on the status of things.....

I have realized recently I am not posting here as often as I had been. That is partly due to being a bit busy, but also partly because things are flowing pretty steady with us now at home, doing school at home, and therapies locally, etc.

I find our stress levels have dropped tremendously......all that turmoil and crap basically we used to have to deal with on a DAILY basis via the public school system is gone.

Today I am just very thankful we do continue to homeschool. For so many reasons...but mostly because you are handling things so much better in your life, in general and with school. We eliminated a huge source of troubling issues when we started homeschooling again...and we will continue on with no regrets.

I do have something funny to share. A week or so ago I had you change out of your clothes to put some clean clothes on. Actually I think you had gotten out of your pajamas to get dressed. I said I would bring you some clothes. I got sidetracked and a couple of hours I think had gone by. I finally called you into my office area for something and I looked and there you stood NAKED! When I asked you WHY you were standing there naked you told me, "Mom, you never brought me any clothes!"

This is one of the times I am reminded you have autism.....because that is very typical of something you would never think of coming to say to me on your own...like, "Hey mom I need some clothes!" You were perfectly fine being naked. I asked you, "Didn't you get cold?" and you said no. I felt horrible, but it was also sort of funny to you and me both. We both ended up laughing and I got you some clothes to put on.

There are still times when you cannot distinguish between a man and woman, often calling a female "him" and a male "her" and not recognizing the difference at all...even when it is obvious what their gender is.

At night if I am asleep you will not verbally say anything to wake me or shake me even if you need something.

Those are the kinds of reminders I get now that you still have a few little issues...and still need some prompting and redirecting. Or when you say something in a public place way too loud about someone and they can hear you.

BUT otherwise......we are sailing along...and we are pretty happy...and enjoy our time together.

You are still working on your time machine ideas......and now also love to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons.

You are doing very well in school and math you are ahead of the class...same for reading. So you are making it...you are coming along...and I am very proud of you.

I also love you a lot!

Mommy
XOXOX

Dear Noah.....

I was in your room today and happened to look down and saw these.....



then looked over and saw these.......




I had been hearing this funny sound you had been making for hours on end. I went in your room to find out what you were doing to make that sound and why. You told me you made that sound over and over cause you liked how it sounded and it excited you. I clocked you...you made the sound on average like 37 times in 5 minutes during a video. You like to make the sound when playing PC games or watching videos. So this means on average per hour you make the sound about 444 times. You said if you make the sound too many times it makes your head hurt. I actually thought it sounded sorta cute...but could see where it would probably make your head hurt after awhile. I guess it is like a vocal tic....because you don't really have any control over it....it is just something you have to do...over and over.

Anyway......here is a clip of the sound and us talking about it.

I love you too the moon and back again Noah...forever and ever and ever I will!!

Mommy
XOXOX

we have gotten a lot of snow......with more on the way tomorrow!

I love winter...I love snow....we have been getting a lot lately and more will be following soon! We were on a level 3 snow emergency until yesterday so even if we wanted to go anywhere we would not have been able to. Today we are down to a level 1...just in time to stock up on a few more supplies and run a few errands. Here is some pics of the snow we have now......after shoveling out.

Road Trip........

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Dear Noah.......stress

I cannot believe it has been this long in between posts. BUT it has. We have had a lot going on around here lately and there will be more to come. Needless to say this has created a bit of stress periodically in the house. Sometimes we both handle it well and sometimes not as well as we'd like.

You are going pretty well ...but do have your moments. A couple of times when you got frustated trying to tell me something....you got very upset and turned pretty red, and put your thumb in your mouth and bit down..hard enough to almost cut through the skin. You were also shaking at this time. AFTERwards we talked about it...how you handled that particular situation...how you could handle it perhaps better the next time round...and the unfortunate consequences of biting down on one's own body parts when angry. I sort of doubt you will do that again. I am thankful you did not come at me when you were angry.

Anyway....we have some loose teeth to get out of your mouth or the dentist will want to do SURGERY putting you under sedation to remove them. I am all for trying to do this ourselves and having you again avoid any surgery and sedation. SO we are working on the teeth.

You are really into Tom and Jerry right now.

Christmas was good and you handled your dentist and cardiology appointments well.

You have enjoyed your Wii so far.

I love you....I am hoping and praying I can keep this job or get an even better one and make your life as stress free and loving as possible.

