Yes, I'm actually posting...

I know it's been a long time. I very rarely have spare time let alone time that I can think clearly enough to type a post. We are all doing well. Josh is working hard at work, some overtime. He has gotten two new certifications since October, one in VM Ware and one in SANS engineering. They are putting in for a new contract so he should have a new job title sometime after the new year. I have been doing whatever it is a chicken does with its head cut off. That is to say, I don't remember exactly. Mostly I've been researching and observing and experimenting with Chase and his behavior issues. He's a pretty normal kid, happy, funny, loving but he has some inconsistent behavior. He was finally diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder a couple of months ago. It has explained a lot. It explains why he would grab the same curling iron after being burned twice already, why he makes piles and messes everywhere, why he won't let me dress him, why he didn't understand when he was hurting someone. He meets with an occupational therapist and developmental specialist several times a month and it's really helped. So, he is a full time job and I've also been working on his diet with a holistic doctor and a chiropractor. We've taken out dyes, preservatives and dairy. He's a lot less jittery, a lot more calm. When he had a food like Goldfish crackers (full of tons of dyes, preservatives and dairy) he would be fussy and irritable like he couldn't stand being in his own skin. He seems much better now. He sleeps better and speaks better. His vocabulary is great! Most kids have some level of sensory integration issues whether it is getting used to loud noises, the tags in clothes or whatever but Chase needs a lot of sensory input so running, playing in the dirt, hard work is great for him. Unfortunately, the property we live on now is not...safe for him. We live on almost an acre in the "country". Sometimes it feels like another country. I wanted to write more but I'll just post pictures and blog later. Chase won't nap.