2016 Not-Back-to-School day

Today was the start of public school in my town.  On Facebook there were many posts with pictures of children and teens ready to head off to school after their requisite 3 months off.  Not wanting to feel left out, I had my boys line up in the living room so I could take their picture to share.  With it, they held a sign saying 1st day of NOT back to school 2016.  Complete with silly faces and pajamas.  Why?  Why not?  We aren't starting for two weeks anyway, and they'll most likely spend most days in their pajamas.  

 
That being said, I now have two weeks to get everything organized and ready for the new school year.  Ok, so let's face it... Athos is still trudging through Algebra 1 and Biology.  Not quite sure how we are going to handle this.  We could: 1. Continue with that until he finishes both.  2. Move on to this year's subjects: Geometry and Chemistry.  3. Double up.  Do both.  Hmmm....

In the mean time, I bet you are wondering what we are going to be using this year.  Some things remain the same, while others have changed.  Athos is switching over to "My Father's World: Ancient History and Literature" for Bible, History and Literature.  He is sticking with BJU Press for math, and Apologia for science.  Porthos and Aramis are both sticking with My Father's World again for Bible, History, and Science.  This year it is "Creation to the Greeks".  Porthos will also be using Teaching Textbooks for math.  Aramis is using Life of Fred for Math.  I am thinking about using Apologia's Writers in Residence for both of their language arts.

Labels

Labels. ADHD.  On the Spectrum.  Autistic.  Asperger's.  Gifted and Talented.   Dyslexic. Anxiety disorder.  Psychological labels are not for my boys.  That is something that other people's kids get. Certainly not my sons.  Medication is handed out far too often, in my opinion.  Certainly a proper diet, a good amount of physical activity and structure will help children with these labels.  Well, that's what I thought up until last week.  Until it was my child with the label.
 
Recently, I took Porthos and Aramis for sort of a psych evaluation.  Porthos had struggled with Epstein Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Mononucleosis for the past year and a half.  Now that his energy level is returning, we are starting to notice how fidgety he is.  Aramis tends to be a bit more insecure than other kids his age, and becomes sad easily.  What was determined is that Porthos is ADHD and Aramis has Generalized Anxiety Disorder and mild depression.  Wow.  Both are genetic.

Now, before you read any further, let me say that for those against medication, so was I.  Sometimes you don't know what else to do to help your child.  For those who are pro medication, we are just starting and haven't decided if we like it or not.  In the end, we do what we feel is right for OUR children.

Porthos has been given a prescription, not to alter his personality, but to help him focus on assignments and such.  In the mean time, we have signed him up for karate.  He really seems to be enjoying it.  Not sure how the medication is working yet, as it has only been two days and we haven't even started "school" yet.

Aramis has been put on Zoloft and will be seeking counseling for anxiety.  Where Porthos' plan should show near immediate results, Aramis' treatment plan will take time.  Months even.  But it's not just medication and/or counseling for my boys that is necessary.  It is also my approach to their behavior that needs work.  I need to be more patient and understanding.  I need to pay more attention to what triggers an upset with Aramis.  This is a new journey, and certainly not one I expected to take.  But here we are, none the less.