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah....Jan. 4, 2010 - dentist and cardiology day........

Well we made it through the holidays. You had a wonderful Christmas and birthday. You got many nice presents......including a new HO scale train set from Santa and books, movies, gift certificates, and games. You got movies on Twisters and books on space and tornadoes. You got a Magic 8 Ball and Monopoly City, Diamond Scrabble and Yahtzee. You also got enough money on your birthday to order yourself a Wii!! That should be coming this week.

You did so well when it came time for everyone to sing to you on your birthday. IN fact....you have done well overall with all gatherings recently.

Today you had to go back to the dentist for a followup and cleaning. ZERO cavities and they look so nice again! However....you do have one baby tooth that came out partway and got jammed between the new tooth and the gum that we cannot get out. The dentist said it would have to be surgically removed and knowing you..laughing gas would not help you as you would still be awake and get too worked up probably to handle a shot in the gum to numb it. SO....he suggested sending you to the OR (operating room) to be put under and they can do everything to your mouth at one time. I guess there are also 2 upper teeth trying to do the same thing. He thinks and I agree, that those will probably come out on their own with your help. BUT so far we cannot budge that other tooth. SO you may be facing surgery for all that if we cannot get them out ourselves in the next few months. I would like to avoid any surgery for you if possible....so I am going to try to work on that bottom tooth and you are already working on the upper teeth.

Cardiology visit went better than last time as far as you handling the ultrasound of your heart. However, the doctor this time actually HEARD the aortic valve regurgitation and stenosis and is concerned if it continues on without any intervention....your left ventricle will eventually be affected as the back flow of blood goes there..so blood comes out from there but also some leaks back. Your aortic valve has narrowed a bit so she can hear things there now she could not before. Anyway....to make a long story short..the goal is to try to postpone any surgery for you as long as possible. SOME cardiologists do nothing for kids born with a bicuspid aortic valve and even if you develop aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation if not too bad, they just let it take its course. Some live normal lives and never have problems...most eventually one day face some sort of surgery to try to repair the valve or replace it. SINCE this is all open heart surgery so far to in most cases.....we are trying to postpone this as long as possible.

ONE way (if things slowly worsen) is to place you on an ACE inhibitor to lower the blood pressure (yours is NOT high)....which in turn reduces how hard your heart has to work to make up for the leaky valve....and the rate of pressure your blood is being pumped through the heart. SOMEtimes kids on ACE inhibitors ventricles improve and almost normalize..sometimes it appears it really does nothing. So some docs say to try something like medicine to see if you can HELP postpone the inevitable..some say it makes no difference. We are going to wait another 6 months...have you go back again for another ultrasound of the heart.....and then see how things are at that point. Each time things have changed a bit.....and she hears more or they see more leaking and things on the ultrasound images. She said in 6 months if things have again worsened even a little bit....she would recommend trying some sort of medicine. SO we will see. The problem with putting you on an ACE inhibitor when you don't really need it.....is we would have to monitor your blood pressure really closely until we got it regulated....since you are normal already....we would not want it to drop too low. I also want to do my own research on this and see if it really makes much difference in the inevitable outcome. If not......we may just let nature take its course and only act if things got really bad over time.

Regardless you made it through the day. I took you to Hallmark to buy you the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid you had seen there before Christmas for a present for being so good today. You are still in your room reading.

I love you Noah. God will help us get through all these things together!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

From our house to yours Noah and I wanted to wish you all a very blessed holiday season!

Dear Noah......you have been very emotional lately....

I forgot that this time of year can be really hard on you. There are so many things going on and you get so excited.

We went to get you Domino's Pizza the other night to last you over the holidays and we noticed they have changed their pizza crust, sauce and cheese topping. One pizza was made the old way.....1 was made the new way. I am not sure if this is a new pizza from here on out or if they can still make them the old way. BUT yesterday morning you told me you were crying the night before after I tucked you in...and when I asked "why" you told me because you were afraid this was the way Domino's was going to make all of their pizzas from here on out and you did not care for the garlic crust and the red pepper spicier sauce as both burned your tongue and throat. Oh I do hope and pray this is a temp thing or I can still order one the old way. You cried about it again yesterday while I tried to convince you that trying a pizza from another pizza place might be a good thing for you to try again one day soon! We have a Papa Johns in town AND a Pizza Hut and I reminded you that you used to eat and love both at one time in the past.

