Parenting Hit to Parenting Win

My daughter has been doing Kuk Sool Won™ for 8 months. In that time, she has tested twice. Both times she jumped up a full belt level. From white to yellow and then to blue. She has also competed in the World Championship and brought home two medals. Better yet, she has the skills to defend herself and it has really driven up her confidence and helped us focus on her health!

Kuk Sool Won™ Training

She has excitedly received a Student Textbook (quite the investment!) and we really enjoyed our travels together to the tournament. She is looking forward to her next tournament in a few months. So imagine my surprise when she told me she felt like she got herself into something and didn't know how to get out, that she wanted to "take a break" from Kuk Sool. I should have seen it coming, she's been getting belly or head aches right before class for weeks.

But I wasn't ready to just fold.

What's the Opposite of Germophobe?

The most convenient sickness to hit our entire family was right after we moved into a government subsidized, 3 bedroom, 2½ bath house. Literally within a week, we all had the flu. With 5 of us, I was very thankful for those 3 toilets! Prior to that move, we lived in a travel trailer and tried to only use the on site facilities for such "movements," rather than our own toilet (which required dumping about once per month).

Gee, I have no idea how Ronni got sick!

I've tried to keep my kids apart when they're sick, but... it just seems impossible. Who is going to turn away a pitiful sick child asking to be held and snuggled? Not that big brother!

Lots of random naps throughout the house as we all had the plague.

We all managed to rest a lot, lounging and napping all over the downstairs of the house, mostly. This certainly made it easier to keep an eye on everyone and provide sustenance. We had almost zero furniture at the time, so we just napped where we landed.

Tonsils, Adenoids & Turbinates, Oh my!

Sleep studies are a common screening done for kids with Down syndrome, especially if they snore. They can often have tiny mouths (and not so tiny tonsils). Spencer had his first Sleep Study when he was 3yo.

In May 2018, Spencer was snoring badly, so he went for a new Sleep Study. Through that he was diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It was so bad that the Pulmonologist called me on Mother's Day! He was very concerned that I follow up ASAP. Our ENT (Ear Nose & Throat doctor) said that a Tonsillectomy (the usual treatment for this) was contraindicated because Spencer has a Bifid Uvula. That means his uvula was splitting into two. Think of a Y hanging upside down in the back of the throat. So... we went with CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy). That involved going for another sleep study.

First comes the Sleep Study. Then a month later...	another sleep study to determine the appropriate CPAP pressure.

I'm not an "Anti-Vaxxer"

I have written here in the past about my choice not to vaccinate my children. I wrote about my mother supporting me through that decision and in that decision. So I really struggled with deciding on the Covid-19 Vaccine. First, how could *I* be vaccinated when I've been against vaccinating my children? How could I trust this vaccine? But some friends helped talk me through the decision and be alright with it, honestly. So... while not the first in line, I did get vaccinated against Covid-19. In fact, I just received my booster this week. My side effects were severe (by MY standards), but I will do another booster as soon as they tell me I am supposed to.