Where do I begin?

OK so A LOT has happened since the last entry......you probably thought I was forgetting about this great way to communicate....well I didn't, here I am! We have moved, we live in a very nice place albeit temporarily. We have a month to month lease so if they want us out (the house is for sale) we will have 30 day notice, but on the other hand if we find something better the we can do the same. It was a big blessing to move when we did, we had help and any other weekend would not have worked due to school starting and all. So that is a load off the shoulders now we just have to pray for rent each month and maybe for a more permanent situation.

Daniel- We decided to put him into a private school due to his new diagnosis in the AS (Autism Spectrum) and he is doing so much better! Grades are not great BUT when the kid comes home happy and talkative, WOW that is so much better than last year when he was sullen and had a "bite-your-head-off" attitude. The teachers are wonderful and I already told them that I was their biggest fan, because they are a blessing for our family to help Daniel how they have. And they really haven't done anything different than what they would normally do, they teach for the Lord and it shows. I have learned more about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) than I ever wanted to know, I have met some fabulous people that I never would have met and I have a new respect for people who have been in this (having a child on the AS) for a longer time than me. I found out some things about Aspergers and how to help them, it's a long list but I will be brief....one thing that Daniel cannot do is read facial/non verbal expression. People, that's 80% of all communication! He can't read when someone is giving him a happy or suprised look, you have to tell him what you are thinking and feeling for him to then relate that to the look on your face. He is very concrete, you cannot use sarcasm or idioms like "it's raining cats and dogs" he doesn't get it. Now, he has learned through repetition that some things are just "sayings" and not true facts, but that's what's so neat, is that his brain has ALREADY figured out some things even without all the intervention techniques. God has done the work. He still needs help though. Creative Writing and Language (let's try teaching the English rule "i before e except after c" because it is not always true!) are very hard for him, his brain works over time on those concepts so he gets frustrated easier. The teachers have been great to him and limited the homework in that area so he DOES do some work in that it's just not 7 pages (it would take him 3 hours). He has the meltdowns where he reacts to change in an immature for his age way. He will cry if he doesn't get his way, he will yell. We are learning how to deal with this. He likes things to be the way you say or else he doesn't seem to cope well (when we go to the store and I say I will only get 3 things...yeah, you get the picture). He is also very inappropriate with his physical touches. He will get too close, he will touch people in an inappropriate way, not because he wants to make people feel uncomfortable but sometimes he does, he is very akward in social situations. But let me tell you what this great state of West Virginia has to offer those with an ASD.........oh you will not believe it, there is a place called the Autism Training Center and it is based in Marshall University (in Huntington, WV). They will actually come to your house and evaluate the person and then offer interventions and PBS (Positive Behavior Support) and then have meetings with teachers and parents and grandparents and the PTO president if they want to come! They have books, DVD's, CD's all at a lending library and they will send it to you and you send it back in the envelope they send you (no postage for you to deal with!), they have ID cards that they will make and laminate so a child can keep it in his pocket in case they need help, they have support groups, parenting groups, classes, make and takes (I made Daniel a daily schedule to follow and laminated it!), articles, someone who would come with you to meet with teachers, and EVERYTHING IS FREE! Yes, you heard right, it is AWESOME! If any other state has this in place, I guarantee it would still be at the top in the country. I am totally amazed. I have already registered, got my membership card and will have to wait a while for a specialist to come available in my area (a year?) but they said they want to eliminate the wait period for personal PBS and are hiring more people but everything else I mentioned is all available to me now. I am so thrilled to have this available. I want to thank the person responsible but how do you? How do you tell someone that they turned a very shaken wandering person into someone with knowledge and tools to charge on ahead? I am in awe. Can you tell?
So that's what we are doing learning all we can and little by little coming up with ways to teach Daniel how to behave in a mature manner and overcome what he hasn't already.
Another thing to be thankful for is that Josiah, Zoe and Ezra are all at the same school. It was nice because Ezra could have gone to preschool in several other schools but there was an opening at the school I wanted him to go to! They are still in public school but we are praying that we can make enough money to send them all to the private school Daniel goes to. If you have 3 kids there, you get the 4th one free! Works for me! It's still a pretty penny but from what I've seen in Daniel, so worth it. For now, they are doing fine where they are, all good reports from the teachers. Josiah's teacher said that he is talking more where before if he said 4 words to her it was a banner day. Zoe's teacher keeps telling me how she goes over and above the call of duty either with the project she has or when she is done goes to help others. Ezra is having a good time, has made some friends, likes writing and doing "homework" with his brothers and sister.
Gabriel is home with me most days, and what a joy and sweetie he is! I am no longer babysitting, I am doing work with All Squared Away an organizing company. I work when the kids are in school or when Ramon can be home evenings and weekends. Gabriel gets to go to Aunt Mesa's! We love her! She had a baby 2 months ago! Victoria McKay O'Connor 9/7/08! I am a proud Aunt! She is so beautiful and growing like crazy! (It's all that mommy milk!) I am so thankful I got to be there when she took her first breath and share the moment with Mesa and Ben, she is my best friend and pretty much my sister and my brother is the coolest bro in the world.
Ramon is doing well, we are so blessed to have a faithful man as daddy and husband to this family. Someone hit him in his Jeep last month and totalled it and he was able to get a replacement car with the insurance AND he was not seriously injured! WOW! He is losing weight and running and getting into great shape. He ran his first
5K race too only weeks after the accident (see? he was in shape!) and he didn't come in last! Woo hoo! I am so proud of him! We are praying for God's continued provision for all our needs.
Well, this seem so long, so I will close for now but more to come!