You also want a sleep over with your cousin Audrey so badly right now.

You have been thinking a lot about your dad and some of the problems he had a few years back. You had a bad dream about him the other night too. Almost every little thing makes you want to cry...I mean real tears where you are very upset.

You DO snap back out of it quicker which is improvement, but I feel badly for you. Hopefully you will be fine once we get these holidays on the road!

Yesterday I washed all the sheets, and blankets, and afghans in the house and decided we needed to move some of your stuffed animals OFF your bed as they were taking up over HALF of the bed and it looked too cluttered. THIS



is how we rearranged them and I also have stuck some on your bookshelves which you cannot see in this photo. This is much easier and more doable for impromptu sleep overs for greater ease with getting IN the bed without it taking 30-45 minutes prep time removing all the plushies!

Anyway.....we need to send your letter off to Santa today.

I love you so very much Noah.

Mommy
XOXOXO

Dear Noah..........you lost another tooth.........

You have 2 more teeth to hopefully get out of your mouth before your dental visit in January. One I don't think is connected to anything anymore, but it is jammed down and wedged tight to the gum line.

We have been busy getting ready for Christmas and finishing up school for 2009. Time is going by so quickly!

I am going to keep this short. Sorry for lack of entries recently but we are just really busy this time of year. Today we went to see Grandma C. You had a new puzzle book you wanted to work some puzzles with her. We ended up staying for supper.

Love you much!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah..........that might "foil" our plans.......

OUR TREE this year......

We had talked about eating breakfast Monday at Cracker Barrel since we have not been there awhile and then railfanning (going to watch some trains nearby and videotaping them).

When you woke up today I told you starting tomorrow it may snow this coming week off and on...tomorrow's chance of snow was 50%.

You said "oh no....that may foil our plans to go to Cracker Barrel!" You sometimes amuse me with the words you choose to use in a very complete sentence that sounds so very grown up. When I asked you if you knew what FOIL our plans meant you said, "yeah..it means cancel them!" haha

you are something else. I love you......but I doubt it will snow so much it will foil our plans. BUT you never know!

adorably cute playful kitten

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Scientific link to autism identified....interesting read

During its research into the application of neuroscience in business, a New Jersey based think tank, The Center for Modeling Optimal Outcomes®, LLC (The Center) made an inadvertent and amazing discovery.

The Center examined the neuroscientific dynamics of logic and emotion in decision making while researching neuroscience in business. They found unique corollary relationships between various brain chemicals (neurohormones, neurotransmitters, etc.). This apparent pattern led to a new path of research for the team outside of business. By looking at extensive scientific literature they discovered a cascade of hormones that emanate from the brain (hypothalamus). This same pattern of correlations was again apparent throughout the cascade. The group added a research biologist and started to test the pattern on genes (proteins). It remained consistent. The Center then called upon advisors from chemistry and physics to see if the pattern would apply in physical sciences.

To the amazement of the group, it became apparent that this pattern of corollary relationships could be applied to scientific processes for maintaining equilibrium (homeostatic relationships) throughout all of science; from subatomic particles to chemistry as well as between biological substances.

While the entire scientific community knows that homeostasis exists, this tacit knowledge has not been converted into a step-by-step, replicable model. The Center identified precisely such an explicit process.

Challenged by several of The Center's advisors, members of the team decided to test the efficacy of the model to determine if the disruptions that cause autism could be identified.

After careful review of countless scientific studies, meeting with several renowned scientists to discuss their findings, and then applying the modeling process to numerous hypotheses, The Center's Life Sciences group was able to formulate a scientifically verifiable model for the highly probable causal path of autism. Through the application of their model, it became apparent that autism is an outcome of several variables that, when the homeostatic relationship of each one is disrupted, a "perfect storm" scenario results in autism. The application of the model identified several of the variables that account for why boys have a 4 to 1 ratio of instances over girls as well as why not every boy is affected.

While the scientific community will have to validate The Center's findings, the model for assessing homeostatic relationships indicates the "trigger" behind autism is an imbalance between a pair of amino acid neurotransmitters; glutamate and glycine.

According to The Center's founder, William McFaul, a retired business person and not a member of the scientific community, "Because of its universal applicability, our Life Sciences group has already used the model as a tool to identify highly probable causal paths for several illnesses and disease entities. Autism was one of most difficult illnesses The Center had attempted to analyze. If it hadn't been for so many parents insisting that vaccines were responsible for the condition, we might never have found the fact that the stabilizer in MMR and a few other vaccines is hydrolyzed gelatin; a substance that is approximately 21% glycine. It appears that, based on readily verifiable science, the use of that form of glycine triggers an imbalance between the amino acid neurotransmitters responsible for the absorption rate of certain classes of cells throughout the body. It is that wide-spread disruption that apparently results in the systemic problems that encompass the mind and the body characterized in today's 'classic' autism." He also added, "The use of our model indicates each of the disorders within Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is attributable to different disruptions in homeostasis. We look forward to sharing our findings relative to each disorder with the scientific community."

According to Linda Oliver-Perrier, The Center's spokesperson for their Life Sciences group, "The details of the disruptive process are somewhat complex and not conducive for explanation in a press release. We have posted a more detailed explanation on our web site, www.TheCenterNJ.com/lifesciences.html." She added, "Undoubtedly, this finding based on the application of the model for homeostasis will cause immense controversy. Our Life Sciences group is prepared to meet with members of the scientific community to explain the model as well as the variables that create the 'perfect storm' that results in autism."

McFaul added, "The Center is seeking to affiliate with academic centers to provide its model for homeostasis to the scientific community for use as a tool to enable researchers to identify root causes of illnesses and disease entities. The Center is a think tank that creates models. We are not an operating company with the resources to educate individuals or organizations on the application of the models we create.

Dear Noah..........they're here!

PILLSBURY GINGERBREAD COOKIE DOUGH! We stopped in Krogers on Monday and they finally had some of your favorite Pillsburg gingerbread cookie dough rolls so we bought 6. That only left 3 in the case and those 3 looked slightly damaged. I hope they stock more so we can get you more rolls before the season is over. You hope to put 25 rolls in the freezer. Last year we did that and the cookie dough lasted you until August the following year!

We made cookies on Monday then.....and you are once again in gingerbread heaven!

I love you much!

Mommy
XOXOXO

THANKS TO JACKANDJOANNE on Blogger........

for this wonderful link to a great explanation of the Mayan calendars and what the end of their LONG COUNT calendar really means......which TOTALLY helped to alleviate any fears about the year 2012 Noah had.

In case anyone else has similar angst regarding that date.....I am sharing the information in that article with you here.

Fears about the year 2012 rest on just one of at least three Maya calendar systems unearthed by scholars, the "Long Count," which began on Aug. 13, 3114 B.C.

The Long Count tracks the duration of what the Maya called "great cycles" of time. The cycle we're currently in ends on 13.0.0.0.0, what we non-Maya call Dec. 23, 2012.

"I tell my students it is similar to an odometer," says archaeologist Lisa Lucero of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "After it hits 100,000 miles, it starts again – but there is no new car, nor does the car self-destruct."

Worries about the date rest from a Maya inscription fragment suggesting the date's importance at the site of Tortuguero in Mexico, says archaeologist Kristin Romey, science adviser to Asylum.com. "The only problem is the Maya had Long Count calendar inscriptions mentioning baktuns (millennia) much further in the future at other sites, so 2012 hardly seems the end of the world."

On the plus side, the Mexican tourist industry could use a 2012 boost, Romey says, after swine flu and violence associated with narcotics. "I'm sure they will be selling a lot of T-shirts."

In all, the ancient Maya constructed calendars extending trillions of years into the past and future.

"They saw themselves as players in this awesomely long expanse of time," says epigrapher Simon Martin of the University of Pennsylvania. "Their calendar actually went back longer than the life of the universe."

If 2012 fails to bring about the end of the world, don't worry, adds Romey. "There is always another calendar somewhere coming to an end."

An Aztec calendar ends in 2027, for example.

I cannot thank you enough for this link to this information as it has greatly relieved the apprehension and fears Noah had. This offered a very logical explanation to him that he could easily understand and embrace. It also made him stop to think about our own calendar that we have in which each year comes to an END on December 31. This does not mean the world ends...but that we start all over again in a New Year.

SO this makes perfect sense to him......about the calendar the Mayans kept rolling back and starting all over again in a cycle.

THANK YOU... THANK YOU ....THANK YOU!

This is also the FIRST TIME I have ever heard this explained in this manner. It brings great relief now for me to be able to allay the fears of Noah or anyone else who might be fearful or thinking the world will end in 2012 based on the Mayan calendar.

Dear Noah...........2012.........

I happened to be watching some show on television as I flipped the channels the other night on the year 2012 and all the different theories and prophecies regarding that date.

I dozed off on the sofa.....you had come out to get ready for bed and sat down to watch the television with me...but see...I was sort of dozing off and on...but YOU were paying attention to the show. I have seen many shows before regarding 2012 and the doomsday prophecies for that date.....as well as some theories saying that year only marks a new beginning of time.

You interpreted it as very scary and as an end-of-the-world storyline. I felt so bad for you. I had asked you if you were watching the show when I roused up a bit and you of course said, "yes." I knew then you would probably be upset....and you were. You looked at me crying and said, "but I don't think I will be able to finish my time machine before 2012!!"

I felt so bad for you and then proceeded to try to reassure you. I told you many people have predicted doomsdays that were never fulfilled and I reminded you of all the year 2000 scares and then I asked you (since we are Christians) what the Bible says about the date of the end of the world? I reminded you that Jesus said NO ONE will know the date...... or the hour.....not Him or even the angels....but only the Father.

This made you feel a lot better....as God's word always does. BUT you are curious about this date.....and are hoping and praying it does not come......or at least not until you can build your time machine. You have done further research online about the year 2012 and some of the theories around December 21, 2012. At least every day you make a comment about how you hope and pray the world does not end.....you then found the movie trailer for 2012. I HIGHLY doubt I would ever let you watch that.

Regardless.....we are rapidly moving into the end of THIS year with Thanksgiving a mere 2 weeks away! Christmas will follow soon after that. Time goes by so quickly.

I love you so very much Noah. I really do....forever I will.

Mommy
XOXOXOX

PLEASE consider sending this little dying boy a Christmas card.......see story below...and link to video

Diana Biorkman needs your help in making her son's wish come true. She has a 5 year old son, Noah, in the last stages of a 2.5 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week and Noahs request is to get lots of Christmas cards. Please consider sending cards to:

Noah Biorkman
1141 Fountian Viewcircle
South Lyon, MI 48178

here is a link to the video......

NOAH BIORKMAN

Please send whatever you are led to send. Thanks!

Dear Noah......Halloween......

Well you went trick or treating twice.....once at a church where they do a local SHINE program and you walk through different booths and displays they have set up at the same time learning something from the Bible. AND then they tie in a full-sized treat/candy bar with the story they told. For example, when they told about Noah's Ark and how people "laughed" or "snickered" at Noah when he was building the ark.....they passed out "Snickers" candy bars.

Then we went around trick or treating with your cousin Audrey and aunties.....I dressed up like the creepy BURGER KING......he is soooo creepy isn't he? I just went as him as a BUCKEYE FAN since we won the game Saturday. I stuffed all sorts of stuff under my jacket, around my neck, and in my pockets to beef me up even more than I already am beefed up. YOU went as a Dominos Pizza delivery guy (I fixed you up a jacket and you already had a real Dominos hat)....and cousin Audrey went in a cool poodle skirt....

My pics did not turn out great..but here are a couple. I will have to dress you into the costume again and take better pics with you holding the pizza boxes as if you were delivering them. I made it so the people could fill up your boxes with candy so you carried that instead of a treat bag.

Anyway.......I love you.....we are so ready for Christmas now......in fact...tonight we are again listening to Christmas music!

I LOVE YOU!

Mommy
XOXOXOX

Dear Noah......your thoughts at 6:15 a.m. when you get up to pee......

you came into my office since I had been working since 4:00 a.m. to tell me yesterday that "Mom...the neighbors are copycats!" When I asked you why you proceeded to tell me "because they wait and take their trash out on Friday mornings like you, they have a garden and they also have a child!"

I busted out laughing......all these were true......but I did inform you the people had moved in WITH the child......

you are a trip Noah. Tonight we go trick or treating with cousin Audrey! You have been so excited! You are going as a Domino's Pizza Delivery guy......I will take pics!

Meanwhile where we lived in Colorado got 28 inches of snow and you are hoping it comes our way. I told you we are too warm to have it be snow...it would likely be rain if it makes it this far.

I LOVE YOU!

Mommy
XOXOXO